Carmen Tucker

Terry Sanford • Junior • Golf

Tucker has a 83.0 stroke average for the Terry Sanford golf team while maintaining a 4.406 grade point average.

She is active in the Science Olympiad, National Honor Society, Key Club, Amp Club and Health Occupations Students of America.

Isaiah Bennett

Pine Forest • Junior • Soccer

Bennett plays both soccer and baseball for the Trojans.

He has a 4.0 grade point average.

He’s a two-time player of the year and an all-conference selection in baseball.

He’s committed to play baseball for the University of North Carolina.

Going back to the days of legendary coaches like Jim Boyette, Bobby Poss and Bob Paroli, the football program at Seventy-First has had common ground with the University of Southern California. You could count on the Falcons to field a strong team, and you could expect them to have a rugged ground game.

That tradition still holds true this season, but the Falcons are building more of a reputation as a passing team thanks to junior quarterback Kyler Davis and senior wide receiver Reggie Bryant. Both have been on the varsity since they were freshman, and both are special talents according to head coach Duran McLaurin, a former Falcon quarterback himself.

McLaurin called Bryant a special player who has a knack for finding the ball in flight and attacking it at its highest point.

Davis was an athletic freshman who showed savvy and poise early in his career. “He developed as a passer through hard work in camps, working out in the spring and summer and developing a relationship with Reggie,’’ McLaurin said. “They have definitely turned into quite a pass-catching combo.’’

Through Sept. 25, Davis is fourth among Cumberland County Schools quarterbacks with 727 yards. He has five scoring passes, hitting 39 of 67 attempts. His 18.6 yards per completion is tops in the county.

Bryant is the county’s top receiver with 27 catches for 610 yards and all five of Davis’ scoring throws. Among county players with 10 or more catches he’s got the best per-catch average at 22.6 yards.

“If you throw it up, he goes and gets it,’’ Davis said of Bryant. “He makes it much easier.’’

Bryant gives equal credit to Davis. “We’ve got little signals and stuff,’’ Bryant said. “If he sees something I don’t, he tells me.’’

McLaurin also feels that as an ex-quarterback he adds something to the process. “I’m occupied with my quarterbacks through the entire practice,’’ McLaurin said. “I’m able to give them little tidbits and help them get better at their craft.’’

Seventy-First opened its Sandhills Athletic Conference schedule with a big win against Pinecrest.

“We had to do business,’’ Davis said. “Being 1-0 in the conference was really important.’’

McLaurin seemed almost offended that in some preseason polls conducted by media and coaches, Seventy-First was picked to finish third in the new league.

“We haven’t finished that low in the Mid-South and we definitely don’t plan on going to a new conference and starting a trend of finishing lower than first or second place,’’ McLaurin said. That will be a tall order for the Falcons as they play traditional powers Richmond Senior and Scotland on the road this year.

The Falcons will be without a couple of key players for multiple games as lineman Tristan Hill and fullback Elijah Parter suffered ankle injuries in the Pinecrest game and faced surgery.

McLaurin said the staff will re-shuffle the offensive line and try to find a replacement for Hill. Parter’s place with be taken by Devante Wedlock, the latest in a solid line of players at that position from the same family, including his dad David Wedlock and his uncle Jonathan Wedlock.

Bryant said the Falcons are ready to continue pushing forward. “We’ve just got to listen to coach and stay focused,’’ he said. “Don’t get off track. It’s not that hard. Do what we do.’’

Photo captions: L-R: Senior wide receiver Reggie Bryant, Coach Duran McLaurin, junior quarterback Kyler Davis

At least part of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Eastern Regional basketball tournament will return to Fayetteville next year, but unless a second site can be found, some of the games may move elsewhere.

Que Tucker, commissioner of the N.C. High School Athletic Association, was in Fayetteville last week along with members of her staff for the annual Region 4 meeting of the NCHSAA at the Educational Resource Center.

Tucker said that Fayetteville State has again offered to host the tournament in Capel Arena, where the boys’ games were held last season.

But it appears unlikely that the girls’ games will return to Methodist University.

“Methodist was a wonderful host, but we knew going in (that) in terms of size it would present some challenges,’’ Tucker said.

The seating capacity of Methodist’s Riddle Center is 1,300 according to the school website. That became a problem when fans from eventual girls’ state champion Clinton packed the stands and wound up sitting on the floor.

Tucker said the NCHSAA reached out to UNC-Pembroke as a possible second site but the recent success of the Braves’ basketball team could make scheduling the regional a problem. Talks are in progress with Greenville, which was the host of the regional for years before it moved to Fayetteville.

A return to the Crown Coliseum Complex in Fayetteville is unlikely, Tucker indicated, because of the cost.

“We felt we couldn’t do everything we needed to do when you look at some of the expenses involved,’’ Tucker said. “We have to do things we feel (are) best for our membership.’’

Tucker and her staff completed a tour of the western regions of the state before kicking off the east half last week in Fayetteville. She said there were no burning issues expressed at the meetings so far this year.

A topic likely to come up for a vote at this December’s NCHSAA Board of Directors meeting in Chapel Hill is a request by the football coaches to treat their off-season conditioning program the same as everyone else and allow them to work with a full squad.

Tucker said the unique problem with football is the large number of athletes involved and the possible impact it could have on other sports that are in season. Having a large number of athletes practicing in a contact sport like football would also force the NCHSAA to have athletic trainers on site. That is a cost issue, Tucker added.

“Trainers aren’t going to want to be out there without getting paid,’’ Tucker said. “That’s a concern we’ll have to address.’’

Photo caption: Que Tucker, commissioner, N.C. High School Athletic Association

Coaches and players aren’t the only ones who have to adjust to new rules in high school football every season.

One big change this year was the blind-side blocking rule, which makes it illegal for a player to flatten someone on the opposing team who doesn’t see him coming.

Neil Buie, who serves as the football regional supervisor of officials for the Southeastern Athletic Officials Association, said so far there’s been no major problem with enforcing the rule in this area.

“I think the blindside block is more of a learning curve for the officials than the targeting rule, which was put into play a couple of years ago,’’ Buie said. “Targeting was a little easier to figure out.’’

In targeting, a player is guilty of making a deliberate attempt to strike an opponent by making contact with the helmet.

Buie said the blindside block call involves more judgement because officials not only have to see the block coming but also judge if the force used to make contact is excessive.

“Every week I look at video and see some where blindside blocks that weren’t called because they weren’t seen or the official didn’t think the force was there,’’ Buie said. “It’s going to be a time thing to get it right 100 percent.’’

Another thing that will take time is for coaches and players to change longstanding tradition regarding the blindside block. “For so long the blindside block was something you lived for as a football player,’’ Buie said. “You saw that guy that wasn’t paying attention and you said here’s my chance to blow this guy up.

“Having to unteach that is an issue. We’re seeing some evidence of it with open-handed blocks. It’s a learning curve for the players and coaches as well.’’

Aside from the blindside blocking rule, Buie said it’s been a good year for officials so far. “The coaches and student-athletes for the most part have been very well-behaved,’’ he said. “We’ve had very few ejections. As far as disrespectfully addressing the officials and profanity, I don’t recall any ejections for that so far this year.

“I think the sportsmanship aspect of it is being taught by the coaches.’’

Photo caption: Neil Buie, football regional supervisor of officials, Southeastern Athletic Officials Association

What is your time worth? Let’s face it. No one likes to spend one minute waiting to get anything worked on, especially our motorcycles. A few years back, some friends and I rode to the Arctic Cycle. Before the last leg of the trip, we needed new tires and an oil change. A friend who lives there gave us the name of a guy who works out of his garage in Fairbanks. I ordered tires and had them shipped to his house.

On the day of my appointment, it was first come, first served. I waited in his garage for 3 hours while he finished the bikes before he got to mine. Although I did not like the wait, it was easier than dealing with the dealership in Fairbanks, and my day was a little more on my timeline.

