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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

North Carolina’s Supreme Court has heard from six death row inmates who say a repealed law on race and capital punishment should let them be resentenced to life without parole.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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Picture 1: Closeup of the old dam gates

Picture 2: An entry way to the proposed Heritage Park

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pictured: McKayla Daffin, McKenzie Daffin

Forgive the Terry Sanford football team if it foregoes the nickname Bulldogs this season and opts for Road Warriors instead. They’re doing it with good reason.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tickets will be sold on both sides of the stadium.

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

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

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

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

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

Picture 1: Bruce McClelland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Cook over clean stoves

2. Throw away less food

3. Eat a plant-heavy diet

4. Compost your waste

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

1. Invest in high-speed trains

2 Fly less … and on fuel-saving planes

3. Drive an electric car

4 Ship goods more efficiently

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

1. Switch to LED lights

2. Design more workable cities

3 Install green roofs

4. Use smart thermostats

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

1. Increase household recycling

2 Build with “greener” cement compounds

3. Clean up chemicals in our refrigerators and air conditioners

4. Use water more efficiently

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

1. Educate girls

2. Close the gender gap in small-scale farming

3. Increase access to family planning

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

1. Manage refrigeration chemicals

2. Restore our tropical forests

3 Eat more plants and less meat

4. Install onshore wind turbines

5. Cut down on food waste

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

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

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

Answers to Project Drawdown questionnaire

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

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

1. Throw away less food 

2. Eat a plant heavy diet

3. Cook over clean stoves

4. Compost your waste

Regarding moving people and goods.

1. Drive an electric car. Individuals impact this.

2. Ship goods more efficiently

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

4. Invest in high-speed trains

Regarding our homes and cities.

1. Switch to LED lights. Individuals impact this.

2. Design more walkable cities

3. Use smart thermostats. Individuals impact this.

4. Install green roofs

Regarding materials and waste management.

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

2. Build with “greener” cement compounds.

3. Use water more efficiently. Individuals impact this.

4. Increase household recycling. Individuals impact this.

Regarding empowerment of women.

1. Educate girls. Individuals impact this.

2. Increase access to family planning.

3. Close the gender gap in small-scale farming

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

1. Manage refrigeration chemicals. Individuals impact this.

2. Install onshore wind turbine

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

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

5. Restore our tropical forests

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Early voting ending

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

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

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

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

Downtown bridge repairs completed

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

Free school supplies for teachers

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

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

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

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

State road map now available

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

By proclamation of the General Assembly, Fayetteville is “Where North Carolina celebrates Lafayette’s birthday.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I don't have any school-aged kids in my house, but in my mind, as soon school starts it's time for fall. I'm ready for cooler weather, rusty-colored leaves, warm cups of coffee in the middle of the day, football games and “Happy Fall, Y'all” signs in yards.

Maybe I'm weird, but I can smell it approaching. There's something in the air that feels different. It might be the return of routine or earlier sunsets, or maybe my dog getting fluffier for the winter — I can't put my finger on it, but it's palpable. It's time for change, and the earth is speaking it.

My son started day care recently, so although he's not school-aged, it definitely felt like it was back-to-school time. We got "school” supplies, a couple new outfits and a new pair of tennis shoes. The first few mornings of taking him, I found myself thinking about what it was going to be like to actually send him to school. Would he want to talk about his day? How do I get him to volunteer information about what's going on in his life? I want good conversation. I want him to know he's loved and that I care about what's going on in his world. How do I teach him to care about what happens in others' lives? How do I get a deeper answer than “My day was fine?" Okay, okay, I realize he's not even two yet, but I want to be intentional. I don't want to waste a minute.

Maybe it starts by asking better questions.

Recently a friend of mine came up with a list he called “After School Questions” — questions that require more than a one-word answer that you can ask on the way home from school or when the kids get home from school. I'm tucking them away for the day my son can actually talk, but maybe you could add a few to your arsenal right now.

• What was your day's high and low?
• Who was an encouragement to you?
• Was there a way you were an encouragement to someone else?
• What was the hardest rule to follow?
• What was the best part about lunch time?
• Who'd you sit next to at lunch?
• What did you do during recess or break?
• Did you do anything different today?
• What's the most interesting thing (teacher's name) did in class?
• Did anything happen that annoyed you?
• What are you grateful for today?
• Who in your class is most like/unlike you? What do you appreciate about them?
• Did anyone wear something you thought was awesome-looking?
• What teachers would you pick for your team in a dodgeball game?
• What about tomorrow are you already looking forward to?
• These are just a few questions, sure. Some are random, some are pointed, but they all have the potential to reclaim the small amount of down time we spend with our kids and change our family dynamic. It only takes a little effort sometimes to make a big difference.

