It is clear to me that Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., and far too many other Black Americans in positions of leadership or influence are disgracing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Among the synonyms for disgrace that appear in Webster’s New World Thesaurus: dishonor, disregard, disrespect, heap dirt upon. Vocabulary.com defines legacy as “something handed down from one generation to the next. A retiring company president might leave a legacy of honesty and integrity.” King’s legacy is one of respect and love for others, thoughtfulness, commitment to nonviolence, faithfulness to God’s direction, orientation toward clear and noble goals, a willingness to die for what he believed and a multitude of other humanity-lifting qualities. Lewis and others are disgracing this legacy.

This thought of King’s legacy being disgraced occurs to me from time to time. However, the reports of Lewis and other black leaders boycotting the opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum Dec. 9, 2017, demanded I assess this action considering King’s legacy. In an article titled “Boycotted by black leaders, Trump speaks at civil rights museum opening,” Nancy Cook wrote, “Several civil rights leaders, including Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), boycotted the event after the Mississippi governor extended a last-minute invitation to the president. The NAACP urged Trump not to attend the event. Trump did not mention Lewis in his remarks.

“Civil rights veterans said that the president’s track record was poor on such issues – from his criticism of NFL players who supported the Black Lives Matter cause to his treatment of women and the disabled to the questions he frequently raised during his campaign about the legitimacy of the country’s first African-American president, President Obama.”

Lewis also refused to attend Trump’s inauguration. His reasoning comes through, in the following, from an article by Chuck Todd, Sally Bronston and Matt Rivera titled “Rep. John Lewis: ‘I don’t see Trump as a legitimate president:’”

“In an exclusive interview with NBC News’ ‘Meet the Press,’ Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., said he does not believe Donald Trump is a ‘legitimate president,’ citing Russian interference in last year’s election.

“Asked whether he would try to forge a relationship with the president-elect, Lewis said that he believes in forgiveness, but added, ‘it’s going to be very difficult. I don’t see this president-elect as a legitimate president.’”

I see the two boycotts referenced above as thoughtless, knee-jerk reactions that bypassed opportunities for educating a president about the Civil Rights Movement and creating a positive atmosphere for negotiating with him. Without a doubt, Lewis was a major contributor to the success of the Civil Rights Movement. The question at hand is: How are Lewis and others treating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? King’s “Letter from the Birmingham City Jail” is one of many resources that provide substantive insights for answering the question.

The letter was written by King, dated April 16, 1963, while he was being held in the Birmingham city jail for leading and participating in demonstrations against segregation in the city. Eight Alabama clergymen had, on April 12, 1963, published a statement in a newspaper, signed by each of them, urging blacks to withdraw their support for King and his demonstrations. These clergy were in basic agreement with King that segregation should be addressed; however, they disagreed with his approach. They called for negotiation and use of the legal system in pursuing needed change. They described King as an “outsider” who used “extreme measures” that incited “hatred and violence.” To productively consider what I want to present now regarding King’s legacy and how it is being disgraced, one should read the clergymen’s statement and King’s response at: https://moodle.tiu.edu/ pluginfile.php/57183/mod_resource/content/1/ StatementAndResponseKingBirmingham1.pdf.

Given that King is writing to men who publicly challenged his being in Birmingham and characterized his actions as inciting “hatred and violence,” his very greeting contributes to defining King’s legacy – what he left to us. To these men, he wrote, “My Dear Fellow Clergymen.” He puts forth an atmosphere conducive to thoughtfully addressing difficult issues.

King then calmly, in detail, speaks to every point raised by these clergymen. On the “outsider” objection, he explains that he is president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. That organization had 85 affiliated organizations across the South. The Alabama Christian Movement of Human Rights was one of the affiliates. The Birmingham affiliate asked him to come, along with other staff members, and engage in “nonviolent direct action.”

King’s letter continues, “But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their “thus saith the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of their hometowns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own hometown. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.”

King calmly addressed the outsider objection by showing that he was in Birmingham by invitation and because there was a need.

Regarding the call for negotiation, King wrote, “In any nonviolent campaign, there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. We have gone through all these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case. On the basis of these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the latter consistently refused to engage in good faith negotiation.”

In that segment, he addressed the failed effort at negotiation while reminding these clergymen that his is a nonviolent approach.

Consider what King wrote as he neared the end of the letter: “If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me.”

Finally, a statement from the last paragraph: “I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil-rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother.”

Again, Martin King Jr.’s legacy is one of respect and love for others, thoughtfulness, commitment to nonviolence, faithfulness to God’s direction, orientation toward clear and noble goals, a willingness to die for what he believed, and a multitude of other humanity-lifting qualities. All of this shows through in that letter from the Birmingham city jail.

Consider this legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and honestly examine the attitudes and actions of Lewis and, in our time, other black Americans in positions of leadership or influence. Also, consider all the good King did for America and the world through his approach, as compared with the accomplishments of those who, I contend, disgrace his legacy. With few exceptions, I believe you will find people who, like Lewis, in the face of tremendously challenging issues, engage in thoughtless, knee-jerk reactions that feed an atmosphere of discord and pure hatred; the result is societal regression. Without regard to skin color, all Americans would be wise to understand, appreciate, and allow the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to inform our living and serving.

Photo: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Activities

• Every Monday and Friday, the Alms House serves meals from noon to 12:30 p.m. and 5-5:30 p.m. Saturday meals are at noon, and Sunday meals are at 5 p.m. Free. Contact, Grilley Mitchell at (910) 476-3719 or visit www.almshousehopemills. com for details.

• Dec. 29 Support your local hockey team. Watch the Fayetteville Marksmen vs. the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs at the Crown. Learn more about the team and purchase tickets at www.marksmenhockey.com.

• Dec. 30 Celebrate Kwanzaa at Smith Recreation Center from 6-8 p.m. Bring your favorite food dish to share. Free. Call (910) 485-8035 for details.

Meetings

• Jan. 8 Hope Mills Chamber January Luncheon at Hope Mills Park and Recreation from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Enjoy a meal, network, and talk about the new year. Pivot Physical Therapy will be the guest speaker. Cost for lunch is $10. Purchase tickets at www.hopemillschamber.org.

• Alcoholics Anonymous meetings Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays at 8 p.m. at Hope Mills United Methodist Church, 4955 Legion Rd.

• Hope Mills Board of Commissioners Meeting first and third Monday of each month at the Town Hall Building at 7 p.m.

• Hope Mills Area Kiwanis Club second Tuesdays at noon at Buckhead Steakhouse (Sammio’s starting in Feb.) and fourth Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at Mi Casita in Hope Mills. For more information, call (910) 237-1240.

Get involved

Join other motivated citizens on one of the town’s boards, commissions, or committees. Contact the town for information on current vacancies and the application process: www.townofhopemills.com/directory.aspx

• The 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.

• The 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.

• The 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.

• The Senior Citizens Advisory Committee – fourth Wednesdays at the Hope Mills Senior Center, 4 p.m. The purpose of this committee is to provide insight and advice for the Senior Center Staff on programs and trips and to the providers of leisure services and activities for citizens 55 and older in the Hope Mills area.

• The 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.

• The 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.

Volunteer Opportunities

• Citizen’s Police Academy The Training Department at the Hope Mills Police Department offers a training course for citizens to become more prepared and involved in the safety of their community. Download the application to get started: www.townofhopemills.com/DocumentCenter/Home/View/62.

