Since 2007, the federal debt has more than doubled in relation to the size of the economy, and it will keep growing significantly if annual budget deficits projected under current law come to pass. The Congressional Budget Office periodically issues suggestions of policy options that could reduce the deficit.

The latest CBO report, issued last month, presents 121 options that would decrease federal spending and/or increase federal revenues over the next 10 years. Twenty of those proposals would affect the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, including holding the line on the base pay of military service members.

Basic pay is the largest component of service members’ cash compensation, accounting for about 60 percent of the total. This option would cap basic pay raises for service members at 0.5 percentage points below the increase in the Employment Compensation Index for five years starting in 2020 and then return them to the ECI benchmark in 2025. The CBO estimates that this would reduce the discretionary budget by nearly $18 billion from 2020 through 2028.

“Fatal Vision” update

Jeffrey MacDonald is a name with deep connections to Fort Bragg. He was convicted 40 years ago of the February 1970 murders of his pregnant wife and two young daughters in the Corregidor Court housing area on post. The military was unsuccessful in prosecuting MacDonald, and he received an honorable discharge from the Army in late 1970.

Years of subsequent allegations and judicial appeals ended when the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear his case. His trial was held in U.S. District Court in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1979. Since his conviction, MacDonald has continued to maintain his innocence.

Last month, on Dec. 21, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, refused to grant the former Army officer a new trial. The three-judge panel declined to overturn a federal judge’s 2014 ruling. The appeals court agreed with the lower-court ruling that MacDonald failed to show that new evidence, if presented to a jury, would likely change the outcome of his conviction.

FOCCAS an abbreviation worth remembering

Friends of the Cumberland County Animal Shelter made Christmas special for about 100 dogs and 50 cats at the compound. The dogs and cats enjoyed animal-friendly holiday meals at the shelter. The animals also received stockings filled with treats an  toys. FOCCAS is also collecting cold-weather dog houses, blankets and food for outdoor dogs.

“Ideally, dogs should be brought indoors during cold weather, but we understand there are some pets that will remain outside,” said Shelly Bryant, FOCCAS president. “For these cases, we want to ensure pet owners have adequate shelter for their pets.” FOCCAS is a 501c3 nonprofit that promotes animal welfare initiatives and responsible pet ownership through education, community outreach, and animal enrichment programs.

Fayetteville Technical Community College names new senior vice president

FTCC has announced the appointment of Dr. Mark Sorrells as its new senior vice president for academic and student services. Sorrells comes to FTCC from the Golden LEAF Foundation where he was senior vice president and its longest-serving staff member. Sorrells earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville and completed his doctorate in education at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.

In July, FTCC announced that then-Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Services David Brand was leaving, and that President Larry Keen would assume his duties. The college did not say at the time why Brand left abruptly. Later, the college issued a statement saying Brand was on leave recovering from shoulder surgery and would retire Nov. 1.

Grinding of the Greens recycles trees

Grinding of the Greens encourages Fayetteville residents to recycle their live Christmas trees and has kept thousands of pounds of recyclable material out of our landfills. The long-standing partnership between Fayetteville Public Works Commission, Cumberland-Fayetteville Parks & Recreation and Duke Energy Progress turns live Christmas trees into mulch for the Fayetteville Community Garden and

other local parks.

Employees from Cumberland-Fayetteville Parks and Recreation will collect the trees from Fayetteville city residents in a special tree pickup beginning the morning of Monday, Jan. 7. Pickups are separate from yard waste, trash or recycle pickups. All lights, stands and trimmings should be removed from the tree.

Residents who live outside the city or miss the pickup may drop off trees at the Fayetteville Community Garden, located at the corner of Van Story and Mann Street just off Old Wilmington Road, any day before Jan. 12. PWC and DEP volunteers will grind them into mulch at the Community Garden on Jan. 12, following a ceremonial start at 8:30 a.m.

 Since election day last month, there has been a slow ripple of revelations about 9th Congressional District get-out- the-vote conduct in Bladen County, the small, eastern-most county in the 9th district. The North Carolina congressional election is the only one in the nation still pending because of allegations of election fraud.

Bladen County businessman McCrae Dowless is the central figure in an alleged conspiracy being investigated by the State Board of Elections. Some officials are calling for a new 9th district election because of multiple examples of potentially criminal behavior by Dowless.

At issue is an apparent 905-vote margin of nearly 283,000 votes cast between the Republican and Democratic candidates for Congress. The vote as it stands favors Republican Mark Harris over Democrat Dan McCready.

Dowless has no political party allegiance. He has supported Democrats in the past. Dowless is accused of having workers collect dozens of mail-in absentee ballots from residents before they were filled in, which violates the law.

The attention in the 9th district is not always on Republican partisan conduct. A political action committee with an unofficial affiliation with the North Carolina Democratic Party had two paid staffers who served as witnesses for more than 100 absentee ballots. Also, a Democratic member of the Bladen County Board of Elections was once a business partner of Dowless. The local elections board is being examined by the state for potential conflicts of interest.

Dr. Michael Bitzer is a political scientist at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. He is considered one of the nation’s leading scholars on the American presidency. Bitzer found that many more North Carolinians returned absentee ballots than four years ago. And there was a distinct partisan difference in the voting than in years past as well.

Bitzer noted that, historically, a low percentage of absentee ballots in the 9th district is returned compared to other districts in the state. This time, Bladen County had twice the number of absentee ballots on average than most other counties. Bitzer’s analysis suggested additional aberrations.

In seven of the eight counties in the 9th District, for example, McCready got a lopsided majority of absentee ballots. But not in Bladen County. There, Harris won 61 percent of the vote, even though registered Republicans initially received few of the county’s accepted absentee ballots. Most of the unreturned ballots belonged to African-American and Native American voters.

The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. States with larger populations have greater representation. Each district elects a member to the U.S. House of Representatives for a two-year term.

The 8th and 9th Congressional districts adjoin each other and stretch along the South Carolina border to Mecklenburg County and a small portion of Gaston County. Cumberland County is split in half and is shared by both districts. Fort Bragg is part of the 8th district.

Photo: McCrae Dowless

  Our P.L.A.C.E., which stands for Passion, Lives and Creative Experiences, is an arts-based Fayetteville nonprofit. Its mission is to provide opportunity, education, funding and resources to artists to impact society. Under the Our P.L.A.C.E umbrella is a multitude of projects, workshops, events, community drives and more. The Marquis Slam, a poetry competition created and hosted by Eean Tyson, is the longest running program the nonprofit presents. It takes place the first Saturday of every month at the Arts Center.

A poetry slam is a three-round competition where up to 12 poets perform their original work within a three-minute time frame and are then scored by five random judges in the audience. The highest and lowest of the five scores are dropped each round to get the poet’s score for that round. The three scores are then added after the final round to see who wins.

Slam season is from September to August. Poets compete in the local Marquis Slam events September through March in hopes of making the official Marquis Slam Team in April. From there, the Slam Team competes regionally and nationally in June and August.

Since its creation in September 2012, The Marquis Slam has been a monthly staple in the poetry community of Fayetteville. Month after month, people come from all across Cumberland County and surrounding areas to enjoy an evening of food, fun, music and, most importantly, poetry.

At each event, The Marquis Slam features a poet before the slam to prime the audience. Poets from around the country have graced the stage and made The Marquis Slam an experience like no other in town.

This month’s event takes place Jan. 5 and features Harlem’s own, Joan “Lyric” Leslie. Now residing in Atlanta, Georgia, Lyric is known for her works of self discovery and self-love, all while using humor and wit to captivate her audience. Her book “My Blackness Rhymes with Joy” showcases her journey through love, healing, justice and the reclamation of black joy.

Ashlee Connors, a local poet, author and threetime Marquis Slam Team member, said each year on the team was different. Of her first year, Connors said, “Making the team — a team — for the first time ever was the reward. It’s a meeting of the minds that everyone speaks on. Every single year there has been a new member on the team, and that is rewarding by itself.”

Of her second and third year, she said, “Once you make the team, that’s when the real work begins. Now you are challenged to write from different perspectives and be open to the critiques. The team overall wants to push you to be better”.

The event’s creator, Tyson, not only hosts the show, he also coaches the Slam Team once it is formed. He leads them in competitions both regionally and nationally. For seven seasons, The Marquis Slam team, under Tyson’s leadership, has traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana; Greenville, South Carolina; Little Rock, Arkansas; Greensboro, North Carolina; Louisville, Kentucky; and San Antonio, Texas, to compete regionally at the Southern Fried Poetry Slam. The team has also traveled to Oakland, California; Decatur, Georgia; and Denver, Colorado; to compete at the National Poetry Slam.

