Donna Gray remembers her grandson Grayson’s excitement the first time he recently saw Hope Mills Lake with water in it. “He was in the car with me and he looked out there and said, ‘Nana, there’s water in there,’” Gray said. “I had forgotten he had never seen it. I was so excited for him to tell me that.’’

As owner of the lakeside food stand Big T’s, Gray is almost as excited as 8-year-old Grayson was.

Now that the lake has returned, she’s expecting an even bigger upturn in business than they’ve managed to maintain since the lake was drained twice by the failure of the Hope Mills dam.

Gray’s family began operation of Big T’s in 2000 after being asked by the previous owner one Fourth of July if she was interested in taking it over. She was and renamed the business Big T’s in honor of her husband, Timmy Gray.

The inspiration for the name came from Gray’s nephew, Tyler Herbert, who called Gray’s husband by that name.

Big T’s is a fairly typical resort-style food stand with staples like hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage dogs, chicken tenders, nachos, pretzels, various kinds of french fries and what Gray calls the creamiest soft ice cream possible.

“We use a higher butter fat so it’s creamier, not the icy type,’’ she said.

Vanilla is the basic flavor of ice cream, but Big T’s offers what Gray calls a flavor burst that provides eight different flavor options.

But the star attraction at Big T’s is snoballs, shaved ice with different flavorings. A lot of different flavorings. Gray estimates they’ve got 85 flavors of snoballs available.

“We’ve changed over the years, tried things and added things,’’ she said.

For example, when Hope Mills Lake had water and was briefly visited by a resident alligator, they offered a Gator Raider flavor.

When the dam failed a second time and the lake remained empty, Gray added the Dam Buster flavor.

It may have been that attention to detail and ability to be flexible that kept customers visiting Big T’s during the years when the lake was empty.

Gray offered and still offers a free movie night once a month to get people to stop by. She also gives a lot of credit for the food stand’s survival to a couple of local car clubs, the Hope Mills Cruisers and Camaro South.

Both organizations would hold cruise-ins, where they came to Big T’s, parked their cars and showed off the vehicles to patrons.

Camaro South continues to be active and holds an event at Big T’s about once a month.

A big cruise-in is planned for April 14, Gray said. It will feature cars from Camaro South and guest vehicles that are replicas of popular rides from the Walt Disney hit movie series “Cars.”

Big T’s is also mobile. Gray said she operates food trucks that visit local schools and colleges, serving up snoballs to go.

Gray leaves most of the daily operation of the food stand to her daughter, Angela Culver, and her husband Rob. The family aspect of the business, both from the involvement of her own family and that of her customers, is what Gray enjoys most.

Angela has been in this business since she was 12,’’ Gray said. “Hopefully her grandchildren will come right behind her.’’

Gray said she remembers when she first took over Big T’s seeing children who could barely look over the counter come with their parents to order a snoball. “Now those children are bringing their children here, and I love it.’’

She still has hula hoops and sidewalk chalk for the kids to enjoy while they’re visiting. “I’m trying to make it a family atmosphere,’’ she said. “That’s what I enjoy being in this community.’’

Big T’s opened for the season on March 19. Regular hours for now are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Sunday from 12:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. There will be extended hours during the summer months.

Editor’s Note: Until further notice, due to cold weather, Big T’s will be closed. Call 910-487-6700 or 910-568-7722, check the Facebook page (Big T’s), or check the website (bigtssnoballs.com) for updates.

Fayetteville’s Cross Creek Park, sometimes called Lafayette Park, off Green Street downtown, was heavily damaged during Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. For 1 1/2 years, the ruins of what was a beautiful walkway from Green Street across Cross Creek to the Marquis de Lafayette statue have gone unattended by the city. Parks and Recreation director Michael Gibson said Federal Emergency Management Agency has confirmed that the damage qualified for $250,000 in federal reimbursement.

Workers recently removed the bridge. Fencing was also removed, exposing park visitors to an unprotected, steep, 20-foot creek bank. “Parks and Recreation staff will be putting up a barrier at this location,” said city spokesman Nathan Walls.

Firefighters to administer Naloxone

Until recently, Fayetteville Fire Chief Ben Major opposed equipping fire engines with naloxone, commonly sold under the brand name Narcan. It is a nasal-mist medication used to block the effects of opioids, especially in overdose. Brian Pearce, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center emergency medical service director, agreed that firefighter safety was a primary consideration. Pearce administers regulations of the county medical director and said the final decision was the fire chief’s.

All city firefighters are trained EMTs.

“The Fayetteville Fire/Emergency Management Department wants to help to mitigate and reduce opioid overdoses in our community,” Major said. “Our first responders assist with a wide range of emergency response, and we are happy to use naloxone as another tool to help save lives.” He added that supplies and equipment were evaluated in December and were purchased earlier this year, saying, “Departmentwide training began this month.”

The Fayetteville Police Department was among the first law enforcement agencies in the state to issue naloxone to patrol officers. The department says nearly 200 lives have been saved since then.

The VA names new Fayetteville director

The Department of Veterans Affairs has named retired Army Col. James Laterza the new director of the Fayetteville VA Medical Center. He succeeds Elizabeth Goolsby, who retired last year. Laterza will oversee delivery of health care services to nearly 74,000 veterans in a 19-county area of southeastern North Carolina. The medical center specializes in general medicine, surgery and mental health. It also operates 10 community clinics and the new quarter-billion-dollar health care center on Raeford Road.

Laterza’s most recent appointment before retiring from the U.S. Army was commander of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

“He has more than two decades of health care experience with The United States Army, and his passion to serve our veterans is unmatched,” said DeAnne Seekins, Mid-Atlantic Health Care network director.

Updating the Homeless Initiative Program

Cumberland County Community Development and City of Fayetteville Economic and Community Development departments are seeking proposals for sponsorship of services for the Fayetteville/ Cumberland County Homeless Initiative Program.

The program provides support that addresses gaps in housing and supportive services for homeless people and those at risk of becoming homeless.

City and county community development departments hope to contract with an applicant that demonstrates the capacity and performance record to provide supportive services to homeless families. The maximum local funding amount available for services is $200,000. It would target homeless families lacking stable housing. The deadline to receive proposals is 4 p.m., Friday, April 6.

Lafayette Society adoption

The Lafayette Society of Fayetteville has adopted the Noncommissioned Officer Academy of the JFK Special Warfare Center & School at Fort Bragg. The society developed a medallion (Medaille de Lafayette) to honor the city’s namesake. It is awarded to the NCO Academy noncommissioned officer selected by his peers as embodying the best example of “patriotism, generosity and leadership.”

SFC Jacob Foxen received the medallion during the graduation ceremony this month for 22 students in the most recent class.

The Lafayette Society was founded by the late Martha Duell in 1981 with the goal of raising funds for a statue of the Revolutionary War figure to be erected in Cross Creek Park. The statue was dedicated in 1983 as part of Fayetteville’s bicentennial celebration.

Local water treatment issues

Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission says its system “did not meet the treatment technique requirements at our water treatment plant on January 6, 2018.”

Low water pressure resulted from numerous water main breaks during the coldest eight-day period this past winter. Local temperatures were well below freezing during the week. A boil water advisory was in effect during the period. Tests taken at the time did not indicate the presence of bacteria in the water. N.C. state law required that PWC advise the public of the information.

Fayetteville State University presents celebrates its history at the Founders’ Day Convocation, Thursday, April 5, at 2 p.m. at J. W. Seabrook Auditorium.

“Founders’ Day is the time that we like to reflect on the men that came together and decided that providing advanced education was important for the upliftment of the black community in this area,” said YaKima Rhinehart, senior director of alumni affairs. “So it’s a time that we celebrate our founders and how they came together in 1867 to bring about an institution that has survived for 150 years.”

Rhinehart added that for some, it may not be that important, but in the age that some institutions have had to close their doors, FSU is extremely proud of that milestone.

The keynote address speaker is Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. “He is a very well-known African-American historian who has authored several books on race and diversity here in America,” said Rhinehart. “He has also come to be known here lately because of his work on tracing our ancestors through DNA or records and also having his life documented that way for the world to see on camera.”

