Weight loss is often a primary reason people join a fitness center or start exercising. A healthy weight loss goal is to lose one-to-two pounds per week for long-term sustainability. A drastic weight loss approach with a caloric intake of four hundred to eight hundred calories per day can be non-sustainable. With this type of approach, you will likely regain weight within six months or less. A good diet with exercise can help you lose weight and maintain your weight loss goals.

Anyone can slash their caloric intake and lose weight, but is this weight loss a plan you will continue to follow? Educating yourself about nutrition-related dieting options empowers you to make good decisions about food consumption for health and wellness. Choosing a weight loss plan can be overwhelming with all the available commercial programs and apps because no one diet fits all. Take your time to research a plan or app that will work for you. Two diets surface when I read health and fitness articles: the Mediterranean and Paleo diet.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes fruit, vegetables, seafood, and grains -in moderation. The Paleo diet features an abundance of meat, seafood, poultry with fresh vegetables and fruit. While I am not suggesting that you try either of these diets, I think the Mediterranean diet is an interesting read for this column. It became popular in the fifties and sixties when Ancel Keys and his colleagues studied relationships between diet and coronary heart disease in Greece, Spain, Italy, Finland, Japan and South Africa.They found that the diets in Italy and Greece had the lowest risk of developing heart disease. In general, people in these countries enjoy long lives with low rates of chronic disease.

The lifestyle in these countries also embraces regular physical activity and leisurely meals with friends and family. The question is, why is this diet so effective?

The Mediterranean diet encompasses many fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, olive oil, nuts and seeds. It is a heart-healthy eating plan that incorporates cooking methods and flavors of the region. The diet is rich in fiber, protein, and Omega -3 fats and allows for a modest amount of carbs. The preferred beverages on this diet are coffee, tea, water and an occasional red wine. It encourages fewer eggs, red meat, white meat, sweets, refined grains, processed foods, sweetened beverages and unhealthy oils.

Research has shown that this type of diet can reduce your risk of diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, metabolic syndrome and heart disease. People in these countries enjoy long lives with low rates of chronic disease. The reason is that the diet has fewer foods high in fat, salt and sugar. The result is weight loss, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and less inflammation in the body. Studies also suggest that this diet promotes good gut health and healthy aging. Below are menu choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack. Breakfast: Grilled tomatoes on whole-wheat toast, yogurt with fruit or kale and butternut squash frittata. Lunch: Mixed green salad with olives and cherry tomatoes (oil and vinegar dressing) or whole-grain sandwich with hummus, vegetables, or chickpea salad. Dinner: Whole–grain pizza with grilled vegetables or broiled salmon with brown rice and vegetables. Snack: Hummus with red bell peppers. Look for my next column, which will feature details on the Paleo diet. Live, love life with healthy eating and exercise.

Whoever said "politics is a circus" wasn't far from wrong. And every circus has a ringmaster and a lion tamer that shout and crack their whips demanding compliance from those they dominate. North Carolina's Governor Roy Cooper indeed fills both these positions in Raleigh's political circus. Cooper's recent, unprecedented and outlandish endorsement of former Fayetteville City Councilwoman Val Applewhite to challenge and unseat District 19 Democrat Senator Kirk deViere shocked both Republican and Democratic citizens. But, it's Cooper's circus. He is the ringmaster, and he calls all the shots.

There is little doubt that Cooper's action is retaliation toward deViere for working across the political aisles with Republicans on local and statewide policies and initiatives. Initiatives and policies that ultimately would benefit his District 19 constituents and all the residents of North Carolina. In other words, deViere was doing his job. He was doing what the people of District 19 elected him to do. From these tasks and principles, he did not waver. Ringmaster Cooper punished deViere for not adhering to strict Democratic Party mandates, policies and philosophies. Cooper's actions are a near-perfect example of just how ruthless, corrupt and unforgiving the game of politics can be at all levels.

Sen. deViere and the Cumberland County delegation, Sen. Ben Clark, State Reps. John Szoka, Diane Wheatley, Billy Richardson, and Marvin Lucus all worked diligently and "across the aisle" to do everything they could for the citizens of Fayetteville and Cumberland County. The result was an unprecedented $413 million infusion into our community to enhance our quality of life and positively impact our community for decades to come.
In a recent phone conversation with Sen. deViere, I reminded him that "no good deed goes unpunished." In this writer's opinion, Cooper's endorsement of Applewhite indicates his circus may be on the verge of transforming into a zoo. This being the case, every citizen of Fayetteville and Cumberland County needs to be aware of the situation and know who's who in the zoo.

I urge you to do your due diligence on each candidate. Learn who the candidates are, what they stand for, what they have accomplished or what they plan to accomplish if elected. One of the main reasons quality leadership has diminished in Fayetteville and Cumberland County during the last decade is because candidates have figured out how to be elected, but they have no knowledge of the office they are elected to or what is expected of them.

Their lack of knowledge and experience has created a significant deficit in our planning and future vision for the entire community.
Over the years, Senator deViere and I have disagreed on many issues, but never has it been personal. I have always admired people with a solid work ethic who are not afraid to stand up and fight for their principles regardless of political affiliations. Hardcore and complex politics often make this difficult.

Gov. Cooper and Val Applewhite have done very little for Fayetteville and Cumberland County citizens. Neither Cooper nor Applewhite contributed to bringing $413 million to our community. The upcoming elections will be vital to the ultimate success of Fayetteville and Cumberland County. During this election period, everyone needs to be aware of who's who in the zoo. Our community has great potential, and collectively, we have identified faltering leadership in the mayor's office, city council and the county commission. We are the only ones who can change this, and we do not want to elect more of the same. Vote. But vote from a position of knowledge. Vote on the candidates based on their ability to serve our community with dignity, honor and integrity. Fayetteville and Cumberland County are wonderful communities with tremendous potential. We must

elect honest and talented leaders who will take advantage of our assets and will not abuse the positions entrusted to them. I'll leave you with this.
It's all up to us and not hard to do,
Run the circus out of town,
And you will disassemble the zoo!
Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.
(My apologies to Dr. Seuss.)

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 670 have scheduled a new event. Their Spring Fling with The Embers featuring Craig Woolard will be held on March 20, from 4 to 7 p.m. at VFW Post 670.
The Embers were formed in 1958 by Bobby Tomlinson and Jackie Gore.

"[The Embers] were one of the first integrated bands that had a Black saxophone player," said Craig Woolard, lead singer and featured artist of The Embers. "They recorded their first album live from the North Carolina State University student union."

Being in the group was an excellent experience for Woolard.

"The band opened a nightclub in Raleigh, opened a nightclub in Atlantic Beach, drove nice Cadillacs and it was big time for me," Woolard said.
Woolard dreamed of performing early on in life.

"I am from... Washington, North Carolina, and we would go to Atlantic Beach, and that is when I first heard about The Embers," said Woolard. "I was a musician, and I would look at the stage and wish that one day I could be on the stage performing too."

The Embers laid the foundation for Beach Music in the Carolinas, Virginia, the Gulf Coast region and the beaches. The current band members are Gerald Davis, bass player; Jody Bundy, keyboards; Wayne Free, drummer; Jeff Grimes, guitar; Bob Nantz, trombone; Stephen Pachuta, trumpet; and Craig Woolard, lead vocals. They are supported by sound, lights and setup crew members Julio Eubanks and Bob Blair.
Woolard feels his bandmates are very talented and enjoys performing with them.

"Gerald [on bass] and I joined The Embers the same day in November of 1976," said Woolard. "He is easily one of those influential musicians in my life."
The Embers have recorded numerous albums and single releases that span decades. Some of their greatest hits include "Far Away Places," "I Love Beach Music," "Solitaire," "What You Do To Me" and "Cool Me Out," to name a few.

Woolard has also had independent success as well.

"I have had several hits that include 'Love Don't Come No Stronger Than Yours and Mine' and 'I've Got A Feeling We'll Be Seeing Each Other Again,'" said Woolard.