A few months ago, Jon Ross opened Mr. Beemer’s BMW Concierge Service. Jon has a great reputation throughout the Carolinas as a top- notch BMW mechanic and super friendly guy. When Jon told me about his business, he said he wanted to add something a little different in regards to the service aspect of the business. He would come pick up your bike and drop it back off. At first, I was not sure if it made sense to me, but he is getting great feedback.

A few weeks ago, I needed new tires and an oil change before a long trip. Because I did not have a lot of time on my hands, I called Jon. He told me to order the tires online and have them shipped to his house. I did, and we set a date for him to come and pick up my bike. He showed up at my house on a Monday night after work. It just happened that he had to drop off another bike the next day, so he worked on my bike that night. The next day when I got home, Jon was parked in front of my house and my bike was in the driveway.

I was very happy with this arrangement. Although there was a charge for pick-up service, I saved myself at least a day of my time spending it at a dealership, and it was cheaper because I was able to save money by buying my tires online. All in all, it was good deal for what I needed.

I hope this idea takes off. The number one complaint I hear from every motorcyclist, no matter what kind of bike they have, is getting their bike to the shop and the wait time. As much as I enjoy going to the dealership, the day of my appointment is not always convenient for me. I try to get my bike in on a Saturday (so does everyone else), and I end up burning up a day at the shop. Due to the distance from the dealership to where I live, if it is a weekday appointment, I have to drop it off on a Saturday and pick it up the next Saturday.

If you’d like to reach Mr. Beemer, you can call him at (919) 749-3987 or email him at MrBeemernc@gmail.com.

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

• Oct. 5 Hope Meals Food Truck Rodeo Community Event from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at 5770 Rockfish Rd., featuring BaBann’s Southern Fried Chicken, Straight Drop Seafood, Big T’s and the Blind Pig. Music will be live streamed from an internet radio station. Visit www.townofhopemills.com to learn more.

• Oct 7. Peace, Love and Walk Meet at 3770 Rockfish Rd. Contact ALMS HOUSE at (910) 425-0902 for details.

• Oct 9. Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce Monthly Luncheon at 12:30 p.m. at Hope Mills Parks and Recreation, 5770 Rockfish Rd. $10 per guest.

• Oct 9. Board of Commissioners meeting at 7 p.m. at the Hope Mills Town Hall, 5770 Rockfish Rd.

• Oct 13. Kiwanis BBQ Fundraiser in the grassy area between the Hope Mills Main Street Wal-Mart and Food Lion across from gas station. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monies raised will go toward ALMS House, Shop-with-a-Cop, Bicycle Presentation for Terrific Kids, Boys and Girls Club of Cumberland County, Boys and Girls Homes of Lake Waccamaw, and many other community services. Call (910) 426-7256 for more information.

•Oct. 20-21 Ole Mill Days Festival Celebrate the Mills Way! Ole Mills street dance from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20. Saturday, Oct. 21, runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Municipal Parks 1 and 2. Family fun to include: tractor pull, kids’ corner, movie night, food, vendors, craft vendors, and a Mills workers reunion. Details: (910) 429-4109.

• Oct 21. Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce’s Chili Cook-off as part of Hope Mills Ole Mills Days from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. in the Municipal Ball Park.

• Nov. 4-12 Heroes Homecoming Vat the Hope Mills Public Library. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 4 is the first day of a nine-day ceremonious event to honor veterans. On this day, the focus will be on Vietnam Veterans. Visit www.heroeshomecoming.com for more information. The event is free and open to the public.

• Nov. 5 Vietnam Veterans Memorial Ceremony and Flag Displayhosted by The Hope Mills Veterans Advisory Commission at the Hope Mills Veterans Memorial from 3-4:30 p.m. Special guest speaker will be retired Lt. COL Walt Brinker.Free and open to the public.

The Crown Complex hosts a variety of events and entertainers from across the globe throughout the year. Its repertoire includes things like conventions, plays, concerts and ice hockey games. There is something for everyone in the family to enjoy during any month. October is no exception this year. On Oct. 6, Thomas Rhett will perform as part of his 2017 Home Team Tour. This performance will be followed by REO Speedwagon on Oct. 7.

Rhett’s career in the music business started in 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee, when he was first hired to write songs. In 2013, he broke onto the scene with his first No. 1 hit “It Goes Like This.” Since then he has released eight chart-topping singles and has taken his unique sound and huge concert performances across the country and Europe. He is currently one of the most popular up-and-coming music stars in the business. The past few years, he has been adjusting to this new lifestyle. As he becomes more comfortable on the stage, the infectious energy of his performances grows.

Rhett’s music is known for an addictive mixture of country, pop hooks, rhythm and blues grooves, rock and soul. It is this sound that earned him numerous awards such as the title ACM Male Vocalist of the year and Grammy nominations. Because he is influenced by so many different sounds, his music is ever-evolving. A performance with Rhett is always innovative, engaging and exciting. Coming to a live performance is a way to experience the excitement and growth with him in a way that an album could never fully capture.

REO Speedwagon will take the stage at the Crown Coliseum Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. The group was first formed in the late 1960s in Champaign, Illinois, where audiences helped to build and define the Midwestern rock movement.

Like many bands, the group started playing small local gigs. Now, after decades of passion and hard work, they have cemented themselves as rock legends, having sold more than 40 million records with 13 Top 40 hits. Their most successful album, “High Infidelity” spent 15 weeks at No. 1 and is nearly 10-times platinum. In the 1990s, the group redefined touring by introducing the co-headline tour concept and touring with Fleetwood Mac and
Pat Benatar.

Kevin Cronin, the man behind the lyrics, will be joined onstage by Bruce Hall on bass, Neal Doughty on the keyboard, Dave Amato on lead guitar and Bryan Hitt on the drums.

The members of REO Speedwagon maintain their ability to fill large stadiums because their shows are incredible. The music is timeless, and they dominate the stage with energy and personality. Since the beginning, they have tirelessly demonstrated their talent, passion and creativity. This concert is an opportunity to have fun and see art 50 years in the making.

The Crown Coliseum is located at 1960 Coliseum Dr. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.crowncomplexnc.com/events. The Crown Complex has exciting events all year long.

Photo caption: Rhett’s career in the music business started in 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo credit: www.crowncomplexnc.com

On Monday, Sept. 25, the Town of Hope Mills held its Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting with several items on the agenda.

Public Hearings: Business Registration

The Board unanimously adopted the proposed Business Registration Ordinance that will require businesses to pay a $20 registration fee. No civilian opposed it.

Town Manager Melissa Adams explained that this ordinance would help keep track of businesses and help with initial fire inspections. New businesses will require a zoning sign-off. Town Attorney Dan Hartzog Jr. stated that this fee is not a replacement fee for a business license or taxes but that it is an annual fee set up from the date a business registers with the town.

Public Hearings: Pier/Dock Ordinance

Several citizens spoke to the Board about the proposed pier/dock ordinance. According to the findings of the Lake Advisory Committee, which was set up based on research, the ordinance presents problems that could make the town liable for accidents on personal property. Chair of the LAC, Jesse Bellflowers, brought to the Board’s attention that the ordinance, particularly Chapter 62, is a copy of Lake Waccamaw’s ordinance (which was drawn up for a recreational lake) and that the regulations could reduce value to property, cause liability to the town, and that some piers that are 20 years or older should be grandfathered in. LAC member Al Ferri also brought up the fact that the dam is a different style than that original one that was lost in 2003 because of poor maintenance. Owners paid lakefront property taxes for a dam that could be raised to lower the lake when needed. The new dam will not allow the lake to be lowered and will require heavy equipment.

This could cause potential for a lawsuit from the property owners.

Hope Mills resident Rex Johnson shared his concerns about the speediness and timing of the new ordinance. He stated that many citizens were not informed of the draft and reminded the BOC that Lake Waccamaw and Hope Mills Lake are considerably different in that the number of piers at Lake Waccamaw require more interaction because of the vast amount of piers compared to less than 20 piers on Hope Mills Lake. Therefore, he said, the new ordinance is insufficient.