Founders’ Day is the beginning of the wrapup of FSU’s sesquicentennial activities that the institution held this year in celebration of its 150th anniversary.

“We will visit the founders’ monuments, and it is also a time that we acknowledge alumni and alumni who have made significant contributions to the university by way of financial and philanthropic support,” said Rhinehart. “This is one of the only ways that we are able to do as much as we have and maintain that rich legacy for 150 years.”

FSU is an institution that serves many firstgeneration students. “There is something about being amongst your own that allows you to thrive, so we can prepare you for what’s to come next in the world,” said Rhinehart. “We really are proud of the fact that we are a historically black college or university, and students are able to come here and share in that rich heritage.”

“We are looking forward to seeing our community come out and share with us in this,” said Rhinehart. “This is the hometown university that is named for the city, and there is never a reason that this town should not be painted bronco blue.”

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 910-672-1661.

Photo: Renowned scholar, historian and educator Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. will serve as guest speaker for Fayetteville State University’s 151st Founders’ Day on April 5.

Once the bugs get worked out, the regular meetings of the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners will be coming to a television set near you.

At a March meeting of the board, the commissioners voted unanimously to start a trial run beginning with the March 19 meeting and continuing until June to show tape-delayed broadcasts of their meetings.

Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell, who made the motion to start the broadcasts, said the idea had been discussed by the board on previous occasions but voted down for various reasons.

“This time we are partnering with the city of Fayetteville,’’ he said.

Fayetteville agreed to air the Hope Mills meetings at no charge during the current budget year to allow Hope Mills to give the plan a test and see if it’s worth the investment.

If the town likes what it sees, the cost to air meetings on the Fayetteville Government Access Channel, Channel 7 on Spectrum TV, will be $15,264 for a year.

Mitchell said the tape-delayed broadcast would air on Wednesday each week, two days after the scheduled board meeting, from 6-10 p.m. If the meeting doesn’t fill the full four hours, Mitchell said the town could possibly run infomercials about the town in the leftover time.

Mitchell likes the idea of airing the board meetings for a number of reasons.

“It’s a convenience factor,’’ he said. “We have a lot of seniors and disabled who have trouble driving at night or getting out of the house. This gives them the ability to know what’s going on in the town with the information provided in our meetings.’’

Mitchell doesn’t think having the commissioners on camera will cause the board to change anything about the way it does business.

“The current board seems to be working well together,’’ he said. “We don’t always agree, but we agree to disagree. We don’t hold grudges or anything like that. We respect each other’s opinions about what the constituents might want.

“Once a motion is made and approved, we get behind it whether we voted for or against it.’’

Deborah Holland, the town’s interim clerk, said one camera angle will be used to capture the images seen on the broadcasts. The camera will be directed at board members and possibly the town attorney and town manager, she said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to capture any Power Points up on the screen,’’ she said.

The lone camera will be mounted in a corner of the board meeting room, and no one will be operating it once the meeting starts. “We’re just taking baby steps here,’’ she said.

Holland said they’ve tried some practice runs and still have a few bugs to work out of the process. “If we’re satisfied with that, we’ll go with the taped broadcast,’’ she said.

The town has been doing audio recordings of the board meetings dating back to 2016 that are posted on the town of Hope Mills website. Holland said the video recordings won’t be loaded to the website, but the audio recordings will continue and still be posted there.

As a Tar Heel born and bred, stories about what is going on in our state jump out to me. Two such stories recently caught my eye. They reflect not specific events, what is sometimes called spot news, but trends that shape North Carolina’s present and its future.

Native North Carolinians of my generation remember a state of small towns where many of us lived our entire lives. Even Raleigh and Charlotte were not the metropolises they have become, sporting populations of 65,000 and 134,000 respectively in 1950. Tar Heel Andy Griffith romanticized and memorialized this North Carolina when he created Mayberry, where people were always kind and the right way always won the day.

Those days, romanticized and otherwise, are long gone.

The UNC Carolina Population Center released data earlier this month showing that 43 percent of North Carolina’s population was born somewhere else, including 49 percent of adults.

Says demographer Jessica Stanford of the center, “This growth reflects how attractive North Carolina is to migrants of all ages with a range of educational, employment and retirement opportunities.” U.S. Census data show that North Carolina remains the ninth most populous state, with 10.3 million folks now calling North Carolina home.

All counties, however, are not equal in the migration department.

Three quarters of Currituck County’s residents came from elsewhere, probably because of its coastal location just south of Virginia Beach. Brunswick County, once a sleepy place in southeastern North Carolina just north of Myrtle Beach, now has a non-native population of 53 percent, including many retirees, and Union County, now a bedroom community for Charlotte, reports that 51 percent of its residents were born outside North Carolina.

The military has brought thousands of non-natives to our community as well.

The flip side of this urban change is North Carolina’s rural areas, where people tend to stay put. Edgecombe County, in eastern North Carolina and whose large town is Rocky Mount, has the highest percentage of Tar Heels born and bred at 80 percent. Patterns are similar throughout rural North Carolina, both east and west.

The demographic and economic divide between urban and rural areas of our state and nation is not new, but it is growing and is profoundly threatening to North Carolina as we have known it. If you subscribe to a “rising tide floats all boats” philosophy, then you can see how a booming knowledge-based economy concentrated in our urban hubs coupled with fading economic models of manufacturing and small farming in our rural areas threaten our overall well-being.

Rural communities face significant challenges in funding public education, handling high unemployment, improving access to high quality medical care, securing access to high-speed internet connections, and creating transportation options to get to more prosperous urban areas, among many.

These are not issues to be solved by local economic developers or creative educators who can make do without financial resources. These are issues that require thoughtful and innovative state and federal government policies, not just robbing Peter’s urban areas to pay Paul’s rural bills.

They are also issues to consider and to put to candidates running for Congress and the North Carolina General Assembly in 2018. If they do not see the urban-rural divide as an issue and have some ideas to address it, then they probably should not be setting public policy and spending public money.

State Sen. Erica Smith, who represents eight rural counties in northeastern North Carolina, put it bluntly to The News and Observer. Smith said, “We are not going to be the thriving state that we can be until we close this gap.”

She is correct.

The myth of Mayberry notwithstanding, life is composed of change, and North Carolina is in the throes of significant transition, both positive and negative. Not addressing it serves no one, neither Tar Heels born and bred nor people who chose to come here for whatever reasons.

As the sun sets over Fayetteville on Saturday, March 31, the streets around Festival Park will be filled with the illumination of the Shine Your Light 5K winding its way through downtown. The 5K run/walk is to benefit ShineLight, a local organization that provides valuable support and services to individuals who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 1 in 68 children have ASD. ShineLight was founded in 2006 by Nikki Creecy to help those individuals in the southeastern part of North Carolina find stability and normalcy in life. According to the organization’s website, ShineLight seeks to “provide a wellness environment for individuals with Autism through radiating dedication, purpose and devotion in our daily service.”

Creecy said her passion for helping those who have been diagnosed with ASD developed when she was in college at UNC-Chapel Hill.

“I graduated with my bachelor’s in psychology from UNC and worked with the Autism Society of North Carolina for six or seven years,” she said. “Working with that population inspired me to do more.” ShineLight was born out of that desire to do more.

Now, ShineLight offers housing as well as community and job support to those who have ASD. The organization has two residences in its small community – an adolescent home and an adult home – and offers a variety of assisted living services to people in need across southeastern North Carolina.

“We cover a lot of ground,” Creecy said. “Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson, Harnett and more. We have a large service area.”

With such a large service area and intensive services being offered, Creecy and her team have organized the Shine Your Light 5K to benefit those who depend on ShineLight’s services. According to Creecy, “The race is about raising awareness in the Fayetteville community about what we do as well as raising awareness about Autism in general. We also have things we would like to do for our residents that we just don’t have the funds for right now.” One hundred percent of the money raised by the event will go toward helping ShineLight provide those services and experiences.

Participants in the run/walk can expect medals for the top overall finishers as well as the top finishers in each age bracket. All finishers will receive a medal. The first 300 people to pre-register will be guaranteed a T-shirt. There will be additional T-shirts available on-site.

