Imagine touching the lives of literally hundreds of members of a family over the course of a lifetime. 

Cathy Bell’s unofficial extended family was the Fayetteville Police Department. She served as an office assistant at the Police Training Center off N. Eastern Boulevard for 23 years. 

Carolyn “Cathy” Bigford Bell died earlier this month shortly after her 65th birthday. Officials said hers was the first civilian FPD death to be honored by officers who wore mourning bands on their badges. She was the first person virtually all police recruits became acquainted with as they launched their careers. “Cathy treated everyone as family and had a special place in her heart for you, and you knew it every time she spoke to you,” said Police Lt. Todd Joyce. “Cathy was a welcoming face to everyone who came for an interview,” he added.

When Bell first received her cancer diagnosis, she continued to work, sometimes from home, and kept her phone with her.  Joyce said when someone called the main number at the training center, they forwarded it to her cellphone with the ever-cheerful greeting, “Police Training, this
is Cathy.”  

Interim Police Chief Anthony Kelly presented Bell with the inaugural “Career of Excellence” award at her home. At the FPD Awards Ceremony that followed, the department showed a video of that presentation. “The ‘Civilian of the Year’ award will be named in honor of Cathy Bell,” said Kelly. 

The department has about 180 civilian employees and 433 sworn officers. Bell is survived by her husband, three children and their extended family.

Photo caption: Cathy Bell

Cumberland County patients dependent on inexpensive basic healthcare will soon be deprived of services that have been available for more than 25 years. 

County Commissioners are closing the county’s Adult Health Clinic and Dental Clinic, located at 1235 Ramsey Street. Services are being discontinued because of budget cuts. These clinics are typically utilized by uninsured, low-income residents who receive treatment for as little as $10 a visit. 

“In many ways, the health department is a safety net for people who can’t get care or services elsewhere,” said Public Health Director Buck Wilson. “The people who are getting primary care or cancer screenings here may not be able to get it anywhere else,” he added. A county spokesperson said, “Patients will need to find another physician or medical practice.” Wilson resigned effective July 7. He didn’t give a reason.

The care typically provided at the county health center includes diabetes management with hemoglobin A1C point-of-care testing; PSA for prostate health; care of hepatitis C to include genotype if needed; asthma management to include breathing treatment; and pap smears and breast exams, in accordance with American College of Gynecology recommendations. Lab services provided include monitoring and managing diabetes, hypertension, HIV and blood clotting disorders, as well as labs for seizure disorders. These are just some of the healthcare services hundreds of patients will likely do without.

State law requires that the county give patients 30-days-notice that the clinic is being closed. Consequently, the county must continue to provide care to current patients through July 20. The dental clinic will discontinue services July 1. Patients who have appointments will be seen through July 20. Longtime County Commissioner Jeanette Council, who serves on the Board of Health and has advocated for the agency, was among the slim majority that voted to adopt the budget that cut the funding.

Cumberland County Commissioners and Fayetteville City Council have adopted their respective operating budget ordinances for the new
fiscal year. 

The FY2018 county budget includes a general fund of $323,622,861, which is a $3.7 million reduction over the current fiscal year. In a split vote, Commissioners Glenn Adams, Larry Lancaster, Jeannette Council and Charles Evans voted for the budget. Commissioners Marshall Faircloth, Jimmy Keefe and Michael Boose voted against it. The plan includes a property tax rate increase of 5.9 cents, which is 1.7 cents above the revenue neutral rate of 78.2 cents. Coupled with that is another 15 cents for fire protection and recreation in unincorporated areas of the county. There will also be an eight-dollar countywide increase in the annual solid waste fee, from $48 to $56. A majority of Cumberland County residential property lost value this year during a revaluation. The revenue-neutral tax rate is supposed to produce funds equal to the amount collected in the previous fiscal year, plus natural growth. 

A 2 percent pay raise for county employees will go into effect Jan. 1. Millions of dollars in cuts required the elimination of 41 full-time and 49 part-time government positions. Thirty-seven of those positions are vacant. Cumberland County Schools will receive $80,362,412 in FY18. Funding in the new year for Fayetteville Technical Community College is $12,101,992. 

Both budgets rely principally on state and federal funds. Some of the so-called outside private agencies had their funding reduced by 15 percent. Others — such as the Boys and Girls Club, Child Advocacy Center, Cumberland County Coordinating Council on Older Adults, Cumberland Veterans Council, Southeast North Carolina Radio Reading, Vision Resource Center and the 2-1-1 information referral system sponsored by United Way — were renewed at current levels. 

Fayetteville Holds the Line on Property Taxes

Meanwhile, City Council avoided raising the municipal property tax rate of 49.95 cents per hundred dollars of valuation by making significant cuts in operations. The general fund of nearly $231 million has previously included an $8 million subsidy to augment the city’s sanitation service. It was cut in half for the coming fiscal year, but the annual solid waste fee will go up from 44 cents to $1.08. The stormwater fee will be increased six dollars annually to $51. The fees are tacked on to annual tax bills. 

Commercial businesses are net gainers at the expense of homeowners. They all pay the same tax rate. But, businesses don’t use city sanitation service and will not be assessed the much higher $1.08 solid waste fee. They hire private garbage haulers. 

City Council had been divided 5-5 until last week when Mayor Pro Tem Mitch Colvin proposed holding the line on taxes while increasing enterprise fund fees. His motion passed 9–1. Mayor Nat Robertson dissented. He’s seeking re-election in the fall. Public Safety step pay plans for police, fire and 911 employees were approved. All other city employees will get a 2 percent pay raise. 

The only new initiative in the coming year is Sunday bus service. Ten of the most popular bus routes will run from 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sundays. Full service won’t get underway until well into the new fiscal year. Officials say it will take four-and-a-half months of preparation. 

“Additional operators, supervisor time and maintenance staff” would be required, said Assistant Transit Director Kelly Blazey. “We will need time to get through the hiring process, provide training, update our printed materials, hold any necessary public meetings regarding the changes, advertise the changes, etc.,” she added. Fayetteville is the last major city in North Carolina to provide bus service on the Sabbath. 

Violent Deaths Down in Fayetteville

A near record-setting two-month period of no homicide investigations has significantly cut into the usual pattern of violent deaths in Fayetteville. The city was murder-free for eight weeks, officials said. The peaceful period was broken with the death of a woman June 18 at a home on Lamon Street near downtown. Her death was the ninth homicide of the year, compared to 16 murders recorded during the same period in 2016, said Lt. Todd Joyce. Last year, police had to deal with an all-time high record of 31 homicides.

Ballpark Design OK’d 

Design work for Fayetteville’s minor league baseball stadium has received final approval from city council. “Its unique features will make this one of the best ballparks in the country,” said Mike Sabatini, senior architect for Populous. Populous is a global sports architecture firm which designed the $33 million downtown Fayetteville stadium. 

The ballpark will be a multipurpose facility to accommodate football and soccer as well as baseball. It will also be used as an entertainment venue for live concerts. 

Main access will be from Hay Street between the Prince Charles building, which will be converted into affordable apartments, and a new eight-story hotel and parking deck where the off-street train station parking lot is now. 

Construction is expected to begin in mid-August and will take about 18 months to complete. The Advanced Single-A Houston Astros farm team will begin playing during the 2019 spring season. 

Can Haymount Be Pedestrian-Friendly?

Fayetteville urban planners say the Haymount five points commercial center is a busy auto-dominated area that could be transformed into an active people place. The idea is to make the area at the top of the hill more pedestrian-friendly. 

Longleaf Pine Realtors, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals and others have applied for a Smart Growth Grant for a “Build a Better Block” event from the National Association of Realtors. The idea is to demonstrate how automobile-dominated streets can be transformed into places where cars, pedestrians and cyclists can coexist. The City of Richmond, Virginia, is among communities already developing such a plan. A YouTube video demonstrates the project: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCIJXZb-POs. 

A preliminary Haymount “Build a Better Block” Meeting was held last week to illustrate how local residents can co-exist in the commercial center of Haymount. “It will take three months to plan and implement the project,” said City of Fayetteville Urban Designer Eloise Sahlstrom. 

Former City Councilman to Run Again

Former City Council member Johnny Dawkins said he will file to succeed Bobby Hurst as Fayetteville’s District five councilman. 

“Fayetteville is once again at a crossroads. Will we begin to grow again and improve our quality of life, or will we continue to muddle along and accept the status quo?” Dawkins asked in a news release. “The simple answer is more jobs must be created. How do we create more jobs, grow our economy and produce a city in which our children and grandchildren will want to live, work and raise their children? The City Council must create an environment in which new businesses will start up and create an environment in which existing businesses will take risks, hire more workers and expand,” Dawkins added. “As a former City Council member and successful business owner for over 35 years, right here in Fayetteville, I have the leadership experience, vision, and job creation experience to serve as your Voice on the Fayetteville City Council,” Dawkins concluded. 

