The Carver Classic track and field meet held annually at Reid Ross Classical High School’s John Daskal Stadium has always been a high point of the local outdoor track season.

But this year it made history, special history. The event saw a new record set for the largest number of special needs athletes competing in an organized track meet. It’s part of a program called Unified Track that was introduced to Cumberland County Schools by student activities director Vernon Aldridge.

The Unified program is designed to give special needs youngsters with either physical or emotional disabilities the opportunity to participate for an organized high school athletic team. So far, track is the only sport offered in Cumberland County, but officials are looking at the possibility of adding other sports by this fall.

Aldridge learned about Unified Track during a presentation at last year’s North Carolina Athletic Directors Association annual meeting in Wilmington.

The presentation was made by a group of Unified Track athletes, and Aldridge said it moved him. “I brought it back to our athletic directors and they wanted to get involved,’’ Aldridge said.

Currently, Cumberland County has Unified Track teams at seven of its 10 senior high schools. Aldridge estimates there were some 70 to 80 Unified athletes competing at the Carver Classic, which according to Nathan Brookins of North Carolina Special Olympics made it the largest number of Unified athletes to compete in a meet held in this state.

The team from Gray’s Creek won the Unified division of the Carver Classic meet. Earl Horan, who coached the Gray’s Creek special needs team and has a son on the squad, said the Unified concept focuses on inclusion for the special needs youngsters

“We want to give them the opportunity to participate in a team sport,’’ Horan said. “We’re trying to get past a sporting event and bring it to the hallways and classrooms and make sure they are seen around the school and get a little more opportunity to be a typical student.’’ Horan said the Unified track athletes wore their medals to school the day after the Carver Classic. “Their chests were bowed out,’’ Horan said. “It gives them a sense of confidence.’’

The special needs athletes don’t compete alone. They are paired with partners from other sports teams at their school who join them in the competition. The rules of Unified Track require one regular athlete for every special needs competitor. Horan said the wrestling team from Gray’s Creek has stepped up to provide six of the seven partners for the Gray’s Creek special needs athletes.

As both the parent of a special needs athlete and a special education teacher, Horan has a unique appreciation for the benefits of Unified Track.

“I see the pride my son has and the enthusiasm from other teachers,’’ he said. “The amount of support we get from students, administration and parents is very heartwarming.’’

Aldridge would love to see the program grow countywide and thinks the key is getting the word out to parents of special needs children. 

“Some parents may be leery of turning their child over to us for an athletic team,’’ he said. “If we can get the word out and show how positive the performance has been, we can get more kids involved.’’

Photo: 4x100 relay teams that took 3rd and 1st. Third place finishers (on left) are Anthony Liszewski, Cord Grimm and Camdon Liszewski (Gabrielle Veauthier not pictured). Champions are Nick Quinn, Andrew Esterly, Devonte Pierce and Trace Bechtol.

I currently serve as senior class president at South View High School as well as chairman of the Hope Mills Mayor’s Youth Leadership Committee. I was invited to join the Youth Leadership Committee along with students from South View, Jack Britt and Gray’s Creek. 

One of the first tasks we were given to explore was what should replace the old Hope Mills Golf Course on Golfview Road. As a committee, we unanimously agreed that one thing Hope Mills needs is a sportsplex.

The funding for the land has been offered by multiple organizations. We decided that with a joint effort, the most suitable things to put on the old golf course land are recreational facilities such as transitional fields, a disc golf course, a 9-hole golf course and a sportsplex.

The sportsplex would house things like a recreational gym, an indoor track and, ultimately, an Olympic-sized pool. The Olympic pool would be the keystone to the facility.

The decision to build a sportsplex comes as recreational sports in Hope Mills have begun to oversaturate the currently allocated space. Not only will this new addition improve sports facilities, it will also allow for growth in local sports and regional development.

The complex would provide the entire Cape Fear region with additional athletic opportunities, especially in the area of swimming. A quick Google search reveals that a Hope Mills resident currently has to travel as far as the Triangle or southeast to Wilmington to find accessible public indoor swimming facilities.

An indoor swimming complex would be a boost to competitive swimming locally, which is a growing sport for Cumberland County and other Cape Fear region high schools.

Students who compete in swimming for Jack Britt, South View or Gray’s Creek have to travel across town to Fayetteville State University for practice at around 5 a.m. This travel creates an extra challenge in both practice and competition for students at the county’s high schools. 

To help contribute to local sports and increase participation in competitive swimming, we decided that an Olympic pool would best be included in the sportsplex. If students who were interested in swimming only had to travel to a complex at the old golf course – which is between Jack Britt and South View – the sport of swimming would have an even better chance to grow, while also giving the high school swimmers more regular access to a practice facility.

Creating a sportsplex not only gives a better opportunity for those who don’t have the means of traveling to Fayetteville State, but it also helps those who live close to where the current golf course is located to become more active and involved within the community.

You can learn a great deal from the New York Times despite The Donald’s reference to it as a fake news source. The New York Time’s recent story by Yonette Joseph about Nick Burchill’s hotel stay is so strange it could not possibly be fake news. Let us begin today’s exercise in world literature by remembering Mark Twain’s famous quote: “Truth is stranger than fiction, because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities, truth isn’t.” If Mark Twain said it, I believe it. And that settles it.

Once upon a time in about 2001, Nick Burchill traveled all the way from Nova Scotia to Victoria, British Columbia. Nick was on a business boondoggle. He got to stay at the Fairmont Empress Hotel, which is the classiest hotel in Victoria and perhaps the entire western hemisphere. I have personal knowledge of the Empress’ classiness because I was there last summer. Not to stay there, but just to walk through the lobby to absorb some class that I am sorely lacking. We considered going to high tea, which is an Empress tradition since 1908. The high tea menu includes 21 different loose-leaf teas to choose from as well as scones, pastries, clotted creams (which sounds awful but expensive) and strawberry preserves from the rooftop garden. You can indulge in smoked salmon on blini; honey ham and mushroom quiche; truffled egg salad on brioche; and mascarpone raspberry tarts among other dainties. I did not see a chicken wing or a collard sandwich on the menu. Unfortunately high tea’s lowest price is $75 a person ranging up to $115 if you get a classy adult beverage to wash down your tea. Since we didn’t have a half-price coupon, we skipped high tea. 

But back to our friend Nick. Nick had a bunch of Royal Canadian Navy buddies from Nova Scotia who ended up in Victoria with a hankering for a taste of home, to wit: Chris Brothers TNT Pepperoni, the pride of Nova Scotia. Nick, being a pal, packed up an entire suit case full of TNT Pepperoni and hauled it out to the Empress. His room did not have a refrigerator, but the day was cool. Nick spread his pepperoni out by an open window so it wouldn’t spoil. Nick left the room for a walkabout for several hours. Turns out if there is one thing sea gulls like to eat better than garbage, it’s TNT Pepperoni. 

When Nick opened the door to his room it was sea gull pepperoni party time. About 40 of our feathered friends were chowing down on Nova Scotia’s most delicious salted meat. Unfortunately, TNT Pepperoni and the gastrointestinal systems of sea gulls are not compatible. It was like one of those colorful Roman orgies where the Romans would eat and drink themselves so full it was Vomitorium time. The gulls were eating, spewing and having loose stools all over his formerly elegant hotel room. Not only that, the gulls were drooling. Nick was quoted in the Times article saying: “The shocking thing for me was the saliva. I didn’t know that sea gulls drooled. The slime was covering everything. They were whipping it up into the air. It was like a tornado.” 

Gentle reader, let that mental image sink in for a while. Downstairs the guests are paying $75 for a cup of tea and cookies. Upstairs the sea gulls are spewing. The mind boggles.

Realizing sea gulls were not paying guests, Nick tried to chase them out of his room. He threw a shoe at one, which sailed out the window along with the gull. He retrieved his shoe, which was covered in yuck. After using water to remove the yuck, Nick tried drying it with a hair dryer, which fell into his sink and shorted out the electricity. Realizing he had lost his battle with the gulls, he finally called housekeeping. Management was not amused. They sent him a letter banishing him from ever returning to the Empress. 

Fate brought Nick back to Victoria 17 years later. He wrote the Empress a letter seeking a pardon much as Scooter Libby just received from The Donald. The Empress forgave him on the condition that he never brought pepperoni to the hotel again. And they both lived happily ever after. 

