A Minnesota congressman wants full details on what the military knows about extremist activity in its ranks, following news reports detailing at least three service members with ties to a white supremacist group. Rep. Keith Ellison, a Democrat who was the first Muslim elected to Congress, sent a letter to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis asking for information on any investigations into troops’ extremist activities and “steps currently being taken to screen recruits for extremist ties.”

“Department of Defense guidance clearly prohibits discrimination and extremist behavior,” he said. But, he said, “it appears that some service members are still able to join and actively participate in extremist organizations.”

Several lawmakers have questioned whether the military has done enough to investigate the issue and root out individuals with ties to extremist groups. The allegation of racism in the Army is  reminiscent of a sensational double murder in Fayetteville 23 years ago involving James Burmeister II.

The New York Daily News said at the time that Burmeister was weaned on racism. His father, a mechanic, was a bitter, big-talking bigot who fed his son a steady redneck diet about how minorities had stifled white progress. Young Burmeister matured into the apple of his father’s eye – a young man seething with racist phobias and resentment.

He joined the Army after finishing high school in 1993 and was assigned to Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne Division. While driving around town on the night of Dec. 6, 1995, Burmeister and Malcolm Wright got out of their car and walked up behind two African-Americans on Hall Street near downtown. Their names were Michael James, 36, and Jackie Burden, 27.

Burmeister executed James with two shots to the head. He then chased Burden, knocked her down with a shot to the back and shot three more bullets into her head. A friend, Randy Meadows Jr., the driver, had parked a block away.

Burmeister and Wright fled in the opposite direction and eventually caught a taxi home. Meadows, meanwhile, got out of the car and walked toward the gunfire. Police picked him up within minutes of the murders, and he gave up the names of his skinhead comrades.

Meadows led the authorities to the trailer where Burmeister and Wright were sleeping. Police found a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol, a Nazi flag, white supremacist pamphlets and other gang paraphernalia. The State Bureau of Investigation identified the handgun as the weapon that killed James and Burden.

In 1997, Burmeister and Wright were tried on two counts each of first degree murder and conspiracy. They were convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.  Prosecutors said that the killing of James and Burden was racially motivated and that Burmeister and Wright were neo- Nazi skinheads who chose their victims at random.

The case prompted the Army to conduct a worldwide inquiry into racism in its ranks. The 1995 investigation ordered by then Army Secretary Togo West found little evidence of organized racist activity but led to stronger policies for preventing it. The probe found that fewer than 100 of 7,600 soldiers interviewed belonged to white supremacist groups. Officials at Fort Bragg identified 21 soldiers who actively participated in skinhead activity. They were later discharged.

On March 21, 2007, James Burmeister died at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, said Keith Acree, a spokesman for the North Carolina Department of  Corrections. Acree said Burmeister died of natural causes but said he couldn’t elaborate because of federal privacy laws.

More than two dozen Robeson County people identifying themselves as members of the Tuscarora Indian Tribe face charges of operating illegal gambling houses, money laundering at illegal casinos and the manufacture of controlled substances. Because of their Native American status, they claimed to be a sovereign nation. The men and women ranged in age from 17 to 62.

“This group openly expressed beliefs that neither the laws of North Carolina nor the United States applied to them, putting law-abiding citizens in danger,” said Terrance Merriweather, head of North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, the agency that executed the search warrants. “Citizens living near the casinos complained of the illegal activity taking place and notified law enforcement,” he added. The illicit casinos were operated in blacked-out buildings. Officials said they operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Tuscarora coalesced nearly three centuries ago as a people and eventually became part of the Five Nations of the historic Iroquois Confederacy in New York. Some of the Tuscarora migrated south and settled in Eastern North Carolina long before European explorers arrived.

Tuscarora tribal officials in New York dispute claims that anyone in North Carolina has continuity as a tribe with the Tuscarora. They consider any individuals remaining in North Carolina as no longer having tribal status, although they have Tuscarora genetic ancestry.

The illegal casinos operated in Maxton, Pembroke and Red Springs. Vehicles, currency, marijuana, firearms and over 200 illegal gaming machines were seized during the raids following a yearlong local, state and federal inter-agency investigation. The group operated three illegal casinos located at 1345 Modest Rd., Maxton; 129 Nancy Ln., Pembroke; and 1521 Opal Rd., Red Springs. Indoor and outdoor marijuana growing operations were also found.

The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, the State Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted NCALE in the yearlong operation.

Merriweather said the illegal band operated an unlawful police force with heavily armed operatives who were not only unlicensed but used blue lights in their pickups. The group made threats of  war against law enforcement.

“Most of the offenders were considered to be armed and dangerous, and many have criminal records,” said Robeson County Sheriff Kenneth Sealey. “People living in those towns feared the  activities taking place around the casinos. At the end of the day, this operation is all about community betterment,” he added.

Those arrested included the Tuscarora Nation’s leader, Kendall Locklear, and his son, Keaton. Also charged were the armed guards who provided security at the casinos and other employees.

Since the late 20th century, some North Carolina persons claiming Tuscarora ancestry formed bands in Robeson and nearby counties. In the 1960s, many of their descendants and approximately 2,000 other individuals organized an official Tuscarora political infrastructure. In 1979, the Tuscarora Tribe of Indians Maxton was accepted into the National Congress of American Indians. Then, in 2010, leaders and individuals of the various Tuscarora factions in Robeson County came together to form the Tuscarora Nation One Fire Council, an interim, unincorporated government now claiming to be a sovereign nation.

Robert Wilkie, who grew up in Fayetteville the son of an injured Vietnam War combat veteran, is the new secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Senate confirmed 55-year-old Wilkie by a vote of 86-9.

“Robert Wilkie is the right man for the job,” said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., the ranking member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

Wilkie, who worked as an aide to North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillies and others and at the Department of Defense under two Republican Party presidents, is the most prominent North Carolinian in President Donald Trump’s administration. Wilkie is a reserve officer in the Air Force and previously served in the Navy reserve.

Wilkie replaces David Shulkin, who was fired in late March. Wilkie, who had been appointed as interim director, was then picked for the permanent post in May.

Reducing suicide is a major objective of the Veterans Affairs

Suicide prevention is now the VA’s highest priority for the nation’s 20 million veterans, 2 million of them women, according to a VA National Suicide Data Report released last month.

An estimated 20 veterans and as many as four active-duty service members killed themselves each day in 2015, the last year for which detailed information was available. Male veterans were 1.3 times more likely than non-veteran adult men to commit suicide, the report said. Female veterans were twice as likely as non-veteran adult women to kill themselves.

Fayetteville is a little smarter

Durham and Chapel Hill won’t mind sharing this title: Together they rank among the top five most educated cities in the nation. Durham-Chapel Hill was considered a single metropolitan area and ranked the fourth-most-educated of the 150 largest U.S. metropolitan statistical areas included in a recent WalletHub study.

Ann Arbor, Michigan, easily retained its position from last year as the smartest U.S. city.

The ranking process considered educational attainment and quality and racial and gender education gaps.

Other North Carolina cities deemed more educated this year included Fayetteville (from 102nd to 89th) and Greensboro-High Point (106th to 100th). Raleigh improved from 15th last year to 13th in this year’s report. Asheville surpassed Charlotte as it made the biggest leap forward out of North Carolina cities in the ranking, from 62nd in 2017 to 30th in 2018. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia showed considerable improvement, jumping from No. 71 in 2017 to No. 54 this year.

Winston-Salem slipped in the ranking, from 101st to 116th, as did Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, from 143rd to 145th.

Hot Car Safety

As people are enjoying summertime activities and vacation, it’s a good time to remember some important safety tips while out in the heat. July is typically the deadliest month for children being left in hot cars. But August weather is equally hot and humid. In North Carolina from 1990 to 2017, 33 infants and children died after being left unattended in hot vehicles.

To help reduce the chances of this happening, the North Carolina Department of Transportation advised motorists to “look before locking.” Get into the habit of checking the back seats before locking the vehicle and walking away. Women can place their purses in the back seats when they put children in their car seats. Keep keys out of children’s reach. The DMV says nearly three in 10 heatstroke deaths happen when an unattended child gains access to a vehicle.

These safety tips also apply when traveling with pets. A dog can die of heatstroke in just 15 minutes.

Arts grant awarded to film festival

GroundSwell Pictures, a Fayetteville 501(c) (3) nonprofit, has received a grant in the amount of $6,400 from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County in support of the Indigo Moon Film Festival 2018. Indigo Moon is an annual festival bringing in films and filmmakers from around the world for a three-day event in October. This year, the festival will take place Oct. 12-14.

Four venues in downtown Fayetteville show films to audiences. The festival includes an opening night film and reception as well as an awards banquet and encore showings of the winning films.

“GroundSwell Pictures is honored to have received these funds which will help support this exciting cultural arts festival,” according to Board President Pat Wright.

“The Arts Council is proud to partner with GroundSwell Pictures in support of Indigo Moon Film Festival,” said Deborah Martin Mintz, Arts Council executive director.

The Arts Council’s Project Support Grants for 2018-19 will help fund 23 projects facilitated by 20 nonprofit organizations.

“Can I speak to Mr. Locke?” During the quarter-century that I served as either president or vice president of the John Locke Foundation, we got such calls on regular basis.

Some actually wanted to talk to me and just mistook one twosyllable name beginning with “John” for another. But others thought the John Locke Foundation was a charitable foundation named after a wealthy benefactor and hoped a personal call might get them money for a local project or a school trip.

Still others believed John Locke was a former government official who had set up a think tank to advance his political philosophy, and wanted to talk to the “big man” rather than settle for a subordinate.

My standard response to the question was that callers would find it challenging to set up a conversation with Mr. Locke unless they believed in séances. He died in 1704.

John Locke was, in fact, a former government official who devoted much of his life to advancing his political philosophy of limited government and individual liberty. But independent research institutes didn’t exist in his day. While much of his early career was spent as a scholar at Oxford, Locke did most of his writing on philosophy and government – and performed most of his public service in appointive posts – as an aide to a powerful English statesman and political activist named Anthony Ashley Cooper, the first Earl of Shaftesbury.

