Westover High School’s Madison Pompey has been named the Region 4 winner of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s Willie Bradshaw Memorial Endowed Scholarship.

The scholarship, which is worth $750, is presented to winners from each of the state’s eight geographic regions, with two statewide winners getting an additional scholarship of $1,000.

The winners are chosen from outstanding minority nominees for the award, which is named for Bradshaw, a Durham native who was a star athlete at Hillside High School and a longtime coach and athletic administrator. He is a member of both the North Carolina High School Athletic Association and National High School Halls of Fame.

Pompey competed in both cross country and track and field during all four years she was a student at Westover. She was a team captain her junior and senior years and earned second team all-conference, lettering in both sports.

She also received the Distance Award and the Coach’s Award.
She is active in her church as a member of the youth group and a participant with the church’s liturgical dance team.

Pompey volunteers both at her church and with local civic organizations. She plans to pursue a degree in forensic science.

America has no shortage of heroes to honor. We remember those who were killed on battlefields, but we should also reflect on those who lost their lives and are remembered as “others.” Even during peace time, helicopters crash, training exercises at times go awry and auto accidents occur. And, what about the family members, comrades and friends who remain?

In the war against coronavirus, health care workers and first responders are the infantry. Doctors, nurses, EMTs, police officers and firefighters risk their lives by simply showing up for work. A significant number of military veterans enter second careers as first responders. Many heroes have been killed in battle, while others died in civilian life because they tried to help others.

Henry Black is a retired Marine Corps major who lost a loved one in war. His son, Army Green Beret Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, was one of the four fallen U.S. soldiers killed during an Oct. 4, 2017, firefight in Niger by militants aligned with the Islamic State. Black lives in Washington state with his wife, a surviving son, daughters-in-law and four grandchildren. He recently penned an op-ed commentary for the Military Times and gave Up and Coming Weekly permission to reprint his remarks:

“I admonish those that now lead our military, who are responsible for the well-being of our sons and daughters to honor the memory of those we have lost by supporting and protecting those who remain with every resource available,” he wrote, adding “never place primary blame for negative events on your subordinates, but realize that if a subordinate unit fails, it is your failure, also. Do not exonerate yourself for missions that go awry. Don’t look for fault only in your subordinates, look for faults in yourselves, also.”

Black continued “I also remember the teammates of those lost, who were with the lost as they gave their last full measure of devotion, and who now may carry scars from what and who they lost. I am grateful for them, and ask them not to carry grief or guilt, but to live lives that honor the memories of lost friends and teammates. Black added, “… do not look simply to assign blame, for mistakes will inevitably be made, but to learn what can be improved. Do this, and everything else in your power, so that your, and our, soldiers, airmen, sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen can be part of the living... and not join those whom we remember and honor for their last full measure of devotion.”

The month of May is Military Appreciation Month as designated by Congress in 1999. Although the entire month is designated to honoring past and present military members and their families, there are several military holidays sprinkled throughout the month, in addition to Memorial Day. They include Loyalty Day, VE Day, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, Mother’s Day and Armed Forces Day.

Bill,

As I read your (May 13) editorial I keep saying AMEN! You hit the nail on the head. At my age (76) it is difficult to realize that our freedoms are slowly — maybe rapidly — being taken away from us. Your opinion piece should be read by everyone. Put your piece together with the article by Karl Merritt and we have all we need to know about the path this country is taking. AMEN! AMEN! to both of you.

Thank you for your work at Up & Coming Weekly.

—Myra Parker
(Mrs. Weeks Parker)

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I was stuck in traffic on McPherson Church Road at 5 p.m. Saturday. When I finally reached the intersection, I saw that the police were protecting a line of people holding signs — that was a peaceful
assembly.

Three hours later I heard on the radio about smoke and a man on fire at the Market House — that was not peaceful. Six hours later, I learned of looting and broken glass at Walmart on Skibo and
JC Penney at the Mall — that is a mob.

What happened, dear Fayettevillians? We are not Baltimore, we are not Los Angeles, we are not Minneapolis. I have lived half my life here and have embraced the city’s 230+ year history. We are black and white and brown and yellow. We are biracial, interracial, multi-ethnic. We are not Bosnia or Serbia or Croatia, where neighbors fought neighbors. We are not an underdeveloped country, although the COVID crisis almost reduced our day-to-day economy as such with toilet paper lines instead of bread lines. We are the center of the military universe and about to celebrate the 2020 graduation of our high school and college students. Is anarchy their future instead of law and order and respect for oneself and others?

My heart broke when I visited the Market House Sunday. Priceless Lafayette exhibits on the second floor were taken and now stolen from the children of this county. To see boarded up windows and doors on both sides of Hay Street was awful. These are small-business owners. A hurricane did not cause this; reckless action did.

My thoughts Sunday at midnight were where was the city’s leadership, telling the crowds: “OK, time to go home. Do not destroy your town; do not destroy our town.”

Why did the police stand down, be it at Walmart or the Market House? Was it to prevent confrontation, prevent escalation of a planned tense situation? A witness told me Sunday that cars were parked zigzag on Hay Street while their drivers were ransacking the area; that sounds like a calculated maneuver. Other Skibo Road witnesses told me of the 2 a.m. swarm of cars and people running in and out of Walmart as well as J.C. Penney’s with merchandise, egged on by others on their cell phones. With all the store cameras and the bragging Facebook posts, will the police be serving warrants soon?

Perhaps the beloved educator, Dr. E.E. Smith, can return and calm the waters. He lived in a time when the racial wounds were more fresh (1852-1933). Yet, he worked well with others to achieve his education and ministry, build up Fayetteville State University, start the first black-owned newspaper in North Carolina and represent the U.S.. overseas. Every Fayetteville child should know about him and Lafayette; mob rule should not be their model.
We cannot be going backward.

— Linda McAlister

Community Notes

Update: Republican headquarters across the state are temporarily closed. The June 13 event will still take place. 

• 2810 Bragg Blvd. will be the 2020 Headquarters for the Cumberland County Republican Party. Educational material, voter information and precinct maps will be on display. Campaign literature, and candidate signs will be available soon. The current shelter-in- place lockdown has delayed distribution of signs.

County Chairman Jackie Taylor and her Board of Officers will be hosting an outdoor Grand Opening with Ribbon-Cutting and special guests on June 13 in the parking lot. There will be a guest speaker, Mark Robinson, candidate for Lt. Governor. More details to be announced. In the meantime, doors will be open Monday through Saturday  12 p.m. to 4 p.m. as of June 1. For more information, contact jackieleetaylor41@gmail.com or call the Headquarters at 910-339-2011.

• St. Ann RC Church in Fayetteville is hosting a Blood Drive, Saturday, June 13, from 9 a.m.-noon at 357 N. Cool Spring St. The Cape Fear Valley Blood Donor Center is providing two Blood Mobiles to facilitate the collection of blood.
The Blood Mobiles can accommodate five donors every fifteen minutes. Average time it takes to donate is approximately
30 minutes.

There is an urgent need for O-negative blood.

As I write this editorial, no doubt city officials have already met to “circle the wagons” to come forth this week disseminating a consistent and coherent message, as they pat themselves on the back, proclaiming to the public what a great job they did in managing the protest, riots and unrest that took place over the weekend. Many will certainly disagree. I sit here Sunday evening with a heavy heart at the devastation and violence and destruction that has been perpetrated on our community in the name of George Floyd. His death was a travesty; however, to loot, steal, burn and pillage personal property in his name is beyond reprehensible. Fayetteville, North Carolina, our hometown, was transformed into a criminal flashpoint — as were about 30 other cities across the country.

