Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin said city council is in no hurry to amend a city ordinance governing Fayetteville’s human relations commission. The advisory commission has suggested adding gender identity and sexual orientation to its mandate. The proposal was deleted from the agenda of council’s last meeting. Some observers suggest that the longer the city puts the issue off, the more difficult it will be to deal with it. 

The issue was discussed briefly during a city council dinner session that preceded the regular meeting. “Discrimination is unacceptable,” said Councilman Jim Arp. A couple dozen residents attended the meeting prepared to talk about the issue and did so during a public forum. Many of those who spoke identified themselves as members of the LGBT community. They urged council to adopt the proposed amendment. 

Two months ago, the Fayetteville-Cumberland Human Relations Commission voted unanimously to ask council to make the change. The ordinance as structured decades ago allows the commission to investigate complaints of discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, disability and age. The change would add “sexual orientation, gender identity and veteran status” to the list.

Tammy Fitzgerald of the North Carolina Values Coalition said the group has a petition with 329 signatures, 223 of which were those of people from Fayetteville. She urged council not to change the ordinance. The group believes it would violate state law, which prohibits cities and counties from changing local laws regarding public accommodations and private employment practices. 

City Attorney Karen McDonald said, however, that the ordinance amendment would not violate the law since the Human Relations Commission does not have regulatory authority. It serves only as an advisory agency to local government.

Members of Fayetteville Pride, which has a mission to embrace diversity, urged the city to make the change. “I’m very proud of who I am,” said Ashley Williams, who identified herself as a transgender woman who is a Christian. “Thirty-two percent of transgender North Carolinians report being fired, denied a promotion or not hired because of their gender identity or sexual expression,” Williams added. Several others spoke in favor of the proposed change.

City Council created the Fayetteville Human Relations Advisory Commission and Human Relations Department in 1968 to provide channels through which racial tensions could be reduced and cooperation could be obtained. Cumberland County Commissioners also created an advisory commission that year. The city’s initial advisory commission was composed of 11 members representing a racial, ethnic and economic cross-section of the citizens of Fayetteville. 

As a governmental body, the commission was subjected to the same supervision, personnel management, operation and budget procedures that applied to other city departments. Rep. Elmer Floyd, D-Cumberland, was an early director of the department. The commission’s task was to study problems of discrimination in various areas of human relationships and to encourage fair treatment and mutual understanding among all racial and ethnic groups in Fayetteville. Vacancies on the commission were filled by city council.

Farmers and agriculture communities are the backbone of our great state, and every time I see a billboard proclaiming, “Thank a Farmer Three Times a Day!” I wholeheartedly agree. Our farmers are the reason each of us has food to eat and clothes to wear. More specifically, hog farmers in our state work day and night, with little time off, to put food on all of our tables. They do so with limited resources. Meanwhile, our General Assembly willfully ignores the needs of our farmers and agricultural communities, failing to provide them with necessary financial resources to convert antiquated open-air hog waste lagoon systems to environmentally sustainable waste management systems. Ignoring this issue pits farmers against their neighbors rather than constructively solving the dilemma to serve the best interests of everyone in our agricultural communities.

Hog lagoons are open-air pits, the size of a football field or larger, where hog waste is stored before it is sprayed onto surrounding land – so the lagoons do not overflow. As anyone who has been near one of these large hog farms can attest, the stench can be overpowering. The vast majority of the hogs creating that stench are owned by Smithfield Foods, now a Chinese-owned entity; that is the company that some neighbors have sued for the nuisance Smithfield has caused by continuing to use an antiquated waste-disposal method. Sadly, Smithfield refuses to use superior technology, identified by scientists at North Carolina State University, that’s been deemed operationally and technically feasible. In other states, such as Missouri, Smithfield has been forced to adopt superior technology. Refusal to act both by Smithfield and by our state government has caused our farmers’ neighbors to desperately seek relief from the courts. As a result, three juries have returned verdicts to force Smithfield’s hand. 

So far, there have been three trials, and each respective jury unanimously decided that not only has Smithfield unreasonably caused a nuisance for these neighbors, but also that Smithfield should be punished – to the tune of more than $500 million – for using antiquated waste-disposal methods when better, cleaner methods are available. Instead of heeding these juries’ advice, Smithfield decided to attack the court system! 

Smithfield-backed politicians and other industry representatives have falsely claimed the judge and jurors have a bias against farming – despite all evidence pointing to the contrary. In fact, the judge was born and raised on a farm in the heavily agricultural Robeson County. The three juries collectively consisted of 34 Eastern North Carolina citizens, many from leading agricultural counties and with varying political and economic backgrounds. Yet still, all 34 jurors agreed on one thing after hearing all the evidence: Smithfield must clean up its act.

Not only has our veto-proof General Assembly ignored this problem, it recently passed legislation prioritizing the financial interest of Smithfield, a Chinese-owned corporation, over the safety and welfare of rural North Carolinians. The sweeping legislation was passed, over Gov. Cooper’s vetoes, stripping citizens of their constitutional property rights and destroying over 200 years of North Carolina’s law on nuisance. The law effectively bans North Carolinians from suing bad actors, such as Smithfield, for nuisance, enabling Smithfield’s continued use of outdated waste practices for the foreseeable future regardless of harm caused to our agricultural communities. 

Smithfield claims that forcing it to make changes on these farms will force Smithfield out of North Carolina and force family farmers out of business. This is nothing more than a scare tactic to make its own employees, farmers and even jurors fearful that Smithfield will leave. Actions, however, speak far louder than words, and Smithfield’s actions include a $100 million expansion of the Tar Heel processing plant in 2017 as well as adoption of new technologies in other states, all while remaining operational and profitable. They have no intention of leaving North Carolina – nor should they. Not with folks like Tom Butler raising hogs.

Tom Butler is a 77-year-old hog farmer in Harnett County. Once he became aware of the extent to which his operation was harming the environment and his community, he took matters into his own hands. He installed lagoon covers and other improvements – despite receiving no financial backing from the hog industry. After his lagoons were covered, his neighbors reported to him that it was as though the farm and its odors practically disappeared. Smithfield continues to ignore the problem, and solutions, putting its bottom line before the welfare of North Carolinians. 

Last year, Smithfield made $1 billion in profit on the backs of our North Carolina farmers and paid nearly $250 million to just four of its executives from 2010-15. Yet our underappreciated and underpaid farmers have not seen meaningful increase in revenues for years. Our farmers simply cannot afford to improve or correct our hog lagoon waste problems, but Smithfield can. Smithfield must.

Since the good citizens of Cumberland County returned me to the General Assembly three years ago, I have become painfully aware that, as a body, we are quick to blame and short on solutions. It seems we would rather play political football with issues of vital importance than fix those issues and actually improve the lives of our people. Simply put, we must have a clean environment in which to live, and we must also support our farmers. Smithfield knows this and continues to use its time-honored scare tactics to push our farmers and the General Assembly into acting irrationally.

I plan to formally request Gov. Cooper to make this a top priority item in his budget and to back our introduction of the bill in the Nov. 27 session of our General Assembly. If Gov. Cooper or legislative leaders call a session earlier, I will request the governor call for its passage at that time. Simply put, our agricultural communities and wonderful rivers and streams are too stressed to delay action. Specifically, I propose that the state and Smithfield equally share the costs of covering the lagoons and installing innovative waste management systems. The state would fund this public-private initiative using a portion of the state’s $1.8 billion “Rainy Day” fund. Smithfield’s costs are feasible given it is merely a small fraction of just one year’s profits. Doing so would give much-needed relief to our environment as well as to the families living in our agricultural communities. As Mr. Butler said in the cover story of the most recent Campbell University magazine: “I just want to do the right thing. If we don’t do the right thing – as an industry – people are going to suffer.... We don’t have the right to make anyone suffer while we profit.” 

A clean environment and a strong, sustainable agricultural industry are both essential to North Carolina’s future and are not mutually exclusive. Attacking our court system is an excuse, not a solution. While I realize my solution would use our citizens’ precious tax dollars, I can think of no better use than to preserve both our environment and the farmers who feed us. 

