Two Navy SEALs and two Marine Raiders face murder charges in the death of Fort Bragg Green Beret Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar last year in West Africa. Another Navy SEAL is under investigation for murdering an Iraqi detainee.

Preliminary hearings for the Virginia Beach-based Navy SEAL Team 6 sailors and the Marines have been pushed to 2019. The Marines are. assigned to Marine Corps Special Operations Command based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Article 32 hearings, the military’s equivalent to a civilian preliminary hearing, were initially scheduled for Dec. 10 at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. The Navy did not say why the hearings were pushed back but indicated it expects to hear the case in March.

The U.S. Special Operations Command has been embedded in global conflict for nearly two decades. Congress is calling for a Defense Department review of the entire organization, to include the state of its professionalism and ethics programs. The most recent National Defense Authorization Act points to “growing congressional concern with misconduct, ethics and professionalism.”

“That review is ongoing right now,” a defense official told Army Times.

Senior leaders in the Army have also taken notice. “Recent incidents in our formation have called our ethics and professionalism into question and threaten to undermine the trust bestowed on us by the American people and our senior leadership,” said the commander of Fort Bragg’s Army Special Operations Command, Lt. Gen. Francis Beaudette, in a memo to the force.

“If we fail to meet the high standards expected of us, we fail in our duty to the nation,” he wrote. Blockbuster stories like murder and corruption abroad have gotten significant press attention, but there are= also stories of individual misconduct in operators’ personal lives.

Just this year, Army Special Forces soldiers have been charged with an attempt to smuggle cocaine back from Colombia, the murder of an estranged wife, the sexual assault of a family friend and the rape of two young girls.

None of those cases came out of Fort Bragg. The National Defense Authorization Act directs the Secretary of Defense to study ethical standards for SOCOM and its component commands.

There is also a positive side of special ops. Two Army Special Operations soldiers claimed the titles of Army Soldier of the Year and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. Twenty-two of the Army’s top soldiers gathered at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, to participate in the 2018 Best Warrior Competition. The competitors for the premier event represented 11 commands competing for top honors.

Earning the title of U.S. Army Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, Sgt. 1st Class Sean Acosta, 34, is a Civil Affairs specialist assigned to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg. A native of Florida, Acosta is an instructor in the Civil Affairs Qualification Course. He has been in the Army for 12 years.

Sgt. Matthew Hagensick, the Army’s Soldier of the Year, is a Ranger Team Leader, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Georgia.

 The oldest public housing complex operated by the Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority is about to become the newest. The project, which used to be known as Cross Creek Court and is off Grove Street, has been demolished. The housing authority is bringing back the original name. The apartments that will replace what most recently was called Grove View Terrace will be named Cross Creek Pointe.

It will feature modern apartments like those off Old Wilmington Road that were built eight years ago in what was known as the HOPE VI project. The estimated 30 acres of property between Grove and Lamon Streets will not only improve living conditions of tenants, the complex will enhance the appearance of the neighborhood.

“One reason city government supported the federal project was because it’s considered a gateway to the city,” said Dawn Weeks, executive director of the housing authority, in an interview with The Fayetteville Observer.

Cross Creek Court was renamed Grove View Terrace 30 years ago in a public relations effort to dissociate the area from rampant crime that was occurring there. “The project originally had 212 dwelling units. Fifty-six were constructed in 1941, and the remaining 156 were built in 1950,” Weeks told Up & Coming Weekly.

Cross Creek Pointe will have two-and three-story buildings with 272 units ranging in size from twobedroom apartments of 1,015 square feet to three-bedroom apartments of 1,239 square feet. There will be a community building, playground and laundry facility. Weeks said that during the land preparation and construction process, some families chose to move to other FMHA-owned housing units. Others moved into HOPE VI units while others accepted Section 8 vouchers. The relocation culminated in 2017. Families that relocated from Grove View Terrace who desire to move back to the new Cross Creek Pointe community will have the option to do so, if they remain in good standing.

Cross Creek Pointe apartments will have air conditioning and other modern amenities that the original apartments did not. The $40 million project will help reduce the city’s shortage of safe, affordable housing, Weeks noted. The FMHA is the co-developer, along with United Developers.

The FMHA is a federal agency funded primarily by the U.S. government. Local, state and private funds combined with federal grants will pay for the new project. “The new construction is expected to begin in February or March 2019 and is expected to take up to 18 months,” Weeks said. “The units will be similar in appearance to HOPE VI units.”

The FMHA is one of the first in the state to use thenew Rental Assistance Demonstration program for Cross Creek Pointe. It will resemble a modern apartment development with streets, sidewalks and no hint of the days 70 years ago when public housing had an unfortunate racial segregation stigma.

Cross Creek Court was built for white military families. The then-Cape Fear Court, later redesignated Delona Gardens and Campbell Terrace off Old Wilmington Road, were for black families. Over time, both of Fayetteville’s original public housing projects became occupied mostly by African-American individuals and families.

After World War II, racial segregation and inequality within the U.S. came into sharp focus on the world stage. President Harry Truman appointed a special committee to investigate racial conditions that defined a civil rights agenda. Truman issued aexecutive order that abolished racial discrimination in the military.

 Before the death of a North Carolina Army National Guard Explosive Ordnance Detachment technician, his unit had repeatedly requested better equipment and training but were denied because of a lack of funds, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. Sgt. James Slape, 24, a soldier with the North Carolina Guard’s 430th Ordnance Company, died Oct. 4 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, from an improvised explosive device.

In a statement to the media, the Guard said the unit was “trained and ready” for its deployment when the unit mobilized in April. The 430th also “received all required pre-mobilization training in addition to specialized training the unit requested before going on Title 10 Active Duty,” the Guard statement said.

The National Guard has since initiated an investigation “into the training and equipping of the 430th EOD Company for their … deployment,” said Lt. Col. Wes Parmer, a Guard spokesman. “As the investigation is ongoing, no additional details can be provided at this time,” he added.

Fugitive apprehended during cooperative arrest

Fayetteville Police Officer Ariel Aponte captured a wanted accused murderer last week when the man was observed speeding on Ramsey Street.

Aponte approached a white Ford pickup truck with an extended cab and noticed the truck was missing its tailgate. The vehicle matched the description of a pickup detailed in an all-points bulletin issued by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s office following a homicide that had occurred a few days earlier.

Aponte called for backup and pulled the pickup over. Officers “detained the driver and the passenger of the vehicle,” said Police Lt. Gary Womble. They notified the sheriff’s office, and, according to Sheriffs’ Lt. Sean Swain, homicide detectives responded to the scene and took possession of the truck and the driver, Markez Jaquan Mcgriff, 21.

“A handgun was found in the vehicle … the same type of weapon used in the homicide,” Womble said.

Mcgriff, who lives on McArther Landing Circle, was arrested for the murder of Thailia Christina Thomas and the wounding of a second woman Dec. 5. He is being held without bond in the Cumberland County Detention Center.

Airline service reduction at Fayetteville’s airport

Fayetteville Regional Airport has been dealt a setback with an announcement from United Airlines that it is ending service to Washington Dulles International Airport, effective March 7. “As we continuously monitor the demand for travel in every market we serve, we have determined that our current service to Fayetteville, North Carolina, didn’t meet our expectations and is no longer sustainable,” United said in its notification to the Airport Manager.

The carrier has provided flight services at Fayetteville Regional Airport for the past five years, joining American Airlines and Delta Airlines in February 2013.

“We are disappointed with United’s decision,” said Airport Director Bradley Whited. “We thank all our customers who used United Airlines … and we will use this time to look for new opportunities in the market.”

Whited has engaged a consultant to investigate the feasibility of increased airline service to current and new destinations. He and Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin agree the airport’s future is up for discussion at next month’s city council work session.

An amazing act of character

At the Dec. 11 Cumberland County Board of Education meeting, Grays Creek Middle School sixth-grade counselor Lori Leigh told the story of a remarkable young girl who won a special award from the board. The youngster’s name is Delphane Lewis. She recently stepped up in an emergency to provide much-needed comfort to a student at her school with a special skill she possessed.

Leigh said another student was having “some sort of seizure and could not talk.” The student was moving her hands in a way that suggested she was using sign language.

An adult in the area brought Lewis to the student so she could interpret what the girl was saying. Lewis was able to understand the student and respond with sign language.

“This situation called for a skill that no other person in the building besides Delphane had,” said Leigh. “She replied in an unflustered manner and helped the other student remain calm until … medical help was available.”

The Amazing Acts of Character Committee selects winners monthly based on school nominations. This month, Lewis received a trophy and certificate of special recognition.

