From the jump, I don’t like this guy. He’s a pretentious jerk with a genuine chip on his shoulder when it comes to women. He thinks women are stupid and shallow and uncultured. He says, “Most 24-year-olds sound like 6-yearolds on helium.” As a 24-year-old myself, that kind of generalization grinds my gears. And this is just the first 5 minutes of the Gilbert Theater’s production of David Ives’ “Venus in Fur.”

But as the drama unravels, irritation transforms into a ticklish delight for sitting in what is perhaps one of the most feminist plays I’ve ever seen. It’s rough around some production edges, but for a two-person play, the actor and actress truly attempt to rise to the occasion.

The play is a reimagining of the 1870 book by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, which has all the kinky flourishes of the S&M world, but wrapped up in high-brow Victorian mystique.

The stage adaptation, however, could not be farther away from the perspective of an S&M voyeur. It begins with the aforementioned jerk, a playwright/ director named Thomas, played by Justin Matthew Toyer. He’s bemoaning over the phone how there are no actresses built for his adaptation of this dusty classic.

In walks Vanda Jordan, played by Nicki Hart, with bags of costumes over her shoulder and a ton of excuses. She’s late for her audition as the Victorian dominatrix. That’s of no consequence, though, because she’s game to start now. And by god, does the game begin.

Unlike with Thomas, Vanda is hilariously vulgar and sharp. I think it’s safe to assume the rest of the audience liked her as well I did – especially when she says such relatable stuff as, “Usually I’m real demure and shit.” Hart demonstrates a rare clarity of presence onstage. Meaning she’s there, not just pantomiming to be there.

As they begin to read lines together, the figurative power play of the story turns into a literal one between the two.

Vanda knows just how to bolster Thomas’ ego, offering a few insights here and there, making some jokes at her own expense. When it becomes glaringly obvious that Vanda knows the subtext of the story better than Thomas, the tide starts turning. She starts to direct the director before eventually having him read as and be punished as Vanda himself. It’s a play that can put itself in a woman’s often-compromising position, but then gives her the agency to see herself out of it.

Hart and Toyer in the main roles are to be applauded for their efforts – though one could argue you can’t often feel the sexual tension from their situation. It’s more so a political tension.

Hart definitely had the tougher task of switching vicariously between the British-Victorian Vanda accent and what can only be described as the New Jersey Vanda accent – all the while standing in nothing except some fabulous lingerie. The ending was a disappointment in this wardrobe regard, though. Let’s just say, in Thomas’ humiliation finale, it would have been only right to strip him down to his bare essentials.

Still, rarely is a story so fascinating to me that I’m forced to imagine motivations of the story before the story. But “Venus in Fur” made me do just that. I couldn’t help but wonder if the script was really dropped on Vanda’s agent’s desk. Was her name ever really Vanda? Is she some kind of feminist vigilante that shows up at auditions to dismantle male writers’ baseless points of view on women?

All of the above I hope are true.

“Venus in Fur” plays at the Gilbert Theater until Feb. 17. Call 910-678-7186 for tickets and for more information.

I am starting this column Jan. 22. This evening, President Donald Trump signed a continuing resolution that ended a partial shutdown of the federal government that lasted three days. The CR allows Congress additional time to agree on funding of the government for the current fiscal year. The events and decisions that produced this shutdown, and the resulting harsh consequences, reflect what happens when political maneuvering lays waste to reason.

In the space allotted, I can only scratch the surface in detailing the negative impacts of this shutdown. The one most often mentioned is that active duty military personnel would not be paid during the shutdown; however, they were required to continue working. Picture the military members deployed to the Middle East, where their lives are in danger every day, around-the-clock. Many of them have families in America who depend on paydays being honored. Add to these the other dedicated Americans who risk their very lives and endure all the tremendous demands of military service. The image is one of dedicated Americans being irresponsibly and unfairly penalized.

Apparently, as is explained later, there are politicians and other Americans who place greater value on illegal immigrants than on these patriots. Anybody in this group should immediately see the movie “12 Strong.”

Beyond military personnel, thousands of civilian federal employees were furloughed without pay. Legislative action will be required for these employees to be paid for any work time missed because of the shutdown. Surprisingly, members of Congress receive their pay during a shutdown.

The negative impact of this shutdown extends far beyond the couple of instances addressed above. Given this tremendous negative impact, the burning question is why anybody would cause a shutdown when doing so seriously adversely affects hundreds of thousands of Americans. The only possible explanation that I can identify is that Democrats believed they could, through a shutdown, gain some political advantage over Republicans. I contend that this was political maneuvering by Democrats and that their actions laid waste to reason.

Granted, it is totally unacceptable that, year after year, Congress fails to complete the budget and appropriations process on time and ends up doing CRs. However, Democratic failure to sufficiently support passage of the CR that would have prevented this latest shutdown does not pass the reason test.

The road to this shutdown started when Democrats insisted on adding provisions to the CR that would allow Deferred Action for Child Arrivals program participants to remain in this country. The estimate is 800,000 participants. An article by Katie Heinrich and Daniel Arkin, titled “What Is DACA? Here’s What You Need to Know About the Program Trump Is Ending,” explains DACA as follows:

“President Barack Obama created DACA through a 2012 executive order. The program has allowed hundreds of thousands of young people who were brought to the United States illegally as children to remain in the country. Applicants cannot have serious criminal histories, and must have arrived in the U.S. before 2007, when they were under the age of 16. DACA recipients can live and work legally in the U.S. for renewable two-year periods.”

On Sept. 5, 2017, Trump’s administration announced the cancellation of the DACA program but gave Congress six months to pass legislation that would provide a permanent fix for the situation addressed by the program. That means Congress has until March 5, 2018, to act. No new DACA applications or renewals were to be taken during the sixmonth period. However, a federal judge in California ruled that the administration must continue accepting renewal applications. That is being done.

The CR in question had to do with funding the government. Addressing DACA is not a funding issue, but Democrats insisted on including DACA provisions in this CR. A similar situation occurred in 2013 and resulted in a 16-day shutdown of the federal government. Ian McCullough, in an article titled “Why Did the U.S. Government Shut Down in October 2013?” summarizes how the 2013 shutdown came about. He writes that after failing to block passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) in 2010 and not being able to repeal the legislation during 2010-13, elements of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives tried another approach. McCullough says they first “attached a provision to a spending bill that required eliminating funding for the implementation of the PPACA in order to fund the rest of the U.S. Federal Government.” The Senate rejected this legislation and sent it back to the House. The House then proposed a spending bill version that would delay implementation of “Obamacare” for one year. The Senate tabled the bill, gave it no consideration, and the government shut down.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., now Senate minority leader and orchestrator of the 2018 shutdown, took a clear position regarding Republican actions in 2013. Democrats were unyielding in their stand against the Obamacare-related actions of Republicans. The following Schumer quote appears in an article by John Sexton titled “Chuck Schumer in 2013: If Dems Shut down the Government over Immigration That Would Be ‘A Politics of Idiocy:’”

“I believe in immigration reform. What if I persuaded my caucus to say I’m going to shut the government down, I’m going to not pay our bills unless I get my way. It’s a politics of idiocy, of confrontation, of paralysis.”

In bringing on the recent shutdown, Schumer did exactly what he vehemently accused Republicans of doing in 2013. This is a prime example of the destructive hypocrisy that has taken a foothold in our political process. Hypocrisy is a primary factor, a tool, in the manipulation of people.

At least, in 2013, Republicans had legislation prepared that presented what they wanted to do. That statement is no endorsement of what happened, just a statement of fact. Democrats did not have legislation ready to present for consideration in 2018 as they demanded that action on DACA be attached to the CR.

