The quarterly Fayetteville Ladies Power Lunch creates a space where women in Fayetteville network with, learn from, empower and celebrate each other. The final lunch of 2017 takes place Nov. 9 at the Ramada Plaza. Retired Col. Marsha Lunt, a veteran who accomplished many firsts during her time in the Army, is November’s keynote speaker.

Lunt served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps for 30 years. After being commissioned as a U.S. Army officer in 1978, she was among the first women to be integrated into the Army when the Women’s Army Corps was disestablished in 1978. She was also among the first women to graduate the Army’s Airborne School and later was one of the first female commanders of a medical clearing company supporting an Army Infantry Division.

After retiring from the Army, Lunt served and succeeded in another male-dominated profession as the emergency manager for Womack Army Medical Center for 15 years. She retired from her position at Womack in July, at which point she received the prestigious North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine award. This honor is conferred by North Carolina’s governor and, according to the award website, “is awarded to persons for exemplary service to the State of North Carolina and their communities that is above and beyond the call of duty and which has made a significant impact and strengthened North Carolina.”

Lunt said her speech will focus on the way Fayetteville is such a unique community due to its large population of veterans and how that relates to opportunities for female business owners and entrepreneurs.

“I think the Power Lunch is all about finding out what other businesses are out there and networking with those ladies,” Lunt said. “There are some very good, strong businesswomen in this community, and I think they can benefit from just interacting with each other. It empowers them. To know somebody else, to see what they’re doing – you pick up on their drive and their initiative. … Each time I go, I understand more and more how valuable this program is.”

Paulette Naylor, FLPL board of directors member, said she appreciates the timeliness of having Lunt as a keynote speaker. “As we honor and recognize our military veterans this month, I think it’s only fitting that we would invite a prestigious female officer to join us to discuss her path and challenges in breaking through the glass ceiling,” Naylor said.

The Power Lunch opens at 10 a.m. with registration and an exclusive Shopportunity expo featuring dozens of local, women-owned vendors. 

“This event presents lots of opportunities to spend your dollars locally and help support the outstanding women in your community,” Naylor said. There will also be a wine bar and wine-tasting.

Seating for the Thanksgiving-themed lunch begins at 11:45 a.m. The entrees are turkey with dressing or stuffed pork chop.

At noon, opening remarks will be followed by lunch and Lunt’s keynote speech. At 1:45 p.m., there will be door prizes courtesy of every vendor, a 50-50 raffle and closing remarks. The formal portion of the event concludes at 2 p.m., leaving an hour for continued networking and conversation before the Power Lunch officially concludes at 3 p.m.

This year, the Power Lunch has chosen education as its charity of choice platform. A portion of the luncheon proceeds will benefit the Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides funding assistance for reading and educational resources to school children in Cumberland and Hoke Counties.

The Fayetteville Ladies Power Lunch takes place at the Ramada Plaza, 1707-A Owen Dr., and costs $35 to register. Vendor tables and sponsorships are available. To learn more, or to register, visit www.FayettevilleLadiesPowerLunch.com.

PHOTO: Retired Col. Marsha Lunt

 Cumberland County rural fire departments have faced increased operational costs for a couple of years with no increase in revenue. County commissioners provided short term, temporary relief for some departments earlier this year by borrowing money from a surplus fund. “We’ve outgrown the current funding model,” said County Manager Amy Cannon.

Rural fire districts are supported by a 10cent tax, which is tacked onto the ad valorem property tax. Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Spring Lake home and business owners do not pay the extra tax because their costs are included in municipal property tax levies.

Cannon said the county could ask the state legislature to allow county government to increase the fire district tax. It’s one option available to county government. A small increase in the sales tax is not available, Cannon said, because the county has maxed out its sales tax limit. “We have no hidden agenda going forward,” Cannon told the Cumberland County Public Safety Task Force. She’s leaving it up to task force members to come up with some ideas for an additional “sustainable funding source.” 

Fire chiefs believe the solution must be one that will meet the needs of the county’s 17 rural fire departments, large and small. Suburban departments whose districts adjoin the city of Fayetteville are the largest, with annual budgets approaching $1 million. Their tax bases are urban in nature, comprised of residential subdivisions, commercial businesses and industry. The tax bases of smaller departments serving rural areas like Godwin, Falcon, Cedar Creek and Beaver Dam include scattered housing, farmland and forestry lands.

Wayne Lucas, chief of the Godwin-Falcon Fire Department, pointed out that his protection district includes a large section of I-95. Expenses mount up for departments responsible for responding regularly to motor vehicle crashes on major thoroughfares. Lucas was quick to point out that the lives of small-town residents and interstate travelers are just as important as those who have the good fortune of being served by larger fire departments.

“We’ve been putting Band-Aids on the system for a long time,” said County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe, who also serves as the county’s fire commissioner.

The fire chiefs who comprise the public safety task force agreed to form a committee of seven to study possible supplemental funding ideas.

Cannon asked that the group try to have a recommendation to her by February 2018 so she can review it and present it to county commissioners in April for possible inclusion in the 2019 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

The city of Fayetteville continues to deal with remnants of damage caused by Hurricane Mathew a year ago. Crews continue to work on repairs to the unique pair of square water features at the NC Veterans Park downtown. They work for three or four days and then shut down, according to Parks & Recreation director Michael Gibson. They, and many other elements of the park, depend on underground computer-operated facilities.

“We’ve been working on the fountains for three or four months,” Gibson said. The state built the park, but the city is responsible for maintenance. Gibson acknowledges that the public has become impatient because repairs to the water feature have taken so long.

“Matthew dumped 4 feet of water in the main building,” he said, “and the Federal Emergency Management Agency covered that damage.” He added that the city has hired a full-time engineer to work on the park computers. 

An end to Spring Lake’s road project is near

A massive highway project in Spring Lake is almost finished. NCDOT says motorists will encounter intermittent lane closures over the next few weeks as workers put the finishing touches on the $32.3 million project that widened and resurfaced three major roads.

DOT spokesman Andrew Barksdale said the lane restrictions are needed so crews can place permanent lane markings on Bragg Boulevard, Murchison Road and Lillington Highway. State highways 24, 87 and 210 merge in Spring Lake.

“This new road system was a collaborative effort between the North Carolina Department of Transportation and local officials working together to address a challenge,” Spring Lake Mayor Chris Rey said.

Not all local business people are thrilled with the outcome. Some retail outlets went out of business because of limited access to and realignment of Bragg Boulevard. The project included these major improvements: A Poe Avenue overpass on Bragg Boulevard; closure of a major entrance to Fort Bragg at Butner Road and Bragg Boulevard; and relocation and widening of Murchison Road from four lanes to six. Murchison Road now ties into the future I-295 on the Fayetteville end of the project.

It took politics to bring Gov. Cooper to Fayetteville

Gov. Roy Cooper came to Fayetteville last week to campaign for city council member Mitch Colvin, who’s running for mayor. Both are Democrats. Cooper’s predecessor, Republican Pat McCrory, previously campaigned on behalf of incumbent mayor Nat Robertson, who’s also a Republican. Had McCrory been re-elected, Robertson has said he would not have run for re-election. He had been promised a top administration post in Raleigh.

The Fayetteville City Council election is nonpartisan, but some candidates have felt party politics was good strategy. Cooper attended a fundraiser in downtown Fayetteville for Colvin. Tickets ranged from $150 to $1,000.

ASOM has a New Director

The board of directors of the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation hired a new Executive Director, Michael (Mike) Lynch. He retired from the Army after 39 years of ser
vice, 33 of which were at Fort Bragg. He has previously served on the Foundation Board as an  ex officio member and adviser. He was Director of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security for the Army, which included supervision of Army Museums.

He’s been involved with ASOM since its formation in 2000. “We are excited about the continued success of the museum and the foundation as it looks toward the future plans and development of the foundation and museum activities under the hand of such a proven, experienced and faithful leader,” Jim Soffe, president of the foundation board, said.

Lynch has held several leadership positions in professional, civic and community organizations during his tenure in the Fayetteville area.

Local teen receives national recognition

Kennedi Whitener-Mason of Fayetteville has been selected from a pool of national candidates to attend The First Tee Outstanding Participant & Leadership Summit, Nov. 8–11, in Orlando, Florida. The First Tee is a youth development organization that introduces young people to the game of golf and its inherent values. The summit will be held in conjunction with The First Tee Network Meeting, a biennial conference of more than 800 local representatives.

Whitener-Mason is a member of The First Tee of the Sandhills. She attends Pine Forest Senior High School where she is in the Key Club, National FFA Organization and is a cadet in the Air Force Junior ROTC.

“I’m looking forward to continuing my education and learning new skills as I meet other participants with similar goals and interests,” she said. She has been a participant in The First Tee of the Sandhills for 10 years and recently attended the USGA Learning Science through Golf Academy.

