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  • 13 Hope Mills Shred LitterGet your unwanted documents together and dress for cleanup duty. The town of Hope Mills is holding its biannual shredding and litter sweep events. Stormwater supervisor Beth Brown said Sept. 21 has been designated as the day the town will offer free shredding of sensitive documents while inviting townspeople to volunteer to help spruce up neighboring streets by picking up litter.

    There will not be a hazardous household waste cleanup. That was held in the spring, and Brown said it’s too costly to do more than once a year. “That event is typically between $20,000-30,000,’’ she said.

    Not many people requested a repeat on the hazardous waste cleanup, Brown said, but they did on the shredding event. “We feel it’s easier to do in coordination with another event like the litter sweep,’’ she said.

    The goal of the shredding event is to provide the community with a chance to dispose of any kind of paper waste and get rid of it in a manner that is environmentally friendly and appropriate.

    Just about anything related to paper products is acceptable except large binder clips, Brown said. Paper clips and staples can be left in documents and will be shredded.

    The public can also bring computer disks, both CD and DVD types, along with the old-style floppy disks. “We did collect some of those during the spring,’’ she said of the floppy disks.

    One thing everyone bringing documents for shredding needs to know is the shredding will not take place on site when the materials are dropped off. Everything will be collected and placed in locked containers that will be locked in town hall over the weekend.

    The Monday following the shred event, the company doing the shredding will pick up all the material and transport it to Raleigh to be shredded. Brown said some people were upset last year when they were unable to watch their documents being shredded.

    “The service is as secure to use as if it was shredded on our site,’’ she said.

    While the shred event will be going on at town hall in the customer parking lot, the litter sweep will begin at the Parks and Recreation Department.

    Brown said maps will be available and volunteers can pick an area of town where they would like to clean up. They can choose a designated area or clean up anywhere within the town limits.

    The town will provide gloves, trash bags and tools to pick up the trash with along with safety vests. The vests and tools need to be returned when done. 

    Children are welcome to take part in the litter sweep, but any child under the age of 18 must be supervised by a parent or guardian as a safety precaution.

    Brown said this litter sweep is important because it will be the final one before Ole Mill Days on Saturday, Oct. 5, with major activities scheduled at town hall and municipal park.

    Anyone with questions about the shred event should call 910-424-4555. For questions about the litter sweep, call 910-426-4109.

  •  08 Mamma Mia 2Get ready to have those upbeat ABBA disco ditties rollicking around in your head once again as Cape Fear Regional Theater brings “Mamma Mia!” to town … with a twist. Opening Sept. 12, and running through Oct. 6, the production promises to be a party for all. With music and lyrics by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and the book by Catherine Johnson, “Mamma Mia!” will be directed by Suzanne Agins and choreographed by Ryan Migge. 

     Audiences can look forward to a few twists — and some bonus content — in CFRT’s production of the story of a soon-to-be-married 20-year-old who writes to three men from her mother’s past, inviting them to her wedding to find out which one is her father. “When ‘Mamma Mia!’ was first performed in 1999, 20 years ago was the 70s,” said Agins. “Twenty years ago now is the 90s.” 

     This will be Agins’ third time directing a CFRT production, having previously directed “Dreamgirls” and “Memphis.” “It is such a joy to form these relationships over time,” Agins said of her experience working with CFRT casts, which also include many local actors and actresses. 

    Migge is a self-styled “Cape Fear virgin” as this will be his first time choreographing a CFRT production. “I am especially excited to be teaching Waterloo,” Migge said, referring to Megamix Night Sept. 9, from 6-7 p.m., when theatergoers will have the opportunity pre-show to learn the choreography for the show’s finale so that they can “dance in the aisles with the cast.”

     “We are bringing back the onstage bar featured in ‘Music City,’” said Agins. “It was such an immersive experience with the audience, which made the energy level so high, and it carried over to the show.”

     Joanne Javien will play Donna, the bride’s mother. She studied opera in college in New York and has been acting for over 15 years. Nicki Hart will play Rosie, Donna’s friend. Hart came to Fayetteville as a military spouse in 2000 and has appeared in CFRT productions ever since, her most recent appearance being in “Music City.” Heather Setzler will play Tanya, another friend of Donna’s. Although she worked in TV news for 20 years and has appeared in Wilmington and Raleigh theater, this will be her first appearance on the CFRT stage. 

     Sarah Harris, costume designer for “Annie,” will design the set for “Mamma Mia!” Costumes will be designed by Claudia Stephens, who was CFRT Artistic Director Mary Kate Burke’s professor at Southern Methodist University and previously designed the costumes for “Sense and Sensibility.” Costume associate, Janice Rabian will assist Stephens. Zeke Smith will direct the same band of local musicians who played for last season’s “Memphis.” 

     In addition to Megamix Night, there will be other events associated with “Mamma Mia!” For Greek Night on Sept. 12, from 6:30-7:15 p.m., patrons are encouraged to wear their letters and enjoy complimentary wine tasting before the show. For 70s Night, on Sept. 13 and 27, from 6:30-7:15 p.m., come dressed in 70s attire and enjoy the onstage bar and some groovy tunes. Opening Night Dance Party takes place on Sept. 14, beginning after the show at 10 p.m. Sept. 18 is Military Appreciation Night and Sept. 20 is Teacher Appreciation Night; both feature a 25% ticket discount with appropriate ID. 

     Don’t miss “Mamma Mia!” — the party that kicks off CFRT’s 2019-2020 season. For performance dates, times and ticket prices, visit the CFRT website at www.CFRT.org. 

  • 06 District Man Protest copyBecause the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled federal courts aren’t the place to settle partisan gerrymandering disputes, opponents of North Carolina’s district maps took their case to state courts and won. The state Democratic Party persuaded a three-judge panel that Republican-drawn General Assembly districts discriminated against Democrats based on their political beliefs and voting history. They argued that gerrymandered district lines violated the North Carolina Constitution, not the U.S. Constitution.

    With the panel’s ruling last week, Tar Heel political maps for the state legislature are unconstitutional and must be redrawn before the 2020 elections, the court decided. Cumberland County is among the districts likely to benefit from the change. The judges found that “The North Carolina Supreme Court has consistently held that ‘our government is founded on the will of the people,’ that their will is expressed by the ballot.” The district maps were drawn in 2017 to replace maps drawn in 2011, that had also been ruled unconstitutional. Both sets of maps were drawn by North Carolina’s Republican-led legislature. That fact helped the judges conclude that the revised district lines violated the state constitution because “it is the carefully crafted maps, and not the will of the voters, that dictate the election outcomes in a significant number of legislative districts.”

    The decision may be the final word in this lengthy legal battle because at least one top Republican lawmaker said he doesn’t plan to appeal the ruling. 

    “This is an historic victory for the people of North Carolina,” said Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, one of the groups that sued to overturn the maps. “The court has made clear that partisan gerrymandering violates our state’s constitution and is unacceptable.” 

    The panel, which consisted of two Democrats and a Republican, was unanimous in its ruling. 

    After the loss, Republican Senate leader Phil Berger said he wouldn’t appeal and would instead start drawing new maps. “Nearly a decade of relentless litigation has strained the legitimacy of this state’s institutions, and the relationship between its leaders, to the breaking point. It’s time to move on,” he said. Wayne Goodwin, chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party, criticized Republicans for the maps, which were overturned on partisan grounds, as well as the 2011 maps that were overturned on racial grounds. 

     “From targeting people based on their race to dividing them based on their political beliefs, Republicans for a decade have rigged our state and silenced voters to cling desperately to power,” he said.
    The court gave the legislature until Sept. 18, to draw new district maps. The judges told lawmakers they would reschedule the elections in 2020 if the legislature can’t come up with new maps in time. “The Court retains jurisdiction to move the primary date for the General Assembly elections, or all of the State’s 2020 primaries, including for offices other than the General Assembly, should doing so become necessary to provide effective relief in this case,” the ruling said.

  • 05 01 reenlistThe Army is offering larger bonuses to soldiers who reenlist under its selective retention bonus program to fill critical career fields. This most recent military personnel message is significant in that it raises the maximum bonus from $72,000 to roughly $81,000. “If a soldier wants to reenlist for only three years, they’re actually going to get less money” than before, said Sgt. Maj. Mark Thompson, the senior Army career counselor. “We’re still giving them an incentive, but they’ll get more if they give more.” 

    The Army is offering the maximum reenlistment bonus to qualified soldiers in Special Forces, cyber operations, intelligence and explosive ordnance disposal. “A good example is a tier-three 11B Infantryman,” said Lt. Col. Junel Jeffrey, a spokeswoman for the Army’s assistant secretary of manpower. 

    According to a service release, a cavalry scout sergeant used to get $7,800 for a six-year reenlistment. The new bonus is $9,900. A soldier in the 18X Special Forces series of career fields with 6-12 years on active duty with the rank of staff sergeant or sergeant first class who reenlists for 60 months or more, could receive the $81,000 lump-sum bonus. Although retention is at a historic high — with 82% of eligible soldiers having already reenlisted this fiscal year — the Army still needs to fill certain fields, the service said in a news release. 

