Unyce Simpson

Seventy-First • Bowling • Sophomore

Simpson has a 3.8 grade point average. In addition to being on the bowling team, she is involved with highway clean up with her church group. She also visits nursing homes.

  Angel Aviles

Seventy-First • Bowling • Senior

Aviles has a 3.9 grade point average. He is active in Skills USA and is also a member of the Academy of Scholars. He also works at a local restaurant.

  The night of Tuesday, Jan. 29, was a busy one for high school athletics in the Fayetteville area.

There was the usual slate of high school basketball we see this time of year.

There were also multiple local wrestling teams competing in the first two rounds of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association dual team state tournament.

There was something else going on Tuesday night, too.

Atlantic Coast Conference basketball. A lot of it.

North Carolina visited Georgia Tech. North Carolina State was home for a big game with Virginia. Clemson also hosted Pittsburgh.

I know I’m a voice crying in the wilderness, but it’s a sad thing to see the college game invading what used to be a sanctuary for high school basketball on Tuesday nights. Tuesdays are always a tough night for high schools to draw a decent crowd anyway. School obligations sometimes force students and their families to stay home.

It was not that long ago that the great Dean Smith, longtime coach at the University of North Carolina, did everything in his power to make sure his Tar Heels avoided Tuesday and Friday basketball games.

When there was a Tuesday game on the schedule, the ACC would send out a heads up to schools so they could possibly try to alter their schedules and move the game to a different date.

No more.

Of course, this is no real surprise. College football has made regular encroachments into the once hallowed ground of Friday night high school football. College football plays nationally-televised games regularly against the sport most high schools rely on to make the biggest payouts at the gate and thus bankroll the whole athletic program.

If the college football powers that be are going to ignore the plight of cash-strapped high school programs without showing any sympathy, the least they could do is make cash contributions to state high school organizations. The funds could possibly be shared with the schools to help keep their athletic programs afloat.

Of course, despite the millions of dollars floating around in college bank accounts, they claim they can’t afford to compensate their own athletes for their time, so I guess paying high schools is out of the question.

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• It’s time to start signing up for the sixth annual Bulldog Bash, the Al Munoz Memorial 5K run held in memory of the late Terry Sanford High School cross country coach.

This year’s event is scheduled Saturday, March 16, at 8 a.m. The annual run/walk will begin and end at the Terry Sanford High School campus.

To register, go online to Active.com and search for the Al Munoz Memorial 5K.

• The Gray’s Creek High School baseball team is holding its annual golf tournament on Saturday, March 16, at Cypress Lakes Golf Course.

There will be a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. The format is four-person captain’s choice.

Tournament entry costs $65 per player. Lunch is included in the entry fee and will be provided by Paradise Acres.

For more information on the tournament, call Ronnie Shipman at 910-736-6996.

All proceeds from the event will go toward field and equipment upgrades for the Gray’s Creek High School baseball team.

Photo: Dean Smith

  Editor’s note: This story was written prior to the completion of the third and fourth rounds of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association dual team wrestling playoffs. On Thursday, Jan. 31, Cape Fear defeated Gray’s Creek and West Carteret to advance to the 3-A state championship against St. Stephens High School Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Greensboro Coliseum Fieldhouse. Jack Britt was eliminated by Wilmington Laney in the third round of the 4-A playoffs on Thursday.

The worrying season has arrived for Heath Wilson and high school wrestling coaches like him.

Wilson heads the highly successful wrestling program at Cape Fear High School. This is the time of year when he’s concerned most of all about accurately timing the peak performance of his wrestlers as they begin the quest for team and individual honors in the different levels of state competition.

As outlined in the Editor’s Note above, Cape Fear recently advanced victorious in its battle in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s dual team championships.

Cape Fear was among the top contenders for the 3-A title, and Wilson freely admits that’s been a focus of his for some time, to bring another state wrestling title to Cape Fear.

The school’s only team wrestling championship was won back in 1984, before the dual team playoffs were created. Wrestling was an unclassified sport at that time. Mike Stanbridge led Cape Fear to a championship in the state tournament in Winston- Salem, even though the Colts didn’t crown a single individual champion in that tournament.

These days, there are technically dual team and individual state tournament state champions, although the NCHSAA recognizes the dual team winner as the team champion. But the leading team in points in the state individual tournament can also claim bragging rights — plus it’s the only shot for individual wrestlers to achieve personal glory.

That’s why Wilson is so concerned about when his wrestlers will peak.

“That’s always a worry,’’ Wilson said. “I want them peaking at the right time. Are they going to peak at the duals but not at the states and the regionals? It’s pretty much a guessing game. You want to minimize the wear and tear on the kids.’’

Individual regional competition in this year’s NCHSAA tournament will be held the weekend of Feb. 8-9 at various sites, with the state championships in all four classifications in Greensboro on Feb. 14-16.

Wilson thinks he has five wrestlers with legitimate shots at a state individual title, headed by his son, Dallas Wilson. At 138 pounds, Dallas is seeking to earn back-to-back state championships. The other four are Nick Minacapelli at 220 pounds, Jared Barbour at 170, Triston Chapman at 126 and Jeremiah Smith at 145.

Two other wrestlers Wilson thinks could fare well are Austin Hunt at 195 pounds and Kevin Pate at 182.

“It’s just a matter of doing the work, putting the work in, and these guys are putting the work in,’’ Wilson said.

Following is a list of Cumberland County wrestlers who are ranked in the top ten in their respective weight classes by rankwrestlers.com.

The rankings and records shown below were those posted on rankwrestlers.com as of Wednesday, Jan. 30.

4-A

120 — Kevin Wanovich, Jack Britt, seventh, 21-5.

138 — Dustin Eldridge, South View, fourth, 27-6.

145 — Tremaine Jackson, South View, sixth, 35-10.

160 — Denzel Carrucini, Jack Britt, seventh, 27-9.

170 — Chad Jernigan, Jack Britt, ninth, 26-7.

195 — Erick Martinez, Jack Britt, fifth, 29-3.

3-A

126 — Triston Chapman, Cape Fear, third, 35-5.

132 — Lydell Canady, Westover, eighth, 32-2.

138 — Dallas Wilson, Cape Fear, second, 38-0

170 — Jared Barbour, Cape Fear, third, 38-2.

220 — Ray Dixon, Douglas Byrd, second, 35-1; Nick Minacapelli, Cape Fear, fifth, 25-4.

TEAM

Cape Fear is currently ranked third in the rankwrestlers. com 3-A rankings behind No. 1 Southeast Guilford, No. 2 Piedmont and No. 3 St. Stephens.

Photo: Dallas Wilson, left and father/coach Heath Wilson of Cape Fear wrestling

 With a nod to local natives, I want to say I’m honored to call Fayetteville home. I visited a time or two while serving in the Army in the 1980s, but my wife and three children didn’t make the trip, and we didn’t start calling ourselves North Carolinians, until 1992. At the time, we were not completely thrilled with the city — which we thought was more like a town after some of the other stops on our journey — but we’d learned to be content and look for the best wherever we landed by that point, so we did. We looked for the best.

Navigation was difficult here in the ’90s. The town seemed more like a group of small subdivisions loosely connected by a few winding two-lane roads. In fact, that’s what it was.

Looking back, I guess I miss that a little bit. We’d say things like “going to town” because it felt like we were living somewhere near the edge, and the ride itself was part of the appeal of the area back then. We were usually headed somewhere near Cross Creek Mall, which was, at that time, the center of Fayetteville’s retail universe.

Anyone here before the turn of the century can easily recall memories of a sketchy downtown area. By the time we arrived to stay, even the dives that were popular enough to be off limits to neighboring Fort Bragg soldiers were beginning to close or move elsewhere, leaving little but dilapidation and decay in their wake.

That has all been improving steadily, more rapidly so in the last 10 years. We’ve come a long way since the controversial “Hurley Pots,” which appeared in downtown Fayetteville shortly before I did. We’ve watched as the old buildings became coffee shops and quaint restaurants. We’ve seen a wide range of small retail businesses open in or relocate to the area between Haymount Hill and the Cape Fear River.

