Four Cumberland County schools have new principals.
The Cumberland County Board of Education approved the recommendations of Superintendent Marvin Connelly Jr. at a meeting Tuesday evening.
The board voted unanimously to appoint Amy McDowell as principal of Cumberland Mills Elementary School and Douglas Massengill as principal of Massey Hill Classical High School.

Connelly also announced the transfer of two other principals.
Larry Parker was named principal of E.E. Smith High School, and Tyson Johnson was named principal of Reid Ross Classical School.
McDowell’s career with the local school district began in 2002 as a fourth-grade teacher at Benjamin Martin Elementary School, according to a news release from the school system.

She has been an assistant principal in the system since 2017 and, most recently, was assigned to Cumberland Mills Elementary, the release said.
McDowell earned her master’s degree in school administration from Appalachian State University in Boone, the release said.
Massengill began his career in education as an intern instructor at Garner Magnet High School in 2010, the release said. He has been in numerous education roles, including teaching and administrative positions in Cumberland County.

Most recently, Massengill was an adjunct professor at Gardner-Webb University in the master’s of executive leadership program and principal and coordinator of secondary multitiered systems at Roseboro-Salemburg Middle School in neighboring Sampson County.
Massengill earned his master’s degree in education in 2013, an educational specialist degree in 2017 and a doctorate in educational leadership the following year, the release said.

Parker most recently was principal of Reid Ross Classical School and has been a “premier professional” in the school system since 2002, according to the news release.
The district said he started his educational career as a prekindergarten through second-grade teacher before serving in multiple positions as he advanced into leadership roles. Those included assistant principal at E.E. Smith High School from 2012 to 2014, the release said.

Parker earned two master’s degrees from Campbell University, one in education and the other in school administration.
Johnson joined Cumberland County Schools in 2007 as an English teacher at E.E. Smith High, the news release said. Most recently, she was principal of Cumberland Mills Elementary School.
In 2010, the release said, Johnson began her administrative career in the local system as an administrative intern. She became an assistant principal at South View High School in 2012.
In other business Tuesday, the school board approved the fiscal year 2022-23 lottery applications as recommended by its finance committee.
North Carolina General Statutes provides that a portion of the proceeds of the N.C. State Lottery Fund be transferred to the Public-School Building Capital Fund.

“A county may use the money in this fund to pay for school construction projects in local school administrative units and to retire indebtedness incurred for school construction projects,” according to Tuesday’s agenda materials.

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and Cumberland County Schools, the documents say, have jointly requested about $1.2 million from the Public School Building Capital Fund for a 2009 debt from a construction bond.

Another $84,000 and $1.2 million also was requested, with both intended to erase construction-bond debts. The last request is being made on behalf of Gray’s Creek Middle School.

Fayetteville City Councilman Antonio Jones has requested a recount in the District 3 election in which political newcomer Mario Benavente leads him by only six votes in the latest tally, an elections official said Monday, Aug. 8.

Jones made the formal request on Friday, said Angie Amaro, interim director of the Cumberland County Board of Elections.
The recount is scheduled at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, at the Board of Elections Office, said Amaro. That’s just nine hours before the winners of the July 26 election are scheduled to be sworn in at 6 p.m.

The recount will be open to the public. The board's offices are at 227 Fountainhead Lane in Fayetteville.
With the addition of absentee ballots after a canvass on Friday, each candidate received four more votes apiece to make the certified tally 1,016 votes for Benavente to 1,010 for Jones. Benavente maintained the six-point edge that was the difference in the Election Day count.
For a non-statewide election in North Carolina, a candidate has the right to request a recount if the difference between the candidates is not more than 1% of the total votes cast, according to the state recount law.

Jones did not immediately respond to phone messages left Monday morning.
The recount request had to be made in writing, and the Board of Elections must have received it by 5 p.m. on the first business day following the canvass.
That would have been Monday.

“We have a recount scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m.,” Amaro said. “We’ll just recount the ballots in that district along with the absentees, provisionals and one-stop (early voting).”

On Friday, Benavente said he was confident that the final count will confirm his win.

"We're long past the era of the hanging chad,” he said, referring to the delayed count in Florida in the 2000 presidential election. “So, I'm not too worried about a recount."

In her experience, Amaro said, in most elections “everything normally stays the same” after recounts.
Benavente, 32, has listed his occupation as a community organizer and legal professional. He recently earned his law degree from N.C. Central University.
This was his first run for public office.

Jones, 48, is a pastor and real estate agent. He told CityView Today late last month that he planned to ask for a recount should Benavente's margin of victory remain low following the canvass.

He has alleged that his opponent lied to voters about him during the campaign.

"I have my own personal set of ethics," Jones said before Friday's recount. "I will not do those tactics, like send out lies and try to defame people. I saw the fliers. If it may have cost me, it's fine. I run a clean campaign. That does not move me. I'm not winning at any cost."

In response, Benavente said, "We ran a grassroots campaign with a lot of first-time volunteers, getting young people involved in the political process. We knocked on doors, we pounded the pavement, and we had real conversations with people. And that's the real big difference between our campaigns. I got to know my neighbors. We spent real hours out in the community, and I don't think the same can be said about my opponent."

The unofficial tally from the July 26 election had Benavente edging Jones 1,012 to 1,006, the tightest race of the night in the city.
On Friday, the elections board certified the overall 14,910 ballots that were cast in the election. That included 198 absentee ballots added during the canvass. A total of 24 provisional ballots were added Thursday.

In all, 10,551 voters cast ballots on Election Day. An overall 4,137 ballots were cast during early voting.

Did you know about 62% of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood? But, only about 3% does. By making an appointment to help save lives with the American Red Cross in August, donors can pump up the blood supply and keep it from falling to shortage levels. Platelet donors are especially needed now.

As a thank-you, all who come to give before the end of August will be automatically entered for a chance to win gas for a year, a $6,000 value. There will be three lucky winners. Everyone who comes to give blood or platelets in August will also receive a $10 e-gift card to a participating merchant of choice. For more information visit rcblood.org/fuel.

Donors can schedule an appointment to give using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

 Upcoming blood donation opportunities in Fayetteville are below:

Aug. 12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mount Sinai Baptist Church, 1217 Murchison Road
Aug. 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Dominion Health Care, 1220 Walter Reed Road, Suite 102
Aug. 25 from 12 to 6 p.m. at Carolina College of Biblical Studies, 817 S. McPherson Church Road
Aug. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at American Red Cross Sandhills Chapter, 807 Carol Street

Blood drive safety
The Red Cross follows a high standard of safety and infection control. The Red Cross will continue to socially distance wherever possible at blood drives, donation centers and facilities. While donors are no longer required to wear a face mask, individuals may choose to continue to wear a mask for any reason. The Red Cross will also adhere to more stringent face mask requirements per state and/or local guidance, or at the request of blood drive sponsors. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at a drive. 

How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

Amplify Your Impact − Volunteer!
Another way to support the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross is to become a volunteer blood donor ambassador at Red Cross blood drives. Blood donor ambassadors help greet, check-in and thank blood donors to ensure they have a positive donation experience.

Volunteers can also serve as transportation specialists, playing a vital role in ensuring lifesaving blood products are delivered to nearby hospitals. For more information and to apply for a either position, contact enc@redcross.org or visit redcross.org/volunteertoday.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

Editor's note: Up & Coming Weekly is sending our staff writer Ashley out and about in the local area to try new things. She will report on her experiences to help readers decide if they want to try the adventure, too.

Skydiving has never been on my bucket list. I’m risk-averse to a fault, cripplingly afraid of heights, and as the mother of a teenager and a toddler, sort of too tired to do much of anything most of the time. But every once in a while, opportunity comes knocking, and we must answer that call with courage, or at the very least, a sort of dubious caffeinated interest.

I’ve passed by Paraclete XP Indoor Skydiving too many times to count since moving to Cumberland County in the summer of 2020. However, I still remember the exact words I thought as I passed its ultra-modern brick facade for the very first time: yeah, no. I didn’t exactly understand what “indoor skydiving” was; I just knew it probably wasn’t going to be for me — until about a week ago.

I was invited to join a group about to embark on an indoor skydiving adventure. While my first instinct was to say, no way, another part of me asked, why not? Sure, there was a better than 100% chance I’d do or say something horrifically awkward. Still, the initial fear didn’t outweigh the potential to meet new people, have fun and try something daring. Besides, it’s not every day you get invited to skydive inside the largest vertical wind tunnel in the United States. So, armed with the jittery confidence that only a 16-ounce iced coffee can provide and all the knowledge I could glean from three views of an indoor skydiving tutorial, I felt mostly ready.

My top-notch Google sleuthing revealed that I should wear comfortable clothes and shoes underneath the jumpsuit Paraclete would provide, and once there, I was cautioned to remove all of my jewelry. Paraclete XP also provided goggles, helmets and earplugs prior to entering the tunnel, so nothing special was required to get started. Our instructor, Fabrizio, or Fabi as he introduced himself, was fun and patient as he walked us through the four hand signals he would use in the tunnel and demonstrated how we should position our bodies. After Fabi answered a few more of our anxious questions, that was pretty much it — indoor skydiving certified in under ten minutes.

