Before running for President of the United States, billionaire real estate investor and developer Donald John Trump was probably most notably known for co-authoring “Trump The Art of the Deal,” which enjoyed a 13-week run on the coveted New York Times bestseller list.

In this book co-authored by Donald Trump and journalist Tony Schwartz, Donald Trump is portrayed as the great deal maker, and a man able to negotiate and navigate the complicated road map to bring parties together to formulate some of the greatest business deals.

It was on this premise that in 2016, candidate Donald Trump ran for the U.S. presidency. He ran on the premise of being able to bring the most diametrically opposed world leaders, politicians and industries together in order to “Make America Great Again,” and to once and for all “Put America First.”

Donald Trump’s “Put America First” agenda quickly turned one of the most beloved businessmen in America into one of the most hated world leaders of all time. Although Donald Trump is probably most notably known for his co-authoring of “The Art of the Deal,” his presidency may be most notably known for the Democrat-written global stage play known as “The Art of Steal.”

This global “stage play” is loaded with a cast of political leaders from around the globe. From America to Russia, and from North Korea to Ukraine, “The Art of the Steal” is performed on a world stage and produced by a full array of mainstream media outlets.

Filmed on location at the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, “The Art of the Steal” is guaranteed to take not just your breath away, but your votes as well.

During the 2020 election blockbuster, Democrats activate their plan to steal the 2020 election using tools that range from collusion to impeachment, civil unrest to a global pandemic, and from unsolicited mail-in ballots to dead voters.

All these twists and turns have contributed to what former Vice President Joe Biden, one of the lead characters in this political saga, notably called the “most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics.”

This intriguing storyline is riddled with communism, Marxism, and good old-fashioned American patriotism.

Due to all of the plots and schemes embedded in this expose of political correction, manipulation and scandal, the release date of this epic has been postponed from Tuesday, Nov. 3 until a later date to be determined. Stay tuned for a Supreme Court version of this global spectacle complete with dissents and opinions from the high court that are guaranteed to satisfy the hearts of one side of the country and infuriate the hearts of the other half.

J. Antoine Miner Sr. is a retired Army Chaplain Assistant and a wounded combat veteran. When he is not writing satire, he serves as the Executive Director of the EMPACT One Foundation.
EMPACT One Foundation is a local organization dedicated to providing needed resources, programs and services to individuals, families and communities most in need. Through donations and community outreach, E1F strives to make a lasting impact in the lives of the people they serve in the community.

The family of a fallen 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper got the keys to their new ‘Hero Home’ on Veterans Day. Operation Coming Home unveiled the new house in Wake County earlier for the family of the late Sgt. 1st Class Elis Angel Barreto Ortiz of Morovis, Puerto Rico.

He was killed during combat operations September 5, 2019, in Kabul, Afghanistan. Barreto’s widow and young children moved into the house Nov. 11 during a ceremony presented by Operation Coming Home and other organizations which built the home in Wendell for the family.

“We are proud of him and his sacrifice,” said Barreto’s widow Legna Aponte.

“This house means hope, it’s healing and it’s an honor because it’s built because of my husband.”

Sgt. 1st Class Barreto was considered a hero by his compatriots. One of the soldiers who served with him in Afghanistan called him a great leader. “It was my first deployment, and I just built a relationship with him,” said Domenic Canzano. “It’s heartbreaking.”

Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side. Lou Reed left us with that bit of wisdom before he checked out in 2013. If you feel that 2020 has followed Lou Reed’s advice, you pass Go and collect $200. This year has the Rona, stock market vertigo, mass unemployment, political masks, and the late great Presidential election. If 2020 were a TV character it would be George Costanza in the scene where he is trying to convince his date he is a troubled soul so she will sleep with him. George tells her: “I’m disturbed. I’m depressed. I’m inadequate. I’ve got it all.” 2020 has got it all. As Larry David would say, you might think things were pretty, pretty bad. But it could be worse. It can always be worse. Never, ever under any circumstances say: “Things can’t get worse.”

Right now if you are reading this drivel, you are on the planet Earth. Despite some short comings here and there; plague, famine, wars, and mischief caused by the thirty-eight Horsemen of the Apocalypse, things could be worse. You could be on the newly discovered Hell Planet K2-141b. The astronomer buddies of K2-141b just call it K2 so we will too. Thank goodness for schadenfreude. I am comforted by the knowledge there is a planet where things are much worse than they are on Earth. It is a character flaw on the part of your writer to enjoy the misery of another planet but that’s life.

Right now you are probably asking yourself, “Self, what is wrong with K2? Should I be adding it to my list of things that wake me up at 3:00 a.m.?” Take a little interstellar voyage on the Starship Peabody to visit K2. Pack a lunch as it is hundreds of light years from Earth. K2 is what the scientists at the Royal Astronomical Society call a Lava Planet. That does not mean it is composed of Lava, the Hand Soap made with pumice that comes in the bright red package. No Sirree, Bob. K2 has oceans made of molten lava. The same kind of lava that comes out of volcanoes in Hawaii into which virgins are thrown to appease the Gods to insure a good cocoanut crop. K2 has the kind of toasty lava that makes the pizza burn on the top of your mouth from an oven fresh pepperoni pizza look like child’s play.

K2 is consistent. Its ocean, atmosphere, and continents are all made out of rocks. When it rains on K2, it rains rocks not violets. It’s so hot there when the lava ocean evaporates and the residue cools off in the atmosphere it rains back down as rocks. Singing in the rain would not be too much fun on K2. Gene Kelly could not sing many lyrics before he would be pounded into mush by the rhythm of the falling rain. K2 is a bit breezy with winds blowing over 3000 miles an hour. If there are any answers blowing in the wind on K2, not even Bob Dylan could find them. Like Earth’s moon, the orbit of K2 only allows one side of K2 to face its sun. The sunny side of K2 is about 5400 degrees Fahrenheit. The always dark side of K2, with apologies to Pink Floyd is minus 328 degrees.

Fortunately, Earth’s rock and roll super stars have been trying to warn us about K2 for many years. It is no coincidence that such singers as David Bowie and Elton John would know about a planet where it rains rocks. After all they are rock stars.

David Bowie warned us about K2 way back in 1969 in his song Space Oddity. Gentle Reader, be warned. If you were Major Tom and Ground Control choose you to visit K2, you have lost the space lottery. Somebody in the upper echelons of NASA does not like you. Once you got close enough to be caught in K2’s rock rain bad things would happen. “Ground Control to Major Tom/ Your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong/ Can you hear me Major Tom? / Can you hear me Major Tom?” At that point Earth with all its faults would look pretty good.

Elton John also tried to warn us about K2 in his song Rocket Man. Elton gets all space suited up and does his pre-flight rituals. In his heart he knows something isn’t right about the mission. Supposedly he is going to Mars, but like the book of Revelations, the song is in code. He is not singing about Mars. He is singing about going to K2. He is “the rocket man burning out his fuse up here all alone/ Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids/ In fact it’s cold as Hell/ And there is no one there to raise them if you did/ And all this science I don’t understand/ It’s just my job five days a week./” Because this song is in code, when Elton sings about Mars being cold he is really talking about K2 being hot. You have to read between the lines. It’s a secret message from the Illuminati.

So, what have we learned today? Once again, almost nothing. I apologize for wasting your time on our literary celestial trip. But know this, Grasshopper, things on Earth are not nearly as dire as they are on K2. We have our own Little Rocket Man in North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un. He is bad enough, while he does have nuclear weapons, but he has not yet mastered turning the ocean into a sea of fire even though he frequently threatens to do so.
Put on a happy face. It’s not going to be 3400 degrees tomorrow. Like Little Orphan Annie says, “The sun will come out tomorrow.” Happy Thanksgiving to us one and all.

Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins has publicly conceded that morale is low among officers while turnover is high.

“Morale is low. It’s low for a lot of different reasons,” she told City Council recently. “But we still are resilient. We are still doing our job.” She did not elaborate as to why she believes morale is on the decline, but she also said retention of police personnel is a problem.

The FPD’s authorized strength is 434 sworn officers. The current turnover rate is 10% or 43 vacancies. Hawkins said 391 officers are currently on the payroll. Turnover rates and morale are linked. According to the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, the average nationwide turnover rate of law enforcement officers is 10.8%.

