Throughout the preseason, Jack Britt head football coach Brian Randolph has preached a two-word motto to his team.

Over the past week, I received comments from three readers regarding two of my recent columns. They raised questions and challenges that some other readers likely share. Consequently, I will respond in this column.

Conservative Republican Dan Bishop won this month’s special election for an open North Carolina House of Representatives seat in Congress, averting a Democratic capture of a predominant Republican Party district. But the narrow victory did not erase questions about whether President Donald Trump and his party’s congressional candidates face troubling headwinds approaching 2020. The special election has two storylines:

Those efforts paid off in the 2012 congressional elections. North Carolina’s congressional delegation changed from majority Democratic (7-6) to majority Republican (8-5), a pickup of two seats. The drama continues as the general assembly deals with court orders to stop racial gerrymandering.

A Friday night high school football stadium packed with fans watching two teams battle has the potential for disaster if bad weather should suddenly develop.

Aname is also provided for the person who is monitoring weather conditions, including lightning and the wet bulb temperature, which determines whether it’s too hot for play to continue.

Squire uses a handheld device called a Kestrel Heat Stress Tracker to find the wet bulb temperature before the game starts and record it on the form. If it’s 88.9 degrees at kickoff special precautions have to be taken. If it’s 92 or above, the game may have to be stopped or suspended until it gets cooler.

Pictured: A copy of the pregame emergency report rests beneath the Kestrel heat stress device and the NCHSAA pre-game checklist badge. 

Every year, more than half a million people in the United States undergo joint replacement surgery because of painful arthritis that has greatly limited their activity. With the enhanced technology and surgical techniques available today, joint replacement surgery has become a routine procedure for orthopedic surgeons. There are two hospitals in the area that provide full service orthopedic surgical care: Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville and Hoke Hospital near Raeford. They represent Cape Fear Valley Health System’s ongoing commitment to bring comprehensive health care to all residents of southeastern North Carolina.

Race 2 Recovery prepares patients for their release from the hospital. Joint replacement surgery complications can arise if plans are not in order before leaving the hospital. To be discharged, a patient must be able to enter and exit a bed and a chair without too much assistance. He or she must be able to go to and from the bedroom, kitchen and bathroom as well as be able to walk with the aid of crutches or a walker. A hip replacement surgery risk or a knee replacement can both be devastating without the proper subsequent care. That is why physical therapy is imperative to heal completely. A good home care agency can help meet these needs.

To help patients achieve success, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and Hoke Hospital have developed the Joint Replacement Club

The Vision Resource Center, Cape Fear Eye Associates and Systel present the Seventh Annual “Out of Sight” Night at the Park, Saturday, Sept. 21, from 6-10 p.m. at Segra Stadium on the VIP deck.

American business — big, small and in between — is rarely seen as a force of political liberalism. In fact, business interests are more often than not conservative, as political money given by both business executives and business entities demonstrates. Business helps itself by lobbying for less regulation and lower taxes and often contends these positions help everyone else as well — proverbial trickle-down economics.

The business leaders, representing companies including Levi Strauss & Co., Lyft, Gap Inc., Royal Caribbean and a financial operation founded by Jared Kushner’s brother, wrote this to senators. “Doing nothing about America’s gun violence crisis is simply unacceptable, and it is time to stand with the American public on gun safety.”

Beautiful art. Live music. Light bites and beverages. Home is Where the HeArt Is, an art auction fundraiser for Connections of Cumberland County, combines a fun evening out with support for a good cause. The event will be on Sept. 26 from 6 – 8:30 p.m. at Studio 215 in downtown Fayetteville. 

Guests to this third-annual event will have the opportunity to bid on original works of art by local and regional artists during live and silent auctions. Art auction items will include paintings in acrylic, oil, pastel and plein-air, charcoal sketches, handmade jewelry, pottery, photography, basket weavings and mixed media. A live painting created at the scene will also be up for bid that night.