Despite my training, I was still a bit nervous, so I settled myself in at the back of the line. I watched as person after person before me stepped to the entrance of the wind tunnel with fingers clutched in nervous anticipation and exited with smiles to rival those of professional daredevils. If they could do it, I felt sure I could too, and though fear tangled my stomach into knots, I stepped to the door of the tunnel and let go.

The feeling of flight as I fell into the force of the fans beneath me was immediate, and I couldn’t help the shaky grin that sprang to my lips. Fabi was right there with me in the tunnel, holding me up and helping me maintain my position. Though I seemed to forget every hand signal we’d gone over — I was flying, and it was amazing. I wasn’t worried about how I looked or whether I was doing it wrong. I just let myself be free to have fun and enjoy the moment. My second time through the wind tunnel, a new instructor stepped in, and together we zipped 60 feet into the air, the faces of onlookers growing distant below us. I’m sure I screamed loud enough to be heard from space, but not once was I scared. Altogether, I spent about two minutes in the chamber, but the feeling it gave me lasted far longer.

While I don’t ever see myself jumping out of a plane or running with the bulls, my aerial adventure has made me a bit more open to trying new things, tackling my fears and challenging myself to say “yes” when new experiences come my way. And though I’m probably no less risk-averse than I was before, I am perhaps just a little bit cooler.

Paraclete XP Indoor Skydiving is located at 190 Paraclete Drive in Raeford.

What North Carolina cookbook has sold the most copies?

If you ask the folks at UNC Press they will tell you that “Mama Dip’s Kitchen” is their all-time best-selling book. It has sold nearly 300,000 copies. Rarely do local oriented cookbooks published by community groups or churches sell in such numbers.

But “Island Born and Bred” published by the Harkers Island United Methodist Church’s Women has sold a
reported 140,000 copies of its cookbook over the 35 years that it has been in print.

How and why did these cookbooks do so well?
One of the secrets of “Mama Dip’s Kitchen’s” success was how the author shared her personal story of growing up in Chatham County and how it led to the success of her Chapel Hill restaurant.
Writing in 1999, she told her story.

“I was born a colored baby girl in Chatham County, North Carolina to Ed Cotton and Effie Edwards Cotton; grew up a Negro in my youth; lived my adult life black; and am now a 70-year-old American.”
She continued, “I grew up and lived in poverty most of my life without knowing it. My children, too, grew up in poverty never knowing that they were poor. Our house just leaked. No screen doors. An outdoor bathroom and little money.

“Our family was happy to sit around the table at dinner time, eating, poking jokes, and having fun.”
Mama Dip’s book is a treasure of Southern cooking recipes. Still, the book’s success was due in large part to the appeal of her story of struggle that she shared.

Similarly, “Island Born and Bred” combines a magnificent collection of recipes with a good hard look at the story of Harkers Island and its people.
Today, Harkers Island, on the Crystal Coast near Beaufort, has about 1,200 residents who appreciate its small-town appeal. Some are new residents, including retirees and second homeowners.

But the core population came from fishermen, mariners, boatbuilders, hunters, decoy makers and others whose livelihoods connected them to the ocean and nearby sounds and waterways.
How the town got its start is also described in “Living at the Water’s Edge” written by Barbara Gariety-Blake and Karen Willis Amspacher, and published by UNC Press.

Many of the ancestors of the town's residents “lived, haunted whales, and fished off Core and Shackleford Banks until the storms of 1896 and 1899 ravaged their homesteads and drove them to higher, safer ground.”
Many floated “what was left of their houses and belongings across Back Sound to nearby Harkers Island, where they bought land for a dollar an acre.”

The descendants of these settlers have long ago passed away but, according to the authors, “the story of the exodus from Shackleford Banks is told with great reverence by islanders, underscoring a deep and abiding attachment to place.”

Among its more than 300 pages of recipes and memories, “Island Born and Bred,” a short note written by Susanne Yeomans Guthrie, explains this attachment.

“No tradition is more precious to a native Harkers Islander then the privilege of returning to Shackleford Banks. For it is through this ritual that island people ‘go home.’ In fact, the desire is almost an actual need--often undiagnosed by the individual but quenched only by going and ‘feeling’ the Banks under your bare feet.”

To help preserve these memories and share them with a wider group, the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center, led by Amspacher, has reopened after the repair of extensive damage during Hurricane Florence. It is located on Harkers Island at 1800 Island Road and adjoins the National Park Service’s Cape Lookout National Seashore Visitor Center.

With three floors of exhibits and experiences, the museum gives visitors a rich experience and real connection to the history of Harkers Island and other nearby Down East communities.

“Island Born and Bred” and “Living at the Water’s Edge” are available at the museum’s store and online at https://shopcoresound.com/collections/books

The past two summers at Fayetteville Technical Community College have been unusually quiet, as the college dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. This summer, however, the campus began to come back to life. FTCC launched a new summer program designed to transform recent high school graduates into college-ready students.

The Trojan Jump Start Program is for students who graduated high school with a GPA between 2.2 and 2.8. The program bridges the gap between high school and college for students who may not have thought they could succeed in college.

While the transition from high school to college is difficult for any student, these students had their entire high school experience shaped by the pandemic and online learning. With this program, Jump Start Program faculty and staff hope to give students a head start on college.

The Jump Start program is supported by funding from a Longleaf Commitment Student Support Services grant, part of the Governors Emergency Education Relief fund, allowing FTCC to offer the program to qualifying students at no cost. In addition to computers, students have received free supplies including backpacks and laptops.

Over seven weeks, Jump Start students take two courses: ACA 122, a student success course, and either math or English. This summer, 44 students are enrolled in the program.
The students are on campus from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for classes and enrichment activities. Enrichment activities included a STEM fair with the Department of Math and Science, a tour of Fayetteville State University, a visit to the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, and informative Q&A sessions with various college departments.

As students progress through the program and begin to identify their academic and career interests, they are matched with a Success Coach who will help them plan their academic career and register for classes.
While the primary focus of the program is academic, we at FTCC realize that education requires a holistic approach. If students have a sense of community, they are more likely to be successful. Program activities are designed to help students make connections and form lasting relationships.

The program will be available again for Summer 2023, and FTCC hopes to expand to include more students. Rising high school seniors who believe they may benefit from the program should contact jumpstart@faytechcc.edu. The application process for the summer 2023 program will begin in Spring 2023.

According to Riddle and Brantley, attorneys who specialize in personal injury cases, a study on the reoccurence of sexual assault found that 19% of women that live in North Carolina experience sexual assault sometime throughout their lives. Seventy-three percent of these victims experienced or were threatened with forced sexual intercourse, or rape.

North Carolina has suffered from a lack of nursing professionals that are trained to supervise and care for victims of sexual assault or otherwise known as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners — there are less than 100 SANE’s that are certified across the entire state. Fayetteville State University’s School of Nursing is focusing on changing that.

From the state budget, $1.5 million will support a one-of-a-kind pilot program at FSU’s School of Nursing to train around 20 of these specially qualified nurses each semester, including the summer, 40-60 per year.
Out of all the HBCU’s in the country, FSU is likely to be the first to host a SANE training program at its nursing school. FSU’s nursing school hopes to grow the program while addressing a void in specialized nursing practices, particularly in underserved, underrepresented areas.

“Unfortunately, sexual assault is a rampant problem nationwide, particularly in rural areas and among women of color and indigenous women,” said Dr. Afua Arhin, dean of FSU’s College of Health, Science, and Technology.

“FSU’s School of Nursing is uniquely positioned to prepare health care professionals with the specialized skills required to meet the needs of these trauma patients. We are committed to training nurses to the highest caliber; SANE’s are another area of critical need that we aim to address here.”

It is true that any nurse or doctor can complete a sexual assault kit, which holds DNA and evidence of an assault but SANE nurses are taught to know where to look for bruises and cuts. After hours of practice, SANE nurses also know how to carefully ask questions about what happened, so they know where else to look for injuries. SANE nurses provide medication to prevent pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases.

A SANE nurse certification calls for a person to have been a nurse for at least 2 years, accomplish dozens of hours of training and clinical work, and then pass a written exam by the International Association of Forensic Nurses. Many nurses from across the state have completed some training and took part in training with their hospital about how to treat sexual assault survivors, but most of these nurses lack the full credentials to be certified as SANEs.

About 580 students are enrolled at FSU for a variety of nursing-related programs, including pre-nursing, pre-licensure or a master’s program. According to Dr.Sheila Cannon, associate dean of FSU’s School of Nursing, in a recent survey taken by FSU nursing students, results show that 80% expressed interest in SANE training.
All over the country, hospitals have a hard time retaining nurses in their SANE programs. Serving a sexual assault victim can be emotionally challenging and a SANE nurse might be the only person with the credential in a hospital — potentially leading to an erratic work schedule and heavy workload. This program is a huge step in the right direction. The more SANE’s there are, the more services that can be provided and the more healing can be done.
For more information about FSU and the School of Nursing visit https://www.uncfsu.edu/.