In Fayetteville, our leadership really blew it on multiple fronts. I have written several times about the lack of vision, talent and leadership in our community. The horrifying events of last weekend only confirm this. As I watched the carnage taking place on Hay Street and across our community, my only thoughts were: Where is the mayor? Where are the police? Where is the Fire Department? Where are our community and government leaders, and why are they not present?

It is incomprehensible and unacceptable that in the city of Fayetteville and county of Cumberland, where we have people of color in the most trusted, prominent and vital positions of leadership — the mayor, city manager, city attorney, seven out of nine City Council members, the police chief, fire chief, Cumberland County Sheriff, Cumberland County Schools superintendent and three Cumberland County Commissioners — that no one stepped up to even try to address the protesters and calm the crowd for the safety and welfare of the community. Where were all the black pastors and clergy from the dozens of African American churches in the community? Where were all these encouraging voices of love, fellowship, compassion and reason? The good reverend, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., must be turning in his grave after witnessing the criminal acts being invoked in his name.

The leadership capacity of City Hall is meant to serve and protect Fayetteville citizens. These duties are not just reserved for law enforcement. Here, the mayor and all of the City Hall departments were derelict in their duties. Not just because our leaders were unsuccessful in their efforts — but because they didn’t even try! They were complicit to the carnage and must be held accountable.

Saturday night in downtown Fayetteville was a horrid spectacle. It was made worse by the fact that no effort was made to protect the citizens, personal property, city property or the businesses that employ hundreds of residents and have been the lifeblood of the downtown revitalization effort — the very economic revitalization that our leadership supposedly has been advocating for and the taxpayers have been generously paying for. Yet, they collectively acquiesced and sat back and did nothing.

Fayetteville and Cumberland County leaders need to rethink the vision for our future and how they are going to get us there. A good friend told me something that rang so true: “In every case,” he said, “friction eventually destroys.” He is right — car engines, marriage conflicts, employee relations, personal and business relationships — friction eventually destroys any opportunity for progress or resolution.

Our community will never be all it can be with leadership that is so self-absorbed in unilateral racial motives. This protest and rioting situation have exposed the ugly but inevitable truth that race alone doesn’t make a person a leader, nor does it make someone smart. And it definitely doesn’t keep a person from being an opportunist — especially when they yield to protest organizers and allow them and their disciples to become the pied pipers of destruction, looting and criminal intent. 

Fayetteville and Cumberland County are at a crossroads. Real leadership is the only thing that can save this community. Who will step up? More importantly, who should step down?

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

There’s one major advantage to being involved in the recreation business at the time of something like the current pandemic.

At least that’s the opinion of Maxey Dove, assistant director of the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department.

“It’s one of the bigger fields for leaning on your neighbor,’’ said Dove, who has been doing a lot of that lately. He’s reached out to fellow recreation personnel from programs around the area that Hope Mills competes against, feeling them out for ideas and suggestions on what they are doing during this situation.

“There’s a lot of networking, a lot of communication in parks and recreation that’s beneficial to everybody,’’ Dove said. The problem is there’s also one consistent thing he’s been hearing when talking to his counterparts.
“It’s certainly unprecedented times and unprecedented circumstances,’’ Dove said. “Everybody is kind of learning together.’’

Hope Mills has already been faced with one difficult decision, the cancellation of its entire spring sports program that normally would have stretched well into the summer months.

Sports wiped off the spring calendar include indoor soccer, baseball, softball and wrestling.

Dove and his staff are in the process of refunding registration fees that had already been paid and said it will take roughly three to four weeks to get checks written and returned to everyone who signed up.

The Dixie Youth organization, with which Hope Mills is affiliated, also canceled its annual World Series, but Dove said that was done with good intentions.

In a normal year, teams compete first in the regular season then select an all-star team from their local league to advance into state competition in hopes of reaching the Dixie Youth World Series.

By eliminating the World Series, the Dixie Youth officials hoped to encourage local leagues to play as long a regular season as they could, if they were playing, and not cram a short season together just so they could put an all-star team on the field for the World Series and only allow a handful of players the chance for extended competition.

“It wasn’t just about the select 12,’’ Dove said of the all-star teams.
While Hope Mills is shut down for the spring, Dove said other states are further ahead in opening up their recreation programs for play and some are already on the field for baseball.

However, in talking with officials from other states where baseball is taking place, he said they are observing strict safety precautions that are making the game a lot different from what we normally see.

For example, players aren’t allowed to sit in the dugouts when they’re not on the field. Yellow ribbons are placed along the fence six feet apart to indicate proper social distancing. Each team has its own baseballs and they are bleached every inning or half inning.

Dove said he and his staff at Hope Mills had also discussed some possible precautions they may take if baseball resumes in the fall league at Hope Mills this year.

The fall league is a noncompetitive league for players ages 7-12 designed as a developmental program that doesn’t focus on wins and losses but on getting the players ready for the following spring season.

Dove said some of the ideas discussed are having teams leave the field completely after practice before allowing another team on the field, and possibly having separate entrance and exit gates to the field.

They also discussed counting spectators, and possibly limiting each player to having only a single parent able to come and watch the game. Providing hand sanitizer and disinfecting the dugouts was also considered.

Dove said other states have been trying different things to keep the games as safe as possible. Among them are not allowing players to steal, no high fives between players and coaches and putting the home plate umpire behind the pitcher’s mound to call balls and strikes.

“At a certain point, it’s still a contact sport,’’ Dove said. “They’re doing everything they can to create distance.’’

The next sports season on the calendar is fall, and Hope Mills is trying to take a positive attitude toward being able to compete then and plans to launch fall sports registration in the near future.

The good news is the recreation department has been working toward doing registration online and that will be in place for the fall season, so people won’t have to physically come to the recreation center to sign their children up for competition.

In addition to getting ready for the fall season, the recreation department is making needed repairs and improvements to the Gary Dove Memorial Building at Brower Park. The multipurpose structure was named last April in memory of Maxey Dove’s father. Gary Dove was a long-time coach and leader in the Hope Mills youth sports program.

A new roof and gutters will be placed on the building, along with repairs to the building’s sheet rock. In addition, some of the upstairs space where the Hope Mills Youth Association used to meet will be converted to office space for Dove.

The two-story structure already has a concession stand, restrooms for men and women and a multipurpose activity room used for cheerleading and wrestling.

Few people are better qualified to talk about the current state of high school athletics in North Carolina than Rick Strunk. Strunk joined the staff at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association in 1985 and spent 30 years there before stepping down in 2015.

During his early years with the NCHSAA, Strunk had a conversation with longtime NCHSAA leader Charlie Adams about what events could disrupt high school sports on a statewide scale.

Adams told Strunk one thing would be a major war that could put restrictions on travel.

The second thing Adams said was an epidemic.

Strunk said during his time with the NCHSAA, they did have to deal with a situation like that, but it was nothing on the scale of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

“There was a measles outbreak,’’ Strunk said, adding that it was confined to one area of the state. “School systems went under quarantine for a limited period of time to try and track down the source of the measles.’’

Schools in that area developed a workaround, redoing their athletic schedules and playing games against schools that weren’t under quarantine, then once the quarantine was lifted, making up all the postponed games against the schools that were in lockdown.

He thinks the NCHSAA has done the best job possible trying to make decisions within the framework of the restrictions that have been set down in North Carolina to curb the spread of the pandemic, and he thinks coaches, athletes, parents and fans need to understand that the NCHSAA lacks the freedom to make plans for the future at will.

