https://www.upandcomingweekly.com/


  • 5 We will probably never know how much of our money was squandered during the pandemic by reckless politicians. But here are two damning numbers to start with: $400 billion and $855,000 per job year.

    The first is a reasonable estimate of unemployment-insurance payments either improperly paid or stolen by fraudulent claimants. As you may remember, one early congressional response to the onset of COVID-19 was to add a bonus of $600 a week to UI checks and to make it easier for people to claim those benefits.

    Essentially, politicians turned UI into an honor system. Of course, dishonorable people pounced.
    A few days ago, the U.S. Department of Labor’s inspector general announced that at “the low end” $191 billion was paid to people who didn’t qualify but that missing data and delayed reporting prevented a full accounting.

    Matt Weidinger, an American Enterprise Institute scholar and former staffer at the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, puts the total amount of improper UI payments at closer to $400 billion, or 40% of the total.

    “Significant shares were likely stolen by overseas criminal gangs, including in China and Russia,” Weidinger observes, and their schemes often began by stealing identities.

    That’s what happened to me. I teach part-time at Duke University. A couple of years ago, university officials contacted me to ask why I, an adjunct faculty member, had filed an unemployment-insurance claim. I assured them I’d done no such thing. I submitted paperwork to Duke and reported the incident to law enforcement. Alas, it is my understanding that at least some UI payments were paid to my identity thief, anyway.

    Now for the other number: $855,000 per job year. That’s the estimate AEI scholar Stan Veuger and University of California-San Diego economist Jeffrey Clemens put on the amount of COVID-era federal aid distributed to states and localities to prevent government layoffs divided by the number of positions that could reasonably be construed as “saved” per year by that aid.

    As I’ve argued many times before, the federal government’s multi-trillion-dollar fiscal response to the pandemic was panicky and excessive.
    North Carolina was among the jurisdictions that received far more (borrowed) federal cash than was needed to cover revenues lost or new expenditures truly necessitated by the disease itself and the economic consequences of COVID-era shutdowns.

    The best defense of all this is that politicians were mistaken but acting in good faith, that hindsight is 20-20. It’s a poor defense.
    Critics warned at the time that expanding the eligibility and amounts of UI benefits would have adverse consequences, both wasting money and slowing reemployment, and that states and localities didn’t need the massive sums Congress was about to throw at them.

    But many politicians had long sought to expand unemployment insurance and the federal government’s role in funding state and local governments. They capitalized on the crisis — with other people’s capital.
    The only way to prevent this from happening again is to erect legal guardrails.

    Veuger and Clemens suggest, for example, that Congress should either institute preset formulas instead of a discretionary process for granting aid or that federal grant programs should be converted to loans that states and localities must repay.

    Such steps are worth taking but we need to be thinking even bigger.

    With unemployment insurance, for example, we ought to devolve the program more comprehensively to state governments, forbid any extended benefits funded by Washington, and make it more expensive for states to borrow federal funds when their UI trust funds run out.

    That will encourage state policymakers to police fraud more aggressively and keep their benefits in line with fiscal realities.

    More generally, we need to get the federal government’s finances under control.

    There should be a constitutional requirement that its operating budget be balanced, and that it borrow only to fund physical capital such as federal buildings and military assets.

    Let’s do something. The next crisis will again test the willpower of politicians. They’ll fail again.

    Editor's note: John Hood is a John Locke Foundation board member. His latest books, Mountain Folk and Forest Folk, combine epic fantasy with early American history. They are available at FolkloreCycle.com.

  • 4 Spring is on the way, and here in Fayetteville, that usually has us looking forward to participating in and celebrating the 41st Dogwood Festival.

    This award-winning Festival has quite a history in our community, and anyone who claims to be a true Fayettevillian has some time or somehow participated in, sponsored, or in some other way supported this event.

    The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival should be something our city leaders are proud of. City leaders should implement ways to take advantage of its decades of success and notoriety. Competent Fayetteville leadership would be rallying around the Festival and using it to promote, market and brand our community throughout the state.

    Unfortunately, Mayor Mitch Colvin and his Council colleagues only pay lip service to supporting this successful community event while their actions of late reveal how they feel about the event, its organizers and the community.

    Actions always speak louder than words. Many may remember last year when Mayor Mitch Colvin and Council members Shakeyla Ingram, Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, and former Councilman Larry Wright criticized and berated the young Dogwood Festival Director Sarahgrace Snipes Mitchell.

    The assault on Mitchell came when she went before them to request a measly $15,000 in support of this citywide event. An event that will cost hundreds of thousands to produce. The council's verbal assault on her was unprofessional, mean-spirited, and passionate, centered around the concerns that musical entertainment acts were not "diverse" enough and failed to reflect the city's population.

    It's a noble cause to look out for all the citizens of Fayetteville and to be passionate about it. But it is not becoming for Mayor Colvin and Council members to gang up and criticize someone trying to do their job. And all she was asking for was $15,000.

    How much do Mitch Colvin and the City Council really care about this city or a 41-year tradition that has brought joy, fun and quality entertainment to hundreds of thousands of people, not to mention the positive economic impact on the city, especially those who have invested in our historic downtown area?

    On Feb. 15, at the Aevex Veterans Club in Segra Stadium, Sarahgrace Snipes Mitchell and the Dogwood Festival Committee held their official Festival Media Night where they recognized the corporate sponsors and thanked the dozens upon dozens of businesses, organizations, vendors, craftsmen and artists for coming together with their time, talent and financial resources to make this year's event a huge success.
    It was a lovely gathering, but it lacked a “WOW factor” that gets everyone excited for an upcoming event. It is my opinion that the “WOW factor” element was absent from the event because the CITY WAS ABSENT FROM THE EVENT!

    Actions speak louder than words! That evening Mitch Colvin and the entire City Council were missing from the most significant Fayetteville event announcement of the year.

    Not a single member of the Council took the time to support, recognize or thank the efforts of hundreds of citizens that came together to showcase the assets, personality and hospitality of our city. That behavior speaks volumes to the leadership they are NOT providing. Our city is at a critical crossroads.

    If you follow what actions (and non-actions) occur in City Hall, it's evident that collectively the Council lacks integrity, intelligence and common sense. Several critical and highly sensitive issues are being decided on concerning our city, and I see bias, racism and good ole boy politics taking precedence over what is right and good for the citizens of Fayetteville. Fayetteville deserves better.

    We are becoming a media desert. Real critical news is still not getting out to the public. Yes, now we have better coverage of boards, meetings and what goes on in City Hall, but this is far from investigative reporting.

    As a result, the bad guys keep getting badder, and the residents continue to be the victims without a voice. Actions speak louder than words!
    Our leaders are NOT showing up in the community. They are not at the theatre or the art openings; they are basically AWOL from the community. Why? Because they don't want to face the public in fear that they may have to state their position on a proposal or, heaven forbid, explain why they voted the way they did on an issue.

    They are AWOL from the community because they do not want people to know how out of touch they are with the community. Fayetteville has a leadership problem that must be addressed and remedied if our community is to take on the challenges of the 21st century.

    I close by saying we have a Fayetteville election in November. Pay attention to the leadership decisions now and ask yourself if we can do better. We can. We must.

    I love this community as much as you do, or you wouldn’t be reading this newspaper.
    Again, I want to thank Sarahgrace Snipes Mitchell and her staff for a job well done. The 2023 Dogwood Festival will be a great event!

    Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • 19 Jan. 27 was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, established 17 years ago by the United Nations. Jewish communities tend to put more emphasis on Yom HaSho’ah [in April], in Hebrew “Holocaust Day,” which was inaugurated in 1951, just 6 years after the collapse of Nazi Germany and the liberation of their concentration and death camps spread across Europe.

    Beyond being older, it may make sense for the Jewish community to have a unique day for commemorating the Holocaust, which includes its own religious elements. Yet, there may also be a value in an annual occasion dedicated to its recognition and education under the auspices of the nearly universal international organization of nations.

    Being in February, and coming just two weeks after Martin Luther King Day, we Americans find ourselves in the midst of Black History Month. Our nation, even before its founding, has had a long, complicated, and far too often profoundly troubling history with those of African heritage. We continue to wrestle with the challenges caused by what is frequently referred to as America’s original sin.

    Undoubtedly, there is real value in recognizing both the many, usually unappreciated, contributions of African Americans to our nation, as well as in understanding the historical reality and ongoing suffering caused by slavery and its aftermath, which has impacted not only the Black community, but whether we realize it or not, the United States as a whole.

