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    04 state leadersThe state of the political discourse was lousy. “Laws are no longer made by a rational process of public discussion,” wrote one longtime columnist. “They are made by a process of blackmail and intimidation, and they are executed in the same manner. The typical lawmaker of today is a man wholly devoid of principle — a mere counter in a grotesque and knavish game.” The same writer observed that, compared to “a state legislature in session,” a visit to the local zoo would be “informing, stimulating and ennobling.”


    His name was H.L. Mencken. He was writing about the contentious politics of 1930, not the contentious politics of 2019. And Mencken was grossly exaggerating.


    Our political process is under tremendous pressure, no question. In North Carolina and beyond, politics has been overly coarsened, polarized and trivialized. But the system isn’t irreparably broken.


    Lawmakers continue to draft important bills, recruit bipartisan support and make substantive arguments for or against enactment. Political leaders still engage each other without constantly resorting to schemes or insults. North Carolinians of differing views haven’t stopped talking to each other.


    We don’t do these things enough, of course. We must do more. But cynicism about our civic dialogue is premature. There are positive examples out there, examples that deserve attention and emulation.


    The North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership has been doing this kind of work for decades. I have long been on its faculty and currently chair the board of directors. Its signature program is the IOPL Fellowship. Twice a year, IOPL selects a class of promising leaders — North Carolinians aspiring to be public servants in some capacity — and provides extensive training to prepare fellows to fill those roles effectively.


    The participants, faculty, and board of IOPL are carefully balanced by party, ideology and other characteristics. Fellows learn the nuts and bolts of political campaigns, to be sure, but they also learn how to govern wisely, in either elective or appointive office, as well as how other institutions such as associations, interest groups, think tanks, and media outlets help to shape political events and issues.


    Four years ago, IOPL decided to take its message to a larger audience by cohosting a series of hometown debates, along with local chambers of commerce. During election years, the series focuses on statewide offices or referenda. In nonelection years, IOPL and its partners assemble panels of elected officials and policy practitioners to debate critical issues facing North Carolina.


    The 2019 series of hometown debates  began on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at the 119 West Third Event Center of the J. Smith Young YMCA in Lexington. Former Rep. Nelson Dollar, R-Wake, and former State Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, current chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, joined two other panelists to discuss Medicaid transformation and expansion.


    On Oct. 1, Rep. Carla Cunningham, D-Mecklenburg, and Sen. Carl Ford, R-Cabarrus, will headline a panel at the Norvell Theater in Salisbury on health insurance issues. On Oct. 8, Sen. Jim Perry , R-Lenoir, and Sen. Don Davis, D-Greene, will be part of a debate at East Carolina University’s Black Box Theater on how to improve health care access in rural areas. Finally, on Oct. 17, Reps. Maryann Black, D-Durham, and Donna White, R-Johnston, will discuss issues of health care delivery at the Civic Center of Vance-Granville Community College.


    All four one-hour debates begin at 7 p.m. and will be moderated by Loretta Boniti, senior political reporter for the cable channel Spectrum News. Each will be broadcast on the Spectrum website and, in edited form, as an episode of Boniti’s weekly public-affairs show “In Focus.”


    Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina, the North Carolina Association of Health Underwriters and the North Carolina Rural Center are among the series sponsors. If you want to elevate the political conversation, attend or watch the hometown debates — and help organize similar projects in your community. We all have a part to play in improving the practice of self-government in the state we proudly call home.

    The 2019 series of hometown debates  began on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

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    19 Jimmy TeagueThe Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas announced rosters for this year’s game last week, a move that caught some people by surprise. In past years, the announcement has been held until closer to the end of football season.
    Ronnie Blount, who is general chairman of the game and lives in Cumberland County, said there was logic behind the decision to move the announcement date up a month.

    Nominations were opened on July 15 this season and closed on Labor Day he said.

    The main reason for the advance was because of challenges getting football uniforms to fit an assortment of players. This year’s Shrine rosters have players as short at 5-foot-9 and as tall as 6-foot-7.

    Blount said the Shriners had encountered problems getting equipment delivered in time with the late announcement date. The vendor who provides the uniforms needs 90 days to turn the orders around he said.

    Another plus of moving the date up was that coaches had some free time over the summer to work on nominations, resulting in more nominations than in past years.

    This year’s game is scheduled Saturday, Dec. 21, at 1 p.m. at Wofford College’s Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C.

    The head coach for the North Carolina team has Cumberland County ties. Jimmy Teague, veteran coach at Reidsville High School, is a former assistant coach at Pine Forest High School.
    • Lacrosse continues to grow in Cumberland County and the region. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has announced the new conferences for boys and girls lacrosse and county schools will no longer be in the same league with teams from the Raleigh area.

    The new league for boys includes Jack Britt, Cape Fear, Pinecrest and Terry Sanford.

    For girls, the league members are the same four schools plus Union Pines.

    Lacrosse practice begins Feb. 12, 2020, with the first matches on March 2.
     
    • The next Region 4 Emergency Fund Golf Tournament will be held Sunday, Oct. 13, at Gates Four Golf and Country Club. Rain date is Oct. 20.

    The tournament raises money for the coaches and officials emergency fund, which provides monetary support to individuals and families in the area during a time of crisis.
    There are slots for as many as 32 teams in the fall tournament.

    Those registering before Oct. 6 pay $75 per golfer. After Oct. 6, the cost rises to $85 per golfer.

    For more information on the tournament, including how to register, visit www.regionfour.org.
     

    Pictured: L-R Former Pine Forest assistant football coach Jimmy Teague, Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas general chairman Ronnie Blount and Dean Boyd of York Comprehensive High School in York, South Carolina announce this year's Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas teams live on Facebook. Teague is head coach at Reidsville High School and North Carolina head coach this year. Boyd is the South Carolina head coach.

     

     

     

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    11 01 Profile Series 9In contemporary art, the subject for an artist can range from the decorative to the political, the profane to the sublime, or stark minimalism to excessive detail. For local artist Cornell Jones, “the works are an extension of myself — a record, a reflection. Making new work answers questions for me and keeps me constantly in the mindset of observing the world around me.”

    In his one-person exhibition titled Small Things that Fit... Works by Cornell Jones, opening Oct. 1 at Gallery 208, visitors to the opening reception will preview a body of work that reveals Jones’ sensibilities to the world around him.
    Raised in Alabama, he attended Troy State University and then spent time in New York City, working in art organizations, social work agencies and community organizations after earning a Master of Fine Arts in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York. He later returned to our region and presently works as an elementary art teacher in Fayetteville and an adjunct member of the faculty at Fayetteville State University.

    Jones distinguishes himself as a Southerner and an American of African descent. He noted: “My cultural identity influences both my artwork and the process through which I create. It is extremely important to me that I reflect my community, experiences and beliefs in the work that I present.” What the artist does not state is how the idea of identity is the common thread throughout the works in the exhibit.

    Although Jones’ heritage is fixed, meaning in each work is fluid, and he leaves us room for interpretation. The exhibit conveys conditions for abstracted circumstance, change and influence. In most of the works, the figure is totally obscure or partially obscured, allowing the viewer to re-examine the identity in each work. Is the figure you, someone you know or a stranger?

    How the artist would like us to see something about his “community” is subtle and influenced by his history. Although we do not need to know influences on the work, knowing the influences does alter our perception of meaning, and we are able to connect to the artist; we are able to understand something about his “community” in the works.

    Jones described the influences from his childhood: “My process of exploring materials is directly inspired by the time I spent with my great-grandmother as she made patchwork quilts. Often, as a young boy, I found myself threading needles and sorting through her bags of colorful fabric scraps. I still enjoy searching, but the fabric has been replaced with hand-painted and found papers.”

    11 02 Profile SeriesKnowing his history of watching his great-grandmother select parts of fabric to create a whole, we can easily understand how according to  Jones, “discarded or fragmented pieces are assembled to create something new into my artistic practice, whether it be drawing, painting or collage. The traditions, rituals, landscape and memories of my Southern upbringing are deeply rooted in my process and product.”

    Within Jones’ busy schedule and his many responsibilities, he still finds time to be a practicing artist. A testament to the creative impulse within him, Jones noted he creates new works because he is curious. “I study things that I might have overlooked, and I enjoy the process of developing or growing an idea from a sketch to a finished piece to a body of work. As a teacher, I also find it necessary to continue creating so that I can talk to students from a place of current experience. I stay active in the creative process by making, learning new skills and researching the ways other artists perceive the world that are outside the way I think about it.”

    Jones is not only an excellent educator and a family man, but he continues to share his work with the public in exhibitions. His work has been included in exhibitions in New York and North Carolina. Most recently he was selected to exhibit in 2017 at the Arts Council in Fayetteville/Cumberland County for the 10:10:10 exhibit.  Jones’ works have also been exhibited at the Delta Arts Center in Winston-Salem, the Greenhill Center for North Carolina Art in Greensboro and Ellington White Contemporary Gallery in Fayetteville.

    For Jones, due to his professional and personal obligations, the greatest challenge is setting up a routine he can follow to create new works. Although his creative time is often interrupted, he noted how he still tries to be consistent and routinely returns to the studio to create new work.

