Once every 10 years, America comes together to count every resident in the United States. The decennial census was first taken in 1790, as mandated by the Constitution. It counts our population and households, providing the basis for reapportioning congressional seats, redistricting and distributing more than $675 billion in federal funds annually to support states, counties and community programs — impacting housing, education, transportation, employment, health care and public policy.

The 2020 count will be the 24th United States census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, will be April 1, 2020. This is the first U.S. census to offer options to respond online or by phone, in addition to the option to respond on a paper form as with previous censuses. Counting an increasingly diverse and growing population is a massive undertaking. It requires years of planning and the support of thousands of people.

Ultimately, the success of the census depends on everyone’s participation. The census bureau notes that there are a variety of reasons some people don’t take part in the decennial census. The government says most common barriers to participation include not believing the census has any impact on an individual, not trusting the government with personal information and not having the time to fill out the questionnaire. Individual responses are confidential.

The results of the 2020 census will determine the number of seats for each state in the U.S. House of Representatives, which mirrors the number of delegates for each state in the electoral college, for elections between 2022 and 2030. State and local officials use census counts to redraw boundaries for congressional districts, state legislative districts and school districts. Census data as the basis for the distribution of federal funds. More than $675 billion in federal funding is allocated to states and communities each year for roads, schools, hospitals, health clinics, emergency services and more.

 The 2020 census will ask the number of people living or staying at your home on April 1, 2020; whether the home is owned or rented; the sex of each person in the household; the age of each person in the household; the race of each person in the household; and the relationship of each occupant. There is no citizenship question asked. The census in 2020 will require counting an increasingly diverse and growing population of around 330 million people in more than 140 million housing units.

To get an accurate count, the census bureau must build an accurate address list of every housing unit, maximize self-response to the census and efficiently follow up with those who do not respond. The 2020 census is the first decennial census of the U.S. with a full internet option and the first to extensively use technology — instead of paper — to manage and conduct fieldwork.

“To ensure we protect the data, we continually research and upgrade methods and technology to safeguard data and protect the confidentiality of responses through secured systems,” the census bureau said.
  

Sweet Tea Shakespeare is adding a new flavor to its productions this year. It’s bringing “Macbeth” to the Cumberland County community. While Director K.P. Powell has never directed “Macbeth,” he has performed in “Macbeth” four times and in over 150 shows. He’s also directed “Two Aside” at Saint Louis University, some music videos at the American Shakespeare Center and some short films. The show opens Jan. 2 and runs through Jan. 26.

Powell feels his prior experience gives him intimate knowledge of this particular play. He will be working with a small cast, including students from around the region during the student matinees, and is looking forward to working closely with the audience to create a profound personal experience.

“The story of Macbeth creates an opportunity for the audience to follow closely with the two hugely recognizable characters,” said Powell. “They can enjoy watching the other actors switch between characters constantly and not be confused. I really hope to advocate for the audience. I’m trying to direct it as though I have no idea what happens, that way the story shines rather than my particular tastes or ideas.”

The main characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, are played by Wade Newhouse and Chelsea Sugar. The audience can expect to be pulled into the spirit of the show. There will be people sitting on stage with the actors, where the actors talk to them — not at them. Plus, there is live music. “Shakespeare feels like a conversation, not a literary lesson,” Powell said.

If you’re on the fence about whether or not Macbeth is something you’d enjoy, Powell wants you to know that no matter what you’ve been told, Shakespeare really is for everyone. In his words, “If you can understand Yoda when he’s speaks, you can understand Shakespeare. If you can understand the “Big Bang Theory” when you know nothing about particle physics, you can understand Shakespeare.”

Opening date is Jan. 2, 2020. The production runs through the Jan. 26 at Vizcaya Villa. There are some select performances at William Peace University in Raleigh and Methodist University as well. The cost is $25 dollars at the door, but advance tickets are $10 for students, $15 for senior/military and $17.50 for adults and can be purchased here: www.sweetteashakespeare.com/tickets.

Property owners around Hope Mills Lake need to prepare for the chance to do any needed work on their docks and piers as town staff will be lowering the level of the lake starting Jan. 6.
Last year’s lowering of the lake had to be delayed to coincide with planned work on the bulkhead on the public side of the lake.

Don Sisko, head of the Hope Mills public works department, said the decision to wait was made to avoid having to lower lake levels twice.

Reducing the level of the lake makes it easier for the property owners to get to their docks and piers during the two weeks the town plans to leave the water at a reduced level.
But the water level isn’t just being decreased for the benefit of the property owners.

Sisko said the town’s Lake Advisory Committee suggested dropping the lake levels in January to help stunt the growth of algae on rocks and other locations near the shoreline.

“When we lower it in January, it exposes the marine algae that grows on the rocks near the edge,’’ Sisko said. “It gives it the opportunity to dry up, and the cold weather will kill it as well.’’
Timing the process for January also has another benefit as it’s done when the lake sees limited recreational use.

Sisko estimates that if there is no rain, once the process of lowering the lake levels begins on Monday, Jan. 6, it will take about two or three days to get the water down to the desired level.
The goal is to drop the level about two or three feet, Sisko said. “My goal is not to lower it anymore than a foot a day,’’ he said.

The process has to be regularly-monitored, Sisko said, because lowering the lake level is not an exact science.

To be as accurate as possible, Sisko has developed charts dealing with amounts of precipitation, past lake levels and other factors.

There’s one factor that Sisko said can’t be accurately measured. “It’s just like any other maritime project,’’ he said. “We all have to be mindful of the weather. That is one thing we can’t control.’’
While the property owners can work on their piers and docks, Sisko said town staff will take advantage of the lowered lake levels to do some routine checks on the status of the dam.

He said the town does regular maintenance on the dam and spillway structure year-round.

But the lowered lake level makes it easier to check out special drains called tide flex drains.

“They drain around the structure so we don’t have ponding water anywhere around the spillway or subterranean water around the spillway,’’ Sisko said.

The lowered lake level lets town staff access the drains easier so they can be cleaned to maintain maximum operating efficiency.

While he’s not concerned there are any specific issues being hidden by the normal lake level, Sisko said town staff will use the opportunity to make a routine check around the lake to see if anything is out or order and requires attention.
“I don’t anticipate any problems,’’ Sisko said. “It’s just going to be an opportunity to see more of the dam structure.’’

Sisko and his staff don’t use a boat to check things out. They walk downstream in the creek and along the dam surfaces as well.

As far as the issues the lakefront owners have with their property in the water, Sisko said it is their responsibility to handle all those repairs as they see fit. He said property owners are welcome to reach out to the town manager if they see something they feel needs the attention of town staff.