The evening will conclude with a glow-in-the-dark party in Festival Park, complete with a DJ, a rock-climbing wall courtesy of The Climbing Place, food and more. The event is family-friendly. Children and strollers are welcome, but event organizers ask that the only animals on the course are service animals.

Visit www.shine-light.org for more on the mission and work of ShineLight. For specific questions concerning Shine Your Light 5K registration or volunteer opportunities with the organization, contact the ShineLight corporate offices at 910-323- 1335 or by email at info@shine-light.org.

The Shine Your Light 5K is scheduled for March 31 at Festival Park in downtown Fayetteville. Participants can pre-register online at www.active.com. Additionally, race-day registration will run from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on-site. The event kicks off at 4:30 p.m. with welcoming remarks, and the race begins promptly at 5:30 p.m.

Reader, do you seek answers to the Great Mysteries of life? Are you on the road to find out like Cat Stevens once was? Allow me to point out the modern location of the Delphic Oracle who has the answers to all your questions.

Most of the wisdom generated in the real world originates in barber shops. If you want to find out what is really going on, go to a barber shop and sit for a while. I don’t visit the barber very often due to inheriting my grandfather’s hair line. When I do go for sentimental reasons, I always go to the Haymount Barber Shop, which is presided over by Donnie Barefoot, the Philosopher Barber King. I have been going there since 1978 when I had hair.

Entering the Haymount Barber shop is stepping back in time into the late 1950s. Donnie has seen more stuff in Haymount than anyone else. He has the answers to your inquiries. If he doesn’t know the answer, he knows someone who does know the answer.

Once upon a time, I asked him once why he charged me, a follicle challenged American, the same amount that he charged someone with a full head of hair. He did not miss a beat responding, “I have to charge a finder’s fee.” I never asked again and have been cheerfully paying full price ever since.

As I child I went to the Suburban Barber shop on Raeford Road, where the Culbreth brothers held sway. They had a stuffed large-mouth bass on their wall and checkerboard black and white tiles covering the floor under a thick layer of someone’s hair. My friends and I always asked for GI haircuts back then because that was what you did.

Thinking about barber shops got me to pondering the patron saint of all Barber Philosophers, the esteemed William of Ockham. William analyzed the mysteries of life in the early 14th century. He came up with the theory now known as Occam’s Razor.

I assume he was a barber because back then barbers used razors to give haircuts and shaves and perform surgeries large and small. The cureall for what ailed you in the medieval period was bloodletting. Barbers began bloodletting in 1163 after Pope Alexander III stopped priests from doing it. In medieval times, most people couldn’t read, so barbers used the red and white barber pole as advertising for their business. European barber poles have red stripes to represent blood and white stripes to represent bandages used to bind up wounds after the barber had performed surgery. American barber poles also have a blue stripe, which either represents the veins which were opened for bloodletting or just as a patriotic tip of the hat to Old Glory.

Back to Occam and his razor. Occam came up with a theory about problem-solving, which says if you have several possible answers to a problem, choose the solution that makes the fewest assumptions. I will spare you the Latin version of Occam’s razor because I don’t understand Latin, but one version of his theory is “Entities are not to be multiplied without necessity.”

The reason Occam’s theory is called a razor is not because Gillette has anything to do with it. The razor reference means if you have two or more possible answers, shave away the ones that have the most assumptions. Choose the simpler of the answers and you may be correct. Occam’s Razor holds that “It is futile to do with more things that which can be done with fewer.”

If you want to get deep into the philosophical weeds, consider a version of Occam’s Razor called “ontological parsimony.” This has nothing to do with parsley – that useless, green, leafy material that blocks access to your dinner. Ontological parsimony in a barber shop means the rule of simplicity. If a simple answer is available, don’t choose the answer that requires the most complex series of events to occur. Simple is good.

My favorite explanation of how Occam’s Razor works is the Zebra version used in medicine. According to our friends in Wikipedia Land (who may or may not be Russian trolls), in making a medical diagnosis, doctors should refrain from coming up with a really “exotic disease diagnosis” when a more common disease is likely. A fellow named Theodore Woodward came up with the Zebra medical explanation. “When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras.”

The hoofbeats could be coming from a herd of zebras. However, if you are in Texas, it is much more likely that the hoofbeats are from horses.

So, what have we learned today? Barbers are wise but shouldn’t do surgery. Occam and his razor believe the simplest answer is usually the correct one. The sound of a herd of zebras resembles that of a herd of horses but betting it’s horses instead of zebras will make you more money.

Johnny Mercer channeled Occam when he wrote the lyrics “You’ve got to accentuate the positive/ Eliminate the negative/ And latch on to the affirmative/ Don’t mess with Mr. In-Between.”

Finally, as Roger Miller once sang, “You can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd/ But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to.”

After consecutive state runner- up finishes in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3-A dual team tennis tournament, it finally looks like the title might be Terry Sanford’s to win this season.

The Bulldogs began the current season ranked as the No. 1 team in the state according to the North Carolina High School Tennis Coaches Association poll.

The most recent rankings had them tied for the No. 1 spot with fellow Eastern rival Clayton.

The news that Terry Sanford is No. 1 was a bit of a surprise to Bulldog coach Gene Autry, but he knew coming into this season he was probably going to have the most experienced squad he’s fielded since taking over the tennis program from veteran coach Gil Bowman.

“We had seven returnees from last year,’’ Autry said. The only graduation loss was No. 6 singles players Richard King who also saw action in doubles.

Defending state singles champion Henry Lieberman heads the Bulldog lineup at No. 1 singles. The remaining top five, in order, are Nathan Lieberman, Alex Kasari, Andrew Zahran, Dave Sashidhar and Josh Blackman.

Although he’s got an experienced lineup to work with, there’s one thing Autry has no control over that concerns him about this season. “Our conference competition is nothing like it was in the old conference,’’ he said. The Bulldogs left the Cape Fear Valley 3-A, where they faced a stiff test from Union Pines during the year, and found themselves in the revamped Patriot Athletic Conference.

The Bulldogs have steamrolled their league opponents this season, not even having to play doubles in most matches and never losing a set, not to mention not dropping many games along the way.

“It’s hard to keep them motivated with the competition,’’ Autry said. He’s tried to reach out to some of the other stronger tennis programs around the state to schedule matches, but with the full slate of conference games Terry Sanford already has, it’s been difficult.

The best competition Terry Sanford has faced has been in practice. “We do a lot more drill-type practice than we have in the past,’’ Autry said. “We are looking forward to some tougher teams (in the state playoffs).”

One plus Autry said is some of his players do take part in weekend sanctioned tournaments, and that experience is helpful. “They get stiff competition there,’’ he said. “Not all of them do it, so it’s a worry for me to keep them motivated, focused and ready to go.’’

The Lieberman brothers, Henry and Nathan, are aware of the competition concerns and are both doing all they can to make sure Terry Sanford has a solid shot at the state team title this year.

“I think it’s really important we are getting recognized as No. 1 in the state,’’ Henry said. “We have a history of being a pretty good tennis school. It’s something that definitely can’t be overlooked. We just have to keep practicing hard, match in and match out stay focused.’’

Henry said he doesn’t feel pressure as the returning 3-A singles champion. “If anything, I feel like it gives me confidence,’’ he said. “We keep the mood on the team pretty light. I don’t think it’s too big of a deal.’’

His younger brother Nathan said that after two years of heartbreak in the state dual team finals, the Bulldogs are ready for their time as champion.

“We think we can get there again and win it,’’ Nathan said. “That’s what’s keeping us going. We just have to keep on having intensive practice, not mess around too much.’’

Autry said that has worked well so far. “Then again, we haven’t been tested,’’ he said. “We have to wait and see when that time comes.’’

Photos: Henry and Nathan Lieberman

“You’ll be in here and you’ll see a lot of families, strollers, babies, kids,” said Evolution Ink founder Bill Brown, who co-owns and runs the studio with his wife, Betty. Evolution Ink on Cliffdale Road, by design, does not fit the typical mold for a tattoo parlor. Their customer base, the Browns said, includes pastors, soccer moms, lawyers, doctors, school teachers, service members, young people, old people – everybody. This year, the Browns debut the EvolutionInk Tattoo Convention 2018 the weekend of April 13-15 with free admission.

