Near the end of March, many local business owners were confident about 2020. Sales were up, and customer engagement was strong. Then, like a punch to the throat during a seedy roadhouse brawl, COVID-19 swept in, and everything changed. With their backs to the wall, everything to lose and no sign of a rescuer, entrepreneurs did what they do best. They took a deep breath and stepped up to face the challenge with creativity and optimism, pouring every bit of themselves into their businesses and the community. They found new opportunities and innovative ways to serve their customers. Here is how a few local businesses are handling the COVID-19 crisis.

Rocket Fizz

Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop opened four-and-a-half years ago, bringing whimsy and nostalgia to Fayetteville’s very first novelty candy store. Although it is a franchise, owners Kyle and Ann Sims and Ineke Morris created an old-timey candy store atmosphere with friendly, neighborly customer service, making every visit to their store a personal and memorable experience. Carrying candies from around the world and bygone eras, as well as more than 500 flavors of soda pop ranging from traditional to off-the-wall flavors like bacon, Rocket Fizz also stocks gifts, toys, movie posters and much more. They sell cool things, yummy things, things you can’t find anywhere else.
When the stay-at-home orders were imposed, the trio knew their operation had to change to keep the business viable. Rocket Fizz is classified as a grocery store, so its doors have stayed open. Their first survival tactic was to apply for the government’s PPP stimulus grant. The second was to contact the Rocket Fizz franchisor and the shopping center landlord to negotiate the fees and rent for the duration of the crisis. Both were successful.

The stimulus money from the government helped, but their location in the Marketfair Mall on Skibo Road remains a challenge. “The bulk of our business came from the movie theater next door.” Kyle said.

And, even though the second phase of the “recovery” is underway, there is no telling when the movie theater will reopen, if ever. So, to create additional revenue streams, they implemented free delivery service and promoted online ordering. They added Shopify to their website to make online purchasing easier. They even supplemented sales by using their portable concession trailer. “We bought the concession trailer hoping to create another revenue stream,” said Ann. “It was meant for events like the Dogwood Festival and the like.”

The Easter holiday was a Godsend for Rocket Fizz. Specialty themed Easter baskets and gift packages were a popular item and online favorite with customers. “We have made so many Easter baskets this year,” said Morris. “We had lots of orders over the phone, and we personalized every basket. People were so happy they found a place where they could get a basket for their kids. The fact that it was a rewarding sales week made us so happy.”

While keeping their small business afloat, they continue to reach out to the community and help others where they can. “We have donated products to local first responders, health care workers at Cape Fear Valley Health System and the VA Hospital, and most recently, to both the Fayetteville City Police Dept. and County Sheriff’s Dept. in recognition of National Police Appreciation Week,” said Morris, adding that, “Ann and I love this place. We will do anything to keep this business going. It’s heartbreaking, but we aren’t going to give up.”

Reach out to Rocket Fizz at 910-867-6032.

The UPS Store

When you see a line of people three-and-a-half city blocks long waiting patiently, you might think they are in line to purchase Jimmy Buffet concert tickets. They are not. They are patiently waiting to pack, ship, print or mail something through the UPS Store in Westwood Shopping Center, owned and managed by Steve Milburn and his wife Debbie.

The Governor’s stay-at-home mandate has stimulated online consumer purchasing, which has increased the store’s foot traffic tremendously. Online purchases are shipped to the UPS Store where customers who have mailboxes can retrieve them. Very lenient and generously return policies also accompany online purchases. Together, they create a constant flow of traffic through the store.

“We processed 15,000 dropoffs (returns) for Amazon last month, generating between 12,000-15,000 people through our doors,” said Steve. 

Debbie Milburn serves as a welcoming and conscientious “safety officer” and traffic manager for the company. To her credit, she has sidewalk disks marking off 6-foot sections from their front door to the Dairy Queen. She screens the customers and allows them to do the paperwork while waiting in line. She only allows four people in the store at one time — and at the appropriate distance. Social distancing, face masks, hand sanitizer, gloves and Plexiglas shields are all a part of keeping UPS Store customers safe.

Steve and Debbie opened the Westwood UPS Store in a 1,500-square-foot storefront in 1996. Now, they occupy a 4,800-square-foot mega-store with an additional store at Fort Bragg.

As an essential business, the Milburns have been able to keep all their employees working. They have even hired some new staff to help keep up with the extra workflow. The Milburn staff produces the area’s much-needed social distancing signs, floor stickers, floor coverings and protective vinyl guards used on counters and at cash registers throughout the community. They do all of this in addition to their regular services of providing mailboxes, shipping and mailing services, document shredding, notary services, computer access, engraving, laminating and printing services from business cards to menus to large, corporate commercial signs, all while looking out for their customers.
Steve noted, “We make sure our prices are the best. I know people are hurting. We offer many programs and discounts. We are all in this terrible crisis together; if there is a need, we’ll figure out a way to fill it.”

The Milburns also donate generously to many local community civic and health organizations, schools and arts and cultural programs.
Contact the UPS store at 910-860-1220.

A Bit of Carolina

Robin Matthews’ unique shop, A Bit of Carolina, located in downtown Fayetteville, has become a favorite destination for many in Cumberland County. It is truly a celebration of North Carolina, Southern history, traditions and hospitality.

A Bit of Carolina is a unique specialty shop carrying native North Carolina foods and gifts as well as North Carolina and Fayetteville-specific apparel, accessories, home décor and much more. Additionally, Matthews supports other local businesses by using 80 local vendors to help stock her shelves. Robin Matthews boasts that most of the items sold in her store come from within 30 miles of Fayetteville.

A Bit of Carolina is an “essential business” since it stocks honey and other food items like elderberry syrup — a natural cold and flu remedy.

Additionally, three different vendors at the shop have produced a combined 2,000 masks to sell to the public. “They are affordable, and we have several varieties for people to choose from. We have such talented people here,” said Matthews.

She was open for business, but had to rethink how she did business. “We had to change,” she said. “There were not as many people coming in, so we amped up our social media. It started with Easter baskets … now we do delivery in the city, and we offer shipping.”

Social media and networking seemed to revitalize her business. “People call and say, ‘I need a gift for x,y,z. This is how much I want to spend.’  We give them ideas for themes and help them come up with creative gifts.” Matthews said.

Curbside pickup has also become popular in downtown Fayetteville. “A lot of Facebook groups have members that specifically ask which stores do curbside service and have asked us to keep doing it. A lot of people with young kids can still get out and get what they need. It will also help with parking downtown.”

Reach out to A Bit of Carolina at 910-551-6537.

These are only three businesses of the many thousands that are surviving and prospering under these difficult economic conditions. We hope that Fayetteville, North Carolina, America and the world come out of this healthier and stronger, as we all fight to stay alive and open for business.

The COVID-19 pandemic has ground activity on high school athletic fields to a halt, but there’s still plenty going on off the field. Here are a few items of interest:

• The Gray’s Creek High School boys cross country team was the only Cumberland County squad to be recognized by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 2019-20 Scholar Athlete Program.

The program annually recognizes students and teams for their academic success. To qualify, the combined unweighted grade point average of the team must be 3.1 or higher during the semester when the team is competing.

Gray’s Creek earned a 3.75 GPA, placing third in the state behind first-place North Davidson at 3.84 and second-place Crest at 3.8.

The win earned the school a $100 prize.

• Fayetteville Technical Community College is using the lights at J.P. Riddle Stadium to join in a national program to honor this year’s graduating high school seniors who are missing out on their final year of sports or performing arts because of the pandemic.

The idea apparently started in Texas, spread to Colorado and then took off nationally, as high schools turned on the lights on their athletic fields at 8:20 p.m., 20:20 in military time, and left them on for 20 minutes and 20 seconds to honor the class of 2020.

Steve Driggers of FTCC said the lights were turned on the last two Fridays this month at Riddle Stadium and will be lit a final time on Friday,
May 22.

• Congratulations to Faith Francis of the Westover High School girls’ basketball team. Francis has been selected to the East roster for this summer’s North Carolina Coaches Association East-West All-Star basketball game in Greensboro.

If restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic will allow, the game will be played Monday, July 20, at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Francis led Westover to a 21-7 record and a second-place finish in the Patriot Athletic Conference behind state 3-A co-champion E.E. Smith.

A 6-foot-1 wing player, Francis averaged 15.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. She made 23 three-point field goals. She was named the Patriot Athletic Conference girls Player of the Year.

• Two Cumberland County schools recently hired head coaches. Kelly Melvin is the new volleyball coach at Cape Fear High School while Thurston Robinson will coach the girls basketball team at Terry Sanford.

According to a press release posted on social media, Melvin is a graduate of Douglas Byrd High School with degrees in physical education from Methodist University and North Carolina A&T.

She has been a teacher and athletic director at Albritton Middle School for 28 years.

She worked with the Cape Fear volleyball program since 2016, serving as head junior varsity coach and assistant varsity coach.

Robinson’s hiring was also announced on social media. He has coached for more than 20 years in the Fayetteville area, coaching both boys’ and girls basketball.

His teams have won championships at both the state and national level.

He has also had teams appear in major showcase tournaments around the country.

• Proponents of adding a shot clock to high school basketball suffered another defeat recently when the National Federation of State High School Associations announced the high school basketball rule changes for the 2020-21 season.

A proposal for a national rule requiring a shot clock, along with a rule allowing individual states to adopt one if they desired, were not approved.

