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  • 12b The NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction will hold its annual Hari Jones Memorial Lecture and its commemoration of Juneteenth, a federal holiday observing the emancipation of the enslaved during the Civil War.

    Dr. Darin J. Waters, deputy secretary for the state’s Office of Archives and History and a well-known North Carolina historian, will give the Hari Jones Memorial Lecture at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 19 at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, located at 1217 Murchison Road.

    Dr. Waters currently oversees the operations of the divisions of State History and Maritime Museums, State Historic Sites and Properties, Archives and Records, Historical Resources (including the State Historic Preservation Office, Office of Historical Research, and the Office of State Archaeology), and commissions (including Roanoke Island Festival Park and Tryon Palace), and Education and Outreach.

    He is also the secretary of the North Carolina Historical Commission and the State Historic Preservation Officer.

    An Asheville native, Waters was most recently an Associate Professor of History at UNC Asheville, and the Executive Director of UNCA’s Office of Community Engagement. He previously held other teaching, research, and community engagement positions at UNCA, UNC-Chapel Hill, and N.C. State University.12a

    Waters received a B.S. in Political Science and Government from Liberty University, a master’s in History from North Carolina State University, and a Ph.D. in History from UNC-Chapel Hill. He has served on numerous nonprofit and state boards, including the North Carolina Historical Commission and African American Heritage Commission.

    Within his role with the state’s history museums, Waters, along with other historians, is working on the content of the NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction, which is being built in Fayetteville’s Arsenal Park; and will replace the current Museum of the Cape Fear.

    Unlike other history museums, the facility in Fayetteville will be a “teaching” museum and not a “collecting” museum. It will use existing scholarship from universities, coupled with first-hand accounts of North

    Carolina families, to examine, for the first time, what an entire state faced as the result of the Civil War. It will communicate that knowledge both in person and online so that schoolchildren — and all of us — may learn from it.

    Juneteenth and the Hari Jones Memorial Lecture Series

    Jones was a prominent African American historian whose area of expertise centered on the contribution of Blacks during the Civil War. He was first heard by organizers of the Center as they visited museums in

    Washington, D.C. Jones became a close advisor to the Center and spoke several times in Fayetteville before
    his death.

    To honor his memory — and his commitment to raising awareness of the African American community’s contributions during the Civil War, Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras — the center decided to sponsor the Hari Jones Memorial Lecture Series.

    NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction

    A group of local Fayetteville residents originally got the project off the ground by getting a $1 million planning grant from the N.C. General Assembly in 2007. With the funding, over the next few years, the board hired Germann & Associates, the Winslow Group and the Planning Edge, all of which have experience in museum startups, to assess existing resources, pursue community wide feedback and discussions and come up with a strategic and programming plan.

    The Center project has been divided into three phases. Phase 1 includes:

    • The Arsenal House, which was renovated primarily for K-12 students. It includes a classroom, a distance learning studio and a technical support room, all part of the Digital Education Outreach Center.
      The Outreach Center is an online educational resource to teach the history of the period before, during and after the Civil War to public school students across North Carolina.
    • The Culbreth House, which was renovated for higher education purposes. It will become the Center for the Study of the Civil War and Reconstruction in North Carolina. A catering kitchen and upstairs offices were added, as was a library, which will house an extensive collection of Civil War and Reconstruction books. It will be used as the offices for the Center’s Foundation.
    • The Davis House will be used to help interpret the site of the U.S. Arsenal (later a Confederate Arsenal), where it is situated.

    Phase 2 consists of a new outdoor education pavilion and the construction of a boardwalk that will run parallel to the remains of the Arsenal. Construction of Phase 2 is scheduled to begin soon.

    Phase 3, the groundbreaking of which was held last summer, is a 55,000-57,000 square-foot main building that will replace the existing Museum of the Cape Fear, which was built on the site where the U.S. Arsenal once stood in Fayetteville.

    The Center, once complete, will be owned and operated by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The building is currently being designed, with construction to begin soon. The latest estimates are that the building will be completed in the first quarter of 2027 — with the online portion of history instruction for teachers and students to be rolled out before then.

    The history of all of North Carolina with an evenhanded approach

    The Center is taking an evenhanded approach to North Carolinians’ Civil War experiences, precisely because no one agreed on it then — and no one agrees on it today.

    As author Philip Gerard has pointed out, the documented history of the Civil War in the state showed that North Carolina’s white population was almost evenly split between Confederates and Unionists. More than 300,000 people — fully a third of North Carolina’s population — had no say on it at all, because they were enslaved.

    Those involved in the planning of the center plan to use the existing Fayetteville Arsenal, destroyed during the closing days of the Civil War by Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, as a jumping-off point to focus on the experience of an entire state.

    The Center will gather both documented and oral histories of people, places and events that are either passed down or found through scholarly research, to tell the stories of what North Carolina families’ lives were like before, during and after the Civil War. Stories are still being sought from women, children, the elderly, farmers and businessmen, American Indians, African Americans, immigrants and persons of all faiths.

    The Center will also gather peer-reviewed research from history professors within the University of North Carolina system, which will be used to write a Civil War history curriculum in partnership with the NC Department of Public Instruction, for use by schoolchildren. In North Carolina, the Civil War is taught in public schools to fourth and eighth grade students and included in U.S. history courses in the eleventh grade.

    Students and teachers from Manteo to Murphy will be able to access course materials online. Research shows that once completed, the Center will contribute 200 new jobs and $18 million in economic benefit to Fayetteville every year.

    For more information, please visit http://nccivilwarcenter.org/. On the website, visitors may make donations or leave your own story of how your family fared in North Carolina during the time before, during and after the Civil War.

  • 9The start of summer marks a dangerous time of year for young drivers. Nationwide, more than 30% of deaths involving teen drivers occur during what’s called the “100 Deadliest Days” – a period that runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

    “Summer is historically a dangerous time for teen drivers,” said Tiffany Wright, spokesperson, AAA – The Auto Club Group in the Carolinas. “Now that school is out, teens will spend more time on the road, often driving with friends at odd hours of the day and night. Because of their inexperience, teens are more susceptible to dangerous driving behaviors – like speeding, driving distracted, and not wearing a safety belt. AAA urges parents to model safe driving behavior and reinforce safe driving habits with their teen drivers to help keep them safe this summer.”

    Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens ages 16 to 19. For every mile driven, new teen drivers (ages 16 to 17) are three times more likely to be involved in a deadly crash compared to adults.

    Teen Driver Statistics

    Nationwide, an average of 2,108 teens are involved in deadly crashes, every year, with 660 (31%) of those happening during the 100 Deadliest Days. These crashes result in an average of 2,341 deaths per year, with 732 of those during the summer months.

    In North Carolina, 83 teen drivers are involved in fatal crashes each year. On average, 24 (29%) happen during the 100 Deadliest Days. These crashes result in an average of 92 deaths per year, with 27 (29%) of those fatalities happening during the summer months.

    Common Risk Factors for Teen Drivers

    Understanding the risks and knowing the facts will help prepare both parents and teens for the road ahead:

    • Distracted driving. Distraction plays a role in nearly six out of 10 teen crashes. Electronics like cell phones and in-vehicle infotainment systems are considered the second-biggest distraction to teen drivers. The biggest distractions are teen passengers.
    • Driving with teen passengers. Research shows that the risk of a fatal crash increases in direct relation to the number of teenagers in a car (NHTSA). Having other passengers in the car can contribute to peer pressure and the impulse to engage in dangerous habits like speeding and aggressive driving.
    • Speeding. Speeding is a factor in nearly 30% of fatal crashes involving teen drivers
    • Not wearing a safety belt. Teens who buckle up significantly reduce their risk of dying or being seriously injured in a crash.

    AAA’s Advice for Parents

    “The single most important thing parents can do to help their teens become safe drivers is to be involved in their ‘learning to drive’ process,” said Rachel Wilson, Director of Driver Education Programs for AAA.

    “Spend time coaching your teen while they’re behind the wheel and have a serious discussion about safety. While parents can be a great teacher, it also helps to seek out professional training courses, like those provided by AAA.”

    • Lead by example. Minimize risky behavior when you drive. Don’t drive aggressively, avoid distractions, and always wear your seatbelt. Your driving skills and judgement behind the wheel shape your child’s view of safe driving habits, even before they’re old enough to drive. Make safe driving a priority in your own life.
    • Conduct at least 50 hours of supervised practice driving. Let your teen drive in a variety of conditions including inclement weather, busy interstates, and at night. This will help them become a more confident driver in imperfect situations.
    • Teach defensive driving skills. Help your teen anticipate potential risks by constantly scanning the road for hazards. Then share advice for how to safely avoid them.
    • Establish a parent-teen driving agreement which sets family rules like when the teen can drive, where they can go and with whom. Clearly outline the consequences for breaking the rules and rewards for driving safe.

