Is Fayetteville finally coming of age? That is the $64 million dollar question. On the surface, it sure looks like it. But, then again, we have all been fooled in the past. Let’s look at the list: Docs, Festival Park building, J. P. Riddle Stadium, the Crown Coliseum, the County Jail and several times just on the Prince Charles Hotel. Not to mention the most recent ill-fated decision by our Fayetteville City Council  to allow an auto parts junk yard to mar a great opportunity we had  to develop our Cape Fear River resources. What were they thinking? 

Only time will tell what our future holds. Fortunately, at least for now, the word on the street is actually pretty positive and enthusiastic about all the new developments taking place in our city. It’s pretty obvious Fayetteville residents want positive change and want our community to step up. They are looking forward to the quality-of-life venues promised by our local government officials. 

Taxpayers are waiting in anticipation to see what they are going to get for the money they approved and are being assessed for in the recent bond referendum. More importantly, they are waiting to see if our local elected officials have the talent, judgment or intestinal fortitude to get the job done. No doubt, the people’s sentiments are being acknowledged loud and clear: passage of the $30 million Parks and Rec bond, approval by the City Council of the $33 million baseball stadium, creation of a downtown Arts & Entertainment District with the prospect of attracting $60 million of additional private investment and development for our inter city. 

This is all good stuff, but, can it be managed? That’s the ever-recurring question on the street. Fueling this skepticism and damping down the enthusiasm are Fayetteville’s failed track record in real estate development, the recent lost opportunity to reverse the decision to allow a junk yard on the Cape Fear River, a weak City/County economic development organization, a weak and deteriorating Chamber of Commerce and, most recently, talk about having Fayetteville’s Class A Advanced baseball team start its debut season playing baseball in another county!

Our new downtown stadium won’t be ready for occupancy until 2019, so our new Fayetteville team would have to find another place to play ball. Moving it outside of Fayetteville for this period of time will take away the excitement and every initial opportunity to market, advertise, promote and brand this new baseball team as Fayetteville’s own. 

Building brand loyalty is extremely important to a product’s success. Getting the Fayetteville community to support a team playing ball at Campbell University or anywhere other than in Cumberland County is virtually impossible. Serious thought needs to be given to this idea. The city will only get one chance at getting this right. Once they start playing baseball outside of Cumberland County, “the shine will be off the apple” and they will no longer be Fayetteville’s team. This will make getting corporate support more difficult and establishing brand loyalty almost impossible.

These projects have our total support. These concerns are what people are talking to us about. They should not be interpreted as negative. 

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

 

The Indigo Moon Film Festival will bring 38 independent films to Downtown Fayetteville Oct. 7-9, featuring the work of students and seasoned professionals alike. The films were submitted from around the world, including some from local filmmakers.

“If you love films, I hope you will make your way here,” Pat Wright said.  

Wright and Jan Johnson, founders of local non-profit GroundSwell Pictures, organized the event. Both Johnson and Wright are award-winning producers/directors/writers. After years of attending other film festivals, the pair decided to organize a festival locally.

“We do have a thriving arts community here,” Johnson said. “But film is not well-represented to enhance our cultural arts options.”

The festival is the first of its kind in Fayetteville, Wright said.  

“There will be films from around the world,” Wright added, noting that films were submitted from the U.S., Great Britain, Australia, Myanmar, Thailand, India and Hong Kong. “Through these films we get to see other cultures, feel empathy and understanding.”

At about a dozen of the screenings, the actual filmmakers will be on site to discuss the film afterward, Johnson said.  

The pair explained how they came up with the name of the festival.

“Independent films are called ‘indie,’” Johnson said. 

“You have an opportunity like this once in a blue moon,” Wright added.  “This is our chance, our once in a blue moon.”

No strangers to taking chances or filmmaking, Wright and Johnson created GroundSwell in 2014 to engage and inspire others by making films, teaching filmmaking, showing films and supporting other filmmakers.  Their own films tackle tough topics such as child pornography, the effects of desegregation and recovery efforts in Haiti after an earthquake killed more than 230,000 people in 2010. Wright and Johnson say they are committed to educating the public and creating a groundswell of constructive change.

While some of the films shown during the festival will cover serious topics such as genocide in Iraq, suicide and domestic violence, there are also lighter and humorous topics — the story of a 100-year-old artist, the happenings at a hotdog stand, nuns cited with “radical feminism” by the Vatican.

First-time festival-goers should visit the website www.indigomoonfilmfestival.com  to review descriptions of the films and watch the trailers. With 38 titles and a wide variety of genres, there is something for every viewer. The selections range from two-minute short films to two-hour features.  

Not only for those who enjoy viewing films, the IMFF is a competition. There are six cash awards and five awards voted on by the audience. The categories are: narrative feature, narrative short, documentary feature, documentary short, animation and student film. All films will be shown over three days in four venues Downtown: the Cameo Art House Theatre, the Arts Council, Hay Street United Methodist Church and the Cumberland County Headquarters Library.

Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise will open the festival on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Cameo, Wright said. The film, released earlier this year, is a documentary about poet, author and performer Dr. Maya Angelou. It reflects on how the events of history, culture and the arts shaped Angelou’s life and how she inspired others through her autobiographical literature and activism.

The film has been on the independent film festival circuit, Johnson said, explaining it is a rare opportunity to be able to show it in Fayetteville.  

“We all kind of embraced her as our own,” Johnson said, “We thought we knew her.” 

Before her death in 2014, Angelou taught at Wake Forest University and made her home in Winston-Salem. The documentary includes clips from older interviews as well as her final interviews, and goes into parts of her life most are unfamiliar with, Johnson said. 

After seeing the film about Angelou’s life, “You can’t help but feel inspired and motivated,” Wright said.

On Sunday, the final day of the festival, an awards banquet BBQ is slated at SkyView on Hay Street at noon with an encore showing of the winning films at 1:30 at the Cameo.

There are several options for film-goers. To attend the opening night film and party at SkyView, tickets are $25. Tickets are $15 to attend the awards banquet. Individual tickets for films are $10. Tickets to see blocks of the short films, which range from two to 30 minutes each, are $10. You can also purchase a VIP pass for $80-$100 which includes the opening night film and party, the awards banquet, tickets for up to five film blocks, an IMFF festival tote and first admittance to screenings. There are discounts for students, seniors, military and Moon Shadow Film Society members.

There is limited seating in all venues, and you must pre-select your choice of films when you purchase tickets/passes to guarantee your seat.  You can purchase passes on the website or go to the Rainbow Room on Hay Street.

Any unclaimed seats will be made available for $10 cash only five minutes before the screenings.

Under GroundSwell Pictures, Johnson and Wright also run the Moon Shadow Film Society, which hosts a screening of an independent film at the Cameo Art House Theatre the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. Fittingly enough, October’s film was The Last Film Festival.

“It is the film Dennis Hopper was working on when he passed away,” Wright said. Hopper stars as a movie producer whose film has been turned down by 3,999 of the 4,000 film festivals in the world.

Like the Indigo Film Festival, the actual filmmakers are often on hand to answer questions and discuss the film after the screening. Also after each Film Society screening, the audience is invited to a reception at the Rainbow Room.

The next Film Society screening is Oddball on Nov. 1. The film is based on the true story of a chicken farmer who trains his mischievous dog to protect a wild penguin sanctuary from fox attacks and in the process tries to reunite his family and save their seaside town. The film is appropriate for the entire family.

Tickets for Moon Shadow Film Society showings can be purchased at the Cameo. 