In a press release from the National Federation, Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports, said members of the Basketball Rules Committee discussed the pros and cons of adding the shot clock and will continue to study the issue.

• One rule that was updated involved what happens if no coach is available to be on the bench because the head coach has been removed for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The new rule says if a coach is removed from the bench and no authorized school personnel are available to take over the team, the game will be declared a forfeit.

• Another rule was clarified to state that officials don’t have to give a coach a warning before assessing a technical foul. The existing rule gave the impression that a warning was needed before calling a technical.
• A new rule was added for clock operators, who are now required to sound a warning signal to start a 15-second period to replace an injured or disqualified player. A second warning is given at the end of 15 seconds to alert teams it’s time to prepare for play.
• A complete list of the rule changes for next season can be found at www.nfhs.org. Go to Activities and Sports at the top of the home page then click on Basketball.

Local businesses looking for ways to bridge the gap while wait for approval on federal loans have a friend in the city. On May 11, Fayetteville City Council approved $260,000 in funding and began accepting applications on May 12.

“We know businesses are facing some extreme challenges right now and understand the hardships they are facing,” said Kathy Jensen, mayor pro tem, chairwomen of the Council’s Business Taskforce and a local business owner. “These loans are designed to help businesses quickly and easily, providing a short term financial fix until applicable federal dollars kick in.”

 Applications are accepted online through CEED’s website at www.ncceed.org. Applicants can call them as well at 910-323-3377. CEED, acting as a clearinghouse for the city, will work with small businesses in the community that need help during this time. CEED will process the applications and underwrite and fund the loans using standardized guidelines in a consistent and expeditious fashion to get the money to qualified businesses as quickly
as possible.

Once a business submits all the required information and CEED reviews the packet for completeness, the packet will be reviewed by a committee of local small businesses and city staff to determine loan approval or denial. It is expected that once the loan is approved, it will take up to three days to disburse funds.

The city of Fayetteville also offers grant programs for businesses funded through Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which is a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program. Contact the Economic & Community Development department for details at 910-433-1590 or CommEconDev@ci.fay.nc.us.

Hurricane preparedness week

It’s time to prepare for the 2020 hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. During this time, families are urged to develop emergency plans, update emergency supplies and review homeowner and renters’ insurance policies. This year, it’s important to consider how COVID-19 might alter typical plans during hurricane season. The North Carolina Department of Transportation reminds drivers that after a hurricane or severe storm, they should always pay attention to lane and road closures and never go around a barricade. Go to the department’s website for information on storm preparation, potential evacuation details and live, up-to-date traffic information. The state continues to update its website for people seeking the latest information about the pandemic. You can find information about protecting your health, applying for unemployment and many other topics related to COVID-19.  For more information, contact the NCDOT Communications Office at 919-707-2660.

Hair stylists at FTCC depend on videos

Students in an advanced hair-styling class at Fayetteville Technical Community College haven’t been able to meet in person since late March but completed their final exam with a group video in which they demonstrated the skills they had learned. In challenge videos, people film quick snippets of themselves. It is a perfect vehicle for the students in Juanita Williams’ Contemporary Hair Design course. In the past, Williams said, her final exam required students to do a “Total Look” photo shoot with a live model. The students had to demonstrate their hair and makeup skills and compose the model’s outfit. An FTCC photographer would help them pull off the complete experience.

This year, though, Covid-19 forced the class to move online in mid-March. Eight students took before and after videos of themselves in their homes, showing off the techniques they had learned.

Val Cruchon, one of the students, took each submission and compiled them into a single video. All eight students in the video received As. Two other students, who weren’t able to participate, will be given other projects so they can complete the course. “Having a good time creating and getting an A for doing it doesn’t get any better for a college student in the midst of a pandemic,” she said in an email.

Williams had a good time, too. “I love what I do,” she said.

The VA and hydroxychloroquine 

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie is defending the use of an unproven drug on veterans for the coronavirus, insisting they were never used as “test subjects” but given the treatment only when medically appropriate. In a letter and call with major veterans’ organizations, Wilkie said the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was being administered in government-run Veterans Affairs hospitals to virus-stricken patients only in conjunction with a physician’s advice. Wilkie declined to say how widely the drug was being used for COVID-19 and whether the department had issued broad guidance on the use of the drug, which has been heavily touted by President Trump, without scientific evidence.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, said the VA needs to provide Congress more information about a recent bulk order for $208,000 worth of hydroxychloroquine. The Food and Drug Administration has warned doctors against prescribing the drug for COVID-19 outside hospitals because of the risks of serious side effects and death.

Military-friendly schools

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction recently released the names of its 2020 Purple Star Award winners. North Carolina awards the Purple Star designation to schools that demonstrate military-friendly practices and a commitment to military students and families. “This designation informs military families that these schools are military friendly, taking additional measures to ensure their child’s transition and time spent in Cumberland County Schools takes their special circumstances like PCS moves, deployments, separation from extended family, etc., into consideration,” said CCS Military Family & Youth Liaison Joseph Peek.

The following Cumberland County schools were award recipients: Seventy-First High School, Jack Britt High School, J.W. Coon Elementary School, Cape Fear High School, Cumberland International Early College High School, Cumberland Polytechnic High School, Douglas Byrd High School,  Douglas Byrd Middle School, Eastover-Central Elementary School, E.E. Smith High School, Gray’s Creek Middle School, Mac Williams Middle School, Pine Forest High School, South View High School, South View Middle School, Spring Lake Middle School, Terry Sanford High School, Westarea Elementary School, Westover High School and Westover Middle School.

The investment world is full of colorful terms, but perhaps none is better known than “bull” or “bear.” As an investor, you’re typically rooting for the bull market, when prices are rising. But you also want to protect yourself for periods when prices are falling. Now that we’ve entered a bear market — typically defined as a market in which stock prices have fallen 20 percent or more from their recent highs — how concerned should you be?

First, consider where we’ve just been. For 11 years, from 2009 to early 2020, stock prices kept rising, with some interruptions, resulting in one of the longest bull markets on record. During this time, stock prices rose around 400% — which means we entered bear territory from an extremely high point. This doesn’t mean the recent losses are insignificant, but market pullbacks present more of a pothole, rather than a complete detour, on the road to your financial goals. If you’ve been investing over time — at least a decade — you still have likely made significant progress toward your goals.

Here’s another point to keep in mind: Bear markets are a normal occurrence in the stock market. There have been eight previous bear markets since 1945, not including the current one, which have lasted an average of less than one year. The good news is bull markets have, on average, lasted five times longer. Of course, as you’ve no doubt heard, the past performance of the markets can’t guarantee how they will perform in the future.

While we can’t predict how long this bear market will last, given the ongoing uncertainty of the coronavirus health crisis, it’s highly likely a rebound will eventually emerge, as has happened before.

So, given all this, how should you respond to what’s happening? When market volatility rises and the value of your investments declines, you might feel tempted to abandon your long-term strategy in favor of one you perceive to be lower-risk. But instead, ask yourself some questions:

• “Have my long-term financial goals changed?” You’ve probably had your long-term goals for quite some time. For example, perhaps you’ve always wanted to retire at a certain age and spend part of the year in a different location. Do you still have this goal today, despite all that’s happened in the markets? The answer is likely yes. If that’s the case, you probably don’t want to abandon the investment strategy you’ve been following, especially given the unique nature of the current market volatility.
• “Am I comfortable with my risk tolerance?” Some investors know that markets will go through occasional shocks, and can live with this knowledge, but others worry to the point that it negatively affects their quality of life. If you are in this second group, you may need to re-evaluate your risk tolerance and, at some point, adjust your portfolio accordingly.

  These are challenging times for all of us, as we think about the health of our loved ones and our ability to achieve our financial goals. But it’s important to have confidence that the current health crisis will eventually pass, and that normalcy will return. And as an investor, remind yourself that investing for the long term requires patience and discipline. 

Ever so cautiously, North Carolina has begun opening back up for business. Unlike other nations with stronger federal systems, in the United States, each state is making its own decisions about resuming commerce. North Carolina’s governor, Roy Cooper, is following Alexander Pope’s advice to “be not the first by whom the new are tried, nor yet the last to lay the old aside.” While other states have opened up more extensively, North Carolina will do so in stages, a strategy that does not please everyone. Heavily armed protesters have appeared on Raleigh streets, begging the question of whether they plan to shoot someone if they cannot get a haircut or go to the mall immediately.

The numbers of people diagnosed with the novel virus all around the world, in our country and our state are astounding and growing, as is the death toll. But numbers, no matter how big they get, are just numbers until each of us puts a face on one of them. That moment came for me earlier this month. A dear friend of more than a decade did not respond to my happy birthday text in April, and I now know why. She was fighting COVID-19 with all her might.                                          

Let’s call her Ellen. She is a 42-year-old woman, happily married with two children, one a freshman in college and the other a rising ninth-grader. In late February, I had enjoyed seeing photos of Ellen and her husband on Instagram, taking their first vacation ever without their children — a cruise. By then, we were all aware of COVID-19 and cruise ships in quarantine, and a shadow of alarm crossed my mind. The cruise was an obvious culprit for the virus, but Ellen came home and stayed home but did not come down with the virus within 14 days. Then came the call that her freshman’s university was shutting its doors because of COVID-19. Ellen and her husband drove five hours to scoop up their student and clear belongings out of the dorm, which was full of hundreds of other students and parents doing exactly the same thing.

Ellen got COVID-19 and was isolated from her family, communicating only through walkie-talkies, and sleeping most of the time until it was clear that she had recovered.

