When Tierra Ripley took freshman English at Gray’s Creek High School, her teacher was Joel Mayo, a poetry enthusiast who has helped organize poetry clubs at the school. 

“I’ve gotten to see her grow from an amazing freshman student,’’ Mayo said. “Her ability to tell a story is strong, one of the strongest I’ve ever seen.’’ 

Mayo isn’t the only one who feels that way. Ripley, now a senior at Gray’s Creek, was recently honored by the North Carolina English Teachers Association as the winner of its statewide high school Poet Laureate Awards. 

The award is named in memory of Kathryn Stripling-Byer, a former North Carolina Poet Laureate who died in 2017. 

Ripley’s winning entry was a short poem entitled “Seafaring Sailor” that uses nautical imagery to tell a story of unrequited love. 

Ripley said she’s been interested in poetry ever since her freshman year as Mayo’s student. 

“It’s a way of self-expression that I can talk about things that I have trouble verbalizing just normally,’’ she said. In addition to writing poetry, Ripley said she likes to write short stories, although she doesn’t do that as much now. 

   “I don’t have a set style or anything,’’ she said of her poetry. “I just write what comes to mind. Sometimes they rhyme, sometimes not.’’ 

   She’s not sure how many poems she’s written over the years but estimates she’s done about a dozen “really good ones.’’ 

   Her entry into the poetry contest came almost by accident. One of her former English teachers had information about the contest posted in her classroom. “It was like the last days of school,’’ she said, near the end of her junior year at Gray’s Creek. 

   The contest required her to submit an original poem that had not been published. It didn’t have to be about a specific subject. 

   She finished the new work in a couple of hours and submitted it in June. 

   She learned she won in early August and was presented the award a couple of weeks ago. 

   “It meant the world to me,’’ she said. “I was so surprised. I entered the contest on a whim. 

   “To get such recognition and to be congratulated for my work was amazing.’’ 

   Ripley said she’s undecided on her college future. She’s just beginning the application process and will likely attend an in-state school. 

   She’d like to continue with poetry, but a lot of that will depend on what opportunities are available to her. 

   “I’d like to involve English in my career,’’ she said. “I’d like to be an author, writer or maybe a journalist, anywhere I can utilize English.’’ 

   Mayo said contests like the one Ripley won are great motivation for students. 

   “I try to provide as many opportunities as possible,’’ Mayo said, “things like our poetry club, the different contests we try to get kids involved in. I think it helps push them so they can have better opportunity to express themselves.’’ 

Photo: Tierra Ripley 

Like his eponymous character, J.M. Barrie’s tale of never growing up seems to never grow too old for a new audience. Cape Fear Regional Theatre will showcase the latest telling of the boy who refuses to grow up with “Peter and the Starcatcher” onstage Oct. 27 through Nov. 11. 

Barrie’s very own Peter first made an appearance in a chapter of his novel “The Little White Bird” in 1902. Barrie then made Peter the center of his play “Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up” in 1904. Following the play’s success, Barrie republished a few chapters of the first book under the title “Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens” in 1906. Barrie then expanded on the play’s storyline in his 1911 novel “Peter and Wendy.” 

The story of Peter Pan, Wendy, Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys and Captain Hook has been entertaining audiences of all ages in books, plays, movies and television shows ever since. 

“Peter and the Starcatcher” is intended to be a prequel of sorts to the story of Peter Pan. It is based on the 2004 children’s book “Peter and the Starcatchers” by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Their book was adapted for stage by Rick Elice with music by Wayne Barker. It uses an ensemble cast to portray several characters to include children, sailors, pirates, naval officers, natives and orphans. 

“It is an incredible origin story,” said Mary Kate Burke, CFRT artistic director. “It’s a smart, funny adaptation of characters everyone knows so well.” 

The story, Burke said, offers something for adults and children. “It’s about growing up, (asking) when does childhood end, and also (examining the) choices we make about growing up. And there’s pirates and swashbuckling and mermaids!” 

The play provides a backstory for beloved characters Peter Pan, Wendy, Tinker Bell, Mrs. Darling, Captain Hook and even a certain crocodile many may remember. 

“We know the end,” said Timothy John Smith, who plays pirate Black Stache, but “we’ll see those familiar characters before they became those characters.” 

“Peter and the Starcatcher” takes the audience on an adventure on the high seas and on Mollusk Island as a young girl named Molly befriends an orphan boy and together they battle pirates and thieves to keep a magical secret safe. The two face marauding pirates and jungle tyrants while the play explores the depths of greed, despair and the bonds of friendship, duty and love. 

If it sounds too heavy for some younger viewers, the script also includes poetry, fart jokes, lyricism and many Easter eggs that are sure to keep audience members of all ages interested. 

The heavy moments are balanced, said Paul Urriola, who plays Alf, a sailor aboard The Never Land. “(The writer) lightly weaves in brevity and humor into heavy moments.” He said it makes for a fun performance. 

Alf is a character who is new to the Peter Pan narrative. The audience doesn’t know him or how his story plays out, so we will get to see him transformed by his love for Mrs. Bumbake, Molly’s nanny, Urriola said. The role of Alf is only a slight departure from the actor’s last time on the CFRT stage, where he played Horton in “Seussical.” 

For those die-hard Pan enthusiasts, your reward is learning how the orphan becomes the legendary Peter Pan, what exactly a “starcatcher” is, what makes Peter fly and where that ticking crocodile came from. For those new to Pan, the tale promises to be fun and adventurous. 

When first staged, the original production of “Peter and the Starcatcher” deliberately used minimal sets and props. Subsequent productions have followed suit, staging scenes that relied on suggestion and imagination to do the storytelling instead of expensive, elaborate set pieces. 

Using stagecraft instead of elaborate sets and props mimics a child’s imagination, where children will use whatever props are available to carry out their adventures. 

“Something as basic as two beds become so much,” said Urriola. “The beds are beds, rooms and ships.” 

The characters use their imaginations to create another world. 

“It’s like kids in the backyard thinking, ‘what can we use to be a ship?’” said Becca Vourvoulas, who plays Mrs. Bumbrake. That creativity is something that has been both fun and challenging as an actor, she added. 

Creating such effects as water without the use of water is a challenge that director Michelle Tattenbaum is eager to present to CFRT audiences. 

“Looking at the script on the page and having to turn it into something magical … has been discovery and invention in the rehearsal room,” Tattenbaum said. The result, which is a testament to the strengths and quirkiness of the actors, she says, will entertain the audience. 

“Kids will be like – ‘yeah, this is what theater is,’ and their parents will feel childlike and surprised,” Tattenbaum said. “Parents will come out with a sense of magic.” 

Tattenbaum’s cast includes Urriola, Vourvoulas and Smith, as well as Graham Baker as Peter and Malena Pennycook as Molly. 

“Peter and the Starcatcher” runs Oct. 27-Nov. 11. Military Appreciation Night will be Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. A Sensory Friendly Performance sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield will be Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. Both of these performances will feature discounted ticket prices. 

Burke said the Sensory Friendly Performance is a “shush-free” performance designed for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, sensory sensitivities or other disabilities. During this performance, patrons can enjoy the play with family in an inclusive, relaxed space. 

Modifications intended to make the experience more pleasant include more space for audience members, lighting and sound adjustments, and an additional separate viewing room equipped with closed circuit television. 

These modifications can also alleviate the pressure on the parents, Burke said, for families who might have one child with a sensory issue and another child without. A parent’s guide for the play is also provided. 

It is also a good first point of entry to the theater for families with children who might not otherwise enjoy a regular performance where they have to sit still and be quiet for up to two hours, Burke said. 

To reserve your tickets or get more information, visit www.cfrt.org or call 910-323-4233. 

While the restored Hope Mills Dam safely protected humans in the community during the recent strikes of tropical weather, the animal kingdom didn’t come out completely unscathed. 

