Unknowns are driving local government officials to meet a deadline that could yield a state grant to help fund a joint 911 call center. Subcommittees of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and Fayetteville City Council agree that co-locating a new emergency communications center is a good idea. But it’s an expensive undertaking that could cost tens of millions of dollars.

County government is the lead agency in the grant acquisition, and Deputy County Manager Tracy Jackson told committee members he can’t say how much a grant from the state 911 Board might be. He made clear that initial cost estimates to acquire, renovate and equip the facility for $30 million are obsolete.

Cumberland County Manager Amy Cannon said the county will move forward to develop the call center with or without the city’s participation or a grant from Raleigh. The county acquired a building at 500 Executive Place for the communications center for $5 million. City council members Kathy Jensen, Ted Mohn and Larry Wright met with County Commissioners Glenn Adams, Marshall Faircloth and Jimmy Keefe May 6 to hash out details of a proposed interlocal contract to co-locate their separate operations.

“The spirit is to forge an agreement,” Faircloth said. Subcommittee members agree that working together would reduce renovation and operation costs for the city and county. They said the hope is to one day consolidate the 911 call centers. 

City council and county commissioners need to approve the agreement this month before a grant application is submitted. Council member Kathy Jensen said that dealing with unknowns will be difficult for the other seven members of city council.

It’s unclear what chances a grant application to the state would have even if it’s agreed to locally. Mayor Pro Tem Mohn suggested operations should move forward without seeking an unknown grant.

The agreement discussed by city and county officials said the two governments would co-locate their 911 operations “with the mutual intent to fully consolidate in the future.”

“Even though it’s going to be expensive,” Faircloth said, “it won’t be as expensive as two separate facilities.”

The pending agreement does not specify whether the city or county will be responsible for management. It says only that “each party’s respective 911 director and employees will be subject to its own personnel policies and procedures.”

“Good faith and good will and a fair shake is what we’re agreeing to,” Councilman Larry Wright said.

County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe noted that a consolidated 911 center has been discussed for 30 years. “We have an opportunity,” he said. “This is as close as we’ve ever come.”

Cumberland County’s emergency communications center is in cramped quarters in the basement of the law enforcement center on Dick Street. It has been considered obsolete for many years. The city of Fayetteville’s 911 center is on the second floor of City Hall. Since the terror attacks of 2001, new emergency communications facilities are expected to be secure facilities away from downtown centers of government.

Being a music lover, I’ve gone to many a concert in my 29 years. I grew up secretly “borrowing” albums from my mom’s CD collection, back when being in a mail-order CD club was the cool thing to do. Many weekends, my mom and I would hit I-95 to head out to the Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh to hear one of her favorite artists. I’m guessing I surprised her when she noticed I could sing along to all the songs at my first Alanis Morissette concert — not my proudest 6-year-old moment. Needless to say, her CD collection was moved to the top shelf of the bookcase after that particular show.

Nonetheless, even an unreachable CD collection couldn’t stop my love affair with music. And live music? What a treat! I would find any reason for my mom to take me to see live music. I even asked to go see my 60-year-old, 6th grade P.E. teacher play in his beach music band in a run-down, hole-in-the-wall restaurant one summer when I was in middle school. And, after seeing NSYNC perform at the “Dean Dome” at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in ’01, I knew I had the whole college thing figured out. Desperate? I think so.

But I had to be around music. It moved me. I needed to feel it pounding in my chest. I needed to know every lyric, every guitar solo, every era, every genre, anything I could get my hands (and ears) on.

I had a good friend in middle school, a best friend, who introduced me to my love of lyrics — figuring them out, what they meant, where they came from and what they said about the human race. We’d write out lyrics we didn’t understand and pick them apart until we did. I found myself dissecting songs I had heard a million times, trying to find a song I identified with past the good beat and interesting melody. I fell in love with words written beautifully. Poetry moved me. Songs came alive for me when I could find a lyric I could sing with all my heart because it felt like my own. Where my words failed me, music explained me.

I found a song for everything — missing my friends, graduation, heartbreak, feeling known and seen, dancing, happiness, freedom. What a release it is to sing a song that resonates with you deep in the core of who you are. It makes you feel like someone gets you. It lets you know you are not alone.

I think that’s why I love worship music, which is just like that but on a whole different playing field. It helps me “get” Jesus.

At WCLN Christian 105.7, we have a portion of the day we like to call Midday Praise. It’s an hour and a half of worship music, full of lyrics centered around who Jesus is, how Jesus is and how we should respond to his love and grace. Boy, am I always rocked to my core. Connecting that truth that I am loved beyond anything I could ever imagine with a song that digs deep into my heart really connects what I know with what I feel, or at least what I desire to feel. I definitely know Jesus loves me... but I want to feel it, especially on days when it feels otherwise. Worship music helps me do that.

Check out Midday Praise if you get a chance, every weekday from 10:30 a.m. until noon on 105.7 FM. I know I need a little extra peace during the day. Maybe you could use it too.

’Tis the season.

Not the season of Santa Claus but of something far better for many of us — graduation from high school, college and beyond. These are occasions of pride in accomplishments, high expectations for the future and both individual and family celebrations. They bring moments of relief at what has passed, and hopes for the future, with nagging touches of anxiety thrown in as well. They are gifts to ourselves for the rest of our lives. In short, graduations are both rites of passage and life markers.

More than ever, nontraditional students are walking in caps and gowns in graduation processions. They are generally older people who, for whatever reasons, did not complete their educations, and people returning to school for additional degrees and certifications. For the most part, though, graduates are young people just dipping their toes in the real world of careers and adult relationships. Their lives are ahead of them, and it is traditional that graduations come with advice from family, teachers and commencement speakers who have labored hard to come up with original thoughts.

My graduations are long behind me, but I do remember some of the advice I received that has served me well over the decades — both in work and in personal life.

Education is the key to self-sufficiency. If you are lucky, you will find a partner with whom to pool your earthly resources, but make sure you can support yourself. There is nothing in life like your own paycheck.

Get to know yourself, trust yourself and enjoy your own company. Even with a large family and a wide circle of friends, the truth is that no one — not your parents, your siblings, your partner or your friends — will take every step of life with you. You will be happier and more successful if you appreciate yourself and your abilities.

You may wind up not working in the fields you studied in school, but your education will enrich your life in other ways. It has almost certainly sparked your curiosity about the world and taught you how to find out what you want to know about it, which will be a blessing all your life.

Outstanding commencement speakers are much in demand, of course, and chief justice of the United States Supreme Court is a rarified office indeed. Our nation has had 45 presidents, including the current White House occupant, who with one exception were eligible for one or two terms. Our chief justice, on the other hand, is appointed for life or until he or she resigns, and only 17 men have served in that capacity. John Roberts, our current chief, is 13 years into his tenure, and unlike our president, he is a deliberate man who chooses his words carefully and delivers them calmly.

Roberts has surely made more than a few commencement addresses, and The Atlantic recently reported on one of them. Two years ago, Roberts addressed his son’s ninth-grade class of all boys at a private school in New Hampshire. The chief skipped the traditional “congratulations and good luck” route and gave the boys his thoughts about how to behave as an American, particularly an American of privilege and as a citizen of the world.

Said Roberts, “I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice.” And, this. “I hope you’ll be ignored, so you know the importance of listening to others.” He continued. “Understand that your success is not completely deserved, and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either.”

And, finally, Roberts acknowledged the privilege of the boys, including his own son, and told them they were good boys and left them with this. “You are also privileged young men. And if you weren’t privileged before you came here, you’re privileged now because you have been here. My advice is, don’t act like it.”

Godspeed to all graduating this season, and I wish you a speaker as wise as our chief justice.