As the leaves are changing, so can we. Come on fall, we're ready for a new start!

Cape Fear golf coach Todd Edge said it seems like yesterday when senior golfer Toni Blackwell began her career on the Colt team.

“Time flies when you’re having fun,’’ Edge said, and Blackwell’s performance has definitely made coaching her and the Cape Fear team plenty of that for Edge.

Blackwell has b een a three-time conference player of the year in golf and was the medalist in last year’s 3-A regional tournament.

Blackwell hasn’t rested on her laurels over the last few years, Edge said, using practice to improve her overall game.

“She’s played a lot of tournaments and is tournament golf ready,’’ he said. “She hits the ball further than she did three years ago. She’s improved her chipping and putting and her scores have improved because of that.’’

Blackwell’s improvement hasn’t gone unnoticed by people outside Cape Fear. She’s committed to play college golf at UNC-Pembroke.

Edge said Coach David Synan will be getting a player who will fit in well with the players he’s already recruited.

But Blackwell has one more high school season to go, and she and teammate Gaby Bynum, who placed third in the final Patriot Athletic Conference individual standings a year ago, return to lead an otherwise young Cape Fear team on the course this season.

Edge expects Blackwell and Bynum will again lead Cape Fear in scoring, while the pressure to produce a third competitive score in the weekly matches will fall on one of the untested new players on the team.

As for the rest of the conference, Edge isn’t sure where the main competition in the Patriot Athletic Conference will come from until Cape Fear plays its first match this season.

“We take every team very seriously and we are going to try and play to the best of our abilities every time we go out,’’ he said.

The Colts got off to a good start in last week’s first Patriot Athletic Conference first regular-season match at Stryker Golf Course at Fort Bragg. They fired a 266 as a team to win the match, with Blackwell taking medalist honors with a 75.

Blackwell said she’s been working on hitting more greens in regulation and trying to stay consistent with her game after winning the Patriot Conference regular-season title with a 79.3 average last season. She was the only player in the conference to break 80 for the season.

She hopes to motivate her younger teammates while bracing for the unknown against conference opposition.

“I’m just trying to work on staying focused, not getting distracted and making smart plays,’’ she said. “I want to win regionals again and I want to win a state championship, keep around an even par average.’’

She placed seventh in last year’s North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3-A state meet. She’s fully recovered from a broken middle finger on her right hand that forced her to play with a splint over the summer months.

“I couldn’t grip with it and didn’t play my best all summer,’’ she said.

Edge feels Blackwell has the potential to be among the top two or three golfers in the state this year.

The key he said is putting together back-to-back good days at the two-day state tournament. “You can’t lose any strokes,’’ he said. “The double bogey is the big thing she’s got to eliminate. If she plays her par-birdie golf, maybe a bogey once in awhile, I think she’ll be there.

“That’s her goal.’’

Pictured from top to bottom: Toni Blackwell, Todd Edge

The CARE Clinic presents its 25th Annual CARE Clinic Golf Charity Thursday, Sept. 19, at Gates Four Golf & Country Club at 11 a.m. 

“The Care Clinic is a nonprofit. We receive no government assistance,” said Cynthia Deere, development and marketing director of the Care Clinic. “It takes about $44,000 a month to keep our doors open, and we receive funds from grants, private donations, business donations and sponsorships from our three major fundraisers each year.”   

Deere added the CARE Clinic’s biggest expense every month is pharmaceuticals because when someone comes in for high cholesterol, diabetes, sinus or a urinary tract infection, they are given the medication at the clinic at no cost. 

“Last year was the first year that we did the Texas Scramble, and it was very well received because we were doing something different,” said Deere. “We have all of the contests that we have had in the past, such as Closest to the Pin, Hole-in-One, a Luigi’s Putting Contest and a Par 3 Poker Challenge.”   

Deere added there will be a dinner and the awards will immediately follow the tournament. 

The CARE Clinic provides free quality dental and medical healthcare, based on household income, to eligible uninsured, low-income adults who live in Cumberland County and the surrounding areas.     

Registration for the tournament begins at 9:30 am. Each player will get a Titleist player pack. The cost for an individual to play is $300. A team of four individuals is $1,000. Sponsorships are available for purchase. For more information, to participate or to make a donation call Cynthia Deere at 910-485-0555, or email care@thecareclinic.org.