“We’ll take care of what we need to take care of,’’ Sisko said.

If everything goes according to plan and there are no major disruptions from the weather, Sisko estimates the lake level will begin to be returned to normal around Monday, Jan. 20.
If any property owners have questions about the lowering of the lake, they can contact Sisko’s office at 910-429-3384 during normal business hours Monday through Friday.

I thought it would be easy to write a review for 2019, and then I realized that we are at the end of another decade. So, this is a review of last year and the previous decade. It was a decade of great achievement and dizzying ups and downs.

At the end of 2009, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 10,428. The unemployment rate was 9.9%. In the United States, the average family median income was $50,599. The five most famous letters in the alphabet were the vowels a, e, i, o and u. The No. 1 cause of death was the heart attack. The number of murders in the U.S. from guns was 11,493, or 36%. The number of suicides from guns was 18,735, or 59.8%. In 2009, there were 784,507 abortions reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. President Obama’s net worth was estimated between $1 million and $5 million. Businessman Donald Trump’s net worth was $1.6 billion.

In 2010, Obama was the president. Apple rolled out the first iPad. During this decade, American troops killed Osama bin Laden. “Curiosity Rover” landed on Mars. Once the lion of the auto industry, Detroit ultimately filed for bankruptcy. Obama shut down the full federal government with budget sequestration. The Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare, went into effect. Same-sex marriages became legal across the country. Trump was elected the 45th president. Since day 10 of his presidency, Trump and his campaign have faced one investigation after another and impeachment.

Over the decade, microphones, cameras and opinion polls often trumped science, facts, evidence and common sense. Political drama seemed to rule the decade. It split the country, families and friends. The internet, television, radio and print used our information and devices to target us for ideological and political gain. Media messiahs played on our fears, and we turned to “news” commentators to decipher, dilute and help digest talking points and fuel the 24-hour news cycle.

Technologically, we boomed. For the first time, we saw self-driving cars, 4G, tablets, augmented reality, multi-use space rockets, solar-panel roofs, human-like robots, genetic engineering, the hoverboard, Instagram, smartwatches, drones, biomechanics, biomedicine, the bionic eye, fake news, the cloud, and a book salesman disrupted just about everything with a little business called Amazon.

As of October 2019, Fayetteville is the fourth largest city in North Carolina with an estimated population of 209,468. Fort Bragg drove Fayetteville’s economy to the tune of about $4.5 billion and is the area’s largest employer. Other producers of jobs in the area included the education and health care systems, Walmart and Goodyear Tire. Fort Bragg is also home to America’s bravest men and women that the world has ever met.

Fayetteville continued to showcase spectacular art, music and culture. The Cape Fear Regional Theatre, Gilbert Theater and the Arts Council entertained us with talent from all ages. The Dogwood Festival, The Zombie Walk and A Dickens Holiday brought tens of thousands downtown for fantastic and fun family entertainment. The Crown Coliseum hosted great events from WWE to great concerts like America, Chicago and Mannheim Steamroller to great conventions like ComicCon. 

Fayetteville is the machine of evolution. In April, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers moved into the new $37.8 million ballpark, but for some reason, the city leaders could not figure out how or where to park cars. More bars and restaurants opened and closed and proved it is easier to drink a cold beer than it is to change the fact that people along the Cape Fear River cannot drink their well water due to GenX. More of I-295 opened, connecting I-95 to Cliffdale Road. Fort Bragg families declared a housing crisis that prompted visits by the Sectary of the Army and first lady Melania Trump.

At the end of this writing in 2019, for the most part, we as a nation and community are better off than we were in 2009. The Dow Jones average is approaching 30,000. (Editor's Note: At the close of 2019, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 28,538.44.) The average U.S. family median income is $66,465. The unemployment rate at the end of 2019 is 3.6%. The five most famous letters in the alphabet are the nouns l, g, b, t and q. Heart attacks are still the No. 1 cause of death.

In 2017, when the last full report is available, the number of gun-related homicides was 12,830, or  35%. There were 22,274 gun-related suicides, or  61%. The reported number of abortions was 427,111. Abortion has declined to the lowest since the year after Row versus Wade in 1973. Pregnancies have decreased. Maybe it was not because of demonstrations, prochoice, prolife, stricter laws, tough talk, lectures or marching in the streets. The drop may be because women have more accessibility to various forms of contraception since the Affordable Care Act required most private health insurance plans to cover the contraceptive cost. 

In 2019, Obama’s net worth is $70 million, and Donald Trump’s net worth is $3.1 billion.

According to Representative Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., “the world is going to end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change”. If true, you may want to consider asking your accountant about filing extensions on your taxes for the next 11 years.
Seriously, although the No. 1 cause of death is the heart attack, that may change as the internet of things continues to mesh with our digital world. As electronic devices continue to get cheaper, smaller and more prevalent, all of the devices are collecting our information. Artificial intelligence is tracking and processing our actions and reactions without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. Sadly, many of us are the last generation to know what privacy really means as we all travel through the roaring 20s and into the new digital revolution.

If movies are a metaphor for our society, then we should try to be a little more like Mr. Rogers and less like the Joker to make our life, home, town and country the best it has ever been. We should live every day like it is the last while planning on living forever.

May grace, love and blessings be with you for decades to come.

With practice opportunities improving and the number of swimmers continuing to increase, Cumberland County Schools are looking for a banner year this swimming season.
Here’s a brief look at some of the better teams and swimmers expected to compete this year.

 With only two swimmers graduated on the girls' side and a big class of freshman arriving for the boys, coach Amey Shook feels the outlook for her Cape Fear squad is bright.
“We have a tone of optimism at the abilities they are going to be bringing to the table,’’ she said.

Among the biggest reasons for Shook’s optimism is the return of her daughter, Amelia, to the roster.

Coach Shook describes Amelia as a jack of all trades who can swim almost any event.

For the last two seasons Amelia competed in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke at the conference and regional levels.

As a team, Cape Fear qualified for state in the 400 relay. Amelia just missed making the state meet in the 200 and 100.

“I think the best is yet to come,’’ Coach Shook said. “Amelia has been putting in her work, working on speed and conditioning.’’

She’s also been rehabbing from yet another knee injury, this one suffered in soccer, that sidelined her following her surgery in June.
She was able to resume swimming in September but doesn’t feel that’s going to hold her back during the season.

She thinks her best events this year will be the 100 backstroke and the 100 fly. She’s aiming for a finish of eighth or better in both at the regional so she can make the state meet.
“I’ve gone to states two years in a row on a relay team,’’ she said. “I want to make it individually.’’