Further, Republicans repeatedly said there was nothing in the pending continuing resolution with which Democrats disagreed. In all of my research and watching news reports that included comments by Democrats was there any indication that the Republican claim was in error.

Schumer and other Democrats, as well as many media personalities, repeatedly used the talking point that since Republicans hold majorities in the House and Senate and the president is a Republican, the shutdown was a “failure to lead.” This is pure misdirection in that Democrats chose to filibuster the CR that would have kept the government open. Ending a filibuster requires 60 votes; there are only 51 Republican senators.

On Jan. 9, Trump led a bipartisan meeting at the White House where discussion of solving the DACA problem was central. A substantial portion of that meeting was televised. The meeting seemed productive in laying a foundation for negotiations. Bipartisan negotiations have continued in spite of the shutdown and other distractions.

In the final analysis, Democrats, profoundly and unfairly, negatively impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent Americans. This was done when there was ample time remaining to address the DACA issue. The push was made to attach an item to a funding bill when the issue had absolutely nothing to do with funding.

In doing so, the hypocrisy that is a primary tool of manipulation showed its face. With no DACA legislation ready to present, and no Democratic opposition to contents of the CR, the government was still shut down. This, despite the promising and productive Jan. 9 bipartisan White House meeting with follow-on DACA negotiations that continue to this very day. Cap all of this off with the Democratic filibuster of the CR that would have kept the government open and the blaming of Republicans who only have 51 Republican senators when 60 votes are required to end a filibuster.

All this reflects political manipulation with no hint of reason or rational basis for action by Democrats anywhere in sight.

The current CR expires Feb. 8. The promise of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-K.Y., senate majority leader, as to what happens if there is no legislation to fix DACA by that date is a matter for another column. If that promise must be executed, I expect reason will face another test in a political atmosphere where reason is routinely laid waste, discarded, treated as some unwelcomed alien being.

Photo: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

Business North Carolina Magazine is a highly respected statewide business publication that reflects on the elements of North Carolina business and industry. It reports on the economic health and virtues of our state and how these factors affect North Carolina growth, businesses and industry. In the February edition, the magazine profiled and honored the 100 most accomplished, talented and successful business people in North Carolina. All are successful in their own right and have contributed to North Carolina’s economic well-being and residents’ quality of life.

The publication noted that many talented business leaders are concentrated in larger metropolitan areas of our state. However, for this feature, it focused on the smaller communities and regions in search of successful business leaders making significant and dynamic contributions to their communities in economic development, finance, retail and several other industries. The contributions of these accomplished people significantly influenced and changed their communities in a positive way.

Reading over the list, the one trait they all have in common is vision. In the case of Ralph and Linda Huff of H&H Homes, you could say “double vision,” since both have contributed so much to our community. Ralph absolutely earned his designation as one of North Carolina’s 100 most influential business leaders by this distinguished publication. He and his wife Linda are two of Fayetteville’s most successful business and economic assets.

They love this community, as witnessed by their generous lifelong contributions of time, talent and finances. This is a huge honor and a big surprise for the Huffs, but it should be no surprise to everyone around them. In fact, we need to pay more attention to local leaders like Ralph and Linda. Not only are they successful, but they also have a vested interest in the success and prosperity of our community. Outsiders do not.

History has shown that our community puts way too much faith in the opinions and guidance of outsiders rather than listening to the common-sense rationale of successful local people and business owners. Case in point: Look how we have struggled with the Unified Development Ordinance over the years. There is no telling how much this community has lost in time, money and business because we refuse to listen to and acknowledge the advice of successful people and local business owners most affected – people who are vested in the community. People like Ralph and Linda Huff, Mac Healy, Jay Wyatt, Mary Lynn Bryan, Don Price, Richard Bryant, Joe Riddle and Sharlene Riddle Williams, and Ron Matthews.

I could list dozens more entrepreneurs and innovators who have invested in this community. We could easily publish our own “100 Top Successful and Influential People in Business” just for Fayetteville and Cumberland County, but would the powers that be use them as a resource?

It has been said many times that “Fayetteville never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity,” and we have much at stake.

Fayetteville and Cumberland County are at a turning point. Our future looks bright. Fort Bragg is stable and growing. We have tens of millions of dollars in new downtown development promising to generate tens of millions more. We have strong, talented leadership promoting economic development, and, thanks to last year’s $35 million Parks and Recreation bond, our children, seniors and entire community are experiencing more enhanced quality of life venues.

Some questions do remain.

1. Can we get out of our own way to embrace prosperity?

2. Will the city of Fayetteville and Cumberland County leadership commit to serving their taxpaying constituents rather than themselves?

3. Will the city of Fayetteville and Cumberland County leadership curtail their pettiness and limit political posturing long enough to envision the impact a North Carolina Civil War and Reconstruction History Center would have on our entire community and humanity?

We’ll see. Stay tuned.

Ralph Huff recently sent a letter to all the members of city council advocating for the history center and encouraging them to continue their unwavering support. Why? Because he has vision.

Congratulations, Ralph. Your inclusion as one of our state’s most influential citizens is most deserving. You and Linda have again put Fayetteville and Cumberland County in the limelight – and, in a good way!

Visit http://businessnc.com/wpcontent/ uploads/2018/01/power-100_ feb18_lr.pdf to read the February edition of Business North Carolina Magazine.

Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Photo: Linda and Ralph Huff

It’s been called one of the deadliest flu seasons by doctors across the country. So far, in North Carolina, upward of 70 people have died from the flu. We’ve been fortunate in Cumberland County thus far.

“We have not seen a large number of absences because of influenza reported to the Health Services Office,” said Cumberland County Schools Health Services Director Shirley Bolden. “Our hope is that none of our students get the flu; however, our Cumberland County schools are being proactive in educating parents, staff and students on ways to reduce their risk.”

Officials say students should go to school so long as they are not sick and do not exhibit any symptoms.

Meanwhile, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center is restricting children under age 12 from visiting the hospital. “Our Emergency Department is limiting visitors to one per patient,” the hospital said in a statement. Cape Fear Valley treated 619 flu cases in January. Doctors are concerned not just by the number, but by the severity of the cases. Physicians say children, the elderly and people with existing health problems are at greatest risk. Doctors say shortness of breath, dizziness and severe localized pain are red flags.

Another fatal fire

A Fayetteville house fire Jan. 28 was the second fatal residential fire this year. Officials said units from Fire Station Four responded to the alarm in the Cumberland Heights neighborhood.

They found smoke billowing from a home in the 900 block of McKimmon Road and dispatched additional units. Neighbors told first responders they feared someone was still in the house. Rescue crews entered the home and located an occupant who was quickly removed and treated by firefighters.

The victim of the fire, identified as Louis Esteban Rivera, 65, was dead on arrival at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, fire department spokesman Jamie Averitte said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. It does not appear suspicious at this time.

Court reviews former inmate records

Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West says one in five people in North Carolina has a criminal record, which often prevents them from getting good jobs. West credits state Rep. Elmer Floyd, D-Cumberland, with championing changes in the law designed to assist individuals who previously were ineligible for relief.

District attorney West and Cumberland County Commissioner Charles Evans briefed faith-based leaders at a breakfast at the Cumberland County Courthouse. West explained the process by which an individual can have his or her record expunged. Evans explained his Project Fresh Start, which is designed to aid individuals who may not qualify for expungements. Legal Aid of North Carolina has agreed to provide free legal services to those individuals who qualify for invitations to attend court clinics.

Cumberland County Animal Shelter repairs

A Cumberland County Animal Control Shelter contractor started resurfacing shelter floors Feb. 5. A spokesman for the Animal Control Shelter, located at 4704 Corporation Dr., said adoptable dogs will be housed in other areas of the facility while the work is underway. Once all those areas are full, as many as 20 overflow dogs will be housed at the Fayetteville Pet Resort, 2102 Strickland Bridge Rd.