Barbecue lovers, beware. The “Black BBQ Cook Off” will hit the ground running at the Murchison Road Food Truck Park on Aug. 21 from 12 to 5 p.m. The cook off will coincide with the second annual “I Love My Community Cookout and Giveaway,” and the eclectic art show “Expression Through the Arts.”

The purpose of the “Black BBQ Cook Off” is to exemplify the best African American pitmasters Fayetteville has to offer, while bringing people together, said Elizabeth Stiff, community organizer and L3 Brand Community Alliance owner.

The goal of the “I Love My Community Cookout and Giveaway” is meant to “help families start the school year off in a great way through resources, giveaways and celebration.”
Scheduled guests of the event include Cumberland County Judges Tiffany Whitfield and Stephen C. Stokes, crypto-millionaire Kwame Stover, comedian Jesse Mitchell, Food Network’s Chef Judy, boxing champ Michael C. Williams, Jr., NFL’s Greg Gilmore, Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin, Spring Lake Mayor Kia Anthony and the Briarwood Cattle Farm.

The cook off is being brought to life by pitmasters Bruce “Boo” Yeoman (the owner of the “Noth’n Fancy Food Truck”); Carl Pringle (the creator of the “FLIP FLOP SAUCE”); William Jerome Wright, L3 Brand Community Alliance; Tonya McNeill, owner of the “Salad Box” (a restaurant located within the truck park); and John David Ross, the owner of the Murchison Road Food Truck Park.

“We had been talking about [having a cook off] for about four or five years,” said Yeoman.

The deadline to enter the “Black BBQ Cook Off” is Aug. 10. Presently, there are 12 entrants with about 30 groups still deciding; in fact, there has been so much support from North Carolina pitmasters, as well as pitmasters from surrounding states, that the “Black BBQ Cook Off” had to be Fayetteville area pitmasters only for the first time.

“At another time, we’ll hold a cook off to see who’s the best of the best in the Carolinas,” Yeoman said.

Although anybody can enter, each team’s pitmaster must be African American.

“What we wanted was to showcase [black BBQ] in a big way,” Yeoman said.

That’s the reason why the Murchison Road Food Truck Park was chosen for the location. Yeoman and his partners in the pit come from the Murchison Road area.

“Pulling off this cook off is what the community needs to see,” Pringle said.
It’s worth noting that the idea of a “Black” BBQ has caused some distress amongst Fayetteville’s public. Deeming the word divisive, those against naming the cook off the “Black BBQ Cook Off” argue that including race in the name is a recipe for segregation.

However, the hosts want to make it clear that anybody can enter the competition, even though the cook off is meant to showcase the best African-American pit masters Fayetteville can muster.

“The biggest thing is it’s not about separation, it’s about education,” Pringle said.

The Murchison Road Food Truck Park is located at 3421 Murchison Road, just north of Country Club Drive, on the south side of the street.
The pits begin cooking at 5:30 a.m., free samples will be given out starting at 12:00 p.m., and the judges will make their decisions beginning at 5:30 p.m. For more information, please visit www.L3Brand.com.

The Cape Fear Regional Theatre invites audiences to follow them “Into The Woods” on Saturday, Aug. 20 for two performances of Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning musical.
The story of a childless baker, his wife, and a cast of colorful fairy tale characters they meet along their journey will come to life on the CFRT stage. Performed by 24 graduates of the CFRT summer camp, the talented teens will present the fruits of their labor at 2 and 6 p.m.

Since its debut in 1987, “Into the Woods” has garnered international praise, earned numerous nominations and awards, and continues to delight audiences to this day with its engaging plot and exciting musical score.
With Sondheim's passing in 2021, his legacy of work has become more popular than ever, a fact kept closely in mind when choosing to undertake this challenging production.

“This is a play theater people know well,” director Marc de la Concha told Up & Coming Weekly. “There are a lot of characters, and even though it's a fairy tale, there are so many life lessons in it that are still relevant today.”

Due to its popularity and familiarity, de la Concha promises CFRT's version will put a unique spin on an old story with a few surprises the audience won't be expecting.
He also praised the professionalism and hard work of the production's young actors, aged 15 to 19 years old.

“We have a great group of students,” he gushed. “They are so talented, and people will see that this is a celebration of the youth in our community.”

Established in 1962 by a small ensemble of actors, the Cape Fear Regional Theatre has grown into a powerhouse that serves nearly 50,000 people a year throughout its high-caliber, six-show season. The theatre, founded on a belief "in the power of storytelling and the visceral impact of live theatre,” adheres to a strict commitment to artistic excellence evident in its performances' stagecraft and production value.

That same level of commitment can be seen in the theatre's many programs to educate children and teens across Cumberland County. Offering student workshops, internships, day camps, and military outreach programs, CFRT understands its responsibility as a cultural touchstone within the community.

“Into the Woods” is one of three student performances this summer that showcase the accomplishments of seasoned theatre kids and those new to the craft. The rigorous summer camps, particularly the one for teens, are meant to give students a full theatrical experience. Aside from building future actors, theatergoers and stakeholders, de la Concha feels strongly about the value of educational theatre in the lives of young people.

“I have always been a storyteller — I love a good moment,” he joked. “Theatre can be a great way to escape, but educational theatre teaches so many skills in a fun way. It empowers kids to be their true selves and work together, which goes hand-in-hand with this production.”

Cape Fear Regional Theatre is located at 1209 Hay Street in Fayetteville.

To purchase tickets, visit the theater's website at www.cfrt.org/.

Book Black Women will be holding a concert Aug. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre. The concert will feature local and national Black women performers. Tickets cost $25 for this one-time event.
Ayana Washington, founder and president of Book Black Women, will number among the performers. She most recently played the Dragon in “Shrek the Musical” at CFRT, and will be singing a few of Stevie Wonder’s greatest hits.

In addition to Washington’s own talents, the Arione String Ensemble of Leigh Montague (cello), Monique Singletary (violin) and Kimberly Simpkins (violin) will perform with upbeat renditions of hip-hop and rhythm and blies favorites. Melrose Johnson, a classically trained opera singer, was Sophia in CFRT’s production of “The Color Purple.” Her set will include “The Creole Call,” a sensual operatic number.

Yael Hilton is a gospel recording artist with Light Records. She will close out the show with some inspirational music.

“Her voice is incomparable and I personally cannot wait to experience her gift,” said Washington.

Washington said the inspiration of the name “Blueprint” came from Black women.

“Black women are incredibly influential in popular culture. Our vernacular, the way we style our crowns, our fashion and even our music has a tendency to inspire communities beyond our own. I felt it was beautiful to call Black women what they are and have proven to be: the trendsetters, the OGs, The Blueprint,” she said.

Washington began Book Black Women as a way to empower Black women in the community and to help give women the opportunity to shine.

“With colorism being loud and silent all at once, it can sometimes be hard for Black women to get the shots they deserve,” she said.

Earlier this year, Washington began planning events to hold throughout 2022 to showcase talents within the Fayetteville community. Blueprint is her third such event, with the other two being quite successful. CFRT is partnering with Book Black Women and has become their first fiscal sponsor.

“I am currently on the road to becoming a 501c3 non-profit … They believe in the vision I have for Book Black Women Inc,” she said.

Washington says the best way for the community to help Book Black Women is to check in on their website, www.bookblackwomen.com, and stay updated on events.
People can also find them on facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/people/Book-Black-Women/100070481793735/.

Blueprint will be a one-night only event on Aug. 13. Tickets cost $25 and are currently on sale through the CFRT website at https://cfrt.easy-ware-ticketing.com/events.

Rock’n On The River presents “The Regional Band Blowout” Friday, Aug. 19 beginning at 6 p.m. on the Cape Fear River, 1122 Person Street in East Fayetteville. The event will feature 80’s Unleashed, The Guy Unger Band and Rivermist.

“The Regional Band Blowout is something that I thought about and we started planning it around September or October,” said Greg Adair, manager and member of Rivermist. “I thought about how would the attendance be with all of these followers from these great regional bands altogether in one spot.”
Adair added, “We never get a chance to play side by side or see each other because everyone is out gigging, so we figured this would be a stellar event and the bands’ followers would get a chance to see their favorite band perform.”

80’s Unleashed

The band 80’s Unleashed started out as 80’s Unplugged 13 years ago. The band members are Curtis Church, guitar and vocals; Mitra Maraj, percussion; Domo Max, drums; and Bryan Shaw, lead singer and bass player.

“My idea was to have a project that I could play during the week before we left out to travel,” said Bryan Shaw, lead singer and bass player of 80’s Unleashed. “My idea was to do 80’s music, but acoustic, and I started out as a solo then quickly added Maraj then Curtis so we were a trio for a decade.”