Locke originally joined Shaftesbury’s household and political retinue as his personal physician, and Locke helped save his life after Shaftesbury’s chronic liver condition grew acute enough to require surgery. Later, during the late 1660s and early 1670s, Locke helped Shaftesbury oversee the new Carolina colony, write its constitution and even design the street grids and land-use rules for Charleston and other cities to be founded across the Carolinas.

When Shaftesbury began contesting power with other English politicians and the Stuart monarchy, Locke again helped him plot strategy and convert abstract philosophical ideas into distinct principles and concrete proposals. Locke would later influence Western philosophy with his own powerful writings, both on questions of how we can come to know the truth of things (epistemology) and how the coercive power of government ought to be used to protect individual rights and serve the public good (political philosophy).

When the North Carolinians who founded what would open its doors in early 1990 as the John Locke Foundation discussed the potential name of the North Carolina think tank, we considered a variety of options. Some state-based research institutes have simple, descriptive names, such as those of our neighboring peers the South Carolina Policy Council and the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.

Other think tanks honor American founders or other historical figures from the states in question, such as New Hampshire’s Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, which is named after New Hampshire’s famous former governor, chief justice and signer of the Declaration of Independence. The president of the Josiah Bartlett Center happens to be a former John Locke Foundation colleague, Andrew Cline.

In the end, we decided on John Locke. He never ventured across the Atlantic. But as the founder of political liberalism, and with some historical ties to the Carolinas, Locke was just the right fit.

As our philosophy is usually called conservative, why choose a liberal namesake? Because the classical liberalism of Locke helped to shape what is now termed modern American conservatism.

During the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries, when liberals and conservatives competed for office and influence, they were debating the proper balance between liberty and order. But the rise of socialist, populist, and progressive movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries pushed classical liberals and conservatives into an alliance to defend limited government and market economics.

One Carolina legacy of John Locke and his patron Anthony Ashley Cooper is the iconic city of Charleston, nestled between the Ashley and Cooper rivers. The other can be found further north, in the think tank whose board I still proudly chair.

Recent world news events from Helsinki reminded me of Aunt Pitty Pat Hamilton’s great line in “Gone with the Wind” as the Northern army is about to invade Atlanta. Aunt Pitty is getting ready to lam out of town when a large explosion shakes the ground. Pitty shrieks, “Yankees in Georgia! How did they ever get in?”

Guess who’s coming to dinner at the White House this fall? Putin in the Oval Office. How did he ever get in? As Jules in “Pulp Fiction” would say, “Allow me to retort. What does Vladimir Putin look like?” He looks like the new boss. Same as the old boss. Herein lies my wildly speculative analysis of what’s happening under the rocks in Washington, D.C.

Unless you have personally been living under a rock at the outskirts of town, you probably saw Our Dear Glorious Very Stable Genius President standing next to Putin in Helsinki after their Double Secret Summit. They agreed to put NATO and Western Europe on Triple Totally Unsecret Probation. Dear Leader stood at attention beside Putin after being questioned about whether Russia had interfered with the American election. Dear Leader announced, “I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.” Our Dear Leader didn’t say it, but his thought balloon said: “And in addition, President Putin is a manly man, a thing of beauty to behold, and I really, really hope he asks me to the prom.”

There has been much speculation about what happened in the Double Secret meeting between Dear Leader and Putin. No one really knows, not even Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence – at least he was the director at the time of this writing; he may be given the James Comey bum’s rush by the time this stain on world literature hits print.

Some might think the director of national intelligence ought to know what is happening at the highest levels of security in the American government. Some would then be wrong. It’s a secret that only Dear Leader and Putin know. The rest of the world – and we American peons – will have it sprung upon us on a need-to-know basis.

This does gives rise to the opportunity to imagine all sorts of things that Dear Leader promised to do for Putin in return for Putin keeping his mouth shut about whatever dirt he has on Dear Leader. Let us commence to wildly speculate.

Despite widespread condemnation of Dear Leader’s failure to stand up for American intelligence agencies and law enforcement while kissing Putin’s ring, Dear Leader invited Putin to the White House for round two of his performance review. Putin is coming to Washington this fall on an inspection tour of his newly acquired property at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. The usual unreliable sources have revealed that in honor of Putin’s visit, Dear Leader is going to have the White House literally turned upside down like the Upside-Down House at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach. The White House will be painted red in Putin’s honor and will remain upside down and red throughout the rest of Dear Leader’s time in office.

Another unfounded rumor has it that the reflecting pool in front of the Washington Monument will be drained and filled with Stolichnaya Vodka.

One of the Double Secret Summit’s deals was to have the Russian Secret Police interrogate Michael McFaul, the former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, for possible crimes against the Commies. Unfortunately, this deal fell through when American public opinion turned against having an American diplomat submitted to the tender mercies of Russia’s intelligence agency. Putin must be mollified for the loss of getting an American diplomat to twist slowly, slowly in the Moscow wind. The rumor mill has it that Dear Leader will send Hillary Clinton, James Comey, Dan Coats and a future undisclosed draft choice to a Gulag in Siberia to be debriefed by the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service. As a consolation prize for not getting Ambassador McFaul, Putin will absorb Montenegro, Freedonia and The Grand Dutchy of Fenwick into the growth industry that is Russia in 2018.

Dear Leader has agreed to appoint Rufus T. Firefly as the new director of national intelligence and a hollow log as the director of the CIA, as both appointees have been carefully vetted and approved by Putin. So, keep watching your TV. An exciting fall season of Russian influence is coming to a ballot box near you.

I have long been interested in our nation’s first ladies, beginning when I checked out a book on Abigail “remember the ladies” Adams from the library of the late, great Haymount Elementary School where Haymount 700 now stands.

No matter what stage of our history or what political position she represents, each of our first ladies came to her unpaid position, whether she wanted it or not, only because her husband managed to get himself elected president. Each found herself in an unscripted position that is not exactly a job, but one that comes with high expectations from her fellow Americans.

Some first ladies are better at “the job” than others. Dolley Madison possessed social skills so strong that her husband, President James, basked in her reflected glory. A North Carolina native, Dolley Madison did not invent ice cream as legend has asserted, but she did serve oyster ice cream at the then-new White House.

Edith Wilson became our de facto president after her husband suffered a debilitating stroke, allowing few others in to see him and “interpreting” and “relaying” his wishes herself.

Jacqueline Kennedy became the most famous woman in the world and remains a glamorous fashion and social icon more than two decades after her death.

Betty Ford and Nancy Reagan helped us understand addiction and cancer. Hillary Clinton introduced us to the notion of policy wonks, and Michelle Obama taught us healthier and local eating habits.

It is also fair to say that no first lady, at least in my lifetime, has been more mysterious than Melania Trump.

One of only two first ladies born outside the United States – Louisa Adams, Mrs. John Quincy, was born in London – Melania Trump began modeling in her native Slovenia at age 16 and became a U.S. citizen in 2006, a year after she married “the Donald,” the nickname given our current president by a previous wife.

Melania reportedly speaks six languages, English among them. Last year, she inexplicably wore a $51,500 jacket on a visit to Italy, a price tag just slightly under the median U.S. household income in 2017. She had a mysterious operation earlier this year and spent several days in a Washington, D.C., hospital. She mysteriously wore a jacket with “I really don’t care do U” emblazoned on its back to visit immigrant children in cages along our Texas border. Her ongoing silence as the world chews over her husband’s conversations about paying off women is extremely curious. Even her signature program as first lady, BE BEST, is mysterious, as no one quite knows what it means.

North Carolina humorist Celia Rivenbark wrote about our mysterious first lady in a recent column that began with this. “Sometimes I wish I could sit down with Melania Trump over a box of KFC’s new picklefried chicken tenders … and have a real just-us-girls conversation.”

So do I, Celia, so do I.

Rivenbark went on in this vein. “Being beautiful and aloof will only get you so far. After a while, people want to shake that empty Valentino suit and see what’s up. For example, why did she look so happy – a first – smiling radiantly while chatting with Obama at Barbara Bush’s funeral? In contrast, when she stands beside her husband, she looks like someone who really has to pee but  has just been told the next restroom is 90 minutes up the interstate.”

I am willing to cut Melania a bit more slack.

It cannot be easy just being Mrs. Donald Trump. Layer on the pressures of the presidency, the lack of privacy for an obviously private person and the ill-defined but nevertheless real responsibilities of the first lady, and life has got to be tough for Melania.

On the morning I am writing this column, the news is full of President Trump in full wackadoodle rage mode after discovering his wife’s Air Force One television tuned to CNN in defiance of his presidential edict that all sets be tuned to his preferred network, Fox. In an unusual show of independence, the first lady’s official spokesperson announced our first lady will watch “any channel she wants.”

Maybe Melania is not as mysterious as we think.

I have been the executive director for Rape Crisis of Cumberland County for over 10 years. I have advocated for thousands of victims, soldiers, men, children, women, Hope Mills residents... thousands.

Last night, I attended your meeting in support of Lone Survivor Foundation, and honestly, I was embarrassed about what I heard from some of you. It was at times very hard to follow what you were saying – a lake, kayaking for veterans being dropped off at a fire station, a recreation spot, a VFW, the list seemed to volley from one thing to another without making much sense.

This is what I do know, last year we (Rape Crisis of Cumberland County) served 611 victims of sexual violence, 243 of those were active duty soldiers. That number does not include veterans, National Guard or reservists. Their stories happened down range, in the barracks, in your town, in your county.

Our resources are extremely limited, and when LSF came to our attention, it was like a dream come true! An organization was actually going to help me help OUR soldiers in a healing way, for free?!

I was ecstatic, but very cautious. I would not support, advocate (for) or refer my victims to just anyone. So I got involved, met with Morgan Sierra (and) Terry Jung, attended many of their informational meetings and researched LSF. Yet I was still not 100 percent convinced that I could look my victims in the eye and tell them that LSF was OK, and it was OK for them to trust them, share their story and bravely attend a retreat. But, one of my board members for RCCC had told me that she had gone, and it was a lifechanging experience.

My best friend, a vet, a city cop, a hardass guy, told me he was going (to an LSF retreat). I knew I would base my final decision on what he said. On the way to the airport after leaving the retreat, I got this text from him. “Reference vetting Lone Survivor Foundation, 100% yes...”

