Fall is in the air, and with it comes a bevy of activities ranging from hayrides and pumpkin patches to haunted trails and houses and even zombie-related events. Here are some favorites you won’t want to miss.

The Poe House at the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex may have a few skeletons in its closets. Come find out Oct. 23-25 as the museum partners with Gilbert Theater for the eight season of “Hallowe’en Revels: Night Tours of the 1897 Poe House.” This year’s theme is “invoking spirits.”  Call 910-500-4240 for more information.

Maybe the Poe House isn’t the only local dwelling with ghostly visitors. The Sandford House at Heritage Square in downtown Fayetteville is said to have spirits with unfinished businesses lurking in its halls. Through Oct. 31, join Q98, Magic 106.9, Rock 103 and WFNC along with the Association of Paranormal Study to investigate Hauntings at Heritage Square. Participants in each tour will be provided ghost hunting equipment for the event. Tours last about 90 minutes. Call 910-401-9857 for tickets and information.

If you’ve never been to a Zombie Walk or a Zombie Prom, head downtown Oct. 25. In addition to 4th Friday festivities, prepare for a zombie invasion. It’s open to everyone. The Zombie Walk preparty starts at 6 p.m. at Headquarters Library on Maiden Lane. There will be music, face painting, costume contests and more. Johnny Awesome will be the master of ceremonies and will conduct the walk and will be the MC until participants leave for the official Zombie Prom After Party at The Tap House, which is next door to Huske Hardware. The Zombie Walk starts at 8 p.m. — only those dressed as zombies will be part of the street walk. There will also be three bands, The Answers, KEYSE and The Sherman Neckties. Search Fayetteville Zombie Walk & Prom 2019 Downtown of Facebook for more information.

If you are looking for something more low key to do on Oct. 25, check out the The All-American City Jazz Festival: Beach and Shag Music at Festival Park. The jazz festival runs through Oct. 27 and includes local as well as nationally renowned performers. Call 910-987-2426 to learn more.

 Halloween at the Boo-tanical Garden is the perfect family-friendly event for the younger set. Oct. 25-27, the Cape Fear Botanical Garden welcomes families to come and trick or treat throughout the garden and enjoy hayrides and lawn games. Visit capefearbg.org for details.

The Stoney Point Trail of Terror is a hair-raising tradition for many in the area. Through Nov. 2, venture into the darkness at the rear of the Stoney Point Fire Department property for an experience that includes state-of-the-art sound, lighting and environmental effects and live actors determined to scare even the most stoic of visitors. Other events at the Stoney Point FD include a Zombie Rampage. Load up your paintball marker and take on the field of zombies as they come you. A more child-friendly event is the Trail of Candy. This takes place during daylight hours Saturday, Oct. 26 from noon until 2 p.m. Bring the kids, enjoy a costume contest, trick or treating, concessions and more. Call 910-424-0694 to learn more.

Gallberry Corn Maze is one of several local mazes. Through Nov. 3, guests can enjoy 12 acres of nothing but fun. There are nearly 20 attractions designed to keep the entire family engaged —  farm animals, pig racing, hayrides, a jumping pillow, bouncy ball corral, corn hole, Spookley the Square Pumpkin barn, covered picnic area, a giant corn shack, pony lasso, barrel train rides, photo ops, double barrel tube slide, a fire pit, fantastic food, hay mountain, air cannons and much more. Find out more at gallberrycornmaze.com.

Dirtbag Ales and Rogue Alpha Athletics will host the Dirtbag Ales Halloween Beer Mile Oct. 26 at Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom from 5-8 p.m. Come in your best Halloween costume and run, jog, walk, crawl the 1 mile-ish course and enjoy four 10-ounce beers from Dirtbag Ales brewery. Participants must be 21 or older to drink beer. Search the Dirtbag Ales Halloween Beer Mile on Facebook for details.

Trick or treat at the Poe House Oct. 26 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. While you are there, search for ravens in the Poe House, play old-fashioned games, listen to a Halloween story and enjoy a free concert. Joy the Clown will be there, too, performing magic tricks. And don’t miss the costume contest, too. Admission is free. Call 910-500-4240 to learn more.

Arnette Park will host a Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat Saturday, Oct. 26, from 4-6 p.m.  Enjoy food, candy, games, face painting, and inflatables for children. The event is hosted by Sapona Road Church. Find out more at https://www.saponaroadchurch.com. Everything is free, but registration is requested.

Count Dracula’s Livery and Carriage Services will be downtown Oct. 31 to offer Perfectly Horrible Carriage Rides to kids and their families from 3-8 p.m. Dracula’s carriage, pulled by horses black as death, will rumble over the brick-paved streets of old downtown for a heart-stopping ride. Photo ops with the count are part of the adventure, so come in your best costume. Call 910-286-3979 to make reservations. Tickets cost $5 for children under 10 and $10 for adults. 

The political climate is changing in Hope Mills, and it is changing for the better. Why? Because residents are realizing that Hope Mills is no longer a media desert. The more informed Hope Mills residents are, the more they become involved and learn about the community and its challenges and opportunities and about the people entrusted with managing the town’s valuable assets. Through the citizens’ engagement, the town becomes more vibrant, relevant and livable.

 

Of course, all the above will take a little time and effort on the part of the residents. However, as the recent series of Community Roundtables sponsored by our newspaper and the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce and the 2019 Candidates’ Forum sponsored by the ALMS HOUSE and hosted by the Hope Mills Shrine Club so aptly demonstrated, positive, constructive and open conversation combined with limited exposure to negative and gossipy social media outlets will make for more trusted, healthy and effective communication.