As Memorial Day approaches, Dr. Anthony Fauci, our nation’s top infectious disease expert — and other medical voices — continue to warn of ongoing viral spread, renewed outbreaks, a second wave of infection, and the “needless suffering and death” that will come if our nation opens up too quickly. No one wants to hear this, and we are all stir crazy. We all long for our former “normal,” whatever it was, and we are all anxious to establish something close to it in a post-COVID-19 era.

Our immediate reality is, of course, that we are not in “a post-COVID-19 era.” We remain in the thick of the pandemic, though without its initial urgency. As of this writing, North Carolina is meeting most but not all of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention benchmarks for reopening, and all but one of our 100 counties report COVID-19 infections, and most have had deaths.

Our long-term reality is that each of us will have to figure out our own safety based on our family circumstances, our age, our risk factors and our risk tolerance. Getting comfortable with reopening will likely be different for each of us. For me, at least, and for the time being, it will not include crowds or trips away from home without a face mask. Researchers say a COVID-19 vaccine is at least a year away from proven development, with mass manufacturing, distribution and inoculation more distant yet.

As for Ellen, she is healthy now and just as stir crazy as the rest of us. No nights out with her hubby, but they are thinking about a weekend road trip with the family, masks handy.

I am yielding my space this week to Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C. It is refreshing when a North Carolina politician stands up and boldly speaks out in defense of our fundamental American freedoms. It makes no difference that Hudson is a Republican. He is asking the questions all North Carolinians and Fayettevillians need to be asking — regardless of their political affiliation. We need to know things like when will life get back to normal? When will the country open up again? How long will it take for us to recover?

 These questions transcend political affiliation, and it’s disappointing more people are not speaking out and objecting to the curtailment of their rights, lives and livelihoods.

 Where is the outrage?

 Personally, I’m proud of Hudson for standing up for what he believes in and not being afraid to make his positions known to the public. That’s bold and fearless leadership that deserves, if not support, at least our respect. There are far too few people in our community with such conviction willing to speak “truth to power.” Tisha Waddell, Matt Richardson, Troy Williams, Margaret Dickson, Karl Merritt and Pitt Dickey. Like I said, too few.

  In conclusion, I hope that more citizens, regardless of race, political affiliation or creed, will come forth and use their First Amendment rights to express how they feel about their freedoms and liberties before the harsh reality sets in that freedom isn’t really free.

Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

                 — Bill Bowman, publisher 

When will life get back to normal? When will the country open up again? How long will it take for us to recover? These are the questions I hear every day from folks at home and, the truth is, nobody can say for certain. Just like you, I’m eager to get back to the way things were so we can restart our economy and go on with our lives.

By now we are all familiar with terms like quarantine and social distancing. For the most part, it is encouraging to see that these strategies are having an impact. However, I believe that now is the time for us to begin to look to open the country through a safe and deliberate process, especially for communities or people that are not at high risk.

Many business owners I have met with over the phone or video conference say they have gone to great lengths to make sure that their employees and customers they serve are in a safe environment. Because of these efforts, it has become clear that more businesses are able to safely open, and as I said during a town hall last week, I believe this is the path we need to be headed down while maintaining proper safety precautions.

As part of this effort, last week I partnered with Lowe’s to secure 100,000 face masks for our communities. Together, we delivered 50,000 masks to Cabarrus Health Alliance in Kannapolis and 50,000 masks to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville. Since the coronavirus pandemic began, I have worked every day to get workers and health care providers the resources they need. I’m proud to work with Lowe’s to make 100,000 masks available for our region, which will help meet the needs of health care workers and patients on the frontlines. This is one small, but important step in advocating for more resources for our community so that we may reopen the country.

With this in mind, I believe one group of people that should return to work immediately is the United States Congress. I have joined many of my colleagues in repeatedly calling for Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to bring us back into session so that we can negotiate a bipartisan response to the coronavirus crisis. However, instead of bringing us back to work together on behalf of our country, this week we were in session one day to vote on a partisan, 1,800-page Democratic wish list written in secret in Pelosi’s office.

Not only did this $3 trillion bill — the largest spending bill in American history — fail to address real needs of the country, but it also included a laundry list of items not even related to coronavirus. These included direct payments to illegal immigrants, a blanket release of federal prisoners, a taxpayer-funded bailout of union pensions and an overhaul of our election laws. That is no way to serve the American people.

It’s beyond time for the House of Representatives to come back to work. Folks are hurting and expect us to work together on the problems facing our country. Thankfully, this bill has zero chance of ever becoming law. But the time for politics is long over. I’ll continue to work every day to help our community and get our country back to work.

Cape Fear Valley Health System’s Emergency Departments at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Hoke Hospital and Bladen County Hospital are now allowing one care companion to accompany patients once they are placed in private treatment rooms. In each instance, the patient should bring a care companion who is knowledgeable regarding the patient’s personal health information. He or she must also be willing to stay with the patient during the entire Emergency Department visit.

To ensure social distancing measures are followed, only patients are allowed in the waiting room. Care companions are asked to wait in their cars until the patients are settled into treatment rooms. To protect staff and patients from the risk of COVID-19, patients and care companions will be required to wear face masks during their stay in the E.R.

Patients going to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center for surgery may also have one care companion. He or she must wear a mask and will remain in the surgery waiting room for the patient. If he or she must leave for any reason, he or she will need to give waiting room personnel a phone number to be called when the patient is ready for discharge. Patients having short-stay surgeries may also have care companions who may join the patients in Phase II Recovery. Care companions are screened for fever and asked whether they have recently traveled to known hot spots.

General visitor restrictions remain in place at all Cape Fear Valley Health System locations, including hospitals and outpatient clinics, with the following exceptions:

• Laboring mothers may have one support person/coach for the duration of their stay. If the support person leaves the premises for any reason, he or she will not be allowed back into the building.
• Legal minors may have one parent or guardian with them.
• Patients who need health care decision makers or require communication assistance may have one assistant with them.
• End-of-life patients will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine the appropriate number of visitors.

Cape Fear Valley is a 950-bed health system serving a region of more than 800,000 people in Southeastern North Carolina. The not-for-profit system is the state’s eighth-largest health care system and is made up of 7,000 team members and 850 physicians, eight hospitals and more than 60 primary care and specialty clinics. Cape Fear Valley Health offers residencies in emergency medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, psychiatry, general surgery, and transitional internships in affiliation with the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine at Campbell University. Visit www.CapeFearValley.com for more information.

Watching Dr. Fauci testify before the Senate about what will happen if the country opens up too soon and the COVID-19 Cooties resurge got me pondering the Greek myth about Cassandra. Cassandra had the ability to predict the future — like Dr. Fauci. It got both of them into trouble. Let’s take a ride in Mr. Peabody’s Time Machine to see what we can learn from Cassandra about what lurks down the road for Dr. Fauci.

Once upon a time, in an Aegean Sea far away there lived a beautiful maiden named Cassandra. Cassie, as her friends called her, was not just an ordinary gal. Oh my, no. She was a princess, the daughter of the King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. She was a very special lady. Pretty as a picture. But such a pity she as was considered to be a nut by the world. Her beauty put Snow White
to shame. She was such a looker that
 she came to the attention of the god Apollo. You can probably see where this is going.

Apollo was smitten by Cassie. He had to have her. In an effort to woo Cassie, he wrote her a beauteous love song that was later stolen by Andy Griffith. Apollo took a bath, got all gussied up, dry cleaned his best toga and went to see Cassie at the king’s castle. Apollo stood outside the tower where Cassie was sleeping. He started plunking out a song on his lyre. For those of you who slept through Greek mythology class, a lyre is not a Washington politician. A lyre is sort of harp that Greek gods would play when they went courting their lady loves. Most of his song has been lost in the mists of time and swamps of the Potomac. The fragment that remains gets Apollo’s point across pretty well. Apollo sang: “Sure as the vine twines round the stump, you are my darling, Sugar Lump.” No gal, not even a Princess of Troy, could resist a suitor armed with such an amorous song.

Cassie came down from her ivory tower to see what Apollo was doing. He told her right then that he had to have her for his girlfriend. Cassie was intrigued but knew about Apollo’s reputation as a lady’s man like Freddie Mercury. She was concerned that any love affair with Apollo might not last. Being a smart gal who knew how to take care of herself like Sharon Stone’s character Ginger in the movie “Casino,” Cassie decided to ask for some insurance in the event things didn’t work out. Instead of getting a safety deposit box full of jewelry, like Ginger, Cassie asked Apollo to give her the gift of prophecy.

Apollo was so hot and bothered by the prospect of getting down with Cassie that he resembled Meat Loaf in his immortal song, “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.” Meat Loaf is out parking and smooching with his girlfriend in his car. Things are about to get jiggy. Mr. Loaf sings “Though its cold and lonely in the deep dark night/ I can see paradise by the dashboard light/ Ain’t no doubt about it we were doubly blessed/ Cause we were barely  17 and we were barely dressed.” Mr. Loaf sings a few verses using a baseball analogy about getting to first, then second, then third base. (Remember baseball?) He is trying to steal home when suddenly his girlfriend throws up a red flag.

  She says: “Stop right there/ Before we go any further/ Do you love me? /Will you love me forever?/ Do you need me?/Will you never leave me?/ Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?/ Will you take me away and will you make me your wife?” She concludes with the haunting lines: “What’s it gonna be boy?” Mr. Loaf is so worked up he promises her anything: “I started swearing on my mother’s grave that I would love you till the end of time/ So now I’m praying for the end of time so I can end my time with you.”