Don Sisko, interim director of public works for the town of Hope Mills, said the eel ladder at the dam did suffer some damage. 

The eel ladder was made a part of the Hope Mills dam restoration by order of the Army Corps of Engineers. 

Eels are not an endangered species, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in 2015 that “for the species’ long-term stability, the agency recommends continuing efforts to maintain healthy habitats, monitor harvest levels and improve river passage for migrating eels.’’ 

This is especially true around structures like the Hope Mills dam that block the natural migration of the eels from their spawning grounds in the ocean to the inland locations where they live and feed. 

The eel ladder allows then access to Hope Mills Lake. 

According to Sisko, tail waters caused by the storm backed up below the dam and damaged wiring to a pump that powers something called the attractor. 

   The attractor creates an artificial waterfall that naturally attracts the eels to the eel ladder. 

   “The downstream pump (the one that was damaged) is the attractor that creates a small water flow,’’ Sisko said. “The biologists have figured out that’s what attracts the eels. That brings them to the ladder, and they carry on and get up into the lake.’’ 

   The pump that feeds the eel ladder keeps water flowing at all times so the eels are in their natural environment. There is a material inside the ladder that allows the eels to get traction so they can migrate and move up it into the lake. 

   Twice a year, from March 15-June 15 and from Sept. 1-Oct. 15, the town does a count on eels that are caught in a basket at the end of the eel ladder. 

   Sisko said the damage to the ladder pump took place sometime during Hurricane Florence, interrupting the eel count that was scheduled to start in September. 

   “Once we remove them from the basket, we count them and release them a little further up the lake so they stand less a chance of getting sucked in by the pump that feeds the eel ladder itself,’’ Sisko said. The last complete eel count was conducted in the spring when 229 eels were recovered and relocated in the lake. 

   Since the next period for counting the eels doesn’t come until mid-March, Sisko said there is no need to rush the process of repairing the damaged pump. 

   Sisko said the problem will be presented to the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners at a future meeting. “It will be part of the FEMA claims and insurance,’’ he said, referring to the cost of repairs. 

   The total cost for the eel ladder when it was first installed was $35,000. 

The global business services provider eClerx has cut the ribbon in celebration of its Fayetteville delivery center at 235 N. McPherson Church Rd. Local elected officials and business leaders toured the center on the second floor of the building, which houses Hamrick’s Department Store. 

The company has more than 9,000 employees worldwide, but the eClerx location in Cumberland County is the company’s only delivery center in the United States. The company expects to create 150 new jobs. eClerx says it offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. 

Headquartered in Mumbai, India, the firm provides business operations service to over 50 Fortune 500 companies around the world. Its clients include financial service, cable and telecom, retail, entertainment, manufacturing and technology firms. 

At the ribbon-cutting celebration in Fayetteville, eClerx presented donations to representatives from Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina and Americares to assist with relief efforts associated with Hurricane Florence. 

Trump approval slipping among service members 

President Donald Trump’s approval rating among active-duty military personnel has slipped over the last two years. That leaves today’s troops evenly split over the commander in chief’s job performance, according to the results of a new Military Timespoll of active-duty service members. 

About 44 percent of troops had a favorable view of Trump’s presidency, the poll showed, compared to 43 percent who disapproved. 

The poll was conducted in September and October and indicates a decline in military members’ support of Trump since he was elected in fall 2016. A similar Military Timespoll from 2016 showed that 46 percent of troops approved of Trump compared to 37 percent who disapproved. During that same period, the number of neutral respondents has dwindled from almost 17 percent to about 13 percent. 

   Peter Feaver was an adviser to former President George W. Bush and is now a political science professor at Duke University. “In this case, we’re seeing military members shifting along with the public but still staying a little more pro-Trump than the rest of the country,” he told the Military Times. 

   The new survey results also show that enlisted men show Trump the most overwhelming support. Military women, meanwhile, have a much harsher view of Trump’s time in office. Officers still have a lower opinion of his presidency than enlisted soldiers. 

Watch out for deer 

   Fall weather corresponds with a higher than usual number of car accidents involving deer. Animals darting onto roadways increases the risk of vehicle damage and personal injuries. Deer are more present on the roadways throughout the fall and early winter due to the hunting and mating seasons. Unfortunately, they also tend to travel more at times when it is harder to see them, including dawn and dusk. 

   The North Carolina Department of Transportation said there were 18,540 animal-vehicle collisions in the state in 2017, which was 629 more than the year before. The total number of animal collisions over the past three years was near 54,500. 

   The DOT’s latest study on animal collisions shows those crashes killed 14 people, seriously injured 69 others and resulted in 3,265 injuries. For the 15th year in a row, Wake County had the largest number of animal-related accidents. Cumberland County ranked 46 in the state last year. 

   The DOT has some helpful tips for motorists to decrease their risk of being in a deer-vehicle crash: Drive slowly in areas posted with deer crossing signs. Reduce speed in heavily wooded areas, especially during the late afternoon and evening. If your vehicle does strike a deer, do not touch the animal. A frightened and wounded deer can hurt you or further injure itself. Get your car off the road if possible and call 911. 

Flu vaccines available 

   The Cumberland County Health Department is offering flu vaccinations to children and adults at the immunization clinic at 1235 Ramsey St. Uninsured children six months to 18 years old may receive the vaccinations free of charge. For adults, the fee depends on the type of flu vaccine received. 

   The Health Department’s Immunization Clinic is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., every second and fourth Tuesday until 7 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon. Walk-ins are welcome except for Friday afternoon service, which is limited and available by appointment only. 

   For more information, call 910-433-3633 or 910- 433-3657. 

Donated veterinary supplies benefit local dogs and cats 

   Cumberland County Animal Control has received 10,000 doses of dog vaccines and 6,300 doses of cat vaccines from GreaterGood.org, in partnership with Elanco Animal Health. The organizations donated the vaccines to areas affected by Hurricane Florence. Animal Control Director Elaine Smith said the combined 16,300 vaccines were more than the animal shelter could use, so Cumberland County shared them with a dozen other counties as well as local rescue groups and animal welfare organizations. 

   “Vaccinating dogs and cats on intake at the shelter is considered to be the standard of good care and can be a considerable expense for shelters,” said Smith. 

   Animal Control has also been awarded a $14,000 grant from the Banfield Foundation to purchase veterinary medical equipment, which will allow minor surgery to be performed on animals at the shelter. The equipment will allow Dr. April Kelly, who recently joined the department as staff veterinarian, to provide a more advanced level of medical care for animals at the shelter. 

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. 

Senior Citizens Advisory CommitteeWednesday, Oct. 24, 4 p.m., at Hope Mills Parks Senior Center. 

• Veterans Affairs CommissionThursday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m. at Parks and Recreation Building.* 

Activities 

• Pumpkin decorating for seniorsTuesday, Oct. 30, 10 a.m.-noon in the small activity room of Parks and Rec. No fee, but advanced sign-up is required. Only 20 pumpkins are available. Prizes will be awarded for the best three pumpkins.  

• Ghostly Gala for seniorsWednesday, Oct. 31, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Parks and Rec community room. Advanced sign-up at the reception desk required. Costumes are preferred. There will be a costume contest and pumpkin decorating contest. Potluck social. Bring main dish, side dish or dessert. 

• Trunk R TreatWednesday, Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m. at Hope Mills Municipal Park. For details, call 910-426-4109. 

Promote yourself:Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com. 

The first Trojan Challenge benefitting the Gary Weller Foundation is in the books, and organizers couldn’t be happier with the results. 

Cumberland County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe had a hard time restraining his excitement when he talked about the event, which drew approximately 135 participants to the two obstacle courses set up for competitors of various ages at the Sturtz Family Farm. 

