Without a doubt, the year 2020 has been one to remember. Although things developed so rapidly on so many simultaneous fronts, it's been an easy year to forget, as well. How many things have you adapted so far? Birthdays, holidays, school and vacation — all of us have had to adapt to a continually shifting environment as we try our best to maintain forward momentum, haven't we?

Personally, I've learned a lot about resilience. This year has been a journey into what it looks like to walk away from any sense of status quo and learn to do the things you've always known in a way they've never been done before. Like you and everyone else, there was no choice but to slow down, regroup and redefine the path — and in many cases, even the goal itself.

As we've challenged ourselves to rethink everything from work to church to birthday parties, this tired old adage has become more relevant each day: "Change is inevitable. Learning from change is optional." As we continue to learn and grow, we easily offer more challenges to another tired mantra: "We have always done it that way."

With change being the order of the day, the real question now is where to look for constants in our life. Where is your foundation and what is the source of stability as everything around you is shifting?

As a former military family, we've long since learned the value of a solid home life. One where meals together at the table, siblings attending each others' dance recitals, ball games and school plays are not in question. We moved around the world and across the country, but we were always a family, and family mattered. As my children now have families of their own, I see that playing out in their homes, too.

Another constant for many is a strong spiritual life. One where accountability to God and others comes in high on the list. For those who ascribe to Christianity, its namesake himself taught that those commandments (out of the 10) were the greatest, "... to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love others as you do yourself."
In all honesty, when we observe those two, most of the rest of life falls into place pretty nicely. It's when we take those commandments into our workplace, into our families and into our social life to heart that we find ourselves more adaptable to changes that come our way — whether they find us in the midst of a pandemic, an economic crisis or civil unrest.

So, whatever is shaking in your world today, I hope your foundation is firm. If not, the changes going on around us provide the perfect environment for a personal shift toward more solid ground.

The recent market volatility has affected just about everybody’s financial and investment situations — so, if you were planning to retire soon, will it still be possible?
Of course, the answer depends somewhat on your employment situation. With so many people’s jobs being affected by the coronavirus pandemic, your retirement plans may also have been thrown into confusion. But assuming your employment is still stable, what adjustments in your financial and investment strategies might you need to make for your retirement?

Here are a few areas to consider, and some questions to ask yourself:

• Retirement goals Now is a good time to review your retirement goals and assess your progress toward achieving them. You may want to work with a financial professional to determine if the current environment has materially affected your goals or if you need to make modest adjustments to stay on track.

• Retirement lifestyle You probably created your investment strategy with a particular type of retirement lifestyle in mind. Perhaps you had planned to become a world traveler when your working days were over. Of course, in the near term, extensive travel may not be possible, anyway, but once we move past the pandemic, your freedom to roam will likely return. But if your investment portfolio is not where you thought it might be, can you (or do you want to) adapt your lifestyle plans? And can you accept the same flexibility with your other lifestyle goals, such as purchasing a vacation home, pursuing hobbies, and so on?

• Tradeoffs Based on your retirement goals and your willingness to adjust your retirement lifestyle, you’ll want to consider your options and tradeoffs. For example, would you be willing to work more years than you had originally planned in exchange for greater confidence in your ability to enjoy a comfortable retirement lifestyle? By working longer, you can continue adding to your IRA and 401(k) or similar retirement plan, and you may be able to push back the date you start receiving Social Security to receive bigger monthly benefits. You might also review your budget for opportunities to reduce spending today and potentially save more toward your retirement goals.

• Social Security You can file for Social Security benefits as early as 62, but you can get 25% to 30% more if you wait until your full retirement age, which is likely between 66 and 67. As you created your retirement plans, you likely also calculated when you would take Social Security, but you may need to review that choice. If you postpone retirement a few years, what effect will that have on when you choose to take Social Security and, consequently, the size of your benefits? You won’t want to make a hasty decision — once you start taking Social Security, you can’t undo your choice.

This is certainly a challenging time to be entering retirement, and you’ll have some questions to answer. But even in the midst of uncertainty, you still have many choices.

Consider them carefully and make the decisions that work for you.

America’s culture wars are on full display in our take-no-prisoners response to wearing masks to protect others from COVID-19. Our nation’s inherent tension between individualism and collective good has pushed us into different corners, even though polls find more of us are in the collective good corner by better than 2 to 1. The smaller but highly visible my-rights-are-more-important-than-your-health crowd stands firm despite warnings from top pandemic officials, some of whom offer different ways to think about the situation. Pretend we were living in London during the Blitz of 1940-41 when Germany bombed the city and other parts of England every night for 11 weeks. During the Blitz, the British government required nightly blackouts to hamper the German bombing effort. What if your next-door-neighbor insisted it was his right to burn lights, and bombers missed his house but destroyed yours? Would that have been a proper assertion of individual rights? Or, how about this excuse offered by mask supporters tired of COVID, “I don’t like wearing a mask.” This cynical rejoinder comes from a mask wearer also tired of COVID. “So, you don’t like wearing a mask in public for whatever reasons? Well, you are really going to hate your ventilator!”

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Continuing on COVID-19, no one knows what our situation will be when Nov. 3 rolls around. Will we feel comfortable voting in person, either early or on Election Day, when lines are likely to be long in a presidential election year? Will enough election officials be comfortable enough to oversee the voting process?

Many Americans, including this one, are opting to vote by mail because of those very uncertainties. I printed my absentee ballot request from the North Carolina Board of Elections website, filled it out and mailed it in last week to the county Board of Elections. According to the website, I will receive an official ballot correct for the candidates in my precinct in September, to be mailed in before Election Day.