A portraiture experience valued at over $5,000 donated by internationally recognized artist and Methodist University art departmentChairman Vilas Tonape will be a live auction exclusive. Other well-known local artists also contributing include Greg Hayes, Greg King, Shari Jackson Link, Stephanie Bostock, Suzanne Frank and Wick Smith.

Jennifer Fincher, 2019 art auction chair and CCC board member, expects this year to exceed the totals in both ticket sales and donated art from last year’s event. The highly attended 2018 fundraiser saw 54 local and regional artists donate 86 items. According to Fincher, the event moved this year to a new venue to accommodate its growth and increasing popularity.

    “We look forward to this year’s event being bigger and better than ever,” Fincher said. “We are so grateful for all the support that sponsors, artists and patrons have given us in the past. The auction is the single fundraiser all year for Connections of Cumberland County and raises a large part of our annual budget. We invite everyone to come out to the event, have a glass of wine, mix and mingle, view some great art or buy a piece to take home, and support the mission of Connections of Cumberland County.”

    Connections of Cumberland County operates the only nonprofit day resource center for homeless women and children in Fayetteville. Its goal is to provide life-changing links though comprehensive case management services to women and children who are homeless or facing homelessness. The agency collaborates with other vital community resources to help clients become safe and self-sufficient.

    The nonprofit started from research conducted by the Women’s Giving Circle of Cumberland County on the basic needs of local women and children. When results revealed alarming statistics on homelessness, a committee was birthed from the Women’s Giving Circle to start Connections. The agency relies on proceeds raised from the art auction, grants, and community donors, as well as the service of volunteers. Connections celebrated five years of success in Cumberland County this year.

    Connections is accepting sponsors at five recognition levels. The 2019 presenting sponsor is Patty Collie, senior vice president and financial advisor with Morgan Stanley of Fayetteville. The auction committee will accept art through Sept. 11. Sponsors and artists interested in donating can call the agency office at 910-630-0106 for information. Reserve tickets at www.connectionsofcc.org for this HeArt-felt event.

Pictured: one of the paintings that will be auctioned off at the Home is Where the HeArt Is art auction 

One thing is certain about this year’s 51st edition of the Cumberland County Golf Championship. New winners will be crowned in both the men’s and women’s divisions of the tournament. That’s because last year’s champions, Spencer Oxendine for the men and Angelique Seymour for the women, are competing at the college level. Congratulations to 2018 Cumberland County Golf Championship champion Spencer Oxendine, who has good reason for being unable to defend his title this year. Oxendine, a freshman on the golf team at North Carolina State, has earned a spot on the Wolfpack’s traveling team in his first year playing golf there. Oxendine is at North Carolina State and Seymour is at UNC-Pembroke. Both have commitments the weekend of the tournament, Sept. 13-15, that will prevent them from defending their titles.

But the golfers who were closest to them in the final scores all return to hopefully face a challenge that was denied last year’s field when bad weather forced the tournament to be rescheduled and cut to two days.

This year’s three-day event will open at Fort Bragg’s Stryker Golf Course for the first time and conclude with two rounds at Gates Four Golf and Country Club. “Everybody is excited about going out to Stryker,’’ said Up & Coming Weekly publisher Bill Bowman, the tournament’s director since 2016. “It is going to be at Stryker this year, and we hope it will be at other courses next year.’’

Bowman said work is continuing to build participation in the women’s division, which attracted eight participants last year.

To help boost the women’s field, Bowman said play was cut to 36 holes again, while adding a separate age division for more experienced golfers and shortening some of the holes. “The important thing is we carry on the tradition of recognizing the best golfers in Cumberland County,’’ he said. “I would say very few communities in the country can brag on the fact they’ve got a golf tournament that’s 51 years old.’’ 

Stryker

Stryker Golf Course professional Jeff Johnson said the Fayetteville community has always been welcome to play at the course on Fort Bragg, but adding it to the Cumberland County Golf Championship will make the course and its regular players feel like a part of the golfing community in Fayetteville.

