We live in a time when the word “narrative” is used repeatedly in discussing or analyzing events and conditions in our nation and world. What follows is a warning that citizens of the world, and especially America, must be alert to the thought control that happens by way of narrative manipulation. 

Miami University gives this definition: “A narrative is some kind of retelling, often in words... of something that happened (a story). The narrative is not the story itself but rather the telling of the story... While a story is just a sequence of events, a narrative recounts those events, perhaps leaving some occurrences out because they are from some perspective insignificant, and perhaps emphasizing others.” From this definition, it is clear the elements of a story which will be included in a narrative is driven by the desired result from presenting that narrative. This result-driven process also allows for controlling development of the story so that the resulting narrative accomplishes the desired response among hearers or readers. 

Following is an example of how input to a story is managed so that the follow-on narrative supports a given position. For months, there were reports indicating intelligence regarding ISIS was being adjusted to support President Obama’s claims of success in our fight with that group. In an Aug.15, interview on Fox Cable News’ “The Five,” U.S. Army Brigadier Gen. (Ret.) Anthony Tata revealed information he received relating to this matter. Fox News Insiderstates: “Tata revealed that a source verified to him that he was directed by an individual from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, who conducts the president’s daily briefing, to stop producing “products of record” that did not fit the administration’s narrative of a defeated al-Qaeda and a non-threatening enemy in ISIS.”

“Tata said that the president’s briefer told this individual to call him on a secure line if he had any intelligence that portrayed ISIS in a stronger light than what the president had characterized to the public, which would not leave a paper trail.”

Tata’s reporting shows how input to a story can be adjusted to allow for a narrative that supports a particular position and attracts belief in that position. This manipulation of narratives to control thought is heavily present where strained race relations provide opportunity for manipulation. Consider “Mothers of the Movement” being invited to speak at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. These are eight black mothers who each had a child killed by a police officer, or died in some other highly publicized situation, such as that of Trayvon Martin. The mothers made it clear that they support Hillary Clinton. Doing so is their right and I fully respect their choice. The problem is that they were used by Democrats to fuel a false narrative which says white American society in general, and white police officers in particular, oppress and treat blacks unjustly. Among others, this false narrative comes through in the statement made at the convention by Lucia Bath, mother of Jordan Davis, who was shot and killed by a white man over playing loud music and arguing when asked to turn it down. The quote is from an article by Lucy Clarke-Billings titled “Full Transcript: Grieving Mothers of the Movement Speak at Democratic Convention.” 

“I lived in fear my son would die like this. I even warned him that because he was a young, black man, he would meet people who didn’t value his life. That is a conversation no parent should ever have to have. Hillary Clinton isn’t afraid to say black lives matter. She isn’t afraid to sit at a table with grieving mothers and bear the full force of our anguish. She doesn’t build walls around her heart. Not only did she listen to our problems, she invited us to become part of the solution.”

These mothers were used by Democrats to promote the false narrative, stir the emotions of black Americans along with others who embrace this narrative, then make the claim that Hillary Clinton cares and will work to correct the situation.

Sad, and even dangerous for society, thought control through narrative manipulation is not limited to the realm of government or politics. It is rampant in journalism. Journalists are supposed to find the truth and report it in a fair and balanced fashion. That is, not favoring anybody or a particular position. This kind of reporting is nearly non-existent. A prime example of media bias, failed journalism and narrative manipulation shows in reporting by CNN anchor Carol Costello on the shooting death of Sylville Smith in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Smith, a 23-year-old, black man, was shot by a police officer at a traffic stop. The incident was followed by rioting, burning of businesses and attacks on both cops and white citizens. There was chaos and lawlessness. 

In the midst of this situation, Costello shows a clip of Sylville Smith’s sister, Sherelle Smith, talking to a crowd of protesters. An article at www.cnncommentary.com titled “CNN anchor offers apology for shortening of Milwaukee clip” indicates the report shows Smith saying, ‘“Burning down sh-- ain’t going to help nothing!”’ Ana Cabrera was the on-scene reporter and indicated the sister was calling for peace. When a full tape was made available, it showed, as reflected in the article referenced above, Sherell Smith said the following: ‘“Y’all burning down sh—t we need in our community. Take that sh—to the suburbs. Burn that sh—down! We need our sh—t! We need our weaves. I don’t wear it. But we need it.”’ This was not a call for peace everywhere. 

CNN edited the comments to support a narrative of a grieving black sister calling for peace. Doing so presents a picture of oppressed people simply wanting peace and fairness. The full tape tells a totally different story. Smith is calling for violence in other than black neighborhoods. The edited and unedited clips may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZSif2FRP_8. CNN apologized for this episode.

Narrative manipulation is also accomplished by media simply not reporting stories that contradict their desired narrative. A glaring example of how this happens shows in the very limited attention given by media to a statement by Patrick Smith, father of Sylville Smith who was killed in Milwaukee. Smith expressed support for some form of gun control and the need for blacks to conduct ourselves in a fashion that does not encourage dangerous responses from others. Beyond this, an article by Scott Morefield titled “Father of Milwaukee man whose death started riots takes responsibility: ‘I’d like to apologize to my kids’” quotes Patrick Smith as follows:

“I had to blame myself for a lot of things too because your hero is your dad and I played a very big part in my family’s role model for them. Being on the street, doing things of the street life: Entertaining, drug dealing and pimping and they’re looking at their dad like ‘He’s doing all these things.’ I got out of jail two months ago, but I’ve been going back and forth in jail and they see those things so I’d like to apologize to my kids because this is the role model they look up to. When they see the wrong role model, this is what you get.”

What Smith says here does not fit with the narrative that all the difficulties plaguing Black Americans are caused by and must be solved by people and entities external to that community. Consequently, very few media outlets reported his comments.

What is described above is only the “tip of the iceberg,” but says all of us must be on careful watch for those who would control another’s thinking through manipulation of narratives. From government, politicians, media or anybody take nothing at face-value. Investigate issues, gather facts and objectively evaluate your findings while being careful of the influence of emotions. 

If you are a decent, God-fearing American, perhaps sitting in church with family and friends listening to a good sermon expounding the importance of obeying and adhering to the golden rule, it really doesn’t matter what religion, race or political affiliation you are: Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Southern Baptist, a Democrat, Republican, black, white, Asian or Hispanic. It is here that American values are nurtured and reinforced and compassion for humanity and things that matter consume your senses. 

This is humanity and the basis from which civilizations are formed. Unfortunately, over the last decade or so, it seems these homegrown values of compassion integrity, decency and honesty have been severely compromised by slick, deceiving, dishonest and manipulative career politicians who, over the years, have learned to use their elected positions for their own personal gain. 

Also, fueling this sad scenario is the feeling of helplessness that results in apathy and fuels the trend of extreme political correctness. Many Americans are scared. Many Americans feel our country is out of control and heading in the wrong direction. Why? Because facts, justice, honesty and truth just don’t seem to matter much anymore. Think about it: 

Black-on-black murders continue to grow at alarming rates. It Just Doesn’t Matter. (IJDM)

The IRS (our government) targets and harasses conservative Americans with impunity. (IJDM)

Innocents are dying. In Chicago, black-on-black murders since 2008 outnumber the total of American lives lost in both Iraqi and Afghanistan wars. (IJDM)

Black Lives Matter organizers refuse to acknowledge inner-city carnage or the plight of the poor. (IJDM)

The NFL advocates, supports and encourages 49er Colin Kaepernick’s anti-America, anti-police behavior. Role model??? (IJDM)

Inner-city poverty, crime and black-on-black homicides are at an all-time high after eight decades of democratic governance. (IJDM)

“Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” is an extreme lie still being legitimized. (IJDM)

“Green Energy” is a $535 million loss of taxpayers’ money on the bogus Solendra solar panel project. No remorse. No apology. (IJDM)

$400 million ransom paid to Iran for hostage release. And, still in denial. (IJDM)

Dozens of sanctuary cities disrespect the U.S. Constitution, ignore federal laws, protect and harbor criminals and murdering illegal immigrants. (IJDM)

VA hospitals are in shambles and veterans’ medical care is despicable with no relief in sight. (IJDM)

Republican presidential candidates take a pledge to support the presidential nominee then totally renege on their oath. (IJDM) 

Barack Obama plays golf as a natural disaster devastates Louisiana and kills residents. (IJDM)

Secretary Hillary Clinton lies to bereaved Gold Star mother of Benghazi victim. (IJDM)

Susan Rice lies to the entire nation (five times) about Benghazi tragedy. No apology. (IJDM)

I could go on and on, but, for what purpose? You get the message. American’s must wake up and start speaking out against these blatant, unpatriotic, un-American, unhealthy trends before apathy, dishonesty and political correctness transform our country into something our grandchildren will not recognize as the democracy of the United States of America. Just one man’s opinion.  