He added, “We had a club owner approach us about doing a live band karaoke night because he had seen it done in Boston and wanted to recreate it. He said that we were the only band that knows thousands of tunes because the premise of the band was that we take requests on top of playing 80’s music.”

“I wanted to set it up like a dueling piano show where they play certain tunes but the crowd gets involved by asking for certain songs all night,” said Shaw. “So that is kind of the premise on how 80’s Unplugged got started.”

Shaw added, “The way that the name 80’s Unleashed came about is when a girl that worked with us introduced the band as 80’s Unleashed by accident so we kept the name and that is what we have been doing the last three years.”

“On August 19, the audience should expect a fun show while taking a trip down memory lane,” said Shaw. “Hopefully they will sing along and remember the tunes that we bring to them.”

You can find the band on Facebook and Instagram at 80’s Unleashed.

The Guy Unger Band

The Guy Unger Band got their start by all of its members playing in various bands together. “The core of the band has always been me, Mandy and Jeff,” said Guy Unger, founder, guitarist and singer of The Guy Unger Band. “We pulled in J. R. Wright after we lost a keyboard player along with Nate Williams joining the band.”
The band members include Mandy Unger, saxophone, flute and singer; Jeff Stone, drummer and singer; J. R. Wright, keyboards and vocals; Nate Williams, bass player; and Guy Unger, founder, guitarist and singer.

“We do a lot of classic rock stuff and we do everything from Led Zeppelin, Floyd, The Eagles, Billy Idol, Men at Work, some dance music and more,” said Unger. “We have opened for many acts such as Collective Soul, Charlie Daniels, Skid Row and tons of big name bands.”

“Over the years we have been fortunate enough to keep on ticking and playing through all of this COVID-19 stuff,” said Unger. “For instance, when a lot of bands were not able to work, we found a way to do some stuff online by going to the venue that we would normally book at and they would let us play there and videotape it.”

Future projects for the band include writing songs, he said.

“We have not done any writing but I would like to do some writing with this band in the future,” said Unger. “I enjoy writing and that is the next thing we will really focus on is getting some
original material into the mix of what we have been doing.”

He added, “I have got some good solid musicians with me and they are the best players around. I think that Rivermist, 80’s Unleashed and The Guy Unger Band are the best musicians around and we have put ourselves to a level where it is hard to do what we have done over the years and be just as successful as we all have.”

“As for the event, the audience should expect some of the best musicians and performances that you can see here in Fayetteville and I feel honored to be playing with Rivermist and 80’s Unleashed because they are awesome bands,” said Unger. “Every one of the musicians will bring it that day so expect nothing but the best.” Their website is https://www.guyunger.band/.

Rivermist

Rivermist is a local party hometown band that was formed in 2014 and is comprised of Greg Adair, manager, drummer and vocalist; Tony Harrison, bass player; Cliff Bender, guitarist;
Allen Pier, songwriter, keyboards and lead vocalist; and Rick Starling, percussion, vocals and keyboards.

“We have about 27 shows left this year and we have been really busy,” said Greg Adair, manager and member of Rivermist. “One of our songs, ‘Pucker Up,’ is number one on several charts all over the Carolinas and Virginia.”

He added, “We are up for a Cammy Award,” and the band has been named Best Band in Up & Coming Weekly’s Best of Fayetteville competition for the last six years.

As for future projects, fans can expect some new music. “We have some new material coming out and we are getting ready to get into the studio within the next couple of weeks,” said Adair. “Right now we have four songs that are out and they are doing very well on the charts.”

The band has many accomplishments but there is one more thing they would like to achieve. “I want Rivermist to be a household name and keep getting better and better together,” said Adair.
Their website is www.rivermistband.com.

Rock'n On The River is free and open to the public. Parking is $10 per vehicle and refreshments will be sold starting at 5 p.m. No outside food or coolers will be allowed.
For more information visit the Rock'n On The River Facebook page.

Beethoven and beer may seem an unlikely pairing, but the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra makes it work as they gear up for a new season with a kick-off party at Gaston Taproom on Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.
The free, family-friendly “mini-concert” will last about 90 minutes and feature food trucks, lots of seating and some of the FSO’s most talented musicians.
The orchestra’s String Quartet, comprised of concertmaster Fabián López and several principal players, will perform a variety of music for people in attendance. While classical pieces are to be expected, be prepared for some popular, recognizable tunes as well.

The kick-off at Gaston’s Taproom is a part of the orchestra’s Symphony on Tap Program, which launched last year. The popular concert series allows the orchestra to set up shop in casual settings around Fayetteville and bring beautiful music to the people of the community free of charge.

“Our string quartet is a really great group of musicians,” Anna Meyer, the FSO’s interim director, told Up & Coming Weekly. “This event will be a good time to share about our upcoming season and just enjoy great music and beer — you can’t go wrong there,” she joked.

The FSO’s Jazz Quartet, another talented ensemble, will make an appearance at Bright Light Brewing Co. on Sunday, Aug. 28.
The 2022-2023 season will showcase the enormous talent of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra through several ticketed events as well as community concerts that are free to attend.

Also set to return this season is the wildly popular Symphony Movie Night at Dirtbag Ales. The mash-up of live orchestral music against the spooky backdrop of 1920s silent-film classic "Nosferatu" proved to be a winning combination with audiences, and those who missed it last year can check it out on Saturday, Oct. 22.

The FSO is also planning to include more church venues this upcoming season, about which Meyer is particularly excited.

“I’m looking forward to playing at different churches around town,” she shared. “We really enjoyed that last season and decided to broaden our horizons this year. We get to reach a lot of people, and it allows us to play in some beautiful venues.”

A staple of the community for over 65 years, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra has undergone many changes. Still, their commitment to musical excellence and attitude of service shines through with initiatives like Symphony Movie Night, Symphony on Tap and their free community concerts throughout the season. The orchestra takes pride in maintaining a relationship with the community that strives to “meet them where they are” and delivers on its promise to “educate, entertain, and inspire the citizens of Fayetteville.”

In addition to a packed performance season, the FSO is passionate about the arts regarding Cumberland County’s youth. By developing the Fayetteville Symphony Youth Orchestra, String Sinfonietta, and various summer camps, the FSO is invested in creating beautiful music and talented musicians for generations to come.

Gaston Taproom is located at 421 Chicago Drive in Fayetteville.

For more information about the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra and its upcoming season, visit www.fayettevillesymphony.org/.

Solve the fictional murder of class jock Bobby Backer during the final event of the Sunset Series on Friday, Aug. 19 at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden.
This 80's Prom Murder Mystery in the Garden will take you back to a time when hairspray was potent in the air and neon seemed to be everywhere. The students of Shermer High find themselves battling it out over grades, popularity, affection, class rankings and what they all have been focused on for years: who will be awarded the prom king and queen title?

Prom officially starts at 5 p.m. During this time, guests can mingle, drink, dance and shop from local vendors.
The prom will even feature a photo booth section that will allow couples to take photos of themselves in true 1980s fashion. There will also be three food trucks on site: Wild Sunflower Pizza, Cavity Connection, and Jaz-N-Soul.
At 6:15 p.m., prom court nominations will begin. At 6:30 p.m., the prom court is announced. Every guest is strongly recommended to arrive before 6:30 p.m.

“We really do encourage everybody to get here before the prom court is nominated at 6:30 because if somebody comes in late, they could miss out on some key evidence,” Meghan Woolbright, the marketing coordinator for CFBG told Up & Coming Weekly.

In the last murder mystery, attendees could use modern technology to gather clues and investigate the case. This time, actors from the Gilbert Theater will be there to talk with attendees and give their statements. Each actor will play a key suspect in the murder.

“We've seen that our visitors like the one-on-one type of them asking questions and our actors and actresses, you know, playing along,” Woolbright said. “That's where we've seen the most authentic experience for our visitors.”

Each visitor is going to be getting a packet with the theme and character descriptions, but a majority of the mystery will have to be solved by talking to the actors and actresses from the Gilbert Theater. From the preppie to the punk rocker, the nerd to the stud, the jock to the jilted — all are suspected, although only one is to blame.
Shortly after the murderer has been revealed, there will be a costume contest at the end of the night. Woolbright recommends that people think of the big hair, puffy sleeves on the giant prom dresses, and matching pastel suits.

“The more you dress up and the more excited you are, the better it’s going to be,” she said.

The Gardens are expecting a big turnout for this event. The last murder mystery had 100 people in attendance.
This marks the third year for the Sunset Series, a public event and fundraiser for the garden. The event is free for Cape Fear Botanical Garden members and $10 plus tax for non-members. Visit www.capefearbg.org/event/the-sunset-series to learn more.