    Online Driving Course

    AAA’s How to Drive Online provides a solid foundation of the knowledge and skills necessary to reduce a teen’s risk behind the wheel. This supplemental program is an online, 25-hour course that features: convenient, self-paced delivery; research-based curriculum; videos, simulations, and interactive exercises to enhance content retention; and optional virtual parent session to help educate parents on the learning to drive process.

    Behind the Wheel Driving Courses

    The AAA Approved Driving School Network helps identify the best driver training resources in your local community. These schools have passed AAA’s stringent standards and offer quality curriculum as well as the best value for students.

    To learn more about the training, email DriverTraining2@acg.aaa.com or call 888-222-7108.

  • 8 The Center for Economic Empowerment & Development received a $75,000 grant from Truist Foundation to be used to assist in providing a level playing field for women and the under served business owners in our community who disproportionately face barriers.

    The grant will help CEED continue its work in providing comprehensive training and counseling in small business to help clients start, sustain and grow their own businesses, especially those who are socially and economically disadvantaged.

    CEED’s mission has always been to promote the growth, productiveness and well-being of entrepreneurs through counseling, education, information and advocacy programs. They are dedicated to helping entrepreneurs find their own strength to sucCEED.

    In 2022, CEED served 1,905 clients of which approximately 87% were women, 83% were minority and 65% had a military affiliation.
    CEED was started by a group of women and then led by Sylvia Ray who wanted to ensure that women had an equitable chance to economically support themselves and their families. Its programs are designed to support that vision and mission.

    “We are so excited to have the Truist Foundation as an equity partner! With their investment, CEED will be kicking off entrepreneurial cohorts starting this fall, which will help us to continue to lay the foundation and increase small business owner competency through training,” says Suzy Hrabovsky, Executive Director of CEED. “We are looking to expand our financial literacy course offerings throughout the counties we serve, which will increase self-sustaining infrastructures through education. By increasing knowledge and technical assistance, we can increase the sustainability of businesses and their success using loan capital.”

    “Education goes hand-in-hand with a business owners’ vision of success and the drive to start and grow a business,” said Chris Isley, Truist Regional President of Eastern North Carolina. “We are excited to be part of this program that helps under served business owners overcome systemic barriers and contribute to their communities in meaningful ways. This work is at the heart of Truist’s purpose of inspiring and building better lives and communities.”

    The Center for Economic Empowerment & Development is a micro-lender with a Women’s Business Center Program providing in-house 1:1 counseling, technical assistance, networking/mentorship opportunities, and access to Capital. CEED develops community-led solutions to create an ecosystem where our business owners can be successful. CEED is an advocate for their success throughout the life cycle of their business from developing the idea, creating a sustainable plan, and providing the resources and capital for their success.

    The Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. Grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses.

  • 6 The city of Fayetteville has been inducted onto the North Carolina Civil Rights Trail after city staff and religious, educational and local non-profit organizations partnered to highlight the 1963 protests against segregation.

    The city will host a ceremony to unveil the Civil Rights marker on June 16 at 11 a.m. at 116 Green St., where City Hall was located in 1963. The marker will be installed outside of the southwest corner of the Fascinate-U museum.

    “I am elated we are able to have Fayetteville placed onto this significant and innovative trail highlighting historic advancement throughout our state,” said Mayor Mitch Colvin. “This accomplishment is a true testament of collaboration between our community, our city, and the great state of North Carolina showing what we can achieve when we work together.”

    The marker commemorates the leadership of protest organizers and the courage of each participant.

    During the summer of 1963, residents organized various activities protesting racial segregation in Fayetteville. Often, demonstrations like picketing and marching culminated in the downtown area, where they also conducted sit-ins at businesses along Hay Street.

    The community’s actions resulted in the necessary political pressure to influence elected leadership to enact policy directing businesses to desegregate Fayetteville, one year prior to the 1964 Civil Rights Act being adopted by the federal government.

    The city’s Special Projects Manager Brook Redding worked closely with a group of community stakeholders to complete the application. The N.C. Civil Rights Trail program accepted the city’s application in October 2022 after six months of development.

    The N.C. African American Heritage Commission leads the N.C. Civil Rights Trail with funding from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, and with support from Visit North Carolina and the North Carolina Office of Archives & History.

    The commission works with communities across the state to designate up to 50 sites where trail markers are being placed, including 10 in Hometown Strong communities.

    An interactive web portal highlights these places and others to guide people to history and experiences from the past.
    To learn more about the project or to apply for a marker, please visit https://aahc.nc.gov/programs/nc-civil-rights-trail/nc-civil-rights-virtual-trail

    N.C. African American Commission

    Created in 2008, the African American Heritage Commission is a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The Commission works to preserve, protect and promote the state’s African American history, art and culture.

    Its endeavors include the identification of heritage sites, compiling resources for educators, extending the work of national programs such as the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom Underground Railroad, and independent initiatives including the NC Civil Rights Trail.

    North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina.

    NCDNCR's mission is to improve the quality of life by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina. Efforts seek to stimulate learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.

  • 5$95,000 — That’s more than the average household income for an entire family in North Carolina. It’s also your share of our nation’s astonishing $31 trillion debt.

    When I think about my seven-year-old son being saddled with a $95,000 bill before he even enters the 2nd grade, I can’t help but be worried about his future and all our children and grandchildren.

    While our national debt is nothing new, out-of-control spending from Washington the last two years has accelerated this crisis to a five-alarm fire.

    In fact, since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, he and House Democrats have increased the nation’s 10-year spending trajectory by $10 trillion. This includes their $2 trillion “American Rescue Plan” that ignited the highest inflation in consumer prices in 40 years. It contained $400 billion for policies that paid Americans to stay home rather than go to work, $783 million in stimulus checks to federal prisoners, $2 million for a ski slope, $140 million for a luxury hotel, and $1.2 million to buy trash cans.

    Democrats’ so-called “Inflation Reduction Act” followed up with $80 billion to the IRS to target your family with audits, and over $400 billion for Green New Deal initiatives. President Biden’s Executive Orders have also cost over $1.5 trillion, including Democrats’ student loan giveaway to the wealthy.

    The last two years under one-party rule saw astronomical spending, but we didn’t get in this mess overnight and we can’t fix it overnight — especially in a divided government.

    This spending problem is the greatest threat to America and one of the reasons I ran for Congress in the first place. That’s why last week, I voted for the Fiscal Responsibility Act. This debt limit bill was not perfect, but it is the largest spending cut that Congress has ever voted for in American history.

    According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the Fiscal Responsibility Act will reduce the deficit by $2.1 trillion. It will cut spending year-over-year, limit top line federal spending to 1% annual growth for the next 6 years, and end uncontrollable executive spending by enforcing “Pay-Go” rules which should save taxpayers trillions.

    It will jump start our economy with work requirements for able-bodied childless adults and will help with the number one problem every business I talk to has — a need for workers. I have been fighting for work requirements for 19 years because we have a moral obligation to stop trapping people in the cycle of poverty. While Democrats prefer dependency, Republicans are focused on self sufficiency and improving your family’s quality of life.

    Cutting red tape and slashing funding for new IRS agents will also help build new infrastructure and unleash the economy.

    This bill will save taxpayers $5 billion per month by restarting student loan debt payments. It rejects all of President Biden’s $5 trillion in proposed new tax increases and claws back $29 billion of unspent COVID funds. All of this is done while fully funding critical defense programs and preserving both Social Security and Medicare.

    For the first time, non-defense spending will be significantly lowered while defense spending will receive a $28 billion boost from the previous year to ensure our military is ready to respond to any threat.

    There was not a single Democratic priority included in the Fiscal Responsibility Act. Speaker Kevin McCarthy forced President Biden and House Democrats to negotiate in order to avoid defaulting on our debt. This is a historic win for the American people and because of our efforts, the pattern of Washington reckless spending has come to a screeching halt.

    President Ronald Reagan once said, “We can leave our children with an unrepayable massive debt and a shattered economy, or we can leave them liberty in a land where every individual has the opportunity to be whatever God intended us to be.”

    The Fiscal Responsibility Act is a step in the right direction. With every man, woman and child owing $95,000 to the government, I believe we can and must do more to build on this success.

    The largest spending cut in history is an important step to restoring fiscal sanity in our nation’s capital and leaving the next generation better than the last — just as Reagan had hoped.

  • 4bFor more than a decade, Gallery 208 has provided space to showcase local and regional artists.4a

    Last week we opened the exhibit The Ocean World of Ivy Rittenhouse, a local artist who accentuates and defines the breadth of our cultural community.

    These quarterly events are fun, free and allow us to get up close and personal with our readers. It's our way of celebrating the arts while monitoring the heartbeat of the community.

