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  • 06 01 Col Fort Bragg’s garrison commander has been relieved of his command. Col. Phillip Sounia was let go late last month because of what the Army said was a “loss of trust and confidence in his abilities to command.” Fort Bragg officials confirmed Sounia’s firing in an email in response to a media inquiry. Officials did not say why he was let go. They said no further information would be released because of “an ongoing investigation.” Sounia was appointed the garrison commander in May 2019. He previously served with the U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg. The decision to relieve Sounia was made jointly by Lt. Gen. Douglas Gabram, commander of Installation Management and Lt. Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, Fort Bragg’s commanding general. Sounia, a highly decorated, combat-tested West Point graduate, was one of a select group chosen to participate in the Army’s doctoral program to study planning and public policy. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Justin Mitchell, Fort Bragg’s deputy garrison commander, will serve as acting commander until a replacement is named.

    06 02 IMG 2397 3 copyDowntown circle of hope
    The inside lane of the traffic circle around the Market House downtown has been painted bright yellow and black. It has been adorned with large lettering acknowledging the struggle of African Americans in the U.S. On June 22, Fayetteville City Council agreed to the design and wording, after several weeks of discussion. What some are calling “a circle of hope” is scripted with “Black Lives Do Matter” and “End Racism Now.” This is despite a renewed effort by some to remove the landmark from the city center.

    City Council also decided to create a citizen review board to investigate police misbehavior in the wake of the killing by Minneapolis Police of George Floyd, which sparked protests across the country, including here in Fayetteville. “I can support an advisory board, but it is going to take months to figure out... what their powers are going to be,” Councilman Johnny Dawkins said.

    The creation of an agency with enforcement authority, including the right to issue subpoenas, would require legislative authorization. Council members were quick to applaud Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins, who said up to 40% of the department’s budget is dedicated to community policing. This strategy focuses on building ties and working closely with members of the community. Mayor Mitch Colvin observed that even with determination and training, a thorough review of police policies is in order. Councilmember Tisha Waddell agreed and said it is incumbent upon members of the council to learn the specifics of law enforcement procedures.                                             
     
    06 03 Jody Risacher 2Library official retires
    Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center Director Jody Risacher has retired after 22 years of service. Risacher joined the library system in April 1998 and was named director in January 2009.

    “I’m very grateful for the opportunity I had. … It has fed my soul over the years to help people develop self-confidence, comfort and strength in fulfilling their dreams,” Risacher said.

    Under her leadership, the Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center was awarded the National Medal for Museum and Library Services in 2012. Risacher was named library director of the Year by the North Carolina Public Library Directors Association in 2013, and in 2014, she was elected to serve as the association’s president. She also served on the North Carolina State Library Commission’s Public Library Standards Committee.

    “Jody Risacher did a wonderful job as director of the Cumberland County Public Library,” said Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Vice Chairman Glenn Adams. Deputy library director Cotina Jones will serve as interim library director as a recruitment process for a new director begins.

    06 04 Bragg Mutual FCUBragg Mutual Federal Credit Union moves into Harnett County
    The National Credit Union Association has approved an underserved region of neighboring Harnett County as a service area for Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union. Bragg Mutual FCU services will be available to anyone who lives, works or worships in parts of Harnett County, increasing its membership potential by 61,713.

    “Many of these residents live in areas with few options when it comes to financial service providers,” said Steve Foley, president and CEO of Bragg Mutual FCU. “Our newest office located in Spout Springs on Highway 24/87 is already serving members, and we look forward to expanding into the central and eastern part of the County.”

    Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union has been serving people in Cumberland County since 1952. The credit union has assets of $83 million and is recognized as one of the fastest growing credit unions in terms of asset growth in North Carolina. The credit union is a member-owned financial cooperative.

    06 05 FTCC CorporateIndustryTrainingFTCC receives job training grant
    Fayetteville Technical Community College has received a $296,535 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation to provide job training and job placement assistance for special needs individuals. Persons considered hard to employ, including those who have been previously incarcerated for nonviolent crimes, and young adults aging out of foster care, will receive counseling and will be enrolled in a 15-week FTCC course that will teach basic skills in electrical, HVAC, plumbing and carpentry trades.

    “Fayetteville Tech is delighted to receive the Golden LEAF Foundation’s support on this important project,” said FTCC President Dr. Larry Keen. “Our college is dedicated to helping students from all walks of life achieve their educational goals and to serving our community by strengthening its workforce.”

    FTCC will partner with local agencies, employers and nonprofits to identify prospective trainees, support individuals while in training and place them into employment. Participants will receive paid internships, and those who complete the course will receive job placement assistance from FTCC’s Job Center.

    06 06 Yard Sale 2Yard sales are permissible again
    The city of Fayetteville’s yard sale permitting process has been reactivated. Yard sales were suspended for several weeks because of COVID-19. The reactivation is in line with the governor’s executive order easing restrictions on travel, business operations and mass gatherings. The city code requires a permit for a yard sale. A residence is limited to three yard sales per year. This rule prevents homeowners from operating as commercial businesses. Permit applications are being accepted online at https://fayworx.com/fayworxportal. People with questions about code enforcement and inspections can call 910-433-1329.
  • 04 N2008P18007C  It’s that most wonderful time of year — a time of sweetness, light and goodwill toward men. It’s the summer run-up to the presidential election of 2020. It’s a time for civil, reasoned political discourse. A time for love, a time for joy. A time for thoughtful conversations about the direction of government. A time when Americans of all political stripes link arms, sing “Kum Ba Yah,” and arrive at a mutually agreed consensus about where we want to go as a nation. Ha! Fooled you. None of the above. Let’s get ripping and roaring, tossing invectives, stink bombs and fake ads at the other side. As “Where the Wild Things Are” advised: “Let the wild rumpus begin.” Each side will accuse the other side of being in league with Satan. Both sides will screech, “This is the most important election in the history of America.” Every four years we have the most important election in the history of America. Someone needs to come up with a new slogan.

    We will have a choice between another four years of Dear Leader’s curious antics and Joe Biden’s calmness. Personally, I am riding with Biden. If you are a true believer in all things Trump, this column is not going to be beneficial to your blood pressure. Kindly stop reading it. Go to your safe space on Fox or OAN. At least take some Phenergan to prevent nausea if you persist in reading this drivel despite the trigger warning that it will be unkind to Dear Leader.

    Perhaps you have seen the picture of a dejected and disheveled looking Dear Leader walking from the helicopter after the Triumph in Tulsa rally. He appeared to be a Conquering Zero. Think of General Lee after Gettysburg or the Carolina Tar Heel basketball team walking off the floor after the loss in the Final Four to Indiana in 1981. He looked that bad, his red tie dangling forlornly, crumpled MAGA hat in hand. It was bigly sad. The blue wave turned out to be wall-to-wall rows of empty blue seats in the BOK arena. Apparently, some of the vacuum in BOK was created by teenagers with cell phones calling in fake reservations. The leader of the free world got punked by teenagers. If the White House can’t figure out how to deal with bored teenagers, what does that say about Dear Leader’s ability to deal with Vlad Putin and China’s Chairman Xi on matters more weighty than phony phone calls? Like the King of Siam said, “It is a puzzlement.”

    Would you buy a used Pandemic from this man? Maybe you would. Maybe America will too. Despite Biden’s apparent lead in the polls, we all remember what the polls said about President Hillary Clinton before the actual election. Ain’t no guarantee that Biden will win. Dear Leader might well be like Bullwinkle J. Moose and pull another rabbit out of his presidential hat.

    Trouble remains right here in River City with 40 million +  unemployed Americans. The COVID cooties have killed over 120,000 Americans as this column slouches toward the printing press. The Black Lives Matter remains front and center. The stock market is up despite the pain on Main Street. Someone wiser than I said that the Dow Jones average represents how rich people feel about money, not what is happening in the actual economy where people live. It’s a veritable constellation of crud. Something is happening here, and you don’t know what it is, do you Dear Leader?

      Let us assume for the moment that Biden gets elected. As William Butler Yeats once wrote, “’What then?’ sang Plato’s ghost. ‘What then?’” He will have a bit of a mess to clean up, beginning in January 2021. Joblessness, pandemic in double full bloom and troubles on the streets all await the next president. Fixing the mess reminds me of one of the 12 labors of Hercules. Hercules had been made insane by the goddess Hera. While he was crazy, Hercules killed his wife and family like the Overlook’s caretaker Charles Grady in “The Shining.” Once his crazy passed, Hercules was grief-stricken and wanted to make amends. Like Alcoholics Anonymous, Hercules was assigned a 12-step program of seemingly impossible tasks to gain redemption.

    Hercules was given the job of cleaning out the Augean Stables in a single day. These stables housed thousands of cattle, sheep and horses. These critters produced a prodigious amount of poop. The stables had not been cleaned out for over 30 years. There was a lot of stable mucking to be done. A lesser man might have given up before even starting to shovel. Hercules believed in working smarter, not harder. He dug a giant ditch and diverted two rivers into and out of the stables. This successfully carried away three decades of poop. The Environmental Protection Agency did not exist then, so no federal regulations on the discharge of animal waste were violated.

     If Biden gets elected, he will have a fair amount of stable cleaning to enjoy. If Dear Leader gets reelected, even though he is a very stable genius, I suspect the stables will just collect more poop. Let the wild rumpus begin.
     
  • I doubt that those calling for the eradication of Fayetteville’s historic Market House know much about its history.  