If I decide to vote in person, I will simply tear up the absentee ballot. Voters have many reasons to request absentee ballots — age, illness, travel, incarceration, physical limitations and more, but voters do not have to give any reason for requesting an absentee ballot, nor is an ID required. All that is needed is name, address, N.C. driver’s license number or the last four digits of one’s Social Security number to be checked against Elections Board records. If you are interested, the state Board of Elections website is www.ncsbe.gov

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Speaking of elections, campaign season is heating up, and it is not pretty. In the presidential contest, outside entities — those that were legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling in 2010 — are running all sorts of television ads on behalf of Biden and Trump, both positive and negative. The official campaigns are also running ads, which have the voices of Donald Trump or Joe Biden, acknowledging that they have “approved this ad.” A former candidate myself, I am always interested in political ads — whether they build up their candidate or tear down the other person, and how honestly they do so either way.

So far, I have seen several official Biden ads touting his experience and patriotism and at least one going after Trump’s record. Trump’s campaign is hitting Biden hard, with less emphasis on Trump’s achievements as president. All of this could — and probably will — evolve over the next few months, but we can all rest assured about one thing.
It is going to be a long summer and fall.

A handful of law enforcement officials around the state of North Carolina have announced they have no plans to enforce the latest requirement of Gov. Roy Cooper that people wear masks in public the prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Hope Mills Police Chief Joel Acciardo isn’t among those who will ask his officers to ignore the provision. At the same time, he said the emphasis won’t be heavy-handed, and based on how the community has reacted to previous restrictions put in place to help curb the spread of the illness, he expects the citizens of Hope Mills to be supportive.
“The goal is not to go out and write people tickets,’’ Acciardo said. “The goal is to educate people and bring them into compliance. So far we haven’t had any issues in that area.’’

One of the most popular locations in town for regular large gatherings of people is Hope Mills Lake. While the initial job of getting people to observe the restrictions while at the lake falls on lake attendants, Acciardo said whenever the police have had to be called in so far, intervention and education have usually resolved the situation without complication.

If someone does refuse to abide by the requirement to wear a mask in public, Acciardo said a charge of criminal trespass could be assessed if the person refuses to wear a mask and won’t leave the premises.

“Dialogue goes a long way,’’ Acciardo said.

As long as people are on their own property and not having a gathering in excess of 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors, they are free to not wear a mask.
Acciardo said if the police do encounter someone without a mask, the police department currently isn’t able to provide people with them.

“Our supplies are so limited,’’ he said. “Most of the time we barely have enough to cover our staff.

“These facemasks are not meant to be used forever. There is a pretty quick turnover. Our supplies are pretty finite.’’

As long as the officers are inside their cars, Acciardo said they will not be required to wear a mask, only needing to put them on when they have to interact with the public.
As of this writing, Acciardo said the police department was still developing the policy and when masks would have to be worn inside police headquarters.

He strongly suggested that everyone familiarize themselves with the latest requirements set down by Gov. Cooper in his most recent official order regarding safety measures required in public.

Go to www.nc.gov/covid-19/covid-19-executive-orders and click on the link to the June 24 order for complete information.

If anyone has questions about the enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions in Hope Mills, Acciardo can be reached at 910-425-4103.

While the Board of Commissioners and the staff at Town Hall do most of the heavy lifting of government for the town of Hope Mills, there’s another important group of volunteers that provide a lot of input to the decisions that are made about the town’s future.

That group is the people who serve on a variety of official town committees that delve a little deeper than the full board does into various town issues.

Jane Starling is the Town Clerk, and her job includes getting applications from people who are interested in serving on the various committees.

In addition to taking a closer look at issues before the town, Starling said the committees also provide valuable exposure to town citizens on how government actually works. She said it's often the beginning of a citizen becoming more active while at the same time getting an education.

Currently, the town has five committees and one commission. The committees include Parks and Recreation, Veterans Affairs, Zoning Board of Adjustment, Historic Preservation and Mayor’s Youth Leadership.

The lone commission is Appearance.

Nearly all the committees regularly meet at least once a month, unless the meeting date for a certain month falls on a major holiday.

The committees are constructed around the election cycle. The January after an election is held in November, the committees get new members who are each added for a two-year term.

The major exception to the rules is the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Its members serve a three-year term, and it only meets when a specific zoning issue is brought before it that requires action.

If someone steps down from one of the committees between election cycles, they can be replaced by someone with an application Starling keeps on file. All applications for committee positions are held for one year.

One of the reasons most of the Hope Mills bodies are committees and not commissions is the rules for filling the slots on a commission are more stringent.

Starling said commissions require members who have specific experience or professional training connected with the specific mission of the commission. “It’s really difficult in this small of a municipality to find people to fill those positions,’’ she said.

The Historic Preservation Commission was recently changed to a committee, and there has been talk of doing the same with the Appearance Commission.

Most of the committees are made up of seven members. One exception is the Veterans Affairs Committee, which has two additional members who represent local veterans organizations.

Each committee also has two liaison members, one from town staff and one from the Board of Commissioners.

To find a complete list of the town committees and a description of their duties, go to townofhopemills.com, click on the Government tab and look for the list of committees.
Most of the committees have resumed regular meetings in the community room at the Parks and Recreation Department building off Rockfish Road, where they can safely meet while observing social distancing.

Normally, the public is allowed to attend committee meetings, but under the current COVID-19 restrictions, only committee members are permitted at the meetings.

If anyone is interested in applying for a committee position for the 2021 election cycle or when an opening comes up, they can get a form from the town website, pick one up at Town Hall or request to have one mailed to them. The number at Town Hall is 910-424-4555.

Do you enjoy watching shows like “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Bull” or “All Rise”? Have you ever thought about a career in law? If you answered yes, then perhaps the paralegal profession is the career choice for you.

Although a paralegal cannot practice law, as a trained professional, they do much of the behind-the-scenes work that ultimately influences the final product. Some of the work involves interviewing clients, drafting legal documents, assisting in trials, conducting legal research and investigating the facts of a case.

Being a paralegal can also lead to career advancement. Advancement opportunities may exist within a law firm or private business or as a steppingstone to law school.
There are also career opportunities for paralegals outside the traditional legal field. Businesses recognize the value of employing paralegals. There currently is, and will continue to be, an increase in the need for trained paralegals in such areas as finance, insurance, consulting and health care.