•FirefightersThe Hope Mills Fire Department is a combination department, which employs both career staff and volunteers. Find out the criteria and training requirements for volunteer firefighters and join the team today: www.townofhopemills. com/155/Volunteer-Firefighters.

Closings

• The town of Hope Mills offices will be closed Jan. 1. Call (910) 426-4113 with questions.

Promote yourself

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

Aidan Ruiz

Jack Britt • Junior •Lacrosse

Ruiz has a weighted grade point average of 4.22. She is an Eastern national champion in karate and plans to play lacrosse at the collegiate level.

Esther Abraham

Terry Sanford • Sophomore • Tennis/soccer

Abraham has a grade point average of 3.87. She is active in mock trail, the Friends Club and the Go Club. She’s also active in youth group at Cape Fear Church of Christ.

Camari Williams Westover • Junior • Football/ basketball

Williams has an unweighted grade point average of 3.75. He is president of the Westover chapter of Students 2 Students. He is active in the health academy, HOSA - Future Health Professionals and National Honor Society. He has also won a Presidential Award.

Walker Shearin Pine Forest • Junior • Soccer/golf

Shearin has a 4.0 grade point average. He was second-team All-Patriot Conference in soccer this past season. He’s a member of the Pine Forest student government association and the Academy of Emergency Medical Science.

GIRLS

Coach: Charles Tubbs

Top returners: Nikki Cooke, 5-9, Sr., G; Desiree Smith, 6-1, Fr., F; Miya Giles- Jones, 5-10, 8th, G; Lavariah Armstead, 5-7, Fr., G; Jada Raynor-Brewington, 5-9, Sr., F.

Top newcomers: Kyla Kincy, 5-10, Jr., F; Tamera Hooker, 5-7, Fr., G; Tytianna Gibson, 5-7, Sr., G.

Coach’s comment: “One strength is having eight returning players from last year. The weakness is we are still a young team. We plan on defending our state title and making another run this year.’’

BOYS

Coach: Heath Vandevender

Top returners: Joey Baker, 6-8, Jr., F/G; Greg Grant, 6-8, Jr., F; K.J. Marshall, 5-10, Jr., G; Talton Jones, 6-3, Jr., G; Au’Diese Toney, 6-6, Jr., G/F; DeUmbre Ginyard, 6-4, Jr., G; Andrew Miller, 6-6, Sr., F.

Top newcomers: None

Coach’s comment: “We have five D1 guys, so I have high expectations from this group. We play another tough schedule and are still young with only one senior. Each season and group is a different journey. I am looking forward to seeing what this group can accomplish by the end of February.’’

PHOTOS: (Top, L-R: Girls’ basketball coach Charles Tubbs & Top returner Nikki Cooke / Bottom, L-R: Boys’ basketball coach Heath Vandevender & Top returner Andrew Miller)

As Americans formulate our resolutions for fastapproaching 2018, Nielsen, the TV ratings folks, tells us that fully 69 percent of our resolutions involve staying fit and healthy and losing weight. Less important to us, apparently, are living life to the fullest, spending less and saving more and spending more time with those we love, though all are worthy goals.

Not as prominent in the listings but an issue many of us ponder and worry about is our environment. Virtually everyone wants to be a good steward. We recycle at least some of the time. We worry about fossil fuel consumption and toy with the notion of hybrid vehicles. Increasingly, we are trying to eat and shop locally for all sorts of good reasons – our health, our local economy, the high cost of long-haul transportation and uncertainty about safe growing and manufacturing practices in faraway places.

But it is all complicated, even for those with the best intentions.

Is it environmentally better to have a live Christmas tree, as the Dicksons and millions of other American families do, or is an artificial tree the better environmental choice? Both options have costs. Trees, including those grown on farms in North Carolina, use land and water and require chemicals and human labor. Artificial trees are made, often in Asian factories, of plastic, aluminum and steel and are shipped to us in various packaging. Although some communities, including ours, make provisions to compost live trees after the holiday season, both live and artificial trees do wind up in landfills. Nielsen says that only 19 percent of Americans do like the Dicksons and buy a live tree, while 81 percent opt for artificial. So, which is environmentally better? It depends, but at least one consultant suggests artificial, as most families use the same tree year after year, giving it a lifespan of up to decades.

And how about shopping? Local boosters across America would love everyone to spend their holiday dollars with local businesses, but that takes time and gas and often stresses both shoppers and retail workers. The reality is that Americans are opting more and more often to shop online from the convenience of our homes. The pluses are that we can shop in our PJs and the goods come right to our doors, sometimes already wrapped in holiday papers and bows and ready to go under the tree, be it live or artificial. The negatives are that the money leaves our communities and goes whoknows- where and that after all the unwrapping is done, we still must contend with the environmental ravages of all that packaging. Planet Aid says that tiny, landlocked Austria recycles 62 percent of its waste, while the United States recycles slightly more than half of Austria’s waste – 34 percent. We should be ashamed.

Focus is on the holidays now, but truth be told, doing the environmentally correct thing is never easy or clear. Do we buy out-of-season fruits and vegetables all year-round in grocery stores, knowing they have traveled thousands of miles and used tons of fossil fuels to get to us? Do we buy commercially raised products, animal proteins, coffee and many other products, knowing that large multinational corporations are profiting at the expense of small farmers? Novelist Barbara Kingsolver and her family tried to eat exclusively local for a year, an adventure they document in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Suffice it to say, the family tried very hard but did not always succeed and wore themselves out in the process, as growing and preparing your own food without any processed ingredients takes considerable time.

Environmental questions are endless. Raising chickens has become a popular urban activity, and many people enjoy those homegrown, fresh eggs, even if they foreswear eating the chickens. But chickens make messes, which raise environmental issues. Weeding our gardens takes time and physical effort, but herbicides do the job quickly. Scarecrows are picturesque and may bother birds, but pesticides kill effectively. Both leave chemical residue.

And so on and so on and so on.

Our resolution should be to keep trying to find out what works both for us and for our environment.

Wishing you and those you love a happy and healthy 2018 and many successful resolutions.

I’ve always contended that any successful community needs a healthy and vibrant downtown. Our community is no different.

I recently had the pleasure of reading a newsletter and holiday update from the Cool Spring Downtown District president and CEO, Mark Regensburger. The CSDD organization is poised to market and promote the arts, entertainment and cultural events in downtown Fayetteville. His report was an incredibly detailed, comprehensive and uplifting account of the activities and development progress downtown. It included construction updates, current activities and events, new business acknowledgments, progress reports dealing with concerns, and neighborhood issues.

It also included helpful information about city and county government services and offices, hours of operation and a comprehensive list of activities for young and old alike.

This newsletter had substance. It was written professionally and articulately with a tone of hospitality and sophistication any reader would find inviting. It was exactly the kind of message and image of Fayetteville that community advocates would like to duplicate and disseminate throughout Fort Bragg and Cumberland County. It was so refreshing to read such an upbeat account of what’s going on in the downtown community.

I couldn’t help but think how handicapped so many organizations that work to improve the community and highlight its positives are in communicating this message to residents, visitors and guests throughout Cumberland County. This is valuable information that needs to be shared and broadcast to all the people in Cumberland County. Unfortunately, even though the intentions are to communicate outwardly to the residents of the county, the message remains quite obscure. The story of Fayetteville is just not getting out. Hopefully, Mark and CSDD will address this in the near future. They need to get their message out.

