United Way of Cumberland County’s Board of Directors has named Amy Navejas its new Executive Director. Navejas previously served as CEO/Executive Director of Better Health. She replaces Robert Hines, who retired after 16 years leading UWCC. “We are very fortunate to have found an exceptionally qualified person locally to lead the United Way into a changing future,” said Steve Blanchard, UWCC Board Chair.

Navejas has worked closely with UWCC over the years while at Better Health. “The UWCC is an important pillar in our community,” Navejas stated.

During her tenure at Better Health, the Spring Lake Diabetes Clinic was added, as was the Fayfit childhood obesity program. Navejas graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with Bachelor of Arts degrees in political science and psychology. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the Norman A. Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University. She has prior experience in nonprofit management, case management, outreach, community events, human resources and professional development.

We have all seen the distracted drivers — missing a light change, drifting out of their lane, slamming into the back of vehicles slowing or stopped for traffic. They are usually deep in conversation or are looking down texting on their phone.

North Carolina drivers might be more aware of the dangers of texting and driving. Still, studies show that they — and motorists throughout the country — are not only getting distracted in their driving by cellphone calls and texting, but also gaming and social media while they drive.
In one study by Students Against Destructive Decisions and Liberty Mutual Insurance, people of high school age were asked to rank distracting activities by how dangerous they were. Only 6% chose posting to or looking at social media as the most dangerous. A quarter said that writing a text message was the most dangerous, and 29% named driving under the influence.

The National Safety Council surveyed 2,400 drivers of all ages and found that nearly three-quarters would use Facebook while driving. Nearly one-third said that they would use Instagram and more than one-third said that they would use YouTube and Twitter while behind the wheel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that daily, more than 1,000 people are injured, and eight are killed as a result of distracted driving. The National Safety Council says that around a quarter of all crashes happen due to phone-related distractions. However, because the numbers often depend on self-reporting, many experts believe estimates are too low. When someone causes a crash and injuries or death, however, law enforcement will likely check cell phones and vehicle data recorders. Attorneys also regularly subpoena cellphone records in auto injury and death claims and seek downloads from vehicle crash data.

So, what do we do to protect ourselves? Put your phones away when you are driving — even if you are not one of those folks who text and drive or otherwise. Phones are a distraction from safe driving, period. There is nothing that cannot wait until you get to your destination. Next, protect yourself by having adequate insurance coverage. If you are significantly harmed by a distracted driver who carries minimum limits ($30,000 in liability coverage), you need adequate underinsured coverage on your own policy to protect yourself. I recommend at least $100,000 in uninsured/underinsured protection. The reality is that we have no control over the decisions and actions of other drivers. We can control our own decisions and actions to drive safely and protect ourselves with adequate insurance coverage.

The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command is offering a reward of $25,000 for credible information leading to the apprehension and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the homicide of Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez of Fort Bragg. Partial remains of the 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper were found near Cape Lookout National Seashore May 29. Positive identification was made using the soldier’s dental records. Spc. Roman-Martinez, 21, was last seen May 22, at a campsite on South Core Banks, one of the islands that make up Cape Lookout National Seashore. His phone and wallet were found at the campsite. Roman-Martinez entered the Army in September 2016, attended airborne school at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was assigned as a paratrooper at Fort Bragg in March 2017. His awards and decorations include the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and the Army Parachutist Badge. Anyone with information, contact Army Criminal Investigation Division Special Agents at 910-396-8777.

Demand for testing increases
As cases rise across the country, there has been an increase in demand for COVID-19 testing locally, which has created a backlog for many laboratories and extended the turnaround time to process tests. Individuals tested by Health Department staff may not receive test results for five to seven business days.

“Testing is a critical part of our strategy to slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green. “The demand for testing is unprecedented.”

The Cumberland County Department of Public Health is offering drive-thru testing on Tuesdays and Thursdays while supplies last and staffing are available. Visit the department’s Testing and Collection page online to schedule an appointment. On Tuesdays, test collection will be conducted at Manna Church, 5117 Cliffdale Rd., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Thursdays, test collection is conducted at the Cumberland County Health Department, 1235 Ramsey St., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Life is uncertain — eat dessert first.”
— Ernestine Ulmer.

Does this quote resonate with anyone? Life has not been normal since COVID-19 reared its ugly head, causing massive quarantines and economic instability. Ernestine Ulmer’s advice is timely, and summertime is the best time to enjoy a universally loved dessert — ice cream. I easily persuaded family members to “go glimmering,” our family’s nickname for a spontaneous adventure, and taste test the unique flavors of homemade ice cream in the Cape Fear region.

There are a plethora of commercial businesses where you can buy ice cream in our region — too many to list in here, so our emphasis was on homemade and hometown entrepreneurs who offer not only delicious ice cream but also a fun destination worth exploring. For this article, I chose three locations, each under an hour’s drive from downtown Fayetteville. Still, I felt guilty leaving out Sweet Frog, Baskin-Robbins, Cold Stone Creamery and the employer of teenage me — Dairy Queen. It was at DQ that I learned how to artistically twist the soft ice cream into a little curlicue on top of the cone and quickly dip it into the chocolate without dumping the whole confectionary treat.
On the road, our first adventure was to Gillis Hill Farm, which is always a fun family excursion. We visited on a “strawberry Saturday” where, in addition to getting delicious ice cream, we could also pick strawberries and purchase fresh produce, jams, jellies and honey. Before we even sampled the ice cream, we bought two baskets of berries and a round watermelon we tucked into our trunk. Children love visiting Gillis Hill Farm as there are animals and play areas sprinkled throughout the grounds. Farmers in this area since the 1700s, the most recent generation of the Gillis family has expanded into agritourism.

The ice cream shop was open during the quarantine but operated responsibly by requiring social distancing and allowing only one person at a time to order at the window. Instead of the usual perch on the porch rocking chairs, Gillis Hill Farm encouraged us, and all visitors, to enjoy treats in our cars. The homemade flavors vary — check their Facebook page to see what to expect during your visit. They offer cups, homemade waffle cones and pints you can take home. I sampled the strawberry, having just left the patch, and it was creamy and flavorful. My daughter tried the banana and found it oh so “a-peel-ing.”