At present, the U.S. Department of Labor projects the need for paralegals will increase at a minimum yearly rate of 8% through the year 2024.The Bureau of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor, in its “Occupational Outlook Handbook,” reports that as of May 2019, the median annual wage for paralegals and legal assistants was $51,740, an amount $11,930 higher than the median wage total for all occupations of $39,810.

If you are ready for a rewarding and challenging career as a paralegal, then Fayetteville Technical Community College and its paralegal technology program are for you. FTCC offers two programs in paralegal studies: the associate degree in applied science program and the diploma program. The diploma program is a fast track for those who have already completed a bachelor’s degree. Both programs are approved by the American Bar Association and the North Carolina State Bar Association. Both programs are excellent and will get you to the place you want to go.

Classes for the 2020 fall semester begin Aug. 17. Register now for fall classes. You can also reach out to an FTCC admissions professional at admissions@faytechcc.edu.
For a high-quality education at an affordable price, make the smart choice for your education. Also, make the smart choice to register early for your fall classes. FTCC is a place where you can pursue your dream career. FTCC is a military-friendly college and ranked fifth in the nation by Military Times Best for Vets (2020).

Contact me if you have questions about the paralegal programs. I can be reached by phone at 910-678-7379 or by email at groboskm@faytechcc.edu. You can also visit the FTCC website at www.faytechcc.edu. Enter “paralegal” as a search term using the search tool on the homepage to read about program details for both the associate degree and diploma programs.

The months leading up to the summer break are normally a time when coaches at North Carolina High School Athletic Association member schools are allowed to have off-season conditioning workouts with their teams if they coach a sport that’s not in season during winter or spring.

But that hasn’t been the case for E.E. Smith football coach Andy Karcher, who took over the Golden Bull program in late February. Barely three weeks after being hired and joining the faculty at Smith, Karcher found himself cut off from his team as the COVID-19 pandemic forced a shutdown of high school sports in North Carolina.

Now Karcher, along with other coaches in Cumberland County, is anxiously awaiting the arrival of July 6, when they will be permitted to begin conditioning workouts with their teams under stringent safety guidelines suggested by the National Federation of State High School Associations and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Karcher, who came to Smith after serving as an assistant coach under Bill Sochovka at Pine Forest, got a few weeks to see some of his football players in weightlifting class at Smith, but has since been limited to only virtual contact with them.

“We’re putting in a new offense with new terminology,’’ Karcher said. “We’re trying to do as much as we can with the mental game.’’

One of the real challenges of only being able to meet virtually, Karcher said, is getting his athletes used to accountability, showing up on time, or showing up at all.
“For me it’s been extremely stressful trying to move forward,’’ he said.

He said he’s done the best he can talking to his players about the importance of maintaining their conditioning, taking part in regular workouts at their homes.
“I think when we come together, we’ll be able to hit the ground running,’’ Karcher said.

But there are still questions, he added, noting that between answering questions from his players and his new coaching staff, they are all finding themselves in totally uncharted waters.

“It’s really challenging me to find creative ways to get things done,’’ he said. The challenge has been complicated by the fact that whatever ideas Karcher comes up with, he has to make sure they take into account the need for things like social distancing and the other restrictions still in place because of the pandemic.

He praised members of his new coaching staff for adapting to the challenge as well. “They have taken it upon themselves to attend virtual coaching seminars,’’ he said. “They are trying to learn more about what we’re trying to do.’’

Karcher has also reached out to coaching friends like Sochovka and Ben Penny at Triton High School for suggestions on what to do. “It’s about talking and sharing,’’ Karcher said.

One of the biggest things he can’t control, and won’t be able to deal with until the first official day of fall practice when it comes, is learning how his team will deal with the physical aspect of football.

“Football is a contact sport,’’ he said. “As soon as we can get back to some normalcy, the kids’ spirits and our spirits as coaches will lift.

“The biggest thing now is trying to come up with a plan that is going to make sure the kids are mentally ready.’’

The most important thing Karcher wants to teach is teamwork, finding out how much his players know and trust each other so they can get through the challenge together.
“That’s what I love about football,” Karcher said. “It’s a sport that translates to everyday life after high school.’’

He hopes his players will adjust to the restrictions of COVID-19 workouts quickly, but most important of all, that they stick to them. “Follow the procedure as you’re supposed to follow it,’’ he said. “Make sure everybody is staying safe.

“This might be the new norm for awhile. We have to be flexible and do what we can do. We want to make sure everybody is doing what they are supposed to do so we can arrive at the season and it (the restrictions) won’t be prolonged any longer than it needs to be.’’

Did Jesus find a wife in North Carolina?

The answer is yes.

But the story is fictional, and the North Carolina connection is complicated.

Sue Monk Kidd is the best-selling author of “The Secret Life of Bees” and other popular books. Her latest, “The Book of Longings,” came out on
April 21. It tells the story of Ana and her marriage to a young carpenter and stonemason from Nazareth.

The North Carolina connection?

A short article in the May 17 issue of The New York Times headlined “Did Jesus Ever Tie the Knot? A New Novel Considers the Question” reported that Kidd, despite her deep connections to Georgia, wrote the new book in Chapel Hill, where she now lives.

Although the book is set in the Middle East of 2,000 years ago, the coming together of Jesus and Ana was framed in North Carolina.

The story begins in the year 16 A.D. Ana is the teen-aged daughter of the head scribe of Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, and, subject to the Roman overlords, the ruler of Galilee. Ana and her mother, father, aunt and servants live near Antipas’s palace in Sepphoris, a thriving town. Ana’s cousin and adopted brother, Judas, has left home to join with zealots fighting against the Roman occupation. Nearby Sepphoris is the poor village of Nazareth, where Jesus lives in a less-than-modest hovel with his widowed mother, Mary, and his siblings.

Unlike most other women of the times, Ana is well educated and writes stories of women heroes of the Bible. Although she cherishes her unmarried status, her parents arrange for her betrothal to an elderly wealthy man. When he dies before the wedding, they push her to become Antipas’s concubine.