As informative as Regensburger’s newsletter was, I had to take exception to its title, which exposed the problem: “Holiday Newsletter From Our Family to... Our family.” Our family. It’s an ironic title because CSDD needs to also share this information with people outside the downtown community and not just with “their family.”

Sure, it’s important that downtown residents stay informed, but if they don’t tell their story to others, then establishing downtown Fayetteville as a destination will be like winking in the dark. CSDD needs to aggressively promote, market and advertise the amenities downtown Fayetteville offers if they are to develop and brand themselves.

Yes, CSDD is on the right track, and I think they have the right leadership in place to make a difference in how Fayetteville is perceived. They can count on us for support.

Happy New Year, everyone. We are looking forward to and are excited about 2018. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Each year, the Hope Mills Town Hall staff sponsors a family’s Christmas through the Rockfish Elementary Adopted Families program. It started almost 10 years ago when the Hope Mills Town Hall staff contacted the social worker at Rockfish Elementary School. The social worker informed the staff about families with specific needs, and the staff began pooling their money to help.

This year, the employees of Town Hall, along with a few others, were able to help a family of six enjoy the holiday with gifts for all four of the children, ages ranging from 6 months to 9 years old. The staff was also able to donate gift cards for food shopping for the family’s Christmas feast.

Clara Hines, permitting specialist for Hope Mills, heads up the town’s participation in the event. “It’s the right thing to do,” she said. “This is one time of the year where we get to give back.”

I personally give because it lifts my heart to know I am helping someone in need. The spirit of Christmas lives in our hearts at Hope Mills, and its employees enjoy spreading good will to all and showing our love of others at this time of year.

Often citizens rely on the media to learn about the workings of local government. In Fayetteville, that means The Fayetteville Observer and Up & Coming Weekly. Out of town TV stations rarely cover city council or county commission meetings. Radio stations used to but haven’t in many years. Talk show hosts get their information from the papers.

When a neighborhood issue piques the interest of residents, they turn out. The Haymount crowd showed interest when a private school wanted to locate in a historic house on Morganton Road. They were opposed to it, and the city council voted it down. Residents of a suburban neighborhood in West Fayetteville were concerned about a rezoning issue and attended a council meeting. And again, council rejected the rezoning.

Every once in a while, a major citywide controversy flares up and the citizenry awakens. So, day to day and week to week, people depend on the Observer and Up & Coming Weekly for news of what goes on in city hall and the county courthouse. Journalists attend the meetings regularly. But, they’re not always welcome.

Over the course of the last year-and-a-half, city council has held nearly 30 closed or private meetings barring the public and media representatives. The two main subjects of discussion, I believe, were contracts involving construction and management of the new baseball stadium and nearby private investments, plus the proposed city/county 911 emergency communications center. County commissioners have a significant interest in the 911 call center but have not held any meetings behind closed doors.

North Carolina law says, “It is the policy of this State that closed sessions shall be held only when required to permit a public body to act in the public interest as permitted in this section. A public body may hold a closed session and exclude the public only when a closed session is required.” Note that the statute says a public body may hold a closed session. It doesn’t say that it must. There are nine specific and very limited reasons that a public body may hold closed meetings. It’s up to the city and county attorneys to enforce the law governing private discussions.

This is the preamble to general statute § 143- 318.9, which is entitled “Meetings of Public Bodies:” “Whereas the public bodies that administer the legislative, policy-making, quasi-judicial, administrative, and advisory functions of North Carolina and its political subdivisions exist solely to conduct the people’s business, it is the public policy of North Carolina that the hearings, deliberations, and actions of these bodies be conducted openly.”

It’s clear that local journalists and the companies they represent have lost faith in city council’s ability to distinguish between the rule and the few exceptions to the rule. Only one member of council has personally assured this reporter that he will try to be more attuned to the discussions that go on behind closed doors and call out his colleagues if they veer from the rule.

The recently formed Cool Spring Downtown District is an effort to rebrand and promote downtown Fayetteville. It was developed to drive economic growth and nurture activity in the heart of the community. The hope is to make downtown “a cool place to live, shop, eat, drink, see a movie and so much more,” said Mark Regensburger, president and CEO. It’s the outgrowth of a study commissioned by the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. The organization differs from the Downtown Alliance because it focuses on events, activities and connecting organizations rather than on retail sales.

“This first year is demonstrating what it means for the community to be wholly focused on downtown,” Regensburger said. He thinks of the area as a neighborhood that can grow to attract people from all over Cumberland County.

Regensburger said CSDD is defined as the area that comprises the downtown Municipal Services Tax District. This is the region in which merchants and property owners agreed to tax themselves to financially support development. It’s loosely bounded by Russell, Cool Spring, Grove and Rowan Streets, Bragg Boulevard and Robeson Street. “As an arts and entertainment district, it fills the gap between other organizations,” Regensburger said.

One way it’s working to fill that gap is through committees, each led by a CSDD board member.

The design committee focuses on the physical aspects of the district. It is chaired by Anna Hodges Smith, president of Hodges Associates, Inc. and a member of the Arts Council board of trustees. “How can you know you’re some place special when you get there?” Regensburger asked. “There are signs all over the place, but they all say different things. So we’re working toward getting a single feeling.” He said the committee’s goal is to make it easy to tell when you’re in the district by creating a cohesive feeling through physical means. Architects and advocates for pedestrian and bicyclefriendly solutions are among those involved.

“I think (this committee) is going to make the biggest long-term impact,” Regensburger said.

The economic vitality committee, co-chaired by Astros manager David Lane and Ashley Thompson, co-owner of Pressed – A Creative Space, focuses on helping new downtown businesses understand the practical ins and outs of getting established in this location.

“There are a lot of downtown businesses involved in (this committee),” Regensburger said. “They’re going to put together a mentoring program to help businesses work through everything they need and deal with the city.” He noted that downtown Fayetteville recently saw the opening of several new businesses. These include Koala Candor, a children’s clothing store; The Yellow Crayon, a brand marketing company that’s expanding to include on-the-spot custom printed T-shirts; Floating Shanti, a floatation therapy center; and The Door Belle, a women’s clothing store. Though the economic vitality committee has not created its formal mentorship program yet, Regensburger and CSDD General Manager Sam DuBose did visit each of these new businesses to greet the owners and to see if they needed any help. “A lot of them were renovating, so we worked with them to see if they were having any issues with rezoning or anything like that,” Regensburger said.

Thompson also works with Dr. Hank Parfitt, co-owner of City Center Gallery & Books, to lead the digital presence committee. This committee uses many forms of media to amplify initiatives created or supported by the CSDD. Since mid-November, it has been working with local radio stations and social media to push Shop Small Business Saturday leading up to Christmas. “They’re just trying to get more people to think, instead of fighting the lines and the crowds, come on downtown. It’s a more intimate experience,” Regensburger said.

The programming committee is tasked with planning and overseeing downtown events and activities, whether sponsored by CSDD or in partnership with other groups. Isabella Effon, owner of Taste of West Africa, is the chair. Examples of such events include the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, Rape Crisis of Cumberland County’s Walk Awhile in Her Shoes, and events put on by the Arts Council or the Downtown Alliance.

The community solution team’s goal is to bring together all the agencies that deal with issues like homelessness and panhandling to create unified, collaborative solutions. It’s chaired by David Blackman, senior pastor at Hay Street United Methodist Church. Regensburger said the team includes workers from Fayetteville Area Operation Inasmuch, The Salvation Army, Fayetteville Police Department, the city of Fayetteville and downtown businesses.

