Americans who watched the president’s State of the Union address earlier this month saw a sea of women in glowing white garments. Democratic women legislators from Speaker Nancy Pelosi down to freshman members donned white dresses, suits and more in solidarity for the ongoing fight for women’s rights. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which explicitly gave women the right to vote. Women have voted for a century now, often in greater numbers than our fathers, brothers and husbands. The women in white were joyously celebrating how far we have come and looking toward how far we have to go. A century of women’s suffrage constitutes less than half of the United States’ existence, and much of our nation’s history for women has felt like two steps forward and one step back.

The North Carolina Museum of History has put together a women’s history timeline, and here are some of the events specific to women in or from the Tar Heel state. Read it and see it for the mixed bag it is.

Creation myths from Native American tribes before there was either North Carolina or the United States identify women in various roles different from but as important as men’s roles.

In 1587, Virginia Dare became the first English child born in the New World in the Roanoke Colony. Her fate is unknown.

In 1774, in Edenton, 51 “patriotic ladies” gather to announce they are swearing off East Indian tea as long as it is taxed by the British. The Edenton Tea Party occurred less than a year after the Boston Tea Party and is one of the first political actions by women in what becomes the United States.

In 1809, North Carolina native Dolley Madison becomes our country’s fourth first lady. She is known for shaping the role of first lady, for saving a Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington when the British set the newly constructed White House ablaze and for serving a delicious new dessert, ice cream.

In 1813, Harriet Jacobs is born in Edenton to enslaved parents. Badly treated as property, Harriet lives secretly for seven years in her grandmother’s attic, escapes to New York, buys her children’s freedom and publishes “Incidents in The Life of a Slave Girl” in 1861.

In 1826, The General Council of the Cherokee Nation bucks tradition and drafts a constitution that excludes women from holding office.

 In 1840, Mary Jane Patterson is born in Raleigh and becomes the first African-American woman to receive a college degree.

In 1859, Clinton resident Abigail Carter invents a pair of sturdy overalls for her railroad engineer husband. Other railroad men want them as well, and she becomes the first overall manufacturer in the nation.

In 1868, during post-Civil War Reconstruction, the North Carolina General Assembly adopts a new Constitution allowing women to own property and businesses, to work for our own wages, to sue in court, to make wills and to make contracts without our husbands’ consent.

In 1878, Tabitha Ann Holton passes the North Carolina bar exam and becomes the first woman lawyer in the South.In 1891, the General Assembly charters the State Normal and Industrial College as the first state-supported institution for women’s higher education. Today that school is known as the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.In 1893, the legislature allows women to cash checks and withdraw money from personal accounts without their husbands’ permission.

In 1913, North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice and women’s rights supporter compares the treatment of women to slavery. In 1925, Anna Julia Heywood Cooper becomes the fourth African-American woman to earn a Ph.D., hers from the Sorbonne in France. Cooper was born enslaved in Raleigh in 1858 and publishes “A Voice from the South” in 1892.

In 1937, North Carolina begins a birth control program, funding maternal and infant health programs and licensing midwives.

In 1943, more than a decade before Rosa Parks, 16-year-old Doris Lyon refuses to go to the back of a Durham bus. She is arrested, found guilty and fined $5.

In 1971, the North Carolina General Assembly ratifies the 19th Amendment, 51 years after it took effect.In 1977, the General Assembly declines to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

In 1992, Eva Clayton becomes the first African-American woman elected to Congress from North Carolina.

In 1996, Elaine Marshall becomes North Carolina’s first woman Secretary of State.

In 2006, Fayetteville’s own Patricia Timmons Goodson becomes the first African-American woman on the North Carolina Supreme Court and in 2008, Beverly Perdue becomes our first woman Governor. Two steps forward, one step back.It all makes me want to wear white every day. We are not there yet.

When Stephen Kessinger worked at the Hoke County Parks and Recreation Department, he collaborated with Maxey Dove of the Hope Mills Recreation and Parks Department to hold a season-ending basketball showcase pitting the top youth recreation teams from each county against each other. 

After joining the Hope Mills staff less than two years ago, Kessinger said he and Dove agreed the basketball event was something they needed to keep going.

Next month, for the fifth year in a row, the Hoke vs. Hope Mills basketball showdown will continue.

This year’s event will be held March 3-4, a Tuesday and Wednesday, with four games scheduled in the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department gymnasium on Rockfish Road.

Play begins the first night at 6 p.m. with the 8U Junior Pee Wee game, followed at 7 p.m. by the 10U Pee Wee game.

The following night at 6 p.m. will be the 12U Midget game. The final game at 7 p.m. will feature the 15U juniors.

Kessinger said the idea for having the basketball showdown came from the tradition in recreation baseball and softball where all-star teams that advance into regional and state play are chosen at the end of the season.

There is no playoff format like that for basketball, so Kessinger said the idea was to give the basketball teams a chance to compete beyond the regular season. Unlike the all-star concept in baseball and softball, the teams that take part in the Hoke-Hope Mills games are teams that competed during the year. In the baseball and softball all-star competition, the coaches of the all-star team picFk their squad from players who competed on various league teams during the regular season.

The league champion from four different age brackets in each county advances to the one-game showdown, which has always been held in Hope Mills since the Hoke County recreation department doesn’t have its own gymnasium, Kessinger said.

Both counties follow the same general basketball rules, with a minor difference in the rules involving how players are substituted into the game. For the one-game showdown, those rules are waived and coaches can substitute however they like.

All teams are required to make sure that every player on the team gets to participate in a portion of each quarter of the game, Kessinger said. No admission is charged and all the games are open to the public. Kessinger said the Hope Mills gym seats about 300 people and noted that there’s usually a packed house by the time the second game begins each evening.

When some people have to stand in order to see the game, Kessinger said the recreation department staff encourages them to make sure and not stand too close to the court in order to make sure the teams and the officials have enough room to move safely up and down the court.

The Hope Mills recreation staff provides all the basketballs. All competing players are urged not to bring their own basketballs to the game.

Parking will be available in front of the recreation center and in the various lots close to the Hope Mills Town Hall complex.

Kessinger said the recreation staff was careful to schedule the games on days when there were no other events taking place at Town Hall or the recreation center.

“A lot of parking spaces should be available Tuesday and Wednesday,’’ he said. 

All the games will have referees paid for by the Hope Mills recreation department. The recreation department has also purchased individual medallions that will be presented after each game to the members of the victorious team.

Kessinger said the Hoke-Hope Mills games have been enjoyable for players and coaches. “I think they enjoy the competition, getting to play a team they don’t play all year long,’’ he said.

 For any questions about the Hoke-Hope Mills basketball showdown, contact the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department during normal business hours, Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. or Sunday from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m.

The telephone number is 910-426-4109.

Cumberland County was one of the first school systems in the state to begin offering team bowling to its students years ago, and that has been reflected in the success the county has enjoyed competing in the sport at the state level.

This year, the county brought home a pair of state championships as the boys from Gray’s Creek and the girls from Terry Sanford were recently crowned winners at the state finals at Sandhills Bowling Center in Aberdeen.

In addition to the team success, Terry Sanford bowler Rolf Wallin captured individual honors as he was the boys state champion in the same event.

Here’s a closer look at the championship efforts of both teams.

Terry Sanford

Susan Brady is in her second year coaching the Bulldog girls. She was a little apprehensive about her team’s chances in the state tournament when she learned one of her top bowlers, Avery Schenk, was going to be unable to compete in the tournament due to a cheerleading commitment.

An interesting footnote: Schenk is the granddaughter of Howard Baum, longtime owner of B&B Lanes and one of the originators of high school bowling in Cumberland County.

Terry Sanford defeated a tough Lumberton team in the semifinal round of the state tournament, then took on county rival Cape Fear in the championship match.

Going into the 10th frame, Terry Sanford was clinging to a 142-140 lead.

Brady was hopeful that her anchor bowler, Zoe Cannady, was going to lock up the win for the Bulldogs, but she was unsuccessful.