Every first Saturday, make your way to the Arts Center at 301 Hay St. in downtown Fayetteville for an evening of poetry like no other in the city. The doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Admission in $10. Food is available for purchase.

To learn more about Our P.L.A.C.E and The Marquis Slam, visit www.welcome2ourplace.org. Send inquiries to ourplacenpo@gmail.com or on Facebook and Instagram at Our P.L.A.C.E NPO and The Marquis Slam.

 As the final days of 2018 passed, Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner discussed her hopes and dreams for what’s ahead for the town in 2019. Here is some of what she shared in an interview with Up & Coming Weekly.

Interstate 295

The one thing I see that we’ve got to work on is economic development. We have to start thinking ahead. The exits off Interstate 295 are going to be here before we know it. They are quickly moving to get that funded.

You are looking at Black’s Bridge Road or Golfview Road out to 295, that whole corridor I see as becoming a new gateway for Hope Mills. Since we have an opportunity, we need to plan that. We don’t need to  let it be our gateway and be embarrassed by what people see when they come off at that exit.

What we need in Hope Mills is (to) maybe start trying to recruit. That might be an area where we could get a hotel or some other business we’re not aware of that would like the fact it’s coming off a major artery that surrounds this area.

Finish the lake park

I want to see the lake park phase two and phase three completed. We’ve been working on the lake and the dam coming back for such a long time. It’s a trophy for us that the dam is working. I would like the lake park updated, parking updated, so when people come there it’s easy in, easy out and more accessible for everybody.

The plans are in place. We’ve got to facilitate getting them completed. It’s going to take some figuring out where we get the funding, whether it’s grant funding or another means of funding. We need to put that in our forefront, that it’s something we want to accomplish and don’t let it linger any longer. My experience the whole time I’ve been mayor is if you can make those decisions and move on them, it’s less expensive. The longer you wait, the cost of labor, the cost of everything, goes up, and that’s kind of where we are.

Phase three includes Heritage Park. Heritage Park has been on the plans since before the dam went out. It was much cheaper to complete those plans in 2008 than it is right now.

Complete sidewalks

I’d like to make sure the sidewalks we have received grants for, the ones on Rockfish Road and the ones on Johnson Street to Trade Street, are completed. Those have been in the works for a very long time, almost as long as I’ve been mayor.

It’s just a matter of making sure we are being good stewards of grant money, staying focused on trying to push to get it done. We want to get this job completed so we can walk from the ballparks (near the Town Hall complex) all the way down to the lake.

The crosswalks on Main Street would make it so we can walk right over to the lake and enjoy it. We can save cars being on the highway because we can park and walk, and it’s safer with those sidewalks in place. We’ll have a walking trail from the Town Hall and the gyms at Parks and Recreation all the way down to the businesses on Trade Street and the Lake. I think that’s important.

Develop Hope Mills Golf Course property

We need to take and use the plan we got from the  McAdams Group. We spent a lot of money getting that in order. I think that we are going to have to start looking at being a unified board when something like (that study) is completed and brought back. They’ve done surveys. They’ve talked to the community. They are the professionals.

None of us (the mayor and members of the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners) are professionals when it comes to that kind of planning. We have got to take the “I” out of it.

I know what I would like there, and I know each of the board members has something they would like there. But we’ve got to be realistic. For us to get the job done, we’ve got to start accepting the fact that many of our citizens may not have the same opinions we have, and that’s who we represent. I think moving into 2019 that’s going to be real important, to sit back and listen to what our community is telling us, either by way of these surveys or the input we get from our meetings or input we might get from other sources.

The main thing is, if we listen, every board member has a good idea. But what happens is each of us has our own idea. We’ve got to somehow come to a unified board where we realize all of our ideas are outweighed by what our citizens want, and we’ve got to do what our citizens are asking. I think that’s what’s important when it comes to the golf course.

It’s going to attract attention if we do it the right way. I’d like to see us at the point where we’re moving on that, not trying to decide and differ from what the McAdams Group is bringing back to us.

Moving forward on Public Safety Building

That’s a perfect example of the cost of something changing over time. When we first started looking at it, we were talking about 6 1/2 to 7 million dollars. What we (recently) heard was potentially this building could cost 12 million dollars.

It may not be that high, but I’m glad to finally see us making a move. But I’m also thinking we are probably going to have to look at making a decision on other properties and doing it so we can take advantage of opportunities of different types of funding and also save cost.

Closing Thoughts

In 2019 we have to get focused on what Hope Mills looks like in 2020, what we are going to look like in the next decade. We need to start thinking about what we want to see in areas that are going to be opening up because of change of ownership of some of the homes on Main Street if they are changed to commercial.

I want to say something about our board, our staff and our community and how important it is we all work together. That would be my goal for 2019, that we have a unified community moving forward. We are a good example of what a small, growing town looks like. I want this board to work together and be on common ground with the decisions we make.

We all represent Hope Mills, and we’ve got to put our best face forward, as a team, this whole town. We want to give the very best impression to anybody who cares about us or sees us.

Photo: Mayor Jackie Warner and husband, Alex Warner

 The decision by the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners to hand operation of J.P. Riddle Stadium over to Fayetteville Technical Community College has some people in the county wondering what that means for the future of the Fayetteville SwampDogs. The SwampDogs is the summer baseball team that plays at J.P. Riddle Stadium and offers opportunities for college players to compete in a wood bat league.

One person with expertise in that area who thinks both the SwampDogs and Fayetteville’s new minor league baseball team, the Woodpeckers, can both survive is Darden Jenkins.

Jenkins runs Classic Ballpark Solutions, a company that consults with people looking to start or refurbish baseball stadiums. He’s currently working with a community that’s looking to field both a pro and college baseball team in the same community.

Jenkins thinks the main thing the SwampDogs have on their side is tradition and a loyal fan base. “They’ve been in town almost 20 years, and the last several years they’ve led their division in attendance,’’ he said. He also pointed to the many families in the community who’ve worked with the SwampDogs over the years to provide housing for the college players who’ve come to Fayetteville to play.

As for proof that a pro and college team can work in the same town, he pointed to Columbia, South Carolina, where a similar situation already exists.

“You can’t say Columbia is apples to apples with Fayetteville,’’ he said, “but it can work, and we’re going to see pretty fast if it will work here.’’

Jenkins thinks the decision by the county commissioners to give J.P. Riddle Stadium to Fayetteville Tech was a maneuver that takes the pressure off local government to have to deal with any future lease arrangement with the SwampDogs to use the stadium.

“If they put it in the college’s hands, it will be the college’s decision whether the SwampDogs continue,’’ Jenkins said. “But since the SwampDogs use college kids and FTCC is a college, it makes sense. It’s going to be an amateur baseball hub. I think there will be good synergy there.’’

Since FTCC plans to use the stadium as a training tool for its students studying professions related to field maintenance and such, Jenkins thinks it would be to FTCC’s advantage for the SwampDogs to remain and keep the stadium in use.

The stadium will be occupied by the new FTCC baseball team. If this team plays a typical community college schedule, it will be done with its season before May, when the SwampDogs would begin their season.

“The more dates they have, the more they are going to make,’’ Jenkins said of FTCC. “When I ran Jackie Robinson ballpark (in Daytona Beach, Florida), I tried to get as many games as we could. I think it’s a good experience and good for Fayetteville.’’

Meetings

For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Town Clerk Jane Starling at 910-426-4113. Most meetings take place at Town Hall or the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation center. 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, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m., Town Hall, Bill Luther Meeting Room

• Festival Committee Monday, Jan. 7, at 6 p.m., Town Hall, Front Conference Room

• Lake Advisory Committee Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 6 p.m., Parks and Recreation Center*

• Appearance Committee Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 6 p.m., Parks and Recreation Center*

• Veterans Affairs Commission Thursday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m., Parks and Recreation Center*

Activities

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

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, Jan. 21 — Town offices closed.

• 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.

 Football players and coaches weren’t the only specially invited guests at the recent Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas all-star football game in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

South View High School’s Marianna Blount spent the Shrine Bowl week working as a student athletic trainer with the North Carolina team.

A senior at South View, Blount got into athletic training somewhat by accident when she missed out on cheerleader tryouts as a freshman at South View and wanted to find something else to pursue.

Linda Buie, the athletic department secretary at South View, suggested Blount try athletic training, and it didn’t take long for her to get hooked.

“I think the thing that drew me to it was learning new things and getting to meet new people while helping out people in the process,’’ said Blount.

Samantha Colbourne, the staff athletic trainer at South View, said Blount has helped out with just about every sport the school offers in Blount’s four years there.

