After consecutive state runner- up finishes in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3-A dual team tennis tournament, it finally looks like the title might be Terry Sanford’s to win this season.

The Bulldogs began the current season ranked as the No. 1 team in the state according to the North Carolina High School Tennis Coaches Association poll.

The most recent rankings had them tied for the No. 1 spot with fellow Eastern rival Clayton.

The news that Terry Sanford is No. 1 was a bit of a surprise to Bulldog coach Gene Autry, but he knew coming into this season he was probably going to have the most experienced squad he’s fielded since taking over the tennis program from veteran coach Gil Bowman.

“We had seven returnees from last year,’’ Autry said. The only graduation loss was No. 6 singles players Richard King who also saw action in doubles.

Defending state singles champion Henry Lieberman heads the Bulldog lineup at No. 1 singles. The remaining top five, in order, are Nathan Lieberman, Alex Kasari, Andrew Zahran, Dave Sashidhar and Josh Blackman.

Although he’s got an experienced lineup to work with, there’s one thing Autry has no control over that concerns him about this season. “Our conference competition is nothing like it was in the old conference,’’ he said. The Bulldogs left the Cape Fear Valley 3-A, where they faced a stiff test from Union Pines during the year, and found themselves in the revamped Patriot Athletic Conference.

The Bulldogs have steamrolled their league opponents this season, not even having to play doubles in most matches and never losing a set, not to mention not dropping many games along the way.

“It’s hard to keep them motivated with the competition,’’ Autry said. He’s tried to reach out to some of the other stronger tennis programs around the state to schedule matches, but with the full slate of conference games Terry Sanford already has, it’s been difficult.

The best competition Terry Sanford has faced has been in practice. “We do a lot more drill-type practice than we have in the past,’’ Autry said. “We are looking forward to some tougher teams (in the state playoffs).”

One plus Autry said is some of his players do take part in weekend sanctioned tournaments, and that experience is helpful. “They get stiff competition there,’’ he said. “Not all of them do it, so it’s a worry for me to keep them motivated, focused and ready to go.’’

The Lieberman brothers, Henry and Nathan, are aware of the competition concerns and are both doing all they can to make sure Terry Sanford has a solid shot at the state team title this year.

“I think it’s really important we are getting recognized as No. 1 in the state,’’ Henry said. “We have a history of being a pretty good tennis school. It’s something that definitely can’t be overlooked. We just have to keep practicing hard, match in and match out stay focused.’’

Henry said he doesn’t feel pressure as the returning 3-A singles champion. “If anything, I feel like it gives me confidence,’’ he said. “We keep the mood on the team pretty light. I don’t think it’s too big of a deal.’’

His younger brother Nathan said that after two years of heartbreak in the state dual team finals, the Bulldogs are ready for their time as champion.

“We think we can get there again and win it,’’ Nathan said. “That’s what’s keeping us going. We just have to keep on having intensive practice, not mess around too much.’’

Autry said that has worked well so far. “Then again, we haven’t been tested,’’ he said. “We have to wait and see when that time comes.’’

Photos: Henry and Nathan Lieberman

“You’ll be in here and you’ll see a lot of families, strollers, babies, kids,” said Evolution Ink founder Bill Brown, who co-owns and runs the studio with his wife, Betty. Evolution Ink on Cliffdale Road, by design, does not fit the typical mold for a tattoo parlor. Their customer base, the Browns said, includes pastors, soccer moms, lawyers, doctors, school teachers, service members, young people, old people – everybody. This year, the Browns debut the EvolutionInk Tattoo Convention 2018 the weekend of April 13-15 with free admission.

The studio

The Browns, who both come from the business world, describe their approach in running the studio as new-school. Bill founded Evolution Ink in January 2008. He’s got a demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit, having previously worked in Raleigh in the pharmaceutical, landscaping and rental management industries. One of those renters owned a tattoo shop and suggested he and Bill try opening one of their own. Bill agreed, but he knew he wanted to run things differently than he’d seen.

Ten years later, Bill is no longer with his original partner and now runs the business with his wife. “He was a single owner that became a married owner,” Betty said. “That’s how we merged.”

Betty’s background is in life insurance; she was ninth in the nation in Woodmen of the World’s 2000 salesforce.

“We are both salespeople,” Betty said. “And sales people handle things differently than just an ordinary person.”

“We took our business principles we learned in the corporate world and applied them to the tattoo industry,” Bill said.

According to the Browns, that looks like prioritizing customer service above all else. It looks like inviting people in and encouraging artists to adjust to their clients rather than making clients feel intimidated by an industry they might think they don’t fit in to.

“We’ve kind of broadened the type of customers that come into a tattoo shop,” Bill said. “We’re family-oriented, number one, so we invite families in. Kids come in, and they’re usually well-behaved because they’ve not been in a tattoo studio before. We give them fake tattoos, and we give them some gummy bears. … We’re very clean-cut.”

That’s not to say artistic excellence is compromised in the name of wholesome vibes. The studio boasts 18 artists who hail from all over the country and beyond – artists have moved from Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Louisiana and Cuba and Puerto Rico to work at Evolution Ink. After coming to the studio and doing a trial run for a week or two, if it’s a good fit, “we help them move their families here,” Betty said. 

The artists range in experience from 3 years up to about 30 years – most are on the higher end, Bill said. The youngest, David is in his early 20s, and the oldest, Kenny, is around 50 years old.

Earl Noble joined the team last year, a few years after competing on season 6 of SpikeTV’s “Ink Master,” one of the highest honors in the industry. (Editor's note: This article previously incorrectly stated that Noble won season 6 of "Ink Master.") Angelika Graca joined at the same time. She is originally from Poland, has 10 years of experience and favors painterly realistic or illustrative nouveau styles. Shane Standifer, who served as a marine, has been with Evolution Ink for almost 8 years and has 28 years of experience. He’s known for his line work and color. William Kenneth Dickman, who’s worked at Evolution Ink since opening day, specializes in black and grey work, particularly animals. He has 31 years of experience.

Bill said 18 artists all working in one shop has got to be one of the largest in the U.S. “They’re able to really learn among each other; it’s a good environment for them to get better,” he said. “We have topquality artists; they learn from each other, and they all push each other to be better.”

The large range also means it’s easy for a customer to walk in, browse portfolios, chat, and find the right artist for the tattoo they’d like.

“The artists are like our children,” Betty said. “We love them, we protect them. We do everything to help them, and they do everything for us. … We have artists who want to join us, we just don’t have room right now. It’s a hard world in the tattoo industry.”

The studio offers piercings as well, and the Browns said their customers often tell them they were referred to Evolution Ink by their doctors or pediatricians. They use high-quality steel, and their piercers have a combined 25 years of experience.

The convention

The April 13-15 EvolutionInk Tattoo Convention 2018 is going to be like one big community party held right in the studio space, Bill said. There will be two guest Ink Master artists, TJ Hal and Ron Givens, in addition to resident Ink Master Earl Noble and the rest of the staff.

Tattoo conventions and festivals usually charge a minimum entrance fee of $25, with fees averaging $65 for a three-day event like this one. Bill and Betty made this convention’s admission free so entire families could come and get the chance to meet celebrity artists and even get inked by them without breaking the bank just to get in.

“Instead of paying $40 or $50 to get in, (attendees) can take that money and get a tattoo that day,” Betty said.

Everyone who gets a tattoo or piercing will receive $25 off their tattoo or $5 off their piercing plus aftercare. They’ll also walk out with an Evolution Ink T-shirt, fan tag, magnet, window decal and water bottle. Attendees can further knock down expenses by dressing up as a sugar skull for the Friday of the convention, which happens to be the 13th. Anyone who goes all out with a costume and face paint will be gifted a $100 Evolution Ink gift card that can be used at the convention or any other time.

Thursday, April 12, Evolution Ink will offer $13 flash tattoos ($50 is usually the minimum) as a preparty initiative.

Betty noted that many will just want to come in and meet the Ink Masters, and that’s fine, too. “They may not have the money to come and see and be a part of a big tattoo festival,” she said. “This is to give back to the community.”

The Ink Masters will do a meet-and-greet for an hour of each of the three days, and the rest of the time they’ll be inking customers – first come, first served.

Three bands will play live music – Eastline on Friday, the Guy Unger Band on Saturday and River Mist on Sunday. Q98’s “The Jeff Davis Show” will broadcast live from the convention from 2-6 p.m. on Friday. Rock 103 will be there on Saturday, and Q98 will close the fest out on Sunday. Ms. Sarah of Q98 is going to live broadcast herself as she gets a tattoo.

