For the Cape Fear football program, this is the year 1 A.J., as in after Justice Galloway-Velazquez.

The talented Cape Fear athlete is now a Campbell University freshman, after leading the Colts on the best four-year run of football in school history, a record of 43-13 that included a conference title, a 4-A state runnerup and Eastern 4-A runnerup finish.

“It’s definitely going to be an adjustment for us and some of our guys,’’ said Colt head coach Jake Thomas. “They’re handling it pretty well.’’

A player who will be fully in the spotlight for the Colts this fall is Cayden McKethan, who stepped in at quarterback for Galloway-Velazquez last year when he was battling injuries.

A sophomore this fall, McKethan completed 38 of 64 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns.

“He’s got a good grasp but it’s a work in progress,’’ Thomas said. “He’s not as big as Justice (McKethan is 6-feet-0, 195 pounds). He’s got good size, (he’s) a good athlete and (has) decent arm strength. He’s a smart football player.’’

Aside from replacing Galloway-Velazquez, Thomas has concern about the wide receivers and the secondary, where the Colts will be replacing a lot of losses. “We don’t have a lot of experience returning at those positions,’’ Thomas said. “We’re working on basic alignments, communication and knowing your assignments.’’

There are some bright spots for the Colts going into the fall, Thomas said. Those areas include the defensive and offensive lines, linebackers and running backs. “For the most part, all those  guys are back, so we feel good about them,’’ Thomas said.

Coming out of the spring, Thomas hopes his players will be able to grasp the team’s top three running and passing plays, as well as being able to line up in the right defense in response to the opposing offensive formation, along with reacting to any offensive motion.

Thomas welcomes back a number of players who are expected to play key roles this fall.

One of the biggest is Jaylen Hudson, who will be moving from linebacker to free safety. Hudson has already been getting college football offers.

Mark Burke will move from linebacker to strong safety, and T.J. Hale will move to a starting cornerback spot.

Rounding out the top returnees are Sincere Hale and Caleb Krings in the line, along with linebacker Austin Hunt.

Hunt is returning from an ACL injury that sidelined him last year. He and the other five players Thomas mentioned will serve as the Colt captains.

“Austin is doing good in the weight room and looks good out there,’’ Thomas said.

Hunt hasn’t been cleared for full contact and expects to be held out throughout the fall practices, possibly until the start of regular season, just to make sure he’s fully healed.

“It’s great to be with the guys once again,’’ Hunt said. “My lateral movement and speed is back and I’m still physical like usual. The hardest part is the pain and soreness and my knee getting tired. I’ve got to build my endurance back up.’’

Watching from the sidelines last season, Hunt saw room for improvement in Cape Fear’s pass rush. “I wasn’t too pleased with the sacks last year,’’ he said. “Run-wise, we’re pretty decent.’’

Hunt said the formula for winning again this fall is simple. “We’ve got to play as a team,’’ he said. “Everybody has to hold the rope. Everybody has to make big time plays for us. “We can’t lag behind. We’ve got to take two steps forward every day.’’

 

PHOTOS: (T-B) Jake Thomas & Austin Hunt

With the loss of a talented senior class led by record-setting twins Christian and Andrew Jayne, Terry Sanford head football coach Bruce McClelland worked with a lot of new faces during this year’s spring football practice.

But McClelland is hopeful he’s got enough talented players returning to make another run at the Patriot Athletic Conference football title.

The Bulldogs were 11-2 last season, losing only to Cape Fear in league play en route to the championship and falling 42-41 to Jacksonville in the second round of the 3-A playoffs.

With Christian Jayne throwing often to Andrew Jayne last season, the Bulldogs were best known as a passing team, although they certainly were able to run the football.

Coming into the fall, McClelland said he has an open mind as to what kind of team the Bulldogs will be this year.

“I feel my duty is to work with the personnel I have,’’ McClelland said. “We’re going to run a similar offense. If we have the backs, we’ll run the ball. If we have guys that step up at wideout, we’ll throw it. But we’re going to lay all the cards on the table.’’

One of the big questions McClelland has to sort out is who will be the Bulldog quarterback this season.

Davidjohn Herz, a star pitcher for the Bulldogs’ Eastern 3-A finalist baseball team last season, came off the bench in some critical situations to spell Christian Jayne last year.

While he may be the front runner for the job, McClelland said there will be an open competition for the starting job this summer and fall between Herz, who is a senior, and junior Jacob Knight. “Those two will have all summer to battle, and the scrimmage games,’’ McClelland said. “We’ll go from there. Whoever gives us the best chance to win will play.’’

McClelland will also be looking for a new core of leaders on this team, but he’s got some solid candidates back from last year, players like running back Leonard Mosley, offensive and defensive lineman Tanner Morris and the versatile Dante Bowlding.

“The good sign of the spring is the definite transition of leadership,’’ McClelland said. “It seems seamless with Dante and Tanner and the senior class stepping up. These guys are ready to work. That’s not a coaching thing. That’s a leadership thing.

“We can appoint whoever we want to be the leaders, but the kids are going to follow who they are going to follow.’’

McClelland called Bowlding one of the best football players he’s ever coached, and an even better young man. “You’ll see him all over the field,’’ McClelland said. “He returns punts and kicks. His primary position is safety, but he’ll play some slot and wideout. He’s going to give us the versatility to run multiple sets, offensively and defensively.’’

Bowlding said as a junior he had to play a leadership role for the Bulldogs and doesn’t expect it to be different this season. “We’re mainly focused on trying to teach the new guys,’’ he said. “We’re obviously not as big as we were last year, but as long as you play with a lot of heart, it shouldn’t matter.’’

He thinks a lot of teams may look down on the Bulldogs because of the loss of the Jayne brothers, but he warns that’s not a good idea.

“No team should really look down on you,’’ he said.

 

 

PHOTOS: (T-B) Bruce McClelland & Dante Bowlding

Bathers were allowed to resume swimming in Hope Mills Lake just before the town started a series of celebrations in honor of the lake’s return earlier this year.

While the whole community is enjoying the restoration of the town’s iconic centerpiece, town manager Melissa Adams said town officials are working behind the scenes to make sure the lake water is safe and to instruct people on how to have the best possible experience when going in the water.

The final test of the water that determined it was safe for swimming was conducted June 25 by Micobac Laboratories of Fayetteville.

Adams said the tests have been looking for fecal coliform bacteria, which is found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, especially the geese that have come to call Hope Mills Lake home.

Adams said the June test showed levels of the bacteria well under the state minimum for a body of fresh water like the lake.

The state of North Carolina doesn’t require the town to test the water of the lake, but Adams said the town has elected to do it to ensure the safety of the public.

The next step, Adams said, will be developing a policy for regular testing of the lake water to make sure the bacteria remains within safe limits. They will also come up with a plan for what to do should the test results show a higher concentration of bacteria.

Adams said the new plan may have been presented to the board prior to the writing of this article at a Board of Commissioners meeting scheduled for July 9.

“It may just be an initial draft, if we haven’t gotten approval by the town attorney or the state hasn’t given their blessing,’’ Adams said. “We may put it back on the agenda for another day for approval.’’

Adams expects the policy will include things like when the testing will take place, what will be tested for and what the town will do if the test results exceed state limits for bacteria.

As for the ongoing problem of the geese, which appear to be at the root of the problem of the previous high readings for bacteria, Adams said the town has already decided not to use the services of a firm in Moore County that provides border collies to chase off the geese.

A possible temporary fix to the problem was provided by the recent lake celebration activities, Adams said. “With so much activity at the lake that’s going to keep them a little bit at bay,’’ she said.

Adams said the town continues to have a problem with people feeding the geese at the lake. She implored them to stop because it keeps the geese coming to the lake for food, food that is actually bad for them.

“It is imperative that the public stop feeding the geese,’’ she said. “It’s very bad for them. It causes them to have diarrhea.’’

Adams said the owner of the border collies they considered using to chase off the geese warned them that if the feeding continues, geese will continue migrating to the lake because it’s a source of food for them.

Something else that could deter the geese from coming to the lake is a bulkhead the town commissioners have debated having built along the grassy lakefront. The bulkhead would serve as a barrier to prevent the geese from having easy access from the grassy front shore of the lake into the water.

“That would help deter the geese,’’ Adams said. “They don’t like barriers.’’

Even if the bacteria levels in the lake are low, people still need to take precautions when swimming there.

The state of North Carolina has published safety guidelines for swimming in bodies of fresh water, and Adams said the town plans to use those to help educate the public.

“People can take simple precautions to protect themselves,’’ Adams said.

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.

• Lake Advisory Committee Tuesday, July 17, 6 p.m.

• Parks and Recreation Advisory Monday, July 23, 6:30 p.m.

• Board of Commissioners Monday, July 23, 7 p.m. at Town Hall in the Bill Luther Meeting Room.