Pine Forest

More than two-thirds of coach Trent Turisch’s teams are freshmen and sophomores who have never swum before. “My biggest goal is to get something out of their season,’’ he said, “whether it’s to learn a new stroke or making sure they are able to better themselves.’’

The Trojans have benefited from the addition of dome-covered outdoor recreation pools, especially the one at College Lakes Recreation Center near Pine Forest.

Turisch only needs a few minutes to load up an activity bus and take his team over there after school to practice.

The bright spot for Turisch’s team this year is the return of possibly the best male swimmer in the county, Brandon Chhoeung. Turisch said Chhoeung is fully committed to swimming. He leaves practice with the Pine Forest team to go and practice with his club swimming team.

Chhoeung credits the coaches he’s worked with who’ve helped him develop the work ethic that drives him.

He prefers the distance events because they show how much grit a competitor has. He said the 200 and 500 freestyle races are among his favorites.

“This year, I’ve been working mostly on my flip turns and my kicking,’’ he said. “I just want to get some fast times and see our team win the conference.’’

Terry Sanford

Bulldog coach Jared Kaiser only lost a handful of swimmers to graduation last year.

His biggest concern coming into the season is that efforts to get a public indoor swimming facility in Fayetteville appear to be stalled.

“There’s not really any place our kids can go to do year-round swimming,’’ he said. He said the domed outdoor pools are a welcome addition but are not much more than a Band-Aid for the problem. “It’s at least provided a little flexibility where teams can have more people at practice because there are more lanes,’’ he said.

Kaiser’s top returning swimmer is Allison Curl, who specializes in the 500 freestyle along with the 100 and 200. “She can keep going and going,’’ he said of her endurance.
Curl swims for a club team so she’s in the water as much as five and six days per week.

She likes the distance events because at only 5-foot-3, the sprint races are more difficult for her.

“In a longer race it doesn’t matter because there is so much distance I can make up,’’ she said.

She relies on technique and endurance to carry her to wins. She thinks the 500 freestyle is her best shot to go to state because of her endurance and the fact fewer swimmers like to try it.
She’s confident about the team’s chances as well.

“The boys’ team is very strong and the girls are exceptionally strong,’’ she said.

Despite being 100 years old today, 1920 doesn’t look a day over 85. Kirk Douglas is three years older than 1920, and yet 1920 looks more sprightly than Kirk. How has 1920 preserved its youthful glow? Let’s find out. It’s January, which is time for the annual 100-year review. Today, we are going to take a ride in Mr. Peabody’s Way Back Machine to visit 1920 to see what was doing. At the beginning of the year, Woodrow Wilson was president of the United States. In November, Warren G. Harding was elected president but died in office in 1923 due to a heart attack. Warren is best remembered for the Teapot Dome Scandal, which may have had something to do with cookware and bribery.

Prohibition came into effect in January, much to the delight of temperance leader Carrie A. Nation and alcohol entrepreneur Al Capone. Once Prohibition came into effect, everyone stopped drinking alcohol because it was against the law. World War I officially came to an end with the effective date of the Treaty of Versailles. For a war that was to end all wars, World War I didn’t live up to expectations. But as Tony Soprano would say, “Whatta ya gonna do?” Maybe we’ll get it right next time. World War III will end all wars because there will be nobody left to fight.

The Royal Canadian Mounties began policing in January 1920. The Mounties ultimately gave rise to our cartoon friends Dudley Do-Right, the evil Snidely Whiplash, and damsel in distress Nell Fenwick. The first baseball game of the Negro National League was played in Indianapolis. The league produced the greatest baseball philosopher in the history of the sport, Satchel Paige. Paige was the first player who had played in the Negro Leagues to pitch in the World Series. Satchel left us with such Zen quotes as “Don’t look back, something might be gaining on you.... How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?... Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.... Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits.” If the wizards in Washington, D.C., would sit and think instead of just sitting and spewing, life might be a bit smoother. But I digress.

In August 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution came into effect, giving women the right to vote. The Suffragettes faced a long and hard fight for the right vote. But to quote the saintly turtle-faced Senator Mitch McConnell, “Nevertheless, she persisted.” There may be a moral in that story somewhere. Like Jim Valvano once said, “Never, ever, give up.”

The U.S. Postal Service issued a ruling June 13, 1920, that children could not be sent by parcel post. It is lost in the mists of time why the post office found it necessary to issue such a ruling. One must suspect that at some point someone was, in fact, mailing children by parcel post. That was cruel and unusual as everyone knows that children should be mailed by UPS or FedEx as delivery is quicker and more consistent.

Speaking of children, several famous people were born in 1920. The world’s greatest TV detective, Jack Webb of “Dragnet” graced the earth in April 1920. As Sgt. Joe Friday, he is best remembered for busting Blue Boy, who was high on LSD while chewing bark off a tree in a Los Angeles, California, park. It was Tuesday, March 15, 1966, when Joe and Gannon were working the day watch out of Juvenile Narcotics. They pulled Blue Boy out of a hole in the ground where he had stuck his head while tripping on LSD. Blue Boy wanted to “get further out” but came to a sad end, as he overdosed on drugs by the end of the episode. Friday closed the show by stating, “Well, he made it. He’s dead.”

Yul Brynner showed up in July. Yul went on to become the King of Siam. He made an anti-smoking commercial shown after his death warning that smoking had not worked out too well for him. Well done, Yul. Mario Puzo, the author of the “Godfather,” was born in October. Mario made us an offer we could not refuse. As Luca Brasi said: “I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your home on the wedding day of your daughter. And may their first child be a masculine child.”

To round out the year of 1920s births, let us not forget the singer Little Jimmy Dickens, who was born in December. Little Jimmy wrote the immortal song “May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose,” which includes the immortal lyrics: “May the bird of paradise fly up your nose/ May an elephant caress you with his toes/ May your wife be plagued with runners in her hose/ May the bird of paradise fly up your nose.”
Gentle Reader, your assignment for 2020 is to try to get Little Jimmy’s earworm lyrics out of your head before you break your first New Year’s resolution.

2020 is going to be a slow news year, punctuated only by the occasional political ad by cranky office seekers who will accuse their opponent of being the anti-Christ. Sit back and enjoy the show. Happy New Year to you and yours.

They say timing is everything. When you are thinking about a new car, timing can save you thousands if you pick the right time of year — or cost you thousands if you don’t get the timing right. As the seasons pass, transaction prices can fluctuate with supply and demand. Automotive financing, cashback and leasing incentives change month to month, based on the time of the year. The inventory of new vehicles varies as model years change, and new cars, trucks, SUVs and minivans arrive in the market.