“When the governor says something is going to happen on this date, you can’t make your own decision to run counter to that,’’ he said. “Health and safety of the participants is paramount. That is what North Carolina has focused on.’’

Strunk said he has stayed in contact with members of the NCHSAA staff during the pandemic, and hopes the public appreciates this has been a painful process for them. “They know the value of high school sports and that kids want to play,’’ he said. “I really feel bad for seniors who didn’t have a season in the spring because it was stopped so early.’’

At the same time, he had nothing but praise for how school systems and coaches are still reaching out to support both students and athletes.
“Schools have had to pivot quickly,’’ he said. “Without much run-up they had to put classes online.’’

He said coaches have had to design strength conditioning programs for homebound athletes who don’t have access to gyms or weights.

In the face of everything, Strunk is trying to be optimistic and hopeful that by this fall, some degree of normalcy will return and coaches and athletes will be back on the field.
“First is the decision about school,’’ he said. “That will drive a lot of things.’’

He’s also concerned about if fans will feel safe going to games and if small businesses will be able to provide financial support to local teams after being closed.

Instead of a light switch, Strunk thinks the return to sports will be more like a dimmer switch. “The safety of the public, the athletes, the coaches, the fans, all of those are the prime directive in this case,’’ he said.

Cumberland County’s newest Biscuitville fast-food restaurant is all dressed up and ready for opening day in Hope Mills.

The only question is exactly when that will be.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening date for the restaurant at the intersection of Hope Mills Road and George Owen Road is generically scheduled for summer, but officials at the business’s restaurant support center in Greensboro can’t offer any more specific information on the opening than that.

Alon Vanterpool is the marketing manager for Biscuitville, which is primarily a North Carolina business with locations largely located in the Triad area of Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point, along with some in Virginia.

Vanterpool said Biscuitville has expanded into the Triangle area of Raleigh and Durham and is also growing in Fayetteville as the addition of the Hope Mills restaurant indicates.

Construction of the Hope Mills location was well underway when concerns about the pandemic reaching the United States started to grow.

Vanterpool said Biscuitville officials quickly realized plans for moving forward with the opening of the restaurant would be heavily influenced by following state guidelines put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Biscuitville does have other restaurants already open in the Fayetteville area that are currently serving drive-through customers only.

The first step to get the new Hope Mills location up and running will be completing the hiring of a manager for the store along with the staff.

Vanterpool said Biscuitville typically begins the search for the top staff positions about six months before opening then hires the members of the restaurant crew four to six weeks before opening.

As of mid-May, the Hope Mills location is still looking for a manager/operator, with plans to hire approximately 40 people to work on the restaurant crew.
Vanterpool said open positions on the restaurant crew can be found at www.biscuitville.com/careers.

She isn’t sure what the status of filling any of the crew positions is at this time, but she knows the hiring of crew members was on Biscuitville’s radar before the pandemic struck.

“As soon as we get the go-ahead, we’ll be going full speed ahead,’’ Vanterpool said.

Visit the company’s website at www.biscuitville.com for any general questions about Biscuitville or the new Hope Mills location.

I say “no” a lot, especially to my toddler.

“No, don’t do that!” “No, that’s not kind.” “No, don’t touch that!” “No, don’t put that in your mouth!” “No, no, no!” So many nos have to be said for a 2 year old to learn how to do life well. But do they all need to be said?

I’ve caught myself over and over again saying no to things he wants that inconvenience me. He is full of curiosity and wonder, and I catch myself saying no to his adventures, even when there’s no good reason not to other than it makes more work for me.

“No, you can’t jump in puddles today. You’ll get dirty.” “No, you can’t get that out. I just vacuumed.” “No, that’s too loud!” “No, you can’t help me. It’s faster if I do it myself.”

“No, no, no!”

Parents with young kids, do you find yourself doing that too? Why do we say no when, yeah, it might take some extra cleaning up, hosing off, or time out of the day, but we could say yes and have some of the best memories with our kids? Why do I say no? Because its not good for him or because it's not fun for me?

I want to say yes, way more than I say no. I’m not saying give the child everything he wants at the drop of a hat, but take note of the things I’m saying “no” to just out of pure inconvenience for me. If I don’t, I’ll be robbing him of a childhood of exploration, contentment in the little things, imagination and discovery. I want him to know he’s capable, fun and smart. If he never gets to find out for himself, how will he ever know?

Proverbs 22:6 holds this age-old truth: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” This definitely applies to training children in the ways of the Lord, but I think it applies here as well. What he learns now will serve him when he’s older. Hopefully, if I cultivate an adventurous heart in him, one that loves to learn, experience, imagine and discover, he’ll take that with him all the way through adulthood. Maybe he’ll teach it to his children one day. If I’m consistent, he’ll learn it, too. If I’m negative and self-centered, catering to my own convenience, he’ll learn it, too. But, if I seek out the needs of others, if I create experiences for him that he’ll never forget, if I let him show me what interests him, he’ll learn to do that for others, too.

So, here’s to saying yes:

“Yes, son! We’ve got nowhere to go today. Of course you can jump in puddles.”

“Yes, bud! Hop up on this chair and stir for me! I’d love your help!”

“Sure! I’ll play with you!”

And maybe, just maybe, by saying yes, I’ll come up with more adventures on my own, too.

Medal of Honor recipient and retired Special Forces medic Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer died earlier this month. The U.S. Secret Service, for whom Shurer worked since retiring from the Army in 2009, announced his death. “Today, we lost an American Hero: Husband, father, son and Medal of Honor recipient, Special Agent Ronald J. Shurer II,” the Secret Service said.

Shurer, 41, was undergoing treatment for lung cancer at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C.

The day before he died, he said that he would soon be taken off a ventilator, an often difficult and sometimes dangerous medical procedure. “Very upset to write this... been unconscious for a week. They are going to try and take it out in a couple of hours, they can’t tell me if it will work,” Shurer wrote in an Instagram post from his hospital bed, pictured with his wife, Miranda.

Shurer was awarded the Medal of Honor in October 2018 for his actions as a Green Beret medic with Fort Bragg’s 3rd Special Forces Group during the Battle of Shok Valley in northeastern Afghanistan a decade earlier.

“Ron was the embodiment of the Special Forces soldier, a dedicated husband and a loving father,” said 3rd Group commander Col. Nathan Prussian. “His heroic actions were an inspiration throughout 3rd Special Forces Group, Special Forces Regiment and the U.S. Army.”

On April 6, 2008, a 12-man Green Beret team from Operational Detachment-Alpha 3336 were on a mission to kill a leader of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin insurgent group. The Green Berets and about 100 Afghan commandos were dropped from hovering helicopters because the icy mountainside was too steep to land on.

The assault force faced scaling a 100-foot cliff to reach the enemy compound. But within minutes, heavy machine-gun fire and rockets rained down from enemy positions above. Shurer, then a senior medical sergeant, began to help wounded Afghan commandos. Capt. Kyle Walton, the operation’s ground commander, radioed Shurer to advance up the slope as casualties mounted. Shurer scaled the mountainside under fire. “We were pinned down with nearly nowhere to go,” Walton said.

While treating the wounded, Shurer was hit twice — once in the arm and once by a stunning round to his helmet. Dillon Behr, one of the Green Beret soldiers who was critically wounded, credited Shurer for his survival. “Without Ron Shurer at my side, I would have died that day.”

