A college education is key to a better future. Some individuals spend many years receiving an education. Others receive an education quickly to begin or enhance employment experiences. Whether it’s through a degree, diploma or certificate, anyone can choose the path to lay the foundation of their future through education.

Consider this scenario: No one in your family has completed college. You wonder what college is all about, and you are a little nervous. You feel you are stepping into uncharted waters. You may feel like life is passing you by. You may wonder if you will ever dig yourself out of a bad situation, or you may feel you are stuck in the same job at the workplace.

Fayetteville Technical Community College offers an answer. By going to college and earning a degree, diploma or certificate, your life could be on the fast track for making a change for the better.

For those unsure of what type of work they might enjoy or what program of study to choose, FTCC has another answer — Career Coach. This tool provides a free career assessment so people can learn about themselves. Career Coach offers career suggestions based on the person’s interests.

If the cost of attending college is a concern, prospective students can complete the FAFSA application toapply for financial aid. FTCC also offers 117 scholarship opportunities as well as grants, loans and work-study programs. An entire staff works hard to help qualified students receive money to cover tuition and books.

FTCC has also begun a new initiative called First Year Connections. This program uses a team approach in supporting first-year, first generation students. FTCC staff provide the personalized assistance students need to begin and stay focused on goals.

FTCC also offers a dedicated team that supports students (day, evening, and online) with physical, psychological or learning disabilities. Students needing this support simply request accommodation and provide appropriate documentation pertaining to the disability or disabilities.

At FTCC, we believe in helping first-year, first-generation college students blossom through the care and attention of advisors, mentors and peer counselors at the First Year Connections office. Advising, tutoring and mentoring are helpful in reducing anxiety and stress and promoting student success.

Start on the path to a brighter future during 2019. Admissions representatives and counselors are on call to assist students with applications, program selection and registration. Registration for classes is currently underway.

Call FTCC at 910-678-8400 or visit the Fayetteville, Spring Lake or Fort Bragg campus locations for face-toface assistance.

There’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel for drivers in Hope Mills — or, to be more accurate, there are a couple of extra passing lanes.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation recently held an information session to get residents’ input and share details about its new plan. The North Carolina DOT plans to widen both Rockfish and Golfview Roads and install a couple of roundabouts to help ease traffic congestion.

“Our local leaders and local transportation agency (Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) requested that we make this a priority that we widen these roads and somehow improve them,’’ said Andrew Barksdale, a spokesman for North Carolina DOT.

The best news for Hope Mills is that the roughly $12 million needed to make the project happen is already funded. The only bad news is the project won’t get started until the summer of 2022. Barksdale said the estimate is it will take from two to three years until the widened road will be finished.

For now, DOT is still seeking input from both local government officials and people in the Hope Mills community on any changes or tweaks that need to be made to the plan that the state has already mapped out for the roads.

Barksdale said the state no longer builds fivelane roads with four lanes for normal driving and one center turn lane. “It has to be an extreme, unusual circumstance due to topography,’’ he said, for a five-lane road to be built.

The current practice is to construct four-lane roads with a raised median in the center.

The plan for Golfview and Rockfish roads is to do the same, adding two roundabouts at critical locations.

One roundabout would be at the intersection of the two roads. The second would be at a current traffic bottleneck at Rockfish and Park Boulevard at the entrance to Rockfish Elementary School, Brower Park and Hope Mills Municipal Park.

“You’ve got all these issues out there,’’ Barksdale said, referring to the busy intersection. “The school. Ballfield. Town Hall. We don’t need people flying through there speeding. People are crossing back and forth.’’

A sidewalk is already under construction on one side of the roadway.

Roundabouts provide a safer option for traffic, forcing drivers to slow down and also making it easier for pedestrians to cross the street because they can go halfway first and safely stop if needed.

“It’s a good fit for the right intersection,’’ Barksdale said of the roundabout. “The project overall is going to decrease congestion during peak travel times and improve safety.’’

Barksdale said widening a road, as is planned for both Rockfish and Golfview, and adding a median reduces the risk of serious T-bone type accidents.

Barksdale stressed the design that has been put forward by the state DOT is preliminary. Public input on any needed changes to the design will be accepted until mid-March.

“We can still tweak it based on feedback from everyone involved, including emergency services, town officials and property owners,’’ Barksdale said. “We feel this is the right plan for this use. We need people to be safe going through there because of all the uses.’’

One potential conflict to the plan is a project the town of Hope Mills has in the works to build a combined police and fire department complex near the current location of the existing buildings for both. They are also located in the area where the road project will take place.

An official target date for starting the police-fire complex hasn’t been set, according to Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner. But it could start as soon as 2020 if the town secures funding and likely would take only a year to build.

If the town delays its start of the police-fire complex, Barksdale said, the North Carolina DOT would coordinate with the town to avoid adding to traffic problems or interfering with driveway access for police and fire vehicles. “It’s all part of the planning process,’’ he said.

People who were unable to attend the information meeting held earlier can still offer their input about the project. The two contacts are Sean Matuszewski and Steve Scott.

Contact Matuszewski by emailing him at spmatuszewski@ncdot.gov or by mailing him at P.O. Box 1150, Fayetteville, 28302. He can be reached by phone at 919-364-0603.

Email Scott atsscott@sepiengineering.com or call him at 919-573-9929.

Getting hot at the right time can be critical when pursuing a championship of any kind. No one made that point better recently than the boys’ bowling team from South View High School.

The Tigers were a less than impressive third in the regular season race in the Patriot Athletic Conference.

But postseason was a different story. The South View boys rolled their way to victory in the conference tournament and continued their hot streak Feb. 15 at the Lumberton Bowling Center, capturing the state bowling championship.

The Tiger hot streak got started in the finals of the conference tournament against Pine Forest. South View bowled three games in the last round and had scores of 175, 200 and 200.

That earned South View a trip to the state tournament, but the team still had to dodge a near debacle to have a shot at the championship.

The format in the state tournament was to bowl four games as a team against the entire field. After that, the four teams with the highest pin count advanced to the next round.

“We made the top four by three pins,’’ South View coach Mike Maddox said.

As the fourth seed in the field, South View had to face top-seeded and home team Lumberton in the next round. “We kind of limped in and got hot,’’ Maddox said. The Tigers beat Lumberton and advanced to the finals against Pinecrest, where South View got the win and the championship. They beat the Patriots in the finals 161-154.

Maddox gives much of the credit for South View’s success this year to senior Hunter Hicks. Hicks has been the Tiger captain and anchor bowler for the last two years and a team member for four years.

In team bowling, five players roll two frames each per match. The anchor bowler bowls the fifth and 10th frames. The 10th frame is crucial because if that bowler can strike or spare, he gets an extra ball to add to the team score.

“You want your best bowler, and he certainly fits that bill,’’ Maddox said. “We’ve been riding that horse a couple of years now.’’

Hicks began bowling with family more than a dozen years ago. “It’s something you can always improve on,’’ he said of bowling, “little adjustments to improve the game.’’

Hicks said he and some of his teammates went to Lumberton prior to the state championship to get a feel for the lanes there.

He bowled in the individual competition in the state championship match but struggled near the end and didn’t finish among the leaders. But he didn’t allow that to affect his performance in the team round.

“My mind went straight to the team,’’ he said. “I thought we had a good chance of winning it.’’

Hicks said he couldn’t ask for a better way to complete his final season with the team than them bringing home the state title.

He plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and become a social worker. Pembroke doesn’t have a bowling team, but Hicks hopes to change that. “I plan to get hold of the United States Bowling Congress and look at starting a team at Pembroke,’’ he said.

Photo:  L-R: Coach Mike Maddox, Josh Packer, Nick Riley, Nick Roberson, Hunter Hicks, Connor Schneider, Joshua Hicks, Jordan Hicks, Isaac Palakawongse, Shaakir Williams, Jaycee Wynne

 President Donald Trump wants to use funding for military projects across the country to pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. He’s thinking about taking $3.6 billion from the Department of Defense. But the man temporarily in charge of the Defense Department is not sure he should do that. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said he has made no decisions on whether the southern border wall is militarily necessary. The appropriations bill says that is a crucial determination before military construction funds could be redirected to build it.

Prior to Feb. 15, the administration had not decided which military construction projects are slated to be stripped of their funding. Congress had set aside about $10 billion for base projects, and $3.6 billion of that could go to the border. Feb. 15, Trump declared a national emergency, which gives him the authority to access unspent funds in defense accounts. Congress and at least 16 states disagree with the president and are suing to stop the funding transfers.