“Origami in the Garden2” opened at Cape Fear Botanical Garden May 5 and runs through Sept. 8. As the name implies, the metal sculptures in this exhibit are inspired by the Japanese art of folding paper. Husband and wife team Kevin and Jennifer Box created the exhibit, which includes original works by Kevin as well as his collaborative works with renowned origami artists Te Jui Fu, Beth Johnson, Michael G. LaFosse and Robert J. Lang.

The exhibit includes an audio tour and an explanatory sign accompanying each piece. As patrons stroll the garden, they can make a call on their cell phone, enter the artwork number and hear a recording of Kevin explaining the story of the art. “A lot of times, art is beautiful, but we have done a lot of work to answer the ‘why’ and give people access to that,” Kevin said.

There are 17 displays and 20 sculptures that make up the exhibit. The metal sculptures were made using a combination of the 6,000-year-old art of wax casting and the 2,000-year-old-art of paper making. “I pioneered a technique that combines the two processes,” Kevin said. “It makes paper more durable and bronze more light. It’s a 35-step, 12-week process.”

Several years ago, as he was working at a foundry and trying to develop his voice as an artist, Kevin started playing with the art of wax casting. “When you are working in an old art form, there is a lot that has been done,” Kevin said. “I wanted to tell a different story that would remind us of the same stories that have been told for thousands of years and address the challenge of how we navigate life and what decisions we are going to make.”

Kevin said what drew him to origami was different than the appeal for many people. “I found it to be a simple metaphor and reflection of an ancient philosophy called tabula rasa,” he said. “The philosopher Aristotle started it. The idea is that we begin with a blank slate. When I was studying that in history, I think of it as the blank page because it captures the creative challenge we all face — whether you are a writer, a painter, a mathematician. What do we do with blankness? How do we create something out of nothing?”

He started working on projects that started with a square piece of paper — because his last name is Box. He used that as a way to try and capture what he envisioned the human soul to look like. His first signature pieces looked like snowflakes. Because he was already working at the foundry, he started working on a way to combine paper and metal.

Kevin began to make bronze sculptures and patina the bronze white, transforming it into the look of paper. People reacted saying that it looked like origami. Kevin rejected that idea at first. But later, a friend gave him a book titled “One Thousand Paper Cranes.” Kevin decided to make an origami crane. After folding and then unfolding the crane, he had an epiphany. “In every origami design, the paper remembers all the creases that you’ve made,” he said. “It revealed this star pattern, and it looked like a snowflake, which was similar to what I was already pursuing. It is like origami on the inside — like the architecture of the soul.”

Kevin works in his studio near Santa Fe, New Mexico. The 35-acre property sits among spring-fed wetlands and beautiful rock formations. The studio is designed around an Earth-friendly philosophy, embracing the reduce, reuse, recycle method not only for creating but for caring for the land and its resources.

Kevin’s wife, Jennifer, has an education background, so finding ways to engage and inform audiences is a priority as well. “We are conservation- minded artists,” said Kevin. “And my wife has a master’s in education. She heard the stories I was telling and realized that if we organized the content and interpretation, there was a lot of educational programming there.

“As we traveled with the show across the country, we discovered that botanical gardens have educational departments and resources. They are places people go to rest and to learn. And sometimes the best place to learn is when you are at rest. So, we have collaborated, and things come together where we work with gardens that can educate, enlighten, enhance and inspire a lot of (people in regard to) our subject matter. And we were inspired by how generous botanical gardens are to their communities.”

Jennifer reached out to CFBG not long after Hurricane Florence hit in 2018. She was hoping to partner with the Garden. Although CFBG wanted to host the exhibit, damage from Florence made the cost of hosting it prohibitive. “Here was a garden that needed help; Jen had two choices,” Kevin said. “She could have said, ‘Oh, they can’t do this. I will stop calling.’ But her second choice was hearing that and thinking how can we work with them in a different way.” This innovative thinking led Kevin and Jennifer to start a scholarship program for gardens.

“The exhibit is here because we applied for their scholarship program after we suffered so much damage from Hurricanes Florence and Mathew,” said CFBG Marketing Manager Taryn Renz. “While the exhibit is here, the Garden will have special programing that relates to the exhibit — like an Ikebana class on May 18, which is Japanese floral arranging.” 

While there are still areas of the Garden that need work, Kevin said he hopes the exhibit will bring plenty of visitors to not only enjoy the garden but to learn how they can help it flourish.

“We’re really excited to have the exhibit here,” said Renz. “Exhibits like these give visitors a reason to keep coming back. It’s the perfect time to become a Garden member — so you can keep coming back for events and programs all summer.”

Find out more about the exhibit, CFBG and its programming at www.capefearbg.org. Learn more about Kevin and Jennifer Box and their work at https://outsidetheboxstudio.com. “Origami in the Garden2” runs through Sept. 8.

Cumberland County Schools made history at last week’s North Carolina High School Athletic Association annual meeting in Chapel Hill at the Dean E. Smith Center. For the first time, the same school system captured the NCHSAA’s coveted Exemplary School Award in consecutive years. Cape Fear won the honor in 2019, and Terry Sanford made it two straight by winning this year’s award.

They are the second and third county schools to take the honor. Jack Britt won it in the 2009-10 school year.

Vernon Aldridge, student activities director for Cumberland County Schools, said the award means much more than athletic success. He said the award also recognizes the number of nationally certified coaches a school has on its staff.

“On the academic side, they look at testing scores and the number of students taking advanced placement honors classes, as well as how students do on advanced placement exams,’’ he said.

“It’s an all-around award, truly recognizing a school that has embraced the idea of the student athlete.’’ 

Terry Sanford athletic director Liz McGowan said it’s great for the school to be recognized by both its peers and a statewide organization like the NCHSAA. “It’s not just coming to school and doing a good job,’’ she said. “It’s my coaches taking extra classes, my kids going to leadership conferences they are invited to. My kids’ grade point averages are awesome, working hard inside the classroom as well as on the field.’’

Terry Sanford principal Tom Hatch said the award validates what the school’s coaches do every day, as well as the work they do beyond the athletic field.

Retired Cumberland County student activities director Bill Carver often referred to high school athletics as the front porch of the school. Hatch said he agrees with that philosophy.

“Athletics allows people who graduated from a school or live in that community to come around and watch a lacrosse match or a wrestling match, football or basketball, talk about what’s happening with their child,’’ he said.

‘’Athletics is the front porch of the school, and our front porch looks pretty good right now.’’

Photo:  Left to right: Vernon Aldridge, Cumberland County Schools student activities director; Joe Franks, NCHSAA Board of Directors member; and Liz McGowan, Terry Sanford athletic director

Many people grew up with their elders reminding them to eat their vegetables. It turns out they were onto something. Prima Elements Holistic Wellness Center presents Fayetteville’s 2nd Annual Vegan Festival on Saturday, May 25, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. at the corner of Anderson and Old Streets in downtown Fayetteville.

“The general purpose of this festival is to encourage our community … to live more of a compassionate lifestyle and to have more of an educational purpose to what the vegan lifestyle is,” said Audriaunna Kitterman, executive director for Fayetteville’s Vegan Festival.

“We encourage everyone to become more aware of what plant-based nutrition will be able to provide for them in the long term of their family and those around them.”

The vegan diet involves no meat or dairy. “You are alleviating the meat and dairy and substituting them with plant-based (alternatives),” said Kitterman. “In essence, it is going to help one sustain more of a prolific lifestyle, help overcome a lot of health concerns and ailments and help with living nutrients that are predominantly derived within these plant-based alternatives. And the living enzymes help one overcome diseases and cancer (by) breaking down (inflammation) and more.”

There will be five panelists at the festival. “Dr. Sailesh Rao is the co-producer of two largely known documentaries, which are ‘Cowspiracy’ and ‘What the Health,’” said Kitterman. “He will educate the community on his philosophy and passion and (share) what he plans to continuously do for the community on a worldwide basis.”