The studio

The Browns, who both come from the business world, describe their approach in running the studio as new-school. Bill founded Evolution Ink in January 2008. He’s got a demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit, having previously worked in Raleigh in the pharmaceutical, landscaping and rental management industries. One of those renters owned a tattoo shop and suggested he and Bill try opening one of their own. Bill agreed, but he knew he wanted to run things differently than he’d seen.

Ten years later, Bill is no longer with his original partner and now runs the business with his wife. “He was a single owner that became a married owner,” Betty said. “That’s how we merged.”

Betty’s background is in life insurance; she was ninth in the nation in Woodmen of the World’s 2000 salesforce.

“We are both salespeople,” Betty said. “And sales people handle things differently than just an ordinary person.”

“We took our business principles we learned in the corporate world and applied them to the tattoo industry,” Bill said.

According to the Browns, that looks like prioritizing customer service above all else. It looks like inviting people in and encouraging artists to adjust to their clients rather than making clients feel intimidated by an industry they might think they don’t fit in to.

“We’ve kind of broadened the type of customers that come into a tattoo shop,” Bill said. “We’re family-oriented, number one, so we invite families in. Kids come in, and they’re usually well-behaved because they’ve not been in a tattoo studio before. We give them fake tattoos, and we give them some gummy bears. … We’re very clean-cut.”

That’s not to say artistic excellence is compromised in the name of wholesome vibes. The studio boasts 18 artists who hail from all over the country and beyond – artists have moved from Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Louisiana and Cuba and Puerto Rico to work at Evolution Ink. After coming to the studio and doing a trial run for a week or two, if it’s a good fit, “we help them move their families here,” Betty said. 

The artists range in experience from 3 years up to about 30 years – most are on the higher end, Bill said. The youngest, David is in his early 20s, and the oldest, Kenny, is around 50 years old.

Earl Noble joined the team last year, a few years after competing on season 6 of SpikeTV’s “Ink Master,” one of the highest honors in the industry. (Editor's note: This article previously incorrectly stated that Noble won season 6 of "Ink Master.") Angelika Graca joined at the same time. She is originally from Poland, has 10 years of experience and favors painterly realistic or illustrative nouveau styles. Shane Standifer, who served as a marine, has been with Evolution Ink for almost 8 years and has 28 years of experience. He’s known for his line work and color. William Kenneth Dickman, who’s worked at Evolution Ink since opening day, specializes in black and grey work, particularly animals. He has 31 years of experience.

Bill said 18 artists all working in one shop has got to be one of the largest in the U.S. “They’re able to really learn among each other; it’s a good environment for them to get better,” he said. “We have topquality artists; they learn from each other, and they all push each other to be better.”

The large range also means it’s easy for a customer to walk in, browse portfolios, chat, and find the right artist for the tattoo they’d like.

“The artists are like our children,” Betty said. “We love them, we protect them. We do everything to help them, and they do everything for us. … We have artists who want to join us, we just don’t have room right now. It’s a hard world in the tattoo industry.”

The studio offers piercings as well, and the Browns said their customers often tell them they were referred to Evolution Ink by their doctors or pediatricians. They use high-quality steel, and their piercers have a combined 25 years of experience.

The convention

The April 13-15 EvolutionInk Tattoo Convention 2018 is going to be like one big community party held right in the studio space, Bill said. There will be two guest Ink Master artists, TJ Hal and Ron Givens, in addition to resident Ink Master Earl Noble and the rest of the staff.

Tattoo conventions and festivals usually charge a minimum entrance fee of $25, with fees averaging $65 for a three-day event like this one. Bill and Betty made this convention’s admission free so entire families could come and get the chance to meet celebrity artists and even get inked by them without breaking the bank just to get in.

“Instead of paying $40 or $50 to get in, (attendees) can take that money and get a tattoo that day,” Betty said.

Everyone who gets a tattoo or piercing will receive $25 off their tattoo or $5 off their piercing plus aftercare. They’ll also walk out with an Evolution Ink T-shirt, fan tag, magnet, window decal and water bottle. Attendees can further knock down expenses by dressing up as a sugar skull for the Friday of the convention, which happens to be the 13th. Anyone who goes all out with a costume and face paint will be gifted a $100 Evolution Ink gift card that can be used at the convention or any other time.

Thursday, April 12, Evolution Ink will offer $13 flash tattoos ($50 is usually the minimum) as a preparty initiative.

Betty noted that many will just want to come in and meet the Ink Masters, and that’s fine, too. “They may not have the money to come and see and be a part of a big tattoo festival,” she said. “This is to give back to the community.”

The Ink Masters will do a meet-and-greet for an hour of each of the three days, and the rest of the time they’ll be inking customers – first come, first served.

Three bands will play live music – Eastline on Friday, the Guy Unger Band on Saturday and River Mist on Sunday. Q98’s “The Jeff Davis Show” will broadcast live from the convention from 2-6 p.m. on Friday. Rock 103 will be there on Saturday, and Q98 will close the fest out on Sunday. Ms. Sarah of Q98 is going to live broadcast herself as she gets a tattoo.

Guests will also get to meet EJ “Skullcrusher” Snyder, Fayetteville’s own three-time champion of Discovery Channel’s “Naked and Afraid.” Babann’s Southern Fried Chicken food truck will be on-site throughout weekend, too.

A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Fort Bragg Fisher House, the Fort Bragg chapter of United Service Organizations of North Carolina, and the Fayetteville Animal Protection Society.

The Browns are excited to mingle with both newcomers and familiar guests.

“I like to know about where you’re from, your children, your family,” Betty said. “When you do that, you take down any barriers that people have.”

Evolution Ink is located at 5924 Cliffdale Rd. Visit www.evolutioninkstudio.com or call 910-323-2243 to learn more.

Greyhound Lines has abandoned its decades-old terminal on Person Street in downtown Fayetteville after deciding to consolidate its service at the new FAST Transit Center.

A wing of the transit center, which will accommodate Greyhound, was left vacant until completion of the main building. The city of Fayetteville is saving about $250,000 by delaying construction of the interior of that wing.

It was not part of the $12,071,138 original building project awarded to Construction Systems, Inc. of Fayetteville.

“Greyhound did not decide to be part of the new center until after the construction contract with CSI was awarded,” said Transit Director Randy Hume. “We attempted to add the Greyhound renovation work to the CSI contract, but their proposal for the change order was too costly.”

The Construction Systems, Inc. proposal was $551,405, and the city decided to seek separate bids.

Greyhound’s decision to lease space at the transit center was worth waiting for. Bids for finishing the Greyhound wing were received in January. A contract was awarded to Hayes, Inc. of Fayetteville for $317,000, representing a savings of $234,405.

Hume said completion of the interior of the wing is underway and should be completed in 90 days.

Greyhound Lines is an intercity bus common carrier serving more than 3,800 destinations across North America. It has been designated six bus bays for the use of its coaches and those of its subsidiaries.

Greyhound won’t begin making its full monthly lease payments until the renovations are finished in mid-June. But the city will still receive the same number of rental payments over the 10-year lease period. Beginning in July, Greyhound will pay the city $5,365 per month for the first five years. The lease payment will go up by 5 percent per year thereafter, Hume said.

Greyhound’s temporary ticket counter is in the main lobby near the Franklin Street main entrance of the transit center. That space will eventually be dedicated to food service. A request for proposals seeks responses from business people who may be interested in operating a small restaurant.

Meetings

For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Interim Town Clerk Debbie Holland at 910-426-4113.

• Town offices closed for Good Friday March 30.

• Board of Commissioners Monday, April 2, 7 p.m. • Citizens Academy every Tuesday through June, 6-8 p.m.

• Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Monday, April 9, 12:30 p.m.

• Historic Preservation Commission Wednesday, April 11, 5 p.m.

Activities

• Easter Sunrise Service Sunday, April 1, 7 a.m., at the Town Center Gazebo. In case of rain, the service will be held at Hope Mills Recreation Center.

• Food truck rodeo Thursday, April 5, 5 p.m., at 5770 Rockfish Rd.

Promote yourself

Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

Sydney Faircloth

Cape Fear • Basketball •

Senior

Faircloth has a 4.2 grade point average. She was honored multiple times this past basketball season as Cape Fear’s MaxPreps Player of the Game.

