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.

Cape Fear High School football standout Justice Galloway-Velazquez was a big part of changing the school’s football program to a winning tradition. Now he wants to do the same for Campbell University.

In an announcement that caught some people by surprise, Galloway-Velazquez recently revealed he’s made an oral commitment to play football for the Camels.

Many expected the Cape Fear quarterback and linebacker to choose a more high-profile program, but Galloway-Velazquez said there were a lot of commonsense reasons why he went with Campbell.

One was the attention he got from the Campbell coaching staff, especially defensive line coach Damien Adams, who was the primary recruiter pursuing Galloway-Velazquez for the Camels.

“He stayed with me throughout the whole process, gave me the love and care I was looking for and wasn’t receiving from other schools,’’ Galloway- Velazquez said.

There were overtures from some more highprofile schools, but many of them wanted to see Galloway-Velazquez in person on their campuses and at camps. Most of those requests came last spring when he was recovering from surgery for an ankle injury that took place in the Eastern Regional championship game with Scotland near the end of his junior season.

“With the ankle injury, there were some questions from some schools with how he would recover,’’ said Colt coach Jake Thomas. “I feel he probably was under-recruited for his size, talent and production on the field.’’

Thomas said he’s checked the North Carolina High School Athletic Association record book and is confident Galloway-Velazquez ranks in the top ten in the state all-time in all-purpose yards, thanks to his combination of rushing and passing prowess during his career at Cape Fear.

But the question remains if he’ll play quarterback or linebacker at Campbell. Galloway-Velazquez said he’s leaning toward the defensive side of the football but added no final decision has been made.

“We’ll talk it over a lot more,’’ he said.

“We’ll see where I need to be to benefit the team.’’

Thomas said Campbell will likely be happy wherever it decides to use Galloway-Velazquez.

“He was a guy who could emotionally, mentally and physically will your team to victory,’’ Thomas said. “He’ll go down as one of the top athletes in Cumberland County history, and definitely the top player in Cape Fear history.’’

Photo: Justice Galloway-Velazquez

Kink, by definition, refers to sexual practices outside of what the public considers to be the norm. It’s thought of as separate or other, hidden in the shadows from mainstream culture. Only recently have phenomena like the “Fifty Shades of Grey” franchise – with all its whips, chains and the like – been able to chip away at that barrier. Yet kink is also transmuted in David Ives’ play “Venus in Fur,” which runs at the Gilbert Theater Feb. 2-17.

The nature of theater is exhibition on a big scale, but what “Venus in Fur “deals with is the definition of discretion. The play promises an erotic power play that can, with the right two actors, thoroughly shock and entertain an audience.

The play takes its name from the 1870 Austrian novella by Leopold von Sacher- Masoch. Ives’ play, however, reimagines the main two characters as existing in modern times. A director is casting for a theater production of “Venus in Furs” when Vanda Jordan walks in to audition for the lead female role. Her audition, and the subsequent plot of the rest of the actual play, is a rabbit hole of lost reality and parlaying dominance.

On Broadway, Ives’ play garnered numerous nominations at the Tony Awards in 2011, including a win for Best Actress. It has been repeatedly staged across the world since its inception.

The Guardian wrote of one adaptation starring Natalie Dormer on the London stage, in October 2017, “So begins a game of cat and mouse, an intricate two-step operating as a play within a play in which the power balance continually shifts.”

The L.A. Times wrote of Venus in Fur in 2014, “The stage is a perfect medium for the investigation of this kind of fantasy role-playing.” Hopefully, on a more intimate stage like at the Gilbert, this level of volatile intimacy will ricochet off the walls.

Artistic Director Matthew Overturf said, “This is a funny, sexy and ultimately poignant piece dealing with the many facets of different power relationships, specifically the actor and director relationship. Audiences should expect to laugh even while dealing with this titillating and challenging work. This is definitely a show for adults.”

According to Overturf, this is the first time the Gilbert has produced “Venus in Fur.”

“This show is a wonderful and challenging piece of theater that audiences are definitely going to enjoy,” said Overturf. “It fits squarely in the mission of the Gilbert to produce cutting edge work that really challenges audiences to think outside the box.”

For tickets and more information, visit www.gilberttheater.com.