Ninety miles down-river from Fayetteville, at the Cape Fear’s exit into the Atlantic, sits Bald Head Island. The island houses a maritime forest that forms a canopy of cedar, native palmettos and massive live oaks with Spanish moss. If you haven’t visited Bald Head and have any appreciation for our coast, do so, if even for a day. It’s a timeless place.

If you spend any time in the thick of the island, you’ll spot several long mounds of earth and trenches that are out of place among the flat forest-bed. They make up what was once Fort Holmes, a Confederate battery constructed to keep the inlet free for blockade runners. Like its better-known cousin Fort Fisher, Fort Holmes fell and was abandoned. Today, its entrenchments are covered in trees and brush, but they still abide a century-and-a-half later, scarring the natural landscape. You don’t even need a map to find them.

When my father is not seeking refuge on Bald Head, he’s spending time in the halls of our legislative building, where the majority party recently passed a bill to carve up Cumberland County’s judicial districts along racial lines. In short, the bill creates a “city” district in central and northwest Cumberland County, with a high minority and democratic vote. Surrounding it is a Republicanleaning, majority-white district comprised of the wealthiest neighborhoods of central Fayetteville and the surrounding county. District and Superior Court judges are distributed among the two districts.

In the past several District Court elections, which are countywide, many in the Republican Party have failed to win, particularly against African-American candidates.

No Republican judges sit on our Superior Court bench. The aim of the bill’s supporters is to change all this, using the built-in partisan advantage of one of the new districts. The proponents will succeed in this attempt in the same way they have succeeded in obtaining a veto-proof majority in the legislature by packing AfricanAmerican citizens into a district to dilute their overall voting power. It’s insidious, but it’s effective.

As we have come to know with gerrymandered legislative districts, it’s likely that the only election that will matter in these new judicial districts will be the partisan primary. Gerrymandering forces even the most moderate candidate to ideological extremes to win the hearts of their particular “blue” or “red” district, after which they often run unopposed in a general election, unaccountable to the needs and desires of the public at large. It’s a bad blueprint for democracy, but it’s a horrible way to elect qualified individuals to govern one of the last places of public refuge in our society, the courtroom.

For Cumberland County, this bill means more division in our courthouse. Judge shopping will certainly occur as lawyers and litigants jockey to have their cases heard by a judge of their race or party. This is to be feared, and the reason is simple: equal protection under law is threatened when partisanship and race are added to the scales of justice.

Long after we come to our senses in this state and take race and party out of our judicial elections, the harmful effects of this bill will endure. They will become entrenched, as racial lines always have and always will. You won’t even need a map to find them.

It was the last day of the class, and she was sitting on the front row ready to turn in her final project. I asked her how the class had been. She smiled the biggest smile and said:

“This class has been amazing. I’m so sad it’s over. A friend asked if she could look at my final project. I didn’t really want her to read it because I wasn’t sure if it was all that good. You see, my friend is the daughter of a pastor and missionary. She knows the Bible! I finally caved in and let her read it. She was astounded. She said to me, ‘You learned all that in this course? Wow!’ Honestly, I’m tearing up just thinking about what this class has meant to me.”

Her story is very similar to many students who take Carolina College of Biblical Studies’ signature course, How to Study the Bible.

At CCBS, our mission is to disciple Christ-followers through biblical higher education for a lifetime of effective servant leadership. We’ve been doing that since 1973. 

Signature Course

One way we’re achieving this mission is through the course How to Study the Bible. Since we introduced this course in 2008, more than 680 students have completed it on campus, online or in their church.

Most Christians want to know the Bible better. So, the college began offering this tuition-free course to help as many people as possible to read and understand their Bible better. The course is tuition-free because we want as many people as possible to take the course. But someone pays that cost.

Accredited Programs

The other way we’re achieving that mission is through our accredited associate and bachelor’s degree programs. Instead of getting a degree from anywhere in anything, CCBS strives to give a solid education from a biblical worldview. Whether that is achieved on campus in our face-to-face classes or online with students in 17 states and two countries, the goal is the same – solid, biblical education. 

Scholarship Tournament

We don’t want to limit anyone from achieving their dream of getting a college education. That’s why CCBS is hosting a Scholarship Golf Tournament Saturday, Nov. 4, at Anderson Creek Club golf course in Spring Lake. The proceeds will fund the How to Study the Bible courses as well as the General Scholarship Fund.

When you give to the Scholarship Fund, you can help someone learn to read, interpret and apply the Bible. You can help a pastor strengthen his preaching skills. You can train a missionary to serve the people where God has called him or her to go. You can help students achieve their dream … all through the Scholarship Golf Tournament.

For more information, visit www.ccbs.edu/golf.

HIT (Festival) – Fayetteville’s Dogwood Fall Festival was certainly a “hit.” Culinary offerings were aplenty: 39 food trucks.

A popular children’s zone was a first this year. Local bands entertained from the stage. A haunted house was popular given the time of year. And the weather couldn’t have been better.

MISS (Mediocrity) – Many of us suspect we know one of the reasons that Greater Fayetteville hasn’t grown in recent years. The buzzword is “mediocrity.” Not all business and civic leaders may agree, but many locals, past and present, who’ve been successful know exactly what we’re talking about. Some are so frustrated they’re talking about moving, and Southern Pines and the Triangle are popular potential destinations.

HIT (Gratitude) – The Cumberland County Disaster Recovery Coalition was founded by Steve Rogers in the aftermath of the tornado that ripped through much of Cumberland County in 2011. Last month, the coalition held a “Heart of Matthew” luncheon to honor community heroes who helped others recover from Hurricane Matthew a year ago. “This is what we do when we love our neighbor as ourselves,” said Chip Grammar.

MISS (Roadway Sign Clutter) – The median in the newly-paved section of Bragg Boulevard between Filter Plant Drive and Pearl Street has two dozen little signs to distract drivers’ attention. They are unnecessary instruction signs that only add clutter to the streetscape. Some of them tell motorists not to make U-turns – despite the fact the medians have made U-turns necessary and completely legal. 

MISS (Sidewalks) – Forty years ago, the developers of Montclair off Raeford Road built houses and sidewalks, but to this day, sidewalks are few and far between in new Fayetteville neighborhoods. When businesses are built in commercial areas, they’re required to put in sidewalks or pay a fine. A section of Sycamore Dairy Road between Morganton and McPherson Church Roads is missing a sidewalk between the State Employees Credit Union and a hotel a hundred yards away. Why? It’s a vacant lot, and the city hasn’t seen fit to fill in the gap. Progressive thinking? Hardly! 

HIT (Tallywood Shopping Center) – The developers of the new Publix Mega Market on Raeford Road had the good sense to retain the Tallywood name. The iconic Tallywood Tower remains, too, as does Mi Casita. It was the only existing store to survive the otherwise total makeover of the center. Tallywood, whose name was derived from the family that developed one of Fayetteville’s first strip malls, has a dozen or so storefronts for businesses.

MISS (Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce’s choice for a Candidate Forum moderator) – Tim White

White is The Fayetteville Observer’s only remaining editorial page editor. Understanding that The Fayetteville Observer’s new owner, Gatehouse Media, has cut its local professional journalistic talent down to the bone helps us understand the void this community is experiencing in balanced, comprehensive and informed local news coverage.

After all, it’s one thing for a resident invested in Fayetteville and Cumberland County to be vocal and critical of issues concerning our community, leadership, quality of life and economic development initiatives. However, when you don’t live here, you lose the right to pass judgment on the people, policies and processes that affect our local citizens and community.

Tim White not only doesn’t live in Fayetteville, he lives in a different county 50 miles from here – Chatham County – on the western edge of the affluent Triangle. So, for White to be passing his judgments, critiques and criticisms on our residents, policies and politics is insulting. Posing questions and drilling community political candidates who have stepped up to serve as potential governmental leaders of this community and who care about the future of Fayetteville and Cumberland County is beyond ironic. It’s disrespectful to our community.

HIT (Comic Con Convention)

Congratulations to event organizer Michael Chauduri, Crown Coliseum general manager Jim Grafstrom, Crown staff and Linda McAlister of Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper for making the two-day Comic Con such a wonderful, pleasant and memorable experience for the thousands of whimsical, fun and fantasy fans who attended. Not only was it a great event and huge success, but the local outreach of friendliness and hospitality toward the attendees is just what this community needs more of to reflect positively on the Fayetteville community and help us develop our brand. They sent thousands of visitors home saying great things about the Fayetteville community.

Much of my writing and speaking address what might be seen as the failings of American society. Among these failings are poverty, troublingly high crime rates, rapidly disappearing standards of morality, a political system out of control and tremendous racial and economic tensions. By no means is this a complete list. Part of what wears on me – scares me – is that the solutions applied to the myriad failings are, far too often, destructive rather than helpful. In the face of this reality, I struggle to hear from God as to what he would have me do by way of contributing to turning this tide of helping, which keeps proving destructive instead of productive.