Fortunately for the Bulldogs, so was the final bowler for the Colts, leaving Terry Sanford with a two-pin victory for the championship. “I didn’t have much of a visual reaction,’’ Cannady said of the clinching moment for the Bulldogs. “It ended up okay. I felt a lot of pressure and missed that spare. I had to hope for the best.’’

Cannady, who bowls for Terry Sanford but attends Cumberland Polytechnic High School, felt the Bulldogs had a great team that encouraged each other during the final match.

Brady said until the final frame, every ball Cannady had thrown had resulted in either a strike or a spare for Terry Sanford. A junior, Cannady will return next year. The major losses for Terry Sanford will be seniors Katie Silas, Abby Carson and Reagan Johnson.

“We’ve got pretty high chances,’’ Cannady said of the Bulldog hopes for another title next season.

Cannady made the All-State team along with fellow Cumberland County bowlers Jayda Gignac of Jack Britt, Ariel Williams of Douglas Byrd and Donna Kerechanin of South View.

Meanwhile, on the boys’ side, the Bulldogs’ Wallin rebounded from a fourth-place finish in the conference tournament to capture the individual state title.

Michael Toler, who coaches the Bulldog boys, said Wallin has always been a consistent bowler.Toler said Wallin came up to him during the conference tournament and predicted he was going to qualify for the state tournament. “He did exactly that,’’ Toler said. “He was cool and consistent all the way through.’’

Wallin went over to the Sandhills Bowling Center before the state championship match to get a feel for the lanes. “When I figured out where to go and adjusted, I had a pretty good game,’’ he said. “You have to adjust every single time your ball isn’t hitting exactly where you want it to go.’’

Wallin didn’t appreciate how big a deal a state championship is until he began receiving accolades from classmates and teachers. 

“You have to put pressure aside and just bowl your game,’’ he said.

Joining Wallin on the All-State boys team from Cumberland County were Terry Sanford teammate Alex Schenk, Douglas Byrd’s Brandon Mesa-Turner and South View’s Nick Robertson.

Gray’s Creek

Kris Williams gave himself a hard act to follow as coach of the Gray’s Creek boys bowlers. This was his first season coaching bowling, and he concluded it with a state championship.

Williams said he approached his role of coach as being more of a manager, with the task of setting the five-man bowling lineup for each match the major role he had to perform.

One thing that made it easy was the bowlers he had to work with. “They are blessed by the good Lord with some natural talent,’’ he said. “They can do things in the bowling lanes that most people can’t do.’’

Williams also said the team had good chemistry. “They really get along and are used to working together,’’ he said. “They really do support each other, more than just cheerleading.’’

The Bears suffered a bad day as a team in the conference tournament, losing two straight to a South View team that was on a hot streak.

Williams expected better after the Bears were second in the regular-season matches. After that disappointing loss there wasn’t even time for an extra practice before the state tournament began.

But the Bears rebounded with what Williams said was a true team effort. “One thing that struck me about the whole season, these kids love to compete,’’ he said. “That’s one thing you want in any sport.’’

Sparking Gray’s Creek in the finals were regular-season MVP C.J. Woodle and Gio Garcia.

“C.J’s got all the natural skills and ability and puts in all the work,’’ Williams said. “Gio has a lot of natural talent and is a natural leader.’’

“We were kind of upset we didn’t win the conference,’’ Garcia said. “We knew we still had a good chance at state. We had to step up our game and be more consistent.’’

Gray’s Creek defeated Hoke County and Jack Britt en route to the title.

Woodle said a lucky break in the sixth frame of the finals helped get Gray’s Creek untracked and sparked the team to the win. “I’m proud of my whole team, how much practice they put in,’’ he said. “It means the world to come home to Gray’s Creek and say we were the state champions.

“I feel we have another state championship team next year.’’

Picture 1: Gio Garcia, C.J. Woodle, Hunter Cole. 

Picture 2: Zoe Canaddy 

Picture 3: Rolf Wallin

Column Gist: Within America’s borders, war is raging. We are beyond civil reconciliation. Each citizen of this great country must decide how to respond.

Finishing a series of columns last year, I ended in April with one titled “Critical thinking on today’s issues: A change in focus and strategy.” In that column, I explained my plan to work across political and ideological lines to encourage fact-based critical thinking regarding the challenging and divisive issues that we face. I hoped to do this civilly and productively. With tremendous disappointment and pure sadness, even mental anguish, I have concluded that what I intended to do on a large scale is impossible in America’s current political climate. America is at war within and, until there is a winner in that war, I expect that we will continue muddling along toward self-destruction. The question for each of us is which side we will choose, or will we choose a side at all? At the bottom line, a choice must be made.

Final recognition of our internal war status came to me by way of following the impeachment process regarding President Donald Trump. In my estimation, from the beginning, that process was without reasonable foundation, totally unfair to the president and conducted by Democrats solely in an attempt to disqualify him for the 2020 election; that failing, their effort intended to lessen support for him in that election.

 The basis for the House starting an impeachment inquiry was Democrats’ allegation that, in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump solicited foreign interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The interference foundation was that Trump requested an investigation of former vice president, Joe Biden, a possible election opponent. In addition, Trump asked the Ukrainian president to investigate claims that some Ukrainians interfered in the 2016 presidential election on behalf of Hillary Clinton.

 It was revealed that within hours of the phone call, millions of dollars in aid to Ukraine was put on hold. The Democratic claim was that the aid was delayed pending a public statement by the Ukrainian president saying a Biden investigation would be conducted. They also said an Oval Office meeting with President Zelensky was conditioned on him making the investigation announcement. Trump released a transcript of his phone conversation. It confirmed his request for investigations of Biden and possible Ukrainian 2016 election interference. The entire move to impeachment was started by a whistleblower complaint from a still-anonymous complainant. 

Tactics employed during the impeachment inquiry by the House Intelligence Committee, chaired by Congressman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., first signaled this state of internal war. The vast majority of the committee’s hearing was conducted in secrecy. The president was not allowed representation, which included not being allowed to cross-examine witnesses. Republican members of the committee were not allowed to call witnesses. Despite the closed-door arrangement, information that might be detrimental to the president was leaked to the media. This committee heard much less public testimony. However, Republicans still had no witnesses and the president was not allowed representation or cross-examination of witnesses.

 After a rushed process in the House of Representatives, two articles of impeachment were sent to the Senate for trial. They were Obstruction of Congress and Abuse of Power. The obstruction article was because Trump called on subpoenaed administration officials not to testify before Schiff’s intelligence committee that was conducting the House inquiry. In the Senate trial, Trump’s attorneys explained that the president took that position because the subpoenas were not legitimate. They argued that the Constitution gives the House of Representatives sole authority for conducting an impeachment inquiry and this process was started without a vote of the full House; Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, D-Calif., simply announced the inquiry and it was underway. A vote of the House was not taken until weeks later. Therefore, the subpoenas were determined by the White House to be illegitimate.

The president’s attorneys also contended that when two branches of government disagree on a matter such as this, there would be attempts to settle the differences through negotiations. That failing, given that Congress and the executive branch, which is headed by the president, are coequal, the matter would be presented to the judicial branch (judges) for resolution. In charging obstruction of Congress, House Democrats disregarded this appropriate process. If Trump were found guilty of this article, every president from now on would be in danger of the same charge. This article was a nonstarter.

As I understand it, on abuse of power, Trump would have had to take an action that totally and clearly was for his personal benefit. A monetary bribe received would be an example. One of his attorneys, Alan Dershowitz, explained this well. The Democrats’ argument that Trump should be impeached and removed from office for taking an action helpful for the American people— but that might also benefit him politically — sets an unacceptable and dangerous precedent.

I am comfortable saying all politicians consider how any given governing decision will affect their political future. If this is not the case, why do politicians give attention to polls? In the end, the hope is that these decisions are based far more on what is good for America than on what is good for the politician. I understood Dershowitz to say that if the Democrats’ argument against Trump is accepted, politicians are to give no thought to political impact on them when making governing decisions. Accept this argument and every politician would be in jeopardy.