    The routine of making time to continue to be an artist may have been influenced by his upbringing and watching his great-grandmother making quilts. One cannot imagine a clearer view of his creative impetus, he is still the innocent child at the table with his great-grandmother, exploring and assembling materials. For Jones, like his great-grandmother, the creative experience is “following ideas … artmaking is an exploration in materials and concepts. I reflect. I record. I draw. I paint. I cut. I assemble,” said Jones.

    Everyone is invited to meet Jones at the opening reception of his exhibit, “Small Things that Fit... Works by Cornell Jones,” Tuesday, Oct. 1, at Gallery 208, at 208 Rowan St. in Fayetteville, between the hours of 5:30-7 p.m. The artist will do a short presentation at 6 p.m. and share insight with everyone about his process and the content of the works in the exhibit.

    For anyone not attending the opening, the exhibit will remain up until Dec. 15. For information call 910-484-6200.
     

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    earl vaughan srForgive me for a personal indulgence today, but it’s a milestone moment in the life of someone extremely special to me.
     
    I’d like to take a few moments to wish a happy 90th birthday to my father, the Rev. Earl Vaughan Sr. There is not enough space in all the databanks everywhere to thank him for everything he’s done for me through the years.
     
    The United States Army brought him to Fort Bragg from his native Missouri. During his Army days he met and eventually married my mother, the late Peggy Blount Vaughan, a hometown Fayetteville girl. I joined the party in 1954 and nine years later dad decided to enter the ministry. He earned his ministerial credentials at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. We returned to North Carolina where he served pastorates in Bryson City, Cleveland, Leland and Warsaw before retiring and moving back to Fayetteville with mom.
     
    He’s still preaching every so often and loves finding bargains, interacting with people and doing the Lord’s work.
     
    Thank you dad for being there for me everyday I’ve been on this earth. Have a super birthday.
     
    The record: 23-7
     
    I survived Friday the 13th with a 5-2 record, which is far better than it could have been given the difficulty of the predictions. The season total is 23-7, 76.7 percent. 
     
    Cape Fear at Terry Sanford- The Battle of the Blues is a big Patriot Athletic Conference matchup for both teams. I’m worried about Cape Fear being a little rusty. The Colts are coming off an open date and have only played two games this year since their opener with Clinton was canceled by the weather.
    But Terry Sanford lost to Jack Britt and had a tough time with E.E. Smith after an open date the previous Friday.
    This will be the first “home” game for the Bulldogs as they move to their temporary headquarters at Reid Ross Classical High School’s John Daskal Stadium. I’ll be interested to see just how homey things are for the team and its fans.
    Cape Fear 21, Terry Sanford 20.
     
    South View at Douglas Byrd- The Eagles got a big win against Westover last week but they will face a stiff test from the versatile South View offense Friday night. 
    South View 28, Douglas Byrd 14.
     
    E.E. Smith at Overhills - The Golden Bulls came close against Terry Sanford last week but weren’t able to seal the win.
    I’m worried about an emotional letdown against Overhills this week after getting up for a big rival like the Bulldogs.
    Overhills 22, E.E. Smith 17.
     
    Pine Forest at Gray’s Creek - The big concern here is which Pine Forest team is going to show up. The Trojans have been a little inconsistent early in the season and defense has been a problem. Gray’s Creek is much improved, but I think the Bears will have a tough time containing Pine Forest’s offense.
    Pine Forest 24, Gray’s Creek 18.
     
    Goldsboro at Westover - Here’s hoping home field will give Westover enough of a boost to get its first win of the season.
    Westover 22, Goldsboro 20.
     
    Jack Britt at New Hanover - Call me crazy, but after three weeks Brian Randolph had me drinking that purple Jack Britt Kool-Aid. I think the Buccaneers are for real and they’ve got a chance to make a statement Friday against a solid New Hanover team.
    Jack Britt 28, New Hanover 27.
     
    Open date: Seventy-First.
     
    Other games: Fayetteville Christian 14, Rocky Mount Academy 12; Trinity Christian 21, Metrolina Christian 14.

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    17 Deputy Chief Hank HarrisMost people begin to worry about hurricanes when the weather reports grow ominous as a major storm advances on the place that they live.

     
    But emergency personnel like Hank Harris, deputy chief of the Cotton Fire Department in Hope Mills, have to remain focused on storms throughout hurricane season — and not just ones that threaten our local communities.
     
    Cotton is part of a larger group known as Urban Search and Rescue Teams. They work together with the Fayetteville Fire and Police Departments and Cumberland County Emergency Medical Services.
     
    “There are seven teams like it across the state,’’ Harris said. “Most of them are in big municipalities. They’ve got equipment to shore up structurally collapsed buildings. We’ve got swift-water rescue stuff. They are self-sustainable for 72 hours.’’
     
    In past storms, local rescue personnel have been involved with sending swift-water rescue teams to storm-stricken areas.
     
    During Hurricane Dorian, the Fayetteville-area team sent a forklift to the Outer Banks to load supplies at hurricane-ravaged Ocracoke Island.
     
    Harris said the Fayetteville area team also has tents available that can be used to house team members when they are sent elsewhere to serve, or they can be sent to disaster areas to provide an emergency hospital or shelter to feed people displaced from their homes.
     
    In 2017, Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston and southeast Texas, causing $125 billion in damage, mostly from flooding.
     
    Harris said the team from the Fayetteville area sent 90 people to Texas to help with relief during that storm.
     
    “We go everywhere,’’ he said.
     
    With the growing frequency of storms every fall in the United States, Harris said it’s a good idea for people to not wait to hear bad news on the weather and maintain a basic level of readiness whenever hurricane season arrives in the Southeast.
     
    “It’s always good to have a hurricane kit,’’ Harris said. You can visit ReadyNC.org on the internet or download the ReadyNC app to your smartphone and get a lot of valuable information there, Harris added.
     
    “It gives you a list of materials you need to keep on hand,’’ he said. “You know what happens to all the grocery stores. They start emptying the shelves. You can be a little bit ahead of the game by having some of that stuff already in place.’’
     
    Some basics to have on hand include bandaging material, water both to drink and to clean wounds with and enough food to sustain life for everyone in the home for several days.

     

    Harris said it’s also a good idea to be aware of what rescue personnel with the fire department can and can’t do when a storm hits.

     
    Harris said his agency normally won’t respond to situations like a tree falling on a house and simply causing physical damage to the building. They will come out for emergencies like people trapped in a home or car, for rising water and, in some cases, for downed power lines. They try to refer power line situations to the appropriate power company.
     
    “It keeps us from stretching our resources so thin,’’ he said, "in times when multiple calls might be coming in."
     
    Harris said the safety of rescue personnel also has to be factored in. “When the wind gets up, it’s not safe for us to respond,’’ he said. “If the winds are too high for us to respond and something happens to us, we’re not helping anybody.’’
     
    Pictured: Deputy Chief Hank Harris
     

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    16 MatsThe Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department is in the third year of a program to make sleeping mats for the homeless from plastic bags.

     
    Anne Evanco, a program specialist for the Parks and Recreation Department, said the program has stockpiled plenty of raw material for the work, but it needs more helping hands to create the mats.
     
    The program started at the former senior center on Davis Street but has relocated to the Parks and Recreation building on Rockfish Road.
     
    Evanco estimates that the volunteers in the program have churned out roughly 300 mats since they started.
     
    They collect plastic bags from various local businesses and then bring them to the recreation center. There they are flattened, folded and cut into a material they call plarn, which means plastic yarn.
     
    Once the plarn has been made, it can be used in a variety of ways to create the sleeping mats. Evanco said they can be knitted, crocheted or weaved, depending on the preference of the person making the mat.
     
    She added it’s a simple process to learn and anyone can do it with minimal training.
     
    When people come out to take part in the program for the first time, Evanco said they are usually assigned to the process of making the plarn.
     
    “We want them to learn each step,’’ she said. “After you learn how to process the bags and make the plarn, it doesn’t take long to learn the weaving method.’’
     
    The process of making a mat can take from 10 to 30 hours Evanco said. A lot of that depends on the individual worker and how nimble their hands are. Some of the crocheted mats can take as long as 60 hours.
     
    The mat makers convene at the recreation center three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from noon until 4 p.m. each day.
     
    While the program was originally intended for senior citizens, Evanco said people of all ages are now welcome to take part.
     
    The mat-making room is somewhat crowded on Wednesday and Friday, Evanco said, but they could use some more volunteers who would like to work on mats on Mondays.
     
    The mat makers aren’t responsible for getting the mats into the hands of the homeless. The recreation center staff works with other organizations, especially Fayetteville Urban Ministry, to drop off the mats and have them put directly into the hands of the homeless.
     
    Evanco said she doesn’t have an idea on how long a mat will actually last, saying it varies from person to person and the type of surface they might be sleeping on, with mats used on grass surfaces standing up better than those used on concrete.
     
    Anyone interested in learning how to make the mats should just show up at one of the Monday, Wednesday or Friday sessions. “The people in this program are very welcoming,’’ Evanco said. “We’ll bring that person in and put them to work, show them the process.