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

According to the International Association of Fairs and Expos, we have Elkanah Watson a farmer from New England to thank for county fairs. In fact, he is officially known as the “Father of U.S. Agricultural Fairs.” Watson organized the Berkshire Agricultural Society. In 1811, the society hosted what was billed as a cattle show in Pittsfield, Mass. It wasn’t just a show, though. The event included exhibits, but it was also a competition, complete with prize money for the best ox, cattle, swine and sheep exhibits. Watson dedicated himself to helping other communities organize agricultural societies. Within about eight years, most every county in New England had an agricultural society. By 1900, most states had one or more agricultural fairs. Today, there are more than 3,200 fairs in North America every year. Sept. 9-18, Cumberland County celebrates is agricultural roots along with music, games and rides at the 2016 Cumberland County Fair. 

Global Spectrum is partnering with the fair this year and has some exciting changes in store, including an entire new lineup of rides. 

“This year we toured a lot of different ride providers and we ended up going with Big Rock Amusements. They are amazing,” said Crown Complex Director of Marketing Katie Mikos. “All the rides are upgraded and have LED lights — except the carousel, which intentionally has an authentic look and feel. We will have more rides than we have had in the past, like a double sky wheel. The kids’ rides are also really good.” 

Event organizers are so sure that patrons will love the new set up that entry in to the fair is free on opening night. “You will still need to buy a wrist band to ride the rides, but people will be able to look around and buy some food if they want to,” Mikos added.

Like traditional fairs, the Cumberland County Fair showcases the area’s agricultural roots. The petting farm runs throughout the event and offers an opportunity for the public, especially young children who many not be familiar with farm animals, to get up close and personal with them. There are also a variety of livestock and farm animal shows. “All of our livestock elements are always really good,” said Mikos.  “Cumberland County has really good participants that come out each year.” 

Monday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. is the Cumberland County Fair Junior Laying Hen Show featuring hens that are less than 12 months old. There are eight breed classes: American, English, Asiatic, Mediterranean, Continental, Polish, Bantams and No Official Breed Class. There are three Cumberland County Fair Junior Livestock Shows scheduled: Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.; Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.; and Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. The categories include lambs, goats and beef heifers. Sept. 13 is the Cumberland County Fair Youth Livestock Show and Sale. This takes place at 5 p.m.

City slickers can get a peek at the different plants and farm animals that thrive here. Just check out the exhibits. From livestock and poultry to floriculture, agriculture and horticulture, there will be plenty to see.  Other exhibits include baked goods, canned fruits and vegetables as well as jams and jellies. The antique farm equipment exhibit gives fair goers a look at how farming has evolved over time. Area 4-H clubs will have exhibits showing what the participants learned through 4-H.

Another highlight at the fair is the Cumberland County Fair Pageant. This wholesome competition has 12 categories for girls ranging from birth to 40 and up. The boys age groups will depend on the number of entries. The pageant is on Sept. 10. Division I, which includes birth to 6 years starts at 2 p.m. Division II starts at 7 p.m. 

There are several exhibits that run daily through the duration of the fair: local farmers market in the Expo Center; interactive petting farm; Close Encounters of the Exotic Kind Show; Pirates of the Colombian Caribbean Show; Chainsaw Artist Rick Cox; helicopter rides; Up & Coming Weekly Entertainment Stage  featuring continuous local entertainment; Toddler Driving School from 5-8 p.m. weekdays and 3 – 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; Farmer For a Day Expo; pony and camel rides; Eurobungy trampoline; home, craft and agricultural exhibits; and “Goodness  Grows in North Carolina” contest.

While the exhibits are enough to keep most anyone busy, there is much more to see and do while the fair is in town. Every day is packed with shows, music and entertainment along with rides, midway games, and of course, food. Stop by the Up & Coming Weekly stage to see local talent ranging from dance, to bands to cheer teams and more.

The fair opens Sept. 9 at 5 p.m. The entertainment includes Close Encounter of the Exotic Kind Show at 6:30 p.m. and Pirates of the Columbian Caribbean at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. 

On Saturday, entertainment includes several showings of the Pirates of the Colombian Caribbean Show, the Drew Smith Band, The Fair Queen pageants, racing pigs, Jill Charles and Nobody’s Business and Close Encounter of the Exotic Kind Show.  

Sunday, Sept. 11, the fair opens at 1 p.m. It is military and emergency services appreciation night. Admission is free for all military retired veterans and active duty soldiers and first responders in uniform or with an ID. Regular admission applies for family and friends.  Entertainment includes racing pigs, petting farms, Russ Adair, Close Encounter of the Exotic Kind Show, Pirates of the Colombian Caribbean Show, Rivermist, Born Again Band and Kimberly Simmons. 

Monday, Sept. 12 is Pay One Price Night. $10 includes gate admission and unlimited carnival rides. The fair opens at 5 p.m. 

Students win on Sept. 13 and 14, which are student nights at the fair, which opens at 5 p.m. Students get $2 off admission and $3 off unlimited ride wristbands with a coupon from Kidsville News! 

Make a difference on Sept. 15. Bring three cans of nonperishable items or your 4-H and Future Farmers of America membership card (or wear the T-shirt) and receive $2 off admission. Admission discounts cannot be combined. The canned goods will be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank. The fair opens at 5 p.m. 

On Friday, Sept. 16, the fair’s Senior Expo opens at 1 p.m. and seniors age 50 and older get in free until 5 p.m. early afternoon events include the Shimmy Mob Dance Troupe, Hope Mills line dancers, pianist Bill Luden, the Red Hat Society, the Felton Moore Choir, Roland’s Dance Studio and the 82nd Airborne Chorus. After 5 p.m. guests can enjoy the petting farms, racing pigs, Pirates of the Colombian Caribbean Show, American Idol winner Trent Harmon, the Junior Beef Heifer Show, and Violet Smoke, along with the rides, games and food. “Trent was the winner of the 2016 American IdolSeason,” said Mikos. “He’ll be headlining on the Up & Coming Weekly Entertainment stage. I’m really excited about his performance.” 

Saturday, Sept. 17, the gates open at 1 p.m. for a full day of fun. The gates close at 9 p.m. On Sunday, Sept. 18, bring a current church bulletin (one per person) at get $2 off admission between 1 and 3 p.m. Gates open at 1 p.m. and close at 9 p.m.

For more information about the fair, visit http://cumberlandcountyfair.org.

 The Crown Coliseum presents The Kings & Queens of Hip Hop on Sunday, Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. 

DMX and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony co-headline the concert. Other artists include Trina, Scarface, Ying Yang Twins, Juvenile, 69 Boyz and Dukwon. The concert is hosted by Comedian A-Train with assistance by DJ Michelle Pooch. 

 Juvenile is a rapper, songwriter and actor from New Orleans. He is a former member of the hip hop group, Hot Boys. He began recording at the age of 19 and his first album was, Being Myself, in 1995. His singles, “Back That Thang Up” and “Ha,”put him on the map. In 2003, he returned to Cash Money Records to record Juve the Great, whichincluded the number one single, “Slow Motion.” 

 “I am going to do my thizzle and all I know how to do is have a good time,” said Juvenile. “I love doing music and telling my story.” 

Juvenile was inspired to perform hip hop when he heard Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five’s song “The Message” which includes the lyrics “It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from going under.” 

 DMX is a hip-hop recording artist and actor from Yonkers, New York. His best-selling album, And Then There Was X, included the hit single “Party Up (Up In Here).” He has been featured in films such as Belly, Romeo Must Die, Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 the Grave and Last Hour. He starred in the reality television series DMX: Soul of a Man and published a book entitled, E. A. R. L.: The Autobiography of DMX. 

 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is a hip hop group from Cleveland, Ohio. The group consists of Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone and Flesh-N-Bone. Rapper Eazy-E signed the group to Ruthless Records and their debut album, EP Creepin on ah Come Up, featured the hit single “Thuggish, Ruggish Bone.” They are the only group that has worked with four deceased artists: Tupac, Notorious B.I.G.,Eazy-E and Big Pun when they were still alive. 

 Tickets are $88, $70, $55 and $33. For more information, visit www.CapeFearTix.com or call 888-257-6208. 

A seventh generation circus performer, 15-year-old contortionist Juliet Monserrat Carabello Cavellini loves traveling and hanging out with her friends. And she loves the water. During the off season, she enjoys being near the water at her family’s Florida home. Lately, though, she gets to enjoy the water in an entirely different way. 

