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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The existing crosswalk will be modified in a similar matter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How much bleach is needed to purify water?

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

How do you operate a generator?

How do you stop bleeding?

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

What steps need to be taken during a water advisory?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pictured from top to bottom: Jonathan Wood, Kelcie Farmer

After a successful summer of providing meals to children in need, the ALMS House in Hope Mills is gearing up for an even more ambitious project of a similar nature as school resumes in Cumberland County.

Over the summer months, the ALMS House provided an average of 20 bag lunches a week to children and some adults who needed them, getting much-needed support from the community in the form of donations of food and money.

A few weeks ago they got a call to help out with another program that received state funding to provide food to children if another organization would give them a location where the children could go to relax and enjoy the meals. That program ended in early August, and ALMS House was asked to pick up the ball for the remaining weeks until school resumed late this month.

Since that responsibility was added, the ALMS House has been averaging 90 meals per day in addition to the 20 per week they had been doing. “It’s unbelievable how the community has stepped up and provided both funding and provisions for us,’’ said Delores Schiebe of the ALMS House. “It has just fallen into place.’’

Once school resumes, the pace at ALMS House will pick up even more as they begin providing take-home bag lunches for under-privileged children that school social workers have identified as likely to not have access to food over the weekend.

Schiebe said ALMS House will start packing some 250 bag lunches the first week of school, but as time passes the numbers will grow upwards of 450 to 500 bags per week.

“We try to make the bags as nutritious as possible,’’ Schiebe said. They include things like milk and natural fruit juice, not simply flavored water. Other items include ramen noodles, pop-top cans of spaghetti or other main course type dishes, beef jerky, cheese and crackers, fruit snacks and
a spoon.

These bags are designed to be taken home each Friday by students that have been identified by school social workers as children at risk of going without food over the weekend.

Schiebe said the number of bags increases because often a child will return from the weekend and say they shared the food with a sibling and ask if they could get an extra bag for them.

Since there are so many more children involved than the summer program, this is much more expensive for the ALMS House to handle and requires even more support from the community.

“We encourage cash because we go shopping,’’ Schiebe said of the process used to fill the bags each week.

Donations of actual food are also accepted, Schiebe said, including pop-top cans of meat or pasta or the microwaveable dishes that come in single-serve plastic containers. Bottled water is also welcome.

Volunteers came in this week at ALMS House to begin packing the first bags that will go out to the children this year.

Looking ahead, Schiebe said plans are in the works for the annual Peace, Love, Walk event, scheduled in October 19 at 4 p.m., that is a major benefit for the ALMS House. Members Credit Union is the primary sponsor of the walk. “We are looking for sponsors, walkers and vendors,’’ Schiebe said.

For further information on the walk and how to support it, Schiebe
 said people can contact the ALMS House or the local Members Credit Union office. 

The ALMS House can be reached at 910-425-0902. Members Credit Union is 910-425-6806.

Elected leaders are welcome but politics will not be the focus of a Hope Mills Community Roundtable sponsored by the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce and Up & Coming Weekly. 

The event is scheduled at Harmony at Hope Mills, 7051 Rockfish Road, on Thursday. A meet and greet time is scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m., followed by the roundtable at 7 p.m.

“We are glad to be hosting it with Up & Coming (Weekly) and Harmony of Hope Mills,’’ said Jan Spell, president of the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce.

Spell called Harmony a wonderful facility that has been good to the chamber. “Now they’re wanting to be good to the residents of our community as well,’’ she said. “We hope that they’ll come out and express their voices so they can be heard, do a little learning and let us learn from them as well.’’

The roundtable will begin with brief presentations by local government leaders and town staff. While all citizens and elected officials are welcome to attend, Spell stressed this is not a political rally and should not be confused with a campaign event on the part of anyone running for office.

“There may be candidates there that the residents want to speak with,’’ she said. “Everyone is welcome to attend. This is an open forum for everyone, not just citywide but countywide too.

“Mostly we’re looking for our citizens to come and join us.’’

In addition to Spell, scheduled speakers include Cumberland County Commissioner Michael Boose and Hope Mills town finance director Drew Holland.

Up & Coming Weekly publisher Bill Bowman said his publication is sponsoring the event to give the people of Hope Mills a chance to learn what the Chamber of Commerce is doing in the community and to bring people up to date on the wonderful things that are going on in Hope Mills.

“The best way to do that is to get everybody together on an informal basis, to have an informal conversation about what they would like to see, what they like about Hope Mills and to meet the movers and shakers of the county and Hope Mills so they can identify people and start developing relationships with the town,’’ he said. 

Like Spell, Bowman stressed the event is not political in nature. “This is for the people,’’ he said. “No political agenda associated with it.’’

Bowman said the response to this first meeting will be gauged, and if it’s successful, future meetings could be held as frequently as quarterly each year. 

“We want to get people used to them,’’ he said. “It should be a lot of fun.’’

Because Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and the Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly have remained deadlocked for weeks over passage of a new state budget. 

The legislature has passed several bills that make consequential changes to the conduct and reach of government in North Carolina. Gov. Cooper has signed them into law. As their aim is to modify or eliminate outdated laws, think of them as the governmental equivalent of spring cleaning — although it took until summer to begin this latest excavation of the state’s regulatory closet.

One of the measures, House Bill 590, amends a policy the state initiated back in 2013. That policy requires all regulations on the books to be reviewed periodically by the relevant agencies or departments. If the rule isn’t reviewed as required by law, or deemed no longer to meet a demonstrable need at a reasonable cost, it disappears — an outcome known as regulatory sunset.

From 2013 to 2018, hundreds of outmoded or counterproductive regulations went away under this law. But there was a bit of a loophole. The original process created three buckets into which administrators could toss regulations: 1) unnecessary (the rule goes “poof’), 2) necessary without substantive public interest (no one has complained lately, so it is automatically renewed) and 3) necessary with substantial public interest (because there are complaints, it must go back through a re-adoption process).