    At its best, times dedicated to remembering, highlighting, and better comprehending the suffering endured by any group, should help us not only to improve our understanding of them, but also to recognize and respond appropriately to all who suffer.

    Alarming to me, especially since I perceive it to be on the rise, is the seeming need among some in the Jewish and Black communities to debate whose suffering has been the greatest. And this debate is shared by other communities, here and around the globe, who also have experienced too much suffering.

    But, it is a pernicious and pointless exercise. It is impossible to settle definitively such an argument. Even worse, I find it perverse for anyone to want to win the battle for the greatest suffering.

    Yet most disturbing to me is the accompanying implication of this absurd competition, which minimizes the suffering of another community if I can “prove” that my community has suffered more.

    No one has a corner on the market of suffering. There is plenty of suffering here and around the world, now and in the past, and we should have sufficient compassion for all who suffer, without feeling the need to quantify the depths of someone’s pain before we will deign to accord them a morsel of sympathy.

    It is true that different cases of suffering may require different approaches to attempt to alleviate them. It may even be true that in a world with finite resources, we may have to make hard choices about how and when to allocate the resources we do have. But, we should care about everyone’s suffering, whether or not we are always yet in a position to deal with it as we would like.

    Let us never undermine the reality and genuineness of pain and suffering; whether our own or anyone else’s. We are all entitled to compassion and caring; and we should both give it and accept it freely.

    The nature of humanity seems that one or another form of suffering will always be with us. Yet, let us also make it the nature of humanity that we always seek to combat suffering, to the best of our ability, wherever it exists.

  • 18b This spring, Cumberland County Public Library will take part in North Carolina Reads. This annual series features five books that explore issues of racial, social and gender equality as well as the history and culture of North Carolina.
    Monthly discussions of the selected titles will take place at Headquarters Library, 300 Maiden Lane in downtown Fayetteville. All sessions are scheduled on Saturdays.

    Participants will receive free copies of each book in the series, and light refreshments will be available at the meetings.

    The series kicked off Feb. 18 with “Carolina Built” by Kianna Alexander. This novel is based on the life of Josephine N. Leary, an American entrepreneur who was emancipated in 1865 and set out to build a life of her own and a future for her family.

    The remainder of the 2023 schedule is:

    • 2 p.m. March 18: “Game Changers: Dean Smith, Charlie Scott, and the Era That Transformed a Southern College Town” by Art Chansky. This is the story of how basketball coaching legend Dean Smith and Charlie Scott, the first Black scholarship athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, helped transform a university, a community and the racial landscape of sports in the South.
    • 2 p.m. April 15: “Money Rock: A Family’s Story of Cocaine, Race, and Ambition in the New South” by Pam Kelley. This gripping tale of a family swept up in the 1980s cocaine epidemic shows how racism, segregation, the war on drugs and mass incarceration help shape individual destinies.
    • 2 p.m. May 20: “Under a Gilded Moon” by Joy Jordan-Lake. Set near the turn of the 20th century, this novel explores community tensions arising out of the construction of the Biltmore Estate in western North Carolina, as seen through the eyes of a young woman with a foot in both the Appalachians and New York.
    • 2 p.m. June 17: “Step It Up and Go” by David Menconi. This book’s subtitle is “The Story of North Carolina Popular Music, From Blind Boy Fuller and Doc Watson to Nina Simone and Superchunk.” The author explains how original music is as integral to the Tar Heel State’s character as barbecue, beaches and basketball.

    North Carolina Reads is a program of the North Carolina Center for the Book and provided by North Carolina Humanities. NC Humanities will also host virtual monthly events featuring guest speakers, including book authors and topic experts.

    To register, visit www.nchumanities.org/program/north-carolina-reads/. For more information about Cumberland County Public Library’s series or to arrange pickup of the books, contact Amanda Dekker at 910-483-7727, Ext. 1409. To learn about all library programs, call 910-483-7727 or visit www.cumberlandcountync.gov/library.

     

     

  • 18a You have the right to remain silent.

    Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. You can decide to exercise these rights and stop answering questions at any time. Do you understand each of these rights as I have explained them to you?

    Many of us have heard those statements, but few of us fully understand them.

    On March 13, 1963, police arrested Ernesto Miranda on charges of rape and kidnapping after a witness identified him in Phoenix, Arizona. Following his arrest, the police brought Miranda in for questioning on a larceny charge.

    During his two-hour interrogation, police did not advise Miranda of his constitutional rights to an attorney or to remain silent. Nonetheless, Miranda signed a written confession affirming knowledge of these rights and admitting to the crimes.

    On June 27, 1963, Miranda was convicted of rape, kidnapping and robbery.

    Miranda appealed his conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court, which reviewed the case in 1966. The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision written by Chief Justice Earl Warren, ruled that the prosecution should not have introduced Miranda's confession as evidence because the police failed to first inform Miranda of his right to an attorney and his right against self-incrimination.

    Today, the Miranda Rights remain, in the words of Chief Justice Earl Warren, “the essential mainstay” of our legal system.
    To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the arrest of Ernesto Miranda and the start of a three-year saga that culminated in the Supreme Court case of Miranda v. Arizona, Fayetteville Technical Community College filmed a historical reenactment of the key moments in the Miranda ordeal.

    Please join us at Cumberland Hall Auditorium, located at 2211 Hull Road, on the FTCC campus on March 7 from noon to 3 p.m. for “Making Noise About Silence,” the world premiere of FTCC’s educational film about the Miranda decision.

    After playing the short film, legal and law enforcement experts from our community will share their thoughts on the Miranda case. Members of the panel will then answer audience questions.

    Why is this educational event significant? What you learn at this event might be the only thing that keeps you — or someone you love — out of jail.

    The event is open and free to the public. Guest speakers include:

    • Hon. James F. Ammons, Jr., Resident Superior Court Judge, 12th Judicial District
    • Chief Deputy Casper “Jack” Broadus, III, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office
    • Billy West, Cumberland County District Attorney •Cynthia P. Black, Esq., Cumberland County Public Defender
    • Larry Vick, Esq. Col (Ret.), U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps
    • Chief Kimberle Braden, Fayetteville City Police Department

    For more information about this event or to reserve a seat, call 910-678-0043.

     

  • 17 The Greater Sandhills Chamber announced the opening of the Enclave Stress Recovery Center in Southwind Plaza in Spring Lake. The center provides a restorative environment for individuals seeking to manage stress and improve their mental health.

    The Enclave features a Himalayan salt suite, an indoor garden, a beach room and an open floor for co-working and group sessions.

    “Stress is a growing problem that affects everyone at some point, so we are thrilled to bring our unique services to Cumberland County,” said Executive Director Taneshia Kerr. “At The Enclave, we believe that wellness is a holistic journey, and we are committed to providing quality care, while helping our members achieve their best selves.”

    The Enclave Stress Recovery Center offers a variety of immersive therapy suites, and other evidence-based therapies, including Christian counseling, aromatherapy, mindfulness practices, art therapy and stress management events.

    “Each suite gives you the chance to immerse your senses,” Kerr said. “You can experience a relaxing time away, minus the road trip.” Enclave members can move from suite to suite at their own pace, alone or with friends. Members can enjoy a chair massage, do yoga, use meditation to refocus, have a complimentary drink with a book, or lay back and actively do nothing.

    Speaking on behalf of the Greater Sandhills Chamber, Executive Treasurer Nisla Love described Kerr (who serves as President of the Chamber) as a giver. “It is an honor that you’re able to share and pour in to [the community] in this way,” Love said.

    Mayor of Spring Lake Kia Anthony expressed gratitude for being at the site of the first location of the stress recovery center. “Mental health is very often overlooked so our town needs this place,” Anthony said. “I am so excited as the mayor of this community to see us growing and bringing in new businesses. I am excited to see such a need being filled with access to a safe place.”

    The Enclave is also home to Fayetteville Christian Counseling. The Center is now accepting new members and they are available for private events and use by other wellness instructors and therapists.

    The Enclave hosted a Galentine’s event earlier this month and plan a variety of events in the future, typically aimed at de-stressing and self-care. Up next on March 12 is Take Care Sis: A Day of Rest! The event, hosted by Ki and Kiki of Take Care Sis will include yoga, massages, sound bowl healing, self-care tips and more fun surprises. Each participant will also receive a swag bag.