Shanahan is expected ultimately to support the wall construction, but he is still determining how military spending could support it. “We understand there are some priorities that won’t be considered,” Shanahan said. “Military housing … I’ve received a number of letters, I’ve had lots of feedback saying, ‘Do not jeopardize the projects that are underway,’”

Shanahan added, “I appreciate we’re trying to work through this very complicated situation … that people remind us, these are real, live, very important projects.”

In a recent presentation, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, officials outlined $699 million of planned construction projects over the next six years in addition to the $343 million the Department of Defense has underway at the local post. That’s more funding than is assigned to all the military bases in Florida, which could lose up to $177 million for planned construction, according to a list of eligible projects compiled by the House Appropriations Committee.

Some projects planned at Fort Bragg could be vulnerable because they don’t contribute to military readiness. The multimillion-dollar Freedom Crossing entertainment and retail district for active-duty and retired service members and their families has a $27 million budget, according to the Army & Air Force Exchange Service. It will include three retail buildings, a 42,000-squarefoot movie theater and an outdoor public entertainment and event plaza.

The bulk of other construction projects will be for the benefit of the installation’s special operations mission. The recent disclosure from Fort Bragg officials also earmarked $788 million in what they called a wish list for a fire station, Pope Army Airfield upgrades, tactical equipment maintenance facilities, barracks and training areas.

Fort Bragg is the world’s largest military installation by population and is expected to continue growing in the coming years. In addition to being home to the Army’s airborne and special operations units, the post is also Forces Command Headquarters and is home to the Army Reserve Command. It is colloquially referred to as Pentagon South.

 Leadership comes in many forms. Friday, March 8, we will celebrate The Fayetteville Observer’s 40 Under 40 winners who have achieved benchmarks of success in their personal and business lives through dedication, hard work and perseverance. This is absolutely something worth celebrating.

And, to their credit, the folks at The Fayetteville Observer have done an extremely good job in making sure this annual recognition remains balanced, politically correct and representative of our diverse population by covering all business and socio-economic aspects of our community. The honorees include those who work in business, all levels of education, the military, the medical field, nonprofit organizations, government and entrepreneurial endeavors.

These extraordinary young people have made their mark locally and, in many ways, contribute to the personality and fabric of our community.

This being the case, it does not bode well for the future of our community that all these high achievers — except Tisha Waddell, District 2 city councilwoman — seem to avoid public service as elected officials. Out of 40 young notables, one would think there would be at least a few who are politically active.

This begs the question: Are we doing enough to engage these ambitious young professionals? Are we encouraging them to get involvedpolitically?

I’m not sure we are. Organizations like the Greater Fayetteville Chamber have traditionally mentored and groomed young talent for business, industry and public service. Now, not so much.

Chambers of Commerce need to be fierce advocates for local business. By doing so, they should engage the people and processes that develop talented and effective leaders.

Millennials are the future of our community. We need to make it our highest priority to get them involved and engaged. More importantly, we need to do our part in creating a community where they want to be involved and engaged.

Forty Under 40 has gotten them to the starting gate. Now, we need to get them to the finish line.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

 Valentine’s Day 2019 has come and gone, leaving in its wake warm and fuzzy memories and wilting red roses.

But not for everyone.

Older Americans, it seems, are increasingly striking out on their own by choice and by choices made by Mother Nature. According to data released by the Senior List, divorce is rising among Baby Boomers — people born to parents in the post-World War II years 1946-1964. For Boomers, now aged 55-73, the divorce rate has tripled. For those 50 to 65, it has merely doubled over the last few decades.

This is a contributing factor to television and online ads for dating apps targeted to seniors — ads featuring good-looking seniors smiling and chatting as they maneuver online dating and meet other attractive seniors to ride bikes or have cocktails.

The reality, however, is more complicated and less attractive. Most people between 55 and 64 are already married, and the pool of those who are not shrinks daily, as obituaries attest. Throw in various health and financial issues, and senior dating slides down the priority list.

Some states have hotter dating scenes than others, though, and the Senior List has ranked them. The top five states— Maryland, Hawaii, Connecticut, Alaska and Virginia — have relatively low but growing rates of single seniors, in the 12-13 percent range, and That means the dating pools are expanding and that senior singles have disposable incomes to enhance their social lives.

At the other end of the spectrum, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia and Mississippi come in last for senior dating. Their pools of single seniors are declining, though not by much, and none of them have average senior incomes above $50,000. In other words, these states have fewer eligible senior singles.

Where is North Carolina in all this senior dating data?

The Senior List puts the Tar Heel state at No. 43 with about 12 percent of our population in this demographic, which is barely growing and whose average income barely hits $50,000.

It turns out that the most successful place for single seniors to find love is not a state at all. Both women and men 55 and up have the best chance of finding love in Washington, D.C.

Could Congress possibly take credit for this?

For more information, visit www.theseniorlist.com.

The situation may not be so great for Americans on the younger end, either.

In its December 2018 cover story, “The Sex Recession,” The Atlantic reported that for all sorts of reasons, young adults are having less sex. Factors include helicopter parents, living at home into their 30s, fixations on social media, dramatically rising levels of professional and educational achievement of women, and some not generally covered in Up & Coming Weekly. The bottom line is, today’s young folks are starting later, dating less and entering fewer romantic relationships than their parents did.

It is tempting to dismiss these changes as personal situations, but they have significant implications for all of us. America’s declining birthrate is already an issue for colleges and universities, whose pool of traditional applicants is diminishing annually. Will we become a nation of old folks, like Japan and Italy?

Researchers tell us, and we know instinctively, that meaningful relationships of all kinds and at all ages make us happier and help us live longer. Chronic loneliness leads to depression and has been equated to the health risk of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

All of us, no matter our ages and marital status, should make a daily point of putting down our phones, peeling ourselves away from our computers and reaching out to other people. We may help someone else. We may make new friends. We may find a new and more interesting job. 

We may even find the loves of our lives.

Dallas Wilson and Jared Barbour took somewhat different paths to their goals, but in the end, both realized the same dream: capturing North Carolina High School Athletic Association individual state wrestling titles.

The Cape Fear High School pair brought home their championships in the annual NCHSAA state meet at the Greensboro Coliseum, winning in the Feb. 16 finals at the Greensboro Coliseum.

For Wilson, it was his second state title in as many seasons. He won the 138-pound class with a 12-0 major decision over Joshua Felix of North Henderson.

Barbour had a more difficult time in his title match, beating Morgan King, also of North Henderson, 7-4.

Wilson finished the season 50-1, Barbour 50-2.

Heath Wilson, the father of Dallas and the coach of the Cape Fear wrestling team, had two main worries as his son pursued his second state title.

“Don’t let negativity seep in,’’ Coach Wilson said. “There are a lot of avenues that it could — everything from weight cutting to workouts.’’

Coach Wilson said his biggest concerns for his son were the pressure of repeating and the possibility of injury. An ankle injury just before the championship round last season almost derailed Dallas’ title bid.

Dallas said pressure took a toll on his mindset at times during the season, but the day of the finals, he had a couple of hours to gather his thoughts because his championship match was one of the last ones scheduled.

He thanked teammates like Barbour and another state finalist, Triston Chapman, who dueled with him in practice. He said there were also wrestlers from his club team who pushed him and boosted his confidence.

In the title match, he got the first takedown and jumped to an early 3-0 lead. “Once I went up 8-0, I knew I had it in the bag,’’ he said.

Dallas plans to take some time off but said he will definitely be back on the mat by March at the latest. “I’m trying to win a national title,’’ he said. “I’m trying to get up there with the top dogs.’’

After two years of missing out on the championship chase, Barbour made a decision that he was going to push for a state title in his final season at Cape Fear.

“I didn’t want to go into a tournament worried about a kid,’’ he said. “I wanted to walk in knowing I was tough enough and good enough to beat anybody.’’

He took weightlifting classes at Cape Fear and was pushed by Colt football coaches Jacob Thomas and Jordan Vann. He also got instruction in club wrestling from Kyle Narburgh. “He pushed me and taught me what I needed to do to be a state champ,’’ Barbour said.

He honed his mental edge as he pursued the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. “I would come off the mat straight to Boy Scout meetings,’’ he said. The two disciplines weren’t always fun, but he said he realized he had to drive through both.

Although his title match was close, Barbour never felt out of control. “I never felt I was losing,’’ Barbour said. “When he escaped and took me down, I knew what I had to do. I felt pretty confident.’’

Barbour hopes to wrestle in college but he’s made no definite plans. He leaves Cape Fear proud to be part of establishing a new wrestling legacy for the tradition rich Colt program.