Johnson said he hopes the tournament will showcase the Stryker course and encourage people to play it and Fort Bragg’s other course, Ryder.

For those not familiar with Stryker, the course is a 1946 Donald Ross layout that plays about 6,625 yards normally. It features Cumberland County’s longest hole, the 625-yard par-five fourth hole, which Johnson said won’t play that long for the tournament.

The biggest difference for golfers at Stryker will be the greens, which are Bermuda, compared to the bentgrass at Gates Four.

Johnson said the speed of the Stryker greens will be slower than what golfers experience at Gates Four. They will also have to take grain into consideration when chipping and putting.

For those who have never been to Stryker, Johnson said you head north on Bragg Boulevard and keep going until you dead end in the Stryker parking lot on your left.

There are no security gates to pass through to enter the course, Johnson said, as the Army intentionally left the golf course and the Fort Bragg Fairgrounds outside the containment area when security was tightened after 9/11. 

Gates Four

 Gates Four general manager Kevin Lavertu agreed with Johnson that moving from the Bermuda to the bent grass greens at Gates Four will require the players to make adjustments.

“More than 50% of the strokes in a round of golf are taken on the greens,’’ Lavertu said. “The ball reaction speed of the greens and adjusting will be key.’’

He said the players who adjust the quickest will be the ones moving up the leaderboard.

After a hot July, Lavertu said Gates Four is in excellent shape for the tournament. He added the course has undergone few changes in recent years and has been kept in a maintaining mode. He’s hopeful the course will be dryer and not as tough as it was for last year’s tournament.

“The course will play a little bit shorter day one and day two at both places,’’ Lavertu said. “That’s just a product of trying to set the same yardage at both courses for round one and two to get a good baseline of players.’’

Last year, Oxendine won the men’s division with a two-day score of 74-72-146. Lavertu is hopeful this year’s winner will be able to shoot from 6 to 8-under par if the weather is good. 

Men’s Championship

 Familiar names were among the top contenders for last year’s men’s title, and they will return again this season to see if they can continue to be among the best in the field.

Gary Robinson and Thomas Owen tied for second place behind Oxendine last year, both shooting a 151 total for the two-day tournament. Billy West was alone in fourth one shot 

back at 152.

Owen has finished second for two years in a row. If he has a concern about this year’s tournament, it’s his lack of familiarity with Stryker. “I haven’t played Stryker since I was 10 or 12 years old,’’ he said.

He likes the idea of competing on two different courses, calling it a tougher test that will see the best players rise to the top.

“Two different courses might test different parts of your game and how you can manage around a different golf course,’’ he said. “It makes you make adjustments, and usually the better players make those adjustments.’’

Owen said he hopes to borrow a page from former champion Billy West, who consistently avoids making bad decisions early in the tournament.

“You begin conservative and make smart plays,’’ Owen said, “not always whipping out your driver and trying to hit the miracle shot. Just kind of plug away being smart, and you’ll find a chance to win.’’

Gary Robinson, like Owen, hasn’t played Stryker recently, going back some 30 years to his college days at Fayetteville State. “I’m not familiar with the grass, but I’m familiar with the layout,’’ he said. “Going from Gates Four to Stryker to Gates Four would be more of an adjustment than playing Stryker the first day.’’

He said it could be a challenge for people not familiar with Bermuda grass to make the switch from Stryker to Gates Four.

Robinson is normally upbeat about the county championship but said he’s only played about four tournaments this year compared to 15 most years. “The hardest thing for me is when you’re expected to do well,’’ he said. “A lot of times when I’m not expecting things is when I do better.’’

Billy West has played amateur golf at the local, state and national level, but the Cumberland County Golf Championship remains his annual favorite. “At the gas station the next morning or at work, everybody is congratulating you or saying, sorry to see you lost by a couple of shots,’’ West said. “I think that’s one of the things that makes it special.’’

Now 45, West has been playing the CCGC since he was a teenager. He likes the challenge of playing on multiple courses over three days and thinks it produces the best champion.