    Take Care Sis will be Sunday, March 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/take-care-sis-podcast-presents-a-day-of-rest-tickets-541979704887
    For more information about Enclave Stress Recovery Center, call 910-339-0437 or visit www.EnclaveStressRecovery.com.

    The Enclave is located at 1169 N. Bragg Blvd. in Spring Lake.

  • 15 The Cape Fear Kiwanis Club is once again bringing breakfast to locals for a good cause. From 7 a.m. to noon on March 3 and 4, guests can enjoy some tasty pancakes and sausage. Guests will be able to either eat in at the Greek Orthodox Church and Hellenic Center, located at 611 Oakridge Avenue in Fayetteville or take their food to go.

    Tickets are $7 per person and all proceeds benefit our children and community! The Kiwanis Club of Cape Fear’s annual Pancake Breakfast was started by John S. Poulos.
    Poulos is also the founder of Superior Bakery, located in Hope Mills, which is now run by his son, Nicko.

    Since the first pancake breakfast, the turnout gets bigger and bigger every year, according to Steve Goodson, this year’s chairman of the Pancake Breakfast.

    “It’s just a fun thing for everybody to socialize, eat, meet and greet each other, and have a good time, ” says Goodson.

    Goodson is responsible for making sure that everyone eats well and has an enjoyable experience at the pancake breakfast. Participants that would like to order for a large group can call ahead and the order will be ready for pick-up the days of the event. There are also sponsorship opportunities for local businesses and organizations. If you would like to promote your business on the days of the event, banner spots are available for $100.

    Kiwanis Club
    Kiwanis is a worldwide service organization appealing to people with a desire to be personally involved in making their community a better place to live.
    The Kiwanis Club of Cape Fear was organized in 1960 and is one of more than 7,000 clubs in over 80 countries.
    The Kiwanis Club is focused on serving the children and youth of Cumberland County. They do this through service projects, fundraising events, sponsoring school-based service leadership programs, grants to nonprofit organizations, and scholarships for college-bound students.
    For more info visit the Kiwanis Club of Cape Fear’s Facebook Page at https://m.facebook.com/people/Kiwanis-Club-of-Cape-Fear/100057491266577 or call 910-624-4949.

     

  • 14 Blake Shelton is back on the road this year and is bringing his Back to the Honky Tonk Tour to Greensboro Coliseum Thursday, Feb. 23. Joining the superstar on the tour will be Carly Pearce and Jackson Dean.

    Blake Shelton

    Shelton has ranked among Pollstar’s Top 200 North American Tours nearly every year for the past decade. The beloved recording artist is indeed going back to the honky tonk with his latest single “No Body,” which became the most added song at country radio when released. The song is “soaked in ‘90s country vibes,” according to Billboard, and its official music video features line-dancing at a country bar — complete with Shelton sporting his signature mullet.

    This latest single continues to add to his impressive resume of music. The song comes on the heels of his album “Body Language Deluxe,” which features his Platinum-selling 28th country radio chart-topper, “Happy Anywhere” featuring Gwen Stefani.

    As a coach for the Emmy Award-winning television show “The Voice,” Shelton is an eight-time champion. He and Carson Daly teamed up to executive produce and star in a new celebrity game show,

    “Barmageddon,” which finished its first season on USA Network in January.

    Carly Pearce

    Rooted in the classics, Carly Pearce left her Kentucky home and high school at 16 to take a job at Dollywood. She has grown into an artist who embraces the genre’s forward progression. Confident in what she wants to say, the committed songwriter has resonated with fans and caught the attention of music critics from Billboard, NPR, Rolling Stone.

    The New York Times included “29: Written In Stone” on their 2021 year-end Best of Lists. Pearce performed the collection in its entirety throughout her sold-out The 29 Tour. She also appeared on Kenny Chesney’s Here And Now Tour 2022.

    Lighting a fire with her debut album “Every Little Thing” and the Platinum-certified history making title track, Carly’s 2X Platinum- certified “I Hope You’re Happy Now” with Lee Brice won both the CMA Musical Event and ACM Music Event, plus ACM Single of the Year.

    Returning to host ACM Honors, the reigning ACM/CMA Awards Female Artist/Vocalist of the Year and Grand Ole Opry member (fittingly invited by Dolly Parton) is clearly living out her childhood dream. For more information, visit carlypearce.com.

    Jackson Dean

    Odenton, Maryland native Jackson Dean is a singer/songwriter known for his old school, gritty style of country. Jackson has a daring and carefree spirit, having moved out at 18 years old to live in a cinderblock, concrete floor, one-room shack on the back of his grandfather’s property with no heat and no plumbing. Bringing that same sense of adventure to his songwriting, Jackson writes both independently and alongside the likes of Luke Dick and Casey Beathard.

    Following the release of his debut collection “Jackson Dean,” Jackson continues to show people how real music can be with atmospheric, musically forward album “Greenbroke” out now. Featured on the soundtrack for Netflix’s “The Ice Road” and in an episode of Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone,” the stomping “Don’t Come Lookin’” made its mark as his first single at country radio.

    Following an early career of local performances in his hometown, Jackson has joined bills with superstar acts like Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Brantley Gilbert, Kane Brown, Jake Owen and Brothers Osborne. For more information, visit www.jacksondeanmusic.com.

    More information and tickets to the Back to the Honky Tonk Tour, visit www.blakeshelton.com.

  • 13 Common Roots: Many Branches is a touring exhibition featuring artists who are members of the National Alliance of Artists from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The exhibit has more than 75 pieces on display in the Rosenthal Gallery at Fayetteville State University and the Ellington-White Contemporary Art Gallery in downtown Fayetteville. Rosenthal Gallery has more of the works on display.

    The show is curated and coordinated by Dwight Smith. An artist himself, Smith has some of his works displayed in this show. He’s been a professor at Fayetteville State University for 15 years, where he teaches a variety of subjects from Renaissance to modern art and painting. Smith runs the Ellington-White Contemporary Art Gallery and curates shows at the Rosenthal Gallery.

    Up & Coming Weekly had a chance to sit down and discuss the Common Roots exhibition with Smith. We asked him why he felt it was important for this exhibit to be held at the Rosenthal Gallery.

    “We don’t have a lot of artistic venues in this area for our students to see high quality art,” he says. “Working with Black organizations like the NAAHBCU and National Conference of Artists, I’m able to create more opportunities and I’m always trying to find ways for our students to view high quality artwork from a variety of artists.”

    This touring exhibition features artists from HBCUs all around the country, especially North Carolina. Common Roots is on display until March 4, and is free and open to the public.
    The doors to the exhibition stay open throughout the day, allowing students and faculty to see high quality art at any given time. Moments like this mold artists and allow them to stay inspired throughout their educational journey.

    Celebrating Black History Month

    The Common Roots exhibition couldn’t have been held at any better time — in the middle of Black History Month, a time to celebrate, recognize and appreciate Black history and the impact it has on our country. There are many ways to celebrate this month, and one way to celebrate is to see Black creativity through art.

    U&CW asked Smith what he hopes students take away from this exhibition. He says, “I hope that the students see the potential for artistic growth and I hope this provides them with security within themselves to create the artwork they’re going to create. I really want them to understand that there are a lot of different styles and ways to make art in this exhibit, and they all work.”

    Smith has been an artist for more than five decades, celebrating his 50th year of art a couple years ago at the Arts Council in downtown Fayetteville. His love for art grew as a child in school where he was able to have an art curriculum that allowed students to take art classes in elementary, middle and high school. He had his first art show when he was 19, then went on to further his education and received his Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts.

    Being involved with art most of his life, Smith acknowledges that being an art professor and being able to help his students grow as artists can feel like a full circle moment for him. U&CW asked if he gets more joy from showcasing his own work as an artist or teaching his students and watching them learn.

    “I like both! I never thought I’d be an art teacher. I was asked to be a guest painting instructor back in 2007. I’ve enjoyed being able to work with the students and I really love being able to teach the knowledge to my students that I’ve gained over the years from people that have helped me grow and become the person that I am today,” Smith says.

    “I love showing my work and exhibiting, it gets me to a lot of different places round the world, but I love teaching the student, too.”

    Representation Matters

    Having representation in the Black community is extremely important. So often, the African American community gets boxed into what they can or can’t do or can and can’t be. Smith’s active involvement in so many artistic ventures in the city paired with his academic accolades, he is able to be that representation for his students at a historically Black university, as well as younger artists he encounters while networking in the community.

