In the wake of the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, there have been reports of alleged threats against high schools in Cumberland County.

Some of those cases are currently processing through the Cumberland County court system.

The consequences of a guilty verdict go beyond the potential criminal penalties, according to Cumberland County district attorney Billy West, and should give anyone, especially young people, serious pause if they are thinking about even joking about doing something similar.

“I think the most important thing for young people to understand is it’s a felony under North Carolina law to do that,’’ West said. “There are a lot of negative consequences of a felony conviction, particularly for a young person.’’

West said making a threat against a school would qualify as an H felony, which is the second-lowest felony conviction possible in North Carolina. Someone convicted of an H felony, with no prior criminal record, could face up to six to eight months in jail, West said.

But jail time is only part of the problem for someone convicted of any felony, West added. “A lot of felonies have what we call collateral consequences,’’ he said. Those penalties go beyond having to pay court costs and fines and eventually working with a probation offer.

“You hear stories about people who had these felonies,’’ West said. “They can’t get the job they want. They can’t live where they want. They can’t go to school. It can be all because of a bad decision they made at a young age.’’

In some cases, convicted felons can take part in an expungement clinic like the one recently offered by Cumberland County. But even in those instances, West said candidates have to wait up to 10 years and must be convicted of a minor felony to even be eligible to have the penalty expunged from their record.

West said law enforcement, the school system and his office are taking any type of threat against a school seriously. “We have to do that in this day and time,’’ he said.

Baseball season is always a big deal at South View High School.

The late Calvin Koonce, member of the 1969 World Champion New York Mets, used to coach there, and the Tiger field shares his name.

The late Randy Ledford guided the Tigers to a state 4-A championship in 1991.

Yes, baseball is important for the Tigers, but this season, the game has taken a back seat to something even bigger.

This year, the Tigers are playing for a teammate and his mom.

Keyla Reece, who just turned 40 in February, learned last summer she has stage four breast cancer. Since that diagnosis, her world has been turned upside down with regular trips to Chapel Hill for chemotherapy while still trying to work and juggle family responsibilities.

But she’s not doing it alone. The mothers of her son Tylan Reece’s South View baseball teammates, along with the players themselves, have rallied around Keyla and her family to let them know this is not a battle she’s fighting by herself.

One of the moms is Elizabeth Person, who along with her fellow team mothers learned last year of the struggles Keyla is facing.

“My mom and aunt had breast cancer, and I had a couple of scares myself,” Person said. “We want to be there for her.”

As a gesture of support, T-shirts were made for the mothers to wear.

The team followed suit, with most of the seniors donning pink baseball cleats. Those who didn’t buy the cleats purchased pink shoelaces to wear at games.

“Most of the moms have been together at least through high school,’’ Person said, “some of them middle school before that and played a lot of travel ball.

“We wanted this to be a time of happiness for Tylan. This is his senior year, when things are supposed to be great. Anything we can do to grab hold and love on them, we’re a very close family.’’

Keyla has remained positive in the face of her struggle and is doing all she can to make sure her son gets the most enjoyment possible from his senior season with the Tigers without worrying about her health.

She’s told her son to use her struggle with cancer as a source of motivation when he’s on the field.

“When you go out there and get up to bat, you hit that ball like you’re hitting the cancer cells,’’ she said. “Every time you catch that ball, you catch it as if you’re blocking the bad cells from coming into my body. When you’re running from base to base, act like you’re chasing those cells away.’’

Tylan has taken his mom’s advice to heart and is further buoyed by the support both he and she get from his teammates. “They text me, they text my mom, they ask if I’m okay,’’ he said. “They come to my house to surprise me. They go above and beyond to make sure I’m okay.”

South View baseball coach Scott Ellis said the team rallying around the Reece family has given them a sense of what’s truly important in life.

“This is way bigger than baseball, bigger than the game,’’ Ellis said. “Tylan has a good support system with this team."

“This is a good place to escape, I think. Baseball has been a tremendous escape not just for Tylan but his mom and dad. They’re able to see him perform and forget about a few things when they see him play.’’

Jordan Bullard, who starts in the infield with Reece, stressed the same theme Ellis does. “We’re making sure his head is up, even on the sad days,’’ he said. “She’s a fighter, she’s always been a fighter, and she’s going to beat it.

“We’ve got his back. It’s like one big family. If one person is going through it, we’re all going through it.’’

The team is planning to hold a special event to recognize Mrs. Reece and her family at its home game with Pine Forest on April 12.

But she’s already deeply appreciative of everything the players, the other moms and the South View community have done for her.

The biggest word is thank you,’’ she said. “There is no way we could have done this alone. We never imagined the outpouring of love and support we were going to receive from the South View team itself, which is something important.

“When you go through cancer, your life changes drastically. Nothing is ever the same. You have a hectic schedule as it is, and you deal with everyday life trying to be a mom. “To have them be so supportive means the world.’’

Photos: Keyla Reece and Tylan Reece

Meetings

For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Interim Town Clerk Debbie Holland at 910-426-4113.

• Citizens Academy every Tuesday through June, 6-8 p.m.

• Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Monday, April 9, 12:30 p.m. at the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation center.

• Historic Preservation Commission Wednesday, April 11, 5 p.m.

• Mayor’s Youth Leadership Monday, April 16, 6:30 p.m.

• Board of Commissioners Monday, April 16, 7 p.m.

• Lake Appearance Commission Tuesday, April 17, 6 p.m.

Activities

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

• Food truck rodeo Thursday, April 5, 5:30 p.m., 5770 Rockfish Rd.

•sThe Crossings at Hope Mills: Open House, Saturday, April 14, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Promote yourself

Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

Science Night is always a big deal at Gallberry Farm Elementary School, but it was made even bigger this year thanks to a grant from Duke Energy.

Vicki Smith, a retired Cumberland County Schools principal who works part-time as an assistant principal at Gallberry, wrote the grant proposal that took this year’s event at the school to a new level.

“I had heard from some other counties about the quality of the Duke Energy grant and the neat science activities they provided,’’ Smith said. “You apply in August, you hear in October, and they send it to you in February.’’

Gallberry was one of 150 elementary schools around the state that received the grant this year. There is no specific dollar figure applied to the grant, but what it offers is 10 science-related activities with enough supplies to allow 200 people per activity to take part.

“It gave the teachers some inspiration and energy as we did something different,’’ Smith said. “It also offered us some new ideas.’’

Gallberry principal Dawn Collins said that’s important when teaching a subject like science.

“The basic goal is to expose kids to science in a fun way so it’s not looked at as a boring thing, so they’ll know there’s a bit of science involved with just about everything you do,’’ she said.

Collins gives much of the credit for Gallberry’s science night to third-grade teacher John Harskowitch. “We call him our resident mad scientist,’’ Collins said of Harskowitch, who headed the committee for the science night. “Anything that has to do with science, his hands are all in it.’’

This year’s array of experiments exposed the students and their parents to a host of different scientific concepts.

At one display, they got to try out a green television screen like meteorologists use when sharing news about the weather.