Keefe said the goal was to sign up 100 participants the first year, with proceeds from their entry fees going to support the Weller Foundation. The foundation, named after former Pine Forest football coach Gary Weller, is seeking to raise money to present scholarships annually to deserving athletes from Pine Forest High School. 

“We were blessed,’’ Keefe said of the results of the first Trojan Challenge. “The mosquitoes were gone. No glitches. The weather was perfect. It was a great, festive day.’’ 

But the event wasn’t without a scare or two. Tropical Storm Michael was bearing down on the region just days before the race was scheduled on Oct. 13. 

   Rain from Michael forced a last-minute redesign of the course laid out by Josh Sturtz because some areas were either underwater or too wet to traverse. 

   One of the reasons the event ran so well was an abundance of volunteers, many of them students at Pine Forest, alumni of the school and just friends of the project. 

   The Westarea Volunteer Fire Department had a rescue vehicle and rescue personnel on the scene. Keefe said that, happily, they didn’t have anything to do during the race. 

   “Nobody got hurt,’’ he said. 

   Keefe doesn’t have the final figures yet, but he’s hopeful the foundation raised close to $4,000 for the first year of the event. 

   He described the experience as being similar to the debut of the popular television show “American Idol.” 

   “We didn’t know if it was going to be a hit or crash and burn like the other eight or 10 ‘reality shows’ that year,’’ Keefe said. “When the first racer, who was a competitive runner, came across the finish line and said the course was tough and she enjoyed it, that gave us the confidence we did it right.’’ 

   Even with the initial success, organizers are anxious to improve things as they start preparations for next year, with the race tentatively scheduled for Oct. 19, 2019. 

   Weller, who handed out medals with his wife Cathy at the finish line, praised the event organizers, including Keefe, Vallery Shoe, Andy Dempster and Sturtz. 

   “They went above and beyond what anybody would expect,’’ he said. “It was unreal. We had great responses from people that participated. It was just a good community event.’’ 

   Weller said they plan to get some input from people who have experience competing on obstacle courses to look at possible changes for next year. Some simple fixes they are exploring include adding a changing area for the runners along with a place to clean up and store valuables. 

   While the foundation bears Weller’s name, he stressed that it’s not about him. “It’s what we’re doing to raise money for that scholarship,’’ he said. “It’s awesome to be able to give that money to some kid that deserves it.’’ 

   Keefe said the foundation has a three-year goal of raising $50,000, and this year’s event is a good start in that direction. 

   “It was amazing,’’ he said. 

The Hope Mills Citizens for Change PAC, which began with just four founding members, has grown to 24 members in the last few weeks. The group, which unofficially refers to itself as the “Getting Stuff Done Committee,” has wasted no time getting stuff done. Last week, the group filed with the Cumberland County Board of Elections as an official political action committee and purchased signs to support its first objective: convincing the public to vote no on the four-year referendum in Hope Mills. 

The PAC formed due to a shared concern over the actions of the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners. During their short tenure, the board members have doubled their salaries and given themselves stipends for travel and cell phone costs as well as other benefits. But by all accounts, they haven’t accomplished much else. 

In early February, Commissioner Mike Mitchell suggested changing the town’s charter to allow board members to serve four-year staggered terms beginning with the 2019 election. The mayor and the top two vote-getters would all serve four-year terms while the remaining three seats would convert to four-year terms in the 2021 election. 

The Hope Mills Board of Commissioners held a public hearing in April to consider citizen’s input. After citizens argued against the referendum, the board immediately voted to move forward. In July, the board voted to approve Resolution 2018-10, and the referendum was placed on the November ballot. 

It’s been argued that four-year staggered terms would lend continuity to the board and decrease the period of adjustment for freshman commissioners. Mike Mitchell served four years and then took a brief hiatus before returning to the board in 2017. Since returning, he’s struggled to re-acclimate himself. During a January meeting, Mayor Jackie Warner had to remind him of details that had been discussed years earlier during one of his previous terms. 

   In July, the board voted to hold a public hearing to get public input on the offer made by Lone Survivor Foundation to buy municipal land. A week later, the board voted to cancel that hearing until they’d received the initial results of a Hope Mills Parks and Recreation survey. Board members were told in January the survey would not include detailed instructions on how to develop the available municipal lands. 

   The board received those results Oct. 1, and LSF president Tim Byrom submitted a second offer to purchase land the same day. He also asked to be added to the Nov. 5 meeting agenda to formally present his offer and field questions. While citizens waited for the board to set a date for a second hearing, the board voted to reject LSF’s offer. 

   Hope Mills citizens have used social media to express their disappointment and to accuse the board of wrongdoing. It’s been suggested the board never meant to hold a public hearing, fearing the results would be overwhelmingly in favor of the sale to LSF. To date, three citizens have publicly spoken against selling land to LSF. 

   It’s also been suggested the board voted quietly and quickly because Commissioner Jerry Legge would be absent during the November board meetings. With his absence, the vote would have been 2-2, and Warner, who has consistently supported the sale, would have been the deciding vote. 

   Grilley Mitchell, a founding member of the PAC and one of the citizens who spoke against the referendum, has lost faith in this board. He said, “I want someone in office that will only vote on the facts and do what is best for all of the people. Someone that will allow the citizens to have a voice to address issues that matter. Someone that will share the whole truth and not bits of information that only complicate issues.” 

   While the PAC was only established in the last few weeks, its members have created a long-term agenda to address the systemic issues plaguing Hope Mills politics, and they’re optimistic about creating positive change. 

   You can help by staying informed. Up & Coming Weeklyis committed to bringing readers news from Hope Mills every week. Also read hopemills.net. Every article posted is full of links to tangible evidence of the board’s wrongdoing. And you can get involved by joining the PAC. The group is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HopeMillsCFC. 

Better Health will host its 60th Anniversary Ribbon Cutting and Open House Tuesday, Oct. 30, from 5-6:30 p.m. at Better Health. 

“We were founded in 1958, so we are celebrating 60 years of being a nonprofit and providing free services to our community, which is exciting for us,” said Amy Navejas, executive director of Better Health. “We decided that we were going to do a ribbon-cutting in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce as well as an open house, and it will be at Better Health.” 

She added, “We are going to have our board there as well as our staff. We will be able to offer tours of our facility; it is a small facility, but there is a lot that goes on within those walls.” 

Better Health has a new children’s program called Fayetteville Fit, for children who have been struggling with childhood obesity. Better Health’s partners in this program are KidzCare Pediatrics, Cape Fear Valley Pediatric Endocrinology and Fayetteville Parks and Recreation’s Massey Hill site. 

“We will have some people from our new kid’s program to talk to people who want to learn more about it, find out what that program is and share what their experience has been,” said Navejas. “They will be participating in our Red Apple Run, which is exciting for us because it is a really hard thing to do when you struggle with your health.” 

   There will also be a tour. “We will show our different education rooms, supply rooms and the things that we do,” said Navejas. “We will also have our dietician, Anna Matteson, do a couple of small cooking demonstrations just to give people a feel for the types of things our clients would experience when they come into Better Health.” 

   Better Health’s programs and services include emergency direct aid, emergency dental extractions, eye exams and glasses, foot screenings, help with limited travel to Duke and Chapel Hill, Fayetteville Fit program, loaning of medical equipment and diabetes clinics. 

   “As part of our diabetes program, one of the things we do is talk a lot about nutrition, but we also do cooking demos, and there will be some samples and recipes,” said Navejas. “We will also have blood sugar screenings for diabetes available. People can meet with the nurse and see if there are any indications of anything there.” 

   The event will have food and wine. “The food is going to be catered by Dorothy’s Catering 2. They are donating the food for our event,” said Navejas. “We will also have drawings for prizes. We invite everyone to come out and meet our incredible staff and board members. We are the best-kept secret, and we want you to ask questions and learn more about what we do.” 