So what have we learned today class? There are some things even sea gulls can’t digest. There are worse things than stale pepperoni. $75 is too much to pay for a cup of tea and a biscuit. The early bird gets the pepperoni and projectile diarrhea. 

As Emily Dickinson once almost said, “Hope is a thing with feathers, but you can catch more sea gulls with pepperoni than by putting salt on their tails.” 

Nick should have taken Willy Nelson’s advice when Willie sang: “I got busted in Laredo for reasons/ That I’d rather not disclose/ If you’re stayin’ in a motel there and leave/ Don’t leave nothin’ in your clothes.” 

As the late great Percy Bysshe Shelly once said: “Hail to thee blithe spirit! Bird thou never wert.”

If you think this column is for the birds, you are correct. 

Meetings

For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Interim Town Clerk Debbie Holland at 910-426-4113.

• Citizens Academy every Tuesday through June, 6-8 p.m.

• Senior Citizens Advisory Committee Wednesday, April 25, 6:30 p.m.

• Veterans Affairs Commission Thursday, April 26, 7 p.m.

Activities

• Hope Mills Area Kiwanis Club at Sammio’s, second Tuesdays at noon at and fourth Tuesdays at 6 p.m. For more information, call 910-237-1240.

• Mid-Carolina Senior Games April 11-30 at Hercules Fitness Center on Fort Bragg.

• National Day of Prayer Service Thursday, May 3, at Hope Mills Town Center flagpoles. Noon. All are welcome.

• Hope Meals Food Truck Rodeo Thursday, May 3, at the parking lot between Town Hall and Parks & Rec Center. 5 p.m.

Promote yourself: Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

Where is Erskine Bowles when we most need him?

Bowles is best known to North Carolinians as president of the UNC System from 2005 to 2010. Before then he was a successful business leader in Charlotte, a key staff member in the President Bill Clinton’s administration, and two times the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate.

In 2010, he and former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson co-chaired the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, a bipartisan budget-reform effort that proposed a plan to reduce the country’s deficits by $4 trillion over a decade.

Bowles had gained credibility in deficit reduction circles as a leader in Clinton’s negotiations with Congress that led to an agreed plan to bring the budget deficit down to zero through a combination of tax increases and spending cuts.

That arrangement went up in smoke after 2001 with the tax cuts pushed by President George W. Bush and the added cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Still, Bowles had developed a “can-do” reputation for budget balancing. He and Simpson tackled their challenge in 2010 with some optimism and hope for support from Obama and Congress.

Their plan provided for more than $1 trillion in cuts for military spending, $2.6 trillion in tax increases over 10 years (much of it on wealthy Americans who were to pay ordinary income rates on capital gains as well as dividends), reducing and limiting charitable deductions and mortgage interest, increasing both Social Security retirement age, and adding to the maximum amount of income that could be subject to social security tax

The plan would have reduced deficits over 10 years by $4 trillion.

The problem, as one commentator observed, was that “everybody found something to hate.”

Bowles and Simpson conceded that to get a workable deal, everybody would have to give up something. But not enough people were willing to make the necessary sacrifices. The plan failed

But Bowles still thinks it is critical to bring the deficit under control. In 2015 he told The Charlotte Observer, “I’m really concerned that if we don’t get our elected politicians on the right and the left to put some of this ultra-partisanship aside and pull together rather than apart, then not only will we face what is clearly the most predictable economic crisis in history but also my generation will be the first generation of Americans to leave the country worse off than we found it. It’s my generation of Republicans and Democrats that created this fiscal mess and clearly has a responsibility to clean it up.”

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan built his political career on his stated goal of eliminating the budget deficit. Last week, when Ryan announced he is retiring from Congress, he asserted that he had achieved his major goals. He did not mention any success in reducing the budget deficit.

He did brag about passage of the new tax bill. Ironically, that bill and the new spending plan Congress passed are 180 degrees away from the plans Bowles and Simpson proposed. Instead of tax increases for the wealthy, the tax bill decreased them. Instead of cutting military spending, the spending plan provides substantial increases.

As a result, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the deficit this year will be $804 billion, $242 billion larger than projected earlier. And during the next 10 years the projected deficit will be $11.7 trillion, an increase of $1.6 trillion over projections made before the passage of the tax bill and spending plan.

To paraphrase the saying attributed to Everett Dirksen, the late Illinois senator, “A trillion here and a trillion there, Paul Ryan, and soon you are talking about a lot of money. It is money that simply will not be there to maintain a sound government for Ryan’s and my grandchildren.

Where are you, Erskine Bowles, when we need you again?

Photo: Erskine Bowles

 Publisher’s note: At this writing, nothing new has developed since District 2 Councilman Tyrone Williams and local businessman T.J. Jenkins were caught on an audio recording trying to extort $15,000 from the development company PCH, LLC. PCH is renovating the Prince Charles Hotel, which is part of its $65 million downtown economic development project.

 Well, maybe one thing has changed: The disgraced city servant, Tyrone Williams, has refused to step down despite pleas from his own constituents in District 2 and a 9-0 vote of no confidence from the mayor and his fellow colleagues.

Now that’s arrogance. Well, someone needs to tell Williams that it will take more than him grandstanding at a community prayer walk to exonerate him from the failed extortion attempt and the embarrassment he has caused our city.

As the authorities “peel back the onion” on this case, his situation will probably get worse before it gets better. However, better will mean that he’ll be gone.

 Below is the editorial that appeared in last week’s edition. It is as relevant today as it was last week and provides a few simplified explanations as to the seriousness of what Williams and Jenkins have perpetrated on our community.

I applaud city attorney Karen McDonald for her actions and feel confident that when all is said and done our city council will make decisions in the best interest of our community. Fayetteville deserves it.

 Fayetteville’s dishonored city Councilman Tyrone Williams, along with coconspirator T.J. Jenkins, president and founder of the marketing firm The Wrijen Company, have Booker T. Washington, the late former Fayetteville Cumberland County Commissioner Thomas Bacote and business executive Floyd Shorter all spinning in their graves with disgust and disappointment. Williams and Jenkins are supposedly business and civic leaders of the black community.

 Together, they conspired to extort $15,000 from PCH, LLC, the development firm heading the $65 million Prince Charles renovation project, by contending there was a problem with the property title, which Williams could make go away for mere 15 grand. It’s both appalling and criminal.

 They both are also guilty of using and abusing one of Fayetteville and Cumberland County’s oldest and most honorable and dignified business organizations, the Fayetteville Business and Professional League. The FB&PL is one of the most prestigious and influential organizations in Cumberland County, serving African-American minority business owners and professionals. For over a half a century this distinguished organization has worked diligently in the interests of local minorities by mentoring young people and stressing the importance of education and training. The organization supports entrepreneurism and new business development while encouraging civic and governmental engagement.

 Under previous leadership, the League was the catalyst in minority business development and creation. It utilized workshops, networking, partnerships and joint venture programs to take advantage of business opportunities throughout Fayetteville, Cumberland County and the state. Thomas Bacote was one of those leaders. He loved and served the league, spending decades advocating for it.

 He introduced the FB&PL to me in the late’90s when I started Up & Coming Weekly . He eventually sponsored my membership into the organization. I was its first white “minority” member. Several years later, the organization recognized Up & Coming Weekly  as FB&PL’s Business of the Year. After Bacote’s death, Wilson Lacy, Cumberland County Schools executive director of operations, took the leadership position and shepherded the organization for 17 years.

 More recently, the league’s leadership was organized by my dear friend, Floyd Shorter, who died after a brief illness in 2016. Floyd was an amazing man known for his gentlemanly demeanor, sense of humor and perpetual smile. He learned much from Lacy and became a tour de force in civic leadership, championing small businesses by mentoring and encouraging black and minority-owned businesses right up to his death.

 He taught at Fayetteville State University’s School of Business. He lectured. He sat on numerous boards and committees, including serving the Chamber of Commerce, Economic and Business Development and the Crown Coliseum.

 But what he really enjoyed was his leadership role with the League. Under Shorter’s leadership, the League grew in both membership and stature. When he was at the helm, the ship sailed smoothly. However, upon his death, the organization struggled – until Jenkins stepped in under the pretense of bringing stability, relevance and leadership to the organization.