Trust me when I say this, there is no one else out there that is offering this level of care to take care of OUR soldiers who have been raped. No one. To turn LSF away from our community when we so desperately need them is just... wrong and completely unfathomable based on the reasons you gave last night.

I commend LSF for trying to make this work, I would not blame them if they went to another community, a community who supported them and welcomed them.

If that happens, I will invite you to meet with my victims, and you can explain to them that although help for them could have been in our backyard, you said no. You said no at a chance for OUR soldiers to heal and get well again.

The commissioners of the town of Hope Mills had a meltdown at their regularly scheduled meeting July 23. Had you been in attendance, you would likely agree that the Hope Mills community has outgrown its elected officials, with only Mayor Jackie Warner and Commissioner Pat Edwards remaining the sole sources of sensibility, common courtesy, integrity and leadership. Together, these two women make serving the residents Hope Mills and looking out for the long-term future of the town their highest priority. For this, we are grateful.

After that July 23 meeting and the controversy swirling around the Lone Survivor Foundation situation, the remaining commissioners – Jesse Bellflowers, Meg Larson, Mike Mitchell and Jerry Legge – are engulfed in a nonproductive quagmire of trite and tacky accusations, petty jealousies, child-like grudges and chronic miscommunications and misinformation.

What makes this situation such an atrocity is that, except for the ongoing deceit, misdirection and rampant pettiness of these elected officials, there is no downside to the LSF project. It’s ALL good. However, that is contrary to what Lisa Carter Waring, Meg Larson and others are disseminating on the private Hope Mills Chatter Facebook page. In the spirit of being fair and balanced, here are some facts about the LSF project and the political meltdown as it exists today. I welcome all challenges or debate concerning the information below.

FACT: The LSF expressed interest and remains interested in the construction of an approximately 10,000-square-foot facility in Cumberland County, preferably in Hope Mills, for conducting therapeutic and wellness retreats for active-duty military service members, veterans, and their families dealing with post-traumatic stress, mild traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, chronic pain and related invisible wounds of war. Cumberland County was selected because of the demographics of previous LSF retreat attendees and for its proximity to Fort Bragg. Twenty-nine percent of the 2018 LSF attendees were from North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

FACT: The LSF did its initial due diligence on the Cumberland County location and found that residents, businesses and organizations were wholeheartedly behind the foundation locating the retreat facility here. Despite this growing support, finding the right location for the retreat proved challenging. The initial site in Linden had soil percolation issues and was deeded back to the original owners.

FACT: The Fayetteville-Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation suggested the property in Hope Mills located at 4562 Calico Dr. This is the site of an old textile mill and dam referred to as Lake Bed #2. The property needed and requested as 19 acres out of about 67 acres of land – all owned by the town of Hope Mills.

FACT: While only about 4 of the 19 acres are suitable for building – the rest being in a flood plain – the property meets all the needs and is perfect for the LSF retreat.

FACT: The LSF followed proper protocol, working with the FCCEDC and its associates, Andrew Pennink, Teddy Warner and Robert Van Geons, as well as the town of Hope Mills, including Town Manager Melissa Adams, Town Attorney Dan Hartzog Jr., Mayor Jackie Warner and the Hope Mills commissioners. Initially, when the FCCEDC brought the project to the Hope Mills commissioners in a closed session June 4, the commissioners were enthusiastically supportive of the project.

FACT: Unfortunately, within hours of the closed session, the information discussed in that session was leaked to Commissioner Meg Larson’s former campaign manager, Lisa Carter Waring – who also manages the private Facebook page called Hope Mills Chatter. Waring also owns property that is adjacent to the land requested by the LSF. She immediately launched a campaign of misinformation that questioned the feasibility of the project.

FACT: At the next closed session meeting, the commissioners unanimously rejected the entire LSF proposal and flatly turned down the project. Even the self-proclaimed grandest veteran advocate, Commissioner Jesse Bellflowers, who professes an undying patriotic loyalty and dedication to all military veterans, couldn’t muster up the intestinal fortitude for a logical defense for the LSF or his military veteran brethren.

FACT: The commissioners did not notify the LSF of their decision until weeks later.  At the July 23 town meeting, which the LSF attended, when asked why the project was rejected, the commissioners scrambled to find logical explanations. All their reasoning was baseless. That said, Bellflowers said the process was done “back ass wards.” It was not.

FACT: All the proper policies and procedures were followed. Commissioner Mitchell surprisingly suggested that because Teddy Warner, Mayor Warner’s son, works for the FCCEDC, there may be a conflict of interest and further insinuated that he and the mayor may have some side deal going on from which they would both personally benefit.

Larson’s comments and objections were all over the place. She obviously resents the mayor and doesn’t want to see her accomplish or get credit for anything.

As for Legge’s conduct, he was pretty passive. He seemed distant from the controversy, as if he didn’t know what was going on. And who can blame him? There has been so much bad information, misdirection and misrepresentation put forth by the commissioners and Hope Mills Chatter Facebook page that the average Hope Mills citizen has no way of understanding or finding out the facts about important Hope Mills issues like this – issues that affect their future way of life and quality of life.

FACT: The commissioners all concurred that the town meeting of July 23 “spiraled out of control.” They may have, but the citizens in attendance did not. I was there. What I saw was a room packed with their constituents – more than 75 enthusiastic and passionate Hope Mills citizens made up of active duty military, veterans, support organizations as well as friends and family – all in support of Hope Mills, our war veterans and the mission of the LSF. Yes, they were passionate. Yes, they were sometimes loud. Yes, they cheered and applauded frequently whenever something positive was stated about the LSF project. They came en masse because they wanted to be heard.

FACT: Teddy Warner did not solicit or invite the LSF to Hope Mills. He works for the FCCEDC, which was assisting the LSF in finding a suitable site for their center.

WHY? Because the FCCEDC knows it would be a good fit for Cumberland County to have the LSF locate here. It would enhance the overall profile of the county. Teddy works specifically for FCCEDC President Robert Van Geons. Pennink, also an advocate of the project, is the chairman of the board of FCCEDC. All were involved in bringing the LSF project to Hope Mills. For anyone to even think there was some sort of “inside conspiracy” going on only acknowledges and confirms their lack of knowledge and understanding of how economic development occurs.

FACT: All standard operating procedures were properly followed by everyone involved. The first closed session was initiated by the FCCEDC and was informational, with a presentation from LSF Executive Director Terry Jung. No proposal was made, just an explanation of the organization, its mission and the project.

FACT: After that meeting, the board was enthusiastic and optimistic, and all spoke favorably about the project. They led Jung to believe they wanted the project in Hope Mills.

FACT: The mayor knew about LSF’s interest in Hope Mills. However, before the LSF could present any program/proposal, its representatives wanted to make sure the site was workable.

FACT: LSF completed its due diligence, a process that included soil and terrain testing and several site visits. The FCCEDC has maps and information about all tracts of land available for economic development, both private and public. It is the FCCEDC’s job to provide information and assist potential investors interested in locating within Cumberland County.

FACT: It is at this phase of the due diligence that the town’s attorney and town manager assist in the process. There were never any secrets. Nor was information withheld from the Hope Mills commissioners as alleged. Everyone was doing their job for the betterment of Hope Mills and Cumberland County.

FACT: The McAdams Firm is working on a separate project, the Hope Mills Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan. For the most part, the fact-finding and surveys have been completed. Based on the residents’ comments, the project’s primary focus will be on the Hope Mills Lake Park, Heritage Park and the golf course. These were identified as priorities. This is still a work in progress. However, it has been acknowledged that there are many town-owned properties that could be considered for development in the future. However, town management is aware that cost and funding will be a major factor. A comprehensive site plan will be developed soon. Currently, the above mentioned three areas will take priority.

Recently, a special town meeting was requested by Mitchell and Larson for Aug. 1 at 6 p.m. on the premise of discussing the Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan. It will also include a closed session to discuss a “personal matter.” Since the three areas of development have already been determined, this meeting is speculatively being viewed as a retaliatory delay tactic to postpone or scuttle the scheduled Aug. 20 public hearing about the LSF project.

Even though Commissioner Bellflowers has supported this action, he is concerned. He wrote Mitchell requesting assurance that all discussions and actions regarding the LSF proposed project would take place in a public session. If the Aug. 20 meeting gets canceled, Bellflowers will lose his do-over opportunity to prove he hasn’t turned his back on his fellow veterans.

In a recent memo, Bellflowers stated “… know, from the July 23rd meeting forward, ALL discussions and actions regarding the Lone Survivor Foundation proposed project will be conducted in open-session, with public input.” His credibility is on the line here after being accused by many of being a hypocrite for not supporting military veterans and advocating for the LSF project.

The closed session is another matter. At first, it looked like it was shaping up to be an organized berating session of Mayor Warner, but she is an elected official, so that wouldn’t classify as a “personal matter.” So, who does that leave? The town attorney? The town manager? Both have performed their jobs flawlessly with dedication and pride.

Again, most of this dust-up about the LSF is arising from personal issues each commissioner has against the mayor. And for what? Doing her job? For working hard and staying on top of the town’s business and looking out for what’s in Hope Mills’ best interest? Below are the facts concerning the feasibility of the Lake Bed #2 site. This information was easily accessible to all Hope Mills commissioners had they taken the time to do their jobs.

FACT: The FCCEDC found the LSF the perfect location in Lake Bed #2, and it had everything to do with the suitability. The property was beautiful, quiet, serene and available. It’s good for Hope Mills, the veterans, Cumberland County and North Carolina as we would become known nationwide as a state that takes care of veterans.

FACT: The land in question is split by a creek, and most of that is in a flood plain and not suitable for development. The 4-acre area that can be developed is what the LSF is interested in for constructing the retreat center. It even has a PWC lift station on property, sewage and electrical easements. The other needed 14+ acres will provide additional beauty, serenity and seclusion, all of which will be conducive to the therapy and treatments. The remaining 40+/-acres would remain with the town.

FACT: The LSF offered to pay for the property; it was even willing to lease it. It wanted to work within whatever parameters the commissioners set forth to make this a win-win achievement. To this end, the LSF made an initial good-faith offer and expected further negotiations. That never happened. The project was rejected out of hand even after LSF offered to add a reverser clause so if the town were to ever build a dam in the future, LSF would return the property. With that said …

FACT: Lake Bed #2 has no possibility of being reinstated as county reservoir. This was a misdirection put forth by Larson, Mitchell and the Hope Mills Chatter. Larson stated that she was “not willing to give it (property) away because of its potential value as a future reservoir.” She didn’t do her research. The records show that PWC, after evaluating the area, stated unequivocally that it would not consider damming up Lake Bed #2 as a reservoir. In addition, it would be financially burdensome with estimated costs of more than $10 million.