Another station featured the chance to explore buoyancy by building a small aluminum foil boat. They also made their own version of the famous slime made popular on the Nickelodeon television network.

Some students made pan flutes from straws or built towers out of marshmallows.

There were also experiments in magnetic painting, building a simple catapult, and constructing paper parachutes and trying to hit a target on the floor with them.

There was also a special bubble-making demonstration that actually wasn’t part of the experiments, although there was a bubble-making station for the children to experiment with.

Also on-site was Kelvin, the official robotic mascot of the North Carolina Science Festival, which is held in April. Although the Gallberry event was held about a week before the state event starts, it was still considered a part of the state festival thanks to the Duke Energy grant.

“I think this kind of event shows kids the breadth of science and how it reaches into every part of their lives,’’ Smith said. “It’s more than just a book or a complicated thing. It’s part of everything we do.’’

Photo: At one station, students made their own version of the famous slime made popular on the Nickelodeon television network.

Editor’s note: In the March 7 issue of Up & Coming Weekly, Karl Merritt wrote a column titled “Rap at the Dogwood Festival?” He lamented that rap would be featured at the festival in 2018 and explained why he felt this way. He received several emails in response to that column. In the following article, he responds to some of what reader Aissatou Sunjata wrote. Her thoughts were published in a letter to the editor in the March 21 issue and can be read here; it is the second letter: www.upandcomingweekly. com/views/4865-logically-flawedmusket- argument.

I want to share and respond to some of what was said by a reader who, rather vehemently, disagreed with what I wrote. The letter was sent by Ms. Aissatou Sunjata. With her permission, I emailed Sunjata my thoughts and questions as prompted by her letter. After a few days and a follow-up email, she emailed me saying her schedule would not allow time to address my comments or questions. Consequently, what I say here is in response to her initial letter to the editor.

From the first paragraph, Sunjata states: “If Mr. Merritt’s mentee is fortunate he will not be so strongly and staunchly biased against rap music and perhaps give some background and discernment involving rap music. Rap music, like jazz, like the blues, like country music, has a history.”

As I have repeatedly written, my life experiences indicate that a proper framework for thinking is essential for successful living. That means values and beliefs that lead a person to choices that produce fair and positive outcomes. Therefore, my assignment in mentoring the 13-year-old black girl that I mentioned in that column is to help her develop such a framework; not to tell her what to think.

Here is a basic example of what I mean. Today is Saturday, March 24, 2018. My mentee and I are scheduled for a reading session, by phone, at 5 p.m. At 12:14 p.m., she sent me a text explaining her call today would come from a different phone number than usual. I have never talked with her about calling on time. The conversations are about being individually responsible, identifying opportunities that are life-enhancing and going after them … these kinds of values. For weeks, my phone has rung at exactly the agreed upon time. I have not told her not to listen to rap; that decision will be made within her thought-processing framework. My lamenting rap at the Dogwood is about impact on thought-framework development, on paradigm shaping.

I am not alone in contending that rap can have a negative influence on individuals. Read the paper at this link: www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/792/ the-influence-of-rap-and-hip-hop-music-an-analysis- on-audience-perceptions-of-misogynistic-lyric. There are articles that use general statements to give value to rap, but part of this one deals with facts and reasoned analysis. At one point, the paper says, “While a correlation may exist between exposure to misogynistic music and audience attitudes regarding violent acts against women, a causal link cannot be demonstrated between listening habits and resulting misogynistic behavior.”

This says to me that the type of rap discussed in my column can adversely impact that 13-year-old’s paradigm, her framework for decision-making. It might not directly cause negative actions on her part, but will likely influence thought patterns that will, coupled with other destructive conditions, result in unwise choices.

Then, from Sunjata: “There is rap in gospel music. How can it all be bad?” Years ago, I watched a young man do “gospel rap.” I processed it through my paradigm and decided, “Not for me.” Since I made that decision years ago, it only seemed fair to see if the genre was different today. To that end, I watched several gospel rappers on YouTube. Some of them were: Tre9 performing “Pull Up on Ya Block;” “NC Female Christian Hip-Hop Cypher #NCFemaleCypher;” Sicily performing “Problems Music Video-Christian Rap” and Lazarus performing “Walk by Faith.”

As before, the words were meaningful, but, for me, not worshipful and definitely did not encourage me to a paradigm rooted in a faithful walk, or relationship, with God. In most cases, if I turned off the audio, I could hardly distinguish these Christian rappers from those described in my column that prompted the letter from Sunjata. With one or two exceptions, their dress and movements were similar.

On my part, there was a sense of being entertained rather than sensing God’s presence and worshipping him. When all this was processed through my thought-framework, my paradigm, it was rejected. Without a doubt, this genre appears to be an attempt to reach young people where they seem to be. If that statement is true, and I believe it is, we have sunk to an alarmingly treacherous position as a society. I do not view Christian or gospel rap as redemptive for the rap genre.

Here is one of two statements in her letter where Sunjata says I took credit for rap being included at the Dogwood Festival: “It is funny that Karl Merritt is taking credit for the Dogwood Festival’s inclusion of Rap this year and then bemoaning them adding rap music.” I asked that she tell me where I took this credit. There was no response. If someone else can show me where I made this claim, I would appreciate it.

Further, Ms. Sunjata says: “Very tired of people not wanting to alter or change anything in Fayetteville except what is important to them. I don’t enjoy baseball, but okay, there is going to be a field and a team. Perhaps the choice of selecting Coolio might not be appropriate for the audience which will attend the Festival. How will we ever know unless they give it a try?”

Trying something new should be based on a logical assessment of the likely outcome of doing so. It appears to me the likely positive outcome of a baseball team in Fayetteville passes the reason test. As Sunjata seems to admit, that is probably not the case with rap at the Dogwood, given what has been the audience for that particular event in the past.

My contention is that the measure of success of rap at the Dogwood Festival should not be how many people attend. Instead, it should be how attendees’ framework, paradigm, for decision-making is affected. Obviously, my contention is that the effect will be negative. Consequently, trying this new thing does not pass the test of reason for me.

The bulk of my original column about this issue focused on how I am convinced that unfair actions, better described as pressure, by some members of Fayetteville City Council produced the decision by leadership of the Dogwood Festival to include rap in this year’s events. I find it of note that Ms. Sunjata did not mention that section of my column. In light of her seeming commitment to dealing fairly with people, I would have expected agreement relative to the case I presented in that section.

For me, the bottom line of this discussion goes back to Proverbs 4:23, from the New International Version of the Bible: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” This is not a reference to the physical heart, but, rather, to that invisible place where our thought-framework, our paradigm, resides. In great part, we guard that heart by being careful what we expose ourselves to. Above all, I hope this is the course that 13-year-old black girl will follow. Not only do I wish this course for that 13-year-old, but for every person and for me.

Photos: Left: screenshot from the YouTube video “NC Female Christian Hip-Hop Cypher #NCFemaleCypher.” Right: Media photo from coolioworld.com.

Like public school teachers who teach core classes, public school art teachers have many extra duties, too. With so many challenges and duties throughout the year, it is not uncommon for an art teacher to arrive back at home around 7 p.m. after a long day of teaching.