My thought that efforts to help often prove destructive is not a widely acknowledged or accepted premise. Consequently, a recent experience was unexpected and shocked me almost beyond belief. My wife is a marriage and family therapist. That means she attends a good many conferences. When she is in a generous mood, I get invited to tag along – to freeload. My latest invite was for a trip to Nashville, Tennessee. She was staying at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Conference Center, which is within easy walking distance of the Grand Ole Opry. The resort provides a shuttle to downtown Nashville. I planned to go to the Opry, eat barbecue downtown and enjoy the resort amenities.

That plan went well until my wife came in one night and told me she had met some people she wanted me to meet. They were in the exhibit area sharing information regarding their nonprofit. Meeting these people, or even going to the conference, was not in my plan. Denise, my wife, was excited and told me I had to meet these people. In the interest of peace in my marriage and not jeopardizing future freeloading opportunities, I agreed to meet the couple.

They were Meredith and Rob Kendall, who lead Renewing the Mind Network. Their brochure states, in part: “RTMS has grown nationally and is used to help men and women conquer the pain, anger and anxiety from their past and write a new story founded in Christ.” The 180 Program is a division of Renewing the Mind Network. It was because of the 180 Program that Denise said I had to meet this couple. Foundational to this program is The New Beginnings Study that, according to a brochure, “leads students to identify, understand and overcome the thoughts, feelings, behaviors and patterns that are the root cause of their negative cycles.”

The New Beginnings Study covers these topics: job readiness; Budgeting 101; relationships; parenting; and leadership. What I find encouraging is that these topics are presented in a fashion that addresses the causes of poverty and other societal ills. For example, there is no doubt that less-than- adequate parenting can contribute to the perpetuation of a generational cycle of poverty. This description is given for the parenting section: “Parenting is a four-week study for the student to learn that their actions and attitudes impact their children and focuses on directing the heart of the child and not merely gaining obedient behavior.”

My constant argument, my lament, is that we, as a nation, do not seriously look for the causes of conditions that are indicative of our failings as a society. Instead, we put programs and efforts in place that feel good and seem right but do little or no good. In fact, when it comes to addressing poverty and some other challenges, societal actions, especially those of governments, are destructive. When I met Rob and Meredith, Rob started making this point; I knew Denise was right to insist that I meet these people. Rob talked, Meredith monitored, and I listened. I walked away with a “180 Sample Book” and Rob’s book, “Breaking the Broken: Debunking the Myth of Social Justice.” Please go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1PK10z2AvI and view Rob Kendall being interviewed by Monica Schmelter regarding his book.

Talking with Kendall and reading “Breaking the Broken” has provided some relief now that I realize I am not alone in my thinking about the lack of effectiveness of most social programs. Talking about their previous efforts to help the poor, he writes, “Our service to the poor had been counterproductive. We were making things worse and adding to their struggle. We were actually breaking the broken. Trying to make someone more comfortable in a life that is falling apart isn’t really helping.”

Therein is the point. Regarding poverty, look at all the programs that have been put in place. Many studies have taken on this task. Several that I looked at contend some programs are helpful; however, the overall effect is not impressive by any means.

In a 2014 article titled “Paul Ryan’s Audit of Federal Anti-Poverty Programs Finds Many Are Actually Very Effective,” Igor Volsky wrote regarding an assessment by the House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-W.I. Here is some of what Volsky wrote:

The assessment, which is designed to kick off his campaign to revamp federal welfare programs, broadly characterizes federal aid as counterproductive and ineffective. Ryan argues that federal programs have contributed to the nation’s high poverty rate and ‘created what’s known as the poverty trap.’ The report argues, “Federal programs are not only failing to address the problem. They are also in some significant respects making it worse.”

Volsky then says, “Ryan’s own analysis points out, numerous progressive-minded spending programs have helped millions of Americans and significantly reduced the nation’s poverty rate. Below are 16 examples from Ryan’s own report of how the government can help lower-income Americans make ends meet.” He lists 16 programs. I find it revealing that the first program on the list of 16 is the Veterans Health Administration. He is talking about the VA. Given all that has happened with that organization, I hardly think it should be held up as effective.

Our goal should be ensuring that actions intended to help do help. The 180 Program brochure says that “Only 33 percent of inmates remain out of jail/prison more than three years.” Regarding inmates who participate in the program, the brochure states, “76 percent of inmates remain out of jail/prison more than three years.” The 33 percent statistic also appears in a 2014 report by the National Institute of Justice. The information here clearly shows the 180 Program to be very effective.

American governments at every level, especially the federal, are in the business of passing out money and in-kind support to citizens in poverty and other dire circumstances. Rob Kendall and congressman Paul Ryan are totally correct in saying, for the most part, these efforts do not move people to some higher level of living. They are made more comfortable in their difficult, challenging circumstance.

Kendall contends we should be about ensuring that people have resources, opportunities, instruction/work and relationships. This is not the approach of government, or of most efforts, to help people overcome poverty or other life challenges.

I encourage Americans to face the fact that very little of what our society is doing to help people is proving effective. As stated above, we are making life even worse for many people who are supposedly being helped.

Meredith and Rob Kendall are offering an effective approach – God’s approach. My call is for serious examination of what they offer. It is different, and we desperately need a different approach.

We Americans have heard a great deal about “fake news” in the last two years, but the concept is far from new. Orson Welles’ sonorous broadcast of a fictitious “War of the Worlds” panicked many Americans in 1938, and there are still people looking for space aliens in Roswell, New Mexico.

Decades ago, my mother and I had a running joke about who scored the “fakest” news perused in tabloids while waiting in the grocery store checkout line. You know the type. Headlines scream about a woman in some unpronounceable – and perhaps nonexistent – foreign place who gave birth to a giraffe and the infant who was swallowed by a snake and emerged laughing at the other end. Sometimes we tried to outdo each other by making up our own fake news.

Our creative behavior seems to have become more prevalent these days, as people from President Trump on down author their own versions of news, facts be darned. Stories like those my mother and I enjoyed are easy to spot, but fake news has become more sophisticated. What all fake news has in common – whether it is in tabloids, on television, on social media or an internet website – is that it is fabricated with the intent to amuse, deceive, manipulate, damage or do all of the above.

Fake news has been documented in ancient Egypt and continues to this minute. Earlier fake news came with various motives from innocent to nefarious, just as ours does today. Current fake news is often overlaid with a profit motive as well – the more outrageous or salacious the story, the more clicks on it and the more money made. The goal may be deceit, but it may also be plain old greed.

Even the definition of fake news has become squashier. Instead of an outright lie, it might be satire a la “Saturday Night Live,” “The Daily Show” and the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” It is fair to say the subtlety  – and I use that word with great respect – escapes some people who mistake satire for fact. Oh, well!

So how do well-meaning and serious news consumers inoculate ourselves from fake news? How do we filter the reasonable-sounding though bogus from the nutty but true? We probably cannot do so completely, but there are some defenses we can try.

If there are more !!! than simple …, more CAPITALS than lowercase letters, if it says, “THIS IS NOT A HOAX,” if it asks you to forward to all your friends (or those who are not), chances or better than not that it is bogus!

Tried and true advice always works, so consider the source. Have you ever heard of it? Is it credible? Is it really a source, or did someone just make it up? Not everything in print is true, nor is everything on the internet or TV. If you do not know the source and cannot find out anything about it, be very careful. This holds true whether the source is an organization or a person. If credentials look real, investigate a little more. If the author purports to have been awarded a Pulitzer Prize, which would give him or her credibility, double-check at the Pulitzer website. If a research center says it is associated with Princeton University – again a credibility enhancer – check with Princeton to confirm.

Don’t just read or listen to the headline. Even real news stories cannot convey all the information in a headline. It may be factual, it may be a satirical piece, or it may be fake, but the devil is in the details. The more you read and hear, the better your sense of real versus fake will become.

And finally, be aware of your points of view and, yes, your own biases. Are you seeking out stories and other information that merely preach to your private choir? Are you predisposed to stories about Barack Obama’s Kenyan birth or Donald Trump’s rocky relationship with facts? Do you challenge yourself to understand stories you are uncomfortable with or with which you disagree? If you are a Fox News devotee, do you ever switch to see what is being said on MSNBC and vice versa? Both are news outlets with distinctive points of view that dance around facts they may not like.

The bottom line here is that we Americans are truly blessed to have a constitutional right to our own opinions, no matter how wacky they may be.

What we are not entitled to is our own set of personal facts.

If the town of Hope Mills were a new Wall Street stock offering, I would add it to my financial portfolio. Why? Because it has all the right indicators for growth and prosperity based on its leadership, management, policies and services. The previously small, sleepy mill town of Hope Mills is neither small nor sleepy any longer. With a population of nearly 17,000, growth and development are both evident and inevitable. During the last several years, the population has grown, schools have expanded, and more property is being designated for professional and commercial use. Yes, economic growth and development are inevitable.