• Appearance Committee Tuesday, July 24, 7 p.m.

• Veterans Affairs Commission Thursday, July 26, 7 p.m.

Activities

• 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.

• Fall sports registration through July 28. $30 per child; $15 late fee after registration deadline. Season begins Sept. 8. Call 910-426-4109 for details.

• Wine-Tasting, Cheese and Appetizers Saturday, July 28, 5-8 p.m. Held at the Boarding House Tea Room, 3903 Ellison St., at the corner of W. Patterson Street across from Hope Mills YMCA. Open to the public once there is a 10-person commitment. Mix and mingle in cozy and quaint surroundings. Tasty hors d’oeuvres and vintage treasures available. Call Carla at 910-527-7455 to make reservations.

Promote yourself: Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

When asked how she planned to celebrate her Jack Britt softball team winning the state 4-A fastpitch championship last month, Buccaneer softball coach Sebrina Wilson said she was going to spend the summer doing something that sounded anything but celebratory.

She’ll be teaching driver’s education.

Not exactly a trip to Walt Disney World for a ride on Space Mountain, but Wilson said it’s something a lot of coaches in Cumberland County Schools choose to do with what would normally be their summer vacation.

Wilson also teaches driver’s education in the fall. In the spring, while softball season is in full swing, Wilson drives before the school day starts so she’ll be free after school to coach the softball team.

Her summer schedule, which started June 18 and will continue until school resumes in August, consists of classroom instruction in driver’s education from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. and actual  driving time with student trainees from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

“I like having a three-day weekend because it’s been a long school year with softball going into June,’’ she said.

For classwork, Wilson and her fellow driver’s education teachers use the Drive Right curriculum, which takes students through the controls of the car and the rules of the road, including all manner of situations that might come up on the highway. Students have to pass a 100-question test as well as a sign test similar to the one given at driver’s examination offices operated by the state of North Carolina.

Her classes vary in size from 25 to 40 students. Most of them are just under 15 and haven’t actually attended high school before, arriving from middle school. There are often older students in the class, some who have waited until later to take the course and others who have transferred in from another state where they only have a state permit to drive and need to take the North Carolina course.

After the mandatory 30 hours of classroom instruction, the final, crucial part of passing driver’s education is the required six hours of driving time. How quickly that progresses is a decision made by both instructor and pupil, Wilson said. “If they are not comfortable leaving the parking lot, you don’t put them on the open highway,’’ Wilson said.

That isn’t done until both pupil and instructor feel the student is ready for the experience of being on a real highway.

“A lot of the kids have some sort of driving experience because we have so many four-wheelers, go-karts and golf carts,’’ she said. “They have a little bit of knowledge on how to do some of the things. They’ve just never been in a vehicle to apply them.’’

Wilson usually spends the first day of driving in the parking lots at Jack Britt. If things progress smoothly, the second day can take the young driver into the neighborhood by the school, followed by open highway driving on the third day.

In the final days of driving, they’ll experience the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway and get a taste of exit and entry ramps. Wilson also takes her students to downtown Fayetteville for a drive around the Market House to experience city traffic.

The only control Wilson or any other instructor has over the car is a brake. There’s only one steering wheel, and that’s for the student.

There is a lot of pressure on the instructor because if there’s an at-fault accident, the penalty falls on the instructor as the only licensed driver in the vehicle.

“It makes you stay alert,’’ Wilson said. “We can’t be distracted. It’s made me a better driver. I focus on a lot more things on the highway and it forces me to teach the kids how to focus more.’’

For Wilson, that means all cellphones are put out of reach before driving begins. “We don’t want you texting or being distracted,’’ she said.

Wilson said she sees similarities between her job in driver’s education and her role as a softball coach.

“In softball, you try to teach them and coach them to make the right decisions,’’ she said. “You have to be more tactical because you want to make sure the kid has the best experience. That’s what we really try to do.’’

 

PHOTO: Sebrina Wilson

Was there a connection between the 1950s Nigerian movement for independence and the civil rights movement in Winston-Salem?

Elaine Neil Orr’s new novel, “Swimming Between Worlds,” is based on this premise. The North Carolina State University professor grew up as a child of American missionaries in Nigeria. Her experiences gave a beautiful and true spirit to her first novel, “A Different Sun,” about pre-Civil War Southern missionaries going to Black Africa to save souls.

Instead of slaveholding Southerners preaching to Nigerian blacks, the new book contrasts the cultural segregation of 1950s Winston-Salem with that in Nigeria.

Although Nigerians were coming to a successful end of their struggle for independence from Great Britain, they were still mired in the vestiges of colonial oppression.

Set in these circumstances is a coming-of-age story and a love story. These themes are complicated, and enriched, by the overlay of the Nigerian struggle and the civil rights protests in Winston-Salem.

The main male character, Tacker Hart, had been a star high school football player who then earned an architectural degree at N.C. State. He was selected for a plum assignment to work in Nigeria on prototype designs for new schools.

Working in Nigeria, this typical Southern, white male became so captivated by Nigerian culture, religion and ambience that his white supervisors fired him and sent him home. Back in Winston-Salem, the discouraged and depressed Tacker takes a job in his father’s grocery.

The female lead character, Kate Monroe, is the daughter of a Wake Forest history professor. Her parents are dead. After graduating from Agnes Scott College, she left Atlanta and her longtime boyfriend, James, to return to Winston-Salem and live in the family home where she grew up.

How Tacker wins Kate from James is the love story that forms the spine of this book. But there are complications created by a young African-American college student who is taking time off to help with family in Winston-Salem.

Tacker and Kate first meet Gaines on the same day. After Gaines buys a bottle of milk at the Hart grocery store, white thugs attack him for being in the wrong place (a white neighborhood) at the wrong time. Later on the same day, Kate spots an African-American man holding a bottle of milk, walking by her home in an upper class white neighborhood. She thinks he probably stole the milk. She is terrified and immediately locks her doors and windows. She shakes with worry about the danger of this young black man walking through her neighborhood. The young man is, of course, Gaines.

It turns out that Gaines is the nephew of Tacker’s beloved family maid. Tacker and his father hire Gaines to work in the grocery store, and he becomes a model employee.

But Gaines has a secret agenda. He is working with the group of outsiders to organize protest movements at lunch counters in downtown retail stores.

Gaines sets out to entice Tacker to help with the protests – first, only to allow the store to be used at night for a meeting place. Then, over time, Tacker is led to participate in the sit-ins.

In Nigeria, Tacker had found his black colleagues and friends to be just as smart, interesting and as talented as he was. He found them to be his equals.

Back in Winston-Salem, he had at first slipped back into a comfort level with the segregated and oppressive culture in which he grew up. His protest activities with Gaines put his relationships with his family, with Kate, and his possible employment at an architectural firm at risk.

Tacker’s effort to accommodate his growing participation in the civil rights movement with his heritage of segregation leads to the book’s dramatic, tragic and totally surprising ending.

Fayetteville Technical Community College’s Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Small Business, along with Wells Fargo, presents the 2018 Youth Entrepreneurship Camp. It is set for Monday, July 30, through Friday, Aug. 3, from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on the campus of FTCC. Friday’s schedule is 8:30 a.m.-noon. The camp is open to rising seventh- through ninthgraders who are interested in future business and entrepreneurship goals.

“This will be the ninth or 10th year of having rising seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders for five days – and it is a fun camp – but they actually learn something in the process,” said Kent Hill,  FTCC director of the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Small Business. “We have a lot of simulations and games, and the students come up with a team business plan or an individual project in which they will compete.”

Successful entrepreneurs will speak to the students and share their insights about their journey with their businesses. “We have a lot of young guest entrepreneurs and they will speak to the students,” said Hill. “We have a young man from Athens, Georgia, who is building a really big business, and he is a freshman in high school.”

Hill added they have had young people take hobbies and monetize them into income streams to help pay for things they want or to save for college.

“We have had the most awesome support from Wells Fargo, and it is not just financial support, it is their involvement,” said Hill. “One of the things the kids do in their teams is to pitch their elevator speeches to get funding from Wells Fargo bankers.” Hill added there is a panel of Wells Fargo bankers who gently coach the students. He said it is a blast to watch the students in action.

“Some of the students who are goofing off get in front of the bankers and get really serious and are really focused,” said Hill. “They are pretty good salespeople when money is involved, and that is a pretty good motivator.”

“We also have some fun games and competitions, and they will compete for prizes,” said Hill. “We are doing something different this year in which the students will tie-dye their own camp T-shirt.”

Hill added the students will also tie-dye additional shirts that they can sell. They will have to buy them from FTCC and sell them for a profit.

“We try to feed them a dozen or more potential businesses that they can reasonably operate in school profitably as a student, legally,” said Hill. “We really want this to be meaningful and want these young people to go out and say they have some alternatives.”