Near the end of his last term in office, knowing that the industry had to change, Gov. Hunt called for a 10-year lagoon conversion plan. That was nearly 20 years ago. Since then, not only has no conversion taken place, the conversion process hasn’t even started! As 34 impartial Eastern North Carolina jurors have now unanimously agreed, Smithfield’s “kick the can” strategy must end.

I welcome a healthy, civil debate. 

Editor’s note: Publisher Bill Bowman and the staff at Up & Coming Weekly look forward to celebrating our Best of  Fayetteville winners every year. The excitement, the party and the memories we make each year are an integral part of our company’s identity. Hurricane Florence has other plans for us this year, though. We are still celebrating the Best of Fayetteville winners, but the party is off. And we are devastated – for the community and the destruction Florence has wrought. Below is the text from a press release announcing Bill’s decision to cancel this year’s Best of Fayetteville party as the community turns to rebuilding and recovering.

For 21 years, Up & Coming Weekly has celebrated the very best in this community with a reader survey followed by a Best of Fayetteville celebration. This year’s celebration was scheduled for Tuesday, Sept.18. Due to flooding and other damage by Hurricane Florence, the party has been canceled indefinitely. 

“We are devastated and heartbroken over the catastrophe facing our community and our neighboring counties,” said Up & Coming Weekly Publisher Bill Bowman. “However, we are a resilient and caring community. Hugo, Fran, Matthew and now Florence  were all unwelcome guests that came and went, leaving paths of destruction in their wake and changing our lives forever by testing our mettle and strengthening our resolves. It is unfortunate that we face these challenges at a time when we are celebrating and congratulating our Best of Fayetteville winners. Now, it’s time to focus entirely on putting families and lives back together and rebuilding our homes and businesses.” 

The Best of Fayetteville readership and community survey is sponsored by Up & Coming Weekly, the Greater Fayetteville Chamber and the Better Business Bureau. It is a comprehensive and rigorous process where local residents write in votes for their favorite people, businesses and organizations. Thousands of readers cast their vote each year. Once the ballots are counted and validated, the winners are announced and honored at a free celebration hosted by the sponsors. 

The Best of Fayetteville winners also receive feature write-ups in the Best of Fayetteville edition of Up & Coming Weekly. This is the largest and most-read edition of the year and is used year-round to introduce newcomers to the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community. This edition also remains online all year at www.upandcomingweekly.com. All winners have hyperlinks back to their websites.

“Winning Best of Fayetteville is a really big deal,” said Best of Fayetteville Program Manager Don Garner. “The winners deserve to be recognized, and we will be contacting each winner in the coming weeks to make sure they are properly congratulated.”

Up & Coming Weekly is much more than aweekly community newspaper. Since its creation in 1996, its mission and focus has been to accentuate and illuminate the quality of life enjoyed here in Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Cumberland County.

For years, Campbellton Landing was home to concerts as well as Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s annual River Show. The open space, the shade trees and the Sol Rose Amphitheater nestled on the banks of the Cape Fear River give it a special feel­ing. Greg Adair intends to bring that venue back to life starting Oct. 19 with Rock’n on the River, a concert series featuring local and regional musicians. 

“Rock’n on the River is a project that I have been wanting to do for a few years,” Adair said. “It will be free music … and it will be a little smaller than Fayetteville After Five, but just as much fun.” 

Adair is no stranger to Fayetteville’s music scene. He’s been playing here for years. He’s currently in the band Rivermist, which plays a variety of music genres. The band recently underwent some chang­es, and Adair said the band is doing well. “We have something for everyone now,” he said. Prior to 2106, the band played mostly classic rock. He credits the band’s love of people along with its new format with making the experience fun. “We have a really good rapport with people. We genuinely love people.” 

Adair envisions Rock’n on the River to be a family friendly venue where people can bring their own chairs and blankets and enjoy high-quality music under the stars. He has bands lined up through next year and is excited about growing this event. 

“I want to do this every third Friday, March through October,” he said. “The first one features the Guy Unger Band at 6 p.m. and Rivermist at 8:30 p.m.” 

The area where the concerts will be held accom­modates 400-500 people, but Adair is planning for a day when the Sol Rose Amphitheater is back in operation and the crowds swell to more than 1,000. “I have played several shows there as a band, and Campbellton Landing is a fantastic place,” he said. “It is a feel-good property. I have visions that include let­ting boats come to the dock and anchor there. I would love for them to be able to drive up and get food and drink orders, too. The shade there makes it different.” 

Adair plans for just one con­cert this year – Oct. 19 – but has a full slate lined up for next season, starting in March. He’s partnering with R.A. Jefferies for beverages, and Deep Creek Outfitters and Grill will be open as well. “There will be portalets and the Mosquito Squad will spray ahead of time – and Bud Light will be there,” Adair said. 

The concert starts at 6 p.m. and runs until 10:30 p.m. No outside coolers or containers are allowed. The event is free. Parking is $5 per vehicle. Campbellton Landing is located at 1122 Person St. Search Rock’n on the River on Facebook to learn more.

In the spring of this year, Hope Mills Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell proposed making a drastic change to the town’s charter, suggesting the commissioners serve four-year staggered terms instead of the current two-year terms. After prolonged discussions, it was agreed to put the issue on the November ballot and let the citizens of Hope Mills make the decision. 

Many citizens are leery of extend­ing that much power to a board of commissioners that’s struggled to accomplish, well, anything. Just weeks before the four-year term issue, the board discussed and then awarded themselves substantial raises and benefits packages. The commissioners each received a 53 percent increase in pay. Mitchell received a 48 percent increase and Mayor Jackie Warner received an 84 percent increase. Additionally, they each received a $30 stipend toward their cell phone costs, a $100 stipend to cover travel expenses, and dental, vision and life insurance. It was their last notable “accomplishment.” 

The board has waffled back and forth on a $28,000 partnership with Up & Coming Weekly. In March, Commissioners Jerry Legge, Meg Larson and Jessie Bellflowers voted to end the partnership once it terminated in September, but Commissioners Pat Edwards and Mitchell wanted to keep it. 

Ironically, during an August meeting, it was Mitchell who suggested the board end the agree­ment. While the partnership is described as a gentleman’s agreement and no official contract was ever signed, Mitchell has since used social media and local AM radio stations to announce the board’s decision to “terminate” the contract. 

In reality, the board paid the contract in full and let it lapse without renewal a week ago. Mitchell took to social media again last week to blast the previous board for entering into the agreement. Citizens should be asking why he voted to keep it during the March vote if he felt the partnership wasn’t advantageous to the town. He seemingly wasted a good deal of taxpayers’ money on some­thing he claims was a detriment. 

Likewise, the board has squabbled back and forth on the second phase of the lake bed project. While the previous board voted and approved a working model, this board has systematically voted to undo everything the previous board accomplished. Ten months into their administration, they’re still asking for changes to the already-approved plans. Amongst other issues, they’re still debating whether they want one or two ladders in the swimming area. As of Sept. 11, they haven’t made a single decision but have asked for dozens of revisions. 

All of Cumberland County is aware the board voted to end negotiations with the Lone Survivor Foundation after asking for an official financial offer. But not everyone is aware that a number of the town’s citizens have formed an unofficial organiza­tion in support of LSF. 

Those citizens scheduled a public rally for Aug. 16. The rally was hosted in a local church and was an effort to bring the veteran community together to discuss ideas to help LSF sway the board. One day prior to the rally, Legge sent an email to town staff referring to the rally as a protest. 

“It is my understanding that some may want to stop the food truck rodeo that is supposed to be a family event,” Legge said. He also implied some town staff and elected officials were planning to participate in the protest. His email included a request for an ordinance review. Hours were wasted as town staff reviewed dozens of ordinances to appease Legge. 

Grilley Mitchell, who works at the Alms House in Hope Mills, worked tire­lessly to schedule and advertise that rally. Grilley Mitchell is a known sup­porter of the Alms House, the organiza­tion the Hope Mills Food Truck Rodeos benefit. I don’t know why Legge would think Grilley Mitchell would schedule a protest to disrupt the Food Truck Rodeo, and in turn hurt the Alms House. As of today, Legge has not responded to my inquiries about the email. 