The leadership of Hope Mills has faced many challenges in recent years. Constructing the dam and restoring the town’s signature lake after a 10-year hiatus has presented multiple herculean challenges. Yet, Hope Mills elected officials and town staff have risen to the occasion through perseverance, dedication, hard work and love for their community. The future of Hope Mills looks bright.

Hope Mills residents need to keep a good thing going. Next Tuesday, when the polls open on Election Day, they need to get out and vote for the candidates they feel will help the town to grow and prosper and take its rightful place in the 21st century. Hope Mills leadership can no longer afford to spend its time dealing with whispers, gossip and innuendo  – all of which serve as a distraction and stifle progress. Distractions that stifle progress and waste time. Time that could be spent expanding town services, promoting local businesses, attracting economic development and providing amenities to residents.

It is unfortunate not much attention or publicity has been given to the upcoming Hope Mills mayoral race or commissioners race. Fayetteville’s municipal election has cast a shadow over all the other countywide races. And, until recently, Hope Mills residents did not have consistent and reliable access to information about the candidates or important issues concerning the town. In the Hope Mills section of this week’s issue, Rod MacLean, a popular Hope Mills resident and community activist, writes about the value and importance of voter turnout in the upcoming Hope Mills election. Informed voters will elect, and re-elect, those people who have a positive vision for Hope Mills growth and prosperity.

Up & Coming Weekly is looking forward to being Hope Mills’ community newspaper. We want to tell the Hope Mills story, keep the residents informed of important issues and developments and introduce candidates and future leaders to the community. Also, we are looking forward to being Hope Mills’ positive voice to the other 300,000 residents of Cumberland County. There is no doubt Hope Mills will become one of our area’s “must-see” destinations.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly, Hope Mills’ community newspaper.

The Vietnam War was a divisive one. But what is unquestionable is the human heart of those in military service. Retired Navy Master Chief  (TMCM SS) Patrick J. Moore is one of those men. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1959 and served for 30 years. At the time of the Vietnam War, he was an E-6 torpedo man aboard the U.S.S. Bang.

“It’s hard on a submarine, and you go to sea for three or four months. But I had the best camaraderie there has been with the crews on submarines. I had the best,” he said.

Reflections like these are necessary to hear and important in understanding the veteran point of view. For the upcoming fifth annual Heroes Homecoming, events will take place throughout Cumberland County from Nov. 1 to Nov. 12. Heroes Homecoming honors the sacrifices of all military veterans, but each year it turns its focus to a specific conflict in our nation’s history. This year, Vietnam War veterans are the honorees.

According to John Meroski, president/CEO of the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vietnam veterans were chosen as honorees once again because “we can’t thank them enough.”

Here is the schedule of events:

Saturday, Nov. 4

The annual Fayetteville Veterans Day Parade will start at 10 a.m. It will take place downtown on Hay Street, with Cumberland County students and Vietnam veterans in attendance.

At 2 p.m., the Museum of the Cape Fear is hosting “A Soldier’s Heart: Understanding Vietnam Veterans’ Experiences through Oral History,” led by Dr. Cyndi Briggs. Her discussion will focus on stories she collected from Vietnam veterans over the years.

Sunday, Nov. 5

From 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Hope Mills Veterans Memorial, a memorial ceremony and flag display will take place to honor Vietnam veterans. Retired Lt. Col. Walt Brinker, a Vietnam veteran, will be a guest speaker.

Monday, Nov. 6

At the Hope Mills Lake at 5 p.m., there will be a veteran’s bench dedication.

Tuesday, Nov. 7

From 1 to 4 p.m., the Museum of the Cape Fear will host a meet-and-greet with Vietnam veterans. Lt. Col. Walt Brinker will lead a presentation on his experience with PTSD and what other veterans can do to deal with their trauma.

Wednesday, Nov. 8

Starting at 4 p.m., Millstone 14 will present a military-themed movie night free of charge for veterans and their families. Call (910) 354-2124 for details.

Thursday, Nov. 9

From Thursday to Sunday, Nov. 12, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum will host the traveling replica of the Washington ,D.C., Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Also known as The Moving Wall, it lists the names of all who perished during the Vietnam War.

ASOM will honor Gold Star Families in a Vietnam Veteran pinning ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 9.

Also at 6:30 p.m., a Yellow Ribbon Tribute dinner will be hosted at the Spring Lake Recreation and Parks Building honoring Vietnam veterans’ families.

Friday, Nov. 10

U.S. Armed Forces veterans and their families will be honored at the Eastover Community Center. There will be refreshments and speakers, starting at 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 11

ASOM will show “On the Air: A Tribute to Bob Hope and America’s Heroes” and “Hello Vietnam: A Tribute to Bob Hope and America’s Heroes.” Showings will take place at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Sponsored by the Freedom Biker Church and Rolling Thunder, the first Heroes Homecoming Motorcycle Rally takes place from noon to 8 p.m. It will start at Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson and make its way to The Moving Wall dedication ceremony at ASOM before ending at Festival Park. There will be food trucks, tattoo and beard contests, speakers, bands – and a VIP tent for all Vietnam veterans.

ASOM’s The Moving Wall dedication takes place at 1 p.m. on the parade field. It will feature speakers such as Ray Scrump, who is a former prisoner of war, and Jim Hollister of Rolling Thunder.

Sunday, Nov. 12

From 1 to 3 p.m., ASOM will host a discussion and book signing with Mark Bowden. Bowden is best known for “Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War.” He will discuss his latest book, “Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam.”

Several other events will take place throughout the entirety of Heroes Homecoming. This includes exhibits at both the Hope Mills and Cumberland County Public Libraries, a Vietnam War display at the Visitors Center at the North Carolina Veterans Park, and an exhibit called “Hugh’s Crate” at Museum of the Cape Fear. According to Meroski, FACVB has also set forth a Missing Man Table Initiative, with more than 200 businesses and organizations pledged to participate. The Missing Man Tables will honor those missing in action or who were prisoners of war during the Vietnam War.

“When I say Heroes Homecoming, brought to you by the communities of Cumberland County, it really is,” said Meroski. “It goes to show when you have an overarching, pure, good deed, people are going to rally around it.”

All Heroes Homecoming events are free and open to the public. Visit www.heroeshomecoming.com to learn more.

 The Givens Performing Arts Center hosts a show honoring pop legend Michael Jackson Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. This event is a part of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s Homecoming celebration.

The show, entitled “Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience,” takes place at the GPAC, which is located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. This is the only show that continues to give tribute to the late superstar.

Originating from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the group – called Who’s Bad – has been successful and is the longest-running Michael Jackson tribute band. They have sold out venues and performed all over the world including places like China and the United Kingdom. The band has been on tour featuring stops at The House of Blues, 930 Club in D.C., Bluebird Theatre in Colorado and the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Additionally, the group has performed onstage with The Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, The Backstreet Boys, Pitbull and Boys II Men.

The group is comprised of Broadway performers, musicians and singers. The founder and manager of the group is Vamsi Tadepalli, a jazz performance graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He created the band in 2003 and serves as the saxophonist, arranger and choreographer, along with a group of other performers. James Times III is the lead singer and commands the stage as Michael Jackson.

Attendees and fans will be in for a real treat when watching this show. The performers know the music and choreography of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits. They study tirelessly to make sure every dance and every song is executed with perfection. The band is passionate and dedicated to delivering a powerful performance.

James Bass,director of the GPAC, said, “This show is authentic and imitates not only the music of Michael, but the performers have studied his moves in detail. It’s going to be like you were there.”

The audience can expect to hear all Jackson’s greatest hits from the ’70s to the ’90s – tunes like “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” – and there may even be a few songs from his days with The Jackson 5. Because this event takes place on Halloween weekend, the audience can definitely expect “Thriller” to be on the setlist.

Jackson’s music has brought people together for decades. He is still revered as the King of Pop. Posthumously, Jackson’s album “Thriller” is still the best-selling album of all time. There’s something about his music that appeals to people of all generations and backgrounds. Bass promised this is going to be a fun show, and it’s going to be hard to sit still.

Tickets for the tribute show are $36 for adults and $10 for children. Alumni of the university have a ticket price of $26. The show is set to start at 8 p.m.

For tickets and information, visit www.uncp.edu/gpac or call  (910) 521-6361.

What is North Carolina’s bestknown and most influential college? It might be an institution that went out of business 60 years ago, Black Mountain College. Still today, educators praise and criticize the college’s progressive and collaborative approach. In 2015, Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art’s exhibit, titled “Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1933-1957,” celebrated the college’s “cultural force long felt” and the “school’s ethos, in which experience was the basis of knowledge, and objects were not fixed things, but mirrors of their environment, the result of action and experimentation.”

