Poor-performing schools in North Carolina have been put on notice that they need to improve their academic performance over the next few years or they could be turned over to outside groups such as charter schools. State education officials have made public a list of 69 schools that qualify for inclusion in the Innovative School District based on their low state test scores. Low-performing schools that remain on the list for four consecutive years are slated to be taken over by the Innovative School District, which would hire a group to run their day-to-day operations.

Forsyth County had the most poor-performing schools of any district on the list at eight, followed by seven in Nash-Rocky Mount and six in Guilford County. Charlotte-Mecklenburg had four schools. There were two schools in Wake and Johnston counties and one each in Cumberland, Harnett and Iredell counties. T.C. Berrien Elementary on North Street is on the list in this latest attempt to reshape a program that has gotten off to a rocky start. Coincidentally, Berrien students are now attending classes at W.T. Brown School in Spring Lake because of structural issues.

The Innovative School District concept was created by Republican state lawmakers in 2016 to take up to five low-performing elementary schools away from local school district control and turn them over to an outside group to run. Supporters of the program said it’s a way to help raise student achievement. But critics say the model, which has been used in other states, would privatize education.

Southside Ashpole Elementary School in Robeson County is the only school in the Innovative School District and ended the program’s first year with an F grade, not meeting academic growth and with a drop in the percentage of students passing state exams. Recently, state lawmakers changed how schools are picked. Four more schools were to be added to the district for the 2020-21 school year. But after lobbying from the State Board of Education and State Superintendent Mark Johnson, lawmakers passed a bill that says no schools must be added for the next school year.

In return, the legislation requires the state’s lowest-scoring school in the 2019-20 school year to be transferred to the district for the following school year. It also requires the lowest-scoring school in the 2020-21 school year to join the district the year after that. The 69 schools identified this month make up the lowest performing 5% of all schools in the state. If they’re still on the qualifying list after two years, they will be moved to a watch list. Schools that are still on the qualifying list after three years are put on a warning list. The five lowest performing schools that were on the warning list the previous year and were also on the qualifying list for four years in a row would automatically be turned over the Innovative School District.

Carlos Villarreal

Pine Forest • Soccer • Senior

Villarreal is a member of the varsity soccer team and has a 4.2 weighted grade point average. In his free time Villarreal enjoys participating in travel soccer and volunteering at the Cumberland County Animal Shelter.

Elizabeth Johnson

Pine Forest• Bowling• Senior

Johnson is a member of the Trojan bowling team. She has a 4.2 weighted grade point average. Her other interests include competing in SkillsUSA events and working on computers as part of the Academy of Information Technology.

Tony Mello is the manager of the newly opened Pet Supplies Plus in Hope Mills at the intersection of Main Street and Camden Road in the former Eckerd drugstore building.

But Mello doesn’t really care that people refer to him as the store’s manager. He’d be happier if you just called him neighbor.

“I’m from Hope Mills and have been here for 17 years,’’ said Mello. “The whole idea behind Pet Supplies Plus is we don’t have customers, we have neighbors. We are that big-box store to go shopping in minus all the hassles.’’
Mello said the store is a win-win for pet owners of all types in the Hope Mills area.

“This is somewhere you are going to want to come,’’ he said. “We want to get on a first-name basis with our neighbors — not just our neighbors, but their pets.’’

Customers will get a feel for the special interest the staff at Pet Supplies Plus has for them whenever they visit the store. “I hire for personality, but I also need pet people,’’ Mello said of his staff. He said one of the first questions he asks any potential employee is do they own pets.“I love to see their faces light up when you ask their pet’s name,’’ he said. “The first thing they show you is the pictures (of their pet) in their cellphone.’’

Pet Supplies Plus is independently owned but part of a chain of some 400 stores, based in Cleveland, Ohio.

On the premises, you can purchase live birds, various small animals, reptiles and live fish. Among the more exotic animals the store sells are chameleons, crested geckos and leopard geckos.
The store doesn’t sell dogs and cats, but arrangements are being made with several local pet adoption agencies to come in on weekends and help people pick out a pet.

