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.

Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades were created a decade ago by The Leapfrog Group, a national leader and advocate in hospital transparency. The Leapfrog Group is an independent, national nonprofit organization founded by the nation’s leading employers and private health care experts. The Leapfrog Safety Grade scored 79 hospitals in North Carolina as well as more than 2,600 acute care hospitals across the United States in its bi-annual survey of health providers.

The study ranked hospitals in various categories, including prevention measures, hospital personnel and issues with safety and surgery. The scores are based on performance measures for errors, accidents, injuries and infections. Leapfrog surveys are completed twice each year — once in the spring and again in the fall.

 Overall, 34% of North Carolina hospitals received an A, which ranked 19th nationwide. Five medical centers in the region were among the best in the country, according to the survey. They include Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill and Duke University Hospital in Durham. Two hospitals earned C grades: WakeMed Cary Hospital and the WakeMed Raleigh Campus. No North Carolina hospital received an F.

WakeMed hospitals ranked below average for patients getting various infections, “dangerous” items left in patients’ bodies during surgeries and other measures, according to Leapfrog.
“We will … strive to reach even higher for the benefit of the patients and the families we serve,” a WakeMed email to the McClatchy newsgroup said. “Unfortunately, due to a lag in the data, our Leapfrog grades do not incorporate these improvements and do not accurately represent the quality of care we deliver,” WakeMed’s email concluded.

The grades were announced this month in The Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety fall assessment. The ratings system is considered the gold standard for patient safety. It is the first and only hospital rating system to be peer-reviewed by the Journal of Patient Safety. The study reviews 28 publicly available safety data measurements to produce an A, B, C, D or F score for each facility. The grades represent a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from preventable harm.

Cape Fear Valley Medical Center has earned an A grade for patient safety over four straight reporting periods. The local health system serves a region of more than 800,000 people in several counties of southeastern North Carolina. The nonprofit system is the state’s eighth-largest health system made up of 7,000 team members, 850 physicians, eight hospitals, and more than 60 primary care and specialty clinics.

Cape Fear Valley Medical Center on Owen Drive is the flagship of the system offering residencies in emergency medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry and general surgery, as well as a transitional year internship in affiliation with the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine at Campbell University. For more information, visit
www.CapeFearValley.com.

Just this month, the United States has endured six school shootings. CNN reports that 2019 brought us 45 school shootings in 46 weeks, from Georgia to California, in elementary, middle and high schools, as well as on college and university campuses. Of those, 32 occurred at institutions serving kindergarteners through high school students. Here are the most recent.

Nov. 3 A 30-year-old student was shot and killed in a Texas State Technical College dorm in Waco. The victim the shooter knew each other.

Nov. 4 A University of Central Missouri student was killed in an on-campus apartment when a gun was accidentally discharged.

Nov. 5 A man was shot outside a dorm of a Langston, Oklahoma, university.

Nov. 11 A 19-year-old student was shot getting out of a vehicle near Achievement Academy, a high school, in Baltimore, Maryland. Law enforcement authorities believe shooter and victim had been in an altercation.

Nov. 14 Two students, aged 14 and 15, were killed and three injured in a shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California. The shooter, 16, turned the weapon on himself and later died.

Nov. 15 One adult and two children were injured in Pleasantville, New Jersey, when gunfire erupted at high school football game.

Barely over two months ago in September, one of 45 school shootings took place at Fayetteville State University where a 20-year-old former football player was found with numerous gunshot wounds.

When are we going to stop this, or are we even going to try?

Other nations have issues of violence with various causes, but no nation — I repeat — no nation tolerates the gun violence to which we have apparently grown inured. No other nation allows civilians to own weapons of war designed to kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time possible. 

What if Sandy Hook happened not at Sandy Hook Elementary but at VanStory Hills or Benjamin Martin Elementary and your child, grandchild, niece or nephew were in one of the classrooms shot up by the shooter? 

What if instead of Saugus High School, an alienated 16-year-old shot up Jack Britt or E.E. Smith High Schools with your terrified child, grandchild, niece or nephew trying to find safety? A Saugus student told an interviewer that students there choose classes not by subject matter but by which classrooms have large, locking closets.

How much longer are we going to make our young people live like this?
  
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Two stories from the “Who Knew?” department.