Although the job is rigorous, many art teachers still find time to practice their craft. In the classroom, they are sharing the information relevant to who they are as an artist. They encourage the creative impulse and help students develop a multicultural aesthetic understanding, learn about the arts in history, and discover the joy of expressing an idea or feeling through the elements of art and design.

In the spirit of celebrating the public-school art teacher/ artist, Gallery 208 will exhibit a body of work by the senior art teacher at Westover High School in Fayetteville in an exhibit titled “Namera Graybeal: The Sounds of Drawing.” The opening and artist’s reception is Tuesday, April 10, from 5:30-7 p.m. and is free to the public.

This is Graybeal’s fourth year teaching in the public-school system after earning a Bachelor of Arts in art education with a concentration in ceramics at Fayetteville State University in 2014.

Graybeal is a full-time teacher. She is married with five children and has five grandchildren. She is an art advocate in the community, has taught ceramic classes for six years in Fayetteville Technical Community College’s continuing education program and has taught during the summer months in the Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery Summer Youth Program. And she still finds time to be a practicing artist. If you ask her how, she will tell you, “I’m an artist that teaches, and I have made a commitment to do something artistic every day.”

Graybeal creates images of nature that show us what we don’t see. She doesn’t focus on creating pictorial space using mathematical or aerial perspective, making the everyday objects in nature more tangible through color, pattern, black and white and the arrangement of forms that spread over the paper’s surface with a joyful intelligence.

In a good drawing, we don’t separate the marking tools from the surface; such is the case in Graybeal’s work. Her forms interact with each other with intent – parts of a greater whole. A greater narrative seems to be always unfolding within the complexity of the marks, colors and patterns.

Graybeal draws with alcohol-based refillable copic pens, using the tip or edge of the pen for line quality. Colors are created with color pencils, ink, watercolors and sometimes a white gel pen. She creates contrast in the works with a variety of pattern and color. Her use of color, like everything on the page, is an intuitive process.

Although Graybeal is an excellent ceramicist and able to create realistic works of art in painting (portraits, etc.), it is through drawing that she has been able to keep her commitment to “doing something artistic every day.” Inspired by her many books on patterns, Graybeal begins a drawing by making a simple pattern. Without thinking about an end-product, she allows automatism – the process of working intuitively – to guide her creation.

So, why patterns? Graybeal commented, “Patterns are very popular right now, but I have always been interested in them and used variations of the pattern in my earlier work – in small amounts. For me, there is a consistency in the repetitive process, the repetition is relaxing compared to my busy life. So, I draw to relax. When I’m drawing, there are sounds as the mark-making material moves across the surface of the paper. Like repetition, the sound is also soothing. You can hear the length of a line as you watch the width or darkness of the line diminish or gain in strength.”

When viewing Graybeal’s imaginative, fanciful and intelligent body of work at Gallery 208, one can readily see how she presents nature as movement and contrast. Variety can be found in the way she combines flat and limited volume, color with black and white, and various thicknesses of line. Pattern is often thought of as movement; but combine that with her placement of objects on the picture plane and the movement she creates results in an implicit or explicit rolling and spinning across the plane.

With so many patterns on the same drawing, how does Graybeal know when to shift or change her patterns? She answered, “It’s simple; I shift or change the pattern when I feel there is enough. It’s always about balance and weight as I move across the surface, so I intuitively sense the appropriate size of a pattern and when it’s time to shift.”

She said, further, “My narrative does emerge from the process of drawing. I find that I predominantly draw nature and water as a subject, although I have started to use some architecture in the newer works. I hope viewers will take time with the work. I feel nature is mysterious, but also very healing. Ultimately, I would like people to leave the exhibit feeling happy and believing they could draw too – and will start to practice!”

Gallery 208 is located at 208 Rowan St., and the public is invited to attend the opening and reception of “Namera Graybeal: The Sounds of Drawing” April 10 from 5:30-7 p.m. Graybeal will briefly discuss her work at 6:15 p.m.

There will be plenty of time to see the exhibit since it will stay up until June 25. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 910-484-6200.

HIT (Downtown community room)

The new Fast Transit Center has a facility that has already caught on. It’s a public community room on the second floor (yes, there’s an elevator). The large space can accommodate meetings of public and private organizations, taking demand off the few other such rooms downtown. Modest fees are charged for nonprofit and business groups.

HIT (Downtown skyline)

Fayetteville’s skyline is about to change for the first time in 40 years. The 11-floor Systel building will no longer be downtown’s tallest structure. A new apartment complex being built by PCH Holdings atop a five-story parking deck adjacent to the baseball stadium will make that structure two floors taller.

MISS (Roadside trash)

A year ago, Fayetteville City Council added two crews and a pair of pickups to patrol our main thoroughfares to pick up debris. I presume they’re still doing it, but frankly, it’s hard to tell. The problem is that our city’s 148 square miles make it the second largest municipality in the state in land area. Somehow, we’ve got to do more.

HIT (Hay Street restauranteurs)

Restaurant owners with rear entrances on Old Street agreed to get rid of the garbage cans along the narrow sidewalk. The Cool Spring Downtown District helped solve the problem by working with Waste Management to place dumpsters behind the Arts Center.

MISS (City skyline)

Fayetteville is the largest city in North Carolina without skyscrapers. We’ve grown out, not up. Why? Our city lacks the big businesses others have thrived on; no major banks or companies with corporate headquarters here. It’s an illustration of why economic development is so important to Cumberland County.

HIT (Traffic cops)

The police seem to be placing greater emphasis on speeding. I’ve seen cops parked along busy streets with their radar guns, and that’s good.

North Carolina politicians lavish generous praise on community colleges. Alas, this praise is more often a sort of rote incantation than a real statement of priorities.

Let’s change that. North Carolina’s community colleges are critically important, often a good investment of tax dollars, and deserving of far greater attention from lawmakers, education officials and opinion leaders. That attention need not be only laudatory. It should be constant – and backed by action.

Hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians take at least one course each year at one of the system’s 58 campuses. Some are full-time students. Most aren’t. If we account for that, the equivalent of about 100,000 full-time students were enrolled in North Carolina community colleges last year. For the University of North Carolina system, the comparable figure for undergraduates was about 170,000.

Most community-college students are enrolled in curriculum programs. They are working toward an associate degree, an associate of arts, college-transfer credits or diplomas. About 15 percent are enrolled, instead, in some form of continuing education. They are obtaining a particular job skill, retooling to change careers or taking classes simply for edification.

In recent years, North Carolina policymakers have standardized course offerings among community colleges and universities, thus easing the transition for transfer students and making it more attractive for high school graduates to begin their quest for baccalaureate degrees at community colleges that cost less – for both students and taxpayers – and are closer to home.

Some university leaders and policymakers resisted these changes and remain unconvinced they were a good idea. Critics view the freshman and sophomore coursework at community colleges as substandard and point to statistics such as low completion rates for associate degrees as evidence for academic weakness. They also complain, incorrectly, that college transfer is a distraction from the original, vocational mission of two-year institutions.