Lilly Terwilliger

Cape Fear • Tennis/ Swimming/Soccer •

Sophomore

Terwilliger has a 4.375 grade point average despite a busy athletic schedule of tennis, swimming and soccer.

For Jack Britt junior golfer Spencer Oxendine, his weekly focus isn’t on the matches he’s playing for the Buccaneer golf team in the Sandhills Athletic Conference.

Sure, they’re important. But Oxendine is looking at the long game – and not just his drives.

“I keep looking toward my end goal, which is to be on the PGA Tour and be one of the top players in the world,’’ Oxendine said.

Toward that end, the mental aspect of golf has become as important to him as the physical. He’s spent a lot of time talking with Press McPhaul, his future golf coach at North Carolina State.

“He and I dove into the mind aspect of the golf game,’’ Oxendine said. “He’s got me looking forward, not more of the week-to-week scores, more of a process.’’

He’s also been having sessions with a sports psychologist. “She’s got my mind in the right spot,’’ he said. “I’ve grown a lot.’’

But he hasn’t ignored the physical part of the sport either. He spent more time lifting weights last year, and he’s added some distance off the tee.

“His game is real sharp, his control through the bag, from driver down to the putter,” said Britt golf coach Ray Musselwhite. “It’s a complete game right now. He’s real comfortable with his swing. He’s increased his club-head speed.’’

In the first two regular-season matches in the Sandhills Athletic Conference, Oxendine recorded consecutive rounds of 68 at the Bayonet at Puppy Creek and Gates Four.

Musselwhite said that’s the result of consistent ball striking, controlling the ball and the flow of the round.

That’s not to say everything has been perfect for Oxendine so far. “He stumbled and had a couple of bogeys and holes that gave him trouble,’’ Musselwhite said. “To bounce back from that, to regroup, is showing the level of golf maturity that’s necessary to compete at a high level.’’

As far as the regular season is concerned, Oxendine is likely competing at the highest level he’s ever had to because of the difficulty of the competition.

Realignment of conferences by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association moved Britt into the Sandhills Athletic Conference with Pinecrest, which has won the last three state 4-A team golf championships and had two of the last three individual winners.

“I need to hit fairways and I need to hit greens,’’ Oxendine said. “I can’t shrug it off.’’

At the same time, he continues focusing on the long game. “I don’t really worry about my numbers and where I’m at in the field,’’ he said. “There’s a lot less focus on that, more thinking about my future and what I want to do.’’

One goal Oxendine is looking toward is this year’s state 4-A championship. In last year’s state meet he finished in a three-way tie for ninth at Pinehurst No. 6, shooting 75-73-148. That was 12 shots behind state champion A.J. Beechler of Pinecrest.

This season, he thinks he’s one of five players around the state that will be serious contenders for the title.

“I know all the guys that are going to contend and I think I have a good shot at it,’’ he said. “If I don’t win, it’s not the end of the world.

“But I would love to win it because of the list of guys that have won it. I definitely have a great chance at it.’’

Photo: Spencer Oxendine

Cumulus Media, Inc. and iHeartRadio, the nation’s largest broadcasting groups, have both filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Cumulus, which owns four Fayetteville radio stations, expects all operations, programming and sales to continue as normal, according to a company statement.

“The debt overhang left by years of underperformance remains a significant financial challenge that we must overcome for our operational turnaround to proceed,” Chief Executive Mary Berner said. The company’s bigger rival IHeartMedia Inc. is also struggling to find a solution to a significant debt pile outside of bankruptcy court.

In the fall of 1999, a year after Cumulus was founded, Cape Fear Broadcasting announced the sale of its Fayetteville and Wilmington radio stations to Cumulus Media. Between Jan. 10 and March 17 of the year 2000, a perfect storm of events drove the company’s share price down from $50 to $13 when over 30 million shares traded hands amid persistent rumors of accounting irregularities in the new radio group.

March 17, 2000, Cumulus reported a loss of share expectation. Radio station cash flow was $12.3 million versus estimates of around $17 million. In addition, the company reported that CFO Rick Bonick had left in January. It had not been officially announced, a fact that CNN Money said “roiled the already active rumor mill about accounting irregularities.”

Cumulus also claimed some of its markets did not comply with new company revenue projection policies and booked some advertising contracts for their full value rather than recognizing revenue as advertisers were billed. Those radio station groups countered that Cumulus had done that, not the radio stations.

Soon, class-action lawsuits were filed against Cumulus, charging it had artificially inflated revenues and profits in 1999. PricewaterhouseCoopers, the company’s auditors, resigned in April citing material weaknesses in Cumulus financial controls arising from the possible revenue restatements.

Lewis Dickey Jr. had taken over day-to-day operations. As the dust began to settle in April 2000, the company issued revised annual reports for 1998 and 1999 that showed minor variations in quarterly revenue and adjusted net losses for both years. The restatements had no material impact on the financials, but the nagging rumors of accounting irregularities drove a significant decrease in share price, which threatened the company’s ability to finance new acquisitions.

Dickey took full charge, and two years later the share price recovered to above the IPO price to a short-lived high of $22 on May 31, 2002. Dickey garnered some strong partners in the form of Bain Capital and Crestview. The two helped finance a series of ambitious acquisitions and partnerships, which made Cumulus a significantly larger company. But these acquisitions and Cumulus struggled in the face of slow to no radio ad growth.

Cumulus continued to suffer declines in ratings and revenues, which some attributed to loss of local personalities.

“We had lost our local programing to syndication, which angered our audience,” said former WFNC program director Jim Cooke. Loss of local audience meant a loss in advertisers, Cooke added. WFNC is one of the oldest broadcasters in North Carolina, having signed on in 1941.

Between 1998 and 2013, Cumulus Media spent about $5 billion on radio station acquisitions in mid-sized markets. Cape Fear Broadcasting Company had four radio stations in Fayetteville and two in Wilmington. They were sold to Cumulus for $50 million.

Photo: Cumulus CEO Mary Berner

Riya Amin

Cape Fear •Sophomore •

Swimming/cross country

Amin, despite participating in two sports in different seasons of the year, maintains an impressive 4.5 grade point average at Cape Fear.

Danielle Novak

South View • Sophomore •

Volleyball/softball

Novak has a 3.8 grade point average. She is active in the Student Government Association and Tiger Stripes, a club that partners with special needs classes. She also works with Special Olympics and Buddy Sports.

Jaylen Spellman

South View • Senior •

Football/ indoor and outdoor track

Spellman has a 4.35 grade point average. He is in the Academy of Scholars Club and the National Honor Society. Outside school, he is active in the Young Person Christian League at New Macedonia Freewill Baptist Church.

Steven Butler

South View • Senior •

Football/ track

Butler has a 3.75 grade point average. He is active in the Student Government Association and the school orchestra. He is a youth minister at Evans Metropoitan AME Zion Church and also volunteers at his church feeding the homeless.

The trial period is officially over for girls lacrosse at Terry Sanford. Head coach Jennifer White is ready to move into the realm of chasing a berth in the state playoffs.

“This is our second real year and our third year total,’’ White said of the fledgling program she’s leading for the Bulldogs. “I feel like we are a legit, established program. The first year I had bunch of new girls.

Last year we were playing at, like, the junior varsity level.’’ This year’s team features mostly players who are sophomores and juniors, with some who’ve spent up to three years competing on recreation and travel lacrosse teams, some based in the Triangle where the sport is played at a higher level.

Now that Cape Fear has added a girls team, there are three programs in the county at the high school level. But White said those numbers have to improve, and the best way is to take lacrosse demonstrations to schools that currently don’t offer the sport.

For now, she’s hopeful her Bulldogs can earn a state playoff berth because she feels this year’s team has the talent to make that happen.

Among her best players is sophomore Mattie Davis. In a recent game with Holly Springs, Davis scored eight of Terry Sanford’s nine goals. She’s been playing the sport since she was in the third grade.

Even if other schools aren’t playing lacrosse, Davis thinks it would be helpful for them if they’d just come and watch schools like Terry Sanford play the game.

“The more people we have that have played, the better we’ll be,’’ Davis said. “I play travel lacrosse in Raleigh, and my teammates have been playing together for a very long time. They just have a lot more experienced girls so their programs are just better.’’