    Smith doesn’t take his duty as a Black role model in art and the teaching profession lightly. “My responsibility is to Black people, and the Black community. As a senior Black man, it’s my job to show and present the highest quality of art possible to the Black community and Black students to help them grow and to enrich their opportunities and exposure to things. Many times, we don’t have the exposure that we need to grow, but our job is to ensure we give as much exposure as we can. It’s my job to be a role model to my students.”

    There are many talented Black artists on display in Fayetteville during this Black History Month by teachers, students, freelancers and hobbyists. It’s truly amazing to see art being celebrated this way in our city and we know the art scene will continue to thrive with great artists and teachers at the forefront.

    Common Roots: Many Branches is filled with all kinds of art mediums including large scale photography prints, mixed media paintings and even sculpture work. Rosenthal Gallery is located on the FSU campus at 1200 Murchison Road. The Ellington–White Contemporary Art Gallery is located at 113 Gillespie Street. For more information call 910-483-1388.

  • 12b Country vocalists, post-grunge bands and a Michael Jackson tribute highlight performers coming for the 41st annual Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, organizers announced Feb. 15.

    Ax throwing and a giant rock wall will also be part of the fun at the April 27-30 festival. Executive Director Sarahgrace Mitchell and the festival board of directors presented a preview of the three-day festival at Segra Stadium.

    Live music, food vendors, a BMX bike stunt show, and a street fair with local performers are on tap throughout downtown Fayetteville as local restaurants and shops welcome thousands of visitors.
    Musical acts are among the best draws for Fayetteville’s biggest festival, including local acts and national names who will perform on the main stage at Festival Park.

    Ashland Craft and David Nail will be the main acts on Friday night, April 28.

    With hits like “Make It Past Georgia” and “I Smoke Weed,” Craft has made a name in country. She will hit the stage at 8 p.m. with her deep, bluesy voice and guitar-heavy set. Her modern country blues style is likened to her influences, Miranda Lambert and Bonnie Raitt.

    Friday night headliner David Nail hit it big with fun-loving songs like “Let It Rain,” “Whatever She’s Got” and “Red Light.” His style of country music will have fans on their feet.

    The fireworks show Boom and Bloom will follow Nail’s performance. Saturday will bring local acts starting at 2 p.m. in Festival Park before the night gets a post-grunge edge with rock bands LIT and Buckcherry.

    “My Own Worst Enemy” was a hit for California-based LIT in 1999, and the band has maintained a strong radio presence since.

    Another California band, Buckcherry, will take the stage at 9 p.m. with well-known hits like “Everything.” On Sunday, the national tour of “Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience” will kick off at 7:30 p.m. after a series of local acts beginning at 2:30 p.m.

    One of the local acts on Sunday will be the Throwback Collaboration Band, featuring lead singer Adolph Thomas and guitarist Duce Thomas playing R&B and soul. Based in Fayetteville, the band has been together four years and has played at festivals across the state.
     

    “We play ’70s and ’80s Motown dance-style music,” said Adolph Thomas.

    A limited number of front-row seats are on sale at www.thedogwoodfestival.com. Of course, the music is just one part of the fun at the festival, as activities will extend throughout the downtown area.
    A festival tradition, “The Cork and Fork: A Premier Food and Wine Event,” is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. April 27 at Festival Park. Tickets can be purchased at the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival website. A silent auction will benefit this year’s nonprofit partner, Fayetteville Urban Ministry.

    Other favorites returning to the festival include the Airborne Aerial entertainers, performing Saturday near the Festival Park Plaza food court. On Saturday and Sunday, BMX stunt shows will take place on Hay Street, between City Hall and the Hotel Prince Charles, and Ring Wars Carolina will stage wrestling tournaments at Ray Avenue and Hay Street.
     

    A car, motorcycle and truck show is scheduled on Sunday at Market Square, Person Street and Green Street. Interested motorists can register their vehicles for the show at the festival website.
    Two children’s areas, the KidZone sponsored by Carolina Fun Factory and the Midway, which will host carnival rides for children and adults, will be at the corner of Mason Street and Ray Avenue.

    New activities planned this year include the Axes and Armor Hatchet House, where the adventurous can throw axes for free. Hours are noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on Gillespie Street.
    For more information about the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, including how to purchase tickets for front-row seating or the Cork and Fork event, visit www.thedogwoodfestival.com.

  • 12 Actress, director, and activist Nadine Labaki said of filmmaking: “Cinema is not only about making people dream. It’s about changing things and making people think.”

    Throughout its 130-year history, film has been a universally beloved form of entertainment and a crystal clear lens by which to view society.

    A film can be a window to another world, far away places, and an opportunity to see into the lives of others. In collaboration with The Arts Council of Fayetteville and Cumberland County and its Black Culture Experience, The North Carolina African Film Festival is coming to Fayetteville from Friday, Feb. 24 to Sunday, Feb. 26 at the Volta Space in Downtown Fayetteville.

    The Black Culture Experience, which runs from February through March, is “a series of compelling programs selected by the Arts Council that educate, uplift and empower communities of color,” shared Christy McNeil, Director of Marketing for the Arts Council.

    The festival focuses on filmmakers from Africa and the African Diaspora who bring stories from the continent to life in innovative, compelling ways. According to their website,

    “The art of cinematic storytelling manifests through treasured tales of social issues, economic disparities, conflict resolutions and global inequalities faced by communities of African descent to learn from the past and visualize all the possibilities that advancement brings.”

    Film festivals, at their core, are a celebration of art and an opportunity for audiences to experience stories that might go otherwise unseen. The idea of “connection,” using the past to inform the future, and closing cultural gaps are just a few of the festival’s aims since its debut in 2020.

    This year’s films offer an exciting array of languages, settings and issues that are perhaps specific to African culture but speak to humanity as a whole.
    Olive Nwosu, in a blend of Yoruban and English, explores the complexity of returning home after the death of a parent in her film “Egúngún.”

    “Mmam Moeketsi,” directed by Reabetswe Moeti, tells the brutal true story of wage politics in South Africa. Other films on the docket deal with the fear and uncertainty of being undocumented, strained family relationships, and mental illness — topics that should resonate with audiences from every corner of the globe.

    In addition to the film screening, festival-goers can attend artist-talk sessions, various workshops related to film and filmmaking, and several networking opportunities.
    For aspiring filmmakers, the North Carolina African Film Festival offers a chance to see the fine machinery of filmmaking up close and an opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade.

    The North Carolina African Film Festival offers the audience an intimate gaze into the lives of Black people as told by Black people. These aren’t stories about Africa from the distorted lens of Hollywood but an opportunity to walk hand in hand on the streets of Soweto or the villages of Nigeria with the people who call them “home.”

    For more information about the festival and a full list of films visit https://www.ncafricanfilmfestival.com/. The Volta Space is located at 116 Person St.

  • 11b Free public book boxes have been popping up around neighborhoods over the past decade, giving kids and adults access to books. They can take a book or leave a book. Now imagine that same concept but with art.

    The Little Art Box, located in the Haymount neighborhood, showcases local art from kids and adults alike. You can put in what you’d like and take something if you love it.

    Meredith Talian, the creator and curator of the Little Art Box, came up with the idea after seeing a woman in Seattle do a similar project. Talian thought about making something similar for Fayetteville.
    Last September, the Arts Council gave a mini-grant to the Little Art Box that supported a local carpenter to build the box and art supplies for the box. In January, the box was open for business.

    “I've had people at it every single day,” Talian said.

    People can put in anything they or someone else has created — a piece of art, a handmade craft, a child’s creation, a plant cutting, or anything creative.

    This tiny community gallery is a place for professional artists, kids, hobbyists, amateurs, and just about anyone who can paint on paper, color a rock or make a cute little pot.

    “I was most excited when the very first person put something in about, I want to say, like an hour after I posted that it was open. I had a lady come by and put cuttings in, and I thought that was really, really special."

    "We've had a lot of bead art that's been really cute, like little keychains, and those have been really popular. So that's been really fun. And then I had my first piece by an actual artist,” Talian said. 11a

    Those who walk or drive by the box can also take a piece of art home with them.

    “When you just take stuff like you don't have to keep it forever, [you can] just enjoy it. Do whatever you want with it, and kids are just going to keep putting it out there. So that's the biggest thing is just getting people to take stuff from it. But that's getting better too. People are taking things, so it's fun.”

    Below the main box is a drawer with craft and art supplies for kids and adults.

    Talian is doing themes for the different months for the art kits. For February, there are watercolor postcard kits, ideal for sending someone love.