   Better Health is located at 1422 Bragg Blvd. For more information, call 910-483-7534. 

Many residents of Hope Mills are scratching their heads trying to figure out the thought processes and logic behind Mayor Pro tem Mike Mitchell and Commissioners Meg Larson and Jerry Legge’s position on rejecting the Lone Survivor Foundation’s offer to purchase property on Lake Bed #2 for the construction of a $1.5 million military veterans retreat. The retreat would serve local vets and their families by dealing with the numerous physical, emotional and mental injuries caused by the ill effects of combat. 

What are these commissioners thinking? This proposal was rejected without much discussion or debate. More puzzling and even more disturbing to the residents of Hope Mills is that this hasty decision was made without a public hearing that would give the residents an opportunity to voice their opinions on how they felt about the LSF project or the best use of the town’s assets. 

There are so many questions and so few answers as to why this trio of elected officials would be so adamantly against a Hope Mills economic development project that would generate jobs, benefit local military veterans and area businesses and uplift the entire community – especially when Hope Mills is participating in Cumberland County’s Hometown Heroes celebration, and the local Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce is honoring the Lone Survivor Foundation and all local Hope Mills veterans at its annual Chili Cookoff Nov. 10. 

Maybe we can remedy some of this frustration with an explanation. First, Larson and Mitchell don’t get along with each other. Both of them have their sights set on being the next mayor of Hope Mills. However, they bonded together after finding one objective they had in common, and that is to make sure they dismiss, obstruct and eliminate any and all Hope Mills initiatives that may reflect positively on Mayor Jackie Warner. 

In other words, neither of them are going to do anything, say anything or initiate anything that would reflect positively on the mayor – even if it means ignoring the citizens of Hope Mills, stifling economic development, retarding business growth or embarrassing and damaging the reputation of the town. This is why they nixed the LSF project and then concocted the conspiracy theory that the mayor and her son Teddy, who works for the Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation, were in collusion on the LSF deal. 

Collusion? And to what end? Wanting to bring economic growth and development to Hope Mills? Attempting to sell virtually useless land for the purpose of providing veterans medical and therapeutic services that could enhance the lives of thousands? 

Unfortunately, Larson and Mitchell will continue to be obstructionists when it comes to anything the mayor could possibly get credit for or anything they feel would further ingratiate her into the hearts and minds of Hope Mills residents. Well, to that I say, “lots of luck!” 

Mayor Jackie Warner loves Hope Mills, and Hope Mills loves her. She and Commissioner Jessie Bellflowers were the only Hope Mills elected officials who took the time to attend Cumberland County’s State of the Community Luncheon hosted by the Greater Fayetteville Chamber last week. They were surrounded by the Hope Mills management team that Warner so graciously recognized. Warner didn’t speak long and barely looked down at her notes as she spoke about Hope Mills with pride and confidence. 

Here is a leader who is honorable, talented, compassionate, empathic and energetic. She has no reason to feel threatened by petty politicians like Mitchell and Larson, who have already exposed the flaws of their character. Legge sits to their left hopelessly waiting for his only relevant directive, which is to raise his hand when he gets their nod. 

The two beacons of hope for the town are allies Commissioner Pat Edwards, who has never wavered from supporting Warner, and Bellflowers. Bellflowers once fell victim to the pressure and intimidation of Larson and Mitchell, but, unlike Legge, has seen the light and has begun to think for himself and express his own opinions without being bullied or influenced by the others. 

At this moment, Hope Mills has one of the most talented and competent leadership teams ever assembled under the direction of Town Manager Melissa Adams. These hardworking folks create a solid foundation upon which to build a bright and prosperous future. We see people coming forward and Hope Mills organizations starting to form to discuss the future of the town and the type of leadership that is capable of achieving goals. This is a good thing. Actually, this is a great thing. We do not see four-year terms for elected officials in Hope Mills’ future, but come 2019, we see not a wave of change but a tsunami of positive leadership coming forth for the betterment and growth of the Hope Mills community. We can’t wait. 

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly. 

Photo: Mayor Jackie Warner

Fayetteville State University will celebrate its 2018 homecoming week Monday, Oct. 22-Sunday, Oct. 28. 

“Homecoming is a welcoming home for our alumni, supporters and the community; we ask the community to celebrate in homecoming with us,” said YaKima Rhinehart, senior director of alumni affairs at Fayetteville State University. “We also want to acknowledge our students; it is their homecoming as well.” 

Rhinehart added this is the time when students will begin to create their own traditions of how they celebrate, create their memories and do the things that will bring them back to campus years from now. 

The homecoming activities will begin Monday and progress through the week. “The student activities that kick off the week are the coronation for Ms. Fayetteville State and Ms. Homecoming,” said Rhinehart. “Fayetteville State has long been a campus that supported a large commuting student population, and we are always very deliberate about making sure our commuter students feel (as) much a part of the on-campus experience as possible.” 

“On Thursday evening, Oct. 25, we will have alumni headquarters set up at two hotels, which are the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel and The Holiday Inn on Cedar Creek Road,” said Rhinehart. “That evening at 7 p.m., we will have a Bronco Paint & Sip Expo at The Holiday Inn as an opportunity to mingle and reconnect with one another while sipping on a glass of whatever it is you choose and paint.” 

   The homecoming parade takes place Saturday, Oct. 27, at 10 a.m. followed by the football game at 2 p.m. FSU will play Livingstone College. “After the game, we will celebrate our class that is in their 50th reunion,” said Rhinehart. “That will be with a reception at 5 p.m. on the lower level of The Rudolph Jones Student Center.” 

   Saturday evening concludes with the Fan2See Fest Concert featuring Young Dolph, G Herbo, Key Glock and special guests at 8 p.m. at the Crown Coliseum. 

   Other homecoming activities include the Gospel Explosion, Greek Yard Fest, the Alumni Sundown Party, the IA Homecoming Cookout, a Heroic Women-Comic & Pop Culture Art Exhibit, Toni & Terence Live Homecoming Podcast, McDougal Scholarship Dinner, SAC/WAC Bazaar, tailgating, The Alumni Welcome Center, Miss FSU Alumnae Queens’ Legacy Tea and much more. 

   “I like to remind our alumni that it is not just about reconnecting, it is also about reinvesting in the university as well,” said Rhinehart. “We would not have careers and these livelihoods that we have was it not for the time we spent and were shaped and molded along with the education we received at Fayetteville State University.” 

   Following homecoming, on Oct. 28, FSU will host The Walls Group and Koryn Hawthorne, a Gospel concert, at Seabrook Auditorium as part of the Seabrook Performance Series. It starts at 6 p.m. 

   For more information about FSU’s scheduled activities, visit www.uncfsu.edu. 

Haylie Bragg 

Gray’s Creek • Cross Country • Junior 

Bragg has an unweighted grade point average of 3.69. She recently placed 12th in the Patriot Athletic Conference cross country championship meet with a time of 21:46.10. 

 Garrett Sirois 

Gray’s Creek • Football • Senior 

Sirois has an unweighted grade point average of 3.91. As the kicker on the Gray’s Creek football team, he’s made 20 of 23 extra points and two field goals for 26 points as of Oct. 17 – the third-best kick-scorer among Cumberland County Schools kickers. His late 32-yard field goal gave the Bears a 25-22 win over Jack Britt. 

Richard Jenrette was a North Carolina boy who made good. 

Born in Raleigh in 1929 – just before the stock market crash that brought on the Great Depression – to an insurance salesman and his gardening wife, Jenrette went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, known then as Carolina. After a stint in counterintelligence during the Korean War, he headed to Harvard Business School, and the rest is both a stunning success story and American financial history. In 1959, he and two other Harvard Business School grads founded the first American brokerage firm to sprout since the Great Depression and took it into the financial stratosphere. 