Lt. Gen. Paul J. LaCamera took command from Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend as commanding general of XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg. Townsend served as corps commander for more than two years. He spent about half that time deployed to Iraq as commander of Operation Inherent Resolve.

Townsend is the new commanding general of the Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Eustis, Virginia. It is a four-star command.

LaCamera received his third star as he was named Fort Bragg’s new commander in a ceremony Jan. 19. LaCamera served as deputy commander of XVIII Airborne Corps. Rarely has Fort Bragg’s deputy commander been elevated to commander.

All-America City bragging rights

To help recognize All-America Cities from around the country, the National Civic League is sponsoring an All-America City #ShareYour- Shield photo contest to showcase all the ways in which cities have used the All-America City logo to recognize their award. The winner will receive free registration for four people to attend the 2018 National Conference on Local Governance and the 2018 All-America City Award event.

With over 500 All-America Cities throughout the country, the National Civic League has seen many creative and inspiring uses of the All-America City Shield. Fayetteville has been designated an All- America City three times. Cities are asked to share their most creative and impactful uses of the logo on Facebook or Twitter by tagging All-America City and using #ShareYourShield no later than Feb. 8.

Governor comes to town

Gov. Roy Cooper was in Fayetteville last week. He attended the 25th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast at the Crown Center. It is hosted each year by the Fayetteville Cumberland County Ministerial Council.

Cooper urged the 1,300 attendees to speak out against injustice. He spoke of King’s passionate speeches that were essential to the American civil rights movement of the 1960s. Cooper seemed to refer indirectly to recent news headlines, saying light can drive out darkness, despite leaders who seek to divide and people who call each other names.

“Keep shining your light in the world, and we can all together drive out the darkness,” the governor said. “Now is the time for us to raise our voices for inclusiveness and diversity because they make us stronger,” he said. He also spoke of the importance of faith and community. “Those values will light our path forward.”

Fatal fire under investigation

The Fayetteville Fire Department continues to probe the cause of a fire earlier this month that claimed the life of a woman identified as Shelley Davis, 57.

The fire was reported at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at 1908 Stanberry St. in the Holly Springs neighborhood off Murchison Road. Officials said the small house was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. The victim was found dead inside the house after fire crews were able to knock down intense flames and enter the building. Three other occupants were able to escape.

But, the victim’s husband, Robert Davis, 59, was badly burned and taken to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. Their 30-year-old daughter and a toddler whose name and age were not given were treated and released from a local hospital, said Lt. Todd Joyce, a Fayetteville Police spokesman.

“12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers"

With the premier of the movie “12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers,” Fayetteville’s Airborne & Special Operations Museum is displaying a special exhibit entitled “America’s Response.”

It features artifacts from the special forces soldiers who deployed to Afghanistan immediately after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Artifacts include a saddle used by the Horse Soldiers and steel from the World Trade Center carried during the deployment by a special forces soldier. Operational Detachments Alpha 555 and Alpha 595 of the Army’s 5th special forces Group were inserted into Afghanistan. Because of the rugged mountainous terrain, ODA 595 adopted the local mode of transportation: horses. The 12 Green Berets were the first U.S. soldiers to fight on horseback since World War II. In November 2001, ODA 595 fought alongside other Green Berets and approximately 2,000 Northern Alliance fighters mostly on horseback. They took the Taliban stronghold of Mazar-e-Sharif, the first significant Taliban defeat in the Global War on Terror. The exhibit runs through the end of January.

Better Business Bureau announces development program

Liz Stiles, the Better Business Bureau customer service representative for Fayetteville and Cumberland County, announced this week a new program designed to enhance customer relations for local businesses and organizations. With the belief that actions speak louder than words, the BBB is encouraging businesses to practice what they have designated as the 5 gestures of trust: Be honest, be transparent, be proactive, be humble, and be fair. The program will be presented in the form of a new, exclusive webinar Jan. 23 from 2-3 p.m. to accredited businesses in the Fayetteville and Cumberland County area.

According to Stiles, “Ever-changing technology, social media and direct consumer experiences can make or break a business. Today’s successful businesses, therefore, must be customer-centric, employee-focused, innovative and environmentally and socially conscious. This is what the BBB’s 5 Gestures of Trust Program is all about – assisting businesses and organizations in establishing new frameworks to evaluate and improve relationships with their customers.”