Regulators were tossing most state rules into that second bucket, so that they weren’t getting significant scrutiny. House Bill 590 removes that bucket from the deck. The legislation received overwhelmingly bipartisan support and Cooper’s signature. Now all regulations must either survive re-adoption or go away.

Another “weeding out” process, this time within our criminal code, is about to accelerate thanks to the passage of Senate Bill 584. It also got overwhelmingly bipartisan support and a nod from the governor. It targets North Carolina’s “overcriminalization” problem.

Over the decades, state agencies and local governments have adopted a range of criminal penalties for offenses that, whatever their adverse social effects may be, don’t necessarily merit criminal prosecution. For example, it is a crime in some North Carolina communities to feed stray animals. It is a crime to sell Silly String in Mt. Airy.

A prior law had required agencies and localities to report all the ordinances or rules on their books that criminalized behavior — a necessary first step to tackling the problem. But compliance was spotty. Under Senate Bill 584, noncompliant municipalities will have their ability to pass criminal ordinances frozen for two years. For state agencies proposing rules with criminal penalties, the new law automatically refers them to the General Assembly for review.

Finally, Cooper signed Senate Bill 290 into law last month. Another bipartisan measure, it contains several changes to North Carolina’s alcohol laws. It allows craft distilleries to sell mixed drinks and removes limits on the number of bottles a visitor can buy on their premises. The law also advances important reforms of the state’s archaic Alcoholic Beverage Control system, such as allowing liquor tastings at ABC stores and combatting the proliferation of patronage-heavy ABC boards.

State agencies and localities are certainly empowered to use their regulatory powers to protect public health and safety. They should ensure a true “meeting of the minds” in private contracts by requiring disclosures and policing fraud. They should protect the persons and property of residents against pollution, communicable disease, and other threats for which effective collective action requires government action.

But these powers should be used with caution, focused on clearly identifiable harms, imposed only when the expected benefits exceed the likely costs, and scaled so that any penalties involved are proportional to the offense. Over the decades, North Carolina has somewhat-haphazardly acquired an odd assortment of intrusive regulations and criminal penalties that don’t meet such common-sense tests.

Now, Republican and Democratic policymakers are working together to clean up the mess. That’s most welcome.

This week, publisher Bill Bowman yields his space to Elizabeth Blevins.

Hope Mills had a banner summer. Our dam won a second prestigious award, our military recruiters were recognized as the best in the nation, four Dixie Youth ball teams won state championships and competed in the World Series, our food truck rodeo and farmers markets continue to grow, our staff played an integral role in the Cut My City campaign, Grandson’s was recognized in Our State Magazine, three sculptures were donated to the town, we formed a Hope Mills Art Council, the Hope Mills lake is once again open for recreation and our fire department achieved an ISO rating of 2, which is practically unheard of in a municipality this small.

What’s not to like about our Hope Mills community?

Well, Commissioner Meg Larson couldn’t find anything positive to say when she appeared on a WFNC local talk radio program Aug. 19. She didn’t mention any of these things. Instead, she continued her attacks on Mayor Jackie Warner while promoting her latest conspiracy theory that Warner is guilty of colluding with Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper publisher Bill Bowman to — ironically — make the town look bad.

Why would he do that? 

Larson is no stranger to conspiracy theories. In 2014, long before her stint in politics, her penchant for muckraking led her to believe former-Commissioner Bryan Marley was guilty of a conflict of interest with the town. Larson gathered information, “relevant” ordinances and general statutes and handed them off to the district attorney for investigation. Unfortunately for Larson, he didn’t agree, and Marley was exonerated based on unsubstantiated information. 

Not long after, she repeated the same process when she accused former-Commissioner Edwin Deaver of having a conflict of interest with the town. Like Marley, Deaver was exonerated. 

In 2018, the newly elected Commissioner Larson began to immediately and privately investigate long-time mayor, Jackie Warner. Larson was convinced the mayor colluded with her son, Teddy Warner, and members of Lone Survivor Foundation by scheming to sell a municipality-owned piece property to the veterans’ organization. As each allegation was investigated, no evidence was found to support such a conspiracy. Eventually the allegations were dropped. By January it was evident Larson wasn’t going to stop the harassment. She convinced the board to hire an outside investigator to determine if there was any wrongdoing by the mayor’s office. 

Larson presented the independent investigator with a three-inch binder complete with accusations, printed ordinances and general statutes she wanted him to use in framing the investigation. The investigation concluded four months later at a whopping cost to Hope Mills taxpayers of nearly $30,000 and with the full exoneration of Mayor Warner. The independent investigator delivered the results to the Board of Commissioners in late May and concluded the unfortunate circumstances were caused as a result of “rookie mistakes.” 

That was obviously the kindest thing he could say about the situation since the rookies were commissioners Larson, Mike Mitchell and Jessie Bellflowers.

After all this, one might think Larson would be deterred from antics like this and focus to creating policy for the good of Hope Mills and its residents. Not so. By July, she was again making accusations and posting ordinances and statutes, this time declaring one of the candidates for the Board of Commissioners couldn’t hold an official campaign kickoff on municipal property. Again, she was wrong. Town Attorney Dan Hartzog was tasked with making the decision. More wasted time and money. 

For most of Hope Mills, it wasn’t a surprise when Larson took to the airwaves last week and started hurling accusations and character assassinations. 

Larson began her radio tirade by explaining she ran for office two years ago because she didn’t like the decisions the previous board was making and felt they were wasting taxpayers’ money. It’s ironic since this board just wasted $30,000 on a needless investigation and spent $25,000 on a survey for a “temporary” driveway and parking lot for the golf course. 

To date, the board has appropriated a quarter of a million dollars for the Historic Preservation Committee, which has yet to produce anything for the town. Yet Larson vehemently attacks and accuses publisher Bill Bowman of writing articles “retaliating” against the board when they chose to not renew the Up & Coming Weeklynewspaper Hope Mills Initiative in 2018. She continues to falsely contend that Bowman expected the town to pay $28,000 a year for “good news” articles that he wanted the board and the staff to write. 