The goal of making the town of Hope Mills more accessible to pedestrian traffic by adding sidewalks came a step closer to reality recently as the town was awarded another grant from the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.

“We typically get a grant every year through them called the transportation alternatives grant,’’ said Chancer McLaughlin, development and planning administrator for the town.

Work is already underway on sidewalks in the area of Rockfish Road near the town’s municipal complex.

The new grant, which is $445,540, will extend sidewalks the length of Main Street starting at the intersection of Johnson Street/Fountain Lane and Main Street down to the intersection of Trade Street with Lakeview Road and Main Street.

The grant covers 80% of the sidewalk cost with the town providing the other 20%.

There are existing sidewalks on the side of Main Street closest to the lake, but on the opposite side they stop at Johnson Street just past the railroad trestle.

In addition to the new sidewalks, the grant money will help cover the cost of adding a new
crosswalk about halfway between the two intersections as well as enhancing the existing crosswalk at the Trade and Main intersection.

McLaughlin said the new crosswalk will be a so-called raised mid-block structure made of brick.

The existing crosswalk will be modified in a similar matter.

He described it as a “traffic-calming” structure, similar to a speed bump, but a little more decorative with brick construction material.

The ultimate goal of the new sidewalks is to follow the guidance of the Southwest Cumberland Land Use Plan, which has specific suggestions for adding sidewalks in the Hope Mills area.

McLaughlin said this will continue the aim of connecting the Town Hall and Municipal Park area on Rockfish Road with the restored Hope Mills Lake on Main Street to make it a pedestrian-friendly zone.

The long-term goal once all the sidewalks are completed is to give those people who are interested and able the ability to conveniently walk from the municipal complex to the lake, thus hopefully decreasing the need for cars in what is already a highly congested area.

“There is not much public parking at the lake, so we are trying to create a better balance between vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic while keeping it safe,’’ McLaughlin said.

While work continues on the Rockfish Road sidewalk and is yet to begin along Main Street, McLaughlin said it’s too early to establish a definite timetable on when the entire project will be finished.

Picture 1: The stretch of Main Street opposite Hope Mills Lake where sidewalks will be extended

Picture 2: Raised crosswalks, similar to this one, will be added on Main Street but will be constructed with brick to be more decorative. 

Hope Mills town officials are concerned about the recent increase in yard debris and the negative impact it could have if it’s allowed to block the town’s storm drain system.

That’s why community officials are reaching out to citizens to do the best they can to make sure debris is cleared from their yards before a major storm hits the town again.

Tyler Riddle, a stormwater technician for the town, said the major culprits among lawn debris include grass clippings, leaves and limbs, but it doesn’t stop there.

“If it can be picked up by the water and possibly make it to a drain, it’s going to hinder the amount of water that can get in that catch basin,’’ he said.

The catch basin is the structure you see with a metal grate at street level and a wide opening for the water to flow through into the storm drain.

Problems mount when yard trash winds up in the street and is swept into the catch basins around the town.

“Everything that’s in the street is going to run to that catch basin, even pine straw,’’ Riddle said. “It’s going to cover that grate on the catch basin and not allow water to come through.’’

Worse, large amounts of yard waste can get into the catch basin and, from there, the storm drain pipe system. Over time, it accumulates to further hinder the flow of water though the pipes.

Eventually, the pipe itself can get clogged, requiring cleaning with a pumping truck and a sewer jetter, a drain-cleaning machine that uses high-pressure water to knock the debris free.

“That’s going to cost the taxpayers money,’’ Riddle said. “They’re the ones paying for it in the long run.’’

Riddle said town staff does as much as it can to keep the streets clear of debris that could foul the storm drains, but with so many drains located all over Hope Mills, it’s an impossible job for the staff to complete alone.

“Everybody who helps out, it’s not just helping the town, it’s helping yourself in the long run for your street not flooding and water not backing up in your yard,’’ Riddle said. “The cleaner you keep the streets, the better everything works.’’

Some people may choose to mulch their yard waste and use it on a home garden if they have one, Riddle said. Otherwise it’s best to make sure all yard debris is left in a trash can to be collected by the town. 

“If you rake it up and put it in a (garbage) container, that’s the best way to get rid of it,’’ Riddle said. “Once you put it in that container, it’s not going anywhere but in the truck.’’

Pictured: A catch basin adjacent to Hope Mills Lake with the kind of debris that can be swept from yards and cause problems for the storm drain system

Hardly a day passes that I do not see or hear something that makes absolutely no sense to me. I came close, very close, to concluding that this was a rare condition, that I was pretty much alone in having this experience.

