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  • Surge 5Vance McAllister, who has been overseeing the opening of the new Surge Trampoline Park in Hope Mills, said the 2-year-old company’s mission can be summed up in three words. 

    Fun, friends and family. 

    “It’s a family-style environment,’’ said McAllister of the Louisiana-based business. “That’s what brought Drew Brees on to be a partner of Surge. It’s a great atmosphere for kids of all ages.’’ 

    Brees, the standout quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, appears in a promotional video for the newest Surge facility that recently opened in Hope Mills in the former Bi-Lo Supermarket building. The video can be seen on the Surge Trampoline Park Hope Mills Facebook page. 

    With a growing family of three boys and one girl, Brees has an obvious interest in activities for the family, and McAllister said that’s exactly what Surge has to offer. 

    “He’s all about keeping them active and competitive, not getting caught up in the world of Fortnite,’’ McAllister said of Brees and his family. 

    In growing the business to seven facilities nationwide, with another four scheduled to open in the coming months, McAllister said the company looks mainly for existing buildings that can be converted into Surge franchises, if the demographics show there are enough families in the area to support it. 

       “We go in and rehab the building, change it over to the Surge look and logo,’’ he said. “The two things we are always looking for are high ceilings to put one in and obviously parking.’’ 

       While trampolines were the initial focus of the Surge parks, McAllister said they have been transitioning toward a 50-50 mix between trampoline and climbing features like rock walls. 

       The Hope Mills park includes many of these attractions. “We try to keep them engaged and not just a straight bounce, turn, roll, flip and tumble type thing,’’ McAllister said. 

       One of the attractions at the new park is called High Nine, where you try to jump high enough to hit a sensor as you compete with others. 

       Another popular feature is called Wipeout, where a long beam rotates in a circle and you have to jump over it as it passes. 

       Other activities include pits of soft foam, climbing walls and a giant Rubik’s Cube. 

       With so many physical activities, McAllister said safety is among Surge’s utmost concerns. 

       While on the mats, everyone must wear trampoline socks that have grips on the bottom. They can bring their own or purchase a pair there for $3. 

       For all climbing activities, customers must wear a safety harness and fall restraint. 

       All of the rules of the park are clearly posted at various locations within the facility. 

       Surge isn’t just for individual customers. There are party and banquet options available. 

       There are 12 party tables, along with a separate private banquet room for any type of corporate event, birthday or other celebrations. 

       And the park isn’t just for kids. Some adult groups have already scheduled exercise classes at Surge. 

       With its emphasis on activities for families, Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner said Surge fits right in with the family-oriented, small-town atmosphere Hope Mills is trying to promote. 

       “I believe it’s going to be a destination spot because you don’t have to go all the way into town,’’ she said, referring to people having to drive from surrounding areas to Fayetteville. 

       “We’re a family place to live, and this just adds to it, all the way around a good addition for Hope Mills,’’ Warner said.

  •  Christmas on the Lake  It’s hard to celebrate Christmas at the Lake when you’re missing the lake. 

       That’s been the problem for several years in Hope Mills as the community struggled with losing its centerpiece lake following two failures of the Hope Mills Dam. 

       But now that the dam is back and the lake has been restored after years of absence, Christmas at the Lake will return in all its glory this month. 

       The event is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 30, from 6-7:30 p.m. 

       Cathy Johnson of the Hope Mills Appearance Committee described the evening that has been planned as “an old-fashioned Christmas in the mill village.’’ 

       Everyone is hoping for good weather because if it’s raining, Johnson said, there are no plans to move the event indoors anywhere and it will have to be canceled. 

       This year’s resumption of Christmas at the Lake will include familiar features from past years. Most of the activities will take place in the open area of the lake park between the gazebo and the opposite end of the park near the rebuilt dam. 

       Special events will include the lighting of the Christmas tree and the burning of the traditional Yule log. 

       Johnson said the plan also includes the singing of Christmas carols by groups from a variety of local churches. 

       Free hot chocolate and cookies will be provided for all in attendance, Johnson said. 

       Phyllis Hales, longtime Hope Mills resident, said Christmas at the Lake offers special memories for older residents of the area and she’s glad to see it return. 

       “It’s something for everybody,’’ she said, “kind of the opening of the Christmas season.’’ 

  • Hayden DiazFigueroaHayden Diaz Figueroa 

    Gray’s Creek • Senior • 

    Soccer 

    Figueroa had an unweighted grade point average of 3.83. He helped lead the Bears to the Patriot Athletic Conference tournament championship, scoring 15 goals for the season and handing out five assists.  

     

     

     Drew Menscer 1Drew Menscer 

    Gray’s Creek • Senior • 

    Tennis 

    Menscer has an unweighted grade point average of 4.0 while competing for the Gray’s Creek varsity tennis team. 

  • 08Thanksgiving TurkeyAbout 50 percent of all turkeys produced in the United States last year came from four states: Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas and Missouri. Minnesota is responsible for 18 percent of all turkey production. North Carolina is No. 2, producing 14 percent of turkeys, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While Minnesota had the edge on the number of turkeys, the value of turkeys produced in North Carolina was greater. At $848.8 million, North Carolina’s turkeys are worth about $10 million more than Minnesota’s. 

    Butterball, LLC, is one of America’s most iconic brands. Headquartered in Garner, North Carolina, Butterball is the nation’s largest producer of turkeys. The company owns and operates farms, processing facilities and support offices. Butterball opened its newest processing plant in nearby Raeford three years ago with an initial investment of $30 million. 

    The company recently added another $20 million to expand the Raeford operation, including a new production line for turkey bacon products. “When Butterball opened the Raeford plant in 2015, we knew we had a great workforce and a state-of-the-art facility, but the overall operation has exceeded our expectations,” said Barry Gum, Butterball chief financial officer. “We are a proud North Carolina-based company and are excited about the opportunity to continue to grow our business within the state.” 

    In 2015, then-Gov. Pat McCrory said the plant would create 367 jobs in Hoke County over three years. The company expects to add an additional 50 jobs to its Hoke County workforce. “I think when we had that first announcement... we were talking about the employees being close to 500 or 600 associates at some point in time,” said Mike Bliss, vice president of operations. 

    Plant production climbed to 130 million pounds of turkey in 2017. Data compiled by Iowa State University’s Agricultural Marketing Resource Center found that growth in poultry consumption has outpaced that of red meat over the past decade and has grown twentyfold since 1910. Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays typically feature traditional turkey feasts. 

    The history of the Thanksgiving turkey is a mystery. Historians have different theories. Thanks to letters and records kept by early American settlers, we know that when the pilgrims sat down to dine with the Wampanoag Indians, beef and fowl were on the menu. This historical meal would later become known as the first Thanksgiving. 

    Although historians cannot say for sure which types of fowl were served that day, a letter written by pilgrim Edward Winslow mentions a turkey hunting trip before the meal. The wild turkey is native to North America. Benjamin Franklin claimed this made the turkey a more suitable national bird than the bald eagle. Not everyone agreed with Franklin, and the bald eagle became the national emblem for the United States in 1782. The bald eagle may be America’s bird 364 days a year, but the turkey has one day all to itself – Thanksgiving. 

  • Shriners with L R Marcus Wall in green coat Emery Simmons and Mariana Blount A pair of Cumberland County high school football coaches were recently presented with their Shrine Bowl jackets. These jackets signify the honor of their being chosen to coach in this year’s Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas high school football all-star game on Saturday, Dec. 15. The game takes place at 1 p.m. at Wofford College’s Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, South Carolina. 

    In the left photo above, South View assistant coach Marcus Wall (center, in green) is shown getting his jacket while South View’s Emery Simmons (second from right) and Mariana Blount (far right) clap. Simmons was the lone Cumberland County football player picked for this year’s Shrine game. Blount will serve as a student athletic trainer at the game. 

       In the right photo, Westover head coach Ernest King is also shown being recognized by the Shriners at his team’s game with E.E. Smith last Friday. Like Wall, King will also serve as an assistant coach on this year’s North Carolina Shrine Bowl staff. 