Meanwhile, she has encountered Jesus, who walks each day from Nazareth to Sepphoris to work on a massive construction project for Antipas. The spark is immediate. She appreciates his deep connection to God, or as Jesus calls him when he prays, Abba or father. He appreciates her education and aspirations to write and promote the place of women.

  Their marriage transforms her privileged life into hand-to-mouth poverty in the crowded house in Nazareth, where Ana does not get the warmest of
welcomes.

Kidd describes the smells and the constant chores of cooking, milking, feeding, sewing, petty jealousies and resentments that fill the lives of the struggling poor. Jesus is often gone for long periods to work on projects in other parts of Galilee, sometimes even going as far as the Sea of Galilee to work with fishermen.

Jesus’s search for God leads him to the preaching of John the Baptist. He becomes a follower, and then when John is arrested by Antipas, Jesus becomes a leader, leaving Ana alone with his family in Nazareth.

Ana herself offends Antipas and becomes another of his targets. For safety, Ana’s aunt takes her to Egypt, where she encounters another set of conflicts and challenges in a totally different environment in the great library city of Alexandria.

Ana is finally called to return from Egypt. She arrives in Bethany near Jerusalem just in time for a Passover dinner with Mary, Martha, Lazarus and Jesus, but Jesus is not there. The next day in Jerusalem, Ana watches as Jesus is carrying the cross towards the execution site. He collapses. Ana rushes to comfort him and say goodbye.

Then Kidd reconstructs the crucifixion experience in a way more horrible and poignant than any of the four gospels. She also offers a surprising explanation of why Judas betrayed Jesus.

That Ana’s story continues after Jesus’s death emphasizes Kidd’s and Ana’s belief that the exclusion and minimization of the role of women in the days of Jesus and today has been a tragic mistake.

Whether Kidd’s readers are true believers or skeptical inquirers, “The Book of Longings” will be an enriching and challenging read.

The 2019-2020 play season at Cape Fear Regional Theatre experienced an unplanned intermission due to the coronavirus. When the governor presented social distancing guidelines in midMarch, CFRT cancelled the rest of its 2019-2020 season, which opened with a bang with “Mamma Mia!” and closed prematurely with “Murder for Two.”  Nevertheless, the staff of the theater has worked tirelessly to provide the arts to locals in a social-distancing-friendly way.

The journey started with the theater hosting a free offering for a couple months that was open to the public. Staff at the theater and artists who worked with the theater in the past would emphasize something different every day, from song-writing to dance to writing monologues. On average there were 10-20 attendees per class. That’s when the staff at the theater saw how virtual meetings were taking off.

When schools closed, the staff launched Virtual Edutainment. “We thought, What can we do to keep the theater going and (to keep) the kids engaged who we would normally have doing studio classes or coming to the theater?” said Marc de la Concha, the director of education at the CFRT.

The staff had all hands on deck to brainstorm, and landed on offering online, week-long classes that had a different focus each day. 

“It would kind of take care of what students were doing in school in terms of art and music and physical education,” said de la Concha. Some weeks were generic and some weeks had themes like Harry Potter, Lego and Dr. Seuss, to name a few. The program ran for nine weeks.

People outside Cumberland County and even outside of the state tuned into the lessons.

The launch was a success. Offering classes for two K-2nd grade sessions a day and two 3rd-5th grade sessions per day, the teachers had about 15 kids in each class on average, and they were able to give individual attention to the children.

Around the same time as the Virtual Edutainment launch, the Spring Break Bootcamp was supposed to take place. To help all the students who signed up for it to reap its benefits, they moved the boot camp online, where it had 50-60 participants.

CFRT is no novice when it comes to community outreach. Over the past few years, the theater has also reached out to the military community through its Passport series.
“(The series) is basically a playwriting workshop that takes place over eight weeks, and it’s for military children. They were offering it on post at the Throckmorton Library for two years, and it’s grown so much that this past year we worked with the library in Hope Mills and Rick’s Place and had our program out at those locations as well,” de la Concha explained.

The program is free, and as time has gone on, it has gained momentum. In the first year, the program filled up in a day. In the second year, the program sold out in a couple hours. “This past year, it’s been minutes,” said de la Concha. “We’ll tell the parents, ‘It’ll open up on this day at this time,’ and within minutes, it’s full.”

For the first time this year, CFRT attempted to offer a program called Act Fast for the military and military-adjacent adults with funding provided by The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. The production was going to be called “Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind,” a collection of 30 short plays, all performed in 60 minutes. With performance dates initially scheduled for mid-July, the performances had to be canceled due to the extension of Phase 2 social distancing, as well as the amount of participants who were PCSing.

Even so, Mary Kate Burke, artistic director at the theater, sees the attempt as a success because it brought part of the military community together. Because of the newfound friendships that were built during rehearsals, the participants were grateful for the experience, and many of them had a virtual Easter dinner together. The theater hopes to have Act Fast again next year.

“(The military) is always on the move, and it’s important for them to feel like there’s a place where they can gather together with people who are going through the same things that they are … The plays they write are really extraordinary, and it comes from a different place,” said de la Concha.

“It’s been an opportunity for them to get involved, whether they’re new to the area, they’ve been here a while, or they’re homeschooled or they go to one of the Cumberland County schools, it’s a great opportunity to get together with peers that are like them.”

Summer camps have always been popular at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre, and this year is no different. As summer goes on, the theater will host programs for several ages. So far, CFRT has hosted one of its camps for the production “Kids Rock The World” for ages 6-9. There are two more camps for the production coming up in July and August that are almost completely sold out. For ages 10-14, a camp with a production of “Frozen” is being offered. One of them has already happened. A sold out camp is happening in July, and an  in-person camp  is being offered from July 27-Aug. 8 with some availability. From July 27-Aug. 15, CFRT is offering a camp with a production of “Puffs” for ages 15-19.

Kids do wear masks in the productions while the theater also emphasizes sanitization to ensure the safety of the children. The theater also has been careful to follow the CDC’s social distancing guidelines.