FACT: Larson knew this going into the July 23 meeting. Mick Noland, PWC’s chief operations officer of the Water Resources Division, contacted Hope Mills through Mayor Warner and discussed both the 1999 and 2014 studies. Evaluations conducted by PWC and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality since the completion of the 1999 and 2014 studies indicated that the Cape Fear River would be sufficient for a water supply well beyond 2050. Again, based on the study, PWC has no plans to recommend construction of reservoirs in the Hope Mills area. On July 18, Larson was advised of this decision to not pursue further evaluation or permitting of a reservoir.

FACT: What has not been disclosed is that Hope Mills Chatter page administrator Lisa Carter Waring owns property in Cumberland County on Lake Bed #2 and would personally benefit if this development were to change in the future.

FACT: The Hope Mills commissioners never notified the LSF after rejecting the offer. It was stated that Teddy Warner was told of the decision. Again, Teddy works for the FCCEDC and was never the contact for negotiations. Commissioner Mitchell directed Town Attorney Dan Hartzog Jr. to send a letter of notification to LSF. It was received weeks after the rejection.

FACT: The LSF’s proposal was rejected in a three-to-one vote with Mitchell, Bellflowers and Larson against the project and Pat Edwards for it.

FACT: When the open session resumed, the commissioners told the public they had taken no action. The residents of Hope Mills had a right to learn about the LSF project and comment on it.

The purpose of LSF returning for the July 23 meeting was threefold: To inform Hope Mills residents of the real intentions of the LSF; to defend and salvage its reputation that had been maligned by the Hope Mills Chatter Facebook page; and to get an affirmation of public input. The meeting was democracy in action. The town hall was filled with tax-paying citizens who wanted to be heard. There was no mayhem, no circus, no rudeness or outright displays of outrage. Well, maybe Alex Warner did become a little overly sensitive, but only after his wife and son were maligned and mischaracterized. Honestly, if they assaulted my family like they did his, security would probably have escorted me from the building.

FACT: The time is now to grow and brand Hope Mills as a renowned and respected Cumberland County community. That takes strong, respected leadership void of rumors, innuendo, suspicions and petty personal politics. It’s time to shed the negative cliché of “Hopeless Mills.” Mayor Warner is Hope Mills’ flagship as was Eddie Dees and Ed Deaver. She’s also a mother, grandmother, business owner and tax payer. Who better can relate to the residents of Hope Mills? Hope Mills does not need a leadership team of boastful braggarts, glamour girls, self-righteous authorities or comatose leaders from the ’70s and ’80s.

If the Hope Mills commissioners turn their backs on the LSF project, the town and its tax-paying residents, its active-duty military population, the thousands of veterans who support the community, and more importantly, the opportunity to do something significant and really, really good for humanity, then you might as well take the “hope” out of Hope Mills.

I’ll conclude this editorial piece with this not-so ironic development. On Aug. 9, Cumberland County is hosting the North Carolina League of Municipalities to conduct a session that will focus on ethics in government. In view of what is taking place in Hope Mills, you would think the timing for this event would be perfect. No so. In a strange and unprecedented move, most of the Hope Mills commissioners are boycotting the event and refusing to attend. Despite the opportunity to talk and mix and mingle with other successful state and municipal leaders, they are blatantly ignoring their responsibilities and commitment to represent the citizens of Hope Mills.

It’s crazy. Even crazier, Commissioner Larson went on the record saying, “Ethics training is somewhat meaningless if it doesn’t transfer into our everyday behavior.” That’s a statement we all can agree on.

FACT: The Lone Survivor Foundation is an awesome organization, and it does great things for so many. We know it will be successful. We can only hope it is here in our community.

Stay tuned. Thank you for reading and trusting Up & Coming Weekly.

If you’re wondering how it feels to stand across the court from John Isner, 2018 Wimbledon singles semifinalist, waiting for the 6-foot-10 behemoth to unleash a 130 mph serve, Stephen Mantzouris can tell you.

Mantzouris was the No. 1 singles player for the Terry Sanford tennis team in 2001. His Fayetteville family is city tennis royalty, as the city tennis complex at Milton E. Mazarick Park is named in memory of his grandfather, a huge tennis enthusiast.

Mantzouris and Isner crossed paths on the tennis court during the 2001 season, when Terry Sanford finally got by perennial power Raleigh Broughton in the 4-A dual team state playoffs and tackled Greensboro Page and Isner in the state finals.

Dual team tennis is exactly what it sounds like. Just as in a normal high school regular season match, player Nos. 1 through 6 in singles and 1 through 3 in doubles are paired head to head in individual matches. The team that wins the most matches wins the match.

Terry Sanford lost the final duel with Page 6-3, with Mantzouris bowing to Isner in their singles battle 6-4, 7-5.

Mantzouris, who now lives and works in Raleigh as a family nurse practitioner after a brief stint in the U.S. Navy, said he faced Isner when the latter was only a sophomore in high school and yet to reach his full height of 6-10.

“He was about 6-7 or 6-8, but his serve was huge,’’ said Mantzouris, who said he was about 5-7 at the time.

Mantzouris said Isner’s serve alone took him to another level well above the high school players of his era.

“You’ve got a 15-year-old kid with a kick serve that goes threefourths of the way up the fence,’’ Mantzouris said. “That’s what I remember the most.’’

Mantzouris said that left him with a dilemma on how to attack such a lethal weapon. “Do I step back when he serves it at 130 miles per hour so I can have more time, or do I step forward because if I go all the way back he’s kicking it over my head and I can’t even return it?”

Mantzouris chose to hug the baseline and block everything to get it in play. His hope was to avoid being aced and try and engage Isner in rallies, where Mantzouris was certain he had a definite edge.

“I knew if I got in a rally we were getting close to even,’’ Mantzouris said. “His backhand was not as good as my backhand. He’s worked on his backhand a lot, and that’s made him the player he is, to strengthen his weakness so it’s less of a weakness and people can’t attack him as much.’’

Now, Mantzouris said Isner is a 30-something adult who has had years of training at his considerable size and also has better balance and core strength, all reasons why he’s a world top-10 ranked singles player.

The days of American men leading the pack in the ranks of world tennis are long gone, and Mantzouris isn’t sure why the sport is suffering a swoon here.

“I don’t know if we don’t put enough money into juniors compared to other countries,’’ he said. “I know it’s not lack of opportunities. We are a very wealthy nation compared to a lot of other ones.’’

One problem could be the lack of variety for Americans in the surfaces they play. “We pretty much play on hard courts all the time,’’ he said. “We don’t play on grass a lot or red clay. We play on green clay. Americans do best on hard courts.’’

While Mantzouris and his Terry Sanford teammates lost their match against Page and Isner back in 2001, the 2001 season wasn’t a total disappointment for him. He teamed with fellow Terry Sanford player Bryant Tran to win the state 4-A doubles championship that season.

“We’ll always be on that board at Terry Sanford,’’ Mantzouris said, referring to a large blue wooden board affixed to the fence at the tennis courts at Terry Sanford. It was created by longtime Bulldog tennis coach Gil Bowman, member of the Fayetteville Sports Club and North Carolina High School Athletic Association Halls of Fame. The board lists past Bulldog state champions.

After Mantzouris left Fayetteville and entered the military his interest in tennis waned, but he found another channel for his sporting pursuits: mixed martial arts.

While serving in the Navy in San Diego he was training at a local gym and was introduced to the sport. When friends who were involved in the Ultimate Fighting Championships found he was a nurse, he became involved in that sport doing corner work for some of the UFC competitors.

But he admits he does miss his tennis days at Terry Sanford, especially his teammates and the camaraderie they shared.

“You get in that team aspect and it’s fun to have that atmosphere,’’ he said.

When former Pine Forest football coach Gary Weller learned his former players Jimmy Keefe and Andy Dempster wanted to name a foundation after him aimed at providing scholarships to Pine Forest athletes, he said he wasn’t given a choice.

“We are using you just like you used us,’’ said Weller, joking. “I distinctly remember him saying that. I did probably abuse them, but when I saw what they were trying to do, it was a great, humbling experience to get these scholarships out.’’

Keefe, a Pine Forest graduate and Cumberland County commissioner, said the idea for the foundation started small about four years ago when some coaches at Pine Forest passed the hat to raise $500 for a scholarship for a Pine Forest student who’d been facing difficult times.

The practice continued informally until Keefe and Dempster decided the project needed to get even bigger.

“This is too good a story, helping out too many kids,’’ Keefe said. “We want to up it a little bit. We want to be a bigger part of more kids’ lives as far as scholarships coming through.’’

That’s when he approached Weller about using his name and calling the project the Gary Weller Foundation.

The choice of Weller to be the face of the project was obvious for Keefe and others involved.

Fourteen years ago, Weller was severely injured when he was run over by a motorist in a stolen vehicle. Multiple bones were shattered in his lower body, and he now uses a motorized wheelchair to get around.

“That day in April 14 years ago changed Gary’s life, but it didn’t change Gary,’’ Keefe said. “He’s still a coach, he’s still a friend when you need it, and he’s still the first person to help you out when you have a friend in need.’’

Another reason Keefe and others wanted to name the foundation for Weller was because of the investment he made into the Pine Forest football program when he became head coach some 40 years ago.

“He really took a personal interest in a lot of kids,’’ Keefe said. “I know there were some kids who would not be as successful as they were today if it weren’t for the personal outreach Gary did as a coach and as a father figure. Doing little things makes big impacts for kids.’’

Recently, Weller and Keefe presented a pair of $500 scholarships to two Pine Forest athletes, football and basketball player Julian Hill and wrestler Daniel Peede. Hill will attend Campbell University while Peede is going to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

“It may be only a $500 or $1,000 scholarship now, but that may be the difference for that kid being able to improve themselves down the road,’’ Keefe said. “We hope to be able to be giving some big-number scholarships coming up.’’