  • Hope Mills commissionersAfter ending their arrangement to have Hope Mills Board of Commissioners meetings aired by the city of Fayetteville’s television channel, the commissioners have returned to the air on the Fayetteville- Cumberland County Educational TV channel. 

    Sally Shutt, assistant county manager for Cumberland County, first mentioned the idea to Hope Mills town manager Melissa Adams a few months ago. 

    Hope Mills had ended its arrangement with the city of Fayetteville after the board of commissioners discontinued a trial agreement with Fayetteville to broadcast the meetings. Had the arrangement continued, Hope Mills was going to have to pay to have its meetings broadcast. 

    Shutt said Cumberland County has a partnership with Fayetteville Technical Community College, which operates the FCETV channel, Channel 5 on Spectrum Cable TV. 

       The FCETV channel airs the meetings of the Cumberland County commissioners. Shutt said she reached out to Brent Michaels of FTCC and asked if they would be willing to air the Hope Mills commissioners meetings as well. She said Michaels agreed. 

       “They (Hope Mills) are filming their own meetings and putting them on their YouTube channel,’’ Shutt said. 

       Shutt said any local municipality that films its own meetings is welcome to pursue having them aired on the FCETV channel. 

       Hope Mills will record its meetings on a digital file and upload the file for broadcast on the FCETV channel. 

       At a recent meeting, the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to have board meetings air on the FCETV channel at 9 p.m. on Friday evenings. 

       To check the complete schedule of programs being aired on FCETV, visit the channel’s website at FCETV.org. 

       Most of the current programming is education-related, along with some government and county news broadcasts. 

  • Screen Shot 2018 11 20 at 12.22.55 PMWhy would I ask you to read from a column I wrote almost 30 years ago? 

    When I read that column, tearfully, at a recent family reunion, I knew I wanted to share it with you, just in case you missed it back in 1987. 

    That year was one of triumph for my mother. 

    In 1933, she finished college and left her home in South Georgia to go to New York to study theatre. She was admitted to the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse, training ground for many of America’s best actors. It was the Depression, hard times for everybody. But she worked hard and took extra jobs to make enough money to stay in New York. 

    Would she have been a star? 

    You can never tell which gifted people fate will select to be successes in the world of acting. But it is clear that she had the talent to be good – to be great. 

    Fortunately for me, one of her jobs was producer and director of a summer stage production called “O Professor.” It traveled from place to place in the South during the summer of 1934. She recruited local talent, trained them, sold ads for the programs, managed costumes, directed the production and then split the profits with local charities or church groups. One stop was in Davidson, where my father (to-be) was working for Davidson College. 

    The rest of the story? It’s obvious. Well, almost. Romance. Love. Marriage. Children. Happiness. And sorrow, too. Through it all, I don’t think she ever regretted her choice to be a wife and mother. 

    But she was never able to prove what she knew in her heart – that she was good enough to be a star. 

    Those few who saw her through the years in amateur productions knew that she was good. Meanwhile, she earned her reputation as the caring, exuberant wife of a college administrator, who pushed students to do their best, charmed potential donors, thought up wonderful connections to bring people and resources together – and most of all – for three generations of college alumni, she remembered your name when you came back to campus. 

    When my father, who was as close to a perfect husband and father as could be, was struck down with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, she did not hide it or deny it. There was no shame in her sorrow. Instead, she used that tragedy to help other families struck by Alzheimer’s. She helped them overcome their anger and guilt with the knowledge that many other families who suffered were ready to help each other. 

    She was a success by any measure, and at 76, she had every reason to sit back and relax, but she went through her entire life without ever making it to the professional stage, until... 

    Until this spring (1987), when she got a chance to try out for the Charlotte Repertory Theatre’s production of the Broadway hit “Steel Magnolias.” To make this long story a little shorter, she won a leading part and was a smashing success in a cast with five professional actresses – I mean five other professional actresses. 

    They packed them in. They wowed them. At 76, making her professional debut, my mom was a star. Triumph. 

    Unfortunately, not long after the curtain came down, she noticed a dreaded lump in her breast. It was malignant, and she had a mastectomy. 

    Down and out you would think she would be. Nope. Her first words to me on my first visit after surgery: “Can you get the script for ‘Steel Magnolias?’ Charlotte Rep is going to do the play again and they have asked me to come back and do my part.” 

    She pushed through the recovery and was a star again, a reminder that we too may still have important roles to play, whatever our age or circumstance. 

    Photo:  Louise McMichael Martin 

  • 02PerformingartsAs a child, when I took more food than I could eat my mother would say, “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach.” Well, the same may be said of Fayetteville and Cumberland County’s appetite for initiating future economic development projects. 

    Currently, public opinion is positive and cautiously optimistic about the economic development projects taking place in our city. Residents are excited and supportive of our new Houston Astros Advanced Class A minor league baseball team, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, and the forthcoming new $37.8 million stadium. This structure, along with the $17 million renovation of the historic Prince Charles Hotel into apartments plus a parking deck, hotel and office complex, is the nucleus of a much-needed healthy economic boom for the revival of Fayetteville’s downtown community. Add to that the prospects of a statewide Civil War and Reconstruction History Center, and this becomes a masterful undertaking. 

    Is it needed? Yes. 

    Will it succeed? Well that depends on how our elected leadership manages our resources. And from that point of view comes plenty of healthy skepticism. After all, the sports complex center, skate board park and east side senior citizen facility, all of which were included and approved in the $35 million parks and rec bond package, are still in the planning stages. 

    Before the first Woodpecker home game or the first lease on a Prince Charles apartment is signed, our elected are spending tens of thousands of dollars with consultants on feasibility and location studies of a potential performing arts center in downtown Fayetteville. 

    The need for a performing arts center has been talked about and even debated for more than a decade. There was a need then, and there is still a need. With new construction taking place and the number of future projects yet to be completed, even ardent supporters of a performing arts center feel it may be prudent to slow down the development frenzy to make sure we don’t overextend our resources. We need to be able to support and adequately pay for these cultural amenities without adding an undue burden on local taxpayers – a reasonable request. No doubt the need is upon us with the deteriorating conditions of the Crown Theatre. However, the question remains – will the demographics of Cumberland County support such a facility? With a potential price tag of $50 million-plus, there are still plenty of other questions that need to be addressed. 

    What shows will it attract? And at what price? 

    Recently, tickets at Durham Performing Arts Center for the touring company of “Hamilton” sold at Broadway prices. Given a choice, why would big-show promoters choose Fayetteville over larger markets like Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro and Winston-Salem? 

    What effect would it have on other local cultural institutions like Cape Fear Regional Theatre, Charlotte Blume’s annual “Nutcracker” ballet, Community Concerts and the “Heart of Christmas Show?” 

    And, the most critical question of all: How do we pay for it? 

    Sure, the consultants say once built the facility will pay for itself. Historically, there are many who will dispute that claim. Besides, when it comes to taking advice and direction from any consultant, always pay close attention to who is paying them. It is a good indication of the outcome. 

    A Fayetteville Performing Arts Center is a good, feasible and honorable idea. However, residents must first see and experience the positive effects of the economic impact promised as a result of the current downtown development and investments. Success here will add excitement, enthusiasm, confidence and support to a Fayetteville performing arts center proposal and any future projects that will enhance the quality of life in our community. 

    Let’s develop Fayetteville on a solid foundation of proven successes and not on speculation. 

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly. 

  • 03SouthernSendoff A friend confided recently that she is mapping out her funeral – readings, hymns, flowers, pallbearers, homily suggestions for the minister and other details. She believes that such advanced planning takes some of the burden away from her family when the sad day arrives. I believe that as well. 

    That said, I have not planned one single aspect of my own sendoff, not because I don’t want to ease the burden on the Precious Jewels but because I find the entire notion a tad creepy – not an occasion around which fantasies are savored. One thing I do know for sure, though, and I have communicated it to those who might be in charge. Under no circumstances is there to be a homily, sermon – or Lord forbid – eulogy of any sort. 

