The Future Farmers of America arboretum at South View High School is about to get a major upgrade and offer a direct benefit to the community.

Erin Yoest, first-year agriculture teacher at South View, landed a $5,000 grant for the school’s arboretum from North Carolina State University.

The money will be used to expand South View’s arboretum and eventually grow vegetables that will be given to the needy in the community.

Yoest, 23, is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University who joined the faculty at South View eight months ago. She has a degree in agriculture and extension education and has been interested in agriculture since she was a youngster.

“We had a few show pigs and we got involved with 4-H as soon as we could,’’ she said. “When I went to high school, I knew I would be part of FFA. My interest in agriculture grew from there.’’

South View offers three courses in agriculture – agriscience applications and Horticulture I and II.

Yoest said the courses cover plant sciences, agricultural engineering and mechanics, and a little animal science and environmental science.

She learned about the grant opportunity from N.C. State last September and had to submit an application that included a project outline, timeline, goals and objectives, and a budget.

She has clear plans for how to spend the $5,000 the school was awarded.

“We’re going to be getting new tables for one of our greenhouses to make it a safer environment to work in,’’ she said. “Now they have wooden tables and they are starting to dry rot.’’

The rest of the money will go to purchase a drip irrigation system for the school’s edible arboretum.

Yoest said drip irrigation is a more efficient way to irrigate the arboretum than using traditional sprinklers. “You’re reaching the soil a lot better,’’ she said. “It’s educational as well as efficient.’’

She’s also hopeful that the school will be able to use the arboretum to raise money for the school’s FFA program. She said there are about 16 4-by-4- foot plots of soil in the arboretum that she would like to rent to the community.

“We’ll start with the staff and faculty at South View High School and Middle School,’’ she said. “We’ll eventually open it to the community to come and rent lots.’’

Yoest plans to start planting tomatoes, peppers, okra and corn, plus a variety of vegetables they already have seeds for.

How fast the various crops grow depends on normal growth rates for each and how cooperative the weather is during the spring and summer.

Some of the vegetables will get a jump-start by being planted in the school greenhouse in February.

“We could have some stuff ready by early summer,’’ Yoest said. “Other things like corn, watermelon and pumpkins will be more toward the end of the summer.’’

A final decision on exactly how the vegetables grown will be distributed to those in need hasn’t been made, Yoest said. One possible idea is to partner with Second Harvest Food Bank, she said. The issue will be settled once the arboretum is closer to producing actual food for distribution.

Photo: Erin Yoe

The team that brought local audiences “The Little Mermaid” last season will bring “Seussical The Musical” to the Cape Fear Regional Theatre Feb. 1-25.

The show brings some of your favorite Dr. Seuss characters to life – to include The Cat in the Hat, Horton the elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie La Bird and JoJo – the tiniest resident of Whoville.

With several special events planned for Dr. Seuss fans of all ages, CFRT Artistic Director Mary Catherine Burke said this is an adventure not to be missed.

“The show is the most delightful kaleidoscope you can imagine,” Burke said.

In collaboration with 2 Ring Circus, CFRT is bringing back many cast and crew members who helped make “The Little Mermaid” such a crowd-pleaser last season. Director Melissa Rain Anderson said the audiences will again see creative dance and circus choreography that take the production to another level.

“To our knowledge, this is the first circus treatment of ‘Seussical,’” Burke said.

While audiences can expect to see more aerial arts than in “The Little Mermaid,” the acrobatic elements are purposeful and serve to elevate the show, not overpower the story.

“None of the circus ‘tricks’ are there just to be circus,” said Ally Ivey, who plays JoJo. “Everything is there to forward the story.”

The story is a tale about the powers of friendship, loyalty, family and community. Perhaps, most importantly, the story highlights that diversity of thought is a good thing and respect for that diversity makes communities stronger.

The musical is an amalgamation of several books by Dr. Seuss and introduces us to Horton, an elephant who discovers a speck of dust containing the Whos of Whoville, including little JoJo. JoJo is sent to military school for ‘thinking too many thinks.’ Horton must protect the Whos and an abandoned egg left in his care by Mayzie La Bird.

While the plot points may sound familiar to Dr. Seuss fans, one need not be an avid reader of the books to appreciate “Seussical.”

“You don’t need to have any knowledge of Dr. Seuss to enjoy this experience,” said Dax Valdes, who plays Wickersham. “Some kids will see themselves in JoJo or the bullies, and maybe they can come away changed.”

Adults will enjoy the show, too, Burke said.

“It’s amazing how much adults want to play and be creative and imaginative – they just need permission,” she said.

“Seussical The Musical” runs Feb. 1-25 with special events for families and military, as well as a book drive, a VIP experience and a sensory-friendly performance. Tickets range from $17-$32. For more information, visit www.cfrt.org or call 910-323-4234.

Who’s going to win Super Bowl LII? Here’s how the Cumberland County Schools senior high school football coaches see the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the defending champion New England Patriots going.

Bill Sochovka, Pine Forest – “I will be supporting the Eagles. I was very impressed with how the defense played against the Vikings, and I have a nephew who works for the Eagles. Have to support the family.’’

Mike Paroli, Douglas Byrd – “I think New England will win. But I will be pulling for the Eagles.’’

Craig Raye, Westover – “Philly over New England. They’re playing good defense.’’

Deron Donald, E.E. Smith – “I really don’t have a pick for this game. It should be competitive, but I’m not a fan of either team.’’

Rodney Brewington, South View - “My selection is the Philadelphia Eagles. They are playing the best defense, and they are able to manufacture first downs.’’

Jake Thomas, Cape Fear – “Although their conference championship performances make me want to pick the Eagles, I don’t think Nick Foles (Eagles quarterback) can come up with backto- back best career performances on this stage. Also, my gut tells me never bet against (Tom) Brady/(Bill) Belichick. When it matters the most, they both have Jedi mind powers. Patriots.’’

Bruce McClelland, Terry Sanford – “New England 28, Philadelphia 17. Dwayne Allen, former Terry Sanford Bulldog standout, gets a ring and a touchdown in this matchup. (Allen is a backup tight end for the Patriots.) Allen helps Brady get yet another ring.’’

Brian Randolph, Jack Britt – “Patriots win by 13. The Patriots are a quality football team that plays well in every phase of the game. They are very wellcoached and always force the opposing team to play ‘left-handed’. I am just hoping for a competitive game.’’

David Lovette, Gray’s Creek – “The New England Patriots will probably win. Brady and Belichick are a great quarterback/coach combo. And to paraphrase Ric Flair, whether you like it or not, you better learn to live with the Patriots because they are the best thing going today.’’

Duran McLaurin, Seventy-First – “I’m going with the Eagles. All that know me know that I’m a big Eagles fan. I just think this is the year. With all the injuries to key players, they’ve managed to continue to gel. Hopefully they’ve saved the best for last.’’

Photo: Terry Sanford graduate Dwayne Allen with the Lamar Hunt trophy after he and the New England Patriots won the AFC championship Sunday.

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

• 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 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.

• Senior Valentine’s Day Luncheon Wednesday, Feb. 14, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Free, but sign-up required. Only 100 seats available. You must be registered with Hope Mills Parks and Recreation to attend. Main dish, drinks and entertainment will be provided. Please bring a side dish to share with your peers. Call 910-426- 4109 or visit the front reception desk to register. To cancel, call at least two days in advance.

• Social Knitting and Crocheting Fridays, 10 a.m.-noon, Small Activity Room. Those planning to attend must provide their own supplies and projects.

• 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.

• Hope Mills Youth wrestling registration is open until Feb. 2 for ages 6-12. Practices are held at Brower Park. Matches are held at Myers Recreation Center March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31. $30 per child. Proof of address and birth certificate are required to register. Call 910-426-4105 for more information.

Promote yourself

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

Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear, back in the mid-20th century, when a giant picture of the 82nd Airborne Division graced the wall of Sears on Hay Street. The huge mural was on the stairway above the shoe department in Sears. Climb into Mr. Peabody’s Way Back machine and wander through midcentury Fayetteville.

The picture was taken at Fort Bragg of paratroopers falling from the sky above a color guard. The soldier in the middle of the picture wearing the parachute is Colonel Stephen J. Meade. Note the flag with 48 stars. Bill Belche took the picture. Belche owned WIDU radio station and was famous for his catch phrase, “Hey, Lordy Mamma!”