While community colleges should always be committed to continuous improvement, they often get a bum rap on quality. For one thing, measures such as degree-completion rates are notoriously uninformative. Although transfer students can – and ought to – receive associate degrees from their colleges before heading to universities, large numbers of them do not even fill out the necessary paperwork.

One study of full-time students who began at community colleges found that, after accounting for those who transfer without completing associate degrees, the share of students completing some kind of degree – associate or baccalaureate – was 55 percent within six years. That needs to be higher, naturally, but there are UNC campuses where the average six-year graduation rates for non-transfer students are at or below this level.

More to the point, the populations of students who enter higher education through community colleges are, on average, very different from those who go straight to universities. These characteristics explain much of the difference in degree completion, regardless of the type of institution attended.

Do community colleges deliver value? It’s a tough question to answer, but a necessary one. A 2017 analysis for Columbia University’s Teacher College tracked the earnings of community college students in eight states, including ours. North Carolinians who completed their associate degree earned substantially more in nine years than those who attended but did not complete college. Even those who didn’t graduate earned a bit more, on average, depending on how many classes they completed.

The same qualities that lead to degree completion could also make one a better worker, so the educational experience may not fully explain the wage premium. But I think the preponderance of the evidence suggests community college are, as community college professor Rob Jenkins put it in a recent article for the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, “among our leanest, most efficient institutions.” Unlike universities, they “do not need rock-climbing walls, expensive health clubs or luxurious dormitories to attract students. All they need is adequate staffing, competent, fairly-paid faculty, and reasonably modern facilities.”

Lawmakers, please take note.

Hope Mills is resuming its successful experience with Food Truck Rodeos this week, hosting the first event of 2018 on Thursday, April 5, in the parking lot behind Town Hall and the Hope Mills Recreation Center at 5770 Rockfish Rd.

The rodeo will be held from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.

The food truck events were held last year starting in August and continued monthly through November until they were shut down for the winter months.

“It started with us trying to come up with creative ways to bring the community together,’’ said Chancer McLaughlin of the Hope Mills Development and Planning Department.

Since food trucks are popular in towns all over Cumberland County, town leaders developed a plan to help attract them to Hope Mills.

“The main goal was to create an environment that would be supportive of food trucks,’’ McLaughlin said. “We don’t charge any fees for the trucks.’’

McLaughlin said the town also wanted to give them something other than just the lure of a lunchtime crowd. “We felt if we could create a destination or an event out of it, everybody wins,’’ he said. “(If ) we can get people to Hope Mills, more people will come to support the trucks. It’s outdoors, and we facilitate it by putting out lawn chairs and having music.’’

McLaughlin said a Thursday night was chosen to provide a variety of food trucks an evening that wouldn’t conflict with their plans to be at other locations in the county and increase the options available.

“There are so many great ones in Cumberland County, we try to rotate them out,’’ he said. “We are very supportive of the food truck community.’’

This week’s rodeo will follow a traditional structure the town has used in the past. The parking lot behind the recreation center and town hall will be blocked off to allow the food trucks to park and create a pedestrian area for people to visit the different trucks.

The event will feature attractions for children, including free pony rides and bouncy houses.

A DJ will provide music. On some occasions in the past the rodeo has offered live bands, but McLaughlin said a DJ will be used for the first event of 2018.

He’s gotten commitments from six trucks that will appear at this week’s event. They include Fowler’s, formerly the Blind Pig; Babann’s Southern Fried Chicken; R Burger; and California Taco NC.

McLaughlin always tries to have at least two local food trucks taking part. This week’s participants will be A Catered Affair by Chef Glenn and Big T’s.

McLaughlin encourages everyone planning to take part in the rodeo to download the Spokehub app for their smartphones.

“It allows you to chat with people leading up to the event and at the event,’’ McLaughlin said. “We’re trying to get creative with marketing.’’

There’s also an informational aspect to the event, McLaughlin said. Warriors on the Water, an organization that helps rehabilitate wounded warriors by introducing them to kayaking, has made previous appearances at the rodeos. Now that Hope Mills Lake has been restored, McLaughlin said, they will return to this week’s event to share information about their organization.

The Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department will also have a booth at the rodeo, giving out information about upcoming events.

The best thing about most of the activities is everything will be free, McLaughlin said. “The only thing they have to pay for is the food,’’ he said.

“We want something that makes it more conducive to families. As opposed to cooking dinner, you can grab something to eat, sit down and relax in a really nice atmosphere.’’

Through March 27, Terry Sanford’s girls soccer team had a 10-0 record and had yet to allow a goal this season.

Bulldog coach Karl Molnar is excited by his team’s success and admits the resume looks good on paper.

But he also knows his team is far from perfect. “As a coach, I lose sleep at night knowing the little things we’re not doing well,’’ he said. “We are still winning, and that’s great, but I do know until we start doing those things well we’re not going to be competitive in the state tournament.’’

Molnar thinks problems could start as early as the Patriot Athletic Conference tournament for the Bulldogs if some of their better league opponents show improvement. “They’d have picked up their games and hopefully we will too,’’ he said. “Right now I see us struggling, and I’m very focused on what we need to fix.’’

The strong points for the Bulldogs so far are a versatile offense and stingy multi-playered defense.

Molnar said he’s got several players capable of scoring, three of them with 10 or more goals, led by Maiya Parrous with 14.

“When you’ve got four people who can comfortably put the ball in the back of the net, it makes you tough to defend,’’ Molnar said.

On defense, Terry Sanford tends to dominate play in the midfield. “We seem to control that area,’’ Molnar said.

Newcomer Kara Walker has been a major addition on defense, which is anchored by Ally Gustafson.

The last line of defense is veteran goalkeeper Lindsay Bell. “She’s a phenomenal athlete and catches tough shots with ease,’’ Molnar said.

Another key player in the midfield is senior Talia Parrous, who has signed to play soccer at UNCWilmington this fall.

“She is playing like a senior,’’ Molnar said. “I think she is doing all she can to make this a meaningful year of soccer.’’

As a senior and a captain, Parrous said her main goal with the Bulldogs this year is to be a leader, helping other players find their roles and working to improve team chemistry.

She agrees with Molnar that the Bulldogs have some things they need to fix. She and Corinne Shovlain are still adjusting to new positions in the middle of the field. “We’re going to have to work on that and our defense a little bit,’’ she said. “Team chemistry is good, but if it was better, it would help us more.’’

Parrous said her biggest concern looking toward a possible berth in the state playoffs is how the Bulldogs will handle better offensive teams.

“We haven’t been tested with anything strong offensively,’’ she said. “It’s going to be different when we’re tested by five or six good offensive players coming down our throat. I think we can handle it.’’

Parrous is focusing on the rest of the season with Terry Sanford, but it won’t be long until she shifts gears to play at UNC-Wilmington.

She plans to work out over the summer following a fitness regimen sent to her by the Seahawks and continue training with local soccer guru Jimmy Maher. She’ll leave at the end of July to enroll at UNC-Wilmington.