Animal Control will share a designated building with a separate entrance and parking lot at Fayetteville Pet Resort. This will allow for public access to the area after the pet resort’s normal operating hours.

“The floors in the shelter area must be sealed with epoxy to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and to maintain their integrity as waterresistant floors,” said shelter manager Jennifer Hutchinson-Tracy.

This is the first time since the shelter opened 12 years ago that the floors have had to be resurfaced. The work is expected to take at least two weeks to complete. Cats at the facility will not be affected by the work.

Operation Inasmuch fundraiser

This month’s Fourth Friday will support the ministry of Fayetteville Area Operation Inasmuch. The 11th annual Bread ‘n Bowls meals will be served Feb. 23 at Hay Street United Methodist Church, 320 Hay St. Chicken corn chowder or chili will be served in the choice of handmade North Carolina pottery bowls or freshly baked bread bowls. A cookie, tea and coffee will also be available. Advance tickets are available online at faoiam.org.

FTCC now has a futuristic website

Fayetteville Technical Community College has launched a new website in conjunction with Walk West, a digital marketing and strategic communications agency based in Raleigh. The new digital web platform, www.faytechcc.edu, is considered more user-friendly than previous sites. It features artificial intelligence technology that recognizes the type of user to match relevant content and improved navigation plus updates based on the specific user.

“Walk West has truly transformed our digital properties and brought an unmatched experience to our educational community,” said FTCC President Dr. J. Larry Keen.

“We have thrown away the old playbook for how to put together a website for higher education and created a radically new platform for growth for Fayetteville Tech,” said Brian Onorio, founder of Walk West.

HIT (Mayor to mayor)

Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner told her board of commissioners the other day that Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin had phoned her to establish a working relationship. She said in her six years as mayor of Hope Mills, Colvin was the first Fayetteville mayor to reach out to her.

MISS (Dumb drivers)

A lot of motorists in Fayetteville don’t know what double yellow lines mean. They often think they’re moving into the left turn lane when in fact they’ve crossed a double line into an oncoming lane. Dumb! Turning lanes are marked with broken yellow lines.

HIT (Mother Nature)

She was kind to us during the statewide snowfall this month. Many communities to our north and west got a foot and more of snow. Fayetteville got an inch.

MISS (Code enforcement)

Fayetteville officials depend on residents to enforce the city’s code of ordinances. Most violations are reported by people using the “FayFixIt” app. That’s a good thing, but city employees should be among those doing the reporting.

MISS (Driver education)

Drivers of large trucks, especially tractor-trailer rigs, should follow the rules of courteous motoring on fourlane and larger streets and highways. They are supposed to keep to the right in outside lanes except when passing, but they don’t. Traffic would be a lot smoother for everyone if the police and state highway patrol would enforce the rule.

HIT (The movie “12 Strong”)

The declassified true story of the first 12 American Special Forces soldiers sent to Afghanistan after the 9/11 terror attacks in the U.S is terrific. The powerful war drama was embellished some but is among the best combat movies depicting military heroism ever.

Photo: Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin

Amey Shook has taken the girls swimming program at Cape Fear a long way in just two seasons – all the way to the Patriot Athletic Conference championship.

Shook, who went to the University of Miami on a swimming scholarship, has been a lover of the sport her whole life.

“I just got back into teaching and coaching recently,’’ she said after taking 12 years off to have a family. That family includes daughters Amelia and Madeline, who are both members of her Cape Fear swim team.

She’s used her daughters to help scour the halls and classrooms at Cape Fear for swimming prospects. “I’m looking for positive kids, trying to find some well-rounded athletes who want to try something new,’’ she said.

The hard part is convincing them to get up at 5 a.m. for 5:30 a.m. practice. “Once they come and see it for a week or two, they get hooked and stick with it,’’ she said. 

The Cape Fear girls team obviously stuck with it, led by the efforts of Amelia and Madeline Shook.

Both girls swam on Cape Fear’s 200 medley relay and 400 free relay teams. Amelia won the 200 free and 400 back while Madeline won the 50 and 500 free.

Coach Shook said Madeline made sacrifices this season for the benefit of the team. “She was willing to swim whatever it took to win the championship,’’ Amey said. “She stepped aside for her sister so she could have an event to win.’’

Madeline said it can be a little challenging when it’s 5 a.m. and time to get up for practice and your mom is the coach – but other than that, she said, swimming is swimming.

“Both of my parents went to the University of Miami,’’ she said. “I’ve always loved swimming and always been on a swim team. My parents have tried to keep us healthy and active.’’

Amelia said her mother talks about swimming a lot and tries to push her and her sister a little harder because she knows what they are capable of.

“She stands in the hallway (at school) and encourages everyone to join the swim team,’’ Amelia said. “We went from having three girls on the team to 14 or 15. She tries to keep a positive attitude all the time and keep them on the team and returning.’’

Coach Shook hopes to encourage athletes from other sports to give swimming a try.

“We’re a tremendous cross-training sport in the winter,’’ she said. “I have soccer players, baseball players, football players and volleyball players on my team. It helps their other sports.

“At Cape Fear, I’m continuing to spread the word.’’

Photo: L-R: Madeline Shook, Amey Shook, Amelia Shook

Photo credit: Carlton Hubbard Photography

How would you like to conduct your own fantasy draft of North Carolina’s best high school basketball talent? For Jack Britt coach Ike Walker Jr. this wasn’t a fantasy, it was reality. He recently helped choose the North Carolina All-Stars for this year’s annual Carolinas All- Star Basketball Classic.

The game is scheduled March 24 in the gym at Wilmington’s Hoggard High School.

Walker will serve as the assistant coach of the North Carolina team that will face a squad of South Carolina’s top seniors. He and North Carolina head coach Lee Reavis of Northwest Guilford recently met in Greensboro at the offices of the North Carolina Coaches Association to select this year’s team.

The state’s public school high school basketball coaches nominate seniors from their teams for selection to the game.

Phil Weaver, games director for the NCCA, forwarded the nominations to Walker and Reavis.

Walker said the nominations include basic information like scoring and rebounding averages along with reasons each coach thinks his player should be picked.

Beyond that, he had to do some homework. At Reavis’ request, Walker did some checking on players from the eastern part of the state while Reavis studied those from the west.

“We talked to some college coaches and some assistants,’’ Walker said. “I talked to some high school coaches in the area where the prospective nominees played. We used every avenue of information- gathering we could.’’

The team has already been selected and will be announced soon. Walker said he’s pleased with the 10 players he and Reavis chose. “We’ve got kids going to ACC schools and being recruited by ACC schools,’’ he said.

Walker has an advantage preparing for the game as he’s been an all-star coach before. He led the East All- Stars to victory in the 2016 North Carolina Coaches Association East-West game in Greensboro.

Walker said the biggest lesson he learned from his first all-star experience was to sell his team on the benefits of playing defense.

“If you play good defense you can enjoy the game even more because you can rebound missed shots and get out and run in transition,’’ he said. “If you just let kids score and don’t take pride in defense, you’re taking the ball out of bounds and playing offense against a set defense.’’

Walker said he’ll tell the players he coaches in Wilmington to respect the game of basketball. “Let’s not do what we see the NBA guys doing, which is just showing up and not necessarily competing,’’ he said. “We want to compete and respect our opponent, respect the game.’’

The gym at Hoggard is named for Fayetteville native Sheila Boles. A Seventy-First graduate, Boles was on the first women’s basketball team at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She went on to become the first woman in North Carolina to coach a varsity boys basketball team, leading Wilmington Hoggard to the state playoffs eight times. Her record in 11 seasons was 167-121.