 

Get involved. This type of personal interaction has never failed to build relationships and net positive, constructive results. Eventually, it will displace that traditional nagging cloud of negativity that hovers over Hope Mills as a result of the abundant dissemination of hate talk, misinformation, deception and just plain lies perpetrated by selfish self-serving people, people who care more about themselves than the wellbeing of 16,000 Hope Mills residents.

 

Recently, a near-perfect example of this has been reported several times in The Fayetteville Observer. Hope Mills Commissioner Meg Larson has opted out of running for a second term because she couldn’t stomach the thought of serving another term with fellow commissioner Pat Edwards and Mayor Jackie Warner. Yet, she has allowed Lisa Carter Waring, writer for The Fayetteville Observer’s Sandspur and founder and administrator of the Hope Mills Chatter, a private, hatemongering social media blog that encourages and bolsters the childish antics of malcontents like Larson. Waring initiated a write-in campaign to re-elect Larson. Larson, by the way, has gone on record to declare that if she is elected she will serve, but only if political compadre, Mayor pro tem Mike Mitchell defeats Jackie Warner for the mayoral spot. If Warner wins, she will not serve. This is proof positive that these people have vindictive hate agendas. This is an explicit indication that the best interest and welfare of the town of Hope Mills and its residents are not being served.

 

In closing, this is my invitation for you to join us at the next Hope Mills Community Roundtable and see for yourself what a positive, progressive community Hope Mills is and meet the people who are making the difference.

Hope Mills Community Roundtables bring citizens together to effect positive change in the community.

When veteran athletic administrator Fred McDaniel became the latest person with Fayetteville ties to be named to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, he had difficulty figuring what the fuss was about.
“I don’t know why you’re doing this,’’ he said after learning he was a member of the 2020 class of inductees that will be honored in April. “I’m just doing my job. I was doing what I was supposed to.’’

In doing that job, McDaniel has become recognized in both Cumberland County and around the state of North Carolina as a hardworking professional who helped raise the profile of the athletic director’s job while also providing guidance and leadership to others in the position.

A Fayetteville native, McDaniel is a graduate of old Central High School and what is now the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, earning a degree in health and physical education.

He taught briefly at Red Springs High School before returning to Cumberland County to coach baseball, wrestling and football at Terry Sanford High School.

He advanced to the administrative level in 1988 when he became athletic director and assistant principal at Westover High School.

From there, he went to the same position at Cape Fear High School in 1994, then moved to the Cumberland County Schools central office as student activities director, were he remained until 1999 when he retired from full-time work.

McDaniel played a key role for the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association, which earned him both state and national recognition.

He received a citation award from the National Federation of State High School Associations in 2011 and was selected to the NCADA Hall of Fame in 2013. He’s also a member of the Fayetteville Sports Club Hall of Fame.

The NCHSAA honored him with its Dave Harris Award as the state’s athletic director of the year.

McDaniel gives credit for much of his success as an athletic administrator to three great athletic directors he worked with earlier in is career: Len Maness at Terry Sanford, John Daskal at Reid Ross and Terry Sanford and Bill Carver of E.E. Smith, also a former county student activities director.

“These people helped me tremulously along the way and made me what I was,’’ he said. “I want to give them credit too. Len Maness taught me more than I can imagine anybody could teach me about life and anything else.
“They did it for me. They made me who I am.’’

McDaniel said the most gratifying thing about his career were the memories of times former players came back to him and thanked him for the influence he had on their lives.

“You don’t see it right then,’’ he said. “Down the road you see you had an influence, hopefully a positive influence.’’

Another area where McDaniel has had a positive influence is teaching NCADA Leadership Training Institute courses for fellow athletic directors to help them better understand the nature of their job.

McDaniel remembered when he was first hired as an athletic director he was given a set of keys and pointed toward the football field.

“We’ve tried to make it easier for people so they know what to do better,’’ he said. McDaniel still teaches LTI courses for the NCADA.

“We want to make a better athletic program for the kids,’’ McDaniel said. “It’s all about the kids.’’

From L-R: NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker takes a picture  with Fred McDaniel and his Hall of Fame plaque.

Editor's note: The Cape Fear girls won their third consecutive N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A East Regional title on Tuesday and Toni Blackwell took her second consecutive individual title. Blackwell shot a 76 at Reedy Creek Golf Course in Four Oaks. The Colt team shot a 269 to beat second-place Topsail High school by nine strokes. Cape Fear’s other scores that counted were a 91 by Gabby Bynum and a 102 by Lexi Perez. After a season dominating play in the Patriot Athletic Conference, the Cape Fear girls golf team is ready to make another run at state golf honors.

Led by overall conference champion Toni Blackwell, Cape Fear won all seven conference regular-season tournaments, with Blackwell taking medalist honors each time.

Blackwell averaged 77.9 per match, only shooting one round in the 80s. The average winning score for the Colt team was 268.8.

They ended the regular season with a round of 255, their lowest of the year, on their home course at Baywood Golf Club.

Colt golf coach Todd Edge said the final two weeks of the season the team exceeded his expectations. In the last match at Baywood his top four golfers all broke 100.

He knew the Colts would be led by returning veterans Blackwell and Gabby Bynum, but at the start of the season he was concerned who would step up to provide the third score in each match that’s used to determine the team total.
That turned out to be freshman Lexi Perez, who ended the season with a 100.6 average.