    In 2020, Fayetteville’s biggest threat is perceived to be a 188-year-old structure steeped in North Carolina history and tradition, which remains mostly ignored — the Fayetteville Market House. Recently, there have been calls for it to be torn down because it offends the sensitivities of a particular faction of residents. I know what you may be thinking. Downtown establishments in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s offended the sensibilities of many local residents, and some were finally torn down. This is true. But in the years that followed, the people who were responsible for demolishing them had laser-focused plans for Fayetteville and Cumberland County’s future and the leadership skills to see it through. They knew exactly what they wanted Fayetteville’s future to be for all its citizens.
     
    Local city and county government leadership had vision, tenacity and plenty of practical business experience. They had a well-thought-out and workable plan to improve and enhance the quality of life for all citizens — without regard to race, color or religious affiliation. Former mayors J. L. Dawkins and Bill Hurley, County Commissioner Thomas Bacote, city manager John Smith, city attorney Bob Cogswell, Democrat Sen. Tony Rand, Danny Fore of the  Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation and David Jamieson of the Chamber of Commerce are just a few of the respected names that come to mind when I think of prominent Fayetteville and Cumberland County leaders who contributed to our valuable, however brief, renaissance.

    02 market houseThis was an exciting time for our community. When downtown was cleaned up, it marked a rebirth of our community. People were excited and willing to engage. Cumberland County and downtown Fayetteville became vibrant and alive. Commerce returned to downtown, a new city hall and police station were built on Hay Street, the Prince Charles Hotel was salvaged, the Airborne & Special Operations Museum and Veterans Park came to be, Fayetteville Little Theater became Cape Fear Regional Theatre, the Crown Coliseum Complex was built, and the third Thursday Chamber Coffee Club was standing room only in anticipation of hearing updates on new local projects and programs. Everyone benefited from the community’s success, and the Market House solidified itself as the city’s symbolic icon of pride, perseverance and progress. And, as history has proven, the Market House has never been depicted as “the slave market house” or a place of human degradation.

    I have lived here over 50 years and never once felt Fayetteville was a racially hostile community. And, saying it is does not make it so. Nor does destroying the Market House prove the point.

    My closing message relates to 2020 as an election year. The things we are now experiencing — from protests and riots to toppling statutes to the Black Lives Matter movement — are staged political distractions. Dissension means votes. Across this country, politicians need the black vote desperately. Without it, they have no political careers or future. These leaders stoke racially charged issues then stand down in the comfort of affluent neighborhoods while racial conflict and disharmony consume and destroy the communities in major towns and cities. Blacks and other minorities should never be used as pawns for anyone’s personal gain. Politicians use race as their weapon of choice. In politics, the color of one’s skin makes no difference. In politics, the rich get richer. In politics, power is both the objective and an intoxicating drug. All humanity needs to take a closer look at the people and the purpose of things to which we are asked to support and pay allegiance.

    The Market House is a historic symbol of pride that, as time passes, measures how far we have progressed in 188 plus years. We do not want to go backward.

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

     
  •  10 4th of july decorationsThere will be no Fourth of July parade and no public fireworks display in Hope Mills this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The town’s Board of Commissioners recently voted to delay the fireworks until Ole Mill Days in the fall, concerned about large crowds that might gather to watch as reports of spikes in the spread of the disease
    continue.

    Meghan Freeman of the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation staff began exploring alternative ways to celebrate the holiday and learned of a tradition in another town involving decorating homes and businesses. Freeman thought it was a cute way to observe the holiday while still keeping safe through social distancing.

    Townsfolk are urged to show off their patriotism in any manner they choose. It can include displays of red, white and blue, or they can put together a display that honors first responders or essential workers.

    “The purpose of decorating is to unleash their creativity and bring a smile to their neighbors,’’ Freeman said. If they don’t have a porch or lawn, Freeman said homeowners, apartment dwellers and businesses in Hope Mills can decorate anything about their location that can be seen from the street or the sidewalk.

    People who have piers on Hope Mills Lake are also welcome to decorate those, but Freeman said she doesn’t plan to include them in the decorating contest that the town will be conducting.

    There will be three categories in the decorating contest. They are most patriotic, most outstanding decoration and spirit of freedom. Prizes will be awarded in each category, but Freeman said a final decision on the nature of the prizes won’t be announced until June 30.

    Registration closed prior to the publication of this article. Contestants need to have their decorations in place by June 30 and leave them on display through July 5, which is when the winners will be announced.

    A committee of elected town officials will drive around to look at the various decorations and make the decision on the winner.

    Anyone who registered for the competition will have their home marked on an interactive map on the townofhopemills.com website, so people can have a virtual map to find the decorated homes.

    It will indicate both the address and whether or not the decorations include lights that can be seen at night. The first 50 who sign up will also get
    yard signs.

    “We could have easily just thrown up our hands,’’ Freeman said. “I think we are providing an outlet for some sort of patriotism. It brings the community together and it’s a time to have fun.’’

    Deputy Chief Bradley Dean of the Hope Mills Police Department reminded everyone planning their own fireworks that anything that shoots into the air or explodes is illegal without a pyrotechnic license.

    Dean added the police would rather educate than enforce, but if someone is injured or property damage results from illegal fireworks, they have no choice. “We want people to be safe,’’ he said.
     
  • 03 margaretLike millions of other Americans, I wake up every morning wondering what is going to happen today. How horrifying will the COVID-19 resurgence be? How and why has a protective health measure like covering one’s nose and mouth become a political statement? Will protesters be on our streets and will there be violence, damages and injuries?

    It is a time unlike any other, at least in my lifetime.

    The negatives of our collective situation are apparent to all Americans, and many of us are suffering financially and psychologically, individually and collectively. Each of us and our families approach this difficult time in our own ways, and none of us is certain we are doing it well. Every decision and every action seem — and are — a calculated risk.

    It helps to think of silver linings, and there are some.

    Since March, millions of us have been forced to slow down. Working remotely or not working at all has given us more time with our families, not all of it fairy tale perfect, of course, but opportunities to get to know each other in new ways. We are not side-by-side with our friends and coworkers, but we do “see” them through 21st century technology.

    We are spending more time outdoors, because we have more time and fewer places, like gyms, to go. Walkers and bikers, both serious athletes and casual strollers and pedal pushers, populate our neighborhoods. We are listening to and watching for birds, with apps to identify birds by both sight and sound downloaded by the millions. Live-cam feeds of nesting birds have soared in popularity.

    Cats and dogs are flying out shelter doors as Americans adopt them in record numbers.

    Experts say we foster and adopt pets to help them, especially those who have been abandoned, but we wind up helping ourselves cope with stress and become more active as we care for our new charges.

    We are learning that maybe, just maybe, we really do not need all the possessions and services we thought we did. This American did not have a haircut for more than three months, and while I was not thrilled by my shaggy tresses, I muddled through just like everyone else and was delighted when I finally did get a trim. Ditto for other personal services and impulse purchases not made because we are not out shopping as often as we were preCOVID-19.

    And, glory be — Americans are cooking again. With restaurants closed or operating at reduced capacity, we have had to provide for ourselves, and many of us are getting creative. Sourdough starter is having a big moment, producing bread, pancakes, waffles and anything else bakers want to try. Many of us are cooking together, a first in some American households. The Dicksons’ summer obsession turns out to be finding the perfect tomato pie recipe, and we think we have it now.

    More cooking means more groceries, some of them selected online and then picked up or delivered. No surprise then that grocery profits have spiked during the pandemic, as have those of other industries that make us more comfortable at home. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that also thriving are meal prep companies and prepared food outlets, cleaning and delivery services, liquor and wine stores, game makers and sellers, fitness equipment companies, landscaping and yard services, garden centers, and — guess who — mask producers.

    Americans are also doing each other small kindnesses, and each of us has a story to tell about those. One that resonates with me comes from the Gallery X Art Collective in Murray, Kentucky. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, the tattoo parlor is offering to cover up inked symbols of hate or gangs — free of charge. Says tattoo artist Ryun King, “Having anything hate related is completely unacceptable. A lot of people when they were younger just didn’t know any better and were left with mistakes on their bodies. We just want to make sure everybody has a chance to change.” Their phone is ringing regularly.

    Such is the phenomenon that is 2020, which still has six months to go.

  • 07 acp copyIn a win for Eastern North Carolina jobs, economic development and clean energy, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a longstanding precedent allowing the Atlantic Coast Pipeline to cross beneath the Appalachian Trail — like more than 50 other pipelines already do without disturbing its public use.

    While this is an exciting outcome, there is still some work to do in resolving several remaining project permits before construction can resume.

    “The Court’s decision is an affirmation for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and communities across our region that are depending on it for jobs, economic growth and clean energy,” said Tammy Thurman, Piedmont spokesperson. “The project will provide a much-needed source of natural gas to North Carolina, bringing with it economic opportunities in an underserved part of our state. Eastern North Carolina’s energy needs and prospects for economic success continue to be very important to us.”
     When in service, here’s what the ACP means for your region and the state:

    With access to a plentiful supply of affordable natural gas, the ACP will help to attract, compete for and win new manufacturers and industry in your counties.     
    With current infrastructure constrained, the ACP provides a direct new supply of natural gas that will bring enhanced capacity and pressure to eastern North Carolina — something industry and businesses need to operate.

     Construction of the ACP would create more than 17,000 good-paying jobs and $2.7 billion in economic activity along the pipeline’s three-state route.

    Job positions start at $20-$25 per hour and include free training, veteran’s programs and other benefits, such as health insurance and retirement plans.