The Embers' awards and accomplishments include induction into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, the South Carolina Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame, the South Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame, the honor of carrying the moniker of North Carolina's Official Ambassadors of Music, military coins of excellence for their distinguished service, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award and the Group of the Year Award.

"I have won Male Vocalist of the Year at the Carolina Beach Music Awards and Entertainer of the Year many times, so much so that I retired myself from it," said Woolard. "When you win the first few times, everybody applauds, but when you win 15 times, you might get some boos, so I figured I needed to quit while I was ahead."

Some of the band's most significant accomplishments include playing at former President Bill Clinton's Inaugural Party, playing for an ambassador at his home in Ottawa, Canada, and being sponsored by Anheuser-Busch.

"It was a big deal to get sponsored by the national company, Anheuser-Busch, in the 80s, and they picked up our song "I Love Beach Music" and turned it into "I Love Budweiser," so people all over the country were getting to hear that," said Woolard. "They would fly us to different places to play at their conventions in New York City, Chicago, Palm Springs and Hawaii."

Touring is one of the band's favorite things to do, and they have traveled the world extensively, averaging 250 shows a year.

"When COVID-19 hit, everything was shut down," said Woolard. "Everybody sat around and adjusted as best as we could. I was fortunate because, in January 2020, the owner of a radio station asked me if I would be interested in doing radio, so I gave it a try and every Sunday night from 6 to 11 p.m. was the Craig Woolard Show."

The radio position helped Woolard through the pandemic.

"I got the radio job because the Lord knew what was going to happen, so he looked out for me and carried me through," said Woolard.

The Embers hold an annual cruise during the Christmas holidays, and about 300 of their fans show up to the party.

"It is called the 'Making Waves Cruise,' and it is something that I started during my time away from The Embers," said Woolard. "I had my own band, The Craig Woolard Band, and I started the Making Waves Cruise, and when those guys who were in charge called me back, it became the 'Making Waves Cruise' with The Embers."

He added, "We have been doing this cruise for at least 15 years until the pandemic hit."

"Right now we are working on a destination instead of a cruise because of the pandemic and you just don't know what is going to happen," said Woolard.

Future projects for the group involve recording an album.

"Every Christmas, we release a Christmas album to go along with the Christmas show because we do the show the whole month of December all the way up to Christmas Eve," said Woolard.

"I am happy to be able to do what I am doing, and I don't have a problem keeping my spirits up," said Woolard. "If I have got to sing the same songs every night, then I have to find a way to make that interesting, and the way that I do it is to listen and see how well I can sing that song a little better than I did the last time."

The Embers are looking forward to playing good music at the Spring Fling.

"The audience can expect the most entertaining and professional performance that we can possibly muster," said Woolard. "You cannot rest on your laurels, and you have to make people a believer every time that you play."

The Spring Fling will feature food trucks, vendors, music and more in addition to The Embers.

The Spring Fling is free from noon to 4 p.m. and the concert is open to the public.

After 4 p.m., tickets cost is $10 to $15 and can be purchased at the door and online at https://theticketing.co/events/theembersatvfwpost670.
Sponsors, food trucks and vendors are still needed.

Interested trucks and vendors are asked to call/text 910-779-8425 or email agoraproductionsmc@gmail.com.

Residents in Fayetteville and the region have the unique opportunity to experience an uncommon type of artform by visual artist Marcela Casals — a performance work titled in-bitween. Casals, who lived in Fayetteville for many years and now resides in the New York City area, was invited to participate in the 2021-2022 Fine Art Series at Fayetteville State University in the Department of Performing and Fine Arts.

Before Marcela Casals decided to complete a degree in sculpture and ceramics at FSU, she was a well-known actor and director at the Gilbert Theatre in Fayetteville. By 2017 Casals had completed the visual art degree in sculpture and ceramics at FSU, a Post Baccalaureate degree at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and a Master of Fine Arts at the School of Arts in New York. After graduation, she remained in New York as a performance artist.

Casals has created an immersive sculpture installation in Rosenthal Gallery to perform in-bitween on two different days: March 18th and 19th. The event is free and a reception to meet the artist will follow the March 19th performance from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Ellington White Contemporary Gallery on Gillespie Street in downtown Fayetteville.

Before leaving Fayetteville, Casals was invited to create a sculpture installation in the west gallery at the Arts Council of Fayetteville in 2013. The paper and fabric used in the installation titled woodforeststream became her signature materials. From descending sculptural forms to sculptural projections, Casals utilizes neutral and/or black/white paper or fabric to express content. Using easily accessible materials Casals inspires meaning from a minimal approach in her performances and accumulation as mass in her sculptures.

in-bitween, reveals Casals’ underlying preoccupation with the characteristics of opposites: restraint and gravity, limitation and abundance, weight and weightlessness, culture and nonculture, lastly, language and the voiceless. After the performance, the immersive sculpture installation remains in place until April 8, 2022, for visitors to Rosenthal Gallery to experience — the video recording of in-bitween will play on a large monitor.

In talking about the content for in-bitween Casals shared her experiences with language as “innate and foreign, a bridge and a barrier. After arriving with my parents in NYC from Buenos Aires at the age of nine, not speaking a word of English … in a years’ time I spoke it fluently. Time passed and I only spoke Spanish with my parents. By the time of my adulthood, my parents returned to Argentina and visited me regularly in the United States. Visiting them regularly, I noticed my mother language was stunted. When my parents passed and not having spoken Spanish for two years, I came to experience a sense of loss. I was no longer from my birthplace and not 100% from where I grew up…my experience with language, that everyday sound defines this middle space I inhabit: not from there, not from here, in-bitween.”

Visitors to in-bitween performance do not need to know Casals' idea behind the sculpture and performance, they can experience whatever their sensibilities respond to during the event. Knowing the artist’s intent before visiting the gallery could give visitors insight and perhaps influence a new and surprisingly pleasing experience.

Visitors do not have to stay the entire time of the performance; they can quietly come and go during either of the performances. The five-hour March 19th performance is durational. Instead of performing for the complete five hours, the artist will take short breaks, then re-enter the performance.

A master class is scheduled for the art students — the public is welcome to attend. The artist will briefly talk about the history of performance art and how theatre and being a trained studio artist has influenced her style.

Instead of the master class, visitors can go to this YouTube link prior to coming to the gallery for in-bitween: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsO9K3twk3E

As an actor, Casals has a long list of memorable theater performances over the years. Since becoming a visual artist, her list of achievements continues to grow. While an art student in 2011, Casals was one of the artists who participated in the “500 Hands” North Carolina Veterans Park, in Fayetteville, NC. Like the other artists, Casals was assigned and traveled to 12 counties in North Carolina to cast the hands of veterans and their supporters for Veterans Park.

Some of her installations and performances includes the following: “Intrusion” Installation, Projecto áce, Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2013; “Is That A Gun In Your Pocket” Studio 10, Brooklyn NY Performance, 2017; “Labour” Performance/Installation — SVA Open Studios, 2017; and 2020 “Parabola-Parable” Language-Mother Tongue, The Immigrant Artists Biennial, NYC Performance.

The Market House in downtown Fayetteville has been a focus of local dissension long before any of us reading this column drew breath, and sometimes the buzz has been louder than at other times. Since the 2020 unrest following the murder of Fayetteville native George Floyd in Minneapolis, the buzz has accelerated to the point that an arsonist tried to set the building afire. However, he managed to burn only his clothes. Calls to demolish the Market House reached Fayetteville City Council and resulted in the Council deciding to “repurpose” the building, but it is unclear what that means at this point.

The Market House was constructed following the great fire of 1831, which consumed its predecessor, the State House, where North Carolina ratified the US Constitution and chartered the nation’s first public university, the University of North Carolina. It was what its name implies for most of its existence, a community market for local goods and produce with town hall facilities on the upper floor. In more recent years, the market function fell away, and the second story has been used as a library, an art museum, a history museum and offices for various organizations. Over time, it became an official symbol of the city of Fayetteville, a logo of sorts. It is one of 40 National Historic Landmarks in North Carolina and the only one in Cumberland County.