It’s hard to remember the time before the 14-acre Festival Park was the hub of Fayetteville’s downtown entertainment scene, which is now home to festivals, concerts and celebrations of all kinds.

Why say something about this now? On a recent Sunday, my wife and I found ourselves drawn to the area around the Market House. We heard the laughter of children and saw smiles on faces of all ages. They had come downtown to spend a few minutes gliding across a synthetic ice skating rink. We visited a classic vinyl record shop, stopped in some quaint retail locations that represent dozens of local artisans and craftspeople and watched countless people take selfies and other well-framed shots along the brick-paved Hay Street. It felt good.

Fayetteville. We’re still trying. I say “we” because Fayetteville is now my home, too. I came here on orders and stayed here by choice. Get involved as we get better. In fact, the more we get involved, the better we all will become.

 The North Carolina General Assembly convened its 2019 long session last week, with its Constitutional responsibility and main task being to craft our state’s budget for the next two fiscal years. Other work, much of it critical to millions of North Carolinians, is also on legislators’ desks.

And, there is always some legislative mischief to look forward to. This often occurs in the dead of night and without public accountability so we find out about it after it is a done deal.

The real work includes a possible $2 billion in public school funding, favored by both Gov. Roy Cooper and the Republican legislative leadership. Also up for consideration is Medicaid expansion, favored by most Democrats and a growing handful of Republicans.

At least two bills calling for gerrymandering reform are expected to be introduced with large percentages of the public favoring voters choosing their legislators instead of legislators choosing their voters.

But there is a huge fly in the ointment when it comes to finding out what the General Assembly is up to and what it means for us. With the advent of the internet, traditional news organizations, specifically newspapers, have struggled for advertising revenue,m and most have cut staffing to the bone. Gone are most investigative reporters who worked on stories for months, and gone are most capitol reporters whose job it has been to tell us what our legislators are doing — or not doing.

In other words, precious few eyes are watching the General Assembly, and even fewer are there to tell us about it. Some internet sources are reliable, but even more are simply promoting their own points of view and preaching to their own choirs. Persuasion is their goal, not objectivity.

The Journal of Communication reported recently that the slow deaths of local newspapers and the loss of traditional journalists is polarizing Americans in ways we are only beginning to understand. We know a great deal about national political figures — think Nancy and Chuck — and next to nothing about our local and state leaders.

It is imperative that we look to the remaining traditional outlets we do have and to the journalists who strive daily to inform us about our elected officials and the decisions they make.

This situation is no one’s fault. It is simply a fact in our rapidly evolving media environment. It is a fact nonetheless, and the General Assembly leadership has taken a step to make it harder on the few remaining reporters who do cover our state’s elected legislators.

So, what are the elected Republican leaders in charge of the General Assembly doing to promote the flow of information to the people of North Carolina?

Nothing. Zip. Nada.

In fact, the leadership moved the journalists from their long-time office on the ground floor of the legislative building to a smaller room on the basement level off a dark and dim lower level parking garage. The move makes it less convenient for reporters to cover the General Assembly and let us know what is happening. One news account described the new press room as being “in the bowels” of the legislative building.

And why should we care if reporters have to run up and down extra flights of stairs and work in a cramped basement room?

We should care because government is always better when it is operated transparently for all to see. Those in power do not always agree with that because transparency can be messy for them when they have to explain questionable actions. But transparency is always better for those of us in the tax-paying, nonelected public.

Name-calling of these efforts — think “fake news” and “enemy of the people” — and making life difficult for a free press are hallmarks of autocratic governments who prefer the public to know less and to participate less, not more.

Just what was important enough to dislodge the capitol press corps from its long-time Spartan space at the General Assembly? Would you believe a room full of vending machines in case someone wants a stale sandwich or a pack of Nabs?

  Fayetteville Police Department’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit has charged a man with a rape and robbery that occurred more than three decades ago in Fayetteville.

Detectives investigated the case Oct. 24, 1987, but it went unsolved. The cold case unit recently reopened it after sending the sexual assault kit for DNA testing.

Anthony Keith Grant, 52, of the 2100 block of North Charleston, South Carolina, has been charged with second-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping and common law robbery.

The woman was an employee of Trade Station Convenience Store on Pamalee Drive, where she was raped, according to Officer J.K. Strickland, a spokesman for the FPD. He said Grant allegedly also committed a robbery of the business.

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office arrested Grant. He is being held in Charleston awaiting extradition to Cumberland County. The sexual assault kit from this case was tested utilizing federal grant funding.

Defense department funding of the wall

More than 50 U.S. House Democrats are pushing back against President Donald Trump’s proposal to use Defense Department funds to pay for a wall on the southern border. They have signed a letter to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Washington, asking that he use the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act to assure that the administration “cannot utilize a fake national emergency to co-opt the military into the construction of the president’s wall.”

The authorization bill is not expected to pass until late this year. If Trump proceeds with the declaration, it will likely be challenged in court, which could delay implementation of the administration’s potential plans.

The president has not ruled out using his executive powers to bring an end to the impasse. The White House was preparing a draft proclamation for Trump to declare a national emergency and has reportedly identified more than $7 billion in potential funds for his wall should he go that route.

CNN reported that the Army Corps of Engineers would be deployed to construct the wall, some of it on private property. That would likely require condemnation under eminent domain laws, which is permitted if it is for public use.

Cumberland County school supporters recognized

School board members, educators, students and community partners annually celebrate the work that mentors do every day to help students succeed in the classroom and beyond. Cumberland County Schools recently held its annual appreciation breakfast at the Educational Resource Center to recognize mentors who volunteer their time to support students.

The committee was unable to narrow it down to one winner and announced two individuals as Mentors of the Year — James Chrishon, a mentor at J.W. Coon Elementary School, and Ben Simmons, a mentor at Ramsey Street High School.

“It’s really humbling to receive this award from Cumberland County Schools and be amongst a group of mentors that give so much to schools and the community,” said Chrishon.

Sixteen nominees for the Mentor of the Year award were recognized during the breakfast. “We are grateful to our mentors for investing their time and resources in our students,” said Dr. Natasha Scott, executive director of CCS Student Services.

Rural bridge replacements

A pair of rural bridges in eastern Cumberland County are scheduled for replacement on a road that has been closed to traffic for 10 months. The North Carolina Department of Transportation this month signed off on two contracts totaling $4.7 million to a group of companies that will design and build seven new bridges and demolish the existing structures.

Two of the old structures are on Hollow Creek Road, where they cross Sandy Creek near Autryville. The road has been closed since April 2018.

The bridges being replaced are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. This means that, while remaining safe for travel, the bridges are increasingly requiring maintenance and road closures, and they no longer meet today’s traffic demands.

Seven bridges across Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Harnett and Robeson counties are to be replaced over the next two years. The work will start after Feb. 25 and last through summer 2021.

School breakfast program expanded

Twelve school districts across North Carolina have received funding from the governor’s office to expand access to school breakfast. Cumberland County Schools was one of them.

Bill Hefner Elementary, Cumberland Road Elementary, Rockfish Elementary, J.W. Seabrook Elementary, Ashley Elementary, Morganton Road Elementary and Alderman Road Elementary schools will use the funding to increase access to breakfast. This funding is provided in partnership with No Kid Hungry and The Dairy Alliance.

Almost 900,000 students in traditional public schools across the state are eligible for free or reduced- price school meals — 60 percent of the student population. Cumberland County Schools officials say 75 percent of the students in the district are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.

Photo: Anthony Grant

 Fayetteville City Councilman Johnny Dawkins remembers Bill Hurley as only he could. Council voted last week to name the downtown baseball stadium’s plaza in honor of the former mayor, who died in November. Hurley served as mayor from 1981 to 1987. Johnny’s father, the late J.L. Dawkins, succeeded Hurley when Hurley decided to run for election to the North Carolina House of Representatives. J.L. won re-election seven times and served as mayor for life, dying in office in 2000.

J.L. served alongside Mayor Hurley as a council member. During last week’s tribute to Hurley, Johnny recalled that Hurley picked Johnny’s father up at their home on Ellington Street in Haymount for Monday night council meetings. Both J.L. and Hurley were first elected to City Council in the mid-1970s. They were inseparable, politically and personally.