“For my act, I am surrounded by water and a beautiful fountain and lights,” she said. “I think that is pretty cool. It is so pretty and so much fun for the audience, too. It is my first time experiencing something like that. Other circuses are usually in a ring,”

 Cavellini is a part of Cirque Italia, a European-style circus with a twist. There is a tent, but that is where the similarities end. Instead of a ring (or several), the center of this tent has a tank filled with 35,000 gallons of water. In the center of the tank is a stage. And this is where Cavelini and the other performers work their magic entertaining the crowds. It’s not your typical circus, which is why she loves it so. Cirque Italia will be in Raleigh Sept. 2-5 and in Wilmington Sept. 8-11.

“We have everything you would expect to see at a circus except animals,” said Tim Orris, Cirque Italia spokesperson. “And inside the tent, the show feels very up close and personal. There are about 14 rows of stadium-style seating. So you are within 60 feet of everything that is going on at any time.” 

Orris added that this show is perfect for all ages. The beautiful stage and colorful lights appeal to most everyone and the acts are varied. 

“We have a mermaid that comes out of the water and does a trapeze act. We have a dinosaur act. The dinosaur works with a clown from Europe. The kids love it.”

 Other favorites include Cavelini’s contortions. “My best trick is when I go up on one arm and spin. That is my favorite and hardest trick because you have to concentrate. Most people think it is a machine making me turn, but it is my hand,” she said, adding that even though she performs in the circus, she still loves watching the other acts, too. 

“My personal favorite is the dinosaur. I think it brings a lot of excitement to the kids. I see their faces and they are very excited when the dinosaur comes out.”

Orris added that Cavelini’s act is always a crowd pleaser, too. “She does hand balancing and contortions. She can go onstage and stand on a stool, bend over backwards, balance on her hands and pick it up with her feet and put it on her head.”

While laser man bends light beams, and a guy named Gimmi sings in Italian as he stacks chairs and climbs up and balances on top of them, there are more traditional acts as well. “We have Argentinian jugglers. We have two clown acts. They are Spanish clowns, which means little makeup and a lot of humor and mime gestures. One of them uses a trampoline, too,” said Orris. 

Guests can look forward to an aerial hammock and hoop act performed by a former Olympic gymnast from Bulgaria, a straps act, a hand to hand duo, a trampoline act, bubbles and more. If anything, this circus is diverse. With performers hailing from all over the world, Orris sees the many cultures and personalities as one of the biggest strengths because they each bring a unique perspective to the stage. “That is the nice thing about circus people in our show,” he said. “We have 15 languages spoken here.”.

Find out more about Cirque Italia or purchase tickets at https://cirqueitalia.com.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
Winston Churchill

Cumberland County Schools is having a “Stuff the Bus” with school supplies on Friday, Sept. 2 at the Walmart Super Center on Skibo Road from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

“Stuff the Bus is a tradition sponsored by Social Work Services of Cumberland County Schools and Cumberland County Transportation to ensure that homeless students, imminently homeless students and others in need have school supplies all year long,” said Pamela Story, social worker coordinator for Cumberland County Schools. “This year we have seen an outpouring of the community giving to students of all socioeconomic backgrounds by churches, civic organizations, businesses, agencies and nonprofits.” Story added that volunteers from the Department of Social Services, Communities in Schools and the Bronco Women of Fayetteville State will be on hand to collect, sort and organize the school supplies on Sept. 2. Two Men and A Truck will help transport the school supplies to the schools. The items will be distributed by the school social workers in a confidential manner. 

The school supplies needed include notebook paper, pens, pencils, erasers, binders, composition books, hand sanitizer, glue sticks, scissors, pencil sharpeners, crayons and rulers. 

“With the emphasis on digital learning, we have an increasing need for earbuds, flash drives, external chargers and phone cards,” said Story. “I maintain a school supply closet at the Central Office and student services staff check out supplies that include book bags, flash drives, basic supplies and uniforms throughout the school year.”   

Last year a group of social workers drove to Dillon, South Carolina, to shop during their tax-free weekend to purchase school supplies for the supply closet since North Carolina discontinued its tax-free weekend. This year Cumberland County Schools decided to bring back Stuff the Bus with Buster the Talking School Bus. 

“I invite the community to come by this year and help us really stuff the bus to the brim,” said Story. “How wonderful to live in a city that cares so much about making sure a child in need has school supplies to start the school year off right.”  

Donations will be accepted at the Central Services office located at 2465 Gillespie Street between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. all year.  For more information, call 678-2402 or 678-2621.   

The Fayetteville City Council wants the public to know that building a downtown minor league ballpark is the nucleus of a major economic development plan. Projects totaling $100 million are linked to the proposal, which has been in the making for three years. The stadium itself is a $33 million public/private partnership. Funding details are still being worked out. A Durham developer plans to spend $15 million to refurbish the adjoining Prince Charles Hotel building. The same developer has an agreement with the city to spend $60 million to develop 2.5 acres in the same triangle. It’s fairly common for communities to leverage sports stadiums in such a way. 

What if the development goes bad? We don’t know what city council will come up with to fund the stadium, but observers trust the financial plan will shield taxpayers and isolate risk even if the development fails to take off. When the Class AAA Omaha, Nebraska, Storm Chasers were looking for a new home, the town of Papillion, a suburban community south of Omaha, came forward with a ballpark plan with an economic development component. The new ballpark opened in 2011 and has been a big success. But, the ancillary development hasn’t happened. Part of it is location because the ballpark is just outside the main centers of development in the area. There were big plans for an entertainment district, but those plans have not panned out. The Fayetteville/Cumberland Arts Council has high hopes for a downtown entertainment district with the stadium being an important part of it. One idea that may be under consideration locally is creation of a tax increment finance district underwritten by tax-exempt warrants and bonds sold to investors who take the risk, not taxpayers. In North Carolina, the implementing legislation labels this form of financing “project development financing.” Whatever creative funding ideas being considered by a city council stadium committee are unknown. The committee has been meeting privately for weeks and has not yet fully developed a funding plan. 

Little infrastructure work is needed in the downtown area where the ballpark would be built. In Omaha, a public/private partnership spent $29 million to build the Class AAA stadium. That’s less than what Fayetteville proposes to spend on a Class A ballpark. How the city proposes to pay off the debt is also a mystery. The new stadium in suburban Omaha itself is doing very well. “Our revenues are coming in even without any development at the ballpark,” said Brian Hanson, the county’s fiscal administrator. “They’re coming in and covering our debt payments.”  The lesson learned in the Omaha project is that the ballpark deal was structured to pay for the facility, create an environment for future success while protecting taxpayers in the event the economic development didn’t work out.  

News of Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock’s retirement spread like wildfire hours before the formal announcement last week. 

He told news reporters he is having surgery to repair a damaged rotator cuff tendon. Those tendons are tough pieces of connective tissue that control the motion of the shoulder joint where the upper arm bone, shoulder blade and collarbone meet. Surgery can help restore pain-free range
of motion and full function in a damaged shoulder joint.

Medlock says he is retiring from law enforcement at the end of the year and has no other plans. He will take leave Sept. 1. 

The chief fought back tears as he thanked God and “his long-suffering wife, Gloria.” He recited the department’s accomplishments over the three-and-a-half years he served. They include being among the first departments in the state to equip police cars with dash cameras and officers with body cams. He said more than 100 surveillance cameras have been installed around the city. They feed real time video signals to a crime information center at police headquarters. Medlock emphasized his faith in the 600 men and women of the Fayetteville Police Department and pointed to his command staff as the best in North Carolina. Medlock came to Fayetteville from Charlotte where he served most recently as a deputy chief. 

“It’s a completely different time, a different culture,” Mayor Nat Robertson said of Medlock’s tenure. Senior Assistant Chief Katherine Bryant agreed saying “He’s a good guy to work for. We’ve changed the police culture.” 

Bryant served with four police chiefs and is wrapping up a 30-year career with the FPD. “I was supposed to leave before him,” she said. Bryant retires in March. 

Moments after Medlock’s retirement, City Councilman Larry Wright told Up & Coming Weeklythat Council members have the responsibility of making sure the chief’s legacy of community policing is continued. At a community meeting several hours after Medlock made his announcement, retired Cumberland County School Superintendent Dr. John Griffin called out to him “Don’t leave us like this, hang in there a little while longer.” Mayor Pro Tem Mitch Colvin hosted the meeting.

 “The chief has meant a lot in bringing this community together, following the rough patch we had a few years ago,” he said. His reference was to allegations of racial profiling by city police under a former chief. “He has closed the gap and African-American leadership is obliged to make sure his legacy is untarnished,” Colvin added. When asked whether Chief Medlock realized the impact he has had in Fayetteville, two members of his command staff said “probably not,” in unison.  