No. 2 at FAST Is Moving to the Triangle

The Fayetteville Area System of Transit is losing a valuable employee to the Cary Transit system. Assistant Transit Director Kelly Blazey has notified friends and colleagues at FAST that she will be resigning at the end of the month to take a post with the Town of Cary as the Transit Services Administrator beginning July 3. 

Blazey has been with the City of Fayetteville for several years, the last half dozen with FAST. Before that, she was in the finance department.                                             

Guns and their use is one of the topics that causes the most spirited debate in our General Assembly. Clearly it is the supreme “wedge issue” and shows us the deep divide of emotional and intense beliefs each member possesses. It also shows how this division can cause us to abandon reason, abandon the democratic process and abandon our better selves. 

This past week, the House passed House Bill 746 and in doing so dismantled our 20-year-old Concealed Carry law. This law has served us well, balancing our Second Amendment rights to own and carry guns concealed from the public and law enforcement with the need to protect law enforcement and the general public. The Concealed Carry law required a permit from the sheriff after one receives basic training in the safe handling of the weapon, verification of criminal record and certification that one has no history of severe mental illness. It was a commonsense approach to responsible gun ownership and is endorsed by 80 percent of gun owners and law enforcement in the state of North Carolina. 

The new law makes certain aspects of the permitting process voluntary and by doing so makes basic safety training voluntary. Essentially, it guts the permitting process — especially the mental illness and criminal review portions — to the point where one can argue it is useless. How do we assure the public they are safe from those who would carry guns with a mental illness or with no clue on how to safely use the weapon?

The bill also expands where you may carry a concealed gun, such as private homes which do not display notice of banning such by the owner. So, if you do not want someone to conceal carry in your home, untrained, you’d best place a sign on your front porch. 

But the gravamen of this legislation is the utter disregard it has for the training in the safe handling of a gun and ensuring that one possessing this weapon does not have a criminal record or a serious mental illness. 

As Geary Chlebus, a former police officer and a certified weapons trainer of the safe and proper use of weapons, stated: “A gun is a serious weapon capable of killing or maiming numerous people, including the owner. We now require the hunters to have a hunter safety certification to go hunting, but not so in carrying a concealed weapon in the general public.” 

Chlebus went on to say, “I do not know any responsible gun owner who supports this. We teach avoidance first and foremost because the financial, social and mental aspects of carelessly using a weapon, causing the loss of life, is devastating. The public and policy-makers must understand just how crucial this training is.”  

How and why could such a complex law pass so quickly without true vetting and public input? The answers come down to the very vocal minority in the Republican party that refuses to compromise on taxes, social issues and gun rights, using its influence within the Republican caucus to demand this agenda be heard. 

They believe the Second Amendment carries with it no restrictions, and as such, cannot be regulated at all. As I’ve heard it said repeatedly this session, “We have constantly gone too far from middle ground on far too many issues.” 

It is essential that we elect citizens who are willing to consider both sides of an issue and balance the competing interests at hand. Both sides must be willing to work together. We did so 22 years ago, and our present law is a product of such collaboration and public input. It has served us well. 

The old saying “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?” applies here. Even in the Wild, Wild West, Marshall Dillon required cowboys to check their guns in with Miss Kitty prior to having a good time.

Brian Hutchens is a great example of a servant leader. Recently, Brian and I sat down to talk about how Carolina College of Biblical Studies prepared him for ministry. 

Korver:  Brian, it’s good to have you on campus today. How did you find out about CCBS?

Hutchens:We had a neighbor who was the associate pastor at our church who also taught out here. He was teaching Old and New Testament survey … that was my very first introduction to the school.

Korver: How did CCBS affect your life?

Hutchens:We had a conversation once, you may not remember it. You said, “Brian, you don’t know how fortunate you are to have been raised in churches that taught sound doctrine.” That was true. What CCBS did for me was to help me better understand systematically what I already knew as sound teaching. There are a lot of believers, if you asked them, “What’s your overall theology?” They couldn’t pull it together because they’ve never sat down and worked through it. CCBS did that for me. 

Korver: Of all the classes you took, what was your favorite?

Hutchens: One was the “How to Study the Bible” class. That is a class that I think is very foundational. One of the biggest things that happens with misunderstanding God’s Word is that we don’t put it into its historical-cultural context. 

Another one was “Spiritual Life.” During that class, I was involved in an accident. I had been praying about the Holy Spirit being in control of my life. Then this lady runs this red light and T-bones me. My reaction was, well, it was what it should have been. It was a concern for them. No anger. And I can attribute that to the Spirit. I got a letter from this lady later. She was so appreciative that I didn’t yell at her or rail at her. I had handled it in a very Christ-like manner. That was pretty significant in my life. 

Korver: You’re graduating with an associate degree. How do you think CCBS will help you?

Hutchens: I’m a missionary with Cadence International. We are headed to Vicenza, Italy to do ministry with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. I look forward to bringing examples of faith that will relate to their lives. Basically, evangelism and discipleship. 

Korver: When you were here as a student, how did you pay for your tuition?

Hutchens: While I was in the army, Tuition Assistance. What we found was that, by and large, CCBS is an affordable school. I paid for many classes out-of-pocket. Having an affordable school allowed us to just pay for it. I believe if God wants you to go to Bible school, He will provide a way.

Korver: If you had to do it all over again, what would you change?

Hutchens: If I could do it over again, I would probably look for a block of time where I could have devoted to come in a more set time. I’ve really spread this degree out! (laughing) 

What CCBS provides is an opportunity for those who are in ministry to get the Bible studies and certifications they need at their pace. Then they can grow their education as their ministry grows. I think that is a bonus. This is a school for people who have lives, and so that opportunity was really good for me. 

Korver: Brian, it’s really great having you on campus today. Thanks for taking time to share your story with us. Blessings to you and Kathy as you transition to Italy.

Photo caption: Dr. Bill Korver and Brian Hutchens

For many years, a formula has been very successfully employed for controlling the thoughts and actions of far too many black Americans. Primarily, the formula focuses on fostering a victim mentality, acting in ways that appear intended to save the victims, creating tension between groups of people and an all-out attack on anyone who challenges employment of this formula. Successful working of this formula explains why Democratic candidates receive nearly total support from black voters.

I have seen this approach used successfully over time, but a work session of the Fayetteville City Council on June 5 was my first experience seeing every element put into play in a single setting with precision and success.

The agenda item was “Discussion Regarding the Fire Department Recruitment Process and Diversity Recruitment and Hiring Strategies.” This item was being addressed because some members of Council, especially Councilman Chalmers McDougald, have contended that there are too few black firefighters in the Fayetteville Fire Department. Fire Chief Ben Major was called on to address the issue and chose to use a PowerPoint presentation. Major started what I thought was a presentation that spoke to the agenda item. The planned presentation addressed the department’s mission, key job duties, training program, steps in the recruitment process and other elements that would set context for discussing the issue at hand. 

A few minutes after Major started his presentation, Mayor Nat Robertson interrupted and explained that some members of Council wanted him to get to the numbers. Major moved to summarize so he could go to the statistics. The mayor cut him off and sternly repeated his direction. Given the comments that were made later in the discussion, I am confident Robertson’s interruptions were the result of pressure from one or more black members of Council. Robertson was in a “no-win” position. Being white, if he had insisted on allowing Major to continue, he would likely have been portrayed as comfortable with the current situation and, therefore, racist. In my estimation, that exchange forced by black members of Council established tension between several Council members and not only Major (who is black), but the Fire Department, along with citizens who support that department.

The shutting down of Major also sent a message to black citizens that what might be perceived as injustice toward them was being forthrightly addressed … they were being “helped.” However, I am comfortable saying that a very different message was received by many non-blacks. That message is one of government needing to make accommodations for black citizens even when a thorough and honest assessment of a situation would likely show making that accommodation to be without foundation. Pursuing this “accommodations course” without thorough and honest examination of facts produces racial tension. That racial tension hinders the productive functioning of society and people suffer. 

This failure, or refusal to thoughtfully and honestly examine facts, shows in how some Council members proceeded after Major shifted, as directed, to the numbers. He put up a chart that showed the results of the most recent hiring process. It tracked, by race and gender, how applicants performed: from review of applications for completeness and applicants meeting minimum requirements, to the written exam AND physical agility test and ending with those who were invited for an interview. 