    Fort Bragg combat victims honored for their bravery 

    05 02 dustin wright The Silver Star medal was presented last month to the parents of Green Beret Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright, who gave his life to protect his comrades while outgunned and under fire during an Oct. 2017 ambush in Niger. Showing disregard for his personal safety, the 29-year-old crossed open terrain under intense enemy fire to protect and recover two fallen comrades. “His courage and dedication to his team were unmatched,” said Capt. Rick Dickson, a spokesman for 3rd Special Forces Group, reading the citation in a public ceremony at Wright’s hometown about 80 miles west of Savannah’s Hunter Army Airfield. 

    The head of 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) Maj. Gen. John Deedrick presented the medal. Wright, along with Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, 35, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, 39, and Sgt. La David Johnson, 25, all with 3rd Special Forces Group, were killed outside a rural West African village near Niger’s border with Mali. “He was the epitome of a Green Beret,” Deedrick said of Wright. “He gave his life protecting his teammates.” 

    More than 100 fighters ambushed the team of some 40 Green Berets, support soldiers and Nigerien troops. The Pentagon announced it would award nine valor medals for heroic actions undertaken during the six-hour firefight, in which two other U.S. soldiers were wounded and four Nigeriens killed.

    FTCC provides business start-up courses 

    05 03starting a businessA veteran-to-CEO course, which began Sept. 3 at Fayetteville Technical Community College, covers key steps for business startup and highlights specially funded franchise opportunities available exclusively to veterans through the Veteran’s Entrepreneurship Loan Program. Participants who complete the program will have an opportunity to pitch their business ideas during competition planned for Nov. 1 and 2. Also, the FTCC Small Business Center has joined with the Brian Hamilton Foundation and the Greater Fayetteville Chamber to provide MilSpouse Starter U, free online training for military spouses interested in starting a business. “We are excited about the opportunity to be involved in presenting these classes at no cost to our veterans and military spouses who pursue entrepreneurship,” said FTCC President Dr. Larry Keen. 

    “By building a business that can move with them, military spouses minimize the disruption of important financial contributions to the family,” said Kent Hill, Director of the Center for Small Business at FTCC. 

    A prime catering service has evolved into Fayetteville’s newest venue: The Vine 

    05 04 Two BrothersBrad McLawhorn and Kelley McLawhorn are brothers. They love to cook. A few years ago, they went into business together and formed Two Bothers Catering. The McLawhorns cater everything from country breakfasts to hand-cut prime rib. Sept. 11 was the grand opening date of The Vine, the newest wedding and banquet facility to open in Fayetteville at 806 Katie St., which is off Owen Drive just beyond Cumberland Road. Its service area also includes Pinehurst, Raeford and Hope Mills. The Vine, along with Two Brothers Catering, is a premier full-service provider. The Vine specializes in weddings, social events, parties, school and company events. The venue provided a free lunch buffet for first responders plus active duty and retired members of the armed forces on Sept. 11. 

    Rural fire department building new firehouse

    Gray’s Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Cumberland County Station 18, has begun construction of a fire station to replace its 47-year-old building. There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 5 to 05 05 Fire Enginecommemorate construction of the new station across from the current facility at 7010 Fire Department Rd., off NC-87 southeast of Fayetteville. The new 16,000-square-foot building will sit on seven acres of land. It will be three times the size of the existing firehouse. The fire department received a $2 million, 40-year loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development fund to finance the building, which is expected to be complete by March 2020. 

  • 12 FTCC YESFayetteville Technical Community College recently reinstated the Male Mentoring Success initiative, or MMSI, and Y.E.S., which stand for You+Effort=Success, initiative. MMSI is an empowering and engaging coaching program intended to provide diverse male students with support and guidance and a system-wide effort to enhance and strengthen male student outcomes by encouraging participation and collaboration among student participants and institutional departments within the North Carolina Community College System. The primary goals of MMSI are to increase success of male students, maximize student and campus activities participation and increase program effectiveness and efficiency. 

     FTCC’s goal for MMSI is to close the educational attainment gap for the under-represented and underserved male population through a student-centered early alert and advising system model. This strategic and systematic approach incorporates mentoring and coaching to enhance access, achievement and success among underrepresented male students. Mentoring provides potential that can benefit males, particularly in higher education, when they may need social and academic support. Students have opportunities to acquire academic skills, values and behaviors as well as form relationships with adults and peers who can profoundly affect their personal and academic development. Students who are first-generation college students and who have few or no family members who can relate to their college experience can benefit from mentoring and coaching. The Y.E.S. initiative is successful in meeting these objectives. 

     Male Mentoring Coach Roderick Gooden has been instrumental in forging and sustaining meaningful relationships with students. Roderick facilitates a holistic, multidimensional deliberate coaching initiative with his efforts, providing curricular and co-curricular events aimed toward encouraging student learning and addressing unique academic and psychosocial needs of underserved and underrepresented students. The Y.E.S. initiative at FTCC has allowed students to participate and attend student-centered support meetings and workshops, college tours at four-year institutions, dress-to-impress events, college-sponsored activities and events and national summits. 

     Through the Y.E.S. initiative, FTCC promotes a successful student learning experience for underserved student populations. Improving the persistence and graduation possibilities of the college’s male population is a priority that can lead to students achieving their academic goals and pursuing a career. “It is incumbent upon me to promote a successful college experience for male students that will provide opportunities for them to become productive members of our community,” said Roderick Gooden. 

    Dr. DeSandra Washington added, “The Y.E.S. initiative gives students opportunities to be supportive, cultivate relationships with fellow peers and receive resources to navigate their educational journeys. It is refreshing to witness the growth and maturity of students associated with this program. This is becoming one of the most beneficial initiatives at FTCC — to help improve the overall life of male students, not only academically, but socially and emotionally.” 

    Fayetteville Tech is pleased to implement the Y.E.S. initiative as a means of being proactive in responding to the needs of students and addressing potential barriers that may impede academic progress or cause a student to give up. For more information, visit the Fayetteville, Spring Lake, or Fort Bragg campus locations or
    www.faytechcc.edu. 

  • 10 IMG 5137It was two years ago in August that Jimmy Blackmon began having problems with one of his hands. Later, he lost control of the left side of his body, then the right. The diagnosis was Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS.

    The disease advanced, upending life for Blackmon’s family and putting him a risk of not being able to see his daughter, Taylor Blackmon, walk across the stage next year at Cape Fear High School and get her diploma.

    But that all changed because of a series of events involving caregivers, counselors and hundreds of people Blackmon and his family don’t even know.

    Susan Tally, a nurse with 3HC Hospice who has been helping care for Blackmon, approached Cape Fear guidance counselor Kimberli Mayo. Tally told Mayo of the situation Jimmy Blackmon was facing and his desire to see Taylor graduate.

    Mayo went to Brian Edkins, who is in his first year as principal at Cape Fear after previously serving at South View and Scotland High Schools.

    The story touched a heartstring with Edkins, who lost his mother in August of his senior year in high school. “I said, “Man I wish my mother could have seen me graduate,’” Edkins said. Edkins requested a meeting with Cumberland County Schools superintendent Dr. Marvin Connelly Jr., himself a recent cancer survivor.

    He told Connelly the story about Blackmon’s battle with ALS, about having a daughter with superb academic standing who might not be able to have her dad watch her graduate.

    Edkins wanted permission to hold a mock graduation, or graduation practice, whatever Connelly would like to call it. “I give Dr. Connelly credit,’’ Edkins said. “He didn’t bat an eye. He didn’t hesitate.’’

    Once he had permission, Edkins had no trouble pulling the event together. “As we started to plan and talk to people, it continued to grow and grow,” he said. The love ofthe school and community for a Cape Fear family member caused everyone involved to want to make the night special.

    Band director Michael Williams and choral director Jason Britt got behind it, as did the Cape Fear Naval JROTC detachment. Marty King, a Cape Fear teacher who does professional makeup on the side, did Taylor’s makeup for the evening. King lost her mother to ALS at a young age.

    Edkins sent out emails inviting members of the Board of Education and the Cumberland County Schools cabinet. To his surprise, 80% of them, including Dr. Connelly, showed up. Edkins also invited Taylor’s senior classmates. At least half of them showed up.

    Adding a further boost to the crowd in the Cape Fear auditorium that Thursday evening about two weeks ago, Colt athletic teams who were practicing outdoors cut their workouts short and came into the auditorium for the ceremony. The Cape Fear cheerleaders also assembled and sat together.

    “We presented the colors, the band played the national anthem, we recognized the board members, we gave them the whole graduation,’’ Edkins said.

    A carnation is given to graduates to present to someone who helped them reach their goal. Taylor gave one to her mother and one to her dad. “It was amazing and special, standing back and watching her dad receive his carnation,’’ Edkins said. 