For more information on the Indigo Film Festival or the Moon Shadow Film Society, visit www.groundswellpictures.co

There is a new name being engraved on the 2016 Cumberland County Golf Championship trophy. Now in its 48th year, the three-day tournament took place Sept. 16-18 at Cypress Lakes Golf Course, bringing many returning long-time participants as well as new players eager to compete for the title of Cumberland County’s best golfer. In the end, it was 26-year-old Thomas Owen who won the title with a score of 210. 

“It felt great. It was the fifth time I have played this tournament. I got a little better every year, and last year, I came in fifth. It is a big boost to my confidence,” said Owen. “I won match play last year, but to win stroke play — it was a boost to know I can do it. I am honored to have my name on the trophy with guys I have looked up to for years — people like Billy West, Gary Robinson and Chris Holland. I have played with them and admired them for years, and to have my name added to that list of champions feels great … It makes me want to play more and win more.”

The Cumberland County Golf Classic Championship is District Attorney Billy West’s favorite tournament. He’s won the title six times. West has played against Owen before and knew Owen would be a tough competitor. West finished in second place tied with J.C. McFadyen, both carding 214. “I really think golf is a gentleman’s sport. It is a sport where you compete, and you certainly try to win, but there is great camaraderie among the players. It is a social sport because you are out there for hours. Doing that over the years, you develop friendships and learn about the other players. You become friends. I told Thomas, obviously, I wanted to win, but, I was really excited to see him win. He is very deserving. It was about the only thing not on his resume. I almost ended up playing with him, and it seemed that he was maybe feeling some pressure and really wanted to win it. My hat is off to him. I remember when I had yet to win a Cumberland County Golf Championship, and it is like a monkey on your back until you get that done.”

Eight-time winner Gary Robinson was unable to compete this year, which Owen and West both agreed changed the dynamics of the tournament. “I think Gary is coming back next year … I look forward to his return,” said West. “I regret that he missed this year. When he plays, he has a good chance to win, but then again, we all want to win it.”

For Owen this win is an important stepping stone to reaching other goals. He calls himself a late bloomer saying he was pretty good as a youngster, but he chose baseball over golf in high school. He returned to golf in college and started entering competitions. “I played a lot in college. That is where I got better at the game mentally. I remember thinking a few years ago that I knew my game was getting better, but I wanted something to show for it. I want to compete at the state level and even the U.S. Amateur. I knew I needed local success, and now, I did it.” 

Under new management, the tournament underwent some changes in direction and format this year. In the past, the hosting golf course had to shoulder the responsibility for coordinating the tournament. This year, Cumberland County’s five local golf courses worked together forming a planning committee with shared responsibilities under the direction of Bill Bowman, founder and publisher of Up & Coming Weekly. Kevin Lavertu, general manager of Gates Four Golf and Country Club is set to host the 2017 tournament. He kicked off the 2016 event with an elegant Opening Ceremony & Pairings Party, inviting contestants, sponsors, local dignitaries and special guests that included major supporter Mac Healy of Healy Wholesale, Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson, Cumberland County Commissioners, State Representative Billy Richardson and N.C. Senator Wesley Meredith. Courtney Stiles, representative for First Tee of the Sandhills was also present and was invited to say a few words about their youth development program, which they hope to establish in Cumberland County. There was much fun, laughter and excitement in the room as the competitors sized up their competition. Each player received a commemorative gift bag with a very special surprise of a free round of golf (for four) at each of the five participating courses. “I think it was a great idea to get everyone together ahead of time. It really built up a sense of camaraderie among the players and generated excitement,” Lavertu said. Gates Four hosts well over 80 tournaments each year. It’s something Lavertu enjoys and he is excited about showing next year’s Cumberland County Golf Classic Championship Classic participants a good time. “We keep the golf course in good playing condition, which of course, is important, but we also look forward to showing everyone hospitality and making sure everyone feels special - like they are a member here — for that weekend.”

The pre-tournament party was new this year, but it’s not the only change in the works for this Cumberland County tradition. According to organizers the CCGC will add a Women’s Division to the tournament. It was announced that Dee Dee Jarman, head basketball coach and senior athletic director at Methodist University, will assist in coordinating that effort. 

Robert Wilson is the PGA Pro at Cypress Lakes Golf Course in Hope Mills, which hosted the tournament this year. There was some pressure being the first to host with so many changes in the works. However, he was impressed with the changes. “The other area golf pros came out and helped, and that made a big difference in the quality of tournament. The main thing is that now that the golf courses are all working together, it will be run consistently each year — and that is a big deal. Now, we will be able to provide the golfers more fun and value for their money … a more competitive experience each year... and other perks they can use.” He added, “The golf course was in good shape and set up fair. We heard nothing but positive comments from the players. We will look forward to next year and plan to spread the word to our friends about the tournament so they can come out and enjoy it, too.”

Fort Bragg’s Stryker Golf Course PGA Pro Jeff Johnson spent a good part of the tournament at Cypress Lakes. He was pleased that Stryker, and the area’s military golfers, have been invited to join the tournament’s rotation. “I would like to see more military members sign up since we will be the host of the Cumberland County Championship Classic in 2020. I think there is a lot of potential for growth here. We joined a little late in the game, so there wasn’t a lot of time to get the word out. Going forward, it will be easier to promote,” said Johnson. “For the first time of the new format, I think it was wonderful. Seventy-seven players was a good start, and I think we can get more than 100 next year. I heard nothing but positive feedback about this year’s changes. The golfers loved the gift bags … they got their money’s worth and then some. I think the pros working together is going to be good for the tournament. The new committee format lets them know they are not alone.” 

Several local businesses and sponsors provided food and beverages all three days of the tournament, including Healy Wholesale, Chick Fil A, Huske Hardware, Kinlaw’s and Scrub Oaks from the North Side. This was also a tournament first. 

Billy West added, “This was unique from other typical amateur golf tournaments. Everything from the Pairings Party, which I thought was a unique and good way to get things started, to the breakfast and lunch and snacks there. These are the things that build camaraderie.” 

So, congratulations to the 2016 Cumberland County Golf Classic Champion Thomas Owen and to the other three CCGC Division Winners: Andy Palma-Open Division Champion, Rick Goforth-Senior Division Champion and Larry Robertson-Super Senior Champion. No doubt, they all will be returning to defend their titles in 2017. 

Up & Coming Weekly is proud to be associated with this event. Owen’s name will be added to the Legacy Trophy that will be on display and showcased at his home course, Highland Country Club, for the next year. Here, you can see all the champions dating back to 1969. No doubt, 2017 will be one for the record books. Get ready and plan on being at Gates Four next year. Anyone interested in participating in the 2017 CCGC, volunteering to help or be an event sponsor may contact Bill Bowman directly at: bbowman@upandcomingweekly.com or 910 391 3859.

Purple Door Productions is a community theater based in Robeson County. Its goal is to enrich, educate and entertain Robeson County and the surrounding communities. For both actors and audiences, this theater is always looking for ways to engage in creating meaningful and diverse productions for children and adults. On Sept. 29-30 and Oct. 1-2, don’t miss Purple Door Productions’ showing of Neil Simon’s California Suite at the A. D. Lewis Theater at Robeson Community College in Lumberton.

Neil Simon’s play California Suite originally opened at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles in April 1976. By June of that year, the play opened on Broadway and played at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre until July of 1977.

The story takes place in Suite 203-04 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Four totally different and unrelated stories unfold throughout the performance. The only thing they have in common is that they all take place in suite 203-04. In one story line, a mother flies in from Manhattan to pick up her daughter from the girl’s screenwriter father. The two are trying to workout living arrangements for their daughter.