She became the first female to be named a high school athletic director in New Hanover County history. She is a member of the Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame.

Photo: Jack Britt coach Ike Walker Jr.

Brant Parker is more familiar than most with the Terry Sanford swim program. He now serves as head coach.

Parker swam for the Bulldogs from 2007-11, first under Mark Patton and then Mandy McMillian. After one year as an assistant coach, he took over as head coach this season and had high expectations for his Bulldog boys and girls teams.

“I never saw a group of young kids coming out of nowhere to meet expectations and actually push themselves,’’ he said.

The Bulldog boys won the recent Patriot Athletic Conference swim meet at Fayetteville State University’s pool while the Bulldog girls took second place.

“The whole team was committed,’’ Parker said. “We wanted to make sure everyone was good to go with their personal lives and with the sport.’’

For the Bulldog boys, junior David Li led the way in the conference meet.

He swam for the winning 200 medley relay team and won the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly.

“He was a big help,’’ Parker said. “He was one of our leaders.’’

Li started swimming recreationally in his family pool, then got serious about the sport about five or six years ago. He’s been swimming at Terry Sanford for the last three years. “It’s been an amazing experience, getting the chance to be involved with the team and getting to know them,’’ he said.

After qualifying for the state swim meet last season, Li said he came into this season with fairly high expectations for himself.

“I was very proud of our 200 medley relay,’’ he said.

The Bulldogs won with a time of 1:57.37, nearly eight seconds lower than their seeding time for the event.

“It was a big drop in time,’’ he said. “I was proud of myself for swimming the other events. There’s room for improvement, but I’m happy with where I am right now.’’

Both Parker and Li echoed the concern of other county swim coaches and swimmers that the key for growing swimming locally is to get access to a public swimming pool. Currently, the local swimmers have to practice and compete at FSU’s Capel Arena pool and are limited by the hours that pool is available.

Li is weary of hearing that a public pool in Fayetteville is just a dream.

“I don’t know why it’s a dream and why it can’t become a reality,’’ he said. “They shouldn’t feel it’s out of reach. It’s a reality we can work with in the very near future.

“Having a pool is necessary to further the swim program in Cumberland County.’’

Photos: L Brant Parker; R David Li

January’s Fourth Friday in downtown Fayetteville played host to the opening reception of the Black History Month exhibit from the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum, entitled “It Is Well With My Soul.” The exhibit features the art and history of African-American cemeteries in Cumberland County and is set to run Jan. 26 – Feb. 24 at the Arts Council Gallery on Hay Street.

The exhibit’s opening and reception were well attended. The Arts Council Gallery saw steady attendance throughout the evening as patrons were able to peruse the exhibit’s six sections: “A Place of Remembrance,” “Historic African American Cemeteries and Churchyards,” “Gone but Not Forgotten,” “Symbolism” and “They Left a Mark.” According to the director of the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum, Bruce Daws, the reaction to the gallery has been favorable, and museum staff have received many positive remarks from attendees.

Each of the six sections is composed of photographs by Albert J. Fadel as well as narrative panels providing an overview and historical context for the images. The exhibit features photographs of handcrafted grave markers created locally and without the influence of commercial norms – a practice that resulted in a unique artistic expression. Additionally, due to the heavy influence religion played in the African-American community, there is an exploration of biblical messages and symbols that adorned local grave markers.

“It Is Well With My Soul” emphasizes Fayetteville and Cumberland County’s place in African-American history and seeks to tell the stories of the area’s many important African-American citizens. The exhibit features the history of the second-oldest chartered church in Fayetteville, which was founded by an African-American minister. The exhibit also tells the stories of 19th-century doctors, policemen, firemen and riverboat captains. Additionally, a significant portion of the gallery’s wall-space is dedicated to the military service of those people whose gravesites are features, including several Fayetteville-area African- Americans who fought in the American Revolution.

Visitors to the gallery will also find an installation of art from the Fayetteville-Cumberland Youth Council. According to Daws, “The Youth Council assisted in many areas of the exhibit work and were extremely helpful and professional. With the artwork, they had a free hand working under their supervisor Crystal Glover with Parks and Recreation.”

“It Is Well With My Soul” has been in the works for quite some time, according to museum staff. The decision to host the exhibit at the Arts Council was an easy one as it covers the history of the area through the specific art of gravestone design and engraving. According to Daws, “the next special exhibit in the works for the Transportation and Local History Museum is a commemorative look at the 100th Anniversary of Fort Bragg and what the military installation has meant to the city of Fayetteville and the surrounding areas.

“It Is Well With My Soul” will run in the Arts Council Gallery at 301 Hay St. until Feb. 24. The gallery’s hours are Monday–Thursday from 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m.–12 p.m., and Saturday from 12–4 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Arts Council’s website at www.theartscouncil.com or call the gallery at 910-323-1776.

• Hope Mills Youth baseball and indoor soccer registration is open through Feb. 28 and ends at 4:30 p.m. daily. Baseball ages 5-14, instructional soccer ages 5-8, indoor soccer ages 7-12. Eligibility cut-off date for baseball and indoor soccer is May 1. Proof of address and birth certificate are required to register. Call 910-426-4105 for more information.

• Open gym is closed until further notice. • 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. • Brunch and Bingo originally scheduled this month has been postponed due to a space conflict and will hopefully be moved to March.

• A Wellness Workshop focusing on meditation will be held Feb. 21 at 1:15 p.m.

• A Senior Fun Day will be held Feb. 26 from 12-2 p.m. in the gym at Hope Mills Recreation center to promote opportunities for those 50 and older to compete in the Mid-Carolina Senior Games in April. There will be interactive experiences, performances, displays and refreshments.

• Sign-ups for the February Jewelry and Acrylics Workshops, along with the St. Patty’s Bash, are underway at the Recreation Center reception desk.

• 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.

Promote yourself

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

Kevin McLaughlin

Cape Fear • Basketball •

Senior

McLaughlin has a 3.75 grade point average. He’s active in the Student Government Association, the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and the Student-Athlete Summer Institute.

Skylar Faircloth

Cape Fear • Basketball/ track •

Senior

Faircloth has a grade point average of 4.0. She’s active in Health Occupations Students of America, Key Club, Student-Athlete Summer Institute and the Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

Charlie Baxley recently announced his intent to run for Cumberland County sheriff. Baxley is a 21- year veteran of the Fayetteville Police Department and a 15-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office.

The Republican ran for sheriff in 2014. He feels confident based on his strong performance in that election against 20-year incumbent Earl Butler.

“I predicted that Butler might break his promise to stay a full four-year term,” Baxley reminded local voters. “I told folks he would probably make a political deal and parachute somebody else in, and that’s pretty much the way it turned out.”

Baxley has a clear vision of what he wants to do as sheriff.

“If you live out in the county somewhere and you report a burglary or assault, you’re going to wait close to an hour before a deputy gets there – unless it’s election season when they want your vote and hustle more. That’s not right. If the sheriff has an organized patrol plan, a car should never be more than a few minutes away.”

While organization is important to Baxley, so is follow-up.

“If you report a drug house down the street from you, or a drug gang tries to sell drugs to your child and you report it, you need to get a follow-up call from a detective – you deserve to know what they’re doing about it.” That’s not happening very often, Baxley stated. “Except when we’re close to an election,” he added.

He also believes that law enforcement is no place for politics. “Sheriff’s deputies shouldn’t be made to get involved in politics just so they can keep their job or get a promotion,” he said. “Their job is to enforce the law and keep people safe – period.”