To register for the webinar or for more information about the BBB Fayetteville/Cumberland County, contact Liz Stiles at e.stiles@coastalcarolina.bbb.org or call 910-818-0367.

Photo: Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend

Xeavier Bullock

E.E. Smith • Senior • Football

Bullock was a captain for the E.E. Smith football team. He also served as vice president of the senior class. His grade point average is 3.75.

Melissa Lu

Terry Sanford • Senior • Tennis

Lu was the No. 1 singles player for the Bulldogs. She went unbeaten in Patriot Athletic Conference play and has a grade point average of 4.0. She is active in the Terry Sanford orchestra, the Key Club, Mu Alpha Theta, the National Honor Society and the Academy of Scholars.

As I am now in that awkward age between 65 and death, I have begun to think about big concepts that in the past I would have ignored as the press of daily life distracted me. Recently, I have been thinking about an old Chiffon margarine TV commercial from the 1970s. Mother Nature appears in the ad. She gets fooled into thinking that Chiffon margarine is butter. When she learns that the Chiffon margarine is not butter, she gets cranky. Mother Nature does not like to be fooled. She calls down lightning and elephant stampedes to express her displeasure. She famously said, “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.”

I suspect Mother Nature is currently unamused as evidenced by our recent blast of cold weather, frozen pipes and the epidemic of cabin fever experienced by most of the eastern United States. Nature Mom is unhappy with the number of cooties we have been tossing up into the atmosphere. If Mother Nature were a human patient, she might be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She can get really hot – 117 degrees recently in Australia that melted asphalt – or really cold, dropping to minus zero in the U.S.A., featuring floods of ice in New York. Her weather moods are labile, as the psychiatrists say. Even Ollie, the weather forecaster from “Family Guy,” doesn’t know what to make of the psychotic breaks from reality of Mother Nature’s freakouts. Only George Costanza is comfortable with the many moods of Mother Nature.

Mark Twain probably said that people are always complaining about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. Well, that can’t be said of iguanas. Iguanas are doing something about the weird cold weather in Florida. They are freezing and falling out of trees in Miami. A recent New York Times article dealt with the issue of falling iguanas. Iguanas are cold-blooded reptiles, which does not necessarily make them Republicans, but it helps. When the temperature gets down into the 40s, iguanas begin to slow down and freeze up. Iguanas do not have access to Motel Six, so they sleep in trees at night. It’s an iguana thing that you as a mere human wouldn’t understand. They wrap their little iguana toes around the limb of the tree where they are bunking for the evening. This works well, and they remain in place as long as the temperature doesn’t drop too low. However, once Mother Nature drops the temperature to below 30, it’s lights out in the old iguana tree house. Their claws can no longer hold onto the trees as their metabolism slows to zombie levels.

Their toes lose control. It begins to rain iguanas as they drop out of the trees. The iguanas lose their bright green color, turn gray and appear to have joined the ranks of the undead. However, looks can be deceiving. A semi-frozen fallen gray iguana lying upside down by your pool or on your windshield who appears to have crossed the Great Divide may not actually be dead. Said iguana may be in a state of suspended iguana animation like passengers on a spaceship to a distant galaxy.

Humans are advised not to dispose of zombie iguanas as they may come back to life when the temperature begins to warm up. A zombie iguana can reanimate and resume doing whatever iguanas do when they are not falling out of trees. An official from the Miami Zoo advises that if the iguana turns from gray to dark brown, the iguana has in fact gone on to meet its ancestors. Then it’s time to light up the old grill, invite the neighbors, crack the keg and party down with a good oldfashioned iguana barbecue.

What can we learn from the recent rain of iguanas in Florida? Perhaps falling iguanas are some sort of warning Mother Nature is providing us similar to the miners who brought alarm canaries into coal mines. Canaries apparently need more air than humans. If the miners’ Tweetie Bird croaked in the mine, it was a message to the miners it was time to make like a tree and leave the mine before they ran out of breathable air. Like Keith Richards falling from his palm tree, not everything or everyone who falls out of a tree is dead. Keith has looked like he is dead for many decades, and yet he lives on. Considering the climate change that Mother Nature is inflicting on us as a result of our own devices, we need to focus on what kind of world we want to leave to Keith Richards and the frozen iguanas after we all are gone.