“She’s learned how to tape kids, watched me assess injuries, watched me do rehab and helped with daily duties like getting water and putting stuff out when we have practice,’’ Colbourne said.

Blount has also been to camps and clinics for student athletic trainers to learn more about skills athletic trainers need.

“She’s very eager to learn,’’ Colbourne said. “She picks up all the skills pretty quick. She’s very personable and always asking questions.” Blount said being chosen to work at the Shrine Bowl was an honor and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

She said her favorite part of the week was joining the coaches and football players for the annual visit to the Shriners Hospital for burned and crippled children in Greenville, South Carolina.

“Seeing the kids, the looks on their faces, they were so excited,’’ she said. “We were able to tour the hospital and meet with them and their parents. It makes your heart feel good, especially with Christmas coming up.

“It was over the top. Amazing.’’

Blount said she got valuable experience being around the certified athletic trainers at the Shrine Bowl, learning taping methods and getting to know the players and coaches.

“The whole thing about the Shrine Bowl is it’s for a good cause,’’ she said. “It makes you feel good to know you are there, making a difference in these kids’ lives. That’s the main goal, to be there and raise money for them. It’s a great feeling to raise money for them to be treated.’’

Photo: Marianna Blount  

 Next summer’s Cumberland County High School Football Jamboree will undergo one major change in format. Instead of having two scrimmages in progress during each session, the event will switch to a full-field format with only two teams competing at the same time.

Vernon Aldridge, student activities director for Cumberland County Schools, decided to make the change after talking with coaches and officials and seeing the success of the format at the Battle for the Border scrimmage at Lumberton High School.

“It kind of helps with wear and tear on the field, going full field rather than being on both ends the entire time,’’ Aldridge said. “It also allows them to get into more game-like situations and open up  their playbook.’’

The dates for this year’s jamboree are Aug. 15 and 16, with the first day at Seventy-First High School and the second day at Gray’s Creek. Since only two teams will be on the field at once in the new format, the scrimmage will start at 5 p.m. with the final scrimmage starting at 9 p.m.

Aldridge said he’ll schedule two Cumberland County teams in the final scrimmage so any out-of-town teams competing won’t be finished scrimmaging any later than 9 p.m.

The format for each scrimmage session will call for 25 minutes of scrimmage time, a five-minute halftime, then a second 25 minutes, followed by a five-minute break before moving to the next scrimmage session. The 10 Cumberland County senior high schools will again all take part, with the rest of the field yet to be determined. 

Pine Forest coach Bill Sochovka likes the new format for the same reasons Aldridge does. Another problem the full-field format will cure is the number of people who are on the field. In the old format, coaches were allowed on the field behind the competing teams.

Going full field will put reserves for each team on opposite sides of the field, and the coaches will be there with them.

“The sidelines were cramped (with the old format),’’ Sochovka said. “It’s better when you have one team on the sideline.’’

The full field will also allow teams that prefer to pass to work on more of their plays.

Neil Buie, supervisor of football officials for the Southeastern Athletic Officials Association, said the officials also don’t have to worry about coaches on the field when the action is full field.

“Every time there was a change of possession, you had to blow the ball dead,’’ Buie said of four teams sharing the field. “With a turnover, the ball remains alive. It’s just like officiating a game, without the kicking part.’’

Photo: Vernon Aldridge

 Who’s going to win this year’s college football national championship? Up & Coming Weekly polled the 10 Cumberland County Schools senior high school football coaches for their opinion.

Because of holiday deadlines, we had to get their choices before the two semifinal games on Dec. 29 were played that pit Clemson against Notre Dame and Alabama against Oklahoma.

We gave the coaches the option of picking both semifinals and the championship game or picking one team out of the final four they thought would win. Here’s how they called it.

Ernest King, Westover — Alabama. I feel they have two experienced quarterbacks to lead the offense. The defense plays good on a consistent basis. That gives the offense more opportunities to score.

Bill Sochovka, Pine Forest — Alabama has a complete team, very impressive on defense, and it helps that your backup quarterback was your starter last year.

Jake Thomas, Cape Fear — Clemson over Notre Dame because of their playoff experience and more firepower on offense. Both teams have tough defenses. Alabama over Oklahoma because of their defense. However, if Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t play, that will definitely affect Alabama’s ability to be balanced offensively.

Clemson should win the national championship in a very close game. This team has gotten the job done all year, and they will find a way to do it again.

David Lovette, Gray’s Creek — Alabama over Clemson. I just think Alabama has been overwhelming this year. But if any team can beat them, it’s Clemson.

Rodney Brewington, South View — Clemson over Notre Dame because the Tigers have been there. Notre Dame is not quite ready to take that jump. Oklahoma is playing the best football, and with the Alabama quarterback banged up, Oklahoma gets the edge.

Oklahoma should win the championship game.

Brian Randolph, Jack Britt — Clemson will be the national champs. Clemson has built a very dominant team and program through absolutely phenomenal recruiting and outstanding player development, which will allow them to hoist the championship trophy again.

Deron Donald, E.E. Smith — Clemson will beat Notre Dame because Clemson is more explosive, has more team speed and more experience in the big game. Alabama will beat Oklahoma because their defense is dominant and Oklahoma has not faced a defense like this all year. Alabama and Clemson in the championship game should be a great matchup. You’re talking about the two most dominant teams in college football over the last five years. I have to give a slight edge to Alabama because they just know how to find a way.

Duran McLaurin, Seventy-First — Alabama over Clemson in the title game. There’s not a better big game coach out there than Nick Saban. His defense does such a good job of taking away your strength, and defense wins championships.

Bruce McClelland, Terry Sanford — Oklahoma, because I’ve pulled for them since the Barry Switzer days, over Alabama in an upset, 44-43. Clemson over Notre Dame, 27-23. Oklahoma stuns the college football world and wins the national championship over Clemson, 43-34. Gotta believe!

Mike Paroli, Douglas Byrd — I think Clemson will beat Notre Dame. Alabama will outscore Oklahoma. Clemson will upset Alabama in the title game.

 Shawn Newman

Terry Sanford • Senior • Football

Newman has a weighted grade point average of 3.44. He is an All- Sandhills Conference cornerback and started three years on the football team. He was also a team captain.

 

 Jacob Knight

Terry Sanford • Junior • Football

Knight has a weighted grade point average of 3.8. He has started on the varsity football team for two years. He is one of the team’s most versatile players, playing five positions for the Bulldogs.

 Scene: the early 1980s at Cross Creek Mall. In a music store, a recent Army-spouse transplant and theater actress, Deborah Martin Mintz, spies a cassette tape of one of her favorite Broadway musicals, “Cats.” It is the only copy in the store. As she reaches for the tape, she encounters another hand reaching for the tape at the exact same time.

The other hand belongs to a longtime Cumberland County Schools elementary educator, Claire Mansfield, who invites her newly discovered friend to dinner.

That dinner was the beginning of Mintz’s journey into the Cumberland County arts scene.

Today, though she might not admit it, Mintz holds the unique distinction of having significantly impacted the development of nearly every arts and cultural institution in the county. Early this year, she will retire from a 25-year career working with the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. For 17 of those years, she served as its executive director.

That dinner in the early ’80s led to Deborah meeting the community of creatives and visionaries in this area who were not then as well-known or easy to find as they are today. At that time, there were only two major theaters in town: Fort Bragg Playhouse and Fayetteville Little Theatre, which would later be renamed Cape Fear Regional Theatre.

Through the dinner, Mintz connected with Bo Thorp, FLT’s founding artistic director. Soon, Mintz was volunteering backstage for FLT’s production of “Annie,” and soon after that, she was hired as FLT’s box office manager in addition to acting both there and at FBPH. One of her first roles was as Lenny in “Crimes of the Heart,” directed by Thorp.

Four years later, Mintz was at a crossroads. “Both my parents had died, and I’d gotten a divorce,” she said. “My mother died when I was 29, and my dad died right after.” On top of that, she’d already begun the process of moving to Fort Meade, Maryland, with her now-former husband.

Thorp reached out to Mintz and encouraged her to move back to Fayetteville and work for FLT, which had at that point been re-christened Cape Fear Regional Theatre.

“I remember thinking, if ever there was a woman in transition, here it is,” Mintz said. She accepted Thorp’s offer, coming on as CFRT’s developing and marketing director and later moving up to associate director.

Eventually, she needed to slow down from the breakneck pace of working both onstage and behind the scenes in theater.

That’s when she accepted a job offer from the Arts Council, joining the staff in 1993 as associate director. The Arts Council had been founded 20 years prior to Mintz’s arrival by visionaries from organizations like FLT, Junior League of Fayetteville and Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra.