Ridiculous. Bowman has explained the purpose and intent of the Hope Mills Initiative to Larson and the rest of the board — a point made to Larson in person on two different occasions and in print on two other different occasions. 

Larson also accused Mayor Warner of soliciting me to start a blog for the purpose of discrediting her and the board. Again, ridiculous. I posted a lengthy article on Dec. 5 explaining why I started my blog. In it, I said very clearly that Commissioner Mitchell was using social media to attack Mayor Warner, her son and various staff members. I hadn’t spoken to Jackie Warner in years, but she called me and asked that I watch a video of the meeting. I did watch the video, and I was disgusted by the behavior of Mitchell and Larson. I decided that day to start the blog. 

Larson claims the mayor objected when the board wanted to make changes to plans the previous board had already agreed upon. Warner actively encouraged this board to move forward, specifically with Phase II of the lake plan. The previous board worked with the Lake Advisory Committee to choose a design for Phase II. The plans were drafted and paid for. This board simply had to accept a bid and begin the project. Had they done so, the bulkhead and the boardwalk would have been completed prior to summer 2018. But Mitchell delayed the process multiple times, insisting they wait for the newly commissioned Comprehensive Plan. That plan wasn’t delivered to the board until July 2019, costing delays and more money. 

Larson spent more than 20 minutes on air during Cumulus WFNC’s “Morning Show” feeding red meat to disc jockey “Goldy” Goldberg, who cannot hide his disdain for Bill Bowman and Up & Coming Weekly. Larson and her accomplice, Goldberg, continue to bash and spread lies about the Hope Mills mayor and other supporting commissioners, Bill Bowman, Up & Coming Weekly, Earl Vaughan and me and other private citizens they accuse of launching a smear campaign against her with the mayor’s help. 

In mid-July Larson announced she wouldn’t seek re-election to the board and will instead support Warner’s opponent, Mike Mitchell. She could have used the radio time to expound on Mitchell’s merits and accomplishments or announce his campaign platform. Instead, she used it as another opportunity to bash and discredit Warner, who has consistently beat Mitchell in all his bids for the mayor’s seat. 

Perhaps it’s best that Larson, who has mentioned on several occasions that she’s not a politician, chose not to run again. It seems her dislike for the previous board didn’t make her any more motivated or qualified for the job. 

Truth to power! We love this town. We are media and take full responsibility for what we say and write. That’s what community newspapers do. It’s also why Goldy doesn’t have Bill Bowman on his show anymore. As Bill would say, “Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.”

Pictured: Meg Larson 

Since 2012 Sweet Tea Shakespeare Theater has been entertaining Fayetteville. But its newest production, “Timon of Athens,” debuted Aug. 21 in Hope Mills. Bringing “Timon of Athens” to Hope Mills was the result of a partnership between Sweet Tea Shakespeare Theater and the newly formed Hope Mills Creative Art Council. 

“Timon of Athens” is the story of the too-generous Athenian nobleman Timon. Timon shares his wealth liberally with his “friends,” hosting lavish parties and lending financial support to their many endeavors. Apemantus warns Timonthat his friends are taking advantage of his generosity, but Timon refuses to heed the warnings, saying, “O, that men’s ears should be / To counsel deaf, but not to flattery!” 

He’s further warned by Flavius, his servant, that his wealth is dwindling. But again, Timon ignores the warnings, preferring to give money rather than his time, binding his friends to him with his generosity.

Eventually, Timon finds himself destitute and without friends to lend him their support. He leaves Athens to live in a cave. While scavenging for roots, he discovers a cache of gold, which he squanders on ill-conceived plots to ruin Athens — and the friends who betrayed him.

The play was performed by Sweet Tea’s youth company, “Green Tea.” Green Tea is a yearlong program designed to introduce 12- to 17-year-old students to the technical elements of acting and the intricacies of Shakespearean language. It culminates in a full performance. 

Sweet Tea Shakespeare Theater is known for its minimalist approach to Shakespeare productions. The group limits the use of sets, props and costumes, preferring instead to focus on the storytelling element of the production. The shows also include live music and often original songs. And unless there’s inclement weather, they perform outdoors, providing refreshments to their guests and creating the same atmosphere in which Shakespeare’s plays were originally enjoyed. 

“Timon of Athens” was performed at the historic Moulder-Warner House, owned by Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner, who is one of the founding members of the Hope Mills Creative Art Council. The house is on a spacious corner lot just off Main Street. It’s traditional white columns, hydrangeas and magnolia trees lend themselves to its idyllic charm. The members of Sweet Tea Shakespeare Theater and the Hope Mills Creative Art Council were pleased with the night’s success and are looking forward to many more joint ventures. They have a production tentatively scheduled for March 2020 and another scheduled for June.

Up next for Sweet Tea is “HamLIT,” set for Friday, Oct. 4, and Friday, Nov. 1, at the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. It will show Thursday, Oct. 10, at Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom and Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18-19, and Friday and Saturday, Nov. 8-9 at Hugger Mugger Brewing in Sanford. “HamLIT” is also set to take the stage Friday, Oct. 11; Thursday, Oct. 24; Sat., Oct. 26, at Paddy’s; Sunday, Oct. 13, at Fainting Goat Fuquay-Varina; andSunday, Oct. 27, at Fainting Goat in Benson

Behold follows in the lineup Dec. 5-7 and 12- 14 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and Wednesday, Dec. 4, at Methodist University.

For ticket information visit www.sweetteashakespeare.com

The Jungle Run, South View’s annual night cross country meet, returns for its 19th year on Saturday, Aug. 31, with the finish line on the Tiger track at Randy Ledford Stadium. 

This year’s event will feature one significant change, the addition of a combined race for middle school runners, boys and girls.