A book recently released opens the door to understanding the college’s enduring allure.

Surprisingly, that book, “Hidden Scars” by Mark de Castrique, is not a Black Mountain guide or history book.

It is a detective story.

“Detective story!” I can hear you screaming, “What can a murder mystery have to do with a closeddown college?”

De Castrique is the author of a series of novels set in modern-day Asheville featuring the detective team of Sam Blackman and Nakayla Robertson. Sam is a veteran who lost his leg in military action and wears a prosthesis. Nakayla, his partner in business and in love, is African-American.

De Castrique makes Black Mountain College the center point of action in the detectives’ investigations of suspicious deaths in two different time periods.

First, an 80-year-old woman asks them to look into the death of her brother, Paul Weaver. He was student at the college in the 1940s who died in a reported hiking accident. Seventy years later, his sister suspects foul play.

Second, their first investigation takes them to the former site of the college. There, a film crew is making a commercial film set in the college’s heyday in the 1930s and ’40s. Soon there are new deaths to investigate.

In trying to crack the 70-yearold case, Sam and Nakayla track down former Black Mountain students who might have known Paul. They fly to New York City to visit Eleanor Johnson, an African American who was a student of the legendary dancer, choreographer and Black Mountain faculty member Merce Cunningham.

Eleanor remembers Paul as a good friend but does not believe their interracial friendship prompted violence against him. However, she tells them Paul had a special bond with a Jewish refugee, Leah Rosen, who lives in a retirement village in Chapel Hill. A long drive to Chapel Hill for a visit with Leah confirms her friendship with Paul but nothing more.

Another contemporary of Paul’s at the college, Harlan Beale, is a handyman on the film set. He also provides filmmakers with background information about the college. Shortly after agreeing to help Sam and Nakayla find others who might remember Paul, Harlan is found dead at the Black Mountain College Museum in Asheville.

In scarcely over 200 pages, Sam and Nakayla, aided by Asheville city police, Buncombe County sheriff’s deputies and the FBI solve, these mysterious deaths, both contemporary and 70-years past.

In following the investigations, readers learn of the special progressive educational experiences the college provided: Buckminster Fuller and his attempts to build a geodesic dome, Merce Cunningham, and a host of artists, craftsmen and authors who became teachers and mentors and jump-started their students’ careers.

The college attracted political liberals, racial integrationists and even some communists. These ideas and the people who held them were not welcome in the North Carolina mountains. And the progressive learning model the college projected did not attract the financial support necessary to fund even a modest college operation.

While Mark de Castrique is giving us a well-crafted and satisfying detective story, he reminds us of what we lost when the college closed.

4th Friday provides an opportunity to enjoy and participate in the city’s growing culture that prioritizes the arts and local businesses. Friday, Oct. 27, is unique in that it will benefit from the involvement of Cool Spring Downtown District, a nonprofit organization dedicated to re-branding Fayetteville’s artistic identity and increasing connectivity between the city’s art-related organizations and individuals.

The Zombie Walk is one of October’s biggest 4th Friday events, a time to dress up in your best zombie costume and makeup and roam the streets of downtown. Back-A-Round Records – a new record store and recording studio space set to open soon – and Cool Spring Downtown District present the Zombie Walk pre-party from 6- 8 p.m. in the parking lot of Headquarters Library. In partnership with the library, Fayetteville’s Paul Mitchell school will provide facepainting and zombie makeup for a $5 donation that will go toward breast cancer research.

First, second and third place for best costumes will be awarded before the official walk begins at 8 p.m. Zombies will proceed up Ray Avenue and east on Hay and Person Streets, with the walk terminating at the stage on Green Street, adjacent to Back-A-Round Records. Live music from Nephilym, Motorjunkie and Carolina Committee’s DJ Moodswing will start around 8:20 p.m. Zombies ages 21 and up can end the night at The Church at Paddy’s for the official after-party and Zombie Prom. Call (910) 568-5654 for details.

Zombie revels are not everyone’s cup of tea, though, and there are plenty of other options to enjoy. Concurrent to the Zombie Walk pre-party, WCCG 104.5FM will host a street dance from 6-8 p.m. on Person Street near the new Taste of West Africa building.

The Arts Council will host Riser Burn, the 82nd Airborne Division Band’s rock ensemble, playing on the sidewalk at Hay and Maxwell Streets from 7-9 p.m. As an alternative pre- and after-party, Cape Fear Regional Theater is partnering with the American Tattoo Society to present a film screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at 11:59 p.m. For $25, guests receive a prop bag and entrance to the pre-party at Latitude 35 in addition to the midnight showing admission. Tickets for Oct. 27 may sell out; the show will also run Oct. 28 and Oct. 31. Find out more at www.cfrt.org. The Arts Council’s new exhibit, “Reclaimed,” debuts on 4th Friday. The exhibit features art that uses old materials recycled into new, unique forms and will be open 7-9 p.m. Cape Fear Studios at 148 Maxwell St. opens its exhibition of Mark Gordon’s pottery, and the Ellington-White Gallery at 113 Gillespie St. continues its exhibition “Robert Motherwell: Works on Paper.”

Other galleries open for 4th Friday include Alter Egos Gallery & Studio at 108 Gillespie St., City Center Gallery & Books at 112 Hay St., Old Towne Gallery at 124 Maxwell St., and Gallery 116th at 116 Anderston St.

“We’re trying to be more diverse in our offerings to the community,” said Mark Regensburger, president and CEO of Cool Spring Downtown District. “We try and bring people together who might not otherwise know about each other, and as our organization grows, we’re seeking to be more of a matchmaker for people to be able to do wonderful things. … We’re working with all the organizations like (the Dogwood Festival), the Arts Council, all the museums downtown, the Cameo, the Indigo Moon Film Festival.”

Sam DuBose, Cool Spring Downtown District general manager, added that the organization wants to help artists and entities new to Fayetteville’s arts and culture scene. “We try to bring them downtown, help them through the permitting process, advise them on how to navigate the systems effectively and legally,” he said.

Cool Spring Downtown District is also facilitating a volunteer programming committee chaired by Isabella Effon, owner of Taste of West Africa. “The idea is to extend our 4th Friday beyond just the sweet spot of three blocks on Hay Street,” DuBose said. All community members are welcome on the committee. Call the Cool Spring office at (910) 223-1089 if you are interested in  volunteering in any capacity.

The Old Wagram Prison has been taken over by the Scotland County Parks and Recreations department and turned into an unconventional haunted house. Saturday, Oct. 28, and Tuesday, Oct. 31, you can step into a genuine abandoned prison and find yourself wading through the zombie apocalypse as a tale of terror and desperation unfolds with you right in the center of it. The cost for such a pleasure? Just $10.

This is no clichéd haunted house with nothing to do but shuffle through strobe lights and wait for a teenager in a latex mask to jump out at you. Bryan Graham, who helped found the project said, “It’s almost like a theatre production. This isn’t a standard haunted house where you enter and walk through. This has a build up.”

Unlike other haunted attractions, the Insanitarium at the old Wagram Prison has a unifying plot that the guests take part in. Graham said, “This has a story to it, a script – and paramilitary guys at some points who defend you from the zombies.”

To make the experience more immersive and terrifying, many of the actors have gone through a fourhour paramilitary training session. The Gryphon Group, which helps train soldiers in everything from surviving gunfights to protective mission programs, counseled the actors so they could move with the kind of professional lethality that lends authenticity to the performance. The zombies they will be fighting received costumes and makeup from the St. Andrews University theatre department. 

To further distinguish this event from other haunted houses, all proceeds will go back to the community. The Old Wagram Prison is in the process of being transformed by the Growing Change organization into a youth recreation center and will be partially funded by the event proceeds.

The rest of the profits will go to the Laurinburg Chamber of Commerce, the Parks and Recreation department and other nonprofit organizations.

Graham, along with his fellow project founders Noran Sanford and Chris English, have “high hopes and expectations. The mystique of the facility already sets you up for success.”

If you are interested in becoming an actor next year or lending your talents to future performances, contact Graham at the Laurinburg Parks and Recreation department via email at bgraham@ scotlandcounty.org.

For those who wish to go through the Insanitarium, tickets are $10 and sold only at the venue. The event will run from 7:30 p.m. to midnight on Oct. 28 and 31 at 22600 Wagram Rd., Wagram.

The experience is estimated to last between 20 to 25 minutes, and Graham suggests patrons come wearing close-toed shoes. “We plan to scare you so that you think that you need to be running,” he said.

Riding on the success of sold-out performances of “Dreamgirls,” the Cape Fear Regional Theatre will next bring local audiences a classic thriller sure to showcase the talent of cast and crew alike.

The scene for “Wait Until Dark” is a basement apartment in New York City’s Greenwich Village in 1967, said director Talya Klein. Susy and Sam Hendrix are newlyweds.