With this personal gain piece in consideration, I did not see anything in the Democrats’ argument that showed Trump was substantially motivated by personal benefit. The Trump position was that he was seeking to ensure our aid money was not going to a country, with a history of corruption, where corruption was not being seriously addressed by the new president (Zelensky). Further, the president was bothered that America was providing substantial support to Ukraine while other countries were doing little or nothing. Witnesses, called by the Democrats, confirmed that the president had these concerns.

Given that Biden’s son, Hunter, was put on the Burisma — a Ukrainian oil company — board and paid over $50,000 per month (some reports say $83,000) when he had no oil experience, and only attended a few events that might have been board-related, there was reason for suspicion. Then Joe Biden goes in and gets the prosecutor fired who is investigating Burisma for corruption. He does this by threatening to withhold monetary aid. Several witnesses, called by Schiff’s committee during the inquiry, stated that they had concerns regarding Hunter Biden being on the Burisma board. I have seen no indication that anybody investigated this matter. Trump calls for an investigation, and he is impeached. The argument is that he called for the investigation because Biden entered the 2020 presidential race and Trump wanted to use the investigation against him. It seems to me that having Biden become president without addressing this situation would be irresponsible. The president had good reason to investigate in the interest of the American people.

Beyond all of this, Ukraine received the aid on time and their president met with Trump while never starting an investigation or announcing that one would be started. The Ukrainians did not know the aid was on hold until seeing it in an article weeks after the phone call. 

Thankfully, the Senate acquitted Trump. However, consider this definition of war from Encyclopedia Britannica: “… in the popular sense, a conflict between political groups involving hostilities of considerable duration and magnitude.” I contend that what Democrats did in this impeachment process, as summarized above, and is even more horrendous when examined in detail, fits the definition of war. Even more disturbing, this kind of conduct has been their practice from the day Trump announced his candidacy for president. 

This is war within America. In my column referenced in this article’s opening, I noted that I had changed my voter registration from Republican to unaffiliated. I have, as much as I dread having to do so, accepted that we are at war, and I have to choose a side. I have chosen by changing my affiliation back to Republican. Every American better choose and choose wisely. Sitting on the sideline is not an option. The future of our nation is at stake.

Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner issued a statement Wednesday afternoon in response to a post made on a Facebook page. The page, called the Hope Mills Bee, has subjected Warner to numerous personal attacks over the last several months.

The page is one of multiple such pages on Facebook that have been involved in an orchestrated campaign against Warner.

The original post on the Hope Mills Bee has been shared multiple times, both by individual Facebook members and other pages that have consistently criticized Warner. According to information posted on the page, the Hope Mills Bee is a self-described media/news company that lists an email address and contact phone number but does not reveal who the creator of the page is.

The post Warner responded to was made Monday at 3:58 p.m. It features a photo of an Internal Revenue Service document entitled Notice of Federal Tax Lien. Anonymous text posted with the document states that the federal tax lien was filed against WarJack Enterprises, which is the corporate name of Countryside Furniture in Hope Mills. The business is operated by Warner’s husband, Alex. Mayor Warner is listed as the secretary, but she said she is not involved in day-to-day operations. Also listed are her husband Alex, who is the president, and son Teddy, who is vice president. They are the only corporate officers.

The text of the Facebook post states “it appears from the lien that no taxes were filed or paid for at least six years.’’ Warner, in the statement and in a subsequent telephone interview, made it clear that while the information about a lien being filed is accurate, the statement that no taxes have been paid on the business is entirely false. Warner said she and her husband are not delinquent with tax payment and have fully paid all property, income and sales taxes they owe.

She said the lien was filed because of unpaid penalties resulting from the multiple late filings of tax information by their accountant dating back to 2010. The lien was filed in September of 2019, according to the form in the photograph. Warner said they took no action because their accountant informed them he was in negotiation to get the fees waived. Warner declined to reveal the name of the accountant due to the ongoing negotiations to get the fees waived.

“As Mayor of Hope Mills, I have tried to be a good role model for our community,’’ Warner wrote. “Our current situation that has caused so much discussion on social media is related to late filings of corporate tax reports.’’

Warner went on to explain that she and her husband owe penalties that were assessed due to late filings of tax information. “We have had the same accountant for over 40 years, so our responsibility and accountability we accept while we trusted that we were receiving good advice,’’ she wrote. “Our accountant was and has been in negotiations with the IRS with the understanding he was requesting waivers of the penalties.’’

Warner said all of the corporate tax penalties will be paid once negotiation with the IRS over the final amount owed have been completed. “We believe all citizens should be held accountable, including the mayor, for our responsibilities as a tax payer,’’ she wrote.

The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County presents the “Troublesome Presence”  exhibit until March 13. The intent of the exhibit is to create conversations about troublesome moments for African Americans in today’s society.

 “The exhibit, as far as the artwork that is featured inside of the art gallery, includes paintings, sculptures, videos, mixed media, photography, spoken word, poetry and movement,” said Metoya Scott, public relations manager at the Arts Council. “The exhibit features 19 pieces by 13 black North Carolina-based artists, and it is an amazing exhibition that is very thought provoking.” 

The presenting artists are Derrick Beasley, Johnny Lee Chapman III, Dare Coulter, Andre’ Leon Gray, Jaki Shelton Green, Carly P. Jones, Stephen Hayes, Anthony Otto Nelson Jr., Nicole Oxendine, Telvin Wallace, Lamar Whidbee, Antoine Williams and Stephanie J. Woods.

“There is a five-minute film in our west gallery that loops all day long,” Scott said. “It is called ‘Free Market.’ It features an original poem and movement that was directed by Michael S. Williams and was filmed at the Market House in downtown Fayetteville.” In the piece, Williams speaks about the value that is placed on African Americans in history and today. 

“With this exhibit, ‘Troublesome Presence,’ we are looking at identity, agency, introspection, intersectionality and other things,” said Williams, independent consultant, curator and founder of The Black On Black Project. “The title of the exhibition comes from a speech that Abraham Lincoln gave in 1852 when he gave a eulogy for Henry Clay, who was president and one of the founders of the American Colonization Society, in which Lincoln referred to free African Americans as a troublesome presence on slaveholders.”
The Black On Black Project  website, https://www.blackonblackproject.com, explains why America needs to be willing to examine its stance on equality saying, “This work matters because important conversations about equity need to happen so that all community members are valued. A diverse community can be enriching, but engaging in dialogue about identity and difference is a must.

“This work makes a difference in the lives of marginalized individuals and communities by allowing space to be seen and heard. It also makes a difference in the lives of the larger community by creating space to engage with others. When this engagement and dialogue happen, everyone’s life is enriched.”

Williams added the idea of the exhibition is to show the antithesis of troublesome — that African Americans have not been troublesome in the United States.

 “One of the pieces in the exhibit includes  two works called ‘A Radiant Revolution II’ and ‘A Radiant Revolution III’ which are mixed media pieces by an artist named Stephanie J. Woods from Charlotte,” said Williams of the two-piece installation that is considered one work. “The work really highlights how much (black women matter) and how important black women are and how showing black women their ‘black is beautiful’ and ‘strong black girl,’ which is another phrase in one of the works, (is important).
“There’s a piece in the show called ‘Untitled,’ and it is another video piece,” said Williams. “It features words from North Carolina poet laureate Jaki Shelton Green, dance instructor Nicole Oxendine and opera singer Carly P. Jones, who are outliers in their respective fields because you don’t see a lot of African American women in those roles. The idea is to show you have agency.    

“Through artwork and some of our programs and workshops, we hope to showcase these 13 North Carolina-based artists and the work that they produced to show African Americans in a different light other than troublesome, but rather (as) folks who have done a lot to help the United States,” said Williams. “Through that, we hope to bring communities together to have somewhat difficult conversations about some of the things we face today.”   

On its website, the Arts Council notes “The Arts Council of Fayetteville-Cumberland County partners with the Black On Black Project to produce an art exhibition and community programming that respond to the challenges communities of color face locally and across the country. After spending time in conversation with local leaders and members of the community, we’ve created an exhibit that aims to reflect a diversity of experiences. This partnership desires to bring more perspectives to the table for an open, honest dialogue to create an equitable future.”

There  are four remaining events at the Arts Council in conjunction with this exhibition.

Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. is a screening of “Wilmington on Fire.” The documentary covers the only successful coup in United States history, which happened in 1898 in Wilmington, N.C. Following the screening, a panel discussion will take place, featuring the director of the film, Christopher Everett, as well as some of the documentary’s other team members.

Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. is a panel discussion titled “How artists can affect change in the community.” The panelists are Derrick Beasley, artist; Dare Coulter, artist; Sherris Johnson, founding director of OUR Place; Sonny Kelly, writer and performer of “The Talk.”

Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. is a panel discussion titled  “The importance of understanding and documenting history.”This panel discussion will address how the documentation of history will affect how people remember history later.

Friday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. is an evening of spoken word. Featured poets include Ayanna Albertson, Ashlee Connors, Ashley Lumpkins and Sherris Johnson. The poetry is written in response to the “Troublesome Presence” exhibit. The spoken word event is the Arts Council’s monthly Fourth Friday event.

The film screening and three panel discussions are facilitated by Williams.

Seating is limited for the programming events, so attendees should RSVP by emailing admin@theartscouncil.com or by calling 910-323-1776.

 The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information visit https://www.theartscouncil.com. or call 910-323-1776.

Picture 1: “The Blacker The Berry” by Dare Coulter

Picture 2: “Through It All” by Lamar Whidbee

I gather from my social-media feeds and hate mail that North Carolinians are supposed to be infuriated at the way things are going in our state. I have my frustrations with certain politicians, to be sure, but I’m not infuriated. Nor am I alone.

 North Carolina continues to boast a thriving economy, prudently managed finances and many popular places to move to for jobs, incomes and quality of life. The growth isn’t equally distributed, of course. It never has been. But compared to its peers, North Carolina is doing rather well.

 Consider the latest job-market data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. North Carolina employers added about 94,000 net new jobs in 2019, up 2.1% from the previous year. That growth rate exceeds that national (1.4%) and Southeastern (1.6%) averages. Indeed, our state had the ninth-fastest rate of job creation in the nation last year.
 Comparisons like these can vary over time. Did 2019 just happen to be a good year? If we look at a longer-term trend, the outcome is still positive. Since 2013, North Carolina employers have added about 500,000 net new jobs, a 12.2% increase in overall employment. That rate exceeds the nation’s (10.9%) and the region’s (11.7%).
 Our region, the Southeast, includes lots of other fast-growing states — most of which are also governed by fiscally conservative legislatures, by the way. Nevertheless, if North Carolina had simply added employment at the average regional rate since 2013, we would have ended up with 18,000 fewer jobs by the end of 2019.

If we had only matched the national rate, the job count would be 52,000 lower.

 We mainly desire a strong economy because of the benefits it confers on private individuals and households. But if you want your government to deliver necessary public services at an economical price while saving against a rainy day and otherwise leaving you alone, a flourishing economy is highly preferred to a floundering one.

 According to the latest figures from the state controller’s office, revenues to the state’s general fund for the first six months of the 2019-20 fiscal year are up $471 million over the same period of the previous year. General fund spending is up, too, by $317 million. The lack of a final budget agreement between Gov. Roy Cooper and the General Assembly doesn’t mean expenditure levels were entirely frozen.

 On a cash basis, the general fund budget has run a $542 million surplus halfway through the fiscal year. Keep in mind that revenues and expenditures don’t distribute evenly across all 12 months, however. The April revenue numbers, reflecting prior-year tax payments, tend to have an outsized effect on state finances, for example.

Still, it would be fair to say that North Carolina’s financial picture was solid as we began 2020. The state has $1.2 billion in its rainy-day reserve plus hundreds of millions in various other reserve accounts. It also has a whopping $2.15 billion unreserved credit balance in the general fund.

If there is a budget deal, that balance will fall — and that will be fine. The budget passed by the legislature contained valuable construction projects and welcome pay raises for public employees. The point is that, failing some unforeseen disaster, North Carolina will have sufficient revenues to address the state’s immediate needs while continuing to accumulate reserves to shield taxpayers against the downside risk of a future recession.

Conservatives may see these figures and conclude some additional tax relief would be a good idea. Progressives may see these figures and conclude there would be no financial risk if North Carolina expanded Medicaid and other entitlement programs.

I agree with the former and disagree with the latter, no doubt shocking no one. However you think state policymakers should respond to the current moment, I think you should take seriously the idea that North Carolinians who reject apocalyptic rhetoric from both parties are being quite sensible. They can see things are good and getting better.
 

The Cumberland County Master Gardeners 6th Annual Spring Garden Symposium is set for March 21 at the Ramada Plaza in the Bordeaux Convention Center in Fayetteville. It will be filled with excitement and fun for anyone interested in gardening and the great outdoors. The symposium will run from
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is put on by the N.C. State/Cumberland County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association.

Come ready to learn, as the symposium features several guests. The main speakers of the event will be Joe Lamp’L, Kerry Ann Mendez and Jason Weathington.
Lamp’L is the creator, executive producer and host of the Emmy-award winning national PBS series, “Growing a Greener World.” Mendez is an award-winning garden educator, author and design consultant. Her international gardening webinars have been viewed by thousands. Weathington is an N.C. State/Cumberland County Extension urban horticulture agent, educator and landscape designer.

Weathington, Lamp’L and Mendez will give presentations throughout the day. Lamp’L will discuss what takes place behind the scenes of his show, “Growing a Greener World,” drawing inspiration from his extensive travels across America. These travels set the stage for the series, providing content and inspiration. The presentation is titled, “Growing a Greener World — A behind the scenes look at some of our most popular stories from the past 9 seasons.”

Mendez’s presentation is titled, “The Budget-Wise Gardener: Plant the Best for Less! Money-Saving Tips for Purchasing Plants Plus Cost-Saving Garden Designs.” This presentation will be about finding ways to get the best plants for the best price. It also will discuss tips on how to design one’s garden and landscapes while also saving money in the process.

Mendez will also give a presentation called “Gardening Simplified: Plants and Design Solutions for Time-Pressed and Maturing Gardeners.” This presentation is based on Mendez’s book, “The Right-Size Flower Garden.” This presentation will be about simple, easy ways to keep up with one’s garden throughout the year, even when life gets busy.

Weathington’s presentation is titled “The Outdoor Room.” This presentation will be about how to create an enjoyable outdoor space.

Judy Dewar is the chairperson for the Cumberland County Master Gardener’s 6th Annual Spring Garden Symposium. Dewar said the purpose of the symposium is “Among other endeavors, to raise scholarship funds for the horticulture students at Fayetteville Technical Community College, offer grants to the high school offering horticulture programs, help fund the Jr. Master Gardener program and educate our county residents in NC State horticulture practices.”

Dewar also said the symposium allows the community to come together because it brings together people who are interested in sharing stories and practices on how to sustain the earth.

The symposium will also include a silent auction, raffles and vendors. The price of admission includes a seated luncheon.

For more information about the symposium, contact Judy Dewar. Visit eventbrite.com to register for the event.

"Jupiter's Travels: Four Years Around the World on a Triumph" is a novel by journalist Ted Simon. In 1973, he navigated the earth traveling over 64,000 miles and crossing 45 countries.

The story is fascinating and great reading for any motorcyclist or traveler. However, the book only had a few pictures. Simon spent four years traveling. Fast forward to 2013 when he published "Jupiter's Travels in Camera: The photographic record of Ted Simon's celebrated round-the-world motorcycle journey." I was lucky enough to get a copy and see the pictures that his book described.

Today, every motorcyclist is a traveling reporter. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are full of motorcyclists' stories. On any given day, we see motorcyclists with their bikes, friends, routes, locations, points of interest and their selfies. With the quality of smartphones, it only takes a second to snap a memory, and just like that, you are now your own journalist.

With many great motorcycle trips under my belt, I wanted to do more than capture my travels with my iPhone. During the Hogs and Rags annual rally, we hire a photographer to capture the day's events. I reached out to Kia McMillian, who has taken pictures at a few of our events, and I asked her what camera she was using because they turned out very nicely. She said she used a Canon D7 Mark II. In our conversation, Kia mentioned that it is more than a camera, but the photographer and the lens that make a good photo. After studying various reviews, I bought myself a Canon also.