Another scene features a Philadelphia businessman who wakes up in the suite next to a prostitute. His wife is on her way up to the suite as he panics to cover up his indiscretion. Next an Academy Award nominee from London, along with her newly-outted husband, struggles with what people will think when they find out her marriage is a sham. Two rich couples from Chicago stay in the suite as well. They come as friend, but things fall apart fast when one husband accuses the other of intentionally injuring his wife.

The play was made into a movie in 1978 starring Alan Alda, Michael Caine, Bill Cosby, Jane Fonda, Walter Matthau, Elaine May, Richard Pryor and Maggie Smith.

The play is produced in partnership with the Robeson Community College Foundation. The RCC Foundation provides scholarships to students who might not otherwise be able to attend RCC. The foundation offers a variety of scholarships, including funds that come with opportunities to serve throughout the community and on campus 

Robeson County Community College was founded in 1965 as part of Fayetteville Technical Institute. There were six full-time employees. Three years later, it became independent and was renamed Robeson Technical Institute. It is now Robeson Community College. The school’s focus is vocational, technical, college transfer and continuing education programs. The college currently has almost 200 full-time employees and close to 300 part-time teachers. 

Showtime on Sept. 29-30 is 7:30 p.m. On Oct. 1-2, the curtain rises at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults; $8 for students; and $5 for RCC staff and students. For tickets or reservations, call 258.0787. Find out more about RCC and the RCC Foundation at www.robeson.edu. 

Fall is in the air and school is in session. In addition to Friday Night Lights, it’s homework and carpooling season. For educators that means testing, teaching and mentoring students — and more. Reuben Stocks is the master brewer at The Mash House, and his wife used to be an educator. 

“They are such a big part of the community. Educators do so much to help kids. Most people who haven’t been involved in education don’t realize how much they do,” he said. 

So when The Mash House management started thinking about how to give back to the community, honoring educators and the work they do seemed like an obvious choice. On Saturday, Oct. 1, The Mash House, in partnership with the Cumberland County Schools, will host a parking lot party. Admission is free and open to the public.

Food and drink tickets are $2 each. The menu includes burgers (two tickets per burger) and beer (one ticket per beer).  Tickets are available for purchase at the door. Educators, though, get four free tickets. “This event is open to the public to come and celebrate teachers and other people who work in the school system, so we will have some free tickets for educators to have a meal on us. We’ll also have live music and corn hole games,” said Stocks. “There will be a TV set up outside for people to keep up with how their team is doing, too. There will be a lot going on. It should be a lot of fun.” 

Attendees can look forward to prizes and giveaways throughout the day as well. The John Dupree Band will provide the live music throughout the day.

Cumberland Count Schools Beginning Teacher Support Coordinator Tina Chapman noted that everyone is invited. It is a great way to show local educators that they have the support of the community. “We’ve invited the assistant principals, principals.” Chapman noted, adding that Cumberland County Schools Board members are also invited. “I have also invited Todd McCAbe, our teacher of the 2016/2017 school year to say a few words.” Mayor Nat Robertson and CCS Superintendent Dr. Frank Till are also scheduled to attend, along with other local dignitaries. 

Beer connoisseurs, come thirsty. Stocks plans to serve the eight staples the Mash House serves; however, expect something new. 

“We will release our Oktoberfest that day. We will also have our Mash House Blonde and IPA for the hop heads that show up.  We will do our red ale, which is a style to fit for those that don’t care for the other three,” he added.

While the party is outside, this is the perfect chance to take a peek at the newly decorated Mash House interior. “We renovated the main dining area. We have new lights and fixtures and new paint and carpet. It has a nice ambience,” said Stocks. “We have a new semi-private dining room to host private events. We are excited about that because previously we could only do that on our patio — and as you know, North Carolina weather can be up and down.”

While the event is a celebration of community educators, Chapman pointed out that public attendance is a big part of the event. “It gives teachers the feeling they are appreciated and valued here. Building relationships with community helps the public to know what the teachers do every day in the classroom and let them know they are valued. The teachers and administrators definitely walk away feeling good about their role in the community and feeling appreciated. This truly is one of the biggest feel-good events of the year for us. Helping to plan things like this is my favorite part of my job.” 

The fun starts at noon and runs through 4 p.m.  Call 867.9223 for more information.

If you are wondering what all the “hollerin’” is about, then you obviously have not heard that the North Carolina Hollerin’ Contest in Spivey’s Corner ended last year. Those in the hollerin’ community did not take that news quietly. Instead, they raised an alarm that a cultural tradition could be lost, and their voice was heard all the way up to New York City. 

Hollerin’ champions from the past made a visit to The Late Show, which hosted its first Hollerin’ Contest. The attention garnered from that and other media events convinced Robbie Goodman, a former Army paratrooper, to put on his boots and get to work organizing the Worldwide Hollerin’ Contest on Oct. 8 at Paradise Acres in the Gray’s Creek community.

Goodman and other champions from the Hollerin’ Contest came together to save the event, which represents a fine southern tradition. Forming a board and a non-profit organization wasn’t the easiest thing to do, but the group succeeded and is planning a party that you won’t soon forget.

The original event was launched in 1969, putting Spivey’s Corner on the world stage. The first contest was held in June 1969 at Midway High School, and it fast became a summer tradition for many. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, when there were people like Tom T. Hall and Dolly Parton singing at the contest, it hosted upwards of 5,000 people and extended to almost a week.

Goodman was 10 years old when he brought out his trademark siren and hollered his lungs out in Spivey’s Corner to the delight of the judges, who crowned him the junior champion. That was in 1978. Now, nearly four decades later, Goodman is taking the lead to save the event.

“Hollerin’,” a traditional form of communication used in rural areas to convey long-distance messages, is considered by some to be the earliest form of communication between humans. “Hollers” exist for virtually any communicative purpose imaginable. The hollers featured at the World Wide Hollerin’ festival fall into one of these four categories: distress, functional, communicative or pleasure.

The multi-year teen champion of the National Hollerin’ Festival, Ivy Hinson, hails from Fayetteville. For a great sampling of hollerin’, watch her in the 2009 competition here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUShkSKAMPg.

The World Wide Hollerin’ Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 8. Admission is $3 per person, and visitors are invited to bring their chairs, blankets and coolers and enjoy the contest on the 12-acre Paradise Acres facility. Music, food, contests, crafts and more are on the agenda for this special day.

Entertainment will be provided by Cumberland County Line Bluegrass. From the Piedmont Region of North Carolina and with a style reminiscent of the old bluegrass groups of the past, Cumberland County Line bluegrass offers a mixture of traditional Bluegrass and gospel music. Between playing great music and telling a few tall tales along the way, the group does its best to stir up memories, cause a laugh or two and lift your faith in Jesus Christ. 

Eighty percent of the proceeds from the event are donated to Wags4Tags, an organization that matches trained shelter dogs with veterans suffering from psychological and emotional injuries. More information: www.Wags4Tags.org

For more information on the festival, go to www.WorldwideHollerinFestival.org or call 910-633-4735.

On Saturday, Oct. 29, Fayetteville residents will have the opportunity to avail themselves of a unique adventure: a tandem free fall with members of the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights. The chance comes with the opportunity support research into a rare form of cancer: Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

The event, hosted by Kevin and Shawn Grullon, local realtors, honors their memories of their son, Zach, who died from the disease on Jan. 28, 2012. Those who knew Zach refer to him as energetic, adventurous, outgoing and strong-willed. A graduate of Jack Britt High School, Grullon dreamed of serving in the United States military and considered a tandem jump with the U.S. Army Golden Knights a dream come true.