“She lost her sight two years ago,” Klein said. “Sam is an ex-Marine, now a photographer, who unknowingly becomes a drug mule.”

Sam is unaware that a doll he brought home is filled with drugs.  When he leaves the apartment, Klein said, “three baddies try to con Susy into giving them the doll. Things escalate and get increasingly more dangerous.”

It is a harrowing tale made more unique by the lead character being blind, Klein said.

“Wait Until Dark” was written by Frederick Knott and premiered on Broadway in 1966. A movie adaptation opened in 1967 starring Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna.  Knott also wrote “Dial M for Murder,” another play that Alfred Hitchcock adapted for film.

A play confined to one apartment might sound like an easy and simple production, but Klein said “Wait Until Dark” requires sharp focus for set, prop and script details.

“I’ve never directed a thriller before,” Klein said. “I’m having so much fun.  The story is beautifully constructed, and every piece means something.”

“Everything is a big deal,” she said. “When a character is smoking a cigarette and holding a match book, it is important. The details are constructing a chain.”

Audiences shouldn’t worry that they may miss vital clues and not understand the action, though, Klein said.

“Even if you miss a couple of things, you’ll get it,” Klein said. “‘Wait Until Dark’ is for people who love details.”

Leah Curney plays Susy in the play. She said her character’s blindness is a critical part of the story, but also that the story is really not about that.

“She has to discover how capable she truly is, and her disability becomes an asset,” Curney said. “It’s like watching really good martial arts. She’s using the limitations of this space to her advantage.”

Jillian Wickens-Johnson, 13, is making her professional debut in “Wait Until Dark” as Susy’s 10-yearold neighbor Gloria. Wickens-Johnson said her character sees Sam as a father figure to her character but considers Susy more of an evil stepmother at the beginning of the play.

“Gloria has a beautiful character arc,” Wickens-Johnson said. “She comes in as an angry child and, over the course of the play, … bonds with (Susy).”

Susy and Gloria must work together against characters Klein calls ‘the baddies’ in the story – the three shady con men trying to retrieve the doll.

Patrick Falcon plays Harry Roat, the mysterious lead con artist. “Roat is an alias,” Falcon said. “It is a guise my character constructs. He has a history of darkness. He’s very much a nebulous shape-shifter who could be anyone but no one at all.”

“I have the job of trying to make the character as vile as possible,” Falcon said. “It’s terribly fun as an actor.”

“Wait Until Dark” is a classic suspense thriller for audiences 13 and above due to some violence.  “The most terrifying moments we don’t see,” Klein said.  It is an example of the “story-telling that happens when we have to imagine what happens.”

“Wait Until Dark” runs Oct. 26 through Nov. 12. Ticket prices and information about several opening weekend specials are available at www.cfrt.org or by calling the box office at (910) 323-4233.

Local municipal general elections will be held Tuesday, Nov. 7. Early voting is underway now and will continue through Saturday, Nov. 4. Elections for governing bodies are held in Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Spring Lake, Falcon, Godwin, Linden, Wade, Eastover and Stedman plus the Eastover Sanitary District.

One-Stop early voting is held only at the Cumberland County Board of Elections Office, in the E. Newton Smith Center at 227 Fountainhead Ln., Fayetteville. Dates and times for early voting are:  Oct. 25–Oct. 27, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.;  Oct. 30–Nov. 3, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.;  Nov. 4,  9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Officials did not say why the polls would not be open on most Saturdays and Sundays. Citizens who want to take advantage of early voting but are not registered to vote may do so when they arrive at the board of elections office. They must provide acceptable identity documentation. Would-be voters should be prepared to show documents that list current names and addresses in Cumberland County. A complete list of allowable forms of identification is outlined on the county’s website.

Regular office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Voters who because of age or disability are unable to enter the voting place are permitted to vote curbside from their cars. The process is overseen by an elections official. A curbside voter is entitled to the same level of assistance, privacy and instruction provided to voters in the polling place. For more information and for links to voter information, general election polling places and the N.C. Board of Elections, go to www. co.cumberland.nc.us/elections or call (910) 678-7733.

Local government has approved incentives to encourage private investment in a $44 million distribution operation that would employ 140 full-time workers at the Cedar Creek Business Center east of Fayetteville. City and county governments have authorized incentive packages for the unnamed company, which hopes to build a 650,000-squarefoot fulfillment center in the park on NC-53 east of Fayetteville. Robert Van Geons, president and chief executive officer of the Fayetteville/Cumberland Economic Development Corp., said state officials also are considering incentives for the company in the form of state grants. A fulfillment center is a modern term for e-commerce packing warehouses. The term was coined in the middle of the 1990s and usually refers to a self-contained product packing and shipping facility.

Firms like Amazon have their own fulfillment centers, while smaller e-commerce companies outsource their warehousing, packaging and shipping to larger companies. Amazon, for one, offers to handle order processing to third-party sellers. Another example was Fingerhut, which in the 1990s expanded its own fulfillment center to take on services for other companies.

Van Geons said he expects the company, which he has not yet identified, to decide whether to locate in Cumberland County soon after the incentive deals are finalized. Conditions being offered by local and state governments have ostensibly been agreed to by the company.

“All that remains is for the state to agree,” Van Geons said. The company’s decision could come within 30 to 60 days, he said. Van Geons told county commissioners and Fayetteville City Council that the company expects to employ 18 managers, 30 clerical staff and 92 warehousemen. The managers would make an average of about $62,000 per year each, he said, while the other workers would earn from $28,000 to $32,500, plus benefits. The city and county agreed to rebate up to 75 percent of the company’s annual property taxes for seven years, according to resolutions that both bodies adopted. The county will sell 98 acres of land in the industrial park for $1.23 million, which is half a million dollars less than its fair market value. That’s a windfall for the county, which has owned the Cedar Creek Industrial Center for 18 years. It’s the same location where Sanderson farms proposed to build a poultry processing plant that would have employed 1,000 workers. County government rejected that proposal.

As part of the project, the State Department of Transportation has agreed to improve Cedar Creek Road and create a signalized intersection at the entrance to the plant. The company agreed to create at least 112 jobs by the end of 2019. Seven other jobs would have to be created in each of the next four years. “I think it sets the stage for further development there,” Cumberland County attorney Rick Moorefield said.

A woman identified by Fayetteville Police as the mother of a juvenile who was killed about 10:30 a.m., Oct. 21, is in the Cumberland County jail charged with her son’s murder. Police “responded to a report of a domestic disturbance at the Fairfield Inn & Suites at 4249 Ramsey St.,” said Police Sgt. Shawn Strepay.

He said a hotel guest called 911 to report what was described as a physical disturbance in a thirdfloor room. Strepay said officers found Zamarie Chance, 9, badly injured and unresponsive. He died soon after arriving at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. His mother, Crystal M. Matthews, 35, of the 6000 block of Whitemoss Court, a community of quarter-million-dollar homes off Andrews Road, was charged with first-degree murder and felony child abuse. She was taken into custody at the scene and later jailed without bond.

Mall to close for Thanksgiving

Fayetteville’s Cross Creek mall will be closed Thanksgiving Day. All CBL & Associates shopping malls across the country will not be open on Thanksgiving Day. Cross Creek Mall is a CBL property. Owners say their decision is in response to “Black Friday creep,” which has resulted in retailers opening their doors on Thanksgiving to gain a competitive edge. It’s the company’s second year of closing on the holiday. There is a caveat to CBL’s decision: Anchor stores and others with separate entrances will be allowed to open if they like. That is unusual because management’s rules generally apply to all stores, big and small. Cross Creek Mall will open at 6 a.m. Friday.

Veterans Affairs proposes new choices

The Department of Veterans Affairs is suggesting that Congress overhaul how veterans receive health care in the private sector. The VA wants to do away with the widely criticized “30-day/40-mile” rule. The new plan is called the Veterans Coordinated Access & Rewarding Experiences Act, or CARE. It would give veterans and their VA physicians flexibility in choosing whether they receive care at a VA facility or from a privatesector provider.

“We want veterans to work with their VA physicians to make informed decisions that are best for their clinical needs, whether in the VA or in the community,” said VA Secretary David Shulkin.

He announced earlier this year that he intended to do away with the rule that allows veterans to go outside the VA for health care only if they had to wait more than 30 days for an appointment or if they live more than 40 miles from a VA clinic. The rule was implemented as part of the Veterans Choice Program in 2014. It has been criticized by some veterans as complicated, bureaucratic and restrictive. Some health care providers claim the VA has been slow to reimburse them for services provided under the program.

Air Force workhorse retired

The last C-130H Hercules cargo plane in the active-duty Air Force bade sayonara to Japan this month. The aircraft was the last of its kind assigned to the Yokota-based 36th Airlift Squadron, which has been trading out its 14 H-models for newer J-models in recent months.