One of the store’s major features is a full, self-service grooming facility.

Shampoo, towels and a blow dryer are available, and the store staff takes care of cleaning up and sanitizing the area when customers finish using it.

If need pet food, the store carries everything for dogs, cats, reptiles, guinea pigs and ferrets to name few animals. If a customer has a special need for something not in stock, they’ll work with you to make a special order.
The store also plans to offer clinics with a traveling veterinary service.Two are already scheduled for next year, one on Jan. 28 and one on Feb. 25. The hours for both are from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.

“You can come in, see a vet and get vaccinations in house,’’ Mello said.

Regular store hours are from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Fayetteville City Council has learned that major project investments can have open-ended construction costs. The original plan for the Hay Street baseball stadium was estimated at $33 million. It ended up costing $40 million. Two years ago, council executed a construction contract for the adjacent five-story parking garage at $14.4 million. But then in June of this year, City Council agreed to increase its contribution to the construction cost for the project by $1.5 million to a total just short of $15 million.

In the council’s final meeting, as it was previously composed, members present voted unanimously to make a parking deck budget amendment of another $1.5 million to finance what are known as “soft costs” in addition to construction costs. Councilman Jim Arp was absent. Deputy City Manager Kristoff Bauer wrote the construction project contract and pointed out to council members in a detailed letter that there was an addendum requiring the city to also pay actual soft costs that would arise.

Bauer said the soft costs, which included engineering and architectural work, were not known at the time. Other soft costs included design work, permitting, special inspections, legal fees and other incidentals. Bauer explained that so-called soft costs are usually projected “at 15% to 30% of construction cost, depending on the size and complexity of the project.” He said the additional costs for the parking deck project were reasonable when compared to other major projects. In his letter, Bauer wrote that the soft costs for this project are less than 10% of the construction costs.

The city agreed to purchase the garage once it’s open, and that will likely be in the next couple of weeks, officials said. The structure will provide parking for a new hotel, office complex, Prince Charles apartment tenants and the general public. PCH developers have proposed to build a seven-story office building and a five-story Hyatt Hotel atop the parking garage. It would be the tallest structure in downtown Fayetteville.

This month there was a 40% turnover of City Council members. Under the current electoral system, the City Council consists of nine council members and a mayor. The nine council members are elected from individual districts, and citizens only vote for candidates running in their districts. The mayor is elected citywide. Councilmen Bill Crisp and Dan Culliton chose not to seek re-election. Jim Arp and Mayor Pro Tem Ted Mohn were defeated in what were considered upsets. Chris Davis succeeded Crisp, and Shakeyla M. Ingram won Culliton’s District 2 seat. Yvonne Y. Kinston beat Arp in the District 9 race, and Courtney Banks-McLaughlin defeated District 8’s Mohn.

Watching all the problems that threaten the continued existence of America but go unsolved has brought me close to a state of despair. At times, our situation seems completely hopeless. In several columns, I have contended that the primary cause of our troubled condition is due to a turning from God and the ways of God. For me, that remains the primary cause.

However, I recently read an observation that further explains, as a society, our seeming inability to successfully address the simplest of problems. Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers are authors of a book titled, “I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening).” At one point, they reflect on an experience during their podcast, Pantsuit Politics. Holland is a Democrat and Silvers is a Republican. They discuss politics. When discussing how best to achieve productive discussion of issues, they emphasize the importance of grace. They write: “Grace isn’t rolling over or acquiescing to those who have completely different values than we do. It is simply seeing our shared connections and acknowledging each other’s human dignity so that we can continue moving forward as a country.”

They go on to say, “Grace permeates most of our conversations with each other on the podcast — so much so that listeners often don’t even recognize our disagreements because it doesn’t feel like fighting.”

However, at one point, they decided to experiment with a different format. This format would make their differences more apparent. In actuality, they decided to debate one another. Over time, the debates shifted in tone. This quote describes the course of these debates: “However, as we continued, we began to occupy our predefined roles as a Democrat and a Republican. Beth defended the role of private industry in energy production. Sarah argued for an increased role for the federal government in environmental regulations. We bickered about the power and authority of state and local governments. We danced around our shared interests only to fall back into our conflicts over profit motivation and government corruption.