“We knew she could hit the ball, but there’s a difference between hitting and scoring,’’ Edge said. “She has really picked it up and become our No. 3 scorer for the majority of the season.’’

This is only Perez’s second year playing golf, and she said she felt pressure not to let the team down and prevent them from having a chance to take the conference title again.

“All of my clubs have improved from when I started,’’ she said.

With her one round of 83, Blackwell missed her goal of having all of her regular season rounds in the 70s. She felt she played well during the year and is looking forward to another shot at regional and state success.

“I think it will help me and Gabby because we know what to expect and we’re used to it,’’ she said of the postseason. “We have to stay focused, work hard and practice.’’

Bynum said the biggest difference in the postseason will be the level of competition the Colts will face. “These girls are shooting in the 70s and lower 80s,’’ she said. “It’s just the nerves. They really do get to you.’’

She said the key to success in the postseason will be containing nerves and hitting the ball well in the right spots.

The Colts have won the 3-A East Regional tournament the past two seasons, but Edge knows winning a third will be a challenge.

The regional was held this past Monday at Reedy Creek Golf Course in Four Oaks.

It’s the home course for a number of schools scheduled to play in the regional, so they all have more experience on the course than the Cape Fear golfers do.

The state tournament, which the Colts hope to qualify for, will be held at Foxfire Village’s Red Course.

”It’s been closed for the majority of the year,’’ Edge said of the Red Course. “They redid their greens.’’

Cape Fear finished fifth in the state on the Red course last season.

“We’ve got to get there first,’’ Edge said. “Going to the regionals is our goal, then getting a team into states. Once we get to states, we’ll see.’’

Pictured from top to bottom: Toni Blackwell, Gabby Bynum, Lexi Perez

Elements of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command are conducting realistic military training on Fort Bragg and in the greater Fayetteville area, including Hope Mills, from Oct. 28 until Nov. 22.

You may see soldiers in civilian clothes meeting at predetermined locations throughout the city as part of the training scenario. This has been coordinated with Fayetteville law enforcement and the city manager and the town manager of Hope Mills.

This type of training is routine and gives soldiers the opportunity to work in a more realistic environment. The military sincerely appreciates the cooperation of citizens and local businesses in the vicinity of this training and apologizes for any disturbance it may cause.

Q. Are townspeople likely to notice anything?

A. The soldiers taking part in this training will not be in uniform, carrying weapons or driving military vehicles. Members of the community are not likely to notice anything out of the ordinary while this training is conducted.

Q. Can you share anything about the general purpose of the exercise?

A. Special operations soldiers regularly conduct this type of training off of military installations because it adds an increased level of realism and greater training value for our special operations personnel.

Q. Why does the exercise last as long as it does?

A. Four weeks is simply the amount of time it will take to cover all of the course material and complete the practical exercises. Readiness determines our ability to fight and win our nation’s wars. It is the capability of our forces to conduct the full range of military operations to defeat all enemies regardless of the threats they pose.

Q. Will different Fort Bragg personnel rotate in and out of the exercise from week to week or will it be the same group of participants start to finish?

A. This is a single course, therefore the same personnel will be participating in this training for the entire four weeks.

Q. Is this a 24/7 event or will the exercise only be in morning or evening hours?

A. This training will mostly be conducted during the day, Monday through Friday.

Q. How many personnel will take part?

A. A total of 18 students will take part in this course.

Q. What kind of things will the participants be doing?

A. Special operations soldiers will be conducting network enabler training. This training will certify civil affairs soldiers on their informant network-building skills, a critical skill for special operations soldiers.

Small groups of soldiers in civilian clothes will conduct interviews in public places throughout the greater Fayetteville area. It is important to note that any interaction with members of the public will be secondary.

Soldiers will not be interacting with members of the public to gather information for this training.

All information gathering will take place between students and instructors or previous graduates of the course.

War hero or murderer? It’s a question that has dogged the military career of Army Maj. Mathew L. Golsteyn for eight years. Golsteyn’s story is an extraordinary one — a Green Beret decorated for valor in combat who, during a job interview with the C.I.A. in 2011, volunteered that he had killed a suspected bomb-maker a year earlier in Afghanistan. The Army opened an investigation but did not charge Golsteyn, instead stripping him of a Silver Star and issuing a letter of reprimand.

President Donald Trump intervened in the case via Twitter, saying, “I will be reviewing the case of a U.S. Military hero, Major Matt Golsteyn, who is charged with murder.” As commander in chief, Trump complicated the military’s case against Golsteyn, raising questions of undue command influence, as well as the possibility that the prosecution is bound to be short-circuited by a pardon. With that tweet, Trump made an extraordinary intervention into the American judicial system.

“Major Golsteyn admitted to what appears to be a summary execution — a very serious crime under international law, and it is vital that the investigation go forward,” said Patricia Gossman, senior researcher for Afghanistan at Human Rights Watch.

Three years ago, in an appearance on Fox News, Major Golsteyn again said he had shot the Afghan. The Army opened a second investigation in late 2016, and charged Golsteyn with murder. In an interview, Golsteyn’s lawyer, Phillip Stackhouse, called the Army’s decision to charge his client with murder a case of “political correctness,” and said he was glad that Trump was going to look into it.