Fayetteville PWC winter weather advice

Having your heat pump ready for the cold weather is critical. Without proper maintenance, a heat pump will use much more energy than a well-maintained one, resulting in higher energy bills. And a poorly maintained heat pump is also more likely to experience problems when you need it most.

This season, consider swapping out old incandescent string Christmas lights for bright, energy efficient LED lights. LED lights use 96 percent less energy than conventional incandescent strands and can last up to 10 times longer. Check out PWC’s seasonal light program to find out how to earn a bill credit by using LED decorative lights this holiday season.

Photo: Sgt. James Slape

 Who was Fayetteville native Edgar Allan Poe? Was he a poet? A brickmaker? A potter?

The Edgar Allen Poe in question was not a poet, although he shares his name with one. He did, however, own a local brickmaking facility. In fact, his bricks were used in buildings and roads not just in Fayetteville proper, but in Hope Mills, Wilmington, Mount Airy and Wilson, North Carolina, and as far south as Bennettsville, South Carolina. Poe’s foundries and manufacturing facilities also produced clay pipes, drains, tiles and many other products. But was E. A. Poe a potter?

Though many North Carolinians proudly own pottery with the maker’s mark “E.A. Poe” or “POE & CO,” they might be surprised to learn that Poe never actually made a single piece of pottery. Instead, he hired potters to work under his label and sold their jars, jugs, butter churns, pitchers and vases wholesale to merchants who in turn sold them in retail shops. Many of the jugs and jars we now hold near and dear as valuable collectables originally sold for 10 cents apiece.

Local author Quincy Scarborough delves into the particulars of Poe’s brickmaking and so much more in his latest book, “E.A. Poe: Merchant of Clay.” The book follows the life and career of Edgar Allan Poe, one of Fayetteville’s most significant producers and businessmen in the late 1800s and early 1900s; details the history of brickmaking in the Sandhills; and gives insight into what life was like here during that time.

Scarborough was born and raised in Fayetteville. His wife, Betty, hailing from Cumberland County, considers herself more of a country girl. The pair share a passion for local history and the craftsmen and their work that helped shape life in the Sandhills.

For years, Quincy and Betty hosted one of the state’s most well-attended Christmas craft fairs. They continue to promote and celebrate both makers and history, and even history-makers, but now it’s through books.

In addition to “Merchant of Clay,” Quincy has written and self-published books about Carolina metalworkers, North Carolina stoneware, The Webster School of Folk Potters and the Craven Family of Southern folk pottery to name a few.

“We just love things that are handmade,” Quincy said about his passion for fine craftsmanship.

“And we love sharing that with people and putting it into context,” Betty added. “E.A. Poe: Merchant of Clay” does just that.

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Fayetteville. His father, John Cooper Poe, owned a dry goods store on Hay Street and later a tobacco and grocery store. He was also town commissioner in March of 1865 when Gen. Sherman and his troops left town.

Edgar was one of 16 children and was born in 1858 at his family’s home on Ramsey Street.

At just 22 years old, and newly married, Edgar went into the brickmaking business. An astute marketer and self-promoter, Poe’s name became synonymous with well-made, high-quality brick as well as other useful items, including spittoons, flower pots, floor drains, butter keepers and other everyday items.

Articles and ads about Edgar Allan are a common sight in the pages of The Fayetteville Observer from that era. He took his image so seriously that, around 1855, Edgar had an engraving of himself made. It was used frequently to make his image in newspaper articles and promotional materials.

In 1897, local builder Ruffin Vaughn built the Poe House on a lot that was originally part of the U.S. Arsenal. Edgar and his wife, Josephine, had seven children when they moved into the house. They had another child later.

The Poe House is yet another contribution Edgar made to Fayetteville. The Poe House is currently owned by the North Carolina Department of Cultural and Natural Resources and is part of the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex. It is also listed in the National Registry of Historic Places.

The Poe House is open for tours Tuesday through Sundays. It showcases what life what like in the first decades of the 20th century. Tours cover women’s roles, African-American history, children’s roles, and technological, economic and social changes in southern North Carolina and the country.

There are also seasonal events and celebrations at the Poe House. Currently, the Poe House is decorated for Christmas in period splendor. It will remain decorated until Jan. 6. Admission is free. It is open for tours Tuesdays through Fridays at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. It is open for tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

Find out more about the 1897 Poe House and the Museum of the Cape Fear online at https://museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov.

Copies of “E.A. Poe: Merchant of Clay” are available at The Museum of the Cape Fear, C Pottery in Seagrove, Jugtown in Seagrove, leading museums and on eBay. Or, email Quincy at qscarborough@aol.com or call him at 910-483-2040.

Quincy will also be at the next Gallery 208 opening reception at 208 Rowan St. from 5:30-7 p.m. Jan. 15, 2019. Call 910-484-6200 to find out more about the gallery opening.

 Fayetteville, particularly in downtown, is sadly no stranger to the danger of rail line crossing points. The last fatality occurred in the downtown district in 2017 when a truck sought to go around a single crossing arm, became disabled and was struck by a CSX train, killing one passenger and injuring another.

These rail line crossing points are located at intersections that will soon see even more pedestrian and vehicular traffic as the Fayetteville Woodpeckers begin playing and the Prince Charles reopens in April 2018. For example, the two rail line crossing points that bookend the 400 block of Hay Street, near the city’s baseball stadium and the Prince Charles Hotel, only offer flashing lights as a safety measure. No crossing arms are present at these locations.

As of early 2018, multiple groups of local stakeholders started to come forward to consider the establishment of a “quiet zone” in the downtown. Anticipating increased pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the district, stakeholders saw a need to increase safety at rail line crossing points and an opportunity to improve the new experience available through the baseball stadium and apartments, hotel and restaurants. In addition to preparing for the new residents and businesses in the 400 block of Hay Street, the district must also prepare for easy and safe access for the new residents of the 272 multifamily units in the Cross Creek Pointe Residential Development. The District is an art and entertainment asset for the entire city and region — it should be as safe and as accessible as possible to anyone who wants to play, work or live downtown.

While quiet railroad zones may be a new topic to many in our community, they are not uncommon. There are more than 815 Federal Railroad Administration regulated quiet zones nationwide and seven in North Carolina that improve the safety of railroad crossings and reduce their noise disruption. Between 2016 and 2018 alone, more than 100 quiet zones were added nationally and two were added in North Carolina.

What exactly is an FRA-regulated quiet zone? The FRA issued regulations, which took effect in 2005, (that) require locomotive horns be sounded in advance of all public highway-rail crossings and provide local communities the option of silencing them by establishing quiet zones. In a quiet zone, the railroad company, local government and the state transportation authority work together to determine what additional safety measures can be implemented, instead of train horns, at every point where pedestrian or vehicular traffic crosses a rail line. These supplemental safety measures ensure equivalent or enhanced safety at railroad crossing points and include additional gates, medians, curbs, lights, signals, road markings and other upgrades. A quiet zone may only take effect after all necessary safety measures are installed and operational.

After careful review, the Cool Spring Downtown District Board of Directors voted unanimously at the March 15 board meeting to gather additional research to help educate local leaders on the options available to communities to address the railroad noise and advocate for adoption and implementation of policies that protect human lives and reduce the noise associated with train activity.

Patrick Callahan

Chairman, Board of Directors

Cool Spring Downtown District, Inc.

 If you are looking for a warm, fuzzy Christmas story, kindly stop reading immediately and turn on the Hallmark Channel. Today, we shall rehabilitate the image of the first recorded victim of social media bullying, our old friend Medusa. Medusa has gotten a bad rap through the ages as a result of Greek mythology’s vilifying her as an evil woman in order to protect a powerful Greek god. She is the patron saint of the #MeToo movement. If Medusa’s story had taken place in the 21st century, her public image would have been much different from the ghastly reputation she has acquired due to being smeared to cover up what really happened.

As you recall, in mythology, Medusa was the ugliest woman who ever lived. She was the originator of the bad hair day. How ugly was she? According to legend, she was so ugly that if you looked at her you would turn to stone. Her hair was a writhing mass of snakes. That is pretty yucky.

Ponder her side of the story. How did this happen? Recall in the annual Yuletide TV classic movie, “A Christmas Story,” Ralphie fantasizes about coming home blind as a result of bad parenting and soap poisoning. His parents moan and groan about how he came to such a low state. Let us now moan and groan about how Medusa came to her lowly state.

Medusa was one of the three Gorgon sisters. Her two sisters were monsters but had the benefit of being immortal. Medusa was mortal. She began as a healthy, beautiful girl with silky, snake-free hair. As a teenager, she got a job as an intern vestal virgin at the Temple of Athena. While working at the temple, she came to the attention of the much older powerful sea god, Poseidon. Poseidon used his position to make whoopee with the naive Medusa, who was smitten by the attention of a much older man. Does any of this remind you of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinski?