One of the benefits of the CDC’s guidelines is that the children who participate in the camps are separated into three different groups. For example, one of the “Frozen” camps was split into three different groups, each of which did their own production. “We’ll have three Elsas, three Annas, three Olafs in each company. That’s great because … we’ve seen kids that have come here for years who feel like, ‘Yes, this is my summer,’” said de la Concha.

In a tumultuous time, the arts’ provision of creativity and joy is a much-needed constant. “I think everybody needs the arts, especially at a time like now,” said de la Concha. “We’re working very hard to make sure we can continue to make that happen.

Visit www.cfrt.org to find out more about what Cape Fear Regional Theatre.

Like millions of other Americans, I wake up every morning wondering what is going to happen today. How horrifying will the COVID-19 resurgence be? How and why has a protective health measure like covering one’s nose and mouth become a political statement? Will protesters be on our streets and will there be violence, damages and injuries?

It is a time unlike any other, at least in my lifetime.

The negatives of our collective situation are apparent to all Americans, and many of us are suffering financially and psychologically, individually and collectively. Each of us and our families approach this difficult time in our own ways, and none of us is certain we are doing it well. Every decision and every action seem — and are — a calculated risk.

It helps to think of silver linings, and there are some.

Since March, millions of us have been forced to slow down. Working remotely or not working at all has given us more time with our families, not all of it fairy tale perfect, of course, but opportunities to get to know each other in new ways. We are not side-by-side with our friends and coworkers, but we do “see” them through 21st century technology.

We are spending more time outdoors, because we have more time and fewer places, like gyms, to go. Walkers and bikers, both serious athletes and casual strollers and pedal pushers, populate our neighborhoods. We are listening to and watching for birds, with apps to identify birds by both sight and sound downloaded by the millions. Live-cam feeds of nesting birds have soared in popularity.

Cats and dogs are flying out shelter doors as Americans adopt them in record numbers.

Experts say we foster and adopt pets to help them, especially those who have been abandoned, but we wind up helping ourselves cope with stress and become more active as we care for our new charges.

We are learning that maybe, just maybe, we really do not need all the possessions and services we thought we did. This American did not have a haircut for more than three months, and while I was not thrilled by my shaggy tresses, I muddled through just like everyone else and was delighted when I finally did get a trim. Ditto for other personal services and impulse purchases not made because we are not out shopping as often as we were preCOVID-19.

And, glory be — Americans are cooking again. With restaurants closed or operating at reduced capacity, we have had to provide for ourselves, and many of us are getting creative. Sourdough starter is having a big moment, producing bread, pancakes, waffles and anything else bakers want to try. Many of us are cooking together, a first in some American households. The Dicksons’ summer obsession turns out to be finding the perfect tomato pie recipe, and we think we have it now.

More cooking means more groceries, some of them selected online and then picked up or delivered. No surprise then that grocery profits have spiked during the pandemic, as have those of other industries that make us more comfortable at home. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that also thriving are meal prep companies and prepared food outlets, cleaning and delivery services, liquor and wine stores, game makers and sellers, fitness equipment companies, landscaping and yard services, garden centers, and — guess who — mask producers.

Americans are also doing each other small kindnesses, and each of us has a story to tell about those. One that resonates with me comes from the Gallery X Art Collective in Murray, Kentucky. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, the tattoo parlor is offering to cover up inked symbols of hate or gangs — free of charge. Says tattoo artist Ryun King, “Having anything hate related is completely unacceptable. A lot of people when they were younger just didn’t know any better and were left with mistakes on their bodies. We just want to make sure everybody has a chance to change.” Their phone is ringing regularly.

Such is the phenomenon that is 2020, which still has six months to go.

In a win for Eastern North Carolina jobs, economic development and clean energy, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a longstanding precedent allowing the Atlantic Coast Pipeline to cross beneath the Appalachian Trail — like more than 50 other pipelines already do without disturbing its public use.

While this is an exciting outcome, there is still some work to do in resolving several remaining project permits before construction can resume.

“The Court’s decision is an affirmation for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and communities across our region that are depending on it for jobs, economic growth and clean energy,” said Tammy Thurman, Piedmont spokesperson. “The project will provide a much-needed source of natural gas to North Carolina, bringing with it economic opportunities in an underserved part of our state. Eastern North Carolina’s energy needs and prospects for economic success continue to be very important to us.”
 When in service, here’s what the ACP means for your region and the state:

With access to a plentiful supply of affordable natural gas, the ACP will help to attract, compete for and win new manufacturers and industry in your counties.     
With current infrastructure constrained, the ACP provides a direct new supply of natural gas that will bring enhanced capacity and pressure to eastern North Carolina — something industry and businesses need to operate.

 Construction of the ACP would create more than 17,000 good-paying jobs and $2.7 billion in economic activity along the pipeline’s three-state route.

Job positions start at $20-$25 per hour and include free training, veteran’s programs and other benefits, such as health insurance and retirement plans.

The ACP will increase local spending, provide additional tax revenues and offer prospects for a better quality of life in your communities for many years to come.

The ACP will play an important role in the transition away from coal plants to cleaner natural gas and renewables, a critical part of our comprehensive climate and net-zero emissions strategy.

The ACP serves the strategic interests of our armed forces in North Carolina, strengthening resilient energy supplies for military readiness and national security and reducing the cost to maintain our military forces.

The ACP will reduce price volatility for all customers when natural gas demand is high during cold winter months.

The Supreme Court ruling is encouraging, and Piedmont Natural Gas appreciates everyone who has voiced support for the project. Eastern North Carolina’s energy needs continue to be very important to us, and the organization pledges to continue to help the region’s prospects for growth and economic success. To learn more about the project and supporters across the region, visit https://atlanticcoastpipeline.com and https://energysure.com

Twenty-one years ago, Pastor Michael Mathis felt a calling to branch out on his own and establish a ministry that was both aimed at worship and serving his fellow man.
With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for a ministry like the one Mathis operates has become more important, and he’s trying to let people in need from Hope Mills and beyond know what he has available for them.