A critical factor in this process is that applicants must, online, schedule their written exam and physical agility test. The chart showed the following regarding black males: Total applicants, 130; eliminated at review, 20; failed to schedule exam, 40; no show at exam, 17; withdrew after exam, 1; failed exam, 25; did not schedule PAT, 1; did not show at PAT, 3; failed PAT, 2; successfully completed these steps, 21 (out of 163 eligible at this stage). Of this number, applicants with the top 80 test scores were invited for interviews. Six black males were interviewed and passed. No black males were selected for the first Academy class. The second Academy class begins 17 July and will include the next 12 candidates (who pass the background check) on the listing of 70 who passed the interview step. The next 12 includes seven minority candidates.

Council’s discussion of these statistics reflected more of the formula described in the opening paragraph. Councilman Bill Crisp, who is black, wondered aloud if the written test was the problem. He was referring to the contention that standardized tests are often biased against blacks. McDougald, also black, talked about his negative test-taking experiences. Mayor Pro Tem Mitch Colvin, black, asked about the prevalence of self-scheduling in other city departments. There was general concern regarding the amount of effort required on the part of applicants. Comments and questions from Councilman Larry Wright, the fourth black member of Council, followed the same line of thought as described here. 

I contend that focusing, as these members did, on possible causes that place zero responsibility on black males or factors external to the Fire Department feeds the victim mentality that is promoted among black Americans. This focus also stirs up a negative emotional reaction among black citizens and contributes to the fast-growing destructive racial divide in this country.

Honest examination of facts would require drilling down to determine why the black male numbers at every critical step in the hiring process reflect far less than acceptable or reasonably expected performance. For instance, why would 31 percent of black male applicants fail to self-schedule for the written exam? How is it that 48 percent of black males who did take it failed an exam written on a 10th grade level? The discussion among black Council members was that having applicants self-schedule might be a hindrance. Then there was this emphasis on blacks having difficulty with standardized tests. We live in a world of standardized tests. Why not give at least some attention to why blacks might have difficulty with these tests and work to fix those causes? I find it noteworthy that 23 percent of white males who took the exam failed it. That percentage seems high and likely points to causes other than test bias. No Council member expressed interest in thoroughly and honestly examining the facts.

This lack of interest in examining facts showed in an exchange between McDougald and Major. My recent column titled “The Fire Academy: Another Reason For Hope” addressed the Cumberland County Schools Fire Academy at E.E. Smith High School. This academy is different from the Fayetteville Fire Department’s academy but prepares high school students for a career in the Fire Service. McDougald asked Major how long the academy had been in operation. The answer was it started around 2004 or 2005. Then McDougald asked how many graduates had been hired by the Fayetteville Fire Department. Major answered that none had been hired, but attempted to make a statement as to why that was the case. McDougald cut him off and indicated he did not want to hear about reasons. I heard that as “Don’t give me the facts … just let me work
the formula.”

In the end, the fire chief and city manager were directed by Council to go fix the problem. The mayor called for a break. As I was standing in the lobby area talking with some people, McDougald walked up and put his face within inches of mine … definitely in my personal space. He said, “I read your column and you got some things wrong.” He was referring to the column titled “Racial Diversity in the Fayetteville Fire Department: The Rest of the Story.” I asked what I got wrong and he gave a response. However, his response was not in the ballpark of what I wrote. I mentioned that I called him to get his input, but got voicemail. He did call back but missed me. I said I called him back, but got voicemail and asked that he call me again. He did not call back again. 

As he walked away, McDougald shouted back to me in the midst of a crowded lobby, “You are a reporter. You have to get in touch with me.” That was a point of attempted further intimidation. Evidently, the councilman thinks I get paid for writing, and therefore, must chase people like him and put up with insults to earn a living. Alert: Not my situation. I am not paid to write. I am a tax-paying citizen who cares enough about people and this nation to invest time and money to address what I see as important issues. This was a case where the intimidation element of the control formula was of no consequence aside from spurring greater commitment on my part to speaking truth as I understand it.

My hope and prayer are that black Americans will see that this control formula is alive and well. The next step is to honestly, factually and thoughtfully assess the impact it has had, and is having, on us as a people. For me, the answer is that we are being abused, exploited and devastated … not helped. 

In the last five months, White House emphasis has transitioned from growing heirloom tomatoes in the backyard garden and “Get Moving” to Diet Cokes and double scoops of ice cream for dessert. This regrettable change of focus tells me yet again that votes do matter in all sorts of ways. They matter on domestic and foreign policy and on what personal examples are set for Americans to emulate.

Only those who have been marooned in Antarctica for the last half-century are surprised by how much we Americans have “plumped up.” A new international study published this month in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals just how shockingly fast and furious this weight gain has been.  

Here come some numbers, so stay focused.

In 1990, no state in America reported an obesity rate of over 15 percent. Less than 30 years later, almost 36 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, with over 6 percent of us qualifying as “extremely obese.”  

North Carolinians are in the middle of the chubby pack, ranking 22nd of 51 states including the District of Columbia and with just over 30 percent of us weighing in as obese. The fattest state is Louisiana at more than 36 percent obesity, and the slimmest state is Colorado with only 20 percent obesity.

What is even more astounding is that other regions of the world also have rising obesity, including places that have historically had food shortages, including Africa and Asia. The study looked at 195 nations and found that obesity rates have at least doubled in 73 of those countries. Residents of Middle Eastern nations, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, get the dubious achievement award for gaining the most weight over the last three decades. 

Perhaps scariest of all: With nearly 30 percent of the world’s population now either overweight or actually obese, not a single nation in the world has been able to reduce its obesity rate in 33 years.

Not one.

No finger-pointing here.  I have carried my extra 20 pounds around since the last Precious Jewel joined us, a full sofa pillow deposited by each of them, so I can hardly be holier than thou. What I can and do  wonder is how we all got this way and what, if anything, we are going to do about it.

The new study, funded by the Gates Foundation and involving researchers from around the world, did not focus on the causes of ballooning obesity, but its authors agree that the increasing availability of cheap, processed, and nutrient-poor packaged food is likely a major reason. Think foods that come in bags or boxes that have been on store shelves for who knows how long, with chemical ingredients no one can pronounce, and which have never needed the chill of a refrigerator. You recognize them — the foods we know we are not supposed to eat but which are guilty pleasures for too many of us.

Interestingly, researchers say the slowdown in physical activity predates our obesity epidemic and is not a major factor. In other words, being overweight is probably not our computers’ fault.

Make no mistake, though. Barry Popkin, a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, stressed the study’s importance. “Its global implications are huge.... This is astounding given the huge health and economic costs linked with overweight and obesity.” 

Popkin is referencing the reality that 4 million people died around the world in 2015 of weight-related conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and others. Those people, wherever they may have lived, were someone’s loved ones. They suffered with their conditions, and their treatment came at various costs, likely the highest right here at home in the United States.

Some elements of the obesity epidemic are beyond our individual control, like the food deserts of inner cities and rural areas where fresh and nutritious foods are largely unavailable. In addition, fresh and nutrient-dense foods are more expensive than processed packaged “foods,” a word I use loosely in this context.

It is also true that a great deal of our obesity problem can be addressed by better individual choices about what we eat and how much we move our bodies.  You know the drill — an apple instead of a bag of chips, a walk around the neighborhood instead of a sitcom rerun.

These are small choices but they add up, one way or the other.

Michelle Obama made healthy living her signature issue as First Lady. Melania Trump clearly takes care of her health.  

Wonder if she has any tips for us….?

Gregory Gorecki was a young boy living in Poland when the Germans invaded in 1939. Even as his country was ravaged and the unspeakable became his reality, young Gregory’s spirit yearned for freedom. By the time he was a teen, the Russians ruthlessly ruled his homeland, quelling ambitions and crushing dreams in the name of socialism. He was bright and ambitious: a trapped bird ensnared in a world void of freedom and personal choice. And freedom was all Gregory wanted, really — freedom to be the very best version of himself. 

Gregory’s days were filled with hard work and drudgery. At night, he and his brother plotted their escape and dreamed of better days. They quietly planned for every possible scenario, vowing that one would not leave without the other. They knew their departure would mean hardship and government retribution for their loved ones and that consequences would be harsh should they be found out. The years passed, and Gregory became a physical therapist. 

Freedom presented herself to the Gorecki brothers in 1960 at the Summer Olympics in Rome. They were approved to travel to the Olympics with the Russian competitors. Gregory and his brother were in their 40s now and well-established professionals. Without a whisper to their colleagues or even a parting message for their loved ones, they reached for Lady Liberty’s hand and never looked back. 