Kitterman said the additional panelists include Daniel Turbert, Adrian Burgos, Tita Nieves and Erin Fergus. They will share their journeys about transitioning to the vegan lifestyle, bring awareness about mass-produced farm animals, give insight on the importance of plant-based nutrition and talk about how the vegan lifestyle affects physical and emotional well-being.

Festival vendors include vegan-friendly businesses and groups like food preparation demonstrators, musicians, wellness organizations, educational organizations and more.

“Our first vegan festival was amazing, and it was outstanding to see such a remarkable response from the community,” said Kitterman. “We had about 2,500 people that flooded Anderson and Old Streets. The compassion, joy and love that everyone shared with one another was truly a beautiful feeling.”

Vegan food vendors will be on-site. Donations are appreciated. Individuals who make a $20 donation or more will receive a T-shirt and peace bag with samples of vegan products and coupons. Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated to animal shelters and rescue groups around the United States to help and protect animals in need.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.veganfestivalfaync.com or call 910-483-8406.

This week our publisher, Bill Bowman, yields his space to Dr. Hank Parfitt to address the city’s new $10 parking fees that affect downtown during home baseball games at Segra Stadium.

As a downtown resident, property owner, business owner and longtime activist for downtown revitalization, I am excited about the new baseball team and stadium and the Prince Charles development. I applaud our city council for having the vision and for working determinedly with each other to support these projects. I have enjoyed watching the Woodpeckers. It is a good brand of baseball, and it is a delight to see young families having a fun night at the ballpark.

However, the new parking fees are driving away business. Most of us accept the fact that paid parking in some form will be a necessity downtown. A parking study conducted for the city by Walker Consultants in 2018 recognizes the complexity of the problem and suggests a comprehensive array of measures requiring money, time and coordination with downtown stakeholders. Unfortunately, the city jumped to a single solution and slapped a $10 fee on the city lots before the first pitch was thrown in Segra Stadium.

Well, guess what? Baseball fans are not stupid, and they quickly figured out how to avoid the paid lots. Did anyone seriously think it would be otherwise?

On a recent baseball night at game time, I drove around and did a car count. The fans had already taken every free parking space except for the county courthouse lot, which is not within reasonable walking distance of the stadium or most businesses. The majority of the paid lots were nearly empty. And baseball fans had it finely calculated as to which lots were worth paying for. All the parking in the huge Med Arts lot was $10, but the spaces on the Russell Street side farthest away from the stadium were empty, while the Hay Street side close to the stadium entrance was full.

The downtown sidewalks, I might add, were basically deserted because our regular customers stayed away.

The $10 fee is clearly not working for businesses — nor is it working for the city. Empty paid lots don’t make much money for city coffers, yet the city has to pay more to McLaurin Parking Company, which manages the paid city lots, for the added staff. And it isn’t working for the Woodpeckers. The key to sustained attendance is for fans to see a bustling downtown when they come to a game and for every member of the family — not just the diehard baseball fans — to have a complete, enjoyable evening that might include dinner and a little shopping as well as baseball. That was the whole idea of putting the stadium downtown in the first place.

City staff doesn’t seem to realize there is a problem. In Tuesday’s Fayetteville Observer, city traffic engineer Lee Jernigan said there is plenty of free parking downtown. Of course there is — all taken by the baseball fans. The city manager’s solution is to give employees a break and charge them only $5 to give them “some real options … in the interim until we can come back with a larger and more comprehensive parking management program late in 2019 or 2020.” OK, but why didn’t they just hold off on the $10 fee until they could “come back” with that plan?

Staff is apparently tone-deaf to the consequences of the $10 fees, so I ask the elected representatives of our city to consider rescinding them for a year. That way, all types of paid parking can be considered as part of an overall strategy that is implemented over the next year with thoughtfulness and deliberation and input from all stakeholders. At the very least, open up all the underutilized paid lots now and set some aside for customers and some for employees.

On a rather frequent basis, I get to spend time with and engage in conversation with a wonderful group of Christian men. Topics addressed in our discussions run the spectrum from matters of our faith to those of politics and society. Part of my attraction to, and appreciation for, this group is that the tenants of our faith run throughout and provide foundation for whatever the topic might be. That is the case even when we get into what might be considered trivia.

In fact, during a recent gathering, we spent substantial time and energy exploring a question that was put on the table under the “trivia” heading. One gentleman asked how the date for Easter is determined. When none of us could give the precise answer, he reported having read that Easter is held on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox. That report led us to research “vernal equinox.” After this discussion had gone on for a while, somebody piped up and said, “When I want to know the date for Easter, I just look at the calendar.” We all laughed and went on to other topics.

That “look at the calendar” statement stuck with me. It points to a great truth. That is, deciding how to address some matters does not require all the discussion, all of the back-and-forth, that we invest in deciding on a course of action. There is a rather straight line to the answer, to what should be done. I hold that this is the case with deciding whether there should be a citizenship question on the 2020 census.

The situation referred to here came about when Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross approved a question on citizenship for the 2020 Census. The following segments from an article by Peter Ciurczak provide an overview regarding the contentious debate resulting from Ross’ action. The article is titled “Citizenship and the census, in context.”

It reads, “In late 2017, the Department of Justice (DOJ) under Attorney General Jeff Sessions requested that the Census Bureau, which is overseen by the Commerce Department, incorporate into the 2020 census a question on citizenship status. The DOJ argued that the more granular data allowed by the census would be useful in enforcement of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination against any citizen’s voting rights on account of race, color, or membership in a language minority group.

“A number of previous census directors have written to Ross opposing the addition of a citizenship question, while 14 states led by California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra are suing the Trump administration over the inclusion of the question. The Attorneys General charge that introducing a question of citizenship goes against the constitutional requirement to “count each person in our country – whether citizen or noncitizen – ‘once, only once, and in the right place.’”

Seeing that the issue of a census citizenship question does not require all the back-and-forth it is receiving might start with an examination of the claim in the final sentence above. That is, the argument by a group of attorneys general that the Constitution requires counting of each person in our country. As best as I can determine, they take this position based on a part of Article I, sec. 2, clause 3, of the U.S. Constitution. It says:

“Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.”

Looking above, the crux of the argument from the attorneys general hinges on “…of all other Persons.” From Yahoo Questions, consider the following analysis of that argument in a post titled “What does ‘three fifth’s of all other persons’ mean in the Constitution?”

“It was a compromise between states that supported slavery and those that didn’t when it came to how representatives would be assigned to states and to how taxes would be distributed to the states. Those states which didn’t support slavery only wanted to count the free inhabitants of each state — meaning those states without slavery would receive a greater proportion of representation. Those states which supported slavery wanted all the states inhabitants to count — free or not, which would have given those states more representation. The biggest part, however, was that since slaves could not vote, states with slaves (in particular the slaveholders themselves) would have greater representation in house of representatives and in the electoral college.”

The first takeaway from this quote is that “all other Persons” refers to slaves. By no means does this phrase require counting every person in the country, including any who might have been here illegally. Interestingly, Native Americans were not to be counted. That was an exception. For me, this analysis destroys the prime argument being put forth by the attorneys general. There is an exception for one group and “all other Persons” refers to slaves, not everybody. This is a “look at the calendar” moment.

The second point that demands attention is the motivation of the attorneys general — especially California’s because of its large illegal migrant population. That motivation is similar to those that were at play concerning slaves. This is about increasing the number of persons counted in the census so that states get a larger number of representatives in the House of Representatives. The census count also determines the number of electoral votes allocated to each state. Consequently, in the pursuit of power to influence governmental decisions, counting illegal migrants definitely helps.

Beyond representatives and electoral votes, this push to count illegal migrants is about money going from the federal government to states. An article titled “Debunking the Myths about the Citizenship Question on the 2020 Census Form” includes this statement: “Census data also influence the allocation of more than $800 billion in federal government resources to states, localities, and families every year, such as for health care, education, housing, transportation, rural access to broadband, and other services.” This is further reason for states to push counting of illegal immigrants.