     

    “It’s great to see someone who has never done anything like this before. There’s something for everyone in this program.’’

    Pictured: Paula Ray, center, a Hope Mills volunteer, delivers mats to staff at the Veterans Administration Stand Down Center last August

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    18 RefInappropriate adult behavior at high school athletic events throughout the country has reached epidemic proportions.

     
    When more than 2,000 high school athletic directors were asked in a recent national survey what they like least about their job, 62.3% said it was “dealing with aggressive parents and adult fans.”
     
    And the men and women who wear the black and white stripes agree. In fact, almost 80% of officials quit after the first two years on the job and unruly parents are cited as the reason why. As a result, there is a growing shortage of high school officials nationwide, and in some sports like wrestling, swimming, and track and field, the shortage is severe. No officials means no more games.
     
    If you are a parent attending a high school athletic event this fall, you can help by following these six guidelines.
     
    Act your age. You are, after all, an adult. Act in a way that makes your family and school proud.
     
    Don’t live your life vicariously through your children. High school sports are for them, not you. Your family’s reputation is not determined by how well your children perform on the field of play.
     
    Let your children talk to the coach instead of you doing it for them. High school athletes learn how to become more confident, independent and capable—but only when their parents don’t jump in and solve their problems for them.
     
    Stay in your own lane. No coaching or officiating from the sidelines. Your role is to be a responsible, supportive parent — not a coach or official.
     
    Remember, participating in a high school sport is not about getting a college scholarship. According to the NCAA, only about two percent of all high school athletes are awarded a sports scholarship, and the total value of the scholarship is only about $18,000.
     
    Make sure your children know you love watching them play. Do not critique your child’s performance on the car ride home. Participating in high school sports is about character development, learning and having fun — not winning and losing.
     
    Purchasing a ticket to a high school athletic event does not give you the right to be rude, disrespectful or verbally abusive. Cheer loud and be proud, but be responsible and respectful. The future of high school sports in our nation is dependent on you.

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    14 WorshipThe secret to eternal youth is a lot simpler than we make it. It's not found in some rejuvenating elixir or dietary plan. The only remedy to growing old is to simply stop waking up. Because the fact of the matter is that every time we wake, we are certain to have aged — at least a little.

     
    As I crossed the threshold of a landmark birthday this summer, I found myself surprised at how quickly it actually got here. When I was a young man, I thought by this time in my life I'd be creaking around, sitting in a rocker on the porch randomly yelling at neighborhood kids to get off my lawn. But no. Growing old and aging aren't necessarily the same.
     
    On a recent weekend, I put in some earbuds and headed out to mow the lawn and selected a playlist that caused me to be excited not only for my age, but also for the generations coming behind me. Warning: the rest of this will probably seem decidedly Christian to some, but what do you expect? I run a Christian radio station, which is more an extension of who I am than it is has ever been a job.
     
    The playlist I selected was called, “Praise and Worship Hotlist.” It treated me to dozens of songs ranging from energetic pop to reflective anthems  — all with a focus on inciting a deeper relationship with God in the listener. The experience led me to recall the cliché phrases we hear from those aging around us like, “They call that music?” But that's not how I felt. Instead, I thought it was beautiful to hear such lyrical and poetic thoughts wrapped in musical packages that completely reflected a generation I can only observe from the outside.
     
    The young songwriters and musicians spoke to the realities of their world. And while we hear many people complain about the same things, they offered them to God, and declared he was the one who would strengthen them to endure and eventually change them. All the more poignant, most of the songs were recorded live, and you could hear the echoes of a great crowd around them.
     
    We often hear about the number of young people walking away from the church. We're told they hold nothing about their parents' faith dear. They even call them the “nones.” No preference. No faith. Nothing. What we hear less about is the burgeoning faith and devotion of the same generation who didn't leave. Or the ones whose faith came fully alive as they entered adulthood.  For the former — the nones — perhaps they didn't walk away at all. More likely they only went
    through the motions of faith because that's where their parents took them or where  their limited social circle centered.
     
    Genuine Christian faith is not something you walk into and out of. It becomes more an extension of who you are than a place you go or a thing you do. And to those demonstrating that faith: I like your music. Walk on my lawn any time.

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    12 Charlie BrownThe Peanuts characters come to life in Clark Gesner’s adaptation of Charles M. Schultz’s classic comic strip in the musical, “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Audiences will enjoy the regular Peanuts storyline with the ever-bossy Lucy, who is still trying to get Schroeder’s attention regardless of whether or not he notices her. Then there’s Sally who’s still picking on her crush, Linus, who of course doesn’t go anywhere without his blanket. And finally, there’s Snoopy and Charlie Brown. Snoopy still has his doghouse and still lives out his dream of being the Red Baron, and Charlie Brown is, well, his lovable self. And they will all be at Gilbert Theater Sept. 20-Oct.6. 

     
    The role of Sally Brown is played by Caryn Festa. When asked why she wanted to audition, she said, “I haven’t been on the stage since high school, and I love performing.” She was ecstatic to learn she got the role of Sally. She is grateful for the support of her family and hopes everyone that comes to the show thoroughly enjoys it!
     
    The role of Linus is played by Quentin King. King has played in multiple performances at the Gilbert. Being in this musical reminds him of his childhood and how he used to watch the cartoons and read the comics. It’s definitely nostalgic. He thanks his family for their never-ending love and support.
     
    Lucy is played by Jennifer Czechowski. Jennifer has been a part of Gilbert productions in the past, and with the encouragement of her mom, husband and best friend, she decided to audition for this musical. It’s family friendly and fun.

    Gage Long plays the Schroeder. Long is thrilled to be in this production because it’s fun and the cast is great. He’s excited to bring the character of Schroeder to life.

     
    LeeAnn Valcarcel plays Snoopy. Valcarcel said this has been her favorite show for a long time. It was the first musical she put on at Fayetteville Academy, where she is the choir director. “This show has a bright spot, and I hope the audience experiences that when they watch it,” she said.
     
    Valcarcel is grateful for the support she receives from her family and friends, especially her children.
     
    Dan Follett is Charlie Brown. Follett is a freshman at Fayetteville State University and has been a fan of this show for as long as he can remember. He feels he is growing as a performer, and he loves his fellow cast members, plus the amazing directing team. He wants the audience to know that this show has a wonderful message about happiness. “That even when life is particularly hard, you can find happiness in the simple things that surround you,” Follett said.

    The production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” runs Sept. 20-Oct. 6. Ticket prices range from $14 to $16, or $10 with groups of 10 or more. Visit www.gilberttheater.com for tickets and information.

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    15 01 Police Chief Joel AcciardoThe town of Hope Mills scored the ultimate win-win for its police department last week as the Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to add a specialized armored vehicle to the rolling stock of police chief Joel Acciardo’s department.
     
    The best news about the acquisition is the vehicle won’t cost the town a cent.
     
    The commissioners voted 5-0 to accept an Oshkosh M-ATV from the U.S. Military Law Enforcement Support Program. Estimated value of the vehicle is $767,360.
     
    “We are eligible to receive equipment from the federal government as long as it’s used for law enforcement purposes,’’ Acciardo said.
     
    In addition to being lightly armored, Acciardo said the M-ATV has what’s called deepwater fording capabilities. “We’ll be able to use it for deep water rescue operations,’’ he said.
     
    Acciardo said the town already experienced a situation where a vehicle like the M-ATV would have been helpful — during Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Residents of the retirement center on Cameron Road had to be evacuated because of rising water there. “That pretty much cemented the usefulness of vehicles like that for us,’’ Acciardo said.
     
    But deepwater rescue isn’t the only thing the vehicle could help with, and Acciardo is hopeful it never has to be used for this purpose.
     
    15 02 MATV“One of the things we identified early on that we needed was a vehicle that would allow us to get closer to victims and place officers closer to where an active shooter is,’’ he said. “The M-ATV matches all those requirements. You have high ground clearance, deepwater fording capabilities and it’s lightly armored.
     
    “That kind of checks a whole bunch of blocks.’’
     
    Acciardo said there are other companies that make vehicles similar to the M-ATV, but they are extremely expensive and out of the price range for a smaller agency like the Hope Mills Police Department.
    With the donation of the M-ATV from the military, Acciardo said the only cost to Hope Mills will be to get it here, license it and paint it.
     
    While Hope Mills has mutual aid agreements with other local police departments and would get their cooperation in an active shooter situation, Acciardo said time is of the utmost importance, and having its own specialized vehicle here improves the Hope Mills police’s chances of responding quicker.
     
    Acciardo said the M-ATV the town is getting is about nine years old and has less than 60,000 miles on it.
     
    The vehicle’s cab has room for a driver and four passengers. The rear area of the vehicle can be used to carry either cargo or more people.
     
    A training program will be required for those who will operate the vehicle. He estimates anywhere from five to six senior police officers will be trained as drivers so the department can assign one driver per shift to be available if the vehicle is called into service.
     
    He estimated it’ll take about 90 days to be able to put the vehicle in service, hopefully by mid-November or mid-December.
     
    With proper care and maintenance, he estimates the town could get up to 20 years of service from the vehicle.
     