The two hopped a train to Vienna and made their way to America only to learn their Soviet training and credentials were meaningless. Gregory had to start over. And he did. With great success. Only this time, it was on his terms. He built his practice to his standards and settled in the San Francisco Bay area. He not only helped those in need; he also brought jobs to his community. He traveled. His kitchen was filled with the freshest produce, the choicest cuts of meat, the finest liquors. He embraced and embodied everything great about the American dream. He came with nothing and worked hard. He never said no to an opportunity — even the exhausting and ugly ones. He faced adversity, fought the odds that were so greatly stacked against him and found success. Happiness. Freedom. 

Gregory’s daughter is my best friend. We’ve spent countless hours pondering what makes him tick. What drove him to reject everything he knew — even success behind the Iron Curtain — in favor of chasing a dream? Why was he willing to risk everything he’d built to embrace the unknown? How could he have been so sure that freedom would taste even sweeter than he’d dreamed? 

Gregory and millions like him remain a powerful example of the very best of this experiment we call America and all she has to offer. His passion for personal freedom and his drive to succeed and give back to the country that removed his shackles are what fuel the American Dream. He heeded the call to freedom and took seriously the responsibility that comes with it. 

This great country is filled with people like Gregory Gorecki. As we prepare to celebrate America’s birthday, this seems the perfect time to give a nod of deep respect and appreciation to them. To the rebels, the risk-takers, the entrepreneurs, the dream-chasers, the laborers, the scholars and everyone else who loves and has loved this country enough to give beyond themselves to keep the American Dream alive: Thank you.

Photo caption: From war-torn Poland to Vienna’s 1960 Olympics to San Francisco, Gregory Gorecki chased the American Dream around the world.

It’s fantastic! The Fayetteville Dinner Theatre returns after a 35-year hiatus with its inaugural performance of “The Fantasticks” under the direction of Jeanne Koonce, founder of Purple Door Productions. This romantic musical comedy premieres at the Ramada Plaza at Bordeaux July 27-29. It is being promoted and billed as “A unique theater experience.” 

Veteran director Jeanne Koonce is no stranger to this facility. She was introduced to the original FDT, which was then known as the Bordeaux Dinner Theatre, as a young Army wife. An accomplished singer, actress and director, Koonce landed her first Fayetteville job in theater with FDT. 

Billed as the longest-running off-Broadway show of all time, “The Fantasticks” is the perfect show for Fayetteville audiences. Playing off the talents of a strong cast, it has a clever storyline with lyrics written by Tom Jones and ageless music and songs by Harvey Schmidt. 

Koonce sees the intimate setting of the dinner theater as providing another major strength for this production. The show is funny, romantic and intimate, and all with only eight characters. 

“This is a musical with roots in Shakespeare, and the philosophy of young lovers and traditional family conflicts are carried forward,” Koonce said. “Under the plotline and humor, there is a deeper philosophy, depending on which character you are — the main one being, of course, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ This show needs to be right in your face, and, like in Shakespeare’s day, the focus is on the actors. It is lovely this way.” 

The cast is composed of local and regional talent many theater enthusiasts will recognize. The Girl, Luisa, is played by Fayetteville resident Amber Jansen, a junior at Massey Hill Classical High School.

The Boy, Matt, is played by Ryan Ransom. Ransom is a St. Pauls native and a music/theater student at UNC Pembroke. 

El Gallo is played by Clay Rogers. He is a native of Fairmont and employed by Givens Performing Arts Center in Pembroke.

A strong supporting cast includes Robeson County natives Matt Jacobs and Steve Chambers as the meddling fathers and Denver McCullough as Henry, the old actor. McCullough has performed in many local and regional productions at Cape Fear Regional Theatre and the former Fort Bragg Playhouse. UNCP student Dakota Hammonds plays Henry’s sidekick, Mortimer. UNCP alumni Winona Oxendine is cast as the mute and stage manager. 

The Fayetteville Dinner Theatre is being billed as “A unique theater experience.” Defined, this means the evening will include much more than a great show performed by talented actors. 

The evening begins a with a V.I.P. reception and wine-tasting and sale at 6 p.m. hosted by Fayetteville area newcomer Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery. The winery will showcase seven of its unique and exquisite wines. CFVW is in Elizabethtown and features fine dining and lakeside lodging. It is the Cape Fear area’s newest destination for hosting weddings and events. “We are thrilled to be a part of this production,” said Jeff Martin of Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery. “We love supporting the arts in Cumberland and its surrounding counties.”

At 6:30 p.m., a three-course, duel-entrée dinner will be served by the Ramada Plaza staff while the theater guests are entertained by Fayetteville’s own Cross Creek Chordsmen, an award-winning chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society Choral Group. According to spokesman Joshua Gray-Heim, the group will present a repertoire of current hits as well as traditional four-part harmonies dating back to the 1800s and early 1900s. 

The curtain will rise on “The Fantasticks” immediately following. But even then, the evening will be far from winding down. There will be plenty of prizes and surprises at intermission including a post-show meet-and-greet with the actors. The FDT and CFVW will give away a grand prize each evening worth hundreds of dollars. Prizes include a dinner for two at the winery with a complimentary bottle of wine, a flight of all seven of CFVW’s wines and a two-night stay in the cabins on the lake at CFVW.

Proceeds from “The Fantasticks” will be donated to the Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, for securing reading and educational resources for Cumberland County children. CFVW will also donate all proceeds from the wine-tasting and sale to the foundation. 

 “With an awesome show, talented actors, a V.I.P. reception, an exclusive wine-tasting, a great dinner, door prizes, entertainment by the Cross Creek Chordsmen, and all culminating with a post-show meet-and-greet and grand prize giveaway, this will truly be ‘a unique theatre experience’” said FDT producer and Up & Coming Weekly Publisher Bill Bowman. “It’s all about giving the audience what they pay for. Value. Fayetteville residents appreciate good theater and great entertainment, and that is what we are going to provide for them.” 

Bowman also expressed his appreciation and thanks to the FDT supporters and sponsors: Ramada Plaza, Allegra Printing & Imaging, Five Star Entertainment and Women’s View Magazine.

Tickets cost $75 per person with discounts for Seniors 65+ and active duty military. Show dates are July 27, 28 and 29. To make reservations or to learn more about the show, visit www.fayettevilledinnertheatre.com Tickets are also available from 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. at the FDT Box Office at the Ramada Plaza. Call (910) 391-3859 for more information. 

Dakota Bessey

Gray’s Creek • Tennis • Freshman

In his first year with the Bears’ tennis team, Bessey managed a grade point average of 3.63.

Alia Iyar

Seventy-First • Soccer • Junior

Iyar was a team captain for the Falcons with a 4.67 grade point average.

The annual Sandhills Senior Showcase high school baseball all-star game was held recently at J.P. Riddle Stadium and hosted by the Fayetteville SwampDogs.

This year’s game featured a mix of some of the top graduating senior baseball players from Cumberland and Robeson counties. The South River EMC team beat the Lumbee River team 4-2, but the game’s biggest winner was Anthony Lane from Terry Sanford High School.

Lane, who has already committed to play at Furman University next season, was named the winner of the annual Ranger Barrett Memorial Scholarship of $1,000 as the game’s most valuable player.

Lane was an All-Cape Fear Valley 3-A Conference first team selection this season as he helped lead the Bulldogs to the regular-season championship. He batted .338 and drove in 16 runs.

•  East Carolina likely lost a top prospect for next year’s baseball team when Whiteville’s MacKenzie Gore was the third player taken in the recent Major League Baseball draft.

At press time for this week’s edition of Up & Coming Weekly, Gore had not signed a professional contract but was expected to.

•  The Hope Mills Boosters American Legion baseball team is off to another strong start this season. Through Tuesday, June 13, the team was 6-0, after taking a week off so the high school seniors on the squad could take part in graduation exercises.

Congratulations to Hope Mills coach Mark Kahlenberg who also took a week off from coaching and games to celebrate the birth of his second child, Reid, a boy.

Both the baby and mother, Deana Kahlenberg, as well as older brother Camden, are doing fine.

•  The Hope Mills Boosters got some big news about their schedule last week. They have been added to the field of one of the biggest regular-season American Legion baseball tournaments, the Palmetto Legion Invitational in Florence, S.C.

This year’s tournament includes both of last year’s American Legion national finalists, Rowan County from North Carolina and champion Texarkana, Arkansas. Games will be scheduled Thursday through Sunday. The schedule is being updated as Hope Mills is a late replacement for Tallahassee, Florida. Follow @EarlVaughanJr on Twitter or Earl M Vaughan Jr. on Facebook for current schedule information on the tournament.