These are just some of the many issues that have halted the board’s progress and prevented the “Team Hope Mills’ mentality Mike Mitchell cam­paigned for. The board has allowed egos and inferi­ority complexes to hinder their decision-making to the detriment of the whole community. 

Each week, I’ll be posting an article on hopemills. net, highlighting the failures of individual board members and stressing the importance of voting “No” to four-year terms. For now, I challenge each of you to review the minutes and video from this board’s meetings and decide for yourselves if this board deserves longer terms.

I find it more and more difficult to be hopeful regarding the future of America, this country that I love. Despite so many positive indicators, such as low unemployment, high consumer confidence, a booming economy and stock market, a greatly diminished nuclear threat from North Korea, a stand against other countries exploiting us in trade, and the list goes on, there are those among us who seem determined to drive the country toward collapse. Alarmingly, they seem to be making progress.

The situation described above is more than sufficient to challenge my ongoing quest for hope. However, added to this is my deep sadness and concern as I watch the dismantling of what was once a strong, close-knit, self-sufficient black population in America. That condition has become a treasured memory from many years ago. Even more distressing and hope-defeating is how we have come to this extremely low point against the backdrop of a proud history of overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

The prevailing mode of operation from the black community has become one of calling on others to fix all that adversely affects us, and when that is not done, the claim is racism coupled with the constant contention that we are being denied the financial and other support to which we are entitled. I say “prevailing” because there are some of us who do not adhere to this mode of operation.

What should be viewed as frightening is how we transitioned from that strong, close-knit, self-sufficient community to the mode of operation reflected in the preceding paragraph. It was the result of thought manipulation. There has been an ongoing effort by many in this country to convince black Americans that we are victims of white America – of the wealthy – and that racism lurks around every corner. If one accepts that argument, it opens them to processing every decision in the framework of those beliefs. Doing so opens one up to having their thoughts controlled by anyone who understands how to present issues and make promises in a manner that is acceptable to, and supportive of, that way of thinking. In summary, a particular mindset is formed in people by others who then manipulate thought by sending messages that drive people to actions that benefit the controllers of thought. 

This manipulative process is rampant across America. A recent case-in-point is how the Florida governor’s race started. The candidates are Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis. Gillum is black and a Democrat, while DeSantis is white and a Republican. Gillum’s website states he “would focus on making college debt free and encouraging businesses to share responsibility for educating the workforce they want to hire.” He also supports Medicare for all and contends that access to healthcare is a right. He calls for a $15-per-hour minimum wage and wants to raise Florida’s corporate tax rate to pay for his state-level initiatives. 

Some refer to Gillum as a socialist. Others rebut that label by saying he does not fit the precise definition. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines socialism as “any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.” At present, Gillum’s aims might not fit the pure definition of socialism, but they do have undertones of it. That is, he is pursuing greater governmental administration of critical economic elements, such as healthcare and funding of college education. 

With that bit of context in place, consider the following segments from an article by Brendan Farrington of The Associated Press, titled “Florida governor’s race turns ugly in aftermath of primary.”

“Racism immediately became an issue in the Florida governor’s race Wednesday as both nominees made predictions: The Democrat said voters aren’t looking for a misogynist, racist or bigot, while the Republican said voters shouldn’t ‘monkey this up’ by choosing his African-American opponent.

“Meanwhile, on Fox News, DeSantis called Gillum an ‘articulate’ candidate, but said ‘the last thing we need to do is to monkey this up by trying to embrace a socialist agenda with huge tax increases and bankrupting this state. That is not going to work. It’s not going to be good for Florida.’

“Democrats immediately decried DeSantis’ comment as racist.

“’That was more than a dog-whistle,’” said U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, a West Palm Beach Democrat. ‘That was absolutely a racist, disgusting statement. I don’t think there’s any other way to interpret it.’”

Note that in the first segment, Farrington did not quote “by choosing his African-American opponent.” Those are the words of the writer. The second segment reflects exactly what DeSantis said and includes nothing regarding Gillum’s race. What is reflected in Farrington’s article is a prime example of the mode of operation for manipulating black thought, which was explained earlier. There is the conditioning to have one’s thoughts and decisions driven by racial considerations. With that piece in place, messages such as the one presented above are regularly deposited in this fertile soil.

As I have watched this process prove successful across the years, my hope for a rebound to independent thinking on the part of so many people caught in this cycle has constantly declined. 

Then came the eulogy that Rev. Jasper Williams Jr., senior pastor of Salem Bible Church in Atlanta, Georgia, recently did for Aretha Franklin, one of the great singing voices of any era. Rev. Williams addressed some issues and made statements that I knew would bring volleys of negative responses. Consider these segments from an Associated Press article titled “Old-school eulogy at Aretha Franklin funeral ignites wrath.”

“He also blamed integration and the civil rights movement for ripping the heart out of black micro-economies that once relied on black-owned small businesses such as grocery stores, hotels and banks.

“As for black women, he preached that ‘as proud, beautiful and fine as our black women are, one thing a black woman cannot do, a black woman cannot raise a black boy to be a man.’

“Williams described as ‘abortion after birth’ the idea of children being raised without a ‘provider’ father and a mother as the ‘nurturer.’

“He negated the Black Lives Matter movement altogether in light of black-on-black crime, falling back on a rhyming pattern of yore: ‘It amazes me how it is when the police kills one of us we’re ready to protest, march, destroy innocent property,’ Williams began. ‘We’re ready to loot, steal whatever we want, but when we kill 100 of us, nobody says anything, nobody does anything. Black-on-black crime, we’re all doing time, we’re locked up in our mind, there’s got to be a better way, we must stop this today.’”

Initially, I was seeing, on social media and in various articles, overwhelming condemnation of Williams’ eulogy. The comments said he demonstrated misogyny, bigotry, lack of proper consideration for the occasion and broke Franklin’s trust. This list could go on. Sprinkled in with all the opposing views were many (far more than I would have expected) comments in support of the pastor. I even saw supportive Facebook posts from black individuals who, given their social and political stance, I never would have expected them to see Williams’ comments as necessary or true. 

Mary J. wrote the following in response to a blog post by Jacqueline J. Holness titled “Seven Reasons Why I Approve of The Rev. Jasper Williams Jr.’s Eulogy at Aretha Franklin’s Funeral.”

“It’s never a right time to speak words that the masses don’t want to hear. But based on history shared with me by my black family, our churches were once the first place you heard truth whether you liked it or not. Change rarely grows out of comfort and status quo. You must shake things up and dare I say, Pastor Williams really caused quite a stir.”

Maybe, just maybe, there is hope.

Photo: Aretha Franklin

Sept. 19 through Oct. 7, Cape Fear Regional Theatre debuts the world premiere of “Music City.” CFRT has enlisted the talents of a dazzling cast and crew, whose passion for the project brings the story to life. 

“Music City,” written by Peter Zinn, is an authentic imagining of the perseverance it takes to fulfill one’s destiny. Featuring five No. 1 Country Billboard hits written by J.T. Harding, the show intimately investigates the journeys of three songwriters as they navigate the difficult choices one makes while pursuing success. 

CFRT Artistic Director Mary Kate Burke directs the musical story of harsh realities and dreams realized. “The American dream is that, if I work hard, I can improve my circumstances,” Burke said, regarding the struggles of the main characters and the relevance of the show. Burke continued, “We want people to know it’s of the now; it’s set in 2000, but it feels very palpable to the issues of today.” 

Much of the story’s action is set in the Wicked Tickle, a chaotic country bar where our leads find each other. Choreographer Tyce Diorio said he strove to emphasize the integrity of storytelling with authenticity. His effort to make the story tangible by finding the story’s heartbeat created an atmosphere of honesty that reverberates throughout the entire program. Diorio is an American dancer and choreographer best known for his work on the hit television show “So You Think You Can Dance.” 

To further enhance the experience of attendees, CFRT has removed the theater’s first several rows of seats, put tables, chairs and sofas in their stead and will be having live music before the show. 

“When you walk into the theater, we want you to have an experience,” Burke said. “It’s like you’re going to be entering this little snow globe of Nashville… and you’re going to be able to come into the theater an hour before showtime and get a drink from the bar onstage.” 