Unfortunately, this has turned out to be the near perfect example of someone doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons. Jenkins owns a marketing and advertising agency. He is described on LinkedIn as a multicultural expert, consultant, social leader, marketing and advertising maven and “All around good guy.”

Really?

 After Jenkins took over the leadership of the FB&PL, he and Williams, who had only been a councilman for District 2 a few weeks, approached Jordan Jones of PCH, LLC about the $15,000 pay-to-play scheme they concocted. Jones recorded the entire conversation, turned it over to law enforcement immediately and released it to the media last Friday.

 So, this begs the question: When was this scheme hatched? Was it in September 2017, when Jenkins, as president of the FB&PL, met with Barton Malow, general contractor for the Astros Baseball Stadium, and PCH, LLC officials were invited to present contract opportunities to League minority businesses? Was it at this meeting that they concluded Jones and PCH, LLC would be easy marks? Or, could it have been at one of the League’s Community Impact Forums, where it advocates for business and economic development, civic responsibility, civic involvement, ethnic pride and education?

 I applaud Jones for his actions, as I do Fayetteville Attorney Karen McDonald for her protective and proactive actions on behalf of our city. I’m confident it will be resolved properly and in a timely manner.

 Williams must resign. He is not our kind of people and cannot represent District 2 or any part of our community. The same goes for Jenkins. He must resign from the Fayetteville Business and Professional League for the League to continue its mission and traditions of advancing the successful development of minority businesses while elevating and directing smart, savvy, hardworking, honest and ethical minorities to positions of influence.

 This is for the betterment of our community and for future generations. We must start judging people, especially candidates, by their character, integrity and intelligence – not by the color of their skin.

Leaders lead. Leaders make mistakes. But, they make honest mistakes.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Photo: Tyrone Williams

Many parents are trying to live the dream through their sons and daughters – the dream of landing a college athletic scholarship by specializing in a sport yearround. Unfortunately, most of these dreams are never realized.

The odds of a sports scholarship paying for even a portion of a student’s college education are miniscule.

The College Board, a not-forprofit organization comprised of 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions, reports that a moderate cost for college students who attend a public university in their state of residence is $25,290 per year. The annual cost at a private college averages $50,900.

Meanwhile, the most recent data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association reveals that the average Division I athletic scholarship is worth only $10,400. More significantly, the same study shows that fewer than two percent of all high school athletes (1 in 54) ever wear the uniform of an NCAA Division I school.

Even if the dream is realized, parents likely will spend more money for club sports than they ever regain through college athletic scholarships. Thanks to the costs of club fees, equipment, summer camps, playing in out-of-state tournaments and private coaching, youth sports has become a $15 billion- per-year industry.

There is an option, and it’s a financially viable one: Encourage your sons and daughters to play sports at their high school.

In education-based high school sports, studentathletes are taught, as the term implies, that grades come first. The real-life lessons that students experientially learn offer insights into leadership, overcoming adversity and mutual respect that cannot be learned anywhere else. Unlike club sports, coaches in an education-based school setting are held accountable by the guiding principles and goals of their school district. And the cost of participating in high school sports is minimal in most cases.

While there is a belief that the only way to get noticed by college coaches is to play on non-school travel teams year-round, many Division I football and basketball coaches recently have stated they are committed to recruiting students who have played multiple sports within the high school setting.

In addition, by focusing on academics while playing sports within the school setting, students can earn scholarships for academics and other talents – skill sets oftentimes nurtured while participating in high school activities. These scholarships are more accessible and worth more money than athletic scholarships. While $3 billion per year is available for athletic scholarships, more than $11 billion is awarded for academic scholarships and other financial assistance.

Without a doubt, your sons and daughters will have more fun, make more friends and be better prepared for life beyond sports by participating in multiple sports and activities offered by the high school in your community.

Meetings

For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Interim Town Clerk Debbie Holland at 910-426-4113.

 • Citizens Academy every Tuesday through June, 6-8 p.m.

 • Parks and Recreation Advisory Monday, April 24, 6:30 p.m.

 • Appearance Committee Tuesday, April 24, 6:30 p.m.

 • Veterans Affairs Commission Thursday, April 26, 7 p.m.

Activities

• Hope Mills Area Kiwanis Club at Sammio’s, second Tuesdays

at noon at and fourth Tuesdays at 6 p.m. For more information,

call 910-237-1240.

 • Mid-Carolina Senior Games April 11-30 at Hercules Fitness

Center on Fort Bragg.

• National Day of Prayer Service Thursday, May 3, at Hope

Mills Town Center flagpoles. Noon. All are welcome.

• Hope Meals Food Truck Rodeo Thursday, May 3, at the parking lot between

Town Hall and Parks & Rec Center. 5p.m.

Promote Yourself: Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

 Larry Ellis, grandfather of former Cape Fear star Cole Humphrey, tells the story that when he was in the seventh grade, Cole lacked the physical gifts of some of his classmates and doubted his athletic skills.

So Ellis gave him a shirt with the Superman logo and told his grandson he had the determination and work ethic of the Man of Steel.

As a teenager, Cole became an all-conference athlete in football and baseball, as well as a solid student who was also active in the work of his church.

Tragically, his life was cut short just five years ago this month when he died in a car accident over spring break.

But the memory of Cole Humphrey and his contributions to the school continue through the Cole Humphrey Foundation and the annual Cole Humphrey Run.

The run, which is scheduled for May 12 at Cape Fear High School, is the primary fundraiser for the foundation, in addition to direct gifts people give in Humphrey’s memory.

Although Humphrey and the students he attended school with have long since departed Cape Fear, principal Lee Spruill said Humphrey’s memory is still alive on the campus. “We have his jerseys up in locker rooms,’’ Spruill said. “We remind kids of the legacy he left behind when he left Cape Fear. It’s maintained with what the family does supporting the school with the run and the foundation.

“You are never going to forget a Cole Humphrey. He’s just a phenomenal kid.’’

Money raised through the foundation and the annual run have been put back into the Cape Fear athletic program, mainly in the sports of baseball and football, to provide numerous items beneficial to both programs.

The run begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 12, and will feature competition in 10K, 5K and 2.5K timed events. Atlantic Coast Timing Systems works with the run to provide certified times for all those who compete. Awards are presented to the male and female winners in the 10K and 5K divisions, and for the age 8 and under top finishers in the 2.5K.

“It’s just a great event and fun to see all these kids running,’’ Spruill said. “My son has never been a runner and he ran in it last year and won his division.

“A lot of great things have come from the run. It’s neat seeing people that were at the school four, five or six years ago. It’s like a mini-reunion.’’

For complete information on the run, go to the website at colehumphreyrun.com where you’ll find a link to sign up for this year’s run.

For those who don’t have access to a computer, you can call for further information at 910-303-9928.

Photo: Cole Humphrey

 Saturday, April 21, One Common Bond will host the “Connect” All-American Community Service Awards Banquet. Proceeds from the event will go toward helping One Common Bond provide grief care packages to Gold Star families in North Carolina.

One Common Bond is a nonprofit organization founded in Fayetteville by Kimberly Franco to assist those affected by sudden loss. One Common Bond offers a variety of services, includinggrief packages tailored to meet individual needs. These packages often include information on dealing with grief in healthy ways as well as journals, children’s books and encouragement cards. The organization often sends these donated packages to the families of fallen service members. Recently, Franco and her team have provided grief packages for each of the families affected by the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Franco’s reasons for founding One Common Bond are personal. “I was a captain in the army with 22 years of service when I lost my brother to suicide,” she said. “It was very devastating for me and my family, which is why I asked the Army for an early retirement. I knew that I wanted to devote 100 percent of my time to suicide prevention.” Her work with suicide prevention in the Army Reserves showed her the deficiencies of that system – specifically the minimal aid that went to military families after the loss of a loved one. “Starting this nonprofit allowed me to do what I felt was lacking and provide muchneeded resources for the grief journey,” said Franco.

Her focus over the years has remained steady even if her approach has evolved. According to Franco, “I have changed my speaking points from saying ‘suicide prevention’ to saying, ‘life promotion.’ It is important to promote life.” And that, she said, is exactly what the All-American Community Service Awards Banquet is all about – promoting life and promoting people who have a passion for service.