The citizens agreed that the new ordinance is not in the best interest of the town of Hope Mills. It places the town in a “new position of insuring pier dock safety,” which has never been in effect for privately owned piers. Attorney Bruce Armstrong noted that since he moved to Hope Mills in 1984, “no major accidents or fatalities have occurred on the piers.”

Retired police officer Tonzie Collins concurred with Armstrong, stating that no accidents have occurred on the lake.

Mike Mitchell introduced the problem with logistics and said the new ordinance may cause problems with inspections. He also stated that it is not right for the BOC to have total discretion concerning piers when the covenant of lake owners allows piers to be built up to the tree line. He told the BOC that this could present a legal problem.

Rev. Grilley Mitchell advised the BOC that it “comes down to ‘What is the liability to the town?’”
Military wife and mother Erin Solomon told the BOC that she and her husband could not buy a home on the lake until they bought insurance for the pier. She told them that insurance covers for any accident and that this ordinance causes an undue burden on homeowners. She held up her hand and said, “The last time my husband was home, he was able to stay for five days. Three of those days were spent upgrading and repairing our pier.” Solomon told the BOC that it’s homeowners like her husband who are most concerned about the safety of the pier because of their children. “We want our kids to enjoy the lake and not worry about keeping up with taxes,” she said.

LAC member Rob MacLean asked the BOC to not rush the ordinance through and reminded them that the LAB worked for almost three months researching, investigating, and writing a document that, according to Town Attorney Hartzog, will stand in court.

Lisa Waring asked the BOC to let the ordinance be tabled, re-examined and looked at. “Please don’t pass it until the Lake Advisory Board revises it,” she requested.

Commissioner Jerry Legge praised the LAB for its integrity and requested that Town Attorney Hartzog meet with the LAC to “develop an ordinance to fit the Town of Hope Mills.”

Mayor Warner asked Town Manager Adams to appoint someone from the Inspections Department to also work with the LAC to devise an ordinance that will work.

The Pier/Docks Ordinance was NOT voted upon. The citizens who spoke were against it and the Board of Commissioners agreed to “table” it until further notice.

The Hope Mills Citizens Academy class held Sept. 21 offered an insider’s view on how the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Center keeps everything running smoothly and at the different types of programs it offers to children and seniors aged 55 and up.

Directing the Citizens

At the class, Kenny Bullock, Parks and Recreation director, informed students of the importance of community involvement and input concerning the master plan of the Hope Mills Golf Course and the park amenities needed for the “Park within a Park” at the Hope Mills Recreational Complex.

“We ask for monies on a need-only basis. If we don’t need it, we don’t ask,” Bullock said. He added that even though it would be great to have several new trucks and new equipment that it is not truly needed and the HMPR is not one for wasting money.

There are suggested ideas for new playgrounds, picnic shelters, walking/running trails, open space/unprogrammed play/ an amphitheater/outdoor events, environmental education, outdoor fitness, disc golf, a community center, ballfields, multi-use fields/courts, and even a fishing pier, splash park, water sports and a swimming pool. Bullock emphasized the impact that citizens’ opinions have on the changes within and around the recreation center.

Maintenance Department

Jamie Bahma, Parks and Recreation supervisor, and her staff, work diligently to keep the Hope Mills baseball, football and soccer fields in tip-top shape. Cutting the grass, painting and chalking boundary lines, measuring the proper distances and keeping the dirt at the correct level and texture are just a few of the tasks Bahma and her staff carry out.

Some of the Citizens Academy students chalked the foul line from third base to home plate — Commissioner Pat Edwards was one. Other students painted the grass line. Bahma and her staff used John Deere Gators and three-wheelers to even out the dirt around the bases. Exact measurements are needed for the batters box. This is done using a metal template.

One of the most well-known events held at HMPR is the fireworks for the 4th of July/Independence Day celebration. As with any of the events held by HMPR, they prepare early. Placing the flags, games, banners and canopies, preparing for the parade, testing all outlets, trimming branches, checking equipment, checking stage power and marking vendor spots are just a few of the details the maintenance crew handle for each event.

Sports

From baseball to football to cheerleading, there are several activities for the youth of Hope Mills to participate at the HMPR. Athletic director Maxey Dove and Athletics and Programs assistant Don Wilson gave a few examples of how they train the teams and what they expect from members and their parents.

“It’s ok to have fun, but we don’t laugh at each other,” Wilson said. “If I hear you laugh at or make fun of another teammate, then I will send you back to your parents. We believe in sportsmanship and we will show it.”

It is football season. Therefore, the students participated in a couple of football drills. The first drill was sprinting. They had to run 20 yards as fast as they could. The second drill was the “angle step drill.” The students had to run a few steps, plant their right foot, turn and catch the ball.

More Youth Programs

For ages 1-5, the toddler programs help kids learn about utensil safety and cooking healthy meals in the Young Chefs program. Toddlers need to burn off a lot of energy and they can do that with the Little People, Big Fun program in which they can run, play and bounce in the open gym.  

Senior Citizens 55 and Up

HMPR offers a variety of programs for senior adults aged 55 and up. Senior Programs Director Kasey Ivey and Assistant Senior Programs Director Anne Evanco ensure healthy activity for the seniors of Hope Mills. Arts and crafts, Zumba, line dancing and Bingo and Brunch are a few of the programs that seniors may choose to participate in.

Senior citizens also may join programs to help those in need such as the Plastic Sleeping Mat program. This program aids the homeless within Cumberland County. Each mat is hand-woven with plastic grocery bags and are so well-made that they resemble a cloth mat. They are thick, weatherproof and easy to carry. These special mats are given out at the VA Medical Center, Alms House, NC Works (which works with homeless veterans), Connections of Cumberland County and Fayetteville Urban Ministry. The seniors enjoy making these mats and have already surpassed their quota for the year.

The Senior Program has had a 180 percent increase in overall participation, causing it to outgrow the Sunshine Senior Center and become part of the HMPRC. Between Nov. 1, 2016, and Sept. 21, 2017, there have been 206 new participants.

Between youth sports, senior programs and special events, there is always something to do at the HMPRC, located at 5770 Rockfish Rd. Learn more about the facility and the programs by visiting www.townofhopemills.com or by calling (910) 424-4500.

Photo caption: On Sept. 21 Citizens Academy students learned about the work that goes into maintaining Hope Mills’ sports fields and about hand-woven mats that senior citizens make to give to the homeless within Cumberland County.

The latest effort in Washington to repeal and not actually replace the Affordable Care Act has a different name, the Cassidy-Graham plan, but it should look familiar.

It is essentially a proposal like the ones that came before it this year to make massive cuts in Medicaid, end subsidies that make it possible for low-income families to afford coverage and give insurance companies the ability to both charge people with pre-existing conditions more and offer sketchy policies that don’t cover essential benefits.

Some of the mechanisms are different in this plan, most notably the cuts are camouflaged in Medicaid block grants to the states that are reduced, capped and then ended, leaving North Carolina $8.7 billion short in 2027. That’s right, the bill not only repeals the Affordable Care, it ends Medicaid as we now know it.

No one knows exactly how many people in all will lose their health care under the latest attempt to undo the progress that the Affordable Care Act has made. And Senators won’t know either when they vote, as the Congressional Budget Office says there is not time to fully evaluate the new plan.

But it appears Congress is voting anyway, without committee hearings, without real debate, even without information about exactly what their disastrous new legislation will do.

A few things are certain. Millions of people will lose their coverage and again be one illness away from bankruptcy as they use the emergency rooms for primary care. Other will forego preventive care altogether because they cannot afford it. And the folks at the lower ends of the economic ladder will feel the effects most acutely. That last one, folks in North Carolina are used to.

The troubling news from Washington comes on the heels of the release of the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau that shows that while poverty declined slightly in 2016 in North Carolina, there are still roughly 1.5 million people in the state living below the poverty line and 21 percent of the state’s children.

The slight progress in 2016 was more the result of the strength of the national economy and programs like the Affordable Care Act that allowed hundreds of thousands of people to access health care than any initiatives by the folks who have run the General Assembly for the last six years.