    “You won’t see it in a parade, you won’t see it at a demonstration, you won’t see it on patrol,’’ he said. “You’ll see it when there is a weather event, a natural disaster or, God forbid, an active shooter situation.
    “That’s the whole purpose of it, to have the resource and hope you never have to use it. You have to be prepared in today’s world.’’
     

    Picture 1: Chief Joel Acciardo 

    Picture 2: M-ATV similar to the one Hope Mills is getting 

     

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    13 01 HamLITFayetteville is a unique place, so when Up & Coming Weekly Publisher Bill Bowman decided to resurrect the Fayetteville Dinner Theatre after a more than 35-year hiatus, he knew it would have to be something special.  And is it ever. Each event includes much more than dinner and a show. From music to prizes, games, a meet-and-greet reception and much more, the FDT offers an experience like none other in the area — and all for the benefit of area theatergoers and Cumberland County education. FDT supports the Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation, a 501c3 that provides reading and educational resources to local children and teachers. The second show of the 2019-2020 season, “HamLIT,” runs Friday, Sept. 27 and Saturday, Sept. 28.
     
    “Our local residents shouldn’t have to drive to Greensboro or Raleigh for good dinner theater entertainment,” said Bowman. “That’s why we’ve gone out of our way to make this a very special and unique experience people will want to
    come back to  time and time again.”
     
    To accomplish this, Bowman has partnered up with some of the community’s most prestigious businesses and organizations to bring this production to fruition. Sponsored by Worldwide Wellness LLC and Up & Coming Weekly and hosted by Gates Four Country Club,  “HamLIT”  is performed by local theater troupe Sweet Tea Shakespeare.
     
    13 02 DSC 8534 “HamLIT” is Shakespeare with a twist and brings great theater, hijinks, games and more to theater audiences. It’s definitely Shakespeare but with a few hearty toasts, period games, improv, lively music and lots and lots of humor thrown in for good measure. Bowman described it as “bold and irreverent with notes of tragedy balanced only by uproarious hilarity for adult audiences.”
     
    “Expect a little craziness and a lot of fun,” said Nathan Pearce, one of the show’s three directors. “We take it down to the bare bones of the plot and fill it with improv and games. … We really like to have audience interaction. We want the audience to feel like they are part of the story, that they aren’t just watching it. We want them to join in the fun. We want them to sing along — we will do songs everyone knows. It is like a big party.”
     
    Taj Allen is also on board as codirector and Hamlet, with codirector Traycie Zapata also playing the part of Gertrude. Pearce fills several roles, including codirector, Claudius and The Ghost. Brandon Bryan is Polonius, Nelson Soliva plays Horatio as well as a musician, and Jacqueline Nunweiler plays Laertes as her first role in an STS production. Mary Gainer Mariyampillai plays Ophelia for her STS debut, and Dean Dibling has the role of musician.
     
    Ed Wiens, owner of Worldwide Wellness LLC,  is proud to support the endeavor. “Friends and acquaintances throughout history have found common ground in theater entertainment,” said 13 03Wiens. “Though times and technology have certainly changed, the gathering of community members around the ‘watering hole’ of good theatrical entertainment is an enduring part of the human experience. (My wife) Rebekah and I are pleased to enhance that experience for our fellow Fayettevillians. … Though our business is global, we live in Fayetteville and want to do all we can to enrich the lives of people in our community.”
     
    The Fayetteville Dinner Theatre experience includes a preshow reception with hors d’oeuvres; a full-service cash bar and wine tasting, a duel entrée dinner with two sides, a salad and rolls; and coffee, tea and specialty desserts at intermission.
     
    The 2019-2020 season opened May 31 with “’M’ is for Mullet, ” a whodunit written and directed by Elaine Alexander and featuring  The Hot Mess players with special guest KasCie Page.
    “It went quite well,” Gates Four general manager Kevin Lavertu said of the first production of the year. “It was very interactive. Members and guests took part in it, and there was a tremendous amount of positive feedback, which is why we are excited to continue hosting the Fayetteville Dinner Theatre.”
     
    Gates Four Golf and Country Club
     
    13 04 HamlitBuilt in 1968 and owned by the same family since 1974, Gates Four is a residential and golfing community beautifully located between Hope Mills and Fayetteville. It hosts a challenging 18-hole championship golf course that includes both new bent-grass greens and renovated bunkers. It features a 30,000-square-foot clubhouse, a first-class restaurant, two USTA tennis courts, an outdoor pavilion, a 10-acre park with walking and fitness trails and an Olympic-sized pool. 
    “As we continue to grow, we are always looking for opportunities to provide high-quality events and entertainment options to residents, members and their guests,” said Lavertu. “We are glad to be a part of the Fayetteville Dinner Theatre and look forward to our partnership in 2020 and beyond.”
     
    Sweet Tea Shakespeare Company
     
    Inspired by Shakespeare and the early modern spirit, Sweet Tea Shakespeare serves up accessible, imaginative and magical theater along with music, familiarity and fellowship. Unlike other local theaters, STS does not have a permanent venue or building to perform in — and they kind of like it that way.
     
    “Half of our season takes place outdoors,” said STS general manager Jennifer Pommerenke. “We also try to make our shows more of a party. … We play live music before every show. It’s basically like a backyard barbecue where a play breaks out. We try to really connect with our audiences and bring them into the show, make them a ‘character’ almost.” 
     
    Dinner parties lean toward friends and family coming together to have a good time, a fun time, a memorable time, making STS a perfect pairing for the FDT. “You have the music in the background, the food and beverages, and you simply enjoy being in the same place together,” said Pommerenke. “I believe our shows create that atmosphere. Our shows are beautiful and fun to watch. We try incredibly hard to make these beautiful classic stories authentic and relevant and delightful.”
     
    “With an awesome show, talented actors, a reception, a great dinner, door prizes and entertainment — all culminating with a post-show meet-and-greet — we strive to provide a very unique dinner theatre experience” said Bowman. “It’s all about providing local theater audiences what they pay for — awesome entertainment at a great value.”
     
    Tickets range from $75/$85 per person with special discounts for Seniors 65+ and active-duty military. Group discounts are also available. To learn more about the Fayetteville Dinner Theatre, make reservations or check show dates and times visit www.fayettevilledinnertheatre.com, all social media formats or call 910-391-3859.
     
    “HamIT” offers games, songs, great theater and more.
    Photo Credit: Ben Walton

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    21 01 Courtney CyganCourtney Cygan

    Gray's Creek • Junior
     
    Cygan has a weighted grade point average of 4.3125. She competes in tennis, softball and swimming. She is active in Future Business Leaders of America, yearbook and National Honor Society.
     
     
    Garrett Harbison

    Gray's Creek • Senior
    21 02 Garret Harbison
    Harbison has a weighted grade point average of 4.33. He was a regional qualifier in cross country last year and a state qualifier in track. He is the senior class vice president and is active in Future Farmers of America, yearbook, Academy of Scholars and National Honor Society.
     

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    09 Donna Dynamos GuysThere is a party happening here in Fayetteville that you do not want to miss! Rising to the challenge yet again, Cape Fear Regional Theater, under the auspices of Artistic Director Mary Kate Burke, kicked off the 2019-2020 theater season with “Mamma Mia!” easily rivaling last year’s “Music City” opener.
     

    Among the night’s outstanding performances were those turned in by Scenic Designer Sarah Harris and Scenic Artist David Rawlins, who managed to make an entire Greek island resort, including the surrounding sea, come breathtakingly alive. The movie version’s soundstage didn’t do it any better. And the movie version didn’t offer theatergoers an onstage bar, which really got the party going.

     With music and lyrics by Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Stig Anderson and a book by Catherine Johnson, credit the able direction of Suzanne Agins, along with the choreography of Ryan Migge, and the sterling performance of Zeek Smith and his orchestra for keeping the show fast-paced, lively and fun. Along with the accessible bar, using the theater’s aisles to help stage several dance numbers further engaged the audience as active party participants. And those ABBA songs never grow old, some of them being a party unto themselves.

     
    “Mamma Mia!” tells the story of Sophie, a 20-year-old who invites three men from her mother’s past to her wedding with the hope of discovering which one of them is her father. Alexa Cepeda, making her CFRT debut, played Sophie, and hers was consistently the strongest voice of the evening. In addition to her vocal talent, she infused her character with sparkling charm.

    Joanne Javien played Donna, Sophie’s mother, with the dramatic passion one would expect from the lead of Donna and the Dynamos, her throw-back 70s trio. Her rendition of “The Winner Takes It All” was superb. Heather Setzler played Tanya, the seductive member of the trio, and had fun with her “Does Your Mother Know” number. Nicki Hart played Rosie, the third Dynamo, and managed to be funny, sexy and a little bit vulnerable as she propositioned Bill, one of Donna’s former lovers, to “Take a Chance on Me.”

    Graham Stevens, Brent Schraff and Jock Brocki, playing Donna’s past loves and Sophie’s prospective fathers, worked well in the backup male roles as did Simon Schaitkin, who plays Sophie’s fiancé. The Ensemble, composed of multitalented players, delivered stellar vocal backup and dance moves.

    The entire production consistently drew cheers and thunderous applause, and the finale had the entire theater audience up and dancing in their seats.