Sunni Sky’s was our next day’s adventure, and it did not disappoint. Described as “ice cream heaven,” there are almost always over 120 flavors to choose from and a larger-than-life hot-pink ice cream cone statue to take a selfie by. In the past, they even had “hot” flavors — one famously named “cold sweat” that would cause partakers to break into one. Cheers to the employees, aka “inspectors” — per the stenciled titles on every worker’s shirt, who managed a two-car line up to keep fans fed and moving efficiently. My choice was a butterscotch bliss, my daughter had blue nerd, and my husband tried a double scoop of coffee. Bits of butterscotch provided extra sweetness, and the coffee choice smelled as good as it tasted. The blue nerd was colorful but excessively filled with nerds and a little too sugary.

We decided to “double-dip” our Sunday adventure and head to the nearby town of Coats to try the ice cream at Smith Farm. Unfortunately, it was closed due to the quarantine. We were excited to try their fresh fruit flavors and creamy ice cream but will have to plan another date to experience their offerings firsthand (and mouth). Their Facebook page promises wood churned ice cream, delicious shakes and root beer floats.

During the “shelter-at-home” days, some families invested in ice cream makers to make recipes from scratch. From low-cost hand-cranked models to speedier high-tech machines, anyone can create homemade cold and creamy treats. The magical transformation of the simple ingredients of fresh fruit, cream and sugar into ice cream enthralls both the young and the young at heart.

Make time to celebrate summer by making a batch of homemade ice cream or setting out on an excursion to one of these locally owned venues. The unique flavors, fresh ingredients and pride in craftsmanship will be your reward.

More homemade ice cream shops in and around Fayetteville

Gillis Hill Farm
2701 Gillis Hill Road
Fayetteville, N.C. 28306
910-867-2350
http://www.gillishillfarm.com/

Sunny Sky’s Homemade Ice Cream Inc.
8617 NC-55
Angier, N.C. 27501
919-427-7118
http://www.sunniskys.com/

Smith Farm
NC-55, Coats, N.C. 27521
910-897-4269

Smallcakes: Cupcakery & Creamery
2132 Skibo Rd #114
Fayetteville, N.C. 28314
910-835-1074

The Sweet Palette
101 Person St.
Fayetteville, N.C. 28301
910-489-7342

The Coffee Scene
3818 Morganton Rd.
910-864-0555

E.J. McArthur and Colin Baumgartner are both students and athletes at Jack Britt High School who have been directly impacted by the statewide shutdown of sports for all athletes at member schools of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

But McArthur, who plays basketball, and Baumgartner, a cross country, track and field and swimming competitor, have a little different perspective on the effect the COVID-19 pandemic is having on their peers. McArthur and Baumgartner are the Region IV representatives to the NCHSAA’s Student Advisory Athletic Committee.

The SAAC is made up of 16 athletes representing each of the eight geographical regions of the NCHSAA. In normal times, they travel to the NCHSAA office in Chapel Hill one Sunday each month to discuss topics of importance to the state’s high school athletes.

Though the pandemic has forced McArthur and Baumgartner and their fellow committee members to hold their meetings virtually over the last couple of months, they are still doing the business of the committee while also discussing the challenges of trying to reopen the state to practice and competitive sports by the time the fall season begins.
Barring a late change by the NCHSAA, many of the state’s school systems were scheduled to begin off-season summer workouts on July 6.

As a basketball player, McArthur was among the athletes who was able to complete play for the 2019-20 season, but he empathizes with those who weren’t as fortunate as he was.

“Most people were really devastated when their season ended,’’ he said.

Baumgartner said one of the biggest challenges of not being able to hold structured practices with teammates is developing the discipline to work out alone. “You’ve got to make the best of what you’ve got,’’ he said.

McArthur said many athletes he knows are speaking together daily to encourage each other. Some are holding small group workout sessions, either together or in some cases virtually.

His biggest concern remains that his peers make sure any workouts they are holding are being done with precautions against spreading the virus. “Some kids are just being kids while others are taking precautions,’’ McArthur said.

While no one is happy with not being able to practice or play, Baumgartner thinks most of the people he’s been in contact with are doing the best they can to observe the COVID-19 restrictions in hopes of returning to a more normal order of things as quickly as possible.

"I'm very understanding of what's going on," he said. 

Looking to the fall and hoping for a return to normal competition, McArthur said he agrees with what most people in education have said about a return to athletics. If the students aren’t able to be in the school building on a daily basis, the consensus is that athletic competition shouldn’t be allowed either.

“If we aren’t safe enough to be around each other, what makes sports different?’’ McArthur said. “It’s risk and reward. If we risk it now and things happen, then everything is shut back down. Right now it’s the safety of the kids, coaches and officials.’’

McArthur noted the complicated nature of COVID-19 as a concern, adding
that even people who survive the disease are being diagnosed with various complications. “Kids should take precautions,’’ he said, “if not for themselves,
for their loved ones, the people in their house and everybody else.’’

There has been some discussion of moving some or all fall sports to the spring season, if needed, to allow the COVID-19 curve more time to flatten. Baumgartner sees some benefit in doing that, but added it could also create problems, especially for those athletes who play multiple sports and might have to choose between sports if their favorites were played at the same time.

Baumgartner doesn’t think it would be a good idea to allow some sports where it is easier to practice social distancing to resume while preventing other athletes in sports with greater contact from resuming practice and play.

“I feel that would create a lot of friction between contact and noncontact sports,’’ he said. “We could catch a lot of flak for promoting something like that.’’

Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin has created two City Council-led committees to review policies related to the city’s healing and reconciliation movement. “It’s my intent that we take a hard look at what we do from both an internal and external perspective at the city level,” said Colvin.

Councilwoman Tisha Waddell will lead an internal review committee, and Councilman Larry Wright will lead the external review committee as they relate to racial inequality. Colvin and Mayor pro tem Kathy Jensen will serve as co-chairs of both committees, which will propose mission statements during the Aug. 3 City Council work session. With more than 1,600 city employees, Colvin said there are a lot of personal interactions among them and the citizens they serve. “It is important that we ensure that our policies, and most importantly, our actions, reflect equality and fairness for all,” Colvin stated.