When City Council decided to name the plaza at the entrance to the stadium for Hurley, Johnny noted the irony that the corner plaza at police headquarters across the street from the ballpark had been named for his father. Hurley and Dawkins are both remembered for their efforts to revitalize downtown Fayetteville. Hurley even manned the wrecking ball used to demolish buildings long the 500 block of Hay Street.

Hurley was a sports fan and was especially fond of baseball. Mark Hurley, the oldest of the mayor’s three sons, noted his dad had envisioned a downtown baseball stadium 30 years ago. He said his father loved sports, so when talk surfaced about naming the baseball stadium plaza after him, the Hurley family was extremely  excited and humbled about the possibility of that becoming a reality.

“We want to thank the entire city of Fayetteville for the support we have received during our father’s passing,” Mark said. “It has truly been amazing to us. We are a part of a wonderful city.” Observers recall that in 1984, Fayetteville was named an All-America City, the first of three times it would win the honor.

“Many of us had the vision and knew Fayetteville could be a better place,” realtor John Malzone said, “but Bill Hurley led the way.”

Jordan Jones, Prince Charles LLC project manager, spoke of Mayor Hurley’s influence years ago shaping the $100 million in Hay Street economic development getting underway. Jones’ parents were contemporaries of Hurley.

“We fully recognize the vision and legacy he created and know that we would not be here today with that particular development without the vision he had a long time ago,” Jones said.

Jones’ firm is renovating the former hotel and is planning a 13-story structure adjacent to the stadium. Following the public hearing last week, City Councilman Jim Arp made a motion that the city formally dedicate the stadium plaza in Bill Hurley’s honor. The vote to do so was unanimous.

Photo: Bill Hurley, former Fayettville Mayor

 “Today, we salute you,” Memphis, Tennessee, funeral director Gary Taylor said. “Today, we claim you as our own.” The occasion was a recent service for three military veterans laid to rest on a rainy morning. They were strangers to those who gathered to honor their memory. When the flags were removed from the caskets and folded, there were no family members there to receive them. The flags were passed among those in attendance.

Soldiers Arnold M. Klechka, 71, and Wesley Russell, 76, and Marine Charles B. Fox, 60, were laid to rest in the graveside service attended by about 700 people at West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery in Memphis.

Over the last 20 years, funeral homesin more than 30 cities have organized about 3,000 funerals for soldiers, sailors and Marines who died alone.

The service in Memphis was part of agrowing effort by funeral homes, medicalexaminers, Veterans Affairs andlocal veterans support groups to payfinal respects to members of the militarywhose bodies were not claimedby relatives. Apparently, no organizationhas developed nationally, but the movement has grown in Tennessee.

“We are veteran-friendly,” said Ben Chambers, general manager of Fayetteville’s Jernigan Warren Funeral Home. “We weren’t aware of the program.”

Amelia Callicott attended the Memphis funeral while remembering her late father and husband, who both served in the military. Callicott, 69, said she learned about the service through Facebook and felt she had a duty to honor the men. “It touched my heart when no one came to claim these gentlemen, these soldiers, because they fought for our freedom,” said Callicott.

Unknown veterans “still deserve dignified services and burials,” said Jeff Berry, general manager of Berry Funeral Home in Knoxville, Tennessee. Berry said the process usually begins with local medical examiners contacting state or national veterans’ cemeteries with names of people whose remains have gone unclaimed. These veterans typically were either homeless or had no surviving relatives to claim them.

Local cemeteries determine whether the service members were honorably discharged. If they were, the cemeteries then contact funeral homes, which set up memorial services. The funeral homes cover the cost, Berry said. Claims can be filed with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for grave markers, according to the Tennessee Department of Veterans’ Services.

Memorial services are publicized through veterans’ groups like the American Legion or social media. Honor guards and other active military members attend, but it’s the strangers who come out of respect for the military who bring dignity to the occasion. “Most of the time, it’s folks that had no knowledge of the person in life,” Berry said.

Veterans Affairs also provides money to individuals or companies that provide burials, caskets and transportation to cemeteries for unclaimed, deceased vets. “One thing I’ve learned in working with the veterans is that they are a tight knit group. They really support each other. It’s like a band of brothers or sisters,” Berry said.

 When people think of North Carolina, wine and chocolate aren’t always the first things that come to mind, but there are plenty of vintners, chocolatiers and other specialty vendors with big flavors to share. Big Dog Events and Galaxy Events present the Wine and Chocolate Festival Saturday, Feb. 16, from 1-4 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. at the Crown Complex.

“The purpose of the event is to educate the consumer on the different local wines and chocolates that are available within North Carolina,” said Amanda Knepp, general manager and event producer for Big Dog Events. “The event is a taste of wines from across the Carolinas — and there will be chocolatiers, sauces, jams, jellies, spreads, gourmet treats and honey.”

Knepp added that Fayetteville Technical Community College’s culinary students and instructors will have an interactive display featuring premiere chocolate.

A representative from the Chocolate Monkey will walk participants through a chocolate tasting that includes several different types of delectables. She will explain the different hints of flavors that are in the chocolate.

There will also be boutiques, shopping, jewelry, makeup and more. Jewelry and artisans will sell their wares. “This is a festival for men and women,” said Knepp. “We are working with our friends at the Center for Empowerment and Economic Development, and they will talk with patrons about what (their organization does) in the community.”

Knepp added that CEED’s goal is to raise funds for a shared commissary and kitchen space in Fayetteville for local chefs, growers and farmers. One dollar from every bottle of wine sold at the festival will be donated to CEED.

“Fayetteville has been so welcoming, supportive and friendly. We are looking forward to the festival on the 16th,” said Knepp.

Advanced tickets cost $35 until Feb. 15 and $40 the day of the show. There is a 10 percent military discount. The ticket includes all wine and food samples and a complimentary tasting glass. 

For more information, visit www.wineandchocolatefestivals.com.

 One hundred years ago, the flying field at Camp Bragg was officially established by the War Department and renamed in honor of 1st Lt. Harley Halbert Pope, commander of the 276th Aero Squadron. On Jan. 7, 1919, Pope and Sgt. Walter Fleming were flying a JN-4 “Jenny” biplane from Camp Jackson, South Carolina, to Camp Bragg when they ran out of fuel and attempted a landing on the Cape Fear River near Fayetteville. Both Pope and Fleming were killed in the crash.

The year Pope Field was established was a busy period for the new military post. In March 1919, Cumberland County and Camp Bragg made an agreement to fund and maintain a road between Fayetteville and the post. In May 1919, a Memorial Day Pageant was held to welcome home soldiers from the first World War and to celebrate the near completion of Camp Bragg. In November, Armistice Day was declared a legal holiday and celebrated in Fayetteville and at Camp Bragg.

General of the Armies John J. Pershing, who served as the commander in chief of the American Expeditionary Forces, visited the newly established Camp Bragg and Pope Field in December 1919. By the end of 1919, Congress passed a bill appropriating funds to ensure the development of Camp Bragg, to include construction of an airplane hangar at Pope Field. Initially, balloons and singleengine biplanes were stationed at Pope. Their missions included terrain mapping and spotting for artillery and forest fires as well as carrying the mail.

Pilots landing at Pope were required to buzz the area from low altitude to chase off grazing deer. The biplanes from Pope Field became a familiar sight in the skies over Fayetteville.

The earliest known aerial photograph of Fayetteville was taken in 1919 over Market Square from the cockpit of a plane from Pope Field.

When Pope Field was established in 1919, aviators were assigned to the U.S. Army Air Service. In 1920, the Air Service became a branch of the Army, and in 1926 it was renamed the Army Air Corps.

From 1919 to 1927, Pope Field was used for observation balloon training. In 1927, Maj. Carl Spaatz conducted bombing training there, and in 1929, the base was used for joint air-ground training. By 1940, the runways were paved.

In 1941, the aviation branch was renamed the U.S. Army Air Forces. During World War II and afterward, Pope was used for training crews in airborne and resupply missions. It continued to exist as a branch of the Army until reorganization provisions of the National Security Act of 1947 created a separate Department of the Air Force and the United States Air Force.