Baxley gets disgusted, he said, at credible reports that deputies are expected to contribute time or money to a political campaign. Deputies shouldn’t be asked to distribute campaign signs or provide traffic control for fundraising events. As sheriff, he said, “I won’t use taxpayer money for my personal political gain; I don’t want deputies to have to work behind the scenes for the election or re-election of the sheriff. A trained, experienced officer shouldn’t be made into a political errand boy or errand girl – it’s just that simple.”

He also noted that public safety is important for the county to thrive and grow. Economic development starts with public safety, Baxley insisted.

“It’s just common sense – why would any company relocate here and bring jobs here if the crime situation is bad and their staff and families won’t feel safe?” he asked. “I want to change that.”

Baxley is a Cumberland County native and a graduate of Reid Ross High School. He and his wife Debbie have been married for 30 years. She is a respiratory therapist at Womack Army Hospital on Fort Bragg, and the couple attends Manna Church. They have a son employed at Goodyear, two sons serving in the Fayetteville Police Department and a daughter in college.

Photo: Charlie Baxley, Cumberland County sheriff candidate

A Cat with a hat, and a boy with ideas,

An elephant on a nest – wait, is this for real?

A trio of bird-girls and monkeys, say what?

A typical show at CFRT, this certainly is not.

On adventure with Horton to save a planet of Who’s,

But first we deal with a trial, an egg and a sour kangaroo.

It’s excitement in Haymont not normally seen,

With a Circus of tricks to make even the Grinch green.

JoJo shows us the way with his very first think,

And brings to life this menagerie

– you’d better not blink!

This Cat with striped hat is a treat to behold,

His voices and movements, they never get old.

In the air we find Mayzie, on ropes and on rings,

And her voice is truly a-Mayz-ing when she sings.

Not to be outdone, another bird named Gertrude

Steals our hearts with her devotion to Horton, the elephant dude.

Poor Horton, he’s clueless, but loyal and decent.

He’ll do the right thing, you can bet 100 percent.

Those Wickersham boys are nothing but trouble,

But gifted with stunts and stilts, they might even juggle.

The costumes are fit for dance and for flight,

With designs of feathers and colors to delight.

Cast and crew are talented, even gifted I’d say,

You’d better get your ticket – do not delay!

The word will spread ’round the ‘Ville soon enough,

This show is a sensation – that’s not even a bluff.

The Director pulled together a fantastic display,

The theater “Rained” down with applause as they say.

About Dr. Seuss, really, nothing you need know,

Before going to catch this magnificent show.

Suitable for all ages and colors and creeds,

This joyous tale is just what we need.

Cape Fear Regional Theatre presents “Seussical The Musical” in collaboration with 2 Ring Circus. The show is directed by Melissa Rain Anderson with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. The show stars Ben Franklin, Ally Ivey, Lani Corson, Paul Urriola and Tess Deflyer.

The show runs through Feb. 25 at CFRT with special events for families, military, a VIP experience and a sensory-friendly performance. For more information, visit cfrt.org or call 910-323-4234.

Since the revelation a few months ago that the Cape Fear River has GenX in it, there’s been a lot of activity from state environmental and health officials to determine whether the chemical byproduct is a threat to human health. GenX is the trade name of a chemical ingredient used in recent years to make Teflon, which DuPont invented for nonstick cookware 45 years ago. Before GenX, Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, including PFOA, also known as C-8, was a large group of synthetic chemicals known as PFAS that were widely used in industry since the 1950s.

C-8 was used for more than 60 years, which has some wondering why it’s an issue now. There were no public complaints in all that time. DuPont discontinued its use and introduced GenX in 2009. It is believed to be significantly safer. GenX is described by the company as a patented, more sustainable technology that enables Chemours to manufacture high-performance fluoropolymers without the use of PFOA.

C-8 has, however, has been in the news for years elsewhere. It seeped into local drinking water at the DuPont plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The contamination – and the fact that DuPont executives knew about it and concealed it – set off a class-action lawsuit that DuPont settled for $671 million.

C-8 was never detected in North Carolina drinking water. But, in 2016, GenX was found in the Cape Fear River below Cumberland County. New Hanover County health officials wondered if the river water might be contaminated. Below Elizabethtown, the Lower Cape Fear River is joined by the Black River approximately 10 miles northwest of Wilmington, where it receives the Northeast Cape Fear River and Brunswick River. Cape Fear River water provides the water supply for Brunswick County Public Utilities, Cape Fear Public Utility Authority in Wilmington and Pender County Utilities. Combined they serve 250,000 people.

There is no known process for filtering GenX out of the water, whichs explains why Chemours announced last year in a news release that it “would capture, remove and safely dispose of wastewater that contains the byproduct GenX” generated at its manufacturing plant near Fayetteville.

GenX is not regulated by state or federal environmental or health agencies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had established health advisories for the older C-8 chemicals. The EPA has no such recommendations for GenX.

Chemours maintains that emissions from its Fayetteville facility have not affected the safety of drinking water, and there is no substantive evidence that it has. Trace amounts in the Cape Fear River since mid-June of last year have been well below the health screening level announced by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services at that time. That has done little to relieve the fears of Cape Fear River water users in Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender Counties.

Last month, the North Carolina House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill that would have provided $2.3 million in state funds, largely for equipment and personnel, to address emerging contaminants such as GenX.

“The state Legislature should play a decisive leadership role in controlling any chemical spills into the Cape Fear River,” Rep. Marvin Lucas, D-Cumberland, said. “Our drinking water should never be exposed to dangerous spills.”

The state Senate declined to take up the funding. The bill “leaves North Carolina taxpayers holding the bag for expenditures that should be paid for by the company responsible for the pollution,” said state Sen. President pro tem Phil Berger, R-Rockingham.

“Regardless of party affiliation, as legislators, we all have one primary job: to develop policies and pass laws that protect our community,” said Sen. Ben Brown, DHoke, Cumberland. “To date, Republicans have failed to do their jobs. The discovery of GenX in drinking water in Cumberland County, Bladen County, and as far west as Wake County is not an isolated incident.”

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not gotten involved in Cape Fear River contamination allegations.

There is an old saying, “You can’t always believe what you read.” These days, news frequently becomes gospel as inaccurate information sometimes overtakes valid facts. Some believe the confusion is the result of information overload. President Trump calls it “fake.”

Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Stokes’ military career is not only fake; it’s a sham. Stokes had been a squad leader in the 82nd Airborne Division for about a year when, according to Army Times, a fellow noncommissioned officer pointed out that something was wrong with one of his records.

That NCO for Company A, 2nd Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment had seen hundreds of Airborne School graduation certificates when he noticed something was wrong with Stokes’ certificate. His name wasn’t printed in all caps as is usual. An investigation that followed unraveled a history of falsified documents and unearned distinctions in Stokes’ service record.

The official investigation report was obtained by Army Times, which contacted the Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia, to see if Stokes had graduated Aug. 12, 2000, as his certificate stated. A clerk there confirmed Stokes was not a member of that class. “She (said) that (Stokes’) name and Social Security number were not on any of the manifests of jumps on record at the Airborne School,” the investigator wrote. Stokes did not respond to newspaper inquiries. The probe also found that Stokes sent false documents to the Electronic Military Personnel Office, awarding himself a Purple Heart and Good Conduct Medal. But the timing was off.

Six days into the investigation, Stokes was brought in for an interview where he answered some basic questions. Unsatisfied, the investigator called him in for a second interview with more detailed inquiries.

“He answered almost half of the questions on the sworn statement before deciding to stop the interview and requested (sic) an attorney,” according to the report. In his sworn statement, Stokes denied lying about anything. He claimed he had gone to jump school in 2002, not 2000, as the suspicious certificate stated.