Open letter from PWC executive

Public Works Commission CEO David Trego posted a message this month on the utility’s website, encouraging customers to keep their accounts under control. Trego noted that state government issued orders during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic providing utility customers certain protections. The order has allowed residential customers not to pay their utility bills in full without fear of having service turned off. The idea was to provide short-term economic relief for customers. Two weeks before the order was issued, on March 16, PWC had already stopped cutoffs for past due bills. Then in late May, the protections were extended.

“We want to help customers manage overdue balances,” Trego said. “If you are unable to pay your PWC bill in full, we encourage customers, who are able, to make partial payments... so that the total amount due is manageable when the protection period expires. I want to thank our customers for how you’ve helped our community and thank you in advance for staying diligent in the coming weeks as we all work together to get through these trying times,” Trego added.

Fort Bragg’s name will not be changed anytime soon

The Army has announced several measures to reduce racial bias in the military justice system, but renaming posts bearing the names of Confederate military commanders will have to wait for a Pentagon-wide order. “We are advisers,” said Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville during a recent press conference. “We pass military advice to our civilian leaders, and they are working through that trying to come up with a long-term and enduring policy.”

In early June, Army leaders and Defense Secretary Mark Esper said they were open to discussing the renaming of Army installations that bear the names of Confederate generals. But President Trump tweeted that his administration “will not even consider” the move. That apparently does not mean the idea is dead. Congress could ultimately push the issue forward. There are at least 10 Army posts named for prominent Confederates, including Fort Bragg. Gen. Braxton Bragg commanded Southern rebel forces during the Civil War.

Pet adoptions are again available in Cumberland County

The animal control department is making pet adoptions available by appointment during the COVID-19 situation. Animal control staff members wear face masks and observe physical distancing protocols. They ask members of the public to do the same while in the animal control building on Corporation Drive off Tom Starling Road. Pet adoption fees are $28 through the end of July, thanks to a grant from PetSmart Charities. Hours of operation for pet adoptions, stray animal intakes and owner claims are 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. All services are by appointment only. Call 910-321-6852 to schedule an appointment.

It’s summer vacation time for local government leaders

City and county elected officials take time off in July every year. Fayetteville City Council and the Board of County Commissioners have not scheduled regular meetings this month. The members try to take their vacations during the month. “If a special or emergency meeting is needed, then one is scheduled,” said Assistant County Manager Sally Shutt. “County management and our department directors coordinate leave time within their offices to ensure sufficient staff coverage.”

Shutt added that technology allows senor staff members to work remotely if needed, even while on vacation. The same is true in city government. Senior management team members vary their schedules so that at least one of them is on duty weekly.

Imagine not missing a day of school
Cape Fear High School graduate Hannah Coggins completed her school experience knowing that she had not missed a single day of school in her life. Coggins not only celebrated completing high school, she was proud to have achieved a perfect attendance record, according to CFHS Principal Brian Edkins. “I have completed my entire school experience, from daycare to senior year, with perfect attendance,” Coggins said. “My inspiration for this accomplishment is my father; he pushed me to do my best.”
Coggins’ family is confident she will continue the same study ethic as she makes plans to attend Fayetteville Technical Community College in the fall to become a physical therapist assistant.

Fayetteville has a rich wartime history, much of it memorialized in Cross Creek Cemetery. One familiar story regards the U.S. Armory, which the Confederates appropriated and used to manufacture weapons, including the Fayetteville Rifle. In March 1865, Fayetteville was visited by Union Gen. William T. Sherman, who destroyed the armory building. Fayetteville is also the site of North Carolina’s first Confederate monument. Since 1868, North Carolinians have been building monuments commemorating the people and events of the Civil War.

The first Civil War monument erected in North Carolina was in Cross Creek Cemetery #1 in Fayetteville. Led by Anna Kyle and Maria Spear, a group of local women raised money to build a monument. Kyle, who served as a nurse in the hospital during the Civil War, established the Confederate Burial Ground soon after Sherman and his army left Fayetteville. She and Fayetteville Mayor Archbald McLean selected a spot to inter the soldiers in the back section of the cemetery overlooking Cross Creek. The Rev. Joseph C. Huske of St. John’s Episcopal Church officiated at a mass burial later in the spring.

The remains of 30 Confederate soldiers, who had fought Sherman’s army and had been buried in various places around town, were reinterred in the new Confederate section of Cross Creek Cemetery. The ladies pieced together a quilt and sold raffle tickets not only in Fayetteville but also in Chapel Hill, Tarboro and Wilmington. Their goal was to raise $1,000. In a war-ravaged economy, they only managed to raise one-third of that sum. Martha Lewis won the quilt in May 1868 and sent the prize to former Confederate president Jefferson Davis.

The ladies employed a local stonemason to construct and install the monument. The memorial was the work of George Lauder, the most productive stonecutter in North Carolina during the 19th century. Lauder, a native of Scotland, also worked on the State Capitol in Raleigh and the Fayetteville Arsenal before opening his own marble yard in Fayetteville in 1845. On Dec. 30, 1868, the monument to the Confederate dead at Cross Creek Cemetery, the first in North Carolina, was dedicated. It was taken down by its owners last week.

This was the fifth Confederate monument raised in the South following the end of the war. The monument consists of a white marble column with a cross at the top. The base of the column contains inscriptions on all four sides. Stanzas from the poem “The Bivouac of the Dead” by Theodore O’Hara appear on the front. Cross Creek Cemetery #1 is the oldest public cemetery in Fayetteville, begun in 1785. The cemetery contains over 1,100 grave markers and is the burial site of many early settlers and notable persons from throughout Fayetteville’s history.

Among the gravestones is a tall stone monument for Revolutionary War hero Robert Rowan, who was the leading town patriot as well as the organizer and a signer of the Liberty Point Resolves.

In the late 1860s, John R. Tolar dedicated another memorial in this section. It honored his father and eight uncles who were killed or disabled during the war. In addition to the Confederate dead, many Civil War veterans — both Southern and Northern — are interred in this part of the cemetery.