Another argument opposing the citizenship question is that there will be an undercount because some individuals will be reluctant to answer the citizenship question. Given what has been addressed to this point, it seems obvious that we should not be counting those who will not answer because they are in the country illegally. That being the case, why be concerned? Again, this is a “look at the calendar” issue.

It troubles and amazes me that, in this illegal immigration battle, the impact on American citizens seems to get little or no consideration. This is reflected in the tremendous emphasis on illegal migrants, while little or no attention is given to consequences such as what is reported by George J. Borjas. The following is from his article titled “Yes, Immigration Hurts American Workers”:

“Both low- and high-skilled natives are affected by the influx of immigrants. But because a disproportionate percentage of immigrants have few skills, it is low-skilled American workers, including many blacks and Hispanics, who have suffered most from this wage dip. The monetary loss is sizable. The typical high school dropout earns about $25,000 annually. According to census data, immigrants admitted in the past two decades lacking a high school diploma have increased the size of the low-skilled workforce by roughly 25%. As a result, the earnings of this particularly vulnerable group dropped by between $800 and $1,500 each year.

Given all that is presented here, and similarly compelling considerations not even addressed, I cannot make sense of the back-and-forth regarding having a citizenship question on the 2020 census. This is a “look at the calendar” matter.

Cape Fear Regional Theatre finishes up its 2018-19 season with a crowd-pleasing production of the hit musical “Memphis,” once again bringing amazing music, dance and talent to a local stage. It runs through May 26.

Written by David Bryan and Joe DiPietro, “Memphis” is loosely based on real-life Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips, who introduced blues and soul music to a white Southern audience in the 1950s. In the musical, DJ Huey Calhoun wants to share the music he enjoys with a wide audience. Huey is not an activist — he simply doesn’t see color lines — a trait that makes this character almost a superhero in 2019.

When Huey, who is white, meets aspiring singer Felicia Farrell, who is black, he makes it his mission to get her song played on the (white) radio station. Huey also wants to get a kiss, which only makes Felicia’s overprotective sister, Delray, even more suspicious.

As Huey’s popularity continues to rise, he begins to take risks with breaking color barriers, including in his relationship with Felicia, whose singing career is blooming. This leads to angry and violent responses that put both Huey and Felicia in danger.

The story of “Memphis” reminds us that standing up for your beliefs is and always will be important and often requires courage. It is a story of equality, love, acceptance and striving to reach your potential. It is also a story about learning to deal with ignorance, bigotry and hatred. It is a story that, unfortunately, still needs to be told in 2019.

Director Suzanne Agins brings together a cast and crew of local, regional and national talent to deliver a unique and entertaining performance. Some of the cast and crew also worked on Agins’ production of last season’s “Dreamgirls.”

Alongside Broadway’s “Hamilton” alum Shonica Gooden (Felicia) and “Memphis” alums David Robbins (Bobby) and Dani Burke (Delray), Agins rounds out the cast with Matthew Mucha (Huey), Kathy Day (Gladys), Gerard M. Williams (Gator) and Bill Saunders (Mr. Simmons).

Gooden and Burke wow the audience with their performances as Felicia and Delray. Gooden delivers vocals and emotion that bring home the story highlighting the effects of racism and inequality. Mucha is heartwarming as Huey. His zany performance is just the right mix of naivete and measured refusal to draw color lines. His indifference to color is really the message of the story of “Memphis.”

Gooden, Burke, Robbins and Mucha deliver rousing performances with “Someday,” “Colored Woman,” “Underground” and “Big Love.”

The audience also gets wonderful surprises when Huey’s mama, Gladys, deliver the character-awakening songs “Say a Prayer,” and “Change Don’t Come Easy.” Gator, a soft-spoken bartender, and Gladys demonstrate how love and tolerance can help us all learn and grow together, supporting each other despite our differences.

Special mention needs to be made of the “Memphis” ensemble, which includes Ricardo Morgan, Tishmone’, Sha’Air Hawkins, Cheleen Sugar, Eliz Camacho, Demetrius Dante’ Jackson, Jarrett Bennett, JaRon Davis, Shawntez D’Nadre Bell, Amber Dawn French, Meagan Mackenzie Chieppor, Cherie Kaufman, Randy Cain, Sean Michael Jaenicke, and Ian Shain. You will likely recognize some of them from CFRT productions of “Dreamgirls,” “Crowns,” “Music City” and “Annie.”

The talented ensemble helps make “Memphis” a spectacular show and reminds the audience that we have a treasure trove of local and regional talent. In this show, the ensemble literally brings Memphis radio to life. Their performance also highlights choreographer Ellenore Scott’s fun, creative and energetic dance routines.

“Memphis” is a wonderful way to tide theater-goers over until CFRT’s 2019-20 season kicks off in September with “Mamma Mia,” which will also be directed by Agins.

The musical is rated PG-13 due to some language and violence. Visit www.cfrt.org for tickets and more information.

Photo: Matthew Mucha as Huey Calhoun (left) and Shonica Gooden as Felicia Farrell (right)

Fayetteville’s 4th Fridays are a community tradition. On the 4th Friday of every month, people of all ages are welcome to enjoy a night on the town — downtown that is — with free entertainment that differs from one month to the next. Fayetteville’s historical district meets modern art with May’s theme: Art Attack. The event takes place May 24 from 6-10 p.m.

“We’ll have live art up and down the street, from Hay Street to Person Street and the side streets,” said Johanna Brum, the event co-chair for this month’s 4th Friday.

Instead of only selling previously made art, local artists will paint and dance and sculpt in front of a live audience. “Dancers (will be) out on the street; we’ll have body painters out. It’s the first time we’ve done it,” said Brum. To broaden audience appeal, Art Attack will be more PG-13 than kid-oriented, so a Kids Corner will be set up by Greg’s Pottery on Maxwell Street. It will feature face-painting, balloon animals and other activities.

Downtown businesses are getting involved with 4th Friday a little differently this month. “They’re actually going to sponsor the artists,” said Brum. “It’ll be free for almost all of the artists.” The businesses will support the artists one-on-one, and each artist will set up shop in front of his or her respective store sponsor.

Systel will sponsor Second Time Around, an old-fashioned swing band featured on Jazz Juice Radio. “Fifteen people with horns and all kinds of instruments (play) swing music from the ’40s, and they cover more contemporary music,” said Jane Casto, Headquarters manager at Cumberland County Public Library. “They have been coming for several years — it’s kind of a tradition.” Refreshments will be available.

The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County will play an important role in the event as well. According to Christina Williams, marketing specialist at the Arts Council, 4th Friday attendees can expect an exciting display for the evening. “We will be opening our ‘Public Works’ exhibit, which is traditionally our largest exhibition of the year,” said Williams. This exhibition is open to artists of any age and skill level in Cumberland County and the surrounding areas. The Parsons, a local folk band, will perform outside the Arts Council building, and Fayetteville PWC will be inside handing out free conservation goodies.

Art Attack is a large-scale version of a weekly event hosted by Shawn Adkins at The Rock Shop. It is designed to unite all types of artists, from photographers to tattoo artists, with one platform. Adkins is now the owner of Back-A-Round Records downtown.

For more information about 4th Friday, visit www.theartscouncil.com or call the Cool Spring Downtown District at 910-223-1089.

Emilya Holt

Cape Fear • Soccer • Senior

Holt has a 3.9 grade point average. She’s a member of the Student Media Specialist Association, Key Club, and Students Against Destructive Decisions. 

Matthew Raynor

Cape Fear • Baseball • Senior

Raynor has a 4.6 grade point average. He’s a member of Student Government Association, Game Day Operations Staff, and the Creative Writing Club.

Two complex issues, the athletic status of transgender students and allowing home-schooled students to play for public school teams, were addressed at the May 1 spring meeting of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Board of Directors in Chapel Hill.