The absolute best month to buy is December, dealers say. To understand why December is the best time to buy a car, you need first to understand the process and the whys and wherefores. Car dealers and salespeople have quotas, lots of quotas. There are daily quotas, 10-day quotas and monthly quotas for the number of vehicles they have to sell. And there is a big goal — the annual quota. The end of the year is a busy time at dealerships because the very best deals of the year are offered on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The periods that manufacturers use to determine sales do not always coincide with calendar months.

The industry’s calendar for 2017, for example, had the sales month of December end Jan. 2, 2018. Your car purchase, this week, could determine the difference between the dealership hitting its annual sales goal and the salespeople receiving nice annual bonuses — or not. That’s why December, more specifically, the last week of the month, is the best time of year to buy a car. According to TrueCar, you can save an additional 8.3% off the price of a new car if you visit the dealership on New Year’s Eve.

Let’s say you were considering a used car going for $20,000. If you go in on New Year’s Eve, which is Tuesday, you stand to slash $1,660 just because you went in on the last day — and that’s in addition to other discounts offered. According to Mike Rabkin, owner and founder of From Car to Finish, the end of the month is great “because sales managers at dealerships have monthly quotas to hit and get compensated on whether they hit them or not.”

U.S. News and World Report notes that well-informed consumers are most likely to score great deals on new cars. The magazine provides buyers with all of the information they need, from learning about the buying process to choosing a new versus almost-new car and understanding financing options. Car loans are based on individual credit ratings. The higher one’s credit score, the lower the interest rate. The better the rate, the lower the monthly car payment. Buyers with established banking relationships can usually get better financing at their banks. Financing at a dealer’s business office means a point or two more on the interest rate regardless of a buyer’s creditworthiness.

Faculty, staff and students at Fayetteville Technical Community College celebrated the opening of a large, state-of-the-art greenhouse on Dec. 5.

The new greenhouse at FTCC’s Wesley A. Meredith Horticulture Educational Center, adjacent to the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, replaces one that was destroyed last year by floodwaters from Hurricane Florence.

Local and state officials, community members, and representatives from two congressional offices joined the FTCC community for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new greenhouse is bigger and better than its predecessor, with numerous unique characteristics. Its features include a double-door entrance, an evaporative cooling system and a sidewall roll-up with motorized curtains. It is also built to the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act — a first — and its site has been raised nearly 10 feet. It is now level with the neighboring Horticulture Educational Center, which was not flooded during Hurricane Florence.

The project was funded by the Hurricane Florence Disaster Recovery Fund, which was established by the North Carolina General Assembly.

During an address before the ribbon-cutting, FTCC President Dr. Larry Keen asked students from the Horticulture Technology program to join him near the podium.

“Why we do the work we do is represented up here,” Keen said of the students. “They are the ones who not only hold tomorrow in their hands but today in their hands as well. These are our students. These are the ones we work for every single day.”

The ceremony’s guest speaker, North Carolina Rep. John Szoka, reminded the audience of the damage caused by Hurricanes Matthew and Florence in 2016 and 2018. Szoka said efforts by the legislature — including Rep. Elmer Floyd who was in attendance — helped create a reserve fund to aid in rebuilding.

“What we do in Raleigh is important,” Szoka said. “We do it because we love our community.”

Construction on the new greenhouse began in August. Pamela Gibson, FTCC’s dean of engineering and applied technology, expressed excitement about the greenhouse; the horticulture program falls under her department.

“It has been a long road since we lost the last one,” Gibson said. “The hurricanes were devastating, but the silver lining is because of the hurricane recovery funding, we have a state-of-the-art greenhouse.”

The previous greenhouse, built in 2008, was the location of “Greenhouse Operations,” a course required for an associate degree in horticulture technology. Students learned about growing plants, temperature control, irrigation and more. After the original greenhouse was destroyed, the course moved to a smaller conservatory and plants were watered by hand, said Dr. Robin Pusztay, department chair for Horticulture Technology. The program went without a greenhouse for a year — until now.

After the ribbon-cutting, people toured the greenhouse and spoke with students about the building and the plants inside — annual flowers, peppers, herbs and even pogonias, a type of orchid. A handful of guests left with more than they had arrived with —   a plant grown by a horticulture student.

The annual Black-eyed Pea Dinner is a decades-old Fayetteville tradition, drawing hundreds of attendees each year. For many, it would not feel like the start of the new year without this event. Register of Deeds Lee Warren hosts it. It is on New Year’s Day from 11 a.m.-2 p.m at the Charlie Rose Agri-Expo Center in the auditorium.

This event started in the 70s. It was led by Sheriff Otis Jones and local attorney Willis Brown. After Jones died in the late 80s, the event stopped happening. Then when Warren was elected to be the County Commissioner in 1992, he and his friend Owen Spears, who was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives, worked hard to make sure the New Year’s Dinner took place again.

Then the district attorney, Grannis partnered with Warren to host the event. Grannis died, but the Grannis family continue to work with Warren on the dinner. Billy West, who is now the district attorney, also helps with the event. West has been working with the event for around 20 years.

“Years ago, there used to be events like this from time to time,” said Warren. “There aren’t many events like this that are open to the public. I’m not sure if there are many events left like this anymore.” 
The menu consists of black-eyed peas, collard greens, barbecue, candied yams, dinner rolls, tea and coffee.

“When you are preparing an event that you don’t send invitations to, you run an ad in the newspaper, and you invite in essence anybody who reads the paper with this,” said Warren. “Everybody is invited. So, we never know exactly how many people are coming. There could be several thousand people coming. We start several months ahead in preparing for the dinner, ordering food and  lining up all the help, everything it takes to put on an event like that.”

Warren continued, “We prepare so that we don’t run out of food. We prepare a little extra because every year, whatever we have leftover, we donate to the My Rover Reis Home to help the people that they house there.”

For entertainment, Larry Chasten, a gospel singer, performs. When asked about his favorite part of the event, Lee Warren said it is “seeing people that come every year, renewing old friendships and making new ones. That is the best part about it. It is  just a good time to renew old friendships and to say hello.”

Another priority for the day of the dinner is making sure everybody has a good time and gets fed. “I don’t think we have ever completely run out of food any year that we have done it, so our goal is to not do that,” Warren said.

Here are the top ten Hope Mills stories of the year as chosen by a panel of voters:

1. Historic election

In a historic night for the town of Hope Mills, the town turned its elected leadership to not one but two women.

Mayor Jackie Warner, after a bitter campaign fight with sitting Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell, was returned to office for a fifth term, winning easily with 55.5%  of the vote.