All of that changed in 2010, when he was diagnosed with Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma. The disease, which primarily attacks teens and young adults, is a rare liver cancer. Annually, 200 young adults die from this disease. Some 72,000 teens and young adults are diagnosed with various forms of cancer every year, according to a 2010 Wall Street Journalarticle, of that number, 10,000 die. Until 2008, little research was done in the area of Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma because it is so rare, but that changed when Tucker Davis, the founder of the Firbrolamellar Cancer Foundation, was diagnosed with the disease.

Davis founded the foundation with the hope of finding a cure for this often fatal disease. The foundation’s mission is threefold: Find a cure and treatment options; raise awareness of the disease; and bring attention to teen and young adult cancers.

Grullon’s parents, Kevin and Shawn, have been contributing to that mission since Zach’s death. Zach was diagnosed with FHC in March 2010. He had been dealing with severe stomach pain and nausea for a couple of months. Friends and family didn’t think much of the pain because Zach worked out so hard. After numerous tests and scans, a grapefruit-sized tumor was found on his liver. In April 2010, he had a liver resection, but the cancer had already spread to his lymph nodes. Zach began an intensive round of chemotherapy, but he didn’t let it stop the way he lived his life. He continued to work out and play sports. And, in August 2010, just a couple of months after his high-school graduation, he jumped with the Golden Knights.

The memory of that jump inspired his parents to host the first Free Fall to Fight Cancer on Saturday, June 2, 2012. The event gave individuals the opportunity to perform a tandem jump with former and off-duty members of the Golden Knights, who volunteered for the cause. It was so popular that the Grullons have continued the event and this year, the event is slated for Oct. 8 at Skydive Paraclete XP, located at 132 Airport Drive in Raeford, at 9 a.m. For a $350 donation, individuals will get to jump with the world-famous team and receive a video and photos of their jump to share with friends and family. If you are only interested in the jump and not in having a record of the event, the tandem jump without video or pictures is $225. Those interested in participating in the fundraiser must be at least 18 years of age and weigh less than 235 pounds.

All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Firbrolamellar Cancer Foundation. To register, or for more information, contact Kevin and Shawn Grullon at 910-257-3027 or 910-229-1100 or email grullonteam@gmail.com.

The unavoidable truth is that medical care is often costly. However, maintaining health is important not only for individuals, but for the community as a whole. Recognizing this challenge, Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation was created in 1995 as a philanthropic offshoot of Cape Fear Valley Health. Since its inception, the funds raised by CFVHF have been used to support programs and services that Cape Fear Valley Health provides for the community.

One of the reasons that the Foundation is so valuable is that 100 percent of donations are used to make real, concrete improvements in available healthcare. In the past CFVHF has used funds to provide equipment to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, emergency financial needs for cancer patients and new EKG equipment on EMS vehicles. Cape Fear Valley Health continues to grow, and as such, the foundation tries to keep pace by making sure that the larger facilities still provide quality healthcare for the community. Budgets are limited, but thanks to CFVHF the communities’ health comes first. 

In order to fund expanded programming, this year the Foundation will host the 21st annual Friends of Children Golf and Tennis Classic. The proceeds of this fundraiser will go to supporting children hospitalized at Cape Fear Valley Health. Specifically, they will provide the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with two new Giraffe Bed Care stations. This equipment creates a womb like environment that significantly increases chances for survival for the more than 600 pre-term infants that the NICU staff cares for every year. The beds provide stable temperatures, protection and safe mobility for access to immediate care.

Both the tennis and the golf tournaments take place on Oct. 6 at Highland Country Club. The golf tournament is presented by Rick Hendrick Toyota, and Lafayette Lincoln is presenting the tennis tournament. Golf sponsorships range from $500 for a player sponsor, which features one dinner ticket and one golfer spot, to the $25,000 community sponsor which includes 12 golfer tickets, 12 dinner tickets, a VIP dinner, event promotions and event recognition. Golfers also receive a premium player gift package, lunch, beverages and access to the beer and wine tasting. The gift package includes a golf shirt and a $100 certificate at the Highland Country Club Pro Shop. 

Sponsorship levels for the tennis tournament begin at $250 with the ball sponsor that includes one player entry, a name on the banner and two wine/beer tastings and dinner tickets. Otherwise it is $60 per player. Alternatively, tickets for just the wine and beer tasting and dinner can be purchased for $50. To register, visit www.capefearvalley.com/golf/. 

In a fun twist on the game, tennis players will compete in tennis poker. For every game that is won the player will randomly choose a card from a deck. Each card corresponds to a specific number of points. At the end of the day the player with the most points is the winner!

There will also be a raffle. Tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100. Purchasing $100 or more in tickets will also include two admissions to the beer and wine tasting dinner. The prizes for the raffle are a choice between five fantastic trips for four. The options include the Master’s Tournament, Sonoma Wine Country, any college sports game, a golf trip to Bay Hill in Orlando, Fla., or a tennis trip to the U.S. Open in New York. For more information, visit www.cfvfoundation.org. 

It’s late on a weekday night. You’ve gotten stuck at the office trying to finish up that big project. As you leave the building, you realize that you are the only person there. The parking lot is empty except for your car. Until that moment, you never realized how dark the parking lot was or how many bushes are situated around it. As you walk quickly, you hear a noise … panic starts to rise. You see a man standing between you and the safety of your vehicle-what do you do?

That’s a scenario that women all across America may face at some time or another. It might not just be you by yourself. It might be you and your small child or you and your teenaged daughter. Knowing how to act when faced with danger is important. If you don’t have a plan before you come face to face with it, you probably are going to freeze and then the unimaginable can happen.

Candy Sugarman, a California native who now calls Fayetteville home, doesn’t want any woman to find herself  in that position. To that end, Sugarman has organized Feminine and Fierce: A Self-Protection & Defense event on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the AIT Building at 421 Maiden Lane in Downtown Fayetteville. 

Surgarman, who is also a member of the Gun Powder Gals, an area shooting organization for women, realized that many women may not feel comfortable with guns and may want another alternative for self-defense. That idea had Sugarman looking for a way to educate and inform women on how they can protect themselves.

“For the last several months I’ve been working on putting this event together,” said Sugarman. “A lot of women don’t want guns or they can’t take them the places they have to go like to Fort Bragg. So there has to be a means to teach women how to defend themselves so they are not wandering around defenseless.”

Sugarman becomes passionate when she talks about the need for women to be able to defend themselves. She sees too many women who, by lack of information, make themselves victims. The event is not going to focus only on the physical means women can defend themselves, but also the common sense steps they can take to ensure their own safety.

“Something as simple as looking under your car before you walk up to it is a big deal,” said Sugarman. “I had a friend tell me she refused to do that because she refused to spend her life being afraid.”

Sugarman believes that recognizing that the world is a dangerous place and taking common sense steps to protect yourself is not living in fear, rather it is taking control of the situation. And that’s what she hopes to achieve with the upcoming event. She wants to give women common sense ways to keep themselves from becoming a victim.