      I decided that in my 20s while attending the funeral of a good friend’s mother at a Charlotte church. The deceased, whose name was Pearl, had attended the church for a relatively short time after her two children had already flown from the nest. In about 20 seconds, the minister managed to call both my friend and her brother the wrong names. Then he went on to say – and I remember this word for word – “Forgive me, but Pearl was a real pearl.” I nearly bolted out the church doors, screaming all the way. 

      More recently, services featuring various family members and friends recounting the dearly departed’s struggles with various substances seem like too much information to me. They reinforce my desire to be barely mentioned at all. It probably does not help that the name Margaret is derived from the Greek word for – you guessed it – pearl. 

      I am sure people in other parts of the country plan their funerals as well, but Southerners seem to handle funerals and associated activities our own special way. 

      A cousin married a Belgian man, who was horrified when he encountered his first Southern funeral. The deceased was a friend close enough to be family, so we all trooped to the widow’s house, where a full party was in swing. No one called it that, but that is what it was, complete with a dining room table laden with food and all sorts of beverages, very few of them iced tea. 

      The scandalized Belgian urged us to leave immediately, insisting the family was mourning and needed to be alone, despite the fact the widow was in the living room having a glass of wine. We assured him that the family would have plenty of time to mourn and that for the time being, we were there for diversion. 

      The Belgian eventually came around and, as an accomplished cook himself, made appropriate food for just such occasions. 

      “Being Dead is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral” by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays is a handy little book to keep around for when the need arises. Need a good funeral recipe to serve or to take to someone – say, tomato aspic topped with homemade mayonnaise? They have it. What’s more, they classify by denominations. Episcopalians sip wine and eat shrimp in the living room. Methodists eat casseroles with mushroom soup in the family room, and Baptists drink bourbon out of coffee mugs in the driveway. Other helpful tips include not rolling the car windows down when driving your loved one’s ashes home. 

      All Southern funerals make room for eccentric Southern ladies. One of my favorites is the much-loved aunt riding in the funeral limousine with her two 20-something nieces who had just buried their mother. The aunt, it seems, had been in high school with the funeral director who was driving the limo, which had already broken down once. The car was quiet until the aunt leaned through the sliding glass window into the front seat and said loudly, “Billy, I know the funeral business is lucrative, but how do you stand it?” 

      That same Southern belle, grief-stricken but stalwart, hated the urn in which the same funeral director had returned her loved one’s ashes. She did the only thing a Southern belle could possibly do under the circumstances. She buried the ashes in a sterling silver biscuit box taken from her dining room sideboard. 

  • 10Holidays Jazz music changed American culture in the 1920s and ’30s, combining African and European influences. Originating in the bayous in and around New Orleans, Louisiana, jazz rocked the nation, reshaping the culture and leaving a lasting impression that has endured generations. From Louis Armstrong to Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington and more, jazz changed America. It made us better. Dec. 1, celebrate the holidays – and the magic of jazz – at Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra’s “Home for the Holidays,” featuring renowned New York jazz vocalist Gabrielle Stravelli. 

    Harkening back to USO shows, this concert combines the warmth of the holidays with the swinging, toe-tapping magic of jazz. Paying tribute to legends like Fitzgerald, Ellington and Stan Kenton, it’s a surefire way to set your heart right for the holidays. 

    “Our music director, Stefan Sanders, found Gabrielle by reaching out to some friends he had in New York,” said FSO President and CEO Christine Kastner. “We looked at her materials and thought she was a perfect fit. We are doing lots of Ella Fitzgerald, and Gabrielle does a great job and will be a great fit. She is really fun.” 

    An award-winning vocalist and songwriter, Stravelli’s musical reach is wide. Exploring artists that include Willie Nelson, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder and John Fogerty, she’s put her own stamp on a variety of work. 

    In 2018 Stravelli served as a U.S. State Department “Jazz Ambassador,” touring Southeast Asia. She headlined the WBGO Jazz on the Mountain Festival and released “Dream Ago,” her third album. The album received rave reviews from sources including DownBeat Magazine, the HuffPost, Scott Yanow of LA Jazz Scene and Tony Frankel of LA’s Stage and Cinema. 

    In addition, she and her trio toured Italy and Norway – and in the U.S.: New Jersey; Lancaster, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania; Detroit, Michigan; Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland in Ohio; Austin, Texas; Los Angeles and San Francisco in California; Las Vegas, Nevada; and the greater Washington D.C. area. 2014- 2017 were equally busy. 

    After FSO’s “Home for the Holidays,” guests will likely get to meet Stravelli in person. “Typically, when we have a guest artist, we will get them to come out to the lobby to meet people,” said Kastner. 

    Stravelli is not the only guest sharing the spotlight with the orchestra. “The older children’s choirs from Fayetteville Academy will perform again this year,” Kastner said. “About 25 students will be performing.” 

    The concert will include many holiday favorites. Come early to hear the Music Nerd speak about the music and composers featured in the show in addition to other fun facts. For example, in 1948, Leroy Anderson composed “Sleigh Ride.” In 1949, Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops recorded it. Today, it holds the title of most widely recorded and performed piece of Christmas music, according to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. 

    The pre-concert talk with the Music Nerd begins at 6:45 p.m. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Visit the FSO website, www.fayettevillesymphony.org, for tickets and information. 

  • 04pitt And now almost live from Washington, D.C., is the report on my recent fact-finding trip to our nation’s capital. In an effort to distance ourselves from the ongoing slow-rolling horror that is Carolina’s football season, we headed out of town. Unfortunately, 300 miles from Chapel Hill was not enough to avoid the moral victory that befell the Tar Heels in the Dook game. The Heels lost the game to the evil Dooksters. However, the Heels did improve our record to one win and eight moral victories. Carolina’s football team now leads the nation in moral victories, a slim reed upon which we can cling as we face the final game of the season against Moo U. 

    In keeping with the theme of moral victories, I would like to give a shout-out to our Dear Glorious Very Stable Genius Leader who tweeted on Election Night: “Tremendous success tonight. Thank you to all!” Dear Leader curiously found a tremendous victory by losing the House of Representatives to the Democrats. It turned out resistance is fertile. Despite precise gerrymandering, the House flipped, bringing back the Speaker’s gavel to Nancy Pelosi. As many of my Republican friends would say, “The horror. The horror.” 

    Allow me to retort as Jules said in “Pulp Fiction.” Elections have consequences. As the Talking Heads on cable repeatedly say, “There is a lot to unpack here.” Let us robustly drill down into what it all means at the end of the day to see what’s it all about, Alfie. 

    Dear Leader is like UNC football Coach Larry Fedora concerning the word victory. To quote Inigo Montoya from “Princess Bride, “You keep using that word – I do not think it means what you think it means.” 

    In a spasm of lucidity, it occurred to me how much political speak and coach speak have in common. The event horizon between the two speaks is nonexistent. Consider George Orwell’s statement, “Political speech is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give the appearance of solidity to pure wind.” Now consider Fedora’s coach speak after yet another Carolina gridiron loss: “Our guys never gave up. We keep getting closer. I saw a lot out there I really liked. You have to give credit to the other team, they got the job done. I will have to go review the game film to see where we need to improve. Now excuse me while I update my resume. I have to meet with my financial advisor to determine how to invest my $12 million severance package.” 

      Both UNC football and Dear Leader’s administration are knee-deep in the Big Muddy and keep pushing on. Dear Leader skipped going to the U.S. military cemetery in France during the World War I commemoration because it was raining. The American soldiers buried there faced a lot worse than drizzle. Perhaps Dear Leader didn’t want to have a bad hair day. He was awarded the Morton Salt “When It Rains, It Pours” certificate of nonparticipation from the other world leaders who somehow managed to show up in the rain. Dear Leader loudly proclaims to be a supporter of the military but can’t pay his respects to American soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in France or even attend the Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington. As the King of Siam once said, “It is a puzzlement.” 