Guests will also get to meet EJ “Skullcrusher” Snyder, Fayetteville’s own three-time champion of Discovery Channel’s “Naked and Afraid.” Babann’s Southern Fried Chicken food truck will be on-site throughout weekend, too.

A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Fort Bragg Fisher House, the Fort Bragg chapter of United Service Organizations of North Carolina, and the Fayetteville Animal Protection Society.

The Browns are excited to mingle with both newcomers and familiar guests.

“I like to know about where you’re from, your children, your family,” Betty said. “When you do that, you take down any barriers that people have.”

Evolution Ink is located at 5924 Cliffdale Rd. Visit www.evolutioninkstudio.com or call 910-323-2243 to learn more.

Greyhound Lines has abandoned its decades-old terminal on Person Street in downtown Fayetteville after deciding to consolidate its service at the new FAST Transit Center.

A wing of the transit center, which will accommodate Greyhound, was left vacant until completion of the main building. The city of Fayetteville is saving about $250,000 by delaying construction of the interior of that wing.

It was not part of the $12,071,138 original building project awarded to Construction Systems, Inc. of Fayetteville.

“Greyhound did not decide to be part of the new center until after the construction contract with CSI was awarded,” said Transit Director Randy Hume. “We attempted to add the Greyhound renovation work to the CSI contract, but their proposal for the change order was too costly.”

The Construction Systems, Inc. proposal was $551,405, and the city decided to seek separate bids.

Greyhound’s decision to lease space at the transit center was worth waiting for. Bids for finishing the Greyhound wing were received in January. A contract was awarded to Hayes, Inc. of Fayetteville for $317,000, representing a savings of $234,405.

Hume said completion of the interior of the wing is underway and should be completed in 90 days.

Greyhound Lines is an intercity bus common carrier serving more than 3,800 destinations across North America. It has been designated six bus bays for the use of its coaches and those of its subsidiaries.

Greyhound won’t begin making its full monthly lease payments until the renovations are finished in mid-June. But the city will still receive the same number of rental payments over the 10-year lease period. Beginning in July, Greyhound will pay the city $5,365 per month for the first five years. The lease payment will go up by 5 percent per year thereafter, Hume said.

Greyhound’s temporary ticket counter is in the main lobby near the Franklin Street main entrance of the transit center. That space will eventually be dedicated to food service. A request for proposals seeks responses from business people who may be interested in operating a small restaurant.

Meetings

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

• Town offices closed for Good Friday March 30.

• Board of Commissioners Monday, April 2, 7 p.m. • Citizens Academy every Tuesday through June, 6-8 p.m.

• Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Monday, April 9, 12:30 p.m.

• Historic Preservation Commission Wednesday, April 11, 5 p.m.

Activities

• Easter Sunrise Service Sunday, April 1, 7 a.m., at the Town Center Gazebo. In case of rain, the service will be held at Hope Mills Recreation Center.

• Food truck rodeo Thursday, April 5, 5 p.m., at 5770 Rockfish Rd.

Promote yourself

Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

Sydney Faircloth

Cape Fear • Basketball •

Senior

Faircloth has a 4.2 grade point average. She was honored multiple times this past basketball season as Cape Fear’s MaxPreps Player of the Game.

Lilly Terwilliger

Cape Fear • Tennis/ Swimming/Soccer •

Sophomore

Terwilliger has a 4.375 grade point average despite a busy athletic schedule of tennis, swimming and soccer.

For Jack Britt junior golfer Spencer Oxendine, his weekly focus isn’t on the matches he’s playing for the Buccaneer golf team in the Sandhills Athletic Conference.

Sure, they’re important. But Oxendine is looking at the long game – and not just his drives.

“I keep looking toward my end goal, which is to be on the PGA Tour and be one of the top players in the world,’’ Oxendine said.

Toward that end, the mental aspect of golf has become as important to him as the physical. He’s spent a lot of time talking with Press McPhaul, his future golf coach at North Carolina State.

“He and I dove into the mind aspect of the golf game,’’ Oxendine said. “He’s got me looking forward, not more of the week-to-week scores, more of a process.’’

He’s also been having sessions with a sports psychologist. “She’s got my mind in the right spot,’’ he said. “I’ve grown a lot.’’

But he hasn’t ignored the physical part of the sport either. He spent more time lifting weights last year, and he’s added some distance off the tee.

“His game is real sharp, his control through the bag, from driver down to the putter,” said Britt golf coach Ray Musselwhite. “It’s a complete game right now. He’s real comfortable with his swing. He’s increased his club-head speed.’’

In the first two regular-season matches in the Sandhills Athletic Conference, Oxendine recorded consecutive rounds of 68 at the Bayonet at Puppy Creek and Gates Four.

Musselwhite said that’s the result of consistent ball striking, controlling the ball and the flow of the round.

That’s not to say everything has been perfect for Oxendine so far. “He stumbled and had a couple of bogeys and holes that gave him trouble,’’ Musselwhite said. “To bounce back from that, to regroup, is showing the level of golf maturity that’s necessary to compete at a high level.’’

As far as the regular season is concerned, Oxendine is likely competing at the highest level he’s ever had to because of the difficulty of the competition.

Realignment of conferences by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association moved Britt into the Sandhills Athletic Conference with Pinecrest, which has won the last three state 4-A team golf championships and had two of the last three individual winners.

“I need to hit fairways and I need to hit greens,’’ Oxendine said. “I can’t shrug it off.’’

At the same time, he continues focusing on the long game. “I don’t really worry about my numbers and where I’m at in the field,’’ he said. “There’s a lot less focus on that, more thinking about my future and what I want to do.’’

One goal Oxendine is looking toward is this year’s state 4-A championship. In last year’s state meet he finished in a three-way tie for ninth at Pinehurst No. 6, shooting 75-73-148. That was 12 shots behind state champion A.J. Beechler of Pinecrest.

This season, he thinks he’s one of five players around the state that will be serious contenders for the title.

“I know all the guys that are going to contend and I think I have a good shot at it,’’ he said. “If I don’t win, it’s not the end of the world.

“But I would love to win it because of the list of guys that have won it. I definitely have a great chance at it.’’

Photo: Spencer Oxendine

Cumulus Media, Inc. and iHeartRadio, the nation’s largest broadcasting groups, have both filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Cumulus, which owns four Fayetteville radio stations, expects all operations, programming and sales to continue as normal, according to a company statement.

“The debt overhang left by years of underperformance remains a significant financial challenge that we must overcome for our operational turnaround to proceed,” Chief Executive Mary Berner said. The company’s bigger rival IHeartMedia Inc. is also struggling to find a solution to a significant debt pile outside of bankruptcy court.

In the fall of 1999, a year after Cumulus was founded, Cape Fear Broadcasting announced the sale of its Fayetteville and Wilmington radio stations to Cumulus Media. Between Jan. 10 and March 17 of the year 2000, a perfect storm of events drove the company’s share price down from $50 to $13 when over 30 million shares traded hands amid persistent rumors of accounting irregularities in the new radio group.

March 17, 2000, Cumulus reported a loss of share expectation. Radio station cash flow was $12.3 million versus estimates of around $17 million. In addition, the company reported that CFO Rick Bonick had left in January. It had not been officially announced, a fact that CNN Money said “roiled the already active rumor mill about accounting irregularities.”

Cumulus also claimed some of its markets did not comply with new company revenue projection policies and booked some advertising contracts for their full value rather than recognizing revenue as advertisers were billed. Those radio station groups countered that Cumulus had done that, not the radio stations.

Soon, class-action lawsuits were filed against Cumulus, charging it had artificially inflated revenues and profits in 1999. PricewaterhouseCoopers, the company’s auditors, resigned in April citing material weaknesses in Cumulus financial controls arising from the possible revenue restatements.

Lewis Dickey Jr. had taken over day-to-day operations. As the dust began to settle in April 2000, the company issued revised annual reports for 1998 and 1999 that showed minor variations in quarterly revenue and adjusted net losses for both years. The restatements had no material impact on the financials, but the nagging rumors of accounting irregularities drove a significant decrease in share price, which threatened the company’s ability to finance new acquisitions.

Dickey took full charge, and two years later the share price recovered to above the IPO price to a short-lived high of $22 on May 31, 2002. Dickey garnered some strong partners in the form of Bain Capital and Crestview. The two helped finance a series of ambitious acquisitions and partnerships, which made Cumulus a significantly larger company. But these acquisitions and Cumulus struggled in the face of slow to no radio ad growth.