The history was made by Dr. Kenjuana McCray, an instructor at Fayetteville Technical Community College. McCray, as far as anyone can remember, became the first African-American female elected to the board, leading all candidates for town office this year with 792 votes.

As a result of leading the ticket, she was installed as the town’s Mayor Pro Tem.

2. Youth sports teams enjoy strong seasons

It was a banner year for spring sports teams from Hope Mills. In a town that already has a rich youth sports tradition, the summer of 2019 made it even richer.

Four teams from the town won state titles and advanced to World Series competition in different divisions of the Dixie Youth program.

Taking state honors were the Dixie 14U boys of Richard Martinez, the 10U Dixie Softball girls of Doren Kolasa, the 8U Dixie Boys of Jesse Cox and the 12U Dixie Ponytails softball of Steve Welsh.

The Cumberland Post 32 Bombers of Stan Bagley won the Lady Legion state softball title.

3. Hope Mills Fire Department Honored

The Hope Mills Fire Department won an award that went far beyond a plaque to put in a trophy case.

The North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshall awarded the fire department a No. 2 rating.

The rating, which took effect in August, is a plus for the town’s citizens and businesses as it means insurance premiums charged to them should be less because of the town’s high level of protection from fire.

4. Mayor Warner, son Teddy exonerated

The town’s Board of Commissioners lodged a charge of collusion against Mayor Jackie Warner and her son, Teddy Warner, when the latter made a presentation to the board in his role working for the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Commission.

A board-authorized investigation, which wound up costing the town $26,000, was conducted by attorney James P. Cauley, an acknowledged expert in municipal law.

Exonerating both the five-term mayor and her son, Cauley boiled the divide between the mayor and commissioners down to two factors. “It is attributable to a combination of rookie mistakes and changing governance policies,’’ he said.

5. Hope Mills Dam wins more honors.

The restored Hope Mills dam won its second major award this past July.

The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure presented the town with the Envision Bronze Award.

The award is presented to projects like the dam on the basis of their resilience and sustainability.

Since the dam has been restored it has been through two hurricanes, and the only significant damage sustained was to an eel ladder that allows  the animals to migrate around the dam structure.
The dam’s first national award was in 2018.

6. Arts Council created

The new Hope Mills Creative Arts Council was established. One of its first acts was to partner with the Sweet Tea Shakespeare company and bring a live production of "Timon of Athens" to Carleen’s of Hope Mills.
The production resulted in record ticket sales for a Sweet Tea production.

7. Hope Mills leads in military recruitment

According to Defense Department rankings for 2018, Hope Mills leads the nation in military recruitment.

From a population of 2,322 candidates age 17-24, Hope Mills had 374 who enlisted last year.

8. ALMS HOUSE has successful summer program

The ALMS HOUSE of Hope Mills continued its string of successful outreaches to the community, mounting an important summer bag lunch program that provided an average of 20 bag lunches per week to children and some adults in need. Support through food and money donations from the community were essential.

9. Heritage Park plan still on hold

Work on the proposed Heritage Park development remains on hold. The land remains undeveloped as the Board of Commissioners focused more attention on the home of coyotes, Golfview Greenway, while both Heritage Park and the former Episcopal Church and its severely distressed parish hall remain untouched.

10. Golden Knights come to Hope Mills

The United States Army’s famed Golden Knights precision parachute jumping team made an appearance in Hope Mills, jumping in to help with the town’s observance of Heroes Homecoming.

Picture 1: Mayor Jackie Warner

Picture 2: Kenjuana McCray

Picture 3: The Hope Mills dam won a second award in July. 

Christmas Day and New Year’s Day allow people to enjoy a complete week of holiday festivities. People decorate their homes and shops and purchase gifts for each other. We wish each other a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Common traditions include attending parties, eating special foods, watching fireworks displays and making resolutions for the new year.

The earliest recorded festivities in honor of a new year’s arrival date back 4,000 years to ancient Babylon. For the Babylonians, the first new moon following the vernal equinox — the day in late March with an equal amount of sunlight and darkness — heralded the start of a new year. Festivities have varied over time. Early celebrations were more paganistic, celebrating Earth’s cycles. It wasn’t until Julius Caesar implemented the Julian calendar that Jan. 1 became the common day for the celebration.

In many countries, modern New Year’s celebrations begin on the evening of Dec. 31 and continue into the early hours of Jan. 1. Americans often celebrate with parties featuring toasting, drinking and fireworks late into the night on New Year’s Eve. Some might even get a kiss at midnight. Customs that are common worldwide include watching fireworks and singing songs to welcome the new year, including the ever-popular “Auld Lang Syne” in many English-speaking countries.

New Year’s Eve has always been a time to reflect on the past, but more importantly, to plan for the future. Resolutions can be anything from meal prepping to volunteering. In many parts of the world, traditional new year’s dishes feature legumes, which are thought to resemble coins and herald future financial success. One example includes black-eyed peas in the southern United States. New Year’s resolutions are traditions. Some are more popular than others.

According to an Inc. study of 2,000 people, the most common resolutions that were made in 2019 include No. 1 eating healthier. More than two-thirds of American adults are considered to be overweight or obese. It should come as no surprise that diet is the first thing people want to tackle in the new year. Exercising more comes under the same umbrella as eating healthier. Working out more is the second most common new year’s resolution.

Many Americans are eager to get on top of their finances in the new year. Some want to get out of debt while others are more focused on bulking up their savings accounts. About a third of Americans make this their top goal. Debt.com says to be specific, set a budget, let go of unhealthy spending habits, track your spending, and use cash whenever you can.

Sometimes new year’s resolutions are about losing things: extra weight, debt or emotional baggage like letting go of nasty habits, such as eating junk food and smoking. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said, “it’s never too early to quit.” There are plenty of tools to help you through it. Over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy products make it easier to kick nicotine without spending a fortune or even stepping a foot in the doctor’s office. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good, so don’t let a failed attempt discourage you. Happy New Year!

Here are the top ten Fayetteville and Cumberland County high school stories as selected by a panel of voters:

1. Tyler Bazzle scores for South View.

Tyler Bazzle, a student at South View High School, suffers from a form of cerebral palsy that causes him to be nonverbal and require a walker to get around.

He’s beloved by both students and faculty, and he is a fan of the South View football team and its star player, Matthew Pemberton.

South View athletic director Chad Barbour went to head coach Rodney Brewington with the idea of letting Bazzle suit up for a game, then running a play, giving Bazzle the ball and letting him score a touchdown.
The event was held at South View’s homecoming game with E.E. Smith, with the full support of the folks from Smith and the officiating crew.

