Time-weathered instruments and age-old songs passed down from one generation to the next, century after century, is a powerful representation of heritage. Translating this kind of heritage for a modern, increasingly global audience is no small task. But the Grammynominated group Celtic Woman has been perfecting this art since its debut in 2005. As part of its upcoming 90-city North American tour, Celtic Woman is performing “Homecoming Live” at the Crown Theatre Thursday, March 15.

The all-female Irish musical ensemble consists of four singers – Mairéad Carlin, Susan McFadden, Éabha McMahon and Tara McNeill – as well as Irish dancers, bagpipers and a full band. The group has created 14 albums and 10 television and DVD specials to date. The albums, even with changing vocalists, have made No. 1 on Billboard’s World Albums chart for 12 consecutive years.

McMahon made her debut with Celtic Woman in 2015 for its 11th album, “Destiny.” But her singing career first began when she recorded an album for a children’s book at just nine years old. After that, she began singing in the traditional Irish style of sean-nós, literally meaning “old style.”

Sean-nós is bare-bones singing in the native Gaelic language. More importantly, as per the Irish oral tradition of passing down history through song, sean-nós puts stock in the emotion and story behind the song.

McMahon went on to win professional singing competitions across Ireland before becoming the youngest member of Anuna – Ireland’s National Choir – at just 15 years old. While still attending school, she toured with Anuna all over the world. After studying human rights at university, McMahon was asked to audition for Celtic Woman.

“What I love about being part of the group is that we can be totally ourselves,” McMahon said. “I grew up singing in Irish, and my dream was to sing in the Irish style. It’s very inspiring to be part of a group that promotes the Irish tradition and gives it a voice all over the world.”

The North American tour embraces everything from traditional Irish, classical, musical theatre and folk music. Blending these genres together, McMahon said, makes “a really unique world music sound.”

She even said this year’s set list is her favorite of Celtic Woman’s. In particular, McMahon sings one of her own idols’ most famous songs: Enya’s “May it Be.” Performing the song “Danny Boy” for Celtic Woman has a deeply emotional significance for McMahon, too.

“The month that I joined the group, my grandad sadly passed away,” she said. “It was his favorite song. Every night when we sing it, I think of him and I know he is watching from the best seat in the house.”

There is a reason Celtic Woman is so internationally renowned, and that is its ability to bridge the gap between old and new. Contemporary Irish songs are performed alongside old tunes that might otherwise have been lost or forgotten. As McMahon said, “It really gives Irish music a new lease of life.

“The show really does have something for everyone. There are moments of laughter and toe tapping but also quiet and emotional moments of calm.”

McMahon is releasing her own music later this year.

See “Celtic Woman: Homecoming Live” at the Crown Theatre Thursday, March 15, at 7 p.m. Visit www.crowncomplexnc.com to purchase tickets or to learn more.

Fayetteville Technical Community College is excited to announce the start of the Surgical First Assistant program starting this summer.

Surgical First Assistants, or SFAs, are surgical “physician extenders.” The Surgical First Assistant program of study allows hospital planning administrators an opportunity to offer a staffing model that emphasizes better use of physician extenders – healthcare professionals credentialed to provide services under the direction of the surgeon.

In the operating room, these physician extenders provide advanced support that scrub techs are unqualified to provide, which helps free up the surgeon’s time to focus on tasks more appropriate for the surgeon’s level of medical training. Ultimately, the use of SFAs will facilitate surgeons’ efforts and promote wise use of their time, leading to better quality of care with fewer resources along with better surgeon satisfaction and better care economics for the hospital.

Recent news reports suggest that the demand for SFAs in the U.S. will continue to grow. The program will provide online didactic studies and a workbased learning clinical experience, which will allow candidates to continue their employment status.

Many healthcare representatives realize the need to address a number of factors in order to provide better care and services in response to surgical patients’ needs. Physician extenders like SFAs will be critical in helping healthcare get to that point. The SFA profession will only grow in volume and importance. The use of SFAs will provide the hospital’s operating room leadership an opportunity to take a closer look at staffing models that will not only help meet patient demand but also increase efficiency and revenue opportunity for their organizations.

Federal statistics project SFA jobs to increase 15 percent from 2014-2024 due to the increasing demand for surgical procedures, especially among the elderly population.

If you enjoy helping others, want to have a fulfilling career in a professional healthcare environment and wish to create a positive difference through your career, email herringt@faytechcc.edu or call 910-678-8358 to learn more about the new Surgical First Assistant program of study at FTCC. You can also visit the campus or visit the school’s website at faytechcc.edu for more details. Registration for Summer 2018 classes begins March 28. First Session Summer classes begin May 29. Students can receive enrollment and registration assistance at the Fayetteville campus, Spring Lake campus, and FTCC’s Center at the Fort Bragg Training and Education Center.

New York Times bestselling author John Hart, who grew up in Salisbury, North Carolina, is not afraid to take risks.

In fact, he seems to thrive on these risks. For instance, he gave up his job as a stockbroker about 15 years ago to complete his first literary thriller. That risk-taking paid off when his book, “The King of Lies,” became a Times bestseller in 2006. Three other successes followed: “Down River” (2007), “The Last Child” (2009) and “Iron House” (2011).

Then Hart risked his string of successes by moving with his wife and two young children from Greensboro to Charlottesville, Virginia. Although the move disrupted his writing program temporarily, it finally led to “Redemption Road” (2016), a critical and commercial success. Quickly following is “The Hush,” being released this month, which shows that Hart is fully back on track.

The risk paid off in another important way. In Charlottesville, Hart became friends with fellow writer John Grisham, who helped Hart launch the new book at a big fundraising event in Raleigh on Friday, Feb. 23.

“The Hush” is another big risk for Hart because it breaks two significant traditions or rules of writing that have guided his prior work.

First, until now, there have been no sequels to his books. Each was independent from the others. They held together as a series only in their common geography. All took place in the real Rowan County or a fictional, but very similar, Raven County.

“The Hush,” however, is a real sequel to “The Last Child” (2009), a book Hart declares to be his favorite of all his prior books.

“The Last Child” featured 13-year-old Johnny Merrimon, whose unrelenting search for his missing sister made him an admired but traumatized hero.

The Johnny that readers meet in “The Hush” is 10 years older, still tough and determined, but now living alone and isolated on a 6,000-acre tract of swampland, which he loves and protects from outsiders.

Hart says that “The Hush” stands on its own but that readers of “The Last Child” will have an enhanced experience. Hart still takes the small risk faced by every sequel writer that new readers may miss some important connective links from the earlier book.

The second and greater risk that Hart takes with the new book involves the swampy land where Johnny lives. Johnny owns the 6,000 acres, but cash-wise, he is broke. His title to the land is being challenged by an African-American family who lived on the land for many years and whose claim is based on a deed from 1853.

Johnny turns to his buddy Jack from “The Last Child” to help. Jack is a new lawyer in a large firm that discourages his connection to Johnny, especially when Johnny is suspected in unexplained deaths on his property.

The land has a troubling history and dangerous powers, inexplicable ones that become core features of the book and its ultimate resolution.

In a word, think “supernatural.”

All of Hart’s prior books have followed strict rules used by many mystery and thriller writers. The deaths and crimes in their books, when solved, have natural explanations and do not rely on the intervention of some spiritual or unreal power.

Hart is betting that the richness of his characters, his compelling storytelling and the story’s supernatural landscape will hold his thriller fans despite breaking his old rules. Taking this risk, he hopes, will expand his appeal and share his storytelling talent with an even wider audience.

The complex and rich stories in “The Hush” and the book’s supernatural but satisfying conclusion suggest that he is on the right track.

Dear Editor,

Great article about our local newspaper. I will become a regular Up & Coming Weekly reader to get my news. Now maybe you need to do an expose’ on Cape Fear Valley Hospital and how they are buying up all our doctors offices. Several people that I come across are going to First Health of Moore County to avoid CFV.

Again, great story.