    The ACP will increase local spending, provide additional tax revenues and offer prospects for a better quality of life in your communities for many years to come.

    The ACP will play an important role in the transition away from coal plants to cleaner natural gas and renewables, a critical part of our comprehensive climate and net-zero emissions strategy.

    The ACP serves the strategic interests of our armed forces in North Carolina, strengthening resilient energy supplies for military readiness and national security and reducing the cost to maintain our military forces.

    The ACP will reduce price volatility for all customers when natural gas demand is high during cold winter months.

    The Supreme Court ruling is encouraging, and Piedmont Natural Gas appreciates everyone who has voiced support for the project. Eastern North Carolina’s energy needs continue to be very important to us, and the organization pledges to continue to help the region’s prospects for growth and economic success. To learn more about the project and supporters across the region, visit https://atlanticcoastpipeline.com and https://energysure.com

  • 05 markethouse For years — decades — both the Fayetteville City Council and the Cumberland County Commissioners have poured a lot of money into various organizations and plans to bring new business with well-paid employment to our area. These efforts have now been turned overnight into irremediable failure.

    No properly managed enterprise, after conducting due diligence, will ever set up in Fayetteville. If the local police force will not protect their property and employees, having set this precedent, these businesses will go elsewhere. This is not hollow conjecture.

    While the news of the rioting and looting in Fayetteville got lots of media attention, it is significant that there was no similar violence in surrounding communities. Rioting, looting and vandalism in Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Clinton? Reportedly, the Aberdeen police department got intelligence of a planned event at their Walmart, but they deployed in force, and stopped the riot before it could begin.

    Although our police chief has praised herself for the “restraint” shown by her police in the face of the looting, vandalism and assaults during the recent riot, there is going to be a consequence of this failure to protect property that will doom any future hopes for economic growth in Fayetteville. This must be considered at the police chief’s performance evaluation.

    Another dire situation our police chief’s actions, or rather, inaction, has generated is “vigilante policing.” If the Fayetteville police will not commit to protecting this city’s citizens and their property, then these citizens will take up arms and protect themselves. The consequences will lie at the feet of the police chief. An unintended consequence of our police chief’s laissez-faire approach to protecting Fayetteville’s citizens and their property is the end of the anti 2nd Amendment movement. How can you keep a straight face arguing against “gun violence” when you are promoting wanton looting and vandalism? Since when was a Molotov cocktail not a weapon?

    The examples set by our city’s leadership and police chief have branded Fayetteville as a poor choice to move to and set up a business. Business, and the investment money to set it up, will go elsewhere. That is the real debris that will have to be cleaned up. But can we expect our city leaders and police chief to accomplish this now?

      — Leon A. Goldstein

    Fayetteville City Council and Mayor: No paint needed

    I was raised in this city and grew to love it with all my heart. My working career took me to many places, Greensboro, Raleigh, Rochester, New York, Atlanta Georgia, and then back to Raleigh. I always said, when I retire, I’m going to move back to Fayetteville, North Carolina, a great city and state. I planned well and was fortunate to retire at the age of 59 and immediately moved back. I have enjoyed every minute of it. I hardly ever go to the grocery store that I don’t run into someone I know, and I enjoy that very much. I could almost make a list of those that I might run into at the Teeter. Several of their employees are always greeting me when I come in. “Hello, Mr. Wilson.”

     My childhood was spent at places like Honeycutt Rec. Center (as much as all day, either playing baseball, football or basketball, pool or ping pong). Who could ever forget George Crumbley (with his pipe) or Howard Chesire with all his athletic talent, or Roger Hobson sometimes being the umpire for some of the Little League games. Rowan Street Park, teen night dancing — I am not a good dancer, but really enjoyed watching those that were. Lamond Street Park and the pool we got to swim in once a week. Hay Street, and riding the escalators in Sears and The Capitol. Mr. Stein, owner of the Capitol, probably accused Gary and myself for maybe wearing the escalators out at the Capitol. Alexander Graham Jr. High School (7th, 8th and 9th grade) with Johnson and Underwood sports teams.

    I used to thumb downtown to junior high every day for school. Funny thing, a police lieutenant would pick us up almost every day after he had dropped his son off at Fayetteville Senior High. I wish I could remember his name to give him credit here. The Carolina Soda Shoppe, a “real” orange aide, with a hot dog all the way. Breece’s landing, and going on Mr. Oscars big boat. Playing in the alleys of Holmes Electric, where my mother (grandmother) worked for $25 a week. You should have seen some of the big rats we would chase there. Fort Bragg, a place I have, and still do, always hold with the utmost respect for the men and women that serve this great country, especially those men and women who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Going to Emmanuel Baptist church on Hull road every time the doors were open. I grew up with some great friends there.

    The Market House ….what a nice symbol recognizing this great city. It’s our logo, if you will. In fact, there are paintings hanging all over this city, in homes, as well as many offices, painted by such great artists as Mary Nan Thompson and other talented artists. One of Mary Nan’s is hanging in my home. I personally have never thought of it as a place where slaves were sold.... I personally have never seen anything, written or other wise, that might suggest that. All my life I have thought of the Market House as a place where farmers went to sell their produce and livestock — nothing more! I could be proven wrong, but I believe his group, Black Lives Matter, is simply an organization that is radical and it’s sole purpose is to loot and steal and create criminal and racial disturbance. Two of the three people that started it were both confirmed Marxists. Why not protest in peace, as Dr. Martin Luther King suggested. All Lives Matter. Christ proved that when he gave his life for everyone, regardless of color!

    Now, according to our local newspaper, our city council is thinking about having racial slogans painted on Hay street, or even have the building demolished. Our looters and criminals have already tried to burn the building down. Thankfully, one criminal suspect got what he deserved by having put himself on fire... justice served, I believe. My question here is, Where were the police or fire department? Very bad choice Mr. Mayor and Ms. Police Chief, very bad.

    The other sad thing is that the merchants have worked very hard to make downtown Hay Street a place we could all be proud of. The only thing thing they got in return was their widows broken out and stolen merchandise.

    I will personally have no desire to go back downtown to shop or visit one of the many nice restaurants located there unless there is a dramatic change. There must be a Market House standing, with no paint on the streets! Oops. I forgot. I will continue to support our Woodpeckers, I do love baseball. Hey Fayetteville residents, we do have
    an election coming up very soon, please get out and vote.

    If I am not mistaken, the Market House is protected by the fact that it is on the 1832 list of the National Historic Registry places, making it deemed worthy of preservation for its historical significance. Why were the police not present to help deter some of the damage done to the Market House? Voters, an election is coming up soon... please remember that.

    As this piece is being written, we have a fence around the Market House — for its protection, I guess? Tonight the City Council is meeting to determine if the building should be demolished and done away with.

    This should be about police brutally, not race or racism. I am so very sorry that Mr. George Floyd lost his life; I hurt for his family and friends. However, race did not kill him... a police officer that had no business being on the force ended his life. Hopefully, justice will prevail, and all the officers get the punishment they all deserve. I respect the fact that anyone could use their constitutional right to protest, unfortunately, there are many of these protesters that have used this as an opportunity to loot, steal and destroy — even to the point of burning down buildings and destroying people’s livelihoods. The virus is doing that quite well, it doesn’t need any help.

    Demolishing the Market House, or painting the street with Black Lives Matter, would critically ruin this fine city I was privileged go grow up in. If we are going to do that, why not put the nasty, slutty bars back in the first block of Hay Street and finish the city off?

    I say not!

    Respectfully Submitted,
    Jerry Wilson
    Fayetteville Resident
  • 11 missionfieldministriesTwenty-one years ago, Pastor Michael Mathis felt a calling to branch out on his own and establish a ministry that was both aimed at worship and serving his fellow man.
    With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for a ministry like the one Mathis operates has become more important, and he’s trying to let people in need from Hope Mills and beyond know what he has available for them.

    Mathis is the founder of Mission Field Ministries, which has its physical location at 3429 Black and Decker Rd. on the outskirts of Hope Mills.

    He had previously served at Williams Chapel from 1988-99 when he felt a calling to establish his own church.

    He started his ministry with regular worship services at the Comfort Inn on Skibo Road in 2000, meeting there for about six years before setting up his own place of worship.
    Outreach has always been a part of what Mathis has done as a minister. He’s held regular programs at Haymount Rehabilitation Center on Bragg Boulevard and the prison in Scotland County, until the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions forced him to limit his interaction at both those facilities.

    He’s also done outreach to the homeless in the area, making visits to them beneath bridges to provide assistance.

    Over the past two years, Mathis has expanded another aspect of his ministry that provides food to those in need. Originally, he was serving about five families on a regular basis. A partnership with the Second Harvest Food Bank has increased the reach of the food ministry.

    Currently, he’s serving about 25 families regularly, and he’s looking to expand more as the pandemic continues.

    “About four months ago, we saw the need to do this monthly,’’ he said of the food distribution. As a result, Mathis has designated the third Saturday of every month as the day he holds food giveaways at his Black and Decker Road location.

    After getting the food from Second Harvest or other sources, Mathis has a team that puts it in boxes. The food is provided in an unprepared state and includes both perishable and non-perishable items.

    The goal with each food box is to provide the basics for a good meal for the family that is receiving it. Each third Saturday during the hours of noon to 2 p.m., any family in need is invited to drive up to the church, open their trunk and the box of food is placed inside.

    No eating of food on the church grounds is permitted.

    Mathis said there is no paperwork for people to fill out, no interview process. It is given to anyone who is in need and wants to stop by.