Medusa became pregnant as a result of Poseidon’s attentions. When Athena found out about Medusa’s involvement with Poseidon, there was heck to pay. Athena blamed Medusa for Poseidon’s actions. Never take on the ladies of the Altar Guild or anger a Greek goddess. An enraged Athena changed Medusa’s hair into snakes, turned her teeth into fangs and uglified her facial features into monsterdom.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Polydectes, the king of Seriphos, wanted to get rid of a dude named Perseus who had offended him. The king sent Perseus out on a quest to bring back the head of Medusa.

Poly thought this quest would result in Perseus’ death as Medusa would do her thing and turn Percy into stone. It seemed impossible that Percy could cut off Medusa’s head without looking at her. Percy, being a professional hit man, had a plan. He snuck up on the pregnant Medusa while she was sleeping.

Percy used his shiny bronze shield as a mirror to look at Medusa indirectly. This prevented him from turning to stone and let him chop off poor Medusa’s head. Like the knight who slew the Jabberwock in Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass,” Percy went, “One two! One two! And through and through/ The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head/ He went galumphing back.”

When Percy chopped off Medusa’s head with his vorpal blade, her two unborn children sprang out from her neck along with Pegasus the flying horse. Medusa had a lot of issues bottled up inside her. Percy hopped on Pegasus and flew back, carrying Medusa’s head to Poly.

On the way home, he flew over Libya. Medusa’s blood dripped out, falling onto the Libyan ground and turning into snakes. That is the reason Libya has so many poisonous snakes. Percy had to stop to rest Pegasus. He got into an argument with Atlas, who was responsible for holding up the world. Percy whipped out Medusa’s head from its Versace tote bag and held it up for Atlas to see. Check out Versace’s logo; you’ll find Medusa.

Atlas took one look at Medusa and that was that. Medusa didn’t get any better looking in death. She was the original Dead Head. She turned Atlas into stone, which formed the Atlas Mountains. After a number of other adventures in which he used Medusa’s head to stonify his enemies, Percy gave Medusa’s head to Athena, who had started the whole mess.

Athena had anger management issues, which led to squabbles with mortals and gods. She recognized that Medusa’s head could help out by turning her enemies into stone. Athena stuck Medusa’s head on her shield whenever she got into a ruckus. This addition to Athena’s shield made her undefeatable. It’s hard to win a battle when you turn into stone.

So, what have we learned today? Powerful men have always taken advantage of younger women. Even if you are having a bad hair day, it can’t compare with Medusa’s problems with split ends. Lewis Carroll stole Medusa’s story for his poem “Jabberwocky.” There is nothing new under the sun.

Merry Christmas, anyway.

 Food is the fuel for our bodies. All living creatures must have it in some form on a regular basis, or we will simply wither away.

That, of course, is the most basic element of life, not taking into account what our necessary food is or how it tastes. Sustenance need not be pleasurable— it just has to be there.

But sustenance can be, and often is, a deep and abiding pleasure, one so rich that it is woven into rhythms and memories throughout our lives.

Take soup, for example.

I have always loved soup of all kinds, and several Saturday mornings ago, I stood in my kitchen holding a mug of warm vegetable soup, watching out the window as cardinals pecked for their sustenance in our yard. The little girl I once was came rushing back as she greeted her beloved grandmother, arriving at my childhood home for a visit from her home in Kinston.

Gobbie always brought two delicacies so special to me that I believed she alone could make them: Gobbie soup and Gobbie custard.

Adult Margaret now knows that they were really her lovingly-prepared versions of homemade chickenvegetable soup and what we Southerners call “boiled” custard, an old-fashioned concoction of milk, eggsand sugar, so rich and so delicious that my children actually fuss over who eats the most when a friend brings jars of the divine liquid every Christmas.

Little Margaret, though, understood only that Gobbie had made these special foods for her special first grandchild and her family and had brought them to Fayetteville with much love.

It was a bit of a shock when I realized Gobbie also brought these goodies to her other grandchildren, my cousins, but that is another column.

At Christmas, Gobbie also brought two kinds of Gobbie cookies, one with dried fruits and nuts made from an Austrian recipe handed down in her family. I have Gobbie’s special recipes, handwritten in a spiral notebook, and have tried to make those cookies, but all the rolling and dough-forming did me in. The other recipe, which she called “Rocks,” is more my speed, with raisins and walnuts and lots of butter dropped onto a baking sheet. This recipe, which I have guarded in a way I have guarded no other, makes dozens of cookies. Even though I give many away, we always have some left over.

Two Christmases ago, I must have been feeling a bit lazy, and I skipped baking Rocks. Much to my amazement and deep satisfaction, my children — who had never said much one way or the other about Rocks — missed them. I promised never to fall down on that job again.

Rocks, it seems, are more than sustenance.

Several years ago, I began encountering the term “comfort food.” It seems to me that food in general is a comfort, since without it we would all be terribly uncomfortable. Particular foods, however, are associated with the term — macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, chicken potpie, plain soups and stews, baked chicken with rice, milk, maybe ice cream, and my own all-time favorite, pimento cheese. We probably do not put white wine, asparagus, sole, chocolate mousse or goose liver pate in the comfort food category even though we may enjoy those foods as well.

So what is the difference?

We are not talking calories or vital nutrientshere. We are not talking about the fuel that keeps our bodies going, not the sustenance that allows us to breathe and walk around.

What we are talking about is the feeding and care of our souls.

What Gobbie soup and Gobbie custard did for me, what the memory of them still does, and what Rocks do for my children is remind us that we are loved.

They take us to a time when someone prepared for us ordinary foods that warmed our bellies, sustained our bodies and made us feel safe. They recall for us a time when we did not know enough to worry about school, jobs, bills, health, community obligations or any of the myriad responsibilities we all have, or to be concerned, even consumed by, the well-being of those we love. They zoom us back to a time when we were naive enough to think that life is simple and just and that we human beings are always kind to each other.

What they cannot do is leave us in our fondly-remembered pasts.

Real life, as we all learn the hard way, is complex and challenging, exhilarating and painful, occasionally fair and just, more and more mysterious as we move through it. Real life, as the television commercial truthfully notes, comes at us fast.

That is why we all return to our own versions of Gobbie soup when we need to and why we are what we eat — all of it.

 Inventor Thomas Edison demonstrated the first incandescent light bulb in December 1879. A year later, he changed Christmas forever with a light display outside his laboratory. A few years later Edward Johnson, an inventor who worked for Edison, made a string of Christmas lights. By 1890, department stores were using stringed Christmas lights in displays. In 1895, President Grover Cleveland sponsored the first White House Christmas tree to have electric lights. As the lights became safer and more affordable, more and more people started decorating with them. Today, light displays are a holiday staple. The Sandhills are no exception. Here are some must-see attractions in the area.

Holiday Lights in the Garden

Weekends in December through Dec. 23, Cape Fear Botanical Garden is aglow with holiday cheer. This year marks the eighth year the garden has hosted Holiday Lights in the Garden. The theme is Polar Express. The hours are 5:30-9 p.m.

Highlights of the experience include music and a synchronized light show over the Cyprus pond, a mile-long walking path lit with thousands of lights, a hayride that includes caroling, a train ride, story time with an edge, photos with Santa, an opportunity to roast marshmallows and make s’mores, and crafts for children.

Local music groups will perform on selected days as well, featuring Dec. 14 — FTCC Ensemble & Saxophone; Dec. 16 —Reid Ross Classical School Choir; Dec. 20 — Cumberland Oratorio Singers; Dec. 21 — Honeycutt Elementary Chorus; and Dec. 23 — Reilly Road Community Church.

The garden gift shop will be open during the event. An addition this year is Santa’s Workshop, where children can shop for parents and other loved ones. The workshop has a hot chocolate bar and includes a scavenger hunt. Santa will be at the garden every night during this event.

Visit www.capefearbg.org/holiday-lights-garden or call 910-486-0221 for more information.

Christmas in the Park

Arnette Park features 100 acres of woodland adjacent to the Cape Fear River. And it’s magical decked out for the holidays.

Open daily through Dec. 20, Christmas in the Park offers a half-mile paved walking path bursting with the sights and sounds of Christmas. After taking in the lights, guests can roast marshmallows and make s’mores around the fire pit or get creative at the craft station. An outdoor movie screen will play holiday films throughout each evening. There is also a train, the Christmas Express, ready to take visitors on a ride. And Santa will be there each night, too.