The banquet will recognize outstanding community service volunteers and leaders at Fort Bragg as well as those who live in Hope Mills, Spring Lake, Raeford, Fayetteville and other surrounding cities. Awards will be presented in the following categories: City Impact, Children Impact, Global Impact and Achieving Community Excellence (ACE) – a category for youth under 18 years old.

According to Franco, the banquet recognizes those who are doing wonderful work in the field of community service while it also serves as the major fundraiser for One Common Bond. Proceeds from the banquet will help the organization send grief packages those who need them, free of charge. “Our desire,” said Franco, “is to provide the gifts to every Gold Star Family within the state of North Carolina.”

The evening will kick off with an expo highlighting life-promoting businesses. There will be a keynote address by Jennifer Loredo and music by soloist Aliciah Small, a student at Fayetteville State University. The evening will culminate with the awards ceremony, featuring special awards presentations from Fayetteville Mayor, Mitch Colvin, and Miss Fayetteville, Danielle Herset.

For more information on the work and mission of One Common Bond, visit www.1commonbond.org. For specific questions concerning the services offered by the clinic or for information on donating, One Common Bond can be reached by phone at 706-304- 7276 or by email at 1CommonBond@gmail.com.

The “Connect” All-American Community Service Awards Banquet is scheduled for Saturday, April 21, at True Vine Ministries, J Center at 5315 Morganton Rd. The event is scheduled to run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased at www.connectnorthcarolina.com.

Wiliams has not earned the right to be called councilman

Dear Editor,

 I read with some disgust the report by The Fayetteville Observer  concerning Monday night’s Fayetteville City Council’s meeting and discussion concerning Tyrone Williams (and no, I will not call him a city councilman.)

 Tyrone has not earned the respect to be addressed that way. He has used his position to profit his own pocket – while leaving the rest of the city in the cold. Will the group working to renovate and open the Prince Charles be successful? I don’t know. But at least they are making an honest effort. Mr. Williams has made no contribution of note, but instead has used his election to profit without considering our community.

Mr. Williams does not deserve to sit on our council - and those who will argue otherwise are putting self and personal ideals before their constituents.

Fayetteville deserves better.

Our community deserves better. Mr. Williams should resign – if he doesn’t, the council as a whole, regardless of color should show him the door. If they don’t, they have shown their true colors and our community should show them all the door. If they don’t act, than we all will know that race, rather than the betterment of our community has become a priority – and that is more than sad. It is the first step in the destruction of our community.

Janice Burton

Resignation Williams’ only option

Dear Editor:

Fayetteville City Councilman Tyrone Williams is facing calls to resign from his constituents, the newspaper and every member of the city council. Williams is holding firm, calling for a review of the matter by the city attorney, and denying that he did anything wrong. Maybe he didn’t, but it doesn’t mean he should keep his seat.

Williams was recorded offering to “lift the cloud” on the title of the Prince Charles Hotel for $15,000. Williams had loaned the previous owner of the Prince Charles Hotel, John Chen, $100,000. The hotel was used as collateral on the loan. Williams claims the loan was never repaid; Chen says otherwise. A bankruptcy court judge agreed with Chen and disallowed Williams’s claim in 2013.

In December, Williams approached the new owners, Prince Charles Holdings, about his claim and offered to “lift the cloud” from the title for $15,000. PCH recorded the conversation and contacted the FBI about Williams’ offer. Williams’ conduct was made public last week, and on Monday, Williams’ colleagues on the city council asked for his resignation. Williams isn’t resigning, and the council is beginning amotion proceedings, or trial by council. Regardless, it will be several months, and many tax dollars, before this matter is settled.

From a due process perspective, did Williams still think he had a valid claim, or was he trying to use his tenuous connection to the Prince Charles Hotel and position as Councilman, to give himself a $15,000 payday? Politically, the answer doesn’t matter. Williams needs to resign his seat immediately.

As an elected official, Williams is held to a higher standard. A standard to which the mere appearance of impropriety is enough to call for his resignation. As an early political mentor told me, “it ain’t what it is, it’s what it looks like... that’s all that matters in politics.” Regardless of his intent, Williams put himself in this compromising situation. A situation that has spurred an FBI investigation and a whole helluva’ lot of embarrassment for the city of Fayetteville.

To make matters worse, District 2 residents will not have any representation for two huge projects being built in their own backyard. Williams must abstain from future votes involving Project Home Run and the Prince Charles. This makes him not only the most morally questionable person on the council, but by default, the most ineffective. The Council might as well sit him at the “kiddie” table and only call him in for stormwater.

Unfortunately, the circus has only just come to town and it’s starting to pitch its tent. The city council meeting Monday night was standing room only; normally a room where the only people standing are speaking or stretching. Citizens are coming out in droves to watch our city embarrass itself. It will only stop when Williams is gone.

Andrew Porter

Photo: Tyrone Williams

 In the heart of Cumberland County is a college where education provides hope for dreams. A vision that began more than 50 years ago continues to thrive as an ideals-driven learning institution. Realizing the demands of higher learning, Fayetteville Technical Community College paves the way for many students by making their desires a reality.

Advancing toward achieving diplomas or certificates allows students the opportunity to embark on new career paths. Progressing through course offerings can be daunting for anyone, especially those with disabilities. The Disability Support Services Office advocates for students regardless of their physical or mental impairments and provides them with equal educational opportunities. Graduation or academic accomplishments are not always simple victories, especially if one has limitations.

Community agencies collaborate with FTCC to extend services through a vast array of resources, such as Vocational Rehabilitation, Services for the Blind, various medical centers, numerous mental health providers and more.

FTCC regularly connects with these vital organizations to spread public awareness and responsiveness. Affiliates from separate agencies or institutions work together to serve the needs of the students. Each organization’s amenities, accreditations, licensees and funding further the student’s purpose. Promoting the most advanced educational options available to students with a disability requires alternative access to learning.

The DSSO acknowledges agencies within North Carolina Health and Human Services as being vital contributors to FTCC. The Vocational Rehabilitation Services and the Services for the Blind, are divisions within North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Representatives from these organizations have been assisting FTCC students for many years.

The Vocational Rehabilitation Services of Fayetteville is a leading government organization that joins with FTCC in helping students with disabilities. The VRS provides student support through training, counseling, assistive technology, job placement and other services. Students can utilize the VRS to pursue disability determination, community rehabilitation or rehabilitation assistance to complement their learning at FTCC.

The Services for the Blind is an active division that helps students progress in their academic and career endeavors. This government organization assists individuals who are visually impaired, blind or deaf and blind to gain employment and attain independent living. Students receive services that help them with college or university training, vocational and technology training, transitional services and more. FTCC connects its mission with their purpose by offering wide varieties of courses in curriculum and certificate programs.

Fayetteville is thriving with licensed mental health providers and medical doctors who provide trusted diagnoses for students. Submitting a diagnosis to the DSSO allows for FTCC to grant accommodations to the student based on personal needs. There are instances when having proper medical documentation is necessary for specific accommodations, which are available on a case-by-case basis. FTCC will continue to maintain ADA compliance standards through the DSSO with federal and state laws and regulations.

FTCC believes in providing equal opportunities for all students. The heart of the school is the student body, and regardless of one’s condition or disability, FTCC will continue to support every student to help them achieve their academic dreams.

 It only figured that since the town of Hope Mills has been fighting so long to get its beloved lake back, the celebration to welcome its return couldn’t be limited to a single day.

Ralph Molina, chairman of the Lake Celebration Committee, said the upcoming lake celebration is important for many reasons. “I think it’s important that we celebrate this and include everyone in the community,’’ he said. “This cost a lot of money, twice. It’s been a long process. Now that it’s completed, everyone should come together.

“They get to see what progress was made, and they’re looking to the future to put the Hope Mills area at a higher level.’’

The final plans aren’t completely in place, and the lake committee is tentatively scheduled to meet through the latter part of May, but enough of the plans for the event have been announced to give folks an idea of what to expect.

The dates have been tentatively set to run June 30 through July 4.

It will open with a street dance and gala June 30 and a Heroes on the Water kayaks and canoe event July 1.

That same day, church on the lake will be observed, followed by jazz on the lake on July 2. July 3 will feature beach music and kayak races.

The July 4th events are still in the works but could include the annual parade, vendors, bands, fireworks and a Miss July 4th contest. There will also be patriotic decorating of the piers by lakefront homeowners, as well as pontoon rides.