“We’re trying to coordinate it, because sometimes there’s four people serving one meal, and the next day, there’s no lunch for anybody,” Regensburger said. “We’re looking at maybe having a single location that’s sort of designated and supported.... Cpt. James Nolette, our city police officer who’s in charge of this district, said, ‘It’s a social problem. You can’t arrest people out of hunger; you can’t arrest people out of panhandling. It’s something that’s got to come from a broader base of people.’”

Finally, the promotion committee aims to find the most effective ways to communicate the message and goals of CSDD. Jean Moore, account executive at BrandAlliance, is the chair.

The CSDD also recently took on a management role that will benefit downtown businesses. For the past year or two, Regensburger said, the Downtown Alliance has been working with the city to implement a shared trash and recycling space for downtown businesses. That work has finally paid off, and, as of last week, the CSDD stepped up to work with Waste Management as managers of the shared space, which will be located in the parking lot of the Arts Council.

“This is the key link in getting all of those old roll carts off of Old Street,” Regensburger said. “That’s something people don’t think of. … Downtown, each and every business and resident has to contract (trash collection) individually, and so we’re moving toward more of a community solution.

“The complaint was, it’s hard on new businesses, it’s ugly on the streets. This (shared dumpster) is an example of the sort of collaboration between the city and other organizations that we are starting to take on and actually manage. I think that’s the key difference – (before), there was nobody in place to make sure these solutions kept rolling. Starting Jan. 1, there are the mundane things of billing and making sure (the trash) gets picked up.”

The minor league baseball stadium being built by the city of Fayetteville will become a significant attraction for a wide variety of residents and fans, Regensburger said. He said it will be another factor that adds uniqueness to the neighborhood. The Advanced Single-A Houston Astros farm team is wholly-owned by the Astros, which has a 30-year agreement to provide professional baseball. That’s apparently unusual to the benefit of taxpayers because the city is not involved in the operational funding of the team. The Astros organization will be solely responsible for management and maintenance of the ballpark.

The Downtown Alliance, city of Fayetteville, the Municipal Service District and the Arts Council fund the CSDD to the tune of $386,000 during this first year. Eric Lindstrom is chairman of the board of directors. Patrick Callahan serves as vice chair, Brent Sumner as treasurer and Molly Arnold as secretary. All have histories of involvement in downtown Fayetteville.

The group’s name was chosen from the historical significance of Cool Spring, which adjoins the district, and the Cool Spring Tavern, which is a historic two-story home believed to be the oldest existing structure in Fayetteville. It was built in 1788 and survived the disastrous fire of 1831. Cool Spring Place, as it’s officially known, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

The Umoja Group presents its annual Kwanzaa Celebration Saturday, Dec. 30, from 5-8 p.m. at Smith Recreation Center.

“We are probably near our 25th year offering the Kwanzaa Celebration in the community,” said Wanda Wesley, Umoja Group member and board member. “In the past, and this time, we will be celebrating the seven principles of Kwanzaa and bringing the community together to celebrate as well as learning a little about African kings and queens.” Wesley added that the most important principle is Umoja, which is the Swahili word for unity. This is why the group is called the Umoja Group.

The event will feature a drum call, welcome song, tribute to elders, libation to those who have passed, a parade of African kings and queens, a feast, storytelling, a children’s candlelight ceremony and traditional youth dance performances.

“We will have a candle lighting ceremony in which we will light the candles for Kwanzaa,” said Wesley. “The kings and queens (component) is a parade of kings and queens, and that is usually the focal point that everyone looks forward to watching.” Wesley added that individuals will dress up in the form of different African kings and queens and a person will narrate and give a little history about each king and queen.

One of the highlights of the event is the presentation of Shaka Zulu. “We have a certain individual who loves to do that role, and he changes it up from year to year,” said Wesley. “He is Larry Johnson and he works with the school system, and he looks forward to doing Shaka Zulu.”

The Association of Black Social Workers will attend the event this year. “They will be collecting items for Operation Blessing,” said Wesley. “These items include soap, hygienic items, deodorant and paper items.” Wesley added that when participants come they can bring these items to help other people in the community.

A $1,000 scholarship is given every year; two students will receive the scholarship this year. “The students are JaQuayla Hardison and Faith Brown,” said Wesley. “In order to receive the scholarship, the student must be a graduating senior in the E. E. Smith district, be active in the community and in the Umoja Group’s activities, display good character, have a high academic standing and be planning to enroll in an institute of higher learning.”

“We encourage the community to come out and join the friendly atmosphere,” said Wesley. “Please wear your ethnic attire and enjoy the celebration.”

Books will be given away to the children. Bring your favorite food dish to share. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (910) 485-8035 or (910) 527-2460.

The information technology PC Support & Services program at Fayetteville Technical Community College introduces students to just about all areas of the information technology discipline. Students take courses in networking, programming and security, but the primary emphasis of the program is on hardware and software. Students learn how to break down and build PCs from scratch and how to build virtual machines, install operating systems and troubleshoot for repairing PC hardware and software issues.

Degrees in information technology can open the door to numerous job opportunities and job fields, especially since North Carolina is home to the Research Triangle Park, which represents 200 different companies. FTCC’s curriculum prepares students for employment as troubleshooters responsible for solving problems and providing technical support and as advisors to customers and users in just about any sector – hospitals, educational institutions, retail areas and government and state organizations.

Industry certifications are key components for individuals graduating from college and entering the job market. Employers seek candidates who can pass certification examinations to demonstrate a certain level of knowledge and skills. In the PC Support & Services program, students prepare for a number of these exams. FTCC’s educators work to ensure students are equipped to not only gain employment beyond graduation but also to be successful and retain employment.

Education and training in information technology are also great assets for an individual’s already established career. FTCC is not limited to on individuals seeking an associate degree. For those seeking additional career training, the school offers certificate programs that require less time to complete and are highly focused on one particular area of interest. Under the PC Support & Services umbrella, there is a hardware and software certificate, which prepares students specifically for the well-known CompTIA A+ certification. FTCC also offers specialized certificates in programming, networking and cybersecurity.

FTCC also assists high school students with excellent educational opportunities. Those same certificates are available to FTCC students who participate in High School Connections and Cumberland Polytechnic High. High School Connections provides a way for high school students to enroll at FTCC tuition-free to complete collegelevel courses.

All individuals who possess a high school diploma or a GED may easily apply to FTCC using the home page (www.faytechcc.edu) and clicking on Apply Now. There is no application fee, and admissions counselors are available to provide advice and assistance as needed. During the admissions process, students select areas of interest. PC Support & Services is one of the more than 250 excellent programs of study available at FTCC. Once the admissions process is completed, students register for classes and can begin their major courses during the first semester.

To learn more about PC Support & Services or other computer-related programs of study at FTCC, call (910) 678-7368 or email at sobersto@faytechcc.edu. Start the new year right with spring classes, which begin January 16.

There’s an old saying that goes something like, “Eat poor on New Year’s and eat fat the rest of the year.” Eating black-eyed peas and collard greens – simple, humble food – before the coming of a new year is supposed to bring good luck, in other words. Some might be familiar here in the South with this dish being called “Hoppin’ John.” The peas symbolize coins, and the greens represent the color of money.