Davis said it’s hard to grow the sport when so many people know nothing about it. “Lacrosse is fun,’’ she said.

As for her personal goals this season, Davis said she constantly pushes herself, whether she’s in practice or a game. “I try to be the best one there while working with my team,’’ she said. “I try not to be lazy, even if it is practice.’’

Photo: Terry Sanford girls lacrosse head coach Jennifer White

While the Marksmen have struggled at times on the ice this season, the team has certainly managed to make its mark on the Fayetteville community. The Marksmen have seen success in the stands by providing family-friendly entertainment that has developed a steady and passionate fan base.

Those fans enjoyed multiple theme nights throughout this season, including Star Wars Night; a Pooch Party where spectators could enjoy the game with their dogs; and Pink in the Rink, a breast cancer awareness game. Giving back to the community has been a consistent focus at Marksmen games, and so far, the team has given back over $20,000 to local charities and organizations. The team has also paid tribute to the local military community – which inspired the team’s moniker – twice with Military Appreciation Nights, where active duty military and veterans were offered discounted tickets. Those working in education had the same opportunity with the Marksmen’s recent Teacher Appreciation Night.

This month, the Marksmen wrap up their debut season. If you haven’t been to a game yet, the weekend of March 23 and 24 is a great time to check them out. Tickets to these games are on sale for the lowest price of the season, just $5.

Saturday, March 24, the team will celebrate mascot Marky’s birthday with a party featuring other mascots as well as princesses. Marky bobbleheads will be given to the first 1,500 fans.

The final game of the season takes place Friday, March 30, and it happens to be Fan Appreciation Night. Youth tickets are just $2, and fans can expect other surprises and offers throughout the evening.

Follow the Marksmen on Twitter @Marksmen_Hockey to keep up to date on all the in-game action. Follow the team on Facebook @FayettevilleMarksmen for more great content, including the “Best Moments Bracket”, a spin on March Madness that asks fans to vote for their favorite memories of the season.

Facebook is also a great place to learn about ticket packages, like the Dilly Dilly Deal, a package that includes two Marksmen tickets and two 12-ounce beers for $20. Another popular deal is the Friends and Family 4-Pack, which comes with four tickets along with gift cards to some of the restaurants the team has partnered with, including Carrabba’s, Jersey Mike’s, Zaxby’s and more.

With less than two weeks left in the season, don’t wait to join in on the excitement that happens when the Marksmen play. While the theme nights each offer something different, there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to happen at all of them – fun.

“Two for one!” Fayetteville City Council’s Baseball Committee chairman Jim Arp uses that phrase to demonstrate the value of the new baseball stadium about to get under construction downtown. “For every dollar the city has invested in the stadium, private developers are investing two dollars for nearby projects,” Arp said, adding that many communities hope for returns on investment after the fact. In Fayetteville, it’s a certainty.

“This is a transformational project,” said Robert Van Geons, CEO and president of the Fayetteville/ Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation. “It’s evidence of what we’ve been telling people about Fayetteville.” He said in the year he has been on the job in Cumberland County, “developers and site selectors are now thinking about us as an affordable opportunity.”

PCH Holdings of Durham has already invested $9 million in a bank loan to renovate the former Prince Charles Hotel. There’s no physical evidence of that yet because the company is doing interior work on the eight-story building first. PCH project manager Jordan Jones said that a year and a half ago, North Carolina’s largest banks were not interested in doing business in downtown Fayetteville. They all rejected PCH Holdings’ loan requests. Now, PCH has a host of blue prints for other stadium properties that it has acquired. Those developments will cost $50 million, and Jones hinted other lenders are coming forward now.

Jones said PCH Holdings will soon begin construction of a five-story parking garage adjacent to the train station. Two structures are planned above the garage: a four-story hotel and an eight-story premium office building. It will become Fayetteville’s largest high-rise structure, two floors taller than the Systel Building. In all, PCH Holdings has committed $60 million in projects adjacent to the $33 million minor league stadium.

City council has agreed to advance project contractor Barton- Malow another initial funding allocation of $300,000 for stadium infrastructure work, much of which is underway. The financing model is based on upfront cash funding of $2.2 million from the city and financing of $31.18 million using limited obligation bonds for a period of 20 years at 3.89 percent.

City of Fayetteville Budget Director Tracey Broyles said the city has more than enough capacity to accommodate possible cost overruns, including the significantly increased cost of a parking deck.

The parking garage has been in the city’s financial plan all along. But Deputy City Manager Kristoff Bauer’s initial “rough estimate” of the cost was $7 million. He recently revised his numbers and told council the actual projection is $14.8 million since two buildings will be built atop the structure. Broyles said adjustments can be made to FY 2019 capital improvement projects to meet the higher cost. Possible cost overruns not yet indicated could send the project over $33 million budget. Broyles said the city has the capacity to absorb an additional $3 million in cost overruns should they occur.

Councilman Arp, himself a big baseball fan, said the Houston Astros’ 30-year agreement to keep a minor league team in Fayetteville is another advantage in promoting downtown economic development. He said most major league ballclubs don’t make long-term commitments. The city of Fayetteville agreed to build a topflight stadium only after the Astros executed a 30-year lease with the city. “Houston wants to invest in Fayetteville,” said Dan O’Neill, the Astros business operations manager. With a 30-year lease, “we can plant roots here,” he added.

O’Neill’s thinking is in sync with the city’s hope to make the ballpark a year-round entertainment venue. Houston will manage the property and is responsible for working with the city to see that the stadium is used for other sporting events, concerts and festivals.

O’Neill emphasized that Houston’s most important connection is with the people. He hopes to make a significant investment in youth athletics, noting that sports equipment and ball field upkeep are expensive.

When it comes to growing her business at Hope Mills Plaza Florist, Debbie Jones has a simple philosophy that seems to be working.

“You make one customer happy, then they tell three,’’ she said. “Then those three tell more and it keeps building.’’

That logic helped propel Jones to being the first winner of the new Hope Mills Small Business Award.

“I can’t believe I was chosen to be the first one,’’ Jones said. “It’s an honor and a privilege. The things I do, I do because I want to do them, not because I ask for anything in return.’’

With the help of her son Robby, now 26, Jones has expanded the services offered by her business since she bought it from the previous owner in 1996. She owned her own florist business before moving to North Carolina from Pittsburgh, where she specialized in weddings. But when she took over Plaza Florist and renamed it Hope Mills Plaza Florist, she knew from the beginning she wanted to expand her offerings to the community.

“I expanded all the gift items,’’ she said, noting that when she first opened, there were no Walmart or Dollar Tree stores in Hope Mills. She wanted a variety of gifts from $1 up, so any child could walk in and purchase something for a parent or grandparent.

She developed strong ties to what was then the only high school in Hope Mills, South View, and benefited from the promotional interest shown to her by former South View principal Bob Barnes and former Hope Mills Mayor Eddie Dees.

“I feel they both got me where I’m at,’’ she said, noting that Dees once commented to her that her store reminded him of one of the shops on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill.

Times have changed since the only high schoolrelated gifts in the store were in the orange and black of South View. With the eventual addition of Jack Britt and Gray’s Creek, Jones has expanded her offerings to include those schools. You’ll even find items from nearby Douglas Byrd High School.

Plaza Florist is a favorite destination for local high schools preparing to observe Senior Night.

She carries not only mascot balloons but balloons in the shape of various kinds of athletic balls.

“We’ve even had people from Lumberton coming here because we had volleyball balloons,’’ she said. “A lot of people come here because of the uniqueness of what we do.’’

That includes things like putting names and numbers on the sports balloons, she said. “We try to do everything in school colors,’’ she said.

It doesn’t just stop with balloons. You can find stuffed animals, license plates, bracelets, mugs and T-shirts among other things.

But Jones is also famous for the traditional kinds of things that florists do, but even there she takes it a step further.

Her custom funeral work is some of her best. For one special arrangement, she created a replica of a minion from the “Despicable Me” film franchise. Another special request for a funeral was a horse’s head.

“I love to draw,’’ she said. “I can take anything somebody wants and make it into a floral piece.’’