      So, what have we learned today? William Burroughs wrote, “Sometimes paranoia is just having all the facts.” I clearly do not have all the facts. Sometimes circumstantial evidence can be extremely strong, as when you find a fish in a bucket of milk. Under those circumstances, even though you didn’t see someone put the fish in the milk, it is reasonable to infer that someone put the fish in the milk. The fish did not swim into the bucket. To mangle Victor Hugo’s quote: “There is nothing so strong as a bad idea whose time has come.” 

      Gentle Reader, you may consider this entire column a bad idea. You could be correct. I submit that bad ideas have come to D.C. and Kenan Stadium. 

      In the classic movie “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” illegal space aliens landed in D.C., threatening destruction. Klaatu the Alien tells Earth “to live in peace or pursue your present course and face obliteration.” After Klaatu is killed, Gort can only be stopped by hearing the magic words: “Klaatu barada nikto.” 

      To quote Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?” 

      Will no one say “Klaatu barada nikto” in D.C. or Chapel Hill? 

  • 13Dumas NutcrackerClara. Drosselmeyer. Nutcracker Prince. Snow Queen. Mouse King. These characters from the beloved Christmas ballet “The Nutcracker” often bring to mind images of wonder, imagination and the enchanting beauty of classical ballet. One thing that may not come to mind, though, is inclusion and diversity. The Dance Theatre of Fayetteville, founded by Ann Clark Crummie in the 1950s, provides a unique take on “The Nutcracker” in that it creates a space where every young dancer in this community can perform in the iconic story. Factors that don’t matter one bit include income level, race, disability and a physical appearance that may not match the stereotypical ballerina. See TDTF’s production at Methodist University’s Huff Concert Hall Nov. 30, Dec. 1 or Dec. 2. 

    When Crummie founded TDTF, she made sure it would be homegrown through and through. She encouraged parents of dancers attending any studio in Cumberland County to join the board. The goal was to connect and support young, local dancers. In the ’70s, Crummie homed in on a passion project that embodied her mission with “The Nutcracker.” Though she passed away last May, her legacy and this production continue to grow. 

    TDTF’s “The Nutcracker” is not just open to all Cumberland County dancers – it’s solely comprised of them. “Every role in our (show) is performed by locally raised dancers that attend our local dance studios,” said Assistant Art Director Tara Herringdine. 

       Art Director Leslie Dumas said sometimes they get dancers who barely know anything about classical ballet, but nobody gets turned away. “They might have a very minute part, but they’re still in it,” she said. Some of those dancers stick with it every year and eventually perform major roles as they improve. 

       Herringdine, who owns Cumberland Dance Academy in Hope Mills, trained under Crummie from the time she was 5 and first danced in TDTF’s “Nutcracker” at age 6. She supported Dumas in creating most of this year’s choreography, along with Becca Fazekas, Thomas McGill and Beth Heisel. Some of Crummie’s original choreography is featured in the show as well. 

       A unique element in their take is the inclusion of dynamic acrobatics. Dumas’ studio, Leslie’s Dance Academy, is located in CountrySide Gymnastics. Consequently, many of her students are also gymnasts who have qualified for and won national competitions. “We have a great Russian sequence this year,” Dumas said. “Everyone is doing flips.” 

       Dumas added that this year also features 12 beautiful new character costumes. TDTF pays for all the costumes, a significant effort as expensive costume fees are a common deterrent to dancers participating in recitals. The TDTF board raises the funds necessary for “The Nutcracker” by holding two fundraisers each year. 

       This year features about 85 dancers ages 7 to 18 and a few college students who are returning to dance in their favorite show. Primary roles include Kiley Brunson as Clara, Riley Brantley as the Prince and Ti’era Basehart as Drosselmeyer. 

       Showtimes for “The Nutcracker” at Huff Concert Hall are Friday, Nov. 30, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 2, at 3 p.m. Tickets cost $10 in advance or $15 at the door for adults, $5 for those 18 and under and free for children 4 and under. 

       Visit www.dancetheatreoffayetteville.com or call 910-850-6363 to purchase tickets. 

  • 12Holiday Extra8074 X3Put Givens Performing Arts Center’s “Holiday Extravaganza” on your holiday bucket list this year. It promises to be a musical smorgasbord with something to delight every palate. Classical and jazz, choral and a cappella, woodwinds and brass – and even tubas. Webster’s defines “extravaganza” as a spectacular, dramatic and elaborate production, and that’s exactly what the music department at UNC Pembroke promises to deliver. The UNC Pembroke “Holiday Extravaganza” at GPAC takes place Friday, Nov. 30, beginning at 8 p.m. 

    Conceived 10 years ago by Dr. Timothy Altman, UNCP professor of music and director of bands and trumpets, the annual event draws talented participants from throughout the university’s department of music. Both students and faculty participate. 

    According to Altman, music department faculty members create each annual extravaganza program around the talents and strengths of the students. 

    The production is an interactive event. In addition to utilizing the full concert stage, various pieces are performed from spots strategically placed throughout the audience. This contributes to the pacing; it directs audience attention elsewhere while the main stage is being re-set and keeps the production moving forward. 

    “The show is 99 percent music,” Altman said. “It’s full of musical variety and fast-paced.” 

       On tap to perform in the extravaganza are the vocal jazz ensemble, directed by Nathan Thomas; the UNCP Global Rhythm Ensemble, directed by Dr. Joseph Van Hassel; the jazz combo, directed by Dr. Aaron Vandermeer; the trumpet ensemble, directed by Altman; the flute choir, directed by Sarah Busman; the saxophone choir, directed by Marty Spitzer; the Pembroke Singers, directed by Dr. Jose Rivera; the UNCP string orchestra, directed by Michael Sparks; the wind ensemble, directed by Altman; and the university chorale, directed by Dr. Jaeyoon Kim. 

       Among the highlights of this year’s extravaganza will be Duke Ellington’s jazz arrangement of “The Nutcracker Suite.” Also debuting this year will be a completely original piece for the saxophone choir. 

       While “Carol of the Bells” is standard holiday fare, this year’s rendition will be somewhat of a departure from tradition. The finale promises to be spectacular, with more than 100 members of the wind ensemble and the university chorale onstage. Words to the “Hallelujah Chorus” are printed in the program, and the audience is invited to participate. With more than 1,000 voices raised in song, this is a wonderful way to get into the holiday spirit. 

       Tuba Christmas, a nationwide event open to the community, will perform in front of the lobby beginning at 7:30 p.m. 

       Tickets may be purchased from the GPAC box office by phone prior to the concert and can be held at the will-call window. The number is 910-521-6409. Tickets may also be purchased from the box office in person, which is located at 1 University Dr. in Pembroke, at the center of the front entrance to the GPAC lobby. Box office hours are from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and one hour before the performance. 

       General admission tickets are $12, children’s tickets are $5, and UNCP student admission is $2. 

  • 05BusinessNot that it is really in my interest to say this, but many of our political debates are a waste of time. 

    They may well be about important issues. But they go nowhere. The two different “sides” disagree strenuously without making a real effort to understand what their foes are saying. 

    So here’s a little time-saver the next time you get into such a debate. Assuming you’re somewhat on my ideological wavelength, just tell your opponent, “Mind your own business.” 

    No, I don’t mean give him the brush-off. “Mind your own business” is a pretty meaningful phrase, if you think about it, and nicely describes a key element of the freedom philosophy as articulated by English philosopher John Locke in the 17th century, the American Founders of the 18th century, and free-market scholars of the 19th and 20th centuries. 

    I say that it describes a key element of the philosophy because it is not, by itself, the philosophy. There are other aspects and areas of substantial disagreement among those who otherwise agree on the primacy of liberty in politics. But as a starting point, “Mind your own business” suffices. 