And how is Mr. Loaf’s song relevant to Cassie and Dr. Fauci, you might ask? Cassie promised Apollo some paradise by the dashboard light if he would give her the gift of prophecy. Apollo granted her wish. Then Cassie refused to live up to her end of the bargain to snuggle up with Apollo. Apollo was really cranky, but he couldn’t take back his grant of prophecy. So, he laid a curse on Cassie that even though she could accurately predict the future, no one would believe her. That’s why when someone is called a Cassandra it means that person is predicting doom and gloom.

Fauci’s testimony about the COVID cooties that will result from reopening America too soon puts him in Cassandra’s category. He is predicting troubles. Dear Leader doesn’t want to hear any of that kind of negative talk, he isn’t going to believe Fauci’s prediction. Magical thinking is the order of the day in D.C. Fauci better update his resume. Fortunately, unemployment benefits have been extended.

The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County presents Hay Street Live: A Virtual Jam Session, every Friday, from 6-7 p.m., streaming live through Facebook.

“Hay Street Live is a virtual jam session that is streamed live through our Facebook account, which is at Facebook.com/TheArtsCouncilFay,” said Metoya Scott, public relations manager of the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. “It gives our community a chance to connect with local artists from North Carolina and comment and party in the house.”

It’s a fun and entertaining way to support and showcase local talent, but with a twist! For each show, the Arts Council invites a mixologist from a local restaurant to share their favorite mixed drinks with the audience and to share the secrets of how to make a perfect cocktail. Often, the drink recipes are original recipes or modern interpretations of classics. The audience gets a new recipe and insight on the science of beverage making, and businesses and mixologists get some exposure — it’s a win-win.

The entertainment lineup varies from week to week. Last week, soulful singer Leme Nolan of Beaufort, North Carolina, entertained Fayetteville audiences by belting out covers of pieces by Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige and SWV, in addition to performing her original work, “Love with a Ring Attached.” 

The week before that, it was the All-American rock group, The Guy Unger Band — the ultimate “light up your life” party band that really knows how
to rock.

Coming up on the Virtual Hay Street Live program this Friday, May 22, is another local top-notch Carolina rock band known from the mountains to the coast, Rivermist. Voted the 2018 and 2019 Best Band in Fayetteville by Up & Coming Weeklyreaders,  Rivermist has been performing up and down the East Coast since 2014, although the band members have performed together for decades. According to Greg Adair, founding member and manager of Rivermist, they love working locally, especially when supporting the Arts Council, historic downtown Fayetteville and the military. He’s proud of the band’s motto: "Ain't No Party Like A #rivermistparty cause a Rivermist Party Don't Stop!"

The band did not feel right about accepting donations or tips during Hay Street Live for their personal use because of the circumstances of the virtual event, but there will be a link to the Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research should people decide to donate on behalf of the band.

Rivermist hopes to replicate the feeling of a live performance. “We figured what we’d do is set up several cameras — we've got a system that we’re going to try to use," Adair explained. "We’re going to try to do a full stage, lights, everything show. I know it’s going to be more work and a lot more tech involved, but people have waited this long for it.”

 Adair hopes that people will interact with the band online while the event is streaming and even make requests.

Hosted by Bill Bowman, publisher of the Up & Coming Weeklynewspaper, he will introduce the evening’s official guest mixologist, Joseph “BEAR” Dewberry, owner of On After Bar & Grub. BEAR will introduce viewers to two of his favorite signature summer drinks — "Bear’s Southern Peach" and the "Hot Head."

In addition, Hay Street Live introduces Jeremy Ruis, a young Fayetteville-born magician who has been making magic an art since he was 7 years old. Watch closely. Jeremy brings fun, wonder and amazement everywhere he goes.

Since the arrival of COVID-19, the Arts Council’s in-person events have been canceled, but that doesn’t mean the fun stops. “During this uncertain time, we want to give people a way to connect and still be entertained,” said Scott. “We recently had to cancel an exhibition, and the artist donated the money that they paid to have their art exhibited back to the Arts Council. That really warmed our hearts, so we wanted to do something to promote our artists — so we started doing Hay Street Live.”

Scott added that because COVID-19 has impacted so many artists, the Arts Council wanted to give them a platform to continue to share their artistry while engaging people at home with high-quality entertainment. With a little creative thinking, it didn’t take long to come up with something different and entertaining to look forward to every Friday night.

“Please join us by streaming — and interact by asking the band, bartender or host questions,” said Scott. “This event allows you to have a really
good time.”

There is a page on the Arts Council’s website for bands or artists to apply to perform. The performer for Hay Street Live on May 29 will be Kiari Moon. Viewers can send a virtual tip to the performer by visiting www.wearethearts.com. Visit www.theartscouncil.com for more information.

Virtual 4th Friday

The excitement doesn't stop when Hay Street Live ends. In a typical month, Fayetteville citizens could look forward to walking the streets of downtown Fayetteville, perusing local businesses, looking at art, hearing great music and participating in events for the Cool Spring Downtown District’s 4th Friday event. Although little has been typical recently, CSDD has been working  hard to provide the same level of entertainment and fun that locals look forward to every month but all available through handy technology. From 7-8 p.m., visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1131937423837143/ to see a livestreamed Virtual 4th Friday.

"We want to help our downtown community during this time, and virtual 4th Friday is one of the few ways we can do that … 4th Friday is another thing people can experience from the comfort of their own homes but also be directed to a website with downtown businesses that are currently open," explained Lauren Falls, the marketing and events director for CSDD. "We want to do that because we not only want to support our downtown community but give back during this time. Virtual 4th Fridays are one of the few ways we can do that."

If you loved Rivermist's music for Hay Street Live, they will be back for an encore performance for the 4th Friday live stream. In addition to the live music, Matthew Mercer will create some new art during the stream. Mercer has an impressive resume. In his 20-year career, he has illustrated three books, drawn a family portrait of NFL Hall-of-Famer Emmit Smith of the Dallas Cowboys and his family and even been invited to the White House, where he drew a family portrait for President Barack Obama. In addition to these impressive achievements, Mercer has drawn over 20,000 caricatures between working as an artist at Walt Disney World and his own business.

"I think virtual events are important for the community not just to have something to do, but the way we try to do our 4th Friday event is to try to encourage people to shop, eat, and support local," Falls said.

The Fayetteville Public Works Commission’s  2019 Water Quality Report provides customers with the results of annual testing the utility is required to perform. The PWC report   says, “we don’t test our water just because we have to — it’s part of our unparalleled commitment to provide... the highest quality drinking water that meets and surpasses standard requirements.”

PWC is a charter member of the National Partnership for Safe Water and was the first utility in North Carolina to earn the Environmental Protection Agency Director’s Award for its efforts to provide clean, safe drinking water. PWC’s two water treatment plants use advanced technology to process the water. 

In 2018, Public Works treated 9.1 billion gallons of water. One hundred eighteen elements and contaminants regulated by the EPA are tested. PWC meets or surpasses the standard requirements annually. PWC understands that news reports about 1,4-Dioxane have caused concerns about the safety of the drinking water. 1,4-Dioxane has been detected in the Cape Fear River, which is the community’s primary source of water. The Environmental Protection Agency has no standards for 1,4-Dioxane and has not issued regulated safe limits.

Unregulated synthetic or naturally occurring chemicals that are not commonly monitored by water utilities are termed contaminants of emerging concern.

Some of these contaminants can be detected at extremely low levels in the environment by continuous laboratory and analytical methods. The health significance of these trace contaminants is ordinarily under review and the subject of further study and research.  An example of an unregulated contaminant of emerging concern is GenX or perfluorinated chemicals. Testing detected these chemicals in Fayetteville’s water supply. However, PWC’s water is below the health advisory levels for PFOS that have been established by the EPA.

The fact that a substance has been detected doesn’t necessarily mean it’s harmful to humans. For immediate concerns, the EPA would issue a health advisory based on the best available studies about the health effects of the unregulated chemical. Health advisories provide information on contaminants that can cause human health effects and are known or anticipated to occur in drinking water. EPA’s health advisories provide technical information to states, agencies and public health officials.

Fayetteville PWC is working to stay ahead of the science. With modern laboratory methods, these substances can be measured at parts per trillion concentrations.  For comparison, one part per trillion is approximately the equivalent of one drop of water in 10 million gallons. PWC reports the results of regulatory testing and unregulated contaminant monitoring in its annual water quality report, which provides a summary of water system operations and water quality management throughout the water system. Visit www.faypwc.com/water-quality-report to view the 2019 PWC report.

The fate of this year’s Hope Mills Fourth of July celebration is far from being decided, but town officials are moving ahead with plans to hold some kind of observance of the holiday, even if it may be muted.

The town’s Board of Commissioners voted earlier this month to move ahead with plans for the annual event. Now, Parks and Recreation Director Lamarco Morrison and his staff are looking at what they can do to make the observance, or some positive alternative version of it, happen.

North Carolina governor, Roy Cooper, recently announced Phase 1 of the plan to reopen the state to more normal activity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Morrison is hopeful things will get better and not worse as July 4th approaches, but town staff is considering a variety of options to deal with whatever the situation might be at that time.

The big news, for now, is that there will be a fireworks display, but people might have to view it in a different way.

“We want to do drive-in fireworks,’’ Morrison explained. “We’ll let people drive in and park at the (old) Hope Mills golf course. People can enjoy the fireworks from
their car.’’