It’s superstition. It’s tradition. It’s part and parcel of living in the South. Fayetteville is no exception. In fact, this year will mark the 24th annual New Year’s Black-Eyed Pea Dinner at the Crown Expo Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Along with the traditional fare of blackeyed peas and greens, the meal boasts other Southern comforts such as sweet potatoes, cornbread and pork on the barbecue. The evening will feature gospel music as well.

According to J. Lee Warren Jr., register of deeds for Cumberland County and organizer of the event, the dinner actually originated in the 1970s with Willis Brown and Otis Jones. Warren, along with Owen Spears, Ed Grannis and Billy West, eventually took up the mantle of putting on this community affair once again for Cumberland County in the early 1990s.

“It’s been a tradition in our community for 45 years or so. We didn’t want to be the kinds of elected officials that you only heard from every four years when they were running for re-election,” said Warren. “We wanted to be different. We wanted people to be able to hear from us.”

In the past, various government officials have attended the dinner. According to Warren, the governor and other congressional representatives are invited this year.

Warren said, “It’s not a partisan thing. It’s not a political event. There will be political people there. But it doesn’t matter if you’re Republican, Democrat or a Libertarian. It doesn’t matter what you are.”

More than anything, the dinner is a chance for the community to participate in something close-knit and homegrown in Fayetteville.

“We’ll have people that tell us, ‘I’ve never been to this before,’ or, ‘I’ve always heard about it and haven’t had the opportunity to come,’” said Warren. “So there will be some people there that it’s their first time attending. Or this will be the 24th time they have come. We really look forward to this every year. It’s just a good way to begin the new year.”

We measure greatness in several ways. Among them are what a person knows and what a person can do or has already done. We brag about our kids’ grade point averages or SAT scores. We claim a person is the greatest to play their sport based on measurable statistics such as championships won, home runs hit and touchdowns scored.

The Bible presents a compelling case for God’s greatness. He knows all things, has never learned and is equally proficient in every area of knowledge – unlike scholars who are experts in one limited sphere of knowledge. Put another way, God has never had, nor will he ever have, an “Aha!” moment when he realizes a mistake he’s made due to insufficient knowledge (Acts 15:18, Psalm 147:4, Matthew 11:21 and Psalm 139:16).

God’s greatness is not seen only in what he knows but also in what he can do. Once again, the word of God, the Bible, declares he has unmatched abilities. In a prayer of Apostle Paul in the letter to the Ephesian believers, we read a part of Paul’s concluding praise to God: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20, 21).” This passage teaches many things, but among them are the following:

God can do far more “far more abundantly beyond” any and every thing we might ask him to do. People have their limits – we all have some things we can do, but many more things that we cannot do because of our limited abilities. Since our abilities are limited, people do not ask us to do certain things. No one has ever asked me for a $10 million gift or loan. As they have rightly concluded, I could NOT fulfill their request.

When we ask God to work on our behalf or on behalf of others through our prayers, it does not mean God will do exactly what we ask – only that he’s capable. His capability should cause us to ask him to do things in our lives and the lives of others, even to work out an “impossible” situation.

God can do far more than you can even imagine. All of us daydream, but when we do that about God and his abilities, we never imagine enough. Who would have ever imagined he’d take Joseph from an Egyptian prison to being co-regent of all of Egypt? Who could have imagined he’d take Saul, a persecutor of the church who caused many to be martyred, and gloriously transform him into Apostle Paul, who wrote 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament? In more modern times, who’d have imagined he’d take a 1.5 million-watt AM radio station built by Adolph Hitler and have Trans World Radio – a ministry located in Cary, North Carolina, – purchase it in the 1970s? Hitler built the station intending it for Nazi propaganda purposes (though it was never actually used for that), but TWR uses it to broadcast the goods news of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection and his offer of life everlasting to all who believe.

Take heart! God knows all things and can do all things, so no matter what your circumstance is, he knows and can work in ways you can’t imagine to create something good from it. He truly can do exceedingly, abundantly beyond all we ask or imagine. Praise his name!

In 2018, will you trust him to do a great work in you? Is there a specific area you’d really like to grow in so that you become more like Jesus Christ? He can conform you to his image. Is there a person you’d love to see come to faith in Christ, but that prospect seems highly unlikely (even impossible)? He can do far more than we imagine – why not pray daily for that one person? Ask God to make their heart tender to the good news and that he’d give you the opportunity and boldness to speak for him.

During this season of generosity, as we give of our time and treasure, shower loved ones with gifts and count our blessings, it can be hard to imagine what some people face every day. Jan. 1, from 8-10 a.m., the YMCA of the Sandhills will open its doors to those in the community in need of basic hygiene services. In addition to opening the facilities for people to shower, shave, brush their teeth and handle other personal hygiene tasks, the YMCA will provide towels, soap, shampoo, shaving products, toothbrushes and toothpaste and will also offer a continental breakfast.

Last year, the organization hosted the event, known as Project Connect, around Thanksgiving.

“We opted to move it because there are so many resources available to the homeless on Thanksgiving,” said Ector Simpson, event coordinator. “In thinking about how we could better reach the community, we asked what other providers were doing. While social responsibility is a component of our mission, it’s not our main mission – but we do have facilities to shower in. We thought this is something we could offer to people who may not have access to this. We can do it on New Year’s Day because the Y is closed.”

Simpson added that the event would be mostly staffed by volunteers. Opening its doors to the community for Project Connect could have been enough. But Simpson, along with executive director Sherrie Rallis and the others coordinating this event, wanted to reach as many people as possible.

“There are so many things we take for granted,” said Simpson. Access to facilities is one of them. “In many cities, the homeless have access to public transport – we have that here, but it is limited.” The solution, Simpson said, is to go into the community to the people they are trying to help.

“We have to get people to the Y,” said Simpson. “We have an after-school program during the week. We use these same vans to go around town to pick them up and bring them here and then take them back … we are trying to meet them where they are.

While many have a firm idea about what it means to be homeless, Simpson noted that it’s not that simple, saying, “Sometimes people have jobs but don’t get enough hours to earn enough to make rent, so they sleep in their cars. We are able to give scholarships (to some of them), and these people become our family. They come in every morning for a shower and then leave for work. Only at the end of the day they don’t go home – they sleep in their car.”

While the YMCA staff and volunteers will start their year off at the YMCA, Rallis noted that there are other ways people can help. “We are taking donations for hygiene products,” Rallis said. “Financial donations would be amazing, too. It would help us grow the scope of resources we can provide. Donations can be brought to the Y on Fort Bragg Road.” Items needed include soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, deodorant and other toiletries.

“It is amazing to see the spark of self-confidence and self-esteem (people get when they are able) to take away items that will help them,” Rallis said.

To find out how you can help or to learn more about the YMCA of the Sandhills, call (910) 426-9622.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation this month awarded a nearly $130 million contract for construction of a six-mile segment of the Outer Loop between Camden Road and Interstate 95 in Robeson County. DOT selected Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc., Branch Civil and STV Group, Inc., to design and build the project. They will begin finalizing design plans in January with land acquisition and construction to follow. Construction is expected to be completed by July 2021.

The 39-mile freeway is being built in phases in Cumberland and Robeson counties. The Outer Loop is open between I-95 north of Fayetteville and the All American Freeway in Fayetteville. When complete, it will be known as Interstate 295. A segment from the All American Freeway to Cliffdale Road now under construction is expected to open in October 2018.

