The middle of September ushers in the unofficial beginning of fall, a time of year when many feel reenergized by cooler temperatures and are eager to spend more hours outdoors enjoying all the local area has to offer. Whether one is collecting leaves, picking pumpkins, exploring corn mazes, or biking one of the many trails, autumn is full of fun opportunities that can make the season that much more enjoyable.

Fayetteville Cumberland Parks and Recreation offers a number of outdoor activities for the whole family, from a community garden, bike and jogging trails to the new skate park. Although COVID-19 restrictions have closed many facilities, all parks, trails and the Rowan Street Skate Park are open. Playgrounds reopened earlier this month. Basketball courts at all parks remain closed. Recreation centers remain closed. The pools and splash pads have been closed the entire summer due to COVID-19 restrictions.

FCPR posts updates to hours and restrictions on its webpage and Facebook page. For more information on specific locations, visit www.fcpr.us/ or www.facebook.com/fcpr.us, or call the administrative office at 910-433-1547.
Gardening can be a fun and educational activity for all ages and can be physically and mentally engaging. The potential benefits are endless.

The Fayetteville Community Garden is a five-acre area with plots available for planting vegetables, flowers and herbs. Plots are raised beds about 20 feet by 20 feet. Patrons rent space, and FCPR supplies garden boxes, compost and water. The garden is organic in nature, therefore no chemicals or synthetic herbicides, insecticides, fungicides or fertilizers are allowed. Plots may be rented for $25. The garden is open year-round during daylight hours. The garden is located at the intersection of Vanstory and Mann Streets.

Clark Park and its Nature Center join the Cape Fear River Trail and Moses Mathis “Bicycle Man” playground/trailhead to form a complex suited to hours of enjoyment and education. The city’s second largest regional park remains a natural area dedicated to preserving the environment, educating the public about nature, and providing the only camping in the area. The Nature Center's museum features displays and free viewing of live animals.

Visitors can picnic overlooking the woods and one of the highest waterfalls east of the mountains. For those interested in walking or jogging, the park has its own set of unpaved trails and also serves as a trailhead for the paved CFRT. Well behaved, leashed pets are welcome on trails as long you clean up after them.

Clark Park Nature Center offers nature and recreation programming for educators, groups, individuals and families. You must preregister for all programs. Contact the park office at 910-433-1579 for program information or visit www.facebook.com/fcprnature.

The Cape Fear River Trail is a 10-foot-wide paved path for walkers, joggers and bicyclists. It winds for nearly 5.3 miles, one-way, through a beautiful blend of trees, plants and wildlife with views of the river. The terrain can be flat or slightly hilly. In addition to wooden bridges, including one covered bridge, there is more than 1,000 feet of boardwalk through the marsh and wetlands along the trail.

Along the trail are signs explaining the wildlife and plant life found in the area. There are more than 700 species of plants and trees and 150 species of birds. Frogs, lizards and turtles are common sights, with an occasional deer. The River Trail area is home to an unusual combination and diversity of hardwood trees.

The Cape Fear Mountain Bike Trail is a feature of the Cape Fear River Trail/Clark Park area with just under three miles of trail accessible off the CFRT. Access is located 1 mile north of Clark Park, traveling towards Methodist College (not far from the intersection with Eastwood Avenue). It consists of two sections on opposite sides of the trail. The first half mile is more technical with tighter turns and rollers, suitable for experienced riders. After crossing the CFRT it becomes a meandering woodland trail for beginners.

The trails are open daily from 8 a.m. to dusk. Parking is available at Clark Park. Restrooms are located at the Jordan Soccer Complex and at the Clark Park Nature Center during Clark Park’s operating hours.

For those interested in agritourism, Gillis Hill Farm is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

The Gillis family has been farming the same land for nine generations, starting in the timber business, moving to traditional row crops and agritourism over the years.

For the price of an ice cream (or a $3 ticket), visitors can go on a self-guided tour of the working farm.

Gillis Hill also offers school and group tours that run twice daily at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Wednesday through Friday. Group tours consist of a "Farm Life" movie showing what it’s like as a kid growing up on the farm, a historic walking tour, a wagon ride, animal feeding and a seed kit to take home.

The farm is located at 2701 Gillis Hill Rd. in Fayetteville. To schedule a tour or find additional information, call 910-867-2350 or visit https://ghfarm.square.site/.

A visit to Gross Farms offers fun and entertainment for the whole family with sites and activities including a 10-acre corn maze, a pumpkin patch, hayrides, a play area and a picnic area. Visitors can purchase a combo ticket for access to everything or buy tickets for individual activities. Military and group discounts are available.

Gross Farms is located at 1606 Pickett Road in Sandford. For information, call 919-498-6727 or visit www.grossfarms.com.

Hubb’s Farm is another agritourism destination with activities to entertain the whole family, including a corn maze, pumpkin patch, animals and a long list of attractions. In addition to being a year-round venue to book parties and events, the farm offers school and group tours.

In addition to regular farm activities, there are a number of seasonal events scheduled.

Sunflowers Galore is scheduled to open today with opportunities Sept. 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25. Sunflower stems can be purchased and visitors can take photographs in the sunflower field.

The Fall Drive-In Movie Series begins Sept. 26 and runs every Saturday in October. Gates open at 7 p.m. and the movie starts at 8 p.m. Movie titles will be posted on the website.

The corn maze and pumpkin patch will run Sept. 26 through Nov. 7 on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 1–6 p.m. Weekday hours are yet to be set.

The Flashlight Maze will be open 7-10 p.m. on Friday nights in October. Visitors can navigate the maze under the stars. Fire pits can be reserved.

Hubb’s Farm is located at 10276 US Hwy 421 North in Clinton. For more information call 910-564-6709 or visit www.hubbsfarmnc.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/HubbsFarmNC/.

 

Pictures left to right:

Sunflowers Galore opens Sept. 16 at Hubb's Farm. For a small fee, visitors can pose for photos in the field, or purchase stems to take home.

The Cape Fear Mountain Bike Trail is accessible off the Cape Fear River Trail. It offers areas for beginners and experienced riders.

Gillis Hill Farm is open for self-guided walks or group tours through the farm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, celebrating the 40th Anniversary of its founding on Saturday, Sept. 5, has released a new survey that measures the American public’s attitudes and knowledge about the impact of marijuana on traffic safety.

According to the survey, one in eight U.S. adults admits to having driven under the influence of marijuana. And as more states legalize marijuana use, it’s no surprise that 76% of the American public believe that incidents of driving after consuming marijuana will increase.

The alarming new findings came just ahead of Labor Day weekend, one of the most dangerous times for travel on America’s roads. Nearly 40% of all traffic deaths on Labor Day weekend in 2018 were caused by drunk driving. While traffic deaths caused by marijuana and other drugs are not yet tracked with the same consistency as alcohol, law enforcement officers have reported a steady rise in marijuana-impaired drivers, which increases the risk of more preventable tragedies.

“MADD has spent 40 years changing the culture so that drunk driving is now unacceptable in America. Over that time, we have seen drunk driving fatality rates cut in half due to our efforts, and yet we still see major spikes in traffic deaths during busy travel weekends like Labor Day,” said MADD National President Helen Witty, whose 16-year-old daughter Helen Marie was killed by a drunk and marijuana-impaired driver. “We are deeply concerned about the combination of alcohol consumption and other drugs such as marijuana increasing the risk of tragedies on our roads.”