    “The art supplies go pretty fast,” Talian remarked. “I've gotten donations just dropped off at my door of art supplies. That's been great.”

    People can also donate or buy supplies to help keep the Little Art Box stocked. These supplies can be paint, glue sticks, leftover construction paper, or whatever art supplies you want to donate. There is also an Amazon wishlist for their monthly craft kits, which can be accessed at https://amzn.to/3lcRnp7.

    Updates on the Little Art Box can be seen on Facebook and Instagram at @thelittleartboxfayetteville. The Little Art Box, which is open at all hours, is located at 221 Woodcrest Road.

  • 10 Progress has no patience. I recall my dad with his slide ruler. One day, he came home talking about a new invention called a calculator. Despite its limited functions of only being able to add, subtract, multiply and divide, he saw it as a passing trend, worrying that it would make people at school less intelligent and more reliant.

    Little did he know, this “fad” would become a revolution of the 1970s. The 1980s brought us the personal computer, while the 1990s introduced the World Wide Web, and the iPod.

    The 2000s saw the rise of the iPhone, YouTube, Facebook and the cell phone camera. By the 2010s, this thing called “privacy,” was dead.

    Jumping to 2023, I want to explain two terms. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). AI is the demonstration of intelligence by machines, as opposed to humans and animals. (ML) is the study of building methods that can improve performance on tasks by using data. To further explain this, ask your phone or Alexa.

    In November, a company by the name of OpenAI launched “ChatGPT” and it quickly gained popularity, with over a million subscribers in just five days. It is seen as a major disruptor in the information revolution.

    For reference, it took Facebook about a year to reach that.

    Last week, I set up a free account for ChatGPT to help me write this article:

    Me: “Write a 300 word article for a newspaper about how communication forms have changed since the beginning of cave men and how ChatGPT and AI is a new change but we as humans have always evolved in different ways to communicate for clarity and speed.”

    Within 30 seconds, ChatGPT’s response:

    “Communication has come a long way since the days of cavemen. From simple grunts and gestures to written language and advanced technologies like ChatGPT and AI the way we communicate has continuously evolved to meet our needs for clarity and speed.

    In the beginning, cavemen communicated through simple grunts and gestures, which were limited in their ability to convey complex ideas. As human civilization developed, so did the forms of communication. The invention of written language, such as hieroglyphics and cuneiform, allowed for more detailed and accurate communication. This was followed by the invention of the printing press, which revolutionized the way information was disseminated, making it more accessible to the masses.

    With the advent of the digital age, communication forms have undergone yet another transformation. The internet and social media have made it easier than ever to connect with people from all over the world, and new technologies like ChatGPT and AI have introduced new possibilities for communication. ChatGPT, for example, is a powerful language model that can understand and respond to natural language inputs, providing more natural and human-like interactions.

    But as technology has changed, so too have the ways in which we communicate. The rise of text messaging, instant messaging, and social media has made it easier for people to communicate quickly and easily, but it has also led to a decrease in face-to-face communication and an increase in misunderstandings due to the lack of nonverbal cues.

    Despite these changes, one thing remains constant: the human desire for clarity and speed in communication. From cavemen to the present day, we have always sought ways to communicate more effectively and efficiently. And as technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more advancements in the way we communicate in the future.”

    Me: “How will chat GPT change the job market in the next five years?”

    ChatGPT: “ChatGPT and other AI language models are likely to have a significant impact on the job market in the next five years by automating many tasks that previously required human labor, especially in industries such as customer service, journalism, and data entry. At the same time, there will likely be new job opportunities created in areas such as AI development, management, and ethics. However, it is important to note that the exact effects of AI on the job market are difficult to predict and will depend on factors such as the pace of technological advancement, government policies, and the willingness of workers to adapt to new technologies.”

    The U.S. has been in an information revolution since the invention of Morse Code. Today, our smartphones provide us with voice, data and video communications. It also provides music, navigation, Hollywood film quality, a mobile newsroom, entertainment, financing and a platform for the mobile office.

    The use of language models such as ChatGPT raises concerns of potential cheating in the education system. As the model can generate text based on prompts, students may use it to generate answers to questions they do not know. Educators need to consider changing their teaching methods to encourage critical thinking and correct question-asking. Currently, AI is not advanced enough to provide reliable answers, but this may change in the future.

    The CEO of Microsoft said they have already invested $1 billion into ChatGPT, with plans to integrate it into their applications. He also said they plan on investing up to $10 billion. The CEO believes the job market will shift, but it’s unclear who will adapt and who won’t.

    How do educators stop students from using AI? I don’t think they will. It is probably hopeless because it answers questions based on how you ask the question and how the user refines its responses with each iteration, making it difficult to stop its use in education.

    AI platforms like ChatGPT have the potential to enhance learning for anyone with basic knowledge by providing answers to questions. These platforms, along with Google, YouTube, and social media sites, can be used as a source of information and knowledge sharing.

    Henry Ford had an eighth grade education.

    Me: “What did Henry Ford say about a 6 grade education?”

    ChatGPT: “‘Why is it every time I ask for a pair of hands, they come with a brain attached?’ He went on to say that he preferred workers with a sixth-grade education because they were trained enough to read and write, but not so much that they thought they knew everything and were difficult to train. In other words, Ford valued practical skills and a willingness to learn and adapt more than a high level of formal education.”

    Author's Footnote: For this article, I used a Macbook Pro, Microsoft Word, Google, YouTube, the internet, ChatGPT, Grammarly, Alexa, a master’s degree, and 20 years of experience in IT. At no time did I use the Dewey Decimal System.

  • 9a Angelo Aldoph, a seventh grader at Max Abbott Middle School, is the winner of the Cumberland County Schools' Championship Spelling Bee. Saint Patrick Catholic School seventh grader Emily Staneata won second place honors.

    Julia Lim, a fifth grader at Cumberland Academy K-5 Virtual School, was the third place winner. Fifty-nine students competed in the Preliminary Level II Spelling Bees, which concluded Feb. 10 with the championship competition at the Educational Resource Center. Parents, teachers, fellow students and staff eagerly watched the group of participants one-by-one step up to the microphone and demonstrate their 'spelling power' to the crowd.

    Nine students competed in the Championship Spelling Bee after winning their school’s level I and district’s level II competitions. Angelo correctly spelled "crustaceans" to capture the win. Courtesy of CCS, Angelo will go on to compete in the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee this summer in the Washington, D.C. area. The semifinal and final competitions will take place on May 31 and June 1, respectively, and will be televised on the ION and Bounce networks.

    In addition to qualifying for the national competition, Angelo won the following prizes:

    • The Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, a 2023 United States Mint Proof Set provided by Jay Sugarman, chairman and CEO of iStar Financial, in honor of his father
    • The Britannica Online Premium, a one-year subscription for the premier online resource from Encyclopedia Britannica
    • The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online, a one-year subscription for the official word source for all levels of competition for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

    At the start of the competition, students were welcomed and encouraged to "B-E-G-I-N" spelling by School Board Chairwoman Deanna Jones. The competition, which involved nine public and private local school spellers, lasted 13 rounds. CCS' Psychological Services Coordinator Lisa Craver served as the pronouncer for each of the 10 spelling bees during the competition. 9b

    The district and The Fayetteville Observer provided judges for each Bee. The Fayetteville Observer's Opinion Editor Myron Pitts; Food, Dining and Business Reporter Taylor Shook; and Production Manager Kiffany Cain were tasked with tracking every word and verifying spelling accuracy for the Championship Bee.

    At the close of the competition, CCS Chief Academic Officer Dr. Stacey Wilson-Norman commended the students on their resilience to keep going no matter what!

    “Today’s competition is a demonstration of our students’ determination and hard work," said Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr. "I know we will see these spellers in the future as our leaders!”

  • 7 Congratulations, Gentle Readers! Always wanted to be like Mike? Michael Jordan, Carolina’s greatest basketball player of all time?

    What? You can’t dunk the ball? Well, no matter, you can be like Otzi the Iceman who enjoyed pancakes 5,300 years ago.

    Now is the most wonderful time of the year — the 49th Annual Cape Fear Kiwanis Pancake Festival. It occurs March 3 and 4 from 7 a.m. to noon at the Greek Orthodox Church and Hellenic Center conveniently located at 614 Oakridge Avenue.

    For only $7 it’s all you can eat pancakes, sausage from local pigs, and coffee plus the thrill of seeing your friends and neighbors enjoying a sugar high while covered in maple syrup.
    Don’t miss out on this exciting event. Dine in or take out. These delicious pancakes are selling like hot cakes.