Army NCO died a hero in Niger

Army Sgt. La David T. Johnson died in a hail of gunfire after fleeing militants who had just killed three comrades in an October ambush in Niger, The Associated Press has learned. Johnson wore a maroon beret but was not stationed at Fort Bragg, according to an 82nd Airborne Division spokesman. A military investigation concluded that Johnson, 25, of Miami Gardens, Florida, was killed by enemy rifle and machine-gun fire from members of an Islamic State offshoot.

The Oct. 4 ambush took place about 120 miles north of Niamey, the African nation’s capital. Johnson’s body was recovered two days later.

U.S. officials familiar with the findings spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to describe details of an investigation that has not been finalized or publicly released. A 12-member Army special forces unit from Fort Bragg was accompanying 30 Nigerien forces when they were attacked in a densely wooded area by as many as 50 militants traveling by vehicle and carrying small arms and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Johnson was struck as many as 18 times from a distance by a volley of machine-gun fire, according to the U.S. officials, who said he was firing back as he and two Nigerien soldiers tried to escape. All told, four U.S. soldiers and four Nigerien troops were killed in the ambush. Two U.S. and eight Nigerien troops were wounded.

Revitalized computers for less fortunate students

Cumberland County Schools’ Fifth Annual Computer Refurbishment Day is being hailed a huge success. Cumberland County Schools Executive Director of Technology Kevin Coleman said 156 students from the Academies of Information Technology at Gray’s Creek and Pine Forest High Schools refurbished nearly 500 computers for families of students who can’t afford them. The information technology students worked alongside technology staffers. Using 1,000 discarded computers, half of them were cannibalized for parts to refurbish the others. “This effort truly demonstrates the dedication of CCS’ staff and students to help those less fortunate in our community,” said Cumberland County School Interim Superintendent Tim Kinlaw. According to organizers, plans are already in the works for next year’s computer refurbishment event.

Except for special events, the Cape Fear Botanical Garden is not open at night. The holiday season is one exception. The garden is open after dark Thursday through Sunday through Dec. 30 so the community can enjoy the annual holiday light displays. This is the seventh year the garden has hosted Holiday Lights in the Garden. The event grows a little each year as the garden approaches its goal of having half a million lights in the display. This year, the event gained enough lights to expand the display into the McCauley Heritage Garden.

Adriana E. Quiñones, director of horticulture and education for the garden, said, “We’re really lighting it up and making a big deal of the heritage.” Though the current facility encompasses 80 acres, the Heritage Garden was the original site of the garden. The McCauleys donated the old barn and drugstore, hence the garden’s name. The structures were moved on to the site from Eastover.

Now the heritage garden is meant to represent what 18thcentury agriculture was like in North Carolina.

The Heritage Garden is maintained by Cumberland County’s master gardeners and is usually home to common 18th-century crops like cotton and tobacco. During Holiday Lights in the Garden, it is decorated with thousands of strings of lights, and the old drugstore will be open for children to take pictures with Santa.

Though you cannot drive through the garden, there will be a hayride available for patrons. “There may be other surprises, too,” Quiñones said.

CFBG is a private, nonprofit organization. All revenue from the light show goes directly into the maintenance of the facility and into the organization’s projects. Through a partnership with Cumberland County Schools, the botanical garden has become part of many schools’ science curriculum. The garden staff also work with homeschooled students and have had more than 7,000 students come through the programs to date. The organization also has partnerships with several other groups, including the Vision Resource Center, Service Source and the Wounded Warrior Project.

If you are interested in supporting these programs and enjoying the holiday display, tickets are available online. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and last admittance is at 8:30 p.m. The display is closed both Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. Base online ticket price is $12, but there are a variety of potential deals available for members, children, military and seniors. Tickets will also be available at the venue, but Quiñones noted that people purchasing tickets at the door “may have to wait in a long line. So, I try and encourage getting tickets online.”

For further details and to purchase tickets, visit www.capefearbg.org.

From pirates to Indiana Jones, who doesn’t enjoy a treasure hunt? Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation presents Christmas Orienteering Day, Friday, Dec. 22, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at Lake Rim Park. It’s a great opportunity to get outdoors and learn something new while having an adventure the whole family can enjoy.

“Orienteering is when you use a compass to find a spot on a map,” said Jacob Brown, park ranger at Lake Rim Park. “For the Christmas Orienteering Day, we will provide people with maps when they come in, and different spots will be marked; each of them are numbered.” Brown added that participants will have to use a compass and typographic map to find those spots along the trail, and then they will have to copy down a symbol found at that location.

Lake Rim Park has a mile-long trail that loops around the baseball, soccer and football fields.

“Most of the spots that the participants will have to find will be located right off the trail,” said Brown. “Some of them you have to go into the woods to locate.” Brown added that participants will receive prizes when they find the eight different locations.

 The purpose of the event is to educate the public on certain outdoor skills. “We do all sorts of different programs to bring in the public, and orienteering is a good skill to have – especially with a lot of military folks around,” said Brown. “They want to teach their kids a little about using the compass and the things they have to do at work.”

The event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. Call to register because space is limited. For more information, call (910) 433-1018.

I’m glad cooler heads prevailed regarding the Fayetteville City Council’s need for a grandiose inauguration at taxpayers’ expense. But I’m also saddened to know there are some on that dais who believed spending in excess of $7,000 of public money for ego stroking is alright.

Thank you to Councilmen Bill Crisp and Jim Arp, who understand the value of someone else’s money. While the $7,000-plus proposed for the event wasn’t much compared to what that governing body spends in a year, hosting a party for yourself and your political supporters at taxpayers’ expense just didn’t smell right.

Of course, I’m biased toward pinching public dollars. And I’m used to holding a more formal council inauguration. From 1989 through early 2006, I worked in the Fayetteville mayor’s office. And it was that office – with the help of the mayor’s super-efficient executive secretary – that was responsible for planning the inauguration.

During my first five or six elections, council seating took place in the council chambers, so rent was never an issue. The chief judge for district court, the late Judge Sol Cherry, administered the oath to all council members and the mayor. The cost of the whole affair was in the hundreds – not thousands – of dollars. The cost included a fancy city coffee cup and a thank you letter for the judge, parchment paper for the oath of office for each council member and the city clerk, a program printed in-house, and I think there were punch and cookies in the lobby

The “I want it my way” revolution among council members started slowly. At first it was about more reserved seating; then, each wanted their own choice as to who would administer the oath of office, even though some did not qualify for the job.

The first break with tradition came in 2001 when Mayor-elect Marshall B. Pitts decided to change venues. With just days before the inauguration, his secretary and I briefed him on the arrangements. He sat quietly as we finished our briefing and calmly replied that holding the inauguration in the council chamber would not provide adequate space. He wanted something larger since he expected a lot of people to show up with or without seating tickets.

He was right, of course. Pitts was the first African- American to be elected mayor. It was a historic moment for Fayetteville. And, there would be a lot of people there.

We found another venue. The only other option on short notice was outside, in front of the Airborne & Special Operations Museum’s back entrance. The inside was reserved for the reception, again keeping the budget to a minimum by hiring Fayetteville Technical Community College’s cooking school.

Mayor-elect Tony Chavonne in 2005 shattered the mold completely. When he took office, he relinquished what had been up to then the mayor’s staff. Instead, his political entourage handled the inauguration, except for setting up tables and chairs in the ASOM. It became the first extravaganza for Fayetteville City Council inaugurations and set the new standard.

And I think that should be the norm. Let the political supporters plan and fund the inauguration and take city government and public dollars out of the coronation business.