To keep our nation’s highways safe, MADD is embarking on a broad initiative to educate all U.S. drivers of the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana. Through program enhancements, public outreach and corporate alliances, MADD will continue its fight to eliminate drunk and drugged driving.

In February 2020*, MADD commissioned IPSOS, a global leader in market research, to conduct a nationwide study of adults 18 and older. The research was aimed at understanding the attitudes and awareness related to driving under the influence of marijuana, along with knowledge of the laws that surround it.

“With two-thirds of the states now allowing some form of legal use of marijuana, MADD is concerned that a clear lack of understanding about the risks of marijuana-impaired driving threatens the safety of our nation’s highways,” Witty said. “The survey highlights the confusion that exists and the shocking number of people who are consuming marijuana and driving.”

Additional findings include:
• 27% recall a friend or family member driving within two hours of consuming alcohol sometime during the past three months.
• 26% think that driving after recent consumption of marijuana is “not too concerning” or “not at all concerning”.
• 31% of parents and grandparents report discussing the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol “often”. While 43% of parents and grandparents surveyed reported “never” broaching the subject of driving high with the next generation.
• There is uncertainty whether it is legal to drive impaired by marijuana: 40% view this as a serious crime, 27% say it is only a minor traffic offense, 4% think it is legal, and 27% are unsure.
• 41% are unsure or incorrectly believe that people who regularly use marijuana are generally not impaired, making it safe to drive.

“This survey is critical to directing our outreach and education programs as we look to the next 40 years of our mission and our strategies to stop these 100% preventable and violent crashes, deaths and injuries caused by driving while impaired by marijuana and other drugs,” Witty said. “MADD is grateful to State Farm© and General Motors for their support in funding this important project. We thank them for their dedication to our shared mission to stop these tragedies that destroy families and devastate our communities.”

To review the survey results, visit https://www.madd.org/the-solution/drugged-driving-prevention/

*This survey was conducted February 14–18, 2020, before widespread impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. It is viewed as a baseline of perceptions and attitudes.

About Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Founded in 1980 by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes and prevent underage drinking. MADD has helped save more than 390,000 lives, reduce drunk driving deaths by more than 50% and promote designating a nondrinking driver. MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® calls for law enforcement support, ignition interlocks for all offenders and advanced vehicle technology. MADD has provided supportive services to nearly one million drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge through local victim advocates and the 24-Hour Victim Help Line 1-877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435). Visit www.madd.org or call 1-877-ASK-MADD (877-275-6233).

Beginning Oct. 1, the city of Fayetteville’s Development Services Department will be operating digitally. All development projects and plans will be serviced electronically through a new web portal, which will serve as a one-stop-shop for information developers need. The department oversees planning and code enforcement, zoning and rezoning, special-use and building permits as well as inspections, plus city engineering and infrastructure assignments. It’s a means by which city officials can be more transparent and accountable to its customers.

“It also saves them time, money and headaches tracking down what is happening to their plans,” said Development Services Director Gerald Newton.

In 2019, the city’s Development Services and Information Technology Departments caused the new portal for site plans to be submitted and reviewed electronically. To learn more about Fayetteville’s development rules and future land use plans, visit https://www.fayettevillenc.gov/city-services/development-services.

The Veteran’s Farm of North Carolina, Inc. will host its inaugural “Boots to Roots: A Farm Tasting” at the Dirtbag Ales Brewery & Taproom in Hope Mills on Sunday, Sept. 20.

After receiving a National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant in May from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the VFNC began organizing the launch of the Veterans Agricultural Training and Education Program.

The VATEP is a new initiative designed to provide 60 military veterans with hands-on vocational training on a farm in the agricultural industry.

VFNC Executive Director and Marine Corps veteran Robert Elliott will launch the organizations first VATEP class this fall, in a partnership with Fayetteville Technical Community College.

"VFNC's ultimate goal is to train, network and equip veterans, allowing them to easily transition into the agricultural industry to further serve our country while experiencing a life of peace," Elliott said in a release announcing the upcoming farm tasting event.

The VFNC is striving for program sustainability through efforts such as the “Boots to Roots” series of fundraiser events.

The “Boots to Roots” events are collaborations with other veteran-owned businesses who will facilitate and host the farm-to-table tastings. The goal is to raise money to assist the VFNC with funding to support and expand its
mission.

Transitioning from the military to civilian life can be challenging. The VFNC strives to assist veterans with training and networking while equipping them with a toolbox of skills needed to transition into the agricultural industry. North Carolina is home to many veteran-owned businesses, including veteran farmers. Creating a support network between these businesses and the general public is a win-win for the local community and veterans alike.

Kicking off this VFNC series of events is veteran-owned favorite Dirtbag Ales Brewery & Taproom, affectionately known as DBA to locals. This first “Farmer-Veteran Celebration” will be held under the DBA outdoor pavilion.

Brewmaster Vernardo “Tito” Simmons-Valenzuela will serve up signature craft beer flights paired with the small plates created by Brian Graybill, veteran owner of the DBA on-site restaurant, Napkins.

Graybill takes his inspiration for the fall-inspired tasting menu from the produce, meat, seafood and other products all grown, raised and produced on farmer-veteran farms in North Carolina.

The menu includes fall bruschetta, autumn salad, empanadas de chorizo, catfish croquetas, lamb bulgogi, beef barbacoa and bisteca con chimichurri. Ingredients for the menu are being provided by Watson Sanders Farm, Pappy’s Urban Farm, CATHIS Farm, Cedar Creek Fish Farm, Purpose Driven Family Farm, Green-Eyed Farms and Spartan Tusk & Feather Livestock.

Featured farmer-veterans will be located at various stations around the tent during the event. Each will serve attendees their featured small plate created by Napkins as attendees rotate from station to station.

Ernesto Rivas, veteran and acoustic guitar player, will provide live music. Guests will have a chance to win harvest baskets donated by local veteran artisans and business owners in a 50/50 raffle.

All staff and servers will wear masks and adhere to COVID-19 guidelines. Guests are asked to wear masks when not seated, drinking or eating.

This farm-to-table event will be split into two seatings with the first from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the second from 7-9 p.m.

The cost is $65 per single ticket or $120 per pair, which covers food from Napkins, a flight of 5-ounce beers from DBA and live music.

No refunds will be issued, but tickets may be transferred to others. The event is open to adults, 21 years and older. DBA is located at 5435 Corporation Drive in Hope Mills.

For tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boots-to-roots-a-farm-tasting-tickets-114750521900

Pictured: The Veteran's Farm of NC, Inc. is a farm designed and dedicated to instructing and training servicemembers on all aspects of agriculture.

The National Institutes of Health classifies the misuse and addiction to opioids as a national crisis. A mayoral proclamation issued last week observed that people who have substance addictions can accidentally overdose on prescription opioids.

Opiates include morphine, heroin, fentanyl, tramadol and methadone. Overdose symptoms include breathing problems and unconsciousness. Fayetteville police and firefighters have used naloxone nasal spray to treat opioid emergencies, saving hundreds of lives over the last four years.

Naloxone, also known by the trade name Narcan®, is given right away but does not take the place of emergency medical care. Emergency help is needed right away after a dose of the nasal spray is administered, even if the person wakes up, as symptoms may return.