Cumulus continued to suffer declines in ratings and revenues, which some attributed to loss of local personalities.

“We had lost our local programing to syndication, which angered our audience,” said former WFNC program director Jim Cooke. Loss of local audience meant a loss in advertisers, Cooke added. WFNC is one of the oldest broadcasters in North Carolina, having signed on in 1941.

Between 1998 and 2013, Cumulus Media spent about $5 billion on radio station acquisitions in mid-sized markets. Cape Fear Broadcasting Company had four radio stations in Fayetteville and two in Wilmington. They were sold to Cumulus for $50 million.

Photo: Cumulus CEO Mary Berner

Riya Amin

Cape Fear •Sophomore •

Swimming/cross country

Amin, despite participating in two sports in different seasons of the year, maintains an impressive 4.5 grade point average at Cape Fear.

Danielle Novak

South View • Sophomore •

Volleyball/softball

Novak has a 3.8 grade point average. She is active in the Student Government Association and Tiger Stripes, a club that partners with special needs classes. She also works with Special Olympics and Buddy Sports.

Jaylen Spellman

South View • Senior •

Football/ indoor and outdoor track

Spellman has a 4.35 grade point average. He is in the Academy of Scholars Club and the National Honor Society. Outside school, he is active in the Young Person Christian League at New Macedonia Freewill Baptist Church.

Steven Butler

South View • Senior •

Football/ track

Butler has a 3.75 grade point average. He is active in the Student Government Association and the school orchestra. He is a youth minister at Evans Metropoitan AME Zion Church and also volunteers at his church feeding the homeless.

The trial period is officially over for girls lacrosse at Terry Sanford. Head coach Jennifer White is ready to move into the realm of chasing a berth in the state playoffs.

“This is our second real year and our third year total,’’ White said of the fledgling program she’s leading for the Bulldogs. “I feel like we are a legit, established program. The first year I had bunch of new girls.

Last year we were playing at, like, the junior varsity level.’’ This year’s team features mostly players who are sophomores and juniors, with some who’ve spent up to three years competing on recreation and travel lacrosse teams, some based in the Triangle where the sport is played at a higher level.

Now that Cape Fear has added a girls team, there are three programs in the county at the high school level. But White said those numbers have to improve, and the best way is to take lacrosse demonstrations to schools that currently don’t offer the sport.

For now, she’s hopeful her Bulldogs can earn a state playoff berth because she feels this year’s team has the talent to make that happen.

Among her best players is sophomore Mattie Davis. In a recent game with Holly Springs, Davis scored eight of Terry Sanford’s nine goals. She’s been playing the sport since she was in the third grade.

Even if other schools aren’t playing lacrosse, Davis thinks it would be helpful for them if they’d just come and watch schools like Terry Sanford play the game.

“The more people we have that have played, the better we’ll be,’’ Davis said. “I play travel lacrosse in Raleigh, and my teammates have been playing together for a very long time. They just have a lot more experienced girls so their programs are just better.’’

Davis said it’s hard to grow the sport when so many people know nothing about it. “Lacrosse is fun,’’ she said.

As for her personal goals this season, Davis said she constantly pushes herself, whether she’s in practice or a game. “I try to be the best one there while working with my team,’’ she said. “I try not to be lazy, even if it is practice.’’

Photo: Terry Sanford girls lacrosse head coach Jennifer White

While the Marksmen have struggled at times on the ice this season, the team has certainly managed to make its mark on the Fayetteville community. The Marksmen have seen success in the stands by providing family-friendly entertainment that has developed a steady and passionate fan base.

Those fans enjoyed multiple theme nights throughout this season, including Star Wars Night; a Pooch Party where spectators could enjoy the game with their dogs; and Pink in the Rink, a breast cancer awareness game. Giving back to the community has been a consistent focus at Marksmen games, and so far, the team has given back over $20,000 to local charities and organizations. The team has also paid tribute to the local military community – which inspired the team’s moniker – twice with Military Appreciation Nights, where active duty military and veterans were offered discounted tickets. Those working in education had the same opportunity with the Marksmen’s recent Teacher Appreciation Night.

This month, the Marksmen wrap up their debut season. If you haven’t been to a game yet, the weekend of March 23 and 24 is a great time to check them out. Tickets to these games are on sale for the lowest price of the season, just $5.

Saturday, March 24, the team will celebrate mascot Marky’s birthday with a party featuring other mascots as well as princesses. Marky bobbleheads will be given to the first 1,500 fans.

The final game of the season takes place Friday, March 30, and it happens to be Fan Appreciation Night. Youth tickets are just $2, and fans can expect other surprises and offers throughout the evening.

Follow the Marksmen on Twitter @Marksmen_Hockey to keep up to date on all the in-game action. Follow the team on Facebook @FayettevilleMarksmen for more great content, including the “Best Moments Bracket”, a spin on March Madness that asks fans to vote for their favorite memories of the season.

Facebook is also a great place to learn about ticket packages, like the Dilly Dilly Deal, a package that includes two Marksmen tickets and two 12-ounce beers for $20. Another popular deal is the Friends and Family 4-Pack, which comes with four tickets along with gift cards to some of the restaurants the team has partnered with, including Carrabba’s, Jersey Mike’s, Zaxby’s and more.

With less than two weeks left in the season, don’t wait to join in on the excitement that happens when the Marksmen play. While the theme nights each offer something different, there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to happen at all of them – fun.

“Two for one!” Fayetteville City Council’s Baseball Committee chairman Jim Arp uses that phrase to demonstrate the value of the new baseball stadium about to get under construction downtown. “For every dollar the city has invested in the stadium, private developers are investing two dollars for nearby projects,” Arp said, adding that many communities hope for returns on investment after the fact. In Fayetteville, it’s a certainty.

“This is a transformational project,” said Robert Van Geons, CEO and president of the Fayetteville/ Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation. “It’s evidence of what we’ve been telling people about Fayetteville.” He said in the year he has been on the job in Cumberland County, “developers and site selectors are now thinking about us as an affordable opportunity.”

PCH Holdings of Durham has already invested $9 million in a bank loan to renovate the former Prince Charles Hotel. There’s no physical evidence of that yet because the company is doing interior work on the eight-story building first. PCH project manager Jordan Jones said that a year and a half ago, North Carolina’s largest banks were not interested in doing business in downtown Fayetteville. They all rejected PCH Holdings’ loan requests. Now, PCH has a host of blue prints for other stadium properties that it has acquired. Those developments will cost $50 million, and Jones hinted other lenders are coming forward now.

Jones said PCH Holdings will soon begin construction of a five-story parking garage adjacent to the train station. Two structures are planned above the garage: a four-story hotel and an eight-story premium office building. It will become Fayetteville’s largest high-rise structure, two floors taller than the Systel Building. In all, PCH Holdings has committed $60 million in projects adjacent to the $33 million minor league stadium.

City council has agreed to advance project contractor Barton- Malow another initial funding allocation of $300,000 for stadium infrastructure work, much of which is underway. The financing model is based on upfront cash funding of $2.2 million from the city and financing of $31.18 million using limited obligation bonds for a period of 20 years at 3.89 percent.

City of Fayetteville Budget Director Tracey Broyles said the city has more than enough capacity to accommodate possible cost overruns, including the significantly increased cost of a parking deck.

The parking garage has been in the city’s financial plan all along. But Deputy City Manager Kristoff Bauer’s initial “rough estimate” of the cost was $7 million. He recently revised his numbers and told council the actual projection is $14.8 million since two buildings will be built atop the structure. Broyles said adjustments can be made to FY 2019 capital improvement projects to meet the higher cost. Possible cost overruns not yet indicated could send the project over $33 million budget. Broyles said the city has the capacity to absorb an additional $3 million in cost overruns should they occur.

Councilman Arp, himself a big baseball fan, said the Houston Astros’ 30-year agreement to keep a minor league team in Fayetteville is another advantage in promoting downtown economic development. He said most major league ballclubs don’t make long-term commitments. The city of Fayetteville agreed to build a topflight stadium only after the Astros executed a 30-year lease with the city. “Houston wants to invest in Fayetteville,” said Dan O’Neill, the Astros business operations manager. With a 30-year lease, “we can plant roots here,” he added.

O’Neill’s thinking is in sync with the city’s hope to make the ballpark a year-round entertainment venue. Houston will manage the property and is responsible for working with the city to see that the stadium is used for other sporting events, concerts and festivals.

O’Neill emphasized that Houston’s most important connection is with the people. He hopes to make a significant investment in youth athletics, noting that sports equipment and ball field upkeep are expensive.

