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  • 10 business thingSeveral years ago, the Public Works Commission set as a strategic goal increasing our local vendor capacity and engaging local vendors on the many opportunities available to them to provide services and goods to PWC. This came after both hearing concerns of local businesses and many incidents where PWC had to re-bid opportunities because of low or no response.

    Among our many initiatives was starting an event to invite local businesses to learn about the millions of dollars we spend on goods and services and future plans and capital projects that businesses could position themselves to be a part of.

     PWC held a “Building Business Rally” in 2016 and 2017. Because of its success, in 2018, we coordinated an expanded Regional Building Business Rally, partnering with nearly 30 organizations and agencies on the event with the hopes of increasing local spending and encouraging local economic development. The Rally is a unique opportunity as a “one-stop” shop for local businesses where they connect to organizations that have money to spend and are looking for local businesses to spend it with.

    Since May of 2018, the momentum of this effort has continued. Our Building Local Vendor Capacity Committee set our vision to “maximize local purchasing and procurement opportunities from within our region, thereby enhancing the wealth and health of the community” and our mission to use community collaboration to enhance our local supplier base.

     Collaboration and education are key to our success, and with the support of the Cumberland County’s Mayor’s Coalition, January has been proclaimed as Building Local Business month, with the month culminating with the fourth annual Building Business Rally on Thursday, Jan. 30.

    Organizations participating in the Rally are Cumberland County and Fayetteville’s largest buyers, representing over $1 billion in opportunities. They include Cape Fear Valley Hospital System; Cumberland County; Cumberland County Schools; the city of Fayetteville, including FAST and Community Development; Fayetteville State University; Fayetteville Technical Community college; the town of Hope Mills; the town of Spring Lake; North Carolina Department of Transportation; Prince Charles Holdings; PWC; and Vector Fleet Maintenance, which manages the city of Fayetteville fleet.

     Some of the opportunities that will be presented at the rally are PWC’s ongoing needs installing water and sewer services, maintaining our current system and annual repairs and maintenance and upgrades of our electric system. Cumberland County Schools estimates spending $10 million a year on instructional custodial supplies, information technology, and construction, while the town of Hope Mills projects it will spend over $34 million on facilities, public works, transportation, public safety and  stormwater and recreation projects.

    The Jan. 30 event utilizes the local business resources of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber, the Small Business and Technology Development Center, and Cumberland County N.C. Works to help businesses find opportunities, structure their business for success and find a qualified workforce.

     To register for the event, which will be held at the Ramada Plaza on Owen Drive from 2-6 p.m., visit www.faybids.com. Bookmark that site as it is a one-stop-shop for local contracting opportunities and local classes and workshops that can benefit your business.

  • 06 01 your voice your voteThe question of voter ID in North Carolina for the November elections remains unsettled. Attorney General Josh Stein announced he will appeal a judge’s ruling blocking the state law requiring ID from going into effect. However, it appears that no matter how the legal fight unfolds, voter ID will not be required during the state’s primary elections in the spring. Although Election Day for the primary isn’t until March, absentee voting starts in less than two weeks. Stein said he would not request that ID be put back in place for the primary, “to avoid any further voter confusion.” A federal judge in North Carolina said she would block the law temporarily.

    “North Carolina has a sordid history of racial discrimination and voter suppression stretching back to the time of slavery,” wrote Loretta Biggs, a federal judge in North Carolina’s middle district.

    Opponents of voter ID have said that voter fraud is incredibly rare. North Carolina officials caught one case of in-person voter impersonation in the 2016 elections, out of 4.8 million votes cast. They 06 02 your voice your votecontend the real intent of voter ID is to disenfranchise minorities and college students, who are less likely to have driver’s licenses and who tend to support Democrats.

    Local Army-dependent school students supported

    Cumberland County Schools serves the third-largest concentration of military-connected students in the world. The district has dedicated personnel who support the needs of military dependents and their families. District staff remains in close communication and collaboration with Fort Bragg military liaisons to provide additional support to families who are affected by the rapid deployment of soldiers from various units of Fort Bragg, the school system said in a statement.
    “We are united behind our Fort Bragg soldiers and families,” said CCS Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr. “Our entire school system is ready to assist our students, staff and families during this challenging time.”

    06 03 Trump MilitaryThe school system has developed a comprehensive support plan to include expanding the Military Student Transition Consultants school coverage, so they are available to assist more military-connected students, connecting the families of deployed soldiers with resources available to them and providing training and resources for school personnel. Families in need of additional support may contact their school counselor or MSTC for guidance.

    Trump popularity is down among military men and women

    A recent Military Times survey reveals that President Trump’s favorability among service members continues to decline. Approval of the president’s performance has been on the decline since the initial poll in 2016. Half of active-duty military personnel contacted held an unfavorable view of Trump. Forty-two percent approved of his conduct in the latest poll, held between Oct. 23 and Dec. 2. Fifty percent of troops said they had an unfavorable view of him. By comparison, just a few weeks after his election in November 2016, 37% had a negative opinion. The poll surveyed 1,630 active-duty Military Times subscribers in partnership with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University. The numbers likely reflect career-oriented men and women,” said Peter Feaver, a 06 04 census jobs copypolitical science professor at Duke University. “These are people for whom the morals and standards of the military mean a lot,” he said.

    Hundreds of part-time jobs available in Cumberland County

    The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting thousands of workers in Cumberland County for temporary jobs in advance of the 2020 census. The Atlanta Regional Census Center reports there are 3,667 employment opportunities in Cumberland County. Forty-one percent of those positions are filled. Interested individuals are urged to apply. The census count is used to determine how much federal funding goes to communities and states and determines how many members in the U.S. House of Representatives each state gets. Job seekers may apply online. The 2020 Census Jobs website allows applicants to apply for a range of positions, including recruiting assistants, office operations supervisors, clerks, census field supervisors and census takers. The positions offer flexible work 06 05 County Manager Amy Cannonhours, including daytime, evenings and weekends. The pay rate is $14.00 - $14.50. More information is available at www.2020census.gov or call 1-855-562-2020.

    Cumberland County official honored

    County Manager Amy Cannon was recently recognized by the International City & County Management Association for 30 years of service to local government. The awards are based on the number of years of full-time employment in local government. Cannon has been the county manager since June 2014 and is the first woman to serve in that position. She previously served as the deputy county manager and assistant county manager for financial and administrative services. Cannon was the county’s finance director from 1998 to 2013.

    “We are proud of the leadership she has provided as our county manager and congratulate her on this tremendous milestone,” said County Commission Chairman Marshall Faircloth.

    Cannon began her career in local government as an internal auditor with the city of Fayetteville. She is a Fayetteville native and earned an accounting degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
     
    Picture 5: County Manager Amy Cannon
  • 17 01 Cumberland County had a good showing in the recently-completed Holiday Classic basketball tournament, with county schools taking championships in three of the four brackets.

    This was the second year of a major format change in the tournament that was instituted by Cumberland County Schools student activities director Vernon Aldridge.

    After years of the county schools facing each other as many as five times in one season, Aldridge instituted the change that divided the 10 county schools into four brackets and brought in outside schools to lower the chance county schools from the same conference would meet each other in the tournament.

    “We got a lot of compliments from the outside schools on how the tournament was run,’’ Aldridge said. One email from Eric Davis, coach at Wilmington Laney, called the tournament the best run event of its kind he had seen in his 19 years as a coach.

    Here’s a look at the three brackets of the tournament that were won by Cumberland County Schools.

    17 02 manasBoys
    Len Maness Bracket

    Westover’s boys downed Middle Creek, Laney and county rival Cape Fear en route to the championship.

    Wolverine head coach George Stackhouse felt his team’s depth allowed Westover to utilize different styles of play and maintain poise in a couple of games when they didn’t get off to a good start.
    Ma’Nas Drummond of Westover was named the Most Valuable Player of the Maness bracket, scoring 18 points in the title game to lead Westover to the win.

    “We felt confident he was going to be able to contribute a lot this year,’’ Stackhouse said of Drummond. “His teammates and everybody were very happy he was able to get MVP.’’

    Stackhouse said he feels his team is in a good place as it heads into conference play immediately after the holiday break. “We’ve still got a few things we need to work out,’’ he said. “I’d like halfcourt execution to be better.
    “We’ve got to get everyone playing up to their ability, playing together as a team, see if we can’t keep improving.’’

    Ike Walker Sr. Bracket

    Terry Sanford downed Corinth Holders, Pine Forest and Southern Lee en route to winning the Walker bracket. Coach Karl Molnar said he’s been impressed with his team’s ability to work hard and move the basketball all season, and that continued during the run through the tournament.

    17 03 David MolnarIf there was a shortcoming the team showed during the tournament, it was the inability to slow down individual opposing players who were on a shooting hot streak.

    “It’s hard to win much of anything without playing some good defense,’’ Molnar said. “We’ve not quite mastered how to shut down that one kid that gets going. But we’ve managed to keep our opponents quiet as a whole and put us in a position to move the ball around and be successful offensively.’’

    Molnar’s son, Davis, was chosen as the MVP of the Walker bracket, scoring 25 in the title game with Southern Lee.