After a year of shooting in auto, I knew I wanted to know more about photography. Being a fan of the Fayetteville Technical Community College Continuing Education program, I signed up for the Fundamentals of Photography class taught by Johnny Horne. On the first night of class, he shared many of his photos. I quickly appreciated his wisdom, experience and expertise. He emphasized the importance of knowing your camera and said that, in the digital age, a good picture is important, but we needed to learn how to use photography software to make the best picture we could.

Here are a few pointers I learned with my photography. A clean bike makes a better picture. Learn to frame your image and the "rule of thirds." Know what you want before you shoot. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter all have various optimal picture size. Check out what you want to do and plan to optimize the screen. If you are using your phone to take a video, remember to turn your phone sideways to take advantage of the screen.

Technology is changing so quickly that being able to safely keep your pictures over time seems to be an art unto itself. We think our photos will last forever on a drive or in the Cloud. I recommend that you print your valued pictures. Today's images are data. In the 80s, we saved our data on cassettes. Things change, so I recommend that you print your important pictures. For the last few years, I've started printing a yearbook on Shutterfly. This year, I went a step further and put a calendar together for a few friends to celebrate our travels. I hung it on my wall at work, it makes for an excellent conversation piece and a good reminder that there is life outside of the office.

Motorcycling is one of the most exciting things a person can ever experience. While you are traveling along the road, don't forget to stop and enjoy the moment and capture it.

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

Photo by Jim Jones 

William Pryor

South View •Basketball/tennis• Senior

Pryor has a grade point average age of 4.5. He has been accepted to Harvard. A member of the International Baccalaureate Academy, he is student body president and an inductee of several honor societies. He also serves on the Superintendent’s Student Voices Council and the Hope Mills Mayor’s Youth Council.


Audra Sweet

South View• Swimming• Sophomore

Sweet has a 4.33 grade point average. She is in the International Baccalaureate Academy and has been on the A honor roll every semester at South View. She is active in the Health Occupations Students of America. She enjoys theater. She plays bass in the school orchestra. A writer, Sweet is a published poet. She is active in scouting and volunteers at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and Balm in Gilead.

It’s barely been three years since Victor Fontanez was a South View High School senior with a dream.

Today he’s a barber to celebrities based in Atlanta and looking to continue growing his brand at the still youthful age of 20.

His story starts like the story of a lot of young people from his generation. As he approached his final days at South View, his plan was to follow the path of many of his classmates and enroll in college.

All his fees were paid at UNC-Pembroke and he was about to enroll when he started thinking of ways to make some money on the side to fund his college dreams.
He was working at a restaurant in Hope Mills, washing dishes and waiting tables, but he didn’t plan to continue that job in college, so sitting in the chair at his barber’s one day, he asked the barber for advice.

“He told me if I learned to cut hair, I could make money the rest of my life,’’ Fontanez said.

So in his senior year, he started giving haircuts in his mother’s garage and planned to continue doing the same thing during his college days to serve as a way to make a few dollars on the side.

But something happened. Cutting and styling hair became more than a way to make money. Fontanez found himself falling in love with what he was doing.

“By the time I was ready to graduate, I knew this was the path I wanted to take,’’ he said. “God definitely put me on that path.”

At the last second before enrolling at UNC-Pembroke, he got all of his money for his college tuition refunded. He went to Fayetteville Technical Community College, enrolled in barber school, and as he put it, never looked back.

Upon graduation from FTCC, he took a job at a small shop in Hope Mills and continued to hone his skills.

After about eight months there, he realized if he wanted to continue to grow his brand, Hope Mills wasn’t going to be a large enough arena for him to compete in.
“You’ve got to feed the beast,’’ he said. As much as he loved home, he felt the need to pursue wider opportunities for himself.

He saw Atlanta as a perfect fit. “It was close to home and still a Southern state,’’ he said, “plus all the opportunity for celebrity clientele and athletes.’’

He moved there cold turkey, as he put it, with no family or friends to turn to for assistance, save one important contact.

One day while he was still working at the restaurant in Hope Mills, a young man who had recently been chosen in the NBA draft happened to stop by the restaurant to eat. It was Dennis Smith Jr., who currently plays for the New York Knicks.

When Smith went to the restroom, Fontanez waited outside to introduce himself.

He told Smith that he was a barber, and that if Smith ever needed to have his hair styled to look him up. Fontanez reached in his wallet and pulled out the last business card he had and handed it to Smith.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about building relationships,’’ Fontanez said. Since that meeting, Smith has been a friend and supporter of Fontanez and his business. While Smith was with the Dallas Mavericks, Fontanez flew to Dallas and cut hair for the team prior to one of its media day events.

He’s got a long list of celebrity clients, including stars like the rapper Nelly, Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and the body guard of the late rapper Nipsey Hussle, among others.

Fontanez said as far as what kind of stylist he is, you can’t limit it to a single cut or type of client. “Every haircut is individually designed for that person,’’ he said. “There isn’t one style for everybody.’’

If he has a preferred style, Fontanez said he leans toward clean, shaped lines. But his real concern, beyond making sure each customer has the right look, is continuing to build his brand in Atlanta and beyond.

“I believe in God’s pace,’’ he said. “I can’t really tell where I’m going to be next. As soon as I finish accomplishing what I need to accomplish in Atlanta, another door will open for me. For right now, I’m focused on what I need to get done in Atlanta.’’

In addition to his job as a hair stylist, Fontanez continues to grow his name in his role as an ambassador for BaByliss PRO, a line of hairstyling tools affiliated with Conair.
Looking to the near future, Fontanez wants to set up a foundation to hold workshops in Fayetteville and other cities to show other young people like himself how to become entrepreneurs and turn their craft into a brand like he has.

“It started out with just being able to give somebody a haircut,’’ Fontanez said. “I made them look good and feel good. Now I want to share that message across the world and affect other people in different parts of the world.

“I enjoy the impact. I feel I’ve been given a lot.’’

Picture 1: Rapper Nelly (left) with Victor Fontanez (right)

Picture 2: Atlanta Hawks basketball player Trae Young

Spring is right around the corner. It’s the perfect time to show your abode some love, spruce things up and maybe tackle projects that got put on hold during the winter months. Whether that to-do list is a mile long or you are just looking for inspiration, the North Carolina Spring 2020 Home Expo is the perfect place to start. The Expo runs Feb. 21 through Feb. 23 at the Crown Complex Exposition Center, and according to David Laughlin, marketing director at Nationwide Expo, there is something there for just about everyone. Come browse the latest in home design, remodeling, automation, improvement, outdoor living and more — much more. The more than 100 vendors are ready to serve, teach and inspire.

“This is going to be a great show,” said Laughlin. “This time of year, a lot of people are huddled inside doing projects or gearing up for spring cleaning, spring redecoration and bigger projects, too. That’s what makes this such a timely event. There will be everything related to homes and living spaces, including things like tile, wood, carpet and bath and kitchen vendors. If you’re looking for something for a project — big or small, do-it-yourself or to hire out — there are vendors who can help, and they are all getting together at the Crown.”

For people looking to get work done, the Expo is an opportunity to shop around, get quotes and interview different vendors. “They do all sorts of projects, indoors and out,” said Laughlin. “And, often, they can do it in a day or two. Many of the vendors don’t have storefronts, so you’ll get good pricing. Virtually all the vendors are local. There are some national companies, but the ones who will come into your home are 85% to 90% local and include businesses like plumbers, HVAC companies, electricians, — you name it.”

The show is also perfect for people thinking about buying or building a home. Find out what the latest trends and technologies are, compare products and prices and talk to financial institutions about how to make it happen. “If you’re thinking about buying a house, we will have bankers, lenders and mortgage companies — everything you can think of,” said Laughlin. “You don’t have to own a home to enjoy the show. Mattress companies will be here, kitchen companies will be selling the latest gadgets, and there will  be cooking demos and food samples and all sorts of other vendors, too.”