Fayetteville patrol officers work 12-hour shifts. Hawkins told city council that many employees no longer think of police work as a 20-or-30-year career. Law Enforcement wages are higher than Fayetteville in many North Carolina cities. The chief has noted that that retention is a problem because Fayetteville cops earn a starting salary of $38,000 a year. Salaries in North Carolina’s top five municipal police agencies are: Greenville $50,666; Raleigh $47,741; Smithfield $45,645; Jacksonville $45,597 and Apex $45,066.

Falcon Children’s Home, located in the town of Falcon in eastern Cumberland County, has about 100 employees who serve over 80 youth of all ages. Since 1909, FCH has been providing a home for children who, for whatever reason, are unable to live with their parents. FCH has directly or indirectly touched an estimated 15 thousand lives through its various programs and foster care
licensing.

Since 1949, on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, visitors kick off the season of giving by donating much needed commodity items and monetary gifts that help FCH stay operational throughout the year. The annual Harvest Train is one of the most important days of the year at FCH. Along with gratitude, visitors usually watch a stage production by the children, caregivers and teachers at FCH. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, FCH will not be able to conduct the usual Harvest Train parade and production.

This year, in lieu of the parade, FCH presents “All is Bright Christmas Lights,” a drive-thru lights show on the campus Nov. 19-21 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. nightly with a live nativity. Staff will be present to direct visitors and guests through the lights and to give out FCH keepsake mementos to those who come through and drop off donations.

The tour is free, and while donations are appreciated, they are not required to attend the "All is Bright Christmas Lights" event.

Visitors can begin at 7569 N. West Street in Falcon and turn the vehicle radio to station 89.5 FM and listen to the sounds of the season as well as greetings from ministry leaders. At the end of the tour, visitors can stop at the brick warehouse and drop off commodities and donations. There will be a decorated box for each cottage so visitors can bring bagged candy for the students as well as a secured donation box for checks and/or monetary donations. Total monetary donations will be announced during the virtual program on Nov. 24. In keeping with COVID-19 guidelines, visitors are asked to remain in their vehicles. FCH staff will assist in unloading donations.

On Nov. 24 at 7 p.m., supporters of FCH can see a pre-recorded showing of the Harvest Train 2013 program “The Two Trees” on Facebook. The story follows the life changing experience of two teenage boys as they work at Ed’s Christmas Tree Lot. Their lives are forever changed by the events that occur there. The story echoes the sentiment found in Jeremiah 29:11, which reads, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Top commodity needs this year include: canned goods, paper towels, toilet paper, 13-gallon size trash bags, ethnic hair products, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, hand soap, disposable take out trays and breakfast cereals. Routine needs include: socks, bath towels, twin size comforters, pillows, diapers of all sizes. To donate larger items, call FCH at (910) 980-1065.

To find out more about how to be involved with FCH or donation needs visit https://www.falconchildrenshome.com/ or www.facebook.com/FCHFS. To learn more about the Harvest Train and this year's "All is Bright Christmas Lights" visit www.harvesttrain.com.

‘A Dickens Holiday’ holds a special place in the hearts of many area residents. Locals look forward to coming together and kickstarting the holiday season with this festive event in downtown Fayetteville. Like so many other traditions in 2020, this year’s event will be a little different due to the pandemic, but participants will still be able to enjoy the beloved event inspired by Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”

“This is the 21st year we are doing this festival, usually it happens the day after Thanksgiving,” said Antonio Renteria, director of operations for the Arts Council of Fayetteville.

“It started off as a way to bring traffic from the mall area to downtown and focus on those small businesses. It grew from there,” he said.

Instead of a one-day event, this year’s celebration is titled ‘In the Spirit of Dickens,'” and also offers events on the two weekends before Thanksgiving with musicians and other performers.

“We’ll have some carolers out there and cut outs to bring the holiday season even sooner,” Renteria said.

The holiday may look different this year, but the Arts Council is using the opportunity to return the focus to supporting downtown merchants, he said.

Merchants will be doing different specials leading up to the main festival on Nov. 27. The festival won’t have the usual fireworks or the candlelight procession. Also absent this year will be the arts and crafts vendors set up in the downtown area.

“These are some things that we are not doing to mediate some of the larger crowds,” Renteria said. “We are encouraging merchants to bring out holiday gear and come out of their shops and decorate,” he said. “We’ll have the Fayetteville Orchestra, and different actors, like Scrooge, Ghost of Christmas Past, walking up and down the streets.”

This year’s festival will be a combination of efforts with the Arts Council and Cool Springs Downtown District to provide a unique shopping experience.

What we do plan to do is still support our mission of combining the arts in support of our local business and restaurants, that will also allow us to help support our local artists that have been out of work since March, said Robert Pinson, interim president/CEO of the Arts Council.

“The idea is that you may not know exactly what is happening downtown, but you know that there is something fun to see and do and shop, or a great restaurant for lunch or dinner,” Pinson said.

Some of the other attractions downtown for the festival will include Coventry Carolers, local adult and youth musicians from Fayetteville Symphony, brass quartets and Dickens character actors from the Cape Fear Regional Theatre.

“One of my favorite things that we are doing, and I am glad we are getting a chance to do it again this year, is the ‘Gingerbread Community of Hope’ … a gingerbread house competition,” Renteria said. The competition is open to the public, there’s no cost to enter, and you can go online to sign up, he said.

The Encore Academy will display entries in their windows beginning Nov. 23, Pinson said.

“The houses will be up that Monday before and stay up the whole week, so people can come downtown, look at them, scan the QR code and vote on the ones they like,” Renteria said. “It’s a public competition so the community really gets to come out and decide which is the best one.”

The winner of the competition will receive a $250 prize and will be announced the weekend of the event.

The Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum will be doing story time for children and there will be horse drawn carriage rides, said Metoya Scott, public relations manager for the Arts Council.

Like every other year, attendees and visitors are encouraged to dress up in Dickens-themed or Victorian clothing, and a guide to the dress code is available on the Arts Council’s website, Renteria said.

The Arts Council will stream certain events live on the festival’s event page on Facebook for those who don’t feel comfortable coming downtown due to the pandemic.

“For me the biggest thing you’re coming for … is getting to see the carolers and Scrooge, the Ghost of Christmas Past, walking around and really just get you into that holiday spirit,” Renteria said.

The event will end the evening of Nov. 27 with the lighting of the community Christmas tree in front of the Arts Council.

“If you're looking for a way to forget about 2020 a little bit, then get outside and enjoy the holiday season for the pure sake of it just being the holidays," Renteria said. “This is definitely the time to come out and do it and leave with a smile on your face.”

For more information about ‘In the Spirit of Dickens,' visit https://www.theartscouncil.com/feature/dickens-holiday

 

 

 

 

 

No doubt, as Americans, we cherish the right to have our voices heard. Currently, with the anger and contention surrounding the 2020 elections at all levels of government, these voices are not only numerous, but they are also loud, angry and obnoxious, and drowning out humanity's reason, logic and any hope of conciliation.

Three unfortunate examples are what is happening in Portland, Minneapolis and, most recently, in Washington, D.C. during the Trump support rally. Rioting, looting, assaults, destruction of personal property, and for what purpose? With the devastation in downtown Fayetteville on May 30th still fresh in our memories, we cannot let this happen again to our community of Fayetteville. However, it very well may unless we trust our local leaders and hold them responsible for the health and welfare of all our citizens.

The first step in suppressing conflict and avoiding confrontations is to identify and tap down the flashpoints. Local media is a significant flashpoint in our community and plays a substantial role in dividing our community. Fayetteville has no local TV station to keep us informed or to showcase the city, which is an embarrassment for a community of this size and stature. This leaves us with a daily newspaper that is anemic. It's a decent vehicle for the distribution of fliers and inserts but mostly serves up negative, biased liberal content that is as relevant, frequent and stale as two-day-old bread.