These are crazy times. So much upheaval. So many changes. So much anger. So much fear. And not enough love and understanding. There is no escaping the protests, tension, hostility, chanting, hypocrisy and unethical partisan political maneuvering in Fayetteville, Raleigh, our great state of North Carolina and throughout America.
It feels like the America I’ve lived in and loved for the past seven decades is turning into a country of contradictions where bad means good, illegal has no meaning at all, police are treated as criminals and the criminals are innocent, misunderstood and righteous souls. It’s where shootings and murder are accepted and criminals run rampant. The burning of cities and looting of businesses and destroying personal property are time-tested antidotes to improving humanity.

I have heard from many of our readers who share the same frustration. I understand their concerns and feel their hurt. These kinds of dire thoughts and worries carry a tremendous amount of parental anguish and guilt. We ask: What kind of America will we be leaving our children and grandchildren?

So, to all the parents and grandparents out there struggling with these concerns, please know you are not alone. This may help.

Below, I have reprinted a letter written by a loving father to his child. It contains a message that speaks volumes for many parents in our community who want to provide reassurance to their adult children that they love and support them while reaffirming traditional family values, convictions and lifestyles. As parents, they did the best they could. Now, out of respect, they will not interfere with their child’s family or future. They will remain the same loving and supportive parents they’ve always been.

Enjoy, and thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

The Letter

Names and places have been changed. This could be any city or town in the country.

Dear child,

Your mom and I are very concerned for you and your family’s safety in Seattle. With a call for unfunding the police on the horizon, it’s only a matter of time before the outrage, carnage and lawlessness cross into your private neighborhood with no one to protect you and your family. This concerns us very much.
The “peaceful” CHOP community downtown presents itself as the near-perfect sneak preview of what life will actually be like in an idealistic, lawless, Marxist and socialistic America. At this writing, two more young, black teenagers were shot dead last night.

You both are young and successful professionals and have worked extremely hard for what you have. You have given us a beautiful grandchild who has their whole joyful and innocent life ahead of them. Please, don’t put your careers on hold or your lives in jeopardy chasing an idealistic utopia that will never come to be. Seattle, New York City, Baltimore and Detroit are all casualties of this madness, and they will not recover any time soon, if ever.

Your mother and I prepared you for the real world by exposing you to real-life situations and teaching you honorable values — especially those that relate to honesty, decency, integrity and humanity.

This new idealistic and destructive cancel culture movement aims to stamp out and eliminate the very environment you were brought up in — the same environment that made you a successful and confident adult, a devoted spouse and the caring and loving parent you are today. Once canceled, what will replace it?

Rest assured, we do not want to run your life or tell you what to do or believe. We raised you to the best of our ability, and we are truly impressed with the person you have become. We are so very proud of you! Our only wish is for you and your family to be happy and safe and to continue to love us.

However, please do not judge us or fault us for not renouncing our government or our way of life, for not taking a knee during the national anthem and for not apologizing for honoring and loving the only America we have ever known.

Love you always!

Dad

Without a doubt, the year 2020 has been one to remember. Although things developed so rapidly on so many simultaneous fronts, it's been an easy year to forget, as well. How many things have you adapted so far? Birthdays, holidays, school and vacation — all of us have had to adapt to a continually shifting environment as we try our best to maintain forward momentum, haven't we?

Personally, I've learned a lot about resilience. This year has been a journey into what it looks like to walk away from any sense of status quo and learn to do the things you've always known in a way they've never been done before. Like you and everyone else, there was no choice but to slow down, regroup and redefine the path — and in many cases, even the goal itself.

As we've challenged ourselves to rethink everything from work to church to birthday parties, this tired old adage has become more relevant each day: "Change is inevitable. Learning from change is optional." As we continue to learn and grow, we easily offer more challenges to another tired mantra: "We have always done it that way."

With change being the order of the day, the real question now is where to look for constants in our life. Where is your foundation and what is the source of stability as everything around you is shifting?

As a former military family, we've long since learned the value of a solid home life. One where meals together at the table, siblings attending each others' dance recitals, ball games and school plays are not in question. We moved around the world and across the country, but we were always a family, and family mattered. As my children now have families of their own, I see that playing out in their homes, too.

Another constant for many is a strong spiritual life. One where accountability to God and others comes in high on the list. For those who ascribe to Christianity, its namesake himself taught that those commandments (out of the 10) were the greatest, "... to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love others as you do yourself."
In all honesty, when we observe those two, most of the rest of life falls into place pretty nicely. It's when we take those commandments into our workplace, into our families and into our social life to heart that we find ourselves more adaptable to changes that come our way — whether they find us in the midst of a pandemic, an economic crisis or civil unrest.

So, whatever is shaking in your world today, I hope your foundation is firm. If not, the changes going on around us provide the perfect environment for a personal shift toward more solid ground.

The recent market volatility has affected just about everybody’s financial and investment situations — so, if you were planning to retire soon, will it still be possible?
Of course, the answer depends somewhat on your employment situation. With so many people’s jobs being affected by the coronavirus pandemic, your retirement plans may also have been thrown into confusion. But assuming your employment is still stable, what adjustments in your financial and investment strategies might you need to make for your retirement?

Here are a few areas to consider, and some questions to ask yourself:

• Retirement goals Now is a good time to review your retirement goals and assess your progress toward achieving them. You may want to work with a financial professional to determine if the current environment has materially affected your goals or if you need to make modest adjustments to stay on track.

• Retirement lifestyle You probably created your investment strategy with a particular type of retirement lifestyle in mind. Perhaps you had planned to become a world traveler when your working days were over. Of course, in the near term, extensive travel may not be possible, anyway, but once we move past the pandemic, your freedom to roam will likely return. But if your investment portfolio is not where you thought it might be, can you (or do you want to) adapt your lifestyle plans? And can you accept the same flexibility with your other lifestyle goals, such as purchasing a vacation home, pursuing hobbies, and so on?