    As it happens, the phrase did originate with a famous English writer and thinker of the 17th century. No, it wasn’t John Locke. It was one of his intellectual forebears and heroes, Sir Francis Bacon. A lawyer, statesman and essayist who lived from 1561 to 1626, Bacon served in several posts in the Stuart monarchy of the early 17th century, ran afoul of many powerful politicians, got removed from office amid allegations of bribery and then retired to write and conduct scientific experiments. 

    It was only in about the 1500s that speakers of English began to use the term “business” to refer to trade or commercial activities, so earlier usages would have had a different connotation than the one usually ascribed to Bacon’s phrase. 

    It’s worth considering the original meaning, though. The word “business” seems to have come from the obvious: “busy-ness.” It referred to something that kept one “busy,” that made one anxious or uneasy. Later came the notion that “business” was a particular matter needing one’s attention. 

      Consider two different ways to understand the phrase “mind your own business” in a political context. First of all, it basically means butt out. Don’t fixate on, or try to prohibit or regulate, what someone else is doing – unless, of course, that person’s actions would impinge on your own freedom. Applying this principle in public policy doesn’t invalidate government action. It demands government action, but only to maximize the freedom of individuals to make choices and act on them. 

      The second meaning is more literal: pay attention to your own needs. This may sound presumptuous to say, perhaps even somewhat in tension with the first meaning. After all, who are you to demand this of me? Shouldn’t I have the freedom not to mind my own business, my own personal or financial affairs, if I don’t want to? 

      Up to a point, yes. But practical people – and both Bacon and Locke were immensely practical as well as philosophical thinkers – understand that it can be hard to contain the effects of irresponsible personal decisions. 

      Adults who don’t adequately care for their children or their elders generate a problem that, perhaps contrary to good sense or libertarian principle, inevitably becomes a public one. People who don’t save for a rainy day, who don’t finish school and make sure they have a marketable skill, who indulge personal vices and addictions, who drive recklessly and act foolishly – in short, people who don’t mind their own business very well – somehow end up costing the rest of us a lot of our money and often quite a lot of our freedom when politicians pass laws to “save them” and to help others avoid their fate. 

      I think that we might have a better chance of getting governmental busybodies to mind their own business if we really and truly minded our own business. 

  • Christmas2018 It seems like yesterday that, around this time of year, I was the most excited kid in the world. I would, not so patiently, wait on the J.C. Penny, Montgomery Ward and Sears Christmas catalogs to come out. I meticulously made my Christmas list and marked every page so that Santa would not miss what I wanted. 

    In the 1960s, those catalogs had everything in them. They had clothes, car parts, sports equipment, music equipment, guns (yes, you could order a firearm from Sears), and a few pages of motorcycle accessories. 

    For many, those catalogs were the spark that fueled the engines of our dreams and adventures. As a child, I would look at the tricycles, bicycles, mini-bikes and go-carts. Bikes in those days had style and personality to them. They had everything from a real gear shift to a circular steering wheel, sissy bar, chopper extensions, banana seats and so much more. The toy section challenged me to be a cowboy, a soldier and an astronaut. 

    Montgomery Ward went out of business in 2001 and is now an online company. Sears is almost a thing of the past, and J.C. Penny still struggles with market shares. 

    In 1993, Sears discontinued its big Christmas catalog. These major brick-and-mortar stores will say they cannot compete with the internet, Amazon and eBay. On the surface that seems logical, but people still want that excitement of actually shopping, seeing and touching an item. 

    Today, instead of finding my dreams in a Christmas catalog or finding everything in one store, I go to specialty stores. For local motorcyclists, between Fort Bragg Harley- Davidson and Baker American Cycles, you can find about 80 percent of the motorcycles on the market. 

    The economy is on the upswing, and more people have more jobs than ever before. However, interest rates are going up. They still are not that bad, but they are expected to rise to hold inflation down. So, if you want to blow your loved one away this Christmas, take a surprise trip to the motorcycle shop and help them pick out a brand-new motorcycle or ATV. 

    Trust me. Even if they are paying for it, your permission will earn you more cool points than you will ever know. 

    As for accessories, I think that part of motorcycling is struggling. Motorcycle industry shows have declined over the past 10 years. At motorcycle industry shows, vendors used to bring their new ideas to the public and market, hoping for that big deal. With the shows going away, that means vendors do not see a big enough profit to make it worthwhile. That is why, when you go to so-called motorcycle shows or rallies, you see the same thing over and over: T-shirts, leather and tattoo artists. 

    Cycle Gear on McPherson Church Road is the best place to see a variety of gear and accessories. The prices are competitive, and the staff has always been friendly to me. 

    Of course, Fort Bragg Harley- Davidson has all things Harley- Davidson related. The other local shops have limited merchandise and inventory. There are so many choices, sizes, and types of gadgets that it’s probably not worth the return for most stores to carry everything. 

    So that leaves you with the internet. If I have to buy motorcycle equipment online, I turn to RevZilla.com. They have great videos for most of their products, and so far, they seem to be honest on the pros and cons on their reviews. They also have a great return policy. Always check return policies before any internet purchase. 

    I love our local motorcycle shops, though, and I try to buy locally. You might find a better deal somewhere online, but I don’t mind paying a little more to keep our businesses here. I don’t mind paying a little more to have someone I can talk to in person or who can make recommendations that improve my riding life. 

    I hope everyone has a happy holiday season. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. 

    If there is a topic that you would like to discuss you can contact me at motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE! 

  • As we begin the journey through this year’s N.C. High School Athletic Association football playoffs this week, I’m reminded of a high water mark for Fayetteville and Cumberland County football that took place just 10 years ago.
     
    On Dec. 13, 2008, at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan Stadium, the NCHSAA 4-A and 4-AA championship games featured three of our schools.
    Coach Richard Bailey’s Jack Britt team lost a painful 35-32 decision to Richmond Senior in the 4-AA championship game, while Seventy-First coach Bob Paroli won his only state championship, beating the school where he made his mark in Cumberland County, Douglas Byrd, 28-7, in the 4-A game. The Eagles were coached by Russell Stone.
     
    Is there another state championship contender lurking among our seven entrants in the NCHSAA playoffs this year? If there is, they’ll likely have to overcome some tough opposition and win at least a game or two on the road.
     
    I’d love to see it happen again, but unless one or more of our teams shows a little more than we’ve seen from them in the regular season our chances are slim.
    Then again, I love the movie Miracle about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, and I will never forget the amazing run of the 1991 South View team that had to get help from Westover to even make the state playoffs that year before running the table to the 4-A championship.
    Let’s hope that kind of miracle can happen again.
     
    The record: 76-24
     
    Talk about crashing back to earth. I went a humbling 3-4 the final week of the regular season, dropping the total to 76-24, a miserable 76 percent. With the number of games to pick dwindling as we move forward in the state playoffs, getting back to 80 percent right is going to be a longshot.
     
    Jack Britt at Seventy-First - Time was, when teams from the same conference were paired in the first round of the NCHSAA playoffs, they flipped the brackets so they didn’t have to meet. But that was ended a few years back when they decided that the seeds are the seeds and nobody gets a break.
    This figures to be an emotional rematch considering how Jack Britt won the last time quite literally in the closing seconds. The Falcons were clearly stung by that defeat but regrouped to wrap up second place in the Sandhills Athletic Conference with a big home win against Pinecrest last Friday. I expect them to get another one this week.
    Seventy-First 21, Jack Britt 14.
     
    Wake Forest Heritage at South View - Both teams enter this game trying to rebound from losses. Heritage has actually dropped its last two games. But the Huskies played a difficult regular season schedule, including a meeting with 4-AA power Wake Forest. I think they’ve seen tougher opposition than South View this season and that is going to help them in this week’s game.
    Wake Forest 24, South View 22.
     
    Cape Fear at Southeast Guilford - A one-point loss in overtime at Northwest Guilford is the only blemish on Southeast Guilford’s record. They enter tonight’s game with an eight-game winning streak that includes a victory over perennial 3-A power Greensboro Dudley. Cape Fear had problems in its regular-season finale with Douglas Byrd last week and I don’t think things will get any better in Greensboro this weekend.
    Southeast Guilford 24, Cape Fear 21.
     
