• 12librariesAs the heart and soul of the college, the Fayetteville Technical Community College Paul H.Thompson Library and campus libraries are where students of different educational backgrounds reach their goals, working in partnership with experienced librarians.

    Three locations support FTCC students with library services and dedicated library staff to answer questions: the Paul H. Thompson Library at the Fayetteville campus; the Spring Lake Campus Branch of the Cumberland County Public Library; and the John L. Throckmorton Library on Fort Bragg.

    The libraries offer students access to thousands of print and electronic resources that are timely, relevant and reliable to assist with their educational success. Working together with faculty, librarians conduct library orientation classes to introduce students to library resources and develop search strategies to help them complete assignments using the catalog and electronic databases. Tutorials are available on the library website to provide brief instruction on searching specific databases.

    Students may also take advantage of the book-a-librarian service to receive individualized instruction from librarians by appointment for up to 45 minutes. Librarians are also available for unscheduled book-a-librarian sessions to answer more targeted questions that take a shorter time.

    Interlibrary loans extend a student’s borrowing power to all member colleges of the North Carolina Community College System.

    High school students receiving college credit through the NC Career and College Promise dual-enrollment program have access to all library resources to assist in their transition to college and ease the research challenges required of their college courses.

    At each location, students have access to a wide variety of spaces where they can study, conduct research, read or meet in small and large groups to collaborate on projects. Students have access to computers, printing, copying and faxing at all locations. Scanning capability and additional laptops are available for checkout for use within the Paul H. Thompson Library reference room and at the Spring Lake Campus branch library. At the Paul H. Thompson Library, coffee is available for purchase in the reference room all day.

    The FTCC Archive collection, housed in the Paul H.Thompson Library, consists of photographic materials, college course catalogs, yearbooks, scrapbooks and college ephemera. The scrapbooks are currently available online with DigitalNC by clicking on the FTCC Archive link from the library homepage. Additional materials are expected to be digitized and available electronically. Physical materials in the archive are available for viewing by appointment.

    Library staff are available to assist with reference questions during business hours in person or by calling 910-678-8247, 0080 and by email library@faytechcc.edu. When the library is closed, students can get answers by using the “Ask-a-Librarian Chat Now” button located on the library homepage at www.faytechcc.edu/campus-life/academic-support/library/ 

    Fayetteville Technical Community College libraries locations and hours:

    • Paul H. Thompson Library:

    2201 Hull Rd., Fayetteville, NC

    910-678-0080

    Mon-Thurs 7:45 a.m.- 9 p.m.

    Friday 8 a.m.- 7 p.m.

    Last seven Saturdays each semester: 11a.m.-3p.m.

    • Spring Lake Campus Branch Library:

    101 Laketree Blvd., Spring Lake, NC

    Mon-Wed 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

    Thurs 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

    Friday Closed

    Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

    • John L. Throckmorton Library:

    Randolf St. Bldg. 1-3346, Fort Bragg, NC

    910-396-2665

    Mon-Thurs 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

    Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

    Saturday Noon-4 p.m.

  • 07Tyrone WilliamsLegal wrangling may impede the process by which Fayetteville City Councilman Tyrone Williams is removed from office. Williams’ lawyer and city attorney Karen McDonald disagree on some of the steps city council is taking. As a courtesy, McDonald provided attorney Kris Poppean opportunity to offer feedback on procedures she developed to conduct what’s known as an amotion.

    McDonald agreed to some of his ideas but rejected others. Poppe contends Williams should not have been denied his right to vote on issues he’s accused of being involved in. McDonald insists the excusal protects the validity of the process.City council adopted McDonald’s recommendations following an hourlong discussion at a dinner meeting. Williams did not vote.

    North Carolina state law provides for the removal of public officials, but the process is general. McDonald stressed her rules and procedures are intended to make certain the District 2 councilman receives a fair and impartial hearing. Until now, the city had no written policy on amotion. It’s the only time official efforts have been made to remove a member from office. McDonald told council she followed her interpretation of state law because “we don’t know where the process will take us.”

    The first significant step is Williams being served with a petition for removal. It will culminate in a quasi judicial public hearing. By law, council’s amotion decision must be based only on evidence received during the hearing.

    Williams is a first-term council member elected this past November. He took office the following month and is alleged soon thereafter to have asked Jordan Jones, the project manager of Hay Street development projects, for $15,000 to remedy an issue with the deed to the former Prince Charles Hotel building. Jones’ company is renovating the eight-story building. Jones recorded the meeting with Williams and turned the recording over to the FBI.

    In March, Williams told council he had a financial interest in Prince Charles Holdings, which Jones denied, and asked to be recused from voting on all downtown development projects because of a possible conflict of interest. Later, Williams reversed himself, saying that he had been improperly advised by McDonald to recuse himself from voting. McDonald vehemently denied that, and council voted unanimously to excuse him from voting on anything related to downtown economic developments, including the minor league baseball stadium now under construction.

    The FBI has jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crimes, including public corruption at all levels of government. Corruption includes bribery, which is offering to do something for someone for the expressed purpose of receiving something in exchange. It also includes extortion by a public official, defined as the oppressive use of his or her position to obtain a fee. This is known as acting under the color of office.

     

    PHOTO: Tyrone Williams

  • The public health of our communities is — and should be — our collective priority during these unprecedented times. As our families, friends and neighbors face the challenges posed by our ever-changing reality, we must also reflect on the role that a healthy natural environment plays in sustaining our lives.

    Reliable, affordable and accessible energy resources are critical now that much of our population is home-bound. Clean, viable water is crucial to maintaining our personal hygiene. Proper waste management procedures sustain sanitary homes and communities. And, our natural world is an important source of joy, providing many people with physical and mental respites as we practice social distancing.

    But right now, our most necessary asset is one that we cannot even see: our air.

    This spring, air quality has been at the forefront of the media more than ever, as researchers have discovered that air pollution is one of many factors in the spread and severity of the novel coronavirus. Conflicting reports about air quality abound. Stunning images reveal crisp, clean skylines in cities that are usually buried in a cloud of smog. Other reports claim that, in some areas, air quality is at its absolute worst. One fact is certain, though: better air means better health.

    Clean air is essential for everyone but especially for those with respiratory issues such as asthma and emphysema. On rare occasions when our air is considered to be unhealthy, each breath becomes more of a concern for all. Now that our society faces a virus that adversely and indiscriminately impacts our respiratory health, our air quality is one natural resource that we simply cannot take for granted.

    We are typically blessed with clean air in the Sandhills. In fact, our area boasts some of the best air quality in the state of  North Carolina. But, we must not become complacent if we want to cultivate that distinction further.

    Several organizations are leading the charge for healthier air. We can attribute our air quality successes to the vigilance of agencies such as the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, Sustainable Sandhills, and the Air Quality Stakeholders. Their initiatives to improve and manage the air quality of our region contribute to our public health and the quality of our lives.

    Each resident of the Sandhills is also a key player in the efforts to enhance our air quality. May 4 to May 8 is National Air Quality Awareness Week. You can care for our air by adopting habits that foster healthier air in the Sandhills. Simple steps — such as riding your bicycle instead of driving your car, fueling your vehicle when temperatures are cooler and properly inflating your tires — can have significant impacts. You can also learn about the Air Quality Index. The AQI is a forecast of the air quality in a region, ranging from “good” or “Code Green” to “hazardous” or “Code Maroon.” Most weather reports include the AQI. You can learn more about the Air Quality Index and other issues at airnow.gov or sustainablesandhills.org/airquality.

    Our society will undoubtedly learn many valuable lessons from these uncertain days. By using our resources responsibly and protecting the natural assets that are so vital to our lives, we can protect our residents and build healthier, more vibrant, more resilient communities that can withstand any threat — today, tomorrow and forever.

  • by STEPHANIE CRIDER

    Click the Image for UCW's Online Edition!

    Can you smell the scent of funnel cake and popcorn in the air? The fair is in town.

    05_05_cover.jpg
    The Fort Bragg Fair, one of the c ommunity’s most anticipated spring events, is opening its doors, or fairgrounds rather, to the community and inviting everyone to come out and enjoy the festivities.

    The Fort Bragg Fairgrounds, located on Bragg Boulevard is open to the public for this event.


    “It is a great family-oriented event,” said Rhett Stroupe, event coordinator. “It is where families can come and enjoy a carnival atmosphere with games, carnival rides and live entertainment and just relax.”


    Stroupe has been coordinating the Fort Bragg Fair for about seven years now and thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to meet and be involved with so many different people.


    “For me it is about the personal relationships,” said Stroupe. “Each year has is its own little challenges, which keeps it fresh and keeps it interesting; plus we try to keep it fresh for our customers as well.”


    Speaking of keeping it fresh. There will be a few new rides this year, and some changes in the entertainment, too. 


    “Traditionally, we’ve had mainly live bands but we are doing it a little different this year,” said Stroupe.


    “We’ll still have live bands, but we are also doing a dance troop. We are having a magician perform for us and then we are having some Star Wars characters come out. It is going to be pretty awesome.”

    Over the years, attendance at the fair has averaged about 42,000, but Stroupe is hopeful that they can serve even more this year.


    “Because we have a large number of soldiers who have come back, this is an opportunity for them to reacquaint themselves with their families and I am very excited about it,” he said.


    Noting the downturn in the economy, he looked to that as a factor in projecting attendance.


    “A lot of people aren’t traveling away as much, which I look at as an opportunity for us as well.”


    As in previous years there are discounts on certain days. Monday through Thursday is Customer Appreciation Day. Admission is $5 from 5-7 p.m. Mother’s Day is another special discount day for moms only. Moms pay just $5 when accompanied by a paying child 3-17 years old.


    Regular hours are as follows: gates open at 5 p.m. Monday-Friday; and at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Admission rates vary depending on the day and time.


     After 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, general admission is $10, military/Department of Defense civilians, $8, children ages 3-9, $8, handicapped non-riders $5, senior citizen non riders (age 50 and older) $5. From 5-7 p.m. children 3 and older $5, children under 36” free.


    Friday through Sunday general admission is $14, military/DoD civilians, $12, children ages 3-9, $12, handicapped non-riders, $5, senior citizen (50 and older) non-riders, $5, children under 36” free. There is also free parking throughout the fair.


    For more info call 396-9126/6126 or visit www.fortbraggmwr.com.



  • 14 01 Pineforeststadium Reopening is the key word in sports at all levels right now. Every day, there are new projections for when the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball will resume — and if the National Football League will start on time this fall.

    Along with leaders of youth-level sports and the NCAA, the NFHS and its member state associations are exploring all options for conducting sports this fall. And while we all want answers, the truth is that there are more questions than answers at this point.

    14 02 Jack britt stadiumDr. Anthony Fauci, the leading national medical authority throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, recently told ESPN that “the virus will make the decision for us” on whether sports will return this fall. His comments underscore the need for leaders of all levels of sport in the United States to exercise great caution as we re-engage in activities.
    Without a doubt, education will play a larger role in the decision-making process for high school programs than for nonscholastic programs. Despite the significant loss of revenue that could occur at some levels if programs remain closed, health and safety concerns must take priority when it comes to reopening the sport or activity.

    At the high school level, sports and other activity programs will most likely not return until schools reopen. High school sports and performing arts are education-based programs and complete the learning process on a day-to-day basis. As such, academics during the school day and sports and other activities after school are inseparable.
     Could any of those sports and activities return without fans? That option is certainly not one schools favor, but it is a very real possibility. While a few state associations opted for that arrangement to complete state basketball tournaments, that is not a desired ongoing plan for school sports. Besides, this troubling question would have to be addressed: If it is unsafe for fans in the stands, is it safe for the students to participate?

      Students, parents and other fans in the stands cheering for and supporting student-athletes, and applauding from the theatre audience, are among the most wonderful aspects of education-based activities. Before accepting that arrangement, efforts will continue to make attending events a safe experience for everyone.

    While we remain uncertain as to the timetable for the return of high school sports and other activities, we believe that when these programs return — and they will return — that everyone will bring renewed zeal to provide the 12 million participants in these programs the best experience possible.

    One of the challenges to solving the crystal ball of high school sports and activities this fall is the uncertainty of the spread of the virus as states begin to reopen this month. The NFHS will continue to work with its Sports Medicine Advisory Committee on an ongoing basis to provide the most updated information.

    With the non-negotiable tenet of safety for student activity participants, expect every avenue to be pursued so that students can be involved in football, soccer, volleyball, field hockey, speech, debate, music and many other school activities this fall.  
     
  • 11 nancePhysical education teachers do a lot more than roll out the basketballs for their students and make sure everybody is wearing the proper attire for running laps or playing volleyball.

    Especially physical education teachers like Jeff Nance at Gray’s Creek High School. In addition to regular physical education classes, Nance teaches what’s called an adaptive physical education class for students with special needs.

    It was partially because of his work with this group of students that led the North Carolina High School Athletic Association to single Nance out as one of the winners of this year’s Homer Thompson Memorial Award called Eight Who Make A Difference.

    The award is presented annually by the NCHSAA to one person from each of the state’s eight regional districts. The winners were honored as excellent role models to student athletes through a positive and dedicated approach to coaching. Nance was nominated by Gray’s Creek athletic director and NCHSAA Board of Directors member Troy Lindsey.

    The press release from the NCHSAA called Nance a special person who comes around once in a blue moon, describing him as gregarious, passionate, outspoken, humble and larger than life.

    Earl Horan may have offered an even better description of Nance. Horan is a special needs teacher on the faculty at Gray’s Creek. His son, Earl “Early Bird” Horan, was one of Nance’s special needs students during his four years at the school.

    “Jeff has the patience of a saint,’’ Horan said. “He’s got such a good heart.’’

    Every morning during school, the two self-contained special education classes at Gray’s Creek come to the school’s atrium where Nance is on duty. “They’ll ask permission to come over there and give him a quick hug,’’ Horan said. “He goes out of his way to tell them he loves them.’’

    Nance said the adaptive physical education class he teaches is easily his favorite. “It’s for kids who need a little extra help in a controlled setting,’’ he said. “We have to modify some of the games and the techniques we teach them. A lot of the kids are nonverbal.’’ He treats each child as an individual but does it in a class setting.

    “They are just a pleasure to be around,’’ he said of his adaptive students. “They take everything in stride and they’re not judgmental of each other. They’re always happy to do what you ask them to do.’’

    Nance said his exceptional children are blessed with what he calls a double dose of love and compassion. “I don’t think they are tainted by wanting to be in the pecking order,’’ he said. “I don’t think they are worried about being popular. They love life for what it is.’’

    Nance coaches the Gray’s Creek baseball team and has exceptional children involved in his program as managers for the team. “Our players take our managers in as their little brothers or teammates,’’ he said. “Baseball is a kid’s game played by young men and adults, and they (the exceptional children) bring a child’s-like view to the game.’’
    The managers wear baseball helmets in the dugout for safety and help with a variety of duties like sweeping out the dugout, chasing foul balls or keeping up with pitch counts. “They are so happy to be part of it,’’ Nance said. “I hope it rubs off on the players that no matter what your role is, just being part of the team, everybody is equal. You don’t have to be the superstar.’’

    Nance thinks he gets as much from the experience of working with exceptional children as they do. “They bring me back to center,’’ he said. “They
     relax me.’’

    He thanked both his immediate family and the countless coaches he’s worked with since his youth for helping to foster his love for young people.
    “I’m happy to have role models like my mother and brother and former coaches,’’ he said. “It motivates me to try and do better.’’

  • 11Chalk BanksIn the Fayetteville area, we know the Cape Fear River. But have you everheard of Chalk Banks, a trail that runs along the edge of Lumber River State Park? May 19, this area will host its annual event called the Chalk Banks Challenge and River Festival.

    At 133 miles long, the Lumber River extends from as far north as Scotland County all the way down to the North and South Carolina border before eventually emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. As a blackwater river, which is a kind of river that is slow-moving through swamps and wetlands, the Lumber River is the only one of its kind in North Carolina to be designated as a Natural Wild and Scenic River.

    Here, at this natural haven unbeknownst to most people coming into the Fayetteville or Fort Bragg area, is a set of races that are free and open for the public to participate in or just watch. There are 2-mile canoe and kayak races. There is also a 5K trail run at 9:30 a.m. and a one-mile race at 10:30 a.m. for any school-age students.

    The event’s most eccentric challenge, though, is homemade raft races, which start at roughly 11:45 a.m.

    According to Cory Hughes, director of the Scotland County Tourism Development Authority, the raft race originates from a popular tradition in Scotland County during the 1970s and 1980s when people would raft down the river just for fun.

    Hughes said the purpose for this wacky, fun event nowadays is to perhaps introduce or reinvigorate interest in the Lumber River State Park.

    “We have a beautiful state parkup at Chalk Banks, and people just don’t know about it,” said Hughes. “When I’m walking through the event and hear people go, ‘Wow, I’ve never been out here, this is really great,’ that’s a win.”

    As for the raft race, teams must build their own raft, without using traditional parts for boats. The rafts cannot be motorized. Many different groups have participated in the past, including Boy Scout troops, fire departments and military officers.

    “The raft races are, I don’t want to say comical, but absolutely leisure(ly) and casual,” said Hughes. “It’s not Gilligan’s Navy, but it’s something pretty close to it. Once (participants) do it once, they have such a good time.”

    Hughes described one group of military officers from Fort Bragg who participated in the event for several years. This group, on the first year, made their raft out of an inflatable mattress, plywood and duct tape – and didn’t quite make it all the way down the river. But they came back the next year after “learning their lesson” and ultimately won the race. The following year, the same members of the group were all deployed in Afghanistan but made time to send a message on YouTube to the event, wishing everyone good luck and saying they would be back the next year to defend their title.

    “It’s that kind of attitude that embraces the whole day,” Hughes said. “It’s just a day to come out, have fun, enjoy your friends, meet new people, laugh – maybe laugh so hard you cry.”

    For those not competing in the races, the River Festival component promises to entertain outdoorsy, interested families. There will be inflatables to bask in the river’s slow moving channel and bands playing bluegrass or country music throughout the day. There will also be craft vendors as well as food vendors providing barbecue fare and Italian ice.

    Hughes also mentioned there will be a “Kid Olympics,” featuring several youth games like relay races, hollering contests and grape spitting contests.

    “It’s a country-good-time kind of thing,” said Hughes.

    The event is free and open to the public. It takes place at the Chalk Banks access point in Wagram May 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For directions or more information, contact the Lumber River State Park at 910-628-4564.

  • 13 strunkFew people are better qualified to talk about the current state of high school athletics in North Carolina than Rick Strunk. Strunk joined the staff at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association in 1985 and spent 30 years there before stepping down in 2015.

    During his early years with the NCHSAA, Strunk had a conversation with longtime NCHSAA leader Charlie Adams about what events could disrupt high school sports on a statewide scale.

    Adams told Strunk one thing would be a major war that could put restrictions on travel.

    The second thing Adams said was an epidemic.

    Strunk said during his time with the NCHSAA, they did have to deal with a situation like that, but it was nothing on the scale of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

    “There was a measles outbreak,’’ Strunk said, adding that it was confined to one area of the state. “School systems went under quarantine for a limited period of time to try and track down the source of the measles.’’

    Schools in that area developed a workaround, redoing their athletic schedules and playing games against schools that weren’t under quarantine, then once the quarantine was lifted, making up all the postponed games against the schools that were in lockdown.

    He thinks the NCHSAA has done the best job possible trying to make decisions within the framework of the restrictions that have been set down in North Carolina to curb the spread of the pandemic, and he thinks coaches, athletes, parents and fans need to understand that the NCHSAA lacks the freedom to make plans for the future at will.

    “When the governor says something is going to happen on this date, you can’t make your own decision to run counter to that,’’ he said. “Health and safety of the participants is paramount. That is what North Carolina has focused on.’’

    Strunk said he has stayed in contact with members of the NCHSAA staff during the pandemic, and hopes the public appreciates this has been a painful process for them. “They know the value of high school sports and that kids want to play,’’ he said. “I really feel bad for seniors who didn’t have a season in the spring because it was stopped so early.’’

    At the same time, he had nothing but praise for how school systems and coaches are still reaching out to support both students and athletes.
    “Schools have had to pivot quickly,’’ he said. “Without much run-up they had to put classes online.’’

    He said coaches have had to design strength conditioning programs for homebound athletes who don’t have access to gyms or weights.

    In the face of everything, Strunk is trying to be optimistic and hopeful that by this fall, some degree of normalcy will return and coaches and athletes will be back on the field.
    “First is the decision about school,’’ he said. “That will drive a lot of things.’’

    He’s also concerned about if fans will feel safe going to games and if small businesses will be able to provide financial support to local teams after being closed.

    Instead of a light switch, Strunk thinks the return to sports will be more like a dimmer switch. “The safety of the public, the athletes, the coaches, the fans, all of those are the prime directive in this case,’’ he said.

  • 10 biscuitvilleCumberland County’s newest Biscuitville fast-food restaurant is all dressed up and ready for opening day in Hope Mills.

    The only question is exactly when that will be.

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening date for the restaurant at the intersection of Hope Mills Road and George Owen Road is generically scheduled for summer, but officials at the business’s restaurant support center in Greensboro can’t offer any more specific information on the opening than that.

    Alon Vanterpool is the marketing manager for Biscuitville, which is primarily a North Carolina business with locations largely located in the Triad area of Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point, along with some in Virginia.

    Vanterpool said Biscuitville has expanded into the Triangle area of Raleigh and Durham and is also growing in Fayetteville as the addition of the Hope Mills restaurant indicates.

    Construction of the Hope Mills location was well underway when concerns about the pandemic reaching the United States started to grow.

    Vanterpool said Biscuitville officials quickly realized plans for moving forward with the opening of the restaurant would be heavily influenced by following state guidelines put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

    Biscuitville does have other restaurants already open in the Fayetteville area that are currently serving drive-through customers only.

    The first step to get the new Hope Mills location up and running will be completing the hiring of a manager for the store along with the staff.

    Vanterpool said Biscuitville typically begins the search for the top staff positions about six months before opening then hires the members of the restaurant crew four to six weeks before opening.

    As of mid-May, the Hope Mills location is still looking for a manager/operator, with plans to hire approximately 40 people to work on the restaurant crew.
    Vanterpool said open positions on the restaurant crew can be found at www.biscuitville.com/careers.

    She isn’t sure what the status of filling any of the crew positions is at this time, but she knows the hiring of crew members was on Biscuitville’s radar before the pandemic struck.

    “As soon as we get the go-ahead, we’ll be going full speed ahead,’’ Vanterpool said.

    Visit the company’s website at www.biscuitville.com for any general questions about Biscuitville or the new Hope Mills location.

  • 11 01 faith francisThe COVID-19 pandemic has ground activity on high school athletic fields to a halt, but there’s still plenty going on off the field. Here are a few items of interest:

    • The Gray’s Creek High School boys cross country team was the only Cumberland County squad to be recognized by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 2019-20 Scholar Athlete Program.

    The program annually recognizes students and teams for their academic success. To qualify, the combined unweighted grade point average of the team must be 3.1 or higher during the semester when the team is competing.

    11 02 kellymelvinGray’s Creek earned a 3.75 GPA, placing third in the state behind first-place North Davidson at 3.84 and second-place Crest at 3.8.

    The win earned the school a $100 prize.

    • Fayetteville Technical Community College is using the lights at J.P. Riddle Stadium to join in a national program to honor this year’s graduating high school seniors who are missing out on their final year of sports or performing arts because of the pandemic.

    The idea apparently started in Texas, spread to Colorado and then took off nationally, as high schools turned on the lights on their athletic fields at 8:20 p.m., 20:20 in military time, and left them on for 20 minutes and 20 seconds to honor the class of 2020.

    11 03 thurstonSteve Driggers of FTCC said the lights were turned on the last two Fridays this month at Riddle Stadium and will be lit a final time on Friday,
    May 22.

    • Congratulations to Faith Francis of the Westover High School girls’ basketball team. Francis has been selected to the East roster for this summer’s North Carolina Coaches Association East-West All-Star basketball game in Greensboro.

    If restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic will allow, the game will be played Monday, July 20, at the Greensboro Coliseum.

    Francis led Westover to a 21-7 record and a second-place finish in the Patriot Athletic Conference behind state 3-A co-champion E.E. Smith.

    A 6-foot-1 wing player, Francis averaged 15.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. She made 23 three-point field goals. She was named the Patriot Athletic Conference girls Player of the Year.

    • Two Cumberland County schools recently hired head coaches. Kelly Melvin is the new volleyball coach at Cape Fear High School while Thurston Robinson will coach the girls basketball team at Terry Sanford.

    According to a press release posted on social media, Melvin is a graduate of Douglas Byrd High School with degrees in physical education from Methodist University and North Carolina A&T.

    She has been a teacher and athletic director at Albritton Middle School for 28 years.

    She worked with the Cape Fear volleyball program since 2016, serving as head junior varsity coach and assistant varsity coach.

    Robinson’s hiring was also announced on social media. He has coached for more than 20 years in the Fayetteville area, coaching both boys’ and girls basketball.

    His teams have won championships at both the state and national level.

    He has also had teams appear in major showcase tournaments around the country.

    • Proponents of adding a shot clock to high school basketball suffered another defeat recently when the National Federation of State High School Associations announced the high school basketball rule changes for the 2020-21 season.

    A proposal for a national rule requiring a shot clock, along with a rule allowing individual states to adopt one if they desired, were not approved.

    In a press release from the National Federation, Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports, said members of the Basketball Rules Committee discussed the pros and cons of adding the shot clock and will continue to study the issue.

    • One rule that was updated involved what happens if no coach is available to be on the bench because the head coach has been removed for unsportsmanlike conduct.

    The new rule says if a coach is removed from the bench and no authorized school personnel are available to take over the team, the game will be declared a forfeit.

    • Another rule was clarified to state that officials don’t have to give a coach a warning before assessing a technical foul. The existing rule gave the impression that a warning was needed before calling a technical.
    • A new rule was added for clock operators, who are now required to sound a warning signal to start a 15-second period to replace an injured or disqualified player. A second warning is given at the end of 15 seconds to alert teams it’s time to prepare for play.
    • A complete list of the rule changes for next season can be found at www.nfhs.org. Go to Activities and Sports at the top of the home page then click on Basketball.
  • 10 01 hpThe fate of this year’s Hope Mills Fourth of July celebration is far from being decided, but town officials are moving ahead with plans to hold some kind of observance of the holiday, even if it may be muted.

    The town’s Board of Commissioners voted earlier this month to move ahead with plans for the annual event. Now, Parks and Recreation Director Lamarco Morrison and his staff are looking at what they can do to make the observance, or some positive alternative version of it, happen.

    North Carolina governor, Roy Cooper, recently announced Phase 1 of the plan to reopen the state to more normal activity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Morrison is hopeful things will get better and not worse as July 4th approaches, but town staff is considering a variety of options to deal with whatever the situation might be at that time.

    The big news, for now, is that there will be a fireworks display, but people might have to view it in a different way.

    10 02 fourth of july“We want to do drive-in fireworks,’’ Morrison explained. “We’ll let people drive in and park at the (old) Hope Mills golf course. People can enjoy the fireworks from
    their car.’’

    As for the annual Fourth of July parade, it may have to be altered drastically if severe social distancing restrictions are still in place when the holiday rolls around.

    Meghan Hawkins, assistant director for special events and programs, has been looking at alternatives to the parade if needed. Morrison said Hawkins has explored the possibility of doing a backward parade for the town.

    Under Hawkins’ plan, the town would purchase Fourth of July decoration kits for people and allow them to register to decorate their homes. The town would provide a map of the decorated homes and allow people to visit the different locations in their cars.

    Morrison is remaining hopeful that, by July, the restrictions will be lifted enough that an idea that extreme won’t be needed.

    The problem is, to plan for a meaningful Fourth of July celebration, the town can’t wait until the last minute, especially if they are going to try to put on a parade, if the circumstances will allow it.

    With the governor announcing that Phase 1 of reopening of the state is underway, that loosens the restraints a little on what can be done, but Morrison thinks the town will need to make some concrete decisions about what can and can’t be done with the parade by the middle of May.

    One thing that likely won’t be seen in the parade, no matter how much better things are in terms of the pandemic, would be marching bands, which would clearly put large groups of people in close proximity with each other.

    Units in the parade could be limited to things like vehicles and animals only.

    As for spectators, Morrison said the town would likely need the assistance of the Hope Mills Police Department to make sure spectators along the parade route observed appropriate social distancing while the parade was in progress.

    That could pose a problem, one that has already reared its head at the Hope Mills Lake Park.

    “We’ve been met with resistance at the lake, with people’s emotions being heightened,’’ Morrison said. “They haven’t been the nicest about being told they can’t gather.’’

    Morrison said crowd control is not normally a major responsibility for the lake attendants who work with Parks and Recreation.

    In addition to the lake park, Morrison said there have been problems with the area around the proposed Heritage Park, where construction hasn’t even started.

    “We had to rope off the future Heritage Park site,’’ he said. “People were parking and gathering down there, essentially breaking the rules by hanging out.’’

    He said things have gotten a little better recently with fewer calls to break up inappropriate gatherings of people.

    As for planning ahead for the Fourth of July, Morrison is hopeful with the addition of online registration for Parks and Recreation activities, he and his staff will be able to wait until the latest date possible to make definite plans for the Fourth of July celebration.

    Morrison said he also remains hopeful that the town will be able to salvage the summer youth sports season. “I’m thinking July is far enough out,’’ he said. “A lot of people don’t want to refund their money. I’m thinking we’ll be able to play in some form or fashion.’’

    He’s just hopeful that whatever steps are taken to reopen the state to business will be taken with caution.

    “If they open too quickly, I’m afraid we’ll have another surge,’’ Morrison said.

    In the meantime, if anyone has questions or concerns about Parks and Recreation department activities, they can keep up to date by going to the webpage, townofhopemills.com, and clicking on the Parks and Rec link. They can also visit the Parks and Recreation Facebook page, Hope Mills Parks and Recreation.

    For other questions, call 910-426-4109. The front desk at the recreation center on Rockfish Road is staffed most days from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

  • 14 scott graham EPppwcVTZEo unsplashVernon Aldridge, student activities director for the Cumberland County Schools, has long stressed the importance of the county’s coaches taking courses to make them better at their jobs.

    That commitment recently earned the county national recognition as the National Federation of State High School Associations listed three county schools as first in the nation to reach Level I status on the NFHS School Honor Roll program.

    The three schools are Gray’s Creek High School, John Griffin Middle School and Pine Forest
    Middle School.

    Since the initial three schools were announced, five more have been added to the list. They are Pine Forest High School, South View Middle School, Hope Mills Middle School, Spring Lake Middle School and Anne Chesnutt Middle School.

    To make the list, a school must have at least 90% of the full-time coaches on its staff complete four courses offered online by the NFHS.

    The courses are Fundamentals of Coaching, Concussion in Sports, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, and Protecting Students from Abuse.

    There are two more levels schools can achieve by completing additional NFHS courses.

    Because all the county schools have been taking part in the NFHS initiative, Aldridge is optimistic it won’t be long before every county school is recognized for at least reaching Level I.

    “The more we take these courses, the higher quality our coaches are,’’ Aldridge said. “I think it enhances the experience for the student-athletes.’’

    He added all coaches in Cumberland County Schools have been required to take the four NFHS courses before the School Honor Roll program was started last December.

    In addition, all county schools coaches must receive training in performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and using an automated external defibrillator.

    “My goal is to have all our schools to be Level 3 in two years,’’ Aldridge said.

  • The Town of Hope Mills recently got good news and bad regarding its Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant.

    The grant, which will help fund planning for pedestrian walkways in the central area of Hope Mills, was scheduled to be presented to the state by the McAdams group on behalf of the town earlier this month.

    The North Carolina Department of Transportation gets to pick which firm handles consulting work on the grant, and the good news for Hope Mills is it already had a longstanding relationship with McAdams.

    But according to town manager Melissa Adams, there’s a downside to the future of developing the pedestrian plan.

    Because of the COVID-19 crisis, people aren’t driving as much as they used to, which has cut into a lot of funding that DOT receives from sources involved with travel.

    The bottom line is, if there’s a shortfall in funding this month, that could mean the planning for the Hope Mills pedestrian project could be delayed, which further means the actual start of the construction phase of the pedestrian project would also be set back.

    Chancer McLaughlin, who is the development and planning administrator for the town, is trying to maintain a positive outlook on the situation and remains hopeful there won’t be a significant enough shortage of money to force the implementation of the design plan to be delayed.

    “One of the ideas we are going to push with this plan, which I think will be groundbreaking, is to see about the facilitation of a greenway that connects the (old) golf course to Trade Street,’’ McLaughlin said.

    Sidewalks are in the works from Town Hall on Rockfish Road to Johnson Street down to Trade Street, McLaughlin said. The greenway plan would complete a loop and link neighborhoods to the back side of the former golf course.

    “Now you have something more impactful from a pedestrian standpoint,’’ McLaughlin said. “People can walk from the golf course to Town Hall, and from Trade Street to the lake. All through pedestrian avenues, greenways and
    sidewalks.’’

    McLaughlin stressed that the money that has already been allocated will go to funding the creation of an overall plan for the proposed pedestrian upgrade, there is no money to pay for building the new walking area itself. “Once they come up with a plan, we’ll have to come up with funding for construction,’’ he said. “This is strictly for design.’’

    While there is a potential for delay in the pedestrian project, McLaughlin said town growth is doing well otherwise — in spite of the pandemic.

    The new Chick-fil-A restaurant had a successful opening recently, taking drive-through customers only, as the state’s regulations designed to protect against spread of COVID-19 continue.

    Another opening is expected to be held in the near future as the new Biscuitville franchise has wrapped up construction. McLaughlin said he was initially informed Biscuitville was planning for a summer opening, hopefully after the COVID-19 situation improves. There has been talk the opening date could come earlier, but McLaughlin said he had heard nothing concrete.

    Otherwise, McLaughlin said town business is going well and he’s gotten numerous requests for construction permits.

    “The staff is doing everything we can to be as innovative as we can during this pandemic, so we can keep things in some sort of normalcy until we can get back to our regular schedule,’’ he said.

  • A number of Cumberland County high school athletes recently received statewide recognition by being honored as all-stars and were given the chance to compete in all-star competition, subject to the lifting of COVID-19 shelter-in-place restrictions later this summer.

    Most of the athletes were chosen to take part in this summer’s North Carolina Coaches Association East-West All-Star games in Greensboro this summer.

    Here’s a brief look at each of the honorees:

    Football

    Cape Fear head coach Jake Thomas was previously chosen as an assistant coach for the East team in this summer’s East-West game at Grimsley High School in Greensboro on Wednesday, July 22.

    Four Cumberland County football players were named to the East roster, linebackers Mark Burks of Cape Fear and Jackson Deaver of Terry Sanford, running back Matthew Pemberton of South View and wide receiver Anthony Fiffie of Jack Britt.

    Thomas will coach the linebackers in the game. He said Deaver was a four-year starter with
     the Bulldogs who plays like a coach on the field. “He’s very smart and will come up and hit you,’’ Thomas said.

    Deaver was the defensive player of the year in the Patriot Athletic Conference. He finished second in Cumberland County in tackles with 162.

    Burks is a versatile player who can also double as a safety. “That’s a plus when you’re coaching in an all-star game,’’ Thomas said. A three-year captain for Cape Fear, Thomas called Burks an outstanding teammate and leader.

    Burks had 70 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He was first team All-Patriot Athletic Conference at linebacker.

    Fiffie is the only one of the four county players that Thomas didn’t actually see in a game this season since Cape Fear and Britt don’t play each other. “I’ve heard offensive coaches talking about him, his size as a receiver and his hands,’’ Thomas said. “He does a great job of running routes and being precise.’’

    Fiffie was a first team All-Sandhills Athletic Conference wide receiver. He led Cumberland County in receiving with 81 catches for 1,156 yards and 17 touchdowns.

    Thomas called Pemberton a versatile playmaker who can do all kinds of things to help a team win. “He’s just a tremendous athlete,’’ Thomas said.

    Pemberton was Athlete of the Year in the Patriot Athletic Conference. He rushed 230 times for 1,919 yards and 31 touchdowns. He caught 20 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns.

    Girls soccer

    Terry Sanford’s Maiya Parrous was the lone county player selected to the East girls soccer team. Previously announced as head coach of the team was Pine Forest’s Isaac Rancour.

    Like the rest of the soccer players in the state, Parrous had her senior season stripped from her when the spring sports season was halted on
    March 16.

    Before play was halted this season, Parrous was one of the leading scorers in Cumberland County. She had eight goals and two assists. Last season she scored 19 goals.

    Parrous, who will attend the College of Charleston in the fall, said she’s excited about what she hopes will be one more chance to put on the uniform and compete as a high school player.

    “Everyone hopes it happens,’’ she said of the soccer all-star game, which is scheduled for Tuesday, July 21, at Greensboro’s MacPherson Stadium.

    Rancour said he plans to play Parrous at a wing position. “I think she has good technical ability and fits in well with the other players,’’ Rancour said. “I hope she can score a few goals.’’

    Rancour said all-star game officials indicated they would make a final decision on whether they will be able to play this summer around mid-June. “A lot of it revolves around the coaches clinic and what’s going on there,’’ he said.

    The East-West games are annually held in conjunction with the North Carolina Coaches Association Clinic, which takes place at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

    Girls golf

    Although not connected to the East-West competition in Greensboro, Cape Fear High School golf standout Toni Blackwell was chosen to take part in the fifth annual Tarheel Cup as a member of the
    East team.

    The competition, which has been canceled because of COVID-19, was scheduled May 15-17 at MacGregor Downs Country Club in Cary.

    The event would have pitted six girls and six boys from the eastern part of the state against six boys and six girls from the western part of the state using a Ryder Cup-style format.

    Blackwell won the NCHSAA East Regional championship this year and placed third in the 3-A state tournament with a two-day total of 80-69-149.

    She plans to join the golf team at UNC-Pembroke in the fall.

  • 12 masksCumberland County Schools are shut down for the rest of the 2019-20 year, but that hasn’t prevented Jack Britt High School teacher Henrietta Jutson and student Saathvik Boompelli from working together on a project providing needed support to frontline health care workers at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

    Jutson, an integrated systems technology teacher at Britt, has access to 3-D printers used at the school. Boompelli reached out to Jutson with the idea of putting the printers to use by programming them to print out a clasp that would be attached to masks like those worn by healthcare workers.

    Unlike typical clasps that loop over the ears, the ones that Boompelli envisioned go around the back of the head, so they are more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time and don’t put as much strain on the ears.

    Jutson has had the 3-D printers at Jack Britt since around 2015. There are a total of three of them, each roughly the size of a refrigerator you’d find in a college dormitory room.

    Each printer has a gantry with a filament head that features an X, Y and Z axis.

    Jutson said the printer head moves left and right, forward and backward.

    “It’s like a hot glue gun,’’ she said. The printers are loaded with a roll of plastic, or filament, that Jutson purchased for the project.

    The process is a bit time-consuming, Boompelli said, noting that it takes about two hours
     to print about five of the plastic clasps.

    The Britt printers have produced a total of 350 of the clasps so far, which they’ve donated to Cape Fear Valley.

    Boompelli said until the hospital makes a new request for additional clasps, they are looking around to see if there are other area hospitals or frontline care workers that could use the clasps to make protective masks of their own.

    “The clasps can be reused and other people are making masks,’’ Boompelli said. “We thought we would focus on this.’’

    Boompelli said Jutson recently received an email from the parent of another student thanking her for providing the clasps.

    “It’s really cool to see how it’s affecting the doctors,’’ Boompelli said.

    The only problem associated with the project is the plastic filament used to make the clasps isn’t free and has to be purchased. Jutson is using a teacher fundraising tool to help raise money donated to cover the cost of the filament.

    The website is known as donorschoose.org. Visit the site and in the search space type in “Henrietta Jutson”, then look for the link entitled Filament for Good.

    As of Monday, May 4, the project still needed $280 to help pay for the filament.

  • 12 01 72213353 BE6B 400B AC34 B47D274108A2Westover High School’s boys and E.E. Smith High School’s girls basketball teams made history last week, joining a handful of other North Carolina High School Athletic Association teams as the first virtual state champions in NCHSAA history.

    After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NCHSAA to first postpone and then cancel this school year’s state basketball title games, Westover and Smith had been waiting for almost a month-and-a-half to learn what the fate of their title bids would be.

    It came via a virtual meeting of the NCHSAA Board of Directors last week on the computer meeting app Zoom. The cyber gathering of NCHSAA board members voted unanimously to name all of the teams that made the eight state championship finals for girls and boys basketball state champions.

    12 02 georgeWestover was declared the 3-A boys co-champion while Smith was named the 3-A girls co-champion.

    Brad Craddock, the NCHSAA president, who serves as principal at Glenn High School in Kernersville, said the board got a briefing
    from NCHSAA assistant commissioner James Alverson on the precedent for not having single champions.

    During the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918, no state champions were determined in football. For a period of time during the 1960s and 1970s, some sports didn’t play to a state title, stopping at regional championships because the NCHSAA feared the season was getting too long. One of those teams was Seventy-First, which ended its 1970 season with a 3-A Eastern football championship.

    12 03 vernon aldridge copy“We felt like in this crazy time we are in, crowning an East and West regional champion did not do either side justice,’’ Craddock said. “We felt co-champions was the best thing we could do to honor all the work the student-athletes put
     into it.’’

    Both Westover boys’ head coach George Stackhouse and Smith girls’ head coach Dee Hardy were delighted with the decision.

    “I think the folks involved put the kids first,’’ Stackhouse said. “That’s what we are in it for and that’s what it looks like they did.’’

    Hardy has now had a hand in two state championships for Smith. She was a member of the Smith girls track team that won the state title in 1981. She said the basketball state title is the first Smith has won since then.

    “The seniors have been through enough and it’s the least we can do to say they are state champions,’’ Hardy said. “I think that’s the best ending we could have at this point in time.’’

    Vernon Aldridge, student activities director for the Cumberland County Schools, served on the NCHSAA board as representative of the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association.

    Aldridge said he will reach out to city and county government officials to make sure Fayetteville and Cumberland County honor the Westover and Smith teams when the pandemic passes and people can safely assemble for a public celebration.

    “This is very exciting for Cumberland County Schools to have two state basketball champions,’’ he said. “As long as I’ve been here, I can’t remember us having two state basketball champions in one year.’’

    In other major action by the board, changes were approved in the practice restrictions for high school football.

    Beginning with the fall season, the amount of preseason scrimmage time will be reduced from seven hours to five. Schools will have to observe a 48-hour break between scrimmage sessions. This does not include scrimmages in a one-day jamboree setting.

    Beginning with April 15 and continuing to the final 10 days of the school year, teams can practice a total of 60 minutes of what is called bumping, a modified form of body-to-body contact that stops just short of tackling an opponent and bringing him to the ground.

    In other rulings, athletes will not be required to get a new physical if they got one in 2019 but they will have to update their family medical history. The NCHSAA will develop a physical requirement for athletes who come from out of
    state schools.

    The realignment process has been put on hold by COVID-19 and will not resume until the realignment committee can safely meet face to face again.

    The plan is still for the next realignment to take effect by the 2021-22 school year.

    NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker made no commitment on the status of fall sports but said it is possible one or more sports may have to start late and trim the nonconference schedule to get a season completed.

  • 11 IMG 3123The lack of traffic on North Carolina’s highways caused by shelter-in-place orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing the North Carolina Department of Transportation to delay numerous road projects statewide. A number of them are in the Hope Mills area.

    Earlier this month, NCDOT released a list 20 pages long of road projects across North Carolina that have been put on hold as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    It’s not safety issues preventing the workers from completing projects. The money normally available to pay for the work has evaporated.

    Many state road projects are funded through the Motor Fuels Tax, Highway Use Tax and fees from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

    With driving dramatically curtailed because so many people are staying at home, there is currently a budget shortfall of $300 million for NCDOT for the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30.

    Projects that were already underway or that have already been awarded won’t be affected.

    In addition to a release from the NCDOT, Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner was briefed on the delays during a recent conference call involving Cumberland County’s mayors along with representatives of the county Board of Commissioners and representatives of the city of Fayetteville.

    “So much is happening with the highways in Cumberland County,’’ Warner said. “Everyone is concerned. They are moving quickly to get the outer loop finished.”

     Warner said her biggest concerns for delays in Hope Mills road construction are at the intersection of Camden Road and Main Street as well as the intersection of Golfview and Rockfish Roads near the proposed new public safety building in Hope Mills.

    The intersection at Camden and Main is one of the busiest in Hope Mills.

    “That is one of our high-traffic areas,’’ Warner said, noting that a fatal accident recently took place near there. “A lot of development takes
    place on that side of town,’’ she said. “That would be the Camden Road section that goes by Millstone Theater.’’

    The other big area of concern is where the construction of the new public safety building for the Hope Mills police and fire departments, around Rockfish and Golfview Roads, is hopefully scheduled to begin work sometime this year.

    It is already a high traffic area, and the pending construction of the new public safety building is only going to make the problem even worse.

    The police department has temporarily relocated to the old Ace Hardware store on South Main Street, while the Hope Mills Fire Department
    will continue to operate out of its building on Rockfish Road.

    It’s not hard to see how road construction along Rockfish and Golfview Roads at the same time work is taking place on the public safety building could create a serious logjam.

    “If that (roadwork) project is delayed and we continue to do work on the public safety building, I see a lot of problems with that,’’ Warner said.

    She is hopeful that a town committee that has been working for some time on the Hope Mills Gateway Plan will be able to head off any major headaches the combination of the road construction and the building of the public safety building will cause.

    The Gateway Plan group includes various officials and citizens of the town of Hope Mills along with representatives of the Fayetteville Economic Development Commission, Duke Energy and the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

    “We’ve had very good strategic planning sessions,’’ Warner said. “We’ve been ahead of what’s going on with Interstate 295 and how it will impact Hope Mills.

    “Now we can just add to that concern and talk about what we do now if there is a delay. We have to have an immediate plan. This will give us opportunities to look at what we’re doing with a lot of input. It might mean we need to step back and do a better job.’’

     Following is a complete list of all the major Cumberland County road projects that have been delayed by the NCDOT funding shortfall:

     1. Bridge 60 over Lower Little River on U.S. 401.

    2. Bridge 25 on N.C. 242 over Beaver Dam Creek.

    3. 1-95 install broadband fiber from South Carolina state line to Virginia state line.

    4. I-95 in Cumberland and Robeson Counties from U.S. 301 (Exit 22) to North of I-95 Business/U.S. 301 (Exit 40). Widen to eight
            lanes.

    5. Fayetteville outer loop from South of State Road 1003 (Camden Road) to South of State Road 1104 (Strickland Bridge Road.)

    6. Fayetteville outer loops from South of State Road 1104 (Strickland Bridge Road) to South of U.S. 401.

    7. U.S. 401 (Raeford Road) from U.S. 401 (Raeford Road) from Old Raeford Road to East of Bunce Road.

    8. Cumberland, Hoke. State Road 1102 (Gillis Hill Road) from North of State Road 1112 (Stoney Point Road) to U.S. 401 (Raeford
            Road). Widen to multi-lanes and replace Bridge 250075 over Little Rockfish Creek.

  • 09daylilliesWhen the afterglow of spring is long gone, daylilies spread rainbows of color through the summer garden. From late spring to frost they are the stars, but they are not temperamental stars. They are hardworking, strong-growing contributors and the easiest to grow of all decorative perennials for Sandhills gardens. 

    One of the best ways to get to know daylilies is to visit the local American Hemerocallis Society accredited show. The event will be Saturday, June 3, on the top floor of Berns Student Center at Methodist University. 

    Since daylilies come in just about every color except true blue and in heights from a foot tall to over five feet tall, a gardener can find a cultivar for any place in the garden that gets five to six hours of sunlight. 

    They thrive in hot summers, so they are a good choice for our Sandhills landscapes. They tolerate some drought but fare better and produce more blooms if they get at least an inch of water a week. 

    Most daylily flowers are round with fairly wide petals. There are also spidery flowers with narrow petals and sepals; unusual forms with petals and/or sepals that twist, fold, or curl; and doubles that can look somewhat like a peony or like one flower sitting inside another one. 

    Flower sizes range from just over an inch to over 15 inches for some of the spiders. There are more than 80,000 registered daylilies in an incredible array of color, form and size — something for every niche in the garden.

    For best performance of your daylilies, prepare a bed with good soil that has organic material incorporated for good drainage. A soil test can give guidance about what type of fertilizer to use and how to amend the soil for proper pH and nutrients. 

    Daylilies are usually sold bare-root with leaves cut back to reduce transpiration, or loss of water vapor.  A good way to plant is to soak the roots (daylilies don’t have bulbs) for a few hours and then put the plants in the ground in the late afternoon. Do not soak for more than a day.

    Dig a hole, mound the dirt up in the center of the hole and place the plant so that the crown (where root and leaves meet) is no more than an inch below the soil with the roots reaching down into the soil. Fill the hole with the soil you dug out. Water the plants well and cover the soil with about two inches of mulch or compost. This will give the plant several hours to acclimate before the heat of the next day.

    To learn more about daylilies, join a local club and the American Hemerocallis Society. Visit local growers to see plants that grow well in your area. 

    Sandhills Daylily Club meets on the fourth Thursday of the month from February through October.  The usual meeting place is Friendship Baptist Church, 3232 Davis St., Hope Mills; but we do occasionally meet at other venues. We start at 6 p.m. with a potluck meal and the speaker starts about 7 p.m. Visitors are welcome. 

    To enter flowers in the June 3 show and win awards, the flowers must be on the registration table by 10 a.m. The show will be open to the public from 2 until 4 p.m. Starting at 10 a.m. there will be short presentations on topics like hybridizing daylilies, planting and care of daylilies, herbal recipes, air layering, and companion plants. Plants for sale will be available at 12:00 p.m.  To learn more about daylilies, visit www.daylilies.org.

  • 08OperationMovieNightGun violence is a serious issue that affects families and the communities they live in. One of the ways the Fayetteville Police Department battles this is by connecting with the community with fun events that allow people to get to know each other — and police officers. 

    Outdoor movies are one way to do this. Fayetteville Police Department’s Operation Ceasefire presents “Family Movie Night” on Friday, June 2 at Rivers of Living Water Church of God. The church is providing a hot dog meal at 7:30 p.m.  and the movie will begin at 8:30 p.m. 

    “This is our 10th anniversary of Ceasefire Movie Night and what we do is take our movie nights out into the city and the county,” said Lisa Jayne, Operation Ceasefire program coordinator. 

    “If we notice there is a spike in gun activity and crime in that area, we will look to go into that area during the calendar year and people also request for us to come to their location.” Jayne added that the purpose is for kids to come out and do a gun pledge. 

    They also offer free gun locks to parents and show a PSA before each of their movies about gun and gang violence. Parents are given pamphlets about warning signs that may indicate their child may be in a gang and who to call if they have that concern.   

    The event will feature a kiddie train, a fire safety house, health screenings by Cape Fear Valley, health and wellness resources, a rock wall, a bounce house, K-9 demo, the fire truck, police vehicles, games, popcorn, drinks and officers on site to answer any questions participants may have.                 

    This is part of the Ceasefire approach to combating gun and gang crime through suppression, intervention and prevention. “This is one of our community outreach prevention measures,” said Jayne. “We have our EKG program, which is educating kids about gun violence in the Cumberland County Schools System that we teach to all seventh graders and just finished up a third year with that.” 

    Jayne added that they have taught over 20,000 students the program and since they initiated the program, violent crime for that age group has gone down by 3 percent. 

    “We look forward to meeting new faces and having the community come out and enjoy the evening,” said Jayne.       

    Admission is free. Bring a chair or blanket to enjoy a free movie under the stars. In the case of inclement weather the movie will be held inside. The church is located at 1764 Bingham Drive. For more information call Lisa Jayne at (910) 433-1017.  

  • 14CapeFearIt took the best athletic year in school history to make it happen, but Cape Fear High School is finally the owner of the Maxwell and Wells Fargo Cups.
    The Maxwell is for the best overall athletic program in Cumberland County while the Wells Fargo is for the best program in the Mid-South 4-A Conference.
    Both are based on points presented for order of finish in official conference sports.


    Cape Fear narrowly edged perennial cup winner Jack Britt 102-101 in the final tally. The Colts had a strong spring led by a co-championship in baseball and outright titles in softball and boys’ tennis. The softball team has been nationally-ranked most of this season, getting as high as No. 3 in the country in the USA Today poll.
    Highlights earlier in the year were an unbeaten regular season in football and the school’s first conference title, and Cape Fear’s first boys’ Holiday Classic basketball championship.
    Some of Cape Fear’s top athletes will quickly tell you attitudes around the school and community have changed toward the school’s sports program.

    Softball star Haley Cashwell said knowing you have the tools and qualities to make athletics successful makes it more fun. She doesn’t think
    the tradition will die out when this year’s seniors depart.


    “More people know about it and how successful we are becoming,’’ she said. “People want to carry on. They don’t want it to die.’’
    A.J. Baldwin was a standout in basketball and football. He gives a lot of credit to Cape Fear principal Lee Spruill who frequently uses the phrase, “Colt pride never stops.”
    “Mr. Spruill is giving us school spirit,’’ he said. “It puts a smile on everybody’s face. Plus we’ve got support from the community and coaches telling us to work hard.’’
    Jackson Parker, a baseball and football player, said school pride is on the rise. “At all our games, you see the stands filled up,’’ he said. “More people get involved, more people take it seriously. That’s been a big part of the success.’’

    Football standout Justice Galloway-Velazquez agrees with Parker that community is a huge part of the school’s success. “The community got behind us and stuck with us,’’ he said.
    “We had personal relationships with them. The teachers started believing in us.

    “Everywhere I go now it’s all about Cape Fear. You see guys that don’t even go to our school wearing Cape Fear stuff. I tell them it’s all about our fans in the community.’’
    Galloway-Velazquez returns for his senior year this fall and he’s aware of what it will take to keep Cape Fear on top.

    “We’ve got to stay strong in the classroom,’’ he said. “If the coaches stay on us, we should have another fun time of it.’’

  • 19North Carolina has its own Old Testament prophet. Maybe you remember from Bible study those prophets who preached about the people’s responsibility to care for the poor.
    Elijah stood up to the authority of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel and the prophets of Baal. (I Kings 18).

    One of the most famous prophets is Micah, known for his oft-quoted direction to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8). He also condemned those who mistreated the poor.

    Jeremiah condemned those who “oppress the poor and needy and deprive them of justice.” (Jeremiah 22:3).

    Amos condemned those who “trample on the poor and force them to give you grain.” (Amos 5:11).

    In his new book, “Lessons from North Carolina: Race, Religion, Tribe, and the Future of America,” Gene Nichol takes on the role of North Carolina’s prophet. He writes about the abuses by those in power. He writes most eloquently about the poor and North Carolina’s exploitation and inattention to them, condemning ways the powerful oppress the powerless.

    Nichol is a professor and former dean at the UNC Chapel Hill Law School. He served as law dean at the University of Colorado (1988-1995) and was president of the College of William & Mary (2005-2008). He served as the director of UNC’s Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity until it closed in 2015.

    In Chapter 1, “Rejecting the American Promise, The Reembrace of Racial Supremacy,” Nichol attacks the actions of the state legislature for having “blown through” the barriers which had seemingly been set in stone. They included “the right to vote, majority rule, free and fair elections, freedom of speech and religion, equal protection of the laws, unnecessary separation of powers, and an independent judiciary to keep the channels of democracy open and guarantee the rule of law.”

    In Chapter 2, “Politics, Tribe and (Unchristian) Religion,” Nichol asserts that “the chasm between the political agenda of most white Christian evangelicals and the teachings of Jesus is wide — beyond wide.”

    In Chapter 3, “Politics and Poverty,” Nichol, like the Old Testament prophets, points out that North Carolina has some of the developed world’s highest rates of poverty, child poverty and child hunger. He mourns that this terrible situation “triggers no meaningful, majority-sponsored, state anti-poverty initiatives.”

    In Chapter 4, “Destroying a Priceless Gem,” Nichol details examples of intervention by political figures in the operation of the university, including closing of the Poverty Center at UNC Chapel Hill, which he had led, in retaliation for his critical newspaper articles.

    In Chapter 5, “Movement vs. Partisan Politics,” Nichol opens with “It is no exaggeration to claim that, over the last dozen years, the North Carolina General Assembly has waged one of the stoutest wars launched by any American state in the past half century against poor people, people of color, the LGBTQ + community, public education, the environment, and even democracy itself.”

    In Chapter 6, “The Limits of Law,” Nichol mourns the takeover of the U.S. Supreme Court by the “originalist adventurism” of former Justice Antonin Scalia and the current Supreme Court justices.
    In his final chapter, Nichol addresses “Democracy, Equality, and the Future of America.” Speaking of the choices before the legislature, he writes “if they have to choose between white ascendancy and the Declaration of Independence’s commitment to the equal rights of humankind, then apparently, it’s an easy choice. Power, not democracy, is what matters.”

    Like the prophets of old, Nichol stirs the pot. Maybe too much. Maybe not enough.

  • 05_27_09_cover.jpg Every time the Fayetteville SwampDogs take the field at J.P. Riddle Stadium, it’s an outdoor festival — food, entertainment, activities, parking, ticket sales, security — and a baseball game.

    Off the field, the team has a different list of responsibilities.

    When you run a sports franchise, it’s not like you’re selling garden variety widgets.  Your employees are celebrities. Your customers are demanding and vocal. And your business has a special place — a unique place — in the community, one that carries responsibilities and expectations.
    “We want to be a charitable organization and a good corporate citizen,” said coach and general manager Darrell Handelsman.

    “We take our responsibility seriously.”

    The team holds regular fundraisers for Special Olympics (Lou Handelsman, co-owner of the SwampDogs, has sat on the board of Special Olympics), to fight cancer, and other special causes. It has raised thousands of dollars — including significant contributions of its own — for these causes.

    The team also contributes prizes to other groups’ causes — game tickets, SwampDog merchandise, and opportunities to spend a day with a team member (including time in the dugout).

    The SwampDogs have another mission — to provide affordable, wholesome family entertainment.

    For an activity that involves the purchase of a ticket, SwampDogs baseball is a cheap date or an evening out for the family. A Family 4-Pack — four tickets, four hot dogs, four bags of chips and four drinks — costs just $30. Season general admission tickets cost $125, or $175 for box seats. Tickets at the gate cost $5 for general admission and $7 for a box seat, with $1 off for military, senior citizens and children. And, per Handelsman, if you stop by the office and let them know you’re out of work, you get in free.

    Food at the stadium is affordable, as well. The most expensive menu items, chicken or fried fish baskets, cost just $4.75 — about what a large drink costs at a movie theater.

    “We want it to be affordable, so people will come out,” Handelsman said.

    THE LONG TRADITION

    Baseball and Fayetteville go way back — Babe Ruth is said to have hit his first professional home run — in March 1914 — and earned his nickname right here. Fayetteville had a minor league team, the Cubs, starting in 1946, in the original Coastal Plain League. But by the turn of this century, minor league baseball had struggled to gain a foothold. The Generals left after nine years, followed by the Cape Fear Crocs, which left after only three years.

    Enter the collegiate summer league in 2001 with the Fayetteville SwampDogs, which Lou and Darrell Handelsman, a father and son team, purchased in 2004.
    Darrell Handelsman runs the operation and is head coach and director of operations. He had experience with other franchises and saw good business potential. He and his father shopped around and bought the Fayetteville team after learning it was available.

    Handelsman moved his wife to Fayetteville a short time after acquiring the team. The couple has had two children born in Fayetteville since then. Darrell and his father have since bought a team in Wilmington, the Sharks, but Darrell plans to remain in Fayetteville.
  • 051210-project-homeless-connect-078.gifAccording to www.about.com, almost 303,000 people live in Cumberland County. Adolph Thomas, City of Fayetteville community development specialist, knows that about 1,033 of them are homeless, and that there are not enough resources to go around to help these people.

    That is why the City of Fayetteville is joining forces with other agencies to try and bring changes to the community with Project Homeless Connect on May 20 at First Baptist Church on Moore Street.

    “Project Homeless Connect is an event sponsored by the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness steering committee,” said Thomas. “The purpose is to bring the community together — and when I say that, we are talking about the primary agencies that deal with housing, health issues, parenting — all these different agencies under one roof — to provide a one-day service to the homeless residents of our county. The idea is that any issues that these people have we are asking people to help us deal with it.”

    For example, North Carolina identification cards are a big deal. Without one you can’t get get a job and you miss out on many services that are available. Project Homeless Connect has asked the N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles to provide a way to get ID cards to those who need them and would not otherwise know how to go about getting them. The $10 fee is waived for homeless individuals, for obvious reasons.

    “That is a big stumbling block for a lot of these folks,” said Thomas. “A lot of them don’t walk around with $10 in their pocket.”

    This is just one of the many areas that the event will focus on. It starts at 7:30 a.m. and runs through 1:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Free haircuts will be offered along with medical prescription assistance, medical and dental assistance, housing assistance, job placement, government assistance and more.

    “We are trying to include local, private agencies as well,” said Thomas.

    Everyone from local churches and non-profits who are looking for ways to be helpful in solving this problem while ensuring financial accountability is offered the chance to participate.

    Local businesses will be on hand, as well.

    “We are trying to include them as part of the solution, and to make them feel a responsibility for helping to solve the problem,” said Thomas, noting that the city is also reaching out to Fort Bragg in an effort to deal with the large number of homeless veterans.

    Transportation is provided free of charge to the event for those wishing to attend. Thomas said homeless individuals need to procure and give the bus driver the Homeless Connect F.A.S.T pass.

    “Most people think of homelessness as the guy on the street corner with a sign,” said Thomas. “What they don’t realize is that a lot of our homeless in Cumberland County are families sleeping in cars — single moms and children.”

    For more information about this event, or to volunteer call 433-2161.

  • Source Code  (Rated PG-13)  Five Stars05-04-11-source-code.jpg

    Source Code(93 minutes) is the best Philip K. Dick novel that Philip K. Dick never wrote. It bears a resemblance to several other “hard” science fiction films, even if the science is a little fuzzy. Get out your blender, toss in Total Recall, Groundhog Day, The Matrix, then sprinkle with a topping of misdirection. Director Duncan Jones where have you been all my life? Hey! He directed Moon! That was also good.

    The film starts off with disorientation. Tricksy camera angles distort a suspiciously clean city … supposedly Chicago, but very, very, shiny and new. All kinds of red herrings are set before the audience, and some are even relevant. Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) finds himself in the middle of a, ahem, quantum leap. It is unclear if he is perhaps a little nuts or possibly experiencing a psychotic break during the eight minutes immediately preceding him getting hit in the face by a huge explosion.

    Then it turns out that he was not actually hit in the face by a huge explosion … it was teacher Sean Fentress, whose body he is borrowing, who was actually melted by the incoming fireball. He figures this out only after a positively exhausting interview/sort-of-debriefing with Captain Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga, who reminds me more of a Cate Blanchett/Tilda Swinton hybrid in every film she does). He irritatingly refuses to put the lives of other people ahead of his own confusion, repeatedly demanding answers that he is clearly not going to get.

    Finally, Captain Goodwin gets it through his thick skull that he is part of a special program combining quantum whoosit with whatchyamacallit parabolic science and the movie Memento. But enough physics! Time to return to the Source Code, where Captain Colter has eight minutes to get as much information as possible about a train bombing so the army guys (and Captain Goodwin) can prevent an even bigger bombing. Not that he can change anything, so don’t even worry about that. Even if you subscribe to the many worlds theory, Dr. Rutledge points out that Colter would not be changing reality prime (that’s kind of a Slidersreference, but mostly I made it up), he would just be creating a totally new reality.

    He is sent back? (in? through? to?) and manages to avoid sounding crazypants this time. He has a slightly different conversation with Christine (Michelle Monaghan) the woman sitting across from him than he did during the opening credits, and he becomes convinced that the things he does on the train actually create change in the “real” world. Thinking about it now makes my head hurt, but at the time it made total sense.

    He starts to wonder what is going on with his reality as the metal capsule he is strapped into seems to be deteriorating in between trips. Jerky Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright, or “Basquiat” to the hardcore art nerds) points out that there a larger issues at stake, and every second they spend pandering to Colter’s insecurity about the nature of reality is one less second they are trying to prevent the annihilation of Chicago.

    With each trip, he gathers marginally more intelligence, but also becomes more certain of two things. First, he is not being told the whole truth about his status. Second, he can save the otherwise doomed people on the train. He begins to gather intel about himself as well as about the pending explosion.

    Colter does eventually get answers, and so does the audience. Half the fun is speculating about where he actually is, and if any of his desperate attempts to communicate with reality prime are successful. Overall, a superb addition to the time loop genre deserving of a much larger audience than it is getting.

  • Active-duty Soldiers bring the emotional, mental, physical, spiritual and family pillars of military life to the stage in05-02-12-soldier-show.jpgArmy Strong, the 2012 U.S. Army Soldier Show. “Every section of the show has something to do with strength in one of those areas,” Production Manager and Producer Tim Higdon said.The 90-minute song-and-dance production is designed to accentuate the strengths and resiliency of soldiers and military families through modern songs, current hits, vibrant costuming, exciting choreography and spectacular visuals.

    “That is in line with the chief of staff’s motto for this year, which is, ‘The strength of our nation is our Army, the strength of our Army is our soldiers, the strength of our soldiers is our families, and that’s what makes us Army Strong,” Higdon said. “So the show is designed to follow that theme, and to highlight the strength aspect all the way through.”

    Soldiers will attempt to sing and dance their way into the audiences’ heart, mind and soul. “Entertainment for the Soldier, by the Soldier,” is the working motto of the U.S. Army Soldier Show, which is designed to deliver a positive message to the troops.

    It’s all about ‘Army Strong – Hooah!’ So we’re moving out and doing that,” Higdon said.

    The 2012 edition unveils a state-of-the-art, high-resolution LED video wall — 13 feet tall by 28 feet wide — featuring photographs of Army life on a virtual backdrop revolving from scene to scene and song to song.

    “It’s going to be a very visual show — very current, very modern,” Higdon said. “We’re excited about that new aspect of the show. The incorporation of that LED technology is going to make the show move forward with a very modern and relevant presentation.”

    Army Reserve Sgt. Melissa Neal, winner of the 2011 Operation Rising Star military singing contest, will make a taped appearance. The Soldier Show cast will join Neal’s video backdrop to sing “Hallelujah,” which she performed during Operation Rising Star finals week in San Antonio and later recorded at EMI Music’s Capitol Records Studios in Hollywood.

    “It’s kind of magical,” said Soldier Show artistic director Victor Hurtado, who worked all three projects with Neal.

    As always, sections of the show are dedicated to legends of the entertainment industry, such as Etta James. Another blast into the past features a segment accentuating musical eras of the 1920s, ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, capped with the Rolling Stones’ classic “Satisfaction.”

    “The motivation for that was ‘Moves like Jagger,’” Hurtado said. “We love that song.” That tune is by Maroon 5, featuring Christina Aguilera.

    “Everything in the show really speaks to resiliency, being able to adapt and overcome,” Higdon said. “Resiliency really is that mental part, being able to put things in a perspective which allows you to continue to continue to move forward — that you never come up against a challenge that you can’t overcome.”

    “Putting the show together has gone from hard to simply difficult,” said Hurtado, a 26-year Soldier Show veteran and 12-time director. “The show came from many, many briefings, and all of these things are always in the back of my mind. … But the end result is Soldiers’ lives are illustrated within the show in a really cool way.”

    For example, strength is personified by Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be.” Lady Gaga’s “Edge of Glory” is dedicated to the soldier-athletes in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program training for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, along withsSoldiers who participate in All-Army Sports, post intramurals and daily physical fitness drills.

    The Soldier Show comes to the Crown at 7 p.m. on May 11 and at 2 p.m. on May 12. Admission is free.

  • 18 Taking what you see and reversing its concept of form — that’s the basic description of Reverse Reality art. Turning organic items like people and trees into geometric shapes and turning man-made objects into more fluid shapes. This type of art made by Jonathon Shannon will be on display at Dirtbag Ales throughout June in the new exhibit, Bringing It Back.

    Shannon lives in New York City but has roots here in Fayetteville, growing up in a military family. He spent much of his childhood in our local city before graduating from Savannah College of Art and Design.
    Shannon traveled to France and Hong Kong during his college years to expand his understanding of art. He moved to New York City afterward and currently works as an art handler outside of being an artist.

    His work has been featured in art shows and exhibitions in New York City, North Carolina, Savannah, Atlanta, Miami, Hong Kong and France.

    However, Fayetteville is home. Shannon still has family in the city and came back to live here in the early months of the pandemic.

    Bringing it Back is inspired by Shannon’s desire to bring his art in New York City back to his hometown to inspire his friends, family and community to dream big.

    “This series is based on me living in New York City at the time. I basically go around the area within Brooklyn Manhattan area, just walking around and just painting on-site throughout the city,” Shannon said. “I do my own interpretation. Where in the past, I used to paint the way I see things, more like impressionists, and then that kind of coupled with that style. But I just kind of thought I was just repeating history. I developed a style called reverse reality.”

    This isn’t the first art exhibit Shannon has had in Fayetteville. In 2016, his exhibit, NightLife: A Reversed Reality at Gallery 116th, was on display, and it was during this exhibition that Shannon met the owners of Dirtbag Ales for a sponsorship.

    “So I reached out to them and see if they would be open to doing like a small sponsorship, or like drinks at my show. And they agreed to it, and it worked out amazing, and they really enjoyed the interactions with all my friends and family,” Shannon said. “I just enjoy that collaboration so much that when I came back down to visit, probably like, three months ago, I checked out their new location because they expanded because they’re doing so well and opened a new location from the ground up. And they wanted to keep that art theme to have some art in there. So I reached out to them after seeing their available space to have a show.”

    The exhibit will be free to the public. The opening reception will be on June 3 from 5 to 10 p.m. Bringing it Back will be on display at Dirtbag Ales until June 30.

    “Everyone’s welcome. Don’t feel judged. Art should be for the masses... that’s kind of why I did it in more of a public area instead of a gallery,” Shannon said. “Galleries sometimes could make people feel a little bit secluded or cut off from society.”

    More information about the gallery and the opening reception can be found at bit.ly/3wSQTqd.

  • The book of Matthew tells the Gospel story of Jesus’ birth and his childhoo in Gainesville, Ga05-15-13-cotton-patch.gif. Wait…it doesn’t? The Cotton Patch Gospel, directed by Bo Thorp, founding artistic director of Cape Fear Regional Theatre, tells the story of what would have happened if Jesus were born in America. Cape Fear Regional Theatre adapted this play for its 29th Annual River Show, which is performed each spring at the Sol Rose Amphitheatre at Campellton near the Cape Fear River.

    “The play is taking a look at Jesus’ life in modern-day terms. He is born in Georgia instead of Bethlehem and he doesn’t go to the high priests, Jesus goes to Atlanta’s ‘black bible society.’ The message is serious but it’s told in an entertaining and creative way and still very inform-ing,” said Mike Rice,who plays Matthew.

    Though it’s a religious story, you don’t have to be reli-gious to enjoy the play.

    “People’s first impressions are it’s a religious show, yes, but you don’t have to be Bible-literate, it’s a good story to come down and see,” saidDanny Young, one of the cast members. Andrew Crowe, a newcomer to North Carolina a who plays Joseph and Judas follows up, “You may be surprised and love some things about it that you least expected. But if nothing else, come hear some great music.”

    The music is something the whole crew agrees is very significant. “The music is very integrated to the feel of the atmosphere, it’s lively and earthy. It tells the story as the dialogue does; it’s not an interlude, it reinforces events and takes you to a place you weren’t before. The songs capture events, such as the excitement from Jesus and his disciples,” Rice explained.

    “The music is a resounding experience,” chimed in Crowe.

    Bill Joyner, the music director, was praised for putting the musicians togeth-er. “It’s very remarkable to bring people together with different harmonies and structures. It’s also about hiring outside people like Andrew and developing that chemistry and comfort,” Rice said.

    Crowe added, “It takes strength to adapt and figure out how to use everything.” Picking up the conversation, Rice continued, “It’s not enough to learn the notes, you have to learn the style; learn the feel and move with the music.”

    They all agreed that the audience is another important factor. Rice said, “They are the focus. It’s the characters talking, but the narration is directly to the audience, it’s why we are here!”

    If you think the play is unique, the crew and cast mem-bers are just as cool. Rice has a degree in philosophy and theology, but also a bachelor’s in music theatre. “I’ve sung, and played guitar at churches for young people. Who would have thought 28 years ago playing guitar in this show that I would end up with the lead in the show.”

    Crowe has always been interested in music; he was doing classical music his senior year of high school but fell in love with acting and ended up splitting it with his major in music in college. This is his first performance in North Carolina and he has performed all over including Missouri, Milwaukee and Boston. Crowe said, “The continuing job of the actor is to always look for more work. When I get a job, that’s vacation. I have leisure time to learn my lines — unlike the other guys here who have other jobs and have to cram stuff in.”

    Other members can attest to that. Joyner confirms, “Having a day jobs gets exhausting and it’s hard to balance it.”

    Nevertheless, everyone is anticipating an outstanding performance. “I’m very excited,” said Joyner.

    The River Show runs May 16-26. There is a dinner-theatre option where fried chicken with all the fixin’s is served. Reservations are required for the dinner-theatre option. Or, there is an option to come at 8 p.m. when the show starts. On May 19 and 26 there will be a matinee performance at the theatre on Hay Street at 2 p.m. Lawn chairs can be brought to the Campbellton Landing performances but, please no coolers; beer, wine, sodas and snacks will be available for purchase.

    For reservations call, 910-323-4233. For more information, visit www.cfrt.org.

  • 15 Fayetteville native and spoken word artist Lawrence "Law" Bullock II is preparing to share his fifth book of poetry through a reading at The Sweet Palette on Friday, June 3 at 7 p.m. "Abstract Intoxication: A Poetry Reading" is Bullock's first one-man show, and he's excited to bring his art to the people of a city he loves so much.

    "I'm nervous, but being nervous is a good thing. It means you care about what you're about to do or say," Bullock explained to Up & Coming Weekly.

    A lifelong writer, the thirty-one-year-old poet, will share his most personal writing to date in the pages of "Abstract Intoxication," a title he feels aptly expresses the subject matter therein.

    "The title came about because I wanted something to catch your attention and make you think. I don't want to be direct in my work — I love art that makes you see more than what's there. Intoxication comes from a love for your craft that's so strong it intoxicates you."

    Bullock's work in this series touches on many topics, some dark, but all true to the poet himself. According to Bullock, addiction, reflection and a heavy emphasis on mental health make this work daring but necessary.

    "For this particular show, I want to break mental health stigma and start an important conversation," Bullock said. "This book is the most intimate in terms of my backstory. Sometimes I don't remember everything that's happened to me; it comes and goes in flashes. This book is my attempt to hold on to those flashes."

    The book and its message offer comfort and hope to those struggling with mental health. "We all go through the battles, but we're not alone," Bullock explained. "Mental health is a universal issue. Just because you're down or struggling doesn't mean there's something wrong with you."

    Bullock was awarded a mini-grant by The Arts Council of Fayetteville to cover printing costs and art fees to bring Abstract Intoxication and its message to life.

    The support for poets and other artists in the Fayetteville area is something Bullock would love to see more of from the community. He hopes readings like this bring more exposure to those wanting to share more of their craft.

    "I want people to leave with a better sense and love of poetry. Just as with mental health, there's a stigma around poetry as well. So many people misunderstand it. I've been a vendor at a lot of events this year, and you can tell the people who are interested in poetry but don't know where or how to start. We need more people to come and support this awesome community."

    Bullock is especially excited to share his work at The Sweet Palette, a premier bakery and art gallery in downtown Fayetteville.

    "We've done a lot of shows at The Sweet Palette," Bullock said. "It has done so much for us poets in general and is the perfect place for this series — I'll have artwork behind me. Anyone who wants to have a good time on a Friday night should come to check it out."

    The show will be about forty minutes long with plenty of breaks so people can enjoy delicious desserts and check out the work adorning the exposed brick walls.
    Bullock invites "anyone seeking to understand spoken word poetry" and those who want a more intimate take on mental health.

    As for himself and his work, Bullock is grateful for the opportunity to share his art with others.

    "You can't be afraid to let people know what you have going on," he said of the show. "We're given gifts that we're not meant to hold on to —someone needs it."
    The Sweet Palette is located at 101 Person St. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/events/529058305375168. To find more information on poetry and poets in Fayettville, visit www.facebook.com/groups/poetryinfayetteville.

     

  • 25b Amitria Fanae and Cerina Johnson sit on the prop stage set upon the actual stage at Cape Fear Regional Theatre. It has wide boards that make up a very inornate platform. The background of the stage is plain and minimalist, hinting toward the poverty and rural area in which the play is set.

    Fanae kicks her legs out rapidly and tucks her head in as she smiles. Her feet are tucked into ankle-high brown boots. Fanae looks up, laughs and then connects arms with Johnson. The two break out into a simple children’s song. Fanae portrays a naive, young teenager perfectly. Celie has come to life before the audience’s eyes, and she is endearing.

    Alice Walker’s famous novel-turned-musical, “The Color Purple,” has hit the stage at Cape Fear Regional Theatre this month. According to director Brian Harlan Brooks, the play is about a journey inward — one that many of the characters in this play take and one the audience themselves can take alongside them. This journey is full of boisterous musical numbers with amazing voices to match. The actors do not disappoint in their singing and musical talents; deep gospel-like tones are mixed throughout the entire play. Each song transforms the audience, bringing them to a place where music communicates without the need for much else. Both the songs sung by the entire company and single actors were glorious and felt rich in depth.

    One of the best songs is “Hell No,” sung by Melvinna Rose Johnson, who played Sophia. In this song, Sophia describes the treatment that will not happen to her and the oppression she won’t allow. Her will is strong.

    Johnson played her part well and gave the audience a lot of comedic relief through her potent display of a character with a who-the-hell-do-you-think-you-are attitude and a stern but loving quality. She was captivating and mesmerizing to watch as she completely overtook the character. The audience falls in love with Sophia almost instantly.

    Cerina's portrayal of a humble, abused and naive young girl is broken free by her louder-than-life voice and confident portrayal of a woman who is transformed. There is another fantastic performance by Fanae when she sings, “I’m Here.” In the moment, everyone in the room is proud of Celie and her ability to overcome and find within herself all that she ever needed.

    These two characters were perfectly balanced by their counterparts, including Harpo and Shug Avery, played by Herbert White II and Toneisha Harris, respectively. White was a joy to watch and matched Sophia well with tidbits of comedic relief during the serious topics discussed during the play. Each time he took the stage, the audience waited in suspense to see what his next line or movement might be. Harris really steps into the role as the sexy, free-spirited Shug and has an intensely beautiful voice that fills the entire theatre.

    The downside to this play was the occasional inability to understand the words being sung. This may have been a one-time sound issue but was still distracting during portions of the play. However, the beautiful, poetic music often overpowered the occasional inability to understand all the words of each song.

    Towards the end of the play, the background will become a vibrant display of color and transform just as the character Celie has, and the audience may find themselves in a different place than where they started.

    “The Color Purple” will run until May 29. Tickets are on sale at cftr.org. This play is rated M for mature due to references of a sexual nature and discussion of abuse.

  • 19 A bold new play is coming to the Gilbert Theater for the season's final show.

    The Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Fairview,” written by Jackie Sibblies in 2018, will run from May 7 through June 12.

    “I picked this play because it's a challenging piece for the director, the technical director, the actors on stage and the audience,” said Laurence Carlisle III, the Gilbert's Artistic Director.

    “It's a show about racism, how stories are told and how stories can change based on the people watching them.”

    Throughout its three acts, “Fairview” focuses on two groups of people: an African American family preparing for a birthday party and the four white people observing them as they do so.

    “The play is a very nuanced and intelligent dissection of the ‘white gaze’ and what happens as the stories you try to tell are altered and affected by those watching and listening,” Carlisle stated. “The show demonstrates the transformative nature of observation in an interesting twilight-zone sort of way; the show starts pretty normally and slowly gets weirder and weirder.”

    The Gilbert Theater prides itself on the diversity often seen in its productions and encourages anyone and everyone from the community to come out and audition.
    However, since race is the play's central topic and integral to telling the story, the director followed the vision of “Fairview's” playwright and cast actors that reflect the race of their characters as written.

    “It's important to the story and how it needs to be told,” explained Carlisle. “We had to have this particular make of the cast for the play to work.”
    In her main stage-show directorial debut, Deannah Robinson will lead a cast of four white actors and four African American actors in a play Carlisle is excited for people to see.

    “Race is a topic that bears discussion — it's not going away,” he said. “I've always felt the job of art in any form is to make people think, make them think about things they don't think about or make them think about it differently. I think this is a fantastic show, and I want people to come to check it out; it's extremely fascinating.”

    “Fairview” follows Gilbert's production of “Othello" by William Shakespeare, another play that takes a focused look at race and other uncomfortable topics. While their position in the season is a coincidence, both plays and their subject matter speak to his vision for the theater and the material it produces.

    “I hope to bring thought-provoking content in all my seasons,” Carlisle said. “If you want something that challenges you and makes you a little uncomfortable, but you also want to be entertained, see this show. The play is very funny but sometimes very uncomfortable. I hope it sparks conversation and makes people think about race in America and what their own blind spots are when it comes to that subject.”

    General admission tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.gilberttheater.com or by calling 910-678-7186.

    Discount tickets for first responders, military, students and seniors are also available.

    The Gilbert Theater is located at 116 Green St. inside the Fascinate U Children's Museum building.

  • 20 The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra has planned an unlikely pairing of classical music and beer for a truly unique moviegoing experience.

    Following its successful debut last fall, Symphony Movie Night returns Friday, May 13, at Dirtbag Ales Brewery, starting at 8 p.m.

    1921 silent film "The Kid," directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, will light up the outdoor screen as the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra performs Peter B. Kay's arrangement of the score live.

    "We did our first movie night back in October with a showing of Nosferatu," said community engagement manager Anna Meyer. "It was a great success and a bit of a surprise to many of the patrons there. We're hoping to get the word out well ahead of time so more people can come and enjoy the show."

    "This is a fun, lighthearted film, and even to those unfamiliar with silent films, people tend to recognize Charlie Chaplin. We thought it would be a good choice for the spring," she explained.

    Meyer, who's been with the orchestra for a year and has a background in theater and arts management, is excited to be a part of the bustling cultural movement in Fayetteville. She's passionate about creating opportunities to engage with the community.

    Events like this and Symphony on Tap, which brings classical music to local breweries, are a few initiatives geared toward keeping the symphony connected to the community it serves.

    "This event is in tune with what I love to do," she told Up & Coming Weekly. The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra has been here a long time. We want to focus on bringing the symphony to people instead of expecting people to come to us."

    The symphony began in 1956 as a community orchestra, humbly rehearsing out of musicians' living rooms before securing a space of its own. Over the past six decades, the orchestra has grown into an institution, a professional orchestra with the best of the best North Carolina musicians on its roster.

    "I think we provide cultural enrichment to the community. We offer a lot of exposure to different kinds of music," Meyer said of the symphony's importance in the community. "From classical music at our traditional concerts to jazz and pop covers at Symphony On Tap, we try to have something for everybody.

    "This is just such a vibrant community," she said, speaking of downtown Fayetteville's arts and culture movement. "There are so many affordable options and opportunities for people to experience."
    Symphony Movie Night is free to the public, and all are encouraged to attend. Weather permitting, the event will take place on the patio, with a plan to move indoors if necessary.

    "We're hoping to reach everyone," said Meyers. "Kids are welcome, and Dirtbag is very family-friendly, but I think it would make a great date night," she suggested.
    Symphony Movie Night was initially scheduled for Saturday, May 7, but has been rescheduled for Friday, May 6.

    Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom is located at 5435 Corporation Dr. in Hope Mills.
    For more information about the event and the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, visit their website at www.fayettevillesymphony.org/.

  • The Carolina Country Music Association is hosting the two-day North Carolina Songwriters Festival in Fayetteville May 6 through 7.

    Known as the “Longest Songwriter Pub Crawl” in North Carolina, the festival features the independent singer-songwriters behind some of country music’s greatest hits.

    Unique in that it’s not housed at a single venue, the event encourages those in attendance to sample the wares and listen to music at several different locations.

    Starting at 6 p.m. on May 6, the festival, which will take place at around a dozen different venues across Fayetteville and surrounding areas, is a way for fans to interact with independent singers and songwriters up close.

    Venues familiar to locals, such as Dirtbag Ales, Fayetteville Bakery and Café, Dirty Whiskey Cocktail Bar, and their newest venue Gates Four Golf and County Club are free and open to the public. However, some private events will come at a cost.

    19 Host of Carolina Country on 100.1 WFAY in Fayetteville, and Executive Director of the Carolina Country Music Association, Christy ‘Sweet Tea” Andrulonis, sees the festival as an excellent opportunity for everyone involved.

    “This festival is a way to promote independent artists and draw the community into multiple venues,” she said. “Live music will be happening all over the city, bringing people together.”

    The festival will feature acoustic music and allow singer-songwriters to share the stories behind their greatest hits before they play.
    Some venues will feature one artist, while others will have as many as four performers on stage at a time in a round table discussion of their work.

    While there will be several indie artists who have submitted applications to be a part of this event, the festival is a draw for some big names in the industry. Damien Horne, a North Carolina native and member of the MuzikMafia, will be in attendance to share his music and his story with festivalgoers.

    According to their online bio, Carolina Country Music Association is “an industry trade group for singers, songwriters, musicians and country music fans.” In addition to “sharing the stories of the Carolinas,” the organization prides itself on being the most prominent supporter of independent singers and songwriters with roots in the Carolinas.

    North Carolina shares a long, rich history with country music and has had a significant impact on the genre over the last 90 years or so. Industry legends such as George Hamilton IV and Randy Travis call North Carolina home. This festival is an opportunity to bring exposure to the great artists of Carolina yet to be discovered.

    When the festival is over, Andrulonis hopes attendees will leave with a greater appreciation of these indie artists and the incredible work they do to bring music into people’s lives.

    “I hope they leave with an understanding of just how important it is to support local art and music. There’s much more going on behind the scenes of your favorite No. 1 song on the radio. There’s so much more than meets the eye.”

    For more information and a complete list of artists and venues, visit www.carolinacountrymusicassociation.org/ncsongwritersfestival.

  • trails.jpg
    “What do you want to do today?”

    “I don’t know.  What do you want to do?”

    We’ve all been there.  When that restless feeling hits and you don’t necessarily feel like getting dressed up to go out to eat and the mall and a movie just don’t sound that appealing.  What to do? What to do?  Here is a suggestion.  Go to www.visitfayettevillenc.com and click on Drive the Trails of Fayetteville.  

    There are more than 750 miles of themed driving trails in Cumberland County and they cover pretty much every angle of the area’s history as well as other topics of interest.  Simply choose your trail and a ready made itinerary pops us along with a map of all the stops. Download the map and there is a synopsis of the trail and info about each stop so you can get a feel for what is in store before pulling out of the driveway. There is also an estimate of the time it will take to complete the tour so be sure to allot enough time for the adventure. If there isn’t anything that strikes your fancy in the pre-planned driving tours, take a short survey and blaze your own trail through the Fayetteville area. Print out the itinerary and let the fun begin.

    Although these mini adventures are billed as driving trails, many of them have stops that are well worth the time and effort it takes to explore them.  The Gaelic Beginnings Trail, for example takes visitors to Cross Creek Cemetery where many of Fayetteville’s earliest settler’s have been laid to rest.  Renowned stonemason George Lauder carved a significant number of head stones here.  It is in large part thanks to Lauder’s works that this Fayetteville landmark is listed on the National Register of  Historic Places. Each of his headstones is considered an historic treasure.

    “There are few cemeteries listed on the National Register,” said Fayetteville Historic Properties Manager, Bruce Dawes.  “These are works of art and carved by hand.  They really tell a story.”
    Old Bluff Church and Cemetery in Wade is one of the oldest  Presbyterian churches in Cumberland County.  Visit the grave of David “Carbine” Williams at this stop.  While in prison, this Godwin native invented the short-stroke piston and the floating chamber principles  which were used in making the M-1 Carbine. 

    Early congregants of Old Bluff used to ride rafts from the other side of the river and climb the bluff by holding on to tree roots to attend services, according to church member Mac Williams.  Stairs were eventually installed in the mid 1900s, but one peek at the slope inspires admiration for the dedication of the faithful of times past.  The church was not heated until the 1920s and attendees were left to their own devices when it came to keeping warm.  

    “They’d sometimes carry heated bricks wrapped in a blanket to church to keep warm,” said Williams.
    Along with many other churches and cemeteries, this tour includes the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex.  The exhibits here cover four centuries of North Carolina history.  There are often other traveling displays there as well that make this a fabulous place to spend some extra time.

    Gillis Hill Farms could be an adventure in itself.  For eight generations the Gillis family has been working thousands of acres in Hoke and Cumberland Counties.  They started in timber and turpentine and then moved on to farming, which they still do.  Although, in more recent years they’ve added agri-tourism to their farm. 

    “There are so many people here now and the town has grown up so much,” said family spokesman Andrew Gillis. “We wanted people to be aware of the history here.”

    For $2 take a self guided walking tour of life on the farm centuries ago.  Along with all the animals, and just a lovely serene setting, you can check out the tobacco barn, and the old saw mill which is partially steam powered and still in use today.  Gillis is working to rebuild the grist mill, which he hopes to have in working order by the end of the summer, complete with a working water wheel.   The 1911 era cotton gin is in disrepair right now, but Gillis plans to make that a part of the tour in the near future too. At the end of the walking tour don’t miss the chance to have some homemade ice cream in the old family homestead.

    These are just a few stops on one of the 15 available trails.  Sure a few of the sites are on more than one trail, but you get a different perspective every time and the over lap is minimal.  

    Trails:

    There is so much to see and do out there, and the leg work has already been done: choose from the list below and go have a blast.  Check back again soon for new trails that are currently in the making. That’s www.visitfayettevillenc.com

    • Dogwood Trail
    • All-American Trail
    • North Carolina Birding Trail
    • North Carolina Civil War Trail
    • North Carolina Coastal Plain Paddle Trails
    • Cape Fear River Trail
    • Homegrown Handmade–Art Roads & Farm Trails
    of North Carolina
    • Lafayette Trail
    • Cross Creek Linear Trail
    • Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains
    • North Carolina Cultural Trails
    • Discover NC Craft site
    • Blue Ridge Music Trail
    • Cherokee Heritage Trail
    • North Carolina African American Culture Tour

  • 16 Infinite Art Studio NC and the Fayetteville Bakery and Cafe will be hosting a two-day event geared toward shining a light on mental health for veterans. Artists Perform to Stop Veteran Suicide will be held May 14 and 15 at the cafe at 3037 Boone Trail Ext. in Fayetteville.

    Live music will be accompanying a two-day market with local vendors. Saturday evening will be full of live music in the cafe, and spoken word artists will perform Sunday afternoon.

    “We’ve already got a host of talent lined up. Musical acts Michael Daughtry and the Drift, Afro Dope, Gamalier Padilla, Judah Marshall and Jammin’ Jon will play free to the public throughout the two-day event in front of the Fayetteville Bakery and Cafe,” said Thomas Walk, president, Infinite Art Studio NC. “Special guests Franco Webb and Luevelyn Tillman will speak on Saturday. Spoken word artists Aaliyah Hazel Lane, Law Bullock and T.A. Walk will perform Sunday afternoon.”