Cumberland County Manager Amy Cannon on Monday, Aug. 1 told members of the Board of Commissioners that talks about the county’s sales tax revenue distribution method are on the horizon.
Cannon prepped commissioners on the upcoming issue of how the county will share sales tax revenue with municipalities.
Her presentation came during a meeting of the board’s Finance Committee. The committee consists of Commissioners Toni Stewart, Larry Lancaster, Glenn Adams and Jeannette Council, who chairs the committee.

The five-year sales tax distribution agreement among Cumberland County and county municipalities expires in 2023.
The agreement hammered out in 2018 was often contentious, and the parties included the North Carolina School of Government in negotiations to help mediate an agreement.
Cannon’s brief presentation came after the board’s regular meeting Monday. Cannon said she wanted to prepare the board on the direction it wanted to take regarding sales tax distributions in the future. The Finance Committee took no action.

This presentation is to "get you to start thinking about where the county wants to be" next year, she said.
County commissioners in North Carolina are authorized to choose between distributing sales tax proceeds between the county and its municipalities either on a per capita or ad valorem basis.
Historically, Cumberland County distributed sales tax proceeds on a per capita basis.

However, as the county’s municipalities grow in population, the county’s portion of the sales tax pie shrinks, and Cannon noted that the county’s responsibilities do not.
North Carolina General Statutes require counties to provide or fund specific services, including law enforcement, jails, medical examiner, courts, building code enforcement, public schools, social services, public health and others.

The General Statutes regarding towns and cities only require them to provide building code enforcement.
The county commissioners may change the method of distribution annually in April with an effective date 14 months later at the start of the fiscal year, Cannon told the committee.

Cannon said only Wake, Cumberland and Durham counties continue to use the per capita distribution schedule. Adams said the appropriate venue to work out an agreement is with the Mayor’s Coalition.
The Cumberland County Mayor's Coalition meets quarterly, and the next meeting is scheduled for sometime in August.

Its next meeting would be in November. The sales tax distribution discussion will not be on the coalition's upcoming agenda.

“This should not be a shock to them that this discussion will come up,” Adams said.

The Fayetteville City Council gave consensus approval at its meeting Aug. 1 to have city administrators research the possibilities of a tax-deferred compensation plan for its members after they leave office.
The directive was in response to Councilmen D.J. Haire and Chris Davis, who asked for information on “some form of retirement” similar to plans offered to federal, state and county elected officials, according to the councilmen’s written request.

“I just want to get a clarification,” said Councilwoman Shakeyla Ingram. “We are asking staff to bring back what we can and cannot do, correct?”

Mayor Mitch Colvin responded that the intent is to gather more information on the proposal.
Haire laid out four conditions for eligibility for the plan: Available to a sitting council member who has served 10 years on the council; Participants must be 60 years old to apply; Money would not be received until the official leaves the City Council; Each official would receive $500 per month.
Councilman Johnny Dawkins, who is a job benefits and Medicare consultant, said his suggestion would be to put $500 a month in a tax-deferred compensation plan for each sitting member of the council.

“You cannot touch it while you’re on council,” Dawkins said. “It would not be a retirement plan.”

He said a member of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners makes about $10,000 more a year, including benefits and pay, than members of the City Council.

“That’s not right,” Dawkins said. “We work just as many hours. To say this is part-time is just not true. Technically, if it were part-time, we could not be on the health insurance plan. But we are allowed to participate on the health insurance plan, which is a federal requirement for 30 hours a week. I can assure you we put in 30 hours a week and more.”

According to the city, the salary for a council member is $19,044 per year. The mayor pro tem receives about $20,160 per year, and the mayor takes home $34,833 per year. Elected city officials are eligible for medical, vision and dental insurance at the same costs paid by city employees.

Cumberland County sets the starting salary for a county commissioner at $23,297 a year. The board vice chairman is paid $25,297 and the chairman, $31,100 a year.
The commissioners are eligible to invest in a 401k-like matching investment plan with the county, including a deferred compensation plan. The county matches up to 4.9% of a board member’s salary for those who opt to participate.

Glenn Adams, chairman of the county Board of Commissioners, said he chose a plan with Nationwide Insurance.

“Those are our funds,” Adams said. “We have to fund it ourselves. If I want to do it, I take it out of my salary.” But he noted that there is a matching component to the investment plan.

Some cities do offer plans to elected officials to provide retirement and survivor income. Financing for them is by employee contributions, investment earnings and city contributions. But other cities in North Carolina offer no such plans. Winston-Salem has no retirement plan for City Council members, according to Frank Elliott, director of communications for that city.

“We do not pay a pension plan for elected officials,” Elliott said Monday. “They receive an annual stipend for their service.” The stipend ends when an official leaves office.
A year ago, the annual stipend for council members in Winston-Salem was $18,220. This year, they got a raise and receive $25,700 a year, Elliott said.
Members of the Durham City Council are not part of the state employees retirement plan, and the city does not offer a separate retirement plan to them, a city representative said.

“Our commissioners do not have a retirement plan,” said interim communications director Amanda Perry in an email. “Adding a retirement benefit was discussed as part of the 2023 budget process but not adopted.”

Hope Mills Town Manager Scott Meszaros on Monday night, Aug. 1 reviewed a “State of the Town’’ slide presentation that highlighted town accomplishments including growth in commercial development, the completion of residential housing and investments in crime-fighting technology.

“The town has seen about 17% growth in annexation,’’ Meszaros told the Board of Commissioners. “The pace is very rapid and we’re trying to keep up with the workload.”

Meszaros said several subdivisions like Sweetwater, Georgetown Estates and Sheffield Farms had not been completed in the last several years and are now slated to be finished. The boom in the housing market and the shortage of houses have helped jumpstart the completion of the neighborhoods.

“There are two people looking for every house, so it’s 50% under-housed,” Meszaros said.

Meszaros also told the board that the town’s commercial and industrial development were escalating and were not going to slow down.

“Commercial development and industrial development is probably our heaviest hitter every week when we have our staff review,’’ he said. “It’s shocking to me every month the things we hear, but we are not able to share due to proprietary reasons, but we’re attractive to a lot of different uses.”

In terms of recreation, Meszaros pointed out the splash pad and inclusive playground which are coming. Both had state funding.

“Also one of the things the town wanted was a basketball court and we made that happen,” he said.

Meszaros also praised the town’s new police chief, Stephen Dollinger, and the direction he is taking the Police Department.

“They solve crime, and they solve issues because of the technology and the people they brought on,” Meszaros said.

“The chief is very engaged and productive in what he does,” Meszaros said.

The town’s Police Department is now fully staffed, and the town has invested in new crime-fighting technology, including facial recognition programs, license plate readers, a drone and investigative software. According to Meszaros’ presentation, some officers also received long overdue promotions.
Meszaros praised his staff and said it was some of the best department heads he has ever worked with.

“We have a lot of talent on this team,” he said.
Members of the board nodded their heads in agreement. Commissioner Jerry Legge agreed.

“We may be understaffed in some departments, but the people we have are solid people,” Legge said.

In other business, the board unanimously approved authorizing the town manager to contract with Dormakaba USA Inc. for the installation of touchless automatic sliding doors at a cost of $10,628.05. The new doors will replace the front doors at Town Hall, making the entrance easily accessible to wheelchairs.

Public Works Director Don Sisko said the front doors were out-of-date and the wear-and-tear often posed maintenance trouble. Sisko recommended the hands-free glass doors.
The town also recognized the Hope Mills 2022 “O” Zone D1 State Champion Baseball Team led by head coach Tommy Daughtry. The team defeated West Chatham 12-0 in the championship game. The team now advances to the 2022 D1 Dixie Youth World Series on Aug. 6-11 in Lumberton. Mayor Jackie Warner presented each player with a certificate and posed for photos along with Commissioner Legge.

The board also held a closed session to discuss a personnel matter under attorney-client privilege.

Homebuilder NVR Inc. plans to invest $25 million to build a factory on Dunn Road, creating 189 jobs, state and local officials announced Tuesday, Aug. 2.
The Fortune 500 company plans to build a 145,000-square-foot manufacturing operation on 22 acres on Dunn Road in Fayetteville. The facility will manufacture trusses, wall panel systems and other homebuilding components, according to local economic development officials.
The average salaries for the new positions are expected to be more than $45,000, economic development officials said. NVR. Inc. also announced that it is expanding its operation in Cleveland County.

NVR is headquartered in Virginia. It sells and builds homes under the brands Ryan Homes, NVHomes and Heartland Homes in 15 states, the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corp. said in a release. It operates in two business segments: homebuilding and mortgage banking.

“When companies already in North Carolina choose to expand here, it’s a great vote of confidence,” Cooper said in a release. “Our ability to support NVR’s growth demonstrates the reliability of our workforce, access to supply chains, and quality of life as attractive tools to meet the increasing demands of the homebuilding industry.”

The Fayetteville City Council and the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners approved a combined $827,000 in local incentives for the project, the economic development corporation said.