    The majority of the exhibits are partially funded by the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Arts Council in support of the artists’ exploration into expanding their medium. Bob Pinson, the newly appointed CEO of the Arts Council, was present at the Gallery exhibit opening. His message was clear: we all need to work harder to tell Fayetteville's story about the richness of our cultural community.

    Pinson is right! We need to do a better job telling our story and creating education and awareness about our local arts community. Bob Pinson is the right man, at the right time to lead and direct our cultural community and to tell our story!

    Gallery 208 is located at 208 Rowan St. and open Monday — Thursday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • 19aIn March of 1825, Marquis de Lafayette visited Fayetteville as part of his United States tour as “The Nation’s Guest.” On that day, Lafayette’s secretary, Auguste Lavasseur, wrote that while the weather was “excessively bad,” the reception was impactful.

    Now, almost two hundred years later, we will celebrate Lafayette’s visit and his birthday. In honor of the upcoming Bicentennial Celebration and the Lafayette’s Grand Birthday Ball & Soirée on Sept. 9, Rebecca Russell from Beespoke Vintage will be offering three lectures and workshops titled Preparing for Lafayette.

    This series will teach men and women about the historical background on clothing worn by people in the 1820s, followed by a sewing workshop where Russell will help participants create their own outfits to prepare for the Bicentennial event.

    The first workshop is aptly named “Foundations.” During this workshop, participants will learn about the silhouette of the 1820s and how it had changed dramatically from the earlier “Colonial” period. Participants will explore a brief overview of the details and differences between the clothing of the working classes and nobility. The bulk of this workshop will then turn to and focus on the foundation garments for men and women.

    “I think the biggest thing is just understanding how important foundation garments are for clothing of this era. Because if you’re not wearing the right garments underneath, the other garments are not going to look right,” Russell said.

    “If you’re trying to wear modern undergarments with period clothing from back then, you’ll notice. So I really like to stress that you have to start with the foundations. So you have to start with the skin out to really get the right look, and you’ll notice it yourself when you’re wearing the clothing. It will definitely feel different, it’ll wear different, you’ll behave differently. And so that’s really important and why they're foundational in that sense, too.”

    The June 10 lecture will begin at 9 a.m. and will be an hour long. The next two hours will be dedicated to cutting patterns and fabrics. There will be an hour break for lunch. The workshop will resume at 1 p.m. with the sewing and construction of the clothes.

    Participants must bring their own patterns, fabric, machines and notions.

    “Don’t show up at the workshop thinking that the pattern in fabric is going to already be there waiting for you. Because everybody’s a different size and people have different types of fabric they want to buy,” Russell19 said.

    There are four ticket options. To attend the lecture, the workshop and have a catered lunch, that would be a $65 ticket. To attend the lecture and the workshop, but to bring your own lunch, that would be a $50 ticket. To attend just the lecture, which will take place in the morning, is $15. To attend the virtual lecture and workshop would be $20. There are discounts available for military, first responders, educators and single parents.

    To buy tickets, get the supply list, and to learn more about the event, go to https://www.beespokevintage.com/preparing-for-lafayette

    There will be two other lectures and workshops scheduled before the birthday party in September. The session on July 8 will focus on Day Wear, while the session on Aug. 12 will focus on Evening Wear.

  • 18Briana Allan talks a lot with her hands. In her line of work, her hands are always moving but then again, so are her feet.

    The real challenge, Allan says, is to get her mind there. She does this through listening to rhythm and blues and hip-hop artists like J. Cole to clear her head before the swings start. Anything with a good beat, she says.

    “It’s more a mental game than physical,” Allan says. “Physically you can get there but can you handle being punched in the face over and over?”

    She laughs. Allan is one of the few female boxers at her gym and the only one in her old gym in Lillington. In a sport that has been often filled with men, and sometimes having no sparring partners but male boxers, Allan has a good spirit about her. She laughs a lot as she moves her hands around, two hair ties adorning her wrist. She looks down at her wrists and laughs a little. It takes two, she says, to get her long curly hair into a braid and into her headgear.

    For Allan, it’s all about breaking down the time into smaller increments.

    “I will look at the clock and say, ‘I only have 30 more seconds.’”

    Allan trains on three minute rounds with 30 second breaks. Allan, 17, graduated high school early and has stuck around the area just to continue to work on her sport before heading off to Campbell University in the fall.

    In just a week, Allan and more than 300 other boxers, male and female, ages 8 to 70, will compete in the annual Carolina Gloves South Boxing tournament. The tournament will host boxers from all over the United States and a few from Canada and Puerto Rico.

    “We’ll have some of the most elite boxers from all over … some will be competing for the U.S. Olympic team,” Mark Hornsby, the event's co-director, says.

    Those two boxers with the Olympic trials in their futures are female students of Coach Patrick Finklin. Finklin will have boxers of all ages in the tournament including an 8-year-old who is currently number one in the country for his age and weight class.
    Coach Patrick is also a coach to many active duty military members who will also be competing in the upcoming tournament.

    “I like coaching active duty military. They are more disciplined and focused. They are here until they get stationed somewhere else,” he says. “They are not only focused, but loyal.”

    Coach Hornsby and Coach Patrick are the two directors for the upcoming tournament and the Vice President and President of North Carolina USA Boxing, respectively.18a

    “We’ve done a lot of work,” Hornsby says, “That’s what brings in the boxers and keeps them coming back.”

    Allan is a testament to that statement with morning training sessions that range about two hours and lately, she’s added an afternoon session with her second boxing coach, Coach Font, to work on the skills she started in the morning.

    “It takes a team to box,” she says.

    Allan adjusts again in her seat and a smile is not very far from her face as she speaks about boxing and her coaches. Allan now travels from Lillington to Fayetteville to Coach Font’s gym to get some sparring time with other female boxers. For the beginning of her boxing time, she had mostly male companions to fight.

    “You know, it has its advantages and disadvantages. Sparing with males has made me a lot tougher,” she says. “But being around women, it’s a different kind of empowerment. We all know what it’s like to [be] a woman in sports.”

    Allan is excited about the upcoming tournament. She’ll keep up the regimen of training until a week out from the tournament when she and other boxers will protect their arms from becoming too fatigued and dial down the running as to be careful not to roll an ankle.

    Allan’s grandmother, on the other hand, has other worries.

    “She says, ‘I don’t want you to mess up your pretty face or break your teeth,’” Allan says laughing.

    The tournament will be held June 17 and 18. Saturday’s round will start around 12 p.m. with the first session lasting until 4 p.m. and the second session beginning around 6 p.m. and will last until about 10 p.m. that night.

    Sunday will be the championship rounds that begin at 12 p.m. and last until 6 or 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the event for $25, kids ages 7 and under are free.

    “It’s going to be a good experience. That first year we did it was a gas shortage,” Coach Patrick says. “It didn’t stop people from doing it. When they showed up it was hard to find gas to get back home.”

    The Carolina Gloves South Boxing Tournament is presented by the Harnett County Police Activity League. The tournament will be held at the Freedom Courts Sportsplex, part of the Freedom Christian Academy campus, located at 3126 Gillespie Street in Fayetteville.

  • 17It’s that time of year again. The sun is high, the days are long, and Cumberland County Library has just rolled out its new Summer Reading Program. Kids and adults across the county have until Aug. 15 to participate in this year’s summer reading theme: All Together Now.

    “We use the Collaborative Summer Library Program’s theme each year,” explained Faith Phillips, Director of Cumberland County Public Library. “They are a nonprofit, charitable organization that supports literacy, education, and science through summer reading events in public libraries across the United States.”

    This year’s program participants can visit any Cumberland County Library branch to pick up a reading log or download READsquared! for paperless tracking. This year’s program, which began June 1, boasts some great prizes and expanded reading categories. Participants across all ages are reading to win cool tech, free books, toys, and gift cards for businesses around Fayetteville. Also, due to a grant from the state library, this year’s summer reading program will offer some fun enrichment activities and events.

    The summer reading program serves three different age categories: children (birth-5th grade), teens (6th-12th) and adults (19+). This year, children and teens have three prize tiers: 5 hours, 10 hours and 20 hours.

    To complete this reading challenge, adults must read four books before the Aug. 15 deadline. However, all age groups can choose to read more for a chance to enter into prize drawings.
    Post-COVID, participation in the library’s extracurricular offerings, including the summer reading program, has been rising — a trend Phillips hopes continues.

    “Participation was back up close to pre-COVID numbers [last year],” Phillips said. “We hope to continue getting the word out about Summer Reading and our programs to more people in the community.”
    To fit in with this summer’s theme, the library has several fun activities planned for readers of all ages scheduled for the month of June. Digging in the Dirt, Mission 2 Space, and Bathtub Pirates are just a few of the programs planned. Check the library’s website and calendar for dates, times and full descriptions of each activity.