    Gray’s Creek at Northern Durham - County Stadium in Durham is one of the great high school football venues in North Carolina. It’s also one where I’ve had a lot of bad memories watching Fayetteville and Cumberland County schools getting their lunch handed to them in the state playoffs. I think Gray’s Creek can be competitive there tonight, but I still feel Northern Durham will have the edge.
    Northern Durham 22, Gray’s Creek 18.
     
    Northeast Guilford at Terry Sanford - I like Terry Sanford in this not just because the Bulldogs are good and on an emotional high coming off their big win at Gray’s Creek last week, but because of Northeast Guilford’s record on the road this season. They come to Terry Sanford this weekend with only one victory in six away games. The road trip to Fayetteville will be by far the longest one Northeast has made this season.
    Terry Sanford 28, Northeast Guilford 14.
     
    Asheville School at Village Christian - I think Village Christian can start clearing space in its collection of awards for a state football championship trophy.
    Village Christian 30, Asheville School 14.
     
    Other games: Pine Forest, bye.
  • 01coverUAC111418001 For the past 20 years, the Heart of Christmas Show has warmed hearts and spread joy, embracing everything good and fun about the holidays. The show takes place the weekend after Thanksgiving, and without fail, it puts the community in the Christmas spirit, celebrating everything about the season – from ugly Christmas sweaters to peace on Earth and baby Jesus. Saturday, Nov. 24, and Sunday, Nov. 25, head to the Crown for one of the community’s most heartfelt and inspired productions.

    Keeping things fresh from year to year while maintaining all the audience favorites falls squarely on the shoulders of the show’s founder, Laura Stevens. Last year, she changed about half of the show. This year, she’s done some more tweaking. “I went about this year’s lineup by thinking by about what got us here,” she said. “I have brought back a few (numbers) from the past.

    “I have listened to our sponsors, performers, parents and audiences and tried to get all the favorites in the show and still add some new elements.”

    The format remains the same, though. The first half of the show is lively and lighthearted – think snowmen, gingerbread, Christmas trees and more. The second half embraces the true meaning of Christmas with traditional songs like “Silent Night,” “O’ Little Town of Bethlehem” and “Mary Did You Know?”

    Among the new elements are what Stevens called a very funny ugly sweater Christmas song that she predicts will be a crowd favorite. She also added a 1950s medley. “That style is a lot of fun,” she said. “In the second half, in the manger scene, I am going for what I think might be one of the most beautiful manger scene moments you have ever seen – including angels. It is a big moment with a ton of meaning.

    “If you’ve never seen HOC, you owe it to yourself to see what the chatter is about. There is something for everyone; there’s funny things and beautiful things. It is an awesome way to celebrate everything there is about Christmas.”

    Adding to the impressive nature of this endeavor are the 30-plus performers, all between the ages of 5 and 18. That can lead people to believe it is a kids’ show, but Stevens has proven that’s not the case time and again with Broadway-type performances that leave audiences raving.

    Stevens said, “The No. 1 comment I get is, ‘Wow, I cannot believe what I just saw.’ The next is, ‘It’s hard to believe that is all young people!’ And the third is ‘Shows at Myrtle Beach aren’t this good. We also bring in dancers from Elite Dance Center. Michelle Hurd, Callie Leechford and Victoria Armstrong have partnered with me for 15 years and bring an element of beauty to the show. They bring in a team of eight dancers every year, and they are amazing.”

    Another change to the current production is areach back to the show’s early years. “I am going to bring back the theme song to the Heart of Christmas Show,’’ Stevens said, “to show all the outreach and what we have been able to do, as a tribute to the people who have been in it and to the good work of the outcome of the show.”

    Stevens came up with the idea for HOC when Voices of the Heart, a local, all-girl Christian music group, won a high-profile national competition in Alabama. VOH still makes up a big part of the HOC Show. “I didn’t want it to go to their heads,” said Stevens. “They were on TV and were getting a lot of attention. I wanted their focus to be the correct one. We decided to put on a show and give all the money away. That first year we gave away $8,000. Now, we give away about $35,000 and raise about $25,000 for the schools – after a while that adds up to be a lot of money.”

    HOC has given more than $750,000 to date, and it all stays in the community. Organizations that benefit include the Autism Society, Child Advocacy Center, Friends of Children, Make A Wish Foundation, AGAPE and Falcon Children’s Home.

    With more than 300 sponsors footing the bill for production costs, Stevens said the money from each ticket sale goes right back out the door. “Our sponsors set money aside every year – in spite of things like hurricanes. And we have done what we said we would do,” Stevens said.

    “The show is run by parents and volunteers. The parents are nurses, doctors, judges, teachers and more who work backstage and make that show happen. They believe in the common good of it. When we give the funds away, it is a good feeling to know we can do something to touch someone else’s life. This is not just a Christmas show, it a show with heart and a purpose and a mission to do good things for other children.”

    General performances are Saturday, Nov. 24, at 1 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 25, at 3 p.m. Purchase tickets at The Crown Center Box Office, Hailey’s Bicycle World or www.heartofchristmasshow.com/ticket-reservations.

    There are also several school shows. Call 910-978-1118 to learn more about the school performances.

  • 02PubPenLocal Well, it’s done. Love it or hate it, the results are in. There are some new political players both nationally and locally, but how much is that going to change things, really?

    The mortgage is still due on the first. The office still beckons on Monday. Chores still need doing, and errands still need running. While our leaders have big decisions to make, from day to day, we all still have lives to live and dreams to chase. I still get to choose how to spend my time, my money and my energy. We all do. There are big issues on the table and conflicts in ideologies in play. But it’s not the first time and  won’t be the last.

    It’s been said that all politics is local. Maybe that is true, maybe not. But local is where we live and where we can make a significant difference all year long, elections or no elections. Local is where we invest our time and talent. It’s where we spend our money and build our lives. No matter how many votes your candidate got last Tuesday, there is plenty we can all do on a personal level to effect the change we want to see.

    Regardless of your cause, there is a way to support it – locally. Donate. Volunteer. Educate. Organize. Serve. Give back. There are countless opportunities to make a difference, no matter which party is in power. Helping one another on a personal level builds relationships and community in a way a tax break, a check from the government or a public policy change cannot.

    It is something we should all do. Study after study shows that being kind, altruistic and compassionate not only benefits the receiver, it positively affects the doer, too. An article titled “The Science of Good Deeds,” by Jeanie Lerche Davis, explores this concept and offers example after example of how helping ourselves and helping others is good for us – so good that it causes positive changes in our body chemistry – and good for our communities, too.

    For example, the article notes, “Two large studies found that older adults who volunteered reaped benefits in their health and well-being. Those who volunteered were living longer than nonvolunteers. Another large study found a 44 percent reduction in early death among those who volunteered a lot – a greater effect than exercising four times a week.”

    But that’s not all. There’s evidence in brain studies of a compassion-altruism axis.

    According to the article, “Utilizing functional MRI scans, scientists have identified specific regions of the brain that are very active during deeply empathic and compassionate emotions.”

    Stephen G. Post, Ph.D., a professor of bioethics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, is quoted, “These brain studies show this profound state of joy and delight that comes from giving to others.”

    Take a minute and celebrate your victory or mourn your loss from last week’s election, and then go make a difference. Put actions behind your beliefs. Work to make your community the place you want it to be. Our leaders have big problems to solve, even if many of them are of their own making. That doesn’t mean we are off the hook. There are plenty of local problems we can solve if we each give what we can when and where we can.