She noted that there is no one size fits every situation response. One solution is not very often the answer to a problem. Women need multiple methods of self-protection and defense, such as martial arts or physical self-defense, non-lethal forms of defense such as knuckles and stun guns, firearms training, information about situational awareness, home defense and even identity theft.  That really gave root to the idea of the upcoming event that brings together various methods of self-protection, defense, situational awareness and home protection. To do that, she has pulled together a number of community resources. On tap to present at the event are:

•North Carolina Concealed Carry Firearms Group who will discuss using firearms to protect and defend your home

•The Range Complexdiscussing the importance of training and practice using a firearm for defense

•Damsel in Defense by Misty (Independent Damsel Pro)who will share non-lethal ways of self-protection (stun guns, etc.)

•Jackie Carter of Legal Shield who will talk about ways to protect yourself from identity theft. 

•Personal Defense Concepts are covered through the Refuse to Be A Victim program that is sponsored by the NRA.

•Gill Security Systems Incwill cover securing your home via cameras and alarm systems.

•Academy of Christian Martial Arts will teach women that their body is their weapon by teaching women what they can do to get away or protect themselves from an attacker

•The Fayetteville Police department will be on hand to talk about the current crimes that are committed against women and girls.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/feminine-fierce-a-self-protection-defense-event-tickets-26523604816Fe. Individual ticket are $67 and groups with more than 20 members can purchase tickets for $58. 

 Every October the Highland Games bring people from all over the state to participate in a fantastic exhibition of true Scottish culture in Laurinburg. Founder and chairman Bill Caudill describes the Scotland County Highland Games as, “like a day-long visit to Scotland without having to fly.” These games are particularly special because of their connection to the local history. “Being in this region, which was the largest Highland Scottish settlement in North America until well into the 19th century, there is a lot of Scottish identity and Scottish-American history in this area. This is one of very few, if any, Scottish Games that are truly held in a region that was important in the history of Scottish settlement in the USA,” Caudill explained. The event is scheduled for Oct. 1 at the John Blue Home and Historical Complex in Laurinburg.

It all begins with the opening ceremonies. “My own favorite part is the opening ceremonies. To see all the pipe bands on parade for the massed pipes and drums, the Scottish clans marching by with their banners and tartans waiving and to see the crowd assembled,” Caudill said, “As the founder and chairman of the event, it still gives me chills to see the dreams which I had — which were shared by volunteers who make the event happen — come to fruition. There’s no festival event like it in our region that has this much color and pageantry!”

In the past years, attendance has reached upwards of 5,000. It is easy to see why the event is so popular when the schedule is packed full of incredible things to do and experience. One of the most exciting displays is the athletic and artistic competitions. “Some may know of the athletic events that are traditional in the Highlands of Scotland, however for those who have not seen a burly man (and some women) try to throw what looks like a small telephone pole then, this, you gotta see. There are also several dozen Highland Dancers and solo pipers and drummers who will be competing for prizes during the day — the first thing one will hear on exiting their car will be the sound of bagpipes in the distance. Fourteen pipe bands will be competing for prizes in the afternoon’s pipe band contest,” Caudill said. 

There is even a place for children to try out their skills on miniature version of the adult athletic competitions. The fairgrounds will also be packed full of Clan Societies willing to share the histories of their clans and assist others in finding their Scottish roots. There are also vendors offering everything from kilts, to Celtic Jewelry to even the classic culinary favorite - Haggis. There will also be the familiar meat pies, pizza, burgers and hotdogs. Entertainment continues at 6 p.m. with the Celtic Rock group “Seven Nations”.

The Highland Games is truly focused on the audience. The entire family can come and enjoy a whole day of music, culture and fun. The Highland Games will be held at the John Blue Historical Complex, which also offers a great glimpse into the Scottish-American heritage of the region as it features historic homes and agricultural buildings that all have ties to Scottish-American families. For more information, visit www.schgnc.org/index.html.

Fayetteville’s proposed $33 million Single-A baseball stadium will be built on city-owned property behind the former Prince Charles Hotel without a residential property-tax increase. The ballpark’s construction cost is tied to several funding sources as shown in the pie chart to the right. The Fayetteville City Council will own the facility, which will be operated under contract with the Houston Astros. Both parties have agreed to a 30-year lease. “The private development will be outlined in the master development agreement with the city and private developers,” said City Councilman Kirk deViere. He chaired the subcommittee that came up with the plan. 

The funding model for the stadium includes investment from the city, county and private sector. County Commissioners unanimously approved their participation in the project last week. 

“This is a great example of how the city and county can work together for economic growth. This project will have an annual impact of over $7 million dollars and over $20 million dollars during construction,” deViere added. 

City and County governments will use tax increment financing of revenues earned from new construction added to the tax rolls in the specified district adjacent to the stadium

A major part of the overall project is renovation of the former Prince Charles Hotel behind which the stadium will be built. New owners of the hotel plan to spend $15 million in renovations to build 62 apartments and a luxury penthouse on the eighth floor. PCH Holdings also has a memorandum of understanding with the city to develop property immediately surrounding the ballpark.

The City of Fayetteville is taking a new approach to gutter clutter. The Parks and Recreation Department’s landscaping division now has three two-man crews charged with right-of-way maintenance. Each crew is assigned a pickup truck with trash picker-uppers and weed eaters. “Their job is to patrol major and minor thoroughfares and gather up roadside trash,” said Director Michael Gibson. They head out each morning to pick up debris that motorists have tossed out their windows. The city contracts with a temp agency to provide full-time seasonal workers 38 weeks out of the year. They take off the late winter, early spring period, according to Gibson, who says these crews come in from a day’s work with truckloads of debris. “We’re cleaner than most other cities,” declared Gibson. The new program was funded this fiscal year by City Council.

 

 

Airport Wins Federal Grants

Fayetteville Regional Airport has received the first of three $10 million grants to expand the terminal building. The grant is part of an overall $30 million project to renovate and upgrade the terminal at the airport, according to Director Brad Whited. The terminal building was built in 1969. The last major renovation cost about $7 million and was done in three phases, which were completed in 2006. The new grant is provided by the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program. The “Airport and Airport Commission are very excited to be awarded $10 million in 2016 from the FAA’s discretionary funding for non-hub airport terminals,” said Whited. He says the multi-year project will transform the 47-year-old terminal by updating the look and functionality to modern standards. Fourth District Congressman David Price (D-NC), Ranking Member of the House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, made the announcement. The $30 million upgrade of the terminal will be paid for mostly by the federal government with the rest coming from airport revenues. The renovation project will be done in phases and includes replacement of Concourse A and expansion of the passenger screening area. Completion is scheduled for the summer of 2019.

 

 

 

Suspect Government Fraud?

The City of Fayetteville’s Office of Internal Audit is conducting a “Doing What’s Right” campaign in an effort to uncover fraud in city government. A city news release says the project is intended to “reduce incidents of fraud, waste and abuse that affect the City of Fayetteville.” The news release did not indicate what prompted the campaign. Residents and employees are encouraged to report suspicious activity by calling the fraud hotline at 1-877-339-4715. Examples of city-related fraud include: theft of city property, using city property for personal use, payroll or timekeeping scams, fictitious invoices for goods and services and accepting bribes, kickbacks and illegal gratuities. The city also suggests that suspicious activity in the private sector be reported to appropriate law enforcement agencies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Amendment

A Fayetteville high school teacher is being criticized for desecrating the American flag to illustrate the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Massey Hill Classical High School history teacher Lee Francis’ first choice was to burn the flag, but when he asked if any of his students had a cigarette lighter, no one responded. So, instead, he dropped the flag on the floor and stomped on it. At least that’s the account of Sara Taylor, the parent of a student at the school. She posted a photo of the crumpled flag on Facebook and the response was predictable. Schools Superintendent Dr. Frank Till said there are better ways to teach students about freedom of speech. “There are a lot of examples in archives we could use that were appropriate,” he said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early Voting Next Month

Early voting for the Nov. 8 general election begins Thursday, Oct. 20 and ends Saturday, Nov. 5. Citizens who want to take advantage of early voting, but are not registered to vote, may do same-day registration during the early voting period if they provide acceptable documentation. The changes are the result of federal court intervention overturning restrictive state laws. Early voting is at the Cumberland County Board of Elections Office and nine other locations across Cumberland County. The revised schedule results from action taken by the N.C. Board of Elections when the Cumberland County Elections Board declined to act. Remote early voting locations include Cliffdale Recreation Center, East Regional Branch Library, E.E. Miller Recreation Center, Gray’s Creek Recreation Center, Hope Mills Recreation Center, Kiwanis Recreation Center, North Regional Branch Library, Smith Recreation Center and Spring Lake Community Center. 