One event Molina is excited about is a plan to have people construct cardboard box boats and hold a regatta with them. “The lake becomes front and center in the cardboard regatta,’’ he said. “I’m sure a lot of families and businesses are going to have fun sponsoring boats.’’

Another event that is still in the planning stage is the gala. “The intent is to have a formal event where the city’s members can come, participate and raise funds,’’ Molina said. He’s also excited about the involvement of Heroes on the Water in the celebration, an organization founded in 2007 that provides active-duty and retired members of the military and their families no-expense kayak fishing trips. “It’s important we do activities for those guys as well,’’ Molina said.

 As mid-April approaches, the baseball outlook couldn’t be much brighter for Terry Sanford. The Bulldogs are 13-2 overall, 9-0 in the Patriot Athletic 3-A/4-A Conference, with a two-game lead over their closest rival Pine Forest through April 11.

But the first thing coach Sam Guy will tell you is this team has yet to reach its full potential.

“When teams are winning, it’s easy to lose focus on little things that matter later in the year,’’ he said. “When you lose focus on those little things, they become big things when it’s one and done. If you don’t execute them when it’s one and done, then you’re done.’’

One area where the Bulldogs have improved over previous seasons is hitting. Guy said during the off-season, particularly during workouts this fall and winter, offense was the focus.

“Andrew Jayne and Justin Ebert have been two really nice surprises,’’ Guy said. The statistics on ncprepsports.net through April 5 showed Ebert and Jayne batting .514 and .452 respectively, with Ebert leading the counting in batting average.

Andrew’s twin brother, Christian Jayne, is second in the county with a .488 average. One of the team’s biggest surprises at the plate has been Davidjohn Herz, who came into the season known mainly for his pitching skills that made him an early commit to the University of North Carolina.

Guy said Herz, who got a late start in baseball because he was a member of Terry Sanford’s state playoff basketball team, began the season batting seventh.

Since then he’s crushed a couple of home runs, boosted his average to .429 and driven in 13 runs.

“He’s made some adjustments and been our four- hole guy lately,’’ Guy said. “He’s been a nice addition to the middle of the lineup.’’

His pitching record through April 5 was 2-0 with a 1.12 earned run average and 42 strikeouts in 25 innings.

Herz talks like his coach – not about what he’s accomplished but about what he needs to concentrate on and fix.

“I need to start throwing more first-pitch strikes,’’ he said. “I need to get ahead in the counts. I need to start getting fastball command, command of all my pitches and work on my changeup.’’

Coaches from North Carolina frequently check on how Herz is doing. Guy said visits from college coaches and Major League scouts have been a bonus for other players on the Bulldog team.

“Guys are coming to our practices and games,’’ Guy said of the various scouts. “I tell my other guys, they’re not here to see you, but you can make them see you.’’

One example is Bulldog pitcher Logan Brown, who stands about 5-feet-10 and throws consistently in the mid-80 mph range. “He competes every single pitch,’’ Guy said. “I don’t know what coach doesn’t want that.’’

At a recent game with South View, seven scouts attended and one of them began contacting various colleges on Brown’s behalf. Other players who are getting looks include Will Rosser and Dorian Clark.

“It’s nice for them and is going to help them in their pursuit of baseball after high school,’’ Guy said.

Photos: (L) Terry Sanford baseball coach Sam Guy; (R) Davidjohn Herz

 Fayetteville State University presents The Founders’ Play “150 Steps to Equality” April 19–21 at Butler Theatre at 7:30 p.m. This historical drama is part of the 2018 Founders’ Day activities and sesquicentennial celebration.

“The 150 is obviously representative of the 150 years, and I chose the title because of what one of the founders said – that establishing the State Colored Normal School was the first step in moving forward after the Civil War,” said Phoebe Hall, professor with the Performing and Fine Arts Department. “The play is about the founders and not so much the founding of the school because we have heard about the founding many times.”

Hall added that any time the history of FSU is talked about, people hear about the $136 purchase for the land and how the school came to be. “When I was tasked with writing this play, I started thinking about these founders, and it occurred to me that I did not know the first thing about each one of them,” said Hall. “That’s what (piqued) my curiosity – who were these men and how did they manage to do this thing?”

This was just after the Civil War stopped, and money was very tight. “Even though the Civil War guaranteed certain freedoms for African- Americans, they were not in place yet,” said Hall. “So how did these seven men manage to save up $136? Because in 1865 that would have been a small fortune.” Hall added that she had to research and find out what the men did for a living and their views on educating black children, which at that time was still illegal. Even though the civil rights movement said it was no longer illegal, people were still being arrested for doing it.

The first act of the play is about the founders. Each one of them has a monologue that explains where they came from, who their parents were and what they did for a living.

The second act starts out with E. E. Smith. “E. E. Smith is not one of the founders, but he is credited with saving the school from going under,” said Hall. “It covers all the land purchases he made, deeding the land over to the school and going to bat for state funding.”

The remainder of the second act is about the students at the school. It focuses on what they were like, the kinds of things they were involved in, the music and dances they were into and their membership in various clubs and organizations as well as their political involvement.

“We look forward to everyone coming out to see this play,” said Hall.

The cost is $10 for adults, $8 for staff and senior citizens and $3 for students with ID.

For more information, call 910-672-1006.

Photo: E.E. Smith

 The Cool Spring Downtown District’s second Downtown District Forum is set for Tuesday, April 24, from 7- 8:30 p.m. at the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, which is located at 301 Hay St. in downtown Fayetteville. The public is invited to attend this free, informational event.

Fayetteville Dogwood Festival Executive Director Carrie King will share last minute insider tips about how to best enjoy this year’s Dogwood Festival. CSDD will share opportunities for involvement in the Field of Honor annual event benefiting the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation.

Jordan Jones will update attendees on the Prince Charles Holdings project. Fayetteville Astros general manager David Lane and President Mark Zarthar will discuss plans for the baseball stadium. PWC and city officials will discuss utility work scheduled for Market Square.

The CSDD is a charitable nonprofit formed in 2017 to create and sustain an arts and entertainment district emanating from the downtown core of Fayetteville, North Carolina, as a vibrant center of artistic, cultural, civic and commercial activity.

For more information, contact Sam DuBose, CSDD general manager, at 910-223-1089 or Sam@CoolSpringFAY.org.

Early voting opens

 One-Stop early voting for primary elections in Cumberland County begins April 19 and ends May 5. The partisan primary election is May 8. The deadline to register to vote in the elections is April 13. The primary election is for federal, state and local offices.

Citizens who want to take advantage of early voting but are not registered to vote may do same-day registration during One-Stop early voting if they provide acceptable documentation. The registrant needs to present or show a document that lists current name and address in Cumberland County. A complete list of acceptable documentation can be viewed at co.cumberland.nc.us/elections.

Voters may go to the Board of Elections, located in the E. Newton Smith Center at 227 Fountainhead Lane, for One-Stop voting during the dates and times listed below. Due to road construction in the area, drivers are encouraged to enter Fountainhead Lane from Hay Street.

April 19–May 4, Monday through Friday 8 a.m.– 5 p.m.; Saturday, April 28, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; Saturday, May 5, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

Other One-Stop Voting Sites are: Cliffdale Recreation Center, 6404 Cliffdale Rd., Fayetteville; North Regional Library, 855 McArthur Rd., Fayetteville; Hope Mills Recreation Center, 5766 Rockfish Rd., Hope Mills; East Regional Library, 4809 Clinton Rd., Fayetteville; Gray’s Creek Recreation Center, 2964 School Rd., Hope Mills.

Dates and times at the five locations are: April 19–May 4, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 28, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; and Saturday, May 5, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

Regular hours at the Board of Elections are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information and for links to voter information, polling place finder and the North Carolina Board of Elections, go to co.cumberland.nc.us/elections or call 910-678-7733.

 If you live in Hope Mills and you’ve got old cans of paint or other hazardous chemicals cluttering the garage or storage building, your chance to safely get rid of everything is coming up this weekend.

The town will host multiple events this Saturday, April 21, that are part of the town’s effort to clean up the community and improve its overall appearance.

Beth Brown, stormwater administrator for the town of Hope Mills, said the town’s commissioners have made beautification of the community a focus for this year.

“This certainly allows us to clean up and make the town look better,’’ she said.