Like many other industries, technology changes fast in the home=building and home improvement arena. From solar products to home safety, Laughlin said it’s always interesting to see the latest trends and technologies. “My favorite thing about this is the education. I learn something at every show.”
Don’t miss the main stage, where vendors will do presentations. And come ready to bring home some the swag. “There is always swag, like key chains and pens and visors, but the other thing is there will be giveaways as well,” Laughlin said. “At one show, a roofing company gave away a new roof.”

With vendors offering products and services that cover anything home- and even apartment-related, the expo is an obvious choice for a way to constructively spend a few hours. Tickets cost $5 per person. Find out more at http://www.crowncomplexnc.com/events or by calling 910-438-4100.

Fifty years ago this month, U.S. Army Captain Jeffrey MacDonald slaughtered his pregnant wife and two young daughters in their apartment on Castle Drive in Fort Bragg’s Corregidor Court housing area. MacDonald, now 76, has adamantly maintained his innocence. Federal prosecutors alleged that MacDonald killed his wife, 26-year-old Colette McDonald, and their daughters Kimberley, 5, and Kristen, 2, with a knife and an ice pick, then stabbed himself to make it look like he was attacked while defending his family. Up & Coming Weekly Reporter Jeff Thompson was a local radio journalist for more than 40 years before joining U&CW four years ago. He covered the sensational event as a young reporter and has a vivid memory of the morning the MacDonald murders occurred. This is his report:

Feb. 17, 1970, was a miserable day in more ways than one. During the predawn hours, it was cold and wet. It had been raining for several hours. In those days, I got up early and went to work at 3 a.m. My routine was to check on overnight crime by driving downtown to the police station on Bow Street and the sheriff’s office in the basement of the old courthouse. It was so cold that day that my car wouldn’t start, so I called the sheriff’s office Capt. Don Wade. I asked him if he would have Deputy Leroy Graddy come by my house in Arran Hills to jump-start my car. I knew Leroy worked in the 71st area.

Captain Wade said he had no one available to help because his officers were tied up at roadblocks at Fort Bragg. He said military authorities told him a woman and two children had been murdered on post and that an Army officer had been hospitalized at Womack Army Medical Center. I had been in the broadcast news business for two years in what turned out to be one of the biggest stories of my career — and my car wouldn’t start!

I called a friend who lived down the street and asked to borrow his car. I drove downtown and asked Wade if he had any additional details about the murders on post. He said he’d been told that the word “PIG” had been scrawled on the headboard of the woman’s bed to mimic the Charles Manson murders six months earlier and that the surviving officer was a Green Beret doctor who had been clubbed and stabbed with an ice pick.

I hurriedly drove to the WFNC radio studios to prepare the 6:30 a.m. newscast. Instead of airing the news live, I decided to record it for playback so I could drive to Fort Bragg. It was an open post in those days, and I had no difficulty finding the housing area where the triple murder investigation was unfolding. Responding media representatives were able to park on Castle Drive in front of the apartment and walk to within 30 feet of the building. I observed an Associated Press photographer walking along the side of the apartment, unrestrained, snapping pictures through the windows.

The area was muddy. I saw military police officers casually traipsing in and out of the MacDonald apartment. Suffice it to say, law enforcement crime scene methods have changed a lot in 50 years. Having confirmed reports of what happened, I returned to the radio station to update the news. I called the United Press International office in Charlotte, North Carolina, to report the story. It went nationwide because of its similarity to the Tate-LaBianca murders perpetrated by the Manson “family” in August of 1969. Before hanging up, the UPI correspondent had a final question: “Is there any suspicion that the husband and father had committed the murders?”

The crime scene was gruesome: 5-year-old Kimberly was found in her bed, having been clubbed in the head and stabbed in the neck between eight and 10 times. Two-year-old Kristen was in her bed and had been stabbed 33 times with a knife and 15 times with an ice pick. Colette, who was pregnant with her first son, was lying on the floor of her bedroom. She had been repeatedly clubbed and stabbed 21 times with an ice pick and 16 times with a knife. MacDonald’s torn pajama top was draped across her chest.
M.P.s found MacDonald next to his wife, alive but wounded. His wounds were not as severe nor as numerous as those his family had suffered. He was taken to the nearby army hospital. MacDonald suffered cuts and bruises on his face and chest, along with a mild concussion. He also had a stab wound on his left torso that a staff surgeon described as a “clean, small, sharp” incision that caused his left lung to partially collapse. He was released from the hospital after one week.

MacDonald was placed on military house arrest pending the outcome of the initial investigation. A military Article 32 hearing was held in July of 1970 to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to charge him with the murders. He was exonerated in a matter of days and left the Army. MacDonald became an emergency room physician in southern California. But in 1979, he was indicted in federal court in North Carolina and sent to Raleigh to stand trial. The rest is history.

North Carolina is experiencing an economic boom. Forbes ranks North Carolina as the best state in America to do business. CNBC ranks North Carolina third of all 50 states in the same category, and North Carolina has ranked in the top five years now. Much credit must go to the Republican majority for their efforts on tax reform and fiscal restraint.

Despite being the fifth most populated county in the state, Cumberland County doesn’t seem to be sharing in this boom. While the state’s economy grew last year by 2.4%, we lagged behind at 1.7%. Unemployment in Cumberland County is 4.6%, 35% higher than the state average, and while the average income for the state is $46,117, here in Cumberland County it is only $38,780.

There are a number of factors that go into making a vibrant economy, but I think three of the most important are education, transportation and quality of life. While I was on the board of education, we started the academy system, which gave students the opportunity to choose a school based on their interest in a specialized curriculum, such as finance, health professions or a classical education. We also built 12 new schools. I would now like to go to Raleigh to gain additional state support for students attending school in less affluent areas like ours.

Commerce also needs good transportation. Wake, Durham, Guilford and Mecklenburg counties seem to constantly have major road construction in progress. Cumberland is the fifth largest county in the state, yet our area seems to never get its fair share of infrastructure funding. Maybe it’s time for the state government to combat the urban sprawl in the Triangle and Charlotte areas by diverting some attention to Cumberland County. With my experience as a County Commissioner and chair of the Joint Planning Board, I feel I can make a strong case for that.

Certainly, quality of life has a lot to do with a company’s decision to invest in an area. This is something we can point to with pride. The progress we have made in the past few decades is truly impressive. There is nothing that can be mentioned, whether it be theater, museums, entertainment, sports teams, dinning, parks, a revitalized downtown or whatever, that we do not have. The only thing we don’t have is an image that matches up with reality. People who are not from here do not appreciate what a vibrant community we are. They don’t know the many wonderful people who have worked so hard to get us to this place. We are an untapped resource, a diamond in the rough that can be a tremendous economic asset to the whole state. That’s a message I would be honored to take to Raleigh.

All my adult life I have tried to help make Cumberland County a better place to live. I have volunteered on over 20 boards and served on both the school board and as a county commissioner. For the first time in my life, I am in a position to give it my full-time attention. I know I have the desire to do it. I feel I have the experience to do it well. All I need is your help to get there. I humbly ask you to vote for Diane Wheatley for the North Carolina House of Representative in the 43rd District.

Thank you and God bless,
Diane Wheatley
 

The town of Hope Mills is open for business and moving forward with new energy.

That was the message Chancer McLaughlin and other representatives from the town had to share recently when they attended the Building Business Rally at the Ramada Plaza in Fayetteville.

The purpose of the rally was to connect contractors and vendors with organizations that have projects in planning and money to spend on them.

McLaughlin, who is the planning and economic development director for the town, said Hope Mills currently has about $37 million worth of projects scheduled over the next five years.

The Building Business Rally gave contractors in Fayetteville and the surrounding area a chance to connect with the Hope Mills town staff at the rally.

McLaughlin said the town receives bid from companies located around the state and from states like South Carolina or even Florida. While the town is looking for the best bid, McLaughlin said it wants to make sure some of those bids are coming from area businesses.

“We would like to engage the local businesses and local contractors to come take advantage of these opportunities,’’ McLaughlin said. “We are saying these projects are here.’’

The rally wasn’t just about big construction projects, like the estimated $16.5 million public safety building for the police and fire departments that the town plans to begin work on this year.
Smaller projects are also involved. At last year’s rally, Hope Mills connected with a company that installed water coolers in town offices.