    Angela Blackmon, Jimmy Blackmon’s wife, was also impressed. “It was amazing the outpouring of what he was able to accomplish in a week,’’ she said of Edkins.

    She was also moved by Connelly, who attended the ceremony and gave a lengthy speech. “People say that’s the most he’s spoken in a long time,’’ she said of Connelly, who only recently returned to full-time work after beating throat cancer. “That he went to those lengths to give a speech like he would at a regular graduation was very sweet,’’ Blackmon said.

    Angela Blackmon said her daughter plans to attend UNC-Pembroke and study nursing. But her graduation from Cape Fear next year will be hard-pressed to top the one she had earlier this month.

    “I’m so grateful and thankful they put that together for him (Taylor’s father) so he could see her in her cap and gown,’’ Angela Blackmon said. 

  • 19 01 Susan BradySusan Brady is in her first year as girls tennis coach at Terry Sanford High School. Even though she hasn’t been there long, she appreciates the school’s rich tradition in the sport, with multiple singles, doubles and state team champions.

    “There’s always pressure,’’ said Brady, a veteran of United States Tennis Association league play through Highland Country Club where she’s competed for state titles and beyond over the last 12 years.

    But her biggest concern is making sure she can handle the basics of coaching with this team when it’s needed, teaching players who need structure or help with groundstrokes or other shots.

    Fortunately for Brady this team is pretty sound fundamentally, as it earned the No. 7 ranking statewide in the North Carolina High School Tennis Coaches Association first 3-A poll of the season.

    Playing No. 1 singles is senior Katy Beasley, who is also a captain. Brady calls her steady and a motivator for her teammates. “One of the things I love about her is she doesn’t give up,’’ Brady said. “She digs deep no matter what. She has this fight in her that’s essential on the court.’’

    Beasley feels her strong points are a slice that catches a lot of her opponents off guard and her ability to move her opponents around the court. As for her being labeled a fighter on the court, Beasley thinks that comes from her refusal to accept a match is ever over. “You can turn it around at any point,’’ she said. “I think that’s a good part of how I play. I play for the point rather than the whole match.’’

    19 02 Katy BeasleyAt No. 2 singles is MaryAnna Stiles, a sophomore. While Brady called Stiles one of the sweetest young women she’s ever met, she said she brings an intimidating game face to the court and never loses her cool. “She’s incredibly consistent and fun to watch,’’ Brady said.

    No. 3 is Lauren McDonough. McDonough’s game is marked by great groundstrokes and good placement. “She is a good tennis thinker,’’ Brady said. “I can see her setting up shots. Her goal is she wants to win her match and be the first one off the court.’’

    The No. 4 player is Caroline Beasley. Brady calls her the life of the tennis party with her bubbly personality. “She keeps us laughing and on our toes,’’ Brady said. But on the court, Beasley takes no prisoners, Brady said. “Her groundstrokes are some of the hardest I’ve ever seen,’’ she said. 

    At No. 5 singles is Emily Stone. Brady said you can tell from watching Stone she played tennis from a young age. “Her strokes are great and she’s very solid,’’ Brady said. “She brings a lot to the court.’’

    The Bulldogs are 3-0 this season through Tuesday, Sept. 3. 

    Pictured from top to bottom: Susan Brady, Katy Beasley

  • 14 emergency 1For the first time, the town of Hope Mills is offering CPR training to two groups of people who can really benefit from it, babysitters and new parents of small children and infants.

    Kasey Ivey of the Parks and Recreation Department said the idea was presented to her by Jamie Krusinski, a registered nurse and certified CPR instructor.

    In addition to basic CPR training, topics including clearing obstructed airways and working with AEDs will be covered.

     “There are a lot of similar things, but some are just geared toward the two different groups of people,’’ Ivey said. 

    Ivey said Krusinski will bring an AED to the training sessions to show both the babysitters and the parents how it works and how to operate it.

    An important part of the AED training is to teach everyone, especially the younger people, not to be afraid of the AED and to understand it can save a person’s life.

     Ivey said the entire program was designed by Krusinski. Each class will be limited to a maximum of nine participants. Each class is self-contained, not a series, so you only have to go to one to get the full effect of the training.

     “It’s the first time we are trying this so we will see how it goes,’’ Ivey said.

     She added it’s important for the town to offer this kind of training. “It’s a life skill,’’ she said. “It can be used in so many different settings. It’s an important thing to help strengthen the community with lifelong learning.’’

    Ivey said she’s been certified in CPR since 2006. “To have that basic knowledge and skill set between the time an incident occurs and before emergency personnel get there is critical time when you could save someone’s life, if you have the knowledge and skill,’’ she said.

    All those completing one of the programs will get a two-year certificate in CPR through the American Heart Association. They will have to repeat the training once the certificate expires to be certified again.

    A minimum of two people must sign up for a class to be held.

    For the new parent class the cost is $65 per person or $60 each if both parents or guardians attend. The cost for the babysitter class is $75 per person. There is an age limit of 11 and up for the baby sitter class.

    The babysitter classes will all be on Saturdays, Oct. 12, Oct. 19, Nov. 2 and Nov. 9 from 1-4 p.m. each day.

    New parent classes are the same days with hours from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

    For questions contact Ivey at Hope Mills Parks and Recreation, 910-426-4109.

  • Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch Official PortraitA good question with no simple answer. However, better days are on the horizon. The Hope Mills political discourse is just a mini reflection of the crazy leadership style germinating in Washington, D.C., and negatively influencing governments at all levels. 

    It’s the trickle-down effect from the nation’s capital to North Carolina to Fayetteville and yes, even to lovely and quaint communities like Hope Mills. Unfortunately, at all levels of government, communication and conversation has become cheap and mean-spirited. We are dealing with all this discourse instead of our elected officials serving the people, enforcing the law, solving problems, upholding the Constitution and protecting American values. 

    Not to oversimplify this serious situation, but my theory is that it all comes down to incompetent and lazy leadership. It’s a toxic political phenomenon that has impregnated all political parties. In other words, political opportunists figured out the “how” to getting elected to office, but beyond that, they are ignorant and unqualified and have no idea what their responsibilities or obligations are. Nor do they care. 

    As a result, instead of problem-solving, innovative thinking and civility, these political leadership posers have only one agenda and modus operandi — to remain in office by destroying their enemies at all costs. Logic be damned. Truth be damned. Humanity be damned. 

    This reckless and inflammatory rhetoric is accelerated by the fact that too many of these political ne’er do wells and opportunists have no answers or solutions to the problems they are charged with addressing. Even more alarming is that they have no plan, vision or targeted objective except to get elected and reelected. And, that is exactly what is taking place in Hope Mills. 

    Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner is one of the most respected, accomplished, competent, effective and transparent public servants Hope Mills and Cumberland County have ever seen. Her dedication to the Hope Mills community and success as a prominent public servant are all a matter of public record. However, a few of her political detractors obsessed with notoriety, vanity, power and control have declared war on Hope Mills’ native daughter —a woman who, as a Hope Mills teacher and principal, was responsible for the education, character and moral development of thousands of local children.

    These same distracters try to discredit and destroy this newspaper — the only media source that dares to celebrate the Hope Mills achievements and values they seem to despise. Yes, we push back. And we will continue to do so as long as they stand in our way of doing what’s best for the community. We support the Hope Mills community and support those who support the community. In addition, we will strive to adhere and operate as closely as possible to Associate Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch’s two main rules that he imposes on his freshmen law clerks: Rule No. 1 — Don’t make it up. Follow the law. (Tell the truth.) Rule No. 2 — When everyone around you is yelling at you and asking you to “make it up” (tell a lie) or condemning you for not making it up, refer to Rule No. 1. These are great rules to live by.

    In closing, I have one final message to all the Hope Mills, Mayor Jackie Warner and Up & Coming Weeklynewspaper distracters: Refer to Rule No. 1.

     Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

     

  • 17 01 Trojan Challenge MedalThe second annual Trojan Challenge to raise money for college scholarships on behalf of the Gary Weller Foundation is scheduled for Oct. 12 at the Sturtz Family Farm in Linden.

    Last year’s event was successful enough to allow the foundation to award two $1,500 scholarships to students from Pine Forest High School.

    The scholarships go to Pine Forest students who have overcome some kind of challenge in their lives and have gone on to excel not only in their chosen sport but in the community at large. Nominations are made by coaches at Pine Forest High School and a special committee picks the winners.

    Cumberland County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe, a Pine Forest alumnus, said the challenge draws its inspiration from former Pine Forest football coach Gary Weller, whom the foundation is named for.

    Weller was the victim of a horrific accident years ago, when the driver of a stolen vehicle ran him over multiple times while Weller was out running. Weller battled back through numerous surgeries and remains active both in local 17 02 Trojan Challenge Posterbusiness and athletic circles.