    The summer’s hottest books, like “Spare” by Prince Harry, “My Hero Academia” by Kohei Horikoshi, and “Never Never” by Colleen Hoover, are in top circulation at the library and can also be downloaded to an e-reader or heard as an audio book via Overdrive and the Libby App. For those who prefer their books more digital than analog, this is especially good news since any and all methods of reading count toward trackable hours.

    Whether as a solo activity or completed with the whole family, the Summer Reading Program is an excellent opportunity to foster a love of reading from an early age.

    The benefits of reading are endless, but they’re especially useful during the summer months when most children are away from school. On average, students can lose up to 34% of the previous year’s learning gains over summer break. Summer reading helps the mind stay active by sparking the imagination, creating discourse and activating critical thinking skills.

    To learn more about programs and events, visit the library website at www.cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/library-group/library.

  • 15aDuring times when it can feel difficult to find hope, artist Joshua Carnes said it is important to manufacture it. He hopes to generate hope for the youth of Robeson County during the first ever St. Pauls Arts Demo Day, hosted by the Robeson Art Guild.

    The St. Pauls Arts Demo Day, to be held on June 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Bob Everett Park, will provide 100 free canvases, paints and brushes to participants under the age of 18 so they may express their feelings through art.

    “We just want to see them create,” Carnes said. “At the same time, we’re trying to encourage the arts among our youth that if no one will listen, the canvas or page will, and that it’s possible to take a negative emotion and turn it into a positive notion and even make a living doing so.”

    The event will also feature music and art vendors who will discuss their creative process with those present and answer questions about the business aspects of their artistic careers.
    Carnes, a professional artist who now mostly sculpts, said he wanted to conduct the event after hearing of recent arrests of juveniles for gun related crimes.

    “I got a lot of love to share and I want to give it back,” Carnes said. “And there are a lot of kids out there that need help.”

    Carnes said he got the idea for the special event after having a similar experience in his youth while going through a difficult time. An artist came to his school and handed out free canvases to students. This was the day he painted his first picture, he said.

    “Because of strangers — the kindness of strangers— I found my way to the creative process,” Carnes said.

    Carnes said his inspiration for the event also came from a memory of his son who was saddened after watching a scary and heartbreaking news story.

    The two then decided to make their own hope for the world by growing their hair long for the charity Locks of Love, an organization which makes hair prosthetics for children with illness-related hair loss. The father-son pair have since donated their hair nine or 10 times now, Carnes said.

    “The idea that you have to manufacture hope — you have to make hope where there is none, that’s where this [Arts Demo Day] came from,” Carnes said.15b

    Beyond creating an atmosphere of hope, Carnes said he hopes the young artists at the event are able to take away a sense of pride.

    “Shame is a negative thing,” Carnes said. “And a lot of us lack confidence. And if we can take and find something to be proud of, I think our lives would be better. And I want these children to know that they should be proud.”

    The St. Pauls Arts Demo Day will be structured as a paint and picnic event, with participants encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs to enjoy the park area as they paint. Carnes hopes this encourages connection and communication between community members.

    “What happens when we come together: we bring walls down,” Carnes said. “It doesn’t matter the political affiliate you are. Art moves everyone. It’s going to open up doors.”

    The arts serve an important function for creators to have the ability to express themselves and share their feelings with viewers, even when words fail, Carnes said.

    “If you have problems speaking, then you can do it with a brush, you can do it with a lump of clay,” Carnes said. “And communication is where it’s at. That’s what we need. We need to relate to each other.”

    Though this is the inaugural Arts Demo Day, Carnes said he hopes it’s not the last of its kind, adding the Robeson Art Guild has expressed interest in continuing the event.

    Those attending the event are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for a canned food drive. The First Baptist Church of Hope Mills will be present conducting a coat drive.

    The organization Ready, Set, Go, a nonprofit promoting accessible child care which offers programs and resources for children and parents, will also attend the event. Carnes expressed gratitude to Sarah Hayes, Paul Terry and the Robeson Art Guild for their help with the event.

  • 14On June 16, KISS ARMY and Mirimage will be performing at Rock’n On The River for those who enjoy live music, relaxing and having a good time. The Deep Creek Grill, near the Campbellton Landing on the Cape Fear River, will host the event.

    Mirimage is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., and KISS ARMY at 8 p.m., said Greg Adair, organizer of the Rock’n On The River concert series. KISS ARMY, who call themselves the“coolest band in the world,” hail from Kentucky but play once or twice a week in communities across the nation. KISS ARMY, who are decked out in the recognizable KISS face paint and attire, offer a striking glimpse into KISS’s 1970s line-up.

    “When we go out there, we try to make people think it’s KISS. That’s the whole point of being a tribute band,” said Jim Seda, who has performed as the “Demon” for more than 30 years.

    According to band lore, each member of KISS has a persona. Additionally, each persona contributes to what makes KISS unique.

    Since the original four-piece phenom KISS split up in 1980, lead singer Paul Stanley (“Starchild”) and bassist Gene Simmons (“Demon”) have been reformed. In 1980, Eric Carr (“Fox”) replaced Peter Criss (“Catman”) as the band’s drummer, and Vinnie Vincent (“Egyptian Warrior”) replaced Ace Frehley (“Spaceman”) in 1982.

    KISS made the decision to “unmask” themselves in 1983, putting an end to what was regarded as the “real” KISS in favor of a more modern 1980s appearance, sound and vibe. Yet, starting in the late 1990s, KISS reconvened as the original band for a string of international farewell concerts.14a

    The demand for KISS increased when the original members of KISS got back together for the first farewell concert, and Seda’s band was asked to play shows when KISS was unable to, he said. However, “it works both ways” since even when KISS isn’t performing, fans still want to see them.

    Mirimage is an up and coming Southern rock/country band. The band, led by Bobby Gilstrap, consists of five members who are all equally excited each time they hit the stage. They are sure to become a local favorite.

    The stage will be set up directly behind Deep Creek Grill, literally rocking next to the Cape Fear River. Rock’n On The River is presented by Healy Wholesale with partners Bob 96.5 FM radio and Up & Coming Weekly. The concert is free and open to the public, but there is a $10 parking fee. Outside coolers and containers are not permitted. Only service animals are permitted.

    Food can be purchased from Deep Creek Grill on site and Healy will be serving alcoholic beverages. Food and beer will be available for purchase starting at 5 p.m. Rock’n On The River takes place at 1122 Person Street. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100049990406810.

  • 13The world’s oceans are facing significant challenges. According to the United Nations Regional Information Center, each year the oceans absorb 23% of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions and capture 90% of the excess heat created by these emissions. These developments are overwhelming the oceans, which are vital to the global ecosystem.

    Anyone can join in the effort to protect the world’s oceans. That includes people who live in coastal communities and those who live in landlocked locales hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away from the coast. Oceana, an international advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the world’s oceans, touts the power of collective efforts to save the oceans.

    Though the task may seem overwhelming, that does not mean oceans are beyond saving. In fact, Oceana notes that various lifestyle choices individuals can make every day can help to protect the oceans and restore their futures.

    Help reduce demand for plastics. Oceana estimates that 17.6 billion pounds of plastic leaks into the ocean every year. To put that in perspective, one researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara estimated that, if the flow of plastic into the oceans does not stop, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050.

    Of course, much of the demand for plastic is driven by consumers, who can protect the oceans by purchasing plastic-free alternatives and emphasizing the need for more such alternatives to be made available. Avoid using plastic cutlery, plastic water bottles, plastic bags, and other convenient yet harmful plastics.

    Reduce your carbon footprint. Oceana notes that carbon dioxide is making oceans more acidic, which contributes to a loss of coral that serves as an essential source of food and shelter for marine life.
    According to the Reef-World Foundation, loss of coral threatens the existence of many marine species, producing a domino effect that ultimately decreases marine biodiversity by a significant amount. That’s problematic for marine life, but also humans, as estimates from the United Nations indicate as many as one billion people across the globe depend on coral reefs for their food and livelihoods.

    The threat posed to coral reefs is substantial, but the efforts to reduce your carbon footprint aren’t. Riding a bike to run errands on a warm day instead of driving a car; turning off the lights when leaving a room; and dressing warm on cold days to reduce reliance on home heating systems are some easy ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

    Eat sustainable seafood. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes that sustainable seafood is managed under a system of enforced environmentally responsible practices. These systems help to prevent overfishing and conserve essential fish habitats. Knowing which seafood is sustainable and which isn’t can be hard, so individuals can visit Seafoodwatch.org to quickly identify and locate sustainable seafood options where they live and travel.