If you are handy with knitting needles, it’s time to start knitting scarfs and Speedos for Keith and the iguanas. It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature. Poor Keith is going to have to explain to her what we did to the climate.

Activities

• Hope Mills Youth baseball, softball and indoor soccer registration is open through Feb. 28, 4:30 p.m. Baseball ages 5-14, Softball ages 7-5, instructional soccer ages 5-6, indoor soccer ages 7-12. Eligibility cut-off date for baseball and indoor soccer is May 1. Softball cut-off date is Jan. 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, I 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.

Stay in the know

• Go Green! Recycling helps keep your refuse fees lower. Call the Public Works Department’s Waste Management division to start your service at 910-480-4010. Acceptable recyclables can be commingled together in the recycling container. Acceptable recyclable items include: magazines, office paper, junk mail, brown paper bags, newspaper, paperboard (cereal, cracker, drink and snack boxes), phone books, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles (#1 - 7), paper cardboard (dairy and juice containers), aluminum cans, foil and pie tins, steel or tin cans. Collection is on Wednesdays.

• Hope Mills is accepting bids for “ROCKFISH ROAD SIDEWALK FOR TOWN OF HOPE MILLS.” Sealed bids for the project entitled “ROCKFISH ROAD SIDEWALK FOR TOWN OF HOPE MILLS” will be received by the town of Hope Mills until 2 p.m., Feb. 6, in the town of Hope Mills Town Hall, 5770 Rockfish Rd., Board Room. At said place and time, all bids that have been duly received will be publicly opened and read aloud.

A pre-bid conference will be held at 2 p.m., Jan. 16 at the town of Hope Mills Town Hall, 5770 Rockfish Rd., Board Room. Interested parties are invited to attend this meeting to review the plans, ask for additional information or clarification and to visit the project site. Visit www.townofhopemills.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=546 for more information.

Promote yourself

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

The 17th Annual Civil War Quiz Bowl will be hosted by the Museum of the Cape Fear Thursday, Jan. 25, at Headquarters Cumberland County Library.

Over 200 questions have been prepared for willing and knowledgeable participants. Prizes will be awarded for first place in both the youth and adult categories.

According to Leisa Greathouse, associate curator of education for the museum, the quiz bowl began as a way of “telling more than a museum exhibit can.”

“It struck us how much people like trivia, especially Civil War trivia, so we developed the quiz bowl,” Greathouse said. “In our business, we meet many, many Civil War buffs and thought it would be fun to have a friendly contest where they could see how much they know. A test of their knowledge.”

The quiz bowl accepts up to 20 contestants of all ages. This year, the youngest contestant is 12 years old. Greathouse said that many who participate have done so before, with some having competed in all 17 events.

The format of the event remains steadfast every year. Each contestant chooses a category and is asked a question. If that person answers incorrectly, they receive a strike. When a contestant gets three strikes, they’re out of the contest.

The categories and questions vary from year to year and are determined by the curator of education. The categories this year include “Elementary, My Dear,” “Brief Bios,” “Gettysburg,” “Fayetteville Arsenal,” “Chronology,” “Jeopardy (answer in the form of a question),” “The CW in NC,” “For the Experts,” and “When or Where.”

Greathouse said, “It is the most creative aspect in developing the quiz bowl. Last year, for example, all the categories were named for social media sites. Facebook was one category, and all questions contained a picture of the person or the event. This year, we have named categories that people are more accustomed to seeing. The biggest twist we have attempted to put on the event is asking contestants to phrase their answer in the form of a question in just the one category, ‘Jeopardy.’”

The museum has encouraged participants to register early this year in a “Sign-Up, Study-Up” initiative.

Greathouse gave an example of the kind of tricky subject matter participants might encounter. “Civil War enthusiasts know that many battles are referred to differently by both sides,” she said. “Confederates tended to name battles for the nearest town, such as Manassas, in northern Virginia. The Union tended to name battles for the nearest waterway, such as Bull Run Creek.”

The quiz bowl is especially relevant as the Museum of the Cape Fear transitions into the North Carolina Civil War & Reconstruction History Center. According to the official website, the history center has raised $7.5 million from both the city of Fayetteville and Cumberland County, as well as $5 million from the state. The plan is to renovate and relocate two Civil War-era homes near the Culbreth House to create a period “village.” There is also planning for a Digital Educational Outreach program, as well as the purchase of the existing Poe Rental House. The groundbreaking for its first phase is scheduled for the spring of 2018.