When it comes to growing her business at Hope Mills Plaza Florist, Debbie Jones has a simple philosophy that seems to be working.

“You make one customer happy, then they tell three,’’ she said. “Then those three tell more and it keeps building.’’

That logic helped propel Jones to being the first winner of the new Hope Mills Small Business Award.

“I can’t believe I was chosen to be the first one,’’ Jones said. “It’s an honor and a privilege. The things I do, I do because I want to do them, not because I ask for anything in return.’’

With the help of her son Robby, now 26, Jones has expanded the services offered by her business since she bought it from the previous owner in 1996. She owned her own florist business before moving to North Carolina from Pittsburgh, where she specialized in weddings. But when she took over Plaza Florist and renamed it Hope Mills Plaza Florist, she knew from the beginning she wanted to expand her offerings to the community.

“I expanded all the gift items,’’ she said, noting that when she first opened, there were no Walmart or Dollar Tree stores in Hope Mills. She wanted a variety of gifts from $1 up, so any child could walk in and purchase something for a parent or grandparent.

She developed strong ties to what was then the only high school in Hope Mills, South View, and benefited from the promotional interest shown to her by former South View principal Bob Barnes and former Hope Mills Mayor Eddie Dees.

“I feel they both got me where I’m at,’’ she said, noting that Dees once commented to her that her store reminded him of one of the shops on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill.

Times have changed since the only high schoolrelated gifts in the store were in the orange and black of South View. With the eventual addition of Jack Britt and Gray’s Creek, Jones has expanded her offerings to include those schools. You’ll even find items from nearby Douglas Byrd High School.

Plaza Florist is a favorite destination for local high schools preparing to observe Senior Night.

She carries not only mascot balloons but balloons in the shape of various kinds of athletic balls.

“We’ve even had people from Lumberton coming here because we had volleyball balloons,’’ she said. “A lot of people come here because of the uniqueness of what we do.’’

That includes things like putting names and numbers on the sports balloons, she said. “We try to do everything in school colors,’’ she said.

It doesn’t just stop with balloons. You can find stuffed animals, license plates, bracelets, mugs and T-shirts among other things.

But Jones is also famous for the traditional kinds of things that florists do, but even there she takes it a step further.

Her custom funeral work is some of her best. For one special arrangement, she created a replica of a minion from the “Despicable Me” film franchise. Another special request for a funeral was a horse’s head.

“I love to draw,’’ she said. “I can take anything somebody wants and make it into a floral piece.’’

Jones said she’s willing to deliver her creations to a pretty wide area. She’s taken floral arrangements to Elizabethtown and Dublin, down to Lumberton and north as far as Lillington and Linden.

“I just want to continue doing what I do and keep the customer happy,’’ she said.

For more information on the business, including phone number and hours of operation, visit Jones’ Facebook page at Hope Mills Plaza Florist.

Billy Graham’s death and memorial service brought back memories of a column I wrote about North Carolina’s “Public Intellectuals” 16 years ago. I had noticed a book by Richard A. Posner titled “Public Intellectuals: A Study In Decline.” In his book, Posner listed the country’s top 100 public intellectuals.

Posner’s list made me wonder who should be on a list of North Carolina’s top public intellectuals. The only North Carolinian on the list was the late John Hope Franklin, Duke University’s renowned historian of the African-American experience.

What is a public intellectual? I defined the term as follows: He or she is a living North Carolinian whose ideas and opinions are regularly published or circulated widely throughout the state and whose views have a real impact on the way a significant number of North Carolinians live their lives, understand the world around them, and make choices about how they will be governed and by whom. He or she is someone who is forming public opinion rather than just following it.

In addition to Franklin, there were two obvious choices: the late former University of North Carolina president William Friday and former governor Jim Hunt. Friday was active for numerous public policy causes. He fought against the state lottery, for limiting the role of commercialism in college athletics and for holding down the cost of higher education. Until his death in 2012, Friday stayed in the public eye every week with his UNC-TV program, “North Carolina People.”

Hunt still uses his connection with the Emerging Issues Forum sponsored by North Carolina State University annually to set a public agenda for many North Carolinians. Hunt, like Friday until his death, stays busy every day, giving speeches, talking on the telephone, visiting with editorial writers and stirring pots in the area of public policy.

I thought Billy Graham belonged on the list. Back then, in 2002, he was still active in writing and had not given his last revival sermon. I put Graham on my list because his example of tolerant and common sense approaches to public issues had an important impact on the way people thought. In the days of strict segregation, Graham’s insistence that his events be fully integrated led many Jim Crow southerners to be open to change.

Who are today’s public intellectuals?

In the past, hard-hitting editorial writers at the state’s major daily newspapers used their platforms to influence public life. But in the past few months, the state has lost some of its best voices. Jim Jenkins at the News & Observer, Bob Ashley at the Durham Herald-Sun, Doug Clark and Susan Ladd at the Greensboro News & Record and John Railey at the Winston-Salem Journal have departed.

Sadly, many newspapers can no longer afford to fund vigorous opinion pages. Editorial writers whose work does not bring clicks to the big newspapers’ web pages are at risk these days. But columns and public reporting from smart writers like Colin Campbell, Mike Walden, John Hood, Tom Campbell and, until the end of last year, Chris Fitzsimon, along with others who share their views with newspapers across the state and through blogs, could be considered public intellectuals.

The University of North Carolina System president Margaret Spellings’ informed communications about the need for higher education to be affordable, relevant and widely available would make her welcomed by Friday as a fellow public intellectual.

The passionate, informed and opinion-changing messaging about our responsibilities for the poor from the Rev. William Barber and UNC-Chapel Hill law professor Gene Nichol make them public intellectuals in my book.

Who would be on your list of public intellectuals? Let me know why. Write me at nceateries@yahoo.com.

Photo: John Hope Franklin

I have written about it often: Hope Mills is a beautiful, thriving, All-American community filled with possibilities and destined for growth, development and economic success. Its population, at over 16,000, has nearly tripled over the last two decades, and by the look of things, the town will continue to enjoy consistent, healthy and moderate growth throughout the next decade and beyond. Hope Mills maintains a charm and small-town feeling that continues to draw newcomers.

Its rich history and idyllic lake make Hope Mills a place people want to move to raise their families and pursue the American Dream. Good schools, economic opportunities and friendly people continue to pull new residents to settle in the town.

Under the guidance and leadership of Mayor Jackie Warner, the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners have a perfect balance of history, tradition, tenacity, intelligence and vision to embrace progress and opportunity and to assure Hope Mills’ future.

If the town of Hope Mills were a company whose stock traded on Wall Street, a well-informed trader might advise a client to examine and evaluate the talent, experience and capabilities of its management team and staff to establish the company’s worth and potential.

Hope Mills would be hot stock because this is where Hope Mills Town Manager Melissa Adams excels. Her common sense, dedication and leadership skills are only surpassed by her organizational abilities, making her a respected leader to the many town employees and department heads that report to her.

Adams and Warner are the near perfect municipal dynamic duo who, together, will successfully take Hope Mills into the future with confidence and solid leadership that will benefit the town for generations to come.

Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper will be there in support.

So, now that all the hubba-hubba controversy is over about the town partnering with Up & Coming Weekly to create its own community media voice, I would like to personally say “thank you” to all the residents and businesses who supported us and the Hope Mills Initiative. They took the time to understand and embrace the real purpose of the program and the long-term objectives and vision of the project.

It was never about the money. It was about creating a media vehicle that reflected a positive voice and image for the town of Hope Mills. Up & Coming Weekly committed to share its 23-year-old reputation, mission and mandates with the town to tell the Hope Mills story – not just to the 16,000 plus residents of Hope Mills but to all of Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Cumberland County.

The $28,000 cost was just a convenient diversion and easy distraction from the real underlying fear of media competition and losing control of the narrative. The Hope Mills Initiative was conceived when the perception was at its highest that The Fayetteville Observer’s Sandspur had pretty much deserted Hope Mills. Well, not anymore. Our media commitment to the town has now rejuvenated The Sandspur.

It’s hard not to notice how much attention Hope Mills is now getting from The Fayetteville Observer since the Hope Mills Commissioners’ decision not to renew Up & Coming Weekly’s partnership. There has been a plethora of Hope Mills profiles, stories, editorials, articles and even a front page “above the fold” feature. They even hosted a meet-and-greet social to solidify their new promise and commitment of more news and editorials for the town.