In 1947, Pope Field became a separate Air Force Base. The first fighter unit was stationed at Pope in 1954. In 1970, the base was modified to accept the heavy transport plane C-5A. Personnel and aircraft from Pope have been involved in humanitarian and directed combat actions.

In 2011, Pope Air Force Base was absorbed into Fort Bragg, becoming an Army-operated facility supporting Air Force operations and merging the post’s growing Army and joint force community.

For more information on the history of Pope Field, visit the exhibits located at the Fayetteville Transportation and Local History Museum, 325 Franklin St., and the lobby of City Hall, 433 Hay St. The Transportation and Local History Museum features artifact and image-filled exhibits focused on Fayetteville and Cumberland County’s history. Admission is free.

The museum staff will present a program about the history of Pope Field Thursday, July 1, at 6:30 p.m. in the State and Local History Room at the Headquarters Library on Maiden Lane.

Photo: 1st Lt. Harley Halbert Pope

From Mary Kate Burke’s soft rock introduction to the final curtain, the opening night performance of Cape Fear Regional Theater’s production of “Annie” was nothing short of spectacular, often drawing cheers from the full house.

With the book by Thomas Meehan, lyrics by Martin Charmin, music by Charles Strouse and a setting in the midst of the Great Depression, the adventures of a young orphan in search of her parents touches on a theme still relevant today. The contrast between Hooverville, where Annie takes refuge, and her life as a guest in Oliver Warbucks’ mansion emphasizes the vast gap between the very rich and the majority of citizens just struggling to eat and keep a roof over their heads. Yet, despite the dire circumstances in which the musical is set, the message of “Annie” is hope.

The Orphan Ensemble captivates from the very beginning. Lily Hogge, playing the title role, has an amazing vocal range for such a young girl. She plays Annie with tomboy-ish enthusiasm and transitions seamlessly from wistfulness to defiance to winsomeness as the situation demands.

Thanks to the orphans, the mood never descends to pathos. Their superb rendition of “It’s the Hard Knock Life” and subsequent heckling of Miss Hannigan convince the audience these are resilient little girls determined not to let the circumstances of their lives break them.

Erin Fish’s Miss Hannigan, a role she played on the national tour, is the villainess we all love to hate. Yet there is a certain upbeat cheerfulness to her chicanery. Fish plays Miss Hannigan for laughs, of which there are plenty, which allows the audience to see her as overwhelmed by all the little girls in her charge, rather than evil.

Greg King, as Rooster Hannigan, and Jodi Bluestein, as Lily St. Regis, ooze a greasy, bumbling, minor criminality from the first moment they set foot onstage. Not to put too fine a point on it, but their “Easy Street” number reminds us of why we really play the lottery.

Robert Newman’s character transitions believably from the gruff, enormously rich and influential Oliver Warbucks to the openly affectionate “Daddy.” This is in large part due to Newman’s seeming lack of celebrity ego and to the positive onstage chemistry between Newman and his young co-star.

Newman is believable as a successful, no-nonsense businessman with time for little but work when we first meet his character. We watch him mellowing before our eyes as his character goes from bellowing his disgust at President Roosevelt to humbly asking for the president’s help on Annie’s behalf.

Finally, we watch him opening himself to the charms of his winsome assistant, played by Becca Vourvoulas, and expressing completely believable affection for Annie.

Newman brings star power to Fayetteville, having appeared for 28 seasons as Joshua Lewis on the longrunning TV program “Guiding Light” among many of his stage, film and television credits. Yet there was no sense of his celebrity status evident onstage at CFRT on opening night. He is a generous actor. He commanded the stage when appropriate to his character and managed to be just another member of the cast whenever the script called for some other character to take center stage.

Newman, Fish and Pegues are supported by a cast of talented actors, a few of whom appeared for the first time at CFRT on opening night.

Artistic direction for all CFRT productions is provided by Mary Kate Burke. “Annie” is ably directed and choreographed by Robin Levine, assisted by Sebastiani Romagnolo. Both the set, designed by Charles Glenn Johnson, and the costumes, designed by Sarah Harris, are simple yet evocative of the era in which the musical is staged. Musical direction is supplied by Jillian K. Zack. The orchestra is superb, taking care to enhance rather than overwhelm young voices.

“Annie” runs through the evening performance on Sunday, Feb. 24, with a special Sensory Friendly performance scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 10. Contact the CFRT Box Office at 910-323-4233 Tuesday-Friday from 1-6 p.m. for more information and ticket prices.

Photo: Robert Newman as Daddy Warbucks; Zoi Pegues as Annie

  Get Twisted Yoga on Trade Street in Hope Mills has taken the words of The Beach Boys’ hit “Good Vibrations” to a new level.

The staff offer a specialized kind of relaxation using crystal singing bowls. In short, music provided by different tones each bowl plays is designed to help get the body in harmony with the surrounding world.

Kyle Jackson, who operates the 1910 Apothecary at the same location as Get Twisted Yoga, described it as vibrational healing that has been around for thousands of years, dating back to the monks of Tibet.

“Each crystal singing bowl has its own tone and unique sound,’’ Jackson said. The bowls come in various sizes, going down as small as a cereal bowl and as large as a punch bowl. “There are lots of different shapes and sizes,’’ he said. “They are a little bit different in design and a bit taller than they are wide.’’

The bowls are also made of different materials. Some are metal. Some are crystal. The bowls are usually empty, although sometimes water is placed into them to change the tone each one makes.

In trying to explain exactly what the vibrational healing is about, Jackson said everything in the world, from fixed structures to people, has its own vibration. “Using different things that have different types of tones can bring harmony to those vibrations, including people and spaces,’’ he said. “It’s like doing a reset of their personal vibration.’’

Get Twisted Yoga is planning to schedule vibrational healing sessions starting in March. The initial plan is to hold them on Saturdays and ask those participating to make a donation for each session rather than setting a flat fee to start.

The sessions will be led by Gina Currie of Raeford, a certified yoga instructor.

Each session at Get Twisted Yoga will be limited to 20 people because that’s as many people as the studio can handle once everyone is in place on a yoga mat.

Jackson said no previous yoga experience is needed to take part in a vibrational healing session. “We get you in the studio and get you relaxed,’’ Jackson said. That simply involves getting everyone in a comfortable position on the floor on a yoga mat.

“We adjust them and make sure they have blankets or whatever they might need to be comfortable,’’ Jackson said. “There’s a little guided meditation at the beginning. Gina gives an explanation of the purpose and what those participating may or may not experience, and then she begins playing the singing bowls.

“We want to make this available to everybody who would like to try it,’’ Jackson said, adding they plan to offer it at least once a quarter if demand continues.

Kimberly Ratcliffe is a Get Twisted Yoga client who recently took part in a demonstration of vibrational healing. A 20-year veteran of the U.S. Army, she said it’s a good treatment for anyone involved in a high stress lifestyle.

“You can walk into a yoga studio or class like this and quiet your mind, come out of that class and be completely refreshed,’’ she said. “I think that’s what a lot of people need to understand.’’

For more information about the vibrational healing sessions, visit the Get Twisted Yoga page on Facebook or go to www.1910apothecaryyoga.com.

Jackson is also available by phone at 910-835-6833.

 A new year has come, and soon the call for the road will hit bikers everywhere. With gas prices down and employment up, more people will be positioned to buy a new bike, too. Upfront, I will tell you I am the worst customer to ever walk through a showroom door. To buy simple things, I make multiple trips and do exhaustive research before sealing the deal. Even at the cash register or sitting down with the finance guy, my stomach is in knots. Somehow I get through it, but I always worry — did I buy too much of something? Can I afford it?

People often talk about how a motorcycle is going to save them money. It doesn’t, but it is a good pitch to get your significate other or co-signer to go along with it.

Most of us don’t like to talk about the actual cost of things, but here we are, and we are going to get into it. If you already own a bike, the cheapest bike you will ever get is the one you already have.

If you already own a bike and want a new one, it is best to sell the one you have yourself. As spring approaches, your best bet is to start advertising now. Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and forums are the best ways to get the word out. If you meet someone for the sale process, always meet in a safe place. People will drive states away if you have a bike they want.