“To be in the top three (as a team) the last two years... means a lot,’’ he said. “Bringing in better coaching staff with Garrison Matthews and Kyle Narburgh the last two years, I think we are definitely moving up.’’

In addition to the state titles won by Wilson and Barbour, the following Cumberland County wrestlers placed in the top six in their weight classes in this year’s NCHSAA individual wrestling championships.

4-A

120 - Kevin Wanovich, Jack Britt, 6th

145 - Tremaine Jackson, South View, 6th

160 - Denzel Carrucini, Jack Britt, 6th

195 - Erick Martinez, Jack Britt, 2nd

3-A

126 - Triston Chapman, Cape Fear, 2nd

220- Ray Dixon, Douglas Byrd, 2nd

220 - Nick Minacapelli, Cape Fear, 3rd

Photo: Dallas Wilson and Jared Barbour of Cape Fear High School pose with their championship brackets on the floor of the Greensboro Coliseum.

 Is it the job of government to make you happy? While it may seem like a straightforward question, there are some important subtleties packed into those few words.

On the face of it, “no” feels like the obvious answer. Our country’s Declaration of Independence states that governments are instituted to secure our rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The first section of our own state constitution uses the same language, while adding that North Carolinians are also entitled to protection of their right “to enjoyment of the fruits of their own labor.”

Under our form of government, you are not entitled to be happy. Nor are you entitled to enjoy the rights of someone else’s labor. You are free to yearn, to strive, to pursue. You may reach your goals and feel happy about that. Or, you may not fully reach your goals yet derive satisfaction from the attempt and from what you gain along the way.

Governments are obligated, then, only to protect your right to pursue happiness. Simply being unhappy is not a justification for governments using coercion to transfer the fruits of other people’s labors to you.

On the other hand, the tasks governments are constitutionally authorized to do for us — ensure public safety, administer courts and finance public goods that cannot otherwise be delivered by voluntary means — are obviously related to our happiness. We pay taxes, comply with the law and otherwise give up some of our personal liberty in order to receive valuable public services. If we don’t get them, or their value is far less than the cost, that understandably makes us unhappy. As government failures increase, that unhappiness turns to anger.

Whether in Washington or in Raleigh, policymakers typically judge public policies according to objective criteria such as the pace of economic growth, changes in personal incomes, levels of educational attainment or health outcomes. Increasingly, however, some analysts are using measures of public happiness or satisfaction to evaluate what government does (or fails to do).

The technical name for what they are measuring is “subjective wellbeing.” People differ in their preferences, circumstances and definitions of a life well lived. The best way to gauge how happy or satisfied they feel is to ask them, not to make guesses based on facts external to their personal experience.

When it comes to the optimal size and scope of government, progressives and conservatives clearly disagree. In the North Carolina context, for example, progressives think our state expenditures and taxes are too low to finance necessary public services. Conservatives think North Carolina is closer to getting it right and that making state government bigger than it is now would cost more than the additional services would be worth.

I’m a conservative, and I often cite studies about economic growth to support my case. But is that really the goal? One might argue that instead of measuring North Carolina’s gross domestic product, we ought to be measuring North Carolina’s gross domestic happiness.

A few researchers have done that kind of analysis. For example, a study by Baylor University political scientist Patrick Flavin, just published in the journal Social Science Research, compared levels of state spending to levels of subjective wellbeing. He found no relationship between overall state spending and residents’ self-reported happiness. He found the same thing for major categories of state spending such as education and public assistance.

However, Flavin did find the states that spent more on true public goods — including highways, public safety, libraries and parks — tended to have higher levels of subjective wellbeing. With true public goods, it is either impossible or prohibitively costly to exclude nonpayers from benefiting from them, and consumption by one person doesn’t significantly reduce the ability of another to consume it.

Taken together with other studies showing a link between economic freedom and subjective wellbeing, I read this evidence as generally consistent with a fiscally conservative approach to public policy. Perhaps you disagree. I’m happy to talk more about it.

 The controversy involving election fraud in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District is unusual but not unprecedented. There’s a long tradition of contested elections in the U.S. House of Representatives. A report from the Congressional Research Service documents 107 such episodes between 1933 and 2009. In most cases, the contests were dismissed in favor of the person whose election was challenged.

Much of Cumberland County is in the 9th district. North Carolina’s 9th district story is complicated, but here are the basics.

The 2018 general election in the 9th district was a contest between Democrat Dan McCready and Republican Mark Harris; Harris defeated the incumbent GOP holder of the seat, Robert Pittenger, in the primary. In the general election, Harris appeared to have defeated McCready by 905 votes.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections twice refused to certify the results of the race because of allegations of irregularities involving mailinabsentee ballots.

Some voters claimed that individuals came to their homes and collected their unsealed ballots. Others alleged that they received absentee ballots that they never requested.

And, numerous individuals claimed they were paid by Republican political operative McCrae Dowless to collect absentee ballots from voters.

North Carolina law prescribes that, with limited exceptions, it is illegal to collect and return someone else’s absentee ballot.

Experts say that what happened in the district amounted to election fraud, not voter fraud. This terminology stems from the political definition taken on by the term “voter fraud” in recent years. That term is generally associated with purposeful actions committed by individual voters— such as voting more than once or voting in a jurisdiction where one does not live.

What allegedly happened in the local congressional district, however, is not primarily about voters casting ballots they were ineligible to cast. Rather, it involved people aligned with a political party inhibiting voters’ ability to cast ballots. This is also known as voter suppression.

Investigators are also looking into the results of the Republican primary, in which Harris beat Pittenger by just 828 votes but won 96 percent of the absentee vote in Bladen county, the easternmost county in the district, along the South Carolina border from Charlotte.

Dowless had ties to other Republican candidates in the 2018 election, and Bladen County has seen at least five separate elections investigations since 2010. Article 1, Section 5 of the U.S. Constitution makes the House of Representatives the ultimate judge of “elections, returns and qualifications” of its members.

Historically, the House has been deferential to state election proceedings. When a House seat has a certified winner, which the local district does not, there is a substantial burden of proof on the loser to convince the House to reject that decision by a state.

There are two basic ways a challenge can arise in the House. The main approach is for the losing candidate to file a contest under the Federal Contested Elections Act of 1969. Or, the House may refer the question to its Committee on House Administration for an investigation. Either way, the committee has a wide range of remedies available to it, including recommending that the results of the election be rejected and a new election be held.

Comments from prominent House Democrats, including Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, indicate that Democratic leadership has begun considering its options.

Americans have a stake in ensuring that elections are conducted fairly and that the ability to exercise their right to vote isn’t impeded.

The O’Jays come March 15

The O’Jays have been wowing audiences and crooning charttopping hits since the 1960s. Friday, March 15, the legendary group brings its soul-soothing music to the Crown, compliments of the local, music-focused nonprofit Community Concerts.

The fourth show in a five-concert Community Concerts season, the O’Jays performance helps fill out a rock ’n’ roll-themed year.

The O’Jays has earned its place in music history, churning out hits for more than 50 years. Band members Walter Williams and Eddie Levert first met when they were the ages of 6 and 7, respectively. As teenagers in Canton, Ohio, they formed a band originally consisting of Levert, Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey and Bill Isles.

While several members have since changed, Levert and Williams continue to lead the group. “We still appreciate our friendship, dedication to each other and the group and our love for good music,” Williams said. “We probably could have had great solo careers, but I don’t think either one of us could have ever been as big as The O’Jays.”

Williams has battled multiple sclerosis for 30 years and continues to execute his dance moves with perfection when performing onstage with the group. He is also a volunteer National Ambassador for the MS Society and a spokesperson for MS Active Source.

Levert is known for his raspy voice with a range that reaches from alto to second tenor. Levert teamed up with his son Gerald for a duet, “Baby, Hold On To Me,” which hit No. 1 on the R&B charts. Eddie also mentored his sons Gerald and Sean, who also worked in the music industry.

“Backstabbers” is one of the band’s early hits. From there, The O’Jays came up with various pop and R&B singles, including “Love Train,” “Put Your Hands Together,” “For the Love of Money,” “I Love Music,” “Darlin’ Darlin’ Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love),” “Livin’ for the Weekend” and “Use Ta Be My Girl.”

The O’Jays were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as well as the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005 and The Official R&B Music Hall of Fame in 2013. They were honored with BET’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. Their music continues to entertain across many platforms and is featured in many movies, commercials and TV shows.

The Community Concerts 2018-19 season

Community Concerts Attractions Director Michael Fleishman noted that while last year’s Broadway- esque season featured song, dance and a bit of magic, this year is all about concerts and rock ’n’ roll. And Community Concerts didn’t hold back.