    Keefe said the challenge is a tribute to Weller’s resilience. “When Gary had his incident, he had to overcome a lot of obstacles,’’ he said. “We want to challenge others to overcome obstacles that they may have and be successful.’’

    Keefe said this year’s challenge will feature a tier-one obstacle course with 20 to 22 different obstacles. 

    There will also be a Trojan in Training challenge, a scaled-down course for younger participants and older ones who don’t feel up to the full-scale obstacle course.

    The event will begin at
    9 a.m. and will end around noon.

    Keefe said the field would be limited to 200 participants. The cost to compete in the Trojan Challenge is $65 per entrant. The fee for the Trojan in Training course is $40. General admission to watch the event is $5.

    The deadline for entries will be a week before the event is held.

    Children are welcome to take in the challenge, but those age six or younger need to be accompanied by an adult supervisor.

     In addition to the obstacle course, the event will feature food, drinks and music with the assistance of the Pine Forest High School Booster Club.

    For further information on the challenge or to sign up for this year’s event, visit
    www.trojanchallenge.org.

  • 07 deathrow mctcampusNorth Carolina’s Supreme Court has heard from six death row inmates who say a repealed law on race and capital punishment should let them be resentenced to life without parole. Justices are reviewing testimony heard late last month. Four death row inmates, convicted in Cumberland County, were briefly resentenced to life without parole when the general assembly approved the Racial Justice Act in 2009. The law was passed by a Democratic-controlled legislature. Most of the 150 death row inmates at the time applied for relief under the new law. Pending cases, however, were voided when the RJA was repealed in 2013 by a Republican-majority legislature. Justices also heard from attorneys representing two other death row prisoners whose RJA claims were not decided before the law’s repeal. The short-lived RJA prescribed that condemned men and women could seek life sentences by using statistical data to show that their trials were tainted by race. 

    One of the death row inmates who received a life sentence that was reversed is Quintel Augustine. He was convicted of fatally shooting Fayetteville police officer Roy Turner, Jr. in 2001. James Ferguson II, an attorney for Augustine, said the cases before the state Supreme Court present an opportunity for justices to highlight their responsibility to correct the racial injustice that’s been going on for so long in capital cases. He said to truly understand the disenfranchisement of black defendants, justices needed to “stand back and take a long view” of the history of capital punishment. Changes to the system were always met with resistance — sometimes subtle, sometimes not — but the law, he said, showed clear-cut evidence of racial discrimination in jury selections. 

    “What then is the role of the judiciary?” Ferguson asked. 

    Cumberland County Superior Court Judge Gregory Weeks re-sentenced Augustine to life in prison. Weeks’ ruling in the case and three others were part of a larger effort to root out racial bias in jury selection and eliminate racial discrimination altogether from capital cases. “The Racial Justice Act represents a landmark reform in capital sentencing in our state,” Weeks said in Fayetteville. “There are those who disagree with this, but it is the law.” 

    The question before the court is whether the enactment and repeal of the RJA impairs defendants’ constitutional rights to relief. Weeks retired soon after his rulings were made.

    “Never before has a state done what North Carolina has attempted to do here,” said Cassandra Stubbs, director of the ACLU Capital Punishment Project. “Now that the RJA is repealed, the state’s position is to forget all the evidence of racial bias.” 

    The Supreme Court has to decide if Augustine and the three others granted relief from the death penalty were properly resentenced to death without a hearing following the RJA’s repeal. Justices also have to decide if the other death row inmates who had RJA cases pending at the time of repeal are entitled to the same relief. 

  • 15 01 Old dam gatesCitizen input is crucial as the town of Hope Mills rolls out initial plans for the proposed Heritage Park. The meeting to get public input will be held Thursday, Sept. 26, at
    6 p.m. at the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Building

    The park is to be constructed on land near the current dam and stretch down to property where the former Episcopal Church is located. 

    The preliminary goal is to create a natural green space with hiking trails while also adding kiosks that will tell the story of the area near the dam. Ancient dam gates from years past, which are standing near the proposed entry to the park, will also be put on permanent display.

    Hope Mills town manager Melissa Adams said the town is using the same process it did to get input from citizens on what to do with the golf course property the town owns.

    “This is a kickoff meeting,’’ she said. “We are involving the Appearance Committee, the Parks and Recreation Committee, the Lake Advisory Committee and the Historic Preservation Commission, 15 02 ENTRY WAY along with the public.’’

    Adams said the purpose of the meeting is to gather information on what the public and the various committees would like to see in Heritage Park.

    There is a tentative plan for the park that was drawn up by people from North Carolina State.

    It calls for a green space with trails, kiosks with educational signage and the old dam gates. The goal is to connect the property entrance area on Lakeview Road with the Episcopal Church property on Main Street.

    The only difference between this meeting and the one involving plans for the golf course is there won’t be as many options to discuss with Heritage Park because it’s a much smaller space.

    Adams said the golf course has many more amenities over its some 90 acres while Heritage Park only takes up six or seven acres. “We can’t cram but so much in there,’’ Adams said.

    One thing that has been discussed is some kind of picnic area at Heritage Park, Adams said.

    She added that the trails designed for Heritage Park would not be a flat walking surface like the walk near town hall but are hilly and natural.

    “It’s extremely important for the public to come and give their input and take a look at everything,’’ Adams said. “This is just the beginning stages of it.

    “We’d like very much for as many people to come as possible.’’

    For questions prior to the meeting, Adams said people should contact Lamarco Morrison at
    910-424-4555.

    Picture 1: Closeup of the old dam gates

    Picture 2: An entry way to the proposed Heritage Park

  • 18 01McKayla DaffinIt only took Jack Britt’s Daffin sisters, McKenzie and McKayla, two seasons of varsity golf to place among the top 25 players in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s state 4-A golf championship.

    As they enter their third season with the Buccaneers, the duo is aiming even higher.

    “I have no doubt come the end of the season both of them are going to be in contention,’’ said Ray Musselwhite, girls golf coach at Jack Britt. “They are working hard to improve their games everyday.’’

    That work includes the tough competition the sisters face in the Sandhills Athletic Conference. “Week in, week out, we face such a tough opponent in Pinecrest,’’ he said.

    The Moore County school just a stone’s throw from national golf capital Pinehurst has long been known for producing top high school players.

    “I’m not afraid to put these two young ladies against their best two any day of the week,’’ Musselwhite said.

    18 02McKenzie DaffinAt this point in their development, Musselwhite said neither sister has a lot of weaknesses. “They would both probably tell you their iron play is something they continually want to improve,’’ he said. “Off the tee and around the greens they are solid.’’

    A key for both players, he said, is managing emotions and the mental side of the game. “I think we are going to be familiar with the courses we have to play in the regionals and states and so on,’’ he said. “It’s a matter of laying out a game plan and executing.’’

    McKayla said the two help each other in practice and on the course. “Sometimes if I have trouble hitting a shot she’ll help me out and kind of give me some advice,’’ McKayla said. “If she’s struggling with a different part of her swing or a certain club, I’ll tell her what helps with my swing, especially our wedge play.’’

    Both sisters think they have a shot at the state title this year, but McKayla said she doesn’t want to put pressure on herself. “That just makes you play worse,’’ she said. “Mostly I’m trying to shoot lower scores and keep practicing.’’

    McKenzie’s big concern is consistency. “I’ve had plenty of tournaments where I’ve been under a couple on one nine and over a couple on another nine,’’ she said. “I’m trying to stay consistent and focus on one shot at a time.’’

    McKayla agrees with McKenzie on the importance of focus. “I think as long as our mental game is strong, we should be okay,’’ she said. “The skill is definitely there. As long as you can keep your cool, keep your head in the game and don’t stress ourselves, I think we’ll be okay.’’

    Pictured: McKayla Daffin, McKenzie Daffin

  • Hurricanes would be bad news during any season of the year, but they are an annual plague on high school football coaches and fans during the fall in North Carolina.
     
    Even before Hurricane Dorian’s arrival in the state, Cumberland County Schools officials took the wise precaution of closing school Thursday and Friday and postponing all athletic events both days, including Friday night high school football. The big concern for everyone is avoiding serious damage to life and property as the result of high winds, heavy rain and potential flooding.
     
    For football coaches, once the weather has finally cleared, there are a host of concerns. First, they need to check on all of their athletes and their families to make sure everyone got through the storm all right.
     
    Then comes the challenge of rescheduling games. Was your field or the field of your opponent rendered unplayable? What’s your schedule for next week? Often at this stage of the season teams are moving into conference play. No coach wants to move a Friday game to Monday in a week when they’ve already got a conference game set on the next Friday.
     
    The perfect situation, which rarely happens, is when both teams have an open date at the same time later in the season and can move the game there. Cramming games too close together cuts down on recovery time and increases the risk of players being injured. I wish we could will hurricanes to a time of the year when they would be less a problem for everybody, but I guess that time truly doesn’t exist.
     
    Here’s praying everyone in our area comes through our latest stormy encounter with the least possible harm and things return to order as quickly as they can.
     