“Before I came to the Arts Council, I did not fully understand it,” Mintz said, noting that the function of an arts council in each county is unique. “Basically, our Arts Council receives funding wherever it can and then utilizes those funds to grow the community through the arts.

“Sometimes, people think of an arts council as being here to support the arts. Actually, it’s here to support the community through the arts — which means you’re supporting the arts.”

Mintz dove into her new role. She enjoyed using her theater chops to lead creative programing and planning. When the executive director left in 2000, Mintz accepted the position of interim executive director with the intention of returning to her previous position once a replacement was found. Then, six months later, disaster struck.

That disaster led to Mintz and other key players making state history in advocacy for the arts — but first, the backstory.

Less than a year into Mintz’s role as interim executive director, laws changed, and funds coming to local governments from the state were slated to disappear. That meant cultural organizations would not receive their fourth quarter funding, and arts funding would be zeroed out soon after. CFRT and FSO were just two of a multitude of cultural organizations that would suffer greatly diminished funding since the Arts Council would no longer be able to provide them with grants.

At this time, Mintz accepted the position of executive director and rolled up her sleeves. Over the next month, she was joined by advocates, including leaders from City Council, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and the state legislature, to nfind a solution. And they did.

Late in 2001, thanks to their efforts, a law passed in the North Carolina General Assembly that allowed 1.5 percent of the county’s Occupancy Tax, which is tourism-related, to be allocated for financial support of the arts. The reasoning was that the organizations the Arts Council supports play a primary role in drawing both tourists and residents to visit and stay in this community.

Mintz said former North Carolina Sen. Tony Rand, former Fayetteville mayor/former Rep. Bill Hurley and Rep. Marvin Lucas were key in the legislature, and that two leading volunteers from the community were Eric Lindstrom and Carole Goforth.

Thanks to the passing of this law, Cumberland County became the first county in the state to create at least one stabilized source of income supporting the arts — which allowed its cultural entities to thrive in ways never before possible.

During her 17 years as executive director, Mintz also led the development of some of this community’s best-loved events, including 4th Fridays, A Dickens Holiday and the International Folk Festival. In September, the Arts Council celebrated the 40th IFF, which it began producing right before Mintz came on as executive director.

Following her retirement announcement, Mintz has been showered with accolades from all corners of the community. At the Arts Council’s annual holiday party Dec. 4, Rand presented her with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian award in the state. County Commissioner Larry Lancaster honored her with a public proclamation, calling her “a true pillar of the community, a champion of the arts and a dear friend to many.”

Also at the holiday party, the Arts Council staff presented Mintz with a painting of Cayley, Mintz’s beloved dog that she adopted from a shelter, commissioned by local watercolorist Kathy Flood. Wilmington artist Paul Hill has also been commissioned to create a piece of public art that will go up near the Arts Council building to honor Mintz. The project is being spearheaded by Lindstrom and Jean Schaefer Moore, who are both past presidents of the Arts Council Board of Trustees.

At the Fayetteville City Council meeting Dec. 10, Mayor Mitch Colvin presented Mintz with the City Key and Coin, in honor of her “devoted interest and unwavering commitment to the city of Fayetteville.”

Ending Mintz’s career on a truly prestigious note, in November — without applying for it — the Arts Council received Ovation’s Stand for the Arts award, which is given to only 12 organizations in the United States each year. A representative from Ovation, America’s only arts TV network, traveled from Los Angeles, California, to present the award to the Arts Council at its 45th Anniversary gala Nov. 8. It came with a $10,000 grant. The award is given to recipients based on their level of community outreach and engagement; ability to create inclusive access to artistic programming; and innovative approach to arts education and skills development.

Craig Hampton, who served as the city’s special projects director for 29 years, worked with Mintz often during his career. “She always made sure everyone was heard and considered,” he said. “She knows how to guide what comes out of a discussion with an understanding of both the art and the practical side.”

Mary Kate Burke, who moved here in 2017 to become CFRT’s third artistic director in its 55-year history, said, “Coming from New York just over a year ago, I was very excited to move to Fayetteville because I was so aware that the business leaders in the community knew how important the arts were to quality of life here. And I think a lot of that is the unceasing work that Deborah and the Arts Council at large have done.”

A national search is underway to fill Mintz’s position, which she will vacate early this year. Mintz said that person will need “tenacity, passion and yet an understanding that your tenacity and passion will never do it by itself. It is the love and passion of the community.”

She added that in her retirement, she looks forward to volunteer work she’s never before had time to do, and that she will “continue to support this community that supported me.

“When I was that woman in transition and came here, this community embraced me. As Bo Thorp said, ‘This community is about yes. If you want to come here and you want to make a difference, you are a champion.’”

 Here are the top ten stories from Hope Mills this past year as voted by a panel composed of Up & Coming Weekly staff and selected members of the Hope Mills community.

1. Hope Mills Board of Commissioners rejects bid by Lone Survivor Foundation to build facility for veterans on town property.

Lone Survivor Foundation, an organization with a national reputation for offering assistance to veterans recovering from issues like post-traumatic stress disorder, made repeated overtures to the board of commissioners to purchase town property and build a retreat for the many veterans in the Cumberland County area.

Board members became suspicious of the waythe offer was presented to the town because it involved a presentation in closed session from Teddy Warner of the Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation. Warner is the son of Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner. After multiple attempts to try and convince the town to sell the land, the bid by Lone Survivor was rejected.

2. Hope Mills Lake refills early in the year after the long-awaited restoration of the damaged Hope Mills dam.

Heavy rains early in the year quickly restored Hope Mills Lake to its former glory after years of sitting empty following the failure of the previously restored Hope Mills dam.

3. Attempt to change term limits for town officials is defeated at polls.

Hope Mills Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell led an attempt to increase the term limits of members of the mayor and Hope Mills Board of Commissioners members from two years to four years. During the November election the effort was soundly defeated by a vote of 2,618 to 1,972. It was a resounding indication that Hope Mills will have higher expectations from its elected officials, a good thing for the future.

4. Restored Hope Mills dam survives encounters with two hurricanes.

It wasn’t long after the Hope Mills dam was restored that it faced a couple major tests to its strength. Hurricanes Florence and Michael struck the town, with Florence in particular leading to dangerously record-high water levels in the lake. To her credit, Mayor Jackie Warner made regular visits to the lake during Florence and posted video updates on her Facebook page to keep town citizens apprised of the dam’s status. When the storms were gone, the only major problem reported was damage to the dam’s eel ladder.

5. Hope Mills approves, then cancels, an agreement with Up & Coming Weekly.

 

Up & Coming Weekly newspaper publisher Bill Bowman, working in conjunction with town management and the 2017 Hope Mills Board of Commissioners, endorsed and won the board’s unanimous approval of a $28,000 partnership that created a local Hope Mills newspaper, community awareness and an initiative to showcase, market and promote Hope Mills throughout Cumberland County.

In spite of the weekly publication’s acceptance and success, the newly elected 2018 board later soured to the idea and voted unanimously to cancel the program in spite of its $225,000 advertising value to the town and its people and businesses.

6. The restored Hope Mills Lake hosts variety of events.

It did not take long for the town of Hope Mills to celebrate the return of the new lake. In addition to lake traditions like the Fourth of July celebration, events including Church at the Lake and a jazz festival were held.

7. Hope Mills dam wins national award.

A Seattle, Washington, organization that recognizes outstanding work in dam building and architecture presented a national award to the restored Hope Mills dam. Town manager Melissa Adams traveled to Seattle to receive the honor on behalf of the town.

8. Mayor Pro Tem Mike

Mitchell and Commissioner Meg Larson lead opposition to Mayor Jackie Warner.

Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell and newly-elected Commissioner Meg Larson consistently team up to lead a negative coalition of votes against the leadership efforts of Mayor Jackie Warner, including attempts to limit Warner’s authority as the elected leader of the town. They are continually questioning her motives, which was demonstrated clearly when Lone Survivor Foundation attempted to purchase land for a veterans retreat in the town.

9. Hope Mills Golf Course opened to public despite safety concerns.

Commissioners vote to open the former Hope Mills Golf Course to town citizens as a walking trail despite multiple reports indicating town residents don’t really desire a new walking trail and evidence that the golf course property is both undeveloped and potentially dangerous if certain areas aren’tmade safer before the public begins using it.

10. Geese, bacteria create problems at newlyopened lake.

The newly-opened Hope Mills Lake isn’t without problems initially. Geese have quickly congregated near the lake, and their feces is a likely cause of high bacteria levels when the town has lake water tested. The town temporarily banned swimming in the lake, but allowed it to resume when additional testing indicated the bacteria levels dropped to safe limits. Plansto use border collies to help chase the geese from the lake were briefly considered but eventually rejected.