Opioid overdose information is available at www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdf/patients/Preventing-an-Opioid-Overdose-Tip-Card-a.pdf or by calling 911 if you suspect someone is overdosing.

The Cumberland County Community Development agency is operating a new grant cycle to assist qualified local businesses that have suffered economic hardships because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Small Business Resiliency Program targets small businesses with 10 or fewer full-time employees, providing grants up to $10,000. As part of an earlier cycle, 18 local businesses received notice of awards. Several more businesses are pending final review.

The Small Business Resiliency program is supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. To be eligible, businesses must operate within the Cumberland County geographic service area outside the city of Fayetteville, which has its own program.

To learn more, visit the Small Business Resiliency Grant Program link on the Community Development page of the Cumberland County website at co.cumberland.nc.us.

Has the world been too much with you lately, Binky? Social isolation and mask fights with total strangers getting you down? Can you remember B.C., the time Before Corona? Recall those thrilling days of B.C. when you could go to a restaurant without worrying the patron who coughed was going to send you into the tender arms of a ventilator to enjoy chemically induced coma dreams. We are now living in A.T., or the After Times. The Rona, like the Force, is with us. Times are frustrating if you believe in The Rona.

What if you don’t believe in The Rona? You are just as frustrated. In your world, the Rona talk is just fake news and fake dead people. Americans believing in Rona are sheeple to be scorned, or worse. You know the truth, and they don’t. The After Times is double-plus ungood because you are surrounded by dummies. According to Mr. Google, the QAnon believe “that a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles running a global child sex trafficking ring is plotting against Donald Trump, who is battling them.” That’s a pretty dark place in which to live. No wonder you are upset.

One subset of Americans believes in A, and another subgroup believes in Not-A. This might not work out well. With the shutdown of much of the economy, many Americans are spending time binge-watching their personal cable news silo and social media feed, leaving little time for interaction with Americans who don’t believe as they do. If you don’t talk to people with different beliefs, it is easy to believe that your team is righteous, and the other team are evildoers who should be
locked away.

As the column ‘Can this marriage be saved’ in Ladies Home Journal used to ask back in the 1950s, can the American marriage be saved? Sure, it can. We need to find something both sides can agree upon. Like Merlin the magician, I have the answer to bring us together again. It is too much to expect both sides will like the same thing. Positivity is so 20th Century. If we can’t find something both sides like, admire the other side of the coin to find something both sides can dislike.

Negativity, like Bit O’ Honey candy’s old slogan, goes a long, long way. Hate will bring us together.

So, what should we hate collectively? Can’t be the Russians, as one side admires Putin’s strongman tactics. I pondered this question for at least five minutes before coming up with the answer. Like John Prine once said, “I’ve got muscles in my head that have never been used.”

Suddenly, a muscle in my head twitched. Imitating Archimedes in the bathtub, I yelled” Eureka!” I found the solution. Obnoxious TV commercials were the answer. These ads show up on Fox and CNN. They reach both audiences in America.

Everybody hates certain ads. Everybody sees them. Hate is all you need to reunite the country. As someone once said about the boxer Riddick Bowe, I had a spasm of lucidity which might save the country from Civil War 2.

Ponder the Navage Nose Cleaner ads for a product that will make your sinuses so clean that you can eat off them. It has salt pods. It has powered suction. It will suck the dust mites and cooties right out of your head with a device that resembles the space creature from the movie “Alien.” Remember that great scene in “Alien” where a critter jumps out of a space egg and attaches itself to John Hurt’s helmet and then into his sinuses? Every time I see the Navage ad, I think of a hungry space alien yearning to suck out my brains. It would not be much of a meal. But it is an ad that Don Draper of Sterling Cooper would be proud of because it is as obnoxious as it is unforgettable.

Another product which could unite Americans in dislike is “Pure Zzzs,” which Vicks advertises as Kidz Melatonin Gummies. It is a blend of “botanical essential oils, including lavender and chamomile,” which will put little Jimmy to sleep naturally without drugs. The ad says Zzzs are “natural berry-flavored gummies. Convenient and great tasting gummies that kids love — so you both will be looking forward to bedtime.” Remember candy cigarettes that tobacco companies used to push to get kids started on the sophistication of smoking? Mom, Pop and the little tyke will all look forward to Junior taking a hit of melatonin gummies to go to sleep and stop whining. It’s a win-win situation for everyone, particularly for Vicks. What could go wrong with a product that tastes yummy and puts kids to sleep? Kids would never think to dose themselves with what they think is candy would they?

Hate will keep us together. Think of commercials you can’t stand. Call up a former friend you stopped speaking to due to their political views. Tell them about commercials you hate. Renew “Auld Lang Syne.” Sing them some modified love songs substituting “Hate” for “Love.” Ask them to sing along with you. Here are some suggestions: The Bee Gees “How Deep Is Your Hate?” Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Hatred.” Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Hate.” Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in

Hate.” Sinead O’Conner’s “Nothing Compares to Hate.” Celine Dionne’s “The Power of Hate.” Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Hate You.”

You get the idea. All you need is hate to make America united again. Find an ad you despise and share it with a former friend. Instead of hating each other, hate commercials. It’s the American way.

Back in 1984 when I was running for Congress, I ran into older people who explained why they could not support me, saying, “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party. It left me.”

Even in those days, the Democratic Party still had many conservatives who were loyal adherents. They had grown up in the times when the Democratic Party was more conservative than the other party. Some of those older Democrats were slow to give up their heritage and break away from the group in which they grew up.

But as the support in the Democratic Party for school desegregation, voting rights, Civil Rights, equal treatment in the workplace, and expanding the role of government in providing public resources to meet the needs of poor and underserved communities were viewed with skepticism by once loyal Democrats.

Republicans responded with a “southern strategy” that played to these concerns and, more and more, as time passed, former Democrats left their party. “I didn’t leave my party. It left me.”

Even after more than 35 years I remember that refrain.

Today, in the age of Trump, some North Carolina Republicans are, with regret, leaving their party, explaining, “I didn’t leave my party. It left me.”

In the Aug. 24 edition of The New Yorker, Peter Slevin wrote about three Republican members of the Transylvania board of commissioners who have given up their party affiliation.

Forgive this personal aside. One of the happiest summers of my life was spent in that mountain county in 1958, when I was a counselor at Camp Carolina near Brevard. On overnight hikes I told my campers ghost stories about Dracula. I had them believing that there was a connection between Dracula’s home in Europe’s Transylvania region and the Transylvania County where they were camping.

The three commissioners party change began when the commission’s chair, Mike Hawkins, heard about President Donald Trump’s speech at East Carolina University on July 17, 2019. The president attacked four Democratic congressional representatives and women of color, saying that they were “hate-filled extremists” and “You know, they don’t love our country.”

In response to the president’s attack on Representative Ilhan Omar, the crowd at ECU chanted, “Send her back!”

According to Slevin, at the next board meeting, Hawkins “called out the president saying that what happened was racist. It’s important that people identify hate for what it is—a poison to our state and to our country. And I wanted to say in a very public way that for whatever time I have remaining as an elected official, I will oppose this poison every way I can.”

After Hawkins, two other Republicans on the board, Page Ives Lemel and David Guice, offered words of support. Five months later, all three resigned from the Republican Party.