It’s details like these that create “Music City’s” cohesive vision that has come to fruition right here in Fayetteville. Jonathan Judge-Russo, who plays Drew, one of the lead musicians, shared, “The most humbling thing about being... in Fayetteville is (that) we are in a town … devoted to service. This is a place where people … serve a higher purpose. They’re doing something profoundly important and maybe, just for a couple hours, we get to serve them.” 

“Music City” encourages audience members not to get in their own way and to be bold. Kaylyn Marie Scardefield, who plays a young singer named 23, said of her character, “This character is calling me to be someone I want to be – someone who is more courageous. … I feel like I’ve been given a huge invitation to be a more courageous extension of myself.” 

The brilliant cast and crew invite Fayetteville to join them in exploring what it means to be brave. “Music City” opens for previews Sept. 19-Sept. 21 at $17 a ticket and will continue to run through Oct. 7, with tickets ranging from $25-$32. To learn more, visit www.cfrt.org or call 910-323-4233. 

As I write this, Hurricane Florence is inching across North Carolina with the speed of oozing hair gel, as a much-diminished Category 1 storm. The extent of her damage remains unclear, perhaps even yet undone, but it is evident that parts of North Carolina are taking serious hits. As is always the case with hurricanes, coastal residents and property owners watch the storms with resignation, knowing they are on borrowed time.

Hurricane Hazel in 1954 continues to be the benchmark hurricane for Baby Boomers. For millennials, the benchmark is Hurricane Fran in 1996. They are in the pantheon of epic storms, including Andrew, a Cat 5 storm that set Florida on its heels. One friend who survived it still describes her life as BA (before Andrew) and AA (after Andrew).  

In 2005, Katrina, another Cat 5, decimated the Gulf Coast, displaced thousands and overwhelmed organizations trying to help. 

The deadliest hurricane in American history predates naming and categorizing and is simply called the Great Storm of 1900, probably as what we would now term a Cat 4. It struck Galveston, Texas, without warning and is believed to have taken between 6,000 and 12,000 lives, the greatest natural disaster in our nation’s history. As significant as hurricanes can be, technology now allows us to know what is coming and to prepare, an advantage the people of Galveston and countless other places facing natural disasters did not have.

North Carolinians love our hurricane stories, some of which include hurricane parties. The morning after Fran passed through Fayetteville, the Dicksons and every other family on our one-block Haymount street were out in our yards surveying the damage, which was abundant. More than half of the 15 houses on our block had trees through their roofs, and one house had two – one from the front yard and one from the back – crashing into the vacant bed of a school-age child. TV crews filmed that house so often that we neighbors were convinced they were trying to hire the property owner. Parents were frantically trying to keep children away from downed but still live power lines spanning the narrow street. 

Our neighborhood was without power for six long days in sweltering humidity, but we were luckier than many on that score. I remember turning onto our street on the sixth day and meeting a Florida utility truck whose crew had just restored our power. Thrilled beyond measure, I blew kisses to those kind men in full daylight in front of God and country. 

Fran took the lives of 24 North Carolinians and caused more than $11 billion in damages to homes, businesses, infrastructure, crops and timber. She covered two-thirds of our state with winds and rain and cut new inlets along the coast. She reminded hurricane veterans and newcomers alike that when Mother Nature goes on a tear, there is not much to do but hunker down as safely as possible and watch with our fingers crossed. 

In the 22 years since Fran struck, other hurricanes, including the recently departed Florence, have come and gone. No one knows what the rest of hurricane season 2018 will bring, but keep this in mind – in 1996, North Carolina’s population was 7.5 million people. Today, we are the 10th largest state with almost 10.4 million residents, many of whom have never experienced a hurricane at all, much less a Fran or more. North Carolina has not been hit with a Cat 3 or higher since Fran, which does not mean a three, four or five will arrive this season. It does mean that, statistically, North Carolina has been riding a long lucky streak.

The odds of that streak lasting indefinitely are slim to none.

This year marked the fifth anniversary of the death of Seventy-First football player Evan Raines. But his memory lives on in the form of the Evan Raines Dream Foundation, an organiza­tion put together by family members that awards a $1,000 scholarship to a local high school athlete each year. 

This year’s winner was Jonathan Everett, a basketball and cross country participant from Pine Forest High School who currently is studying computers at UNC-Charlotte. 

Rodney Raines, father of Evan Raines, said the purpose of the scholarship is to encourage a student-athlete, male or female, to continue their educational pursuits and dreams with the help of the scholarship in his son’s memory. 

“It’s been driving itself,’’ Raines said of the $1,000 figure. “We have a few benefactors who make sure they send contributions. We do want to expand it at some point in time.’’ 

The scholarship is available to both male and female athletes, but Raines said, so far, no females have applied for it. 

Most of the promotion for the scholarship has come from word of mouth and through posts on the Facebook page for the Evan Raines Dream Foundation. 

Part of the problem with growing the scholar­ship and getting news to a wider audience is that the sudden passing of Evans remains an emotional subject for all of his family that are involved with the scholarship. 

“It’s taxing to revisit it,” Raines said. “All the meetings become a tear fest, talking about what we lost. It reminds us and keeps it real fresh.’’ 

Any athlete from a public or private school within a 25-mile radius of Cumberland County is eligible to apply for the scholarship, Raines said. 

The requirements are the student must be committed to attend a specific col­lege and must be involved in athlet­ics and community activities. They also must have a minimum unweighted grade point average of 2.5. 

The student does not have to be a member of a school team to qualify as an athlete, Raines said. Participation in recreation league athletics or church league athletics also qualifies. 

Raines said he’s been moved by the young men who have applied for and won the scholarship. 

“I get to see Evan in some of them,’’ he said. “I see them fulfilling some of their dreams. For a couple of the boys, this was the first generation of their family going to college.’’ 

Everett, this year’s winner, said he learned of the scholarship from a friend. He wrote a 1,000-word essay describing how sports had affected his life. 

“I feel this will allow me to be more success­ful and show what Fayetteville people can do,’’ Everett said. 

He added it’s important to keep Evan’s memo­ry alive. “The family is doing something positive, to help others that need money to go to college,’’ he said.

Everett will apply the scholarship to his tuition at UNC-Charlotte. His goal is to get a job in the internet technology field and to remain in the Charlotte area to work. 

For further information on the scholarship, email evanrainesdreamfoundation@gmail.com.

Photo: Rodney Raines, right, presents the check for this year’s Evan Raines Dream Foundation $1,000 scholarship to Jonathan Everett.

A former 82nd Airborne Division first sergeant has been demoted and reassigned for having an affair with a lower ranking enlisted soldier. Sgt. 1st Class Chase Usher was previously assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team. He was removed from his leadership role and given a staff job with another unit, according to reporting by the Army Times.

By early 2017, female recruits began taking basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia’s infantry school, where some of them also completed jump school and were assigned to the 82nd. Usher allegedly began an affair with one of the first woman graduates shortly after she reported to his newly integrated unit late last year. Both have been punished for their actions. 

Female soldiers have been members of the Fort Bragg division, but until 2017, they were not integrated into combat infantry companies. The Army rolled out a leadership plan as the Defense Department lifted the final restrictions on women serving in direct-combat jobs in early 2016. 

An investigation into the affair found Usher was an enthusiastic infantryman, and the relationship didn’t cause any questions of favoritism in the unit. But rumors about the two caused a lot of suspicion among the soldiers he was meant to lead. An Army investigator concluded that the affair had a “corrosive” effect on the unit, the Army Times reported. Usher did not respond to multiple requests for comment through email and Facebook messaging. 

The woman in question arrived at Fort Bragg in August, according to the report. Dozens of soldiers in the company were aware of her September-October relationship with Usher, either because he had talked about it, they’d seen the two in public together or they’d heard rumors about the situation. Investigators said that early this year, the 82nd’s leadership had possession of a photo of the two making out outside Paddy’s Irish Pub in Fayetteville. The photo had already made the battalion rounds, thanks to a group text message. 