If you are from Fayetteville and calendar-enriched, you will recall this picture, which dominated downtown for decades. The Sears building ultimately morphed into the Department of Social Services and then AIT. The fate of the original mural is lost in time.

To quote our old pal Charles Dickens about Fayetteville in the 1960’s, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The Donald’s recent “s***hole” comment got me thinking about earlier times. Like the Overlook Hotel in “The Shining,” a lot of things happened in the South, and not all of them were good.

Begin in Sears shoe department’s mechanical rocket ship ride, which for a dime could buy a couple of minutes of child entertainment. Next to the rocket was the foot X-ray machine, where people could Xray their feet for free as many times as they desired. The fun of the machine was to put your feet into a new pair of shoes and wiggle your toes to see if the new shoes fit. Al Bundy would have loved this medical shoe-selling technique.

I X-rayed my feet whenever we were downtown. It is no small wonder that I still have feet. The machine was cool. You stood up and put your feet under the X-ray device and looked into a viewer at the top of the machine. The X-ray image you saw of your bones was purple, as I recall. After 60 years, memory can fade. Fortunately for Sears, the statute of limitations has long since passed. If your feet have rotted away due to amateur radiology, you are on your own.

Santa Claus held forth on the landing above the shoe department each year. The toy department at the back of Sears had an electric train layout that rivaled the real thing. A kid could stand there watching the trains go around while surrounded by a sea of wonderful Christmas toys. Climb to Sears’ second floor on Saturdays, and the appliance department had a ham cooking over a rotisserie grill. The smell was wonderful. Sears’ record department on the second floor had racks of the latest platters, bringing music to the huddled masses yearning to buy Elvis Presley’s latest tunes.

Not all nostalgia is sepia-toned. Next to the X-ray machine stood the water fountains marked “White” and “Colored.” I recall the “White” water fountain was a standard refrigerated model and the “Colored” water fountain was a much simpler non-refrigerated model.

The bathrooms were also segregated by race. Growing up in the South, this seemed quite normal. From the perspective of 2018, it seems quite bizarre. Segregation was not limited to water fountains. The theaters downtown – the Miracle, Colony, Carolina, and Broadway – were segregated. The black people had their own separate entrance that led up to the balcony where they had to sit. The white people went in to the main floor. You learned not to sit under the very edge of the balcony as you might find yourself enjoying a shower of coke or popcorn from on high. Considering the indignity of having to sit upstairs due to your race, the white people down below were lucky heavier objects did not rain down upon us from above.

Cape Fear Valley Hospital was not immune to Jim Crow, either. The hospital had separate but unequal waiting rooms for “White” and “Colored” people. In retrospect, it seems odd that a hospital would sort out its patients by race, but that is what happened.

The school systems were segregated. My high school, 71st, was not integrated until my junior year in 1967. About 10 black students got dropped into an all-white school. It was not an easy transition for them. I remember Fletcher Williams was one of the first black students. Fletcher was a natural athlete, outgoing and cheerful. He played on the football team and ran on the track team and was accepted. The other black students had a much harder time.

So when pondering The Donald’s preference for Norwegians over black and brown people from “s***hole countries,” consider where we were 60 years ago. Back then, where you could drink, eat, see movies, go to school and get medical attention was determined by the color of your skin. Those were not the good old days for everyone.

Best we keep those days from returning. They did not make America great.

Here are some upcoming events involving local high schools.

• The Gray’s Creek High School baseball team will hold a golf tournament fundraiser Saturday, March 17, at Cypress Lakes Golf Course.

Bear head baseball coach Jeff Nance said the format for the event is four-person captain’s choice.

The entry fee is $65 per person. The shotgun start is at 8:30 a.m.

There will be several events included with the tournament, among them closest to the pin, longest drive, holein- one prizes, food and beverages. Lunch will be catered by Fred Chason’s Grandsons restaurant.

The registration deadline is March 10, and entry fees should be made payable to Gray’s Creek High School, attention: Jeff Nance.

The mailing address is 5301 Celebration Dr., Hope Mills, NC 28348.

All the money raised by the tournament will be used to upgrade and improve the baseball program at Gray’s Creek.

• Terry Sanford High School will hold the fifth annual Bulldog Dash/Bash and Al Munoz Memorial 5K Saturday, March 17, at 8 a.m. at the school.

A portion of the proceeds will go to help cancer patients in the Cumberland County area.

You can register online at Active.com or get an entry form from the school. Mailed forms should be sent to 498 Windwoodon- Skye, Fayetteville, NC 28303 and sent attention: Bulldog Dash/Bash. All checks should be made payable to FTS Booster Club. The entry fee is $25 before March 2 and $30 after. The entry fee is not refundable.

A race packet distribution and late registration will begin the day of the race at 7 a.m.

For further information or to find out about large group registration, call Donna Johnson at 910-728-3702 or email jjohn86100@aol.com.

• The recent string of snow/cold weather days causing school to be closed force some changes in the planned Play4Kay basketball fundraiser games scheduled by some of the Cumberland County Schools.

Following are the revised dates for some of the schools that had to move games.

Please contact each school before attending to make sure this is still a Play4Kay game.

Money raised at the games will be contributed to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, in memory of the former N.C. State womens’ head coach.

Feb. 2 - Pine Forest at Cape Fear.

Feb. 5 - Pinecrest at Seventy-First.

Feb. 7 - Pine Forest at South View.

Photo: Jeff Nance, Gray’s Creek head baseball coach

Fayetteville State University’s Chancellor’s Speaker Series presents Margot Lee Shetterly, Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. at J. W. Seabrook Auditorium. The speaker series is designed to bring top executives, government officials, academic leaders and nationally known speakers to FSU.

Shetterly is an entrepreneur, writer, researcher and the author of “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and The Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race.” The film adaptation, “Hidden Figures” became the No. 1 movie in America during its run, scoring three Oscar nominations (Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Spencer) and two Golden Globes (Best Supporting Actress for Spencer and Best Original Score). It also won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Up & Coming Weekly spoke with the author about her upcoming appearance.

UCW: What should the audience expect to hear from you Feb. 6?

Shetterly: I’ll be speaking about my book, “Hidden Figures,” and a little bit about the history behind it.

UCW: Please give us a short synopsis of your book.

Shetterly: It is a story about four African-American women who worked as mathematicians at NASA from 1943-1969. It serves as the secondary narrative (to the primary narrative), which is really the history of desegregation of schools in Virginia by extension of the United States.

UCW: What inspired you to write this book?

Shetterly: My father is a NASA scientist, and I grew up knowing these women and grew up living in the same community with them. Their history is my history in a very direct way.

UCW: Why is it important to tell the history of black women?

Shetterly: I think the most important thing is if we wait for other people to tell our story, it won’t get told. I think it is really incumbent upon each of us who know these stories, (who) grew up with these people who are remarkable and may not (have) gotten their full accounting in the history books – we have to learn those stories and tell those stories.

UCW: What is the one thing you want the audience to take from your presentation Feb. 6?

Shetterly: One thing is that all of this is our history. Black history is American history. There is no difference between the two.

UCW: Are you working on any new projects?

Shetterly: I am just in the beginning stages of working on a new project. “Hidden Figures” is still keeping me busy.

UCW: Final thoughts?

Shetterly: I’m really looking forward to the trip. It is very exciting, and I am really grateful to everyone for extending the invitation.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 910-672-1111.

Even when school’s closed, most high school athletes can find a place to practice on their own, either alone or with teammates, to stay sharp and maintain conditioning.

But in one Cumberland County high school sport, swimming, that freedom to practice isn’t a given. There are no local indoor public swimming pools open all year, and the one where local swimmers currently practice and compete at Fayetteville State University was shut tight during the Christmas break.

That meant standout swimmers like Zizhou Lu of Gray’s Creek and Adrienne Stevens of South View had no place to practice. That’s part of the reason the best swimmers from the county have had a problem competing evenly with their counterparts from other parts of the state who have better access to public pools.

“With more access to pools you’d have more swimmers,’’ said Gray’s Creek swimming coach Rick Kaiser. “You can do some weight room stuff as far as pushing off walls and a little upper body work, but for the most part, it’s a different type of exercise. Pool access is huge for developing the swimmer.’’