“We realized we didn’t have any (coolers) in the offices at the governmental complex,’’ McLaughlin said. “That ended up being a contract for the police station, fire station, town hall, parks and recreation and public works.’’

McLaughlin said smaller contracts can cover everything from janitorial services to landscaping to catering to providing security at construction sites.
The people at the event who were officially representing Hope Mills were McLaughlin, public works director Don Sisko and deputy public works director Bruce Clark.
Also attending to support the town staff who were on hand but not involved in direct negotiations with any of the contractors at the event were Mayor Jackie Warner and Commissioner Jessie Bellflowers.
McLaughlin said he’s already seeing positive results from attending the rally.

“I’m getting emails right now,’’ he said. Those sending the emails include businesses that want to get on the Hope Mills list of vendors along with organizations that want to learn more about business opportunities available in Hope Mills.

The pending public safety building alone made the Hope Mills table at the rally a popular stop for many of the businesses attending. Among the interested businesses asking about the public safety building were firms involved with landscaping, general contractors and janitorial services, McLaughlin said.

In addition to the public safety building, McLaughlin said the town has a number of other significant  projects that attracted attention. The list of big ticket items that the town will be looking at in the coming years includes the long-proposed development of Heritage Park, which after the public safety building is the most expensive endeavor under consideration. There are also smaller projects involving the public works department as well as the stormwater department.

McLaughlin said the public safety building and the development of Heritage Park appear to be the two items on the list that are closest to having work actually start as soon as this year. Also on the drawing board is completion of a new town museum.

The town remains open to engaging local contractors anyway it can, McLaughlin said. “We want to increase our bidding opportunity with local contractors,’’ he said. “We do think that’s important. That helps to stimulate the economy, growing the local businesses.’’

He thanked the various organizers of the Building Business Rally, including PWC and NCWorks. Other sponsors were the Greater Fayetteville Chamber, the Fayetteville State University Construction Resource Office and the Small Business Development and Technology Center.
McLaughlin said he’s always anxious to hear from any local businesses that want to do business with the town.
He welcomes phone calls from all interested parties. He can be reached during regular business hours at 910-426-4103. McLaughlin’s email address is cmclaughlin@townofhopemills.com.

In your life, you will have all sorts of relationships — with your family, your friends, your coworkers and even with civic groups and charitable organizations you support. But have you ever considered another key relationship — the one you have with money?

Of course, this type of relationship has several aspects, such as saving, spending and investing. And your fellow Americans clearly face some challenges in these areas. For example, in a recent survey by financial services firm Edward Jones, only 21% of respondents reported that they feel happy when thinking about saving money, while 92% said they see room for improvement in their financial health. Yet only one in four plan to improve their spending habits. Furthermore, just 26% said retirement was a top savings priority.

If you share some of these concerns, what should you do? Here are a few suggestions:

• Identify your money-related emotions. Try to recognize the emotions you feel in connection with saving and investing. Do you get nervous about spending? Does putting away money for the future give you satisfaction or not? Do you worry that you don’t know how much you should be investing, or whether you’re investing in the right way? Clearly, these types of questions can cause some anxiety — and, even more importantly, they may lead you to make poor decisions. Emotions are obviously closely tied to money — but they really should not play a big role in your spending, saving and investing choices.

• Develop a financial strategy. By developing a sound financial strategy, you can reduce money-related stress and help yourself feel empowered as you look to the future. A comprehensive strategy can help you identify your goals — a down payment on a new home, college for your children, a comfortable retirement, and so on — and identify a path toward reaching them. Your financial strategy should incorporate a variety of factors, including your age, risk tolerance, income level, family situation and more. Here’s the key point: By creating a long-term strategy and sticking to it, you’ll be far less likely to overreact to events such as market downturns and less inclined to give in to impulses such as “spur of the moment” costly purchases. And without such a strategy, you will almost certainly have less chance of achieving your important goals.

• Get an “accountability partner.” Your relationship with money doesn’t have to be monogamous – you can get help from an “accountability partner.” Too many people keep their financial concerns and plans to themselves, not even sharing them with their partners or other family members. But by being open about your finances to your loved ones, you can not only avoid misplaced expectations but also enlist the help of someone who may be able to help keep you on track toward your short- and long-term goals. But you may also benefit from the help of a financial professional — someone with the perspective, experience and skills necessary to help you make the right moves.
Like all successful relationships, the one you have with money requires work. But you’ll find it’s worth the effort.

Twitter can be a wonderful thing, especially when you heed the advice of Coach Herman Edwards, one of my heroes, and don’t press send before you transmit something ignorant into cyberspace.

One of the best ways Twitter is helpful is as an archive to record statements and promises people have made in the past to see if they’ve lived up to them.

It was just five years ago in late January when the Atlantic Coast Conference released its 2015 football schedule. I happened to save a portion of the press release from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association on Twitter, when that schedule included Friday night college games going head to head with high school football.

Here is what the statement said:

“At the NCHSAA we believe Friday nights should be reserved for high school football as the tradition has been for a long time. The ACC has indicated this should not be a regular occurrence, but there are contractual obligations out of our influence and control. We will maintain our focus and hope fans, parents and supporters of high school football will continue to attend local games on Friday nights in the fall.’’

Fast forward to late January this year, when the ACC released the 2020 football schedule.

Let’s quickly examine that second sentence. “The ACC has indicated this should not be a regular occurrence, but there are contractual obligations out of our influence and control.’’

Why am I immediately getting an image of Pinocchio with the growing nose from the insurance commercials?

On the 2020 ACC schedule, from Friday, Sept 4. until Friday, Nov. 27, there are eight Friday night football games. That includes a doubleheader on Friday, Sept. 4, and six games that will take place during the thick of the regular season.

Most people have given up on fighting the Friday college football trend, saying it’s a lost cause and that the colleges will never walk away from all that money and exposure.
I’m not among them. Neither, fortunately, are some of the college football coaches.

One who has spoken out frequently against the Friday night games is the University of North Carolina’s Mack Brown. As soon as it was announced his Tar Heels will host North Carolina State on Friday, Nov. 27, Brown issued a statement saying he disagreed with playing college football on Friday nights and is lobbying for that game to be scheduled for an afternoon kickoff so it won’t interfere with the state playoff games that will be held that evening.

Other people who’ve given up, including many in the media, tell me I’m complaining for no reason. I heard some talking heads on a regional radio show say they didn’t see college games on Friday having much impact on high school football. They noted with the advance of technology you can easily watch a college game on a mobile device while you sit in the stands at a high school game.

That may be true in some locations, but not everywhere. I’ve been to a few high school stadiums in my day, and most of them didn’t have the benefit of free Wi-Fi for everyone to plug in and use their smartphones without draining the data they’ve purchased.

I bet that’s especially true in the rural areas of the state where small, unsuccessful football schools count heavily on every dime they get from gate receipts when people come to the game to watch.

Yes, diehard fans are going to show up for high school games. I won’t argue that. But high school football pays the way for the entire athletic program at a lot of schools, and it needs every walkup ticket from casual fans it can get.

Throw in an inviting college game on TV on Friday nights, add some inclement weather, and it’s likely going to hurt everybody’s gate.

College football coaches have some clout, and I beg them to make use of it. Band together. Don’t let voices like Mack Brown and a few others be the only ones out there in the wilderness with me complaining this is wrong.

Reach out to your boosters, your alumni, your average fan, and preach to them that this dog does not hunt and it’s time for the NCAA to stop desecrating the rich tradition of Friday night high school football with the college brand.

Let’s give Friday nights back to the high school coaches and players.

Whenever the Fayetteville Sports Club announces its newest Hall of Fame Class, after the congratulations are handed out, one of the first things I hear is, “Why is so and so not in the Hall of Fame?’’

The best answer I can give is they likely haven’t been nominated. The committee that picks the Hall of Fame members is not omniscient and doesn’t have a crystal ball that shows every viable candidate when it sits down to vote.

If anyone has a candidate in mind that should be considered, nominations are welcome, but it should be much more than an email saying this person deserves to be chosen. Anyone who’d like to nominate someone for the Hall of Fame can send the information to me at earlucwsports@gmail.com and I’ll forward it to the committee.