Photo: Marshall B. Pitts Jr., Fayetteville's first African-American mayor

It can be easy for young artists in Fayetteville to miss out on the pool of talented peers and potential for collaboration surrounding them. Doyle Wood and Lynne O’Quinn’s 35-year history of collaboration with each other and with other local musicians demonstrates just how valuable it can be to look up and look around while pursuing your craft. The making of their most recent release, the single “Christmas Eve with You,” reflects a process that’s been made possible through years of relationshipbuilding and hard work.

Wood is a producer, vocalist and guitarist. O’Quinn is a lyricist, internationally successful author and founder of His Outreach Worldwide. They met in the early ’80s when both of their sons were enrolled in Village Baptist Daycare. At that time, O’Quinn was working as a manager for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Wood had just opened a private recording studio, Daxwood Productions, and was in and out of Nashville working with the likes of Paul Worley, Lady Antebellum’s producer. Wood and O’Quinn quickly learned of each other’s similar passion for music and complementary talents and, in O’Quinn’s words, “were stuck with each other ever since.”

Fast-forward to the present and the pair have hundreds of collaborative songs under their belts – the most recent of which was completed just this month. “Christmas Eve with You” was born last August when the lyrics came to O’Quinn as she sat on her back porch.

“The words, I don’t know where they come from, they just come,” she said. Among those words were the chorus, which reflect the longing of military service members separated from loved ones during the holidays: “I’ll think of your sweet kisses and the way you make me feel/And no one can convince me that Santa isn’t real/He gave me all I wanted – it’s amazing how he knew/All I ever wanted was Christmas Eve with you.”

“I wrote it probably in 8 minutes,” O’Quinn said. “I sent it to Doyle, and he immediately liked it, and he said, ‘We’ll record this.’”

In the Daxwood Productions studio, Wood worked out the basic melody on his guitar and sang a draft of the vocals. He then called upon a string of other local musicians he’s been working with for years. He first asked Richard Gates and Carl Greeson – who have played keys and drums, respectively, for BJ Thomas – to come to the studio and add their groove to the track. Wood then sent the working file to Milton Smith – who played piano at Elvis Presley’s funeral – to do the orchestration and play the grand piano. Guillermo “Bill” Ayerbe, retired Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra concertmaster, played violin for the song. Laura Stevens, creator of The Heart of Christmas Show, sang backup vocals. Last of all, Wood sang the final version of his vocals and finished mastering the track.

Wood met these other musicians through a mutual love of music, just as he did with O’Quinn. Stevens sang in the first TV commercial for Daxwood Productions in the ’80s. Today, “She’s our go-to vocalist for just about anything,” Wood said. “She sings all the parts. She is the choir.”

they both majored in music at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in the ’70s. They also both taught music in the Cumberland County Schools system for 5 years after they graduated. Smith is now Wood’s orchestration man. He listens to the first draft, or “scratch track,” and helps build the song out. Wood connected with violinist Ayerbe, keyboardist Gates and drummer Greeson when, as he was building momentum for his studio in the ’80s, he “tried to get a collective base of really good players.”

It paid off.

“Christmas Eve with You” will be played at the Christmas party for the North Carolina civilian aide to the secretary of the Army and will air on all local networks. The song will also play on Pat Gwinn’s nationally syndicated radio show and is available for streaming via MoonDog Radio’s free app. Other collaborative songs from this team have won international acclaim, such as a Best of Soul award in the UK for “Loving You is the Best Thing.” Another song that honors the military, “Stand Proud,” has been played at events held at The Pentagon. Search “Doyle Wood” on CdBaby, iTunes or Amazon to view his full discography.

“We’re just very blessed; without all these artists, we wouldn’t have these songs,” O’Quinn said.

Four of them have been inducted into the Fayetteville Music Hall of Fame in recognition of the musical distinction they’ve brought to the community: Wood (2016), O’Quinn (2016), Stevens (2015) and Smith (2010).

“I’m very fortunate to do what I do and to be able to do it as a job,” Wood said. “But my wife says I’ve been retired for the last 20 years, anyway. I don’t get consider it work. … As long as my health holds up, I’m going to keep doing this until I’m 100, I hope.”

The relationship (or lack thereof) between the city of Fayetteville and Cumberland County is as legendary as it is pathetic. As we stress over our indelible moniker, FayetteNam, we pay little attention to the image we are creating and projecting countywide, statewide and even nationally.

Next month, Up & Coming Weekly will celebrate its 22nd year as this community’s weekly newspaper. During this time, we have maintained an up-close and personal relationship with the community. It was during this time that I had the privilege of serving six years on the Cumberland County Coliseum board when we built the $60 million complex. I was very proud of that appointment and accomplishment. At the same time, I was confused by the amount of controversy surrounding it – especially between the city and county.

I thought this obvious contempt for each other was temporary, a passing thing.

I was disappointed to realize the hostility between the two governing bodies was practically embedded in their DNA. That was nearly two decades ago. Fast forward to December 2017. Nothing has changed. If anything, the relationship and communications between the city and county have gotten worse.

I’m not a detective or historical analyst by any stretch of the imagination, but after the recent bullheaded standoff and debacle concerning the combined 911 call center, I decided to take a closer look and examine the last 22 years of working with both the city and county.

It is amazing that our community has accomplished anything over the last two decades considering the high levels of reluctant cooperation. At the same time, it makes me wonder how many achievements, opportunities and developments we have squandered over petty political and territorial issues. I have often written that good government is a result of good leadership. Competent elected officials are essential for long-term growth and prosperity because they have a vision and a plan.

Well, here are my findings after 22 years: Since 1996, Fayetteville has had six mayors and the Cumberland County chairman has changed every year. Elected leadership changes every two or four years, respectively. Despite the ongoing changes in elected city and county leadership, the undercurrent of distrust and hostility remains undeterred despite individual intentions, influence or qualifications. How can this be with so many different elected officials serving both the city and the county and instituting their influence and personality to promote positive progress and change?

Instead of looking for things that have changed, I started paying attention to things that didn’t change. The one thing I found that the city and county had in common in the category of things that didn’t change was the staff. Maybe, just maybe, over the years, department heads and staffers became too entitled and realized the constant turnover of elected officials gave them the inherent power to dictate policy and influence the operations (and attitudes) of both the city and the county. After all, the elected officials depend on important information the staff provides them, and once the elected officials decide, it is the staff that is charged with the execution of policy. In the end, it is the staff that dictates and controls the success or failure of a project.

This being the case, who benefits the most from city-county contention than the staffers? With these insiders protecting their turf for power and job security, they are the real benefactors of robbing the city and the county of the progress that comes from cooperation and teamwork.

Close examination shows that the constant elements over the decades of city and county government are the staff and department heads. Perhaps they have too much power and influence over what goes on with city hall and with the county commissioners. Well, you may ask: how did they get that much power? Perhaps it was by citizens electing unqualified career politicians who don’t have the intellect, knowledge or experience to be visionary leaders to positions of prominence.

Another indication this may be a problem is the amount of pushback and criticism directed at elected officials who press a staffer too hard for information or imply that the staffer needs to do his or her job.

I’ll conclude with this: everyone wants a better community. Everyone sees and appreciates the opportunities we have with economic development and some of the other major assets we have in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. We need to cooperate. There is no advantage or future for us if we do not get along with one another. The fact that this situation has existed for so long indicates there is a constant enabler that needs to be addressed. And, since we know it’s not the elected officials, we need to look elsewhere.