But before our local museum changes into a prominent, statewide history center, it is events like the quiz bowl that will inform the community.

Greathouse said, “By educating people year after year and generation after generation, we are preserving history. But in the end, we want to build a well-educated community. A community of critical thinkers and history-minded individuals who will, at least on occasion, reflect on the past and the lives that lived it.”

The quiz bowl will take place at 7 p.m. in the Pate Room of the library. It is free and open to the public. To sign up, contact Leisa Greathouse at 910-500-4243.

If Charles Robert Jenkins were still around, we could ask him about how to best deal with North Korea. Jenkins, in case you don’t remember, was the soldier from Rich Square, North Carolina, who spent 40 years in that country after deserting across the border while serving in the U.S. Army in South Korea.

Before he died last month, he told Los Angeles Times writer Jonathan Kaiman the lesson he learned from his time there. “I don’t put nothing past North Korea,” he said. “North Korea could to do anything. North Korea don’t care.

“Ain’t nobody live good in North Korea. Nothing to eat. No running water. No electricity. In the wintertime you freeze – in my bedroom, the walls were covered in ice.”

That insight might help us better understand the nature of the country that is threatening a nuclear missile attack against major U.S. cities. But it does not lay out a strategy for dealing with the North Korean threat.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the current administration recognizes the challenge. “When President Trump took office, he identified North Korea as the United States’ greatest security threat,” Tillerson said. “He abandoned the failed policy of strategic patience. In its place, we carried out a policy of pressure through diplomatic and economic sanctions.

A door to dialogue remains open, but we have made it clear that the regime must earn its way back to the negotiating table.”

But the North Koreans have not jumped at the opportunity to talk to the U.S. Surprisingly, they are now talking to the South Koreans about the possibility of participating in the Winter Olympics, which South Korea is hosting next month. Responding to these talks and the possibility of North Korean participation, Sen. Lindsey Graham said the U.S. should boycott the Olympics if North Korea participates. “Allowing Kim Jong Un’s North Korea to participate in #WinterOlympics would give legitimacy to the most illegitimate regime on the planet,” she tweeted.

Meanwhile, Kim Jong Un and our president trade angry threats like bullies in a school yard.

Contrary to Tillerson’s assertion that North Korea is our “greatest security threat,” the greatest threat to the U.S. may be the fixation of people like Tillerson, Graham and Trump on Kim Jong Un.

Is there a better way for the U.S. to deal with North Korea’s nuclear threat than Trump’s boastful threats to destroy North Korea militarily if the U.S. is provoked?

The extraordinary attention given to the North Korean threat is understandable, but it might be counterproductive. Our efforts, our threats, our daily absorption arguably could be doing more harm than good.

We may be paying too much attention to North Korea.

Maybe we should take a step back, get out of the direct confrontation mode, disclaim the primary responsibility for dealing with North Korea’s nuclear fixation, and adopt these guidelines:

Cede leadership and responsibility for North Korea to those most at risk: China, South Korea, Japan and perhaps Russia. Make it clear that we will be supportive of their efforts and will cooperate with the solutions they develop, but we will not dictate terms or take the lead in any negotiations.

2. Continue to work with other nations and the U.N. to enforce and expand the sanctions against North Korea, working as a partner and not insisting on directing the effort.

3. Continue and accelerate research and construction of expanded anti-missile capability, quietly and without unnecessary disclosure, working as rapidly as possible to check the North Korean missiles should they ever be launched.

4. Quietly develop, test and improve contingency plans for a strong response to any North Korea military action against South Korea.

As Jenkins pointed out, there is no good way to deal with the North Koreans. But maybe a step back from confrontation would be “less bad” than our current frantic and provocative approach.

Photo: Charles Jenkins

The song “Time Stand Still” by Rush has lyrics that read:

“Summer’s going fast

Nights growing colder

Children growing up

Old friends growing older

Freeze this moment

A little bit longer

Make each sensation

A little bit stronger”

This song seems to fit my year last year. In this song, the singer is wishing that time would stand still. For me, as well, it seems like time flew by.