“It’s sad to see it go,” said Lt. Col. John Kerr, shortly before he took the controls of the plane for the long flight to Montana. Some H-models are being reassigned to Air National Guard units. Others are being retired.

It wasn’t too long ago that Pope Field said goodbye to its C-130H models. The 440th Airlift Wing had 16 of them supporting worldwide airborne response and providing training missions for the XVIII Airborne Corps and 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. The 440th was an Air Force Reserve unit that was transferred to Pope as the result of the 2006 Base Realignment and Closure Act.

Despite opposition from North Carolina congressmen and senators, the 440th was inactivated as an Air Force cost savings measure. And Pope’s last C-130 departed in June 2016. The 440th was deactivated three months later. Pope is now an Army airfield hosted by Fort Bragg. As for Lt. Col. Kerr, his trip home was also his last flight. He’s retiring from the Air Force and is looking for work in commercial aviation, he said.

Womack Army Medical Center’s holiday schedule

Fort Bragg’s hospital has published its holiday schedule. All primary care and specialty care clinics will be closed on Veterans Day, Nov. 10. This includes Byars Medical Clinic, Clark Health Clinic, Joel Health and Dental Clinic, Robinson Health Clinic, Womack Family Medicine Residency Clinic, Fayetteville Medical Home, Hope Mills Medical Home and Linden Oaks Medical Home.

The hospital will take the usual two days off for Thanksgiving, Nov. 23 and 24. All primary care and specialty care clinics will be closed for Thanksgiving, including the clinics mentioned above. There will, however, be a consolidated care clinic Nov. 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and a flu vaccination clinic from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Womack Family Medicine Residency Clinic. The consolidated care clinic will operate by appointment only. The appointment line phone number is (910) 907-2778. The flu vaccination clinic will be on a walk-in basis.

This year’s Christmas Holiday will be observed from Friday, Dec. 22, through Monday the 25. All primary care and specialty care clinics will be closed Dec. 22 through 25 for Christmas. On New Year’s Day, Monday, Jan. 1, 2018, all primary care and specialty care clinics will be closed. To make an appointment at a clinic, log on to www.TRICAREOnline.com or call (910) 907-2778. The Emergency Department is always open for medical emergencies.                 

Chemours is cooperating with the state

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has directed Chemours to provide bottled water to nine more well owners near the company’s Fayetteville facility. This is because the most recent preliminary test results show GenX above the provisional state health goal in residential drinking wells. That makes 35 residential well owners living near Chemours’ Fayetteville Works facility on the Bladen County line who are receiving bottled water because of GenX detections in their well water.

DEQ is sending all well owners test results as well as health and other information. “Bottled water is a short-term fix, and we’re working with the counties and the company to find a long-term solution for families who rely on these wells,” said Michael Regan, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. DEQ is working on longer-term water solutions for residents with affected wells, most of whom live north of the facility. Among the possibilities are installing home water filter systems or connecting affected homes to uncontaminated wells or a nearby public water supply. “We all count on having access to a clean, reliable source of drinking water, and these well owners deserve no less,” Regan added.

Kathy Jensen has many titles and roles in our city. You might know her as Councilwoman, business owner, ECU alumni, huge Pine Forest High School fan, others fondly know her as friend, sister, wife, or mom.

I have so much respect for Kathy Jensen in her many roles and leadership in our city. Her passion spans beyond the North Side of Fayetteville where she has represented her
District so well.

Additionally, she has been the only woman to represent us for the past four years on the City Council. Through starting the Fayetteville Youth Council, she has empowered young students across our city to get involved making a difference and additionally they get exposure to the inner workings of Fayetteville through attending City Council meetings.

Kathy has practical experience collaborating, providing input and solutions for city ordinances, a voting record that speaks for itself on infrastructure and economic development. The decisions made on City Council require a higher level of thinking problem dedicated and invested in our community.

She has served our city well and her trajectory moving our city forward is evident as you continues forward in her role as a member of our City Council.

Thank you,
Kelly Twedell

PHOTO: Karen Jensen

This is a first for me.

I’ve never run for office. To be honest, I never even thought about running – until earlier this year, when some close friends and family members encouraged me to launch a campaign for city council.

I blew them off at first. I’m not a politician, and I’ve never had much regard for the folks who will say whatever it takes to get elected and then ignore their constituents once they get into office. But I also grew up here in Fayetteville, built my business here, and hope to be here for the rest of my life. I love this city. I love its potential. And I know we ultimately won’t reach that potential if we keep electing the same people and hoping for a better result.

I also know our local government could use a little more real-world experience. In business, you have to work with people to get things done. You have to find common ground. That doesn’t mean you compromise your core principles, but it does mean you have to listen and find creative ways to solve problems. I think we could use a little more of that experience at every level of government, but maybe especially the level closest to the people.

After countless hours praying and thinking about this, I would like to be your District 5 City Councilman. And here’s what I can promise you, if elected:

• Responsiveness. I’ll listen to you and your concerns, and I’ll do whatever I can to help resolve any problems you have with the city’s bureaucracy.

• Honesty. I’ll tell you the truth, even if it’s not what you want to hear.

• Common Sense. I’ll do everything I can to make decisions that make sense for our district. I hope I can earn your vote in the upcoming election. In the meantime, if I can ever answer any questions about me or my campaign, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

PHOTO: Henry Tyson

The president tweets, and America either cheers with delight or recoils in horror. There is no middle ground. As the Irish poet Willie Yeats wrote in “The Second Coming,” “Things fall apart: the center cannot hold/... The best lack all conviction, while the worst/are full of passionate intensity.”

We currently have more passionate intensity than you can shake the proverbial stick at. Our current civil divisions may not turn out as well for us as we hoped with all the momentum frothing up on the fringes of society.

On a similar but less lofty version of Yeats’ point, recall the immortal advice from Johnny Mercer: “You’ve got to accentuate the positive/eliminate the negative/ and latch on to the affirmative/don’t mess with Mr. In-Between.”

Taking a hint from Mercer, I tried to find something positive in President Trump’s recent comments about the press writing things he doesn’t like. The president branded the mainstream media as the “Enemy of the People.” He has tweeted, “With all the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their license? Network news has become so partisan, distorted and fake, that licenses must be challenged, and if appropriate, revoked. Not fair to the public!” He finished up by saying, on TV, “It’s frankly disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write. And people should look into it.” George Orwell has already looked into it.

Pondering the president’s statement about how disgusting it is that the press is able to write whatever they want to write got me thinking about how the president might get the press to write stuff that he likes. Fortunately, our old buddy George Orwell spelled out the solution in his laugh-a-minute book, “1984.” With the savings from gutting the subsidies to pay for health insurance, the EPA and the State Department, the president can create a new department: The Ministry of Truth as described by Mr. Orwell. The Ministry of Truth (Minitrue) is just what the president needs to combat Fake News, which is any news he doesn’t like.

Imagine what Trump’s Minitrue might look like using Orwell’s Newspeak from “1984.” Orwell was kind enough to include a Newspeak dictionary in “1984” which defines the Minitrue as “the department of government in charge of all record keeping, history re-writing and trashy entertainment and spurious news, which the Party handed out to the masses. This includes written literature, movies, music and other forms of propaganda handed out to the proles.” News or history that doesn’t meet the approval of the Minitrue goes down the old memory hole into the furnace in the basement.

The new U.S. Ministry of Truth will be in charge of granting prior approval for any news reported by TV, newspapers, social media or individuals. Let’s walk down Orwell Lane and review his Newspeak concepts.

Censorship by any other name would smell as sweet. The goal of the Minitrue is to prevent thoughtcrime, which consists of even considering any thought not in line with official standards. Thoughtcrime will be enforced by the Thought Police, who will monitor all statements, facecrime (facial expression reacting adversely to news supported by the State), and activities of citizens. The goal of controlling the news is to create bellyfeel, which is blind, enthusiastic acceptance of a concept.

The goal is to create citizens with blackwhite, which is “the ability to accept whatever truth the party puts out – no matter how absurd it may be. It means the ability to believe that black is white and forget that one has ever believed to the contrary.”

A double-plus good citizen must have the ability to doublethink, which is “the power to hold two completely contradictory belief’s in one’s mind simultaneously and accept both of them.”

Good citizens will participate in a daily Two Minute Hate Session where all televisions and smartphones will show pictures of enemies of the State like Anderson Cooper or Rachel Maddow for the viewers to boo, hiss at and curse. Orwell provided the blueprint for the Ministry of Truth. All that is needed to stop the disgusting news media from reporting double-plus ungood facts offensive to the president is a little old Constitutional Convention to abolish the First Amendment or indifferent citizens. The first Secretary of the Ministry of Truth ready to enforce rightthink is already on the national scene.

May I introduce the Secretary of Minitrue, the Honorable Steve Bannon. Behind his tiny hands, Big Brother is watching you.