Interim City Manager Doug Hewitt said he will name an acting chief of police in a couple of weeks. He was reminded of Dallas, Texas, Deputy Chief Malik Aziz’s interest in the job here three years ago. He and Medlock were the two finalists for the post. Aziz is still with the Dallas Police Department. 

Fayetteville Regional Airport has implemented an expedited TSA screening process for active-duty military personnel. Service members with valid ID cards can now move through the line much quicker. This expedited process will speed up the process for service members who represent a sizeable airport clientele. Additional information is available at flyfay.com. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Builder Recommended for PWC Post                      

Fayetteville car dealer Mike Lallier, who has guided the Public Works Commission through thick and thin over the last 12 years, is about to be replaced on the board. He must give up his seat next month in compliance with membership rules. Lallier will likely be replaced by Fayetteville real estate developer Ralph Huff. City Council’s appointments committee is recommending Huff’s appointment.  He was chosen from a list of nine applicants who had indicated interest in serving. The full council must confirm the recommendation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New FTCC Leadership             

The Board of Trustees of Fayetteville Technical Community College has welcomed two new members. Charlie Harrell and Christopher Haywood took office this month. Harrell was appointed by the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. Haywood is the 2016-17 Student Government Association President, serving as an ex-officio member. Current Board Member Dr. Dallas Freeman was reappointed for an additional term. Freeman was reappointed by the Cumberland County Board of Education. The FTCC Board of Trustees re-elected Charles E. Koonce Chairman of the Board. Ronald C. Crosby is Vice Chair, and Hilton T. Hutchens is Secretary. Their terms begin immediately. Fayetteville Technical Community College was established in 1961 and serves over 42,000 students providing over 200 occupational, technical, general education, college transfer and continuing education programs. 

 

 

 

 

 

Confederate Flag Banned             

The Department of Veterans Affairs will no longer allow the Confederate battle flag to be flown at national cemeteries on Memorial Day or Confederate Memorial Day. The policy change follows debate in the House of Representatives earlier this year. It further reduces the number of flag images that can be displayed on federal land after the National Park Service made similar policy changes last year. The VA decision comes after an amendment barring the display of flag imagery in VA cemeteries was added to the House’s fiscal 2017 VA spending bill, but later removed from the conference report behind closed doors. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cancer Spreads                           

Cancer is overtaking heart disease as the leading cause of death in North Carolina and 21 other states as of 2014, and that’s not entirely bad news. According to a report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, deaths due to heart disease have been declining ever since they peaked in 1985, while deaths due to cancer have been on the rise. Worldwide, heart disease has long been the leading cause of death. But in the United States, the number of deaths for both heart disease and cancer have been on the rise since the 1950s, which the NCHS attributes in large part to the fact that people were living longer. But heart disease deaths in the U.S. began to fall in the 1990s, and researchers believe cancer first became a leading cause of death somewhere in the early 2010s.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big Time Foosball            

The Airborne & Special Operations Museum will host Fayetteville’s first Human Foosball tournament on Saturday, Oct. 1, beginning at 9 a.m. Twenty-four teams of six players per team will participate. in this round robin tournament. Registration is now open. According to Paul Galloway, Executive Director of the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation, everyone is encouraged to participate. “Companies, families, friends organizations and military units,” said Galloway. “We hope to see a lot of good-natured rivalry throughout the entire day.” Each team member will receive a tee shirt. Cash prizes of $600, $300 and $150 will be awarded to the top three teams. Beer and concessions will also be available. Registration is limited so call 643-2773 or 643-2778 today or go to www.asomf.org to register. The Airborne & Special Operations Museum is part of the U.S. Army Museum System and tells the story of Army airborne and special operations units from 1940 to the present.

I have often joked over the years that my faithful station wagon — Number Seven I think this one is — could make it to Raleigh or to the beach even if I were not in it. We have been together for so long and driven those roads so many times, this almost seems true, though, of course, it is not. Vehicles still require human pilots — at least for now.

Tesla, the plug-in electric car, Ford, Google, Volvo and probably others still holding on to their privacy are also working on their versions of driverless cars. Now, Uber, that wildly convenient and successful challenger to the conventional taxi cab business, says it will have its own fleet of driverless Volvos on the streets of Pittsburgh within the next few weeks — not years! Even more, Uber has acquired a startup company, Otto, with a goal of driverless commercial semis. Interstate driving will never be
the same.

Now, I am a great Uber fan. The Precious Jewels introduced me to Uber several years ago, and my first Uber ride was in a shiny black SUV from Union Station in Washington, D.C., to a hotel near DuPont Circle carrying seven passengers and lots of luggage. One of the Jewels sprang for the ride on her credit card — no cash involved with Uber —and it was just over $19, a real deal in my book for such a crowd. My next Uber ride occurred when one of the Jewels tucked me into an old Toyota sedan driven by a jovial retiree. Said the Jewel to the driver, “You take good care of my mama!” and the Uber driver did.

That being said, I am not sure — were I suddenly transmitted to Pittsburgh — that I would put my big toe inside Uber’s new driverless Volvos, safety ratings notwithstanding.

Not that my own driving record is perfect. I have had my share of fender-benders, including a rear-end collision or two, which is always the fault of the driver who rear-ended. I sideswiped a pole in a grocery store parking lot a year or so ago, a vehicular booboo that set me back $1,400. Years earlier, with a barely-verbal toddler in his car seat, I backed into another parking lot pole in station wagon Number One, which earned only a tiny dent I thought no one would notice. Unfortunately, when we got home, that toddler in the back seat turned into Chatty Cathy and informed our entire household, “Mommy had a wreck today.” So much for discretion. 

We all see news stories about drivers who make fatal mistakes, who drive while impaired by substances or fatigue, or who are too young, old or inexperienced to be behind the wheel. Too many of us have suffered in terrible ways because of human drivers who failed somehow. Obviously, some of us are probably not as capable a driver as an automated vehicle might be.

A quick search regarding driverless vehicle safety turns up plenty of information, most of it scientific papers and engineering formulae not readily digestible by a layperson, or at least by this layperson. Scientists are taking safety challenges of driverless vehicles seriously, and I have no doubt that they are in our future. After all, station wagon Number Seven does have a system whereby a light comes on if I get too close to a car on either side, and it beeps when I get too close to something in front or behind me, a feature that can be very handy in parking lots with poles. 

I am also the proud owner and great fan of a robotic vacuum cleaner which devours dust balls when I am not at home. One day soon, I also expect an online purchase to be delivered by a drone, which I hope does not hit me on
the head. 

The obvious advantage of driverless cars is reduction of human error and its sometimes-dreadful consequences. People would have more free time if we were not driving so much, traffic could flow more efficiently, less road signage would be required, as well as less parking space since all driverless cars would know how to park in tight spaces. What’s more, your car could pick up the children from school and scoot by the grocery to retrieve your pre-bagged goods.

On the other hand, it will take time and lots of money to transform millions of vehicles into self-drivers, and there are all sorts of liability and regulatory issues. People who drive for a living will lose jobs, and our current road infrastructure may need revamping to accommodate self-drivers. And, bottom line, some of us human beings are just not going to want to give up driving our own vehicles.

Whenever my young self got eager to embrace the latest of the latest trend, my mother quoted the 18th century satirist, social commentator, and champion of the heroic couplet, Alexander Pope. “Be not the first by whom the new is tried, nor yet the last to lay the old aside.”  

Pope had to be thinking about the driverless car.

We are lucky to have so many quality  entertainment options in Fayetteville. On Sept. 13, we will celebrate many of them at our 19th Annual Best of Fayetteville Awards Party “American Bandstand.” Rock and Roll ‘50s style.  

Speaking of rock and roll we (Up & Coming Weekly) attended the final Fayetteville After Five event in Festival Park last Friday. It was awesome. The band, Firehouse, closed the summer season playing to an energetic and appreciative crowd. Nice event on a beautiful 4th Fridayevening. 

We are a  proud founding sponsor of Fayetteville After Five and have enjoyed watching Carrie King and the Dogwood Festival committee take it to a new high in entertainment excellence. 

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, there were as many people enjoying the amenities of Downtown Fayetteville during the same 4th Fridayevening. Along Hay and Person Streets hundreds of couples, children and families could be seen enjoying the shops, music, arts, street entertainers and local restaurants all orchestrated by the Downtown Alliance and the Arts Council of Cumberland County. 