The season opened with former Steely Dan member, Doobie Brother and Grammy Award winner Michael McDonald for “Season of Peace” in November.

Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famers Three Dog Night followed in late February. Between 1969 and 1974, no records or more concert tickets than Three Dog Night. Their songs still fill the airwaves and live on in commercials and television shows, too.

“The Choir of Man” hits the stage Feb. 27, a feisty standout in an impressive lineup of well-established superstars. Part concert, part party, part pub crawl, “The Choir of Man” is not only a worldwide hit, it’s an interactive experience the audience won’t soon forget.

“This is a stand-up-and-cheer show,” Fleishman said. “Don’t let the name fool you.”

Fleishman noted that the set includes a full working bar and a piano. He added that the performers are “on fire,” bringing a level of zeal to the performance that will surely have people singing along and dancing in the aisles.

One of the show’s producers, Nic Doodson, said, “The guys have spent the last couple of years touring the U.K. and Australia, and they are ready to bring this show to American audiences.

“This concert is such a great time for all — whether it’s a ladies’ night, first date, guys’ night out or even a bachelorette party. So, grab your best mates and we’ll see you at the venue … the first pint is on us, (seriously)!”

“The Choir of Man” celebrates the music of rock icons, including Adele, Queen, Paul Simon, Katy Perry, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more. The cast features world-class tap dancers, acrobats, singers, instrumentalists and poets.

“America” closes out the Community Concerts season April 4. Formed in London in the 1960s, this classic rock powerhouse’s hits include “A Horse with No Name,” “I Need You,” “Ventura Highway,” “Don’t Cross the River,” “Tin Man,” “Lonely People” and “Sister Golden Hair.” Their reach spans generations of rock ’n’ roll fans, and their followers still show up in droves to see them perform.

About Community Concerts

Community Concerts holds the title of Fayetteville’s oldest art organization. The sole purpose of this all-volunteer entity is to bring the finest top-notch entertainment to Fayetteville, and it’s been doing just that for more than eight decades.

Like most volunteer-based organizations, there is always room for more help, more ideas and more enthusiasm within the ranks.

“The secret to this organization has been to try to take it up a notch every year, get good groups and treat people well,” said Fleishman. “There are lots of people who like being involved in music things. We are looking for board members that enjoy selling and talking about shows. This is a very handson organization.”

Beyond a dedicated team of volunteers and a commitment to bring the best music available to this community, the organization’s passion has spilled over into other beneficial music-related programs.

In 2008, Community Concerts decided to create a way to celebrate and honor those who have brought musical distinction to the community. As a result, each year, at one of the season’s concerts, new inductees join the distinguished members of the Fayetteville Music Hall of Fame.

In addition to recognizing locals for their musicrelated achievements, Community Concerts helps aspiring musicians chase their dreams by awarding scholarships to local high school graduates. The program started in 2004. To date, nearly 30 students have received scholarships.

There are other ways Community Concerts supports local artists. One example is its local artist showcase program, which puts local performers onstage during regular season shows. Performers who have participated in the local artist showcase include Voices of the Heart, which opened for Gladys Knight; students from Linda Kinlaw’s School of Dance, who performed with Martina McBride; and Trae Edwards, who performed at the Ricky Skaggs Show.

Community Concerts also provides free concert opportunities to select groups. Some of the groups that have already benefitted from this program include the Vision Resource Center, Fayetteville Urban Ministry, The Sunshine Center, members of local fire and police departments, high school theater art classes and members of the military.

For tickets and information, visit community-concerts.com/about-us.

Meetings

For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Town Clerk Jane Starling at 910-426-4113. Most meetings take place at Town Hall or the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation center.

• Veterans Affairs Commission Thursday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m., Parks and Recreation Center

• Board of Commissioners Monday, March 4, 7 p.m., Luther Board Room, Town Hall

• Board of Commissioners Saturday, March 9, 8 a.m., Camp Rockfish Retreat Center (Budget workshop for fiscal year 2019-20)

• Board of Commissioners Monday, March 18, 7 p.m., Luther Board Room, Town Hall

• Lake Advisory Committee, Tuesday, March 19, 6 p.m., Parks and Recreation Center

Activities

• Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Senior programs at the Parks and Recreation Center. The Senior programs for people ages 55-plus who are residents of Cumberland County have resumed. The rec center was closed in mid-September after Hurricane Florence. Various activities are now back and are scheduled Monday through Friday throughout the day. For details on times and days, check the schedule at www.townofhopemills.com, call the rec center at 910-426-4109, or email Kasey Ivey at kivey@townofhopemills.com.

Mark Burks

Cape Fear • Track and field/football/ swimming/wrestling • Junior

Mark has a 4.1 grade point average. He is a member of Campus Life, the Creative Writing Club and the History Club. 

Morgan Nunnery

Cape Fear • Softball/golf • Junior

Morgan has a 4.2 grade point average. She is a member of Student Government Association, Future Business Leaders of America and HOSAFuture Health Professionals.

 SEGRA Stadium, the new home of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, will be unveiled to the public Saturday, April 13, at noon. The free event is called “Fayetteville Fans First Look.” Residents will have a chance to see the stadium’s amenities, including bars, several concession areas and a 360-degree concourse. Varied seating arrangements will be available — from the grandstand to a patio with foosball and cornhole. The ballpark will seat 4,700.

The Fayetteville Woodpeckers are an advanced single-A farm team of the Houston Astros.

“We invite Fayetteville residents out for this momentous occasion, which is historic for Fayetteville,” said City Manager Douglas Hewett.

Many of the amenities at SEGRA Stadium are patterned after Spirit Communications Park in Columbia, South Carolina. There will be an outfield bar with 30 beers on tap; a centerfield grassy berm seating area, where fans can lounge on blankets or lawn chair; club seats; and luxury suites.

Individual game tickets and various ticket packages will be available. Learn more and purchase game tickets at www.milb.com/fayetteville.

Eradicating criminal records in Cumberland County

One-and-a-half million North Carolina adults have criminal records. Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West said these records can be a deterrent to employment and educational opportunities for former inmates. The county’s expungement clinic has a two-year history of annulling the records of hundreds of individuals, according to West.

Details of this year’s expungement clinic were announced Feb. 20 by West; Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin; State Rep. Elmer Floyd, D-Cumberland; and Cumberland County Commissioner Charles Evans.

Three information sessions will take place for those who believe they may qualify. They are set for March 9 at 11 a.m. at Simon Temple A.M.E. Zion Church, March 19 at 6 p.m. at Kingdom Impact Global Ministries and March 30 at 11 a.m. at Lewis Chapel Missionary Baptist Church.

Juvenile offender funding

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety appropriates funding annually to Cumberland County for programs and services to serve juvenile offenders. The county is committed to ensuring that all eligible agencies are aware of the opportunity to apply for funding. Requests for proposals are being sought and are due in mid-April.

Access RFP information on Cumberland County’s website, www.co.cumberland.nc.us. Select the business button at the top of the page to locate the form. Only local public agencies, 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporations and local housing authorities are eligible for funding.

Contact Cindy Tucker at ctucker@ co.cumberland.nc.us or call 910-678-7723 for more information.

Official named to fill Fayetteville finance vacancy

Jay Toland has been selected chief financial officer for the city of Fayetteville. Toland has served as interim chief financial officer for eight months.

He will oversee the finance department, which manages $200 million in revenues and expenditures. He is also responsible for oversight of the city’s $145 million investment portfolio.

Before coming to Fayetteville, Toland was chief financial officer for Scotland County Schools in North Carolina. He earned his Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. He has also completed other post-graduate work at East Carolina University and is a certified management accountant.

Toland is filling one of four vacancies of senior executives for the city of Fayetteville. “I plan to fill positions for Public Services Director, Assistant City Manager and Fire Chief. All are at different recruitment/selection stages in the order listed,” said City Manager Douglas Hewett.

Alzheimer’s fund raiser scheduled

Fayetteville Alzheimer’s research enthusiasts pulled off an amazing feat last year. In three weeks, they raised the most money in the state during Fayetteville’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The team was dubbed Jaywalkers in honor of then-Assistant City Manager Jay Reinstein, who had just been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. The team came together on short notice and raised close to $30,000 for Alzheimer’s research.

The team at PWC pulled their group together in a week and also raised several thousand dollars. Longtime Alzheimer’s awareness activists from McKee Homes also contributed significantly.

This year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s is set for Sept. 7 at Festival Park. The goal is to double last year’s participation and fundraising. The entire community is invited to join the cause. For more information, visit the Alzheimer’s Foundation website at www.alz.org or email amjulian@alz.org.