Unfortunately, local talk radio station WFNC "doubles down" and regurgitates verbatim the newspaper's partisan content, avoiding any sense of fairness, responsibility or journalistic integrity. Lastly, there are the self-serving opportunists who take advantage of Fayetteville's current racial, civil and political circumstances to second guess our leadership. Some wish to be recognized as radical activists or social icons. Others want to establish political power, while others seek notoriety, fame and celebrity status by claiming they speak for the masses. Regardless of their motives and rogue actions, these independent voices cause confusion, mistrust, dissension and misinformation among the ranks of local residents.

The future of the iconic Fayetteville Market House is the most critical and volatile decision facing our community. Representing both history and heritage, there are passionate feelings on all sides regarding its future. Should it be left as is? Torn down? Repurposed? We'll see what the future holds. In the meantime, as the local weekly community newspaper of record, we are subject to many diverse perspectives. This is why we are advocating that citizens be tolerant and patient while the Mayor, City Council and the committees they have appointed evaluate the options available that will best serve the city and its citizens.

During this time, tapping down the aggressive and hostile rhetoric concerning the future of the Market House will go a long way in making sure it doesn't become an explosive racial issue. Currently, movements, protests and petitions on both sides of the controversy are incredibly premature. Communication, education, awareness, patience and empathy are essential here. We must hear from the entire community and let the process work to a conclusion fairly judged on its merit. It would be unconscionable for anyone to use the Market House circumstance for personal political advancement before the current leadership concludes their study.

These are volatile times, and trust is at a premium. No one wants to see our community torn apart on any single issue. Let's be patient and give the Mayor and current leadership a chance to perform without interference. In the process, it will become evident who the real leaders are looking out for all the citizens of Fayetteville. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Credit is like a key. If you have good credit, then you can unlock more of society’s doors than someone with bad or no credit. Credit plays such an important role in our lives that Congress created an entire system to ensure that your credit is reported correctly. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ensures that compawnies who run and report your credit (i.e., Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) and companies who provide information to consumer reporting agencies such as credit card companies, auto finance companies, bank collection agencies, etc., do not harm you with false information. Broadly speaking, the agencies or companies who report your credit information must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information, nor can they report outdated negative information.

On a more personal level, the FCRA provides seven consumer rights:
1. You have the right to know what is in your credit file.
2. You have the right to know what, if any, of your file has been used against you.
3. You have the right to ask for your credit score.
4. You have the right to challenge inaccurate or incomplete information.
5. You have the right to “prescreen” offers of credit and insurance you receive as a result of information in your file.
6. You have the right to limit access to your file and obtain a security freeze.
7. You have the right to prevent your employer from accessing your credit report.

If your rights are violated, you can seek damages for FCRA violations. The FCRA distinguishes between negligent and willful violations. If someone negligently violates the FCRA, then a consumer victim can recover their actual damages and attorneys’ fees. Conversely, willful violations allow a consumer victim to recover between $100 and $1000 dollars in actual damages, attorneys’ fees, and, if allowed by the court, punitive damages.

Your credit is important and it is protected by Federal Law. If you are having issues with your credit report or have received notification indicating that you were being rejected based on a consumer report that contained inaccurate information, it is important to know your rights and to consider seeking the advice of an experienced consumer protection attorney.

We the people are sick and tired of the election buffoonery. I believe that when things go sideways, you should either go back to basics or change the process because you have nothing to lose.

Our American election process is the foundation of our democracy and the cornerstone of a free society. However, I think we can all agree that we may need a little election reform and demand that leaders make it a priority. I have a few ideas to help with some out-of-the-box ideas to a better approach to voting.

What if we labeled both the Democratic and Republican Parties as terrorist groups and outlawed them? Then make everyone an "independent" to only vote on the merits of the best candidates representing your beliefs, family, community and county. Instead of primary run-off elections, debates, town hall meetings, and community roundtables, we have a voting process like American Idol using a panel of judges who vote candidates off each night until we get a winner. This would cut out party loyalty and annoying telemarketers relentlessly raising money for his or her favorite candidate. If their campaign requires mailers directly to your house, the Post Office should charge a surcharge to underwrite the mail carriers. Seriously, everyone said the Post Office could never get the ballots processed and delivered on time, yet they have no problem delivering those crappy flyers and junk mail.

Each state is responsible for their election certification. They need to have a voting process free from cheating, impropriety and a simple method to count. It is hard to imagine that in 2020, we cannot vote securely on our cell phones. Think about it! We pay our taxes, bank, gamble, and can even find a love interest using these devices, yet these techno geniuses can't figure out a way that will allow us to vote securely? After all, these devices have facial recognition, fingerprint capabilities, special codes and besides, your phone knows where you live. I assure you that if the Silicon Valley tech geniuses cannot figure it out, then the casino gurus in Las Vegas can. Oh, if someone does not own a phone, they can always vote the old fashion way - in person. Here's another voting idea: We should have an intelligence test to pass before allowing you to vote. After all, if we must identify traffic lights to get on a website through CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) to confirm we are human, it's reasonable to ask a few simple questions to ensure we are mentally capable of voting.

Election day voting should start at midnight, Coordinated Universal Time (or UTC), which is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time and lasts all day. Twenty-four hours and stop at 2359 hours UTC. This gives everyone the same time and chance to vote anywhere in the world. The only people who would vote absentee would be those in the military conducting combat operations. No media outlet should be allowed to call an election. The only person authorized to announce and declare a winner is who the state designates as the official election spokesperson.

Depending on what is being voted on, not everyone should be allowed to vote in America. For instance, if you are not a U.S. citizen, you do not get to vote. Period! You would not let someone walk in your house and start giving you advice about how to do your taxes, how to raise your kids, or what you should buy with your own money. So, why would it be suitable for a non-citizen to determine the direction of our country's future? Locally, if you do not own a property, you should not be allowed to vote on raising property taxes for projects for which you get no benefit.

I remember as a kid watching “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.” They had two antagonist spies Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale, who frequently interfered in Rocky and Bullwinkle's affairs. We know foreign governments do that. Even the United States has done its part to influence other country's elections. In this election, there has been no evidence of foreign interference. So instead, maybe we should focus our attention on local interference. All Americans have the freedom and right to vote without fear. If someone interferes in an election, they should be charged with a federal crime and lose their voting privileges. This includes the stealing of campaign signs out of someone's yard. That is a very bold thing to do, and these thieves should be considered "election terrorists" and lose their voting rights. If they intimidate or "cancel" you because of your political affiliation, that should also be considered election terrorism.
These are just a few suggestions that would level the voting playing field. By restoring our confidence in the voting process and eliminating the country's partisan political divide, we are free to practice and enjoy one of our most cherished American rights and freedoms.

The Community Veterans Engagement Board, supported by other agencies and local businesses, are coming together to connect veterans with resources to address needs, some of which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. The “Drive Through Veterans & Transitioning Service Members Resource Fair” will be held Nov. 24 from 3 to 6 p.m. at Manna Church on Cliffdale Road in Fayetteville.

“A lot of the people that we partner with … wanted to do something for the veterans to let them know that we care and we are still thinking about you,” said Susan Deckant, veteran outreach program specialist for the Fayetteville Vet Center. Decante hopes the drive-thru resource fair will raise the morale of local veterans while providing much-needed information.

“We understand there may be some homeless veterans that may walk up and we’ll hand them things, we’ll make sure they have masks and if they don’t we’ll give them a mask, and we’ll have hand sanitizer on all the tables,” Deckant said. “If they need to talk to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program social worker and get into the program, they can.”

There is a virtual resource guide but the CVEB members realized that not all veterans are able to go digital for various reasons including lack of internet access or inability to navigate digital resources, said CVEB Board Chair Paul Berry.

The event will take place in the parking lot of Manna Church located at 5117 Cliffdale Road. The parking lot will have a Veteran Affairs RV with tables set up in the front and going around the building where veterans can drive through and be handed pre-packaged bags as they go, Deckant said. Bags will include the “2020 All North Carolina Veterans Resource Guide,” Zaxby’s gift cards, reference cards from helpful organizations such as the Veterans Administration, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and others.

Reaching out to service members is not new to Manna Church. The church recently hosted a drive-thru lunch for single soldiers on Fort Bragg who are not be able to go home during the holidays. Deckant said the church’s reputation for being military-friendly was one reason they were asked to host the resource fair.

“As a local church, we want to be here for the community and we have a building in the heart of the city and we want to make ourselves available and do various activities and serve,” said Tom Cartwright, Outreach Pastor for Manna Church.