    You interject: “How can I, a mere resident of early 21st Century America, be like Otzi the 5,000-year-old Iceman?”

    First, a bit of history how Otzi fits into the pantheon of pancake lore. Then some pancake factoids to whet your appetite for Kiwanis pancakes.

    Once upon a time, back at the end of the Copper Age, some 5,300 years ago, Otzi left his wife Harriet back at the cave. He began a hike across the Italian Alps to seek his fortune.
    Unfortunately, Otzi came across a band of brigands who were up to no good. After 53 centuries, the trail has gone cold as to exactly what happened to Otzi. It is clear he came to a sudden and tragic end.

    In 1991, two German hikers walking across a snow field in the Alps came upon Otzi’s body half buried in the ice.
    Initially, the authorities thought Otzi was the remains of a recent lost climber. After further examination, it turned out Otzi was over 5,000 years old. He was older than the pyramids, older than Stonehenge, even older than Joe Biden.

    When Mr. Science got hold of Otzi, he did what scientists always do: Autopsy our man. Otzi had an arrowhead embedded in his shoulder and multiple stab wounds. The bad guys had done him in.

    Overall, for a guy who had been dead and a frozen mummy for 5,000 years, Otzi was in surprisingly good shape.
    He still had his bear skin hat, clothes, some weapons, and his AARP card. Fun Fact: Otzi had 61 tattoos.

    Mr. Science examined the contents of Otzi’s stomach which contained most of his last meal. The autopsy determined Otzi had consumed the Copper Age equivalent of pancakes at breakfast of his last day.
    Gentle Reader, even if you can’t be like Michael Jordan, you can be like Otzi. Come enjoy pancakes at the Cape Fear Kiwanis Festival without the need to be shot by an arrow, stabbed by bad guys, or frozen for 5,000 years. All you have to do is show up at the Greek Orthodox Church to dig in to the world’s finest pancakes and sausages

    As promised, some colorful facts about pancakes. Pancakes have many aliases: hoe cakes, buckwheat cakes, johnny cakes, journey cakes, griddle cakes, and flap jacks.
    Pancakes have been around even before Otzi. Archeologists have found evidence of pancakes in 30,000 year old ashes of ires of Stone Age Dudes and Dudettes.

    Ancient Romans probably invented the modern equivalent of pancakes in the First Century by mixing up milk, flour, spices and eggs.

    William Shakespeare wrote about pancakes in his play “As You Like It” in a conversation when Touchstone tells Rosalind: “Of a certain knight that swore by his honor they were good pancakes, and swore by his honor that the mustard was naught. Now I’ll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet the knight forsworn.”
    Why anyone would want to put mustard on pancakes is anybody’s guess. If people were putting mustard on pancakes back in Shakespeare’s time, it is no wonder they are all dead now. What a waste of a good pancake.

    The French version of pancakes, Crepes Suzette, was invented by accident in 1895 when a Paris waiter accidently set pancakes on fire while preparing dessert for the future English King Edward 7th.

    Wonder why we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday before Lent begins? During Lent Christians are supposed to think about Easter and avoid eating rich foods. Shrove Tuesday was the last day for Christians to use up eggs and fats by making pancakes before the Lenten fasting period. Shrove Tuesday’s alias is Mardi Gras for those keeping score.

    Shrove Tuesday Pancake Races are big in the United Kingdom. The contestants race carrying a frying pan while flipping a pancake three times. The origin of the race allegedly began on Shrove Tuesday in 1445 when a lady was making pancakes and heard the church bell ringing. She left her house and ran to the church still carrying her frying pan with pancakes in it.

    So, what have we learned today? Finally, something worthwhile. Head over to the Kiwanis Pancake Festival at the Greek Church for some mighty fine eating with your friends.
    Happy Belated Shrove Tuesday.

  • 6 Should businesses weigh in on political controversies? According to a recent Gallup poll, the general public is closely divided on the question, with 48% in favor and 52% opposed. Not surprisingly, young people are friendlier to the idea — but even their preferences are more nuanced than a single yes-or-no question can convey.

    That’s one of the findings of a new study from Wake Forest University’s Center for the Study of Capitalism. Coauthors Christina Elson and Kylie King worked with YouGov to survey 2,000 people aged 18 to 41. In generational terms, that classifies the respondents as either Millennials or Gen Z.

    When Gallup asked young people whether “businesses in general should take a public stance on current events,” most said yes. But the Wake Forest University study revealed more subtleties. “Businesses in general” is obviously a broad description, and the phrase “a public stance on current events” could mean different things to different people. One respondent might be thinking about a multinational manufacturer and another about the sign shop down the street. And one respondent might be thinking about race relations or LGBT rights while another might want businesses to weigh in on transportation, tax policy or school reform.

    To get more specific, Elson and King tested this proposition: “The CEOs of big businesses should be more involved in solving social problems.” A plurality of young people (43%) liked the idea while 29% were opposed and 31% described themselves as neutral. The professors also tested this one: “People should keep their personal views on social issues out of the workplace.” Most Millennial and Gen Z respondents actually said yes (56%), with 19% against and 26% neutral.

    Moreover, when it comes down to choosing where they want to work, most young people quite sensibly say salary and benefits are the most important considerations (64%), with another 20% picking flexibility of work schedule, 11% opportunities for advancement, and only 5% citing a prospective employer’s “involvement in social issues important to me.”

    Both surveys confirm that older folks with conservative views tend to be the least in favor of business leaders involving themselves in public issues. I’m a conservative in my 50s, so you might guess that’s my view. But it isn’t — at least not precisely.

    In today’s world, I suspect it is simply impossible to maintain a strict separation between politically charged debates and the workplace. I’ve also spent much of my career encouraging business executives to be more vocal in support of free enterprise, infrastructure reform, and other critical issues that shape the business climate.

    We don’t need silence from our civic leaders, be they in the public or private sectors. We need prudence.

    One prudent practice is to stay in one’s lane. It’s rarely going to be constructive for the head of a tech company to spend company time or resources lecturing the rest of us about abortion or the war in Ukraine. But it would be entirely appropriate, and probably instructive, to hear from that CEO about the quality of science education or how housing affordability affects her ability to hire talent.

    As for hot-button social issues, while they are best discussed outside the workplace, leaders can through counsel and example help their employees and customers accept the inevitability of good-faith disagreement when such issues do come up. Across a wide range of subjects, it is possible for two people to reach different conclusions without either being ignorant, stupid, or evil.

    Our public discourse has become coarse, unproductive, and deeply unfulfilling. One reason is that we’ve over-politicized so many aspects of our lives, including the workplace. Prudent leaders can help change that by speaking both more constructively and less frequently.

  • 5 Just like our great nation, the State of the Union address has a unique history surrounded by traditions and pageantry. In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson gave the first in-person address since the 18th century.

    President Harry Truman’s address was the first to be broadcasted on television in 1947. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan invited the first guest to sit in the gallery and be referenced in his speech. The State of the Union has evolved from an address only given to leaders within our government, to one that incorporates and is delivered to you, the American people.

    Regardless of politics, I always look forward to the State of the Union. It is the only time when members of the House of Representatives, Senate, Supreme Court, President’s Cabinet, Diplomatic Corps, and our nation’s top military leaders are all in the same room. The press box is buzzing with members of the media. The House Gallery is full of special guests invited by members of Congress and the White House. Sitting in the House Chamber surrounded by the bright lights brought in by television networks, you feel like you are on the set of a Hollywood movie or at the Super Bowl. The air in the room is electric as everyone is on the edge of their seats waiting for the President’s arrival.

    As I was waiting for the speech to begin last week, I was thinking about you. I was thinking about you and your family and the struggles you have faced over the past year. I hoped President Biden would lay out real solutions on how to reduce inflation, tackle Washington’s out-of-control spending, solve the crisis at the Southern border, and stand up to adversaries like China. Instead, the President’s speech sounded like a lot of recycled rhetoric.

    What the President doesn't understand is that families in North Carolina are hurting. Inflation has cost the average household an extra $10,000 over the last two years. What could you have done with that money in your pocket or savings? Additionally, energy prices this winter are the highest they have been in 15 years, while a record amount of Americans say they are worse off financially since Biden took office.

    One of the major drivers of inflation is Washington’s reckless spending and inability to tackle our national debt. The greatest threat to our future is our growing national debt, which has surpassed levels that have not been seen since World War II. Unfortunately, the President did not lay out any strategy to tackle our debt or reduce spending.