As for the annual Fourth of July parade, it may have to be altered drastically if severe social distancing restrictions are still in place when the holiday rolls around.

Meghan Hawkins, assistant director for special events and programs, has been looking at alternatives to the parade if needed. Morrison said Hawkins has explored the possibility of doing a backward parade for the town.

Under Hawkins’ plan, the town would purchase Fourth of July decoration kits for people and allow them to register to decorate their homes. The town would provide a map of the decorated homes and allow people to visit the different locations in their cars.

Morrison is remaining hopeful that, by July, the restrictions will be lifted enough that an idea that extreme won’t be needed.

The problem is, to plan for a meaningful Fourth of July celebration, the town can’t wait until the last minute, especially if they are going to try to put on a parade, if the circumstances will allow it.

With the governor announcing that Phase 1 of reopening of the state is underway, that loosens the restraints a little on what can be done, but Morrison thinks the town will need to make some concrete decisions about what can and can’t be done with the parade by the middle of May.

One thing that likely won’t be seen in the parade, no matter how much better things are in terms of the pandemic, would be marching bands, which would clearly put large groups of people in close proximity with each other.

Units in the parade could be limited to things like vehicles and animals only.

As for spectators, Morrison said the town would likely need the assistance of the Hope Mills Police Department to make sure spectators along the parade route observed appropriate social distancing while the parade was in progress.

That could pose a problem, one that has already reared its head at the Hope Mills Lake Park.

“We’ve been met with resistance at the lake, with people’s emotions being heightened,’’ Morrison said. “They haven’t been the nicest about being told they can’t gather.’’

Morrison said crowd control is not normally a major responsibility for the lake attendants who work with Parks and Recreation.

In addition to the lake park, Morrison said there have been problems with the area around the proposed Heritage Park, where construction hasn’t even started.

“We had to rope off the future Heritage Park site,’’ he said. “People were parking and gathering down there, essentially breaking the rules by hanging out.’’

He said things have gotten a little better recently with fewer calls to break up inappropriate gatherings of people.

As for planning ahead for the Fourth of July, Morrison is hopeful with the addition of online registration for Parks and Recreation activities, he and his staff will be able to wait until the latest date possible to make definite plans for the Fourth of July celebration.

Morrison said he also remains hopeful that the town will be able to salvage the summer youth sports season. “I’m thinking July is far enough out,’’ he said. “A lot of people don’t want to refund their money. I’m thinking we’ll be able to play in some form or fashion.’’

He’s just hopeful that whatever steps are taken to reopen the state to business will be taken with caution.

“If they open too quickly, I’m afraid we’ll have another surge,’’ Morrison said.

In the meantime, if anyone has questions or concerns about Parks and Recreation department activities, they can keep up to date by going to the webpage, townofhopemills.com, and clicking on the Parks and Rec link. They can also visit the Parks and Recreation Facebook page, Hope Mills Parks and Recreation.

For other questions, call 910-426-4109. The front desk at the recreation center on Rockfish Road is staffed most days from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The thrill of gathering with old friends and making new ones around the spectacle of a live concert with a favorite musical artist is hard to beat. Whether the music  is locally, nationally or internationally popular, there's something about those events that level the ground for us socially. The music doesn't care if you pulled up in a new sports car or spent your last dime on a ticket. It's just there to please.

By the time you read this, we've missed more than a dozen opportunities to hang out together at local venues for an evening, afternoon or weekend of some ground-leveling. But, soon that will all end. And when it does, we need to remember how much we longed for time together during the isolation chamber known
as COVID-19.

I can hardly wait to walk the concourse in search of party food and artist memorabilia or stroll the aisles of artisan vendor booths at a local festival while greeting unmasked acquaintances. I genuinely miss freely gathering with people, and it only took a few weeks of semi-forced isolation to send me into a social tailspin.

The truth is, we're made for relationship — built that way from the origin of humans. Way back near the front of the Bible, God says, “...it's not good for man to be alone.” And, it's not. We can see that more clearly now than perhaps ever before — unless you were a space station astronaut or something, in which case you already knew.

So my question for you today is this: What will you take away from this COVID-19 thing? Will you be more thoughtful in accepting and following through when invited to local gatherings? Will you celebrate extended family birthdays and reunions with new vigor? Will you still choose church online on a busy Sunday, or will you carve out the time be with people you love being with?

It's easy to stay in the same lazy habits of avoidance when gathering freely is possible, but I hope after a period of standing six feet apart in line at the grocery store and returning home because there's nowhere else to go will help us return to the truth that we are built for relationship.

Column Gist: In the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic, many people are asking if it was caused by God. This column addresses that question.

As people ponder how God might be involved with the COVID-19 pandemic, the normal response is, “I don’t see how a loving God would cause an event such as this.” The implication is that God’s love does not allow him to, for any reason, bring hardship upon people of Earth … to punish. Even though I do not claim that COVID-19 is God’s punishment on America, my question would be: How can a loving God not punish America?

I think Rev. Billy Graham went to the heart of the matter in a statement where he referred to an assessment made by his wife, Ruth. This from an article in 2012 by Rev. Graham titled, “Billy Graham: ‘My Heart Aches for America.’”

“Some years ago, my wife, Ruth, was reading the draft of a book I was writing. When she finished a section describing the terrible downward spiral of our nation’s moral standards and the idolatry of worshiping false gods such as technology and sex, she startled me by exclaiming, ‘If God doesn’t punish America, he’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.’”

The 19th chapter of Genesis records God’s punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah. Scholars differ on the nature of the sin that caused God’s destruction of these cities. Some say it was because of rampant homosexual activity. Others point to a lack of hospitality. Discussion of these differing schools of thought may be reviewed at www.britannica.com. No matter what the causal sin was, these people were horrendously sinful. That is the level of sinfulness that has taken up residence in America. Consequently, Ruth Graham has my full agreement — America is due for God’s overwhelming punishment.

Whether COVID-19 is our punishment, I do not know. However, every American should seriously consider that possibility and respond accordingly. What follows offers some thoughts on how we might go about assessing the plausibility of this plague being God’s punishment of America. Granted, the whole world is adversely impacted by this frightful pandemic. However, this did not mandate that it come to America, especially with the tremendous devastation that we are experiencing.

By way of assessing, start with a definition of love and how true love looks in action. This definition of love from “36 Definitions of Love, According to Urban Dictionary” by Marisa Donnelly.

“The act of caring and giving to someone else … having someone’s best interest and well-being as a priority in your life.” This definition “hits the mark” because it requires taking actions that sometimes are necessary for the correction of those who are loved. In the “I can’t believe a loving God would do this” assessment of our difficult experiences, love is viewed as void of punishment or correction.

The following segments, from an article by  Monsignor Charles Pope titled, “Pondering Punishment in the Light of God’s Love,” makes crystal clear the great fallacy in how God’s love is generally viewed:

“We have become rather ‘soft’ in modern times (at least in the Western World). We have been taught in the ‘God is Love’ school, which is not wrong but has often understood that love in sentimental and simplistic ways. Modern notions of love are usually soft, permissive and nondirective. Love is often thought to be exclusively ‘supportive’ and ‘affirming.’ The understanding that love could or should include setting limits, correction, admonishments or
punishments is usually downplayed if not explicitly rejected as pertaining to love.

“God too has largely been relegated to being essentially an affirmer. He is the one who
‘understands.’”

Beyond recognizing the correction, the punishment, component of God’s love, our assessment of God’s possible role in COVID-19, as it relates to America, requires understanding that God deals heavily in quid pro quos. A Google search yields this definition: “Quid pro quo refers to the giving of one valuable thing for another.” The examples from scripture are almost limitless. For instance, there is this often quoted verse from 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV): “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” God does not say that he will, without any action on the part of the people, heal their land. He lays out what they must do.

God goes even further and details for Solomon, the king, what he will do if Solomon does not live by God’s statutes. This from the  Life Application Bible note on 2 Chronicles 7:17-22:

“God plainly set forth certain conditions for Solomon to meet if he wanted the kingdom to continue. If Solomon followed God, he and his descendants would prosper. If Solomon did not, he and the nation would be destroyed. In Deuteronomy 27 and 28, these conditions were outlined before all the people.”

Over time, Solomon turned from God, and God did what he promised. Solomon’s descendants, and all of Israel, suffered tremendously.

God’s use of quid pro quos even shows up in the loving and, very likely, most quoted verse in scripture, John 3:16 (NIV): “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God offers eternal life, but receiving it requires that a person believes
 in Jesus.

The experience of Solomon not only illustrates God’s use of the quid pro quo; it also makes clear that God punishes disobedience. An even more telling instance of God’s love resulting in punishment shows through in his sending of Israel into the wilderness for 40 years. The following, from an article by David Treybig titled, “Why Did God Choose Israel?” sets important context for them being sent into the wilderness:

“God wanted Israel to be a model nation, a group of people through whom other peoples could learn vitally important lessons. God wanted Israel to be ‘a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’ (Exodus 19:6). Other nations would see that when the Israelites obeyed God, they were blessed (verse 5), and when they disobeyed God, they would be punished (Deuteronomy 28).”

God loved Israel and had a high calling for the nation; however, when the people rebelled and chose not to follow God’s direction and enter the land he had promised, God sent them into the wilderness for 40 years. God punished people he loved dearly.