    Leave nothing behind. Make sure you leave nothing behind when visiting the beach or even a park. Doing so increases the chances that trash will end up in the oceans, which are already overwhelmed by plastics.
    The threat posed to the world’s oceans is significant. But that threat can be overcome by a collective effort to embrace lifestyle choices that take the health of the world’s oceans into consideration.

  • 12aVisitors to the exhibit titled The Ocean World of Ivy Rittenhouse, at Gallery 208, will view works of art created by an individual whose history, temperament and career are rooted in the sciences. Logic might suggest that science and the arts are opposites, yet they are aligned in many ways — both careers attempt to comprehend and communicate something about the world around us.

    Opening June 8, the exhibit was created by a chemist whose mind is filled with complex data and knowledge about the “identification of the substances of which matter is composed; the investigation of their properties, and the ways in which they interact, combine, and change to form new substances.” As an artist, Rittenhouse effortlessly communicates the essence and possibilities of our biosystem in ways we do not normally see. Through the mediums of watercolor and alcohol inks on paper, we are to experience the subjects which inspire the artist.

    After earning a degree in chemistry from Eastern New Mexico University, for 30+ years Rittenhouse has been the laboratory operations manager in the Department of Chemistry at Fayetteville State University. Having knowledge and interest in the oceans, one of Rittenhouse’s most recent assignments was maintaining “The REEF” at Fayetteville State University. (The REEF is one of the few places in Central North Carolina for visitors to see coral reefs and reef organisms.)

    Ask her anything about a healthy ocean ecosystem, and we will hear Rittenhouse’s explanations about coral life and the abundance of sea creatures dependent upon its structure. Through her gifts as an artist, we are able to observe the aquatic world in a new way. Best described by the words of Amanda Thompson (in her article titled “Making a Place: Art a Multi-Modal, Multi-Disciplinary Approach”), Rittenhouse’s images are “wordless explorations of place that allow for the intersection of imagination … alternative ways of encountering, experiencing and responding to the complexities” of nature.

    Rittenhouse is the quintessential example of “there is no set path for someone to become an artist.” For Rittenhouse it was the result of an active outdoor life of scuba diving, riding horses and being an “outdoors person” that came to an unexpected, dramatic and painful halt. The arts became a type of therapy, a recovery.

    Rittenhouse shared the story of how she became an artist and the incidents that changed her life. “During 2011 and 2015 I was given an antibiotic, in the fluoroquinolone family, after surgery. The first adverse drug reaction (ADR) was misdiagnosed. It was the second ADR that destroyed my joints and tendons resulting in a right hip replacement, tendon repair and years of physical therapy.”12b

    “Just for something to do during my recovery, I started using colored pencils to fill in the pictures of horses in adult coloring books. Suffering from pain, I was living in a dark place in my mind, so I used bright colors to offset the darkness. I later framed the pictures and gave some to my doctors and friends and was told that I was particularly good with colors and should put away the coloring books and start painting for myself. So I did. I began with watercolors, then moved on to alcohol inks, and I’m currently working with acrylics. The bright and stunning colors are comprised of elements, and the paint allows me to interpret the images in my head into art, both chemistry and artwork hand in hand.”

    Rittenhouse is modest. When I saw her colorful framed works hanging in her office at Fayetteville State, I immediately knew I wanted to share her creative works and her story with the public. Her first one-person exhibit demonstrates her natural skills, talent and aesthetic relationship to oceans. It is also a story about perseverance.

    A natural colorist, Rittenhouse brings her sensitivity and observation of colors to her creative work. Perhaps her earliest appreciation of color and its influence was growing up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, famously known as the Land of Enchantment. While her father, a physicist, worked at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (later changed to Los Alamos National Laboratory), Rittenhouse stated she spent her “free time horseback riding through the canyons, admiring the beautiful azure blue skies, the rusty color of the clay mesas, the picturesque and polarizing landscape. The turquoise and silver jewelry in the region is prevalent — the turquoise stones varying from sky blue to a paler sky blue, greenish blue, or pale green, depending on the quantities of iron and copper within each stone.”

    The experiences of color while growing up in New Mexico, her love of oceans, and her interest in scuba diving have all influenced her fascination and appreciation for color. Whether it is the vibrant colors you would see in the aquariums at “The REEF,” or while scuba diving, Rittenhouse has experienced the spectacles of color and uses those memories to evoke an essence of beauty and harmony in aquatic environments.

    In Rittenhouse’s paintings, we see intense colors first but also sense the perpetual movement of water — a harmonious water environment and its life forms are present. In her “Ocean Blue Series,” blues and earth colors remind us of abstracted shorelines or what might be just under the surface of crashing waves. Sea dragons and goldfish swim with ease in reflected and refracted light-sourced environments.

    Rittenhouse has chosen to paint something she is passionate about. It is that passion that continues to inspire and stimulate her creativity. Through the mediums of watercolor and alcohol inks, she is able to express her emotions for the subjects she chooses to paint. Even though Rittenhouse’s work is a creative and interpretative approach to color and form, a glimpse into biodiversity appears
    in the way the artist uses colors, shapes and sea life in their watery environment.

    Rittenhouse invites us to look at what is overlooked. We are moved to feel what she has experienced — a wonderous, vigorous and harmonious ecosystem filled with an array of bright colors and constant movement. The rhythm of tides can be experienced through the artists’ use of patterns of color and passages of light. Even in her small works, we become immersed and float just beneath the surface of a watery and shifting place.

    It was not by accident The Ocean World of Ivy Rittenhouse opens on June 8. Rittenhouse is a naturalist and an activist who is highly aware of how the coral reefs are being damaged by ocean acidification, so it was appropriate for her first one-person exhibition to open on this day — World Oceans Day.

    World Oceans Day was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2008 to raise awareness about the role of the United Nations and international law in the sustainable use of the oceans and their living and non-living resources.

    World Oceans Day was established to remind everyone of the importance and major roles the oceans have on planet Earth and sustainability.

    Gallery 208 celebrates Ivy Rittenhouse as an artist who not only appreciates and understands our biosphere but is able to successfully share and express her experiences of water and water life with others through the discipline of art making. Her body of work is a celebration of our aquatic ecosystem, its stunning beauty, and also its mysteries.

    The public is welcome to meet the artist during the opening of The Ocean World of Ivy Rittenhouse between 5:30 and 7 p.m. on June 8. The exhibit will remain in Gallery 208 until Aug. 15.

    Gallery 208 is located at 208 Rowan Street in Fayetteville, and is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

    For information call 910-484-6200.

  • Earlier this year, Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health announced they are partnering to establish a medical school to train the next generation of healthcare professionals. The new medical school, to be located on the campus of Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, will combine the expertise and resources of both institutions to provide students with both education and clinical and hands-on experiences. Dr.

    Hershey Bell has been named as the founding Dean of the College of Medicine.

    Bell recently served as vice president for Medical Education Program Development at Cape Fear Valley Health. Before then, Bell was a professor and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean for Developing Initiatives at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pennsylvania.

    Bell is not new to the area. He is a graduate of Duke’s National Family Medicine Faculty Development Fellowship program.
    Although he has decades of experience in the health and education fields, this new prospect of becoming dean of a brand new college of medicine is very exciting for Bell.

    “I consider this to be a capstone for my career, my ability to work with the leadership at Methodist and Cape Fear Valley and to really bring a legacy project to Fayetteville,” Bell said

    “Methodist University is both pleased and proud to appoint Dr. Hershey Bell as the founding dean of the MU College of Medicine,” said Methodist University President Stanley T. Wearden in a press release.

    “Dr. Bell brings to the position a wealth of knowledge, experience, energy, and passion for improving the quality of care through a more integrated approach to medical education and treatment. I am confident that Dr. Bell is absolutely the right person at the right time for the important job of founding the medical school, and I look forward to having him on our leadership team.”

    Bell tells Up & Coming Weekly that medical schools are economic engines for the community as they drive not just the quality of health care but also industry development and real estate service.

    According to a July 2021 report from Walden Economic Consulting, at the peak of the medical school’s operational capacity, there will be 837 permanent jobs, $72 million in annual spending and $9.6 million in tax revenues.

    There are two goals for the school. The first goal is to improve high-quality medical care and increase health equity in the region by educating and retaining a diverse population of expertly trained medical doctors attentive to the needs of rural and under served populations.

    The second goal is for Methodist University to become a national leader in inter-professional, team-based medical education.

    There is currently a shortage of medical professionals in America. According to workforce projections from the Association of American Medical Colleges, by 2034, there will be a shortage of 17,800 to 48,000 primary care physicians. That number increases for non-primary care and specialty physicians.

    “North Carolina is a very interesting state. We have about the right number of physicians per 100,000 population overall,” Bell said. “The trouble is they’re concentrated primarily in urban areas and surrounding medical schools. If you look at southeastern North Carolina, we are in a doctor desert. We have a lower number of physicians per capita than you would expect in the state. And as a result, our health outcomes suffer because the number one determinant of health outcomes is access to health care.”