Jones said she’s willing to deliver her creations to a pretty wide area. She’s taken floral arrangements to Elizabethtown and Dublin, down to Lumberton and north as far as Lillington and Linden.

“I just want to continue doing what I do and keep the customer happy,’’ she said.

For more information on the business, including phone number and hours of operation, visit Jones’ Facebook page at Hope Mills Plaza Florist.

Billy Graham’s death and memorial service brought back memories of a column I wrote about North Carolina’s “Public Intellectuals” 16 years ago. I had noticed a book by Richard A. Posner titled “Public Intellectuals: A Study In Decline.” In his book, Posner listed the country’s top 100 public intellectuals.

Posner’s list made me wonder who should be on a list of North Carolina’s top public intellectuals. The only North Carolinian on the list was the late John Hope Franklin, Duke University’s renowned historian of the African-American experience.

What is a public intellectual? I defined the term as follows: He or she is a living North Carolinian whose ideas and opinions are regularly published or circulated widely throughout the state and whose views have a real impact on the way a significant number of North Carolinians live their lives, understand the world around them, and make choices about how they will be governed and by whom. He or she is someone who is forming public opinion rather than just following it.

In addition to Franklin, there were two obvious choices: the late former University of North Carolina president William Friday and former governor Jim Hunt. Friday was active for numerous public policy causes. He fought against the state lottery, for limiting the role of commercialism in college athletics and for holding down the cost of higher education. Until his death in 2012, Friday stayed in the public eye every week with his UNC-TV program, “North Carolina People.”

Hunt still uses his connection with the Emerging Issues Forum sponsored by North Carolina State University annually to set a public agenda for many North Carolinians. Hunt, like Friday until his death, stays busy every day, giving speeches, talking on the telephone, visiting with editorial writers and stirring pots in the area of public policy.

I thought Billy Graham belonged on the list. Back then, in 2002, he was still active in writing and had not given his last revival sermon. I put Graham on my list because his example of tolerant and common sense approaches to public issues had an important impact on the way people thought. In the days of strict segregation, Graham’s insistence that his events be fully integrated led many Jim Crow southerners to be open to change.

Who are today’s public intellectuals?

In the past, hard-hitting editorial writers at the state’s major daily newspapers used their platforms to influence public life. But in the past few months, the state has lost some of its best voices. Jim Jenkins at the News & Observer, Bob Ashley at the Durham Herald-Sun, Doug Clark and Susan Ladd at the Greensboro News & Record and John Railey at the Winston-Salem Journal have departed.

Sadly, many newspapers can no longer afford to fund vigorous opinion pages. Editorial writers whose work does not bring clicks to the big newspapers’ web pages are at risk these days. But columns and public reporting from smart writers like Colin Campbell, Mike Walden, John Hood, Tom Campbell and, until the end of last year, Chris Fitzsimon, along with others who share their views with newspapers across the state and through blogs, could be considered public intellectuals.

The University of North Carolina System president Margaret Spellings’ informed communications about the need for higher education to be affordable, relevant and widely available would make her welcomed by Friday as a fellow public intellectual.

The passionate, informed and opinion-changing messaging about our responsibilities for the poor from the Rev. William Barber and UNC-Chapel Hill law professor Gene Nichol make them public intellectuals in my book.

Who would be on your list of public intellectuals? Let me know why. Write me at nceateries@yahoo.com.

Photo: John Hope Franklin

I have written about it often: Hope Mills is a beautiful, thriving, All-American community filled with possibilities and destined for growth, development and economic success. Its population, at over 16,000, has nearly tripled over the last two decades, and by the look of things, the town will continue to enjoy consistent, healthy and moderate growth throughout the next decade and beyond. Hope Mills maintains a charm and small-town feeling that continues to draw newcomers.

Its rich history and idyllic lake make Hope Mills a place people want to move to raise their families and pursue the American Dream. Good schools, economic opportunities and friendly people continue to pull new residents to settle in the town.

Under the guidance and leadership of Mayor Jackie Warner, the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners have a perfect balance of history, tradition, tenacity, intelligence and vision to embrace progress and opportunity and to assure Hope Mills’ future.

If the town of Hope Mills were a company whose stock traded on Wall Street, a well-informed trader might advise a client to examine and evaluate the talent, experience and capabilities of its management team and staff to establish the company’s worth and potential.

Hope Mills would be hot stock because this is where Hope Mills Town Manager Melissa Adams excels. Her common sense, dedication and leadership skills are only surpassed by her organizational abilities, making her a respected leader to the many town employees and department heads that report to her.

Adams and Warner are the near perfect municipal dynamic duo who, together, will successfully take Hope Mills into the future with confidence and solid leadership that will benefit the town for generations to come.

Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper will be there in support.

So, now that all the hubba-hubba controversy is over about the town partnering with Up & Coming Weekly to create its own community media voice, I would like to personally say “thank you” to all the residents and businesses who supported us and the Hope Mills Initiative. They took the time to understand and embrace the real purpose of the program and the long-term objectives and vision of the project.

It was never about the money. It was about creating a media vehicle that reflected a positive voice and image for the town of Hope Mills. Up & Coming Weekly committed to share its 23-year-old reputation, mission and mandates with the town to tell the Hope Mills story – not just to the 16,000 plus residents of Hope Mills but to all of Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Cumberland County.

The $28,000 cost was just a convenient diversion and easy distraction from the real underlying fear of media competition and losing control of the narrative. The Hope Mills Initiative was conceived when the perception was at its highest that The Fayetteville Observer’s Sandspur had pretty much deserted Hope Mills. Well, not anymore. Our media commitment to the town has now rejuvenated The Sandspur.

It’s hard not to notice how much attention Hope Mills is now getting from The Fayetteville Observer since the Hope Mills Commissioners’ decision not to renew Up & Coming Weekly’s partnership. There has been a plethora of Hope Mills profiles, stories, editorials, articles and even a front page “above the fold” feature. They even hosted a meet-and-greet social to solidify their new promise and commitment of more news and editorials for the town.

To this, we say “Great!” and “Mission accomplished.” This is the type of attention and respect Hope Mills should have been getting all along. We hope it continues. Competition is a good thing. Without it, mediocrity becomes the standard. As a newspaper publisher, I’ve always been adamant that there is no exclusivity in media. That’s why it’s called the free press. No individual has the right to own or control a single voice or opinion. This also holds true for electronic communications and social media. Beware of anyone (person, organization or business) who attempts to restrict, censor, silence or influence your free speech or thought processes through intimidation. For they are attempting to control the narrative.

Here is the good news. Up & Coming Weekly is not going away. Hope Mills is in Cumberland County, and we intend to continue to be a positive voice. Now, Hope Mills residents will have more town news and information to share. Not only will we keep them informed on local issues, we will be their conduit for other wonderful and exciting things taking place in Cumberland County. We will make a difference.

The most recurring issue and concern presented to me regarding discontinuing the Hope Mills Initiative was about the low voter turnout during Hope Mills elections. Believe me, you will see this change dramatically over the years. Why? Because the residents will know what’s going on in the town. They will be better informed by having consistent and reliable access to information about the candidates and important issues affecting them and their families. You will also see new, younger and enthusiastic residents stepping up to participate and be involved with Hope Mills just for the betterment of the town, thus assuring their future.

Hope Mills, North Carolina, is the mouse that roared! And we hear you loud and clear. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Bravo to Cape Fear Regional Theatre for putting together such an experience for local audiences. The story is thought-provoking, the new seating arrangement is engaging, the direction is commendable, and the cast is one of the best I’ve seen.

The story is heavy, to be sure. Talking about politics, religion and racism might turn some theater-goers off. But don’t miss this opportunity to see CFRT doing what it does best – honoring art with a quality production, even if it might make some viewers a bit uncomfortable.

Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize winning play “Disgraced” is full of the kind of drama that will keep you glued to your seat. For some, I suspect, it is shocking. For others, it might hit a little close to home and encourage us to reflect on how we treat or engage with those who are different from ourselves, those who fall into another category – white, black, Jewish, Muslim.

What I enjoyed so much about the story itself is that each category is equally misunderstood and abused. Because that is how it is in real life. No one, no matter what your label, escapes the pre-conceived notions of others.