Be sure to know the laws for selling a motorcycle, too. Be careful with the title and don’t screw it up or sign it in the wrong place. Each state has different rules and requirements. You can usually find specific information on the state’s DMV website.

If you must, a trade-in is usually a quick way to move up to a new bike. Dealerships are generally picky about trade-ins. They look for maximum returns and the fastest sale.

When it is time to buy a bike, cash is best. If you must finance a bike, think about the 20/4/10 rule. The rule means put 20 percent down, finance for no more than four years of payments, and do not exceed more than 10 percent of your gross income — including principal,interest and insurance.

Let’s do some rough math. If you finance a new bike at $26,000, you should have $5,200 for the down payment. You would finance $20,800. For four years (48 months) at an interest rate of 3.95 percent and a sales tax of 4.75 percent of your payment, that would be $497.04 a month. It would cost $1,822.86 in interest and $1,235 in taxes. Add an additional $60 (estimate) for insurance. You would pay $557 a month. Using the 10 percent rule for not exceeding your income, you should be making more than $66,840 a year.

So here are some stats from a 2015 article on The Motley Fool. Twenty-four percent of motorcycle owner households earned between $50,000 and $74,999 in 2014. The median household income was $62,200. Motorcyclists are pretty educated. Seventy-two percent of motorcycle owners in 2014 had at least some college or post-graduate education, and almost as many (71 percent) were employed. Some 15 percent were retired. The median age of the typical motorcycle owner was 47 in 2014, up from 32 in 1990 and 40 in 2009. Married riders comprised 61 percent of motorcycle owners, up from 57 percent in 1990.

If you are getting your first bike, be sure to budget for safety equipment. Your gear should include a good Department of Transportationapproved helmet, armor jacket and good boots. If you have a friend or loved one who will be riding with you, show them the same respect and love and buy them the same safety gear you wear. As a starter, I would budget at least $1,000 for safety expenses.

Count on spending a few hundred dollars or more each year on tires and maintenance. These are variables that depend on your riding habits and miles. 

When you talk to your insurance representative, ask them about additional medical coverage — particularly motorcycle bodily injury liability insurance. Depending on the state in which you are insured, the minimum personal injury medical coverage is not enough for a motorcycle accident. A motorcycle accident can cost anywhere from $2,500 to $1.5 million in hospital bills, lost income and property damage.

These dollars and numbers can be scary, but riding is a fun and liberating experience. Each mile can bring you new friends and adventures.

If there is a topic you would like to discuss, contact me at motorcycle-4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE!

 Gilbert Theater’s newest production, “Doubt,” opened this past weekend to a small audience who undoubtedly enjoyed a huge show. Directed by Matthew Overturf, this thoughtprovoking drama written by John Patrick Shanley could be the Gilbert’s best show of this season.

Even though the play was written in the 1960s, it is relevant to the crazy realities we face today. Shanley’s piece centers around Sister Aloysius, a tenacious nun who is the principal of a Catholic school in the Bronx in New York. She is convinced the parish priest, Father Flynn, is having an inappropriate relationship with a young male student.

Was he? Wasn’t he? That is where this drama draws an eerie correlation to what we are experiencing in this politically charged 21st century. The shameful acts and subsequent cover-up of bad behavior by Catholic priests is not new news. However, viewing the show in relationship to what we are experiencing as a nation gives this play its gut-wrenching impact. Even back in the ’60s, there was a hint of a lack of presumption of innocence.

Now, with the prominence of the internet and social media — and a political climate that has adopted a slanderous, no holds barred, anything goes, search-and-destroy campaign strategy — this play parallels our country’s deteriorating respect for humanity.

If you are a well-informed American of any race, religion or political affiliation, you will recognize the parallels in this story to Robert Mueller’s Russian investigation; the confirmation fiasco of Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh; the accusations lodged against two Covington, Kentucky, students accused of disrespecting Native Americans; the politically charged border security issues, which result in the deplorable treatment and exploitation of humanity; and more recently, the explosive issue of legalizing full-term abortions.

All of these present-day issues fill plenty of us with plenty of doubt. Go and see the play and ponder on the similarities for yourself. You will not be disappointed. The show runs through Feb. 17.

I would be remiss to not mention the talented cast of “Doubt,” who gave stellar performances. Kay Cole plays Sister Aloysius. Evie King is Sister James. Deannah Robinson plays Mrs. Muller, and Cole Vecchio is Father Flynn. All four of these actors performed flawlessly to create a tour-deforce theater production.

Fayetteville is certainly the theatrical mecca of North Carolina. No doubt you will be impressed.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Photo: Robert Mueller (top right), Brett Kavanaugh (center right) and Nick Sandmann (bottom right).

 There is concern in America that our security is threatened by terrorists, Russia, Iran, China, North Korea and other forces. It occurs to me that these forces we view as enemies need not make any effort to destroy us. That is because we are destroying ourselves. If our enemies will be patient, we will reduce our national condition to one of being incapable of defending against the physical and economic aggression of others. This is because we have become a nation in darkness and consumed by hate.

From www.biblestudytools.com, “If light symbolizes God, darkness connotes everything that is anti- God.” Combine our general state of darkness with the overwhelming hate that pervades our society, and the truth of the paragraph above is apparent.

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” Given that we are in great darkness, with little or no light in sight, and consumed by hate, with societal love only a figment of our imagination, our future is bleak.

This American condition of darkness and hate was openly on display in the events of Jan. 18 after the March for Life in Washington, D.C. A group of students from the all-male Covington Catholic High School in Frankfort, Kentucky, attended the march. Afterward, the students, some wearing bright red “Make America Great Again” baseball caps, gathered near the Lincoln Memorial to wait for their bus.

There was interaction between these students and a small group of Native Americans who were singing in the area. What proved to be a highly edited video of this interaction appeared to show the students chanting and mocking the Native Americans. This was especially true of one student, later identified as Nick Sandmann, who is shown in the video standing motionless and face-to-face with Nathan Phillips, a Native American who was beating a drum and singing.

In several interviews, Phillips repeated the following, which appears in an article by Chris Francescani and Bill Hutchinson titled “Viral video of Catholic school teens in ‘MAGA’ caps taunting Native Americans draws widespread condemnation; prompts a school investigation.”

The article states, “In an interview following the confrontation on Friday that was posted to Instagram, Phillips said he wished the throng of teens would put their energy into helping feed the poor.”

Phillips added, “I heard them say, ‘Build that wall, build that wall,’ you know?”

The article continues, “In a separate interview with The Washington Post, Phillips said that the dozens of teens began to swarm around his group as they concluded their march and were getting ready to leave.

“‘It was getting ugly,’ he told the newspaper.

“‘I started going that way, and that guy in the hat stood in my way and we were at an impasse. He just blocked my way and wouldn’t allow me to retreat.’”

Across the nation, the video and Phillips’ interviews inspired outrage because many viewers concluded that the students were tremendously disrespectful to Phillips and his group.

Here are some comments reported in the Francescani and Hutchinson article referenced above:

“‘This Veteran put his life on the line for our country. The students’ display of blatant hate, disrespect, and intolerance is a signal of how common decency has decayed under this administration,’ Rep. Deb Haaland, D-New Mexico, who is part Native American, tweeted Saturday. ‘Heartbreaking.’”

“Then, in a blistering statement posted to her verified Facebook account shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday, Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes called the viral videos ‘horrific.’

‘In spite of these horrific scenes, I refuse to shame and solely blame these children for this type of behavior. Instead, I turn to the adults and administration that are charged with teaching them, and to those who are silently letting others promote this behavior.’”

Further, from an article by Shaan Joshi titled “Patton Oswalt, Ava DuVernay, Kathy Griffin, and Other Celebs React to Teens in MAGA Hats,” come the following tweets:

“Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt: ‘I liked intimidating elderly Native Americans. I STILL like intimidating elderly Native Americans.’ — this kid, at his confirmation hearing, before being appointed to the Supreme Court.”

“Comedian Kathy Griffin was similarly outraged by the disrespectful teenagers, and she condemned ‘MAGA’ hats on Twitter. ‘MAGA hats. Donald Trump has brought the worst out in our country,’ Griffin wrote.”