On the subject of transgender athletes, the NCHSAA ruled that when the gender an athlete identifies with differs from the one listed on his or her birth certificate, the student must submit a Gender Identity Request Form to the NCHSAA.

The form lists a variety of supporting information the student must provide to the NCHSAA, which will refer the matter to the Gender Identity Committee for consideration. That committee will include a member of the current NCHSAA Board of Directors, a school administrator, and a physician and a psychiatrist or psychologist with credentials in the area of gender identity health.

Home-schooled students will be allowed to participate in athletics with the school located in the district where they live. They must provide notice to the school principal 10 days before the first practice of the sport in which they wish to participate. They must also provide documentation on such things as attendance, immunization and transcripts before being allowed to play for a high school team.

East Bladen High School’s Patty Evers attended her final NCHSAA board meeting May 1. Evers has represented Region 4 for the last four years. The region includes Fayetteville and surrounding counties.

“I think we moved in a positive direction,’’ Evers said of the announcements on both transgender athletes and home-schooled athletes.

Evers thinks the new language added to the NCHSAA Handbook for the 2019-20 school year is a good starting point. “Like everything else, there will be tweaks along the way,’’ she said.

Speaking specifically about the transgender issue, Evers said she knows there are transgender athletes in some parts of the state and that their parents have questions.

“It’s something we needed to do,’’ she said. Other action taken by the board at last Wednesday’s meeting included the following:

• Wilson, the official ball of the NCHSAA, will be used in all playoff competition for volleyball, soccer, football, basketball, softball, baseball and tennis. Schools that don’t use the Wilson ball will be penalized for illegal equipment.

• An increase in fees for officials for five percent will be established every four years starting with the 2020-21 school year.

• Baseball and softball teams can play doubleheaders with both games lasting five innings, subject to mutual agreement.

• Wrestlers can take part in two tournaments per day. But there are limits. They can’t exceed any weekly limitations. The two tournaments must be on the same day. Only varsity wrestlers can do this, and only a maximum of three times per season.

• An annual girls wrestling state tournament was approved. The NCHSAA held its first-ever all-girls wrestling tournament this past season on a trial basis. It drew more than 80 female wrestlers from across the state.

A year ago, Pine Forest’s Josiah Hopkins had his worst round of the regular season in the final match and fell short of winning the Patriot Athletic Conference individual golf championship. Cape Fear boys golf coach Todd Edge entered this season with a young team that included no seniors as he tried to rebound from a second-place finish to Pine Forest last year.

Both Hopkins and the Cape Fear team found the answers last week during the final regular season conference match at Baywood Golf Club.

Hopkins shot a final round 74 at Baywood to win both the weekly tournament and the regular season title. It was his lowest round of the season.

The Cape Fear team completed a sweep of the seven regular-season matches, shooting a 326 on its home course at Baywood.

“I think one of the main reasons I blew up last year was my mindset wasn’t in the right place,’’ Hopkins said. “I guess you could say my chances were pretty good, but when push comes to shove, I just wanted to have fun this year and give all the glory to God.”

Hopkins didn’t feel any one part of his physical game made a big difference for him this year. “I don’t hit the ball that far,’’ he said. “I don’t hit the ball that straight. I’m not the best chipper, and I don’t make the most putts.

“Frankly, there are better golfers in our conference than me. The only thing that separates me from the rest is keeping a good attitude when I hit the bad shots.’’

Hopkins feels last Monday’s win gives him some momentum entering postseason competition in the regionals and possibly the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state tournament if he or the Pine Forest team manages to qualify.

“I hope I qualify for the states,’’ he said. “That’s been my goal for this season.’’

Edge said his team entered this year leaning on the play of junior Colton Danks. “He was the most experienced player coming back,’’ Edge said. “He didn’t have a good sophomore season.’’

Freshmen Austin White and Mason Starling contributed to the Colt effort in some tournaments this year. Edge also got some good rounds from Luke McCorquodale and Alex Benbenek.

“We didn’t have the best player every match, but we had four consistent players every match,’’ Edge said. He said he could count on two or three players shooting in the 80 to 85 range every match. Danks turned in a 76 at Baywood last week, his lowest round of the regular season.

“We played well off each other,’’ Danks said of the Cape Fear team. “We had each other’s backs, and we knew what we were capable of.’’

Playing the final match of the regular season at Baywood, Cape Fear’s home course, was also a boost, Danks said. “That’s something we looked forward to, that we could finish up at home, having all our parents there to see us win,’’ he said.

If Cape Fear survives the regional tournament, Danks thinks the Colts could challenge for a top five finish in the NCHSAA championship match.

“There is going to be a bunch of higher level competition, but I believe we could give it a run,’’ he said. “We are going to have to play with a more defined strategy than we’ve had all year. We’re going to have to be confident and believe in our abilities for us to do well in the postseason.’’

Here is the Patriot Athletic All-Conference golf team, which is based on order of finish in the regular season. Coach of the year was based on a vote of the head coaches.

Player of the year: Josiah Hopkins, Pine Forest

Coach of the year: Todd Edge, Cape Fear

First team: Josiah Hopkins, Pine Forest; Max Canada, Terry Sanford; Colton Danks, Cape Fear; Spencer Barbour, Terry Sanford; Luke McCorquodale, Cape Fear; Austin White, Cape Fear.

Second team: Hunter Cole, Gray’s Creek; Walker Shearin, Pine Forest; Mason Starling, Cape Fear; Alex Benbenek, Cape Fear; Chandler Parker, South View.

The Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department is launching a new initiative aimed at keeping young people off the streets on summer nights by engaging them in wholesome activities. Beginning June 7 and continuing until July 12, the department will offer coed 3-on-3 basketball at the recreation center gymnasium, every Friday night from 9 p.m. until midnight. The doors will open at 8:30 p.m. each Friday.

There is no charge to play — participants simply have to sign up at the recreation offices at 5766 Rockfish Rd. 

Lamarco Morrison, new head of the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department, said he got the idea after a recent meeting of the town’s Citizen Academy and the result of a conversation with recreation department staff member Stephen Kessenger.

Morrison said the question was raised as to what the town was doing to attract youth in hard-to-reach areas of the community.

The idea of night basketball was suggested. “It was a way to get the youth off the street in the summer, plus involve the police department,’’ Morrison said.

Morrison later learned that Kessenger had done something similar when he was working in Hoke County. Morrison then ran the idea by other people in Hope Mills, including the town manager and people associated with the parks department.

The plan every Friday is to hold play from 9 p.m. until midnight in the recreation department gym. There will be two half-court games going on at once, each team composed of three players. Each game will last 12 minutes.

“If you win, you stay on the court,’’ Morrison said. “If you lose, you’re off the court. We’ll go that way until 12 (a.m.’)”

The league is open to both male and female players. Although there is no age limit for the games, Morrison said the targeted age group is from 15 to 20 years old.

Morrison is working to get members of the Hope Mills Police Department to play in the games, along with staff from the recreation department. They will be there both to participate but also to supervise the activity.

“The police have two roles,’’ Morrison said, “to make sure everybody behaves, but they also will be involved with playing the game.’’

Morrison said he is still working out some details of that arrangement with Hope Mills Police Chief Joel Acciardo.

Concession stands won’t be open inside the gym during the games, but Morrison said food trucks would be outside for those who might want to get something to eat.

“We’ll do it for six weeks,’’ Morrison said. “If people say they want more, we’ll look at doing it longer.’’

It’s been more than two years since the town of Hope Mills took action to start the process of bringing red-light cameras to the community.

The cameras, which are already in nearby Fayetteville, are posted at no cost to the town at designated intersections and capture images of drivers running red lights.

The drivers are contacted by mail and assessed fines. The money collected from the fines is divided between the company that operates the cameras and Cumberland County Schools.

Neither the town nor its police department are involved in any way in the operation of the cameras or where the money goes. The only thing the town does is decide which intersections to have the cameras cover.