Best regards,

Lynn Sippel

Dear Editor,

Having worked for a year at the Fayetteville Observer, I really enjoyed reading your article on private equity media and its dismantling of small town newspapers. It’s a travesty. Thank you for bringing it to light!! It is a true shame what has happened to our local journalistic institution, the Fayetteville Observer. In the article “Eulogy of the Fourth Estate” (Up & Coming Weekly February 21) Bill Bowman, Robert Kuttner and Hildy Zenger have done a fantastic job bringing to light how private equity media companies erode and undermine communities when they purchase and dismantle local newspapers. Citizens absolutely need these local, and often long-time and family owned, newspapers to ensure journalistic integrity and to serve as a significant tie to the community. I fear, as media and journalism continues to consistently be ostracized, these large conglomerates will only exacerbate the problem. Local newspapers like Up & Coming Weekly are exceptional assets to our community and provide an amazing service to its citizens.

John Kistler

Regarding Colin Kaepernick

Dear Editor, I truly enjoyed watching Colin Kaepernick throw and run with the football in college. Under coach Chris Ault, that Wolfpack no longer needs to include their Reno location in the school’s name.

Game film from then showed Kaep to be a very respectful student of coach (and eventually) A.D. Ault.

Colin does not represent every NFL player any more than my childhood neighbor Wally Hilgenberg years before. Wally’s story is also interesting and there are articles concerning him and his death. Wally might disagree, if he could, with Colin.

As you state (in the Jan. 31 publishers pen), we all have rights to voice our opinion. Our actions can affect the opinions of others, as Colin now should realize.

Randy Steffens

Cumberland County Commissioners have ordered an engineering study to determine the cost of extending city water to the Gray’s Creek area off NC 87, south of Fayetteville. It’s in keeping with the board of commissioners’ stated determination to make public water available in rural areas of the county. The study will be conducted by Moorman, Kizer & Reitzel, Inc., to estimate the cost of running water lines to residential areas near the Bladen County line. Commissioners took the action without comment based on a recommendation from the board’s finance committee.

Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission has agreed to reimburse the county one-half the $129,000 cost of the study. The move was the first official step toward providing public water to the Gray’s Creek area since tests of about 250 private wells showed elevated levels of GenX. The state began investigating GenX in June of last year after researchers discovered the chemical in the Cape Fear River downstream from the Chemours Fayetteville Works plant. GenX is an unregulated chemical product used by Chemours to make Teflon for cookware. Teflon has been manufactured at the former DuPont plant at the Cumberland/ Bladen County line for 40 years.

Before GenX was introduced a few years ago, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also known as C-8, was used to make the nonstick product. PFOA is a synthetic compound that had been used since the 1940s in industrial quantities. When PFOA was determined to be potentially dangerous to public health, DuPont switched to GenX. It is not regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or any North Carolina public health agency.

In October 2013, DuPont announced that it was planning to spin off its performance chemicals business into a new publicly traded company in July 2015. DuPont announced that the new firm would be called The Chemours Company. Chemours’ stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on the same date. Chemours assumed various liabilities arising from lawsuits against DuPont. While GenX has been linked to cancer in animal studies, Chemours insists there is no evidence it is dangerous to humans.

Some Cumberland County Commissioners are concerned that not everyone in Gray’s Creek will want to pay their share of the cost of water lines because not all private wells are polluted. Gray’s Creek residents defeated a referendum to extend public water to their community in 2011. But given today’s circumstances and the presence of GenX in well water, plus the county’s determination to make city water available in rural areas, the board of commissioners could create a public water and sewer district and tax residents of the district.

Right now, you are probably thinking about the time Galileo got put on trial by the Inquisition. How do I know that? Because you just read the first sentence in this column. If you are one of the other 7.6 billion people in the world who didn’t read that sentence, please proceed to the crossword puzzle. If you are still here, let’s stroll around 17th-century canon law as it was inflicted on Galileo.

It turns out sometimes the prevailing conventional wisdom ain’t so wise. Like Sportin’ Life once sang in “Porgy & Bess,” “The things that you’re liable/ To read in the Bible/ They ain’t necessarily so.” Case in point, ponder the troubles of our old pal Galileo Galilei. Galileo was one of those 17th-century celebrities who were so famous they were known by one name like Cher or O.J. Galileo managed to get tangled up with the Inquisition because he pushed a theory that the Catholic Church didn’t like. Think back into the dusty recesses of your mind about the Inquisition. Go ahead. I have a minute. Take your time. There. Remember it was always best to keep a low profile around the Inquisition as they had ways of making you talk.

So, on we go into the Way Back Machine with Mr. Peabody and his boy Sherman. We are in the year 1633 when Galileo fell into the tender mercies of the Inquisition. In his day, Galileo was a celebrity astronomer like Stephen Hawking or Neil deGrasse Tyson. When Galileo talked, people listened. Conventional 17thcentury scientific wisdom was based on Ptolemy’s theory that the Earth was the center of the universe and that the sun and planets all rotated around the Earth. Ptolemy came up with this theory about 150 A.D. For almost 1,500 years, astronomers believed the Earth was the Beyoncé of the Universe, the center of everything. Ptolemy’s theory also conveniently matched the Bible’s interpretation that the Earth was the center of the universe.

The first major break from Ptolemy’s universe came in 1543 when another hotshot 17th-century astronomer named Copernicus published his theory that the Earth rotated around the sun instead of the other way. Copernicus’ theory was not well received. The proverbial celestial poo hit the fan, and his theory fell into disrepute. Everything chugged along smoothly in the Ptolemy universe until Galileo invented the telescope in 1609. Then it was a bad moon rising for Galileo. Looking through his telescope, he saw planets rotating in a manner that convinced him Copernicus was right.

It turns out new scientific discoveries that challenge conventional scientific and religious beliefs are not always welcomed with open arms – as Galileo was to find out. Being a good scientist and not having access to the internet, Galileo started printing all manner of written materials and books about his theory that the Earth rotated around the sun. Accusations of heresy were flung against Galileo. He found himself summoned by Pope Urban VIII to come to Rome to answer for his sins of believing and saying that what he was seeing was true. Like the Red Queen said in “Alice in Wonderland,” “Sentence first – verdict afterward!” The Inquisition decided he was guilty and then had his trial.

As the Inquisition had some serious and painful penalties including prison and torture that it could impose, Galileo took a plea bargain. He confessed that he had been in error in saying that the Earth rotated around the sun. “Oops, my bad!” saithe The G Man. He was sentenced to prison but allowed to serve house arrest on condition that he would never breathe another word about the Earth rotating around the sun.

Rumor has it that on his way out of the Inquisition’s courtroom, Galileo muttered under his breath, “And yet it moves” referring to the Earth rotating around the sun. Fortunately, the Inquisitors didn’t hear him say that or he might have recanted again while being stretched on the rack.

Galileo’s story has a happy if somewhat delayed ending. Only 359 years after Galileo’s trial, Pope John Paul II declared in 1992 that Galileo was right about the rotation of the Earth. Of course, there is no parallel between Galileo’s story and certain politicians’ resistance to accepting climate change as scientific fact. To quote Mark Twain’s preface to “Huckleberry Finn:” “Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.”

So, what have we learned about astronomy? Probably not much. Oscar Wilde once said, “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” Look at the stars or look in the gutter. The choice is yours. My personal advice to you is to never to take advice.

Cherri Stoute said for much of her life she’s had a camera in her hand doing either photography or film.

Since 2016, she’s had a studio to go with it.

Stoute operates The Studio on Trade Street, a business she found several years ago when she was looking to connect with fellow photographers and filmmakers in the area.

She became a member, and since becoming the owner, she’s kept a lot of the features that the business offered when she first joined.

She offers memberships to photographers who don’t want the headache of setting up their own studio at home or in a business location.

“They have access to the studio 10 to 20 hours a month to do their own sessions,’’ she said. “They don’t have to worry about what goes wrong with the building.’’

The studio offers just about everything a photographer needs to practice the craft. There are strobe lights, continuous lights, cloth and seamless paper backdrops, props and couches.