Christmas in the Park runs from 6-9 p.m. each night through Dec. 20. Call 910-433-1547 for details.

Lu Mil Vineyard Christmas Light Show

Lu Mil Vineyard offers the beauty of Christmas lights from the warmth of your car. Tune the radio to the Lu Mil setting and enjoy the synchronized show as hundreds of thousands of lights dance in time to the music. Groups of 20 or more can rent the double-decker bus and enjoy the show together.

Enjoy dinner at the country buffet (open 5-11 p.m.) before heading out to enjoy the lights. Help yourself to free wine-tastings daily and peruse the gift shop as well.

The light display runs nightly Dec. 13-23. Call 910- 862-1603 for tickets and information.

Meadow Lights

Located on Godwin Lake Road in Benson, Meadow Lights has light displays that cover more than 30 acres.

One of the things the owners of Meadow Lights embraces is the nativity and the story of Jesus Christ. There are more than six light displays showing the life of Jesus from his birth to his resurrection.

In addition to lights, there is an old country store stocked with 300 varieties of candy — preserves, hard-to-find drinks like Sun Drop, Cheer Wine, Nehi and more — including Radio Flyer wagons and scooters and bikes.

There is a train on-site ready to take visitors through 10 of the 30 acres of lights.

Find out more at www.meadowlights.com or call 919-669-5969.

Chinese Lantern Festival

If you’re willing to drive to Cary, the Chinese Lantern Festival fills the Koa Booth Amphitheatre and runs through Jan. 13. Lanterns and silk structures steal the show.

The festival features hundreds of colorful, largerthan- life lanterns and displays. The lanterns honor the more than 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition of lanternmaking. Each lantern at the festival is handcrafted, and more than 25 visiting artisans from China will be at the festival.

There are 20 displays made up of more than 15,000 LED lights, including the star of the show — the Chinese dragon. Weighing 18,000-pounds in total, the dragon required a 15-person crew to install its head.

Other displays include a bull fighting a tiger, and panda paradise and more.

There are Chinese culture performances that showcase things like martial arts, dances, acrobatics, and drum performances each night as well.

The self-guided walking tour takes about an hour. Food and beverages are available to purchase. Photography is encouraged. The festival is open Tuesday through Sundays from 6-10 p.m.

Visit http://boothamphitheatre.com/nc-chineselantern-festival-cary or call 800-514-3849 for tickets and information.

 Dec. 3, the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners voted to approve a plan for Phase II of the lakebed project. The engineering firm, Fleming & Associates, has been presenting revised site plans to this board for a year, at a cost of $50,000.

Monday, Dec. 3, the board was told federal regulations have changed since August, when they last discussed the project, and now require municipalities to be fully Americans with Disabilities Act accessible. The board voted to approve the plan with two changes: adding an additional ramp for wheelchair access and adding stairs with handrails to the swim area.

The board initially voted to approve a site plan in July of 2017. Several weeks later they agreed to a $36,000 contract with Fleming & Associates, who would draw the site plan. It’s not clear why this board chose to reject the previous plan or spend an additional $14,000 on site plan revisions. But this newly approved site plan already has an issue. Board members were told Fleming & Associates took issue with some undisclosed aspect and they’re being asked to meet at the lake so they can personally see the problem.

In November, when Commissioner Meg Larson proposed converting the old golf course property into a walking trail, Commissioner Pat Edwards cautioned the board to finish existing projects, like Phase II of the lake, before beginning new ones. The board voted to move forward with Larson’s idea.

Anonymous sources have confirmed there’s no money earmarked to complete Phase II of the lakebed project, but the board has committed to funding the walking trail by April 2019. Early estimates indicate that project could cost the taxpayers as much as $150,000.

After the board moved swiftly to approve a walking trail on the golf course, several new issues came to light. Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell agreed to pay as much as $50,000 for a turn lane on Golfview Road to accommodate visitors to the trail, but the North Carolina Department of Transportation has plans to widen the road within the next three years to accommodate traffic coming from the 295 exits. Any changes made to Golfview Road will be removed to accommodate the additional lanes, which means any money spent on those changes will be wasted.

There’s also a growing safety concern. In mid- November a man was shot in Ed Herring park in the Eaglewood Community of Hope Mills. The shooting occurred during daylight hours. Hope Mills Police Chief Joel Acciardo said Hope Mills Police Department was aware of a growing concern in the neighborhood. He also indicated the crime rates in that park were insignificant compared to the rates in Municipal Park.

The board voted to add benches and trash cans to the walking trail on the golf course but not lights. Signs will be posted informing visitors the park is open from sunrise to sunset. Municipal Park is also open sunrise to sunset. It hasn’t prevented people from entering the park after hours or from committing crimes in the park.

Only a small portion of the new walking trail will be visible during daylight hours, and none of it, nor the parking lot, will be visible after sunset. While Municipal park is in the heart of Hope Mills and surrounded by residential and commercial areas, the golf course is bordered by acres of trees and shrubs. The wooded areas, especially near the creek, have been used by the vagrant community for years. Several years ago, an arsonist was using the wooded area around the golf course to move around unseen after starting fires on the golf course.

It’s also worth noting that town manager Melissa Adams advised the board she’d been in contact with the McAdams Group and a representative is coming to Hope Mills Dec. 10 to discuss the proposed walking trail.

The board has commissioned McAdams Group to conduct an $87,000 survey of Hope Mills assets. The study began with a survey of Hope Mills residents to determine what recreational amenities they want the town to develop. A walking trail was not a priority for the residents, and it may have conflicted with what the experts were planning to suggest for that land.

Larson altered the results of the study when she insisted McAdams Group include a 20-year-old PWC water survey indicating lakebed #2 was necessary for a future water reservoir. PWC has denounced that survey and declared it’s outdated. Now the board is altering the results again by dictating to the experts what they’re planning to develop on that land.

Why spend money on an expert survey if you’re going to alter the validity with outdated documents and develop the land in ways that preclude developing what the citizens want?

It’s clear this board’s members are struggling to find their footing. They’re wasting valuable time on highly anticipated projects while rushing ill- conceived projects. And they’ve proven to be horrible stewards of our tax money.

Ironically, during the December meeting, this board also voted not to allow recall elections. So, while we’re aware of their incompetence, we have no recourse.

 The exhibition “Leo Twiggs in Fayetteville” recently opened at the Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery on Gillespie Street. An educator and a painter, self-discovery and anonymity are integral parts of artmaking for Twiggs. Visitors to the exhibit will readily see the power of art to inspire, delight and enlighten. This is a tall order when visiting an exhibition, but if time is taken to examine and spend time with the works and understand the background of Leo Twiggs, then visitors may experience a personal self-discovery. The exhibit runs through January 19, 2019.

Known as a pioneer in batik as a modern art form, Twiggs explores themes of race, African- American culture, politics, family relationships and personal history. Raised in South Carolina, the artist’s work reflects growing up in the 1960s to the present. The Confederate flag and other personal symbols show up in his work to expose truths about. growing up in the South.

Other symbols used by the artist include railroad crossings, shadowy figures, hats and patterned print dresses from his aunts and mother — all symbols of his experiences. You don’t have to be African-American to enjoy and understand his work; his images touch all races and all regions as they remind us of an ever-present past and cast hope for the future. For example, in reference to the images of the railroad crossings, Twiggs said, “We all have something to cross over.”

Visitors to the gallery will see two famous works from the “Requiem for Mother Emanuel” series. The whole series consists of nine paintings for the nine parishioners who lost their lives by the racially-motivated. murders at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015. A horrifying event, the slayings were a national reminder of the ever-increasing number of mass murders of innocents in this country.

So how does an artist living in South Carolina visually interpret an event that inflicted so much pain on a group, a city, a state and the nation? Twiggs said, “The series of paintings are a testimony to the nine who were slain, but the works also represent the one shining moment people came together — not because of the color of their skin but because of the human-ness in their heart.” Go to www.youtube. com/watchv=LHF6zqCWhyk to view an interview with the artist about his “Requiem for Mother Emanuel” series.

People in the community should be aware of the significance of Leo Twiggs, a renowned artist with a national reputation, and take the time to visit the Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery to see a beautifully transcendent and spiritual exhibit. The North Carolina Arts Council understood his significance: the gallery was given a grant to bring an exhibit by the artist to Fayetteville. The gallery was one of two other local agencies that received financial support. The others were the Arts Council of Fayetteville/ Cumberland County and Cape Fear Regional Theatre.

Twiggs previously had a career in teaching at South Carolina State University, where he started the art department and was instrumental in opening and running the I. P. Stanback Museum. During an early part of his career, he began using the batik process — a traditional African method for decorating fabric using dye and wax.