     
    The record: 11-4
     
    Another decent week with a 5-2 record, pushing the season count to 11-4, 73.3 percent.
     
    Cape Fear at Lumberton - Talk about mixed messages. Cape Fear opens its season a week late and loses a nail-biter to a strong Seventy-First team. Meanwhile, Lumberton gets routed by Terry Sanford in a game that included a running clock, then turns around and stuns defending Patriot Athletic Conference champion Pine Forest on its home field.
    I’m thinking the Lumberton win was an aberration since Pine Forest was without University of North Carolina commit D.J. Jones.
    I’m going to lean toward Cape Fear in this one.
    Cape Fear 28, Lumberton 14.
     
    Lee County at Douglas Byrd - A good night is not likely for Byrd against Lee County, one of the strongest teams in the Cape Fear region this year.
    Lee County 35, Douglas Byrd 12.
     
    Seventy-First at E.E. Smith - Duran McLaurin brings his Falcons to his former place of employment and gets Seventy-First’s third win of the young season.
    Seventy-First 32, E.E. Smith 6.
     
    West Johnston at Gray’s Creek - The Bears look to get their third win ahead of next week’s Battle of the Bridge with South View.
    Gray’s Creek 34, West Johnston 6.
     
    Pine Forest at Jack Britt - Every season there’s one team I seem to have trouble picking correctly. So far this year, it’s Jack Britt. I’m 0-2 calling the outcome of Buccaneer games. Last week’s win over Terry Sanford has made me a believer, so I’m going with Britt in a big match with Pine Forest this week.
    Jack Britt 21, Pine Forest 20.
     
    South View at Purnell Swett - South View didn’t want to play Monday and face two games in one week as the Tigers open Patriot Athletic Conference play next Friday against rival Gray’s Creek. Unfortunately with the threat from Hurricane Dorian options were few.
    The day the game is played won’t influence my prediction. I’m going with South View.
    South View 28, Purnell Swett 14.
     
    Hoke County at Westover - This is one of those dreaded coin flip games that could go either way. I’m leaning toward Hoke because they seem to be playing a little better, plus Westover is coming off an open date and it’s sometimes tough for teams to regain playing rhythm after a break.
    Hoke County 14, Westover 13.
     
    Open dates: Terry Sanford.
     
    Other games: Trinity Christian 31, Sandhills Titans 14; John Paul II Catholic 31, Fayetteville Christian 6.
     
  • 19 01 Bruce McClellandForgive the Terry Sanford football team if it foregoes the nickname Bulldogs this season and opts for Road Warriors instead. They’re doing it with good reason.

    Because the school’s aging football stadium was demolished earlier this year in preparation for construction of a new one for the 2020 season, Coach Bruce McClelland and his team won’t play a single game on their campus.

    They will be moving to Reid Ross Classical High School’s John Daskal Stadium on Ramsey Street, which hasn’t hosted high school regular season games since Ross was closed as a traditional senior high school in the mid-1980s.

    McClelland said the group he feels is making the biggest sacrifice are the seniors on this team and their parents. “They’ve spent so much time giving to the program, and it’s their senior year and it’s kind of like you’ve been displaced,’’ he said.

    That’s where the Road Warrior mindset kicks in. “We’ve taken that Road Warrior mentality, tried to pump them up with that,’’ McClelland said.

    This year, Terry Sanford was scheduled to play five home games and six on the road. They elected to flip the 19 02 John Daskal Stadiumhome-and-home arrangement with Jack Britt to allow as much time as possible to get the Reid Ross field up to date.

    The Bulldogs won’t play their first varsity game at Ross until Sept. 20 when they host Cape Fear. They got in a trial run last week as they were scheduled to play a junior varsity game with Britt at Ross.

    McClelland said the current plan is for the Terry Sanford staff to take care of lining and painting the Ross field for varsity games.

    He’s also enlisted the help of baseball coach Sam Guy to make sure the surface of the field at Ross is in the best shape possible.

    “Sam has been real instrumental in taking good care of the field over here,’’ he said. “His baseball field looks so good.’’

    McClelland said Terry Sanford plans to treat each visit to Ross much like it would a road trip to neighboring E.E. Smith High School.

    The players will eat a pre-game meal at Terry Sanford, dress and go through their walk-through on Friday before taking the short bus ride to Reid Ross.

    The home stands will be the set of bleachers closest to Ramsey Street.

    One good thing about Reid Ross is it has press boxes on both sides of the field, so the Bulldogs should have no trouble finding space for print and electronic media to have seats along with the crews from both schools that videotape the game. 

    There should actually be more on campus parking than at Terry Sanford. McClelland said the school hopes to make some money off that by selling season-long parking passes for $30, which will come down to $10 per each of the three home games that will be played at Reid Ross.

    Terry Sanford’s final home game with Pine Forest will be at Fayetteville State’s Jeralds Stadium when the Bulldogs will celebrate Senior Night.

    In addition to the parking in front of the school, there is a rear parking lot behind the visitors stands that can be accessed by a residential street at the end of the stadium furthest from the school itself.

    Tickets will be sold on both sides of the stadium.

    McClelland hopes Terry Sanford will be able to visit the stadium Thursdays and have a brief practice on the game field to get used to it.

    The tentative plan is for the team to enter the field through a small group of trees outside the rear entrance to the gymnasium at the main school building.

    The schools plans a major outreach to alumni and boosters in the next couple of weeks to
    make sure everyone knows where to go and where to park. 

    “Safety of the kids is the most important thing to me,’’ McClelland said. “All the other stuff is luxury. My responsibility is to the parents and the kids and their safety.

    “That playing surface is the No. 1 thing.’’

    Picture 1: Bruce McClelland

    Picture 2: A view of what will be the home bleachers when Terry Sanford plays its varsity and junior varsity football games at John Daskal Stadium at Reid Ross Classical High School this season

  • 18 01 Que TuckerAlthough we’re a few weeks into the 2019-20 high school year, it’s not too late to hear some words of wisdom shared by Que Tucker, commissioner of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. Tucker and several members of her staff visited Fayetteville in August to attend the annual Cumberland County Schools Football Jamboree banquet held at Gray’s Creek High School.

    I spoke with her briefly and asked if there were any hot-button issues facing the NCHSAA as the school year opened. She said there weren’t, but added there are some topics that never go out of style with the NCHSAA.

    “It’s always just about sportsmanship and behavior,’’ she said. “We want our young people to recognize the importance of good sportsmanship, winning with class, being victorious and excited about winning but respecting the fact the other team did lose and practiced and prepared just as hard.’’

    Health and safety are always big issues for the NCHSAA, especially in the game of football where the concern of how concussions are handled remains paramount.

    Tucker said the NCHSAA continues to stress to schools the need for preseason meetings that deal with topics like where the automated external defibri18 02 Cynthia Miller Jenkinsllator is kept, who the game day administrator is or who’s in charge if a thunderstorm hits during a game.

    In the end, it’s all about the student-athletes. “It’s all about educating our young people to be good citizens,’’ Tucker said. “If we can do those things, I think we will have accomplished much.’’

     • Speaking of Que Tucker, she and members of the NCHSAA staff will be back in Fayetteville on Monday, Sept. 23, at 8:30 a.m., for the annual meeting of school officials from the NCHSAA’s Region 4, which includes schools from Fayetteville, Cumberland County and surrounding counties. The meeting will be held at the Educational Resource Center.

    Last year’s regional meeting was canceled because of Hurricane Florence.

    The regional meeting gives the NCHSAA staff a chance to have face time with local school officials and to share news about important topics statewide.

    Cumberland County will have a larger than normal contingent on the NCHSAA Board of Directors for the next few years.

    Brian Edkins, who joined the board as principal at Scotland High School, is now at Cape Fear High School and continues to represent Region 4 until 2022.

    Gray’s Creek High School athletic director Troy Lindsey is new to the board from Region 4 and will serve until 2023. 

    Also new to the board is Vernon Aldridge, student activities director for the Cumberland County Schools. He joins the board as an affiliate member representing the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association for an unspecified term.

     • Cynthia Miller-Jenkins has been named the varsity girls basketball coach at Riverside Christian Academy in Stedman. The announcement was made by Riverside superintendent Dr. Lin Wheeler.

    Riverside is a member of the Carolina Athletic Association of Schools of Choice and played for state titles in 2017 and 2018.

    Jenkins was head coach at Northwood Temple Academy from 2005-15, winning three conference titles and one North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association state title.

    Her career record there was 106-73. Last year she was an assistant coach at Methodist University.

    Pictured from top to bottom: Que Tucker, Cynthia Miller-Jenkins

  • 06 law technologyA Fayetteville woman has gained a lot of attention because of a lawsuit she filed and won. Elizabeth Ann Clark is one of the original beneficiaries of a new state law dealing with revenge porn. The federal government and numerous states, as well as the military, have passed laws growing out of digital technology like smartphones. Clark won $3.2 million in a libel and revenge porn lawsuit against her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. 