Shurer, a long time Fayetteville resident, last lived in suburban Washington, D.C. He regularly attended events there and in Fayetteville to help raise funds for the Special Forces Charitable Trust, a charity that supports families of Green Berets.

Shurer’s Medal of Honor was an upgrade from an earlier Silver Star Medal he received for his actions during the gunbattle in Afghanistan. A Pentagon review determined his actions warranted the nation’s highest award for valor. The Green Berets honored for their heroism represented the largest set of citations for a single battle since the Vietnam War. After the citations were read, the then-commander of Fort Bragg’s Special Operations Command, Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland, Jr., stated, “There is no finer fighting man on the face of the earth than the American soldier. And there is no finer American soldier than our Green Berets. If you saw what you heard today in a movie, you would shake your head and say, that didn’t happen, but it does, every day.”

Numbers and statistics can be misleading. This week, our publisher, Bill Bowman, yields his space to Jimmy Jones for a more skeptical look at the statistics in the age of COVID-19.

In the last few weeks, we have heard a lot about how our government officials are “following the data” and “following the science.” Here is the problem. I do not believe the majority of people trust their data or their science. I think we have a difficulty understanding what is factual and what is theoretical, and we are letting it confuse our decision-making processes.

When the United States of America bombed Japan in World War II, it killed and wounded an estimated quarter of a million people, and the world entered the nuclear age and an atomic race. I grew up in the ‘60s. In the first grade, we watched films about what to do during a nuclear explosion. The film would tell us, “don’t look at the blast,” “hide under your desk” and “duck and cover.” I now realize that this was a theoretical test of the American population. Now I know that the shockwaves would bust my eardrums and lungs, and the thermal radiation would melt my skin. Somehow, the government knew this and convinced its citizens that this was factual. Educators across the country showed us this movie, and we practiced hiding under our wooden desk — and no one questioned it.

Last year, hurricane Dorian came. We watched as officials, scientists, meteorologists and that guy from the Weather Channel tell us that Fayetteville was in the path of a Category IV storm. Factually, the storm did come. Theoretically, it could have hit land as a Category IV and come to Fayetteville. Factually, it hit near Jacksonville with tropical-storm-force winds. These predictions are not done blindly but with thousands of sensors, satellites and Air Force C-130 airplanes flying into the storm. There are so many factors that you cannot accurately predict the course of nature. Often, we take theoretical information and try to make factual predictions, usually to save lives.
As we hear the “breaking news” on the coronavirus showing us the data, people are starting to discover that the data does not seem to make sense. If you have had the coronavirus or lost someone from this, I am not discounting your pain, grief or loss.

Nature is running a course, and we cannot see it. There are only four factors that we all have to understand. We will get the virus, or we will not. If we do get it, we will live or die.

Every day the news flashes with the numbers of COVID-19 cases, the number of new cases and the number of deaths. These numbers mean nothing because they cannot be collated because not everyone has been tested nor are there enough tests. To make it useful, the entire population would have to be tested at the exact same moment while separated six-feet apart. Then we would need to check everyone across the world for a two-week period. We might then get an accurate count. Many deaths of high-risk people — those who were already in jeopardy of dying from some other health issue — are often included in the COVID-19 statistics, but that is not reported. I don’t know if these numbers are continually being blasted to us because the government and media think we are stupid or because we are dumb enough not to understand.

The chance of getting hit by lightning is one in a million. In 2017, the U.S. population was 327 million. That year, 2.7 million died. That is about 0.8% of the population. Thus far, there have been 90,694 deaths due to COVID-19 in the U.S. That is one in 3,605 people or 0.027% of the people that die each year in the U.S. In North Carolina, as of 2018, there were about 10.4 million people in the state. Last week, there were 695 deaths in North Carolina contributed to COVID-19. That is one in 14,694 people or 0.0066% of the population that have died in the state. Sadly, as we move forward, these numbers will get worse.

The number of cases that the government report on COVID-19 does not report how many people are contagious at a time. That is a number we could use to make educated decisions. Symptomatically, this is hard to diagnose because the list of symptoms continues to grow. It is hard to tell if someone has COVID-19, the flu or allergies without a test. We use to look at someone who sneezed and say, “God bless you.” Now, we may say, “God bless you,” but we are thinking, “Run!” “Don’t get me sick,” and, “I hope you don’t die.”

Social distancing is not going to work. This is the same as having to hide under your desk in a nuclear explosion because we are a community of people. We are social beings. From birth to death and in between, we long to be in touch and interact with people. In my opinion, I do not want the government to tell me what to do, where to go and who I can see in a free society. I prefer our leaders to recommend, “stay safer at home,” but the king of our state ordered us to “stay at home, close our businesses and wreck our economy while bureaucrats pick who can do what in the name of social distancing. No person or representative in a free society should ever have this kind of power over the people.They are elected to represent us, no matter the circumstances. These people either do not understand the Constitution, or maybe they just decided to run rampant over it to protect their kingdom.

Looking at the blame game of where it started is just a waste of time for the common person. The United States government could not find who released anthrax in Washington, D.C., in the deadly attack in 2001. After that event, the government told us to use plastic and use duct tape to seal our doors and windows. They should have just told us to put plastic bags over our heads and say, “Good luck.”

The government needs to work on its credibility. It is your responsibility, and the right thing to do, to protect yourself as you see fit. If you are sick, stay home. If you are high risk, don’t go out. If you go out, I recommend that you have your will updated and have a “do not resuscitate” order in place, if that is what you wish.

Until there is an effective vaccine, there are risks, and nature will run its course. The numbers are in our favor to survive.

Motorcycle helmets save lives. Nothing is more precious than your life, and nothing is more important to keeping it than your head. Although it may be considered more fun to tour the roads of the Tar Heel State with nothing on your head and the wind in your hair, that is also a good way to fall victim to careless drivers, poor road conditions and other unseen hazards.

Does North Carolina require motorcyclists to wear a helmet? Yes. The law in this state requires all active bikers to wear a helmet. This applies to riders of mopeds and any similar kind of open motorized vehicle.

What kind of helmet meets the requirement in North Carolina? This is a standard set by the U.S. Department of Transportation called Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218. This sets the manufacturer’s minimum standards for how motorcycle safety helmets can be made and the protections they have to offer. It is best to have a helmet that meets or exceeds the standards. There are novelty helmets out there that may look cool, but they are not safe and do not provide the protection required by Standard 218. 

Some of the details of Standard 218 include the exterior of compliant helmets must be made of material that can withstand the force of a sudden collision. To protect the head and brain, there must be a polystyrene foam liner at least an inch thick within it and sturdy chinstraps and solid rivets that will not break or become loose while riding. Helmets that meet the standard typically have some heft, weighing in at around 3 pounds. A full-face design is also a good indicator of a safe helmet. Helmets that meet Standard 218 are built so that nothing extends further than two-tenths of an inch from the surface of the helmet — so spikes on the helmet don’t cut it with DOT. 

How can you tell if a helmet meets Standard 218 aside from looking for the above criteria? Manufacturers of helmets that meet Standard 218 have a sticker on the outside back of the helmet with the letters “DOT.” Standard 218 also requires manufacturers to place a label on or inside the helmet stating the manufacturer’s name, model, size, month and year of manufacture, construction materials and owner’s information. Beware of DOT stickers being sold separately for motorcyclists to place on noncomplying helmets. A separate sale of a DOT sticker is a sure sign that the helmet does not meet safety criteria.
In the end, a safe helmet indicates a smart motorcycle rider who has a much better chance of survival if the unexpected happens. Here’s to safe riding.