Hours at the Elections Board Office in downtown Fayetteville are:

Oct. 20-Nov. 4 (Monday through Friday) 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Oct. 29 and Nov. 5 (Saturdays) 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Oct. 30 (Sunday) 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Hours of operation at most remote locations are:

Oct. 20-Nov. 4 (Monday through Friday) 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Oct. 29 & Nov. 5 (Saturdays) 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Oct. 30 (Sunday) 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Spring Lake early voting doesn’t begin until Oct. 27:

Oct. 27-Nov. 4 (Monday through Friday) 11:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 29 & Nov. 5 (Saturdays) 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Oct. 30 (Sunday) 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.

 

Firefighters and EMS Workers Honored

Cumberland County Emergency Services, the Fayetteville Fire Department and the Fire Chief’s Association of Cumberland County will conduct an annual memorial service Oct. 1 at 11 a.m. to honor firefighters and EMS workers who have sacrificed their lives serving the people of Cumberland County and Fort Bragg. The service will be held at the Emergency Services Memorial on the campus of Fayetteville Technical Community College next to Cumberland Hall. Names of first responders listed on the memorial are: Joseph E. Boles, Paul I. Boyer III, William I. Capps, Luther P. Horne, Ferrell D. Hood, Jesse M. Jones, Steve E. Russell Jr., David C. Sharp II, Jesse U. Shockley Jr. and John C. Tyner. Persons wishing to purchase memorial bricks or have bricks placed on the memorial walkway will find information at BravetheFire.com. 

 

 

 

 

 

The two most experienced members of the City of Fayetteville’s senior management team are being terminated. Senior Deputy City Manager Kristoff Bauer and Deputy Manager Rochelle Small-Toney have resigned effective September 30. They would not comment when questioned by Up & Coming Weekly. They would neither confirm nor deny reports that they had been asked to step down or be fired. Interim City Manager Doug Hewett declined to confirm that he had asked for their resignations, citing North Carolina’s personnel laws. 

Mayor Nat Robertson said he had no direct knowledge of the dual terminations. 

“I’ve not been notified of any change of status,” he said. “Mr. Hewett is the city manager. I have the utmost confidence that he’ll do what’s best for the city and its residents,” Robertson added. 

Up & Coming Weekly learned of the deputy managers impending departures from sources with direct knowledge of the situation. It’s believed the Fayetteville City Council spoke of issues pertaining to Bauer and Small-Toney in a closed meeting earlier this month. Council members Bill Crisp and Ted Mohn are said to have objected, fearing the body was skating on thin ice by evaluating city employees. Under the council/manager form of local government in North Carolina, elected bodies hire, evaluate and fire only their chief executives and attorneys. In Fayetteville, Bauer and Small-Toney serve at the pleasure of the city manager. Termination notices involving Bauer and Small-Toney are said to have been pending for at least 90 days. Small-Toney submitted her resignation and has already cleaned out her office in city hall. Bauer reportedly will stay on as a consultant to Hewett for an undetermined period of time. 

Bauer, 50, became deputy city manager seven years ago. He was hired Aug. 8, 2009 by then-City Manager Dale Iman. He holds dual bachelor’s degrees, an MBA and a law degree, all from the University of Washington. His annual salary was $175,193. Small-Toney, 60, was hired by former City Manager Ted Voorhees on Mar. 3, 2013. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was paid $171,566.

Ironically, Interim City Manager Hewett has Small-Toney to thank for his return to Fayetteville in the summer of last year. He had worked as an assistant manager here under Iman until 2012 when both left. On Small-Toney’s recommendation, Voorhees brought Hewett to Fayetteville in a temporary capacity to head up a reorganized Permitting and Inspections Department. Last Spring, City Council passed over Bauer and Small-Toney when it tapped Hewett to succeed Voorhees who had been fired. Small-Toney has been on the job market since getting her notice, but recently withdrew an application to be city manager of Petersburg, Virginia, a city on the verge of financial collapse. Despite his talents, Bauer has irked several community leaders because of his caustic personality. Police Chief Harold Medlock had considered resigning because of Bauer’s management style. Hewett removed Bauer from the chain of command when he became interim manager, and assumed management oversight of the police department. Medlock has since decided to retire, and coincidentally does so Oct. 1.

One of the great moments of this, or frankly of any presidential campaign, occurred last month when Hillary Clinton appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Showto perform a feat of strength by attempting to open a pickle jar. It was Festivus in August. Any year you have Festivus more than once is a very good year. In keeping with the Festivus theme, Hillary’s Grand Opening was followed by the Airing of Grievances by Republicans. They bitterly complained the jar lid was loosened to allow Hillary to free the pickles. The Donald complained Picklegate was just another example of Hillary playing fast and loose with the truth. Unmoored from his campaign staff and his meds and unshackled from his teleprompter, he riffed comparing the Clinton Foundation with George Costanza’s fake Human Fund, “Money for People.”

Hillary replied to The Donald’s Picklegate charge stating that “nothing could be further from the truth” that someone had loosened the jar lid. Politicians and their Facebook supporters constantly attack their opponents by using the phrase “nothing could be further from the truth” to disparage an opponent’s statement. This got me thinking about quantum physics and Aunt Bea’s pickles. Ponder the phrase “nothing could be further from the truth.” How is it possible for more than one thing to be furthest from the truth? If the truth is a single point on a straight line, then only one thing can be furthest from it. Yet politicians keep telling us that things said by their opponents are the furthest from the truth. It doesn’t make geometric sense.

When The Donald says that he never led the birther charge that Obama can’t be President because he was born on the planet Venus, Democrats will say nothing could be further from the truth. If Hillary says the private email server was for convenience only, the Republicans will say nothing could be further from the truth. How can birtherism and emailgate both be further from the truth than the other? Only one can be further from the truth. As the King of Siam once told Anna, “Is a puzzlement.”

If instead of the truth being a point on a straight line, what if the truth is a point in the middle of a circle surrounded by political lies? Then multiple false statements can appear on the diameter of the circle. Each political lie , if not further from the truth than the other lies, would at least be equidistant from the truth with the other political lies. Sort of like the Knights of the Round Table. This truthian geometry makes my head hurt.

Instead of thinking about Hillary’s pickle jar, let us ponder Aunt Bea’s pickles. This was the classic Andy Griffith episode. Aunt Bea had many fine qualities but making pickles wasn’t one of them. She made 18 jars of pickles that tasted like kerosene cucumbers. Kind hearted but gastric sensitive, Andy and Barney, unable to hurt Aunt Bea’s feelings or eat her pickles, switch out her pickles with store bought pickles. They rave so much about how good her pickles are that Aunt Bea decides to enter her pickles in the county fair. Aunt Bea is unaware she is about to enter store-bought pickles. At first Andy figures they will just not tell Aunt Bea about the pickle swap because its just a county fair contest and it really doesn’t matter who wins.