    “A great example to look at, by the way, is Greenville, North Carolina. When ECU opened, that region of the state had the same problems we have in southeastern North Carolina. But as a result of ECU and their medical school, they now are at average or above in terms of supply of physicians, and their health outcomes have improved. So we’re going to see the same thing happen in our region.”

    Methodist University plans to begin classes in July 2026, pending approval by the Liaison Commission on Medical Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. If everything goes to plan, that beginning class will graduate in the spring of 2030.

    “We will be accepting 80 students in our first class, and we’ll be ramping up towards a maximum enrollment of 120,” Bell said. “By the year 2032, we will have full classes of 120 students per year.”

    Overall, Bell hopes everyone in Fayetteville and Cumberland County can see this new medical school as the community’s medical school.

    “I expect to reach out to business leaders, educational leaders, faith leaders, and start to talk about how the community can become a part of what we’re creating,” he said. “This is their school. And on top of that, our curriculum is called the Caring for Everyone Everywhere Curriculum. It’s our idea that the medical school has an obligation to its community to ensure that everyone receives the best care. We’re going to be developing programs within the community for pipeline programs for middle and high school students, for those in this community seeking health care advice and for the leadership in the community. We’ll be developing programs around this theme of caring for everyone everywhere.”

    To learn more about the College of Medicine, go to www.methodist.edu/academics/medicine/.

  • 8We recently had house guests. By one estimate, perhaps 20,000 of them. It was in April, when Alfred, Lord Tennyson said: “In Spring , a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.”

    Spring is also the time when a swarm of bees’ fancy lightly turns to thoughts of a new hive. I was conducting a fact finding mission at the Barnes & Noble when I received an excited call from my wife. She reported our kitchen was filling with bees. It was time for me to come home and reason with them. Understanding the chain of command, realizing this was not a suggestion but rather a direct order, home I went.

    Upon arrival, it was clear she had correctly analyzed the situation. We had bees. They had not been there when I left, but now the joint was buzzing. They were entering the kitchen around a window. The bees were not happy to be inside. They clung to the kitchen window desiring to get back outside just as much as they had wanted to get inside.

    Either the bees or we had to go. As the Big Lebowski once said: “This aggression will not stand, man.” Breaking out the fly swatter, the swatting began. I felt like the Brave Little Tailor in Grimm’s fairy tale who killed seven files with one blow. It was a massacre. We all know bees are necessary and our friends, so I felt guilty about swatting the interior bees. However, unwilling to live in a hive, swat I must. Once the bees had met their cruel but necessary fate, it was time to seal the window.

    The greatest invention of all time is Duct Tape. Admittedly, there is debate that the greatest invention of all time is the Spork, an eating utensil which combines the spearing ability of a fork with the soup scooping ability of a spoon. This debate will wait for another column. A dark horse candidate for greatest invention of all time is the motor vehicle cup holder. But I digress. The Spork would not have helped with keeping more bees out of the kitchen. Duct Tape was just the ticket. I bravely taped up every space in the window as an occasional bee still slipped into the kitchen. After some mop up swatter action, the perimeter was sealed. Further bee immigration was stopped for the moment.

    The kitchen border sealed against further undocumented bees seeking asylum, it was time to go outside to see what was doing. There was lots going on outside. Our swarm of bees was looking for a fixer upper for their new hive. A crack above a window casement was well suited for their new home. They were flying in and out, speaking in excited bee talk about their stunning new home. They were all abuzz about their chic new digs. The bees decided the gap in the wall to be move-in-ready with an open floor plan, featuring crisp hardwood flooring, complimented by captivating recessed lighting from the bee entryway leading to an upscale custom bedroom fit for a Queen Bee. They were ready to sign the contract and close the deal immediately.

    Granting the bees adverse possession in the walls of the house was problematic. We had Seller’s Remorse about sharing the house with a swarm of bees. Fortunately, Fayetteville is blessed with the Cumberland County Bee Keepers Association which will cheerfully and safely remove swarms of bees. One call to the Bee Keepers resulted in visits from two bee keepers who could remove the bees. One suggested we might have 20,000 bees in the wall of our house. Yikes.

    As the bees had just landed, they could be removed with a special bee vacuum once we had part of the roof removed so they could get to the bees. Bees do not carry insurance. The cost of removing and replacing the soffit would be our responsibility.

    Knowledge of our bee tenants quickly spread like warm honey on a hot waffle to friends and neighbors. Having your house turned into a bee hive is a source of great amusement to anyone who does not live in a bee hive. We were pleased to bring bee related joy into the lives of our non-bee hosting friends. We went to sleep that night snuggled in our bed while visions of 20,000 bees in the ceiling danced in our heads.

    The next morning I went outside to check on the bees. Not all bees are created equal. Some are busy bees. Some are not. We had lazy bees. There was no activity until about noon when the bees came home for lunch.

    On Day Three there was no activity all day. The bees had flown the coup. While I was happy the bees had left on their own volition, I was mildly insulted that they had inspected our house and rejected it. To be turned down by a swarm of bees was an experience I had not expected to sting like it did.

    The bees weighed us the balance and found us lacking. As Frank Sinatra once sang: “Doo Bee, Doo Bee, Doo.” Now buzz off.

  • 6Change is hard, and some change is harder than others.

    History is not static. It is reinterpreted over time as we learn more about past events and as we come to understand them differently.

    Both of these truisms come into play as we adjust to the newly renamed Fort Liberty, née Camp Bragg, the “center of the universe” to thousands of current and former military personnel, their families, and the rest of us who have lived and worked in a community heavily dependent on and invested in the world’s largest military installation.

    We are not alone in our period of adjustment.

    The U.S. Naming Commission, a body created by Congress and tasked with renaming bases from Virginia to Texas that were named a century or more ago for Confederate military heroes, not U.S. military heroes. They were named during a period when the South was still reeling from the trauma of the Civil War, when racial segregation was in full force, and when Southerners held strong sway in the halls of the U.S. Congress.

    This year Fort Benning becomes Fort Moore. Gordon becomes Eisenhower. Lee becomes Gregg-Adams. AP Hill becomes Walker. Hood becomes Cavazos. Pickett becomes Barfoot. Polk becomes Johnson, and Rucker becomes Novosel.

    The Confederates for whom the bases were originally named have their defenders, but the cause they championed — maintaining an economic system that allowed some human beings to own and exploit other human beings — was fundamentally unjust and immoral.

    Fort Liberty is named for a founding concept of our nation, but other newly renamed bases honor Americans from many backgrounds who served the United States with courage and distinction.

    Dwight David Eisenhower led the Allied forces to victory in World War II and went on to serve two terms as President.

    General Hal Moore and his wife, Julia, served a combined 32 years with time overseas in Japan, Norway, Vietnam, and Korea. Her work led to casualty notification teams and survivor support systems in place to this day.

    General Arthur Gregg served all over the world, promoting equality and personally desegregating the Fort Lee Officers Club. Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams oversaw millions of pieces of mail sent to soldiers in Europe so effectively during WW II that it took three people to replace her.
    Dr. Mary Walker was a skilled surgeon, a strong advocate for women’s rights, and an abolitionist. She was captured and imprisoned by the Confederates after she stayed behind enemy lines to provide medical care to U.S. troops.

    General Richard Cavazos was the first Hispanic American to wear four stars and is known for his commitment to his troops, personally evacuating wounded men in Vietnam.

    Technical Sergeant Van Barfoot served for 34 years in WW II, Korea and Vietnam. He is remembered for his bravery and was awarded the Medal of Honor.

    Sergeant William Henry Johnson was known as the United States’ first hero of World War I for fighting off about two dozen German soldiers around trenches in France’s Argonne Forest. When he ran out of grenades, he fired bullets. When he ran out of bullets, he used his rifle as a club. He eventually abandoned the rifle and unsheathed his bolo knife.

    Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Novosel served in WW II and in Vietnam, where he flew more than 2,500 rescue evacuation missions, rescuing 5,500 wounded men. He received the Medal of Honor for saving 29 soldiers from certain death on a single day.

    No one can argue that those being honored by the renaming of military bases were not exceptional and loyal Americans committed to the United States and our values of liberty and equality.

    Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us more than once that “the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

    Change can take a long time, a century or more, but it does happen.

  • 4Good things last! For 26 years, the Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper has proudly showcased the people, businesses and organizations that have invested their time, talent and resources into the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community.

    Since 1997 we have been privileged to publish the Best of Fayetteville Readers Survey. For those new to this process, we ask our readers to identify and ultimately determine who in the Fayetteville community is perceived as the Best of the Best.