In deciding what role, if any, God might be playing in COVID-19’s invasion of America, we must recognize that God must sometimes punish us because he loves us and must substantially employ the quid pro quo and treat us in the same way that he has treated individuals and nations across the ages.

When we examine the behavior of American society, the picture is clear. As a nation, in the overall, we blatantly reject the statutes, the way, of God. We have declared abortion a woman’s right. We decided the homosexual lifestyle acceptable and protected by law — no matter what scripture says, a person gets to choose their gender regardless of gender at birth. Sex before marriage is routinely accepted. Christians are under attack because of our faith.

Even further, government policies and programs support or encourage ungodly conduct. For instance, instead of taking actions that would discourage premarital sex, American governments provide free condoms to citizens. When that action fails and children result whose parent(s) cannot afford to financially support them, governments provide financial support, health care and other benefits. Then there is the push for expansion of public funding of abortions. All this at the expense of taxpayers, many of whom oppose these actions that advance
ungodliness.

I do not claim that COVID-19 is God’s punishment on America, but when the likelihood is examined as is done here, there is more than ample reason to seriously consider the possibility. If this is not God’s punishment on us, we would do well to treat it as a warning and change our ways. Ruth Graham spoke absolute truth.

Vernon Aldridge, student activities director for the Cumberland County Schools, has long stressed the importance of the county’s coaches taking courses to make them better at their jobs.

That commitment recently earned the county national recognition as the National Federation of State High School Associations listed three county schools as first in the nation to reach Level I status on the NFHS School Honor Roll program.

The three schools are Gray’s Creek High School, John Griffin Middle School and Pine Forest
Middle School.

Since the initial three schools were announced, five more have been added to the list. They are Pine Forest High School, South View Middle School, Hope Mills Middle School, Spring Lake Middle School and Anne Chesnutt Middle School.

To make the list, a school must have at least 90% of the full-time coaches on its staff complete four courses offered online by the NFHS.

The courses are Fundamentals of Coaching, Concussion in Sports, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, and Protecting Students from Abuse.

There are two more levels schools can achieve by completing additional NFHS courses.

Because all the county schools have been taking part in the NFHS initiative, Aldridge is optimistic it won’t be long before every county school is recognized for at least reaching Level I.

“The more we take these courses, the higher quality our coaches are,’’ Aldridge said. “I think it enhances the experience for the student-athletes.’’

He added all coaches in Cumberland County Schools have been required to take the four NFHS courses before the School Honor Roll program was started last December.

In addition, all county schools coaches must receive training in performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and using an automated external defibrillator.

“My goal is to have all our schools to be Level 3 in two years,’’ Aldridge said.

As the diagnosis of childhood communication disorders increases, the demand for speech-language pathology assistants is on the rise. A speech language pathology assistant is a person who assists a licensed speech language pathologist in a variety of areas including conducting screenings, implementing therapy in the areas of receptive and expressive language, articulation, fluency, augmentative and alternative communication, and oral motor skills. Other responsibilities include preparing materials for therapy, scheduling patients for therapy and maintaining files and equipment, to name a few. Fayetteville Technical Community College is helping to fill the gap in the community by continuing its two-year associate degree program in speech-language pathology assisting.

The SLPA program is an allied health profession that offers a great balance between healthcare professional and educator. Students who complete the two-year competitive health program graduate with an associate degree in applied science in speech-language pathology assisting and are equipped with the tools necessary to engage in evidence-based practices necessary to meet the needs of people with communication disorders and other exceptionalities. Graduates must take and pass the N.C. Registration Exam for speech-language pathology assistants to practice in the state of North Carolina. FTCC is proud to have maintained such a robust program since its inception in 1997.

Effective late 2020, for the first time in history, graduates will have the opportunity to gain national recognition through the American Speech-Language and Hearing Certification Program. National recognition will offer a special distinction that will set graduates apart and inform employers that they are highly qualified and committed to professional excellence.

It is the aspiration of professionals in the field of speech-language pathology to positively influence the most powerful tool offered to mankind — communication. If you are ready to take this journey, we invite you to join us.Fayetteville Technical Community College offers over 280 academic programs of study leading to the award of associate degree, certificate or diploma. These programs fall under the major subject areas of arts and humanities, business, computer technology, engineering/applied technology, health, math and sciences, and public service. For information about health programs of study, contact an admissions professional specializing in health programs at healthproadmissions@faytechcc.edu. For information about other program areas, contact admissions@faytechcc.edu, visit our website at www.faytechcc.edu, or call us at 910-678-8400. Registration is under way for summer I, summer II and fall classes. If you’ve been thinking of pursuing the career you’ve dreamed about, now is the time to take that first step. Fayetteville Technical Community College — the smart choice for education — can help you get there.

 For more information on Fayetteville Technical Community College’s speech-language pathology assistant program, please contact me, Charisse Gainey, department chairperson, at
910-678-8492 or gaineyc@faytechcc.edu.

The Town of Hope Mills recently got good news and bad regarding its Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant.

The grant, which will help fund planning for pedestrian walkways in the central area of Hope Mills, was scheduled to be presented to the state by the McAdams group on behalf of the town earlier this month.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation gets to pick which firm handles consulting work on the grant, and the good news for Hope Mills is it already had a longstanding relationship with McAdams.

But according to town manager Melissa Adams, there’s a downside to the future of developing the pedestrian plan.

Because of the COVID-19 crisis, people aren’t driving as much as they used to, which has cut into a lot of funding that DOT receives from sources involved with travel.

The bottom line is, if there’s a shortfall in funding this month, that could mean the planning for the Hope Mills pedestrian project could be delayed, which further means the actual start of the construction phase of the pedestrian project would also be set back.

Chancer McLaughlin, who is the development and planning administrator for the town, is trying to maintain a positive outlook on the situation and remains hopeful there won’t be a significant enough shortage of money to force the implementation of the design plan to be delayed.

“One of the ideas we are going to push with this plan, which I think will be groundbreaking, is to see about the facilitation of a greenway that connects the (old) golf course to Trade Street,’’ McLaughlin said.

Sidewalks are in the works from Town Hall on Rockfish Road to Johnson Street down to Trade Street, McLaughlin said. The greenway plan would complete a loop and link neighborhoods to the back side of the former golf course.

“Now you have something more impactful from a pedestrian standpoint,’’ McLaughlin said. “People can walk from the golf course to Town Hall, and from Trade Street to the lake. All through pedestrian avenues, greenways and
sidewalks.’’

McLaughlin stressed that the money that has already been allocated will go to funding the creation of an overall plan for the proposed pedestrian upgrade, there is no money to pay for building the new walking area itself. “Once they come up with a plan, we’ll have to come up with funding for construction,’’ he said. “This is strictly for design.’’

While there is a potential for delay in the pedestrian project, McLaughlin said town growth is doing well otherwise — in spite of the pandemic.

The new Chick-fil-A restaurant had a successful opening recently, taking drive-through customers only, as the state’s regulations designed to protect against spread of COVID-19 continue.

Another opening is expected to be held in the near future as the new Biscuitville franchise has wrapped up construction. McLaughlin said he was initially informed Biscuitville was planning for a summer opening, hopefully after the COVID-19 situation improves. There has been talk the opening date could come earlier, but McLaughlin said he had heard nothing concrete.

Otherwise, McLaughlin said town business is going well and he’s gotten numerous requests for construction permits.

“The staff is doing everything we can to be as innovative as we can during this pandemic, so we can keep things in some sort of normalcy until we can get back to our regular schedule,’’ he said.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is distressing to learn that members of the U.S. Congress and our Justice Department would lie, cheat and conspire against innocent Americans to discredit and try to unseat a duly elected  president. Partisan greed, power and unbridled animosity have become way too common in America’s political scene, and those factors are undermining American rights and freedoms, not to mention wasting time and energy while distracting Congress from doing the people’s business. 

Regardless of whether you are a Republican, Democrat or Independent, we are all human beings and should not turn a blind eye to political injustice or conspiracies that ignore the rule of law. What is taking place politically in America today should scare the hell out of any decent, God-fearing human being. And, if it doesn’t, your principles and values may have already been compromised, and your levels of sensitivity and compassion toward humanity calloused. Again, it makes no difference what political affiliation you are. Human decency defines the boundaries of “right and wrong.” We live in a country where citizens are (or should be) equally entitled to freedom, fairness and justice. We do not live in a socialistic or communistic state where authoritarianism* dictates “what’s good for me, is not
for thee.”

This unsavory situation exists today and has escalated ever since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a public health emergency in January. Since then, based on faulty information, the world panicked, exposing the true talents, abilities and leadership skills of government officials worldwide. Here in the United States, under these dire circumstances, it is difficult for our national and local leaders to hide traits like political gamesmanship, greed, gross incompetence and the blatant abuse of power and authority for personal gain. 

No doubt, we have many capable leaders whose intelligence and level-headed strategies and management style aided their constituents during this crisis. But as the pandemic expanded through March and April, it became more and more evident that power-drunk government officials were slowly, conveniently and methodically eradicating our liberty and personal freedoms. Freedoms guaranteed to us by the Bill of Rights are being methodically replaced by Soviet-like directives from authoritarian state governors’ offices or from local city halls. Making this situation even more frustrating is the fact that these directives are often baseless, senseless, contradictory and, in some cases, deadly. It’s bad enough for the government to decide which businesses are essential and which are not, but deciding who lives and who dies? 