    So far, Mathis said they’ve never run out of food during one of these giveaways, but Mathis said it is first come, first served so people are encouraged to arrive as soon as possible on the giveaway day.

    “I’m sure the numbers are fixing to increase as more people embrace what we do,’’ he said. For that reason, he welcomes donations from anyone who would like to contribute food to the ministry. “I’m proud of the kind of food items we are issuing,’’ he said. “I want people to know about this.’’

    If interested, contact Mathis directly at 910-988-0795.

  • 07 scott graham 5fNmWej4tAA unsplashThere’s certainly been plenty of volatility and uncertainty the past few months, but one aspect of your financial picture has probably remained stable: your need for insurance. And since National Insurance Awareness Day is observed on June 28, now is a good time to review your overall insurance coverage to determine if you and your loved ones are well-protected.

    You might be surprised at the lack of protection among your fellow citizens. Less than 60% of Americans have life insurance, and just about half of those with insurance are underinsured, according to LIMRA, a research organization.

    Of course, you might think the reason so many people don’t have insurance is because they don’t need it. But just about every age group can benefit from life insurance.

    If you have a house and a family … Your insurance needs are obvious: If something happened to you, could your mortgage payments still be met? How about your car payments? Doctor’s bills? College for your children? Even if you have a spouse or partner who earns a decent income, your family could still have big trouble paying its bills if you weren’t around.

    If you’re young and single with no family responsibilities … If you’re in this group, why would you need life insurance? For one thing, perhaps you owe money together with someone else — you might, for example, be a joint debtor on a mortgage. If you passed away, your codebtor would be responsible for the entire debt. And just because you don’t have family responsibilities now, it doesn’t mean you never will. If you have a family history of serious health issues, which may eventually affect you, you could have trouble getting life insurance later, or at least getting it without paying a lot. Now, when you’re young and healthy, the coverage is available and may be more affordable.

    Your children are grown and you’re retired … If you retire with debt or have a spouse dependent on you, keeping your life insurance is a good idea, especially if you haven’t paid off your mortgage. Plus, life insurance can be used in various ways in your estate plans.

    Even if you recognize the need for life insurance, though, you may be uncertain about how much you require. Your employer may offer insurance, but it might not be sufficient for your needs. And, perhaps just as important, if you leave your job, voluntarily or not, you’ll likely lose this coverage. If you purchase a private policy, what’s the right amount? You might have heard you need a death benefit that’s worth seven or eight times your annual salary, but that’s just a rough estimate. To determine the appropriate level of coverage, you’ll need to consider a variety of factors: your age, income, marital status, number of children and so on.

    Still, even after you’ve got the right amount in place, it doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. You should review your coverage regularly, and especially when you change jobs, get married or remarried, have children or experience any other major life event.

    Life insurance should be a key part of your overall financial strategy, along with your retirement accounts and other investments. Make sure you’re properly covered – for today and tomorrow.

  • 06 C0830100 1Should Gov. Roy Cooper continue his current approach to reopening North Carolina’s shattered economy, speeding up the pace to save more jobs and businesses, or slow it down in response to increases in hospitalized patients with COVID-19?

    I bet you have a strong opinion about this question. Most North Carolinians do. I certainly do, and have expressed it repeatedly: I think Cooper’s initial shutdown orders were too sweeping and Draconian and ought to be lifted more quickly.

     There are two assumptions embedded in my answer that deserve further explanation. One is that Cooper’s reaction to the coronavirus crisis has been relatively stringent. The other is that state regulations have a significant effect on economic activity separate from the direct effect of the virus itself. After all, many North Carolinians would have stayed away from workplaces and businesses even if the state hadn’t ordered them to.

    Let’s start with stringency. Comparing state COVID-19 responses is no easy task. You can’t just tally up how many states issued stay-at-home orders or closed “nonessential” businesses. Details matter. Some orders lasted only a couple of weeks. Others lasted a couple of months. Some contained lots of exceptions and defined “nonessential” broadly. And in places such as Florida, local responses came earlier and have been more burdensome than the statewide orders.

    Taking all that into consideration, the only state in the Southeast that seems to rival North Carolina in the stringency of COVID-19 regulation is Virginia. Its stay-at-home order lasted longer. On the other hand, Virginia has allowed some categories of businesses such as bars and gyms to reopen, albeit under tight restrictions, while Cooper has refused to do so in North Carolina.

    Another way of gauging the relative strictness of state regulations is to look at their effect on behavior. To do that, I used a mobility measure from the University of Washington’s COVID model that combines cellphone tracking from Google, Facebook, Safegraph and Descartes Labs. I also focused more specifically on the restaurant sector by using an OpenTable.com tool that compares the average number of seated diners to pre-COVID levels in each state.

    The results matched up closely with my assessment of state policies. After the initial wave of COVID regulations, followed by the current wave of phased reopening, mobility in the average Southeastern state is about 20% below pre-COVID levels. The three states where mobility remains significantly more limited are Virginia (still down 34%), Florida (down 31%), and North Carolina (down 27%).

     With regard to restaurant reservations, all Southeastern states show a substantial drop from pre-COVID levels. But there is a wide variance. The situation is noticeably worse for restaurants in Virginia (-82%) and North Carolina (-68%) than in Florida (-49%), South Carolina (-46%), and Alabama (-37%). The other states fall somewhere in-between.

     As you can plainly see, even the states with the lightest regulations have still experienced large declines in mobility and business activity. The same can be said for jobs and incomes. It would be silly to blame Roy Cooper in North Carolina, or any governor in any state, for all of the economic pain experienced since March.

     However, it would also be silly to assert that state policy has played no role. Don’t take my word for it. In a study posted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a team of academic researchers from Indiana, Ohio and Georgia estimated that employment dropped by an average of 1.7 percentage points for every 10 days under a state stay-at-home order. “Our estimates imply that about 40% of the 12 percentage-point decline in employment rates between January and April 2020 was due to a nationwide shock,” they wrote, “while about 60% was driven by state social distancing policies.”

     To show that Roy Cooper’s shutdown orders were relatively onerous and very costly is not necessarily to show they were a bad idea, of course. We’ll keep debating that question for weeks and months to come. But now, at least, the question is more clearly framed.

  • 12 chuckhodges copyThe town of Hope Mills is looking for a new fire marshal and hopes to have one in place by the end of July.

    “Pretty much every municipality has its own fire marshal or they have to contract with the county,’’ said Hope Mills fire chief Chuck Hodges, adding the town has had its own fire marshal since the early 1990s.

    Currently, a part-time assistant fire marshal is handling most of those duties, which include inspecting local businesses and buildings for their adherence to fire codes.

    But the assistant is only qualified to do what are called level one and two inspections. Hodges said they need someone full-time who has complete training and certification to do higher level inspections, known as level three, for larger businesses like Lowe’s and Walmart.

    There are people on the current staff, Hodges said, including himself and the deputy chief, who are certified to do the higher level inspections. “With as much construction and building as there is going on in Hope Mills, we don’t have the time to do it,’’ Hodges said.

    That’s why it’s important that the town get a full-time fire marshal on board.

    In addition to doing business inspections, Hodges said the new fire marshal will, in many ways, become the most familiar public face of the fire department in the community.

    The fire marshal is charged with educating the public on the topic of fire safety.

    “If there is a civic group or fire prevention class, they will be the ones who coordinate that,’’ Hodges said of the fire marshal.

    He said the fire marshal plays a major role during fire prevention month, which is typically held during October, in conjunction with the anniversary of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire.

    “They do public relations functions where it comes to fire and life safety,’’ Hodges said. “Public speaking skills are a plus.’’

    When it comes to relating with business owners about fire safety issues, Hodges said the ultimate goal is to make all businesses in the town safe for both patrons and employees.


    In a roundabout way, it’s also designed to make it safer for the firefighters should they ever have to respond to a situation at a local business.

    “If they are complying with code, it makes it safer for us to respond,’’ he said.

    In addition to public relations skills, the fire marshal will also have to have command capability. “If I’m gone or the deputy chief is gone, the fire marshal is the next in charge,’’ Hodges said.

    Hodges indicated the new fire marshal will likely come from outside the current staff as no one qualified and currently on board has expressed a serious interest in the position.

    “It’s an important job, for everybody,’’ Hodges said. “It reduces the risk and adds to the quality of life for the people who live in the town.

    “It’s rare they’re going to go into a business in town that’s not safe.’’

    To apply for the fire marshal job, go to www.townofhopemills.com/jobs.aspx.

  • 02 fORT bRAGGLast week, I was interviewed by a reporter for The Washington Times who wanted to know if I was for or against the proposed renaming of the Fort Bragg military installation. Without hesitation, I told her I felt changing the name was an ill-conceived idea and another unfortunate knee-jerk reaction to the unsavory political unrest our nation is currently experiencing. I also told the reporter she would be hard-pressed to find five people out of 100 who even knew who Braxton Bragg was, let alone know he was a general in the Confederate Army — and an unpopular general at that.

    Fort Bragg has a proud and honorable history. It’s home to the 82nd Airborne Division. The renaming controversy, to many, appears to be another example of political exploitation of the ill-informed. It would undoubtedly deal a death blow to Fayetteville both emotionally and economically, stripping it of it’s one single valuable and marketable asset. Besides, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, is not the first military installation named after North Carolina’s native son Braxton Bragg, who was born in Warranton, North Carolina. In Northern California, there is an entire city named after him — Fort Bragg, California. In 1857 the U.S. military established an army post on the Mendocino Indian Reservation, and the young lieutenant in charge of that project, H. C. Gibson, named the post in honor of then-captain Braxton Bragg, whom he admired as his commanding officer in the Mexican-American War. Hence, Fort Bragg, California, est. 1857. The main highway, Route 20, entering this city of 7,500 is named Fort Bragg Road.