But there were numerous false reports in his parachute jump log, several from 2003, a time when Stokes was stationed with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York. It is not an airborne unit even though it’s a subordinate command of XVIII Airborne Corps. One thing was for sure: He did jump with the 82nd.

“Based on the final jump manifest from 28 Aug. 2014, real records show that he actually jumped out of an aircraft,” the investigator wrote in his report, “even though he was not airborne certified.”

“Airborne operations are inherently dangerous, and it is critical that all paratroopers on airborne status have received the basic airborne training,” 82nd spokesman Lt. Col. Joe Buccino told Army Times. Not only was Stokes’ airborne graduation certificate bogus, but it also didn’t make sense. He changed his last name from Asche in 2002, yet Stokes’ name was on his certificate dated 2000. His Army Enlisted Records Brief (an enlisted person’s personnel record) said he graduated in 2005. His jump log listed 20 jumps, but in his sworn statement, he said he had eight. He never received jump pay. He was not airborne and never had been.

In the end, the investigator recommended further Uniform Code of Military Justice action for Stokes. What remains is unexplained by the Army, including how it was that the soldier’s often contradictory records went undetected by the Army for so long. A spokeswoman for Human Resources Command confirmed to Army Times that Stokes had been separated from the Army but would not confirm what kind of discharge he received, citing privacy concerns.

“This appears to be a case in which the command identified misconduct and took appropriate action,” Buccino said.

The city of Fayetteville and its Public Works Commission have won an important public water rights victory. Superior Court Judge Richard Doughton approved an agreement Jan. 17 that settled an ongoing inter-river-basin water transfer dispute that had its origin in 2001. It came to a head in 2015 when the towns of Cary, Apex, Morrisville and Research Triangle Park, along with the southern portion of Wake County, were granted a revised interbasin transfer certificate from the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission.

The certificate allows them to transfer up to 31 million gallons of water a day from the Haw River Basin to the Neuse River Basin and 2 million gallons of water per day from the Cape Fear River Basin to the Neuse. The 2015 decision was a significant modification of the 17-year-old certificate of understanding issued to the same municipalities. The late state Sen. Lura S. Talley, D-Cumberland, helped craft the 2001 agreement requiring the return of water to the Cape Fear and Haw River Basins. The 2015 state certificate authorized an increase in the amount of water the municipalities could take from the Cape Fear and Haw Rivers, but it did not require the towns to return the water as the original agreement had.

To ensure Fayetteville and other downriver users would have adequate water supply to meet the needs of their citizens, PWC and the city of Fayetteville filed suit in May 2015, challenging the decision by the EMC to issue the 2015 certificate without a required return flow condition. The Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority and the town of Eastover later joined the suit as co-plaintiffs.

“One of the Commission’s most important roles is ensuring a safe and plentiful water supply for our customers and the citizens of our community,” said PWC Chairman Wade Fowler.

A year ago, the court ruled that the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resource and the North Carolina EMC substantially deprived downriver users and exceeded their authority or jurisdiction, acted erroneously, failed to use proper procedure, acted arbitrarily and capriciously and failed to act as required by law or rule upon issuing the 2015 inter-basin transfer certificate. Fayetteville PWC, led by chief operating officer Mick Noland, and other municipalities along the Cape Fear River Basin, overwhelmingly prevailed. The losing parties appealed the court’s decision to Cumberland County Superior Court March 9, 2017.

Since then, representatives of the involved parties were able to successfully negotiate the approved agreement, which settled the case. This month, the plaintiffs reached an accord with the towns of Cary and Apex, along with the North Carolina EMC and the state Department of Environmental Quality. The EMC now mandates a return flow requirement in the revised inter-basin transfer contract.

“I’m proud PWC could help secure our region’s future water supply,” said District Court Judge Lou Olivera, a former PWC commissioner.

The towns of Cary and Apex are required to submit compliance and monitoring plans to the Division of Water Resources to ensure the required amount of water is being returned.

“I would like to commend PWC, the city of Fayetteville and the other plaintiffs for their commitment to the protection of our most important asset – clean drinking water,” said Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin.

If anyone was worried about transition issues when Trinity Christian School basketball star Alex Scruggs transferred to the E.E. Smith’s girls basketball team this year, Scruggs has quickly put them to rest.

Coming out of an unexpected break in the schedule caused by the recent snow and ice, Scruggs has quickly moved to the top of the heap in the individual statistics for Cumberland County Schools’ girls basketball.

Through the most recent update of Jan. 19 at ncprepsports.net, Scruggs leads the county in both scoring and rebounding with 28.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.

She’s also tops in 3-point baskets with 28 and second in free-throw percentage at 73.0, hitting 120 of 164 from the line.

None of this is a surprise to veteran Smith head coach Dee Hardy.

“We’ve been knowing her family from when she was young,’’ Hardy said. “I knew from when she was younger she had ability that was going to take off. I just didn’t know how far.’’

Her numbers so far this season indicate she’s met and maybe exceeded Hardy’s expectations from days gone by.

Hardy didn’t expect Scruggs to have any problems transitioning from Trinity to Smith, and she hasn’t.

“My biggest concern was just her being in the school building, the specifics of that, our guidelines, rules and regulations versus what she was accustomed to coming from a private school,’’ Hardy said.

She knew her team would quickly welcome Scruggs. “Our girls are pretty open,’’ Hardy said. “We’ve never had a difficult time with anyone transitioning into the team as well as the building. Our kids are normally the ones that meet the new kids and show them around to welcome them.’’

Scruggs said her only concern coming to Smith was that’s she’s shy by nature and was a little worried about developing on-court chemistry with her new teammates.

“I’ve been working hard to make sure I can do the best I can making the transition,’’ Scruggs said.

Her biggest surprise in moving from private school to public school play is the aggressive play, especially on defense. “It’s faster paced,’’ she said.

One thing that hasn’t changed for Scruggs is her on-court play. She thrives on driving to the basket, drawing fouls and rebounding.

Hardy agrees. “She loves to attack the basket and she’s been pretty successful with that,’’ Hardy said. As for rebounding, Hardy said Scruggs just has a knack for finding a way to be in the lane at the right place to pull them down.

At 5-foot-9 1/2-inches tall, Scruggs can be plugged in at multiple positions on the court, and Hardy has taken advantage of that.

“She’s a guard, shooting guard and power forward,’’ Hardy said. She thinks Scruggs’ college future will be on the perimeter but that she could play either guard position or a forward.

Which college she’ll be attending is something Scruggs has yet to decide. She won’t make that decision until the time comes closer, she said.

“I’m looking for a school with a family-type environment, looking for coaches to bond with,’’ she said. She’s leaning toward a major in sports medicine but hasn’t made a final decision on that either.

Whoever gets her will be getting a special talent, Hardy said.

“She’s a really nice young lady,’’ Hardy said, “just her demeanor and personality. She’s a very smart student.”

Now that the snow break appears to be over and Smith can finally get back on the basketball court, Hardy said the goal moving forward is the same for Scruggs and the rest of the team.

“We want to keep our focus and make sure we haven’t had a brain dump on things we worked on before the days out,’’ she said. “Keeping our intensity and conditioning, that’s very key for us.’’

Photo: Alex Scruggs

Jaylen Hudson

Cape Fear • Junior •

Basketball/football

Hudson has a 4.0 grade point average while playing both basketball and football for the Colts.

Sarah Gallagher

Cape Fear • Senior •

Swimming Gallagher has a 4.5 grade point average. In addition to swimming, she’s active in the Beta Club, the Key Club and the Student Government Association.

Methodist University is set to host the Play4Kay Women’s Basketball Event Saturday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m. at the March F. Riddle Center on the campus of MU. The event is in remembrance and honor of Coach Kay Yow, who died Jan. 24, 2009, when she lost her fight with breast cancer.