Local school system honored

Cumberland County’s Board of Education has recognized the school system’s communications and public relations department for receiving nine state awards from the North Carolina School Public Relations Association.

Cumberland County Schools was among 38 school districts in North Carolina to win Blue Ribbon Awards for effective school communications and public relations during NCSPRA’s annual blue-ribbon awards ceremony earlier this month in Greensboro. CCS won awards in the electronic media category, publications category and special events/programs category.

Blue-ribbon awards are the highest honors a school district can receive from the NCSPRA.

“Our awards program is about recognizing the quality work of school public relations professionals and bringing attention to their outstanding efforts to support and promote our schools,” said NCSPRA President Todd Hagans.

 People of Earth, how are you? Yoko Ono once posed that question, but no one answered. Let’s take a shot at the same issue. Earthlings seem to be in the midst of a passel of super moons. Every time you turn around, there is a new super moon. We used to have regular moons. With social media, every time the lights go out, we seem to get a super moon.

In January we had the Super Wolf Blood Moon. In mid-February we had the Super Snow Moon. On March 21, we will get to enjoy the Rosie O’Donnell Super Moon to celebrate Rosie’s 57th birthday. All this reminds me of Andy Williams singing “Moon River.” If one thinks of Andy Williams, who can forget his one-time girlfriend Claudine Longet? In 1976, Claudine shot her thenboyfriend Olympic skier Spider Sabich. However, I digress.

All the super moons put me in mind of the mythological Diana, who was the goddess of the moon and the hunt. Let us pose the musical question: If Diana were around today, what would she think of the multitude of super moons? To answer this question, it is helpful to get forensic background information about Diana. Let us proceed.

Diana was the daughter of Jupiter and his baby mama, Latona. Jupiter was the King of the Gods. Diana’s brother, Apollo, got a concert hall named for him. Diana came from the upper 1 percent of the gods. She had a very low tax rate, in keeping with her high station. Diana was the Ivanka Trump of goddesses.

One thing about Diana — she did not like surprises. Ponder what happened to Actaeon, who was out hunting with his buddies one day on the first day of deer season.

It was noon on a sweltering day. Actaeon and pals had been out hunting with dogs all morning and were pretty tuckered out from their adventures. Acty (as his friends called him) told his buddies to sit in the shade and have some brewskis to recover for more hunting that afternoon.

The boys did not have to be asked twice. Pretty soon, everyone was getting sloshed. Acty was counting carbs, so he passed on drinking. He wandered off into the woods to take a look-see, leaving his buds behind with the Carling Black Labels. Unknown to Acty, he was in the same forest in which Diana had a cave where she would hang with her posse, the nymphs. Diana was in the process of skinny-dipping in the cool pond outside the cave when Acty blundered into the sacred circle. The nymphs shrieked, “Man in the hall!”

They tried to shield Diana’s nekkid body from the prying eyes of Acty by standing in front of Diana. However, nymphs are short, and Diana is tall. The height disparity allowed Acty to get a full gander at Diana in her birthday suit.

Diana was not amused by Acty’s ogling. She tried to reach for her bow and arrow to skewer him, but it was out of reach. Instead, she scooped up a handful of pond water and threw it in Acty’s face. She yelled if you can, that you have seen Diana naked!”

This wasn’t ordinary pond water. It was the Perrier of magic pond water.

When the water hit Acty, he started to grow antlers. His neck got longer. His hands and feet turned into hooves, and his skin became covered with brown fur. As Gomer would say, “Surprise, surprise!” Acty turned into a deer.

He freaked out and started running through the forest trying to cipher what to do next. He ended up by a lake to take a drink. He looked at his reflection and realized he had morphed into a deer. He tried to speak but encountered word retrieval problems, discovering he couldn’t talk. All he could make were deer noises. Things quickly got worse.

Who let the dogs out? About this time, his dogs caught wind of Acty and started chasing him. Acty took off running over hills and dales, not appreciating the irony that he had just been doing the same thing to Bambi’s mother a few hours earlier.

Acty’s alpha dog was Melampus. Melampus was the first canine to catch Acty and put the chomp on him. The other dogs caught up and pulled Acty down to a gruesome but chewy death. Acty’s buddies kept whooping and hollering for Acty to come watch the fun, not realizing that Acty was being turned into dog chow by his very own dogs Oh, the humanity.

Meanwhile, back at the pond, Diana was icily satisfied with Acty’s painful demise. You did not mess with Diana.

As Tony Soprano once said, “Revenge is a dish best served with cold cuts.” If Diana had been a character in the movie “Porky’s,” none of the teenage boys who spied on the girls’ shower room would have made it home for supper. They would have all been turned into venison stew in the school lunch room.

So, what have we learned today? Respect women’s space. In the #MeToo era, there are a lot of Dianas out there who won’t put up with men’s mess. Ending up as deer sausage is not a happy outcome. Ask Harvey Weinstein, Les Moonves, R. Kelly, Steve Wynn or Charlie Rose.

 The Cumberland Oratorio Singers will bring the music of three music masters to life at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church at 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 8.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart got an early start in his music career. When he was 3 years old, he used to watch and listen as his father gave keyboard lessons to his older sister. By age 5, Mozart was proficient enough on the keyboard and violin to begin composing the first of his many works. Although he lived for only 35 years, he remains one of the most influential and well-known composers of the classical era.

Franz Schubert also started taking music lessons at home from an early age. Although Schubert’s compositions are prolific and varied, he is known for popularizing lieder, or art songs, in which romantic poetry is set to music.

From a young age, Johannes Brahms received music lessons from his father, who was also a musician. By age 10, the young Brahms was performing piano in public. His teacher complained that he could be a great pianist except that he spent too much time composing.

Brahms became a piano virtuoso and a renowned composer of piano compositions, chamber music and choir compositions for both the male and female voice. Like Schubert, Brahms also composed and popularized many lieder. Although Schubert’s and Brahms’ compositions are heavily influenced by classical tradition, they belong to the romantic era of musical history.

The Cumberland Oratorio Singers will present the works of these three composers in “A Night with the Masters” March 8. “This will be part and parcel of the classical and romantic music that COS customarily performs,” said Jason Britt, the group’s choir director. “We’ve done jazz and Christmas so far this season, and we’ll be doing Broadway later on. But ‘A Night with the Masters’ showcases the type of music we’ve been primarily performing over our 23-year history.”

“The Masters’” program will feature a Mozart mass, “Vesperae de Dominica,” sung entirely in Latin. There will be two selections by Schubert: “An Sylvia” and “Lebenslust.” Brahms will be represented by “Three Leibeslieder Waltzes” and “O Wusst Ich Den Weg Zurluck.” Both the Schubert and Brahms selections will be sung in German.

According to Britt, several of the selections are art music, or lieder. A six-piece orchestra and an organ will accompany the choir. “Snyder Memorial has a fantastic organ so we want to take advantage of that,” said Britt.

Britt has not chosen the soloists for the evening. “They will be picked from the choir via auditions at the end of February,” Britt said. As demonstrated by COS’ earlier performance of “Messiah,” the vocal purity and professionalism of Cumberland County’s classical chorale society assures the audience of stunning performances no matter who is selected.

Other than for season ticketholders, all tickets for “A Night with the Masters” will be available at the door for the March 8 performance. The price of admission is $15 for the general public and $5 for students. Learn more about COS by visiting its website, www.singwithcos.org.

Zaryen McGilvary

Seventy First • Track and field • Junior

McGilvary has a 3.7 grade point average. He’s active in the Seventy-First Junior ROTC and volunteers at local food banks.

Emily Mikkelsen

Seventy First • Soccer • Sophomore

Mikkelsen has a 4.08 grade point average. In addition to soccer, she is active in National Honor Society and Art Honor Society. She also is interested in photography and volunteers at a local horse stable.

  Cape Fear’s Cecilia Chafin and Pine Forest’s C.J. Collins both started the Cumberland County high school bowling season as newcomers to the sport locally. But that didn’t wind up as a liability as both were champions in the season-ending conference bowling tournament earlier this month.

Chafin and Collins both rose from being No. 3 seeds in the step ladder finals to claim the championships.

Chafin defeated top-seeded Jordan Locklear of Overhills 178-154 in the final match to take the girls championship title.

Collins also beat the No. 1 seed, Terry Sanford’s Jack Cooney, by a 205- 183 score in their title match.

While Chafin and Collins may have been new to team bowling at their schools, both entered the season as veterans of the sport.

Collins is a freshman at Pine Forest, but he said he’s been bowling with family and friends for more than 10 years.