    The market will open at 8 a.m., May 14. Food trucks and vendors will be set up in front of the Fayetteville Bakery and Cafe until 6 p.m. The cafe will hold an adult open mic night from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The following day, the market kicks off at 10 a.m. Spoken word artists will begin to perform at 2:30 p.m. Events wrap up at 4 p.m.

    Walk is a retired Army veteran who served for ten years. He was a combat engineer but became a bio-medical equipment technician during his military service. During his deployment to Iraq from September 2006 to September 2007, he had a moment that changed his life forever.

    “In all my time deployed, I found myself fractured by one moment in time. Approximately 30 seconds of my life,”
    he said. “I was in the hospital where I was stationed, and I happened upon a ward filled with civilian casualties. To be honest, until that moment, ‘enemy’ casualties never crossed my mind … However, these women and children were not the ‘enemy,’ and there was no ignoring that. I went the wrong way down a corridor and viewed this room and its occupants as I passed for no more than 30 seconds.”

    Walk has suffered from severe post traumatic stress disorder as a result. For years he said he was heavily medicated.

    “[I would take ] a handful of medications in the morning to combat the handful taken the night before. Years and years of betting on a cure that tore me further apart rather than putting my pieces together,” he said.

    Suicidal tendencies were a side effect of one of the medications he was taking, something he says contributed to tearing his family apart. He decided to be pharmaceutically clean. He began to write. Walk published two novels and was working on a third when a friend and fellow veteran committed suicide, causing him to put the book aside.

    But Walk persevered. He discovered painting. His partner introduced him to acrylic pour painting.

    “We decided to try our hand together, and what started as a bunch of wasted paint and trashed canvases has become our wellbeing,” he said. “Along with my PTSD comes slight obsessive-compulsive disorder issues, control issues, etc. This style of painting is the most chaotic, uncontrollable thing I could choose, but I love it … Over time, we noticed the changes creativity had affected in me and decided we wanted to find a way
    to share our ‘therapy’ with our community.”

    The two created Infinite Art Studio NC to do just that. The studio currently doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar space, but Walk is confident that with mobile events like Artists Perform to Stop Veteran Suicide, they will be able to lease space by the end of the summer.

    “Our mission is mental wellness through creativity,” he said. “We want to be a place the community can feel welcome and safe, and a place people can leave their illnesses behind for a little while.”
    Artists Perform to Stop Veteran Suicide is the first of several events Infinite Art Studio has planned for the summer.

    The event is looking for more performers and vendors. For more information, to donate or sign up as a vendor or food truck, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/artists-perform-to-stop-veteran-suicide-tickets-317236461797.

  • uac052814-1.gif If you follow Ben Franklin’s philosophy, then you have probably heard the phrase that “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” If that is the case, then you are not going to want to miss the Blues-n-Brews Festival on Saturday June 7 at Festival Park.

    The festival is the only fundraiser held each year by the CFRT. The funds raised by this fun and musical event are used to stage the award-winning professional shows produced by the theatre each season. So while there is a very serious reason for this annual venture, the day itself promises to be anything but serious, with great food, music, games and beer on tap.

    Co-chaired by Jenny Beaver Deviere and Karen Tinsdale, the festival will feature close to 60 breweries/beer distributors highlighting some of their top beers. The price of beer tasting is included in the ticket price, with each ticket holder receiving a glass specifically for tasting. Again this year, Dirtbag Ale, a local micro brewer operated by three soldiers, will be on hand to showcase beer made right here in the community, of course they will be joined by bigger brewers like The Mash House and Huske Hardware House.

    Deviere pointed out that the festival has grown in size since its move from Campbellton Landing, and now in addition to lines of brewers, there are also lines of participants waiting to enter the gate when the festival opens at 5 p.m. If you want to bypass the lines and get a jump on tasting, you can opt for a VIP05-28-14-blues-and-brews.gif ticket, which will get you in the door at 4 p.m. VIP tickets inlcude early admission and a one-hour private beer sampling, the opportunity to judge the beer tasting contest to name the best of show, a catered dinner, snacks throughout the evening and a private lawn for listening to the music. The VIP area is open only to those 21 years of age and older. No children are allowed in the area. Deviere noted that while children are not prohibited from attending, it is designed to be an adult experience.

    New this year is a game area where, for a small fee, attendees can play corn hole and a “beer pong”-like game for prizes. For those not purchasing VIP tickets, there will be food vendors on hand. No outside food or alcohol can be brought into the park.

    The evening would not be complete without the Blues, and the three bands slated to play will keep the park rocking. Fayetteville’s own Ethan Hanson will take a turn on stage, followed by the Fat Bastard Blues Band, with the Holy Ghost Tent Revival wrapping the evening up.

    Tickets, which can be purchased in advance at www.cfrt.org, are $30, which includes tasting or $15 non-drinkers. VIP tickets are $60.

  • In the world of the United States Military, sacrifice is a very common thing, but to sacrifice without honor is rare. As a community, Fayetteville absolutely appreciates its military and honors them. Locally the military plays a vital role in both our lives and the local economy. 05-23-12-runforthelegend.jpg

    The Airborne & Special Operations Museum invites you to join them and show your support at the 5th annual 5K/10K Run for the Legend. The run is scheduled for Saturday, June 2. Start times are 8 a.m. for the 5K run, and 8:05 a.m. for the 10K run. There is a $20 registration fee if you register by May 30, and a $25 fee anytime after that date up to and including the day of the run.

    Paul Galloway, executive director of the Airborne & Special Operations Foundation staff explained the museum’s support for the military. Galloway’s job is to make sure that everything at the museum, including events and tours, runs smoothly. While the museum is operated by the U.S. Army, to continue showing support, the museum foundation started an annual 5K/10K run. The fundraiser started in 2008 as a means of financial support for the foundation to support the museum.

    “This is the fifth year and we’ve been averaging a little more than 400 runners each year. We have been getting closer and closer to 500 but have not broken that number at this point,” Galloway said.

    The first 500 people to register will receive a free T-shirt. All are welcome and encouraged to participate in the event, but there are other ways to be involved and for your support to count. Sure the staff from the museum will be working that day and a unit from Fort Bragg has agreed to come out to help with water sites located throughout the route, but there is still plenty to be done. You can volunteer by calling the museum at 643- 2778. It will be fun, healthy and a great way to support the military and the community.

    The run is a USA competitive track-and-field certified run. It will be a family-friendly run for women, men, boys and girls. You can even bring Fido, but remember to put him on a leash. All of the competitive runners will be up front heading in two directions. One set of runners will begin heading up the hill toward Haymount while the remaining runners will be heading toward downtown into the heart of Fayetteville. All of the runners will meet up on the route and continue the race to the finish line.

    “Our run is a challenge so we’ve kept the same route for years. This is the military so it should be a challenge, right?” said Galloway.

    The top three men and women overall will win trophies. There will also be eight age groups that will win certifi cates, 10 and under is the youngest group and 60 and over is the oldest age group. Galloway expects the competition will be great since there are a lot of kids in this area and crosscountry competition is popular among students.

    For more details go to www.active.com, or www.asomf. org or call 643-2778. On the day of the run, registration is 6-6:30 a.m.

    Photo: The Airborne & Special Operations Museum invites you to join them and show your support at the 5th annual 5K/10K Run for the Legend. 

  • uac052213001.gif A true band of kindred spirits, the Gypsy Women have been together for 18 years. They’ve seen each other get married, have babies and raise families. They’ve weathered divorces, illnesses, deaths and other tough times together. The Gypsy Women take care of each other — and they take care of the ones they love.

    Sometimes that means a sick friend or a widow. Sometimes it means giving to a worthy cause like Hospice or Duke Children’s Hospital. It always means giving back to the community. That’s what the Gypsy Women do. And they do it wholeheartedly — with sass and vigor. Stewart and Marsha Bryant can attest to that.

    The Bryants were in an accident last July while in New York and found themselves facing a pile of unexpected bills. Even though the couple had insurance, it was still a big hit financially, not to mention the emotional trauma.

    “I was in the hospital for a week and we had extra expenses and hotel rooms and rental car bills and medical expenses that our insurance didn’t cover,” said Marsha. “The Gypsy Women did a poker run for us and raised about $6,000. We are defi nitely thankful for them and what they did for us. We were even able to give $1,000 of that money to another lady who has breast cancer and was struggling to pay her bills, too.”

    Though there is always something going on at Legend’s Pub on Bragg Boulevard, the Spring Fling is a favorite for Gypsy Woman and Legend’s Pub owner Holly Whitley. This year the event falls on May 24-26.05-22-13-holly-cover.gif

    Spring Fling is a weekend packed with activities, food and fun. And each year, the Spring Fling raises money for a worthy cause. Things kick off on Friday, May 24 with a pre-party that includes a pool tournament. Up to 32 people can play, it costs $20 per player, with a $500 pay out.

    Saturday’s events kick-off with a poker run. Registration for the poker run starts at noon. The ride is followed by a pig pickin’, an auction and a raffle. The pig pickin’ and auction are set to happen after the ride, most likely around 5 p.m. Up for raffle this year is a 2004 Dyna Wide Glide. Tickets for the raffl e cost $50 and only 200 will be sold. The raffle winner will be drawn after all the tickets have sold. Winners do not have to be present to win. The raffle is sponsored by Ray Road Auto Parts and Service, Legend’s Pub and Sellers Paint & Body Shop.

    Sunday features a bike show. Registration starts at noon and judging will be around 3 p.m. to announce the winners. After the bike show, stick around for the rodeo, which includes fun and games — Gypsy Women style. Don’t miss the cookout afterwards, too.

    The proceeds from this year’s Spring Fling benefit Kidsville News! Kidsville News! is a literacy publication that goes into the hands of every elementary student in Cumberland County. Partners like the Gypsy Women help put the papers in the children’s hands.

    A check will be presented Sunday evening at the cook out.

    05-22-13-legends-old-cover.gifAs one of the first biker bars in Fayetteville, Legend’s has acquired an eclectic group of patrons, something that Whitley loves.

    “We have people from all walks of life that come in here,” she said. “And they all bring something different to the place,” said Whitley.

    Julie “Jules” Farrell, one of Whitley’s friends and a Gypsy Woman, says it is Whitley’s big heart that makes Legend’s such a special place.

    “Holly is such a generous person and so giving. She comes from the heart and people can sense that in her. It is easy to see that cares about people.”

    This is represented well on the back wall of the pub. It’s filled with images of friends, family and patrons who have been a part of Legend’s Pub in some way.

    “These are people we loved. They are our family, and now they are gone,” explained Whitley.

    Some of them were killed in combat, some in accidents, some were taken by illnesses. All of them were loved and a part of the Legend’s family. Whitley knows each of them by name, how they died and when. She shares touching stories about each one and it is clear that they were more than customers. They are family.

    Whether it is poker runs, a Spring Fling or Thanksgiving Dinner at the pub, people who know Whitley know that she looks out for her friends. Last year the Gypsy Women raised more than $40,000 for a variety of causes. Whitley estimates that the group has raised about $500,000 through the years.05-22-13-legends-today-cover.gif

    “We’ve done poker runs and other things like the Spring Fling for a bunch of different causes. We have helped people with cancer and other sicknesses. We’ve raised money for people who have been hurt in accidents, and we’ve given to organizations like Duke Children’s Hospital. We even helped Goodys (the apparel store that used to be on Skibo Road). We raised more than $10,000 for them for a fundraiser they were doing. This year we are giving the money from the Spring Fling to Kidsville News!,” explained Whitley.

    While Whitley is the driving force behind the Gypsy Women, there are others who eagerly step up to support her endeavors.

    “Some people are busy and are able to help by donating cash or auction items and other people choose to give their time. I can’t tell you how many hours have been donated to helping us help other people out,” said Whitley. “Our men are always ready to help out and do whatever we ask them to do, too.”

    “They do a lot of the heavy lifting for us,” added Farrell.

    Legend’s recently underwent a facelift, with upgrades to the building inside and out. After some push back from regulars and a few jokes about putting lipstick on pigs, it has turned out to be a good thing because the things that make Legend’s Pub Special are still there. The atmosphere is still laid back and welcoming. The beer is still cold. The wall of pictures still holds the faces and memories of the departed and Legend’s is still the home of the Gypsy Women.

    Find out more about Legend’s Pub, the Gypsy Women and Spring Fling by calling 867-2364.

    Photos: top right; Holly Whitley, Gypsy Woman and owner of Leg-ends Pub. Middle left: Legend’s Pub in the early years. Bottom right: Legend’s Pub today.

  • 10 Yolanda Burse artist WakandaThe Culture and Heritage Alliance will host the “NC Wakanda Gala” on May 15 from 6-10 p.m. at the Volta Space downtown, which is located at 116 Person St.

    The event will feature a variety of art, music, dancing and more. Attendees are encouraged to wear their “Wakanda” themed or African outfits.

    “We are having fun with it,” said Kelly, the vice president for the Culture and Heritage Alliance. “There will be three artists there, we’ll have African drums, dancing, local artists, there will be African food. The Gala will feature artists like Matthew Mercer, Kognoscenti, Yolanda Burse amongst others.”

    Drinks and mingling will begin at 6 p.m., and customers will be served African hors d'oeuvres.

    Mercer, an artist who specializes in comic books, will be offering some “Black Panther” artwork for viewing and purchase.

    The Gala will observe COVID precautions, allowing up to 75 people, and temperatures will be taken at the door.

    “The Alliance promotes peace, culture in our community and all of North Carolina,” Kelly said. “We promote dance performances, culture exhibitions, storytelling to inform others of the customs, culture and traditions of all indigenous people and that’s native American, Latino, African and so much more.”

    Located at 105 Person St., the Alliance started 15 years ago and hosts events like the African World Peace Festival, the NC African Film Festival, Salsa & Swing Nights, Celebration of African Culture and workshops throughout the year.

    The Salsa & Swing event is free to the public, happening every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Volta Space. Donations are welcome and go towards the Heritage and Culture Alliance, Kelly mentioned.

    “People don’t know how much diversity is in our area, so we bring that forth and bring that out, people can see that there is diversity,” she said.

    “Everyone loves African art, but where can you get it? Is it online but you can talk to us and we’ll find someone for you.”

    Tickets prices for the “NC Wakanda Gala” are $25 single and $40 for a couple and can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com/e/nc-wakanda-gala-culture-heritage-alliance-tickets-151006994987?aff=efbeventtix&fbclid=IwAR30FZbXELJKNcg6UH4oft8FW--9LID5GZ38FEtySbtAv3aRrAXcED6AzYw

    To learn more about the Alliance, visit www.cultureandhertiagealliance.org

    Pictured Above: The Gala feature works by artists Yolanda Burse (above) and Mathew Mercer, who will dislay "Black Panther" themed works. (Photos Courtesy the Culture and Hertiage Alliance). 

  • 05-18-11-hankwilliams.jpg“Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “I Can’t Help It If I’m Still In Love With You,” “Jambalaya” and “Honky Tonk Blues” are just a handful of the songs written, performed and recorded by the legendary Hank Williams.

    Known as one of the most imporant musical artists of all times, Williams is known as much for his colorful life as he is music. In a short five-year period that started in 1947 and ended with Williams’ death at the age of 29, Williams wrote and recorded more than 35 hits. And for a two-week period this month, May 19-29, the Cape Fear Regional Theatre will bring the legend to life in Hank Williams: Lost Highway during its annual River Show.

    Directed by Gina Stewart, the show will feature more than 20 of Williams’ songs, and will tell the story of his life from his perspective“

    I love this script,” said Stewart. “It has all the great music in it. It doesn’t shy away from the true story. It really presents the man as a real human being. What makes me so passionate is what I’ve learned about Hank. He died at 29, and made his mark on music within a five-year period. I think the show is about the passion behind songwriting — he’s an artist who could take his passion and pain and turn it into music that can comfort people.”

    Calling Williams a “passionate, volatile person that had some trouble in his life,” Stewart noted that his music came from the tragedies of his life.

    “I love that this script doesn’t shy away from that,” she said.

    Stewart has gathered what she calls the “A list cast.”

    “This is the best, I wouldn’t trade anyone in this cast for anybody in the world,” said Stewart. “I just feel incredibly lucky. Not only is everybody fantastic, but Hank looks like Hank. He sounds like Hank.”

    “When I heard the band, I was sold,” she said. “Bo called me and said, ‘I think Jerome and the Parsons are going to do the music,’ and I said, ‘I am in.’ We are so blessed. Everybody is so supportive and admiring of each other. It just works.”

    Jon Parsons, of the Parsons Family, will play the role of Jimmy in the show, as well as providing the music.

    “This script is just real,” he said.

    Parsons said he grew up with Williams’ music, but he didn’t know a lot about his life.

    “I know almost all of the songs, but I didn’t know about his life,” he said.

    Parsons said that the band will be using musical instruments much like those in use when Williams was recording. “We are going to put the real deal out there, so this is really special for us,” he said.

    “It’s really like having Hank here and having him tell you the story of where the songs came from,” added Stewart.

    The show will be the theatrical debut of Cliff Hale. Hale, who has a striking resemblance to Williams, has been singing for a number of years.

    “This is way new for me,” said Hale. “It’s lots of learning, I feel like my head is going to explode some nights when we leave here.

    ”All joking aside, Stewart said Hale and the remainder of the cast will put on a stellar show.

    As in year’s past, patrons will have the option of dining at the river or buying show-only tickets. Tickets for the dinner theatre range from $25 to $28. Show-only reserved seating tickets range in price from $14 to $20 and show-only tickets are $12 to 18.

    Bring your lawn chair or blankets and bug spray, but leave your coolers at home. Concessions will be available with beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks.

    Reservations are required for the dinner theatre and reserved seating. No reservations are required for show-only tickets.

    Dinner is served at 7 p.m., the show starts at 8 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the show will be moved to the CFRT.

    For more information or to reserve seats, call 323-4233.

  • 05_13_09_cover.jpg
    Click the Image for UCW's Online Edition!
     
    For 13 years now the Fayetteville After Five concert series has been  a part of the local music landscape and summer time festivities. The  first 10 years, events were held on the Fayetteville Museum of Art  property. Then Festival Park opened.  The performances were moved to downtown, and each year has been better than the last. The crowds average between 2,500 and 4,000 each month, but there is still room to grow, and that is exactly what the museum is hoping for.
     
    “I think what has been really great about the opening of Festival Park three years ago has been that it is one central location for our community as a whole, not just the downtown crowd, not just museum goers.  This is a very large music venue that is a real gem for our community and I think as popular as it is, there is still a very large part of our community that doesn’t know that festival park exists and that there are free concerts in our community every month in our downtown,” said Michele Horn, Fayetteville Museum of Art assistant director/curator.  “I’ve lived in many other ares and certainly I’ve never been in a place where there are so many free events for a community and I think we take that for granted sometimes.  That is what is great about Fayetteville and what is great about bringing these people together for Fayetteville After Five.  It is a free concert and our community really needs to take advantage of that. Other communities aren’t blessed with such a venue.”
     
    While there are still great regional and national bands lined up to entertain the community, this year local talent will be a part of the festivities, too.
     
    “This season we’ve got opening acts from the local area,” said Horn. “They will start around 5:45 (p.m.) and open and then the large acts that have been brought in will start closer to 6:45(p.m.).”
     
    This year’s Fayetteville After Five kicks-off with the Chairman of the Board. Group members General Johnson, Ken Knox and Danny Woods have been performing together since the 1970s.   
     
    Originally, billed as an R&B act in Detroit  with hits like “Patches” and “Give Me Just a Little More Time,” things slowed down considerably for them in the ’80s, on a national level at least.  Thankfully, for lovers of Carolina Beach Music, the band relocated and found great success performing their brand of music on the shores of the southeastern states. They’ll be performing on May 21 in Festival Park.  Bring your lawn chair, or blanket (no coolers please) and enjoy an evening getting into the summer frame of mind.
     
    “We’ve always been the third Thursday of the month.... We are getting  you up for the weekend,” said Horn. “We know you have one more day of work but it is a great way to enjoy Fayetteville for those people that pack up and go to the beach for the weekend or travel on the weekend. Thursday is a great night to come out and enjoy the concert while you are still in town.”
     
    While the music is what makes it a concert, watching the audience delight in the atmosphere and let their hair down is what makes it a joy for the event organizer and sponsors.
    “I think the best part is after we’ve set everything up and the main act is on. That is a chance for us to step back and watch the crowd and see their enjoyment,” said Horn.  “It is great when I see a family or young children or even ladies in their ’50s, ’60s, ’70s get up on the promenade  and just start dancing to the music and really enjoy themselves and kind of brush off that hard work week or whatever has troubled them through the week.  They just get up there and enjoy the music and enjoy themselves and have a great time.”
  • The 50th Anniversary Golden Season of the Cape Fear Regional Theatre has been a special season. So it05-02-12-on-golden-pond.jpgseems only fitting that the staff of the theatre chose to end the regular season with a really special production. With the staging of On Golden Pond, they did just that.

    If you didn’t make it to the theatre to see this production, you missed the boat. The show, starring William Christopher and Bo Thorp was noth-ing short of magical. Sure, they had a great story, with wickedly witty dialogue, but without the mastery of these two seasoned actors, the show could have fallen flat. But that didn’t hap-pen. From the moment Christopher uttered his first, “Who the hell is this?” to their last exit to say goodbye to the lake, they had the audience, hook, line and sinker.

    On Golden Pond tells the story of Norman and Ethel Thayer, a couple in their twilight years, who spend their summers on a quiet Maine Lake known as Golden Pond. The show spans one season on the pond, and deals with the issues of time, familial relationships and the approach of death — all pretty dark stuff. But playwright Ernest Thompson, puts a humorous, yet sentimental spin on the story, which keeps it from being maudlin. Throw in the sharp wit exchanged by the characters and it becomes almost comical.

    Actors performing this show must walk a fine line between sentiment and comedy to render the sweetness of the story. Thorp and Christopher had great balance. To play the roles of Norman and Ethel convincingly, there had to be connection between the actors. In the days leading up to the show’s opening, Christopher was worried that the cast would not have the time to dig into the subtle nuances that make the show so special. He didn’t need to worry.

    The two have chemistry on stage that usually comes over a long period of time. In this case, I think it comes from the mastery of their craft. Both veteran actors, Thorp and Christopher handled the material gently. They wove the story so convincingly that I felt like I was in their living room, not in the audience. They pulled the sweetness from each moment. You knew them. Watching them on stage, I pictured my own grandparents who traded similar barbs. The words were sharp, but there was always love underneath them.

    The four other cast members Liza Vann (playing the Thayer’s daughter, Chelsea), Greg King (Chelsea’s boyfriend, Bill), Jonathan Flom (the mailman) and Sean Thomas (playing Bill’s son) all did a fine job, but quite honestly, Christopher and Thorp stole the show.

    In his director’s notes, Tom Quaintance, the artistic director at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre, noted that he had to “pinch” himself to realize it wasn’t a dream to work with such a beautiful script and extraordinary actors like Christopher and Thorp. I understand where he is coming from.

    As we left the theatre, I couldn’t help but wish that the sum-mer went on forever, and that we wouldn’t have to say good-bye to Golden Pond.

    Photo: On Golden Pond tells the story of Norman and Ethel Thayer, a couple in their twilight years.

  • Meetings

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

    Festival Committee Monday, June 3, 6 p.m., Town Hall Front Conference Room

    Mayor’s Youth Leadership Committee Monday, June 3, 6 p.m., Town Hall, Front Conference Room

    Board of Commissioners Monday, June 3, 7 p.m., Luther Meeting Room, Town Hall

    Historic Preservation Commission Wednesday, June 12, 5 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

    Board of Commissioners Monday, June 17, Luther Meeting Room, Town Hall

    Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Monday, June 24, 6:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Center

    Activities

    Good2Grow Farmers Market Saturday, June 1, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., between Town Hall and Parks and Recreation Building.

    Pet Fest Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Hope Mills Park.

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

    Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Senior programs at Parks and Recreation Building. Senior programs are for those ages 55 and up who are residents of Cumberland County. Various activities, especially Zumba classes, are scheduled Monday through Sunday throughout the day. For details on times and days, check the schedule at townofhopemills.com. You can call the recreation center at 910-426-4109 or e-mail Kasey Ivey at kivey@townofhopemills.com.

    Promote yourself:Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

  • 14almshouseAnother school year ended for Cumberland County this past Friday, and that was cause for concern for Delores Schiebe and the folks at the ALMSHOUSE in Hope Mills. “We have no contact with the children after that,’’ said Schiebe, referring to the regular ALMSHOUSE house program of providing free meals to those in the community in need while school is open.

    Just three days after school closed this year, the ALMSHOUSE began a new program that will help solve the problem of making sure hungry people, especially children, can get a meal at lunchtime while school is out. The ALMSHOUSE will provide free bag lunches Monday through Friday during the summer months for anyone in need. People just need to come by the ALMSHOUSE headquarters on Ellison Street off Trade Street in downtown Hope Mills to pick up the lunch.

    Plans for the bag lunches aren’t final, but what Schiebe said the ALMSHOUSE hopes to provide is something basic, including a bottle of water, a sandwich, a bag of chips and a piece of fruit.

    “There was a time in the past when we had been able to do a lunchtime meal every day of the week, but we had to eliminate that,’’ Schiebe said. “We are very concerned because there are people needing meals at lunchtime and we’re very concerned about the children when they are going to be out of school.’’

    Once the summer bag lunch program is ready to begin, Schiebe said a notice will be posted on the door of the ALMSHOUSE building on Ellison Street. “Anyone who needs a meal can come by and get that meal from us,’’ she said.

    It’s possible the lunches could begin before mid-June if the details get worked out, but for now Schiebe said that will remain the target date for starting.

    One thing that will keep the program running during the summer months will be regular donations from the public of sandwich items like bread and various types of meat and cheese, as well as fresh fruit like apples, bananas, oranges and tangerines.

    Schiebe said the sandwiches will be prepared in advance as much as possible, and they can store them for a time in refrigerators and freezers at ALMSHOUSE. “We’ll do the sandwiches in advance so we can put them in sealed containers, Ziploc bags,’’ she said. “We won’t put mayonnaise or mustard on them. They’ll receive little packs of that.’’

    If anyone would like to inquire about specific donations needed to help with the summer bag lunches program, they can call the ALMSHOUSE at 910-425-0902, or contact Grilley Mitchell via email at grillmitch@gmail.com.

    “One of our main concerns is the children,’’ Schiebe said. “We want to take care of adults as well. But we’re unable to get to children now that school is out, and we want to be able to do that.’’

  • uac051111001.jpg While the rest of the country sets aside one day in May, Memorial Day, to honor military heroes, Fayetteville/Cumberland County dedicates the entire month to doing so with the annual series of events 31 Day Salute, now in its third year. Our community has joined forces to salute our brave soldiers, veterans and their families, and to show our appreciation for their service through various patriotic performances, ceremonies, exhibits, films and fairs.

    As America’s First Military Sanctuary, we take our patriotism seriously. Home to Fort Bragg, we have a special connection with those in uniform who have selfl essly put their lives on the line abroad to keep us safe at home. Fayetteville/Cumberland County looks forward to May 1 when we begin celebrating our heroes.

    May is a special time when our community bands together to show our patriotic spirit and pay tribute to those who have served or currently serve in the Armed Forces. Many local organizations have expressed a desire to demonstrate their support, and the 31 Day Salute event series gives them a chance to do so. More than 15 community groups are participating this year, from military organizations to cultural and historical associations, each committed to rolling out the red carpet for the military.

    31 Day Salute allows us to invite the world to do what we do every day — show our appreciation and respect for those who defend the freedoms we often take for granted.

    We encourage and welcome patriots from all over the country to visit Fayetteville/Cumberland County in May to say thank you to those in uniform while enjoying our entertaining events. 31 Day Salute gives us a chance to show our gratitude and express what soldiers, veterans and their families mean to our proud military community.

    This year, 31 Day Salute features exciting new events and many returning favorites.

    The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum will allow history buffs to re-live the American Civil War through the Cumberland County Goes to War exhibit, which observes the Sesquicentennial of the war, remembers the community’s involvement in the war, and includes artifacts, pictures and educational panels.

    The Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation (ASOM) will host Movie-in-The Camp, where attendees will be transported back to the Korean War-era through the film Jumping Jacks (1952) starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Prior to the movie, guests can enjoy a performance by The Andrews Sisters Tribute Show featuring choreography, singing, tap dancing, comedy and acting. Also coinciding with Movie-in-The Camp will be a care-package drive hosted by the Army’s Army, a military support group made up of more than 1,200 citizen and business volunteers. Museum attendees will be able to visit the Army’s Army booth and fill care packages with pre-donated items, which will be sent to the troops overseas with the help of Fort Bragg’s Family Readiness Group.

    The annual Glory Days event will take place in historical downtown Fayetteville on Memorial Day weekend. From May 14 through June 11, the breathtaking Field of Honor featuring hundreds of flags honoring soldiers and veterans will cover the field near the ASOM and the new impressive North Carolina Veterans Park with red, white and blue.

    Those looking to enjoy a true military experience can attend the 82nd Airborne Division’s All American week, which returns after a hiatus last year due to the high number of deployments. The week will include a four-mile run, various sporting and social events, wreath laying cerem05-11-11-31-day-salute-logo.jpgonies at several monuments and a division review on Pike Field with troopers in formation — something not to be missed. During this time, the 82nd Living History Detachment will be at the 82nd Airborne Division Museum as well.

    A living history program, Military Through the Ages: A March Through History, will be presented at the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex. The event will highlight various time periods throughout United States military history with encampments and educational programs that the entire family can enjoy.

    Fayetteville author Dr. Michael C. Hodges will visit the Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center to speak about his book A Doctor Looks at War. The book chronicles his experience in an Army combat support hospital during the initial year of Operation Iraqi Freedom, giving readers a unique look into the war.

    Throughout the entire month, Cape Fear Botanical Garden visitors can participate in a Red, White and Blueberry scavenger hunt. The game will take adventurers on a hunt to identify those plant species that are associated with red, white or blueberries. The Cape Fear Botanical Garden will also offer a discounted admission to members of the military.

    Fascinate-U Children’s Museum is offering half-price admission to all military families and free admission to families of deployed soldiers all month. In addition, children can create their own Blue Star flag, which symbolizes the sacrifi ces of families in war and is placed in the window of a home.

    Clark Park Nature Center will offer half price admission to retired and active military and their spouses for the Cape Fear River Boat Tour — A Military Historic Passage. The boat takes riders down the river and highlights its military history.

    In March, to build excitement across the United States for 31 Day Salute, the community kicked off the search for America’s Most Patriotic Person with Patrioke or Patriotic Karaoke.

    Enthusiastic patriots have been flocking to local spots such as Cross Creek Mall and Fayetteville State University to compete for the title, all performing the beloved American song Yankee Doodle Dandy. One patriot was crowned as America’s Most Patriotic Person at the Fayetteville Duck Derby. The performances can be seen on a Patrioke YouTube channel.

    For a full listing of events, details and participating organizations taking place during 31 Day Salute please visit www.31daysalute.com. With diverse events that will appeal to all ages and interests, there is something for everyone. Fayetteville/Cumberland County invites both locals and out-of-town travelers to come out and join us as we salute soldiers, veterans and their families throughout the month of May.

  • 13hurricaneWhen Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner first got the phone call some 18 months ago, she admitted she was skeptical.

    It was a woman from Cypress, Texas, named Virginia Valentine, who said she represented an organization called Angels Serving With A Purpose. Valentine had seen news reports on television about how Hope Mills was struggling from the after-effects of back-to-back hurricanes in the fall of 2017. She wanted to offer her organization’s help.

    It took more than a year and a half, but when Valentine and her volunteers arrived in Hope Mills just over a week ago, they found local residents who were still in need of help long after the storms had passed.

    Valentine and her group have been in operation for four years. They travel to any area of the United States that has suffered a disaster or an emergency or where there are simply people with no resources who need help.

    “I have a heart and a love for this,’’ said Valentine, who is originally from Arkansas and grew up picking cotton. “We have started doing this with my foundation, and I want to continue doing this.’’

    She watches news reports on local and national television to find out the places that might be in need of her charity. Then she reaches out to the officials of those cities, starting with the mayor, and finds local organizations she can partner with to distribute what she has to offer.

    She recently arrived in Hope Mills with two rented trucks and two vans filled with her and her team of eight volunteers.

    They brought along furniture, clothing, toiletries, cleaning products, brooms and mops. Some of the items were donated to Valentine; others she purchased with her own money.

    She doesn’t screen anyone who comes to one of her giveaways. “We just bless them,’’ she said. “We try not to discriminate or hurt. I do this generously, willingly and lovingly. Everything is free. I don’t charge anybody for anything.’’

    Valentine’s giveaway set up shop at the Hope Mills Shrine Club. Warner put Valentine in contact with the Shriners because she felt their site provided enough parking and space for Valentine to spread out all the things she planned to give to people.

    News of the giveaway was quickly spread by word of mouth and social media the day before the event was held.

    Warner said even before Valentine’s volunteers had completed setting up, people were already lining up to take advantage of the event. 

    Expecting a mad rush for the various free items, Warner said the atmosphere was calm and orderly. “They let them come in five at a time,’’ she said. “Gradually, people would take what they wanted, then the next wave came in. Nobody was grabbing. Nobody was fussing over anything.’’

    On many occasions, Warner said, Valentine would meet with people, talk with them and ask them what their specific needs were. In some cases, where families wanted the same item, Valentine would talk with them and try to determine who had the greatest need in an attempt to make sure the item went to the most deserving family.

    Warner said she saw a young soldier, who had a wife and baby and no furniture, pick up a sofa, chair and some baby items. An elderly gentleman who lost everything in the 2017 floods got a recliner and a chair.

    When the giveaway ended and there were a few items left, Valentine and her group didn’t want to take anything back to Texas with them, so Warner arranged for it to be donated to a local charity that agreed to take it.

    Valentine and her volunteers stayed in Hope Mills through the weekend, worshipping at a local church on Sunday and returning to Texas the following Monday.

    “The people that needed stuff got the message and they came,’’ Warner said. “It was very calm and orderly. It was a good thing.’

  • 05-25-11-10miler.jpgOn June 14, the U.S. Army is celebrating its 236th birthday! Fort Bragg is celebrating a little earlier with the running of the 15th Annual Fort Bragg Army Birthday 10-Miler on June 3.

    The race starts at 6:30 a.m. at Sports USA and finishes back at Sports USA after trekking through a “rolling and challenging” course on Fort Bragg. Participants are to report to the Sports USA/Hedrick Stadium area by 6 a.m. Following 6 a.m., area accessibility will be more difficult due to road closures. Pre-race instructions will be given at 6:20 a.m.

    Seven water points and two water sprays will be located along the route. Five of those water points will provide Gatorade drink. Portable restroom facilities will also be available near each water point.

    Pets, bicycles, headphones, and rollerblades will not be permitted on the course. Walkers may be required to use sidewalks in order to facilitate a more prompt reopening of streets.

    Entries will be accepted through June 2 at 5 p.m. No registrations will be taken on the day of the race. On May 26 - 27 and May 31 - June 2, complete the entry form and submit it, in person, to Funk Physical Fitness Center located at Building C-2015 on Gruber Road near Longstreet Road. Entries will be accepted at Funk PFC, from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. on these dates. On June 1, hours for registration will be extended until 7 p.m.

    For more information, visit www.fortbraggmwr.com/sportsrec/tenmiler/raceinfo.htm.

  • Meetings

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

    Veterans Affairs Commission Thursday, May 23, 6:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

    Appearance Committee Tuesday, May 28, 6:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

    Mayor’s Youth Leadership Committee Monday, June 3, 6 p.m., Town Hall, Front Conference Room

    Board of Commissioners Monday, June 3, 7 p.m., Luther Meeting Room, Town Hall

    Historic Preservation Commission Wednesday, June 12, 5 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

    Board of Commissioners Monday, June 17, Luther Meeting Room, Town Hall

    Activities

    Good2Grow Farmers Market Saturday, June 1, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., between Town Hall and Parks and Recreation Building.

    Pet Fest Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Hope Mills Park.

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

    Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Senior programs at Parks and Recreation Building. Senior programs are for those ages 55 and up who are residents of Cumberland County. Various activities, especially Zumba classes, are scheduled Monday through Sunday throughout the day. For details on times and days, check the schedule at townofhopemills.com. You can call the recreation center at 910-426-4109 or e-mail Kasey Ivey at kivey@townofhopemills.com.

    Promote yourself: Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

  • 11AdamGriffithHope Mills is going to the dogs. Fortunately, this will be in a good, family fun way. Hope Mills Park, at 5770 Rockfish Rd., will be the site of the sixth annual Pet Fest on Saturday, June 1. The event, sponsored by Naturally Unleashed and promoted by Cumulus Broadcasting, is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

    Kelly West of Rock 103 FM said the primary purpose of Pet Fest, aside from giving pet owners a chance to congregate and interact with their beloved animals, is to raise money for the Fayetteville Animal Protection Society. “It’s just wonderful to give back to them,’’ she said.

    The way to support FAPS via Pet Fest is to register to take part in the 5K pet walk that will be held as part of the festivities. The registration fee is $15, with the money going to FAPS. To register online, go to the Rock 103 website, www.rock-103rocks.com. A link is posted there to access the registration form.

    Pet Fest used to be held in the Naturally Unleashed parking lot on Boone Trail Extension, but that created a problem. The parking lot is asphalt, West said. “This is an animal thing,’’ she said. “These animals need to stand on grass and be in a nice park area.’’

    So the event was moved to Hope Mills Park. “It has been nothing but good for them,’’ West said of the relationship with Hope Mills. “It brings a lot of people to the park that otherwise wouldn’t know it’s there.’’

    Pet Fest will get an additional boost this year as it will be held in conjunction with the second Hope Mills Good2Grow Farmers Market. “They’ll have the farmers market stuff and we’ll have food vendors, so it’s going to be a fun day,’’ West said.

    Food vendors will just be a small part of the activities associated with Pet Fest, West said. An artist who does caricatures of animals will be on hand to draw images of pets.

    There are also several contests scheduled, including a pet and owner look-alike contest. There will also be competitions for the cutest pet, oldest pet, smallest pet, largest pet and prettiest pet.

    In addition, there will be some special pet performances. The Canines in Flight, which is from Georgia and features all rescued animals, will perform. Also on hand will be the Freedom Flyers, a Fayetteville fly ball dog team, plus a team of dancing horses.

    While there is a registration fee for the 5K pet walk, all of the other events at Pet Fest are free. The only restriction is that all pet owners have their animals leashed or contained somehow.

    “I want owners to respect other pet owners,’’ West said. “It’s a free event for all ages. Enjoy yourself.’’

    Contact West at 509-901-3467 with questions about Pet Fest.

    Photo Credit: Adam Griffith on Unsplash

  • 10bathsnobsConnie Rushing makes no apologies for being a bath snob. That should be obvious because it’s the name of the business she just opened in Hope Mills with her mother, Mary Thompson, and her sister, Tammie Melvin Carlile. Bath Snob specializes in homemade candles and bath products. It is located in a former orthodontist’s office in the Hope Mills Plaza Shopping Center.

    Long before Rushing had an interest in making soap and other bath products, she said she was picky when it came to bath and body products. One day, her husband went to purchase her a gift and made the mistake of getting a standard bubble bath product from a chain pharmacy.

    “He knows I love bubble baths,’’ she said. “That’s like my zen moment. That’s the moment I can be by myself. Everyone knows, don’t disturb mommy, it’s bubble bath time.’’

    When she saw what her husband had purchased, she was less than pleased and made it known. “He was like, ‘You are such a snob,’” she said of her husband. “So when we were coming here to start a bath and body company and (thought) what do we name it, he said, ‘you’ve got to name it Bath Snob because that is what you are.’’’

    Rushing and her mother and sister didn’t decide to open the store on a whim. Their mother, a native of Elizabethtown, decided to retire in Hope Mills. That led to Rushing moving here from California and her sister relocating from Virginia.

    Both sisters had operated their own bed and bath businesses before moving to Hope Mills.

    The sisters decided to join forces with their mother and start one here.

    “We did a couple of fairs to test what kind of products people like out here,’’ Rushing said.

    Last November, they opened a kiosk at Cross Creek Mall to do more test marketing. They continued there through January, where they developed a good following for their products.

    Three weeks ago they held a soft opening of the new business in Hope Mills, then did the grand opening the second weekend in May.

    The new business offers two basic product lines.

    One is candles. In addition to traditional candles, the store also sells something called scoopables, which are a softer wax you can put into a warmer to release the scent. The scoopables come in a Mason jar.

    They also sell cookie tarts. They look like cookies, but they’re actually pieces of scented wax that can be broken up and put into a warmer.

    Bath Snob also offers what are called drink candles, like the martini, as well as banana pudding and pie candles.

    The rear part of the business contains the bath and body line. “That’s where we have our lotions, our soaps, sugar scrubs and bath bombs,’’ Rushing said.

    Rushing stressed that everything in the shop is made on-site. Special orders can be made, too. She recently had a customer who needed a soap with a higher olive oil base. Rushing let her try samples she had already made of an 80% and a 50% olive oil.

    “I said if that doesn’t work out, I’ll go 100 percent,’’ Rushing said.

    She also has customers who are allergic to things like coconut oil and shea butter. “That’s the good thing about having (the making process) in shop,’’ Rushing said. “You can cater to what they need. It’s going to make you make a better product for that customer base that needs that type of thing. They can’t get that at the regular bath and body shop.’’

    But it doesn’t stop there, and part of that is because of the unique equipment already installed in the business when the sisters and their mother took the location over.

    The orthodontist who previously occupied the space left a double sink area where the dental office chairs were located. The chairs have been removed, but the sink remains so that customers can sample various products on the premises.

    The business is also set up to allow time to take trial runs.

    They have an area where visitors can sit down, relax, get on the phone or use Wi-Fi while those shopping can take time to try out products. “We are so confident once you try the product, use that body scrub, use that lotion, use that soap and see how it does for your skin, you’re going to walk out with the product,’’ Rushing said.

    The business is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. To learn more, visit the Facebook page at Bath Snob, or the website, www.bathsnob.com.  

    Photo: Left to right: Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce President Jan Davis Spell; Bath Snob owners Tammie Melvin Carlile, Mary Thompson and Connie Rushing; Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner; and Hope Mills Commissioner Pat Edwards.

  • 13Farmers market 1The first Good2Grow Farmers Market, held at the Hope Mills Town Hall complex recently, was a rousing success.

    One thing that certainly didn’t hurt was timing the first market with several other major town events that created a lot of foot traffic in the area. On the same day as the farmers market, the town held its annual hazardous waste collection and document shredding events for citizens, along with the annual litter sweep of area streets.

    Chancer McLaughlin, development and planning administrator for the town, said there were some 17 vendors who took part in the farmers market.

    While there was obviously an emphasis on produce and farm-grown products, McLaughlin noted there were also many vendors with handmade crafts.

    Vendors offered a variety of items like farmraised pork products, goat cheese, handmade jewelry, strawberries, jalapeño jams and jellies, natural remedies, essential oils, candles, baked goods and even natural mosquito spray.

    “Every vendor that was there was so excited (about) how it turned out,’’ Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner said. Many of the vendors sold out of the items they brought.

    Warner was especially pleased with the family atmosphere of the event. “You saw kids running around, eating strawberries,’’ she said. “Parents were shopping. So much was going on.’’

    Warner is hopeful that the event will continue to grow in popularity and add more vendors over time.

    “The next one (June 1) will be the same Saturday as Pet Fest,’’ she said. “Pet Fest will be between Parks and Recreation and Town Hall. (The) farmers market will be in the area next to the ball fields.’’

    McLaughlin said the market will continue through October, on the first Saturday of each month.

    The fees for vendors are $50 to set up at the market every month or $20 if a vendor only wants to take part in the event one month.

    The original deadline to submit information to become a vendor was April 26, but McLaughlin said that has been extended. Vendors can now apply as late as the day before the next event.

    All application information and rules for being a vendor at the farmers market are on the town of Hope Mills website, www.townofhopemills.com.

    For those who don’t have access to the internet, McLaughlin said you can stop by Town Hall at 5770 Rockfish Rd. during normal business hours and pick up a hard copy of the application and rules.

    McLaughlin said organizers are working on getting a vendor that will sell fresh fish for the next market. They are also looking for more varieties of produce, including watermelons, more fruits, okra and other vegetables. He said a lot of the vegetable and fruit options will be dictated by what’s available during certain seasons of the year.

    To contact McLaughlin with questions or concerns regarding the farmers market, email him at cmclaughlin@townofhopemills.com.

  • Meetings

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

    Board of Commissioners Monday, May 20, 7 p.m., Luther Meeting Room, Town Hall

    Lake Advisory Committee Tuesday, May 21, 6 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

    Veterans Affairs Commission Thursday, May 23, 6:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

    Appearance Committee Tuesday, May 28, 6:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

    Activities

    Good2Grow Farmers Market, Saturday, June 1, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Between Town Hall and Parks and Recreation Building

    Pet Fest, Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Hope Mills Park

  • 12Veterans Memorial ParkBill Green, adjutant quartermaster for Hope Mills Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10630, encourages everyone in Hope Mills to take time during Memorial Day weekend to honor the memory of those who died in service of this country, as well as those who served and remain as veterans or active duty members of the military. The Hope Mills Veterans Affairs Commission will again hold a special ceremony to remember the fallen on Memorial Day in Hope Mills. It will be held at the Veterans Memorial Park in Hope Mills near the Parks and Recreation Center on Monday, May 27, at 4 p.m.

    In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved indoors to the recreation center.

    “Memorial Day is to honor the sacrifices of our great men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice,’’ Green said.

    The format for this year’s observance will follow a familiar pattern and feature things like the invocation and call to order, performances by a dance group, and speakers who were winners of an annual VFW contest. Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner will also read the official proclamation from the town.

    There will be some special additions to this year’s observance, Green said. One will be a presentation by Hope Mills Commissioner Jessie Bellflowers, a former commander of the local VFW post. He will share some comments about the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, which will be officially observed in June.

    Three nameplates will be added to the memorial at the park, honoring three members of the local VFW post who have died: Jim Clark, Joe Edwards and George Hill.

    “Their families will be there so we can put nameplates on the memorial,’’ Green said. “This is just one way we can recognize them. When you put your name on a memorial, it’s there forever. This way, they are never forgotten.’’

    It’s the act of remembering that’s most important to Green.

    “You should take a brief moment... and give thanks,’’ he said of the Memorial Day observance. “If it wasn’t for the veterans, (citizens) wouldn’t have the freedoms they have today. That’s what it all boils down to.’’

    Warner thanked the Veterans Affairs Committee for all the hard work its members do in making the Memorial Day observance in Hope Mills possible.

    “We have an opportunity to remember those that have served and also recognize the active duty (soldiers) and the veterans that live in Hope Mills,’’ she said. “It’s always a somber and very special event. It’s important for Hope Mills because of our military attachment here.’’

    Warner especially praised the late Jim Clark for his years of service on the Veterans Affairs Committee in Hope Mills.

    “If you needed something, especially if you needed something from the VFW, he was willing to get it done for you,’’ Warner said. “He was instrumental in helping me get the flags we used to recognize all the veterans the first time we did a field of flags in Hope Mills.

    “He kept it alive and moved to get more veterans involved with different groups here in Hope Mills.’’

  • 18Night basketball posterThe Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department is launching a new initiative aimed at keeping young people off the streets on summer nights by engaging them in wholesome activities. Beginning June 7 and continuing until July 12, the department will offer coed 3-on-3 basketball at the recreation center gymnasium, every Friday night from 9 p.m. until midnight. The doors will open at 8:30 p.m. each Friday.

    There is no charge to play — participants simply have to sign up at the recreation offices at 5766 Rockfish Rd. 

    Lamarco Morrison, new head of the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department, said he got the idea after a recent meeting of the town’s Citizen Academy and the result of a conversation with recreation department staff member Stephen Kessenger.

    Morrison said the question was raised as to what the town was doing to attract youth in hard-to-reach areas of the community.

    The idea of night basketball was suggested. “It was a way to get the youth off the street in the summer, plus involve the police department,’’ Morrison said.

    Morrison later learned that Kessenger had done something similar when he was working in Hoke County. Morrison then ran the idea by other people in Hope Mills, including the town manager and people associated with the parks department.

    The plan every Friday is to hold play from 9 p.m. until midnight in the recreation department gym. There will be two half-court games going on at once, each team composed of three players. Each game will last 12 minutes.

    “If you win, you stay on the court,’’ Morrison said. “If you lose, you’re off the court. We’ll go that way until 12 (a.m.’)”

    The league is open to both male and female players. Although there is no age limit for the games, Morrison said the targeted age group is from 15 to 20 years old.

    Morrison is working to get members of the Hope Mills Police Department to play in the games, along with staff from the recreation department. They will be there both to participate but also to supervise the activity.

    “The police have two roles,’’ Morrison said, “to make sure everybody behaves, but they also will be involved with playing the game.’’

    Morrison said he is still working out some details of that arrangement with Hope Mills Police Chief Joel Acciardo.

    Concession stands won’t be open inside the gym during the games, but Morrison said food trucks would be outside for those who might want to get something to eat.

    “We’ll do it for six weeks,’’ Morrison said. “If people say they want more, we’ll look at doing it longer.’’

  • uac050813001.gif Jazz music is a uniquely American music. It was born on American soil and since its inception it has influenced every genre of music that has come after it. The hallmarks of Jazz are the use of blue notes and the polyrhythms that have permeated African American musical traditions for centuries. Unlike many movements in arts, jazz has not faded or morphed into something new destined to be completely forgotten. Jazz is still quite popular. WFSS is embracing this incredible genre of music and bringing it to the public by hosting the All American Jazz Festival on May 11.

    “This is actually an outgrowth of the Jazz on the River event that WFSS has hosted at Campbellton Landing for the last several years,” said Marsha McLean, WFSS Interim General Manager. “We are looking forward to having this at Festival Park. It is such a nice venue, and a place that the audience can really enjoy themselves.”

    One of the featured acts at the festival is The Jazz Crusaders. Since the 1970s this band has been producing a jazz-funk style of music that has topped R&B and Pop charts alike. They have recorded more than 40 albums since their inception and will be performing at the All American Jazz Festival. The members of The Jazz Crusaders are Joe Sample, Gerald Albright and Wayne Henderson.

    Keiko Matsui will also take the stage at the event as a featured performer. She is an incredible performer who has brought new life to Jazz. She is native to Japan, but now resides in Los Angeles. Keiko found her love for music at the tender age of five, when her mother gave her the first piano of her career. Her love of Jazz also developed at an early age, in middle school. She was a top student at the Japanese institutions where she studied, and was signed to a recording contract with the jazz-fusion group, the Cosmos. She came to the United States at the age of 19, and has been making her unique brand of new age, smooth jazz, and jazz-fusion records ever since.

    Marcus Johnson is another featured performer that night. He is a jazz keyboardist and performs contemporary jazz. He is known not only for his skill, but also the incredible passion he puts into his music. Johnson listened to a variety of music as a child and fell in love with jazz when he was 13 years old.

    Smooth jazz fans will be treated to a performance by Maysa. She started her career as a back up singer for Stevie Wonder and moved on to work with Arsenio Hall, Oprah and performed on The Tonight Show. She has had several top ten hits on the Jazz and R&B charts.

    “We are very excited about the lineup this year,” said McLean. “Any of the musicians featured at the All American Jazz Festival could stand alone as headliners. They are all top names in the jazz industry and bring a lot of talent to the stage.”

    While WFSS consistently provides high quality programming to the public, McLean pointed out that there is a lot more to this broadcasting station. As a public radio station there are some freedoms and some challenges that shape the services and programming. “We are proud to broadcast jazz music along with our other broadcast features like NPR’s All Things Considered and Morning Edition. Jazz is not something that is commonly heard on commercial radio stations and we are glad to provide our audience with a different kind of listening experience,” said McLean. “As an institute of higher learning we have many mass communications majors that are able to get hands-on experience here. We work with the students to give them valuable learning experiences that will prepare them for the future.”

    Because WFSS is a public radio station there is always pressure to find ways to fund the radio programming and to continue to meet the needs of the listeners. The All American Jazz Festival is a way to celebrate great music while supporting public radio and the Fayetteville State University students that train at the station. The All American Jazz Festival will be held at Festival Park. The gates will open at 3 p.m. and the preshow will begin at 4 p.m. Featured artists will be presented at 8 p.m. Festival park is located at the corner of Ray Ave and Rowan St.

    Tickets are $35 in advance and $45 the day of the show. VIP tickets are $75. Ticket are available from a variety of locations. To purchase online tickets visit www.wfss.org or www.Etix.com. To order tickets by phone through Etix call 1-800-514-3849. Tickets are also available at the J.W. Seabrook Auditorium, which is open Mondays through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m and located in Fayetteville State University at 1200 Murchison Rd. Sponsorship and vendor opportunities are also available for anyone interested and further information can be found at www.wfss.org.

  • 17IntersectionIt’s been more than two years since the town of Hope Mills took action to start the process of bringing red-light cameras to the community.

    The cameras, which are already in nearby Fayetteville, are posted at no cost to the town at designated intersections and capture images of drivers running red lights.

    The drivers are contacted by mail and assessed fines. The money collected from the fines is divided between the company that operates the cameras and Cumberland County Schools.

    Neither the town nor its police department are involved in any way in the operation of the cameras or where the money goes. The only thing the town does is decide which intersections to have the cameras cover.

    When the plan was first presented to the town’s board of commissioners March 6, 2017, members of that board voted unanimously to move forward with looking into adding cameras to the town.

    The issue has resurfaced since the North Carolina House of Representatives recently passed legislation that would bring the cameras to Hope Mills. It still has to pass the North Carolina Senate for it to happen.

    Hope Mills Police Chief Joel Acciardo stood by his previous comments from the board meeting of two years ago and said traffic safety is always a priority in Hope Mills. He added that no decisions had been made on where cameras would be located if they are finally approved. When it comes time to make a decision, Acciardo said, the town will likely draw on statistics and find the locations where accidents have been the biggest problem.

    Commissioner Pat Edwards, who seconded the original motion by Commissioner Jerry Legge to look into the cameras, said she had heard a lot of pros and cons since then about bringing the cameras to Hope Mills.

    Edwards said input from citizens would guide her final decision on adding cameras, but she added that if the issue involves safety for the community and the schools get additional funding from the project, she would tend to be supportive.

    “How often do you get something that doesn’t cost anything that provides safety?’’ Edwards said.

    Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner supports the cameras, both for the role they could play in saving lives and for providing money to the schools.

    Warner mentioned a number of intersections where accidents occur frequently that have been looked at in previous years. The list includes Hope Mills and Camden Road, Hope Mills and Highway 162, and Legion Road and Highway 162.

    “A lot of it has to do with impatience, especially at Main Street/Hope Mills Road and Camden,’’ Warner said. “They just take a chance. We see it happening all the time.

    “Statistically, there is national proof that the red-light cameras save lives and prevent accidents in attempting to prevent traffic from running yellow and red lights. Ultimately, the final decision will be left up to this board.’’

  • 05-15-13-4th-friday.gifMay 24th won’t be just any Friday; it is the celebration of 4th Friday, and for Fayetteville, that means tons of fun events, exhibits, music and art for all ages downtown.

    Visit art galleries including the Gallery ONE13 and the Arts Council. The Arts Council will show off its exhibit called Get the Picture III. This is the third juried photography competition hosted by the Arts Council. Residents of the Cumberland County who are 18-years-old and older were encouraged to participate and submit their best photography in black-and-white, color or digitally-manipulated formats. The selected entries will be shown on 4th Friday and winners will be announced at 8 p.m.

    The title, Get the Picture, emphasizes the goal and photographers were asked to keep that in mind.

    “It’s not about taking the picture, it’s about getting the best picture out there, going out and capturing something compelling and spectacular,” Mary Kinney, marketing director of the Arts Council said. She herself enjoys this event, “With $1,000 dollars in total prize money up for grabs, photographers will submit their very best work, making this show truly exceptional.”

    The much-anticipated show will run through June 22, so there are plenty of chances to view it.

    Fascinate-U Children’s Museum is to host a free craft activity from 7 to 9 p.m. for children and their families. Show off the colors red, white and blue by making Patriotic Wind Streamers in collaboration with the museum’s month-long celebration of Military Appreciation Month.

    People will also get to travel back in time at the Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum, where an exhibit will show the progress of transportation from pre-history up to the early 20th century. Other fun activities include crafts, produce for sale, a vintage car display and also live music. Bands include Blues Engima and the Raiford Street Band playing tunes of rock and blues. Also in the museum, visit the newest exhibit called A History of Fayetteville’s Jewish Community. It celebrates the Jewish community here in the city and how they have positively impacted us with their contributions socially, economically and culturally. This exhibit covers the early 19th century through mid-20th century and also tells of the events of the Holocaust and World War II.

    More history takes place in Fayetteville’s own Market House. People can walk around the historical monument’s display, A View from the Square: A History of Downtown Fayetteville, filled with maps and images telling the unique past of our own city.

    Music selections heard at every corner make for a very fine-tuned evening. City Center Gallery and Books hosts the favorite family, the Thiriot’s, in which each family member plays the violin.

    The Army Ground Forces Brass Quintet is expected to play brass music along Hay Street. And stop by Headquarters Library to hear a performance by the band Second Time Around. Citizens can listen to swing music while enjoying refreshments. The fun starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m.

    Find out more about 4th Friday at www.theartscouncil.com

  • Meetings

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

    Historic Preservation Commission Wednesday, May 8, 5-6 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

    Board of Commissioners Monday, May 20, 7 p.m., Luther Meeting Room, Town Hall

    Lake Advisory Committee Tuesday, May 21, 6 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

    Veterans Affairs Commission Thursday, May 23, 6:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

    Appearance Committee Tuesday, May 28, 6:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building

    Activities

    Citizens Academy Tuesday, May 14, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Town Hall

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

    Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Senior programs at Parks and Recreation Building. Senior programs are for those ages 55 and up who are residents of Cumberland County. Various activities, especially Zumba classes, are scheduled Monday through Sunday throughout the day. For details on times and days, check the schedule at townofhopemills.com. You can call the recreation center at 910-426-4109 or email Kasey Ivey at kivey@townofhopemills.com.

    Promote yourself

    Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

  • uac052913001.gif If you’re looking to have a good time on Saturday, June 1, you don’t have to look far. Simply take a drive down to Festival Park, where you can enjoy two sultry pleasures — beer and the blues, as the Cape Fear Regional Theatre brings back the Blues and Brews Festival.

    The Blues and Brews Festival, an annual fundraiser for the theatre, has been a favorite community event for a number of years. First held at Campbellton Landing, the festival has grown dramatically over the years, which lead to the move to Festival Park. Last year, more than 2,500 people sipped their way through the festival, which has event organizers setting their sights a little higher this year.

    “We are shooting for 3,000 people this year,” said Jenny Deviere, the chair of this year’s event. This is Deviere’s 褀rst year as chair, and she hopes that some minor tweaks to the already successful festival will help bring in more people.

    “This is the first year we have had a presenting sponsor,” explained Deviere. “Mellow Mushroom is partnering with us as the presenting sponsor. They will cater the entire VIP tent, as well as have a raf踀e for a lucky couple to win pizza for a year.”

    The VIP ticket was introduced several years ago and has been a tremendous success. VIP ticket holders gain entrance to the festival an hour earlier than normal ticket holders and their ticket includes dinner in the VIP tent.

    There will be a tasting featuring all the breweries during the VIP hour. Those holding VIP tickets will have the opportunity to sample the brews and vote for the Best in Show. The winning brewery will have a banner in front of their tent proclaiming its beer the Best in Show.

    For those who do not purchase a VIP ticket, there will be more food vendors on hand than in years past. That is one of the tweaks Deviere and the Blues and Brews Committee made. “We don’t allow outside food or drinks, so it is important to have a big assortment of food for folks who are spending the evening,” said Deviere.

    One of the biggest tweaks to the festival revolves around the music.

    “One of the biggest areas that we have had people comment on over the past couple of years is the music,” she noted. “We have heard that folks think the music has been lacking; that we haven’t paid as much love to the music and bands as we should have. So we are correcting that this year.”

    Blues lovers will be happy to know that there will be not one, but three great blues acts performing this year.

    Kia Walker, a local performer will be on hand in the VIP tent beginning at 5 p.m.05-29-13-brews-&-blues-1.gif

    On the mainstage, Old Habits, a Raleigh-based band, will belt out its mix of Blue Grass and Rock-A-Billy Blues. Old Habits will be followed by a band that Deviere classi褀es as a dirty, old blues band, the Fat Bastard Blues Band out of Mebane, N.C.

    With the music covered, that brings us to the heart of the festival — the beer.

    “We will showcase more than 100 beers from all over the southeast,” explained Deviere. “With each (full-priced) ticket purchased, attendees will receive a commemorative glass for tasting.”

    Nannette Walsh, a theatre volunteer, was in charge of organizing the brewers for the events. Walsh brought together an eclectic mix of independent brewers and brewers who are represented by distributors. Two distributors, R.A. Jeffreys and Healy Wholesale, will focus on some of their more non-traditional beers.

    Confirmed brewers and beers that will be available for tasting are:•

    Aviator Brewing Company, a Fuquay-Varina-based brewery, that will feature HogWild IPA, HotRod Red and the Devil’s Tramping Ground Belgian Tripel.

    • Barrel Trolley Brewing Company out of Rochester, N.Y., represented by Mutual Distributors, will showcase its Barrel Trolley Shandy. Also represented by Mutual, is Saranac Brewery, which will feature Saranac Summer Shandy, Blueberry Blonde and a White IPA.

    • R.A. Jeffreys will feature a number of breweries, including:

    * Blue Point Brewing Company, Long Island, N.Y., with a Toasted Lager Hoptical Illusion, a White Ipa and a Summer Ale.

    * Carolina Brewery, out of Pittsboro, N.C., with a Sky Blue Golden Ale, Copperline Amber Ale, Flagship IPA and Bullpen Pale Ale.

    05-29-13-brews-&-blues-2.gif* Natty Greene’s, a Greensboro-based brewery, will have a Southern Pale Ale, Buckshot Amber Ale, Elm Street India Pale Ale, Shock Top, Shock Top Apple, Landshark and Black Crown available for tasting.

    * Blue Point Brewing Company, of Long Island, N.Y., will have Toasted Lager, Hoptical Illusion, White Ipa and Summer Ale.

    * Carib Brewery will showcase its Carib Lager and Mackeson Stout.

    * Goose Island will showcase 312, Honkers and a Summer IPA.

    * Fayetteville’s own Huske Hardware will pour its Watermelon Wheat Beer and its Ala Yeah Pale Ale, Farmhouse and Spring of Perles Light Lager.

    * Wild Blue from Anheuser-Busch.

    * Lonerider Brewery our of Raleigh, N.C., will have The Preacher-Saison, a Shotgun Betty Hefe Weizen and Sweet Josie, a Brown Ale.

    * The Lion Brewery, of Wilkes-Barre, Penn., will feature a Lionshead Pilsner and a Stegmaier High Drive.

    * Triangle Brewery will bring a Belgian Golden, a Triangle White and a Best Bitter.

    • Carolina Brewing, of Holly Springs, N.C., will bring a Carolina Pale Ale, Carolina Nut Brown Ale, Carolina India Pale Ale and Carolina Summer Ale.

    • Fayetteville’s Mash House will feature a Blonde, Irish Red, IPA and Maibock.

    • Railhouse Brewery, out of Aberdeen, N.C., will pour a FCA IPA and a Mastiff Oatmeal Stout.

    • Raleigh Brewing Company will feature a House of Clay Rye IPA and a Czech Pilsner

    • Healy Wholsale will represent a number of brewers, including:

    * Boulevard Brewery with a Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat

    * Foothills Brewery showcasing Hoppyum, Seeing Double and a Carolina Blonde Hefe.

    * Leinenkugel Brewery will pour Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy.

    * New Belgium Brewery will serve Fat Tire, 1554, Ranger IPA and Dig.

    * North American Brewery will pour Magic Hat #9.

    * Sierra Nevada Brewery will present Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Sierra Nevada Summerfest.

    * 10th and Blake will have Crispin Cider, Blue Moon, Blue Moon Seasonal and Batch 19.

    Tickets for the event are $35 for those tasting; $15 for general admission; and $50 for VIP admittance. The VIP Tent is open from 4-5 p.m., with general admission beginning at 5 p.m. This year, credit cards can be used at the gate. For tickets and more information, visit www.cfrt.org.

    Photo: Middle right: Blues and Brews — from Campbellton Landing to Festival Park. Bottom left: Fat Bastard is set to perform along with Kia Walker and Old Habits.

  • 16Hope Mills fire chief chuck Hodges copyA national car rental company once had a major advertising campaign based on the notion that since they were No. 2, they tried harder.

    Nobody’s suggesting the Hope Mills Fire Department do the same thing, but the No. 2 rating it received from the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshall is something to brag about. 

    A No. 1 rating is next to impossible to get according to Derrick Clouston, one of the people involved with handing the ratings out. There are currently 1,252 fire departments in the state. Clouston said only nine have No. 1 ratings.

    Clouston said what it takes to get a rating of one varies by community. “It’s not a cookiecutter process,’’ he said. “You can’t compare one community to another.’’

    The No. 2 rating Hope Mills received is also based on support Hope Mills could get at a fire from surrounding departments, like Fayetteville, Stoney Point or Pearce’s Mill, Clouston said. 

    Mike Williams, who also works with the office that handles the inspections, said the rating is based on a number of factors, including the county water system, communication system, overall operation of the local fire department and its training.

    Williams said the high rating Hope Mills earned, which will go into effect in August this year, shows Hope Mills has done a great job maintaining its overall efficiency as a fire department.

    Hope Mills fire chief Chuck Hodges is delighted with the rating Hope Mills got, adding that to him it’s like getting a one. “Our guys are pretty ecstatic,’’ he said. “You’re recognized nationwide with this rating. For a fire chief, it’s saying how I stack up, not in other departments by size. This is how I stack up against every fire department in the United States.’’

    Earning the rating involved a lot of hard work by Hodges and his staff. Much of the inspection for the rating involves going through paperwork, including years of service test records. Hodges said the Hope Mills fire department team assembled the records ahead of time as much as possible to make the process go smoother.

    But there is also a physical inspection involved. “They open every compartment on every truck,’’ Hodges said. They also check to make sure all the needed equipment is there, going so far as to count how many pike poles of certain lengths a truck carries.

    “They look at how many trucks we send to certain types of calls, how many people we have on those types of calls,’’ Hodges said.

    The tangible benefit for the town, aside from having a fire department ready to handle the job required, is how it can affect the community’s insurance rates.

    “The lower your rating, the less insurance premiums you pay as far as the town is concerned,’’Hodges said. “We look very good to businesses and developers. That’s a selling point to them.

    “You can move into Hope Mills, open a business in Hope Mills, and you’re going to pay less insurance premiums because of the ratings. Commercial properties really see savings when you get below a five.

    “For any town officials trying to recruit business or development in the town, that’s a feather in the cap.’’

    Photo: Chuck Hodges

  • 17bDespite global financial uncertainty, many people are still planning to spend on travel in 2023.

    A recent survey from Booking.com found that 73% of respondents were more optimistic about travel than they were in 2022.
    The survey also studied why people are looking to travel, and the most popular type of vacation was a nostalgic getaway, which 88% of travelers planned to take in 2023. That’s likely due to people looking back to the days before the COVID-19 pandemic with a strong sense of appreciation. Individuals also seem to see travel through a somewhat therapeutic lens, as 42% of survey respondents indicated they want a break that focuses on their mental and physical health.

    Summer is peak travel season. Whether vacationers plan to travel internationally or domestically, they can expect to pay top dollar as they head off for parts unknown.
    Much has been made of inflation over the last year-plus, as the cost of seemingly everything has risen considerably since early 2022. And the cost of travel has seemingly increased by an even greater percentage than the cost of groceries.

    Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index indicates the cost of airfare increased by more than 25% between January 2022 to January 2023.

    Though travel has never been inexpensive, the rising costs noted in the Consumer Price Index have scared many consumers into staying home. However, consumers who want to travel but don’t want to break the bank can try various strategies as they seek to get out of the house this summer.

    Travel domestically. With airfare costs skyrocketing, now might not be the most budget-friendly time to travel overseas. Thankfully, would-be vacationers can still get away. Average gas prices in early spring 2023 hovered around $3.43 per gallon, which is nearly $1 less per gallon than the year prior. By driving to their destinations, vacationers can save substantial sums of money and also maintain greater control of their trips, something that isn’t always so easy in an era marked by routine flight delays and
    cancellations.

    Change your timeline. If a faraway dream destination beckons, travelers might still be able to make it work if they have the flexibility to alter their timelines. Rather than taking a Monday through Friday off from work, consider starting and ending a vacation in mid-week. It’s generally less expensive, and sometimes significantly so, to fly mid-week compared to flying Friday-Monday.

    Cash in your credit card points. Another way to ensure summer travel doesn’t put a big dent in your savings is to utilize cash back rewards or airline miles linked to your credit card account. If you have a lot of cash and/or miles saved up, the coming summer of expensive travel could be the ideal time to use them.

    Consider a homestay over a hotel. Homestays, which includes booking through sites such as Airbnb and VRBO, are typically much less expensive to book than hotel rooms. But homestays also save travelers money on food, as many listings feature fully operational kitchens that can help travelers avoid dining out three times per day over the duration of their trips.

    Travel is a significant expense as consumers continue to confront sharp increases in prices on various goods and services. However, it’s still possible to vacation without breaking
    the bank.

  • 17a Since 1945, North Carolina Wildlife Federation has worked for all wildlife and habitats, bringing together outdoor enthusiasts, hunters and anglers, government and industry to protect the state’s natural resources.
    Their work is centered around conserving wildlife, restoring habitats, connecting people with nature, conservation policy, climate resiliency and celebrating conservation.

    “Celebrating Conservation” season is open now, with statewide calls of the wild for conservation award nominations, college scholarship applications and wildlife photo submissions.

    Conservation Award Nominations

    NCWF seeks conservation heroes from across the state for its 59th annual Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards. The prestigious awards have honored individuals, associations, businesses, and governmental bodies that have exhibited an unwavering commitment to conserving North Carolina’s natural resources.

    Citizens nominate conservation leaders, professionals and volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. A committee of scientists, environmental educators and conservation activists select award winners.

    The online nomination deadline is June 15 at 6:00 p.m. Award recipients will be honored at a banquet on Sept. 9. Categories include Conservationist, Wildlife Conservationist, Sportsman or Sportswoman, Land Conservationist, Water Conservationist, Forest Conservationist, Marine Resources, Environmental Educator, Young Conservationist, Legislator, Conservation Organization, Business Conservationist, and Natural Resources Agency or Scientist of the Year.

    College Scholarship Applications

    Since the 1970s, NCWF has awarded scholarships to college students studying and working in the wildlife and conservation fields. Applicants must be enrolled full-time at an accredited North Carolina college or university with a major related to wildlife, fisheries, forestry, natural resources, conservation or environmental studies.

    NCWF will provide up to seven grants, which may include one $2,500 Conservation Leadership grant for a student of outstanding merit. Socio-economic elements, extra-curricular involvement and academic performance all impact final decisions.

    Students must submit scholarship applications and supporting documents online by June 16.

    Visit NCWF’s scholarship page to learn more or apply. For questions, email Lacy Kegley at lacy@ncwf.org.

    Wildlife Photography Contest

    NCWF’s 5th Annual Wildlife Photography Contest for professional, amateur and youth photographers runs from July 1 through September 1. Images must be taken in North Carolina and highlight the beauty of the state’s nature and wildlife, whether in a backyard or across the state. Categories are Carolina Critters, People in Nature, Scenes of North Carolina and Pollinators & Insects (new category).

    Entry donations start at $15 for 12 photos (3 images max per category), with all proceeds supporting the conservation and restoration of wildlife and habitat in North Carolina. Visit NCWF’s photo contest page for entry requirements and contest rules. Photographers can submit entries electronically from July 1 through Sept. 1. Email photos@ncwf.org for questions.

    To learn more about the North Carolina Wildlife Federation visit https://ncwf.org/ or call 803-608-0019.

  • 16bFinancial planning is a key component of successful money management. When financial plans are established and put in place, individuals are in much better position to achieve both short-term goals, like financing a dream vacation, and long-term aspirations, like retiring with enough money to live your golden years without worry.

    No one is born knowing how to handle and manage money. Financial literacy is an acquired skill, which means anyone can learn how to manage money effectively. The following are a handful of ways individuals from all walks of life can improve their financial literacy.

    Crack the books (and magazines). A wealth of resources are available to anyone looking to become better at managing money, and many of those resources are books and magazines. Printed works are available for people with varying levels of financial literacy, so it’s unlikely that any single text or magazine will benefit everyone equally. Find a text that speaks to your level of literacy and build from there.

    Pay attention to financial news. The days when financial news was limited to industry insiders or a handful of industry publications are long gone. Various online entities and cable television channels are now exclusively devoted to financial news.

    Anyone can benefit from paying attention to financial news, which can shed light on investments, real estate and financial industry trends that can help people better understand their portfolios and assets.

    Read your emails. Adults who already have retirement accounts and other investments may also have an invaluable resource right inside their email inboxes. Investment management firms like The Vanguard Group, Inc., routinely host online information sessions and discussions for investors that are promoted through email and other lines of communication with account holders.

    When promotional emails announcing these sessions are announced, take note and resolve to participate. Many don’t require active participation, but they often provide insight into financial products, markets and strategies to successful investing.

    Ask questions. It seems simple, but one of the most effective ways to gain greater financial literacy is to ask questions. If you work with a financial planner or are interviewing professionals to help you manage your money, ask that person to explain their financial strategy and the strategy espoused by their firms.

    When a new short- or even long-term goal pops up on your radar, ask your financial advisor to explain ways in which you can achieve that goal. Such discussions can reveal strategies that even well-informed individuals may be unaware of.

    Financial literacy can help people achieve their life’s goals. Various strategies can help people from all walks of life improve their financial knowledge and take greater control of their finances and futures.

  • People use words like energetic, adventurous, outgoing and strong-willed to describe Zach Grullon. A graduate of Jack Britt High School, Grullon dreamed of serving in the United States military and considered a tandem jump with the U.S. Army Golden Knights a dream come true.

    Grullon passed away on Jan. 28, 2012 after battling a rare form of cancer, Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma, for more than two years. The disease, which primarily attacks teens and young adults, is a rare liver cancer. Annually, 200 young adults die from this disease each year. Some 72,000 teens and young adults are diagnosed with various forms of cancer every year, according to a 2010 Wall Street Journal article, of that number, 10,000 die. Until 2008, little research was done in the area of Fibrolamellar because it is so rare, but that changed when Tucker Davis, the founder of the Firbrolamellar Cancer Foundation, was diagnosed with the disease.

    Davis founded the foundation with the hope of finding a cure for this often fatal disease. The foundation’s mission is threefold: Find a cure and treatment options, raise awareness of the disease and bring attention to teen and young adult cancers.

    Grullon’s parents, Kevin and Shawn, local realtors want to contribute to that mission in their son’s memory. Zach Grullon was diagnosed with FHC in March 2010. He had been dealing with severe stomach pain and nausea for a couple of months. Friends and family didn’t think much of the pain because Zach worked out so hard. After numerous test and scans, a grapefruit-sized tumor was found on his liver. In April 2010, he had a liver resection, but the cancer had already spread to his lymph nodes. Zach began an intensive round of chemotherapy, but he didn’t let it stop the way he lived his life. He continued to work out and play sports. And, in August 2010, just a couple of months after his high-school graduation, he jumped with the Golden Knights.

    05-23-12-janice-article.jpgThe memory of that jump inspired his parents to host a Free Fall to Fight Cancer on Saturday, June 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Raeford Parachute Center. The event will give individuals the opportunity to perform a tandem jump with former and off-duty members of the Golden Knights who are volunteering for the cause. For a $330 donation, individuals will get to jump with the world-famous team and receive a video and photos of their jump to share with friends and family. Those interested in participating in the fundraiser must be at least 18 years of age and weigh less than 235 pounds.

    In addition to the jumps, there will be raffles for great prizes, a silent auction and fund games for children. Food and beverages will also be available for purchase.

    A Cruise to Fight Cancer, featuring classic cars, will drive a route from Spec Ops Motorsports in Hope Mills around Fayetteville. Students from Paul Mitchell School will be on hand to give manicures and the Renaissance Day Spa will have a tent as well. All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Firbrolamellar Cancer Foundation.

    To register or for more information, contact Kevin and Shawn Grullon at 910-257-3027 or 910-229-1100 or email grullonteam@gmail.com.

    Photo: Zach Grullon and his father, Kevin, at his jump in August 2010. Zach died earlier this year after a two-year battle with cancer.

  • 16a The ability to retire with financial security is a goal for millions of people across the globe. Though people may stop working in retirement, many of their existing bills, and even some new ones, will still need to be paid.

    Retirement is often imagined as a time of unbridled financial freedom, but that’s only possible when individuals, including young professionals, prioritize planning for the day when they call it quits.

    Retirement accounts and plans are a popular way to save for life after working. Individuals have various retirement plan options at their disposal, and each is unique in its own way.

    An Individual Retirement Account is a tax-advantaged way to save for retirement. Anyone with earned income can open an IRA. Money deposited into an IRA cannot be withdrawn prior to account holders reaching 59.5 years of age without incurring a steep tax penalty of 10%.

    There are limits to how much individuals can deposit into an IRA. In addition, there are different types of IRAs, including traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, Payroll Deduction IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs.

    Each has its rules regarding taxes, eligibility and withdrawals, and individuals are urged to discuss which type of IRA is best for them with a financial professional. A 401(k) is another tax-advantaged retirement account typically offered through an employer, though self-employed individuals can enroll in a Solo 401(k) plan.

    When enrolled in a 401(k) plan, employees will have a portion of each paycheck direct deposited into a long-term investment account. Contributions to a 401(k) are made pre-tax, which saves account holders a considerable sum of money so long as they continue to make contributions. One significant advantage to 401(k) plans is that many employers will match contributions up to a certain percentage.

    For example, some may match up to 2%, so employees who contribute 2% or more will actually be depositing no less than 4% of their income each week into their 401(k) accounts. Perhaps most beneficial is that employer matches do not count toward the annual 401(k) contribution limits.

    A Simplified Employee Pension Plan is typically established by a small business owner or self-employed individual. However, small business owners can set them up for their employees as well. Contributions to an SEP will reduce taxable income, and the money will grow tax-deferred.

    Individuals enrolled in an SEP will only pay taxes on the money upon withdrawal. One of the advantages to an SEP is it has significantly higher contribution limits. However, SEPs are employer contribution only, so they rely a lot on employers’ available cash.

    No retirement accounts are the same. Individuals are urged to conduct their own research and choose the plan that best suits their needs.

  • 15bUnderstanding how the heart works can help people become more attuned to their personal health and wellness.

    For example, recognition of the importance of heart rate may shed light on aspects of heart health that people may otherwise never think about.

    According to HealthDirect, heart rate, or pulse, is the number of times the heart beats per minute. A resting heart rate refers to the heart rate when one is relaxed, sitting down or lying down.

    For normal, healthy adults, a resting heart rate ranges between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
    The American Heart Association indicates that resting heart rate is the heart pumping the lowest amount of blood needed because the body is not exerting itself.

    A lower resting heart rate is common among people who are very physically fit — sometimes as low as 40 bpm. This results from the heart muscle being very athletic and not having to work very hard to maintain a steady beat.

    Resting heart rate differs according to age. Verywell Health says babies and children have higher resting heart rates because their hearts are smaller.

    Resting heart rate will gradually decrease until about age 10, at which point it stabilizes through adulthood. Here’s the expected resting heart rates based on age.

    • 0-1 month: 70-190 bpm
    • 1-11 months: 80-160 bpm
    • 1-2 years: 80-130 bpm
    • 3-4 years: 80-120 bpm
    • 5-6 years: 75-115 bpm
    • 7-9 years: 70-110 bpm
    • 10 years+: 60-100 bpm
    • Athlete: 40-60 bpm

    Knowing one’s typical resting heart rate can help people stay apprised of their personal health. A lower-than normal resting heart (bradycardia) could indicate a congenital heart defect, a heart blockage, heart damage, or abnormally high blood calcium. It also may indicate hypothyroidism, hypothermia or other conditions.

    A higher resting heart rate (tachycardia) may suggest other issues, such as anemia, obesity, dehydration, fever, heart failure, hyperthyroidism, or overconsumption of stimulants like caffeine or nicotine.

    Resting heart rate is not directly linked to blood pressure and is not an indication of blood pressure problems.

    Heart rate is measured on the inside of the wrist or on the artery in the neck at the base of the jaw. Pulse should be counted for 30 seconds and then multiplied by two to find beats per minute.
    Individuals should keep in mind that air temperature, body position, emotions, body size, and medication use can affect heart rate.

    Checking heart rate several times can provide a more accurate perception of resting heart rate. Any concerns should be discussed with a doctor.

  • 15aThe National Institute on Aging defines Alzheimer’s disease as a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and an individual’s ability to think. The majority of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are 60 and older, which can give the impression that the disorder is exclusive to the elderly.

    However, younger adults are not immune to the disease, and a small percentage of individuals under 60 could be diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s.

    The prevalence of early-onset Alzheimer’s (sometimes referred to as “young-onset Alzheimer’s”) is unknown. However, early-onset Alzheimer’s can affect every aspect of a young person’s life, including their relationships, finances and ability to live independently. Such consequences underscore the significance of greater recognition of the condition and what it entails.

    What is early-onset Alzheimer’s disease?

    The experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine note that Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and it most often affects older individuals. But in rare cases individuals under 60 can develop Alzheimer’s, and Johns Hopkins notes such instances generally affect people in their 40s and 50s. Most types of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease are the same, but cases may be categorized as common or genetic Alzheimer’s.

    Common: Johns Hopkins notes that most people with early-onset Alzheimer’s have the common form of the disease, which progresses in much the same way as it does in older individuals.

    Genetic: In rare cases, a young person may be diagnosed with genetic, or familial, Alzheimer’s. The United Kingdom-based Alzheimer’s Society notes that this is caused by genetic mutations that run in families.

    The risk that this mutation will be passed from parents to children is 50%.

    Individuals who develop genetic Alzheimer’s typically have lengthy family histories of the disease and may know several relatives, in addition to a parent, who were affected at a similar age.

    What are the risk factors for early-onset Alzheimer’s?

    Though people who develop early-onset Alzheimer’s disease are most likely to be diagnosed with the common form of the condition, family history of the disease remains the only known risk factor.

    What are the symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s?

    The Alzheimer’s Association notes that health care providers do not generally look for Alzheimer’s in young people, which can make the process of diagnosing the condition long and frustrating. Symptoms are often attributed to other factors, such as stress.

    However, Johns Hopkins reports that the presence of these symptoms could indicate a person is in the early stages of early-onset Alzheimer’s:

    • Forgetting important things, particularly newly learned information or important dates
    • Asking for the same information again and again
    • Trouble solving basic problems, such as keeping track of bills or following a favorite recipe
    • Losing track of the date or time of year
    • Losing track of where you are and how you got there
    • Trouble with depth perception or other vision problems
    • Trouble joining conversations or finding the right word for something
    • Misplacing things and not being able to retrace your steps to find it
    • Increasingly poor judgment
    • Withdrawal from work and social situations
    • Changes in mood or personality

    Symptoms such as memory loss and behaviorial changes, including severe mood swings, are some of the signs that present as early-onset Alzheimer’s progresses.
    Early-onset Alzheimer’s is a rare disorder. But its effects can be just as significant as forms of the disease that affect older individuals.

  • 13The Spring Lake Family Support Services, also known as “The Kinsey House”, is a nonprofit organization located in the heart of Spring Lake. It’s a support services organization with the mission to reach families, restore community, renew minds & rise strong together.

    They are hosting their first ever Community Health Fair, partnering with Goshen Medical Center, as well as other services and vendors to serve the community from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday June 3. The event is located at First Presbyterian Church, right up the street from The Kinsey House. Attendees will be able to get medical screenings, information on dental health and pediatrics, as well as knowledge on pharmacies and internal medicine.

    There will be dental consultants, legal aid advisors, breast exams, and COVID testing available. Several health-related needs can be addressed at the upcoming health fair, giving the community a personal experience with health experts. Health assessments will be available to the homeless for $1. The cost will be on a sliding scale for others.

    Up & Coming Weekly had a chance to talk with CEO and Founder Debora Hudson, as well as Office Manager Sandy Woltmann, to discuss what their mission is and how much this event means to the community.

    It’s no secret that access to affordable healthcare is a nationwide issue. When speaking with them, they said they’ve noticed that a lot of people in general don’t go to the doctor. A lot of people do not have insurance, and some people who have insurance don’t go, because they can’t afford the co-pays.

    Hudson says, “I think a mobile unit set up with other vendors, food trucks, and music makes it more comfortable for people to come and do what they need to do to be seen. It opens the doors for them to be a little bit more personable with the medical team that’s coming. The Rape Crisis Center will be here. Medicare, Legal Aid, Action Pathways, the foster care division from DSS, Blue Cross Blue Shield, CPR demonstrations. All these things relate to the health of the community.”

    The Kinsey House was created out of a vision to meet needs that have been overlooked for far too long. The nonprofit managers pride themselves on looking for and intentionally seeking out ways to provide these needs to the community.

    Spring Lake is separate from Fayetteville, making the SLFSS the only “homeless shelter” or organization that can provide support services for those in need, in the city of Spring Lake. 13a

    “We thrive on mental health, physical health, emotional health, just meeting people where they are,” says Hudson. “We try our best to make sure that the community is in tune and connected to all services available to them, because people don't know a lot of the services that are out there. So, we just want to educate them of what's out there that will benefit them.”

    The Kinsey House itself, located at 126 N 1st Street in Spring Lake, is currently under renovation, but will feature a computer lab, laundry services, and hygiene care for the homeless and those in need.
    Other programs offered through the nonprofit include: Hearts of H.O.P.E for domestic violence victims, A Path 4Word for mentoring and tutoring, and Barbara’s Closet of Blessings for those in need of clothes in the community.

    Their most recent event, which they plan to do every 3 to 4 months, is called Laundry Love Day. Gone are the days where you can go to a laundromat and do loads for quarters. Loads can cost as much as $4.50 each, at laundromats today, costing a family of four nearly $50 a trip. With the start of this event, the SLFSS was able to support several families. It was a need they didn’t know was so widespread in the community.

    “We go to our local laundromat, and we load up all the machines and the dryers so people can use them,” says Hudson. “We bring laundry detergent and people can do their laundry for free within that time frame. We also serve coffee and water along with snacks and for people in line. And then we just talk to them, to see what their needs are, tell them what we offer and how we want to help the community.”

    It’s clear to see that the Spring Lake Family Support Services has the best interest of people in the community at heart. They serve as an essential support system to many in need in Spring Lake through the variety of services offered.

    Although they have several opportunities scheduled for the June event, Hudson says they hope to have another Health Fair in September on a much larger scale. The goal is to accommodate even more people.
    They also plan to have another Laundry Love Day as soon as they can get it organized.

    In the meantime, be sure not to miss their first Community Health Fair on June 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church.

    The Rain Date is scheduled for June 10 in case of inclement weather.

    For more information on how you can help and donate to the The Kinsey House, visit www.thekinseyhouse.org or call 910-584-7160. They can also be reached via email at springlakefamilyservice@gmail.com.

     

  • 10bCape Fear Valley Health Foundation raised nearly $55,000 through the second annual Step Up 4 Health and Wellness Expo last month.

    The event, which was held at Methodist University, raised money to support multiple patient care areas at Cape Fear Valley Health, including cancer care, heart care, children’s services, Community Alternatives Program and Cumberland County Medication Access Program.

    “We were very excited to see more than 500 participants at this year’s event, and we expect to continue to grow more in the future,” said Cape Fear Valley Health Vice President of Foundation Sabrina Brooks.

    “We had a great sunny day with beautiful weather and I think everyone had a lot of fun with all the activities.”

    The event included more than 50 vendors in the Wellness Expo, including different Cape Fear Valley Health service lines, community organizations and sponsors.

    There were also food trucks, a Survivor Lap, Zumba and yoga sessions. The main events were the 4k and one mile walking or running routes through the Methodist University campus.

    “We want to sincerely thank our Presenting Sponsor, Cumulus Media, as well as our host, Methodist University, for helping us put on such a fantastic event,” Brooks said.
    Other major sponsors for the event included Cape Fear Valley Health, Systel Business Equipment, Truist, Pepsi Bottling Ventures and Valley Radiology.

  • 10aThe Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce recently announced that Harmony Granderson is the new Director of Events.

    “We are excited to welcome Harmony to our team,” said Nat Robertson, President & CEO of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber.

    In the position, Granderson will build, implement and manage all aspects of the events carried out and supported by the Chamber. She will engage with various Chamber members to coordinate networking events and educational programs. She will work closely with the Marketing and Communications Director, Robyn Pitt, while organizing event press, presentations and sponsors.

    “We’re ready for her to dig in and get going as our new events director. With her skillset and enthusiasm she will be a great asset to our Chamber,” Robertson said.

    Harmony is a Fayetteville native with a passion for entrepreneurship, community involvement, and all things involving the arts. She is a graduate of Jack Britt High School and received a Bachelor’s of Science in Marketing. She is a recent graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

    While she earned her degree and served various on-campus leadership roles, she also founded a small business of her own that focuses on promotion of small businesses, nonprofits, and minority owned companies.

  • 9Public safety is improving in Fayetteville, at least from the perspective of the Police Department.

    Police Chief Kemberle Braden presented crime statistics for the first quarter of 2023 May 22 to the Fayetteville City Council that show decreased levels of crime and more arrests compared to last year.
    According to the data presented, property crimes are down 9%, crimes against people are down 3% and arrests are up 38%.

    “What does that mean? It means your officers are out there working,” Braden told the City Council during his presentation. “If crime is coming down and arrests are going up, that means your people are out there fighting crime. As long as these two numbers are converging, that is a good sign for crime in the city of Fayetteville.”

    Homicides are down 18% compared to the first quarter of 2022, but the actual numerical difference is small — nine this year compared to 11 in 2022.

    While Braden sees increased arrests as good for the city, council member Mario Benavente had a different perspective.

    “The idea that arrests going up is automatically a good thing is what I take issue with,” Benavente said. “We're never going to arrest our way out of the public safety issues in Fayetteville. In fact, when we overcriminalize and we engage in arresting as many people as we can, we create barriers for folks that, in the criminal justice system, are going to end up with charges, are going to end up with records that are going to prevent them from getting decent jobs and being able to get into decent living.”

    Benavente does not put the issue of improving public safety, however, solely on the police. He advocated for an office of community safety, an entity outside the Police Department that would seek to improve public safety in the city. Community organizers in Fayetteville have pushed for weeks for the initiative to be put in next year’s city budget, CityView reported.

    Immediately following the presentation, Mayor Mitch Colvin thanked Braden and the Police Department for their work on reducing crime.

    “I don’t know any perfect department, perfect council, perfect people, but you guys are certainly making strides, and we are appreciative of what you do,” Colvin said.

    Braden’s first 90 days

    Braden, who was sworn in as police chief earlier this year, outlined progress on goals he had set for his first 90 days on the job.

    During those first 90 days, Braden said, he spoke with police officers of all ranks and with people in the community to determine what needed to change to improve public safety in Fayetteville.
    Braden said the strengths of the department are the people within the police force and those in other city departments.

    “As always, our people are always going to be our strength, our community partners, our city staff,” Braden said.