Along the way, he collected, preserved and lavishly restored more than a dozen of our nation’s finest historic homes, including Ayr Mount outside Hillsborough, North Carolina, and the Roper House in Charleston, South Carolina, where he died earlier this year at 89. He was a meticulous and disciplined record-keeper and left behind a handwritten list of 24 rules of what he had learned about success and living a long and happy life. The rules were first shared with those who attended an intimate service for family and friends shortly after Jenrette’s death. 

   It is hard to argue about someone who apparently achieved both great success and happiness, goals deeply held by most human beings no matter our situations in life. Here are Jenrette’s rules, distilled through the lens of his well-lived life. 

1. Stay in the game. That’s often all you need to do – don’t quit. Stick around! Don’t be a quitter! 

2. Don’t burn bridges (behind you). 

3. Remember – Life has no blessing like a good friend! You can’t get enough of them. Don’t leave old friends behind – you may need them. 

4. Try to be nice. And say “thank you” a lot. 

5. Stay informed. Keep learning. 

6. Study – stay educated. Do your homework. Keep learning. 

7. Cultivate friends of all ages – especially younger. 

8. Run scared – overprepare. 

9. Be proud – no Uriah Heep for you – but not conceited. Know your own worth. 

10. Plan ahead but be prepared to allow for change when opportunity presents itself. 

11. Turn problems into opportunities. Very often it can be done. Problems create opportunities for change – people (should be) willing to consider change when there are problems. 

12. Present yourself well. Clean, clean-shaven, dress “classically” to age. Beware style trends. Look for charm. (Use) good grammar. Don’t swear so much – it’s not cute. 

13. But be open to change – don’t be stuck in the mud. Be willing to consider what’s new, but don’t blindly follow it. USE YOUR HEAD – COMMON SENSE. 

14. Have some fun – but not all the time! 

15. Be on the side of the angels. Wear the white hat. 

16. Have a fallback position. Heir and the spare. Don’t leave all your money in one place. 

17. Learn a foreign language. 

18. Travel a lot – around the world, if possible. 

19. Don’t criticize someone in front of others. 

20. Don’t forget to praise a job well done – but don’t praise a poor job. 

21. I don’t like to lose – but don’t be a poor loser if you do. 

22. It helps to have someone to love who loves you (not just sex). 

23. Keep your standards high in all you do. 

24. Look for the big picture, but don’t forget the small details. 

Dick Jenrette was not known as the “last gentleman of Wall Street” for no reason. 

The addition of live music and a beer garden highlight the major changes for this year’s 19th annual observance of Ole Mill Days in Hope Mills. 

The weekend event, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 27, with a street dance kicking things off the day before, is the town’s annual celebration of its heritage as a mill village when textiles were king in North Carolina. 

Kasey Ivey, who heads up senior programs for the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department, doesn’t think of this year’s Ole Mill Days as expanding. “More like a revision, I would say,’’ she said. 

The party actually starts Oct. 26, with a Friday night street dance on Trade Street featuring a live deejay. 

There will be food trucks, and some of the Trade Street businesses will be open to customers during the dance. 

The beer garden and the live music are among the biggest new offerings the following day. 

The town’s board of commissioners approved the sale and consumption of alcohol at Ole Mill Days, and a local business, Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom, will be the vendor for the beer garden. 

Ivey made it clear that access to the beer garden will be controlled and people who take part in it won’t be allowed to wander around other Ole Mill Days events with beer in their possession. 

She said town officials are working on finalizing the map for the various activities, which will be taking place on the two ball fields at Hope Mills Municipal Park. 

The addition of the beer garden and the live music is causing them to rethink where everything will be located. 

For the beer garden, she said plans are being made to keep it totally separate from the various child-related activities that are offered on Ole Mill Days. She said the town has portable fencing and a physical barrier will be erected to contain patrons of the beer garden and keep them from milling around freely with the rest of the crowd. 

   Patrons who are of legal drinking age will be provided with a wristband to indicate they’ve been cleared to purchase alcohol. 

   The other new attraction, live music, will be the Cumberland County Line bluegrass band. They are scheduled to perform from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27. 

   Ivey said the band was included in hopes of encouraging people to stay around longer at Ole Mill Days, or to get them to return later in the day and bring other people with them. 

   One of the new attractions for children is Zorb Balls. These are giant inflatable balls that people can actually get inside of and bounce off each other. 

   The rest of Ole Mills Days features traditional favorites. 

   Things get started at 10 a.m. with an assortment of food vendors, craft vendors, some local businesses as well as appearances by various politicians running for office. 

   One event that will be missing from Ole Mill Days is the annual Chamber of Commerce Chili Cookoff, which has been moved to Nov. 10 and will be hosted by Dirtbag Ales. 

   The activities for children will also start at 10 a.m. and, in addition to the Zorb Balls, will include a variety of inflatable attractions like bounce houses. 

   At noon, Mayor Jackie Warner will give the official welcome, followed by the playing of the national anthem and an introduction of various local beauty queens named during the year. All of this will take place on Fields 1 and 2 at Municipal Park on Rockfish Road. 

   From noon until 4 p.m., the antique tractor pull, a staple of Ole Mill Days, will be held. Plans are also in the works to have a petting zoo and pony rides. 

   The extremely popular wing-eating contest sponsored by Zaxby’s is scheduled for 2 p.m. 

   Another popular event of the festival, the annual reunion of millworkers, had to be relocated this year because the recreation center is still closed due to damage from Hurricane Florence. 

   The millworkers will gather in the boardroom at Town Hall from 2-4 p.m. The reunion is coordinated by the Historical Commission of the town and sponsored by the parks and recreation department. 

   The day will close with a showing of the family-friendly movie “Hotel Transylvania” at 6:30 p.m. in the park. 

   Ivey said parking is first-come, first-served and people will need to be patient because there will be fall league ball games taking place on the fields adjacent to Fields 1 and 2 at Municipal Park. 

   If anyone has questions about Ole Mill Days, they can call 910-426-4109 or send messages through the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department Facebook page. If they need to meet someone face-to-face, the recreation department offices are temporarily located in Town Hall. Stop by the front desk there during normal business hours. 

Cumberland County’s cooler weather accompanies abundant and diverse ways for locals to get spooky. 

Hallowe’en Revels Night Tours of the 1897 Poe Housecapitalizes on the building’s namesake, a man named Edgar Allan Poe who was actually not the author of iconic American works “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee.” This Poe was the owner of a brick company. None of that factual nonsense gets in the way of the creepy imagination associated with Poe the author, though. Oct. 24-26, the Gilbert Theater brings a series of short, early 20th-century vignettes featuring music and poetry that run every 20 minutes from 6-10 p.m. For details, call 910-486-1330. 

The Fayetteville Zombie Walk, presented Oct. 26 by Back-A-Round Records and Cool Spring Downtown District, is one big community party that’s now in its ninth year. A hoard of friendly zombies descends on the downtown to moan, shuffle and check out each other’s makeup – er, blood. 

Headquarters Library hosts a Zombie Pre-Party at 6 p.m. with a deejay, kids activities, and face-painting and zombie makeup for $5. Awards for best costumes are announced around 7 p.m., and the official walk begins at 8 p.m. Zombies proceed down Ray Avenue and up Hay Street, with the walk terminating at the Outdoor Zombie Walk Main Stage adjacent to Back-A-Round Records, at 1 Market Square. Live music from Nephilym, Motorjunkie and Carolina Committee’s DJ Moodswing will run from about 8:20-10 p.m. 

Zombies 21 and older can end the night at Paddy’s Irish Pub for the official after-party and Zombie Prom. Call 910-223-1089 or 910-568-5654 for more information. 

  Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s film screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”takes place Oct. 26 and 27 at midnight. The cult classic film is, in CFRT’s words, “a rock-musical send-up of old science-fiction and horror films.” 