When the plan was first presented to the town’s board of commissioners March 6, 2017, members of that board voted unanimously to move forward with looking into adding cameras to the town.

The issue has resurfaced since the North Carolina House of Representatives recently passed legislation that would bring the cameras to Hope Mills. It still has to pass the North Carolina Senate for it to happen.

Hope Mills Police Chief Joel Acciardo stood by his previous comments from the board meeting of two years ago and said traffic safety is always a priority in Hope Mills. He added that no decisions had been made on where cameras would be located if they are finally approved. When it comes time to make a decision, Acciardo said, the town will likely draw on statistics and find the locations where accidents have been the biggest problem.

Commissioner Pat Edwards, who seconded the original motion by Commissioner Jerry Legge to look into the cameras, said she had heard a lot of pros and cons since then about bringing the cameras to Hope Mills.

Edwards said input from citizens would guide her final decision on adding cameras, but she added that if the issue involves safety for the community and the schools get additional funding from the project, she would tend to be supportive.

“How often do you get something that doesn’t cost anything that provides safety?’’ Edwards said.

Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner supports the cameras, both for the role they could play in saving lives and for providing money to the schools.

Warner mentioned a number of intersections where accidents occur frequently that have been looked at in previous years. The list includes Hope Mills and Camden Road, Hope Mills and Highway 162, and Legion Road and Highway 162.

“A lot of it has to do with impatience, especially at Main Street/Hope Mills Road and Camden,’’ Warner said. “They just take a chance. We see it happening all the time.

“Statistically, there is national proof that the red-light cameras save lives and prevent accidents in attempting to prevent traffic from running yellow and red lights. Ultimately, the final decision will be left up to this board.’’

Meetings

For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Town Clerk Jane Starling at 910-426-4113.

• Historic Preservation Commission Wednesday, May 8, 5-6 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

• Board of Commissioners Monday, May 20, 7 p.m., Luther Meeting Room, Town Hall

• Lake Advisory Committee Tuesday, May 21, 6 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

• Veterans Affairs Commission Thursday, May 23, 6:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

• Appearance Committee Tuesday, May 28, 6:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

Activities

• Citizens Academy Tuesday, May 14, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Town Hall

• Hope Mills Area Kiwanis Club at Sammio’s, second Tuesdays at noon and fourth Tuesdays at 6 p.m. For details, call 910-237-1240.

• Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Senior programs at Parks and Recreation Building. Senior programs are for those ages 55 and up who are residents of Cumberland County. Various activities, especially Zumba classes, are scheduled Monday through Sunday throughout the day. For details on times and days, check the schedule at townofhopemills.com. You can call the recreation center at 910-426-4109 or email Kasey Ivey at kivey@townofhopemills.com.

Promote yourself

Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

A national car rental company once had a major advertising campaign based on the notion that since they were No. 2, they tried harder.

Nobody’s suggesting the Hope Mills Fire Department do the same thing, but the No. 2 rating it received from the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshall is something to brag about. 

A No. 1 rating is next to impossible to get according to Derrick Clouston, one of the people involved with handing the ratings out. There are currently 1,252 fire departments in the state. Clouston said only nine have No. 1 ratings.

Clouston said what it takes to get a rating of one varies by community. “It’s not a cookiecutter process,’’ he said. “You can’t compare one community to another.’’

The No. 2 rating Hope Mills received is also based on support Hope Mills could get at a fire from surrounding departments, like Fayetteville, Stoney Point or Pearce’s Mill, Clouston said. 

Mike Williams, who also works with the office that handles the inspections, said the rating is based on a number of factors, including the county water system, communication system, overall operation of the local fire department and its training.

Williams said the high rating Hope Mills earned, which will go into effect in August this year, shows Hope Mills has done a great job maintaining its overall efficiency as a fire department.

Hope Mills fire chief Chuck Hodges is delighted with the rating Hope Mills got, adding that to him it’s like getting a one. “Our guys are pretty ecstatic,’’ he said. “You’re recognized nationwide with this rating. For a fire chief, it’s saying how I stack up, not in other departments by size. This is how I stack up against every fire department in the United States.’’

Earning the rating involved a lot of hard work by Hodges and his staff. Much of the inspection for the rating involves going through paperwork, including years of service test records. Hodges said the Hope Mills fire department team assembled the records ahead of time as much as possible to make the process go smoother.

But there is also a physical inspection involved. “They open every compartment on every truck,’’ Hodges said. They also check to make sure all the needed equipment is there, going so far as to count how many pike poles of certain lengths a truck carries.

“They look at how many trucks we send to certain types of calls, how many people we have on those types of calls,’’ Hodges said.

The tangible benefit for the town, aside from having a fire department ready to handle the job required, is how it can affect the community’s insurance rates.

“The lower your rating, the less insurance premiums you pay as far as the town is concerned,’’Hodges said. “We look very good to businesses and developers. That’s a selling point to them.

“You can move into Hope Mills, open a business in Hope Mills, and you’re going to pay less insurance premiums because of the ratings. Commercial properties really see savings when you get below a five.

“For any town officials trying to recruit business or development in the town, that’s a feather in the cap.’’

Photo: Chuck Hodges

Although group riding is fun and a great place to meet new friends, it can be a bit intimidating. The ride is more enjoyable if you are prepared and knowledgeable about the ride beforehand.

When deciding to join a group ride, know what you are getting into. Distance, time, speeds and ability are all factors to be considered. Asking yourself if you have the right bike for the ride is important. Another question you should ask is what speeds you will be traveling. If you are unsure about practical details like this, contact the organizers. Finally, and very importantly, you must ask yourself, “Are these the right guys to ride with?”

When riding with a group, get there with your bike ready and a full tank of gas. This is just being polite.

Before the start, you should have you clothing adjusted so you will be comfortable during the ride. As the temperature and weather conditions change, you need to be prepared. You will want to have the appropriate clothing for the appropriate weather — and don’t forget about ensuring the same for your passenger, if you have one.

Although most riders do not like riding in the rain, the truth is that if you ride long enough, you will get wet. So bring your rain gear just in case.

Communicating during the ride is essential. Talk with the group or ride organizer about hand signals. The lead rider will set the pace and communicate by hand signals everyone will know. Many of these signals will tell riders to slow down, to turn or to notice a danger on the road. These are helpful for this time of year as pot holes from the winter weather are still prevalent throughout the state.

Do not over ride your ability. If the group is fast, there is no shame is staying back. If you feel the person behind you is too close or you are riding beyond your ability, hang back and let the people behind you pass.

The person in front of you should be responsible to look back and keep an eye on you. You would do the same for the rider behind you. If you lose sight of someone, pull over and, after a minute or so, turn back to check on them. In theory, this should keep the group together as a whole.

My biggest concern when riding in a group is distance. Your No. 1 safety priority when motorcycling is space. Although it looks cool to ride side-by-side, this is extremely dangerous and jeopardizes yourself, the person beside you and the people behind you. To avoid disaster, you should instead stay staggered: stay one second behind the person in front of you who is in the opposite lane as you and two seconds behind the person directly in front of you in the same lane. This will give you room to brake and swerve in the event of a dog running out or that eventual pot hole that is ahead of you.

Motorcyclists have a lot in common. They are all, by nature, risktakers. Knowing when to throw in the towel with a group is something you should be ready to do. So if you come to that point where you no longer feel comfortable about riding with someone, do not be ashamed to let the group know you are breaking off. Chances are that if you are not having fun, they are not either, and it is probably the best decision for all.

If there is a topic you would like to discuss, please contact me at motorcycle4fun@aol.com.

RIDE SAFE!

Dr. Larry Keen and the board of trustees of Fayetteville Technical Community College are excited to announce the 57th Annual Commencement Exercises May 17, at the Crown Coliseum. Due to high number of graduates, FTCC decided last year to split the graduation into two ceremonies and host them both during the day. The ceremonies were successful, and the plan for 2019 is to continue with two daytime graduation ceremonies.