“Play4Kay is a fundraising initiative that was started by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association about 12 years ago, and now it is partnered with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund,” said DeeDee Jarman, deputy director of athletics at MU. “This was something that Coach Yow wanted to start before she died because she wanted to bring awareness to breast cancer.”

Jarman added that the initiative has transformed into an event to raise awareness for all women’s cancers. The money that is donated to their organization is given back to organizations such as research firms that are trying to find a cure for cancer. Half of the funds are used locally for underprivileged women to receive mammograms.

There will be a silent auction and special recognition for cancer patients and survivors during halftime and a reception after the game.

“The silent auction is our biggest fundraiser, and we have items that are donated,” said Jarman. “Some of the items we have this year include a Kay Yow pin flag signed by Arnold Palmer, tennis shoes designed for the Kay Yow sports line (and) an autographed Carolina Hurricanes Jersey.”

Several restaurants and businesses will have spirit nights and will donate a percentage of their sales to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Chipotle’s is Feb. 20; Buffalo Wild Wings’ is Feb. 2 and 8; and Scrub Oaks’ is Feb. 9. TLC Auto Wash on Ramsey Street will donate $1 for every car wash from Feb. 4-11. Local high schools have also joined in to help raise funds. The morning of the game, there will be a 5K walk/run at 9 a.m. The entrance fee is $25. All participants will receive a T-shirt and a medal.

Yow was the women’s basketball coach at North Carolina State University for 28 years. She battled with cancer three different times.

“I worked her camp for 13 years, and that is how I got to know her,” said Jarman. “If you had the opportunity to ever meet her, you would know she was a very caring person and always put others before herself; and if you had any relationship with her, you would want to try to continue what she started.”

“This has become a real big event across the nation,” said Jarman. “We want to continue to recognize and keep Coach Yow’s memory going strong.”

If you would like to participate in the basketball game, email djarman@methodist.edu or call 910-630-7283. For more information on the 5K, call 910-630-7615. Merchandise will be available for sale.

An upcoming performance titled “1867-2017: A 150-Year Celebration!” by the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra on Feb. 10 is set to honor black excellence on a number of levels.

For starters, the event is hosted at Fayetteville State University, specifically to celebrate the school’s 150th anniversary of its founding. According to the school’s history webpage, the sesquicentennial marks the moment when seven black Fayetteville citizens purchased two lots on Gillespie Street to “form among themselves a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees to maintain the property for the education of Black youth.”

Just 10 years later, in 1877, the school would be the first public, normal school for North Carolinian African-Americans, as well as the first statesponsored institution in the south for the training of black teachers. As of 2018, FSU offers a doctoral degree, eight master’s degrees and 33 bachelor’s degrees to students.

To parallel this journey, the orchestra’s performance will track African-American influences in music during the same 150-year time period.

According to Stefan Sanders, FSO music director, the performance will include music from African-American composers such as William Grant Still, Florence Price, Samuel Coleridge- Taylor and Scott Joplin. The performance will conclude with Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech set to music by composer Lee Hoiby.

“It’s just going to be this... amazing musical journey that is tracking the incredible history of the last 150 years and celebrating African- American culture,” said Sanders.

Joining the orchestra as a guest artist will be the world-renowned soprano opera vocalist Angela Brown. She has travelled both internationally and across the United States based on the merits of her voice. She has made headlines in major publications from The New York Times to Essence and Oprah magazines.

Brown will be performing a piece from one of Giuseppe Verdi’s operas as well as Gershwin’s song “Summertime” from his opera “Porgy and Bess.”

“It’s not every day that an artist of (Brown’s) prestige is coming to Fayetteville so we’re really excited about collaborating with her on this program,” said Sanders.

Brown is also the producer and creator of the stage show “Opera…from a Sistah’s Point of View.” According to her website, the solo show “dispels the common myths of opera from her own sassy perspective.” Brown will be performing the show while in town for FSU’s 150th celebration. The show is free and takes place at the Arts Council Center Thursday, Feb. 8, at 6 p.m.

“The truth is, I’ve never met a person that doesn’t love music, and, most of the time, when they let themselves experience something new, they end up really enjoying it,” said Sanders. “And that’s the case with this concert performance. We’re going to be playing great music, and Angela is a superstar.”

But it’s not simply about good music in celebration of FSU and Black History Month. FSU’s journey represents hopes and dreams turned into thunderous reality through the tireless effort of the black community, which FSO’s performance will endeavor to embody.

“1867-2017: A 150-Year Celebration” will be at the Seabrook Auditorium at FSU, located at 1200 Murchison Rd., Saturday, Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m. The pre-concert talk with the FSO “Music Nerd” begins at 6:45 p.m.

For tickets, visit www.fayettevillesymphony.org.

Photo: World-renowned soprano opera vocalist Angela Brown

If you listened carefully, you could almost hear hearts breaking across America last week as young woman after young woman confronted their monster, a medical doctor, who sexually assaulted them repeatedly when they were aspiring young athletes. More than 150 young women, some Olympians, told Dr. Larry Nassar directly how his abuse had derailed their young lives and destroyed their trust in medicine, in athletics, in authority and in some instances, in their parents. The exact number of victims is unknown and probably always will be.

The only heroes in this sad tale are the young women who insisted they had been abused by someone who was an icon in his field and kept saying so until they were finally believed.

The first and greatest betrayals were Nassar’s alone. For whatever tortured reasons, he put his desires ahead of those of his patients, many of them children when the abuse began. It is impossible to know what drove this man, but the carnage left by his actions is obvious to anyone with a TV. Adding to his enduring shame, Nassar asked the sentencing judge to excuse him from the courtroom so that he would not have to confront his victims in person and experience their anger and hurt. To her enduring credit, the judge declined, saying he committed abuse for years and could certainly listen to its aftermath for a few days.

Institutional betrayals are legion as well, with administrators cascading from lofty posts into oblivion. Topping the list is the president of Michigan State University, Nassar’s employer, who inexplicably cleared him of abuse charges, but who also had doubts but did nothing. University administrators below her are falling, too, as are officials of the national gymnastics associations and people in other sporting groups. Organizations that support young athletes promote not only athletic excellence but character values, but in this instance, they did not walk the talk.

Perhaps most tragic are failures and betrayals by the parents of these young athletes, many of whom were present when the abuse occurred. Stunning as this sounds, they were in the room when Nassar performed “medical procedures” on their daughters, though he shielded his actions from their view with his body or with draping. Some of these parents pushed their talented young athletes to perform in their sports. Some of these parents may have ignored what their daughters told them about Nassar and his procedures, some of them were trusting and unobservant of what he was doing, and some of them likely experienced all of the above. Whatever their thoughts at the time, many will go to their graves with deep guilt that they did not protect their daughters from one of the most prolific child predators the sports world has ever encountered.

If there is any saving grace in this grim story of selfish and criminal disregard for other people, it is that Nassar is now the poster boy for child sexual abuse and stars in the latest chapter just behind #MeToo in our nation’s growing intolerance for such behavior.

If #MeToo addresses women standing up for ourselves in the workplace, then the words “Larry Nassar” are code for the importance of adult vigilance, both individually and institutionally, in protecting children, including promising athletes, from perverted adults. As Americans process how we have addressed – or not addressed – what girls and women are telling us about how they are treated in the workplace and beyond, #Me Too and Larry Nassar offer glimmers of hope that Americans will now believe what we say.

Author Malcolm Gladwell wrote “The Tipping Point” in 2000, a best-seller describing how ideas take hold in a culture and then become part of the culture – think the change in Americans’ attitudes toward cigarette smoking over the last decades of the 20th century and, more recently, our acceptance of samesex marriage.