He has played Stryker some but never in a tournament. “It’s got some shorter holes,’’ he said. “There are some places where it can be kind of tight off the tee, and you can get into trouble.’’

He said there’s a definite contrast between this year’s two courses. “At Gates Four, they’ve got larger greens, but they are kind of undulating, and they can do a lot with pin placements,” he said. “With it being in September, hopefully we get a little cooler weather and the greens are a little firmer and faster.’’

He added putting and wedge play around the greens will be critical. 

Women’s Championship

Toni Blackwell has enjoyed a brilliant high school career for the Cape Fear girls’ golf team. With Angelique Seymour not playing in this year’s tournament, Blackwell is the top player back from 2018.

“I’m looking forward to playing with the different women,’’ Blackwell said. “I get to learn from them and what they do. They enjoy the game.’’

While there are a few holes at Gates Four that can be challenging, Blackwell thinks she’ll fare okay this year.

“I think I can win,’’ she said. “I’ve got to play one hole at a time and stay focused.’’

Dee Dee Jarman thinks the addition of a senior division for women 50 and over is a positive for the tournament that will help draw players.

“Women’s golf is declining in this region,’’ she said. “It’s just hard to find women to play golf. Hopefully, this will help the numbers.’’

Jarman said her game is not good right now, but she plans to play to support women’s golf in the county. “It’s all about keeping women involved in the game of golf,’’ she said.

Patricia Joyce has been playing golf some 50 years she said, and winning also isn’t her No. 1 concern. “I play golf for the camaraderie and the fun,’’ she said. “I like to compete, but I like the socializing, too, and I think the other women do, too. It’s a fun, fun time.’’

Joyce thinks the two-day format for women is good because the tournament is limited to the weekend and no one has to take time off from work. 

She also was glad the holes were shortened at Gates Four.

Joyce said she’s fairly consistent with her driver and irons but has problems with putting. “I’d like to break 90 both days,’’ she said. “I think I’ve got a chance in both divisions.’’

Win or lose, Joyce will enjoy the weekend. “It’s nice to meet people, see people and maybe make connections you’ll play with down the line,’’ she said.

For more information, call Bill Bowman at 910-391-3859 or visit https://www.cumberlandcountygolfclassic.com/.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — the presidential election of 2020 has arrived full-blown, even before the pre-Halloween Christmas decorations show up at Walmart. As Frank Costanza once said, the presidential election campaign has risen like a Phoenix from Arizona into full mushroom-cloud status. Political ads are now looming everywhere above the fruited plains like a hangover from overconsumption of Mad Dog 20/20 Electric Melon wine. 

One of the hot topics in the coming election will be the future of health care in America. There is a wide variety of options from Democrats from the plan to outlaw private insurance and have Medicare for all to Biden’s improved Obamacare. On the right, the Republicans want to abolish Obamacare to bring back pre-existing conditions. They have a Double Secret Plan for as-yet-undescribed medical Vapor Care. Thinking about health care got me pondering the good old days when doctors made house calls. That thought drove me back to medieval times when doctors wore scary bird mask outfits to cure the Black Death. Precious memories. How they linger. 

As the Republicans haven’t proposed their replacement for Obamacare, allow me to suggest they resume making medical care great again with Vapor Care. Vapor Care sounds perfect in the abstract when Dear Leader tweets. Vagueness counts. Mix together some warm, fuzzy words like “lower premiums and deductibles,” “far less expensive and far better,” and “block grants” and pretty soon you have the basis for Dear Leader’s replacement for Obamacare — new, improved Republican Vapor Care. 