The morning commencement will begin at 10 a.m., and the doors will unlock for the public at 9 a.m. Graduates from computer information technology programs, business programs, engineering and applied technology programs and health programs will be recognized.

The afternoon commencement will begin at 2 p.m., and the doors will unlock for the public at 1 p.m. FTCC will recognize graduates from the arts and humanities programs, math and science programs, public service programs and continuing education programs.

The commencement speaker will be former North Carolina Sen. Dr. Eric L. Mansfield. Rev. Jacob Warren from Veritas Church in Fayetteville will provide the invocation and benediction during both ceremonies.

Photo Specialties, which is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, will provide photo services for graduates. Class rings for the 2019 class are available for student purchase through the Balfour Ring Company. Representatives from FTCC’s Jobs Center are available to assist graduates with creating resumes and finding employment.

Representatives from FTCC’s University Outreach Transfer Center are also helpful in discussing various options for students interested in continuing their academic journeys beyond the two-year program of study.

Anyone who plans to attend the morning or afternoon graduation ceremonies should anticipate heavy traffic around the Crown Coliseum. Students only will arrive through the Expo Doors located off East Mountain Drive. All friends and family should enter the Crown Coliseum through the North, West and East entrances.

The Crown Coliseum will stream the commencement exercises live at www.crowncomplexnc.com/events/event-streaming. For more information about the FTCC 2019 commencement ceremony and an additional direct link to the graduation streaming, visit the FTCC Graduation Page at www.faytechcc.edu/campus-life/academic-resources/graduation.

FTCC has been serving the Fayetteville/ Cumberland County area since 1961. The college offers more than 250 programs of study leading to the award of associate degree, certificate or diploma. Program areas include arts and humanities, math and sciences, business, computer technology, engineering/applied technology, health, and public service.

Fayetteville Tech’s corporate and continuing education programs also provide a wide array of courses with convenient options for affordable career training, personal interest courses and high school diploma education. FTCC’s website, www.faytechcc.edu, shares a great deal of information, and admissions counselors are available at the Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Spring Lake campus locations. Browse the website, or visit one of the campus locations for assistance in enrolling for summer and fall classes at your community college.

The Scott family. Too much for one book. Too much for one column.

Five years ago, in “The Political Career of W. Kerr Scott: The Squire from Haw River,” Julian Pleasants chronicled the exceptional life of the only governor of North Carolina who proudly called himself a liberal. Kerr Scott was North Carolina governor from 1949-1953 and U.S. senator from 1955 until his death in 1958. He broke the hold of a conservative Democratic Party establishment and opened the door for the progressive administrations of future governors Terry Sanford, Robert Scott and Jim Hunt.

Missing from Pleasants’ excellent book was the story of the entire Scott family and its role in North Carolina political life. Former Raleigh News & Observer political reporter and columnist Rob Christensen takes up that task in “The Rise and Fall of the Branchhead Boys.” He follows the Alamance County farm family beginning with Kerr Scott’s grandfather, Henderson Scott, 1814-1870, a slave-holding farmer. After the Civil War, he became active in the Ku Klux Klan and was briefly jailed as a result.

Henderson’s son, Robert, 1861-1929, continued the family farming tradition. He spent almost a year in New York state to study modern farming methods. Then, after transforming his own farming operations, he shared his expertise throughout the state, earning the nickname “Farmer Bob.” Active in politics, he served in the state house and senate and unsuccessfully ran for commissioner of agriculture.

Robert had 13 children, including two important political figures: Kerr, 1896-1958, and future powerful state legislator Ralph, 1903-1989. 

Christensen does a good job of reviewing and supplementing Kerr’s political career as covered in Pleasants’ more detailed account. He describes how Kerr defeated the favored gubernatorial candidate of the conservative wing of the party in 1948. When in office, he adopted a liberal program of road building, public school improvement and the expansion of government services. Hard-working and hardheaded, direct and plain-spoken, he appointed women and African Americans to government positions and disregarded criticism of his actions. Then, when elected to the U.S. Senate in 1954 as a liberal in a campaign managed by future Gov. Terry Sanford, he nevertheless joined with fellow Southerners to oppose civil rights legislation.

Christensen’s greater contribution to the Scott family saga is his account of the political career of Kerr’s son, Bob Scott, 1929-2009. Young Bob grew up on Kerr’s dairy farm and, like his father, became active in farmers’ organizations, working in political campaigns, including Terry Sanford’s 1960 successful race for governor. By 1964, at age 35, Bob was ready to mount a statewide campaign for lieutenant governor. But two senior Democrats, state Sen. John Jordan and House Speaker Clifton Blue, were already running. Christensen writes, “In some ways Scott had broken into the line.”

Nevertheless, with the help of powerful county political machines, Bob won a squeaker victory in a primary runoff over Blue. Bob used his new office to run for the next one, giving hundreds of speeches each year and eating meals of “razor thin roast beef, seventeen green beans, a wad of mashed potatoes and apple pie the density of lead.”

Meanwhile, Christensen notes, “The growing white backlash against racial integration gave Scott reason for caution.” He won the 1968 Democratic nomination over conservative Democrat and later Republican Mel Broughton and African American dentist Reginald Hawkins.

The results of the presidential contest in North Carolina marked what Christensen calls “the breakup of the Democratic Party.” Richard Nixon won; George Wallace was second, and Hubert Humphrey was third.

Nevertheless, in the governor’s race, Bob faced and beat Republican Jim Gardner. 

The mountains of bitter controversies in the areas of race, labor, student unrest and higher education administration he confronted are too much for this column to cover.

We will continue in a later column.

Photo: Kerr Scott

I was recently invited to view Sweet Tea Shakespeare’s “Maid Marian” at the historic 1897 Poe House. The production was enchanting. The brick-paved courtyard was lined with homemade quilts and Turkish carpets for guests to sit on while enjoying the show. The cast interacted with guests, introducing one another, explaining the history of the play and creating opportunities for the audience to enjoy it on many levels. STS raffled a walk-on part to audience members, which proved to be a hilarious addition to the production. STS also auctioned an opportunity to sit on a fabulous velvet lounge.

The story of Robin Hood has enthralled audiences since the 16th century, but Jessica Osnoe, an actress and playwright with the company, has reimagined it from a decidedly female perspective for the company’s Honey Series, celebrating women in theater.

It would have been easy for Osnoe to take a hyperfeminist perspective in her rewrite, depicting men as accessories and usurping the traditional legend of Robin Hood for Marian. But Osnoe used a gentle approach, implying Marian’s evolution as a vigilante, or benefactor to the masses, ran parallel with Robin Hood. Instead of removing him from the scenario, she created a level playing field on which they met as true equals. This, in turn, leaves the audience with the hope of their eventual romance.

The play begins as the devious Sheriff of Nottingham suggests his disciple, Guy of Gisborne, marry Lady Marian so he might control her family’s estate — and their profit. The high-borne Marian, played by Jen Pommerenke, and her younger sister Emma, played by Laura Voytko, abandon the estate and flee to Sherwood Forest with several women from the village.

Marian and Emma are joined by Marian’s cousin Eleanor, played by Osnoe. They teach other women to fight, then disguise themselves as performers so they can move about the countryside without drawing the sheriff’s attention. Then, they plunder! They rob the rich to feed the poor in proper Robin Hood tradition. Marian and her all-girl gang establish themselves as legends amongst the villagers and proper criminals with the sheriff and Sir Guy.

Pommerenke wows the audience with her performance. She gives depth to what has traditionally been a two-dimensional character. Her Marian is strong, innovative and, at times, humorous.

Voytko fearlessly introduces Marian’s sister Emma to the world. She’s precocious and unapologetic, educated and playfully charming.

And Osnoe brings strength and determination to the character of Eleanor. She’s a stabilizing influence for Marian, a voice of reason in their world of chaos.