Please include as much background information on the candidate as you can, including major athletic accomplishments, providing documentation for why the individual should be chosen.

This year’s class will be honored on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at Highland Country Club. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased by contacting Ashley Petroski at Nobles and Pound Financial at 1315 Fort Bragg Road. The number is 910-323-9195.

Members of the class are Melanie Grooms-Garrett, Neil Buie, Brent Sexton, Roy McNeill, Jimmy Edwards Jr. and Bob Spicer Sr.

Wes Davis is on a mission to get young women to put down their smartphones and trade them in on a lacrosse stick.

“Girls lacrosse is the fastest-growing sport for high schools around the United States for four years in a row,’’ he said.

His love for the sport led him to approach the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Parks and Recreation Department eight years ago to ask them to start a lacrosse program.
“They said they were starting but only had four or five girls sign up,’’ Davis said.

So he went on a recruiting mission to elementary and church league basketball teams.

Davis feels girls’ lacrosse shares common ground with the sport of basketball, calling it more of a finesse game and less physical than boys’ lacrosse.
“We use the same skill set as basketball and soccer,’’ Davis said. “We run set plays. We run zone defense. We do the pick and roll.’’

Davis wound up with 19 girls that first year who agreed to give lacrosse a try. Two years later he began the Fayetteville Flames club lacrosse team for girls.

“It was a way for girls playing in the spring to play in the summer and the fall,’’ he said.

Through his work with the Flames, offseason opportunities for girls have continued to grow.

Last spring he had about 135 girls involved in his program.

The spinoff is visible in the local high schools as Cape Fear, Terry Sanford and Jack Britt have girls’ teams. Davis said Fayetteville Academy is planning to field a girls’ team this year.

Meanwhile, Davis is continuing plans to offer offseason opportunities for lacrosse players. His Flames program will conduct a short season in the summer, from around May 7 to June 7. That will be followed by a more extensive program during the fall, which will run from around August 24th until Nov. 1st.

In the meantime, both high school and recreational lacrosse are getting set to start up for the spring, with the program at the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Parks and Recreation Department and the local high schools fielding teams scheduled to kickoff this week on Thursday, Feb. 13. “They provide the equipment for you, which is pretty awesome,’’ Davis said of the recreation program.

Interested athletes at the high schools with teams should contact the school athletic director or lacrosse coach. Anyone interested in the parks and recreation program should call the lacrosse director, Robert Corzette, at 910-433-1393.

Davis said one of the biggest challenges in growing the sport locally is finding good coaches, but they’ve been helped in that effort by Fort Bragg, where a number of people with experience playing and coaching the sport are stationed.

He also said the lacrosse program at Methodist University has been supportive of the local club program.

Davis said the recreation department program is especially important because it exposes the girls to competition from established lacrosse areas in the state like Pinehurst, Raleigh, Apex and Holly Springs.

He hopes more girls will take part in the sport and see it as a possible avenue to a free college education. “We’ve had a lot of girls get college scholarships,’’ Davis said, noting that seven girls from the Flames program are competing at either the Division I, II or III level.

One of them is Davis’ daughter, Mattie Davis, who signed with Jacksonville University, a traditional women’s lacrosse power. Jacksonville was 17-4 last year, won the Atlantic Sun Conference and qualified for the NCAA tournament.
Davis has scored 104 goals in her career at Terry Sanford with one season left.

The Dental Assisting curriculum at Fayetteville Technical Community College prepares individuals to assist the dentist in the delivery of dental treatment and to function as integral members of the dental team while performing chair-side and related office and laboratory procedures. Students receive up-to-date training in the dental field from a CODA-accredited program. This means students who graduate from FTCC are considered DA II’s in the state of North Carolina and are eligible to perform some expanded functions in this state without paying for further training or certification.

Dental assisting is an exciting career in the dental field that gives students a variety of options upon graduation. They can work in general dentistry or in one of the specialties: orthodontics, oral surgery, pediatrics, etc. There is also work in administrative roles or with dental vendors. Training in dental assisting gives students knowledge and flexibility to advance in the dental field. The program at FTCC covers instruments, both general and specialty, and their functions — infection control policies and procedures, dental radiography, dental materials, dental sciences, anatomy, and practice management. Students have training on campus as well as clinical rotations to dental offices in Fayetteville and surrounding areas. Rotation sites include general dentistry and specialty areas. This exposure gives students valuable training with real patients as they learn to function as a member of the dental team. As students move through their semesters, they also prepare for their national board exams. Students have the option to take the boards in three sections: Infection Control; Radiation Health and Safety; and General Chairside. Or they can take all three components at one sitting. Students are Certified Dental Assistants or CDAs once they have passed all exam components, and that is a national recognition.

Training to become a dental assistant is a one-year program. The training starts in the fall semester, and students graduate the following summer. Most graduates have secured jobs prior to graduation and have gained valuable hands-on experience from their clinical rotation sites. The job outlook for dental assisting shows that there will be growth in the field through at least 2032, and the average salary for a North Carolina dental assistant is $38,720. Students who have advanced certification and training are more likely to have the best job prospects according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

Students interested in dental assisting are encouraged to call or email me for further information at 910-678-8574 or walkers@faytechcc.edu. The application process for all health programs is open from November through Jan. 30, and financial aid is available for qualified students. Students will need to make an application to the college first and have all transcripts sent to FTCC for processing. Late applications to the program may be accepted. The faculty and staff at FTCC are excited to help get you started on the path to your new career! We look forward to having you come and learn with us and become part of our dental family at FTCC.

Army Gen. Stephen Townsend’s No. 1 concern as commander of U.S. Africa Command is that another deadly attack like the one in Manda Bay, Kenya, will occur on his watch. That’s why AFRICOM is now examining the security at Manda Bay and other U.S. installations throughout the entire continent. On Jan. 5, al-Shabab militants attacked U.S. and Kenyan forces at Manda Bay Airfield, which led to the deaths of Army Spc. Henry Mayfield Jr., 23, and two U.S. Department of Defense contractors, Dustin Harrison, 47, and Bruce Triplett, 64.

Townsend, 60, is a four-star general who has served as Commander of U.S. Africa Command since July 26, 2019. He previously commanded Fort Bragg’s 18th Airborne Corps from May 2015 until January 2018. Townsend also served with the 82nd Airborne Division. He fought in Operation Urgent Fury, Operation Just Cause and Operation Uphold Democracy. Townsend commanded the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, leading it in the Battle of Baqubah during the Iraq War, and later commanded the 10th Mountain Division during the War in Afghanistan.

While serving as Fort Bragg’s commanding general, Townsend, in late August of 2016, took command of the Combined Joint Task Force — Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq —where he served until 2017, after which he returned to Fort Bragg. Raised in an Army family, Townsend was commissioned as an infantry officer upon graduating from North Georgia College in 1982. He has led and commanded troops at every echelon from platoon to corps and combined joint task force, to include leading all U.S. and multinational forces fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

“I think it’s self-obvious we were not as prepared there at Manda Bay as we needed to be,” Townsend told lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee last month. “Al-Shabab managed to penetrate onto that airfield. They killed … three Americans and destroyed six aircraft there,” he said. “We weren’t as prepared, and we’re digging into that to find out why that’s the case.”  The command has launched a senior-leader-led investigation examining the circumstances surrounding the attack, and Townsend said approximately 120 infantrymen are now working to secure the area and install proper measures of defense.

The incident has prompted AFRICOM to evaluate security at other areas across the continent as well, especially since Manda Bay was considered a safe area, Townsend said. “Al-Shabab has shown their reach, and the danger that they pose, and I think that we need to take that seriously,” the general said. “So, I’m looking with a clear eye at every location in Africa now.” 

In 2019, AFRICOM conducted 63 airstrikes against violent extremist organizations in East Africa. So far, this year AFRICOM has already conducted four airstrikes against al-Shabab militants in Somalia. “What we do is we keep an eye on al-Shabab every day, and we’re looking for ways to reduce their capacity wherever we can,” said Townsend.
The U.S. has approximately 6,000 Department of Defense personnel on the African continent.