    Weaknesses Braden identified included retention and morale among officers and outdated facilities.
    Braden said the opportunities the department has going forward include enacting change through the young police force the department employs and highlighting Fayetteville police as the largest department in southeastern North Carolina.

    “We should be able to recruit people from all over to come to Fayetteville, North Carolina, because of the opportunities we offer that these other surrounding jurisdictions and counties and municipalities don't have,” Braden said.

  • 8In a presentation Thursday, May 25 Cumberland County administrators recommended to the Board of Commissioners a $566.9 million budget for the next fiscal year with no changes in the property tax rate.

    But the plan also calls for more than doubling the solid waste fee.

    The proposed budget is more than last year’s spending of $553.7 million, with an increase of $13.2 million. Actual spending for this fiscal year, however, is projected to land at $520.5 million by June 30, the end of fiscal year 2023. County Manager Clarence Grier, in his first budget presentation to the board since being hired earlier this year, said the economic challenges the county will face next year will be similar to that seen in the recent past.

    “As we look at the economic outlook and aftermath of COVID-19, we continue to face some ongoing challenges and concerns such as the opioid addiction, mental health, upheaval due to the great resignation and wage growth that has caused inflation and supply-chain issues,” Grier said.

    Solid waste fee increase

    While no property tax increase is recommended in the 2024 budget, the county staff recommended increasing the solid waste fee from the current $56 to $130, a move that the county projects will generate $7.1 million in revenue. The solid waste fee is what the county uses to operate its landfills.

    The county is also recommending increases in landfill tipping fees, a measure projected to generate $254,000 a year.

    Beyond generating revenue, Grier said the increases will help finance construction and maintenance projects that will increase capacity at county landfills. The increases also, Grier said, will put Cumberland County more in line with neighboring counties.

    “Tipping fees are the lowest in our region of any other county around us,” Grier said. “You can prevent others from bringing their waste to our landfills as we’re trying to expand the capacity.”

    School funding

    In the recommended budget, the county has allocated $87.5 million for Cumberland County Schools, a $3.2 million increase over last year. But it is lower than the $88.2 million that the Board of Education requested last month, CityView reported.

    As for Fayetteville Technical Community College, the county is recommending funding of $15.4 million, up $1.2 million from last year but lower than the $16 million requested.

    Crown Center funding

    Earlier this month, the county unveiled the design for its $131.7 million Crown Event Center, a multipurpose center in downtown Fayetteville that’s set to replace the Crown Theater and Arena, CityView reported.
    Revenue from the food and beverage tax and the occupancy tax in the recommended budget will be used to finance that project.

    The event center is set to open by November 2025.

    Next steps

    The commissioners did not ask any questions following Grier’s presentation, but the board is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. June 1 in Room 564 of the Cumberland County Courthouse for a work session on the budget.

    A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 7 in Room 118 at the courthouse.

  • AA Week 2023 Fort Bragg kicked off All American Week early Monday with the Division Run, according to a report by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade participated.

    All American Week will include sports, the Old Timer’s Breakfast, a memorial ceremony, and a hall of fame induction. It will conclude with the Division Review. Current and veteran paratroopers, their families, and the public will take part through Thursday.

    The week of activities will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Operation Urgent Fury during the invasion of Grenada in 1983, according to a news release.

    The schedule includes:

    • 10 Miler: 6:30-9 a.m. Tuesday, Simmons Army Airfield.
    • Division Memorial Ceremony: 11 a.m.-noon Tuesday, 82nd Airborne Museum.
    • Junior Paratrooper of the Year ceremony and Family Fun Run: 4:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Ardennes Street.
    • Prayer Breakfast: 7-9 a.m. Tuesday, Iron Mike Conference Center.
    • All American Hall of Fame: 11 a.m.-noon Wednesday, 82nd Airborne Division Hall of Heroes, Ardennes Street.
    • Division Review: 10 a.m. Thursday, Pike Field.
    • 34-Foot Tower: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, U.S. Army Advanced Airborne School.
    • Sports competitions: Monday through Thursday at multiple sites.
  • 12cYOKOSUKA, Japan — Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Cannon, a native of Fayetteville, serves in Japan aboard a forward-deployed U.S. Navy warship. Cannon joined the Navy 12 years ago. Today, Cannon serves as an information systems technician aboard USS Ralph Johnson.

    “I joined the Navy mainly for my family,” said Cannon. “Both of my parents are prior service members, my sister and my two cousins are currently serving and I wanted to follow in their footsteps.”

    Growing up in Fayetteville, Cannon attended Seventy-First High School and graduated in 2010. Today, Cannon relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Fayetteville to succeed in the military.

    “One of the lessons I learned from my hometown was to set goals and stick to them,” said Cannon. “I also learned to treat the Navy like a career and not to look back.”

    Modern U.S. Navy surface ships provide a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface and subsurface environments.

    A Navy surface ship is capable of operating independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups or expeditionary strike groups. Jobs aboard a U.S. Navy ship are highly specialized, requiring both dedication and skill, according to Navy officials. The jobs range from maintaining engines to handling weaponry along with a multitude of other assignments that keep the ship mission-ready at all times.

    As a member of the Navy, Cannon is part of a world-class organization focused on maintaining maritime dominance, strengthening partnerships, increasing competitive warfighting capabilities and sustaining combat-ready forces in support of the National Defense Strategy.

    Cannon serves in Japan as part of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces. These naval forces operate with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Service members in this region are part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which has the largest area of responsibility in the world.

    “As the largest force in our nation’s front line against revisionist actors, U.S. Pacific Fleet meets this great responsibility with strength, resolve and confidence,” said Adm. Samuel Paparo, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander. “Together with our joint and combined partner operations, we are positioned to defend — across all domains — any attempts to threaten our nation, our allies and partner’s security, freedom and well-being.”

    Cannon and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.

    “I am most proud of my accomplishments at my last command,” said Cannon. “I witnessed all my junior sailors get promoted to second and first class petty officers.”

    As Cannon and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.

    “Serving in the Navy means I have a family, when I’m away from my family,” said Cannon.

    Cannon is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

    “I want to thank my parents,” added Cannon. “They have given me the tools to be successful in the Navy.”

  • 11aBooks can take kids on many adventures like a hobbit’s quest or going back in time by using a treehouse. Books even got a local principal to jump out of an airplane.

    Latonya Leeks, the principal of Bowley Elementary School on Fort Bragg, challenged her students in March to read for 4,887 minutes as part of Read Across America. And, in case you were wondering, that’s a little more than 81 hours. Each grade level had to read a total of 4,887 minutes. The number was chosen because it is the number of miles across the United States from Hawaii to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

    Leeks said if the students met the reading goal, she would jump out of an airplane. She told Up & Coming Weekly that she has done parasailing before but has never jumped out of a plane.

    The idea started back in January as the school was planning what to do for Read Across America. The idea at first was if students met the goal, Leeks would go indoor skydiving. But then one staff member brought up the idea of jumping out of a plane with the All Veteran Group.

    Every child in the school knew what jumping out of a plane meant. Most of their parents were or are currently a part of the 82nd Airborne Division. Knowing their moms and dads jump out of a plane or helicopter is fun, but seeing their principal do it? That took it to another level.

    So, from March 6 to April 10, students turned in weekly calendars logging the number of minutes they read. Most grade levels read more than the required minutes. The fifth grade level met their goal within three days. On April 3, the entire school met the goal.

    One month later, Leeks was strapped to retired First Sergeant Sunnydale Hyde for a tandem jump. Hyde served in the U.S. Army as a linguist and was a Golden Knight in 2015. Hyde is part of the All Veteran Group which is a skydiving organization. The group organized for Leeks to do the jump onto the polo field, right in front of the Forces Command headquarters building.11b

    Students walked from the school to the polo field, excited and jumping with anticipation. That morning, the All Veteran Group made a presentation to the students about what was going to happen with the jump.

    “They did a wonderful presentation for my kids at 9:30 to show them about the parachutes and talk about the science behind it and to really show them what they do. That got the kids pumped up,” Leeks said.

    While students waited around the bleachers, teachers provided bubble wands, and the school’s Parent-Teacher Association handed out popsicles. PTA Vice President, Jordyn Oshman, was one of the several parents out at the field with their kids. She said it was exciting for her son to watch his principal jump out of a plane.

    “It’s really cool, because a lot of them hear about their dads doing it, but their principal? For them to come out and actually see it, it’s very different,” Oshman said.

    Then the moment came where Leeks jumped out of the plane. Kids were yelling, pointing, teachers had signs that said “JUMP” on them.

    “It was exhilarating. It was incredible,” Leeks said.

    After she landed, several family members ran towards her and gave her hugs. She was then presented a certificate from the All Veteran Group, officiating her jump.
    Leeks told Up & Coming Weekly that she believes this experience for her students will stay with them throughout their learning careers.

    “I always believed that learning should be an experience. Even when I would put together lessons, I try to include my students in a way that they became the lesson so they would remember. So I’m big on providing those experiences,” Leeks said.

    “This is also staff appreciation and teacher appreciation week. So I like to provide experiences for them because when they become a part of it, they won’t forget it.”

  • 10 The Arts Council of Fayetteville|Cumberland County announced the continuation of its Artists In Schools initiative, thanks to a generous grant from the United Way of Cumberland County.

    With $10,000 in funding received through the Youth Growth Stock Trust, the AIS program will continue to benefit students and teachers in Cumberland County throughout the 2023-2024 academic year.

    The AIS program offers curriculum assistance to Cumberland County Schools by providing Teaching Artist engagements at a 50 to 100% subsidy of the program's expense. These engagements promote arts integration and are directly linked to North Carolina Essential Standards. For over two decades, AIS has partnered with Cumberland County Schools, benefiting more than a quarter-million students within the last decade alone.

    “We value the deep appreciation for the expanding collaboration with Cumberland County Schools,” said Michael Houck, Director of Grants and Allocations. “Thanks to the crucial role of the United Way and the generosity of Mr. Short's legacy, over 18,000 students will be able to participate in the AIS program this academic year, benefiting over 75% of Title 1 schools.”

    The AIS program offers Cumberland County Schools the expertise of skilled Teaching Artists who collaborate with students, teachers, and administrators to integrate the arts into core subject areas. With a focus on interactive arts education, the AIS program is designed to equip students with lifelong learning and the necessary skills and knowledge to face challenges and thrive in the upcoming decade.

    About the Youth Growth Stock Trust

    Robert H. Short established the Youth Growth Stock Trust in 1992 at the United Way of Cumberland County. During his life, Short was a philanthropist, donating millions to support educational initiatives and student scholarships. Each year, the United Way of Cumberland County awards dozens of grants to support youth programming via income from the trust, thus creating a legacy for Mr. Short and education in the county. For more information visit www.unitedway-cc.org/what-we-do/youth-growth-stock-trust/.

    About the Arts Council

    The Arts Council of Fayetteville|Cumberland County supports individual creativity, cultural preservation, economic development and lifelong learning through the arts. As a primary steward of public and private funding for arts, cultural, and historical activities in the Cape Fear Region, all affiliated programs of the Arts Council exemplify their five core values of excellence, accountability, transparency, collaboration and innovation. For more information visit theartscouncil.com

    In the year 2021-22, the Arts Council distributed almost $1 million in grant funds and allocations to Cumberland County arts and culture non-profit organizations, artists, and municipalities.
    Grants, programs, and services of the Arts Council are funded in part by contributions from community partners, and through grants from the city of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, and the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources. For more information visit www.ncarts.org.

  • 19Does gardening count as exercise? The answer is yes! While the weather is warming, the temperature is still cool enough in the morning to get out those tools and enjoy working in the yard. A little sweat and dirt can be beneficial.

    The benefits go beyond exercise, cognition and feeling proud of your accomplishments. Working in the yard can burn as many as 300 calories in 30 to 45 minutes and heavy gardening can burn as many as 700 calories. Gardening can include digging, raking, pulling weeds, planting, pulling vines, trimming hedges, picking up pinecones, weed eating and shoveling - just to name a few. Engaging in yard work can be a lot more fun than walking on a treadmill.

    At the end of the day, gardening can result in sore muscles and a sore back when you are not used to the effort. Start slow before you jump into heavier projects. Gardening involves strength, endurance and flexibility, and can put a strain on your muscles. Take your time warming up and doing the light activities first, saving the heavier lifting and bending until later.

    Digging is a high-intensity activity that engages several muscle groups at once to include your shoulders, quads, arms and calves. Pushing that shovel in the dirt, turning it over, planting the flower, and placing the dirt back is a multiplanar activity.

    When you work in the garden you are working in all three planes of motion which are the sagittal, frontal and transverse, and many times you work in all three planes at once. Twisting, bending, pulling and reaching is light aerobic exercise with benefits to the heart, blood pressure, and helps in burning calories.

    Planting a vegetable garden results in a daily walk to gather fresh fruit and vegetables for salads and cooking. Your squash, cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, strawberries, apples, peaches, and more are a smorgasbord of healthy eating without pesticides.

    Yard work and gardening can stimulate the mind with attention to detail for planting, color combinations, watering, blending of soil, aromatic plants, and the feel of textures.

    The garden is a happy place to be with no age limit. It is a place that you can visit alone to see how your vegetables are growing, gather blooms for containers, and share your vegetables with friends. It is a quiet place for gathering thoughts. You can share the growth of your garden with friends and share garden tips.

    Gardening can also be a spiritual connection when you focus on something greater than us, which is the miracle of growth. It is a place to see the birds gather and the sun shining on all that you have planted. It is a place that you visit first in the morning and in the evening to say good night until the next day. You water, nurture, pull weeds, and delight in new buds for flowers and vegetables and this is your happy place.

    Live, love life and gardening.

  • 8c The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a concept design for the new Crown Event Center on May 15, completing another step toward the $131.7 million multipurpose center that will replace the Crown Theater and Arena.

    The three-story center, which will be in downtown Fayetteville, includes a two-story lobby with a rooftop terrace facing Gillespie Street; an event hall that can accommodate 3,000 people; meeting and events space; and VIP spaces, according to the newly approved concept design.

    The $131.7 million price tag is higher than the initial estimate in the early planning stages for the center, but the facility is now projected to be larger than originally planned — 131,500 square feet versus the original 89,000. Inflation has driven up the price as well, according to a news release from the county.

    “When escalation is taken into account, the cost per square foot between the original and approved budgets is similar,” the release said.

    County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe noted in an interview with CityView that the budget for the new center will not increase taxes for county residents.

    “This is going to be funded through the local occupancy tax dollars and the food and beverage tax dollars. So, no bonds, no additional revenue sources, no tax increases that need to come out for all this. The funding model that we've stayed within throughout this entire process allows for food and beverage and local occupancy tax to take care of these projects,” Keefe said.

    The new center will not be like the traditional performing arts center, Keefe said.

    “It’s what we’re calling an entertainment center that has a lot of flex space in it,” he said.

    Keefe said the larger space will allow the center to accommodate community events and not just touring acts that are typically seen in other cities across North Carolina, such as Durham Performing Arts Center.

    “There’s not many events that the community can be involved in. With that facility, it’s usually national touring acts that come in. Well, this will truly be a community center. There’ll be opportunities for lots of folks to be able to use this center,” Keefe said.

    And it’s not just the center itself for Keefe. The commissioner called the venue an “economic multiplier” for downtown businesses.

    “The location should be able to enhance the existing businesses of downtown, but more importantly, should also be able to allow for expansion of new businesses and property around the center,” Keefe said.

    “Whenever people come and decide to move here and move their family here, we can come in downtown, and we can show where we have a state-of-the-art baseball stadium. And now we’re going to have a state-of-the-art, very modern event center that will have a lot of different things going on for families,” Keefe continued. “We’re really pretty excited about it.”

    Earlier this year, the county approved construction managers for the project, CityView reported.

    Construction of the center is estimated to begin early next year, and the venue is set to open by November 2025.

  • 5“There can be no security anywhere in the free world if there is no fiscal and economic stability within the United States.” — President Ronald Reagan

    President Reagan understood the importance of getting America’s economy in order. Yet our crippling debt, now at over $30 trillion, continues to threaten our standing in the world and must be addressed.

    President Joe Biden refused to negotiate for more than 100 days to address the debt. Our country cannot afford to default on our debt due to Washington Democrat’s political games. Under Speaker Kevin McCarthy, House Republicans have raised the debt limit in a responsible way. We are united in our desire to address the debt crisis and curb reckless spending for years to come.

    I am proud of our work to save America from defaulting and will stay focused on improving our economy for you and your family.

    While Washington Democrats have procrastinated on the debt ceiling, they have also refused to acknowledge the magnitude of the crisis at our Southern border. Yet it is clear — extreme Democrats’ support of radical open border policies have resulted in the worst border crisis in American history.

    Earlier this month, Title 42, a public health border security measure that has been used to keep nearly 3 million illegal migrants out of the U.S. since 2020, expired. In the days leading up to this, more than 10,000 migrants were encountered at the border, shattering records.

    To address the crisis, House Republicans passed the Secure the Border Act — the strongest border security bill America has ever seen. It will keep our nation safe and our border secure.
    It’s plain and simple — border security is national security. Our bill ends catch and release, fixes the asylum program, hires more border patrol agents, restarts border wall construction, and protects children from human trafficking.

    Once again, House Republicans have shown we have solutions to the challenges facing our nation while others choose to ignore them.

    Recently, in celebration of National Police Week, House Republicans condemned ‘defunding the police’ and anti-police rhetoric and passed the POLICE Act of 2023 and the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act.

    We seek to give local law enforcement the resources and support they need to get the job done.

    In recent years, good police officers dedicated to keeping our communities safe have not always received the resources and respect they deserve. Assaults on police have gone up significantly, leading to the deadliest year in two decades for our law enforcement officers.

    As we recognized Memorial Day last week, we honored our brave service members who gave their lives in the defense of the freedoms we hold so dear. I am deeply grateful to be an American, and incredibly appreciative of those who risk their lives daily to defend our liberties. And I will never forget the sacrifices our military families make every day.

    Our nation is the greatest on earth because of courageous service members, law enforcement officers, and their families. May God bless America, and the men and women in uniform who protect our community and keep this great nation free.

  • 8bFayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) will reinstate collection of fares for all fixed route and paratransit services on July 1 after suspending collecting fares in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

    “FAST was among many transit agencies in the nation to suspend fares in order to limit unnecessary interactions between riders and operators,” said FAST Director Tyffany Neal.

    Over the past three years, FAST worked tirelessly to keep both employees and passengers safe by implementing new safety measures and procedures such as rear door boarding and sanitizing vehicles and facilities daily.

    FAST will begin selling passes on June 1. Riders can purchase passes at the Transit Center located at 505 Franklin Street. Some Carlie C’s locations will also sell FAST passes, however, options are limited to 5-Day, 5-Day Discount, 30-Day, 30-Day Discount, 30-Day Youth and Summer Fun Passes. The four Carlie C’s locations are Eutaw, Bordeaux, Reilly Road and Cedar Creek.

    Riders should have their fares prepared prior to boarding the bus and provide exact change as operators cannot handle cash and make change. City of Fayetteville employees can continue to ride fare free by displaying their City identification badge.

    FAST is encouraging staff and customers to wear masks in FAST facilities and vehicles, however it is not mandatory.
    Providing excellent service and maintaining the health and safety of our staff, operators and passengers continue to be our priorities as FAST strives to be a choice mode of transportation, Neal said.

    Visit www.RideFAST.net for more information. Download the free TransLoc Rider app to see buses moving in real-time, see the location and heading of buses in their vicinity and get accurate arrival predictions.

  • 4It is still Fort Bragg.

    But only until June 2.

    Then North Carolina’s mammoth U.S. Army base will become Fort Liberty. Still, it will always be Fort Bragg in my memories.

    My first experience in a racially integrated work situation was in ROTC summer camp at Fort Bragg in 1961. I was the product of a segregated secondary and college education. It was different at Bragg. Not only were there many Black cadets in my company, but the regular Army lieutenant colonel in charge of us was Black. He was a wonderful leader.

    I remember the welcome speech he gave on our first day. He gathered his cadets around. We were scared to death, and he told us the story of Fort Bragg, and how it came to be named for a military leader, a general in the Confederate army named Braxton Bragg. I thought many years later that he must have had to bite his tongue because Bragg had fought to keep Blacks in slavery.

    Many of the Black cadets were potentially superior future officers. They prepared me, as the Army of the 1950’s and 1960’s prepared hundreds of thousands of other southern men, for the changes to come in civilian life in North Carolina.

    I arrived at Fort Bragg as a white boy who had never gone to school with Blacks, never eaten in the same restaurant, never drunk at the same water fountain, never rode in the same section of a bus or a train — and put me right beside some of the best people I ever met (not all my same color). I was never the same.

    When I left that summer, I don’t want to say I was free of racism, but I was a changed person. I rejoiced in the diversity that Army life brought me and the great strength that came from mutual trust and respect. And

    I knew that the principal beneficiary of the opening of doors of opportunity was me.
    If our nation is ever successful in completing its task of erasing racism, intolerance and injustice, the Armed Forces and particularly the Army and Fort Bragg must be given due credit.

    The Army has led the way.

    Like many other North Carolinians, I have spent other times at Fort Bragg, including almost two years when I
    was on active duty, living on Bragg Boulevard.

    The most memorable time was on Thanksgiving weekend in 2002 when, as I wrote then, a little after midnight I picked up my son, Grier, at his Raleigh home, helped carry his heavy gear to my car, waited while he ran upstairs to tell his wife goodbye, get a look at his brand new daughter, and then begin our drive to Fort Bragg for the beginning of his long journey to the other side of the world.

    It was raining as we approached Fayetteville, turned off Business I-95, and then on to Bragg Boulevard, passed the house where I lived as a young Army officer, and then passed by the shopping centers, pawnshops, night spots, mobile home lots, car dealerships and the other strong marks of a military town.

    Still under the heaviness of the rain, we came on the base, passing through security where my son returned the salute of the guard, a signal that we would soon arrive at the point of formation, where my son and his traveling companions would gather this early morning to begin their trip to Afghanistan.

    I will be happy to call it Fort Liberty from now on, but I will always remember what Fort Bragg has meant for me.

    Editor's Note: D.G. Martin, a retired lawyer, served as UNC-System’s vice president for public affairs and hosted PBS-NC’s North Carolina Bookwatch.

  • 8aMinor League Baseball recently announced plans for a fundraising campaign during the 2023 season in support of the American Cancer Society. The “Hope At Bat” program will consist of four “Donation Days” across the country, where on-field performance by players will generate donations to the ACS.

    The “Hope At Bat” campaign’s donation days will be on Mother’s Day (May 14), Father’s Day (June 18), the Fourth of July, and September 3.

    On Mother’s Day, every strikeout in a MiLB game was worth $10 to the ACS as part of “Strike Out Breast Cancer Day” across the 60 MiLB games.

    On Father’s Day (June 18), each home run hit in the 60 MiLB games will be worth $100 to the ACS as part of “Knocking Cancer Out of the Park Day” to fight prostate and colorectal cancer.

    On the Fourth of July, every double hit in the Minor Leagues will be worth $50 to the ACS as part of “Doubling Down on Sun Safety Day.”

    On September 3, MiLB clubs will join Major League Baseball clubs in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Day. For every run scored in the Minor Leagues that day, MiLB will donate $15 to the ACS as part of “Give Every Child a Chance to Run Day.”

    Woodpeckers fans can look forward to the home game on June 18 to cheer on the team as they play to raise money for the ACS.

    For more than 100 years, the American Cancer Society has been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. To learn more, visit cancer.org.

    For more information about the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, please visit www.fayettevillewoodpeckers.com.

  • 18The concept of Fasting in Fayetteville evolved from a conversation between two old seminary buddies last year. Sporadically, my former Oral Roberts University classmate, Saundra Blair, and I would check-in with each other to share updates. As is consistent with Saundra, she mentioned praying for some family members to “come to know the Lord.”

    Saundra went on to mention several specific concerns and passionately declared that she was still praying for them. My thoughts went to a cousin of mine who had died a few months before. I told Saundra that I had been praying for my cousin for years, and he still died at age 67 from a drug overdose.

    My lamenting to my friend included admission that my prayers for my cousin had come and gone. I found myself somewhat disheartened because his slow decline was observable. I asked my friend, “How do we walk out James 5:16b? How does ‘the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous’ get results”?

    The first part of James 5:16 states, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” Unintentionally, my questions became a confession that I had not been consistent in prayer for my now deceased cousin. I had become discouraged in praying for him because there was no observable change over the years.

    As our conversation lengthened, we discussed the discipline of prayer and expectancy, and our responsibility to trust God for results. Being seminary graduates we automatically began to review Jesus as our model for prayer.

    We pondered, “What gets in the way of hearing from God? How do we foster a more disciplined, focused prayer life?”

    The Bible informs us that Jesus consistently lived in prayerful conversation with the Father. He completely humbled Himself before God with prayer and fasting before beginning His public ministry. The light bulb came on for us! As we began to look through multiple Hebrew Scriptures and pull out notes from our seminary days, the difference became clear.

    At times, we had “fasted” with and for others regarding a particular need within families and communities. However, we began to see that Biblical fasting and prayer with our lives yielded to God is completely different from us setting the agenda for time with God. I said aloud, “Hey wait a minute! I haven’t been fasting, I’ve just been skipping meals!” So, we began our journey of humbling ourselves in fasting and prayer.

    In Isaiah 58, God calls a fast to put a stop to wickedness, lift heavy burdens, and for you to break every yoke. This got our attention!

    He promises outcomes of such a fast that range from healing and spiritual growth to rebuilding deserted ruins of our cities and restoring streets in which to live safely.

    We have been so exhilarated and inspired that we want to invite others to join in discovering the possibilities of how God fulfills His word through believers who humble themselves in fasting and prayer.

    Fasting in Fayetteville is a 12-week targeted Bible study and community dialogue with the goal of integrating healthy holistic lifestyle choices which are sustainable. This certificate symposium includes community wellness and fitness providers, nutritionists, local farmers, meal-prep restaurant and health store owners. Biblical perspectives will be shared by pastors, rabbis, theologians and participants.

    First Baptist Church, located at 201 Anderson Street, is hosting this interactive seminar which will meet in person and by Zoom on Thursdays, beginning June 1 at noon.
    Sessions will be recorded and uploaded to the Fasting in Fayetteville YouTube channel. To register, go to www.FastinginFayetteville.org There is no charge for this event.

    Editor's note: Saundra Blair, DMin, Ed.D., is a retired college professor and former associate pastor. She is a nutrition and health enthusiast. Denise Merritt, DMin, is a retired Army Chaplain and currently serves as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Fayetteville. She attends First Baptist Church on Anderson Street with her husband, Karl.

  • 17Anyone thinking of selling their business needs to be prepared to negotiate. Why? Because your goals and the buyer’s goals may be the same — to get the best deal — but that doesn’t mean the same thing for both parties. It will take time, and some give and take on both sides to arrive at an optimal deal for everyone involved.

    Ensuring that you are negotiating from a position of strength is vital, and the best way to create a favorable negotiation process is by understanding and following a few tips.

    Price is not always everything.

    You want the largest return on your investment possible when selling your company. But it is essential to understand your motivating interests in selling and the buyer’s interest for buying. Believe it or not, their number one reason for buying or your main reason for selling may not be money.

    The truth is, there are many non-monetary ways to be compensated for selling your company. For instance, you may want to be retained as a consultant. You may want to ensure your employees’ positions are safeguarded. Or you may simply want to secure the legacy of your business. Spend some time thinking about your reason for selling and what you hope to accomplish for yourself and the company with the sale.

    Other areas that may matter as much, or more, than your asking price are the payment terms. Will there be an earnout? How will the payout be structured? These are questions whose answers will factor into what you ask for your business and why you are asking that amount.

    Be prepared with a walk-away number.

    Negotiations are part of most if not all, business sales. Before you start selling your business, you need to have a target price range in mind that you want to hit, as well as a dollar amount that you won’t go below.
    Once you have established your walk-away number, the next step is to verify the buyer’s financial wherewithal. Has a lender qualified them? Do they have the deposit money readily available? The answers to both these questions need to be yes before you proceed.

    Be comfortable making concessions.

    We mentioned negotiations above, and part of that process is being comfortable with making concessions to your buyer. It can help to see things from their point of view. For instance, why might someone be interested in buying your company? What could they be hoping to gain?

    Additionally, you’ve devoted your time and energy to this business. Most likely, you have an emotional investment in it, as well as a financial one. If you don’t work to check your emotions, to limit how much personal feelings sway you, you will find the idea of concessions much more challenging.

    Understand how to best leverage the buyer’s demands with your demands to achieve the best outcome for yourself and your company.

    Understand who you are negotiating with.

    Because you are so invested in your business, negotiating can be tricky. Prepare yourself in advance for the idea of negotiating by knowing your expectations. Think about what compromises you are willing to make. Imagine potential outcomes if you don’t reach your end goal. Being prepared ahead of time prevents potential pitfalls like negotiating for the sake of it or negotiating with yourself instead of the potential buyer.

    That is where a business broker can provide invaluable assistance. A qualified advisor can help you map out concessions once they know what your sacred cows are, set expectations for the process once it begins, and help you keep emotions out of the equation.

    Be ready to move the deal along.

    Selling a business takes a bit of homework. You need to be ready to drive the deal at specific points. Start by gathering all the outside valuation information to determine a value for your business. Are there any liabilities or other issues connected to your business that you must address to ensure the deal can move smoothly?

    Delays can cause a buyer’s interest to dampen or heighten their concerns. Be prepared to quickly answer any questions the buyer may have to keep the process moving along.

    Realize it is okay to say no and move on.

    Not every buyer is a good fit. Sometimes the timing is off. Negotiations breaking down is a part of the process. If your buyer isn’t moving or the process has stalled, it may be time to walk away.
    If you determine this transaction isn’t happening, consider alternatives that will make it easier for you to move on when necessary. And should you have to walk away, take time to reflect on why things went south so you can avoid this result in the future.

    Last but not least, it’s never dead enough.

    People’s minds can change over time or after some reflection. You may find that the buyer who didn’t work out a few months ago returns after their circumstances change. Be open to the process and whatever it brings.

    Negotiations can be tough. And not everyone has the skills to manage them. Working with business advisors can help. Trained business brokers protect you and your business throughout the sale process. The safest and quickest way to sell your business begins with a conversation with a broker.

    Editor’s note: Ashley Kelsey is a Business Broker at Transworld Business Advisors of Eastern North Carolina. She can be reached at 910-302-6447.

  • 17aAlbert Einstein said “The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.”

    The Paul H. Thompson Library at Fayetteville Technical Community College is not your grandmother’s library. The era of the old library with moldy books and shushing librarians no longer exists. In its place, FTCC has established a new, dynamic facility that certainly does have many books, but also provides new resources to help students meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.

    Would you like to build a prototype of your newest invention or create your artistic masterpiece?
    If so, you need to visit the makerspace on the first floor of the library. There are 3D printers, computers, graphic design tools, and skilled librarians who will help you turn your dreams into reality. Currently enrolled

    FTCC students can create projects in the library makerspace for free.

    Do you need a meeting place? FTCC’s library has a variety of study spaces on the first and second floors equipped with white boards, computers, large monitors, comfortable chairs, and friendly librarians who are eager to help you. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the library.

    Do you need somewhere to relax on campus? If so, you need to come to the library. You can relax in a plush chair, charge your phone, watch a video, listen to music, and chat with your friends. You can even challenge a stranger to a game of oversized checkers.

    Do you need to borrow a human skeleton? If so, you need to visit the second floor of the library where we have replica, anatomically correct, human skeletons. Just tell one of our librarians that you need to borrow a skeleton, and they will loan you a skeleton free to use while in the library.

    Do you need answers right now, in the privacy of your own home? If so, you need to visit FTCC’s Paul H. Thompson library website at www.faytechcc.edu/campus-life/library/. The website provides access to thousands of eBooks, newspapers, academic journals, popular magazines and study guides. Many of these resources are not available to the general public. You can even chat with a live librarian every day from 8 a.m. to midnight. 17b

    Do you need a working lightsaber? That is too bad. Lightsabers are not real, and you already know that, BUT if anyone ever builds a real lightsaber, it will probably be someone who spent a great deal of time in a library, perhaps even the Paul H. Thompson Library at FTCC.

    We invite you to visit the Paul H. Thompson library at the Fayetteville campus of FTCC at 2201 Hull Road or take a virtual tour at www.faytechcc.edu/campus-life/library/.
    FTCC is currently registering students for summer and fall classes, so it’s the perfect time to visit the library and discover how the library can enhance your learning experiences at FTCC.

  • 16 Most people do not give much thought to the blood running through their veins. However, it may pay to learn more about your blood type, as it can affect your overall health in a variety of ways.

    What is blood type? The American Red Cross says there are four main blood types, which are determined by the presence or absence of A and B antigens on the surface of red blood cells and the presence of antibodies in the blood plasma. Blood type is further affected by a protein called the Rh factor, which can be present (+) or absent (-).

    Here’s a further breakdown.

    • Type A: Only the A antigen on red cells (and B antibody in the plasma).
    • Type B: Only the B antigen on red cells (and A antibody in the plasma).
    • Type AB: Both A and B antigens on red cells (but neither A nor B antibodies in the plasma).
    • Type O: Neither A nor B antigens on red cells (but both A and B antibodies in the plasma).

    COVID-19 studies examining how blood type affects overall health are ongoing, and such research garnered extra attention from the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent research indicates that blood type can affect one’s risk of contracting COVID-19 as well as the severity of symptoms.

    A key finding of the genetics company 23andme indicated that people with type O had lower incidences of COVID-19 positive tests. Evidence held even when researchers took into account age, sex, body mass index, and other factors.

    In one study, researchers in China found that “blood group A was associated with a higher risk for acquiring COVID-19 compared with non-A blood groups.” Researchers at Columbia University reported similar risks associated with type A blood.

    Heart disease

    The protective nature of type O blood also applies to heart disease. WebMD reports that risk for coronary heart disease is lower among the O group as opposed to other types.

    Stomach cancer

    Individuals with A, B and AB blood types are more likely to get stomach cancer. The link may lie in the presence of H. pylori infection, which tends to be more common in people with type A blood, according to Northwestern Medicine.

    Stress

    Northwestern also reports that those with type A blood may have more trouble handling stress due to heightened levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

    Kidney stones

    More than five million people in Sweden were studied to determine the link between blood type and health risks. Those with type O and type B were more likely to get kidney stones.
    Blood type can shed light on individuals’ risk for various conditions, and researchers continue to study the link between blood type and overall health.

  • 6Sex, violence and economics are in today’s column. Let’s begin by mangling the quote of our old friend Fred Nietzsche: “If you gaze into the debt default, the default gazes back at you.”

    Fred was a cheery, upbeat kind of guy, life of the party, always looking on the sunny side of the street. When he wrote his original version about staring into the abyss, he was just having a bad day. The U.S. economy is currently staring into the abyss of defaulting on its debt. This is the national equivalent of someone deciding not to pay their accrued Mastercard bill to see what happens next.

    Today’s blot on world literature will poke around about what may happen next if the U.S. defaults on its debt. Bored already because economics are boring? Stick around, we are going to introduce Cassandra of Greek mythology. Plenty of sex, violence and soothsaying will ensue.

    Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says the U.S. is going to run out of cash in early June. The Republicans are holding the debt limit hostage to cutting the next budget. President Biden is holding out for a clean bill raising the debt limit so we can pay the national Mastercard bill. What could go wrong?

    Here is what Secretary Yellen said could go wrong if the U.S. doesn’t make the payments on its $31.4 trillion Mastercard bill. She says we will get to enjoy an “economic calamity.” The U.S. will default on its Treasury bill payments, Social Security benefits, Medicare, VA benefits and other bills which the U.S. previously paid during its entire existence.

    The parade of horribles includes a stock market crash, loss of millions of jobs, another Great Recession, and possible return of disco music. The Republican House of Representatives doesn’t believe in economic gravity and refuses to increase the debt limit without major cuts to next year’s budget. As Sir Isaac Newton pointed out “Gravity is not just a good idea, it’s the law.”

    Janet Yellen reminds me of Cassandra of Greek mythology. Cassandra could accurately predict the future but was cursed that no one would believe her. Here comes the sex and violence previously promised. Not bad for a column about economics if I do say so.

    Cassandra was the human daughter of the King and Queen of Troy. She was pretty as a picture. She caught the eye of the Greek god Apollo. Apollo wanted Cassandra to be his honey-bunny. As a present to lure her to be his Baby Mamma, Apollo gave her the ability to foretell the future. In return, she agreed to hook up with Apollo. Once she got the gift of prophecy from him, she changed her mind. This did not sit well with Apollo. There are no take backs on a gift from the gods, so he couldn’t cancel her ability to tell the future. However, he could and did add a poison pill to Cassandra’s fortune telling ability. He put a curse on her that no one would believe her prophecies even though they would all come true. Double Yikes.

    Cassandra predicted all manner of things that came true which no one believed. She told Paris not to kidnap Helen of Troy. She told the Trojans not to bring the giant horse into Troy. She knew that the Greek’s famous Trojan horse was actually packed with Greek warriors. Cassandra ran with an ax and a torch to set fire to the Trojan horse, but the Trojans stopped her. She foresaw the murder of Agamemnon and her own murder.

    After Troy fell, Ajax the Lesser (a Greek warrior who undoubtably had issues due to his nickname) came after Cassandra who was hiding in the temple of Athena. Ajax dragged her away from Athena’s statue knocking it down in the process. Ajax beat and raped Cassandra in the temple. Athena was not happy about Ajax defiling her temple and Cassandra who had sought refuge there. Ajax high tailed it out of Troy on a ship. Athena chunked a bolt of lighting destroying the ship. Ajax swam to a big rock believing he was safe. Then Poseidon, King of the Sea, destroyed the rock with his magic trident sending Ajax to a watery death in Davy Jones’ Locker.

    Meanwhile, the Greek King Agamemnon took Cassandra as his mistress. In response, Aggy’s wife Clytemnestra took Aegisthus as her own lover. Cassandra had two children by Aggy. Aggy’s wife and lover then murdered Aggy, Cassandra, and their two kids. It was murders most foul.

    Let us hope Janet Yellen is not a modern Cassandra, foreseeing an ugly financial future that no one believes. This column will come the last week of May. We will know quite soon if Ms. Yellen has repeated Cassandra’s ability to foretell a future that no one believes. Buckle your seat belts, it’s gonna be a bumpy flight.

  • 11Hannah Stevenson is a maker of lovely things and a creator of a beautiful life. She approaches life as something that is beautiful and has taken that belief into her work.

    Stevenson is a fashion photographer, which has been a hobby for her in the past decade. She loved taking photos of people and helping them feel their best.

    “I’ve had a lot of history with fashion, and it’s definitely my passion. Photography was something I picked up because I love taking photos of what I was making. And I also just love taking portraits of people,” Stevenson said.

    However, she ideally wants to design her own clothes for women. The long-term goal is to one day own a clothing brand or create a fashion label. On her personal Instagram page, @happyinhandmades, Stevenson often practices her own photography and fashion using herself as the model.

    “I love photography and I love fashion, so I want to combine my passion for things in some way. So I decided I was going to get into fashion photography, where hopefully, eventually, I’m going to make clothes for women to wear for photo shoots or at least design them.”

    Stevenson says she would describe her style as a mix on vintage, feminine, delicate but not too frilly. “I’m also obsessed with embroidery. I have a machine and pointers, so I try to incorporate that in a lot of the things I make,” Stevenson said.

    With her fashion photography starting to become more of a passion as she used herself as a model, she decided to start her own business, Rosette Visual Arts.
    Stevenson presented Rosette Visual Arts to the #HERPitch competition in March. Her idea was to have glamor-style photos for women.

    “So what I presented was that I wanted to highlight... glamor photography, kind of like in the nineties, kind of a similar concept. Women would dress up, and I would do these glamor-style photos for them, but not just like head shots,” Stevenson said. “I wanted them to be wearing pretty dresses for these photo shoots, and I was going to have like a pretty backdrop and props. I was going to set up a space to make it look fancy and luxurious. I wanted to offer that kind of service to girls and women.”11a

    Stevenson says this project is so important to her because her mission is to help every woman feel beautiful and remind them that they are worthy to have these glamor photos taken. These photos aren’t just for fashion models, but for themselves.

    “I truly believe that every person is beautiful. I could see something beautiful in every person I meet, and I try to let that shine through in my photos. I want them to see themselves through an artist,” Stevenson said.

    Out of a dozen business owners, Stevenson was one of the four winners who received a grant for $2,500 from CEED Capital and the Women of Power Society of NC.
    Stevenson will be using the grant money towards purchasing camera equipment and backdrops.

    “I think what helped sell my idea was that a lot of women don’t really get to dress up and look pretty. And so I’m going to give them that opportunity to dress up and look pretty and have that ‘shining moment’ of looking beautiful, like taking photos that look like they could be in a magazine,” Stevenson said.

    She hopes to launch her glamor photography around the beginning of fall. To learn more about Stevenson and her company, Rosette Visual Arts, visit her Instagram page, @rosettevisualarts.

  • When was the last time you discussed hot flashes in public? What about night sweats and mood05-07-14-menopause.gif swings? Well, grab your girlfriends, ladies. Menopause the Musicalis coming for one day only to the Crown Center on May 18. It’s a Chick Flick, live on stage!

    The entire musical is set in a department store, where four women with seemingly nothing in common meet by chance over a black lace bra. From there, a friendship is formed that gives way to conversations about hot flashes, chocolate cravings, wrinkles and mood swings. The show is staged to classic tunes from the 60s, 70s and 80s and promises to have you dancing in the aisles.

    It is estimated that nearly 11 million women have attended a performance since the 2001 opening in Orlando, Florida. Inspired by a hot flash and a bottle of wine, writer and producer Jeanie Linders created the show as a celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of or have survived “The Change.”

    Although the show’s message may seem a little “senior,” Ingrid Cole, one of the leading ladies of the show and winner of the 2012 Suzi Bass Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal as Rose in Gypsy with The Atlanta Lyrics Theatre, promises that people of all ages will love it- men, too. “Men love the show! This is why the show is so popular. It applies to everyone,” Cole says.

    As an original show cast member, Cole was a bit surprised at first at how popular the show is, but not anymore. “We are all a little amazed at how this little show has exploded. But, it’s no surprise anymore that people have at least heard of it.”

    Cole says she and her cast mates are having the best time touring with Menopause. “We get along really well and respect each other. You can see it on stage, too.”

    The show is produced by GFour Productions, which has won more than 40 Tony Awards. Notable productions include The Book of Mormonand I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.

    The show begins at 3 p.m. and runs for 90 minutes. Tickets range from $30 - $65 and are available online at Ticketmaster.com, in person at the Crown Center Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets or by phone at 1.800.745.3000. Group discounts of 10+ are available by calling 888-686-8587 x 2. Additional service charges and fees may apply.

    Menopause the Musicalhas entertained audiences in more than 450 U.S. cities, in a total of 15 countries and more than 300 international cities. Internationally, the show has been performed in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

    Cole says, “You get in the room with a bunch of women who are celebrating the change and a magical thing happens. We feel like rock stars! Be prepared to laugh and have a good time! And, don’t we all need that?”For more information about the show, please visit www.menopausethemusical.com.

    For more information about Ingrid Cole, please visit www.Ingridcole.com.

  • 5 Ill-conceived legislative disaster

    Remember North Carolina House Bill # 2, the so-called bathroom bill in 2016? That ill-conceived legislative disaster regulating who could use which bathroom cost North Carolina $3.76 billion in lost revenue according to the Associated Press and made the Tar Heel state a national laughingstock and the favorite kicking post of late-night television comedians.

    Well, the General Assembly is at it again, this time with a regressive reproductive rights bill conceived in darkness and rammed through both chambers that will both cost our state revenue and send medical professionals running for the hills — hills in other, less restrictive states.
    Women’s rights to make our own decisions about our own bodies have been contentious for decades, and especially so since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade nearly a year ago.
    Idaho recently enacted highly restrictive provisions regarding reproductive rights, and at least one Idaho hospital is shutting the door on labor and delivery services because of the “political climate.” This leaves expectant mothers no choice but to drive to outlying communities for these services and hope they can make it. Doctors and other medical providers are leaving the state for fear of felony prosecution for providing reproductive health care.

    No matter how one feels about abortion, the Idaho legislature full of non-medical members has hijacked medical decision making. That political decision is harming women and children and will hurt Idaho both medically and economically.

    We did not want that in North Carolina, but here it is. Some people never learn.

    Timmons-Goodson appointed Law School Dean at NCCU

    My heart jumped for joy when I learned that my dear friend, Patricia Timmons-Goodson, will be the next Dean of the School of Law at North Carolina Central University. NCCU could do no better.

    The new Dean is a hometown girl who attended Pine Forest High School and holds degrees from UNC-CH and Duke University. She served Cumberland County as a prosecutor and a District Court Judge, and served North Carolina on both the state Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. She served our nation on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

    On top of all that, she is a devoted family woman, the oldest of a household full of children in an Army family, and a wife and mother of two adult sons. She is a wonderful friend and great company in all sorts of circumstances. She made her stage debut at Cape Fear Regional Theatre a decade ago in Bo Thorp’s “The Dames You Thought You Knew,” the life stories of five local women.

    I can hardly wait to see what Dean Timmons-Goodson does next, and I suspect that the NCCU School of Law graduates now practicing in Cumberland County feel the same.

    Cover model Martha Stewart shows age is just a number

    Finally, hip, hip, hooray for Martha Stewart, another strong woman doing her thing.

    The former teenage model, caterer, one-time federal prison inmate, and current homemaking entrepreneur and guru peddling everything from cookbooks to designer cat litter is a cover girl at 81-years-old. She adorns the cover of the current Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition wearing a low-cut white swim number, what appears to be a satin beach cover up, and looking terrific. Inside she swims, lolls on the beach, wears a gigantic straw hat and, again, looks terrific.

    Martha credits her excellent looks to a “healthy lifestyle,” and even assuming some significant surgical intervention, I have to give her credit for being willing to be an octogenarian cover model. So many women “of a certain age” shirk their reality, while Martha is reveling in hers.

    More power to her, even if I do not use her cat litter.

  • 10bFayetteville Woodpeckers Announce “Woodpeckers Sports Fund,” Available to Cumberland County High School Athletes

    The Fayetteville Woodpeckers recently announced the establishment of the Woodpeckers Sports Fund, in partnership with Cumberland County Schools. This opportunity will be open to high school athletes in the Cumberland County School District, playing fall and spring sports.

    Courtesy of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers’ Community Leaders Program, the Woodpeckers Sports Fund will distribute a total of $10,000 per school year to high school athletes in need of assistance for sports fees, uniforms, or other costs associated with participating in their school’s sports.

    Athletes may apply for assistance through the Woodpeckers Sports Fund later this summer for the fall semester and late fall for the spring semester.

    The Woodpeckers Sports Fund was announced May 5, during the Second Annual Jackie Robinson Showcase, which brought six local Title I high school baseball teams to Segra Stadium. The Woodpeckers and Community Leaders Program partners are proud to support young athletes by providing the resources they need to develop physically and mentally into future leaders in our community.

    For more information about the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, please visit www.fayettevillewoodpeckers.com.

  • 05-14-14-kiwanis.gifIn the minds of many people, there is no more noble a gesture than caring for the needs of the children in our community. There are so many children and so many needs that people feel should be addressed. If an individual can make a sustained effort to make a difference, some of those needs can be filled. If a group of individuals comes together to take up the cause, the effect of the individual can be multiplied several times over. If that group can sustain the effort for an extended length of time, it is possible to make a substantial difference.

    The Kiwanis Club of Fayetteville is an organization of individuals from our community that have taken the gesture of caring for the needs of children and embraced it as a mission. Bill Bowman, publisher of Up & Coming Weekly, is a member of the club who describes it as, “dedicated to the community and improving the lives of youth.” Since its formation in 1921, the Fayetteville Kiwanis Club has worked to better the community and serve children, preschool to high school, by offering and supporting many programs in varying areas of interest.

    For the Kiwanis Club of Fayetteville, one program has become particularly endearing to the community, the annual Talent Night Showcase. The showcase has returned for its 63rd year and will be held at its traditional home at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre on June 13. The event is a showcase for talented young people from pre-school age though high school that serves as a fundraiser to support other Kiwanis programs like; Reading is Fun, Little League Baseball, and Key Clubs.

    Bowman credited the community for the longevity and enduring success of the event, “When you have an event like this that draws the crowds it draws and serves the community it serves, it perpetuates itself. It’s not us that keep it alive; it’s the fact that it is a successful and prestigious event and this community that keeps it alive.”

    Youth from all corners of the area will descend on the Honeycutt Recreation Center on May 31 for auditions. If they are selected as finalists, they will perform on the stage at Cape Fear Regional Theatre on June 13. The competition for those spots in the main show will be intense according Bowman, “We will audition hundreds of children who will vie for five or six spots in each category. We have them broken down by grade level but only five or six, depending on the competition, will be chosen. This is not just a talent show; this is the best of the best.”

    In speaking about the type of talent that is selected, Bowman elaborated, “It is some amazing talent. We have had winners from the Kiwanis Talent Night go on to hold positions in the Boston Pops, go on to Broadway, and even become Miss North Carolina. We have a long tradition of turning out some of the best talent the county has to offer... For $7 you should not pass up the opportunity to see these young performers. “

    For more information about attending or performing, please visit the Kiwanis Talent Night Showcase website at www.fayettevillekiwanis.org/talent.

    Photo: Local students are invited to compete in the 63rd Annual Talent Night Showcase.

  • 4a This year's Cumberland County Golf Championship, slated for Oct. 13-15 at Gates Four Country Club, will again focus on youth development and education. Undoubtedly, utilizing golf to develop young people's interest in education and sports offers numerous benefits. In this case, the biggest one is to ensure this 55-year-old Cumberland County Golf Championship tradition survives for future generations.

    The CCGC is committed to maintaining the tradition while supporting countywide literacy and promoting golf at all the local golf courses, high schools, universities, and colleges. The annual CCGC is a prestigious golfing competition that recognizes and crowns the most outstanding golfer in Cumberland County.

    In addition, the CCGC fosters character development, promotes physical fitness, enhances social skills, and provides local youth with multiple educational resources and opportunities. To this end, the 2022 CCGC, held at Kings Grant and Gates Four, donated $5,000 to the Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation to provide reading and educational resources to Cumberland County children.4b

    Engaging young people in golf ensures the sustainability of the CCGC while preserving its integrity and popularity. Introducing young people to local sports traditions and values is essential. Golf courses, businesses, and organizations that sponsor the CCGC tournament invest in these young golfers knowing that early involvement will cultivate a lifelong passion for the game and the CCGC. It will also assure the future of the CCGC as the oldest and most continuous golf tournament in North Carolina. Teaching the rules, etiquette, and respect for the game ensures the sport's integrity is upheld. Our CCGC Champions, past and present, pass this knowledge down through generations, preserving tradition and heritage while embracing new trends and technologies. Nine-time CCGC Champion Billy West and eight-time champion Gary Robinson are two near-perfect examples of men motivating and inspiring young people.

    Mac Healy, the owner of Healy Wholesale, Billy Richardson of the Richardson Law Firm, and Kevin Lavertu, General Manager of Gates Four Country Club, know the value of education and tradition as it pertains to the quality of life of the Fayetteville community.

    These men continue to provide direction and financial support to the CCGC, ensuring its survival after The Fayetteville Observer newspaper dropped it as a sponsored event in 2016. And, with the CCGC focused on education and youth development, they have committed their support for the next three years. In addition, Ashley and Thomas Kelsey of Transworld Business Advisors have also joined the ranks as Title Sponsors.

    To these great businesses and all the CCGC sponsors and supporters, we say thank you! Thank you for allowing us to be a vital part of this 55-year-old tradition, and thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • 10a Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation is able to provide outings for cancer-affected families with children through the Karen Parker Allen Memorial Endowment. The purpose of the grant from Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc. is to give patients the opportunity to enjoy normal family activities without focusing on their cancer diagnosis. The intention is that the activities will also allow a child to feel like a child during a difficult time.

    Karen Parker Allen passed away in 2016 at age 55 after a valiant five-year battle with stage 4 colon cancer. She is survived by her husband and nine children. She is best known for her incredible love for her family and her passion for living. In that spirit, her family established the Karen Parker Allen Memorial Endowment of Cumberland Community Foundation in her loving memory.

    “Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation and the Friends of the Cancer Center are very grateful for the endowment and the Cumberland Community Foundation for making this program possible,” said Vice President of Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation Sabrina Brooks. “Once the patients are identified, the Friends of the Cancer Center Advisory Council works directly with each family to plan an outing of interest.”

    The program creates a day of activities for the entire family to have fun experiences together, such as a day at museums or parks, outdoor activities, special learning opportunities, sporting events, or other activities.

    “We want families to have a day to enjoy normal family activities without having to focus on cancer treatment schedules or other things that may be associated with the cancer diagnosis,” Brooks said.

    Activities have included going to the movies, the North Carolina Zoo, a Marksmen hockey game, trampoline park, going out to dinner and more.

  • 05-28-14-ceasefire.gifIn 2002, Project Safe Neighborhood came to Fayetteville under the Operation Ceasefire name. The program is part of a national initiative that was started under the Bush Administration in 2001. It is rooted in successes from programs that were implemented in Boston, Mass., and Richmond, Va., in the late 1990s.

    On June 6, at J.S. Spivey Rec Center, Operation Ceasefire presents Escape from Planet Earth. The movie is free and open to the public. It starts at 7:30 p.m. Bring a blanket or chair to sit on and enjoy an evening with friends.

    According to the Operation Ceasefire website, the goal is “To improve the quality of life for all residents of Fayetteville/Cumberland County by reducing gun and gang violence in our community.” Lisa Jayne is a part of the Fayetteville Police Department and serves as the Operation Ceasefire Coordinator; she describes Operation Ceasefire as having three core elements, “intervention, suppression and prevention.”

    The intervention component comes from a series of meetings Jayne refers to as “Call-ins.” “We work with Probation Parole; they send us about 100 parolees that are currently on probation or parole for gun crimes … That list gets narrowed down to around 30 individuals. We meet at Kingdom Impact Ministries as the faith based aspect is a part of Ceasefire, too. The parolees are given an appointment for a follow-up assessment with me. They are then put into a resource room … to provide education resources, jobs, healthcare, anything that people with felony convictions on their records have a hard time with. I also have speakers who have been there and done that… to give them some hope for how things can be turned around. After the speakers, there is a panel of all the law enforcement agencies of the area, from federal to state; they give them some tough love.”

    Suppression is a joint effort between local and federal law enforcement. From Jayne, “We have a very strong relationship with Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms... Any cases, tips, or anything done at the state level, we funnel it through the ATF to see if they can take the case federally. Federal sentences are much longer than state sentences … you don’t get out for good behavior… there is no parole or early release.”

    Jayne says that prevention is accomplished by a number of initiatives including the Movie Night program, “In 2007, we purchased outdoor movie equipment … We go into neighborhoods that are disadvantaged with a free movie, popcorn and soda. The police are on hand, while the children are watching a movie … if the public wants to talk to the police about a certain area where they may see a problem or if there are people causing problems. It is over two hours of face-to-face time in a non-threatening, laid back and family atmosphere.” The program also utilizes a gang detective that goes and does presentations about gangs that are just for adults. To promote gun safety, gun locks are distributed at no charge to anyone who owns a gun that also has children.

    For more information about Operation Ceasefire and any of its programs, including the Movie Night schedule, visit their website at www.ceasefire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us. Program Coordinator Lisa Jayne is available to provide information on the program, volunteering and donation opportunities at 910-433-1017 or LJayne@ci.fay.nc.us.

  • Travel is a leading American industry that’s more than just fun. In fact, travel and tourism is one of the country’s leading industries — it impacts the economies of the nation, the state and here in Cumberland County. May 4-12, we recognize the impact of this industry with National Travel & Tourism Week, a national celebration from the U.S. Travel Association that champions the value of travel. The 2013 theme for National Travel & Tourism Week is “Travel Effect.”

    Nationwide, travel supports 14.6 million jobs with a $200.9 billion payroll. U.S. travelers generate $2 trillion in economic impact that contributes $128.8 billion in tax revenues for federal, state and local governments. In fact, without travel and tourism’s contribution to the tax base, each household would be taxed an additional $1,060 per year.

    In 2011, domestic visitors spent $18.4 million across North Carolina, generating $2.8 billion in tax receipts. This is an 8 percent increase from the previous year and a record high spending fi gure. North Carolina tourism supports 187,900 jobs for North Carolina residents and contributes $4.18 billion to the state’s payroll.

    Of North Carolina’s 100 counties, Cumberland County generates the eighth highest economic impact from domestic tourism. In 2011, the industry generated $450.11 million in expenditures and $33.96 in state and local tax revenues. This represents a $104.53 tax savings to each county resident. Additionally, Cumberland County’s tourism industry employs 4,200 people with a payroll of $80.97 million. Tourism is Cumberland County’s second largest industry.

    Marketing the community

    The Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau works to maximize the economic impact of travel and tourism in Cumberland County. That figure is steadily rising. From 2001 to 2011, domestic tourism expenditures grew 83 percent from $245.99 million to the present fi gure of $450.11 million.

    The bureau is funded through occupancy taxes collected from overnight visitors at Cumberland County hotels and administered by the Tourism Development Authority (TDA). This means that no local taxpayer money is used for the promotion of travel and tourism. (The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County and The Crown Center also receive a portion of occupancy tax collections.)

    You might wonder how the FACVB markets the community to visitors. Each year, we produce a detailed program of work that outlines the program for the coming year. All marketing decisions are research-based, allowing us to pinpoint the wants and needs of the visitor.

    Some tactics/projects on the plan include:

    • Attending trade shows to secure leads for meeting planner, group tour operator and sports tournament business.

    • Managing and maintaining a comprehensive website that promotes the entire Cumberland County travel industry

    • Public relations efforts to secure positive publicity on Cumberland County as a travel destination. These efforts may include social media contests, writer visits, press releases, event listing in trade and Web publications and outreach to targeted journalists.

    • Development of a Destination Guide to cover all travel markets

    • Targeted advertisement with lead generation for continued marketing

    The FACVB continues to maximize the impact of travel and tourism on our economy by providing programs and services for visitors to Cumberland County. We always keep an eye on the visitor — and work to fulfi ll their needs.

    BECAUSE THE VISITOR

    Because the visitor has a need, we have a job to do.

    Because the visitor has a choice, we must be the better choice.

    Because the visitor has sensibilities... we must be considerate.

    Because the visitor has an urgency, we must be quick.

    Because the visitor has high expectations, we must excel.

    Because the visitor has influence, we have hope of more visitors. Because of the visitor, we exist.

    - Karl Yena Yena & Associates

  • 19While physical health is vitally important, emotional health and self-esteem are also key areas of wellness. Too many women discount their value and undermine their self-worth using the world’s measuring stick instead of our Creator’s.

    You are a masterpiece! An extraordinary work of art created by God. You are individually and intentionally designed with unique features, strengths, weaknesses, perspectives, abilities, disabilities, personalities, race, ethnicity and gifts. What a blessing to know that each of us was purposefully fashioned by God to bring Him glory.

    “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.” Psalms 139: 13-14 (New International Version).

    David so eloquently penned Psalms 139 to express the infinite knowledge of God and to point out the intricate design of the human body before conception. Reflecting on God’s omnipresence, meaning God is everywhere simultaneously, and God’s omniscience, meaning God knows everything, Psalms 139 was also written as a personal prayer and song of praise to God.

    You have DNA and fingerprints which cannot be replicated by anyone else. You are not a carbon copy of anyone, and not one person in this entire world was mass-produced like cars, computers and tires. Always keep in mind that you were individually designed on purpose for a purpose.

    Our goal is to know God and to tell others about Him. We are to please God through a relationship with Him and to let our light shine daily in our hearts, minds and actions by living for Him. We are to love one another, care and encourage one another as we praise and worship Him.

    Loving the Lord is more than attending a church on Sunday. What did you really hear as the message was delivered? Did you apply that message to your daily life? Loving God requires knowing Him, and that knowledge begins with His Word. This learning happens when you pray, read His word and meditate on it. The Lord wants us to love Him with our whole being and in every way. He wants us to serve Him with all our hearts and souls.

    Some questions to ponder: What is my purpose? Am I walking in purpose? What can I do to let my light shine to others? Whom can I encourage this week?

    Many women struggle with feelings, both outwardly and inwardly, of being inadequate and insignificant or needing to change to measure up to a standard that was never God’s plan for their lives. Some of these thoughts can filter into a person’s mind: I am too short or too tall. I am overweight or underweight. I am not pretty or smart, and the list goes on and on, affecting your mind. This process brings into play thoughts of comparison to others. It can also bring envy into our hearts. The root of envy is a discontented heart.

    When those feelings of comparing or envying try to creep in, repeat Psalms 139:14 several times. “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” After repeating that verse, start meditating on the goodness of the Lord. Tell your mind, “Today, I will not allow you to compare and second guess who I am.” Start celebrating who you are and who made you: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version). He took time to make you special and in His Image. You are not in competition with anyone. You are uniquely YOU!

    Many influences through the different forms of media such as magazines, newspapers, television, social media and celebrity portrayals of what is beautiful affect the perception of how to look, think and see oneself, which differs from God’s.

    Always remember that you are not a carbon copy. You are precious cargo specifically made by the hands of our almighty God. You are fearfully and wonderfully made — a masterpiece!

    Editor’s note: A version of this article appears in the May issue of Women’s View Magazine.

  • 9To make their voices heard before the Fayetteville City Council, residents must now sign up to speak at the council’s monthly public forums by 5 p.m. the day of the meeting.

    Previously, residents could sign up until the beginning of the meetings, which usually start at 7 p.m. The City Council holds public forums monthly during its meetings on the second Monday of each month.

    The City Council approved the change May 8 by a vote of 5-4; council members Derrick Thompson, D.J. Haire, Kathy Jensen, Brenda McNair and Mayor Pro Tem Johnny Dawkins voted for the change. Council members Mario Benavente, Shakeyla Ingram, Courtney Banks-McLaughlin and Deno Hondros voted against it.

    Mayor Mitch Colvin was not present at the meeting because of a family emergency. Jensen, whose committee spearheaded the change, argued that the new sign-up process is more efficient and allows city officials to better assist residents who wish to speak.

    “If the person has a question, we can make sure that we take care of it,” Jensen said.

    Haire pointed out that residents can still sign up by email or phone if they can’t do so in person by 5 p.m. Benavente said he is concerned the new policy could exclude people who prefer the in-person sign-up.

    “Some people don’t go online, and some people just would rather be here and hear it themselves or take some of the agendas that are printed out for them in person,” Benavente said.

    “Those folks who are not on the computer all the time may not be tech savvy, who still want to participate in the public forum,” Benavente continued. “Should they arrive during the day of the meeting where we have public forums, (they should) have a way to sign up. I think eliminating that without any real evidence of harm in the way that we currently do things, it’s just a sort of unnecessary restriction on people’s ability to participate in the public forum.”

    The deadline to sign up for public hearings, as opposed to public forums, will not change. State law requires a public hearing for certain municipal policy changes such as the term extension proposal debated by the City Council weeks prior.

    The deadline to sign up for those hearings will still be until the start of the meeting. Council member Ingram said the difference in policies could cause confusion.

    “It doesn’t make sense to have two different times to be able to sign up for anything,” Ingram said.

  • 05-22-13-ryan.gifDiagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma during his senior year of high school, Ryan Kishbaugh was a determined young man who refused to let cancer get the best of him. His inspirational story gives hope to others who are fighting cancer, so in memory of Ryan, the 2013 Ryan Patrick Kishbaugh Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on July 13 at 8:30 a.m. at Cypress Lakes Golf Course to benefit the nonprofit Carpe Diem Foundation.

    The Carpe Diem Foundation has three tenets: it supports other foundations, it promotes and helps fund education and research for the treatment of chronic illnesses and it provides college scholarships for student athletes who have a chronic illness or someone who has battled a chronic illness during their formative years and plans on attending college.

    “This is the 10th year of Ryan’s memorial golf tournament and it has turned into a large annual event,” said David Kishbaugh, father and host of The Ryan P. Kishbaugh Memorial Golf Tournament. “Each year we raise money and we give it to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.”

    Kishbaugh added that last year they maxed out participation and used all of the available slots.

    The event will consist of a day of golf, food, beverages, T-shirts and prizes. There will be a hole-in-one contest, a 50-50 raffl e and a special putting contest. There will be prizes for longest drive and closest to the pin.

    “Restaurants will provide the food and drinks for the event,” said Kishbaugh. “Everyone comes out and we play golf in memory of Ryan.”

    Ryan Patrick Kishbaugh was born on July 26, 1984. He was an exceptional young man who excelled in all of his endeavors. He graduated second in his high school class and was accepted into Princeton University. He played varsity soccer and basketball. He won the 2001 Governor’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service. He worked for Habitat for Humanity, helped at Better Health and worked at diabetes clinics.

    Kishbaugh describes Ryan as a good kid, independent and hardworking.05-22-13-ryan-golf-tourn.gif

    “He believed in people and was my most free-spirited child.” said Kishbaugh. “He didn’t believe in conformity, but yet he was so self-driven and excelled in anything he wanted to do.”

    Kishbaugh added that when Ryan learned that he had cancer in 2001, he decided that he was going to defeat it and not let it get him down.

    Openings for the tournament are fi lling up fast, and Kishbaugh hopes to see a full roster on the golf course again this year. Online registration at http://golfdigestplanner.com/22842-2013RPK and includes a one-year subscription to Golf Digest. Registration on the day of the event begins at 7:30 a.m. For more information, call 850-7833.

    Photo bottom right: The 2013 Ryan Patrick Kishbaugh Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on July 13 at 8:30 a.m. at Cypress Lakes Golf Course to benefit the nonprofit Carpe Diem Foundation. 

  • 8The Spring Lake Board of Aldermen has applied for a rural transformation grant to revitalize Main Street, the board said at its May 8 meeting at Town Hall.

    Mayor Kia Anthony also announced that the N.C. Local Government Commission is in full support of the town seeking the funding and that the town is capable of properly overseeing the award for downtown development. That is a turnaround from when the commission took control of the town’s finances amid concerns of budget deficits, fiscal disarray, and missing money.

    “As you know, we are under Local Government control, and we have been since October 2021. While we were writing this grant (application), we needed to get approval from the LGC to apply for funding. Not only did they give us approval, but they also gave us a glowing letter of support,” said Anthony.

    Susan Edmundson, secretary of the Local Government Commission and a deputy treasurer of the state and local government finance division of the Department of the State Treasurer, submitted the letter of support on behalf of the Local Government Commission.

    In the letter, she wrote that the commission has worked closely with the board and town officials to improve the town’s budget discipline and business practices.

    Edmundson reported that the town is in a much better fiscal position and the finance staff is working toward a positive audit, expected to be complete by late summer.

    The town is seeking $478,000 for downtown revitalization efforts through the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Those efforts include curb and gutter improvements, pedestrian walkways/sidewalks, gateway signage, landscape improvements and moving utility lines underground. The project is expected to take two to five years to complete and will have multiple phases. This is the initial application for the first phase. The town plans to submit more applications over the next few years to complete the project.

    New police officers

    In other news, Police Chief Dysoaneik Spellman introduced four new police officers including Detective Antoinette Hurtt and patrol Officers Cornell Causey, Malik Passmore and Paulo Paulo.

    “We have been filling vacancies and slowly but surely have been chipping away at it,” said Spellman as he introduced each officer to the board.

    Interim Town Manager Jason Williams, who also is the town’s fire chief, lauded Spellman for hiring the new officers.

    “People are feeling safer in Spring Lake,” said Williams.

    Williams added that the town is working with national phone service T-Mobile to mount cameras to help with crime prevention and record illegal dumping.
    The board also gave unanimous support to create a special events committee to work with departments including fire inspections, medical services, police, vendor permits, traffic services, solid waste, street maintenance and health inspections.

    One of the first events the committee will coordinate is First Friday on Main Street. The town is also planning two more events through the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.
    The Spring Lake Veterans Day ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. May 26 at Spring Lake Veterans Park at Main and Ruth streets.

    Alderman Marvin Lackman said the committee is looking to host a Veterans Day ceremony to serve the community’s growing veteran population on Nov. 5 at Spring Lake Recreation Center. He said the committee is seeking veterans service organizations to participate.

    The next regularly scheduled work session of the town board is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 22.

  • 6 Again, Rep. Richard Hudson attempts to convince the people of North Carolina that he actually works for the people of North Carolina, when reality is showing otherwise.

    In 100 Days under the so-called leadership of Kevin McCarthy, the Republican Party claims accomplishments that in reality have barely gone beyond the U.S. House of Representatives.
    Not one piece of legislation they have wasted time and millions of taxpayer dollars on has become law — not one. Only one bill managed to get through the Senate, where it was promptly vetoed by President Biden.

    Are we missing something, Rep. Hudson?

    Rep. Hudson claims they “defunded” the incoming new IRS hires meant to assist with taxpayers and to tighten up enforcement. According to recent articles in Washingtonexaminer.com and usnews.com, not only are new agents being hired, they are undergoing training now.

    So, nothing has been defunded, Rep. Hudson. Soon, millionaires and billionaires will be paying their fair share of taxes whether you like it or not.

    House Republicans, including Rep. Hudson, are trying to preach “fiscal responsibility” to the nation while, at the same time, are wasting MORE of our taxpayer dollars on frivolous investigations of the social platform Tik Tok, Hunter Biden, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. What are these “investigations” uncovering?
    ZERO. ZILCH. NADA. BIG FAT GOOSE EGG.

    Now, McCarthy, Hudson, and the House GOP are attempting to hold the American economy hostage with a debt ceiling bill that does nothing but heap more misery on the American people.
    President Biden made it clear in his State of the Union speech that Social Security and Medicare, two programs millions of Americans depend on, were off the table in regards to
    budget cuts.

    Obviously, House Republicans blatantly ignored that message. Not only are they callously targeting Social Security and Medicare, they're also targeting Medicaid, SNAP, and other vital programs.

    And, House Republicans are aiming to cut veterans benefits.

    Also, House Republicans have been posting their lies and rhetoric all over Twitter, claiming “This is for America.” Guess what? A most recent poll shows that American voters do not support this. So again, Rep. Hudson, who are you trying to fool?

    One thing is certain: This bill will not go any further as written. The U.S. Senate has already declared it dead on arrival.

    Now, Rep. Hudson, if you truly care about North Carolinians, especially our veterans, you and Kevin McCarthy will go back to the drawing board and deliver a clean debt ceiling bill. Now.

    If America does go into default, a real possibility, then the consequences will be borne solely by the Republicans, not the Democrats, not By President Biden, and history will clearly show this.

    So, if the Republican Party wants to test the will of the American voters, they had better be prepared for some bad news in 2024!

    — Keith Ranson
    Fayetteville

    Editor's note: Keith Ranson refers to a column by Rep. Richard Hudson appearing in the May 3 issue of Up & Coming Weekly. It can be read at www.upandcomingweekly.com/views/9735-republican-party-showing-results-in-congress.

  • 6 “I go on the principle that a public debt is a public curse and in a republican government more than in any other.” — James Madison

    House Republicans made a commitment to deliver an economy that’s strong and a government that’s accountable.

    With our nation now staring down a debt crisis as a result of years of reckless spending, yet again, we are following through on our promise.
    The days of President Joe Biden’s out-of-control spending in Washington are over. Last week, we delivered for the American people with the passage of the Limit, Save, Grow Act.

    It will responsibly address the debt crisis while also limiting Washington’s spending, saving your tax dollars, and growing the American economy. Washington Democrats have tried to mislead you about the legislation, even saying it would cut funds for the VA or veteran benefits. You know me — I would never support something like that. The left are using our nation’s veterans as a political football to spread lies and instill fear to gain political advantage.

    The truth is this legislation does not cut benefits but simply freezes spending at 2022 levels — levels once praised by President Joe Biden. It also reclaims billions in unused COVID-19 tax dollars, defunds Biden’s IRS army of 87,000 agents, and requires single, childless adults to look for work while on welfare programs — all while preventing the U.S. from defaulting on its debt and protecting your hard earned money.

    You and your family deserve answers and strong leadership, and House Republicans have delivered a responsible plan that would save $4.8 trillion over the next 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

    We have done our job. If President Biden and Senate Democrats don’t like the plan we passed, they can offer an alternative and we can negotiate. President Biden, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer all have a long history of engaging in and supporting similar negotiations in the past.

    In fact, as Vice President, Biden led debt limit negotiations in 2011. Debt ceiling negotiations are nothing new, and recent polling showed an overwhelming 74% of Americans want President Biden and Chuck Schumer to negotiate with Speaker McCarthy.

    Instead of presenting a tangible alternative, Senate Democrats and the President have wasted critical time and are placing our country’s credit on the line.

    You deserve better from your elected leaders, and are too smart to fall victim of their political games.

    While many in Washington play games with your tax dollars, I will always stand up for you and your family and stay focused on working across the aisle on common sense solutions to improve our community, state and nation.

  • 11The U.S. Army Special Operations Command conducted a Change of Responsibility ceremony on Meadows Field at USASOC Headquarters on Fort Bragg May 1.

    Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, USASOC commanding general, officiated the ceremony by bidding farewell to Command Sgt. Maj. Michael R. Weimer and welcoming Command Sgt. Maj. JoAnn Naumann as the incoming command sergeant major.

    “It’s a special day for USASOC,” Braga said. “I’m honored to be part of this phenomenal opportunity to mark Mike’s achievements and dedication to our team and also privileged to welcome JoAnn and her family here today.”

    The change of responsibility ceremony is steeped in military traditions and serves the dual function of rendering honors to the departing senior enlisted leader and providing official transfer of authority to the incoming command sergeant major.

    “Welcome back to the USASOC family,” Weimer addressed to Naumann and her spouse, Sgt. Maj. Thomas Baird, during the ceremony. “Neither of you are strangers to this formation, and I couldn’t have been more excited... when the commander made the decision that you were the best athlete to replace me. I have the utmost confidence in your ability to continue the high standard of leadership required to shepherd this amazing formation with its current missions but also evolving it for 2030 and beyond.”

    Naumann previously served as the Special Operations Command-Korea’s command senior enlisted leader. She enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1996 as a voice language analyst, completing the Arabic Basic Course at the Defense Language Institute and Advanced Individual Training at Goodfellow Air Force Base. Naumann’s assignments include serving as the Joint Special Operations Command J2 senior enlisted advisor, command sergeant major for the 15th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), and JSOC Intelligence Brigade.

    “Thank you for the opportunity to serve the men and women of ARSOF (Army Special Operations Forces),” Naumann said.

    “It is my honor to be a part of this team. I’m excited to be back at Fort Bragg … You’ve managed to invest in people while driving the mission forward, and you’ve certainly done that during your time here at USASOC. I know well how much you invest in people because you’ve done that for me. I can’t imagine a more exciting time to be joining the USASOC team.”

    “Our nation and the world are at an inflection point,” she said. “We’re challenged by new adversaries and rapidly advancing technologies, yet ARSOF is absolutely leading the way, and that is because we have the best people. To the men and women of ARSOF, you are the most talented professional, and dedicated people I know.”

    Weimer has been serving as USASOC’s senior non-commissioned officer since August 2021. His next assignment is serving as the 17th Sergeant Major of the Army.

  • 4In North Carolina, Medicaid expansion is a foregone conclusion. The General Assembly approved the necessary legislation. Gov. Roy Cooper signed it. While expansion is contingent on the passage of a state budget, no one doubts that’ll happen. So, the governor finally secured his highest legislative priority.

    Republican leaders got a few reforms of the certificate-of-need system, which will break up some of our state’s medical monopolies. And hundreds of thousands of uninsured North Carolinians will be enrolled in a health plan for which they’ll pay nothing.

    All gain, no pain? Of course not. Medicaid expansion isn’t “free.” Every time a state says yes to federally financed expansion, America’s federal budget gets further out of whack and America’s taxpayers are plunged deeper into debt. And every time a state offers residents “free” health care, demand goes up — including in emergency departments — while the supply of medical facilities and professionals lags behind.

    That’s why Phil Berger and other leaders of the North Carolina Senate included in their Medicaid-expansion plan several measures to expand supply. Cooper and the House gave a partial yes to one of them, CON reform. Unfortunately, they gave a flat no to another supply-side change: allowing advanced-practice nurses to operate more independently.

    The term of art here is “scope-of-practice” reform. It allows nurses to provide the full array of services for which they are licensed without having a physician take a cut of their fees. Limiting the scope of nursing practice has the effect of raising prices and limiting services to patients, especially in sparsely populated or impoverished areas where it may be uneconomical for doctors to set up shop.
    Advanced-practice nurses have gone beyond undergraduate degrees to obtain additional education and training. Some, nurse practitioners, provide generalized or family care. Others specialize in a category of care, such as nurse midwives and nurse anesthetists.

    Physician organizations are, not surprisingly, skeptical if not openly hostile to scope-of-practice reform. While the prospect of losing revenue to advanced-practice nurses is one of their concerns, I’ve talked with enough doctors to know that many also sincerely believe patients with serious conditions will be poorly served by nurses practicing on their own — that some patients will be misdiagnosed, provided incorrect or inadequate treatment, and perhaps even die as a result.

    This objection isn’t a frivolous one. It deserves serious consideration. Because there’s a significant variation in how states regulate the practice of nursing, however, this objection can be tested with real-world data. Do places where nurses are allowed to practice independently up to the level of their licenses exhibit higher rates of medical accidents, chronic disease, or mortality?

    In a paper just released by the National Bureau of Economic Research, Emory University scholars used two measures — malpractice awards and adverse action reports involving advanced-practice nurses — to look for harmful effects of scope-of-practice reform on medical outcomes. Here’s what they found: states that have granted full practice authority to their nurses have seen no such increase in patient harms.

    Indeed, the economists concluded that “physicians may benefit from the law change in terms of reduced malpractice payouts against them.”
    This is hardly the first study to reach a similar conclusion. Some years ago the National Governors Association published a comprehensive survey of peer-reviewed research on advanced-practice nursing. The studies generally found that nurse practitioners “provided at least equal quality of care to patients as compared to physicians,” and in particular that they “rate favorably in terms of achieving patients’ compliance with recommendations, reductions in blood pressure and blood sugar, patient satisfaction, [and] longer consultations.”

    If patients prefer to visit a physician, they should have every right to do so. But if they’re comfortable with a nurse practitioner — and don’t want to drive a long distance to wait at a doctor’s office — shouldn’t they also have that right?

    Scope-of-practice reform didn’t make it into the Medicaid-expansion deal. But there’s still plenty of time left in the 2023 legislative session to rectify that mistake.

  • 9Fayetteville Technical Community College announced that Tammy Thurman will be the keynote speaker for the College’s 61st Annual Commencement exercises.

    Graduates will be recognized in two ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on May 12 at the Crown Coliseum. Thurman will deliver the keynote address at both events. The public is welcome to attend.
    Thurman is the Senior Community Relations and Government Affairs Manager for Piedmont Natural Gas, where she seeks to build sustainable relationships with community stakeholders and groups. She is also a member of the FTCC Board of Trustees, a position she’s held since November.

    Thurman has been dedicated to community service, serving in various capacities for a number of years. She attributes her desire to encourage and help people in part to her own experience of surviving Stage 2 ovarian cancer.

    She is a member of the Board of Visitors at Fayetteville State University; the Advisory Board for the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; and the Board of Trustees at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

    She is the immediate past chair of the Board of Directors of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber and chaired its CEO/President search/nominating committee.
    She is also a member of the chamber’s Military Advisory Council and has chaired the SIM (Spouses in Military) Conference for the Chamber and the USO of North Carolina at Fort Bragg.

    Thurman is a previous member of the United Way of Cumberland County’s Board of Directors, has co-chaired the Go Red for Women campaign by the American Heart Association, served as an event judge for Ethics Bowl competition, and been a member of The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County’s “True to Yourself” Black History Month committee.

    She has been recognized numerous times for her service. Thurman is the recipient of the 2019 Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service, the 2020 Chairman’s Award, the 2022 Woman-Owned Business of the Year Award and the United Way of Cumberland County’s Loaned Executive of the Year award. She has also been nominated for the Athena Award twice.

    Thurman, who is a native of Dunn, holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Augustine University. She is an author of the book “Women Crushing Mediocrity.”

  • 17The field of Information Technology is growing and evolving. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment, as many as 70,000 openings are projected every year. The job market is constantly growing.

    Having an Information Technology knowledge base opens the door to pursue a vast number of different careers within the field. The demand for technology specialists is high, as new advancements are continually on the horizon and the financial reward is great.

    Technology is becoming more and more prevalent in our lives, so why not become a part of helping to build and maintain it? The Information Technology PC Support & Services program at FTCC introduces students to just about all areas of the IT discipline.

    Students take courses in networking, programming, and security with a focus on hardware and software. Students learn the necessary troubleshooting techniques to save the day when technology issues arise.

    I am often asked about the math requirements for studying Information Technology, and my answer is always the same. Outside of the general education requirements all associate degree students must take, you don’t have to take another math class another day in your life unless you choose to do so.

    The beauty of the field of IT is that there are many different areas you can study.

    I also often hear from individuals who say that they do not like computers. When I ask them why, nine times out of 10 their answers include some level of being intimidated by computers. Working with computers is challenging, but I’m here to persuade you not to be intimated by computers. At Fayetteville Technical Community College, we’ll teach you everything you need to know to be successful, and I promise you that you will not be overwhelmed by math-related questions.

    We have students from all walks of life who come to us to earn a skill and then go off to be successful in their careers. Whether you just graduated from high school, are coming back to school for a career change, or are not quite sure which direction to turn, you can find many program areas to choose from at FTCC.

    We offer everything from certificate programs, which can be completed in one semester, to associate degree programs whose credits transfer to various four-year universities.

    There is an expression, “money makes the world go ‘round.” Being an IT professional and educator, I’d like to add to that expression that it’s data that makes the money that makes the world go ‘round. You’ve also heard the expression, “the world runs on Dunkin” but in my view, the world runs on data.

    Data molds everything we do, so it is vital that data be managed properly, kept secure, and made accessible. The Information Technology Database Management program at FTCC prepares graduates for this purpose. FTCC has avenues to make pursuing a 4-year degree with transfer of FTCC credits a seamless process.

    For more information, please contact sobersto@faytechcc.edu or 910-678-7365.

  • sec defU.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will deliver the 2023 undergraduate commencement address at Fayetteville State University on May 13, according to the university’s communications office.

    The ceremony will be at 9 a.m. May 13 at the Crown Coliseum. Austin, a retired Army four-star general, is the nation’s first African American secretary of defense, according to a news release.
    Additional information about FSU's commencement and graduate programs can be found on the university's website. The ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. May 13 at the Crown Coliseum.

    “We are honored to have Secretary Austin deliver this year’s commencement address commemorating an auspicious occasion for our students, their families and our entire Bronco community,” said Chancellor Darrell T. Allison. “His leadership and selfless commitment to service of country is undeniable. As a strong partner with the military-connected community and the No. 1 HBCU in the nation that enrolls military-connected students, this historical moment of having Secretary Austin inspire our FSU graduates is greatly validating.”

    Sworn in as the 28th secretary of defense on Jan. 22, 2021, Austin previously served a tour as the Army’s vice chief of staff. He concluded his uniformed service as commander of U.S. Central Command, responsible for military operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan, according to the news release. In that assignment, he led U.S. and coalition efforts to battle ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

    Austin retired from active duty in 2016. His 41-year career in the Army included commands at the corps, division, battalion, and brigade levels, the release said. He was awarded the Silver Star for his leadership of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In 2010, he became commanding general of U.S. forces in Iraq, the release said.

    A native of Mobile, Austin was raised in Thomasville, Georgia. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with a bachelor’s degree and a commission in the Infantry. He holds a master’s degree in counselor education from Auburn University and an MBA in business management from Webster University, the release said.

    Austin is also a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College. He is married to FSU alumna Charlene B. Austin, Class of 1979.
    Since retiring from military service, Austin has served on the boards of Raytheon Technologies, Nucor and Tenet Healthcare, the release said.

  • 8 Currently the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, together with the democracy to which it is foundational, has increasingly become an endangered species. It is under attack by calls for censorship coming from both the Left and the Right.

    From the Left it takes the forms of political correctness that has a stranglehold on many of our colleges and universities with its proscribing certain words and of the pernicious movements of so-called “wokeism” and cancel culture. An example of politically correct ideology run amok was Stanford University’s banning the use of the term “American,” though, after the predictable outrage, they backed down saying that they had intended merely to discourage the use of the word. An egregious example of cancel culture was the removal of a statue of Thomas Jefferson from New York City Hall’s Council Chamber because a council member felt “uncomfortable” with it.

    From the Right it takes the forms of banning books from libraries, forbidding the teaching of certain topics like gender, critical race theory, and racism. A frightening statistic from a recent survey is that 62% of college students said it is “at least sometimes acceptable” to shout down a speaker, and one in five students said that using violence to stop a campus speech is “sometimes acceptable.”

    What motivates all these calls for censorship is that the speech objected to may give offense to some. Thus, some Muslims at Hamline University took offense at an alleged image of Mohammed that a professor showed in his class which they thought blasphemous even though no one knows what Mohammed looked like. Had the image borne an inscription that did not identify it as Mohammed there would have been no problem. That professor was summarily fired.

    Books have been removed from school and public libraries because only a single parent has deemed them offensive — a tyranny of one! There is no end to this madness. These are echoes of 1984. The 11th Commandment of these self-appointed zealots and scolds is, “Thou shalt not offend!” But why shouldn’t we? We have an unwritten right to offend by our speech if we wish, though we may be impolite or imprudent in doing so, but we have no God-given right not to be offended. Indeed, we are sometimes justified in giving offense. Thus, Socrates rightly gave offense to the Athenian leaders as Jesus did to the religious authorities.

    Nevertheless, our exercise of free speech is in some cases justifiably restricted and sanctioned by law. These are cases when the speech actually or potentially harms others. These restrictions are justified by what the nineteenth-century English philosopher, John Stuart Mill, calls the “harm principle.” It was anticipated by Thomas Jefferson in his comment advocating the right of freedom of conscience: “The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” It was later articulated more fully by Mill in his classic defense of free speech, On Liberty: “the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.”

    The limits that Mill places on our actions are determined by our duties to society among which are “not injuring the interests of one another; or rather certain interests which, either by express legal provision or by tacit understanding, ought to be considered as rights.”

    Note that Mill distinguishes between generic interests and those that “ought to be considered as rights.” Individuals have an interest in material things like food and shelter necessary for their self-preservation, and no less an interest in immaterial things like peace of mind for their psychological well-being.

    Furthermore, the public has an interest in ensuring its safety, and the state has an interest in maintaining its security — these interests may or may not conflict with those of the individual. These are generic interests. But individuals also have interests in their opportunity to speak freely, to assemble peacefully, and to exercise their conscience by worshiping, or not, as they choose. These interests are rights.

    What Mill says about actions in general applies particularly to speech insofar as speech is a form of action. Speech ought not to injure either the generic interests of others or their rights. Speech injurious to the generic interests of others includes blackmail, perjury, libel, or false alarms like yelling “Fire” in a crowded cinema when there is no fire.

    Examples of speech injurious to the rights of others include the press’s publishing information that would compromise the defendant’s right to a fair trial, or someone’s making public another’s medical history in violation of their right to privacy. Unquestionably, these kinds of speech do not qualify for protection under the First Amendment and are outlawed — no one has either a moral or legal right to such speech.

    Should, then, offensive speech also be restricted? I think not. My reason is that offensive speech, unlike libel and incitements to riot, are not injurious to either others’ generic interests or their rights and so do not violate the harm principle. Offensive speech does not cause material harm to anyone: it neither injures nor kills them, deprives them of their wealth, nor damages their reputation. It merely offends one’s sensibilities; taking offense is a form of indignation. As the saying goes, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never
    hurt me.

    I cannot imagine that the Muslim students offended by the depiction of Mohammed or the council member discomforted by Jefferson’s stature were so psychologically devastated that they consigned themselves to psychiatric care.

    People have been fired from their jobs for offensive speech such as making racist or homophobic remarks. But the only justifiable grounds for firing them is their inability or unwillingness to do their job.
    However, such people should be censured if not censored. Mill distinguishes between legal and social penalties. Legal penalties, for example, would be those imposed by the courts on libelous speech. Social penalties, on the other hand, would be those imposed by the court of public opinion and would in some cases be appropriately imposed on offensive speech.

    Mill again: “The acts of an individual may be hurtful to others, or wanting in due consideration for their welfare, without going to the length of violating any of their constitutional rights. The offender may then be justly punished by opinion, though not by law.”

    Thus, the appropriate penalties for personnel making offensive remarks in the workplace would be their being shunned or remonstrated against by their colleagues.
    In conclusion: We ought to enjoy to the maximum the right of freedom of speech, foundational to democracy, unless it materially harms others.

  • MU graduation saturdayMethodist University celebrated more than 250 undergraduate and graduate students during its 60th spring commencement exercises Friday and Saturday, May 5 and 6.

    “I am so very proud of your accomplishments,” said Methodist President Stanley T. Wearden. “Not only have you completed challenging and important degree programs, but you have done so during a difficult time in human history. I hope you see in yourselves what I see in you — a deep reservoir of strength, character and compassion. These are qualities that will serve you for a lifetime of success.”

    The university celebrated “Commencement Weekend” with three ceremonies for the Class of 2023 over two days: a graduate commencement and Baccalaureate service on campus on Friday and an undergraduate commencement at the Crown Coliseum on Saturday, according to a university news release.

    Friday’s graduate commencement welcomed hundreds of family members and friends to Huff Concert Hall as more than 60 students received master’s and doctoral degrees. Methodist offers 10 graduate programs, including business administration, physician assistant studies, occupational therapy and physical therapy.

    Mike Nagowski, chief executive officer of Cape Fear Valley Health, was the keynote speaker. Nagowski helped create a partnership between Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health to establish a medical school at Methodist.
    Nagowski was presented an honorary doctor of humane letters degree recognizing his service to Fayetteville and the region.

    “Adapting and overcoming the challenges that you were presented with was something few others have had to overcome,” Nagowski said in his keynote speech. “As the world and your job markets change — and they will change — you have learned to adapt and change. This is what will make you stronger and more valuable to yourself, your family, the work you choose to do, and your community. … Go forth with all that you have learned, adapt fearlessly to challenges of the world around you, and make a lasting impact in your communities.”

    Before receiving their diplomas onstage, the graduates participated in a hooding ceremony, a long-standing tradition at Methodist. Someone selected by each graduate — often a parent, spouse, child, professor, or friend — hoods the graduate to mark academic achievement. Afterward, Wearden stood with graduates as they received their diplomas onstage.

    The Baccalaureate service was held in Matthews Chapel to recognize the graduates. Ashleigh Adamson, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music performance, performed along with the university chorale. The Rev. Clay L. Barrow, senior pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Greensboro, spoke at the service.

    On Saturday morning, family and friends filled Crown Coliseum for the undergraduate commencement. Former university board of trustees Chairwoman Mary Lynn Bryan was the keynote speaker.

    Bryan was the co-chair of the Building Excellence Capital Campaign, which raised a record-breaking $42 million that funded construction of McLean Health Sciences Building, Matthews Ministry Center, and Union-Zukowski Lobby and Gallery.

    Bryan was presented a University Medallion in recognition of her contributions. She then addressed the graduates with a call to action in their post-graduation careers.