They could have been saying, “We didn’t leave our party. It left us.”

Guice had been a long-time active Republican and served two terms in the General Assembly.

Page Lemel owns and runs Camp Keystone near Brevard, as did her late father, Bill Ives, whom I knew when he served in the General Assembly in the 1990s. Bill Ives was conservative, public-spirited, open-minded and open-hearted, like his daughter.

Another prominent Republican in the mountains, former North Carolina State Supreme Court Justice Robert Orr, has broken with the president. He spent his life supporting the party and working for good causes until 2016 when he could not support Trump’s candidacy.

This year he is working hard against Trump, but refuses to leave his party. Obviously, he thinks he is more of a real Republican than the president.

Lemel says she has no intention of reversing her decision. That, Slevin writes, raises questions about the future of the GOP. History and logic suggest that the Party must pivot toward the center to remain viable in the years ahead.”

Or others will be saying, “We didn’t leave our party. It left us.”

 

Pictured Left to right:  Mike Hawkins, Page Ives Lemel, David Guice.

The American Revolutionary War was initiated by the 13 original colonies against the kingdom of Great Britain over their objection of Parliament’s direct taxation and the lack of colonial representation. The war of independence was not a brief conflict. It lasted for eight years (1775-1783).

Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roche Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, was born into a family of noble military lineage September 6, 1757, in Chavaniac, France. He was only 20 when he fled his home country during the French Revolution. Lafayette regained prominence as a statesman before his death May 20, 1834. Inspired by stories of the colonists’ struggles against British oppression, Lafayette sailed to the newly declared United States in 1777 to join the uprising.

He was initially rebuffed by colonial leaders, but he impressed them with his passion and willingness to serve. He had inherited significant wealth and agreed to serve without pay. In America, he served the Continental Army with distinction, providing tactical leadership while securing vital resources from France. Lafayette was named a major-general in the Continental Army.

His first major combat duty came during the September 1777 Battle of Brandywine, when he was shot in the leg. Gen. George Washington requested doctors to take special care of Lafayette, igniting a strong bond between the two that lasted until Washington’s death. More troops fought at Brandywine than any other battle of the American Revolution. It was also the longest single-day battle of the war, with continuous fighting for 11 hours.

Following a winter in Valley Forge with Washington, Lafayette helped draw more French resources to the colonial side. He had travelled to France to press Louis XVI for more aid. Lafayette assumed increased military responsibility upon his return to battle. As commander of the Virginia Continental forces in 1781, he helped keep British General Lord Cornwallis’ army pinned at Yorktown, Virginia, while divisions led by Washington and French forces surrounded the British and forced a surrender in the last major battle of the Revolutionary War.

The Lafayette Society of Fayetteville was founded by Martha Duell (1924-2015) in 1981 to raise funds for a statue of Fayetteville’s namesake to be erected in Cross Creek Park. The statue was dedicated in 1983 as part of Fayetteville’s bicentennial celebration. The organization has funded scholarships for high school and college students and supported the establishment of the Lafayette Room in the Methodist University library. The carriage used by Lafayette during his visit to Fayetteville in 1825 is in the local library.

Some members of the Lafayette Society also belong to the American Friends of Lafayette, an historical and patriotic association dedicated to Lafayette’s memory and to the study of his life and times in America and France. The organization was founded at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, in 1932. The library at Lafayette College has a collection of over 2,000 items related to Lafayette.

It has been reported that over 40 arrests have been made so far in the destruction and looting of the Walmart store located on Skibo Rd. during the violent protests and riots that raged in Fayetteville on May 30.

More arrests are expected as the Fayetteville Police Department continues its ongoing investigation as to who was involved in the looting and destruction of personal property in downtown Fayetteville and the attempt to burn down Fayetteville’s National Historic Landmark Market House.

The protest that began in downtown Fayetteville moved swiftly that evening to Cross Creek Mall, where J.C. Penney and other stores were looted and damaged.

City residents were able to watch the melee on televison and the internet as glass doors were broken and items such as televisons, electronics and clothing were carried out of stores.

Forty arrests are just the beginning of this enormous undertaking.

Fayetteville law enforcement officers are working diligently sifting through hundreds of videos and photos trying to identify the suspects.

Even with overtime and the publics assistance, it will likely take months to complete the full investigation.

A myriad criminal charges could result from the rioting, breaking and entering, larceny and destruction of public and private property.

Penalties for these crimes could draw up to two years in prison depending on a person’s criminal record.

Many local residents and business owners are curious to find out whether these criminal perpetrators were local residents or outside agitators like Antifa brought in to cause chaos and mayhem in support of the emerging Marxist/Socialist movement.

According to local news sources, District Attorney Billy West is on the record as being committed to handling each case individually to assure the rule of law is applied evenly and fairly to keep the process free of political influence.

Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin agrees. “While the city is committed to the First Amendment rights of free speech and peaceful protest, this sends a clear message that we are equally committed to holding those accountable who chose to engage in riotous and unlawful activities in our great city.”

These are reassuring words to Fayetteville citizens who are witnessing in real time the rioting, destruction, devastation and chaos taking place in cities where crime is ignored, police and law enforcement are disrespected, criminals go unpunished and crime victims are ignored as collateral damage.

It is refreshing to know that our mayor, police chief, district attorney and the men and women of the Fayetteville Police Department are working diligently together to pursue justice and keep our community safe and out of harm’s way during these very trying times.

The public’s input is wanted to help shape and direct the future of transportation in Cumberland County. The North Carolina Department of Transportation, the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Mid-Carolina Rural Planning Organization recently launched an interactive survey that will help develop the Cumberland County Comprehensive Transportation Plan.

This will be the first Comprehensive Transportation Plan for the entirety of Cumberland County, which includes the FAMPO and Mid-Carolina RPO planning regions. The plan focuses on conditions, safety and ease of travel for all transportation modes using a horizon year of 2045 so that today’s transportation concerns can be addressed and prioritized for the future.

FAMPO wants you to evaluate the importance of modern roads, emerging technologies, shorter travel times, growth and development, and public or private transit.

“This transportation plan can only be successful with the input of the community,” said Joel Strickland FAMPO executive director. “You drive our roads. You know where the areas of concern are. This survey will tell us what matters to you and what the recommended transportation plan should focus on.”

Cumberland County residents and those who commute through the area can participate in the development of this plan by taking a quick online survey at https://cumberlandfampo.metroquest.com/. The survey is available in Spanish and English (La encuesta está disponible en español e inglés).

There are questions about pedestrian and biking infrastructure, as well as mass transit and traffic congestion. A map feature allows survey takers to identify specific areas of concern using drag-and-drop icons.

The survey is open until Sept. 25. FAMPO and NCDOT will use the confidential results to begin drafting the plan. After the plan is compiled, the public will have opportunities for review and for further comments before presentations to the local boards and the NCDOT.

Follow the plans’ progress virtually at fampo.org/plans.

FAMPO was established in 1975 as a result of the Federal Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1973. Any urbanized area with a population greater than 50,000 is designated as a Metropolitan Planning Organization. The Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization includes portions of Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke and Robeson counties.

For more information on FAMPO, visit fampo.org or call 910-678-7614.

 

Cumberland County Schools’ student services hotline has been reactivated and will remain available while the district is providing remote pupil instruction.