It is also a place where enslaved human beings were sold as chattel.

Stop for a moment. Let that historical reality sink in.

It is also a place where enslaved human beings were sold as chattel.

In downtown Fayetteville in an open arcaded building, a place near which many residents now enjoy an outdoor meal, a visit to nearby parks, attend church or take in a movie at an art-house theater, human beings were sold to the highest bidder.

Families were likely parted, perhaps for eternity. A plaque to honor and in memory of those enslaved people was authorized by Fayetteville City Council in 1989 now resides permanently on the ground level of the Market House. It acknowledges the building’s excruciating history but can do nothing to change it.

So the question looms on and large. What is the fate of the Market House in the 21st century?

Presumably, the Council’s decision to repurpose the building means it will not be demolished. Still, calls for its destruction continue, and as with any elected body responsive to public sentiment, that decision can be changed. It should not be.

Tearing down a building because atrocities occurred there does not erase them. It may even make such acts more difficult to remember if the place where they happened exists only in memory.

This is why Germany retained its horrendous concentration camps — so people will never forget what happened in them.

That said, what should the Market House be? Should it stand in place or be moved, if that is even possible? How should it be used, if used at all?

These are the complex and emotional questions facing Fayetteville's City Council.

I do not envy its members this decision, but the timing has landed it squarely in their laps.

Americans from coast to coast and elsewhere are grappling with our nation’s history of and, sadly, continuing racism. Millions of individuals and thousands of communities are struggling with our collective pasts and painful presents. We are looking into personal and national mirrors and must reckon with what we see.

Whatever the fate of the nearly 200-year-old Market House is to be, it should be decided now. As difficult as this decision will be, Fayetteville City Council must not be allowed, as politicians say, to “kick this can down the road.”

The decision is this Council’s, and the time is now.

Going blind. Is there any way it could be a good thing?

Frank Bruni asks this question in his new book, “The Beauty of Dusk.”

Bruni, one of the great writers to move to North Carolina recently, is an opinion writer for The New York Times, author of bestselling books, and is now a professor of public policy at Duke University.

One day in 2017, Bruni woke up to find something wrong with an eye. He could barely see anything in that eye. Reading and driving became problematic. Doctors told him a stroke had destroyed the nerves that connected the eye and the brain.

The damage was permanent, and there was a 40 percent chance something similar would happen to the other eye. If it did, he would be, for all practical purposes, totally blind.

How Bruni dealt with life afterwards, is the story of his book.

He sought out people who have been similarly handicapped: blind, deaf, injured limbs, crippling diseases. He found that many have learned to live with their situations and have refused to be defeated.

As he told me recently, “I decided to put on my journalist hat and interviewed to try to learn from people who had been confronted with serious physical and medical challenges” and learn “how they navigated those, and what they learned from them.”

He wanted to avail himself of that wisdom. So, he said, “That's the story of the book.”

The stories he collected are impressive and inspirational.

He wrote about an English travel writer, James Holman, who notwithstanding his blindness, Bruni told me, “was perhaps the most famous travel writer of his day.”

“When he wrote about the places, to the extent that he described them visually, it was through other people's accounts.

“But, there was still so much available to him, the smells of a place, the sounds of a place, the legends of a place. And it's a really interesting lesson in how much is still available to us when a portion of our lives is taken away. There are still many portions of our lives, many, many perspectives and aspects left.”

Bruni writes about David Tatel, a blind U.S. Court of Appeals judge who, rather than focusing on all the negatives of his blindness, celebrates his luck at having gone blind “at a point in human progress when technology was so sophisticated and could come to the rescue in many situations.”

When Bruni told the judge that he was impressed with him and “our species’ unfathomable nimbleness,” the judge “smiled and with his whole face, then said something that echoed in my thoughts for the rest of that evening and echoes there still. ‘Starfish can regrow limbs,’ he said. ‘But that’s nothing compared to what human beings can do.’”

Bruni was inspired by others, such as a blind dancer, a blind painter, a blind gallerist, a blind architect, all showing the powerful ability of humans to adapt even better than the starfish.

From these many other people facing up to lost physical abilities Bruni learned that there were upsides to these downsides and the struggles that go with them.

Instead of asking, “Why me?” Bruni asks, “Why not me?”

“Why should any of us be spared struggle, when struggle is a condition more universal than comfort, than satiation, than peace, maybe than love? Should we even be calling or thinking of it as struggle, which connotes an exertion beyond the usual, a deviation from the norm?”

He told me that we are dealt a set of cards in this life. Some are really good, some not.

“You have no control over what that hand of cards is going to be, but you have enormous control over how you play them. That's a lesson that was really hammered home to me as I dealt with vision loss.”

That lesson, Bruni thinks, is one all of us should learn.

We often sing along with songs we hear on the radio (or our favorite digital platform) without much thought of the road down which they were written.

Other times, though, we hear a song and just know there's a story tucked away in the lyrics.

The latter would likely be the case with contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Jeremy Camp's "I Still Believe."

A popular single from his first major-label full-length album in 2003, Camp wrote the song after the death of his first wife, Melissa.

The song helped propel Jeremy Camp's career, whose name is now well-known to Christian music fans.

At the very beginning of the pandemic, a full-length movie based on the story behind the song was due to release on March 13, 2020, only to find there were few to no theaters open to the public — seemingly derailing the plans for the impact of "I Still Believe the Movie."

Undeterred, the film was released immediately on digital and streaming platforms to great acclaim.

And nearly two decades into his musical career, fans were quickly able to connect with the man behind the artistry and the story of God's faithfulness to the singer.

Camp's career highlights now include over 30 number one Christian radio hits, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers songwriter awards, and back-to-back Gospel Music Association Dove Awards for Best Male Vocalist.

Fayetteville will get all of that and much more when the "I Still Believe Tour" lands in the Crown Theatre on Saturday, March 19th.

Appropriately named, the "I Still Believe Tour" features Riley Clemmons, a young Christian songstress whose infectious pop singles have earned her the respect, admiration and tens of millions of plays on radio and digital platforms since her 2018 debut.

Canada-native Jordan St. Cyr rounds out the lineup for the evening, which promises to be one of the best Christian music shows of the year.

Longtime fans of Jeremy Camp know they can count on an evening that is both high energy and reflective.

Jeremy has a solid foundation as an artist and is an adept storyteller whose songs quickly point to God and the truth of his strength.

With a twenty-year string of hits songs under his hat, the evening will be filled with exciting surprises for some and sing-along memories for others.

Without a doubt, everyone will leave knowing they have been both encouraged and entertained.

Doors open at 6 p.m., and the concert begins at 7 p.m. at Fayetteville's Crown Theatre on Saturday, March 19th. To purchase tickets, visit crowncomplexnc.com.

 

As one of the fastest-changing industries, tourism continues to be a primary engine of economic health in the entire country.

That applies here in Fayetteville/Cumberland County as well. The Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (FACVB) recently initiated a tourism research project that will serve as the foundation for the Strategic Marketing and Media Planning for 2022 and beyond.

The FACVB sought to highlight tourism's impact on the area through this project. By partnering with the Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and the Cool Spring Downtown District, the Foundational Tourism Research Project delivered insights from three different scopes of work: Stakeholder Study, Scout Report and Tourism Market Study.

The Stakeholder Study provided tourism insights from local stakeholders and explored the community's awareness of the three organizations. The information gathered from this effort will help optimize community assets and the community tourism brand.

The Scout Report provided real-time data (cell phone signals) and was able to show the geographic distribution of Fayetteville's visitors from outside of Cumberland County. The data helped identify the markets with the most significant opportunity and will help measure the performance by each market year over year.

The third element of the research project, the Tourism Market Study, targeted regional travelers to assess and measure sentiment, brand health, visitor profile and barriers to visitation.
The purpose of the study was to amplify the core of the regional marketplace by measuring Fayetteville/Cumberland County's brand health as a destination and comparing it to other regional destinations of similar size and scope.