There’s also a comfortable dressing room for models that includes a makeup dresser. There’s also a bathroom.

“They can do full makeup here,’’ Stoute said. “They just bring their own stuff.’’

Stoute also provides coffee, drinks and snacks.

“It’s a comfortable place to relax,’’ she said.

But there’s more to the studio than just the building.

Behind the studio there’s an open field, and when the weather warms up sufficiently, Stoute said it’s an excellent outdoor location for photographs.

Photographers can also bring the bulk of their equipment to the studio and leave it there. Walking around Hope Mills in the vicinity of the studio, there are a number of attractive brick buildings that provide good backdrops for all sorts of pictures. Now that Hope Mills Lake has been restored, it puts a backdrop with water into play again, too.

Stoute also uses the studio for teaching purposes. Through Fayetteville Technical Community College, she offers a class on fundamentals of digital photography. She also gives instruction on lighting with flash, studio lights and strobes.

For those who have no photography talent, Stoute makes her services available to take pictures.

Her primary subject matter is people, pets and places. She doesn’t do weddings and prefers studio work, but she will visit individual homes to take photos of the family pets.

She also films commercials suitable for airing on television or posting on a website.

“A lot of what I’ve done is for the internet,’’ she said.

There are several ways to contact Stoute if you’re interested in renting studio time or her photography or film work.

Email her at thestudioontradestreet@gmail.com. Visit her on the web at thestudioontradestreet.com. Call her at 910-759-3616.

Photo: Cherri Stoute

Countless people have watched Billy Graham crusades on television or had the opportunity to sit in the audience to hear him preach, but how many people attended a worship service with him?

I did.

It was in the late 1970s when I traveled to the tiny North Carolina mountain town of Montreat. It’s home to a small college and a beautiful retreat of the Presbyterian Church nestled in the hills near Black Mountain.

It’s also the home of Dr. Graham, and the place where he passed away last Wednesday morning at the age of 99.

We were there to attend a conference hosted by Christian Books Unlimited. A feature of the conference was nightly revival-style worship services with a variety of speakers.

One evening as I sat with my parents in Anderson Auditorium, one of the conference spokesmen approached the microphone and said, “We are pleased to have Dr. Billy Graham in attendance with us tonight.’’

Necks craned and heads turned and, sure enough, several pews back behind the last occupied row of congregants was that familiar face and full shock of hair seated alone, watching.

He anticipated what would happen at the end of the service, quietly exiting during the singing of the last hymn and shaking the hand of an usher as he departed the building.

That was my closest brush with the greatest evangelist of our time, but my father, Rev. Earl Vaughan Sr., had an even closer one some years earlier.

He was also in Montreat for a religious conference with some friends and was invited to the home of Dr. L. Nelson Bell.

Bell was the father of Graham’s wife, Ruth Bell Graham. Bell and his wife had served as missionaries to China for years before retiring to Montreat.

While my dad was visiting Bell’s home, Graham happened to show up at the same time.

“He shook hands with all of us, greeted all of us individually,’’ my father said. “He was very cordial, very gracious and kind to us. We got the chance to talk with him briefly.’’

In 1974, while serving a pastorate in Leland, Woodburn Presbyterian Church, dad was invited to serve as a counselor at the Billy Graham Crusade in Norfolk, Virginia. It was the 225th of Graham’s 417 crusades, the last one taking place in New York in 2005.

The atmosphere at the crusade was far different from the one in Bell’s home. Dad didn’t get to interact personally with Graham during the conference. Dad was one of a large number of ministers invited to meet and counsel with people who came up at the end of each crusade meeting when Graham made his call for those attending to accept Jesus Christ as their savior.

“It was very uplifting,’’ my father said of the crusade experience. “We were facing him directly and we could see around the whole auditorium, people in the choir behind Billy singing.’’

There have been evangelists before and since Graham, but none have had the same reach, nor the same impact on so many people over so many generations.

My father thinks there are several reasons for that.

“He was so approachable to start with, so genuine, and he could talk to any person,’’ my father said. “He could make that person feel loved and wanted by Jesus Christ. It was just a really, really spiritually filled atmosphere around him.’’

At the same time, my father said, Dr. Graham never put on airs. “He was appreciative of everything that was done for him and the attention paid to him,’’ dad said. “He was such a really down-to-earth person compared to other television evangelists and others I’ve seen.’’

Possibly that was because of his humble beginnings, working on a dairy farm, honing his preaching skills by standing on a stump and sharing the gospel with the creatures of the woodlands.

“He had humble beginnings and he wasn’t ashamed of that,’’ my father said. “He let that be known, where he came from.

“He was grateful to be God’s servant, wherever God could use him.”

Photo: Billy Graham

Three Cumberland County high school wrestlers brought home state championships this month, and for each, it was a special journey.

Cape Fear’s Dallas Wilson followed the footsteps of his dad and head coach Heath Wilson to become Cape Fear’s first-ever sophomore state champion, winning the 3-A 132-pound championship.

Teammate Michael Vernagallo completed the rare feat of back-to-back perfect seasons and state titles, winning the 3-A 160-pound championship.

Pine Forest’s Daniel Peede finally attained the 4-A 152-pound championship after a painful near miss last season and battles with confidence this season.

Heath Wilson won his state title for Cape Fear in 1990 and spent the last 11 years watching son Dallas work for his chance at a championship.

“He’s probably the biggest part of it,’’ Dallas said of his father. “Every day after practice, he takes me home and we have conversations in the truck. We fantasized about the day I’d win a state title, and it happened.’’

The atmosphere at the titles won by father and son were much different. Heath won his in the confines of the gymnasium at Greensboro’s Grimsley High School. Dallas found himself in the parade of champions before the state finals, inside the cavernous Greensboro Coliseum.

“My butterflies were going crazy,’’ he said. “I got my head right and he told me to relax.’’

Dallas did have to overcome a scare at the state finals when he injured his ankle during the semifinal match and felt it go numb. “It was hurting bad,’’ he said. “I was warming up for the finals and I don’t know how I’m going to wrestle. Adrenalin took care of it and I stuck it out for one more match.’’

He may miss baseball season recovering from his injury, but he plans to hit the summer wrestling circuit to start preparation for next season.

“I do have bigger goals than just the state tournament and state titles,’’ he said.

That doesn’t surprise his father. “He’s looking for the next hill to climb,’’ Heath said. “It’s not a state championship. It’s a national title. After that it will be something else. And I’ll continue to be impressed.’’

Vernagallo continued to impress, too, putting together his second consecutive unbeaten season and second straight state title for the Colts.

“It’s been a goal of mine for a long time,’’ he said.“I’m glad I could get it done.’’

He admitted the pressure of going unbeaten for a second straight year began to get into his head as the season progressed.

“I had to stay focused and know what I did would work,” he said.

Vernagallo has already signed to wrestle for Clarion University in Pennsylvania next season. He plans to redshirt and compete at the 174-pound level the following season.

He chose Clarion because of its wrestling culture. “Wrestling is huge there,’’ he said. “Everyone up there loves it. They even have cheerleaders. I want to work on being stronger, making my technique better and getting ready for the college scene.’’

Getting ready for college was a concern of Pine Forest’s Peede. After losing in the semifinals of last year’s state tournament by a single point, he was anxious to capitalize on his final chance at a state title.

“I had a lot going on with school and college applications,’’ Peede said. “It was definitely a busier time.’’

He had other concerns. Just before the conference tournament, he suffered a back injury. He had to manage pain as he recovered and tried to fight his way back to the state tournament. “This year, the big thing was to get there and win it, taking everything one match at a time,’’ he said.

He didn’t stumble in the semifinals this season, maintaining positive thoughts and pinning his semifinal opponent in just 1 minute, 13 seconds en route to reaching the state finals.

I had to go out there and stick to what I knew and the things that got me there,’’ he said.

He plans to wrestle at the college level, but he’s not sure where. He’s waiting to hear back on an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. If accepted there, he plans to walk on to the wrestling team.