To this, we say “Great!” and “Mission accomplished.” This is the type of attention and respect Hope Mills should have been getting all along. We hope it continues. Competition is a good thing. Without it, mediocrity becomes the standard. As a newspaper publisher, I’ve always been adamant that there is no exclusivity in media. That’s why it’s called the free press. No individual has the right to own or control a single voice or opinion. This also holds true for electronic communications and social media. Beware of anyone (person, organization or business) who attempts to restrict, censor, silence or influence your free speech or thought processes through intimidation. For they are attempting to control the narrative.

Here is the good news. Up & Coming Weekly is not going away. Hope Mills is in Cumberland County, and we intend to continue to be a positive voice. Now, Hope Mills residents will have more town news and information to share. Not only will we keep them informed on local issues, we will be their conduit for other wonderful and exciting things taking place in Cumberland County. We will make a difference.

The most recurring issue and concern presented to me regarding discontinuing the Hope Mills Initiative was about the low voter turnout during Hope Mills elections. Believe me, you will see this change dramatically over the years. Why? Because the residents will know what’s going on in the town. They will be better informed by having consistent and reliable access to information about the candidates and important issues affecting them and their families. You will also see new, younger and enthusiastic residents stepping up to participate and be involved with Hope Mills just for the betterment of the town, thus assuring their future.

Hope Mills, North Carolina, is the mouse that roared! And we hear you loud and clear. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Bravo to Cape Fear Regional Theatre for putting together such an experience for local audiences. The story is thought-provoking, the new seating arrangement is engaging, the direction is commendable, and the cast is one of the best I’ve seen.

The story is heavy, to be sure. Talking about politics, religion and racism might turn some theater-goers off. But don’t miss this opportunity to see CFRT doing what it does best – honoring art with a quality production, even if it might make some viewers a bit uncomfortable.

Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize winning play “Disgraced” is full of the kind of drama that will keep you glued to your seat. For some, I suspect, it is shocking. For others, it might hit a little close to home and encourage us to reflect on how we treat or engage with those who are different from ourselves, those who fall into another category – white, black, Jewish, Muslim.

What I enjoyed so much about the story itself is that each category is equally misunderstood and abused. Because that is how it is in real life. No one, no matter what your label, escapes the pre-conceived notions of others.

The overarching theme of the play deals with how the topic of radical Islam affects public discourse on our differences in race and creed. But the real gem is to see how that discourse can affect individuals.

Director Dani Keil accomplishes this by bringing together an amazing cast and crew. Keil’s focus is on honoring the story itself. There are no flashy costumes. The set and props are minimal. The lighting and music skillfully mimic the emotions of the characters.

The new seating configuration, developed for this production, seats the audience on three sides of the stage. This intimate arrangement draws the audience into the lives of the characters.

The character of Amir, played by Raji Ahsan, is a lawyer working for a Jewish firm in New York. When his nephew, Abe, played by Darius Shafa, gets him involved with an Islamic imam accused of terrorism, his life starts to unravel. Amir’s wife, Emily (Lauren Mae Shafer), is an artist whose work is based on Islamic imagery. Isaac (Seth Shelden) is a Jewish curator helping Emily. Isaac’s wife, Jory (Alason Little), an African-American woman, is a colleague at Amir’s firm.

Over dinner, the two couples exchange thoughts on careers, faith and politics. Secrets are revealed that leave some lives in shambles. We see how even well-meaning people have preconceived ideas of others. We also see that some struggle with their own self-identity.

It is a lot to consume in 90 minutes.

The cast superbly carries this weighty story from start to finish. They each bring much passion and energy to their beautifully complicated roles.

They are all, at one point or another in the play, disgraceful representatives of the human race. And that is what makes them so interesting. They are lying, cheating, duplicitous, abusive – and that’s before we even get to politics and religion.

Amir tries to leave his culture behind to chase the American dream. But we see that by never reconciling with it, he becomes consumed with self-loathing. Ahsan does a remarkable job gliding back and forth between his character’s self-identified apostate views of Islam and what others view as inexplicable pride in what has been done in the name of Islam.

In the showing I attended, the audience collectively gasped at two points in the play – once at the use of the N-word and once when Ahsan’s character expresses a kind of pride for the attacks on 9/11. I felt both were beautiful moments in storytelling as they expressed the connection between the audience, the story and the actors. It seems to me the point of the play – that we sometimes let words affect us so much that we often refuse to engage in dialogue to discover the meaning behind those words or ideas.

“Disgraced” runs through March 25 with limited seating based on the new stage configuration. The play is rated R due to its language and violence. There are discounts for military, seniors and students. For tickets or more information on special events, contact CFRT at 910-323-4233 or visit www.cfrt.org.

Dear Up & Coming Weekly,

I am beside myself that you decided to run in your March 7-13, 2018 issue one of the most logic flawed articles I have ever read in your weekly. “The Second Amendment was written for muskets.” Are you serious? First of all, it was not written “for” muskets.” I could write an entire thesis on that logical error alone … moving on.

Second, it’s irrelevant that the musket was the predominant rifle used at that time. If our founding fathers (and the British) had used swords instead, the Second Amendment still would still say “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

The weapon is irrelevant. It’s the purpose of why we bear arms. The British had muskets too! It was our founders’ intent that the people bear arms that are capable of matching the soldiers who would be sent to suppress the people. Today’s soldiers carry M4s. And today the people carry the civilian version.

The Founding Fathers also used a quill pen, iron gall ink and parchment to write the constitution … they never envisioned lap top computers and the internet … should we limit written free speech to only communication written using the same means? Surely by your logic the First Amendment was written for quill pens, iron gall ink and parchment.

Explain to me how Yemen having a higher rate of mass shootings among nations “with a population more than 10 million people” and the second highest rate of gun ownership call into question the saying that “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” (Nice of you to selectively narrow your qualifications to suit your example.) Using your logic … if I misspell a word, it’s the fault of the tool I used to write the word … not mine. And the U.S. has the highest rate of ownership of computers with spell check! How can this happen?!

Next, you quote 133 mass shootings in some un-named “study” for some un-stated time frame. Nice. Whatever … let’s go with 133, it doesn’t matter. You compare the U.S. with a population of 326,056,457 million to a country that had two mass shootings with a tiny population of 5,523,231. So you’re comparing a tiny country in which approximately 12 percent of the population owns a gun (Wikipedia) to a massive country in which approximately 42 percent own guns (Statista.com). Using your comparative logic we had 73 less shootings per percent of gun owner population. So are you trying to say we are safer here? Thanks, I feel better already.

Lastly, if you really want to stop the killing… there are nearly 1.3 million people killed in road accidents yearly! (ASIRT.com) That is 3,287 deaths per day! Where is your outrage? And driving isn’t even a Constitutional right … it is a privilege. If you cared about the children … here is low hanging fruit that isn’t even protected by the Constitution... and GO!

Respectfully,

Cris Dresch

Dear Editor,

I can count on one hand how many responses or comments I have written over the years in rebuttal to an article in the Up&Coming Weekly. However, I am compelled to write this in response to Karl Merritt’s recent article regarding, “Rap at the Dogwood Festival?”

Two things come to mind for me. One is that the role of a mentor is to inform, guide and provide information their mentee needs to maneuver in this society successfully. Therefore, if Mr. Merritt’s mentee is fortunate he will not be so strongly and staunchly biased against rap music and perhaps give some background and discernment involving rap music. Rap music, like jazz, like the blues, like country music, has a history. To negate a genre of music across the board when it is still very much in existence and probably listened to by those of the age range of his protege presents a biased and unrealistic viewpoint and opinion. Rather, guide the young person of the rap music which is appropriate, which gives a positive message instead of one which encourages what we know to be nonproductive except for the rapper.

There is rap in gospel music. How can it all be bad? It is funny that Karl Merritt is taking credit for the Dogwood Festival’s inclusion of rap this year and then bemoaning them adding rap music. Presenting one of the raunchiest lines from one of Coolio’s raps as proof further presents a skewed view. 

Not all of Coolio’s music has that theme or those words included. Now we scare people already about Coolio and dissuade them from even being present before downtown is even prepared or perhaps he has even been paid for this year’s Dogwood Festival. What is the personal schism? If in fact, he is responsible then the lesson for him and his mentee is be careful what you complain (about), suggest or inspire.

Surely, as long as the Dogwood Festival has been running the Festival they hopefully did not simply put out a call for any rapper to represent their first time presenting rap music as an option during the Festival. We can hope that they at least have listened to and have some knowledge of Coolio and have informed him the festival is family friendly.

Surely, this is a first time and the experiment of presenting an alternative music offering should at least be tried.