Applications can be found online at www.facebook.com/FTCCSmallBusinessCenter or at http://tiny.cc/ftccsbc. The camp fee is $52 and is due by July 20. It includes a camp T-shirt and lunch Monday through Thursday.

For more information, contact Hill at 910-678-8462.

About every second Saturday between March and November, the community is given an uncommon opportunity to time travel.

Residents and out-of-town visitors receive the exclusive chance to hear and learn about Fayetteville’s nearly 300-year-old history while they ride in a horse-drawn canopied carriage. Led by volunteers who double as tour guides, passengers cruise through the Cool Spring Downtown District on a 45-minute historic tour that can take them as far back as the early 18th century in Fayetteville’s ever-evolving narrative.

Mark Regensburger, president and chief executive officer of CSDD, said these monthly expeditions distinguish the city’s downtown district from more urban-feeling zones found in cities like Charlotte, Raleigh and Winston-Salem, despite Fayetteville’s current ranking as North Carolina’s fourth-largest metropolitan area.

“It feels more homey,” Regensburger said. “Having that tie with the horse and carriage rides gives us a different ambience, a different feel, and you feel like you might’ve stepped back in time.”

Dr. Hank Parfitt, co-owner of City Center Gallery & Books and organizer of the tours, said sharing stories from the city’s dynamic past is fun for both the riders and their tour guides.

“Our tour guides – they’re not just railing off a bunch of facts,” Parfitt said. “We’re telling stories about people and events that took place in Fayetteville.”

July’s historic tour, which takes place the 14th, will be guided by Bruce Daws, the city’s historic properties manager. It’s a rare occasion to learn about and see the home of Ezekiel Ezra Smith – better known to locals as E.E. Smith.

A man of many hats, Smith was born in Duplin County, North Carolina, in May of 1852. Smith wasn’t formally educated during his childhood because of his skin color. Despite that obstacle, he went on to earn both his bachelor’s degree and doctorate from Shaw University and left a legacy as a diplomat, serviceman, principal and longtime president of Fayetteville State University.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1878, he took a position as principal of an elementary school in Goldsboro. He would eventually serve as principal of a high school in Asheville after obtaining his doctorate.

Soon after taking the position in Goldsboro, Smith was selected to serve as a major in North Carolina’s Home Guard in 1880. In 1898, he joined a North Carolina regiment of black troops that, though never called upon, was formed to go into battle during the Spanish-American War.

He was appointed head of the Howard School, now known as Fayetteville State University, in 1883. Five years later, he served as the consul to Liberia, notably improving U.S. relations with the foreign country.

He returned to Fayetteville in 1899 and served as the president of FSU for nearly 50 years. He held that position for the remainder of his life.

Smith’s 19th-century Fayetteville home was purchased by the city two years ago and is being restored, making this tour a unique occasion for people to see this historic landmark.

Parfitt said longtime residents of Fayetteville are always able to gain new knowledge when they participate in a historic tour. “They always come away shaking their heads saying, ‘Wow. I didn’t know that.’ That, to me, is a lot of fun to hear (coming from) someone like that who already knows a lot about Fayetteville,” he said.

Newer residents have the chance to gain a little more, Parfitt added. “For someone who has just moved to the community, it helps ground you in this community you’re now going to call home.”

Spots for the July 14 historic tours, which run from 9 a.m. to noon, can be reserved at City Center Gallery & Books at 112 Hay St. or by phone at 910-678-8899.

Enjoy a night under the stars, complete with entertainment and refreshments, at Screen on the Green & Food Truck Rodeo, a funfilled night for the whole family. The event takes place the second Friday of the month through August. Screen on the Green is hosted by Mendoza Park in the town of Spring Lake from 6-10 p.m., and it’s free to attend. July’s event occurs this Friday, the 13th.

Fans of dinner-and-a-movie will love having tasty options at the ready from food trucks selling fare on-site during the event. There will be a variety of foods available, including tacos.

This month’s film is “Jumanji.” The show starts as soon as the sun goes down.

The following month, Screen on the Green will feature “Coco,” Aug. 10, at the same time.

Come early and make some memories by enjoying the amenities Mendoza Park has to offer, including three baseball/softball fields, picnic areas, a large playground with swings, slides and deck systems, a large open space, a walking area and park benches.

Then, grab a blanket, a lawn chair, or whatever makes you comfortable, and enjoy “Jumanji” on the big screen.

For more information about Screen on the Green, call 910-436-0011 or visit www.spring-lake.org. Additional details are available on the town of Spring Lake social media pages on Facebook and Twitter.

When Highland House Rehabilitation & Healthcare, Inc. opened its doors in 1968, it had the same goals it does today – caring for friends and neighbors. The facility originally had 52 beds. It has expanded twice since then, once in 1971 and again in 1991. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Highland House is hosting an open house Friday, July 27. There will be barbecue, door prizes and special guests and speakers.

Samantha Inczauskis is the director of transitional services at Highland House Rehabilitation & Healthcare. One of the many things she loves about working there is the fact that it is a locally owned facility.

“It is not owned by a conglomerate – that is one of the most outstanding things,” she said. “This house that started 50 years ago is still serving the community. It allows the facility to make decisions based on the needs of our patients versus what someone in another city or state thinks is the right thing to do.

“One of the things that impressed me most is the family-oriented nature of the people who work here. We are a very clean facility, and the care that our nurses, CNAs and med techs provide is something that really stands out to me. It is why I took this job.”

 

In addition to spacious rooms, planned diets and dining options, Highland House offers a quiet environment with amenities guests and residents can enjoy. These include:

• Four patio gardens
• Barber and beauty shop
• Complete pharmacy services
• Private phone hook-up available
• Televisions in every room with cable TV included
• Planned activities and community outings
• Resident and family councils
• Religious, inspirational and educational programs
• Daily housekeeping and laundry services
• Financial services and social services from pre-admission to discharge
• Nutrition and dietary consultation and planning
• Private spaces for resident/family gatherings
• Pet visits

Motivated by compassion and committed to providing the best care possible, the staff at Highland House work hard to meet the needs of their patients and residents. And with the variety of services offered there, that is not always an easy task.

“We have 53 beds for assisted living. We have 16 beds dedicated to short-term transitional rehab, and the rest of the 159 beds are for longterm care and patients requiring skilled nursing,” Inczauskis said.

Knowing that quality of life is also an important part of healing and happiness, the facility works with volunteers to offer activities for residents. The facility also partners with local groups, including the Tokay Rockers, and participates in the community, including partnering in a lot of the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation department senior sponsored activities.

“We do blood pressure checks every month at the senior center right before bingo the first Thursday of the month,” Inczauskis said. “We are always looking for volunteers, too. There are many ways to engage with Highland House.

“We are trying to be more active in the chamber, and we support senior-focused nonprofits like Better Health. Our medical director is part of the Cape Fear Valley Senior Health Service. Just like any other facility, we participate in the referral system.”

The July 27 open house celebration starts at 5 p.m. “We hope people come and see what we are about,” Inczauskis said.

To learn more about Highland House, visit www.highlandhousenc.com or call 910-488-2295. Highland House is located at 1700 Pamalee Dr.

Friday, July 13, Bud Light presents On the Border as part of its Fayetteville After 5 Concert Series. The concert takes place at 6 p.m. in Festival Park.

“The purpose of the Fayetteville After 5 Concert Series is to help us raise money for our Fall Festival and our signature Spring Dogwood Festival,” said Sarah Suggs, marketing and events coordinator for the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival. “All of the funds we make at each event is a fundraiser for the following event, so the more revenue we can generate at these Fayetteville After 5 events, the bigger and better we can make our fall festival and spring festival.”

July’s headlining act is On the Border – the Ultimate Eagles Tribute Band, and the opening act is Rivermist. “We have had On the Border in previous years, and they are really popular and definitely a Fayetteville favorite,” said Suggs.

On the Border hails from Charlotte. Their shows feature timeless hits from the iconic rock band The Eagles. During performances, each member of the band plays his respective character of the original Eagles band.

Rivermist is a classic rock band from Fayetteville. The band represents the collaboration of musicians who have been playing in and around Fayetteville for more than 20 years. Rivermist’s classic rock sound dovetails perfectly with the evening’s headliner.

Another way that the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival makes a difference in the community is by supporting other nonprofits and organizations. This season, there is something new.

“Every month this season, we have done a thank you to different groups of employees,” said Suggs. “For June we did teacher appreciation night, and (in) July we will be doing city and county employee appreciation night.”

Suggs added that city and county employees can go to the radio station tent near the stage to enter for different giveaways such as a gift card and a Bud Light prize pack.

Come hungry. “We have 12 food trucks for the event,” said Suggs. Beer and wine will also be available. The concert is free and open to the public. Gates open at 5 pm. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair to enjoy the concert. Outside coolers, food and beverages are not allowed. For more information, call 910- 323-1934.