Photo: Anthony Lane 

Deron Donald had been head football coach at E.E. Smith barely two months last year when he started his team’s summer workout program.

To say things are well ahead of schedule this season is an understatement.

“We were able to get a good weight program and see the guys getting stronger,’’ the second-year coach said as he watched his team take part in this year’s spring conditioning program. 

“Establishing a weight program, getting in the weight room and getting bigger and stronger was one of our main things,” Donald added.

After going 3-8 last fall and failing to make the state playoffs, Donald’s concern during this preseason is to continue to build what he calls the culture he’s trying to establish within the E.E. Smith football program.

“We want to make sure all the kids are on the same page,’’ he said. “We’re trying to get the kids to buy in. Anytime there’s a new coach you’ll have some kickback. 

“Building a program is bigger than Xs and O’s. It’s having 120 percent commitment and having everyone buy in.’’

Aside from the philosophical concerns, Donald’s biggest worry on the field is rebuilding his offensive and defensive lines. “You always want to make sure you have enough big guys,’’ he said. “Games are won in the trenches. You have to make sure the offensive and defensive lines are solidified.’’

Toshiro Spivey, who will be a junior wide receiver in the fall, sounded a lot like his coach when talking about what the E.E. Smith team needs to be successful this year.

“The biggest thing is we need to get unified,’’ he said. “Last year we were kind of divided. Everybody was kind of skeptical about having a first-year head coach.’’

Now that the team has a year’s experience with Donald, Spivey said the focus is on educating the younger players and getting them on board as well.

While the record was disappointing, Spivey said E.E. Smith was competitive in many games, and they also scored a 15-14 win over Cape Fear Valley 3-A regular-season co-champion Westover.

“Once we get unified and start working together it’s going to be a scary sight over here at 1800 Seabrook Road,’’ he said.

Photo: Deron Donald, E.E. Smith head football coach 

Few high school football head coaches are more invested in the program they lead than Terry Sanford’s Bruce McClelland.

A former quarterback at his alma mater, McClelland has been on the staff for numerous years until being elevated to head coach for 2017 after the departure of Bryan Till to Richmond Senior.

“It’s just the community aspect of it,’’ McClelland said as he led his team through spring conditioning as its head coach for the first time. “At this point in life, I try to pass on to the kids what football did for me, how it made me the man I am today.’’

One lesson he’s already shared with his players is that the high school football scoreboard on a Friday night is like a job interview. “If you don’t win on Friday night, what will you do next week to get the job, win the game?” he said.

For this season, McClelland hopes to do much of what Terry Sanford did under Till, which means winning conference titles and making the state playoffs. After back-to-back Cape Fear Valley 3-A titles, the Bulldogs slid to a tie for third last year and a 9-4 overall record.

McClelland was the offensive coordinator and doesn’t plan wholesale changes in what the Bulldogs do, but he does want to put his stamp on the program, starting with spring workouts.

“The main thing the coaching staff and I want to get to are the basics, formational things — what we are going to hang our hat on offensively and defensively,” he said.

McClelland said the emphasis on offense will be a multiple look, a variety of formations mixed with the team’s assortment of base plays. The goal, he said, is to make the job of preparing to play Terry Sanford as tough as possible for opposing defensive coordinators.

“Five plays in 10 formations becomes 50 plays,’’McClelland said. “It gives us an advantage on Friday night.’’

Another advantage for the Bulldogs will be the return of twin brothers Christian Jayne at quarterback and Andrew Jayne at wide receiver.

Andrew said things are basically the same with McClelland as they were with Till, but added that even if that wasn’t the case, it wouldn’t be a problem. “He’s the head coach,’’ Andrew said of McClelland. “What he wants to do, I’ll do.’’

Andrew said the focus of spring was to work with younger players on the team, especially the receivers, and teach them the pass routes and timing issues.

One thing that will be new for everyone this fall is the 3-A/4-A Patriot Conference Terry Sanford is joining that mixes Cumberland County rivals from the old Mid-South and Cape Fear Valley Conferences in with Overhills.

“We’ve got more teams we haven’t played, but other than Coach McClelland being here, that doesn’t change anything,’’ Andrew said. “He’ll coach football how he knows to and we’ll be the same team.

“We’ll be ready.’’

Photo: Bulldog Coach Bruce McClelland

Fayetteville Urban Ministry presents its 22nd annual golf fundraiser Saturday, June 24, at Gates Four Golf and Country Club at 9 a.m. 

“This will be our 22nd annual golf tournament, which is a fundraiser that we do, and we have lots of fun,” said Johnny Wilson, executive director of Fayetteville Urban Ministry. “We do a lot of raffles and have door prizes and gifts.”   

 The prizes include new golf clubs, a flat-screen TV, 50/50 cash raffle, goodie bags and first, second, third and last place team prizes. 

“Our goal is to raise $30,000, but our dream is to go beyond that,” said Wilson. “This money goes to unrestricted use, so we get to plug it in any other areas where we need it the most.” 

Wilson added that the purpose of the fundraiser benefits the organization and community in many ways. He said whether the money is used to keep up with the payment of salaries or provide services, it enables Urban Ministry to keep its doors open and continue serving those in need. 

For every dollar that is donated to Fayetteville Urban Ministry, 89 cents goes right back into service in the community. Eleven cents goes to administration. 

Fayetteville Urban Ministry offers four programs free of charge to Cumberland County residents. Those programs are Emergency Assistance, the Nehemiah Project, an Adult Literacy Program and Find-A-Friend Youth Program. Emergency Assistance houses a food pantry, clothing closet and financial assistance services for families and individuals in crisis. 

The Nehemiah Project repairs the homes of low-income homeowners with help from volunteer groups from local churches. The Adult Literacy Program addresses the adults in Cumberland County who read at or below a fifth-grade level and assists them in the areas of reading, writing, math, general academics, job readiness, computer skills and the English language. 

Find-A-Friend is a mentoring program that helps to modify students’ behavior positively at school, home and in the community. 

“This is a great day to be on the greens, play some golf and get fed well,” said Wilson. “We look forward to seeing everyone participate in this event.” 

The cost of an individual to play is $65, and a foursome is $260. Sponsorships are available. The first 32 teams to register will play.

For more information or to register, visit www.fayurbmin.org or call (910) 483-5944. 

His Outreach Worldwide will host Faith and Family Fun Night alongside the Fayetteville SwampDogs on June 30 at J.P. Riddle Stadium. As the SwampDogs take on the Wilmington Sharks, fans can enjoy the game and some entertainment, too. 

Lynne O’Quinn, founder of HOW, said there will be many family-friendly activities, such as bouncy houses and face painting, for children.

The outreach-focused nonprofit’s mission is “to reach children of the world with the gospel and love of Jesus Christ,” according to its wesbite at hisoutreachworldwide.org. On game night, donate a new stuffed animal for children with critical health concerns at Cape Fear Valley Hospital. The donation of a stuffed animal will serve as guest’s entry payment for a raffle prize basket donated by the SwampDogs. 

The SwampDogs will accompany a division of HOW that partners with the North Carolina Ronald McDonald Houses, His Shining Stars, to deliver the plush toys. 

The SwampDogs began a relationship with HOW after Hurricane Matthew aligned their otherwise different and separate missions.  “This is how community helps community,” O’Quinn said. “We have remained best friends.” 

Lost N Found, a local contemporary Christian southern rock band, is also teaming up to support HOW’s efforts by playing the pre-game show. John Kennedy, band member and manager, said they’d be performing a wide variety of songs, including songs from their album “Going Home.”  

The band’s original music is “spiritually inspired or it is not played,” Lost N Found’s website says. “Each song has scripture backing up the content.” 

O’Quinn said she’s excited for the band to play as their relationship extends over a decade to a time when Kennedy and Rob Greene, lead guitar, played for a secular band. 

“Two of the members in Lost N Found were members of a southern rock band that I managed years ago,” O’Quinn said. “We just recently reconnected when they started Lost N Found (and) when we realized we were both working for the Lord.”

Kennedy said O’Quinn was “involved in a music project with myself and the lead guitarist for Lost N Found in the 90s.” 

“We had lost touch and then via Facebook we were reunited a few months ago,” Kennedy said. “We met with Lynne for a brief reunion and were immediately led to help her with HOW any way
we could. It was amazing how both of us were in ministry all these years later,” Kennedy said. 

O’Quinn said God brought her together with Lost N Found and the SwampDogs for such a time as this. 

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the baseball game is set to begin at 7:05 p.m. 

The Caribbean American Connection of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is a nonprofit organization that started 10 years ago. It is known for the Caribbean Festival it hosts every year. 