Deckant said there will be organizations at the event like the Veterans Benefits Administration to assist veterans in setting up an appointment or to file claims. Among others, American Legions and NC Legal Aid will also be giving out information to help veterans facing evictions during the pandemic, or to assist with discharge upgrades. There will be representatives from different organizations to help with financial counseling, gain employment, legal services and more.

The Vet Center will be able to connect them with suicide prevention and caregiver support, as well as substance abuse treatment programs. The Center provides community based mental health counseling to combat veterans and active duty and provides therapy for PTSD, anger management, anxiety, depression, grief and loss counseling, marriage and family therapy and military sexual trauma. Their services are free to veterans and service members. Current service members can self-refer to the Vet Center without having to go through their chain of command or primary care provider, Decante said.

The drive-thru fair will be handing out over 250 gift coupons for a free sandwich and drink from Zaxby’s and free turkeys will be passed out to the 1st, 25th, 50th, 60th and the 82nd drivers courtesy of the Bingham Drive Food Lion grocery store.

“Many veterans, particularly with COVID, are more and more isolated,” Berry said. “Veterans by nature are wired to be connected, have a sense of team, no matter what service you’re in, you’re part of something bigger,” he said. “Due to COVID, they might be feeling very isolated, then you bring in financial, marital, domestic stressors — that whole dynamic is hard, so it’s important to get them these resources.”

Berry emphasized that the community needs to do this to provide resources to the veterans and to also thank them for their service. The resource fair is an opportunity to put veterans in touch with organizations that have the specific resources to address their needs.

Deckant said it is important to connect veterans to resources because a lot of them face uncertainty when they are transitioning out of service. Sometimes service members and their families are not aware of the services provided by different agencies.

“Through COVID-19, it’s more needed to spread the word of these resources and it’s our job as a community to provide them,” Berry said. “We want to provide a holistic service, no matter what the veteran may have a question on, it’s there.”

“It’s very scary to go from active duty to civilian life, you work so hard to get promoted all those years and you when you get out, it all drops drastically,” she said. “We can help navigate the process.”

For more information to get connected with resources contact the Vet Center Call Center at 877-WAR-VETS (927-8387) or the Veterans Crisis line 1-800-273-8255, or visit https://www.va.gov.

If veterans and service members are struggling, they can reach out to the local VA Vet Center located at 2301 Robeson Street, Suite 103. They can also call (910) 488-6252 to speak with a therapist for individual or group
counseling.

Veterans and family members of service members can also reach out to the Cohen Veterans Clinic located at 3505 Village Drive, (910) 615-3737 for community-based counseling

 

Over the course of 34 years penning a column on North Carolina politics and public policy, I’ve seen it all. Or so I thought. Until 2020 came along.

It’s not that I proffered a passel of bad predictions for which I must now do penance. After pegging many races wrong in 2016, I was more guarded in my prognostications this year. And the picks I offered — that Donald Trump would win North Carolina but not reelection, that U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis would secure a second term, and North Carolina Republicans would retain their General Assembly and Council of State majorities — proved to be pleasingly precise.

Rather, I just think we have never before seen so many fascinating trends come together in such a compelling electoral performance.
After pondering the election results a bit more, I have prepared a list of eight factors that helped shape the outcomes.

• Polarized. Like much of the country, North Carolina has a polarized electorate. Generations ago, somewhere between a fifth and a quarter of voters were willing to split their tickets between the two major parties. Today, that share is in the single digits.

• Parity. That doesn’t mean ticket-splitters are irrelevant. Polarization is present in places like California and Mississippi, too. But parity isn’t. The Democratic base is so large in the former, and the GOP base so large in the latter, that a few percentage points of swing voters can’t swing the result. In North Carolina, however, the two partisan coalitions are nearly even (by behavior, not registration). So when a few Tar Heel voters — disproportionately older voters in rural areas, according to my analysis of county returns and exit polls — decided to split their tickets, voting Trump and Tillis for federal office and Roy Cooper for governor, their choices were decisive.

• Process. Before the election, Democrats went to court to challenge election rules the General Assembly had previously enacted by bipartisan votes. Democratic plaintiffs won an extension of the absentee-ballot deadline but little else. If those late-arriving ballots flip any outcomes, you can expect the issue to be re-litigated.

• Pandemic. Not only was COVID-19 a big issue in federal and state races, but the pandemic also affected how campaigns were run. Crucially, Republican-leaning groups started canvassing for votes door-to-door during the summer, while Democratic-leaning groups shied away from this time-tested tactic until the final weeks. Given that canvassing is an outdoor, low-risk activity, the Democrats blew this call, as candid Dems now admit.

• Polling. Pollsters got it very wrong this year. Clearest example: while Cooper won reelection by 4.4 points, the polling average going into Election Day was +11 Cooper.

• Press. Much of the media abandoned all pretense of fairness and actively rooted — in news stories — for Republicans to lose. While Trump did indeed fall short, I think attempts to suppress anti-Biden stories or cheerlead for Democrats ended up harming the media’s already battered reputation.

• Platitudes. At least two bits of “conventional wisdom” ought to be retired after the 2020 elections. One is that politics is largely about money. Democrats vastly outspent Republicans in North Carolina this year but almost always fell short. Another familiar myth is that low-turnout elections favor Republicans and high-turnout elections favor Democrats. There was no such historical pattern in North Carolina elections going into 2020. And that’s not how it turned out this year, either.

• Public Safety. As I observed in a prior column, Republican candidates tilted some votes by speaking strongly against the looting and rioting that followed some Black Lives Matter protests this summer.

And there you have it: my eight p-factors that mattered in 2020. Are you persuaded?

“Why so glum?” I asked a sullen group of Democrats who were expressing despair as they reviewed the results of the November 3rd elections.

They explained their gloominess. Democrats had lost seats in the state house and Senate, losing any chance to expand Medicaid or have a hand in the redistricting of seats in the state legislature and the state's congressional delegation.

They continued. Republican candidates beat Democrats, appearing to win the chief justice’s seat and other positions on the state’s Supreme Court and all the open seats on the Council of State, including the lieutenant governor's race in which an unknown and far-out Republican candidate beat an attractive, well-liked, and experienced woman state legislator.

What about Biden's victory over Donald Trump? Surely this should have made my Democratic friends happy. No, they responded. It was supposed to be “a blue wave.” But it was not a blowout, not even close, they said, noting that they did not even win control of the U.S. Senate and lost seats in the U.S. House.

I confess that I lost my cool. I asked whether they would choose to be Republicans today rather than gloomy Democrats? Would you really like to go to bed tonight and wake up as a Republican? Maybe you could help bring that party back to its historic principles which its current leadership has abandoned. More likely you would have to carry the burdens of being a member of today’s Republican Party, tied as it is tightly to Donald Trump and his loyal backers, dependent on all those people’s support to win primaries and elections as a Republican. Like other present-day Republicans you would be so dependent that, you would have to subordinate your principles and good sense to a cult figure and his other followers, to their alarmist conspiracy stories, and the inaccurate “alternate facts” that they propound.

If you woke up as a Republican, I said, you would be tied to a party of aging white people in a state and nation that are rapidly diversifying. You would be stuck with a vision of our country that rejects the multi-ethnic American traditions of equality and fairness for everyone, regardless of gender, racial and ethnic background, or sexual orientation. You would have to reject the American commitment of true religious liberty and respect for differing religious views. You would have to reject the true patriotism that includes respect for our history of painful battles to expand equality and opportunity without covering up our country’s imperfections. You would have to put aside any continuing commitment to expanding opportunities for every citizen.

Our great country, I said, was not served up on a platter to or by our forebears. Every battle, including its war for independence, the end of slavery, the expansion of the right to vote, the opening of public schools to people of all races, the opening of public facilities to those of all different races and other battles for equality and fairness are battles that continue today.

You can be happy now, I told the group, that you are free to work for a better country, supported by high ideals and carefully discovered scientific facts rather than being bound to the inconsistent and deadly poisons prescribed by a haughty autocrat and his inconsistent dogma.
More than that, I said, you should be happy that your party’s candidates for president and vice president are on the verge of a momentous victory and North Carolina will soon, be joining its neighbors Virginia and Georgia in becoming a place where both Democrats and Republicans have a fair chance to win political contests.