Scholarship winners are chosen by a committee headed by longtime Pine Forest football coach Bill Sochovka.

The general requirements of the potential candidates are they must be a student-athlete at Pine Forest who has faced some kind of adversity and come out of it successfully.

Keefe mentioned a previous winner, Leah Evans, who was a cross-country athlete before being injured in a car accident and having to go through an extended period of rehab. She recovered and placed 24th in the 2016 Mid-South 4-A Conference crosscountry meet.

“That’s the sort of criteria we look for,’’ Keefe said.

Keefe said the foundation committee has set a goal of raising $50,000 in three years. One of the big steps toward that goal is coming on Oct. 13 when the foundation will host the first Trojan Challenge, a 5K military-style obstacle course on the Sturtz Family Farm in Linden.

The entry fee is $60, and complete information is available at www.trojanchallenge.org. Participants will get a Trojan Challenge T-shirt and receive a medal when they finish the course.

“We thought the Trojan Challenge obstacle course would be something different,’’ Keefe said. “We like the idea of an obstacle course. Some will have football drills, not to mention real tier-one obstacles.’’

Keefe called the course a symbol of what Weller has had to go through since his injuries. “It’s not simply running and putting one foot in front of the other, but... addressing obstacles and beating them,’’ Keefe said. “I think Gary has certainly done that in the last 14 years.’’

For those who may not be interested or able to tackle the obstacle course, you can make direct donations to the Weller Foundation on the challenge website.

For the last two years, the Weller Foundation scholarship winners have been honored at a senior night ceremony in the Pine Forest gym. Weller presented the awards with Keefe and said it was a memorable experience each time.

“The principal, David Culbreth, had the awards at night so the parents can come,’’ Weller said. “To be in front of that group and give this award is an awesome feeling. It humbles you to be able to do that.

“I want to see it grow so we can give a substantial amount of money.’’

 

PHOTO: Gary Weller, seated, and Jimmy Keefe, standing, present scholarships to Julian Hill (top) and Daniel Peede (middle). (Bottom) The Trojan Challenge, which will debut Oct. 13 at Sturtz Family Farm in Linden, will feature Special Forces-style obstacles.

I just got back from a four-day trip. I wrote this while sitting at Panera Bread eating a bear claw, which has nothing to do with the title of this article, but they are really yummy, and the title of this article is about bears. A few weeks back, my friends Bob, Bill (Harley fellows) and myself met up in Blowing Rock for a week of travel.

In Blowing Rock, we stayed at the quaint Mountainaire Inn. As the evening rain pounded away, wine was the drink of choice to kill time before dinner.

The next morning, Bob was up early and had wiped the rain off the bikes. He is such a gentleman. We headed north on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is the longest linear park in the U.S. and is 469 miles long. It was established in 1936, is one of the most scenic roads in America and is only four hours from Fayetteville.

Heading north, we decided to visit the Appomattox Court House in Virginia. We arrived that afternoon. Here, General Lee surrendered to General Grant, an event that is forever engraved in America’s history.

As we walked the grounds, dark clouds started to roll in, and we decided to head north. We headed to the Natural Bridge Inn at Natural Bridge, Virginia. The inn is across the street from the Natural Bridge rock formation, which is a 215-foot natural arch. The inn is a nice, cozy hotel with a nice bar and restaurant.

That afternoon, I got word that I was a brandnew grandfather. Mom and baby Jacob were fine. They were at Walter Reed Military Hospital in Washington, D.C. After breakfast the next morning, I decided to take off to the district to see the baby. For breakfast we went to the Pink Cadillac Diner, which is not far from Natural Bridge on I-81. This place has great food and a super cool vibe for a diner.

We agreed to meet up later that day in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Bill and Bob headed back to the hotel, and I headed to Washington.

As I looked down, my tire pressure warning light was flashing. Sure enough, I had picked up a nail in my tire. I was able to plug it (you’ve got to love tubeless tires), and I was back on the road. The baby was so cute (I think I have to say that).

After a few hours of visiting, I headed out and got stuck in Washington traffic. After a minute in traffic, I said, “Wait a tick, I’m on a BMW, we don’t get stuck in traffic.” I set my bike to its off-road mode and set the GPS for curvy and unimproved roads. In less than half a mile, I was off the interstate and headed through some beautiful little town of western Maryland on my way back to Harpers Ferry.

The next morning, we spent several hours visiting historical Harpers Ferry. There is so much history there, from the western expansion to the armory attack in 1859. Prior to the Civil War, John Brown lead an attack on the armory to give guns to the slaves so they could fight for their own independence. A few days later, he was caught by General Lee and hung for his crime. By today’s definitions, he would be considered either a domestic terrorist or a civil rights leader.

Around noon, we headed to Front Royal, Virginia, to ride the Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park. The Skyline Drive is 105 miles long and ends at Waynesboro, Virginia, where the Blue Ridge Parkway starts.

Shenandoah National Park is home to a high concentration of black bears. There, we saw five bears on this single ride. I have ridden the Skyline over 50 times and have never seen a bear. Like deer, one jumped out in front of Bill, then a few miles later, one in front of Bob. I was volunteered to be the official photographer for this trip. While stopping to take pictures, as I was getting my camera out, I was mindful that I did not want to get laughed at on the 6 o’clock news nor for my last picture to be a close-up of a bear’s mouth.

The last stop for this trip was in Waynesboro, Virginia. We stumbled on a great restaurant called Green Leaf Grill, which was a super find.

This next morning, our trip would come to an end. I said goodbye to Bob before turning in. He was heading to Nashville and was planning to leave before I planned on getting up.

That morning, Bill and I headed back. In total, we rode 1,275 miles in five days. This was my third trip with Bill and Bob, and all have been memorable. I have been blessed to have such great friends as riding companions.

If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, you can contact me at motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE!

Got a simple house cleaning or a real homeowner disaster on your hands?

Big or small, Aprilmarie Fields of Fields Helping Hands in Hope Mills is ready to take on the challenge.

Fields, who relocated to Hope Mills from Kentucky about four years ago, brought her Fields Helping Hands cleaning business with her and has many satisfied clients in and around Cumberland County.

Fields and her crew will tackle just about anything, from standard vacancy and residential cleaning, some commercial cleaning, all the way up to what she calls hoarding situations.

“That’s when you walk into the house and you can’t walk because there’s garbage on the floor,’’ she said. “It’s just piled up knee-high through the whole house. There are people that live like that.’’

When tackling that kind of situation, Fields has a simple solution. “You take it one room at a time,’’ she said.

She’s only had to deal with three hoarding situations in her years in Hope Mills and Cumberland County, she said. The typical job is a residential cleaning. “You go in the house and dust everything, vacuum, mop, like you would clean your own home,’’ she said.

A vacancy cleaning involves scrubbing down the walls and baseboards along with the mini-blinds, as well as pulling out the refrigerator to clean behind it. “Every surface gets wiped clean,’’ she said.

Fields also has a lot of requests from people who are connected to the military for what she calls a PCS clean. PCS stands for permanent change of station for someone who’s gotten orders to move out and relocate to a new assignment. “We do a vacancy clean so they can leave for their next station,’’ she said. Fields, who is retired from the military herself, said she also offers military discounts to her cleaning clients. 

Fields said she normally books about three weeks to a month ahead, but in emergencies like PCS situations, she can try to work a case into the schedule.

She normally works with her crew of 10 assistants from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. They will rarely work on Saturday but always take Sunday off.

Fields said she’s willing to do cleaning outside of Cumberland County, but for extended trips there need to be at least two or three homes or places to clean.

She provides free cleaning estimates. The cost isn’t based on the size of the area to be cleaned, it’s determined by just how big a mess the owner or tenant has left.

“One person’s house could be the same size as another person’s, but the other person isn’t as clean as the next person,’’ she said. “It’s by the job.’’

Fields said she’s never come across a hazardous waste situation during a cleaning job, but she’s even equipped to handle that up to a point, with protective clothing, masks and gloves as part of her traveling equipment.

If you’re interested in talking to Fields about a cleaning job, check her Facebook page at Fields Helping Hands. She’s also listed in the Yellow Pages. Her phone number is 606-425-6117.

 

PHOTO: Aprilmarie Fields and husband Larry

The rumors about whether or not the popular Hope Mills restaurant Robin’s on Main is moving have finally been put to rest, said owner Robin Burnum.

“Robin’s is staying,’’ she said, referring to the restaurant’s current location on North Main Street.

Burnum said she’ll be signing a five-year lease with property owner John Beasley on Aug. 1, at the same time she’ll be announcing some changes to her weekly hours and the restaurant’s menu.

Burnum thanked Beasley for offering the extended lease after he had originally considered selling the business.

“I would have hated to leave Hope Mills,’’ Burnum said. “Hope Mills has been my family for eight years, and I’ve grown a great business here.”

Now, with the new five-year commitment, Burnum said she’s ready to begin work on some much-needed upgrades to the restaurant.

The first and most important will be converting to gas for her grilling and replacing her undersized 24-inch grill with a larger model.

She’s currently getting estimates on the cost for the work to add the new grill and said they are running between $10,000 and $15,000.

She’s hopeful the process to install the new grill will only take a few days and that the work can take place during normal closings and outside of regular restaurant hours so she won’t have to close while the grill is being added.

She’d love for it to be up and running when the new lease is signed on Aug. 1 but said the work may extend into September or October.

The larger grill will allow her to turn orders around much quicker and get larger food orders prepared faster.

Robin’s can handle as many as 80 customers at one time, and during the busiest periods, Burnum said,people have to wait in excess of an hour for their food.

The business caters to the breakfast and lunch trade. Burnum said she’s tried to add evening hours, but customers just haven’t responded, so she’ll stick with what’s working.

But, she’s planning a change in hours. Come Aug. 1, the restaurant will close on Sunday and only be open Tuesday through Saturday from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Currently, the restaurant is closed Monday, open weekdays 6-2, Saturday 6-1 and Sunday 8-1.

Burnum said she’ll continue her special Thanksgiving dinner for first responders, and, once the larger grill is installed, hopes to provide other charitable meals for the community. Those plans have yet to be confirmed, she said.

 

PHOTO: Owner, Robin Burnum.

Meetings

For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Town Clerk Jane Starling at 910-426-4113. Most meetings take place at Town Hall or the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation center.