    Molnar said he and his son have frequent basketball conversations on and off the court. “Davis knows as player-and-coach or father-and-son he can talk to me,’’ Molnar said. “He had a good run of three games, and they came at a good time.’’

    Molnar felt it was a good sign for county basketball that three of the four finalists in the boys’ brackets of the Holiday Classic were from Cumberland County.

    “It’s looking pretty strong for us,’’ he said of the county teams. T
    hings are looking good for the Bulldogs as well as they’ll enter into January’s conference schedule awaiting the return of football standout Ezemdi Udoh, who missed the Holiday Classic because of his participation in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.

    "
    We can’t wait until we get him on the same sheet of music,’’ Molnar said.


    Girls
    Gene Arrington bracket
    E.E. Smith’s girls served notice on the rest of the Patriot Athletic Conference that even though they are young, they’ve apparently recovered from the graduation losses suffered last season.

    Smith downed Corinth Holders, Westover and Wilmington Hoggard en route to the Arrington bracket championship.

    Ke’Onna Bryant won MVP honors for Smith, playing a critical defensive role for her team en route to the championship.

    Smith coach Dee Hardy praised Bryant for her aggressive play in the tournament and said she stepped up in key situations where Smith needed a steal or a rebound.

    In the 41-32 win over Hoggard in the tournament final, Hardy said she learned some things about her young team and its perseverance and ability to maintain focus.

    "We were able to get a lot of five-second counts and out-of-bounds plays,’’ Hardy said. “That was great to see.’’

    If there was one troubling result from the tournament it was the fact Smith was the only Cumberland County girls team to make the championship round.

    The next highest finishes from the county were third by Jack Britt in the Tom Jackson bracket and third by Westover in the Arrington bracket.

    Hardy said she hasn’t seen all the county teams yet so she really can’t say how strong the conference is. For now, she’s focusing on her team.

    “Our main focus will be trying to be disciplined and play self-motivated,’’ Hardy said. “We really need to fine tune some things and go back to some basics.’’

    Picture 1: Ke’Onna Bryant won MVP honors for Smith, playing a critical defensive role for her team en route to the championship.Photo Credit: Matt Plyler

    Picture 2: Ma’Nas Drummond of Westover was named the Most Valuable Player of the Maness bracket. Photo Credit: Matt Plyler

    Picture 3: Davis Molnar was chosen as the MVP of the Walker bracket, scoring 25 in the title game with Southern Lee. Photo Credit: Matt Plyler

     

     

     
  • 16 01 greenway signKasey Ivey of the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation had already been talking with Rebecca Skiba of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission about coming to Hope Mills to discuss nature programs the town might be able to offer.

    That was before Dec. 3, when a member of the town’s maintenance staff spotted a coyote on the newly-opened Golfview Greenway Walking Trail at the old municipal golf course.

    When Ivey posted the news on the Parks and Recreation Facebook page, she was surprised at the response.

    “It sparked 56 comments and 187 shares,’’ she said. When Skiba came to Hope Mills for a scheduled visit on Dec. 9 to tour local nature-related sites around the town, Ivey shared with her the news about the coyotes at the golf course. Skiba, who is the outreach education specialist for the southern coastal region of the state, said she would be available to make a presentation on co-existing with coyotes.

    So Skiba will return to Hope Mills on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 6 p.m. at the community room at the Hope Mills Recreation Center to talk about coyotes.

    There is limited space, so people interested in coming to the presentation need to reach out to Ivey as soon as possible. Her email address is kivey@townofhopemills.com.

    Ivey wants to make sure enough people are interested in the meeting to make Skiba’s trip to Hope Mills worth her time, since she travels a great deal and covers such a large area of the state in her job.

    Both Ivey and Skiba stressed that the presence of coyotes at the new greenway is not a cause for panic, and people who plan to use it shouldn’t be fearful or jump to any conclusions about the animals.

    Skiba has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Georgia and has worked in North Carolina for the past four years.

    She said the biggest problem with coyotes is that people don’t know a lot about them and they tend to be afraid of what they don’t know.

    16 02 coyotesCoyotes are present in all 100 of North Carolina’s counties, Skiba said, adding it is difficult to regulate the population. One of the main aims of her presentation will be to educate the public on the difference between a perceived threat a real one.

    The primary rule of thumb with coytotes, she said, is live and let live. “We’ve never had a case in North Carolina where a coyote has attacked and harmed a human being,’’ she said.

    But that doesn’t mean that every living thing is safe around coyotes. They are omnivores, Skiba said, which means they eat everything from vegetables to bugs to fruit. And, unfortunately, some small animals.

    That’s why any greenway walkers with pets, especially small ones, need to either leave them at home or keep them on a leash, as they could be potential prey for the coyotes.

    If a human sees a coyote, it’s fairly easy to shoo them off and go about their business. “They don’t stalk you,’’ Skiba said.

    It is possible for a coyote to be rabid, but unlikely, Skiba said. Wild animals at the top of the list to develop rabies are raccoons, skunks and foxes, Skiba said. “Coyotes aren’t really high up on the list.’’

    In the event anyone encounters an animal exhibiting odd behavior, they should contact local animal control authorities immediately.

    Skiba said typical early onset rabies behavior in animals includes being disoriented or appearing in public places while making no attempt to hide or protect themselves. “Not all rabies is the foaming at the mouth phase,’’
    she said.

    For her presentation in Hope Mills, Skiba said she plans to discuss the history of coyotes in North Carolina, the ecology involved and how they affect other species in the state.

    She will also present different options of coyote management, but added that her presentation will not be dealing with any kind of program the town as a whole can put into place, just things to be done on an individual basis.

    “This is a general information session to dispel myths and fears that are out there,’’ Skiba said, “also to bring up certain things that people can keep in mind to make sure they are not attracting coyotes if they don’t desire to have them.

    “We go about our daily lives and we don’t consider the ways we impact or attract wildlife. I’m just trying to bring those up as well.’’

    If anyone has specific questions about coyotes or other wildlife in the Hope Mills area the best way to reach Skiba is via her email at rebecca.skiba@ncwildlife.org.

    There is also a Wildlife Helpline at the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission which allows callers to speak to a trained biologist and ask specific questions about wildlife behavior, wildlife-related damage or injury and co-existing with wildlife. The number is 866-318-2401.

  • 12 ophthalmicFayetteville Technical Community College plans to offer a new certificate program during Fall 2020 designed for certified ophthalmic assistants and certified ophthalmic technicians to gain the skills needed for the ophthalmic surgical assistant.

    The need to develop OSAs is now nationally recognized, and ophthalmologists agree that the range of OSA training could assist the mechanical and technical aspects of ophthalmic surgery.

    Based on the fact there are no OSA programs in North Carolina, the employment opportunities for graduates of FTCC’s Ophthalmic Surgical Assistant program will continue to grow. The program will provide current COAs and COTs with another unique career option in the health care industry.

    The didactic portion of the program will be taught online, and the laboratory portion will be taught in the evenings. This format will allow interested candidates to continue their employment while completing the requirements for the program.
    Fayetteville Technical Community College can help you earn the training that can set you up to get the career you want. In addition to high-quality education available at an affordable cost, students can enjoy leadership opportunities by participation in a number of clubs and organizations, athletics and so much more. Fayetteville Tech offers associate degree programs, certificate programs and diploma programs in the areas of health, business, computer technology, engineering/applied technology and public service. Students who wish to pursue a four-year degree can save money on tuition and other expenses by enrolling at FTCC in arts and humanities or math and science associate degree programs, which transfer to some four-year colleges/universities. Students who have transferred from FTCC to four-year colleges have enjoyed high levels of success in the four-year college environment. 

    Make an investment in yourself that pays off. Learn more about exciting possibilities awaiting you at Fayetteville Technical Community College by visiting the website at www.faytechcc.edu. Make the smart choice for your education—Fayetteville Technical Community College! To learn more about the OSA Program, please contact me at 910-678-8358 or via email herringt@faytechcc.edu.

  • 03 women talkingWords and language, specifically English, have been important to me all my life. My mother was a grammatical stickler, and the Precious Jewels stick me with that label as well. English, with all its peculiarities, is a rich language with about 170,000 words — more than any other language, though most of us use only 20,000 to 30,000 of them regularly. It is considered a difficult language for non-English speakers to learn.

    Like most languages, English evolves. Chances are that if our most celebrated playwright and acknowledged master of English, William Shakespeare, appeared to speak to us today, we probably would not understand his English of four centuries ago — nor he our modern parlance. Shakespeare would almost certainly not get our most recent words, expressions or acronyms.

    The dictionary company, Merriam-Webster, adds new words every year, and based on its additions since 2010, Caroline Bologna writing for Huff Post has listed 20 “words” that helped define the decade we just left, 2010-2019. Here are some of them. 