Mathis is the founder of Mission Field Ministries, which has its physical location at 3429 Black and Decker Rd. on the outskirts of Hope Mills.

He had previously served at Williams Chapel from 1988-99 when he felt a calling to establish his own church.

He started his ministry with regular worship services at the Comfort Inn on Skibo Road in 2000, meeting there for about six years before setting up his own place of worship.
Outreach has always been a part of what Mathis has done as a minister. He’s held regular programs at Haymount Rehabilitation Center on Bragg Boulevard and the prison in Scotland County, until the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions forced him to limit his interaction at both those facilities.

He’s also done outreach to the homeless in the area, making visits to them beneath bridges to provide assistance.

Over the past two years, Mathis has expanded another aspect of his ministry that provides food to those in need. Originally, he was serving about five families on a regular basis. A partnership with the Second Harvest Food Bank has increased the reach of the food ministry.

Currently, he’s serving about 25 families regularly, and he’s looking to expand more as the pandemic continues.

“About four months ago, we saw the need to do this monthly,’’ he said of the food distribution. As a result, Mathis has designated the third Saturday of every month as the day he holds food giveaways at his Black and Decker Road location.

After getting the food from Second Harvest or other sources, Mathis has a team that puts it in boxes. The food is provided in an unprepared state and includes both perishable and non-perishable items.

The goal with each food box is to provide the basics for a good meal for the family that is receiving it. Each third Saturday during the hours of noon to 2 p.m., any family in need is invited to drive up to the church, open their trunk and the box of food is placed inside.

No eating of food on the church grounds is permitted.

Mathis said there is no paperwork for people to fill out, no interview process. It is given to anyone who is in need and wants to stop by.

So far, Mathis said they’ve never run out of food during one of these giveaways, but Mathis said it is first come, first served so people are encouraged to arrive as soon as possible on the giveaway day.

“I’m sure the numbers are fixing to increase as more people embrace what we do,’’ he said. For that reason, he welcomes donations from anyone who would like to contribute food to the ministry. “I’m proud of the kind of food items we are issuing,’’ he said. “I want people to know about this.’’

If interested, contact Mathis directly at 910-988-0795.

There’s certainly been plenty of volatility and uncertainty the past few months, but one aspect of your financial picture has probably remained stable: your need for insurance. And since National Insurance Awareness Day is observed on June 28, now is a good time to review your overall insurance coverage to determine if you and your loved ones are well-protected.

You might be surprised at the lack of protection among your fellow citizens. Less than 60% of Americans have life insurance, and just about half of those with insurance are underinsured, according to LIMRA, a research organization.

Of course, you might think the reason so many people don’t have insurance is because they don’t need it. But just about every age group can benefit from life insurance.

If you have a house and a family … Your insurance needs are obvious: If something happened to you, could your mortgage payments still be met? How about your car payments? Doctor’s bills? College for your children? Even if you have a spouse or partner who earns a decent income, your family could still have big trouble paying its bills if you weren’t around.

If you’re young and single with no family responsibilities … If you’re in this group, why would you need life insurance? For one thing, perhaps you owe money together with someone else — you might, for example, be a joint debtor on a mortgage. If you passed away, your codebtor would be responsible for the entire debt. And just because you don’t have family responsibilities now, it doesn’t mean you never will. If you have a family history of serious health issues, which may eventually affect you, you could have trouble getting life insurance later, or at least getting it without paying a lot. Now, when you’re young and healthy, the coverage is available and may be more affordable.

Your children are grown and you’re retired … If you retire with debt or have a spouse dependent on you, keeping your life insurance is a good idea, especially if you haven’t paid off your mortgage. Plus, life insurance can be used in various ways in your estate plans.

Even if you recognize the need for life insurance, though, you may be uncertain about how much you require. Your employer may offer insurance, but it might not be sufficient for your needs. And, perhaps just as important, if you leave your job, voluntarily or not, you’ll likely lose this coverage. If you purchase a private policy, what’s the right amount? You might have heard you need a death benefit that’s worth seven or eight times your annual salary, but that’s just a rough estimate. To determine the appropriate level of coverage, you’ll need to consider a variety of factors: your age, income, marital status, number of children and so on.

Still, even after you’ve got the right amount in place, it doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. You should review your coverage regularly, and especially when you change jobs, get married or remarried, have children or experience any other major life event.

Life insurance should be a key part of your overall financial strategy, along with your retirement accounts and other investments. Make sure you’re properly covered – for today and tomorrow.

Should Gov. Roy Cooper continue his current approach to reopening North Carolina’s shattered economy, speeding up the pace to save more jobs and businesses, or slow it down in response to increases in hospitalized patients with COVID-19?

I bet you have a strong opinion about this question. Most North Carolinians do. I certainly do, and have expressed it repeatedly: I think Cooper’s initial shutdown orders were too sweeping and Draconian and ought to be lifted more quickly.

 There are two assumptions embedded in my answer that deserve further explanation. One is that Cooper’s reaction to the coronavirus crisis has been relatively stringent. The other is that state regulations have a significant effect on economic activity separate from the direct effect of the virus itself. After all, many North Carolinians would have stayed away from workplaces and businesses even if the state hadn’t ordered them to.

Let’s start with stringency. Comparing state COVID-19 responses is no easy task. You can’t just tally up how many states issued stay-at-home orders or closed “nonessential” businesses. Details matter. Some orders lasted only a couple of weeks. Others lasted a couple of months. Some contained lots of exceptions and defined “nonessential” broadly. And in places such as Florida, local responses came earlier and have been more burdensome than the statewide orders.

Taking all that into consideration, the only state in the Southeast that seems to rival North Carolina in the stringency of COVID-19 regulation is Virginia. Its stay-at-home order lasted longer. On the other hand, Virginia has allowed some categories of businesses such as bars and gyms to reopen, albeit under tight restrictions, while Cooper has refused to do so in North Carolina.