• Veterans Affairs Commission Thursday, July 26, 7 p.m.

• Board of Commissioners Monday, Aug. 6, 7 p.m. in the Bill Luther Meeting Room at Town Hall.

Activities

• Hope Mills Area Kiwanis Club at Sammio’s, second Tuesdays at noon and fourth Tuesdays at 6 p.m. For details, call 910-237-1240.

• Fall sports registration through July 28. $30 per child; $15 late fee after registration deadline. Season begins Sept. 8. Call 910-426-4109 for details.

• Wine-Tasting, Cheese and AppetizersSaturday, July 28, 5-8 p.m. Held at the Boarding House Tea Room, 3903 Ellison St., at the corner of W. Patterson Street across from Hope Mills YMCA. Open to the public once there is a 10-person commitment. Mix and mingle in cozy and quaint surroundings. Tasty hors d’oeuvres and vintage treasures available. Call Carla at 910-527-7455 to make reservations.

• Hope Meals Food Truck Rodeo Thursday, Aug. 2, 5-8 p.m. Live jazz, kids activities, vendors. Held in the big parking lot at Town Hall.

Promote yourself: Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

After making it to the final eight in the state playoffs three of the last four years, the Hope Mills Boosters American Legion baseball team saw their 2018 season come to an earlier and abrupt end this month.

The Boosters lost two in a row in their first-round playoff series, one by forfeit, to end the season 7-14 overall and 7-7 in Area II play.

It was one of the earliest exits coach Mark Kahlenberg could remember for the Boosters since he began helping out as an assistant coach about eight years ago.

Kahlenberg said the team began coming apart in the final weeks of the season because of a familiar problem. Some players were on vacation, some decided not to play the remainder of the season, and others didn’t show up for games consistently.

“When everyone was there, we put a pretty decent team on the field,’’ Kahlenberg said. “We competed with most of the teams in the conference.’’

The outstanding season Terry Sanford’s team had, advancing to the 3-A Eastern Regional championship series with Wilmington New Hanover, may have hurt the Boosters in the long run, Kahlenberg said.

“When you get a team that makes that late run, plays that many extra games, we’re already two weeks into our season,’’ Kahlenberg said.

After such a long season, Kahlenberg said it was understandable the Terry Sanford players who were headed to college might want a break before reporting to school, so they chose not to play for the Legion team this summer.

Another problem for the Boosters was a sharp drop in offensive production. Will Rosser of Terry Sanford was the only Hope Mills player who batted over .300, hitting .389.

The team batting average dropped to .233 this season. After hitting 30 home runs last year, Hope Mills managed just two this season. The 2017 team had 85 extra base hits. This year’s team had 20.

Matthew Little from Cape Fear was the top Hope Mills pitcher. In 25.2 innings, he had a team-best 2.18 earned run average.

Kahlenberg said the team greatly appreciated its new association with the Massey Hill Lions Club this season.

“I had a lot less on my plate for all the home games,’’ Kahlenberg said. “They did the gate, the concessions, announcing and got ice and water for both teams.”

One big improvement the club has already made for next year is Lion Club’s purchase of an old school bus to take the team to away games. Transportation was a real problem in the playoffs as some players were involved in a car accident en route to the first playoff game at Wallace. No serious injuries were sustained, but the accident resulted in Hope Mills having to forfeit the game.

“Having transportation is exciting news for our program,’’ Kahlenberg said. “We will be able to get everyone together prior to arriving at the park.

“This gives us more time together as a team and to talk baseball. I can’t thank the Massey Hill Lions Club enough for what they have added to our program.’’

Looking ahead to next season, Kahlenberg said he plans to reach out to the schools that the Boosters will draw from to gauge player interest and get firm commitments from players.

“We’ve got some work to do,’’ he said.

 

PHOTO: Mark Kahlenberg

This summer, the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex introduced a new traveling exhibit, “An Unlikely Refugee: The story of a python named George” to Fayetteville. The staff at the museum were more than happy to hold and feature an exhibit to help relay a true story of a snake, the Vietnam War and Fort Bragg. This exhibit will be on display through Dec. 2.

The tale of George the Burmese python starts in 1963 when a U.S. Special Forces soldier rescued it from being the next meal of Cambodian mercenaries in Saigon, Vietnam. After the python was rescued, Master Sgt. Dewey Simpson and his soldiers brought it back to the camp, making the snake an unofficial pet and mascot, before taking her back stateside for a short stay at Fort Bragg due to the dangerous environment.

George became the idol of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh for 25 long years after her move there, where thousands of children and adults got to see her up-close and personal. George the python played a significant role and made a huge impact on the children who came to see her during field trips to the museum at the time. The python’s presence educated a lot of visitors about her species, home and the realities of war at the time. And this is only a small fraction of the beloved python’s story.

“An Unlikely Refugee: The story of a python named George,” a recent graphic novel, inspired the exhibition. Written by Morrow Dowdle and illustrated by the author’s husband, Max Dowdle, the novel tells the tale of war, life and other themes – all from the perspective of the python. The novel touches on a lot of themes with the tale of George, some darker than others, all the while remaining entertaining.

The exhibition features illustrations from the graphic novel as well as information panels about George and her species, the Burmese python. It also includes some informative panels regarding George’s habitat and her journey from Vietnam to Fort Bragg before making her way to her final home in Raleigh.

Several guests attended a special reception for the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex Saturday, July 7. Those guests included the authors of the graphic novel; Jamie McCargo, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ exhibit design curator; and Dana Gilooly, head of the NCMNS Museums Grant Program.

George’s exhibition is on display until Dec. 2. The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex is located on Arsenal Avenue in downtown Fayetteville. Admission is free, and George’s exhibition and more can be seen during regular operating hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday; and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.

For more information, call 919-807-7300 or visit the museum’s site: www.museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov.

Saturday, Aug. 4, at 9 a.m., radio hostess Rev. Felicia Thompson will host the Free to Be Me Empowerment Symposium at Simon Temple AME Zion Church. Thompson is partnering with FTM, Inc., a nonprofit organization designed to help people realize their full potential through the help and knowledge of Jesus Christ. This year’s symposium, which is themed “Free to Soar,” will encourage men and women to recognize what holds them back, break free from those things, and move forward to achieve their dreams and aspirations while being free to be themselves.

This empowerment symposium was inspired eight years ago by a discussion Thompson had with a pastor’s wife who Thompson hosted on her radio show. Her show is, like the symposium, titled “Free to Be Me.” Thompson started her show to encourage, inspire and inform her listeners and the community, so the symposium was a natural progression of that goal. She said she wants to help the community “realize their gifts and talents, and network with one another. Then, there is nothing we all can’t do as a community in Cumberland County together.”

This is the second annual empowerment symposium. The keynote speaker will be Pat Smith, wife of football player Emmitt Smith. Guest speakers include Cheryl Fortune, an up-and-coming gospel singer; Gina V. Hawkins, Fayetteville chief of police; and Dr. Deon Faillace, the first female general surgeon in Fayetteville.

Each woman has experienced adversity in various aspects of her personal or professional life and will share stories of how she went through those challenges and came out stronger on the other side.

In between speakers, guests will get a chuckle from comedian and host Chris Petty. There will also be light hors d’oeuvres, several giveaways and a vendor showcase for guests to browse. The event also gives attendees a chance to network and meet new people.

At noon on Thursday, Aug. 2, Thompson’s weekly radio show, “Free to Be Me,” which airs on WIDU 1600AM, will have a special treat for listeners. During the live show, Thompson will give away free tickets for the empowerment symposium and will host a few of the event speakers, giving listeners a teaser of the discussion topics to come that Saturday. Previous guests and speakers will also call in during the show to talk more about the previous and upcoming symposium.

“I pray that after leaving the Free to Be Me Empowerment Symposium, people feel more free and more liberated to be who they are in operating their gifts and talents,” Thompson said.

She has high hopes and prayers that every attendee will feel more empowered, encouraged, inspired and informed. She said she hopes that when they leave they go out into their communities and be themselves, refusing to be held back from achieving every goal they set for themselves in their personal and professional lives.

To learn more, or to register for the event, visit www.revfelicathompson.com.

“Cumberland County schools have a lot of potential for academic achievement and improved graduation rates as well as the overall social welfare of students.” These are the words of Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connelly Jr. in an exclusive interview with Up & Coming Weekly. Connelly takes responsibility for the governance of 87 schools and 50,000 students as the new traditional school year gets underway.

Cumberland County Schools made up the fourth largest school system in North Carolina until Winston-Salem Schools took over that position a few years ago. Connelly was chief of staff of the public schools of Wake County, the largest system in the state.

“The challenges are the same. It’s just a matter of scale,” he said.

Cumberland County and its school system have been in a no-growth posture for decades – unlike Wake County, which has grown beyond the county government’s capability to keep up when it comes to new schools. Some local officials have noted that lack of growth has eliminated the need for expensive new school buildings.

“We hope that changes in time,” Connelly said. “We want to be optimistic for what the future holds.”

Connelly hopes to develop what he called a strategic plan to improve academic outcomes for students and strengthen the organizational structure for faculties and staffs.

“We want to make sure our students can communicate in a global society,” he said. “It’s more important today for students to be able to interact with their peers.”

Connelly said he will get to know the community by taking part in a “listening tour” at seven locations around the county.

Connelly is a long-time clergyman as well as an educator. He has served as senior pastor of Saint Augusta Missionary Baptist Church in Fuquay-Varina for 18 years. That’s one-half of the 36 years he’s been in the ministry. He said the Board of Education is aware of his dual occupations and has encouraged him to continue his work with the church.

He promotes public education from the pulpit. The church’s June/July newsletter noted that the College Foundation of North Carolina is an excellent way to map out each year of high school and make plans to graduate with post-secondary and career-related options. Students should create an account to start receiving the benefits of this education tool, the program stated.

If confirmed by the Senate as secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert Wilkie will have to deal with VA hiring practices and the over-prescribing of anxiety drugs. A new report from the nation’s leading veterans group said these issues may be undermining efforts to combat suicide among veterans.

The American Legion just released a 20-page report soon after the VA came out with its own report showing little change in the veterans suicide rate in recent years.