The record of how legislative leaders treat low-income people is clear. They gutted the state’s unemployment insurance system to the point that it is now harder for laid off workers in North Carolina to get benefits than virtually everywhere else in the country.

A few years ago, the General Assembly abolished the state Earned Income Tax Credit, giving North Carolina the dubious distinction of being the only state ever to create a state EITC to help low-wage workers and then take it away from them.

Just this past session, House and Senate budget writers ended the state funding mechanism for legal services for low-income people and made it almost impossible for judges to waive court fees in minor cases where the defendants have no ability to pay.

Of course, they also refused to expand Medicaid like 30 other states have done which would have provided coverage for 300,000 low-income people. This session, despite having a budget surplus and putting hundreds of millions of dollars in the state savings account, they forced the Department of Public Instruction to cut funding that provides extra support for struggling schools, most of them with a majority of low-income students.

Even this year’s progress reducing the waiting list of at-risk kids for NC PreK was an odd choice. It was funded with federal block grant money currently at risk in President Trump’s budget when the state could easily pay for it and make sure every eligible child could enroll.

There is plenty more but you get the idea. State lawmakers have waged war since 2011 on programs that help low-income people in North Carolina.

And it is not because they needed the money to balance the budget. The General Assembly has cut taxes by $3.5 billion since 2013 with the bulk of it going to corporations and the wealthy. The top one percent of taxpayers, with average annual incomes of a million dollars, have received an annual break of $22,000 a year.

Now legislative leaders may have the chance to strike an even more devastating blow by rationing federal Medicaid dollars as they see fit without federal oversight until the money disappears completely in ten years. Given their record recently, that is a scary prospect indeed. You can almost hear them licking their chops.

That is what is at risk in this latest pernicious health care plan bubbling up in Washington, a proposal that would make some insurance companies happy but take health care away from the folks who need it the most, the folks in North Carolina already reeling from six years of a combination of neglect and outright attacks. No thanks.

Why did the powerful Hurricane Irma get me thinking about the football stadium at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?

Think Kenan Memorial Stadium where the Tar Heels play football and Kenan-Flagler, the name of UNC’s business school.What did these names have to do with the hurricane that attacked the Florida Keys on Sept. 10?

Folks in Florida are surrounded by the Flagler name. It’s on streets, statues, colleges, museums, counties — it seems to be everywhere. All these Flagler connections honor the legendary Henry Flagler. At the turn of the last century, he transformed Florida’s East Coast from inaccessible swampland to the home of resorts, including those he built at St. Augustine, Palm Beach and Miami by extending the Florida East Coast Railroad from Jacksonville to Miami.

According to Lee Standiford’s 2002 book, “Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad That Crossed an Ocean,” Flagler paid for this progress from the wealth he earned as John D. Rockefeller’s partner in Standard Oil Trust.

He might have been satisfied with his achievements at Standard Oil. But he wasn’t. He might have been satisfied with the Jacksonville-Miami connection of his railroad. But he wasn’t. He dreamed of connecting Key West to the mainland more than 100 miles across the narrow islands of the Florida Keys and the open ocean that surrounded them. Flagler believed that the Panama Canal, when completed, would make a mainland-connected Key West into a perfect port location to serve the shipping needs of the entire Caribbean.

In 1905, the Florida legislature granted him approval to construct a railroad to Key West. However, Flagler’s dream was an engineer’s nightmare — an impossibility, according to almost everybody but Flagler.

When Flagler told his friend George Ward, a Presbyterian minister and president of Rollins College, of his plan, Ward said simply, “Flagler, you need a guardian.”

Other skeptics referred to the Key West project as “Flagler’s Folly.”

But construction began in 1905, overcoming obstacles in the swampland south of Miami and then along the narrow keys and over deep ocean waters. Battling hurricanes, mosquitoes, illnesses and labor problems, in addition to the “impossible” engineering challenges, the project came to completion in January 1912, forging an approximately 350-mile route from Jacksonville all the way to Key West.

When the first train arrived in Key West, the 82-year-old Flagler was aboard. Newspaper headlines proclaimed the completed project “the eighth wonder of the world.”

Flagler died the next year, but his Key West connection dream had been fulfilled.

At his death he left more than $100 million to North Carolinian Mary Lily Kenan, his third wife, whom he married in 1901. At her death, she left much of that fortune to her siblings, including brother William R. Kenan Jr. and several sisters. The siblings have been generous to the University of North Carolina. William Kenan provided the initial funds for Kenan Memorial Stadium. He, the trust he established and other Kenan relatives have funded professorships, buildings and other projects at UNC and other universities as well as other worthwhile projects in North Carolina and throughout the country.

On Labor Day in 1935, a devastating hurricane even stronger than Irma passed over the Florida Keys and demolished Flagler’s Key West dream. It caused great destruction and permanently severed the rail line, thereby destroying Flagler’s eighth wonder of the world.

Whenever a mighty hurricane passes near Key West, this North Carolinian remembers Flagler and his close and continuing connection to good projects in North Carolina. This writer joins others in mourning nature’s destruction of Flagler’s greatest triumph.

Photo caption: When the first train arrived in Key West, the 82-year-old Flagler was aboard. Photo credit: flaglermuseum.us

When North Carolina is competing with other states and nations for investment, business startups and expansions and high-value professionals, we start out with some important advantages. Our tax code, for example, is now one of the most growth-friendly systems in the country.

In another area, land-use regulation, North Carolina also ranks above average — but not by much. We ought to strengthen property-rights protections in our state, not only because North Carolinians deserve more freedom but also because such protections appear to boost growth, job creation and income gains.

A new study posted at the National Bureau of Economic Research by Kyle Herkenhoff of the University of Minnesota, Lee Ohanian of UCLA and Nobel Laureate Edward Prescott of the University of Arizona found that heavy regulations on land use increase the price of housing, thus chasing away investors, entrepreneurs and workers from the states and localities that impose them.

The effects of rent control, rigid zoning laws, density and parking limits, eminent-domain abuse and other land-use policies aren’t just negative for the jurisdictions that impose them. Herkenhoff, Ohanian and Prescott found that the American economy as a whole suffers from the distortions created by differential regulations and housing costs. If just California and New York alone had kept their regulatory burdens the same since 1980 rather than increasingly them dramatically, the nation’s productivity would be substantially higher than it is.

I wouldn’t count on California and New York getting the message. Their politicians seem, if anything, to be intent on regulating more. But even as North Carolina continues to welcome highly productive economic refugees from these higher-cost places, our leaders still need to do more to strengthen property-rights protections in our state.

According to the Cato Institute’s “Freedom in the 50 States” index, North Carolina ranks 21st in the nation for land-use freedom. While clearly superior to the regulatory policies prevalent in the northeast and Pacific coast, only Virginia (#26) among the states of the southeast has a worse ranking than we do on this measure. Tennessee (#7) and Florida (#11) are particularly strong protectors of property rights.

The right to own, control, develop and sell land and other real property is not some limited civil right, granted under certain conditions by governments only to fulfill public needs. It is a natural right, derived from the rights of human beings to own their own labor and the fruits of that labor, including the land people live on and develop for their needs.

Governments do have a legitimate power to regulate what people do on or with their land — but only to the extent that such private actions directly impinge on the rights of others by imposing nuisances or polluting either their own private property or the air and water “commons” that all share. You don’t have the right to use government to force other people to conform to your aesthetic preferences, to prop up the market value of your property by restricting development or competition or to keep “those people” out of your neighborhood.

North Carolina has authorized local governments to impose certain kinds of land-use regulations. Some are justified. Others are abusive, and state lawmakers ought to rescind such power to violate individual rights. This may well be an opportunity for some Left-Right alliances, by the way, because some lot-size and zoning regulations prevent the construction of the very affordable housing and high-density projects that many progressives advocate.

We should also amend the state constitution to protect landowners against eminent-domain abuse. Governments should be allowed to condemn and acquire private property only for public use — to construct a public asset — and not for the purpose of transferring property from one private owner to another on the grounds that the politically preferred owner would be best for “the community.”