Physical education teachers do a lot more than roll out the basketballs for their students and make sure everybody is wearing the proper attire for running laps or playing volleyball.

Especially physical education teachers like Jeff Nance at Gray’s Creek High School. In addition to regular physical education classes, Nance teaches what’s called an adaptive physical education class for students with special needs.

It was partially because of his work with this group of students that led the North Carolina High School Athletic Association to single Nance out as one of the winners of this year’s Homer Thompson Memorial Award called Eight Who Make A Difference.

The award is presented annually by the NCHSAA to one person from each of the state’s eight regional districts. The winners were honored as excellent role models to student athletes through a positive and dedicated approach to coaching. Nance was nominated by Gray’s Creek athletic director and NCHSAA Board of Directors member Troy Lindsey.

The press release from the NCHSAA called Nance a special person who comes around once in a blue moon, describing him as gregarious, passionate, outspoken, humble and larger than life.

Earl Horan may have offered an even better description of Nance. Horan is a special needs teacher on the faculty at Gray’s Creek. His son, Earl “Early Bird” Horan, was one of Nance’s special needs students during his four years at the school.

“Jeff has the patience of a saint,’’ Horan said. “He’s got such a good heart.’’

Every morning during school, the two self-contained special education classes at Gray’s Creek come to the school’s atrium where Nance is on duty. “They’ll ask permission to come over there and give him a quick hug,’’ Horan said. “He goes out of his way to tell them he loves them.’’

Nance said the adaptive physical education class he teaches is easily his favorite. “It’s for kids who need a little extra help in a controlled setting,’’ he said. “We have to modify some of the games and the techniques we teach them. A lot of the kids are nonverbal.’’ He treats each child as an individual but does it in a class setting.

“They are just a pleasure to be around,’’ he said of his adaptive students. “They take everything in stride and they’re not judgmental of each other. They’re always happy to do what you ask them to do.’’

Nance said his exceptional children are blessed with what he calls a double dose of love and compassion. “I don’t think they are tainted by wanting to be in the pecking order,’’ he said. “I don’t think they are worried about being popular. They love life for what it is.’’

Nance coaches the Gray’s Creek baseball team and has exceptional children involved in his program as managers for the team. “Our players take our managers in as their little brothers or teammates,’’ he said. “Baseball is a kid’s game played by young men and adults, and they (the exceptional children) bring a child’s-like view to the game.’’
The managers wear baseball helmets in the dugout for safety and help with a variety of duties like sweeping out the dugout, chasing foul balls or keeping up with pitch counts. “They are so happy to be part of it,’’ Nance said. “I hope it rubs off on the players that no matter what your role is, just being part of the team, everybody is equal. You don’t have to be the superstar.’’

Nance thinks he gets as much from the experience of working with exceptional children as they do. “They bring me back to center,’’ he said. “They
 relax me.’’

He thanked both his immediate family and the countless coaches he’s worked with since his youth for helping to foster his love for young people.
“I’m happy to have role models like my mother and brother and former coaches,’’ he said. “It motivates me to try and do better.’’

Column Gist: In any circumstance, only giving part of an account of some happening, that benefits the storyteller, can prove dangerous — even destructive. The possible consequence of danger or destruction is normally faced by others but can also negatively impact the narrator of the partial story. These partial narratives, and the accompanying danger or destruction, seem present in abundance in our current political climate. We had better address it.

“Narrative” is defined in a Google search as: “… a spoken or written account of connected events; a story.” We live in a time when hardly anybody voluntarily tells the whole story regarding anything. We only tell what benefits our argument, our position. That might be expected where there is no negative consequence, as when two fellas are in discussion regarding which of them is the better fisherman. However, narratives or accounts that impact decision-making and affect matters resulting in serious consequences, must not be addressed with partial narratives. What follows is some examination of one instance illustrating how use of the partial narrative plays out in our current political climate.

The situation started when Governor Larry Hogan, R-Md. and Governor Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., called on Congress to approve billions of dollars in unrestricted aid to states. Their argument is that states need this funding for state-funded functions not directly related to addressing COVID-19 but for suffering shortfalls because of the pandemic. Other elected officials voiced agreement, but President Donald Trump’s response started the partial narratives. These segments from an article by Sahil Kapur and Allan Smith titled, “Trump’s state ‘bailout’ swipe prompts pushback: Who’s really getting rescued.”

It states, “President Donald Trump is expressing skepticism of federal relief for ‘Democrat-run’ states battling the coronavirus. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s office bashes the idea as ‘blue state bailouts,’ and has proposed to let cash-strapped states declare bankruptcy.

“Three of the four biggest ‘taker’ states lean Republican: Kentucky, Mississippi and West Virginia, according to a 2019 study by the SUNY Rockefeller Institute of Government that looked at how much states get from the federal government per year and how much they send to Washington. New Mexico was the exception. All four receive twice as much money as they give.

“The four biggest ‘giver’ states, according to the study, all lean Democratic: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.”

Trump’s framing of his concern opened the door for a discussion on what dollar amount states contribute to the federal government and what they receive. The information above shows New York in a good light. Gov. Cuomo seized that point. Following are segments from an article by Morgan Phillips titled, “Cuomo: New York has been ‘bailing out’ other states for decades.”

“While Cuomo said it was ‘not the time to be talking about dollars and cents,’ New York’s federal tax contribution has been ‘bailing out’ other states for years.

“’If you want to look at who gives, we are the No. 1 giver — no one puts more money into the pot,’ Cuomo continued.

“Cuomo said the state has paid $161 billion more than it received in federal spending since 2015, and for every $1 New York state gives to the federal government it receives 91 cents back.”

With a partial narrative, Cuomo scored points. Left with his response and the earlier information regarding other states, New Yorkers likely feel entitled to a bailout. Other Americans who delve no further into the matter will probably agree. However, the question is not whether New York deserves a bailout solely because of its financial contributions to the federal government. The bigger question is should we bail out a state that is in financial trouble because of mismanagement and unwise decisions? If financial contributions are to be considered, then it is reasonable to factor in the totality of New York’s contribution to America and the totality of what the state receives from being a member of this union.

Regarding financial mismanagement, consider New York’s spending on illegal immigrants. By any measure, the state has set conditions that make it a magnet for illegal immigration. One of those conditions is the focus on sanctuary status for cities. Following is from an article by ProCon.org titled, “Sanctuary Cities: Top 3 Pros and Cons”:

“While there is no official legal definition of ‘sanctuary city,’ the term generally refers to towns, cities, or counties that decline to cooperate completely with federal detention requests related to undocumented immigrants, often with a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy.”

A report by the Center for Immigration Studies, as of March 2020, shows the following cities or counties in New York as having sanctuary policies: Albany, Franklin County, Ithaca, Nassau County, New York City, Onondaga County, St. Lawrence County and Westchester County. That reference also lists New York as a sanctuary state. Sanctuary areas clearly behave in a fashion contrary to federal policies and priorities for keeping the nation safe and secure.

An article by Seth Barron titled “Is there anything New York won’t do for immigrants?” presents another relevant piece of information. The writer reports: “Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced that it would expand the list of government benefits it considers when defining a person as a ‘public charge.’” Public charge provisions seek to ensure that persons who immigrate to America are able to financially support themselves and will not be a burden on society. To this end, they should thus secure local sponsors who could guarantee their expenses until they got settled. Barron states: “Progressive localities have responded furiously to Team Trump’s directive. New York City and state have joined a lawsuit to prevent the expansion of public-charge criteria, alleging that it reflects animus against nonwhite immigrants.”