Just prior to the kickoff, the ball was given to Bazzle, and best friends Kevin Brewington and Pemberton helped him into the endzone.

After the game, Pemberton gave Bazzle his game cleats.

“It’s an experience I’ll never forget,’’ Barbour said.

2. Wilson excels at wrestling

Dallas Wilson is following in the footsteps of his dad, Cape Fear High School wrestling coach Heath Wilson. His dad is a former state champ and Dallas has already surpassed his efforts.
Dallas won his second consecutive state 3-A wrestling title last year. Also winning from Cape Fear was Jared Barbour.

This year, Dallas is seeking to become only the second wrestler in Cumberland County history with three state titles.

The other is Richard “Pnut” Tolston of Jack Britt High School, who won three straight for Jack Britt High School from 2013-15.

3. Cumberland County athletic signings

Cumberland County Schools had a banner year for its athletes signing letters binding them to compete in athletes for colleges.

According to Cumberland County Student Activities Director Vernon Aldridge, 126 county athletes committed to play for a variety of colleges.

4. Special Olympics honors Gray’s Creek High School

Gray’s Creek High School was one of only two high schools in the state recognized by Special Olympics North Carolina for helping to provide inclusive sports and activities for students with and without disabilities.
Gray’s Creek became an early leader in the Unified Sports program, which partners able-bodied athletes with special needs athletes so the latter can compete in sports including wrestling, track and bowling.

5. Terry Sanford’s Herz drafted by Chicago Cubs

After a brilliant high school career, Terry Sanford pitcher D.J. Herz was chosen by the Chicago Cubs in the 2019 Major League Draft.

Herz was selected in the eighth round by the Cubs. In his final season at Terry Sanford he was 8-1 with a Cumberland County Schools best 0.50 earned run average. He pitched 56.1 innings and led the county with 106 strikeouts.
Herz played for one of the Cubs’ two Arizona rookie league teams last year.

The lefthander appeared in six games, finishing with an 0-1 record and no saves in 10.1 innings pitched. He had eight walks and eight strikeouts.

6. Terry Sanford football stadium demolished

After years of debate about its future, the oldest and biggest high school football stadium in Fayetteville was torn to the ground.

 That forced this year’s Terry Sanford football and soccer teams to play all of their games away at Reid Ross Classical High School’s John Daskal Stadium.
The football team played one game at Fayetteville State’s Nick Jeralds Stadium.

The new stadium won’t be used until the first football game of the 2020 season, which is scheduled on Thursday, Aug. 20, against Lumberton.

7. Jason Norton leads Pine Forest while battling cancer

If there was ever a profile in courage, it has to be former Pine Forest athletic director Jason Norton. First diagnosed with cancer in 2016, Norton continued to make a regular commute from his native Hamlet to work as athletic director at Pine Forest.

He continued to fight to regain his health and remain at Pine Forest until the strain finally forced him to step down as Trojan athletic director, taking temporary leave in September.

8. Cape Fear ends South View cross country streak

The Cape Fear boys’ cross country team  ended one of the longest winning streaks in Cumberland County history this season when they halted South View’s run of 21 straight conference cross country championships.
Jonathan Piland sparked the Colts by placing second in the championship race with a time of 17:04.20.

Julius Ferguson was third overall for the Colts while Juan Alvarado took fifth, giving Cape Fear three runners in the top five.

Placing in the top 20 for Cape Fear were Collin Gaddy 10th, Alden Bostic 13th and Colton Danks 20th.

The Colts went on to place fourth in the regional meet and qualified for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state championship meet.

9. Fayetteville Academy wins state basketball title

Bill Boyette is no stranger to championship basketball. After a long record of earning titles in public schools, Boyette added a private school championship to his resume.

Boyette’s Fayetteville Academy boys won the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 2-A championship, defeating Wayne Country Day 64-45 in the title game.

Fayetteville Academy finished 27-3.

According to rankings posted at MaxPreps.com, the Eagles were No. 6 in the state among all schools, public and private, and No. 1 in their classification in the NCISAA.

10. TIE

Multi-sport standout and football broadcaster Don Koonce dies.

Don Koonce was one of the greatest multi-sport athletes in Cumberland County history.

After a successful stint in the minor leagues, he returned to his native county and became involved with the Mid-South Sports broadcasting team as a color commentator.

Eventually, he branched out on his own, founding DK Sports, Inc., which led to the creation of multiple broadcast teams covering everything from football to basketball to softball.
Koonce passed away shortly before the 2019 football season started.

His loss left a void in local high school sports coverage that will be almost impossible to fill.

Terry Sanford’s Dorian Clark sets school rushing record

There have been some great running backs at Terry Sanford, names like Nub Smith, Roger Gann, Dwight Richardson and Louis Craft just to list a few.
But among all of them, Dorian Clark now stands as the all-time leading rusher.

The senior running back finished his stellar career with the Bulldogs with 5,945 career yards and 67 touchdowns.

For the season he had 2,346 yards and 33 scores. The former was tops among Cumberland County running backs.

Picture 1: Tyler Bazzle celebrates his touchdown.

Picture 2: L-R, Dallas Wilson and Jared Barbour of Cape Fear pose with their championship brackets on the floor of the Greensboro Coliseum after winning NCHSAA state 3-A wrestling titles.

• Ah, the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, where no one knows exactly what's going on, what day it is or where they are supposed to be.
  
  It almost feels like limbo in a way — done with the year, but still have a few days left. At times, this seemingly unneeded week feels like more of a test of patience than anything else. All that holiday hype surrounds us for months on end, and when it finally gets here and is over in a day, we're all left reeling from the parties, the hosting, marshmallows for toasting and caroling out in the nonexistent snow. Can the year just be over yet?
  
  In recent years, when I feel this certain kind of impatience rising up in me, I feel a bit of push-back in my own spirit. Yes, the Christmas hype is over, but I think I actually need this week — the week where everything slows down, things are put on hold until the new year, and my mind, body and spirit can just rest and regroup.
  
  Hopefully, resting and regrouping looks a little different for me this year. See, 2019 has left me wanting less. I want simple. I want purposeful. I want slow. I want to want less. However, it's not enough to just want less. I need a plan, and this week, I'm finalizing it.
  
  Maybe you're feeling this way, too. Here's a few ideas I've been tossing around to begin the journey to “simple living."
  