Investigation witnesses included three women, who all agreed that Usher treated them as equals in the company. “In a work environment he treats both fairly from what I can tell,” one soldier said in a statement. To some, the relationship seemed out of character for the veteran NCO. Usher had personally led the training to prepare the unit to bring in women. But the investigator itemized graphic details of Usher’s private life. 

A female platoon sergeant said Usher told a group of her colleagues that he was going to be Thor for Halloween but wouldn’t need to carry a hammer. “At multiple safety briefs, (redacted) encourages the company to ‘get (laid)’ and comments that he will be doing so over the weekend.” 

Usher denied the relationship, as well as any past incidents of inappropriate behavior, in his sworn statement. Though the 82nd Airborne declined to provide details of the punishments handed down, Usher is no longer in a position of authority. 

“This behavior does not exemplify the dedicated professionals of the 82nd Airborne Division,” spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Osorio said, adding that the division is committed to fostering trust and respect as the Army works through gender integration. 

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C., Sept. 16, 2018 ­– For 21 years, Up & Coming Weekly has celebrated the very best in this community with a reader survey followed by a Best of Fayetteville celebration. This year’s celebration was scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 18. Due to flooding and other damage by Hurricane Florence, the party has been canceled.

“We are heartbroken about the catastrophe faced by our community,” said Up & Coming Weekly Publisher Bill Bowman. “We congratulate each of the Best of Fayetteville winners wholeheartedly, but now is a time of rebuilding and putting lives and businesses back together.”

The Best of Fayetteville readership survey is a rigorous process where Up & Coming Weekly readers vote for their favorite businesses, people and organizations. Thousands of readers cast their vote each year. Once the ballots are counted, the winners are honored with write-ups about them in Up & Coming Weekly’s largest edition of the year. This edition remains online all year long at www.upandcomingweekly.com.

“Winning Best of Fayetteville is a really big deal,” said Best of Fayetteville Program Manager Don Garner. “The winners deserve to be recognized, and we will be contacting each winner in person in the coming weeks to make sure they are properly congratulated.”

Up & Coming Weekly is much more than a weekly newspaper. Since its creation in 1996, the mission and focus of the publication has been to accentuate and illuminate the quality of life enjoyed here in Cumberland County. 

Three times since 2013, Fayetteville City Council has commissioned surveys that asked residents what they think about city government and the services provided. ETC Institute of suburban Kansas City, Missouri, has conducted the surveys every other year and included in its findings short-term increases and decreases in citizen satisfaction. 

ETC has found that residents generally have a positive perception of Fayetteville. “The survey results helped to identify areas in which we are doing well and areas in which we need to improve or place additional emphasis,” City Manager Doug Hewett said.

Residents report overall satisfaction with city services. Eighty-five percent of respondents gave high marks to fire protection and rescue services. Sixty-eight percent spoke highly of police protection. Other municipal services with the highest levels of satisfaction included solid waste (trash) collection, curbside recycling, the courtesy of city employees and the ease of reaching city employees. 

Seventy-seven percent of the respondents said they feel safe walking alone in neighborhoods during the day. Parks and recreation programs and facilities are well-regarded across the city, which partially explains the success two years ago of a $35 million bond referendum. 

The biggest complaints are unhappiness with traffic flow and lack of adequate maintenance of city streets. Most residents who answered the survey were neutral with traffic flow. The 43,000 citizens of West Fayetteville who were annexed 15 years ago are still unhappy with traffic issues. 

Other areas with the lowest level of satisfaction included lack of bike paths, the slow removal of abandoned vehicles and the inadequacy of public parking in the downtown area. Thirty-one percent of the people said the city seemed unprepared to manage development and growth, something that caused council member Larry Wright to question whether people understand what the city does. “Our citizens are not really aware of all that we’re doing,” Wright said.

ETC Institute Project Manager Jason Morado said the purpose of the biennial surveys is to gather input from residents so that the findings can serve as a benchmark for the future. The seven-page surveys were mailed to 4,000 randomly selected citizens. The goal was to receive at least 600 responses in return. Morado said 696 surveys were returned. Many of the respondents were also surveyed by emails. The margin of error was calculated to be +/- 3.7 percent.

Comedian Tracy Morgan will be live at the Crown Theatre Saturday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m.  

This is one of many stops on his standup comedy tour that will continue throughout the fall of 2018. 

Morgan has an impressive track record and a gift for making people laugh. He was first introduced to television audiences in his role as Hustleman on the hit series “Martin.” From there, he joined “Saturday Night Live” in 1996, where he appeared for seven seasons and created the memorable characters Astronaut Jones and Brian Fellows. 

After leaving “Saturday Night Live,” Morgan went on to star in his own comedy series, “The Tracy Morgan Show,” and voiced Spoonie Luv on Comedy Central’s “Crank Yankers.” His other film credits include “Cop Out,” the remake of the British film “Death at a Funeral, First Sunday” opposite Ice Cube and Katt Williams, “The Longest Yard” opposite Adam Sandler, “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” “Head of State,” “Son of No One,” “Why Stop Now” and “Fist Fight.” 

Morgan has starred for seven seasons on NBC’s Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning “30 Rock.” He is currently starring in and producing a TBS show, “The Last O. G.” The show has been picked up for a second season. 

In 2016, he headlined a nationwide standup tour titled “Picking Up the Pieces,” and in May 2017, his standup special “Staying Alive” was released globally on Netflix.       

Morgan has been a part of some of the most successful animated films in recent years. He made his animation debut in 2009 for Jerry Bruckheimer’s “G-Force,” a combined animated/live-action film. The film opened No. 1 in U. S. box offices and was celebrated by audiences worldwide. In 2013, he starred as bulldog Luiz in the film “Rio” and again in April 2014, when he reprised his role in “Rio 2.” 

Morgan received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the 2016 class. 

He has received an Emmy nomination in the supporting actor category and has been nominated multiple years for the Supporting Actor NAACP Image Award. The “30 Rock” cast has won The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. Morgan also received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2016 for hosting an episode of “Saturday Night Live.” 

Next, Morgan can be seen alongside Aldis Hodge, Wendi McLendonCovey, Max Greenfield and Taraji P. Henson in the Paramount Players comedy “What Men Want,” which is set to open Jan. 11, 2019. 

Tickets for the Sept. 22 show at the Crown cost $35, $50, $75 and $100, and can be purchased online at www.CapeFearTix.com or by phone at 888-257-6208.  

Photo: Tracy Morgan

As law enforcement officers were order to stand-down, outside criminal radicals draped the monument with curtains. Over the course of 1 1/2 hours, criminals when to work on the statue with a blow torch and tools to detach it from its pedestal. With the monument covered and no law enforcement effort to stop the radicals, a tow rope was attached and the monument was toppled from its pedestal. The next day, Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue emailed his officers and thanked them for their efforts.

So far, UNC-Chapel Hill has NOT produced emails and text messages from UNC Campus Law Enforcement and the Administration. All media requests for information MUST be honored under North Carolina’s Open Records Law WITHOUT delay. More to come! We will not rest until justice is served. All who committed these acts of violence and property destruction or were complicit in the illegal activities WILL be held accountable. The monument will be reinstalled within 90 days from the date it was toppled under North Carolina General Statue Section 100-2.1).

View the August 20th play-by-play documentation of the toppling of the Boy Soldier Monument on, as UNC Campus and Chapel Hill Police do nothing: https://youtu.be/4azmlIsLxJs

– Thom Goolsby

Editor’s note: The following two submissions are in reference to Up & Coming Weeky’s Aug. 28, 2018, Publisher’s Pen.

Bill,

 I have to agree that everyone should pay an increase in the food and beverage tax, be it either one percent or preferably a quarter of a cent, which our mayor recommends.  I am tired of property owners always having to have to pay, and pay more. This always hurts seniors more and more who have paid for their homes and then property taxes go up.

Thank you.

– Barbara Braig Ward

Mr. Bowman 

Kudos for allowing Mr. Talbot to use your space for this excellent article.

(It) shows a lot of class to allow citizens (however learned) to share insight into the workings of the government using this media. I thoroughly enjoyed the article and Mr. Talbot’s comments were spot on. 

He was expressing changes that a lot of citizens in this county have been discussing and would like to see implemented.