The triple effort this weekend will focus on disposing of hazardous waste, shredding old documents and a citywide litter sweep.

The biggest and most expensive part of the project is the disposal of hazardous waste.

“Other stormwater departments around the state of North Carolina have used this idea to allow residents to have an opportunity to come out free of charge and drop off any type of household chemicals that are no longer good and can’t be disposed of in the trash can,’’ Brown said.

The town provides citizens with the chance to drop off their dangerous chemicals at a central collection location in the parking lot between Town Hall and the police station from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday.

The town annually budgets $30,000 toward hazardous waste disposal and hires a firm called Clean Harbor to come in and take care of the job.

Brown said Clean Harbor has to get permits to do the collection and the town pays the cost to transport the collected waste to a proper landfill, possibly as far away as Virginia, she said. “We provide the service to our residents because it makes it easier for them to get here to Town Hall to drop off their items,’’ Brown said.

People are asked to arrive at Town Hall with the waste they are dropping off in the original container it came in. All waste should be carried in the bed of a truck or the trunk or back seat of a car. Once they arrive at the collection point, signs and town staff will direct them where to go. They don’t even have to leave their cars as personnel from the collection company will be on-site to take it from their car.

There’s a wide list of things that are accepted, including adhesives, glues, resins, stains and thinners. Also taken are various kinds of batteries, pesticides and weed killers, propane cylinders, aerosol cans, computers and electronic devices. Things that will not be accepted include ammunition, fireworks, explosives, infectious and biological waste, syringes, radioactive waste and unknown compressed gas cylinders.

Medications are also on the list of things not accepted. If you have a question about a specific type of waste material, call 910-424-4555 before going on Saturday.

In addition to the waste collection, the town will also hold a shredding event, but the papers won’t be shredded on-site. Brown said they used to rent trucks that did the shredding but learned from experience that if the truck breaks down, a replacement truck isn’t sent to replace it.

Now, the town provides collection bins for people to bring their old papers and drop them off. As soon as the shredding event is over, the company that handles the shredding picks everything up and takes it to be destroyed.

The third aspect of the town-wide cleanup day is a litter sweep. It focuses on areas in the general vicinity of Town Hall, including Rockfish and Golfview roads.

Kenny Bullock of the Hope Mills Recreation Department said people just need to show up at 8:30 a.m. the morning of the cleanup to register for the litter sweep. Volunteers are needed to make the event the biggest possible success.

A lot of young people usually take part, he said, especially members of local high school Key Clubs and Girl Scouts, but there are restrictions. To be allowed to clean up along roadways, all participants must be 16 or older. Anyone younger is welcome to volunteer, but those participants can’t go on the roadways and are limited to helping clean up local parks.

“We try to get all the streets in the neighborhood,’’ Bullock said. “This is the 21st year of the litter sweep.’’

There will be a second litter sweep in the fall. The hazardous chemical disposal and shredding events are only held once a year.

 Nikki Delmolino

Terry Sanford • Soccer/cross country •

Senior

Delmolino has a 5.4 grade point average. She is president of the Key Club, vice president of the National Honor Society, and a member of the Academy of Scholars, the Mu Alpha Theta math honor society, Technology Student Association, Science Olympiad, Mock Trial and International Club.

John Burton

Gray’s Creek • Baseball •

Senior

Burton has a grade point average of 3.56 while playing baseball for the Bears.

 Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s production of Kate Hamill’s adaptation of “Sense & Sensibility” is two hours of fun and entertainment full of love, longing, heartache, gossip and a healthy dose of homage to the 1980s.

CFRT Artistic Director Mary Kate Burke took on the role of director for this production and brings a fresh and charming vision of Jane Austen’s classic tale of the Dashwood sisters and their quest for love. The production stays true to Austen’s story, but Burke livens it up with an ’80s John Hughes movie vibe. Not that you will see or hear things from the ’80s, but the creative team Burke assembled delivers fresh music and costume styling reminiscent of a time when fashion and music were used as additional layers to the story itself.

You don’t have to be an Austen reader to enjoy the show. The story is easy to follow, and some details are delivered by the gossips. Burke makes sure the action keeps moving, so not a moment is wasted onstage. Scene changes are on-going throughout, making it seem like there is a constant whirlwind surrounding the Dashwood sisters.

After their father’s death leaves them without the financial means to provide a solid dowry, marriage prospects for Elinor and Marianne Dashwood seem to be in danger. In the late 18th-century English society where status and money govern the rules of love, this becomes an obstacle as sensible Elinor and hypersensitive Marianne fall for men who can’t or won’t profess their own affections.

Elinor (Robin Galloway) quietly hides her feelings for Edward Ferrars (Elliott Ross) who is engaged to Lucy Steele (Alason Little). Although he has feelings for Elinor, Edward chooses to honor his engagement, which also causes him to lose his inheritance.

Marianne (Kelsey Milbourn) chases after John Willoughby (Mitchell Stephens), a cad who ditches her when his aunt sends him away after his misbehavior with the ward of Colonel Brandon (Brook North) comes to light.

Colonel Brandon has feelings for Marianne but bideshis time until she recognizes his loyalty and kindness.

The entire cast performs well and is full of comedic energy. There are many zany ensemble moments like actors playing multiple characters – sometimes in the same scene, talking to themselves. There are also a few horse scenes, without horses. If you think humans pretending to be horses is funny, wait until you see them racing in slow motion!

CFRT regulars Libby McNeill Seymour and Greg King round out a cast that also includes Mary Lynn Bain and Michael Thrash. The cast of 10 plays dozens of characters, including the aforementioned horses.

The story might seem a bit complicated, but the production itself is incredibly efficient. It is a treat to see how Burke’s vision of a story with heavy dialogue and detail is brought to life with minimal costumes, set, props and music – all of which enrich the story.

The behind-the-scenes crew should be applauded for providing the sights, sounds and movement that help make Burke’s vision a reality. Brian Adam Kline, whose local directing credits include “The Vagina Monologues” and “Venus in Fur,” serves as assistant director. Bob Lavaelle is the scenic designer. Claudia Stephens is the costume designer. Luqman Brown is the sound designer. David Rawlins is the scenic artist. Their contributions make the production a unique and entertaining experience.

“Sense & Sensibility” runs through April 29 and is appropriate for younger audiences. For more information about the show, contact the box office at 910-323-4233 or visit www.cfrt.org

 It is time to get your motor running, which means it is time for the Hogs & Rags Spring Rally. This will be the 13th annual ride and is known for being Fayetteville’s largest motorcycle and car rally. The ride is Saturday, April 28, at 7:30 a.m., at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum.

The Hogs & Rags Spring Rally is Fayetteville’s premier car and motorcycle event. It raises monies for various charities and brings the community a little closer together. Each year, hundreds of volunteers, sponsors and law enforcement officers unite to put on this event. This year, the Hogs & Rags community is raising money for the Special Forces Charitable Trust, which provides help to our brave Special Forces soldiers and their families, the American Cancer Society, and Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation.

This ride was originally started by Gardner Altman and Bobby Bleecker of Bleecker Automotive Group. Over the years, the Hogs & Rags Spring Rally has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities. This event is a win/win event for everyone involved. Although the rally benefits local charities, it is really about our community and the people these organizations touch.

Hogs & Rags has matured over the years. Starting as a small car and motorcycle ride, the rally has become a sanctioned event for the Dogwood Festival. On Saturday morning, the excitement builds around the town, and hundreds of motorcycles and cars descend on the Airborne & Special Operations Museum. Here, participants meet special guests who stop by – to include the Dogwood Queens. This year’s Grand Marshal is the Fayetteville Astros General Manger David Lane and his wife Lindsey.

The Hogs & Rags Spring Rally has always been a great community event. No matter what kind of motorcycle you ride or what kind of car, truck or Jeep you have, this event is for you. On this day, everyone just enjoys the ride.

This year, Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson continues to be a prime sponsor. The Fort Bragg Harley- Davidson staff and the riding community help ensure a great event and provide excellent support throughout the day.

This year, participants meet at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum at 7:30 a.m. to sign up and start lining up the vehicles. It’s kickstands up promptly at 9 a.m., and the caravan is off on the road to adventure. The Cumberland Country Sherriff’s office will provide an escort to the Rock’n-ARanch in White Oak. There, riders will be greeted by a small army of cooks, volunteers and special guests for the best low country breakfast around.