For more than a decade Downtown Fayetteville’s 4th Fridayevent has been a great way to showcase and show off our downtown community while nurturing and encouraging much needed economic activity. So, it stands to reason the more events we have downtown, and the more people we invite and introduce to downtown, the sooner we will establish a vibrant and flourishing city center. 

This being the case, next year it would be nice if the Dogwood Festival and Fayetteville After Five committee would consider moving the summer music series to Saturday night or back to Thursday evenings where it originated. This way it would not conflict with the activities of 4th Friday, and local residents and visitors would not have to choose between the two events. Downtown Fayetteville and the merchants would benefit  from the draw of two entertaining community events. More people, more business, more fun. Win, win, win! 

Combining these two grassroots events on the same evening  only dilutes and marginalizes their brand, effectiveness and uniqueness.

We need more quality venues downtown. Not less. Separate the two and you: Double your pleasure, Double your fun!!! It’s worth the consideration. 

Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

The name may have changed, but the fun is still the same. What used to be the North Carolina Turkey Festival is back but as the North Carolina Fall Festival, and it kicks off with a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 10. The ceremony is at the P.K. Airport Ralph Pandure VFW Post 10 building. 

“Veterans will literally fall into the Airport to start the ceremony by bringing the American Flag through the spacious skies to land, reminding us all that our country is still free and that we are all kept safe, thanks to those who have stood and stand against evil daily, our military,  law enforcement, firemen and emergency medical personnel, all of whom will be remembered at this ceremony so please mark your calendars to come out that morning and say thank you to those who serve and protect us every day, in ways we don’t even know and to remember those who gave their lives that day as they ran into the Twin Towers putting others first in spite of their own safety,”  said Melissa Pittman, the North Caorlina Fall Festival coordinator. 

“There are many things going on at the airport this day and more information will be shared closer to the festival so keep watching and listening for what’s happening at the festival,” she added. 

The celebration runs through Sept. 17. 

Some of the new events include fireworks on Sept. 10, beginning at dark, at P.K. Airport to kick off the festival. There is a “selfie” booth on Saturday, Sept. 17. Guests can purchase photos and the proceeds help a local missionary team raise money.  Two new entertainment stages are on tap as well. 

There are plenty of familiar favorites at the festival for guests to enjoy, such as the card tournament, Senior Day, a parade (with a new route) and, of course, the Turkey Bowl will continue as it has over the past 31 years including the corn hole tournament, wine and music, a gospel concert, a motorcycle show and a step team competition “The dog show is at a new location and the car show has also relocated back to the end of Main Street starting at Prospect. T-shirts, golf shirts, sweat shirts and hooded zipper jackets are for sale again prior to and the day of the festival on the street,” said Pittman. “There are various craft, informational and commercial vendors all up and down Main Street and so many various types of food vendors that no one should complain they can’t find anything to eat on the 17th. After the activities and entertainment on Main Street, the annual concert is at Armory Park with music by Country on the Outskirts of Town and Rivermist.”  

The concert is 8 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are just $10 for two great bands. “Yes, you are still allowed to bring your coolers, (no glass), food, blankets, chairs into the park for a night of fun.”

Pittman added that attendees should also look for vendors of all types, handmade crafts, food and information booths. 

While maintaining well-loved traditions of the Turkey Festival, Pittman knew that she had to keep some of the elements from the beloved event when she made a new logo to take its place. “Last year, the board of directors held a “Design the logo” between local schools. Cultural Arts Director Teresa Burke sent letters to every school inviting them to compete for a cash prize for the winning schools’ art department by designing the new logo,” said Pittman. “Almost every school participated... It was a hard decision to choose the winning logo, but after a blind display of the entries the winner was chosen … Our grand ole lady bird will continue to be represented, along with her husband who is free falling in jump boots to the Festival, and other things that children from Don D. Steed came up with that meant ‘Fall Festival’ to them. Those who designed the logo include: Ian Gill, Kindergarten; Kadyn Tyler, first grade; Yoshua Wallace, second grade; Joseph Baker, third grade; Mimi Matthews, fourth grade and Leslie Helm, fifth grade.” Each child will receive a free T-shirt from the Festival and the school received $200 for the art department.

Look for details about the N.C. Fall Festival on Facebook, or call the office at 904-2424.

Just a few short months ago, summer beckoned. Trips to the beach, the mountains, the mall and visits to family filled the calendar. Now it’s back-to-school shopping and the fast pace of fall that demand attention. Don’t let go just yet. There is still time for one more concert under the stars before bidding summer adieu. On Friday, August 26, Fayetteville After 5 brings Firehouse to Festival Park.

The Charlotte-based band Firehouse headlines this concert. Glam metal at its finest, Firehouse rocked the charts in the 1990s with a series of singles:  “Don’t Treat Me Bad” and “All She Wrote,” as well as their signature ballads “I Live My Life for You,” “Love of a Lifetime” and “When I Look Into Your Eyes.” In 1992 the band was named Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Band/Hard Rock New Artist at the American Music Awards, beating out Nirvana and Alice in Chains. Selling more than  6 million albums, the band tours internationally and plays in the U.S. as well.

In its quest to bring great entertainment to Fayetteville, Fayetteville After 5 is one venue that area artists can count on when it comes to providing opportunities for local musicians to share their talents. Hailing from the Pembroke/Lumberton area, Breathe New Life opens the concert.  The alternative/metal band is made up of performers from former locally well-known bands such as Lucid, When Words Fail, Mis2Mia, Driven and Tribal Conflict. Comprised of Mark McKinney performing lead vocals, Chris Locklear on guitar, James Hunt playing guitar and singing, Shay Jones on drums and Brandon Hall playing bass and piano and singing, all of the members are Native American.

Also in the lineup, Brad Benson’s music career started when he was 5. He played the piano. He picked up the guitar as a teen. His albums include Eternal Life, Smoke and Mirrorsand Attitude. Benson hales from Kinston, N.C.

This season, Fayetteville After 5 added a new component to the concerts: food trucks. Everyone is sure to find something to tickle their taste buds and to wet their whistle. While fall is coming, it’s still really hot, so make sure you plan on purchasing lots of water or yummy lemonade to keep you hydrated while you dance the night away. Come hungry because there are 12-16 trucks slated to attend the concert. Sponsor Bud Light will have beer and refreshments for purchase as well. 

Come ready to sing, ready to dance, to eat, to drink. The gates open around 5 p.m. and the music lasts till 10:30 p.m. or so. Bring chairs or a blanket and enjoy the show. The concert falls on 4th Friday, which means an entire evening of culture. Enjoy the galleries, shops and businesses in downtown Fayetteville before the show. 

For more information about Fayetteville After 5, visit the website at www.faydogwoodfestival.com.

The Cape Fear River was once this city’s lifeblood. In the 1700s, settlers built the towns of Campbellton and Cross Creek along her banks because the river was the only navigable waterway in the colony. Later, the two towns joined together to become Fayetteville, and the Cape Fear River still flows through the city. Only now, most residents don’t give the river much thought. We aren’t familiar with the history that has played out along its 202 miles of river banks. We have no knowledge of the changing ecology along the river and what it means for the many species that call it home. We have no idea about the toll that mismanagement and misuse have taken. The potentially crushing changes that the impending water basin transfer plan could inflict on the area is yet another mystery surrounding the Cape Fear for most of us. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. On Aug. 27, Sustainable Saturdays brings the River Run: Down the Cape Fear to the Cameo Art House Theatre.

The 1994 PBS documentary is still the most comprehensive film about the river according to Denise Bruce, Sustainable Sandhills spokesperson “This film goes into detail about the Cape Fear River, the municipalites, the geography and geology of it and its history.” 

She added that, “This film did what it was meant to do — this was a game changer in how North Carolina viewed its rivers. It is also relevant because a lot of things that affected the river 22 years ago are still things we deal with today.”

After all this time, the Cape Fear River is still at risk for over development, mismanagement and pollution among other things. One especially pressing issue for Fayetteville and other towns and cities downriver is the changes that the Cape Fear River interbasin water transfer plan could bring. The plan would allow the cities in the triangle to take 9 million gallons of water from the Cape Fear River. Every day. And not put it back. What would Fayetteville look like with 9 million fewer gallons of water in the river every day? This is, after all, the same river that provides drinking water to the city? PWC, the City of Fayetteville and other communities that depend on the Cape Fear have fouought the state’s decision to allow the interbasin transfer. “The case was heard in June,” said PWC spokeswoman Carolyn Justice-Hinson-Hinson. “We expect a decision in September.”  

“Here, up stream communities are getting water rights before we are even considered,” said Bruce. “That is why we are showing this film… the more awareness we can bring the better. Even though the water basin plan was approved, we can still help people understand.” 