    “Graduates, I hope your experiences at MU have been all you have imagined they would be — challenging, surprising, fun, and, most of all, mind-opening,” said Bryan. “After you leave Methodist University, be sure to look back with thanks and pleasure. Take the Methodist University values with you and incorporate them into your personal lives. The times and challenges are great, but you are MU graduates. You have an education and the skills to make a positive difference in our world. Go forth and make MU proud.”

    Several students were recognized for their time at Methodist, including Karma Choki, the first person from Bhutan to graduate from the university. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She waved her homeland’s flag onstage, and it will now hang in Berns Student Center, bringing the number of countries represented by MU graduates to 125.

    The Algernon Sydney Sullivan and Mary Mildred Sullivan awards were presented to a student and two members of the university community to recognized commitment to service.

    They are graduate Sean Coleman. who received a bachelor’s degree in engineering with a minor in mathematics and business administration, as well as university President Emeritus M. Elton Hendricks and his wife, Jerry A. Hendricks. During their 27-year tenure, they lived by the principle that a quality education is essential for fostering a life of virtue, according to the recognition.

    Later in the service, Hendricks hooded his grandson, Tanner Hendricks, his third grandson to graduate from Methodist. It was during Hendricks’ term as president that both the hooding ceremony and the presentation of international flags at commencement began.

    Tanner Hendricks, who majored in social work, was also this year’s Lucius Stacy Weaver Award winner. Voted on by the faculty, the award recognizes the student who best exemplifies academic excellence, spiritual development, leadership, and service.

    Valeria Matute was name this year’s Distinguished Graduate. She was among five students in her undergraduate class with the highest GPA and was chosen to speak at commencement by her peers. Matute, who is from Venezuela, received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in professional tennis management.

    “There were many moments when today may have felt unreachable or that it could not come soon enough,” Matute said. “But as we say in my country, ‘No hay que ahogarse en un vaso de agua’ or ‘Don’t drown in a glass of water.’ Sometimes, looking from the inside, semesters have felt as long as it takes to swim across the ocean, sharks and all. However, from the outside, it’s nothing more than a few gulps. … If we’ve learned anything from our time here, we should have learned how to keep our experiences in perspective.”

    After Matute spoke, nearly 200 graduates participated in the hooding ceremony and received their degrees from Wearden, who left them with a final message during the symbolic moving of the tassels.

    “Congratulations, graduates, family members, and friends. This is a significant achievement, and it will change your lives in many ways both tangibly and intangibly,” said Wearden. “Stay in touch, share your accomplishments with us, and stay involved.”

  • 09STSSweet Tea Shakespeare presents “Richard III” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor” on alternating nights, beginning Tuesday, June 4, on the grounds of the 1897 Poe House.

    From this famous opening line, “Now is the winter of our discontent…” to the last line the eponymous Richard utters, “A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!” Shakespeare’s “Richard III” is an epic play with reams of dialogue and a huge cast of characters. STS’ challenge in presenting it is to condense the script and the cast to fit the Sweet Tea format and yet still tell the sweeping tale that effectively put an end to The Wars of the Roses.

    “This production will feature a ‘Sons of Anarchy’ vibe,” said director Jeremy Fiebig. “But what I’d love to mention is that ‘Richard III’ is source material for some of the storylines in ‘Game of Thrones.’ In particular, Tyrion Lannister is modeled after Richard.”

    A brief synopsis of English history is helpful in establishing context. The House of Plantagenet held the English throne from the mid-12th until the waning years of the 15th centuries. Midway through the 15th century, a decades-long struggle to capture the throne ensued between two branches of the House of Plantagenet — the House of York with a heraldic white rose and the House of Lancaster with the heraldic red rose. These battles and betrayals, which came to be known as The Wars of the Roses, killed off the direct male line of both houses and merged York with Lancaster when Henry Tudor, of dubious Lancastrian descent, ascended the throne and subsequently married Elizabeth of York. “Richard III” tells this story.

    Shakespeare’s script involves the audience as an accomplice to Richard’s single-minded intent to seize the English crown. Richard’s soliloquies establish his motive, means and methods while, at the same time, his dialogue with others seeks to obscure them — often humorously. Aaron Alderman plays Richard while Cheleen Sugar plays Richard’s wife, Lady Anne.

    Asked how he intended to portray Richard, Alderman said, “I can’t imagine him being a straight villain. I’ll try to find the man who fits into the oddly shaped hole that the text has left us. I believe there are moments where he is human, frail and afraid in ways many can understand.”

    “The Merry Wives of Windsor” is full of marital intrigue and comic impediments to young love. Intrigue ensues when Falstaff, whose name has become synonymous with ineptness, woos two married women simultaneously. A subplot revolves around one father’s attempt to marry off his young daughter. “Wives” is directed by Fiebig as well. Alderman plays Falstaff, which should demonstrate his diverse acting talent as the bumbling Falstaff is a 180 from the Machiavellian Richard. Traycie Kuhn- Zapata plays Mistress Ford, and Sugar takes the role of Mistress Page.

    “Show up early at 6:45 p.m. for live music, great food and beer and a great backyard party atmosphere,” said musical director Jacob French. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary, and there are discounts for students, seniors and members of the military. See Sweet Tea Shakespeare’s website, sweetteashakespeare.com, for performance dates and ticket prices. Tickets can be purchased online. Be sure to bring your own seating.

    Photo: Richard III” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor” are next up in Sweet Tea Shakespeare’s season. STS actors left to right: Traycie Kuhn Zapata, Aaron Alderman, Cheleen Sugar Photo credit: Jacob French

  • 6 Let us go then, you and I, where famous quotes are misinterpreted and spread out against the sky, like a patient etherized upon
    a table.
    Apologies to T. S. Eliot for grinding the opening lines of his epic poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” into this affront on English literature. You can decide whether to read it or use it to wrap fish.

    Today we shall examine the event horizon of collected quotes to see what harm we can do to their meaning. One would hardly think someone named J. Alfred Prufrock would have a love life. However, Prufrock children are proof that Mr. Prufrock looked good to Mrs. Prufrock.

    There are many profound quotations just waiting to be ingested into wisdom. This column will ignore all of those to focus on the frivolous instead. If you are expecting anything other than my usual drivel, please stop reading and turn to the crossword puzzle. This is just more of the same random typing. Today’s quotations deal with lots of things: Pessimism, the human condition, inspiration and robots.

    Let’s look at pessimism first. One of my personal favorites is “It’s always darkest before the storm.” Who can forget the scene in “Apocalypse Now” when the Cajun soldier gets out of the boat and is nearly eaten by a tiger? In fear he yells: “I didn’t get out of 8th grade for this!” Classic.

    “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward chaos.” That is the yin to the yang of Reverend Martin Luther King’s famous quote.

    “The beatings will continue until morale improves.” Sounds like a plan.

    “The ax forgets. The tree remembers.” Precious memories, how they linger.

    Aristotle said: “Envy is the pain caused by the good fortune of others.” A couple of thousand years later, Gore Vidal echoing that cheerful thought said: “Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little.”

    Speaking of death: “After you are dead, how would you like to be remembered? Answer: Occasionally.”

    Emily Dickinson reminds us: “Because I could not stop for Death/ He kindly stopped for me/.”

    Don Marquis, creator of Archie and Mehitabel, foreseeing TV Preachers, explained: “A Pharisee is someone who prays publicly and preys privately.” Religiosity at its finest.

    Next up, the human condition: An Arab proverb says: “It is good to know the truth and speak it, but it is better to know the truth and speak of palm trees.”

    A Chinese proverb intones: “When a finger points at the moon, the imbecile looks at the finger.”

    Dorothy Parker’s back handed compliment: “This wasn’t just plain terrible. This was fancy terrible. This was terrible with raisins in it.”

    Rod Stewart on humility: “Think of me and try not to laugh.”

    Cheery Russian proverb: “If you wake up and you’re not in pain, you know you are dead.”

    Motto on a T-shirt in Asheville: “I do not intend to tiptoe through life only to arrive safely at death.”

    Mark Twain on the afterlife: “Go to Heaven for the climate. Go to Hell for the company.”

    Huck Finn on deciding to help Jim escape slavery: “All right, then, I’ll go to Hell.”

    John Prine marveled at another man’s potential saying: “He’s got muscles in his head that ain’t never been used.”

    Inspiration: Jack London summed it up saying: “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”

    George Will on aging: “One of the consolations of old age is the knowledge that one isn’t going to die young.”

    Tennessee Williams on creativity: “What is talent but the ability to get away with something.”

    Andy Warhol echoed this saying: “Art is what I can get away with.”

    Our old buddy Voltaire getting three sheets of music to the wind, reminds us: “Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the life boats.”
    Undoubtably, the greatest philosopher of all time is Ernest T. Bass of Mayberry, USA. The importance of being Ernest cannot be overemphasized. Ernest unselfishly shared his wisdom. Ponder Ernest’s quotes to guide your life accordingly.

    Mr. Bass on love: “I’m a little mean, but I make up for it by being real healthy. Say you’ll be mine. Say you’ll be my Beloved.” On courtship of Charlene Darling: “First I wrote her a love note asking her to go on out with me. And then I tied it on the prettiest rock you ever did see. And then I give it the prettiest toss ya ever did see right through the front window.”

    “And if you wonder who I be, It’s me, It’s me. It’s Ernest T.- Whoo hoo!” If we were all more like Ernest T. Bass, the world would be a better place.
    In conclusion, let us never forget the famous words said to Gort the Robot in “The Day the Earth Stood Still” — “Klaatu, Barada, Nikto.”

  • MU Winter Commencement 2022 17 740x740More than 250 undergraduate and graduate students will receive their degrees at Methodist University’s commencement on Friday and Saturday, May 5 and 6.

    The graduate ceremony will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Huff Concert Hall on campus, according to a news release. More than 60 students will complete one of the university’s 10 graduate programs.

    At 10 a.m. Saturday at Crown Coliseum, about 200 graduates of undergraduate programs will receive their degrees.
    A baccalaureate service is planned at 4:30 p.m. Friday in Matthews Chapel.

    Provost Suzanne Blum Malley said the two ceremonies will replace a single commencement that was held in years past, the news release said.

    “The faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Methodist University are looking forward to celebrating the accomplishments of our graduates throughout Commencement Weekend,” said Blum Malley. “We know our graduates will carry a commitment to Methodist University’s mission and values as they embark on their next journeys as lifelong Monarchs.”

    Both ceremonies will be live-streamed online. To access the live videos, go to the university’s event page for the graduate commencement and/or the Crown Coliseum live-streaming page for the undergraduate commencement.

    More information on parking, tickets, venue policies, and more is at the undergraduate or graduate commencement pages.

    The keynote speaker at the graduate ceremony will be Michael Nagowski, chief executive officer of Cape Fear Valley Health, the release said.
    Nagowski played a pivotal role in the partnership between Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health to establish a medical school.

    “Even with the challenges that came with the pandemic, these graduate students have worked hard to achieve this milestone,” Nagowski said. “I hope to inspire and encourage them as they embark on the next journey in their careers and remind them of their opportunity to make a difference.”
    University President Stanley T. Wearden will hand graduates their diplomas on stage.

    Among the Class of 2023 undergraduates is Valeria Matute, who was selected as this year’s Distinguished Graduate. Matute is among five students in her class with the highest GPA and was chosen to speak by her peers. The native of Valencia, Venezuela, will receive a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in professional tennis management.

    Nursing major Karma Choki, a native of Bhutan, will be the first from her country to graduate from Methodist. As part of a long-standing tradition, the Bhutan flag will be permanently displayed in Berns Student Center along with the 128 flags from other countries across the world, the release said.

    The keynote speaker for the undergraduate ceremony will be Mary Lynn Bryan, who chaired the university’s board of trustees from 2012 to 2017 and is a board member dating back to 1997. Bryan has lived in Fayetteville since 1983.

    Friday’s baccalaureate will recognize this year’s graduates with a more personal service in Matthews Chapel. It will feature music by the MU Chorale and senior Ashleigh Adamson, who is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in music performance.

    The Rev. Clay L. Barrow will speak on “A Charge to Keep I Have.”

  • 08MatthewShepard“The Laramie Project” opens May 30 at Gilbert Theater on Green Street. It tells the story of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student at the University of Wyoming. He was beaten and left for dead by two men in October 1998. Days later, he died from his injuries.

    “The Laramie Project,” written by members of the New York-based Tectonic Theater Project and originally produced in 2000, is about the aftermath of Matthew’s death and the community’s reactions. Known as “verbatim theater,” the play and dialogue were culled from hundreds of interviews conducted by the Tectonic Theater Group members during their visit to Laramie, Wyoming. Larry Carlisle directs the production at Gilbert Theater.

    “‘The Laramie Project’ is decidedly different from other productions in that the emphasis is on the characters and their monologues and not on sets or props,” Carlisle said. Carlisle takes a minimalist approach to directing his cast, preferring to let them interpret the characters. “I always say an actor’s job is to make the show look good — my job is to make the actors look good.”

    Each member of the cast plays as many as 10 different characters, and some of them are drastically different. The emotional range necessary to bounce back and forth is astounding, but the cast takes it all in stride. Deannah Robinson plays five characters. “It’s a bit of a challenge, and it’s definitely a learning experience, but it’s something I’ll take with me,” she said.

    James Merkle plays Matt Galloway, the bartender and the last person to see Shepard before the attack. He’s guilt-ridden for having not seen what was about to happen. But Merkle also plays Aaron McKinney, one of the two men who killed Shepard. "We have to come up with different ways of creating the characters so they don’t sound the same. It can be challenging, but also fun,” said Galloway.

    Chris Walker plays both Dennis Shepard, Matthew’s father, and Rev. Fred Phelps. Phelps was the head of the notorious Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. His parishioners, made up almost entirely of his family members, gained national attention for protesting at the funerals of gay people.

    Merkle, who spoke with a palpable reverence for Shepard, said: “You’re seeing two spectrums — those that were horrified by what happened and those who were defending the attackers.”

    He also feels the play is especially timely in respect to current political situations. “I find it very relevant today of what’s going on out there,” he said. “It almost seems like we’re heading back to that moment. If we don’t learn from the past, we’re doomed to repeat it. But there’s also a sign of hope — hope that we can move past this.”

    While Shepard has become the face of the movement against hate crimes, “The Laramie Project” has become the proverbial mirror in society’s face. It continues to reflect the many reactions to the LGBTQ community and the dangers its members face.

    “The Laramie Project” opens May 30. Performances are at 8 p.m. May 30 – June 1 and Jun 5 -8. Matinee performances are at 2 p.m. June 1-2 and June 8-9. Visit www.gilberttheater.com to purchase tickets.

  • 5Chances are your mama, like mine, advised not talking about politics, religion, or sex in polite conversation. My mama told me I could never go wrong by keeping my thoughts on those topics to myself. It has been like skiing uphill.

    I have long since violated her admonition regarding politics, both in many a conversation and in print on this very page. Now I am tackling religion with the expectation that not everyone wants to hear “just the facts, ma’am,” but here goes.

    The secularization of western society that began in our peer European nations in the 19th century seems to have arrived and accelerated in the United States. The Gallup organization reports that church, synagogue, or mosque membership was at 73% when it was first measured in 1937 and held fairly steady until the late 1990s when it took a nosedive. By 2020, Gallup found that less than half of us, 47%, reported organized religious membership. The Wall Street Journal and researchers at the University of Chicago recently found that while 62% of Americans said religion was very important to them in 1998, only 39% agreed with that in 2023.

    All of that said, many Americans still hold religious beliefs and pray regularly even though we may not belong to a house of worship. Mark Chaves, a Duke Divinity School professor put it this way, “The decline in religious belief and interest is much slower than the decline in organizational participation.” University of Chicago research finds a small percentage of people, 7%, who identify as atheists

    The founders of our United States were largely Protestants from the Church of England, itself established for a decidedly secular reason. King Henry VIII wanted a divorce so he could marry his girlfriend. Whatever their religious backgrounds, our founders were so adamant that government and religion be separate matters that they wrote separation of church and state into our Constitution. The words “under God” were not added to our pledge of allegiance until 1954, and it has been the subject of many lawsuits over the years.

    That separation has been a tough standard from our beginning.
    Americans of all sorts have used religion to articulate their own beliefs on all sorts of political, social, and cultural issues, including alcohol and drugs, slavery, abortion, civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights, immigration, race, and the list goes on and on. We invoke religion to justify why we support laws and governmental policies that discriminate against people who are different from us, people we perceive as “other” in some way. This is not new, and pundits describe the current outbreaks of religious justification of all manner of discrimination as “culture wars.”

    Thomas Jefferson, a Christian, contributed enormously to the framework of our nation, and he put it this way. “I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.”

    In other words, each of us is free to practice any religion we choose and are free to choose none at all. What we are not free to do is use the power of government to impose our religious beliefs on our fellow Americans.

    And, not to worry. I will not be sharing my thoughts on sex any time soon.

  • FAm Fun DayPrime Movers of Hope Mills will host a free Family Fun Day May 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. After two great events in 2021 and 2022, Family Fun Day is back this year with even more in store for guests.

    Guests who come out to enjoy Family Fun Day this year can expect to see plenty of small business vendors and food trucks, a beer garden, a DJ, a kids zone, lawn games, face painting, and a petting zoo. With activities like that, the whole family is sure to have a good time.

    The organization called the Prime Movers exists to close the communication gap between millennials and the Board of Commissioners. Their main objective is to boost millennial involvement in the neighborhood and the town of Hope Mills. Events like Family Fun Day help the organization's goal of bringing people together.

    Family Fun Day will be held at Hope Mills Golf Course, located at 3625 Golfview Road in Hope Mills.

    For more info about this event, visit https://www.facebook.com/hopemillsprimemovers2020/.

  • 11MusicBeing a music lover, I’ve gone to many a concert in my 29 years. I grew up secretly “borrowing” albums from my mom’s CD collection, back when being in a mail-order CD club was the cool thing to do. Many weekends, my mom and I would hit I-95 to head out to the Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh to hear one of her favorite artists. I’m guessing I surprised her when she noticed I could sing along to all the songs at my first Alanis Morissette concert — not my proudest 6-year-old moment. Needless to say, her CD collection was moved to the top shelf of the bookcase after that particular show.

    Nonetheless, even an unreachable CD collection couldn’t stop my love affair with music. And live music? What a treat! I would find any reason for my mom to take me to see live music. I even asked to go see my 60-year-old, 6th grade P.E. teacher play in his beach music band in a run-down, hole-in-the-wall restaurant one summer when I was in middle school. And, after seeing NSYNC perform at the “Dean Dome” at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in ’01, I knew I had the whole college thing figured out. Desperate? I think so.

    But I had to be around music. It moved me. I needed to feel it pounding in my chest. I needed to know every lyric, every guitar solo, every era, every genre, anything I could get my hands (and ears) on.

    I had a good friend in middle school, a best friend, who introduced me to my love of lyrics — figuring them out, what they meant, where they came from and what they said about the human race. We’d write out lyrics we didn’t understand and pick them apart until we did. I found myself dissecting songs I had heard a million times, trying to find a song I identified with past the good beat and interesting melody. I fell in love with words written beautifully. Poetry moved me. Songs came alive for me when I could find a lyric I could sing with all my heart because it felt like my own. Where my words failed me, music explained me.

    I found a song for everything — missing my friends, graduation, heartbreak, feeling known and seen, dancing, happiness, freedom. What a release it is to sing a song that resonates with you deep in the core of who you are. It makes you feel like someone gets you. It lets you know you are not alone.

    I think that’s why I love worship music, which is just like that but on a whole different playing field. It helps me “get” Jesus.

    At WCLN Christian 105.7, we have a portion of the day we like to call Midday Praise. It’s an hour and a half of worship music, full of lyrics centered around who Jesus is, how Jesus is and how we should respond to his love and grace. Boy, am I always rocked to my core. Connecting that truth that I am loved beyond anything I could ever imagine with a song that digs deep into my heart really connects what I know with what I feel, or at least what I desire to feel. I definitely know Jesus loves me... but I want to feel it, especially on days when it feels otherwise. Worship music helps me do that.

    Check out Midday Praise if you get a chance, every weekday from 10:30 a.m. until noon on 105.7 FM. I know I need a little extra peace during the day. Maybe you could use it too.

  • 4The North Carolina General Assembly is bustling with activity. Lawmakers are considering a dramatic increase in parental control over the education of their children, major changes in school governance and the structure of state government, pro-consumer reforms of the state’s energy policies, an acceleration of pro-growth tax cuts, huge investments in public buildings and infrastructure, tighter restrictions on abortion, and dozens of other high-profile measures.

    Even if none of these passed, the current session would be notable for the passage of Medicaid expansion, which brought more than a decade of rancorous debate to a close. But many other consequential bills will pass.

    Here’s hoping the 2023 session will be remembered in part as the “affordable housing session.”

    Because North Carolina is an attractive place to live and work, prices would be rising across many of our housing markets even if Washington policymakers hadn’t bungled their way into an inflation crisis.
    What’s making it much worse, however, is the extent to which local regulations unnecessarily raise the cost of building, selling, and renting homes to willing consumers.

    Lawmakers have filed several bills to address the problem. One of them, House Bill 409, recently passed that chamber with a gigantic 106-7 margin and now awaits action in the North Carolina Senate. It confirms the right of North Carolinians to build accessory dwelling units, known as ADUs, on their property even if it’s currently zoned for single-family housing.
    ADUs — sometimes called granny flats or tiny houses — are already allowed on single-family lots in many communities. And H.B. 409 doesn’t prevent a locality from regulating certain aspects of their construction or use. But it does prohibit localities from requiring that only family members may live in such units, for example, or from imposing minimum parking requirements.

    Another measure, Senate Bill 317, would offer property-rights protection in a different situation: when developers purchase large parcels of land (at least 10 acres) and designate at least 20% of the homes they build as “workforce housing,” most of which must be sold to households of modest means. By meeting these conditions, developers would receive exceptions from some costly local regulations.

    “This bill is a targeted free-market response to our housing crisis,” said one of the primary sponsors, Sen. Paul Newton, “and it is intended to ensure houses get built.”

    I agree. Still, there are passionate critics of these bills, and of others that seek to curtail the regulatory power of counties and municipalities. They argue that localities possess the authority to impose housing and zoning codes for good reason — that people who already live in or near the affected communities ought to have a say in what’s built there.

    Now, just to be clear: in North Carolina, at least, the relationship between local governments and the state isn’t comparable to the relationship between state governments and Washington. In the latter case, delegates from already sovereign state governments met in 1787 to fashion a new federal constitution. It was then ratified through a state-by-state process. Subsequent amendments, starting with the Bill of Rights, were also ratified by a process in which states were represented and after which a requisite number of state electorates had to approve.

    By contrast, North Carolina localities have only the power granted to them by the legislature. I do think localities should retain some regulatory authority over land development, though primarily to ensure proper connections to adequately provided infrastructure.

    But they shouldn’t be able to use housing or zoning codes to enforce some residents’ preferences over others — including future residents who don’t yet live in a given jurisdiction and whose interests are represented by those who aspire to build and sell homes to them.

    This distinction is simple to state but, admittedly, challenging to implement. I see legislation such as H.B. 409 and S.B. 317 as striking a better balance between the legitimate powers of local governments and the legitimate rights of property owners.

    The result is likely to be more-affordable housing for North Carolinians.

  • 14bA young girl named Hilda sits by her Grandmother’s bedside and starts thinking this is where she wants to be. She wants to be in a hospital and help sick people get better.
    Hilda Edwards believes that was the day God put the dream to be a nurse into her heart. From that day forward, nursing became her calling.

    Knowing that nursing was her calling helped her while in school, along with knowing that she could overcome any obstacles through hard work. When things got difficult, she recalled, “All I could think about was helping people.” It was clear that nothing would stop her from becoming the nurse she was meant to be.

    After completing her nursing degree in 1979, she worked in various departments as a Registered Nurse, including the Cardiac Care Unit (CCU), Obstetric and Gynecology, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Psychiatric, and Pediatrics.

    Those experiences provided her with “an insurmountable amount of knowledge about different things.” Furthermore, she also learned a lot from the patients. Her concentration, however, was in pediatrics. She missed pediatrics and talked about how she worked with some good nurses and loved her job. Regardless of where she worked, she focused on the patients and their families and did her best.

    Edwards believes that nursing is a calling and more than just a job. She explains, “This job takes a lot of heart and soul... if you’re in it for the money, you might as well get out. You have to have a heart for people.” She also emphasizes the importance of going into nursing to be of service and help people. “We are our brother’s keeper. You have to be willing to give of yourself,” she says. She would constantly go that extra mile for the patient and their family that put their trust in her because they knew she would take good care of their child.

    Throughout her career, she has witnessed firsthand the toll that nursing can take on an individual. She has seen good nurses she worked with leave because of burnout. Burnout is a concern because it could lead to decreased job satisfaction and reduced quality of care that a nurse may provide to their patients. Her advice for avoiding burnout is to “know where your boundaries are.”

    There were many times while Edwards was working when there was no time for breaks for the nurses because of how busty and hectic it could be. “Working on the floor, you really learn teamwork,” she says.

    Furthermore, she believes that nurses need some emotional support because the job can be taxing on the heart. At times being understaffed plus long hours, combined with the emotional toll of caring for sick patients, is overwhelming.

    While working in pediatrics, she recalls, “I sat on the bed many nights and cried.” Even though time has passed, she still remembers the patients who got better and those who, sadly, did not. However, she would do it all again because she believes nursing is her calling.

    Despite the challenges that come with the nursing profession, Edwards says that the rewards outweigh the difficulties. “It’s just a joy you get out of making people feel better... It’s the best thing, I’ve met a lot of patients and mothers, fathers and they still remember me. It makes my heart feel happy and warm,” she says.

    Edwards believes that nurses deserve more pay and more respect. “Nurses are the eyes and ears of doctors,” she says. Further, nurses are also educators for patients and their loved ones. They provide instructions for patients on what to expect and how to take care of themselves once they return home. Nurses wear many hats: healers, nurturers, management, educators, and more.

    Currently, Edwards is working in case management and still helping people and being of service.

    Registered Nurse Hilda Edwards is an example of the dedication and passion nurses bring to their work daily. Her commitment to caring for her patients, going that extra mile, and doing her best is a reminder of what it truly means to be a healthcare professional.
    “It’s a very rewarding occupation. I would not have changed it for the world,” she said. “I’ve been rewarded in many ways by being a nurse. Just by helping other people.”

  • 08ArtFayetteville’s 4th Fridays are a community tradition. On the 4th Friday of every month, people of all ages are welcome to enjoy a night on the town — downtown that is — with free entertainment that differs from one month to the next. Fayetteville’s historical district meets modern art with May’s theme: Art Attack. The event takes place May 24 from 6-10 p.m.

    “We’ll have live art up and down the street, from Hay Street to Person Street and the side streets,” said Johanna Brum, the event co-chair for this month’s 4th Friday.

    Instead of only selling previously made art, local artists will paint and dance and sculpt in front of a live audience. “Dancers (will be) out on the street; we’ll have body painters out. It’s the first time we’ve done it,” said Brum. To broaden audience appeal, Art Attack will be more PG-13 than kid-oriented, so a Kids Corner will be set up by Greg’s Pottery on Maxwell Street. It will feature face-painting, balloon animals and other activities.

    Downtown businesses are getting involved with 4th Friday a little differently this month. “They’re actually going to sponsor the artists,” said Brum. “It’ll be free for almost all of the artists.” The businesses will support the artists one-on-one, and each artist will set up shop in front of his or her respective store sponsor.

    Systel will sponsor Second Time Around, an old-fashioned swing band featured on Jazz Juice Radio. “Fifteen people with horns and all kinds of instruments (play) swing music from the ’40s, and they cover more contemporary music,” said Jane Casto, Headquarters manager at Cumberland County Public Library. “They have been coming for several years — it’s kind of a tradition.” Refreshments will be available.

    The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County will play an important role in the event as well. According to Christina Williams, marketing specialist at the Arts Council, 4th Friday attendees can expect an exciting display for the evening. “We will be opening our ‘Public Works’ exhibit, which is traditionally our largest exhibition of the year,” said Williams. This exhibition is open to artists of any age and skill level in Cumberland County and the surrounding areas. The Parsons, a local folk band, will perform outside the Arts Council building, and Fayetteville PWC will be inside handing out free conservation goodies.

    Art Attack is a large-scale version of a weekly event hosted by Shawn Adkins at The Rock Shop. It is designed to unite all types of artists, from photographers to tattoo artists, with one platform. Adkins is now the owner of Back-A-Round Records downtown.

    For more information about 4th Friday, visit www.theartscouncil.com or call the Cool Spring Downtown District at 910-223-1089.

  • 14Nurses Week is a time to honor and celebrate all the many roles that nurses play every single day. They are the backbone and frontline of the healthcare field.

    One registered nurse who is making a difference in Fayetteville is Ashley Justice. A nurse for five years, Justice’s nursing career began a little differently than many others.

    “I was actually a translator in the Air Force for twelve years and I really enjoyed it but as you can imagine, I was overseas a lot. It was time to settle down and find a job that I could enjoy and that I found challenging that also didn’t require me to travel as much,” she said.

    There are over 20 types of nursing specialists so for those that are thinking about nursing, there are plenty of avenues to choose from.
    Ashley spoke a bit about which career path she’s taken as a nurse.

    “Eventually, I decided to go into Psych and get my Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Degree and I’m working as a RN right now but I did just finish school so we’ll see how that goes,” Justice said.

    “I started in Neuro and I found that I enjoyed working with the patients,” she said.

    “Neuro is a lot like Psych, patients aren’t really themselves. It’s for a different reason like brain tumors or dementia, where as in Psych, it’s the neurotransmitters aren’t firing right basically. I wanted to get more specific and geared towards Psych so I started working in the Psych Emergency Department up at Duke.”

    Justice was there for a year and a half and found it exciting because there were “people coming in basically at their worst, maybe they were having their first schizophrenic break or going through some bipolar mania thing like that. We would stabilize them. I did enjoy that but I wanted to work with inpatient after I got my Emergency Room experience.”
    Justice has been at Cape Fear since November and said she enjoys the experience.

    “You get to work with the patients more long-term and best case scenario, you do get to see them get better before they’re discharged. Worst case, we
    do see them back so you kind of see a little of everything.”

    When asked about a piece of advice she would give to a future nurse, Justice said “Be open minded because you might pick a specialty that isn’t right for you, but that doesn't mean that nursing isn’t right for you. There are so many avenues you could pursue. I mean you can do labor and delivery, pediatrics … there’s really anything available to you, it’s like a million jobs in the world.”

  • 5 There is one word that can sum up the first 100 days of the 118th Congress — Results.

    Under Speaker Kevin McCarthy, House Republicans have passed more bills and had a more productive start than last Congress. And last Congress we had one-party in charge of the House, Senate and the White House. Every day, House Republicans are delivering results and fighting for you.

    From defunding President Joe Biden’s army of 87,000 IRS agents, ending the COVID-19 national emergency, eliminating unnecessary vaccine mandates, passing legislation to stop out of control bureaucrats, reversing President Biden’s anti-energy policies that are driving inflation, stopping dangerous soft-on-crime proposals, and just last week voting to protect women’s sports — House Republicans have followed through on the commitments we made to the American people.

    We are also holding the Biden administration accountable through more than 235 hearings and issuing more than 500 oversight letters and 34
    subpoenas.

    Recently, House Republicans outlined our plan to also address our nation’s debt. Two years of out-of-control government spending by President Biden and Washington Democrats have increased our national debt to the point that it is larger than the entire U.S. economy — and you have been forced to pay the price.
    Inflation continues to be a burden as you head to the grocery store and gas pump, with groceries up 20% from two years ago and the average gas prices in North Carolina up 30 cents from this time last month.

    Our plan will limit Washington’s irresponsible spending, save your tax dollars, and grow our economy — all while protecting Social Security and Medicare.

    As your Congressman, I’m focused on legislation that will improve the quality of life for you and your family. I am proud to lead on multiple pieces of legislation, including the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act, Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, and the HALT Fentanyl Act, which recently passed our committee and will move to a vote on the
    House floor.

    I have also reintroduced the Next Generation 9-1-1 Act to help state and local governments modernize our nation's aging 911 systems. We are blessed that our community has outstanding leadership that recognizes the importance of putting the right tools in the hands of our first responders and law
    enforcement.

    In April, I was able to visit the Moore County Department of Public Safety and meet with our incredible emergency telecommunicators to see firsthand how they serve when you and those you love need them most. It is a privilege to be the voice in Congress supporting our region’s dedicated telecommunicators, medical professionals, and law enforcement who keep us safe.

    House Republicans have delivered our “Commitment to America” to build an economy that’s strong, a nation that’s safe, a future built upon freedom, and a government that’s accountable to the American people — and we are just getting started.

    It is my hope that in the next 100 days, President Biden will work with Republicans on the issues you face every day. We will remain focused on solutions that grow our economy, keep us safe, fix the crisis at the border, and help you and every American family succeed.

  • 12marian 2 1 copyI was recently invited to view Sweet Tea Shakespeare’s “Maid Marian” at the historic 1897 Poe House. The production was enchanting. The brick-paved courtyard was lined with homemade quilts and Turkish carpets for guests to sit on while enjoying the show. The cast interacted with guests, introducing one another, explaining the history of the play and creating opportunities for the audience to enjoy it on many levels. STS raffled a walk-on part to audience members, which proved to be a hilarious addition to the production. STS also auctioned an opportunity to sit on a fabulous velvet lounge.

    The story of Robin Hood has enthralled audiences since the 16th century, but Jessica Osnoe, an actress and playwright with the company, has reimagined it from a decidedly female perspective for the company’s Honey Series, celebrating women in theater.

    It would have been easy for Osnoe to take a hyperfeminist perspective in her rewrite, depicting men as accessories and usurping the traditional legend of Robin Hood for Marian. But Osnoe used a gentle approach, implying Marian’s evolution as a vigilante, or benefactor to the masses, ran parallel with Robin Hood. Instead of removing him from the scenario, she created a level playing field on which they met as true equals. This, in turn, leaves the audience with the hope of their eventual romance.

    The play begins as the devious Sheriff of Nottingham suggests his disciple, Guy of Gisborne, marry Lady Marian so he might control her family’s estate — and their profit. The high-borne Marian, played by Jen Pommerenke, and her younger sister Emma, played by Laura Voytko, abandon the estate and flee to Sherwood Forest with several women from the village.

    Marian and Emma are joined by Marian’s cousin Eleanor, played by Osnoe. They teach other women to fight, then disguise themselves as performers so they can move about the countryside without drawing the sheriff’s attention. Then, they plunder! They rob the rich to feed the poor in proper Robin Hood tradition. Marian and her all-girl gang establish themselves as legends amongst the villagers and proper criminals with the sheriff and Sir Guy.

    Pommerenke wows the audience with her performance. She gives depth to what has traditionally been a two-dimensional character. Her Marian is strong, innovative and, at times, humorous.

    Voytko fearlessly introduces Marian’s sister Emma to the world. She’s precocious and unapologetic, educated and playfully charming.

    And Osnoe brings strength and determination to the character of Eleanor. She’s a stabilizing influence for Marian, a voice of reason in their world of chaos.

    Remaining show dates for “Maid Marian” are May 9-12. The shows begin at 7:30 p.m., and there is a preshow at 6:45 p.m. General admission is $25. Advance general admission is $17.50. Advance senior/military admission is $15, and advance student tickets are $10.

    Photo: Jen Pommerenke as Maid Marian (left) and Laura Voytko as Emma Fitzwalter, Maid Marian’s sister (right)

  • 13The month of May recognizes two important work forces which are vital to our community: teachers and nurses. Nurses and teachers help shape our communities and help us to thrive. During these special weeks, we honor their dedication, compassion and hard work.

    Up & Coming Weekly had the chance to sit down and talk with Robin Kivett, an Associate Degree Nursing Instructor at Fayetteville Technical Community College.

    Kivett became a registered nurse and graduated FTCC in 1981. She previously worked at Cape Fear Valley and was the Palliative Care Coordinator. She then transitioned to FTCC and became a teacher in 2019, which was a full-circle moment for her.

    During her time as an instructor at FTCC, she helped oversee the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine being administered at the COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic held at FTCC on April 1, 2021. She also received a NISOD Excellence Award for her outstanding work at FTCC.

    UCW: What inspired you to become a nurse?

    Kivett: As a young girl, I always played teacher, and I always envisioned that I would be in education. At a high school career fair over at 71st, we had many vendors who had come from different colleges, and as we were walking by one of the schools of nursing, a girlfriend of mine said, ‘You know what? You would make a great nurse.’ I had never considered nursing. There's no one medical in my family.

    But at the same time, later that year, I was voted the most compassionate. Not most likely to succeed and not anything else but most compassionate. And I really think for that it was sort of a light bulb moment for me that, maybe nursing is what I was meant to do. It's really ironic to me that I now have come full circle, and I've been able to blend nursing and teaching, and I'm doing both.

    UCW: Why did you decide to switch careers to teaching?

    Kivett: I always knew that there was a tug at my heart to come back to teaching. And so I think even as a nurse, I always recognized that I would eventually teach nursing. At the time, the position I had was eliminated. And so that pretty much was the impetus for me. That job change was very difficult because I loved that position. And I remember even sitting in the parking lot one day really kind of tearful about the fact that that position had ended and having a prayer moment and just really angry, ‘God, why is this happening?’ And I didn't really have that recognition, didn't really have that answer.

    And then, I was sitting in my office after delivering an amazing class that day, and it was almost like this little tap on my shoulder that said, ‘Robin, this is why. Instead of teaching one family at a time, now you've taught 40 students, and each one of them can now go teach one family at a time.’ And I thought, okay, now I get it. This is where I'm supposed to be.

    UCW: Can you share some challenges you have faced as a nurse and how you overcame them?

    Kivett: The challenging thing for me is to look at health care across our nation right now. As nurses who feel that sense of allegiance with our patients, sometimes we have conflict. We have moral distress between what we're having to do and what is dictated by insurance and systems and that sort of thing. Whenever we feel like that maybe it is not the most patient-centered care. And I think that's probably one of the biggest challenges. We may not feel that it's safe, that we have to provide care for X number of patients, but we are what we are. That's all we've got, and we have to do the best that we can.

    UCW: What is the most rewarding aspect of being a nurse and a teacher?

    Kivett: Even though I was in a patient care setting previously, I was always that teacher to them and for them, for patients and their families, to finally have that aha moment of that understanding, those light bulb moments was just so rewarding because then they could make informed decisions and move forward with their care. So that was still teaching.

    But in coming to the actual academic side of nursing, it is now I get to see those aha moments for students. I often find that students don't realize that they're learning what they think they're learning, but later they're like, ‘Oh my God, I do know that. Oh wow, I can do that. Or look at how I've grown.’ When you think about a brand new person who comes into nursing, and then two years later, they're actually a practicing nurse. It's just amazing. And that's the most rewarding thing for me is nudging them to the next class so that they can then graduate and do the work that they want to do.

    UCW: How do you balance life and work with your job?

    Kivett: I actually have to think that at this moment in time in the health care system, I don't know that we do. I think we do the best that we can. And even in academics, there's always something else to be done.

    And I think, as a bedside nurse, I'm not sure that we do. I think that we do the best that we can,
    But at the same time, there is that constant tug between taking care of your patients and taking care of your family, regardless of what your family looks like. If that's just a partner or whatever, you know, or your kids, I think it's just very difficult. One of the big emphasis this day and time is on nursing self-care.

    The American Nursing Association has a big push on Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation, and I belong to that and then I encourage my students to be involved in that.

    We're in desperate times in nursing and I think we really have to emphasize setting some boundaries. But it's very difficult not to go in for that extra shift or not to do that when you know that your coworkers are struggling to care for as many patients as they may be having to care for.

    UCW: What is one thing that you want people to know about your career?
    Kivett: I think that nursing is the best career. I had this conversation with a student this morning. Once they become licensed, once they pass the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination), being a nurse opens doors, literally.

    I mean, I know that's kind of a stock sentence, but it really, it truly does because if I don't want to work in a hospital setting, I can work in an outpatient setting or a school setting or work in the prison system. If I enjoy working with older people, I can work with the elderly in a nursing home. If I don't care for that, I can work with pediatrics and children.

    Nursing probably offers the most varied opportunities of any career path that I can imagine.

  • 4Below is a letter from Fayetteville citizen Donald Boyd to the Mayor and City Council members congratulating them on making a wise decision in not initiating the change from two-year City Council terms to four-year terms.

    He also provides some sound logic and historical basis for why the decision was proper. I applaud Boyd for taking this initiative. Way too many Fayetteville citizens stand on the sidelines, afraid to speak out on important and pressing issues that directly affect or indirectly affect our quality of life.

    There are many reasons for this reluctance, but the most frequent and valid excuses for not speaking out are that people don’t want the hassles and repercussions of conflict with the prevailing “woke” culture that has permeated our local, state and national governments.

    This affliction usually culminates in the canceling out of people, businesses and organizations who refuse to subscribe to their ideology. All of which further divides humanity.
    The notion put forth by freshman District 6 Councilman Derrick Thompson that four-year terms will save the city time and money was as lame as the inference that Fayetteville residents are not well informed on important and relevant issues of the City. The immense turnout at the public hearing laid that notion to rest.

    Our community is on the brink of being a “news media desert,” without a local TV station. Fayetteville and Cumberland County lack the benefit of journalistic investigative reporting that would provide a “deep dive” into important issues affecting our city. Several media resources report on local government meetings, but only after we get the full story do we have to deal with the outcomes and consequences of their actions or inactions. Lack of transparency is a real problem.

    So, this is the case, and even though Fayetteville residents may not be as informed on local issues as they could be, they know that they do not want people in leadership positions any longer than they need to be.

    The massive enthusiastic turnout during the public hearing on extending City Council term limits made that statement clear.

    Again, I join Boyd in congratulating the Council on making a good decision. However, there are many more urgent projects and concerns facing our city. Seeing them spend more time serving the community than themselves would be encouraging.

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

    Dear City Council Members,
    Thank most of you for voting not to extend the two-year term limit to four years without a public referendum on this massive change in Fayetteville's democracy. I do not know why you voted this way. Was it because your district citizens contacted you to vote no? Belief in democratic federalism government? Hate mail? The belief that slow changes to government based on historical precedent is a sound policy? Or a gut feeling? Regardless, I thank you for your sound decision.
    Please let me dive deep for a moment.
    When I heard of a four-year term proposal, without a public vote just “Because we don't have to,” I remembered the founding of the Republic — the Constitution — and the explanations in “The Federalist Papers” by the great author Publius.

    Specifically:

    # 52 Madison:
    “As it is essential to liberty that the government, in general, should have a common interest with the people, so it is particularly essential that the branch of it under consideration should have an immediate dependence on, and an intimate sympathy with, the people. Frequent elections are unquestionably the only policy by which this dependence and sympathy can be effectually secured.”

    #53 Madison:

    “All these considerations taken together warrant us in affirming, that biennial elections will be as useful to the affairs of the public as we have seen that they will be safe to the liberty of the people.”
    While the above specifically talks about House of Representative terms, it has a great historical discussion on the different term options for direct representatives of the People. If you have never read it, I recommend you do, for it will provide a historical perspective on why a two-year term limit is the only viable option.

    You made a wise choice, and I salute you.

    —Regards and Best Wishes
    Donald Boyd
    Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.)

  • 09Memphis 1In the 1950s, Memphis, Tennessee, was subject to Jim Crow laws and segregation. R&B and rock ’n’ roll played to two distinctly different crowds — until DJ Dewy Philips changed things. Take a journey with Cape Fear Regional Theatre to “Memphis,” where rock ’n’ roll was born. The show runs May 9-26.

    “Memphis” is inspired by reallife events and people. According to director Suzanne Agins, the central character is a white DJ, named Huey Calhoun in the play, who makes it his mission to expose his white audience to the blues. He is played by Matthew Mucha and is based on real-life DJ Dewy Philips. The story is about his drive to expand people’s minds about music and his relationship with African American blues singer Felicia Farrell, a character who is not based on a real-life counterpart. “It is all this great R&B and early rock ’n’ roll coming from the African American community, and this guy who made it his life’s work to get it out to whites,” said Agins.

    When she started thinking about how to tell the story best, Agins, who also directed “Dreamgirls” at CFRT in 2017, reached back to her previous experience in Fayetteville. “I was here for ‘Dreamgirls,’ and it was an amazing thing to be surround by amazing women,” she said.

    Agins noticed that Felicia, played by Shonica Gooden, didn’t have strong female characters to relate to in the story. “I thought about the main character and wondered why she didn’t have a friend to talk to,” said Agins. “I looked at (the character of ) her brother and thought there is nothing about this (character) that is inherently male. It is a human who cares deeply for his sister.

    “We asked the licensing company if we could change this to a female character and made our case. … We cast an amazing actress, and she is killing it.” The script didn’t change, just the gender of one character.

    Gooden didn’t know the role of her character’s brother was going to change to that of a sister, but she’s embraced it. “I think it has made it better,” she said. “We brought that sisterly bond into the story, making it that much more authentic onstage.”

    CFRT Marketing Director Ashley Owen noted that the story covers an important topic — race. “It delves into the relationship between white and black people in that time,” she said. “The message is one of loving people when you come together and experience something special. It is an important story to tell, and we work hard to do it well, if for no other reason than for people to be able to talk about the message.”

    David Robbins plays Bobby Dupree, Huey’s best friend. For him, the music adds to an already meaty performance. “‘Memphis’ won best score for the year it came out,” he said. “You will be leaving the theater humming the tunes.”

    Ricardo Morgan is a Fayetteville native and no stranger to the CFRT stage. “Member of the Wedding,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Sweeney Todd” and “Trip to Bountiful” are a few of the shows he’s performed in. Morgan is in the ensemble. “Given the theme of the show and climate of our nation, this is another opportunity for the arts to help heal,” he said. “And in doing so, we talk about preconceptions. You will leave singing, but you will also leave having asked yourself questions. Questions we ask daily come to life onstage — it is about a sense of community and supporting each other.” Due to the content, the show is rated PG-13.

    The play runs May 9-26. Visit www.cfrt.org for tickets and information. Look for theme nights and special events, including Red Carpet Ready, Opening Night Dance Party, Mimosa Brunch and Military Night, on the website.

    Photo:  Matthew Mucha as Huey Calhoun (left) and Shonica Gooden as Felicia Farrell (right)

  • 12aDr. Shanessa Fenner, principal at W.T. Brown Elementary, wants all of her students to reach their highest potential. She calls them her “babies” and “my sweet faces.”

    “Teachers run in my family,” Fenner said. “My mother was a teacher. My sister is a teacher. Teaching, I always thought, was awesome because you lay the foundation for the babies and teachers. That’s how I got into the field of education.”

    As an educator, Dr. Fenner strives to stay connected with her staff, students and their parents.

    “I build relationships with them. I talk to them, spend time with them, ask them questions. I’m a very authentic, open, accessible person when it comes to my staff, parents and my babies,” she said. “Everyone knows that you can come to me, ask me a question or come to me with a concern. I have an open-door policy.”

    Dr. Fenner uses a consistent approach in building those ties to her staff, students and families.

    “Relationships are everything. If you don’t have relationships, you don’t have anything.”

    Over the years, Fenner has encouraged other educators to continue their educational pursuits. This includes helping them with their assignments and reading over their dissertations. She is a cheerleader for those who seek to obtain a higher degree. One of her former coworkers, Patricia Moses, detailed this further.

    In 1998, Moses and Fenner were teachers at Lucile Souders Elementary School. Fenner taught second grade and Moses taught first grade.
    Fenner asked Moses, “What are your long-term and short-term goals?” Moses said she was content with being a teacher and Fenner asked if Moses would complete her master’s. Other teachers then started asking Dr. Fenner about the completion of their higher level degrees. Moses went on to obtain her master’s.

    A legacy of high expectations

    Fenner has been the principal at Mae Rudd Williams Elementary Kindergarten School, Ireland Drive Middle School, Alger B. Wilkins Elementary School and now W.T. Brown Elementary School.

    “It’s all about the legacy you leave,” Fenner said. “I want to leave a legacy that Dr. Fenner wanted everybody to learn and grow and be the best that they could be. She had very high expectations and she would tell you she would not lower them. You are going to rise to high expectations.”

    A former student commented on the positive legacy Fenner brings to school. Nyasia Franklin had Fenner as a principal from Pre-K to fifth grade. Franklin, currently in the sixth grade, said Fenner is a great role model.

    “She was very inspiring. She encouraged students. She was always willing to talk to you one-on-one,” Franklin said. “She always had your back no matter what. I love Dr. Fenner because she believes in me,” Franklin said.

    Franklin’s grandmother, Ladoniya Miller, added: “Dr. Fenner is what every principal should strive to be. As a parent, I’ve been able to voice anything that I needed to say to her. She was always willing to speak with me,” Miller said.

    “Just to sit and watch her and to know the things she’s achieved in her life makes me feel good. It, in turn, shows the students what they can achieve also,” she said.12b
    Fenner’s dedication to her students, staff and profession have not gone unnoticed. She was nominated as a Cumberland County Principal of the Year twice.

    Educational pursuit

    Dr. Fenner has multiple degrees from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Her bachelor’s degree is from North Carolina Central University. She has two master’s — one is in Administration and one in Elementary Education — that she obtained from Fayetteville State University. Her doctorate degree is from FSU. She said her HBCU experience still influences her journey.

    “It continues to shine and show up in everything that I do because both of those institutions taught me and gave me the confidence to be all that I can be, to give back to my community and volunteer,” she said.

    In her heart, she wants all of her babies to get a doctorate degree. She encourages them to at least obtain a bachelor’s degree. Some former students let her know they are following her advice when they are in college.

    This year, Fenner took her fifth graders on a field trip to Fayetteville State University. She made sure they could tour the school and eat in the cafeteria to give the students a feel of what a college experience would be like. She said exposure is the key for her babies.

    “I want to sit in my rocking chair one day and turn on my tv and I want to see your face across that tv saying you did something great. I’m going to say, ‘That was one of my babies,’” Fenner said.

    When asked what she wants to see more of in education, Fenner said she wants to go back to the concept “It takes a village to raise a child.”

    “I want to see more parental involvement,” Fenner said. “I want parents sitting down every night with their children doing homework, flashing multiplication cards, reading to them, communicating more with my teachers, and building that positive home-school connection.”

    Influence beyond education

    Over the years, in her spare time on weekends, Fenner has written for 16 publications, including Up & Coming Weekly.

    “It’s very therapeutic for me. I’ve always been able to express my thoughts and emotions on paper,” she said.

    She said writing aids her love of meeting new people. She currently has a podcast called “The City Insight” featuring cosmetologists, barbers, fashion designers among others. She’s been doing it for a few months and tapes on the weekends. She says the podcast has been fun.
    Fenner has also done work as an actress, a hair model, insurance agent, radio personality, TV show host, songwriter and adjunct professor.

    What’s Next

    Fenner plans on writing a book perhaps on leadership — or maybe even a romance novel, something that would be different for her, she said.

    “I believe that we were placed on Earth to do great things and that is exactly what I am going to do,” she said. “You never know what is going to happen tomorrow and I am not going to be put into a box only knowing how to do one thing.”

  • 9Fayetteville has a new way for residents to help address crime: a voluntary system that allows them to register and map their cameras to a database at the Fayetteville Police Department.

    The Police Department says the system, which doesn’t give live access to camera footage, will help officers solve crime, and some residents agree. Others have concerns about privacy as police across the state and country increasingly use modern technology to monitor their communities.

    Earlier this month, FPD launched Fusus, the company that operates the camera monitoring system. To operate the system will cost taxpayers $100,000 annually, the Police Department says. The funding is part of the Police Department budget and was not specifically approved by the City Council but by City Manager Douglas Hewett, according to the Police Department.

    The system, which is being used by police departments in Rocky Mount, Winston-Salem and Kernersville, is separated into two categories: business and residential.

    Both businesses and residents can voluntarily register any cameras they have on their property to the Police Department. This does not give police live access to camera footage but only maps the location of each registered camera. If a crime occurs within sight of a camera, police can ask to view the footage at the moment of the crime with the owner present. The owner of the camera, however, can deny that request.

    Businesses can opt to integrate their camera systems, meaning police would have live access to footage in the case of an emergency.
    In an interview with CityView, Fayetteville Police Chief Kemberle Braden emphasized that the residential system is voluntary and does not give the police live access.

    “We’re not asking you to plug in or grant us access; we just want to know where they are. So when we have an incident that occurs within our neighborhoods or within our communities, we know where to go and begin our canvass for potential video that might help with that crime,” Braden said.

    As of April 21, businesses and residents have registered 515 cameras in the system. Businesses have integrated 226 cameras.
    Cynthia Leeks, president of the Broadell/Seabrook Community Watch in a neighborhood near the Murchison Road corridor, said in an interview that she supports the residential camera system. She said she knows of at least seven residents in the area that plan to register their cameras in the system.

    “As a community, in order to help the police prevent crime, we have to play our role. And that’s a part of community policing,” Leeks said.

    Months before the Police Department launched its system with Fusus, the Broadell/Seabrook Community Watch was awarded a microgrant by the city that will fund the purchase of four cameras that residents will install on their property in what Police Department has identified as high-crime areas.

    Johnette Henderson, secretary of the Broadell/Seabrook Community Watch, said in an interview that the organization will use the crime data to place cameras where it has seen instances of speeding and other criminal violations.

    “We’re totally in support of it because we think it’s a good idea,” said Henderson.

    Privacy concerns

    Fusus is the second monitoring system that the city of Fayetteville has contracted with in recent months. Late last year, the city finalized a nearly $200,000 one-year contract with ShotSpotter. While Fusus makes use of video technology, ShotSpotter uses microphones — the company calls them “acoustic sensors” — to detect loud noises such as gunshots. ShotSpotter then uses artificial intelligence to identify the location of the gunshot in real time.

    Amid concerns of privacy, the contract with ShotSpotter caused controversy among some residents of Fayetteville, Carolina Public Press reported. Braden said the residential camera registration under Fusus should not create the same concerns.

    “All it does is it shows us where cameras are. So we know where to knock on doors for those private cameras,” Braden said. “We’re not asking private citizens to install hardware on their cameras. We’re just asking them to let us know you’ve got a camera. So, if something occurs, we know where to go.”

    While the Fusus system is voluntary and requires owner consent to view camera footage, the Police Department is partnered with a similar system with Amazon’s Ring cameras. Amazon, in partnering with police departments across the country, notifies police through its Ring system of a crime occurring near the presence of Ring cameras.

    According to Fayetteville police, this system operates similarly to Fusus but instead of knowing exactly where a camera is located, it maps the crime within a certain radius. Police can then request, through the Ring Neighbors app, that residents show them footage, but the owners can deny that request.

    According to reporting from Politico last year, some police departments have bypassed permission, but the Fayetteville Police Department said it has not acquired footage without the owner’s consent.
    Fayetteville resident Lisette Rodriguez, an activist and community organizer, said she is concerned about the growing trend in police and government surveillance.

    “I do have concerns about how our government does not necessarily have any safeguards in place to protect our digital privacy with all these cameras around, with things like ShotSpotter. And I worry about how this information could be used,” Rodriguez said.

    She said she is even concerned about private cameras facing away from the owner’s property.

    “When I was living in an apartment, there was a Ring camera that my neighbor had,” Rodriguez said. “It was aimed directly at my door. So I knew, even though I wasn’t doing anything wrong, it kind of made me a little bit uncomfortable, knowing that every time I opened my door, that person’s camera is there, seeing inside my home, seeing who comes to
    my home.”

    Transparency concerns

    The Police Department’s partnership with Fusus will cost Fayetteville taxpayers $100,000 annually. When asked if a process should be in place to monitor the system’s usage like an audit, Braden said that is not necessary.

    “What process should be in place where that if you voluntarily tell me, ‘I have a camera at my house.’ Just me knowing you have a camera, how am I going to abuse that or misuse that information?” Braden said.
    Leeks said there should be some measures in place to make sure the system is working.

    “Make sure, because somebody’s paying for this program, and I guarantee you, it is the taxpayers,” Leeks said. “When they roll out new programs like this, you have to have some kind of matrix system to determine if it’s working.”

    Rodriguez, who has called for a separate city department that holds the Fayetteville Police accountable, said residents should monitor the Fusus system.

    “So often, the police are overseeing the police,” Rodriguez said. “I would like to see some type of outside body who is helping formulate these safeguards.”

  • 8Fayetteville Technical Community College President Dr. Mark Sorrells met with the State Board of Community Colleges to discuss the work of the Carolina Cyber Network and CCN’s comprehensive cyber security workforce strategy for North Carolina.

    Sorrells made a presentation about CCN on April 20 during the issues luncheon portion of the State Board’s monthly meeting. Sorrells is a co-founder and leader of CCN, which was established in 2020 by Fayetteville Tech and Montreat College. Both schools are recognized as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.

    Fayetteville Tech and Montreat joined in creating CCN to establish a comprehensive, innovative and coordinated workforce-training solution to the burgeoning need for cybersecurity professionals at all levels and in all sectors of public and private entities in the state.

    Sorrells told the State Board there are estimated to be more than 23,400 cybersecurity job openings in North Carolina currently and more than 755,000 cybersecurity job openings nationwide.
    Since its founding, CCN’s membership has grown to include 11 community colleges and three four-year institutions, with an anticipated 3-4 additional colleges joining this year. CCN has received funding from the General Assembly to support its work.

    Sorrells explained that CCN members work together to ensure their students meet cybersecurity workforce needs in a variety of economic sectors, including agriculture, biotechnology, critical infrastructure, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and military transition.

    Since the program’s start, Sorrells said, member schools in CCN have collectively reported a 60% increase in enrollment in cybersecurity credit programs and a 197% increase in total graduates. Among the 14 current member colleges, nine have reported adding or updating their cybersecurity programs. Four additional colleges are in the application and review process.

    Sorrells said CCN has developed a dynamic and powerful public-private partnership with significant buy-in from industry and the highest levels of U.S. and State government.

    CCN’s leaders are Sorrells, Lawrence Young, Executive Director of the Carolina Cyber Center of Montreat College, and David Thompson, President and CEO of RBX Solutions.
    Current member schools are Blue Ridge Community College, Catawba Valley Community College, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville Technical Community College, Forsyth Technical Community College, Gaston College, Montreat College, North Carolina A&T State University, Richmond Community College, Stanly Community College, Wayne Community College, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, Piedmont Community College and Wake Technical Community College.

    For more information about CCN, please visit www.carolinacybernetwork.net.

    For more information about Fayetteville Tech, please visit www.faytechcc.edu.

  • 6In their first report to the Fayetteville City Council, representatives of the Community Police Advisory Board faced questions that prompted contentious exchanges between city leaders.

    More than a year since it was established, the advisory board presented its inaugural report at the April 24 council meeting.

    The council accepted the report by a vote of 9-1, with council member Shakeyla Ingram voting in opposition. Council member Mario Benavente, while voting to accept the report, voiced criticism of the advisory board, arguing that it has not gone far enough to hold police accountable.

    The advisory board was impaneled by the city in August 2021 with the purpose of reviewing and recommending methods of improving police practices and policies. The board is headed by Gregory Perkins, a volunteer chaplain with the Fayetteville Police Department.
    Perkins, in his presentation to the City Council, said the board has spent time learning from city and police officials about how policing works in Fayetteville, calling the inaugural year a “growing process.”

    “One of our learning curves was trying to understand as a board what law enforcement and policing in Fayetteville looks like. We hear lots of stuff on television and radio, social media, about policing and other cities. But what does that look like in the city of Fayetteville?” Perkins said.
    Perkins said through this learning process, the board has tried to give residents the opportunity “to have dialogue and to ask questions and to make comments about what they think public safety and policing should look like.”

    The goal for 2023, Perkins said, is to continue to hear from residents and make recommendations accordingly.

    “A lot of these goals deal with being very visible in our community so that the citizens of Fayetteville can have access to us,” Perkins said. “So we can hear their concerns, bring those concerns back as a board, process those concerns and then make recommendations to the Police Department as well as to you members of City Council.”

    At the conclusion of the presentation, Benavente asked Perkins if he could identify what happened in May 2020 that, Benavente argued, led to the creation of the advisory board.

    “Not specifically,” Perkins responded.

    In May 2020, a Minneapolis police officer killed Fayetteville native George Floyd, a Black man who was unarmed and in police custody when he died. Protests erupted across the country in the following weeks, including in Fayetteville, where civil unrest was spurred at the Market House, a building downtown that has served as an icon for the city. African slaves were bought and sold at the Market House in the 1800s.
    Council member Ingram said Perkins should be aware of the civil unrest that occurred in Fayetteville in 2020.

    Perkins responded that he needed more specifics.

    “I was a part of the city group that asked that the Market House be repurposed. But when you say ‘civil unrest,’ just give me a date,” he said.

    “When we say May 2020, it is unforgivable for anyone to forget what happened,” Ingram responded. “And I think for anyone to lead an organization, it should ring the bell like it was yesterday. So it is a bit alarming that it didn’t ring a bell to you because I think many people in there, they’ll have some significant trauma to what occurred — whether they look like me or don’t look like me.”

    Ingram is a Black woman.

    Mayor Mitch Colvin took issue with Ingram’s line of questioning.

    “We have a volunteer board member who volunteers their time and effort, trying to make the city a better place on a board the city established,” Colvin said. “This is not an interrogation.”

    Ingram interrupted him and tried to clarify her point, but Colvin gaveled her response and told her to “respect the decorum of this office and your seat.”

    “If it’s germane to this report, then we will talk about it. If it is not,” Colvin continued, “have that on your own time and not the council’s time.”

    In a final comment on the advisory board, Benavente criticized its structure and argued that it doesn’t meet its purpose.

    “In the summer of 2020, activists called, demanded, lobbied the City Council to establish some kind of citizens’ review board, some kind of group of citizens that will be able to look at instances of police brutality … (and) have a chance to say whether or not this is the kind of action that we want our police to engage in,” Benavente said. “We didn’t get that review board. We got an advisory board. So, no authority for any of the recommendations to really be taken. They give advice.”

    Colvin said the city is not allowed to go further because of North Carolina law.

    “North Carolina doesn’t allow a review process as many of the advocates that you mentioned had asked for,” Colvin said. “This was the closest thing that we can legally do.”
    Democrats in the N.C. General Assembly have attempted in the past two legislative sessions to allow a more stringent review process of municipal police departments, but those bills stalled in the legislature.

  • 22Darius McLeodDarius McLeod

    Westover • Basketball/golf • Senior

    McLeod has a grade point average of 3.8. He was a second team choice in the 2018 Holiday Classic basketball tournament. He played golf three years for Westover. He is a member of National Honor Society, National English Honor Society and the Academy of Health Sciences.

    23alainawalkerAlaina Walker

    Westover • Volleyball/softball • Senior

    Walker is ranked third in her class, with a 4.18 grade point average. She has been a member of Health Occupations Students of America for four years. She is a member of National Honor Society and the Academy of Scholars. She helped the Westover softball team to its first state playoff appearance in school history, batting .400 and driving in 15 runs.

  • Here is the Patriot Athletic All-Conference softball team as chosen by the league’s head coaches.

    Coach of the year: Stuart Gilmer, Gray’s Creek

    Player of the year: Jaden Pone, Gray’s Creek

    Pitcher of the year: Katie Murphy, Cape Fear

    First team:

    • Terry Sanford — Anna Suggs, Maddie Beard

    • E.E. Smith — Kayla Parson

    • Pine Forest — Zareeya Watson, Brianna Crosby, Brittany Maultsby, Korie St. Peter, Mary Lee Sullivan

    • Gray’s Creek — Mackenzie Mason, Drew Menscer, Kylie Aldridge, Morgan Brady, Courtney Cygan, Jaden Pone

    • Overhills — Malik’s Dones, Kiana Jones

    • Cape Fear — Katie Murphy, Morgan Nunnery, Alyssa Meredith, Taylor Melvin, Aubrey Griffin, Jess Oxendine

    • South View — Mia Ayers, Danielle Golcher, Alex Deville

    • Westover — Alaina Walker

    Honorable mention:

    • Terry Sanford — Mylie Leahy

    • E.E. Smith — Madilyn Hotchkiss, Abraonna Williams

    • Gray’s Creek — Summer Powell, Madi Badley, Rebecca Collins

    • Overhills — Taylor Nunn, Megan Maurer, Liz Mitchell

    • Cape Fear — Marlin Horne, Aleiyah Payne, Lauren Adams, Ava Basket, Toni Blackwell

    • South View — Faith Franklin, Raven Camacho, Bailey Lockwood, Katie Smith

    • Westover — Chkylie Boado, Jasmine Kelsey, Maya Johnson

  • 18davidjohn HerzHere is the Patriot Athletic All-Conference baseball team as chosen by the league’s head coaches.

    Coach of the year: Sam Guy, Terry Sanford

    Player of the year: Davidjohn Herz, Terry Sanford

    Pitcher of the year: Nick West, Cape Fear

    First team:

    • Cape Fear — Cade Oliver, Cole Altman

    • Douglas Byrd — Edwardo Alfons

    • Gray’s Creek — Landen Harris, Tyler Strickland, Aaron Smith, Ryan Miller, Dillon Taylor

    •Overhills — Ricky Kelly

    • Pine Forest — Justin Honeycutt, Isaac Gonzales, James O’Brien, Lance Lockamy

    • South View — Riley Caudle, Damon Evans, Keshawn Dunham

    • Terry Sanford — Justin Ebert, Jackson Deaver, Marcus Sanchez, Dorian Clark, Tommy Cooney, Hunter Wiggins

    Honorable mention:

    • Cape Fear — Nick Minacapelli

    • Gray’s Creek — Hunter Smith, J.J. Rivera

    • Overhills — Johnny Vickers, Richard Hooks

    • South View — Caleb Shinn

    • Terry Sanford — Jack Cooney

  • 15haleynelsonFreedom Christian Academy’s softball team experienced tragedy before its 2019 season ever started. But by season’s end, the coaches and players were able to move from tragedy to triumph as they bought home the school’s third North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association state title in four years.

    The Patriots entered this year’s NCISAA 2-A state tournament as the No. 3 seed but cruised through the double elimination portion of the playoffs unbeaten. They beat both top-seeded Rocky Mount Academy and No. 2 Halifax Academy along the way, the former on its home field in a 16-inning duel lasting over three and a half hours.

    Freedom finished the season 16-4 under the leadership of first-year head coach John Smith. Smith was no stranger to the Freedom softball program. He became the school’s director of security in 2016 after his longtime friend, the late Eddie Dees, had become Freedom’s softball coach and led the Patriots to their first-ever softball championship.

    Dees passed away that same year. Smith, a former member of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department and the Hope Mills Police Department, continued in an assistant coaching role until he was asked to take over as head coach entering the 2019 season.

    It wasn’t long after he was hired that the team experienced misfortune. Haley Roberson, the starting third baseman, died at her home in late September one morning before school.

    “She was a solid defensive player and an offensive threat,’’ Smith said of Roberson. “Between the emotions of losing her, starting the season without her and trying to fill that void, it was some trying times.’’

    It was reflected in the team’s record as they struggled to a 3-3 start.

    “We only had five returnees and eight new girls,’’ Smith said. “The nucleus of that bunch was seventh and eighth graders. They had travel ball experience, but they hadn’t been with our program. We had to learn their skill set.’’

    Smith praised the work of two veteran assistant coaches, Russell Montgomery and Jimmy Nelson. “They know the game inside out and were there to help me,’’ he said.

    So were their two daughters, pitcher Haley Nelson and catcher Molly Montgomery. Nelson, a junior, is committed to play at Queens University of Charlotte. Montgomery, a senior, has a scholarship to Gardner-Webb University.

    Just getting to the postseason was a brutal test for Freedom because of the tough competition it faced in its own league, the Sandhills Athletic Conference. Cape Fear Christian Academy won the NCISAA 1-A state championship. Fayetteville Christian made the final four in the 3-A playoffs, and Village Christian was a top ten seed in the same classification.

    The Patriots lost at Rocky Mount Academy 4-0 in their second game of the season, so Smith knew when they faced them again in the state playoffs it was going to be a challenge.

    “It was definitely a pitching duel for 16 innings,’’ he said of the rematch in the state tournament. Finally, Marissa McQueen, a seventh grader, drilled a double to right center to score a pair of runs that held up for the win.

    Nelson went the distance on the mound and recorded 13 strikeouts in the win. Both she and Montgomery were selected to the NCISAA 2-A All- State team.

    But those aren’t the most interesting numbers about the championship season. Roberson’s jersey number was three, her position third base, and that number kept popping up for Freedom in the postseason. To begin with, they were the third seed in the state tournament.

    They won the final game of the tournament over Halifax 6-3, after scoring three runs late to break a 3-3 tie. And when the season was over, the Patriots had their third state title.

    “Although Haley was not present, she was there in spirit and mind with us,’’ Smith said.

    Photo: Haley Nelson

  • 16IsabellaWitherow

    Isabella Witherow

    Gray’s Creek  • Cross country/swimming/ Unified track •  Junior

    Witherow has an unweighted grade point average of 4.0. She is a member of National Honor Society and the Yearbook Club. She will attend North Carolina Governor’s School this summer.

     

    17NickQuinn

    Nick Quinn

    Gray’s Creek • Wrestling/Unified track • Senior

    Quinn has a weighted grade point average of 4.4. He was a member of the Academy of Information Technology at Gray’s Creek. He will attend North Carolina State in the fall to study engineering

  • 15tennisterrysanfordHere is the Patriot Athletic Conference tennis team as chosen by the league’s head coaches.

    Player of the year: Alexander Kasari, Terry Sanford

    First team, singles:

    • Terry Sanford — Nathan Lieberman, James Barefoot

    • South View — Christian George, Ben George

    • Overhills — Roger America, Chase Thompson

    • Pine Forest — Jacob Green, Colby Blackwell

    • Gray’s Creek — Garrett Hoyt, Dylan Daniel

    • Cape Fear — Jalen Farmer, Hunter Edwards

    First team, doubles:

    • Terry Sanford — Nathan Lieberman, Alexander Kasari

    • South View — Christian George, Ben George

    • Overhills — Roger America, Chase Thompson

    • Gray’s Creek — Garrett Hoyt, Dylan Daniel

    • Cape Fear — Hunter Edwards, Eli Benbenek

    Photo:  Left to right: Terry Sanford’s Nathan Lieberman, Coach Gene Autry, Alex Kasari

  • 14CorrineShovlainHere is the Patriot Athletic Conference girls soccer team as chosen by the league’s head coaches. 

    Goalkeeper of the year: Lindsay Bell, Terry Sanford

    Defensive player of the year: Kara Walker, Terry Sanford

    Offensive player of the year: Corrine Shovlain, Terry Sanford

    Coach of the year: Karl Molnar, Terry Sanford

    First team:

    • Terry Sanford — Maiya Parrous, Kate Perko

    • Pine Forest — Sierra Turisch, Alyssa Rancour, Cate Hinton, De’Sheryl Hill

    • Gray’s Creek — Kylie Rock, Emma Brock

    • Overhills — Valeria Pomales, Tayra Chikhaoui

    • Cape Fear — Amelia Shook

    • South View — Kyra Delany, Lillian Flantos

    Second team:

    • Cape Fear — Gabrielle Bynum

    • Terry Sanford — Courtney Arnold, Halie Blizzard, Imani Elliott

    • Gray’s Creek — Eve Morrison, Gabi Jobes

    • Pine Forest — Holly Harwick, Avery Vorholt, Kahala Bandamann, Stella Valenzuela

    • Overhills — Georgia Migos, Aja Wilson, Katelynn Johnson, Marissa Rodriguez

    Honorable mention:

    • Overhills — Tyanna Lee, Aliyah Proctor

    • Pine Forest — Hailey Harwick

    • Cape Fear — Lily Terwilliger, Emily’s Holt, Nyanja Williams

    Photo: Corrine Shovlain

  • 12LandenHarrisIf the early turnout is any indication, Mark Kahlenberg should not have a problem keeping a full team on the field this summer for the Hope Mills Boosters American Legion baseball program.

    At the first official practice of the season last week, Kahlenberg had a potential roster with 23 names of players from area high schools who were either on hand at the first workout or had expressed interest in playing this year.

    Even with the good turnout, Kahlenberg expects this year’s team to be somewhat young, with a number of players who will be getting their first taste of the American Legion brand of baseball. The roster is heavy with a big crop of players from Cape Fear. Gray’s Creek High School has returned to the mix, along with players from South View and Douglas Byrd.

    Before it’s all over, Kahlenberg hopes to pick up some players from Freedom Christian and Terry Sanford. The Bulldogs were still involved in the state 3-A baseball playoffs when the Boosters American Legion season kicked off last Sunday with a doubleheader against Jacksonville Post 265.

    “Last year we were struggling to put nine guys together around tournament time,’’ Kahlenberg said. “At our first meeting (this year), we had 14 guys, and I knew there were 10 other guys who couldn’t make it.’’

    Among the players Kahlenberg will be counting on are pitcher Landen Harris from Gray’s Creek, who’s committed to play at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Another prospect is Aaron Smith, Harris’ Gray’s Creek teammate, who batted in the No. 3 position for the Bears this season.

    South View prospects include Riley Caudle, who recently committed to play for Methodist University. Another promising player is Cape Fear’s Nick West, who played shortstop and pitched and could fill an important need for Kahlenberg in the heart of the lineup.

    Kahlenberg doesn’t feel the team has an established pitching ace as the season begins and will have to rely on pitching by committee until things get more settled. “Hopefully we can develop those pitchers into a starting rotation,’’ he said.

    Both Harris and Caudle are optimistic about this team’s chances this summer.

    “I like playing with my friends from all over Cumberland County,’’ Harris said. “I think we can do pretty good if we bring it all together, hit the ball and play the game how we learned it.’’ Harris also hopes to use the Legion experience to work on his off-speed pitches and improve his velocity.

    Caudle is looking forward to facing better pitching this summer, improving how he sees the curveball and working on improving his ability to hit to the backside. “We have a lot more people than last year,’’ he said. “A lot of them are going to college, so they’ll focus on Legion ball.’’

    The Boosters will again play their home games at South View High School.

    Following is this year’s schedule. Whiteville currently does not have a team this year, but Kahlenberg said he had seen reports on social media that the Whiteville club was attempting to get funding so it could possibly return this year. For now, its games have been removed from the schedule.

    Photo: Landen Harris

    _______________________________________________________________________________________

    SCHEDULE

    EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to some late changes in the Hope Mills Boosters 2019 schedule, portions of the version in this week's print edition are incorrect. The correct schedule appears below. 

     

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  • 17Jason PorterJason Porter

    Gray’s Creek • Basketball • Senior

    Porter has an unweighted grade point average of 3.74. He averaged 4.3 rebounds per game for the Bears basketball team last season.

     

    18Heather Edge copySarah Emilie Edge

    Riverside Christian Academy • Softball • Junior

    Edge has a 4.0 grade point average. She is a member of the Cedar Creek Baptist Church Youth group. She volunteers to run sound equipment at Riverside Christian for school and church programs. She is a member of the Beta Club and volunteers with Samaritan’s Purse and Baptist Men’s Disaster Relief.

  • 16DK sportsAfter a five-month hiatus to regroup and reorganize, the DK Sports Page sports radio talk show has resumed on Monday nights from 6-8 p.m. It airs on WFNC 640 AM with hosts Trey Edge and Bill Boyette.

    “Fayetteville needs a local talk show based on local sports, from the high school level to the college level to NFL ties,’’ said Edge. In addition to hosting the show, he’s the play-by-play voice for the DK Sports, Inc., game of the week in various sports. He’s also the Friday night voice of Terry Sanford during football season.

    Also on the game broadcasts are Boyette, providing color commentary and occasional appearances by Don Koonce, founder of DK Sports, Inc.

    When it comes to the DK Sports Page, Edge said the show will try to cover everything but will focus primarily on local sports.

    “We’ll always have a high school segment each and every week,’’ he said.

    When the show returned to air for the first time last week, high school guests included Terry Sanford baseball coach Sam Guy and Jack Britt softball coach Sebrina Wilson. Also interviewed were University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill football coach Mack Brown and Fayetteville Woodpeckers general manager David Lane.

    The initial version of the show, which debuted in the late summer of 2017, was heavy on interviews with coaches. Edge said the goal this time around will be to try and talk with more players, both active ones and former players from the area who have moved on to the professional ranks.

    Boyette, Edge’s cohost, is a veteran high school basketball coach who led his Fayetteville Academy Eagles to the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 2-A championship last season.

    Edge said Boyette is an avid sports fan who obviously has a lot of expertise in basketball but is detail-oriented in all aspects of sports. “That’s probably why he’s successful as a coach too,’’ Edge said.

    The show was strictly studio-based during its initial run, but Edge said that could change with the revived edition. “We may be looking to go out live,’’ he said, “for example, to a Woodpeckers game. We may try to do something where we get in front of people and do live broadcasting from there.’’

    To keep up with the show and to send suggestions for possible topics or guests, Edge said fans should follow the show on Twitter at @DKSportsPage.

  • 15Wells Fargo CupFor the second time in three years, Cape Fear High School has won the Patriot Athletic Conference Maxwell/Wells Fargo Cup for overall athletic excellence. The Colts took the cup back from last year’s winner, Terry Sanford, which finished second in this year’s chase for the honor.

    The award is based on points awarded to each school for order of finish in official conference sports.

    Cape Fear had 150.5 points to 145.5 for Terry Sanford.

    The Colts used a strong finish in the spring sports season to wrap up the trophy. They shared the regular-season title in softball with Gray’s Creek and won boys golf while placing second in boys tennis and boys track. The Colts took third in baseball. Other championships won by Cape Fear this season were volleyball, girls golf, wrestling and boys and girls swimming.

    Terry Sanford also had a strong spring, winning girls soccer, baseball and boys tennis, with a second-place finish in girls track.

    Terry Sanford’s other championships this year were in boys soccer and girls tennis.

    Pine Forest finished third with 132 points. The Trojans won conference titles this season in football and boys basketball.

    The Trojans didn’t win any championships in the spring but took second in girls track, boys golf and girls soccer.

    Other conference titles for the year were won by South View in boys and girls cross country and boys and girls track. E.E. Smith won girls basketball. Cape Fear and Gray’s Creek shared the conference regular-season title in softball.

    Other point totals for the conference were Gray’s Creek 128.5, South View 125, Overhills 99, E.E. Smith 87.5, Westover 53.5 and Douglas Byrd 32.5.

    Photo: Cape Fear athletic director Matt McLean arrives at Terry Sanford with a dolly to reclaim the Wells Fargo Cup.

  • 14Exemplary schoolCumberland County Schools made history at last week’s North Carolina High School Athletic Association annual meeting in Chapel Hill at the Dean E. Smith Center. For the first time, the same school system captured the NCHSAA’s coveted Exemplary School Award in consecutive years. Cape Fear won the honor in 2019, and Terry Sanford made it two straight by winning this year’s award.

    They are the second and third county schools to take the honor. Jack Britt won it in the 2009-10 school year.

    Vernon Aldridge, student activities director for Cumberland County Schools, said the award means much more than athletic success. He said the award also recognizes the number of nationally certified coaches a school has on its staff.

    “On the academic side, they look at testing scores and the number of students taking advanced placement honors classes, as well as how students do on advanced placement exams,’’ he said.

    “It’s an all-around award, truly recognizing a school that has embraced the idea of the student athlete.’’ 

    Terry Sanford athletic director Liz McGowan said it’s great for the school to be recognized by both its peers and a statewide organization like the NCHSAA. “It’s not just coming to school and doing a good job,’’ she said. “It’s my coaches taking extra classes, my kids going to leadership conferences they are invited to. My kids’ grade point averages are awesome, working hard inside the classroom as well as on the field.’’

    Terry Sanford principal Tom Hatch said the award validates what the school’s coaches do every day, as well as the work they do beyond the athletic field.

    Retired Cumberland County student activities director Bill Carver often referred to high school athletics as the front porch of the school. Hatch said he agrees with that philosophy.

    “Athletics allows people who graduated from a school or live in that community to come around and watch a lacrosse match or a wrestling match, football or basketball, talk about what’s happening with their child,’’ he said.

    ‘’Athletics is the front porch of the school, and our front porch looks pretty good right now.’’

    Photo:  Left to right: Vernon Aldridge, Cumberland County Schools student activities director; Joe Franks, NCHSAA Board of Directors member; and Liz McGowan, Terry Sanford athletic director

  • 21Emilya HoltEmilya Holt

    Cape Fear • Soccer • Senior

    Holt has a 3.9 grade point average. She’s a member of the Student Media Specialist Association, Key Club, and Students Against Destructive Decisions. 

     

    22Matthew RaynorMatthew Raynor

    Cape Fear • Baseball • Senior

    Raynor has a 4.6 grade point average. He’s a member of Student Government Association, Game Day Operations Staff, and the Creative Writing Club.

  • 20schoolTwo complex issues, the athletic status of transgender students and allowing home-schooled students to play for public school teams, were addressed at the May 1 spring meeting of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Board of Directors in Chapel Hill.

    On the subject of transgender athletes, the NCHSAA ruled that when the gender an athlete identifies with differs from the one listed on his or her birth certificate, the student must submit a Gender Identity Request Form to the NCHSAA.

    The form lists a variety of supporting information the student must provide to the NCHSAA, which will refer the matter to the Gender Identity Committee for consideration. That committee will include a member of the current NCHSAA Board of Directors, a school administrator, and a physician and a psychiatrist or psychologist with credentials in the area of gender identity health.

    Home-schooled students will be allowed to participate in athletics with the school located in the district where they live. They must provide notice to the school principal 10 days before the first practice of the sport in which they wish to participate. They must also provide documentation on such things as attendance, immunization and transcripts before being allowed to play for a high school team.

    East Bladen High School’s Patty Evers attended her final NCHSAA board meeting May 1. Evers has represented Region 4 for the last four years. The region includes Fayetteville and surrounding counties.

    “I think we moved in a positive direction,’’ Evers said of the announcements on both transgender athletes and home-schooled athletes.

    Evers thinks the new language added to the NCHSAA Handbook for the 2019-20 school year is a good starting point. “Like everything else, there will be tweaks along the way,’’ she said.

    Speaking specifically about the transgender issue, Evers said she knows there are transgender athletes in some parts of the state and that their parents have questions.

    “It’s something we needed to do,’’ she said. Other action taken by the board at last Wednesday’s meeting included the following:

    • Wilson, the official ball of the NCHSAA, will be used in all playoff competition for volleyball, soccer, football, basketball, softball, baseball and tennis. Schools that don’t use the Wilson ball will be penalized for illegal equipment.

    • An increase in fees for officials for five percent will be established every four years starting with the 2020-21 school year.

    • Baseball and softball teams can play doubleheaders with both games lasting five innings, subject to mutual agreement.

    • Wrestlers can take part in two tournaments per day. But there are limits. They can’t exceed any weekly limitations. The two tournaments must be on the same day. Only varsity wrestlers can do this, and only a maximum of three times per season.

    • An annual girls wrestling state tournament was approved. The NCHSAA held its first-ever all-girls wrestling tournament this past season on a trial basis. It drew more than 80 female wrestlers from across the state.

  • 19Josiah HopkinsA year ago, Pine Forest’s Josiah Hopkins had his worst round of the regular season in the final match and fell short of winning the Patriot Athletic Conference individual golf championship. Cape Fear boys golf coach Todd Edge entered this season with a young team that included no seniors as he tried to rebound from a second-place finish to Pine Forest last year.

    Both Hopkins and the Cape Fear team found the answers last week during the final regular season conference match at Baywood Golf Club.

    Hopkins shot a final round 74 at Baywood to win both the weekly tournament and the regular season title. It was his lowest round of the season.

    The Cape Fear team completed a sweep of the seven regular-season matches, shooting a 326 on its home course at Baywood.

    “I think one of the main reasons I blew up last year was my mindset wasn’t in the right place,’’ Hopkins said. “I guess you could say my chances were pretty good, but when push comes to shove, I just wanted to have fun this year and give all the glory to God.”

    Hopkins didn’t feel any one part of his physical game made a big difference for him this year. “I don’t hit the ball that far,’’ he said. “I don’t hit the ball that straight. I’m not the best chipper, and I don’t make the most putts.

    “Frankly, there are better golfers in our conference than me. The only thing that separates me from the rest is keeping a good attitude when I hit the bad shots.’’

    Hopkins feels last Monday’s win gives him some momentum entering postseason competition in the regionals and possibly the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state tournament if he or the Pine Forest team manages to qualify.

    “I hope I qualify for the states,’’ he said. “That’s been my goal for this season.’’

    Edge said his team entered this year leaning on the play of junior Colton Danks. “He was the most experienced player coming back,’’ Edge said. “He didn’t have a good sophomore season.’’

    Freshmen Austin White and Mason Starling contributed to the Colt effort in some tournaments this year. Edge also got some good rounds from Luke McCorquodale and Alex Benbenek.

    “We didn’t have the best player every match, but we had four consistent players every match,’’ Edge said. He said he could count on two or three players shooting in the 80 to 85 range every match. Danks turned in a 76 at Baywood last week, his lowest round of the regular season.

    “We played well off each other,’’ Danks said of the Cape Fear team. “We had each other’s backs, and we knew what we were capable of.’’

    Playing the final match of the regular season at Baywood, Cape Fear’s home course, was also a boost, Danks said. “That’s something we looked forward to, that we could finish up at home, having all our parents there to see us win,’’ he said.

    If Cape Fear survives the regional tournament, Danks thinks the Colts could challenge for a top five finish in the NCHSAA championship match.

    “There is going to be a bunch of higher level competition, but I believe we could give it a run,’’ he said. “We are going to have to play with a more defined strategy than we’ve had all year. We’re going to have to be confident and believe in our abilities for us to do well in the postseason.’’

    Here is the Patriot Athletic All-Conference golf team, which is based on order of finish in the regular season. Coach of the year was based on a vote of the head coaches.

    Player of the year: Josiah Hopkins, Pine Forest

    Coach of the year: Todd Edge, Cape Fear

    First team: Josiah Hopkins, Pine Forest; Max Canada, Terry Sanford; Colton Danks, Cape Fear; Spencer Barbour, Terry Sanford; Luke McCorquodale, Cape Fear; Austin White, Cape Fear.

    Second team: Hunter Cole, Gray’s Creek; Walker Shearin, Pine Forest; Mason Starling, Cape Fear; Alex Benbenek, Cape Fear; Chandler Parker, South View.

  •     If the Crown Theatre could speak, it surely would have let out a lusty “Hoo-aah!” on Monday, May 19, as the 41-year-old building was renamed and rededicated in honor of our nation’s fighting men and women.
        As local dignitaries, politicians, military officers and enlisted men looked on, a red-white-and-blue ribbon stretching across the front door of the Crown Theater was sliced as easily as a hot bayonet through butter, transforming the facility into the Cumberland County Memorial Auditorium: a true journey through the past as Cumberland County Memorial  Auditorium was the facility’s original name when it was opened way back in 1967 — it was re-christened the Crown Theatre in 2002 by then-CEO Rick Reno for marketing purposes.{mosimage}
        It was only fitting that the man wielding the scissors which gave the Cumberland County Memorial Auditorium back its glory was Sgt. First Class Michael Onstine, who was recently awarded the Silver Star medal for heroics in Iraq. Onstine, despite being wounded in the shoulder and both legs by shrapnel during a pitched battle, held back a band of 20 insurgents single-handedly with cover fire from his M-1 and grenades while his platoon, pinned down by enemy fire, was able to safely withdraw.
        Onstine’s grit and bravery, and that of all soldiers, past and present, who have walked the streets of Fayetteville, and Baghdad and Siagon, was recognized by Dr. Jeannette Council, vice chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners.
        “Many of the soldiers who served in Vietnam trained here in Fayetteville,” said Council. “And now we are at war again in the desert of Iraq. It is right and appropriate that this complex be renamed in honor of our military. This building is proof of what they have done and how we hold them in our hearts.”
        Lifelong Fayetteville resident Mayor Tony Chavonne invoked the rich past of the complex, citing the many great performers and shows that took place there back in the glory days. You could almost hear the whip snap and the tiger’s roar as Chavonne described the childhood wonder of watching the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus perform inside those brick walls; the mayor even invoked the King, Elvis Presley, who played here, taking with him the hearts of thousands of screaming, swooning women when he finally left the building.
        But the true kings on this day didn’t carry a bullwhip or come adorned in rhinestones: the royalty on this warm, windy morning wore military braid black, burgundy, tan and green berets, and combat boots.
    Eighth District Congressman Robin Hayes wore his own military regalia as he honored the soldiers, particularly those of the 82nd Airborne Division.
        “I am wearing an 82nd Airborne hat and pin today,” said Hayes. “General Bill Caldwell gave me this old, raggedy hat, which I recently wore when we opened a VA hospital in Hamlet.
        “It’s an All-American day as we pay tribute to the men and women who provide us the freedoms and the right to practice our religion,” said Hayes, who added an aside to the recent chapel controversy at Fayetteville’s VA Hospital, “We’re taking care of that little issue at the chapel and we will get it worked out.”
        After the rededication ceremony, entertainment was provided by the internationally renowned 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus, which performed such rousing, patriotic numbers as Your’re in the Army Now, Mr. Smith and America The Beautiful, finishing with an appropriate and heartfelt version of Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA.
        On this day, citizens and soldiers were especially proud to be Americans, basking in the glory of the Crown.
  • uac051811001.jpg Nothing says summer in Fayetteville like Fayetteville After 5. With the demise of the Fayetteville Museum of Art, many in the community thought this beloved event would also slip away. But thanks to community sponsors and the Dogwood Festival Board, the event is back and better than ever.

    So slip on your shagging shoes and head down to Festival Park on Thursday, May 19, to welcome summer to the community with the smooth sounds of one of the state’s favorite beach bands, The Tams.

    “We are so excited to be honored with the opportunity to partner with Bud Light/R.A. Jeffrey’s with another community event,” said Carrie King, executive director of the Dogwood Festival. “Our partnership through the spring Dogwood Festival has blossomed into a series of committed community events. We are thrilled to be given the opportunity to host this event.

    “With this joint venture we now are a one-stop source for free entertainment for the spring and summer,” she continued. “We certainly don’t give folks a reason to say there’s nothing to do in Fayetteville!”

    While King has nothing but good things to say about the title sponsor, Jeff Fox, the zone manager for R.A. Jeffreys is also a big fan of the Dogwood Festival.

    “This year’s Fayetteville After 5 concert series will be spectacular with our new host, the Dogwood Festival,” he said. “We are very proud of the success this event has had in the past, and moving forward, we know that Fayetteville After 5 will be another premier event. We, at Bud Light R.A. Jeffrey’s, are excited to offer Fayetteville After 5 as a free event in the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg community — the place we call home.”

    The community is again invited to bring their blankets and lawn chairs down to the park to listen to some great music, dance and enjoy a summer’s evening with their friends and families. Food and beverages will be available for sale at Festival Park.

    The event has quite a following among lovers of beach music, and those folks will be happy to know that some of their favorite bands will be returning.

    The Tams will kick-off the event on May 19. Formed in Atlanta, Ga., in 1962, the members of the05-18-11-thetams.jpgband sang and danced as a way of having fun and to escape their circumstances while hoping to make at least a little money. The group began performing in local night spots for $1.25 each. These small wages only allowed for them to purchase matching Tam O’shanter hats to wear while on stage. From this trademark, the legendary Tams name was born. The band had their first Billboard hit in 1962, the single “Untie Me.” In 1963, ABC Records signed them and their fi rst album produced a Top 10 hit, “What Kind of Fool.” They began playing throughout the country and a string of hits followed, including “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy,” “I’ve Been Hurt” and “Hey Girl.” Since then, they have released more than 15 albums and been honored with one Platinum and two Gold records. They have toured and recorded with Jimmy Buffet and performed with such greats as Gladys Knight, Jackie Wilson and many more. They have received the title “Beach Band of the Decade” and have been inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame, the Atlanta Hall of Fame and the Beach Music Hall of Fame.