    The BOF reflects the unique aspects and amenities the Fayetteville community offers. Each year we record our readers' comments and sentiments. This process allows us to publish who, what and why our readers value these businesses. Your vote is essential! Ultimately, our readers decide the people, companies and organizations that make Fayetteville and Cumberland County unique, enjoyable and livable.

    During June, Up & Coming Weekly readers can cast their ballots for the deserving Best of the Best. We make it easy and convenient to vote. Readers can fill out a ballot in the newspaper and mail it to our official Best of Fayetteville auditor and CPA firm, Utley & Knowles. Or they can vote online at the Up & Coming Weekly website, www.upandcomingweekly.com.

    The non-scientific BOF Readers Survey incorporates time-tested and enforceable voting rules and guidelines. This maintains the integrity of the voting process and has made being the Best of Fayetteville valuable to the community.

    Rules like: only one ballot per reader, one ballot per mailed-in envelope, and a minimum of 15 vote entries are needed to validate the ballot. These guidelines lend themselves to elevating the honor, integrity and prestige of winning the Best of Fayetteville designation.

    By eliminating the nomination process, enforcing the policies, and monitoring and auditing the ballots, we have rendered our survey incredibly accurate and extremely valuable to residents, businesses and organizations who have earned the honor of being voted the Best of the Best.

    This year is particularly significant since most organizations and businesses have been working their way back to normalcy after surviving the stifling effects of the COVID pandemic, labor shortages, high gas prices, supply chain shortages and rampant inflation. So, under these circumstances, operating a successful business and providing exceptional customer service are achievements that deserve recognition. So, your input and vote is very important.

    The BOF winners will be recognized on Sept. 26 at the Crown Coliseum Complex. The Best of the Best will congregate to celebrate their achievements and contributions to our community. This will begin their 24/7, 365-day exposure in the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community with a year-long marketing and promotion campaign and a presence on our official Best of Fayetteville section at www.upandcomingweekly.com.

    Last and certainly, not least, our BOF sponsors reflect the high standards required to maintain the integrity of this 26-year-old tradition. Proudly, the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and Utley & Knowles CPAs have been BOF supporters and participants from the beginning. Since then we have associated ourselves with businesses that, through their reputations and historic deeds and actions, have proven to be great role models for what it means to be the Best of the Best. These are the Beasley Media Group, Crown Coliseum, Steve Milburn’s UPS Stores, and Transworld Business Advisors.

    Now, it's up to you. VOTE: Best of Fayetteville! And thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • 16a The ability to retire with financial security is a goal for millions of people across the globe. Though people may stop working in retirement, many of their existing bills, and even some new ones, will still need to be paid.

    Retirement is often imagined as a time of unbridled financial freedom, but that’s only possible when individuals, including young professionals, prioritize planning for the day when they call it quits.

    Retirement accounts and plans are a popular way to save for life after working. Individuals have various retirement plan options at their disposal, and each is unique in its own way.

    An Individual Retirement Account is a tax-advantaged way to save for retirement. Anyone with earned income can open an IRA. Money deposited into an IRA cannot be withdrawn prior to account holders reaching 59.5 years of age without incurring a steep tax penalty of 10%.

    There are limits to how much individuals can deposit into an IRA. In addition, there are different types of IRAs, including traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, Payroll Deduction IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs.

    Each has its rules regarding taxes, eligibility and withdrawals, and individuals are urged to discuss which type of IRA is best for them with a financial professional. A 401(k) is another tax-advantaged retirement account typically offered through an employer, though self-employed individuals can enroll in a Solo 401(k) plan.

    When enrolled in a 401(k) plan, employees will have a portion of each paycheck direct deposited into a long-term investment account. Contributions to a 401(k) are made pre-tax, which saves account holders a considerable sum of money so long as they continue to make contributions. One significant advantage to 401(k) plans is that many employers will match contributions up to a certain percentage.

    For example, some may match up to 2%, so employees who contribute 2% or more will actually be depositing no less than 4% of their income each week into their 401(k) accounts. Perhaps most beneficial is that employer matches do not count toward the annual 401(k) contribution limits.

    A Simplified Employee Pension Plan is typically established by a small business owner or self-employed individual. However, small business owners can set them up for their employees as well. Contributions to an SEP will reduce taxable income, and the money will grow tax-deferred.

    Individuals enrolled in an SEP will only pay taxes on the money upon withdrawal. One of the advantages to an SEP is it has significantly higher contribution limits. However, SEPs are employer contribution only, so they rely a lot on employers’ available cash.

    No retirement accounts are the same. Individuals are urged to conduct their own research and choose the plan that best suits their needs.

  • 15bUnderstanding how the heart works can help people become more attuned to their personal health and wellness.

    For example, recognition of the importance of heart rate may shed light on aspects of heart health that people may otherwise never think about.

    According to HealthDirect, heart rate, or pulse, is the number of times the heart beats per minute. A resting heart rate refers to the heart rate when one is relaxed, sitting down or lying down.

    For normal, healthy adults, a resting heart rate ranges between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
    The American Heart Association indicates that resting heart rate is the heart pumping the lowest amount of blood needed because the body is not exerting itself.

    A lower resting heart rate is common among people who are very physically fit — sometimes as low as 40 bpm. This results from the heart muscle being very athletic and not having to work very hard to maintain a steady beat.

    Resting heart rate differs according to age. Verywell Health says babies and children have higher resting heart rates because their hearts are smaller.

    Resting heart rate will gradually decrease until about age 10, at which point it stabilizes through adulthood. Here’s the expected resting heart rates based on age.

    • 0-1 month: 70-190 bpm
    • 1-11 months: 80-160 bpm
    • 1-2 years: 80-130 bpm
    • 3-4 years: 80-120 bpm
    • 5-6 years: 75-115 bpm
    • 7-9 years: 70-110 bpm
    • 10 years+: 60-100 bpm
    • Athlete: 40-60 bpm

    Knowing one’s typical resting heart rate can help people stay apprised of their personal health. A lower-than normal resting heart (bradycardia) could indicate a congenital heart defect, a heart blockage, heart damage, or abnormally high blood calcium. It also may indicate hypothyroidism, hypothermia or other conditions.

    A higher resting heart rate (tachycardia) may suggest other issues, such as anemia, obesity, dehydration, fever, heart failure, hyperthyroidism, or overconsumption of stimulants like caffeine or nicotine.

    Resting heart rate is not directly linked to blood pressure and is not an indication of blood pressure problems.

    Heart rate is measured on the inside of the wrist or on the artery in the neck at the base of the jaw. Pulse should be counted for 30 seconds and then multiplied by two to find beats per minute.
    Individuals should keep in mind that air temperature, body position, emotions, body size, and medication use can affect heart rate.

    Checking heart rate several times can provide a more accurate perception of resting heart rate. Any concerns should be discussed with a doctor.

  • 14cJoin the Fayetteville After Five audience on June 9 at Festival Park for a free Friday night concert featuring music, food and fun. The venue is located at 335 Ray Avenue.

    Two bands will be performing: Honeysickle and On the Border, The Ultimate Eagles Tribute band. In addition, there will also be several food trucks for ordering food.

    The gates open at 5 p.m., with Honeysickle performing at 6 p.m. On the Border starts at 8 p.m., with the music ending around 10:30 p.m. Admission is free.

    Fayetteville After Five happens on the second Friday of June, July and August. The concert is outside, and guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the family-friendly event.

    Canopies, coolers, outside food, beverages are prohibited (food and beverages can be purchased from the various food trucks). Service dogs are welcome. The concert is scheduled to begin with Honeysickle, based out of Wilmington. The band performs rock 'n' roll rooted in deep southern funk and blues.

    Honeysickle describes their sound as “gritty, funky and raw.” Their sound will have you jamming right along with them. On the Border is billed as The Ultimate Eagles Tribute band and will close the show. On the Border will cover all the Eagles’ big hits from “Life in the Fast Lane,” “Desperado,” “Heartache Tonight,” “Lyin' Eyes,” and many more.

    In 2015 they were invited to appear on AXS TV’s hit show, “The World's Greatest Tribute Bands.” If you’re a fan of the Eagles or enjoy classic rock and timeless music, mark your calendar for June 9 at Festival Park.

    While you enjoy the music, you can go on a culinary adventure with various food trucks that will be present at the event. Treat yourself while exploring food from Drizzle D's Donuts, which offers artisan donuts; Lee's Kitchen with its savory Jamaican and southern soul food; Asadito, is bringing Argentinean cuisine; and Steel Smokin is known for its tasty BBQ.

    For more information about Fayetteville After Five visit www.thedogwoodfestival.com/fayetteville-after-five.

  • 8In a presentation Thursday, May 25 Cumberland County administrators recommended to the Board of Commissioners a $566.9 million budget for the next fiscal year with no changes in the property tax rate.

    But the plan also calls for more than doubling the solid waste fee.