New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo could be the poster child for being the very best of the worst. His state has the highest rate of coronavirus cases anywhere on the planet with nearly 350,000 cases and over 27,000 deaths. With two-thirds of the cases and over 70% of the deaths in New York City, this governor sends 1,700 aging citizens to their deaths after mandating that nursing homes and senior care centers accept their residencies knowing full well that seniors and aging populations are the highest risk group most vulnerable to the disease. Instead of protecting them, this governor was digging mass graves to bury the victims by the hundreds.

Where is the logic? The leadership? The compassion? The humanity? Hell, where is the outrage?

And, just when you think it couldn’t get much worse, Cuomo’s leadership team releases 1,000 hardened criminals, rapists, murderers, dope pushers and child molesters from the Rikers Island jail. Not only did they unleash mayhem and an eventual crime wave upon innocent citizens of New York City, but over 1/3 of the criminals released were infected with the coronavirus. Cuomo’s logic? To protect the criminals and prevent the spread of the virus. No wonder they lead the world in COVID-19 infections.

While this craziness is going on in New York, a judge in Dallas is sentencing Shelly Luther, a single mother and beauty salon owner, to jail for seven days for opening up her small business so she can feed her children. Unbelievable. In California, you can be arrested if you go to beach, but you can be paid if you snitch on your neighbor. In Michigan, residents are storming the statehouse in protest because they can buy liquor and go to Home Depot, but they cannot worship in their churches. In North Carolina, under Gov. Roy Cooper’s reign, protesting has been deemed an “illegal activity.” You can be arrested for stepping on a sidewalk. In North Carolina, residents are told that exercising their First Amendment rights to peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress, was among the activities Gov. Cooper deemed “nonessential.” The arrogance. He actually took it upon himself to nullify the Constitution. But, Cooper’s not the only person drunk on power. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy had 15 members of a Jewish congregation arrested for assembling at a funeral service. When he was questioned as to whether he was concerned about violating their Bill of Rights, he responded, “That’s above my pay grade … I wasn’t thinking of the Bill of Rights when I did this.” Really? The governor of New Jersey wasn’t thinking that freedom of worship and the right to peaceably assemble are both protected in the Bill of Rights? In Fayetteville, the mayor curbed the COVID-19 virus and protected citizens by enacting a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. Are you beginning to see the pattern?

Like I said in the beginning, it doesn’t matter what political affiliation you are, what color you are or what religion you practice, the COVID-19 pandemic is serious;  however, it doesn't just threaten your health. It threatens your livelihood. We must be mindful and protective of our civil liberties, or we run the risk of some serious “unintended consequences.”

In the case of some of these crazy and contradictory statewide restrictions, the cure could end up being worse than the disease. People want to be free. Democracy is in our DNA, and it is on the decline. We cannot allow this COVID-19 pandemic to be used as a vehicle to strip us of our rights or freedoms.  We need leadership that respects our Constitutional Rights. We don’t need surveillance of any type, and we have to make sure we maintain honest and well-managed elections. Where is the outrage?

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

* According to Lexico, the definition of “authoritarianism” is, “the enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom.”

The world has changed a lot in the last six months. We’ve changed the way we shop, worship and celebrate. We’ve changed the way we greet each other, and when we are lucky enough to meet in person, that’s changed, too — masks on and 6 feet apart, please. What hasn’t changed, though is our desire to have fun. To connect. To be entertained. To interact. Also unchanged is the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County’s passion to bring art and entertainment to the community. The organization has reimagined ways to support artists while engaging residents. Gallery tours are virtual now. And a new program called Hay Street Live provides an interactive and entertaining alternative to passively binge-watching yet another series. The next Hay Street Live is set for Friday, May 15.

Remember going to a live performance and laughing and chatting with friends? Watching the mixologist show off their newest recipe? Connecting with the energy of a talented performer? Hay Street Live has remixed that experience. It’s part talk show, part convo, part mixology lesson and 100% entertainment. And in this case, the audience is up close and personal with the host and the talent. Tune in to the Arts Council’s Facebook page at 6 p.m. for the Facebook
Live event.

The flow of the evening takes the natural course of a night out — some chatting, then maybe some entertainment and a short conversation with the performer. Cutaway to the mixologist for some chit chat and a new recipe and demonstration, then back to the performer for another song, etc. Attendees participate throughout the event, commenting and using Facebook’s interface to let the other people involved know how they feel about what is going on.

 This week’s host is Kia Anthony, founder and president of Circa 1865.

R&B singer Leme Nolan headlines the musical portion of the event with a combination of original and cover songs. Her original piece is “Love with a Ring Attached.”  She will also perform pieces by Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige and SWV.

Nolan said one of her favorite things about performing is the connection she creates with the audience. “With music, it is all about connecting and being real. It represents who I am, and it comes naturally to me. I am really thankful for this opportunity. We are going to have a good time.”

Nolan also plans to relaunch her dance challenge at Hay Street Live.

Jaquetta “Lady J” Gooden is the mixologist for the week. She’s no stranger to the show, having been the host as well as the mixologist in the past.

This week, she’ll be making her take on a blood orange margarita and another tequila-inspired cocktail.

In addition to being fun, the program is important. “Hay Street Live is a virtual show that gives local artists a platform to showcase their talents,” said Gooden. “ … I believe what makes Hay Street Live stand apart from other streaming events (is that) it is providing a sense of going out without leaving your home. It’s like attending a concert from your home — and you get to learn how to make some fun cocktails along the way.”

Hay Street Live lasts from 6-7 p.m. and is set for every Friday through June 12. To find out more about the Arts Council and Hay Street Live, visit www.theartscouncil.com. Find out more about Nolan at https://www.lemenolan.com/ or check out her music on Youtube.

North Carolina has begun a tentative process of opening up selected businesses, as have many other states — some more aggressively than others, even though confirmed cases of  COVID-19 continue to rise. As we do so, we are also still learning what we do not know about this novel virus. Here are some of the unanswered questions.

Are people who have recovered from COVID-19 actually immune from an-other bout of it? Can they still pass along the infection to others even though they themselves are well?

What about children? Does the virus infect them differently than adults? At the time of this writing, North Carolinians who have been infected range in age from 6 months to 85 years.

Why do symptoms vary so much from person to person, with some people critically ill and others only mildly so? Does it depend on the concentration of viral particles in one’s body?

Why does  COVID-19 kill more men than women?

Does  COVID-19 cause lasting damage to the bodies of survivors?

Researchers are digging for answers for these and other questions, of course, as well as working overtime to develop a vaccine or vaccines. We do know a great deal about the pandemic, though, and it is not a pretty picture.  COVID-19 has pulled back the curtain on our nation’s health care system, who it serves well and who it does not. It reveals longstanding social and economic disparities long swept under the rug.

Common sense tells us that service workers face more exposure than people who can work remotely, and many service workers are considered essential during the pandemic. They are also often hourly workers, often minority workers, facing the stark choice of working in dangerous environments because they need the income or not being able to support their families. Service jobs are almost always low pay and with little or no employee control over working hours, a significant hurdle for working mothers.

Consider what kinds of work have been deemed essential during the pan-demic. Health care workers, including nursing home and elder care aides; child-care workers; teachers; domestic workers; all occupations heavily populated by women and all of which put workers in direct contact with others. These jobs of-ten require intimate work for others, work that has historically been done by women and has been historically undervalued and underpaid.

The cold hard reality is that millions of Americans depend on these service workers to take care of our children and our elderly parents, to prepare our food and to sell us goods and services, but we do not respect their work. We ask and expect them to do work we do not — and perhaps would not — do ourselves, and we are unwilling to pay them fairly. It brings up the ugly truth that underpaid and often dangerous care work is what allows other Americans, both women and men, to do their jobs at any time, and even more so during the pandemic.

This is not new news.

Speculation abounds as to how our society will be changed, even trans-formed, on the other side of  COVID-19. What will education look like? Will we go shopping in stores again? Will nonchain restaurants survive the pandemic?                        

Whatever else the virus has done and perhaps will do, it has shown a laser light on care industries and their feminine and insecure faces. Care work is absolutely essential work, but it is undervalued because women do it. The  COVID-19 pandemic is a lesson in why that has to change.

Legendary World War II paratrooper Lt. Col. James “Maggie” Megellas, one of the 82nd Airborne Division’s original “Devils in Baggy Pants,” died April 2 at his home in Colleyville, Texas. Megellas died three weeks after celebrating his 103rd birthday. His death was announced by the 82nd Airborne Division in a Facebook post on April 3 that said, in part, “This loss will be felt by us all. Remember, Paratroopers never die, they just slip away.”

Widely written about and portrayed in movies, Megellas’ wartime heroics occurred when he was a platoon leader in Company H, 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment during World War II. In several combat engagements, he earned the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts, making him the most decorated officer in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division.

He was first wounded in action in Italy in the mountains above Naples. He also jumped into the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden, made the crossing of the Waal River near Nijmegen and served in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. He often told the story of his unit and its crossing of the Waal River in rowboats, a scene that is portrayed in the 1977 classic film “A Bridge Too Far.” Discharged from the Army as a captain, Megellas continued serving in the Army Reserve and retired as a lieutenant colonel, according to his biography.

Fayetteville Technical Community College remembers Sen. Rand

FTCC was likely the community’s biggest benefactor of the late Tony Rand’s many legislative accomplishments. The former North Carolina Senate Majority Leader was a tremendous friend to the college and all aspects of public education, said FTCC President Larry Keen. 

The college student center is named for Rand, who died late last month at the age of 80.