    Bragg went on to be a general in the Army of the Confederacy from 1861-1865. He died in 1876. Even though Bragg was one of the 750,000 Confederate soldiers who fought in the Civil War, he contributed little to history or the outcome of the war.

    Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was created in 1918. Forty-two years after his death. So, why did they name this military installation after Bragg? Who knows. Maybe it was because he was from North Carolina. Or, maybe it was because of Fayetteville’s close proximity to the Battle of Bentonville, which was the last Civil War skirmish Bragg participated in.

    With the naming of an Army post 42 years after his death, it’s doubtful it had anything to do with elevating or advocating for antiquated Confederate values.
    What’s important today is what this proud military installation means to our soldiers, our community, the nation and the world. Fort Bragg is much more than a name; it’s an institution with a global reach and humanity’s assurance that goodwill always triumphs over evil.

    In a former career and for over a quarter of a century, I traveled coast to coast working and meeting tens of thousands of people in hundreds of cities and towns across America. Never, and I mean never, when I introduced myself and told them I’m from Fayetteville, North Carolina, did they not instinctively mention Fort Bragg with an enthusiastic sense of patriotism and pride. They understand that as one of the largest military bases in the country, we house and deploy the most impressive, mightiest and deadliest fighting machine on Earth. Worldwide, people know Fort Bragg. They trust Fort Bragg. They respect Fort Bragg, and our enemies fear Fort Bragg. They know that anywhere in the world, when a nation gets in trouble and dials 911, it is Fort Bragg that picks up the phone. Fort Bragg is an American icon of freedom, pride, patriotism, justice and democracy. Fort Bragg is synonymous with world security and stability.

    Changing the name of the most historically significant American military installation in the world just to appease the reactions of political activists looking to make a statement is not worth debasing the spirit of North Carolina, the Fayetteville community or the patriotic pride of the millions of soldiers, veterans and their families that have called Fort Bragg their home. We can only pray that common sense prevails in this matter. After all, that’s a lot of street signs to change and birth certificates to reissue.

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • 15 01 billThere’s an old cartoon that shows a couple of vultures sitting on a branch, scanning the horizon for carrion to eat and finding nothing.

    One vulture turns to the other and says, “To heck with patience, I’m going to kill something.’’

    That sentiment isn’t too far off from the frustration high school coaches and athletes around North Carolina and the Cape Fear region are feeling as they wait for the COVID-19 restrictions to be lifted so they can return to practice.

    The North Carolina High School Athletic Association finally opened the door to the return to off-season workouts recently, using guidelines established both by the National Federation of State High School Associations and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

    15 02 vernon copyBut many of the state’s larger school systems, including Cumberland County, decided to hold off and delay the start of practice until Monday, July 6.

    A conversation I had recently with Bill Sochovka, the dean of Cumberland County’s head football coaches, had me agreeing with the county’s plan to wait.

    Sochovka had the same opinion, for a simple but solid reason. He wanted the county to take its time and see what happens at other schools that open up, examine what practices are in place, what works, what doesn’t and how to safely open the doors for the athletes and coaches in the safest manner possible.

    Vernon Aldridge, the student activities director for the Cumberland County Schools, is also in the corner for caution, but for some different reasons. Aldridge wants to take time to make sure each of the county schools will have supplies on hand that they wouldn’t normally stock, things like hand sanitizer and other materials to make sure everyone stays as germ-free as possible.

    With recent spikes in new cases since some COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, it’s clear everyone needs to take this illness seriously and continue to do everything possible to flatten the curve.

    Nobody wants to see a return to practice and games more than I do. But I also don’t want to see an early return lacking proper precautions causing further spread of COVID-19.
    Instead of copying the vultures, let’s adopt the philosophy of one of my favorite Clint Eastwood characters, Gunny Highway from the movie "Heartbreak Ridge." As Gunny Highway said, let’s improvise, adapt and overcome, and make practice and play as safe as it can possibly be.

  • 03 Sanford2Raleigh political pundit and writer Gary Pearce posed an interesting question last week during this tense and racially charged time in our state and nation.

    “What would Terry Sanford do?”

    Terry Sanford was a man of great accomplishment. A country boy from down the road in Laurinburg, he was an Eagle Scout who later parachuted into France during World War II and was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his efforts. He became an attorney and settled into private practice in Fayetteville, a small city whose size he liked and was not far from his hometown. Sanford had political aspirations, though, and spent a term in the North Carolina Senate before being elected governor in 1960. The Sanford family decamped from their Haymount home for four years in the Governor’s Mansion and later onto the national stage as Sanford became president of Duke University, a United States senator, and a two-time candidate for president of the United States.

    Sanford’s is a storied history of service to North Carolinians and Americans in both politics and education, but it is his time as governor that Pearce references. Sanford was elected governor the same day John F. Kennedy was elected president, sharing the same platforms and with the same dreams. Sanford was an outlier in the South, a part of the country still mired in Jim Crow segregation and with strong and openly white supremacist leaders. Sanford defeated just such a candidate in the Democratic primary, a man who vowed to preserve racial segregation. Once in the Governor’s Mansion, Sanford forged ahead of other Southern leaders by supporting increased education funding, promoting higher education, including the establishment of North Carolina’s community college system. He promoted antipoverty programs, including establishment of the privately financed North Carolina Fund, a structure that insulated the fund from the protests of segregationists.

    Sanford’s most enduring legacy, though, may be his support of civil rights and improved race relations, earning North Carolina a reputation as a progressive Southern state. By the time Sanford took office, segregation had been largely struck down by various courts but was still ingrained. He came into office concentrating on other issues but realized that racial discrimination underlay all aspects of daily life in North Carolina. He then appointed African Americans to state positions and integrated our state parks. He established what he called the Good Neighbor Council to facilitate communication and nondiscrimination and to prepare young people for the workplace. Sanford arranged for an FBI agent to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan in North Carolina, finding that our state was home to one of the nation’s largest Klan chapters.

    While all this sounds pretty tame and anachronistic by today’s standards, it is important to remember that Sanford was virtually alone among Southern governors and other leaders in the stances he took and the efforts he made. Billboards supporting the Klan could be spotted on North Carolina’s roadways as late as 1977, a clear indication that our state was not past its segregationist heritage. Sanford’s legacy is that he spoke up when he saw injustice at a time when few Southern leaders did.

    The legendary Kareem Abdul Jabbar, whose only connection to North Carolina, as far as I know, was beating the socks off the UNC-Chapel Hill basketball team in the 1968 NCAA championship game, sums up our situation this way. “Racism is like dust in the air. It is invisible — even if you are choking on it — until you let the sun in. Then you see it’s everywhere. As long as we keep shining that light, we have a chance of cleaning it wherever it lands.”

    That was true in Terry Sanford’s day and it is true in ours.

  • 14 bookFrom his high school days playing football for legendary coach Herman Boone to taking the disaster that was the Westover girls’ basketball team and turning it into a state champion, Gene Arrington enjoyed one of the most amazing athletic careers anyone could dream of.

    Now, after listening to the urging of friends and family, he’s written a book about his experiences.

    “Rise of the Wolverines: The Making of a Titan and Beyond’’ tells Arrington’s story from his days under Boone at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, to his years turning the Westover girls basketball team into the best in the state. 

    Arrington’s sister, Ethel Delores Arrington, actually did the writing, as Coach Arrington sat down with her and dictated the story of his life.
    “My sister had written a book before and she got right in there with me,’’ Arrington said. 

    When Arrington took over the Westover girls’ program, then Wolverine principal John Smith said everyone warned him it was a dead-end job and had the record to prove it.
    At the time, the Wolverine girls were mired in an 87-game losing streak.

    “Westover had been kind of labeled as a nonproductive type of school,’’ Arrington said. “I wanted them to know Westover could do anything any other school could do and win, and they did.’’

    Arrington’s formula for success wasn’t anything complicated. “Confidence,’’ he said. “Those girls were confident they could beat anybody.’’

    He said his guidance as a coach came largely from the legendary Boone, whose story was featured in the 2000 film “Remember the Titans,’’ starring Denzel Washington, which shared the story of Boone’s 1971 T.C. Williams team and the challenges he faced coaching at the height of public school integration.

    “He was my mentor,’’ Arrington said. “He was my buddy. Most of the things I did were a mirror of him.’’

    Boone, who died of lung cancer last December, wrote the foreword for Arrington’s book.

    Arrington snapped the Westover girls’ losing skid in his first season there with a win over perennial Cumberland County girls’ basketball power Pine Forest. 

    In his 15 seasons at Westover, Arrington only had three teams with losing records. From 2004-10, his teams won 20 or more games every season, winning or sharing the conference basketball title six times. Health reasons led him to retire before the 2013 season.

    The Wolverines had their best season in 2008, when they went 30-2 and defeated West Charlotte 58-53 at N.C. State’s Reynolds Coliseum for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4-A girls’ basketball title. Along the way, they knocked off a 30-0 Raleigh Wakefield team in the semifinal round.

    In the title game against West Charlotte, Arrington recalled taking a timeout with about five minutes to play and his team trailing by eight points.

    Arrington said he usually did the talking during timeouts, but he recalled a moment reminiscent of one of the final scenes in the famed high school basketball movie “Hoosiers.”