“I’m hoping I won’t get redshirted,’’ she said. “I need to come in and be humble and modest and try to earn my position. I know every player down there is just as good.’’

Photos: Midfield senior and captain Talia Parrous, Terry Sanford girls soccer

Regardless of the outcome from all the investigations taking place involving freshman Councilman Tyrone Williams, he needs to resign from the city council and spare our community the embarrassment of a local governmental scandal. The cliché “where there’s smoke there is usually fire” rings true in this bizarre sequence of disturbing circumstances. We agree with former Fayetteville City Councilman Bobby Hurst, who got it right when commenting about Williams’ situation on WFNC’s Morning Show last week when he said, “He’s just lying. And he should step down.”

The overall news coverage of this situation has also been unusually vague and confusing, causing much speculation. This has all the drama and intrigue of a James Patterson novel – municipal suspicion of wrongdoing by a sitting councilman, closed sessions of city council meetings, accusations of potential criminal activity, false claims and accusations directed at city attorney Karen McDonald, the hiring of a high-powered white collar crime criminal defense attorney, the request by other council members for an Ethics Commission investigation, false claims of financial interest in someone else’s business, and now, the involvement of the FBI.

This series of events began several weeks ago when McDonald felt it necessary to hire and bring in an outside attorney to advise the city and potentially protect it from the escalating negative conflict of interest accusations lodged against Councilman Williams regarding PCH, Inc. and the Prince Charles Hotel development project.

To date, no one has come forward to define just what that conflict of interest is. However, when questioned specifically about it, Williams got entangled in his own statements and contradictions, exacerbating the suspicion surrounding this situation and casting even more doubt on his integrity, honesty and intentions regarding the matter.

First, Williams said he had a financial interest in the Prince Charles Hotel. This was not true; PCH Inc. confirms that it had no dealings with Williams and he was in no way associated with the project. Secondly, Williams said he disclosed his interest in the Prince Charles Hotel to the city attorney in February. Again, not true. McDonald denied this adamantly and demanded that Williams correct the record. Then there are the questions resulting from the votes he participated in concerning PCH and the hotel. Why did Williams participate in the voting if both he and the city attorney knew he had a financial interest in the project?

This only raises more questions, like:

What is the actual “dispute” or alleged “conflict of interest” the city is addressing with Williams, and why won’t anyone say?

Why would Williams vote (twice) against a $100 million development project in his own District 2?

It has been mentioned that “they” confronted PCH, Inc. Who are “they”?

Are other people involved with this alleged dispute?

If so, are they involved with the city or in any way in a position to influence city policy?

Does Williams have an attorney, and why hasn’t he lawyered up to defend himself against the allegations?

If he does have an attorney, who make up Williams’ legal team of advisors?

Because of Williams’ past business relationship with former Prince Charles Hotel owner John Chen, does Williams think he has a financial interest in PCH, Inc.?

Does city staff or someone on city council have evidence or suspicions of bribery or of a pay-to-play scheme developing?

There are so many questions causing so much speculation, and all of it negative. Hopefully, by the time you read this article the truth will have emerged, and our community will have the answers it is entitled to.

In the meantime, I am extremely pleased that we have a city attorney like McDonald who is diligent and talented enough to recognize a threatening situation that could be detrimental to our city. She immediately took the proper corrective action to protect the city of Fayetteville, our council members, the reputation of our community and the monumental downtown economic development project that will enhance and redefine Fayetteville’s stature in North Carolina.

We have much at stake here. Most importantly, the residents of Fayetteville must be able to respect, trust and place confidence in their city leaders. Even the slightest hint of impropriety will undermine our growth, development and aspirations for a prosperous future. T

hank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Photo: City Cunciman Tyrone Williams

Wesley Pines presents “On Golden Pond” by Ernest Thompson Friday, April 6, at 8 p.m. at Givens Performing Arts Center.

“It is a nationally touring play and a lot of people will remember it from the movie that Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn did in the early 1980s,” said James Bass, executive director of GPAC at University of North Carolina at Pembroke. “It is a story about growing old, losing and learning to love through it all, and coping with loss and aging.”

There is a lot of merit in this heartwarming story.

“Growing old and aging is something that we all experience and something that we all have to deal with,” said Bass. “We have to deal with it whether it is our own aging or someone in our family is aging.”

Bass added that aging causes families to learn a lot about themselves and who they are, and that is what this story is about. It is about people coming together through difficult times and the prospect that we may not be here tomorrow. It sends the message that how we spend our time and how we treat our family is important.

The characters in the play encounter various trials and tribulations

“People who are up in years have seen and experienced a lot of things in their lives,” said Bass. “These things helped shape and format who they are, and as we get older, we begin to challenge some of those perceptions.”

The Givens Performing Arts Center is a 1,600-seat performing arts center that has been around since 1975 and sits on the UNC-Pembroke campus. “We were ranked several years ago as one of the top 25 performing arts centers on a university campus in the United States,” said Bass. “We have had a lot of performers here in the past, such as Ray Charles, Vincent Price, James Earl Jones and Dave Chappelle.”

Tickets cost $21-$36. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.uncp.edu/gpac or call 910-521-6361.

John Myoung

Seventy-First • Baseball •

Sophomore

Myoung has a 4.0 grade point average. He is involved with speech and the Green Team and is a pianist and drummer at his church.

Briana Crosby

Pine Forest • Softball •

Junior Crosby

had a 3.55 grade point average. A member of the school band, Crosby is also an Academically or Intellectually Gifted student who plans to attend a four-year university and major in sports medicine.

Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officers patrol all 90 Cumberland County school campuses, including those located in Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Spring Lake and Stedman. The sheriff’s office was given the countywide responsibility 30 years ago, when then-Fayetteville Police Chief Ron Hansen suggested school duty was better suited for the sheriff’s office because schools are governed and operated by county government.

The school system pays the sheriff’s office to provide law enforcement coverage. Middle schools and high schools have permanently assigned deputies. Elementary schools are patrolled on a regular basis but do not have assigned officers.

SROs are responsible for enforcing the law and more. Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis Wright’s office did not respond to inquiries about the program. Ordinarily, student resource officers provide security during school hours and after-hours special events on campus, such as athletic events, dances and assemblies.

SROs serve as liaisons between Cumberland County Schools and the sheriff’s office. They assist school administrators in emergency crisis planning and security matters. They work to prevent juvenile delinquency through close contact and positive relationships with students.

They also develop crime prevention programs and conduct security inspections to deter criminal or delinquent activities.

Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, said it takes a special kind of officer to be an SRO.

“It’s one of the most unique jobs in law enforcement, and it takes a unique individual who understands that, to some degree, students have a different way about them sometimes,” he said. “They’re going to say and do things that we might not like but (that) are not necessarily criminal in nature.”

Jim St. Germain is co-founder of Preparing Leaders of Tomorrow, a nonprofit mentoring group. “What teachers do now is call on officers and ask them to handle things,” he said.

When “handling” leads to punishment or a suspension or worse, it can have an adverse effect on a student’s development. A study by The Council of State Governments Justice Center found that being suspended or expelled can make a student nearly three times more likely to come in contact with the juvenile justice system within the following year.