Chafin has been bowling for nine years but only recently arrived in the Fayetteville area because of her family’s military connection. High school bowling had never been offered where she lived before. She arrived in town too late to bowl last year, so her senior season at Cape Fear turned out to be her only chance at competing for her new school.

“Bowling is just really fun to me,’’ Chafin said. “The more I bowl, the better I get and the more I want to improve.’’

The typical high school regular-season bowling match is different from bowling as an individual. In high school matches, everyone contributes to a team score, and each bowler on the team only gets to roll two frames.

“When it comes to a school team, it’s a lot more intense,’’ Collins said. “You try harder and want to do the best for your team.’’

In the season-ending conference tournament, the top five bowlers, male and female, qualify to compete in step ladder fashion for the individual title.

En route to her victory, Chafin beat second-seeded Zoe Cannady of Terry Sanford, 173-170, then downed Locklear in the final.

Chafin said she kept her cool in the match with Cannady and felt her confidence growing. “I made sure I was hitting my mark every time,’’ she said.

Collins topped South View’s Hunter Hicks 172-149 before downing Cooney in the title match.

Collins is a two-handed bowler, which he feels gives him more spin on the ball and makes strikes easier when the ball reaches the pocket.

Chafin already plans to enroll at Fayetteville State University next year and become a member of the school’s successful bowling team.

“I’m hoping to learn a lot more about my technique and how I can improve,’’ she said.

Collins plans to continue bowling at Pine Forest. “I just need to do what I did this year, go out and have fun,’’ Collins said.

Here is the Cumberland County All-Conference bowling team.

BOYS

First team

Jack Cooney, Terry Sanford; Hunter Hicks, South View; C.J. Collins, Pine Forest; Jacob Ezzelle, Pine Forest; Noah Hash, Pine Forest; Ammon Janet, Gray’s Creek.

Second team

Tommy Cooney, Terry Sanford; C.J. Woolley, Gray’s Creek; Nick Roberson, South View; Damien Perkins, Gray’s Creek.

GIRLS

First team

Jordan Locklear, Overhills; Zoe Cannady, Terry Sanford; Cecilia Chafin, Cape Fear; Emily Gibson, Pine Forest; Belle Johnson, Pine Forest.

Second team

LeeAnne Robbins, South View; Maya Ervin, Terry Sanford; Abagayl Gowen, Gray’s Creek; Nicole Grossmick, Douglas Byrd; Regan Duncan, Cape Fear.

Photo: Cecilia Chafin

  A change in how the clock is started when returning to play and the option of adding instant replay to state playoff competitions highlight the high school football rules changes for this year announced by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Neil Buie, regional supervisor of football officials for the Cape Fear region, thinks the new rules about what was the 25-second clock that times the period before the next play begins will have the biggest impact on the game this fall.

The purpose of the rule is to establish more consistency in the time period between downs.

“From referee to referee, there is a real difference in when the clock is blown ready for play,’’ Buie said. In the case of a referee who quickly sets the ball ready for play and starts the clock, as many as 15 or 20 more plays can be run per game than in a contest with a referee who is slower to mark the ball ready.

Under the new rule, as soon as the ball is declared dead by an official, the 40-second clock begins ticking. But there are exceptions. It will be set to 25 seconds before the extra point attempt after a touchdown, at the start of a quarter or overtime, after an inadvertent whistle, after a charged time-out or following an official’s timeout or other stoppage of the clock by the referee for any other reason.

Buie thinks some training of clock operators will be needed to deal with the timing changes.

Another minor problem could be resetting the 25-second clock to 40 seconds. Most modern 25-second clocks can be adjusted with little difficulty to display a 40-second countdown. If schools have older clocks, however, they might need to purchase new control panels or have the old one updated.

Another issue officials often encounter at schools is that the 25-second clocks don’t work. Buie wonders if the back judge will have to be responsible for the 40-second clock if it’s not working.

Another potential major change is the addition of instant replay to state playoff games if approved by that state’s athletic association. For North Carolina, this would require action by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

Buie thinks it’s likely that replay could only be implemented at the state championship level when the NCHSAA plays its football title games at various major college stadiums around the state.

He’s doubtful it could be implemented at a high school stadium in a playoff game because there likely would not be enough camera angles to make it worthwhile. He added it would also be difficult to either have someone in the press box looking at a monitor or have someone bring a laptop to the field so one of the officials could view it.

A rule change that is not a big deal to players, coaches and officials but that definitely brought smiles to members of the media involves the numbers on football jerseys. Effective with the 2024 season, the numbers must be a single solid color that contrasts with the body color of the jersey.

In recent years, many schools have started wearing jerseys with numbers the same color as the body of the jersey, with the number faintly outlined by a contrasting color. In other cases, schools wore white jerseys with numbers of a light color, like gold or yellow on white for example, making them difficult to read from a distance.

Trey Edge, who does radio play-by-play for DK Sports, Inc., praised the new rule.

“It is long overdue,’’ he said. “One of the reasons we do high school broadcasts is to publicize what the kids in Cumberland County are doing. It is difficult to do that when you cannot get correct numbers, especially when there is a scrum of a lot of people.’’

Edge said when the numbers almost bleed into the jersey in a fast-moving game, it becomes a challenge to make out something as simple as who is carrying the football. “It should not be that difficult,’’ he said. He called the new rule a big win.

Other changes to high school football rules announced by the NFSHSA include the following:

• Tripping a runner is now officially illegal. A runner was not previously mentioned in the definition of tripping.

• The horse-collar tackling rule, which prohibits grabbing inside the shoulder pads to take down a runner, has been expanded. Grabbing the nameplate area of a runner’s jersey immediately below the rear collar is also illegal.

• A legal scrimmage formation now requires only five offensive players on the line, not seven. Also, there can be no more than four offensive backs. It’s hoped this change will allow the officials to have an easier time watching for legal and illegal offensive formations.

• The penalty for illegally kicking or batting a ball has been reduced from 15 yards to 10 yards.

For a complete list of the football rules changes for 2019, go to www.nfhs.org. Click on the link for activities and sports at the top of the page and then choose football.

A survey conducted by the NFSHSA in 2017-18 showed 11-player football is the most popular sport for boys in the United States. There are 14,079 schools fielding teams with 1,036,842 boys participating nationally.

There are some 30,000 boys taking part in sixman, eight-man and nine-man football. In addition, there are some 2,500 girls playing high school football, which results in a total of 1,068,870 players taking part in the game at the high school level.

Meetings

For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Town Clerk Jane Starling at 910-426-4113. Most meetings take place at Town Hall or the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation center.

• Parks and Recreation Committee Monday, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Center

• Appearance Commission Tuesday, Feb. 26, 6:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Center

Activities

• Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Senior programs at the Parks and Recreation Center. The Senior programs for people ages 55-plus who are residents of Cumberland County have resumed. The rec center was closed in mid-September after Hurricane Florence. Various activities are now back and are scheduled Monday through Friday throughout the day. For details on times and days, check the schedule at www.townofhopemills.com, call the rec center at 910-426-4109, or email Kasey Ivey at kivey@townofhopemills.com.

• 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.

Promote yourself

Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

   Glenn Garner has an idea for families with homebound senior relatives who are looking for better meal-time options when it’s hard to get out to eat.

Garner, a veteran in the food truck and catering business, is rolling out a new service. It’s aimed especially at seniors and anyone who may be stuck at home and would like good food prepared for them that they can refrigerate and reheat.

His plan, which he says is still in the developing stage, is to deliver diner-quality meals twice a week to people in their homes. Menus will vary for each meal. He’s planning prices of $5.99 for breakfast, $6.99 for lunch and $7.99 for dinner.

Garner stressed his program should not be confused with any government-connected food delivery service. “It’s out of my pocket,’’ he said, referring to how the service is paid for on his end.

While his target audience is home-bound senior citizens, he said anyone is welcome to sign up. "Could be it’s people my age (late 50s) who don’t want to cook,’’ he said. “So I’m delivering twice a week, four-day and three-day packages.’’

Garner said the reason for twice-weekly deliveries is to guarantee freshness and good taste. He’s experimented with a variety of menus and came to the realization that the food he’s serving isn’t as good after a maximum of four days in the refrigerator.

“I’ve been working for the last 10 years to get a menu that will work and taste just as good coming out (to my restaurant) as it will coming out of the microwave at the house,’’ he said. “The four days is a stretch. By that fourth day, you need to have stuff we know is going to hold up.’’

He added that there’s not a safety issue with the food after that long. Rather, he can’t promise four days later that the food will taste as good as the dishes he serves fresh to his restaurant customers. His opinion is based on close to 40 years as an operator of food trucks, catering businesses and restaurants.