• Tradeoffs Based on your retirement goals and your willingness to adjust your retirement lifestyle, you’ll want to consider your options and tradeoffs. For example, would you be willing to work more years than you had originally planned in exchange for greater confidence in your ability to enjoy a comfortable retirement lifestyle? By working longer, you can continue adding to your IRA and 401(k) or similar retirement plan, and you may be able to push back the date you start receiving Social Security to receive bigger monthly benefits. You might also review your budget for opportunities to reduce spending today and potentially save more toward your retirement goals.

• Social Security You can file for Social Security benefits as early as 62, but you can get 25% to 30% more if you wait until your full retirement age, which is likely between 66 and 67. As you created your retirement plans, you likely also calculated when you would take Social Security, but you may need to review that choice. If you postpone retirement a few years, what effect will that have on when you choose to take Social Security and, consequently, the size of your benefits? You won’t want to make a hasty decision — once you start taking Social Security, you can’t undo your choice.

This is certainly a challenging time to be entering retirement, and you’ll have some questions to answer. But even in the midst of uncertainty, you still have many choices.

Consider them carefully and make the decisions that work for you.

America’s culture wars are on full display in our take-no-prisoners response to wearing masks to protect others from COVID-19. Our nation’s inherent tension between individualism and collective good has pushed us into different corners, even though polls find more of us are in the collective good corner by better than 2 to 1. The smaller but highly visible my-rights-are-more-important-than-your-health crowd stands firm despite warnings from top pandemic officials, some of whom offer different ways to think about the situation. Pretend we were living in London during the Blitz of 1940-41 when Germany bombed the city and other parts of England every night for 11 weeks. During the Blitz, the British government required nightly blackouts to hamper the German bombing effort. What if your next-door-neighbor insisted it was his right to burn lights, and bombers missed his house but destroyed yours? Would that have been a proper assertion of individual rights? Or, how about this excuse offered by mask supporters tired of COVID, “I don’t like wearing a mask.” This cynical rejoinder comes from a mask wearer also tired of COVID. “So, you don’t like wearing a mask in public for whatever reasons? Well, you are really going to hate your ventilator!”

********************

Continuing on COVID-19, no one knows what our situation will be when Nov. 3 rolls around. Will we feel comfortable voting in person, either early or on Election Day, when lines are likely to be long in a presidential election year? Will enough election officials be comfortable enough to oversee the voting process?

Many Americans, including this one, are opting to vote by mail because of those very uncertainties. I printed my absentee ballot request from the North Carolina Board of Elections website, filled it out and mailed it in last week to the county Board of Elections. According to the website, I will receive an official ballot correct for the candidates in my precinct in September, to be mailed in before Election Day.

If I decide to vote in person, I will simply tear up the absentee ballot. Voters have many reasons to request absentee ballots — age, illness, travel, incarceration, physical limitations and more, but voters do not have to give any reason for requesting an absentee ballot, nor is an ID required. All that is needed is name, address, N.C. driver’s license number or the last four digits of one’s Social Security number to be checked against Elections Board records. If you are interested, the state Board of Elections website is www.ncsbe.gov

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Speaking of elections, campaign season is heating up, and it is not pretty. In the presidential contest, outside entities — those that were legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling in 2010 — are running all sorts of television ads on behalf of Biden and Trump, both positive and negative. The official campaigns are also running ads, which have the voices of Donald Trump or Joe Biden, acknowledging that they have “approved this ad.” A former candidate myself, I am always interested in political ads — whether they build up their candidate or tear down the other person, and how honestly they do so either way.

So far, I have seen several official Biden ads touting his experience and patriotism and at least one going after Trump’s record. Trump’s campaign is hitting Biden hard, with less emphasis on Trump’s achievements as president. All of this could — and probably will — evolve over the next few months, but we can all rest assured about one thing.
It is going to be a long summer and fall.

A handful of law enforcement officials around the state of North Carolina have announced they have no plans to enforce the latest requirement of Gov. Roy Cooper that people wear masks in public the prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Hope Mills Police Chief Joel Acciardo isn’t among those who will ask his officers to ignore the provision. At the same time, he said the emphasis won’t be heavy-handed, and based on how the community has reacted to previous restrictions put in place to help curb the spread of the illness, he expects the citizens of Hope Mills to be supportive.
“The goal is not to go out and write people tickets,’’ Acciardo said. “The goal is to educate people and bring them into compliance. So far we haven’t had any issues in that area.’’

One of the most popular locations in town for regular large gatherings of people is Hope Mills Lake. While the initial job of getting people to observe the restrictions while at the lake falls on lake attendants, Acciardo said whenever the police have had to be called in so far, intervention and education have usually resolved the situation without complication.

If someone does refuse to abide by the requirement to wear a mask in public, Acciardo said a charge of criminal trespass could be assessed if the person refuses to wear a mask and won’t leave the premises.

“Dialogue goes a long way,’’ Acciardo said.

As long as people are on their own property and not having a gathering in excess of 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors, they are free to not wear a mask.
Acciardo said if the police do encounter someone without a mask, the police department currently isn’t able to provide people with them.

“Our supplies are so limited,’’ he said. “Most of the time we barely have enough to cover our staff.

“These facemasks are not meant to be used forever. There is a pretty quick turnover. Our supplies are pretty finite.’’

As long as the officers are inside their cars, Acciardo said they will not be required to wear a mask, only needing to put them on when they have to interact with the public.
As of this writing, Acciardo said the police department was still developing the policy and when masks would have to be worn inside police headquarters.

He strongly suggested that everyone familiarize themselves with the latest requirements set down by Gov. Cooper in his most recent official order regarding safety measures required in public.

Go to www.nc.gov/covid-19/covid-19-executive-orders and click on the link to the June 24 order for complete information.

If anyone has questions about the enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions in Hope Mills, Acciardo can be reached at 910-425-4103.

While the Board of Commissioners and the staff at Town Hall do most of the heavy lifting of government for the town of Hope Mills, there’s another important group of volunteers that provide a lot of input to the decisions that are made about the town’s future.

That group is the people who serve on a variety of official town committees that delve a little deeper than the full board does into various town issues.

Jane Starling is the Town Clerk, and her job includes getting applications from people who are interested in serving on the various committees.