– Tim Cannon

Editor’s note: The following submission is in reference to Up & Coming Weeky’s Aug. 22, 2018, Publisher’s Pen.

Good article, Bill.

I agree with you on the NFL. Being from the Pacific Northwest, I was a big Seahawk fan since its inception in the mid ’70s.  No more. Didn’t watch one NFL game last year and don’t intend to start again. I record a good college game on Saturday and watch it Sunday afternoon.

I now see what goes on at the Purple Heart Dinner. Sorry I missed that. Maybe see you at the next one. I have a Purple Heart from an exciting incident on June 8th 1969 when I was part of the Scout Platoon in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. 

See you next year. 

– Mike Brown

It’s time to dust off those hippie sandals in the back of the closet and dig out the tie-dye T-shirt you’ve got in mothballs. Saturday, Oct. 6, the Members Credit Union office in Hope Mills holds its second annual Peace-Love-Walk benefit for the ALMSHOUSE of Hope Mills.

Jon Hamby, member relations coordinator with MEMCU, said a focus of the credit union’s involvement in a community is to help with community events and community-based charities.

“We already had a connection with the ALMSHOUSE, and when we were looking to add something else, we had the idea of the walk,’’ he said.

The walk’s name is borrowed from the thrift shop operated by the ALMSHOUSE.

“Most of the time when you go to a thrift store, you usually find older clothing,’’ Hamby said. Using that theme, the walk was tied to the era of the ’60s and ’70s, and the watchwords of that era, peace and love, were added.

MEMCU is covering the complete cost of promoting the walk, from advertising and banners to free T-shirts that will be given to all the paying participants and sold at a discount after the walk is over.

Hamby stressed the walk is totally noncompetitive. “It’s an hour walk,’’ he said. “You can walk one lap, ... five laps, however many laps you can get in.’’

This year’s walk will be held somewhat in conjunction with the move of Members Credit Union’s Hope Mills office from Trade Street to a new location in the old Bi-Lo Shopping Center.

The move should be complete around the middle of this month, and the grand opening is scheduled for Oct. 5, the day before the Peace-Love-Walk.

The walk will take place at Hope Mills Municipal Park Oct. 6. Registration starts at 8 a.m., and the actual walk begins at 8:30 a.m.

At 9:45 a.m., a fashion show will be held for those who’ve decided to come dressed in their best ’60s or ’70s clothing.

There will also be a bounce house, face-painting and a live DJ with music. Activities do not have a set ending time, but Hamby said things usually begin to die down around noon.

There are multiple divisions for people to enter. Children up to the age of 12 can register for $5 and will receive a certificate.

Adult registration by Oct. 5 is $20 and includes a free T-shirt. Registration the day of the event is $25.

Honor registrations to have someone’s name listed on the official walk T-shirt are $100. 

“One of the founding principles for credit unions is concerns for our community,’’ Hamby said. “We want to give back to them and that’s what this does for us, helps us stay within our founding principles.’’

To register online for Peace-Love-Walk and for more information, visit the website: www.memcu.com/peace-love-walk.

If you park your car on Person Street adjacent to the county courthouse, you might pull into a spot that indicates two-hour parking. You’ll do a double take at another sign on the same pole that says no parking. A closer look discloses that a small slot between two parking spaces has been carved out for access to a fire hydrant. 

Sometimes, things stand out like a sore thumb. A drive along Hay Street reveals something never seen before: a massive high-rise construction crane next to the old Prince Charles Hotel building. 

Downtown Fayetteville’s skyline will soon be quite different. Deputy City Manager Kristoff Bauer said the crane will be in position for the next couple of years for construction of an eight-story hotel and office complex that will be built on top of a five-floor parking garage. 

With 13 stories, it will become downtown’s tallest structure. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat defines skyscrapers as those buildings which reach or exceed 490 feet in height. 

The parking deck should be completed next spring when the minor league baseball stadium opens for business. But Bauer said it will be another year or so after that for construction to be completed on the entire project.

The Gray’s Creek chapter of Future Farmers of America was recently recognized at the Cumberland County Fair for having the best booth put together by an educational group or organization.

Tara King, who has been the FFA advisor at Gray’s Creek since the school opened in 2003, said students with the Gray’s Creek FFA chapter began working on their entry over the summer.

“(The judges) just want your students to interpret the theme for this year’s fair,’’ King said. This year’s theme was “Thrills, Squeals and Ferris Wheels.’’

King said the Gray’s Creek FFA chapter used their booth to tell the story of the various projects their group is working on.

“It gives us exposure,’’ King said. “There are thousands of people who walk past that booth. Any chance we can get for that message, we’re all about doing.’’

One of the biggest parts of the FFA program at Gray’s Creek is the raising of sheep and goats, which is part of the school’s animal science curriculum, King said.

Students actually raise the livestock at Gray’s Creek, working all summer to prepare them for show at the county fair.

The booth at the fair displayed pictures taken over the summer of the students working with their animals.

King said an animal may be on public display at the fair for about five minutes, but it took up to 50 hours of preparation time for those few minutes.

“If people take a few minutes in the booth to read the descriptions, they walk away with a better understanding of what it takes to get an animal ready for that kind of show,’’ she said. “It’s not as simple as putting a halter on them and walking them around the ring.’’

At one time, King said, Gray’s Creek had upwards of 40 sheep and goats at the school. The students were in charge of raising and breeding them, monitoring the progress of pregnant ewes and eventually helping with the birthing of their offspring and giving them vaccinations.

Fairs are a longstanding tradition with FFA students, King said. “I think it’s a place for people at the end of the growing season, the end of the summer, where they are bringing out the best they’ve gotten,’’ she said. “It’s a celebration in a way.’’

She feels the fair is a teachable moment both for the students and the general public. 

For the students, especially, King likes that it’s an opportunity to understand the importance of getting organized, putting a plan together and carrying it out.

There’s an ancient idiom that says a man is known by the company he keeps.

That idea can be applied to other things, too, and it’s at the center of my ongoing argument against North Carolina high school basketball adding a shot clock to the game.

Langston Wertz, veteran high school writer for The Charlotte Observer, has long been a proponent of the shot clock and recently wrote a story about how the clock is going to go through a couple of trials in season-opening tournaments this year in North Carolina.

One is the Carmel Christian Tip Off Classic in Charlotte Nov. 9-10. The other is in Greensboro in the National High School Showcase Nov. 16-17.

Both tournaments will feature some top teams, the Charlotte tournament in particular drawing the famed program from Oak Hill, Virginia.

But here’s the interesting part. Both tournaments are being sponsored by a regional scouting service that, according to Wertz’s story, is footing the $3,000 bill for two wireless shot clocks.

Who are some other proponents of the clock? Well, there’s Bobby Lutz, former head coach at Charlotte and assistant at North Carolina State University.

Another backer is Sue Doran, director of athletics for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Paul Biancardi, a recruiting analyst for ESPN, is also in favor.

Do you see a pattern here? I certainly do. Scouts. College coaches. People from metropolitan areas.

All of these folks have a common ground. They focus on metropolitan areas with bigger schools, more talent to draw from and more college prospects.

These folks need to drive out of the city and attend some games in rural areas and at smaller schools where the number of college prospects is considerably smaller.

My point has been and remains that the push for the shot clock in high schools is coming from one group, the group that only sees big-time prospects play on a consistent basis and has no appreciation for the vast number of schools in North Carolina that don’t have a four- or five-star athlete on the roster and aren’t likely to in the near future.

I hope you checked that price tag for shot 

clocks for these two tournaments in November. 

It was $1,500 per clock. We’ve got teachers buying supplies for their students on a regular basis in North Carolina. I don’t think we need to strap athletic budgets any further by tacking on the cost of a $1,500 shot clock and then finding the money to pay someone to run it.

By the way, I ran a scoreboard clock in my high school days at West Rowan, and it was a pain to monitor. I can only imagine the headaches involved with a shot clock and getting it right every Tuesday and Friday night.

I agree totally with one person quoted in the Langston Wertz article, Kevin Garner of the Missouri State High School Activities Association.Wertz said of the nearly 1 million athletes who play boys and girls high school basketball in this country in 2017, 3.4 percent of boys and 3.9 percent of girls play in the Collegiate Athletic Association

As Garner put it, “Should we make the high school game like the college game to help less than four percent of the players?”