Officials have anticipated that some students may experience difficulties because of anxiety or stress related to illness or school closure.

The hotline number is 910-475-1950. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. This service is provided for CCS students in need of social-emotional support. Calls are answered by school-based review consultants and military family and youth liaison associates.

On Aug. 26, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper proposed a $25 billion General Fund budget to expand Medicaid, increase unemployment benefits, give teachers higher bonuses, and cut funding to Opportunity Scholarships.

Republicans immediately blasted Cooper’s spending plan, calling it a risky “spend now, pray later” proposal. His budget proposal comes four months late, they said.
Cooper says his plan won’t require new taxes. But the state would take out almost $5 billion in new debt, only $1 billion of which won’t need taxpayer approval, said Joe Coletti, John Locke Foundation senior fellow.

“It’s the least serious of the governor’s budget proposals, and that’s saying something,” Coletti said. “It’s not sustainable.”

Among other things, Cooper’s budget proposal would expand Medicaid, increase unemployment benefits to $500 a week and double the maximum time to 24 weeks, and take out almost $1 billion in bonds for health care infrastructure. The plan would also place a $4.3 billion bond on the November 2021 ballot to borrow $2 billion for school construction, $800 million for water and sewer infrastructure, $500 million for UNC System facilities, $500 million for the community college system, and $500 million for affordable housing.

In the education area, the governor’s budget would take $85 million from the Opportunity Scholarship Program in a one-time budget cut while spending $360 million to give teachers and principals a $2,000 bonus, support staff a $1,000 bonus, and community college and university employees a $1,500 bonus. North Carolina’s public elementary and secondary schools would receive $132 million for other needs.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the plan would spend $175 million for health services, including testing, tracing, prevention, mental health support, and increasing access in marginalized communities. Related provisions would spend $49 million to develop a state stockpile of personal protective equipment, $50 million to expand access to broadband, $200 million to assist cash-strapped local governments, and $27.5 million for small business mortgage, rent, and utility support.

Cooper says his budget invests in North Carolina to help people get back on their feet. Republicans say his budget is unrealistic and unbalanced.

Legislative leaders say Cooper is wrong to rely on $457 million from the state’s unappropriated balance. After the state moved the deadline for income tax filing from April 15 to July 15, it collected more taxes than expected. The state’s budget staff warned the amount could be a false gain.

“When my small business’s accountant tells me some money on the balance sheet might disappear next month, I don’t run out and spend it,” Sen. Warren Daniel, R-Burke, said. “Gov. Cooper’s ‘spend now, pray later’ proposal could very well result in teacher layoffs next year. That’s exactly what happened to former Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue.”

After the Great Recession, tax collections plummeted. The Democratic-led General Assembly and then-Gov. Perdue had to balance the budget by raising taxes and furloughing teachers.

Cooper disagreed with lawmakers’ assessment of the estimated $457 million windfall. He argued his proposal is a balanced budget that won’t require future cuts.

Cooper called the state’s current unemployment compensation “meager, bottom-of-the-country benefits.” He argued for Medicaid expansion, but didn’t say the General Assembly would support it.

Republicans attacked Cooper’s plan, especially a move to axe funding for the Opportunity Scholarship program. Cooper says his budget cut won’t affect students who already have scholarships.

“It strips low-income children, many of whom are black, from the chance to choose the education that best suits their needs,” said Sen. Deanna Ballard, R-Watauga. “Under the governor’s ‘equity’ plan, only the wealthy can attend private school.”

This is the first time a governor failed to present a budget update before the beginning of the fiscal year since North Carolina began using biennial budgets, said Coletti.

The governor normally sends a budget to the General Assembly by May during even-numbered years, according to the Office of State Budget and Management. This gives the legislature time to revise, negotiate, and pass the annual update before the new fiscal year begins on July 1.

“The governor is supposed to present his budget to the legislature before the fiscal year starts — because they’re supposed to pass a budget before the fiscal year starts,” Coletti said.

Cooper blamed the delay on Congress, saying he was waiting for additional relief money to come to North Carolina.

“We all thought Congress was going to act,” Charlie Perusse, the governor’s budget director, told Carolina Journal. “We’ve been waiting patiently for the last couple months … We have about $500 million in General Fund money, slightly less than $1 billion in coronavirus relief money, and we’re on the clock to spend it.”

North Carolina usually passes a budget that lasts two fiscal years and edits the budget in even-numbered years. But the budget stalemate and the pandemic threw a wrench in that process.

North Carolina is operating on the budget from 2018 and a series of mini-budgets. Last year’s budget sank after Cooper vetoed the 2019-20 budget over Medicaid expansion. Republican legislators passed the budget out of the House with a surprise veto override, but the budget remained stalled in the Senate.

Cooper has vetoed three budgets sent to him by the Republican-led General Assembly. Republicans overrode the first two vetoes, but they lost their veto-proof supermajorities in the November 2018 election.

North Carolinians should prepare for another budget fight between the governor and lawmakers, said Coletti.

“They’re not going to agree,” Coletti said. “Cooper wouldn’t allow teacher raises this year because he thought that was more helpful than agreeing to the lower Republican raise.”

Pictured: Gov. Roy Cooper

In spite of COVID-19 and Gov. Roy Cooper’s expansion to Phase 2.5, Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin and I had an in-depth conversation last week about the many opportunities (and challenges) facing our community.

We both agreed we had much to be thankful for and even more to look forward to in the near future. Despite COVID-19, Market House debates and Proud Boy infiltrators, there are good things happening in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

Recently, the Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation, under the leadership of CEO Robert Van Geons, announced that Dansons, a manufacturer of BBQ pellet grills and related equipment selected Fayetteville as their newest location for a distribution and customer service call center.

The facility will be located on Technology Drive and will create an estimated 118 full-time jobs for our community as well as a $10 million investment with growth potential two and a half times that. This is great news! Kudo’s to Mr. Van Geons, for shepherding this project through by working closely with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.

Other key partners assisted in the recruiting and coordinating efforts by securing $400,000 from North Carolina’s “One NC Grant” and, a $175,000 job creation grant from our Cumberland County Commissioners.

In addition, the North Carolina Community College System provided a $91,000 training grant which will be managed by Fayetteville Technical Community College. This is a near perfect example that “it takes a village” to develop and secure successful economic development projects. It also takes dedicated leadership, keen minds and vision for what we want Fayetteville and Cumberland County to be for future generations.

Another recent example of leadership and vision was the action taken by the management team of our hometown utility PWC with its responsive customer service and quick reaction in assisting local customers dealing with the financial hardships created by the pandemic.

In March Gov. Cooper issued an executive order governing billing and utility cutoff procedures statewide. On July 29 these restrictions on billing and disconnects were lifted making normal utility usage payments due. Anticipating the difficulty and hardships some customers would experience in paying their bills, PWC automatically implemented special payment terms on past due balances extending payments over a six month period for all their customers. This was no small task since it affected nearly 30,000 local PWC customers and represented millions of dollars in past
due fees.

In addition, PWC has made customer service representatives available to counsel and direct those customers who still have difficulty with their payments to local resources and agencies for assistance. By being proactive and coming to the aid of local residents, PWC demonstrates the kind of dedication, commitment, talent, business leadership and vision that builds and maintains prosperous communities. It is doubtful that many utility companies across the country operate or respond to their customers like Fayetteville’s hometown utility.