After my passionate ramblings, my friends nodded, smiled, and continued their gloomy conversations.

The Patriotic and Veterans Day Celebration that was scheduled for Nov. 14 at Bryan Honda in Fayetteville has been postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. The event was organized by the All American Patriot Association to bring members of the community together in a celebration of our nation and our veterans.

AAPA CEO and President Franco Webb said he and his team are working to reschedule the event for a later date, tentatively in December.

“We are looking into two other possible venues,” Webb said. “We’re also looking into ways to scale it down, but still be able to take advantage of the entertainment, raffles and auction items that were donated.”

Although disappointed that the event could not be held in conjunction with traditional Veterans Day celebrations, Webb emphasized that being American and paying tribute to our veterans is something that can be celebrated all year long.

“We really appreciate all the support we received from sponsors, vendors and the public,” Webb said. “Stand strong – the event will go on.”

On Nov. 10, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said the state will remain in Phase 3 for another three weeks because coronavirus cases continue to rise.

In Executive Order 176, Cooper reduced the number of people allowed to gather indoors from 25 to 10. The extension takes effect Nov. 13. This is the second time Cooper has extended Phase 3, which was set to expire Nov. 13.

Phase 3 first began Oct. 2 and allowed bars, entertainment venues, movie theaters and large outdoor arenas to open with some restrictions. Still in effect is the limit of 50 people allowed at outdoor gatherings. The new order is scheduled to expire at 5 p.m. on Dec. 4.

As of Nov. 11, more than 297,000 people in North Carolina have tested positive for COVID-19, and 4,660 have died, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The NCDHHS regularly updates the “Dashboard” on https://www.ncdhhs.gov/ with state and county case number information. It reports that in Cumberland County, there have been 7,953 cases and 108 deaths.

The full text of Executive Order 176 can be read on the NCDHHS website https://files.nc.gov/governor/documents/files/EO176-Phase-3-ext.pdf

The wait for the announcement of the presidency had the world on edge. Now, the wait for the Inauguration has us waiting again. The world is already exhausted. 2020 has been a series of “for the first time ever” or “once in a lifetime” moments. When exhaustion sets in, the body needs rest. The world needs rest. America needs rest. The Black community needs rest.

Losing Nipsey Hussle and then Kobe Bryant caused a shift for the better and the worst. As a Black man, I loved seeing the world celebrate “our” heroes. On the flipside, we lost someone we grew to know and love.
Months later, a pandemic took hold of the world, forcing us in the house and under face masks. The death rate has risen around the world. A cough could mean a death sentence. Everyone learned a new word, ‘quarantine.’ For some, there was a gain. Life slowed down, allowing the allocation of time for the things that matter like family and rest. As time passed, the world was growing restless.

While sitting in our homes waiting for some sort of good news to get “BACK TO NORMAL,” we were shown an 8 minute, 46 second clip of a cop in Minnesota kneeling on the neck of a man born in my hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina, named George Floyd. The streets erupted immediately. The last time there was this fast of a reaction was when Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. But, there was still one difference between then and now. COVID-19, the sickness caused by the novel coronavirus, was holding the world hostage. Protests and civil unrest would break out everywhere including Fayetteville.

Soon, the world would hear what we have been saying all along, BLACK LIVES MATTER. These three words have never meant so much. However, the commercialization of the phrase has led to a negative connotation among those who lack understanding of what it means to be Black in America. As chants, cheers and fires filled the streets of the world, many would watch distraught and in disbelief as the events unfolded. When the flames died and symbols (of heritage or oppression, depending upon your beliefs) came down, there was no unity in the community.

Back in 2016, a New York businessman would assume the role of President of the United States of America, causing a shift in culture and the way American politics are viewed. While money filled our pocket, hate filled our hearts. We forgot the meaning of community. Neighbors have become enemies. Political ideologies weigh more than love for your fellow man. The community is always prefaced by words such as “Black,” “white” or “LGBTQ.” We have forgotten that the Constitution of America begins with three words, WE THE PEOPLE. As Americans, we all want equal opportunity to the rights guaranteed to us under these laws that govern the lands we all inhabit. America is attempting to heal itself through gaining knowledge and understanding of the “other side.” Discomfort coupled with perception leads to a closed mind. A closed mind can never obtain and process the knowledge that fuels progress. Progress is a process. America has just completed a part of the process by voting.

As we wait on the result of the most pivotal election we have experienced since the election of Barack Obama in 2008, we must reflect and ask “What am I doing in my everyday life to better my community and myself?” “How do I add to the value of life of those I encounter?” and “Will this help me grow as a person?”

No matter the results of this election, we must focus on building a better world for those who will inherit it from us. Voting was not the end of the process, but a part of the process. The next step is accountability. We, as a community, must come together and hold leaders and ourselves accountable.

As a chosen leader in my community, especially the Black community, I understand that one must govern themselves accordingly because stepping out the house you become a representation of everyone that looks like you. However, working to change the narrative or personal elevation should not be met with labels of “sellout” or “coon” because we don’t understand. We should focus on the content of their character, as we should with every person we meet. That is what will bring the unity that we need to get the change so many world citizens took to the streets seeking.

We all have to be the change that we want to see. Now is the time to rebuild and start with the strongest foundation of all, no matter who you are, and that foundation is LOVE.

Peace, salute to every activist getting active.

Pictured: Local activist Rakeem "Keem" Jones speaks to a crowd on the importance of social justice. (Photo by Jamela Carter)

When I was growing up in eastern North Carolina, virtually all voting adults were Democrats, although our backdoor neighbors were Republicans. My family considered them akin to space aliens. Conversely, Republicans who populated the western part of our state, though in smaller numbers, felt the same about the handful of Democrats out there. It was even possible to check a single box on your ballot to vote a straight Democratic or straight Republican ticket, because both parties expected—and often got—total loyalty.

In the decades since, North Carolina has become a competitive “purple” state, and this year, an actual battleground state, attracting hoards of media outlets and Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates themselves.

Our U.S. Senate race was the most expensive in our nation’s history, topping $287M. President Trump became a regular visitor to Fayetteville Regional Airport for campaign rallies, ultimately carrying North Carolina and pulling down-ballot Republican candidates with him.

So how did we get here from a state dominated by one political party for more than a century?
We have grown significantly, and North Carolina is now the 9th largest state, with more than 10 million residents. My childhood was lived in a state of small towns scattered across a wide, narrow state. Today, we have major cities, the largest being Charlotte and Raleigh. Fayetteville is our 6th largest city with more than 200,000 residents, compared with not quite 21,000 in 1960.

With North Carolina’s growth has come more diversity (Fayetteville has long been diverse because of a strong military presence) and a more highly educated population, clustering in metropolitan areas.

That means the political clout of our cities threatens to outstrip the clout of rural areas, a reality driving the great urban-rural divide of wealth and education and its accompanying resentment.

Think about this. For almost all of the 20th century, North Carolina was a reliable Democratic state. In 2020, as of this writing, we supported the Republican Presidential and Senatorial nominees, reelected a Democratic Governor, elected a Republican Lieutenant Governor who has never held public office, and affirmed Republican control of the General Assembly. These outcomes required considerable ticket-splitting, with individual voters checking both Democratic and Republican boxes for whatever reasons of their own. My parents would be stunned.

Most North Carolinians would probably say that political competitiveness is a positive thing—that choice makes our government stronger and better. Whether that happens in actual practice is debatable, but it is clear that we are purple for the foreseeable future. That means that North Carolina, like other states and millions of individual Americans, must figure out how to go forward without the name-calling and partisan rancor that has afflicted and tortured us in recent years.

Make no mistake. The United States is at a critical moment in our history. We are so divided, it is almost like we are speaking different languages. We listen and watch only our own truths, not those of “the other.” Debates are underway about a coming second civil war. The New York Times ran a long article in its Sunday magazine last weekend entitled “How Do You Know When Society is About to Fall Apart?” It quotes an academician in this field, Joseph Tainter, “Civilizations are fragile, impermanent things.”