Another way of gauging the relative strictness of state regulations is to look at their effect on behavior. To do that, I used a mobility measure from the University of Washington’s COVID model that combines cellphone tracking from Google, Facebook, Safegraph and Descartes Labs. I also focused more specifically on the restaurant sector by using an OpenTable.com tool that compares the average number of seated diners to pre-COVID levels in each state.

The results matched up closely with my assessment of state policies. After the initial wave of COVID regulations, followed by the current wave of phased reopening, mobility in the average Southeastern state is about 20% below pre-COVID levels. The three states where mobility remains significantly more limited are Virginia (still down 34%), Florida (down 31%), and North Carolina (down 27%).

 With regard to restaurant reservations, all Southeastern states show a substantial drop from pre-COVID levels. But there is a wide variance. The situation is noticeably worse for restaurants in Virginia (-82%) and North Carolina (-68%) than in Florida (-49%), South Carolina (-46%), and Alabama (-37%). The other states fall somewhere in-between.

 As you can plainly see, even the states with the lightest regulations have still experienced large declines in mobility and business activity. The same can be said for jobs and incomes. It would be silly to blame Roy Cooper in North Carolina, or any governor in any state, for all of the economic pain experienced since March.

 However, it would also be silly to assert that state policy has played no role. Don’t take my word for it. In a study posted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a team of academic researchers from Indiana, Ohio and Georgia estimated that employment dropped by an average of 1.7 percentage points for every 10 days under a state stay-at-home order. “Our estimates imply that about 40% of the 12 percentage-point decline in employment rates between January and April 2020 was due to a nationwide shock,” they wrote, “while about 60% was driven by state social distancing policies.”

 To show that Roy Cooper’s shutdown orders were relatively onerous and very costly is not necessarily to show they were a bad idea, of course. We’ll keep debating that question for weeks and months to come. But now, at least, the question is more clearly framed.

The town of Hope Mills is looking for a new fire marshal and hopes to have one in place by the end of July.

“Pretty much every municipality has its own fire marshal or they have to contract with the county,’’ said Hope Mills fire chief Chuck Hodges, adding the town has had its own fire marshal since the early 1990s.

Currently, a part-time assistant fire marshal is handling most of those duties, which include inspecting local businesses and buildings for their adherence to fire codes.

But the assistant is only qualified to do what are called level one and two inspections. Hodges said they need someone full-time who has complete training and certification to do higher level inspections, known as level three, for larger businesses like Lowe’s and Walmart.

There are people on the current staff, Hodges said, including himself and the deputy chief, who are certified to do the higher level inspections. “With as much construction and building as there is going on in Hope Mills, we don’t have the time to do it,’’ Hodges said.

That’s why it’s important that the town get a full-time fire marshal on board.

In addition to doing business inspections, Hodges said the new fire marshal will, in many ways, become the most familiar public face of the fire department in the community.

The fire marshal is charged with educating the public on the topic of fire safety.

“If there is a civic group or fire prevention class, they will be the ones who coordinate that,’’ Hodges said of the fire marshal.

He said the fire marshal plays a major role during fire prevention month, which is typically held during October, in conjunction with the anniversary of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire.

“They do public relations functions where it comes to fire and life safety,’’ Hodges said. “Public speaking skills are a plus.’’

When it comes to relating with business owners about fire safety issues, Hodges said the ultimate goal is to make all businesses in the town safe for both patrons and employees.

In a roundabout way, it’s also designed to make it safer for the firefighters should they ever have to respond to a situation at a local business.

“If they are complying with code, it makes it safer for us to respond,’’ he said.

In addition to public relations skills, the fire marshal will also have to have command capability. “If I’m gone or the deputy chief is gone, the fire marshal is the next in charge,’’ Hodges said.

Hodges indicated the new fire marshal will likely come from outside the current staff as no one qualified and currently on board has expressed a serious interest in the position.

“It’s an important job, for everybody,’’ Hodges said. “It reduces the risk and adds to the quality of life for the people who live in the town.

“It’s rare they’re going to go into a business in town that’s not safe.’’

To apply for the fire marshal job, go to www.townofhopemills.com/jobs.aspx.

Last week, I was interviewed by a reporter for The Washington Times who wanted to know if I was for or against the proposed renaming of the Fort Bragg military installation. Without hesitation, I told her I felt changing the name was an ill-conceived idea and another unfortunate knee-jerk reaction to the unsavory political unrest our nation is currently experiencing. I also told the reporter she would be hard-pressed to find five people out of 100 who even knew who Braxton Bragg was, let alone know he was a general in the Confederate Army — and an unpopular general at that.

Fort Bragg has a proud and honorable history. It’s home to the 82nd Airborne Division. The renaming controversy, to many, appears to be another example of political exploitation of the ill-informed. It would undoubtedly deal a death blow to Fayetteville both emotionally and economically, stripping it of it’s one single valuable and marketable asset. Besides, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, is not the first military installation named after North Carolina’s native son Braxton Bragg, who was born in Warranton, North Carolina. In Northern California, there is an entire city named after him — Fort Bragg, California. In 1857 the U.S. military established an army post on the Mendocino Indian Reservation, and the young lieutenant in charge of that project, H. C. Gibson, named the post in honor of then-captain Braxton Bragg, whom he admired as his commanding officer in the Mexican-American War. Hence, Fort Bragg, California, est. 1857. The main highway, Route 20, entering this city of 7,500 is named Fort Bragg Road.

Bragg went on to be a general in the Army of the Confederacy from 1861-1865. He died in 1876. Even though Bragg was one of the 750,000 Confederate soldiers who fought in the Civil War, he contributed little to history or the outcome of the war.

Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was created in 1918. Forty-two years after his death. So, why did they name this military installation after Bragg? Who knows. Maybe it was because he was from North Carolina. Or, maybe it was because of Fayetteville’s close proximity to the Battle of Bentonville, which was the last Civil War skirmish Bragg participated in.