All the food will be prepared at Garner’s newest restaurant, The Diner, by Chef Glenn and Company. It is located in the former Becky’s Cafe at 3740 South Main St. in Hope Mills. “We (will) put it in to-go microwaveable containers,’’ Garner said.

Sample options for breakfast include boiled eggs, scrambled eggs or an omelet. Meats for breakfast include bacon, sausage links, sausage patties or corned beef hash. Hash browns or home fries will also be available.

For those who want a simple lunch, he plans to offer a cold sandwich every day with chips and a fruit bowl. He’s got some bad news for hardcore vegetable eaters, though. “We can’t do broccoli or asparagus,” he said. “That’s out of the question.’’

Garner stressed that in the early stages, things are going to be fluid. He said he’ll have to see how it works and how it’s received.

At the time of this writing, he was scheduled to share information about his planned service, along with menus, at a meeting of local health care providers who work primarily with the senior community.

“They know if their customers at home need food service,’’ Garner said. He added that with the exception of government-based programs, there’s not a lot available for the homebound seniors group when it comes to economical food delivery choices.

He said he knows one local family of three who are all disabled and have restaurant food delivered by a company that specializes in that area, charging a delivery fee in addition to the cost of the food. “They were paying from $60 to $70 per meal,’’ he said.

Garner said his initial target delivery area will be Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Raeford and Gray’s Creek, with the possibility of adding Spring Lake at a later date.

In a perfect world, if the idea takes hold, Garner would like to prepare his meals in a facility separate from The Diner and deliver them in his own fleet of trucks.

He stressed he’s not looking for government support. “To have good, quality food, it’s not a hot dog or a peanut butter and banana sandwich,’’ he said. “It’s not what I want to do. That’s where I’m going to draw the line. I don’t want to serve an inferior product to make a dollar.’’

To inquire about signing up for Garner’s delivery service, call 910-705-2664. He can also be reached by email at ggarner2045@aol.com or on his Facebook pages, The Diner by Chef Glenn & Company or A Catered Affair by Chef Glenn & Company.

Photo: Glen Garner

  When Jackie Warner was first elected to be mayor of Hope Mills in 2011, she had heard vaguely about an organization known as the Cumberland County Mayor’s Coalition.

Now serving as vice-chairman of the organization, Warner feels the coalition plays a vital role in allowing the mayors of nine municipalities in Cumberland County to work together for the betterment of their individual communities and the county as a whole.

Warner feels the coalition was especially important in helping the mayors work to resolve differences over the allocation of revenue from county sales tax to the various communities.

The concern over the sales tax issue dates back to the early part of 2000 when annexation became a big issue around the county and there was ongoing debate about how to split up the revenue.

Warner said under its two previous mayors, the city of Fayetteville argued it wanted to get 100 percent of the sales tax revenues from the annexed areas.

The Mayor’s Coalition argued for a more equitable split, basing the allocation on a per capita arrangement so each of the nine communities in the coalition would get a proportional share.

The nine communities in the coalition are Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Spring Lake, Linden, Falcon, Wade, Godwin and Stedman.

Warner said her early memories of the Mayor’s Coalition meetings were that they were little more than a feel-good kind of affair, where the mayors gathered quarterly to simply share a meal and talk about what was going on in their communities.

Warner credits former Spring Lake mayor Chris Rey with helping change the direction of the organization. She and Rey came aboard at about the same time, and Rey was elected chairman of the coalition.

“He was the one who got the spirit going,’’ she said. “He wanted to make our coalition a unified team that could get some recognition for all the small towns.’’

Warner said that, for the most part, the mayors have made a good effort to be in attendance at nearly every meeting.

The current chair of the coalition is longtime Falcon Mayor Cliff Turpin. Warner said she worked with Turpin and other mayors, along with representatives of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, to reach a resolution on the sales tax agreement.

Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin played an important role in finalizing the agreement.

Serving as mayor pro tem of Fayetteville before eventually being elected mayor outright, Colvin frequently attended meetings of the coalition over the last several years and developed a good rapport with the other members.

“That’s how we got more familiar with Mitch and could talk with him about it,’’ Warner said of Colvin’s regular appearance at the meetings. “We had some sales tax committee meetings with Glenn Adams and Jeannette Council (of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners).’’

Warner said the mayors also interacted at county-wide ethics training sessions they all attended. “That’s been the good thing, the show of unity,’’ Warner said.

In addition to hearing from each other, Warner said the mayors also got input from people like Robert Van Geons of the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation.

“They talk to the mayors and try to locate properties or things in their area that would be good (to try and) come into Cumberland County,’’ she said.

Warner said meetings have dramatically improved as far as the substance of matters discussed over the last several years.

Each meeting has a printed agenda that may include a variety of presentations about topics of interest to all of the municipalities in the county. “Everything we do is to try to get information for everybody,’’ Warner said. “It’s information for all of us, especially with economic development.’’

The meetings aren’t just limited to the nine mayors, Warner said. They are allowed to bring guests from the town staff.

When a municipality hosts one of the quarterly meetings, that town’s entire group of elected officials, like the Board of Commissioners in the case of Hope Mills, is invited to attend.

Warner said she routinely brings Hope Mills town clerk Jane Starling with her and has also brought town manager Melissa Adams.

In addition to the regular quarterly meetings, the mayors also hold called meetings, as they did last December to deal with the sales tax situation.

One of the biggest benefits of the meetings is sharing news of economic development opportunities that may not work in one area of the county but would be welcomed in others. Warner cited the failed chicken plant of some years back that would have been a wanted addition by some of the county’s rural communities because of the jobs it offered.

“The idea is to try to boost the whole county by representing all of us and not just Fayetteville,’’ she said. “We know we live under Fayetteville’s shadow, but with each of our small towns growing, we want them to start to look at us for opportunities, too.’’

Warner said another benefit of the coalition is the sharing of ideas between the communities — things they’ve tried that worked and things that weren’t as successful.

“Cliff Turpin showed us an issue they had with a drainage ditch,’’ Warner said. “There’s always something that has happened in one of the towns they can share, like special events. Often the mayors can just identify with each other, what’s going ideas and we can share them.’’

The mayors also hear presentations by the state legislators from Cumberland County. “When the legislators come to the mayor’s coalition, they know they are speaking to everybody,’’ Warner said. “It’s a neat feeling that we are strong now because we speak as one.

“It’s no longer a social group. Now it serves a purpose. We get good information, and we come away with something that will help us.’’

Photo: Mayor Jackie Warner

  I don’t think my baby is a baby anymore.

He just had his first birthday. He’s walking, playing, bouncing, taking more risks, eating, holding his cup, pushing our dining room chairs around, waving bye-bye and growling like our dog, all on his own. It seems like just yesterday he was relying on my husband and me for everything, but time just keeps flying by, and he’s becoming more and more independent.

But that’s exactly what’s supposed to be happening, right? Time is supposed to pass. People, no matter how young or old, are supposed to grow. Hopefully, we never stop growing, learning or developing.

Kids are a great reminder of that. They grow so fast, exponentially even, in what seems like such a short amount of time. We’re left reeling from the speed of the swirling hands of life’s timepiece, wondering where the time has gone. I’m only a year into parenthood and I already feel like it keeps slipping away faster than I can document what it brings.

This realization of how little time we have here on earth, and how none of it is actually guaranteed, has been weighing on me. How am I using my time? What am I teaching my son? What am I doing to love my husband and my family better? What useless things have I allowed to take up precious time I could be spending with people I love? What people in my life have I neglected because I’m on my phone? Am I teaching my son by example that health is important? Am I showing him that people are to be valued and respected?

Recently, I received a thought-provoking text that read, “Do you want your children to be like you when they reach the age you are?”

The reality is, there’s a good chance they will be. I’ll be honest with you — there are some things I hope he catches onto in my life, but there’s quite a few more I hope he doesn’t. The whole “Do as I say, not as I do” thing rarely works, and if it does, it is usually not without resentment, bitterness and rebellion. That mentality is just a fancy form of hypocrisy.

Jesus talked about this. In John 13, we find the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. Feet were dirty back then— people wore sandals and walked everywhere, and water was a precious commodity. Servants were usually the ones doing the washing, so this was a pretty astonishing act on Jesus’ part. Peter, one of his disciples, even refused at first to let Jesus wash his feet.

But Jesus said, “Do you understand what I have done for you?... You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:12-17).

So, I want to be the person I hope my son becomes. It has to begin today. I must lead by example. I must love by example. I must fill my life things that matter so that my son will one day be able to lead this kind of life — a life of servant leadership, regarding others as more important than ourselves.

Today is gift and it will be over soon. How will you spend your today?