The Pew Research Center reports this startling find. It seems that between 1995 and today, some 59% of adult Americans between 18 and 44 lived with an unmarried partner, handily out pacing the 50% who have been married. During that same time, the percentage of currently marrieds dropped from 58 to 53%, while the percentage of those cohabitating rose a full 7%. So glad my grandmother missed this news flash.

And, this happy news from the animal kingdom. As we in North Carolina know all too well, hurricanes can be major weather events with strange consequences. Hurricane Dorian slammed the Bahamas in September before moseying on to make landfall at Cape Hatteras. Just south, Ocracoke Island was stunned by a 7-foot storm surge that flattened homes and businesses and from which the community is struggling to recover. During the storm, three wild cows living on Cedar Island went missing, presumably swept out to sea. Well, not so fast. It seems the trio has turned up 4 miles away on the Cape Lookout National Seashore, happily munching federal grass.

I don’t begrudge them one bit!
 
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When I was a child, Thanksgiving was always at our grandparents’ house, complete with white tablecloths and fancy china. In more recent years, it has been with cousins and friends, less formal and sometimes rollicking fun. Thanksgiving 2019 will be different still, but always a welcome respite with folks near and dear.

Wishing you and yours a warm and peaceful Thanksgiving wherever you may be!

The basketball court at E.E. Smith High School is named in honor of the school’s veteran girls basketball coach, Dee Hardy, for a reason.

Her Smith girls have been frequent visitors to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A playoffs.

Last year, led by current Wake Forest University freshman Alex Scruggs, they made one of the deepest runs in Smith history.

With Scruggs leading the way, Smith went 30-2, falling only to North Raleigh Christian in the John Wall Invitational and Southeast Guilford in the 3-A Eastern Regional finals.
Southeast went on to win the state 3-A championship, beating Cuthbertson 56-49 in the title game.

The bad news for Hardy is the bulk of the talent on that team came from her seniors who are now departed. Along with Scruggs, the losses include players like Daireanna McIntyre, Danielle Tripp and Trinity Dixon.

Scruggs departed E.E. Smith as one of the most decorated players in school history.

She was the Sandhills Athletic Conference Player of the Year for the 2018-19 season.

She led Cumberland County Schools in scoring with 26.2 points per game. She was also its top rebounder at 12.8 rebounds per contest.

While three-point shooting wasn’t her specialty, she still finished fourth in the county in that category with 45 made shots for the season.

She also contributed 3.2 assists per contest.

McIntyre was the team’s No. 2 rebounder behind Scruggs with 6.1 per contest.

But the cupboard won’t be completely bare for Smith. First-team All-Patriot Athletic Conference guard Kendall Macauley is back for Smith, along with honorable mention all-conference swing player Keonna Bryant.

Macauley is the leading returning scoring for the Smith girls, averaging 9.3 points per game last season. Bryant is the No. 2 scorer back from last year’s team with an average of 7.8 points per contest.

“We are looking for big things from them as far as leadership and direction on the court,’’ Hardy said.

Macauley feels she let the seniors down last year, falling just short of making the state title game.

She doesn’t think this year’s team is feeling pressure to duplicate the record of a year ago.

“If we do what we’re supposed to do in practice and execute in games, we’ll be fine,’’ Macauley said.
Macauley said her focus will be to bring energy to the team and play a mentoring role to the younger players.
“I want to make sure I put them in the right direction,’’ Macauley said.

Filling the huge void left by Scruggs will be a challenge, Hardy said. Scruggs, the conference player of the year, led all Cumberland County Schools scorers with 26.2 points per game and a county-best 12.8 points per game.

The job of replacing those points and rebounds will have to be done by a process Hardy describes as by committee.

“We won’t depend on one person to pick up the load,’’ Hardy said. “It’s going to have to be done as a team. We have some young players coming in who have a lot on their shoulders.’’
Hardy said they won’t have the luxury of veterans playing in front of them to allow them time to take advantage of a learning experience.

“They are going to get it right in the face while they are on the court,’’ Hardy said. “That pressure will be on them.’’

One returning player Hardy is counting on is 6-foot junior center Jordan Everett. Everett is rehabbing from a knee injury suffered last year and hopes to return sometime close to the December holiday break.