If anything, Sustainable Sandhills is about education and raising awareness. That’s why after every Sustainable Saturday film there are speakers on hand to talk in detail about the films and answer questions. One of the speakers after the film is Tom Hoban from the Cape Fear River Assembly. The Cape Fear River Assembly “represents the views of diverse stakeholders from the entire Cape Fear River watershed.”

The film starts at 11 a.m. For more information, visit the website at
www.sustainablesandhills.org.

Better Health is a local nonprofit organization that aims to improve the quality of life for Cumberland County residents. It was founded in 1958 to help fill the gap in health careservices for underserved and low-income residents of the area. The organization offers educational classes and services like diabetes monitoring clinics and prescription assistance just to name a few. The services provided aid in the prevention and management of  illness with education and medical assistance. In order to support its programs, Better Health hosts annual fundraisers. One such fundraiser is the Diabetes…Dodge it! Tournament. The tournament takes place on Aug. 27.

“Proceeds from the Diabetes... Dodge it! Tournament go to Better Health and our four core programs: emergency direct aid, diabetes management, childhood obesity prevention and medical equipment loans. The funds will help us purchase emergency medications and dental care for clients in need, supplies for our diabetic patients, healthy snacks for children learning about nutrition, and maintenance of our medical equipment,” Amy Navejas, the executive director of Better Health, explained. There are 32 teams of six to nine players registered to participate this year, which is hugely successful. 

This success is due in part to the fact that the tournament offers both opportunities for fun and for supporting great work within the community. For many dodge ball brings back fond childhood memories. “I often get the response ‘Dodgeball? I used to love to play that in school!’ Most people add that they were good at it in their ‘younger years,’ but some are less confident in their skills now,” Navejas said. “The great thing about this tournament is that it’s all about getting active and having fun for a great cause. You don’t have to be a team MVP like in your childhood to participate. We hope that this event reminds people that there is physical activity for everyone, whether yours is dodgeball, running or chair yoga, there is always an activity at your level.”

With so much involvement from the community, there is a limit to the number of teams that participate in the tournament this year. So much participation is a great problem to have, but it is important to remember that playing is not the only way to join in the fun. “Spectators are welcome. This tournament doesn’t disappoint. I tell people that they will laugh until they cry. For those who don’t want to play, please come out to watch and cheer on the teams,” Navejas said, “ You can also come volunteer with us at our office at 1422 Bragg Boulevard. We are always looking for volunteers at our diabetes clinic and also at our upcoming Red Apple Run in November. Anyone interested can go to www.betterhealthcc.org to learn more about volunteering.”

The overwhelming outpouring of support for the dodgeball tournament from the community has been invigorating for many involved with Better Health. The hope is that the community involvement will continue with the other events they host during the year. “Also, keep an eye out for our Red Apple Run for Diabetes on November 19. This year’s run will include a 1-mile Haymount Hill Climb, a 5K and a new 10K route! Not to be outdone, the 2017 Evening at the Theater fundraiser on March 4 will be our 20th anniversary of the event! The committee has begun planning for a very special night at the casino! We are really excited about these events and having a chance to share a little bit about what we do for our clients in the community, and raise funds to continue providing much-needed services!” Navejas said. 

For more information about the organization and upcoming events, visit the website at www.betterhealthcc.org.

Fayetteville City Council’s decision last week to build a $33 million minor league baseball stadium and enter into a 30-year agreement with the Houston Astros has its genesis more than three years ago. Soon after being hired in March of 2013, Deputy City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney was given a task by the new City Manager, Ted Voorhees. “He asked me to come up with a plan to spur economic development,” Small-Toney said. “How about minor league baseball?” she responded. She had some experience because she had proposed a ball club in Savannah, Georgia, before coming to Fayetteville. But voters turned down a proposal to build a new stadium and the team considered for Savannah ended up in Columbia, South Carolina. 

Small-Toney, Voorhees and Recreation Director Michael Gibson went to Nashville to meet with Pat O’Conner, president and chief executive officer of Minor League Baseball, to feel him out on Fayetteville. Soon thereafter, O’Conner came to Fayetteville and met with community leaders. Small-Toney told Up & Coming Weekly that his visit was positive, and he shared with the city that the Houston Astros were interested in locating a Class A team here. 

By the summer of 2014, local officials were talking about building a baseball stadium in one of two suggested locations. The top spot was the vicinity of Rowan Street and Murchison Road near what would be a new railroad overpass and realignment of city streets. Astros Owner Jim Crane was in Fayetteville in April of 2015, and the next month, sports writer Kevin Richards was writing in Baseball Digest that “Fayetteville has changed a lot in recent years: downtown has been cleaned up and there’s been a growth of the economy independent of military spending. If a team becomes available, you can bet that talk accelerates.” 

It did, and last week Fayetteville City Council voted unanimously to ink a deal with the Houston Astros for a High-A Carolina League team, with a 2019 opening. The vote is nonbinding, but it commits the city to further talks with the Astros and a plan that allows for the move of two California League teams to North Carolina for the 2017 season. The goal is to have a new ballpark deal, including the 30-year lease with Houston by the end of this year. The location for the new stadium had shifted to the city center and city-owned property behind the former Prince Charles Hotel on Hay Street. But the stadium won’t be ready until the 2019 season. In the meantime, the team will play elsewhere, perhaps at Campbell University. City officials are keying on a larger redevelopment that includes an overhaul of the historic hotel. It has an executed memorandum of understanding with private investors granting them exclusive development rights to property surrounding the hotel and stadium. It’s a combined investment of nearly $100 million.

Cracker Barrel’s Operation Homefront is making its famous rockers available to lucky military families for free. The promotion began over the July 4th weekend and continues through Labor Day. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store calls the project an effort to build “strong, stable and secure military families.” Operation Rocker is a promotion whereby folks go online and purchase rocking chairs (http://shop.crackerbarrel.com/collections/holidays/operation-rocker). For each one that’s sold, the company donates a chair to Operation Homefront. It’s part of the organization’s broader Homes on the Homefront program that helps military families by placing deserving veterans in mortgage-free homes. “Cracker Barrel is proud to serve the families of the men and women who serve our country,” said company executive Beverly Carmichael. 

Families live in their houses rent-free for up to two years while Operation Homefront helps them understand how to be effective homeowners by building their savings and making timely payments as they contribute to a small equity fund that goes back into their house. The program also assists with home repairs and helps families navigate through the sometimes cumbersome Veterans Affairs system. More than 550 houses have been donated through Homes on the Homefront, according to Margi Kirst, chief development officer. Operation Homefront has made 21 homes available in North Carolina, seven of them in the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg area. The company has committed to donate $100,000 through contributions over the next year, and the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Foundation has pledged another $100,000, said Kirst.

Fayetteville is one of the few military communities with two Cracker Barrel restaurants. The original is at I-95 Exit 49. More recently a second store was opened on Skibo Road. “We get a lot of traffic from military families who are traveling to and from Fort Bragg,” said Tony Ciamillo, General Manager of the Cracker Barrel on Jim Johnson Road, off Cedar Creek Road. Of military patrons “Skibo likely gets more than I do,” he added. He said the iconic rocking chairs sell very well in this community. They range in price from $129 when on special, to $199 for customized military versions. 

For a Cracker Barrel patron who is not interested in buying a rocker but would still like to contribute, donations of $5 can be made by texting SALUTE to 27722. 

Cracker Barrel is a natural for the military because of the home-away-from home concept in its stores and restaurants. The company says it is recognized for superior performance by independent charity oversight groups; that 92 percent of Operation Homefront’s expenditures go directly to programs that provide support for military families. 

 

Who are the men of the Greatest Generation? They’re the men who went off to fight in the Big One. And they’re the men who came home from that war and built the nations of the western world into economic powerhouses. They knew the meaning of sacrifice. They were humble men who never bragged about what they had done or been through. They were loyal, patriotic and level-headed. They are our Greatest Generation. Army Private First Class Fred P. Dallas is one of those men. He and his wife Doris live in Fayetteville. He talked about his World War II experience at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum as the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau kicked off Heroes Homecoming.

The community’s first Heroes Homecoming series of events was staged five years ago to belatedly honor returning veterans of the Vietnam War. This year, the community honors veterans of World War II. Most events are in October and will culminate on Veterans Day in November. The Airborne and Special Operations Museum has already dedicated about 40 percent of its gallery to World War II, according to ASOM Foundation Executive-Director Paul Galloway. It’s a self-guided tour that includes a C-47 aircraft mockup, a re-creation of a Normandy village and images of the European and Pacific theaters. 