Then the moral dilemma arises. Aunt Bea’s best friend Clara has won the last 11 pickle contests at the fair. Clara drops by Andy’s office and tells him how much it means to her to win the pickle contest. Andy , conscience stricken, has a great quote when explaining to Barney why they can’t let Aunt Bea’s store-bought pickles win over Clara’s homemade pickles. “What’s small potatoes to some folks can be mighty important to others.”

In order to keep the contest fair, Andy and Barney eat all of Aunt Bea’s store bought pickles leading Aunt Bea to make a whole mess of new kerosene pickles. Aunt Bea’s real pickles lose to Clara at the fair. Clara is happy. Justice and honest pickles prevail. Aunt Bea is so thrilled that Barney and Andy liked her pickles that she makes 18 new jars of kerosene pickles for them to eat.

Today’s moral: Nothing could be further from the truth than entering store bought pickles in the county fair. Or as Shakespeare almost said, “Would a kerosene pickle by any other name smell as sweet?” 

If you’re a soldier you’ve probably figured out how to get to work at Fort Bragg and home again each day, despite the new system of roads. But, if you haven’t driven to Fort Bragg or Spring Lake from Fayetteville in a while, you’ll likely get lost. Take it from this reporter! I’ve lived in Fayetteville for 50 years. I’m impressed with the new system of limited access highways and overpasses that have sprung up around Fort Bragg. And we all know why. 

For decades the Army has lobbied state government for a faster, direct route to I-95 so officials can move mechanized units more quickly to North Carolina seaports. Since 911, the need has been more urgent, and, the state has accelerated its road building in the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg area. The future I-295, also known as the Outer Loop, is now open from I-95 to Fort Bragg. Construction continues along the corridor, and by Christmas it should extend all the way to the All American Expressway. State DOT officials believe at that point, the federal Department of Transportation will allow the state to officially designate the loop as I-295.

But, I digress! I decided to see if I could traverse the new system of roads without getting lost (keep in mind I should know my way around). I chose to take an easy route during the pre-dawn hours when most soldiers go to work. I knew Bragg Boulevard had been closed, and that I’d have to turn onto the Airborne and Special Operations Highway to get over to Murchison Road. No problem. So far so good. I was looking for signs that would direct me to Randolph Street, a main entrance to post. I ignored getting off the highway at Honeycutt Road. Big mistake … I ended up in Spring Lake. 

I did a U-turn at Spring Avenue and headed back toward post. Someone who hadn’t been here in a while would be surprised to see Bragg Boulevard no longer exists as you leave Spring Lake. Road construction along N.C. 87 in town sends traffic directly to the new Murchison Road. As I left town,  I was still looking for Randolph Street. I noticed many of the cars ahead of me were turning right onto a long ramp so I followed. It was not marked. That was at 6:43 a.m. Three lanes of one-way traffic stalled along the ramp. Hundreds of cars were at a dead stop, occasionally inching forward. Half an hour later, I crossed Bragg Boulevard and realized I was on Randolph Street. No signs anywhere! 

I turned around at the gate and headed back toward Fayetteville. I took the next exit onto well-marked Honeycutt Road. Signs indicated a welcome center. Traffic wasn’t nearly as bad and before long I reached the Honeycutt gate. I asked the M.P. where the welcome center was. He said I’d have to go to the All American gate across town…that there is no welcome center on Honeycutt, despite what the signs said.

I wondered about the contradiction and why so many other signs were vague or non-existent. So I asked. “Thank you so much for your observations,” said N.C. DOT Division 6 Engineer Greg Burns. “I will ask our staff to investigate and coordinate with Fort Bragg staff on ideas to improve signing,” he added. 

Before I wrote columns for Up & Coming Weekly, I wrote editorials for our family broadcasting business, one of the few broadcasting companies in the country to share its opinions regularly. Another is Capital Broadcasting in Raleigh, parent of WRAL.  I have also spent decades exchanging political opinions in public and in private with all sorts of people, those who agree with me and those who do not.

This is a long way of saying the First Amendment is not theoretical to me.  It is incorporated into my daily life and has been since I first remember talking politics with my contemporaries, other junior high school students at the old Teen Club on Rowan Street.  The First Amendment was woven into my soul in 9th grade civics, a course that although I did not know at the time, would shape my adult life to this very moment.  The First Amendment is as fundamental to me as food, clothing and shelter. 

It is also why the story of Lee Francis, a teacher at Massey Hill Classical High School, snagged my attention immediately.

Francis is a history teacher at a rigorous school with many accelerated students who applied to be there and who are college bound and beyond.  In teaching a lesson involving a First Amendment case, Texas v. Johnson, Francis illustrated the point that free expression is not necessarily just verbal or written by putting his foot on an American flag.  He apparently tapped his foot on the flag more than once, at which point at least one student left the classroom.

A public firestorm ensued with some saying Francis was not only making a First Amendment point to his students but also exercising his own rights as an American citizen.  Others said he desecrated our American flag and did so in front of a classroom of impressionable high school students.  The Cumberland County School System initially suspended Francis, with pay, and later added a 10-day non-paid suspension.  In the meantime, Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West said his office would not prosecute Francis because he was acting within the protection of the First Amendment.

Talk about a teachable moment in a year when campaign ugliness and name calling have reached heights even long-time political observers have trouble stomaching, First Amendment rights not withstanding.

My own first reaction to this local brouhaha was “thank goodness we have teachers like Lee Francis.”  

No need to dwell on what we all know about North Carolina teachers.  Our state has gone from the national average in teacher pay to the bottom of the national barrel, and our teachers are fleeing in droves north, south and west to states that pay them better.  Then there is the reality that most teachers are and have traditionally been women.  A man standing before a classroom is a statistical oddity, and we need more of them not only to teach but to model for our children.  Whatever your feelings about the Massey Hill flag incident, it is hard not to be thankful that teachers like Lee Francis are in our classrooms helping our children understand what it means to be an American.

That being said, could Francis have made his point in a way that did not offend others and in a way that did not involve his foot on the American flag?

Certainly he could have.

But would his point made as powerful an impression as did his foot did?

We cannot know for sure, of course, but I doubt it.  Our mothers told us that actions speak louder than words, and our mothers were right.  The point Francis was attempting to make — and did make in my opinion, is that our Constitution and specifically the First Amendment allow us to share our thoughts and opinions whether those on the receiving end like or agree with them or not.  This was a novel concept when our forebears adopted it in the late 18th century, and it has served our nation so well for more than 200 years that other nations have modeled their Constitutions on ours.  Our right of free expression is ours no matter what our government, the Cumberland County School system or you and I think about what is being expressed.

What happened in a Massey Hill Classical High School history class earlier this month was indeed a teachable moment for everyone — Lee Francis, his students and the rest of us.  I am grateful that from time to time we have such moments to remind us of what a great nation we all call home.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Being a journalist, the 1st Amendment to our Constitution is mighty important to me. I have often found myself having to bite my tongue when I see or hear something that goes far beyond the pale, but do so because I know that it is that individual’s right to express themselves in ways that do not make sense to me, that do not make me comfortable.