Commissary officials are lowering prices on popular items and attacking the problem of poorly stocked shelves as part of a nationwide effort to bring military customers back into their stores. Discounted shopping is the big benefit for qualified shoppers. The Defense Commissary Agency wants to regain its customers’ trust as it deals with a 20 percent decline in sales over the last five years.

Interim Agency Director Robert Bianchi gave an example of customers seeing individual items such as bananas priced higher in a commissary than a civilian store. That leaves the customer with an impression that the rest of the commissary prices are just as high, even though shopping there should, on average, save them 23.7 percent.

“Hopefully... we’ll tamp down some of that perception (commissary customers) may have about some of our pricing,” Bianchi said.

One change customers will notice right away is bright orange “YES!” labels and signs that highlight reduced prices on about 100 types of items frequently bought by commissary shoppers.  “YES” is short for Your Everyday Savings. With different brands and sizes covered, that means deals on about 500 items such as baby food, pet food, bottled water, toilet tissue, nutritional shakes, potato chips and other snacks, plus flavored iced teas, pasta, cheese, yogurt, cereal, coffee and more.

Plans call for an expanded selection of natural and organic items, and officials are considering offering more meal kits and prepared-food options for shopper convenience.

There’s also another 100 private-label commissary-brand products on the way. The 500 items available now under the year-old “YES” program have accounted for $40 million in sales, Bianchi said.

Over the last year, commissary officials have been implementing a new pricing program that allows them to mark items up or down rather than sell them at cost (plus a 5 percent surcharge for overhead), as they did for decades. Some defense officials have sought for years to reduce the amount of taxpayer dollars that go to commissary operations, about $1.3 billion a year. By law, variable pricing can help defray those dollars so long as the system maintains an overall level of savings of 23.7 percent when compared with civilian grocers.

Coming soon: Beer and wine. “The availability of beer and wine  at military commissary stores will increase customer satisfaction and convenience, and align with common commercial grocery store practices,” said Robert Wilkie, DoD’s undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, in a recent memo quoted by Military Times. Commissary alcohol prices will be comparable to those at military exchanges, he said. Wilkie, a Fayetteville native, was recently named by the president to become Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

The 2018 Point-in-Time Annual Homeless Count estimates 372 people were homeless in Cumberland County during a 24-hour period Jan. 24-25. That’s 70 fewer than in the 2017 report. An estimated 31 percent were under the age of 18. The Point-in-Time count is a 24-hour snapshot of homelessness in the community. The information is used to assess local homeless assistance systems, to plan and structure programs to meet existing needs and to inform the public.

The count is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides the city of Fayetteville and county of Cumberland millions of federal dollars annually. The goal of the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Continuum of Care on Homelessness is to significantly reduce homelessness in the community and “to develop and improve communitywide systems so homelessness is rare, brief and nonrecurring,” said chairwoman Laressa Witt.

Cumberland County is required to prepare and submit a one-year community development action plan that describes projects and activities expected to be implemented and funded with entitlement funds and competitive awards received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Cumberland County Community Development Interim Director Dee Taylor outlined the agency’s 2018 action plan:

 

• Increase the supply of affordable permanent housing/permanent supportive housing units for households with incomes 30 percent or more below the area median income.
• Increase emergency beds.
• Improve the communitywide centralized intake/coordinated process and/or one-stop day resource center.
• Increase the income (earned and benefits) for those who are in temporary housing.
• Increase services for homeless persons with mental illness and/or substance use disorders.
• Strengthen discharge planning coordination for those coming out of institutions (e.g. correctional, mental, etc.).
• Expand transportation options (work/appts).

The goals and outcomes identified in this action plan are taken from the five-year consolidated strategic plan, which describes how federal funds and other resources will be spent and what other actions must be taken to address the need for affordable housing and other homeless needs over the five-year period. The county will continue efforts to partner with local developers to increase the supply of affordable housing units by encouraging them to designate a percentage of units for extremely lowincome persons.

Community development continues to create expanding affordable housing opportunities for low and moderate-income citizens. However, because the county has a strong military presence, the transitional nature of the military population and the housing market ensures that affordable housing will remain a significant need for years to come. The aftermath of Hurricane Matthew in 2016 also contributes to a greater-than-usual housing shortage for the most vulnerable members of the community.

In partnership with other agencies, including the city of Fayetteville, nonprofit organizations, the real estate industry and concerned citizens, officials say they will continue to be creative in efforts to provide decent, safe, affordable housing for families and individuals. Many of these individuals and families will also need long-term comprehensive case management and continued mental health services to maintain self-sufficiency and avoid becoming homeless again.

Fayetteville police interrupted what might otherwise have been a deadly assault last week. Police Sgt. Charles Cochran shot Lemuel Bunn, 40, of Roanoke Rapids, after Bunn repeatedly stabbed a woman in her home at Treetop Garden Apartments off Raeford Road.

Police said the assailant had Stephanie Williams, 34, in a headlock when officers forced their way into the apartment. Police Chief Gina Hawkins said Bunn held a knife in his other hand and refused to drop it when told repeatedly to do so by officers. That’s when he was shot. Bunn died later at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

Williams, who is pregnant, had called 911 to say she was being held hostage. She is listed in good condition at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, where she and her unborn child are recovering.

The State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting. Hawkins said FPD internal affairs is also investigating to verify that policies and procedures were followed. Cochran is on paid administrative duty during the investigation, which is standard policy.

 

 

Death row killer loses appeal

The U.S. Supreme Court has once again declined to hear the case of convicted serial killer and rapist Ronald Gray, a former Fort Bragg soldier sentenced to death 30 years ago.

Gray was convicted in one of this community’s most sensational crimes – a series of murders and rapes in Fayetteville and on Fort Bragg.

The high court first declined to review Gray’s case in 2001. Two years ago, a federal judge removed a stay of execution that had been in place since 2008, potentially clearing the way for the Army to schedule Gray’s execution, which former President George W. Bush authorized.

Gray filed numerous appeals in recent years claiming errors during his military trial and subsequent appeals. Many of those appeals have been dismissed or delayed by a U.S. District Court in Kansas, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Army Court of Criminal Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

Gray is the longest-serving inmate on death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

A former resident of Fairlane Acres Mobile Home Park in Bonnie Doone, Gray was convicted of rapes and murders that were committed in 1986 and 1987 on Fort Bragg and in Fayetteville. He murdered taxi driver Kimberly Ann Ruggles, Army Pvt. Laura Lee Vickery-Clay, Campbell University student Linda Jean Coats and Fairlane Acres resident Tammy Wilson. A Fort Bragg court-martial sentenced him to death in 1988. A year earlier, a civilian court sentenced him to eight life sentences. His execution would likely take place at the U.S. Federal Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Fall police academy

The Fayetteville Police Department is doing a different kind of recruiting. Residents who are interested in attending the next Citizens Police Academy can sign up on the FPD’s website, www.FayPD.com, or using the FayPD mobile app. Applications should be submitted no later than Aug. 28, to allow time for processing.

The weekly series of classes will begin Tuesday, Sept. 11. The Academy will meet every Tuesday, from 6-8 p.m., at the police training center off N. Eastern Boulevared with the last meeting being held Nov. 6. Residents of Fayetteville who want to know more about police department operations are encouraged to attend.

“Information provided should foster community relationships intended to make for a safer city,” said Community Affairs Sgt. Shawn Strepay. “The Fayetteville Police Department is looking forward to another successful, informational and exciting Citizens Police Academy.”

Lawn watering schedule

July is Smart Irrigation Month, and Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission urges residents to give their irrigation systems the day off by following PWC’s year-round odd-even schedule for outdoor watering. If your street address ends in an even number, water your lawn on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. If your street address ends in an odd number, water your lawn on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Rain sensors are devices that can be attached to an automatic irrigation system to monitor rainfall levels. PWC is offering a bill credit of up to $50 for installing rain sensors. When the weather is wet, the sensor temporarily overrides the controller to prevent unnecessary watering to save money on water bills.

Duke Energy wins major award

If you’re a reservist looking for an employer that will accommodate your military duties, you need not look any further than the latest list of recipients of a prestigious Pentagon award. Fifteen organizations were recognized with the 2018 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. One of them is a North Carolina utility.

“Our National Guard and Reserve members are a vital part of our national defense and deserve as much support as our country can provide,” Defense Secretary James Mattis said in a news release.

The honorees include Duke Energy. Each year, guard and reservist employees and their families nominate employers for DoD Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve awards. The 15 companies getting the highest honor were chosen from more than 2,350 nominations. They will be recognized in a ceremony at the Pentagon on Aug. 24.

The explosive situation that has developed in this country regarding the separation of parents and their children who illegally enter America is showing the sad condition of our nation. It is revealing the wholesale incompetence and hypocrisy that dominate our human affairs, in general and, for this discussion, Congress. These are just two of the negative descriptors of our troubling situation that demands concern and action on the part of every American.