  
  • Less screen time
  • More time outdoors
  • Less stuff — purging what we don't need, making fewer purchases
  • More physical activity
  • Less concern for what I don't have
  • More concern for others
  • Less social media
  • More face-to-face socializing
  
  If you're craving simple, too, grab a pen and paper — because, really, what's more satisfying than a simple handwritten list? — and jot down some ideas for yourself and your family. It all starts with ideas, but it can't end there. What will these changes actually look like for you and your family? What are some things you can do to make it happen and see results? For me, I'm even considering not having a smart phone for an entire year just to force me to make a change. If you see me on the side of the road somewhere flipping a map around over and over with a panicked look on my face because I can't use my GPS, you'll know I'm making headway.
  
  Hopefully this will be a year where my heart meets my mind in truly believing that more will not satisfy, busy will not qualify, and good intentions will not modify.
  I'm believing less actually is more, and I'm riding that train all the way to 2021.
  
  Want to hear about the journey? Listen weekday mornings to the Daily Grind on Christian 105.7 WCLN for updates, and give us your own tips for simple living.
  

The Umoja Group, Inc. of Fayetteville presents its annual Kwanzaa celebration Sunday, Dec. 29 from 3-6 p.m. at Smith Recreation Center located at Seabrook Park.

Kwanzaa is a secular event that celebrates culture, family and community.

The activities include a drum call, welcome song, tribute to elders, a libation to honor ancestors, drummers, dancers, singers, a parade of African queens and kings, a feast, a  children’s candlelight ceremony and traditional dance performances. The candle lighting ceremony features the seven principles of Kwanzaa, which are values to live by daily.

 They include unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. There will be a presentation of the annual Umoja Group scholarship at the event, as well.
The Umoja Group is a nonprofit organization and donations are appreciated and tax deductible. Bring your favorite food dish to share and dress in ethnic wear.

Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966 when Maulana Karenga introduced the celebration. Karenga modeled the event after traditional African harvest festivals and named it based on the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits.” Although Kwanzaa takes place during Christmas and Hanukkah seasons, it is not a religious holiday.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 910-485-8035 or email umojagroupfay@gmail.com.

Editor's Note: On Dec. 20, The North Carolina Board of Elections approved making Smith Recreation Center an early voting site for the 2020 primary.

My wife and I recently watched a movie titled “The American President.” Michael Douglas plays the role of President Andrew Shepherd. In a press briefing near the end of the movie, Douglas makes this statement regarding his reelection opponent, Sen. Bob Rumson, played by Richard Dreyfuss: “Whatever your particular problem is, I promise you Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who to blame.” This statement is from a movie, but it is true in real life today. However, to fear, I would add anger.

The happenings in our time that demonstrate the truth of this approach are numerous. One is the push to make Smith Recreation Center an early voting site during the 2020 primary. The Cumberland County Board of Elections was unable to, as required by law, unanimously approve this proposal. All three Democratic members — Floyd W. Johnson Jr., Irene Grimes, Helen Nelson — voted in favor, while the two Republicans voted in opposition. Lacking a unanimous vote for approval, the matter must go before the State Board of Elections for a decision. That board has a majority Democratic membership, and only a majority vote is required to approve the Smith Recreation Center proposal.

In this case, the argument made by proponents of Smith Recreation as a site is that the surrounding area is home to many elderly citizens, convenient for voting by students at Fayetteville State University and would encourage voting by university students. This argument summary is based on comments made by citizens who spoke at a meeting of the County Board of Elections on Nov. 12.

Now consider the response of many Smith proponents when making it an early voting site for a primary was rejected by the two Republican members of the Board — Linda Devore and Bobby Swilley. There was an immediate rush to generate fear and anger while blaming Republicans for supposed unfair treatment of black citizens.

An example of this fear, anger and blaming approach shows through in a statement attributed to Val Applewhite. It appears in an article titled, “Vote site fight: Should early voting be held next door to Fayetteville State University?” by Paul Woolverton. He writes: “Val Applewhite, a prominent local Democrat and former Fayetteville City Council member, said on Facebook that she thinks Republicans voted against the Smith Recreation site in an effort to prevent Democrats from voting.”

Then the following comments were made by Floyd W. Johnson Jr., chairman of the County Board of Elections, during an exchange with Linda Devore when discussing consistency in voting procedures as recorded in the Nov. 12 Board meeting minutes: “Polling sites primarily in African-American communities have been closed to save money, or the turnout is too low, so they combine polling sites. To me, that is a form of voter suppression. I believe it is a template to suppress the African-American voters. That is fact.”

Simply screaming “voter suppression” and blaming Republicans is typical employment of fear, anger and blaming in pursuit of political advantage and power. The unfair and destructive results of this tactic are compounded by the routinely accompanying misinformation and refusal to honestly consider the facts that support the position being questioned.

In the Smith Recreation situation, some speakers in the Nov. 12 meeting were clearly under the impression that Smith had been an early voting site for primaries in past presidential elections. Smith has never been an early site for a presidential primary. The only time it was an early site for a primary was in 2014. That was due to 2013 legislation that reduced the early voting period from 17 to 10 days. Terri Robertson, director of the Cumberland County Board of Elections, explained that Smith was added that year due to the reduced days and expected resulting need for relief at the North Regional Library site. The 2013 legislation was repealed, and the early voting timeframe returned to 17 days. That negated the need for Smith as a primary early voting site. What happened here points to sound reasoning and not to voter suppression.

Another bit of misinformation raised by some speakers was that Cross Creek 13, the precinct for which Smith Recreation Center is the polling place, was being closed. The minutes reflect the following: Secretary Devore was recognized to make a comment of clarification. Because several public commenters mentioned this, there is no proposal or discussion before this board to close CC13. It has never been a consideration. There are 77 precincts in this county, and they will all be open on election days.

My observation is that most of the fear and anger production, along with blaming, is done on social media, especially Facebook. Not surprisingly, I have seen nothing on Facebook from proponents of Smith as a primary early voting site correcting these two points of misinformation.

In 2014, when Smith was an early primary site, 362 votes were cast early. As of Dec. 12, 2019, 51 of those voters were no longer registered, leaving 311. Voters in  the 311 came from 54 different precincts. Only 10 of the 54 had six or more votes cast; most of the others had one or two. The distance from Smith to the nearest primary early voting site, Board of Elections at 227 Fountainhead Lane, is 2.5 miles. Of the 10 precincts from which most early voters came to Smith in 2014, following are the polling places that are less than 2.5 miles from Smith, along with the number of voters and distance: Cross Creek 5, 18/1.1; CC16, 88/.9; CC17, 19/1.9. Smith is Cross Creek 13 and had 24 early voters in 2014. This says 149 votes came from the Murchison Road area that appears to be the basis of the call for Smith being a primary early voting site. For good measure, add another 25 to allow for any low turnout precincts in the area that I did not include here. At the $20,000 minimum estimated cost to operate an early voting site, that is $115 per voter.