Let us all hope that sexual abuse of both girls and women in the workplace is becoming a shockingly unacceptable act.

Photo: Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman 

History is not always pretty. But an honest examination of the past can be valuable in educating the generations that follow, ensuring past atrocities never again occur and, for many, offering an avenue for healing and forward motion. The Civil War and Reconstruction History Center seeks to tell the stories of all those involved in and affected by the Civil War: soldiers who fought for both the Union and the Confederacy; enslaved people for whom the invasion by U.S. troops meant liberation; free blacks caught in the middle of warring armies; and the women and children left behind to fend for themselves as their husbands, sons and fathers went to war. These are the people the history center hopes to highlight.

The Civil War is, with good reason, a subject that both skeptics and supporters agree must be treated thoroughly and with an emphasis on education rather than simply memorialization.

Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin, our city’s second African-American mayor, cautiously supports the proposed Civil War and Reconstruction History Center. Colvin agrees with supporters that Fayetteville is ready for another world-class institution like the Army’s Airborne & Special Operations Museum to solidify the city as a tourist destination.

Tisha Waddell, who is black, is the councilwoman who replaced Colvin as the member representing the Murchison Road area’s District 3. She said she sees the History Center as an opportunity that will benefit the community. At a recent council meeting, she said the controversy that still surrounds the subject of the Civil War is precisely why an education center dealing with that period in American history is needed.

“Whenever history is told, all sides must be equally represented,” she said. “If that’s done, it could be powerful.”

Organizers said they will take “an evenhanded approach to the state’s Civil War experience precisely because no one agreed on it then, and no one agrees on it today.”

The Reconstruction period, 1867-77, was an attempt to repair the rift between the North and the South. It did not. However, during that time, life for blacks didn’t change much. President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 freed only those slaves held in the Confederate states. Emancipation became universal with the adoption of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which Congress passed in January 1865, and it became national policy.

Given little guidance from Washington, Southern whites turned to their traditional political leaders for reorganization of their state governments. The results were suspiciously like those of the antebellum period. To be sure, slavery was abolished; but each reconstructed Southern state government adopted a “Black Code,” regulating the rights and privileges of freedmen. The 14th Amendment was designed to provide citizenship and civil liberties to freed slaves.

Hiram Revels, born a free man in Fayetteville, became the first African-American to serve in the U.S. Congress. He was a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church and was called to be a permanent pastor of a church in Natchez, Mississippi. In 1870, Revels was elected to finish the term of one of Mississippi’s two seats in the U.S. Senate, which had been left vacant since the Civil War. The South had been economically devastated. The Union was preserved and restored, but the cost in physical and moral suffering was incalculable.

This history and much more is what the center is all about. As its founding documents make clear, “The History Center is designed to be a ‘teaching museum’ rather than a ‘collecting museum.’” It would be owned and operated by the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The site chosen for the facility is the location of one of North Carolina’s most important Civil War sites, the Federal Arsenal in Haymount, now often referred to as the Fayetteville Arsenal. History Center Foundation President Mac Healy said this will not be “a museum full of relics, weapons, uniforms and such.” The North Carolina Civil War and Reconstruction History Center will be about lifestyles, teaching an understanding of honor and respect for all the people whose individual contributions and sacrifices, woven together, create the complex tapestry that is our nation’s, our state’s, our community’s history. As stated in the foundation’s literature, “Visitors to the Center should get a sense of stepping into the shoes of these individuals … from a place of compassion and understanding and what it was like to face extreme challenges that are unimaginable today.”

Often overlooked is that life on the homefront was risky business, especially for women, whose purpose in life was often reduced to not much more than bearing babies. An example of what passed for success was provided by a Cumberland County woman – a planter’s wife – who, after 15 live births and a couple of miscarriages finally had a whole decade of freedom from childbearing to enjoy before dying in her mid-50s. Her epitaph was a model of understatement: “She hath done what she could.”

The History Center will, in addition to being a place of education and reflection, serve as a hub for economic development and tourism. Officials estimate the History Center will draw upward of 130,000 visitors to the community annually. Healy said studies indicate that destination tourists stay twice as long and spend twice as much as travelers. Additionally, the History Center will produce more than 150 service industry jobs. It is projected to generate $12 million a year in economic impact for our region.

“Good economic development such as the History Center will grow the tax base rather than be a constant financial drain on the community,” Healy said.

Professors from the University of North Carolina System are compiling research for the center that will also serve as Civil War history curriculum for Tar Heel schoolchildren. The History Center will include a 60,000 square-foot main building. Two other buildings on the site, including the original Arsenal House, will be renovated. The center’s foundation has already raised about $27 million of the $65 million project cost. This includes $5 million from the state, $7.5 million each from Cumberland County and the city of Fayetteville and $7 million in private, mostly local, commitments. The city has agreed to a withdrawal of $250,000 from its fund if the county does the same.

Learn more about the History Center at http://nccivilwarcenter.org.

I appreciate that readers often give feedback regarding my columns that appear in Up & Coming Weekly newspaper 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 www.youtube. com/watch?v=mK8H9qGKkMI.

Photo: Candace Owens

A conversation with our publisher, Bill Bowman, prompted this week’s publisher’s pen. He told me about how he joined a football pool for the big game Feb. 4. Shortly after he bought into the pool, his money was returned. It was canceled due to lack of interest. Really? Lack of interest in the Super Bowl? That’s when he learned several other popular pools were canceled for the same reason – the public has no interest in the NFL and the Super Bowl. People seem to be done with the NFL. Fans are angry and disappointed. It’s time to move on.

For generations, parents have warned their children that actions have consequences. It’s good advice, as is “just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” The craziness that’s been happening in the NFL the past two seasons is a perfect example of how true and relevant these axioms still are.

Who knows what Colin Kaepernick thought would happen when, in August 2016, he chose to sit, and a few games later, kneel, during the national anthem to protest police brutality against minorities? It probably wasn’t this. Watching the last 18 months play out has been both interesting and disheartening.

I grew up in a military home, as have my children. My family is steeped in military service and tradition going back generations. I doubt anyone in my family could sit or kneel for the national anthem if our lives depended on it. So many of my loved ones have served, fought and even died for people to be able to make their own choices – including the choice to not stand for the national anthem.

Sitting or kneeling for the anthem is a right that Americans do have. But when someone chooses to do this, it speaks volumes about them and their feelings toward the people who fought for their right to make that choice. On a personal level, it is hard not to hold it against people who protest in this way. In this case, it makes it easy to choose to stop watching games and buying tickets to support an organization that permits and encourages these actions.

There is no need to rehash the history and details of the kneeling protests, the pushback from fans and the NFL’s refusal to reign in its players. What would be the point? Many of those who strongly oppose the NFL’s stand have already quit watching the games, buying tickets and merchandise and cheering for their favorite teams in football pools. Those still watching may not come back next season.

The NFL’s recent decision to refuse to run an ad by American Veterans, an organization founded in 1944 that’s more than a quarter-million members strong, may be the last straw for fans trying to hang on to a game and tradition they love.

The ad in question shows an American flag with the hashtag #PleaseStand. It includes information about how to support AMVETS financially. AMVETS National Commander Marion Polk replied to the NFL’s refusal to run the ad saying, “Freedom of speech works both ways. We respect the rights of those who choose to protest as these rights are precisely what our members have fought – and in many cases died – for. Please support our mission.”

Was the NFL within its rights to deny the ad? Sure. Will that decision bring consequences? Probably.

It’s disheartening that a great American tradition like football that usually brings people together has become be so divisive.

What will you be doing during the NFL’s Super Bowl Sunday? I’ll be “taking a knee.”