Even further, Barron reports that in 2012, under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, 580 persons who had sponsored single immigrant adults were notified that they were to reimburse the city for cash assistance that those immigrants received from the city. Two hundred fifty individuals paid $996,000 to the city to cover those costs.

Then Barron says, “On taking office in 2014, however, de Blasio canceled the collection efforts, which he had opposed in his prior position as public advocate, when he had demanded that HRA ‘stop punishing sponsors when immigrants seek assistance from the city.’”

Mayor de Blasio also refunded all the money paid by the 250 sponsors. Opposition to the Trump changes, coupled with de Blasio’s cancellation of collection efforts and refunding payments, was an unwise use of funds. It also points to making New York a magnet for illegals. The magnet creation goes on with New York now issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants and offering undocumented students access to state financial aid and scholarships for higher education.

The kinds of actions addressed above result in unreasonable governmental expenses that adversely impact legal citizens. https://www.fairus.org/sites/default/files/2019-05/newyork2017.pdf provides information that supports this conclusion: An estimated 873,000 illegal aliens live in New York; illegal aliens add 251,000 students to local schools; in 2017, illegal immigration cost New York taxpayers $7.5 billion. That’s a huge amount of money that would be far better used to provide for the legal citizens of New York.

The benefits to New York run much beyond the dollars returned to the state by the federal government. In the current COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government: sent military personnel in to set up temporary hospitals, converting the Javits Center to accommodate pandemic victims; provided ventilators, protective medical gear and other items; sent a hospital ship, USNS Comfort, to New York City. None of these actions would have been possible in support of the state if other states in this nation were not, even when less than New York, financially contributing to the federal government.

Given that military personnel are so heavily involved in supporting New York during this pandemic and providing for ongoing national defense, which includes the state, New York’s level of support for the military is relevant. An article by Adam McCann titled “Most Patriotic States in America” gives an overview of a study done by WalletHub. Under “Military Engagement,” New York State is rated 49th among the 50 states. This category measures each state’s support of the military by way of military enlistees between 2012 and 2017, veterans living in the state, active duty military personnel and participation in the military reserves. All of the states that Gov. Cuomo points to as financially contributing less to the federal government than they receive outpaced New York, by a long shot, in this assessment.

The lesson here is simple: invest the time and effort to get the whole story because partial narratives abound.

Near the end of March, many local business owners were confident about 2020. Sales were up, and customer engagement was strong. Then, like a punch to the throat during a seedy roadhouse brawl, COVID-19 swept in, and everything changed. With their backs to the wall, everything to lose and no sign of a rescuer, entrepreneurs did what they do best. They took a deep breath and stepped up to face the challenge with creativity and optimism, pouring every bit of themselves into their businesses and the community. They found new opportunities and innovative ways to serve their customers. Here is how a few local businesses are handling the COVID-19 crisis.

Rocket Fizz

Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop opened four-and-a-half years ago, bringing whimsy and nostalgia to Fayetteville’s very first novelty candy store. Although it is a franchise, owners Kyle and Ann Sims and Ineke Morris created an old-timey candy store atmosphere with friendly, neighborly customer service, making every visit to their store a personal and memorable experience. Carrying candies from around the world and bygone eras, as well as more than 500 flavors of soda pop ranging from traditional to off-the-wall flavors like bacon, Rocket Fizz also stocks gifts, toys, movie posters and much more. They sell cool things, yummy things, things you can’t find anywhere else.
When the stay-at-home orders were imposed, the trio knew their operation had to change to keep the business viable. Rocket Fizz is classified as a grocery store, so its doors have stayed open. Their first survival tactic was to apply for the government’s PPP stimulus grant. The second was to contact the Rocket Fizz franchisor and the shopping center landlord to negotiate the fees and rent for the duration of the crisis. Both were successful.

The stimulus money from the government helped, but their location in the Marketfair Mall on Skibo Road remains a challenge. “The bulk of our business came from the movie theater next door.” Kyle said.

And, even though the second phase of the “recovery” is underway, there is no telling when the movie theater will reopen, if ever. So, to create additional revenue streams, they implemented free delivery service and promoted online ordering. They added Shopify to their website to make online purchasing easier. They even supplemented sales by using their portable concession trailer. “We bought the concession trailer hoping to create another revenue stream,” said Ann. “It was meant for events like the Dogwood Festival and the like.”

The Easter holiday was a Godsend for Rocket Fizz. Specialty themed Easter baskets and gift packages were a popular item and online favorite with customers. “We have made so many Easter baskets this year,” said Morris. “We had lots of orders over the phone, and we personalized every basket. People were so happy they found a place where they could get a basket for their kids. The fact that it was a rewarding sales week made us so happy.”

While keeping their small business afloat, they continue to reach out to the community and help others where they can. “We have donated products to local first responders, health care workers at Cape Fear Valley Health System and the VA Hospital, and most recently, to both the Fayetteville City Police Dept. and County Sheriff’s Dept. in recognition of National Police Appreciation Week,” said Morris, adding that, “Ann and I love this place. We will do anything to keep this business going. It’s heartbreaking, but we aren’t going to give up.”

Reach out to Rocket Fizz at 910-867-6032.

The UPS Store

When you see a line of people three-and-a-half city blocks long waiting patiently, you might think they are in line to purchase Jimmy Buffet concert tickets. They are not. They are patiently waiting to pack, ship, print or mail something through the UPS Store in Westwood Shopping Center, owned and managed by Steve Milburn and his wife Debbie.

The Governor’s stay-at-home mandate has stimulated online consumer purchasing, which has increased the store’s foot traffic tremendously. Online purchases are shipped to the UPS Store where customers who have mailboxes can retrieve them. Very lenient and generously return policies also accompany online purchases. Together, they create a constant flow of traffic through the store.

“We processed 15,000 dropoffs (returns) for Amazon last month, generating between 12,000-15,000 people through our doors,” said Steve. 

Debbie Milburn serves as a welcoming and conscientious “safety officer” and traffic manager for the company. To her credit, she has sidewalk disks marking off 6-foot sections from their front door to the Dairy Queen. She screens the customers and allows them to do the paperwork while waiting in line. She only allows four people in the store at one time — and at the appropriate distance. Social distancing, face masks, hand sanitizer, gloves and Plexiglas shields are all a part of keeping UPS Store customers safe.

Steve and Debbie opened the Westwood UPS Store in a 1,500-square-foot storefront in 1996. Now, they occupy a 4,800-square-foot mega-store with an additional store at Fort Bragg.

As an essential business, the Milburns have been able to keep all their employees working. They have even hired some new staff to help keep up with the extra workflow. The Milburn staff produces the area’s much-needed social distancing signs, floor stickers, floor coverings and protective vinyl guards used on counters and at cash registers throughout the community. They do all of this in addition to their regular services of providing mailboxes, shipping and mailing services, document shredding, notary services, computer access, engraving, laminating and printing services from business cards to menus to large, corporate commercial signs, all while looking out for their customers.
Steve noted, “We make sure our prices are the best. I know people are hurting. We offer many programs and discounts. We are all in this terrible crisis together; if there is a need, we’ll figure out a way to fill it.”

The Milburns also donate generously to many local community civic and health organizations, schools and arts and cultural programs.
Contact the UPS store at 910-860-1220.

A Bit of Carolina

Robin Matthews’ unique shop, A Bit of Carolina, located in downtown Fayetteville, has become a favorite destination for many in Cumberland County. It is truly a celebration of North Carolina, Southern history, traditions and hospitality.