One can make the argument that 2014 was not a presidential election year as 2020 will be. That is a fair point. Look at the 2016 primary. In an article titled, “Last day of early voting brings lines and skateboarding voters,” Paul Woolverton writes that Terri Robertson said preliminary figures indicated 18,539 votes were cast in early voting for the March 15 primary. That was 31% of the 60,098 total votes cast in that primary. The four precincts that I contend make up the focus area for pursuit of early voting at Smith cast a total of 2,516 votes in that primary. Assuming 31% is a good early vote approximation across the board, 780 votes would be cast from those four precincts.

Jeff Womble, associate vice chancellor of communications at Fayetteville State University, stated that approximately 1,400 students live on campus at the university. A table at  www.census.gov labelled “Table 2. Reported Voting and Registration, by Race, Hispanic Origin, Sex, and Age: November 2018” indicates that 45.7% of black college students 18-24 years old register to vote and do so at a 31% rate. Applying this math to the 1,400 students indicates 434 students might vote. Applying the 31% early vote percentage yields 135.

Altogether, approximately 915 early votes might be expected from the four focus area precincts. At $20,000, that is $21.86 per voter. Assume the six sites used in 2016 each cost the high of $30,000. The total of $180,000 divided by 18,539 is $9.71. That is less than half the average for operating Smith at the low-end cost. Granted, only four precincts are used in these computations. That seems reasonable since the stated aim is to address the perceived needs of that specific area.

Distance between early voting sights should also come into play. The average distance between the six sites that are normally used is 12.21 miles, while the shortest is between Cliffdale Recreation Center and the Board of Elections at 6.2 miles. If Smith Recreation Center is made an early voting site, it will only be 2.5 miles from the Board of Elections, where focus-area citizens could vote early. That is less than half the distance between the two closest sites and just 20% of the average.

Regarding convenience, a person may take a 16-minute city bus ride from the Murchison Road side of Fayetteville State to 505 Franklin St. downtown and then walk 0.3 miles to the Board of Elections for early voting. A bus ride directly to the Board of Elections is 32 minutes.

The picture here is one of misinformation that is not widely and forthrightly corrected by those who initially contribute to forming it: accusations of black voter suppression not supported by facts or reason; focusing on a small segment of the population when, in this case, equal treatment of all should be the aim; disregarding the high financial cost of the proposed change; not recognizing the inequity of having one site so much closer to another than is the case with others; by declining use of city buses, calling for greater convenience than seems necessary.

Finally, this singular focus will very possibly conflict with the intent, if not the letter, of recently passed legislation. During the 2016 primary, in these four precincts, a total of 2,516 ballots were cast: 205 by Republicans, 2,301 by Democrats, and 10 by others. Having Smith Recreation Center as an early voting site during the primary would clearly favor Democrats and a primarily black population. Senate Bill 683/SL 2019-239, 163-227.6(b) speaks to voting site selection and ends with “... that the use of the sites chosen will not unfairly favor any party, racial or ethnic group, or candidate.”

Given all that is presented here, I do not see a reasonable case for making Smith Recreation a primary early voting site. I am finishing this column on Dec. 13, 2019. It is very possible the N.C. Board of Elections will render a decision before this column is published. Whether the board’s decision comes before or after publication of this column, examining their decision in light of what is said here will be a worthwhile edeavor. The aim of that endeavor should be to examine the decision based on facts and reason as opposed to emotion and political manipulation (fear, anger, blaming). Remember the warning given by Michael Douglas in his role as President Andrew Shepherd.

The annual Cumberland County Holiday Classic basketball, now in its second year under a major format change, begins a three-day run Thursday, Dec. 19 at five different sites. This year’s tournament is sponsored by the Southeastern Sports Officials Association.

The boys are divided into the Len Maness and Ike Walker Sr. brackets while the girls will play in the Gene Arrington and Tom Jackson brackets.

The Maness bracket is at Westover, Walker bracket at Jack Britt, Arrington bracket at South View and Jackson bracket at Gray’s Creek.

The championship games in all four brackets will be played Saturday, Dec. 21, at Fayetteville State’s Capel Arena. Here’s a brief look at each bracket.

Boys
Len Maness

Westover coach George Stackhouse is cautiously optimistic about his team’s chances of winning the Len Maness bracket of this year’s tournament.

The Wolverines have been sparked by a trio of solid scorers so far, led by D’Marco Dunn, Traymond Willis-Shaw and Darius Jewell.

As of this writing, Dunn leads Cumberland County Schools scorers with 21.4 points per game.

Willis-Shaw is averaging 14.2 points and Jewell 13.4.

“We’ve got to concentrate on doing the small things,’’ Stackhouse said. “Our defense has got to improve. I do like the pieces we have.’’
Ike Walker Sr.

Pine Forest coach Jimmy Peaden enters the tournament with a young group of players he feels are buying into playing defense and learning more about offense as the season progresses.
“We’ve got a fun, young group,’’ he said. “I look forward to coaching them and watching them grow.’’

Team leaders so far for the Trojans have been Marquis Eskew and Tristin Harkins. Eskew averages 12.5 points per game and Harkins 11.0.

“I can always look to Marquis to know when a certain play needs to happen, when a certain call needs to be made,’’ Peaden said.

Pine Forest’s top scorer is Isaiah Washington with 16.8 points per game. Peaden said his team is still working on buying into the halfcourt offense.

“We can get out and run with anybody,’’ he said. “If we can execute like we’re supposed to, we’ll be a problem.’’

Girls
Gene Arrington

After a deep run in last year’s state 3-A playoffs, E.E. Smith coach Dee Hardy has been pleased to see her young team quickly regroup from key graduation losses.

Leading the way so far for the young Bullettes is freshman Miya Giles-Jones with an average of 11.8 points per game.

“Out of our first six games I know she’s had four double-doubles,’’ Hardy said. “That’s big for a freshman coming in.’’

Another freshman, Keshiana Murphy, is averaging 9.6 points. Ke’Onna Bryant, the team’s top scorer at 12.0 points per game, has also contributed.

“We are still young,’’ Hardy said. “We have to fine tune a lot of things.’’

Tom Jackson

Jack Britt coach Nattlie McArthur said her young team is learning the system and playing well together so far.

Terry Sanford transfer Nyla Cooper leads the Britt scoring with 13.3 points per game. Amber Nealy it at 11.5 and Kaya Goldsby at 10.3.

She expects the tournament to be tough but thinks her team is ready for the challenge.

“It’s just a matter of making sure we make the right decisions in our transition, continuing to talk on the floor, being vocal and having fun while they are out there,’’ McArthur said.

Holiday Classic brackets