  Back in 1975, my Uncle Cecil taught me how to drive on some little country roads in the hills of Tennessee. In those days, I had three things that I would consider modern machinery. I had an automatic transmission, an electric starter and an AM/FM radio with horrible speakers. We only had about four FM radio stations, so my radio was set to 101.5 WQRT.

While driving with my uncle, I was not allowed to jam out, and I can, to this day, hear him telling me, “Watch the road.”

The roads we practiced on were the roads less traveled. There was an occasional car, but he also taught me to watch out for people on the sides of the road and animals.

Fast forward a few decades, and cars are more complicated than the bridge of the Star Trek Enterprise. There are also distractions brought by cell phones. These thingies distract us from watching the road.

In driving schools, we are taught to drive defensively. That is true until you are no longer watching the road. When you are not paying attention, you become the offending driver. You are a threat to everyone on the road, yourself and your passengers.

Last year, I saw more motorcycle wrecks on the highway than I have ever seen before. We hear about pedestrians, scooters and bicycles being run over by cars. This is tragic for the person who has been hit. It is also hard on the driver. They can face criminal charges, fines, insurance issues or lawsuits — and then there is the knowledge that they accidentally harmed someone.

Here are some things that will help you avoid an accident.

Look for others on the road. You are not the only game in town, and we all share the road. No distractions. Your text message or phone conversation is not as important as your driving safety. If your call or text can’t wait, pull over in a safe spot, finish your business and then pull out into traffic carefully.

Watch your surroundings. Don’t change lanes suddenly without first looking to see what is around and ahead of you. Many motorcycle accidents are caused because of people switching lanes or passing someone and clipping a bike that was in front of the car they passed.

If you come upon a school bus or Fayetteville’s FAST buses or see the mail truck, you know they are going to stop. Give them space.

Stop at yellow. Fayetteville’s traffic lights are quick and in many places take several minutes to cycle through. I often see both cars and motorcycles trying to speed through a yellow light. It is better to be safe and stop than to get hit at the intersection.

Watch for motorcycles in high-traffic areas. The Cross Creek area, Skibo Road, Ramsey Street, Bragg Boulevard, Raeford Road, Owen Drive and Spring Lake are all high-traffic areas.

Don’t overdrive your ability to see and take control of any situation. If you cannot see what is ahead of you, then slow down. This is especially true during periods of darkness and rain.

Trust your instincts. Train yourself to slow down or to stop if you see something without knowing what it is. Your eyes give you a good field of vision. Your peripheral vision may catch something that your mind does not register.

Train your mind to see what you don’t see. In the book “The Survivor’s Club,” author Ben Sherwood discusses “luck.” Ninety percent of the people he studied viewed luck as “the way we think.” He goes on to show that those who use their peripheral vision notice more and therefore seem luckier.

The book further describes what is called “inattentional blindness.” Inattentional blindness is the failure to notice an unexpected stimulus in one’s field of vision when other attention-demanding tasks are being performed. It is categorized as an attentional error and is not associated with any vision deficits.

This typically happens because humans are overloaded with stimuli, and it is impossible to pay attention to all stimuli in one’s environment.

It’s important to develop your field of vision and, as Uncle Cecil said, watch the road.

If there is a topic you would like to discuss, please send your comments and suggestions to motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE!

  Would you like to know why U.S. sanctions against companies owned by Russian billionaire and businessman Oleg Deripaska are being lifted?

You are the reason.

Me, too.

And so is everybody else who lives and votes in North Carolina.

Last April, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions against Deripaska and three of his companies for interfering in U.S. elections and for “money laundering, extortion and ordering the murder of a businessman.”

Deripaska is a friend and ally of Vladimir Putin and is connected to former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Shortly after Trump’s nomination, Manafort offered to give Deripaska private election briefings.

Last month, the Treasury decided to remove sanctions on the three Deripaska companies, explaining that corporate arrangements would restrict Deripaska’s control. Congress can reverse the removal of sanctions.

The House, with 136 Republican members joining the Democrats, voted to reverse the Treasury’s action. But in the Senate, the reversal got only 57 votes of 60 needed.

According to Benjamin Parker, writing for The Bulwark, several Republican senators voted to reverse because they did not believe these corporate arrangements would prevent Deripaska from influencing his companies’ actions. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said, “He still would maintain significant control given his ties to Putin.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.: “I think he’s a bad a guy and he’s still in working control.”

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.: “I still think he retains operational control.”

The New York Times journalist Kenneth P. Vogel wrote that the corporate arrangements to limit Deripaska’s control of the companies “may have been less punitive than advertised. The deal contains provisions that free him from hundreds of millions of dollars in debt while leaving him and his allies with majority ownership of his most important company.”

Coincidentally, while Deripaska was in the news, I was reading another version of how business works in Russia as set forth in Bill Browder’s 2015 book “Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice.”

Browder tells how he made billions of dollars buying undervalued Russian stocks and properties after Communism ended in that country. Then he tells how Putin and his oligarch allies plotted to take it all away from him and his investors.

Browder fought back.

In doing so, he gained the ire of Putin and became, according to Browder’s book, Putin’s No. 1 enemy. Russia declared Browder and his lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, to be criminals. Browder fled Russia. Magnitsky stayed and was jailed, tortured and ultimately beaten to death by Russian prison officers. Browder documents the horrors of Russian business and government practices, including corruption, torture and murder. Those facts played a role in Congress’ 2012 decision to impose sanctions on Russian individuals in a law designated as the Magnitsky Act.

Putin retaliated by terminating the program that allowed Americans to adopt Russian orphaned children.

Relief from the Magnitsky sanctions was one of the objectives of the Russians in the now-famous Trump Tower meeting between Paul Manafort and Donald Trump Jr. in July 2016.

Perhaps the conduct of Deripaska was not as bad as those who tortured and killed Magnitsky. But backing away from the sanctioning of his companies sends a wrong signal about the determination of Americans to take strong action when corrupt Russian businesses cheat, steal and murder.

So, why are you, I and other North Carolinians responsible for the lifting of Deripaska sanctions?

The proponents of the sanctions needed only three more votes to win. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders did not vote but would have voted for the sanctions. The two other necessary votes were those of our Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis. If you and I had let them know how strong we were for maintaining the Deripaska sanctions, I think it would have made a difference.

But we just did not get around to making a call to them.

Photo: Oleg Deripaska

  Fayetteville is known to many for its military neighbor, Fort Bragg. But Fayetteville played a large role in early American history, too, as has her namesake, the Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette has been immortalized in both French and American history as a military officer, an aristocrat and a Constitutional advocate. He changed the course of history for our country and our city.

There are many groups and people that celebrate Lafayette’s memory. One of them is French native Julien Icher. His initiative, The Lafayette Trail Project, is a historical trail based on Lafayette’s footsteps during his 1824-25 Farewell Tour.

The trail not only celebrates Lafayette, it educates the public and uplifts communities. Icher’s website, www.thelafayettetrail.com, explains his efforts: “Our goal is to provide localities whose history taps into General Lafayette with new incentives to increase tourism and benefit the development of local economies.”

These efforts, in addition to the trail, include historical research, outreach, articles, lectures and more. The goal is to complete the project as the bicentennial of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour nears in 2024.

When the towns of Cross Creek and Campbellton united in 1783, they named the city Fayetteville in commemoration of the esteemed war hero. Lafayette visited this city in 1783 during his Farewell Tour of the United States.

Historians agree that without Lafayette’s support, the Americans would have lost the war for independence.

While generations of early Americans may have learned lessons from Lafayette, we can still learn from him today. According to Icher, “When Lafayette visited the country, the country was divided in 1824. In 2019, you also have a very politically divided America. It’s a divide between the left and the right, the elites and the common American. And in 1824, Lafayette and his role give you an idea to bring together Americans and unite them.”

Icher’s robust inspiration, his belief in a common bond between our two nations, is a tribute to France, America, Fayetteville and Lafayette. Icher is proud of the historic relationship between America and France, explaining there exists “historical bands of friendship between the United States and France.”

These historical bands, Icher explained, were molded by a common set of values that the French and American people share. He believes that Lafayette embodied these unique values of freedom, liberty and equality and that memorializing Lafayette is memorializing America’s first ally, the French. According to him, Lafayette was, and still can be, a unifying figure for America.

Icher said, “North Carolina has a lot of rural communities that are very interested (in Lafayette’s story), eastern and northern Carolina, and it’s a true sense of pride that they display.”

Readers can help the movement to memorialize Lafayette by visiting Icher’s website, by calling their local state representatives or by volunteering their time. Find out more at www.thelafayettetrail.com.