  Guests are encouraged to engage in the interactive experience by coming in costume and utilizing their bag of props that CFRT will provide with admission. Tickets are $25. For details, visit www.cfrt.org. 

Halloween at the BOO-tanical Gardeninvites Harry Potter enthusiasts to enjoy this year’s family-friendly Hogwarts theme. Oct. 25, an adult-only Hogwarts & Allevent features Quidditch Pong, a horcrux hunt, a costume contest, free invisibility cloaks and more. From 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 26, 27 and 28, costumed attendees of all ages can walk the garden’s jack-o-lantern-lit pathways. Other luminous Halloween decorations, crafts, candy and food trucks will complete the experience. To learn more, call 910- 486-0211 or visit www.capefearbg.org. 

The Stoney Point Trail of Terrorstarted as a fundraiser for the Stoney Point Volunteer Fire Department 15 years ago and has grown into a statewide attraction. The Trail incorporates live actors and state-of-the-art sound, lighting and environmental effects to create memorable scares. Remaining dates include Oct. 26, 27, 30 and 31. Visit http://undeadfd.com for more information. 

Perfectly Horrible Carriage Rides with Count Dracula, hosted by CSDD, offers a chilling twist on an idyllic jaunt. Oct. 31 from 3-8 p.m., take a ride with the Count in his ghoulish carriage that came all the way from Transylvania. Rides leave every 15 minutes from 222 Hay St. Ticket sales start there at 2:30 p.m.; $10 for adults and $5 for children. For details, call 910-286-3979. 

After or before your ride, check out downtown trick or treatingfrom 3-5 p.m., also hosted by CSDD. Bring your little ones to the candy stops throughout downtown as over 30 local businesses participate in handing out treats. Call the CSDD office at 910-223-1089 for details. 

   The city of Fayetteville is making its first significant addition to facilities for seniors in decades. The city broke ground last week on the much-anticipated Senior Center West. It is being built along the western edge of Lake Rim, in the vicinity of 7510 Old Raeford Rd. Senior Center West is the sixth project to get underway with funds generated by the $35 million Parks & Recreation Bond Referendum secured in 2016. 

   The building will be a 19,000-square-foot lakefront property with a fitness room and a warm-water indoor pool. It is one of two nearly identical facilities funded in the referendum. A location for the Senior Center East has not yet been selected, but “the city is working on partnering with (Fayetteville State University) on the site located at the corner of Murchison (Road) and Filter Plant (Drive),” said city spokesman Nathan Walls. “That partnership will be presented to council for consideration soon.” 

   The new senior centers will address two growing needs in the community: providing more space and adequate facilities in Fayetteville to assist the heavily used Senior Center on Blue Street and providing quality programming and activities to a growing senior citizen population. 

   Studies from the National Council on Aging have shown the need for more senior citizen activities as statistics have shown that the more seniors remain active, the better quality of life they have and the longer they live. Senior centers focus on several wellness factors in efforts to improve those numbers: emotional, intellectual, physical, social, spiritual and vocational wellness. 

   In addition to the Blue Street Senior Center, Fayetteville/Cumberland Parks and Recreation operates the Tokay Fitness Center for Seniors and the Dorothy Gilmore Therapeutic Recreation Center. Tokay provides residents six treadmills, six stationary bikes, six ellipticals, three lower body and six upper body Nautilus machines, plus an abdominal machine, dumbbells, exercise mats, exercise balls and table tennis tables. Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaires must be filled out before using the equipment. 

   The Gilmore Center on Purdue Drive offers “recreation and leisure programs to people with disabilities to improve functional abilities, enhance well-being and facilitate independence,” according to the city’s website. The staff of the Gilmore Center uses recreational services and leisure experiences to help people with limitations make the most of their lives. 

   The new senior centers are not operated jointly under city/county auspices. Cumberland County Commissioners chose not to participate in the bond referendum. So now city government keeps separate books for projects undertaken as the result of the $35 million Fayetteville package. Payrolls and other operating expenses for the senior centers have not been publicly discussed. 

   Splash pads at Kiwanis, Massey Hill and Myers Park recreation centers have already been constructed and opened since passage of the bond issue and initial sale of bonds. Other completed projects include Seabrook Park and pool deck upgrades and the new Massey Hill universally accessible playing field. It has been utilized by Buddy Sports programs, which have seen a 15 percent increase in enrollment since the field opened. 

When visiting the hospital, most people have no problem recognizing the doctor, nurse and even the lab technician. But how many can identify the respiratory therapist? 

Respiratory therapists are often those unsung heroes who care for our loved ones – or us – at crucial times. Respiratory therapists touch the lives of many. The work of the respiratory therapist may involve a patient receiving supplemental oxygen or perhaps a life-saving respiratory medication to ease the work of breathing during a crisis. In other situations, the respiratory therapist may assist individuals who are on advanced life-support equipment while in the emergency room or intensive care unit. 

Respiratory therapists are highly trained pulmonary specialists who effectively assess, educate and treat patients with heart and lung problems. They apply their expertise to every patient population, from newborns and infants to children and adults. They work in all areas of hospitals, doctor’s offices, diagnostic centers, home health, education, research, rehabilitation centers and medical equipment sales. 

   These practitioners are highly skilled in critical thinking, patient assessment and cardiopulmonary diagnostics, cardiopulmonary physiology and pathophysiology, pharmacology, advanced life support, evidence-based clinical care and advanced biomedical engineering and technology. 

   According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for respiratory therapists in 2017 was $59,710 per year. The entry-level education level required to enter the profession is an associate degree from a CoARC-accredited program. CoARC, or the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, is a governing body that sets standards for respiratory therapy programs to ensure they prepare highly competent respiratory therapists for practice, education, research and service. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also projects that the respiratory therapy profession will grow by 23 percent within the next eight years, which is cited as being much faster than average. 

   Fayetteville Technical Community College offers an associate of applied science degree in respiratory therapy. The program is an advanced-level program that fully prepares the graduate to enter the profession right away and begin quality patient care and practice in all areas of respiratory therapy. The associate degree also prepares students to continue education and pursue degree advancement, such as a bachelor’s degree. 

   FTCC’s program accepts 24 students every August and runs for five consecutive semesters. Students will complete classroom lecture, laboratory skills practice and clinical rotation and application during each of these semesters. Students focus on patient assessment, critical thinking, diagnostics, and skills development and application in all aspects of the professional practice of respiratory therapy. The program accepts applications from Nov. 1 through Jan. 30 every year for admittance into the program during the following August class. 

   FTCC’s respiratory therapy program is competitive, so it is important to know and follow all the procedures and requirements for the program. 

   Those interested in becoming a respiratory therapist can begin their journeys at FTCC by calling 910- 678-9869 or emailing thompsok@faytechcc.edu. 

The Senate recently finalized plans for a new leader of U.S. military forces in South Korea. The move came in wrap-up work as lawmakers headed back to their districts for a monthlong legislative break for midterm campaigning. 

Senate Republican leaders had threatened to keep their chamber in session for all of October if a deal hadn’t been reached on a host of pending judicial nominations opposed by Democrats. Fifteen such nominees were approved in the deal, the latest in a sizable wave of new judges chosen by President Trump. 

The Senate also agreed on less controversial defense nominations. Without opposition, lawmakers moved ahead with plans to transfer Army Gen. Robert “Abe” Abrams from the lead role at Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg to head U.S. Forces in Korea. If the general’s name sounds familiar, he is the son of retired Army Chief of Staff Creighton W. Abrams Jr., who commanded U.S. forces for four years during the Vietnam War. 

Abrams will replace Gen. Vincent Brooks as the commander of U.S. Forces Korea. He takes over as a rare public display of discord between the U.S. and South Korea has raised concerns about a growing rift over efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. 