My reply remains a resounding no.

Many Cumberland County thoroughfares have undergone a major transformation in recent years with the elimination of center turn lanes and the installation of medians. The North Carolina Department of Transportation says it’s in the interest of highway safety. 

A major project already funded includes the planned upgrading of Raeford Road. DOT plans to install center medians from Robeson Street in the Highland Village area to south of Raeford Road’s intersection with Cliffdale Road in 71st Township. 

Another regional project not previously announced includes Robeson Street from Blount Street near downtown to Raeford Road. The roadway will be reduced to four lanes with the elimination of the center lane and installation of a dividing median. Sidewalks will be installed on both sides of the street, along with bicycle lanes.

More Hurricane Matthew recovery funding

ReBuild North Carolina has awarded more than $286,000 to 22 families whose homes were damaged during Hurricane Matthew. The grants come through North Carolina’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding. The families are in Cumberland, Robeson, Edgecombe and Wayne counties. The money will be used to repair their homes and to reimburse homeowners for work that is already completed. This funding is in addition to over $743 million already on the ground for small business recovery, public infrastructure repair and direct payments to homeowners including over $98 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency individual assistance. 

“Recovery is picking up steam with more repairs getting underway and more families getting money back for home repairs,” said Mike Sprayberry, director of North Carolina Emergency Management. 

The state is awaiting federal guidelines that will outline the use of an additional $168 million. Cumberland, Robeson, Edgecombe and Wayne counties have all had mandatory areawide environmental reviews approved allowing grant funds to flow. 

ReBuild North Carolina has completed 483 home damage inspections and begun or completed 574 site-specific environmental reviews. CDBG-DR funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development is available to help low-to-moderate income families and individuals repair or rebuild following damage from Hurricane Matthew. 

Service members beware

Military men and women could be at risk of losing their security clearances if they don’t keep their personal finances in good shape. That’s because of changes in rules for the security clearance process, according to advocates. Under new guidelines, officials will conduct continuous monitoring of federal employees who have roles in national security, including service members. 

Historically, individuals were up for periodic reviews every five to 10 years, depending on the type of clearance. The new, continuous evaluation will include a system that automatically pulls data on workers’ financial and criminal records, and eventually, data from social media. 

“This new process might impact your DoD security clearance and prevent you from being deemed deployable, which could greatly impact your military career unless you can prove to DoD that you were the victim of identity theft, fraud or a mistake, and that you’re currently living within your means and are making a good-faith effort to resolve your unpaid debts,” stated a recent blog from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 

Under the new system, military members are going to have to face the consequences of those late payments or missed payments quicker than they would have.

Renowned fashionista coming to Fayetteville

Fashion designer Dorothy Grant will be in Fayetteville Saturday, Sept. 15, to present a runway show at the Arts Council gallery on Hay Street. Grant, an international designer who is Kaigani Haida from Alaska, is recognized for her Haida-inspired womenswear and menswear, scarves and leather accessories. 

“Dorothy Grant is an artist, designer and visionary whose creations have graced the red carpet at the Oscars,” said Deborah Martin Mintz, executive director of the Arts Council. 

The event is being staged in conjunction with the current exhibition “Contemporary Art Forms by America’s First People.” It includes portrait paintings, pottery, baskets and textiles by some acclaimed American Indian artists. 

Grant will be available to meet the public at the Arts Council event, which will include a Champagne toast. The event will run 4-6 p.m. Sept. 15 at 301 Hay St. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at www.theartscouncil.com, or by calling the Arts Council at 910-323-1776. Proceeds go toward funding Native American make-and-take crafts at the 40th International Folk Festival on Sept. 28-30 in downtown Fayetteville.

PWC celebrates

Oct. 4 has been declared PWC Day by the city-owned utility. Events include tours of the Butler-Warner Generation Plant in Eastover as well as tours of Public Works water and wastewater plants.  

“We’ll also have an up-close look at the power restoration, water main rehabilitation, PWC’s customer call center, emergency operations and new initiatives that will impact your utilities services,” said PWC representative Carolyn Justice-Hinsons. 

The day will begin at 8 a.m. at the PWC Operations Center at 955 Old Wilmington Rd. Lunch and transportation to the various PWC facilities will be provided. Justice-Hinson said transportation will be available during the day should visitors need to leave at any point.

There seems to be a lot of attention given to fake news lately. In our neck of the woods, Methodist University conducted a panel to discuss it, The Fayetteville Observer is writing about it, and Jeff Goldberg (Goldy), the host of WFNC 640 AM’s morning show, recently criticized our newspaper for creating fake news about local events. Most recently, the best article about fake news was written by The Fayetteville Observer’s Sandspur stringer Lisa Carter Waring of Hope Mills. It was well-written and insightful, considering her involvement in Hope Mills issues – specifically, the ongoing controversy involving the Lone Survivor Foundation, which is trying to locate a $1.5 million military veterans retreat center in Hope Mills. 

Waring’s article “Fake news isn’t anything new,” which ran Sept. 4, reads like a hybrid of an admission and a self-indictment of her own campaign conspiring with Hope Mills Commissioners Mike Mitchell and Meg Larson. The three of them have disseminated inaccurate and misguided information, seemingly for the sole purpose of undermining the progress and achievements of Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner and any project, person or organization aligned with Warner – including this newspaper. Equally egregious is that Waring, Mitchell and Larson found another willing partner to pile on the Warner smear campaign in Goldy. Waring is using her trusted position with The Fayetteville Observer, along with her private and selectively restricted Facebook group, Hope Mills Chatter, to perpetrate her own fake news. And she’s doing it under the guise of being a concerned Hope Mills resident looking out for the town’s best interests. 

What we have been concerned with here at Up & Coming Weekly is the fact that such influential people like Waring, Goldberg, Mitchell and Larson intentionally dismiss the truth and ignore the facts to accommodate and enhance personal agendas. This is unethical in regard to trustworthiness in media, and, for the commissioners, at least, it disregards the sworn oath and obligations of elected Hope Mills officials. It reflects poorly on the integrity and character of each person involved. 

Here are the facts.

1. Goldy spent 20 minutes interviewing Mitchell and Larson Aug. 23 about the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners’ rejection of and objections to LSF’s request to purchase property on Lake bed #2 in Hope Mills.

2. Elizabeth Blevins of Up & Coming Weekly and Hopemills.net provided portions of that radio interview transcript along with a link to the entire interview in the Sept. 5 edition of Up & Coming Weekly, where she rebutted specific points with documented proof – all of which is a matter of record.

3. Aug. 28, Warner was interviewed on the same radio show, by the same person. Warner did an excellent job explaining the LSF’s mission and objectives as well as her position on the matter. She did this gracefully and professionally while refuting her detractor’s allegations that “the fix was in” and that proper protocols were not followed.

4. Up & Coming Weeklydispels fake news. In all cases, our name, titles, credentials and photos are on every article we pen. We own our content and are responsible for it. In addition, we return all our calls and respond to texts and emails. More importantly, concerning the Hope Mills controversy, both Blevins and I included in our articles a direct challenge and open invitation to all the parties involved that if they found anything in our articles that was misrepresented, inaccurate or not factual, we would get it corrected immediately.

5. The challenge went unanswered. We have not heard from anyone. No public rebuttal, no phone calls, no emails or text messages. Why? Because Larson and Mitchell have found themselves in indefensible positions when it comes to providing facts and being truthful. 

Here’s the takeaway: Goldy will not have me on his show because he knows I have command of the Hope Mills situation and I will speak from a base of absolute facts as I know them, as Blevins has documented them, and as Warner has articulated them on Goldy’s own radio show. 

Mitchell and Larson will continue undermining the mayor’s efforts. They want to obstruct Warner’s effectiveness and impede her progress while trying to damage her credibility in the process. They will resist contributing to or participating in anything constructive, even if it benefits the town of Hope Mills and its residents, if they feel such actions will reflect positively on the mayor, or worse, further endear her to the Hope Mills community. 