This year marks the seventh annual Caribbean Festival. The festival started in local recreation centers, but over the years it has grown rapidly. The event takes place in Festival Park on June 25, from noon to 8 p.m. 

The grounds will be filled with music, dancing and 21 vendors selling everything from food to merchandise. 

Most participants will be representing Caribbean culture, but there will also be local groups participating. 

For example, there will be a mobile truck providing free dental screenings. Don’t miss the Parade of Nations that will be taking place at 5:30 p.m. on the main stage in Festival Park. 

Another highlight of the festival every year is the musicians and artists.  There is a mix of local performers and performers brought in specifically for this event. Nina George, the organization’s secretary, said this is her favorite part of the festival every year. 

“There is music and dancing all day long. We have a live DJ who plays between performances and is in charge of the mood for the entire festival. It is what the Caribbean is known for,” George said. 

Even coordinator Sheron Baker, however, thinks the authentic food vendors are the best part. 

“We are a nonprofit designed to get Caribbean natives involved with their home islands while in the states,” Baker said. “There are a lot of Caribbean natives here in Fayetteville, especially because of Fort Bragg.” 

The Caribbean American Connection of Fayetteville’s charity work expresses the duality of identity that many members feel. They do a lot of work to support the local community, but they also work to support the communities on their home Islands. 

According to George, they have reached out and continue to reach out to the Caribbean by supporting relief efforts after the Haiti Earthquake, adopting an elementary school and sending Christmas angel gifts every year. 

A lot of the work that the group does focuses on children. This is true of this family-friendly festival as well. 

“There are lots of activities for kids. We play games that we play in the Caribbean; some are similar to what we play in the states like relay games and sack racing. We will give prizes after the games and this year we will have an arts and crafts project. Kids can make and then take home a flag as sort of a gift,” George said. 

George believes that engaging children with events like this is vital. “Our group is a nonprofit, and we do a lot of social events to bring the culture here and allow children to experience their heritage,” she said. 

While the organization is primarily focused on involving Caribbean natives, the festival and the group’s other events are open to the entire
community. 

Everyone is welcome to come learn about end enjoy Caribbean culture. For more information, call (910) 261-6910.

Photo: This year marks the seventh annual Caribbean Festival.

Fayetteville is an art-friendly town, so much so that one Friday every month the entire Downtown community celebrates the arts, bringing festivities, fun and creativity to the community. 

This 4th Friday, June 23, the Arts Council continues its exhibit “Public Works,” which showcases the work of local artists. 

One of the greatest things about this exhibit is that it’s not juried. That means that anyone who enjoys making art is welcome to submit his or her art for the show. 

There are more than 200 colorful creations gracing the Arts Council’s walls, all of them from local artists. 

This truly embraces the spirit of the belief that art is for everyone. The exhibit hangs through July 6. Call (910) 323-1776 to learn more. The People’s Choice winners are:

• 1st Place: Robson Spinelli – “Venezia Grand Canale”

• 2nd Place: Michelle Bir – “Timshel”

• 3rd Place: Sunyoung Kim – “My Dream”

• Honorable Mention: Griffin Carrick – “Delightfully Redundant”

• Honorable Mention: Nancy Whaley Chandler – “Bear Family”

• Honorable Mention: Marlene Wellard – “The Wonderland of Childhood”

Ellington-White Gallery hosts the opening of a new exhibit by local artist and educator Soni Martin this 4th Friday. The exhibit, called “Resemblance,” features an entirely new body of work. This show has been a year in the making. The opening reception lasts from 5 to 9 p.m. and features an artist talk. Find out more at www.elington-white.com

Cape Fear Studios opens a new exhibit featuring “Jeremy Sampson Plein Air Paintings” along with pottery from visiting artist Ben Owen in the main showroom. As an artist co-op, Cape Fear Studios showcases the work of its members year-round. On any given day, visitors will find artists that work in their studios. Member artists also sell their work at Cape Fear Studios. From pottery to paintings to jewelry, there’s always something interesting to see here.

Headquarters Library presents Rhonda Emileo from 2-U-Keys from 7 to 9 p.m. Their ukulele music brings the sounds of the beach to the sandhills. Fascinate-U Children’s Museum’s 4th Friday special for families has free admission from 7 to 9 p.m. Children are invited to make crafts as part of the celebration. This month, the craft is spring flowers. Find out more about Fascinate-U at www.fascinate-u.com.

At the Fayetteville Transportation Museum, don’t miss the “St. John’s Episcopal Church - The First 100 years” exhibit. Learn about the architecture symbolism in stained glass windows in the church. The Museum Annex includes vintage cars, a replica 1920’s gas station and Fayetteville’s 1880 Silsby steam pump engine. The museum is open from 6 to 10 p.m. for 4th Friday.

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously this month to name the County Courthouse in honor of retired North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge E. Maurice Braswell. He died Jan. 30 after serving more than 50 years in the legal profession. He was 94. Braswell began his career in Fayetteville as an assistant district attorney and served after that as district attorney, superior court judge and judge of the
court of appeals.

Senior Resident Superior Judge James Ammons Jr. and Cumberland County Register of Deeds Lee Warren presented a petition to County Commissioners asking that the courthouse bear Braswell’s name. Commissioners ordered that his name be installed above the Cumberland County Courthouse lettering on the front of the building at 117 Dick St. in downtown Fayetteville. A brass plaque will be placed in the interior of the courthouse. 

Judge Braswell wrote more than 800 judicial opinions. He was a former President of the North Carolina Conference of Superior Court Judges and North Carolina District Attorney’s Association. 

Braswell was a decorated World War II veteran. He earned his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and opened his legal practice in Fayetteville in 1950. 

“Naming the Cumberland County Courthouse after Judge Braswell is a wonderful way to honor a man who had such a significant impact on this community and our court system,” said Chairman Glenn B. Adams. 

“His name emblazoned on our Courthouse will serve as a reminder of his legacy and all he did for Cumberland County,” he added. Only two other courthouses in North Carolina are named for someone, according to Judge Ammons. “He was a man of impeccable character and a public servant for 50 years,” Ammons said. 

Braswell was instrumental in the construction of the Courthouse, which opened in 1978. He recognized the need for more space for the effective administration of justice 10 years earlier and presented a pamphlet to the Board of Commissioners explaining the need for a new courthouse. The building proposal was approved in 1975.

Braswell was born in 1922 in Rocky Mount. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps at age 19. He served honorably during World War II as a tail-gunner on a B-17 bomber. His aircraft, named “Flaming Arrow,” recorded 41 combat missions over Europe when it was shot down. Braswell and crew were held as prisoners of war in Bucharest, Romania, for several months. He was honorably discharged in 1945 and left the Army with an Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, a Purple Heart, a presidential citation and 11 campaign and battle Bronze Stars. 

At the urging of his children, he reluctantly wrote of his experiences in a book titled “Flaming Arrow: WWII as seen from a B-17.” “I don’t consider war romantic,’’ he said in an interview published in The Fayetteville Observerin 2003. “Other people, people who haven’t been in war, consider it an extended adventure. But war is terrible. The consequences of it are terrible.’’ 

Photo: E. Maurice Braswell

With less than two weeks remaining in the fiscal year, Fayetteville City Council has yet to adopt an operating budget for the new fiscal year, which begins July 1. Members continue to work on several options this week. As of this writing, a hung council is divided 5-5 on City Manager Doug Hewett’s proposal to raise taxes to achieve revenue neutrality in the wake of a $5.5 million decrease in property values.

The most recent budget work sessions have been acrimonious, prompting Mayor Nat Robertson to ask members to be agreeable and behave with civility and respect towards each other.

At issue is whether to raise the tax rate or the City’s household solid waste fee, or both. One proposal is to raise the fee from $44 per year to $108. That would allow budget writers to eliminate an $8 million supplemental sanitation allocation from the general fund. 

DeViere and McDougald argued that fees are regressive and hurt low-income households while favoring the wealthy. Jensen noted that commercial businesses don’t pay the annual solid waste fee because they depend on private trash companies. She said they would be hurt if the property tax is raised. Jensen is a small-business owner. Council member Jim Arp agreed. “We need more businesses paying lower taxes, not fewer businesses paying larger taxes,” he said. 

Councilman Ted Mohn used a white board to record the ideas his colleagues offered on whether to raise the property tax or increase the solid waste fee. He favors a combination of both as proposed by the city manager. The others who favor an increase are deViere, McDougald, Mohn, Bobby Hurst and Larry Wright. 