    A jury sided with Clark in her case against U.S. Army Maj. Adam Clark and Lt. Col. Kimberly Rae Barrett. Elizabeth Clark said her ex posted revealing photos of her online and spread lies about her. Related misdemeanor crimes are still pending against Adam Clark. 

    The new law that went into effect Dec. 1, 2016, makes it a Class H felony for anyone to post sexually explicit photos or videos of a person without their consent, with the intent to harass, extort or intimidate. 

    The state law also addresses punishment for minors, making this crime a Class 1 misdemeanor for anyone under the age of 18, so as not to impose harsh punishment for teens who may have made bad decisions. “We are concerned about kids who do stupid stuff and are slapped with a felony at a young age,” said Senator Gladys Robinson, D-Guilford. 

    The state law has been amended a couple of times since it was adopted , most recently in 2015.

    Earlier this year, the Uniform Code of Military Justice was updated to modernize some of its provisions. The UCMJ is the federal law system that applies to the U.S. Military. It defines the military justice system and lists military criminal offenses. “Whether it’s in the barracks or on the internet, degradation and intimidation of our service members is a serious crime that threatens good order and discipline, and we’ve got to give our military the tools it needs to treat it that way,” said former U.S. Sen. Clare McCaskill, D-Mo. 

    According to the United States Army, the changes include redefining offenses, adjusting maximum penalties, standardizing court-martial panels and creating new computer-crime laws. 

    Before the recent changes in the UCMJ went into effect, there had been a lot of high-profile debate about the current state of military justice. Much of the discussion dealt with the scandal of active duty marines sharing nude pictures of female colleagues in 2017. Military officials responded that military regulations at the time did not specify sharing nude photos of colleagues without their permission as a crime. Since the spring, all the services have updated their codes of conduct to better define punishments for the activity. Congress has been particularly concerned about revenge porn and other crimes of a sexual nature in the military.

    The federal government and numerous states, as well as the military, have passed laws growing out of the emerging technology of portable devices sometimes referred to as smartphones. 

                                       

  • 07 BacktoschoolThe traditional 2019-2020 school year is underway in Cumberland County. After three months of summer vacation fun, more than 51,000 students returned to class Aug. 26. As students stepped onto campuses across the county, community members were on hand waiting to cheer them on to a successful school year. Members of the Fayetteville Police Department and various sorority and fraternity members joined Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr. at Luther Nick Jeralds Middle School to greet students. The scene was similar across town at Montclair Elementary School, where undergraduate students from Fayetteville State University greeted the boys and girls. At Long Hill Elementary School, athletes from Methodist University’s Varsity Football Team welcomed students. Numerous local and state leaders also took time out of their schedules to cheer on students at Westarea Elementary School.

    “We want the children to know someone cares about them,” said Annette Evans, a member of the Zeta Pi Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., said. “We want them to be excited about school and learning because they are our future leaders, future teachers and doctors.” 

    The school district’s Strategic Plan 2024, adopted by the board of education in June, identifies a committed community as one of the district’s priorities on its road map to success for all students. 

    To ensure the continued safety of students and staff, and the security of facilities, the Cumberland County Schools system has implemented the School Angels Volunteer Program. This program offers the community the opportunity to become involved at the school level and for individuals to help keep children and schools safe. Volunteers are asked to give a couple of hours a day to become involved in the project. CCS says the objective is to safeguard employees, students and visitors who attend, work or visit Cumberland County School campuses by making students and staff aware of the importance of safety and security on school campuses. The program is patterned after neighborhood watch efforts. Volunteers will monitor activity on school grounds and report unusual goings on.

    Cumberland County School district has 87 schools, making it the fifth largest of North Carolina’s 115 public school districts. The system is the second-largest employer in the county, second only to the military, with more than 6,000 full-time workers, including 3,046 certified teachers, with an annual operating budget of $417,980,341. An estimated 51,000 pupils are enrolled. Seventy-five percent of them are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. Four hundred thirty-six school buses travel 1,400 miles a day, picking up and delivering more than 25,000 students to school. CCS said 45% of the student body is African American; 29% is white and 13.5% is Hispanic. The remainder consists of students of mixed ethnicity, Asian, native American and Pacific Islanders.

    The Private School Review said last year that there were an estimated 34 private schools in Cumberland County, serving 5,447 students. 68% of those schools are religiously affiliated. Student body minority enrollment was 28%.

  • 08 Color runRunners and walkers and people who just love bright colors are in for a treat. FTCC’s Department of Health & Fitness Science is hosting the Trojan Fit 5K color run on Saturday, Sept. 21. 

    Larzaris Butler, the department chair, explained that the money from the race will go toward scholarships. “It’s an inaugural run for the health and fitness science department. The money will go toward scholarships for people in the health and fitness science programs,” he said. Eventually, the department hopes these scholarships will grow into an endowment. The goal is to raise $5,000 at this year’s race. 

    While Fayetteville Tech has held 5Ks for other organizations, such as Relay for Life, in the past, this is the first race the college has sponsored.

    The race is going to be a color run, which means a safe powder that comes in a variety of colors will be thrown as the participants go through the route. It’s common for runners to wear clothes that are light colors or white so the colors will show more on the clothes. The colors mostly wash out, although it is suggested by seasoned runners to wash the clothes worn at the race sooner rather than later and to wear clothes that you don’t mind being stained, just in case. To keep the colors in your clothes as a memento from the event, it helps to spray the clothes with vinegar after the race, allow them to dry, iron them, wash them in cold water and dry them in a dryer. The process helps to set the stain. 

    Joseph Davis, an instructor in the health and fitness science department, said that the 5K race is not just open to students — it’s open to the whole community. “We really encourage people of all activity levels to come out and have some fun. We’ll have a running category, a walking and jogging category and a family one for parents with kids and strollers and wagons. It’s a community event,” Davis said.

    “It’s something that brings everyone together,” Butler said. “In a typical week, we are working, attending church events and participating in a variety of other activities. We don’t have time to sit down and socialize with our neighbors and the people who live and work beside us. Events like this bring us together from all walks of life to do something fun. We want (the 5K) to be something that’s fun for the community and beneficial for them health-wise.”

    The fun doesn’t stop when the race is over; the department will have a unique kind of award ceremony as well. “This isn’t a traditional race, so our awards are a little nontraditional, too,” Davis explained. 

    “Keeping in the spirit of having fun, we’re going to have awards that have jokes to them,” said Butler. “Right now we’re thinking that the youngest runner will get a golden baby’s running shoe. The oldest runner will get a silver running shoe.” These are just a couple examples. 

    Butler is excited for the opportunity for the department to host the race, especially because he knows the hard work that his staff has put into the event. “We started working on this thing a year ago,” he said. “They (the staff) have outdone themselves on every aspect on all of it.” 

    The event is one that will celebrate community and wellness while also promoting a great cause. “Fayetteville Tech is a community college and being the health and fitness department, we feel it is part of our goal to promote wellness and physical activity. So we are trying to promote positive change in that way,” Davis said. 

    The race will be held Sept. 21. Runners will begin at 9:30 a.m. Walkers will begin at 9:33 a.m. and families or anyone with a stroller or wagon will begin at 9:36 a.m. Visit https://www.active.com/fayetteville-nc/running/distance-running/trojan-fit-5k-color-run-2019 to learn more information or to register for the event. 

  • 03 MargaretMy sense is that most of us realize something is really wrong with our climate these days — more heat, more violent storms, too much water in some places and not enough in others, and the list goes on and on. Even those unwilling acknowledge climate change, and outright deniers of it, acknowledge the importance of preserving our climate as best we can. In other words, most of us want and try our best to do the right things to protect our Mother Earth.

    But what are the right things? Are some actions “righter” and “wronger” than others? And if so, what are they?

    Project Drawdown is a 5-year-old organization according to its website “that reviews … and identifies the most viable global climate solutions and shares these findings with the world.” It was founded by noted environmentalist Paul Hawken, and it recently released a quiz about what we as individuals and as public and private sectors can do to reduce our negative impact on the earth. The survey ranks actions by individuals, companies and policymakers, but we will concentrate on individuals because that is where each of us can play our own part. I found the questionnaire both interesting and challenging.

    Regarding our food, which of these four actions can have the biggest effect on reducing climate change? Rank most to least, realizing that individuals can affect each of these.

    1. Cook over clean stoves

    2. Throw away less food

    3. Eat a plant-heavy diet

    4. Compost your waste

    Regarding moving people and goods, rank most to least, realizing that individuals may not affect all of these.

    1. Invest in high-speed trains

    2 Fly less … and on fuel-saving planes

    3. Drive an electric car

    4 Ship goods more efficiently

    Regarding our homes and cities, rank most to least, realizing that individuals may not affect all of these.

    1. Switch to LED lights

    2. Design more workable cities

    3 Install green roofs

    4. Use smart thermostats

    Regarding materials and waste management, rank most to least... you know the rest.