Smith could use her sooner rather than later because Smith will already be playing conference basketball games Friday, Nov. 22 when it faces old rival Terry Sanford.
“We’re not going to have a lot of time once the season cranks up,’’ she said. “We’ll get hit with everything and put them out there and see what happens.’’

Hardy isn’t sure what to expect from the rest of the Patriot Athletic Conference this season.

She knows Pine Forest lost star Kendal Moore, now a freshman at North Carolina State.

Hardy said she’s always wary of South View and its veteran coach, Brent Barker. “I know everybody has been working hard and it’s going to be a coin toss to see what happens,’’ she said.

She feels Smith has the potential to be in the championship mix but knows that means nothing if the potential isn’t developed.

“Because we’re so young, it’s just talk,’’ she said. “Our key is going to be our chemistry. Of course with every team, defense is an emphasis.’’

Lacking height, Hardy said this Smith team will have to defend, box out and rebound to compete. “We need to get to know each other and trust each other so we’re able to play,’’ Hardy said.

Macauley said the Smith team has much to learn, but Hardy will be a great teacher. “As long as we have her staying on top of us we’ll be fine for the rest of the season,’’ she said.

Picture 1: The basketball court at E.E. Smith is named after Dee Hardy, pictured above.

Picture 2: Kendall Macauley

Moonshine has come to my rescue.

I am always trying to find ways to make North Carolina No. 1 in something important.

Thanks to University of North Carolina at Asheville Professor Daniel Pierce, we have a substantial claim to be No. 1. In his new book, “Tar Heel Lightnin’: How Secret Stills and Fast Cars Made North Carolina the Moonshine Capital of the World,” he asserts that our state is tops in moonshine. He writes, “Indeed, if North Carolina has ever held the distinction of being number one nationally in anything, it is in moonshine production.”

Then, in about 275 pages, showing the long and rich history of the making, sale and consumption of illegal liquor, he shows why and how North Carolina developed its No. 1 connection with what we call moonshine, also known by other names, such as corn liquor, white lighting, blockade, home brew and a host of other terms.

“From the earliest colonial times, farmers, using techniques their families had learned in the British Isles, distilled their corn and fruit into whisky and brandy.”

Until Civil War times, no government restrictions prevented them from making alcoholic beverages to trade or sell. In 1862, the national government passed an excise tax on liquor. After the Civil War, most farmers and other small producers ignored the tax, continued their production and made themselves petty criminals. Federal tax collectors tried to catch these moonshiners and put them out of business and into jail.

The high cost of tax-paid liquor made the production of untaxed moonshine more profitable and more prevalent in every part of North Carolina.

The prohibition movement was growing. In 1909, the state implemented statewide prohibition. Then in 1920, national prohibition went into effect.

Pierce says, “Prohibition only increased the market for moonshine in the state and kept the state in the forefront of illegal liquor production nationally through the 1960s.”

As legal liquor became more available, this shine on moonshine dimmed.

Pierce’s great storytelling gifts make his thorough study of moonshine a fun read.

For instance, he gathers short articles on legendary personalities into a hypothetical “North Carolina Moonshine Hall of Fame (and Shame).”

My favorite of Pierce’s Hall of Famers is Percy Flowers. He was born in 1903 and grew up in Johnston County on a farm near the community of Archer Lodge. He left home at 16 to get away from an abusive father. He learned the liquor making craft from an African American expert and parlayed that expertise into a multi-million dollar enterprise. He was an organizer, hiring others to make the moonshine while he managed the distribution.

I first heard of Flowers from Lynwood Parker, owner of the White Swan Bar-B-Que near Smithfield. Flowers once owned the building where White Swan is today. Ever since, I have been eager to learn more about Flowers. Pierce has obliged.

Flowers entered the business about the time the 18th Amendment’s national prohibition began in 1920. He told people he made more money during those prohibition years than any other period of his life.

Pierce writes, “He was successful not only in making a fortune, producing and selling illegal liquor but also, especially given his high profile, in evading law enforcement.”

Flowers is joined in the Hall by famous figures such as Junior Johnson, the legendary race car driver who learned his trade driving moonshine in cars fast enough to evade the revenuers. Others include Rhoda Lowry, the widow of Lumbee hero Henry Berry Lowry and modern media figures, Popcorn Sutton and Jim Tom Hedrick, who had brands of “legal moonshine” named after them.