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, has formed a bipartisan House Select Committee to take a closer look at school safety and security.

“Fortunately, in North Carolina we have not had the incidents we have seen in other states, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen,” Moore said.

The committee will look for ways to identify threats, find ways to improve facilities and provide training and resources.

“We need to protect our children. And they shouldn’t be going to school being afraid that something like this is going to happen again,” said Marge Hooper, with the Women Republicans of Cleveland County.

The Fayetteville Technical Community College Trojan Athletics Program returned to the basketball court in the fall of 2016 after a 41-year hiatus. Along with men’s basketball, FTCC added women’s basketball and men’s and women’s golf as new sports. Students and members of the community were excited to see FTCC add athletics to the college atmosphere.

The Trojans worked hard, and it did not take long for them to achieve success. The women’s golf team won an early event at Anderson Creek hosted by Central Carolina Community College in October 2016, and the men won the same event in spring 2017. In addition to this win, the men beat NCAA Division III La Roche College at Tobacco Road.

Neither team was eligible for the post-season due to National Junior College Athletic Association guidelines for first-year programs; however, each brought home hardware in just their first season of play.

Coach Eric Tucker, who has a great deal of experience and local connections, leads the women’s basketball program. He pulled together a full roster of players from the greater Fayetteville area and achieved some great wins. From the beginning, Tucker’s goal was to be competitive and constantly build from there. He completed the season with a 9-15 record.

Recruitment went well for the second season. At the guard position, the team improved but without enough depth in the post to go deep in the strong conference. In their first year eligible, the Trojans finished at 8-18 with a win in the first round of the NJCAA Region 10 Championships.

The men’s team had a more challenging start. The men were able to succeed in a few early wins before a 20-game losing streak. They broke the losing streak with a win on Sophomore Night as the season ended.

The men’s second season proved to be much better. Coach Brian Hurd recruited a high-quality team. They won their first two post-season games and made an appearance in the Region 10 Final Four. With an overall 17-13 record, the team set a good course for the future.

The expansion of athletics teams at FTCC begins in the 2018-19 season with the addition of volleyball, softball and baseball. The coaches are recruiting players for each of these sports, and the teams are starting to shape up.

The Trojans compete in the NJCAA, in Division II in all offered sports. FTCC is in Region 10. FTCC appreciates the support of students, faculty, staff and the community as the school’s athletic program expands to give students the wonderful elements that sporting programs contribute to the college experience.

If you are interested in learning more about a particular program, contact the appropriate party as listed below.

FTCC Trojans Athletics

• Michael Neal, athletics director: 910-486-3630, nealm@faytechcc.edu

• Brian Hurd, men’s basketball: 910-678-1038, hurdb@faytechcc.edu

• Eric Tucker, women’s basketball: 910-678-1039, tuckere@faytechcc.edu

• John Michael Cole, golf: 910-486-3912, colej@faytechcc.edu

• Moe Licardo, volleyball: 910-486-7343, licarlom@faytechcc.edu

• Miguel Justiniano, softball: 910-486-7344, justinim@faytechcc.edu

• Lee Troutman, baseball: 910-486-3630, troutmah@faytechcc.edu

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women. About one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime, which is why it is important to perform a monthly breast self-exam and set up an appointment for an annual 3D mammogram. It’s also important to get educated about breast health. The Fayetteville Area Breast Network presents its third annual Breast Cancer Education Forum, “Journey from Diagnosis through Treatment,” Thursday, April 12, from 5-8 p.m. at Cape Fear Botanical Garden.

“The purpose of this forum is to educate those in the community about breast cancer,” said Tyler Sutherland, community engagement coordinator at Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation. “There will be vignettes and a video that will feature breast cancer survivors and providers from the very beginning of diagnosis through the psychological aspects through treatment.

“CFVHF is where funds are held to provide mammograms to uninsured women and breast education bags to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients.”

The event will feature a fashion runway show, shopping, trunk shows and raffle drawings. The fashion show will showcase breast cancer survivors and community members. The vendors include Betty Kelly’s Gift Shop, Pure Barre of Fayetteville, Knickers, Monkees of Fayetteville, Pink of the Pines, Dash of Chic, Perrique Boutique, Top of the Hill Gift Shop and Monogramming, and An Affair to Remember. Trunk shows are by Stella and Dot, Younique Contractor, Beauty Counter Beauty Products and Rodan and Fields.

Beauty and wellness vendors include The Clip Joint, Susan Lester Massage and Guiding Wellness. There will be a silent auction featuring art from Kathy Hoffarth Pantele, Stephanie Bostock, Deborah Reavis and Shari Link. Cape Fear Valley Cancer Center, Valley Regional Imaging, Valley Radiology, and Advanced Physical Therapy will provide breast cancer education.

Fayetteville Area Breast Network was created three years ago by Dr. Bruce Distell of Valley Radiology and his wife, Sally Distell. Dr. Elizabeth Sawyer of CFVH is a breast surgeon and the driving force of the forum. “They are ready to put Fayetteville on the map as being one of the prominent breast care centers,” said Sutherland. “It is incredible to see the amount of work as well as knowledge that is based right here at home to locally support breast cancer patients.”

Sutherland added that as part of the hospital there are three cancer centers.

CFVH’s annual Ribbon Walk and Run will take place Saturday, April 21, at Festival Park.

For more information or to learn about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.bestforyourbreast3.event brite.com.

The Gilbert Theater is nearing the end of its 2017-18 season and will premiere a 2,000-year-old classic with its penultimate production: “Antigone.” The play, opening Friday, April 6, was originally written by the Athenian playwright Sophocles. You have probably heard his name in any English or world history class.

But it’s the director of the play, Montgomery Sutton, you might not have heard of – though he’s no stranger to the Fayetteville theater scene. He spoke with Up & Coming Weekly about the history of the play and how he plans to engage a modern audience.

Sutton has been acting since the age of three. He eventually went on to graduate from New York University’s Tisch School of Arts. He has acted in countless productions in New York City and London, as well as producing, directing and writing his own works.

Almost a year and a half ago, Sutton portrayed Henry V on the Cape Fear Regional Theatre stage. The Gilbert’s artistic director saw that performance and offered Sutton the chance to not only direct but to freely adapt “Antigone.”

Antigone is a woman faced with the tough decision of either doing right by her family or doing right by the rule of law. Going against the King Creon will mean unspeakable punishment.

“To me, ‘Antigone’ is the story of a people who are trying to rebuild themselves in the ashes of a horrific civil war,” said Sutton. “It’s a newly crowned king, who never expected to be in that position again, and a young woman who’s lost everything. These two people are trying to rebuild society in very different ways. It’s the struggle between righteousness, compromise and justice.”

Sutton researched seven different translations of “Antigone” in his efforts to adapt the play. He wanted to establish a context for the traditional story, one that could be translated even better to a 21st-century audience.

“As long as an adaptation is really interested in understanding what the moment of the play is, (it) becomes more dynamic, more approachable, more nuanced, and therefore, I find, way more compelling,” said Sutton.