“Slowly but surely you could hear us begin to become skeptical of each other’s motives.”

The writers come to this conclusion: “In the end, what we realized is that debates aren’t problem-solving. They are dramatized events filled with manufactured conflict. We weren’t trying to find a solution that would make both sides happy. We were arguing that we were a better choice to solve the problem.”

The conclusion reached by Hollard and Silvers regarding debates is absolutely true; one only has to look at what is happening in America to know that their conclusion is astoundingly true. Start with a situation happening in Fayetteville. For months, Mayor Mitch Colvin and others have been highlighting alleged overwhelming opposition to construction of the North Carolina Civil War & Reconstruction History Center in our city. A public hearing regarding this matter was, at the urging of Mayor Colvin, held in the Council Chamber on Nov. 14. I attended the hearing but sat in an overflow room because attendance was substantial.

The mayor opened the hearing by explaining the meeting flow, rules for speakers and for general conduct. In my estimation, what followed was a very civil debate. Speakers shared their positions relating to the project. There were no questions allowed to be directed to speakers, no audience participation that would have provided for measuring the impact of what was presented by speakers. Further, there was no allowance for questioning facts or construction of arguments presented by speakers.

Regarding that meeting, a Nov. 24 Fayetteville Observer article titled, “Readers debate Civil War history center,” reported: “… around 300 people came to a public forum for the N.C. Civil War & Reconstruction History Center. Thirty-nine people spoke in favor of the center, five were against and four were neutral.”

Beyond this, a Nov. 16  Fayetteville Observer editorial titled “Our View: Public vote on Civil War center should not be ruled out” raised a possible action that, in my thinking, highlights the uselessness of debates in solving problems or deciding difficult issues. That editorial refers to a call by one speaker, Nero B. Coleman, for a referendum on the History Center. That is, let the voters decide the fate of this project. The Observer’s position is that a referendum “should not be taken off the table.”

Given how little attention the general public gives to a matter of this kind, while being influenced by emotion vice thoughtful examination of facts, a referendum would appear ill-advised. It would be like having a jury decide the fate of an accused person based on hearing 15 minutes of 25 hours of testimony. In a referendum, people would act based on having heard limited debate points, many of which would probably be misinformation.

As for me, I left the meeting impressed with most of the speaker presentations, but not sensing a coming together of citizens around some shared values and beliefs, some shared vision as to what is good for us as a city, state and even a nation. No, it was a matter of one group seeking to out-point the other.

Because that was the case, even though it was crystal clear, as The Observer reported, that the number of speakers who supported this project substantially outnumbered those who did not, the matter is still not settled. The battle for which group will control the fate of this project goes on. The fact of the battle going on is confirmed by what appears to be serious consideration of a referendum. This is what debate produces; ongoing battles that divide people into competing groups. No problems are solved, most people lose and a few win — for a moment.

If this local situation does not offer confirmation that debate is useless in solving problems, consider what is happening in the current impeachment inquiry. I watched the first day of public hearings being conducted by the House Intelligence Committee. That first day, I watched straight through all of it. The second day and beyond, I had to watch in 15 to 20 minute increments. That is, I would watch for those few minutes, take a break and come back for a bit more. That was the case because it was all debate, people trying to accrue points with the public. Like with the meeting at City Hall, I did not sense these politicians coming together around some shared values and beliefs, some shared vision, as to what is good for us as a country. It was a debate, and the destructive cost to this nation just keeps going up while no positive end is anywhere in sight.

Thankfully, these two experiences are not the end of the story. On a rainy and dreary Friday night, Nov. 15, I made my way to a meeting called by Councilwoman Tisha Waddell, District 3. Waddell’s purpose was to discuss several topics with citizens of her district and others who might be interested. It was a small group. Among the topics discussed were the “Build A Better Murchison” project, storm water management, sidewalks, street resurfacing and The North Carolina Civil War & Reconstruction History Center. Very capable individuals addressed the topics and answered questions regarding each. Clearly, by her comments, Councilwoman Waddell was well-informed relative to every topic.