Then, on Thursday, Aug. 15, I heard Troy Williams’ comments at the start of his radio show. He is a member of The Fayetteville ObserverCommunity Advisory Board; a legal analyst and criminal investigator. Williams is the cohost of a show on WIDU radio. Across the years, Troy and I have seriously disagreed on some political and societal issues. Consequently, it was a source of relief to hear what he had to say. He, like me, appears to struggle in making sense of so much of what appears to be senseless. I understood Williams to, maybe not in those exact words, say as much.

I was headed to a meeting and only heard his first example of senselessness. There was a post seen on Facebook calling for a boycott of several businesses due to their support of President Trump’s re-election. He pointed to McDonald’s as one company on the list and went on to explain that this is a franchise arrangement where individuals or entities below the corporate level own and operate locations. Therefore, boycotting McDonald’s could adversely impact people who have not, and do not, support Donald Trump. Bottom line, for Troy and me, is that calling for a nationwide boycott makes absolutely no sense. 

Now that Williams has assured me that I am not alone in this struggle to understand so much that seems senseless, let me pursue this topic a bit further. What shows through in the McDonald’s example is the lack of fact gathering and thoughtful examination. Be aware, McDonald’s is not the only business on the list of those proposed to be boycotted. Some others are: Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, KFC and Pizza Hut. The list goes on. As best as I can determine, every company on the list is, for the most part, franchise based. That means Williams’ senselessness argument applies in each of these cases.

How, then, is it that there would be people on Facebook, and elsewhere, calling for a boycott that makes absolutely no sense? I would contend that the primary reason is that we do not, any more in America, consciously teach or encourage thoughtful examination of facts and reaching of sensible conclusions.

The truth of that statement is all around us, but here is one example that points to that truth. The following is from an article by Sarah Taylor titled, “Students sign petition to remove oppressive white stick figure from crosswalk signs: ‘We are told by the symbol of a white man when it is OK to cross’ the street.”

“Campus Reform’s Ethan Cai recently visited George Washington University in Washington, D.C., to ask students to sign a petition supporting the motion to change the ‘offensive’ and ‘oppressive’ white stick figure in LED crosswalk signs. 

“Cai visited the university undercover, urging students to sign the outlet’s fake petition. 

“The petition urged the university ‘to consider changing the crosswalk signs,’ because a white man telling students when it is OK to cross the street is oppressive. 

“’As we students cross the street,’ the petition read, ‘we are told by the symbol of a white man when it is OK to cross. Many students from diverse backgrounds, including individuals of color, gender fluid individuals, and LGBTQA+ individuals, feel oppressed by this.’ 

“Many students were in favor of the petition. One educator was also on board with the proposed change. Just one student voiced dissent, saying he was ‘ideologically opposed’ to the idea of making the crosswalk sign more inclusive.” 

What might thoughtful consideration of facts and consequences lead to in this situation? Suppose the white stickman were changed to black? OK … not black, since that would be difficult, if not impossible, to see. Remember, too, that there are white lines and lights all around. This proposal seems senseless to me, but was taken seriously by students at this prestigious university, even by a faculty member. Thought seems absent even in this higher education setting. Please view the video of the petition responses at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daRHqlBhucU to get the full impact of what this says about the lack of teaching and encouraging thought.

Since the petition-signing was an exercise with no consequence, one might put it aside and move on. However, this lack of thinking through carries over to real life with horrendous consequences. Consequently, that exercise should not be dismissed. The real-life indicators of thoughtlessness are all around us and the condition cries out for attention. 

A prime example is what happened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Aug. 14, when a man barricaded himself in a house and shot and wounded six police officers. This from an article by Madison Dibble titled, “Anti-Cop Hecklers Harassed Philadelphia Police ‘in the Midst of the Gunfire’ During Recent Shooting: Report.”

It read, “Anti-cop hecklers harassed members of the Philadelphia Police Department in the middle of an active shooting against officers, according to reporters at the scene.

“On Wednesday night, a gunman locked himself into a seven-hour standoff with police from his Philadelphia, Pennsylvania home. Six officers were wounded when the shooter opened fire into the crowd of officers attempting to coax him out of the house.

“During the seven-hour standoff, anti-cop hecklers harassed police as they tried to negotiate with the gunman to get him out of the house safely.