Similar to encaustic painting, the use of wax in a work creates a different color effect than oil or acrylic painting. The color in batik is bright in places but can be obscured by wax. What the viewer experiences in. the work is a layered message obscured by wax, looming shapes, shifting colors and anonymity.

In batik painting, color “creeps” or bleeds into the fabric. Preventing color from staining the fabric, Twiggs uses wax to create lines that echo the properties of a resist. The resist lines are in direct contrast to the bleeding of colors across the surface of his work. One cannot help but respond to the tactility and somewhat “eeriness” of material, color, wax and Twiggs’ subject matter.

By the 1970s, Twiggs’ national attention resulted in several solo exhibitions in the Northeast, including New York’s Studio Museum in Harlem. He has been involved in many group exhibitions that included significant artists like Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence.

In 2002 and 2008, Twiggs was selected to design an ornament for the White House Christmas tree. From 2004-2006, a retrospective of his works traveled among prominent museums in the South. He was the first person to receive, as an individual, South Carolina’s highest art award, the Elizabeth O’Neil Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts.

This year, the Gibbes Museum of Art announced Leo Twiggs in this year’s Society 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art Winner. He was selected from more than 247 artists across the South and is the first artist from South Carolina to earn the award.

After visiting the exhibition, people might be interested in purchasing the 316-page book about Twiggs titled “Messages from Home: The Art of Leo Twiggs,” which won the Next Generation Finalist Indie Book Award. Claflin University Press publishes the book, and signed copies may still be available.

I would be remiss if I did not express my appreciation and acknowledge the Ellington- White Contemporary Gallery for bringing the exhibition “Leo Twiggs in Fayetteville” for our community and the region to enjoy. Although the artist’s presentations at Fayetteville State University’s Rosenthal Gallery and the Pate Room at the Cumberland County Library have passed, the exhibit will remain at the gallery until Jan. 19, 2019.

Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery is located on 113 Gillespie St in downtown Fayetteville. The gallery is free. Hours are Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Group tours with a presentation can be arranged at no charge. For more information, call the gallery at 910-483-1388 or visit www.ellington-white.com.

 A bill introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly 1 1/2 years ago could have given Fayetteville City Council more autonomy in awarding construction bids to local and minority businesses. The measure, sponsored by Democrat Sen. Ben Clark, amended the Fayetteville City Charter, establishing a Small Business Enterprise program “to promote the development of small businesses in the Fayetteville Metropolitan Statistical Area and to enhance opportunities for small businesses to participate in city. contracts.” But the SBE program does not include the monetary incentives given to the cities of Durham and Charlotte in earlier legislation.

The local statute allows Fayetteville City Council to give more preference to local bidders, especially businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans. They comprise what the government calls disadvantaged business enterprises or historically underutilized businesses. In a report released early last year, the city said that of $65.7 million worth of city contracts in an eight-month period, only 35 percent went to local companies.

The Fayetteville area “just doesn’t have the capacity to lure small, local businesses to bid on major projects,” said city of Fayetteville Purchasing Manager Kimberly Toon. As a result, almost half of the money went to out-of-state companies, the analysis showed. Fayetteville’s small business enterprise program can solicit bids from local companies only for small contracts that do not exceed $30,000, Toon said. In 2011, the legislature allowed the city of Durham to limit bidding to local small businesses for construction contracts up to $500,000.

Fayetteville officials have sought additional local hiring authorization for years, but the city is hamstrung by state laws that require it to approve the lowest qualified bids, regardless of where the companies are from. To counter that, Toon said Fayetteville casts its net farther than it used to. “We make sure everyone in the (metropolitan statistical area) receives a copy of the proposal before it goes out for bid.”

Durham has been unable to reach its goal of 25 percent of contract work staying local. The city reached 21 percent last year, officials said. Fayetteville has only the power of persuasion on its side and an enthusiastic purchasing office. Officials ask that bidders make a good faith effort to hire minorities and veterans. Toon noted that representatives of all local governments meet monthly to identify strengths and weaknesses of the local work force and economy. “It’s a group effort,” she said.

Fayetteville City Councilman Larry Wright is dissatisfied with state regulations that hamper efforts to incentivize local businesses to seek business from city government. Toon said many minority small-business owners routinely deal with a lack of bonding capability or the presence of mandatory insurance minimums. She said her staff conducts classes for interested businessmen and women to put them in a better position to bid.

 A bill introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly 1 1/2 years ago could have given Fayetteville City Council more autonomy in awarding construction bids to local and minority businesses. The measure, sponsored by Democrat Sen. Ben Clark, amended the Fayetteville City Charter, establishing a Small Business Enterprise program “to promote the development of small businesses in the Fayetteville Metropolitan Statistical Area and to enhance opportunities for small businesses to participate in city. contracts.” But the SBE program does not include the monetary incentives given to the cities of Durham and Charlotte in earlier legislation.

The local statute allows Fayetteville City Council to give more preference to local bidders, especially businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans. They comprise what the government calls disadvantaged business enterprises or historically underutilized businesses. In a report released early last year, the city said that of $65.7 million worth of city contracts in an eight-month period, only 35 percent went to local companies.

The Fayetteville area “just doesn’t have the capacity to lure small, local businesses to bid on major projects,” said city of Fayetteville Purchasing Manager Kimberly Toon. As a result, almost half of the money went to out-of-state companies, the analysis showed. Fayetteville’s small business enterprise program can solicit bids from local companies only for small contracts that do not exceed $30,000, Toon said. In 2011, the legislature allowed the city of Durham to limit bidding to local small businesses for construction contracts up to $500,000.

Fayetteville officials have sought additional local hiring authorization for years, but the city is hamstrung by state laws that require it to approve the lowest qualified bids, regardless of where the companies are from. To counter that, Toon said Fayetteville casts its net farther than it used to. “We make sure everyone in the (metropolitan statistical area) receives a copy of the proposal before it goes out for bid.”

Durham has been unable to reach its goal of 25 percent of contract work staying local. The city reached 21 percent last year, officials said. Fayetteville has only the power of persuasion on its side and an enthusiastic purchasing office. Officials ask that bidders make a good faith effort to hire minorities and veterans. Toon noted that representatives of all local governments meet monthly to identify strengths and weaknesses of the local work force and economy. “It’s a group effort,” she said.

Fayetteville City Councilman Larry Wright is dissatisfied with state regulations that hamper efforts to incentivize local businesses to seek business from city government. Toon said many minority small-business owners routinely deal with a lack of bonding capability or the presence of mandatory insurance minimums. She said her staff conducts classes for interested businessmen and women to put them in a better position to bid.

 Believe it or not, I try hard to understand the thinking of people with whom I disagree. My patience for, and commitment to, this effort are being stretched to a level that tempts me to give up. So much of what I see and hear is simply incomprehensible.

For example, I cannot come close to understanding why there are people in America who want to allow participants in the caravan, now in Tijuana, Mexico, to enter our country without thorough vetting. In all honesty, I can only assume this is what they want. I must assume because I have not heard a clear explanation as to what is desired by supporters of the caravan. What I hear is loud, and verbally attacking, opposition to what President Donald Trump is doing to have these asylum-seekers processed in an orderly fashion that seeks to ensure the security of America. That means having individuals requesting asylum make their application at an official entry point along the U.S.-Mexico border. Persons entering the country illegally would not be allowed to request asylum. This requirement makes sense to me.

However, an Associated Press article with the headline “Justice Dept: Judge’s Ruling Blocking Asylum ‘Absurd’” reported the following: “Trump cited an overwhelmed immigration system for his recent proclamation that officials will only process asylum claims for migrants who present themselves at an official entry point along the U.S.- Mexico frontier.

“But civil rights groups sued, and on Monday U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar in San Francisco issued a temporary restraining order saying Congress has clearly allowed immigrants to apply for asylum regardless of how they entered the country.”

The following is the basis for the Tigar decision as it appears in his ruling. This is taken from an article titled “Unsurprisingly, Judge Tigar Holds That Congress Meant What It Said — In 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(1). TRO Granted.”

The article states, “The Immigration and Naturalization Act deals with one of the oldest and most important themes in our nation’s history: welcoming homeless refugees to our shores, and it ‘give(s) statutory meaning to our national commitment to human rights and humanitarian concerns.’ 125 Cong. Rec. 23231-32 (Sept. 6, 1979). As part of that commitment, Congress has clearly commanded in the INA that any alien who arrives in the United States, irrespective of that alien’s status, may apply for asylum – ‘whether or not at a designated port of arrival.’ 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(1).”