    “Mamma Mia!” runs through Oct. 6 with both evening and matinee performances scheduled. Also, there will be bonus preshow features such as Greek Night, 70s Nights and discounts for Military and Teacher Appreciation Nights. For bonus and discount details, as well as a schedule of performance times, dates and ticket prices, visit www.cfrt.org.

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    11 RivermistMusic and food trucks? Yes, please. Especially after a long week of adulting. Get your planners out now and mark Sept. 20 as a night out — either with friends and family or just by yourself. The Dogwood Festival’s Fayetteville After Five is the perfect place to spend a Friday night, being entertained while eating some great-tasting food truck fare. Gates open at 5 p.m., and food trucks will begin serving food at 5:30 p.m. The opening band, Throwback Collaboration Band, begins playing at 6 p.m.

     
    Local favorite, Rivermist, is the headliner for the show. Up & Coming Weekly had the opportunity to chat with Greg Adair, drummer and back-up vocals for the band, and he shared what being a part of the Dogwood Festival Fayetteville After Five event means to the band.
     
    UCW: Is this your first time being the headliner for Fayetteville After Five?
     
    GA: Yes. No local band has ever headlined. According to Dogwood’s Curtis Jordan, it was due to our success fronting bands there the last couple of years and a large following of 3,700 people.
     
    UCW: What’s your favorite thing about performing in Fayetteville? 
     
    GA: The Festival Park Stage is a huge platform. All of our friends, and even families, can see us locally — and on the greatest stage Fayetteville offers.
     
    UCW: What’s the schedule of the performance for the evening?
     
    GA: The band playing ahead of us, Throwback Collaboration Band, is an R&B band from Fort Bragg. They played at the Dogwood Festival in the spring. They will start the evening off at 6 p.m. and play until 7:30 p.m. We will take the
    stage around 7:45 p.m. and play until around 10:15 p.m.
     
    UCW: What is it about Fayetteville that keeps you and the band here?
     
    GA: All of us, but one, are from the Fayetteville area. Cliff Bender, the guitar player, was from Ohio but has been here more than 20 years. Allen Pier, the singer-keyboard player, and I graduated from Cape Fear High School. Doug Bass, also a singer-keyboard player, graduated from South View. Bassist Tony Harrison graduated from Pine Forest and then University of North Carolina at Pembroke with a music major and owns Cape Fear Music downtown.

    Plus, we are all family men. Our wives and families are friends. They go with us on as many trips as possible. We are huge advocates of our military and first responders and tend to sing the National Anthem in many of our shows, acapella. We love to sing harmonies as a hobby.

     
    We are in partnership with Healy Wholesale, 96.5BobFM and with Boose Law Offices. We will have almost 70 shows — mostly festivals and After 5-type events — across three states by the time 2019 ends.

    I do the booking and contracts and am a full-time musician. We are booked through three agencies as well. We are always thankful for what we’re blessed with and are very receptive to fans everywhere. As far as genre, we play everything from Eagles and Journey to Earth Wind & Fire and Bruno Mars.
     

    Check our updated schedule at “http://www.rivermistband.com/tour-dates”  www.rivermistband.com/tour-dates.

     
    Call 910-323-1934 to find out more about Fayetteville After 5.

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    07 Teacher of the year“Early in my teaching career, one of my coworkers told me that my kids would never care to learn until they learned how much I care,” Cumberland County Schools’ 2020 Teacher of the Year Maureen Stover wrote in her nomination portfolio. “In my 10 years in education, I have found that one of the most important parts of being a teacher is the relationships I form with my students.” The teacher of the year presentation took place at the Embassy Suites’ Richard M. Wiggins Conference Center.

     
    Stover is a science teacher at the Cumberland International Early College High School. She expressed special thanks for her nomination to her principal, Maria Pierce-Ford, her colleagues and her students. The school is located at 1200 Murchison Rd. Total enrollment is 261. Eighty-one percent of the students are minorities. Stover is one of 13 full-time teachers. She received her bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and went on to serve as an Air Force intelligence officer. She later became a science educator through the Troops to Teachers Program.
     
    Stover will receive her Master of Arts degree in secondary science education from Western Governors University in December. She wrote that as a high school student, she had two extraordinary teachers who inspired her to enter the teaching profession. “Mr. Carpenter and Mr. Mueller... demonstrated that their students were the center of their classrooms and their No. 1 priority.”
     
    Within her first few weeks of teaching, Stover realized that each of her students had the potential to be successful in her class if she could find a unique way to help them learn. “I found ways to make science. I also went to my students’ games, concerts, competitions, and activities outside of our classroom.”
     
    Her students responded by looking forward to her lessons each day. “I know my students beyond my classroom, and this helps me develop strategies that help my students learn based on their personal strengths,” she said.

    Stover received an award and flowers from the Cumberland County Schools, $300 from the Cumberland County Board of Education, $300 from the Communities In Schools of Cumberland County, $3,000 from Lafayette Ford Lincoln — $2,000 of which is for use at her school and $1,000 for her personal use — a commemorative custom-designed CCS’ Teacher of the Year ring from Jostens, an engraved clock from Herff Jones, season tickets to Fayetteville Marksmen hockey and a free weekend stay at Embassy Suites.

    Other winners were first runner-up Katelyn Lovette from Gallberry Farm Elementary School, who received an award and flowers from the CCS, $100 from CISCC, and $200 from the CCBOE and second runner-up Tracy Hill from Douglas Byrd High School, who received an award and flowers from the CCS, $100 from CISCC, and $100 from the CCBOE. As Cumberland County’s teacher of the year, Stover advances to compete for the regional title.

    Cumberland County Schools Superintendent  Marvin Connelly Jr. and  Cumberland County Schools’ 2020 Teacher of the Year Maureen Stover.

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    02 PubnotesWill Fayetteville get a new North Carolina state-operated North Carolina Civil War & Reconstruction History Center? That’s a good question. Basic logic would dictate it’s a no-brainer for a community like ours that is working hard to attract business and industry to Cumberland County. As the General Assembly readies itself to approve $46 million for the Civil War Center, the appropriation hinges on Cumberland County and the city of Fayetteville both supporting the project with financial commitments of $7.5 million each. At this moment, both have tentatively committed their support. Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin is waffling, though, stating that more public input is needed and suggesting there may be more pressing needs to address as Fayetteville rallies to shake its Tier 1 status.
     
    Education and awareness are essential for peace and tranquility. The proposed Civil War Education Center offers both. For those in the city who think the $7.5  million in tax dollars could be spent on more pressing needs, we ask: What can be more important than education and awareness to future generations?  Where is the vision? More importantly, where is the logic?
     
    This is an $80 million-plus state-funded project for which the city and county would both invest $7.5 million.  That’s a 0.094% buy-in after the museum foundation has raised over $10 million in donations and $15 million in pledges. Using community support and donations to evaluate and monitor this mandate, I’d say the Fayetteville community is pretty much in favor of the project. So why the hesitation on the part of the city at this late date? Personal political maneuvering? Mind games? Who knows?  However, if it’s a game, it’s a gamble with stakes so high that a loss here would be so devastating that  the consequences to the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community would be felt for decades. 
     
    Need proof? Look east of Fayetteville about 5 miles, where millions of vehicles travel both north and south along Interstate 95 each day, avoiding our community.  The interstate was predicted to be an economic boom for Cumberland County in the late 70s and early 80s, promising decades of growth and prosperity. Nearly four decades later, only one of the 11 Cumberland  County exits have been developed — exit 49. A bad decision made in the 70s has stifled, and continues to stifle, the progress and development of this community. Why? Because of political self-interest and a lack of vision. We can convene all the public hearings we want. The location of Interstate 95 was the topic of several such public hearings. Public hearings do not substitute for intelligence, logic or leadership. And, in the case of championing the History Center here is a project that would pay big dividends to the Fayetteville community indefinitely.
     
    By the numbers:
    1. The Museum is a state-funded operation. In other words, once it’s built, the state maintains it. There is no cost to local residents.
    2. The Museum will create hundreds of new jobs.
    3. It will have a $20 million annual economic impact on the community.
    4. It will attract 100,000+ visitors annually to our community.
    5. It will make Fayetteville a statewide destination point.
     
    In closing, I know both our Fayetteville city councilmen and women and our Board of County Commissioners have a sincere and heartfelt passion for doing what is in the best interest of local residents. Escaping the grasp of our Tier 1 designation can only be obtained with honest, objective leadership and vision. We don’t need another Interstate 95 fiasco that has netted us zero over the past four decades. We need to partner with the state of North Carolina, this time, in building a highway to prosperity that leads directly to Fayetteville and  Cumberland County. The  N.C. Civil War & Reconstruction History Center is that master plan.
     
    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.
     
    A History Center will bring millions of dollars to our community and create hundreds of new jobs.
     
     
     
     

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    19 BrittThroughout the preseason, Jack Britt head football coach Brian Randolph has preached a two-word motto to his team.

     
    Restore order.
     
    To Randolph, the message to players and coaches alike is for everyone associated with the Buccaneers to be on the same track and in the same frame of mind of being from Jack Britt, a place people respect and a team that other schools don’t want to face.
     