The situation at hand is that, as has been the case for many years, individuals are illegally crossing the southern border and entering our country. Consider the following from an article titled “Illegal Immigration is a Crime” (www.fairus.org/issue/illegal-immigration/illegal-immigration-crime): “Each year the Border Patrol apprehends hundreds of thousands of aliens who flagrantly violate our nation’s laws by unlawfully crossing U.S. borders. Such illegal entry is a misdemeanor, and, if repeated after being deported, becomes punishable as a felony.

“Illegal immigration causes an enormous drain on public funds. The seminal study of the costs of immigration by the National Academy of Sciences found that the taxes paid by immigrants do not begin to cover the cost of services received by them. The quality of education, health care and other services for Americans are undermined by the needs of endless numbers of poor, unskilled illegal entrants.

“Additionally, job competition by waves of illegal immigrants desperate for any job unfairly depresses the wages and working conditions offered to American workers, hitting hardest at minority workers and those without high school degrees.”

Being apprehended when illegally entering the country is a misdemeanor crime. The parents whose children were separated from them were being held under the misdemeanor condition. Some of these parents illegally entered the country, but then claimed they were seeking asylum because of conditions in their home country. American law requires that persons seeking asylum must be physically present in the U.S. or seeking admission into the country at a port of entry – not illegally breaking in.

Given that it is a crime to enter the country without permission, how we got to the point of investing so much financially, and otherwise adversely impacting bona fide Americans, in caring for people who break into America requires examination.

A segment on NBC’s “Today Show” provides tremendous insight regarding how we got here. It can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Uv_UdHHfno. By way of summary, the Trump administration instituted a “zero tolerance” policy. That policy means any person apprehended entering the U.S. without required approval will be prosecuted. Those persons apprehended will be held in custody until a judge decides whether they will go to prison. There is an appearance before a judge within a few days of apprehension, but it is months until the accused faces a judge for a decision regarding imprisonment.

The separation happens because children are not allowed to stay in prison with a parent. Children must be transferred from the Border Patrol to Health and Human Services within three days of apprehension. A child not being allowed to be held with parents is one obstacle to the president’s efforts to enforce immigration laws. At this writing, separations have been halted based on an executive order signed by Trump.

What happened when President Barack Obama tried to address the problem of families illegally entering the country explains the other component of the difficulty Trump is facing as he tries to stop the assault on our southern border. The following is from an article by Dara Linddara on Vox.com titled “The Trump administration’s separation of families at the border, explained.” The article says, “When the Obama administration attempted to respond to the ‘crisis’ of families and unaccompanied children crossing the border in summer 2014, it put hundreds of families in immigration detention – a practice that had basically ended several years before. But federal courts stopped the administration from holding families for months without justifying the decision to keep them in detention. So, most families ended up getting released while their cases were pending – which immigration hawks have derided as ‘catch and release.’ In some cases, they disappeared into the U.S. rather than showing up for their court dates.”

The quote above says, “In some cases, they disappeared into the U.S. rather than showing up for their court dates.” Consider the following from an article, March 19, 2017, by Mark Metcalf titled “Courting Disaster.”

“U.S. immigration enforcement and adjudication are failing. American immigration courts have the highest failure to appear rates of any courts in the country. Over the last 20 years, 37 percent of all aliens free pending trial failed to appear for their hearings.”

Being apprehended entering America without permission is a crime. When these offenders are released into the country while awaiting trial, many of them do not appear for their court date. To enforce the law and protect this nation, the Trump Justice Department implemented a “zero tolerance” policy. That means offenders will not be released into America to await trial. Given that children cannot be held in detention with parents, separations result. Since there is a high no-show rate by those illegal aliens who have been allowed to be free while awaiting a court appearance, Trump recognizes the need to keep, in custody, those who illegally enter the country.

Despite this clear and present danger, in response to the outcry regarding children and law-breaking parents being separated, the physical security and economic and fiscal stability of legal American citizens is thrown to the wind.

That “throwing to the wind” is happening all around us. As of this writing, Republicans in Congress are flailing all over the place trying to pass legislation that will address this parent/child separation crisis along with the larger issue of illegal immigration. If something of substance and fairness for American citizens is passed, I will sincerely apologize to Republican members of Congress.

In my estimation, Democrats are even worse – much worse. It shows in this quote attributed to Sen. Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader, in an article by Susan Jones titled “Schumer: ‘There’s No Need’ for Immigration Legislation; Republicans Are ‘Feeling the Heat.’”

“Another reporter asked Schumer if the time might come when ‘Democrats would be willing to work with the Republicans’ on a ‘narrow’ immigration bill.

“‘Let’s hope we never get to that,’” Schumer responded. ‘Let’s hope the president does the right thing and solves the problem, which he can do. That’s the simple, easiest and most likely way this will happen. How many times has immigration legislation passed in this Congress? How many times? Zero.’”

Schumer is saying Democrats will do nothing, absolutely nothing, to address the outrage over the separation issue and celebrates that Republicans are “feeling the heat.” This response is consistent with Democratic conduct from day one of the Trump presidency – obstruct and produce nothing, other than stalemate and confusion. All of this is about political posturing, not about serving the best interest of American citizens.

The flailing of Congressional Republicans on this, and other issues, coupled with the obstructionism and do-nothing conduct of Congressional Democrats, show Congress to be incompetent.

Beyond being incompetent, hypocrisy reigns. A prime example shows through in a video of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D, CA) at www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvRZdNoHEf8. In 1993 and 1994, she made exactly the same case for dealing with illegal immigration as Trump is making. Now, in 2018, Feinstein introduces legislation (the Keep Families Together Act) as reported by Eliza Collins in an article titled “No Republicans support Senate bill that would stop child separations at border.”

Collins writes, “Every Senate Democrat is now a cosponsor of the legislation, which would prohibit children from being separated from their parents within 100 miles of the U.S. border except for instances of abuse, neglect or other specific circumstances.”

If children cannot be separated from parents, those parents cannot be held for prosecution, and we are back to releasing them in “catch and release” mode. This legislation is from the same Feinstein whose views of illegal immigration in the 1990s agreed with Trump’s position of today. Feinstein is just one example, among many, of the hypocrisy raging in Congress.

This combination of congressional incompetence and hypocrisy threatens the very survival of America as a place of liberty, freedom, security, opportunity and prosperity. If those of us who are adults are not willing to save America for ourselves, do it for coming generations, even those yet unborn.

Parenthood has been and remains both an ongoing reality and the most pivotal experience of my life. Other people have told me the same, both mothers and fathers. Parenthood changes people from the moment a little one arrives, and the job never ends until the parent draws that final breath. Even then, the parent’s mark remains on the offspring, however old they may be.

Demographic trends are facts, neither good nor bad, but indications of what is going on in a society. Demographers have told us that in the United States, millennials, mostly children of baby boomers, have surpassed boomers in sheer numbers, but that millennials are not having as many children as their parents did. What we have not known as clearly is why.

The New York Times recently commissioned a survey to explore that why, with interesting results. Demographers had posited that economic worries were keeping our national birthrate down, but it remains at a record low for the second straight year, despite economic gains. It turns out that economic uncertainty is a big part of the picture, but not the whole picture.

People who are having fewer children than they might have wanted cited the high cost of child care, but they also want more leisure time and more time with the children they do have. They also worry about domestic politics, climate change and issues with their partners. Thirteen percent are honest enough to say do not think they would be good parents.

People who say they want no children at all say leisure time is the most important factor to them, along with economic, political and global concerns. They also cite career importance and concern about being good parents. Some say simply they have no desire to be parents.

What is so striking about the survey is that it would not have been given to prior generations of Americans because, for most of human history, people – specifically women – have had little or no choice about becoming parents. It is easy to forget that baby boomers are the first generation ever to have had reliable choices about parenthood with government approval of “The Pill” in 1960. It was not perfect and there were negative side effects, but it worked, and women flocked to it. That was fewer than 70 years ago, a long time for an individual life, but a mere blip in demographic history.

Parenthood, and specifically motherhood, is now a choice, and women are treating it that way for all sorts of reasons. The burdens of childcare and home responsibility continue to rest more heavily on mothers than on fathers. In addition, childrearing can interrupt a woman’s career or professional life, resulting in an earnings penalty on motherhood.

As women have pushed for gender equality in the workplace and throughout our culture, fertility rates have declined, a fact not unnoticed by social scientists. The Times quotes Philip Cohen at the University of Maryland, who studies and writes about family issues. Cohen noted succinctly, “There is no getting around the fact that the relationship between gender equality and fertility is very strong: There are not high-fertility countries that are gender equal.”

The U.S. is now easing into the club of industrialized nations, many in Europe, with fertility rates below replacement levels with only 60.2 children born to every 1,000 American women. Millennial preferences and uncertainties are not the only reason. We also have declining unintended pregnancy rates and higher rates of long-acting contraception methods, such as IUDs.