The provision referenced by Judge Tigar is what has resulted in “catch and release.” This is where illegal immigrants have an initial hearing and are released into the country pending their return for a second hearing to resolve their asylum request. The troubling fact is that a sizeable number of those who are released do not appear for the second hearing. They simply go on living in America. There are all kinds of estimates as to numbers regarding this fail-to-return group. In a spirit of fairness, consider an article that, I think, strives to downplay this issue. In the article “Majority of undocumented immigrants show up for court, data shows,” John Kruzel writes that over a five-year period, fiscal year 2012 to 2016, “around 60 to 75 percent of non-detained migrants have attended their immigration court proceedings.”

Then he adds: “But it’s worth noting that in absolute terms, that’s nearly 140,000 non-detained immigrants who were ordered to be deported between 2012-16 because they were not present in the courtroom, according to Justice Department data. (Though some immigration advocates say that count is high.)”

Even in a generous assessment, that is a huge number of undocumented immigrants remaining here illegally. Further, only a small percentage of asylum claims are approved. These considerations, coupled with a large backlog of cases pending before immigration judges, led Trump to the action he took regarding the asylum application process.

As is the case with so much of what makes no sense in America, Congress needs to fix the law. Instead, they spend their time being masters of collecting pay while producing little or nothing of worth. The American people tolerate this mess. Incomprehensible!

In the absence of Congress stepping up, the president tries to act. This brings out people who make comments that undermine his efforts. Former President Barack Obama is a case in point. His comments were reported in an article titled “‘Political stunt:’ Obama attacks Trump’s response to migrant caravan – video.”

The article reads: “Former U.S. President Barack Obama has labelled President Trump’s response to the migrant caravan a ‘political stunt.’ ‘They’re telling us the single most grave threat to America is a bunch of poor, impoverished, broke, hungry refugees a thousand miles away,’ Obama said during a rally for Democratic senator Joe Donnelly in Indiana.”

Within a few days, the caravan had covered that thousand miles and was in Tijuana, Mexico, just across our southern border. In addition, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstien Nielsen confirmed that there are over 600 convicted criminals traveling with the caravan. Not many days after Obama’s pronouncement, several hundred caravan migrants rushed a border crossing near San Diego, California, while throwing rocks at Border Patrol personnel, injuring some. The attackers were forced to retreat when the Border Patrol disbursed tear gas into the onrushing crowd. Regarding the military presence at the border, the Border Patrol makes it clear that the support is needed and that it is proving to be an essential asset.

Simply put, the preceding paragraph shows Obama’s comments to be far afield from an accurate assessment of the situation with regard to the caravan. What he did flies in the face of what is good for America. I cannot understand why he would make such statements. Even further, it baffles me that so many people will not examine his comments in light of what is really happening with the caravan. Incomprehensible.

There is outrage because tear gas was used by Border Patrol agents against that attacking group of migrants. The outrage is that women and children were at the front of the group and got tear gassed. Report after report indicates that women and children were intentionally put at the front for effect. This is a tactic of the group. The Border Patrol gets overwhelming negative publicity while those parents and organizers receive empathy and support. Why aren’t those parents and caravan organizers held accountable? Incomprehensible.

Hypocrisy shows its head again. On the heels of all the tear gas outrage, it is reported that tear gas and pepper spray were used on migrants during the Obama administration. Somehow, it becomes a horrendous event when done on Trump’s watch? Incomprehensible.

The narrative put forth by liberal media and all who desire the destruction of Trump is that the caravan is primarily women and children. MSNBC, definitely not a network that is fond of Trump, told a truth that challenged this narrative. In an article titled “MSNBC: The Majority Of People Who Make Up The Migrant Caravan Are Men,” John Sexton reported the following regarding an on-air conversation between Stephanie Ruhle and Gadi Scwartz, who was on a live shot from Tijuana.

“’From what we’ve seen, the majority are actually men, and some of these men have not articulated that need for asylum. Instead, they have talked about going to the United States for a better life and to find work,’ Schwartz added.”

MSNBC destroys the “women and children” narrative. Given that asylum requires the applicant to be the subject of persecution in his or her home country, the comment about “a better life and to find work” points to asylum abuse. The abuse is more obvious in that a person escaping one country is to request asylum in the first country he or she reaches. That was Mexico for the caravan migrants. Mexico offered asylum, and it was refused. Millions of Americans will disregard these glaring indicators of asylum abuse and continue doing war with Trump. Incomprehensible.

I invite readers to help me comprehend how a person can look at what is presented here and still support flinging the gates open and letting the caravan walk right into America.

Meetings

For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Town Clerk Jane Starling at 910-426-4113. Until the Parks and Recreation building has been repaired following damage from Hurricane Florence, some meetings may be moved to Luther Meeting Room at Town Hall at regular dates and times. Those meetings are noted with an asterisk below.

•Historic Preservation Commission Wednesday, Dec. 12, 5 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building*

• Mayor’s Youth Leadership Committee Monday, Dec. 17, 6 p.m., Front Lobby Meeting Room at Town Hall

• Board of Commissioners Monday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m., Bill Luther Meeting Room at Town Hall

Activities

For more information on these activities, contact Meghan Hawkins at 910-426-4109.

• Breakfast with Santa Saturday, Dec. 15, 8:30 a.m., at Hope Mills Fire Station.

• Town Offices Closed for the Holidays Monday-Wednesday, Dec. 24-26, and Tuesday, Jan. 1.

Promote yourself

Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

 News arrived last week that Cumberland County has slipped into Tier 1 status in North Carolina’s rankings of counties’ economic health. Cumberland joins 39 other counties as among our state’s most economically distressed, sometimes referred to as “low wealth” — the 20th most distressed to be exact. Joining us in the lowest economic designation are our neighbors Hoke, Robeson, Scotland, Sampson, Duplin and Richmond, as well as others scattered in mostly rural areas across the state.

State and local officials tried to dress up the designation by saying it came because the state adjusted the method for calculating rankings. They correctly promoted that Tier 1 status makes Cumberland eligible for more state grants and individual companies eligible for additional incentives for bringing new jobs. In other words, Tier 1 designations come with perks.

Make no mistake, though. This is not good news.

Tier 1 is a marker of economic distress, and Cumberland County qualifies. It is the only county among North Carolina’s 10 most populous to have Tier 1 status. The nine other most populous counties hold Tier 2 or 3 designations, the more and the most economically blessed. One can find statistics to support most any assertion, and here are a few from the North Carolina Budget and Tax Center. More than 51 percent of local renters cannot afford their rent. More than 41 percent of residents are low income, and more than 12 percent have no health insurance. There are plenty more statistics, some negative and some positive.

All of this is part of a much larger picture of North

Carolina and many other states — a profound and growing rural-urban divide. North Carolina’s booming urban areas, notably Charlotte and the Triangle, have little in common with our rural areas. They have educated and well-paid workforces, access to technology, enviable school systems, world-class health care and, not surprisingly, rapidly growing populations.

Rural areas, on the other hand, struggle to provide education, lack wide access to technology, see hospitals closing, and watch their young people move to urban areas for jobs and city amenities. A shorthand way of expressing this is that in a state of 100 counties, roughly 85 percent of the people live in 15 counties, and 15 percent of the people live in 85 counties. That said, our rural population is still larger than that of any other state except Texas.

Cumberland is a county with a foot in each camp. On the one hand, we are populous, with cultural influences from many nations. Our economy has historically been somewhat insulated from downturns by the steady military presence. But we are less educated than our other urban sisters and brothers and have lower incomes. Our population is transient, affecting many areas of community life, including education.

Much angst exists about the rural/urban divide, with conversations ongoing in both public and private sectors. How do we nurture the prosperity of our urban areas and handle the issues stemming from rapid growth but at the same time help our rural areas access the technology their residents require for both education and business?

Cumberland County’s Tier 1 ranking is disheartening, but the good news is that with our urban center, we have more to work with than do many other North Carolina counties.

There are excellent schools within our public system, and Fayetteville Technical Community College offers education and training at affordable rates. The military brings expertise in many areas, some of which can be translated into the private sector. We are proof of not  only the rural-urban divide but of the rural-urban interconnection. Both exist within our county’s boundaries and can help each other through partnerships of all sorts, including agriculture and technology, which are increasingly intertwined. Think farm-to-table and ways to make that possible in both stores and restaurants.

We must also reach deep within our community for innovative and thoughtful leaders, people who understand the divide and are willing to experiment with bridging it. We must recognize that leaders come from all age groups and ranges of our community.

As North Carolina state Sen. Erica Smith, who represents eight rural, mostly struggling counties, told a recent panel on the “two North Carolinas,” “We are only as strong as our weakest community.”