“This project will serve as a cornerstone supporting additional economic development, making Dunn Road our next job creation corridor,” said Glenn Adams, chairman of the Board of Commissioners. “This is a major win for Fayetteville and Cumberland County.”

Incentives will be paid out provided the company meets the job-creation and investment goals.

“We are excited to have such a premier company choose our city for its expansion,” Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin saidin the release. “We believe this project will have a significant positive impact in terms of adding jobs and enhancing our region.”

RealtyLink LLC purchased the building on Dunn Road that had been used by Soffe for its warehouse store. The building is being modified for an Amazon delivery center and a FedEx facility. RealtyLink is working with NVR to build the manufacturing operation, which will be across the street, the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corp. said.

Realty Link, based in Greenville, South Carolina, also developed Freedom Town Center on Skibo Road.
RealtyLink Principal David Allen said the company believes in the potential for growth and success in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

“This is the natural progression of development for this project,” Allen said in the release.

“This facility is the next phase of developing 83 acres into a Fayetteville industrial corridor along Business I-95. We love your community.”

PEARL HARBOR — A 2019 Cornerstone Christian Academy graduate and Fayetteville native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific.
Airman Destiny Lanford is an undesignated sailor aboard USS Abraham Lincoln, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier operating out of San Diego.
Undesignated sailors are able to join a ship’s crew and work in many areas, learning the jobs and experiencing more than one position. At the end of a designated time, the sailor chooses which job fits them best for the rest of their naval career.

Aircraft carriers provide unique capabilities and survivability. They are a powerful exhibition of the American Navy's legacy of innovation, technological evolution and maritime dominance, according to Navy officials.
Since USS Langley's commissioning 100 years ago, the nation's aircraft carriers, such as USS Abraham Lincoln, and embarked carrier air wings have projected power, sustained sea control, bolstered deterrence, provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and maintained enduring commitments worldwide.

“The aircraft carrier is our U.S. Navy's centerpiece, our flagship, and a constant reminder to the rest of the world of our enduring maritime presence and influence,” said Rear Adm. James P. Downey, USN, Program Executive Officer Aircraft Carriers. “These ships touch every part of our Navy's mission to project power, ensure sea control and deter our adversaries.”

Today, Lanford uses skills and values similar to those learned in Fayetteville.

“I believe it's important to always look out for others,” said Lanford. “My brothers always looked out for me, now it's my turn.”

As the world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring safety at sea and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

The theme of RIMPAC 2022 is Capable, Adaptive, Partners. The participating nations and forces exercise a wide range of capabilities and demonstrate the inherent flexibility of maritime forces.
These capabilities range from disaster relief and maritime security operations to sea control and complex warfighting. The relevant, realistic training program includes gunnery, missile, anti-submarine and air defense exercises, as well as amphibious, counter-piracy, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal and diving and salvage operations.

“At RIMPAC I'm looking forward to getting better at the work I do,” said Lanford.

Serving in the Navy means Lanford is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Navy is on the water so we can go everywhere we need to,” said Lanford. “Defense is important as well as humanitarian aid. We can bring that everywhere.”

With more than 90% of all trade traveling by sea, and 95% of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors, readiness, capabilities and capacity.

“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas and defend our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”

Hosted by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC 2022 is led by Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, who serves as Combined Task Force commander. Royal Canadian Navy Rear Adm. Christopher Robinson serves as deputy commander of the CTF, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Rear Adm. Toshiyuki Hirata as the vice commander, and Fleet Marine Force is led by U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Joseph Clearfield.

Other key leaders of the multinational force will include Commodore Paul O’Grady of the Royal Australian Navy, who will command the maritime component, and Brig. Gen. Mark Goulden of the Royal Canadian Air Force, who will command the air component.

“I'm very proud and happy I'm on deployment with the ship,” said Lanford. “Being deployed means I’ve arrived at my calling to the Navy. I want to get to work.”

During RIMPAC, a network of capable, adaptive partners train and operate together in order to strengthen their collective forces and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.
RIMPAC 2022 contributes to the increased interoperability, resiliency and agility needed by the Joint and Combined Force to deter and defeat aggression by major powers across all domains and levels of conflict.

As a member of the U.S. Navy, Lanford and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.

“Serving in the Navy means I'm on the front lines protecting my family and all the citizens in America,” added Lanford.
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil

(Above photo: Airman Destiny Lanford, a 2019 graduate of Cornerstone Christian Academy, is serving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln as part of an international maritime exercise known as RIMPAC. Photo by Ethan Carter, Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class, Navy Office of Community Outreach)

Fayetteville City Council member Kathy Keefe Jensen is excited to be back on City Council for her fifth term. Jensen was originally elected to serve District 1 on the Fayetteville City Council in Nov. 2013.
District 1 runs across the city's northern edge. It includes residential neighborhoods on Fort Bragg, neighborhoods around Methodist University, Kings Grant Golf & Country Club, parts of Murchison Road and North Ramsey.

She will have been serving on City Council for almost a decade, and as such, she will have the opportunity to see things come to fruition when only a decade ago, it was nonexistent.

“I never thought I'd be here this long,” Jensen told Up & Coming Weekly. “I look forward to closing out things that had gotten started and with government — nothing goes fast. I'm proud of the work that has been done. I honestly say that when I drive around Fayetteville, I'm very proud.”

Jensen bested two candidates who were running against her — Alex Rodriguez and William Milbourne III, who ran as a write-in candidate.
When asked about voter turnout for the summer city election, Jensen said that while it was low, she was shocked that it reached almost 12%. She cites voter turnout in local elections have been low in other cities like Raleigh and Charlotte this year.

“The issue is local elections are your most important elections, and people need to be educated on local elections. It's nonpartisan,” Jensen said.

“So the interesting thing to me is in this election that this is my fifth term and I had supporters that did not even know what party I was. And that to me is what city government should be, because I don't care what your party is. You're my constituent and you live in this city and I need to represent you.”

As chair of the Parks and Recreation Bond committee, Jensen helped oversee several pools and splash pads being funded, built and opened in the city. For Jensen, these new pools and splash pads are perfect for families as it's inexpensive, easy to get to, and kids will have endless hours of fun. She says they are the founding of family traditions.

“So we went from one pool in 60 years … and we came in and now we have four pools in the city,” Jensen said. “Eight years ago, we had one splash pad. Right now in the county we have 12.”

For teenagers, Jensen said she saw an absent youth council, and she was inspired after going to the National League of Municipalities in Washington, D.C.

“I felt like it was something that we needed that we forgot about. And so we revitalized it,” Jensen said. “We have been named the state's best youth council. We are a force to be reckoned with in the youth councils, even on a national level.”

Even for older teens and adults, Jensen wants the city to provide events that will allow the whole family to have fun.

“Well, the New Year's Eve party, that was something that I've wanted to do forever,” Jensen said. “But now you've started your tradition in your family, and that's the key.”

During this last term, Jensen served as Mayor Pro Tem. She decided she will no longer fill that role. Instead, she wants to focus more on her liaison role to Fort Bragg and the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission.

“I loved every minute of it. I think that we're put in the position in the time that you need to be put in the position because I feel like I'm pretty levelheaded, calm,” Jensen said when thinking about her time as Mayor Pro Tem.

However, since becoming the liaison to Fort Bragg and working with the state for military affairs, Jensen says she realized how much Fayetteville could help the military community by having jobs available and being more accessible to the military installation.

“We want to be good neighbors, and we want to be able to help and thrive. So we want to be in partnership. We want to collaborate. We want to be part of the universe. We want to help the quality of life and sometimes you just need to sit down at the table and say, okay, what is it that we need to do?”

Jensen was one of the collaborators to get a city partnership with the military installation to build a new sports complex. The facility will be built near I-95 and McArthur Road. The complex will include baseball fields, a playground, trails and open areas, bathrooms and parking.

“We have gotten a 30-year lease from the military, which takes an act of Congress to do. And we did it. We literally got an act of Congress to make it happen. And so we're very excited about that,” Jensen said.

Looking to the near future, Jensen is hoping a new bond will be passed in the next election. The bond would address public safety, infrastructure and affordable housing in the city.

“We are short right now 20,000 houses. So you look at that number, and you go, wow, Fayetteville needs to get to it,” Jensen said. “But that's everywhere. We all know that rent prices have gone up. Of course, it's a city problem, but it's also a nationwide problem.”

According to city documents, the bonds would be valued at a maximum of $97 million. Voters will be able to vote on each area — public safety, infrastructure and housing — separately, as each will have its own portion of the $97 million.
The “Vote Yes Referendum” is another referendum that may be on the ballot. This referendum would change the structure of the City Council by changing its current nine single-member districts and mayor to a structure of the mayor, five single-member districts and four at large members.

“I will definitely vote to have both bonds put on [the ballot],” Jensen said.

Jensen looks forward to having more conversations and help grow Fayetteville. She believes Fayetteville will be getting an influx of people in the next few years and they need to be ready.

“I only want what's best for where I live, work and recreate,” Jensen said.