Waring, who writes for The Fayetteville Observer and commands her private Chatter Facebook group, will continue to struggle with her own credibility issues. 

Here is what we know for sure: All these people have issues, and they all have access to media. This doesn’t mean that everything (or anything) they say, write or post on social media is accurate. However, everything you read in Up & Coming Weeklycan be substantiated. And, in response to Goldy’s allegation that I only print one side of an issue, the policy at Up & Coming Weekly for 23 years has been that we will provide the space for anyone to respond to or opine on any subject or topic discussed in our publication. Up & Coming Weekly welcomes and supports the sharing of all viewpoints. 

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly!

Today’s blot on world literature will take another walk down memory lane. We shall visit our old friends Antony and Cleopatra in their dust-up with Octavian at the naval battle of Actium, which occurred in September 31 B.C. 

Replenish your caffeine level by popping a handful of No-Doze, eating a giant Hershey chocolate bar and drinking a huge cup of Bojangles’s coffee to stay awake while having some Roman history tossed in your direction. Our old philosopher buddy George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” Another of our buddies, Bluto in “Animal House,” started a food fight with the evil Omegas listening to Sam Cooke’s song “Wonderful World,” which included the lines “Don’t know much about history/ Don’t know much biology/ Don’t know much about the French I took.” 

I am unsure if Santayana’s warning and Bluto’s imitation of a pimple means that if you don’t recall the Battle of Actium that you, gentle reader, are doomed to be defeated by a Roman Emperor in a naval battle or to be chased around a college dining hall by a bunch of evil preppies. But why take a chance? You have already read most of the first few paragraphs. You are invested now in avoiding becoming a galley slave of a Roman Emperor or an Omega pledge. You might as well finish the rest of this column.

Once upon a time, Julius Caesar had a funny thing happen to him on the way to the forum. After being ventilated by a number of sharp objects held by some Roman senators, Julius expired, leaving a vacuum at the top of Rome. Three would-be emperors took over, Octavian, Mark Antony and Lepidus. 

The plan was to divide up the Roman Empire with each taking a slice to rule. This did not work out so well, as the boys had not learned to share in kindergarten. Mark Anthony got the section of the empire that included Egypt, which was ruled by Cleopatra. Cleo was a major babe and political strategist in her own right. She had beguiled Julius Caesar, providing him with a son named Caesarion, which meant in Latin, “You are going to be a target for any other Roman leader.” 

Mark sent word to Cleo to come see him because he thought she was helping his enemies. Cleo got herself gussied up and came down the Nile in the Royal Yacht dressed as Venus, the goddess of love. Mark was so smitten by Cleo’s false eyelashes that he became a fool for love. He hooked up with her and began making whoopee. 

Word in Rome was that the other two Emperors were not happy with this turn of events. 

After a winter of content with Cleo, Mark left Egypt and went back to Rome. In an effort to show he was a team player, Mark married Octavian’s sister, Octavia. Alas, the marriage to Octavia could not last. Mark had left his heart in Alexandria. Mark took Route 66 back to Egypt to hang with Cleo. In his absence, Cleo had produced a life insurance policy in the form of twins for whom Mark was the Baby Daddy. 

Octavian was not amused at this affront to his sister. He declared war on Cleo and Mark. Near Actium, off the coast of Greece, Octavian’s, Cleo’s and Mark’s navies lined up for the Naval Rassle Mania Battle of the millennium. 

After a mighty ruckus, Octavian’s fleet whupped Cleo’s and Mark’s navy. Recognizing that the battle was lost, Cleo and Mark skedaddled back to Egypt – where, like today’s politicians, they blamed others for their loss. 

Octavian eventually had a final land battle with Mark, defeating him once again. After Cleo heard about this loss, she went to the mattresses in the tomb she had built for herself. Mark received fake news that Cleo had killed herself. Distraught, he fell upon his sword, mortally wounded but alive enough to learn from a second messenger that reports of Cleo’s death had been greatly exaggerated and she still lived. Mark managed to get to Cleo before he died. He asked her to try to make peace with Octavian. 

Cleo dolled herself up, intending to seduce Octavian as she had done with Julius Caesar and Mark, but Octavian was having none of it. 

Scorned by Octavian, Cleo clutched an asp to her bosom and expired rather than become a high-profile prisoner. Like a mafia Don, Octavian cleaned up the rest of the family by having Cleo’s son Caesarion terminated with extreme prejudice. Egypt then became part of the Roman Empire. Octavian changed his name to Caesar Augustus, renamed the eighth month August, and ruled Rome for the next 41 years. 

So, what have we learned today? Bluto didn’t like the Omegas any more than Octavian liked Mark Antony. If warned to beware the Ides of March by a soothsayer, you better beware. Cleopatra may have been the first woman to have been a victim of #MeToo. Marrying and then dumping the sister of a Roman Emperor may not turn out as well as you hope. The grass on the other side of the pyramid is not always greener. Roman emperors played for keeps. Or finally, as Jim Morrison once said: “Nobody gets out of here alive.”

The town of Hope Mills recently joined the city of Fayetteville in establishing a law prohibiting citizens from engaging with panhandlers seeking donations from pedestrians or people in motor vehicles.

This is a sensitive issue for many people, especially those who feel genuine compassion for those who have fallen on hard times through no fault of their own and are seeking assistance until they can get back on their feet.

But the problem in roadside requests for help is determining whether they are genuine or coming from someone who wants money to feed a drug or alcohol addiction.

Rev. Bob Kretzu of Hope Mills United Methodist Church is familiar with the problem. Before coming to Hope Mills, he served pastorates in different communities and saw how those communities tried to offer real assistance to those in need.

“One part is compassion, and another part is obedience, if you’re a Christian,’’ Kretzu said. “Nobody likes to be taken advantage of.’’

Kretzu has been on the receiving end of numerous requests for assistance during his time as a minister. He tries to track each of them down and sadly reports it’s been his experience that nine out of 10 calls he has gotten for help over the years weren’t genuine.

He recalled one experience when he was in Goldsboro helping with a relief effort following the devastation of Hurricane Floyd.

At one benefit event, he said, a man walked in and began yelling, “I’m here for the free stuff.’’

Kretzu said he is pleased when he comes to a community like Hope Mills where there is an existing cooperative ministry like ALMSHOUSE. Similar ministries exist in Fayetteville with Fayetteville Urban Ministry and the Salvation Army.

The purpose of the ALMSHOUSE is helping families reach goals of sufficiency, along with feeding the hungry, clothing the needy and providing counseling and financial assistance. The town supports the ALMSHOUSE by holding regular collections of food in conjunction with its Food Truck Rodeos.

“There, you feel like your compassion is satisfied,’’ Kretzu said of a community-based charity like the 

ALMSHOUSE. “Your sense of obedience to care for those in need is satisfied, and your safety is preserved. You know the majority of (the benefits) are going to be used for a really redemptive purpose and not to support somebody’s addiction or other choice.’’

The safety of the public is a major part of the problem with panhandling, Kretzu said. He previously worked in Durham, where over a period of eight years, the number of people panhandling on street corners and at intersections doubled.

“It got to a point where they were fighting each other over the prime locations,’’ Kretzu said. “You worry about the safety of passengers in cars and interrupted traffic patterns.’’

One person Kretzu worked closely with was actually pushed into oncoming traffic by a “homeless’’ person.

That is one reason Kretzu is glad to work with an organization like the ALMSHOUSE in Hope Mills, which offers tangible support for people who have been identified as being in genuine need.

“To me, it’s a win-win,’’ Kretzu said. “It’s a more redemptive use of my time to support a ministry like that than to try to meet the needs of individuals that come by the church. I love when I go into a community and one is already established.

“I really believe in cooperative ministries.’’

Photo: Reverand Bob Kretzu

Shavonne Spell

South View • Volleyball •

Junior

Spellman has a 4.3 grade point average. She’s in the International Baccalaureate Academy and is a member of National Honor Society and Key Club.

Jason Garcia

South View • Soccer • 

Senior

Garcia has a 4.1 grade point average. He’s a member of the International Baccalaureate Academy at South View. He’s also active in his church youth group and plays piano and violin.