“VA has implemented numerous successful initiatives and programs,” the Legion report stated. “However, as an average of 20 veterans a day continue to take their own lives... much more must be done.”

“The prime directive is customer service,” Wilkie said. He told a Senate committee the VA should be an industry leader in opioid intervention and suicide prevention. Wilkie grew up in Fayetteville and has held several top positions in government. He has repeatedly stated his opposition to privatization of the VA, whose budget has quadrupled in the last 20 years and stands at more than $188 billion. That makes it the second-largest agency in the federal government behind only the Department of Defense.

Of concern to Legion officials are significant staffing gaps at VA medical facilities across the country. Department officials have acknowledged more than 30,000 full-time vacancies, particularly problematic shortages in specialties such as mental health care.

American Legion leaders blame those shortfalls in large part on “the tedious hiring process” in the federal bureaucracy and urged more outreach and research into ways to improve the recruiting and retention process.

About 74,000 veterans live in the 19-county area of Southeastern North Carolina served by the Fayetteville VA.

“The shortage of employees can lead to overworked staff, poor patient experiences and lower quality of care,” the report stated. Keeping veterans in the VA care network has resulted in a significant decline in suicide, the report added.

Legion officials also sounded alarms over VA physicians’ use of benzodiazepines, a class of antianxiety drugs that includes Xanax and Valium.

“Over 25 percent of veterans newly diagnosed with PTSD are still being prescribed harmful and potentially deadly amounts of medications,” the report stated.

The report also recommended further outreach by the VA to veterans with other-than-honorable discharges. Last year, VA officials offered emergency mental health intervention to those veterans for the first time. It also suggested more exploration of alternative mental health therapies such as “acupuncture, yoga, meditation and martial arts” for struggling veterans.

Wilkie said that if confirmed, he would carry out the mandate of newly passed legislation that calls for expanding private health care for veterans. But, he said, private care would not replace VA, a longstanding fear among Democrats.

At his confirmation hearing, Wilkie cited a raft of “administrative and bureaucratic” issues he said he has seen firsthand during the weeks he served as acting VA secretary. He said he would fix them by modernizing the agency’s cumbersome medical appointment system. Wilkie was appointed to the interim post in March.

To contact the Veteran Crisis Line, dial 1-800-273-8255 and select option 1 for a VA staffer. Veterans, soldiers or their families can also text 838255 or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for assistance.

The Salvation Army is accepting applications from individuals and families who are in danger of experiencing a cooling-related crisis this summer. Limited funds are available, and households are served on a first-come, first-served basis.

The program is administered by the Cumberland County Department of Social Services, but applications are made at the Salvation Army at 310 Dick St., Fayetteville, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Benefits cannot exceed $600. Households meet income eligibility if the total household income is equal to or less than 150 percent of the current poverty level. Each household will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine if there is a cooling crisis. Once a crisis is determined, an applicant will be evaluated for assistance through other emergency assistance programs.

Additional information is available at the Salvation Army at 910-483-8119.

Additional Fort Bragg gate is planned

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is seeking public feedback on its proposal to widen and extend Odell Road in Spring Lake to relieve traffic congestion at Fort Bragg.

The Army plans to build an additional access control point on Reilly Road near Odell Road. By extending and widening Odell Road to serve Fort Bragg’s new gate, NCDOT anticipates congestion on Bragg Boulevard will be reduced during commuter times.

Odell Road would be extended from N. Bragg Blvd. (N.C. 24/87) to Reilly Road on post. NCDOT would add lanes in some spots along Odell Road to provide the entire roadway with four travel lanes. A raised median will be added along the road as a safety measure.

Construction is scheduled to start in 2020. The department of transportation will accept comments on the proposal through Aug. 9 at 919-707-6023.

Human trafficking arrest

A collaborative law enforcement investigation has broken up an eastern North Carolina human trafficking ring. Fayetteville Police detectives along with members of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Durham County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies executed several warrants at local massage parlors. They included Sunshine Studios on Hope Mills Road, Red Rose Studios on Cliffdale Road and Numi Day Spa Durham.

“The offenses occurred between January of 2017 and July of 2018,” said Fayetteville Police Sgt. Shawn Strepay.

Owner Angel Ming Lin, 46, of Winston Salem, was charged with promotion of prostitution and keeping a place for prostitution. Lin was apprehended in Raleigh and is being held in the Cumberland County Detention Center on a $1 million secured bond.

Strepay asks that anyone with information regarding human trafficking contact Fayetteville Police.

Alcohol consumption is rising in the military

A recent Department of Defense Health Related Behaviors Survey indicates binge drinking has increased among service members. About one-third of service personnel surveyed met the criteria indicating possible alcohol use disorder, with 30 percent reporting that they binge drank in the past month. The figure was higher among Marines, 42 percent. The rates were down from a previously reported survey from 2011.

This report came as beer and wine sales will be authorized at military commissaries. Until now, alcohol has been sold only at post exchanges.

“One of the big success stories has been the emphasis on cigarette smoking,” said Sarah O. Meadows, Rand Corporation co-principal investigator for this report. For the first time, cigarette smoking in the military has declined to the point that it’s now lower than rates in the general population, according to the report. Overall, 13.9 percent of those surveyed indicated they are current cigarette smokers, which is down from the 24 percent in the 2011 survey.

Defense officials have taken a number of steps to reduce smoking in the military, such as increasing the prices of tobacco in military stores, limiting areas where smoking is allowed and launching an extensive education campaign about the dangers of smoking.

Summer Camp Assistance

Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation has received funding support from the Cumberland Community Foundation and Florence Rogers Trust to operate summer camps at local parks. The Clark Park Nature Center, Lake Rim Park and Mazarick Park will share $8,000 in grants to help defray the cost of supplies and equipment. The camps are entitled “Outdoor and Summer Adventures,” “Growing Up Wild,” “Tiny Trailblazers” and “Survival Camp.” They are provided each summer by the joint parks and recreation department.

When Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in Helsinki this week, it might have been useful if they had had a written contract to reference their previous understandings. No such written contract exists, but if it did, it might read like this imaginary July 2016 letter from Putin to Trump:

In consideration of mutual objectives and the actions set forth below, we agree to work with you during the pending election and afterwards to make the world better by fostering improved relationships between our countries, each of us undertaking the following:

1. We will influence the election in your favor by actively and creatively using our social media capabilities to diminish support for your opponent and create a drumbeat of negative disinformation about her.

2. Using our intelligence-gathering resources and contacts, we will secure inside information about your campaign opponent and will release it at the best times to secure the maximum negative results by embarrassing the candidate, her staff, and her party, thereby destroying confidence and diminishing support for her.

3. We will provide your campaign with other negative information about your opponent for you to use as you see fit.

4. We will continue to keep secret any damaging information about you that we have collected over the years. We plan to provide this assistance without requiring specific items or actions from you in consideration for our belief that your victory and your administration would be better for both countries. However, we confirm to you our hope that upon the success of your campaign you will endeavor to give attention to the following:

1. You would use your best efforts to remove sanctions and restrictions that have been unfairly applied against us in retaliation for our actions that were necessary to protect our people and our economy and to respond to aggressive threats from your country and its allies. We understand that the efforts with respect to restrictions will have to be done delicately and over time. But in light of the harm they unnecessarily cause our people and our economy, we hope you will be diligent.

2. We hope you will understand and respect actions we have taken or may take to protect the rights, safety and aspirations of people in adjoining countries that were formerly under our control and who are bound to us by common language and heritage. Specifically, you will understand the necessity for our retention of sovereignty over such historic territories that have recently come under our control. In addition, we hope you will prepare your country to understand the justification for our actions.

3. In exchange for our agreement to permit the reunification of Germany in 1990, your country and its allies promised that NATO would refrain from expanding into Eastern Europe. That promise was broken. As a result, NATO’s military infrastructure has encircled our country. Almost every one of NATO’s actions in regions close to our country is aimed at thwarting our interests. Your historic skepticism about NATO puts you in a position to explain to the American people the importance of dealing with this unnecessary threat to our country. We expect you will help bring about changes that reorient NATO to eliminate its threat to us.

4. You will respect and cooperate with our anti-terrorist efforts in Syria and other Middle East countries.

5. Understanding that it is in the interest of both our countries to deal with the European countries on a nation-to-nation basis, we expect you will support our efforts to lead Western European countries away from the dominating and counterproductive trade and economic blocs. These blocs work against both our countries’ aspirations to make favorable trade and other arrangements with individual nations. We hope you will help us break up these detrimental attachments.

Agreed: July 2016

Real conversation once graced the societal landscape of America. It has become a relic held onto by a few people who know the great value of real conversation. For me, it is the experience where people exchange ideas, provide information or seek to convince others of an issue position on which they disagree. It can even occur when talking about topics of no importance. What makes real conversation is that it is conducted with civility, thought and respect on the part of all participants.

We have come to a time in America when real conversation hardly ever shows its head. Look around. Turn on a television or radio and see the reports of protests and confrontations resulting from conditions that should be addressed through real conversation.

Before working on this column, I was watching Peter Strzok testifying in a joint hearing before the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees. Strzok is the FBI agent who exchanged texts  with Lisa Page, an FBI attorney, that spoke harshly of then-presidential-candidate Trump and his supporters. Because both of them were involved with the Hillary Clinton and Russia collusion investigations, there is some concern that their actions in those investigations might have resulted from bias against Trump, the candidate.

In my estimation, the hearing was a horror show that did absolutely nothing by way of getting to the truth. There was pure partisanship, anger, grandstanding by committee members, arguments and so on. All of the elements were present that make real conversation impossible.

The “attack mode” of verbal exchange is pervasive. This is especially true in this age where many Americans apparently believe any grievance justifies a protest, even when doing so invades and disrespects the space of others. Consider what is happening to the president and to individuals who work in his administration. The following summaries of incidents are recorded in an article by William Cummings titled “The list of Trump White House officials who have been hassled over administration policy.”

The article states:

• “From spokeswoman Sarah Sanders’ expulsion from the Red Hen restaurant to a Senate intern shouting the “f-word” at the president, a number of Trump administration officials have been disrespected or hassled by political opponents in recent days.

• Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., urged activists to continue hounding Trump Cabinet members wherever and whenever they find them.