South View cross country coach Jesse Autry said he’s trying to encourage middle school cross country because some areas of the state that lack it are falling behind in the sport.

Another new award will be presented to the Most Spirited Team at the meet for its overall enthusiasm and support of teammates during the competition.

With one day left before the signup closed last week, 61 teams had committed to the event this year.

A drawing card for entries is the fact the South View cross country course will host two major competitions later this year, the Patriot Athletic Conference meet and the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4-A East Regional championship.

Some familiar powerhouses will be coming to South View to compete in this year’s race.

On the boys side top teams include Raleigh Broughton, Raleigh Leesville Road and Raleigh Millbrook.

Among the better region teams, Union Pines
is back.

Among smaller schools, a powerful Croatan team is back along with private school standout Fayetteville Christian.

Some of the better girls' teams in the meet include Carrboro, Wilmington Ashley and Cary Academy.

One traditional power that won’t be running this year is Pinecrest, which is unable to take part due to a schedule conflict.

Check-in for the meet begins at 4 p.m. The combined middle school race for boys and girls will start at 5:45 p.m., followed at 6:15 p.m. and then 6:55 p.m. by the developmental races for boys and girls respectively.

The two invitational races for smaller schools will be held at 6:55 p.m. and 7:40 p.m.

The championship races for boys and girls are set for 9 p.m. and 9:40 p.m.

The awards ceremony takes place in the football stadium stands beginning at 10:15 p.m.

Entry to the meet itself is free but spectator parking in the lots at South View is $5 per
carload.

A few of us (bikers) just got back from Sturgis. For us, Sturgis wasn’t about the crazy party that people talk about. It’s about the fellowship and all of the great riding around the Black Hills of South Dakota. 

To get there, we had to ride 1,800 miles, one way, in about three-and-a-half days. My wife likes to ride with me, but for this distance and time, we both knew she would not feel pretty, so we decided to fly her out there. 

I was voluntold to be “team leader.” That gave me the responsibility of figuring out the route, times and some of the lodging arrangements. With the crazy weather patterns we have had across the country this year, I had to build a flexible route that would try to avoid the rain and heat and get us there in time. 

On the way to South Dakota, all went perfectly. We made our time, the weather was great (only a little rain), and most importantly, I was able to meet my wife at the airport. 

Before I left, I made sure I had new tires, checked and tightened all of the nuts and bolts on my bike, and just made sure the bike was in good order.

 Over the years, I’ve developed a pretty good check list so that I only pack what I need and nothing more. I usually wind up making three lists. The first list is to check off items as I lay them out for packing. The second list is used when I separate all of the items for packing. This is usually done by category. For example, I separate items that can get wet like rain clothes, etc. The third list is dry items, like clothes and tools. Once it is packed on the bike, I check off the final list. That sounds great, but then I’ll realize something isn’t right and then I’ll start over again — it happens! 

No matter if you are on a day trip or cross-country, here are five things that everyone should carry to help make sure they have a good trip.

One extra layer of clothes:The weather, altitude and time of day can easily change on a ride. I always look at the weather, but I have discovered that even if the weather report says 0% chance of rain, the weather person is only about 10% right.

Spare gloves:This is nice in case your gloves get wet or torn. I carry a couple of different types, depending on the weather. In the summer, I usually carry a vented pair and warmer gloves for night. For Sturgis, I actually carried four pair. Light, medium, heavy and a waterproof glove cover. 

A cargo net or bungee cords:This is something you may want to pick up or move around. You can also use it to put wet clothes under to let them dry out as you ride. 

A bicycle lock: Good motorcycle helmets and jackets are expensive. A good, worry-free way to leave them on your bike is to run a bicycle lock through the sleeves of the jacket and through your helmet and secure it to the bike. 

A roadside assistant program:My friend Bill broke down on the way back and called the Harley-Davidson Roadside Assistance. What a great plan they have. They will tow your bike to the nearest qualified service facility. I ride a BMW, and I’m lucky to find one qualified repair facility in a state. 

When I got home, I started looking at my roadside assistance plans and discovered that I have AAA, Allstate, BMW Club MOA, SPOT (satellite), American Motorcycle Association (AMA) and I haven’t even checked my motorcycle insurance. To the best I can tell, none of these have towing to a “qualified service facility.” Some only cover up to 25 miles to a facility and a few want 100 miles or less. One of them covered a room if you were more than 100 miles away. Either way, roadside assistance is a great essential, but you need to know the details. 

Hopefully these essentials will help you with some flexibility and security on your future rides. 

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

Stan Bagley knew his Cumberland Post 32 Bombers had no shortage of talent this season, but even he was surprised by the way the team coasted through the rest of the field at this year’s North Carolina American Legion Lady Fastpitch state tournament in Shelby.

Cumberland, in its first season of American Legion softball field, cruised through the double elimination event with a 3-0 record and outscored the rest of the field 30-10 en route to the title. They finished the season with an 18-2 record.

“I was a little shocked that we hit the ball as well as we did late,’’ Bagley said. “In all three games, seeing those pitchers the second and third time, they really zoned in and showed me what they were capable of doing.

“I knew they had the potential. Just to watch it click when we needed it was awesome.’’

Among the leading hitters for Cumberland in the three games in the state finals were McKenzie Mason with a .727 average, Alyssa Norton .556, Alexa Glemaker .500 and Courtney Cygan .455.

Bagley credited the top of the Cumberland order — Jaden Pone, Cygan and Mason, for setting the table with their speed and putting the ball in play.

In the championship game, he praised Ashton Fields for sparking a huge rally that put the win away for Cumberland.

Most Valuable Player honors for the tournament went to Glemaker for her pitching, mostly in a relief role. She came on in the championship game after Cumberland fell behind early and pitched scoreless relief as the Bombers rallied for the win.

In 11.1 innings for the tournament, Glemaker recorded seven strikeouts, allowed no walks and just one earned run.