    Linda Aughburns, one of the stars of the state title team, looked at Arrington in that huddle and said to her coach, “We got this,’’ he recalled. 
     
    In January of 2015, Westover paid tribute to Arrington’s outstanding career by naming the gym at the school in his honor.

    Arrington said his hope for people who read the book is they will get a simple message from it. “I hope they’ll realize perseverance, building confidence, faith in each other and believing are the keys to success,’’ he said. 

    The book is not available in stores. For information on purchasing it, go to www.coachgene.net. The cost is $17 plus $5 for shipping and handling. To 
    place orders for multiple copies, email etheldelores@gmail.com.
     
  • 09 01 mitch colvin 2 copyThere are a variety of ways that police officers sometimes engage in misconduct. One way is using excessive force when interacting with the public. Whether or not force used by the police is “excessive” depends on the facts of each case. For example, if a suspect resists arrest and threatens the life of an officer that officer may be justified in using force. Sacrifices that law enforcement officers make are often overlooked and underappreciated. Police brutality should not exist, but it does because a small minority of officers abuse their privileges. In North Carolina and 22 other states, and the District of Columbia, a cop’s disciplinary history is mostly unavailable to the public. Disciplinary records are confidential under North Carolina law.

    09 02 Fort Bragg CAFayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin said it’s time for reform. “The people are demanding real change,” he said. “There are a number of statutory protections, which must be changed in order for the citizens to have true oversight.”

    A police officer’s fundamental mission is to promote public safety. Sometimes officers must go “hands-on” while conducting searches or making arrests. Except in cases involving serious violent crimes, maybe officers need to go hands-off. “I believe in order for true reform to occur, we have to look at the entire system,” the mayor told Up & Coming Weekly.

    Fort Bragg may indeed change its name

    09 03 Fayetteville Florence floodingA West Coast city is considering changing its name in the wake of calls to remove Confederate monuments and statues across the United States, according to a post on the city’s Facebook page. Officials are responding to requests that the town of Fort Bragg, California, change its name to avoid connotations associated with Confederate Army general Braxton Bragg. Mayor Will Lee said City Council will discuss whether to place the question of changing the name on the ballot in November for residents to decide. Calls to rename the town came after George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis, Minnesota, police. The protests that have followed Floyd’s death have spurred efforts to question statues, monuments or historical sites and names that have links to racial injustice. Fort Bragg is a coastal city along California’s Shoreline Highway in Mendocino County. The community was founded before the American Civil War as a military garrison nearly a century before the Army established Camp Bragg, North Carolina, as a training garrison.

    Hurricane season is upon us

    09 04 Festival Park Bldg2With the onset of hurricane season, we are reminded of the local impact of Hurricanes Matthew in 2016 and Florence in 2018. Being prepared can help families stay safe and avoid or reduce damage in the event of severe weather. Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission is ready to implement aggressive emergency plans when faced with a hurricane or other disaster. “Crews are always prepared to swing into action, just as soon as it’s safe, and work around the clock to restore your service,” a spokesman said.

    Citizen preparation recommendations include having an emergency plan, having a disaster supply kit on hand and designating a friend or family member outside the area as a contact person in the event your family gets separated in an emergency. If the power goes out, many services like ATMs may be down, so have an adequate amount of cash on hand. Always have a battery-operated radio, flashlight and batteries on hand. A car battery can be a backup charger for cellphones. Be sure to have a minimum of 1 gallon of water per person per day for three days. PWC’s Storm Central at www.faypwc.com has resources and information available.

    Chamber of Commerce offices moving

    09 05 FAST MinivanThe Greater Fayetteville Chamber is moving its offices to Festival Park Plaza. The Chamber is moving this month to a new suite of offices on Ray Avenue, according to a news release from Chamber President and CEO Christine Michaels. The change will be effective June 30. The building the Chamber has occupied for the past five years on Maxwell Street down town, is for sale.

    “The Chamber’s new location enables us to be more efficient with our space requirements under the social-distancing restrictions in place,” Michaels said. Chamber services and programs will operate as normally as possible through the move. Virtual programs will remain in place until in-person meetings are deemed safe, according to the release. The Chamber has been providing virtual committee meetings, virtual networking and “Back in Business” kits for businesses reopening since the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

    FAST now has small minivans in use

    09 06 Cheyenne Headshot highres 222x268The Fayetteville Area System of Transit is operating three new minivans, which it says will better serve paratransit service customers. The minivans are equipped with wheelchair ramps, two-way radios and mobile tablets with GPS. The FASTTRAC minivans can go where bigger vans cannot and improve access in parking lots and neighborhoods for customers who are going to medical facilities and stores. In May of this year, FASTTRAC services averaged about 760 trips per week, compared to 1,500 trips per week in May 2019, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. FAST patrons interested in paratransit services must meet criteria defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. To apply or make a reservation, call 910-433-1232. The minivans are dispatched based on current schedules and availability. All FASTTRAC services and FAST bus rides are free during the pandemic.

    FCEDC Welcomes Director of Public Relations

    The Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation has appointed Cheyenne Padgett as Director of Public Relations. With more than five years of experience in the communications industry, Padgett has worked extensively in the real estate, hospitality and lifestyle sectors. In her most recent role as senior account executive at QUINN, a Miami-based public relations firm, Padgett worked with clients including Lionheart Capital, JMH Development, Aloft Miami Aventura, Zuma Miami and Amrit Ocean Resort and Residences. Following the completion of her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Hofstra University, Padgett garnered extensive experience as a media specialist in both New York and Miami, before moving to Fayetteville in Spring 2020.

    “As a newcomer to Cumberland County, I look forward to being an instrumental part of a team that continues to build prosperity in the region,” said Cheyenne Padgett. “Having lived in rural, suburban and urban cities across the U.S., I can attest that Fayetteville provides the best of both worlds and I am happy to call this city my new home.”

    ABOUT FCEDC: The Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation (FCEDC) is a public-private partnership dedicated to facilitating business projects, increasing employment, supporting existing industry, and preparing sites for expedited development in Fayetteville and Cumberland County, NC. Visit www.fayedc.com to learn more.
  • 04 joshua rodriguez SbwOToII 4 unsplashColumn Gist: I do not know what the situation will be in America when this column is published; however, protests, too often accompanied by violence and looting, have been routine over the last two weeks. The horrible killing of George Floyd prompted all of this. A primary component of what is being called for is a discussion of race and racism in America. Watching all that is being done in this time, and what is being said, leads me to ask if there is a real desire to seriously discuss race and racism in this country.

    This, from a Wikipedia article titled, “Killing of George Floyd”:

    “On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man suspected of passing a counterfeit $20 bill, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed face down in the street; two other officers further restrained Floyd and another stood by and prevented onlookers from intervening.”

    As I start this column on June 8, protests intended to be peaceful have been conducted for several days across America. Many of these protests ended with the looting of businesses, burning of buildings, attacks on police officers and civilians and even killing of innocent people, including police officers.

    Let there be no doubt, the killing of George Floyd was a horrendous act that should never be inflicted on any human being. Amid the protests and violence that accompanies many of them, there is a call for discussing and confronting the alleged “rampant racism” in America. It is often referred to as “systemic racism.” The focus of the protests, speeches and other actions has been the contention that police killings of black citizens are out of control. Some people even label the situation as one of “genocide.” A Google search gives this definition of genocide: “… the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation.”

    Any discussion where there are differing thoughts or positions requires that all parties be able and willing to acknowledge what is factual. Just yesterday, I was in more than a two-hour phone discussion with a black friend that I have known for almost 70 years. We disagree on just about every consideration relating to the condition of black Americans. At one point in the conversation, I quoted some statistics to support a comment I had made. His response was that statistics can be twisted and what I was quoting probably came from some conservative source. I suggested that he check the statistics and source for himself. He had no interest in doing that. If you are not willing to come to grips with facts, are you really serious about discussing race and racism in America? The good news regarding that friend is that we left the conversation still friends. That has become a rare experience over the past several years since I started sharing my conservative views.

    Against that backdrop, consider some facts. In 2015, The Washington Post began to log every fatal shooting by an on-duty police officer in the United States. Data for 2019, from The Post, is referenced in an article by Heather Mac Donald titled, “The Myth of Systemic Police Racism.” Portions of that article follow, but I encourage reading the full piece:

    “In 2019 police officers fatally shot 1,004 people, most of whom were armed or otherwise dangerous. African-Americans were about a quarter of those killed by cops last year (235), a ratio that has remained stable since 2015. That share of black victims is less than what the black crime rate would predict, since police shootings are a function of how often officers encounter armed and violent suspects. In 2018, the latest year for which such data have been published, African-Americans made up 53% of known homicide offenders in the U.S. and commit about 60% of robberies, though they are 13% of the population.

    “The police fatally shot nine unarmed blacks and 19 unarmed whites in 2019, according to a Washington Post database, down from 38 and 32, respectively, in 2015.

    “In 2018 there were 7,407 black homicide victims. Assuming a comparable number of victims last year, those nine unarmed black victims of police shootings represent 0.1% of all African-Americans killed in 2019. By contrast, a police officer is 18 ½ times more likely to be killed by a black male than an unarmed black male is to be killed by a police officer.”