The information flow and factual presentations were encouraging. Even more encouraging was the tone of the meeting. Councilwoman Waddell opened by reminding all of us that when the meeting was over, we would still be neighbors. Her use of “neighbor” clearly conveyed far more than living near one another. The message I received was that being neighbors demands that we give due consideration to others in our decision-making. It was not simply that she said it, but the way she said it. There was a ring of sincerity, a convincing call for us to rise above scoring debate points and focus on finding a mutually beneficial way forward. The vast majority of the people in the room appeared to make that shift.

My hope, my prayer, is that more and more Americans will recognize that we are neighbors and take hold of the grace that will move us from useless debate to productive discourse.

For a second consecutive Christmas, Dawn Seegars is pulling double duty preparing for special Christmas music.

Seegars, a bi-vocational worship leader at Temple Baptist Church, is again helping to put together the annual Singing Christmas Tree performances at Highland Baptist Church where she sang in the choir with the late Nancy Brady.
This year’s performances are scheduled Dec. 13-15 at 7 p.m. each evening.

Brady was the choir director at Highland until she lost a battle with cancer last year. Seegars stepped in to take over Brady’s role, and has agreed to do it again this year while Highland is engaged in the search for a new pastor.

“They have awesome lay leadership but no music director permanently on staff and now no pastor,’’ Seegars said. Seegars said the congregation reached out to her over the summer to ask if she’d take on the job of directing this year’s Singing Christmas Tree and she agreed.

“In church music, if you’re not a season ahead, you’re behind,’’ Seegars said. “In summertime you’re picking out Christmas music.’’

Rehearsals began about the third week in September Seegars said.

“We always try to do something different every year,’’ she said. “We haven’t repeated music. We want everyone that comes to hear something new, see something new.’’
The sets may be the same, but the music and dramatic portions of the performance will be updated.

Seegars said this year’s music selections will represent a variety of styles. “We’ve got some music with a Southern gospel feel, music with a regular gospel feel,’’ she said. “We’ve got some Christmas classics and even a song that includes a children’s choir.’’

There will also be narrations along with actors portraying the traditional manger scene from the story of the birth of Christ. There will even by a lyrical dance team performing.

Seegars praised the lay leadership at the church for their commitment to keep the Singing Christmas Tree going even without a full-time minister and music leader presently on staff.

“When you don’t have a pastor, things are always a little tougher than when you do have somebody in that leadership role,’’ Seegars said. “They are going to continue to do what they are called to do and present the gospel message of Christmas to the community.’’

Woody Cox, chairman of the church’s Board of Deacons, said those planning to come to the Singing Christmas Tree are invited to bring a donation of canned goods or other nonperishable foods to the church’s food pantry.
Even without a pastor, Cox said the church’s ministry has been able to continue because of the great people there who are willing to share their time. The church has been doing the Singing Christmas Tree many years before Cox joined the congregation in 1995.

“We just think it’s a great way to get the community in to hear the presentation of the gospel,’’ he said. “A lot of lost people are more willing to come in and watch the program. Through songs and the message that goes into it they get the gospel presentation of Jesus Christ.“We can touch a lot of lives quicker that way.’’

For questions about the Singing Christmas Tree, call the church office at 910-425-5305, Monday through Thursday.

Jonathan Piland

Cape Fear • Indoor/outdoor track • Senior

Piland has a grade point average of 4.62. He is a member of the Natural Science Academy, the county youth orchestra, all-county orchestra, East Regional orchestra and the N.C. Honors orchestra. He works in the freshman mentoring program as a lead mentor. He’s active with the Lebanon Baptist Church praise team and the Snyder Baptist Church Singing Christmas Tree.

Walker Brittain

Cape Fear• Soccer• Senior

Brittain has a grade point average of 4.46. He is active in speech and debate, the Environmental Club, Harvard Model Congress, Common Ground Initiative, Student Government Association, the BETA Club and journalism. He’s also a freshman mentor and has served as a page for the North Carolina governor as well as in the North Carolina state house.