None of us can fix what is threatening our nation, but we can address it in our own lives. Our neighbors—Democrats or Republicans—are not our enemies. They are people with different opinions, not crazed “others.” If we ordinary Americans cannot bridge this divide in our own lives and ultimately as a nation, we may not collectively survive much beyond the tumultuous agony that was the 2020 general election.

Well, election day is over, and a hearty congratulations to all the winning candidates at all levels of government. Compared to other elections over the years, I guess you can say it's the best money can buy! Ridiculous amounts of money are poured into these elections, and make no mistake about it, it's to buy influence and power.

So, with that said, regardless of your political affiliation or whether your candidate won or lost, it's time to move on and get America on the right track for the sake of our children, grandchildren and future generations.

Unfortunately, America's political leadership at all levels is rendering us morally bankrupt. I appreciate all the comments and reactions I received from last week's editorial, "Have you no sense of decency?" It confirmed my pretense that as a nation, we are very aware that our overall morality has dipped substantially below what is deemed acceptable or civilized.

Politicians today treat honesty, integrity, truthfulness as virtues that are only mere suggestions in the game of life. Depending on the situation, our children are taught to engage these virtues with healthy skepticism as convenience options only if it's advantageous for personal gain. In other words, it's acceptable to steal, lie, cheat and commit crimes if you can justify it internally or financially afford it. This "fake it until you make it" style of morality eventually fails with devastating consequences.

In politics, the consequences of these character deficiencies are embarrassing for the candidate and devastating to the party. They also represent an insult to the American people at all levels of government. Again, this is an indictment of all political parties. This conspicuous and obnoxious behavior is motivated and initiated by excessive greed, money and power. And, in many cases, all three. It wouldn't surprise me if Wikipedia listed the definition of politician as “A person who displays conspicuous and obnoxious behavior usually motivated by excessive greed, money and power, or all three." It's a sad reality.

Now the election is over. Hopefully, we will be able to get our state and country on the right track. One thing is for sure; we will be able to recognize who will stand up for the American people and make them the highest priority. Sadly, we have just gone through nearly four years of embarrassing, disrespectful and severe disruption of the presidency and Americans have concerns and questions that need to be answered:

Will this kind of deploring behavior continue? Will America be safe from criminals? Will law and order be abandoned? Will the confidence of the FBI, CIA and NSA be restored? Will our government secure our borders? Will the new administration start looking out for all the American people's health and welfare? Let's hope so. The survival of our country as we know it will depend on it.

Right now, America is a country divided. I'm not referring to red states and blue states. I'm talking about patriotic Americans who fear our government is selling out our heritage and our nation for their personal gain. If this is not the case, then the new reigning administration should waste no time in assuring us of that. This would be the first step in healing and bringing this country back together. After four years of continual discourse and attacks on the president, the new administration has a beautiful opportunity to take specific and immediate action to do whatever needs to be done to make every American feel this is their country.

Again, congratulations to all the newly elected officials. Our weekly newspaper will continue to focus on and serve the Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Cumberland County community with integrity, honesty and truthfulness. Let's encourage our leadership to do the same.

Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

With Fort Bragg as a neighbor, it is common to see Army soldiers and sometimes Air Force airmen, many living right next door. Our community has a patriotic core with many of our young men and women enlisting to serve our nation in other military services. To recognize them, we proudly shine a spotlight on some of our hometown heroes currently serving abroad.

Information System Technician 2nd Class Jose Rivera-Scott, a sailor from Hope Mills, is a network operations technician assigned to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. Located in an austere environment, Camp Lemonnier is a U.S. Navy base located in the Horn of Africa and is the only enduring U.S. military base on the continent of Africa. CLDJ is an operational installation that enables U.S., allied and partner nation forces to be where and when they are needed to ensure security in Europe, Southwest Asia and Africa.

Rivera-Scott is a 2013 graduate from Gray’s Creek High School. “Many family members have served before me in the Air Force and Army including my grandfathers and my mother,” said Rivera-Scott. “My grandfathers were pilots, so that is what I originally wanted to be; however, I chose a different path, and I’m proud of being the first Navy sailor in my family.”

Halfway around the globe, two Fayetteville natives are assigned aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67).

Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class Darrius Hames and Operations Specialist Seaman Julia Champagne are in the Philippine Sea participating in exercise Keen Sword 21.

Keen Sword is an example of the strength of the U.S.-Japan Alliance, the foundation of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region for more than 60 years. The relationships built and maintained during these events are critical to our shared capability to respond to contingencies at a moment’s notice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured: (top left) Information System Technician 2nd Class Jose Rivera-Scott, from Hope Mills, is serving in Djibouti. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Colin Sens)

(top right) Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class Darrius Hames, from Fayetteville, is serving aboard the USS Shiloh in the Philippine Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Santiago Navarro)

(bottom) Operations Specialist Seaman Julia Champagne from Fayetteville, left, and Operations Specialist 2nd Class Edith Dantes from Sioux City, Iowa, measure the bearing and range of surface and subsurface contacts in the combat information center of the USS Shiloh in the Philippine Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryre Arciaga)

The All American Patriot Association will host its first Patriotic and Veterans Day Celebration on Nov. 14 from noon until 11 p.m. at Bryan Honda on Raeford Road in Fayetteville

“We will open with a flag raising ceremony, pledge of allegiance, national anthem, jumpers jumping in,” said Franco Webb, CEO and president of AAPA. The event is all about fun for veterans, their families and the community.

“The main purpose of the event is to bring everybody together, to have a good time, it’s about being Americans, about being patriotic, and celebrating our veterans,” Webb said.

The celebration will feature different speakers discussing patriotic themes, a class teaching children and adults how to raise and lower a flag, and properly fold the flag. Members of local Veterans of Foreign Wars posts will be teaching the proper disposal of a flag.

The family friendly event will have children's activities, a bounce house and food trucks on site. There will be live performances by bands such as Harley & Big Country, 80's Unleashed, Sabor A Rumba, Ronnie Hymes. The headliner will be RIVERMIST.

“It's going to be an awesome night to come out, dance and have a good time,” Webb said.

Attendees will have the opportunity to win prizes throughout the day. Speakers will be randomly selecting people and asking them patriotic questions, and the winners will win a prize, he said.

Raffle tickets will be available for purchase, and there will be gift baskets set up on tables. Some of the things being raffled include gift cards from Best Buy and a custom ‘Big Dog’ motorcycle.

“Items that will be up for a silent auction will include an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol with a certificate of authenticity, scholarships for kids to attend a summer horse camp in Texas, and a metal fireplace,” Webb said.

We have had a lot of positive responses, with people and sponsors, Webb said. Some sponsors of the event include Bryan Honda, Piedmont Natural Gas, Kraken Skulls, Phoenix Global Support, Webb Security and more.

Webb said that he began organizing the event as a way to celebrate patriotism in the community. “It’s an event that is needed and it comes at a time when everyone’s been holed up and it’s a good reason to get everyone together,” Webb said.

For more details about the Patriots Day and Veterans Day Celebration, visit https://fb.me/e/gWJHnb3yD

Members of local Veterans of Foreign Wars posts work to help veterans and the local community members alike.

“We do things to help out our local veterans, point them in the right direction, if they need to understand their medical benefits or their disability, we have a lobbyist group in D.C. for them,” said Jim Blevins, commander of VFW Post 10630 in
Hope Mills.

The VFW acts as a middleman to educate veterans on their benefits, rights and connect them to the proper resources. VFW posts have a service officer that helps with claims, answers questions, helps complete paperwork. The service officer is available to help if veterans need it said Mike Baker, commander of VFW Post 670 in Fayetteville.

“We have the need fund to pay bills in case of emergencies, cars broke down, you need gas, etc., they can call the local VFW’s, submit a form and we are able to assist them with small cash payments,” Baker said.

Post 670 raises money through golf tournaments and other events throughout the year and donates some of it to homeless veterans to meet their food and clothing needs, and connect them with other resources.

Blevins said the group tries to protect veterans’ rights as well as help them in times of need. He said the post received brand new electric wheelchairs, which cost about $6,000, which will be donated to a veteran in need, who otherwise couldn’t afford it.