 It’s a labor of love in late November and early December every year for families everywhere to put up the decorations of the Christmas season in their homes.

But imagine the same challenge on a larger scale, like decorating an entire town. That’s what Maxey Dove and people in the Hope Mills Recreation and Parks Department have to deal with in decking the streets and buildings of the town with the trappings of the Christmas season.

“It’s a lot of stuff,’’ Dove said of the assorted decorations that the town puts up for Christmas every year.

It also covers a lot of territory. “We have banners on Main Street, Trade Street and Johnson Street,’’ Dove said. “We decorate the marquee and the gazebo at the lake.’’ There’s also a manger scene that used to be at the lake but has been moved to the municipal complex at Town Hall this year.

The task of putting up the decorations goes on for multiple days and involves both maintenance staff of the parks and recreation department as well as members of the town’s Appearance Committee.

There are two Christmas trees, both artificial, one at the lake and one at the municipal complex on Rockfish Road.

“They are huge,’’ Dove said. Both trees stand about 20 to 22 feet tall. “They have big metal frames. I think the new one has LED lights. They are both pretty big productions.’’

The banners and many of the other Christmas decorations around town are put in place with the help of a bucket truck from a local electrical contracting firm.

How long do Christmas decoration last? Dove said it varies depending on the type of decorations. He estimates the two Christmas trees will probably be good for about 10 years. Wreaths usually last longer than the Christmas banners.

“Usually, every few years we rotate new stuff in and new stuff out,’’ he said.

As far as the choice of the style of decorations, that’s handled largely by the Appearance Committee, but Dove said they also get many suggestions from people in the town from time to time.

“There are a lot of opinions,’’ Dove said. “We are always looking to do bigger, better and nicer. But at the same time, you have to keep in the back of your mind this is Hope Mills and there’s a certain way Hope Mills does things. Sometimes you’ve got to balance the two.’’

The bottom line, Dove said, is many people have fond Christmas memories of Hope Mills.

“We have several opportunities for families to come out and something for everybody to enjoy,’’ Dove said. “It just kind of gets everybody into the season.

“Seeing the community come together and celebrate the holiday and family is one of the benefits of a small town. People take pride in it, and our volunteers are outstanding. Our Appearance Committee really helps out a lot.’’

 U.S. military working dogs are possibly the most unsung members of the fighting force. They and their handlers from every military service are deployed worldwide to support all kinds of missions. Hundreds of dogs have been used to aid troops in Afghanistan since the U.S. arrived in 2001 to oust the Taliban from power. They train for a variety of tasks, including detecting explosives and apprehending combatants. About 1,600 dogs are either in the field or helping veterans, the military said.

An Army ranger and his dog were killed during a recent clash in Afghanistan, military officials confirmed after the dog’s unofficial biography began circulating on social media. The dog, named Maiko, and Sgt. Leandro Jasso — whose death was previously reported — were fatally wounded during a raid against al-Qaida militants on Nov. 24, military officials said. Jasso, 24, and his dog were hit by gunfire during a mission to take out Al-Qaeda- affiliated militants.

The 7-year-old war dog was leading Rangers into a compound when at least one militant fired at him, revealing the militant’s position, which the Rangers then targeted, according to the dog’s biography. Like many of his human counterparts, Maiko had served several tours in Afghanistan and conducted more than 50 Ranger-led raids, the biography said.

While many dogs train for specific tasks, multipurpose canines like Maiko are highly skilled and must undergo a rigorous selection process. Maiko had been trained in patrolling, tracking, bomb detection and apprehension functions.

On July 27, 2013, the first bronze statue of a Special Operations Force K9 was unveiled on the grounds of the Airborne & Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville. More than 2,000 people gathered to honor brave K9s and remember what they have done for our country. The statue depicts a life-size Belgian Malinois wearing its full deployment kit.

Special Operations Forces dogs are called super dogs. They parachute from planes with their handlers and can track enemy forces in difficult conditions. Most U.S. military war dogs are German and Dutch shepherds and Belgian Malinois breeds, said Army Col. David Rolfe, director of the Defense Department’s Military Working Dog Program. That’s also true of K9s involved in police work. The Fayetteville Police Department’s dogs are bred and initially trained in Europe.

The breeds are high-strung, “very aggressive, very smart, very loyal and very athletic,” Rolfe said. Dogs have long been recognized as “force multipliers” by military fighting forces around the world for generations, Rolfe noted. Egyptians, Greeks, Persians and Romans used war dogs. The Roman Empire, starting with Marcus Aurelius, used dogs in combat.

The now extinct Molossus dog was the strongest breed known to the Romans and was specifically trained for battle. The Romans often coated them in protective spiked metal collars and chain mail armor, arranging them into attack formations.

The first official use of dogs for military purposes in the United States was during the Seminole Wars.

  Here is the Patriot Athletic All-Conference football team as chosen by the league’s head coaches.

Coach of the year: Bill Sochovka, Pine Forest

Offensive player of the year: Donovan Brewington, South View

Athlete of the year: Earlee Melvin, Douglas Byrd

Defensive player of the year: Dante Bowlding, Terry Sanford

OFFENSE

• First team

Linemen: Domion Evans, Douglas Byrd; Tanner Morris, Terry Sanford; Kurin Keys, Terry Sanford; Tony Tyndall, Gray’s Creek; Caleb Krings, Cape Fear; Deon Buchanan, Pine Forest

Running backs: Matthew Pemberton, South View; Dorian Clark, Terry Sanford

Wide receivers: Emery Simmons, South View; Kevin Brewington, South View; Toshiro Spivey, E.E. Smith; Leonard Mosley, Terry Sanford

Quarterback: Davidjohn Herz, Terry Sanford

Tight end: Denarea McMillan, South View

Kicker: Mason Smith, Cape Fear

Punter: Mason Smith, Cape Fear

• Second team

Offensive line: David Locklear, South View; Anthony Glenn, E.E. Smith; Q’Vonntae Hall-Bonaparte, Westover; DaVon Smith, Overhills. Honorable mention — Connor Brady, Terry Sanford; John Sullivan, Pine Forest; Blake Marshburn, Pine Forest

Running backs: Andre Allen, Gray’s Creek; D.J. Jones, PineForest. Honorable mention — Ronald Carroll, Douglas Byrd; Keyshown Lindsey, Westover; Trey Beckett, Gray’s Creek; Malik Daniels, Pine Forest

Wide receivers: Jacob Knight, Terry Sanford; Zavion Whitehead, Westover; Trevor Thomas, Gray’s Creek; Taiquan Gamble, Cape Fear

Quarterback: Xavier Marsh, Westover. Honorable mention Richard McEachern, Pine Forest.

Tight end: Joshua George, South View. Honorable mention — Ezemdi Udoh, Terry Sanford

Kicker: Kyle Dickerson, Pine Forest

DEFENSE

• First team

Defensive line: Nikai Butler, Douglas Byrd; Elijah Morris, Terry Sanford; Domonique McMillan, Gray’s Creek; Tyrique Williams, Pine Forest

Linebackers: Jackson Deaver, Terry Sanford; Justin McLintock, Gray’s Creek; Jaylen Hudson, Cape Fear; Austin Hunt, Cape Fear

Defensive backs: Corey Johnson, South View; Shawn Newman, Terry Sanford; Gabe Galloway, Cape Fear; Jordan Gladney, Pine Forest

• Second team

Defensive line: Jaylin Webb, South View; Zion Hayes, Overhills; Isaiah Potts, Pine Forest; Nick Minnicapelli, Cape Fear. Honorable mention — Ayshawn Henley, South View; Bryce Kotson, Terry Sanford; Jerry Smith, Overhills; Luis Rivera, Pine Forest; Steven Woodbury, Pine Forest; Grant Seals, South View 

Linebackers: Ray Dixon, Douglas Byrd; Ronald Carroll, Douglas Byrd; Markell Samuel, E.E. Smith; Bernard Flerlage, Pine Forest; Jarieal Douglas, South View. Honorable mention — Elijah Wyand, South View; Jarvis Dudley, E.E. Smith; Taurienne Freeman, Westover; Blake Little, Gray’s Creek; Tyshaun Bryant, Overhills; Dante Autry, Cape Fear; Jahqwan Bowden, Pine Forest

Defensive backs: Randy Franklin, E.E. Smith; Brandon Handy, Westover; D.J. Crutcher, Gray’s Creek; Le’Vonte McLean, Pine Forest. Honorable mention — Timel Smith, South View; Emery Simmons, South View; Dalton Patrick, Gray’s Creek; Jerry Garcia, Gray’s Creek; Micah Nelson, Cape Fear; Austin Gonzales, Pine Forest; Jaquan Boykin, Douglas Byrd

Photo: Donovan Brewington

 I had to laugh at all the crazy comments flooding social media about wanting to silence the dozens of trains that pass through our community every day.