Despite problems with getting into the pool for enough practice time, both Lu and Stevens have established themselves among the top swimmers from Cumberland County this season.

Lu, a junior, has been swimming for seven years. He got into it mainly for fitness but soon improved and began swimming competitively. “It became like a passion,’’ he said. His favorite events are the 50-, 100- and 200-meter freestyle.

“It’s like it’s its own world,’’ he said of swimming. “You don’t have to worry about other stuff during the time you swim. It’s like stress-free.’

Stevens got into swimming about eight years ago when her grandfather took her for lessons; she quickly became hooked. The 100- meter fly and the 200 individual medley are her favorite events.

“I’ve definitely worked on speed and trying to see how I can go faster and longer distances,’’ Stevens said. “I’m practicing hard every day, being motivated and having the right mindset.’’

John McConnell is in his first season as head coach of the South View team and said Stevens is a better swimmer than he is a coach.

“She swims all the strokes perfectly and is a very strong swimmer,’’ he said.

Lu and Stevens, along with all the other swimmers from Cumberland County, are gearing up for the postseason stretch of competition in swimming.

The final Patriot Athletic Conference meet of the season is scheduled Jan. 25 at the FSU pool.

Following that, for those that qualify, the 3-A and 4-A regional meets will be held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center Feb. 2-3, and the state championships will be the weekend of Feb. 8-10.

The 3-A meet will be Feb. 8, 4-A Feb. 10, both at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary.

McConnell agrees with Kaiser that for Cumberland County to have a serious shot at winning individual state titles, better access to swimming facilities is a must.

“We need to get a dedicated aquatic center,’’ he said. “We can’t keep borrowing pools here and there.’’

Photos L to R: Zizhou Lu; Adrienne Stevens

The Department of Veterans Affairs has begun publicizing information about how often its doctors prescribe opioids to help ease patients’ pain. It’s a move led by VA Secretary David Shulkin to increase awareness. Efforts spearheaded by former Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson and former Fayetteville VA Medical Center Director Elizabeth Gooslby helped to significantly reduce local VA prescription rates beyond those of the other three VA medical centers in North Carolina.

In 2017, for the first time, department officials began publicly listing information on VA disciplinary actions, hospital wait times and leadership travel. Those data were often misleading, according to Fayetteville VA records. This latest move for transparency makes the department the first hospital system in the country to disclose details on opioid use. Nationwide, the abuse of opioids has risen dramatically in recent years and has caused as many as 90 overdose deaths a day.

There is persuasive evidence that the task force headed by Robertson and Goolsby reduced local opioid abuse. Since 2012, when the Veterans Affairs Department instituted its new opioid safety initiative, dispensed prescriptions dropped more than 41 percent systemwide. The Fayetteville VA did far better than that. In 2012, the prescribing rate of opioids dispensed at the Ramsey Street VA hospital was 21 percent. In 2017, it fell to 8 percent – a 65 percent reduction. At the VA Medical Centers in Asheville and Salisbury, the decline was 42 percent; Durham was 39 percent.

In an interview with The Military Times, Shulkin said he hopes the move will provide a clearer picture of VA facilities that are successfully responding to the problem.

“I think VA is among some of the best work in the country on this,” he said. “We also have the responsibility to share what we learned with the rest of the country.”

Late last year, Shulkin invited members of the White House commission on opioids to visit the Cleveland, Ohio, VA Medical Center to discuss their medication management techniques. Shulkin said the hospital now has only 3 percent of its patients using opioids. Shulkin acknowledged, however that prescribing rates remain high at some other VA facilities.

In a statement, Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president and a lead official on the opioid commission, praised the VA’s move as “an innovative way to raise awareness, increase transparency and mitigate the dangers of overprescribing.”

Shulkin called the department’s new transparency efforts part of a broader cultural change at the department over the last year, a permanent change in how VA physicians approach their responsibilities for years to come.

“When you begin to start disclosing and publicly sharing information, it’s very hard to stop,” he said. “That’s a commitment that’s going to be at VA for a long time. And that’s part of what we need to do to transform this organization to regain the trust of those we serve, our veterans.”

Barely into a new year, we yearn to feel fresh and hopeful, but not all our news is good.

One of the most disturbing reads I have had lately was published last week in The New York Times. Writing on the op-ed page, David Leonhardt addressed racism in America, quoting Steve Bannon as saying, “I want them to talk about racism every day. If the left is focused on race and identity, and we go with economic nationalism, we can crush the Democrats.”

Leonhardt weighs in by saying that racism is alive and well and should be addressed but that emphasizing concerns of middle- and working-class voters is a better way to get their attention. Says Leonhardt, “Race is different. When it’s at the center of the political debate, a large group of voters can become more likely to choose white-nationalist candidates like Trump, as Bannon understood – and exploited – in 2016. You can lament that fact. I certainly do. But don’t make the mistake of denying it.”

Hard to argue with that assessment.

********************

North Carolina is no longer a full democracy, according to the Electoral Integrity Project, an independent research effort with team members at Harvard University and the University of Sydney. Since 2012, the EIP has measured 213 elections in 153 countries, evaluating how fair, free and democratic those elections were. EIP also evaluated North Carolina’s 2016 elections, giving our state electoral integrity a score of 58/100, similar to the scores Cuba, Sierra Leone and Indonesia received. Drilling down, regarding voter registration, North Carolina ranked with Iran and Venezuela, and no nation has ever received as low a score as North Carolina did on unfair districting.

EIP also criticized North Carolina for limiting citizens’ rights based on their born identities in the infamous House Bill 2, sometimes called the bathroom bill.

Writing in The News and Observer, Andrew Reynolds proposed a remedy to how far North Carolina has fallen.

*******************

As the mother of three young American adults, this news obviously caught my eye.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention said late last year that U.S. life expectancy is no longer rising compared to our world counterparts. A typical American born in 1979 could expect to live to age 73.9, a year and a half longer than people born in other First World, predominantly western nations. By 2015, though, a typical American born that year could expect to live slightly less than 79 years, while people born in our counterpart nations could expect to make it to almost 81 years of age.

The CDC cites several factors underlying the change.

While health care in the United States can be excellent, it is also spotty and out of reach for those who cannot afford health insurance.

Violence and specifically gun violence are factors. Americans are more likely to be murdered than are people in other rich nations, and more than 25-times likelier to be shot to death.

Also, our national safety nets to address issues like smoking, drug abuse, obesity and others are frayed compared to those in our counterpart countries.

********************

On a considerably lighter note, Walmart has released the most popular items sold online last year. Across the board, shoppers bought paper towels and other household items, but the most-bought list is far more interesting by state. Who knew Walmart shoppers’ tastes vary so dramatically just across state lines?

Alabamians bought crayons. Coloradans adore Peanut M&Ms. Hawaiians love the Barbie farmer doll, while Idahoans can’t do without the My Little Pony Mini Collection. Indianans made a run on instant coffee, but Kentuckians took the prize for 4X6 photo prints. Marylanders bought glue sticks, while folks in Michigan made major purchases – refrigerators. Minnesotans love Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, while Nebraskans – presumably women – took the prize for pressed powder makeup purchases. North Dakotans led on the watermelon-flavored gum front, and Pennsylvanians bought the most plastic hangers. Wisconsin residents triumphed on Green Bay Packers bathmats. Our neighbors in South Carolina (coin banks), Tennessee (Disney Infinity Power Discs) and Virginia (coolers) did their own things, too.

So what did North Carolinians buy most often? Mayonnaise, although Walmart did not disclose whether we prefer Duke’s or Hellman’s.

Activities

• Hope Mills Youth baseball and indoor soccer registration is open through Feb. 28, 4:30 p.m. Baseball ages 5-14, instructional soccer ages 5-6, 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.

• Hope Mills Youth wrestling registration is open until Feb. 2 for ages 6-12. Practices are held at Brower Park. Matches are held at Myers Recreation Center. $30 per child. Proof of address and birth certificate are required to register. Call 910-426-4105 for more information.

Meetings

• Jan. 25 The Hope Mills Board of Commissioners will hold a special meeting at the Sheraton Inn, 1 Europa Dr., Chapel Hill, at 6 p.m. to conduct a workshop to discuss and plan upcoming goals for the board.