Editor’s note: With the election right around the corner, former city council candidate Jason Brady has some salient thoughts on the future of the greater Fayetteville area. Publisher Bill Bowman yields this space to Brady this week due to the relevance and timeliness of the topic. 

Since I’m no longer a candidate for Fayetteville City Council, I can write about this topic without breaking an agreement I had with Bill Bowman. We agreed that I not bring my candidacy into my column.

So, today I want to write about my campaign issues that obviously didn’t resonate with voters, but which I think are still relevant.

I didn’t pull them out of the air. Instead, months before I filed for office, I started a conversation with people. It was an informal conversation at first. I simply asked people what they disliked about living in Fayetteville.

Let me emphasize again – it was an unscientific survey. I used social media, direct mail, hand-delivered surveys and just pure conversations with people who would listen and answer. Heck, I even jotted notes on paper napkins and paper place settings from the Greek Pancake Breakfast.

The most telling thoughts people had about Fayetteville came from my first two questions:

1.  What three things don’t you like about living in Fayetteville?

2.  What three things do you like about living in Fayetteville?

I included other questions to gauge opinions about local government. I asked if they believed Fayetteville and Cumberland County spent tax dollars wisely. I asked for their take on the bond referendum for parks and recreation amenities, and I asked what they thought about spending $33 million on a baseball stadium and if downtown was the best place to build it. I received interesting answers and more fodder for future columns.

But first, about the first two questions and answers – on which I based my campaign message.

While I asked for three reasons someone might dislike living in Fayetteville, the responses seemed to center mostly on four dislikes. They may have been worded differently, but the core thread about our city was obvious. They are listed below in no particular order:

•  Lack of professional-level jobs, the kind of full-time jobs that pay a salary that can entice a family to live in Fayetteville. We have plenty of low-paying, part-time jobs. We don’t have jobs that keep young people in Fayetteville. The only young people coming back are those whose families own businesses and can employ them.

•  A trashy appearance, especially along the gateways into the city. It’s not just trash, but the appearance of property. Despite efforts of people like Councilman Bobby Hurst, who spearheads the Fayetteville Beautiful efforts, we have more people who don’t care how we present our community to visitors who could be potential employers.

•  Violent crime. People hear about gunfights in crowded parking lots or dead bodies floating down the Cape Fear River. Violent crime has risen nationwide for two consecutive years, and Fayetteville is no exception.

•  Finally, people dislike the traffic. The responses about traffic varied. For some, it’s those “damned” center medians the highway department is putting on every street, making it nearly impossible to get where you’re going. For others, it’s the sheer volume of traffic coupled with crazy aggressive drivers who’ll change a lane and cut you off like it’s the right thing to do. The reasons people like living in Fayetteville, sadly, have nothing to do with our city. Rather, it’s because of Fayetteville’s position in relation to other amenities: family who live nearby, military-affiliated services and proximity to the beach and mountains.

Our soon-to-be elected council has a lot of work ahead to address these types of issues. I hope voters are smart enough to elect representatives who can work toward solutions and not for candidates based on superficial motives.

 This weekend, the newly-named Fayetteville Marksmen will drop their puck on home ice for the first time. Friday, Oct. 27, the Marksmen take on Huntsville Havoc at the Crown Coliseum from 7-10 p.m. Spectators should expect more than a new name from the team; the first home game of the season will demonstrate a new atmosphere and a shift in focus, too.

The Marksmen will measure success in terms of community engagement and the consistent creation of a quality experience for spectators, according to co-owners Chuck Norris and Jeff Longo.

“The results of the team that we put on the ice are very important, but they’re not nearly as important as the overall success of the organization in being a community asset,” Norris said. He added that as a re-branded organization, the Marksmen want to be very involved “in the local scene; be at different events, have our players in schools.”

“We’re more than a professional hockey team,” Longo said. “We know there’s a fairly finite number of hardcore hockey fans in Fayetteville, and we want to appeal to people who might not know as much about hockey but who are looking for a very fun yet affordable evening.”

Norris and Longo hit the ground running when they took over management of the previouslynamed FireAntz in mid-March. Norris, an Army veteran now located in Charlotte, who lived and did business in Fayetteville for 20 years, serves as CEO. Longo, who spent over 20 years in professional hockey in upper management positions, serves as president.

Their plan to position the team as a community asset rather than simply as a sports team involves working with over 70 local partners and sponsors, including the Cumberland County Commissioners, the Cumberland County Crown Commission, the Salvation Army, Special Olympics North Carolina, Fort Bragg MWR, United Service Organizations of Fort Bragg, Cape Fear Youth Hockey, Fayetteville Kiwanis Club and Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.

These partnerships and the overall goal of quality entertainment will be reflected at home games throughout the season, which runs through April 2018. “We got really lucky this year; our schedule features 24 Fridays and Saturdays,” Longo said. He explained that 14 of the team’s 20 home games this season will feature extras in terms of entertainment, with seven of those 14 having big themes and being the most elaborately planned.

Kicking off these “big seven” is the first home game of the season on Oct. 27. Appropriately themed Opening Night, the evening will feature food trucks in the parking lot prior to the game and a Marksmen flag giveaway for the first 2,000 spectators to enter the building. Those who purchase special ticket packages will receive a free flag as well. Fans will also receive a voucher from Bubba’s 33 for a buy-one, get-one-free pizza when they purchase tickets. The other biggest games of the season are:

Friday, Nov. 25: Teddy Bear Toss – After the first goal of the game is scored, fans rain teddy bears they brought from home down onto the ice. Players later give the bears to children at Cape Fear Hospital. There will also be a puck giveaway and $1 hotdogs.

Friday, Dec. 22: Star Wars Jerseys – After the game, at center ice, Star Wars jerseys that have been worn and autographed by players will be up for live auction. A portion of the proceeds will directly benefit the Salvation Army. Beer will be available for $2.

Saturday, Jan. 20: Pooch Party – Bring your dog to the game. Marksmen military-style cap giveaway and $1 hotdogs.

Saturday, Feb. 10: Pink in the Rink – The team will partner with Highland OB/GYN of Fayetteville to raise breast cancer awareness. Pink T-shirt giveaway and $1 hotdogs.

Saturday, March 10: Nickelodeon Night – Look out for your favorite Nickelodeon characters! Youth jersey giveaway and $1 popcorn.

Friday, March 30: Fan Appreciation night. Last game of the regular season.

Longo said he hopes many of these themed nights, including the Teddy Bear Toss and the Pooch Party, will become annual traditions. But games not falling within these dates will still have fun incentives and extras of their own.

For the second game of the season – Saturday, Oct. 28 – a ticket package includes four tickets, four pucks and a $50 gift certificate to Carrabba’s for $49.

Boy scout nights are Oct. 27, Jan. 13 and March 10. Scouts will have the opportunity to camp out at the Crown following the game on Jan. 13. Nov. 4 is the first of many military nights, when service members will get the best seats in the house for only $10.

At the time of this article’s publication, Marksmen first-time head coach Nick Mazzolini and director of hockey operations Ryan Cruthers will have just finished finalizing the Marksmen’s 2017-18 roster. Mazzolini recently retired from a successful career in professional hockey. His first season as a professional player was with the Alaska Aces of the East Coast Hockey League; he served as captain for the 2013-14 season, during which time the Aces won the Kelly Cup. He’s also played for Italy’s top hockey league, Hockey Club Bolzano, and Germany’s second-tier professional hockey league, Del2.

Longo shared his excitement about Mazzolini: “As soon as Nick’s name became available, (Cruthers) said, ‘We’ve got our guy.’ … Nick was asking us so many questions about the community and wanting to get just as involved as we did.”

Since the Marksmen is a developmental league, the team experiences a high turnover rate – about 40 percent of players returned each season while they were the FireAntz, and that trend will probably continue, according to Longo.

That’s why the new name and team mascot were chosen so carefully, Norris and Longo said. They want fans to connect with a team name – the Marksmen – that honors Fort Bragg’s elite, and a mascot – the Carolina red fox – that “can be vicious and ferocious … and also the big cuddly mascot that children want to hug.”

The Marksmen are working from a good foundation. The FireAntz helped found the Southern Professional Hockey League in 2004 and hosted eight of the nine largest crowds in SPHL history.

“The support is there; the community wants the product,” Longo said. “We just needed a little punch in the arm and a new approach. Chuck’s got a great vision for what success looks like, and we’ve tripled the size of our staff so we can execute everything we’re talking about.”

Jim Grafstrom, general manager of the Crown Complex, couldn’t be more excited about the future of the team. “The new ownership tandem of Chuck Norris and Jeff Longo are a dynamic group that are looking to not simply re-brand the team, but re-brand the experience,” he said. “The Marksmen organization has made a concentrated effort to transform the standard hockey event into a memorable fan experience that the whole family will enjoy. … It’s not just about the game, it’s about the fan experience.”

Purchase tickets and learn more about the team at www.marksmenhockey.com.