The overarching theme of the play deals with how the topic of radical Islam affects public discourse on our differences in race and creed. But the real gem is to see how that discourse can affect individuals.

Director Dani Keil accomplishes this by bringing together an amazing cast and crew. Keil’s focus is on honoring the story itself. There are no flashy costumes. The set and props are minimal. The lighting and music skillfully mimic the emotions of the characters.

The new seating configuration, developed for this production, seats the audience on three sides of the stage. This intimate arrangement draws the audience into the lives of the characters.

The character of Amir, played by Raji Ahsan, is a lawyer working for a Jewish firm in New York. When his nephew, Abe, played by Darius Shafa, gets him involved with an Islamic imam accused of terrorism, his life starts to unravel. Amir’s wife, Emily (Lauren Mae Shafer), is an artist whose work is based on Islamic imagery. Isaac (Seth Shelden) is a Jewish curator helping Emily. Isaac’s wife, Jory (Alason Little), an African-American woman, is a colleague at Amir’s firm.

Over dinner, the two couples exchange thoughts on careers, faith and politics. Secrets are revealed that leave some lives in shambles. We see how even well-meaning people have preconceived ideas of others. We also see that some struggle with their own self-identity.

It is a lot to consume in 90 minutes.

The cast superbly carries this weighty story from start to finish. They each bring much passion and energy to their beautifully complicated roles.

They are all, at one point or another in the play, disgraceful representatives of the human race. And that is what makes them so interesting. They are lying, cheating, duplicitous, abusive – and that’s before we even get to politics and religion.

Amir tries to leave his culture behind to chase the American dream. But we see that by never reconciling with it, he becomes consumed with self-loathing. Ahsan does a remarkable job gliding back and forth between his character’s self-identified apostate views of Islam and what others view as inexplicable pride in what has been done in the name of Islam.

In the showing I attended, the audience collectively gasped at two points in the play – once at the use of the N-word and once when Ahsan’s character expresses a kind of pride for the attacks on 9/11. I felt both were beautiful moments in storytelling as they expressed the connection between the audience, the story and the actors. It seems to me the point of the play – that we sometimes let words affect us so much that we often refuse to engage in dialogue to discover the meaning behind those words or ideas.

“Disgraced” runs through March 25 with limited seating based on the new stage configuration. The play is rated R due to its language and violence. There are discounts for military, seniors and students. For tickets or more information on special events, contact CFRT at 910-323-4233 or visit www.cfrt.org.

Dear Up & Coming Weekly,

I am beside myself that you decided to run in your March 7-13, 2018 issue one of the most logic flawed articles I have ever read in your weekly. “The Second Amendment was written for muskets.” Are you serious? First of all, it was not written “for” muskets.” I could write an entire thesis on that logical error alone … moving on.

Second, it’s irrelevant that the musket was the predominant rifle used at that time. If our founding fathers (and the British) had used swords instead, the Second Amendment still would still say “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

The weapon is irrelevant. It’s the purpose of why we bear arms. The British had muskets too! It was our founders’ intent that the people bear arms that are capable of matching the soldiers who would be sent to suppress the people. Today’s soldiers carry M4s. And today the people carry the civilian version.

The Founding Fathers also used a quill pen, iron gall ink and parchment to write the constitution … they never envisioned lap top computers and the internet … should we limit written free speech to only communication written using the same means? Surely by your logic the First Amendment was written for quill pens, iron gall ink and parchment.

Explain to me how Yemen having a higher rate of mass shootings among nations “with a population more than 10 million people” and the second highest rate of gun ownership call into question the saying that “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” (Nice of you to selectively narrow your qualifications to suit your example.) Using your logic … if I misspell a word, it’s the fault of the tool I used to write the word … not mine. And the U.S. has the highest rate of ownership of computers with spell check! How can this happen?!

Next, you quote 133 mass shootings in some un-named “study” for some un-stated time frame. Nice. Whatever … let’s go with 133, it doesn’t matter. You compare the U.S. with a population of 326,056,457 million to a country that had two mass shootings with a tiny population of 5,523,231. So you’re comparing a tiny country in which approximately 12 percent of the population owns a gun (Wikipedia) to a massive country in which approximately 42 percent own guns (Statista.com). Using your comparative logic we had 73 less shootings per percent of gun owner population. So are you trying to say we are safer here? Thanks, I feel better already.

Lastly, if you really want to stop the killing… there are nearly 1.3 million people killed in road accidents yearly! (ASIRT.com) That is 3,287 deaths per day! Where is your outrage? And driving isn’t even a Constitutional right … it is a privilege. If you cared about the children … here is low hanging fruit that isn’t even protected by the Constitution... and GO!

Respectfully,

Cris Dresch

Dear Editor,

I can count on one hand how many responses or comments I have written over the years in rebuttal to an article in the Up&Coming Weekly. However, I am compelled to write this in response to Karl Merritt’s recent article regarding, “Rap at the Dogwood Festival?”

Two things come to mind for me. One is that the role of a mentor is to inform, guide and provide information their mentee needs to maneuver in this society successfully. Therefore, if Mr. Merritt’s mentee is fortunate he will not be so strongly and staunchly biased against rap music and perhaps give some background and discernment involving rap music. Rap music, like jazz, like the blues, like country music, has a history. To negate a genre of music across the board when it is still very much in existence and probably listened to by those of the age range of his protege presents a biased and unrealistic viewpoint and opinion. Rather, guide the young person of the rap music which is appropriate, which gives a positive message instead of one which encourages what we know to be nonproductive except for the rapper.

There is rap in gospel music. How can it all be bad? It is funny that Karl Merritt is taking credit for the Dogwood Festival’s inclusion of rap this year and then bemoaning them adding rap music. Presenting one of the raunchiest lines from one of Coolio’s raps as proof further presents a skewed view. 

Not all of Coolio’s music has that theme or those words included. Now we scare people already about Coolio and dissuade them from even being present before downtown is even prepared or perhaps he has even been paid for this year’s Dogwood Festival. What is the personal schism? If in fact, he is responsible then the lesson for him and his mentee is be careful what you complain (about), suggest or inspire.

Surely, as long as the Dogwood Festival has been running the Festival they hopefully did not simply put out a call for any rapper to represent their first time presenting rap music as an option during the Festival. We can hope that they at least have listened to and have some knowledge of Coolio and have informed him the festival is family friendly.

Surely, this is a first time and the experiment of presenting an alternative music offering should at least be tried.

(I’m) very tired of people not wanting to alter or change anything in Fayetteville except what is important to them. I don’t enjoy baseball, but okay, there is going to be a field and a team. Perhaps the choice of selecting Coolio might not be appropriate for the audience which will attend the Festival. How will we ever know unless they give it a try?

I remember being one of the first poets to participate during one year at the Dogwood Festival. I was under the Children’s tent that year. Although I was not asked back even though there was interest in children between the ages of babies to teenagers, who stopped at my table that year and created poems, they did not have it as an ongoing annual activity. It was at least tried and that is all which is being done this year with the inclusion of rap.

Even if Mr. Merritt’s protege does not know or listen to any rap music now, at some point unless she is going to be breathing and living in a makeshift bubble, she will be exposed to rap music. As a result, if nothing else if by chance she attends, Mr. Merritt if accompanying her can use it as a teachable moment and not a strong source for his condemnation for a genre of music being offered which he admits he was the one who encouraged it being included.

Sincerely,

Ms. Aissatou Sunjata, M.L.I.S./M.L.S.

Dear Editor,

I appreciate that readers often give feedback regarding my columns that appear in Up & Coming Weekly and are also distributed by e-newsletter. As I would expect, given my conservative views, feedback from most black readers reflects strong disagreement with what I write. Sometimes feedback from this group is rather harsh. (Yes, there are some white readers who express strong objections to my thinking.) In view of me being black, but not thinking as some would expect given my blackness, there are times when I feel alone in this struggle to have my thinking heard and seriously considered. I got a reminder today that I am not alone in my thinking regarding many issues of our time. I ran across a video by Candace Owens. What she says in the video, and her clear commitment to speak up in the face of opposition, provided encouragement for me to keep standing. You may watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mK8H9qGKkMI

Karl Merritt

Photo: Coolio