 The 2019 annual property tax listing period begins Jan. 1 and runs through Jan. 31. Listing forms must be updated, signed and returned, and they must be postmarked no later than Jan. 31 to avoid the 10 percent late listing fee.

To pay by phone, call 1-866-441-6614. To pay online, visit co.cumberland.nc.us/tax/payments. The address to pay taxes by mail is Cumberland County Tax Collector, P.O. Box 449, Fayetteville, N.C. 28302-0449.

For more information, go to room 527 on the fifth floor of the Courthouse, 117 Dick St., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Disaster loans still available

The U. S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Disaster Assistance continues to offer longterm, low-interest disaster loans of more than $300 million to homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes and private, nonprofit organizations. SBA funding is for repairs or replacement of real estate, personal property, machinery and equipment, inventory and business assets damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster.

Some deadlines have passed, but the economic injury application deadline is June 14, 2019. For more information, SBA’s Customer Service Center phone number is 800-659-2955.

Hurricane farm damage and destruction

Cumberland County farmers who sustained damage and agricultural losses from Hurricane Florence and Tropical Storm Michael may be eligible for some disaster assistance from the Agricultural Disaster Program. A $240 million measure signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper provides direct aid to farmers. To date, 54 of the state’s 100 counties, including Cumberland, are eligible for disaster aid.

“This assistance is available to farmers who suffered crop losses,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “The list of what is covered by this assistance is long … the best thing to do is call the disaster assistance hotline at 1-866-645-9403 with any of your questions.”

Topping off ceremony marks stadium milestone

Fayetteville residents have been invited to sign the last beam that will be installed at the new downtown Fayetteville baseball stadium. The beam is in the City Hall lobby, 433 Hay St. It is set up for signatures through Jan. 2. The beam will be visible at the stadium’s main entrance once the project is completed.

The last structural steel beam erected in construction projects is a significant milestone and is referred to as topping off because the contractor has completed the project. Silver metallic Sharpie pens will be available so interested citizens can sign their names. Residents are also asked to sign a log that will be used for historical purposes and later placed in a time capsule.

City information workshops

The city of Fayetteville’s Economic & Community Development Department will host a series of instructional workshops for nonprofit agencies. These workshops will outline procedures for seeking funding. Agencies wishing to provide affordable housing opportunities in the city can learn what it takes to become certified as well as the roles and benefits.

The seminar provides opportunities to gather information, ask questions and learn the qualifying requirements. It is scheduled for 10 a.m., Jan. 4, in the Lafayette Room of City Hall at 433 Hay St.

A second workshop about how to respond to a formal request for proposal is designed to show nonprofits how to meet identified priority needs and learn the requirements to apply for local government funding. This meeting will take place at 2 p.m., Jan. 21, in the community room of the FAST Transit Center at 502-598 Franklin St. For more information, call the Economic & Community Development Department at 910-433-1590.

 The Umoja Group, Inc. of Fayetteville presents its annual Kwanzaa Celebration this Saturday, Dec. 29, at Smith Recreation Center from 5–8 p.m. It’s a time to celebrate, reflect and learn.

Kwanzaa, which means “first fruits of the harvest,” was created by Maulana Karenga and was first celebrated in the late 1960s. It is a celebration that honors African heritage in African- American culture, and it is observed from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving.

“Kwanzaa is a secular event that celebrates culture, family and community,” said Wanda Wesley, a member of the Umoja Group. “We want to bring the community together to celebrate and learn about African kings and queens.”

The event will feature a candle-lighting ceremony, a libation to honor ancestors, a parade of kings and queens, singers, dancers, drummers and the presentation of the annual Umoja Group Scholarship.

The Association of Black Social Workers, Fayetteville/Cumberland County Chapter, will collect nonperishable food items, winter coats, hats and gloves to be donated to Operation Blessing.

The candle-lighting ceremony features seven candles in a kinara. Thecandles symbolize the seven principlesof Kwanzaa, which are unity, self determination,collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

The nonprofit organization has awarded $19,000 in scholarships since 1998. “We will be giving out two scholarships to two students,” said Wesley. “We are so happy to be able to give those scholarships out yearly.

“There is a surprise performance this year that everyone is sure to enjoy, so come out and experience it. Everyone is invited to bring their favorite dish and to dress in ethnic wear.”

The event is free and open to the public. Donations are appreciated and are tax deductible. For more information, call 910-485-8035 or email umojagroupfay@gmail.com.

 Here are the High School Highlights top ten stories for Cumberland County for last year as voted on by a panel of Up & Coming Weekly staff and select voters from around the county.

1. Jack Britt softball team makes history.

The first week of June, the Jack Britt High School softball team became the first in Cumberland County history to win a North Carolina High School Athletic Association fast-pitch state softball championship. Cape Fear High School and South View High School had previously won slow-pitch state titles, but the Buccaneers took the first fast-pitch championship when it defeated South Caldwell two games to three in their best-of-three championship series at North Carolina State.

MacKenzie George of Jack Britt was named the most valuable player in the championship series. In the final game she was 3-for-4, scored twice and drove in a run. She was 2-for-4 in the opening game, scored a run and drove one in. Britt finished the season 25-6.

The state title marked an amazing comeback for a Britt team that at one point in March lost three games in a row and four of five to teams in the Sandhills Athletic Conference.

As it turned out, that stretch of tough competition within its conference helped push Britt to success in the postseason. When the MaxPreps state 4-A softball rankings came out after Britt’s title run, it showed conference teams Richmond Senior, Purnell Swett and Lumberton were all ranked among the 20 best 4-A softball teams in the state.

2. Cape Fear High School wins a top honor from the NCHSAA.

At the May annual meeting of the NCHSAA in Chapel Hill, Cape Fear High School received the 2017-18 Exemplary School Award.

The award is presented on behalf of the NCHSAA, the North Carolina Coaches Association and the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association.

The award recognizes a school for having a “total” program that includes success in athletics, the scope of athletic opportunities offered, community interest and involvement in academics. Other areas of recognition include sportsmanship and the professional development of coaches and administrators.

In a press release announcing the award, NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker said Cape Fear was richly deserving of the award and had demonstrated a commitment to education and excellence second to none among its peers in North Carolina.

“Athletic director Matt McLean and his staff are truly leading the way in student engagement and achievement,’’ Tucker said. “We are very proud of their hard work and dedication to education-based athletics and the NCHSAA.’’

3. Cumberland County enjoys one of its best years in recent memory in the NCHSAA football playoffs.

Cumberland County had multiple teams make deep runs in the NCHSAA football playoffs, led by Seventy-First’s advance to the 4-A Eastern Regional finals against Scotland High School.

Four teams advanced to the third round. Seventy- First and South View met each other in the 4-A playoffs. Pine Forest, the regular-season champion in the Patriot Athletic Conference, hosted Scotland High School.

In 3-A, Terry Sanford reached the third round before falling to perennial power Havelock.

Jack Britt also advanced to the playoffs, losing in the first round of 4-A.

In 3-AA, Cape Fear and Gray’s Creek made the first round.

4. Brothers Andrew and Christian Jayne both picked in major league baseball draft.

Brothers Andrew and Christian Jayne, who starred on the football and baseball fields for Terry Sanford, were both chosen in the major league baseball draft.

Andrew was taken in the 19th round by the Baltimore Orioles while brother Christian went in the 27th round to the Arizona Diamondbacks.Both had previously signed to play college sports, Andrew with Davidson College in football and Christian with East Carolina University in football.

Andrew elected to sign a minor league contract and was assigned to the Orioles rookie league team in the Gulf Coast League. He batted .212 with 11 doubles, two triples and two RBIs. Christian elected to enroll at East Carolina and will join the Pirates baseball team this spring.

5. Cumberland County Schools becomes a leader statewide in promoting Unified Sports.

 Cumberland County Schools, with a strong push from student activities director Vernon Aldridge, becomes a state leader in promoting the Unified Sports program. Unified Sports promotes allowing special needs students to participate in select competitive athletic events with the assistance of mainstream athletes in those sports. 

A relay team from Gray’s Creek High School made history during the spring by becoming one of the first Unified Sports teams from Cumberland County to bring home a state championship. 

6. Former South View and Duke basketball standout Jeff Capel III named head coach at University of Pittsburgh.

In May, Jeff Capel III, who led South View to a state 4-A basketball championship as a player in 1993 under the late Ron Miller, left his job as a long-time= assistant at Duke University to become head coach at the University of Pittsburgh. Capel was a head coach for five seasons at the University of Oklahoma, where he led the Sooners to the Elite Eight in 2009, sparked by current NBA star Blake Griffin.