He’s also being recruited by Virginia Military Institute, where they are considering him for a partial scholarship. A four-year ROTC scholarship would cover the rest of his expenses there.

“I want to thank my coaches, teammates and family for the support,’’ he said. “I want to give a big shoutout to coach Charles Daniels. I appreciate all the time and effort he’s put in to me.’’

Photo: Dallas Wilson (left) with dad and coach Heath Wilson (right)

As communities grapple with another school shooting this month, citizens are rallying to demand change. Will more laws make a difference? This week, publisher Bill Bowman yields this space to retired Special Forces soldier Jim Jones. Jones shares his thoughts on ways communities can protect citizens and citizens can protect themselves.

Eighteen minutes of terror was all the time it took for the murderer to kill 17 people at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Feb. 14. The people, politicians and media are crying for an end to school shootings.

This article is not just about guns or mental health. This is about you and your community. While there is no 100 percent solution, there are things we can all do to turn the tide.

We should ask local politicians to make our schools safer. We can do this by making doors more secure, building schools with access controls built in, planning escape routes and conducting training. Schools should have a strong police presence. Take a dog through the schools and tell the students it is a drug- and gunsniffing dog. It can be any dog, but the idea is that you are doing something.

We should learn from the fire prevention efforts that go into our schools. Schools are built to satisfy fire code standards and are inspected, and schools regularly conduct fire drills. The last mass school deaths (10 or more) from fire was in 1958 in Cheektowaga, New York, where 15 students died.

Demand respect for teachers in the classroom. Ideally, teachers should never have to defend against an attack, but they have a traditional role of keeping good order and discipline in schools. Because we have taken corporal punishment out of school, the children often rule the teachers.

In the classroom, teachers should be trained to protect their rooms. The doors should have strong locks, and the teachers should have the ability to quickly and effortlessly barricade the doors. The rooms should have windows that allow students to escape. Teachers should be taught how to use items in their classroom as weapons – just in case they have no other choice but to fight. A fire extinguisher can be brutal to the face and eyes.

Schools need to have experts train staff and administrators so they know what to do during an active shooter event. Most school systems want teachers to lock down the school. A few years back, a friend who was responsible for writing a school’s emergency procedures asked me about this. We discussed escape routes, but the school board’s lawyers objected because of liability concerns and fear of lawsuits. This is insane. Would we tell teachers to keep children in a burning school? What if the Columbine attackers were able to detonate their firebombs, propane tanks and the other 99 explosive devices that were found after they committed suicide? Yes, people could be shot while running out of a building, but it is hard to hit a moving target, and distance is your friend when it comes to beating the odds.

The police must stay current on tactics. Police need to have subject matter experts at each school who can advise other officers when they arrive at the scene.

High school students should not be forced to go to school. Some of the most successful people in the country did not finish high school. If school is not for them, they should be given the right to pursue happiness in some other way. However, if a student is permanently expelled from school for an act of violence, a restraining order should come along with it. It should also be entered into the gun background database and used as a reason to refuse the sale of a weapon. After a reasonable time has passed, the record should be cleared again unless there is another reason to bar that person from purchasing a gun.

No one wants to talk about the effects of violent video games on our children. As video games have become more realistic, it has become hard to tell the difference between the game and reality. Video games effectively train players to kill as many people as possible.

Parents and the gaming industry will argue that this is not so. But look at our military. Pilots spend countless hours in flying simulators before taking off. Twenty-year-old NASCAR driver William Byron (#24) credits playing racing video games for his success as a NASCAR driver because the games are realistic. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are the big three in video technology and have major lobbying groups. Violent videos are a huge market share for these companies. In 2017, the top five videos were all violent. You shouldn’t need the government to tell your kid that violent video games are unhealthy. Just walk into their rooms and take them away.

We should improve our justice system to provide a fair and speedy trial. Florida has the death penalty. There is no reason why it should take more than a few months to bring a person to trial if they are caught committing a crime on video, if they confess or if DNA evidence shows they are guilty. If found guilty and the death penalty is the judgment, it should only take a day or so to have that person put to death and let people move on with their lives.

When I was in grade school and what we now call middle school, we did not have sex education at all since, as far as we knew, no one ever discussed sex, and certainly not schoolteachers. So, my first introduction to that topic came from one of my best friends who was what my mother called “precocious.” Betsy, an alias, was on the cutting edge of everything despite her tender age, but when she informed me about the birds and the bees, I thought it was the most unbelievable story I had ever heard.

Who on earth would want to do that?

Still, Betsy did know a lot about a lot, so I did not discount her information altogether. When my mother eventually got around to “the talk,” I was less interested in what she had to say than in the fact that Betsy got the whole thing pretty much right. This was decades before we heard the word internet or imagined carrying around personal communication devices.

The Betsys of the adolescent set often get things wrong, though, and they are not the most reliable source for sex education. That, of course, is parents, caretakers and other trusted and reliable adults in a young person’s life. For reasons we all understand circling around awkwardness and embarrassment, such open communication does not happen in too many young lives.

That is why the Cumberland County Board of Education’s decision to scrap Get Real, a sex education curriculum with a proven and verified track record, is so distressing. The board bowed to pressure from parents whose agenda is not providing accurate information about human sexuality to adolescents. As Opie Taylor would say, the board has more “xplaining” to do about tossing a nationally vetted program for a locally generated and therefore locally influenced one.

Here is the deal with Get Real.

It is a sex ed curriculum developed by the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and has been in use for 10 years. Fact: no matter what you may think you know about Planned Parenthood, for more than a century its primary mission is and has been health education and reproductive health care for women, men and young people of both genders. Get Real provides medically accurate and ageappropriate information to sixth- to eighth-graders, adolescents just beginning to think about sex and likely with limited access to relevant information.

Get Real’s curriculum fosters parental and caregiver involvement and aims to delay sexual activity among young people. It also emphasizes healthy relationships – what they look like and what they do not, the hazards of peer pressure and the importance of consent. It promotes communication among families and friends, especially between young people and parents and other adults important in their lives. It is not a how-to manual nor does it suggest that sexual activity is appropriate at a young age.

No one thinks for a second that members of the Cumberland County Board of Education want to harm the students in our system in any way. The reality, though, is that young people with emerging sensibilities are hungry for all sorts of information, including and especially about sex. Providing such information in a neutral and tested format that encourages adult input, reduces the stress on both young people and adults and becomes a vehicle for more open communication.

Not providing sex education in such a way threatens to leave young people with incomplete or even inaccurate information; it’s a dangerous way to head into young adulthood in a highly sexualized national culture.

Consider your sex education. Maybe you got it in school. Maybe your parents or another trusted adult did a great job. More likely it came, at least in part, from your own personal Betsy who may or may not have known of which she spoke.

Our Cumberland County Board of Education is responsible for educating our young people in all sorts of ways, including accurate and complete information about human sexuality. This is not a topic to be left to the Betsys, cable television or – heaven forbid! – the internet.

The chairman of Fayetteville City Council’s Baseball Committee says the city’s $33 million stadium price tag could be exceeded. “I haven’t seen the construction costs,” Councilman Jim Arp said following a committee meeting. “$33 million was our best estimate.”

Deputy City Manager Kristoff Bauer echoed Arp’s words, saying, “I never said it would stay within budget.” Bauer is the city’s project manager. Arp said, however, that he does not favor raising taxes to offset potential cost overruns.

Meanwhile, one of the first major subcontracts has been awarded for the downtown construction project. Barton Mallow Co. Project Manager Charlie Lewis told the baseball committee that Briegan Concrete Constructors of Clayton was awarded a $5 million contract to build the stadium’s outer perimeter or concourse. The cement work is scheduled to begin next month.

Another local cold case solved

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest in a cold homicide case dating back 16 years. Isaac McDonald, 42, formerly of Fayetteville, was taken into custody in Fort Smith, Arkansas, according to the sheriff’s office. He is accused in the death of Janet L. Norris, 39, whose body was found in the trunk of her car on April 20, 2002.