    A decade ago, we might not have known what each other were saying but now we all know that “hashtag” refers to the pound symbol, #, used in connection with various social and political movements and the social medium, Twitter. We also know “FOMO” means fear of missing out, a form of anxiety in the age of social media. “Self-care” means not just taking care of one’s physical and mental health but pampering and indulging oneself as well. “Athleisure” references cozy and comfortable clothing, like yoga pants, worn outside the gym in all sorts of circumstances, something my mother could never have imagined and to which I plead “totally guilty.” “Bingeable” refers not to midnight snacks but to streamed television or other-screened programming watched for hours on end — of which your columnist is also totally guilty.  

    I had to look up this one, but a “flexitarian” is a person eating a more plant-based diet by reducing animal protein without eliminating it altogether. To “Stan” was also a new term for me, and it refers to being an aggressive, even obsessive, fan of some celebrity or another and is short for “stalker fan.” It derives from an Eminem song dealing with that topic. I still grapple with the meaning of “meme” — is it an idea or a visual symbol or both? Maybe Merriam-Webster can set me straight.

    Finally, I love the notion of “glamping”— glamorous camping — and look forward to trying it in our new decade. I am working on taking “selfies” but am not as interested in them as in glamping. And, truth be told, at my age, I have had just about as much “mansplaining” —male condescension in the workplace and personal relationships — as I can stand.

    Merriam-Webster also documents the most searched word each year, and with a 313% uptick in searches, 2019’s most sought after word definition was for the humble pronoun “they.” Apparently, many of us are trying to figure out how to use that word when referring to people of undetermined, unknown, fluid or otherwise undescribed gender. Also in the highly searched category were “quid pro quo,” “impeach,” “egregious” and “crawdad” for obvious reasons — Donald Trump and a bestselling novel.

    In 2120, English speakers may no longer know the meaning of FOMO or mansplaining, just as we no longer understand words Shakespeare used often — amain (at full speed), corse (corpse) or peradventure (chance). English was in Shakespeare’s day and remains today a language with great flexibility and resilience and one which finds a way to describe our world as it changes.

    Welcome to the 2020s, whatever they may bring!

  • 07 01 82nd Airborne Division InsigniaThe 82nd Airborne Division’s Immediate Response Force has deployed to the Middle East. One of the division’s brigade combat teams is routinely on call as America’s rapid deployment strike force. Fifteen years ago, in December 2004, elements of the 82nd deployed to Iraq in support of Iraqi national elections. Today, as they have throughout the division’s history, the troopers who wear the red, white and blue patch of the 82nd Airborne Division are the cutting edge of the United States strategic combat force. Defense Secretary Mark Esper launched the deployment of America’s Guard of Honor on New Year’s Day saying, “At the direction of the Commander in Chief, I have authorized the deployment of an infantry battalion from the Immediate Response Force of the 82nd Airborne Division to the U.S. Central Command area of operations in response to recent events in Iraq.”

    Additional 82nd paratroopers followed. The deployment came in the wake of rocket attacks against Iraqi bases housing coalition troops.

    Property taxes are due

    The Cumberland County tax collector reminds taxpayers that property taxes for real estate and personal property that have not been paid are considered delinquent. The county can impose interest and enforced collections such as bank levy, wage/rent garnishments and foreclosure. Payments can be made in the tax office, by phone or online. There is a processing fee for credit or debit card payments. Electronic check draft payments can be made online for no additional fee. To pay in person, go to Room 527 on the fifth floor of the Courthouse from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. To pay by phone, call 1-866-441-6614. To pay online, visit co.cumberland.nc.us/tax/payments. The address to pay taxes by mail is Cumberland County Tax Collector, P.O. Box 449, Fayetteville, N.C., 28302-0449. Tax listing forms must be updated and signed and be postmarked no later than Jan. 31 to avoid a 10% late listing fee. For more information, call 910-678-7507 or go to co.cumberland.nc.us/tax.aspx.
    07 02 Property Tax Scrabble
    Citizens can help shape Fayetteville’s future

    The city of Fayetteville will hold its annual Community Café Conversation Thursday, Jan. 16, at Smith Recreation Center on Slater Avenue. The event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. and allows Fayetteville citizens to answer questions about their perceptions of the community’s priorities. Questions include what city services need to be improved and how the city can better promote transparency and accountability. Input will be incorporated into the city’s strategic plan, which guides future efforts and budget decisions. Interested residents are encouraged to reserve their seats by calling 910-433-1979 or emailing an RSVP to atebbe@ci.fay.nc.us. A drawing will be held at the end of the event for gift certificates to several local businesses as a way of saying, “thank you” to the participants.

    Energy assistance aid expanded

    07 03 community meetingThe Cumberland County Department of Social Services is accepting applications for the North Carolina Low Income Energy Assistance Program from all qualified households. In December, only households with elderly or disabled persons could apply for LIEAP. The program helps qualified families with their heating costs. LIEAP is federally funded and provides a one-time vendor payment directly to the utility company to help eligible households pay their heating bills during cold-weather months. Household income must not exceed 130% of the poverty level. There are several ways Cumberland County residents can apply. Applications can be made in person at DSS, located at 1225 Ramsey St., Fayetteville. Applications can also be downloaded and submitted by mail or fax. Households may apply for LIEAP through March 31, or until funds are exhausted.

    Cancer patient advocacy

    Jesse H. Byrd has won the Mary Lynn Bryan Leadership Award for his years of cancer patient advocacy work. The Bryan Leadership Award recognizes the person who best exhibits excellence in leading a Cumberland County charitable organization toward sound nonprofit best practices. Byrd, a retired CPA, is a founding member of Friends of the Cancer Center, which formed in 1989 to help support area cancer patients and their families. The support includes financial assistance, hats, scarves, yoga and art therapy programs, all free of charge to patients. The FOCC became a part 07 04 Electric power linesof the Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation in 2002, allowing Byrd to join the foundation’s board of directors. He has been on the board since. Byrd’s wife, Irene, died of cancer, which led to his dedication to the cancer community over the years. In 2014, Byrd helped establish the Irene Thompson Byrd Cancer Care Endowment. The endowment has grown to nearly $1 million. Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation will receive $1,000 under the Bryan Leadership Award to use toward board member development.












    07 05 Cape Fear Valley Health logo
  • There’s a popular saying that no matter how thin the pancake, it always has two sides, which is a colorful variant of there are two sides to every story. This statement is so true regarding the article “The Parish House” by Elizabeth Blevins, owner of Hopemills.net. After careful review, I found at least 18 areas that are rift with misinformation purported to be fact-based information.

    The article omits several public records and a factual, chronological history of event references that, for some unknown reason, Blevins failed to include and share with her readers. Some examples are:

    05 parish house 2 The article completely omitted the town board regular meeting Feb. 4, 2019, regarding the discussion of the Parish House and its demolition (Budget Retreat Item 2018). A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell to rescind the motion from March 3, 2018, to budget for the demolition of the Parish House and engineering fees for the design of a parking lot until the Board has received further information from the Historic Preservation Commission. Why? Because the HPC was never informed of the town board’s decision to demolish the building.

    Blevins also claims the Parish House is not on the National Register of Historic Places — but it is! I researched her claim by calling Amber Stimpson, local preservation commission/certified local government coordinator at the State Historic Preservation Office, located at the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in Raleigh, North Carolina. Stimpson informed me Hope Mills was last surveyed in 1985 and the Parish House, at a minimum, must be “significant” enough to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

    In fact, this issue was referenced during a town board regular meeting on March 8, 2017, where Planning and Development Administrator Chancer McLaughlin presented an overview of the Hope Mills Historic Overlay District in concert with the work of the Historic Preservation Commission. McLaughlin presented a map with the current boundaries and noted the HOD is registered on the National Register of Historic Places.

    Blevins also claims Pat Hall identified the HOD … but she did not. The HOD was identified as the Historic Mill Village in 1985 when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Properties by the North Carolina Department of History and Culture. In fact, the Historic Preservation Commission began reviewing the HOD with a $15,000 grant by the same State Division in 1995.

    Further, the Parish House is 110 years old as of 2020 — not 89 years old. According to the Episcopal Church History in North Carolina by Rev. Norvin C. Duncan, the Parish House was built in 1910, not 1930. The church burned in 1916, at which time the Parish House was damaged. The Parish House was partially restored and a new brick church building was erected.

    After reading the article, my best advice to Blevins is a quote from Catherine Rampell’s article, “Four suggested 2020 resolutions for the media.” Rampell states, “Make sure we’re in the information business, not the disinformation business. … Yes, it’s important to challenge misstatements or deliberate lies, especially consequential ones. But we need to lead with the facts, contest the falsehoods and swiftly return to the facts again. Instead of amplifying the lies, we must amplify the truths.”

    In conclusion, I cannot predict what the future holds for the 110-year-old Parish House. However, what I do know is that every option must be discussed and explored, along with public input, before a final decision is made in the best interest of the town and the citizens of Hope Mills.

    Respectfully,
    Jessie Bellflowers
  • 14 OrchestraFrom 1600 to 1750, the Baroque period challenged artistic expectations in Europe. Meaning “oddly shaped pearl,” barroco is characterized by contrasting melodies, harmony and multiple instrument sounds. This style didn’t become popular overnight. In fact, critics of the period described Baroque compositions as overly complicated and elaborate. However, fans of Bach, Vivaldi, Purcell and other masterminds of the era would disagree. The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra will play tribute to these artists with a Baroque performance, Jan. 16, at St. John’s Episcopal Church.