    Read the complete article “The Science of Good Deeds” at www.webmd.com/balance/features/science-gooddeeds#3. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • 04T.I. performing The Oxford Dictionaries defines hypocrisy as “the practice of claiming to have higher standards or more noble beliefs than is the case.” A trustworthy means of testing for hypocrisy is to observe the extent to which a person, or some entity, consistently responds the same way to similar occurrences. Without doubt, hypocrisy has been present across the ages. However, it seems we have reached a point in America where hypocrisy is totally routine, even expected. Consequently, it is allowed to, without effective challenge, influence our societal attitudes and actions in detrimental ways. Beyond the negative impact on society, there is the damage and the unfairness visited upon individuals and groups.

    For example, I see all of the above happening in the response to a video by T.I., a rapper, whose recent music video features a Melania Trump lookalike dancing without clothes in a fake Oval Office.

    A CNN Wires article titled “First lady’s office calls out rapper for ‘disgusting’ video depicting Melania Trump” describes the video as follows. “T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, stars in the video as himself, seated at a fake Resolute Desk in a setting made to look like the Oval Office. Video footage of President Donald Trump taking off from the White House in Marine One plays, and shortly afterward, a woman enters the ‘Oval Office.’ The woman is wearing only a jacket, which reads: ‘I really don’t care do u?’ a clear nod to the controversial Zara jacket the first lady wore during a June trip to Texas.

    “The woman in the video, who has a clear resemblance to Melania Trump, then proceeds to strip off the jacket and dance atop the desk.”

    In this age of rightfully heightened attention to protecting women from abuse of any kind – whether verbal, physical or any other form – one would expect overwhelming condemnation of T.I.’s video. Instead, as best as I can determine, there has been complete silence from people who are normally extremely vocal in speaking out against this kind of treatment.

    The glaring difference here is that Melania Trump is the wife of Donald Trump. I can only conclude that this means disrespect of her is acceptable to those who, otherwise, would speak vociferously against this kind of treatment of a woman.

    Google “T.I.’s video on Melania Trump” and you will, with two exceptions, only find reports on the content of the video.

    The first exception is that Canadian model Melanie Marden, who appears as the Melania Trump lookalike, reports that she has received death threats. Clearly, this response is unacceptable. Roisin O’Connor writes the following in an article titled “Melania Trump lookalike who strips in TI video speaks out after White House criticism.”

    “Marden has now shared a message on Instagram detailing the backlash she has faced since appearing in the video, and following Melania Trump’s response. ‘I was hired (as an actress) not a stripper to portray Melania Trump,’ she wrote. ‘It was a creative choice for me, and also an opportunity to empower women. I stand firmly in my decision to share all of myself in this role.’”

    “She continued: ‘I wanted to be brave, be fearless and for the first time in my life do a role that required nudity. The body is nothing to be ashamed of.’”

    The second exception is the White House response to the video, which prompted Marden’s comment above. This is also from O’Connor’s article. “The First Lady’s spokeswoman responded to the video calling it ‘disrespectful and disgusting.’”

    “Like it or not, she is the First Lady and this is the White House,” communications director Stephanie Grisham said. “It’s disrespectful and disgusting to portray her this way simply because of politics. These kinds of vulgar attacks only further the divisiveness and bias in our country – it needs to stop.”

    Grisham is absolutely right. The video is disrespectful and disgusting. However, there is no outrage from the so-called protectors of women. Further, the woman who appears as the Melania lookalike sees what she did as “an opportunity to empower women.”

    Contrast the response to the Melania Trump lookalike video with the response to Roseanne Barr’s tweet regarding Valerie Jarrett, former Obama White House aide. The tweet compared Jarrett to an ape. In May 2018, ABC cancelled Roseanne Barr’s show, “Rosanne.” An article by Andrea Park titled “ABC cancels ‘Roseanne’ after Barr’s racist tweet” reports that Barr’s tweet said, “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.”

    Park writes the following regarding the response of Channing Dungy, ABC Entertainment president, and that of Robert “Bob” Iger. “Dungey said in a statement, ‘Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.’ In 2016, Dungey made headlines when she became the first African-American to run the entertainment division of a major broadcast television network.

    “Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, shared Dungey’s statement on Twitter and added the comment, ‘There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing.’”

    ICM Partners, the talent agency that represents Barr, also dropped her as a client.

    Roseanne Barr repeatedly apologized for her tweet. From Park’s article, here are some of the tweets reflecting Barr’s apologies, regret and acceptance of responsibility for the consequences of her action:

    • “Don’t feel sorry for me, guys!!-I just want to apologize to the hundreds of people, and wonderful writers (all liberal) and talented actors who lost their jobs on my show due to my stupid tweet.”

    • “@ValerieJarrett I want to apologize to you. I am very sorry to have hurt you. I hope you can accept this sincere apology!”

    • “guys I did something unforgiveable so do not defend me. It was 2 in the morning and I was ambien tweeting-it was memorial day too-i went 2 far & do not want it defended-it was egregious Indefensible. I made a mistake I wish I hadn’t but...don’t defend it please.”

    • “hey guys, don’t defend me, it’s sweet of you 2 try, but...losing my show is 0 compared 2 being labelled a racist over one tweet-that I regret even more.”

    • “’I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me-my joke was in bad taste’.”

    Despite all of her apologies and expressions of regret, the show was cancelled within hours of the initial tweet being made public. ICM Partners, the talent agency that represented Barr, also dropped her as a client. Even further, as Barr tweeted, many people lost their jobs because of the cancellation.

    On the other hand, T.I. does a video that is rightly described as “disrespectful and disgusting.” His disrespect and disgust are directed at the wife of the president of the United States. His action is not challenged by the “protectors of women,” but Roseanne was punished unmercifully for her offense.

    Why the difference in treatment? Roseanne is a bold Trump supporter, while T.I. is at the other end of the spectrum. There it is – a clear manifestation of the hypocrisy that is alive and well in America like never before in my lifetime.

    Against the backdrop of Roseanne’s apologies, Andrea Park writes, “But she also retweeted tweets from her supporters that seemed to contradict the earlier statements, including comments that ‘leftist’ celebrities wouldn’t have gotten the same treatment.”

    Park seems to indicate Barr’s claim of different treatment for “leftist” lessens the sincerity or her apologies. I say no … she spoke truth regarding the hypocrisy that has been unleashed in this country. Even though the cost of doing so is high and unfair  we must forthrightly call out this life-destroying, society-contaminating hypocrisy.

    Photo: T.I.

  • 05ballot 160569 1280 2 Fayetteville and Hope Mills voters have put to rest their governing boards’ wishes to extend their terms of office. In unofficial returns, 35,386 people voted against the question in Fayetteville while 19,377 were in favor. In Hope Mills, 2,591 people voted against the change and 1,955 voted for it.

    Fayetteville City Councilman Larry Wright was the principle proponent of 4-year terms. Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell raised the issue in Hope Mills. Both bodies wanted to lengthen their traditional 2-year terms, claiming that they spend half their time in office campaigning for re-election.

    The Fayetteville ballot proposal would have put a favorable outcome to a vote of the people. In Hope Mills, a positive vote would have established staggered terms of office to begin following the 2019 election.

    06Niger attack victims The military has reportedly punished six troops, including an Air Force two-star general, for their roles in the October 2017 Niger ambush that resulted in the deaths of four American and four Nigerien soldiers, The New York Times reported.

    The punished troops include Air Force Maj. Gen. Marcus Hicks, who was the commander of all special operations troops in Africa, and two senior members of Fort Bragg’s 11-man Green Beret team that was ambushed. Three others in the team’s chain of command also were reprimanded, according to the Times report.

    The Times said a letter of reprimand cited the team’s insufficient training and a lack of mission rehearsals. Hicks was reprimanded for not having appropriate oversight of the officers below him.

    A 6,300-page investigation detailed by the Pentagon in May said the mistakes leading up to the ambush were widespread. An unclassified eight-page summary was released for public viewing.

    “The direct cause of the enemy attack in Tongo Tongo is that the enemy achieved tactical surprise there, and our forces were outnumbered approximately three to one,” said AFRICOM’s former chief of staff, Army Maj. Gen. Roger Cloutier, who led the investigation.