The research summary included impressive numbers regarding tourism's economic health and its impact on the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community. The average leisure visitor spends $877 a visit, and the average business visitor party spends $502 during their stay. Even the Visiting Family/Relatives sector spends $489 during a visit.

"The Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties" was prepared for Visit NC by the U.S. Travel Association for 2019, and the below data was presented to FACVB:
• Cumberland County's travel and tourism industry employs 4,820 people with a payroll totaling nearly $116 million.
• Travel spending generates $44.598 million in local and state taxes.
• Travel to Cumberland County is worth $601 million to our local economy, translating to a tax savings of $134.14 per county resident.
• Cumberland County ranks tenth out of North Carolina's 100 counties in economic impact from tourism.

Everyone in the community can contribute to the continuation of the area's growth and shape the tourism industry in Cumberland County. The FACVB works alongside the community, hospitality partners and community leaders to further increase tourism and position Fayetteville/Cumberland County as a destination.

The FACVB extends an invitation to all to visit the Welcome Center, where they can learn more about the FACVB goals and mission as they represent Fayetteville/Cumberland County as the tourism marketing arm of the community for conventions, meetings, sporting events and leisure travel.

The research in its entirety can be found on the FACVB website at VisitFayettevilleNC.com/about-us/research.

With more than 5,000 pending applications from rent-burdened households, Cumberland County is expected to take over administration of its pandemic rental assistance program next month.

The county and the city of Fayetteville pooled their federal rental aid to form the Fayetteville Cumberland Rental Assistance Program, or RAP, last June.

The program was initially funded with two rounds of federal rental aid, one from the December 2020 COVID-19 stimulus package and the other from the American Rescue Plan Act. In total, RAP received over $18 million in direct federal aid.

The funds are for low-income tenants who have fallen behind on rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Renters are eligible for up to 12 months in past due rent and three months in future rent.

The city and county had previously contracted administration to Innovative Emergency Management, a private company based in Morrisville in Wake County.

But IEM decided not to renew past the depletion of the program’s current funding. In an emailed statement to Carolina Public Press, the company said its decision was due, in part, to restrictions the N.C. General Assembly placed on the next $17 million.

During the first two rounds of assistance, IEM said, the company fronted $13 million, at no additional cost to the city or county, to get the program up and running. Fayetteville and Cumberland later reimbursed that spending.

IEM officials said they also decided not to renew as more upfront spending would have been required.

“IEM is committed to stabilizing housing and is proud to have been a part of the city of Fayetteville’s and Cumberland County’s COVID-19 recovery efforts,” company officials said.

Reduced administrative fees
From both rounds of federal assistance combined, North Carolina’s state government received over $1 billion in rental aid.

Most of that was used for North Carolina’s own statewide rental assistance effort, the Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions program.

Portions of it, however, were allocated to the state’s most populous counties, Cumberland among them, as part of state legislation last year, Senate Bill 172.

In that legislation, Cumberland was allocated more than $31 million, $17 million of which will be disbursed by the county’s Department of Social Services after IEM finishes administering the last of the current funds.

The law also reduces administrative fees to 5%, down from the 10% in the U.S. Treasury guidelines for state and local governments.

IEM said this reduction would render the company unable to cover the cost of disbursement, which, the company said, includes call center and case management services, among others.

To begin administering the aid, DSS Director Heath Skeens told the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners at its monthly agenda meeting last week that DSS would need to hire 25 temporary workers.

In a statement emailed to Carolina Public Press, Cumberland officials said all positions except for three would be funded with administration fees.

It hasn’t been determined whether additional county funds will be needed to fund the remaining three positions or whether the DSS budget can handle it, officials said.

Skeens said she hopes to have the positions filled by March 28.

The Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 in support of having DSS take over RAP’s administration. Commissioners Michael Boose and Charles Evans were not present for the vote.

The action will be on the consent agenda for Monday’s board meeting.

IEM said the company is working with DSS in the transition.

“IEM and the county are working together to pivot program administration to DSS,” company officials said. “IEM is working with DSS to provide the necessary training and resources to support a successful handoff.”

Pending applications
Due to depleting funds, RAP halted applications to the program in January.

As of last week, 5,165 applications were pending. About 180 applicants will be sent checks in the next two weeks from the remaining $1.3 million in the last round of assistance directly from the federal government, IEM said.

DSS expects to begin processing the remaining applications as the agency begins going through the next $17 million from the state, Skeens said.

“Our plan is to begin to process those applications as quickly as possible, to identify and to ensure that we are distributing the money to those in need, as quickly as we can,” Skeens said. “But again, there are 5,100 applications, and that is not going to happen in 30 days. It’s going to take some time.”

Cumberland officials said it remains to be seen when applications will reopen.

“We are unsure when and if the portal will be opened for new applications,” an email from the county said. “That will depend on if there is any money left.”

The next $17 million in funding will be depleted by the 5,100 pending applications, they said.

So far in the program, 2,631 households in Cumberland County have received aid. Each family has received an average payout of about $5,200.

Out of the federal aid received, Cumberland County officials said $1.3 million was remaining as of last Thursday, and IEM expects to send that money to landlords and tenants within the next two weeks.

That’s the last 7% from the first two rounds of federal rent aid as IEM has disbursed 93%.

Nyrell Melvin, a filed candidate for the Fayetteville mayoral race, has decided to drop out of the contested race to run for a spot on the Cumberland County Board of Education.

In a public statement, Melvin says that while he was running for mayor, he found himself at multiple school board meetings and saw parents ignored by the school board.

"I have seen parents left outside and refused the right to speak. I have seen parents ignored and shrugged off. I have done my best to speak on their behalf. They have contacted me. I have been thanked and encouraged by them. I have been told they did not feel heard until I spoke up for them," Melvin said. "I set out to serve God and help the citizens of Fayetteville. In doing so, I have found parents being denied the right to be actively involved in how and what their children are taught just because they are taught in public schools. The board of education is designed to serve parents and children while balancing their serves to teachers and staff. I believe they need help to do that again."

He is looking to run for the At-Large seat during the general election on Nov. 8. The filing deadline for this election is Aug. 5.

He says he believes the Mayor's Office will end up with proper leadership and spoke highly of mayorial candidate Freddie Delacruz.

Mayor Mitch Colvin, the incumbent candidate, will be running again for a third term in the upcoming primary elections. There are now four candidates who will be running against him. The candidates who filed for mayor are Clifton L. Johnson, Franco Webb, Antoine J. Miner and Delacruz.

Metronet, a leading 100 percent fiber optic internet provider, officially launched its network in Cumberland County. This expansion of internet services would allow for more innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Our future-proof network has proven valuable to the cities we partner with, and we are excited to bring that opportunity to Fayetteville,” said Dave Heimbach, Metronet President and Chief Operating Officer. “Metronet is proud to support the CORE Innovation Center by providing 1 Gigabit of upload and download speeds for the next five years. Our services will allow local entrepreneurs to kick-start their businesses and promote further economic growth for the city."

The celebratory ‘lighting” of the Cumberland County network took place at the CORE Innovation Center adjacent to FCEDC Offices. The CORE is a unique military and technology-focused accelerator offering rentable private offices, demonstration space, conference rooms and a rooftop reception space, overlooking downtown Fayetteville.

“Advanced world-class internet access is an essential component of innovation. This connectivity is crucial for military and technological innovation, which the CORE accelerator space was developed to support,” said North Carolina Representative John Szoka. “We are thankful that Metronet is now delivering gigabit speeds to drive digital transformation within our local community, boosting the efficiency of our businesses and the productivity of our people.”

Metronet's network across Cumberland County is under construction. When complete, the network will cover Cumberland County, including Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Linden, Wade, Stedman, Godwin, Eastover, Falcon, and Spring Lake. This build-out will also provide service to portions of Hoke County, such as the communities of Raeford and Rockfish. 