    “They know when they play us, it’s going to be a tough match,’’ Randolph said. “It’s not going to be an easy game. It’s something you have to prepare for and work for in order to get a victory.’’
     
    As the Buccaneers headed into their open date last week, they were sporting a 3-0 record, all three wins coming against the top three teams in last year’s Patriot Athletic Conference standings: champion Pine Forest and runners up South View and Terry Sanford.
     
    Randolph said in all honesty, he didn’t see his team going 3-0, but he knew it was possible and he’s happy to be here.
     
    One of the biggest reasons for the Buccaneers’ early success is the passing combination of quarterback Kevin Sentell and wide receiver Anthony Fiffie.
     
    Through three games, Sentell leads the Cumberland County Schools with 564 passing yards and eight touchdowns. He’s completed 39 of 66 passes with only two interceptions.
     
    Fiffie is the leading receiver with 15 receptions for 303 yards and five scores.
     
    During a film session last week, Randolph told him Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Rothlisberger will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day because of his ability to extend plays.
     
    Randolph said Sentell has the same skill. “It’s really hard to guard someone for six or seven seconds,’’ Randolph said. “That’s what Kevin Does really well. He gets his feet separated, keeps his eyes down the field, just looking for that big play.’’
     
    Randolph added that Sentell is smart and makes plays instead of mistakes.
     
    For his part, Randolph said Fiffie is a great route-runner with excellent body control who seems to be able to slow things down when the ball is near him so he can focus on making the catch.
     
    “He does a great job of embracing contact,’’ Randolph said. “He’s not the fastest guy in the world, but if you get close to him, he’s able to position his body in a way that if the ball is near him he’s going to catch it or make a good play on it.’’
     
    Sentell said he and Fiffie have excellent chemistry and have been working together for five years.
     
    “He runs great routes and gets open most of the time,’’ Sentell said. “It makes my job easy.’’
     
    Fiffie said he’s playing with more confidence this year and has greater confidence in his teammates.
     
    He credits much of his success with Sentell to the numerous offseason workouts they’ve had.
     
    “We practice working on routes, catching the ball and getting our timing down,’’ Fiffie said. “I believe we caught people off guard, really turned their heads.’’
     
    While Britt’s recent return to winning may be something new to the current players in the program, Randolph has vivid memories of getting off to fast starts during his days playing for Bob Paroli and Mike Paroli at Douglas Byrd High School.
     
    That’s helped him take a measured look at what Britt’s 3-0 record means as he reflects on lessons learned from the Parolis.
     
    “It’s one game at a time, one play at a time,’’ he said. “You think you’ve arrived somewhere and that’s when you set yourself up.’’
     
    Bob Paroli had a favorite saying about that. He called it dropping your candy in the sand.
     
    “We have our candy in our hand right now,’’ Randolph said, “but we could easily drop it in the sand and mess up everything we worked for so far.
     
    “This off week we’re going to work on fundamentals and getting back to basics. Just focus on one play at a time.’’
     
    Pictured from L-R: Anthony Fiffie, Kevin Sentell

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    04 TrumpOver the past week, I received comments from three readers regarding two of my recent columns. They raised questions and challenges that some other readers likely share. Consequently, I will respond in this column.

     
    The first two emails addressed my column titled “When the selfish quest for power alienates reason.” One reader countered my positive comments regarding President Trump by contending that no president has been more corrupt and fundamentally evil than Trump. He stated that the president has no interest in religion.  Apparently, in support of that argument, he assesses Trump as publically reading Scripture in a fashion that shows lack of familiarity with the Bible. Then comes the conclusion that Trump’s behavior is abhorrent to all who believe. In light of my being Christian, he then wants to know why I support the president. That question is followed by him accusing me of “unrelenting allegiance” to the Republican Party. On the last statement, I am registered as unaffiliated.
     
    Like the first respondent, the second reads my column frequently and often gives feedback by email. In the case of this column, he reiterated, correctly, that I spend a substantial amount of ink challenging the conduct and policy positions of Democrats. He says I favor Republicans,  and that doing so is unfair and unproductive. This reader also argues that my thinking and policy positions conflict with the will of God and the call of Scripture. My support of Trump troubles him, too.
     
    Then there was an email sent to the Up & Coming Weekly editor by a lady who identified herself as being black and a veteran. The text of that email was addressed to me and commented in response to my column titled “Leonard Pitts, Jr. assigns honorary whiteness.” She opened by stating that she had no idea that there were still black men in America as clueless as me. After commending my call for decision-making through thoughtful assessment of facts, she states that I fail to see the truth when it comes to accurately assessing Trump.
     
    She says these are some of the truths I am missing with regard to Trump: He is only for rich, white, straight men. He does not care about people in America who are any shade of brown. He raped the school lunch healthy eating initiatives for schools (majority black/brown) that have lower-income children. He gives veterans anything they want, and most of them are white. His moral compass is nonexistent, and he encourages and incites hateful acts on people of color.
     
    A bit later, she excoriates me for trusting Dr. Ben Carson’s contention that Trump is not a racist. In closing, the writer says that I am not addressing the issues that affect people, not being a voice for those who need one because Up & Coming Weekly does not allow me to do so. She says they give me the biggest page not to inform people of anything, but to make a fool of me. This writer ends her email by saying she does not want to receive a response from me.
     
    Taken as a whole, these readers challenge the appropriateness of how faith influences my decision-making, question the validity of my substantial criticism of Democratic strategy/tactics/policies and seek to suppress my thinking that does not conform to liberal orthodoxy.
     
    Regarding my being Christian, a person of faith, while supporting Donald Trump, start with my understanding of the gospel and how God deals with humankind. I believe the creation account. The human condition was and is that we have an inclination to sin. That is, sinning is a natural response in human beings. Dr. R.C. Sproul, in an article titled “Jonathan Edwards: We Are Inclined to Sin” confirms this human condition when he writes: “Why can we find no societies in which the prevailing influence is to virtue rather than vice? Why does not society influence us to maintain our natural innocence?”
    Sin separates us from God, sours our relationship with him. We reestablish that relationship by believing the gospel and, in response to our believing, having the Holy Spirit come to dwell in us. That presence of the Holy Spirit directs and strengthens us for saying “no” to sin and “yes” to godly living. A key component of this process is God’s forgiveness of sin. In an article titled “What Does the Word ‘Gospel’ Mean in the New Testament?” R.C. Sproul writes this:  “The gospel is about Jesus — what he did, his life of perfect obedience, his atoning death on the cross, his resurrection from the dead, his ascension into heaven and his outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the church.”
     
    What does this God, gospel, and forgiveness stuff have to do with my support of Donald Trump? Despite his sometimes seeming offensive and attacking words, the charges of marital infidelity and the ardent search by so many for reasons to impeach him, I look at him in light of the offer of God to us in our sinfulness and separation from Him. I find it hard to believe that Trump is able to, with high energy and focus in the midst of all-out efforts to literally destroy him and his family, accomplish all the good he is doing. It has to be that he is on this journey to forgiveness, repentance and a right relationship with God.
     
    Surely, some readers will find all of that hilarious. As you laugh, be reminded of King David from Scripture. First Chronicles 18:14 says, “So David reigned over all Israel; and he administered justice and equity to all his people.”
     
    Now this from a Bible study titled “The Life of King David.”
     
    “Unfortunately, many of David’s problems are self-inflicted. His illicit affair with Bathsheba, the arranged murder of her husband and attempt at covering up his sins cost him grief, dishonor, the life of a child and trouble within his household.
     
    “The sin of taking a census to determine the size of his army, instead of trusting God, cost the lives of more than 70,000 Israelites. His lack of discipline in his own house contributed to his son Absalom rebelling against him and another son Adonijah seeking to inherit the throne instead of Solomon.”
     
    The bottom line is that, time and again, like with King David, God uses imperfect and improbable people to do extraordinary things. It looks to me as though Trump might be one of those cases.
     
    Further, the “love one another” interpretation that is repeatedly presented to me by many who disagree with my thinking on political, social and religious matters, apparently only applies to people who differ with them. Their “love one another” interpretation causes outrage at Trump when he speaks in seemingly harsh terms toward others. However, they are silent when boycotts are called against business owners for supporting Trump or his staff members are harassed in public places or the names of donors are published so that they may be ridiculed and somehow punished. Supporters are verbally attacked and bullied in their workplace while liberal media focuses on Trump’s destruction. Seeing and experiencing this one-sided approach inclines me even more to support Trump. The God I serve abhors hypocrisy and hatred of others.
     
    Then, in this moment, I cannot think of a Trump policy initiative with which I disagree. Sure, there are issues such as climate change and mass shootings that I wish we could, as a nation, address in a nonpolitical and productive fashion. I think Trump is trying to do what is good for America and that he loves this country. Being focused on what is good for and loving the country are getting to be rare qualities in America. Given the rarity of these qualities, I will take my chances with Trump.
     