    The Green Beret team and 30 Nigerien troops were returning from a village near the Malian border in West Africa when they were overrun by scores of extremist fighters

    Photo From left: Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, 35, of Puyallup, Washington; Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah Johnson, 39, of Springboro, Ohio;

    Sgt. La David Johnson of Miami Gardens, Florida; and Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, 29, of Lyons, Georgia. All four were killed in the Niger ambush last year.

  • 03NC map Some of us are pleased with the results of last week’s midterm elections in our nation. Some of us are distressed. Some of us are a bit of both, and a great many of us remain saddened by the ongoing levels of division and accompanying vitriol among some segments of our population.

    Here are some points to ponder as we digest election results our community, our state and our nation.

    The North Carolina General Assembly is no longer veto-proof. Democrats made enough gains in both the House and the Senate to sustain gubernatorial vetoes in the next session beginning in January. This means that if and when Gov. Cooper vetoes a bill, there will likely not be enough votes in both chambers to override his veto. Ours is a nation built on a system of checks and balances, and veto power is a check on legislative overreach. The same is now true in the U.S. Congress, as Democrats prepare to take control of the House of Representatives.

    This is what our founders intended, even though both our state and our nation have been controlled by the Republican Party in recent years. A judge once told me that if one side left his courtroom cheering and the other side weeping, he did not do a good job. If both sides left “slightly miffed,” then he had probably made a good decision. Compromise is what greases our system of government, not one side strong-arming and simply overpowering the other.

    Since the 2012 election cycle, North Carolina has been among the most gerrymandered states in the nation, and the midterms confirm that yet again despite years of lawsuits resulting in not much change.

    Here is the proof for the 2018 cycle. Going into last week’s midterms, North Carolina had 13 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, 10 Republicans and three Democrats. Even though both parties voted for congressional candidates at approximately the same rates, 50 percent of Republicans and 48 percent of Democrats, North Carolina came out of the midterms with 13 members of Congress, 10 Republicans and three Democrats.

    How is that possible, many voters wonder? It is possible because Republican legislators doing the redistricting in 2011 crammed large numbers of Democrats into three districts and spread Republicans into the other 10 districts, practices known as “packing” and “cracking.” One redistricting committee chair, David Lewis of Dunn, even bragged that the only reason the districts are not more lopsided is that “I do not believe it is possible to draw a map with 11 Republicans and two Democrats.”

    The News & Observer of Raleigh reports that North Carolina’s seven largest counties, including Cumberland, Durham, Guilford, Forsyth, Wake and Buncombe, elected African-American sheriffs, five of them for the first time in their histories. It is interesting to note that Buncombe County, whose largest city is Asheville, did so with a white population of 90 percent. Election observers and several of the newly elected sheriffs attributed their victories to avoiding hardline stances on immigration enforcement, which appealed to voters who felt fear or marginalization. Their elections highlight minority participation in law enforcement, as do minority women serving as chiefs of police\ in Fayetteville, Raleigh, Charlotte, Durham and Winston Salem.

    Some see these outcomes as two steps forward and one step back, while others see the reverse. What does seem clear, though, is that the political pendulum is doing what it has always done in our nation’s history. It is arcing away from an extreme.

  • 07Fayetteville VA Medical Center The Department of Veterans Affairs has released the newest performance ratings for each of its 146 hospitals. The department cited improvements in the past year at some of its lowestperforming facilities. The fiscal 2018 ratings include nine one-star hospitals, the lowest possible, down from 14 hospitals that received one-star ratings in 2017.

    Fayetteville’s VA received a two-star rating, which the agency describes as trivial. A star ranking system was used to designate a facility’s performance in individual measures, domains and overall quality. Ratings indicate each hospital’s quality of care and are based on data such as death rates, patient satisfaction and efficiency.

    In years past, VA withheld the data from the public. In 2016, the performance ratings were released under pressure that followed a USA Today investigation. Overall, 38 hospitals improved their star ratings in 2018, 40 dropped in the ratings and 68 stayed the same as the year before.

    Five VA hospitals received onestar ratings in 2017 and showed no improvement this year: Big Springs and El Paso, Texas; Loma Linda, California; Memphis, Tennessee; and Phoenix, Arizona. Four other hospitals were added to the worst-rated this year: Montgomery, Alabama; Tucson, Arizona; Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. Georgia.

    Eighteen hospitals received five stars in 2018, the best possible. Four of them are in Pennsylvania. The Asheville, North Carolina, VA was one of the fivestar facilities. “With closer monitoring and increased medical center leadership and support, we have seen solid improvements at most of our facilities,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a statement. “There’s no doubt that there’s still plenty of work to do, but I’m proud of our employees, who work tirelessly to move VA in the right direction for veterans and taxpayers.”

    A VA Inspector General’s Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the Fayetteville VA released in March of this year indicated that current leadership has been stable with the most recent assignment of the associate director in February 2017. In the review of selected employee and patient survey results regarding facility senior leadership, opportunities to improve both patient experiences and employee attitudes toward leadership were noted.

    The report found that the leaders should continue to take actions to improve performance of the Quality of Care and Efficiency metrics likely contributing to the current two-star rating. In the review of key care processes, the inspector general issued 10 recommendations attributable to VA Medical Center Interim Director Mark E. Shelhorse, the chief of staff, and associate director.

    Of six areas of clinical operations reviewed, office of the inspector general noted findings in five needing improvement: quality, safety and value; medication management; coordination of care; environment of care; and post-traumatic stress disorder care. The report noted a generally safe and clean environment of care at the facility.

    The Veterans Integrated Service Network Director and Shelhorse agreed with the Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program review findings and recommendations and provided acceptable improvement plans.

  • 08Recall Fayetteville City Council members not only wanted to extend their terms of office, they are seeking legislative authorization to remove a member from office should the need arise. Voters said no to changing the terms. Council voted unanimously at a work session to ask the North Carolina General Assembly to grant it recall authority.

    Members have not said why they prefer recall to amotion, an existing process by which elected officials can be removed from office. This year, 2nd district Councilman Tyrone Williams faced the amotion process and chose to resign. The recall proposal, authored by city attorney Karen MacDonald, is patterned in part after recall ordinances in Durham and Greensboro.

    A recall procedure would allow Fayetteville citizens an opportunity to address any “serious concerns that may arise between regular city elections with regard to allegations of misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance or a violation of the oath of office,” as stated in the proposed resolution adopted by council.

    A recall ordinance would also provide an opportunity for a council member to resign rather than face a vote of the people. A recall document would be submitted by a five-member council committee asking for a formal petition.

    Councilman Larry Wright commented that the process seemed lengthy.

    “It is a high bar and will require a lot of work,” responded MacDonald.

    Fifteen percent of registered voters in the effected member’s district would ask the Cumberland County Board of Elections for certification of the petition. It would then be sent to the city clerk, who would submit it to the city council and notify the elected official whose removal is sought. If the elected official does not resign within five days, the city council would then order a date for a recall election.

    In other business, city council agreed to strengthen the city’s code enforcement ordinance and fine property owners who ignore nuisances on their properties. Owners could be fined for noncompliance with regulations governing overgrown lots or yards, junk and abandoned vehicles, maintenance of structures, illegal signs and other public nuisances. Fines of up to $1,000 could be imposed for repeat offenders.

    Michael Martin, assistant development services director, said more than 90 properties in the city had four violations last year.

    Several council members expressed concerns about burdening property owners with financial hardships. Councilman D.J. Haire said people in his district dump limbs, refrigerators and furniture on vacant properties and the owners are held responsible.

    “It’s just a vacant lot and it’s always, of course, on that property owner,” he said. Other council members took a harder line. “Whatever happens is their responsibility, and they must be held accountable,” said councilwoman Tisha Waddell.

    Council agreed on a tiered approach in which a $500 fine would be levied on a fourth violation in any 365-day period. After that, property owners would face $1,000 fines for each violation in that year. A property would no longer be a nuisance when there have been no violations within 12 months.

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