Capel returned to Duke in 2011 and was an assistant coach for Mike Krzyzewski until accepting the Pittsburgh job. In 1993, while a player under the late Ron Miller at South View, Capel led the Tigers to a 31-1 record and the school’s only state 4-A boys basketball title. 7. Fayetteville Academy wins the school’s 17th state boys soccer title.

Another year, another soccer championship for the Eagles. Led by senior North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association All-State forward Hudson Zeisman and Julian Barbaro, the Eagles rolled to the school’s 17th state soccer championship. Fayetteville Academy defeated Gaston Day 3-1 in the finals to finish 14-2. Zeisman had 22 goals and 12 assists for the state champions. Barbaro suffered a torn meniscus in Fayetteville Academy’s Senior Day game, missed one game in the state playoffs, then returned to help the Eagles in their march to the state championship.

8. Wrestling trio brings home state titles. 

Three Cumberland County High School wrestlers brought home individual titles in this year’s NCHSAA individual wrestling championships. The winners included Daniel Peede of Pine Forest, Dallas Wilson of Cape Fear and Mike Vernagallo of Cape Fear.

Wilson followed in the footsteps of his dad and coach, Heath Wilson, who was also a state champion at Cape Fear. The younger Wilson became the first sophomore in Cape Fear’s rich wrestling history to bring home a state title, taking the championship at 132 pounds in the 3-A classification.

His teammate, Vernagallo, recorded his second state championship, winning the 3-A 160-pound title. Peede won the 4-A 152-pound championship after a near-miss in the 2017 season.

9. Cumberland County enjoys banner year in Shrine Bowl selections.

It was a banner year for Cumberland County in the number of local coaches and students chosen to take part in the nation’s oldest high school all-star football game. Named as coaches for North Carolina were assistant coaches Ernest King of Westover and Marcus Wall of South View. Chosen as players were Tanner Morris of Terry Sanford, along with Emery Simmons and Donovan Brewington, both of South View. Also chosen to take part in the game was student athletic trainer Marianna Blount of South View.

The game ended in a 10-10 tie with the team from South Carolina, the first tie in game since 1948.

10. Holiday Classic undergoes major format change.

The Cumberland County Holiday Classic basketball tournament, no stranger to different formats, underwent one of its biggest changes ever for the 2018 edition. Under the leadership of Vernon Aldridge, student activities director for the Cumberland County Schools, the tournament was divided into four separate brackets, two for girls and two for boys, each one determining a champion. The Cumberland County schools were split up to prevent them from having to face each other too many times, with five county teams in each bracket mixed with an assortment of outside teams.

Each of the four brackets was named after a former outstanding county basketball coach. The two boys brackets were named for former coaches Len Maness of Terry Sanford and Ike Walker Sr. of E.E. Smith. The girls brackets were named for Westover’s Gene Arrington and Pine Forest’s Tom Jackson.

 After more than 70 years of living, I still encounter valuable life lessons. An article titled “15 Quotes Filled with Inspiring Life Lessons” begins as follows: “Life’s lessons are a beautiful gift, but they don’t always come wrapped in a shiny red bow. Sometimes tragedy brings us wisdom. Sometimes joy does. Other times we stumble upon life-changing lessons when we least expect to.”

The quote above reflects great truth. Thattruth was reaffirmed for me over the past 20days, ending Dec. 11. Several events grabbed my attention and proved instructive for my living.

The first started on Thanksgiving Day. My wife, Denise, and I got up early and drove eighthours to have time with family in Georgia. My brother, Shelton, was a patient at a local hospital. On April 22, he was in a horrendous automobile accident that left him paralyzedfrom the neck down.

Near the end of Thanksgiving dinner, a callcame from the hospital saying that if we wanted to see Shelton alive, we needed to get to thehospital. Along with some other family members,I rushed to the hospital. There my brother was, in the Critical Care Unit, with a breathingtube in his mouth and lighted monitors onboth sides of his bed.

I had planned to return home to Fayetteville after a couple of days but stayed in Georgia for a week. On Wednesday, Shelton was transported to the local hospice facility. I drove home Thursday. Shelton, my 54-year-old brother, died Sunday morning, Dec. 2.

We returned to Georgia for Shelton’s memorial service, which was held Saturday, Dec. 8. Denise, who is a retired Army Chaplain, delivered the eulogy. It was amazing. She opened up by referring to the book “Halftime,” by Bob Buford. After explaining that “Halftime” is the period of time between our late 30s and into our 50s, the following two paragraphs from her eulogy spoke directly to me: “During these years, as we are attentive, we have the opportunity to discover a different emphasis occurs from acquiring titles and accumulating things to a broad realization that meaning for us is in the significant relationships we build with people around us.

“Often we have this faulty sense of time that we can patch things up later... or we’ll get things right down the road. Then suddenly the unexpected snatches us up and slams us on our deathbed. Too late now.”

Technically, Shelton was my step-brother. With wonderful parents, I grew up as an only child. My father’s second marriage blessed me with four brothers and a sister. I say “technically” because the relationship between Shelton and me was as brothers. That was more because of Shelton than because of me. I was, and still am, a loner. I am sure it has to do with growing up as an only child and facing the bullying that was directed at me in my youth.

Shelton broke through all that. On my visits home, he always made time to talk with me and make me feel like part of the family. No. He made me know I was a full-fledged member of the family.

Shelton Lamar Merritt understood the importance of relationships. Despite all my walls, he was a true brother to me. His death, and Denise’s eulogy for him, profoundly reminded me that relationships must be a high priority and to not put off sustained efforts to make them whole.

There was also the request put forth by my stepmother. I say, without hesitation, God blessed me with two wonderful mothers: my birth-mother and my step-mother. The latter is simply “Momma.” She requested that when we gathered for Shelton’s memorial service, everybody would stay at her house. That meant some people sleeping on air mattresses and all of us competing for bathroom access. This was not an experience I would naturally choose. However, because of my love and appreciation for Momma, I agreed to stay at the house.

In the end, that time with family was one of the best experiences of my life. We laughed and cried, ate meals together and worked through whatever challenges presented themselves. I found a level of comfort and inclusion that I thought impossible. Jesus was onto something when, as recorded in Luke 10:27 (NIV), he said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,” and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Genuine love of others strengthens us for actions that produce unbelievably positive results.

Then came comments from two readers regarding my column that appeared in the Nov. 27 edition of Up & Coming Weekly. The title was “Decision Time for Democrats.” I contended that, given the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives beginning in 2019, Democrats will investigate the Trump administration while failing to legislate.

Nelson Smith, who identified himself as a Democrat, and Susan Dennis agreed to have their comments published. Those comments appeared in the Dec. 11 edition under the heading, “To the Editor.” I gleaned at least two primary life lessons from Smith and Dennis.

First, Smith disagreed with me on some points while, in my estimation, sharing my thinking on others. His response was thoughtful and civil. To have either of those qualities be present today in an exchange where people do not agree is extremely rare. To have both thoughtfulness and civility present is a near miracle. The life lesson from Nelson Smith for me: I must not allow the seeming total lack of thoughtfulness and civility to discourage me from trying to help build a better world.

Second, the comments of Susan Dennis conveyed lament regarding the conduct of some people in this politically charged atmosphere. Here is part of what she wrote: “… just makes me sad that we have come to this. Each of us has to decide how to behave, what behavior is acceptable in any situation, whether directed toward us or toward someone we dislike, and continue to communicate with our Congressional Representatives and Senators as to what our expectations are of them.”

In light of the tremendous general decline of individual responsibility in our nation, I often wonder if there are Americans who are seriously concerned about this state of affairs. I believe Dennis is concerned. Her words and tone screamed concern. Reading her comment, and sensing the sincerity of her lament, boosted my hope for a return to focusing on individual responsibility in America.

Finally, Dec. 11, my wife and I went into a restaurant for dinner. A young white man came over and introduced himself as our server. He addressed my wife as “Darling” and me as “Bud.” I calmly asked if he called white men “Bud.” The server respectfully responded, “If I don’t know a customer’s name, I call women ‘Darling’ and call men ‘Bud.’” He said this with a smile and moved on to engage us in routine conversation. I thanked him for his straight-forward and acceptable response.

That brief exchange reminded me that it is possible to engage in productive discussion of what might be difficult topics. If approached with a focus on mutual respect, reason and resolution, genuine progress is possible.

These were just 20 days of life lessons in a journey of many years. They were positively impactful. I recommend giving continuous attention to the life lessons that come our way. Recognize, learn from and act on those lessons.