The comments above were mild compared to some others. The following is from an article by Jon Levine titled “National Review Pulls Article Saying Covington Students ‘Might as Well Have Just Spit on the Cross’”:

“The National Review pulled down an article on Sunday attacking the students at Covington Catholic High School, which said their behavior toward Native American elder Nathan Phillips was comparable to spitting on the cross.

“They mock a serious, frail-looking older man and gloat in their momentary role as Roman soldiers to his Christ. ‘Bullying is a worn-out word and doesn’t convey the full extent of the evil on display here,’ National Review Deputy Managing Editor Nicholas Frankovich said in the original piece. ‘As for the putatively Catholic students from Covington, they might as well have just spit on the cross and got it over with.’”

Jon Levine reported the following regarding Erik Abriss in an article titled “Vulture Writer Who Wished Death on Covington Students Fired from Job at INE Entertainment.”

“Abriss wrote: ‘I don’t know what it says about me, but I’ve truly lost the ability to articulate the hysterical rage, nausea, and heartache this makes me feel. I just want these people to die. Simple as that. Every single one of them. And their parents.’” Then there is this joint statement from the school and Covington Diocese as quoted in an article by Max Londberg titled “‘Blatant racism’: Ky. high school apologizes following backlash after video shows students surrounding indigenous marchers”:

“We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, Jan. 18, after the March for Life, in Washington, D.C. We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips. This behavior is opposed to the Church’s teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person,” the statement read.

What is presented to this point hardly scratches the surface in describing the condemnation that was heaped on this group of young boys. Beyond the condemnation from others, their school and diocese immediately joined the chorus of condemnation. In the midst of these young lives being led to the slaughter, a video of longer length surfaced. It showed that a group called the Black Hebrew Israelites incessantly yelled racist, homophobic, bigoted epithets at the boys, calling them “children of incest,” “crackers” and so forth.

The longer video contradicts much of what Phillips reported. It shows that he approached the boys; they did not surround him. He made no effort to walk past Nick Sandmann, but stood face-to-face with him while beating a drum and singing. There is no indication that the students were chanting, “Build that wall.”

In view of this longer video, some people who had made harsh comments withdrew them; some even apologized. However, others continued the verbal assaults and threats to the point that Covington Catholic High School was, at the suggestion of law enforcement, closed Jan. 22. Students returned the next day with heavy police presence.

At best, Nathan Phillips lied. While the behavior of the Black Hebrew Israelites was abhorrent, hardly any outrage is directed toward Phillips or the Black Hebrew Israelites. However, these young boys, who clearly did nothing deserving of condemnation, are condemned, threatened and vilified.

I agree with those who say these students are the recipients of this horrible treatment because they are white, male, Catholic and because they appear to be Trump supporters.

What is described here is the result of our being in darkness and consumed by hate. Russia, China and all who would destroy us, just be patient. However, maybe — because of his mercy — God will save us from ourselves.

 There is a secret about North Carolina’s early Colonial days, something even more disturbing and horrifying than traditional slavery.

I learned about it reading UNCWilmington professor David La Vere’s “The Tuscarora War: Indians, Settlers, and the Fight for the Carolina Colonies.” That book interested me because I want to learn more about the 18thcentury explorer John Lawson, one of the “The Tuscarora War’s” main characters. I am studying Lawson to get ready for the upcoming publication of another book about him, “A Delicious Country: Rediscovering the Carolinas along the Route of John Lawson’s 1700 Expedition” by Scott Huler, senior staff writer at Duke magazine.

What does all this have to do with a dark secret? Keep reading to the end.

La Vere sets out in detail the background for the Tuscarora War that began in 1711. In the late 1600s and early 1700s, North Carolina was sparsely settled, mainly by Virginians moving south onto the lands around the Albemarle Sound. They encountered small groups of Native Americans and were generally able to subdue them.

However, to the south and west, the mighty Tuscarora Indian strongholds stood as a barrier. They were, writes Le Vere, like a “cork” that capped settler expansion.

Meanwhile, Lawson’s glowing descriptions about his travels in the colony sparked the interest of the Lords Proprietors, who owned the colony and were looking for ways to encourage settlement. Lawson met a minor Swiss noble, Christopher de Graffenried. They worked out a plan with the Lords Proprietors in England to transport groups of poor German refugees and Swiss paupers to lands along the Neuse River near today’s New Bern.

La Vere writes that after overcoming great odds, “De Graffenried’s colony of Swiss and German Palatines at the mouth of the Neuse River was thriving, expansion up the Neuse seemed a real possibility.”

Therefore, Lawson and Graffenried made a trip up the Neuse, through Tuscarora lands, to scout sites for future settlements.

“All the while, the Indians grew more worried and angry as the abuses against them escalated and their complaints fell on deaf ears. That spark came in mid-September 1711,” according to La Vere, with Lawson and Graffenried’s trip up the Neuse.

The local Tuscarora king or chief, offended and threatened that his territory had been invaded, captured  Lawson and Graffenried and put them on trial for their lives. When one of the more radical Indian leaders berated him, Lawson lost his temper. “He argued back, his anger and sarcasm apparent to all.”

Lawson was doomed and shortly executed. Graffenried remained in custody while the Indians planned and carried out their first attacks on September 22, 1711, appearing at first as friendly visitors to the settlers’ farms and then striking suddenly from ambush when the defenses were down.

North Carolina’s efforts to beat back the Tuscaroras were unsuccessful. The colony had not enough manpower, firepower or money. Help finally came from the wealthy sister colony to the south. South Carolina sent two expeditions to relieve its northern neighbor.

Hold on — we are close to the dark secret. 

The first expedition, led by John Barnwell, set out with a force of about 700 men. Only 35 were regular militia. The rest were Indians. The results were mixed, and the Tuscaroras remained a threat. The second expedition, led by James Moore and made up of 113 militia and 760 Indians, wiped out the Tuscarora at their stronghold at Neoheroka (or Nooherooka), near present-day Snow Hill in Greene County, and unplugged the Tuscarora “cork” on settlement in the interior of North Carolina.

Why did South Carolina so enthusiastically aid its neighbor? Why did South Carolina Indians provide the critical manpower?

Writes La Vere, “Above all, it was a chance to enrich oneself by looting the Tuscarora towns and taking slaves, which they could sell to waiting South Carolina traders for guns and merchandise.”

North Carolina’s early colonists secured their colony by facilitating and participating in the enslavement and sale of captured Tuscaroras by South Carolina Indians.

That is history’s dirty secret.

Meetings

For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Town Clerk Jane Starling at 910-426-4113. Until the Parks and Recreation building has been repaired following damage from Hurricane Florence, some meetings may be moved to Luther Meeting Room at Town Hall at regular dates and times. Those meetings are noted with an asterisk below.

• Board of Commissioners Monday Feb. 11, Luther Meeting Room, Town Hall This is a meeting to receive findings of a comprehensive plan and proposed master plan for the Hope Mills Golf Course.

• Historic Preservation Commission Wednesday, Feb. 13, Parks and Recreation Center*

• Parks and Recreation Committee Monday, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Center*

• Appearance Commission Tuesday, Feb. 26, 6:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Center*

• Veterans Affairs Commission Thursday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m., Parks and Recreation Center*

Activities

For more information on these activities, contact Meghan Hawkins at 910-426-4109. 

• Hope Mills Area Kiwanis Club at Sammio’s, second Tuesdays at noon and fourth Tuesdays at 6 p.m. For details, call 910-237-1240.

Promote yourself

Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

 Looking for someplace in the Hope Mills area to grab a snack where the staff is committed to its work and they all have hearts of gold? Look no further than the newly-opened Creek General Store at Gray’s Creek High School.

The store is the latest project of Miller’s Crew, an organization founded by Terry Sanford High School soccer coach Karl Molnar and his wife, Kim.

Miller’s Crew is named after the Molnars’ son, who is autistic. The purpose of Miller’s Crew is to establish vocational training and vocational labs in educational settings for adolescents with special needs.