As a journalist, I very much buy into the idea that “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Although, sometimes, that is not easy. Such was the case this past week in Cumberland County. By now, everyone has heard that  Lee Francis, the Massey Hill teacher who attempted to teach his students about the 1st Amendment by stepping on the flag, has been suspended  for 10 days for his object lesson. So that’s old news. But maybe, there is something that we all have missed.

Francis, who has been very vocal with the media — local and national — over the past week, has made no bones of the fact that he believes what he was doing was right and that the students, parents and community are the ones who are out of step. I disagree. I believe that Francis is the one out of the step.

There is no doubt that Francis has the right to disrespect our flag. Our Supreme Court ensured that. There is also no doubt that Francis, as the teacher, has the right to set the rules of his classroom. But what Francis cannot demand, but what he must earn, is the respect of his students, their parents and our community. 

This is where, I believe, he has failed miserably.

Before one moves into a community, they should learn about the community. They should learn the social mores, the beliefs, the attitude of the community. If what they believe is at great odds with that community, then perhaps it is not the place for them to be. 

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to recognize the type of community that exists in Cumberland County. Cumberland County is a military community. There are more heroes in this community than you can shake a stick at because we are, after all, the Home of the 82nd Airborne and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. There are probably more kids in our schools with dads and moms deployed than there are with them at home. There are also many families who have lost loved ones in the wars over the past 16 years — families who have lost friends and neighbors during the wars. So calling our community The All-American Community is a pretty good indicator about how people feel about their country and its symbols.

This is something that Francis, who chose to move to this community, should have understood when he began teaching the community’s students. Francis should have learned about his students. He should have known how many of them have family members serving. He should have considered that there may be kids in his school whose parents came back home covered in an American Flag. If he understood all of those things, he would have understood that his action, was much like the person yelling fire in a movie theater. His action was inflammatory. He has acknowledged that. He was trying to make a point. When you go out of your way to make a point through inflammatory activities, then you can’t be surprised that you get burned. It’s called using sound judgement, something that I think was missing from his object lesson and definitely from his actions following the event.

If Francis, in fact, was trying to teach an object lesson, than he should not have been surprised by some of  his students reactions or the community’s. You see, another great tenet of democracy is civil disobedience, which is a refusal to obey governmental demands or commands, especially in a nonviolent and usually collective means of forcing concessions from the government. That’s what the two students who walked out of class and took the flag with them did. They exercised their right to challenge their leader (teacher) who had demanded something from them that they simply could not stomach. Those students and parents who made their voice heard could not stomach a teacher, someone who is supposed to act wisely, doing the contrary. Yes, he had the right to do what he did — and they had the right to let him know they did not agree.

Superintendent Till also had the right to look at the kind of judgement Francis used in the classroom, and, like many in the community, he found it lacking. So Francis earned a 10-day suspension. His first cry was for the student who sent out the picture to be punished. That student was exercising their right of free speech to say they did not agree. 

Francis has had his 15 minutes of fame. Now maybe he can get serious about teaching.

Sean Kenney used to work in an office on Park Avenue. He worked as cartoonist, a graphic artist and a web designer. And every night when he got off work, he’d let his inner child out to play, and often still in his suit, Kenney would build and create the things hidden in his imagination during the day. Now, Kenney uses LEGOS to create sculptures of high-profile clients, businesses and other venues around the world. On Sept. 30, his latest work, Nature Connects Art with Lego Bricks opens at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden for what will be a three-month exhibit.

Using more than 500,000 LEGOS, “there will be more than 27 sculptures arranged in 24 or 25 displays,” said Meg Suraci, Cape Fear Botanical Garden director of marketing. “As an example, there is a bison and her calf and a bird. The bird is sitting on the bison’s back that is three sculptures, but one display. The garden’s board of directors and staff are all excited to bring this exhibit to Fayetteville. Some of us have seen it firsthand already and are familiar with how amazing these sculptures are and we are excited to blend the art and nature and education in the garden. It will be a fantastic experience.”

The colorful sculptures spaced thoughtfully throughout the garden are not only intriguing to look at, each also has a related interpretive panel that makes a connection between exhibit and the natural world. The exhibit also includes activities for kids as well as grown up kids, hand-on building stations and design competitions, too. “I am excited to see the sculptures in our garden and that there will be other activities throughout the term of the exhibit,” said Suraci. “On opening weekend we will have LEGO mania in the Orangery. Also during the exhibit, we will have community building competitions. We will have a military-themed building competition as well as a nature-themed building competition. That will be fun for people to bring their work in. There will also be user groups coming and teaching some of the tricks of the trade.” 

It’s been more than 10 years since Kenney stood up from his desk in a 40-story New York City skyscraper, took off his tie and walked out of the office in the middle of the day to go home and build with LEGOS. And he hasn’t looked back once. 

Sure, LEGOS are fun. The bright colors and many interlocking shapes make just about anything possible. But there for Kenney, it is more than that. “I love that whether a 2-year-old child or a professional master builder snaps two LEGO pieces together, the end result is exactly the same... The final product is visually identical. I think this lowers the bar for entry and makes it more accessible, but also shows people that mastering the medium is more about using your brain and having creative ideas than about eons of honing a physical technique.

“I also love the whimsical nature of the results. The bright fun colors, the cartoonish nature of the final piece. There’s just something about LEGO that makes people smile.”

With structures list a hummingbird that hovers eight-feet in the air, a giant monarch butterfly with and eight-foot wingspan, a five-foot tall bumble bee and a seven-foot rose the sculptures invite visitors to used their imaginations make connections. “Fundamentally the show is about connections. Much as LEGO pieces connect, everything in nature is connected in an intricate balance. It is important to me that each individual sculpture attempt to illustrate some of these ‘connections’ found in nature, whether it’s a fox hunting a rabbit, a hummingbird feeding on a trumpet flower, baby ducklings following their parents on a walk, or squirrels raiding a bird feeder as the birds stand by helpless to stop them. Others showcase the beauty of nature … like a five-foot praying mantis. There’s also a life-sized lawn mower that visitors often mistake for the real thing... which is good for a laugh, but also shows humankind’s connection to nature.”

Like many artists, Kenney finds inspiration in all kinds of places and each piece is unique from inception to creation. He noted that the hummingbird sculpture popped into his head when he heard someone mention a hummingbird during a conversation. “I immediately had this vision of something that you could actually walk under, suspended as if by magic. Creating a spindly little nose and paper thin wings built out of chunky LEGO pieces seemed like a wonderful challenge and, if done right, something that would look amazing,” said Kenney. 

He spent four weeks designing and planning the piece, researching images of hummingbirds in nature choosing the perfect colors and designing the internal steel reinforcements, then about five or more weeks building it. Kenney is proud of the fact that his sculptures are not computer generated. “When I’m designing a model, I gather as many photographs or drawings of the subject as I can, and then use graph paper or a computer model to plan out the basic shape and size,” said Kenney.

After that, he starts building a prototype with LEGO pieces, using his plans as a guide. He noted that there’s a lot of visualization required, and he often has to step back and examine the model from all sides as it’s coming together. Sometimes that means taking sections apart and re-building them. “Once I have a prototype that I like, I’ll rebuild it, glued, using the prototype as a template,” send Kenney. “Depending on the size of the sculpture, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. And if the model is something that needs to be uniquely recognized, I spend a lot more time making sure it’s perfect,” Kenney added. 

The exhibit runs through Jan. 8. Suraci noted that “It is free with regular garden admission,” said Suraci. “Anyone who is a member gets free admission. A membership, if you plan to come once or more, will pay for itself pretty quickly.”

Find out more at www.capefearbg.org or call 486.0221 for more information.