Some people love it, some hate it, and some just don’t pay any attention to the trains anymore. They have gotten used to them. Ahhh! Urban living.

I’m sure few of the people complaining one way or the other have ever lived in or spent the night on Wabash Avenue in downtown Chicago, Illinois. There, you constantly hear the rattling and clanging of the Chicago Transit Authority’s rapid transit system, the Chicago “L” (short for “elevated”). The “L” is Chicago’s primary mode of urban transportation, and, with a top speed of 55 miles per hour, you can bet it makes a lot of noise starting and stopping.

I grew up in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a time when electricpowered street cars were the main  mode of transportation. Talk about noise! To this day, I can still close my eyes and see the sparks flashing rainbow colors off the electric powerlines. I can hear the clanging of the warning bells and the screeching of metal on metal as the street cars came to a notso- subtle stop. It happened all day and all night.

So, it’s hard for me to take all those social media comments seriously. Besides, who takes social media comments seriously anyway? Social media has a Wild West mentality where people can write anything regardless of the truth or facts. The mantra often seems to be, “Fire, ready, aim.”

That pretty much describes all the hullabaloo over District 2 Councilman Dan Culliton’s suggestion that the city consider “quiet zones” downtown and get the good folks at the railroad to stop blasting those obnoxiously loud air horns as they come through our fair city. Sure, the blasts are for safety, but sometimes it sounds like the engineers at CSX may be having a little too much fun at our eardrums’ expense.

People on both sides of this issue are opinionated. It would be nice if that much energy and passion could be directed toward annexing Shaw Heights and bringing consistency and muchneeded services to the poor and underserved in that community.

Well, the train horn issue will be around for a long time. It is too early to waste intellectual energy on an issue like “quiet zones.” Besides, this issue will take care of itself in good time. After all, have you noticed no one has mentioned how much it will cost to comply with the state and federal regulations to convert our downtown railroad crossings to gated, railroad-safety approved standards?

My guess? Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of taxpayers’ dollars. That’s one sound no one is going to like hearing. Then the controversy will be — you guessed it— who is going to pay for it!

Stay tuned. This is going to get interesting. I would love for Fayetteville to have quiet zones, tranquil days and peaceful nights. But where will the money come from? Someone needs to do a cost-benefit analysis. If this is the way we go, fine. But, add it to our already long list of citywide priorities, and let’s see where it fits in.

Regardless, I really like the way Culliton thinks. He’s attentive to what’s going on in his district. He’s respectful to his colleagues and constituents. He’s out there doing his job — and that’s pretty impressive. That’s leadership and something you can blast your horn about.

Stay tuned.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Jamelene Whitfield

Douglas Byrd • Junior • Bowling/softball

Whitfield has a grade point average of 4.15. She is a member of the Anime and Chess Clubs. She is also a member of the Alpha Omega Rho service sorority and the Douglas Byrd speech and debate team.

Tyrell McLucas

Douglas Byrd •Sophomore •Basketball/track

McLucas has a 4.125 grade point average. He is a member of Delta Phi Iota service fraternity and the Academy of Green Technology. He also volunteers at his church, Abundant Grace.

EDIT: Due to concerns over the rain forecast on Saturday, Dec. 15, the location has changed to the original Dirtbag Ales at 3623 Legion Road in Hope Mills. Please visit the Hayat Yoga Shala page on Facebook for further details. 

 Hayat Hakim has lived in the Fayetteville-Hope Mills area for the past 10 years, but she still has fond memories of the first 20 years of her life spent growing up in Bonn, Germany.

“I was raised going to the German Christmas market every year with my family,’’ Hakim said. “We basically celebrated by going with the entire family. The memories the entire time I was raised in Germany brought such a familiar feeling of community with me.’’

Hakim, who operates Hayat Yoga Shala on Raeford Road, tried to bring the German Christmas market experience on a smaller scale to the students at her yoga studio four years ago.

This year, with the help of Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom, Hakim is putting together a much larger scale event that will be held at Dirtbag’s new brewery at 5435 Corporation Dr. in the Gray’s Creek community. The market is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 15, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

“Every year at this time, I miss home very much,’’ Hakim said. For some time, she’s been exploring what could be done to bring a little bit of the German Christmas market feel to this community, which she described as versatile and diverse in cultural aspects.

“I realized how much people wanted that experience in their lives; soldiers stationed in Germany, German spouses who came over here with their families,” she said. “They all just miss it. That’s why we are trying to recreate that good feel.’’

An obvious feature of the German Christmas market will be multiple food and drink options. In addition to German-style beer, Hakim plans to offer “glühwein,” a German-Austrian after-ski drink.

“It’s a warmer, sweeter red wine,’’ Hakim said. “It has different ingredients like orange and cinnamon and a homemade recipe of sweetness.’’ She described it as having a Christmas feeling that warms the whole body.

Pastries are also a big part of the German Christmas market experience. A local catering service will be on hand to provide “lebkuchenherzen,” which are gingerbread hearts.

A German food truck will be at the market, and an authentic German café will be recreated to offer dishes familiar to the German community.

German potato salad will be available, along with assorted types of coffee popular to the German community.

In addition to the food offerings, Hakim has commitments from up to 30 vendors for the German Christmas market with a goal of landing as many as 40.

“We have a lot of handcrafted vendors,’’ she said, “from artists to unique jewelry makers.’’

One artist scheduled to appear makes glass ornaments by hand and will be hand-painting them during the market.

There will also be local farmers on hand with displays of produce.

The market will also have a dog park for those who want to bring their pets, as well as a playground for children.

While some of the vendors will accept credit cards, Hakim suggests people planning to make purchases at the market be prepared to bring cash with them.

The event will be held outdoors so Hakim advises patrons to be prepared to dress for whatever weather may develop.

For further information about the Christmas market, including details on specific vendors, visit the Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom or the German Christmas Market pages on Facebook.

Photo: Left to right: Dirtbag Ales staff Nick Demetris, Hope Demetris and Elizabeth Brogan; Hayat Hakim; and Dirtbag Ales co-owner Vernardo Simmons-Valenzuela.

 The Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program, or C-STEP, housed in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, seeks to admit, identify, enroll and graduate high-achieving, low- to moderate-income students transferring to Carolina from partner community colleges. In the spring of 2011, Fayetteville Technical Community College partnered with UNCChapel Hill and established this premier program on its campus. In my time as an advisor for this program, I have encountered many inspiring, intelligent and dedicated students.

One such student is Saru Rayamajhi. Currently a nursing major at UNC-Chapel Hill, Rayamajhi first entered C-STEP at FTCC in 2016. Her dedication, tenacity and enthusiasm earned her the award of the James M. Johnston Undergraduate Nursing Scholarship and the Carolina Covenant Scholarship, positioning her to graduate from undergraduate and nursing school debt-free.

In a conversation following her white coat ceremony, Saru attributed her success to the continued support she received during her time as a student at FTCC, which helped her successfully transition to UNC-Chapel Hill. Saru’s success is primarily the result of her own willpower, and I have been fortunate and honored to be a part of her journey.

As a C-STEP advisor, I experience — through the eyes of my students — the thrill of seeing what this program offers. I experience the students’ excitement when they visit the Carolina campus and begin to paint the canvas of their journey with whatever dreams they envision. I see firsthand the motivation of C-STEP students as they continually strive to do their best to live up to what it means to be a Carolina student. And while these experiences certainly motivate me, I am most appreciative of the strong bonds that form year after year with FTCC C-STEP students.

Often, FTCC C-STEP students represent individuals from different backgrounds and cultures, yet all sharing a common goal: attending UNC Chapel Hill. C-STEP students share experiences with each other that last a lifetime. They demonstrate their allegiance through the personal bonds they form with each other, and they equally pledge their allegiance to the C-STEP program. Former students encourage incoming cohorts by filling them in on what to expect and by reaching out to provide post-grad opportunities for C-STEP students.

The advantages offered to C-STEP students go beyond providing them with admission into UNC-Chapel Hill. C-STEP is an all-encompassing program that allows students the opportunity to gain extensive knowledge about the campus, meet key individuals who will assist them when they arrive and share meaningful camaraderie with likeminded individuals. Each year when I send an FTCC C-STEP student to UNC-Chapel Hill, I emphasize that the FTCC relationship never ends. FTCC is helping dreams come true through the C-STEP program.

Students interested in obtaining more information regarding C-STEP should contact me, university outreach coordinator, at nelsonl@faytechcc.edu or 910-678-8205.

Photo: Saru Rayamajhi