In addition to taking a closer look at issues before the town, Starling said the committees also provide valuable exposure to town citizens on how government actually works. She said it's often the beginning of a citizen becoming more active while at the same time getting an education.

Currently, the town has five committees and one commission. The committees include Parks and Recreation, Veterans Affairs, Zoning Board of Adjustment, Historic Preservation and Mayor’s Youth Leadership.

The lone commission is Appearance.

Nearly all the committees regularly meet at least once a month, unless the meeting date for a certain month falls on a major holiday.

The committees are constructed around the election cycle. The January after an election is held in November, the committees get new members who are each added for a two-year term.

The major exception to the rules is the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Its members serve a three-year term, and it only meets when a specific zoning issue is brought before it that requires action.

If someone steps down from one of the committees between election cycles, they can be replaced by someone with an application Starling keeps on file. All applications for committee positions are held for one year.

One of the reasons most of the Hope Mills bodies are committees and not commissions is the rules for filling the slots on a commission are more stringent.

Starling said commissions require members who have specific experience or professional training connected with the specific mission of the commission. “It’s really difficult in this small of a municipality to find people to fill those positions,’’ she said.

The Historic Preservation Commission was recently changed to a committee, and there has been talk of doing the same with the Appearance Commission.

Most of the committees are made up of seven members. One exception is the Veterans Affairs Committee, which has two additional members who represent local veterans organizations.

Each committee also has two liaison members, one from town staff and one from the Board of Commissioners.

To find a complete list of the town committees and a description of their duties, go to townofhopemills.com, click on the Government tab and look for the list of committees.
Most of the committees have resumed regular meetings in the community room at the Parks and Recreation Department building off Rockfish Road, where they can safely meet while observing social distancing.

Normally, the public is allowed to attend committee meetings, but under the current COVID-19 restrictions, only committee members are permitted at the meetings.

If anyone is interested in applying for a committee position for the 2021 election cycle or when an opening comes up, they can get a form from the town website, pick one up at Town Hall or request to have one mailed to them. The number at Town Hall is 910-424-4555.

Do you enjoy watching shows like “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Bull” or “All Rise”? Have you ever thought about a career in law? If you answered yes, then perhaps the paralegal profession is the career choice for you.

Although a paralegal cannot practice law, as a trained professional, they do much of the behind-the-scenes work that ultimately influences the final product. Some of the work involves interviewing clients, drafting legal documents, assisting in trials, conducting legal research and investigating the facts of a case.

Being a paralegal can also lead to career advancement. Advancement opportunities may exist within a law firm or private business or as a steppingstone to law school.
There are also career opportunities for paralegals outside the traditional legal field. Businesses recognize the value of employing paralegals. There currently is, and will continue to be, an increase in the need for trained paralegals in such areas as finance, insurance, consulting and health care.

At present, the U.S. Department of Labor projects the need for paralegals will increase at a minimum yearly rate of 8% through the year 2024.The Bureau of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor, in its “Occupational Outlook Handbook,” reports that as of May 2019, the median annual wage for paralegals and legal assistants was $51,740, an amount $11,930 higher than the median wage total for all occupations of $39,810.

If you are ready for a rewarding and challenging career as a paralegal, then Fayetteville Technical Community College and its paralegal technology program are for you. FTCC offers two programs in paralegal studies: the associate degree in applied science program and the diploma program. The diploma program is a fast track for those who have already completed a bachelor’s degree. Both programs are approved by the American Bar Association and the North Carolina State Bar Association. Both programs are excellent and will get you to the place you want to go.

Classes for the 2020 fall semester begin Aug. 17. Register now for fall classes. You can also reach out to an FTCC admissions professional at admissions@faytechcc.edu.
For a high-quality education at an affordable price, make the smart choice for your education. Also, make the smart choice to register early for your fall classes. FTCC is a place where you can pursue your dream career. FTCC is a military-friendly college and ranked fifth in the nation by Military Times Best for Vets (2020).

Contact me if you have questions about the paralegal programs. I can be reached by phone at 910-678-7379 or by email at groboskm@faytechcc.edu. You can also visit the FTCC website at www.faytechcc.edu. Enter “paralegal” as a search term using the search tool on the homepage to read about program details for both the associate degree and diploma programs.

The months leading up to the summer break are normally a time when coaches at North Carolina High School Athletic Association member schools are allowed to have off-season conditioning workouts with their teams if they coach a sport that’s not in season during winter or spring.

But that hasn’t been the case for E.E. Smith football coach Andy Karcher, who took over the Golden Bull program in late February. Barely three weeks after being hired and joining the faculty at Smith, Karcher found himself cut off from his team as the COVID-19 pandemic forced a shutdown of high school sports in North Carolina.

Now Karcher, along with other coaches in Cumberland County, is anxiously awaiting the arrival of July 6, when they will be permitted to begin conditioning workouts with their teams under stringent safety guidelines suggested by the National Federation of State High School Associations and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Karcher, who came to Smith after serving as an assistant coach under Bill Sochovka at Pine Forest, got a few weeks to see some of his football players in weightlifting class at Smith, but has since been limited to only virtual contact with them.

“We’re putting in a new offense with new terminology,’’ Karcher said. “We’re trying to do as much as we can with the mental game.’’

One of the real challenges of only being able to meet virtually, Karcher said, is getting his athletes used to accountability, showing up on time, or showing up at all.
“For me it’s been extremely stressful trying to move forward,’’ he said.

He said he’s done the best he can talking to his players about the importance of maintaining their conditioning, taking part in regular workouts at their homes.
“I think when we come together, we’ll be able to hit the ground running,’’ Karcher said.

But there are still questions, he added, noting that between answering questions from his players and his new coaching staff, they are all finding themselves in totally uncharted waters.

“It’s really challenging me to find creative ways to get things done,’’ he said. The challenge has been complicated by the fact that whatever ideas Karcher comes up with, he has to make sure they take into account the need for things like social distancing and the other restrictions still in place because of the pandemic.

He praised members of his new coaching staff for adapting to the challenge as well. “They have taken it upon themselves to attend virtual coaching seminars,’’ he said. “They are trying to learn more about what we’re trying to do.’’