    The concert will provide an educational glimpse into 17th- and 18th-century Europe. In fact, Executive Director Jesse Hughes chose to showcase works from this era “to give the community and audience exposure to famous (composers) of the Baroque period,” particularly Johann Sebastian Bach. “He was like the musical example — the model — the one that’s paid a lot of homage to by the previous composers,” Hughes said about the German composer. “He is looked at as being the forerunner of the Baroque style.”

    Baroque music also offers quite a variety to the listener, Hughes said. Although the Baroque movement took place in Europe, styles varied between countries, particularly France, Germany, England and Italy. Such variety will be represented at FSO’s concert.

    “Expect to be entertained through the musical versatility and flexibility of the musicians,” Hughes said. “For example, Adagio in G Minor for Strings and Organ, where you normally see it on piano, you’ll see on a church organ.”

    Hughes explained that FSO will perform as a chamber orchestra, a more intimate format, since Baroque compositions were traditionally performed this way. “The chamber orchestra can be 50 players or less, and normally instead of having multiple instruments on a part it can be one to two instruments on a part,” said Hughes.

    St. John’s intimate setting combined with the smaller orchestra will allow for more interaction between performers and audience, according to Hughes. Instead of performing onstage, the orchestra will be on ground level; the performers will also enter the same doors that the patrons enter, so the audience will likely be able to meet orchestra members after the concert.

    During the remainder of the season, FSO will perform “Music She Wrote,” a concert that celebrates female composers with works written exclusively by women on Feb. 8. On March 7, FSO will highlight pieces by Brahms, Wagner, Bizet and Berlioz during “In Their Footsteps.” April 4, FSO will perform Bohemian masterpieces, including Dvorak’s Cello Concerto, in “Musical Folktales.” The Music Nerd will appear at 6:45 p.m. before each concert to hold a question and answer session with the audience.

    Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra’s “If It Ain’t Baroque” will take place at 302 Green St., Thursday, Jan. 16, at 7:30 p.m.

    To learn more or to purchase tickets, visit https://squareup.com/store/fayetteville-symphony-orchestra/item/if-it-ain-t-baroque.

  • 13 One Thousand GiftsOn New Year's Eve of 2018, my boss, Dorothy, laid a bright blue spiral notebook on my desk. I slipped my thumb under the front cover and turned to the first page, the quiet crack of the card stock separating from the paper it protected, proving it had never been opened.

    “A new notebook for a new year,” she said.

    This was a challenge.

    Several years ago, Dorothy read a book called “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp, and remembering it sparked her to buy the entire staff a notebook and a copy of the book. The challenge was to chronicle 1,000 God-given gifts, no matter how big or small, by the end of 2019. It could be a good meal or beautiful flower, a credit card paid off or sweet baby laughter. The first chirp of a bird when spring arrives. Family. Common things. Uncommon things. Silly things. Serious things. Any good gift from God.

    At first thought, this sounds cliche. It's so easy for me to gloss over those sticky-sweet quotes dressed in beautiful fonts slapped on a well-edited photo of some snow-covered trees that friends on social media post almost daily. Those graphics that say, “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened,” or “Life's a journey, not a destination.” Ugh. Give me a break. The quotes never really have anything to do with the background they're plastered on and they kind of make me want to throw up, but I digress. If those kinds of things help you, that's great. More power to you, I say. For me, its a big “thanks, but no thanks."

    For the first half of last year, I participated in this challenge, chronicling nearly 500 of the thousand I was to come up with. I must say, I was feeling mighty fine. I was loving life — taking care of myself, seeing some relationships in my life have some major breakthroughs, cooking supper for my family every night. I was making my list day by day and it was really making a difference.

    That summer, one of the most unknowingly overwhelming seasons of my life hit like an anvil to the forehead. I had family members become life-threateningly ill. My 1-year-old started day care for the first time, causing a change in my work schedule and time at home, in addition to bringing sickness after sickness home with him for months. My husband and I sold our home and moved back to my family's farm to better tackle some debt and be near to those sick family members. Most of it was not all that weighty, but all at once, it was a lot of change in a short amount of time.

    Somehow, as I tried to keep on keeping on, my 1,000 Gifts list trailed off.

    Over the course of just three months, I found myself irritated, unmotivated, easily offended, critical of others, overwhelmed, exhausted, disappointed, disengaged, crying a lot, inattentive, rude to my husband and telling myself how much of a failure I was because of the important things I let slip through the cracks at work and at home.

    I had a lot on my plate, but I know that all those things would have been easier to chew if I feasted on thanks-giving.

    I am convinced now more than ever that there's actually something to this gift list. In the last 24 hours of Jesus's life before he was crucified, he did a strange thing. In Luke 22, we find the account of the Last Supper, where Jesus brings his disciples together to share a meal. Luke 22:19 says, “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them...” Originally written in Greek, the word for “he gave thanks” is “eucharisteo." The root word of eucharisteo is "charis," meaning “grace.” Jesus took bread, saw it as grace, and gave thanks. Also found in eucharisteo is "chara," which means “joy.” Isn't that what we all long for? More joy? It seems that deep chara joy is found at the table of euCHARisteo — the table of thanksgiving.

    Voskamp writes, “So then, as long as thanks is possible, joy is always possible... Whenever, meaning now. Wherever, meaning here.” In every circumstance, in every season of life, joy can be found if we can focus on giving thanks. To say it better, joy is found when we see God in the here and now.

    So, I'm starting over. This year, I'm making a list called “Seeing 2020” — get it? It's time for a new perspective — a grateful perspective — that can only come by finding today's good and lovely. I'm filling it with things Philippians 4:8 talks about. It says, “...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Today's things.

    You can find — I can find — today's good and lovely in the middle of heartache, tumult, emotional debris and disappointment. It's there. We just have to look.

    I want more joy. I definitely want God's grace. I must be intentional in giving thanks no matter what this year holds.

    You find what you look for. What can you find today?

  • 06 michael jin ipHlSSaC3vk unsplashSo many times, I have heard people who have been involved in an auto wreck say: “I have full coverage.” What does that mean? For most people that means they have coverage for liability, property damage and a rental car. Let’s talk about what that often does not mean.

    When most of us buy auto insurance, we’re just looking at how much coverage we need to get behind the wheel and how low we can keep the monthly payment. Here’s the reality of auto insurance coverage:

    One day you are running out to the grocery store to pick up a few things. As you drive through an intersection with the green light, another driver runs the red light and smashes into your car. You wake up at the hospital with stitches in your head and several broken bones. You had to have some emergency surgery, and you will be in the hospital for several days. You aren’t going to be able to go back to work for quite a while and you have bills to pay. Your life has just been turned upside down. Your daily commitments and responsibilities are still there, even though you are out of commission.

    It’s usually at this point when most of us will begin to wonder about how much insurance the guy/gal that hit us had. This is a good question because your medical bills alone could easily exceed $30,000. What about your missed paychecks? What about the broken bones and the scar on your head? What about the terrible pain you feel that the pain killers barely take the edge off?

    North Carolina law requires a minimum of $30,000 in insurance coverage to operate a motor vehicle. If the guy that hit you has minimum coverage, what do you do? You look at your insurance coverage. Do you have “underinsured” coverage? That is the “UIM” coverage on your policy. “UM” is for when an uninsured motorist hits you. “UIM” is for when a motorist hits you and they do not have enough coverage to pay for your damages. Most of us do not know much about “UIM” or “UM” until we need it, and then we wish we had it or had gotten more.

    Honestly, if you have a significant injury in a car wreck, $30,000 minimum coverage will not be enough to protect you from serious financial loss. On the flip side, if you run the red light and hit someone and only have $30,000 in coverage, that will not protect you from serious financial trouble, either. My recommendation is to get as much coverage as you can afford and, if you can, try not to have anything less than $100,000.00 in coverage. This should include liability coverage (if you are at fault) and underinsured “UIM” and uninsured “UM” coverage (if someone hits you who has little or no coverage). If you can afford more, do it. It only takes one bad wreck to make us realize how important that coverage is — and if you don’t have it, the consequences can be devastating.

  • 09 N1509P39004CThe 2018 North Carolina Infant Mortality Report shows the infant mortality rate in Cumberland County has dropped significantly — 33% compared to 2017. The lower infant mortality rate mirrors a record low rate statewide. In Cumberland County, there were 34 infant deaths recorded to residents of the county in 2018, compared to 52 deaths in 2017. The infant mortality rate in Cumberland County in 2018 was 6.3 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018 compared to 9.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2017.

    Statewide, infant deaths in 2018 reached the lowest rate in the 31 years that deaths have been tracked — declining for the third straight year. According to the North Carolina Infant Mortality Report, 806 infant deaths were recorded to residents of North Carolina in 2018 compared to 852 in 2017.

    “While we are pleased by recent reports of a reduction in the number of infant deaths in Cumberland County, one death is still too many,” said Cumberland County Public Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green. “Department initiatives such as the Baby Store are aimed at promoting prenatal health which leads to healthy moms and healthy babies.”