“In conjunction with the Veterans Affairs committee in Hope Mills, we do outreach programs, we invite the VA, Red Cross, Disabled Veterans Administration, Tricare and set up a table for veterans who aren’t sure what they’re benefits are, just to get information,” Blevins said. “It gives them an opportunity to come in and learn more about their benefits and help point them in the right direction.”

VFW also gives back to the community by offering scholarships to students locally. The Voices of Democracy and Patriot's Pen programs allow students to write essays and win scholarships towards the school of their choice.

“The Voice of Democracy is a $30,000 scholarship, Patriots Pen is a $5,000 scholarship to the school of your choice,” Baker said. “So that’s a way for us to give back to the community, the post gives some, the district gives some, then national gives some.”

Another thing that we do is partner with Student Veterans of America to help them get the supplies they need for college, he added.

“What is special to me is being able to help other veterans, but not just veterans we also help out the community,” Blevins said. “Last year, Hope Mills had about 4 baseball teams here that made it into the world series, and VFW donated money to each team to help them travel and cover expenses.”

He said the organizations have had to slow down their fundraising and outreach efforts due to  COVID-19.

“We are getting everything back in the groove again, raising money so we can run the facility as well as donate money to the community,” Baker said.

Blevins said they are starting to lean more towards social events to bring people in and have a really nice facility and lots of things that they would like to do but COVID-19 has put a damper on things.

“A lot of the VFW’s are now in survival mode to get through it, it’s a difficult time for us,” he said, adding that it makes it even more difficult to attract new members right now.

The Hope Mills Post 10630 hosts monthly dinners for members and the community at $12 a plate, as an effort to recruit new members.

VFW Post 630 in Fayetteville offers different social events like poker night, steak night, line dancing and karaoke for current, new members and the community. On Tuesdays, they offer poker nights, on Fridays it is karaoke from 5-10 p.m., Baker said.

“We are on the 28th year of our Friday night Steak Nights... it's a way for us to raise money, a lot of members come out on Friday night to line dance, and do karaoke and enjoy comradeship,” he said. “And we are also open to the public so it's a way for them to meet members and to have a good time.” The $12 meal includes ribeye, potatoes and salad.

VFW Post 670 meets monthly every second Thursday at 7 p.m. at 3928 Doc Bennett Road in Fayetteville. VFW post 10630 located at 3226 Davis Street in Hope Mills, meets the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.

“I have made good friends here at the post, they're a bunch of characters for sure,” Blevins said. “It’s a good place to meet when you miss the military, and you get to talk and exchange stories.”

Baker said the post is a good way to mingle with different war vets, exchange stories and hear interesting things.

We are pretty far out which doesn’t help but folks can look us up on Facebook at VFW Post 670, or visit https://vfw670.org/di/vfw/v2/default.asp or come down on Friday nights, he said.

We are including using technology and social media to reach new people, Blevins said.

“You know the Vietnam vets took care of the Korean War and the WWII people and now it’s kind of like the Desert Storm and younger people take care of them,” he said.

Post 10630 will be live streaming the Veterans Day event on Facebook due to COVID-19.

Post 670 will be hosting Veterans for America Day on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. with live bands and vendors at the post, open to veterans and the public, Baker said.

“The organization is open to both men and women, we do have mostly men but as long as you are a veteran of foreign wars, it does not matter,”  Blevins said.

For more information on joining a local VFW post, seek assistance or meet veterans, contact Post 10630 at 910-476-3719, ocdrpost10630@vfwnc.com or Post 670 at 910-424-8675.

There are more than 1.6 million VFW and Auxiliary members in over 6,000 Posts around the world. The VFW provides vital assistance and support for America’s service members, veterans and their families.

There are three qualifiers for membership in the VFW, as set out in the By-Laws. An individual must meet all three in order to become a member.
1. Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. National.
2. Must have served in the Armed Forces of the U.S. and either received a discharge of Honorable or General (Under Honorable Conditions) or be currently serving.
3. Service in a war, campaign or expedition on foreign soil or in hostile waters.

For more information on becoming a member of the VFW or learning about the services the VFW provides, visit www.vfw.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured: (top left) VFW Post 670 meets the second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at 3928 Doc Bennett Road in FaVFW Post 670 meets the second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at 3928 Doc Bennett Road in Fayetteville.yetteville.

(top right) VFW post 10630 located at 3226 Davis Street in Hope Mills, meets the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.

(bottom) Veterans gather at VFW events to share military experiences, provide assistance to others in need, and promote awareness of veterans issues.

 

 

 

 

 

The Fayetteville Technical Community College Foundation presents their Foundation Weekend events Nov. 4-8.

“The purpose of the event is to raise money for student scholarships and aid, programs and services at Fayetteville Technical Community College,” said Sandy Ammons, executive director of FTCC Foundation. “The foundation is the fundraising arm of the college and in the past we have raised over $50,000 so we are hoping this year despite the circumstances to sur
pass that.”

The Foundation Weekend consists of one event with three different parts: the FTCC Foundation Golf Tournament, the Bluegrass & BBQ at Home dinner and the Online Silent Auction.

The Golf Tournament will be held at Gates Four Golf and Country Club Nov. 6.

“The golf tournament goes back at least 20 years and has evolved throughout the years,” said Ammons. “It was scheduled for April and May of this year and because of COVID-19 we had to postpone it.”
Ammons added that they had to look at it with a different spin on how they could continue with the golf tournament under the new circumstances. The Golf Tournament is currently full and sold out.

The Online Silent Auction will take place Nov. 4- 8.

“In the past the silent auction was part of the dinner and you would come to the dinner and there would be an auction in the same room,” said Ammons. “We’ve had the Bluegrass theme for several years which is fun and we had live entertainment, a Western theme and people would come dressed in Western attire and it was an in-person event.”

Ammons added that this year the silent auction is online and it is open to everyone to bid on the auction items. There is no fee or ticket to purchase.

“We have really tried to tap into wonderful local businesses and artists who give back to the community who are helping us pull off this event with a new twist,” she said.

The public can view items up for auction by visiting the Online Silent Auction site at https://www.charityauctionstoday.com/auctions/ftccfoundation-15436.

“We have got some wonderful auction items that are made by FTCC faculty such as cakes from our Culinary Department, a beautiful hand-milled chess set, exotic plants, tons of gift certificates to local businesses, artwork, original paintings, photography prints, fine jewelry from Hinkamp Jewelers, a BBQ package, a pet package, a garden package and much more,” said Ammons.

“You can do your Christmas shopping through our auction because we have something for everybody and we add packages daily as we receive them.”

The Bluegrass & BBQ at Home dinner will take place on Nov. 7.

“We are going to have a fantastic dinner catered by Southern Coals and it will be chicken, BBQ, macaroni and cheese, broccoli salad and banana pudding,” said Ammons.

“It will be complete with flowers from the Downtown Market, wine glasses from FTCC, and the meal will be delivered to your home hot and ready to serve or you can pick it up at Southern Coals.”

Ammons added it will come with beverages from Bright Light Brewing Company or red wine from Healy Wholesale.

“This event would normally have live entertainment so we are going to have a private live concert at 7 p.m. by the Guy Unger Band streamed to the homes of the guests who buy tickets,” said Ammons. “They will get the link to view the live concert during the dinner.”

The Fayetteville Technical Community College Foundation has been in existence since 1985 and it is the foundation arm of the college.

“A big part of what we do is scholarships so we work with donors to bring in money for scholarships for students as well as work to match the students to the right scholarship,” said Ammons.

“We really try to do everything we can to keep our students on track and in school to graduate and to start their careers.”

The foundation also manages the Alumni Network. “We work with our students as they are getting ready to graduate and we make sure they stay connected to the college, help with networking and work with them so they can stay with their program after they leave college,” said Ammons. “We work with alumni, retired faculty and staff and current faculty and staff so we are kind of the link between the community and the college.”

For more information or to purchase tickets visit https://www.faytechcc.edu/foundation-events/ or call 910-678-8441.

Pictured: (Above) A hand-milled chess set made by FTCC faculty Kevin Henry and students will be available during the Foundation Online Silent Auction event. (Below) The pieces are made from brass and aluminum.