Golsteyn was in Afghanistan in 2010 during the battle for the city of Marja in the Helmand Province. More than 15,000 American, Afghan, British, Canadian, Danish and Estonian troops attacked the Taliban stronghold. Over the next several months, dozens of Americans were killed, and hundreds were wounded. In February of that year, a roadside bomb killed two Marines who had been working with Major Golsteyn’s Green Beret team. There are conflicting accounts of what happened next.

Army documents, which claim to recount what Major Golsteyn told the C.I.A., suggest that he and his team began clearing buildings looking for the source of the roadside bomb, eventually finding explosive materials like those used in the bomb that killed the Marines. The team took a suspected bomb-maker back to its base where he was identified as a member of the Taliban. Golsteyn and another American soldier, concerned that if released, the man would kill American troops, took him off the base, shot and killed him and buried his remains in a shallow grave, the documents say.

According to public reporting and his admission, Golsteyn returned to the burial site to retrieve the body and burned it in a burn pit. Prosecutors say such alleged actions provide powerful insight into the major’s criminal state of mind at the time of the killing. A court-martial is set for Dec. 2 at Fort Bragg, the home of Army Special Operations. Golsteyn will stand trial for premeditated murder. He pleaded not guilty in July.

Pictured: Maj. Matthew Goldsteyn

At Fayetteville Technical Community College, you can have lots of fun while majoring in electronics engineering technology. One of the courses offered, ELN-133 “Digital Electronics,” provides the opportunity to have fun programming gate arrays. Field Programmable Gate Arrays are electronic components used to perform a specific task or tasks. One really cool aspect of using these devices is that you get some great hands-on experience with both coding,  or software, and implementation on a development board, or hardware.

Want to create a really neat calculator? Use the toggle switches to represent 1s and 0s for your input numbers and LEDs for your output result. As an added bonus, you get to learn binary numbers. Want to implement a stopwatch to time how long it takes you to do 10 push-ups or 10 sit-ups? Use a push-button switch to perform the start or stop operation and the seven segment displays to show how many minutes and seconds have elapsed during your workout. Want to write a fun message for your friends? The seven-segment displays will allow you to accomplish this.

In addition to using the development board, you can also run simulations on your design on the computer. This process allows you to make sure your stuff is working right. Simply provide the inputs you desire and validate the outputs. For example, if I perform 2 + 2 on my calculator, do I get 4? Does my stopwatch start when I press the push-button and display the elapsed time? Is my message what I expected or did I make a typo?

How about using the seven-segment display to count in hexadecimal? Show your friends how cool you are because you know both binary and hexadecimal.

FPGAs are a great application of electronics engineering technology. They provide a fun way to learn about different aspects of the field of study. Let’s use the calculator as an example. You learn about the theory of how computers do arithmetic using 2s complement. You learn how to program in a language called VHDL as well as doing schematic capture. You gain valuable hands-on experience doing both simulation on the computer and verification on the development board. Learn more about all of these things at FTCC.

In addition to this single course, the Electronics Engineering Technology program at FTCC offers many more classes, which prepare you for a career as a technician or for further study in the field leading to a bachelor’s degree. Classes in computer programming, programmable logic controllers, microprocessor applications, robotics as well as others provide fun ways of learning about electronics.

Visit our website at www.faytechcc.edu and enter “electronics engineering technology” in the search tool for more details about the Electronics Engineering Technology program of study:
www.faytechcc.edu/academics/engineering-applied-technology-programs/electronics-engineering-technology/

The Cumberland County Veterans Council is sponsoring the Fayetteville Veterans Day parade this year on Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. in downtown Fayetteville.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2018, 8-9.9% of the adult population of North Carolina was made up of veterans. Across the nation, and especially in a town so near to Fort Bragg, honoring the sacrifice of military service members is important.

This year, the parade’s theme is “Celebrating Gold Star Families.” “(For themes,) we’ve done female veterans, we’ve done gold star mothers, we’ve honored our veterans and thought it was time we honored the families,” said Penny Cacoulidis, president of the Cumberland County Veterans Council and the parade director.

“A gold star family is one that has lost a loved one, be it a father, a mother, a brother, sister, son, aunt or uncle — a family that has lost a loved one due to protecting this nation and our freedom,” she explained.

Although the theme is centered around gold star families, the event honors all veterans. The Council plans the event, but hosting an event like this one in Fayetteville requires help beyond what the Council alone can do. With the help of the city of Fayetteville, several Cumberland County departments and an abundance of volunteers, veterans can be honored at the ceremony. More volunteers are still needed for the event.

The grand marshall of the parade will be a gold star mother. The people walking in the parade will represent 114 organizations. These groups include Sons of the Revolution, bike organizations and high school bands and more.

Businesses will not advertise in the parade so as to keep the focus on the veterans.

“They are all veterans organizations,” Cacoulidis explained.

Established in 1919 and originally called Armistice Day, Veterans Day was started by President Wilson to honor soldiers who died while serving their country.  Wilson said, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.”

Cacoulidis urged, “It’s time we go out and say to our nation, ‘The strength veterans showed by joining the military, whether they were called up in the draft or they joined out of their own will — they do it to support our nation.’”

Heroes Homecoming will host a variety of events that weekend.

“We’re attempting through the council to do a sponsorship for the Gold Star Dinner which will be on October 8. We are hoping to get the sponsorships that we are needing,” Cacoulidis said.

Volunteers are going to go through the crowds and pass out signs that say “thank you” that people can hold.

The parade route begins at the intersection of Hay Street where Bragg Boulevard and Robeson Street meet, by the U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum, and proceeds down Hay Street around the Market House, and ends on Cool Spring Street.