Metronet expects that all planned areas will receive access within two years, with customers in initial construction areas now eligible for Metronet services. Those who would like to learn more about the construction process can visit construction.metronetinc.com to see the progress throughout their community.

Cumberland County Commission Chairman Glenn Adams shared, “More than ever, our citizens are relying on fast internet to work, learn and engage. Deploying a high-speed and affordable telecommunications service is critical to help bridge the digital divide.”

“Metronet’s infrastructure is a vital advancement for our community,” Mayor Mitch Colvin said in a press release. “We’re thrilled to become the next ‘Gigabit City.’ We also need to thank the Fayetteville Public Works Commission for their active collaboration and support in facilitating the construction process. We are grateful that Metronet chose Fayetteville and Cumberland County for their first North Carolina deployment and welcome them to our community.”

Metronet is currently hiring for several positions in sales and operations. Individuals who are interested in joining the Metronet team can visit metronetinc.com/careers to search for positions and submit applications.

Cape Fear Valley Medical Center will be adding two new floors on top of the Valley Pavilion section. This expansion, worth $110 million, will add 100 beds - 40 of which will be designed as ICU beds - 187 full-time positions and two rooftop helipads.

CEO Michael Nagowski said this expansion has been an anticipated part of the health system’s long-term planning, and that the health system has been saving funds in preparation for this.

“We recognized that we need this expansion to meet the growing needs of our community, and to provide meaningful assistance to reduce delays in our Emergency Department,” Nagowski said. “We expect that this will dramatically improve wait times in the ER.”

The rooftop helipads were designed specifically to help emergencies, specifically because of the short distance from Fort Bragg. Currently, the hospital’s helipad is located on the front lawn.

“Our plan is that one of the helipads will be structured to accept Blackhawk helicopters,” said Nagowski. “We want to make sure we have complete readiness if it was needed, because of our proximity to Fort Bragg.”

The construction is expected to start in the fall and will be completed in the fall of 2024. Little Diversified Architectural Consulting and Rodgers Builders, Inc. were chosen to do the construction because they wouldn't shut down or close the entrance of the hospital or the ER while building the two stories.

“It was a major consideration because we need to be adding onto this facility while it’s occupied,” Nagowski said. “During different phases of construction, there may be some traffic pattern adjustments around our entrances, but they will remain open. We don’t expect the project to affect traffic on Owen Drive or Village Drive at all.”

This is the first major expansion since 2008 when the five-story Valley Pavilion opened. That expansion added 132 Acute Care beds to the hospital’s capacity, as well as new adult and pediatric Emergency Departments, Heart & Vascular Center, Bariatric Center, Women’s Pavilion, Surgical Pavilion, and Imaging department. Not counting Behavioral Health beds, the medical center currently has 524 Acute Care beds and 78 Rehabilitation beds.

Cumberland County School Board approved a reassignment plan for students at T.C. Berrien Elementary school Tuesday evening.

The board voted on Plan A, which would divide the 178 students that attend T.C. Berrien Elementary School amongst Ferguson-Easley Elementary and Lucile Soulders Elementary school.

According to Cumberland County Schools, Lucile Souders currently has 284 students with a building capacity of 400 students. This plan would add 52 students to Lucile Souders. Ferguson-Easley Elementary currently has 195 students, with a building capacity of 396 students. The reassignment plan would add 126 students to Ferguson-Easley.

The approved plan will create the least amount of movement for students, as only those who normally attend T.C. Berrien are affected by the reassignment, according to the district.

The district says the furthest distance that students would have to travel is 2.9 miles, compared with 9.9 miles currently to W. T. Brown Elementary.

Some of the board members had concerns about changes in diversity and economic index for these reassignment plans. For Lucile Souders, the economic index would go down to 4.8 and 2.7 for Ferguson Easley.

The board approved the closure of T.C. Berrien Elementary school unanimously, it will close at the end of the school year.

Beginning on Wednesday evening, March 16 and continuing until nightfall on March 17 is the Jewish holiday of Purim. (For religious purposes, Jewish days run from sunset to sundown.) Purim is the celebration of the survival of the Jews in ancient Persia, from the wicked plot of Haman, as described in the biblical “Book of Esther.”

Perhaps the most unusual thing about this book is that it is in the Hebrew Bible of the Jews (as well as in the Old Testament of Christian scriptures) despite the fact that God is never mentioned. The book does seem to allude to God, or at least cosmic forces, acting behind the scenes, but God is never mentioned explicitly. Indeed, the rabbis in antiquity who determined which writings were sacred enough to be included officially in the Hebrew Bible they were formalizing vigorously debated the issue of its inclusion before deciding it should make the cut.

Perhaps the reason it ultimately prevailed is precisely because God is only found there implicitly. Understandably, we would like to have obvious, incontrovertible and palpable proof of the existence of God and what God wants from us. A burning bush or the splitting of a sea might be nice. It would definitely help make our lives more certain and assured. But that’s not the nature of the daily experience for most of us.

Faith is the recognition that there is more to our lives and the world around us than we can access directly. And this truth is found beyond the sphere of religion. How do you feel – not just infer, but feel - the care, concern or love of another human being? How do actors sense the energy of an audience in a silent, dark theater with bright stage lights in their eyes? How do we know when a sound or a sight is beautiful? How do we recognize, if we are truly honest with ourselves, whether we have acted morally or not?

None of these are merely part of the realm of our ordinary five senses. They are not within the empirical processes with which we analyze and incorporate overt information. And yet, we all know with certainty that those intangible experiences are real. Even the ultra-rational skeptics among us live their lives, as a practical matter, as if they are genuine realities. As my doctoral studies in religious philosophy would acknowledge, there are ways to account for all of this in formal ways. But that’s not what’s important for our daily lives.

What matters is that we open ourselves up to what is greater than ourselves and beyond what is overtly apparent to us. Our lives can be enriched by recognizing, like the “Book of Esther,” there is always much more present in our lives, contributing to them than simply the superficial. Whether in the realm of the Divine, cosmos or humanity, let us appreciate the powerful omnipresence that is just beyond the veil of our senses.

The tributes that rolled in when North Carolina lawyer Walter Dellinger died Feb. 16 were testimony that he was one of the nation’s great lawyers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He was 80.

In an Associated Press article, North Carolina native Jonathan Drew wrote that Dellinger’s career “marked him as one of the legal giants of our era. Many remembered — and justly celebrated — him as a brilliant and prolific scholar, a titan of the Supreme Court bar, an inspiring teacher and mentor to generations of bright proteges now in elected office, federal and state government, and on the bench.

“He was also a government lawyer whose advice was important to both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Key officials in the Biden White House sought his advice almost literally until the day he died.”

His son, Hampton, recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate as an assistant attorney general in the Biden administration’s Justice Department, gave this tribute to his dad, “Walter lived a wonderful and extraordinary life. He had many loves, first among them his wife Anne but also the State and University of North Carolina, the law and the rule of law, and American democracy.”

Several years ago I talked to Dellinger for a short North Carolina Bookwatch program recorded at Carolina Meadows in Chapel Hill, where he was living. He was working on a chapter of a memoir to be titled “Balcony Reserved for White Spectators.”
He explained his early awareness of the unfairness of the social system in his hometown Charlotte. In the late 1950s he was working on a construction site “where only whites could be carpenters and the black men were all laborers paid $1 an hour. As I was a temporary kid, I was assigned as a laborer. I was like the token white labor on this crew.

“What was interesting and dramatic for me was that the best carpenter by far was one of the African American men who was a laborer. He got paid as a laborer no matter what he was doing. So whenever there was a very difficult challenge to the carpentry, the on-site supervisor would ask David to take on the challenge.

“But if anybody from company headquarters arrived on the scene, I was sometimes a lookout, David had to put down his carpentry tools. He could be an expert but couldn't be caught breaking the rigid rules. That gives you a sense of how rigid the system was.”