There is more, so much more. So if you are looking for a Christmas present for a hard-to-give friend or family member, “Tar Heel Lightnin’” could be a good option.

As some of you know, I get packer's anxiety. I travel a lot, but I have a list for my list. Anytime I can simplify my packing and downsize my load is a win.

 When packing, everything has a place, and every place has a purpose for your travels. Space is always a challenge when traveling. Over the last six months, I have been working on reinventing my packing methods. In the past, my packing was a hot mess. Finding what I wanted when I wanted it was often frustrating. While motorcycling, every day you pack and unpack. Being organized makes for less mess and less stress and saves time.

 Packing cubes are one of those things I have found to be great. I have about eight different sizes of cubes for various space limitations. I used to pack my clothes by items. All underwear, socks, etc., were together. Now I pack by the day. The cubes I bought are dual-sided. One side is waterproof, and the other side is vented. This is good for separating dry and wet clothes or dirty and clean clothes.

 Laundry soap bars are a great way to wash your clothes on the road. I know this sounds crazy, but wearing your dirty clothes in the shower and soaping them up is good way to do the laundry after a long day of riding.

 Ziploc bags are great. I have a ton of them in different sizes. I use these for things I need to keep dry, and I can see what is what. I use them to waterproof my wallet to keep it dry while riding through the rain. I use them for my medications. I use heavier bags for my tools so I can quickly find the right tool for the right job.

I have a few small clear cosmetic bags for packing my electronic chargers and cables.

 On one trip, I pulled off from an ATM and did not realize I left my ATM card in the machine until I got to the next gas station. I was in Kansas City and had to borrow some money from a friend to finish the trip. These days, I carry a spare credit card and cash and keep them on the bike, just in case something happens to my wallet, or  I do something stupid like leave my card in an ATM.

As you continue to refine your packing skills, Nirvana is achieved when everything has a place, and every place has a purpose for your travels. If not, you overpacked.

If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, you can contact me at motorcycle4fun@aol.com. Ride safe!

Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission is North Carolina’s largest independent electricity distribution agency. PWC manages, operates and supervises electric, water and wastewater utilities in Fayetteville. It owns and operates the Butler-Warner Generation Plant, a gas-turbine-based electric generation facility. But Public Works purchases most of its power from energy suppliers, including Duke Energy Progress.

PWC has reached an agreement with Duke Energy that is expected to result in over $300 million in savings for its customers. The new deal modifies the current wholesale power supply agreement, which began in 2012 and runs through June 2042. But PWC has an option to end the agreement in June 2024. Amending the contract early provides both savings and long-term power supply stability for the next 22 years.

The parties expect to submit the revised agreement to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for approval by February 2020. Through renegotiations, the change is expected to save PWC $313 million. Over the past two years, the commission has examined various options and alternatives for PWC’s power supply after 2024. The amendment to the contract with Duke Energy is the only one that provides PWC and its customer’s savings before July 2024. 

“Long-term power supply is the most significant decision PWC has to make because it is the No. 1 factor in providing our customers reliable electric service at a reasonable cost,” said David Trego, PWC CEO and general manager. “Purchased energy is our largest single expense for PWC, and there are many factors and risks, in addition to cost, that had to be taken into consideration.”

When compared to other options, DEP offered the best combination of competitive rates and low risks, including PWC maintaining the highest level of delivery reliability. Duke Energy agreed to continue giving PWC the same service priority as Duke’s own retail customers. In addition to savings and reliability, the amended agreement allows PWC to promote additional conservation and zero impact on PWC’s bond rating.

“Our Board of Commissioners is very pleased that the leadership team has negotiated a mutually advantageous, long term, energy agreement with Duke Power on behalf of our customers,” said Evelyn Shaw, PWC Chairwoman. “For many years into the future, this agreement will undergird PWC’s goal of reliable, sustainable, low cost energy for our customers.” The terms of the amended agreement run through 2042 and PWC has the option to end the contract in 2032.

In a separate agreement, DEP agreed to continue leasing the Butler-Warner Generation Plant. Under the existing lease contract, Duke Energy allows PWC to operate the plant as needed for $12 million annually. New terms extend the contract through June 2024 for an additional $5 million in PWC revenue. PWC may be able to achieve additional savings beyond 2024 if operational requirements are met. The Public Works Commission provides electric service to more than 82,000 customers in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. The local utility is the largest public power provider in the state and the 36th largest in the United States.