For more information on the Veterans Day Parade, visit the website at http://www.fayveteransdayparade.com/ or call Penny Cacoulidis at 910-200-7242.

To say the Gray’s Creek Bears have dominated volleyball play in the Patriot Athletic Conference this season is an understatement.

Through games of Tuesday, Oct. 15, the Bears are 21-0 overall, 16-0 in the league, and have already clinched the regular-season title. To date, they’ve lost just three sets.

Regardless of how they fare in the conference tournament, they are assured the No. 1 berth from the league in the upcoming state tournament.

Early projections by WRAL-TV’s High School OT have the Bears as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern bracket, although official state tournament pairings won’t be out until all conference tournament play is over.

Head coach Jalesty Washington clearly isn’t surprised the Bears have done this well coming off a 17-5 record last year that saw them finish one game back of Cape Fear in the Patriot Athletic Conference standings.

“I feel like they are mentally stronger this year,’’ she said. “I only lost two seniors last year and they want it more than anybody this year.’’

Washington thinks the key to success in volleyball is to have a strong defense, a smart setter and a solid front row to put the ball away. She also believes in keeping the ball moving and controlling the game.

She credits much of the team’s success this season to her senior captains, Hailey Pait and Summer Powell. Pait plays the libero position while Powell is a defensive specialist.

“Hailey is focused on passing and keeping the team straight,’’ Washington said. “She tries to keep them together. She’s a mature leader.’’

Washington calls Powell the glue on the team. “She’s the goofy one who keeps everybody laughing,’’ Washington said. “She’ll call you out and let you know you did something wrong and she’ll let you know if you did something right. She’s the vocal leader.’’

The one thing Washington can’t control is the quality of competition Gray’s Creek faced during the regular season. Washington thinks her team has gotten good tests from teams like Union Pines, Scotland and Harnett Central along with conference rivals Terry Sanford and Cape Fear.

“I always tell the girls, we haven’t lost yet so there’s no need to start now,’’ Washington said.

Pait and Powell are also anxious for a rematch with Conley.

“I think we run everything faster and we have better energy,’’ Pait said. “We don’t get down as much. Even when we are down we come back, and it’s a lot more fun this year.’’

Powell said the Bears know how good they are this year and are anxious to make a much deeper run in the state playoffs.

“I feel like we have a better chance,’’ she said. “We have more drive this year. The farther we get in the playoffs, the better we’ll play. We’ll want it more because we’ll be so close.’’

Pictured from top to bottom: Jalesty Washington, Hailey Pait, Summer Powell 

Dr. Christine DiGaudio, principal of Ireland Drive Middle School, is Cumberland County Schools’ 2020 Principal of the Year, and Dr. Natasha Brown, an assistant principal at Lewis Chapel Middle School, was named the CCS 2020 Assistant Principal of the Year. The winners were made public Oct. 14 at the 2020 Administrators Dinner to honor educators for their leadership and commitment to student success.

DiGaudio, a 21-year veteran educator, began her career as a middle school teacher in 1998 after graduating from the State University of New York’s Buffalo State College. She later obtained a master’s degree from Ashland University, an Education Specialist Degree from East Carolina University and a Doctor of Education Degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

DiGaudio has served as principal of Ireland Middle School since 2013. “Leaders cannot and should not be trusted or respected solely due to their position or title; leaders must earn trust and respect,” said DiGaudio. She now moves on to compete against other local award recipients from the Region IV Sandhills/South Central Region of the state.

Brown has served as an assistant principal for six years. She began her career as an English-language arts teacher at Spring Lake Middle School after graduating from Fayetteville State University. She has since received a master’s degree from Fayetteville State University and an Education Specialist Degree as well as a doctorate from Liberty University. “As an instructional leader, it is my responsibility to ensure that every student has the opportunity to engage in a quality educational experience,” said Brown.

As the CCS Principal of the Year winner, DiGaudio received the Principal of the Year Award from the Cumberland County Board of Education, a cash award, an iPad mini and floral arrangement from CCS, an engraved desk clock from Herff Jones, a commemorative Principal of the Year ring from Jostens, two season tickets to the Fayetteville Marksmen Hockey games, a weekend stay at the Embassy Suites Fayetteville/Fort Bragg, a $5,000 check for school use and a $1,000 check for personal use from Lafayette Ford Lincoln.

As CCS Assistant Principal of the Year winner, Brown received the Assistant Principal of the Year Award from the Cumberland County Board of Education, a cash award, an iPad mini and floral arrangement from CCS, two season tickets to the Fayetteville Marksmen Hockey games and a $500 check for personal use from Olde Fayetteville Insurance.

Other Principal of the Year finalists were recognized at the event and received cash awards and iPads from CCS. They were Dr. Michele Cain from Cumberland Road Elementary, Christina Tucker from Ponderosa Elementary, Erica Fenner-McAdoo from Howard Hall Elementary, Stephanie Wall Rivers from Montclair Elementary, Shannon Booth from Cumberland Mills Elementary and Reggie Pinkney from Ramsey Street High.

Assistant Principal of the Year finalists were also recognized and received cash awards from CCS. The finalists were Kelly McKoy from Cumberland Road Elementary, Eric McLaurin from W.T. Brown Elementary, Ricky Tucker from John Griffin Middle, Niesha Witherspoon from Jack Britt High and Royvell Godbolt from Terry Sanford High.