With the naming of an Army post 42 years after his death, it’s doubtful it had anything to do with elevating or advocating for antiquated Confederate values.
What’s important today is what this proud military installation means to our soldiers, our community, the nation and the world. Fort Bragg is much more than a name; it’s an institution with a global reach and humanity’s assurance that goodwill always triumphs over evil.

In a former career and for over a quarter of a century, I traveled coast to coast working and meeting tens of thousands of people in hundreds of cities and towns across America. Never, and I mean never, when I introduced myself and told them I’m from Fayetteville, North Carolina, did they not instinctively mention Fort Bragg with an enthusiastic sense of patriotism and pride. They understand that as one of the largest military bases in the country, we house and deploy the most impressive, mightiest and deadliest fighting machine on Earth. Worldwide, people know Fort Bragg. They trust Fort Bragg. They respect Fort Bragg, and our enemies fear Fort Bragg. They know that anywhere in the world, when a nation gets in trouble and dials 911, it is Fort Bragg that picks up the phone. Fort Bragg is an American icon of freedom, pride, patriotism, justice and democracy. Fort Bragg is synonymous with world security and stability.

Changing the name of the most historically significant American military installation in the world just to appease the reactions of political activists looking to make a statement is not worth debasing the spirit of North Carolina, the Fayetteville community or the patriotic pride of the millions of soldiers, veterans and their families that have called Fort Bragg their home. We can only pray that common sense prevails in this matter. After all, that’s a lot of street signs to change and birth certificates to reissue.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

There’s an old cartoon that shows a couple of vultures sitting on a branch, scanning the horizon for carrion to eat and finding nothing.

One vulture turns to the other and says, “To heck with patience, I’m going to kill something.’’

That sentiment isn’t too far off from the frustration high school coaches and athletes around North Carolina and the Cape Fear region are feeling as they wait for the COVID-19 restrictions to be lifted so they can return to practice.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association finally opened the door to the return to off-season workouts recently, using guidelines established both by the National Federation of State High School Associations and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

But many of the state’s larger school systems, including Cumberland County, decided to hold off and delay the start of practice until Monday, July 6.

A conversation I had recently with Bill Sochovka, the dean of Cumberland County’s head football coaches, had me agreeing with the county’s plan to wait.

Sochovka had the same opinion, for a simple but solid reason. He wanted the county to take its time and see what happens at other schools that open up, examine what practices are in place, what works, what doesn’t and how to safely open the doors for the athletes and coaches in the safest manner possible.

Vernon Aldridge, the student activities director for the Cumberland County Schools, is also in the corner for caution, but for some different reasons. Aldridge wants to take time to make sure each of the county schools will have supplies on hand that they wouldn’t normally stock, things like hand sanitizer and other materials to make sure everyone stays as germ-free as possible.

With recent spikes in new cases since some COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, it’s clear everyone needs to take this illness seriously and continue to do everything possible to flatten the curve.

Nobody wants to see a return to practice and games more than I do. But I also don’t want to see an early return lacking proper precautions causing further spread of COVID-19.
Instead of copying the vultures, let’s adopt the philosophy of one of my favorite Clint Eastwood characters, Gunny Highway from the movie "Heartbreak Ridge." As Gunny Highway said, let’s improvise, adapt and overcome, and make practice and play as safe as it can possibly be.

Raleigh political pundit and writer Gary Pearce posed an interesting question last week during this tense and racially charged time in our state and nation.

“What would Terry Sanford do?”

Terry Sanford was a man of great accomplishment. A country boy from down the road in Laurinburg, he was an Eagle Scout who later parachuted into France during World War II and was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his efforts. He became an attorney and settled into private practice in Fayetteville, a small city whose size he liked and was not far from his hometown. Sanford had political aspirations, though, and spent a term in the North Carolina Senate before being elected governor in 1960. The Sanford family decamped from their Haymount home for four years in the Governor’s Mansion and later onto the national stage as Sanford became president of Duke University, a United States senator, and a two-time candidate for president of the United States.

Sanford’s is a storied history of service to North Carolinians and Americans in both politics and education, but it is his time as governor that Pearce references. Sanford was elected governor the same day John F. Kennedy was elected president, sharing the same platforms and with the same dreams. Sanford was an outlier in the South, a part of the country still mired in Jim Crow segregation and with strong and openly white supremacist leaders. Sanford defeated just such a candidate in the Democratic primary, a man who vowed to preserve racial segregation. Once in the Governor’s Mansion, Sanford forged ahead of other Southern leaders by supporting increased education funding, promoting higher education, including the establishment of North Carolina’s community college system. He promoted antipoverty programs, including establishment of the privately financed North Carolina Fund, a structure that insulated the fund from the protests of segregationists.

Sanford’s most enduring legacy, though, may be his support of civil rights and improved race relations, earning North Carolina a reputation as a progressive Southern state. By the time Sanford took office, segregation had been largely struck down by various courts but was still ingrained. He came into office concentrating on other issues but realized that racial discrimination underlay all aspects of daily life in North Carolina. He then appointed African Americans to state positions and integrated our state parks. He established what he called the Good Neighbor Council to facilitate communication and nondiscrimination and to prepare young people for the workplace. Sanford arranged for an FBI agent to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan in North Carolina, finding that our state was home to one of the nation’s largest Klan chapters.

While all this sounds pretty tame and anachronistic by today’s standards, it is important to remember that Sanford was virtually alone among Southern governors and other leaders in the stances he took and the efforts he made. Billboards supporting the Klan could be spotted on North Carolina’s roadways as late as 1977, a clear indication that our state was not past its segregationist heritage. Sanford’s legacy is that he spoke up when he saw injustice at a time when few Southern leaders did.

The legendary Kareem Abdul Jabbar, whose only connection to North Carolina, as far as I know, was beating the socks off the UNC-Chapel Hill basketball team in the 1968 NCAA championship game, sums up our situation this way. “Racism is like dust in the air. It is invisible — even if you are choking on it — until you let the sun in. Then you see it’s everywhere. As long as we keep shining that light, we have a chance of cleaning it wherever it lands.”

That was true in Terry Sanford’s day and it is true in ours.