    As for my frequent opposition to Democratic policies and actions, I confess. I do not have space to give the list, but I believe that just about every policy and action being pursued by Democrats is foolhardy and dramatically jeopardizes the very survival of this nation. I do not say much about Republicans because, especially in Congress and with a few exceptions, I see them as a bunch of wimps who let Democrats bully them into doing nothing. In the meantime, Democrats promise, manipulate voters, and also do nothing of positive consequence. For more on this thinking, see my column titled “U.S. Congress: Far too many bullies and wimps.”
     
    All three of these readers, but especially the third one, challenge my capacity for assembling facts, fairly examining them and reaching supportable conclusions. On this point, I find it interesting that not one of them specifically countered the detailed arguments that I put forth in those columns. Instead, they challenge my faith and my ability to reason. Granted, the female reader wrote off Dr. Ben Carson, but with no support for why, she said his assessment of Trump not being a racist should be disregarded. Couple this lack of specific responses to the points in my column, with her all-out verbal assault on me, along with a refusal to receive a response from me, and you see the primary liberal strategy. I find that strategy repulsive and just more reason to give Trump a fair look.
     
    My thanks to these readers for giving me reason to rethink my support of Donald Trump. No change!
     
    Merritt’s columns mentioned above are available at http://www.karlmerritt.com/category/articles.

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    06 DanConservative Republican Dan Bishop won this month’s special election for an open North Carolina House of Representatives seat in Congress, averting a Democratic capture of a predominant Republican Party district. But the narrow victory did not erase questions about whether President Donald Trump and his party’s congressional candidates face troubling headwinds approaching 2020. The special election has two storylines:

     
    First, Democrat Dan McCready, 36, was banking on the 9th District’s suburban moderates to carry him over the top. He narrowly trailed in an election for the seat last November that was later invalidated after evidence surfaced of vote tampering. McCready won suburbanites in the eastern outskirts of Charlotte, where about 25% of the 9th District’s eligible voters live. The rest of the district stretches along the rural South Carolina line to Bladen County in the east, where Bishop was a big winner. Voters in the other large city, Fayetteville, are mostly in the eighth district.
     
    The second storyline reflects what has become known as voter disenfranchisement, confusing voters with constant change. North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District has been centered in Charlotte for decades. It was reconfigured to include portions of Robeson, Cumberland and Bladen counties when Republicans took control of the state Legislature in 2010. Over the last 60 years, greater Fayetteville has been chopped up to be part of the 1st, 4th, 7th, 8th and 9th Congressional Districts.
     
    Most of that time Cumberland County was part of the 7th District, which stretched from Wilmington to Lumberton and Fayetteville. Democratic members of Congress Alton Lennon, Charlie Rose and Mike McIntyre represented the district from 1957 to 2015. Rose served for 24 years. McIntyre succeeded Rose when he retired and served for 18 years. Rep. David Rouser became the 7th District’s first Republican member of Congress since Reconstruction. But by 2012, Cumberland County was no longer part of the 7th District.
     
    Congressman David Price’s 4th District became more heavily Democratic as a result of 2012 redistricting, in which the more Republican areas of western and southern Wake County were removed, along with northern Orange County and most of its share of Durham County. They were replaced by heavily Democratic portions of Alamance, Cumberland, Harnett and Lee counties. It was a significant Democratic party gerrymander. In 2010, the Republican Party had taken control of both the North Carolina House and Senate — the first time it had held a majority in the Senate since 1898.
     
    The Republican Party was abetted in their victory by the man dubbed “The Third Koch Brother” — Art Pope, who heads up both the family-owned Variety Wholesalers and the $150 million Pope Family Foundation. Pope’s organizations poured $2.2 million into 22 state legislative races, winning 18 for an 82% return on his investment. The Republicans’ big win happened just in time for redistricting, allowing them to consolidate their gains. Republicans took full advantage
    of the opportunity, gerrymandering the state map to pack as many Democrats and African American voters as possible into three congressional districts.

     

    Those efforts paid off in the 2012 congressional elections. North Carolina’s congressional delegation changed from majority Democratic (7-6) to majority Republican (8-5), a pickup of two seats. The drama continues as the general assembly deals with court orders to stop racial gerrymandering.

  • Details

    20 toolsA Friday night high school football stadium packed with fans watching two teams battle has the potential for disaster if bad weather should suddenly develop.

     
    Fortunately for fans at North Carolina High School Athletic Association events, procedures are in place to make sure there is a coordinated plan for getting athletes and spectators to safety.
     
    The NCHSAA has something called the Pregame Emergency Action Plan Report. It’s put together by the athletic trainer for the home team and provides an assortment of critical information to help guide game personnel through the needed steps to ensure everyone’s safety.
     
    Sheri Squire, who has been an athletic trainer at Terry Sanford for the past seven years, said the report is designed to provide specific information about the location where the game is being played that can be shared with both the visiting team and the officials who are calling the game.
     
     
    “It’s basically so we know exactly what’s going on at that site during that event so we have an emergency plan in place,’’ Squire said.
     
    Emergency plans are typically posted at schools, but this one is more specific since it deals with the exact venue of the athletic event and is shared in person with those who need the information.
     
    The report includes contact information for the game-day administrator, the athletic trainers or first responders of both teams along with the name of the head of the officiating crew and the names of any medical personnel who might be attending the game.
     
    For outdoor events, there is additional information on where the safe shelter is located and what the route to get there is.

     

    Aname is also provided for the person who is monitoring weather conditions, including lightning and the wet bulb temperature, which determines whether it’s too hot for play to continue.

    Squire uses a handheld device called a Kestrel Heat Stress Tracker to find the wet bulb temperature before the game starts and record it on the form. If it’s 88.9 degrees at kickoff special precautions have to be taken. If it’s 92 or above, the game may have to be stopped or suspended until it gets cooler.

     
    A lightning detector is usually monitored by the game administrator or someone else to make sure the stadium is cleared before lightning gets too close to the field to strike someone.
     
    In addition to the form, Squire and other athletic trainers have a badge provided by the NCHSAA that includes a checklist for things to watch out for at all events and especially outdoor events.
     
    “I like the fact it’s all in one place,’’ Squire said. “You ask the important questions. Now it’s going to make everybody be on the same page. It helps you keep your I’s dotted and T’s crossed.’’
     

    Pictured: A copy of the pregame emergency report rests beneath the Kestrel heat stress device and the NCHSAA pre-game checklist badge. 

     

  • Details

    08 Hoke HospitalEvery year, more than half a million people in the United States undergo joint replacement surgery because of painful arthritis that has greatly limited their activity. With the enhanced technology and surgical techniques available today, joint replacement surgery has become a routine procedure for orthopedic surgeons. There are two hospitals in the area that provide full service orthopedic surgical care: Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville and Hoke Hospital near Raeford. They represent Cape Fear Valley Health System’s ongoing commitment to bring comprehensive health care to all residents of southeastern North Carolina.

     
    To help patients achieve success, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and Hoke Hospital have developed the Joint Replacement Club. Prospective patients enroll in this club even before they have surgery. It starts with a special three-hour class taught by a physical therapist. About 90-95% of patients experience a good to excellent result with relief of most, if not all, of their pain. However, rehabilitation after surgery is the key to a better life. This means patients must be prepared to put a lot of effort into their rehab, especially in the first few weeks after surgery.
     
    Most hospitals that routinely perform joint replacement surgery offer some type of program that includes preoperative education and standardized protocols to ensure that patients receive the right care at the right time during and after their hospitalization. At Hoke Hospital, the Joint Replacement Club is in a separate wing on the second floor. This keeps other hospitalized patients with serious illnesses separated from the orthopedic wing to reduce the risk of infection. Hoke Hospital rehab methods are patterned after established protocols at the parent medical facility in Fayetteville.
     
    The Joint Replacement Club has adopted a horse racing theme, called the Race 2 Recovery. Following surgery, patients sit up in recliners for breakfast and then attend group physical therapy for an hour in the morning and again in the afternoon. Participants are also encouraged to walk when they are not in therapy. In the hallway, distances are mapped in feet, and participants track how far they walk each day. The Joint Replacement Club has been shown to improve outcomes, increase patient satisfaction and reduce length of stay. Patients find the experience is just more enjoyable.

     

    Race 2 Recovery prepares patients for their release from the hospital. Joint replacement surgery complications can arise if plans are not in order before leaving the hospital. To be discharged, a patient must be able to enter and exit a bed and a chair without too much assistance. He or she must be able to go to and from the bedroom, kitchen and bathroom as well as be able to walk with the aid of crutches or a walker. A hip replacement surgery risk or a knee replacement can both be devastating without the proper subsequent care. That is why physical therapy is imperative to heal completely. A good home care agency can help meet these needs.

    To help patients achieve success, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and Hoke Hospital have developed the Joint Replacement Club

  • Details
    The U.S. soldier who died earlier this month in Afghanistan from wounds in a bomb blast was a compassionate leader whose troops say he always encouraged people who are struggling to ask for help. Now those soldiers are grappling with the loss of Sgt. 1st Class Elis A. Barreto, 34, from Morovis, Puerto Rico. He was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, the Pentagon said in a statement Friday. He left behind a wife, two sons and a daughter. His family resides in nearby Cameron.
     