    1. Increase household recycling

    2 Build with “greener” cement compounds

    3. Clean up chemicals in our refrigerators and air conditioners

    4. Use water more efficiently

    Regarding the empowerment of women, rank most to least important.

    1. Educate girls

    2. Close the gender gap in small-scale farming

    3. Increase access to family planning

    And, finally rank Project Drawdown’s top five solutions for reducing climate change.

    1. Manage refrigeration chemicals

    2. Restore our tropical forests

    3 Eat more plants and less meat

    4. Install onshore wind turbines

    5. Cut down on food waste

    Note your answers to each question most effective to least effective to compare them with the correct rankings listed by Project Drawdown. 

    Project Drawdown’s questionnaire includes a couple of questions not listed here, because individual actions have little impact on the solutions, which require actions by governments and large companies. Individuals can — indeed must — pressure governments and private industry to do the right things, just as we try to do in our own households. 

    Read on to see what actions make the biggest impacts in curbing climate change, noting especially those that we can take as individuals. I was surprised by some of them and suspect you may be as well. It is clear we all have roles to play in rescuing our planet.

    Answers to Project Drawdown questionnaire

     All answers are correct to some degree and are listed from most effective in curbing climate change to less effective in curbing climate change.

    Regarding our food. Individuals have effects in each of these areas.

    1. Throw away less food 

    2. Eat a plant heavy diet

    3. Cook over clean stoves

    4. Compost your waste

    Regarding moving people and goods.

    1. Drive an electric car. Individuals impact this.

    2. Ship goods more efficiently

    3. Fly less... and on fuel-saving planes. Individuals impact this.

    4. Invest in high-speed trains

    Regarding our homes and cities.

    1. Switch to LED lights. Individuals impact this.

    2. Design more walkable cities

    3. Use smart thermostats. Individuals impact this.

    4. Install green roofs

    Regarding materials and waste management.

    1. Clean up chemicals in our refrigerators and air conditioners. Individuals impact this.

    2. Build with “greener” cement compounds.

    3. Use water more efficiently. Individuals impact this.

    4. Increase household recycling. Individuals impact this.

    Regarding empowerment of women.

    1. Educate girls. Individuals impact this.

    2. Increase access to family planning.

    3. Close the gender gap in small-scale farming

    Project Drawdown’s top 5 solutions for reducing climate change.

    1. Manage refrigeration chemicals. Individuals impact this.

    2. Install onshore wind turbine

    3. Cut down on food waste. Individuals impact this.

    4. Eat more plants and less meat. Individuals impact this.

    5. Restore our tropical forests

    Project Drawdown is a 5-year-old organization according to its website “that reviews … and identifies the most viable global climate solutions and shares these findings with the world.” 

  •  12 Greek FestThe Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church present the 29th Annual Greek Festival Friday, Sept. 13, through Sunday, Sept. 15, at 614 Oakridge Ave., in the heart of Haymount. 

    The festival will take place Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.-10 p.m., and Sunday from noon-6 p.m. 

     Greece is a country that is rich in history, culture, traditions and religion. Greeks are proud of their rich culture and take pride in the contributions they have made to the world. “The purpose of the Greek Festival is to share our Greek culture with Fayetteville — it is our way of giving back to the Fayetteville community,” said Dina Goodson, co-chair of the Greek Fest. “We have a long relationship with the Fayetteville community that has been phenomenal, and they have been very supportive of our church and every endeavor we’ve ever undertaken.” 

     12 02 Greek festival copyGoodson added the festival is a way for the Greek Orthodox congregation in Fayetteville to share their faith, food, culture, music and everything that is Greek. And it is a way for the community to learn about and enjoy Greek culture, food, traditions and more.

     “We believe so strongly in making the most of every day, of enjoying life to the fullest and sharing with one another whatever it may be,” Goodson said. “I am going back to simple times of my parents’ generation of sharing a glass of water, a piece of bread and when people believed in helping one another through life.” 

     She continued, “We enjoy good times, and we are with those when they are going through difficult times. We are just a loving and warm community that wants to lend a helping hand when needed.”

     Easter is the biggest and most important holiday in the Greek tradition. “Our church is the center of our life. That is how important our church is to us,” said Goodson. “The two main things that are important to us are religion and the family unit, so we instill those values in our children’s lives.” 

     The Greek diet is one that nutritionists have touted as healthy. It’s delicious, too. 12 03 20180909 144946And there will be plenty of it at the Greek Festival. The most popular Greek food is the gyro. Greek food and drinks are known for both their quality and taste.

     “We can enjoy our food and have a glass of wine or beer without it being a problem,” said Goodson. “People are most familiar with our fun food such as gyro sandwiches, Greek lamb plates, chicken lemonato plate with Greek rice, spanakopita, eight different pastries and foods you have not heard of. Nearly one half of one side of our church hall is going to be devoted to our Greek pastry area.”

     The Greek community loves to dance and perform traditional dances. This is a fun a lively component of the Greek Festival each year. “Two children’s dance troupes will be in full authentic Greek costumes and they will perform the traditional Greek dances,” said Goodson. 

    Authentic Greek music brings the island atmosphere to the event. “We are going to have our outside band, Nick Trivelas and A Night in Athens Trio, perform this year,” said Goodson. “They are a dynamic, exciting and energetic band who puts on a good performance. They will be outside in the main tent.”

     The most famous musical instrument from Greece is the bouzouki. “Inside there 12 04 Greek Festival cooking copywill be a bouzouki player,” said Goodson. “He has his own band, but he is coming by himself to be a soloist.” 

     The festival will host church tours led by Father Alexander Papagikos. There will be a raffle for two round trip tickets to Greece and cash prizes. There will be various vendors as well as a children’s area called the Athenian Playground, featuring a train that will travel around the perimeter of the church parking lot. There will also be bounce houses and more. 

    Gusts over 21 can enjoy authentic Greek wines and beers. Another favorite that Goodson is excited about is the ever-popular cooking classes If Greek cuisine is something you want to learn more about, there will be one class on Friday evening, two Saturday and one Sunday afternoon.

    If shopping sounds like a good time, don’t miss the vendor area. “There will be many vendors, and we will have a nationally known Greek artist who does beautiful paintings of the mainland and especially the islands,” said Goodson. “A lot of us have his paintings in our homes because his pictures are phenomenal. We are so excited to have him back.” 

     Goodson also noted that on the church patio, which is known as the plateia, there will be an alternate dining area for individuals to enjoy from 6:30-10 p.m. “So people can choose to take their food from the main tent,” said Goodson. “This is an area where we will be serving appetizer plates and the music is quieter.” The appetizer plates include spanakopita, feta cheese, dolmades, tzatziki, Kalamata olives, tomatoes and pita bread points. 

     “We will also have a Greek grocery store called a bakaliko,” said Goodson. “We are going to sell all kinds of items. We have added about 20 new items to the store.”

     Goodson added they will also have icons for sale such as the Saints, Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary. “Every year, we normally have three Greek vendors inside. This year, we have doubled it to six vendors,” said Goodson. “We are going to have a lot more going on inside. People will see jewelry, paintings, cards and all types of Greek souvenirs.” 

     The proceeds from the festival will be donated to various organizations. “Among the charities that we give to (are the) Autism Society, Boys and Girls Club, The Red Cross, Operation Inasmuch, The Vision Resource Center and The Salvation Army,” said Goodson. “Some of our proceeds will also go towards our building renovation project, which is currently underway.

     “We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy our Greek festival,” said Goodson. “We just want to give back to the city of Fayetteville.” 

     The festival is free and open to the public. For more information, call 910-484-2010. 

  • 11 blindboysSeptember is a busy month at the Givens Performing Arts Center in Pembroke, with two first-rate performances. The 2019-2020 season opens with the Blind Boys of Alabama on Sept. 12 followed by Extreme Illusions & Escapes Sept. 20.

    The Blind Boys of Alabama have been singing together for seven decades. In that time, America has experienced World War II, the civil rights movement and the Summer of Love; the moon landing, Vietnam and the fall of the Berlin Wall; John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X; the invention of the jukebox, the atomic bomb and the internet. And the Blind Boys have been there through it all, influencing music in the South and helping to shape musical culture that bridges two millennia. 

    The original band members met as children at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind and performed their way to the White House, entertaining three different presidents. The Blind Boys released their debut single “I Can See Everybody’s Mother But Mine,” in 1948. Since then, they’ve won five GRAMMY Awards, plus another recognizing them for their lifetime achievement. 

    According to the band’s website, The New York Times said that they “came to epitomize what is known as jubilee singing, a livelier breed of gospel music,” adding that “they made it zestier still by adding jazz and blues idioms and turning up the volume, creating a sound … like the rock ‘n’ roll that grew out of it.” TIME Magazine raved that “they’re always hunting for - and finding - the perfect note or harmony that lifts an old tune into the sublime,” while The Washington Post praised their “soul-stirring harmonies” and “range of cross-genre collaborations,” and The New Yorker simply called them “legendary.”