“I think Fayetteville is growing. The north side District 1 is growing by leaps and bounds, and we just have to make sure that we are sitting down, having the conversations and that [Fayetteville] is a place to live, work and play.”

The inauguration of the City Council members will take place on Aug. 11 in the J.W. Seabrook Auditorium at Fayetteville State University.

Are you worried? Suffer from chronic anxiety? Are you too pooped to pop as Lucy Ricardo said in her Vitameatavegamins commercial? To quote our old friend, William Wordsworth: “The world is too much with us; late and soon/ Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.”

Has buying stuff from China lost its charm? Have you run out of PPP money the feds shoveled out the door during the bad Rona times? Has your ability to change the world powered down? Tired of worrying about big issues you can do nothing about? How about worrying about a small problem that you can do something about? Wouldn’t that be a pleasant change from concerns about Putin? Step right up and keep reading. Today we explore the wonderland of First World Problems.

First World Problems do not involve big things like starvation, wars and rumors of wars, or the curious rise of neighborhood Fascism. Nope, First World Problems are minor annoyances that only people at the top of Maslow’s Hierarchy would notice. First World Problems are so minor they don’t even register unless a TV commercial brings them to your attention. Then they can sell you a solution for a problem Big Pharma invented.
Can you recall Hans Christian Andersen’s story of “The Princess and the Pea”? Allow me to mansplain it to you. Princess Karen had a First World Problem — extreme sensitivity to tiny irritants. Like Edgar Allen Poe’s character Annabel Lee, Karen lived “many and many a year ago in a Kingdom by the Sea.” But Karen wasn’t always a princess. She started out as a shivering rain-drenched traveler on a muddy road. Her extreme sensitivity led her to becoming a princess.

Once upon a time there was a prince who needed a wife. He looked far and wide in the kingdom to find a suitable bride. Unfortunately, his Mamma got to decide who the prince would marry. Mamma decreed that the prince could only marry a real princess. When the prince would bring home a maiden to meet the family, Mamma always found something wrong with his date. The date talked too much, ate too much, table manners were bad, wasn’t pretty enough. You get the picture; Mamma was a pill. No woman was going to be good enough for her little boy.

The prince was getting pretty frustrated at the revolving rejections. Then one dark and stormy night, came a knock on the castle door. This was before Ring doorbells with cameras were invented, so the prince answered the door himself. There stood Karen, a bedraggled soaking wet maiden seeking shelter from the storm. Karen claimed to be a princess but she looked more like a peasant. Word was out in the kingdom that the prince was looking for a wife. Lots of fake princesses showed up at the castle door hoping to snag the prince into the coils of matrimony.

To weed out fake princesses, Mamma had a test. It is well known that a real princess would be extremely delicate and hyper sensitive to everything. Karen was sent to a chamber where 20 mattresses and 20 quilts were piled upon a bed. Underneath the bottom mattress Mamma placed a single pea. The next morning Mamma asked how Karen had slept. Karen complained she had not slept all night because something in the bed had hurt her back leaving her bruised. This proved Karen was the real deal as only a real princess could be so sensitive. Karen and the handsome prince were married. They lived happily ever after, remaining friends even after their divorce.

Fast forward to Now. According to TV commercials there is a wide spread problem with the silent tragedy of toe fungus in America. Toe fungus is a major First World Problem. News shows are replete with commercials for products to fight and cure toe fungus. A person with toe fungus is shamed and outcast from polite society. There are numerous potions out there ready, willing, and able to cure your toe fungus so you can be returned to society. One cure features a cute little cartoon toe fungus gremlin who climbs under your big toe nail. He laughs maniacally while he messes you up. The ads are intentionally disgusting. They highlight the gruesome ravages of toe fungus which can infect your entire family unless you buy their product. The message is you are a lousy human being if you don’t purchase their Toe Fungicide.

I prefer Mark Twain’s cure for warts which should also work on toe fungus. Tom Sawyer used spunk water from a rotten tree stump and a bean. Tom says cut your wart to get some blood to put it on the bean. Bury the bean at a crossroads at midnight in the dark of the moon. Chant “Down bean. Off wart; come no more to bother me.” Huck Finn’s cure for warts involved a dead cat. Take the dead cat to a graveyard. The Devil will come to the graveyard to get the body of a newly buried wicked man around midnight. “Then heave your cat after ‘em and say: ‘Devil follow corpse, cat follow devil, warts follow cat, I’m done with ye!’”

Huzzah! Warts and toe fungus are gone. A First World Problem solved without Big Pharma.

When CNBC ranked North Carolina the best state in America for business a few weeks ago, Democrats and Republicans spun the news in familiar ways. The former used it to promote the leadership of Gov. Roy Cooper, citing CNBC’s own take that the state had prevailed against its Sunbelt competitors by “putting partisanship aside” and avoiding contentious debates on social issues. GOP politicos and activists responded by touting the benefits of a decade’s worth of pro-growth tax and regulatory reforms by the General Assembly — most of which Cooper opposed, which in their view makes it hypocritical for him to claim credit for the CNBC ranking.

If you look closely at its methodology, you’ll find some support for both political takes. But you’ll also find key insights that produced no headlines.
The study’s sources included the Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index and the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of North America Index, both of which gave North Carolina high marks. However, the study also included voting-rights rankings from the left-leaning Brennan Center for Justice and anti-discrimination rankings from Freedom for All Americans, an LGBTQ-rights organization.

As it happens, North Carolina didn’t rank in the top five, much less at the top of the list, in any of the broad categories encompassing those measures. CNBC ranked our state 26th in the cost of doing business, 22nd in business friendliness, and 28th in “life, health, and inclusion.”

So, how did our state end up at the top of the overall list? Because CNBC used a weighted average of many different categories — and North Carolina ranked either middling or high in all of them. Other CNBC categories included access to capital (2nd), technology and innovation (5th), workforce (12th), education (14th), and infrastructure (17th).
Some of our high rankings are related to policy choices by lawmakers and other public officials. As I have pointed out on numerous occasions, North Carolina has a comparatively high return on public investment in highways and public schools, and remains one of the most generous state funders of higher education in the country. You and I may disagree about the causes and practical consequences of these conditions. But because of the way CNBC set up its study, they were bound to boost North Carolina’s overall score.

Other high rankings for our state, however, have more to do with longstanding structural features of its economy, such as its strong banking and finance sector (which has its roots in policy choices, yes, but those made more than a century ago when lawmakers adopted relatively loose regulation of statewide branching and bank-issued insurance products).
In only one of the study’s constituent categories did our state rank at the very top of the national list — but it was a big one. After North Carolina, the top-scoring states on CNBC’s “economy” category were Tennessee, Washington, Florida and Idaho. The category included measures of job creation, GDP growth, real estate markets, the presence of corporate headquarters, and the fiscal condition and creditworthiness of state and local governments.

Take special note of those latter measures. Over the past decade the General Assembly has prudently built up the state’s financial reserves, protecting its triple-A credit ratings while sending a clear signal to entrepreneurs, investors, job creators and corporate decision makers that North Carolina is better prepared than most other places to weather future storms, be they meteorological or economic. State Treasurer Dale Folwell has also played a key role in improving the state’s fiscal position and preparedness.

There’s nothing particularly exciting about paying off debts or stashing money in rainy-day accounts and defined-benefit reserves.
It doesn’t make headlines. It just makes good sense.

Fayetteville municipal candidates and voters have recently slogged through another election cycle, an odd one because it was pushed back from fall 2021 by delayed U.S. Census data.
The incumbent mayor was handily re-elected, and an incumbent council member posted an astounding almost 70-percentage point win over his challenger. With the election over, Fayetteville’s elected officials can now settle into the business of guiding the city. Election peculiarities and individual candidates aside, it is worth remembering running for any elective office is a leap of faith.

It takes courage to put yourself into the public arena to be publicly evaluated and openly criticized.
Cynics might also say it takes a large ego to believe you are not only capable but should make decisions regarding the lives and fortunes of your fellow citizens.

Cynics might add that being in the political spotlight attracts some candidates, and not always for the right reasons.
It is not easy to run for elective office. It requires a great deal of time, often taking candidates away from their careers and their families.

People who have run for office and those who serve in elective positions at all levels of government tell stories of special occasions missed and personal relationships strained.
Running for office and serving in one can also be financially difficult as it takes time away from careers and businesses.
Candidates and elected officials often find themselves torn between campaigning and the responsibilities of their offices and their own work and personal obligations.

Running for elective office is also expensive. Candidates for office in a city the size of Fayetteville will almost inevitably use paid media to get their messages across to the thousands of registered voters eligible to cast ballots in municipal contests. These expenditures run from relatively modest sums for palm cards to be given to voters to vastly more expensive mailers, radio and television spots, and, increasingly, various social media ads.

A few lucky candidates have both the means and the will to fund their own campaigns, but the majority will raise campaign dollars from family, friends and supporters.
Significant time and effort are required to make campaign fundraising successful enough to run a competitive campaign, and the financial ask itself can be a humbling experience for candidates who cannot promise the donor any return other than “representing you with integrity.”