The other day, I did an early morning ride. It was 30 degrees, and I knew the nights were getting colder. My little son is now 32 and announced he and his wife are going to have a baby. As I get older, I have noticed that some of my conversations with my riding friends have gone from talking about motorcycling to Medicare, Social Security and retirement. Sadly, a few of my friends have had their last ride.

Each year, I write about riding, spending time with friends and making plans to do those things that people only talk about. I have often written about the “Walt Rule.” For those that have not read heard of this rule, here is a quick recap. Ten years ago, my friend Walter was killed in a car wreck. For years, Walt had asked me to join him on his boat at the beach to go scuba diving, and I never did. It seemed like I always found a reason – I was too busy or I had too much yard work or too much life. So, after Walt passed, I knew I would never get to dive with Walt. I wondered what a trip to the beach with him would have been like, and somehow, I felt I robbed him – and me – of an adventure. It was then that I made a new rule for myself. If someone asks me to do something, and if I can, I will, because otherwise I’ll never know what new journey might have been.

Since that time, I have been on a lot of adventures that I would have never, ever tried before. I have taken up adventure riding. I have ridden to the Arctic Circle, made hundreds of friends, traveled thousands of miles and loved every minute of it.

I often meet riders or “wanna be” riders, and I get a lot of the same story. It usually goes like this: “I wished I could ride, but …” My favorite is the guys with motorcycle vests and bikes who say they cannot ride across town because, although it may look cool, it is extremely uncomfortable. They say they want to ride, but their bike won’t make it.

This time last year, I had no plans. It wasn’t until May that I was able to make a break for it and get my first long ride in. Before the year was over, I was able to cover about 10,000 miles, 13 states and three different time zones. Not only did I see a lot of great sights, I was able to visit a lot of friends and family along the way.

This year, publisher Bill Bowman and I rode to Cody, Wyoming. Most riding days were 400- to 600-mile days. It was nothing to look at each other the night before and say, “I think we have about 500 miles tomorrow,” and we would smile and get at it.

So, as the new year comes, take that step out there, make a plan, write it down, and do it. Make sure that you do not let an experience slip away.

On a personal note, I would like to thank all the folks at Up & Coming Weekly who continue to print my articles and to thank all of you, the readers, for being so supportive over the years.

If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, you can contact me at motorcycle4fun@aol.com.

RIDE SAFE!

A little over a week into January, Julian Hill was listed as the top rebounder from Cumberland County Schools on the stats at ncprepsports.net with an average of 10.1 per game.

That might not seem to be an incredible accomplishment, but considering how far Hill has come in the last two years, it’s almost a leap over Mount Everest.

The 6-foot-4-inch senior forward has battled back from two surgeries on his right knee. This is his first season on a basketball court in two years.

He had to miss the first two games of the current season, not getting clearance from his doctor to return to full competition until Nov. 18.

Regardless of all those challenges, one person who never doubted he’d return was Trojan boys’ head basketball coach Jimmy Peaden.

“I’ve never seen a kid that has his will power as far as getting back from not one but two surgeries,’’ Peaden said. “He’s put in the work. He’s not satisfied at all with where he is.’’

Where he is, despite still not being 100 percent in basketball shape, is averaging a double-double almost nightly for the Trojans while often pulling double coverage from the defense.

The toughest part for Hill this season, he said, was realizing he would not be healthy in time to return to his role as quarterback on the Trojan football team. About mid-season during football, he sat down with his family, his doctor and his physical therapist to plot strategy for what remained.

“We said basketball was going to be the goal,’’ Hill said. That forced a change in the rehabilitation therapy he was taking.

“Basketball requires a lot of jumping, a lot of explosiveness,’’ he said. “We did a lot of jumping activities, a change of direction.’’

Despite all the personal work he’s put in, Hill doesn’t like to take credit for his rebounding success so far.

“When the entire team boxes out, it works for whoever gets the ball,’’ Hill said.

There is still a lot of basketball to be played this season, and Hill said that is what Peaden has been preaching to the Trojan team.

“We have to stay together, even through the downs,’’ Hill said. “We have to stay tougher every day and better ourselves for the next game.

“It’s like a big brotherhood. The guys know it, and the coaches feel it. I think we’ll turn it around really soon.’’