Happy holidays, everyone!

It’s no secret, Fayetteville is on the go and is growing. I have been heard saying many times that as an entrepreneur, I wish I was 30 years younger. There is so much potential and opportunity in Cumberland County. Unfortunately, when speaking to residents, they are not as forthcoming in their enthusiasm about our arts, culture and quality of life. Also, they are less confident in the future and direction of the community. Instead of attracting high-tech industry and manufacturing companies to prop up and enhance our economic development in our community, we’ve become a welcoming sanctuary for the homeless and downtrodden. Other cities view us as a dumping ground.

Please don’t shoot the messenger. I’m sharing what I sense is a groundswell of concerns surrounding the qualifications of many of our local elected officials and the direction they are taking this city. Planned municipal growth, prosperity and economic development require experience. More importantly, they take vision, empathy and the ability to put people over politics. Our community struggles with that concept on many fronts, and we suffer for it.

Evidence of this surrounds us at every turn. The most obvious examples are the contentious relationship between the city of Fayetteville and Cumberland County, the 18-month struggle Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner and Commissioner Pat Edwards heroically fought — and won — to keep their town and residents safe from unscrupulous self-serving politicians.

Sadly, it’s not just local politics we should be concerned about. My final example is what is happening with the impeachment hearings in Washington, D.C. It is a sad and blatant example of politics over people. As Americans, it makes no difference whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent or white, black, rich or poor, the government is purposely and blatantly not functioning in our best interests. Elected officials’ personal politics take priority over the needs and welfare of our country. And we as taxpayers, get the honor of paying the bill while the needs of our nation fail to be addressed — needs concerning health care, homelessness, our veterans, our military and our national security, as well as education, the opioid crisis, infrastructure, the list goes on.

Locally, if our leaders put people before politics, it would demonstrate that they really care about the welfare of the community. No doubt, continuing to embrace the mantra “politics over people” will only produce mismanagement, enable corruption, cripple our growth and development and breed mistrust of our leaders.

There is hope, though. I admire leaders like Reps. Elmer Floyd, Billy Richardson and John Szoka for their “people over politics” inclinations to support our community. I respect them for supporting a state budget that would bring $136 million for high-priority projects to Cumberland County, including $46 million for the North Carolina Civil War & Reconstruction History Center that would benefit all residents educationally, financially and culturally. This action alone speaks volumes about their commitment to the residents of Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

This is real leadership.

As we move into the new year, I hope our community newspaper is saturated with news and stories showcasing examples of great leadership, vision and accomplishment. We deserve it!
Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

As far as Cumberland County’s high school wrestling gurus can remember, there’s only been one three-time state individual champion in the sport in county history.

That honor falls to former Jack Britt star Richard “PNut” Tolston, who finished third in the state when he wrestled for Hoke County in 2012 then won three straight state titles as a Buccaneer from 2013-15.

This fall, Cape Fear’s Dallas Wilson, son of Colt head coach Heath Wilson who is also a former state champion, will seek to become the second county wrestler with three state championships.

Heath won his second title last year, competing at 138 pounds. It’s sure he’ll move up in weight classification this season but it likely won’t be until after Christmas before Heath and his father settle on which class Dallas will be competing in for his third state title.

Heath Wilson said his son has reached a level of high school wrestling where he’s forgotten more about the sport than Heath knew during his competitive days. “My biggest problem is finding somebody to push him to the next level,’’ Heath said of his son.

One way he’s pushed Dallas to a higher level is by taking him to top national competitions, like the big freestyle tournament held over the summer in Fargo, North Dakota. “In Fargo, I saw a totally different, very aggressive wrestler come out,’’ Heath said. “He came out banging.’’

Dallas ran into a three-time state champion from Tennessee and rolled to a win.

“He’s at a new level,’’ Heath said.

Among the biggest challenges Dallas will face this year is the pressure of expectations, but Heath doesn’t expect that to be a problem. “It’s really nonexistent after all these other places we’ve traveled to,’’ Heath said. “In North Carolina he’s got the confidence that he’s the best wrestler.