“All year long, when we needed that relief off the bench she stepped up and came through,’’ Bagley said of Glemaker. “It seemed like she knew the pressure was on and she pitched better for us.’’

Glemaker, a freshman, will enroll at Cape Fear High School this fall.

“I know some people thought we weren’t going to be as good because we were a first-year team,’’ Glemaker said. “Watching some of the other teams,
I thought we had a good shot.’’

If no one else in Cumberland County decides to field an American Legion softball team next year, Bagley could potentially return everyone on this year’s team for the 2020 season. If another team is formed, a decision will have to be made on how the county schools will divide the players between them.

Bagley said with the success of this year’s entry, he expects Legion softball to continue growing around the state.

“The ultimate goal is to have one team in every county in North Carolina, then grow this thing in the Southeast and eventually the whole nation,’’ he said. 

Photo 1: Alexa Glemaker

Photo 2: Makenzie Mason, Jaden Pone, Courtney Cygan, Megan Cygan, Becca Collins, Carey Dees, Emma Cobb, Madison Bagley, Alyssa Norton, Ashton Fields, Korie St. Peter, Catie McGrath, Alex Deville, Sarah Edge, Alexa Glemaker, Coach Stan Bagley.

With a pair of All-Sandhills Conference players returning, new Jack Britt volleyball coach Jess Grooms is hoping she can continue in the tradition of former coach Leigh Ann Weaver in leading the Buccaneers to the top of the league volleyball standings.

Meanwhile, in the Patriot Athletic Conference, veteran Cape Fear coach Jeff Bruner will be looking to retool his lineup after major graduation losses following the Colts’ latest conference title.

Grooms said maintaining communication will be a key to success for the Buccaneers this season as she hopes to build on the foundation established by Weaver.

“Our libero, Ilena Hall, has done a phenomenal job all summer,’’ Grooms said. “She’s grown so much and has become more of a vocal leader on the floor.’’

Kaiah Parker, who like Hall was all-conference last year, will be counted on to be a top hitter for the Buccaneers.

“I think I’m going to move her outside because she’s such a dominant hitter,’’ Grooms said. “I think she’s going to be a big impact player.’’

Grooms thinks Britt returns enough talent to contend for the Sandhills Conference title again this season. She got a chance to see a number of the teams Britt will face this season in preseason scrimmages and saw signs of improvement in all of them.

“This year we genuinely have a group of girls that likes each other,’’ she said. “That makes my job a whole lot easier when there are no issues between the girls on the team.’’

Cape Fear’s Bruner lost nearly all of the offense from last year’s conference championship teambut does return the core of his defense in Taylor Melvin and Marlie Horne.

“They have always kind of been our back row and done everything for us,’’ Bruner said. Another key returner is Tori McGowan, who frequently came off the bench last season but will be pressed into a starting role this year.

“We’ve made her a full-time setter,’’ Bruner said. “She’s always been able and capable to play for us.’’

So far this season Bruner has been focusingon his team’s defense. “We’ve always had the concept of anytime we get the ball over the net, we’ve got a good enough defense someone is going to get a hand on it,’’ he said. “Essentially if we’re all playing and we’re all aware after someone touches it and everyone’s helping, there’s no reason in our mind that a ball should ever hit the floor.’’

He expects the Patriot Conference to be highly competitive this season. “Cumberland County has improved its level of play,’’ he said. “Across the board, there is no easy game.’’

Pictured from left to right: Ilena Hall, Kaiah Parker, Taylor Melvin, Marlie Horne

North Carolina will celebrate the birthday of Revolutionary War hero Marquis de LaFayette Friday and Saturday, Sept. 6-7 in Fayetteville. 

Fayetteville was the first city in the nation named for the French nobleman when the State Assembly combined the towns of Cross Creek and Campbellton in 1783. It is the only namesake city Lafayette visited, even though there are many communities named for him. Festivities begin Friday evening with “Arias and Artifacts” in Davis Memorial Library at Methodist University. Tickets can be purchased at City Center Gallery & Books at 112 Hay St. or by calling 910-678-8899. The Lafayette Trail Tour takes place Saturday at 8:30 a.m., starting with coffee and croissants at the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry, 210 Burgess St. Guests will see places that Lafayette visited when he was here in 1825. Reservations are required. Call 910-678-8899. Saturday, the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex will celebrate Lafayette’s birthday and the American Revolution with the annual Festival of Yesteryear: Revolution on the Cape Fear, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., in Arsenal Park. 

Ice hockey gets a boost at the Crown Coliseum

Capital improvement projects underway at the Crown Coliseum will add years of life to the facility. The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners approved approximately $4.6 million to replace the coliseum ice system and ice floor and replace and paint two parking lots. These funds were available from local food and beverage tax proceeds that must be utilized by law for costs associated with Crown facilities. The ice floor, which covers the entire performance area of the coliseum, and the ice floor chiller were replaced earlier this month. Old concrete and piping were removed, and new piping was installed along with 410 cubic yards of concrete. The concrete will need 28 days to cure and will be ready for use in mid-September. The new ice system is expected to provide more than 20 years of efficient ice-making capabilities. 

“Investment in capital projects at the Crown Complex... (indicates) Cumberland County is committed to providing first-class entertainment facilities for its citizens,” said Engineering and Infrastructure Director Jeffery Brown. 

Parking lot work to replace the Agri-Expo Center east parking lot and the Cooperative Extension parking lot is about 85% complete. Construction of the Crown Coliseum was completed in 1997. To see upcoming events at the Crown, go to crowncomplexnc.com. 

Animal shelter adoptions a success

The Cumberland County Animal Shelter found homes, Aug. 17, for 162 animals during the nationwide Clear the Shelters event. Officials waived adoption fees for the day, resulting in 99 cats, 61 dogs and two guinea pigs being adopted. Twenty-two animal control staff members and 30 volunteers assisted more than 550 people who visited the shelter to see the available animals. 