One way to accomplish the task was enriching the original characters and their storylines. According to Sutton, “Antigone” was written for the Athenians’ Festival of Dionysus. As a result, the stage of the time allowed only three actors, which limited the amount of freedom for character development.

Eurydice, the queen and mother of the story, is one character Sutton fleshed out. In the entirety of Sophocles’ original version, Eurydice has only eight lines of speech.

“(Eurydice) is an incredibly interesting character, potentially,” said Sutton. “I think she’s a character that a lot of us today would be able to relate to in terms of her journey and how she deals with coming into power and how she deals with loss.”

Additionally, Sutton incorporates the historical environment of the play in a very literal way. In place of the standard structure, where the audience faces a raised stage, Sutton wanted to change the Gilbert’s production into a “tennis court arrangement.” Meaning, there will be two rows, each facing the other, with the play action in the middle.

This, according to Sutton, reflects what the audience would have participated in at the Festival of Dionysus. As a result, audience members will not only have to confront their own reaction to the story but their fellow attendees’ reactions as well.

“It’s really thrilling. For everyone, at some moment in the play, you are going to be incredibly upclose and intimate with the experience,” said Sutton.

“Antigone” runs April 6-22. For tickets, contact the Gilbert Theater at 910-678-7186.

A Fayetteville City Council meeting held March 19 was closed to discuss an issue involving freshman council member Tyrone Williams. City Attorney Karen McDonald said it involved “a potential conflict of interest regarding council member Williams … related to our economic partner, PCH.”

The city council released minutes of that meeting following another closed session March 26.

PCH Holdings is the current owner of the former Prince Charles Hotel. According to the minutes of the earlier session, former U.S. attorney Mark Calloway was retained by the city to “serve as liaison between the city, PCH and any third party.” He gave the council an overview of business transactions between Williams and John Chen, a former owner of the Prince Charles Hotel. Details were not made a part of the minutes.

Williams must recuse himself from voting on any matters related to the hotel, which PCH Holdings is renovating. It will be reopened as an apartment building.

PCH says it has no financial relationship with Williams.

Camden Road widening progress

Traffic on Camden Road has been shifted onto the newly built sections of the roadway to continue widening the highway. The North Carolina Department of Transportation is widening the road to four lanes between Oakland Avenue and Owen Drive.

About half of the two-mile segment opened last year. For the section between Natal Road and Owen Drive, Highland Paving Co. crews are completing the concrete median and rebuilding the other two lanes.

The entire project is expected to be completed by this fall.

Warmer weather means an increase in crime

As temperatures increase this spring, city police suggest residents take crime prevention precautions. Keep house doors and windows locked when you go to bed or when you’re away. Secure lawn and garden equipment in the garage or storage shed. Put ladders away, and beware of home improvement scam artists. These are among the precautions police say will reduce property crimes.

Crime prevention specialists will gladly inspect your property and offer tips on other precautions to take. Crime prevention phone numbers are 910-433-1198 or 910-433-1034.

Photo: Councilman Tyrone Williams

Lost in the city of Fayetteville’s enthusiasm to develop a minor league baseball stadium was a Durham property developer’s interest in renovating the former Prince Charles Hotel. Fayetteville native Jordan Jones became project manager for what became PCH Holdings, Inc. Jones’ grandfather built the eight-story Hay Street hotel in 1924. Jones and his colleagues approached city government about what the city might do in support of their project.

That’s when former Deputy City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney suggested a baseball stadium. Eventually, city-owned property adjacent to the old hotel was selected for the ballpark. She’s no longer with the city, and Deputy Manager Kristoff Bauer took up the project.

This month, Bauer announced that an initial $47 million stadium cost projection had been reduced to nearly $38 million by contractor Barton Malow. But, that was $5 million over the budget city council established two years ago. All sub contracts had been bid, and the final price of $37,885,102 was agreed to. The only thing not included in the city’s cost is interest on the loan.

Bauer told council that site preparation work had exceeded expectations by $4 million. There were other project elements, including a more elaborate scoreboard and LED lighting, that increased the budget. “This has been a challenging process,” Bauer said.

The city’s budget director, Tracey Broyles, told city council the city has the capacity to absorb the difference in the projected budget by diverting $1 million a year from its capital improvement fund in the out years to make bond payments.

Council will have to decide which CIP projects to sacrifice. Council members voted unanimously to go forward with the project.

“It’s too late to turn back now,” said councilman Bill Crisp. He reminded members he had been adamantly opposed to the project initially. He now calls the project a “renaissance,” which is the impetus for $100 million plus in economic development projects.

Bauer and Barton Malow executives estimate as many as 1,000 construction jobs and upward of 500 permanent operating jobs will grow out of the stadium project and the surrounding building opportunities. They include a five-story parking garage with a hotel and eight-story office building atop it.

City council will now submit its funding application to the North Carolina Local Government Commission for approval to issue limited-obligation bonds to finance the stadium’s construction.

“We’ve been confident this entire time that they would develop a beautiful stadium,” said Mark Zarthar, president of the Fayetteville Baseball Club.

The Houston Astros own the minor league team that will play in Fayetteville beginning next year, and they will manage the stadium. Team President Reid Ryan, the son of major league hall of famer Nolan Ryan, agreed to a 30-year lease on the stadium. The team will announce the name of the team and its mascot in mid-April.

The schedule and sites for this year’s annual Cumberland County Football Jamboree have been set.

The two-day event will be held at Pine Forest High School and Jack Britt High School, with games at Pine Forest on Aug. 8 and Jack Britt on Aug. 9.

The format will be as in previous years, with two separate scrimmages going on at the same time in each time block, two teams playing on one half of the field and two teams on the other half.

Here is this year’s schedule.

Aug. 8, at Pine Forest

• 6 p.m. - Farmville Central vs. Westover, Rolesville vs. Overhills.

• 7 p.m. - Union Pines vs. E.E. Smith, Triton vs. Terry Sanford.

• 8 p.m. - Scotland vs. Cape Fear, Lumberton vs. Pine Forest.

Aug. 9, at Jack Britt

• 6 p.m. - St. Pauls vs. Douglas Byrd, West Bladen vs. Gray’s Creek.

• 7 p.m. - East Montgomery vs. Hoke County, Eastern Wayne vs. South View.

• 8 p.m. - Lee County vs. Seventy-First, Apex Friendship vs. Jack Britt.

There will only be one high school Easter baseball tournament in Cumberland County this year. Douglas Byrd will not be hosting its tournament this season, leaving the Easter tournament at Terry Sanford the only one in town.

The tournament dates are March 31-April 3.

Up & Coming Weekly was going to preview the tournament and include the game schedule in this week’s issue. Unfortunately, there were some last-minute changes in the teams taking part in the event, and the field could not be finalized prior to the deadline for this week’s print issue.

Look for an online-only story on the tournament once the field has been determined, and also information on the Pitt County Classic in Greenville, which includes two Cumberland County teams, Pine Forest and South View.