“The biggest pressure he puts on himself is every day in that practice room. He’s the hardest-working kid I’ve got. That’s contagious. I like it to be contagious.’’

Dallas agreed with his dad that he’s become a more aggressive wrestler, coping better with opponents who stay in his face and won’t back off, working harder to fight the opposition with his hands and find different angles of attack to knock them off balance.

“You’ve got to be mean,’’ he said. “You’ve got to have that grit. I definitely picked it up this summer. I have no excuse to lose in a state that I’ve won twice.’’

The rest of the Cape Fear team will be seeking the same grit as it tries to bounce back from a second-place finish to St. Stephens High School in last year’s state 3-A dual team championship wrestling match.

The top individual returners for the Colts are Dallas and 220-pound Nick Minacapelli, who placed third in the state in his class last season. He’ll be a late arrival this season because of his involvement with football.

“We are looking for the second-stringers to come on strong this year,’’ Wilson said. “They’ve got to perform. I’m just waiting for that first scrimmage to see what comes out of our kids.’’
Wrestlers Heath will count on early are Jaleel Parks, Jack Culbreth, Jose Paz and Aiden Barbour, who is the younger brother of graduated state champion Jared Barbour.

The holiday season is in full swing, offering options galore when it comes time to celebrate. Cool Spring Downtown District offers a twist on a downtown favorite — an up-close-and-personal carriage ride with everyone’s favorite jolly elf. The organization will host its  holiday-themed horse-drawn Carriage Rides with Santa” Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 7-8, 14-15 and 21-22, from 1-8 p.m.

“What is really exciting, especially for the kids, is the Santa carriage rides, and, typically during those three weekends, we will have up to 1,000 kids and families riding with Santa Claus,” said Hank Parfitt, programming committee member of the Cool Spring Downtown District. “The carriage is decorated for whatever holiday it is and the driver for the carriage ride is Santa.”   
Parfitt added that the owners of the horses and carriage go all out decorating for the holidays. “This may be the only city in North Carolina where Santa is actually driving the carriage,” said Parfitt. “These rides are tons of fun, and we have people of all ages do it because this is the perfect holiday activity.”

Parfitt added this is a family activity, but singles and couples can join in the fun, too, by enjoying a carriage ride after watching the Christmas parade.

“We do have the early bird special for the carriage ride with Santa for $5,” said Parfitt.

“To obtain the early bird special, you have to ride between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.”     

The rides are provided by S & S Carriage Rides. “They are very enthusiastic, very professional and always concerned about client safety,” said Parfitt. “Each kid will receive a candy cane as a gift, and after the ride, you can take a picture with Santa and the horse with your camera phone. 

“December is just a magical time downtown with all the lights and stores,” said Parfitt. “It is a great experience to come downtown, have a meal at one of the nice restaurants, do a little shopping and go for a carriage ride with Santa.” 
 
Tickets are $10 for adults and children over 10 and $5 for children under 10. There are no advanced reservations. Ticket sales start at 12:30 p.m. on the day of the rides at 222 Hay Street across from the Cameo Theater. Adults can ride for $5 during the early bird special from 1 p.m.- 2 p.m.   

The 2019 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report includes the most recent analysis of veteran suicide data from 2005 to 2017. The report presents complex suicide data in a practical way, conveys the key findings in clear terms, and highlights the data-driven initiatives that VA and its partners have implemented to prevent veteran suicide. This detailed report is available to the public at VASPDataRequest@va.gov.

The most recent state-level data includes veteran suicide data from 2005 through 2017. The State Data Appendix includes a comparative analysis of suicide rates for veterans and the general adult population. North Carolina has seen a gradual increase in veteran suicides, from 188 in 2005 to 212 in 2017. The Department of Veterans Affairs said it’s important to note that suicide is a complex issue with a multitude of contributing factors — and there is no single explanation for disparities in veteran suicide rates among the different states.