If we want healthy, vibrant and growing communities, the best thing to do is to respect the rights of the people who live in them. Freedom, it turns out, is actually good for the economy. Who knew?

If there is an emerging technology that easily fascinates both young and old, that technology is the 3D printer. A seeming magic act that makes something from nothing, the 3D printer has the ability to revolutionize industry in that it could enable the return of the cottage industry and the redistribution of the production of goods from the mega-factories of the present to the mom-and-pop shops of yesteryear. In addition, the potential applications of 3D printing extend far beyond the commercial. They reach into realms as fundamental as healthcare and as speculative as extraterrestrial colonization.

As this technology is perfected and the number of printable materials grows, its application will grow geometrically and impact not only industry but also society itself.

Another technology that has impacted society in the last score of years is the technology of the video game in an entertainment and cultural shift as powerful as the one driven by the moving picture. Today, 3D game worlds rival the real world in grandeur and scope. These worlds generate their own economies based on real money exchanged for for virtual goods, and they generate tangible excitement and contentment from imaginary people, places and things.

So what’s the connection between these two when video games dwell in the virtual word of a cyber plasm and 3D printers craft the real from molten plastic? The connection is 3D. Every 3D printed object begins its life in the cyber world as a computer-generated ghost of itself — a virtual blueprint on whose precision lies the fate of every form that springs from printer’s nozzle.

Game developers craft 3D objects in virtual environments — those objects and more can be printed by 3D printers. Thus, two outcomes emanate from the same skill. The higher the demand for 3D prints, the higher the demand for 3D modelers to visualize them.

Now, almost anyone can buy a 3D printer, and just like that, become a 3D factory. However, most people rely on pre-packaged prints. A child can print a Millennium Falcon toy, but a child did not make the model for the print. A dentist may 3D print a crown, but a dentist is not going to model one. These objects would be garbage without the precision geometry that is the handiwork of an experienced 3D modeler.

Sure, there are 3D scanners and other such devices that create models from real-world objects. But these models still need a human hand to smooth out the rough imperfections that such devices generate.

At Fayetteville Technical Community College, we have created a 3D printing lab in our Simulation and Game Development department because we already teach the 3D modeling skills that make 3D printing possible. FTCC seeks to broaden the career potential of our students and to provide a workforce that can carry Cumberland County and its environs through the 21st century.

The skills we are giving students will spur new ideas for the use of 3D printers and will help keep the Simulation and Game Development program at FTCC vital and relevant.

Still, we strive to expand beyond our core students with our 3D printing lab. It is our goal to open the lab and courses to all students at FTCC, and it is our desire for 3D printing students to participate in collaborative projects involving engineering, healthcare, art and criminal justice curricula students, among others. To this end, we are offering a certificate and a diploma as credentials in the specific area of 3D modeling and printing going forward.

Tuesday, Sept. 19, we celebrated the best of the best people, businesses and organizations in Fayetteville at our Best of Fayetteville Awards Party at the Ramada Plaza. Congratulations to all the winners!

• Oct. 1 Cruise – Into – Paradise at Paradise Acres, 1965 John McMillan Rd. Come out and bring your shiniest car, motorcycle, truck or even tractor to display while enjoying BBQ, fried chicken and the fixins. Kids will love the train ride, jumping castle and playground. Free admission, food prices ranging from $2-8. Details: www.paradiseacres.biz or  (910) 424-2779.

• Oct. 5  Hope Meals Food Truck Rodeo Community Event from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at 5770 Rockfish Rd., featuring BaBann’s Southern Fried Chicken, Straight Drop Seafood, Big T’s and the Blind Pig. Music will be live streamed from an internet radio station.

• Oct 7. Peace, Love and Walk 

Meet at 3770 Rockfish Rd. Contact ALMS HOUSE at (910) 425-0902 for details.

• Oct 9. Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce Monthly Luncheon at 12:30 p.m. at Hope Mills Parks and Recreation, 5770 Rockfish Rd. $10 per guest.

• Oct 13. Kiwanis BBQ Fundraiser in the grassy area between the Hope Mills Main Street Wal-Mart and Food Lion across from gas station.  10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monies raised will go toward ALMS House, Shop-with-a-Cop, Bicycle Presentation for Terrific Kids, Boys and Girls Club of Cumberland County, Boys and Girls Homes of Lake Waccamaw, and many other community services.  Call (910) 426-7256 for  more information.

• Oct. 20-21 Ole Mill Days Festival 

Celebrate the Mills Way! Ole Mills street dance from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20. Saturday, Oct. 21 runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Municipal Parks 1 and 2. Family fun to include: tractor pull, kids’ corner, movie night, food, vendors, craft vendors, and a Mills workers reunion.  Details: (910) 429-4109.

• Oct 21. Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce’s Chili Cook-off as part of Hope Mills Ole Mills Days from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. in the Municipal Ball Park.

• Nov. 4-12 Heroes Homecoming V at the Hope Mills Public Library. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 4 is the first day of a nine-day ceremonious event to honor veterans. On this day, the focus will be on Vietnam Veterans. Visit www.heroeshomecoming.com for more information. The event is free and open to the public.

• Nov. 5 Vietnam Veterans Memorial Ceremony and Flag Display hosted by The Hope Mills Veterans Advisory Commission at the Hope Mills Veterans Memorial from 3-4:30 p.m. Special guest speaker will be retired Lt. COL Walt Brinker.  Free and open to the public.

Luis Cordova and his family took a leap of faith in 2014 and opened a small printing business in Hope Mills off Highway 301. It’s not your ordinary print shop. When one walks in, he or she automatically notices the relaxed, down-to-earth atmosphere. The Cordovas believe in building relationships and helping the customer feel at ease throughout the process. With pictures of Paris and Venice lining the walls of a small sitting area, T-Shirt Printing Express allows for relaxation while you wait.

“I mainly grew up in Bladen County,” Cordova said. “(I) went to West Bladen. My brother began working in a print shop in Elizabethtown, and he was really good at it.”

His older brother, Otto, is the second of three brothers who own the business. He, along with Luis and their older brother Jose, meticulously manage every detail to make sure customers receive exactly what they ordered. Otto runs the press and designs the graphics while Luis and Jose answer the phone calls and emails for orders. However, each brother is trained to do all the tasks. Jose is stationed in Kentucky with his wife who is in the Army. He works every day, answering calls and emails from customers, new or existing. Each brother is dedicated to helping one another and the business to grow.

Worldwide

“I see us growing to the point to where we have to get a bigger building,” Luis said. “But I know that will take time. Our biggest client is the military. But we do a lot for businesses around Cumberland County.”

The brothers also service places in Japan and the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq. “Our name is being seen across the globe,” Luis said.

Process to Perfection

“We don’t just print T-shirts; we do promotional and business items as well,” Luis said. The shop prints pens, koozies, banners, tents and more.

It all begins with a request from a client. The process can take anywhere from two to five hours from beginning to end. The turn-around time is a week or less, depending on product and quantity.

Family Ties

Felix Cordova is the kind and humble patriarch of the family. An immigrant from Guatemala, he moved to Connecticut along with Otto in the early 2000s while his wife, Carmen, stayed behind and took care of Luis and Jose.

Because of living expenses in the north, Felix decided to relocate to Bladen County. Once settled, he moved his wife and other two boys to North Carolina. Because of the long drive from Bladen County and back every day after the shop opened, the family decided to move to Cumberland County.

“It was too much money for gas and too much time wasted in cars,” Luis explained.

Felix is retired now and helps by folding shirts and doing other light activities around the shop.

“My dad worked hard all his life. He raised us, and he deserves to relax and enjoy his retirement,” Luis said. “We even hung a hammock back there for him.”

“Mama Carmen,” the loving matriarch of the family, cooks every day for her husband and boys.

“We never have to eat out,” Luis said. “She makes sure we are fed. She cooks it and brings it to us every day.”  