Volunteer

The Town of Hope Mills is soliciting applications for vacancies on the following committees. If you would like to apply for any of the vacancies, please contact Deborah Holland, interim town clerk, at 910-426-4113, or email dholland@townofhopemills.com for more information.

• Lake Advisory Committee – second Tuesdays at the Hope Mills Recreation Center, 6 p.m. The purpose of the committee is to advise and make recommendations regarding various issues pertaining to the safety and environment of the lake and preserving it as a valuable resource to the town. Three vacancies to expire February 2020.

• Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee – fourth Mondays at Hope Mills Recreation Center, 6:30 p.m. This committee seeks to recommend and plan programs of recreation activities and events. In addition to the regular membership, there are two liaison members who represent the Hope Mills Senior Citizens Club and the Hope Mills Youth Association. One vacancy to expire February 2020.

• Historic Preservation Commission – second Wednesdays at Hope Mills Recreation Center, 5 p.m. The committee advises the governing body on issues related to historic identification and preservation. Two vacancies to expire February 2020.

• Appearance Commission – fourth Tuesdays at Hope Mills Recreation Center, 7 p.m. This committee seeks to enhance and improve the visual quality and aesthetic characteristics of the town. One vacancy to expire February 2020.

• Veterans Affairs Commission – fourth Thursdays at the Hope Mills Recreation Center, 7 p.m. The committee is comprised of town residents who are armed services veterans. Members advise the town on affairs related to its active and retired military citizens. Three vacancies expire in February 2020.

Promote yourself

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

Several months ago, my column titled “Racial diversity in the Fayetteville Fire Department: Rest of the story” addressed the issue of there being very few black firefighters in our city’s fire department. I agreed that where the Fayetteville population is 41 percent black and 45 percent white, it is unacceptable that only 2.7 percent of the department’s employees are black. In another column during the same period, I objected to how this matter was addressed by some members of city council during a meeting where Fire Chief Ben Major did a presentation. That presentation detailed the diversity problem and what was being done to increase black representation in the department. The column title was “Successfully controlling the thoughts and actions of Black Americans.” Both columns are on my website at www.karlmerritt.com/category/articles/.

Thinking the matter was being successfully addressed, I moved on to other topics. Then an article by Jeff Thompson in the Jan. 10-16, 2018, issue of Up & Coming Weekly grabbed my attention. The headline was “Dealing with lack of diversity.” Thompson reported on a Jan. 2 work session of the Fayetteville City Council where Fire Chief Ben Major provided an update regarding efforts to improve diversity in the department. Given that there had been no noticeable increase in the number of blacks in the department, the discussion turned to causes and possible solutions. Thompson’s article included two quotes that prompted me to follow up. Councilman Jim Arp was quoted as saying to Major, “‘You need to open the tool box.’” Mayor Mitch Colvin was quoted as saying, “‘You’re the professionals, so figure it out.’”

I contacted both men to further discuss their comments. Arp explained that he was encouraging the examination of a wide range of actions that might increase black representation in the department. He mentioned one tool that he raised in the meeting and that Thompson reported: “allowing certified firefighters from other communities to be hired.” Adding to this tool, Arp suggested hiring individuals based on their potential for, through training, gaining the skills not currently possessed that are required to qualify for hiring; recruiting at gatherings of firefighters, such as conventions; and outreach to students approaching high school. Other tools were discussed, and I left that conversation better understanding Arp’s “tool box” comment and appreciating his overall point.

The discussion with Colvin was, in my estimation, equally productive by way of better understanding his comment of “‘You’re the professionals, so figure it out.’” Colvin explained that he sees the role of council to be one of setting policy. In the case of fire department diversity, that means providing a framework within which the department is able to successfully address the issue. In line with this thinking, the following is from his email to me after our conversation:

“As I mentioned, I am equally concerned with the department’s employee diversity. Our department’s 2.7 percent, compared to our municipal peers who have nearly 5xs the number of minorities.

I am hopeful that we can maintain our high qualification standards and never compromise on the physical and academic requirements. However, it is fair to ask the question why the interview process accounts for 60 percent of the scoring matrix. The interview carries more weight than the applicant’s physical and academic combined (score). This may be our problem.

Monica Vendituoli, Fayetteville Observer staff writer, summarized the Jan. 2 discussion appropriately in an article headlined “Lateral hiring, interview discussed to improve firefighter diversity.” In it, she said, “Lateral hiring, a consultant, a symposium and changing how interviews are handled were all suggestions on how to diversify the Fayetteville Fire Department that the City Council discussed during a work session Tuesday night.”

I do not doubt for a moment that there is a sincere effort underway to increase the number of black firefighters in Fayetteville. What troubles me about this effort, and so many others across our nation and around the world, is the seeming unwillingness to confront and address the core causes of, and effective solutions to, the problems that plague us. Rev. Robby Gallaty shared an experience that illustrates this point. It appears in the Sunday school book “Bible Studies for Life: Winter 2017-2018.” Gallaty wrote, “When I came home from work one day, I discovered a pipe had burst in the bathroom and the room was filled with water. I attacked the leak with towels and a mop as quickly as I could. I would haul out a bucket full of water and return to mopping up more water. I did this repeatedly. I never made any progress because as I hauled water out of the bathroom, more water replaced it by the time I got back.

“The problem? I wasn’t fixing the source of the trouble, only masking it. I wasn’t able to solve the problem of water in the bathroom until I got to the root of it and fixed the burst pipe.”

What was outlined in that working session, if pursued, will likely increase the number of black firefighters for a while but will not lead to maintenance of acceptable levels over the long term. These actions are like mopping but not stopping the leak. Here is what I mean. The following is from my column titled “Successfully controlling the thoughts and actions of black Americans,” published in June 2017. Referring to a chart presented to council by Major showing statistics from the then most recent round of hiring, I wrote, “The chart showed the following regarding black males: Total applicants, 130; eliminated at review, 20; failed to schedule exam, 40; no show at exam, 17; withdrew after exam, 1; failed exam, 25; did not schedule PAT, 1; did not show at PAT, 3; failed PAT, 2; successfully completed these steps, 21 (out of 163 eligible at this stage).

Then, I wrote, “Honest examination of facts would require drilling down to determine why the black male numbers at every critical step in the hiring process reflect far less than acceptable or reasonably expected performance. For instance, why would 31 percent of black male applicants fail to self-schedule for the written exam? How is it 48 percent of black males who took it failed an exam written on a 10th-grade level? Against this backdrop, consider the following from a 2011 Policy Notes report. The report comes under the heading “Addressing Achievement Gaps: Positioning Young Black Boys for Educational Success” and can be found at https://files. eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED528986.pdf: “Average black male achievement falls far below that of white and Asian boys. Only 12 percent of black fourth grade boys are proficient in reading, compared to 38 percent of white boys. Only 12 percent of black eighth grade boys are proficient in math, compared to 44 percent of white boys. By fourth grade, black students may be three full years behind their peers.”

This statement of fact regarding the proficiency of black boys in reading and math points to what is probably the most impactful factor in poor test performance by black males applying to become Fayetteville firefighters. Nowhere in the discussion of the problem have I heard this consideration raised. Like stopping bathroom flooding, attention must be given to causes. That gets into really treacherous territory because one must look at parenting performance, cultural influences, societal norms, individual attitudes and several other factors. Giving attention to any of these factors is now contrary to political correctness and very high-risk for politicians.

I suggest that Colvin and members of council meet with Major and appropriate personnel to, in a civil manner, define the problem, forthrightly assess causes, brainstorm solutions, and develop a plan for resolving the issue. Keys to success of such an effort are civility and forthrightness.

My wife asked me what I was writing about in this column. When I said, “lack of diversity in the fire department,” knowing that I had written on this topic before, she asked if there would be anything new. My response was, “Probably not, but there are times when repetition is needed.”

The high school wrestling season is getting close to the finish line, and three Cumberland County wrestlers are currently ranked at the top of the heap in their respective classes.

The most recent rankings at NCMat.com showed two Cape Fear wrestlers, 170- pound Mike Vernagallo and 285-pound Josh Jones, at the No. 1 position. Joining them at No. 1 is Pine Forest’s Daniel Peede at 152 pounds. Vernagallo and Jones are in the 3-A classification while Peede competes at the 4-A level.