Alexandria Hoff, a reporter with CBS-Philadelphia, took to Twitter to express her ‘disappointment’ that a group would harass officers while they were in the middle of a gun battle.

“’I mentioned this at 10 and since I was harassed during that live shot, I’ll mention it here too. A major moment of disappointment this evening was watching a crowd of people taunt police officers, laughing and yelling at them in the midst of the gunfire. #PhiladelphiaShooting

— Alexandria Hoff (@AlexandriaHoff) August 15, 2019’”

In that last paragraph of the quote above, Hoff is saying this stuff is senseless. One has to ask what good did these hecklers expect to result from their disrespecting and interfering with police officers who were putting their lives on the line to protect those very hecklers. It is senseless.

Sadly, I could go on and on with these examples of senselessness. The possibilities are seemingly endless: Proposals for open borders; sanctuary city/state policies; free health care for illegal migrants; the push for socialist policies in America when they are failing around the world; federal government borrowing at a rate that will devastate the lives of young people who are alive today; giving more attention to the needs of people who break into America than to American citizens; re-electing politicians who do absolutely nothing by way of addressing the serious problems facing our nation. Again, the list is seemingly endless.

The point of all this is to say that we, as a nation, are inundated with senselessness at a level that should terrify and alarm every American. This is a call for all of us to recognize the senselessness that is all around us, see the causes, join together and defeat what is a colossal threat to the continued existence of this great nation.   

UPDATE 9/03/19: Due to the threat to Hope Mills posed by Hurricane Dorian, the Food Truck Rodeo has been moved to Thursday, Sept. 12, from 5-8 p.m.

Hope Mills has taken its share of punishment from hurricanes in recent years, so town officials have scheduled an event to help citizens prepare for the worst should one or more strike again this season.

As part of the Thursday, Sept. 5, Food Truck Rodeo in Hope Mills, a hurricane preparedness event has been arranged in cooperation with the local Community Emergency Response Team.

The food truck rodeo will take place this Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the outdoor basketball courts at Hope Mills Municipal Park on Rockfish Road. 

Nearly all of the vendors on hand for the event will be oriented toward dealing with issues involving hurricane awareness. 

Chancer McLaughlin, development and planning administrator for the town, said many of the vendors will be able to provide citizens attending the event information on how to deal with issues they might encounter when a hurricane strikes.

Here are some questions that the experts at the food truck rodeo will help answer.

How much bleach is needed to purify water?

What is a survival flash drive and where should you store it?

How do you operate a generator?

How do you stop bleeding?

What smartphone apps are best to have in an emergency situation?

What steps need to be taken during a water advisory?

Other topics that will be covered include how to pack a so-called “go bag” along with on-site training in CPR.

Vendors with specific information involving hurricane situations will include the American Red Cross, the Public Works Commission and the Salvation Army.

As always, the food truck rodeo will be collecting nonperishable food items to support the ALMS HOUSE in Hope Mills.

The event isn’t just about hurricane preparedness, it’s also about having a fun evening out with the family and enjoying the variety of eating options at the food trucks.

Special musical guest for the evening will be a jazz band called Rah’s Illuminated 1’s.

Miller Motte College will be on hand to share information about its programs and offer free massages.

A wide assortment of food trucks will be present, including Doug’s NC Barbecue, Big T’s, Nannie’s Famous, Chef Glen, Food 4 the Soul, Noth’n Fancy, Elite Catering, Dogwood Java, East Coast Snowey and Lo Diferente.

“The main purpose is to get the public some useful information,’’ McLaughlin said.

There are two more food truck events scheduled this year, McLaughlin said, one in October and one in November on the first Thursday of each month.

McLaughlin said no theme had been determined for the remaining two rodeos.

Well, Hope Mills held its first Community Roundtable last Thursday, sponsored by the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce and Up & Coming Weeklycommunity newspaper. Harmony at Hope Mills, the town’s newest assisted living community, hosted it. This meeting launched the first in a series of roundtable forums specifically designed to engage and inform residents about the future of the Hope Mills community. 

Under the theme “Your Town, Your Future” residents came together to share their experiences, thoughts, comments and ideas. The evening started with an informal “Meet & Greet” hosted by Melannie Armstrong, director of marketing at Harmony. She and the staff did an excellent job bestowing “Harmony hospitality” on all the forum attendees. The meeting began promptly at 7 p.m. as we officially greeted the audience, made introductions and, literally, got to know every person in the room. We explained that the Hope Mills Community Roundtable is not a political venue; it’s not a place to gripe and complain, dump grievances or attack fellow citizens. The sole purpose is to provide a public forum where citizens can talk freely about the community and openly share thoughts and ideas while meeting the people, businesses and organizations that impact their town and their quality of life. 