At the same time, it remains true that most American women will have children. As economist Oliver Thevenon said in the Times, “Whether the young generation will catch up later is not certain, but will depend on their capacity to combine work and family.”

So far, millennials seem to be having trouble with that.

 

PHOTO: Photo by Brittany Simuangco on Unsplash.

Amid the Black Lives Matter movement in 2014-16 came a resurgence of an age old concept – one that is vital not just to individuals, but to communities everywhere. Being “woke” or “staying woke” became the battle cry for the cause.

The word “woke” and the phrase “stay woke” have continued to gain popularity since then, and in ways that involve more and more Americans. Originally, “woke” or “stay woke” referred to advising African-Americans to stay aware and focused on those issues that pertain to racial or social justice. The African-American Vernacular English expression “stay woke” means stay focused on issues of importance and do not get distracted by meaningless diversions.

Now, the word and term are catching on in a broader sense. Are you woke? Are you staying woke? What is the level of your wokeness? I guess we can thank millennial activists and social media for launching this term into our mainstream vocabulary. For this brief editorial, I am going to define the word “woke” as a byword for general social and political awareness. Even though the phrase was used almost exclusively in the context of Black Lives Matter referencing racial concerns and concerns over social justice, its broader meaning began taking hold around 2015.

The term morphed into a more general term meaning just being aware of your surroundings. So, using this more generic definition of “woke,” I ask: Fayetteville and Cumberland County, are you woke?

In other words, are you aware of the social and political environment? And, if you are woke, what are you doing to get involved and to influence the outcomes of these social and political  situations? Or, are you going to choose not to be woke, meaning that you intentionally make an effort not to be aware of your social or political surroundings or the elements that influence them?

Unfortunately, the majority of our local population is not woke. And, it really isn’t their fault. It is difficult to stay woke in our community when we lack the traditional vehicles of communication that are enjoyed by other communities. It’s difficult to stay woke when you don’t have a local TV station or other traditional media outlets providing a continual thread of unbiased news and information. Yes, Fayetteville and Cumberland County is a news media and information desert. It is way too easy for people not to stay woke. In fact, it takes major effort to stay woke.

I do feel that Fayetteville and Cumberland County do a great job when it comes to being aware of social issues like addressing homelessness and fighting hunger and drug-related problems.

I’ll conclude by saying that the leadership of Fayetteville and Cumberland County are highly aware of the factors affecting the social, political and economic environment of our communities. The question is whether they will communicate with each other to convert this awareness into positive and tangible initiatives.

Let’s all hope so. There is so much opportunity for growth in our community, not only economically, but for love, fairness, understanding, tolerance, goodness and happiness. It all starts with a conversation. Not an indictment.

Thank you for reading Up & ComingWeekly. You can bet that we are woke! And, the fact that you are reading this publication means you are, too.

The greater Fayetteville area is graced with several outstanding theaters, each offering something unique to local audiences. In the heat of a Carolina summer, here are some performances to look forward to once the weather cools and the curtains rise on a great variety of theatrical productions.

Cape Fear Regional Theatre

Cape Fear Regional Theatre has been entertaining Fayetteville since the early 1960s. CFRT resides in a three-story complex where is serves more than 42,000 patrons each year, including almost 7,000 students.

The 2018-19 season opens Sept. 20 with “Music City.” This modern country musical is set in Nashville and tells the story of three young songwriters who are broke but ambitious. With great music, grit and a lot of heart, this show has all the makings of a hit with notes both old and new. The show runs through Oct 7.

Oct. 25-Nov. 11, “Peter and the Starcatcher,” based on the 2004 novel of the same name, tells the backstory of Peter Pan, Captain Hook and the rest of the characters from the much-loved story. In true Peter Pan “never grow up” spirit, the adventure includes pirates, friendships and, of course, heroes.

Little Orphan Annie captured America’s heart in the 1920s in a comic strip in the New York Daily News. By 1930, she had her own radio show. She was in films in 1932 and 1938. She took Broadway by storm in 1977, and she’ll be onstage Jan. 24-Feb. 17, along with Daddy Warbucks, for a fun-filled adventure at CFRT.

Dalton Trumbo. He was a screenwriter and novelist. He was blacklisted and sent to prison for standing up to the House Un-American Activities committee in 1947 when the committee investigated communism’s influences in the film industry. A member of the Hollywood Ten, he continued to work using pen names and winning awards. This two-character play runs Feb. 28-March 17.

Bekah Brunstetter’s “The Cake” tells the story of a North Carolina native who comes home to get married. Her choice of partners causes quite the stir. A comic drama, “The Cake” will onstage April 4-21.

Rhythm and Blues close out the season with “Memphis,” a Broadway show with four Tony Award wins in 2010, including Best Musical. Take a journey to 1950s Memphis with its African-American clubs for a tale of unlikely fame and forbidden love.

For tickets and more information, visit www.cfrt.org.

Gilbert Theater

The Gilbert Theater prides itself on being a semi-professional theater that produces creative, innovative plays and events to stir audiences and students of its conservatory to explore and contemplate the human condition through the talents of local and guest artists.

“Godspell” opens Gilbert’s season Sept. 21 and runs through Feb. 17. Based on the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John, “Godspell” turns parables into a musical.

A perennial favorite, “It’s a Wonderful Life” runs Nov. 23-Dec.16. Based on the 1946 movie starring James Stewart, the play tells the story of George Bailey and his guardian angel, Clarence. Bailey is ready to give up and end it all until Clarence shows George that each life really does matter.

Feb. 1-17 features “Doubt,” which played on Broadway in 2005 and 2006, winning the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. Set in the fictional St. Nicholas Church School in the Bronx in 1964, Sister Aloysius suspects Father Flynn of being inappropriate with an altar boy. She pulls out all the stops to make her case, wreaking havoc along the way.

C.S. Lewis’ classic “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” opens April 5 and runs through April 21. In the land of Narnia, talking animals and mythical creatures are the norm as Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan Pevensie take on the White Witch.

“The Laramie Project” closes the season, running May 30-June 9. In 1998, gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was murdered in Laramie, Wyoming. The play retells the story based on hundreds of interviews with citizens of the town.

Visit www.gilberttheater.com or call 910-678-7186 to learn more.

Sweet Tea Shakespeare

Founded in 2012, Sweet Tea Shakespeare’s mission is to “celebrate the wonder of Shakespeare’s inventions of language, story and stagecraft by providing simple, elemental, magical theatre experiences of his and other remarkable works in an accessible atmosphere of beauty and community.”

Aug. 21-Sept. 2, “The Comedy of Errors” plays at the 1897 Poe House at the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex and continues Sept. 5-8 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. One of Shakespeare’s early plays, mistaken identity and a bit of slapstick combined with wordplay and puns make this a must-see.

Modifying plays to accommodate improvisation and audience participation, the LIT series will perform at various locations throughout October and November, including at Paddy’s Irish Public House Oct. 4, 11 and 18, and at Fainting Goat Brewing Company Oct. 25. Taking the tragedy of “Othello” and making it a bit lighter, the troupe said of the show: “The lighter signatures of the LIT series blend with the darker notes of the story for a bold and satisfying new flavor with an element of jealousy.”

Dec. 6-8 and 13-15, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church hosts “Behold: A Folk Christmas Cantata.” Celebrate the season with STS’ musical performance. With a full slate of Christmas songs to share, the cantata is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit.

STS presents “Sweeney Todd” Jan. 17-Feb. 2 at Fayetteville Pie Company. Sweeney Todd first appeared in a story called “The String of Pearls” in 1846. A relatively modern story for the troupe, don’t miss the misadventures of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street and his partner in crime, Mrs. Lovett.

“Maid Marian,” part of STS’ Honey series, plays April 25-28 at Fayetteville State University and May 2-5 and 9-12 at the Poe House. The Honey series showcases women through shows with strong female casts. What will that mean for this interpretation of the Robin Hood story?

The season ends with “Richard III” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor” in repertory June 4-23 at the Poe House.

Learn more about STS at www.sweetteashakespeare.com or by calling 910-420-4383.

Givens Performing Arts Center

Located at UNC Pembroke, GPAC offers great variety this season, opening with an artist-inresidence performance of the farcical historical romance “The Three Musketeers” Sept. 20-21.

“Jessica & Niels Magic and Juggling Variety Act” presents mind-blowing magic and zany comedy bits on Sept. 28. Jessica Jane Petersen has appeared on Penn & Teller’s “Fool Us” TV show. Niels Duinker is a Guinness World record juggler, who currently holds the record for most cups (14) juggled at once.

The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra: A Night of John Williams is set for Oct. 5. From “Harry Potter” to “JAWS,” “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones,” the music of John Williams is some of the most celebrated in movie history.