Of the three, Vernagallo is the only one still unbeaten for the season through Jan. 17. Jones and Peede both have losses they picked up over the Christmas break, Jones in the Holy Angels tournament in Charlotte and Peede in the WRAL tournament in Raleigh.

Records posted on ncprepsports.net as of Jan. 15 had Peede 29-1, Jones 26-1 and Vernagallo 29-0.

Vernagallo is chasing his second state wrestling title, having won for the first time last season, while Jones and Peede will both be looking for higher finishes as they attempt to again qualify for the state tournament this season.

Cape Fear coach Heath Wilson said Vernagallo and Jones both provide leadership for his Colt team, which is among the best in the state this year.

“Mikey is a dominant force, a freak of nature,’’ Wilson said. “Josh is one heck of a man when he gets on the mat. It’s tough to deal with his strength and size, but he’s also teachable, which is probably the biggest asset with Josh. You teach him something and he grabs hold.’’

Pine Forest coach Charles Daniels said he has no problem motivating Peede. “He’s an independent guy,’’ Daniels said. “He takes it on himself to go to club wrestling. He’s like a second coach. He knows what to do and makes it happen.’’

Peede said being top-ranked with only one loss doesn’t put any pressure on him. “Last season, I was ranked pretty high, so I’m used to it,’’ he said. “If there’s a target on my back and everybody is coming for me, I welcome it. It’s not going to change the way we do things.’’

Like Peede, both Vernagallo and Jones are looking ahead to the major competitions waiting at the end of the season: conference tournament, regionals and state finals.

Vernagallo’s main goal has been to get a more solid physique and stay healthy. “Last year, I was a small 170,’’ he said. “I just lifted, and my diet got better, more meats and carbs.’’

Jones has been focusing on consistency and taking one match at a time. “Right now, I’m focusing on staying healthy and making sure by body is in tip-top shape,’’ he said.

Cape Fear also has a shot at a state team title, and Jones said the whole team has one goal in the matches remaining.

“To pin and not get pinned,’’ he said. “That’s basically all we’ve got to do.’’

Photos L to R : Mike Vernagallo; Josh Jones; Daniel Peede

The town of Hope Mills is heading into the new year enjoying a continuing pattern of growth. Melissa Adams says the challenge of the year ahead is growth management. Adams is Hope Mills’ new town manager. She’s a native of neighboring Moore County and has 27 years of experience in municipal administration.

Adams came to Hope Mills from Carthage as town clerk in 2011. A year ago, she became Hope Mills’ interim manager, succeeding John Ellis, who resigned. In March of 2017, she was promoted to town manager by the board of commissioners and was salaried at $92,000 a year. It’s her first job as a municipal manager, responsible for a town government of 150 employees and a population on the verge of 17,000 residents.

Given her experience, Adams was well aware that the average term of service of small-town administrators is about three years. She said it was a concern when she considered whether to accept the job offer, but, “I felt like I was ready for more.”

She added that she feels she’s more than proven herself since becoming town manager.

Perhaps her greatest achievement thus far is helping to fix what she called “the broken relationship between the town and chamber of commerce.” Adams believes both agencies are now working in harmony for the good of the community.

The town’s centerpiece, Hope Mills Lake, is ready to be impounded now that the dam has been rebuilt. The 121-acre lake is fed by natural streams and contained by the new $9.6 million dam. Adams said she hopes the lake can be opened to the public this summer. A new ordinance will allow swimming and “no wake boating.” Water skiing and speed boating won’t be allowed. Town officials are excited about developing a lakeside boardwalk, a new dock and a pier. Adams said regulatory procedures are the final hurdle and that town government is trying to clarify and pay various fees that are still pending so the state will issue a final permit.

Adams believes growth management will be the key to better government in the new year. “I’m excited about the year ahead,” she said. She intends to continue holding citizens academies twice a year to better educate the people on the operation of local government. She said she is dedicated to transparency in government.

“We have definitely reduced the number of closed sessions,” she said. Adams said she wants to develop closer working relationships with the city of Fayetteville and the Public Works Commission. Town government is collaborating with the local economic development corporation to determine the kinds of growth needed in Hope Mills.

She hopes to address how the town will develop the former golf course on Golfview Drive, which is owned by the town. Other projects include a museum on Trade Street, and traffic congestion must be dealt with.

Adams said the main streets in town are designated state roads, which means they are governed and maintained by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Adams was quick to point out that the new traffic median along Main Street was DOT’s doing, not the town’s. The state has been constructing roadway medians on major arteries across Cumberland County, insisting that they reduce accidents. Adams said congestion management is the state’s responsibility and that DOT must work with the town to relieve gridlock. It’s at its worst when school buses clog the streets and during rush hours.

The Hope Mills Board of Commissioners holds its 2018 planning retreat Saturday, March 2, at Camp Rockfish.

Photo: Melissa Adams, Hope Mills town manager

Sometimes, fiction is a better teacher than history books or newspaper columns. A powerful new novel set in Pinewood, North Carolina, a fictional modern foothills town, proves the point. 

“No One Is Coming to Save Us” by North Carolina native and Lehigh University associate professor Stephanie Powell Watts has been cast as a reimagining of “The Great Gatsby” in a new setting. But its great strength is a rich portrayal of an extended African- American family.

Family members deal with the town’s economic decline as its furniture manufacturing base fades away. The legacy of segregation and racism complicates and enriches their efforts to find places in life.

JJ Ferguson, the book’s Gatsby figure, returns to his hometown with lots of money and to build a mansion on a hill overlooking the modest place where he grew up.

His real purpose, it turns out, is to reconnect with his high school girlfriend, Ava.

But Ava is married to Henry and has an established white-collar professional job. More than anything, she wants to have a child. Her every effort has been a disappointment.

Ava’s mother, Sylvia, was like a mother to JJ when he was growing up. When he comes to visit, he teases Sylvia when she tells him she has not had time or money to put pictures on the wall of her small apartment.

He says, “You’re going to have to get your black woman card revoked if you don’t get Barack on the wall.”

She responds, “You mean my old black woman card, don’t you?”

She continues, “Do you remember when all the barbershops used to have Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. pictures up? Is Barack up there with them now? He should be, I figure.”

Sylvia clearly loves JJ, more so because her own son has been a disappointment. Also, her husband, Don, while charming, is another disappointment.

Meanwhile, unknown to Ava, Henry has developed a relationship with a white woman, and they have a child named Zeke. When Ava sees Zeke for the first time, he looks just like Henry. Crushed by Henry’s disloyalty and by her inability to have Henry’s child, she is vulnerable to JJ’s efforts to reconnect.

She goes with JJ to his new house. Watts writes that as Ava undresses, “She felt slightly erotic, slightly disgusted like she stuck her finger in the muddy soil of a potted plant. She had never cheated on Henry, not once.”

She would have told JJ that fact, “but she didn’t want to ruin the moment by mentioning Henry’s name.”

Watts continues, “She knew for a fact that her marriage was over. She was not sad for the fact, but for the knowledge of the fact.”

Ava brings back the memory of making love with JJ years before and remembers thinking, as Watts writes, “She’d wanted a life, her life, but she’d had a small palpable, unreasonable hope that she would get pregnant and the hard work of planning and focusing would be taken from her, out of her hands, and bound up in a baby with this sad sweet boy.”

There is no completely happy ending, but as The New York Times’ reviewer Jade Chang explains, “The novel’s intricately plotted relationships pay off satisfyingly in its final chapters. When Gatsby didn’t get what he wanted, the story could only end with his death, but Watts’s characters are people who have seen generations of dreams stymied and thwarted – for their kin, their community and themselves. Rather than giving up if the game doesn’t go their way, they do what they’ve always done: Forget the rules, shake up the players and turn Gatsby’s green dock light gold.”

Some argue the craziest people in all of sports are ice-hockey goaltenders, who seek out a tiny chunk of rubber whizzing toward them at nearly 100 miles per hour. Sure, they wear padding and have special equipment to protect them, but to defy human nature and willingly take a hit from a puck – well, that would take a mad man, or a mad dog, in the case of Marksmen netminder Peter Di Salvo.

“When I was about 4 or 5 years old, I was on a baseball team called the Mad Dogs,” Di Salvo said. “During and after games, I was a typical kid, always excited; (I) loved being on the team. Since we were the Mad Dogs, I would get all hyped up like a dog regularly. My parents would call me Mad Dog as a joke to cater (to) me.”