Six years ago at Epicenter Church, the topic came up (again) about how there were no local child-friendly activities during the Easter season. That same year, the congregation decided to hold an Easter egg hunt and invite the entire city. Hop in the Park was born. It was a huge success. So much so that the church decided to host one every year. This year, Hop in the Park will be held in Festival Park Friday, March 30.

“We knew after the wild success of our inaugural event that each year we would have to step things up,” the event website said. “We have more than tripled the amount of food and events since the first event in 2013.”

Last year, 30,000 people attended Hop in the Park, a number the event expects to exceed this year.

“Everyone is invited to attend, you do not have to be a particular resident or belong to any particular religious group,” according to www.hopinthepark.com. “We welcome everyone! This event is rooted in a safe place for children to come have a great time and celebrate the Easter holiday.”

While egg hunting is fun, Hop in the Park also includes snacks like popcorn, cotton candy, hotdogs and pizza.

There will also be carnival rides, inflatables, live music, a movie shown on a giant screen, and the Easter Bunny will skydive into the park.

The festival runs from 6-10 p.m. Hop in the Park is an event supported entirely by donations and volunteers, and tickets are free. Visit hopinthepark.com for more information about registering for tickets, donating or volunteering.

My wife came home from one of her fun shopping excursions a couple weeks ago. Except this one really wasn’t much fun. She was frustrated. It seems her very favorite store, Belk’s, which used to provide friendly, helpful and courteous service, has morphed into a hollow catacomb of apathy. Imagine, a retail company that depends on selling merchandise with no one present to answer questions, no one available to assist you and no one around to sell you anything.

We hear constantly that the internet is destroying brick-and-mortar businesses. I believe that – but only the ones that don’t provide excellent and genuine customer service.

The term “good customer service” has almost become cliché in a world where almost anything and everything can be acquired online, void of any personal contact. It’s convenient and hassle-free without any pre-conceived expectation of service or human interaction. Order anything and it is conveniently delivered to your door. A car, your next meal, customfitted clothing, auto parts, dentures, flowers, sporting goods, printed materials, wine – the list is endless.

This being the world we live in, if you are a business owner or have entrepreneurial aspirations, you must come to understand, respect and master the major defining factor for success... good customer service. It is a simple concept so easy to implement yet so easily ignored, underemployed and misunderstood.

So, why write about it? Because it defines us.

A few weeks ago, I rejoiced at the fact that the Applebee’s on Raeford Road closed. For nearly two years it provided Fayetteville with the worst customer service experience ever – despite elaborate, fun-filled, appetizing TV commercials.

Why should I care? Why should we all care? Poor customer service has a negative effect on all those who experience it. For years, this Applebee’s has defined our community in the most horrendous and un-complimentary way. If Applebee’s had been a privately-owned restaurant, it would have been out of business in two months, not two years.

Customer service is the lifeblood and major economic driver of a successful business. Yet it is too often ignored, and locally, dozens and dozens of business owners are struggling to survive and stay open when all they have to do is focus on and provide good customer service.

Unfortunately, many of them instead search for a quick fix or some magic formula or silver bullet that will make them profitable and successful overnight. Some spend thousands of dollars in advertising, marketing and ill-fated promotions in a desperate attempt to prop up their business. If they focused first on providing the best customer care possible, those other efforts might actually produce some results.

This holds true with organizations and even governments. Just think how smoothly government would run if leaders focused on customer service and making policies and procedures less complicated, allowing bureaucrats to make decisions that put the clients first and foremost.

Fayetteville is a growing community and a wonderful town where Southern traditions and a Southern way of life prevail. Service and Southern hospitality should always be at the top of our agenda. This is the surest, easiest and least expensive way to guarantee success and prosperity while defining our community’s true friendly spirit.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Donna Gray remembers her grandson Grayson’s excitement the first time he recently saw Hope Mills Lake with water in it. “He was in the car with me and he looked out there and said, ‘Nana, there’s water in there,’” Gray said. “I had forgotten he had never seen it. I was so excited for him to tell me that.’’

As owner of the lakeside food stand Big T’s, Gray is almost as excited as 8-year-old Grayson was.

Now that the lake has returned, she’s expecting an even bigger upturn in business than they’ve managed to maintain since the lake was drained twice by the failure of the Hope Mills dam.

Gray’s family began operation of Big T’s in 2000 after being asked by the previous owner one Fourth of July if she was interested in taking it over. She was and renamed the business Big T’s in honor of her husband, Timmy Gray.

The inspiration for the name came from Gray’s nephew, Tyler Herbert, who called Gray’s husband by that name.

Big T’s is a fairly typical resort-style food stand with staples like hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage dogs, chicken tenders, nachos, pretzels, various kinds of french fries and what Gray calls the creamiest soft ice cream possible.

“We use a higher butter fat so it’s creamier, not the icy type,’’ she said.

Vanilla is the basic flavor of ice cream, but Big T’s offers what Gray calls a flavor burst that provides eight different flavor options.

But the star attraction at Big T’s is snoballs, shaved ice with different flavorings. A lot of different flavorings. Gray estimates they’ve got 85 flavors of snoballs available.

“We’ve changed over the years, tried things and added things,’’ she said.

For example, when Hope Mills Lake had water and was briefly visited by a resident alligator, they offered a Gator Raider flavor.

When the dam failed a second time and the lake remained empty, Gray added the Dam Buster flavor.

It may have been that attention to detail and ability to be flexible that kept customers visiting Big T’s during the years when the lake was empty.

Gray offered and still offers a free movie night once a month to get people to stop by. She also gives a lot of credit for the food stand’s survival to a couple of local car clubs, the Hope Mills Cruisers and Camaro South.

Both organizations would hold cruise-ins, where they came to Big T’s, parked their cars and showed off the vehicles to patrons.

Camaro South continues to be active and holds an event at Big T’s about once a month.

A big cruise-in is planned for April 14, Gray said. It will feature cars from Camaro South and guest vehicles that are replicas of popular rides from the Walt Disney hit movie series “Cars.”

Big T’s is also mobile. Gray said she operates food trucks that visit local schools and colleges, serving up snoballs to go.

Gray leaves most of the daily operation of the food stand to her daughter, Angela Culver, and her husband Rob. The family aspect of the business, both from the involvement of her own family and that of her customers, is what Gray enjoys most.

Angela has been in this business since she was 12,’’ Gray said. “Hopefully her grandchildren will come right behind her.’’

Gray said she remembers when she first took over Big T’s seeing children who could barely look over the counter come with their parents to order a snoball. “Now those children are bringing their children here, and I love it.’’

She still has hula hoops and sidewalk chalk for the kids to enjoy while they’re visiting. “I’m trying to make it a family atmosphere,’’ she said. “That’s what I enjoy being in this community.’’

Big T’s opened for the season on March 19. Regular hours for now are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Sunday from 12:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. There will be extended hours during the summer months.

Editor’s Note: Until further notice, due to cold weather, Big T’s will be closed. Call 910-487-6700 or 910-568-7722, check the Facebook page (Big T’s), or check the website (bigtssnoballs.com) for updates.