(I’m) very tired of people not wanting to alter or change anything in Fayetteville except what is important to them. I don’t enjoy baseball, but okay, there is going to be a field and a team. Perhaps the choice of selecting Coolio might not be appropriate for the audience which will attend the Festival. How will we ever know unless they give it a try?

I remember being one of the first poets to participate during one year at the Dogwood Festival. I was under the Children’s tent that year. Although I was not asked back even though there was interest in children between the ages of babies to teenagers, who stopped at my table that year and created poems, they did not have it as an ongoing annual activity. It was at least tried and that is all which is being done this year with the inclusion of rap.

Even if Mr. Merritt’s protege does not know or listen to any rap music now, at some point unless she is going to be breathing and living in a makeshift bubble, she will be exposed to rap music. As a result, if nothing else if by chance she attends, Mr. Merritt if accompanying her can use it as a teachable moment and not a strong source for his condemnation for a genre of music being offered which he admits he was the one who encouraged it being included.

Sincerely,

Ms. Aissatou Sunjata, M.L.I.S./M.L.S.

Dear Editor,

I appreciate that readers often give feedback regarding my columns that appear in Up & Coming Weekly and are also distributed by e-newsletter. As I would expect, given my conservative views, feedback from most black readers reflects strong disagreement with what I write. Sometimes feedback from this group is rather harsh. (Yes, there are some white readers who express strong objections to my thinking.) In view of me being black, but not thinking as some would expect given my blackness, there are times when I feel alone in this struggle to have my thinking heard and seriously considered. I got a reminder today that I am not alone in my thinking regarding many issues of our time. I ran across a video by Candace Owens. What she says in the video, and her clear commitment to speak up in the face of opposition, provided encouragement for me to keep standing. You may watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mK8H9qGKkMI

Karl Merritt

Photo: Coolio

Watching teenagers on television peacefully protesting gun violence in schools and demanding school safety across our nation struck me as especially poignant and tremendously sad. In nearly two decades of formal education, I worried about teachers, grades, bullies, peer pressure and probably other issues I no longer remember. Not once in all those years did I ever worry about someone coming into my school or classroom to shoot my fellow students, my teachers or me.

That hideous possibility simply never occurred to me nor did anyone else suggest such a thing since Americans had not heard of or experienced such horror. It is profoundly shocking that today’s students fear for their physical safety in their schools. They have not only heard of such violence, thousands have experienced it and are taking to the streets and airwaves to express those fears and concerns.

The students are rightfully afraid for themselves and their friends, and teachers and are trying to effect social and political change, as is the right of every American. We do not know if or how their activism may affect American life and law nor how their newly found activism may affect them. Research shows benefits to being active in support of one’s beliefs.

Lisa Damour, a psychologist who has researched and written about girls, says civic engagement is good for young people. Damour recently discussed findings of contemporary research with CBS News, asserting that young people who participate in activism achieve higher levels of both education and income than those who do not. This is true no matter what their early grades may have been or their parents’ education levels, two markers that are often predictors of student achievement and earnings as adults. Activist students also have lower rates of depression than other students.

Damour stresses that research has not found exactly why students engaged in activism are higher achievers than less engaged students, but it may be because activism helps them develop social skills to carry them forward and plugs them into social networks they would not have encountered without their activist work. Such activities may also help young people see their own capabilities, helping them gain self-confidence and trust in their own opinions and strengths.

Activism at any age allows us to see future possibilities and to believe that we may have a hand in shaping a better world for ourselves and others. It confirms for us that the world is bigger than just our own small spheres and lets us know that we can affect the greater social good. Adolescence and young adulthood, at least in America, are notorious selfcentered periods of life – times when we concentrate on ourselves, our friends, our concerns, our cell phones. Social and political activism connects us to people we might never know in any other context and broadens our understanding of the world around us.

Oddly, at least to me, student activism is also associated with risk-taking behavior, including sedentary lifestyles, smoking and drinking. Again, research has yet to reveal why, but social and political change is a long, slow and deeply frustrating journey as people of all ages and all causes have found throughout history.

Students demanding safer schools may or may not see progress, which can come only through adult policy makers. They are, however, learning about themselves and about the ways of the world both fair and unfair, both of which will strengthen them as they move into adulthood and maturity.

Presiding over the indoor seating area is a plaque that simply reads: Worship in the House of Swine. There’s a 1930s edition of The Fayetteville Observer hanging not too far away. The people chopping up the fresh meat are all part of one local and close-knit family. This is Fowler’s, and it’s a bit like walking into a polished-up pig-pickin’.

It all begins with the family’s patriarch, Wade Fowler, and his food truck the Blind Pig. The Blind Pig, which has been in operation since April of last year, is notorious for providing Southern-style barbeque fare on wheels. Pulled pork sandwiches. Ribs. Smoked chicken. Traditional sides like cole slaw and potato salad.

But all the Fowlers seem to agree that they always envisioned opening their own brick-and-mortar restaurant together one day. And Feb. 28 was that day.

The other partners of the business include Wade’s sons David and Will, David’s wife Polly and their friend Jeff Warfield.

According to David, since the new restaurant’s opening, there has been a steady stream of patronage. Currently, Fowler’s is only open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch, but they hope to expand with a dinner menu in the near future.

“It’s a menu that has a lot of flexibility. We can do what we want with it,” said David Fowler. “But I think we also do the best traditional barbeque that you’ll get in Fayetteville.” David has an extensive background in the wine industry as a sommelier. He and his wife Polly came back to the town he grew up in to help his father open their dream business.

“The common thing for everything we do is we always want to cook something that we would want to eat. I want to serve the best product I can at the most reasonable price,” said David. “I also want to bring a different wine list to the restaurant scene here than what the rest of Fayetteville uses.”

The Fowlers pride themselves on the fact that all their food is local and fresh. The meat is straight from Heritage Farms in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

Menu items include the standard barbeque dishes that the Fowlers still serve from their food truck. But they also offer some fusion cuisine such as the Angry Hawaiian dish – grilled pineapple with your choice of meat, housemade teriyaki sauce and pickled jalapenos – or the Q-ritto – a choice of meat burrito with house avocado cream and spicy slaw.

Polly said this has everything to do with showing the public that they like to experiment with their food as well.

But it’s the close ties to the city of Fayetteville that set this restaurant, this family, apart from the rest.

Wade Fowler and his children grew up in Fayetteville. Wade was in the first graduating class of Terry Sanford High School. He was an elected city councilman for years.

Not only do the Fowlers cater throughout the area, but they give back to Fayetteville as well. On the day of their interview, they were busy preparing for an event at the Coliseum that benefits the Partnership for Children of Cumberland County.

“We’re proud of being from Fayetteville. This is definitely home for us,” said David. “As far as restaurants in Fayetteville, we’re one of the only ones that do everything from scratch. That’s really what our style of cooking is: home-style, from scratch. No freezer. No microwave. No nothing. So you’re going to find something on (the menu) that you like, and that’s our goal.”

Fowler’s is located on 723 W. Rowan St. For additional information, contact the restaurant at 910-491-5721.

An audit by TRP CPAs of Fayetteville has found no indication of double billing or a pattern of systematic overbilling by the Fayetteville Public Works Commission. TRP was asked in January by PWC to conduct an audit of AIT billing after AIT’s chairman, Clarence Briggs, publicly accused PWC of double billing AIT. “The Commission was confident that the TRP audit of the AIT billing would confirm fair billing for this account,” said PWC Commission Chairman Wade Fowler. “We believe that TRP’s report validates that PWC’s information was accurate and the AIT claims were unfounded.”

Briggs disagrees, claiming that TRP “is not qualified to conduct utility auditing.” AIT had a unique electricity metering system that was requested by the company in 2000. Because of the arrangement, AIT’s bills were prepared manually. Monthly metering and billing data was collected and calculated for the 10-year period from January 2007 to November 2017, PWC said in a statement.

TRP found several minor clerical errors that had been previously disclosed and credited to AIT. The errors occurred over 100 months of billing and totaled less than $150. TRP certified public accountant Jason Poole found there was no double billing or overbilling. Briggs explained that the unique metering system he once used included electric meters on each floor of his three-story building. And, he said, there was a fourth main meter. He claims that until it was brought to PWC’s attention, all four meter readings were added up together when actually the total of the three separate meters should have equaled the total of the main meter. 

Briggs said as evidence of over billing, AIT’s daily electricity usage has declined from 6,000 to 3,000 kilowatt hours. Briggs has engaged an audit of his own.