“Our town is a point of departure and return for thousands of vets every year,” observed Mike Gillis of the Cumberland County Veterans Council. “It is imperative that we maintain the memories and legacies” of those who have gone before us,” he added. 

More than 16 million American men and women served in the Great War. There were 407,000 casualties among them. Dallas joined the Army in 1943 and was assigned to the 45th Infantry Division in Italy. He was captured by the Germans in 1944 and spent six months in Stalag 12A and Stalag 4B before being repatriated. Stalags were German prisoner of war camps for non-commissioned military captives. Dallas was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Prisoner of War Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge and Good Conduct Medal. “

“Be the best U.S. citizen you can be,” he often says. “Love your country and always vote, is the message that I would like to leave with the younger generation.”

The Heroes Homecoming Field Guide notes that World War II was the most devastating war in history. Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division were among the first to engage the enemy in the battle of Normandy having been dropped behind enemy lines. They fought for 33 straight days and lost more than 5,000 men. Today there are fewer than 800,000 surviving World War II veterans in the world with more than 430 of them dying every day. After the war, the 82nd, America’s Guard of Honor, was permanently stationed at Fort Bragg, and the post became known as the home of the airborne. 

The Greatest Generation lived by the credo of human decency honoring courage, duty, sacrifice, personal responsibility, humility, bravery and camaraderie. They paid it forward for generations to come.

 

       Fayetteville Police will soon open a second substation on the city’s west side. The department is leasing a building from Weaver Commercial Properties on Sycamore Dairy Road for $91,200 per year. Police spokesman, Lt. Todd Joyce, says it will house the FPD’s Central District Offices, which currently are at police headquarters, downtown.  One hundred twenty-five personnel, including the district’s command staff and officers, plus the patrol support division and two crime prevention specialists will be stationed at the office which is being up-fitted. The move will free up space at headquarters, allowing for expansion of the forensics lab and the department’s administrative bureau. Asked about a possible future substation on the city’s north side, Joyce said “I could not speculate on a facility for north Fayetteville, as it will continue to grow without doubt.”  

The city’s other substation is on Raeford Road near Skibo Road.

 

 

 

 

Cumberland County School Bus Safety   

Traditional schools start the new year on Aug. 29 in Cumberland County. Motorists are reminded that speeding in a school zone will cost more than $400 in fines and court costs. Pass a stopped school bus and you’ll pay a $500 fine and you’ll get five points on your driver’s license. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Drinking                              

As students across North Carolina prepare to embark on another school year, academic lessons might not be all they are exposed to.  Some young people might find themselves in circumstances where they will have to make decisions about underage alcohol consumption or drinking and driving. North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement and their law enforcement partners hope to promote sound student decision-making by reminding everyone there is zero tolerance for underage alcohol use. “When it comes to trying alcohol, we want to remind them that underage drinking can lead to disastrous consequences,” says ALE Branch Head Mark Senter.  In North Carolina, it is illegal for any person under 21 to purchase, attempt to purchase, possess or consume alcoholic beverages. It is also illegal for parents or older friends to provide alcohol or to host underage drinking parties. ALE is planning many programs, partnerships and campaigns to familiarize North Carolina students with a zero tolerance message during this school year. ALE also plans to increase its enforcement focus on ABC licensed outlets near colleges and universities across the state.  

 

 

Longtime Commissioner Honored           

Cumberland County Commissioner Kenneth Edge has been inducted into the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Hall of Fame. Edge was honored during the association’s annual conference earlier this month. “This is a tremendous honor and one I share with my wife and family, who have supported me throughout the years,” Edge said. He has been a member of the Board of Commissioners since 2000 and is retiring at the end of the year. Edge is a retired school principal and former member of the Cumberland County Board of Education. “I want to thank the citizens of Cumberland County who have given me the opportunity to serve,” added Edge. The Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to county government. Commissioner Edge has been active nationally and served on the National Association of Counties’ Health and Human Services Steering Committee and is a current member of its Finance Committee.  

 

 

 

Fayetteville GOP Headquarters Opens

Volunteers are manning the new Cumberland County Republican Headquarters office on Rowan Street a couple of hours a day three days a week. The spacious, recently renovated facility “will be open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m.,” said GOP Chairwoman Susan Mills. On opening day, Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) addressed three dozen party faithful in attendance, among them Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson. Hudson urged folks to help get out the vote in November. “It’s going to be a close election,” he said. “The other side is energized.”  Hudson used a Donald Trump term of political endearment a couple of times, saying “the electoral college is rigged on behalf of the two-party system.” He spoke of 92 anti-poverty programs that Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) identified as duplicitous earlier this year. “Our anti-poverty system is rigged,” Hudson stated. He brought on loud sighs when he noted President Obama had transferred 15 more Guantanamo Bay inmates, failing to mention that large scale detainee transfers were common under President George W. Bush, but that they slowed under Obama.  

I believe America is facing the most important presidential election in my lifetime, or even longer. America needs and is crying out for meaningful change. Unless something far beyond what anybody can imagine happens, voters will choose between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. What follows is an approach for making that choice.

This approach is prompted by a book I referenced in another column. It is A Sense of Urgencyby John P. Kotter. Kotter writes that he is often asked, “What is the single biggest error people make when they try to change?” Kotter concluded, “…they did not create a high enough sense of urgency among enough people to set the stage for making a challenging leap into some new direction.” 

I believe what Kotter says provides an effective approach for choosing between Clinton and Trump. That is, which one is acting with the greater sense of urgency?

A sense of urgency leads decision-makers to gather relevant information and then, with capable individuals, discuss and choose courses of action in light of need and free from pursuing personal or political gain. With this view of how urgency impacts addressing issues, consider one in the 2016 presidential race with focus on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The issue is illegal immigration. 

From Clinton’s website, key points of her plan for addressing illegal immigration can be summarized. Some of these were also presented in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. She will, within the first 100 days, introduce comprehensive immigration reform, which will provide a pathway to full and equal citizenship for people already in the country illegally. This action will supposedly “treat every person with dignity, fix the family visa backlog, uphold the rule of law, protect our borders and national security, and bring millions of hardworking people into the formal economy.” Clinton also commits to fight for implementation of “Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents,” or DAPA. This is a Department of Homeland Security program to provide undocumented immigrant parents of U.S. citizen children temporary protection against involuntary removal from the country. Judge Andrew Hanan, of the federal district court in Brownsville, Texas, halted the program in response to a challenge by 26 states. The Supreme Court voted 4-4 on the matter, which allowed the Hanan ruling to stand. 

Furthermore, Clinton will “end family detention for parents and children who arrive at our border in desperate situations and close private immigrant detention centers.” I read this to mean parents and children who enter the country illegally will not be held for vetting. They will be sent on to a relative or other person to await going through the legal process required to stay in America. She also intends to allow families, no matter their immigration status, to “buy into the Affordable Care Act exchanges. Families who want to purchase health insurance should be able to do so.”

Using his website as reference, move to Donald Trump’s view on illegal immigration. His website position comments open with some relevant statements: 

(1) “When politicians talk about ‘immigration reform’ they mean: amnesty, cheap labor and open borders; (2) Real immigration reform puts the needs of working people first — not wealthy globetrotting donors; (3) We are the only country in the world whose immigration system puts the needs of other nations ahead of our own; (4) A nation without borders is not a nation; (5) A nation without laws is not a nation. Laws passed in accordance with our Constitutional system of government must be enforced; (6) A nation that does not serve its own citizens is not a nation. Any immigration plan must improve jobs, wages and security for all Americans.” 

After these opening statements on Trump’s website, as he did in his nomination acceptance speech, he goes into the negative impact of illegal immigration. This section runs from the resulting crime to heightened unemployment among legal residents and the financial cost of supporting illegal immigrants. Costs include healthcare, housing, education, welfare, etc. He supports his contentions with facts. For example, a link is provided to a letter dated Oct. 27, 2014, written to President Obama by Peter Kirsanow, a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The letter is available on www.breitbart.com/ in an article titled “Civil Rights Advocate Tells Obama: Amnesty Harms Black Workers.” At one point, Kirsanow writes:

 “In 2008, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights held a briefing regarding the impact of illegal immigration on the wages and employment opportunities of African-Americans. The testimony at the briefing indicated that illegal immigration disproportionately impacts the wages and employment opportunities of African-American men.”

“The briefing witnesses, well-regarded scholars from leading universities and independent groups, were ideologically diverse. All the witnesses acknowledged that illegal immigration has a negative impact on black employment, both in terms of employment opportunities and wages. The witnesses differed on the extent of that impact, but every witness agreed that illegal immigration has a discernible negative effect on black employment. For example, Professor Gordon Hanson’s research showed that “Immigration . . . accounts for about 40 percent of the 18 percentage point decline [from 1960-2000] in black employment rates.”’