I admit these are crazy times for everyone. COVID-19 and this annoying pandemic won’t last forever. Neither will the masks! No doubt this community has the resources, people and talent to attract organizations and great industries like Dansons. By working together (city, county, media), communicating with one another, sharing ideas, visions, and encouraging dynamic leadership, Fayetteville can be one of North Carolina’s greatest cities. Agree? Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

 

In an age when the most sensational tweet gets the most attention, the truth can get overlooked. Opinion and ‘alternative facts’ often become the message, so it’s not surprising that misinformation and conspiracy theories about 9/11 are still circulating. But it’s important that people know how to distinguish fact from fiction.

The attacks of 9/11 were carried out by 19 men who hijacked four fuel-loaded American commercial airline jets that were bound for destinations on the west coast. These individuals were militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda. Three planes reached their targets. The fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.

The first point of impact was the World Trade Center’s North Tower, located in downtown New York City. American Airlines Boeing 767 left a gaping, burning hole in floors 93 through 99 at 8:45 a.m. Many people were killed instantly, and hundreds more were trapped on floors above the 99th floor. The plane crash was initially thought to be an accident. However, when a second Boeing 767 crashed into the South Tower shortly after the first crash, it became apparent that America was under attack and the first crash was no accident.

This was not the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. A bombing occurred in 1993 in the building’s parking garage, killing six people. However, the events of 9/11 have since been deemed the worst terrorist attack on American soil.

According to DoSomething.org, on a given workday, up to 50,000 employees worked in the Twin Towers, and an additional 40,000 people — including tourists — passed through the complex and underground shopping mall.

Hijackers aboard Flight 77 that departed from Dulles International Airport crashed that Boeing 757 into the western facade of the Pentagon building at 9:37 a.m. Fifty-nine people aboard the plane and 125 military and civilian personnel inside the Pentagon lost their lives.

According to History.com, after passengers and crew members aboard hijacked Flight 93 contacted friends and family and learned about the attacks in New York and Washington, they attempted to retake the plane. In response, hijackers deliberately crashed the plane into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, killing all 40 passengers and crew aboard.

Amid rumors that other high-profile buildings were being targeted, by 10 a.m. the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights over or bound for the continental United States. Various buildings were evacuated as well.

The South Tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m., and the North Tower collapsed at 10:28 a.m. CNN reported that 2,753 were killed in lower Manhattan alone.

Only 18 people were rescued from the WTC rubble. Many victims were never identified, even after intense DNA analysis of remains.

Locally:

The Fayetteville 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Segra Stadium is scheduled for Sept. 12 from 8:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. to honor and remember the FDNY firefighters, police and EMS who selflessly gave their lives so that others might live on 9-11-2001.

Each participant pays tribute to an FDNY firefighter, police officer or EMS by climbing the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center. Your individual tribute not only remembers the sacrifice of an FDNY brother, but symbolically completes their heroic journey to save others.

Through firefighter and community participation we can ensure that each of the 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, and 10 EMS are honored and that the world knows that we will never forget.

All monies raised fund the programs provided by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to support the families of local fallen firefighters and the FDNY Counseling Services Unit.

Participants must register online no later than Sept. 10. You can register as an individual or as part of a team. Donations can also be made on the site. For more information visit http://events.firehero.org/site/TR?fr_id=2186&pg=entry

Pictured:Reflection pools now reside in the footprints of the felled World Trade Center North and South towers in lower Manhattan.

Thursday, Sept. 17, The CARE Clinic hosts its 26th Annual Golf Charity at Gates Four Golf and Country Club. This annual event raises funds to help the clinic provide free basic medical and simple dental extraction services to eligible uninsured, low-income adults. By making it a no-frill tournament, the clinic can make sure the most of every donation and registration dollar benefits those in need. Breakfast, beverages and prizes are all donated.

The CARE Clinic does not receive any government funding and relies solely on the generosity of donors, grants and fundraisers. The charity golf tournament is one of three major fundraisers The CARE Clinic hosts each year.

The next Care Dinner is set for Feb. 6, 2021 at 7 p.m. Hosts provide the space, beverages and hors d’oeuvres. The CARE Clinic provides the meal.
May 6, 2021, the annual Toast of the Town Wine, Beer and Spirits Tasting and Silent Auction will take place at Cape Fear Botanical Garden. To purchase tickets, or to find out how you can support Adult patients who qualify for The CARE Clinic services, may receive, free of charge, any of the following services.
• Basic Medical Care
• Dental Extractions
• Chiropractic Care
• Laboratory Tests
• Additional Diagnostic Testing
• Pharmacy Service
• Health Education
• Community Resource Information
• Social Services
• Referrals to Specialists

To be seen in The CARE Clinic you must: be an adult resident of Cumberland County or surrounding areas; have no insurance, including Medicaid; meet an income requirement. Proof of household income required; and have a valid, NC DMV issued picture ID card or Driver License showing your current address where you are residing.

Clinics are primarily staffed by volunteers. Medical clinics are every Tuesday, Thursday and the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Dental clinics are every Tuesday and second and and fourth Wednesday. All appointments are made on a space available basis. Patients are given the opportunity to make a donation at the time of
their visit.

The CARE Clinic does not take walk-ins. Appointments are made only by phone.

For information about how to make an appointment, call 910-485-0555.

The CARE Clinic also provides a page of excellent resources at https://www.thecareclinic.org/other-resources/

To learn more about The CARE Clinic, visit www.thecareclinic.org.

There are many reasons why one should consider Information Technology as a field of study. Information Technology includes many different areas you can choose from. The job market is constantly growing and a fundamental Informational Technology knowledge-base opens the door to pursue a vast number of different careers within the field. There will always be a demand for technology specialists, as new advancements are continually on the horizon and the financial reward is great.

FTCC offers an Information Technology degree in PC Support & Services as well as Database Management. This curriculum prepares graduates to work in the Information Technology field as Help Desk Technicians, Technical Support Specialists, Field Service Technicians, System Support Specialists and a number of other positions.

Students will learn about computer hardware and software in order to troubleshoot and solve problems. Students also learn the fundamentals of other areas in Information Technology like Programming, Networking, Security and Virtualization.

Education and training in Information Technology can be an asset for an individual’s career. We are not limited to only those individuals who are seeking an associate degree.

For those who are seeking that additional career training, we have several certificate programs that are condensed, focusing on one particular area of interest.

FTCC also offers education opportunities for high school students. There are many certificates available to High School Connections and Cumberland Polytechnic High School students.

Anyone interested in the program may apply to FTCC from the homepage www.faytechcc.edu by clicking on Apply Now.

There is no application fee and everyone is accepted. During the admissions process, you will be able to indicate your area interest. You can select the Information Technology/Database Management or Information Technology/PC Support & Services program at this location in the process.

Once the admissions process is complete, you can begin registering for classes right away. Students can begin their major courses their first semester.

Interested individuals may also contact Tomica Sobers, at 910-678-7368 or email at sobersto@faytechcc.edu.

Registration is currently open for Fall 8-week classes. Classes begin Oct. 15. New students can schedule an appointment with an admissions counselor or email admissionscounselors@faytechcc.edu for assistance with admissions, counseling and registration.