As a part of UNCP’s homecoming celebration, GPAC presents “Hotel California: A Salute to the Eagles” on Oct. 19. With three decades of experience, this band has performed with such groups as REO Speedwagon and The Doobie Brothers.

“Comte Dracula: A New Musical Drama” was written by Lumberton native and award-winning composer of classical and Broadway music, Mark Andersen. “Comte Dracula” is an original musical making its world premiere on the stage of GPAC Oct. 27.

A perennial favorite, “UNCP Holiday Extravaganza” takes place Nov. 30. The faculty, staff and students of the UNCP music department present their 10th annual concert of holiday favorites. Proceeds go to music scholarships at UNCP.

“Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” takes the stage Dec. 2. Come and get in the holiday spirit with Rudolph, the Abominable Snow Monster and all your favorite characters.

Enjoy the hit songs of Motown Jan. 12 with “Good for The Soul – Motown Revue.”

Feb. 20, “Cinderella: The Broadway Musical” brings Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Tony Awardwinning “Cinderella” musical to the Sandhills.

The Russian Ballet’s “Sleeping Beauty” returns to GPAC March 11. Formed in 1989, The Russian Ballet has achieved worldwide acclaim for its performances.

The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, a Scottish bagpipe band, will rock GPAC March 20. Not to be confused with the world-famous American rock band, The Red Hot Chili Pipers hail from Scotland and have become well-known for their incredible covers of songs by Journey, AC/DC, and even songs like “Amazing Grace.”

Four members of the original “Jersey Boys” cast make up The Midtown Men. Join this dynamic group of Tony Award winners and nominees for a memorable night of classic 1960s hits April 15.

For more information about the shows or to become a season subscriber or renew past subscriptions, call the GPAC Box Office at 910-521-6361 or visit www.uncp.edu/gpac.

Bigger, faster, stronger.

Those three words dominated the theme of spring workouts at Jack Britt High School this year as head coach Brian Randolph sought to avoid a repeat of what happened last fall when his Buccaneers lined up against Sandhills Athletic Conference powers.

“Last year we had a huge issue with getting pushed around in games when we played the bigger teams,’’ he said. “We wanted to get bigger, faster and stronger. Coming out here in the spring, we wanted to get better at the fundamentals, getting the small things right.’’

The Buccaneers didn’t get everything wrong under Randolph in last year’s season. They finished 6-6 overall and 4-3 in the Sandhills, which was good for a tie for fourth place with Pinecrest. They scored a big win over perennial power Richmond Senior and advanced to the state 4-AA playoffs where they suffered a first-round loss to Raleigh Millbrook.

Heading into the summer workouts, Randolph expects his defense is going to have to carry the Buccaneers this fall until some offensive holes can be filled.

“I think we’ll have a pretty good senior class coming back, especially on defense,’’ he said. That depth is highlighted by the return of four linebackers and a couple of solid defensive linemen.

Losses at the skill positions will complicate things on offense. Among players Randolph will be counting on there are quarterback Brennan Shortridge, who returns after throwing for 1,524 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Chancellor Johnson, younger brother of former Buccaneer star Eric Johnson, is back at running back as is a speedy Cornell Raynor.

A key jack of all trades returns in Michael Matthews, who will be called on to play multiple positions on offense and defense, but he’s getting college offers as a linebacker.

“We want to work on getting better as a team, becoming a family,’’ Matthews said. “We want to be the best we can be. We feel like we’re going to have a great season.’’

 

 

PHOTOS: (T-B) Brian Randolph & Michael Matthews

When Pine Forest football coach Bill Sochovka had his team fill out goal sheets in February, most of them listed winning the state championship as a priority.

Sochovka asked them to take it a step further, telling them it was fine to want to win the title, but better if they listed ways as a team they can make it happen. “Having that goal is great, but knowing the plan to get there is more important, everybody being on the same plan,’’ he said.

Sochovka feels that so far, this year’s team is more focused. “We have a lot of guys who are more team players, playing both sides of the ball, not afraid to step up and do things they haven’t done before,’’ he said.

He cited quarterback Richard McEachern Jr. as an example. The Trojans are changing to a 4-2-5 look on defense, and McEachern is being moved to free safety because he’s smart enough to handle the switch, Sochovka said.

“That says a lot about him being a senior, being able to step up and make a difference,’’ Sochovka said. “Sometimes you get a kid at his age that says, ‘No, I’m a quarterback and I don’t want to do both.’ He’s willing to do that.’’

One area where the Trojans need work is the offensive line. Sochovka said he fired his old offensive line coach, himself, and brought in Andy Karcher from Triton.

He thinks the 4-5-2 defensive alignment fits his personnel better. Last year’s offense found itself running the ball, and he plans to stick with that same philosophy this fall with returning running back and outside linebacker Dominic Roberto leading the way.

Roberto saw limited action at running back behind all-conference selection Lavonte Carter, rushing for 177 yards and two touchdowns.

“He’s got a lot of hard offers from Southern Conference and Big South teams,’’ Sochovka said. “Furman likes him at running back, Elon likes him at linebacker.’’

Another player who’s had a good spring is slot receiver D.J. Jones, Sochovka said. Jones caught 14 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Roberto said the main thing the Trojans need this fall is leadership on the field and he hopes to provide some of it. “I’ve got to come out here and lead the team, guide them,’’ he said.

“I think if we work hard and condition hard, we can compete with anybody.’’

 

PHOTOS: (T-B) Bill Sochovka & Dominic Roberto

This Fourth of July, Alex Warner will display the United States flag and the POW/MIA flag outside his business, Countryside Furniture Co. on Main Street in Hope Mills.

He’ll set up chairs beneath his covered storefront so folks can sit and enjoy the annual Fourth of July parade as it traverses the roughly two-mile route from Hope Mills Middle School to Rockfish Elementary School when it begins at 10 a.m.

For Warner, a former politician who is the husband of Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner, the Fourth of July is filled with tradition, memories and deep respect for what the celebration means.

Warner thinks back to his youth, when Hope Mills ground to a halt for the holiday.

At midnight on July 3, Warner said, the machinery at the textile mills the town was named for would shut down and go silent. The only noise you might hear was people setting off fireworks or firing a shotgun in celebration if they didn’t have them.

The following day the whole community would gather to celebrate, something that Warner said wasn’t easy in a mill town since you always had people coming off a work shift and preparing to go on the next one.

For Warner, it wasn’t a celebration just for the sake of celebration. There was history behind it.

“We knew the history of our country, and we knew that we were celebrating the rebellion from England and the almost impossible establishment of a brand-new country,’’ Warner said. “It could not have happened without the leadership and the grace of God that created it.’’

Work benches were taken out of the mills and set up for people to come and sit and enjoy food that people brought and shared. The folks from Merita Bread donated loaves to make all manner of sandwiches, but peanut butter and jelly was always a big hit.

Lemonade was served from huge wooden tubs. Warner said he can still remember how sweet it tasted.

Elderly veterans were in attendance, proudly wearing old military uniforms that in some cases were becoming threadbare from age.

For a vantage point to watch all the things that were going on, Warner said he and some of his young friends scouted out a huge acorn tree. They used a fence near the mill to climb up and get to the lowest branch, and from there they had ringside seats to all the action.

There was plenty of music, mostly singing of patriotic and religious favorites, accompanied by guitar, banjo and maybe a flute.

There was a watermelon seed spitting contest, a three-legged race and softball games, sometimes between mill villages, and sometimes the kids played.

It was a day of pure fun. The only real danger of getting hurt, Warner said, was stepping barefoot on a lit cigarette butt or a hill of red ants, so everybody watched where they were walking.

Warner said the celebration in Hope Mills was timed so everyone could travel to Fayetteville for the parade there. “I remember Uncle Sam would show up on stilts 10 feet tall,’’ Warner said.

In his store today, Warner has a framed American flag he got from Charlie Biggs that was flown at the end of World War I on Nov. 11, 1918, and the Fourth of July every year after that.

“Today, the small towns have preserved much of that,’’ Warner said. “We were appreciative of the freedom and liberty given us by our forefathers. It was a day of appreciating our country, a great day of excitement and unity among our people.’’

In Hope Mills this Fourth of July, it still is.

After the parade, activities will move to Municipal Park near Town Hall on Rockfish Road. There will be a horseshoe tournament at 4 p.m., a cornhole tournament at 4:30 p.m. and a frozen T-shirt contest at 5 p.m. The object is to take a T-shirt that has been frozen, try to thaw it out and put it on over your clothes.

The official welcome will be at 6 p.m., followed by performances by two bands, Eastline and Rivermist. Both play beach and country music along with hits from the ’80s and ’90s.

The day will conclude with fireworks at 9:15 p.m.

 

PHOTO: Alex Warner displays an American flag that was flown at the end of World War I on Nov. 11, 1918.

Meetings

For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Acting Deputy Town Clerk Tiffany Gillstedt at 910-426-4112. Most meetings take place at Town Hall.