“A giant in our community has been lost,” said Keen. “No one had more compassion for our diverse population than Tony Rand.”

He represented Cumberland County for more than two decades in the Senate. Rand served on the FTCC Foundation’s board of directors for 16 years, from 1992 to 2008, and in 2003 was the first person to be named an honorary trustee of the college. In 2004, because of his leadership and financial support, FTCC was able to build and renovate its campus facilities, including the student center, the Center for Business and Industry, the Continuing Education Center, the Health Technologies Center, the Advanced Technology Center and the Early Childhood Education Center. Keen also noted that the senator’s leadership was key in the passage of a 2000 bond referendum for higher education, which provided FTCC with more than $38 million. That money was used to open an FTCC location in Spring Lake and build the Virtual College Center and the Horticulture Technology Center.

Rand was influential in the establishment of the North Carolina Military Business Center and making sure it was part of the community college system, with headquarters at FTCC, said Scott Dorney, the center’s executive director.

Face coverings have become necessary
for some

Cape Fear Valley Health System patients and Cumberland County Courthouse visitors must bring their own face masks when receiving care at the hospital or responding to courthouse needs to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Cape Fear Valley recently made it mandatory for staff to wear face coverings in hallways, meeting rooms and shared workplaces. The updates were implemented as a result of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised infection prevention recommendations. Approximately 50% of people who are spreading the coronavirus have no symptoms, and half of them never develop symptoms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all patients, health care personnel and visitors wear cloth face coverings over their mouths and noses to contain their respiratory droplets. This decreases the likelihood of anyone with unrecognized COVID-19 infection exposing others. Local churches and businesses have donated cloth masks, personal protective equipment and supplies to Cape Fear Valley Health in recent weeks.

Masks should be worn when visiting any Cape Fear Valley hospital, clinic or outpatient facility.

 Airborne & Special Operations Museum support encouraged

The Airborne & Special Operations Museum’s doors are closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but researching and documenting artifacts, providing social media content and preparing to reopen the museum by early summer has kept the staff and supporters busy. Since 2000, ASOM has chronicled important battles and heroic achievements from times past, building a solid foundation of airborne and green beret combat. “This place gave me goose bumps,” said one visitor.

“That’s why planning now for the future has never been more important to our entire team,” said
Renee Lane, executive director of the museum’s foundation.

Lane said donations help staff and volunteers to continue engaging and inspiring visitors and educating 12,000 students every year. “Every dollar benefits those who walk through our doors and experiences history,” Lane said.

The downtown Fayetteville world-class institution is one of the few military museums built and operated off reservation grounds.

Meals for local school children continue to be available

All Cumberland County Public School meal sites, including bus routes, have been modified to a three-day weekly operation. Meals are now being distributed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, children will receive two days of meals that include frozen entrees with heating instructions. Altogether, five days of breakfast and lunch meals will continue to be provided. The Douglas Byrd Middle School has resumed serving meals. Cumberland County Schools closed that site for two weeks after a worker tested positive for COVID-19. Visit http://bit.ly/mealpickup for more information about meal service distribution.

I thought we needed a little humor. While working for the military, one of my commander’s favorite questions to almost any problem or decision started with “Does this make sense?” Then after weighing his options, he would answer with his orders followed by “Does that make sense?”

That is the approach that we should demand from our leaders. Not political partisanship but common sense like that of Thomas Paine’s little pamphlet back in 1776. The one calling for some intellectual consideration for the common man.

It seems most every day we see something that I like to call “Stupid Stuff of the Day.” I asked people to write about their “stupid” COVID stories and send them to me. Here is what I got:

• When applying for North Carolina’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for contractors and self-employed workers out of work due to COVID-19, one of the questions asked was, “Are you willing to look for other employment?”

There was not a place to respond with,     
     “No, I had a job, but Gov. Cooper will not let me do my job.”
     What they are saying is, “You can work, but only at places he deems essential.”
             —  Frustrated Unemployed Hairdresser

• I was at Wendy’s yesterday. I ordered a double cheeseburger. “Sir, we are no longer serving double burgers so that other customers may also get food.”
  So, I ask, “Can I get two cheeseburgers?”
  “Yes, sir.”
       “So, if I pay for two cheeseburgers, I can get them, and damn everyone else. Can’t you just put them together and throw out the extra bread.”
       “Um, um. No, Sir.
                                — Al Reid
• Individuals in a car by themselves wearing a mask.

                          — Paul Douglas Vandeventer

• I had a repair guy come to my house to replace a window. I went to introduce myself and shake his hand when he showed up. He said he couldn’t shake my hand because of the coronavirus. He then proceeded to walk into my house. While measuring the window, he handed me one end of the measuring tape to help him. He handed me the quote for replacing the window. I agreed to his price. He did the payment on his phone and handed me his phone to sign for the payment. I handed his phone back to him and went
  to shake his hand. He once again reminded me he couldn’t shake hands because of the coronavirus.
  — Jay Plyman
• I went to the grocery store to buy 6 pounds of ground chuck. They said I could only buy two packs of meat at 1 pound per package. I told them I was looking for 6 pounds. So that means I would have had to get six packages. I went to the meat counter and told them I needed 6 pounds of ground chuck. They went to the back and got me two 3.4-pound packs of grounds chuck. You do the math.
  — Anonymous
• Last week, my wife and I went to get a COVID-19 test at a drive-up test facility. We both (had) flu-like symptoms back in March after a cruise.
  The lady drilled a stick up our noses and when she was finished, she said, “You two will have to quarantine yourselves for five days.”
  I asked her why, and she said “that’s the process since you wanted to be tested.”
       I don’t understand how these people can be smart enough to shove something up my nose but not smart enough to know that it has been over a month-and-half since we were sick, and I am not staying home. We just wanted to know if we had had the COVID.
                                — Anonymous
• I just heard one of the local drive-in theaters is reopening and plans to practice social distancing by spreading the cars out further from each other. … You’re in separate cars already. What about in normal traffic, at a red light, in a parking lot or a drive-thru? Are you freakin’ kidding me?
  — Jeff Campbell
• Common sense is not common.
  — MM
• A friend of mine and I traveled to West Virginia. We made reservations to stay the night at a large hotel chain in Charlottesville. As we pulled up, there were only three cars in the parking lot. The door was locked. We rang a bell, and the manager opened the door. There were tables set up in front of the check-in desk to keep people back.
  The hotel manager looks at us and says, “I have to ask that you two to stand at least 6 feet apart.”
  My friend looks at him and says, “We just drove seven hours in the same car.”
       The gentlemen replied, “Sir, we are taking the COVID-19 thing very seriously.”
       He then asked if we needed a room with two beds. My friend replied, “Yes.”
       The manager responded, “You are in room 427,” and handed us our keys.
   I looked at him and asked, “So we can share
  a room?”
       He replied, “Yes.”
       Then, I asked, “ We can share the same bathroom?”
       He replied, “Yes.”
       My friend asked, “We can ride up in the same elevator?”
       The manager responded, “Yes.”
       My friend and I looked at each other, and my friend said, “Makes sense to me,” and we just laughed and shook our heads as we realized that we were the only people on the fourth floor.                   
                                —  Jimmy Jones

As we all hear of these stories, most people understand that those working down in the trenches are just doing what the government is mandating. I think most people are not laughing as much at the people around us, but deep down inside, we are sadly laughing at the leadership (or lack thereof) of our elected officials.

When all of this is said and done, the last laugh for the men and women in high places will be had at election time.

And that, my friends, may not be a joke at all.

Cumberland County Schools are shut down for the rest of the 2019-20 year, but that hasn’t prevented Jack Britt High School teacher Henrietta Jutson and student Saathvik Boompelli from working together on a project providing needed support to frontline health care workers at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

Jutson, an integrated systems technology teacher at Britt, has access to 3-D printers used at the school. Boompelli reached out to Jutson with the idea of putting the printers to use by programming them to print out a clasp that would be attached to masks like those worn by healthcare workers.

Unlike typical clasps that loop over the ears, the ones that Boompelli envisioned go around the back of the head, so they are more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time and don’t put as much strain on the ears.

Jutson has had the 3-D printers at Jack Britt since around 2015. There are a total of three of them, each roughly the size of a refrigerator you’d find in a college dormitory room.

Each printer has a gantry with a filament head that features an X, Y and Z axis.

Jutson said the printer head moves left and right, forward and backward.

“It’s like a hot glue gun,’’ she said. The printers are loaded with a roll of plastic, or filament, that Jutson purchased for the project.

The process is a bit time-consuming, Boompelli said, noting that it takes about two hours
 to print about five of the plastic clasps.

The Britt printers have produced a total of 350 of the clasps so far, which they’ve donated to Cape Fear Valley.

Boompelli said until the hospital makes a new request for additional clasps, they are looking around to see if there are other area hospitals or frontline care workers that could use the clasps to make protective masks of their own.

“The clasps can be reused and other people are making masks,’’ Boompelli said. “We thought we would focus on this.’’

Boompelli said Jutson recently received an email from the parent of another student thanking her for providing the clasps.

“It’s really cool to see how it’s affecting the doctors,’’ Boompelli said.

The only problem associated with the project is the plastic filament used to make the clasps isn’t free and has to be purchased. Jutson is using a teacher fundraising tool to help raise money donated to cover the cost of the filament.

The website is known as donorschoose.org. Visit the site and in the search space type in “Henrietta Jutson”, then look for the link entitled Filament for Good.

As of Monday, May 4, the project still needed $280 to help pay for the filament.