Dellinger remembered his love of Black music and listening to WGIV, the Black radio station in Charlotte. “I listened to the gospel hour faithfully. They had a contest to see who could first identify a gospel song, and I knew immediately from the first three bars it was ‘Ride on King Jesus.’

“The prize was a one-year subscription to Ebony magazine, which in the segregated South was a whole different world, particularly the advertisements where no people of color were ever in mainstream media.”
Dellinger’s love of music led him to try to attend the Black concerts and dances at Park Center in downtown Charlotte. There is where he encountered the sign.

He explained, “In Charlotte dances that were for African Americans [they]had a balcony reserved for white spectators, so it's sort of both literal and metaphorical the notion that I was only a spectator from the balcony on what was happening with race in the South, watching what was happening in the Black community.”

After four years at UNC-Chapel Hill, three years at Yale Law School, and two years teaching at the University of Mississippi Law School, Dellinger was never “only a spectator” again.

He lived and died in the middle of our country’s struggle to eliminate the unfairness the carpenter David experienced and the legacy of the customs that put Dellinger in the balcony at Park Center dances.

Filing is closed for the May 2022 primaries and candidates are ready to start campaigning all over Cumberland County. Many of the races are contested — both locally and state-wide.

CITY AND COUNTY SEATS
FAYETTEVILLE MAYOR
Mayor Mitch Colvin, the incumbent candidate, will be running again for a third term. There are five candidates who will be running against him. The candidates who filed for mayor are Clifton L. Johnson, Freddie Delacruz, Franco Webb, Nyrell Melvin and Antoine J. Miner.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1
Kathy Jensen, the incumbent candidate, will be running again for her fourth term. She is being challenged by Jose Alex Rodriquez and William Milbourne III.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 2
Shakeyla Ingram, the incumbent candidate, will be running against three other candidates. She is being challenged by Janene Ackles, Joseph Dewberry, James Peterson and former councilmember Tyrone Williams.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 3
Antonio Jones, the incumbent candidate who was recently appointed to the city council seat in December, will be running against four candidates - John Zimmerman, Mario Benavente, Kurin Keys and Bill Ayerbe.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4
D.J. Haire, the incumbent candidate, will be running for his eleventh term in City Council. He is being challenged by Thomas C. Green and William Grantham.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 5
Johnny Dawkins, the incumbent candidate, will be facing only one other candidate at the polls. The challenger is Frederick G. LaChance III.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 6
Christopher Davis, the current seat holder, will be leaving his office at Fayetteville City Council in order to run for the North Carolina House of Representatives. His seat is being contested by Joy Marie Potts, Leigh Howard, Peter Pappas and Derrick Thompson.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 7
Larry Wright, the incumbent candidate, will be running for his fourth term. He is being challenged by Myahtaeyarra Warren and Brenda McNair.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 8
Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, the incumbent candidate, will be running for her second term. She is being challenged by one other candidate - Michael Pinkston.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 9
Yvonne Kinston, the incumbent candidate, will be running for her second term. She is being challenged by John Czajkowski, Sonya Renita Massey and Deno Hondros.

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AT-LARGE
There are two at-large commissioner seats open for the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners.
For the Democratic Ballot, there are six candidates running for the seats. Those candidates are current Commissioner Larry Lancaster, former Commissioner Marshall Faircloth, Veronica B. Jones, Ronald Pittman, Jackie Paul-Ray and Paul Taylor.
For the Republican Ballot, State Rep. John Szoka and Ron Ross will be running.

COUNTY SHERIFF
Ennis Wright, the incumbent sheriff, has filed for re-election. He is being challenged by Democrat Lester A. Lowe. Whoever comes out in the primary election will run against Republican Candidate LaRue Windham in the general election in November.

N.C. HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
DISTRICT 42
On the Democratic ballot, incumbent Rep. Marvin Lucas is being challenged by Naveed Aziz. Whoever comes out in the primary election will run against Republican Candidate Gloria Carrasco in the general election in November.

DISTRICT 43
On the Democratic ballot, there are three candidates. Former State Rep. Elmer Floyd, Prince Christian and Kimberly Hardy will be running against each other.
On the Republican ballot, incumbent Rep. Diane Wheatley is being challenged by Clarence W. Goins, Jr.

DISTRICT 44
On the Democratic ballot, there are two candidates running for this seat - Charles Smith and Terry L. Johnson Sr.

DISTRICT 45
On the Democratic ballot, there are three candidates running against each other - Fayetteville City Councilmember Chris Davis, Keith Byrd and Frances Jackson. Whoever comes out in the primary election will run against Republican Candidate Susan Chapman in the general election in November.

STATE SENATE
DISTRICT 19
On the Democratic ballot, incumbent State Sen. Kirk DeViere is being challenged by former Fayetteville City Councilwoman Val Applewhite and Ed Donaldson.
On the Republican ballot, former State Sen. Wesley Meredith will be running against Dennis Britt.

U.S. CONGRESS
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 7
On the Democratic Ballot, there are four candidates running for the U.S. Representative seat. Those candidates include Cumberland County Commissioner Charles Evans, Charles Graham, Steve Miller and Yushonda Midgette.
On the Republican Ballot, there are two candidates running. U.S. Rep. David Rouzer will be facing off Max Southworth-Beckwith.

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 9
On the Republican Ballot, there are four candidates running for the seat - U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, Jen Bucardo, Mike Andriani and Francisco Rios.
Whoever comes out in the primary election will run against Democratic Candidate State Sen. Ben Clark in the general election in November.

The Cumberland County Board of Elections is currently looking for poll workers for the primary elections. Poll worker training starts in late March. Poll workers will be paid $25 for training and $130 for election day.

Registered Cumberland County voters who are interested should contact Mitzie Roberts at 910-321-6603 or mcroberts@co.cumberland.nc.us.

Early voting for the primaries begins on April 28 and ends on May 14 at 3 p.m.

Voters can start requesting their absentee ballots on March 28. The last day to apply for absentee ballots by mail is on May 10.

Absentee ballots must be hand delivered to the Board of Elections on May 17 by 5 p.m. If being sent by mail, absentee ballots must be postmarked and received no later than the third day after the election.

The Primary Election is scheduled for May 17.
Registered voters may locate their precinct on the Board of Elections website at www.cumberlandcountync.gov/elections.

Congratulations, gentle readers, you have survived the Rona. You have lived long enough to see the return of that most wonderful time of the year: America's favorite event, your stomach's highlight of the year, the social event that welcomes sweet springtime: The Annual Cape Fear Kiwanis Pancake Festival.

Yes, friends and neighbors, once again, it's time to put on a happy face, plus the old feed bag and come on down to Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church conveniently located at 614 Oakridge Ave. in historic Haymount.

This is the 48th Annual Pancake Festival put on by the Cape Fear Kiwanis. For a mere $6, you can shake off the demons of winter and the isolation of quarantines to indulge in all the pancakes and sausage that you dare to eat. All proceeds go right back into our community for various civic groups and activities. You can eat all the pancakes you like without guilt, knowing you are contributing to Cumberland County's good causes.

During last year's bout with the Rona, the Pancake Festival only had to do drive-through orders. However, as the Rona seems to be receding into the rear-view mirror, the Pancake Festival returns to dine in and carry out.

Dine-in and have breakfast with your friends, neighbors and total strangers who are all in excellent moods due to a collective sugar high. As we are unable to keep them out and frankly welcome their money, you will get to see local politicians of all stripes working the crowd. It is a sight to see, not to be missed.

Here is a listing of some of the local beneficiaries of past Pancake Festivals. Bringing Up Grades, Better Health of Cumberland County, Boys & Girls Club of Cumberland County, Cape Fear Valley NICU, The Care Clinic, Catholic Charities, Dolly Parton Imagination Library, EE Smith High School Mentoring Program, Child Advocacy Center, Friends of the Cumberland County Library, Habitat for Humanity, Homeworks, five local high school Key Clubs, Lewis Chapel Builders Club, New Parent Support Diaper Program at Fort Bragg, Operation Inasmuch, Police Activity League, Safe Kids, Salvation Army, College Scholarships to four local students annually, Second Harvest Food Bank, Urban Ministry, USO, Vision Resource Center and the Westminster Church Eyeglass Program have all received grants from the Cape Fear Kiwanis Club.