So, why do some people decide to “stand for election” when the road is clearly arduous and the elective work itself held in such low public esteem.
A zillion years ago when I first ran for public office, a friend asked me “why on earth I wanted to be ‘with those people?’”
The answer for me was that I genuinely believed that I could represent my community more responsibly than the incumbent and that the opportunity arose at a point in my life when I was able to mount a campaign.

I suspect most of the candidates in Fayetteville’s municipal elections last month would tell us much the same.
That said, voters themselves merit some attention and some criticism. Only about 12 in every 100 voters registered in Fayetteville bestirred themselves to vote in July’s municipal elections, a humiliating reflection on the city’s electorate.

If some of our fellow citizens are willing to serve in elective office and put themselves out for months, if not years, of public scrutiny and occasionally apocalyptic public criticism, the least we can do is give them a thumbs up — or down.

The Spring Lake Board of Aldermen on Monday night, Aug. 8, is expected to receive an update on the town’s finances through June from the Local Government Commission.
The Local Government Commission took financial control of the town last year amid concerns about budget deficits, fiscal disarray and an investigation into missing money.

In a letter to the Board of Aldermen in advance of the meeting, Susan McCullen said the town is showing that it has collected $3,228,037, or 102.67% of property taxes, which she says is excellent. Property tax is the town’s largest revenue source. McCullen is director of the Fiscal Management Section of the Local Government Commission.

She also said the general fund appears to be in better shape going into year-end than in recent years.
With the report nearing the end of the fiscal year, McCullen also cautions that there are departments that have overspent their budget.

“There are four functions that appear to have overspent the budgeted amount at this time: administration, tax collections, public works administration and senior building,” McCullen said.

She said staff will be working to determine what caused the issues and revise business processes as needed so the issues do not happen again.
The concern that the general fund will have a negative fund balance is again repeated in the letter sent to the town in advance of the meeting. Financial officers will be unable to determine the exact amount of the deficit until the 2022 audit is completed.

McCullen stated in her letter that any positive balances that are currently showing cannot be viewed as available for new programs or expansion items until the town’s financial condition can be fully assessed. This has been a statement repeated over the last year as the finance staff has worked to verify the current state of the town’s finances, along with the search for missing money and missing vehicles.

An audit released in March by the Office of the State Auditor said the town reported having 80 vehicles, while the state Division of Motor Vehicles reported 138 and the financial auditor 92.

The board will also hear a presentation from Liz Whitmore, a planner in the historic resource office at the city of Sanford.
Cynthia Wilt, a Spring Lake resident and member of the Appearance and Sustainability Committee, said the committee is looking into the possibility of murals in the town. Wilt said they are looking at options to highlight the town’s history and military connection.

The Fayetteville City Council is taking steps to regulate homeless encampments on public property. During a work session this past Monday, the council by a consensus of 8-2 decided to move forward with a revised city ordinance on camping on public property inside the city limits. The proposed ordinance is on the council's consent agenda for its regular meeting Aug. 8 at City Hall. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The issue of homelessness — and what to do about it — is one the city has worked to address for a number of years. More recently, the issue has involved those who sleep in encampments in high-risk areas such as near roadways on public and private property and under bridges in the city.

The recommendations in the proposed ordinance address those who camp on public property. Council opted not to make a decision on proposed recommendations for camping on private property at this time.

Brook Redding, an assistant to the city manager and special projects manager for Fayetteville, gave the presentation on the proposed ordinance to the City Council.

The current city ordinance defines camping as “a place where tents, huts or other temporary shelters are set up.” The existing regulation prohibits overnight camping at parks and cemeteries, but it leaves other venues open. It does not prohibit camping on private property or other city-owned property, Redding said. In June and July, a city task force met with members of the Continuum of Care, the lead agency for planning and coordination of homeless activities in the county, for their input.

If the proposed ordinance is approved during the regular council meeting, it would not allow camping on public property without the landowner's approval, and all tents and shelters would have to be removed during the day. It would not allow sleeping in vehicles on public property.

The council was presented with three proposals during its work session. Of those, members agreed on the terms with the least limiting camping recommendation. Under that proposal, camping is prohibited when there is overnight shelter available in the city and when it presents a public health and safety risk, regardless of shelter availability.

“This, at a minimum,” Redding said, “would give us a legal basis needed to execute" enforcement of the ordinance.

Other proposals

The council also was presented with proposals that were moderately limiting and were most limiting regarding camping.

Redding said the task force recommended the most limiting proposal.
Under that proposal, camping or sleeping in a vehicle on public property is prohibited when there is:
– Available overnight shelter;
– When it presents a public health and safety risk, regardless of shelter availability;
– Sleeping in a vehicle between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.;
– Erecting or constructing a tent or laying down bedding between 8 a.m. and sunset.

The most limiting, he said, would “address several of the layers of issues the city is encountering right now with unsheltered homelessness.”

Redding said the staff recommendation on private property suggests that the components that are there now should remain in place.
In that case, camping is prohibited unless:
– An individual is camping on his own land;
– An individual is camping with the written consent of the landowner;
– An individual is camping no more than seven consecutive days without an interruption of three months of non-camping days.

Councilwoman Yvonne Kinston asked Redding if current services include overnight availability for men, women, a woman and child, and a man and child.

“In the city, there is availability,” he said. “On average, our current services are never at capacity. Usually, they’re not even 50% occupancy.”

Councilwoman Shakeyla Ingram proposed that the homeless find a “safe space” in the Salvation Army parking lot when that agency is at capacity and no other homeless services are available.

“We cannot dictate what Salvation Army allows on its property,” Redding said.

Later, the council agreed to talk with the Salvation Army regarding Ingram's idea. Mayor Mitch Colvin said homelessness has been an issue for cities statewide.

“Certainly, we want to balance being sensitive to those in our community who are in this situation to have some structure with the public good,’’ he said. “By all the shelters that we support, they have certain rules and barriers to get in. No drink and drugs for that particular night.

“By us looking the other way and not doing anything really is circumventing the effectiveness of those shelters because it gives people an option if they don’t want to comply with some of that," Colvin said. "We know that nothing we can do tonight or even follow up is going to be a one-all, fix-all. But I think if we continue to look away, those communities are growing …”

When it comes to public space being used for camping, he noted, Fayetteville is one of the few cities that does not have any type of public camping ordinance or a very limited ordinance compared with municipal peers of comparable size.

The mayor said the city also is talking with the N.C. Department of Transportation regarding the homeless who camp on its property inside the city. Many of the homeless in Fayetteville camp on DOT property.

Homeless initiatives

For several of the candidates in the city’s recent municipal election, homelessness was cited as a major campaign issue. It’s an issue that has repeatedly come before the City Council over the last 10 to 15 years. At one point, the city laid out a 10-year plan to eradicate homelessness in the city. As the mayor has said in the past, homelessness will never be completely resolved here. But the council is making strides to put a serious dent into the situation.

Over the past few years, the council has authorized what the city calls “some transformational initiatives” in hopes of reducing homelessness in the community. There are roughly 475 or more unsheltered individuals who live in inexpensive motels, under bridges and in encampments around town and in the county. The city supports homelessness initiatives through partnerships with community organizations and Cumberland County.

Those initiatives include the city’s purchase of a facility for a homeless day resource center at 128 S. King St., which has been designated to provide “a community resource hub for persons experiencing homelessness.”

The center is expected to be brought online in the spring of 2023, the city has said. In February, through a partnership with Manna Church, the city opened the Manna Dream Center men’s shelter on Person Street. For overnight guests, the Dream Center can accommodate up to 20 people.

The shelter has been open since December. At the same time, Cumberland County is moving forward on a proposed homeless
shelter and on a homeless strategic plan.

The Salvation Army also provides beds and food for men, women and families who have fallen on hard times.

Next steps

During Monday's work session, City Manager Doug Hewett said the council is now “looking to see how far or how little the council would like to move up or down. … If it presents a public health or safety risk regardless of availability, that will allow us to be able to go into some of these situations that we saw where people are close to the road. And we have offered them services repeatedly.

“That is what will help us when people are risking their life and other people’s lives by living under a bridge, starting fires under a bridge. Again,” Hewett said, “it’s not saying that they (don’t) count, but that becomes a risk for themselves or the public, and they would have to move from that location. If they did not, then this would give us tools to do that.”

Council members then gave an 8-2 consensus approval for the least limited proposal, with Kinston and Councilwoman Courtney Banks-McLaughlin opposed. Redding said the ordinance would level the field and create a legal basis to adjudicate, if needed. As a result, he said, the proposed ordinance would drive the city’s unsheltered homeless toward services. They would not be required to participate in those services if they didn’t want to, he said.

“But if they are in an environment that is at-risk or at-risk to the public at high-risk,” Redding said, “they can’t be there. That is what this is speaking to.”