    The Mac Donald article indicated that police killed nine unarmed blacks in 2019. In his June 3 show, Tucker Carlson on FOX Cable News reported this number as 10. Carlson included the one unarmed black woman who was killed while Mac Donald only included black men. Carlson reviewed what happened in each of the 10 cases. This is what he indicated: in five cases, the officer was clearly attacked by the offender; one involved an accidental shooting while the officer was struggling with the victim; four resulted from pursuit of an offender… two of these officers were charged with homicide. Watching the Carlson piece is absolutely necessary for anyone who wants to fairly answer the question posed by this column. Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qwif8PF1EI and start
    watching at 6:40.

    Examination of the information put forth by Mac Donald and Carlson gives a person reason to ask whether there is really out-of-control killing of black Americans by police officers; is there “black genocide?” The information used by Mac Donald and Carlson was based on data published by The Washington Post. It should be noted that a guest on Laura Ingram’s show, June 4, indicated that The Post changed the number of unarmed blacks killed by police officers in 2019 from 10 to 15. Does that increase of five change the picture?

    Beyond the 10 or 15 deaths of unarmed black citizens attributed to police shootings in 2019, consider the 7,407 black homicide victims in 2018 — a number that will likely be similar in 2019. Following from an article by Barry Latzer titled, “The Need to Discuss Black-on-Black Crime”:

    “In 2018, where the homicide victim was black, the suspected killer also was 88 percent of the time. And this is not an exceptional situation. From 1976 to 2005, 94 percent of black victims were killed by other African Americans.”

    Applying Latzer’s 88% to 2018’s 7,407 black homicides means the suspected killer in 6,518 of those cases was likely black.

    Seriously and successfully discussing race and racism requires that all voices be heard without anybody facing intimidation or penalty. An example of how this absolute requirement looks, when violated, shows in action taken by the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, North Carolina State University, University of South Carolina and the Charlotte Knights minor league baseball club. An article at www.wsoctv.com/news titled, “Panthers, Hornets cut ties with CPI Security after CEO’s protest remark” applies. Segments follow:

    “Charlotte’s two professional sports franchises, as well as two universities, have canceled partnerships with a North Carolina home security company after the firm’s CEO told an activist, who leads Queen City Unity and called for a boycott of CPI, he should focus on black-on-black crime rather than the George Floyd protests.


    “Queen City Unity’s executive director said he sent a letter to city leaders calling for change when it comes to police brutality and community safety.

    “In response, he said he received an email from CPI CEO Ken Gill saying in part, ‘A better use of time would be to focus on the black-on-black crime and senseless killing of our young men by other young men.’”

    The CPI CEO offered an apology for his comments in a tweet. Considering the facts presented earlier, should CPI be punished for the CEO’s response? Was the CEO at all out of line in his comment? Do the actions of the Panthers and others advance serious discussion of race and racism?

    If you see yourself as a person who really wants to discuss race and racism in America, how do you measure up on just these two points: (1) facing facts and (2) hearing opposing voices without seeking to intimidate or punish the sources of those opposing views?

  • 08 N2004P64022CThe demographic that has proven to be most undercounted in the United States is children under age 6. We simply forget to count our kids when we complete the census survey. This is problematic as the census is only conducted every 10 years, yet we have babies and need services for those babies (and prenatal services) every year. While we may not be able to predict where children will be born and serviced in advance, we can do a better job by the children already living in our community.

    Have you ever planned a party for 10 but have 30 people show up? This is what an undercount in the census looks like. The census, a federally mandated, population count, strives to determine how many people live in the .U.S — regardless of citizenship, race or age. This is an important part of our democratic process because it involves all persons. The census then determines how much funding will be applied to federal programs. These programs include Child and Adult Care Food Program; Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program, or SNAP; and Head Start — just to name a few. Then the programs disperse the monies they are given to and within states based on population.

    In a presentation I attended conducted by N.C. Child, it was said that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2018, the child population of North Carolina was 2,442,881. For a demographic or community to be considered “hard to count,” the mail-in response for 2010 had to be less than 73%. That means in North Carolina as a whole, we missed out, for the last 10 years, on a lot of money for the programs for our children. In Cumberland County, we have missed out on valuable resources such as funding to pay teachers for our Head Start programs, funding for meals for our school lunch program, as well as resources for our WIC programs. In a recent presentation I attended given by Cumberland County Schools Assistant Superintendent of Communication Lindsay Whitley, he stated that approximately 78% of Cumberland County students are receiving free/reduced lunch. That program is a part of the census funded Child Food Program.

    Please consider doing your part in Cumberland County obtaining a complete count this decennial. To do so, complete your 2020 census. You can complete the survey by completing and returning the mailer that was sent to your home. If you did not receive a mailer, or if you prefer, you can complete the survey online via https://my2020census.gov/ . Or call 1-844-330-2020. If English is not your primary language, the internet and phone options are available in 12 other languages. This process is quick, anonymous and protected by U.S. Constitution. We do not want to make the mistake of another undercount here in Cumberland County. We want our children in Cumberland County to receive the tax monies that should be appropriated to them.

  • 10 N1907P23004CThe Fourth of July in the Sandhills usually involves big crowds, free concerts, fireworks and more. This year, public safety concerns over COVID-19 have changed that. The sounds of the symphony orchestra won’t resound in Festival Park. Instead of Fort Bragg’s Parade Field filled with first-rate music and a salute to the flags from each state, the field will be empty. Fireworks may still be on the schedule, though. Learn more about the plans for Fort Bragg’s Independence Day celebration at https://bragg.armymwr.com/calendar/event/4th-july-celebration/3832248/23521.

    Hope Mills Municipal Park won’t host its annual fireworks display this year until Ole Mill Days in October. In lieu of the Fourth of July event, the town is celebrating Independence Day with a Porch Parade from June 30-July 5. Residents and businesses are invited to decorate their porches and storefronts with their favorite red, white and blue décor. To sign up to be part of the Porch Parade, visit https://www.townofhopemills.com/349/July-4th-Celebration.

    Celebrations will likely be smaller — more along the lines of intimate backyard barbeques. Perhaps as you’re firing up the grill, consider our nation’s beginnings. And try a tasty new burger recipe as well.

    The history of America’s Independence Day

    Few summertime holidays elicit as much excitement as the Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day in the United States. Each year, family, friends and revelers anticipate the arrival of the holiday so they can host barbecues, enjoy the sun, listen to their favorite summertime tunes and commemorate the freedoms afforded by the monumental events that led to the holiday’s establishment.

     Independence Day became a federal holiday in 1941, but July 4th has stood as the birth of American independence for much longer. July 4th marks a pivotal moment in the American Revolution. According to PBS, the colonies were forced to pay taxes to England’s King George III despite having no representation in the British Parliament. “Taxation without representation” became a battle cry and was one of several grievances colonists had with Great Britain.

     Conflict between the colonies had been going on for at least a year before the colonies convened a Continental Congress in Philadelphia in June of 1776, says Military.com. On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence from England. Two days later, on July 4, 1776, delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence.

    The Declaration of Independence is an historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was considered the strongest and most eloquent writer of the declaration writing committee charged with putting the colonies’ sentiments into words. Richard Henry Lee of Virginia was one of the first people to present a resolution for American independence, and his commentary was the impetus for the formal Declaration of Independence. A total of 86 changes were made to Jefferson’s original draft until the final version was adopted. The signing of the document helped to solidify independence, and eventually lead to the formation of the United States of America.

    A total of 56 delegates signed the document. Although John Hancock’s signature is the largest, it did not hold more weight than the other signatures. Rather, rumor has it, Hancock signed it so large so that the “fat, old King could read it without his spectacles.” However, the National Archives said it was also customary that, since Hancock was the president of the Continental Congress, he be the first person to sign the document centered below the text.

    The Pennsylvania Evening Post was the first newspaper to print the Declaration of Independence on July 6, 1776. The first public readings of the Declaration were held in Philadelphia’s Independence Square on July 8, 1776.

    Take your Fourth of July burgers up a notch

    The year 2020 is one few people will soon forget. Life changed dramatically and perhaps forever in 2020, when the outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 forced billions of people across the globe to make sacrifices to prevent the spread of the potentially deadly virus.

    The sacrifices made in response to COVID-19 are perhaps most noticeable on holidays, when people accustomed to gathering with family and friends were unable to do so, or only able to do so on limited terms.

    Despite those restrictions, people continued to celebrate on holidays like Easter and Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July does not figure to be any different. Fourth of July celebrations often take place in the backyard by the grill, and this year marks a perfect opportunity to expand your culinary repertoire. This recipe for “Best Burger With Blue Cheese Butter,” courtesy of Eric Treuille and Birgit Erath’s “Grilling” (DK Publishing) offers a new take on a backyard barbecue staple.

    Best Burger With Blue Cheese Butter
    Serves 4
    1 pound ground chuck steak
    2 teaspoons salt
    1 teaspoon black pepper
    4 1-inch slices blue cheese butter (see below)
    4 sesame hamburger buns, halved

    Combine ground steak with salt and pepper. Divide into four equal-sized pieces and gently shape into four burgers about 1-inch-thick. Grill burgers and warm buns according to instructions below. Top burgers with butter and serve hot in sesame buns.

     Outdoor cooking: Grill over hot coals for three minutes per side for rare, four minutes per side for medium-rare, or five minutes per side for well done. Place buns cut-side down on grill until warm and lightly golden, 1 minute.

     Indoor cooking: Preheat a ridged cast-iron grill pan over high heat. Cook for three minutes per side for rare, four minutes per side for medium-rare, or five minutes per side for well done. Place buns cut-side down on grill pan until warm lightly golden, 1 minute.