Pictured from top to bottom: Dr. Christine Di Gaudio, Dr. Natasha Brown

The VFW Post 670 presents its 2nd Annual Veteran’s Day 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Walk of Honor to honor America’s Veterans Sunday, Nov. 10, at 11 a.m., at Festival Park in downtown Fayetteville. 

“We started this run last year, and last year was the 100th anniversary of the origination of Armistice Day,” said Thomas Dosier, chairman of the 5K Veteran’s Day Run Committee of  the VFW Post 670. “The purpose of Armistice Day was to honor the 116,000 people that we lost during World War I. They signed the armistice to go into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.”

Dosier added that after World War II and the Korean War, Congress changed Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day and made it a national holiday to honor all veterans of all wars.   
 
BJ’s Wholesale Club will supply water for the participants. All participants will receive a finisher’s coin.

Participants who registered by Oct. 18 will receive a T-shirt. There will be awards given to the different age categories for first, second and third place winners and top overall male and female winners.

The VFW Post 670 started in 1933. “Our mission has always been to assist veterans, and all funds that we raise will be used in that purpose,” said Dosier. “We pay a lot of electrical bills and rent for young soldiers and veterans during difficult months.”

Dosier added that the name of the post was changed in July. It is now called the Corporal Rodolfo P. Hernandez Post 670.

“This event is going to be an annual thing from now on,” said Dosier. “We look forward to everyone participating in this event to honor our veterans.”     
 
The event is open to the public. Ticket cost is $35. Pricing will be $40 Nov. 9-10.  Ticket cost for the 1 Mile Walk of Honor is $20. You can register for the run at http://it’s-go-time.com/veterans-day-run/. Sponsorship packages are available for purchase.

For more information call 910-922-2809.  

The 2nd Annual Veteran’s Day 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Walk of Honor to honor America’s Veterans is set for Nov. 10 at Festival Park.

The voter turnout in this month’s Fayetteville primary election was so small that absentee ballots had a substantial influence in the city council District 2 race. Fewer than 3% of the 31,000 registered voters in two primary districts went to the polls. Twenty-seven primary election day ballots initially separated Shakeyla M. Ingram, 28, and Janene M. Ackles, 49. A third challenger, Arnita Bristol, was a distant third in the District 2 voting and was eliminated. Next month, Ingram or Ackles will succeed Dan Culliton, who was appointed to the council to replace former councilman Tyrone Williams who resigned under pressure amid allegations of misconduct. District 2 includes East Fayetteville, portions of Haymount and much of downtown Fayetteville.

District 6 Councilman Bill Crisp, 79, decided to retire. He has served sections of West Fayetteville since the 2005 big bang annexation that brought him into office. Three candidates vied for his seat. When one more candidate than twice the number of seats available runs, all but two are eliminated in a primary election. Chris Davis and Carlos Swinger placed first and second, eliminating Mary Johnson Ferguson. Davis was endorsed by Crisp and won more than twice the number of votes Swinger received. 

Unlike the county board of commissioners and the local board of education, city council races are nonpartisan. The nine city council districts were established in 2000, following a citizen task force recommendation that resulted in a reorganization of the governing body. The only member of council elected citywide is the mayor. Mitch Colvin is unopposed and seeking his second term.

Three other incumbent council members are opposed in the November general election. District 1 member Kathy Jensen is being challenged by Valencia Handy, who has no elective office experience. Jensen is seeking a fourth term. Five-term Mayor Pro Tem Ted Mohn is opposed by Courtney Banks McLaughlin, who is also seeking elective office for the first time. District 9 Councilman Jim Arp is opposed by Yvonne Kinston, who has a leadership background in organized labor.

The city of Fayetteville is geographically the second largest city in North Carolina, encompassing 148 square miles requiring 36 polling places from fire station 17 on Bailey Lake Road on the westside to fire station 19 off Andrews Road on the northside. The North Carolina State Board of Elections provides an easy online website for a resident to locate his/her polling place.

Early voting for the general election is underway and will continue through Fri., Nov. 1. One-stop early voting is being held at the Cumberland County Board of Elections Office, located in the E. Newton Smith Center at 227 Fountainhead Lane, downtown Fayetteville. Dates and times are:

Oct. 19-20, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Oct. 23-27, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

There will be a battle of massive proportion when the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra performs Heroes vs. Villains at Methodist University in Fayetteville Saturday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m. Up  & Coming Weekly spoke with Deborah Teasley, FSO interim president/CEO.

UCW: Is this the first time the FSO has performed something like this?

FSO: The symphony does a variety of genres of music from many eras each season. Each season we try to offer something that appeals to everyone, whether they are looking for classical music from the baroque period (or) contemporary styles. This includes a concert of contemporary music that is readily recognized by a large number of people. Last year, it was a concert of John Williams’ music. I think everyone recognizes his movie themes. This year, we decided to have some fun with a Heroes versus Villains theme.

UCW: Who chooses the songs?

FSO: The primary responsibility for music selection is that of the music director Stefan Sanders but he takes suggestions and ideas from a number of sources. The season selections and concert themes are done by a committee led by Stefan Sanders.

UCS: Can you share the songs being performed?

FSO: The songs being performed at the Heroes versus Villains concert Oct. 18 at Methodist University are songs from Pirates of the Caribbean, “Themes from 007” (James Bond) “Wonder Woman,” “Armed Forces Salute,” “Godzilla Eats Las Vegas,” “Zarathustra,” “Star Trek through the Ages,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Spider Man,” “Mulan,” “Incredits” from the Incredibles, “William Tell Overture” and a tribute to John Williams.