The Mad Dog moniker stuck for Di Salvo, who at an early age knew he would be between the pipes every time he stepped onto the ice.

“When I was 6, I got my first goalie mask, and my parents decided to put “The Mad Dog” on my mask,” he said. “My team was the Oakville Rangers, so my parents got my mask painted to resemble Mike Richter’s (New York Rangers) helmet. The main difference was instead of the Statue of Liberty on the top of the mask, there was a bulldog, and the nickname has stuck ever since.”

Twenty-one years after receiving that mask, Di Salvo hasn’t slowed down. The veteran netminder appeared in his 100th Southern Professional Hockey League game December 1, 2017, in a game against the Peoria Rivermen.

He’s also found a second home during the summer months where he can continue to play the sport he loves in an unconventional place: Australia.

“Once the season is finished here in Fayetteville, I will be heading straight back to Canada ASAP for a few days and then head to Australia from there,” said Di Salvo, who will join the Perth Thunder for a second straight season this summer. “While I am there, we only play on weekends and only practice twice a week. During my spare time there, I work to earn money, do my own workouts and explore different parts of Australia.”

As for any differences between North American and Australian hockey, the most notable come off the ice, according to Di Salvo.

“There are a lot of differences between Australian and (North American) hockey. The main difference is the hockey family. Every team has their fans, and every team’s fans have so much respect for every other team, other teams’ players, owners, coaches, etc. … (there is) no negativity or tension between the teams and their fan bases.”

But before he can start thinking about his time in the land Down Under, he knows he has a job to do in Fayetteville.

“We just need to build off our success and consistently play smart hockey,” he said. “We need to create our own steady ride instead of being on a roller coaster with all the ups and downs. As long as we stick together and play for each other, we can have more success.”

Photo: Peter Di Salvo

For 20 years, Riverdance has entertained and enthralled audiences, sharing traditions and telling the stories of the land of Eire with song, dance and joie de vivre – buoyant enjoyment of life. Tuesday, Jan. 30, Community Concerts brings Riverdance to the Crown Complex for an evening of energetic entertainment. Hailed by The New York Times as a phenomenon and by the Toronto Star as delightful, energetic and sexy, the show is one that’s sure to impress audience members of all backgrounds.

“The success of Riverdance across the whole world has gone beyond our wildest dreams,” said producer Moya Doherty. “The fact that the show continues to draw and excite audiences is a tribute to every dancer, singer, musician, staff and crew member who have dedicated themselves to the show. This 20th Anniversary Tour is a thank you to our audiences and a celebration of what has been an incredible journey across two decades.”

Amy-Mae Dolan from County Tyrone, Ireland, has been dancing since she was two years old. She joined Riverdance in 2016. She noted that the show’s reach is broad. Since it began over 20 years ago, Riverdance has traveled over 750,000 miles; that’s the equivalent of traveling around the world 30 times. It has had over 11,500 performances and been seen by over 25 million people in 47 countries, across six continents.

“However, in my opinion, the best thing about Riverdance is the feeling it gives the audience members; they leave excited and full of joy, having just experienced something sensational and very unique,” she said.

Riverdance originally stole the show as the interval act at the 1994 Eurovision song contest. The same elements that made it a hit continue to appeal to audiences worldwide. The Grammy awardwinning music by Bill Whelan, the chorus line of more than 20 dancers and the passion and energy that emanates from the stage keep this show on the road year in and year out.

“The performers’ passion and energy are incredible,” Dolan said. “We all love what we do, and that excitement and elation are tangible onstage and throughout the audience. We treat every night as opening night; our pride and love for Riverdance allow us to bring our best to the stage every night.”

Through music and dance, the show illustrates the journey of Irish people departing to a new world. The first half depicts their settling in Ireland and the myths and legends that appeared at that time. The second half presents their departure in search for a better life, their arrival to the New World and their interaction with new cultures. They return home with new ideas and new influences.

“As a female principal dancer in the show, I dance in six extraordinary numbers in which I display both the delicacy and strength of the female Irish dancer,” Dolan said. “The show is a magical celebration of music and dance.”

It takes 64 people to tell the tale of the Irish - 36 of them performers. Twenty-four of them are Irish dancers, one is a flamenco dancer, six are Russian dancers, two are American tap dancers, and there is a band of four musicians.

Adding to the show’s appeal, the tour has seen some technical updates. Lighting, staging and the set have all been refined over the 20 years. So, it’s changed in some ways while remaining true to the original spirit of Riverdance.

“Every new performer that joins the show brings something different and exciting, and so you never see the same show twice,” Dolan said. “We treat every night as an opportunity to improve; we are learning more and more every day not only how to improve our fitness and dancing but also our storytelling – the feeling behind our dancing – which really captivates the audience. There is an incredible new number added to the show titled ‘Anna Livia.’ It is an a cappella hard shoe number for the female Irish dancers. It is a tribute to the empowerment and grace of all female Irish dancers, highlighting their incredible strength. All the exciting changes and the growth of the show over the 20 years makes this the best the show has been.”

A longstanding organization committed to excellence, Community Concerts has made bringing topnotch entertainment to Fayetteville its priority since 1935. The all-volunteer organization creates the opportunity to see some of the biggest names in entertainment at pocketbook-friendly prices. ZZ Top was scheduled as the season opener but canceled due to illness. “Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage” was the season premiere in November, leaving two shows after Riverdance to complete the season – The Commodores, which will perform in April, and The Illusionists, which wraps up the season in May.

In keeping with the spirit of first-rate music and its importance locally, Community Concerts sponsors several initiatives that support local artists and music-related causes.

It founded the Fayetteville Music Hall of Fame in 2008, which recognizes and honors those who have brought musical distinction to the community. Previous inductees include, just to name a few, the 82nd Airborne Chorus; Cumberland Oratorio Singers founder Alan Porter; former Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra music director Harlan Duenow; local songwriters and recording artists Lynne O’Quinn and Doyle Wood; and Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra maestro Fouad Fakhouri.

Those who aspire to music-related careers also receive support from the organization in the form of scholarships. The scholarship program was instituted in 2004. Since its inception, Community Concerts has awarded 28 scholarships.

The local artist showcase program brings artists of all ages to the stage, including even the youngest performers. Through this program, local Christian powerhouse youth performance group Voices of the Heart recently opened for Gladys Knight, and children from Linda Kinlaw’s School of Dance performed with Martina Mc Bride.

Community Concerts also gives certain groups the opportunity to attend concerts free of charge. Past groups have included senior citizens, the Vision Resource Center, Fayetteville Urban Ministry, The Sunshine Center, members of local fire and police departments, high school theater art classes, members of the military and more.

For tickets and information, visit www.community-concerts.com.

Sydnie Lubbers

Jack Britt • Senior•

Cheerleading/tennis

In addition to competing in two sports for the Buccaneers, Lubbers maintains a weight grade point average of 4.66.

Kevin Wanovich

Jack Britt • Junior •

Wrestling/soccer/lacrosse Wanovich has a weighted grade point average of 4.21. He’s a two-time state qualifier in wrestling. He’s active in the youth group at MacPherson Presbyterian Churc

The CARE Clinic, established in 1993, provides free basic medical care, dental extractions, chiropractic care, lab testing, diagnostic testing, pharmacy service, health education, community resource information, social services and referrals to specialists to uninsured, low-income residents of Cumberland County. The clinic would not be able to provide any of these services without its volunteers. All of The CARE Clinic’s physicians, nurses, dentists, dental assistants, phlebotomists, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and receptionists are volunteers. Volunteers also serve on numerous committees, prepare dinner for their fellow volunteers on clinic evenings, assist with fundraising events and much more. Without volunteers, The CARE Clinic could not function. Here are just a few of those volunteers.

Glenn Thorp is a pharmacist with Cape Fear Valley Health System. He has been volunteering for six months.

“I wanted to give back to the community that I live in,” he said. “The pharmacy residency introduced me to this opportunity. A woman recently lost her job and prescription insurance/medical insurance. She came to The CARE Clinic and was extremely grateful for the services we were able to provide. We were able to prevent her from missing refills with her blood pressure, thyroid and asthma medications.

Sgt. Arjay Mendoza is a pharmacy technician in the U.S. Army. He has been volunteering for almost a year. “I choose to volunteer at The CARE Clinic because I want to give back to the community by helping the underserved population,” he said. “Since I’m (in the) military, one patient thanked me for my service. I replied, ‘Thank you. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to help those people in need.’”