Photo: Julian Hill

Luis Irizarry knew one thing for sure when he retired from the Army in 2006: he was done taking orders. Irizarry always had an entrepreneurial bent, opening a restaurant in the late 1990s when he was stationed in Virginia and a home improvement business when he transitioned out of the Army years later. Now, the serial entrepreneur and his wife Edna have their hands full with several thriving foodbased businesses.

Born in Puerto Rico and raised in New Jersey, Luis has always loved cooking. “A lot of Spanish dishes, I learned from my mom,” Irizarry said. “That was a big part of the menu at my first restaurant.”

Straight out of the Army, Luis opened a business doing home repairs and flipping houses. While it was rewarding being his own boss, he eventually decided it wasn’t a good fit. “I got tired of that,” he said. “Then, I went to school. I already knew how to cook, but I wanted to learn more and to brush up. I went to Fayetteville Technical Community College and got a culinary degree, hotel management degree and business degree.”

Now he gives back, returning to FTCC and local high schools to share his story with students. Sharing his passion with young people and teaching them about the food business is one of his favorite things to do. Often, he takes on local students as interns and employees, teaching them the food service business.

With a catering business, a food truck and a food truck commissary based out of Hope Mills and now, running the kitchen at downtown Fayetteville’s Lake Gaston Brewery, Luis and Edna have their hands full. The pair is committed to bringing delicious food to the community.

“Elite Catering is a full-service catering company,” said Luis. “We come to your location, serve, take care of your guests and clean up. You don’t have to worry about anything. Just come hungry.”

Luis also noted that staying flexible is a big part of being successful. For example, what is now the Elite Catering food truck was originally the truck Luis used in his home improvement business.

“Once I started the catering business, I would use it to transport things to and from parties,” Luis said. “But when we decided to convert it to a food truck, I would go on Craigslist and buy used equipment as I could and as I needed it. I don’t owe anyone, and I own all of my equipment outright. That has given me a lot of freedom when it comes to growing my businesses.”

Another priority for Luis with the catering food truck has been keeping the menu flexible. “I didn’t want people to see my truck and say, ‘Oh, there goes the taco truck.’ Or, ‘There goes the rib truck,’” said Luis. “I like to keep my options open and adjust the menu to what I think will work for the occasion and location.”

When Luis decided to open his food truck in 2007, he was on the hunt for a commissary – a place to prep food and clean his truck – and he had a hard time finding one. “Food trucks weren’t popular here yet, so I had a hard time finding a commissary,” he said. “But when the opportunity came up to help other food trucks, it was easy to say yes. I wanted to give back because no one gave me a chance. So, when someone comes to me, I like to help them. I currently have three food trucks and a hotdog cart that we are a commissary for.”

In addition to the Hope Mills food truck commissary, Luis owns a building in Hope Mills that he plans to reopen as a café at some point. Right now, though, he said the catering business, food truck and food truck commissary are plenty in addition to the Lake Gaston Brewing Co. venture.

“We have a new menu coming after Valentine’s Day,” said Luis. The menu reflects not only Luis’ Puerto Rican cooking background that includes dishes he learned from his mom; it has items like cauliflower bites, buffalo shrimp, lamb sliders, brats, gourmet burgers and more.

“It’s a passion for me and Edna,” Luis said. “We don’t think in terms of dollars. We consider every event and how we can make it a good experience for the guests and our customers. We don’t cut corners, and we love people.”

Photo:Luis Irizarry

Former Fayetteville High School and North Carolina State University standout Chris Cammack is one of 15 members of the latest class chosen for induction into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in Raleigh.

Cammack helped lead Fayetteville High to a state basketball title in the late 1960s under veteran head coach Len Maness but is best remembered for his baseball exploits. He was a four-year All-ACC performer at third base for NC State and helped lead the team to the 1968 College World Series.

His batting average of .429 in 1969 is still the single-season record at NC State.

Fayetteville lawyer Wade Byrd was a classmate of Cammack’s at Fayetteville High and among his best friends.

He probably could have played college basketball but he chose baseball because it was his first love,’’ Byrd said. “He was one of the greatest athletes to come out of Fayetteville or North Carolina.’’

Byrd said if Cammack was still alive, he’d likely downplay and joke about his selection for the hall. “He was a great guy with an engaging smile,’’ Byrd said. “Everybody who knew him loved him.’’

Photo: Chris Cammack