• Board of Commissioners Monday, July 9, 7 p.m. at Town Hall in the Bill Luther Meeting Room.

Activities

• 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.

• Fall sports registration through July 28. $30 per child; $15 late fee after registration deadline. Season begins Sept. 8. Call 910-426-4109 for details.

• July 4th Celebration Wednesday, July 4, various locations in the town. Parade, kids activities and fireworks. Call 910-426-4107 for more information. Town hall will be closed this day.

• Food Truck Rodeo Thursday, July 5, 5-8 p.m. Held in the big parking lot at Town Hall.

• Wine-Tasting, Cheese and Appetizers Saturday, July 28, 5-8 p.m. Held at the Boarding House Tea Room, 3903 Ellison St., at the corner of W. Patterson Street across from Hope Mills YMCA. Open to the public once there is a 10-person commitment. Mix and mingle in cozy and quaint surroundings. Tasty hors d’oeuvres and vintage treasures available. Call Carla at 910-527-7455 to make reservations.

Promote yourself: Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

The town of Hope Mills recently lost a trailblazing member of the police force who was loved by both her fellow police officers and members of the community she interacted with.

Boo, the town’s first full-time police dog, passed away at the age of 18. She became the town’s first police dog in 2005 and served 10 years before going into semi-retirement when her health prevented her from doing all the things a police dog is asked to do.

She continued to serve in a mostly ceremonial role, making public appearances for tours of the police department and other community events, until she passed away.

Hope Mills Police Chief Joel Acciardo said Boo was a special dog with a great disposition.

“You could bring Boo in for a kindergarten class tour and she would let the children run all over her, pet her, jump on her back, and she would just lay there and love it,’’ he said. “You could put her in a field situation where she was doing a track and she would be the most fierce, protective animal you ever saw in your life.’’

Boo worked most closely with her handler, Hope Mills Police Sgt. Lee Sumners. Acciardo said Sumners was unable to be interviewed about his work with Boo because he was still trying to deal with her passing.

“Boo was a trailblazer,’’ Acciardo said. “When you’re going into new territory, everything is a milestone. That made her very special. There is a bond between that handler and the animal. They become a team.’’

Acciardo said Sumners was responsible for Boo’s medical care, hygiene and training, everything associated with her needs and well-being.

When she wasn’t living with Sumner, she stayed in a police department truck, but it’s air conditioned and always running, Acciardo said. “They are never in a non-climate controlled environment when they’re not actually working,’’ he said.

When the police department’s new public safety facility is completed, it will include a kennel that will be the workplace home for all future Hope Mills Police Department dogs.

Boo was replaced in 2014 when the department added a new dog, Ringo, to the team. Like Boo, Ringo comes from a kennel in the Netherlands that specializes in breeding police service dogs, according to Hope Mills Deputy Chief Dave Servie.

Ringo already made a name for himself with Hope Mills Police in 2016 when he helped officers locate the weapon used to murder Andrew Jacob Derenzy.

Boo and Ringo are both what are known in law enforcement circles as a patrol certified dog.

Servie said they are typically called on to track, detect narcotics or specific articles like a gun or wallet, or protect their handler. Both Boo and Ringo reported for work daily with the handler and were used for whatever need arose.

While Ringo has adapted well to his new role with Hope Mills Police, Acciardo said there’s no question Boo will be missed by everyone.

“Boo just absolutely loved people,’’ he said. “You couldn’t ask for a better ambassador, when you’re having a class of fourth graders come through, to represent the department’s canine team.’’

 

PHOTO: Boo, left, with her handler, Hope Mills Police Sgt. Lee Sumners, right.

“Standpoint: A Group Exhibition” at Gallery 208 opens Tuesday, July 10, with a reception from 5:30-7 p.m. It showcases a joining of 11 artists who work as higher education art faculty in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Higher education art faculty in this city are like all other universities and community colleges faculty. As members of the faculty they have three roles: teaching, service and scholarship. In the area of teaching, each day is different, with unexpected situations to resolve and new material or techniques to research and apply. Service can be for the department, the university, the community, professional service or all four. Then there is scholarship, the making of new works of art if you’re a faculty member who teaches a studio class.

What’s unusual is that many of the full-time fine art faculty from competing schools in Fayetteville have come together to build their personal relationships as practicing artists – not as educators – by creating a comradery of support and even to have an occasional potluck dinner together.

It all began with an idea after the director of Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery, Calvin Mims, brought several artists together to talk about initiatives for the community and what the faculty needed. Mims started by inviting full-time and part-time art faculty from Fayetteville Technical Community College, Methodist University and Fayetteville State University to do the recent group show titled “Higher Ed Fayetteville Art Faculty Exhibition.” That lead to a couple of potluck dinners and discussions about enrichment for each other as artists.

“Standpoint: A Group Exhibition” at Gallery 208 is the result of those discussions over dinner. The artists from academe include Vilas Tonape from Methodist University; Callie Farmer, Katey Morrill and Robin Teas from Fayetteville Technical Community College; and Shane Booth, Dwight Smith, Vicki Rhoda, Jonathan Chestnut, Skylor Swann, Dwight Smith and yours truly from Fayetteville State University.

The 11th artist is Christopher Happel. Happel is employed at Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery and is a recent graduate from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, focusing on the medium of sculpture. The group, New Vision Collaborative, wanted Happel to be part of the first-year initiative since he is a millennial among seasoned artists. All were interested in the insights of a young millennial who is also a dedicated artist. For Happel, he’s happy to be able to interface and exhibit with experienced artists and educators.

“Standpoint: A Group Exhibition” includes a lot of variety since each artist brings his or her own expertise, style and purpose for creating works of art. Two works were selected by each artist for the exhibit; the range of media includes paintings, drawings, sculpture, ceramics and prints. “Standpoint: A Group Exhibition” is the kickoff event for a year of collaboration among the participants in what they’re calling the New Vision Collaborative.

After one year of collaborating with each other in workshops to share technical information, provide support for artists to try new mediums, and to offer group critiques and discussions, another exhibition will take place June 2019 at Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery titled “Standpoint: 365.”

The Fayetteville area has embraced many art initiatives and alliances to improve the arts locally over the years. But, this group of artists/educators has one common goal – to enrich themselves and maybe others along the way. Dwight Smith from FSU noted, “We have a connection between the three schools – a passion for the arts, and intellectual exchange.

Calvin Mims commented, “All of the artists in this group are continually engaged in the pursuit of excellence.”

Callie Framer, a printmaker from FTCC, reminded our group that students have us (their teachers) and each other to critique their work. Yet, as professionals, it would be helpful to have professional critiques. For students, seeing us exhibit together offers a good example of the continued efforts of local art faculty. Faculty can share techniques and strategies about how to stay creatively focused instead of falling victim to teacher burn-out.

Already, during the dinners, members of New Vision Collaborative have had discussions about relevant websites and ways to engage the public with unfamiliar styles. The next meeting will include creating a calendar of events for the group and more events for the public to attend.

Skylor Swann, a new ceramicist at FSU, noted he was interested in participating since he wanted to share new research, process and materials. As well, he is interested in looking at what artists are not doing and examining his own personal growth as an artist. He said, “We all bring something different to the collaborative – life experiences and viewpoints.”

Jonathan Chestnut brings his interest and knowledge of technology to the collaborative. Chestnut teaches the computer graphic classes at FSU and has always been interested in sculpture. During the last eight years, in addition to teaching, his focus has been on ways to apply technology to fine art. From laser cutters to 3D modeling, Chestnut has influenced artists in his department to use technology. In “Standpoint: A Group Exhibition,” Chestnut is exhibiting layered wall reliefs created by using the laser cutter at FSU.

Vicki Rhoda, the new art education instructor at FSU, was quick to point out how “we share with the community an identity and our expertise. By having exhibitions, we are demonstrating our belief in the importance of art and how art is a constructive interaction among people in public spaces.”

So, it will be an interesting year for New Vision Collaborative, culminating in the 2019 exhibition at Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery. The group is not interested in becoming a nonprofit organization but will remain open to change and choices. The year ahead will include discussing ideas in think-tank formats, sharing websites and suppliers, conducting workshops and critiques amongst the group, and planning events for the public to attend. By the end of the year, the artists will have been enriched and come to understand what works and what doesn’t work before expanding the group.

Calvin Mims was more than happy to have Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery be the central place for the group to meet and plan the activities. Mims said, “I think it’s important the New Vision Collaborative is thinking about what is missing in the community when it comes to the visual arts. As contemporary artists, it’s important the public sees the value and importance of contemporary art in a community. As well, your students will see that you do what you are encouraging them to do. So, coming together and having a presence in our community is relevant.”

The public is invited to attend the opening reception of “Standpoint: A Group Exhibition” at Gallery 208, located at 208 Rowan St., from 5:30-7 p.m. July 10. The show will be up until early September. The gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, call 910-484-6200.