Jan Spell, president of the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce, opened the forum by discussing the Chamber’s vision, mission, events and accomplishments. She made sure everyone understood the Chamber is committed to working in partnership with the town and growing and developing local businesses while aiding town officials in attracting new economic development opportunities. 

She was followed by Cumberland County Commissioner Michael Boose, who did an excellent job bringing everyone up to date about what’s going on in the county and current issues and challenges and how they affect Hope Mills. Boose generated such positive energy and excitement into the meeting that he became the personification of the intent and purpose of the forum. One important point he made was that Hope Mills, one of the largest municipalities in the county, needs to be more involved with the county’s business. He suggested that Hope Mills residents sign up to represent the town on county boards and standing committees. From education to economic development, Boose provided and shared relevant information and insights that affect Hope Mills and its residents.

Then, the floor was opened for comments. I started the conversation by squelching the rumor that the Hope Mills YMCA was leaving the community. Alex Lewis, the Hope Mills YMCA director was on hand for that assurance. From concerns for our veterans and supporting organizations to the emergence of a Hope Mills cultural arts renaissance and the formation of the newly formed historical society, there is no doubt this town is on the move — and in the right direction. 

The audience was receptive and engaged, and the forum’s atmosphere was professional, friendly, fun and relaxed. Questions were answered, rumors were dismantled and, most importantly, new friends were made. And, even though the Hope Mills Community Roundtable is not a political venue, we certainly appreciate the elected officials (and elected wannabes) who cared enough to come out to see and hear firsthand how their constituents feel about the community and the job they are doing. 

Dates for the next two Hope Mills Community Roundtables, which will again be hosted by the wonderful folks at Harmony at Hope Mills, are Sept. 26 and Oct. 24. Mark your calendars and make plans to attend. 

For more information contact the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce at 910-423-4314, or call me at 910 391 3859. Hope Mills: Your voice, your town, your future. 

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly, Hope Mills’ community newspaper.

Picture 1: Under the theme “Your Town, Your Future” residents came together to share their experiences, thoughts, comments and ideas at the Hope Mills Community Roundtable. From concerns for our veterans and supporting organizations to the emergence of a Hope Mills cultural arts renaissance and the formation of the newly formed historical society, there is no doubt this town is on the move — and in the right direction. 

Picture 2: Cumberland County Commissioner Mike Boose generated such positive energy and excitement into the meeting that he became the personification of the intent and purpose of the forum. 

Jonathan Wood got a nice present as he took over the Pine Forest tennis team as head coach this year. 

His returning squad includes Kelcie Farmer, who was the Patriot Athletic Conference tennis player of the year last season and winner of the 4-A half of the league’s singles title.

Wood is in his first year coaching tennis, but it hasn’t taken him long to be impressed with Farmer’s tenacity and work ethic.

“I know she gets a lot of private lessons,’’ he said. “She gets to travel around and see a lot of pro events. She learns from what she watches.’’

Wood called Farmer a dynamic and powerful player in her ground game and with her strokes. “She’s an all-around great player and great teacher to the other girls,’’ he said.

As returning conference player of the year, expectations are obviously high for Farmer, but Wood said she’s not burdened by the pressure of dealing with that.

“She knows her abilities and skills,’’ he said. “I think it’s just a pressure she’s naturally born to conquer no matter what. I don’t think it’s a pressure to her. She hasn’t dropped a game yet.’’

Wood said the key this season is for Farmer to focus on what she needs to bring to the court to help her teammates. “She’s our No. 1 for the fourth year in a row,’’ Wood said. “She can’t get too ahead of herself, just keep a humble mind and continue to live off the skills she’s been able to produce over the last three years.’’

Farmer feels she’s grown into a leadership role on the Pine Forest team and can help her teammates out.

She feels her serve has gotten stronger over the last few years but is still a work in progress.

“I’m making sure I’m getting more first serves in play,’’ she said. “That’s what starts your points. Without a good serve, it’s kind of hard to get into groundstrokes and volleys. Everything starts with the serve.’’

Farmer thinks the Trojan team is in a rebuilding year as many players from last season either graduated or are attending school elsewhere.

“We look at each game as if it’s going to be a state championship,’’ she said. “We’re going to try our hardest and have fun at the end of the day.’’

Pictured from top to bottom: Jonathan Wood, Kelcie Farmer