By doing this in an educational setting, the hope is to give participants the chance to practice specific skills that will carry over into the workforce when they graduate high school.

Miller’s Crew already has stores, or labs as they prefer to call them, set up at Jack Britt, Pine Forest, Terry Sanford, Seventy-First and West Bladen High Schools. Another lab is near completion at Westover High School. Miller’s Crew has also been contacted by Union County Schools near Charlotte about doing labs there.

Lisa Stewart, the principal at Gray’s Creek, met with Kim of Miller’s Crew last summer to begin planning for the lab at Gray’s Creek.

“I thought it was an amazing opportunity for our students, teachers and community,’’ Stewart said. “It’s something that will benefit our students and  let them learn some life skills.’’

Molnar said the lab at Gray’s Creek is one of the smaller ones in the Miller’s Crew program, which got its start in October of 2016.

Some labs, like the ones at Jack Britt and Pine Forest, are larger and include stations for stocking groceries. The one at Pine Forest has a bicycle assembly station.

“The whole point of these labs is to create as many jobs within that setting so the children can be trained and feel comfortable being trained,’’ Molnar said.

The lab at Gray’s Creek is under the leadership of occupational course of study teacher Ali Arostegui. Arostegui and her students surveyed the faculty at Gray’s Creek to see what items they’d like to be on sale at the Creek General Store.

The store can only sell pre-packaged food items, so the teachers opted for selections including coffee, pastries, muffins, granola bars and peanuts among other similar items.

“Ms. Arostegui has done a great job training the students,’’ Stewart said. “She’s been training them most of the first semester. We wanted to open the second semester.’’

The store is located in a converted teacher workroom at Gray’s Creek, on the first floor of the school building near the atrium.

The store can only be used by teachers because of restrictions placed on what kind of food can be sold to students during the school day. Typical store hours are from 8:45 a.m. until 11 a.m.

If teachers can’t leave their classroom to get to the store, the students running the store are allowed to make deliveries to a teacher’s room.

The startup stock for the store was provided by Miller’s Crew through grants that have been awarded to the organization. The goal is for the Creek General Store to become self sustaining and be able to use the profits it makes to restock the store.

“When that door opens and the kids are in Miller’s Crew Gray’s Creek aprons, they have the purest of grins and are happy to see you,’’ Stewart said. “If that doesn’t warm your heart, you must not have one.’’

There are about a dozen Gray’s Creek students currently working at the store, Stewart said. The goal is to add students from another class of special needs students later.

“The biggest benefit for Miller’s Crew and the Creek General Store is they are able to learn how to work as a team,’’ Stewart said. “They’re able to learn how to serve other people. They are pouring coffee, getting food ready, taking their money, making change, prepping for the day, getting inventory ready.

“They take pride in their jobs, and that’s most important.’’

There’s a sign painted on the wall of the store that says it all, Stewart said. “Opportunity. Community. Bear (as in Gray’s Creek Bears) essentials.’’

For any school interested in learning more about bringing a Miller’s Crew lab to their school, visit www.millerscrew.com.

  “It’s something about being able to express yourself through notes,” old-school jazz guitarist Nick Colionne said of his love for the genre. “A lot of people don’t get into jazz or instrumental music because they don’t take time to know that there’s a story being told in instrumental music just like there’s words. I mean, there’s commas, periods, questions.” Fayetteville audiences will get a chance to hear what Colionne has to say through music when he brings “Nick Colionne’s Valentine’s Day Concert” to town Thursday, Feb. 14. The concert takes place at Fayetteville State University’s J.W. Seabrook Auditorium.

Colionne, who grew up on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, is the winner of national and international awards for his music and showmanship. He traces his connection with jazz to “being that my stepfather and my mother listened to nothing but Wes Montgomery.... (That music) touched me in my heart,” he said.

His stepfather played guitar, and by age nine, young Colionne was learning to play.

“When I got my first electric guitar, I had to learn Bumpin’ on Sunset’ note for note,” Colionne said. “To this day, Wes Montgomery is still my hero.”

Six years later, 15-year-old Colionne was regularly playing high school talent shows with The Mellow Tones, a band he’d formed with a few buddies. They even won a citywide talent show.

He was also cruising around town in a shopping cart due to his lack of a vehicle. “I was a free-playin’ guy,” he said. “I was goin’ around in a shopping cart. And that ain’t so easy in the snow in Chicago.”

Then, one summer afternoon, he bumped into Mavis Staples (of the Staples Singers) and Artis Leon Ivey Jr., better known as Coolio, in the common area of a recording studio space. “I told them I played guitar, and I knew a couple of the older guys who played with them,” Colionne said. “They said they needed a guitar player, so I went upstairs to another studio and auditioned for them.

“That was a Monday. On Wednesday, I went on tour with them.”

From that point on, every summer until he finished high school and then more regularly after graduation, he toured with the Staples Singers and other performers, including Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions. He briefly joined a heavy metal band at age 17, he admitted with a laugh, but he returned to jazz after a few years.

In 1994, he released his first solo album, “It’s My Turn.” That was the beginning of a career in which he’d receive numerous accolades. Among them, he won the International Instrumental Artist of the Year Award at the Wave Jazz Awards in 2007; trumpet superstar Chris Botti had won it the year before. Colionne was nominated for that award again in 2009.

Colionne was nominated as Guitarist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year by the American Smooth Jazz Awards in 2010 and won Performer of the Year for the Catalina Island JazzTrax Jazz Festivals in 2010 and 2011, as well as Artist of the Year at the 2011 Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival in Delaware.

He’s also received awards for his now 22-plus years of mentoring youth — primarily at St. Laurence Catholic School in Elgin, Illinois, and some West Side-area schools — as well as his championing of breast cancer causes. He was recognized with the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award in 2010, and he was named Alumnus of the Year at Malcolm X College in Chicago in 1996.

Though Colionne primarily mentors at schools near where he grew up and still lives, he also makes a point to visit schools and colleges when he’s on tour.

He said he never set out to be a youth mentor. It started because the principal of St. Laurence asked him to play for a fundraiser for the school, back when Colionne was still getting established.

“I met the kids (at the school); they asked me to come back, and I came back,” Colionne said. “Next thing I know, I was there twice a week, teaching kids to play the guitar. … Then I’m helping them put on passion plays and the Christmas program, and I’m chaperoning trips. Kids — when they love you, they love you unconditionally. The kids know I don’t get paid for coming there. I come there because I love them.

“I don’t want a check, I just want to be part of their lives.”

One of those children whom Colionne taught to play guitar is named Chris. Colionne first visited his elementary school when Chris was 8 years old. Chris later attended college on a guitar scholarship. Today, he’s worked as Colionne’s road manager for many years and is taking a break from that to welcome his first child.

As for Colionne’s work championing and raising money for breast cancer causes, he said this kind of work is a no-brainer for anyone who’s had a loved one struggle with it. “My mother is cancer-free now,” he said. “But my mother has had breast cancer four times. … My (significant other) had breast cancer. And I’m just a person. I don’t want to see another woman suffer with it, and whatever I can do, I do.”

A single conversation with Colionne makes it evident he’s remained humble, grateful to his audiences and rooted in his deeply personal love for jazz throughout his 20-plus year career.

It’s this attitude that’s led to him being often referred to as the best-dressed man in jazz. “I’m an old-school kind of cat,” he said. “I feel like people pay their hard-earned money to come and see me. I believe that for me to dress and look the best I can when I perform is showing the audience respect.”

He said his journey has been exceptionally personally rewarding.

At one point, he said, he and musician Brenda Russell were getting ready to travel for performances when a man approached them. “This cat was coming across the parking lot, and he was calling my name. He was like, ‘Man, I had to catch you. Will you sign this for me?’” It was one of Colionne’s CDs. The young man asked Colionne if he’d be willing to play at a tribute for the young man’s father.

“I was like, who was your father?” Colionne said. “He says, ‘my father was Wes Montgomery.’”

For his upcoming concert in Fayetteville, Colionne said, “I might get onstage and flip the script. I don’t think about it. I play what I’m feeling at the moment.

“I learned how to play guitar, God put the music in my heart, and I just let it go.”