    On June 16, Cafe Mars, a Raleigh-based band known for a mix of funk, jazz and pop will be on stage.

    On July 21, another legendary band, The Embers, will take to the stage. For decades The Embers have been making music by playing a mix of rhythm and blues and heart and soul — otherwise known as Beach Music — for years. Bobby Tomlinson, drummer and the leader of the band, believes that Beach Music is music with a memory. To say that the Embers play Beach Music is an understatement. After 17 albums and numerous single releases, The Embers are one of the most popular bands as well as one of the most active groups in the country. They boast an average of 300 dates per year, all ranging from Toronto to Florida, and westward to California and Hawaii. Over the years they’ve played for presidents and princes, students and bankers, at the beach and in the city, on record and in concert.

    The Embers have survived disco, punk, new wave and hip-hop. They’ve been inducted into the South Carolina Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame and were named North Carolina’s Offi cial Musical Ambassadors.05-18-11-cafe-mars.jpg

    On Aug. 18, Suicide Blonde will return to Fayetteville After 5. Based out of Raleigh, N.C., Suicide Blonde is comprised of “children of the ‘80s” who have united to bring back the spirit of this incredible decade. With its lineup of experienced musicians, this exciting band well remembers what it was like to wear a mullet, hop in the Trans-AM and drive to the blaring sounds of AC-DC, David Bowie or the Cure. With a wealth of experience in many genres of music, Suicide Blonde brings the required professionalism, musicianship and unmistakable love of the ‘80s to the stage for an unforgettable time of fun and excess.

    The series winds up on Sept. 15, with a performance by The Band of Oz. The Band of Oz was formed in 1967 as a part-time band playing fraternity parties and high school proms all over the South. In 1977, the band went on the road full time. Since that time the band has made an exceptional name for itself throughout the Southeast by playing the top clubs and corporate parties, and getting excellent reviews along the way. For several years the group has been a guest on most of the major beach concerts in the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia.

    All the fun happens the third Thursday of every month at Festival Park. Bring your blankets, chairs, friends and families, but leave your pets and your coolers at home. For more information, visit www.faydogwoodfestival.com.

    Photo: Top right - The Tams, bottom left - Cafe Mars

  • 060111001.jpg “From man’s sweat and God’s love, beer came into the world.”

    Saint Arnold of Metz, The patron Saint of Brewers

    On Saturday, June 4, Fayetteville lovers of beer and the blues will get a chance to indulge themselves, as the Cape Fear Regional Theatre brings the 8th Annual Blues and Brews Festival downtown.

    The event, which was fi rst held down by the river at Campbellton Landing, now calls Festival Park home. Each year the theatre brings some of the best brewers and beers from around the southeast for one afternoon. For much of that time, veteran CFRT performer Cassandra Vallery has been at the helm of the event. She has seen the festival grow each year and expects this year’s Blues & Brews Festival to be better than ever.

    “We are bringing more than 19 of the best brewers from around the southeast to Fayetteville,” said Vallery. “We also have some of our great local distributors who are going to bring the beers that they represent so that people will have a great variety of beers to sample.”

    Each of the breweries will bring a variety of their beers to the festival, which usually showcases around 50 different individual beers. Each ticket gives the attendee a 6 ounce souvenir tasting glass to use throughout the afternoon. As beer connoisseurs work their way around the festival grounds, they will have the opportunity to sample the beer and talk with the brewers about them

    .Some of the brewers who will be on hand are:

    Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, a Farmville, N.C., based brewery that specializes in dark beers. The brewery opened in August of 2004, and has been involved with the festival since its inception. According to the brewery’s website, the brewers “specialize in beautiful, delicious, full flavored dark beers.”

    Some of the brewery’s offering are: an amber ale that is a medium bodied beer with a lovely tawny copper or bronze color. This brew emphasizes malt complexity with layered caramel malt flavors; a brown ale that is an American brown ale brewed with loads of hops from start to finish and a flowery aroma; and a porter that features a pronounced flavor of roasted grains reminiscent of dark chocolate.

    Lone Rider Brewing Company, a Raleigh-based brewery, touts itself a brewing “ales for outlaws.”

    Offerings include: Shotgun Betty, which is a German-style Hefeweizen wheat beer with a rich06-01-11-brews-crowd-pic.jpg banana-clove nose and refreshing dry finish; Peacemaker, a west coast-style American Pale Ale with a unique and bountiful hope aroma with a well-balanced bitterness; and Sweet Josie a complex American brown beer that has a nice hop bitterness with a generous amount of chocolate and aromatic malts.

    Kinston-based Mother Earth Brewing will also be at the festival. The brewery puts “fresh hops and malts” and “a lot of heart and imagination into every Mother Earth bottle.” Offerings include Endless River, which is a clean, crisp beer, Kolsch offers a very slight fruity flavor and aroma. It is light gold in color, with a delicate head; Weeping Willow Wit, which offers low hop bitterness and pours very hazy, with a light gold color. It has a bitter orange peel and fresh coriander that adds zest and depth; Sisters of the Moon that is made with American hops. It is light copper in color and has an intense hop aroma and strong hop bitterness.

    Fayetteville’s own breweries Huske Hardware House and the Mash House will also be on hand to offer some of your favorite local brews. Other breweries include Carolina Brewery, Big Boss, Brooklyn Brewery and Natty Greene’s Brewing Company.

    In addition to the beer, there will also be a wide variety of food vendors on hand including Huske Hardware, Two Brothers Grilling, YumYum Chicken, and vendors selling pizza, hot dogs and other beer-friendly foods.

    While you sip and eat, you can also listen to a great line-up of blues musicians, many of who call Fayetteville home.

    “It is a very laid back atmosphere,” said Vallery. “Each year we get people out who love beer, love good music and love to have a good time.”

    While children are welcome at the event, Vallery said that there will not be any children’s activities during the festival.

    06-01-11-brews-picnic.jpgThere are four levels of tickets:

    The VIP Ticket is $35 and gives patrons an hour of private beer pour before the gates open. Each VIP ticket holder will also be able to enter the VIP tent and eat a picnic lunch provided by Huske Hardware.

    The gate opens at 5 p.m. for other ticket-holders. Tickets are $25. There is also a non-drinking ticket for designated drivers and others who don’t like beer but would like to enjoy the afternoon. That ticket is $15. There is also a children’s ticket, which is $10.

    “All of the money goes to the CFRT to support our annual productions,” said Vallery. “This is our biggest fundraiser of the year.”

    The event runs from 5-10 p.m. Volunteers are needed, and all VIP tickets must be purchased before the day of the event. For tickets and more information, visit the website at www.cfrt.org.

  • 14cJoin the Fayetteville After Five audience on June 9 at Festival Park for a free Friday night concert featuring music, food and fun. The venue is located at 335 Ray Avenue.

    Two bands will be performing: Honeysickle and On the Border, The Ultimate Eagles Tribute band. In addition, there will also be several food trucks for ordering food.

    The gates open at 5 p.m., with Honeysickle performing at 6 p.m. On the Border starts at 8 p.m., with the music ending around 10:30 p.m. Admission is free.

    Fayetteville After Five happens on the second Friday of June, July and August. The concert is outside, and guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the family-friendly event.

    Canopies, coolers, outside food, beverages are prohibited (food and beverages can be purchased from the various food trucks). Service dogs are welcome. The concert is scheduled to begin with Honeysickle, based out of Wilmington. The band performs rock 'n' roll rooted in deep southern funk and blues.

    Honeysickle describes their sound as “gritty, funky and raw.” Their sound will have you jamming right along with them. On the Border is billed as The Ultimate Eagles Tribute band and will close the show. On the Border will cover all the Eagles’ big hits from “Life in the Fast Lane,” “Desperado,” “Heartache Tonight,” “Lyin' Eyes,” and many more.

    In 2015 they were invited to appear on AXS TV’s hit show, “The World's Greatest Tribute Bands.” If you’re a fan of the Eagles or enjoy classic rock and timeless music, mark your calendar for June 9 at Festival Park.

    While you enjoy the music, you can go on a culinary adventure with various food trucks that will be present at the event. Treat yourself while exploring food from Drizzle D's Donuts, which offers artisan donuts; Lee's Kitchen with its savory Jamaican and southern soul food; Asadito, is bringing Argentinean cuisine; and Steel Smokin is known for its tasty BBQ.

    For more information about Fayetteville After Five visit www.thedogwoodfestival.com/fayetteville-after-five.

  • Skype With Loved ones

    We live in a transient world. Families are no longer living on the same farm or within walking distance of one another. They often live miles, states or even continents apart. Fortunately, we have technology that bridges the distance gap. Martha and I were talking with one of our clients recently about a gift his son gave him, a laptop computer with a camera and microphone. He was so excited about the fact that he can now have video con-ferences with his son and grandchildren in New York City. Either one would phone the other to see if they were available for a conference. Then, they all got in front of their computers and con-nected real-time with each other. He not only talked to his grandchildren, but was able to actu-ally see the expressions on their faces. It was the next best thing to being physically together. He even got dressed up for the occasion.05-11-11-senior-corner.jpg

    The business world of video conferencing has now moved into the homes of millions of people. The Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project tracked adults using online video technology. They found that 31 percent of people 50 years old and older are using this form of communication. Half of the 31 percent were 65 and older. Skype is a popular software application that allows subscribers to make free voice and video calls over the internet using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. The technology is so straightforward that many teenagers are very capable of helping their grandparents get started.

    These real-time connections with family are a huge bonus. Grandparents can place the call and read books to their grandchildren at bedtime, share in the excitement of a report card, or view a newly completed art project. Imagine being able to show your grandchildren one of your special talents and not hav-ing to wait for a visit to show them. How meaningful for them and you to be able to share with each other on a regular basis.

    Because of the ease in getting it set up, many people are applying it to a variety of situations. One example really impressed me. Nancy Crawford, a 100 year old resident of an assisted living facility in Charlotte, N.C., went to her doctor appointment with a geriatric care manager who brought along a laptop with a webcam, microphone, and Skype connection. Her grandson, six hours away, was able to see, hear and be involved with what was happening at the doctor’s office and be engaged in the care his grandmother was receiving. He even noticed his grandmother was wearing the new wig he gave her as a birthday gift. Great use of technology

    !Connecting with loved ones has never been easier. Think beyond cell phones and text mes-sages. Think beyond emails and downloaded photos. Using a home computer, internet appli-cation, webcam and microphone, you can con-nect with someone in real-time - you are looking right at them, and they at you, on your computer screen. You’ll be surprised how enjoyable it is once you get started.

  • 14aThe 5th Annual Out of Sight Wing Fling is taking place on June 3, hosted by the Vision Resource Center. It’s a chicken wing cook-off to raise awareness for the blind and visually impaired in the city.

    Guests and judges will be blindfolded for the initial judging— only being able to taste, feel and smell, who has the best wings. This year 11 competitors will be battling it out for a cash prize, with their own custom spices and sauces.

    The wings being used for the cook-off are donated by Mountaire every year. Dirtbag Ales is hosting the event for the second year in a row, pairing the variety of delicious wings with local brews, live music, and food trucks to enjoy.

    There will also be different stations and activities for guests to participate in to educate the public on the living experience of the visually impaired.

    All the proceeds raised from the Wing Fling will be go toward assisted technology for the blind and visually impaired here in Cumberland County.

    Early bird tickets for the public are $15, which gets you 11 wings, one from every competitor participating. For the real chicken wing lovers, the event is offering VIP tickets for $75. This includes unlimited wings from any competitor, a VIP tent with snacks and drinks, custom brew and glass from Dirtbag Ales, and a fast pass to go through lines with ease.

    The Vision Resource Center is a nonprofit organization for adults and children based here in Fayetteville that enhances the quality of life for the blind and visually impaired in every way they can.

    The nonprofit offers several programs, social activities, support groups, and classes.

    Up & Coming Weekly had a chance to sit down and talk with Terri Thomas, the passionate Executive Director of the Vision Resource Center.
    Thomas became executive director in 2010 and has been organizing the Wing Fling since the beginning.

    “When it comes to the Vision Resource Center, we try to meet them where they are, to be able to help people with whatever they need to do,” she said. “Just depends on the day of the week. There are a lot of things under the umbrella of VRC.”

    When asked how she hopes the Wing Fling will grow, she says “Our goal is to have different businesses competing, having vendors that connect to our mission, and having other nonprofits to be able to come out and compete. It would be a great way to network and also the chance to do something different.”

    Don’t miss out on the chance to learn how we can all help enhance the lives of the visually impaired, while enjoying great wings and fellowship at the same time!14b

    The event is from noon to 4 p.m. at Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom located in Hope Mills. To purchase tickets for the event or volunteer with the Vision Resource Center, visit www.Visionresourcecentercc.org or call 910-483-2719.

  • uac052511001.jpg As baseball season approaches, the Swampdogs are busier than ever. Sure, they play a great game of baseball, but this local team offers so much more than nine innings and summertime refreshments.

    When you buy a ticket to one of their games, you are uniting with an organization that is a powerhouse of goodwill and generosity in this community. Not only do they give to the community, but they’ve supplied the major league teams with a few players, too. The season opens on May 31, with the first home game on June 1.

    Just like last year, fans can expect something different at every game. A fan favorite in these tough economic times is the family four pack, which is four tickets and four meals for $30. There aren’t many places where you can bring the family out for an evening of entertainment and a meal for 30 bucks.

    Every half-inning of every home game, there is an on-fi eld promotion — so there is fan involvement on the fi eld throughout the whole game. There is no lull in the action, whether it is the pie eating contest which gets two kids just covered in pie, or the toilet seat toss, which is like a big game of horse shoes, where folks are throwing toilet seats at a plunger to win a prize. The SwampDogs work hard to make sure the fans are actively engaged

    .Jeremy Aagard, the SwampDogs assistant general manager, likens it to the Super Bowlwhen “you go to the bathroom during the game so you can see the commercials,” only at a SwampDogs game, “You get up to go to the bathroom during the game because you want to see the on-fi eld promotions.”

    To add to the excitement, every home game has a different theme. Some of the highlights are Striking Out Cancer night by Cape Fear Valley Health System in which the players wear one-of-a-kind pink jerseys that are auctioned off at the end of the game. All the proceeds go to The Friends of Cancer Center. There is also the 7th Annual Bobblehead giveaway presented by Lumbee River EMC. The first 500 fans to the gate get a bobblehead of the SwampDogs’ mascot Fungo.

    “There are people who collect these and can’t wait till next year to get the newest one,” said Aagard. “We’ve got 15 giveaways this season. You can come to the ballpark every home game and more than half of those night05-25-11-swampdogs-pie.jpgs you will probably come home with something as a give-away item.”

    Summertime St. Paddy’s Day is back, too. Watch as the team turns the park green and gives all the players Irishsurnames for the night. There is Irish music and a pint glass giveaway. 

    On Father’s Day, the first 500 dads into the park will get a Bar-b-que gift set. The SwampDogs see it as a cool way tocome hang out with dad at the ball park. 

    The Sandhills Senior High School Showcase gives graduated seniors from area high schools their last chance to play in front of the hometown crowd. The MVP of that game gets a $1000 scholarship, too. It is a night when the SwampDogs are actually away, but it is a really neat experience for the students who just graduated to play on a semi-pro fi eld.

    According to Aagard, one of the season high points is the Coastal Plain League (CPL) All-Star game. He says it is not unusual for CPL players to make it to the major leagues. This year, the SwampDogs are hosting the event on July 17 and 18.

    “We just had another SwampDog who was a CPL All-Star in ‘05 make his major league debut — Andy Dirks. I think the biggest thing is that fans can come to the Swamp and there is a good chance they will see a future major leaguer — if not more than one — which is really, really cool to bring to Fayetteville,” said Aagard, adding that “According to Doug Peters, the president of Chamber of Commerce, the CPL All-star game could represent a $2 million economic impact on Fayetteville and the surrounding area. We are bringing people from all across the country to see their kids play. They’ll be spending money on hotel rooms, restaurants, gas station05-25-11-swampdogs-cookie.jpgs — there is going to be a huge infl ux in the two-day span.”

    There are plenty of other events this season that Aagard is excited about sharing with the fans, like the fireworks shows. Look for another one to be added to this year’s calendar. That brings the number of games that end in a fireworks display up to four over the course of the season. The shows will take place on June 4, July 3, July 18 and July 30.

    “Last year we had more than 5,500 people here on July 3. I’m telling you it is the best fi reworks extravaganza of the summer,” said Aagard. “It is phenomenal … it is just unbelievable that we continue to draw such large crowds. We really appreciate everyone coming out every year as it has continued to grow.

    “We put all our effort into making sure we put on a good show and that the families are taken care of, and I guess it is just a bonus that we always have a good baseball game going on at the same time,” he added.

    When it comes down to it, the SwampDogs are very serious about providing fantastic family-friendly entertainment, and making the community a better place while they do it.

    For more information, visit www.goswampdogs.com.

  • 12For musician Jon Kiebon, performing is personal — not only because of his enduring love for music and songwriting, but also his love for his 25-year-old daughter Gail, who is on the autism spectrum.

    “I always say I could never express my love for her in words, so I let the guitar do the talking,” Kiebon said.

    Kiebon said he let the guitar do the talking in the best song he has written, an instrumental dedicated to his daughter simply called “For the Love of Gail.”
    The singer-songwriter has long been a veteran of the open mic scene, both in his home state of New York and in Fayetteville, where he moved in June of 2021.
    Kiebon, better known by his stage name Jammin’ Jon, said he has long tried to use his musical talent for good and a cause close to his heart, raising money and awareness for autism and autism organizations.

    “The motivation behind this is personal as an artist,” Kiebon said. “But I always try to do some good with it.”

    This June, Kiebon hopes to do just that with the inaugural Fayetteville Singer/Songwriters Festival, a three-day concert series featuring local musicians with all proceeds to be used for school supplies for special education teachers in Cumberland County.

    “A lot of times, the classroom teachers have to lay out supplies and pay out of their own pocket,” Kiebon said.

    Each day of the festival, organized in association with the Fayetteville Cumberland County Arts Council, will showcase local talent. Those attending can offer a $5 suggested donation to support the cause.
    Jammin’ Jon’s Fayetteville Sing/Songwriters Festival will take place on three days in June. The festival will kick off on June 3 at the Arts Council. The concert will continue June 10 at Paul’s Place on 719 Starling Street, and on June 17 at Louie’s Pub on 2417 Robeson Street. All performances will last from 2 to 6 p.m.

    After moving to Fayetteville almost two years ago during the height of the pandemic, Kiebon said he felt a bit of culture shock trying to adapt to the new area.
    He said he found his footing participating in open mics as local businesses began opening their doors and easing restrictions, allowing him to meet and network with other like-minded local performers.

    “It’s a struggle for me to pursue my love of performing, music, songwriting, guitar playing, whatever it is, but I still, whenever I could, tried to make the open mics... and was definitely connecting with new musicians and songwriters all the time,” Kiebon said.

    Kiebon said it can feel more difficult for local artists who create their own music to reach larger audiences, but hopes the upcoming festival helps to boost area talent while raising awareness for an important cause.

    “That’s when I thought of this idea, and I said ‘it will help me get out there, keep me out there, and get other people (out there),’” Kiebon said.

    Kiebon said he hopes the festival reminds artists to not give up on their dreams and their passions and encourages them to continue their craft.

    “You’re never too old,” Kiebon said. “Never give up. Keep trying to get heard and get out there. And then I’m thrilled that I can try to tie it in again and raise some funds for autism awareness and for the dedicated professionals in the school system.”

    The New York native hopes to continue the Fayetteville Singer/Songwriter’s Festival in the future, potentially considering seeking corporate sponsorship.

    The June 3 performance will feature the musical talents of Jammin’ Jon, David Brown, the Untitled Lilly Sparkle Project and Tony Hirtz.

    The Untitled Lilly Sparkle Project is the stage name for Katie Hamilton, a former Marine with hopes to attend UNC-Pembroke in the fall to complete her music degree.

    Hamilton was born and raised in Lumberton, and is fairly new to songwriting, having begun writing only about a year and a half ago. Hirtz recently retired after serving in the military. He references classic rock, country rock, college or alternative rock, classic punk and Americana as his musical influences.

    When not performing as a singer-songwriter in Fayetteville, Hirtz is part of the band Tidewater Valley based in Virginia. He allows his personal experiences to influence his writing. The June 10 show will offer performances from David Childers, Tricia DiLello, House and OT Hill.

    Childers is a Gastonia native who came to the eastern part of the state in the 1970s. He pursued music on the side while spending 28 years as an educator for Cumberland County Schools. Upon retirement, the multi-instrumentalist began spending more time on his music.

    Childers sites musicians such as Doc Watson, Creedence Clearwater Revival, REM, John Prine, Tony Rice, and Gordon Lightfoot as influences. He also plays guitar and serves as a backup vocalist for singer KasCie Page.

    DiLello originates from the Elizabethtown area and said she enjoys pursuing storytelling through her Americana-styled songs. Hill has around 20 years of musical experience and regularly attends and participates in local open mic nights. He plays a variety of country and singer/songwriter music.

    The June 17 show will include musicians David Sears, Denniz Cargile and Damien Lugo. Lugo, a visual artist and tattoo artist for Brighter Shade Tattoo in Fayetteville, labels his work as a “psychedelic folky project.”

  • 11aThe thudding sound of wrestlers hitting the mat fills my ears as practice begins. I am at a practice for a local indie wrestling organization called Ring Wars Carolina. RWC is an independent professional wrestling company owned by Dex Carter, located in Hope Mills. The wrestlers are scattered around the room, stretching, running drills, talking and practicing moves on each other.

    One of the first things I notice is the speed of their warm-up drills. The goal is to perform each exercise with proper form and intensity, pushing physical limits and simulating the demands of a wrestling match. It helps wrestlers build strength, endurance, agility and mental toughness, which are crucial in the sport.

    “Nite-Stic” Eddie McKoy, a wrestler and wrestling promoter driven by a lifelong passion for the sport, credits his love for pro wrestling to his formative years. It started when his father established a tradition of attending wrestling matches after their Sunday church service, instilling in him a deep fascination with the spectacle.

    Years later, McKoy’s path crossed with Steve Corino, a seasoned wrestler who had made his mark in prominent organizations like ECW and NWA. Recognizing McKoy’s dedication and potential, Corino took him under his wing, becoming both mentor and guide, imparting invaluable knowledge of the wrestling business.

    Today, McKoy’s expertise and unwavering commitment are showcased through his prominent role in RWC. With a proud tradition of exhilarating live shows and monthly TV tapings in Fayetteville, RWC has been a mainstay of entertainment for 25 years.

    As a key figure in RWC, McKoy supervises the training and development of aspiring wrestlers, overseeing their practices and leading them through a series of warm-ups, drills, and exercises that contribute to their growth and skill enhancement.

    Under McKoy’s guidance, RWC has attracted an impressive roster of wrestling stars.

    Notable names such as Sasha Banks, Jordan Grace, Tatanka, Dusty Rhodes, Rock n Roll Express, The Hardy Boys, Al Snow, Earl Hebner, and Bryan Hebner have made their mark in North Carolina. Through McKoy’s passion and dedication, RWC continues to captivate audiences, providing a platform for aspiring wrestlers to chase their dreams and thrill fans with the electrifying world of professional wrestling.

    After they finish their warm-up drills, McKoy has the wrestlers working on their 30-second promos. Afterward, they receive feedback to help them improve.

    Next up are the practice matches. Two wrestlers step into the ring and face off against each other. At the same time, the other wrestlers gather around the ring. After each match, the other wrestlers point out areas for improvement, what was a success, provide advice on how to tweak a part of the performance, and more. The comradeship and support among the wrestlers are evident as they all work together to improve their craft.

    One of the wrestlers who caught my attention with his wrestling and showmanship was “Gem Stone” (Josh McNeill). “Gem Stone,” an independent professional wrestler known as “The Diamond Of The Ring” and hailed as the Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling, is a prominent figure in the wrestling world.11b

    Trained at the esteemed Ring Wars Carolina Training Academy, “Gem Stone” represents the epitome of talent and skill. He holds the prestigious title of one-half of the RWC tag team champions alongside his partner CodeName FLX. Hailing from Dunn, “Gem Stone” has established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

    With a show nearly every week, “Gem Stone” has been consistently showcasing his prowess inside the ring. Since making his debut in June 2018, “Gem Stone” has captivated fans with his electrifying performances. In an interview, he expressed high praise for RWC, emphasizing that they produce some of the highest quality wrestling he has ever witnessed.

    To stay updated on “Gem Stone’s” incredible journey, fans can follow him on Instagram under the username @arealgemstone, on Facebook at Gem Stone Wrestling, and on YouTube at @GemStoneWrestling.

    These Youtube channels showcase his captivating RWC matches and demonstrate his dedication and passion for the sport.
    In addition to “Gem Stone,” another remarkable wrestler who deserves recognition is “CodeName FLX,” also known as “Wrestling’s only Active Paratrooper.” Teaming up with “Gem Stone” as one-half of the RWC tag team champions, “CodeName FLX” brings his unique talent and skills to the ring. Wrestling enthusiasts can follow “CodeName FLX” on Twitter @Project0820 and on Instagram under the handle @codename_flx.

    By checking out his social media profiles, fans can witness his remarkable performances and see firsthand why he is regarded as a phenomenal wrestler. “Gem Stone” and “CodeName FLX” make a formidable tag team with their combined abilities and dedication.

    The tag team duo, the “Wrustlers,” Paco and Wako, are former two-time tag team champions and independent wrestlers who have left an indelible mark in the industry. Their wrestling journey began by watching the sport alongside their father. Starting their careers in RWC, the “Wrustlers” honed their skills and showcased their teamwork. Reflecting on their time in RWC, they stated that it is a sure thing, a testament to the quality and reliability of the promotion. With their abilities and dedication, the “Wrustlers” continue to captivate audiences and solidify their place as remarkable talents in professional wrestling.

    James Miranda, also known as School of Morton Champion “James Anthony,” is an independent wrestler with 12 years of ring experience, having trained in Florida. His signature move, the super kick, has become a crowd favorite. Miranda’s passion for wrestling ignited during his childhood when he watched WCW and WWF with his uncle, idolizing legends like the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan. He held the title of RWC Jr. Heavyweight Champion and notably lost it to Xander Keys during the 41st annual Dogwood Festival, which can be watched on YouTube.

    Beyond wrestling, “James Anthony” contributes to show production, writing and talent scouting. Fans can follow him on Twitter at @87JamesAnthony and on Instagram at @1987jam to stay updated on his exciting journey in the wrestling world.

    If you want to experience the exciting world of Ring Wars Carolina firsthand and stay updated on upcoming matches, you can visit their website at www.ringwarscarolina.net/. You can also follow RWC on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RingWarsCarolina and subscribe to their YouTube channel @RingWarsCarolinaTV.

    While watching matches online is exciting, nothing beats being there in person. The sound of bodies hitting the mat, the slaps, and the energy create an unforgettable atmosphere.

    Check their schedule of events, grab your tickets and join the live audience to immerse yourself in the electrifying world of Ring Wars Carolina.

  • 19Biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission say this month is when people are more likely to spot a coyote than any other time of year.

    Coyotes are common throughout North Carolina, including in cities and suburbs, but often go unnoticed because they are skilled at avoiding people. In late spring, however, coyote parents are busy raising their young pups, which means more hours scouting for food and more opportunities for people to catch a glimpse of one.

    While coyotes usually raise their young in secluded areas, keeping a litter of pups well-fed and healthy means covering plenty of ground to find enough food. Coyotes will roam a large area, crossing through neighborhoods and business districts, looking for an easy meal. Coyotes mostly eat rodents, rabbits, insects, fruit and carrion, but will also dine on pet food and table scraps left outside.

    Seeing a coyote in a residential area shouldn’t cause alarm, as attacks on humans are very rare, and coyotes actually help to keep rodent populations in check. However, concerns for small pets, such as cats and small-breed dogs, may be valid as these animals can easily be mistaken for a coyote’s natural prey. For this reason, small pets should always be closely supervised when outdoors, or kept behind a dog-proof fence that is at least 6 feet tall and prevents digging underneath.

    “Using a 6-foot leash is an excellent way to protect small pets when they’re outside,” advises Falyn Owens, extension biologist for the Wildlife Commission. “If you notice a coyote watching or following you during a walk, pick up your pet and haze the coyote until it leaves. Your physical presence can be a powerful deterrent for a curious coyote.”

    Hazing can include standing tall, waving your arms and yelling at the coyote. In neighborhoods, residents can make the area less attractive to coyotes by removing easy food sources and actively scaring off any coyotes they see. Teaching a coyote to have a healthy fear of people is a great way to discourage unwanted behavior and foster coexistence.

    Owens offers these tips to deter coyotes:

    • Keep cats and small dogs on a leash or harness whenever they are outside. Backyard poultry should be kept in a predator-proof coop and run.
    • Feed pets inside and keep food waste in secure containers. If you feed pets outside, set specific feeding times and remove the dishes and spilled food afterward.
    • Keep fruit and bird seed off the ground. These foods can attract rodents and wildlife that prey on them.
    • Haze coyotes seen around homes and businesses. Scaring coyotes away teaches them these areas are off limits and that people should be avoided.

    Pup season brings an added factor to interacting with coyotes.

    While a coyote will typically leave the area when confronted by a human, one that has vulnerable pups nearby is more likely to stand its ground. Coyotes use dens only as a nursery for newborn pups. As soon as the pups can survive outside of the den, the coyotes will abandon it and move on.

    “This time of year, if you pass through a brushy or wooded area and notice a coyote watching you or following you at a distance, it could have a den nearby,” said Owens. “Calmly leave the area and notify others if you are near a public trail.”

    If you have questions about interactions with coyotes, visit www.ncwildlife.org/coyote or contact the NC Wildlife Helpline, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 866-318-2401 or email HWI@ncwildlife.org.

  • 16Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated’s Epsilon Rho Lambda Chapter and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated’s Gamma Upsilon Zeta Chapter present the 3rd Annual Race At Your Pace 5K Run/Walk June 3 at 8 a.m. at Methodist University.

    “The purpose of this event is to bring awareness of premature babies, raise funds for the March of Dimes March for Babies and to impact the communities that we live in,” said Anthony Henderson, Alpha Phi Alpha

    Fraternity member and marketing committee member for the event.

    “For the last two years we have raised $10,000 so our goal to raise this year is $15,000.”

    Henderson added that the funds will be donated to the March of Dimes March for Babies and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

    “Premature births are very high and prevalent in people of color,” said Henderson. “As we planned for the race, we found out that many members of both organizations had premature births in their family or they knew someone with a premature baby.”

    He added, “For the longest time the March of Dimes March for Babies had a walk in Fayetteville, but they closed the Fayetteville office so we decided to bring it back to impact this area.”
    In 2022, the March of Dimes reported that premature births are at an all-time high in the United States. People of color or those who live in impoverished areas are most at risk for premature birth.

    Babies born ahead of 37 weeks gestation are at a greater risk of asthma, blindness, deafness and intellectual disabilities.

    “The 5K course is a little over three miles and you can normally do it within 25 minutes to one hour depending on your pace because you can walk or run it,” said Henderson. “We also have the one-mile walk and people normally do it in 10 minutes depending on how fast their walking speed is.”

    The cost of the event is $40 and participants will receive a T-shirt. Participants are asked to register as soon as possible. Food trucks and a medical health fair will be on site. Virtual runners can register for $45.

    “We want to make sure that we are spreading health positivity in our communities,” said Henderson. “Come out and enjoy the event and all of the money goes to the March of Dimes in supporting healthy mothers and healthy babies.”

    For more information visit www.19aaa06.org/a2z-fun-run.

  • 15cThe sunnier days and warmer temperatures always have a way of enticing us to go outside and spend time with friends, enjoying wonderful food, drinks and music. Thanks to the Gates Four Summer Concert Series, citizens of Fayetteville and surrounding areas have the chance to enjoy a stellar performance and the wonderful summer weather!

    The Concert Series has become more well-known as the local music scene in Fayetteville has grown. This year’s Concert Series consists of five different events and each of them is headlined by a phenomenal band. The series was postponed numerous times due to bad weather last year which resulted in the Concert Series ending in October, 2022. However, if everything runs smoothly this year, the event will end in September.

    “The whole concept of the concert series is to create a quality entertainment venue on that side of the county, the Hope Mills area,” said Bill Bowman, publisher, Up & Coming Weekly. Bowman is also one of the people responsible for organizing the concert series.

    Are you prepared to travel back in time? Kids in America is a high-energy, power-packed six-piece band that pays homage to the totally tubular 1980s. All genres from this amazing decade are represented on the set list.

    Kids in America has been bringing back the groovy vibe of the 80’s since 2017. The tribute band consists of male and female vocals that sing their very own renditions of classics from artists such as Prince, Bon Jovi and Phil Collins.

    On June 2, the 1980’s tribute band will perform at Gates Four Golf & Country Club. The event is free to the public. Guests are asked to bring a chair unless they would like to purchase VIP seats and tables which can be bought at www.fayettevilledinnertheatre.com or onsite the day of the event.

    “There are so many really good bands going out there this year; it’s just phenomenal,” said Greg Adair, who helps organize the Gates Four Concert Series.

    “To be able to have a quality concert in a classy environment like Gates Four is wonderful,” he added. “The bands appreciate the atmosphere
    as well.”

    Gates Four Golf & Country Club requests that no one brings animals. Food, drinks, water and adult drinks provided by Healy Wholesale will be available for purchase. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., dinner and fellowship starts at 6 p.m., and the band will hit the stage around 7 p.m.

    “The whole evening is centered around fun, good music, contributing to the community and giving young artists a chance to be seen,” said Bowman.

    Gates Four Golf & Country Club is located at 6775 Irongate Drive in Fayetteville. For more information, visit www.fayettevilledinnertheatre.com/.

  • 15a Mariel Kunz pulls colorful crochet hats out of a bag. She shows one and then, without much hesitation, reaches in for another followed by another. Much like a magician, she continues to pull more and more hats that unfold in her hands to display bright and intricate patterns. Each one is a little different from the next.

    Kunz bends down to grab another hat from the zippered plastic bag. This time she pulls out a pink hat covered in white spots and framed by braided tassels that hang down from the ears.

    “This is the hat that started it,” Kunz says. The original hat was one she made for her sister, then more people started asking her for hats.

    Kunz’s hair is pulled back tight in a bun. She is admittedly tired but still extremely animated when she speaks about her hobby turned business. She laughs a lot in between pulling more hats. For her, yarn has become a constant companion. She says she gathers little bits of time in-between errands, being a mom or working to make another hat or other crocheted projects.

    “I hate going to the movies now without a ball of yarn and a hook,” she laughs.

    And thankfully for Kunz, she doesn’t need much more than a hook and some yarn. When asked about how she gets so many patterns, she simply replies, “I don’t follow any patterns, I write them.”

    Kunz and about 20 other vendors will adorn Hay, Person and Anderson Streets on Friday, May 26 from 6 to 9 p.m. for the Cool Spring District’s annual Nerd Market. The event will be incorporated into the monthly Fourth Friday with its regular gathering of artisans and entertainment. This month it will also host Kawaii Trolley — a karaoke trolley — throughout downtown Fayetteville where residents can ride and sing to their heart’s content.

    “I love the anime and comic book community,” says Lauren Falls, Marketing and Events Director for the Cool Spring District. “They have been wonderful and generous.”15b
    Kunz says she is excited for the upcoming event.

    “Is wearing a nerdy hat ever out of season?” She laughs, spinning a hat on her hand.

    As a vendor, she’ll bring crocheted game-themed hats and gigantic crochet-beaded lizards that customers can make on the spot with her. She holds up bags of crocheted beads the size of golf balls. All of them are bright colored separated into groups.

    These beads take about 5-6 minutes each for her, but each lizard will require dozens of beads. She turns her attention back to the hats.

    “It’s fun to make wearable art,” she says holding up another hat, this one a long green, pointed hat. “You get to see people enjoying what you make.”

    The event will also include food from Scotty’s All American Food truck, a cosplay contest broken up by age groups and the MM Digging site that allows kids to play with toy construction vehicles.

    In 2021, the Nerd Market hosted about 600 guests. Falls and others are hoping for the same turnout or more. And if event-goers are looking to take a little throwback to the 90s, they can stop and see Made By Mariel and make a giant crochet-beaded lizard.

  • 14bA guitar played by the Army Special Forces medic who wrote the iconic song “The Ballad of the Green Beret” is on display at the U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum in downtown Fayetteville.

    Barry Allen Sadler was an American soldier, singer, songwriter and author. He learned to play and compose music on the 1949 Gretsch acoustic guitar during his teenage years, according to a museum news release. Over time, he began to work out the chord progression of his hit song. Sadler served as a medic with 7th Special Forces Group in Vietnam from December 1964 to May 1965. During his tour, Sadler was asked to perform at an event that was recorded and broadcast in the U.S.

    The performance of the early version of the song immediately garnered the attention of the American public.

    In December 1965, Sadler met Robin Moore, who helped complete the lyrics and give the song its iconic name, the release said. Their album hit U.S. record stores in January 1966. Moore was the author of “The Green Berets.” The book, originally published in 1965, inspired the 1968 John Wayne movie. Sadler played “The Ballad of the Green Beret” on the guitar that is on display during the 1985 Static Line Awards Banquet.

    The guitar was auctioned off at the end of the banquet, the news release said. The guitar will be on display in the museum’s lobby through June 6. To hear Barry Sadler sing "The Ballad of the Green Beret" visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kj9qv6rmG8

  • 14aThe Fayetteville Urban Ministry's 27th annual Charity Golf Classic Honoring Mr. Wade Hardin is presented by Cargill, on June 3 at Gates Four Golf and Country Club.

    Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the shotgun start is at 9 a.m. It's a competitive and fun golf tournament open to the entire community. It aims to support the Fayetteville Urban Ministry during the challenging summer months when donations traditionally decrease.

    Individual players can participate for $65, which includes breakfast and lunch, a team photo, and a goodie bag. If you'd like to form a foursome team, the cost is $275, including breakfast and lunch, a team photo, and a goodie bag. The first 32 teams to register will compete.

    The Fayetteville Urban Ministry is a nonprofit dedicated to serving the community in Fayetteville for almost five decades. Fayetteville Urban Ministry was founded in 1974, and its goal is to alleviate poverty and suffering in the area by providing a range of services and programs to individuals and families in need.

    Their mission is "To show God's compassion for our neighbors in need, and thus build our community together." The Fayetteville Urban Ministry is about spreading love, hope and faith throughout their community.

    They achieve this goal by offering a range of programs and services that are changing lives and making a real difference. Their Find-A-Friend youth program, for example. This remarkable initiative is all about inspiring young people to believe in themselves and a brighter future. By instilling faith in their hearts and minds, they're helping to create a generation of confident, capable, and compassionate individuals who will positively impact the world.

    The Adult Literacy & Education Center is another shining example of the Fayetteville Urban Ministry's commitment to transforming lives. By providing education and job preparation to those in need, they're helping people establish a sense of hope for a better future and giving them the gift of reading to open up a world of opportunities.

    Their Emergency Assistance program helps with meeting the basic needs of the community. From providing food via their food pantry and clothing to those in need to offering crisis support, they're showing love and support to their neighbors.

    Their Nehemiah Project is another program that's making a real impact in the community. By offering free home repairs to low-income homeowners, they're building security and stability and helping to create safe and comfortable living spaces for those who need it most.

    All of these services are provided free of charge. Plus, for every dollar donated, the Fayetteville Urban Ministry sends $0.95 directly back into the community through their programs and projects.

    Overall, the Fayetteville Urban Ministry is a vital organization dedicated to serving the community's needs. Their programs address community members' basic needs while providing education, job preparation, and home repair services.

    The organization's commitment to improving the lives of those in need is evident in its mission statement, and its annual Golf Classic is a fun way for the community to get involved and support their efforts.
    You can volunteer or donate if you're interested in getting involved with Fayetteville Urban Ministry 's programs and services.

    There are various sponsorship options available for the Golf Classic, ranging in price from $300 to $7,500. All sponsorships include breakfast and lunch, a team photo, a goodie bag, and recognition in the tournament program.

    The sponsorship deadline is May 26, and the team entry deadline is May 29. For more information about Fayetteville Urban Ministry and its initiatives, visit their website at www.fayurbmin.org/. Their office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more details about the Golf Classic event, visit www.fayurbmin.org/27thannualgolfclassic.

  • 13bLegends Pub will be hosting its Annual Spring Fling the weekend of June 2 through June 4. Their annual benefit event has been hosted at Legends Pub since owner Holly Whitley purchased it about 27 years ago.
    Spring Fling began before Whitley owned the pub. She and a group of friends would host parties at Whitley’s house and called it the Gypsy Women Spring Fling. It used to be a get-together and then she turned it into a benefit after a friend had a motorcycle accident. It is now their largest benefit of the year.

    “We’ve done this every single year since I bought the place on December 6th of ‘96, and it’s been our largest benefit. Every single year we raise the most money off of this one, takes a lot of work but everybody jumps in and helps,” Whitley told Up & Coming Weekly.

    “People donate items for auction, bringing side dishes for food. It’s generally a very family affair. It’s like, you know, just everybody joining together.”

    This year’s Spring Fling will benefit Marsha Bryant, who has been dealing with peritoneal cancer. Peritoneal cancer is a rare cancer of the peritoneum, a layer of tissue lining the abdomen.

    “She has done very well with her treatment and we’re very happy she found it as soon as she did. She’s been fighting this battle since last October. Our process is to do this benefit for her and her husband,” Whitley said. “She’s been traveling all the way to Winston-Salem to specialists. All these things cost a lot of money when you get on the road like that.” 13a

    The 2023 Spring Fling will kick off on Friday, June 2 with a pool tournament.

    Saturday will feature the Scott Sather Memorial Poker Run, a motorcycle ride where participants stop at designated locations to pick up cards and build the best poker hand. The cost is $10 per person. Extra hands are $5. The event will begin at noon. The Memorial Poker Run is in honor of Scott Sather, who was killed in Iraq in 2001. He was a part of the Legends family. There will be a big picnic and an auction as well that day. Finishing the night will be live music from J.D. and Bill, which starts at 7 p.m. On Sunday, June 4, there will be a bike show. There will be barbecue sandwiches and hot dogs available.

    “There is no charge for the food. We do not charge for food because we want everybody to eat,” Whitley said.

    13The weekend-long event is open to all ages and everybody is welcome to come. This year’s Spring Fling will also be the first Spring Fling for Legends Pub’s new manager, Sandra.

    “She’s been with us for a year. So we're very excited to have her on board. This is going to be her first Spring Fling with us, as far as working. So we’re very excited about that. She is, too. She’s done a great job over the last year,” Whitley said.

    Overall, Whitley just wants to give back to the local community. Previous Spring Flings have supported nonprofits like Seth’s Wish and the North Carolina State Veterans Home. Other years, they have helped support those who are close to the Legends Pub community.

    “We’ve done a lot for the community. We try to take care of our own. We like staying in our community rather than give it to large organizations because we feel as if people at our organizations in our own area are neglected by larger organizations,” Whitley said.

    “In our own community, we need a large amount of support to take care of everybody here.”

    The Spring Fling has raised a significant amount of money to help those in need.

    “I would say... [about] a million dollars that we have raised at that little bar on the boulevard," Whitley said.

    “It’s amazing what we have accomplished as a group and some people that have been there. I mean, it’s a larger amount of people than I can even fathom sometimes that have actually stayed with me for going on 27 years, and always supported our event.”

    Legends Pub is located at 4624 Bragg Blvd. For more information, call 910-867-2364. You can follow their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/legendspub910.

  • 12aAbout 165 third-graders at Gallberry Farm Elementary School recently lined the halls waving banners and cheering on former students who are set to graduate from Gray's Creek High School on June 5.

    GCHS seniors Tinley Davis, Alexandra Garcia, Gerald Mason, Julia Norman and Xavier Stephens donned their caps and gowns and proudly rushed through the halls giving elementary school students high-fives while cherishing the moment.

    “This was bittersweet,” said Norman. “It seemed so far away when I was little, but now that I’m here, it’s like, wow, I really am here. And, this is the end of my journey... kind of sad. But, I’m so excited, though, for my future. I have so many things in place, and I can't wait to go to college and experience college life.”

    Throughout their visit, Norman and her classmates helped inspire the younger students to graduate from high school and look toward attending college.

    These teens also helped officially kick off Cumberland County Schools’ 2023 Graduation Season, which runs from May 25 through June 7. During this time, thousands of seniors have plans to walk across the stage of the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum to receive their diplomas.

    However, these soon-to-be graduates realize that they didn’t take this educational journey alone. CCS educators were always there, cheering them along the way. "It [being a student] was a lot of hard work," said Norman.

    “A lot of teachers were helping me and guiding me through... I’m glad I had that support here at Gallberry.”12b

    That was also the case for Stephens, who was able to pay a special surprise visit to his kindergarten teacher, Karen Odell. When he walked into the room, the two embraced with warm smiles and open arms as Odell’s students, who were seated on the storytime carpet, looked on in amazement.

    “This is great seeing him,” said Odell, as she beamed with pride and shook her head. “This is absolutely great!”

    An observer could see the brief reunion as ‘a full-circle moment’ and as a stark reminder that Cumberland County Schools is capable of taking students from the kindergarten carpet to the college classroom and beyond.

    For information about Cumberland County Schools’ 2023 Graduations, visit www.graduation.ccs.k12.nc.us.

  • 15b Rock’n on the River will kick off the annual concert series May 19 in an effort to create a lively outdoor setting and make the most of the beauty of the Cape Fear River.

    This annual series began when local musician Greg Adair of Rivermist wanted to make up for the lack of early summer concerts in Fayetteville. The first concert of this year's season will bring the Robbie Reid Band and ABACAB.

    The Robbie Reid Band is a blues group whose music transports you to a serene scene. They are set to perform at 6 p.m. ABACAB is a tribute band who doesn’t disappoint when it comes to reciting the legendary music of Genesis and Phil Collins.

    “It’s a family friendly event,” Adair said. You can bring chairs and blankets. There are no pets allowed unless it’s a service animal. Healy’s Beer and Wine is the sponsor for this event so there will be plenty of their products available.

    Guests can start coming in at 5:30 p.m. Food will be available for purchase on site by Deep Creek Grill and they’ll have several options to choose from. Rock’n On The River takes place at Campbellton Landing, 1122 Person Street in Fayetteville.

    For more info, visit https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100049990406810.

  • On May 11, along with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, the Cumberland Oratorio Singers will perform at Saint Ann Catholic Church at 7:30 p.m. Michael Martin, conductor of the COS is excited about the performances that will be featured that evening. 05-02-12-cos-lgo.jpg

    The theme of the show is light and the title of the performance is Let Your Light Shine. Composer Morton Lauridsen’s piece titled Lux Aeterna illustrates the concept of light being very powerful in both poetry and song. The five movements of Lux Aeterna are based on various references to light from sacred Latin texts. The power and finesse of Lux Aeterna will speak to each of us in its own way.

    “The first recording of Lux Aeterna by the Los Angeles-based composer Morten Lauridsen demonstrates that it IS possible for important contemporary music to speak directly to the human heart. Composed in 1997 for the LA Master Chorale, Lux Aeterna is a rich, complex, intensely moving piece that people will be listening to for a long time to come,” raves Jim Svejda, National Public Radio at www.peermusicclassical.com.

    On the same site, Lauridsen describes his work …“Lux Aeterna — Eternal Light — is an intimate work of quiet serenity centered around a universal symbol of hope, reassurance, goodness and illumination at all levels. This work formed in my mind over several years, and I began serious work on the piece shortly following the completion of Les Chansons des Roses in 1993. I put aside the Lux in early 1994 to compose the Christmas canticle, O Magnum Mysterium. The serenity and the uncomplicated and lyric style of O Magnum Mysteriumare continued in Lux Aeterna, which is fashioned on texts from several different Latin sources, including the requiem mass, each containing a reference to Light.”

    Born in 1943, Lauridsen was composer-in-residence of the Los Angeles Master Chorale from 1994-2001 and professor of composition at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music for more than thirty years. His works have received three Grammy nominations. In 2006 Lauridsen was named “American Choral Master” by the National Endowment for the Arts, and in 2007 he received a National Medal of arts from President Barack Obama. This is the highest award given to artists and art patrons by the U.S. government.

    The conductor of COS, Martin, along with his wife Amanda and their two children David and Meredith, relocated to Fayetteville, North Carolina in 2007 from the great state of Maine. Martin is originally from New England, where he received his Bachelors Degree then received his Advanced Degree in Music Education from Kent State in Maine.

    Martin soon discovered that the Cumberland Oratorio Singers group was in need of a conductor and so he quickly jumped at the opportunity of becoming the next conductor. In 2008 he was appointed artistic director and conductor for this group of talented singers.

    An Oratorio is a large-scale musical work for orchestra and voices, typically a narrative on a religious theme performed without the use of costumes. The COS is made up of members with a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, ages, and musical experiences. There are currently 70 members in the COS group but it has been as many as 100 members. “The group is so diverse that we are able to do some things that other groups can’t do,” stated Martin. Because of the demographics of the group it has allowed them to connect to the community in a different way and next year they are planning on combining and working more with the Fayetteville Orchestra Symphony. For ticket information, please call COS President Margaretta G. Kelly at 482-0006 or Director Michael Martin at 630-7153.

  • 15 The Cumberland County Cooperative Extension June Better Living Series workshops will focus on herbs. The workshops “Herb Gardening” and “Cooking with Herbs” will be held at the Cooperative Extension office located at 301 E. Mountain Drive.

    Registration for June 2023 workshops will be in person. Eventbrite registration is unavailable. Registration can be paid via check, correct cash or money order. For registration assistance, contact Susan Johnson at 910-321-6405.

    Herb Gardening — June 7 from noon to 2 p.m. Learn how to grow fresh herbs in small spaces. You will also learn how to process, dry and store herbs to have for year-round cooking. Students will leave with materials to start their own herb garden. Registration and the $10 registration fee are due by June 2.

    Lavender Lunch & Learn — June 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This tour will include a visit to Lavender Oaks Farm in Chapel Hill. Participants will receive instructions on growing lavender, the history of the farm and will visit the lavender fields for u-pick harvesting. A lavender-inspired lunch will be served. With nine varieties and 4,000 lavender plants, be prepared to be amazed. Registration and the $25 fee are due by June 12.

    Cooking with Herbs — June 21 from noon to 2 p.m. Learn how to use herbs and spices in the cooking process in this hands-on workshop. Participants will use herbs to season and taste focaccia dough or bread. Registration and the $12 registration fee are due by June 16. Class size limited.

    For accommodation for persons with disabilities, contact Lisa Childers at 910-321-6880, no later than 10 business days before the event.

  • A season of “Blessings” for Laura Story…

    Sowing & Reaping

    As we go through life, we will all inevi-tably reap what we have sown. Laura Story has been faithful in her music ministry as well as her devotion and support to her ailing husband, Martin. Lately she has certainly been enjoying the reaping end of the equation.

    Heading to the Grammy’s05-09-12-the-buzz.jpg

    Her song “Blessings” has been her most successful song to date, both in sales and more importantly in the impact it has had on people’s lives. As a result of this success, Story was nominated for and won her first Grammy Award. A rare feat for any Christian artist, and even more a female worship artist.

    Multiple Doves

    tory was recognized by her peers in a big way at last month’s 43rd Annual GMA Dove Awards! She walked away with Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year and Album of the Year, as well as overall Song and Songwriter of the year – all stemming from her huge hit “Blessings.”

    The Singer/Songwriter Becomes an Author

    Capturing an incredible thought in a song is nothing new for Laura. What is new is turning those thoughts into a devotional book called What If Your Blessings Come Through Raindrops? Comprised of 30 daily devotions designed to draw readers into a deeper understanding of God’s sometimes mysterious gifts, What If Your Blessings Come Through Raindrops? includes the devotions “He Loves Us Too Much to Give Us Lesser Things,” “When Faith Disappears,” “The Blessed Thorn,” “Giving Endurance a Chance to Grow” and “How Can We Find Peace Amid Suffering?” Each devotion contains Story’s personal reflections garnered from her own journey, along with prayers, quotes and a journaling page for readers to recount how blessings have impacted their own lives.

    Best Blessing of All

    As if the music awards and the success of her new cd and book weren’t enough to make this one of Story’s best years ever, she and her husband recently learned that she is pregnant. The bundle of joy is due to arrive in September and the expectant mom and dad couldn’t be more excited. 2012 has already been a year of bountiful blessing for Story and we wish her many more!

    Photo: Laura Story

  • 13 Renovations can improve a home in many different ways. According to data from Realm, which analyzed the top 10 most popular projects from roughly 2.8 million listings and permit filings in the United States in 2022, certain projects are more popular than others.

    Nationally, the most common home renovations include interior painting, exterior painting, finishing a basement, installing or replacing windows, and bathroom remodeling. Houzz polls have unveiled that renovating kitchens and bathrooms, porches, balcony and deck projects are also popular.

    For homeowners considering renovation projects large or small, the North Carolina Spring Home Expo is the place to go for ideas. Whether you’re planning a DIY or need a reliable contractor to fix your leaking roof, the Home Expo is the spot to find experts says Sol Lee, the Chief Marketing Officer for Nationwide Group, which is presenting the Expo.

    “At the Home Expo you'll save time and money finding all your local home improvement experts in one place, allowing you to get quotes from all and making those connections that are hard to make over the phone or internet,” Lee said.

    The North Carolina Home Expo will host local and national exhibitors offering exclusive deals and discounts. There will be a wide variety of vendors in home, outdoor living, beauty, decor, DIY and more. The Home Expo will also be an opportunity to learn about the latest trends.

    “You'll see new trends in home design, from outdoor landscaping to indoor kitchens or bathrooms. Coming to the Home Expo allows you to find examples of those trends and even plan out what might be the best fit for you,” Lee said.

    Some demonstrations at the Home Expo may include new window technology and solar power. Lee said you may even find vendors offering cookware who will demonstrate the benefits of their premium cookware by cooking you a sample.

    “The Home Expo also has many vendors offering products like Farm to Table food services, mattresses, cookware, skincare and much more,” Lee said.

    The North Carolina Home Expo is free to attend. It will be held at the Crown Complex Expo Center May 19 noon to 6 p.m., May 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., May 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Crown is located at 1960 Coliseum Drive in Fayetteville. For more info on the event visit https://northcarolinahomeexpo.com/.

    Signs it’s time to renovate

    Homeowners renovate their homes for a variety of reasons. Renovations can increase the value of a property and make homes safer and more comfortable for their occupants.
    Statista projects $510 billion will be spent on home improvements in 2024. Nearly a quarter of Americans opting to renovate will spend an average of $10,000 on their projects.

    Every room and space in a home may need a renovation at some point, and the following are five signs it’s time to renovate.13a

    • Age: The National Association of Home Builders says that 50% of U.S. homes are over the age of 40. That means that age alone could dictate a need to renovate, particularly if some materials are original to the home. For example, asphalt roofs typically last 25 to 30 years, while window frames can last 20 to 50 years, depending on how well they have been maintained.
    • Outdated looks: A home can look dated even if it is a relatively recent build. That’s because trends change quickly. For example, dark, cherry cabinets that were popular just a little while ago have now been replaced by lighter color palettes. Homeowners whose homes do not match the looks emulated in design magazines may consider a change, particularly if they’re planning to sell soon.
    • Deterioration: Signs of water, storm or structural damage should be addressed as soon as possible. Any deterioration should be a strong indicator that it’s time to renovate.
    • Efficiency: Escalating utility bills could be indicative of an inefficient home. Homeowners can conduct energy audits and then improve the areas where energy loss may be occurring, such as windows, doors, siding and insulation. Improving windows, doors, weatherstripping and insulation in a home can offer visual appeal and help homeowners save money.

    The initial investment may be significant, but those costs will pay off in energy savings. According to One Main Financial, space heating is the largest energy expense the average American homeowner has, accounting for around 45% of all energy costs.

    Small renovations that can make a big impact

    Some homeowners may employ the mantra “go big or go home” when they embark on home improvements, thinking that only the largest renovations produce noticeable change. But that’s not the case. Various smaller renovations can provide a lot of bang for homeowners’ bucks as well.

    • Countertops (and hardware): A complete kitchen overhaul may stretch some homeowners’ budgets. However, changing an older countertop for a new material can provide the facelift a kitchen needs. And while changing the cabinets may be homeowners’ ultimate goal, swapping hardware in dated finishes for newer handles and pulls can provide low-cost appeal.
    • Paint: Painting a space is an inexpensive improvement that adds maximum impact. Paint can transform dark and drab rooms into bright and airy oasis. Paint also can be used to create an accent wall or cozy nooks.
    • Lighting: Homeowners should not underestimate what a change in lighting can do. When rooms or exterior spaces are illuminated, they take on entirely new looks. It’s worth it to invest in new lighting, whether it’s a dramatic hanging light over the dining room table or task lighting in dim spaces.
    • Accent updates: Any space, whether it’s inside or outside a home, can get a fresh look with new decorative accents. Invest in new throw pillows and even slipcovers for living room sofas. Use new tile or paint the brick on a fireplace in a den, then update the mantel with decorative displays. Purchase wall art that can bring different colors into a room. Change the cushions on deck furniture and buy color-coordinated planters.

    These subtle changes will not cost as much as full-scale renovations, but they can still help homeowners transform their homes.

  • “I have gotten more than I asked for. All that I ever wanted was to hear my voice on record and have a song05-16-12-patsy-cline.jpgamong the Top 20.”

                                    — Patsy Cline Patsy

    Cline was one of country music’s first ladies. She lived her life wide open and shared it with her fans through the haunting, sometimes funny but always honest songs she belted out night after night.

    To her, the pinnacle of success was having a record. Today, she would probably be somewhat amused that there is a movie and not one, but two country musicals that celebrate her music and her life. And, Fayetteville residents get a chance to join in the celebration May 17-May 27, as the Cape Fear Regional Theatre brings A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline to the river stage at Campbellton Landing.

    “This is really the kind of place that Patsy would have performed,” said Kara Boyer. “She was always performing at fairs and outdoor events. This show almost feels like a concert.”

    Boyer, a Kernersville, N.C., native who now lives in the Big Apple, will join veteran CFRT performer Mike Rice at the CFRT River Show to bring Cline’s story to life.

    A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline follows Cline’s climb to stardom from her hometown in Virginia to The Grand Ole Opry, Las Vegas and Carnegie Hall, which she noted “was grand, but not as big as The Grand Ole Opry.”

    A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline includes more than 20 of the country music legend’s popular hits: “Walkin’ after Midnight,” “Sweet Dreams,” “I Fall to Pieces” and “Crazy.”

    Directed by Bo Thorp, the show has its moments of comedy and of the haunting heartbreak of Cline’s music. Put all together, Thorp believes it will create magical nights down by the Cape Fear River.

    “This is absolutely one of the top shows we’ve ever done,” said Thorp. “Everyone loves Pasty Cline. Everywhere I’ve gone over the past few weeks, people say they can’t wait to see the show. We have some amazing talent, and are ready to be spend some great nights down by the river.”

    For Boyer, who has done both tributes to Cline, performing down the river will be a fi rst. “This is one of those parts that once you start playing it, you get the opportunity to play it several times,” said Boyer.

    The show has 22 of Cline’s top songs. “For the fi rst three or four months I was prepping for the show, I never sang a note,” said Boyer. “I just listened to her, and watched any YouTube video I could find so that I could learn her. I wanted to see how she stood, how she sang, how emotional she got. I just listened over and over again. Before I ever dared open my mouth. I really just had to give over to the artistry that people know and love about Patsy Cline.”

    “Her heartache came because she lived a hard life,” said Boyer of Cline. “She wanted to succeed as an artist and did what she had to do to become successful. When she sings, she puts everything she had into her songs. She is so emotional.”

    This year’s dinner theatre features the great American hamburger as the dinner choice, served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, dill chips, molasses baked beans, southern potato salad and iced tea. Dinner starts at 7 p.m., with tickets ranging from $25 to $28. Show-only reserved seating ranges in price from $14 to $20, with non-reserved seats ranging from $12 to 18. Dinner starts at 7 p.m. The show starts at 8 p.m.

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

  • 12aA recent survey of home renovation industry professionals conducted by Fixr.com found that creating outdoor living spaces was homeowners’ biggest priority regarding renovations. The survey found that 62% of renovation-minded homeowners said outdoor dining areas are their most sought-after living space.

    Certain features were especially popular, none more so than comfortable outdoor furniture. Firepits, outdoor fireplaces, swimming pools, hot tubs, and outdoor connectivity were some additional popular features among homeowners.

    The role of nature in home design

    Outdoor living spaces were prioritized during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when public gatherings were greatly limited and individuals were urged to stay home as much as possible. Such demands have had a ripple effect on various industries, including home design.

    According to a survey conducted by the New Home Trends Institute in collaboration with Pro Builder, 58% of the more than 300 residential architects, designers and design-minded builders who participated, said connection to the outdoors/nature will be an important influence on their design choices in the years to come. About half of respondents indicated increased attention will be afforded to outdoor entertaining spaces.

    So, what might the outdoor spaces of homes built in the not-so-distant future look like? Respondents to the survey anticipated a growing demand for various built-in outdoor features, including firepits or fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, gazebos or pergolas, pools, and spas or hot tubs.

    Though trends and consumer demands are ever-shifting, architects and designers are anticipating that future homeowners will want more developed outdoor living spaces and greater access to nature, which is something current homeowners can keep in mind when renovating their properties.

    Turn a backyard into your own relaxing respite

    Backyards have long been places to unwind and enjoy some peace and quiet surrounded by nature. Thanks in part to financial instability brought on by rising inflation and measures to tame it, homeowners may decide to forgo traditional vacations in favor of staying home this summer.12b

    There’s no better time to invest in a home, particularly outdoor spaces, to make them welcoming respites. The following are some ways to accomplish that goal.
    Incorporate a water feature The sound of trickling or bubbling water can make surroundings more serene. A low-maintenance water feature can help to create a calming ambiance. A fountain that does not require a collection pond will reduce the chance it becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Locating the fountain out of the sun can keep algae growth at a minimum.

    Add lights for ambiance

    Outdoor lighting options include professionally installed, hardwired lights on the home itself or accent lighting that draws attention to trees or architectural structures on the property. It also may include twinkling lights, which some consider a must-have for any outdoor retreat. Lights come in all types and price points. Hang them on porches, pergolas or cement posts inside decorative planters and then string lights between the posts. This way the lighting can be moved around as desired.

    Lounging spots

    A comfortable outdoor loveseat or chairs may be a focal point of the yard, but build in some additional cozy spots specifically for lounging around. Nestle a hammock in a quiet corner of the yard, or enhance a chaise lounge with throw pillows and a large umbrella for napping poolside.

    Add lushness with plants

    Plants can transform any space. Use a combination of planted varieties around the yard, then enhance certain areas with potted plants as needed. Plants can make an area more warm and inviting, plus they give butterflies, bees and hummingbirds places to stop by and visit. Consider the help of a professional landscaper to bring a vision of a lush, plant-filled retreat to life.
    Blend in the pool or spa

    With some unique landscape architecture, the pool or hot tub can be built right into the landscape, making it a cohesive part of the design. This can make the yard seem even more like an oasis, especially when the pool is flanked by a waterfall or bubbling fountain.

    Add some music

    Thanks to wireless speakers that rely on Bluetooth technology, it’s easy to have music piped right into the backyard. Set up a wireless speaker in an inconspicuous spot, such as inside a planter or in the rafters of a gazebo.

    Turning a backyard into an oasis can provide the respite many people look for on their properties.

  • uac053012001.jpg Cassandra Vallery is known for portraying awesome characters on the stage of the Cape Fear Regional Theatre. But for the past nine years, she’s also been known as the driving force behind the Blues-n-Brews Festival, the CFRT’s largest fundraiser. This year is no exception.

    “Each year the festival has gotten a little bit bigger and a little bit better,” said Vallery. “And we hope next year, for the 10th anniversary to pull out all the stops.”

    But don’t worry, this year’s festival, which is slated for Saturday, June 2 at Festival Park, is shaping up to be the party of the summer. Last year more than 2,300 people turned up to taste some of the finest beers in the southeast, and Vallery expects to exceed that number this year.

    “We have invited brewers from all over the Southeast and we will have at least 100 different beers to sample at the festival,” she said.

    In addition to the wide assortment of brewers who will be on hand, there will also be a number of food vendors on hand ready to tempt your taste buds after you’ve made a round of the beer tents.

    And, for the first time this year, if you are not a beer drinker, you can purchase a $15 non-drinker ticket and then purchase wine at the CFRT’s tent.

    “I had so many people tell me that either their husbands or boyfriends drink beer but they don’t drink it. They’ve asked why we don’t’ have wine, so this year, we are adding wine to the event,” Vallery explained.

    And, if you are the designated driver, don’t worry, there will also be a Monster tent on hand where you can drink your favorite energy drinks; a coffee bar where you can drink your favorite blend; and a cigar bar where you can smoke your favorite stogie.

    But at the end of the day, the event is about the beer. For $30 in advance at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre Box Office or via the website (www.cfrt.org) or $35 at the gate, you will receive a six-ounce sampling glass. With the glass, you can visit every brewer in the park and sample all of their beers.

    “The brewers love coming to this event and they come back year after year,” said Vallery. “We also get great support from our wholesalers like Healy Wholesale, R.A. Jeffreys, Mutual Distribution Company and Empire Distributors. The beer people really make this event a success.”

    While the wholesalers will have their commercial label beers on tap, the brewers will have their custom crafts on hand to sample. A sample listing of brewereries participating includes: Carolina Brewery, Natty Greene’s, Sierra Nevada, Blue Moon, Sweetwater, Big Boss, Aviator Brewery, Huske Hardware, Mash House, World Brews, Bluepoint and Magic Hat.

    There is also the second half of the festival: the Blues. Performing this year are Nita B and Her Swingin’ Soiree, Elliott and the Untouchables and Chris Hurst.

    The event runs from 5-10 p.m.; however, if you would like to sample before the crowd arrives, you can purchase a VIP ticket for $50. The VIP tickets allows you to enter the festival an hour early. You also receive a picnic lunch in the shade of the VIP tent, as well as a private concert by Chris Hurst and snacks throughout the evening.

    This is an adults-only event, so be sure and plan early for a baby sitter, as there are no children’s activities.

    For tickets and more information, visit the theatre’s website at www.cfrt.org or call the Cape Fear Regional Theatre Box Office at 323-4233.

  • 16The Cape Fear Botanical Garden’s upcoming event, A Garden Gathering, Farm-to-Table Dinner, will raise awareness and support for Cape Fear Botanical Garden’s mission. The event is scheduled for May 17, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

    The Cape Fear Botanical Garden’s mission is to transform people’s relationship with plants and the natural world. Further, according to the Garden, their vision is to create and sustain a national caliber institution with gardens and programs of exceptional quality.

    Cape Fear Botanical Garden is a premier destination in the region for people to connect with nature and to expand their horizons through educational and cultural programs.

    The Garden Gathering is presented by Mercedes-Benz of Fayetteville, and all proceeds from this event go towards sustaining the gardens and the various programs at Cape Fear Botanical Garden.
    The Garden Gathering, Farm-to-Table Dinner event starts at 5:30 p.m. with the Floating Cocktail Hour in the garden, followed by opening remarks at 6:45 p.m.

    Then, at 7 p.m. is the Cape Fear Eye Associates Stroll followed by an al fresco casual Farm-to-Table dinner prepared by Elliot’s on Linden featuring locally sourced ingredients and sustainably grown cuisine served on the Snow's Pond Lawn. The event will also feature live music, raffles, an auction, and more.

    The Cape Fear Botanical Garden is a nonprofit founded in 1989 and situated on 80 acres. It was founded with the dual purpose of providing a learning environment for the horticulture students at Fayetteville Technical Community College and offering a resource for the local horticulturists. It is a conservation and exhibition site for plant species and communities native to the Cape Fear River basin.

    The garden features diverse landscapes, including nature trails, a natural amphitheater, steep ravines showcasing unique plant life, and more. Additionally, Cape Fear Botanical Garden hosts a range of events, such as weddings, military balls, ceremonies and business gatherings.

    This event is sure to delight and inspire. Explore Cape Fear Botanical Garden and learn about the diverse plant life that thrives there while enjoying their commitment to local culture and environmental sustainability.

    There are a number of ticket options. One ticket is $150, including dinner, open seating and non-valet parking.

    The 4-ticket package is $690, including a Household Garden Membership (valued at $90), reserved seating for 4, dinner and valet parking for the ticket holders. The 8-ticket package is $1,450, including a Patron Garden Membership (valued at $250), reserved seating for 8, dinner, and valet parking for the ticket holders. The valet parking will be provided courtesy of Valley Auto World.

    Cape Fear Botanical Garden is located at 536 N. Eastern Boulevard in Fayetteville. For more information visit www.capefearbg.org/.

  • 15The Gilbert Theater has been a cultural fixture of Fayetteville since its humble beginnings. In 1994 Lynn Pryer founded the Gilbert Theater in the basement of his home. Eventually, it settled into its current location on the second floor of Fascinate-U Children’s Museum on Green Street, in the heart of historic downtown Fayetteville where it continues to captivate audiences.

    After three decades of producing numerous plays and musicals, the theater is proud to announce its 30th Season.

    When asked what he attributed Gilbert’s staying power to, Lawrence Carlisle III, Artistic Director of the Gilbert Theater, commented with “Tenacity. Creative honesty. Love. These are a couple of the reasons for the Gilbert’s staying power. I took over three months before the pandemic started and decided then that this would not be the thing that brought down the theater. That tenacity in the face of so much uncertainty is a testament to the Gilbert’s strength as an arts entity in this town.”

    The Gilbert Theater’s 30th season is set to be an exciting one, with four productions from the past being revisited and one brand new play being performed on the Gilbert stage for the first time.

    The four classic productions will include “The Rocky Horror Show,” “A Christmas Carol,” “In the Blood” and “Assassins.”

    Alongside these classics, the theater will be showcasing a brand new work, “Ivories,” from up-and-coming playwright Riley Elton McCarthy.
    Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer, the 30th season of the Gilbert Theater is sure to be one to remember!

    “For the 30th I wanted to reproduce four shows from our past, and I didn’t really have any specific criteria beyond that,” said Carlisle. “I tried to pick things with wide appeal, and name recognition. I wanted to choose pieces that, hopefully, the audience would remember the Gilbert’s previous production of and that they would be excited to come back and experience it again.”

    Here is the 2023-2024 30th Season line-up:

    “The Rocky Horror Show” (Oct. 6 to 22) is a cult classic for sure and the perfect show for the October slot. “The Rocky Horror Show” is a must-see! This musical pays homage to classic sci-fi and horror B movies and takes the audiences on a journey with newly-engaged couple Janet and Brad, seeking shelter from the rain. What they find is a world of madness and chaos led by the eccentric Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Don’t miss the chance to dress up and “participate” in this cultural phenomenon.15a

    “A Christmas Carol” (November 24 to Dec. 17), an adaptation from Charles Dickens’ most beloved story, “The Christmas Carol,” is a holiday favorite. Ebenezer Scrooge, with the help of three spirits, is compelled to acknowledge his mistakes and reevaluate his outlook on life. By Christmas morning, Scrooge is filled with gratitude and ready to spend the day with those he holds dear. Let this uplifting classic help you celebrate the joy of family around the holidays.

    “In the Blood” (Feb. 2 to 18, 2024) is inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel, “The Scarlet Letter.” “In the Blood” is a modern-day narrative of a woman seeking to improve her children’s lives while being condemned by her peers. Drawing on many of the same motifs as Hawthorne’s book, such as sexuality, social guilt, and a female’s endeavor to outrun her past, “In the Blood” additionally deals with motherhood, race and poverty. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, the production of “In the Blood” will most likely trigger many powerful dialogues well after the curtain falls.

    “Assassins” (March 8 to 24, 2024) is a Tony-winning musical written by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman. It will captivate its audience with its exploration of the lives of nine individuals who attempted to, or succeeded in, assassinating one of the Presidents of the United States. Captivating and haunting, “Assassins” is considered the most controversial musical to ever exist. Expect to be shocked and enthralled in equal measure with original, daring and humorous content.

    “Ivories” (April 26 to May 12, 2024) follows Sloane, a playwright, who has gone back to her hometown with her spouse to look after her grandma, who appears to be inflicted with dementia. The longer she stays, and with each passing day, more of her childhood trauma and mysteries begin to surface. Is there something far more diabolical lurking underneath?

    So, looking ahead to the next 30 years, what can we expect to come? Carlisle and the staff at the Gilbert Theater hope to see the theater become an outlet for those looking to express their creativity and take risks.

    “I hope the Gilbert will continue to be a safe space for the more off-beat shows,” said Carlisle. “I hope the Gilbert remains a relaxed atmosphere, conducive to collaborations. And lastly, I hope the Gilbert inspires people to go after their dreams, fight the good fight, and realize that their creative expression matters.”

    We all look forward to more quality productions from the Gilbert Theater for the next 30 years. We celebrate the theater’s dedication to keeping theater in downtown Fayetteville alive and thriving.
    The Gilbert Theater is located at 116 Green Street in Fayetteville.

    For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.gilberttheater.com.

    All photos by Jonathan Hornby.

  • 14aAs another successful season comes to an end, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra welcomes the community to their final concert of the 2022-23 season — a Fayetteville Celebration.

    The family-friendly concert will be held at Huff Concert Hall on Methodist University’s campus on Saturday, May 13. Featuring Fayetteville’s beloved symphony orchestra and several gifted collaborators, the Fayetteville Celebration will be a night of amazing talent and beautiful music.

    “We’re closing this season with my personal favorite,” said Meghan Woolbright, Marketing and Office Manager for the FSO. “Our mission is to educate, entertain and inspire our community. No matter where you come from or who you are — we want you to come and enjoy symphonic music.”14d

    Including their seven concerts this past season, the FSO has made good on their “music for everyone” initiative with their popular Symphony Movie Nights and free community concerts throughout the year.

    Educational programs such as their upcoming summer camps and youth orchestras keep the symphony connected to the community while building the next generation of musicians in Fayetteville.
    The community-oriented nature of the organization makes this last concert especially profound, as it’s a collaborative effort between the FSO and others who strongly uphold the arts in Fayetteville.

    The Cape Fear Regional Theatre, along with trumpeter Kris Vargas, Ukrainian opera singer Alina Cherkasova, and the Con Fiero Vocal Experience, are all scheduled to14b perform.
    Selected pieces for the Fayetteville Celebration include “Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” by Astor Piazzolla featuring Concertmaster Fabián Lopez on violin, Jose Moncayo’s “Huapango,” and “An Orkney Wedding” by Peter Maxwell Davies, to name a few.

    14c“There will be so many different types of music,” Woolbright shared. “There will be some gospel from Con Fiero and a little bit of jazz from Kris Vargas. This is such a diverse group of collaborators — we’re really excited.”

    The Fayetteville Celebration begins at 7:30 p.m. and will run about 90 minutes long. For those looking to make a night of it with dinner and drinks downtown, a trolley service departing from 310 Green St. at 6:30 p.m. will drop off concertgoers at Huff Concert Hall free of charge, no reservation necessary.

    Tickets are available on the symphony’s website or at the door on the night of the concert. Children under six years of age may attend for free. Tickets for those 6-18 are $5. Discounted tickets for seniors, veterans, Cumberland County School employees, and Methodist University faculty are $25. Tickets for college students are $8, and adult general admission tickets cost $32.

    The FSO is already planning the 2023-24 season, and full-season tickets will be available for purchase at the Fayetteville Celebration concert.

    “We’ve got a really exciting season lined up for next year,” Woolbright said.

    To purchase tickets or learn more about the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, visit www.fayettevillesymphony.org/.

  • 13Three years ago, the world came to an unexpected halt with the onset of COVID-19 and the subsequent efforts to stop its spread.

    Three years later, the world has come back to life — but at a cost — or so it seems to Pastor Robert James of First Baptist Church and other worship leaders in the Fayetteville community.

    “We haven’t really come back,” James explained. “The world is not the same. There’s still a dark cloud — a need to come together and call God for help. We need to be revived.”

    With a revival in mind, Pastor James and leaders from Hay Street United Methodist, One Church Covenant Fellowship, First Presbyterian Church, and Luke AME have come together to create the first-ever “Revive All” in Fayetteville. From Sunday, May 14 through Sunday, May 21, First Baptist Church will host a city-wide revival to restore the community’s heart, mind and spirit.

    “This is the church’s response to the reality we find ourselves in post-COVID,” James said. “If anyone has a background in hope, resurrection and renewal — it’s Christians. Our entire faith is based on belief in bringing back what has died.”

    The event’s name, “Revive All,” is less a clever play on words and more a comment on the scope and objective of the project. While worship, prayer and the ubiquitous revival tent will be present — if a revival has “rules,” then the “Revive All” seeks to break them.

    While an annual revival is a typical event in the Christian faith, what Pastor James and his co-sponsors are attempting to do is unique. Five ministers of different churches and denominations will spend each night of the “Revive All” focused on a specific spiritual element in need of revitalization.

    “We’ve been forced to retreat into ourselves for so long, people have missed a sense of community … they don't realize how much they need each other,” said James.

    “Every night of the ‘Revive All,’ we’re asking God to revive just one thing.”

    Starting Sunday, May 14, the “Revive All” will each day revolve around themes such as joy, family, grief, and commitment to bring unbroken focus to the elements of spirituality and worship that really matter. The inclusion of different denominations is an attempt to erase ideological division, which can so often keep people from coming together in faith.

    The “Revive All’s” aim is to remind the people of Fayetteville that irrespective of faith-based traditions, “we still need each other. We all need a community of people to care for,” said James.

    “At the end of the day, we’re united in our faith,” James continued. “All of our reasons and traditions may differ — but we are the same at the core and root. The needs in our community are larger than one church or denomination.”

    Due to the influx of cultures, religions, and beliefs into the area, Fayetteville has been a receptive site for this groundbreaking initiative.

    “It seems to be seeped into the ground here,” James said. “It [The Revive All] has not been a hard sell. We’ve gotten amazing contributions … people believe in what we’re trying to do.”
    Ultimately, the “Revive All” is a community-wide celebration of things both lost and remembered, a rallying cry for the faithful to take up arms against the chaos and uncertainty of the past few years.

    Each night’s thematic focus is the church’s holistic attempt to heal what’s broken by reviving each part of the spiritual body to save the whole.

    Schedule of Themes

    • Sunday, May 14: Revival of Joy in Worship at 6 p.m.
    • Monday, May 15: Revival of Faith and Family at 5:30 p.m.
    • Tuesday, May 16: Revival of Community and Church at 6 p.m.
    • Wednesday, May 17: Revival of Grief and Hope at 6 p.m.
    • Thursday, May 18: Revival of Christian Unity at 6 p.m.
    • Friday, May 19: Revival of Repentance and Commitment at 6 p.m.
    • Saturday, May 20: Revival of Missions and Service at 8 a.m.
    • Sunday, May 21: Living Revived Lives at 11 a.m.

    Each theme has a related activity to bring the community together in worship. A family-oriented service will include hot dogs, snow cones, games, and a bounce house on Monday.
    Tuesday, “Revive All” worshippers will hear testimony and a message from guest speaker Bishop John Godbolt, co-pastor of One Church Covenant Fellowship, on the importance of community.

    Wednesday, a special memorial service led by Rev. Marvin T. Clowney, chaplain for Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, will be held. Thursday, five worship leaders from different churches and denominations will preach jointly on the question, “Why, Jesus?” Friday, a community-wide Communion service. Saturday, worshippers will go out into the community to spread love through acts of kindness and service.
    Sunday, congregants will return to their traditional houses of worship, and all participating pastors will preach the same sermon: “How to Live a Life Revived.”

    “This is a chance to not just go to church but be the church,” James said. “I’m consistently scared and excited. God trusts us a lot to put something like this together. I don’t know what will happen — I just know what I hope.”

    First Baptist Church is located at 201 Anderson Street in downtown Fayetteville. Except for May 17, when the service will be conducted in the sanctuary of First Baptist, all services will be held in a tent at the rear of the First Baptist building at the corner of Anderson Street and Maiden Lane.

    The “Revive All” is intended to be the combined efforts of churches across Fayetteville and surrounding areas. If any pastor or church member would like to join the effort, contact Rev. James at 910-728-6880.

  • 12a Mother’s Day is upon us, and Fayetteville and surrounding areas have some unique and fun options for everyone. Here is your list of ideas to celebrate love for your mother or a mother in your life.

    Mother’s Day Carriage Rides

    Surprise your special someone with an intimate carriage ride through the Cool Spring Downtown District. They will bring their beautiful Queen Victoria Carriage to the district and provide private carriage rides on May 13, from 1 to 9 p.m. at the Cool Spring Downtown District’s office (222 Hay Street). Each private carriage ride will take you on a scenic 15-17 minute ride through the district in 20-minute intervals.

    Private carriage ride tickets will be a flat fee of $75 per private carriage ride. Tickets can be bought online at bit.ly/416768F. If you have any questions before you purchase your tickets, please call the Cool Spring Downtown District’s office at 910-223-1089.

    Wine & Candle Design Brunch

    Scented Wicks Candle Bar will be hosting a brunch event you don’t want to miss. This unique candle making experience will include a delicious brunch catered by Mo’Flava. The menu includes: fresh fruit, turkey or pork bacon, scrambled eggs, chicken & waffles and deviled eggs topped w/cajun shrimp. This brunch will take place on May 14 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at 3109 N. Main Street in Suite 102 in Hope Mills. Tickets are $80 a person and can be bought at scentedwickscandlebar.com. If you have any questions, call 910-339-1137.

    12c Pampering in the Park

    Celebrate the special women in your life with brunch at the Cross Creek Park, 200 Green Street. This event is catered by Elegant Catering service GloCity Event and includes a variety of food choices from breakfast to dinner. Treat Mom to a meal where she can relax and not have to clean up afterwards, where she can enjoy her special day with the ones she loves. There is one seating. Be sure to get your tickets because this will sell out. This event will be on May 14 from 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets prices are $10, $45 and $75. The $10 ticket will allow entry to the event, free samples from the vendor, and an event passport. Tickets can be bought online at bit.ly/3HIGBzl.

    Brunch on Base

    Join Fort Bragg for an all-you-can-eat brunch to celebrate mom! This brunch will take place on May 14 at the Iron Conference Center from noon until 2 p.m. The event will feature family style seating. Reservations are required. To make a reservation, call 910-907-2582 by May 11 at 4 p.m. This event is open to the public. Adult tickets are $29.95, children ages 5 to 11 are $15; children 4 and under are free.

    Mimosas & Macarons

    You are invited to join 2313 Glitter Ave Boutique on May 13 for Mimosas & Macarons, a Mother’s Day Celebration Shopping event. Come and shop new arrivals in sizes small to 3X.
    There will be light refreshments, a flower bouquet bar by Downtown Market and a Free gift with a $30 purchase. Come down with your Mom, bring your bestie, spend time with your daughter or pop in by yourself and have a girls day! The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1009 Marlborough Road.

    12d Moms & Mimosas

    Moms & Mimosas is a day that is catered for moms to do something just for them! Come relax, paint, sip on mimosas and enjoy taking time to just “let go.” Have to bring the kids? There will be a separate room with kids crafts, movies and snacks to keep them thoroughly entertained while moms can go and enjoy something for themselves. This event by The Chamber of Hues, 4001 Fayetteville Road in Raeford, takes place on May 13 at 11 a.m. Tickets are $45 and can be bought at thechamberofhues.com/products/moms-mimosas-5-13-23.

    Downtown Brunch

    Join Huske Hardware Restaurant for their Simply Southern Mother's Day Brunch in beautiful Downtown Fayetteville! Brunch favorites include their Signature Salmon and Huske Benedicts, Steak and Eggs, Biscuits and House Sausage Gravy, Country Fried Steak and Eggs, Chicken and Waffles, and other dining favorites. They will highlight their Stella Rosa Mimosas that include flavors such as Peach, Berry, Blueberry, Pineapple, and a traditional Moscato Mimosa! Their full bar will be open, and will be serving brunch from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by emailing events@huskehardware.com. Reservations are held for 15 minutes before the table is released. All parties must be present to be seated.

    Wildflower Hike and Craft

    Moms, bring your little one out to Carvers Creek State Park for some one-on-one bonding time on Mother’s Day! There will be a 1-mile StoryWalk and a fun craft to remember the evening. The event will take place on May 14 at 4 p.m. Meet at the park office at the Long Valley Farm Access in Spring Lake. Sign up for this program by emailing carvers.creek@ncparks.gov or by calling 910-436-4681.

  • Summer 2012 is right around the corner, and it will usher in the fourth master’s level program at Methodist University. The Master of Education Program at Methodist will begin its first class June 11, with an exciting new program designed for today’s working and busy classroom teachers. Our Master of Education Program is especially looking for teachers who want to increase their knowledge and skills in the K-12 areas of reading or special education. These two subjects were chosen as degree concentrations to complement our current program and increase teaching expertise in these vital areas.

    When we were building our program, we gathered a group of school partners for professional input in the program’s development, including principals, teachers, central office staff and Methodist education candidates. The various school personnel came from Sampson, Harnett, Cumberland and Hoke counties, as well as Fort Bragg Schools. The teachers had either recently complet-ed a master’s level program or were experienced master teachers. Together, the group made up our Professional Community Committee.

    Looking carefully at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Graduate Standards, the PCC dis-cussed what a master teacher should know and be able to do. We also discussed the new North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Instrument and process. We felt strongly that teachers graduating from a Master of Education Program should have the knowledge, skills and dispositions neces-sary to extend themselves as leaders in the classroom and beyond. Additionally, the PCC discussed student assessment data and how to use it to impact teaching and learning.

    We very much wanted to ensure that our course offerings were relevant to today’s teachers. A good example is how we approached the Instructional Technology class. Teachers must be familiar with the tools of technology, but they also need to know how to integrate them into their teaching and give students hands-on experience with these techno-logical advancements.05-23-12-methodist article.jpg

    As recruitment efforts have geared up for the Term II summer start date, applicants have been pleased with the program’s schedule. Teachers can finish the program in two full years, which includes two summers. During the summer, classes will be face-to-face on campus, fol-lowed by a blend of occasional on-campus sessions and online courses in the fall and winter semesters. The hybrid classes fit into a teacher’s busy schedule, but still provide useful professional interaction.

    Applicants are also happy about our convenient location. Methodist University serves the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg and surrounding area counties. Applicant Yasmeen Robins said she decided to apply to the program partly because of the proximity of the university to both her home and school.

    More importantly, she said her colleagues who are grad-uates of the Methodist undergraduate education program speak highly of their experience at the university. They talk about their training, the strong faculty and staff, and the support they received.

    Each professional who is motivated to further his/her education and to be a lifelong learner has usually been influenced by a mentor in his/her profession or communi-ty. Each of us has the opportunity to encourage that pro-fessional who will continue to grow and learn and make a difference in the life of our students and community. In keeping with the Methodist vision, we want to continue to engage, enrich, and empower today’s teachers, as we all strive for rigor, relevance and excellence in our profession.

    For more information, contact Sue Godwin at 910.630.7060 or sgodwin@methodist.edu.

    Photo: Master of Education Program is espe-cially looking for teachers who want to increase their knowledge and skills in the K-12 areas of reading or special education. 

  • 19To kick off the 2023 National Arena League football season, the Fayetteville Mustangs began its inaugural season with a 68 — 43 victory over the Orlando Predators.

    The newly minted NAL franchise serves under team owner and president Dr. Robert Twaddell. The local business proprietor and medical professional of 26 years is excited to bring the Mustangs to Fayetteville.

    In April, Up & Coming Weekly caught up with Dr. Twaddell, Coach Charles Gunnings, players and front office staff during the team’s Meet & Greet to discuss the 2023 season. The Meet & Greet was held at Bubba’s 33, the official restaurant of the Fayetteville Mustangs.

    Dr. Twaddell shared his team philosophy and the impact he’d like to achieve in Fayetteville and the surrounding area.

    “I’m excited to see and to hear the roar, glee and cheers of young fans and families filling the stadium and supporting their home team,” he said.

    “The team’s focus is centered on faith and family. I am excited to bring back competitive arena football to our city,” he added.

    The tickets are affordable, starting at $15 each. And the team is looking to partner with potential co-owners and businesses to ensure the Mustangs are here to stay, Twaddell said.

    Coach Charles Gunnings, a former NAL player with more than 15 years of experience, has won championships in multiple arena football leagues.
    Gunnings shares the president’s philosophy. With the task of preparing the players to perform at the highest level, he talked about his role as coach and his process of building a competitive team. He talked about the single most important rule: player’s trusting one another.

    “Our team has players that performed at the collegiate to the national level. We have a lot of alpha males so they all understand the time and commitment required to win games. However, winning at anything demands trust,” he said.

    As Coach Gunning continued, he discussed the importance of taking care of the players families. “Our players perform better knowing that our owner, coaching staff, and front office truly care and support the family structure.”

    The commitment to the youth and family extends into the community.

    “I encourage youths from the ages of 9 to 13 years to join the F ayetteville Mustangs Youth League summer youth program,” Gunnings said. “Each team will play on the same turf, arena, and environment as the Mustangs at the Crown Complex. Each youth player will receive a free game day voucher for every Mustangs home game.”

    With the Mustangs off to a winning start, Up & Coming Weekly spoke with Liberty City native and leader of the team. #12 Quarterback, Rakeem Cato, has an impressive passing completion rating of .734% over the past two games.

    When asked about the upcoming season, he talked about having a great football camp prior to their game with the Orlando Predators. He believes the Mustangs have the right players to make a solid playoff run and ultimately securing the championship.

    The 2023 season is in full swing with the Fayetteville Mustangs scheduled to host the following teams in May. Tickets are currently on sale at www.fayettevillemustangs.com/tickets for all home games.

    Fayetteville Mustangs May 2023 Schedule at the Crown Complex
    May 7, Home Game 2
    Fayetteville Mustangs vs. San Antonio Gunslingers (Faith and Family Night). Doors open at 2 p.m., Kickoff at 3 p.m.
    May 19, Home Game 3
    Fayetteville Mustangs vs. Carolina Cobras (Education Appreciation Night). Doors open at 6 p.m., Kickoff at 7 p.m.

  • The Army turns 237 this year, and while most people celebrate birthdays with cake and a party, the05-30-12-10milers.jpgArmy has another tradition, at least at Fort Bragg. On June 8, join Fort Bragg FMWR for the 16th Annual Army Birthday 10-miler and celebrate with our nation’s finest.

    Steve Johnson is one of the event organizers. He’s been a part of this event since its inception.

    “I’ve been doing this since 1996,” said Johnson. “The commander at the time wanted to have Fort Bragg represented at the Army 10-miler with a team, so we were tasked to find the best runners. Having a 10-miler that would serve as a qualifier is what we came up with.”

    It worked then, and it still works. Each October, Fort Bragg sends a men’s team, women’s team and master’s team (over 40 age group). This year the installation is also sending a sergeant’s major team to run the Army 10-miler in D.C.“

    Last year, we sent three teams and all three won,” said Johnson. “The women’s team has been really dominant at the Army 10-miler for the last 16 years.