Dr. April Kelly, animal control staff veterinarian, met with families to answer questions and provide information abouts heartworms, fleas, ticks and other pet health topics. Friends of the Cumberland County Animal Shelter provided adopters with gift bags with pet-related items. People interested in pet adoptions can visit the animal shelter during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. Visit http://bit.ly/CCAdoptablePets for more information on pet adoptions.

Operation Safe Travel

One of the goals of the North Carolina Highway Patrol is to reduce teenage driver crashes. To accomplish this objective, the State Patrol has requested the assistance of the Cumberland County Schools system to inform parents of high school students who drive to school to be aware of the following issues: speeding; seatbelt usage; limited provisional license violations; Level II driver restrictions, which means one teenage passenger; and distractions such as texting while driving and cellphone usage. Troopers are patrolling the main thoroughfares and roads that feed into county schools during the first two weeks of the school year. Parents are urged to make their teens aware that enforcement actions will be taken for substantial violations of motor vehicle laws.

Introducing the EMBLETC

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners has named the sheriff’s training center in honor of former longtime Sheriff Moose Butler, who retired three years ago. Sheriff Ennis Wright asked the board to name the training center for Butler. Sheriff Wright provided a petition signed by 14 current and former elected officials supporting the endorsement. 

The building, located next to the Animal Control Center on Corporation Drive, is now the Earl “Moose” Butler Law Enforcement Training Center. 

Butler served as Cumberland County Sheriff for 22 years, from 1994 to 2016. The state-of-the-art training center was built during his tenure. It has an indoor firing range, munitions room, lecture rooms, a driver training pad and other features. It was built using money forfeited by drug dealers who were arrested and successfully prosecuted. 

One of the mightiest curses that ancient Chinese allegedly could lay on another person was “May you live in interesting times.” 

No one can prove who actually said this, or even if it was said. However, never letting a lack of factual basis stand between me and a column deadline, I repeat it here. It may have been said by Shaolin Master Po in the old 1970s TV show “Kung Fu.” 

Po was a blind Shaolin monk. He taught Kwai Chang Caine — David Carradine — fancy martial art moves while saying cosmic stuff like “Do you hear the grasshopper which is at your feet?” Fun fact- grasshopper’s ears are near their back legs. 

I digress. We are living in interesting times. Real wars in the Middle East, trade wars with China, Greenland going into escrow, mass shootings and recession on the horizon are all arriving in a confluence of bad news. However, as Po may have said, “Cheer up, it could be worse.” So, I cheered up. Of course, it got worse. Never bet against Po. 

In order to form a more perfect readership, establish schadenfreude, ensure domestic disharmony and to provide for the common distaste of life in general, consider the wonderful world of science fiction movie posters. No matter how bad things are in real life, gentle reader, the reel life of people in sci-fi movies was infinitely worse. A giant bug is not threatening to eat you now, is it? Nope. 

Ponder these movie posters. You will feel better fast, like taking cinematic Wellbutrin. All of these bad things are happening to someone else. Someone else who is worse off than you. Isn’t that what life is all about? The ability to see someone slip on a banana peel, laugh at them and feel superior?

Take a trip down 1950s movie monster lane. Consider “The Monster that Challenged the World.” The poster shows a very large caterpillar clutching a buxom damsel in its many arms. The poster says “A new kind of terror to numb the nerves. Crawling up from the depths to terrify and torture.” 

Space aliens arrive in “Satan’s Satellites,” which shows a guy in a space suit carrying an unconscious buxom lady while space ships and robots are blasting away at a great American city with the line: “Cosmic Thrills as space spies plot to put the world out of orbit.” 

Insect fear arrives with “The Deadly Mantis,” showing a giant praying mantis attacking the Washington Monument as airplanes harmlessly blast him. The poster says: “This was the day that engulfed the world in terror.” 

The 1950s classic movie “Them” has a giant ant scooping up a pretty lady in a blue dress in his giant pincers as cowardly men hide with the line: “An endless terror. A nameless horror.” Quick Henry, the Flit!

Who could forget “The Fiend Without a Face,” which is a human brain with a tail slithering toward yet another buxom lady? She is wrapped in a towel having just gotten out of the shower. The poster’s line: “New horrors. Mad science spawns evil fiends. Fiends take form before your very eyes.” 

Continuing in the brain lane, consider “The Brain Eaters,” which are “crawling, slimy things, terror bent on destroying the world.” 

A more traditional alien with a huge bulbous head appears in “Saucer Men.” He has a giant brain and is, once again, holding a shapely young lady in his evil clutches as flying saucers blast a city with the line: “Creeping horror from the depths of hell and outer space.” 

“Tobor the Great” is a giant robot carrying yet another unconscious curvaceous woman with the line: “Man-made monster with EVERY human emotion.” Clearly, Tobor has something more in mind that just conquering Earth. 

Very few posters didn’t feature damsels in distress. However “The Wasp Woman” poster shows a giant wasp with a woman’s head clutching a shirtless man with the line: “A beautiful woman by day — A lusting Queen wasp by night.” 

Along the same gender lines, “The Astounding She Monster” shows a gargantuan nearly topless lady with flying saucers blasting a tiny man holding a rifle with the line: “A creature from Beyond the Stars Evil... Beautiful... Deadly!” 

There seems to be a pattern here. Helpless ladies held hostage by giant malevolent critters. When men are endangered, it is by evil She Creatures from the Great Beyond. What are we to make of this? Bad things that go bump in the night only go after beautiful women? Is the story of Adam and Eve somehow the basis for 1950s science fiction movies? Women are either helpless victims or evil monsters in these movies. 

As Mr. Rogers would say, “Can you say misogyny? I knew you could.” 

Have we learned anything today? Unfortunately, once again very little. 

But cheer up, you are not being chomped by a giant ant, stung by a wasp woman, sexually harassed by a robot or having your brain served as sushi. 