In return, the sons look after Mrs. Cordova by helping with house repairs and other things requested.

The family is close and takes care of one another. This carries through in their business with the quality of service, warmth and professionalism.

PHOTO: Luis, Felix and Otto Cordova

So, it’s been a while since I’ve been to school. It’s a good thing I’m a quick learner. On Thursday, Sept.14, I participated in my first class of the Hope Mills Citizens Academy. I must admit, I was a little nervous. And rightly so, considering I was beginning a week late. However, Deborah Holland, the town clerk, welcomed me with a warm greeting.

After grabbing my tasty lasagna from Zorba’s (oh yeah, the class was catered), I sat down between a senior from one of the local high schools and a young veteran. I noticed the variety in age and background of the participants, and I realized that everyone could learn from these sessions.

Chancer F. McLaughlin took the first hour to teach us about his many duties as the development and planning administrator for the Town of Hope Mills. We learned about zoning, variances, the importance of community engagement and many other planning details that help the town grow while maintaining order amongst its residents and new businesses.

The best part was a mock hearing based on rezoning land from residential to commercial. Some of us were the developers. Some were chosen to be opposed while others were assigned to be supportive of the rezoning effort. Some of us were the commissioners. And of course, we had a mayor.

What intrigued me were the many different viewpoints on both sides. It was interactive, and I have a deeper appreciation for the roles of the commissioners. They literally must make decisions that can forever alter the history of this community.

McLaughlin was quite thorough and helped everyone understand what goes on behind the scenes at Community Development. So, the next time you ride down a street in Hope Mills and you see a house being built or a new business that will be coming, remember and appreciate that it took a detailed process for that resident or that business owner/developer to get permission to build in Hope Mills.

For the last hour, the class learned about what it takes to be an inspector for the Town of Hope Mills. Ray Reeves (chief building inspector), Kenny Tatum (building inspector), Clara Hines (permitting specialist) and Emily Weidner (code enforcement officer) each explained the importance of their jobs. They are each trained and licensed to inspect the homes and buildings in which we live and work, give permits for building extensions or even for serving alcohol and enforce the laws and ordinances governed by the town of Hope Mills. Each building is inspected for mechanical soundness, electric, plumbing and of course, building safety issues to make sure it is within the guidelines set forth by the government. Without the town’s inspectors, buildings could fall on us, easily catch on fire or flood.

You want to have a pool in your yard or build a deck? Make sure you call the Hope Mills Inspection Department. Emily Weidner is the only code enforcement officer in Hope Mills. Her job is to make sure buildings and yards are safe and not cluttered. Part of her job is to condemn buildings if she finds them inhabitable. However, she does depend on local citizens to help report any areas that could use a once-over from her.

Inspectors Reeves (level 3) and Tatum (level 2) are constantly making sure homes and businesses, as well as new construction, are within guidelines. They believe in going by the book and will not give a permit if they deem the building not up to par. Please note, these permits are based on safety guidelines, not on aesthetics.

Hines knows what she is talking about when it comes to what is needed for a permit to be given. From installing pools to adding extensions on homes to changing plumbing or electrical wires, Hines is the one who oversees the permits. If you have doubts about a contractor, she will look up their credentials and let you know if the contractor is credible or even licensed.

Everyone from the inspections department emphasized safety. They do what they do to help keep the citizens of Hope Mills safe.

All-in-all, it was a great learning experience. I have a newfound perspective on the Town of Hope Mills and what it takes to operate this municipality. All speakers eagerly answered questions with detail.

Learn more about the inspections department at http://nc-hopemills.civicplus.com/176/ Inspections.

Anna Boyette Terry Sanford

• Senior

• Volleyball

Boyette has a weighted grade point average of 4.6250. She is active in student government, the Friends Club, 12th Man and the Key Club.

Andrew Esterly Gray’s Creek

• Senior

• Soccer Esterly has an unweighted grade point average of 4.0. He is a defending conference champion in wrestling, plays tennis, is active in student government and attended Governor’s School.

The physical distance between Douglas Byrd and South View High Schools is only a few miles. But the challenges Jerry Roberts faced in making the trek have been huge.

Just over a week ago, Roberts made his debut for the South View football team, carrying 18 times for 116 yards and scoring from five yards out with 39 seconds left to seal a 29-26 win over Westover.

The victory kept South View unbeaten at 5-0 as the Tigers head into a critical Patriot Athletic Conference game this Friday at Pine Forest.

It’s quite a difference from where Roberts was this time last year. He was injured in his third game of the season with Douglas Byrd, and he would not return to the field for the Eagles.

Off the field, he was beset by personal issues beyond his control. His football future appeared in doubt until his former head coach at Douglas Byrd, Scott Barbour, and his wife Ashley, opened their home to Roberts and took him in.

“Coach Barbour and his family were an excellent support system for me,’’ Roberts said. “I want to thank everybody who’s worried about my condition and athleticism and helped (get) me through it.’’

South View coach Rodney Brewington didn’t know anything about Roberts and his football pedigree until he enrolled at South View. “Every year you get transfers in and out,’’ Brewington said. “When I laid eyes on him I was like, ‘Wow.’”

With good reason. Roberts is a solid 5-feet-10, 190 pounds. A classic power running back, he bench presses 350 pounds and squats 400.

But that’s not the end of his impressive statistics. He’s strong in the classroom, where he carries a 3.9 grade point average.

Brewington said South View school officials were careful to consult with the central office of Cumberland County Schools to make sure Roberts’ transfer was completely proper. “Any time you get a kid that comes from another school there is a protocol you have to follow,’’ Brewington said. “We went step by step. It was a rigorous process.’’

Roberts finally became eligible to join the South View team the Tuesday before the Westover game. But now he faces another challenge.

“He’s picked up the system as far as the plays we have designed for him, but as far as the entire system he’s weeks behind,’’ Brewington said. “Every week we try to give him a new wrinkle.’’

The good news for Roberts is South View had an open date prior to this week’s game with Pine Forest, giving him a little extra time to get up  to speed.

When he has time, he sits down with Brewington and his son, Tiger quarterback Donovan, to go over plays and learn more about the entire South View offense.

“I want to be the person that if I have to put the team on my back and carry us to a win I can bring the whole team with me,’’ Roberts said. “Friday night we formed a bond. The whole team came together.’’

Brewington knows it will take that same kind of unity this week against Pine Forest. “We know other teams are going to be able to out-athlete us,’’ Brewington said. “Our biggest thing is playing team ball and doing our assignments. Our thing is to figure a groove and work it so hopefully we can come away with a victory.’’

PHOTO: Jerry Roberts and Coach Rodney Brewington

Joe Grates spends most of his time teaching English and coaching football at Cape Fear High School, but once a week he sheds both those roles and moves into a completely different arena: media star.

For the second year, with the help of a cast of student assistants, Grates puts together the weekly “Montee and Joe and the Jam” Cape Fear football show on YouTube.

The idea originally came from Cape Fear athletic director Matt McLean, who sent Grates a link to a production being done by students at Greenville Rose High School. “He (McLean) kept pushing it and said this is doable,’’ Grates said. McLean encouraged Grates to get students involved under his guidance.

Last year, Julia Polk was the student who handled the production end of things while Montell “Montee” Moore of the Colt football team joined Grates as the on-air host of the show.

“It started off with me and Montee just interviewing a different person each day,’’ Grates said. They did one special show for the annual powder puff football game, going out onto the field and creating a Sports Center- type desk and doing interviews there.

When Cape Fear made its run to the state 4-A title game, Grates did a segment where he walked the halls of the school the week before the game and interviewed students and faculty.

There are plans down the road to take the show further. “Matt had mentioned doing it yearlong, moving into basketball, baseball and softball and of course doing interviews,’’ Grates said. “We have a green screen in the library we want to use, pushing the boundaries of what we do.’’

Moore graduated in June, so he’s been replaced by a pair of injured members of this year’s football team, Chris Matthews and Austin Hunt.