FTCC offers over 280 curriculum programs of study where some academic credits transfer to some four-year colleges/universities and also offers a wide range of Corporate and Continuing Education (noncredit transfer) classes and programs of study.

For convenience of study in a safe learning environment (online, virtual or traditional classroom), affordability, student club/organization experiences and a high-quality education, make the smart choice for education—Fayetteville Technical Community College.

The Fayetteville 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Segra Stadium is scheduled for Sept. 12 from 8:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. to honor and remember the FDNY firefighters, police and EMS who selflessly gave their lives so that others might live on 9-11-2001.

Each participant pays tribute to an FDNY firefighter, police officer or EMS by climbing the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center. Your individual tribute not only remembers the sacrifice of an FDNY brother, but symbolically completes their heroic journey to save others.

Through firefighter and community participation we can ensure that each of the 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, and 10 EMS are honored and that the world knows that we will never forget.

All monies raised fund the programs provided by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to support the families of local fallen firefighters and the FDNY Counseling Services Unit.

Participants must register online no later than Sept. 10. You can register as an individual or as part of a team. Donations can also be made on the site.

For more information visit http://events.firehero.org/site/TR?fr_id=2186&pg=entry

“No special circumstance or reason is needed to vote by mail in North Carolina. All registered voters in North Carolina may request an absentee ballot for the November 2020 general election,” the state board of elections says on its website.

Three voting options are always available to registered voters — absentee voting by mail, voting at one-stop early voting sites across the county and Election Day voting at assigned polling places. The state elections board says North Carolina is the first state to send out ballots for the 2020 general election.

The vote-by-mail process was initiated on Sept. 4, two months ahead of Election Day. Ballot requests can be made through an online Absentee Ballot Request Portal. Or voters can fill out absentee ballot requests by mail and turn them in to their county board of elections office.

A voter’s absentee ballot request information is not a public record until the ballot is returned or until Election Day. Ballot request information will not appear in voter records through the Voter Search Tool. After a ballot is requested, allow a week to 10 days for it to be sent.

When your ballot is accepted by your county board of elections, that information will be posted in your voter record. Absentee by-mail voting is safe and secure in North Carolina. Officials are encouraging voters to request absentee ballots as soon as possible. The cutoff date is 5 p.m. on Oct. 27.

On Aug. 9, 5-year-old Cannon Hinnant was shot and killed while riding his bicycle outside his home in Wilson, North Carolina. Within days, the tragedy became national news, and people across the nation rallied to show support to the Hinnant family by way of messages, prayer vigils and charity events. When a local Hope Mills woman heard the news, she organized a local charity ride to raise funds for the Hinnant family. The Benefit Ride for Cannon Hinnant is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 5, starting at Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson on Sycamore Dairy Road in Fayetteville.

“I am a mother, and it broke my heart,” said Angela Sajko. “I wanted to do something to show support.”

A motorcycle enthusiast herself, Sajko has been riding for 22 years.

“In the biker community, we do a lot of benefit rides,” she said.

The ride is scheduled to end at the Nash County Community College in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Sajko said the original end-point was advertised as the Wilson Fair Grounds, then changed to Middlesex Elementary School, but law enforcement officials have changed it again to accommodate the number of riders expected. She has received interest from several out-of-state motorcycle clubs, including riders from Kentucky, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and Texas.

Any future updates to the route and/or destination will be posted on the Facebook page, she said.

The route leaves Harley-Davidson and travels down Morganton Road to Glensford Drive then to Hope Mills Road. The ride will hit I-95 and travel to the end point, she said.

The benefit ride will have a law enforcement escort the entire route to include Fayetteville Police Department in town, Highway Patrol while on I-95 and local police off the exit.

Members of the Hinnant family will greet riders in Wilson, Sajko said. “We will be able to meet his mom and grandparents,” she said, “but there are no official remarks or guest speakers scheduled.

“This is about showing support to the family, to let them know that other parents and grandparents are grieving with them.”

The Sept. 5 Benefit Ride for Cannon Hinnant will begin at Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson on Sycamore Dairy Road in Fayetteville and end at Nash County Community College in Rocky Mount.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and kickstands are up at 11 a.m. “Registration costs $20 for anything that is street legal,” Sajko said, noting that motorcycles will lead the way for cars and trucks. All proceeds from the $20 registration fee will be donated to the Hinnant family. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/fortbraggharley.

We seldom get to acknowledge a journalistic colleague that has come to mean so much to our organization and to the entire Fayetteville community. This is why we have chosen to recognize Jeff Thompson, a dedicated and talented news media professional whose journalistic talents and expertise have touched every aspect of the media industry. Truly, Jeff has forged his way through decades of an ever-changing media landscape, forcing him to recast and reinvent himself umpteen times to succeed in the highly competitive and cutthroat industry of radio news broadcasting. Fifty years! Jeff went from spinning records at Steve’s Tower in the Sky as a rock n roll disc jockey in the 70s to mastering almost every aspect of media. Radio, TV, and yes, in his later years, even daily and weekly newspapers.

Margaret Dickson, Up & Coming Weekly’s senior contributing writer and one of Jeff Thompson’s biggest fans has written a wonderful and heartfelt feature introducing our readers to Jeff and honoring him for his 50+ year career in the media industry. To infer that Jeff’s style of news reporting was “old school” would be an understatement compared to the coverage we have today. For decades, as WFNC’s news director, Jeff would tackle the most critical, spirited and controversial issues facing Fayetteville, Cumberland County and North Carolina. However, the difference between then and now was Jeff meticulously made sure the subject matter was covered fairly and accurately. If Jeff reported it, you could rest assured you had the whole story. This was Jeff Thompson’s legacy.

Full disclosure: The Up & Coming Weekly newspaper is celebrating its 25th year serving Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Cumberland County. Our mission in January 1996 was the same as it is in 2020 — to showcase, accentuate and promote the assets and amenities that make the Fayetteville area a great place to live, work and play. In other words, if something was good for the Fayetteville community, we were going to support it, write about it and promote it. If something was not good for Fayetteville and we perceived it as detrimental to the community, we were going to take a stand against it. By 1998, our biweekly publication had been accepted and welcomed by the community, and it successfully took root — especially with the neglected cultural arts community. To this, the daily newspaper, The Fayetteville Observer, adamantly objected. Admittedly, as hard as I tried, I was no match for the multimillion-dollar publishing company and resolved that I was defeated.

So, in a final act of defiance, I contacted Jeff Thompson, who at the time was news director of WFNC — Fayetteville’s local and most trusted voice in news media — and Margaret Highsmith Dickson, who at the time was at the helm of the WFNC editorial board. The intrepid request I made to them when we met for lunch, and to which they reluctantly agreed, is why Up & Coming Weekly exists today.

I asked if I could appear exclusively on Thompson’s radio show the day we published an explanation as to why we were being forced out of business, along with an article on The Fayetteville Observer’s surreptitious tactics used to undermine our newspaper to eliminate competition and maintain its media monopoly — to the detriment of local businesses, organizations and community agencies. Jeff and Margaret allowed us to tell our story on the air to the adamant and arrogant denial of Fayetteville Observer management.