Now don’t you feel better? Everything is relative. As a wise man once told me, “It is better to be seen than to be viewed.” 

Now get out there and enjoy your superiority.

Fayetteville Academy and Terry Sanford both enjoyed outstanding success on the soccer field last season, the Academy capturing another North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association state title while Terry Sanford went unbeaten in the Patriot Athletic Conference and made the third round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3-A playoffs.

But look for things to be much different at both schools this season. For one, both suffered major graduation losses, especially the Academy, which lost 12 seniors, 10 them starters.

Terry Sanford will be much younger with only three seniors back along with 14 juniors and three sophomores.

But the biggest change for the Bulldogs will be the loss of head coach Karl Molnar, who is taking over as the school’s varsity boys basketball coach.

Replacing him will be another veteran coach in the Terry Sanford program, Steven Barbour.

“I’ve got big shoes to fill,’’ Barbour said. “There’s a winning tradition at Terry Sanford and its always daunting to come in behind a coach who was so successful.’’

Terry Sanford’s Jarred Miller and Andrew Troutman were the offensive and defensive players of the year in the Patriot Conference last season, but both graduated.

Barbour knows he’s got a lot of work to do to build chemistry and make use of everyone’s talents.

“We’ve got a deep pool of talent,’’ he said. “If we get everyone to work together and utilize their ability, I think we can be competitive.’’

Barbour expects the midfield to be the heart of the team with Davis Molnar, Alex Fox and newcomer Graham MacLeod leading the way.

Another returning forward expected to contribute heavily is Ever Aguero Aranda.

With the coaching change plus having to play all home games at Reid Ross High School while Terry Sanford’s stadium is being rebuilt, Barbour expects a challenging season.

“I feel we’re in the crosshairs of a lot teams,’’ he said. “Gray’s Creek, Cape Fear and Pine Forest all have their sights set on us. It’s going to be a fun season to rise to the challenge.’’

Fayetteville Academy’s Andrew McCarthy may have an inexperienced group but said they are working hard to get better every day.

“We’ve got players playing positions they’ve never played before,’’ he said. “They are certainly improving and that’s all we can ask for.’’

At this point, McCarthy said he can’t claim the Eagles are either a strong attacking or a strong defensive team, just a work in progress.

“The two captains, Cortez Herring and Davis Saint-Amand, are our two seniors,’’ he said. McCarthy said the two midfielders have been around the Eagle program for a number of years and will be counted on to provide needed leadership.

Pictured from top to bottom: Davis Saint-Amand, Cortez Herring, Ever Aguero Aranda

Can simply adding more police officers to the streets, or changing how they operate, reduce the crime rate? A report from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, “What Caused the Crime Decline?” provides some answers. First, increasing the number of police officers can reduce crime by about 5 to 10%. Police employment increased dramatically in the 1990s, rising 28%. 

A major contributor was the 1994 crime bill, which provided funding for 100,000 new local officers. The city of Fayetteville added nearly 50 additional officers to the force during retired Chief Harold Medlock’s administration, bringing the number of sworn officers to 433. The increase resulted in a three-cent increase in the property tax rate.

Police techniques can also be effective in reducing crime. Interestingly, the biggest impact has come from something that gets a lot less ink than controversial measures, such as stop-and-frisk or the use of military equipment — the digital revolution. During the 1990s, police forces began using computers to target their efforts. The technique is known as CompStat. Part management tool, part geographical data-driven analysis, CompStat originally was little more than sticking pins in a map on the wall, looking for crime patterns. But it worked. Former New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton implemented it full-scale in 1994. It then spread to many cities around the country, including Fayetteville.

Changes in law enforcement tactics are a key part of the larger puzzle, accelerating and reinforcing the other factors that combine to produce a decline in street crime. The hallmarks of CompStat are strong management and accountability techniques in a police department, as well as reliance on data collection to identify crime patterns at chosen locations. Resources are then deployed to break those patterns. 

Shift changes have also increased police visibility. In Fayetteville, the patrol shift schedule changed from three daily eight-hour shifts to two 12-hour shifts in January of this year. The net effect was a significant increase in human resources on the streets at a given time — from roughly 30 officers to 50. 

Police officers expressed concerns because their work schedules have a greater impact on their personal lives than any other non-life-threatening variable. According to the Brennan Center for Justice report, officers and their supervisors were initially concerned about the fatigue factor and its potential impact on safety, decision-making and productivity. 

To their advantage, though, police officers working 12-hour shifts found they spend more time with their families and have more time to perform routine tasks at home and away from work. Every other weekend off provides them more flexibility for recreation. A vast majority of spouses also reported overall satisfaction with the 12-hour schedule. 

In the Fayetteville Police Department, there have been no insurmountable problems reported in implementing the 12-hour schedule. Advantages far outweigh any disadvantages because fewer, longer shifts have a track record of improving the quality of life for officers and their families. Perhaps the most convincing argument for 12-hour shifts was that there is no record of officers wanting to switch back to their previous schedules.

Since the early 19th century, Americans have put our money where our mouths have been when it comes to education. We began with significant funding for public education for primary grades, high schools and ultimately, colleges and universities. North Carolina was way ahead of other states by founding our new nation’s first public university in 1789, an institution we know today as UNC-Chapel Hill. 

Education has never been a perfect system in our nation. It has been spotty both in accessibility and quality. Women and minorities were shut out initially, and small institutions in the hinterlands cannot compare to Harvard, Yale or UNC-Chapel Hill. Space is limited in almost all institutions, and price is always a factor.

Nevertheless, most Americans believed then and believe now that education is the great leveler and that it has the potential to lift all boats. We believe that a college education is not the only ticket to a successful and productive life but that it is definitely a boost in the right direction. The numbers bear out that belief, with college graduates consistently out-earning those with less education and enjoying more stable lives in other ways as well. 