UCW: What is the best way to describe what the audience can expect from coming to this performance?

FSO: The audience can first expect excellent music. The FSO is comprised of professional musicians. Then they can expect a good time.  There will be characters in costume, a preconcert discussion of the music by “the music nerd,” and a musical battle between the heroes and the villains. You have to be there to find out who wins.

UCW: Is there anything else you’d like the readers to know about the FSO and the Heroes vs. Villains performance?

FSO: Attendees are free to dress as their favorite character if they wish.  This concert is the same weekend as the Fayetteville Comic Con, so we are hoping that some of the people attending Comic Con will come to the concert in their costumes.

Get your tickets today for your opportunity to experience the battle of these phenomenal heroes and vicious villains firsthand. Tickets range from $10-$26 and can be purchased in advance at the FSO website: http://www.fayettevillesymphony.org/2019-2020-season-concerts/

 The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex presents Hallowe’en Night Tours of the 1897 Poe House Wednesday, Oct. 23-Friday, Oct. 25, from 6-10 p.m.

“The Hallowe’en Revels Night Tours is our annual Halloween night program that we do with the Gilbert Theater,” said Megan Maxwell, 1897 Poe House education coordinator  of the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex. “We have actors come in, and they portray members of the Poe Family and their friends.”

 Maxwell added this is not like a typical Poe House tour that you get during regular hours because you are seeing a short Halloween play. “We have a different theme every year, and this year’s theme is ‘Invoking the Spirit,’ so we want people to join us for a spirited visit to the 1897 Poe House,” said Maxwell.

“We are going to have a few ghosts in the house this year, so it will be a little bit different from what we have done in past years. Our event is family-friendly, so it won’t be a spooky scary haunted house.

 “All of our fall events are paid for by a grant from The Arts Council. Our foundation has to match that grant,” said Maxwell. “This is part of that grant match, and it pays for programming that we do in the fall, which includes both of these Halloween events coming up.”

 Trick or Treat at the Poe House will be held Saturday, Oct. 26, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

“Trick or Treat is our fun event that we do for the little kids, and we encourage families and kids to come out in their costumes,” said Maxwell. “We do have a costume contest that we run as part of that event. There is a $1 entry fee to enter the costume contest.”

Creative, historical and handmade costumes are encouraged. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place. The event is free and open to the public.

 The event also features the Sandbox Band from the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area.  “They are a kid’s band, and they play a lot of fun music for kids. They will play some Halloween songs as well,” said Maxwell. “They will have three performances that day at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.”

 Maxwell added the event includes Joy the Clown, who will be doing balloon-twisting and magic tricks. Cumberland County Library will have Halloween stories, and there will be old-fashioned carnival games in the backyard. Concessions will be sold.

 Tickets for the Hallowe’en Night Tours can be purchased online for $5 plus processing fees at www.museumofthecapefear.yapsody.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the museum.
For more information call 910-500-4240.

In 2008 voters across America shouted in great numbers, and they did so again in 2016 for entirely different reasons.

In 2019 across North Carolina and in Cumberland County, voters barely even whispered. So softly did the small number of voters speak that it was hard to tell there were elections at all. The few voters who made the effort, an embarrassing 3% in Cumberland County, will have an impact on all of us much larger than their pitiful numbers would indicate. Their choices are now everyone else’s choices, whether we agree or not.

Voters of 2008 and 2016 turned out in record numbers to vote for Barack Obama and Donald Trump, vastly different presidents for sure. As impactful as each of them has been, though, chances are their actions and decisions have had far less impact on our daily lives than the decisions made by local and state elected officials.

All presidents, including Obama and Trump, have testy relationships with Congress at times, and sometimes partisan bickering is so intense there are few relationships at all. We all watch and read about Washington shenanigans, but rarely do they affect our daily lives directly and clearly. No matter what happens with the Trump impeachment effort, most of our lives are going on routinely. Ditto the terror occurring in Syria, ongoing gun control initiatives, even who gets elected to Congress. All of that occurs far from us among people most of us are unlikely ever to meet.

Our local elected officials and state legislators, on the other hand, are people we may well know — or at least have an opportunity to reach if we choose to do so.

They are our neighbors, our fellow faith members whose children may go to school with our children and individuals whom we might encounter and chat with in the produce aisle. They are people who do make decisions that directly affect our families and us and impact our daily lives regularly.

Generally speaking, legislators adopt a state budget that pays teachers, oversees schools, funds roads and oversees highway planning, funds our courts and passes criminal laws, and provides for elections at all levels. Legislators create local governments and oversee some of their functions. They license and regulate various professions, including physicians, attorneys, realtors and all sorts of personal care services.

County commissioners also provide schools, human services, public health services, law enforcement, fire and rescue services, public records such as deeds and court proceedings. Local school boards draw district lines that determine which schools our children attend, hire the people who administer our schools and teach our children, and advocate for public education.

Municipal officials are also responsible for police, fire and other public safety services. They maintain city roads, provide water and sewer services, make zoning decisions that determine where we might want to live and work and often provide mass transit, like buses.

We Americans love our politics, especially a presidential race, but where the rubber hits the road is at home, not in Washington. D.C. No matter what Obama, Trump, or any other president is up to, it is more immediate and more important to us where our children go to school and how well that school is funded, whether our water is flowing and our sewer working, whether a strip club has been zoned next door and whether 911 will show up when we need them.
Neither Obama nor Trump — or even our member of congress — is making any of those decisions. Those decisions are being made by people from our community, people we have the opportunity to talk to and share our perspectives with. The 97% of eligible voters who chose not to participate in last week’s municipal contests should ponder why they abdicated their voting privilege and responsibility when municipal decisions play a significant role in all our lives.