Remaining show dates for “Maid Marian” are May 9-12. The shows begin at 7:30 p.m., and there is a preshow at 6:45 p.m. General admission is $25. Advance general admission is $17.50. Advance senior/military admission is $15, and advance student tickets are $10.

Photo: Jen Pommerenke as Maid Marian (left) and Laura Voytko as Emma Fitzwalter, Maid Marian’s sister (right)

A longstanding local tradition, Fayetteville After 5 brings free concerts to Festival Park all summer long. It happens every second Friday, May through August. Show up ready to enjoy a night of music — and dancing, if you feel like it — under the stars. Come hungry and get dinner from the food trucks on hand, too.

The season kicks off May 10 with ’90s tribute band 120 Minutes. Based in the Triangle area, the band brings the best alternative and radio rock and pop hits from the ’90s. If artists like Nirvana, Gin Blossoms, Third Eye Blind, Weezer, Backstreet Boys, Green Day, The Cranberries, Shania Twain, Cracker, Tom Petty, Smash Mouth and Hootie and the Blowfish get your toes tapping, this is a concert you won’t want to miss.

June 14, Eagles tribute band On the Border takes the stage. This group goes all-out to provide an authentic Eagles experience. Each band member plays their respective band member of the Eagles during the performance. Their delivery of spot-on music has not only garnered them a loyal following, they have been declared the greatest Eagles tribute band in the world by AXSTV and host Katie Daryl.

Fayetteville’s own Rivermist headlines the July 12 concert. Rivermist formally came together in 2014, but the band members have been playing in and around Fayetteville for more than 20 years. A classic rock and variety party band, Rivermist is energetic on the stage and knows how to play to its audience. The band has won several awards locally, including Up & Coming Weekly’s Best of Fayetteville.

Aug. 9, Kasey Tyndall closes the season. Tynda’s debut single, “Everything is Texas,” dropped in 2017. The video was in the top 10 on CMT’s 12 Pack Countdown.

“For as long as people have been breaking hearts or getting their hearts broken, there’s a bar, that bar’s regulars, and its staff to help,” says Tyndall on her website. “We all have that bar in our life — no matter what we’re going through, we’re somehow family when we come together there.”

The gates open at 5 p.m. for all the concerts. Music starts around 6:30 p.m. and ends around 10:30 p.m. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair. No canopies, please. No coolers or outside food is permitted. Service dogs are welcome. The concerts are free.

Visit www.thedogwoodfestival.com/fayetteville-after-five to learn more.

Justin Lopes was captain of the soccer team his senior year of high school. He was a member of Honor Society, Key Club and Lafayette Baptist Church. Justin loved to play baseball and soccer. He was family-oriented and loyal to those he loved. In 2014, he died unexpectedly, at the age of 21. He was a rising senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in finance. In honor of Justin, the Derby Run was established. This year’s Derby Run takes place Saturday, May 18, starting at Terry Sanford High School. The 10K run will begin at 8:15 a.m. and the 5K run/walk will begin at 8:30 a.m. They are both timed events.

“David and Andrea Phillips started the Derby Run in 2016 and thought it would be a good way to remember and honor Justin’s life,” said Donna Lopes, Justin’s mom. “It has continued to grow each year. It started as a fun run the first year, and basically people got together and we walked.”

They have added a 10K run this year in hopes the event will continue to grow. The goal is to have between 200-300 runners.

“The proceeds from the event will go to local charities to benefit children,” said Lopes. “The charities are The Child Advocacy Center, the Justin Richard Lopes Memorial Scholarship of Cumberland Community Foundation, and Cy’s World Foundation.”

Each runner will receive a T-shirt and a sports bag filled with coupons from local vendors. 

The top three overall male and female winners will receive trophies and gift certificates from Fleet Feet.

Awards will be given to the top three male and female winners in each age category, for best derby-themed costume, best derby-themed hat, best derby-themed stroller, first dog to finish, first stroller to finish and largest team.

Bunker, the mascot for the Fayetteville Woodpeckers baseball team, will be on site, along with Kidsvile News! celebrity Truman the dragon and Sweet Frog’s mascot. There will be face-painting for the children.

“In the three years that we have done this run, we have been able to donate over $25,000 to charities that benefit children in Justin’s memory, because of our generous sponsors and Derby participants,” said Donna. “The Derby Run is a way for us to help others in his memory.”

The cost of the 5K for ages 12 and under is $20, and for ages 13 and over, it is $30. The cost of the 10K for all ages is $35. Teams with four or more participants for either race will receive a $5 discount for each runner. Pets are allowed but must be on a leash. Packets can be picked up Friday, May 17, at Orangetheory Fitness from 5-7 p.m.

Registration is at 7 a.m. for participants who did not preregister. For more information or to register, visit its-go-time.com/the-derby-run.

In the 1950s, Memphis, Tennessee, was subject to Jim Crow laws and segregation. R&B and rock ’n’ roll played to two distinctly different crowds — until DJ Dewy Philips changed things. Take a journey with Cape Fear Regional Theatre to “Memphis,” where rock ’n’ roll was born. The show runs May 9-26.

“Memphis” is inspired by reallife events and people. According to director Suzanne Agins, the central character is a white DJ, named Huey Calhoun in the play, who makes it his mission to expose his white audience to the blues. He is played by Matthew Mucha and is based on real-life DJ Dewy Philips. The story is about his drive to expand people’s minds about music and his relationship with African American blues singer Felicia Farrell, a character who is not based on a real-life counterpart. “It is all this great R&B and early rock ’n’ roll coming from the African American community, and this guy who made it his life’s work to get it out to whites,” said Agins.

When she started thinking about how to tell the story best, Agins, who also directed “Dreamgirls” at CFRT in 2017, reached back to her previous experience in Fayetteville. “I was here for ‘Dreamgirls,’ and it was an amazing thing to be surround by amazing women,” she said.

Agins noticed that Felicia, played by Shonica Gooden, didn’t have strong female characters to relate to in the story. “I thought about the main character and wondered why she didn’t have a friend to talk to,” said Agins. “I looked at (the character of ) her brother and thought there is nothing about this (character) that is inherently male. It is a human who cares deeply for his sister.

“We asked the licensing company if we could change this to a female character and made our case. … We cast an amazing actress, and she is killing it.” The script didn’t change, just the gender of one character.

Gooden didn’t know the role of her character’s brother was going to change to that of a sister, but she’s embraced it. “I think it has made it better,” she said. “We brought that sisterly bond into the story, making it that much more authentic onstage.”

CFRT Marketing Director Ashley Owen noted that the story covers an important topic — race. “It delves into the relationship between white and black people in that time,” she said. “The message is one of loving people when you come together and experience something special. It is an important story to tell, and we work hard to do it well, if for no other reason than for people to be able to talk about the message.”

David Robbins plays Bobby Dupree, Huey’s best friend. For him, the music adds to an already meaty performance. “‘Memphis’ won best score for the year it came out,” he said. “You will be leaving the theater humming the tunes.”

Ricardo Morgan is a Fayetteville native and no stranger to the CFRT stage. “Member of the Wedding,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Sweeney Todd” and “Trip to Bountiful” are a few of the shows he’s performed in. Morgan is in the ensemble. “Given the theme of the show and climate of our nation, this is another opportunity for the arts to help heal,” he said. “And in doing so, we talk about preconceptions. You will leave singing, but you will also leave having asked yourself questions. Questions we ask daily come to life onstage — it is about a sense of community and supporting each other.” Due to the content, the show is rated PG-13.

The play runs May 9-26. Visit www.cfrt.org for tickets and information. Look for theme nights and special events, including Red Carpet Ready, Opening Night Dance Party, Mimosa Brunch and Military Night, on the website.

Photo:  Matthew Mucha as Huey Calhoun (left) and Shonica Gooden as Felicia Farrell (right)