Karcher has also reached out to coaching friends like Sochovka and Ben Penny at Triton High School for suggestions on what to do. “It’s about talking and sharing,’’ Karcher said.

One of the biggest things he can’t control, and won’t be able to deal with until the first official day of fall practice when it comes, is learning how his team will deal with the physical aspect of football.

“Football is a contact sport,’’ he said. “As soon as we can get back to some normalcy, the kids’ spirits and our spirits as coaches will lift.

“The biggest thing now is trying to come up with a plan that is going to make sure the kids are mentally ready.’’

The most important thing Karcher wants to teach is teamwork, finding out how much his players know and trust each other so they can get through the challenge together.
“That’s what I love about football,” Karcher said. “It’s a sport that translates to everyday life after high school.’’

He hopes his players will adjust to the restrictions of COVID-19 workouts quickly, but most important of all, that they stick to them. “Follow the procedure as you’re supposed to follow it,’’ he said. “Make sure everybody is staying safe.

“This might be the new norm for awhile. We have to be flexible and do what we can do. We want to make sure everybody is doing what they are supposed to do so we can arrive at the season and it (the restrictions) won’t be prolonged any longer than it needs to be.’’

Did Jesus find a wife in North Carolina?

The answer is yes.

But the story is fictional, and the North Carolina connection is complicated.

Sue Monk Kidd is the best-selling author of “The Secret Life of Bees” and other popular books. Her latest, “The Book of Longings,” came out on
April 21. It tells the story of Ana and her marriage to a young carpenter and stonemason from Nazareth.

The North Carolina connection?

A short article in the May 17 issue of The New York Times headlined “Did Jesus Ever Tie the Knot? A New Novel Considers the Question” reported that Kidd, despite her deep connections to Georgia, wrote the new book in Chapel Hill, where she now lives.

Although the book is set in the Middle East of 2,000 years ago, the coming together of Jesus and Ana was framed in North Carolina.

The story begins in the year 16 A.D. Ana is the teen-aged daughter of the head scribe of Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, and, subject to the Roman overlords, the ruler of Galilee. Ana and her mother, father, aunt and servants live near Antipas’s palace in Sepphoris, a thriving town. Ana’s cousin and adopted brother, Judas, has left home to join with zealots fighting against the Roman occupation. Nearby Sepphoris is the poor village of Nazareth, where Jesus lives in a less-than-modest hovel with his widowed mother, Mary, and his siblings.

Unlike most other women of the times, Ana is well educated and writes stories of women heroes of the Bible. Although she cherishes her unmarried status, her parents arrange for her betrothal to an elderly wealthy man. When he dies before the wedding, they push her to become Antipas’s concubine.

Meanwhile, she has encountered Jesus, who walks each day from Nazareth to Sepphoris to work on a massive construction project for Antipas. The spark is immediate. She appreciates his deep connection to God, or as Jesus calls him when he prays, Abba or father. He appreciates her education and aspirations to write and promote the place of women.

  Their marriage transforms her privileged life into hand-to-mouth poverty in the crowded house in Nazareth, where Ana does not get the warmest of
welcomes.

Kidd describes the smells and the constant chores of cooking, milking, feeding, sewing, petty jealousies and resentments that fill the lives of the struggling poor. Jesus is often gone for long periods to work on projects in other parts of Galilee, sometimes even going as far as the Sea of Galilee to work with fishermen.

Jesus’s search for God leads him to the preaching of John the Baptist. He becomes a follower, and then when John is arrested by Antipas, Jesus becomes a leader, leaving Ana alone with his family in Nazareth.

Ana herself offends Antipas and becomes another of his targets. For safety, Ana’s aunt takes her to Egypt, where she encounters another set of conflicts and challenges in a totally different environment in the great library city of Alexandria.

Ana is finally called to return from Egypt. She arrives in Bethany near Jerusalem just in time for a Passover dinner with Mary, Martha, Lazarus and Jesus, but Jesus is not there. The next day in Jerusalem, Ana watches as Jesus is carrying the cross towards the execution site. He collapses. Ana rushes to comfort him and say goodbye.

Then Kidd reconstructs the crucifixion experience in a way more horrible and poignant than any of the four gospels. She also offers a surprising explanation of why Judas betrayed Jesus.

That Ana’s story continues after Jesus’s death emphasizes Kidd’s and Ana’s belief that the exclusion and minimization of the role of women in the days of Jesus and today has been a tragic mistake.

Whether Kidd’s readers are true believers or skeptical inquirers, “The Book of Longings” will be an enriching and challenging read.

The 2019-2020 play season at Cape Fear Regional Theatre experienced an unplanned intermission due to the coronavirus. When the governor presented social distancing guidelines in midMarch, CFRT cancelled the rest of its 2019-2020 season, which opened with a bang with “Mamma Mia!” and closed prematurely with “Murder for Two.”  Nevertheless, the staff of the theater has worked tirelessly to provide the arts to locals in a social-distancing-friendly way.

The journey started with the theater hosting a free offering for a couple months that was open to the public. Staff at the theater and artists who worked with the theater in the past would emphasize something different every day, from song-writing to dance to writing monologues. On average there were 10-20 attendees per class. That’s when the staff at the theater saw how virtual meetings were taking off.

When schools closed, the staff launched Virtual Edutainment. “We thought, What can we do to keep the theater going and (to keep) the kids engaged who we would normally have doing studio classes or coming to the theater?” said Marc de la Concha, the director of education at the CFRT.

The staff had all hands on deck to brainstorm, and landed on offering online, week-long classes that had a different focus each day. 

“It would kind of take care of what students were doing in school in terms of art and music and physical education,” said de la Concha. Some weeks were generic and some weeks had themes like Harry Potter, Lego and Dr. Seuss, to name a few. The program ran for nine weeks.

People outside Cumberland County and even outside of the state tuned into the lessons.

The launch was a success. Offering classes for two K-2nd grade sessions a day and two 3rd-5th grade sessions per day, the teachers had about 15 kids in each class on average, and they were able to give individual attention to the children.

Around the same time as the Virtual Edutainment launch, the Spring Break Bootcamp was supposed to take place. To help all the students who signed up for it to reap its benefits, they moved the boot camp online, where it had 50-60 participants.