At about this time, you are probably asking yourself, "Self, what is the origin story of pancakes and some pancake factoids to dazzle my friends?" Funny, you should ask that question as the rest of the column will deal with pancakes' back story.

Mr. Google knows the answer. None other than Ms. Betty Crocker has a history of the pancake out on the interwebs. According to Ms. Crocker, the first mention of pancakes shows up in about 600 B.C. when a Greek poet named Cratinus mentioned pancakes in a poem. In case you are in Greece and want pancakes for breakfast, ask for 'Tiganites.' You will get them with honey and walnuts. During the Middle Ages, the first three pancakes in the batch had religious significance. The three were marked with a cross and not eaten to ward off evil spirits. Evil spirits could be scared by pancakes back then. Not sure that pancakes would work now against Putin in Ukraine, but it might be worth a try.

William Shakespeare liked pancakes as he wrote about them in his play As You Like It when Touchstone said: "a certain knight that swore by his honor they were good pancakes and swore by his honor that the mustard was naught, Now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught, and the mustard was good."

The Kiwanis guarantee their pancakes will be good and totally without mustard unless you bring your own yellow condiment. Why anyone would want to put mustard on their pancakes is beyond the scope of this column. As the King of Siam once said: "It is a puzzlement."

Some other pancake factoids: Maple syrup which graces many pancakes, was originally discovered by the Algonquin Indians. The world's biggest pancake, cooked in 1994, was 49.3 feet in diameter and estimated to contain two million calories.

The National Geographic reports that an analysis of starch grains on grinding tools from 30,000 years ago meant that Stone Age cuisine may have included pancakes made from cattails and ferns.

The most flips of a pancake in two minutes were 349 times by a cook named Dean Gould in England in 1995. Southerners eat the most pancakes of any group of Americans. We proudly consume 32.5% of all of America's pancakes. If you have ever driven through Myrtle Beach, you know that Highway 17 is awash with more Pancake Houses than you can shake a stick at if you were so inclined to shake such a stick at that particular type of building.

Allow me to end with the Kiwanis' motto: "Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time."

It is your civic duty to come out, buy and eat some patriotic pancakes. If you come hungry, you will leave happy.

The annual Kiwanis Pancake Festival returns on March 11, from 7 a.m. to noon.

Finally, we are scheduled to have a primary election on May 17. Candidate filings have faced inconvenient delays because of lawsuits over the establishment of congressional districts. These districts are also used in county and municipal elections and were redrawn using information from the 2020 Census. So, let the games (primaries) begin!

It's been a long time since this community has seen so much activity and enthusiasm toward local elections. The many residents who have filed to serve public offices in Fayetteville and Cumberland County reflect this enthusiasm. Every one of them should be commended for their willingness to step up and be a public servant. This enthusiastic participation speaks volumes about what residents think of the City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County's leadership. And, by the candidates' turnout, these folks are not giving our current public servants very high marks in leadership. Just the opposite. Citizens are frustrated and discouraged by the way our local governments are run. Dissatisfaction runs the gamut. Our local governments lack transparency in handling the allegations of incompetence and mismanagement leveled against Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins. And the reluctance of the City Council to call for an independent external investigation of former councilwoman Tisha Waddell's allegations against the mayor and several sitting council members. Suppose there is, in fact, no truth to these allegations, as Mayor Mitch Colvin contends. Then why resist the call for an independent external investigation? An independent external inquiry into Waddell's allegations would provide proof, reassurance and closure for the citizens of Fayetteville. Residents are not happy with the way current leadership is running this community, and they are losing trust and confidence in them every day and for a good reason.

The citizens of Fayetteville and Cumberland County love and care about this community, and they witness daily what our collective elected officials choose to ignore.

The downtown encampments filled with people without homes are seen daily by city and county elected officials, staff members and employees without acknowledgment. People are homesteading under trees in our center city and camping out in our downtown parking lots using our trees and fence posts to hang their laundry and trash bags.

In addition, we have a homicide rate that makes us competitive for the title of murder capital of North Carolina and one of the deadliest cities in the country. But, we boast a lower rate of petty crimes. The amount of trash and litter on our streets is beginning to speak volumes about people's lack of respect for our community.

Yes, the election period is short. Yes, candidates seeking office must work fast and hard to raise money and name recognition. And, yes, most of the incumbents have a huge advantage. I doubt any challengers will displace Mitch Colvin or many of the other city and county officials.

However, the sheer number of candidates running for office indicates that people are not happy with the current leadership. And, those new folks who manage to win have the opportunity to provide a new and fresh leadership style that could help assure honest governance to city and county residents.

Review the candidates carefully and do your due diligence. Because, ultimately, in the end, we will end up with the kind of leadership we deserve.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners met Monday morning to startling news — there are currently 733 children in foster care in the County — the highest number for an individual county in North Carolina. Another concerning number commissioners learned, or a number that should be larger was that Cumberland County only has 51 foster families.

Delores Long, the assistant director of Social Services, told the board that out of the 733 children who are in foster care, 275 have been placed out of county and 42 were placed out of the state.

“So you can see with the number of children we have out of county and out of state, there’s truly a need for foster families within Cumberland County,” Long told the commissioners.

When asked what could possibly be the cause for the high number of foster children, Long said it largely has to do with having a large military installation in the county.

“We have a lot of families who come here and they do not necessarily have direct, natural support here in the community. So that has the tendency to increase the number of times children have to enter foster care because they lack the natural supports in the community to prevent it,” Long said.

The Department of Social Services is collaborating with the county for a “Not Perfect…Just Willing” campaign. This campaign aims to create more awareness for families and adults in Cumberland County to take an interest in being a foster family. The goal for Long is to raise the number of foster families from 51 to 115.

The campaign will kick off on March 26 at the “Vax Your Vet, Vax Yourself 2.0” event.

“To be a foster parent, you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be willing,” Loren Bymer, the Deputy Public Information Director, said. “Our goal is to increase foster families within Cumberland County so we don’t have to send anyone outside our county.”

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III ordered 500 more U.S. service members to be deployed. 300 of those troops will come from Fort Bragg.

The troops from Fort Bragg will form a modular ammunition ordnance company, according to Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby. They will be heading to Germany to provide additional logistic support to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division already on the ground.

Kirby said the movement is temporary and the added personnel are being positioned “to help reinforce and bolster deterrence and defense capabilities of the NATO alliance."

"[We're] going to adjust our posture continuously as the conditions require. And as has noted before, we are not and will not send forces into Ukraine," Kirby said.

Additional service members will also be coming from Fort Stewart, Georgia.

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Photo Credit: U.S. Army Paratroopers assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat, 82nd Airborne Division prepare to train with their Polish Allies at a sniper range in Nowa Deba, Poland, March 3, 2022. The 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, N.C., has been deployed to Poland as part of the strong and unremitting commitment to our NATO Allies and to deter aggression. (Photo by Sgt. Catessa Palone)

Down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers could be coming to Fayetteville city employees soon.

The City Council voted unanimously Monday to have officials look into expanding its existing Good Neighbor Homebuyer Loan Program to include all eligible city employees.

When the program first started in 2019, the $20,000 down payment assistance was only offered to police officers.

The council also asked officials to increase that assistance amount to $30,000 to account for rising home prices.

As of January, the latest available data, the typical sales price for an existing single-family home in Fayetteville was $189,450, according to Longleaf Pine Realtors.

That’s an increase of over 11% from January 2021.

Some ZIP codes in Fayetteville, such as 28314, 28306 and 28304, saw increases approaching 20%. ZIP codes 28305 and 28312 — which both saw an increase of around 30% — have median sale prices for existing single-family homes at $243,000 and $304,504, respectively.