After breakfast, it’s back on the road and off to Myrtle Beach with a short stop in Tabor City for a water and a bathroom break. If you like riding without a helmet, this is a great opportunity to tuck it away as the drive crosses the border into South Carolina. This year, the main event will be held at Wild Wings Café at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach. Here, there will be a 50/50 raffle, gun raffles and door prizes.

The event organizers will auction a beautiful handmade Hogs & Rags quilt made by Peggy Stanley. Murf’s Pawn of Whiteville has donated a Smith and Wesson, M&P M2.0 9mm pistol that will be auctioned as well.

The event officially concludes at Wild Wing Café at Barefoot Landing. There, many people will stay and go shop or enjoy Myrtle Beach. Some people come back to Fayetteville in time to make the Dogwood Festival concert at Festival Park. This year’s performers are the Chris Cox Band and country star Rodney Atkins.

Hogs & Rags will host its famous pre-registration party at Mac’s Speed Shop Friday, April 27, from at 6:30-9 p.m. Mac’s will host live music by Lotus Sun. Guests are in for a treat and for a great night of music and dancing. If you don’t ride, you can still support this organization by purchasing raffle tickets and donations. Admission is free.

The Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation’s mission is to improve literacy, education and character development among America’s youth by providing support for various early learning and literacy-based initiatives nationwide. The Kidsville News Literacy & Education Foundation approves grants to qualified projects and institutions that endeavor to instill strong reading and education skills and good, solid character development traits in America’s youth. The Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation works hard to bring the best out in each student. For more information on the Kidsville Literacy and Education Foundation, visit www.kidsvillenewsfoundation.com.

Fort Bragg is the home of the Special Forces. Special Forces, which is known as the “Green Berets,” have been part of the Fayetteville community since 1952. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy authorized a small, unconventional unit here to wear the Green Beret because he believed their unique mission deserved special recognition. In 1962, Kennedy called the green beret “a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom.”

The Special Forces are the unsung heroes of the past and the diplomatic warriors in today’s war on terror. Masters in conducting training and operations with indigenous forces, they conduct the majority of special operations counterinsurgency missions.

In the war on terror, Green Berets have endured the highest casualty rate of all Special Operations Forces. In addition to the commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq,

Special Forces are deployed all over the world. These men were deployed in over 70 different countries. Active duty and veteran Green Berets, along with the Special Forces National Guard and all their families, deserve the highest level of support and service. Working with the Special Forces Association, the Special Forces Charitable Trust provides a nationwide network of volunteers, as well as meaningful and sustainable programs and services to support Green Berets and their Families – past, present and future. For more information, visit www.specialforcescharitabletrust.org.

The American Cancer Society supports researchers and health professionals as they explore all avenues to stop cancer. The American Cancer Society has programs and services to help manage cancer treatment and recovery and find the emotional support patients need. Each year, the ladies from the local American Cancer Society will be up early preparing a wonderful breakfast for the rally. The cost of the Hogs & Rags ride is $50 per person, which pays for the breakfast, water break, the meal at Wild Wings Café and the 2018 Hogs & Rags T-shirt.

This ride is for all brands of motorcycles and vehicles. Although rain is always a possibility, riders can still jump in their cars and come on out for a great day.

Last year was the biggest and most successful event to date. Due to the size of the event, the ride will be limited to 400 participants. Visit www.hogsandrags.org to preregister. Check out the Facebook page at Hogs & Rags of Fayetteville for more information, or call Mary at 910-988-3510.

 In a recent column, I lamented that rap would be on the 2018 Dogwood Festival program. Rev. Bryant Riddick, a frequent reader of my column, sent me an email detailing objections to the thoughts I shared in that column. Part of what he said in the first email, and then in a follow-up email (in response to my comments), prompted thoughts regarding affirmative action efforts and programs.

In arguing for rap at the Dogwood Festival, Riddick wrote the following in his first email: “Check out what I am saying and I believe you will partly agree that the rap is not racism on the part of black people ‘pushing their way in’ – but it is black people taking their seat at a table that was meant for them in the first place, we are just late getting there – but now we are here to add our flavor to what can be a greater event for Fayetteville – inclusion of Hispanics is probably next.”

I responded to that statement by asking him to explain how one decides which tables must be open to black Americans. That is, do we have a right to insist on inclusion anywhere we choose? Does the same apply to white Americans?

Rev. Riddick responded by saying, “Sometimes our inclusion (no matter what group we identify ourselves with) is a matter of participating in areas or events where we haven’t chosen to in the past – this may or may not require an invite, but a simple communication to those who would welcome the company! If our participation is forced or coerced, then I agree that the process is broken – but not by those trying to sit at a table where they originally were not wanted, but by those who created the table and broken process in the first place.”

From this exchange, as to black Americans, I concluded Rev. Riddick is saying we have a right to join any organization, be included in any activity, be substantially represented in various professions and areas of employment and so forth. Where such involvement is not the case, black Americans bear no responsibility. Riddick seems to argue that any lack of involvement is solely because those who control these opportunities withhold them from black Americans.

This exchange, and my understanding of what Riddick said, prompted thoughts regarding affirmative action programs in America. That is because I believe Riddick’s kind of thinking gave birth to, and sustains, affirmative action efforts. The editors of Encyclopedia Britannica say the following about affirmative action: “Affirmative action, in the United States, an active effort to improve employment or educational opportunities for members of minority groups and for women. Affirmative action began as a government remedy to the effects of long-standing discrimination against such groups and has consisted of policies, programs, and procedures that give preferences to minorities and women in job hiring, admission to institutions of higher education, the awarding of government contracts, and other social benefits. The typical criteria for affirmative action are race, disability, gender, ethnic origin, and age.”

I have concluded affirmative action is doing far more harm than good for black Americans. Justice Clarence Thomas, U.S. Supreme Court, a black man, points to the first reason for this conclusion on my part. Erin Fuchs writes the following in an article titled “How Clarence Thomas Grew to Hate Affirmative Action.”

“Clarence Thomas – who’s famously quiet during oral arguments – has written that affirmative action amounts to racial discrimination and is every bit as wrong as segregation or slavery.

“Thomas graduated from Yale Law School, and in 2007 he attacked his alma mater’s affirmative action policies in his memoir and in an interview with ABC News. Thomas argued that what he called the stigmatizing effects of affirmative action put him at a huge disadvantage when he was trying to find work as a lawyer.

“Thomas said he went on interviews with one ‘highpriced lawyer’ after another who didn’t take him seriously because they thought he got special treatment.

“’Many asked pointed questions, unsubtly suggesting they doubted I was as smart as my grades indicated,’” Thomas told ABC News. 

My experiences say that Thomas is absolutely right; affirmative action discriminates and stigmatizes. It discriminates in that the selection for a position, or whatever situation is involved, focuses on race, gender, disability and so on, rather than qualifications for the position or situation. Those persons who benefit from the programs are then often seen as less qualified and less capable of doing the job for which they have prepared. In the end, many get the treatment Thomas described.

Second, affirmative action programs far too often nurture an entitlement attitude that is compounded by an accompanying victim mentality. This process repeatedly shows up in American society. Consider the following statement from www.drshirin.com/victimme.htm regarding victim mentality.

“The victim mentality is characterized by pessimism, self-pity, repressed anger and a belief that life is beyond one’s control. Victims blame any and every available scapegoat (fate, circumstances, other people, even objects!) for their problems and disappointments. They often lead a crisis-ridden lifestyle, going from one trauma to another, never seeing the contribution they make in creating their own crises. According to them, nothing is ever their fault.”

Here is an example of how this debilitating entitlement attitude/victim mentality process plays out in real life. There is ongoing extensive attention being given to the lack of blacks at the upper level in the administration of President Donald Trump, who is a Republican. I listened to a black attorney on a television news program express pure outrage at the low number of blacks in the Trump administration. Article after article addresses this situation.

Following are excerpts from an article titled “Omarosa’s exit highlights lack of diversity at Trump White House.”

“The departure of the former Apprentice contestant Omarosa Manigault-Newman from the White House this week has placed the lack of diversity in Donald Trump’s administration under renewed scrutiny.