    ”While it is a qualifier for the Army 10-miler, the race is also an event to honor soldiers and to celebrate the Army’s birthday. Johnson said that for the last three years, about 2,000 runners have showed up and crowds like that require a little support from the installation.

    The route needs to be secure, which means there are about 150 soldiers guarding parking lots and side streets. The runners require adequate medical coverage, which takes six ambulances and about 40 medical personnel. The many fluid stations and seven aid stations require another 120 people.

    Johnson considers the event a success when it is all said and done and everyone has a good time.

    “I think that when participants have an enjoyable experience, that is gratifying for the people who worked to support the event,” he said.

    The public is invited and runners can enter through June 7 up until 5 p.m. There is no registration on race day.

    Runners report to Sedgewick Stadium at 6 a.m. Pre-race instructions follow at 6:20 a.m. The course starts at Sedgewick Stadium on Long Street, meanders through Keerans, Taylor and Spooner Streets, crosses Long Street onto Ardennes Street and Campbello Street on to Gruber Road. There is a turn around at Gruber Road and Zabitosky Road and runners follow the route back to Sedgewick Stadium. It is a challenging race, which is appropriate for the Army’s birthday celebration.

    Through May 30, runners can register online at www.fortbraggmwr.com, or by completing the registration form and delivering it to Leisure Travel Services, which is located in the mini-mall near Reilly Road and Honeycutt Street. May 31 and June 1 and June 4-7, registration is at Funk Physical Fitness Center, on Gruber Road near Long Street.

    Along with the 10-miler, the Seventh Annual Army Birthday 4-Mile Walk is scheduled for the same date and time as the run. In fact, the registration process is the same for both events. Walkers will not receive a timing tag, since the walk is non-competitive.

    Find out more at www.fortbraggmwr.com.

    Photo: The Army Birthday 10-miler is a Fort Bragg tradition.

  • 17b The North Carolina Military Historical Society’s annual symposium will be in Fayetteville this year.

    The North Carolina Military Historical Society was incorporated in 1966 and is interested in preserving and sharing the unique military history of North Carolina in a variety of ways. Andrew Duppstadt, Treasurer of the NC Military Historical Society, tells Up & Coming Weekly that there is a chapter in Fayetteville, but this will be the first time the symposium has been held in Fayetteville.

    “For many years, the symposium was held in Raleigh, but starting in 2022, we branched out, hosting the symposium in New Bern. This year is Fayetteville. In 2024 we will probably return to Raleigh, and in the future, may hold symposiums elsewhere around the state,” Duppstadt said.

    This year’s event will focus on some current and historic Military installations in North Carolina. There will be presentations on Camp Lejeune, Camp Davis and Fort Fisher during World War II, the history of Fort Bragg, and the U.S. Coast Guard in North Carolina.

    The day’s schedule is flexible, so people can attend a lecture and leave as their schedule permits. The symposium will kick off at 9 a.m. The first lecture will be at 10 a.m. by Paul Peeples. Peeples is a native of Fayetteville and a veteran of twenty years with the United States Marine Corps. He will be talking about Camp Lejeune during World War II.

    Following his presentation, Cliff Tyndall, a recently retired History and Geography Professor at Bladen Community College, will provide a presentation on Camp Davis and Fort Fisher during World War II. His lecture starts at 11 a.m.

    There will be an hour-and-a-half break for lunch. The symposium will resume at 1:15 p.m. with a presentation about the history of Fort Bragg. That will be provided by Dr. Linda F. Carnes-McNaughton, a professional archaeologist, researcher, and cultural resources manager.

    The final presentation, scheduled for 2:15 p.m., will be given by Atlanta Area Historian for the U.S. Coast Guard, Dr. William Thiesen. He will be talking about the U.S. Coast Guard in North Carolina. At 3:15 p.m., there will be a special opportunity to tour the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Museum. Learning about state and military history is beneficial.

    “I think the study of North Carolina’s Military history gives lessons to current generations,” Peeples said.

    “One example is the Battle of Guildford Court House in the Revolutionary War. The results of Guildford Court House lead the British Commander, Lord Cornwallis, to go to Yorktown with the army he commanded, where it would be surrounded, cut off from reinforcement or evacuation, and compelled to surrender,” he said.

    Attendees may take home more than knowledge.

    “Each year at the symposium, we hold a book raffle. Raffle tickets are drawn numerous times throughout the day, and folks can pick from a wide array of military history books,” Duppstadt said.

    “We are happy to be hosting this in Fayetteville and hope local folks will come out, see what we’re all about, and hopefully decide to become members of the Fayetteville Chapter.”

    The symposium will take place on Saturday, May 6 and is free and open to the public. The presentations will be in the Pate Room of the Cumberland County Headquarters Library. The FILI Museum is located across the street from the library, within walking distance.

    For more information on the NC Military Historical Society, visit www.ncmilitaryhistoricalsociety.org.

  • 17aThe Fort Bragg Fair is an annual event that takes place every spring and has become a staple for the community. This fair is open to everyone in the area and not just those on Fort Bragg. You don’t even need an installation pass to attend.

    “The great thing about this event is that it’s not just open for our Fort Bragg community, but we open it up to the surrounding community. So it’s a great opportunity for our neighbors to come and enjoy it with us,” Jen Fayson, special events coordinator of Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, said.

    “They’ve been coming to Fort Bragg for 30 plus years and they are extremely excited to be back again this year and be able to offer this to Fort Bragg and to Fayetteville, Spring Lake and our surrounding areas.”

    The fair will run from May 3 to 14 at the Fort Bragg Fairgrounds on Bragg Boulevard. Gates open at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

    Admission to the fair costs $16 for the general public and $14 for military and DoD civilians, Monday through Friday. The fair costs $21 for the general public and $19 for military and DoD civilians on Saturdays and Sundays. Children under 36 inches tall are free.

    There are special discounts available. On Monday through Friday, $11 Customer Appreciation tickets are available from 5 to 7 p.m. Mothers will also be able to attend the fair for free on Mother’s Day, May 14, if they are accompanied by a child 17 years old or younger.

    Admission includes unlimited rides and live entertainment throughout the event, although concessions and games are an additional fee. There will be about 28 rides in total and an entire area for younger kids.

    “They’re bringing back some of the favorite rides,” Fayson told Up & Coming Weekly.

    “They've got the bumper cars, the Ferris Wheel, of course, and all types of fair food is going to be available for purchase once they get in.”

    Parking is free and open to the public. Parking is available off Bragg Boulevard. ADA parking is accessible from Bragg Boulevard via Howell Street. There are prohibited items at the fair. This list includes dogs, outside food or beverages, alcoholic beverages, handheld weapons, tents, and glass bottles/containers. The only exceptions to this list are service dogs.

    “It’s a great family atmosphere at the fair. We do security checks before anybody comes in. I say it’s one of the safer fairs that they can go to, and it’s just a sense of community. So it’s a great it’s just a great attitude and a great atmosphere out here at the fair every year,” Fayson said.

    For more information about the Fort Bragg Fair, go to https://bragg.armymwr.com/calendar/event/2023-fort-bragg-fair/5926373/23406.

  • 16bSpring is here, the flowers are blooming, and plants are thriving. Fayetteville is home to many farms, horticulture lovers, and rich soil to plant your favorite plants and foods.

    The perfect place to experience horticulture and plant life in Fayetteville, is at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, and they’re giving the community a full day to learn, plant and be one with nature at Gardenmania on May 6.

    This is their 4th annual event, the family friendly celebration lasts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is packed with workshops and activities for all ages.
    No matter how green your thumb is, you’re sure to learn something from the four keynote speakers in attendance and get your hands dirty with the demos and activities from the staff.

    They are a lot of rural and lower income areas around downtown, with the Botanical Garden being so close to the area, they aim to create a safe place for the community to immerse themselves in nature and learn new skills that can deepen people’s love for horticulture.

    There will be many garden masters and health enthusiasts in attendance and speaking at Gardenmania. The Beekeepers Association will be discussing the importance of pollinators and handling bees with care in nature. Food nutritionists will be discussing the importance of food and nutrition in nature and how food is medicine.

    Dr. Todd Beasley, owner of Horitcation, will explain how horticulture is connected to the roots of NASCAR and how the association has been able to become more diverse and progressive.
    There will also be a discussion on native plants as well as demonstrations on what kind of food you can grow in your own house and garden.
    Gardenmania is sure to bring fun and education to anyone in attendance. With additional plant sales, animal exhibits, and vendors galore, the botanical garden looks to provide everyone with the experience to be one with nature.

    Be sure to come out May 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to enjoy the celebration of gardening. Garden member tickets are $10, non members are $15, kids under the age of 11 get in free.

  • 16 “Jelly’s Last Jam” is a musical which premiered in 1992 and was written and directed by George C. Wolfe. It is a tribute to the life and career of one of the pioneers of jazz music in the early 20th century — jazz pianist Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, known as Jelly Roll Morton. It will be showing at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre from May 4 to 28. The show is rated PG-13.

    The musical features a talented cast, and this production will shine a light on the gripping and remarkable story of an artist while also honoring Jelly Roll Morton’s connection to his roots and jazz music, all brought to the CFRT stage.

    Up & Coming Weekly was able to talk with Director and Choreographer Brian Harlan Brooks and the lead actor André Jordan. It was a fascinating conversation that shed light on the behind-the-scenes process of bringing this show to life.

    Brooks started as a dancer and believed in telling stories and expressing feelings and emotions through dance, which made it a natural transition for him to start telling stories through directing.

    He is also a trained actor and stated, “They are different skill sets, they have intersecting abilities, but they are different skill sets. So, being trained as an actor and performing as an actor and being trained as a dancer allowed me to meet the middle of directing and choreography.”

    Lead actor André Jordan provided insight into playing a historical figure. “It has been a challenge, but it has been a very exciting challenge.” Jelly Roll Morton is the first African American figure he has the honor of portraying.

    When addressing the process of preparing for a legendary musical and how much they draw from the original show, Brooks said he didn’t want to see how the musical was done before.

    “As a director, sometimes you want to be really in your imagination.”

    However, he did listen to the soundtrack.

    “I feel inspired to read it and... look at the documentary and look at the intentions of the writers and the composers and then come up with my own ideas for the staging and choreography. This show originally was a tap show and I’m not using tap at all. So in order to do that, I really want to allow my imagination to run wild with it as opposed to having images of what somebody else created in my head.”

    When asked if they could, for one day, play a different role from “Jelly’s Last Jam,” what would it be, Jordan said he would want a chance to sing Miss Mamie’s part in “Michigan Water Number.”

    Brook's choice was the Chimney Man role because it’s similar to his role as a director. Brooks also noted that he liked how well-written the role of Anita is because it does not stick to the stereotypical way strength is shown in a Black woman but as a clear, strong woman. Further, he could not pick just one, but Chimney Man is close to his current role as the director.

    The discussion moved to the cultural significance of “Jelly’s Last Jam” and the topic of
    how the musical discusses Blackness and how it can not be defined as just one thing.

    “Part of the pain Jelly goes through is that he finds himself stuck between a Creole identity, a Black identity, and not being white. And Creole in Jelly Roll Morton’s life was about its proximity and closeness to being white and being above whiteness,” said Brooks.

    What they hope people take away from this show is something to help in their own lives.

    “My hope is that people will come to this show and leave with something that will make their lives and themselves better,” said Jordan.

    “I believe when you go through someone’s individual life, it also becomes universal because all of us can identify with some parts of rejection, some parts of not really feeling like you belong in certain places, and trying to find where you belong, and I think we all can identify with that... Hopefully makes the world a better a place one individual at a time,” said Brooks.

    Their passion and excitement about this musical are inspiring and gives an appreciation for the art of musical theatre.

    “Jelly’s Last Jam” is a musical experience you won’t want to miss. Performances run from May 4 to- 28, but grab your tickets soon because some performances are already sold out.

    Tickets range from $19 to $37. Wednesday, May 10, is Military Appreciation Night (active duty, veterans and their families get 25% off the ticket price), and Friday, May 12, is Teacher Appreciation Night (teachers and their families get 25% off the ticket price).

    For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.cfrt.org/.

  • 11bCapt. Daniel Gordon is no stranger to difficult tasks. As an armor officer with the 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade on Fort Bragg, Gordon has worked hard to succeed in his military career. He is using that focus and drive to compete in the Spartan Death Race in Pittsfield, Vermont.

    The race, held June 30 through July 3, is an extreme test of the participants’ endurance, and Gordon is looking forward to it.

    “I always kind of like to do things that push me out of my comfort zone,” Gordon said.

    From running marathons and ultra marathons to participating in Spartan Races, Gordon has been preparing for the Spartan Death Race since September, and says he is looking forward to the grueling, four day event.

    “I have done a lot of the regular Spartan races. I had done all the way up to the longest one they have, so this seemed like the next logical progression from that. It is something varied, something new, something I wasn’t sure I was able to do, so it was kind of that next challenge for me,” said Gordon.

    The Spartan Death Race, held in a farm in Vermont, is considered to be one of the most difficult races in the world. Participants are subjected to several days worth of challenges before the actual race begins. Those who don’t make the timed events or who can’t complete the tasks are pulled from the event.

    Gordon says the days of challenges leading up to the actual race were created to mentally and physically wear the participants out. Last year, they spent the first day carrying concrete bags weighing around 70 pounds up and down a mountain and building a rock wall. This was when the organizers made the first cut, Gordon said.

    Instead of being able to relax after the strenuous day, the competitors hiked all through the night before they came to their next day’s challenges, which seemed to be centered around memorization skills. The race began not long after these challenges.

    Sleep deprivation, hunger and body fatigue plague every participant, and according to the Spartan website, only 20% of those who enter the race actually finish.

    This will be the second year that Gordon will be doing the extreme event. Last year, he came within four hours of finishing the race.11a

    “The sun was coming up on the third day, and I knew they were going to call the race in the couple of hours, but I didn’t complete one of the challenges in time,” said Gordon. “I got cut with about four hours remaining. I was so frustrated because I got super close.”

    This year, he is hoping for redemption.

    “I’m looking forward to correcting the mistakes of last year. I don’t want to come up short. I trained really hard and put a lot of effort into it, just to come so close to finishing,” Gordon said. “It really put a sour taste in my mouth. I don’t like failing at anything. People in sports say they have unfinished business, it was kind of like I had to come back for redemption I guess.”

    Gordon set the goal of finishing the race a few years ago, and has been working toward that goal ever since. Last year, he trained for four months leading up to the event. This year, he gave himself nine months to train. Balancing military life with training has been difficult, he said, but he tries to make time every day to work out. If he doesn’t get a run in before work, he’ll run after, going as far as eight to ten miles. On weekends, when he has more spare time, he’s able to do longer runs along with weight training.

    But Gordon doesn’t seem to mind. He says the military has helped prepare him for these events.

    “There are times when you are out in the field when you have to run on low sleep, not a lot of food. When we are in these races where people get super agitated or people have to operate without sleep, the military prepares you for that,” he said.

    He said he finds a similar camaraderie with his fellow racers as he does with his military friends.

    “I met some really cool people last year,” he said. “While you’re doing it, it isn’t enjoyable. But kind of like the military there’s a camaraderie with the people you do it with.

    “It is a race, but especially in those first couple of days you are kind of helping each other out. It’s the same in the military, you build friendships through going through hard things. That’s what I’m looking forward to: the feeling of going through a hard thing with some cool people who are like-minded.”

    Gordon finds the mental aspects of the race to be the most challenging to conquer.

    “You just never know when it’s going to end. It could end at hour 69 or hour 72,” he said. “When you go above the 24 hour mark with very limited sleep, you just want to give up. You ask why are you doing this. Those questions creep in your head. You gotta just come back to center, come back to being in the moment.”

  • 10Fayetteville has a thriving poetry community, and what better way to show that off than with a poetry slam team. The team is a group of poets who compete in poetry slam competitions. These competitions involve poets performing their original work in front of a live audience and a panel of judges who score the performances.

    The Detour Slam Team has been making waves in the community with their powerful performances. Their unique style and passionate delivery have earned them a loyal following. Now Fayetteville's own poetry slam team will be competing at the Southern Fried Poetry Competition June 7-10 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

    The Detour Slam Team was founded in 2019 by LeJuane “El’Ja” Bowens. That year, the team was ranked in 11th place in the Southern Fried Poetry Festival. It was supposed to be a one-time thing since the competition was taking place in Fayetteville, but Bowens said that the reception was so big, they decided to continue.

    In 2021, the competition went international since it was virtual. The Detour Slam Team ranked in 10th place. There are five local poets who will be competing this year. The team consists of Keith Sowell, Amanda Bullard, Nick Courmon, Shenika Whitfield and Letitia Brown.

    This is the first year Sowell has been part of the slam team. He said that despite being born and raised in Fayetteville, he only heard about the poetry scene in that last year. He told Up & Coming Weekly that once he started to integrate into the community, he had to try out for the team and he got in.

    “Being a poet in Fayetteville feels like being a part of a close-knit community that appreciates your creativity, passion and emotions. As an artist, you really don’t get that everywhere, so to constantly have that affirmation is a blessing,” Sowell said.

    “I started my poetic journey here at Gray’s Creek High School back in 2015 when two teachers and a class of students initiated a team. Seeing all the pockets of poetry manifest and grow in Fayetteville over the past few years is inspiring!”

    Bowens says the slam team has been invited to several community events to perform. He says it’s been rewarding to see so many people embrace the slam team.

    “It definitely is a blessing and a humble moment to see that happen not only for myself but for the team members as well,” Bowens said.

    Sowell says he is beyond excited to attend the Southern Fried Poetry Competition this year.

    “I can be a very competitive person. So when put in a space with other poets that can challenge me, I believe I’ll be at my best as a performer and storyteller. That is only heightened when I get with a team of people who also take the craft seriously, like my teammates!”

    The team is selling a small collection of their poetry for $10. The poems in this collection deal with stories that will take you on a journey of direction within life; both physically and emotionally. People can buy the book at https://bit.ly/413MZc8.

    They are asking for donations to help cover the team’s hotel accommodations, rental, gas and food expenses. Their goal is $5,000. To help out, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/detourslam2023.

  • For Fayetteville, summer doesn’t arrive in June when school lets out and people head to the beach. May offi cially kicks off the season with Fayetteville after 5. This free, public concert has been a part of the Fayetteville music scene for 15 years. Funded through R.A. Jeffrey’s Distributing Company/Bud Light the event is operated by the Dogwood Festival Committee, and they have made sure that it is a great time for family members of all ages to join in and listen to bands and participate in other activities such as corn hole barrels. 05-08-13-fay-after-5.gif

    This summer season is expected to be newer and “beefi er” than ever, as Carrie King, executive director of Dogwood Festival, put it. The event that was originally held on every third Thursday is now every third Friday, and will run through May, June and July only. Both King and Jeff Fox, the manager for R.A. Jeffrey’s, agree that the change in weekday will allow for more attendance. The goal is to be fl exible and accommodate work hours — and hopefully the weather won’t be as hot.

    R.A. Jeffrey’s put together a fun raffle with Bud Light. The lucky people that won beach towels during the Dogwood Festival can come to Fayetteville After 5, show their towel and get one free beer. They then are eligible to register to win free beer for a year. Names will be drawn for the winner on the last concert in July. Bud Light will also give away free prizes at each event to the audience present before 6:30 p.m.

    New genres of music are in the line up this season, too. King stated, “ I felt, and all of us in the planning process agreed, that there needed to be a change, a sprucing up to freshen up our venue and to try to have a different feel.”

    Audiences can now expect to hear 80s tunes, rock n’ roll as well as country music. May 17 is the first concert of 2013 and features On the Border, a band that, as King said, “is an awesome, awesome, awesome, Eagles tribute band.”05-08-13-fay-after-5-2.gif

    On the same night, the returning favorite Suicide Blonde takes the stage. In June 21, Fayetteville should grab their cowboy hats for James Otto as he sings country songs.

    July 19 will wrap up the season with tribute bands and people can sing “I’m back in black!” and other favorite oldies. Three bands will be playing, In the Name of Love, a tribute to U2, High Voltage, a tribute to AC/DC and Mostley Crue, a tribute to Motley Crue. (Warning: this may cause adults to travel back in time for the whole night and pretend they are a teenager again, causing them to scare their kids).

    The music and food always create a relaxing atmosphere. King said her favorite part of putting this together includes seeing the first concert because it does kick-off summer and it serves as a “feel-good event” for her.

    Fox added, “I love seeing a lot of people and this is also a good networking opportunity where I can meet people from different businesses and talk with them one on one.”

    Fox also envisions Fayetteville after 5 becoming a concert tradition with a huge turn out like in North Hills Raleigh, another event R.A. Jeffrey sponsored. When first starting it, Fox said, “I wanted to have an event that would bring the community for free and also be enjoyable.” He reaffi rms this goal and wants it to continue while picturing the future.

    Fayetteville after 5 is the one summer event you don’t want to miss. Come on down to Festival Park, lie on the grass and, as the Eagles say, “take it easy.” Gates open at, you guessed it, 5-ish p.m. at Festival Park. Find out more at www.faydogwoodfestival.com.

    Photo: This season’s premier Fayetteville After 5 concert features Eagles tribute band, On The Border and 80s band Suicide Blonde.

     

  • 11 NeverlandAlpha & Omega Dance Academy is bringing Peter Pan, Captain Hook and the Lost Boys to the Sandhills with its spring recital, “Neverland.” The AODA team welcomes the community to enjoy this unique, dance driven presentation of Peter Pan’s story Saturday, June 9, at Fayetteville State University’s J.W. Seabrook Auditorium.

    A scaled-down children’s recital, featuring dancers ages 3-6, begins at 10:30 a.m. “Neverland,” the larger production showcasing students ages 7 and older, begins at 3 p.m.

    “Instead of holding a typical dance recital, our artistic staff and dancers work hard to provide a theatrical and thematic production, complete with a cast of main characters, narration, acting, costumes and creative sets and props,” said AODA owner and instructor Rachel Choi.

    AODA offers classes ranging from pointe to hip hop, and each of those classes will tell a part of the story – from ballerinas flying to Neverland to tap-dancing crocodiles to musical theatre performing the iconic song “Ugg-A-Wugg.”

    “Whether you’re attending our (production) to support your friends or decide (if) our studio is right for you, we’re excited to give you a sneak peek into our world of dance,” said Sarah Pages, artistic and production director and dance instructor.

    Choi said, “I hope this will be an entertaining show, but even more so, I hope ‘Neverland’ will serve to inspire everyone, young and old, to never forget the beauty and power of imagination, hope, belief and friendship – and perhaps a little bit of pixie dust.”

    AODA is a Christian studio and one of the only local non-competitive dance studios. Its ratings on popular platforms like Facebook boast 5 stars. Past AODA productions include “A Puppet to a Boy” (“Pinocchio,” 2012), “Oz” (“The Wizard of Oz,” 2013), “Narnia” (“The Chronicles of Narnia,” 2014), “Alice” (“Alice In Wonderland,” 2015), “Adventures with Mary and Bert” (“Mary Poppins,” 2016) and “Belle”( “Beauty & The Beast,” 2017).

    Tickets to “Neverland” on June 9 cost $10 and include entry to the morning children’s recital. They can be purchased in advance at AODA, 201 S. McPherson Church Rd., or at the door the day of the production at J.W. Seabrook Auditorium. AODA students and children under the age of six enter free. Seating begins 30 minutes prior to each show.

    Visit www.alphaomegadanceacademy.com or call 910-860-1405 to learn more.

  • Iron Man(Rated PG-13) 5 Stars05-22-13-movie.gif

    Iron Man 2 sort of sucked compared to Iron Man. Luckily,Iron Man 3 (130 minutes) manages to avoid the near in-evitable diminishing returns that afflicts several popular Marvel movie franchises (seriously, go watch Spiderman 3and X-Men: The Last Stand: there was a one in three chance this movie was going to be unwatchable). Director/co-writer Shane Black replaces Jon Favreau and does a heckuva job channeling his 80s action cre-dentials into the superhero format. In fact, if you’re ever looking for an undiscovered movie to watch on Saturday night, go rent his directorial debut (starring Robert Downey, Jr.) Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

    Black manages to get Downey, Jr. to enunciate his lines, provides Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) with a brief, shining moment of feminist agency, and throws in a plot twist that even die-hard Marvel fans (such as myself) did not see coming.

    The film begins in the middle of some serious explosions with a Tony Stark (Downey, Jr.) voice-over. For those of you interested in movie trivia, this is al-most the exact same way Shane Black began Kiss Kiss Bang Bang — in the middle of the action with Downey, Jr. interrupting his own voice-over to take the audience back to an even earlier point in the story. Narratively speaking I like the device because it lets us know that however innocently the story begins it is leading to something explosively big.

    In this case, we are taken all the way back to 1999, while Stark reminisces about some of his playboy behavior. He hooked up, humiliated a passerby, solved a science problem, and took off free and clear all in a single night. One of the really cool things about Downey Jr.’s approach to this character is the way he manages to convey the brilliance/arrogance of the character in little scenes like this one. Stark is a bit of a bully only because he is completely impatient with those who aren’t as smart/obsessive as he is (almost everybody). He is not purposely cruel, but he is unthinkingly cruel because it generally does not occur to him that other people are real and are affected by his actions.

    So, when he sends Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) to wait on a cold roof for a meeting that will never happen, or when he treats Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall) as a one-night stand he is behaving per-fectly in character, not realizing (or not caring) that his actions have long term consequences for other people. Since he routinely treats other people as insignifi-cant bystanders to his starring role there are bound to be at least one or two people feeling alienated by him that also have as-pirations towards super villainy.

    Anyway, Stark continues to tell his story. Post-Avengers, Iron Man is feeling a bit of anxiety. He isn’t sleeping and his insistence on recovering from his alien invasion induced PTSD by tinkering with model after model of the Iron Man suit is driving a wedge between him and his number one babe, Pepper.

    When Stark Industries security chief Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) is badly injured during what appears to be a ter-rorist attack at Mann’s Chinese Theater, Stark rashly issues a direct challenge to the mysterious Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley). Of course, when you dare a super villain to come and get you they generally try to wipe you off the face of the Earth, so it sur-prises no one when the Mandarin’s forces blow up Stark’s mansion. This leads to the second half of the film, during which Iron Man is stuck without a reliable suit, forced to rely on a malfunctioning prototype and a precocious kid (Ty Simpkins) who I re-ally could have done without.

    All things considered kudos to Shane Black for getting Iron Man out of his Iron Man suit for most of the film. This is a su-perhero movie, but it is also a movie about a superhero’s psychological vulnerability.

    Now showing at Wynnsong 7, Carmike 12 and Carmike Market Fair 15.

  • 10 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOFPlaywright Tennessee Williams wrote often about the human condition. Cruelty, suffering and yearning for love in alonely world consumed his writing. “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” which he wrote in 1955, is no different. The Southern classic fits perfectly as the last show of the Gilbert Theater’s 2017-18 season, punctuating a theatrical journey of wild, caged hearts. Performances of the show run June 1-10.

    “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” tells the tale of a husband and wife, Brick and Maggie, who are at odds both physically and emotionally. They don’t sleep together. Brick, a copious drinker, is still in shambles over the suicide of his best friend. Maggie is concerned with whether or not Brick’s siblings will inherit Big Daddy’s fortune. Meanwhile, everyone except Big Daddy seems to know he is dying of cancer.

    Knee-deep in the sludge of greed, familial discord and lies, the whole clan gathers to pretend and to smile and to “celebrate” Big Daddy’s birthday. Yet as often happens with family, past slights explode to the surface.

    In Williams’ original play, he critiques the homophobia and sexism rampant particularly in the South. But these critiques don’t quite make it into the 1958 MGM film version, starring Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor. The film was produced in the height of the Hays Code era, when sexual repression on film was the standard.

    According to director James Dean, the Gilbert Theater adapted Williams’ 1974 version of the play, which contains more overt portrayals of the original undertones.

    “(Williams’) plays are usually about how difficult communication is between people,” said Dean. “This one is really about this one rich family and their lack of communication in that core, the dysfunction of this family.”

    One of Williams’ earlier plays is subtitled “A Prayer for the Wild of Heart That are Kept in Cages.” It is also a good working summary of the Gilbert Theater’s season.

    The season opener, “Evil Dead: The Musical,” is a playful reflection of the wild being caged in a dead zombie body. A cage is a cage.

    The Gilbert’s follow-up was the classic story of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” George Bailey so embodies the idea of a caged free spirit. He wanted to build things. Go places. Be somebody. But he become strapped in his small town, destined to take over his father’s banking business and live a life of quiet desperation. The ending sees George accepting and becoming almost grateful for his cage.

    To paraphrase the candid Williams: you either accept it, kill yourself or stop looking in mirrors.

    By adapting David Ives’ play “Venus in Fur,” the Gilbert continued the theme of a trapped wildness aching to be free. Thomas wants to put Vanda in a certain kind of box: submissive to the director’s ideas and ego, demure, not headstrong. Still, Vanda is the one to turn the tables and put Thomas in that very box designed for her.

    “Antigone,” on the other hand, shows the wild heart of an activist, a revolutionary, trapped in the cage of simply being born in the wrong time.

    With “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” one hopes the Gilbert captures the desperation of Williams’ characters to connect beyond the steel cage of our individual selves. If so, it will be the cherry a top a well-crafted season.

    “Every single person can relate to the things going on in this play,” said Dean. “We all have problems within our family units. You might love them and at the same time you just can’t believe they’re saying or doing the things that they do.”

    To support the Gilbert and its 25th anniversary season next year, the theater is hosting a fundraiser featuring classical chamber music June 10. Tickets are $30 per person. For more information, visit www.gilberttheater.com.

  • 05-29-13-spring-lake-public-safety.gifDuring North Carolina summers, barbeques and cook-offs are a tradition. They bring the community together over great food and the beautiful outdoors. It is in this bonding of the people that ideas are shared and the community can grow. One particular area that every community can grow in is their public safety, and The Spring Lake Public Safety Foundation is planning to hold an open house and barbeque cook off for just that purpose.

    One of the most important functions of this open house event is to let the community see and interact with the Spring Lake Police and Fire departments. It sends out a message of accessibility and availability to the community.

    “It is an open house and the Spring Lake Police Department and Fire Department will have their trucks out there and do safety demos on summer safety and stranger danger, etc. We want to say that we are here and we are at your service,” said Kristy Sykes, an event committee member.

    At the Open House and Barbeque Cook-Off, there will be live entertainment, food, vendors and even prizes.

    “Tickets for the raffle are $50 and the grand prize is $2,000. The reverse raffl e is when the last ticket holder standing is the winner, instead of the first ticket drawn. The last four people standing have the option to split the award or go for all or nothing. The proceeds for the event go to the Public Safety Foundation to help purchase new safety equipment for the police department and the fire department,” Sykes explained. The raffle will be held inside the gym at 5 p.m.

    The committee has designed a plethora of events for attendees to enjoy.

    “The police chief is going to do demos of sawing-off car doors of crashed vehicles. Kids can try on fi reman gear and walk around. We will have food vendors out there and the barbeque cook-off is going to feature ribs, chicken and pork,” said Sykes. “There will be a contest for the best barbeque, but there will be other food vendors out there as well. There will also be arts and crafts. Noah’s Art, which is a new business in Spring Lake, will be present. This is an art studio for kids that focuses on classes for kids and “mommy and me” outings, and Saturday classes. There will also be bouncy houses, and starting at 11 a.m., the local D.J. Ryan from WCCG 104.5 FM will be performing.”

    Not only will this event offer an exciting and fun day for all that attend, it benefi ts the community in many ways. First, it creates a bond between the community and the people who protect it. Second, it funds the police and fire departments by providing them with the equipment they need, and finally, it fosters the growth of the entire Spring Lake Community.

    Sykes added, “It is a big deal for Spring Lake in trying to bring together the community. Spring Lake is growing rapidly and the town, Chamber and Foundation are working together to provide more free community events.”

    The Open House and Barbeque Cook-Off is June 1 from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. at the Spring Lake Community Center Complex. This building is located at 245 Ruth St., Spring Lake. For more information, call 497-8821 or visit the Spring Lake Community website at www.spring-lake.org/calendar.html. More details can also be found on the Spring Lake Public Safety Foundation Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SpringLakePublicSafetyFoundation

  • 15BiltmoreHere is a newspaper headline from last week: “A ‘palace’ in NC: One of the state’s largest homes is for sale.”

    Must be the Biltmore House in Asheville, I thought. Then I kept reading. No, the 16,000-square-foot home in the headlines is in Rougemont, a high-end Durham suburb. You can buy it for $6.95 million.

    But if you owned it, you would not come close to having one of the largest houses. Just for comparison’s sake, the White House has 50,000 square feet. President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago has 62,500. Whitehall, the Palm Beach house Henry Flagler built for his North Carolina bride, Mary Lily Kenan, is 60,000.

    Another large North Carolina-connected house, Duke Farms, built in New Jersey by James B. Duke, had 58,000, until it was taken down in 2016.

    But if you are still thinking Asheville’s Biltmore House, you have the right idea. With a reported area of 175,000 square feet, it is by far the largest privately owned house in the United States.

    It is also one of the country’s most visited attractions.The mansion with 250 rooms is packed full of art, antiques, architecture, books, collections of vintage clothing and other accessories representative of the Gilded Age. The house is part of an 8,000-acre compound containing expansive gardens and landscapes, the first managed forest in the country, a deer park, miles of level paths and walking trails, a section of the French Broad River and a winery that enjoys a growing reputation.

    On a typical day, thousands of visitors pay up to $75 for a one-time visit to the attractions. If it sounds expensive, it is really a bargain compared to a trip to France to see something comparable.

    How did this world-class attraction come to be in North Carolina?

    In her latest book, “The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss and American Royalty in the Nation’s Largest Home,” Denise Kiernan tells the story of how and why the Biltmore House was built and how its gradual transformation to a high-class tourist attraction made its survival possible.

    In 1888, George Washington Vanderbilt, a young wealthy bachelor, and his mother came to Asheville to take advantage of the healthy mountain air. On horseback rides around the surrounding mountains and forest, George was enthralled. Through agents, he began the secret and systematic purchase of thousands and the tens of thousands of forest and farm lands. Ultimately, more than 100,000 of these acres became the nucleus of the Pisgah National Forrest.

    George also decided to build a home for himself and his mom. The idea began modestly, but after a trip to the Loire Valley in France with the famed architect Richard Morris Hunt, plans expanded. The designer of Central Park, Frederick Law Olmsted, was brought on to design the landscape, and Gifford Pinchot agreed to plan for the massive forests.

    The house opened in 1895. Kiernan told merecently that it might have been simply a 275-room “man-cave” for the then aging George. In 1898 he married Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, and in 1900 their daughter, Cornelia, was born at Biltmore.

    In Kiernan’s opinion, Edith is the great hero of the Biltmore story. When George died in 1914, financial challenges had surrounded the Biltmore operation. Edith took the lead. She secured and followed expert advice that required painful cutbacks and sales of beloved projects. Later, she arranged for the sale of most of the forest properties.

    In 1924, Cornelia married British diplomat John Cecil. Although their marriage did not last, their sons, William and George, and their families took charge of the aging castle. They developed a sustainable and profitable business model that assures our state will have our country’s largest privately owned house for many years to come.

  • 12FYSOThe Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra presents the Fayetteville Symphony Youth Orchestra’s Spring Concert Sunday, May 20, at 4 p.m. at Fayetteville Academy.

    “The purpose of this group is to give kids another opportunity to play; they are not incompetition with anybody,” said Dr. Larry Wells, music director of the FSYO. “This concert will feature all three of our ensembles: a concert band, a string ensemble and the full orchestra.”

    Wells added that one of the things he loves about this group is they don’t do many arrangements and they do the real versions of the compositions.

    “Some of the pieces are quite difficult and the students are learning how to manage professional music situations, so it is not watered down,” said Wells. “The full orchestra is doing the real version of John William’s movie music to ‘Jurassic Park,’ which is fantastic.” Wells added all of the groups are playing tough pieces, and it should be a great concert.

    The FSYO is now accepting applications for the 2018-19 school year. Registration deadline is Friday, Aug. 31. The orchestra is for students ages 13-21 in public, private or home-school, who have experience playing the violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, French horn, trumpet, trombone, euphonium, tuba orpercussion.

    An advanced summer music camp will take place June 25-29 from 9 a.m.– 2 p.m.at Fayetteville Academy. It is suited for advanced players. In addition to the age requirement, the student must be able to play a two-octave chromatic scale and know at least five of the 12 major scales on their instrument and/or the student must have been participating in the FSYO for at least one year. The registration deadline is June 8.

    “We don’t turn anybody away and we will find a home for you,” said Wells. “We invite everyone to come out to the concert and see what the students have learned.”

    The concert is free and open to the public. For more information about your child’s opportunity to be a part of the FSYO, call 910-433-4690 or visit the website at www.fayettevillesymphony.org

  • 10Public Works Call Home Hero copyOn May 25, Cool Spring Downtown District will host 4th Friday, Fayetteville’s monthly exhibitionof art and culture, in conjunction with E. E. Smith High School. This month’s theme is high school reunion.“

    A joyful time, to be sure,” said Janet Gibson of 4th Friday, director of marketing and communications of the Arts Council of Fayetteville and Cumberland County. “Unique stores and restaurants are a buzz with activity. The streets are often filled with music and dance. Art is everywhere to be found.”

    One of the highlights of the event will be the opening of the annual art exhibition called “Public Works,” sponsored by Fayetteville PublicWorks Commission. This will be the thirteenth annual exhibition.

    “For the people and by the people, anyone can enter,” Gibson said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re three or 93, you can enter. If you’re into painting or photography, you can enter.” The only rule for submission is that you must live in Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson or Scotland County, Fort Bragg or Pope Army Air Field.

    This time-honored exhibit is something the community looks forward to every year and is a celebration of the many talented artists in the area.The art will be displayed within the art center gallery. “It will look like almost every square inch of the gallery will be filled with art,” Gibson said. There will be a people’s choice winner, which will be voted for online.

    The Arts Council is one of many places to visit during 4th Friday.

    There will also be a show of songs and stories from the ’50s to the ’80s at Headquarters Library, presented by The Parsons folk group from 7 to 9 p.m.

    A third highlight of the event will include arts and crafts with Fascinate-U Children’s Museum, where children can create spoon maracas out of recycled plastic eggs and explore the museum. Fascinate-U Children’s Museum will have free entry for the event.

    Additional exhibits include several art and history installations, such as displays at the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum and the Cape Fear Studios Members’ Anniversary Exhibit.

    Gibson described 4th Friday as a celebration of the community. “You can feel the energy; it’s a great time to celebrate the arts, visual and performing, and it’s really heating up with spring and summer,” she said. “People get off work on Friday, they come down, they bring their families, and it’s a joyful celebration of everything we have down here.”

    Visit www.visitdowntownfayetteville.com/visit/4thfriday or www.theartscouncil.com/thingsto-do/fourth-fridays or search for Fourth Friday Fayetteville on Facebook for more information.

  • 08CrownsCape Fear Regional Theatre will wrap up the season with “Crowns,” a gospel musical, May17–June 3. The show, written by Regina Taylor, is adapted from the book “Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats” by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry.

    The book is a collection of photographs and oral histories of African-American women in their Sunday best, which includes elaborate head gear, a cherished custom prevalent in the South among many religious denominations.

    The musical weaves many of those stories into characters who offer support and encouragement to each other, said CFRT artistic director Mary Kate Burke. “It’s really a collection of stories about acommunity,” she explained.

    Yolanda, an African-American, struggles with grief after the death of her brother. She goes down South to live with Mother Shaw, her grandmother. Mother Shaw introduces Yolanda to her circle of “hat queens.”

    The “hat queens” embrace the younger woman and take her under their wings, said Cassandra Williams, who plays Mother Shaw. Each hat they wear has a story of a wedding, a funeral, a baptism. The women share stories of how they’ve managed life’s struggles. As a community, they help Yolanda deal with the loss of her brother and find her own identity.

    “It shows African-American culture, but any group of women can identify with the story,” Williams said. “The whole play is cathartic.”

    “And it’s funny,” said Burke, adding that these characters deliver a good bit of “hattitude.”

    “There is a different hat for every occasion,” Williams said, “and you are introduced to different characters vis-à-vis the different hats they wear.”

    Williams explained that “hat queens” are those women who can wear any kind of hat. “A regality comes with it and you feel like a queen – you know that you look good.”

    With that regality and confidence comes a broader message, said La’Tonya Wiley, who plays Mabel in the show.

    “We call them her crowns,” Wiley said. “It celebrates the power of a woman; it celebrates womanhood and femininity.” She added that the show allows men to see the complexity of women – just as there are layers and many parts to a hat, there are layers to women.

    The show will appeal to men as well as women, said Burke. “It is a celebration of womanhood, but not at the cost of men,” she said. “It has such a generous spirit.”

    “Crowns” is directed by Donna Bradby (“The Wiz”). The songs are traditional gospel, with some blues and jazz. Featured songs include “Ain’t That Good News,” “Marching to Zion,” “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” and “Wade in the Water.”

    Joining Williams and Wiley in the cast are Ariel Blake as Yolanda, Sha’air Hawkins, Janeta Jackson, Chasity McIntosh and Walter Johnson.

    Tickets for “Crowns” range from $17-$32, with discounts and group sales available. Special events for the musical’s run include Preview Nights May 17 and 18; Opening Night Celebration with the cast and creative team May 19; and Military Appreciation Night May 23.

    There will be a Tea and Chat with milliner Barbara Wood on May 20 at 5 p.m. with a hands-on demonstration of making a pillbox hat. The catered event is free but seating is limited, so register by contacting the box office at 910-323-4233 or janisl@cfrt.org. This event is sponsored by the Fayetteville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

    For more information about the show or special events, contact the box office at 910-323-4233 or visit www.cfrt.org.

  • 11F2TMovies can transport us to any place or time or culture. They engage the entire spectrum ofhuman emotions. We can laugh over life’s little failures or die a thousand deaths of heartbreak through the characters that flit across the screen. But really, we love movies because we love the shared experience.

    “Frame to Table” aims to celebrate the shared experience of film culture on Friday, May 4, at 7 p.m. at SkyView on Hay. It is a fundraiser with a unique twist that will benefit the third annual Indigo Moon Film Festival.

    With food and wines reminiscent of legendary movies, attendees can enjoy a “culinary trip around the world.”

    Pat Wright and Jan Johnson are the co-directors of the nonprofit putting on the fundraiser, as well as the organizers of the film festival. Both agreed the inspiration for this distinctive fundraiser stems from the desire to celebrate a love of movies.

    “There are certain films that are in our childhood that we love and mark moments in our lives where the family will all be gathered around the television or they all go out to a drive-in,” said Wright. “Film is very important cultural art, and we want people to remember how important film is to them and their personal history.”

    Though the films and local caterers have yet to be chosen for the event, the organizers promise attendees will not be disappointed.

    “It’s for movie lovers,” said Johnson. “We love decorating the tables to reflect the different ethnic areas like Italian or Vietnamese or Thai or African. There are films associated with all of those countries, so we just think it’s fun. People really enjoyed it last year.

    ”You can expect movies like “The King and I” for China or “Good Morning, Vietnam!” for, of course, Vietnam. Clips from the movies will play at each table chosen to represent a different country and its cuisines.

    According to Wright and Johnson, the fundraiser works as a way to “ignite excitement” about the upcoming Indigo Moon Film Festival. Seeing familiar movies from the past reminds festival-goers of the brand new international films to be screened in a few months.

    Last year, hundreds of people gathered to watch films submitted from all over the world. According to Wright, films have already been submitted from as far away as Afghanistan, Iraq and China this year.

    The fundraiser is vital to the film festival because it provides necessary funding to bring the filmmakers to Fayetteville.

    “Filmmaking is a difficult life and you often do a lot of work for not much money and very little in the way of screenings or recognition,” said Wright. “We want to do everything we can to encourage the directors to come and to be apart of the festival screening.”

    In fact, last year, the Indigo Moon Film Festival was the North Carolina premiere site for the acclaimed documentary “Hondros,” featuring Chris Hondros and directed by Greg Campbell. Both were Fayetteville natives and Terry Sanford High School graduates. According to Variety, the film has gone on to be purchased by Netflix.

    “We hope they have a great time (at the fundraiser), learn a little about how to attend a film festival and bring films up in their minds and remind them how much they love film,” said Wright.

    Indigo Moon will accept film submissions until July 30. Categories include feature-length and short narrative and documentary films, animation and student films.

    “Frame to Table” will take place at SkyView Lounge on Hay Street. Tickets are $50 per person. Visit www.indigomoonfilmfestival.com/f2t/tolearn more and to reserve your seats.

  • 08Natural Embrace photoThe city of Fayetteville, through the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, currently has several sculptures on display in various locations downtown.The complete exhibit is titled “Work in Progress.” The public art exhibit began two years ago with 11 sculptures. Because the sculptures are leased for 11 months, the current exhibit is the second rendition and is properly titled “Work in Progress 2.” There are now 17 sculptures on display. Private donors matched with Arts Council funding helps make them available to the Fayetteville community.The Arts Council is aiming to make one of them permanent.

    The sculptures are distributed strategically to encourage visitors and residents alike to explore the downtown district. City leaders across the state have been inquiring into Fayetteville’s “Work in Progress” Art Exhibit to learn how they could also implement such an exhibit in their cities. Various groups, including one home school group of 50 students, have requested tours to view the sculptures and learn about the artists and meaning behind the art. The city’s new mobile app offers self-guided tours using an interactive map that shows where to find the sculptures. It’s available for both Android and iPhone and is free.

    One sculpture in the exhibit has captured the hearts of many in the community. The public artwork is called “Natural Embrace” by sculptor Paul Hill. It is located at Person Street Plaza across from the Cumberland County Courthouse. The sculpture, made of metal, depicts a spiraling Venus fly trap. In a community wide survey, “Natural Embrace” was voted the favorite out of the 15 works of public art that were installed over the course of the year. There is currently a drive to raise funds to purchase it and make it permanent so it can be enjoyed for generations to come.

    The price for Fayetteville to purchase the sculpture is $40,000. The Arts Council’s goal is to raise $20,000 through fundraising efforts, and then it will contribute up to $20,000 in matching funds. Donations have ranged from $1 from a young child to over $2,000 from a resident committed to the arts. So far, $17,752 has been raised. Janet Gibson, director of marketing and communications for the Arts Council, has no doubt the Arts Council will meet the goal by the deadline. “Thanks to the generosity of community donations, I am confident ‘Natural Embrace’ will be a permanent fixture in downtown Fayetteville,” she said.

    If purchased, “Natural Embrace” will be the third permanent sculpture placed by the Arts Council in downtown Fayetteville. The sculptures “Tree of Good and Evil” and “Dancer” were both donations. Eric Lindstrom and Kennon Jackson donated the former and Dr. and Mrs. Patrick Callahan donated the latter.

    Gibson explain that in the unlikely event that the Arts Council falls short of its goal of $20,000 to put toward purchasing “Natural Embrace,” the sculpture would move on to another city in September and donations would be returned. Donors would also be given an opportunityto repurpose their donations to the Art Council.

    Learn more about the project at www.theartscouncil.com/naturalembrace

     

    PHOTO: “Natural Embrace” is located at Person Street Plaza across from the Cumberland County Courthouse.

  • 05JaneEyre1The sun sets on a picturesque Sunday afternoon in Fayetteville. Further down the hill on Hay Street, the annual Dogwood Festival was wrapping up its final day, but in the backyard behind the 1897 Poe House at the Museum of the Cape Fear, blankets were being spread and folding chairs were being opened in anticipation of a production of Sweet Tea Shakespeare’s “Jane Eyre.”

    The play is an adaptation of the Victorian novel of the same name by Charlotte Brontë. It’s about an orphaned girl who grows up to become a governess at Thornfield Hall where she is charged with looking after Adèle, the ward of a wealthy man named Edward Rochester. The novel and the play focus on the evolution of Jane’s relationship with Rochester, which is never as simple as it might seem.

    Director Jessica Osnoe and her crew have assembled a cast worthy of bringing this show to life. Jen Pommerenke turns in a delightful performanceas Jane – the humble orphan-turned-governess. Pommerenke brings a unique and quiet charm to the role. Opposite of Pommerenke for most of the production is Richard Adlam’s Edward Rochester. Adlam’s charisma commands attention any time he is onstage.

    The rest of the ensemble is a delight as well. Sweet Tea Shakespeare employs an old theater trick called “doubling,” which allows performers to work in multiple roles. This is the case with the rest of the performers in this production, who are all a pleasure in their own right.

    Alexcia Thompson (BlancheIngram/Bertha Mason) plays an essential part in the narrative and is a commanding presence. She brings such commitment to her part as Bertha, the mysterious laughing woman hidden away in the attic of Thornfield Hall, that the audience will inevitably want more of her.

    Traycie Kuhm-Zapata (Mrs. Fairfax/Mary Rivers) confidently leans into her position as a source of comedic relief. Gage Long (St. John Rivers/LordIngram/Clergyman) captivates and Annalise Kelly (Adèle Varens/Hannah Smith) is a treat to watch as is Erin Fossa (Mary Ingram/Diana Rivers). Gabe Terry (Richard Mason/Host), who has a unique and rewarding delivery, rounds out this capable ensemble.

    According to Osnoe, “Sweet Tea Shakespeare creates a home for beautiful, wondrous storytelling, so ‘Jane Eyre,’ the story of an orphan in search of love and home, makes perfect sense for us.”

    Pommerenke agreed: “’Jane Eyre’ is a timeless story that is recognized by so many. To me, both Jane and Rochester find a home in the love and acceptance of each other. But home also comes in the form of redemption, forgiveness and family in this story.”

    Long added that working on ‘Jane Eyre’ has been a true pleasure. “I’d have to say, besides working with a passionate cast, my favorite aspect (of this production) would have to be bringing the script to light on stage. With the help of Miss Osnoe, we’re able to bring deeper insight into Brontë’s story. My deepest hope is to connect with an audience, and I get the joy of doing that at every performance.”

    It is clear that the entire cast shares in that sentiment. It is a joy to watch the company at Sweet Tea Shakespeare bring this story to life.

    “Jane Eyre” continues with shows May 3-6, starting each evening at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $8-$20. Children under five are admitted for free. For more information, or to order tickets, visit www.sweetteashakespeare.com or call 910-420-4383.

     

    PHOTO: Richard Adlam plays Edward Rochester.

  • uac050113001.gif As America’s First Military Sanctuary Community, we take our patriotism seriously. Home to Fort Bragg, one of the largest military installations in the U.S., we feel it’s important to stand behind our troops, and we embrace any opportunity to salute those who put their lives on the line to defend our freedom.

    While the rest of the country sets aside one day in May, Memorial Day, to honor fallen members of the military, Fayetteville/Cumberland County dedicates the entire month to celebrate service members, veterans and their families with the annual series of events called 31 Day Salute, now in its fifth year.

    This community-wide “salute to soldiers” reflects the collaboration of numerous Cumberland County businesses and organizations dedicated to showing their appreciation for the military through a variety of patriotic performances, ceremonies, exhibits, concerts and fairs.

    Nearly 40 local groups are participating in this year’s 31 Day Salute, from military charities to cultural and historical associations, each committed to showing what soldiers, veterans and their families mean to our proud military community.

    We encourage and welcome patriots from all over the country to visit Fayetteville/ Cumberland County in May to say thank you to those in uniform while enjoying our entertaining events.

    This year’s, 31 Day Salute features exciting new events and many returning favorites. Helping to kick things off is the Fort Bragg Fair, which runs through May 12. This annual festival features carnival rides, live music and entertainment, games, food and fun for the whole family.

    The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum will give history buffs a chance to re-live Fayetteville’s patriotic past with guided tours of the War of 1812 and Civil War exhibits at the museum and the rare opportunity to tour the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Museum and Armory, where participants will learn about the early militia system. Other stops include Liberty Point, the F.I.L.I. Parade Grounds, Cross Creek Cemetery and the N.C. Veterans Park.

    Hundreds of American flags will fly on the parade grounds of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum starting May 12, with the opening of the 2013 N.C. Field of Honor. Honoring those who currently serve, those who have served and the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation’s freedom, each flag also comes with its own story and displays a large yellow ribbon identifying the person who sponsored the flag and the flag honoree.

    Just across the street, the North Carolina Veterans Park will host an Armed Forces Day celebration, which will include a memorial service, a wreath-laying and a table ceremony featuring the Jack Britt High School JROTC color guard.

    Those looking for a true military experience can head over to Fort Bragg for the 82nd Airborne Division Living History Weekend. On May 23, the 82nd Airborne Division will hold its offi cial Memorial Service honoring the 7,000 82nd Airborne Division soldiers who lost their lives between 1918-2012. During that time, the 82nd Airborne Division Museum will also display the Living History Encampment, which covers the division’s history from 1917-1999.

    A living history program, Pearl Harbor: The Imperial Japanese Navy’s “Flawed” Victory, will be presented at the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex. The event will provide a detailed look at “lessons learned” from the attack on our Pacific Fleet on Dec. 7, 1941. Jason Wetzel, staff historian with the Office of Army Reserve History, Headquarters – United States Army Reserve, will be on hand to speak about the amazing blunders of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

    Members of the military will also receive special discounts at several local businesses throughout the month of May. Fascinate-U Children’s Museum is offering half-price admission to all military families and free admission to families of deployed soldiers and The Climbing Place will offer a special discounted rate of $10 to those with a valid military ID.

    For a full listing of events, details and participating organizations during the 31 Day Salute, please visit www.31daysalute.com. With diverse events that will appeal to all ages and interests, there is something for everyone. Fayetteville/Cumberland County invites both locals and out-of-town travelers to come out and join us as we salute soldiers, veterans and their families throughout the month of May.

  • 05-22-13-ftcc.gifOn the evening of May 10, 120 high school students reached a milestone in their educational journeys. From this group, students who chose to walk quietly took their places in line somewhere in the recesses of the Crown Coliseum. They straightened their graduation gowns and made sure that their tassels were hanging from the correct side of their mortarboard caps.

    As the processional music began, the high school students entered the fl oor of the Crown and took their seats alongside roughly 1,000 other students. Collectively, this group of graduates prepared for their commencement not from high school, but from college. This was Fayetteville Technical Community College’s graduation ceremony.

    One might be tempted to wonder how (and why) so many high school students were invited to participate in a college graduation ceremony. These young men and women were part of FTCC’s High School Connections program, which is designed to allow local students to take tuition-free college classes during their junior and/or senior years of high school. The high school students attending graduation had completed a full program of study at FTCC and were thus awarded a college certifi cate for their efforts. For a small handful of students, this was actually their second FTCC graduation; they had completed one certifi cate program as high school juniors, and then chose to tackle a second as seniors. These students should be commended for their hard work and dedication to their studies.

    Through High School Connections, FTCC invites and encourages local public, private and home-school students to take college classes tuition-free. By taking advantage of the HSC program, students can often participate in programs that they might not otherwise be able to access. Not every school in the area can offer an award-winning culinary program or fi nd the resources needed to teach automotive and machining classes. Fayetteville Tech is also on the cutting edge of technology and offers several computer-based programs, such as information technology hardware/software, computer programming, graphic design and social media. Opportunities abound to get a jump-start on a career choice in fields like green sustainable architecture, criminal justice, infant/toddler care or fire protection technology.

    Students can even choose to take college-transfer courses in order to fulfi ll some of their general education requirements for college. The list goes on and on; there truly is a program for just about everyone. Students who wish to participate in High School Connections for 2013-2014 must be rising juniors and seniors with a weighted GPA of approximately 3.0 (program requirements differ). As of May 10, there were nearly 500 students already signed up for next year, and many more will continue to enroll throughout the summer. Students and parents should visit the HSC website or “like” our Facebook page to learn more about enrollment procedures for the fall, including days and times of open registration.Please don’t miss out on your chance to earn free college credit in high school! We’ll see you and hundreds of other high school students at graduation 2014!

    For more information, visit www.faytechcc.edu/highschool_connections/default.asp

    Photo: Through High School Connections, FTCC invites and encourages local public, private and home-school students to take college classes tuition-free.

  • 05-14-14-fay-after-5.gifPresented by R.A. Jefferies, a local distributer of Budweiser products, and organized by the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, the Fayetteville After 5 concert series is a huge hit throughout the community. “This has become like a tradition for families. They come to the concert every month. We have two sisters who go to every single event and always give us feedback. It is a tradition for our community,” Carrie King, executive director of the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival explained. Every third Friday during the summer season, Festival Park is full of talented musicians performing for the community — and it is absolutely free to attend. It is a great family-friendly event that is perfect for sitting back in the grass and relaxing or dancing with friends.

    For this next season, the event will keep the changes made the previous season. The concerts are on Friday and there is a variety of music scheduled. These changes were made to the concert series in order to make it more accessible to the community. Friday evenings is often easier to go to a concert — and now there is some music for everyone. These changes have been met with great success. “We feel that the community has really embraced these changes. It was a change in format as well as a change from the type of music, beach music. Now there is something for everyone regardless of preferred genre,” said King.

    Fayetteville After 5 brings a lot to the community. It provides a free place to spend a fun evening with family and friends. It also brings talented and skilled performers into the area. According to King, even though the concert is free, it still brings business into the downtown area, which stimulates the local economy. Dinner and then a concert is the recipe for an incredible evening. There are also refreshments sold at the concert and the proceeds are used to help support the nonprofit Fayetteville Dogwood Festival organization.05-14-14-fay-after-5-2.gif

    This summer’s concert season offers several musical genres and styles. To kick off the season, the May 16 concert begins with Josh Thompson and the Erin Nenni Band. Both of these performers are country musicians. The theme for the June concert this year is Funk. The concert is on June 20 and will feature Liquid Pleasure and Big Rick and the Bombers. July 18 hosts Captain & the Keels, a BeeGee’s tribute band, and Heart Brigade, a Heart tribute band. August 15 brings the Eagles tribute band On the Border and the Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band Tuesday’s Gone.

    The gates of Festival Park open at 5 p.m. for Fayetteville After 5 events and the first acts begin between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. The concert closes at 10:30 p.m. No outside food or beverages are allowed. Bring chairs or a blanket to relax on. For more information visit www.faydogwoodfestival.com/p/Events/211 or call 323-1934. Festival Park is located at 225 Ray Ave.

    Photo: top left; Josh Thompson, bottom right; Erin Nenni.

     

  • What do you get when you cross Shakespeare, science fiction and rock-n-roll? An entertaining afternoon at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre.

    Return to the Forbidden Planet, on stage now, was written by Bob Carlton. It is loosely based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest and also on the 1950s film Forbidden Planet, which was also loosely based on The Tempest. The show, directed by CFRT Artistic Director Tom Quaintance, is a quirky mix of rhyming script and feel-good music from the ‘50s and ‘60s that has the audience bopping in their seats, and patrons leaving with a smile on their face.

    The May show is traditionally the River Show; however, flooding at the river made it impossible to hold the show there this year.05-21-14-forbidden-planet.gif

    On a recent Sunday afternoon, the theatre was, unfortunately, almost empty. But that didn’t dampen the spirit of the cast who sang and danced as if the house was full. For some of the regular attendees to Sunday matinees at the CFRT, the show was a change of pace, but from the gentlemen sitting next to me who sang every word and those in front of me who were keeping time with the music, it was a welcome one.

    The show takes some well-known rock anthems — “Great Balls of Fire,” “Born To Be Wild,” “Good Vibrations,” “Gloria” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” just to name a few — and tells the story of an adventure into the id and the heart.

    The show starts with a takeoff of a spacecraft, piloted by Captain Tempest (played by Wilmington-based actor and physicist, David Lorek) on a routine mission into the universe. On this particular mission, a new crew member comes aboard — the Science Officer (Taylor Kraft) — who challenges the captain’s chauvinistic views about women, which leads into a campy production of “It’s a05-21-14-forbidden-planet-2.gifMan’s World.”

    All is not as it seems, and when the ship is drawn to the planet D’illyria (the Forbidden Planet), the Science Officer abandons ship, leaving the crew to meet its fate. But all is not lost. The crew meets Prospero (played brilliantly by Newlin Parker), a scientist who was sent by his wife Gloria to wander outer space along with his daughter, Amanda (played enchantingly by Fayetteville’s own Halle Vargas Sullivan.)

    The twists and turns that follow make for a wild ride on Capt. Tempest’s ship and a great time for the audience.

    The music provided by Bill Joyner, Milton Smith, Danny Young and Richard Gates, is obviously what drove this ship; however, at times, the sound did not seem to balance and the music overrode the lyrics and the speeches of the cast.

    That being said, if the worst thing I can say about the play was that they were playing that rock music too loud … then rock on! This is an out-of-this-world production that you do not want to miss.

    The production runs through June 1, with shows Thursday through Saturday beginning at 7 p.m. and the traditional Sunday matinees. Tickets range in price from $18 to $25. To make reservations, visit the website at www.cfrt.org or call the box office at 323-4233.

    Photos: The Return to Forbidden Planet, directed by CFRT Artistic Director Tom Quaintance, is a quirky mix of rhyming script and feel-good music from the ‘50s and ‘60s that has the audience bopping in their seats, and patrons leaving with a smile on their face.

  • 05-28-14-spring-jam.gifThe Cape Fear Botanical Garden is far more than a beautiful piece of cultivated green space among the concert landscape. It is a sustainable garden and a center for culture and education. It all began in 1989 with a shared passion amongst a few gardeners. Since its inception at a kitchen table, the garden has grown into 79 acres with more than 2,000 varieties of ornamental plants. One way that the garden provides the community with cultural activities is through its annual Spring Concert Series.

    The concert series is composed of four concerts, each featuring a different band. June 13 features classic rock performed by the Coconut Groove Band. “People can expect to have a terrific evening. The blending of live music performances and the beauty of the garden is a wonderful experience for our members and visitors. Gates open at 6 p.m., and the entertainment begins at 7 p.m. We encourage everyone to bring a lawn chair or blanket, find a spot on the lawn, get situated, purchase food and drinks and settle in for a relaxing time — although sitting is not required. Everyone is invited to dance or take a stroll along the paths and enjoy the music as it floats through the garden,” said Meg Suraci, Cape Fear Botanical Garden marketing director.

    The Coconut Groove Band is no stranger to Fayetteville. With a musical repertoire that includes easy listening, soul, rhythm & blues, Americana, rock n’ roll, hard rock, pop, funk, blues, country, bluegrass and jazz, the band provides a fun evening of light-hearted entertainment.

    The concerts are rain or shine events. Preferably, the music is enjoyed beneath a beautiful and clear night sky, but in the case of rain, the fun continues in the Orangery. After several years of practice, the garden staff has mastered putting on a great event for the community. “This is the garden’s third year presenting the Spring Concert Series. We’ve learned by experience and have tweaked each event along the way. Our staff and volunteers have a pretty good handle on presenting a terrific event. One thing we can’t control is the weather, but we don’t worry about it,” Suraci explained.

    Tickets for the concerts cost $15 for non-members and $10 for members. Along with discounted concert tickets, garden member receive many benefits. “Cape Fear Botanical Garden offers events of incomparable ambiance with great music in a beautiful outdoor setting, as well as fun, safe and affordable evenings out for the whole family — it’s something everyone needs to experience!” Suraci said. Members support these events and have greater access. For example there is free admission for a full year, special admission prices for workshops and events, and invitations to member only events. Additionally, $5 of every membership supports the garden’s Endowment of Sustainability. Members support not only the garden, but also the garden’s future.

    The gates open at 6 p.m. and the concert begins at 7 p.m. Chair rentals are available. Food, beverages and wine are available for purchase. No outside food, beverages, coolers or pets are allowed. The garden is located at 536 N. Eastern Blvd. For more information visit www.capefearbg.org or call 486-0221.

  • uac051414001.gif On Thursday, May 22, Mayor Robertson and the Fayetteville City Council will host a reception for Miss North Carolina U.S.A., Olivia Olvera as she prepares to compete in the 63rd Miss U.S.A. Pageant on June 8 in Baton Rouge, La. A strong community advocate and selfless volunteer, Olvera hopes to continue to make a difference in whatever capacity she can.

    Olvera’s journey to winning the Miss North Carolina, U.S.A. title was unconventional to say the least. A self-described tomboy, Olvera is a South View High School graduate, an Army brat and the former Operations Manager at Bell’s Seed Store. She never considered herself the glamorous type but a $100 bet with her mom changed that. “My mom bet me $100 that if I entered a pageant at school I would win,” said Olvera. “I didn’t believe her, but I took the bet … and I won. It was fun.”

    After high school, Olvera attended Methodist University for a year before moving to South Carolina to attend the University of South Carolina. She didn’t expect to be entering any more pageants at this point. “I went to USC and some of my girlfriends were entering pageants, but I didn’t think much about it,” said Olvera. “But then I got stopped in Belk and was asked to compete for Miss South Carolina. I laughed. The person who stopped me was the (pageant) director and owner of four states. I said ‘yes’ and ended up in the top five for three out of four pageants.”

    According to her webpage, Olvera held the Miss Sun Fun 2011 title and won third-runner-up at Miss South Carolina U.S.A. 2011. The following year, she won the Miss Charleston U.S.A. 2012 title and claimed first-runner-up at Miss South Carolina U.S.A. 2012. Before moving back to North Carolina, Olvera competed one more time at the Miss South Carolina USA pageant as Miss Summerville USA and was again named third-runner-up. She was crowned Miss North Carolina USA 2014 on November 9, in High Point, N.C.

    While the pageant scene is rigorous, the hard work really begins after the winner is crowned. As Miss North Carolina U.S.A., Olvera has the freedom to make the most of her time in the position. She spends countless hours volunteering all over the state. “My agenda is not about fame or having a modeling career,” said Olvera. “My agenda is to help small businesses, promote charity organizations and events in the state and to be a voice for those with no voice.”

    Mayor Nat Robertson sees Olvera’s reign as a boon to the greater Fayetteville area and another thing for people to appreciate about the community. “I think Olivia is just one example of the many beautiful things that Fayetteville has to offer,” said Robertson. “She does a great job representing our city and she is a wonderful person, as well. This is especially good for Fayetteville to be so well represented on a national level.”

    During her reign, Olvera chose to spend a lot of her time in support of wounded warriors and children’s05-14-14-miss-nc.gif literacy. One of the causes she partners with is Helping a Hero, an organization that builds specially adapted homes for severely injured military personnel and their families. Helping a Hero adapts these homes for the specific injuries and challenges of wounded heroes. Locally, McKee Homes is building such a home for a wounded warrior. The home will be in Legacy Lakes in Aberdeen.

    As the daughter of a soldier, Olvera understands the hardships that come with military service. She knows first hand the effects of the long separations that military families endure and feels a connection to the wounded warrior cause. “My dad is retired now and recently we went on a fishing trip. I was excited to spend some time with him. He was gone a lot when I was younger and this seemed like the perfect way to reconnect,” said Olvera. “At some point he asked me to grab a drink for him and so I went to get it and I grabbed a Coke. Then my brother said, ‘No. He likes Dr. Pepper.’ That really hit home. That’s my dad and I didn’t even know what he likes to drink.”

    Olvera said her dad has been supportive of her reign as Miss North Carolina U.S.A. “Once dad said ‘do it,’ there was no way I couldn’t run,” said Olvera.

    At the pageant on June 8, if Olvera wins the crown, she will have just ten minutes to say goodbye to her friends and family and then will be whisked away to start her new life in New York. The newly crowned Miss U.S.A. will spend her time raising awareness for breast and ovarian cancer and supporting the U.S.O. and Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization that is “dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

    The Miss U.S.A. Pageant airs live on NBC at 8 p.m. The reception for Olvera is set for 3:30-5 p.m. at City Hall. The public is invited to attend. Find out more about Miss North Carolina U.S.A. at http://www.missnorthcarolinausa.com.

    Photo: Olivia Olvera, Miss North Carolina U.S.A. and Fayetteville native is set to compete in the Miss U.S.A. tournament on June 8 in Baton Rouge, LA.

  • 16 Mike Moses JrMike Moses Jr. brings a rich connection with basketball to his new job as head boys coach at South View High School.

    Moses, who comes to South View after coaching the St. Pauls High School girls last year, takes over from Wendell Wise, who stepped down earlier this year.

    Moses played high school basketball in Detroit before going to Eastern Michigan and eventually playing basketball at Fayetteville State.

    He coached for six years with Alphonza Kee at Fayetteville State, who is now head coach at Cape Fear. He worked briefly with Nike conducting basketball camps and also taught at Trinity Christian School in Fayetteville before getting back into coaching at St. Pauls last year.

    He took a team that was 3-25 the previous year and guided them to a 13-11 record.

    When the South View job opened, he was immediately interested. “I’m totally familiar with the success of South View,’’ he said of the school whose gymnasium is named for former coach Ron Miller.

    The Tiger program has slumped in recent years, and Moses thinks it needs not rebuilding but what he calls rebranding. “You bring in a new coach, you bring in new philosophies,’’ he said. “I have an energy that’s unmatched. I’m super passionate about this game.’’

    Moses said his father, Mike Moses Sr., coaches at the collegiate level and was a college player himself for St. John’s in the mid-1980s.

    “I’m going to bring it every day,’’ he said. “Your players feed off that. I’m going to set a standard and expectation, and it starts with me.’’

    Moses said he planned to hold his first meeting with the players at South View last week. He already has a plan set for off season workouts.

    He wants the team to condition on Tuesdays and Thursdays and practice on Mondays and Wednesdays during the summer.

    He also wants to get video of last year’s South View team to familiarize himself with the returning players.

    “I’m an up and down guy,’’ he said of his basketball philosophy. “I’m trying to get a shot in the first seven seconds of a possession. We want to score in transition. It requires a lot of talent to come down every possession and get a basket in a set play.’’

     

    PHOTO: Mike Moses Jr.

  • 15 Dr. Christopher DagueDr. Christopher Dague has long been on the path to be a college professor. But he’ll take many pleasant memories with him from his 13-year detour as a teacher and coach at Jack Britt High School.

    Dague, the baseball coach at Britt, will be leaving the school at the end of this year to become a professor at The Citadel in Charleston, SouthCarolina.

    He got his Ph.D from North Carolina State University in 2015 and has continued coaching baseball and teaching at Britt, along with doing some teaching for Campbell University.

    “I’ve told a lot of people, it’s bittersweet,’’ he said. “For me it’s more about the fact that this school and the people here will always mean more to me than I will ever mean to it.’’

    Dague said he can’t imagine ever teaching high school anywhere other than Britt. “It’s a place that has such incredible expectations of the faculty, students and athletics,’’ he said. “It’s special here. I can’t really describe it.’’

    He has a similar feeling for his new job at The Citadel, where he’ll teach educational psychology and curriculum instruction to both cadets and graduate students.

    “I’m going to an institution with an incredible and historic tradition,’’ Dague said. “Hopefully the information I’m going to provide to those students will impact students across South Carolina.’’

    Dague is the only baseball coach in Britt history tow in a share of a conference title. That happened last year. There is no baseball or coaching in his immediate future at The Citadel, and it’s something he will miss.

    “It’s the last connection with my father,’’ said Dague.“I lost him in 2002. I thought a lot about him over the last couple of days. It’s been such a great opportunity for me. I’m going to leave the door open.’’

    15 Steve ClabaughJack Britt named Steve Clabaugh as its new baseball coach. Clabaugh is a former coach at Seventy-First and Overhills High School and has been an assistant at Britt for three years.

    In a prepared statement, Clabaugh said, “I am honored and am very excited about my new role in the Jack Britt baseball program. I’m inheriting a program with a strong tradition of excellence, thanks to the hard work of some great coaches who have come before me.

    “I’m really looking forward to working with this great group of young men, parents, administration and community.’’

     

     

    PHOTOS: (Top to Bottom) Dr. Christopher Dague and Steve Clabaugh

  • Meetings

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

    • Board of Commissioners Monday, June 4. A public hearing on the proposed FY 2018-2019 Budget will be held. Citizens Academy Graduation will take place that evening as well. Students will be presented with a plaque displaying their certificate of completion.

    • Historic Preservation Commissioners Wednesday, June 13, 5 p.m.

    Activities

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

    • Fall sports registration June 1-July 28. $30 per child; $15 late fee after registration deadline. Season begins Sept. 8. Call 910-426-4109 for more information.

    • Pet Fest Saturday, June 2, at Hope Mills Municipal Park. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.Call 910-486-4636 for details.

    • Food truck Rodeo Thursday, June 7, 5-8 p.m. Held in the big parking lot at Town Hall.

    • Daddy/Daughter Dinner & Dance Saturday, June 9, 6 p.m. $50 per couple plus $20 for each additional ticket purchased. Call 910-426-4107 to RSVP by June 1.

    • First Annual 4th of July Pageant Friday-Saturday, June 22-23. Pageant registration deadline is June 1. For more information, call 910-426-4107.

    Promote yourself: To include your business’s event, emailhopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

  • 14 Hope Mills signsThinking about putting up a sign to advertise something in Hope Mills? Do yourself and the town a favor by checking first with Chancer McLaughlin, development and planning administrator for the town. You could save his department and yourself some headaches.

    McLaughlin and his staff oversee the good, the bad and the ugly of the signs that pop up all over Hope Mills. They recently sent out a mailer to all the businesses in town with a refresher on what is and isn’t allowed by the town’s sign ordinance.

    That ordinance takes up about 14 typed pages. Why so much reading material? McLaughlin said it’s because there’s a lot of ground to cover.

    McLaughlin said the sign ordinance stretches to14 pages not because there are so many different signs, but because the rules covering how different signs are regulated tend to be layered.

    Since a person or a business may only be looking at one type of sign to install, McLaughlin said there may be only a couple pages in the sign ordinance that apply specifically to them.

    If there’s one sign McLaughlin said the town is most likely to have a problem with, it’s what’s called a flag sign.

    Flag signs are portable or moveable signs not meant to be permanently attached to the ground or a building. Sometimes businesses use flag signs, and that’s where problems arise.

    “The sign ordinance allows flag signs for the grand opening of a business for a period of a week,’’McLaughlin said. “You can’t have a flag sign that’s a permanent attachment.

    “In addition to providing information about the sign ordinance, the mailer the town recently sent out to local businesses about signs alerted the businesses that Hope Mills plans to become more aggressive in its handling of violations.’’

    But McLaughlin and his staff haven’t exactly been ignoring the sign issue in Hope Mills. At least every other Friday, and sometimes more often if they notice an increase in illegal signs, McLaughlin and his co-workers do sign sweeps of Hope Mills.

    Normally, McLaughlin said, his team divides the town into quadrants,focusing on the commercial areas, and take one quadrant each Friday of a sweep. Their aim is to cover the whole town in the space of one month. On some days, they’ll tackle a larger area.

    While on these tours they also try to educate people they encounter on what signs they can and can’t use.

    He noted nearly all the signs you see posted on public right of ways advertising various small businesses are against the rules.

    On some weekends, McLaughlin said, his team picks up as many as 60 signs. And the sweeps continue.

    “As fast as we keep picking them up, they keep putting them down,’’ he said. “We have to be very consistent with continually putting the message out there.’’

    If you have questions about what signs are legal and illegal, contact McLaughlin’s office at 910-426-4103.

  • Hope Mills Veterans MemorialIf it was William Greene’s call, there would be an observance of Memorial Day year round, not just during the final week of May annually.
     
    “These people raised their hands and volunteered,’’ said Greene, who serves as the post adjutant and quartermaster for the Hope Mills Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10630. “These people have died for your freedoms. You’ve got to stop and give thanks for that.’’
     
    Hope Mills has long paid tribute to fallen members of the military on Memorial Day, and this year will be no exception.
     
    The tribute will take place Monday at 4 p.m. at the war memorial located adjacent to the Hope Mills Recreation Center on Rockfish Road. Numerous groups and organizations will take part in the ceremony, and the general public is invited to attend. 
     
    “It’s anyone in the community,’’ Greene said. “We need to give thanks. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be where we are today and have the freedoms we have. To me, that’s really the main point.’’
     
    Greene will serve as master of ceremonies of the event, which will begin with opening remarks and the invocation from Grilley Mitchell, the chaplain for the Hope Mills VFW post.
     
    Two young people, Angeline Vela and Alia Palmer, who were winners of the VFW Patriots Pen and Voice of Democracy essay contests, will share their prize-winning entries.
     
    Memorial 2Mayor Jackie Warner will read the town proclamation in recognition of Memorial Day, and the names of three Hope Mills veterans who passed away will be added to the monument at the memorial. They include former town commissioner Bob Gorman, former mayor Al Brafford and Lt. Kathryn Bailey, who was lost in a Black Hawk helicopter crash in August of 2017.
     
    A variety of organizations will present flower arrangements in memory of the fallen. That will be followed by the rendering of honors by Sgt. Richard Schwartz and soldiers from the 97th Civil Affairs Battalion at Fort Bragg. The program will close with the singing of God Bless America and the National Anthem.
     
    Afterward, everyone is invited to enjoy refreshments at the recreation center.
     
    The VFW Post will also hold a smaller ceremony earlier in the day at 2 p.m. at the newly-constructed pier on Hope Mills lake. They will unveil a bench on the pier dedicated to the memory of Vietnam veterans.
     
    Greene said the bench was dedicated months ago but had to wait to be installed after the pier was constructed. He said the VFW post may add a second bench later in memory of Korean War veterans.
     
    “It feels really good to bring the community in on all these events,’’ he said.
     
    Photo caption, bottom: This floral arrangement will be presented during the Memorial Day service in Hope Mills. It’s from Project Healing Waters, an organization that helps introduce physically and emotionally disabled military service personnel to fly fishing. It was designed by Debbie Jones of Hope Mills Plaza Florist.
  • Freddie Johnson, 49, was arrested in New York City in April, for the 53rd time after he allegedly once again rubbed up against women on crowded trains. He is such a menace (a 57-page rap sheet) that a special NYPD detail follows him around, certain that he will re-offend. Shortly after the arrest, the New York Daily News reported that his twin brother, Teddy, is now serving an eight-year sentence in upstate New York for a series of subway gropings of his own. A retired police officer told the Daily News that he saw the brothers almost every day and could tell them apart only by their clothes. Freddie, he said, was “blue collar” while Teddy conducted his fondlings “always dressed in a blazer and slacks.” 


    Government in Action! 

    In April, Army medic Monica Brown was awarded the Silver Star for bravery for selflessly subjecting herself to enemy fire in order to treat fallen comrades in battle in Afghanistan. However, two days after her heroics, she had been ordered home, against her will, because generals were nervous that a female appeared to be “in combat,” which violates Army rules.  

    By contrast, in April (according toThe Buffalo News), the Army, citing personnel shortages, ordered honorably discharged soldier James Raymond back to duty, even though he is on medical disability for a knee injury and loss of hearing suffered in Afghanistan. (Soldiers on “Readiness Reserve” are still eligible for duty if necessary.) 

    Kinder, Gentler Government: The county government in Tampa, Fla., revealed in April that because of its unusual interpretation of state law, all of its inmates on work-release programs during the last 15 years have been accruing pension and post-retirement healthcare credits. 

    London’s Daily Telegraph reported in April that the Dutch government has begun assigning some of its hard-core unemployed (who are repeatedly rejected for jobs) to “regression therapy,” in the hope that coming to terms with negative aspects of their past will help them present themselves better.  


    Fine Points of the Law 

    Gary Weaver, 41, arrested on a disorderly conduct charge in Cincinnati, was discovered to have an outstanding theft warrant from 1990 involving $21.64. The temporary bond on Weaver in 1990, based on his prior record, had been $1 million, and the 2008 judge refused to change that. (Extra fact: The $21.64 theft was based on Weaver’s paying a store in part with a roll of dimes that were really pennies but with a dime at each end.) 

    Representatives of about 300 Islamic madrassa schools, meeting in New Delhi in April, decided that Muslims could not buy health insurance because the Quran forbids gambling (although they said they would continue to explore ways of reconciling Sharia law with healthcare financing). 


    Family Values 

    Joseph Manzanares, 19, pleaded guilty in April to disorderly conduct in Commerce City, Colo., after police were called to a domestic disturbance, as he and his ex-girlfriend, who are the parents of a toddler, fought over which local street gang’s colors (hers or his) the kid would wear. 

    Least Competent Criminals 

    Should’ve chosen another career: Joshua Crowley, 22, was charged with robbing a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Camas, Wash., in March after being chased down, wrestled with, and subdued by passerby Mary Chamberlain, 66. 


    COPYRIGHT 2008 CHUCK SHEPHERD   

  • 10pagThe annual beauty pageant held in conjunction with Ole Mills Days in the fall has been a success for the past few years in Hope Mills, and town officials are expecting similar results from the new Fourth of July pageant that will debut Friday, June 22.

    The new pageant is part of the extended celebration of both the Fourth of July and the return of Hope Mills Lake.

    The Fourth of July pageant will take place over a two-day period from June 22-23, both times in the gymnasium at the Hope Mills Recreation Center. Both events will begin at 6:30 p.m.

    Kenny Bullock, who heads up the recreation department for the town, will oversee the pageant, which will determine winners in five different age groups.

    The divisions will be 3-5, 6-9, 10-12, 13-16 and 17-22. 

    All contestants must be Cumberland County residents and pay an entry fee of $30 each. Entry forms are available at the recreation center

    The deadline for entry is June 1, but this date may be extended if there aren’t enough entries in each of the five age groups

    Bullock said they will be aiming for a minimum of five to six entries in each age group with a maximum of 20 per age group.

    The entry fee is used to cover the cost of the competition since the town has not allotted any funds to cover the expense. Bullock said they will also seek outside sponsors to cover the cost.

    Bullock said the gym at Hope Mills Recreation Center was chosen to host the pageant after the town was unable to find a local school where it could be held.

    “We tried several schools,’’ Bullock said. “During the summer it’s hard to get into the schools because they are stripping and waxing the floors, trying to get schools ready. It was hard to fit the pageant in before the summer schedule.’’

    In addition to issues dealing with regular summer maintenance at the schools, Bullock also said the summer schedule of the county schools is a problem since they are closed from Friday through Sunday during those months. 

    “It’s hard trying to get someone to come in, open the building and stuff,’’ he said. They also looked into using recreation or community buildings at local churches but were unable to find one suitable.

    In addition to housing the actual pageant, Bullock said the recreation center also offers space to have dressing rooms for the contestants so they can be split up according to age group.

    Bullock said the seating capacity of the gym, with bleachers and chairs set up on the floor, is 400. Tickets, which are $5 each, will be sold at the recreation center. Staff will keep count of the tickets sold to make sure capacity isn’t exceeded, Bullock said.

    Each contestant will get one free ticket to give to a family member or friend.

    Bullock said the pageant judges will be chosen from outside Cumberland County to try to ensure that none of them know any of the pageant contestants. He said judges will be sought who have previous pageant judging experience, possibly even at the national level.

    The pageant will begin on Friday evening, June 22, with the competition for the youngest age group. “They get tired early,’’ Bullock said of the smaller children. “That night, they’ll be done, and they won’t be there until 10 or 11.’’

    The remainder of the contestants will take the stage the following day. Bullock said there would not be a talent competition, but the contestants in the two oldest categories will have an onstage interview question during the competition.

    We’re looking at natural beauty and stage presence,’’ Bullock said. Contestants are not allowed to wear fake eyelashes or wigs, only naturally-looking, age-appropriate makeup.

    For any questions about the pageant, call 910-426-4107.

     

  • Meetings

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

    Veterans Affairs Commission Thursday, May 24, 7 p.m.

    Board of Commissioners Monday, June 4. A public hearing on the proposed FY 2018-2019 Budget will be held. Citizens Academy Graduation will take place that evening as well. Students will be presented with a plaque displaying their certificate of completion.

    Activities

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

    Town offices closed for Memorial Day Monday, May 28.

    Memorial Day Ceremony at Hope Mills Municipal Park. 4 p.m. Free.

    Fall sports registration June 1-July 28. $30 per child; $15 late fee after registration deadline. Season begins Sept. 8. Call 910-426-4109 for more information.

    Daddy/Daughter Dinner & Dance Saturday, June 9, 6 p.m. $50 per couple plus $20 for each additional ticket purchased. Call 910-426-4107 to RSVP by June 1.

    First Annual 4th of July Pageant Friday-Saturday, June 22-23. Pageant registration deadline is June 1. For more information, call 910-426-4107.

    Promote yourself: To include your business’s event, email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

  • 09Hope Mills sculpture 2The town of Hope Mills is known statewide for opportunities it offers for athletics, recreation and senior citizens. Now Mayor Jackie Warner is trying to expand its cultural horizons by putting a little art on local display.

    It’s been two years since Warner went to a meeting of the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County on behalf of Hope Mills to learn about ways she might bring art into the community.

    About the same time, her son, Teddy Warner, was working with the city of Laurinburg when it had a relationship with the University of North Carolina at Pembroke to try and do the same thing.

    Warner’s idea was to get outdoor sculptures to be displayed in public locations like Hope Mills Lake and the park near Town Hall.

    She spoke with Adam Walls, a sculpture instructor at UNC-Pembroke.

    Walls came and made presentations to the Hope Mills Town of Commissioners. The plan was for the town to spend $3,000 on purchasing materials for Walls’ art students at Pembroke. In return, they would create original works of sculpture with the town-purchased materials and give them to the town.

    Laurinburg didn’t have an agreement with the students on what happened to the art, so Warner and Hope Mills struck a deal. At the end of a year of display, the town could have the option of buying the art from each student, at a cost of $300 per sculpture, based on 10 sculptures for the total of $3,000 for materials.

    If the town doesn’t buy the artwork, it will go back to the student and the town will get a new piece to replace it.

    For future funding for the project, Warner said she spoke to Deborah Mintz of the Arts Council about writing a grant and getting funding from the council.

    “The Arts Council would love to help fund this project so that it will instill in Hope Mills the same kinds of things they’re trying to do in Fayetteville and other areas,’’ Warner said.

    The sculptures began showing up in Hope Mills earlier this month, some at Hope Mills Lake and some near Town Hall.

    Warner said the various projects now on display are largely constructed from recycled metal, everything from old grate and drain covers to metal poles.

    Warner said she hopes to continue putting art on display in other ways in the near future. Part of the upcoming lake celebration in Hope Mills will include art and jazz performances.

    “We’re going to have artists down there painting and doing sculpture,’’ she said. “We’re just trying to promote art in Hope Mills.’’

    For the time being, Warner said, the focus on art will be outdoors, dealing mainly with metal sculpture.

    In the long term, she’d like to offer painting, but finding a place to display paintings is a problem.

    “We have to come up with a venue or display area,’’ Warner said. There is a possible limited option for display in Town Hall, she said. The parks and recreation building wouldn’t be suitable because it’s so busy.

    Warner said the town may have to limit art displays to those times when special events are going on like the lake celebration.

    Once the town builds its long-awaited museum to celebrate its mill village history, Warner said that’s a possible location to display local art.

    “I’m tickled we are doing this,’’ she said. “This was something I wanted to do way back when I was first elected mayor and couldn’t get the support for it. Once the Arts Council got involved and they started offering the opportunity for Hope Mills, it just fell into place.’’

  • 17Hope Mills Lake 2There’s no swimming in Hope Mills Lake for the time being, but it appears town officials will be swimming through a lot of red tape in the weeks ahead to get approval before residents can take advantage of the restored town landmark. 

    According to Beth Brown, the town’s stormwater administrator, there’s no one on the town staff with a background in lake management. Brown said her background is in stormwater and stream standards, adding that the rules governing lakes are considerably different.

    Microbac Laboratories on Hope Mills Road, which does stormwater testing for the town, was asked to conduct a test of the water in the lake.

    Town manager Melissa Adams shared a report on the results of the test at the most recent meeting of the town’s board of commissioners.

    The swimming area tested over the regulatory limit for fecal coliform, a form of bacteria commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals.

    The bacteria itself isn’t likely to cause illness, according to information on the N.C. Public Health website, but its presence in water indicates other disease-causing organisms could be in the water.

    The next steps involved in determining the quality of the water in the lake are in the hands of outside agencies, Brown and Adams said.

    Those two agencies are a company called Mogensen Mitigation and the North Carolina Division of Water Resources.

    When water returned to Hope Mills Lake earlier this year, the town was required to have a contract with Mogensen Mitigation starting on May 1.

    Mogensen will test the lake for dissolved oxygen, temperature and water depth for the first year water is impounded in the lake.

    This is done in accordance with requirements from the Division of Water Resources and the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers.

    However, these tests have nothing to do with the safety of the water for human swimming. They are involved with determining the quality of the water for the aquatic life in the lake.

    How safe the water is for swimming falls under the jurisdiction of the Division of Water Resources.

    “We have reached out to the Division of Water Resources to try to find out who is responsible for testing and what parameters we need to be testing for to determine if it’s safe for public swimming,’’ Brown said. There is a Fayetteville office for the Division of Water Services, but as of May 8, Brown said no one from that office had responded or given any indication when they would respond.

    Swimming in the lake was suspended immediately, effective May 4. Adams said the town was caught by surprise that people were already swimming this early and decided to institute the ban for the safety of everyone.

    While swimming is temporarily banned, Adams said people are not prohibited from using the lake for boating and fishing as long as they don’t go into the water.

    All fishing at the lake is catch and release until the fish population is allowed to grow.

    If the safety of the water becomes a greater concern, Adams said there could be later discussion about curtailing boating activities as well.

  • Meetings

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

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

    • Lake Celebration Committee Monday, May 21, 5 p.m.

    • Board of Adjustment Monday, May 21, 6 p.m.

    • Mayor’s Youth Committee Monday, May 21, 6:30 p.m.

    • Board of Commissioners Monday, May 21, 7 p.m.

    • Appearance Committee Tuesday, May 22, 6:30 p.m.

    • Veterans Affairs Commissioner Thursday, May 24, 7 p.m.

    Activities

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

    • Town offices closed for Memorial Day Monday, May 28.

    • Fall sports registration June 1-July 28. $30 per child; $15 late fee after registration deadline. Season begins Sept. 8. Call 910-426-4109 for more information.

    • Daddy/Daughter Dinner & Dance Saturday, June 9,6 p.m. $50 per couple plus $20 for each additional ticket purchased. Call 910-426-4107 to RSVP by June 1.

    • First Annual 4th of July Pageant Friday-Saturday, June 22-23. To be held at Hope Mills Parks & Recreation Center Gymnasium. Friday is for ages 3-9 and Saturday is for ages 10-22. Pageant registration deadline is June 1. For more information, call 910-426-4107.

    Promote yourself: To include your business’s event, emailhopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

  • 16hm business copyHope Mills has a lot of projects to bring to the table when the town takes part in the upcoming Building Business Rally at Fayetteville Technical Community College on May 22 in the Horace Sisk Gymnasium. 

    The event, which runs from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. that day, offers local builders and contractors the chance to connect with representatives from local municipalities and schools to learn about various projects they’ve got in the works and, hopefully, increase the chances of the two working together.

    Registration is available online at faybids.com or at the door the day of the event, said Chancer McLaughlin, the development and planning administrator for the town of Hope Mills.

    “It’s an event intended to bring area purchasing offices together, to be able to provide opportunities for local businesses to bid on municipal projects,’’ he said. “It’s almost like a one-stop shop in terms of businesses being able to come and find out about these opportunities.’’

    While, in most cases, municipalities are required to take the low bid in a competitive search for the best deal, McLaughlin said what the rally does most of all is make smaller local contractors aware of the projects that are available.

    “Basically, you have 10 purchasing offices, 12 business support programs, everybody from the town of Hope Mills, PWC, city of Fayetteville, Cumberland County Schools, Hoke County, city of Spring Lake – all of us will be there to provide information to any local business that would like to do business with these municipalities.