CFRT is no novice when it comes to community outreach. Over the past few years, the theater has also reached out to the military community through its Passport series.
“(The series) is basically a playwriting workshop that takes place over eight weeks, and it’s for military children. They were offering it on post at the Throckmorton Library for two years, and it’s grown so much that this past year we worked with the library in Hope Mills and Rick’s Place and had our program out at those locations as well,” de la Concha explained.

The program is free, and as time has gone on, it has gained momentum. In the first year, the program filled up in a day. In the second year, the program sold out in a couple hours. “This past year, it’s been minutes,” said de la Concha. “We’ll tell the parents, ‘It’ll open up on this day at this time,’ and within minutes, it’s full.”

For the first time this year, CFRT attempted to offer a program called Act Fast for the military and military-adjacent adults with funding provided by The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. The production was going to be called “Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind,” a collection of 30 short plays, all performed in 60 minutes. With performance dates initially scheduled for mid-July, the performances had to be canceled due to the extension of Phase 2 social distancing, as well as the amount of participants who were PCSing.

Even so, Mary Kate Burke, artistic director at the theater, sees the attempt as a success because it brought part of the military community together. Because of the newfound friendships that were built during rehearsals, the participants were grateful for the experience, and many of them had a virtual Easter dinner together. The theater hopes to have Act Fast again next year.

“(The military) is always on the move, and it’s important for them to feel like there’s a place where they can gather together with people who are going through the same things that they are … The plays they write are really extraordinary, and it comes from a different place,” said de la Concha.

“It’s been an opportunity for them to get involved, whether they’re new to the area, they’ve been here a while, or they’re homeschooled or they go to one of the Cumberland County schools, it’s a great opportunity to get together with peers that are like them.”

Summer camps have always been popular at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre, and this year is no different. As summer goes on, the theater will host programs for several ages. So far, CFRT has hosted one of its camps for the production “Kids Rock The World” for ages 6-9. There are two more camps for the production coming up in July and August that are almost completely sold out. For ages 10-14, a camp with a production of “Frozen” is being offered. One of them has already happened. A sold out camp is happening in July, and an  in-person camp  is being offered from July 27-Aug. 8 with some availability. From July 27-Aug. 15, CFRT is offering a camp with a production of “Puffs” for ages 15-19.

Kids do wear masks in the productions while the theater also emphasizes sanitization to ensure the safety of the children. The theater also has been careful to follow the CDC’s social distancing guidelines.

One of the benefits of the CDC’s guidelines is that the children who participate in the camps are separated into three different groups. For example, one of the “Frozen” camps was split into three different groups, each of which did their own production. “We’ll have three Elsas, three Annas, three Olafs in each company. That’s great because … we’ve seen kids that have come here for years who feel like, ‘Yes, this is my summer,’” said de la Concha.

In a tumultuous time, the arts’ provision of creativity and joy is a much-needed constant. “I think everybody needs the arts, especially at a time like now,” said de la Concha. “We’re working very hard to make sure we can continue to make that happen.

Visit www.cfrt.org to find out more about what Cape Fear Regional Theatre.

Like millions of other Americans, I wake up every morning wondering what is going to happen today. How horrifying will the COVID-19 resurgence be? How and why has a protective health measure like covering one’s nose and mouth become a political statement? Will protesters be on our streets and will there be violence, damages and injuries?

It is a time unlike any other, at least in my lifetime.

The negatives of our collective situation are apparent to all Americans, and many of us are suffering financially and psychologically, individually and collectively. Each of us and our families approach this difficult time in our own ways, and none of us is certain we are doing it well. Every decision and every action seem — and are — a calculated risk.

It helps to think of silver linings, and there are some.

Since March, millions of us have been forced to slow down. Working remotely or not working at all has given us more time with our families, not all of it fairy tale perfect, of course, but opportunities to get to know each other in new ways. We are not side-by-side with our friends and coworkers, but we do “see” them through 21st century technology.

We are spending more time outdoors, because we have more time and fewer places, like gyms, to go. Walkers and bikers, both serious athletes and casual strollers and pedal pushers, populate our neighborhoods. We are listening to and watching for birds, with apps to identify birds by both sight and sound downloaded by the millions. Live-cam feeds of nesting birds have soared in popularity.

Cats and dogs are flying out shelter doors as Americans adopt them in record numbers.

Experts say we foster and adopt pets to help them, especially those who have been abandoned, but we wind up helping ourselves cope with stress and become more active as we care for our new charges.

We are learning that maybe, just maybe, we really do not need all the possessions and services we thought we did. This American did not have a haircut for more than three months, and while I was not thrilled by my shaggy tresses, I muddled through just like everyone else and was delighted when I finally did get a trim. Ditto for other personal services and impulse purchases not made because we are not out shopping as often as we were preCOVID-19.

And, glory be — Americans are cooking again. With restaurants closed or operating at reduced capacity, we have had to provide for ourselves, and many of us are getting creative. Sourdough starter is having a big moment, producing bread, pancakes, waffles and anything else bakers want to try. Many of us are cooking together, a first in some American households. The Dicksons’ summer obsession turns out to be finding the perfect tomato pie recipe, and we think we have it now.

More cooking means more groceries, some of them selected online and then picked up or delivered. No surprise then that grocery profits have spiked during the pandemic, as have those of other industries that make us more comfortable at home. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that also thriving are meal prep companies and prepared food outlets, cleaning and delivery services, liquor and wine stores, game makers and sellers, fitness equipment companies, landscaping and yard services, garden centers, and — guess who — mask producers.

Americans are also doing each other small kindnesses, and each of us has a story to tell about those. One that resonates with me comes from the Gallery X Art Collective in Murray, Kentucky. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, the tattoo parlor is offering to cover up inked symbols of hate or gangs — free of charge. Says tattoo artist Ryun King, “Having anything hate related is completely unacceptable. A lot of people when they were younger just didn’t know any better and were left with mistakes on their bodies. We just want to make sure everybody has a chance to change.” Their phone is ringing regularly.

Such is the phenomenon that is 2020, which still has six months to go.