The rest of this year’s crew includes director Ashlyn Hall, production assistants Elizabeth White and Kelsie Mullins and visual effects specialist Jacob Cole. Also lending a hand are Cassie Griffin and Nature Gore.

Griffin said she loves video production and thought working on the show would be fun. Gore said she’s been a student of Grates’ for two years.

“He’s just the best teacher,’’ she said. “He’s fun and enjoyable and makes class not seem like class.’’

A number of the students are in Grates’ classes and cite his influence as a big reason they volunteered to help out.

Grates said he didn’t realize what kind of reach the show had until he went to a local restaurant to pick up food for the state championship game. The restaurant manager recognized him from watching one of the shows on YouTube.

“It’s fun and I love that the spotlight is on the kids,’’ Grates said. “It’s a feel-good type of thing.’’

PHOTO: Second row: L-R Cassie Griffin, Elizabeth White, Kelsie Mullins, Nature Gore, Ashlyn Hall  First row: L-R Chris Matthews, Coach Joe Grates, Austin Hunt

Part of the magic of Friday night high school football is you never know when history might be made.

There was already a ton of history at E.E. Smith’s D.T. Carter Stadium when Xeavier Bullock and his Golden Bull teammates took the field against Gray’s Creek recently. But Bullock wound up creating his own memorable night by throwing eight touchdown passes in the 53-34 win.

Bullock finished one scoring pass short of the state record of nine, which was set in 2012 by Raleigh Wakefield quarterback Connor Mitch.

Bullock shares second place on the all-time list in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association record book with five other quarterbacks.

Another former quarterback, Trey Edge of DK Sports, Inc., handled radio play-by-play of Bullock’s game and came away impressed. Edge played quarterback at Terry Sanford and led the Bulldogs to the state 4-A finals in 1983.

“They attacked outside and short and got the ball to their guys in space,’’ Edge said. “Once he got the defense loosened up, he started flinging it 30 and 40 yards down the field. It was the greatest performance I’ve ever seen.’’

Bullock completed 22 of 31 passes with no interceptions for 287 yards. His scoring throws covered 35, 34, 23, 21, 19, 15, 5 and 3 yards.

Jurrod Hall caught three of the scoring passes, Bryan Davis and Rahsaan Young two apiece and Toshiro Spivey one.

E.E. Smith offensive coordinator Jeremy Priebe said passing figured to be important for Smith going into the game. “Gray’s Creek has a real tough defensive line,’’ he said. “I thought we could attack them through the air, get some quick passes in.’’

Bullock said the Golden Bulls sometimes have a problem starting slow. He was anxious to avoid that. “I want to execute and do whatever we can to put it in the box,’’ he said. “We executed and moved the ball down the field. I give all the props to my teammates.’’

While Bullock said he’s honored to be thought of in the same company as former Smith quarterback legends like Jimmy Raye and Charles Baggett, he added one big game isn’t going to change him.

“Mostly I want to stay humble,’’ he said. “I don’t want to get too excited about having a winning record, because last year we didn’t do so good. We want to stay focused and continue executing like we did.’’

Asked if Bullock’s big night might put pressure on him to repeat the performance, Smith head coach Deron Donald said there is no pressure on Smith, just expectations. “We have expectations and work hard every day to make sure we meet those expectations,’’ he said. “Xeavier accomplished it, but the whole team — the offensive line, receivers, running backs — everybody did their part to make it a reality.

“We expect great things to happen because of the work they put in.’’

PHOTO: Assistant coach Jeremy Priebe, Xeavier Bullock and head coach Deron Donald

Sweet Tea Shakespeare and Honest Pint Theatre Company present “King Lear” Sept. 28–30 at 7:30 p.m. at Seabrook Auditorium on the campus of Fayetteville State University.    

“The play is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s masterpieces, and it is a long play with a really challenging role of King Lear,” Jeremy Fiebig, artistic director of Sweet Tea Shakespeare and director of “King Lear,” said. “Some people consider it the Mount Everest of Shakespeare’s work in terms of a role to be performed.”

Fiebig added they have partnered with a company out of Raleigh called Honest Pint Theatre. He met with the artistic director and discussed an eager actor who wanted to play the lead.

“King Lear” is a Shakespearean tragedy in which the king decides to retire and divide his kingdom among his three daughters. Two of his daughters go along with the plan, and one does not. “King Lear becomes more insane as the play goes on and his daughters engage in war — and the play attracts all of that,” Fiebig said. “King Lear will be an indoor performance, but we are bringing the outdoors inside with it, so there will be a picnic table, a grass patch, trees and lighting that really invites us to think about what the outdoors is like.” 

Sweet Tea Shakespeare was founded in Fayetteville in 2012. The group sees opportunity for humor in tragedies, and the result is a production that will scratch a lot of different kinds of itches regarding what audience members will see. Sweet Tea Shakespeare performs throughout the year with a mix of indoor and outdoor performances.

“We present classic plays throughout the year in Fayetteville, and we travel to Raleigh,” Fiebig said. “We have a series that goes to local craft breweries, vineyards and bars that does that sort of irreverent take on Shakespeare as well.”

Fiebig added that the group has a house band. So, when there is a show, it is wrapped in music. Audiences are welcome to come 45 minutes before the show to enjoy the music. There is also music during intermission and throughout the play.

Ticket cost is $15 for the general public, $13 for seniors and military and $8 for students and kids 6-12 years of age. Tickets available at www.sweetteashakespeare.com and www. honestpinttheatre.org.

Twenty years ago, Billy West won the Cumberland County Golf Championship Classic at Gates Four Golf and Country Club. Two weeks ago, on Sept. 15-17, he shot the same three-day total on the Gates Four course as he did in 1997 — even-par 216 over three days — and earned his seventh CCGCC win.

West, who serves as Cumberland County’s district attorney, named two pivotal moments that determined his victory. The first was at the seventh hole on Friday, in the first round of the tournament. West was one under par through the first six holes.

“And then I came to the par-3 seventh hole and hit a shot a little to the left — my tee shot — and it plugged up under the lip of the bunker,” he said. “I’ve been playing in this championship for 26 years, and it was the worst break that I’ve ever had. If I would’ve hit 10,000 balls, I could not have gotten it to go up under the lip of the bunker like that.”

It took him three shots to get the ball out, and he ended up posting a triple bogey. At that point, West, said, it could have all been over. “But I really had a good focus and determination all weekend, and I said,... ‘let’s not let this hole define the tournament. I didn’t want to look back and say 2017 was the year I had the triple bogey in the first round and that was the end of the tournament for me.’” He bogeyed again on the next hole, which he attributed to trying too hard, and then he played 3-under-par for the rest of the tournament.

He ended with a 74 for the first round while last year’s champion, Thomas Owen, led with 70. Owen continued his lead on Saturday. It was in the final holes on Sunday that West’s second pivotal moment came.

“Years down the road, it’s the one I’ll remember,” he said. West caught up to Owen early in Sunday’s round, and they were back and forth all day. West led by one coming into the par-3 15th hole. He again hit his tee shot into the left bunker, which is where he’d hit it when he made the triple bogey on Friday.

“My bunker game ironically had been really good all weekend aside from that shot on Friday,” West said. “I ended up making the bunker shot for a birdie. I’ve been playing competitive golf for 35 years, and I don’t know that I’ve ever made a bunker shot in a pressured situation.”

West and Owen both made par on the last three holes, which meant West maintained his twoshot lead and took the championship title with a finalround score of 72.

West said this win was particularly special to him for several reasons, the most significant being his family. He said his father Bill has been there for every single one of his wins, and his wife Suzanna for almost all of them. But this was the first year he’s been able to share a win with his whole family — including son Will, 8, and daughter Lila, 4.

“My daughter was not even born (the last time I won) in 2011, and to be able to win this year, … and for us to be able to experience it as a family was very special,” he said. “To be honest, it was an opportunity I didn’t know whether I would have or not.” He cited his age and the fact that he’d finished second in four out of the five tournaments between now and his last win as reasons he’d been unsure.

“The seventh victory seemed to be elusive,”  he said.