“I believe it is important to... address AIT’s public claims, including one that an independent auditor could not conduct an unbiased investigation,” PWC general manager David Trego said. “This has no merit because a certified public accountant takes an oath to disclose the truth and can lose their license if they do not,” he added.

Trego explained that as a public authority, PWC answers to the U.S. Department of Energy and that customers interested in PWC’s annual reports will be provided a link to them.

City Attorney cites state law in dispute with mayor

Rarely, if ever, in her 17 years has Fayetteville City Attorney Karen McDonald had her understanding of municipal law questioned.

Earlier this month, freshman Mayor Mitch Colvin convinced city council, during an open meeting, that McDonald had not followed proper procedure when awarding contracts to Fayetteville lawyers Billy Richardson and Terry Hutchens. Both attorneys had volunteered to represent the city at no cost in a nationwide lawsuit against opioid distributors.

McDonald cited to Up & Coming Weekly that UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government guidelines for cities states contracts for professional services, such as those with consultants, attorneys and auditors, fall outside the scope of competitive bidding statutes.

Colvin “convinced city council to rescind a lawfully executed contract,” Richardson said in an opinion piece in last week’s Up & Coming Weekly.

Old Street trash barrels gone

It’s been three months since downtown business owners and the city of Fayetteville got rid of the dozen or so garbage cans behind the Blue Moon Café. The trash cans obstructed sidewalk pedestrian traffic in violation of two city ordinances for years. They remained on the sidewalk because “there was no apparent, viable solution to the problem,” said Sam Dubose, general manager of the Cool Spring Downtown District.

Officials identified the Arts Council across Hay Street as the best place to install a couple dumpsters. The city had a so-called trash corral built at a corner of the Arts Council’s rear parking lot, and CSDD contracted with Waste Management for the installation of two dumpsters.

“CSDD had assumed responsibility for the dumpsters,” said Dubose. Now business owners walk across the street, roll the garbage carts around the corner, fill them up, and roll them back to the dumpster site. It took officials a year to figure it all out, but now the roll out carts no longer clutter Old Street.

PWC adopts new electric rates

Fayetteville’s hometown utility buys most of the electricity it distributes from Duke Energy. And now, increased costs of doing business with Duke are partially to blame for a PWC residential rate hike. PWC electricity costs for the next two years will cover Duke increases over which Public Works has little authority.

“Ninety percent of the increase … goes directly to our power supply costs from Duke, and those costs are projected to increase nearly $10 million in the next four years,” said PWC Chairman Wade Fowler. PWC had to add a coal ash fee to customer bills because the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission allows Duke to recover the cost of cleaning up the multi-billion-dollar environmental disaster it caused when coal ash was dumped into the Dan River.

PWC’s portion of Duke Energy’s $2 billion cleanup expense is estimated to be $60-$70 million. PWC is using reserve accounts to pay most of the money needed along with a $2 monthly charge for PWC residential customers, which will be collected through 2024.

“PWC strives to provide safe and reliable services and maintain reasonable, competitive rates,” said PWC CEO and general manager David Trego. The new rates and the coal ash fee will begin May 1, 2018.

Meetings

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

• Veterans Committee Thursday, March 22, at 7 p.m.

• Public Meeting No. 3 Monday, March 26, 6-8 p.m., at Hope Mills Parks and Rec. The purpose of this meeting is to present transportation planning recommendations and to solicit public questions and feedback. To learn more, visit HopeMillsPlan.org.

• Parks and Rec Committee Monday, March 26, at 6:30 p.m.

• Appearance Committee Tuesday, March 27, at 7 p.m.

• Town offices closed for Good Friday March 30.

Activities at Hope Mills Parks and Recreation: 5770 Rockfish Rd.

• Easter in Hope Mills Saturday, March 24, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Breakfast with the Bunny: 8:30-11 a.m. Enjoy a tasty breakfast and get your picture taken with the Easter Bunny. Easter Egg Hunt: 11:15 a.m.-noon (broken into time slots for age groups). Hunt takes place in Municipal Park. Easter Crafts: noon.

Tickets cost $6 per person and must be purchased in advance.Contact the Rec Center at 910-426-4109 for more information.

Promote yourself

Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com

There’s far more to being an elected official in the town of Hope Mills than kissing babies and showing up for the occasional meeting.

Residents of the town can get a first-hand taste of what governing is all about by attending the Citizens Academy training sessions the town offers to become a Hope Mills Ambassador. It’s especially beneficial for anyone with political aspirations or those thinking about serving the town in any number of volunteer capacities.

Deborah Holland, interim town clerk, said the academy was started last April and has been wellreceived. A number of current elected officials have gone through the training, including Mayor Jackie Warner, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell and town commissioners Meg Larson, Jessie Bellflowers and Pat Edwards.

“One of the most amazing things that surprised all of us was how interested our citizens were in how our actual operations run,’’ Holland said. “It gives them a small sampling of what department operations are like and gives them an appreciation of what we do for the town. It helps us get a better insight from the residents’ side of what they need from the town. It’s kind of a win-win.’’

Much of the training is interactive, Holland said. For example, participants get to put together a mock town budget or a mock agenda for a meeting of the board of commissioners. Those attending the class also get a closer look at departments like fire, police, finance and even storm water.

There’s even a session with parks and recreation where people can experience trying out for an athletic team. “No one is required to do that,’’ Holland said. “It’s all in fun.’’

Anyone who has interest in serving on the town’s various volunteer committees is encouraged to go through the academy, Holland said. “The more understanding they have of what it takes to get things done, the better they can take that knowledge and request certain events and projects get done.’’

Both the application for the academy and the current syllabus is available on the town website at www.townofhopemills.com.

The class is limited to 15 applicants, and the next one begins April 3 with classes running weekly on a variety of topics until May 24. Graduation will be held Monday, June 4, at the monthly meeting of the commissioners at town hall.

For further information, visit the website or contact Holland at 910-426-4113.

Photo: Debbie Holland, interim town clerk

Fayetteville’s second annual Ultimate Lip Sync Showdown brings music, fun and frivolity together to raise funds for the Child Advocacy Center. From Michael Jackson to Prince, Tina Turner, Elvis, Bruno Mars and more, guests will enjoy first class entertainment in support of a first-rate cause. The showdown takes place at the Crown Center Ballroom Saturday, March 24.

Julia Adkins is a longtime advocate for the CAC, having chaired the organization’s American Girl Fashion Show fundraiser for several years. “We didn’t know what to expect last year,” said Adkins. Even though it was the first time putting on a lip sync contest, “we had a sold-out crowd and raised more than $40,000 for CAC. It looks like we will have another sold-out crowd.”

With 14 acts competing and additional special entertainment lined up, Adkins is excited about the support the event has received from the community. “We have new special entertainment that will open and close the show for us,” said Adkins. “We have lots of local celebrities representing so many parts of the community – business, law enforcement, education, health care and more.”

Catalina Orrego works at Rainbow Pediatrics. Her group, the P.Y.T.s, is returning to perform a Michael Jackson mashup. “We had a blast last year,” Orrego said. “We have always supported CAC. Last year, the contest was such a big hit, we wanted to do it again. We had six in our group last year, and this year we have nine.”

She said it was not hard coming up with an act. “We went with Michael Jackson because he is so iconic,” she said. “And most people know his music.”

The group is going all-out with afros, bell bottoms and fringed vests for the Jackson 5 classic “I Want You Back.” For the “Beat It” performance, they plan to wear black and white. “For ‘Thriller,’ we will be zombies,” she added. “I danced when I was a little kid, and we have some former cheerleaders in the act, but thankfully this is a lip sync competition and not karaoke.”

While the group looks forward to a night of fun, Orrego noted, “We are excited to support CAC. They are an awesome organization. We hope this raises more than last year and that it sells out this year, too. We are excited to see the other acts, too.”

Last year, police Sgt. Peggy Smith entered the showdown with an all-female group of four under the moniker “Ladies of Law Enforcement.” This year, the group is called LOL + One. “We added a guy this year,” Smith said, explaining the name change.

LOL+One is bringing the ’80s to the stage with Cameo’s “Word Up,” but with a twist. “We have been watching the original video,” said Smith. “We will try to bring a police element to it, too. In his version, it starts with a detective … we end up arresting him.”

Smith will have another important role in the evening as well. “It will be the anniversary of two little girls’ deaths,” said Smith. “Last year at the Lip Sync Battle, we were called out to find two little girls. Once the dad told us where their bodies were, we stayed with them until the Hoke County officials could get there.”

Smith will perform the opening song in memory of those girls.