 Ah... the week between Christmasand New Year’s Day, when no one knows exactly what’s going on, what day it is or where they are supposed to be.

It almost feels like limbo — we feel done with the year but still have a few days left. At times, this seemingly unneeded week feels like more of a test of patience than anything else. All that holiday hype surrounds us for months on end, and when it finally gets here and is over in a day, we’re all left reeling from the parties, the hosting, marshmallows for toasting and caroling out in the (nonexistent) snow. Can the year just be over, already?

In recent years, when this particular kind of impatience rises up in me, I feel a bit of pushback in my own spirit. Yes, the Christmas hype is over, but I think I actually need this week — the week where everything slows down, things are put on hold until the new year, and my mind, body and spirit can just rest and regroup.

Hopefully, resting and regrouping looks a little different for me this year. See, 2018 has left me wanting less. I want simple. I want purposeful. I want slow. I want to want less. However, it’s not enough to just want less. I need a plan, and this week, I’m finalizing it.

Maybe you’re feeling this way too. Here are a few ideas I’ve been tossing around to begin the journey to simple living:

— Less screen time

— More time outdoors

— Less stuff, purging what we don’t need, fewer purchases

— More physical activity

— Less concern for what I don’t have

— More concern for others

— Less social media

— More face-to-face socializing

If you’re craving simple too, grab a pen and paper (because, really, what’s more satisfying than a handwritten list?) and jot down some ideas for yourself and your family.

It all starts with ideas, but it can’t end there. What will these changes actually look like for you and your family? What are some things you can do to make it happen and see results?

For me, I’m even considering entering a contest to not have a smart phone for an entire year just to force me to make a change. If you see me on the side of the road somewhere flipping a map around over and over with a panicked look on my face because I can’t use my GPS, you’ll know I’m making headway. 

Hopefully this will be a year when my heart meets my mind in truly believing that more will not satisfy, busy will not qualify, and good intentions will not modify.

I’m believing less actually is more, and I’m riding that train all the way to 2020.

Want to hear about the journey? Listen weekday mornings to the “Daily Grind” on Christian 105.7 WCLN for updates, and give us your own tips for simple living.

 Cumberland County commissioners have agreed to a compromise for the future allocation of local sales tax funds. County Manager Amy Cannon presented the proposal to the mayors of Cumberland County’s municipalities Dec. 18. Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin was absent and Mayor Pro-Tem Ted Mohn appeared in his place.

Mohn says the plan will have to be discussed by city council before the end of January, when the existing interlocal revenue sharing agreement expires. Cannon told the Mayor’s Coalition that commissioners have decided to continue apportioning sales tax proceeds by population rather than the tax district method, which most large counties use. State law mandates that county governments determine which allocation method to use. The per capita method tends to benefit cities and towns.

Cannon said the county’s proposal is valid until midnight Jan. 31. Without a new signed agreement from all nine municipalities by then, county commissioners will vote on whether to change to the ad valorem allocation method at their Feb. 4 meeting. The ad valorem method would divide the tax proceeds by tax district. County government would benefit because the entire county is its tax district.

The county is proposing a four-year agreement rather than a 10-year term preferred by Fayetteville City Manager Doug Hewett. Neither Hewett nor Mohn commented on the proposed compromise. Cannon said the four-year plan coincides with the county commissioners’ current terms of office.

“We’ve kicked the can long enough,” said Falcon Mayor Cliff Turbin. “It’s time for us to make a move.”

Cannon told the mayors the county proposes a payment adjustment based on tax revenue growth from a base established in fiscal year 2020. During the remaining three years, revenue growth would be shared between the county and the municipalities on a 40/60 percent basis.

The city proposed that its portion of revenue given to the county and towns be phased out altogether.

Turbin, serving as chairman of the mayor’s coalition, told the group he was grateful that commissioners were willing to support the population tax distribution method.

“In the spirit of continued cooperation, the county is willing to reduce our share of future sales tax growth,” Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Jeannette Council said. She reiterated Cannon’s comment, saying, “The county is willing to continue under the per capita method only if there is an agreement to avoid revenue losses for any local government.”

If the commissioners were to change to the ad valorem method, the county’s general fund could see an increase of almost $3 million in sales tax revenues. Cumberland County Schools could gain approximately $500,000; the county’s fire districts could reap $2.9 million; and the Parks and Recreation district could receive $1.3 million. Conversely, all the municipalities would lose revenues. The city of Fayetteville could lose an estimated $5.4 million; Hope Mills could lose $1.1 million; and Spring Lake over $600,000.

The board of commissioners voted in 2003 to go to the ad valorem method because of severe revenue losses that resulted from municipal annexations. They amounted to over $4 million a year, Cannon said, before the 2005 “Big Bang” annexation that cost the county even more.

 The 26th annual New Year’s Day Blackeyed Pea Dinner at the Crown Expo Center on Jan. 1, which runs from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., is free and open to the public. “All are welcome,” said Lee Warren, Cumberland County’s register of deeds and principal organizer of this event. “If you have 10 people in from out of town, bring them. There is no charge, and we want everyone to feel welcome.”

Community, tradition and gratitude will be the special ingredients in 2019’s dinner. Friends, neighbors, families and new faces are invited to gather together to enjoy a traditional Southern New Year’s Day meal of black-eyed peas, collards, sweet potatoes and good ol’ Southern barbecue.

“2019’s dinner marks the 26th year we’ve been doing this,” said Warren. “This year’s dinner will be special because we are dedicating it to all of the first responders and volunteers who helped during the hurricanes. We want them to know how grateful we are.”

According to legend, when Union soldiers raided Confederate food supplies, they took everything but the black-eyed peas because they believed the peas were only animal fodder. Southerners knew better, and eating the peas helped them survive through the winter. The peas became symbolic of luck.

Black-eyed peas were also a staple food in the black community. So, when the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on the first day of January in 1863, peas featured large in those celebratory meals. Tradition has it that, henceforward, blackeyed peas should always be eaten on Jan. 1.

Between 2,500 and 3,000 meals are served at the New Year’s Day dinner at the Crown each year. Experience has taught Warren and his volunteers how much food to prepare. “When New Year’s Day falls on a Friday or a Monday,” said Warren, “many people take advantage of the long weekend and go out of town, so attendance is less. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, we get more people because folks stop by on their way home from church.”

On-site meal prep begins early so that ladies from the Cumberland County Schools system can begin serving at 11 a.m. Diners enjoy background gospel music and good conversation and fellowship along with the delicious food.

Meals are served until 2 p.m. Like all good cooks, Warren and his all-volunteer kitchen staff clean up as they go. “Once the collards are in the cooker,” Warren said, “we start washing and sanitizing.” Most years, they’r  ready to turn out the lights and head home an hour or so after the last meal is served.

A bit of folklore advises that what you do on New Year’s Day, you will do all year long. 

Taking this advice to heart, when we come together as a community on the first day of 2019 to share a traditional meal with gratitude for the heroes in our midst, we’re placing our bets that the year ahead will be filled with a sense of community, tradition and gratitude that prospers us all.

 First Day Hikes began in North Carolina more than 40 years ago with the inaugural First Day Hike at Eno River State Park in Durham. Today, park rangers lead more than 400 First Day Hikes in all 50 states, including hikes in every North Carolina state park. There is also one in Spring Lake. The Carver’s Creek State Park First Day Hike is set for Jan. 1 at 11 a.m., and it is free to attend.

The First Day Hike initiative is promoted by America’s state parks and the National Association of State Parks Directors. The program is part of an effort to showcase the state park systems, familiarizing people with activities available to them close to home, usually at no cost. It also encourages healthy lifestyles, family time and year-round use of the country’s parks.

State Park Ranger Colleen Bowers oversees the First Day Hikes at Carvers Creek State Park. She said they try to offer a variety of monthly hikes to encourage people of all ages to participate. There are three options for the First Day Hikes. The 3-mile History Hike teaches hikers about the history of Carver’s Creek and allows access to areas of the park normally closed to the public. The 2-mile Nature Hike guides participants through the diminishing longleaf pine forest, teaching them about the longleaf ecosystem and its importance.

The 1-mile Hansel and Gretel Hike is geared toward younger hikers, with participants following a “bread crumb” trail of laminated crumb signs with an activity or nature quote at each stop and a clue leading to the next “crumb.” Participants in any of the hikes can get park stickers, bracelets and pins.

The park opened in September of 2013, and the initial First Day Hike on Jan.1, 2015, was attended by close to 50 hikers. While general attendance at Carvers Creek State Park decreased after Hurricane Matthew damaged a dam and the 100-acre millpond at the park in 2016, attendance at the First Day Hikes has continually grown, primarily due to increased publicity of the event and the variety of hikes offered, according to Bowers.