    “We’re definitely trying to push for an increase in local participation so they can be prepared for these opportunities as well,’’ McLaughlin said. “It’s not about being able to get a lower bid. It’s really just to know about the bid opportunity. I don’t think there’s anything we’re going to provide that will allow someone’s light bulb to go on and say, ‘This will teach me how to become a lower bidder.’’’

    McLaughlin said the gathering could be a real plus to small builders and contractors who might encounter a larger contractor they could connect with. “Local contractors will know who the big contractors are, so they can link up that way,’’ he said. “There may be bid packages for those smaller businesses, things they can do directly. It’s definitely an opportunity for these smaller businesses to grow.’’

    McLaughlin said Hope Mills has a five-year list of projects that it will be sharing at the meeting.

    “Our total from fiscal year 2017 to 2022 is $34 million, so that’s what we’ll have in terms of available expenditures we’re projecting,’’ he said.

    Some of the bigger projects on the Hope Mills list are a joint services building for the fire and police departments, the future construction being discussed on the old Hope Mills Golf Course property, the planned Heritage Park and the proposed town museum.

    “It’s really a projection of upcoming opportunities and trying to find the best way to get this information out there so it increases their opportunity to bid on these projects,’’ McLaughlin said.

    “The town of Hope Mills is definitely committed to supporting local businesses. We are eager to be apart of this program.’’

    For further information on the Building Business Rally, visit faybids.com or call Lexi Hasapis at PWC at 910-223-4607.

  • 16Hope Mills fireworks 1 trey snipesIf you think getting ready for a parade just involves decorating a float or making sure you’ve got a good pair of walking shoes, think again.

    For Kenny Bullock, the challenge of putting together this year’s Hope Mills Fourth of July parade has already started and won’t be over until the parade concludes on Independence Day.

    “The hardest part is getting people to follow the deadlines because of having to do the parade lineup and getting information to the Department of Transportation,’’ said Bullock, director of the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department.

    Every group or organization that plans to have a float or vehicle in the parade has to fill out an application that is available from the recreation department, which is located at 5770 Rockfish Rd. You can pick one up in person, or if you call 910-426-4109, they will mail one to you.

    The application includes a long list of rules and guidelines that anyone taking part in the parade must follow.

    One of the biggest challenges the parade faces annually is having to hold it through the heart of the town along a state highway, NC 59. Bullock has to send a letter to the Department of Transportation 60 days prior to the parade to let the state know the road will be affected.

    “They do not approve closing the road for the parade because it’s a state highway,’’ Bullock said. “The town has to take full responsibility to close the road and make sure it is closed at the time you are given and opened at the time you specify.’’

    In the event of an emergency during the parade, Bullock said various people along the parade route are equipped with radios. There have been times when fire trucks have had to pull out of the parade to respond to an emergency, he said.

    The people with radios include first responders, law enforcement and parks department staff.

    Many of the rules governing the parade were put in place with spectator safety in mind. One rule stipulates that no one on a float or car in the parade can throw candy or other giveaway items at bystanders.

    Bullock said there was a problem with some parents pushing children toward floats to grab candy. A few years ago, there was almost a tragedy when a parent nearly pushed a youngster underneath a passing float.“

    Anybody passing out candy on a car, float or firetruck has to have walkers,’’ Bullock. That’s walkers of the human variety, not the devices used by the disabled to help them walk. “The walkers have to be beside their float at all times,’’ Bullock said.

    The walkers can then give the candy to people in the crowd so children aren’t darting out trying to grab it.

    Another challenge for Bullock and his team is inspecting floats to make sure they are appropriate for the parade. For Fourth of July, the theme is Independence Day celebration, so all floats are required to meet that standard.

    The final day to submit an entry is June 15. The parade is at 10 a.m. on July 4, and all floats and vehicles must be lined up at the staging area at Hope Mills Middle School by 9:30 a.m. The parade ends at Rockfish Elementary School.

    Bullock and the parade staff check the floats while in line and once again as they leave the staging area. They are also randomly checked while they are on the parade route.

    Nothing is allowed to be removed from or added to a float once it has been approved, Bullock said.

    “We keep it family-oriented,’’ Bullock said. “It’s an old-time tradition that has been going on in Hope Mills. We want to keep the tradition going.’’

    The Fourth of July parade is actually one of the smallest Hope Mills puts on, averaging about 55 to 60 units. The Christmas parade is sometimes almost twice that size with 115 units.

    One reason the Fourth of July parade is shorter than most is it has a hard time attracting marching bands during summer.

    “Schools are out and the Fort Bragg bands are usually at Fort Bragg,’’ Bullock said, explaining the reason for the lack of bands. “We encourage the floats and vehicles to have music.’’

    The town began accepting applications to be in this year’s parade on May 1.

     

    PHOTO CREDIT: Trey Snipes

  • 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.

    Board of Commissioners Monday, May 7, 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

    Activities

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

    National Day of Prayer Service Thursday, May 3, at Hope Mills Town Centerflagpoles. Noon. All are welcome.

    Hope Meals Food Truck Rodeo Thursday, May 3, at the parking lot betweenTown Hall and Parks & Rec Center. 5 p.m.

    Senior programs – 55 plus Mother’s Day Tea and Pastries, Friday, May 11,10-11:30 a.m., in the community room of the Hope Mills Parks and Rec center. Free. Sign up at front reception desk. Only 65 seats available. Women get first priority. Men will be placed on waiting list for last-minute openings.

    Promote yourself: Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

  • 15DayPrayer1Dr. Bob Kretzu thinks the National Day of Prayer observance scheduled at Hope Mills Town Hall on Thursday at noon is anything but a symbolic gesture.

    “I think it’s important for us to be on location in public places,’’ said Kretzu, pastor of Hope Mills United Methodist Church. “I think it’s even morepowerful for us to pray for our community leaders there rather than in our churches. It’s easier to gather people from different churches at a neutral site like the town center.“

    To me it’s important to affirm as a part of our heritage. President George Washington called us to a national day of prayer.

    ’’Kretzu has tentatively arranged for about a half dozen pastors from local churches to take part in this year’s event at the flag poles at the Hope Mills town hall.

    Among those Kretzu has asked to attend are Mike Wells of Hope Mills Church of God, Wilbert Harrison of Hope Mills First Baptist Church, Tim Gore, chaplain for Liberty Hospice, Ron Godbolt of Word of Truth Ministry, Zach Kennedy of Highland Baptist, John Locke of St. James Lutheran Church and Pat Snyder from Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church.

    “We’ve invited pastors and lay people to pray about different, specific areas, for national and state leaders, for pastors, for troops and first responders,’’ he said.

    “The goal is for people to be able to do this during their lunch break. We normally have about 50 to 60 people in attendance.’’

    In addition to the clergy invited to attend, people from the crowd will be invited to offer prayers if they wish. The theme for this year’s National Day of Prayer is Ephesians 4:3, which says, “being diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.’’

    “When people come together, it’s a wonderful experience,’’ Kretzu said. “We saw it after 9/11.’’ Kretzu thinks unity is especially important now with all the tension being experienced in places like Syria, North Korea and Iran.

    There will be no hymns during the prayer service, but Kretzu said the ceremony will end with the group singing “America the Beautiful.”

    Call Kretzu at the church at 910-425-0108 with any questions.

    He said plans are also in the works for Sunday on the Lake, which is scheduled at 6 p.m., July 1, at the restored Hope Mills Lake. That ceremony will be one element in a multi-part celebration of the return of the lake to Hope Mills.“

    That service will be about 95 percent music,’’ he said of the lake event. It will be held in the area nearest the lake gazebo.

  • 050510-sparks-will-fly-1.gifFormer boxing world champion Ricardo Mayorga will compete in his first Mixed Martial Arts fight at the Crown Coliseum on May 15. The Shine Fights’ World’s Collide MMA fight will pit Mayorga against MMA star Din Thomas.

    Ricardo Mayorga is a Nicaraguan born mixed martial artist and former professional boxer. He is the former WBA/WBC Welterweight champion and the former WBC Junior Middleweight champion. His record of 28-7 includes 22 knockouts. His debut into MMA fighting is sure to draw a crowd at the Crown as he goes up against MMA veteran Din Thomas.

    Thomas is an American mixed martial arts fi ghter who was featured on the popular series The Ultimate Fighter 4. He runs two successful Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA academies in Port St. Lucie, Fla.Thomas made his UFC debut at UFC 32, in a fight against future UFC lightweight & welterweight champion B.J. Penn. His most recent UFC fi ght was a unanimous-decision loss to Josh Neer at UFC Fight Night 13. After that fight, he dropped to Featherweight class. Thomas has also recently began an acting career in independent fi lms.

    Mayorga and Thomas brought fireworks to their recent press conference in New York. They were brought together to announce Worlds050510-sparks-will-fly-2.gif Collide, and sparks flew immediately as the two fi ghters began to taunt each other. Mayorga lit a cigarette and blew smoke in Thomas’ face, inciting a shove from Thomas. Shortly afterwards the two went toe-to-toe, yelling at each other, and neither showing any respect for his opponent. The press conference, culminated with Mayorga landing a backhanded left jab to Thomas’ chin.

    Tickets for Mayorga vs. Thomas at the Crown Coliseum are on sale now. Reserved seat tickets are available at the Crown Center Coliseum Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Prices range from $25 to $150.

    The event is being promoted by Shine Fight Promotions in conjunction with the Crown Center. For more information visit Shine Fight Promotions Web site:www.shinefi ghts.com or the Crown Center site at www.atthecrown.com, or call (910)438-4100.

  • The Carolina Philharmonic will perform a Concerto Extravaganza on Sunday, May 23 at 4 p.m. at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.05-19-10-carolina-philharmonic.gif

    “This is the end of our 2009-2010 season fi nale,” said David Michael Wolff, conductor and artistic director of Carolina Philharmonic. “We have a number of concertos we will be performing.”

    Wolff added that the concert features music by Koussevitsky, Bartok, Bach and Ewazen.

    Wolff is an avid linguist, fl uent in fi ve languages, and is a sought after coach of international opera stars and aspiring concert pianists. He made his orchestral debut as piano soloist at the age of 12, and has won numerous prizes in international competitions including grand prize in the Naomi Management International Competition in New York City. Wolff is the author of a new book, Zen and the Art of Piano.

    Wolff, regular guest artist at Carnegie Hall and other major venues throughout the world, launched the West Side Chamber Orchestra, serving Fayetteville, Southern Pines and Greenville, N.C., in January 2009, with a debut performances on Feb. 28th and March 1st in Fayetteville and Southern Pines.

    The entire ensemble then joined forces with Wolff’s New York orchestra, the Manhattan Chamber Philharmonic, on April 4, 2009, making its shared debut in Carnegie Hall.

    After a whirlwind first season, the group incorporated as a non-profi t and in the process changed its name to Carolina Philharmonic. Although it remains a chamber orchestra, the Carolina Philharmonic has a decidedly more local fl avor and leaves open the possibility of metamorphosis in the future.

    “We strive to show the unity of musical expression through solo performances, small chamber groups, small and large chamber orchestra formations, as well as occasional expansions to a full symphonic orchestra,” noted Wolff.

    Also, historically, the term philharmonic did not refer to a large musical ensemble, but rather simply to making music together.

    “We just got invited back to Carnegie Hall,” said Wolff. “We will perform on March 3, 2011, and we are real excited about this.”

    Wolff added that they have a Chamber Music Series and the performances are in Fayetteville, Pinehurst, and other North Carolina locations. Next season six concerts are planned for Fayetteville.

    “The joy of the musicians and the audience is when the concert people come up to me smiling and crying,” said Wolff. “These are people who do not like concerts but loved the show and plan on coming back to see another show.”

    “We do not sell tickets in Fayetteville, we just have a donation basket,” said Wolff.

    “I want to open this event to the public and not have anyone stay away because they feel like they cannot afford it.”

    For more information call 687-4746 or visit the Web site at www.carolinaphil.org.

  •     It’s that time of the year for Fayetteville to revel in the “glory” of the Eighth Annual Glory Days Celebration, which began on May 10 with the setup of 1,800 flags for the Field of Honor at the Airborne Museum and Festival Park, and peaks on Memorial Day after a weekend of fun and celebration. {mosimage}
        The theme of this year’s event is the Vietnam War and there will be many reminders of what our military men and women endured in Southeast Asia during those turbulent times.
        Perhaps the most tangible memorial to the vets will be the vintage military and gear exhibit at the gate leading into Festival Park.
        Ron Wolfe, who has organized past displays of military memorabilia for Glory Days, says this one will be “bigger than ever.”
        Wolfe, a Vietnam veteran himself, says displays of gear from the Vietnam conflict will include an M151 Jeep that is a part of his personal collection.
        “It’s just like the one I drove around in when I was in Vietnam,” said Wolfe.
    Among other Vietnam-era displays will be a GP Small Tent of the type used in ‘Nam, and equipment and field gear from the war, including those “beloved” C-rations that kept the troops alive despite the notoriously nasty taste.
        Since Glory Days was founded to honor all troops, not just Vietnam vets, there will also be equipment from past wars, including a 1942 WLA Harley Davidson — which was a military police vehicle; a World War II CCKW 2 1/2-ton truck; a World War II Jeep with a Pack howitzer; and, a World War II-era German truck called a Kubel, which was built by Volkswagen.
        If you and your family are interested in less martial displays, there will be a pancake breakfast; an American bake sale; a Classic Car Cruise-in at Festival Park; live music on stage at Festival Park; the N.C. State Cyclists Criterium Championship; members of the Swampdogs baseball team at the Kids Corner; Up & Coming Weekly’s Shout Out Contest on May 25; a Sunday Movie in the Park, featuring Good Morning Vietnam — also on May 25, featuring free admission, free popcorn and other free stuff; carriage rides and food, arts and crafts concessions... and more.
        Good Morning Vietnam is a Robin Williams vehicle in which he plays true-to-life Vietnam DJ Adrian Cronauer, assigned to take over the AFR’s Saigon radio broadcasts. In contrast to the dull, by-rote announcers that have preceded him, Cronauer is a bundle of dynamite, heralding each broadcast with a loud “Goooooood morning, Vietnaaaaam.”
        Cronauer’s popularity is such that he enjoys the full protection of the higher-ups. But when Cronauer insists upon telling his listeners the truth about the horrors of war instead of the official government line, he is replaced and must struggle to get back on the air.
        It’s a movie perfect for the Vietnam-themed Glory Days, an event which is meant to be both lighthearted and solemn in its remembrance of lives lost and changed by war.
        “I’m really excited about this edition of Glory Days,” said Larry Clubine, the event chairman. “We’ll have the best lineup we’ve ever had on the stage and some great homemade baked goods, which we haven’t had before.”
        Stage performers will be Irie Muse, Paddy Gibney with Big Daddy Drive, the Henry Huffman Band, Fayetteville’s own Ethan Hanson, and the well-known Heritage Restoration Chorale — a group dedicated to keeping alive the negro spiritual.
        And of course, all this will be backlit by the 1,800 flags waving in the Field of Honor.
    Fayetteville City Councilman Keith Bates, who was instrumental in bringing the Field of Honor to Fayetteville, hopes the display of flags will be an annual event.
        “I’ll do my best to make sure it’s back,” said Bates. “Glory Days is just fantastic. It’s special to me because I served in the military, my father served and one of my sons serves while another is in boot camp.”
  • 09Caroline 2Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s production of “Caroline, or Change” is a beautiful, necessary and visceral work of art. I cried three times. And I will probably pay to see it again. 

    “Caroline” was not the show I expected it to be. Neither was its protagonist. After interviewing Director Bryan Conger and lead actress Joy Ducree Gregory two weeks ago, I knew a few things. I knew the washing machine, dryer, radio, moon and bus are all played by people. I knew it’s a show deeply rooted in memory and imagination. I knew Caroline is a sad character. And I knew the story is all about change.

    But I didn’t know the washing machine would feel like a wise, kind aunt. I didn’t know the dryer would emanate both sensuality and fear. I didn’t know the moon would feel so disconnected from and yet sympathetic to the humans below.

     The way these imaginary characters sing, riding in and out of Jeanine Tesori’s score, creates an atmosphere of authentic human experience that’s better than realism. In the hot, damp basement where Caroline spends her days doing laundry as a maid, the audience is given a window into the way Caroline thinks and feels about and remembers her past — a window Caroline can no longer offer to real people. 

    When she sings in that basement and is joined by the washer’s song, the radio’s song and the moon’s, it’s like seeing bright colors painted right next to each other — distinct and yet blending in the mind’s eye to create something real, fresh and relatable.

    I also didn’t know a sad, angry and hopeless protagonist could be so compelling and inspiring. 

    I don’t think we see enough characters like Caroline onstage. She was so very real. Ducree Gregory does an incredible job. The show is worth attending on the basis of her final song alone. The maturity, dignity and responsibility with which Ducree Gregory brings Caroline to life as a three-dimensional and complex woman who yes, is sad, is powerful.

    The entire cast is phenomenal. Their onstage chemistry was a bit slow to start, but once they found their groove, I didn’t care; I was just there with them, completely absorbed in their world. 

    Kesimy Martinez stood out as Caroline’s oldest daughter, Emmy. Martinez has a unique presence — an understated confidence and spunk, and an expressive voice with impressive control. Christian Lattimore and Henry Gregory IV are delightful and completely unaffected in their acting as Caroline’s two younger sons, Jackie and Joe. Michael Bertino is endearingly awkward and boyish as the son of the Jewish family Caroline
    works for.

    The last thing I did not know, going into this show, is that the change this story is really about is a kind I’d never seen onstage before. The story is set in Louisiana, 1963; the number of political and social changes going on outside of Caroline are numerous, and those are addressed. Then there’s pocket change; I won’t say more than that this kind of change is important to the story, and to one particular relationship. Lastly, there’s this other kind of change: “That’s how Caroline will change — that’s how Caroline will rearrange herself.” Caroline sings out these words in the show’s most beautiful and heartbreaking moment. To understand this last kind of change, you have to see the show. It’s more than worth it.

    CFRT invites the public to attend a pre-show conversation focused on the civil rights movement May 18 from 6:30-7:15 p.m., facilitated by Reverend Cureton Johnson. This event was made possible because CFRT received the prestigious NEA “Art Works” Grant for “Caroline, or Change.”

    The show runs through May 28. Tickets cost $15-$25 and can be purchased by visiting www.cfrt.org or calling (910) 323- 4233.

  • 11Foxshire1Most people can remember a specific interest that burned in their childhood hearts and led to like-minded friends, a secret club and glorious endeavors of creation. For the founding members of Foxshire Films, each person remembers one passion very clearly: love of motion pictures.

    Foxshire Films currently consists of four of its founding members — Samuel Heble, Brendan Alspach and brothers Nicholas and Gage Long — and recent recruit Kathryn Holden.

    “We want to challenge ourselves and the community around us to go forward artistically and just do it; pursue your dreams,” said Alspach. Heble agreed, adding, “I want our films to give glory to God in a way that’s truthful and destroys Christian art culture. We want to preach the gospel through messages that are really raw and in unique ways, straight from our hearts.”

    On December 12, 2015, Heble, the Long brothers and others who are no longer with the group met up at Coffee Scene to talk about film. At that meeting, everyone was full of restless energy and ready to turn their love for film into commitment and action. “It was very organic in a surprising way. … We got together and it was so collaborative that (the group’s formation) kind of just happened on its own,” Gage said. “The lack of things happening pushed us to commit,” added Nick.

    That’s not to say it was a picture-perfect start. They were working with a small amount of basic film equipment and an essentially non-existent budget. Their communication and organizational skills needed much improvement. 

    But they committed. They met every Wednesday for two to five hours. They spent time outside of that weekly meeting doing individual tasks like writing short film scripts, storyboarding or scouting film locations.

    And as they continued to meet, they just started doing it: making films, trying on roles and skills and getting their hands dirty. Their first production was “John Johnson” in January 2016, a one-and-a-half minute film that was shot in one day, in one room, with one actor — that actor being founding member Nick.

    Since then, they’ve made five more short films. Their most recent release, “One Night…,” is an 11-and-a-half minute comedy-suspense with five actors and an original score composed by Greensboro musician Andrew Beach and performed by music students at UNC Greensboro, with atmospheric lighting aided by a homemade fog machine. Another one of those five films, “Through the Treeline,” was accepted into Fayetteville’s Indigo Moon Film Festival in October 2016.

    This year, Foxshire showed its films and spoke at two public events, FTCC’s Off the Record: Artist Series night, and SKD’s Cultural Arts Festival. They plan to continue their forward momentum, aiming to build a growing network of film-lovers and dream-chasers in Fayetteville.

    Last summer, Foxshire made its first big effort to reach out to the community with a project titled The Fox Gathering. For this five-month project, Foxshire put out an open call to those interested in any aspect of filmmaking, like screenwriting, directing, acting or sound. The goal was not to create perfect products, but to give people a chance to jump into the filmmaking process and learn together regardless of skill level. A total of 33 people participated, and the result was three short films. Collin Tubbs, Fox Gathering participant, said, “(It) was really open to whoever was interested and invested in it. …It was like a breath of fresh air.”

    The resounding theme of my interview with Foxshire was, “Just do it.” So take note, dreamers. Go forth and do. Email foxshirefilms@gmail.com to connect with the group, and follow their progress by liking their Facebook page. Watch three of their films at vimeo.com/foxshirefilms and watch their Fox Gathering films at vimeo.com/thefoxgathering.

    Photo: Foxshire Films members Nick Long, Kathryn Holden, Gage Long, Brendan Alspach and Samuel Heble

  • 17SlampPoetsPoetry is a form of expression that requires creativity and skill. Slam poetry adds extra layers of difficulty because it requires the poem to be memorized and verbally expressed, and it’s a competition. 

    Poets verbally present an original work and a panel of judges rates the performances. This sort of competition started in 1984 in the Jazz clubs of Chicago when American poet Marc Smith started experimenting with types of poetry performances. Since then, poetry slams have increased in popularity. There are now national and international competitions that celebrate this unique art form every year. This year, local poets received an invitation to one of the world’s premier slams.

    There is only one youth poetry slam team in Fayetteville: The Poetic Pathos Slam Team. The group has performed all over Fayetteville and Hope Mills. It is a student club based out of Gray’s Creek High School. The club was started four years ago by coach Joel Mayo. Recently the group was invited to participate at Brave New Voices, which is an international slam poetry festival and competition. Only 50 teams are invited to participate from around the globe every year. 

    Brave New Voices was created by Youth Speaks, Inc in 1998. Youth Speaks, Inc. was founded in 1996 by James Kass and is based out of San Francisco. Its mission is to create safe spaces and challenge young people to “find, develop, publicly present and apply their voices as creators of positive societal change.” The organization brings together art education and civic engagement in unique, evolving and relevant ways. The Brave New Voices festival is an extension of this mission.  

    This year the festival takes place July 19 through 22 in the Bay Area. The young participating poets will have the opportunity to participate in workshops, slams, showcases, community service and civic participation events. 

    The festival is not only an opportunity for the team to perform and bring a global spotlight to the arts in Fayetteville. This is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the growing artists on the team to hone their craft at an event specifically designed to encourage and empower them. They will also be able to bring all this passion and learning back home to Fayetteville. 

    This festival is obviously an incredible opportunity. The big challenge is the funding. The Poetic Pathos Youth Slam Team is a new team and they don’t have the funds to send 5-6 members and their coaches to the competition. They are asking for the community’s support with a Gofundme page. 

    They need $2,000 for registration fees by June 1, and $7,000 overall to fund transportation, registration fees, housing fees and food for
    the trip. 

    To donate and to support the growing artists in our community, visit https://www.gofundme.com/poeticpathosBNV. There is no more direct way to support the arts.  

  • 08fourthfridayThere is always something fun to do at 4th Friday. The art openings, historical exhibits, music, shopping,  activities, great dining experiences; what’s not to love? 

    On May 26, The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County opens one of its most popular exhibits — the “Public Works” exhibition. What makes this exhibit so special is that all of the art in the show is by local artists from Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, and Scotland Counties, Fort Bragg or Pope Field.  

    The Fayetteville Public Works Commission sponsors the   community-wide exhibit. Attendees are invited to vote for their favorite pieces. The “People’s Choice” winner will receive a gift basket and the winners of the online virtual vote will receive prizes from the Arts Council. Many of the pieces will be available for purchase as well. The exhibit will be on display through July 22. Visit www.theartscouncil.com for more information.

    Each month, the Downtown Alliance plans fun, themed activities for 4th Friday. This month, the theme centers around the Field of Honor, which is sponsored by the Alliance and the Airborne  & Special Operations Museum Foundation.  

    The Field of Honor, located at ASOM and the NC Veterans Park, is a living display of heroism that flies as a patriotic tribute to the strength and unity of Americans. Find out more at www.ncfieldofhonor.com.

    Cape Fear Studios offers another option to view the work of local artists with its 27th Annual Members’ Exhibit. The show includes pottery from visiting artist Ben Owens. There will be a reception from 6-9 p.m. 

    At Headquarters Library, enjoy big band music from Second Time Around. Favorites include pieces by Glenn Miller, Les Brown and more. The band will also perform music from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s from 7 to 9 p.m.

    Children will enjoy a visit to Fascinate-U Children’s Museum where they can creats spring flowers and explore the museum from 7-9 p.m. for free.

    The Market House opens for 4th Friday with different exhibits throughout the year. This month, the exhibit is all about banking. Take in the exhibit and enjoy the view from  upstairs from  6 to 10 p.m.  The banking exhibit is in addition to the permanent exhibit, “A View from the Square: A History of Downtown Fayetteville.”

  • 12Caroline1In the musical “Caroline, or Change,” opening at Cape Fear Regional Theatre this weekend, the washing machine, dryer, radio, moon and bus are all played by people. 

    “I think that immediately (establishes) that this is not realism,” said Director Bryan Conger. “This play is all about change. I think change begins in the imaginations of people. They imagine what is beyond them or what could be … and that’s how a movement starts.” He said the idea of imagination, memory and emotion being the catalyst for concrete change informed his approach to the whole show. 

    Joy Ducree Gregory, who plays Caroline, agreed. Gregory said it’s Caroline’s memories and feelings projected onto inanimate objects that allow her as an actress to portray someone who might otherwise seem one-dimensionally sad. “I don’t think she’s emotionally available enough to tell (other people) about herself, but she is emotionally available enough to have conversations with these inanimate objects, which all sort of represent a piece of her,” added Conger.

    There are, however, other human characters in this story, like Caroline’s 8-year-old boy, her daughter who is coming into adulthood and the middle-class Jewish family she works for as a maid. Tension between Caroline and the Jewish family rises after a small amount of money goes missing. This serves as the impetus for the play’s exploration of the political through the personal, set in 1963 Louisiana. 

    Look forward to Jeanine Tesori’s visceral score played by a live orchestra that, according to CFRT’s mailer, blends blues, gospel and traditional Jewish melodies. In most musicals, spoken dialogue carries a good amount of the story with songs arriving at strategically emotional moments. Conger said this dynamic is reversed in “Caroline.” Gregory said she’s heard this score performed by other casts and she’s blown away by the talent in this production, saying Conger did a perfect job casting each role. “I don’t believe I’ve ever before been part of a show where every rehearsal I get chills just from listening to the music,” said Gregory. “This is the most challenging role, vocally, that I’ve ever (undertaken) … I’ve never had to dig so deep emotionally to sing a song.” 

    Gregory said the issues “Caroline” explores continue to resonate because they are still relevant in today’s America. “In this story, you have issues with race, issues with culture, with the disparities between those that have and those that don’t have — how those with privilege view the world and view money, versus those that don’t,” she said. “When you take that storyline and you look at where we are in 2017 … I think yes, we’ve come a long way, but … it’s clear that this is a time where we have to look at where we are. And the same conversations that will happen as a result of this play, those are the same conversations we need to be having in America.”

    CFRT invites the public to attend free pre-show conversations May 17 and 18, from 6:30-7:15 p.m. On May 17, Nick Glazier, executive director of the North Carolina Justice Center, will facilitate a conversation about poverty and economic disparity in America. On May 18, Reverend Cureton Johnson will facilitate a talk about the civil rights movement. Pre-show conversations are made possible due to CFRT’s receiving the prestigious NEA “Art Works” Grant for “Caroline, or Change.”

    “Caroline” opens for preview nights May 11-12, with official opening night Saturday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15-$25 and can be purchased by visiting www.cfrt.org or calling (910) 323- 4233.

     

  • 08SankofajbugThe Sandhills Family Heritage Association started as a personal quest. The founder, Ammie Jenkins, was interested in her own family’s story. She researched how her family progressed from slavery to landownership. As part of her discovery process she interviewed many community elders, and they shared their stories and experiences with her. Through these interviews, Jenkins uncovered incredible themes of strength and resilience as well as critical community issues. 

    This inspired her to create the SFHA to address social, economic, environmental and cultural issues that negatively impact rural communities. The programs promote ideas like self-sufficiency, land ownership, preserving cultural heritage and education — all while uniting the African-American community members in the Sandhills region. In that spirit, each year SFHA hosts the Sandhills Sankofa Festival. This year, the festival is set for May 20.

     Sankofa means “go back and get that which we have lost or forgotten.” The festival is sponsored by both the SFHA and the Spring Lake Recreation Department. Since its founding in 2002, the festival has provided a space annually for the celebration and appreciation of rural African-American culture and heritage.
    This is a family-friendly event that features performing arts, educational exhibits, food and entertainment. 

     The live entertainment at the festival represents the diversity and immense creativity within African-American culture. The headline act is Johnny White and The Elite Band. The group has performed all over the United States and is widely recognized for their powerful vocals and soulful performances. 

    Puncho, an artist who specializes in blues, will also perform during the festival. The group Shea-Ra Nichi will perform a powerful and educational rendition of African dance and drumming. Mitch Capel will also make an appearance as Gran’ Daddy Junebug, demonstrating the captivating art of storytelling. 

     In addition to live performances, there will be artists who work in many different forms of media that represent different aspects of African-American culture throughout history. There will be demonstrations of African dancing, drumming, storytelling, fabric art, culinary arts and visual arts. There will also be a variety of vendors, many of which are local small businesses and organizations. This festival is an opportunity to experience, appreciate and share African-American culture in the Sandhills. 

    There are several other SFHA programs that are active year-round. They fall under five categories that create the acronym HOPE: history and heritage preservation; outreach and community education; protection of land and natural services; and economic development. 

    Within each category there are several specific ways in which SFHA touches the community. Examples are oral history interviews, the Sandhills Farmers Market accepting EBT Food Stamps, information about sustainable farming practices and vending opportunities at the farmer’s market. These are just a few examples of how SFHA is working to directly touch the lives of African-American community members. These resources and connections improve the immediate quality of life and future for recipients. Furthermore, when individuals succeed, the entire community grows and benefits. 

    Admission to the Sankofa Festival is free. It takes place May 20 from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. It will be held at the Edward Mendoza Municipal Park, which is located at 1770 Little River Rd., in Spring Lake. 

    For more information, visit: http://sandhillsfamilyheritage.weebly.com/sankofa-festival.html. 

  • 13GreenBeretThe year was 1966. The Righteous Brothers, The Four Tops, The Monkees and The Mamas and The Papas were all in the Billboard Top 10. The No. 1 spot for five weeks, though, was held by a special forces soldier who had taken a punji stick to the knee in Vietnam. It was Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler’s “The Ballad of the Green Berets.” 

    The song sold 9 million records. Sadler earned more than $500,000 in royalties in 1966 from the song. Later, Sadler would say the song was the worst thing that ever happened to him. 

    Historian, journalist and author Marc Leepson captures Sadler’s triumphs and misadventures in his recently-published book Ballad of the Green Beret: The Life and Wars of Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler, from the Vietnam War and Pop Stardom to Murder and an Unsolved, Violent Death. On Sunday, May 7, City Center Gallery and Books will host a book signing and author presentation for Leepson.

    When Leepson decided to write about Sadler, he had some general knowledge of the green beret. “I knew about the song, and I knew about Sadler and that he was involved in some mercenary stuff. I discovered a lot of what people don’t know,” said Leepson. “I interviewed 71 people, most all of them knew him and many of them trained or served with him. I found people he grew up with, a guy he was in the Air Force and Army with and in Vietnam. They told me a lot of stuff.”

    There was stuff about the guy Sadler killed in Nashville in 1978 and how Sadler got away with it. “There are three chapters in the book about it,” said Leepson. “The detective from the case was very cooperative. Barry’s mug shot is in the book.”

    After serving in the Army, Sadler’s dream was to become a recording artist, screenwriter and actor. While he did score some bit parts in a few western series on TV, his dreams of fame and fortune as a performer and musician never came to fruition. He was broke and in debt by 1973. Sadler did write 29 pulp fiction novels, though. All but seven of them were part of the Casca: The Eternal Mercenary series. While the books sold well, Sadler never recovered financially. That didn’t keep Sadler down; he moved to Guatemala where he claimed to train Contras. While there, he was shot in the head, kidnapped and more. Leepson covers it all.

    “This is the first biography of Barry Sadler and he has a local connection. He lived in Fayetteville. He trained at Fort Bragg and was assigned there. The song is the unofficial theme song of the special forces,” said Leepson. “It is still played today. I don’t think anyone knows how it came to be. I tell that story in detail. It involved a public affairs lieutenant, a general and Barry. He went viral before anyone knew the word internet.” 

    While this is Leepson’s ninth book, he is no stranger to Fayetteville. He spoke about his book Lafayette: Idealist General during a Lafayette Birthday Celebration weekend in recent years. Leepson has also written about Francis Scott Key, the Civil War, the history of the American flag and Monticello. On May 7, guests who attend the book signing will have a chance to ask Leepson questions and hear him speak. His presentation begins at 2:30 p.m. Books will be available for purchase. Find out more about City Center Gallery and books at www.citycentergallery.com. Find out more about Marc Leepson at www.marcleepson.com.

  • 12COSFor years, the Cumberland Oratorio Singers have been bringing incredible music and cultural opportunities to our region. Originally, the group was an “ensemble,” but more recently the group has expanded and partnered with various other community organizations. COS now includes three choirs: The Cross Creek Chorale, Campbellton Youth Chorus and the Cumberland Oratorio Singers make up the core of the group. 

    This growth is due in part to the work of Dr. Michael Martin, who will soon be leaving the COS. “I think we have done much to increase the positive reputation of the group and advance a support for choral music. This mission began with my arrival in 2007: to create a local symphonic choral organization that could partner with my choral program and create high-level music opportunities for the community and ourselves,” he said. “With the foundation provided by Alan Porter’s prior leadership, we have partnered with local colleges and professional music organizations. We have also delivered large orchestral and choral works with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra.” 

    The music produced by the Cumberland Oratorio Singers is phenomenal. It may surprise some audience members to know the members of the group all have day jobs. For Martin, this is one of the best aspects of the group, as it allows for community members to engage deeply with the arts. According to Martin, “It is the community approach to performance that makes these people special. Most members are not driven by anything but the success of the group. We come from all over the community: doctors, lawyers, from different churches, teachers, custodians, etc., all for the purpose to make music!”  

    Martin acknowledges building a community in Fayetteville has some particular challenges. “People come and go, and in Fayetteville this challenge is even harder given the nature of our military community with frequent moving,” he said. “The one thing we can never forget is why people should do this to begin with: to come together as a community to sing!” 

    Inarguably, Martin has made a huge impact not only on the Cumberland Oratorio Singers, but also on the local community as whole. Luckily his new focus won’t take him too far away. 

    “While COS is very respectful of my space with my family, it has become too much to balance with my growing responsibilities at Methodist University. For now, I am focused on being there for my job and family, as well as expanding my role in choral music in North Carolina,” he explained. “I intend to be involved with the COS in the future, hopefully as a member of the board. After a year away, I would like to be involved with them and offer my support to the new director in whatever way he or she would like. I believe in this group and will advocate and support them in any way possible!” 

    His years of experience have also inspired him to leave a little friendly advice for the incoming director. “If there is one thing that I have learned from my years of conducting community choirs it’s that most people sing simply because they want to do it. It is not a requirement for them, and that needs to be respected and supported. They are not paid, but we tend to expect them to be professional in every way. I have always considered our membership as ‘volunteer professionals’ with families and jobs. Therefore, people will learn and perform with what little time is available.” he said. 

    There is still time to catch a performance of the Cumberland Oratorio Singers this season. The next concert is May 19. Find out more at www.singwithcos.org. 

  • 01COVER“The word ‘conductor,’ in my opinion, has more than one meaning. There’s ‘conductor’ like the person who waves the stick around, and then there’s ‘conductor’ as in the element that conducts the energy like a copper wire. You are conducting the energy of the music into these people that you’re standing in front of, and then that transmits to the audience.” 

    The man who said this has been in love with music since he was 3 years old and the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra just revealed him to be its new music director and conductor. His name is Stefan Sanders. 

    Sanders said he remembers going to a concert when he was a teen and sitting very close to the stage. He said seeing the energy emanate from the conductor to the musicians onstage was “absolutely mesmerizing to watch. I knew right then and there ‘This is what I want to do with my life’ … it just took my breath away.’”

    Today, as a successful conductor and thriving artist, Sanders said his approach stems from that same idea about emanation he initially fell in love with. “There’s a term in music called ‘pulse.’ And that is usually referred to as the time, rhythm or beat of the music. But I think … the pulse of music is more like the pulse of a living thing, a heartbeat. There’s this inner pulse that all living things have... it’s a word used to describe the feeling (of something at its core).” 

    He believes a conductor’s number one job is to take the time to understand the pulse, or living heartbeat, of a piece of music, and to emanate that understanding to the musicians. His job is done, he said, when an orchestra can feel the music’s pulse without him so that for the performance he can simply be the facilitator. 

    And music isn’t the only thing that has a pulse. Cities do too, Sanders said – and he liked Fayetteville’s. Sanders spent a week in Fayetteville last November when he came as one of five auditioning guest conductors selected by an FSO search committee. “After a couple of days in Fayetteville, I knew that if they would offer me the position, I would heartily accept,” he said. “I was completely charmed by Fayetteville. One thing that surprised me was the amount of international representation … Every single person I met was an absolute delight.... I know I’m going to a community of like-minded people and people that respect and treat one another with dignity and kindness.” 

    Sanders said he wants to build the identity of the orchestra within the community as an essential, vibrant point of human connection and help continue FSO’s upward trajectory of musical excellence. “When the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra was putting together (the contract), they were very wise in stipulating they wanted a 12-week commitment. This is more weeks than there are actual performances... They (wanted to ensure) they would have access and availability of their music director to make an impact on their community beyond just conducting concerts. That is one of the things I really relish for this for the coming season and our future,” he said. 

    Sanders said he wants to combat the idea that orchestras are “high-brow” or only enjoyable to certain types of people. “Good music was … written by a human being that had the same experiences and feelings about life that every other person has about life. It just so happens they were living and working in a time where this was their medium for expression,” he said. He said he wants to provide a context where everyone feels welcome to come to an FSO concert and where people are willing to sacrifice some of their time and resources to do so because they can see the value it will add to
    their lives. 

    “(Art) is how we know for a fact … that we all share … this sense of community, whether it’s Fayetteville, North Carolina, the U.S., North America or the globe,” said Sanders. “We are not alone, and culture and art are how we express these feelings we all feel no matter where we’re from. This consumes my mind and my vision for what I do. I’m constantly thinking about how I can share this with as many people as I possibly can because that’s really what conducting is all about.”

    The 2017-18 FSO season, led by Sanders, begins this October. Tickets will be available starting in May. Learn more about FSO’s values and mission at www.fayettevillesymphony.org. 

  • Join the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation for a special Movie in the Camp featuring the Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis classic Jumping Jacks on Saturday, May 21, beginning at 6 p.m. in the05-11-11-jumping-jacks.jpg museum’s Refl ection Garden.

    When the doors open at 6 p.m., movie goers will walk into a camp-like atmosphere with a 16 x 9 foot infl atable screen. Refreshments, including soft drinks, candy bars and popcorn, will also be available for a nominal cost. Music and entertainment will be provided before the movie begins at 8:30 p.m.

    According to Paul Galloway, executive director of the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation, this will be a special event for the entire family.

    “What a wonderful way for a family to spend an evening together watching a fantastic movie under the stars at the museum,” said Galloway.

    “This is a great way to support the museum,” he continued. “Community support of museum events has always been outstanding and last year’s Movie in the Camp was no exception.

    ”Released in 1952, the Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis movie centers around nightclub entertainers Hap Smith and his partner Chick Allen, who had recently joined the army. Lewis plays a clownish parody of a soldier. Meanwhile, Chick is organizing a soldier show at Fort Benning, Ga., and finds he needs his old partner’s help. To get onto the base, Hap impersonates a hapless real soldier, Dogface Dolan; but circumstances force them to prolong the masquerade, creating an increasingly tangled Army-sized snafu.

    Before the movie begins a special musical presentation will be performed by The Andrews Sisters Tribute Show. The Andrew Sisters Tribute Show features brilliant choreography and 3-part harmony by professional and beautiful singers with angelic voices complete with full tap dancing and hilarious comedy and acting.

    “You’ll fall in love with this awesome show,” said Galloway.Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Tickets are now on sale in the museum gift shop or may be purchased at the door the day of the show. Call 643-2778 for more information.

    Movie in the Camp is one of the many 31 Days of Glory events taking place throughout May. This community-wide salute honors those who serve and have served in our armed forces, as well as the military families that are so important to our community. For more information about this or other 31 Days of Glory events, go to www.31daysalute.com.

    Located in downtown Fayetteville, the Airborne & Special Operations Museum is part of the U.S. Army Museum System and tells the story of Army airborne and special-operations units from 1940 to the present. Museum hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon – 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday; open Federal holiday Mondays. For more information, call 910.643.2774 or visit the website at www.asomf.or

  • RIO (Rated G)   Three Stars05-18-11-movie-review.jpg

    Instead of Rio (96 min-utes) I wanted to see the movie about the teenage chick assassin. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a babysitter so I got outvoted. Words can-not express the extent of my enthusiasm for a movie about birds... creatures that poop out long luxurious ropes of gooey poo five seconds after they finish eating the huge chunk of your finger that they just finished fanging into.

    We open with a song. Yippee. The feathers are pret-ty as the birds swoop and sing and samba … too bad those pretty feathers are positively crawling with parasites. The littlest, tweetest, itty-bitty, big-eyed birdy wakes amidst the chorus and starts to shake his little birdy butt. He watches terrified as a vicious yellow mama bird shoves her screaming babies over the edge of the nest. Because birds are jerks that try to kill their young. Luckily for the baby birds, they escape the deadly murderous love of their caregiver and fly away to freedom.

    Our hero, not yet named, decides flying is worth a try. Sadly, his freakishly large head, a sure sign of a doomed and useless species, causes him to plummet to the earth, where he is squashed and devoured by creatures more fit to sur-vive. Loud applause echoes through the theater … it is a happy ending, because the stupid bird is dead!

    Oh. Wait. Nevermind. The bird isn’t dead. He’s just kidnapped. Birdnapped? Anyway, he is flown to Minnesota, which closely resembles the icy plains of R’lyeh. There, his crate is bumped off the truck and he is picked up by Linda (Leslie Mann). Their relationship is bizarrely snuggly, and it is likely that Linda contracts any number of bird diseases communicable to humans.

    Linda doesn’t seem to have many friends, probably because she walks around covered in bird poop and smelling like musty wet feathers (birds pee on themselves all the time). At least she has Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) … oh, right. If she managed to shake the overly needy avian, she would probably get out more.

    Just when it seemed like Linda was doomed to die alone, in walked Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro). Instead of making the world a better place by allowing an evolutionary dead-end to slip gracefully from the world he wants to introduce Blu to Jewel (Anne Hathaway) so they can make more macaws. They all end up in Brazil, under the watchful eye of the huge dashboard ornament that graces Rio de Janeiro’s skyline. They meet two birdy buddies who in no way reinforce existing stereotypes (Will i Am and Jaime Foxx).

    After some bird footsie, Tulio takes Linda to dinner and Blu and Jewel get kidnapped. They are inexplicably chained together and forced to listen to the songs of Nigel (Jemaine Clement) the only halfway interesting bird char-acter. The macaws manage to escape, which is when Jewel discovers that Blu can’t fly. They wind up in the forest, surrounded by feather pulling toucans, including Rafael (George Lopez). He offers to take them downtown to meet his friend Luiz (Tracy Morgan). Car-sickness inducing 3D hijinks ensue while Linda and Tulio search the streets, get terrible sunburns and are miraculously healed of terrible sunburns in time for happy ending. Too bad no actual birds were harmed in the making of this film.

  • Whether you know you know them or not, most people know and have been touched in some way or another by the music of the Hank Williams. This became very apparent to me as I sat beside my 10-year-old son at Campbellton Landing on Friday night, and listened as he sang along with a number of the songs performed by the Cape Fear Regional Theatre cast of Hank Williams: Lost Highway.

    We have an ecclectic taste in music in our house, but I can’t say we own any Hank CDs, but somehow through television, movies and the radio, my child had been touched by the genius that is Hank. As I looked around the Sol Rose Amphitheatre, it was easy to see he wasn’t alone. Feet were tapping, lips were moving and members of the audience were being drawn into the memory of a musical legend.

    Director Gina Stewar and her mult-talented cast have brought the legend, the mystique and the pain of Hank Williams to life. 05-18-11-hankwilliams.jpg

    They tell each moment with such passion, that you feel you are at his funeral. You watch as his friends and family try to save him from himself. You see his search for redemption.

    Because Hank is music, the show is all about the music — and let me tell you, it is good. T

    hroughout the performance the cast performs more than 20 of Williams’ songs. Much of the weight of this show rest on the shoulders of Cliff Hale, a Clayton computer programmer. This is Hale’s first time performing in a theatrical show, but you couldn’t tell. He came across like an old pro.

    When you go down to see the show, and I know you will, the first thing you’ll notice is Hale’s striking resemblence to Williams, the second is his voice. Close your eyes and listen. You’ll swear it’s Hank Williams singing.

    Hale is backed up by the talented local bluegrass band The Parsons, comprised of Cumberland County residents Jon and Caroline Parsons and Jerome Hawkes.They do a stellar job with the music and as Williams’ band.

    CFRT veterans Libby McNeill Seymour, Jonathan Flom, Rebekah Wilson MacCredie and Nicki Hart round out the local cast. They all turned in stellar performances,which is expected from this talented group.

    Bringing the Blues to the show as Charlotte singer/poet Roger Davis who played Tee-Tot, the man who taught Williams how to feel his music.

    You have one more week to enjoy this show, you’re going to want to make sure you get down to the river and take it in. It’s a don’t miss.

    For show times and tickets, visit www.cfrt.org.

  • ARIES (March 21-April 19) You don’t have to be great to sell your work. You just have to do something that others want. Popularity and fi ancial success go hand in hand. But this week you may discover that financial success is not your ultimate goal.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20) You prefer to talk and behave in the ways you are used to — it’s comfortable. But you’re also willing to try new phrases and mannerisms and hang out with different people. Your experimental mood will allow you to sample many perspectives.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21) You’ll have a posi-tive experience with someone, which makes you think you like the person a great deal. Maybe you do. Or maybe it’s more about what you are doing than with whom you are doing it and it all gets mixed into the same happy feeling.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22) Understanding the needs of another takes time and attention. It also helps to have an attitude of non-judgment and the ability to resist jumping to conclusions. You will gain comprehensive knowledge of another person’s needs and will know how to meet them.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) There are those who mistake you for another, through no fault of your own. Their history makes them see you in a particular way and attribute qualities to you that you may not possess. Your job is to gently educate these misguided souls by acting as your most authentic self.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) There will be friendly invaders who shake up your personal system of law and order. The disruption is just what you needed to get the excitement and creative energy flowing through your world again. However, it is still a bit unsettling. You’ll be making adjustments as you go.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) You will tell the future for a friend. Your objectivity allows you to readily see where things are headed. When it comes to your own scene, you are usually too wrapped up in it to know what is around the bend.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21)You may get the looming feeling that you’re aimlessly drifting. Mostly this is due to low energy in general. You probably need more sleep or are cranky because you’ve been working so hard. You can rest and relax your way into an improved headspace.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) You know how much to reveal about yourself and what to hold back. Pat yourself on the back for this and a hundred other things about yourself that you take for granted. When you stop and think about it — and you should — you’re pretty awesome.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You could spend hours learning about how to accom-plish a task without ever getting the practical experience necessary to actually do the job. So when faced with the choice between a textbook, which can only give you theoretical knowledge, and hands-on experience, choose the latter and you’ll succeed.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You’re funny and humble; it’s true. You’re also being watched by people who can promote you and help you get where you want to go in life. That’s why self-deprecating humor can hurt you these days.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) You will be in a position to decipher a message. Keep in mind that this is probably a very simple or even primitive message, so don’t over-think it. Use your powers of empathy — one of your super-strengths.

  • On Saturday, May 21, the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex will pay tribute to our nation’s military history with the special event Military Through the Ages: A March Through History. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., this free event will feature living history presentations, educational programs and entertainment. Re-enactors representing different time periods will bring to life military history on the grounds of the Fayetteville Arsenal, and guest speakers in the museum will discuss such topics as War of 1812 tactics and the history of African Americans in our armed forces.05-11-11-military-through-ages.jpg

    In the past, the program has focused on U.S. military history, in conjunction with Armed Forces Day, featuring reenactors from America’s various wars and military adventures. This year we have expanded the program to include other countries, friend and foe alike, creating a unique living history experience for the visitor. Reenactors will represent familiar time periods such as colonial soldiers from the Revolutionary War and Union and Confederate reenactors representing the Civil War. Some of the lesser-known conflicts featured include the War of 1812, Spanish-American War and the Anglo-Zulu wars of the 1870s. Reenactors will be portraying War of 1812 sailors, U.S. Volunteers in Cuba, as well as British soldiers of the late Victorian era, and World War II German soldiers … complete with correct period uniforms, and in some cases, original weapons and equipment. Encampments will feature tents, campfi re cooking and displays of uniforms, equipment and personal effects, as well as the ever-popular horse drawn artillery display.

    For those that like to celebrate spring with a bang, there will be weapons demonstrations throughout the day. From primitive fl intlock muskets of the Colonial era, to Civil War fi eld artillery, modern repeating rifl es and machine guns, the visitor will get a fi rst-hand experience of the evolution of military weapons. The changes in weaponry offer a fascinating look, not only at tactics, but technology and innovation. Military Through the Ages: A March Through History will feature a one-of-a-kind demonstration utilizing many different weapons, creating a memorable experience of sight and sound.

    For the young, and young-at-heart, there will be children’s activities, food and live music. The whole family can enjoy old-time folk music from the Civil War era performed by Norm Boggs and Rob Morrison. Their performances not only include music from by-gone days, but music that is performed on period, antique instruments to achieve a true, unvarnished 19th century sound.

    For the second year in a row, Museum of the Cape Fear will collaborate with the JROTC students from Western Harnett High School to present a spectacular flag ceremony. This impressive program features cadets with uniforms and fl ags representing every American conflict from the Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terror. As part of their curriculum, the cadets from Western Harnett also preserve and maintain an extensive collection of military vehicles, from the World War II and Vietnam eras. Their support group will be on hand to provide BBQ, soft drinks and snacks as part of their fundraising activities.

    As part of the ongoing 150th anniversary of the Civil War, The Museum of the Cape Fear will also feature a special exhibit, Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory: A Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit, featuring images of figures, artifacts and documents that bring to life the realities of our nation’s defining conflict.

    There will be plenty of on-site parking available, for the convenience of the visitor. Please join us for a day of family fun, education and military history, as we present Military Through the Ages: A March Through History! For more information about this event, go to www.31daysofglory.com.

  • 05-18-11-friends-of-library.jpgMy grandmother always bragged about how much 50 cents could buy her “back in the day.” Once, she said that with 50 cents, she could: buy hamburgers for a week; go see a movie; and drink Coca Cola for a week. Of course, I looked at her in total amazement because in my day, 50 cents can no longer get you a copy of local newspaper. What can 50 cents get you in 2011? Well, so far I’ve managed to come up with: one Air Head, a cup of water from McDonald’s and … a book! Yes. You can buy a book with 50 cents in 2011.

    On May 21, the Downtown Headquarters Library will host a public book sale. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. The book sale will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will conclude at 2 p.m. The average selling price for each book is 50 cents! Remember, the early bird catches the worm so be sure to come early to get the best books and deals.

    Friends of the Library are “a group of people who support the work of the library with fi nancial contributions.” By completing a membership application, located on the library homepage, and paying a small membership fee, anyone can become a member of Friends of the Library. Members receive biweekly newsletters with library information, monthly event calendars and participate in the private book sale.

    The book sale will benefit the library greatly. Proceeds from the sale will go towards author events, library staff-development workshops and other events hosted by the library. A variety of books will be for sale including: audio books, DVDs, VHS tapes, magazines and music CDs. Children’s books, adult books and foreign-language books will also be sold. Some of the books are from community donations as well as books included in library circulation.

    The book sale happens several times a year, but due to the fi re damage Headquarters Library incurred in October 2008, the book sale was taken off the calendar. It resumed in February of 2010 and made $8,500 in profi ts. An estimated 100-150 people attend the public sale and profi ts average between $7,000 and $9,000.

    Friends of the Library and Headquarters Library encourage members of the community to take advantage of the free events hosted by the library. Every fi rst and second Tuesday of each month. Friends of the Library are also sponsoring a quilt raffl e to benefi t the organization. Each ticket is $2 and the raffl e will be on September 20 at 7 p.m.

    The University of Dayton reports that 80 percent of U.S. families did not buy or read a book in 2002. One third of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives. Forty-two percent of college graduates never read another book after college. Reading allows one to take an adventure to foreign places and go on unique adventures. Children are able to use their imagination and learn new fun-filled things while reading. Change these statistic and support the public book sale at the Downtown Headquarters Library on May 2. With only 50 cents you will be able to leave with a treasure.

    Photo: On May 21, the Downtown Headquarters Library will host a public book sale.

  • 05-25-11-glory_days_logo.jpgUnited States soldiers have left many footprints across the globe, so this Memorial Day weekend the Fayetteville Downtown Alliance is hoping families will take a few booted steps of their own in support of the armed forces at the inaugural Walk a Mile in Their Boots.

    The walk, which is the newest addition to the Fayetteville Downtown Alliance’s 11th Annual Glory Days celebration, will kick-off Monday’s festival celebration at 9:15 a.m. The walk will leave from Festival Park and travel down Hay Street, past the Airborne and Special Operations Museum and the Glory Days Field of Honor before returning to the park.

    “I’m hoping to see kids coming in wearing their mom or their dad’s boots, or their grandparents’ boots,” said Suzy Hrabovsky, who chairs the Field of Honor. “To see them walk in someone else’s boots, someone that they loved, to show that homage to them. I have this vision of all these kids, maybe even wearing their jackets.”

    As well as wearing boots, walkers are encouraged to bring a flag or banner in honor of a soldier.

    “We would like people to make a fl ag, or anything that would signify who they’re supporting,” Hrabovsky said. 

    While the festival is free, the walk costs $25, which also gets you an event T-shirt. Registration opens at 9 a.m., or ahead of time online at www.glorydaysnc.com.

    Net proceeds from the walk will benefi t the United Service Organizations Center, or USO, on Fort Bragg, which is raising money for a soldier center at the Fayetteville Regional Airport.

    After the walk, Festival Park will march into full stride with a wide array of family-friendly entertainment, artists, musicians, children’s activities and food. Look for the iconic Uncle Sam on stilts while he passes out American fl ags; gravity-defying aerial artists; a classic car cruise-in; and a vintage military equipment and gear exhibit. Among the musical acts on the bill are the Fayetteville Symphony Brass Quartet and Summerfield.

    FDA President Chris Villa said the group has especially expanded the children’s area this year.

    “We’ve got Rolling Video (a bus full of video games), jump houses, a kids’ train, games, the SwampDogs and pony rides,” Villa said. “It’s certainly a way to spend the day with family and friends … to celebrate where you live, where you’re coming from, and where your family has been: Serving in the military, representing our country, and keeping us safe. What a way to pay homage and have fun at the same time. And, it’s free!”

    Memorial Ceremony

    At 11 a.m., take a break from the festivities to spend some quiet time of reflection to honor our fallen soldiers. The city’s annual Memorial Day Ceremony will be held at Freedom Memorial Park, and will feature a wreath ceremony, guest speaker and the sounding of TAPS. For more information, email dtalbot@juno.com.

    Friday Movie

    Memorial Day is the last day of the Glory Days festivities, which actually start on Friday with a free outdoor showing of Iron Man 2 in Festival Park. The movie starts at dusk, and is shown in partnership with Operation Ceasefi re, which will be giving out free popcorn and drinks to movie goers. At the movie, people can also purchase a Liberty05-25-11-glory-days-018.jpgLuminary from The Pilot Club, which will hold a vigil for fallen soldiers that night at the park. The women’s organization will sell the luminaries for $5, and money raised will go toward the club’s efforts with traumatic brain injuries and brain disorders.

    Field of Honor

    This is the fourth year that the FDA and the ASOM have hosted the Field of Honor as part of Glory Days. The orderly field of more than 600 3-by-5-foot U.S. flags stands like a patriotic grove in the parade field near the museum entrance, each bearing a yellow ribbon remembering someone special. The flags went up May 6, and will remain until June 18, after which sponsors can collect or donate their flags.

    Cary resident Christopher Dunn was admiring the flags outside the museum on May 13 as part of a fieldtrip with his 9-year-old son, Anthony.

    “This is my first time at the museum,” Dunn said. “I did notice (the field) when we were coming in, and I thought it was an awesome experience to see all the U.S. flags and the patriotism that represents. It makes you feel proud when you see the number of flags that represent the soldiers that have fought for our freedom.”

    Jim Ryder, ASOM’s director of marketing and public relations, said the museum staff loves having the Field of Honor display each year

    “It’s an honor to have them here,” Ryder said. “Everyone who comes to the museum comments on them.”

    Ryder said the flags should look even better next year with the addition of the N.C. State Veterans Park, which is scheduled to open on July 4

    Sponsoring a flag costs $25 per honoree, and net proceeds are given to the museum and nonprofit organization Fayetteville Cares, which provides civilian support to military families and soldiers.

    Last year, the field’s proceeds contributed $4,000 to the ASOM, and $3,000 to Fayetteville Cares, according Villa. Sponsoring a flag can also be done through the Glory Days website.

    “I expect to sell out by Memorial Day weekend,” Hrabovsky said. “In the past we’ve usually sold out within the month.

    Photo: Downtown is set to celebrate Memorial Day with many activities.

  • Lunchtime is often full of work, and lacks the well-deserved break we all need. Many of us are habitually too busy during lunch and often fall victim to the same boring sit06-01-11-munch-on-history.jpgting-at-the-desk type of situation. This is where The Museum of The Cape Fear comes in. They have decided to have four various 15 minute lunchtime talks at the museum, where offi ce addicts like me and you can take a break and learn something while enjoying your brown bagged lunch. Moreover, the museum will provide water or other beverages to accompany the lunch that you bring. The Munch on History: A Lunchtime Lecture begins on May 31st, extending out to June 14th, July 12th and August 16th at 12:15 p.m. respectively.

    Each lunchtime lecture is specifi cally dedicated to important facts and interesting historical features that have something to do with Fayetteville, or North Carolina. On May 31, the museum’s Historic Interpreter Mr. Jim Brisson talked about the controversial topic of William Woods Holden & the Kirk-Holden War. Historically, William Woods Holden was the 2nd governor to be impeached. The fact that Mr. Holden was recently pardoned by the N.C. Senate at the N.C. State Capitol makes this topic even more interesting.

    The topic of conversation on June 14, honors our National Flag Day. Chris Woodson, who is the education coordinator for Arsenal Park will discuss and share important information on our nation’s different fl ags and their history. Woodson will also discuss various United States fl ags and will enlighten the attendees on how they developed into something that symbolizes patriotism.

    On July 12, Leisa Greathouse, curator of education from The Museum of the Cape Fear will present fi ve historical facts about Fayetteville that has noteworthy ties to our nation’s past. Fayetteville is always welcoming newcomers, making this day very important, as they can understand and appreciate Fayetteville and discover fascinating facts about the city.

    The final lunchtime history lecture will be on August 16, where 1897 Poe House education coordinator Heidi Bleazey will enlighten visitors with some Victorian etiquette and Poe House history.

    Everyone is welcome to learn from the Victorian era, where etiquette was at its prime. It was when women never extended her hand to shake that of a man and where women dressed up to avoid attention from men. These interesting facts are sure to add a touch of humor to anyone’s lunch break.

    The Museum of the Cape Fear has always been successful in providing a great source of knowledge and entertainment. Munch On History: A Lunchtime Lecture is indeed an ideal event to attend once a month beginning from May until August, at 12:15 p.m. According to Greathouse, “Even if your lunch is to grab-a-burger-on-the-go, bring it to the museum where you can sit, relax, eat, and listen,” said Greathouse. “We hope that the presentations become entertaining through questions and discussions by the audience.” She also encourages individuals who attend to return to work and share the knowledge the next day with their co-workers. In addition, of course, the admission is free!

    The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex is located, 801 Arsenal Avenue, Fayetteville, NC 28345. Call 910-4861330 for more information or go to www.museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov.

  • Sebrina Wilson Jack Britt softball coachSebrina Wilson has been the varsity softball coach at Jack Britt High School since the school opened its doors in 2000, so she knows a thing or two about the sport.
    As she readies her team for this weekend’s state 4-A championship series with Western champion South Caldwell at North Carolina State University’s Dail Softball Stadium in Raleigh, she admits a state championship run wasn’t in her thinking when the season started.
    Britt, the No. 8 seed in the 4-A East, is 23-5 overall.
    South Caldwell was the No. 2 seed in the 4-A West and is 28-2.
    In the MaxPreps rankings, South Caldwell and Britt are No. 2 and No. 12 respectively in North Carolina. In 4-A, South Caldwell is No. 1 and Britt No. 3.
    South Caldwell swept Richmond Senior 2-0 in the Western 4-A series. Britt was 0-3 against Richmond this Carlie Myrtle Jack Britt softballseason, which won the regular-season title in the Sandhills Athletic Conference.
    South has a 25-game winning streak, last losing 7-1 to 3-A softball finalist Alexander Central.
    Britt has won five in a row since falling for the third time to Richmond Senior 7-2 in the Sandhills Conference tournament. 
     
    It was having to play in that tough league that gave Wilson some pause entering the season, even though she had a good mix of talented newcomers and solid veterans returning.
    Looking back, Wilson said that tough run in the Sandhills Conference prepared Britt for its battles in the state playoffs. But there was something that may have been bigger than that behind Britt’s success.
    “Just last year, they will admit to you it was more their attitude that kept them from winning,’’ Wilson said of her team. “The biggest thing is we’re playing for each other. I think any team that gets to this point, you have to be able to play for each other.’’
    The biggest area of improvement Wilson has seen in the postseason is defense. “We’ve cleaned up a lot of the little miscues we’ve had,’’ she said. “When we would have them before, we would let them compound and lead us to another one. Right now we’re battling out of them.’’
    If one player has been the key to the Britt turnaround, it’s probably freshman pitcher Carlie Myrtle. A veteran of travel ball and the tutelage of her dad, former Methodist University baseball All-American and Britt assistant coach Joe Myrtle, Myrtle is 19-5 and has limited opponents to a .243 batting average.
    She has recorded 128 strikeouts in 152.2 innings while walking 23 for an earned run average of 2.57. She has already committed to play college softball at the University of North Carolina.
    “Carlie has put together a solid season on the mound,’’ Wilson said. “By no means is she going to step up and strike everyone out. Our defense has finally learned they have to step up and play behind her.’’
    Myrtle knows she’s not a strikeout pitcher, but feels there are other aspects of her game that make her effective on the mound.
    “I feel like I have good spin rates,’’ she said. “If I can get the pitch to move like I need it to, I can get the batter to hit it poorly and not get full connection on the ball. That way, it leads to a popup or a ground ball that I know my defense can get to.’’
    Myrtle has experience playing at N.C. State and likes the facility. “I know the ball bounces true and doesn’t have many bad hops,’’ she said.
    Myrtle is also one of the team’s batting leaders with a .500 average that includes 34 RBIs, 11 doubles, two triples and five home runs.
    Another hitting leader is senior Kassady Hardee, who hit .427 with 28 RBIs, 11 doubles and five homers.
    “I’m super proud of us,’’ Hardee said. “We’ve all worked together, really meshed into a family. I think that’s what’s gotten us so far. If one person strikes out we go and pick them up and make sure they’re okay so we can stay in the game. I think that’s our key this year, us being one.’’
     
    Wilson doesn’t know a lot about South Caldwell, Britt’s finals opponent, except the Spartans are young like her Buccaneer team. “We’re almost like a mirror image having young kids playing so many vital roles for our programs,’’ she said. “We’re going to come in and try to hit the ball and they’re going to come in and try to hit the ball. It’s who can play the best defense.’’
    Britt and South Caldwell will share the N.C. State field with the 1-A championship series between Louisburg and Alleghany.
    Britt’s first game is Friday at 5 p.m. with South Caldwell as the home team. The teams will return to the field Saturday at 11 a.m. with Britt as the home team.
    If a third game is needed, it will be at 5 p.m. Saturday. South Caldwell, as the higher overall seed, would be home for that game.
    Tickets are $8 for Friday’s game with no re-entry. Tickets to the Saturday session all-day are $12 with re-entry allowed. If there is a third game in the series you can purchase a single-game ticket for $8.
    Britt fans are urged to arrive early for the game. There is permanent seating at N.C. State for about 500 fans and roughly another 200 spaces for fans who bring their own chairs. 
    Photos, from top: Sebrina Wilson, Carlie Myrtle
  • 20 Nyielah NickNyielah Nick

    Seventy-First

    • Baseball/Track

    • Sophomore

    Nick has a 3.75 gradepoint average. In addition to basketball and track, she is active in ROTC and Find a Friend.

     

     

     

     

    20 Zaryen McGilvaryZaryen McGilvary

    Seventy-First

    • Indoor and outdoor track

    • Sophomore

    McGilvary has a 3.6 grade point average. In addition to track, McGilvary is active in ROTC.

  • 19 Freedom chris basFreedom Christian Academy’s softball team won its second North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 2-A softball championship in three years last week, again on its homefield, winning three straight games in the double elimination round of the state tournament.

    Freedom was the No. 2 seed in the tournament and didn’t have to play a game on the road, beating Calvary Day School 10-0 in the opening round before play moved to Freedom for the rest of the tournament. Freedom beat No. 3 seed Rocky Mount Academy 13-2, then downed No. 1 seed Fayetteville Christian 3-1.

    Rocky Mount came out of the loser’s bracket after eliminating Fayetteville Christian 3-2, then Freedom clinched the title with a five-inning 11-1win over Rocky Mount in the final game.

    Haley Nelson got the win in the championship game, allowing three hits and one run in five innings while recording six strikeouts and yielding three walks.

    Rocky Mount led briefly at 1-0 before Molly Montgomery homered to give Freedom a 2-1 lead. Montgomery singled home two more runs later in the game.

    Kendall MacCauley also tripled to drive in two more runs for the Patriots.

    Nelson, Montgomery and Lexi Little made the NCISAA 2-A All-State team for Freedom. Chosen from Fayetteville Christian were Destiny Smith, Olivia Nieto and Morgan Hatchell.

    • NC Spurs will hold a basketball camp featuring Fayetteville Academy basketball coach Bill Boyette. The camp is for boys and girls 8-12 and 13-18 and will be held July 9-13 at Fayetteville Academy from 9 a.m. until noon each day. The cost is $200 per student and includes player evaluation. 

    For information, call Jimmy Maher at 910-580-5643 or visit www.ncspurs.com/basketball.

    NC Spurs will also hold an elite training camp for soccer July 19-21. Sessions for U10-U13 will be held 9 a.m. until noon and for U14-U18 from 5p.m. to 8 p.m. The camp will be directed by Shaun Maher, 14-year professional player with various teams in England and Ireland.

    The camp is for boys and girls, high school players from freshman to senior and travel players ages 10-18. Players will be grouped by age and playing ability. Goalkeeper training will be provided using the new sidekick, which can beviewed at www.seattlesportsciences.com.

    The cost is $225 and includes player evaluation. For more information, visit www.ncspurs.com or call Maher at the number given previously.

    Summer soccer camps are also scheduled June 25-29 and July 16-20. Camp hours are 9 a.m. until noon daily. Ages are 4-15 with players grouped by ability. Goalkeepers will also train with the sidekick device. Cost is $170 per player.

    Fayetteville Academy soccer coaches Jimmy Maher and Andrew McCarthy will work at both soccer camps.

  • 18 Unified Track winnersHere’s a look back at how area athletes fared in recent North Carolina High School Athletic Association and North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association state track competitions.

    NCHSAA

    Cumberland County’s entry into the state’s Unified Track and Field program in conjunction with North Carolina Special Olympics and ESPN came to a successful conclusion in last weekend’s state 3-A track meet at North Carolina A&T University.

    Cumberland County, under the leadership of county student activities director Vernon Aldridge, has been among the state leaders in giving special needs youngsters the chance to compete in Unified Track. There are currently only three counties in the state taking part in the Unified Track program, Wake County, Cumberland County and Guilford County. With seven schools participating, Cumberland County is second only to Wake County in total schools taking part.

    At the state meet in Greensboro, Unified athletes were allowed to participate in two events, the 4x100 relay and the 100-meter dash.

    The Gray’s Creek team of Charles Bechtol, Devonte Pierce, Kyler Brewington and Andrew Esterly won the 4x100 with a time of 51.77 seconds.

    The Westover team of Jason Sylvester, Damarion Ford, Jada Gardner and Yahaira Leaks took third with a 58.04.

    Terry Sanford’s team of Jeremiah Bordeaux, Darious Davis, Clarence Frazier and Alfred Davenport was third with a 1:02.30.

    In the 100-meter dash, Andrew Esterly was third with a 12.39. Bordeaux was fourth with a 12.60. Gray’s Creek’s Pierce and Anthony Liszewski were fifth and sixth respectively, Pierce with a 13.08 and Liszewski with a 13.25.

    NCISAA

    In the NCISAAstate 1-A/2-Ameet, Fayetteville Christian’s Nashaya Pagan and Fayetteville Academy’s Morgan Dorsey had big days.

    Pagan was an individual winner in two events and helped lead FayettevilleChristian to a relay win.

    Pagan won the 100-meter with a time of 12.76 and the 200 with a time of 26.24. Only a freshman, Pagan was a double winner in the state meet for Fayetteville Christian last year.

    She teamed with Aeryon Davis, Shadea McElvin and Monet Oliver tow in the 4x100 in this year’s meet with a time of 51.65.

    Dorsey took the 400-meter dash for Fayetteville Academy with a time of 58.80. A year ago, Dorsey won the 800-meter state championship for the Eagles.

    The Fayetteville Christian boys foursome of Jaden Jenkins, Declan Cutler, Trevonte Robinson and Latterrion Johnson won the 4x100 and 4x200 relays. Their time in the 4x100 was 45.28, and they won the 4x200 in 1:35.09.

  • 16Jaden PoneJaden Pone

    Gray’s Creek • Softball •

    Freshman

    Pone helped lead the Bears’ softball team to a berth in the state 3-A playoffs while managing a grade point average of 3.5.

     

     

    17Angel Aviles scholar athlete 71stAngel Aviles

    Seventy-First • Bowling •

    Junior

    Aviles has a grade point average of 4.0. In addition to bowling, he participates in Skills USA and is a member of the Academy of Scholars.

  • 13Doug Watts• After 51 years in various roles with American Legion baseball, veteran coach Doug Watts has decided to step aside.

    Hope Mills Boosters coach Mark Kahlenberg announced that Watts retired from his role with the Hope Mills program just a couple weeks ago.

    Watts, a member of the state American Legion Hall of Fame, has been the heart and soul of the Hope Mills American Legion program for years, keeping the team afloat as other American Legion programs in the Cape Fear region withered away and died.

    The Hope Mills team will hold a special ceremony to honor Watts at its home game with Jacksonville on June 9 at 2 p.m.

    All former players and coaches who worked with Watts over the years are invited to attend the ceremony.

    All of Hope Mills’ home games this year will again be played at South View High School.

    The team began regular season play last Saturday at Wilmington Laney. Their first home game is scheduled for May 28 at 7 p.m. with Apex.

    14Nyneem Williams• Congratulations to South View’s Nyneem Williams and Jaeil Daniels, winners in the recent 4-A Mid-East Regional track meet. 

    Williams took the shot put with a throw of 49 feet 6 inches.

    Daniels was the winner in the girls discus with a throw of 97-8. Both advanced to the state 4-A meet

    Also winning were the Jack Britt boys 4x100 and 4x200 meter relay teams.

    Members of both winning teams were Barry Elliott, Chancellor Johnson, Deangelo Davis and Malik Graddy.

     

     

    15Jaeil Daniels

    • Congratulations to the softball team from Riverside Christian Academy, which recently won the Carolina Athletic Association Schools of Choice State championship.

    Riverside defeated Clover Garden 10-4 in the championship game.

    Leading hitters in the finals for Riverside were Briana Wilson, 2-for-4 with a double and a home run; Kimberly Bordeaux, 2-for-4 with a home run; Trinity Hood, 2-for-4; Grace Draughon, 3-for-4 with two doubles and Amelia Edge, 4-for-5 with a double and a home run.

    Riverside finished with a 14-4 record.

    • A reminder to all middle school and high school athletes in need of a sports physical for the 2018-19 school year: Fayetteville Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine will be giving physicals Saturday, June 9, from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m.

    The cost will be $10 per physical. Only athletes under the age of 18 are eligible for the physicals and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

    Please bring the physical form provided to you by your school athletic trainer, athletic director or head coach.

    Fayetteville Orthopaedics is located at 1991 Fordham Dr., Suite 100. For information, call 910-484-3114.

    Photos: Doug Watts; Nyneem Willians; Jail Daniels

  • 12Maxwell Cup photoTerry Sanford finished a dominant year in the Patriot Athletic Conference by bringing home the Maxwell/Wells Fargo Trophy for overall athletic excellence.

    The Bulldogs won or shared conference championships in seven sports. They won at least two conference titles in all three major seasons of the school year, and ended with a flourish in the spring as they took titles in boys tennis, baseball and girls soccer. All three of those spring teams made deep runs in the N.C. High School Athletic Association state playoffs, each making it at least to the third round or beyond.

    Final point totals saw Terry Sanford outdistance second-place Cape Fear, last year’s winner of the trophy, with 137 points to 129.5.

    Pine Forest was third with 122, followed by South View with 110, Gray’s Creek 107, Overhills 101, E.E. Smith 54, Westover 44 and Douglas Byrd 32.5.

    When it was created in 1979, the Maxwell Cup was an all-sports trophy for Cumberland County schools. Since that time, as schools have been moved into different leagues, it’s become a joint all-sports award with the NCHSAA’s Wells Fargo Cup that goes to the best overall athletic program in each conference. Now that eight of the 10 Cumberland County senior high schools are in the Patriot Conference, the Maxwell is presented to the best school in that league along with the Wells Fargo Cup.

    “We encourage multi-sport athletes,” said Terry Sanford athletic director Liz McGowan. “There’s a lot of truth that kids who play sports have to be more organized with their time. They end up being stronger students because they are using their time wisely.’’

    McGowan said the coaching staff at Terry Sanford works together to make the sharing of athletes between different sports successful. “A lot of our kids end up going Division 1 or Division 2 after they leave us,” she said.

    A couple of multi-sport athletes, Maggie Hodge and Dante Bowlding, share McGowan’s view of the coaches at Terry Sanford.

    Hodge participates in cross-country, swimming and track and field. “I’m with smaller teams, and you really get to build a tighter connection with your coaches,” she said.

    Bowlding was part of two conference championship teams for the Bulldogs, basketball and football. 

    A junior, Bowlding will have a chance next year to help keep the Maxwell Cup at Terry Sanford. He already knows what the key will be to doing that.

    “Leadership,’’ he said. “Leading by example. Doing everything I can to help my team.’’

    Photo: L to R: Maggie Hodge, Dante Bowlding and Terry Sanford athletic director Liz McGowan.

  • 11John DeWeese Jack BrittA fitting cap to the wrestling career of former Jack Britt coach John DeWeese occurred this past weekend when he was inducted into the North Carolina chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame based in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

    DeWeese’s nomination was pushed by some old friends in the North Carolina wrestling world, former UNC-Pembroke wrestling coach P.J. Smith and his longtime coaching partner when the two were at Seventy-First, current Pine Forest principal David Culbreth.

    “You don’t realize after 28 or 29 years of coaching wrestling all the impacts you have,’’ said DeWeese, who, though he’s retired from coaching, still teaches earth science at Jack Britt High School. “I still get calls from my first wrestlers. They have kids and want to know what to do with them when they’re wrestling.”

    He enjoys bumping into his former wrestlers when he’s around Fayetteville shopping. He still helps out in the wrestling program at Jack Britt, mainly with the operation of the annual tournament he founded, the Boneyard Bash. But other than that, he’s tried to deliberately stay away from frequent visits to the Buccaneer wrestling room.

    “I think I’ve been in there three times,’’ he said. He said he learned a valuable lesson from Culbreth, who was supposed to be the first wrestling coach at Jack Britt after leaving Seventy-First, but literally walked away from the job to enter the business world before deciding to return to education some years later.

    “I didn’t realize how much that would help me,’’ DeWeese said. “It helped me understand this is my job and what I need to do.’’

    DeWeese literally got into the sport as a favor to a former wrestler. He was at Lewis Chapel Junior High when the previous wrestling coach unexpectedly stepped down. The late J.C. Hawk, who went on to win a state title at Seventy-First, came to DeWeese and pleaded with him to take over as coach, even though he knew nothing about wrestling

    DeWeese said Hawk promised to teach him all he knew about wrestling, and DeWeese ordered some VHS instructional tapes to get an understanding of the sport. 

    “I wore them out trying to get an understanding of what to teach a bunch of kids,’’ DeWeese said.

    DeWeese went on to win 13 conference titles and only lose three home conference matches in 17 seasons as Britt’s wrestling coach.

    His crowning moment came in 2015, when the Buccaneers won the 4-A state dual team championship in a match held on Jack Britt’s home court.

    Although he won that state title and crowned multiple individual state champions during his career, DeWeese points to an accomplishment from the academic realm that remains his proudest achievement.

    “I had three kids at West Point,’’ he said, referring to three of his wrestlers who attended the United States Military Academy.

    The trio included Spencer Nick and brothers Andrew and Brad Wanovich. A third brother, Kevin Wanovich, is still enrolled at Britt and could become the fourth wrestler once coached by DeWeese to attend the military academy.

    “I think they learned a lot and we put them in a position to be good leaders,’’ DeWeese said.

    Looking back, DeWeese said his goal as a wrestling coach was pretty simple. “I never went into anything if I didn’t want to do it,’’ he said. “If I’m in it, I’m in it to win it, and win it as ethically correct as possible.

    Photo: John DeWeese

  • 20Eli ONeal Jack BrittEli O’Neal

    Jack Britt

    • Basketball

    • Junior

    O’Neal has a gradepoint average of 3.5.

    He enjoys basketball, math and riding the bicycle.

     

     

    21Summer PowellSummer Powell

    Gray’s Creek

    • Softball

    • Sophomore

    Powell has a 3.83 gradepoint average.

    She has been chosen toplay for the Region 4 team in this summer’s Powerade State Games.

  • 05-02-12-fayetteville-symphony-2.jpgFayetteville is fortunate to be home to a true gem, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, the oldest continuously funded orchestra in North Carolina.

    As the FSO celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, it is hosting its annual Champagne & Diamonds event on Sunday, May 6, from 5:30-7 p.m. at SkyView on Hay. Tickets to the event are $50, and in just its second year, the fundraiser already requires a larger venue.

    “The first year we did it, we held it in Dr. Richard and Susan Shereff’s home,” said Christine Kastner, president and CEO of the FSO. “We had such a large turnout. There were about 250 people, and that’s asking a lot to host such a large group in your home. So this year we decided we needed to move it to a different venue, SkyView.”

    The $50 ticket provides each attendee with admission to the event and entry into the drawing for an elegant ring, appraised at more than $9,000. The ring features a stunning square-cut 1.77-carat emerald from Colombia and two diamonds in a 14 carat gold setting. The ring’s precious gemstone is in honor of the FSO’s emerald anniversary.

    “We were fortunate to obtain the emerald and then to get it set in a ring,” Kastner said.

    In addition to the main event of the evening, the drawing, guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres and champagne for the price of admission.

    “That’s a pretty good deal,” said Kastner. “We’ll have a Fayetteville Symphony String Quartet performing, and there will be additional door prizes.”

    Among the door prizes are gift certificates for a foursome of golf at Baywood Golf Club, picture or art framing,packages of dinner and symphony concert tickets for two and a massage. Attendees must be present to win the door prizes but need not be present to win the ring.

    “It’s a fun way to come support the symphony. Even if you haven’t been able to make our concerts this year, you can come to this event,” Kastner said. “It has a broad cross-section of people who attend. Obviously it was so successful last year that we decided that this is going to be our signature fundraiser.”

    And celebrating with champagne and diamonds offers a most fitting approach to help ensure the FSO continues to sparkle and shine in our community. For more information, contact the FSO office at (910) 433-4690 or visit www.fayettevillesymphony.org.

    Top photo: As the FSO celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, it is hosting its annual Champagne & Diamonds event.

  • 19HelpThe N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffsThe N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs in a number of team sports began last week,and schools anxiously awaited the reveal of the playoff brackets that would be seeded using the process incorporating the statewide rankings calculatedby MaxPreps.

    Two teams with especially high expectations were the girls soccer squad from Terry Sanford and the softball team from Cape Fear. Both completed the regular season with perfect records.

    But when the rankings came out, Terry Sanford was only seeded third among the soccer teams in the Eastern half ofthe state. Cape Fear fared better, but likeTerry Sanford, was behind teams that suffered losses on their overall recordsand also took the third seed.

    So why the lowered rankings for both? The answer lies in something called strength of schedule.

    One of the critical factors incorporated into the ranking process is how good the teams you play against are. If you’ll takea look at the MaxPreps statewide rankings, you’llsee they’ve got a low opinion of the teams Terry Sanford and Cape Fear faced this season.

    Of the top 20 soccer teams in North Carolina in the MaxPreps 3-A soccer rankings, Terry Sanford was the only one with a negative strength of schedule. Cape Fear and Hillsborough Cedar Ridgeare the only top 20 3-A softball teams with negative strength of schedule ratings.

    A big part of the problem for both Cape Fear and Terry Sanford is the teams they are forced to play in the Patriot Athletic Conference. Twice a year, both the Colt softball team and the Bulldog soccer team are forced to line up against multiple league opponents with really bad overall records.

    In games where both teams often win by the mercy rule, they take a beating in the strength of schedule computations and it drags them down in the seedingfor when it really counts, the state playoffs.

    Is there a cure, since it appears statewide rankings and strength of schedule calculations aren’t going to be disappearing anytime soon? Possibly, but it’s a complicated one and could create another headache for some other schools.There have been informal conversations among some county coaches and athletic directors in sports where teams play each other twice in the conference to make a radical change in the conference schedule.The change would be to just play one conference game with each team in the league and possibly even eliminate the conference tournament.

    What does that accomplish? For the schools with serious designs on the state playoffs, it gives them up to six or seven more games they can schedule, allowing them to shop around the region and state and tryto find nonconference matchups with competitive programs that wouldn’t take the air out of their strength of schedule.

    But then you’ve got the other sideof the coin. What happens to those conference teams with sub-par programs that suddenly lose half their conference slate? How can you guarantee them enough games to fill out a schedule? Would they be limited to trying to find other struggling teams to play against?

    These discussions have been completely informal so far, and no one is proposing anything concrete.But I think it’s at least worth exploring, as long as both strong and weak programs can be assured of getting enough games to fill the schedule and charge admission. That’s because paying the bills is crucial,and you’ve got to have a full slate of games to do that,even for a small crowd.

    The other option, and this is the better one but would take a lot more work to accomplish, would be to upgrade the struggling teams in the various sports that are dragging down strength of schedule for the other ones.This whole thing may be a knee-jerk reaction to the problem, but whatever is done, it’s obvious coaches and athletic directors need to be thinking outside the box long-term and trying to find an answer to this problem.

    The days of just putting one cookie-cutter schedule template together for all sports are over.If seeding and strength of schedule are going to bea part of the playoff process annually, it has to be addressed in the schedule process sport by sport to give everyone a fair chance of the best ranking possible.

  •  The Five-Year Engagement(Rated R) 4 Stars05-16-12-movie7.jpg

    Heading into his third film, Director Nicholas Stoller has one hit (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and one miss (Get Him to the Greek). The Five-Year Engagement(124 minutes) falls somewhere in between these two in overall quality. There are certainly more than a few laughs, but the film overall could have been trimmed down a bit. At more than two hours, this seems a bit indulgent — as if Stoller couldn’t bear to let anything go, whether it contributed to the film or not.

    Tom Solomon (Jason Segel) works as a sous chef while living with Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt) and dreaming of his own restaurant. They get engaged, and begin to have parties, as you do when you earn the kind of high dollar amounts typically enjoyed by sous chefs and graduate students. Oh wait — both of those people tend to live in poverty. I guess Mom and Dad are paying for everything. While they’re at it, maybe they should invest in some elocution lessons for Violet’s sister Suzie (Alison Brie, who apparently didn’t get the memo that her “family” is British).

    Anyway, the lovebirds manage to spend way more time planning their dream wedding than they spend actually getting married. You would think that a graduate student in the field of psychology would be able to get some insight from that, but apparently not. Despite her inability to apply basic psychology to address their personal issues, Violet is offered an apparently prestigious post-doc in psychology to the University of Michigan. As an academic, I question the logic of this particular plot device and the resulting lifestyle the two manage to share on the kind of salary a post-doc might expect to receive. Seriously, they should not be considering marriage when they are both clearly absorbing massive amounts of debt and will need to declare bankruptcy soon.

    Embracing feminism, Tom decides to support Violet’s career by moving from lovely San Francisco to the frozen waste that is Michigan. Violet then spends the next two years demonstrating the overall invalidity of psychological studies in the company of other post-docs including Vanetha (Mindy Kaling).

    Meanwhile, Tom begins a slow descent into depression, as evidenced by the growth of a stupid looking beard and the increasing number of scenes that show him in sweatpants. Because, of course, his fiancée is going to ignore his completely passive aggressive reaction to her achievement of a major academic milestone and stay with him despite the fact that she gets nothing from the relationship but a guilt trip. If only he had some career goal or hard-earned skill to fall back on, like that dream of owning his own restaurant he was talking about earlier in the film? No? We’re going to pretend that’s not where the story is obviously headed.

    For some reason, even after the writers have established the basic conflict the movie wanders on through scene after scene, only to climax in a completely ridiculous resolution. Oh well. At least there are plenty of Van Morrison songs to enjoy while daydreaming through some of the longer scenes. As a bonus, we get to witness the next phase in the ongoing quest of Segel to turn into a complete and utter girl. This is a nice switch from most male-driven comedies, but it does tend to make him interchangeable with Paul Rudd. Perhaps he could play against type in his next Apatow flick? Or at least try to find a character that’s not quite so self-loathing?

    Overall, it’s an enjoyable rom-com to see on date night but most of this material has been explored in other, more interesting films. If you’re hoping for another Forgetting Sarah Marshall, you’re apt to be disappointed.

    Now showing at Wynnsong 7, Carmike 12 and Carmike Market Fair 15.

     

  • 23 What were the two most used new words in the news last week?
    The term “Great Replacement.”

    I admit that I had never heard of the term until the recent attack in Buffalo by a white 18-year-old man that left 10 people dead. A long document, found with the attacker’s property and presumably written by him explained his motives and concerns about the "replacement" of the "white race" and "white culture."

    CNN reported that, “The author also writes about his perceptions of the dwindling size of the white population and claims of ethnic and cultural replacement of whites.”
    In an article published by CNN, Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney and a columnist for The Daily Beast, writes that what the document found with the shooter “espouses is, in essence, the white supremacist concept known as the Great Replacement Theory. This ‘theory' is meant as a warning to white people that soon, people of color — typically immigrants, Latinos and African Americans — may outnumber white people and in essence ‘replace’ them.”

    A recent article in The Wall Street Journal gave the following summary: “The great replacement’ is a conspiracy theory that asserts elites — politicians, business executives, media — are using immigration and other policies as a tool to reduce the white population.”

    The Journal article continues. “Interest and belief in the idea has increased in the U.S. in recent years, researchers say, as the percentage of white Americans, compared with nonwhite people, shrinks. The nation’s non-Hispanic white population dropped 2.6% between 2010 and 2020, according
    to the Census Bureau. Projections by the bureau indicate that the total population of nonwhite people in America will exceed the white population by 2045.”

    The replacement theory is not new. The idea got its modern start in France in the early part of the 20th Century. More recently, a 2011 article by French writer Renaud Camus and titled “The Great Replacement” is used by white supremacists in the U.S.

    According to the Journal, Camus wrote that “white Europeans will eventually be extinct because of immigration and since some nonwhite populations, particularly those of Africa and the Middle East, have higher birthrates. People from Africa and the Middle East have emigrated to France from former French colonies in increased numbers in the postcolonial era.”

    The increase of immigrant populations in Europe and the U.S. is fact, not a theory. There are consequences in terms of a rise in influence of immigrants and their children in Europe and the U.S. and the corresponding loss of power and influence of white Americans.

    But there is more to the theory than these facts.

    Versions of the theory allege a conspiracy among some people to replace the long-time white residents of Europe and the U.S. with people from Africa and Asia. The conspirators, it is said, are politicians, elitist people and institutions. They promote policies that open the doors to immigrants and empower people of color and other minority groups. These people would become voters who would do the will of the conspirators.

    I could find no credible evidence about the “elites” exerting control over the votes of immigrants and minorities.

    I confess that I have hoped that the changing makeup of North Carolina’s population that is under way would help my political party more than the other party.
    Does that make me part of some conspiracy?

    I don’t think so.

  • 18Ultimate Frisbee 2When Cape Fear athletic director Matt McLeanWhen Cape Fear athletic director Matt McLeancame to assistant football coach Joe Grates with theidea of starting a team in something called UltimateFrisbee, Grates first thought it was a joke.

    But when he had an interest meeting and 100students showed up, he realized there might besomething to it.

    Cape Fear recently completed its first season ina Raleigh-based Ultimate Frisbee league, compilinga 9-4 record and finishing fifth place in the16-team league.

    Ultimate Frisbee is a hybrid sport that combineselements of football, basketball and soccer accordingto Grates. It’s played on a field about half the sizeof a football field and involves advancing a Frisbeedown the field and moving it over the goal line toscore a single point.

    Games usually take about 90 minutes to play, andthe first team to 15 points is the winner.

    Moving the Frisbee up and down the field is thecomplicated part.

    “Once you catch the disc, you can’t run with it,’’Grates said. Just like in basketball, you can be calledfor traveling, but you are allowed to keep your pivot foot in place and turn while standing on it.

    You advance the disc with short or long passes to teammates.

    Another tricky thing is this is a no-contact sport.You can defend and impede the progress of opposing players, but not by bumping or jostling them around.

    Throwing the disc may be the biggest challenge,Grates said. “There’s two types of throws, backhandand forehand,’’ he said. The backhand, or flick, is the tougher of the two. “It’s a skill and has to be practiced,’’he said. “It’s not as easy as it looks.’’