    Wisconsin is at the top of the Centers for Disease Control and prevention list when it comes to infant mortality for nonHispanic black women, with the following deaths per 1,000 live births:
    Wisconsin — 14.28
    Ohio — 13.46
    Alabama — 13.40
    Indiana — 13.26
    North Carolina — 12.24

    Dr. Green notes that North Carolina has historically been among the states with high rates of infant mortality. The report indicates that notable disparities persist in infant mortality, particularly among African Americans. The African-American infant mortality rate in the tar heel state reached an all-time low, decreasing by 9% since 2016. In Cumberland County, the rate is four times the white infant mortality rate at 9.9 deaths per 1,000 births in 2018. Leading causes of infant mortality are preterm birth and low birth weight, birth defects, Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and complications of pregnancy, labor and delivery.

    The rate is impacted by a wide range of social, behavioral and health risk factors, including poverty, racism, education, tobacco use, obesity and lack of access to medical care before and during pregnancy. In the United States, research has identified associations between individual socioeconomic factors and select community-level factors. In the 2018 report, the authors looked beyond traditional risk factors for infant mortality and examined the social context of race in this country to understand African-American women’s long-standing birth outcome disadvantage.

    In the process, recent insights are highlighted concerning neighborhood-level factors such as crime, poverty, segregation and institutional racism. A 2018 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, which uses data from 2013-2015, states: For infants of nonHispanic black women, the mortality rate ranged from 8.27 in Massachusetts to 14.28 in Wisconsin.

    “The data should be shocking to everyone,” Wisconsin state Rep. Shelia Stubbs said in an email. “But for black families, especially black women, this is reality.”

  • 08 downtown parking 2 2Republic Parking assumed management and enforcement of downtown parking the first of the year, taking over from McLaurin Parking. City officials say that, initially, there will be no changes to downtown parking enforcement as the new company takes over. Republic Parking is working with City Council to implement a paid parking plan in the downtown area. Parking revisions were made necessary with the construction of Segra Stadium, the minor league baseball field in the 400 block of Hay Street.

    The city will charge patrons $5 per parking space in the more than 1,100 parking spaces in the 12 downtown public parking lots during large downtown events, to include home baseball games. City-paid lots will be clearly marked with roadside signs indicating the lot locations. Parking attendants at the city-maintained parking lots will accept cash or credit/debit cards as payment for $5 parking fees.

    Republic Parking is in the process of deciding where to place pay stations that will be installed along on-street parking and in city parking lots. Costs will be $1 per hour for on-street parking and $1 per hour or $5 per day in city lots. Downtown visitors will also be able to use the app, ParkMobile, to pay for parking. Republic Parking is working on an education campaign in advance of the expected spring kick-off for paid parking.

    “Paid parking is something that is needed here in Fayetteville. We are a growing city, and this is the direction many growing cities with successful downtown areas are taking,” said Mayor Mitch Colvin. “I am confident this plan will allow more people to enjoy our beautiful downtown area.”

    Information will be provided via the news media, the city’s website and through downtown businesses. A new website complete with FAQs and other information about downtown parking will also be launched in the coming months.

    “Republic Parking manages parking for more than 100 municipalities across the country, said Jack Skelton, Republic’s executive vice president of Municipal Division. We look forward to working with the city and community to develop an innovative and convenient downtown parking program.” Skelton went on to say “We’ve seen this time and time again — that businesses are concerned paid parking will be a detriment to downtown visitors — on the contrary, our experience shows that paid parking actually increases parking turnover, with visitors finding it easier to park and businesses finding that it increases their customer foot traffic due to higher parking turnover.”

    Revenue generated by downtown parking will be used to assist in paying the debt on Segra Stadium as part of the business plan the city developed more than 18 months ago when proposing the stadium concept to City Council. Republic Parking was selected through a process that included submissions from five different parking firms. Republic has managed the city’s airport parking lots for several years. Information on the current downtown parking enforcement plan can be found at www.FayettevilleNC.gov/downtownparking.

  • 08 downtown parking 2 2Republic Parking assumed management and enforcement of downtown parking the first of the year, taking over from McLaurin Parking. City officials say that, initially, there will be no changes to downtown parking enforcement as the new company takes over. Republic Parking is working with City Council to implement a paid parking plan in the downtown area. Parking revisions were made necessary with the construction of Segra Stadium, the minor league baseball field in the 400 block of Hay Street.

    The city will charge patrons $5 per parking space in the more than 1,100 parking spaces in the 12 downtown public parking lots during large downtown events, to include home baseball games. City-paid lots will be clearly marked with roadside signs indicating the lot locations. Parking attendants at the city-maintained parking lots will accept cash or credit/debit cards as payment for $5 parking fees.

    Republic Parking is in the process of deciding where to place pay stations that will be installed along on-street parking and in city parking lots. Costs will be $1 per hour for on-street parking and $1 per hour or $5 per day in city lots. Downtown visitors will also be able to use the app, ParkMobile, to pay for parking. Republic Parking is working on an education campaign in advance of the expected spring kick-off for paid parking.

    “Paid parking is something that is needed here in Fayetteville. We are a growing city, and this is the direction many growing cities with successful downtown areas are taking,” said Mayor Mitch Colvin. “I am confident this plan will allow more people to enjoy our beautiful downtown area.”

    Information will be provided via the news media, the city’s website and through downtown businesses. A new website complete with FAQs and other information about downtown parking will also be launched in the coming months.

    “Republic Parking manages parking for more than 100 municipalities across the country, said Jack Skelton, Republic’s executive vice president of Municipal Division. We look forward to working with the city and community to develop an innovative and convenient downtown parking program.” Skelton went on to say “We’ve seen this time and time again — that businesses are concerned paid parking will be a detriment to downtown visitors — on the contrary, our experience shows that paid parking actually increases parking turnover, with visitors finding it easier to park and businesses finding that it increases their customer foot traffic due to higher parking turnover.”

    Revenue generated by downtown parking will be used to assist in paying the debt on Segra Stadium as part of the business plan the city developed more than 18 months ago when proposing the stadium concept to City Council. Republic Parking was selected through a process that included submissions from five different parking firms. Republic has managed the city’s airport parking lots for several years. Information on the current downtown parking enforcement plan can be found at www.FayettevilleNC.gov/downtownparking.

  • 02 Parish HouseWell, 2020 marks Up & Coming Weekly’s 25th year as Fayetteville and Cumberland County’s weekly community newspaper. It’s been a great quarter-century, and we are thankful that we have been able to contribute to the growth and prosperity of the community. Yes, we are a unique publication, highly opinionated and focused on the good news and quality of life in Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Hope Mills and Cumberland County. Our local newspaper is uniquely customized to serve our unique community. In the last two years, and in response to the needs and demands of our readers, we have modified our publication and operating procedures to meet the needs of our readers and better serve the community. During this time, we have added writers and reporters, created new sections, expanded distribution in Hope Mills and Spring Lake, brought on additional editors and expanded our online presence. We are proud of what we do and cherish the position we hold in the community.

    Of course, nobody’s perfect, so we do have our share of distractors. Not all of our readers agree with our opinion or the positions we take on certain issues, and that’s OK. At least they are reading our publication — because these issues affect the people and communities that our newspaper serves. Every article and opinion piece we publish is a reflection of someone’s perception of this community. And everyone is welcome to contribute. However, our reporters and news correspondents like Earl Vaughan Jr., Jeff Thompson and Elizabeth Blevins are dedicated professionals charged with providing our readers with accurate and honest information about important community projects, local government initiatives and community events. Providing facts is their job. They take it seriously, and they do it extremely well. Below is such an example.

    Here, Up & Coming Weekly’s Hope Mills correspondent Elizabeth Blevins clears the air around the swirling controversy over the future of the Hope Mills Parish House. Let us know what you think. On page 8, Hope Mills Commissioner Jessie Bellflowers also shares his opinion with us about the Parish House. I am often told that everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not to their own facts. We agree. However, you be the judge!

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.
        — Bill Bowman, publisher

    On Dec. 16, the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners discussed the Parish House, one of several historic buildings owned by the municipality. While they didn’t vote, the board members did request estimates for demolishing the house. Days later, former members of the Hope Mills Historic Preservation Commission and its followers launched a social media campaign of misinformation designed to sway public opinion in favor of preserving the house. The HPC wants to preserve the building for use as a museum.

    In July 2017, the Board of Commissioners met with members of the HPC to hear from local architect Gordon Johnson. Johnson noted the town’s inspection department had concerns about the deterioration of the building, specifically its sagging floors. His recommendation was the town look into other options before investing a large amount of money into restoration.

    Pat Hall, then-chairman of the HPC, recommended the board do nothing with the Parish House while it was settling an ownership issue with the heirs of an adjoining property. That issue wasn’t settled until summer 2019.
    Several months later, the HPC met with town staff, who confirmed the Parish House was no longer a viable option. They suggested the town might purchase a mill house on Trade Street as an alternative location for the museum.
    During the November 2017 board meeting, it was announced the town had purchased the mill house and members of the HPC specifically requested the town manager inform the board they didn’t want to move forward with the Parish House. That evening, the HPC members posted their excitement on social media, and then explained the Parish House restoration would have been far too costly to continue.