McDonald is a registered sex offender in Arkansas. His arrest followed evidence testing that was not available at the time of the murder. The state’s chief medical examiner had listed asphyxiation as the cause of death but could not determine if it was a homicide. The case was not pursued at the time by the district attorney’s office after the late D.A. Ed Grannis determined there was not enough evidence. North Carolina authorities have begun efforts to have McDonald extradited.

Firearms restraining order

North Carolina Rep. Marcia Morey, a Durham Democrat who spent 18 years as a district court judge, wants judges to be able to remove guns from people who exhibit “threatening, erratic or dangerous behavior.” The lawmaker revealed her plan less than a week after Nikolas Cruz, 19, walked into a high school in Florida and opened fire with an assault rifle.

Cruz had been repeatedly identified by federal and local authorities as a troubled teen after people who knew him complained that he could be a threat to himself or others. “This gun restraining order proposal is not a solution to gun violence but can be a step in the right direction to thwart future tragedies,” Morey said. “It provides for people who ‘see something’ to have the power not only to ‘say something’ but ‘do something’ by going to court.”

Her idea is that anyone with firsthand knowledge of someone in possession of a firearm behaving in a threatening manner could petition the court for a gun violence restraining order. If granted, the judge would order law enforcement to temporarily remove any weapons from the individual and schedule a hearing to discuss whether to bar the person from having firearms.

Airborne, all the way

Soldiers on jump status who want to keep drawing the extra pay that goes with it must jump out of a plane at least once every 90 days. That’s been the rule since the 1950s. But extenuating circumstances have often forced soldiers to pay back their $150 jump pay if they miss one of those four yearly jumps. During fiscal year 2016, the Army says 780 soldiers missed required jumps and had to pay back more than $500,000 – up to six months’ worth in some cases, despite completing at least four jumps that year.

But in January, according to the XVIII Airborne Corps, the Army updated the regulation to allow commanders to waive one of those jumps per year without affecting a paratrooper’s pay. “This is a small change that can pay big dividends for our troopers,” XVIII Airborne Corps Command Sgt. Maj. Charles Albertson said.

Contributions for the downtown arts district sought

Cool Spring Downtown District has established a campaign to win donors for the district’s projects. The First Friends campaign was kicked off in late January to ensure the financial stability of the district. Donations to the tax-deductible fund will enable design improvements, enhanced programming and economic vitality in the newly-defined downtown arts and entertainment district.

First Friends donors will be recognized alongside the organization’s founders on a permanent plaque displayed in the downtown district offices.

Contributions of all amounts are welcome. Persons donating $50 or more before April 30 will be designated First Friends. Donations may be delivered or mailed to the Cool Spring Downtown District, 222 Hay St., Fayetteville. Or pay by credit card by calling 910-223-1089.

Local attorney honored

Gardner H. Altman Jr. is Fayetteville’s most recent recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. He received the award in a brief ceremony at Epicenter Church on Fort Bragg Road. The sanctuary was built 40 years ago by Altman’s father, the late Gardner Altman Sr.

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine honor is awarded by the governor to persons who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments. Altman Jr. has served as legal adviser to several North Carolina-based companies and nonprofit organizations since 1971. He is the cofounder of the Hogs & Rags Charity Ride and has been a benefactor for many North Carolina charities and events.

When L. Wayne Smalls retired from the military, he was ready for a change. “I tried to figure out what I could do to help others,” he said. In the end, he decided on teambuilding and motivational speaking. That’s how L. Wayne Smalls & Associates, LLC came to be. Saturday, March 3, at the Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, the community is invited to a book signing that will include an evening of entertainment and inspiration – the L.I.D. Experience. L.I.D. stands for leadership, inspiration and development, and according to Smalls, there will be plenty of all three at the event.

While this is billed as a book signing, Smalls said it’s not going to be like typical book signings: “There will be food, presentations, a vocalist, performances and more. I love being able to help people and inspire them to be greater than what they are and help them see that there is more to life. There is always something we can do to become better.”

L. Wayne Smalls & Associates, LLC is a leadership training company. Smalls is the author of Amazon best-seller “Called to Be a Soldier” and “Leader Lifestylez: Living a Successful Life with Purpose.” He and his cohorts help individuals and organizations improve their overall effectiveness. Smalls specializes in leadership. He is a John Maxwell certified speaker, trainer and coach. Chief administrator is Loyda Smalls. Genise Barber is an author as well and is the group’s inspiration guru. Dr. John L. Godbolt, also an author, specializes in development. The group offers workshops, seminars, empowerment sessions, mastermind groups, keynote and motivational speeches and teambuilding exercises.

“This is a movement I envisioned where we teach people how to be better leaders and how to become leaders,” said Smalls. “We empower, enable and enhance.”

In that spirit, attendees to the L.I.D. Experience will receive free books written by Smalls, Barber and Godbolt. “Everyone will get one book from each author,” said Smalls. “There will be giveaways, food, a band performance, and at the end, we will do the signing of the books. It is not your average book signing. I want people to understand this is not just a book signing event – it is where people come to better themselves and grow together. We all have room to grow. We all have something to offer. And we can’t forget to reach back and help others.”

Smalls added that several local politicians are expected to be in attendance, including local city council members. “Larry Wright will be there to introduce me,” he said.

Tickets cost $40 per person. The event runs from 1-4:30 p.m. and takes place at 100 Hay St. For more information, call 910-566-0236 or visit www.lwaynesmalls.com.

Photo: L. Wayne Small

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

• Public Meeting No. 3 Monday, March 26, 6-8 p.m. Open house begins at 6 p.m., presentation begins at 6:30 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is to present transportation planning recommendations and to solicit public questions and feedback. To learn more, visit www.HopeMillsPlan.org.

• Game room is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Skate park hours through March 31: Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m.

• Oldies music every first and third Friday, 6 p.m., free.

Senior Programs

• Senior programs 55 plus: Various activities for seniors are available Monday through Friday at the recreation center. For specific times and events, go to townofhopemills.com and follow the links to Hope Mills Parks and Recreation.

• St. Paddy’s Bash Friday, March 16, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Community Room. Free. This is a potluck social, so please bring a dish to share. Drinks and entertainment will be provided. Sign up to attend at the front reception desk. Only 100 seats available. Call 910-426-4109 for more information.

• Social Knitting and Crocheting Fridays, 10 a.m.-noon, in the small activity room. Those planning to attend must provide their own supplies and projects.

• Brunch and Bingo originally scheduled this month has been postponed due to a space conflict and will hopefully be moved to March.

Promote yourself

To have your business, organization or event included in this section, email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

Country music fans in the Fayetteville area will soon have a reason to make the trek to the Crown Coliseum as Cole Swindell and the Reason to Drink Tour pull into Cumberland County March 9. The Reason to Drink Tour is part of the 82nd season of Community Concerts – a local organization that brings a variety of music acts through the Fayetteville area. According to Michael Fleishman, one of the Community Concerts organizers, the night will feature performances by Cole Swindell, Lauren Alaina and Chris Janson. “This really is a great bill,” Fleishman said. “We think people are going to enjoy it.”

Swindell is fresh off the fourth annual Down Home Tour, and the Reason to Drink Tour is his first headlining effort. The country music singer/ songwriter has broken industry records as the first solo artist to reach No. 1 on the country music charts with each of his first seven singles. Swindell is no stranger to the big stage, either, as he has performed with some of country’s biggest names including Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and Florida- Georgia Line.

Joining Swindell on his Reason to Drink Tour are special guests Lauren Alaina and Chris Janson. Alaina is best known for her appearance on “American Idol’s” 10th season where she finished second only to Scotty McCreery out of Garner, North Carolina. Her most recent album, “Road Less Traveled,” was selected a Top 40 Country and Americana Album of 2017 by Rolling Stone.

Swindell’s other special guest, Chris Janson, has also experienced his share of country music fame. After writing singles for country mainstays like Tim McGraw, Janson found success when he selfreleased his debut single, “Buy Me a Boat.” Janson went on to sign a major deal with Warner Bros. and released his second album, “Everybody,” in 2017.