We live in a country and world that are in disarray, headed toward certain self-destruction. Our only hope is in turning to God and following the way that he calls us to. Our failure to make this turn is, for the most part, because far too many Christians and Christian churches are failing to act with the boldness necessary to influence such a change of course.

John Charles Ryle was an English evangelical Anglican bishop who lived from 1816 to 1900. In his time, he said something that accurately describes the American Christian condition: “There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have enough — a cheap Christianity which offends nobody and requires no sacrifice — which costs nothing, and is worth nothing.”

Rectifying this “cheap Christianity” and, thereby, saving this nation — and even the world — from impending doom, requires that a multitude of Christians stand up and demonstrate a kind of boldness that is almost extinct in our nation. It means leading people to unite based on their shared Godly values and beliefs. Coming to this state of being creates an atmosphere where the challenging conditions that divide us can be peacefully and successfully addressed. Essential to this process is the presence and movement of the Holy Spirit.

On Sunday, Oct. 20, I saw an unequivocal real-life demonstration of how this process of gathering around shared Godly values and beliefs can unite people and create an atmosphere where the challenges of our world can be successfully addressed. Making this event happen required tremendous boldness on the part of two Fayetteville pastors. Dr. Jamale Johnson is pastor of Mount Sinai Baptist Church and Rev. Rob James at First Baptist Church. Mount Sinai is a black congregation while First Baptist is nearly totally white.

Having never met, in the spring of 2019, both pastors agreed to participate in a pulpit exchange that as part of the AsONE Prayer Walk. This is an event where people of various ages, ethnicities, religious denominations and backgrounds gather to walk through downtown, stopping to pray at five designated stations.

When agreeing to participate in the pulpit exchange where one pastor would preach at another’s church, and vice versa, they were fully aware that they would probably be paired with a church where the majority of the people in the congregation were racially different from people of the congregation that they serve. Of the hundreds of pastors in the Fayetteville area, only a handful agreed to participate in this pulpit exchange program. In a time of tremendous racial divide and tension where this threatening condition worsens every day, these pastors exchanged pulpits April 7. Dr. Johnson preached at First Baptist and Rev. James at Mount Sinai. This was boldness in action.

Even bolder was the commitment by these pastors that they would not allow that pulpit exchange to be the end of their efforts to have the two racially different congregations work together. That commitment, that boldness, led to a joint worship service at First Baptist Oct. 20. We worshipped and then had a meal together.

The worship service and meal required cooperative planning by the pastors and members of both churches. The result was amazing participation in these two phases by members of both churches. That participation ran from a combined choir to Scripture reading, prayer, supporting musicians, a children’s sermon, liturgical dance and an offering donated to relief in the Bahamas. Johnson served as the worship leader, and Rev. James preached. Early in the worship service, Johnson invited the congregants to greet one another. Those greetings were genuine. Smiles, hardy handshakes and hugs were all around.

James’ sermon was titled “A New heaven and A New Earth” with Revelation 21:1-4, 22-26 as the Scripture focus. He explained that we live in times of harmful separations, divisions and distinctions driven by tradition, race, culture and even pain. However, when the kingdom comes and the new heaven and new earth (as described by John in Revelation) are in place, these harmful separations will be no more. Nearing the end of his sermon, James said  279 years refers to the combined time that Mount Sinai and First Baptist have served the Fayetteville community: “I don’t think we should wait for the coming of the kingdom to get a glimpse of it right now. And I don’t think we have to. Look around. Look at what’s happening this morning; something that hasn’t happened in 279 years. Two churches, two families of faith praising God together, joining in fellowship, in prayer, in song as one. What we are looking at this morning is a reflection of not just heaven, but of the new heaven and the new earth that God has had in mind from the very beginning of all things.”

In that combined worship service and meal, I saw an atmosphere where the challenging conditions that divide us could be peacefully and successfully addressed. Essential to this process was the presence and movement of the Holy Spirit. Giving life to this atmosphere conducive to societal healing requires a kind of boldness that is extremely rare in our time.
(Segments of this service, along with Rev. Rob James’ sermon, are available for viewing at:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sijb6PfHj0c)

Photos contributed by Paula Young and Anna Brown