Bowers added that she felt the turnout for First Day Hikes was a good indicator of how well the program has been received. “It is definitely successful as seen by the number of participants,” she said. “It gets people excited to get out and take part in park hikes and acts as an incentive to start and keep their New Year’s resolutions.”

Visitors who participate in the North Carolina State Parks 100-Mile Challenge can add First Day Hike miles to their 100-mile Challenge totals. The 100-Mile Challenge encourages North Carolinians to walk, hike, run, bike, paddle, roll, ride or skate anywhere in the state’s great outdoors to accumulate 100 miles, earning prizes along the way. To learn more about the 100-mile challenge, visit www.nc100miles.org.

First Day hikers are encouraged to bring plenty of drinking water, dress appropriately for the weather and wear shoes/boots suited for the type of hike they plan to do. Most parks allow pets to accompany hikers, provided they are on a leash. Check the regulations on the specific parks’ pages at www.ncparks.gov. Hikers are also asked to be aware of changing weather conditions as some events could be canceled due to inclement weather.

Learn more about Carvers Creek State Park and its First Day Hikes by visiting www.ncparks.gov/carvers-creek-state-park or by calling 910-436-4681.

 Students interested in database management can earn an associate degree in information technology from Fayetteville Technical Community College. IT teaches students the fundamentals of areas including networking, security and programming. In addition to these fundamentals, FTCC’s Database Management program emphasizes the student learning what a database is and how it functions on both the user side and the administration side.

Students will take classes in Oracle, MySQL and MS SQL Server. Graduates are prepared to work in the IT field providing support to database administrators who organize and protect an organization’s data and keep the data-driven applications performing at their best. Data are at the heart of almost any organization. Business decisions are based on data. It’s important that the data are accurate, accessible and secure.

Database Management students will qualify for entry-level positions with businesses, educational systems, government agencies and any other entities that rely heavily on computer systems to manage their data.

The Information Technology PC Support & Services program at FTCC introduces students to just about all areas of the IT discipline. Students take courses in networking, programming and security, but they focus on hardware and software. Students will learn how to disassemble and build PCs from scratch. They will learn how to build virtual machines and install operating systems, and they will learn the necessary troubleshooting techniques for repairing PC hardware and software issues.

Degrees in IT can open the door to numerous job opportunities and job fields, especially in light of North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park. This curriculum prepares students for employment as troubleshooters responsible for solving problems and providing technical support and advice to customers and users in just about any sector, including hospitals, educational institutions, retail establishments and government and state organizations.

In addition to associate degree programs, FTCC offers several certificate programs of study. Students can complete certificate programs more quickly than associate degree programs. Certificate programs are condensed to promote focus on one particular area of interest. They are ideal for individuals seeking additional career training.

FTCC also offers educational opportunities for high school students. There are many certificates available to students enrolled in High School Connections and Cumberland Polytechnic High School at FTCC.

Anyone interested in learning about computer technology programs at FTCC can apply easily by visiting FTCC’s homepage (www.faytechcc.edu) and clicking on Apply Now. There is no application fee, and everyone is accepted. During the admissions process, applicants should indicate the desired program area. Students may select Information Technology/Database Management or Information Technology/PC Support & Services. Once the admissions process is complete, students will want to proceed in registering for classes right away and can begin their major courses during the first semester.

For more information, call 910-678-7368 or email sobersto@faytechcc.edu. Start the new year in a positive direction with education from FTCC. Register soon; spring classes begin Jan. 14.

 An article in The Fayetteville Observer three weeks ago left the impression for many that “Cumberland County has been designated one of the most economically distressed counties in the state.” The North Carolina Department of Commerce ranked Cumberland County one of the state’s 40 most economically depressed areas, designating it a Tier 1 community.

Robert Van Geons, president and CEO of the Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation, said it really isn’t all that bad. “Our community is coming together to create jobs and improve the quality of life for our citizens,” he said. “While we haven’t lost any ground, we have a lot that needs to be done.”

Since 2007, North Carolina has used a three level system for designating development tiers. The designations are mandated by state law. They are incorporated into state development programs to encourage economic activity in all 100 counties of the state. The legislature changed some of the criteria last year, resulting in Cumberland County’s distressed category.

The revised designations are based primarily on a community’s average unemployment rate, median household income, population growth and the adjusted property tax base per capita.

Counties that underperform in any of the four factors may request assistance from the North Carolina Department of Commerce about how to improve their performance.

“According to my review of the data, these statistics … actually improved,” Van Geons said.

Since the 2017 rankings, median income is up $2,700, unemployment is down 1.5 percent, and the per capita tax base has risen $1,900.

“I feel like the economy, if anything, is getting better around here,” County Commission Vice Chairman Marshall Faircloth added.

“If you take a look at all the retail, hotel, downtown and new industrial activity going on, it represents hundreds of millions of dollars, Van Geons said. “In just the last few years, our organization has worked with companies bringing over 1,800 jobs to Cumberland County.”

The new Tier 1 designation will make Cumberland County eligible for additional state grants and make it easier for companies to receive incentives for bringing jobs to the county.

“We want to move forward and push our way out of Tier 1,” Van Geons said. “Meanwhile, we appreciate the tools and resources we have now.”

Fayetteville is the only major metropolitan area in North Carolina that is ranked Tier 1. The most economically disadvantaged counties lie east of the I-95 corridor. They also include Robeson, Hoke, Sampson, Bladen, Duplin and Scotland counties in southeastern North Carolina.

A report released by the North Carolina General Assembly Program Evaluation Division in December 2015 makes three core findings regarding the way North Carolina has used the tier system. The first is that using tiers to distribute state funding has not helped the state’s most distressed counties as intended.

Though created specifically for economic development tax credits, several noneconomic development programs now use the tier designations to distribute state money. “Despite the adoption of the tiers by other state programs, it is apparent that Tier 1 counties are not benefiting the most,” said Jonathan Morgan, a UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government faculty member who has studied the program.

Meetings

For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Town Clerk Jane Starling at 910-426-4113. Most meetings take place at Town Hall or the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation center. 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, Jan. 7, 7 p.m., Town Hall, Bill Luther Meeting Room

• Festival Committee Monday, Jan. 7, 6 p.m., Town Hall, Front Conference Room

• Lake Advisory Committee Tuesday, Jan. 15, 6 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.

 

 This week, our publisher, Bill Bowman, yields his space for a message fromvisitnc.com.

An Invitation from North Carolina’s Coast:

The holidays are a special time for families in North Carolina to gather and look ahead to the new year with anticipation and enthusiasm. It’s also a time when we reflect on the past year, including memorable highlights and challenges.

As North Carolinians we have much to be thankful for, but many of our families, neighbors and communities in the paths of Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael were severely impacted this fall. Collectively, we say thank you to so many of you for your support.

North Carolinians are resilient. From the beautiful coastline in the east to the towering mountains in the west, North Carolinians are known for strong comebacks and moving forward. As leaders of the travel industry along the coast, we want to assure you that significant progress has been made to make sure visitors can return to the coastal places they love.

Our out-of-state visitors are special guests to us all, but many of them who heard the national news during the storms are unaware of how far we’ve come since. We’ve learned from recent research conducted by Visit North Carolina that only 14 percent of potential outof- state visitors believe North Carolina’s coast is back to normal. Even some North Carolinians are unaware of how far we’ve come. In most instances, our hotels, vacation rentals, attractions, recreational outfitters, restaurants, retail shops, golf courses and more are already welcoming visitors back, and others will certainly be back to normal in time for the popular spring and summer travel seasons.

We recognize many North Carolinians dedicate a portion of their time together during the holidays to begin planning family vacations for the coming year. The tourism economy is vital to our region, our citizens and the quality of life we all cherish. The speed of our recovery is largely dependent on the pace with which travelers return to visit our communities throughout the state.

We encourage you to plan a visit to North Carolina’s beautiful and distinctive barrier island coastline to enjoy what many families make an annual tradition. And with our state’s rich diversity of landscapes, history, culture and activities, please consider exploring North Carolina first for all your leisure travel.

We look forward to welcoming you soon.

Best Regards,

Wit Tuttell Director, Visit North Carolina/visitnc.com

and

Tameron Kugler, visitcurrituck.com;

Lee Nettles, outerbanks.org;

Helena Stevens, visitocracokenc.com;

Jim Browder, crystalcoastnc.org;

Donna Hammonds, onlyinonslow.com;

Tammy Proctor, visitpender.com;

Tarshi McCoy, visitnewbern.com;

Kim Hufham, wilmingtonandbeaches.com;

Mitzi York, ncbrunswick.com