• Demonstrators converged on the home of White House adviser Stephen Miller in downtown Washington Monday to denounce Miller’s role as one of the architects of the administration’s ‘zero tolerance’ immigration policy.

• The Department of Homeland Security secretary was confronted with chants of ‘Shame!’ as she tried to dine at an upscale Mexican restaurant in Washington amid the uproar over the administration’s policy of separating migrant families accused of illegally crossing the southern border.

• Pence, who has never really been considered an ally of the LBGTQ community, was greeted by a display of rainbow flags by many of his new neighbors when he first moved to Washington as the vice president elect.

• The president’s adviser and eldest daughter was called a ‘feckless (expletive)’ by comedian Samantha Bee during a monologue on Bee’s TBS show ‘Full Frontal’ about the separation of migrant families.”

The quotes above refer to actions against Republicans. In an ongoing attempt to be balanced in my thinking and writing, I googled “conservative verbal attacks on liberals.” What came up were more articles talking about liberal attacks on conservatives. The resulting picture is one where it appears that most verbal attacks, and similar actions, are directed toward conservatives. However, the lack of real conversation is fed by all sides and by people of various affiliations and ideologies.

Maybe part of our reason for discarding real conversation is due to our having lost sight of how it looks and of the tremendous positive impact that is possible from it.

A sermon I heard in February 2018 has stuck with me because what was presented reminded me of the powerful possibilities in real conversation. The preacher was Rev. Stephanie Bohannon. Until June 2018, she was the associate pastor at First Baptist Church (Anderson Street) in Fayetteville. The sermon title was “Grace is Found at the Well.” The Scripture basis is John 4:4-26, 39. This is the account of Jesus, in Samaria, talking with a woman at Jacob’s well.

Much of what Bohannon shared from this account can help us reclaim real conversation. Jesus is resting beside this well in Samaria. Being Jewish, it was unexpected that he would be in Samaria, because Jews did not associate with Samaritans. Productive conversation sometimes requires that we go to places and engage in circumstances that might be uncomfortable.

A Samaritan woman comes to the well to draw water. Jesus asks her to draw a drink for him. She expresses surprise that a Jew would ask a Samaritan for water. This is where Jesus says, in verse 10, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water” (HCSB).

In response, the woman wants to know how he would draw water, given that Jesus does not have a bucket. Her question not only reflects thought, but shows her willingness to respectfully probe this comment by Jesus. Notice the respectful tone of this exchange. This condition of thoughtfulness, reasonable questioning and respectful tone are almost always absent from conversations addressing difficult issues of our time. These elements are essential to real conversation.

Then Jesus tells the woman to call her husband. She responds that she has no husband. Jesus says (verse 17), “You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband. For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.’” Some contend that Jesus was condemning the woman’s relationship. However, another likely explanation is that he was establishing his position in the thinking of this woman. Apparently, when Jesus, without knowing her, spoke accurately to the woman’s marital situation, she was able to recognize something special in him. She sees him as a prophet and goes on to question Jesus regarding places of worship. Real conversation requires conducting oneself in a fashion that invites respect and the expectation of productive discourse.

Verses 28-30 give the result of this real conversation: “Then the woman left her water jar, went into town and told the men, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah?’ They left the town and made their way to him.” This was the very positive result of real conversation.

Bohannon closed by saying that, despite her story, Jesus offered that woman grace, love and acceptance. Even when we disagree, if we can, in our conversations, employ the elements exhibited by Jesus and this woman, while adding grace, love and acceptance, amazing results are possible.

 

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Karl Merritt’s opinion piece in Up &Coming Weekly’s June 27 edition is an attack on my native country, Canada, despite his claim “to share what I hope is productive and accurate thinking through of this US/Canadian tariff dispute.” The information he provides does appear to be accurate, but only to the extent that it corroborates his point of view... any information that would be favorable to Canada he pointedly refused to address.

The dairy product dispute is an example of Mr. Merritt’s unbalanced views. Canada may have restrictive tariffs to protect her dairy industry; however, Mr. Merritt fails to mention what are the actual economics of that trade, and is money not “where the rubber meets the road” where any trade is concerned? A report by Brookings, dated June 13 of this year, revealed that in 2017 the United States exported $792 million worth of dairy products to Canada and imported $149 million from Canada. That works out to an over 500 percent trade imbalance in favor of the U.S. Mr. Merritt and President Trump chose not to make that information public. Why?

Regarding the steel issue, Mr. Merritt again fails to provide all the pertinent information.

The U.S. produced and imported the amount of steel reported by Mr. Merritt; however, it also exported more than 12 percent of the domestic production. Why, if steel is a national security issue, does the U.S. export any steel? By not doing so would it not lessen the dependence on imports? And, yes, Canada is the leading producer of steel imported by the U.S. at 17 percent – but note that Mr. Merritt avoids telling readers that the U.S. provides 60 percent of Canada’s imported steel.

It is also revealing that Mr. Merritt fails to mention that the United Steelworkers Union opposed imposing tariffs on Canadian steel. Those who should most benefit from steel tariffs are opposed to including Canada as a tariff target. Ms. Holly Hart, the Union’s legislative director, said that the decision to impose tariffs on CANADA “is unacceptable and calls into question the design and direction of the administration’s trade policy.”

Mr. Merritt then goes on to attack Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for possessing the same attribute that he (Mr. Merritt) praised Donald Trump for possessing, understanding “that his first responsibility is to the citizens” of his country, Trump the U.S., Trudeau Canada. Mr. Merritt even repeats the characterization of the Prime Minister made by the president when he called the Prime Minister “dishonest.” May I remind Mr. Merritt that Donald Trump himself publicly admitted to lying to Justin Trudeau about U.S./Canada trade.

For Trump to call the Prime Minister “dishonest” is like the kettle calling the pot black, EH!

And then there is the national security issue, which caused Mr. Merritt to write that “his (Trudeau) dismissal of our (U.S.) national security concern does not reflect serious consideration of that concern.”

And yet, the aforementioned United Steel Workers Union legislative director, Ms. Hart, stated that “our history shows that there is no stronger ally and partner on national security than Canada.” The reality is that Canada and Canadians (although some of them reluctantly) acknowledge that the national security of Canada depends upon the national security of the U.S. Since World War II, our two countries have partnered to constantly address those mutual national security concerns. Fort Bragg is one example of that partnership with a Canadian general serving as a Deputy Commander of the 18th Airborne Corps.

Prime Minister Trudeau correctly stated that Canadians have stood sidebyside with Americans throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. He mentioned World Wars I and II, Korea, the Gulf, and Afghanistan. He could have included Viet Nam. During the Viet Nam era, tens of thousands of Mr. Merritt’s fellow Americans did all they could to avoid the draft and military service as if the military was the U.S.’s 20th-century version of Europe’s medieval bubonic plague. At the same time, thousands of Canadians came to the U.S. and voluntarily enlisted with the U.S. Armed Forces. The service of Canadians in Viet Nam is remembered and honored by the Canadian Viet Nam Veterans Memorial in Windsor, Ontario. The memorial includes a monument on which is inscribed the names of Canadians killed in Viet Nam while serving as U.S. soldiers, marines, airmen and seamen. Those names can also be found on the Viet Nam Wall in Washington, D.C. The reality is, Mr. Merritt, that the blood of Canadian volunteers helped to pay for the national security of the U.S. just as the blood of American volunteers helped to pay for the national security of Canada during the early years of World War I and II, prior to the official entry of the U.S. into those two wars.

Mr. Merritt, I was one of those Canadian volunteers. At the age of 18 I rode on a bus from Toronto, Ontario, to Buffalo, New York, and enlisted with the U.S. Army (January 1969). Less than a year later, I arrived in Viet Nam and spent 15 months with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, 14 of those months incountry.

Mr. Merritt, where was Donald Trump when you and Canadians were serving your, and his, country? Oh yes, he was one of those Americans who dodged military service.

– Michael Fleming

Editor’s note from Karl Merritt – I greatly appreciate this response to my column in that it exhibits the kind of positive dialogue called for in this week’s column titled, “Real Conversation: A Relic.”

– Karl Merritt

We’ve all heard the old proverb, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” In a lot of cases, this means the problem talked about most loudly or the issue causing the biggest headache usually gets fixed first. I’ve found this to be true in Congress, and it’s why I’ve continued to be a loud – and persistent – advocate for issues important to our community.

Last week, we got a little grease. The House of Representatives passed the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2019 (H.R. 6147) which included a provision I secured to address the maintenance backlog for unpaved roads in the Uwharrie National Forest.

If you’ve been to this state treasure or you live in the area, you’ve seen how difficult it has been to maintain the roads through the Uwharrie Forest. Over the years, the roads have become severely eroded from travel, age and elements – causing tremendous problems for visitors and residents alike. In 2014, I successfully got Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to repair part of the roads after they sustained tremendous damage, but it continues to be an issue as more gravel has washed away.

More than just a headache, it’s a real safety issue when first responders can’t reach people in emergencies. I’ve been on these roads after storms, and there’s no way fire trucks and ambulances can access these roads in bad conditions. That’s unacceptable and one reason why I’ve worked hard over the years to advocate on behalf of the Uwharrie National Forest and its upkeep.

My provision brings much-needed attention to this issue by having the Forest Service work with the local community to identify priority projects. In addition, the funding bill included additional funding for the U.S. Forest Service’s Capital Improvement and Maintenance account – $50 million above last year’s levels. This program provides funding to pave national forest roads like the ones in the Uwharrie National Forest.

As your voice in Congress, I will continue to work with local, state and federal stakeholders to make sure the Uwharrie National Forest has the best tools, resources and funding to maintain forest roads. While there is still more work to do, I am more confident than ever that we will finally be able to get this issue resolved once and for all.

When it comes to issues facing our district, I will always be a prominent voice in discussions. It’s exactly why my casework team works tirelessly at our three offices across the district to assist you, and it’s why I travel the district meeting with folks every spare moment I have.

That’s also why I’m bringing prominent federal officials to the district to see and hear firsthand what’s impacting our lives. In fact, in the next few weeks, I’m planning on having the head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Program travel across the district to talk about resources we need to combat the opioid epidemic and get our rural communities more access to high-speed broadband internet.

Connecting our communities with federal officials in Washington is a critical part of my role as your representative, and I will continue being the squeaky wheel for our district’s priorities.