Mayor Robertson, Jensen and Arp say they are unequivocally opposed to any increase. Bill Crisp and Mitch Colvin are also opposed. Colvin said any increase in the tax rate would be seen as taxing residents to pay for the $33-million baseball stadium planned for downtown. “We owe it to those folks to keep our word” and not raise taxes, he said.

County Budget Adopted with Tax Increase

Cumberland County Commissioners found themselves in a more difficult budget-balancing situation. They approved raising the property tax rate from 74 cents to 79.9 cents per hundred dollars of valuation. 

That barely brings FY18 spending to a countywide revenue neutral position and will require cuts in government services. Cumberland County residential property values declined this year. 

Commercial values went up, so the tax increase will negatively affect businesses. When coupled with the county’s fire district and recreation taxes, the total ad valorem tax rate in unincorporated areas of the county will be 96.15 cents. That doesn’t include storm water, solid waste, refuse and recycling fees or auto privilege taxes. 

Chairman Glenn Adams, Vice Chairman Charles Evans, and commissioners Jeannette Council, Marshall Faircloth and Larry Lancaster voted in favor of the budget. Commissioners Michael Boose and Jimmy Keefe were opposed.

Photo: As of this writing, a hung council is divided 5-5 on City Manager Doug Hewett’s proposal to raise taxes.

Dr. Frank Till Jr. Is Out

The Cumberland County Board of Education voted unanimously to buy out Superintendent Dr. Frank Till Jr.’s contract, effective immediately. “He had indicated that he wasn’t coming back at the end of 2018, next June, and the board didn’t want to wait … and be in limbo for a year,” school board chairman Greg West said in an interview. Associate Superintendent Tim Kinlaw will serve as the interim superintendent. Till will be paid his annual $271,000, West said. Till served as superintendent since 2009. A search for a successor will begin at once, said West. 

The Cumberland County school system is the fifth largest in North Carolina. It operates 87 schools and serves 51,480 students in grades K-12. 

Tokay Center Opening Soon

The City of Fayetteville now says the popular Tokay Senior Fitness Center operated by the Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation Department will reopen within 30 days. 

It’s been closed since March 27 when the building sustained extensive smoke damage during an electrical fire. 

District One City Councilwoman Kathy Jensen said she has been assured the senior center is scheduled to reopen next month. The City said in May, “there are too many variables to predict a reopening date.” The popular older adult fitness center has workout equipment including treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical machines and Nautilus equipment. Seniors use the facility for physical rehabilitation and regular fitness regimens often as prescribed by physicians. 

Modern Gateway Signs Go Up

New Fayetteville gateway signs are going up along the city’s main corridors. They’re designed to give motorists a fresher look of the city and provide consistent branding. 

New signs have already been installed on Raeford Road at Hoke Loop Road, Ramsey Street near I-295, Bragg Boulevard at I-295 and Murchison Road near I-295. “We want our city to feel welcoming to residents and others who are visiting,” said Mayor Pro Tem Mitch Colvin. “This is just the first of many more visible steps we’ve made to improve our gateways,” he added. All locations will also be landscaped with lighting. 

Hospital Wins Reaccreditation

Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Hospital Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal of Approval is a symbol of quality that reflects the organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care. 

“Womack is pleased to receive accreditation from The Joint Commission, the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation,” said Col. Lance Raney, Medical Center Commander. 

Womack underwent a thorough, unannounced on-site survey March 13 through 17. The team of Joint Commission auditors evaluated compliance with hospital standards related to several areas, including emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management. 

New Off-Post Exchange

The Linden Oaks Community of Spout Springs north of Spring Lake in Harnett County continues to take on the identity of a growing town. Linden Oaks is a unique Fort Bragg satellite residential neighborhood. 

It’s home to about 6,000 soldiers and their families. Now it has its own post exchange. Business is booming along the two-mile stretch of NC 24/87 where restaurants, stores, auto parts businesses, medical offices and a Wal-Mart have developed. The most recent addition is a Post Exchange Express, located at 513 Hilltopper St. “We are very happy that we can offer our services now in Linden Oaks,” said Alex Dewberry, supervisor of the Fort Bragg Exchange. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays. 

Replacement Bridges Planned

The State DOT continues to replace old bridges in rural North Carolina. Bridges in Cumberland, Harnett and Columbus counties are scheduled to be replaced as the result of a contract awarded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. 

In Cumberland County, the bridge on Polly Island Road over the South River near Autryville is among them. The existing bridge has weight restrictions limiting the kind of vehicles that can use it. 

DOT will also replace the bridge on Marshbanks Street over the East Buies Creek northeast of Lillington. In Columbus County, the bridge on North Carolina 214 over Green Swamp is being replaced. Work on the $5.4 million contract is expected to begin in mid-July and to wrap up by November. 

I attended the city of Fayetteville’s Police Chief Candidate Forum at City Hall. I wanted to see for myself what a national search for a new police chief would yield.

The city rolled out the candidates the day before during a news conference. I watched, but I wanted to see up close and personal how interim Chief Anthony Kelly and his competition, deputy chiefs Gina Hawkins and James Hinson Jr., handled themselves in public.

I was both impressed and disappointed. Each gave good answers to questions from moderator Stephen Strauss. He’s the city’s hired headhunter.

There were also disappointing answers. Some were laden with ear candy catchphrases and the latest police jargon. Overall, though, they were interesting answers that gave insight on where each stood as crime fighters.

And to be fair, some of the questions were so general it was hard to answer any other way. They each had to walk a fine line by telling citizens they would fight crime on their behalf yet treat everyone their officers encounter with respect and kid gloves.

They were aware of nationally publicized incidents of unwarranted or excessive use of force by police and how that resonated in parts of this community. And their answers were dead-on. 

They all said involving the community to fight crime is necessary because the police force can’t do it alone.

The “it takes a village to fight crime,” aka community policing, is as true now as it was in the 1980s and ’90s. 

But when it comes down to it, I’m not sure how much the police can depend on the community to help fight crime. It doesn’t matter how many dance routines or street basketball games patrol officers participate in. People don’t want to become involved unless they’ve been victims of crime. 

As I stated on social media, I don’t know if I can be objective about my choice of a new police chief. 

As a work colleague, I’ve seen Kelly rise in the ranks from patrol officer to a member of the chief’s staff. I left the city in 2006, so I haven’t kept up with his accomplishments. But since his appointment to interim chief I’ve had the chance to renew our acquaintance.

City Manager Doug Hewett appointed Kelly as the interim chief after Harold Medlock unexpectedly relinquished the post last September. According to officers and people associated with the department, they say Kelly’s done a good job. Another mentioned he might spend too much time in the office.

Well, sometimes chiefs have to spend time in the office, especially during budget preparation season. It’s what chiefs do. Besides, I too think he’s done a yeoman’s job. And he knows the community. There’s no learning curve. As he said during the forum, “I watched this city grow and I grew with this city.”

Kelly’s chief rival — I believe — is Gina Hawkins, the deputy chief of Clayton County, Georgia. Her resume is impressive as is her poise and ability to schmoose thepublic. She has 28 years of policing experience that has served her career well.

James Hinson Jr., the deputy chief from Greensboro, is well qualified. He has the credentials of someone who spent 26 years in a department that serves one of the largest cities in North Carolina. He is a man of faith who referenced God a few times during his answers. But he lacked the smooth rhetoric displayed by Hawkins.

Among his novel ideas was to place stress analyzers on officers to track their stress levels. That could be a good thing for the officer and for citizens they may encounter. 

The selection process whittled down 30 applicants. It vetted the select few during an arduous process that included psychological evaluation, interviews by a former police chief, role-playing in simulated crisis scenarios and making budget presentations. A group of “community leaders” paired with police officers from other jurisdictions scored the results. Kelly, Hawkins and Hinson came out on top.

Who will be the next chief? It all depends on what we’re looking for and who makes the decision for the rest of us. See for yourself. Check out the video of the Police Chief Candidate Forum on the city’s website at fayettevillenc.gov/government/city-administration/police-chief-search.

For reasons totally without merit, today we shall mangle the curious world of quantum physics.  Quantum physics is the study of how atoms, molecules and even smaller itty-bitty atomic particles react with each other. It’s a weird place down there in subatomic land. Take a moment away from your iPhone and the pictures of cats playing pianos. Come enter a land where a cat can be both alive and dead at the same time. You are now traveling through another dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is the middle ground between light and shadow; between science and superstition. You have just crossed over into the Quantum Zone. 

Consider, if you will, the strange inhabitants of the Quantum Zone who have names that would fit comfortably in Middle Earth or among feuding families living in the deepest hollows of West Virginia. 