He added there’s always a portion of his concerts called the “wild and loose section. We have only one requirement. If you have anything that will fall, take it off,” he said, referring to the fact that audience members will be encouraged to get up and dance.

“Nick Colionne’s Valentine’s Day Concert” in Fayetteville takes place just about 25 years from the release of his first album. The show is part of FSU’s 2018-19 Seabrook Performance Series and starts at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 14. J.W. Seabrook Auditorium is located at 1200 Murchison Rd.

For tickets and to learn more, visit www.uncfsu.edu/nick-colionne.

 Gilbert Theater continues its season with “Doubt,” which will run Feb. 1-17. The play is by John Patrick Shanley. Gilbert Theater Artistic Director Matthew Overturf will direct it.

“This play is set in 1964, and the playwright, John Patrick Shanley, writes in the prologue that when he wrote it, he thought about this time and it was as if the world was going through a giant puberty,” said Overturf. “There was so much change occurring during this time, such as The Civil Rights Act being passed. And John F. Kennedy had just been assassinated the year before.”

Overturf noted that the Catholic Church had just gone through a significant change. The Vatican II Council was trying to become more open and welcoming and look a bit more like the communities it served, he explained. Everything was shifting and changing during this time.

The drama involves Sister Aloysius, a Bronx Catholic school principal, who takes matters into her own hands when she suspects the parish priest, Father Flynn, of improper relations with one of the male students.

As Aloysius and the Father face off, it brings out the worst in both of them and reveals weaknesses, humanity and doubt in so many things. The production deals with the struggle of faith and doubt, right and wrong, and the gray area in between.

“The male student happens to be the first African-American student in the school because the school had just become desegregated,” said Overturf. “Basically, the play becomes about Sister Aloysius’ crusade against Father Flynn. She brings on Sister James, a fairly young nun, to kind of help in this because (Sister James) is the teacher of the student.”

The play is called “Doubt” for a reason. “There are a lot of circumstantial things and a lot of ideas that Sister Aloysius has that may not necessarily be founded in facts or truths, but she has her suspicions,” said Overturf. “And those, to her, are just as important as any facts.”

Overturf continued, “We have a phenomenal cast. It is an important play for me because I fell in love with it in college and always wanted to direct it. It is a hard-hitting play.

“What I love about it is that it is guaranteed to cause you to leave and talk about it. People will be discussing it and what they believe the outcome is because it is a wonderful show.”

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.gilberttheater.com or call 910-678-7186.

 For Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra Music Director Stefan Sanders, programming concerts for holidays can be especially fun. The Feb. 9 “Love is in the Air” concert is no exception. It includes classic pieces sure to stir the soul as well as a performance by guest pianist Anton Nel, who will perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 2.”

“Concerts close to holidays offer an opportunity to program thematically, and love and romance and longing for someone are a major part of the human condition,” said Sanders. “Putting together a concert is like creating a menu. You want to put together things that pair well and accent each other and are palatable. Think about the songs we listen to on the radio. As people, we have strong feelings, and there is a lot of great music that is love-inspired.”

And there will be plenty of them in this performance. Whether it’s romance or great music you are after, FSO has a well-programmed performance set for the weekend before Valentine’s Day. The playlist includes selections from Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet,” plus iconic music from “Casablanca” and “West Side Story.”

“The symphony is going to play some incredible, beloved romantic music — some of the songs will be very recognizable,” Sanders said. “There is also a lot of music that has been used in TV and film so that the audience will hear it, and even if they don’t know it by name, they will recognize it.”

Special guest Anton Nel has been an international performance pianist for nearly four decades. He is also an acclaimed harpsichordist and fortepianist. But it is not just his talent that makes him a great fit for this FSO concert. Sanders credits Nel with inspiring not just audiences but the performers with whom he shares the stage — a pleasure Sanders has had more than once.

“Any time you work with someone, there are some unknowns,” Sanders said. “But just the rapport with someone you have worked with and can trust makes for a positive experience. And Anton is an incredible artist. He is renowned for his interpretation of certain composers. I think the other performers will enjoy working with someone of this caliber.

“I have seen several performances with Anton and other greats where their artistry inspires everyone else on the stage to be their absolute best. Anton is one of those artists who brings out the best in other artists.”

The piece Nel is playing is significant for more than one reason. It’s great music, but the back story is also something many people will be able to relate to and find hope in. It’s about mental health. Early in Rachmaninoff’s career, he wrote a symphony. When it premiered, the performance was abysmal. The audience hated it.

“This threw him into a very deep depression,” said Sanders. “He was at the bottom. Thankfully, he was able to get help.”

A therapist helped Rachmaninoff to get out of his deep depression. And Rachmaninoff did more than just survive. He started thriving. “He felt inspired to write a second concert,” said Sanders. “And he dedicated it to his therapist, Nikolai Dahl. It goes to show that the things people deal with today are similar to what people dealt with years ago.”

With a mission to educate, entertain and inspire the citizens of the Fayetteville region as the leading musical resource, FSO is creative in its programming and outreach initiatives. The organization is built on the premise that great symphonic music should affordable and fun.

One of the initiatives that aims to make the symphony fun and approachable to everyone is the “Music Nerd” preconcert talks. About 45 minutes before the concert begins, Sanders and FSO Musicologist Joshua Busman will take the stage. Sanders described the Music Nerd portion as a casual chat. “It is a way for curious minds to learn about the music and other interesting facts related to the programming,” Sanders said. “Often, people like to have more context than what a program note provides. It is a way for people to learn more about the music we are going to play.”

FSO also provides program notes on its website so attendees will have a good idea about what the performance will contain. The program notes are available at www.fayettevillesymphony.org.

Methodist University will host the concert at Huff Concert Hall, 5400 Ramsey St. The Music Nerd talk starts at 6:45 p.m. The concert starts at 7 p.m. Visit www.fayettevillesymphony.org or call 910-433- 4690 for tickets and information.

  Fayetteville City Council members will meet next month for their annual planning retreat. Last week, they held a preliminary session designed to zero in on issues they believe most important to the people in the year ahead. For the first time in many years, crime control is not on the list.

The priorities include initiating a development plan for the Murchison Road corridor. Members have been talking about economic improvement along the roadway for years. Mayor Mitch Colvin owns Colvin Funeral Home & Crematory at 2010 Murchison Rd. Murchison Road stretches for 10 miles from downtown Fayetteville to Spring Lake.

City Council plans to take on the revitalization in segments, the first being from the new Rowan Street railroad overpass to Langdon Street, just beyond Fayetteville State University. Local business development, improved street lighting, additional bus stops and mobility are potential areas of improvement. It “could be 15, 20 years before this whole corridor is done,” said Mayor Pro Tem Ted Mohn.

Another area of interest to council would be the city’s investment in a modern, high-speed broadband system. Councilman Jim Arp spoke of making Fayetteville a Top 50 smart technology city, saying “information is the commerce of the next century.”

The city administration calls these special interest projects targets for action. Other projects include completion of the comprehensive land use plan, development and maintenance of city street and stormwater systems, and development of options for a young adult engagement program and an internship program.

The objective of the session was to get the council thinking in greater detail about the goals it will concentrate on during the annual planning retreat. In addition to public safety concerns, they scratched development of parks and recreation programs from their list. P&R Committee Chair Kathy Jensen noted that passage of the $35 million bond referendum three years ago had stabilized funding needs.

The list of targets for action did not include crime control in Fayetteville. Statistics continue to reflect an overall upward trend in crime over 17 years with both violent and property crimes increasing. Based on this trend, the crime rate in Fayetteville for 2019 is expected to be higher than in 2016 according to CityRating.com. The city had a record number of homicides in 2016 — 33.

In 2016, the violent crime rate in Fayetteville was higher than the violent crime rate in North Carolina by 103.42 percent, and the city’s property crime rate was higher than the property crime rate in North Carolina by 66.23 percent.

The source of data on Fayetteville crime rates is the FBI Report of Offenses Known to Law Enforcement. The projected crime rate data was generated from the trends and crime information available from previous years of reported data. The FBI cautions that statistics comparing yearly data solely on the basis of population is meaningful only upon further examination of all variables that affect crime.