Yung Lee is a student at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. He has been volunteering since January 2017. “I chose to volunteer at The CARE Clinic to give back to my community and to gain experience in the field of dentistry,” he said. “It is rewarding to be able to help others while at the same time working alongside compassionate dentists. The people at the clinic truly care about the patients and their wellbeing. Being in such a positive environment makes volunteering that much more fun and exciting.

“One of the patients was terrified of needles and anesthetics. The patient asked me to hold their hand during the anesthesia and throughout the treatment. The patient was very thankful (to me for) comforting them throughout the procedure. Moments like these remind me why I want to pursue this profession. It further solidified my commitment to pursue dentistry.

Ginna Pugh is a retired educator with Cumberland County Schools. She has been volunteering for more than a year. “I had always been interested in The CARE Clinic and what they do for their patients,” she said. “Patients are so appreciative. One patient came in and wanted to make a donation. She did not have an appointment that evening, but her son had sent her money for her birthday and she wanted to give part of it to The CARE Clinic because they had done so much for her.”

Kerstin Hudgins is a registered nurse at Cape Fear Valley Health System. She has been volunteering for four years. “It is a nice way to give back to the community and to practice nursing with a more personal touch,” she said. “(Once), we were seeing our last patient and getting ready to close when I observed the patient’s mother having a severe cough. She was also a patient but had no appointment that evening. I advocated for her to be seen. We saved her from a potential Emergency Department visit and worsening of her symptoms.”

Cheryl P. Colvin is a physician in the Emergency Department at Cape Fear Valley Health System. She has been volunteering for five years. “I completely understand the needs of the community, and the patients at The CARE Clinic appreciate the services provided,” she said. “The heartfelt appreciation from every patient makes it memorable.”

Erin Stevens is a nurse at Cape Fear Valley Health System. She has been volunteering for two years.

“It is a great cause,” she said. “It is rewarding to see how appreciative the patients are.”

Jacqueline Merritt-Evans is a territory manager with Premier Concepts, LLC. She has been volunteering for two years. “I wanted to keep up my skills as a medical assistant and in the field of phlebotomy,” she said. “I enjoy the people and atmosphere. I enjoy giving back and helping out where I can. I had a patient who was very nervous about getting her blood drawn. I gave her a squeeze ball that is shaped like a brain, and I said to her, ‘Please hold my brain.’ She gave me a funny look as I put the ball (brain) in her hand, and we both laughed so hard. She was OK after that, and I was able to draw her blood. She laughed away her nervousness.”

Ana Mercurio is a dental assistant at Dr. Walter Scott DDS & Associates. She has been volunteering for seven years. She said she volunteers “to give back, to help others. The gratitude of the patients is (from) genuine, hard-working people who truly appreciate us.

The CARE Clinic is located at 239 Robeson St. Contact Julie Dixon or Cathy Riddle at 910-485-0555 if you are interested in volunteering. Visit thecareclinic.org to learn more about the clinic.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for The CARE Clinic’s services, you must:

• Be an adult resident of Cumberland County or the surrounding area • Have no insurance – including Medicaid

• Meet an income requirement

• Display proof of household income and a valid, North Carolina DMV-issued picture ID card or driver’s license showing your current address

Appointments:

• No walk-ins.

• Appointments are made only by phone; for more information on making an appointment, call 910-485-0555.

• Medical appointments may be made Monday- Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. • Dental appointments may be made Friday from 9 a.m. to noon for the following week.

• The clinic serves patients each Tuesday and Thursday and the second and fourth Wednesday of each month from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

• Dental clinics are every Tuesday and the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Appointments are made on a space available basis.

• To cancel an appointment, you must call by 8 a.m. the day of the appointment and leave a message on the answering machine in order not to be penalized.

Patients are given the opportunity to make a donation at the time of their visit.

Members of the High School Connections staff at Fayetteville Technical Community College were thrilled this past August when over 1,200 high school students arrived on campus in buses, in cars and on foot to earn free college credit. Counselors at the high schools attended by these lucky students shared information with them about FTCC’s High School Connections program. High School Connections

High School Connections offers high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to dual enroll in college classes at FTCC while still in high school. This program is an excellent money-saving idea for parents who fund their children’s education. The savings from earning one year, or even one semester, of college credit without paying tuition could be substantial. Plus, consider the savings resulting from not needing a meal plan or a dorm room.

FTCC provides the College Transfer Pathway participants with general education courses such as math, history, psychology, sociology and foreign languages available. College Transfer Pathway courses are guaranteed to transfer to all 16 UNC universities in North Carolina if the student earns a grade of C or better in the course.

Some students may be interested in attending a university. Others might enjoy the opportunity to learn a technical trade so they can work while paying for college.

FTCC’s Career and Technical Pathway initiative offers over 30 programs. These program areas include several computer-related pathways, including demi-chef, business, medical coding and billing, nurse’s aide, emergency medical science, horticulture, manicuring, fire protection, construction, infant- toddler care, computer-integrated machining, collision repair, criminal justice and more. FTCC also offers concurrent pathways in plumbing, welding, a/c, heating and refrigeration, and electricity motors and controls. A complete listing of programs is available at: www.faytechcc.edu/academics/highschool- connections.

Students who are interested should check in with their high school guidance counselor or contact me at FTCC at fultond@ faytechcc.edu for more details.

Feb. 27, FTCC will host its annual open house from 5 to 7 p.m. and hold “parent nights” February through April at many local Cumberland County high schools and private schools. Parents and students can meet FTCC faculty and staff at open houses as well as see presentations and participate in Q&A sessions. FTCC staff can also help students complete the online application. Parents should remember to bring their child’s social security number to begin the admissions process.

High School Connections is just one of the outstanding programs available at FTCC. Visit with staff at campus locations in Fayetteville and Spring Lake or take virtual tours via the website at www.faytechcc.edu.

America is acting badly.

Never in my lifetime have I experienced such an atmosphere of intolerance, meanness and hate from my fellow Americans. What ever happened to “love thy neighbor”? Today, it seems like we hate just for the sake of hating. Instead of investing our time, money and resources in positive aspects of our American way of life, we have gravitated to degrading, debasing and trying to obliterate any person, organization or policy with which we disagree.

This hostility and anger are costing us greatly in what we cherish most: joy, contentment and the pleasures of experiencing America’s unique way of life. I place much of the blame for this on the news media and the new wave of journalists reaching for celebrity status as they desperately try to fill the story gaps created by a 24-hour news cycle. Equally at fault is the irresponsible and reckless use of social media. Both are making a mockery of the news, politics and the American dream.

Much of this vile and mean-spirited sentiment is coming directly from our elected officials in Washington, D.C. All of them.

This kind of behavior must stop. This wholesale hatred preoccupies us, distracts us and robs us of enjoying and appreciating the successes, positive events and accomplishments happening in our country every day.

Let’s look back at 2017, and perhaps we can get a peek at what we may have to look forward to in 2018 if we are not distracted by hate. Ignore whether you like or dislike President Trump, and set aside your political affiliations and thoughts about the recent government shutdown. Don’t think about fake news, crazy tweets and the wild, wild west of social media. Disregard the crazy antics of characters like Lindsey Graham, Chuck Schumer, Steve Bannon and Nancy Pelosi and anything, true or false, in Michael Wolf’s book “Fire and Fury.”

Let’s look at the past year. These 2017 events, regardless of your personal, social or political affiliations, will affect all of us and continue to impact our country and the world for years to come, so why not enjoy them – regardless of who was or was not responsible for their existence?

The U.S. economy perked up by about 3 percent. This rate hasn’t been achieved in years. The Dow Jones is up over 26,000 points with stock indexes at all-time highs. This is important. Why? Consider that 50 percent of Americans have stocks through their workplace 401(k) plans and pensions. U.S. unemployment is at historic lows, hovering at about 4.1 percent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that African-American unemployment fell to 6.8 percent – the lowest level in four decades.

We are finally winning the battle against ISIS. Finally!

Syria, for the time being, has stopped killing its people.

North Korea and South Korea are beginning to talk with one another and will march together in the upcoming Olympics.