In 2019, in an atmosphere of profoundly toxic and divisive partisan rancor, faith in the value of education has taken a hit and it, too, is along party lines. The nonpartisan Pew Research Center released study findings earlier this month about an undercurrent of public dissatisfaction — even suspicion — according to the Center, regarding higher education in our country. Fully 12% more Americans now say that colleges and universities have a negative effect than agreed with that statement earlier this decade. Almost all of the negative growth is among Republicans and independents who lean Republican. Democrats and independents who lean Democratic continue to view higher education as they have in the past, and their view is “overwhelmingly positive.” 

Both Republicans and Democrats are concerned with the rising cost of higher education and with equity in the admissions process to protect qualified students from less advantaged families. Beyond those concerns, 79% of Republicans, predominantly senior citizens, worry about professors bringing their own politics to school with them while only 17% of Democrats express that concern. In addition, Republicans and Democrats have veered apart on what they see as the purpose of higher education. Both agree that higher education should prepare a student with skills and knowledge to be deployed in the workplace, but Democrats are more likely to cite personal and intellectual growth as well.

These changes in attitudes about higher education fly in the face of generations of belief that education enriches us, both individually and as a society. Increased negativity toward higher education begs the question — if we do not see higher education as valuable for our nation, what will replace it in our society? Will we be able to compete in growing economies that do stress, value and support higher education? Will we lose in a world where education attainment is an international currency?

The Pew Research Center frames the issue this way.

“This broad overview of data on views about higher education in the U.S. reveals a complex set of attitudes — a public that still sees the benefit of a college education but has grown weary about the politics and culture on colleges campuses and the value of a four-year degree that has an ever-increasing price tag.

“The partisan gaps underlying these views are reflective of our politics more broadly. From health care to the environment to immigration and foreign policy, Republicans and Democrats increasingly see the issues of the day through different lenses. But views on the nation’s educational institutions have not traditionally been politicized. Higher education faces a host of challenges in the future — controlling costs amid increasing fiscal pressures, ensuring that graduates are prepared for the jobs of the future, adapting to changing technology and responding to the country’s changing demographics. Ideological battles waged of the climate and culture on college campuses may make addressing these issues more difficult.”

Most Americans believe that education is the great leveler and that it has the potential to lift all boats. 

When Hurricane Florence blew through Hope Mills last fall, one of the many casualties of the storm was the Miss Cotton Pageant.

Florence became a perfect storm to wreck the pageant as the town’s Parks and Recreation Building was damaged and uninhabitable for months, forcing the recreation staff to take temporary headquarters in Town Hall.

All that upheaval made the task of putting on the pageant too big a challenge.

But barring the intervention of weather again this fall, the Miss Cotton Pageant will return, scheduled Friday and Saturday, Sept. 27-28, in the auditorium at Jack Britt High School.

Paulette Hobbs of the recreation department is overseeing this year’s pageant. The original plan was to hold it at South View High School, but the school couldn’t guarantee the dates the town was seeking, so it was moved to the auditorium at Jack Britt.

Applications to enter the pageant are available at the recreation center on Rockfish Road or online at www.townofhopemills.com.

The entry fee is $50 per contestant and the entry deadline is Friday,
Sept. 13.

Separate age categories of the competition will be held on each of the two nights of the pageant.

Sept. 27 is for the 3- to 9-year-old contestants. Sept. 28 is for the 10- to 22-year-old contestants. Both evenings the competition will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Two important events will be held prior to the actual pageant. On Saturday, Sept. 21 at 11 a.m. at the Parks and Recreation Building there will be a meeting with all parents of pageant contestants. Thursday, Sept. 26, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., a dress rehearsal for all contestants will take place in the auditorium at Jack Britt High School.

For any questions or concerns about the pageant, contact Hobbs at the Parks and Recreation offices at 910-426-4109.

The Student Learning Center at Fayetteville Technical Community College offers students the opportunity to be in charge of their own learning. The Center provides students with academic tutoring, assistance and resources to further their comprehension of key concepts in a wealth of subject areas. 

The Center is a source of encouragement and support for FTCC students. Students who visit the SLC find a place where they can ask questions and receive answers without feeling embarrassed. Instructors listen to students and assess their academic needs, working one-on-one to provide meaningful and positive academic experiences.

Instructors work to bridge the gap between learning and understanding. We want students to feel comfortable when entering the SLC. Everyone learns differently, and we understand the struggles that students can face each semester. In fact, we encourage students to come to the Center as soon as they have a question or need assistance, rather than waiting for problems to arise. We provide a welcoming atmosphere with comfortable seating, computers, laptops and group instruction rooms. Additionally, the Center has recently been updated to include mobile whiteboards and mobile whiteboard tables to promote interactive learning. Students can also use the Center for a quiet place to study between or after classes. We have heard some students refer to the Center as their home away from home.

 Twelve instructors in the Center stand ready to help students gain understanding by answering academic questions. Each instructor has a higher education degree and has worked closely with adult learners. 

The primary goals of the SLC staff are to work with students to help them succeed, accomplish educational goals and create bigger and brighter futures. Education makes all the difference in attaining positive change. 

Additional resources are available for students as well, including three specialized labs located in the same general area as the SLC. The math, science, and writing labs offer students the same one-on-one experience they receive in the SLC but within a more personalized setting. The math and writing labs have one instructor, and two instructors serve the science lab. 

In addition to the one-on-one tutoring, the Center provides NetTutor Online Tutoring Service for distance education learners. NetTutor is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The tutoring service is available through FTCC student Blackboard accounts. 

Using the SLC is free, and no appointment is necessary. Students simply bring an FTCC student ID, swipe ID at the front kiosk, choose a class for needed assistance and get ready for an amazing learning experience. 

The SLC is located inside the Harry F. Shaw Virtual College Center. Hours of operation are Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., and Friday,
8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, contact the SLC at learningcenter@faytechcc.edu or call 910-678-8266. Discover the difference between taking classes and succeeding in classes.