    “When the Blind Boys started out, we weren’t even thinking about all these accolades and all that stuff,” founding member Jimmy Carter told NPR. “We just wanted to get out and sing gospel and tell the world about gospel music.” 

    The Blind Boys of Alabama will be at GPAC Sept. 12. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Call 910-521-6361 or visit https://www.uncp.edu/resources/gpac/professional-artist-series/blind-boys-alabama for tickets and information.

    Extreme Illusions and Escapes fist came to GAPC in 2017. A raving hit two years ago, Josh Knotts and Lea are back with brand new acts. Winners of the 2016 Merlin Award and the 2016 Fair and Festival Entertainers of the Year Award, the pair will bring Las Vegas-style performances to the Sandhills.

    The high-energy shows, skillful escapes and large-scale illusions keep audiences spellbound.

    The Sept. 20 show at GPAC starts at 8 p.m. VIsit https://www.uncp.edu/resources/gpac/professional-artist-series/extreme-illusions-and-escapes to purchase tickets.

    Season tickets are available. Go for an upgrade and join the Act 1 Diner’s Club. The Diner’s Club includes dinner before specific performances, for just $35. 

    Menus include dinners like port wine poached pear, petite beef medallions with shrimp risotto, grilled asparagus and a red wine demi-glace, and New York- style cheesecake.

    The dinners are served in the Chancellor’s Dining room in the James B. Chavis Center. Order meal tickets at tickets.com, or call 910-521-6361. 

    Visit https://www.uncp.edu/resources/gpac/act-1-diners-club to learn more about Act 1.

  • This month, U.S. Army Special Forces candidates are participating in the annual Robin Sage training exercise held across south-central North Carolina as the final test of their qualification course training. The exercise is scheduled to continue through Sept. 12. Robin Sage is a two-week field maneuver. Participants are students of Fort Bragg’s John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. The exercise spans 21 counties, including Hoke, Lee, Harnett and Moore. Candidates occupy the fictional country of Pineland in an environment of political instability characterized by armed conflict, forcing soldiers to analyze and solve problems to meet the challenges of real-world training. Throughout the exercise, Special Forces candidates and Robin Sage role-players not only conduct training missions such as controlled assaults and key-leader engagements, but they also live, eat and sleep in civilian areas. Military and civilian support personnel, as well as community volunteers, participate in and provide support each year. Robin Sage movements and events have been coordinated with local public safety officials in the communities hosting the training in hopes of ensuring there is no risk to persons or property. Residents will hear blank gunfire and see occasional flares.

    Early voting ending

    One-Stop Voting for the open 9th Congressional District seat wraps up Sept. 6. Early voting takes place at the Cumberland County Board of Elections office downtown and the East Regional Branch Library. Remaining early voting dates and hours are:

    Board of Elections, 227 Fountainhead Ln., Sept. 3-6, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

    East Regional Branch Library 4809 Clinton Rd., Sept. 3-6, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

    The 9th Congressional District covers most of eastern and southern Cumberland County. It extends from Bladen County in the east to Charlotte in the west. Earlier this year, the State Board of Elections voted unanimously to order a new election for the 9th Congressional District after determining that election irregularities occurred to such an extent that they tainted the results of the outcome and cast doubt as to its fairness.

    Downtown bridge repairs completed

    A new bridge has reopened Ann Street downtown to traffic. It was closed for six years while the city of Fayetteville figured out how to pay to rebuild it. City spokesman Nathan Walls said the cost of the project was $1.6 million. The old bridge was on the Historic Bridges Registry, being nearly 100 years old. That likely will no longer be the case since a completely new structure replaced the previous bridge, which was built in 1923. It carries Ann Street over Big Cross Creek and connects Grove Street with Bow Street, providing direct access to First Presbyterian Church and Heritage Place Assisted Living. The bridge was damaged by fire in August 2012, and a subsequent fire a year later, making the bridge structurally deficient. Authorities determined street people living beneath the bridge started the fires. The city said it began reconstruction in May 2018, but delays prevented it from reopening until this month. 

    Free school supplies for teachers

    Nearly 150 beginning Cumberland County school teachers took advantage of a free shopping fair for classroom supplies. The first-year teachers had vouchers to select 10 free items at the Cumberland County Schools Beginner Teacher Store. A steady flow of freshman teachers with less than six-months experience stopped by the store at the school system’s Driver Education Building. They chose from bulletin board borders, cut-outs, storage bins, math manipulatives and more. 

    “Shopping at the store was a wonderful experience,” said General McJimson III, an American History teacher at Seventy-First High School. 

    Teacher Support Coordinator Kari Grates said dozens of others echoed McJimson’s comments about the store. They were “excited, thrilled and appreciative for items to get their classrooms ready,” said Grates. “The first days of school and preparation for students is daunting, even for veteran teachers.” 

     A store providing classroom supplies gets teachers better prepared, she added.

    State road map now available

    Road maps have almost become a thing of the past, given the availability of digital navigation capability on smartphones. But the new 2019-20 North Carolina State Transportation Map is now available to the public free of charge. The map is funded and produced by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and is distributed by VisitNC, a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. The cover of the new map features North Carolina’s seasonal scenery, including a canopy of trees at the top of the mountains in the fall and waves crashing on the beach near Surf City. The map can be ordered online at visitnc.com/statemap or by calling 1-800-847-4862. They are also available at welcome centers, rest areas and NCDOT offices across the state. North Carolina has one of the largest highway systems in the nation, and the new map details the more than 106,975 miles of public roads that span the state. A full-size PDF of the map is also available online.

  • 09 LAF TRAIL AT RIVER MOST CROPPEDBy proclamation of the General Assembly, Fayetteville is “Where North Carolina celebrates Lafayette’s birthday.”

    The party this year takes place Friday and Saturday, Sept. 6 and 7. Sponsored by the Lafayette Society and the Transportation and Local History Museum, the celebration unfolds every year at several venues across the city the weekend after Labor Day. 

    The Marquis de Lafayette sailed from France in 1777 to fight for American independence as a major general under Gen. George Washington. He was given command of the Army of Virginia, and he was instrumental in the defeat of Cornwallis in the decisive battle at Yorktown in 1781. After returning home, Lafayette continued to fight for “government by the people” in the French Revolution and remained a steadfast advocate for human rights, especially the abolition of slavery. 

    Fayetteville is the “first and only” when it comes to Lafayette. It is the first city in the nation named for him — in 1783. And it is the only namesake city he actually visited — in 1825. 

    The birthday festivities begin Friday evening with “Arias and Artifacts” at Methodist University in Davis Memorial Library. “Friends in War, Friends in Peace” will honor two young men, separated in time by 200 years, who were determined to fight for liberty on foreign soil: Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette and Fayetteville native Pfc. William Mitchell “Billy” Shaw. A free program about these patriots of the American Revolution and World War II begins with refreshments at 5:30 p.m. At 7 p.m., the celebration moves to the Matthews Center on campus with “An American in Paris,” a lively hour of music highlighting composers who studied at the Conservatoire Américaine de Fontainebleau. Tickets for the concert cost $10 and may be purchased at the door or in advance at City Center Gallery & Books by calling 910-678-8899. 

    On Saturday, the Lafayette Trail Tour in downtown Fayetteville starts at 8:30 a.m. with coffee and croissants at the Museum of the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry. On the tour, guests will see the places Lafayette visited in 1825. The expert narration by FILI Commander Bruce Daws will paint a picture of what the visit, with all its pageantry and celebrations, would have been like. Guests will have the rare opportunity to tour inside the historic Phoenix Masonic Lodge where Lafayette, a Free Mason, was entertained. A light lunch will be served at the lodge. The cost of the all-inclusive tour is $30 per person, $25 for students and teachers. Reservations are required — visit City Center Gallery & Books, or call 910-678-8899. 

    Also on Saturday, the Museum of the Cape Fear will celebrate Lafayette’s birthday and the American Revolution with the annual Festival of Yesteryear: Revolution on the Cape Fear, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in Arsenal Park. In addition to numerous fun and educational activities for the whole family, this year’s event features professional actor Stephen Seals of Colonial Williamsburg portraying James Armistead Lafayette, an enslaved African American who served in the Continental Army as an aide under the Marquis de Lafayette. Admission is free, and there will be a Lafayette birthday cake-cutting at 1p.m. with free ice cream and cake at “Camp Lafayette” as long as it lasts. 

    The weekend celebration ends Saturday night with “Party Like You’re in Paris,” a free wine-tasting party at The Wine Café at 108 Hay St. from 6-8:30 p.m. There will be a variety of excellent but affordable French wines for tasting and purchase. This “virtual tour” of France has become a social highpoint of the summer for many people. 

    For more details about the Lafayette Birthday Celebration, visit www.lafayettesociety.org. 

    The Lafayette birthday celebration includes a Lafayette Trail tour hosted by Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Commander Bruce Daws.

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