    In March of 2018, during the board’s budget retreat, a staff member officially informed the board the repairs for the Parish House were too expensive to move forward. Town manager Melissa Adams read a prepared statement from the HPC, indicating they didn’t have a problem with the municipality destroying the house but did not want them to sell the property. The board voted unanimously to demolish the Parish House during that meeting.

    For nearly a year, the staff worked diligently on making modifications to the mill house, and there was no mention of the Parish House during official meetings by the Board of Commissioners. But in February 2019, the two groups met again, and Pat Hall declared the HPC was never notified of the board’s decision to demolish the house. Further, she insisted the HPC never advocated for its destruction but instead wanted it restored. Amazingly, the same board that voted to demolish it 11 months earlier, rescinded their votes and directed staff to begin restoration.

    In 2017, the estimated restoration would have cost $220,000. A recent survey by an engineer indicated the cost has ballooned to more than $350,000. The building suffered damage from two hurricanes and was struck by a vehicle a year ago.

    The historical integrity of the house has been hotly debated. The second floor was replaced after a fire in 1916, a kitchen and bathroom were added later, as well as siding and a front porch. Very little of the original historic structure remains.

    Members of the HPC suggested they would raise the funds necessary for the reconstruction, but all but one has resigned. Now, the board is left to decide whether they should spend close to half a million dollars restoring the building or redirect that money to other more viable projects.
     
  • 15 grays creek studentsA group of students from Gray’s Creek High School recently earned statewide recognition from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association for participating in a contest to help raise money to provide food for those in need.
    The NCHSAA in cooperation with United Health Care sponsored the annual Turkey Bowl, which invited NCHSAA member schools to compete in a statewide fundraising effort.

    The contest was held Nov. 4-8, and the participating schools were free to choose how they wanted to take part in collecting food or money for the project.

    They could either raise money to donate to an actual food bank or collect food for an on-campus food pantry.

    LeAndra Barriage is a biology teacher at Gray’s Creek and also serves as the school’s Student Government Association advisor. She learned about the Turkey Bowl from Gray’s Creek athletic director Troy Lindsey.

    The SGA at Gray’s Creek is composed of the class and student body officers at the school. Barriage enlisted the officer corps to take part in the competition.

    Annually, during the month of November, Gray’s Creek has long been involved in something called Bears Giving, where the school collects food to give away to the Gray’s Creek Christian Center.

    For the Turkey Bowl, Barriage said the students decided to raise money to give away to the center by doing something the school calls Minute to Win It.

    The plan was to hold a one-minute period of donations during the daily announcements at Gray’s Creek.

    To promote the event, members of the SGA, as well as some members of the Gray’s Creek faculty and staff, got free T-shirts from the NCHSAA and wore them around school prior to the morning of the fundraiser, as well as on the day of the event.

    They also made announcements to promote the upcoming event and posted signs around the school.

    The morning of the fundraiser, a song was played for one minute over the intercom, and every class in the school contributed money during that time period. The class that raised the most money was treated to a free breakfast.

    When it was over, Gray’s Creek had raised $800, which ultimately earned it second-place in the statewide NCHSAA competition.

    The school later presented a check for that amount to the Gray’s Creek Christian Center.

    Barriage said the school likes to support the Center because it serves anywhere from 75 to 100 families in the Gray’s Creek community on a weekly basis.

    “I think it’s good for the kids to think beyond themselves and realize they are just a part of the community,’’ she said. “It is important to kind of give back to those who might be having a difficult time.

    “At one point or another in our lifetime, we’re all probably going to be in that position where we need a little help. I think it’s truly important to recognize when we have the ability to help we should do those things.’’

    While $800 might not seem like a tremendous amount of money, Barriage said the students were told that every dollar donated in the fund drive represented four meals, which means the money raised by the Gray’s Creek SGA paid for 3,200 meals for those in need.

    “I think that was kind of awe-inspiring,’’ Barriage said. “A little goes a long way.’’

    Carlisle Eley and Mary Ledford, two of the Gray’s Creek students who took part in the fundraiser, agreed participating in the event was meaningful to them and their classmates.

    “The more we donate to them, the more it helps our community,’’ Eley, a junior, said of the Gray’s Creek Christian Center. “I was really surprised by how much money we got.’’

    Ledford, a freshman, thought the donation of money was a good combination with the existing Bears Giving program at the school. “We thought adding the money would be another way to give back,’’ she said. “It directly affects students who go to our school and directly affects everyone who lives in our immediate community.’’

    While Ledford appreciated the statewide recognition from the NCHSAA, she added that wasn’t the most important part of the project. “It went to our community center,’’ she said. “That is the best part.’’

    Pictured from left to right. Back row: Carlisle Eley, Hunter Stewart, Gray's Creek
    Principal Lisa Stewart, Kim Ellington of Gray’s Creek Christian Center, Helen Thomas, Kayla Mady
    Front row: Garrett Harbison, Kylie Aldridge

  • 04 N1807P44009CI have read, and my wife has told me 1,000 times, “Do not read a newspaper or watch a TV newscast shortly before going to bed.” The warning is that doing so will interfere with my sleep.

    I certainly wish that I had followed that sound advice on Dec. 6, 2019. Instead, I made the mistake of reading The Fayetteville Observer online edition for that day. It included an opinion piece by Debra Figgins, who is president of the Fayetteville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. The title was “County schools must address racial disparities in discipline.” I do not doubt that Figgins, and those she represents, firmly believe all that was presented in that opinion piece. What I say here intends no disrespect or lack of appreciation for Figgins or her sorority. However, her presentation disrupted my sleep because it was more of the arguments for actions that I believe fail to appropriately address the matter at hand. Inordinately high rates of serious disciplinary actions toward black students in public schools.

    Beyond not forthrightly determining and addressing the root causes of unacceptable conduct by black students, I see placing full blame and corrective responsibility on educators and other staff as unfair and doomed to failure. My observation is that this is by no means where the bulk of the blame and responsibility for correction should fall. This thinking did not just show up for me as a result of this opinion piece. Reading it was simply like gasoline on a smoldering fire.

    Being black and proud of it makes it very difficult to be silent when I see what feels like excuse-making and passing the buck when it comes to dealing with the unacceptable conditions and actions of some black Americans. My level of sadness and outrage generated by this excuse-making and buck-passing is heightened by various observations and experiences. Among the observations and experiences that send my sadness and outrage meter spiraling are the examples of attention given to charges of “white privilege.” White people today are supposed to feel guilty because of whatever advantage they supposedly have in life because of being white. Further, they are required to somehow compensate black Americans for some immeasurable disadvantage our ancestors suffered.

    The contention is that black Americans are still adversely impacted by slavery and all of the horrendous events that followed. I accept that position. I part ways with those who, under the “white privilege” umbrella, are comfortable seeking to solve problems plaguing black Americans by totally blaming white Americans and calling on them to fix our situation — while we accept no responsibility for causing or fixing our problems. All of this in a climate where, while not perfect, there are substantial opportunities for black Americans to succeed in life.

    For me, thinking such as that put forth by Figgins aligns with the excuse-making, pass-the-buck approach justified by claims of white privilege. As I reflected on the opinion piece and how what is proposed there is happening across the country, my thought was that white privilege is alleged, but black privilege is real. I could not sleep.

    Figgins opens by explaining: “The Social Action Committee of the Fayetteville Alumnae Chapter (FAC) wrote a resolution entitled, ‘Resolution to Eliminate Racial Disparities in School Suspensions and Stop the School to Prison Pipeline’ to address an issue that not only plagues Cumberland County Schools, but the state and nation as well.” She then presents statistics regarding this issue: “Unfortunately, this October Cumberland County Schools and North Carolina Department of Public Instruction reported in 2017-2018, black girls were suspended at 7 times the rate of white girls. Black boys were suspended at 5 times the rate of white boys. Black students were suspended at 5.5 times the rate of white students. Seventy percent of short-term suspensions in Cumberland County Schools were black students.

    “Eighty-two percent of long-term suspensions were black students. It is time to identify more effective strategies to eliminate placing students of color on a path to prison.”

    The resolution closes as follows: “Resolved, that the Fayetteville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, on behalf of its members: 1. urges the Cumberland County Board of Education to develop policies that will significantly reduce racial disparities in suspensions; 2. requests that all Cumberland County School employees and Board of Education members be required to participate in cultural sensitivity to enhance their ability to work with racially and ethnically diverse populations; 3. requests that the leadership of Cumberland County Schools annually evaluate each school’s disciplinary policies using a racially equitable lens to determine if those polices disparately impact students of racial minorities; 4. advocates for greater diversity in the hiring of teachers and administrators within the Cumberland County School District; 5. recognizes that implementing systemic change to affect positive outcomes for students of color requires involvement by community stakeholders; 6. commits fully to bring about this needed change by supporting Cumberland County Schools through engagement with school officials, serving on system-wide committees, acting as mentors to students and supporting teachers, parents and student resource providers; and 7. believes that together we can significantly impact the quality of education for all students in Cumberland County Schools.”