Another factor was the course itself. The CCGCC rotates location but has been held at Gates Four several times since West’s win there in 1997. West had placed second a couple of times but hadn’t managed to win again at that course until now. “Gates Four, because it is a very long, 7,000-yard-long golf course, is not traditionally the best setup for me,” West said. “For me it was probably the least likely place to pick up my seventh win, particularly at 43 years old. You just never know in golf; that’s what makes it such a great game.”

Twenty-eight-year-old Owen finished second in the tournament with a final-round score of 77 and a total score of 218. “I was really pleased with the way that I played, … but kind of towards the end I got outplayed by Billy,” he said. “He’s a great friend and a great competitor.”

Owen called the tournament a learning experience. “We always joke around that if we could combine our games into one, we’d have something pretty special because we both have different strengths.” Owen said he definitely has a length advantage over West, which helped on the Gates Four course.

As for Wests’ advantage? “I feel like he just has this level of focus that is unmatched,” Owen said. “When you’re playing in a three-day golf tournament, 54 holes, it’s kind of a marathon. He understands that. He knows the shots you hit on the first day are just as important as the shots you hit on the last three holes of the tournament when it comes down to the wire and everybody’s watching. Maintaining that level of focus is a lot easier said than done, and I think that’s ultimately where he got me.” 

West was frank in his remarks about Owen: “I said it after the tournament, and I don’t mind saying it: I think day-in and day-out, Thomas is a better player than I am now. I was just a little bit better on Sunday. … Thomas and I are good friends, and I’m... humbled that he looks at me as a bit of a mentor with his golf game. I’ve finished second to Thomas six or seven times (at other local tournaments) in the past three years.”

Matt Hudson, a consistently competitive  CCGCC player, finished third at 225. Gary Robinson, who holds a record eight CCGCC wins, tied with Ryan Hull for fourth at 228.

This year saw the first time three former CCGCC champions were grouped in the final round: West, Owen and Robinson.

Juan Sanders won the Open Division at 230, Chuck Mohn won the Senior Division at 226, and Ron Thompson won the Super Senior Flight at 233.

Angelique Seymour, a 16-year-old junior at Liberty Christian Academy, won the inaugural Women’s Division by 53 shots at 227. Seymour is no stranger to accolades in athletics. She placed in the top three of her division in the 2012 USA Taekwondo National Championship in Dallas, Texas, when she was just 12 years old. A yearlater, after receiving her black belt, she changed course and began to focus on golf. Her dad had suggested she try it out as a good possibility for getting college scholarships.

“At first I was a little bit hesitant, but … I fell in love with the game,” she said. She said she plays an emotional game, which she knows “isn’t the best idea,” but that it’s just part of who she is.

Seymour said she definitely plans to enter again next year and that she hopes to talk some of her friends into entering as well.

DeeDee Jarman, Methodist University’s deputy athletic director, assisted tournament coordinator Bill Bowman in implementing the Women’s Division. “What a performance Angelique put on (for) the three days of the championship,” Jarman said. “She is an incredible young lady, and she has a very promising future in golf.” Jarman hopes to use word of mouth to grow the division from its first-year showing of four women.

Scooter Buhrman, Gates Four PGA professional, has helped with the tournament for years and won the champion title in 2007. “ I think this was a great tournament,” he said. “We had 87 players, about 25 more than last year. So it did grow, and we’re hoping next year with the 50th anniversary we can get 100 to 120 players.”

The 50th CCGCC will again be held at Gates Four and will see a revival of the Past Champions’ Dinner, a tradition that lasted 20 years until it was last held in 2009. The dinner occurs the week of the tournament prior to the competition and invites all the tournament’s past winners to enjoy a meal together.

“That will be special to see some of those people that are no longer competing but can still come out and share some of the stories of the heyday of the tournament,” said Kevin Lavertu, general manager at Gates Four. “When you start building events that go on for 20, 30, 50 years, … it means a lot to many of the players in the community. Many will tell you that they play a lot of tournaments throughout the state and nationally, and this tournament is one of the ones they hold most near and dear and most look forward to playing in, year-in and year-out.”

“The fact that it is 50 years old is pretty remarkable,” Owen said. “Think about it. That’s something local here that’s been going on for 50 years.” West agreed. “I have a love and a reverence for the history of the tournament. … The 50th anniversary (is) an opportunity to celebrate the history and tradition of the tournament and what it’s been through the years. I think it kind of comes at a perfect time, as we move forward with the tournament, getting it back to the prominence it once had.

“Probably half of the people in the championship division I hadn’t played with before or didn’t know, and for many years, that was not the case. … We definitely have got a young group of golfers coming through.” 

West has been playing in the tournament since 1991, and he won his first CCGCC title in 1994 when he was 19 years old.

Visit CumberlandCountyGolfClassic.com to see a full list of scores from the 49th CCGCC. To learn more about the 50th anniversary tournament, call (910) 425-6667 ext. 224.

The WIDU Anniversary is back and includes several events spanning two weeks from Oct. 1-14.

Located in Fayetteville, the WIDU 1600 AM radio station anniversary celebration includes performances, prayer rallies, inspirational gatherings and more. WIDU provides its listeners with all that a station entails, with a primary emphasis on gospel music. Looking back to when it all started in 1958 and fast forwarding to now, WIDU has maintained a highly respectable reputation by staying true to its mission and continuously promoting “inspiration and information” through news and music.

The WIDU Anniversary is is packed with chart-topping and record-breaking gospel artists, live and concert-style gospel music, educational and motivational conferences, empowerment services, prayer breakfasts and so much more. The two-week celebration is designed to uplift, encourage and change lives. Every day from Oct. 1-14 features a special event.

Oct. 1, the Day of Prayer and Prayer Rally will be held at Faith Tabernacle Christian Center in St. Pauls, North Carolina. This rally serves as the official kick-off for the anniversary. WIDU administrators request churches and people to join together to pray for the attendees of the WIDU Anniversary. It begins at 6 p.m. 

Saturday, Oct. 7, is a free youth concert held at the John D. Fuller Recreational Complex in Fayetteville. The title of the concert is Red Revolution. Starting at 6 p.m., this event features artists such as Julius Witherspoon, Generation Joshua, Brian “Young Saint” Carter and many more. 

There will be a stage play Oct. 9 at Kingdom Impact Global Ministries in Fayetteville. Titled “Daddy’s Boys,”  the play is presented by GDavis Productions. This event is set to start at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. is a Unity Service at Fayetteville’s Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church. Seven years running, the worship service serves the purpose of gathering all church denominations under one roof. The aim is that though everyone comes from different backgrounds, attendees can still come together to worship Jesus Christ.

The next day at 7 p.m. is the Together as One event. This is when WIDU artists minister through songs at local churches in the community.

The next three days feature the celebration’s biggest events.

On Thursday, Oct.12, at noon, the Crown Expo will host the Women’s Empowerment Luncheon featuring pastor Ruby Holland and Grammy-nominated singer Kelly Price.

Following this at the Crown Coliseum at 6:30 p.m. is the annual Carolina’s Best competition. The categories include soloists, choirs/groups and quartet groups. Those who attend will have the chance to win various cash prizes. Finalists will be judged by Grammy-nominated singers including Travis Greene, Kim Burrell, Kelly Price and JJ Hairston. The opening concert is JJ Hairston and the closing concert is Travis Greene.

Friday, Oct. 13, at the Crown Expo, is the Prayer Breakfast with Bishop Rudolph McKissick Jr. and gospel singer Maranda Curtis. Later that evening at 5 p.m. at the Coliseum, the Traditional Gospel Night event will feature notable artists such as Rev. Rance Allen, Harvey Watkins, Lisa Knowles-Smith, John P. Kee and more.

The last day of the WIDU Anniversary, Oct. 14, is the celebration. Grammy award-winning gospel artist Kirk Franklin is set to take the stage and close the event. However, he will not be the only one onstage. Joining Franklin will be gospel artist Tasha Cobbs-Leonard and other surprise guests. For more information, visit www.widuanniversary.com.