In returning to Medicine’s Golden Days of Yesteryear, what better place to start than to require medical providers of Vapor Care to wear the Plague Doctors’ bird-head black costume? Take a walk down Memory Lane to consider how these costumes will make medicine great again. When the Black Death was stalking Europe, no one knew what to do about it. The Plague Doctors’ Bird of Death costume was a humdinger. Plague Doctors’ — PD for short — jobs included treating and curing victims of the plague and burying them when the cure didn’t take. Being a PD meant you had to be around plague patients and the plague cooties that the patients gave off. The PD’s uniform was designed to keep the doc safe as he practiced Vapor Care. A dude named Charles de l’Orme is credited with inventing the Plague Doctor bird outfit in about 1619. Chuck was the Dr. Phil celebrity doc of his day, including three French kings and the Medici family in Italy as his patients.

The PD wore a black leather cowboy hat. Beneath that, he wore the well-known bird mask. There was some belief that the plague was spread by birds, so the giant bird mask might scare away the disease-carrying birds. The beak of the mask was stuffed with flowers and sweet-smelling herbs because another theory was that the plague was spread by bad air. With the PD breathing the sweet smell of excess in his beak, the bad air cooties could be warded off. This left the PD to heal the sick unafraid of getting the Black Death himself. The PD wore a long, black overcoat from his head to his feet to protect his skin from the plague demons. To keep the demons from sticking to the overcoat, the PD would slime the overcoat with animal fat. 

 Greasing up the overcoat was done for several possible conflicting reasons — the grease would keep the plague cooties away from the PD, or it might draw the plague gremlins away from the patient and onto the overcoat. If any yucky plague secretions oozed off the body of the patient, the gruesome juices would slide off the grease-covered coat, thereby protecting the PD. One can imagine the healing effect of a giant bird figure covered in smelly grease on a hot day in Italy on a patient suffering bubonic plague. If the patient lived, he would remember that event forever. To complete the outfit, the PD carried a wooden cane to be used for poking the patient during examination or defending the PD from the patient if the patient became freaked out by the appearance of a giant smelly bird messing with him during his death throes. 

The advantage of dressing people in Plague Doctor Bird Suits to apply Vapor Care is that the PD doesn’t need a medical degree. Just a bird suit. No expensive medical doctors need apply. No medical malpractice cases will exist because the patients will all die, and the PD can’t be identified because of the Bird Suit. This all keeps down the costs of medical care. 

 The late, great singer Warren Zevon predicted Vapor Care with his immortal lyrics in his song “Life’ll Kill You.”

“From the president of the United States/ To the lowliest rock and roll star/ The doctor is in and he’ll see you now/ He don’t care who you are/ Some get the awful, awful diseases/ Some get the knife, some get the gun/ Some get to die in their sleep/ At the age of a hundred and one/ Life’ll kill ya/ That’s what I said/ Life’ll kill you/ Then you’ll be dead.” 

Remember to vote early and often. The life you save may be your own.

World’s funniest Wilmingtonian, syndicated columnist Celia Rivenbark, recently published a column on — of all things — thank you notes. She is all for them. Celia says, “Point is, this is still the South the last time I looked and if you receive a gift, you need to say thank you with some pretty stationery and a stamp that has flowers on it.”

The gold standard of thank you notes is exactly what Celia says — nice stationery or note cards, with an engraved monogram if you are really fancy and schooled into traditional propriety. Notes should be handwritten with lovely and highly legible penmanship unless the writer is manually disabled and should touch all bases — how kind of the giver to remember the occasion and how much you appreciate the thought and look forward to using the special gift. Those are the basics, and beyond that formula, a creative thank you note writer will wax on eloquently, drawing connections among kith and kin, describing the gift as nothing short of the Mona Lisa itself, and the bond between giver and recipient is eternally forged.

Having written and received a zillion thank you notes myself, I do know that things have changed over time. I still have monogrammed — though not engraved — note cards, and use them for thank you notes, condolences and sometimes just howdy dos. Times have changed with technology, though, and I am not above a thank you email or even a text, especially to a younger person who might find a handwritten note card arriving by snail mail akin to a missive from Mars.

But there are definite limits to what passes as an acceptable thank you, and I have had a few of those myself.