Against this backdrop of what we face regarding illegal immigration, Trump puts forth actions for addressing the problem. He proposes 17 actions. Here are some of them: 

1. Build a wall along the southern border and have Mexico pay for it. That promise is reiterated, accompanied by actions that will be employed to ensure Mexico pays. One of several possible actions is “the United States will … impound all remittance payments derived from illegal wages.”  That is, funds being sent to persons in Mexico by illegal immigrants in America would be impounded. 

2. Triple the number of ICE officers. Trump’s website quotes the President of the ICE Officers’ Council as explaining in Congressional testimony: “Only approximately 5,000 officers and agents within ICE perform the lion’s share of ICE’s immigration mission … Compare that to the Los Angeles Police Department at approximately 10,000 officers. Approximately 5,000 officers in ICE cover 50 states, Puerto Rico and Guam, and are attempting to enforce immigration law against 11 million illegal aliens already in the interior of the United States.”  Immigration and Customs Enforcement enforces both immigration and customs laws, which involves going after illegal immigrants in U.S. territory, employers who hire illegal immigrants, and those trying to smuggle goods or contraband into the country.

3. Enforce nationwide E-Verify. E-Verify is a free online program that electronically verifies the employment eligibility of newly hired employees. 

4. Mandatory return of all criminal aliens. “All criminal aliens must be returned to their home countries, a process which can be aided by canceling any visas to foreign countries which will not accept their own criminals, and making it a separate and additional crime to commit an offense while here illegally.”

5. Detention — not catch-and-release. “Illegal aliens apprehended crossing the border must be detained until they are sent home, no more catch-and-release.” 

6. End birthright citizenship. Birthright citizenship is the practice of granting automatic citizenship to children born in the United States. This provision is a tremendous draw for illegal immigration, since even children of illegal immigrants are covered by this provision.

I contend what is presented above allows for definitively determining who, between Clinton and Trump, will treat illegal immigration with the greater sense of urgency. Clinton puts forth actions that focus on illegal immigrants to the detriment of American citizens, even black Americans who support her in great numbers. Her proposed actions, such as comprehensive immigration reform, have been considered for years by Congress with no success. Providing health insurance for illegals under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is unfair to American taxpayers and the program’s future is in doubt given dramatic premium increases, low participation rates by young people, withdrawals of insurance companies, failing exchanges, and so forth. The picture here is one of saying what might appeal to immigrant voters, but is unlikely to happen and is only intended to win an election. This kind of conduct by Clinton is not limited to illegal immigration. It shows in every issue and facet of her public service. This indicates a general lack of urgency regarding important issues.

On the other hand, Trump passionately focuses on Americans, examines issues and proposes solutions that reflect thought, positive change,  and boldness. He follows the tenet that actions are measured by outcomes and, therefore, should be driven by desired outcomes. All of this is a formula that generates a sense of urgency. Donald Trump is employing the formula and I sense urgency. 

John Kotter is right … without a sense of urgency, productive change does not happen to the extent needed. Consider this truth when choosing Clinton or Trump.

Between now and the end of October, I will attend five weddings. Each one involves someone near and dear to me or to one of the Precious Jewels, and I am looking forward to them all. But for women more than men, I think, weddings bring with them the eternal question, “What will I wear?”

Of the five weddings, one is in Duke Chapel, and I think I have figured out that one. A very nice dress but nothing too flashy seems in order. No strapless, no sequins and not too short, but those are not issues for most women my age anyway. Another is in a fine hotel in the mountains, and the groom’s mother has given me good advice on that one, and since she is a major player in the wedding weekend, I will take her counsel. Two others are at different North Carolina beaches, one in a chapel and one at a club, and despite settings far more casual than Duke Chapel, I suspect both will be traditional — nice dress, not too short, not strapless and no glitz.

The fifth wedding has me stumped.

It will be in the pasture of a hog farm in Durham County. You read correctly — an honest-to-gosh, working hog farm that raises heritage pigs that have walked around all their lives, and that, as the farmer told me, “have only one bad day ever,” But what on earth to wear?

Being a good Southern girl, a nice dress seems in order yet again, but footwear is a real puzzle. I rarely wear heels and certainly not high ones, but tromping around in a pasture seems to demand flats of some description. I suspect the pasture will have been swept clear of “pig patties,” but you just never know when one might have been overlooked. One of the Precious Jewels suggested the white rubber fishing boots I keep at the beach, pictured here. They are perfect when I know things are going to be really wet — or worse, but high style, they are not.  

I have been channeling my mother and grandmother for their thoughts about this unusual situation, but so far they have not sent me any signals about appropriate footwear.

• • •

On a more serious note, the Brookings Institution, one of Washington’s oldest think tanks, reports that while our American job market is much, much stronger than it was during the grim days of the Great Recession, the recovery has not included everyone. About 7 million men in their prime working years between 25 and 54 are neither working nor looking for work. Shockingly, that is about 12 percent of all men in that age group, and another 2 million men in that category are looking for work but have not found it.  

This is not new news. Jason Furman, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, says the share of men in this age group working or looking for a job has been declining for 50 years.  Most of them are low-income individuals who dropped out of high school or did not go to college. Many depend on their wives’ income and a lesser percentage on government benefits. Says Furman, “They’re not spending any more time on child care, not spending any more time on chores. They are spending a lot more time watching TV than men who are in the labor force.”  

He says many of them have realized that employers are not hiring unskilled workers with little education, so they have quit looking, leading to a range of “bad outcomes,” including depression, substance abuse and suicide.

Furman argues that government policy can make a difference by encouraging education and improving access through job programs and access to childcare, but those are tough arguments in our currently overheated political atmosphere.

• • •

And speaking of politics, can you ever remember a more toxic election cycle than 2016? Ugly words like “crook,” “crazy” and “rigged” pollute our election process daily and almost surely guarantee that many Americans will stay home on Nov. 8 with pillows over their ears. And to think we have not even started debate season yet.

How much longer will this last?

A quick search of how many days left instantly brings up a website that ticks off the days, hours, and seconds until Election Day.

As of publication of this issue of Up and Coming Weekly, we have 75 excruciating days to go.

We seem to be adrift when it comes to making our community economically prosperous.

During the past decade, our taxpayer-funded industry hunter, the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, hooked a couple of large employer prospects that could have made a dent in our unemployment rate. We rejected them because they smelled, literally.

I’m not saying we needed an ethanol plant that would foul the air with the stench of French fries or stale beer. And, I’m not saying we needed a chicken-rendering plant considered by some too environmentally unsound for a long-vacant industrial site. But I am saying we need to decide what we are willing to accept to make our economically strapped community whole again.

So, when the civic education minded Cumberland Community Awareness Network hosted a forum for the six candidates vying for three seats on the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, the first question I asked as moderator was about our economic health.

My question stemmed from the concerns I had after reading Cumberland County Manager Amy Cannon’s 19-page budget letter to the Board of Commissioners. The letter is the summary of the county’s $430 million budget.

Cannon didn’t paint a good economic picture for Cumberland County. Sure, the tax rate remains at 74 cents for every $100 worth of property, of which each penny rakes in about $2.3 million. It’s an election year for two of the seven-member board, so a tax hike would be a tough choice for the incumbents.

Basically, it’s a bare-bones budget. “The increasing demand for services and rising operational expenses significantly outweigh our available revenue, which has not returned to pre-recession levels,” Cannon states in her message.

She goes on to say that while the rest of North Carolina has recovered from the recession, Cumberland County still lags. For example, the average growth for sales tax before the start of the 2008 recession was 6.68 percent. After the recession, the average growth was 2.45 percent. That, according to Cannon, is a yearly loss of $1.88 million or almost $9.5 million for the past five years. 

So, I asked how they would fix our economy. The answers surprised me. 

While the city, county and PWC fund the FCEDC to the tune of about $1 million a year to lure big business to Cumberland County, the candidates all gravitated around the idea of supporting small, local businesses. 

Candidate Michael Boose called it “growing our own.” And candidate Wade Fowler called it “economic gardening.” And while the others didn’t have a catch name for it, they all touched on the need to do more for local businesses. But there were no details, and to be fair, three minutes to answer the question wasn’t enough time.

But most agreed, helping small businesses in our community grow will help create jobs. And jobs, however small at first, will make our community economically robust.

When you head to the polls this November to vote for one of the two most unpopular presidential candidates ever, know that local elections, especially for the Board of Commissioners, can have a significant effect on how we as a community move forward.