A Bit of Carolina is a unique specialty shop carrying native North Carolina foods and gifts as well as North Carolina and Fayetteville-specific apparel, accessories, home décor and much more. Additionally, Matthews supports other local businesses by using 80 local vendors to help stock her shelves. Robin Matthews boasts that most of the items sold in her store come from within 30 miles of Fayetteville.

A Bit of Carolina is an “essential business” since it stocks honey and other food items like elderberry syrup — a natural cold and flu remedy.

Additionally, three different vendors at the shop have produced a combined 2,000 masks to sell to the public. “They are affordable, and we have several varieties for people to choose from. We have such talented people here,” said Matthews.

She was open for business, but had to rethink how she did business. “We had to change,” she said. “There were not as many people coming in, so we amped up our social media. It started with Easter baskets … now we do delivery in the city, and we offer shipping.”

Social media and networking seemed to revitalize her business. “People call and say, ‘I need a gift for x,y,z. This is how much I want to spend.’  We give them ideas for themes and help them come up with creative gifts.” Matthews said.

Curbside pickup has also become popular in downtown Fayetteville. “A lot of Facebook groups have members that specifically ask which stores do curbside service and have asked us to keep doing it. A lot of people with young kids can still get out and get what they need. It will also help with parking downtown.”

Reach out to A Bit of Carolina at 910-551-6537.

These are only three businesses of the many thousands that are surviving and prospering under these difficult economic conditions. We hope that Fayetteville, North Carolina, America and the world come out of this healthier and stronger, as we all fight to stay alive and open for business.

The COVID-19 pandemic has ground activity on high school athletic fields to a halt, but there’s still plenty going on off the field. Here are a few items of interest:

• The Gray’s Creek High School boys cross country team was the only Cumberland County squad to be recognized by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 2019-20 Scholar Athlete Program.

The program annually recognizes students and teams for their academic success. To qualify, the combined unweighted grade point average of the team must be 3.1 or higher during the semester when the team is competing.

Gray’s Creek earned a 3.75 GPA, placing third in the state behind first-place North Davidson at 3.84 and second-place Crest at 3.8.

The win earned the school a $100 prize.

• Fayetteville Technical Community College is using the lights at J.P. Riddle Stadium to join in a national program to honor this year’s graduating high school seniors who are missing out on their final year of sports or performing arts because of the pandemic.

The idea apparently started in Texas, spread to Colorado and then took off nationally, as high schools turned on the lights on their athletic fields at 8:20 p.m., 20:20 in military time, and left them on for 20 minutes and 20 seconds to honor the class of 2020.

Steve Driggers of FTCC said the lights were turned on the last two Fridays this month at Riddle Stadium and will be lit a final time on Friday,
May 22.

• Congratulations to Faith Francis of the Westover High School girls’ basketball team. Francis has been selected to the East roster for this summer’s North Carolina Coaches Association East-West All-Star basketball game in Greensboro.

If restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic will allow, the game will be played Monday, July 20, at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Francis led Westover to a 21-7 record and a second-place finish in the Patriot Athletic Conference behind state 3-A co-champion E.E. Smith.

A 6-foot-1 wing player, Francis averaged 15.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. She made 23 three-point field goals. She was named the Patriot Athletic Conference girls Player of the Year.

• Two Cumberland County schools recently hired head coaches. Kelly Melvin is the new volleyball coach at Cape Fear High School while Thurston Robinson will coach the girls basketball team at Terry Sanford.

According to a press release posted on social media, Melvin is a graduate of Douglas Byrd High School with degrees in physical education from Methodist University and North Carolina A&T.

She has been a teacher and athletic director at Albritton Middle School for 28 years.

She worked with the Cape Fear volleyball program since 2016, serving as head junior varsity coach and assistant varsity coach.

Robinson’s hiring was also announced on social media. He has coached for more than 20 years in the Fayetteville area, coaching both boys’ and girls basketball.

His teams have won championships at both the state and national level.

He has also had teams appear in major showcase tournaments around the country.

• Proponents of adding a shot clock to high school basketball suffered another defeat recently when the National Federation of State High School Associations announced the high school basketball rule changes for the 2020-21 season.

A proposal for a national rule requiring a shot clock, along with a rule allowing individual states to adopt one if they desired, were not approved.

In a press release from the National Federation, Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports, said members of the Basketball Rules Committee discussed the pros and cons of adding the shot clock and will continue to study the issue.

• One rule that was updated involved what happens if no coach is available to be on the bench because the head coach has been removed for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The new rule says if a coach is removed from the bench and no authorized school personnel are available to take over the team, the game will be declared a forfeit.

• Another rule was clarified to state that officials don’t have to give a coach a warning before assessing a technical foul. The existing rule gave the impression that a warning was needed before calling a technical.
• A new rule was added for clock operators, who are now required to sound a warning signal to start a 15-second period to replace an injured or disqualified player. A second warning is given at the end of 15 seconds to alert teams it’s time to prepare for play.
• A complete list of the rule changes for next season can be found at www.nfhs.org. Go to Activities and Sports at the top of the home page then click on Basketball.

Local businesses looking for ways to bridge the gap while wait for approval on federal loans have a friend in the city. On May 11, Fayetteville City Council approved $260,000 in funding and began accepting applications on May 12.

“We know businesses are facing some extreme challenges right now and understand the hardships they are facing,” said Kathy Jensen, mayor pro tem, chairwomen of the Council’s Business Taskforce and a local business owner. “These loans are designed to help businesses quickly and easily, providing a short term financial fix until applicable federal dollars kick in.”

 Applications are accepted online through CEED’s website at www.ncceed.org. Applicants can call them as well at 910-323-3377. CEED, acting as a clearinghouse for the city, will work with small businesses in the community that need help during this time. CEED will process the applications and underwrite and fund the loans using standardized guidelines in a consistent and expeditious fashion to get the money to qualified businesses as quickly
as possible.

Once a business submits all the required information and CEED reviews the packet for completeness, the packet will be reviewed by a committee of local small businesses and city staff to determine loan approval or denial. It is expected that once the loan is approved, it will take up to three days to disburse funds.

The city of Fayetteville also offers grant programs for businesses funded through Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which is a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program. Contact the Economic & Community Development department for details at 910-433-1590 or CommEconDev@ci.fay.nc.us.

Hurricane preparedness week

It’s time to prepare for the 2020 hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. During this time, families are urged to develop emergency plans, update emergency supplies and review homeowner and renters’ insurance policies. This year, it’s important to consider how COVID-19 might alter typical plans during hurricane season. The North Carolina Department of Transportation reminds drivers that after a hurricane or severe storm, they should always pay attention to lane and road closures and never go around a barricade. Go to the department’s website for information on storm preparation, potential evacuation details and live, up-to-date traffic information. The state continues to update its website for people seeking the latest information about the pandemic. You can find information about protecting your health, applying for unemployment and many other topics related to COVID-19.  For more information, contact the NCDOT Communications Office at 919-707-2660.

Hair stylists at FTCC depend on videos

Students in an advanced hair-styling class at Fayetteville Technical Community College haven’t been able to meet in person since late March but completed their final exam with a group video in which they demonstrated the skills they had learned. In challenge videos, people film quick snippets of themselves. It is a perfect vehicle for the students in Juanita Williams’ Contemporary Hair Design course. In the past, Williams said, her final exam required students to do a “Total Look” photo shoot with a live model. The students had to demonstrate their hair and makeup skills and compose the model’s outfit. An FTCC photographer would help them pull off the complete experience.