Iran has been called out by other Muslim nations as an exporter of terrorism. Democracy is finally taking hold there, causing dissent toward its autocratic rule. Is this an indication that the world is becoming a safer place?

A tax reform bill was initiated, meaning lower taxes will be paid by most Americans. The tax reform policies in place will result in many large corporations, like Apple, bringing manufacturing and jobs back to the U.S. Additionally, U.S. companies, large and small, will expand, create more jobs and raise salaries.

In 2017, according to the National Federation of Independent Businesses, small businesses were doing better than ever, and confidence in small business has reached a record high.

These are only a few examples of the good things happening that affect our country.

Who cares who was responsible for these achievements? Everyone should be able to enjoy them. It’s OK if you do not like or support a person, party, policy or even the presidency, but as civilized human beings, we should not indulge those who continually generate chaos and disharmony by creating an atmosphere of hate.

I hope that 2018 will be the year everyone comes to their senses. I refuse to be a pawn used by any person, organization or political party that only has their preservation and self-interest at heart. It’s time we recognize and disavow hypocrisy and let our voices be heard. Let freedom ring!

We should hold our American values high, honor our Constitution and always respect the office of the president – regardless of who is representing the American people. No one wins unless we do these things. Need proof? President Trump’s approval ratings are historically lower than any other president after their first year in office. However, he still ranks higher than Congress and the news media. This is nothing to be happy about or proud of.

Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Correction: At Up & Coming Weekly we make every effort to provide fair, balanced and accurate coverage of local news and events occurring in Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Cumberland County. This has been a 22-year commitment to our readers. In an article published in last week’s edition, our senior reporter, Jeff Thompson, mistakenly reported that Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins was reorganizing three patrol districts into two. This was incorrect. Our apologies to the chief and the fine men and women of the Fayetteville Police Department. Chief Hawkins is in fact retaining the three patrol districts as they are.

The final days of 2017 marked the end of an era in Hope Mills when Bobby Henley locked the doors of Clinic Pharmacy on South Main Street for the last time.

Henley, who took over from his father, the late John Henley Sr., sold the business after it had been in his family for 72 years, deciding it was time to retire.

His father, a former mayor of Hope Mills who rose to prominence as one of the highest-ranking members of the North Carolina State Senate, started the pharmacy in conjunction with a small hospital in Hope Mills after moving there from Cary, following World War II. The senior Henley, who died in 2012 at the age of 90, was born in Wadesboro but left there after the Great Depression and relocated to Cary.

The original drug store was across the street from the current location, next to the now long-departed hospital. The current pharmacy was constructed in 1960 and has been at that location ever since.

Bobby Henley said that when Hamilton-Porter Funeral Home closed its doors some years ago, owner Ken Porter told him that made Clinic Pharmacy the oldest business in the town.

Young Bobby had been a part of Clinic Pharmacy since he was 9 years old, sweeping and mopping at the drugstore.

“I always enjoyed dealing with people,’’ said the younger Henley, now 68.

When it came to considering a career, he never thought of anything but pharmacy. He enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he earned his pharmacist credentials and came back to Hope Mills to the family business in 1977.

He would continue to work at the pharmacy until Dec. 31 of last year.

“Pharmacy has changed a lot because of all the government and insurance,’’ Henley said. “It’s just not what it was even 10 years ago.’’

Henley said he got a chance to sell his business to another independent drugstore owner instead of one of the chain operations. “I felt the business would survive and do well,’’ he said.

He’ll be leaving behind the headache of mounting paperwork in the business, plus increased training for things like fraud, waste and abuse.

“It’s the same phenomenon going on with doctors,’’ Henley said. “They’re selling out to the hospitals because they are tired of doing all that paperwork and all that regulation on them.”

Henley added he’s not opposed to regulations and understands the need for them but that the grind has just become too much. “It’s like three to four hours to fill out all the forms and do this and that,’’ he said. “It gets old after 45 years.’’

But Henley takes plenty of good memories with him into retirement. “We’ve been fortunate,’’ he said. “We survived. There have been a lot of pharmacies that haven’t.’’

Henley had a simple philosophy on how to compete with the big chain drugstores: Reach out to customers with personalized service and go the extra mile the chains sometimes won’t.

“Our prices were equal to or better than the chains a lot of times,’’ he said. “People don’t check the prices. Brand and generic drugs are priced so differently.’’

Henley said he’s had cases where people have told him some of his drugs sold for as much as $50 cheaper per prescription than the same drug at a chain pharmacy.

“People don’t necessarily check that,’’ Henley said. “Because of ads, they were willing to wait hours for prescriptions to be filled instead of being in and out in 15 minutes.’’

Good prices aren’t the only things that small drugstores like Clinic Pharmacy offer. Henley said other small operations specialize in the lost art of compounding medications to develop more effective, personalized treatment for patients.

It is that part of the business Henley will miss most, he said – his customers, or as he called them, his patients.

“Some of these people I’ve known since I was knee-high to a grasshopper,’’ Henley said.

He said the drugstore and the pharmacy counter were kind of a meeting place, not unlike the barber shop in the “Andy Griffith” television show of the 1960s.

“People would come in and see each other, stay 20 or 30 minutes, talking and joking,’’ Henley said. “Certain people, the only place I saw them was in the drugstore. They have been mighty, mighty kind to us over 72 years.’’

As for the future, Henley is looking forward to having most Saturdays off and spending some long weekends at his place at Lake Waccamaw.

He also wants to golf, something he hasn’t done much of for the last three or four years, but he’s not totally walking away from his job as a pharmacist.

“I’ll do a little relief work when other independents might need me to help them out,’’ Henley said. “I wouldn’t mind doing some of that just to get my hand in.’’

Even though he won’t be around anymore, Henley hopes his old place of business continues to thrive. “They’ve got a mighty fine person taking over in Joe Williams,’’ he said. “I hope they’ll give him a chance and get to know him. I think he’s going to be an asset to the town of Hope Mills.’’

Just like Henley and his family have been.

Photo: L: Bobby Henley 

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy “The Lord of the Rings,” a young hobbit named Frodo Baggins is given the impossible task of returning the so-called “ring of power” back to the fires of Mordor. But the young hobbit could never complete this task alone. So, Frodo is surrounded by a band of mismatched companions with the single task of assisting him on this dire mission.

When you face impossible tasks, faithful friends are a necessity. This is true when tackling the fires of Mordor, and this is true when facing the struggles of life. You were not designed to tackle life as the Lone Ranger. God created you to have community and fellowship; he designed you to have meaningful friendships.

The Apostle Paul knew the importance of friends. In practically every letter he wrote, Paul greeted the friends he had across the Roman world. In Romans 16 alone, he mentions 26 individuals.

In the closing words of his letter to the Colossian believers, he mentions nine people by name. Here we see four types of friends.

First, we should surround ourselves with faithful friends who will encourage us. In Colossians 4:7-11, Paul mentions those key people who supported his ministry. People like Tychicus, Aristarchus, Onesimus and even Mark, who once departed from the team, Jesus Justus and Luke. Each man was marked by his support of Paul and how he encouraged him along life’s journey.

Second, we should surround ourselves with warrior friends who will pray for us. In Colossians 4:12- 13, Paul says that Epaphras earnestly prayed for the believers in Colossae. We need people who will sincerely pray for us, our families, our ministries, our failures. We need prayer warriors.

Third, we should be aware that along the way, we will have worldly friends who will leave us. In Colossians 4:14, Paul mentions a man named Demas. Nothing much is said about him in Colossians. But in 2 Timothy 4:9 we discover that Demas deserted Paul and the ministry, having loved the present world more. Christian, you’re going to have friends who turn their backs on you because of your faith. Prepare for that heartache. But don’t let their worldliness sidetrack you from serving God.

Finally, Paul mentions a man named Archippus. It appears that Archippus was involved in some level of leadership at Colossae, for Paul tells him to take heed to the ministry the Lord had given him. We need to invest in potential friends who can advance us. That is, take time to disciple someone to carry on the life and legacy of your life.

In a world filled with Facebook friends, most people have very few real friends. When it is the middle of the night and your car is stuck on the side of the road, your real friend will come to your aid.

But more than considering who is a true friend to you, consider whether or not you are being a true friend to someone else. Take time this week to invest in your friendships with a phone call, a note of thanks or just a conversation over a cup of coffee. Make time for those people who make time for you.