    The proposed budget is more than last year’s spending of $553.7 million, with an increase of $13.2 million. Actual spending for this fiscal year, however, is projected to land at $520.5 million by June 30, the end of fiscal year 2023. County Manager Clarence Grier, in his first budget presentation to the board since being hired earlier this year, said the economic challenges the county will face next year will be similar to that seen in the recent past.

    “As we look at the economic outlook and aftermath of COVID-19, we continue to face some ongoing challenges and concerns such as the opioid addiction, mental health, upheaval due to the great resignation and wage growth that has caused inflation and supply-chain issues,” Grier said.

    Solid waste fee increase

    While no property tax increase is recommended in the 2024 budget, the county staff recommended increasing the solid waste fee from the current $56 to $130, a move that the county projects will generate $7.1 million in revenue. The solid waste fee is what the county uses to operate its landfills.

    The county is also recommending increases in landfill tipping fees, a measure projected to generate $254,000 a year.

    Beyond generating revenue, Grier said the increases will help finance construction and maintenance projects that will increase capacity at county landfills. The increases also, Grier said, will put Cumberland County more in line with neighboring counties.

    “Tipping fees are the lowest in our region of any other county around us,” Grier said. “You can prevent others from bringing their waste to our landfills as we’re trying to expand the capacity.”

    School funding

    In the recommended budget, the county has allocated $87.5 million for Cumberland County Schools, a $3.2 million increase over last year. But it is lower than the $88.2 million that the Board of Education requested last month, CityView reported.

    As for Fayetteville Technical Community College, the county is recommending funding of $15.4 million, up $1.2 million from last year but lower than the $16 million requested.

    Crown Center funding

    Earlier this month, the county unveiled the design for its $131.7 million Crown Event Center, a multipurpose center in downtown Fayetteville that’s set to replace the Crown Theater and Arena, CityView reported.
    Revenue from the food and beverage tax and the occupancy tax in the recommended budget will be used to finance that project.

    The event center is set to open by November 2025.

    Next steps

    The commissioners did not ask any questions following Grier’s presentation, but the board is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. June 1 in Room 564 of the Cumberland County Courthouse for a work session on the budget.

    A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 7 in Room 118 at the courthouse.

  • 13The Spring Lake Family Support Services, also known as “The Kinsey House”, is a nonprofit organization located in the heart of Spring Lake. It’s a support services organization with the mission to reach families, restore community, renew minds & rise strong together.

    They are hosting their first ever Community Health Fair, partnering with Goshen Medical Center, as well as other services and vendors to serve the community from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday June 3. The event is located at First Presbyterian Church, right up the street from The Kinsey House. Attendees will be able to get medical screenings, information on dental health and pediatrics, as well as knowledge on pharmacies and internal medicine.

    There will be dental consultants, legal aid advisors, breast exams, and COVID testing available. Several health-related needs can be addressed at the upcoming health fair, giving the community a personal experience with health experts. Health assessments will be available to the homeless for $1. The cost will be on a sliding scale for others.

    Up & Coming Weekly had a chance to talk with CEO and Founder Debora Hudson, as well as Office Manager Sandy Woltmann, to discuss what their mission is and how much this event means to the community.

    It’s no secret that access to affordable healthcare is a nationwide issue. When speaking with them, they said they’ve noticed that a lot of people in general don’t go to the doctor. A lot of people do not have insurance, and some people who have insurance don’t go, because they can’t afford the co-pays.

    Hudson says, “I think a mobile unit set up with other vendors, food trucks, and music makes it more comfortable for people to come and do what they need to do to be seen. It opens the doors for them to be a little bit more personable with the medical team that’s coming. The Rape Crisis Center will be here. Medicare, Legal Aid, Action Pathways, the foster care division from DSS, Blue Cross Blue Shield, CPR demonstrations. All these things relate to the health of the community.”

    The Kinsey House was created out of a vision to meet needs that have been overlooked for far too long. The nonprofit managers pride themselves on looking for and intentionally seeking out ways to provide these needs to the community.

    Spring Lake is separate from Fayetteville, making the SLFSS the only “homeless shelter” or organization that can provide support services for those in need, in the city of Spring Lake. 13a

    “We thrive on mental health, physical health, emotional health, just meeting people where they are,” says Hudson. “We try our best to make sure that the community is in tune and connected to all services available to them, because people don't know a lot of the services that are out there. So, we just want to educate them of what's out there that will benefit them.”

    The Kinsey House itself, located at 126 N 1st Street in Spring Lake, is currently under renovation, but will feature a computer lab, laundry services, and hygiene care for the homeless and those in need.
    Other programs offered through the nonprofit include: Hearts of H.O.P.E for domestic violence victims, A Path 4Word for mentoring and tutoring, and Barbara’s Closet of Blessings for those in need of clothes in the community.

    Their most recent event, which they plan to do every 3 to 4 months, is called Laundry Love Day. Gone are the days where you can go to a laundromat and do loads for quarters. Loads can cost as much as $4.50 each, at laundromats today, costing a family of four nearly $50 a trip. With the start of this event, the SLFSS was able to support several families. It was a need they didn’t know was so widespread in the community.

    “We go to our local laundromat, and we load up all the machines and the dryers so people can use them,” says Hudson. “We bring laundry detergent and people can do their laundry for free within that time frame. We also serve coffee and water along with snacks and for people in line. And then we just talk to them, to see what their needs are, tell them what we offer and how we want to help the community.”

    It’s clear to see that the Spring Lake Family Support Services has the best interest of people in the community at heart. They serve as an essential support system to many in need in Spring Lake through the variety of services offered.

    Although they have several opportunities scheduled for the June event, Hudson says they hope to have another Health Fair in September on a much larger scale. The goal is to accommodate even more people.
    They also plan to have another Laundry Love Day as soon as they can get it organized.

    In the meantime, be sure not to miss their first Community Health Fair on June 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church.

    The Rain Date is scheduled for June 10 in case of inclement weather.

    For more information on how you can help and donate to the The Kinsey House, visit www.thekinseyhouse.org or call 910-584-7160. They can also be reached via email at springlakefamilyservice@gmail.com.

     

  • 17a Since 1945, North Carolina Wildlife Federation has worked for all wildlife and habitats, bringing together outdoor enthusiasts, hunters and anglers, government and industry to protect the state’s natural resources.
    Their work is centered around conserving wildlife, restoring habitats, connecting people with nature, conservation policy, climate resiliency and celebrating conservation.

    “Celebrating Conservation” season is open now, with statewide calls of the wild for conservation award nominations, college scholarship applications and wildlife photo submissions.

    Conservation Award Nominations

    NCWF seeks conservation heroes from across the state for its 59th annual Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards. The prestigious awards have honored individuals, associations, businesses, and governmental bodies that have exhibited an unwavering commitment to conserving North Carolina’s natural resources.

    Citizens nominate conservation leaders, professionals and volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. A committee of scientists, environmental educators and conservation activists select award winners.

    The online nomination deadline is June 15 at 6:00 p.m. Award recipients will be honored at a banquet on Sept. 9. Categories include Conservationist, Wildlife Conservationist, Sportsman or Sportswoman, Land Conservationist, Water Conservationist, Forest Conservationist, Marine Resources, Environmental Educator, Young Conservationist, Legislator, Conservation Organization, Business Conservationist, and Natural Resources Agency or Scientist of the Year.

    College Scholarship Applications

    Since the 1970s, NCWF has awarded scholarships to college students studying and working in the wildlife and conservation fields. Applicants must be enrolled full-time at an accredited North Carolina college or university with a major related to wildlife, fisheries, forestry, natural resources, conservation or environmental studies.

    NCWF will provide up to seven grants, which may include one $2,500 Conservation Leadership grant for a student of outstanding merit. Socio-economic elements, extra-curricular involvement and academic performance all impact final decisions.

    Students must submit scholarship applications and supporting documents online by June 16.

    Visit NCWF’s scholarship page to learn more or apply. For questions, email Lacy Kegley at lacy@ncwf.org.

    Wildlife Photography Contest

    NCWF’s 5th Annual Wildlife Photography Contest for professional, amateur and youth photographers runs from July 1 through September 1. Images must be taken in North Carolina and highlight the beauty of the state’s nature and wildlife, whether in a backyard or across the state. Categories are Carolina Critters, People in Nature, Scenes of North Carolina and Pollinators & Insects (new category).

    Entry donations start at $15 for 12 photos (3 images max per category), with all proceeds supporting the conservation and restoration of wildlife and habitat in North Carolina. Visit NCWF’s photo contest page for entry requirements and contest rules. Photographers can submit entries electronically from July 1 through Sept. 1. Email photos@ncwf.org for questions.

    To learn more about the North Carolina Wildlife Federation visit https://ncwf.org/ or call 803-608-0019.

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