    Blue-Cheese Butter
    Makes 15 servings
    16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
    4 ounces (1 cup crumbled) blue cheese
    2 teaspoons black pepper

    Place ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until well blended. Wrap in foil. Place in the freezer until hard, about 45 minutes.

    To serve, roll back foil and cut into 1-inch slices. When slicing from frozen, warm the knife under hot water first. After slicing, always tightly rewrap the unused flavored butter roll in the foil before returning to the refrigerator or freezer.

    Best Burger Variations

    Herbed Burger: Add 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion to the ground steak.

    Spicy Burger: Add 1-2 teaspoon tabasco, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard to the ground steak.

    Think ahead: Shape burgers up to one day in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

    Cook’s Note: Overhandling the meat when shaping will result in a tough, dry burger. To guarantee a juicy burger, handle the meat as little as possible.  
  • 05 N1903P69003CWhen we think about gratitude or thankfulness, we often table the thought until we get a little closer to that November holiday with the turkey, a four-day weekend and the conversation with our weird uncle. But genuine gratitude is more a way of life than an annual celebration.

    I got a little miffed when I turned on the news the other day — which isn’t difficult anymore — because it seemed to be more opinion and editorial than a reporting of the facts. To make matters worse, the angle from which the news show presented each story seemed to be positioned in such a way that it was intentionally trying to rile people up.

    I’m grateful to live in an era where communication and information technology have advanced and continue to advance beyond anything I dared to dream as a young child. Still, the more I see irresponsible use of the platforms technology provides, the easier it is to see that we humans suffer from a lack of gratitude and thankfulness in our lives.

    Chances are you woke up this morning in a comfortable bed, in a house with a solid foundation and a roof with no leaks. You likely turned on a light, used indoor plumbing, and poured some coffee into a cup, settled into a chair and began to ponder what the day ahead held for you. You might have picked a book or turned on your computer to get your mind in gear before breakfast.

    Every one of those things is worth being thankful for. Not everyone in the world has those things. A bed, a home, electricity and plumbing — those are all things most of us take for granted. But to a considerable percentage of the world’s population, they are only dreams.

    The past few months have taught us something else about gratitude and privilege, too. We’ve learned the value we place on relationships. We’ve discovered we not only enjoy, but need interaction with other human beings to maintain some sort of mental stability. Our family, coworkers, church and social connections are vitally important to us, and we learned that the loss of freedom (another thing to be thankful for) to exercise those relationships freely was daunting, to say the very least.

    What I hope you’ll see if you made it this far, is that there is much to be thankful for in our immediate surroundings. Because when we learn to sense those things and express gratitude for them, it begins to spill over into the rest of our lives. We begin to notice the beauty of the landscape instead of the length of the drive, and we see the diversity of the people in any crowd rather than notice how many people are “not like us.”

  • 13 hopemillslakeThere was a time when the position of lake attendant at Hope Mills Lake was seasonal, but with the popularity of the lake since its return, the need for someone to be on duty more frequently has increased.

    That’s why the town is seeking to add at least two part-time lake attendants as soon as possible to try and keep things in order at the popular recreational area.

    Lamarco Morrison, who heads the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department, said he’s currently having to assign full-time staffers who have other jobs to handle the lake attendant’s role.

    “We definitely have to have someone there on the weekends to make sure they are adhering to the rules,’’ Morrison said. 

    Those rules have gotten more complicated because of the COVID-19 virus pandemic, with lake attendants having to step in and enforce social distancing restrictions.

    The basic responsibilities of the lake attendant are fairly routine Morrison said. They monitor the lake and its park to make sure town ordinances are being observed, like no one fishing in the designated swimming area, making sure trash is picked up and making sure the restrooms at the lake are clean.

    The lake attendant is not required to do any grounds care like mowing or weeding. They do need to check on things like making sure dogs are on leashes and that no one parks a vehicle at the boat ramp except to put a boat in the water and then leave.

    Other rules that need to be enforced are no smoking and no weapons.

    The main COVID-19 rule that is a problem with lake visitors is limiting all groups to a maximum of 25. That is also the limit imposed on the number of people that can be in the swimming area at one time.

    While the wearing of masks is encouraged in the park, Morrison said it is not a rule.

    There are no limits on how many cars can be parked in the lake parking lot, but Morrison said the lake attendant does enforce the 25-person rule when people are outside of their vehicles. If they decide to buy food at the nearby Big T’s food stand, they cannot congregate to eat it there in large groups and must either leave or eat in their cars. 

    Park staff is no longer putting up a barricade at the parking lot at day’s end. Typical summer hours for the park are from dawn to dusk, with the park usually shutting down each day around 10 p.m. There is an attendant on duty from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. They work in two shifts of no more than six to six-and-a-half hours per day. State and federal laws limit how much the part-time attendants can work both weekly and annually without receiving benefits.

    The attendants are not authorized to assess penalties for violating park rules. Their instructions are to tell someone one time if they are in violation of park rules. If the person ignores the warning and continues the violation, the attendants are not to confront the person violating the rules, but instead contact local law enforcement to handle the problem.

    Unfortunately, Morrison said that has happened on numerous occasions.

    To apply for the lake attendant position, go to Town Hall on Rockfish Road during normal business hours.
    13 hopemillslake
    You can also follow this link to the application online: www.townofhopemills.com/jobs.aspx.
     
  • 11 ITThe year 2020 has shown us that information technology jobs will not only sustain during hard times such as these but will remain in high demand. Experiencing a pandemic is something I do not think any of us would have ever thought we would see in our lifetime. Some of us hold positions that are considered essential and are thankfully able to continue to work during the shutdown. Some of us hold positions that allow us to work from home without skipping a beat. Positions in information technology are both essential and flexible enough to allow people to work from home. According to National Public Radio in an article published on May 8, about a third of the American population is now working from home due to COVID-19. Information technology specialists are needed now more than ever before to help make these transitions possible for many industries.

    There have been tons of data collected on COVID-19 and its affects across the world. This data can help scientists understand how the virus is spreading, symptoms associated with it and preventive measures to safeguard the population. Data has even helped to predict spikes and drops in the rate of infection. Because of this data, every day we can view up-to-date statistics on the virus. That data and those statistics are what decision-makers use when tough choices must be made. The world needs specialized technicians to manage this data. What we are experiencing has further illustrated the need for information technology specialists in the areas of PC support and services as well as database management.

    At Fayetteville Technical Community College, faculty and staff worked hard throughout the pandemic to continue to deliver high-quality educational experiences for our students. This was made possible by the use of technology, which allowed our faculty members to deliver online instruction and our staff to work remotely from home. Staff also worked in computer labs, the Student Learning Center and the Paul H. Thompson Library to maintain support of our students’ needs. We are proud that we have been able to continue working to serve you throughout the pandemic.

    FTCC offers programs in information technology that can lead to careers as technology and data specialists. Both careers are proven to have continuous high demand and longevity even in times of turmoil and recession. Please contact me at sobersto@faytechcc.edu or 910-678-7365 for information on earning a degree in PC support and services or database management. For information on all the programs of study available at FTCC,  visit www.faytechcc.edu. Fall classes begin Aug. 17, and registration for fall classes is going on now.  You can begin your journey to a rewarding, in-demand career in information technology at Fayetteville Technical Community College — the smart choice for education.  

  • 11 kahlenbergFew things are more important in the world we currently live in than being able to articulate individual wants and needs. It’s in times like these that the job of someone like Deana Kahlenberg is so important.

    Kahlenberg, who is a speech language pathologist at Gallberry Farm Elementary School in Cumberland County, was recently honored by her peers as the Cumberland County Schools speech language pathologist of the year.

    Kahlenberg said she was “blown away” to be recognized after being in the profession for only six years.

    She was inspired to pursue her career by an elementary school teacher who created a love of working with children in her. Kahlenberg said there is also a history of stuttering in her family that sparked a personal interest in the profession.

    While some speech pathologists work at multiple schools, Kahlenberg does all of her work with students at Gallberry Farm. Her focus is on students in preschool through fifth grade who have communication disorders. These can range from having difficulty making certain sounds to problems understanding or using language.

    A graduate of Radford, Kahlenberg was an elementary classroom teacher for seven years before she and her husband Mark, who is also a speech pathologist in Cumberland County, went back to get their masters degrees in communication disorders.

    Although this year changed things because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kahlenberg normally works with 50 to 60 students per year in both individual and group sessions, depending on the needs of each child.

    Kahlenberg is part of a team approach that includes teachers, teacher assistants, parents and entire families in working with students who need communication help.
    “The goal of what we do is to give everybody a voice,’’ she said of the students she works with. “I think it’s more critical than ever,’’ she said. “Making sure everyone has that voice and fair opportunity to get an education is our goal.’’

    Because a lot of Kahlenberg’s work involves one-on-one interaction with students, the pandemic complicated things, especially when school was closed.

    “We moved to teletherapy,’’ she said. “We rely heavily on caregivers and family members to help go through the therapy process. There is a lot of caregiver training and counseling involved.’’

    Dawn Collins, the principal at Gallberry Farm, said Kahlenberg did everything in her power to make sure no students fell through the cracks because of the lack of face-to-face teaching this year once school closed.

    “She used all the resources possible,’’ Collins said. “She would meet with students in small groups virtually and one-on-one. She considered it a personal goal to contact the students with the best resources she had.’’

    Kahlenberg said her primary hope for any recognition she receives from being honored is to increase interest in the speech pathology profession and hopefully draw others to pursue it as a career.

    “We are always needing more speech therapists,’’ she said. “I hope it will bring light to the profession and draw younger people to enter it.’’

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