“When we put on a fundraiser, it is great to have fun, but we want people to know what we are raising money for,” said Adkins. “The exciting part is to see the community come together and raise money and awareness. We are a nonprofit charitable organization. We serve victims of child abuse and their families. Last year we served 696 children, and the numbers continue to rise. We provide a service that is invaluable. When a child comes in after having suffered abuse, the child can come in and tell their story one time, and because it is recorded, they only have to tell their story one time. Prior to the (CAC), they had to tell the story over and over again, and they had to relive it each time.”

The CAC is a safe place for children and families. It’s a place where people who can advocate for them listen to them and show them respect – where they can tell their experiences once and know the people who can help them will hear it. The center brings together people from organizations like the Cumberland County Dept. of Social Service’s Child Protective Services; CC Sheriff’s Office; Fayetteville Police Department; Hope Mills Police Department; Spring Lake Police Department; the medical community via Southern Regional Area Health Education Center, Cape Fear Valley Health Systems and Womack Army Medical Center; CC District Attorney’s Office; Guardian ad Litem; and Rape Crisis Volunteers of CC to work on behalf of victims 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

While working for children and families is a big job, the center is also proactive in offering classes and workshops to educate the community about child abuse awareness and prevention.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. To raise awareness, the CAC sponsors a pinwheel garden. The pinwheel represents a happy, safe and carefree childhood, one that every child deserves. Initiated by Prevent Child Abuse America, more than a million pinwheels have been displayed nationwide since April 2008 when the campaign began.

There will be a Pinwheel Garden ceremony Thursday, March 29, at noon in honor of the 696 children the center helped last year. It takes place at 222 Rowan St. and is free to attend and open to the public. The pinwheels will be on display through the month of April. Purchase your own pinwheel garden kit at www.childadvocacycenter. com/pinwheels-for-prevention-2/.

“The community’s support of Child Abuse Prevention Month has grown each year,” said Faith Boehmer, volunteer and prevention coordinator for the CAC. “We expect that this April there will be more than 10,000 pinwheels on display in Cumberland County,”

The Ultimate Lip Sync Showdown is March 24 at the Crown Center Ballroom. Cocktail hour is at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets cost between $50 and $75 and include hors d’oeuvres and desserts. There will be a cash bar as well. Visit www. crowncomplexnc.com for tickets and information.

You don’t have to attend to participate in the Ultimate Lip Sync Showdown. Visit the CAC website at www.childadvocacycenter.com/event/fayettevillesultimate- showdown/ and vote for your favorite act. It costs $5 per vote or $20 for five votes. Proceeds benefit the CAC.

The last time the restored Hope Mills Lake was restocked with fish, there was a miscommunication between the town and state wildlife officials. The result was the lake was drained after new fish had been put in, causing them to be lost.

Rod MacLean wanted to make sure that mistake wasn’t repeated when the restocking process started for the recently restored lake

MacLean is currently the chairman of the Hope Mills Lake Advisory Committee and has been serving on it for the last four or five years.

A dedicated fly fisherman, MacLean has worked as a volunteer for North Carolina Wildlife for close to 10 years and is active in the Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing program.

MacLean said he spoke with Hope Mills mayor Jackie Warner three years ago and assured her that when the time came to bring fish back into the lake, he would make sure there were no mistakes.

“I told her I would take care of getting them delivered and what types of fish,’’ he said.

MacLean researched the types of fish people used to catch from the lake, and he also consulted with a biologist from the North Carolina Wildlife Commission about what fish would be best to introduce.

Earlier this month, MacLean said 10,000 redear panfish and 10,000 bluegill panfish were put into the lake. At some time in the future, some 1,000 fingerling catfish and another 1,000 fingerling largemouth bass will be added to the population.

MacLean said the small panfish, the bluegills and redears, are introduced first so they can become established. “These are the fish the predators will eat, the largemouth bass and the catfish,’’ he said.

MacLean said it’s likely that the new bass and catfish that will be introduced later are already present in the lake. He said that’s because of what happened in this area when Hurricane Matthew struck.

There was a lot of flooding associated with Matthew, he said, some of it involving Lake Rim, which flooded and overflowed. Those waters wound up in some six ponds at the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center.

“They went into the creek that ends up coming through Hope Mills, down Rockfish Creek and into the Cape Fear River and on to Wilmington,’’ he said. “Some of the fish have been in the creek from Matthew, and some got washed all the way down through Hope Mills.’’

After about three years to allow the fish population in the Hope Mills Lake to stabilize, MacLean said officials from North Carolina Wildlife will do a census of the fish in the lake. “They’ve got a specialized boat that has electrodes coming off it,’’ he said. “They’ll go around to certain areas of the lake and put out an electrical shock that stuns the fish.’’

The fish then float to the surface and are caught with nets, measured and sometimes tagged, he said. A few fish may have to be kept in order to verify their age, but the majority of the fish will be returned to the water.

Until the fish population is stable, MacLean said, the lake will observe a catch and release policy. He said after two or three years, the population should be stable and the fish should reach a size making them worth catching and keeping. “You don’t want to catch 15 sardine-sized fish,’’ he said. “Then we’ll harvest them according to North Carolina wildlife rules.’’

MacLean said the lake is also likely to attract eels from the creeks, but the dam is equipped with an eel ladder that will allow them to escape and head downstream.

MacLean said he’d discussed the idea of putting a special breed of carp in the lake to help keep the vegetation down. This particular carp is a possible choice because it is sexless and can’t reproduce. But he said since in some cases the carp do reproduce and they would be able to escape from the lake and go downstream, it was decided not to introduce them.

“We discussed different species from the knowledge of the biologist and this is what will be best for our particular location,’’ he said. “I’m quite happy with the decision.’’

Jack Britt cleared one hurdle last year on the road to building a competitive boys lacrosse program, but head coach Scott Menoher knows the Buccaneers still have a long way to go before they’ll be chasing state championships.

Last year, the team made its first appearance in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state playoffs. “We established we can build a competitive program,’’ Menoher said. “This year we were excited to see (that) with the conference shifts we were put in with Middle Creek, so we’ve got the defending state champion again.’’

The good news for Menoher is the success the program has already enjoyed has apparently spurred increased interest in the sport. At Britt’s first practice this year, before players from basketball and wrestling joined the workouts, Menoher had about 31 varsity and junior varsity players out.

By the time the wrestlers and basketball players finally arrive, he expects the number to swell to 50 total with a 50-50 split between varsity and junior varsity.

“We want to continue to improve our game and make ourselves more competitive,’’ he said.

One way to do that will be by bringing lacrosse to athletes with no experience playing the sport. A good portion of the Britt team is made up of players who have ties to Fort Bragg and played lacrosse in other parts of the country, mainly the Northeast, before relocating here.

Two of the top players on this year’s team, Matt Swierkowski and Connor Funck, fit that mold. Menoher said Swierkowski is a senior and Britt’s lone team captain this season. “He’s taken a larger role, grown in maturity and become a leader,’’ Menoher said. “He is somebody I see as a guy who is going to be moving the ball down the field, directing the offense and leading the team forward.’’

Funck came to Britt as a sophomore last year with previous lacrosse experience from his days in New York near Syracuse.

“He’s one of those sparkles of talent we see,’’ Menoher said. “He was an attack man last year, but he’ll probably play midfield this year.’’

Swierkowski agreed with Menoher that making the playoffs last season was a big step. “Not many people thought a lot about us before that,’’ he said. “It was good to get a win so more people could recognize us.’’

To grow the sport locally, Swierkowski thinks it’s important to continue to introduce people not familiar with lacrosse to the game.

He thinks bringing it to the middle schools is especially crucial. “They can practice, start shooting, passing, getting into it with friends,’’ he said. “That’s the essential part, starting young.’’

Funck agreed exposure of the game is important. “More kids will want to play it,’’ he said. “There are kids that will want to try it out because it’s something new.’’

Introducing the game early is key, he said, because it’s not the easiest sport in the world to get used to. “When I first started playing lacrosse, it took me awhile to learn how to pass and catch,’’ Funck said. “I would say it took a good six months.’’

Menoher is convinced there’s another reason to keep growing lacrosse locally. He’s thinks it can pay for itself quickly through gate receipts.

“We bring another Friday night sport like football in the spring for people to watch,’’ he said. “It’s a fast, high-scoring sport. Once you get a fan base, you’d be surprised how quickly those stands fill up.

“It is a potential moneymaker.’’

Photos: Jack Britt boys lacrosse head coach Scott Menoher ; Connor Funck (left) and team captain Matt Swierkowski (right)