“‘There is no comparison. Black diversity in the White House is almost oxymoronic at this point,’ said Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee and the first African-American to hold the post. ‘It’s not for a lack of names or people who qualify … This continued pretense that it’s so hard to find (people of color) to do the job is just ridiculous at this point.’”

It is strongly contended by Michael Steele, and a multitude of other black Americans, that there should be a greater representation of blacks in the Trump administration.

My voter registration is Republican. Consequently, I attend Republican events such as county and state conventions, rallies, candidate forums and so forth. At each of the two North Carolina state conventions that I attended, there were hundreds of people, but only a handful of blacks. At the recent Cumberland County Republican Convention, there were no more than six blacks in attendance. I, like other blacks who do not hide their Republican affiliation or conservative views, have been, and am, ridiculed by other blacks.

The contention of those who ridicule is that Republicans oppress blacks, do not care about us and pursue policies that are detrimental to our well-being. A review of Republican history, well intentioned engagement with most Republicans, reasoned examination of policies and honest assessment of what Democrats have promised but not done for black America will paint a different picture.

Instead, the overwhelming majority of blacks claim victim status because of false assumptions ascribed to Republicans. The result is black America’s blind allegiance to the Democratic Party, while most make no attempt to know what is possible through involvement with the Republican Party.

In spite of almost total rejection of the Republican Party by blacks, there is this expectation of significant black representation in the Republican Trump administration. This reflects the entitlement attitude that I hold is nurtured by affirmative action efforts and compounded by a pervasive victim mentality.

America needs a realistic assessment of affirmative action programs and efforts. Will it happen? I put the probability at zero.

Photo: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas 

 Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra’s 2017-18 season, “Gone to Carolina,” ends in the Blue Ridge Mountains. “We began on the coast in October, and we end in the mountains in April,” said FSO president and CEO Christine Kastner. The final concert, “Appalachian Spring,” takes place Saturday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m.

This season, new music director Stefan Sanders led the FSO in a series of concerts that celebrated and explored the geography, history and culture of the Carolinas.

“Our final program is not to be missed,” Sanderssaid. “Aaron Copland’s ‘Appalachian Spring’ performed live is an unforgettable experience. The piece encapsulates in music what it means to be American and is perhaps the single greatest piece of American music ever written.”

While Copland’s composition is the centerpiece of the concert, many other works that evoke springtime and the majesty of the Carolina mountain ranges will also be played. These include two favorites by the renowned romantic Finnish composer Jean Sibelius: “Valse Triste,” which Sanders calls “achingly beautiful,” and the ever-popular “Finlandia.”

Guest soloist Alex Jokippi, Sanders’ previous colleague and principal trumpet of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, will perform a new concerto composed for him by Finnish violinist and composer Jaako Kuusisto.

“2018 also marks the 100th Anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth, and to commemorate this incredible legacy, we will perform his vivacious and lovable overture to ‘Candide,’” Sanders said.

Attendees can also look forward to the announcement of FSO’s 2018-19 season plans. Brochures will be available. Kastner has kept a tight lid on her and Sanders’ ideas, but she did let one big teaser loose: “Star Wars” fans will be pleased with one of the season’s concerts.

For those who couldn’t wait until April 21 or who will not be able to attend the season’s last concert, FSO held a Season Announcement Party downtown at Park View on Tuesday, April 17, from 5-6:30 p.m.

“We think there is something for everyone in next season,” Kastner said. “We have thoroughly enjoyed our Carolina-themed season, especially as a way to help Stefan get to know our community and our state, but we are also excited about next season, which will have variety from start to finish.”

“Appalachian Spring” takes place Saturday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m., at Fayetteville State University’s Seabrook Auditorium. A Pre-Concert Talk will occur at 6:45 p.m., offering audience members the opportunity to learn more about the music they will hear that evening.

To purchase tickets, which range from $11-$26, visit www.fayettevillesymphony.org.

Once upon a time, we Americans trusted our government. We dutifully listened to President Franklin Roosevelt’s fireside chats and took his admonitions about World War II sacrifices to heart. We generally trusted President Eisenhower as well, but then along came Vietnam, and our trust in our government faltered.

Watergate delivered the coup de grace, but as our trust in government waned, our trust in media strengthened. It was media, and specifically Walter Cronkite of CBS who called out American involvement in Vietnam and The Washington Post that exposed the presidential wrongdoing and ended Richard Nixon’s presidency.

Fast forward nearly 50 years, and it seems that no one trusts anyone, or if we do, we trust only people, institutions and media of all stripes whose views and positions align with our own. Many of us watch, listen to and read only the views of our like-minded fellow travelers. Everyone and everything else is “fake.”

In the past, we had local newspapers and broadcasting outlets, national magazines and three major television networks along with PBS. Those organizations strove for objectivity, even though some would say they did not always achieve it. The idea was presenting only the news, not the outlets’ own take on that news.

Today, anyone – you, me and my dog Lily – can have our own voice online for only the time it takes to put our thoughts together. We can and do say most anything we want without the expense of a printing press and paper, a broadcasting license and transmitter, or a cable network. The quandary, of course, is with so many different and competing voices out there, how do we know which ones are accurate, which ones are wrong and which ones are just plain nutty? All of us have limited time to spend on these various voices. It makes sense that we should choose not only wisely, but seeking a diversity of opinion, not just the ones that agree with our own.

Several years ago, a bright young student at Methodist University and I were pleasantly exchanging political views, and I asked him how he got most of his news. I was not surprised when he said, “Fox News,” which I also watch, generally at the gym. I suggested several other news outlets he might want to explore both on television and in print, asking how he could adhere to certain political views and positions without understanding why people who hold other views and positions have chosen theirs. This is America, and we are all entitled to our opinions, but it does not mean that other opinions are therefore fake.

Nevertheless, there is actual fake news. Remember the Hillary Clinton child sex ring run from a Washington pizza parlor and the stories about Melania Trump’s body double? Those stories are real fake news as are thousands, perhaps millions, of others. ProPublica, the investigative journalism website, suggests we approach all news, even the news that appeals to us politically or emotionally, with a good deal of skepticism. Beyond that, look for the source. Established publications and electronic news outlets make mistakes, but they are generally reliable, at least on the facts. Websites you have never heard of are probably marginal for good reason. They often attempt to mirror well-known sites but are just a bit off. Finally, as CNN has been saying for months, calling an apple a banana repeatedly does not make it one. No matter how many times you say something, it does not make it true.

Meanwhile, the young man who was heading to a professional school after Methodist later emailed to say he had learned a few new ideas.

We all have room to do that – and should.

One of Hope Mills’ favorite traditions will be getting a new location this Saturday. Opening Day Ceremony for the town’s youth baseball and softball teams will move from Brower Park to J.P. Riddle Stadium, home of the Fayetteville SwampDogs.

Bruce Armstrong, who heads the Hope Mills Youth Association, said it’s been about 20 years since the town last held opening day at Riddle Stadium.

“We were approached by the SwampDogs leadership and offered the opportunity to do it,’’ he said.

“I know the SwampDogs staff is being generous in their offer to help make the event work. They’re doing a lot to make it a special morning for the players, coaches and their families.’’

While there was certainly a hometown feel to the annual ceremony at cozy Brower Park, Hope Mills town commissioner Jerry Legge said Riddle Stadium offers a lot of obvious advantages over the recreation field.

“It’s the opportunity to have the kids in a bigger facility,’’ Legge said. “It gives the kids the opportunity to have the atmosphere and memory of being in a professional ball stadium.’’

For fans and friends of the various teams, it also means a more spacious parking lot.

As in previous years, each team along with its coaches and sponsors, will be introduced to the crowd. Legge said the town has roughly 50 teams of various ages competing in Dixie Youth Baseball or Dixie Softball.

When the Opening Day Ceremony ends, those teams that don’t have to play immediately afterward will be treated to a tour of the stadium.

Also invited to take part in the ceremony are members of some older teams from the town that will begin their seasons later.

When the Opening Day Ceremony ends, those teams that don’t have to play immediately afterward will be treated to a tour of the stadium.

Games will be played at various locations in Hope Mills the rest of the afternoon and into the evening.

Regardless of where Opening Day is held, Armstrong said it’s a special time.

“It’s the one time you have 500 children, a couple of hundred coaches and a thousand parents and grandparents at one place and one time celebrating youth sports,’’ he said. “Seeing 500 kids on a baseball field is a beautiful sight.’’