    As I read this opinion piece, my impression was that the school system, especially teachers and school staff, are being called on to do the fixing of this problem. I see nothing that puts the responsibility on anybody else. Maybe this resolution addresses school personnel and there is another one that speaks to students and their responsibilities/conduct. Maybe the same is the case with parents. If an equal level of scrutiny and pressure is being applied to Cumberland County students and parents, please show me.

    If I have accurately assessed what is being called for here, it means special treatment of disruptive black students while disadvantaging educators and nondisruptive students. For educators, that disadvantaging comes by way of adding a multitude of new requirements to a workload that is very likely already overwhelming for most. Further, the additional requirements, without attention to parental and student responsibilities, are doomed to failure. Sadly, students, without regard to race, will be disadvantaged in that teachers will have even less time and energy for helping them in their education process.

    The bottom line is that this is a call for special treatment of black students, while disadvantaging educators and other students, even those black students who want to learn and do not present disciplinary problems. This is “black privilege.”

    What is being proposed by Figgins and her sorority is not new. Not only have the kinds of proposals put forth here been considered elsewhere, many have been implemented. This from a 2014 article by Kimberly Hefling titled, “Government issuing recommendations for classroom discipline.”

    It states, “The Obama administration on Wednesday pressed the nation’s schools to abandon what it described as overly zealous discipline policies that send students to court instead of the principal’s office. Even before the announcement, school districts around the country have been taking action to adjust the policies that disproportionately affect minority students.”

    The following statement from a Dec. 19, 2018, article by Jonathan Butcher titled, “Obama’s School Discipline Guidance Could Be Doomed. Here’s Why That’s Great News” gives a critical clarification the Obama guidance: “And a letter drafted by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty and signed by state-based research institutes questioned the Dear Colleague letter’s use of ‘disparate impact.’ The federal guidance used this legal theory to threaten schools with investigations if schools disciplined students from certain races more often — even if the same students broke rules more frequently than their peers.”

    Key on “… even if the same students broke rules more frequently than their peers.” I contend this piece of information is further support for the label of “black privilege.” This is special treatment of one group while disadvantaging others. Based on the Obama guidance, schools across this nation implemented the kinds of actions called for by Figgins.

    Now comes the test of all that I have argued to this point. An article on Dec. 21, 2018, by Francisco Vara-Orta, titled, “It’s official: DeVos has axed Obama discipline guidelines meant to reduce suspensions of students of color” begins with this opening paragraph: “It’s official: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has rescinded the guidance issued by the Obama administration directing schools to reduce racial disparities in how they discipline students.” Although the guidelines have been rescinded, school systems are given the authority to determine disciplinary policies at the local level.

    Despite the rescinding of the Obama guidelines, I expect that local school systems will still be pressured to take the kinds of actions called for by those guidelines. That is exactly what is happening in the resolution effort underway by Figgins and the Fayetteville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Far more often than not, school systems will yield to these demands. Black privilege is real in America.
     
  • 10 Stock photoLet’s do business! As a small business owner, as well as a member of the Fayetteville City Council, our Council’s strategic goal of having a diverse and viable economy is one that is near and dear to my heart. It is so important that we foster an environment where businesses can thrive and grow.

    Along with proclaiming January as Building Local Business month, I want to encourage all local businesses to attend the fourth annual Building Business Rally on Thursday, Jan. 30, at the Ramada Plaza, from 2-6 p.m., to learn about opportunities to win local government bids and contracts.

    The event features purchasing and procurement representatives for Fayetteville and Cumberland County’s largest buyers, including many from the city of Fayetteville. Each has needs and offers opportunities for local vendors — suppliers, professional service providers and prime and subcontractors of all sizes. The event is an ongoing initiative to educate and engage local businesses on how to do business with our organizations as well as the types of goods and services we need.

    Businesses that attend will have the opportunity to meet and talk with representatives from the city of Fayetteville’s purchasing department, Community Development, the Fayetteville Area System of Transit, and Vector Fleet Maintenance, who manages the city’s fleet.

    The city currently has budgeted millions of dollars for a multitude of projects and initiatives that city leaders would love nothing more than to spend locally. Examples range from the continued work on the Parks and Recreation bond projects — the sports field complex, Jordan Soccer Complex and the Senior Center East — to Fayetteville Regional Airport renovations, sidewalk and streetscape improvements and over $4 million in stormwater projects.

    Closely related to city projects, representatives from Prince Charles Holdings will also be available at the event. Prince Charles Holdings’ private investment in our downtown area is complimenting ongoing city initiatives, and they also have needs for services, materials and contractors.

    Other organizations participating in the Building Business Rally include Cape Fear Valley Hospital System, Cumberland County, Cumberland County Schools, Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville Technical Community College, the town of Hope Mills, the town of Spring Lake and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

    To help businesses take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the event, organizers — the Greater Fayetteville Chamber, Small Business and Technology Development Center, and Cumberland County N.C. Works — have scheduled a series of Building Business Rally Workshops before the Jan. 30 event. Presented by the SBTC, topics of the two remaining workshops, which will be Jan. 9 and Jan. 23, include information that can help businesses get results when attending the Building Business Rally. Workshops will be held at the PWC Administrative Offices at 955 Old Wilmington Rd. at 6 p.m., and the Building Business Rally is scheduled for Jan. 30, from 2-6 p.m., at the Ramada Plaza on Owen Drive.

    All events are free. Additional details about the workshops and Building Business rally, as well as event registration and local contracting opportunities, can be found at www.faybids.com.
     
     
  • 19 01 colin baumgartnerColin Baumgartner

    Jack Britt • Swimming/cross country/track• Junior

    Baumgartner has a weighted grade point average of 4.35. He is one of the captains of the swim team and is on the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Student Athletic Committee for Region IV. He ranks 19th in a class of 495 students.





    19 02 Anna MillerAnna Miller

    Jack Britt• Swimming• Senior

    Miller has a weighted grade point average of 4.34. She is a captain of the Jack Britt swim team and practices year round with the Fayetteville Aquatic Swim Team. She also coaches younger swimmers.

  • 18 01 Vernon Aldridge copyBeginning with the fall semester this year, incoming sixth graders and ninth graders in the Cumberland County Schools will get a clean slate when it comes to allowing them to participate in extracurricular activities at the school they’re attending.

    Cumberland County is one of a number of school systems around the state that holds students to a higher standard when it comes to allowing them to take part in things like athletics, band, chorus and school clubs.

    They must maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or better to be eligible for extracurricular activities.

    At a recent meeting of the Cumberland County Board of Education, board members voted to lower that requirement for incoming sixth graders and ninth graders, giving them a clean slate and allowing them to take part in all extracurricular events during their first semester at their new schools.

    Once the initial nine-week semester is over, if they haven’t managed to maintain a 2.0 average, the rule kicks in and they will be ineligible until their grades improve.

    Vernon Aldridge, student activities director for the county schools, along with board members Greg West and Susan Williams support the change as a way to help the incoming sixth and ninth graders deal with what is traditionally a difficult transition period by allowing them to become as fully involved in activities at their new school as possible.

    Aldridge said he meets with county high school football coaches every February, and they brought up the idea of allowing the sixth and ninth graders to be able to waive the 2.0 requirement.
    18 02 susan williams copy
    “They don’t lose a lot of athletes once they get them into the program and monitor their grades,’’ Aldridge said. “We know when kids belong to something, whether it’s athletics or arts, they do better in school.’’

    Williams, who taught choral music for 32 years, said there is research available that shows social and emotional outcomes of students improve when they are involved with the arts.

    “One of my biggest concerns is if they are not allowed to start those programs in the sixth and ninth grades, they may never get back there,’’ she said. “I’ve had students come back to me through the years and say, ‘Ms. Williams, if it hadn’t been for your class, I would have been struggling everywhere else.’ ’’

    She noted that ninth-grade band students get to spend a summer at camp with fellow band members and begin school in fall with as many as 100 or more new friends.

    “They have already been able to fit into the mold of that new school,’’ she said.

    West agreed with Williams that studies show the more engaged students are in all activities a school offers, the better they perform academically.

    “It’s extremely important to get plugged in when you’re at a new school for the first time,’’ he said. “If they don’t plug in early, they’re far less likely to plug in later.

    18 03 Greg West copy“The bottom line is they need more caring adults in their lives, not less.’’

    West said extracurricular activities give students more access to those kinds of adults. Giving them greater access to those activities is what needs to happen, he said, adding, “First semester sixth grade and first semester ninth grade are probably the two most critical thresholds for these kids to shape their middle and high school careers.’’

    Pictures from top to bottom: Vernon Aldridge, Susan Williams, Greg West

  • 11 Biggers HazelGallery 208 is privileged to start the new year with a selection of original works by the late American artist John Biggers. Best known for his narrative murals, John Biggers dedicated his work to the depiction of the human condition and the interdependence of family — from ancestry to the multigenerational. The exhibition, “John Biggers: The Lasting Legacy,” opens Jan. 14 at Gallery 208 in Fayetteville.