We have too much to lose if we don’t get to the bottom of this situation. And we have everything to gain if we do. We have a lot at stake in Fayetteville and Cumberland County, and we need to work together for positive outcomes. The time for protecting turf is over. All elected officials should start demonstrating tough love and start demanding that the staff do their jobs so elected officials can do theirs.

Thanks for reading the Up & Coming Weekly.

Last month, the Fayetteville Marksmen held the team’s first Teddy Bear Toss – a tradition among hockey teams where fans throw teddy bears onto the ice after the first home team goal is scored. Not only did they win the game, but the Marksmen collected more than 700 teddy bears to be donated to area children’s hospitals.

Now, they are looking forward. The Marksmen take on the Birmingham Bulls Friday, Dec. 22, during Star Wars Night, a themed night of family fun that takes place a few days after the release of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” Players will dress in Star Wars-themed jerseys while fans can enjoy $2 beer all night long. This will also be the final game of the season where the Marksmen will offer its most popular package – the Carrabba’s Friends and Family Four Pack, which includes four center ice tickets, four select merchandise items and a $50 gift card to Fayetteville’s Carrabbas. The entire package costs just $49.

The following big game is sure to have fans’ tails wagging – the Pooch Party takes place Jan. 20, and dogs are welcome at the Crown Coliseum to watch the Marksmen hit the ice against the top-ranked Mississippi RiverKings. As if you needed more of a reason to check out the game, there will also be $1 hot dogs and free Marksmen caps for the first 2,000 fans.

Marksmen tickets are a great holiday gift, whether they are for a die-hard fan or someone new to the hockey scene. The Marksmen offer several great packages, including the three-game Hat Trick package, All-You-Can-Eat package and Flex Plan. The team is currently offering a Holiday Package, which is available until Dec. 29. The Holiday Package includes four “flex tickets” (which are usable in any amount, at any game), a $10 gift card to New Deli and a Marksmen hat, all for $45. The first 40 to purchase also receive a free Marksmen T-shirt.

Two new deals recently released include a military-friendly Pay Day Promo, which runs on the first and 15th of each month as well as the Rims & Rink Package, for which the Marksmen are partnering with Rimtyme’s downtown Fayetteville location to give away free tire fills and inspections, along with a four-pack of flex tickets.

If you’re looking for some opportunities to rub elbows with the players, keep track of the postgame parties on social media and visit Fazoli’s on McPherson Church Road the second Wednesday of each month for the players’ Eat, Meet & Greet appearances.

Despite it being the inaugural year for the Marksmen, through charity efforts, community events and entertaining ticket-holders, the team has truly made a mark on Fayetteville.

Keep up with the Marksmen on social media by following them on Facebook.com/marksmenhockey, on Instagram at @fayettevillehockey and on Twitter at @marksmen_hockey. For more information on Marksmen hockey, visit www.marksmenhockey. com. To learn more about the Rims & Rink offer, visit www.rimtymefayetteville.com.

Kyle Jackson is an enthusiastic self-educator and recently certified herbologist – a practitioner of natural, plant-based medicine – whose goals are to offer healthy, homemade body products and to educate the public as he continues to educate himself on all things natural. He opened 1910 Apothecary in a historic building on Trade Street about six months ago, in June 2017, as a place where he could carry out this mission. His products include candles, soaps, body butters and lotions – all organic and all made by Jackson in a kitchen unit he added to the back of the building.

“I wanted to offer all these different things that I enjoy doing,” Jackson said. “That’s one of the things that I really like about small business; there’s so much heart in everything people do. I wanted to have a place to share part of my heart with other people. That’s why I started the store.” 

Jackson said herbology is a field he’s wanted to pursue since he was 12 years old. “I grew up in Harnett County, and where we lived was very rural,” he said. “Using home remedies was kind of just very natural to us. … We always had a garden; we had cabinets full of herbs and spices.”

Jackson buys most of his ingredients from sources in Oregon to ensure they are certified organic. “Unfortunately, there are not too many people locally that I can use at the moment. Hopefully that will change some time soon,” he said. One of the store’s most popular products, Mint Milk bar soap, has a simple list of ingredients that’s reflective of Jackson’s approach in all his original recipes. The soap includes (all organic) shea butter; palm kernel, castor, avocado and olive oils; beeswax; goat milk; and essential oil of peppermint. Unlike many commercially made soaps, which use synthetically produced fragrance oils, Jackson uses pure essential oil in his recipe. He also leaves out sodium lauryl sulphate, the agent that causes many cleaning products to bubble – and actually dries and irritates skin rather than nourishing it. “The goat milk helps feed skin and gives it... more of a supple feel,” Jackson said. “It also helps to promote cell growth.”

1910 Apothecary proudly carries products crafted by two other local artisans. Michael Wells of Into the Well makes bath bombs, and Jamie Rae creates lavender-and-rice bags that can be used in place of heat or ice packs filled with chemical solutions.

“Customers are not just supporting me, they’re supporting other people with similar interests,” Jackson said. “You can know exactly what goes into (the products), and the ingredient lists are not confusing.”

Customers of 1910 Apothecary also benefit from Jackson’s passion for furthering his knowledge through self-study and experimentation. “I change the products up all the time just to make sure that I’m figuring out which ones peoples’ favorites are and if they like a particular recipe,” he said. He also welcomes requests for custom concoctions.

“When a customer comes in for that, we break down exactly what we feel like they need, and then I start making a bunch of little samples for them,” he said. “So we’ll try one sample, and then they’ll come back and say, ‘It needs to be a little more like this,’ and we’ll keep trying until we can nail down something that works well for them. I always reiterate that I’m here for criticism. That’s what makes a business grow. I appreciate when people tell me their honest opinion of something. Currently, I’m working on shaving soap, which has been something that customers ask me for. We’re still in test stages on that one because I haven’t quite nailed it yet.”

Jackson has used this custom-creation method to fulfill an order for a candle that a customer wanted to smell like their grandfather’s cherry pipe tobacco. Another time, he created special candles for an an Army battalion before it deployed to a region in Africa; those candles smelled of zanzibar clove and orange.

Jackson also holds free essential oils classes every month, generally on the third Friday, at 6:30 p.m. Each month, he gives an hour-long presentation detailing the properties, uses of and facts about five different essential oils.

“I try to gear the classes off the season,” he said. When kids went back to school, we focused on immune support and opening airway passages.” There will be no class this month due to the holidays, but if you are interested in attending January’s class, call (910) 835-6833 or search 1910 Apothecary on Facebook.

Jackson said his ultimate, long-term goal is to expand his business into a natural healing center. To this end, he’s currently attending Hope Mills’ Get Twisted Yoga studio to become certified as a nationally accredited yoga instructor. “It’s not necessarily about making a million dollars because I doubt we’ll ever do that here,” he said. “I just want to educate people on natural alternatives and (on) what’s important about shopping with those small-business people who are really putting their heart and soul and sweat and tears into everything that they do and everything they make.”

1910 Apothecary is located at 5486 Trade St. in Hope Mills. The building, originally built in 1910, still proudly displays the original owner’s name, Alice L. Gilbert, who owned a drug store. Store hours are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit www.1910apothecary.com to browse the store’s inventory and to learn more.

Photo: Kyle Jackson, a recently certified herbologist, opened 1910 Apothecary on Trade Street in June 2017.