    Raising the debt limit without making reforms is not the answer to fixing our current debt crisis. Think about your own children, grandchildren, or other teenagers you know. When a child maxes out a credit card, you don’t simply raise the card’s spending limit and allow their spending to continue. You make changes so they know the importance of creating a budget and sticking to it for the future. As we stare down another debt limit increase, Republicans are ready to work with the President on a new budget framework focused on fiscal restraint and responsibility.

    Instead of addressing the state of our border and national security, President Biden told the American people that the border is secure. Ignoring this crisis has been the strategy of the Biden administration since the beginning, which has led to nearly 5 million illegal migrants and thousands of pounds of fentanyl to enter our nation over the last two years.

    Furthermore, the President failed to address China in a meaningful way — especially following the spy balloon incident. A Chinese spy balloon was able to travel freely across our nation and near sensitive national security sites, including Fort Bragg. The balloon caused air space over our state to be closed for a period of time before it was finally shot down. Yet the fact that the balloon entered U.S. airspace at all is unacceptable. On Thursday, I was proud to stand with my House colleagues and vote to condemn and denounce the Chinese Communist Party’s use of a spy balloon to collect intelligence on our country — a direct violation of our sovereignty.

    From the economy to the border to national security, the State of our Union continues to be challenged under President Joe Biden and hardworking American families like yours are paying the price. Washington Democrats’ inability to address these ongoing crises directly impacting the wallets and safety of you and your family is inexcusable. America is the greatest nation on Earth and our state of the union should always be strong. I believe our country is at a turning point where we have the opportunity to come together to address these problems you and your family face every day.

    Challenges to our economy and national security have certainly set us back, but rest assured House Republicans have solutions to set our country on the right track. As your Congressman, I will never stop working to make sure you, and our union, are strong, prosperous, safe and free.

  • 4 Allen New N.C. Supreme Court Justices Trey Allen and Richard Dietz have eight years to prove their dedication to limited constitutional government.
    An early case involving felon voting rights suggests they have a good chance of passing the test.

    Allen and Dietz joined their five state Supreme Court colleagues on Feb. 2 for oral arguments in Community Success Initiative v. Moore. In that case, plaintiffs argue that all felons who have completed active prison time should be allowed to vote in N.C. elections.

    A decision in the case is weeks or even months away. But questions and comments from both Allen and Dietz suggest they are approaching the case from a proper 4 Dietz constitutional perspective.
    Article VI, Section 2(3) of the N.C. Constitution deals with “disqualification of felon.” It says no felon “shall be permitted to vote unless that person shall first be restored to the rights of citizenship in the manner prescribed by law.”

    The General Assembly writes the laws. The current law for re-enfranchising felons dates back to 1973. It says felons regain voting rights once they complete all aspects of their sentences, both inside and outside prison.

    That 1973 law marked a liberalization of the re-enfranchisement process. Prior to its passage, N.C. felons had to jump through additional hoops to regain the right to vote.
    Yet many left-of-center activists oppose the current rules. They believe any felon who has completed active prison time should be able to vote.

    Rather than pursue that goal through the General Assembly, the body that has the power to write new laws, some activists went to court. They argued that the felon voting standards violated the state constitution.
    It’s noteworthy that the Community Success Initiative case didn’t challenge Article VI, Section 2(3). It would be hard to claim that a section of the state constitution violates the state constitution.

    Instead, opponents took on the 1973 law. They called it racially discriminatory. Two members of a three-judge trial-court panel agreed. The panel struck down the law, then took the unusual step of declaring that all felons who had completed active prison time would be able to vote in upcoming elections.

    The N.C. Court of Appeals delayed implementation of that change. But a split 2-1 appellate panel allowed felons outside prison walls to register and vote in last November’s election. Advocates have said the ruling applied to roughly 56,000 people.

    The state Supreme Court must decide whether trial judges got the decision right. Felon voting advocates answer yes. Legislative leaders say no.
    During oral arguments, Dietz outlined a key problem with the felon voting activists’ case. If the 1973 law violates the state constitution, that doesn’t open the door to more felons voting.

    “Isn’t the remedy under our constitutional doctrine that we would declare the act of the General Assembly unconstitutional? It’s a nullity,” Dietz said. “And the General Assembly must re-enact a constitutional version of the statute.”

    Dietz later questioned the notion that judges could rewrite felon voting rules from the bench. “It seems that our constitutional doctrine is pretty clear that in North Carolina we don’t try to get into the minds of legislators,” he said.

    “We declare something unconstitutional and then tell that other branch of government, ‘You need to try again. You enacted a law, and it was unconstitutional. Enact one that is not unconstitutional.’”
    A Washington, D.C.-based lawyer arguing for felon voting responded that such a ruling could “wreak havoc” on North Carolina’s elections. It would eliminate voting for any felon who ever has had his rights restored.

    Yet that is the only way a court could address an unconstitutional law. Judges cannot invent a new law to replace the old one.

    Allen made that point when he followed Dietz’s commentary.

    “Here’s my basic concern with the remedy,” Allen said. “The constitution in Article VI says felons shall not vote unless their rights have been restored in the manner prescribed by law.”

    “The default is no felon voting except in the manner prescribed by law,” Allen said. “Where is the law that prescribes that felons can vote — or may vote — simply upon being released from incarceration?”

    “The trial court seems to have imposed a remedy that’s beyond the authority of a court,” Allen added.

    “The courts can’t grant the restoration of voting rights to felons. The constitution expressly provides that those rights can only be restored by law. The authority to adopt such a law rests with the General Assembly, not with any court.”

    It’s unclear whether a majority of the court will find fault with the 1973 law. If so, Allen and Dietz’s comments suggest they will not be inclined to have the state Supreme Court rewrite the law on its own. That’s a job for legislators.

    Voters elected Allen and Dietz last November to eight-year terms on the state’s highest court. They will have plenty of opportunities in the years ahead to demonstrate their judicial philosophies.
    In this early case, they have signaled an adherence to reading what the N.C. Constitution says and following it where it leads.

  • Donate Blood Today St. Ann Catholic Church in downtown Fayetteville will host a blood drive Saturday, Feb. 18.
    The drive will be from 9 a.m. to noon at the church, 357 N. Cool Spring St.

    Donors are advised to each a healthful meal before giving blood, according to a news release.

     

    The also must present a photo identification.

    To sign up, text Don Bennett at 845-216-1242 or email at dfbennettjr@gmail.com,

    Donors will receive a free T-shirt or toboggan while supplies last.

  • 19Each year Christians embark on spiritual journeys that culminate with Easter celebrations.

    Easter is preceded by a period of six weeks that begins on Ash Wednesday in Western churches and ends the Thursday before Easter Sunday. In Eastern churches only, Lent begins on the Monday of the seventh week before Easter and ends on the Friday nine days before Easter.

    During Lent, some Christians participate in fasting, repentance, self-denial, spiritual discipline and other preparations for Easter. According to the resource Learn Religions, the Lenten season was established to serve as a time for reflection on Jesus Christ, particularly to be more aware of His suffering and sacrifice.

    On Ash Wednesday, some Christians mark their foreheads with ashes made from palm fronds, as symbols of sorrow and mourning for their sins.
    Periods of fasting and abstinence also are part of Lenten observances. The fasting likely serves as an imitation of Jesus Christ’s fasting in the wilderness for 40 days and nights before beginning his public ministry.

    During that time, Christ was tempted by Satan and wrestled with temptation.

    During Lent, individuals also prepare simple meals and avoid ingredients that would be considered luxurious. In accordance with that, Fridays during Lent are set aside as meat-free (including poultry) since meat long has been considered an indulgence.

    Furthermore, people often “give up” something they enjoy, whether it’s sweets, alcohol or celebratory behaviors. For some, Sundays throughout Lent are excluded from the fasting and abstinence requirements because they are times to enjoy Mass, which is a celebration. Therefore, if one gave up chocolate for Lent, he or she can enjoy it on Sunday.

    Lent is supposed to be a time of repentance, but not shame. Instead, sinners seek cleansing from their sins and contemplate what the Lord did when He sacrificed Himself on the cross.
    Protestants also take part in Lent, but Catholic churches are particularly associated with the more well-known Lenten requirements.

    Parishioners may notice that Mass is different during Lent. The Gloria, a prayer normally used after the penitential rite near the beginning of the service, is omitted. Furthermore, suppression of the word “Alleluia” also occurs, and any hymns containing the word “Alleluia” are avoided.