This year, though, Covid-19 forced the class to move online in mid-March. Eight students took before and after videos of themselves in their homes, showing off the techniques they had learned.

Val Cruchon, one of the students, took each submission and compiled them into a single video. All eight students in the video received As. Two other students, who weren’t able to participate, will be given other projects so they can complete the course. “Having a good time creating and getting an A for doing it doesn’t get any better for a college student in the midst of a pandemic,” she said in an email.

Williams had a good time, too. “I love what I do,” she said.

The VA and hydroxychloroquine 

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie is defending the use of an unproven drug on veterans for the coronavirus, insisting they were never used as “test subjects” but given the treatment only when medically appropriate. In a letter and call with major veterans’ organizations, Wilkie said the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was being administered in government-run Veterans Affairs hospitals to virus-stricken patients only in conjunction with a physician’s advice. Wilkie declined to say how widely the drug was being used for COVID-19 and whether the department had issued broad guidance on the use of the drug, which has been heavily touted by President Trump, without scientific evidence.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, said the VA needs to provide Congress more information about a recent bulk order for $208,000 worth of hydroxychloroquine. The Food and Drug Administration has warned doctors against prescribing the drug for COVID-19 outside hospitals because of the risks of serious side effects and death.

Military-friendly schools

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction recently released the names of its 2020 Purple Star Award winners. North Carolina awards the Purple Star designation to schools that demonstrate military-friendly practices and a commitment to military students and families. “This designation informs military families that these schools are military friendly, taking additional measures to ensure their child’s transition and time spent in Cumberland County Schools takes their special circumstances like PCS moves, deployments, separation from extended family, etc., into consideration,” said CCS Military Family & Youth Liaison Joseph Peek.

The following Cumberland County schools were award recipients: Seventy-First High School, Jack Britt High School, J.W. Coon Elementary School, Cape Fear High School, Cumberland International Early College High School, Cumberland Polytechnic High School, Douglas Byrd High School,  Douglas Byrd Middle School, Eastover-Central Elementary School, E.E. Smith High School, Gray’s Creek Middle School, Mac Williams Middle School, Pine Forest High School, South View High School, South View Middle School, Spring Lake Middle School, Terry Sanford High School, Westarea Elementary School, Westover High School and Westover Middle School.

The investment world is full of colorful terms, but perhaps none is better known than “bull” or “bear.” As an investor, you’re typically rooting for the bull market, when prices are rising. But you also want to protect yourself for periods when prices are falling. Now that we’ve entered a bear market — typically defined as a market in which stock prices have fallen 20 percent or more from their recent highs — how concerned should you be?

First, consider where we’ve just been. For 11 years, from 2009 to early 2020, stock prices kept rising, with some interruptions, resulting in one of the longest bull markets on record. During this time, stock prices rose around 400% — which means we entered bear territory from an extremely high point. This doesn’t mean the recent losses are insignificant, but market pullbacks present more of a pothole, rather than a complete detour, on the road to your financial goals. If you’ve been investing over time — at least a decade — you still have likely made significant progress toward your goals.

Here’s another point to keep in mind: Bear markets are a normal occurrence in the stock market. There have been eight previous bear markets since 1945, not including the current one, which have lasted an average of less than one year. The good news is bull markets have, on average, lasted five times longer. Of course, as you’ve no doubt heard, the past performance of the markets can’t guarantee how they will perform in the future.

While we can’t predict how long this bear market will last, given the ongoing uncertainty of the coronavirus health crisis, it’s highly likely a rebound will eventually emerge, as has happened before.

So, given all this, how should you respond to what’s happening? When market volatility rises and the value of your investments declines, you might feel tempted to abandon your long-term strategy in favor of one you perceive to be lower-risk. But instead, ask yourself some questions:

• “Have my long-term financial goals changed?” You’ve probably had your long-term goals for quite some time. For example, perhaps you’ve always wanted to retire at a certain age and spend part of the year in a different location. Do you still have this goal today, despite all that’s happened in the markets? The answer is likely yes. If that’s the case, you probably don’t want to abandon the investment strategy you’ve been following, especially given the unique nature of the current market volatility.
• “Am I comfortable with my risk tolerance?” Some investors know that markets will go through occasional shocks, and can live with this knowledge, but others worry to the point that it negatively affects their quality of life. If you are in this second group, you may need to re-evaluate your risk tolerance and, at some point, adjust your portfolio accordingly.

  These are challenging times for all of us, as we think about the health of our loved ones and our ability to achieve our financial goals. But it’s important to have confidence that the current health crisis will eventually pass, and that normalcy will return. And as an investor, remind yourself that investing for the long term requires patience and discipline. 

Ever so cautiously, North Carolina has begun opening back up for business. Unlike other nations with stronger federal systems, in the United States, each state is making its own decisions about resuming commerce. North Carolina’s governor, Roy Cooper, is following Alexander Pope’s advice to “be not the first by whom the new are tried, nor yet the last to lay the old aside.” While other states have opened up more extensively, North Carolina will do so in stages, a strategy that does not please everyone. Heavily armed protesters have appeared on Raleigh streets, begging the question of whether they plan to shoot someone if they cannot get a haircut or go to the mall immediately.

The numbers of people diagnosed with the novel virus all around the world, in our country and our state are astounding and growing, as is the death toll. But numbers, no matter how big they get, are just numbers until each of us puts a face on one of them. That moment came for me earlier this month. A dear friend of more than a decade did not respond to my happy birthday text in April, and I now know why. She was fighting COVID-19 with all her might.                                          

Let’s call her Ellen. She is a 42-year-old woman, happily married with two children, one a freshman in college and the other a rising ninth-grader. In late February, I had enjoyed seeing photos of Ellen and her husband on Instagram, taking their first vacation ever without their children — a cruise. By then, we were all aware of COVID-19 and cruise ships in quarantine, and a shadow of alarm crossed my mind. The cruise was an obvious culprit for the virus, but Ellen came home and stayed home but did not come down with the virus within 14 days. Then came the call that her freshman’s university was shutting its doors because of COVID-19. Ellen and her husband drove five hours to scoop up their student and clear belongings out of the dorm, which was full of hundreds of other students and parents doing exactly the same thing.

Ellen got COVID-19 and was isolated from her family, communicating only through walkie-talkies, and sleeping most of the time until it was clear that she had recovered.

As Memorial Day approaches, Dr. Anthony Fauci, our nation’s top infectious disease expert — and other medical voices — continue to warn of ongoing viral spread, renewed outbreaks, a second wave of infection, and the “needless suffering and death” that will come if our nation opens up too quickly. No one wants to hear this, and we are all stir crazy. We all long for our former “normal,” whatever it was, and we are all anxious to establish something close to it in a post-COVID-19 era.

Our immediate reality is, of course, that we are not in “a post-COVID-19 era.” We remain in the thick of the pandemic, though without its initial urgency. As of this writing, North Carolina is meeting most but not all of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention benchmarks for reopening, and all but one of our 100 counties report COVID-19 infections, and most have had deaths.

Our long-term reality is that each of us will have to figure out our own safety based on our family circumstances, our age, our risk factors and our risk tolerance. Getting comfortable with reopening will likely be different for each of us. For me, at least, and for the time being, it will not include crowds or trips away from home without a face mask. Researchers say a COVID-19 vaccine is at least a year away from proven development, with mass manufacturing, distribution and inoculation more distant yet.

As for Ellen, she is healthy now and just as stir crazy as the rest of us. No nights out with her hubby, but they are thinking about a weekend road trip with the family, masks handy.