The Reason to Drink Tour is a part of the annual Community Concerts lineup. Community Concerts has been a mainstay in the Fayetteville arts scene since its founding in 1935. The nonprofit organization strives to bring “the finest top-notch entertainment to Fayetteville.” According to Fleishman, when Community Concerts looks at booking an act for their concert series, they are not just looking to book a recognizable name. “I look for entertainment value,” he said. “You’ll never see a guy just sitting on a stool playing guitar. You’re going to be entertained. We look for showstoppers, and this show is full of them.”

Community Concerts does much more for the Fayetteville area than book nationally- touring recording artists. Community Concerts is the founder of the Fayetteville Music Hall of Fame and finds a variety of ways to showcase local talent throughout each year. Additionally, according to the organization’s website, it sponsors free concerts for children and deserving seniors. Community Concerts also awards scholarships to local-area high school graduates who plan to study music in college.

Tickets for the Reason to Drink Tour at the Crown Coliseum range from $29.95 to $49.75 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at CapeFearTix.com or by phone at 888-257-6208. Additionally, tickets can be purchased at the Crown Complex Box Office and the Leisure Travel Office located on Fort Bragg. The concert is scheduled for March 9 at 7:30 p.m.

What could possibly say “We are a community” more than rallying behind local heroes? According to the Ladies Auxiliary of Autryville, North Carolina – not much. The group works tirelessly behind the scenes to support the Autryville Fire Department’s needs, including fundraising, when necessary. On Saturday, March 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the group will host its inaugural Autryville Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary Spring Street Fair to raise funds for what might easily be the department’s biggest need to date.

On May 23, 2017, a tornado ripped through the town of Autryville – specifically, the fire station. In one fell swoop, the firefighters lost their building and much of their equipment. Thankfully everyone was safe.

Since that day, the department has operated from a temporary trailer. It’s been almost 10 months of slow progression and disappointment. In December 2017, the department learned an unknown man was intentionally scamming locals by going door to door to ask for donations on behalf of the fire department – only this was not of the Autryville Fire Department’s doing.

Initially, the fire department hoped to be able to celebrate the anniversary of the tornado in its new building. Unfortunately, with the winter weather, construction was delayed several times.

Recently, the department has seen much progress where the new building will stand on Hotel Street. With its new permanent building estimated to cost roughly $800,000 to complete, raising funds has been the main goal for the Ladies Auxiliary. They’ve sprung to action to fill in the gaps that insurance won’t cover. At the turn of the new year, fire Chief Andrew Hawkins reported that between $10,000-$15,000 had been raised by the department so far. Now, they have a goal of being in the new building for the 2018 Christmas holiday.

The Spring Street Fair will be a family-friendly event with free admission. Local independent companies, such as Limelight Makeup, Norwex household products, Stella and Dot jewelry, Thirty-One Gifts and more will be on hand to share their latest collections with the community. In fact, over 30 vendors will be set up for guests to enjoy.

The Autryville Fire Department is located at 305 North Hotel St. in Autryville. The event is free and open to the public. Proceeds benefit the Autryville Fire Department and Ladies Auxiliary. To participate as a vendor, contact Janel Holmes, Ladies Auxiliary president, at janel. holmes@ncdps.gov to inquire.

Fayetteville State University presents Grammy-nominated Imani Winds Tuesday, March 6, at 7 p.m. at J. W. Seabrook Auditorium on the FSU campus.

“Imani Winds is actually coming back because they did a residency for us back in 2010 for a year,” said Dr. Don Parker, FSU interim chair for the department of performing and fine arts. “They did some collaborations with the community (and) with FSU and worked with our students in terms of technique.”

Parker added that the group premiered a piece that was an original work, and they restructured it so that it would be a part of something that they were doing for Fayetteville State involving the choir and jazz program.

“Our performances are very spirited, soulful, virtuosic and very much something that is somewhat unexpected,” said Monica Ellis, bassoonist of Imani Winds. “I think a lot of people don’t think they are going to enjoy it because, if you don’t know our group or never heard of us, you would just think that these are primarily black folks playing classical music.”

Imani Winds is a quintet that features a clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon and a French horn. The group has been performing for more than 20 years. They have bridged a gap between American, European, Latin and African styles. The group began in New York City. “All of us were in New York for graduate school either at Juilliard, Mannes School of Music or Manhattan School of Music, and it was our flute player, Valerie, who had the initial idea of the group,” said Ellis. “It was her brainchild to put together a wind quintet made up of musicians of color and (that) us having similar cultural backgrounds would... bring a certain style, interpretation and flavor to the classical repertoire.”

The group has received numerous awards and collaborated with incredible musicians and icons, particularly in the jazz world.

“Jazz musicians have an affinity for our sound and what we bring, which is a really big sound,” said Ellis. “We want to have an intimacy about the music we play, but we also want to have a robust, big and juicy sound that you can sink your teeth into and not have the notion that classical music is supposed to be light and fluffy stuff.”

Parker said, “This concert will be a nice little reunion because many of the students who were involved with Imani Winds when they initially were here will come back to see them because they are like family now. We want everyone to come out and enjoy this great event.”

Admission is $10 for the public and free for FSU students. For tickets call 910-672-1724. For more information, call 910-672-1571.

Certain things will always separate one generation of children from the one before and the one after. For more than six decades, nonetheless, there has been something almost all children share. That is a love for Dr. Seuss books. In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, which coincides with National Read Across America Day, Spring Lake will host its Second Annual Dr. Seuss Parade and Family Fun Day on March 10.

With more than 60 books translated into more than 20 different languages that have sold more than half a billion copies worldwide, Dr. Seuss is not only prolific but downright awe-inspiring. He is known to almost every best-selling list as the No. 1 children’s author of all time. Yet it’s not these statistical trophies that will forever rank him in the hearts and minds of children around the world.

Of course, his use of rhyming lyrics encouraged a more phonetic approach to learning new words, unlike what was seen in traditional primers of the time. But his contribution to literacy is what teachers and parents applaud.

It was Dr. Seuss’ capacity to write and illustrate entertaining characters – the Lorax, the Cat in the Hat, the Grinch, to name a few – that allowed children to eagerly engage with the books they were reading. He instilled in them the ability to read better while also encouraging the power of imagination and creativity.

In fact, it was Dr. Seuss who once said, “Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.”

Kristy Martinez Spencer, owner of the Kameo Events and Marketing Services group, said a simple conversation with the former Spring Lake Mayor Chris Rey led her to brainstorm the idea for the Dr. Seuss parade. Short of the annual Spring Fling, Spring Lake had no signature event like in surrounding cities.

When her idea finally came to fruition at the inaugural parade last year, the result was shocking. According to Spencer, an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people attended the parade.

“It was just a great experience overall,” said Spencer. “People across the entire state of North Carolina came to this parade. It was so overwhelmingly responsive that we’ve outgrown our venue after one year.”

Last year, the venue for the family fun activities was the Spring Lake Parks and Recreation Center. The brand-new outdoor exercise areas at the recreation center made the perfect setting for a kidfriendly event. However, a safety hazard presented itself with the combination of large crowd turnout and vehicle traffic.

As a result, this year the parade takes the same route but finishes off differently. It starts on Poe Street and will continue down Main Street toward Ruth Street before concluding in a block party on North Main Street. This, Spencer said, is safer for the community as the roads will be effectively blocked off.

The parade floats possess Dr. Seuss-inspired themes. Each float will be secretly judged for merits such as creativity, originality and enthusiasm.

Jami McLaughlin, granddaughter of Spring Lake’s first mayor, and her children are just one of many families attending the parade for the second year in a row.

“My children love Dr. Seuss books, so we were very excited that such a fun event was being held in Spring Lake,” said McLaughlin. “We went to the Dinner with Dr. Seuss and the parade last year and my children had fun at both.”

McLaughlin echoed Spencer’s sentiments that Spring Lake has needed something like this event for a long time.