Our communities are successful only if citizens participate, both by considering running for political office and by voting for those who do.

In 2019 across North Carolina and in Cumberland County, voters barely even whispered.

It’s October and Spooky Season activities abound. Feeling festive? Are you a fan of “The Walking Dead”? Now you can be one of them. No, not the show. The Fayetteville Zombie Walk & Prom is returning to downtown Fayetteville on Oct. 25.

The fun starts at the Headquarters library at 4 p.m., where people participating the walk can take part in do-it-yourself zombie makeup preparations and zombie games. Headquarters library will also host the Black, White and Red Masquerade party at the same time. Dress in those colors and join the fun, which will also feature a spooky story performance and a costume contest.

At 5 p.m., the library will have a Haunted Tale. The Zombie Walk preparty begins at 6 p.m.

Once you’ve dedicated some time to perfecting your zombie look, meander down to Ray Avenue, where the walk will begin. Three local bands, The Answers, KEYSE and The Sherman Neckties, will perform this year.  Live music will go till 10 p.m. Then the fun will move to the Drunk Horse Pub for the Zombie Prom, where there will be more live music and a zombie king and queen costume contest. The winners get $100 cash and A $50 Back-A-Round Records gift card.

Aside from the zombie fun, other businesses and organizations downtown have events planned, too. The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County will provide a variety of activities for attendees of 4th Friday. “We’re going to have a laser zombie shooting activity, but there will also be some kid-friendly alternatives as well,” said Bob Pinson, the operations director for the Arts Council. “We’re going to have the 82nd Airborne Division Band, Riser Burn, from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.” Other activities from the Arts Council will run from 6-9 p.m.

“In the back, we’re still doing our beer garden,” Pinson said. The Arts Council will also open a new exhibit on 4th Friday in partnership with Cape Fear Studios called “Cooperation.” The first part of the exhibit is at Cape Fear Studios and the second will be at the Arts Council.

Oct. 25 is the opening night of the inaugural All-American City Jazz Festival at Segra Stadium. Friday night will feature beach and shag music with the Blackwater Band, Starring the Embers, and Craig Woolard. Gates open at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.  The event will feature more musicians through Oct. 27. Visit https://www.sandhillsjazz.com/events for details.

At Fascinate-U Kids Museum, children can create no-sew felt monsters. Fascinate-U has free museum play every 4th Friday.

For more information about 4th Friday events, call The Cool Spring Downtown District at 910-223-1089.

When high school football officials prepare to call a game, traditionally the whole crew holds a pre-game meeting to go over any important details before the contest begins.

Sgt. 1st. Class Ryan Reis had to miss the meeting held with the rest of his crew prior to the recent Pine Forest at Westover contest, but he had a good excuse.

He arrived at the field via parachute, jumping in during a pregame exhibition by the famed United States Army’s Golden Knights parachute team.

Reis, who is a native of Tacoma, Washington, is in his third year with the Golden Knights and his second as a football official with the Southeastern Athletic Officials Association.

He got the idea to arrive at the Westover game via parachute when he first learned the Golden Knights were scheduled to jump at Westover’s homecoming game.

He was not originally assigned to the Westover game as an official, so he called Neil Buie, regional supervisor of football officials for the SAOA.

“I had refereed one of the Westover games earlier this year and knew they were in our scheduling district,’’ Reis said. He said he always thought if he ever had the opportunity, arriving via parachute at a game he was going to be officiating would be something special.

Aware that Buie sometimes has challenges scheduling officials to call games because of a current shortage in available crews, he called to see if there was any way it could be done.

“Obviously, my Army job comes first,’’ Reis said. “There’s no way around that.’’

Reis had cleared the idea with his Army superiors and Buie supported the suggestion 100%, so Reis was added to the officiating crew for the game.

Reis works any of three positions when he’s a football official, either the line judge, head linesman or back judge. For the Westover game, he was the head linesman.

The original plan for the Westover jump was for Westover principal Dr. Vernon Lowery to accompany the Golden Knights in a tandem jump.

They had done the same thing last season when Terry Sanford principal Tom Hatch jumped in to a Bulldog home game.

Unfortunately, the Golden Knights have specific criteria that must be met during a tandem jump, and conditions for Friday night prevented them from allowing Dr. Lowery to jump with the team.

But the Golden Knights themselves jumped with no problem Reis said.

Reis hoped the jump sent a message about both high school football officials and soldiers. “I understand it’s not for everybody,’’ he said. “Officiating football isn’t for everybody, and being in the Army isn’t for everybody.
“We do the things we do because we like them. Also it’s a great opportunity to show it’s an avenue of something that you can do.’’

Reis said people don’t have to be pigeonholed into doing things a certain way because of their background or certain pressures they are dealing with in life.

“There are multiple things you can do in your life that don’t necessarily have to be the standard operating way for everybody else,’’ he said.

Back row pictured from left to right: Football officials Jeremy Hall, Charles Davenport, Todd Hewlett, Greg Rooks.
Front row pictured from left to right: Golden Knights, SFC Mike Koch, SFC Ryan Reis, SSG Blake Gaynor, SGT Jason Bauder, SPC Skyler Romberg, SGT Adam Munoz.