Most notably was a preprinted fill-in-the blank card that read something like this. The filler-in-the-blanks was a recent bride. The card arrived in a computer-addressed envelope with meter bulk mail postage, no doubt from the meter in her parents’ office.

Dear ____,

Thank you for the lovely____________. Aloysius and I will enjoy using it/them for many years and will think of you every time. We are grateful for your thinking of us at this special time in our lives.

Love,

Anastasia

This thank you note was wrong in oh-so-many ways. I can only imagine Anastasia filling out cards as she watched “Orange is the New Black,” so no wonder she lost track of what she was doing. 

She thanked me for lovely napkins, when we had given the happy couple embroidered pillowcases. And Anastasia did not love me for a single second, as I am a friend of her mother’s and have not laid eyes on her since she was a baby. There was nothing personal or sincere about this assembly line thank you. The bride was merely checking the boxes of what she thought she should do, perhaps even knocking them all out during one great binge-watching session.

Times have certainly changed, and all of us are busy, busy, busy but not so much that a canned thank you note or group email or text mentioning only a “lovely gift” pass for genuine gratitude. The point here is not that the giver receives an acknowledgment of effort made and money spent but that the recipient expresses sincere gratitude that someone, even an old lady, long ago friend of her mother’s wished her and her husband well as they began their lives together.

Contrast Anastasia’s note with one I received from a young cousin to whom we gave a toy on an early birthday. The boy, about six or seven, wrote a note on lined paper with what could only have been a # 2 pencil. It read, “Thank you for the truck. It made me happy.” I know his mother made him sit down and write, but his note was simple and sincere, and those qualities will stand him in good stead all his life.

Celia put it this way, “It’s not about being thanked. It is about thanking. It’s about being grateful enough to spend a few minutes to reflect on someone’s generosity. That’s never a bad thing.”

Amen.

A pair of familiar faces to the Fayetteville Academy family will become the two newest members of the school’s athletic hall of fame.

Athletic director and coach Chip Bishop and longtime booster club president Emily Schaefer will be honored at an induction ceremony the night of the school’s annual J.L. Dawkins Alumni basketball games Tuesday, Nov. 26.

Bishop and Schaefer were selected for induction by a special committee that includes representatives of the school from various areas.

Head of school Ray Quesnel said as the Academy celebrates its 50th year, the school couldn’t have two better honorees joining the hall of fame.

Bishop had been nominated some years ago but declined to be considered for induction until this year.

“With him, it was obviously not a question of if but when,’’ Quesnel said. “He’s been at the Academy for over 30 years.’’ During that time the Eagles have won numerous state and conference titles in a variety of sports. Quesnel said Bishop is respected within the school as well as at the state and local levels.

“He means so much to his former players who come back and see him all the time,’’ Quesnel said. In addition to his work at Fayetteville Academy, Bishop has been a football official for the Southeastern Athletic Officials Association and NCAA Division III. For years, he volunteered at the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.

While at the Academy, he won two North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association boys basketball championships.

Bishop said he delayed being considered for induction because he wanted to make sure two architects of much of the school’s success in soccer, Andrew McCarthy and Jimmy Maher, were named to the hall before him.

“This is a special place as far as I’m concerned,’’ Bishop said. “It’s a great honor for me to go in. It’s an honor to be associated with these types of people.’’

 Schaefer was chosen to the hall of fame in the recently-added category of booster. Quesnel said she has served as booster club president for seven of the last eight years. “She’s the glue that holds it all together,’’ Quesnel said. “She organizes all the chairs of the booster organization, makes schedules and leads people.

“She does so much in a humble way and she doesn’t do it for credit. She just does it because she knows it needs to be done.’’

Schaefer called her induction an honor and said it was touching for people to realize all the things behind the scenes that she took care of. She called the hall of fame an elite group she felt honored to be part of.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fort Bragg combat victims honored for their bravery 

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

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

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

FTCC provides business start-up courses 

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

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

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

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

Rural fire department building new firehouse

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pictured from top to bottom: Susan Brady, Katy Beasley

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.