“We used to have great parades down Main Street in Spring Lake, and I remember riding in a classic car with my grandfather, Spring Lake’s first mayor, past the variety store that my grandmother owned,” said McLaughlin. “It was exciting to hear that they were not only bringing a fun Dr. Seuss event to our small town but also recreating the liveliness that we used to have. As Dr. Seuss says, ‘Oh, the places you will go,’ and we are excited to see him in Spring Lake for a second year.”

The Cumberland County Public Library, Fascinate- U Children’s Museum, Alliance Behavioral Health and the Child Advocacy Center are all vendors that will be present during the street party to promote the Read Across America initiative. According to Spencer, free books were even passed out to children who attended last year.

According to local resident Bridey Koch, the Dr. Seuss parade is a perfect way to honor the iconic author.

“All of my children learned to read in part because of Dr. Seuss books,” said Koch. “They grew up on it. So, to have an event like this in this area is a great chance to celebrate that.”

Kameo Events has also partnered with several local groups to bring the fun to this Family Fun Day.

The block party will have a petting zoo that includes goats, sheep, alpacas and pot-bellied pigs. There will also be train rides and nine holes of mini golf as well as bounce houses set up for children to enjoy.

“It’s going to be fun for the kids. It’s designed for them,” said Spencer. “We had a lot of kids out there (last year) going for the books. They dressed up as characters. We’re really looking forward to their participation this year.”

Kids in Sports, a facility at the Market Fair Mall on Skibo Road, will set up activities that encourage children into movement and exercise. Ring Wars Carolina, an independent professional wrestling group based in Hope Mills, will set up to do matches as well.

“It is an opportunity that celebrates literacy and education (with) a family-friendly atmosphere and just a day to have fun,” said Spencer.

The birthday parade is free and open to the public.

The event begins at 11 a.m. and lasts until 4 p.m.

In the words of “One Fish, Two Fish,” “If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good.”

For more information, contact Kameo Events at 910-797-9568.

Since 2007, five members of the Fayetteville Fire Department have died of cancer. Officials are trying to prevent any more deaths attributed to occupational hazards. Capt. Jay Leonard and Capt. Adam Ferguson have been involved in the fire department’s Cancer Prevention Initiative for a year now. Cancer is striking the fire service at alarming rates.

As of last week, the more than 300 Fayetteville firefighters have attended cancer information classes and learned of ways to protect themselves.

“The intent of the class was to educate the firefighters on the risk they face and actions they can take to minimize these risks,” said Deputy Fire Chief Mike Hill. Captains Leonard and Ferguson said firefighters face cancer rates that are substantially greater than most Americans. They said the most likely causes are the chemicals emitted from ordinary household items when they burn.

In 2006, the University of Cincinnati studied firefighters across the country and found they were twice as likely to die from cancer than nonfirefighters. Laws in nearly 40 states have expanded medical, workers’ compensation and disability coverage for such cancer cases, and fire departments across the country are revamping training and how they handle gear to try and reduce risks.

Research concluded that firefighters should shower as soon as possible after fighting fires. Their uniforms and turnout gear should be washed immediately because carcinogens can easily collect on a firefighter’s clothing and skin. The Cancer Prevention Initiative provides details about which products to use to decontaminate turnout gear. Information about protective hoods is also provided. It is even recommended that the interiors of fire engine cabs be decontaminated.

“Our firefighters face dangers every day that most people don’t face, and this research shows another danger,” Fire Chief Ben Major said. “I would like to thank Capt. Leonard and Capt. Ferguson for their hard work on this initiative.” Both men were honored with the city of Fayetteville’s Core Values Award last week.

“The true reward is the contribution they have made to saving lives in the firefighting industry,” said Major.

The Fire Department’s cancer research includes 75 pages of facts and videos from fire departments across the country. In 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the final results of what is currently the largest study of cancer risk among career firefighters ever conducted in the U.S. The study of 30,000 firefighters showed that, compared with the general population, firefighters on average are at higher risk for certain kinds of cancer – mainly oral, digestive, respiratory, genital and urinary cancers.

Lauren Moore

Jack Britt • Basketball •

Senior

Moore has a grade point average of 4.6. This past season for Jack Britt, she eclipsed the 1,000 point mark for her career. She also has a career total of over 700 rebounds for the Buccaneers, who qualified for the state 4-A playoffs.

Kelvin Armstrong

Douglas Byrd • Basketball •

Junior

Armstrong has a 3.75 grade point average. He is a member of Douglas Byrd’s Academy of Green Technology.

Temporarily removing players who are wearing improper equipment from the game is the biggest change for high school football rules this fall.

The National Federation of State High School Associations recently announced the changes in the rules made by its football rules committee, which met in January.

Under the new rule, players found to be missing proper equipment or not wearing it properly have to be removed from the game for at least one down. The exception to the rule is if the improper equipment is the direct result of a foul by an opposing player.

In a related change, the head coach must confirm all of his players are legally equipped and won’t use illegal equipment during the game.

The same penalty for violating the rule remains in effect, an unsportsmanlike conduct call on the head coach.

On free kicks and scrimmage kicks, a new penalty option was added, allowing the receiving team to accept a five-yard penalty from the succeeding spot.

Another change clarifies that the defenseless player rule no longer applies to the passer until a forward pass is thrown. Once a pass is thrown, the passer is considered defenseless until the play ends or the passer participates in the play, like becoming a blocker.

Neil Buie, regional supervisor of football officials for the Southeastern Athletic Officials Association, isn’t surprised the rule changes weren’t extensive this year.

“I don’t think they want to come out with anything major multiple years in a row,’’ he said. “We did the targeting thing. Let’s let that sink in and let the officials get used to it. The next thing you may see is to eliminate all blocks below the waist. That’s knee injury city.’’

There has been much publicity lately about a national shortage of officials. Buie said it hasn’t reached crisis proportions in North Carolina as far as he knows, but there is always a need for good officials at the high school level.

What Buie fears is officials who get needed indoctrination to officiating in the recreation leagues are being scared off by disrespectful behavior on the part of parents.

The recreation level is important to officiating because Buie said it’s hard for new officials to break in at the high school level. “It’s got to start at the recreation level,’’ he said. “Having officials better paid, treated better and protected.’’

Photo: Neil Buie, regional supervisor of football officials for the Southeastern Athletic Officials Association

Filing for elective office in North Carolina began last week with the stakes for those of us who live here higher than ever. Candidates for offices from U.S. House of Representatives to local soil-andwater commissions are putting their money down, signing on the dotted line and officially tossing their hats into the 2018 rough and tumble campaign ring.

The good news is that voter interest is high, at least for now, which indicates spirited contests. The bad news is that 2018 is a “blue moon” election year, with the highest offices on the ballot being Congress and the North Carolina General Assembly, contests that do not bring out voters the way presidential and gubernatorial races do.

Make no mistake, though. Congressional contests matter, but because of ongoing and deeply rooted partisan gridlock in Washington, who is elected to the General Assembly matters more. Below are several issues to post on your fridge to evaluate candidates for the state Senate and House between now and the November election.

If you have reached your outer limit – as I have – on gerrymandering, look for legislative candidates who support a bipartisan redistricting system. North Carolina, like most states, tasks the General Assembly with this responsibility, which means the people who stand to benefit are drawing their own districts and choosing their own voters. No other developed nation allows foxes to guard the hen house, and other states are moving away from this model. North Carolina should adopt a bipartisan system as well.

If you would like to know what your elected legislators are up to, support candidates who favor transparency in government. Right now, it is anyone’s guess what issues the General Assembly might address or when they might do so. Legislative calendars are not always available to the public, sometimes not even to members themselves. How are North Carolinians to know what is happening until after the fact when it is too late to voice one’s opinion on issues that impact all of us?

If you believe in public education and think it has shaped North Carolina for the better, support candidates who agree with you. Ask them if they favor funneling our tax dollars to private/religious schools through vouchers. Ask them why our teachers, whom legislators love to call “professionals,” are paid less than in other states. Ask them whether they will continue the practice of shifting the financial burden of public education to local governments, meaning that students in wealthy counties like Wake are more likely to get a better education than students in lower wealth counties like Cumberland.