    In 2023, among Western churches, Lent begins on Wednesday, Feb. 22 and ends on Thursday, April 6. Easter will be celebrated on Sunday, April 9.

  • 18February is known for Valentine’s Day, but it is also a month for heart health awareness.

    In the U.S., heart disease ends in mortality approximately every 40 seconds. In 2022 there were more than 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests nearly 90% percent of which were fatal.
    The leading factors for heart disease are high blood pressure and low density cholesterol or LDL, which is known as the bad cholesterol that builds up plaque in our coronary arteries.

    There is a second type of cholesterol known as the good cholesterol, HDL, that assists in cleaning out the bad cholesterol and keeping the arteries balanced.
    Cholesterol is a fatty wax substance produced in our liver and found in certain foods. It is important in building cells, making hormones, and an important contributor to making vitamin D. When you eat too much food containing cholesterol, trans fats, and saturated fats the liver begins to make more cholesterol than it needs and begins to clog our arteries

    When we flip over the package and read 0% cholesterol, we may think that is okay if we eat this bag of chips. But read on to see the amount of fat, sugar and salt contained.
    Fat falls into the category of trans and saturated fat. Trans fat has been mostly eliminated in foods, but saturated fat is still present in many of the foods that we eat.

    Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and they come in the form of butter, cheese, coconut oils and red meat with a high amount of saturated fat.

    A recent challenge that involved a 5k with a leading doughnut maker encouraged the participants to eat a dozen doughnuts in the mid part of the race and then finish. One of these doughnuts has no cholesterol but out of 190 calories that person consuming a dozen doughnuts has consumed 2,280 calories with 132 grams of fat and 60 grams of saturated. The recommended allowance per day for fat intake in a 2,000-calorie diet is less than 65 grams of fat and less than 20 grams of saturated fat. Although it may be an isolated incident, the amount of fat that we eat each day mounts up.

    We are not always what we eat but the question is who, how and why we are at risk for potential heart disease. Genetics may be one of the reasons we may have an inherited risk for heart disease if we have parents or siblings who have had heart disease. Men fall into the category of age younger than 55 and women 65 with genetic cholesterol issues.

    Factors that increase the risk of high blood pressure, cholesterol and metabolic syndrome are diabetes, smoking, a sedentary lifestyle and our diet.
    We cannot do anything about our genetics but we can be aware of our diet and what foods can increase our risk of heart disease since sugar, salt and fat are part of the everyday American diet, especially in processed food.

    Healthy comes in all sizes but a large amount of weight gain results in visceral fat around your organs which results in an increased effort for your body to keep up, putting strain on your heart which can result in heart disease.

    Live, love life and be healthy.

     

  • 17Whether you’ve spent a lifetime operating your business or have just recently taken the reins, when it comes time to sell, you want the experience to go well and achieve a successful transaction.
    And by going well, people typically mean without a lot of headaches, and, of course, financially capitalizing on your time and hard work. Achieving those goals becomes much easier when you enlist the aid and support of an experienced business broker or advisor.

    Business advisors are experts in the field, offering help and insights for every step of the sale. They typically have years of experience to offer you during the process so that you achieve all your goals.
    While the reasons for opting to work with a qualified broker are many, here are the top five:

    Valuing your business

    The first reason that you should consider working with a business advisor is they evaluate your business and determine a probable sale price.
    You want to value your company realistically, of course, but there are numerous factors that go into determining not only a fair price but one that is in line with the current market. This includes advising you on the best time to sell and marketing your business for sale to maximize profits.

    Finally, a business advisor is a great source of advice and guidance on all aspects of business, as the following reasons demonstrate.

    Preparing the business

    Next on the list of reasons you should consider working with a business advisor to sell your company is they will help you get all the business’s legal and financial records in order.

    Business advisors have a network of professional partners that they can recommend for all manner of experts that may be required during the sale of your business, such as accountants, lawyers, financial advisors, and property and equipment appraisers.

    Additionally, because business advisors have assisted in numerous other business sales, they can manage your expectations of the process, ensuring that all aspects of the sale run smoothly and identifying potential pitfalls and addressing them before they potentially kill the deal.

    Finding the right buyer

    For many entrepreneurs, a big concern revolves around vetting potential buyers for their business. A qualified business advisor can assist in that process. This includes helping you market your business to find the best buyer. In line with vetting concerns, many business owners hope to keep the sale of their business as confidential as possible to avoid issues with their employees, suppliers, and clients.
    Brokers also make every effort to market a business’s sale and conduct the process confidentially.

    Managing the details

    When you need your car worked on, you go to a trained mechanic because you want someone who understands cars and is experienced in making repairs.

    It’s the same when it comes to selling your company. Brokers are experts in selling a business, with an understanding of all the financial ins and outs of a sale.
    Deciding to part ways with a company you created can be an emotional process and a business advisor is an objective partner that can guide you.

    Getting the best price

    The final reason to work with a business advisor is to maximize your profit. Brokers have experience negotiating with buyers when it comes to selling a company. They know how to take advantage of all relevant opportunities to get the best price for your business and avoid potential deal killers during the sale process.

    Last, but not least, a business advisor can also serve as a valuable resource to help you plan for your next steps once the sale of your business is finalized. Just because you are selling one company doesn’t mean that you are walking away from the business world after all. A business advisor can assist you in taking on whatever your next challenge may be.
    There is a lot involved in selling a business. Having a professional to guide you can help ensure the sale goes smoothly and you maximize your profit. Business advisors are available to help facilitate the process. Many offer a free consultation today to get you started.

    Editor’s note: Ashley Kelsey is a Business Broker at Transworld Business Advisors of Eastern North Carolina. For more information call 910-302-6447 or visit www.transworldeast.com.

  • 16From finding the right house to getting the best performance out of mortgage lending, home buying is the biggest purchase of many people’s lives. Unfortunately, the process can be overwhelming.
    On Feb. 18 at 9:30 a.m., Bill Snuggs of Be Snugg At Home Realty (powered by EXP Realty) and Susan Zeiber of Mortgage Source of Fayetteville, Inc. welcome home buyers and sellers to their home buying seminar at the West Regional Library, located at 7469 Century Circle on the west side of Fayetteville.

    This seminar has been designed with the customer in mind, the perfect opportunity to learn about the home buyer’s market from realistic, experienced and trustworthy players.

    “We want to help people realize” that they shouldn’t be afraid of buying a home, Susan Zeiber explains. “In fact, we can help you rehabilitate less-than-perfect credit.”

    Since 1998, Zeiber has been the owner of Mortgage Source of Fayetteville, Inc. Known primarily for Veteran’s Administration loans, she is equipped to meet whatever loan program suits your needs.

    “We’re not here to judge anybody,” she says. "We’re here to help [you] buy a house.”

    Susan practiced mortgage lending for 20 years at banks and lending institutions in Fayetteville before opening Mortgage Source.

    “Home ownership is the key to a stable,” wealth-building life, Snuggs says matter-of-factly. If you live in a house, you pay a mortgage.

    “The difference is it’s either “your mortgage or your landlord’s mortgage,” he quips. Known for his no-nonsense approach to customers, Snuggs has been a realtor in Fayetteville since 2008.
    Owning a home is building personal equity that can be used “to pay for college for your kids, or you can use that equity to subsidize your own retirement,” he says.

    Snuggs served in the Air Force for 20 years and in the federal civilian sector for 11 more, attaining the position of Budget Officer for the National Labor Relations Board.
    In the home buying business, finding somebody that you trust makes all the difference in the world, he says. He and Zeiber work together to do right by the clients.
    Since 2010, they have built a business relationship when Zeiber was able to close three loans that were deemed impossible to finance by Snuggs' old mortgage department.

    “That’s what I wanted to say about Bill,” Susan says. “Bill has integrity, and, you know, integrity is what you do when nobody is looking.”

    This home buying seminar is free, it’s open to everybody, and there will be coffee, biscuits and door prizes. The seminar is roughly three hours long.

    “Buying or selling a house is stressful enough,” Snuggs says. “Susan and I try to” take out as much stress as possible.
    The realtor and loan officer plan an informal seminar “because it makes us approachable,” Zeiber explains. “People are afraid to talk. They think that they’re being judged . . . and they feel like their entire life is on somebody’s desk.”

    “Even though homebuying is scary, it’s doable, and we will be there for you every step of the way,” she adds.

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