There is one statistic that has been widely quoted in the veteran community, that an estimated 22 veterans a day commit suicide. The statistic, some contend, can be misunderstood. This figure comes from the VA’s 2012 Suicide Data Report, which analyzed the death certificates of 21 states from 1999 to 2011. The report, as cited by The Washington Post, warned that “it is recommended that the estimated number of veterans be interpreted with caution due to the use of data from a sample of states and existing evidence of uncertainty in veteran identifiers on U.S. death certificates.”

A more recent study, which surveyed 1.3 million veterans, found that “Between 2001 and 2009, there were 1,650 deployed veteran deaths and 7,703 nondeployed veteran deaths. Of those, 351 were suicides among veterans who had been deployed and 1,517 suicides among nondeployed veterans. That means over nine years, there was not quite one veteran suicide a day,” according to The Washington Post. The rate of suicide was, as The Los Angeles Times reported, “…slightly higher among veterans who never deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq, suggesting that the causes extend beyond the trauma of war.”

As the largest national analysis of veteran suicide rates, the VA report examines veterans suicide rates by age, gender and method, suicide rates among veterans compared with rates in the non-veteran population and suicide rates among veterans who use VHA health care compared with those who do not. “The aggregate remains about 20 suicide deaths per day … including the average of 16.8 veterans who died by suicide in 2017,” reported Richard A. Stone, VA Under-Secretary for Health.

Suicide is preventable, and with the release of the 2019 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, the VA urges all Americans to take action to prevent suicide. Learn more about veteran suicide prevention efforts at www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention. If you are a veteran in crisis — or you’re concerned about one — free, confidential support is available 24/7. Call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and press 1, send a text message to 838255.

The Cumberland Community Foundation is a partnership of donors, nonprofit organizations, and the community working together to find solutions to pressing community needs. The community foundation manages more than 500 different charitable donor funds and endowments of more than 30 local nonprofit organizations. The charitable foundation was established in 1980 by a significant financial gift provided by Dr. Lucile West Hutaff. It was her goodwill toward humanity that laid the foundation for a community legacy of philanthropy.

The foundation facilitates personalized and endowed individual, family and corporate philanthropic contributions. Under CCF’s umbrella tax-exempt status, donors may create ‘’family endowments’’ through an array of fund options. As a 501c3 charitable organization, CCF offers maximum tax advantages available to donors. It is audited annually and certified in compliance by the National Standards Board. For the year ending June 30 of last year, the foundation’s assets totaled $89 million. Grants paid since 1980 amounted to $53 million, while gifts received since then totaled $108 million.

The Cumberland County charitable fund is doling out a record-breaking $847,147 in grants this coming year, board president Kelly Puryear announced at the agency’s annual Founders and Friends Banquet last month. He said the grants being awarded are the most ever in the foundation’s 39 years. He also noted that the foundation decided 10 years ago to double its endowment assets to $100 million by 2020. “Now we are at $95 million,” Puryear said.

The largest of the 2020 grants is $250,000 for the Cumberland County Partnership for Children. It will help provide seed money for a program that will send nurses to the homes of families with newborns. Partnership for Children President Mary Sonnenberg said the program would be offered to the parents of every newborn in Cumberland County. Visiting nurses will make sure the mothers and their newborns are doing well in the first few weeks after birth. Sonnenberg noted that the county health department provides some home visitations but that “it only serves a very small number of families each year. Babies don’t come with instruction books,” she added, “and when they are born, you never know what risk factors might be there.”

Another significant community foundation grant is being made to the Airborne & Special Operations Museum. One hundred thousand dollars will provide funding for the museum to upgrade exhibits and add digital technology. The community foundation emphasized that small gifts are just as important to recipients. A $1,000 grant was gifted to All About Fitness Inc. for boot camp equipment needed to fight obesity. Board member Eva Williams announced the winner of the 2019 Mary Lynn Bryan Leadership Award went to Jesse H. Byrd Jr. He was nominated by Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation for leadership of its endowment campaigns.

During the event, Puryear acknowledged the service of two outgoing CCF board members, Ray Manning and Lynn Legatski. He welcomed two new board members, Carol “Lani” Dickey and Melissa Short.