If you believe North Carolina tax dollars should be spent in North Carolina, ask General Assembly candidates if they would vote for our dollars to flow to expanded Medicaid coverage in other states but not here.

Perhaps most pressing for Cumberland County residents and voters downstream, ask General Assembly candidates whether they will tolerate chemical pollution of the Cape Fear River and North Carolina air. The General Assembly beat a hasty retreat from Raleigh last week without addressing Chemours GenX water contamination at all. Legislators are not scheduled to return until May, and a lot of water from the Cape Fear and from private wells is going to be drunk from Fayetteville to Wilmington between now and then.

Meanwhile, the underfunded state Division of Water Quality continues to cite Chemours for GenX contamination but lacks teeth to back up their actions. How on Earth is it responsible behavior by our elected officials not to fund efforts to address water contamination and its effects on the people they are supposed to represent?

Candidates of all political stripes always say, “This election is the most important one of our lifetime.” Maybe so, and maybe not, but no one can argue that 2018 will be a watershed for our state. Do we want more of the same gerrymandering, lack of transparency, underfunding of public education and health care and an ongoing disregard for our environment? Or, do we want sunlight and a fresh breeze to blow through Congress and the General Assembly?

For the life of me, I cannot imagine why any voter would favor the former, and it is our responsibility to find out where candidates stand on these issues. We must not let them bamboozle us or slither away without answering our questions directly.

We have until Nov. 6 to pin them down.

Hope Mills is one of my favorite places in Cumberland County. For nearly three decades I have worked, shopped and conducted business there. I’m a member of the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce and served on its board of directors for years. I’ve sponsored Ole Mill Days, shopped on Trade Street, rode in Christmas parades, judged Chili Cook-Offs and slung bean bags in Corn Hole contests. I admired and respected the honorable Al Bradford, followed Eddie Dees’ winning championship teams and mourned the passing of my dear personal friend Edwin Deaver. Hope Mills is the near perfect reflection of North Carolina work ethic, history and heritage and emmanates genuine southern hospitality.

You can imagine my enthusiasm and excitement when invited by the town leaders to assist them in sharing the Hope Mills story with the rest of Cumberland County. Together, we created the Hope Mills Initiative. This was a marketing partnership between the town of Hope Mills, Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper and the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce. The initiative centered around adopting Up & Coming Weekly newspaper as Hope Mills’ media outreach for showcasing Hope Mills’ organizations and achievements, preserving the town’s history and traditions, marketing and branding SHOP LOCAL - SHOP HOPE MILLS, promoting economic development, encouraging community involvement and participation and enhancing and promoting Hope Mills’ quality of life. The partnership allowed the town to have its own “official” weekly community newspaper.

It was a major media undertaking that would have been cost-prohibitive for the town to create on its own. We agreed to make it happen because the mayor and board of commissioners all shared the same long-term vision of growth and prosperity for the Hope Mills community. Working closely with the commissioners, town manager Melissa Adams and Mayor Jackie Warner, we agreed upon mutual goals and objectives, and an agreement was reached where the town would invest $28,000 annually in the project and Up & Coming Weekly would match this amount and provide all the necessary resources to create Hope Mills’ own publication for local news, developments, achievements, events, organizations, business profiles and articles – all promoting, advocating for and branding the Hope Mills community.

Up & Coming Weekly provides 22 years of experience in Cumberland County, community journalism, plus the paper, ink, layout, design, writers, editors, racks and distribution. This project would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to create from scratch. After weeks of negotiation and fine tuning, a resolution was put before the town commissioners to enter into a partnership with Up & Coming Weekly and create the Hope Mills publication. The resolution was received positively, and it passed unanimously.

However, there are a few people in Hope Mills who do not share the positive visions of Mayor Warner and the elected officials. For them, I offer these insights and explanations.

In my 22 years as publisher of Up & Coming Weekly, I have never apologized for anything we have printed or presented to this community, nor have we ever been on the wrong side of an issue when it came to advocating for and supporting countywide issues. Our reputation and journalistic integrity are transparent. Additionally, we have never strayed from our newspaper’s mission and mandate to market, promote and brand the community by reporting and showcasing the good news and positive insights. We have never refused to advocate for a person, business or organization that contributes to our quality of life. Our newspaper has gained the trust of dozens of nonprofit organizations and hundreds of businesses, civic organizations and government entities. Currently, we have programs and partnerships with Fort Bragg, the county of Cumberland, the city of Fayetteville, Cape Fear Valley Hospital, Cumberland County Schools, PWC, the Hope Mills and Fayetteville Chambers of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau, just to name a few. Up & Coming Weekly is currently placing newspaper racks in 17 Cumberland County High Schools.

I don’t know what is causing all the negative hubbub on Hope Mills social media, but I assure you it has nothing to do with anything we have initiated. However, I do know this: I love Hope Mills, and our company has invested thousands of dollars in making sure the Hope Mills Initiative achieves the result of spreading the good news about Hope Mills throughout all of Cumberland County just as the leadership intended.

Hope Mills is now enjoying the most talented and professional leadership team it has seen in decades. The elected officials, department heads and support staff all seem to share the same positive vision for the success, growth and prosperity of the town. Leadership comes from the top. Mayor Jackie Warner, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell and Town Manager Melissa Adams present a tour de force in leadership style, reflecting logic, responsibility, common sense and a vision for future generations.

Facebook and social media, including the Hope Mills Chatter, are not legitimate media resources for information about the quality of life and future vision for the Hope Mills community.

Respectfully, Lisa Carter Waring is no Connie Chung or Judy Woodruff. Without credentials, Waring’s well-written and articulated articles in The Sandspur are appropriate for a small target audience, and her few hundred “screened and censored” social media followers on the Chatter. However, this pales in comparison to the bold and aggressive positive message that Hope Mills leadership intended for the hundreds of thousand residents, visitors and guests in Cumberland County. Hope Mills is becoming prominent and respected throughout the county. The town of Hope Mills is becoming “the mouse that roared.” Lisa Waring and cohort Meg Larson are afraid that roar will overwhelm and silence the pitter patter of their Chatter.

Meg Larson is a smart lady and could contribute much to the growing Hope Mills community. Unfortunately, and, for reasons unknown, Larson is clinging on to Waring’s coattail. That’s disappointing to many who had hoped Larson would become that respected voice of reason missing since the passing of Bob Gorman. Bob was smart, logical and passionate about anything that would move the town of Hope Mills forward. It was never about him. And, he was always a gentleman. Bob was a team player who respected new ideas and was willing to take risks. Above all, he was a leader and wanted to see Hope Mills grow and prosper. Meg Larson is no Bob Gorman.

Whether we continue to be the official media voice of Hope Mills or not will be determined by the town commissioners in the future. The reality is this – Lisa Carter Waring and Meg Larson do not want the town using Up & Coming Weekly as a media resource. They do not want another voice. They and they alone want to be the voice to control and influence the narrative of what happens in Hope Mills. Hope Mills has grown away from that way of thinking. I’m sure both these ladies are fine, upstanding citizens. However, neither of them shares the vision for growth and economic prosperity of Hope Mills that has been so aptly demonstrated by the mayor and other elected officials and staff members. In other words, they want things in Hope Mills to stay the same. No progress. No vision. No growth. No competition. No Up & Coming Weekly!

Why else would they object so adamantly to having a “good news” Hope Mills newspaper? They do not want another media source providing news and views to the residents, especially when the information is coming directly from the mayor’s office and town hall. Remember, we are all about transparency. We want public input. We want to hear what people have to say. That is why we established hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

I made a commitment, and we will continue to uphold our end of the partnership. The program is working and will continue to grow in value year after year if it is nurtured. That’s what branding is all about. Up & Coming Weekly will be a part of Hope Mills as long as we are invited into the community.

Thank you for reading Hope Mills’ community newspaper.