    Barreto, described as a “mainstay” in his unit by his leadership, died in a Taliban suicide bomb explosion and became the 16th U.S. combat fatality this year in Afghanistan as the Pentagon prepares to draw down its forces there after nearly 18 years of war. “This guy touched so many people’s lives,” a soldier in his company, Sgt. Tylar Sieck, 24, told Stars and Stripes.
     
    Barreto taught soldiers it was OK to say when they needed help, Sieck said. “Everyone is trying to act like we’re fine because that’s what we do as paratroopers, but at the end of the day, we know we’re struggling. We’re hurting, I’m hurting.”
    This was Barreto’s second deployment to Afghanistan. The U.S. military currently has about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan, alongside international troops, to advise and assist Afghan defense forces and to fight extremist groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaida.
     
    Local blood products are in short supply
     
    The Cape Fear Valley Blood Donor Center has been short on blood supplies for three months now. The center is open daily at 3357 Village Dr. in the Bordeaux Shopping Center. The local blood bank has been suffering from a critical shortage since June 18, according to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Conway.
    The center needs an adequate supply of blood for local patients at Cape Fear Valley. Type O positive and type O negative blood types are especially needed, as they’re currently in short supply. The Cape Fear Valley Blood Donor Center is a community blood program that serves the needs of patients in Cumberland, Hoke and Bladen counties through donations from individual donors, community organizations and businesses. It is open for donations Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the third Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
     
    Dealing with gerrymandering
     
    A three-judge panel recently ruled that Republicans unconstitutionally gerrymandered two North Carolina congressional districts by race. But redrawing districts to benefit the political party in power is nothing new and has been going on for years.
     
    How voting district lines are drawn has been a perennial issue since our country’s founding. Political partisans have declared that what is starkly clear is that our current process — rife with partisan gerrymandering — is dangerously broken. In North Carolina, honest brokers on both sides of the aisle have known for years that we must reform our redistricting process. Republican stalwarts like John Hood and former Rep. Skip Stam called for reform when Democrats were in power, and Democrat stalwarts like Tom Ross and former state Sen. Margaret Dickson are calling for it now as Republicans hold power. “I am thrilled about the three-judge panel ruling,” said Dickson. “The ruling is the first step toward returning elections to the people of North Carolina — to allowing voters to select their legislators instead of legislators selecting the voters.”
    Dickson is on the board of North Carolinians for Redistricting Reform.
     
    2020 College rankings
     
    Choosing one of the thousands of colleges and universities across the nation can be overwhelming for students and parents. Families consider academic quality, price, size, location and several other things when making one of the most important decisions in their lives. Each year, U.S. News & World Report publishes rankings to help students and their families narrow the search for the right school. Duke University was North Carolina’s highest-ranked national university at No. 10 in the country. UNC-Chapel Hill ranks 29th overall. Here’s how some of the private and public schools around North Carolina stack up in the U.S. News 2020 Best Colleges Rankings.
    There were ties in several categories. Among regional universities in the south, Fayetteville State ranked 87th overall and 23rd among all Historically Black Colleges and Universities. UNC Pembroke ranked 87th overall and 19th most innovative. NC Central ranked 54th overall, 44th best value and 24th for undergraduate teaching. It also ranked 21st among public schools. Appalachian State University was ranked sixth overall, second-most innovative, second for undergraduate teaching, second for veterans and 17th best value. Western Carolina ranked 23rd overall, 12th for veterans, 14th best value and 24th for undergraduate teaching. Its undergraduate engineering program ranked 97th among nondoctorate schools. Winston-Salem State University: Winston-Salem State ranked 61st overall and 17th among all historically black colleges and universities. Methodist University was not listed.
     

  • Details

    10 Vision Resource CenterThe Vision Resource Center, Cape Fear Eye Associates and Systel present the Seventh Annual “Out of Sight” Night at the Park, Saturday, Sept. 21, from 6-10 p.m. at Segra Stadium on the VIP deck.

     
    “The purpose of the event this year is to help us reach our birth-to-13-years-of-age population of kids,” said Terri Thomas, executive director of The Vision Resource Center. “The state does not take on kids until they are 14 years of age, so this money will be going toward building that program.”
     
    Thomas added they want to be able to work more with the families and equip them with the tools they need so that, as their kid gets older, they will be able to handle life’s stresses and be there for them without the fears and lack of knowledge that many of the parents have.
     
    The event will have heavy hors d’oeuvres. The dress code is cocktail attire. Kelvin “The Greek” Culbreth will be the master of ceremonies for the event. The Guy Unger Band will provide entertainment. Quince Lanford, known as DJ “Q,” will be the DJ for the evening.
     
    “We are going to have a few vendors on-site,” said Thomas. “We will have Quintex Low Vision and Visual Eyez Future Technology. They will be there showing different low vision aids for people to try on to see what it is like to have visual impairments.
     
    “Hollywood Java will be there for coffee tasting. We are going to have people put on blindfolds and taste different coffees,” said Thomas. “We will have them pick their favorite coffees based on taste and smell.”
     
    She added that there will be a variety of experiences at the event. “We will have blindfolds out there, but we will have simulation glasses, too. So guests can experience different simulations of what it is like to have diabetic retinopathy and other types of eye diseases.
     
    They will simulate different vision-related disease in the glasses. “You won’t be completely blind,” said Thomas. “It will show and educate people that just because you say you have a visual impairment does not mean that you are black blind, or completely blind.”
     
    Participants will have an opportunity to play the “Game of Chance” at the event. Some of the prizes include N.C. State/Carolina game tickets, spa packages, a trip to Vegas, family fun nights, cruises and more.
     
    “With the Game of Chance Raffle, you will purchase tickets that are $10 apiece,” said Thomas. “We are going to start with the lowest valued prize, and all during the night, we will pull raffle tickets. As that raffle item is called, we will go to the next one, and you will have a few minutes  to purchase your $10 ticket for the next item that is up for grabs.”
     
    The goal is to raise $30,000 for the whole event and $10,000 the night of the event.
     
    “My main goal is to teach individuals what visual impairment is not and that it doesn’t mean you are completely blind,” said Thomas. “We want people to walk away with a better awareness of what it is like to be visually impaired.”        
     
    “Systel is going to allow us to use their back parking lot for the event,” said Thomas. “We will  provide a courtesy shuttle service from the parking lot to the event. The event this year is not going to be a formal sit-down affair like before. It will be low-key. There will be a lot of mingling and people learning more about the Vision Resource Center.”
    Tickets cost $75. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 910-483-2719 or visit www.visionresourcecentercc.org.

  • Details

    03 gunAmerican business — big, small and in between — is rarely seen as a force of political liberalism. In fact, business interests are more often than not conservative, as political money given by both business executives and business entities demonstrates. Business helps itself by lobbying for less regulation and lower taxes and often contends these positions help everyone else as well — proverbial trickle-down economics.

     
    That is why last week’s open letter by 145 chief executives of some of our nation’s best-known corporations to leaders of the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate gave whiplash to more than few Americans. The letter directly and urgently asked senators to support expanded background checks for all firearms sales and stronger “red flag” laws aimed at keeping firearms out of the hands of individuals considered potentially violent. The House has passed some gun control legislation, and the executives want the Senate to act on that legislation. Their letter suggests that requiring background checks on all gun sales is a “common-sense solution with overwhelming public support.”
     
    What? Captains of industry urging gun-control?
     
     
    Yes, indeed.

    The business leaders, representing companies including Levi Strauss & Co., Lyft, Gap Inc., Royal Caribbean and a financial operation founded by Jared Kushner’s brother, wrote this to senators. “Doing nothing about America’s gun violence crisis is simply unacceptable, and it is time to stand with the American public on gun safety.”

     
    The letter comes after 31 people were killed last month in about 24 hours in separate mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.
     
    Have we reached a tipping point on the issue of gun control?     
     
    Recent polling indicates a high level — perhaps as much as 90% — of public support for increased gun control measures in the wake of last month’s shootings. But we have had such waves of public sentiment before, notably after the Sandy Hook school shootings almost seven years ago and the Las Vegas concert massacre, which took 58 lives two years ago with no congressional action taken. With mass shootings seemingly becoming more frequent and deadlier, are we finally ready to address them as a nation?
     
    While American business interests have become more vocal during the Trump presidency on all sorts of issues including immigration, affordable health insurance, climate change and white supremacy, it is interesting to note which chief executives did not sign the gun control letter to senators. Among the absentees are CEOs of some of our nation’s largest and most influential financial and technology institutions, including Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Apple, Google and Facebook. Some companies acknowledge that their leaders discussed the issue internally, and some say they are simply sticking to their business duties, thank you very much.
     
    Senators have been largely close-mouthed about the letter, so Americans of all political persuasions will have to watch and wait for a response — if any. If history is an indicator, the Republican-controlled Senate has been generally responsive to the wishes of business leaders, and business interests have rewarded Republican senators with generous campaign contributions. It has been a cozy and comfortable arrangement when dealing with business issues but less so when social questions arise.
     
    Here again, if history is an indicator, not much is going to move Republican leaders on gun issues. Dead first graders, dead concert-goers, dead high school students and dead Walmart shoppers have not moved them. It remains to be seen if distressed Chief Executive Officers can make any difference.

     

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