But it was too late. Jeff Thompson and WFNC’s local audience, at that time, was the heart and soul of the Fayetteville community. Despite The Fayetteville Observer denials, Fayetteville residents and businesses were aware of the tactics and knew the allegations had substance. The community rallied in support of our newspaper. Twenty-five years later, and without changing our mission or mandate, we are extremely proud to include both Jeff Thompson, as our senior news reporter, and Margaret Dickson, as our senior and longest-running contributing writer at over 19 years, as part of the Up & Coming Weekly family. Both have made significant contributions to the success of our organization.

Enjoy Margaret’s feature about Jeff Thompson, as she introduces you to one of her dearest friends and mentors. Continue to follow them both each week in Up & Coming Weekly. Neither has shown any sign of slowing down any time soon.
Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly. Please join our staff and me in congratulating Jeff Thompson for his first 50 years in media and his service to the Fayetteville community.

Pictured: Jeff Thompson

The U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity operates nine schools at Fort Bragg, serving students living on post in grades pre-K through 8. Students in grades 9 – 12, and those living off post, attend local county schools. Fort Bragg schools have a combined enrollment of about 5,000 students. Since Aug. 24, classes have been conducted remotely. When virus trends improve, the schools should start shifting students back to in-person classes. Parents who opted to enroll their children in the Virtual Academy administered by the Defense Department will continue online learning when other students head back to the classroom. Since learning from home has become the new normal for students, officials want to make sure they receive nutritionally balanced meals. “We try to promote a recipe that they would enjoy,” said Veronica Lee, Fort Bragg’s nutrition clerk. Three drive-thru feeding sites are providing both breakfast and lunch for all students up to age 18. According to foodservice staff, that equates to about 2,700 meals a day and nearly 19,000 meals a week.

Whether Democrat Yvonne Holley or Republican Mark Robinson wins the 2020 race for lieutenant governor, North Carolinians will be electing the first African American candidate to that post.

But the victor won’t be the first Black North Carolinian elected to a Council of State office. That was Ralph Campbell, the longtime Raleigh city councilman elected state auditor in 1992. Even before that, Henry Frye became the first Black member of the North Carolina Supreme Court, having been appointed in 1983 and then elected statewide in 1984.

If you follow state politics closely, you already know all that. But do you know the name of the first African-American to appear on North Carolina’s statewide ballot — and win?

It’s a bit of a trick question, I admit, because the election I’m talking about wasn’t, strictly speaking, for public office. The answer is Abraham Galloway, whom voters chose as one of North Carolina’s presidential electors in 1868.
Galloway is one of the most intriguing figures in the history of our state — and another North Carolinian who, in my opinion, deserves to be honored with multiple statues and monuments.

Born a slave in what is now Southport, Galloway became a skilled brick mason and joined a thriving community of Black craftsmen, sailors, and activists in antebellum Wilmington. He escaped to freedom in 1857 in the cargo hold of a schooner bound for Philadelphia. Making his way via the Underground Railroad to Canada, Galloway soon became an active abolitionist.

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Abraham Galloway performed another brave act: he returned to the South to work as a spy, and later as a recruiter, for the Union Army. In his 2012 book “The Fire of Freedom: Abraham Galloway & The Slaves’ Civil War” historian David Cecelski does a masterful job of relating Galloway’s exploits during the war — or, at least, the exploits for which there is a historical record, as Galloway was himself illiterate and narrated only some of his experiences to others after the fact.

Cecelski uses a particularly dramatic scene to kick off the book. A New England abolitionist and federal agent named Edward Kinsley arrives in New Bern in 1863 with a mission to recruit African Americans into the Union Army. It soon becomes clear, however, that he’ll have no success unless he bargains successfully with Galloway, already a leader of the local Black community.

Galloway demands equal pay and fair treatment for Black soldiers, as well as a pledge that the Union will fight for abolition, not just to reassemble the Union. Only after Kinsley agrees do Black recruits step forward — first in the hundreds, eventually in the thousands.

After the war, Abraham Galloway helped organize the new Republican Party in North Carolina, played a key role at the 1868 convention that drafted a new state constitution, and won election to the North Carolina Senate several months later, all the while “defying nightriders and assassins,” as Cecelski put it.

During his brief but momentous political career — Galloway died abruptly of natural cases in 1870 at the age of 33 — he not only championed the rights of Black North Carolinians but also fought for women’s suffrage and educational opportunity. If you’re a progressive, you’ll appreciate Galloway’s advocacy of new labor laws. If you’re a conservative, you’ll appreciate his advocacy of gun rights and deep suspicion of the state-subsidized railroad company.

While unyielding in his quest for justice, Galloway sought to build bridges and conciliate former adversaries whenever possible. Picked to give the opening address at the founding convention of the state GOP in 1867, he insisted he spoke as “neither Republican Black man nor Republican white man” but for the party as a whole. “A man may be a Dutchman or an Irishman, a Yankee or a Southerner, and I tell you I will give him a hearty shake and a warm welcome upon the Republican platform,” he said.

Whatever your politics, Abraham Galloway can and should be one of your heroes.

Picture: Abraham Galloway

From Cabarrus County to Cumberland County, our region is a special place with unique challenges and opportunities. This week, I was honored to welcome two of President Donald Trump’s cabinet officials to highlight some of these important issues for our community and state.

On Tuesday, I invited Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler to come to Fayetteville to discuss ways we are addressing PFAS chemicals like GenX in our water. When it comes to GenX, people in our community are angry, they are afraid, and we want answers. I first invited the EPA to Fayetteville in 2018 so they could hear directly from our community on this issue. This week’s bipartisan roundtable discussion continued that dialogue and allowed our local representatives to engage directly with the EPA Administrator.

I urged the EPA to complete a final toxicity assessment of GenX and discussed my most recent efforts to combat PFAS chemicals, including GenX, through two amendments I secured in the latest appropriations bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. These amendments would study the relationship between PFAS exposure and COVID-19, and provide $2.4 million for the EPA to develop regulations to control discharge of PFAS in surface waters.

Also at the roundtable, Administrator Wheeler announced the new Innovative Ways to Destroy PFAS Challenge, a partnership between federal and states agencies seeking detailed plans for a non-incineration method to destroy PFAS in firefighting foam. I am happy to see the EPA pursuing this initiative as part of the PFAS Action Plan — the most comprehensive cross-agency plan ever to address an emerging chemical of concern. It was great to have Administrator Wheeler in Fayetteville to discuss how we can continue to combat GenX and clean up the Cape Fear River.

Also last week I invited HUD Secretary Ben Carson, a champion of efforts to make housing more affordable, to Kannapolis to talk about how we can improve housing in our community. Secretary Carson leads the Trump Administration’s White House Council of Eliminating Barriers to Affordable Housing, which was created by an executive order signed by President Trump to engage with state, local, and tribal leaders across the country to identify and remove obstacles that impede production of affordable homes. I also discussed legislation I am working on to modernize the low-income housing tax credit to make it more flexible and easier to use.

Secretary Carson has also done a lot of work on Opportunity Zones, a program I supported in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. North Carolina has 252 approved Opportunity Zones, with 18 of them right here in our region. These zones incentivize economic growth in economically distressed communities, with an expected $100 billion in investment throughout the country.

I sincerely appreciate both Administrator Wheeler and Secretary Carson making the time to visit our community at my invitation. I hope these visits will continue the great partnerships I have forged with the Trump Administration to tackle issues affecting our communities and I look forward to continuing to work together.

Picture: Rep. Hudson hosts a roundtable in Fayetteville with EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and members of the community.