At the heart of the issue are fears that Seoul is moving too fast and letting its guard down by embracing North Korea despite a lack of progress in denuclearization, although the U.S. and South Korea insist they remain in agreement on the final goal. South Korea’s foreign minister, Kang Kyung-wha, revealed that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had complained about a recent inter-Korean military agreement. “It was discontent about how he was not briefed sufficiently, and he had a lot of questions,” Kyung-wha said. 

The two Koreas have agreed among themselves to a series of hostility-reduction steps in and around the heavily fortified demilitarized zone that separates the two countries. Steps taken include halting military drills, setting up a no-fly zone and beginning to remove land mines and guard posts. 

Forces Command Deputy Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Laura J. Richardson, has assumed command of FORSCOM until a successor for Abrams is selected. Richardson was the first female Army officer to officially hold the No. 2 position of the largest command in the U.S. Army. 

Fort Bragg is often referred to as Pentagon South since Forces Command headquarters was realigned there 10 years ago. It is responsible for training and preparing active, reserve and National Guard troops to meet the requirements of combat commanders around the world. 

“Richardson personifies the highest standards of the Army and our officer corps,” said Abrams as Richardson received her third star. “Throughout her distinguished career, she has led by outstanding personal example from the front – in combat and in challenging command and staff positions of great responsibility.” 

Photo: Gen. Robert “Abe” Abrams 

Let us now praise famous vampire bats. Today’s hemorrhagic stain on world literature is going to swoop down into a mysterious and misunderstood world. Vampire bats have their very own alias, Desmodus rotundus, which sounds a lot like some fat guy named Desmond picked out their genus names. If you are a sensitive soul or have a sensitive stomach, please skip the rest of this column and go to the crossword puzzle. 

Vampire bats have gotten a bad rap. We shall try to erase some bat stigma. Bats are forever associated with Dracula and things that go bump in the night. The literary Dracula was dreamed up by novelist Bram Stoker. Dracula was based upon the real-life Vlad Tepes. Vlad was a bad dude who lived in the 15th century in Transylvania. His nickname was “Vlad the Impaler,” which indicates he was not a guy to be trifled with. Vlad’s hobby was sticking his enemies up on sharp poles to scare away invaders. This tactic is even more frightening than forcing your enemies to watch 24 hours of Fox News. 

When Dracula wants to get into a castle bedchamber of a voluptuous sleeping lady, he transmogrifies himself into a bat. Taking a hint from an old Beatles song, Dracula in his vampire bat form comes in through the bathroom window protected by a silver spoon. Once inside m’lady’s bedchamber, Dracula reverts from his bat shape back into Count Dracula. The Count then begins to drain his next victim. 

Count Dracula is not nearly as sweet as Count Chocula. Count Dracula is much more likely to cause anemia than the diabetes that Count Chocula causes. It’s a question of choosing your poison. 

But back to our friends the vampire bats. The actual facts in this column are based on an excellent article written by Michael Greshko in “National Geographic’s” November 2015 issue. The alternative facts in this column are made up by me. 

The diet of vampire bats is blood. They don’t care about the blood type, just that it is blood from people or animals. All they eat is blood. All you need is love. 

   Being busy critters, they need to consume blood at least every two days, or they can starve to death. Each night, vampire bats go out on a hunting trip to find someone to love and drain. Among their bat superpowers is the ability to sense body heat, which leads them to supper. They are so adept at stealthily removing blood that a person may not wake up while serving as Soylent Green for a bat picnic. After their meal, the National Geo says bats will then urinate half of the ingested blood volume in 30 minutes. Don’t look up. 

  Vampire bats, like Trump voters, live in groups. Bats are more politically evolved than humans in that female bats appear to rule the bat covens. Bats share. If one of the bats comes back empty after finding no one to snack upon, the other female bats will share their bloody dinner with the hungry bat. Lacking an Easy Bake oven, the blood stuffed-bat can’t prepare a soufflé for the hungry bat. Instead, the full female bat will regurgitate blood into the mouth of the hungry bat. In effect, a bat full of donor blood becomes a flying blood bank that the Red Cross would envy. 

    Bats are social animals. They know who their friends are who has shared blood with them in the past. They also know who refused to share blood with them when they were hungry. 

    A fellow named Gerald Carter who worked for the Smithsonian Institution took it upon himself to go hang with the bats in zoos to study bat etiquette regarding bat “vomit snacks.” According to the National Geo, Gerald spent three years   “crouching in the bottom of their enclosure with a camcorder” observing bat feeding habits. 

   One wonders if, when Gerald was a little boy, did he always dream of crouching in a bat habitat for three years watching bats throw up? What childhood trauma could have led Gerald to such an odd career choice? But then, one could ask the same question of a proctologist or a member of the North Carolina General Assembly. 

    Gerald reports that if a non-sharing bat returned with an empty stomach, the other bats would not share their vomit snacks with the non-sharer. If a previously sharing bat came home empty, the other bats would provide vomit snacks of blood to the sharing bat. Bat karma is a killer. 

   So, what have we learned today? Vampire bats are nicer than some people. What seems a disgusting vomit snack to some people is ambrosia to bats. We would all be better off if we followed the advice of the late, great Rodney King, who once plaintively asked: “Can’t we all just get along?” 

   Bon Appetit. 

Fayetteville Academy entered the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association’s 2-A state soccer playoffs last weekend as defending state champion riding a 10-game winning streak this year. 

The Eagles got the No. 1 seed in this year’s 2-A tournament and earned a double bye into the quarterfinal round, which was scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 20. They were to face the winner of a second-round match between Trinity Academy and The O’Neal School. 

Fayetteville Academy is seeking its 17th state boys soccer title and fifth in the last eight years. 

If they’re still alive when this article is published, they’ll advance to this year’s state finals on Saturday at Westchester Country Day in High Point. 

Although Eagle coach Andrew McCarthy had a good feeling about this year’s team, there were some concerns about qualifying for the state playoffs because of changes in the NCISAA. 

The organization expanded from three classes to four. Fayetteville Academy remained a 2-A team but was placed in a four-team split 3-A/4-A conference, which meant it didn’t get an automatic berth in the state playoffs and strength of schedule was important in determining who advanced to the postseason. 

“We didn’t have a lot of head-to-head or common opponents with teams in our classification,’’ McCarthy said. “Luckily, our strength of schedule was good enough to give us the No. 1 seed.’’ 

The Eagles have been led in scoring by Hudson Zeisman with 20 goals and 10 assists. Following him is Boyce Purdie with 12 goals and 10 assists. 

Goalkeeper Langdon Boliek has recorded 10 shutouts in the Eagles’ 13 games. 

Senior captain Julian Barbaro said he’s not surprised the Eagles are back in the playoffs because of all the work they’ve put in this season. 

“Everyone gives it all every time they step on the field,’’ he said. “In the final third (on defense), we’re pretty good once we keep it simple. Our defense is strong as a unit.’’ 

   Barbaro praised both Zeisman and Purdie for being unselfish. “They try to look for open plays,’’ he said. 

   McCarthy agreed, adding that Zeisman was especially good on set pieces. “He’s a fantastic athlete, a kid who loves scoring goals,’’ McCarthy said. “He’s a gamer when it comes to game time. He’s ready to go and loves scoring.’’ 

   The No. 1 seed and double bye is both good news and bad news for the Eagles. While it gives them a break and allows them to heal from minor bumps and bruises during the regular season, it also means they’re not going to be playing. The team they’ll be facing Saturday, if the Eagles are still alive, will have had the benefit of one or two competitive games. 

   The Eagles have been in this position before, and McCarthy said it’s just something you have to accept. 

   “You’ve got to make sure every practice is as sharp as possible,’’ he said. “There’s a method to every practice and a goal at the end of every practice. 