“There’s been a serious appreciation of housing costs,” Mayor Mitch Colvin said at Monday’s City Council meeting, advocating for the assistance increase. “Houses are competitive … instead of it being one offer or two offers, it’s 10 offers. In order to really put them in the game, they have to put an increased down payment with the way prices have gone up.”

The program is funded through $400,000 from the city’s general fund and from a $50,000 donation from First Horizon Bank.

Fayetteville’s economic and community development director, Chris Cauley, said in an interview before the meeting that the program incentivizes positive community aspects in two key ways.

“It’s about that community-oriented policing that is so important to achieve,” Cauley said. “And then it is also about relief — turning the tide from rental to homeownership. That’s one of the challenges with struggling neighborhoods. Someone’s grandmother passes away, and the grandchildren are in another state, and so they just rent the house out until they can’t rent the house anymore. That’s how a lot of neighborhoods decline over time.

“It’s really in the city’s interest and the community’s overall to help promote positive property ownership and homeownership from a generational wealth standpoint, from a community safety standpoint and just from preservation of property tax values in those neighborhoods, keeping those neighborhoods intact.”
If the City Council approves a presented plan to expand the program in the coming weeks, eligible city employees can apply for the assistance as soon as April, Cauley said.

Who is eligible?
If the program is expanded, city employees can apply for assistance if they meet certain criteria.

Employees must have worked for the city for at least a year and received a “meets expectations” in their most recent evaluation.

They must also be a first-time homebuyer, which the city considers as anyone who is purchasing the property, will live in the house as a primary residence and has had no ownership, sole or joint, in a residential property in the three years prior to the date of purchase.

There are also income limitations.
Employees and their families must have an annual household income at or below 140% of the area median income.
In Fayetteville, that’s $58,000 for a single person, and it’s $65,700, $73,400 and $81,100, respectively, for household sizes of two, three and four people.

Eligible city employees could purchase a home through the program only in certain neighborhoods.
As it currently exists, the program is limited to homes in the Central Campbellton neighborhood and the Murchinson Road Corridor.

The City Council also voted to have officials look into expanding that to four other neighborhoods — Massey HIll Community, Bonnie Doone, 71st District Community and Deep Creek.

“They all revolve around low-income census tract areas, areas that in some programs we call hard to develop,” Cauley said. “If we’re really looking to try to create homeownership and tip the scale in our redevelopment areas, from renters to homeowners, then this is a really great program to do it.”

How the program works
The down payment assistance will come in the form of a five-year depreciating loan.

That means the amount owed, in the case that the city employee decides to sell, will decrease by 20% every year over a five-year period.

At the end of the five years, the loan, which is given at zero percent, will be considered paid in full.

Since this is considered to be a forgivable loan by the Internal Revenue Service, employees will also have to pay taxes on the assistance since it would be considered part of their annual compensation.

That taxable income will be spread out of the five-year period of the loan.

Homebuyer education class
Another part of the program’s expansion is the addition of a homebuyer education class.

Since the program started in late 2019, Cauley said about a half dozen police officers have inquired about the program, but none have purchased a home through it.

Cauley said that the primary reason based on feedback was that officers didn’t feel they were ready to buy a home.

A homebuyer education class, Cauley said, could address that issue.

“Folks just are not ready to be first-time homeowners and have been renters essentially their whole life,” he said. “Their parents could have been renters their whole life, and buying a house is a serious thing. And it’s also complicated. We wanted to put together a first-time homebuyer education class as a component of this.”

Cauley said the city would find a certified housing counselor who would teach the potential homeowners how to navigate the homebuying process from finding a lender and real estate agent to finding a home in their price range.

The class would also teach them how to take on the new responsibilities that come with owning a home.

Council member Antonio Jones, who is also a real estate agent, supports this addition to the program.

“There’s a lot that goes into buying a home, going from renting to buying,” Jones said. “The classes would definitely be beneficial because it prepares them for things that they may not have originally thought about or had to deal with on the rental side.”

Why not others in the city?
During Monday’s meeting, council member Shakeyla Ingram inquired about adding other occupations outside the city payroll to the program, specifically teachers and firefighters.

Cauley said in response that significant changes would need to be made to expand the program in that fashion.

“The legalities of that are very different than us funding our own employees,” Cauley said. “This essentially becomes the base of their compensation.”

He also said hurdles exist to funding assistance for people who are not low income.

“We’re very limited in what we can do outside of that moderate income for housing,” Cauley said. “That’s not to say that we couldn’t, but that would need to really be a separate council direction for us to go work on something like that.”

North Carolina Representative John Szoka has filed to run for the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners At-Large seat.

Szoka told Up & Coming Weekly that after five terms of representing North Carolina's 45th District in the state's House of Representatives, he believes it is time to come back to the county level.

"I bring that knowledge of who I can talk to in state government to make things happen in a positive manner for our county," Szoka said. "I think more people need to go to this state first and then come back to the county one elected. I think I'll be able to help the county move forward in a faster way, perhaps than it's been."

The biggest issues that Szoka wants to tackle, if elected, are bringing water and sewer systems to the whole county and dealing with the Grays Creek PMPA-infected water.

"I've worked very hard on those at the state level trying to get resolution and working to get water, to clean water to the residents of Grays Creek. But really, that's a county issue," Szoka said. "So one of my priorities as a county commissioner will be to get the county commission to more than just talk about getting water out there, but actually taking effective steps to make it happen.

He previously was running for the Congressional District 4 seat before the redistricting lawsuits were filed and the North Carolina Supreme Court drew new maps in late February. He opposed the new congressional map as it separated Fort Bragg and the Sandhills area. The new district Szoka would run for, if he wanted to go to the U.S. House of Representatives, would have been District 9, however, Rep. Richard Hudson is already running for the seat and he did not want to run against Hudson. 

North Carolina Rep. Diane Wheatley said that Szoka's knowledge and relationships he has gained in the state legislature as well as his experience in finance and his personal work ethic will make him an outstanding member of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. Wheatley and Szoka worked together in the state's House of Representatives as well as on the Cumberland County Legislative Delegation.

"We are very fortunate that John Szoka has decided to run for County Commissioner," Wheatley told Up & Coming Weekly. "I look forward to working with John to help improve the lives of the citizens of Cumberland County."

Other people running for the at-large seat include Commissioner Larry Lancaster, Marshall Faircloth, Jackie Paul-Ray, Paul Taylor, Veronica B. Jones, and Ron Ross.

Cumberland County Animal Services announced that they have shown significant progress in helping the animals of Cumberland County over the last decade.

In 2012, ten years ago, the shelter was only able to save 10% of cats and 44% of dogs that entered the facility. In 2021, the department saved more than 60% of cats and 84% of dogs.

Some of the services that helped increase the number of animals saved included microchip scanners, adoption and the Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return program.

“We have made great strides in ensuring that more animals are adopted from our shelter and establishing relationships with dozens of animal rescue groups to allow them to take animals from our shelter for placement,” said Animal Services Director Elaine Smith. 

With the microchip scanners, many lost pets could be reunited with their owners without having to be admitted to the animal shelter.

Adoptions have also increased over the past four years due to many events, both at the shelter and around the community. Adoption fees were also reduced, which helped in getting more animals adopted.

The Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return program, implemented in 2019, has sterilized nearly 1,800 cats. Animal Services says this has helped prevent more than 11,500 kittens from entering the community. Residents can trap feral cats and bring them to the shelter, where the cats are sterilized and vaccinated before being returned to where they were trapped. 

“We need people in the community to help us by adopting pets, by reporting animal abuse, and by volunteering at our shelter,” Smith added. “This is not something we can do alone.”

Animal Services is hosting a mobile adoption event on Saturday, March 5 at the Petsmart off Ramsey Street. The event will start at 10 a.m. 

To see animals available for adoption and learn more about volunteer opportunities at Cumberland County Animal Services, visit cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/animal-services-group/animal-services or call 910-321-6852.