    Born in Gastonia, North Carolina, John Biggers (1924-2001) was the youngest of seven children. Cora Biggers worked as a housekeeper and Paul Biggers was a teacher, principal and minister. Both parents encouraged all their children to pursue an education. In 1941, John Biggers enrolled in Virginia’s Hampton Institute, now known as Hampton University. Biggers’ education at Hampton Institute, growing up in North Carolina, and his later travels to Africa, would become the underpinning for his success as an artist and an educator.

    At Hampton Institute, Biggers studied art under Viktor Lowenfeld and became friends with two fellow students: Charles White and Elizabeth Catlett  — both White and Catlett would become historically important African-American artists. In 1943, while still a student, Biggers’ mural, “Dying Soldier,” was featured in the landmark exhibition “Young Negro Art,” organized by Lowenfeld for New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

    Biggers followed his mentor, Lowenfeld, to Pennsylvania State University to study the art of mural painting. It was at Pennsylvanian State University that Biggers’ academic career unfolded; he earned a master’s in art education in 1948 and a Ph.D. in 1954. While still working on his dissertation, Biggers moved to Houston, Texas, in 1949 to start an art department at Texas Southern University, known as Texas State College for Negroes. Biggers became chairman of the art department and remained at the university until his retirement in 1983.

    Early artistic recognition included the first prize at the annual exhibition of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston for his painting, “The Cradle,” in 1950. A pivotal event occurred in 1957 when Biggers was invited to participate in a six-month fellowship in Africa — the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization tour. Biggers became one of the first African-American artists t to travel to the newly independent Ghana.

    Because of the UNESCO fellowship, Biggers and his wife Hazel were able to visit several countries: Nigeria, Togo, Dahomey — now the Republic of Benin, and Ghana. In Ghana, they met and became friends with scholar Patrick Hulede, who enlightened them about Ghanaian culture and history. Biggers’ experiences in Africa and his friendship with Hulede became  significant influences on Biggers’ view of the world and his personal history and shaped a lifetime of artistic pursuits.

    After receiving a second award, the Danforth Foundation’s E. Harris Harbison Award for Distinguished Teaching, Biggers and his wife were able to travel for an additional six months to other countries in Africa. But it was his first trip to Ghana, Nigeria and other parts of Africa that inspired Biggers to create an award-winning illustrated book titled “Ananse: The Web of Life in Africa.”

    By the 1960s, when Abstract Expressionism and Pop art were the fad styles, Biggers forged his style based on ancestral heritage, African art, Southern black culture, nature and his everyday experiences. In his creative pursuit as an artist, an educator and an activist, Biggers became a major contributor to American art and culture for the next 50 years. In 1995, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and Hampton University Art Museum organized his first comprehensive retrospective exposing the depth of his legacy.

    Best stated by gallery owner Michael Rosenfield, “John Biggers died in 2001, leaving behind a body of work that, as Maya Angelou stated, leads us through his expressions into the discovery of ourselves at our most intimate level.”
    Rosenfield also stated: “Biggers drew inspiration from African art and culture, from the injustices of a segregated United States, from the stoic women of his own family and from the heroism of everyday survival.”
    During his long-celebrated career and achievements as an artist, Biggers agreed to do a retrospective of his work at the Fayetteville Museum of Art in the 1980s. The museum exhibition and his work being exhibited locally during the past 15 years are the direct results of Biggers’ ties to family.

    Biggers’ niece, Andretta Hales, lives in Fayetteville and was instrumental in having her uncle’s exhibit at the Fayetteville Museum of Art. Hales worked with Tom Grubb, president of the Fayetteville Museum of Art, to bring the one-person exhibit of Biggers’ work to the community. Since then, Hales has worked with Calvin Mims of the Ellington White Contemporary Gallery in Fayetteville to exhibit his original works in local exhibitions.

    Past group exhibitions in Fayetteville include the Fayetteville Arts Council, and most recently, Hales worked with Fayetteville State University Professor Dwight Smith for the January 2019 exhibition at Rosenthal Gallery titled “Celebrating Heritage: Selected Works from the John and Hazel Biggers Collection of African and African American Art.”

    Hales, Smith and Mims have all been an integral part of Gallery 208 being able to exhibit Biggers’ work. The exhibit at Gallery 208 is part of a larger collaboration with Ellington White Contemporary Gallery and Rosenthal Gallery at FSU. Ellington White Contemporary Gallery on Gillespie Street is exhibiting National Black American Art Exhibition, Jan.15-March 14. “Works of Paper by Ben Jones” will be on exhibit at Rosenthal Gallery at FSU between Jan. 22 and Feb. 28.
    The public is invited to the reception at Gallery 208 of “John Biggers: The Lasting Legacy” on Jan. 14 between 5:30 and 7 p.m. During the opening, Andretta Hales will be introduced at 6:15 p.m. to briefly address her personal history with Biggers, his life and his work.

    “John Biggers: The Lasting Legacy” will remain at Gallery 208 until March 20 for visitors to be able to see work by a celebrated American artist — an artist from North Carolina whose works evoke the value and strength of family and heritage. Gallery 208, is located at 208 Rowan St. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call Gallery 208 for information about the exhibit at 910-484-6200.

  • 05 N1703P19003CBefore arriving at Fort Bragg two and a half years ago, I heard about the notorious nickname given to the city of Fayetteville. I naively believed that Fayetteville must be as bad as I had heard, and my husband and I chose to live 45 minutes away for the first year we were stationed here.

    However, as I began to make friends who lived in the city, I became curious about why they chose to invest in this particular community. After all, if it has such a bad reputation, why would they? I was starting to notice that the negative things I had been warned about weren’t that accurate. 

    The magnetism of Fayetteville began to draw me in slowly, and I started on an adventure to see if I could fall in love with the city and the community. It didn’t happen overnight or even very quickly. It was almost two years before I stopped saying, “I really want to love this city, but I don’t know what there is to love about it.”

    The thing is, I was looking in all the wrong places. I was trying to make Fayetteville fit into my idea of what makes a city a “good” city. I wasn’t looking at the exceptional qualities that make Fayetteville the city that it is.

    Fayetteville is a city of various cultures fused together in a way that highlights the exceptional qualities of each culture yet merges them into a heart-warming masterpiece. It’s a city of distinct local business owners who provide personal approaches to their customers’ experience because they understand the exceptional individuality of the community. It’s a city of noteworthy history that will always be a part of the very structure this community is built upon. And, it’s a city of spectacular individuals who radiate the spirit of distinction, acceptance, devotion, hope and so much more.

    The city of Fayetteville isn’t just a place of buildings and roads; it’s a community first. It has a story that is unlike any other place and will continue to build on its story. This community makes up the narrative of its choosing with the distinct personalities that not only live here but flow through here. This community, in all its splendor and magnificence, is a place I have finally fallen in love with.

    Thank you, Fayetteville, for being patient with me. I am forever grateful for all you are.

  • 07 police probe murderThere was a day not long ago that Fayetteville had a reputation for being the crime capital of North Carolina. In 2016, the city recorded an all-time high number of local homicides, 31. As of Dec. 12, 2019, the most recent data available from police, 24 murders had occurred this year. Raleigh reported 29 homicides, Durham reported 23 and Charlotte more than 100.

    Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles took the oath of office three weeks ago and immediately turned her attention to reducing violence as news broke of another resident’s murder. The mayor called for closer collaboration among city and county governments, as well as the police department and the district attorney’s office, to develop new strategies to combat the soaring homicide rate.

    As the swearing-in ceremony took place, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reported the city’s 103rd homicide of the year. There were 58 murders in Charlotte in 2018.

    “We must change the path we have taken this year,” Lyles said of the homicides.

    The latest crime report for Fayetteville is a variety of ups and downs. Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins gave her third-quarter report on crime statistics to Fayetteville City Council Dec. 9. Through September of this year, there were 66 rapes reported compared to 81 in 2018, a 19% decrease. But through the first nine months of this year, there were more aggravated assaults and robberies than last year.

    There were 292 felonious aggravated assaults through the end of September compared to 269 during the corresponding period of 2018. Shootings and other serious injury crimes are included in that category. “Ultimately, we are a safe community,” Hawkins told City Council. Preventing crime is not just law enforcement’s job; it is everybody’s job, Chief Hawkins believes.

    There are a variety of ways citizens can take action to reduce crime, like mentoring at-risk youth, reporting incidents and encouraging lawmakers to pass bills designed to reduce crime. Crime prevention starts with community involvement. If your neighborhood has a neighborhood watch program, join it. If it does not, start one.

    There’s more to preventing crime than stopping would-be criminals in the act. You can help keep people from becoming those would-be criminals by volunteering your time and donating money to social programs that help at-risk youth, like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

    In 2018, the Fayetteville Police Department investigated seven domestic-related homicides. A domestic violence unit was formed to prevent or address domestic violence cases. The concept involved comforting and interviewing family members and neighbors. This year’s third-quarter crime report indicated none of the 24 murders was related to domestic violence.

    However, the connection between drugs and violence continues to be a problem. The correlation between substance abuse and violent behavior is well documented. The Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment noted that more than 75% of people who began treatment for drug addiction report having performed various acts of violence, including mugging, physical assault and using a weapon to attack others.

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