   “We have some good players, and practice can get pretty intense the way we set things up. Intensity has to come in practice whether you have a double bye or not. That’s one thing we push for.’’ 

   Some of Fayetteville Academy’s biggest rivals in the 2-A classification last year moved up to 3-A this season, but McCarthy said there are still plenty of tough teams left to test the Eagles this year in their bid to repeat. 

   “There’s going to be a lot of really tough competition,’’ he said. “I don’t think there’s a lot of difference in the top teams. Any of the top ten could cause problems.’’ 

   As usual, McCarthy expects defense to be key for whoever wins, along with keeping everyone healthy and being prepared for the opponent. 

   “It’s the old cliche,’’ he said, “one game at a time.’’ 

Photo: Hudson Zeisman 

Cumberland County residents whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Matthew now have a reliable source of information for cleaning assistance. The Home Cleanup Hotline is 1-800-451-1954. The hotline is provided by Crisis Cleanup, a national organization that helps coordinate the work of volunteer organizations with survivors whose homes have been affected by natural disasters. Residents can ask for assistance from reputable relief agencies that can assist with services such as cutting fallen trees, tarping roofs and removing debris such as drywall, insulation and flooring. The services are free and are completed by volunteers who provide the necessary tools and equipment. 

For information about resources that can assist with these services, visit co.cumberland.nc.us/community-resource-directory1. 

Florence caused a sticky situation at one local shop 

Hurricane Florence caused a lot of damage to local businesses as well as dozens of homes. Rocket Fizz, the popular candy store in Marketfair Shopping Center, survived the storm, but much of its inventory did not. 

Co-owner Ann Sims said she lost a thousand pounds of bulk candy, which melted when the power went out, including 100 flavors of salt water taffy. Taffy must be kept in a dry, cool environment. Her store was anything but dry and cool during the three days it was without electricity. 

“We iced down the chocolate in coolers and took some of it home,” as the hurricane approached, she said. It was next to impossible to clear out the nearly 2,400 different items in the shop, which is much more than a candy store. 

Rocket Fizz sells a lot of Halloween treats this time of year, from candy corn to Pez, and Chuckles to Hershey bars. It also carries a variety of 400 craft soda pops, tin signs, replica concert posters and novelty items such as retro memorabilia and prank gifts. Sims said the average sale is $12 for a four-pack of soda and bags of candy. “Selection and service is what we pride ourselves in,” she said. 

  Rocket Fizz is located next to the Marketfair AMC Theatre. 

Baseball team name to be revealed 

  Minor league baseball officials had hoped to announce the name of the local Houston Astros affiliate, which will begin playing ball in Fayetteville in the spring, over a month ago. The approach of Hurricane Florence caused postponement of the announcement. The Fayetteville Baseball Club says it will unveil its team name on Sunday, Nov. 4. 

  Team memorabilia, T-shirts and ball caps will also be available at the name reveal event. 

  Team President Mark Zarthar told Up & Coming Weeklythat at least three firms have indicated serious interest in sponsoring naming rights of the new stadium, which is under construction on Hay Street. 

  Houston acquired the Advance Single-A minor league team when it played in California. The Carolina League had indicated an interest in expanding by adding two additional clubs to the league. One moved from California to Fayetteville, the other to Kinston. 

Busking comes to town 

  Busking has become popular in communities across the country. And now, Cool Spring Downtown District, in conjunction with Sweet Tea Shakespeare, has launched a busker program for local artists and performers. Sidewalk entertainers perform anything that people find entertaining – usually for money – singing, clowning, juggling, musical performances, fortunetelling, animal tricks, dance and much more. Organ grinders were among the original buskers. 

  Sweet Tea Shakespeare presents accessible performances of Shakespearean and other classical plays complete with delicious food, beer, wine and its signature sweet tea. 

  “Sweet Tea Shakespeare is delighted to partner with Cool Spring Downtown District to pilot its busker program, said Jeremy Fiebig, STS artistic director. “We have live music built into our culture, and it’s a natural extension of what we do to help build this exciting new program.” 

  Ten busking spots have been designated throughout the downtown district for performers selected by STS. Registration is required. Performance schedules are Thursday through Saturday evenings from 6-10 p.m. and weekends from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. 

County Employee Health Fair 

  The annual Cumberland County Employee Wellness Fair is set for Oct. 22-26 at the Crown Expo Center, 301 E. Mountain Dr. About 400 county employees are expected to attend the fair each day. The county has contracted with Novant Health to operate the events. 

  During the annual wellness fair, Novant will screen employees for risk factors such as high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. Vendors will provide employees with information on topics such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, weight management, hearing, vision, tobacco cessation, physical activity, nutrition, stress management, behavioral health, safety and more. The goal of the fair is to encourage county employees to lead a healthier lifestyle and improve their overall health status. 

  Hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 22 and 24 and 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 23, 25 and 26. 

In her second year as a varsity volleyball coach at Jack Britt High School, Leigh Ann Weaver was supremely confident entering the 2018 season. 

“I think our team is on an elite level physically, with all the natural athleticism on top of the volleyball experience in school or travel (volleyball),’’ she said. “I knew that we were 100 percent capable. Our biggest battle was on the mental side.’’ 

  The Buccaneers overcame any misgivings Weaver had about the mental aspect. Last week, the Bucs traveled to Pinecrest and handed the Patriots their second conference defeat of the season, wrapping up at least a tie for the Sandhills Athletic Conference title and the league’s No. 1 berth in the state playoffs. 

  Through the Pinecrest match, with a couple of regular-season games to go, Britt stood 14-7 overall and 12-0 in the league. They’ll await the news on who their first-round opponent will be in the upcoming North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4-A playoffs. 

  At season’s start, Weaver decided to put the focus of this year’s team on her two power hitters, Lexy Cole and Kaiah Parker. “I told the girls what their roles are,’’ Weaver said. “Everyone has fallen into that perfectly, and identifying the roles straight away definitely helped.’’ 

  As the team met various expectations during the season, Weaver and her coaching staff kept lifting the bar and setting new ones. 

  “The goal for a volleyball team is not to peak too early,’’ she said. “We definitely made sure to have the girls progress at an appropriate time within each part of the season.’’ 

  As for her concerns about the mental aspect of the game, Weaver said it’s something she preached to the team from the beginning, along with playing with a purpose. “If they don’t play with a purpose, their heart isn’t fully into it,’’ Weaver said. “You’re poking around in the dark, for lack of a better term. 

  “You play with a purpose, warm up with a purpose. You’ve got to do everything with a purpose if you expect to do better at your craft.’’ 

  Cole, who leads Cumberland County Schools in kills with 199 through Oct. 10, has played a major role in Britt’s success. 

  “Lexy has stepped it up 110 percent,’’ Weaver said. “She has blown my expectations out of the water. She’s going to UNC-Asheville to play volleyball. That standard was set high for her, and she had a reputation of being a great volleyball player.’’ 

  In addition to being a power hitter, Cole is a vocal leader on the court. That may be as important as her skill at spiking the ball. 

  “I feel like I’m very loud and energetic,’’ Cole said. “I keep the energy pretty high so everyone stays alive.’’ 

  She tries to keep her chatter positive. “The only thing I want to be doing for my team is to make sure that everyone feels like they can do it,’’ she said. “If they mess up, I don’t want them to think they’ll keep messing up. They can just forget about it and no one is mad at them. 

  “I want them to do their best.’’ 

  The whole Buccaneer team will need to do its best to have a chance of advancing deep in the state 4-A playoffs. 

  Cole feels the team needs to stay focused with the same end goal in mind. “We’ll have to speed up our game to match theirs,’’ she said of teams Britt might face in the postseason. “As long as we keep up with the speed, I feel we’re perfectly fine.’’ 

Photo: Lexy Cole