You will meet six different flavors of Quarks: up, down, bottom, top, strange and charmed. If you have spent your entire life without meeting a Charmed Quark, then today is your lucky day. The Quantum Zone has a tribe of Leptons — electrons, neutrinos, muons, muon neutrinos, and tau neutrinos. 

There is a passel of Bosons — Z Boson and Weak Boson — and eight tiny different types of Gluons. But who is the leader of the subatomic club that’s made for you and me? H-I-G-G-S  B-O-S-O-N. Forever let us hold Higgs Boson high, high, high. As Otis Redding once sang about James Brown in “Sweet Soul Music,”  “Spotlight on Higgs Boson now/ He’s the king of them all, yeah/ He’s the king of them all, y’all/ Oh yeah oh yeah.” 

The mighty Higgs Boson wasn’t actually discovered until 2012. In theory, Higgs is what gives the universe mass. Without the Higgs Boson our universe might not exist. As Forest Gump once said, “That’s all I have to say about that.” Like Donald Trump keeps telling us, just trust me, I’ll explain it all to you very soon. The Higgs Boson is the very beautiful President of the Universe. 

There are some other weird sisters making up the Quantum Zone who are so reclusive that they haven’t been discovered yet. Physicists think they are out there and have already named them. There is likely something called a Gravitron. The Gravitron is not the ride at the State Fair or the secret ingredient that makes gravy in Gravy Train dog food. The Graviton is a building block of our old friend gravity. As we all know, gravity is not just a good idea; it’s the law. 

There is an undiscovered something which has been named the Magnetic Monopole. You might think that is a type of one-legged tadpole that would stick to the iron. You would be wrong. A Magnetic Monopole has something to do with magnetism. 

Those of you of a certain age will remember Dick Tracy in the funny papers used to constantly remind us: “The nation that controls magnetism will control the universe.” I, for one, will never, ever dispute anything Dick Tracy says. If Dick Tracy says it, I believe it. And that settles it. 

The most confusing item in the subatomic box is Schrodinger’s cat. According to Professor Schrodinger, in the Quantum Zone, an atom can exist in a bunch of different states at the same time which can lead to totally different outcomes. This is called superposition, which is not, in fact, a yoga pose. 

The atom remains in superposition until it is observed by someone who is not a subatomic particle. After being observed, the superposition makes up its mind and takes a final form. Here is where Schrodinger’s cat comes in. Put a cat in a steel box with a Geiger counter with a tiny radioactive blob. There is an equal chance the blob will decay or not decay during an hour. If it decays, then a hammer will break a glass tube full of acid, and the cat will die. If the blob doesn’t decay, the cat lives. 

To a normal person pondering the welfare of the cat, the cat is either alive or dead. There is no Mr. In Between. But in the Quantum Zone, the cat can be either alive or dead because the radioactive blob may or may not have been released. We won’t know if the cat has used up all its lives until we open the box. If you can understand Schrodinger’s cat illustration as to the wonders of the Quantum Zone, you may award yourself several gold stars. As the King of Siam said, “To me, it is a puzzlement.” Before you call PETA to report possible harm to Schrodinger’s cat, please understand that no cats were harmed during the writing of this column.

Photo: Schrodinger’s cat

On my desk, I have a complete chronicle of Troy Williams’ personal and vindictive war on the Cumberland County Health Department and its director, Buck Wilson. It is a notebook documenting Williams’ quest to call into question the loyalties, competency, management and qualifications of health department staff and leadership. 

Shame on Troy Williams. 

These documents, based on untruths, mean-spirited accusations, “anonymous” sources and false narratives, not only depict journalistic irresponsibility but beg the question, “Why?” What is the motivation behind these attacks? When you read and study the documents, it’s apparent that Williams’ first salvo at the health department came in a letter he addressed to Cumberland County Health Department Director Buck Wilson on March 3, 2017. In this correspondence, Williams stated his presence at a health department public board meeting was “allegedly” (his word) disparaged. Allegedly?  

Defined: “Allegedly, adverb, used to convey that something is true or has taken place, but there is NO proof.” 

Shame, Troy Williams. Either you were disparaged at the public board meeting or you weren’t. It was a public forum. Surely there were witnesses he could have asked if he wasn’t sure. 

During the next 90 days, using (and abusing) his position on The Fayetteville Observer’s Community Advisory Board, Williams penned five more unsubstantiated attacks on the health department, its management team and its board, each relying on vague, ambiguous facts and “anonymous” sources. Some of these allegations reached into other North Carolina counties and dated as far back as 2010. 

In Williams’s Fayetteville Observer article of April 9, he got so excited and carried away with his rant disparaging Wilson’s statewide and nationwide achievements that he insinuated Wilson spends too much time away from Fayetteville because of state-level obligations, wasting time and money. In the article, Williams wrote, “I don’t know whether that’s true or not, but his out-of-town travel expenses for 2016 were $9,331.” True or not?

To make matters worse, during this same period of time, The Fayetteville Observer fed off Williams’ toxic rants and maligned agendas, contributing nine additional negative articles and editorials critical in some respect toward the health department. 

Shame on The Fayetteville Observer for being such a poor example of the Fourth Estate. 

Unaware, Cumberland County Commissioners, internal auditors and county attorneys only got involved after Williams orchestrated a “fake news” TV report with CBS affiliate WNCN (licensed in Goldsboro and serving the Raleigh Triangle). 

The report brought forth three anonymous sources, all claiming to be nurses and charging that female patients who received abnormal test results from pap smears or breast exams at the health department were never informed of their results. One of the anonymous nurses interviewed was not actually a nurse and never worked in the health department’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program. Another one of the anonymous sources was Barbara Carraway, a former Cumberland County employee and close personal friend of Williams. 

Of course, after much consternation, hundreds of hours of wasted time and thousands of taxpayers’ dollars needlessly spent on false allegations about how the health department failed to notify women about abnormal mammograms and pap smears, the narrative was finally debunked. 

Shame on the Cumberland County Commissioners for being lead down a rabbit hole by Troy Williams, who never filed a formal complaint, but instead served them up a baseless charge born from anonymous sources, enhanced by over a dozen fake news articles and a staged TV news report by WNCN. And yet, to date, no one has questioned Williams’ motives. Even more shame for not standing up for your own local county health department, its board, staff and leadership team. 

And, now, after exoneration, shame on those who will dare try to cover up and justify their actions by claiming, as I have already heard, “… the good health, safety and welfare of every patient is our responsibility.” Well, of course it is. All the more reason for prudent, well-thought-out actions by our county government done in a timely manner. 

Shame on Pastor Troy Williams for pursuing this track of discourse. His “alleged” grievances are needlessly harming our community and disrupting our quality of life. His actions embarrass the newspaper industry and discredit those honest citizens who serve on The Fayetteville Observer’s Community Advisory Board. His actions have tainted WIDU’s airwaves and for purely personal reasons known only to him. 

Williams seems to be dishing out harsh injustice and wrongful allegations in the same spirit of the ones he was subjected to five years ago. In 2012, he underwent a similar kind of cruel and insensitive public scrutiny when he was arrested by Fayetteville Police for prostitute solicitation on Bragg Boulevard. Though the allegations against Williams were many, the authorities were careful not to let his trial play out in the media. Williams deserved that, and he was exonerated of all the charges. 

However, the situation he’s creating now seems to be just the opposite. He is using a willing media to vent his personal bitterness and hostility. 

Make no mistake about it. This is all about his personal grievance against the health department and Buck Wilson. Need proof? June 13, the very day The Fayetteville Observer broke the story debunking the anonymous allegations against the health department and exonerating its management and staff, Williams filed a Public Records Request with Cumberland County, requesting Wilson’s cellphone records to question the use of Wilson’s personal phone. 

We have a great health department here in Cumberland County that serves our residents well. We have a health facility that radiates compassion and sensitivity with precision that can't be faked or contrived. Its leader, Buck Wilson, who happens to be a middle-aged white guy, is a talented, results-driven, conscientious, professional without a blemish on his record. Demographics aside, this is the type of visionary leadership this community needs to survive.

If a dedicated professional like Wilson leaves our community to go elsewhere, it will not be because of the likes of Troy Williams. It will be because he can’t work within a system that will not allow him to do his job and serve the people. Much is expected of our health director, and fending off baseless allegations and anonymous complaints that contribute nothing to our quality of life is a waste of his time and talent. 

Shame on all of us if we do not protest loudly and adamantly reject this type of behavior. Only then will we stop lending credibility to those, like Troy Williams, who use the pulpit, radio waves, newspaper and our local government to endorse and underwrite their personal underhanded agendas. 

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Photo: Troy Williams