The Airborne & Special Operations Museum is again open to the public and offers two exhibits. The 13th Annual Field of Honor exhibit went up Oct. 3 and will be up for display until Nov 30., and the GWOT Memorial Flag exhibit opened Oct 13., and will run until Dec. 6.

The Field of Honor exhibit, in partnership with Cool Springs Downtown District, showcases 500 flags on display at the ASOM field, said Abbie Cashel, donor relations and event coordinator for ASOM Foundation.

“Each flag comes with a story, each dedicated to someone whether it be a service member, a veteran and this year we actually opened it up to personal heroes, people that made a positive experience during COVID-19 or just in general,” she said. The tag on each flag identifies who the flag represents and honoree  information.

“We are really excited that we sold out this year, all 500 flags, that was incredible, all the great community support,” Cashel said.

The flags sold out for $35 each which will may motivate the museum to have more slots available next year.

“A lot of people come from all over to view their loved ones’ flags, it acts as a memorial for people and they also use it to honor their loved ones and their service and that's what makes it really special in the community,” she said. “It’s just a really peaceful, respectful place to view a hero.”

The Global War on Terror Memorial Flag is 28 feet wide and 6 feet tall and designed by Veterans Athletes United. The design symbolizes the shape of a flag when draped on a fallen service member’s casket.
About 7,000 dog tags form the flag, belonging to those killed in the War on Terror. The 50 gold stars on the flag represent all Gold Star families across the nation. Displayed in front of the flag is a battlefield cross sculpted from mahogany wood by female veteran artist Alicia Dietz.

The tags are in alphabetical order ranging from Sept. 11, 2001 to Dec. 31, 2019, the tags are in chronological order of the date the service member was killed in action.

“It’s a really cool piece that we have had up before and a lot of people came, it’s just another exhibit that allows people to honor and remember their loved ones,” Cashel said.

The GWOT exhibit is free to the public but the museum welcomes a $5 donation.

The museum is preparing for its next feature, the Ghost Army Exhibit :The Combat Con Artists of World War II , which will open to the public Dec. 15 and be on display until April 25, 2021.

The exhibit will highlight the story of the 23rd Headquarters Special Group, the first mobile, multimedia, tactical deception unit in U.S. Army history.

The top secret, unique “Ghost Army” was composed of 82 officers and 1,023 men and was activated Jan. 20, 1944, under the command of Colonel Harry L. Reeder.

The group was successfully capable of simulating two whole divisions, approximately 30,000 men by using visual, sonic and radio deception to fool German forces during the final year of World War II.

For more information on the exhibit visit https://www.asomf.org/event/ghost-army-the-combat-con-artists-of-world-war-ii/

The museum is open Tuesday to Friday, from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The ASOM is using a reservation system that helps keep capacity level in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines, but people can walk in and sign in at the front desk,
Cashel said.

ASOM first opened its doors in 2000, and celebrates its 20th year anniversary this year, although many of the planned events were postponed due to COVID-19 and will hopefully be rescheduled for next year, she said.

“It's really a place for people to come and learn about Airborne and Special Operations and their history,” Cashel said. “Entry is free, so pretty much everyone in the community does have a chance to come and look and learn and engage with the history of past soldiers that paved the way for modern day soldiers.”

Visit https://www.asomf.org for more information about the museum.

Pictured: (Above) The 13th Annual Field of Honor will be on display until Nov. 30. (Below) The GWOT Memorial Flag is made of about 7,000 dog tags identifying those killed in service  (Photos by Dylan Hooker)

The Master Gardeners Virtual Gardening Symposium promises fresh ideas from gardening experts, a bounty of information and some fun for viewers. The event is packed with presentations, raffles and friendly faces.

The Nov. 7 event, scheduled 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., is sponsored by the Cumberland County Master Gardener Volunteer Association.

The event features guest speakers Joe Lamp’l, creator, executive producer and host of the Emmy-award-winning national PBS series “Growing a Greener World;” Kerry Ann Mendez, an award-winning garden educator, author and design consultant whose international gardening webinars are enjoyed by thousands; and Jason Weathington, NC State/Cumberland County Extension urban horticulture agent and landscape architect.

Lamp'l will share behind-the-scenes tips from 9 seasons of his show. Mendez will present "The Right Size Flower Garden." Weathington will present “The Outdoor Room.”

“The focus of my talk will give people the confidence to go out and create an amazing space, which I think everyone desires to have but very few know how to create,” said Weathington. “It’s important to go back to basic landscape elements and how you can use them to our advantage. Most of us need to learn some of the basics.

The event is a fundraiser to support local horticulture efforts and scholarships for Fayetteville Technical Community College horticulture students.

“We give two scholarships at $1,500,” said Cumberland County Master Gardener Symposium Chairperson Judy Dewar.

“We also offer grants to teachers who offer horticulture classes. And we strive to find ways to educate our county residents.”

Dewar added that this event is for every level of gardener.

“There is something from the most adept gardener to the one who has never planted a seed.”

To register, visit www.eventbrite.com/ and search “Cumberland County” and select the event.

Participants can also click the link https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cumberland-county-master-gardener-rescheduled-gardening-symposium-2020-tickets-120442509789?aff=ebdssbeac&fbclid=IwAR2DyFB-H_1yshgyTpP7WL22TdzJd63dJaOpA2HTMmBSyD0S1pLiqOCpjiU

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured: The Master Gardener Virtual Gardening Symposium offers presentations from experts, raffles and fresh ideas. The symposium is scheduled 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 7.

 

The Fayetteville Public Works Commission announced that Elaina Ball will be the utility’s next CEO/General Manager. Ball, who brings 14 years of utility experience to PWC, is the first female leader in PWC’s 115-year history and just the 9th CEO/General Manager. Ball will join PWC Dec. 1 and succeeds David Trego who will retire Dec. 31 after leading PWC since 2015.

Ball comes to PWC from El Paso Electric where she served as Senior Vice President in Operations and Administration roles. Since 2018, she oversaw functional areas of the Company including Power Generation, Power Marketing, T&D, Customer Care, Technology, Safety, Environmental and Public Relations and Corporate Communications.

“Elaina has a wealth of experience in the electric industry, including generation, which is a huge asset for us, “said PWC Chair Wade Fowler.

“She’s been a leader at outstanding utilities including public power utilities in San Antonio and Austin Texas," Fowler said. "She was highly sought after by several other organizations and we are very fortunate that she chose PWC and Fayetteville. We are excited about the future of PWC and what she brings to it. She’s a very relationship oriented and in addition to PWC, is looking forward to her involvement in the community.”

She was responsible for over 800 employees and helped El Paso set new records for annual customer satisfaction scores and earn its first JD Power top performing utility award in 2019 as well as helping them through a successful merger with IIF, an infrastructure investment fund advised by J.P. Morgan. El Paso Electric is a regional electric utility that serves over 400,000 customers in a 10,000 square mile area of the Rio Grande valley in west Texas and southern New Mexico.

Ball served in leadership roles at two of the nation’s largest municipally owned electric systems. Prior to joining El Paso Electric, Ball worked at Austin Energy, the publicly owned electric utility serving 450,000 customers in the Austin, Texas area. While at Austin Energy, she served as Chief Operating Officer and was responsible for power generation, transmission and distribution, information technology and onsite energy resources. She also served on the board of the South Texas Nuclear Project electric generating station.

Ball served as Vice President, Technical Services at CPS Energy, the municipally owned electric and gas utility serving over 800,000 customers in the greater San Antonio area from 2006-2012. At CPS, she was responsible for electric transmission, substation and distribution engineering, and operational technology, among other functions.

“I’m very excited to join the great team at the PWC and for our family to be a part of this community,” said Ball. “PWC is a significant asset and plays a vital role in the community’s success. It is known throughout both the electric and water utility industry for its excellent operations and I look forward to continuing the legacy of strong leadership at the PWC and continuing that excellence of providing safe and reliable service to our customers.”

Ball is an active civic leader, currently serving on the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Board of Directors. She is also a current Board of Directors member of the Association of Women in Energy. A native of Texas, Ball has a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.

Fayetteville PWC is a municipally owned utility that provides electric, water and wastewater service to over 118,000 customers in Fayetteville/Cumberland County. PWC has over 600 employees and is the 37th largest municipal electric utility in the U.S.

Pictured: Elaina Ball