    There are five players per team on the field at atime, no officials. “It’s totally self-governed by the kids,’’ Grates said. “They have to resolve disputes ontheir own. That’s kind of the spirit of the game.’’

    Grates had about 18 players on the team as the season was winding down, and there was quite a mix as far as the types of players.“We’ve got football players, soccer players, band guys, basketball players and swimmers,’’ he said,“guys looking to get a workout and have a good time.’’Grates added the competition offers skill development in a variety of areas. “It’s great agility for football,soccer and basketball,’’ he said. “It’s the same kind of skill set with the cuts and movement.’’

    He also said it provides great conditioning for big guys like Cape Fear football offensive tackle Caleb Krings. “He’s deceptively fast, and he’s slimmed down playing this, too,’’ Grates said. “It’s an amazing aerobic workout.’’

    Krings said he thought the game was a little funny at first but that it’s a great way to stay in shape and gives him a sport to play in the spring instead of going home after school.

    “It’s not just going out in the backyard and playing,’’he said. “We get out here to stay in shape.’’

    Trace Cannady, who plays center for the Colt football team, said the game helps him with his footwork.“The competition is there but it’s relaxed,’’ he said. He said there’s plenty of conditioning because of all the running.

    Grates said he can attest to the last part. “It’s helped me lose 20 pounds,’’ he said.

  • uac052312001.jpg June is a young girl struggling to pay the rent. Her evil landlord threatens her. It is a storyline that makes for great theater. A skilled writer and talented director could take that in many directions. Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), written by Joanne Bogart and Eric Rockwell, takes it in several directions — five, actually.

    All five have the same plot, each in the style of a different composer. In the first act the piece pays homage to Rogers and Hammerstein, whose music was featured in Oklahoma, The King and I and South Pacific. Next up is the style of Stephen Sondheim, composer of Company, A Little Night Musicand Sunday in the Park With George. The work of Jerry Herman of Hello Dolly, Mame and La Cage Aux Folles has a place in the show as well. Andrew Lloyd Weber, composer of shows including Jesus Christ Super Star, Evita and Phantom of the Opera gets a nod as do Kander and Ebb who worked on Chicago and Cabaret.

    Musical of Musicals, (The Musical!) opens at Gilbert Theater on May 31 and runs through June 17. The production not only ends the 2011/2012 season, it is also the 100th play to be performed at Gilbert Theater under outgoing Artistic Director and founder Lynn Pryer.

    Directed by Dr. Gail Morfesis, the play ends Pryer’s tenure on a high note. “When I announced my retirement a year ago I knew I wanted to go out with some levity,” said Pryer. “Gail has directed for us before and she always does a bang up job.”

    Morfesis chose this show to end the season with Pryer in mind.

    “Often I am asked, ‘What musical-theater composition or opera is your favorite?’ My answer is always the same. I have many favorites but it is impossible to choose just one due to the many wonderful composers and their varying styles,” she said. “Eric Rockwell, composer and Joanne Bogart, lyricist, have attempted to answer this quandary for musical theater lovers in Musical Of Musicals, (The Musical!) Thus when approached by Lynn Pryer, Artistic Director of The Gilbert theater to suggest a musical to conclude his tenure at the Gilbert, his 100th show and the close of the 2011-2012 season, I instantly thought of this work — and of course the old television show, Name that Tune.”

    While the production has fi ve segments with four characters in each one, Morfesis chose to use 13 performers in the show. “We had people who came back from prior seasons who wanted to be involved and wanted to be in Lynn’s last show, and new people who were interested in joining the Gilbert Theater,” said Morfesis. “I think it is nice we picked a work that has a lot of variety.”

    Pryer is delighted with the choice as well. “I knew I wanted to leave on a note that was literally and figuratively fun and upbeat, so that was part of the plan when I set the season.”

    After the final performance on June 17, Pryer plans to say a few words and recognize the people who have supported him through the years. Of course, there will be carrot cake involved and probably some reminiscing, too. “We always serve snacks after every performance and carrot cake is sort of our signature dessert that we serve with refreshements,” said Pryer.

    Thursday-Saturday performances start at 8 p.m. Sunday performances are at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15-$19 per person. Reservations are highly recommended. Find out more at www.gilberttheater.com.

  • 7 Today we shall stare into the void. Trigger warning: Before you read any further, remember what our pal Nietzsche said, “If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”

    Let us carefully descend into the wonderful world of caves. To quote the world’s most famous rooster Foghorn Leghorn, “I say boy, holes in the ground, my boy, holes in the ground.” Today we shall spelunk into what lies beneath. The abysses into which we shall exchange furtive but tasty glances are the fabled Cheese Caves of Springfield, Missouri. What? You have never heard of the famous Cheese Caves of Missouri? Pull up an ottoman and have a seat. Today will be a learning experience. Kindly bear with me; we will get to the Cheese Caves, but first, a brief survey of two other world-famous caves.

    Among the most famous group of caves is the Lascaux cave complex in France. These caves feature about 1500 wall paintings done roughly 17,000 years ago by paleolithic cave dudes and cave dudettes. According to Mr. Google, the wall paintings show people, animals and mysterious abstract drawings.

    The caves remained undiscovered until 1940, when a teenager was walking his dog. His dog Robot managed to fall into a hole that turned out to be the entrance to the Lascaux caves. If not for Robot’s fortuitous clumsiness, Lascaux might have remained hidden for another 17,000 years. Who’s a good boy? Robot’s a good boy.

    A most excellent cave story was in the “Andy Griffith Show,” where Andy and Helen get temporarily stuck in a cave. Barney is not a fan of caves or bats. He tells Thelma Lou why going into caves is a bad idea.

    Barney: “You know what you find in caves? Bats. That’s right — bats. You know what they do? They fly into your hair and get tangled up in there and lay their eggs, and you go crazy.”

    Thelma Lou: “Laughs.”

    Barney: “Alright, laugh, it’s happened. You want a head full of bat eggs? I don’t.”

    I agree with Barney. Even if I had hair, I would not want a head full of bat eggs. However, if you choose to have bat eggs in your hair, that is no one’s business but your own. I will not think less of anyone sporting bat eggs in their hair.

    Now let us return to the Cheese Caves. America may not have baby formula, enough gas to go around or flying cars, but we have a Strategic Cheese Reserve buried in Missouri. According to no less an authority than The Washington Post, the U.S. government has 1.4 billion pounds of cheese stored underground in various Cheese Caves. The Feds began buying and storing cheese during President Carter’s time to help dairy farmers sell their products. Cheese is easier to store and keeps much longer than milk. The Feds would buy all the cheese dairy farmers could produce. Naturally, the farmers kept producing more and more cheese. Pretty soon, this added up to a lot of cheese. When Reagan became President, he gave out 30 million pounds of government cheese to the hungry masses. Some of you who are a bit long in the tooth may recall the government cheese program. If you can remember this, please don’t drive after dark.

    The Springfield News-Leader says that there are seven million pounds of cheese in the Springfield Cheese Caves. The caves have been turned into a giant 3.2 million square foot warehouse. Being about 100 feet underground, the caves remain about 60 degrees year-round. They can be cooled to 36 degrees which makes cheeses very happy. The cheeses can live long and prosper at 36 degrees. Unfortunately, the Springfield Cheese Caves are not open to the public.

    Here are some cheese facts which might help you forget your inability to tour the Cheese Caves for a personal look. The federal government reports that 36% of Americans are lactose intolerant. Demographically 75% of African Americans, 51% of Latinos, 80% of Asian Americans and 21% of Caucasians are lactose intolerant. The Cheese Council reports that processed cheese was originally made for wartime use as it can last almost as long as a Twinkie. Pilgrims brought over cheese on the Mayflower. The first cheese factory did not manufacture cheese until 1851. One-third of all milk in the United States is made into cheese. The average American eats 23 pounds of cheese a year. The most popular cheese recipe in the United States is macaroni and cheese.

    I am proud to have gotten through this column without a bunch of gratuitous cheesy puns. There were some Gouda ones I discarded. It could have been a Feta accompli to have riddled this column with bad puns like an overripe Swiss Cheese. But then the column would have smelled like a sweating Limburger cheese on a 100 degree-day. No dogs named Robot were injured during the writing of this column. As Mr. Spock would say,

    “Live long and Parmesan.”

    To quote Elvis, “I’ll have a Blue Christmas, but you can have a Bleu Cheese.” The Cheese stands alone. Got Cholesterol?

     

  • 20Tia BookerTia Booker

    Jack Britt

    • Basketball

    • Senior

    Booker has a 3.92 gradepoint average.

    She is a member of the Total Image Club, volunteers at her church and is employed part-time.She has been accepted at North Carolina State University.

     

    21Andrew BoyleAndrew Boyle

    Gray’s Creek

    • Baseball

    • Junior

    While playing for the Bears’ baseball team, Boyle has maintained a grade point average of 4.19.

  • 05-30-12-charlotte-blume.jpg“I Have a Dolly” and “Copycats” may not be headlining the latest Broadway show, but they are an important part of Charlotte Blume’s Spring Festival of Dance at the Crown Center Theatre, Sunday, June 23.

    Some 200 plus dancers of all ages will perform in the variety dance show, which will feature classical ballet, tap dance, jazz, gymnas-tics and dances for children.

    “We always enjoy the Festival of Dance,” said Charlotte Blume, director of the Charlotte Blume School of Dance. “It gives all ages a chance to perform. To me, it is the most exciting thing in the world because the dancers have been working all year for this.”

    The Festival of Dance is an event that the dancers look forward to every year.

    “We have a large repertoire of things that we do for different grade-levels,” said Blume. “The music is perfect and the timing is right for their skills — and we always add some new things.”

    Blume’s son, Howard, and his daughter, Hannah, are the guest performers for the recital. The duo will perform two rhythm tap-dance numbers.

    Howard has choreographed several of the tap dances, which will be present-ed by young dancers ages eight and up and set by teacher Sheila Mitchell.

    Hannah Blume, a dance major at her high school, has been on an award-winning Irish dance team and has performed extensively in California, including shows at Disneyland.

    Audiences will see a progression of skills throughout the show as the dances for children evolve into the beauty of the featured classical ballets. They are the fairies from the prologue of Sleeping Beauty, the Pas de Trois from Swan Lake and the waltz from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin.

    Annemarie Strickland dances the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty excerpts. Ashley Watters, Daniel Rivera and Mary Maxton Fowler dance the Pas de Trois, staged by Wei Ni of the Carolina Ballet.

    Deprecia Simpson, first place winner of the 2012 Kiwanis Talent Show, will perform a solo in “Fairies,” and dances in both lyric and jazz pieces set by Aria Wood.

    Charlotte Blume is directing the entire show, which promises to be an afternoon of fun and entertainment for family and friends.

    After the performance, The Charlotte Blume School of Dance rolls right into classes for summer and workshops for the more advanced students.

    “August starts back the regular season,” said Blume. “We have Nutcracker auditions at the end of August, so the dancers have plenty this summer to help get them prepared.”

    Tickets are $9 and the curtain come sup at 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online through Ticketmaster or at the Crown Center Box Office. For more information, visit the Crown Center online at www.atthecrown.com.

    Photo: Charlotte Blume’s Spring Festival of Dance comes to the Crown Theatre on June 23.

  • 5 According to the latest estimate from fiscal analysts at the North Carolina General Assembly, our state government will take in about $6.2 billion more in General Fund revenue over the 2021-23 budget biennium than was originally projected last year.

    That’s a huge number. It represents nearly a quarter of the entire General Fund budget for the current fiscal year. And it’s not even the full amount of funds available. As of April 30, there’s $8.2 billion in unspent and undesignated money sitting in the General Fund.

    Now that state legislators have returned to Raleigh for their 2022 short session, we are about to hear a spirited debate about how to spend the revenue bonanza.
    Democrats are insisting that the General Assembly fully fund a court-ordered settlement on education funding.

    Republicans are looking at infrastructure needs and tax relief.

    Both parties are telegraphing a desire to increase compensation for public employees.
    I favor some of these ideas. But may I offer a few words of caution?

    Our broader economy is in trouble. America’s real GDP shrank by an annualized rate of 1.4% during the first three months of this year. And in an attempt to bring down rampant inflation, the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates.

    That’s the right response, to be sure, but everyone needs to be mindful of the probable tradeoffs.

    Eight of the past nine periods of monetary tightening by the Fed were followed by recessions. Although a “soft landing” is theoretically possible, then, there’s a very real possibility that the GDP will contract sometime over the next year. If the contraction happens in the second quarter, that would constitute a recession by the standard definition.

    I know North Carolina’s economic fundamentals look pretty strong right now. Our labor markets improved markedly in April, with the headline unemployment rate falling to 3.4% (down from 5.1% a year ago) and our labor-force participation rate topping 60% for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Other states in our region posted good jobs numbers last month, too (in fact, North Carolina’s unemployment rate is the highest in our neighborhood, though it’s low by historical standards).

    Still, it doesn’t require Eeyore-level pessimism to worry about a possible recession and its effects on state revenues and expenditures. It only requires realism.
    It also requires looking more closely at that surplus-revenue figure of $6.2 billion cited earlier. Most of it, $4.2 billion, is occurring during the first year of biennium, and involves one-time shifts in the timing of reported income. The pandemic produced some rather weird financial patterns in both the public and private sectors. It would be a mistake to assume these patterns will continue into future years.
    If even a modest recession follows the Fed’s actions on interest rates, that will both reduce revenue collections and increase state expenditures on Medicaid and other forms of public assistance. The projected surplus would shrink. It might even become a deficit.

    Thanks to years of conservative budgeting, North Carolina has accumulated a large rainy-day fund and other reserves. Unlike some states, we wouldn’t have to close a fiscal gap by raising taxes, canceling contracts or laying off employees. Indeed, the state could actually play a countercyclical role by giving teachers and state employees a pay bump.
    That argues for a balance between addressing immediate needs and hedging against future risks — which is precisely what I think House Speaker Tim Moore, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, and other legislative leaders are likely to do during the short session.

    They know that if a recession occurs, they can’t (and shouldn’t) rely on another round of massive federal borrowing to paper over state and local deficits. They also know that their steady and disciplined approach to state budgeting is a big reason why North Carolinians have become increasingly comfortable with GOP majorities in the General Assembly.

    We should all hope the Fed can engineer a soft landing. But hoping is not governing.

  • 19Dr. Marvin Connelly JrDr. Marvin Connelly Jr., the new superintendent of Cumberland County Schools, hasn’t had a lot of direct involvement in athletics during his long career in education, but he views the school athletic program as a vital part of the total education package.

    Connelly said most of his ties to athletics came during his stints as principal at both the middle school and high school levels.

    “I’m not an athletic kind of guy myself, but I love athletics,’’ he said. “If you live in North Carolina, you have to love sports, especially basketball.’’

    Connelly served as principal at Raleigh’s Athens Drive High School, and one of the prized possessions in his current office at the Wake County Schools is an autographed baseball from one of Athens Drive’s biggest professional stars, Major League Baseball standout Josh Hamilton.

    Connelly said he has a passion about insuring that teams under his watch are successful, while still focusing on the fact that student-athletes are not just athletes who happen to be students.

    “Obviously, high school athletics are a crucial part of the total school program,’’ he said. He said research and data show that the dropout rate is lower for students involved in athletics as well as extracurricular and cocurricular activities.

    “I think it’s important for schools to have strong extracurricular and cocurricular programs,’’’ he said.

    Connelly expects coaches and athletic directors to understand that the athletes are students first, and that athletics is as much about what happens off the field as it is on.

    “I think when you can build that character in your players and character in your coaching staff, winning is important,’’ he said, “but you’ve got to win on the field and off the field.’’

    Connelly said he plans to meet with various leader groups within the school system, including the school system’s athletic directors and principals. “We would want to talk with them and see what the successes are, what the challenges are and how I may partner with them as a group to build upon the successes and overcome the challenges,’’ he said.

    He plans to try and spend some time in Fayetteville and Cumberland County between now and when he officially takes over from interim superintendent Tim Kinlaw in July.

    “I want to make sure I’m listening to folks and getting with as many stake holder groups as I can during this first 100 days,’’ he said. “I want to focus on listening, hearing their successes, hearing their concerns as we begin to do some work and develop our strategic plans.’’

     

    PHOTO: Dr. Marvin Connelly Jr.

  • 4For 24 years, the Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper has proudly showcased the people, businesses and organizations that have invested their time, money and expertise in our community. One of the ways we do this is by publishing our Best of Fayetteville Readers Survey and asking our newspaper readers to identify and ultimately determine who is Fayetteville’s Best of the Best. They have what makes Fayetteville and Cumberland County unique, enjoyable and livable.

    Well, it is that time of year, and beginning with the June 8 edition of Up & Coming Weekly and running through July 3, our readers will be able to cast their ballots for the Best of the Best two ways. They may fill out a ballot located in the newspaper and return it to Up & Coming Weekly, or they can go online to the Up & Coming Weekly website, www.upandcomingweekly.com. While there, you can sign up for a free electronic subscription of Up & Coming Weekly and receive your copy every week on your home or office computer.

    Using time-tested and enforceable voting rules and guidelines, such as one ballot per reader, we have elevated the honor, integrity and prestige of the Best of Fayetteville designation. This process continues to be a respected, well-organized, informal and non-scientific survey. By monitoring and auditing the ballots, eliminating the nomination process and conspicuous ballot stuffing, our survey has proven to be incredibly accurate and extremely valuable to residents and the businesses and organizations that have earned the honor of being voted the Best.

    No doubt about it, this has been a challenging year. Businesses continue to operate in full recovery mode. This makes the Best of Fayetteville recognition even more relevant and valuable by highlighting those who have managed their businesses through high gas prices, supply chain shortages, a challenging labor market, confusing COVID-19 restrictions and rising inflation. Under these circumstances, operating a successful business is a real challenge, and achievement deserves recognition. Your vote is very important to your favorite business or organization. The winners will be recognized and celebrated on September 27 at the Crown Coliseum Complex. The Best of the Best will congregate to celebrate their achievements and contributions to our Can-Do community.

    Our newspaper has changed immensely over the past 26 years, especially in the last nine months. However, the Best of Fayetteville reader’s survey has not. It continues to reflect the best aspects and amenities the Fayetteville community has to offer. Annually, we receive thousands of ballots and painstakingly record the comments and sentiments of our readers. This process allows us to get to know the who, what and why our readers value these businesses. We showcase these people, businesses and organizations to Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Cumberland County residents. Your vote is important! Our readers will determine who the 2022 Up & Coming Weekly Best of Fayetteville winners are.

    For area newcomers and those not familiar with the Best of Fayetteville format and guidelines, this is a sanctioned, time-tested reader’s survey. The survey is designed and audited to provide residents, local businesses and organizations the recognition they deserve for their dedication, expertise, trustworthiness and perseverance in their quest for excellence.

    And we make it easy to participate. Participants must vote in at least 15 categories to validate a ballot. Since the survey began more than two decades ago, the Up & Coming Weekly newspaper has successfully told the stories of our Best of Fayetteville winners. Then we invite the winners to join the Up & Coming Weekly staff, and our 2022 Best of Fayetteville sponsors at a very special recognition celebration party. This begins the Best of Fayetteville winners 24/7, 365-day exposure in the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community, and year-long presence on our official website www.upandcomingweekly.com.

    Thank you for supporting local businesses and for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

     

  • 18Pine Forest golf team copyAt the Patriot Athletic Conference 3-A/4-A golf competition for the season, Terry Sanford’s Hunter Leclair mounted a successful rally, and Pine Forest held off a surging Cape Fear team in the final round.

    The closing tournament was held at Baywood Golf Course a week ago Monday.

    Leclair entered the final match of the season seven shots back of first-place Josiah Hopkins of Pine Forest and just two shots ahead of Cape Fear’s Logan Sessoms, who was playing on his home course.

    Leclair responded with a second consecutive round of 77, allowing him to surge past Hopkins and barely edge Sessoms for first place. Leclair had a season average of 78.67 to 79.0 for Sessoms.

    Leclair said it was tough to win this season because Sessoms and Hopkins consistently posted good scores. “I was just trying to hang in there,’’ he said.

    During the final match, his goal was to stay a stroke or two away from Sessoms. “The best I could do was match him,’’ Leclair said. “I was able to get one ahead at the end. If I could keep pace with him, I knew I was having a great round.’’

    Leclair felt wedge play was the key to his win in the final round. “I had at least five or six birdie putts inside of 10 feet after I had a wedge in my hands,’’ he said. “I was feeling real confident if I could get into that range I was going to walk away with at worst a par.’’

    The season ended in a bit of a surprise for the Pine Forest team. Coach Wayne Lee thought his squad might have a shot at contending, but he also knew Terry Sanford and Cape Fear were going to be solid opponents.

    “We were good at the beginning of the season,’’ Lee said. “That helped a lot. We pretty much stayed consistent the whole season. We’ve definitely been the most consistent team week to week.’’

    Lee said the unquestioned leader of his team has been Hopkins, a sophomore. His 85 in the final round was his worst round of the season. Prior to that he’d been under 80 for six rounds, with his previous high before last Monday an 82.

    “He’s also been our leader in the clubhouse,’’ Lee said. “He keeps everybody loose. If somebody hits a bad shot at practice, he’ll say, ‘Come here, let’s work on that.’

    “He’s definitely been the go-to guy. He’s been my assistant coach out there.’’

    Hopkins said he had high expectations for himself this spring and felt iron play has been the key to his success. “From 100 to 200 yards, you give me an iron in my hand from the middle of the fairway and I can put it somewhere close, like 20 or 30 feet,’’ he said. “Iron play is definitely the strength of my game.’’

    The hottest team as the regular season is ending is Cape Fear.

    The Colts won last year’s conference title and finished the regular season sharing second in the April 16 tournament at Cypress Lakes Golf Course, then winning the final two tournaments at Highland and Baywood.

    “I know we didn’t play a tour potential early on,’’ said Cape Fear coach Todd Edge. “We’ve got a very young team, Logan being the only senior. We’ve got no juniors,and the rest are freshmen and sophomores.’’

    Colton Danks, one of the Cape Fear returners, finished third behind Sessoms in the final standings with an 83.67 stroke average per round.

    “I’m proud of the way they finished the last two weeks,’’ Edge said. “It gives us a little momentum going into the regionals.’’

    The regional tournaments for the 3-A and 4-A classifications were held prior to the publication of this story.

    Regional play for 3-A teams was scheduled last Monday at Whispering Pines and 4-A at Anderson Creek.

    State tournaments are next Monday, with 4-A at Pinehurst No. 6 and 3-A at Longleaf.

     

    PHOTO: The Pine Forest golf team, L - R: Head coach Wayne Lee, Dylan Hicks, Josiah Hopkins, Jonathan Rose, Whitt Badgett, Walker Shearin and Brandon Shepard.

  • 19 There is little we can do to prepare for some of life’s best moments, yet everything we’ve ever done has prepared us for the next.

    Graduation season is upon us here in North Carolina. Emotions run the gamut as young men and women everywhere experience that final trip through the doors of their school as students.
    Most will reflect fondly on the days they spent preparing to launch into the world and begin writing their own story. And like every generation before them, both friendships and rivalries they swore would last forever will start to fade as others grow.

    Of one thing they can be certain: relationships with fellow students, educators and even their families will all change in some way as they continue their journey through life.

    Of all the things which could possibly cause me anxiety, concern for future generations is somewhere near the top of the list. Partly because of their expectations and partly because of the condition of the world we’re leaving them. Not the physical world we leave them, but the condition of mankind in general.

    Somewhere along the line, we seem to have taught young people in America that winning is more important than character.

    The very people who we need to be able to look up to are failing and falling around us, and we are too quick to condemn and step around them to notice and avoid the brokenness that led them there in the first place.
    So can we change the course? Can we raise up a generation of leaders with the intestinal fortitude to right the many wrongs we’ve left them to deal with?

    As a person of faith, I believe we can, and it’s really a matter of moral integrity stemming from deep convictions and an acknowledgment of a creator to whom we’re all accountable.
    Some will disagree and stop reading right here, so if you’re still with me, maybe we agree — if only a little.

    Our real problems begin at home. There’s growing indifference to patterns of behavior eroding families. From what we allow to enter through screens in hand or on the wall to our relationships with our children’s friends and their families, indifference is creeping in.

    Everyone knows the phrase “it takes a village,” but when the village steps in with advice, it’s too often taken as a personal affront. Someone stomps away only to return with a posse willing to prove how wrong the offender is and how we can destroy them and their way of thinking.

    We can do better. And for the sake of the next generation we’re launching into the world beyond their family home this graduation season, I pray we’ll start soon.

     

  • 05-23-12-senior-corner.jpgBe a Best Friend

    The Home Instead Senior Care network’s free Alzheimer’s Disease or other Dementias CARE: Changing Aging Through Research and Education Training Program incorporates best practices in dementia care including The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer’s Care, written by David Troxel and Virginia Bell.

    The book describes the importance of relationships in quality dementia care. A key way to build relationships, according to Troxel and Bell, is to know and use an indi-vidual’s life story to deliver outstanding care and to treat the person with dementia with dignity and respect as you would a best friend.

    “Every caregiver should know 100 things about the per-son in his or her care,” noted Troxel, who served on the expert panel to develop CARE content.

    “For instance, my mother was Canadian and loved Earl Grey tea with milk. When mom developed Alzheimer’s disease and was having a bad day, I’d say: ‘How about I make you a nice cup of Earl Grey tea just the way you like it?’ And she would smile and it would turn a bad day into a good day,” he concluded

    The new Alzheimer’s Disease or Other Dementias CARE Program encourages family caregivers to develop strategies to bring out the best in persons with dementia. When the person with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia feels safe, secure and valued, everything goes better.

    Thus the family caregiver takes a walk with the loved one, enjoys look-ing at a family photo album, prepares some blueberry muffins, all while taking time each day to help the person dress, bathe, eat a healthy meal or perform other important daily activities.

    “Persons with Alzheimer’s might forget who you are, but you approach them with confidence and competence, they will respond,” Troxel said. Examples include starting the day with a nice compliment (Dad, you look handsome in that blue sweater) and using their life story to talk with them.

    Troxel said the new Home Instead Senior Care program stresses the benefits of helping the caregiver live in the senior’s world, not the reality that individual can no longer manage.

    “For instance, if Mom said President Eisenhower is doing a great job, her caregiver should say, ‘I like Ike, too. Tell me about President Eisenhower. What do you like most about him?’”

    For more about the Best Friends approach and the new Alzheimer’s Disease or Other Dementia CARE program, visit www.HelpforAlzheimersFamilies.com.

    To sign up for the new Alzheimer’s Disease or Other Dementia CARE training offered in our community, email susan.guy@homeinstead.com. Classes will begin in August.

    Photo: A key way to build relationships, according to Troxel, is to know and use an individual’s life story. 

  • 5“I’m a Tar Heel born, and a Tar Heel bred, and when I die, I’m a Tar Heel dead.”

    Those fight song lyrics have been sung by generations of students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, fiercely fought athletic contests, pep rallies and parties and quietly in their own hearts.
    Increasingly, though, we are not a state of “born and bred” North Carolinians, much less of individuals who attended UNC-CH.

    According to researchers at UNC-CH, 44% of us are not North Carolina natives, and that percentage is growing. North Carolina is what demographers term “in migration” over the last decade, nearly 10%. And North Carolina is now the ninth largest state in the nation, with an additional seat in Congress to show the strength of our growth.

    Those of us who are “born and bred” take pride in and love to share our Tar Heel culture with newcomers — our barbecue with its competing eastern and western factions, our music encompassing both James Taylor and Nina Simone and why we are a “vale of humility between two mountains of conceit.” (A modest and independent colony and early state between the wealthy and aristocratic cultures of Virginia and South Carolina.)

    Sadly, we also have aspects of 21st-century culture that are far less attractive and appealing and have embarrassed us before the rest of the country and beyond.

    Think the so-called “bathroom bill” passed by homophobic legislators in Raleigh and ridiculed on late-night talk shows. Think the more than a decade of extreme gerrymandering that guarantees legislative and

    Congressional seats to the party in power. Think the war on public schools that has seen teachers fleeing classrooms across the state. Think the racism and venom aimed at “the other” that stained us in conflagrations over “Black Lives Matter” and improper law enforcement actions.

    A recent opinion piece in The News & Observer caught my attention. Sara Pequeno is apparently North Carolina “born and bred” but writes that she once wanted to leave our state, considering it “boring” and “backwoods.” Instead, she attended UNC-CH and decided to stay in North Carolina as a journalist. She sees our growth and its potential, and she also sees our warts and scars, many stemming from the past and rarely addressed because they are so entrenched and so painful.

    Couple our past as a “vale of humility” with our current reality of highly educated and booming metropolitan areas and less educated and economically challenged rural areas.

    The resentment of folks who feel left behind is clear and understandable. There is an element of “how ya keep ‘em down on the farm after they’ve seen Paree?” at work here. Families and communities want their young people to stay where they grew up, but career opportunities and cultural amenities draw them elsewhere. North Carolina now falls squarely into the narrative of “the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer,” both as individuals and as communities.

    That said, we are an original state with an old, rich and deep culture with strong traditions, families who have been here for generations and enthusiastic newcomers, and an economy that is strong and growing in certain sectors. In other words, North Carolina has a lot going for her and us.

    Sara Pequeno put it this way: “North Carolina is home to people who want this state to be better, who have been fighting the good fight for decades. It’s home to people who love this state, in spite of its flaws, because they see the place it could be. We’ve been working on our own to make this state better for decades, even though there is still work to be done.”

  • 4The privilege to vote is one of our most precious rights as Americans. Yet, we fail to take advantage of this essential aspect of living in a free democracy. In Fayetteville/Cumberland County, our voting record is much worse than in other communities, and there are substantial reasons for this disturbing and frightening situation. For those of you who read this newspaper regularly, I will apologize in advance because for over 25 years, I have commented and opined on this very subject dozens of times. I have articulated my concerns, and even though they have been acknowledged by prominent state and local public servants, all have failed to stimulate even the slightest attempt to solve or resolve the problem. So, once again, I will outline the sources of our low and apathetic voting turnout. These are the same reasons that inhibit our community from showcasing its assets and touting our quality of life.

    Part of the issue is that we have no local television station. Over two decades ago, Fayetteville and Cumberland County leadership failed to acknowledge the importance of having a local TV station. First, city and county elected officials preferred operating government in the shadows, away from the observing eyes of the public. Secondly, our local daily newspaper, the Fayetteville Observer, was enjoying a monopolistic heyday, parsing out and re-shaping the local news. They garnered the majority of local advertising dollars spent by businesses and organizations. So, it didn't take long for them to realize the benefits they would enjoy from the demise of our only TV station, Channel 40.

    Unfortunately, the rest is history. All the major networks (ABC, NBC & CBS) jumped at the opportunity to corral this market of over 300,000 with a bonus of Fort Bragg. Other cities saw the benefits and potential of this growing market, while our leadership chose to ignore it. Why is this significant? Because as a media source, a local TV station is a hub from which all other media communications radiate into the community. Residents, visitors and guests rely on local network television for information, education and awareness.

    Without it, citizens have no collective way to effectively understand or know the people, issues and circumstances that affect their daily lives. So, you may ask, what does this have to do with our inherently low voter turnout? Everything. Especially when only 16% of Cumberland County registered voters turn out at the polls, as was the case with the primary election.

    Local citizens do not know about the people running or the community's problems. They do not know the candidates who are running for elected office. With this being the situation, why would they come out to vote? It's not apathy on their part. They don't have trustworthy news and information that local television provides on a city and country-wide basis. Without TV, it dilutes the effectiveness of other media resources: newspapers, radio and billboards, because there is nothing there to stimulate local interest and help "connect the dots." This lack of visibility makes it difficult, if not impossible, to assess or vet political candidates. Low voter turnout is only one of the ill effects. This media void encourages a lack of transparency and invites corruption and misdeeds at all levels leaving a community vulnerable to disaster. Look no further than the Town of Spring Lake for the near-perfect example of what happens when a community is without a TV station or legitimate form of media. Jason Brady wrote a comprehensive report on the Spring Lake situation in last week's Up & Coming Weekly edition. Read it. News coverage discourages voter fraud and exposes ill-qualified candidates and, in some cases, those who are corrupt or have criminal intent.
    Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches make up the state of our government. The Fourth Estate (the media) is what is supposed to keep them in check by reporting their actions to the American people. Without media, you invite tyranny.

    At Up & Coming Weekly, we continue to fill the media void to serve our community readers with news and information and to keep this from becoming a media desert. With your help and the grateful support of our partners and advertisers, Up & Coming Weekly will remain free on the newsstand and free to online subscribers. We also will remain a consistent resource for what to do, where to go and how to enjoy the amenities offered here in Fayetteville/Cumberland County. You can depend on us.

    With ongoing partnerships with the Carolina Journal, the Carolina Public Press and CityView Today, we are able to provide news and insights on important local, regional and state issues affecting our readers. These three organizations, along with our own writers, reporters and editor, serve as the local media to keep you informed with honest, up-to-date news you can use and trust. Together we are proud to be a community vanguard against government waste and tyranny. Subscribe, write us, call us, support local and original stories, help support media and good journalism, but, most importantly, make an effort to seek out the truth. Think local, read local, support local.

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • 27b The next few weeks I bet you will be attending a graduation ceremony —yours or a friend's or a family member's. In an earlier column I shared my thoughts about the speeches given at those times. With a few changes, here is what I wrote.

    Can you remember anything said at your graduation? I mean anything other than your own name as you crossed the stage to get your diploma, shake the hand of a school official, flip your tassel, and head back to your seat thinking, "It's over. It's over. I'm all done with this."

    Come to think of it, how many speeches of any kind can you remember? If you are like me, not many. Can you even remember your minister’s sermon last Sunday? Can you remember the newspaper article or column that you read just before you got to this one?

    Be honest. And know that recalling what we hear and read does not come easy for any of us.

    It makes you wonder about those of us who like to give speeches and write newspaper columns. I guess we are arrogant enough to think we are different — and that people will remember what we say or write. In my mind I know that few will read these words, fewer still (if any at all) will remember, but my heart says, "Keep talking, keep writing, somebody will hear you say something that will be helpful to them."

    That must be what most graduation speakers think, too. And that is why there are so many long graduation speeches each spring. Fortunately, some speakers are different.
    For instance, former Greensboro mayor and president of the Joseph Bryan Foundation, Jim Melvin. Inspired perhaps by a similar one given by Winston Churchill, he once gave this speech at a Greensboro College graduation event.

    Never give up. Never, never, never give up.

    That was it. The entire speech.
    Too short?

    Maybe, but everybody who heard it will remember it. Is the message too simple? Maybe, but it is a strong message. Better to be too short than too long.
    There is a graduation speech that most people in my hometown remember — even though it was given 60 years ago. Dabney Stuart, 1960 Salutatorian at Davidson College, gave the following commencement address:

    Much has been written,
    And much said,
    And those who wrote, or spoke,
    Are dying, or dead.
    Jesus said, before he died,
    “Love one another.”
    I have nothing significant to add.

    Some in the crowd were stunned. They thought the short talk was disrespectful because it broke so radically from the norm. But today, looking back, that message seems right on point and memorable.
    Short speeches are hard to write.

    So are short columns. But short ones are better ones.

    Someone once asked President Woodrow Wilson how long it took him to prepare an hour-long speech. He said that it took about five minutes to prepare. Then he was asked how long it takes to prepare a five-minute speech?

    "That takes hours and hours," the president said.

    It does take longer to figure out how to say something important or complicated in a few words. But those of us who want people to remember what we say or write had better learn how to do it.
    Wait. I know what you are thinking. "This guy has made his point. Why doesn't he stop? Why doesn't he follow his own advice and keep his column short?"

    You're right. I'm done.

  • 27a By and large, even where we find it difficult to understand, most people love their country. No doubt they will be critical of it at times. Certainly, others will level criticisms at it. The difference is that citizens’ dissatisfaction with their nation generally comes from a place of love and loyalty, while outsiders may have a wide array of motives.

    Regardless of the degree of pride for achievements or frustration with perceived failings, most of the populace will express their patriotism and affection through celebrating national holidays.

    In addition to unique customs, most countries will share common festivities, such as parades and firework displays. For the past couple of years, most places scaled back their celebrations in the face of the worldwide pandemic. But, with the availability of vaccines, many places have been moving towards a return to more typical celebratory events.

    Last week, Israel marked its 74th Independence Day, and some two dozen celebrations again scaled back or eliminated their fireworks displays across the Jewish state, but for a very different reason. This year, there was a concern about the impact that the loud explosions have on people living with post-traumatic stress disorder, which led to the downsizing of celebratory pyrotechnics.

    Advocates struggled to educate officials, and the public about the adverse impact booming fireworks has on many veterans and others struggling with PTSD.

    Unfortunately, it took an April 2021 tragedy to begin to galvanize greater PTSD awareness. Last year, just before Israel’s Memorial Day (which is commemorated the day before Independence Day) in protest, a veteran, frustrated with his inadequate PTSD care, set himself on fire in the entryway to a military rehabilitation facility. Fortunately, he survived, and the nation has closely followed his slow and painful recovery.

    Such a wake-up call should not be needed anywhere, but the realities of competing priorities, inadequate budgets, bloated bureaucracies and political expediencies make this a reality pretty much everywhere.

    Indeed, in response to the events, the struggles of soldiers with PTSD almost immediately began to receive much-needed attention. What and how much will change remains to be seen. And we should not be surprised that there has been push-back from those who are disappointed with the curtailing of the traditional aerial festivities.

    No doubt, there is a complicated balancing act between the understandable desire of a nation to celebrate itself and concern for those who may be impacted negatively through certain forms of that celebration.

    We who live within the Fort Bragg area can especially understand these competing considerations. Obviously, every country has its own unique history and set of circumstances, so even if this issue were confronted globally, the particular calculus would necessarily and appropriately play out differently in different places.

    We are in the midst of Mental Health Awareness Month. I would suggest that taking note of this kind of weighing of values, wherever it occurs, is just the type of awareness-raising regarding the mental health issues that we are meant to engage in at this time of year.

  • 8 It’s Greek mythology time again. We’re going to see if our old friend Icarus can teach anything to Vlad Putin since Vlad apparently won’t listen to anyone but the voices in his head.

    Icarus was one of the Wright Brothers of Greek mythology. Kindly recall he flew too close to the sun, which resulted in trouble.
    Imitating Icarus, Vlad has flown too close to Ukraine. Let us begin with Icarus’s family history. Icky, as his friends called him, was the son of Daedalus. Daedalus was the ancient Greek version of Elon Musk. Daedalus was Athen’s greatest architect, designer of labyrinths and Thomas Edison style inventor. Like all mythology backstories, Daedalus’ was a humdinger.

    Once upon a time, King Minos was in charge of the island of Crete. Like most islands, Crete was surrounded by water. This meant Poseidon, the King of the Seas, was a big deal there.
    Poseidon sent King Minos a snow-white bull so that Minos could sacrifice the bull in honor of Poseidon. There was a lot of sacrificing back then. You might ask, why didn’t Poseidon just sacrifice the bull to himself and enjoy a barbecue? Don’t ask. It would ruin the story.

    Minos liked the bull so much he could not bring himself to sacrifice it in Poseidon’s honor. Bad idea. When Poseidon didn’t smell Texas-style BBQ on Crete, he became really cranky. He laid a spell on Minos’ wife, Pasiphae, which was even more potent than Love Potion Number 9. Like the guy who kissed the cop on the corner of 34th Street and Vine, she took one look at the white bull and was smitten. She fell in love. She and the bull made whoopee. From this union, the Minotaur was born. The Queen’s bouncing bundle of joy had the body of a man and the head of a bull. Minos soon realized he was not the father.

    Minos was embarrassed by his wife’s bovine dalliance. He decided he needed to hide the love child, who was running wild and eating local citizens. Minos hired Daedalus to design and build a labyrinth to hide the Minotaur from the paparazzi. Daedalus did his thing, and the Minotaur was stuck in the maze. Minos ordered seven young men and women of Athens to go into the labyrinth each year to serve as Minotaur chow. This precursor to Soylent Green irritated the Athenians to no end.

    A local hero named Theseus volunteered to enter the labyrinth to try to kill the Minotaur. Minos’ daughter gave Theseus a ball of string to put on his path on the way in so he could follow the string back out. Theseus slew the Minotaur and skedaddled with Minos’ daughter; this really got Minos’ goat. Minos had to blame someone. Theseus had escaped, so Minos blamed Daedalus for a design flaw that allowed the Minotaur to be killed. Minos made Daedalus and Icky stay on Crete as prisoners at a Grecian Formula Gulag. (We will get back to Putin in a while.)

    Daedalus and Icarus got pretty bored on Crete. It was time to make a getaway. Daedalus designed a set of wings for each of them made of feathers held together by wax. It was the perfect plan. Daedalus knew his son was a hothead like Sonny Corleone. He warned Icarus not to fly too high because the sun might melt the wax and not to fly too close to the ocean because the moisture from the sea might cause his wings to stop working due to humidity. This advice is reminiscent of Dean Smith’s advice to his University of North Carolina basketball players: “Don’t get too high in the good times and don’t get too low in the bad times. Remain steady.”

    You can figure out what happened next. After Daedalus and Icarus started flying off Crete, Icarus began cutting the fool, zooming up and down all over the sky. Like Sonny Corleone, he ignored his father’s advice and flew too close to the sun. Melt City. The feathers fell off his wings, plunging Icky headfirst into the drink. Icarus drowned. He was last seen in Davy Jones’ locker sleeping with the fishes like Luca Brasi. What a Dumbo.

    Which finally gets us back to Vlad Putin and Ukraine. Ol’ Vlad thought he could sashay into Ukraine and topple it over in four days. Not so fast, KGB-dude. Vlad’s war plan re-enacted Icarus’ flight to the sun. He did not say “May I?” before invading. Vlad flew the Russian Army too close to the sun, that is, President Zelensky, the Ukrainian Army and the Ukrainian people. The wax has melted off the wings of the Russian Army. The Russian battleship Moskva is sleeping at the bottom of the Black Sea with Poseidon, Luca Brasi and Icarus.

    So, what have we learned today? Aeronautical science has come a long way from waxwings and feathers; PETA would have hated Theseus for killing the Minotaur; sunshine may be the best disinfectant but ain’t good for waxwings. And, finally, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it. Don’t believe me? Ask Icarus and Vlad.

    Slava Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine.

  • 5 When is the last time you heard a quasi-government agency broadcast they are not raising your rates or taxes? Well, from the press release from the Public Works Commission last week, their utility customers' electric rates are not expected to increase during 2023. This update reflects the staff at our hometown utility doing a great job and looking out for their Fayetteville customers. Together, they provide leadership by example, not being afraid to make decisions, take action, roll up their sleeves and get the necessary work done to better the community.

    The nearly $400 million 2023 proposed budget calls for more than a 10% decrease from the current budget. Yes, decrease! Water rates, however, will increase slightly. According to PWC's President and CEO, Elaina Ball, higher water rates will take effect in 2023, and average water and sewer customers about $3 a month. These water rate increases were postponed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Kudos to PWC. They are setting the example for both our city and county governments. This kind of responsible strategic planning and high-level leadership is sorely needed at all levels of our local government. And, in today's economic climate, it is more important now than ever before. As we approach the upcoming 2022 city and county elections, voters must pay special attention to the character, leadership skills, abilities and vision that local candidates are touting.

    Several days ago, I was at a meeting with four businesses that started here in Fayetteville/Cumberland County 25 to 30 years ago. We all adamantly agreed that the foundation of our success came from the leadership and support we received from the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, the Chamber of Commerce, Fayetteville Visitors Bureau, and the office of Economic Development. Today, not so much. Our reputation has become that we are not a business-friendly community. That is why it is so important to vote in the upcoming elections for candidates who will again provide the vision and leadership that will move this community forward. We have plenty of opportunities here that need cultivation and development, and our current leadership has failed us in so many ways. Look no further than the last 8 to 10 years if you need proof. Look around, ask your own questions, make your observations and draw your own conclusions.

    Here are a few to get you started: Is it easy doing business with the city and county? Does our homicide rate have you concerned that Fayetteville is quickly becoming the murder capital of North Carolina? Why can't our City Council make the most straightforward decisions like what downtown Fayetteville paid parking hours would best benefit the downtown businesses and encourage visitors, guests and residents to frequent historic downtown Fayetteville. Or, how should Fayetteville repurpose the historic Market House without involving the Justice Department and conducting countless (and fruitless) meetings with the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Community Relations? These decisions should be relatively easy to make, but there are not being made. Yet, these same bodies can approve an expenditure of $450,000 of taxpayer's money on an impromptu request for a study on an African American Museum followed the same impromptu approval from the Cumberland County Commissioners. Together, on a whim, they approved $900,000 for this project when the unhoused, those facing mental health crises and panhandlers, aimlessly roam our streets. Deadly carcinogens were creeping dangerously close to contaminating our Cape Fear water supply. Recently PWC took the initiative to seek financial assistance from the Cumberland County Legislative delegation and received $200 thousand to address this problem. PWC matched it and came up with the solution to clean up the site and avoid such a disaster. Reaction from the City of Fayetteville? Honestly, I'm not sure many city council members even knew they owned the property or were aware that our region's water supply was in severe danger.

    And, with Gray's Creek homes and schools still having to drink bottled water because of GenX contamination, Cumberland County Commissioners seem to be slow-walking solutions with an attitude of "well, want to you want us to do about it?"

    In my opinion, these are misplaced priorities by both the city and county. Ask yourself what's more important? Preventing a regional contaminated water supply disaster or a government-funded festival? Providing housing and care for the homeless and mentally ill, or contracting for another downtown museum? Having our school children continue to drink bottled water or fund repurposing a historic building?

    I own a business downtown. I see a great community suffering from poor decisions and inadequate leadership every day. Only involved caring citizens can change this situation. I urge everyone I come in contact with to get involved and make their voices heard. Vote. There are many good people in our community that are willing and able to do the right things for the right reasons. For this, I am grateful, and they need to be encouraged and supported. This is a good community; however, it can be a great community with fantastic potential and endless opportunities with exemplary leadership. The leadership at PWC, our Hometown Utility, gets it. City and county leadership should follow in their path.

    Thank you for reading the Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper.

  • 5 Since the dawn of time, we human beings have changed everything we encounter. When we got tired of gathering berries, we chopped down trees and cultivated land for our food. When we got cold and tired of eating raw food, we harnessed fire to cook and to warm ourselves. When living in caves got old, we learned to create structures for shelter.
    We also figured out how to harness our own minds, developing frameworks to understand our world through religion and philosophy. Turns out we also found ways to change the way we experience our world using what the DuPont company dubbed “better living through chemistry.”

    Yes, we figured out how to alter our minds through all sorts of compounds, including caffeine, plants, alcohol and more recently, chemical compounds, including prescription drugs.
    Many scientists believe that early agricultural societies used alcohol and mind-altering plants in ceremonial rites and perhaps recreationally, but our real troubles with various substances began millennia later.
    They have reached five-alarm fire proportions now, and the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying stress have both contributed to and placed a spotlight on American substance abuse.

    Let’s look at alcohol first.

    Apparently, we have been drinking up a storm. A study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that during the 20 years between 1999 and 2019, alcohol related deaths rose 3.6%, but in 2020 alone the death rate soared a breathtaking 25%! Alcohol related deaths went up across the board — men and women and in every ethnic and racial group.

    Young adults, 25 to 44, had the greatest increase at 40%. In 2020, alcohol related deaths zoomed past the rate of increase for all other causes, including COVID-19.

    Then there are preventable drug overdose deaths, more than 100,000 of them over the last year, up nearly 50% since the start of the pandemic and up an astounding 649% since 1999.

    The majority of these deaths are caused by opioids, both prescription and illicit, with the fastest growing lethal category being synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and like substances.
    Methamphetamines also cause preventable overdoses, but at much lower rates. Most deaths occur in the 25 to 34 age group, with 7 out of 10 deaths involving men, although the death rate for women is rising.

    These sterile numbers, grim as they are, represent human beings who lost their lives to substances we humans created and that many of us use on a regular basis. These souls lost left people who loved them and who continue to suffer. My guess is that everyone reading this knows someone affected by alcohol and/or drug abuse.

    Minds far greater than mine struggle to address the dramatic increases in alcohol related and preventable drug overdose deaths, and I pray they succeed — and soon. Their causes are myriad and vastly complex.

    Among them in my mind is turning alcohol into forbidden fruit. Human history tells us that we are not going to get rid of it, so we should teach people, especially young folks, how to use it responsibly. It makes no sense to tie our nation’s drinking age to federal highway funding, forcing young people to wait to have a beer until they are 21, though they can get married, vote, get a loan and give their lives for their nation at 18.

    Our medical establishment, pharmaceutical companies and government have failed us on the opioid issue. Big business pushed the drugs, physicians joined in, and Congress OK’d ubiquitous direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising which now tortures us every hour of the day. Only one other nation, New Zealand, allows this ugly practice.

    Our nation is overdue for soul-searching about these skyrocketing death rates, both individually and collectively.

  • UAC05112204 PUB PEN Sometimes we receive letters from the community that are just too important and relevant to ignore. Below is one of them. I gladly relinquish my space to share this message with our readers and the entire Fayetteville community.
    —Bill Bowman, publisher, Up & Coming Weekly

    I am Margaret Dickson, a business owner, journalist, former state senator and representative from Cumberland County.

    I am Rick Glazier, a lawyer, former Cumberland County school board member, Fayetteville State University professor and state representative.

    I am Dr. Eric Mansfield, an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor in Fayetteville and former state senator from Cumberland County.

    I am Diane Parfitt, a nurse, local downtown business owner and former state representative from Cumberland County.

    Together for many years, we represented Cumberland County in the NC General Assembly.

    Together, we fought for public education, affordable health care access, housing affordability, consumer protection, economic development, and environmental and social justice.

    Today, we write together to support one of North Carolina's best qualified, most effective and deeply respected state senators, Kirk deViere.

    When COVID-19 hit, he answered by fighting for and securing tens of millions of dollars for Cumberland County to prevent evictions, home foreclosures and utility cut-offs.

    When public education needed a voice, he answered by effectively negotiating with the Republican legislative leadership. He did this for, quite literally, hundreds of millions of dollars in teacher pay, additional school nurses, textbooks, teacher assistant positions, early childhood education funds, broadband funds, school lunch monies and more social workers in the schools. He has led the fight for full Leandro funding.

    While many have failed for 10 years in the executive and legislature, Kirk has been at the forefront of negotiating for Medicaid expansion and finally has gotten all parties to a place where that expansion may finally occur this summer.

    When our waters were polluted along the Cape Fear River basin, Kirk led the charge to go after the polluters and get the state and the polluting companies to take responsibility, stop the pollution and begin to effectively remedy the damage.

    When voices cried out for social justice and civil rights, he has been on the front lines of criminal records expunction, driver's license restoration, removing occupational licensing barriers and vigorously fighting for voting rights for all and equal justice for our daughters as well as our sons.

    When predatory lending companies tried to enter North Carolina, he stopped them.

    When community watches meet everywhere in the county, he is there, listening and always responds.

    Kirk has always been that way; as a military veteran of 11 years, Fayetteville city councilman, local business owner and state senator. That is why he is immensely respected by his colleagues in Raleigh and is thought of as one of the brightest state senators in the country.

    He is the first in his office most days and the last to leave at night.

    He is thoughtful, intelligent, informed and compassionate, just as the four of us tried to be in our public service. Only — he does it even better!

    He is a statesman and a rare commodity in public office; someone there for all the right reasons; someone who listens and not just talks; someone who values authenticity and morality over ideology and expediency; someone who delivers for our children, our families and our community.

    He is, in our collective opinion, everything you want and we need in public service, in leadership and a model of community engagement. He is a man of uncommon sense and sensibility.

    Together, we are proud and honored to endorse Senator deViere for re-election.*

    *Our endorsements are personal and are made in our individual capacities and not on behalf of any organization to which we are a member.

    Pictured above: (left to right) Margaret Dickson, Rick Glazier, Dr. Eric Mansfield, Diane Parfitt.

  • What books are you featuring on PBS-NC’s North Carolina “Bookwatch” this season?

    When I get this question from fans of that television program, I have to explain that the program was recently discontinued by PBS-NC.

    Then some people want to know what North Carolina-related books and authors would have been featured if the program had continued.

    Here are some of the programs I would have recommended for inclusion.

    “The Last First Kiss,” by Walter Bennett. A widowed retired lawyer reconnects with his high school girl friend in a hurricane on the Outer Banks.

    “The Beauty of Dusk” by Frank Bruni. The New York Times columnist and new North Carolina resident deals with his possible blindness.

    “Fire and Stone: The Making of the University of North Carolina under Presidents Edward Kidder Graham and Harry Woodburn Chase” by Howard Covington.

    “Midnight Lock” by Jeffery Deaver, the bestselling thriller author of the Lincoln Rhyme series who lives in North Carolina.

    “Balcony Reserved for White Spectators” by the late Walter Dellinger. Although Dellinger died before he completed this book of his extraordinary memories, we can hope his family and friends will find a way to finish it.

    “Saving the Wild South: The Fight for Native Plants on the Brink of Extinction” by Georgeann Eubanks.

    “The Recovery Agent” by Janet Evanovich. This bestselling author who lives in North Carolina begins a new series that the publisher asserts “blends wild adventure, hugely appealing characters, and pitch-perfect humor.”

    “A Good Neighborhood” by Therese Anne Fowler. A story of race and family set in Raleigh.

    “The Last Battleground: The Civil War Comes to North Carolina” by Philip Gerard.

    “The Other Dr. Gilmer: Two Men, A Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice” by Benjamin Gilmer. A caring doctor is also a killer.

    “UNC A to Z: What Every Tar Heel Needs to Know about the First State University” by Nicholas Graham and Cecelia Moore.

    “The Unwilling” by John Hart. Set in North Carolina, a fifth bestseller by Hart, who grew up in Salisbury.

    “Mountain Folk” by John Hood. A political columnist’s fanciful look at the times of the American Revolution.

    “To Drink from the Well: The Struggle for Racial Equality at the Nation's Oldest Public University” by Geeta N. Kapur. A Black UNC-Chapel Hill graduate re-writes the history of the university’s admission denials.

    “Frank Porter Graham: Southern Liberal, Citizen of the World” by William Link.

    “The Mays of Alamanns’ Creek: A Family Odyssey” by John May. A family history beginning hundreds of thousands of years ago.

    “Hell of a Book” by Jason Mott, who won the 2021 National Book Award.

    “The Faces of Poverty in North Carolina: Stories from Our Invisible Citizens” by Gene Nichol.

    “Sea Level Rise: A Slow Tsunami on America’s Shores” by Orrin and Keith Pilkey.

    “A Small Circle” by William Price. A privately published book of family memories by Reynolds Price’s brother William.

    “Andy Griffith’s Manteo: His Real Mayberry” by John Railey. Griffith’s life story told from his beloved Manteo.

    “In the Valley” by Ron Rash. Short stories by a master of the craft and a sequel to Rash’s bestselling “Serena.”

    “Searching for Amylu Danzer” by John Rosenthal. Famed photographer Rosenthal’s memoir of a lost friendship still haunting after more than 50 years.

    “How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America” by Clint Smith. This #1 New York Times bestseller by a Davidson graduate who visited places where slavery is more than a simple memory.

    “The Return” by Nicholas Sparks.

    “Paul’s Hill: Homage to Whitman” by Shelby Stephenson. Narrative poetry by a former state poet-laureate.

    “French Braid” by Anne Tyler. Another best seller set in Baltimore by an author who grew up in North Carolina

    “Hanging Tree Guitars” by Freeman Vines. Photographs and memories of Vine and his guitars.

    “A Consequential Life: David Lowry Swain, Nineteenth-Century North Carolina, and Their University” by Willis Whichard, expected to be released later this year.
    “Bookwatch” may be gone, but North Carolina-related books and authors continue to thrive.

  • 7 Hey, you! Yeah, you, the one holding this issue of Up & Coming Weekly in your soon-to-be ink-stained hands. Astrologically speaking, troubles are heading your way. Consider this column a warning. A word to the wise, so to speak. Do not make any major decisions in the next couple of weeks.

    To quote the greatest astrologer of our times, Creedence Clearwater’s John Fogerty, “I see a bad moon a-rising/ I see trouble on the way/ I see earthquakes and lightning/ I see bad times today.”

    Beware, Mercury is about to slide into retrograde. Right now, you are probably asking yourself, “Self, what is Mercury in Retrograde, and why should I care?”

    Fortunately, for both the readers of this column, Mr. Science has the answer. Nothing less than The Wall Street Journal had a front-page article on the effects of Mercury in retrograde written by their crack astrology reporter Stephanie Lai. If The Wall Street Journal says it, I believe it, and that settles it.

    Today, Mr. Science will examine astronomy and its ugly cousin, astrology. Trigger warning: If you believe in science or astrology, do not read this column as it contains potentially disturbing content that may be disconcerting to sensitive souls. Go to your safe place and have a cookie instead. Throw away this paper and begin whimpering.

    Mercury in retrograde occurs when Mercury seems to reverse its orbit and move backward in relation to the Earth. While Mercury doesn’t really go backward to Earthlings, it appears to do so. It turns out appearances can be deceiving. When Merc (as his friends call Mercury) goes into retrograde, bad luck peaks on Earth. We are about to enter a Merc in retrograde phase in the dangerous period between May 10 and June 2. If you don’t floss the teeth you want to keep during that period, your friends will call you Gummy.

    Ms. Lai’s article cited a number of Earthlings who had bad experiences in prior retrograde periods who blamed their ill fortunes not on the Bossa Nova but on retrograde. The financially prudent thing to do is to postpone trips, decisions and gambling junkets during retrograde. To be extra safe during retrograde, follow Larry David’s advice in “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” go to bed, pull the quilt over your head and sob quietly until retrograde passes you by.

    What do you get when you mix astrology and medical science? Take a look. Back in medieval times (not the one at Myrtle Beach) but rather the 14th Century, Europe and Asia played host to the bubonic plague. The Black Death ultimately killed about a third of Europe’s population. A bad time was had by all. French King Phillip VI wanted to know what was causing this disaster, so he appointed the best and brightest minds at the University of Paris in 1348 to cipher out the cause. And cipher they did, producing “A New Study,” which pinned down the cause of the plague.

    Forty-nine of the smartest doctors of their time put on their thinking hats to discover the origin of the Black Death. They were able to pinpoint the creation of the Black Death in their official report, the “Paris Consilium.”

    And wasn’t that a dainty dish to set before the King? They found the Black Death was born on March 20, 1345, when there was “a triple conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars in the 40th degree of Aquarius.” If you can’t trust the finest medical minds of the time, who can you trust?

    Medical science and astrology were joined at the hip during the medieval period, as shown by the University of Paris report. To be a great doctor, you also had to be a great astrologer. Medical science was written in the stars. Despite the best efforts of the 49 Parisian docs, it later turned out that the cause of the bubonic plague was a nasty bacteria called yersinia pestis, which spread by fleas jumping off the bodies of dead rats. The infected fleas then chowed down on human hosts, giving them the plague resulting in an early exit from the land of the living. A little ivermectin would have been helpful back then.

    So, with retrograde on the near horizon, what can we expect next? The early victims of retrograde appear to be the demise of CNN+, the Russians’ planned four-day war in Ukraine and Twitter’s battle with Elon Musk.

    Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of Mercury? As the Former Guy would say, “Stay tuned.”

    Have we learned anything today? Alas. Once again, not so much. This column is really a waste of your time. Creedence Clearwater tried to warn us about Merc in Retrograde when they sang: “I hear hurricanes a-blowing/ I know the end is coming soon/ I fear rivers overflowing/ I hear the voice of rage and ruin.”

    Moral: If you are not going to hide under a quilt until Mercury in retrograde passes, at least carry an umbrella. As the Morton Salt Girl says: “When it rains, it pours.”

  • I’m a conservative without a conversion story. Plenty of others have such a tale — they read a certain book, had a certain teacher or somehow became disenchanted with their previous, left-leaning views.

    If the conversion happened as adults, after first being politically active as a progressive, socialist or communist, they were called neoconservatives. One of the most prominent, Irving Kristol, famously defined a neoconservative as “a liberal who has been mugged by reality” and a neoliberal as “a liberal who got mugged by reality but has not pressed charges.”

    I only got mugged once, while working as a magazine reporter in Washington, and I was already a conservative. It was an attempted mugging, actually, because I happened to be carrying a synthesizer in a heavy case, it proved to be a handy weapon to swing, and the would-be mugger was stoned out of his mind.

    But Kristol wasn’t really talking about crime as a political issue, of course, although the rise of criminality and social disorder during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s was a factor that propelled some Americans into the modern conservative movement. What bound the disparate elements of that movement together was the existence of critically important and inescapable realities — such as what the free-market economist Thomas Sowell later described as the “constrained vision” of human nature, as distinguishable from the “unconstrained vision” of would-be social engineers.

    Both here in North Carolina and around the country, the modern conservative movement is an alliance of what used to be called traditionalism and what used to be called liberalism.

    Traditionalists believed there are fundamental truths and virtues, either revealed by God or confirmed by millennia of human history, that ought to guide human action.

    Classical liberals didn’t necessarily disagree with that premise, actually. But they elevated the principle of freedom to the top of the list — the right of individuals to make decisions for themselves above the power of the state to take their property and control their lives.

    Traditionalists valued freedom, as well, but observed that individuals aren’t born as human atoms who later, voluntarily, form human molecules. We are born into families and communities, and thus into a thick and complex web of social obligations. Many traditionalists, then, defined freedom in communitarian terms, as “ordered liberty.” Classical liberals emphasized the right of the individual to make decisions, even if the results dismayed their neighbors or injured themselves.

    When cultural critics, libertarians and anti-communists forged the modern conservative movement in America during the 20th century, they were reacting to the threatening rise of populism, progressivism and socialism.

    It was a case of longtime rivals, traditionalists and classical liberals, forming first an alliance of mutual need and then, through fits and starts, forging a more systematic integration of their ideas.

    The result wasn’t a catechism. It was and remains messy and incomplete. There are areas of disagreement and differences in emphasis. But the various strands of modern conservatism have enough in common to work together — and what they have in common, for the most part, is a belief that governmental power should be minimized so that freedom can be maximized.

    Why? Because it is in the nature of humans to thrive, in the long run, when they are free to make their own decisions, rather than being compelled to comply with some central plan. The empirical evidence for this proposition is massive and constantly growing.

    For example, a peer-reviewed study by North Dakota State University economist Jeremy Jackson employed the Frasier Institute’s Economic Freedom of North America Index and a set of survey data on life satisfaction.

    All other things being equal, states with lower taxes, smaller budgets, and fewer regulations had a higher share of happy residents than did those with expansive, expensive governments.

    My conservative colleagues and I here in North Carolina fight for freedom not as an abstraction but as a practical tool for promoting opportunity, progress, happiness and virtue. And we welcome converts to the cause.

  • 4After attending the recent municipal forums, listening to the candidates on the radio and reading their social media posts, I can honestly and confidently make several assessments. For the most part, these candidates are honest, hard-working, and good-intentioned Fayetteville citizens with deep concerns for our city. Otherwise, they would not be seeking public office.

    However, I question the motives of several of the newbies and a few incumbents who are vying for reelection. The current configuration of districts in our city council does not allow for a cohesive community vision. After all, because of how the nine Fayetteville municipal districts are determined, it fosters an environment that encourages, protects, and disguises laziness, neglect of responsibilities, and gross incompetence while restricting our voice in local government. For more information on this issue visit, www.voteyesfayetteville.com.

    If history and past performance are indications of future leadership expectations, then why would anyone think these dysfunctional, uncooperative and uninformed city council placeholders would perform any differently if reelected? Tisha Waddell resigned her position in District 3 on November 9, 2022 after realizing, among other things, that it was impossible to work and achieve anything for the citizens of Fayetteville in such a hostile, dysfunctional environment. She resigned after realizing there was no path forward to improve or influence change for honest and transparent governance for all Fayetteville residents.

    As we listen to these political wannabes, everyone seems to tout public safety, the unhoused, storm water, infrastructure and the need to make Fayetteville a cleaner and more attractive business-friendly city. All spewing words without substance that go primarily unchallenged by the general public. These are ambiguous talking points and sound bites void of remedies, solutions, or plans to move our city forward. They do not reflect a working knowledge of how the city government operates.

    The Fayetteville Can Do BETTER campaign, funded by donations collected from citizens who want a better Fayetteville, will run through the General election on Nov. 8. The campaign has two primary objectives: To remind and encourage people to vote in the upcoming elections and let the current city-elected officials know that we see and experience what they chose to ignore every day in our city.

    Up & Coming Weekly is accepting contributions to the ad campaign and photos highlighting issues in our city from the community. Please email me directly at bill@upandcomingweekly.com or send them direct to Fayetteville Can Do BETTER c/o Up & Coming Weekly, 208 Rowan St., Fayetteville, N.C., 28301.

    Fayetteville is a fabulous community with great potential for a bright and prosperous future, but only if we can elect leaders with integrity and a strong work ethic. Your comments are welcome and appreciated.
    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • She comes with impeccable credentials and plenty of fresh ideas, which is a good thing because she05-09-12-parrish.jpghas big shoes to fill. Robyne Parrish is set to replace Lynne Pryer as Gilbert Theater’s artistic director.

    Trained at the North Carolina School of Arts, one of the nation’s top-ranked acting conservatories, Parrish has performed off-Broadway, in regional theatres, in film and television including Royal Pains, What’s It Like in California, The Baristasand Help Me Help You with Richard Kind and Steve Guttenberg. She has trained with world-renowned director and NCSA Dean, Gerald Freedman, Cigdem Onat and Broadway dance legend, Molly Murray. She’s directed children and adults alike in her 20 plus years as a director.

    Critics describe her as hilarious, capable, sassy and vivacious.

    So why Fayetteville? Why now?“

    I have been looking for something like this position for a long time,” said Parrish. “My family is from South Carolina and I’m 40 this year. A lot of it has to do with moving back in the direction of home. Being in Fayetteville is going to let me slow down a little bit and really enjoy working.”

    Parrish’s idea of slow may differ from what most would assume. She still has representation all over the world, will be travelling to Pittsburgh to direct in the winter, is working with a new theater group in town called Sweet Tea Shakespeare and is doing a show in Blowing Rock this summer.

    “Part of my agreement with the Gilbert is that I will be travelling sometimes to work and direct,” said Parrish. “I will be directing two of the shows at the Gilbert this season, too.”

    Parrish brings with her not only years of experience, but her connections from New York, Pittsburgh and other places.

    “This is an opportunity to bring in guest directors and use my connections to bring in new artists to work in the community,” said Parrish.

    When Parrish accepted the offer to head the Gilbert Theater, she was impressed by the level of excellence at which the organization operates, and she was energized by the board’s desire to move things to the next level.

    “There is huge potential here. Everything they were doing was so awesome,” said Parrish. “What I have been challenged by the board to do is move to the next level of excellence. Everything they have done is incredible, and there is so much opportunity to keep growing.”

    One of the first orders of business is the Gilbert Conservatory, a school for actors and other people interested in learning the ways of the theater. The conservatory offers classes in Shakespeare, voice and speech, musical theater and acting for the stage and screen. It is for ages 15 and up.

    “The most important thing is that we are the Gilbert. We are not going to turn into something different,” said Parrish. “The change that is being made is that we are transitioning to a semi-professional theater. We still rely heavily on local talent. I’ve seen great talent here. I don’t see why we would need to go anywhere else. That is who we are and that will not change. The Gilbert deserves to be recognized as semi-professional. They are already working at that level and they should be viewed like that.”

    Find out more about the Gilbert Theater and the Gilbert Conservatory at www.gilberttheater.com.

    Photo: Robyne Parrish is the new artistic director at the Gilbert Theater.

  • 05-29-13-charlotte-blume-photos.gifIt’s more than tradition. It is the Spring Festival of Dance: A Dance Variety Extravaganza. The festival, presented by Charlotte Blume, will be on stage at the Crown Center Theatre on Sunday, June 2. The festival has been performed at the Crown Theatre since the 1980s when it was still named the Cumberland County Civic Auditorium, which was founded in 1967.

    Two-hundred dancers of all ages will perform in a variety of dance styles from the cutest to the sublime. It is a bonanza of classical ballet, rhythm and Broadway tap dance, contemporary, jazz dance, Hip Hop and dances for Tiny Tots, the crowd-pleasing pre-school children. All dancers will take the stage with poise and polish, according to Blume.

    The audience will see a progression of skills throughout the show as the dances for children evolve into the beauty of classical ballet. The featured classic ballets this year are, excerpts from “Les Sylphides,” with music by Chopin and “Jupiter” from the Planetsby composer Holst.

    The soloists in “Les Sylphides” are Jane Violette as the “Waltz Girl”, Mary Maxton Fowler, Megan Still, Ashley Watters and Deprecia Simpson. Brandon Scott dances the “Poet.” Both Simpson and Watters will solo in “Jupiter.”

    Excerpts from “Les Sylphides” are performed with traditional choreography by Fokine, and set by Charlotte Blume. Fokine’s choreography for “Les Sylphides” was first danced in Paris in 1909 by the Russian Ballet. Fokine staged it for the American Ballet Theatre in 1940 and the lyrical ballet remains in its repertoire.

    “Jupiter,” a section of Holst’s The Planets was choreographed by Wei Ni. Wei Ni is the assistant director of the North Carolina State Ballet Company. The Spring Festival of Dance is an afternoon of fun and entertainment. Tickets are $9 at the Crown Center Box Office or online through ticketmaster.com. The curtain will come up at 2:30 p.m.

    Photo: The audience will see a progression of skills throughout the show as the dances for children evolve into the beauty of classical ballet.

  • Groucho: A Life in Revue will be presented by The Gilbert theater as the closing play of the season from June 5-16.05-29-13-groucho-marx.gif

    When asked about her choice for the closing show, Gilbert Artistic Director, Robyne Parrish quipped, “Why not? He is one of America’s greatest comedians and film and television stars. Groucho Marx made an imprint on our society for all time with his off-color humor and brilliant wit.

    “When I heard that a Pittsburgh artist regularly performed the play with music, Groucho: A Life in Revue, I knew it had to have a place in my first season as new artistic director of the Gilbert Theater.”

    Groucho: A Life in Revue is a musical stage play written by Groucho Marx’s son, Arthur Marx, and Robert Fisher. It is a peek into the life and career of the famous entertainer. Marx and his brothers had an unmatched fl air for comedy. However, it was Groucho who became the reigning king of comedy in the ‘40s. He became well known for clever one line retorts such as “Marriage is a wonderful institution … but who wants to live in an institution?”

    Marx could be viewed as vaudeville’s precursor of the modern day rapiers for his quick wit, slapstick comedy and mastery of language and word play. Julius Henry “Groucho” Marx (1890-1977) was born on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. One of Marx’s maternal uncles (Al Shean) was part of a successful Vaudeville act. Despite Julius’s desire to become a doctor, the family’s poverty infl uenced his mother to encourage her sons to star on stage. The Marx brothers started as a singing group: Julius (Groucho) was a gifted vocalist, Leonard (Chico) a terrific piano player and Arthur (Harpo) played the harp. Eventually their comedy skits became much more popular than their music. They were among the biggest stars of the Palace Theatre and Vaudeville, in general. Groucho visually clarifi ed his character by the use of a stooped walk, grease- painted mustache and eyebrows and large glasses, all props to enhance his shtik.

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based actor, dancer and director, Jeremy Czarnaik joins the Gilbert for this production. When asked about his character development in the role of Groucho, Czarnaik replied, ”I discovered Groucho personally doing another show Day In Hollywood/Night In The Ukraine in 1990.

    “I was cast to play him with little background knowledge, so I began my research... and became obsessed with the comic genius that was Groucho,” continued Czarnaik. “Since then, I have been an avid collector of all things Groucho, including a prized autographed 8x10 (photo) that I always incorporate into the set when I do this show. I have spent years studying and fine tuning my interpretation — this will be my sixth production of this particular show and every time I fi nd some more details.”

    When asked why this was a Gilbert production not to be missed, he explained, “Audiences love this show because of the real and intimate way in which you get to know Groucho. People’s comments afterward always include ‘I feel like I really got to know him, like I actually spent an evening with him.’” he said. “Whether you are a lifelong fan or know very little about the Marx Brothers, the beauty of this show is it is a touching memoir of a truly remarkable life that has plenty of laughs but as Groucho himself said, “...if I didn’t know sadness, I wouldn’t have spent all those years trying to make people laugh.”

    For more information or to purchase tickets and make reservations for the show, visit the website at www.gilberttheater.com or call 678-7186.

    Photo: Groucho: A Life in Revue opens on June 5 at Gilbert Theater.

  • 05-21-14-swampdogs.gifAfter another successful season in 2013, the SwampDogs look to continue their winning tradition this year. Although last year ended with a heartbreaking loss in the third game of the East Semifinals, the SwampDogs have been hard at work assembling another talented group of decorated ballplayers. With a host of heavy hitters and a sound pitching staff, the Petitt Cup is on the mind of all within the organization.

    The team will be led by David Tufo, in his first season as SwampDogs manager. Fans may remember Tufo as an assistant coach for the ’Dogs in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. He returns to the SwampDogs this season after spending 2013 as the skipper of the Forest City Owls. Tufo served for a time as the interim manager of the SwampDogs in 2012, guiding the team to an 18-10 record.

    “The Swamp” will host 32 unique theme nights, including four fireworks extravaganzas, 12 giveaway nights and three weekly promotions. New to “The Swamp” this season, teachers and students will enjoy 2 Cool For School Tuesdays, where you get two general admission tickets for the price of one with student or teacher ID! Also returning this year is Dunkin’ Donuts Wake-Up Wednesdays — Start your day off at participating Dunkin’ Donuts locations to meet Fun-Go and SwampDogs players. Be sure not to miss out on the return of fan favorites such as StriKing Out Cancer Night, Scout Night, and Faith and Family Night. Debuting at “The Swamp” are Country Night and our Salute to Tom Hanks, along with many other exciting themes.05-21-14-swampdogs-log.gif

    Once again, the SwampDogs will host the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team on June 24, and one month later will be the 10th Annual Family Fun Night and Fun-Go Bobblehead giveaway powered by BOB FM 96.5. Make sure to be a part of what promises to be the most fun-filled season yet.

    Be sure to follow the SwampDogs on social media all season long! Like our Fayetteville SwampDogs Baseball Facebook page and follow us @GoSwampDogs on Twitter and Instagram!

  • For many around the world, Armed Forces Day is a time to come together and thank military members for their patriotic service. In honor of this special day, the Army’s Army, a nationally recognized 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization made up of citizens and businesses who have pledged their support to those in the military, will partner with Cross Creek Cycling Club (C4) to host the 2013 Ride To Honor.

    The Army’s Army has proudly been supporting our troops for more than fi ve years and is truly dedicated to honoring and recognizing our brave servicemen and women. Providing various types of military support through programs such as relocation fairs and events geared towards soldiers, veterans and their families, the Army’s Army is committed to “watching over those who watch over us.”

    Now in its second year, Ride To Honor is a 34- and 61-mile bicycle ride that raises funds to support the Army’s Army. Hosted in collaboration with Cross Creek Cycling Club, the ride will lead participants along a scenic route traversing Cumberland, Lee and Harnett counties.

    Featuring rest stops that are sponsored by Flat Branch Fire Department and Spring Hill United Methodist Church, bikers will have the opportunity to grab a snack and take a moment to breathe while excited volunteers cheer them on.

    Opening ceremonies for this year’s Ride To Honor will begin at 8:30 a.m., on Saturday, May 18 at Mendoza Park in Spring Lake. Long-time partners of the Army’s Army, the Cumberland Oratorio Singers, will kick off the ceremony with the “National Anthem”, followed by remarks from special guest John Meroski, CEO of the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and Chairman of the Army’s Army. The American Legion Auxiliary will also be on site serving breakfast to cyclists and spectators.

    The Combat Vets Association and the American Legion Riders, in conjunction with the Spring Lake Police Department and Harnett County Sheriff’s Department, will also be on hand to escort the cyclists throughout the day. After completing the tri-county trek, race participants will be welcomed back to Mendoza Park and enjoy post-race activities and refreshments provided by Army’s Army partner, Sonic.

    05-01-13-bike-ride-benefit.gifThe registration fee for riders is $45; Wounded Warriors and children under the age of 13 are invited to ride for free. To register for the Ride To Honor, visit www.active.com/cycling/spring-lake-nc/ride-to-honor-2013 or check out the Ride To Honor Facebook page for more information.

    Ride To Honor is part of 31-Day Salute, a month-long celebration of performances, exhibits and activities throughout Cumberland County that show appreciation, respect and support for those who serve and have served in the military.

    In addition to participating in Ride To Honor, many C4 members, which include both active duty and retired military, volunteer and compete in several other community and charitable events throughout the year, including the Ride to Recovery, the Wounded Warrior ride on Fort Bragg and countless other rides across the Southeast United States. The club also participates in various non-ride activities that support the community, including Operation Spin Cycle, which assists wounded soldiers in the Warrior Transition Battalion on Fort Bragg.

    Photo: Ride To Honor is a 34- and 61-mile bicycle ride that raises funds to support the Army’s Army.

  • For more than 30 years, McCune Technologies has provided the Fayetteville area with quality metal05-15-13-boon.gif fabrications. By definition, metal fabrication is “the building of metal structures by cutting, bending and assembling processes,” but McCune Technologies does so much more. Not only does the company provide the community with quality metalworking, it supports the local people and economy, too.

    For decades North Carolina was known as the manufacturing state. There was a booming economy for tobacco, cotton, furniture and jeans. David McCune, the owner for McCune technologies says, “Hope Mills and Massey Hill used to be mill towns. There were 25 cotton mills in the area. There was all kinds of manufacturing here.”

    Sadly, like with the rest of the country, the area’s economy has taken a hit in recent years and manufacturing has suffered.

    McCune has a unique perspective on the economy of the area. He is the owner of McCune Technologies, a company that specializes in miscellaneous steel fabrication; he is on the board of trustees for Fayetteville Technical Community College, on the board of directors for CEED and a chairperson on the Cumberland County workforce board. When asked about the local economy he says, “We need more industry. Of course, we are thankful for the industry that is here, but we need more. There used to be 13,000 or 14,000 manufacturing jobs in the area. Now there are 5,000 or 6,000 jobs. This is the harsh reality of the area, but we are very thankful for the manufacturing that is still here. This area has a great demographic for manufacturing.”

    Despite the losses that the community has faced in recent years, it has also made tremendous progress. Fayetteville is continuously growing and developing into a center of arts and commerce, and the upcoming changes to the area can only serve to improve the community even more.

    “Within North Carolina, Fayetteville is the perfect location. It is close to the beach and the mountains, right next to I-95 and I-40. There is huge potential for tremendous growth in Cumberland County. There is a new transportation facility in downtown, and downtown itself has improved by leaps and bounds over the years. We have the largest community college in the state, and one of the largest in the nation,” said McCune. “Methodist University is growing, and Fayetteville State is growing, and Ft. Bragg is a great asset to the community. The only thing our area is lacking is manufacturing.”

    With all the positive changes in the community, Fayetteville will be open to the growth of new industry and manufacturing. McCune expresses this same sentiment.

    “With I-95 going around Cumberland County and Fayetteville, this state will have one of the best infrastructures in the United States when it is finished,” he said. “We have a population of 300,000 and most cities that would have a road like this would be Richmond, Va., or Washington D.C. This is a tremendously positive improvement in development.”

    Photo: McCune Technologies has been in business in Fayetteville for more than 30 years.

  • 05-22-13-memorial-day.gifMemorial Day is known to many as the offi cial beginning of summer, but it is so much more. Every year on the fi nal Monday of May people across the nation set aside a day and remember the sacrifi ces that brave men and women have made to the country by serving in the Armed Forces. This tradition has been observed since the Civil War. Being a military town, Memorial Day has a special importance to the Fayetteville community. Accordingly, the community also has incredible Memorial Day celebrations.

    Don Talbot, the event organizer, has something in common with many people in the Fayetteville community — prior military service. It is because of this prior service that this Memorial Day Ceremony holds such importance to him, and he continues to help organize it year after year.

    Talbot spoke about his passions for Memorial Day by saying, “I am a retired veteran, and it is touching for me to say thanks because I made it out after three years in Vietnam with only two Purple Hearts. At some point you just have to look back and think about all the comrades you left behind.”

    Talbot expresses this passion every year by working tirelessly to create an incredibly moving ceremony for all of Fayetteville. It is a time to refl ect on the sacrifices of the men and women in our community who gave their lives in defense of our nation. The ceremony will embrace the true meaning of the day, and will be held in the park that is expressly dedicated to their honor.

    “We want people to know that this is a formal military-oriented memorial service to praise the missing and dead soldiers and those who have served. This is a family-friendly event because families are affected. The soldiers are husbands, brothers and grandfathers... mothers, even,” Talbot said.

    The entire community has rallied for this ceremony. There is no one single group that is solely supporting the ceremony, but rather a multitude of people gathering to honor the nation’s veterans.

    “There are multiple people involved. There will be a chaplain, a guest speaker, a fi ring squad from the 82nd Airborne Division, a bugler and wreath presenters. There are lots of groups in this, not just one core group. It is a true cross spectrum of the community,” Talbot explains.

    It is this great community support that has allowed the ceremony to grow. Originally, it began as a small ceremony of less than 100 people in the City Hall Plaza in 1999. Now the ceremony is held in Freedom Memorial Park, which is dedicated expressly to veterans. Last year more than 800 people attended. The park now has bleachers that seat 300 and there are restroom facilities available. There is parking close by for the disabled, and additional parking at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum.

    The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 27 at Freedom Memorial Park. The park is located at 101 Bragg Blvd. For more information, contact Talbot at 867-7776. Admission is free and seating is limited. It is advised to bring lawn chairs.

    Photo: Being a military town, Memorial Day has a special importance to the Fayetteville community. 

  • As the weather warms, more and more people dust off their running or walking shoes and take to the streets. Further, tough economic times have led to a resurgence in interest in running and fi tness over the last several years according to a report by Running USA. Running relieves stress, improves fi tness and helps participants maintain healthy weight levels. What better way to celebrate the start of summer than with a good test of your abilities? For the 17th year, the Army will celebrate its birthday with a 10 Miler. This year, the race is on June 6.

    Not in the Army? No problem. This race is open to the public, but only the fi rst 2,000 participants will be accepted, so sign up early. Race fees are $15 if received on or before May 30, and $20 thereafter. The last day to register is June 5 at 5 p.m. Runners can register online at www.fortbraggmwr.com through May 30. Runners can also register in person at the Leisure Travel Services offi ce in the mini-mall near Reilly and Honeycutt Streets or the Funk Physical Fitness Center on Gruber Road near Longstreet. There is no race day registration.05-29-13-army-10-miler.gif

    Race packets must be picked up prior to the date of the race and can be picked up at the Funk Physical Fitness Center. Race participants are timed by ChronoTrack timers affi xed to the back of race numbers, therefore the numbers are not transferrable.The race will begin at the Hedrick Stadium area on Fort Bragg at 6 a.m. with pre-race instructions being given at 6:20 a.m. Digital display clocks are at mile marks throughout the course, as well as seven water points. Five of the water points will offer Gatorade, and restrooms are conveniently located near the water points.

    Awards will be given for the men’s overall champion, women’s overall champion and the top three fi nishers in 11 classifi cations by age, including wheelchair. There will be team competitions as well; however, the team competition is limited to active-duty personnel. There is no limit to the number of runners on a team, but only the top eight finishers of men’s or mixed-division teams and the top four finishers for women’s teams will count toward team scoring. Team registration must be completed online.

    Not a runner? There is an option—for you, too. For the eighth year, in conjunction with the 10 miler, there will also be a 4-mile walk for fun. As this is a non-competitive event, participants will not receive a timing tag. Registration and packet pick-up for the fun walk is the same as the race participants.

    Pets, bicycles, roller blades and headphones are not permitted. Need more information? Visitwww.fortbraggmwr.com for more information, registration and for race maps.

    Photos: Celebrate the Army’s birthday like a trooper - with a 10-mile road race.

  • {mosimage}This summer is turning out to be the absolute worst motorcycle accident season that I have ever seen as a biker. I am gauging my analysis on the number of calls coming into my office, and reports of motorcycle accidents that I get from all over the world.

    I assume that the rise in gas prices and the increase in motorcycle popularity are the main factors in the vast increase in accidents. However, I am getting calls from guys with many years of riding experience!

    Whatever the cause of the vast increase in motorcycle accidents this summer may be, I will again reiterate some basic motorcycle safety tips:


    (1) Do not ride your motorcycle untilyou take a certified MotorcycleRider Safety Course.


    (2) If you are an experienced rider, or you have purchased a new motorcycle, take an advanced Motorcycle Rider Safety Course. Remember you do not really know your motorcycle until you have ridden it at least 1,000 miles.


    (3) No matter how experienced you think you may be on your motorcycle, practice makes perfect. You must be careful all of the time.


    (4) Assume that cagers and people in other motor vehicles do not see you!


    (5) Always wear a helmet, leathers, gloves, boots, and proper riding attire, even if it is hot. You may not look as cool, but if the meat hits the pavement, the pavement wins. It is always better to go home to ride another day.


    (6) Do not tailgate cars.


    (7) Keep your motorcycle in gear when stopped and always monitor your rear view mirrors for someone who looks like they are going to rear end you. Always plan an escape route at stop lights.


    (8) Always cover when going through intersections. Assume that someone will turn left in front of you or blow through a red light. 


    (9) Make sure that your insurance is up to date and that you have at least $500,000 in liability, underinsured, and uninsured motorist coverage. It may cost a bit more, but if you do go down, you want to have enough insurance to cover your passenger, and you.


    (10) Always keep an emergency card with you while riding. The emergency card should contain emergency contact names and numbers, relevant medical information such as blood type, medications, health problems, etc.


    (11) NEVER DRINK ALCOHOL OR USE DRUGS WHEN RIDING YOUR MOTORCYCLE, PEROID!


    (12) Always inspect your motorcycle and tires before riding. Look for loose screws, bolts, nuts and tighten them. Check your tires for pressure and wear.


    Riding your motorcycle can and should be one of the most pleasurable things in your life. Take it easy out there. Remember it is not the destination that matters; it is the ride that counts!

    You can read many more safety tips here on the Biker Law Blog by clicking on the Safety Tips button on the top of the Blog.

    Keep Both Wheels on the Road!

  •     Children with disabilities face a number of challenges. Often, school proves difficult and extracurricular activities are off limits. For many children with disabilities, art opens doorways, allowing them to express themselves in ways they never could before. The Fayetteville Museum of Art is hoping to help them open that door, and a very special event on Saturday, May 31 is a first step.
        {mosimage}The second annual Spectacular Arts Festival on Saturday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be held at the Dorothy Gilmore Recreational Center. The festival is designed for children with disabilities. The event gives them and their families the opportunity to participate in an entertaining and creative environment.
        “We gear it for pre-school children ages 0-5,” said Lisette Young, director of education at the Fayetteville Museum of Art. “We will have six art tables set up for the children to create art.”
        Young added that the tools used are designed for the diverse students and their different types and levels of disabilities. Disabilities may range from mild, moderate or severe.
        “We will have resource tables, too,” said Young. “I contacted local agencies that offer help or assistance to children with disabilities and their families.”
        Young added that there will be 13 agencies on site. Beyond putting families in touch with those agencies, the staff at the museum hopes the community will begin to see the museum as a resource. Young explained that the FMA has a special needs educator who goes out to Cumberland County Schools and other organizations to share with educators and others the kinds of artistic projects that can be done with students with disabilities. The fun-filled activities include a bubble machine, face painting, balloons, tattoos, trackless train rides, a paint wall and tents for children to sit inside if they are sensitive to heat.
        The Fayetteville Symphony Duo will provide musical entertainment. They will play children’s songs with their string instruments. the Fayetteville Fire Department, The Fayetteville Police Department and the Cumberland County Headquarters Library mascot will be on hand. The Grey Seal Puppets will present a puppet show entitled Salsa Cinderella. Lunch will be provided by CiCi’s Pizza and a cool treat of ice cream will be provided by Cold Stone Creamery.
        “This is a comfortable and fun event for children with disabilities and their families,” said Young. “Children with all disabilities are welcome.”
        Admission is free. The Dorothy Gilmore Recreational Center is located at 1600 Purdue Drive. For more information call 485-5121.

  • 05-14-14-special-ops.gifCaptain Ivan Castro is an officer in the United States Army Special Forces. Capt. Castro is also blind having lost his vision in 2006 while serving in Iraq. Despite his injuries, he has remained on active duty with the Army. After his injuries, he leveraged his background in athletics to heal and motivate himself, “I needed to get back in shape; physically and mentally.” Castro also felt the need to give back and honor the soldiers that he had served with that gave their lives, “The same mortar round that took my sight killed two guys … I am grateful for what I have and do not dwell on what I have lost. I have been given a second chance. I lived. I have to pay it forward.”

    With that attitude of positivity and gratitude in mind, Castro founded the Special Operators Challenge. He said the idea for the event came to him from, “love of athletics, love of fitness, love of trying to help the community” and his goal for the challenge is to “do something to honor our men and women in uniform: military, fire fighters, law enforcement. “

    On Saturday, May 31, at the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford, Castro will host the Special Operators Challenge. He describes it as something “where the community can come out and enjoy an event together … an athletic event where parents and kids come out and participate together.”

    The challenge will have three events for participants to join and compete in: The Little Muddy in lengths for kids ages 5-17, an adults only fun run called The Boomerang, and the 10k main event called The Muddy Nick. The 10 a.m. wave of the Muddy Nick will consist of 15 two-person teams with the fastest team winning a matching pair of shotguns.

    Completing any of the races entitles participants to a moisture-wicking race T-shirt, a race medal, and a raffle entry for the chance to win prizes that include a shotgun, sunglasses, a parachute jump experience, massage certificates, art work, bicycles and others.

    The event will also be an opportunity for participants and spectators to give back. A portion of the registration fee will be donated to a nonprofit organization that the participant chooses. The various charities will be on-site to provide information. There will also be a drive to collect food, clothing and toys to donate to needy families in the area.

    In addition to all of the competitive events and opportunities to give, participants and spectators have access to free eye exams, an opportunity to become American Heart Association CPR certified, and presentations from the FBI about making an identification kit for children.

    Also appearing at the event will be fire trucks from the Pine Hill Volunteer Fire Department and the All Veterans Parachute Team, which will also be jumping in with the flag at the start of the event.

    Castro invites local businesses out for the day as well, “If they want to put up a tent and promote their business, they are welcome.” He also expressed a need for volunteers to step forward to help pass out T-shirts and medals, to help with the course and to pass out water.

    If you are interested in volunteering, the team-run of the Muddy Nick, the CPR certification or in securing a table and tent for your business, email SpecialOperatorsChallenge@gmail.com for more information.

    Registration for the various races is conducted through www.Active.com; search for Special Operators Challenge.

  • As we wrap up another successful academic year at Methodist University, we congratulate the Class of 2014, our largest class of undergraduate and graduate students in the university’s history. We were honored to have members of the first graduating class in attendance as we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1964 with 17 of the 43 original class members on campus to participate in the hooding ceremony.

    Throughout the year, we are committed to a “culture of excellence” at the University in everything we do. Let me share just a few highlights that have helped “redefine excellence” for everyone associated with Methodist and have set the stage for a bright future as we move forward:

    - In addition to a record enrollment (2,478), we experienced a record number of residential students (nearly 1,100) and international students (150 from 55 different countries).

    - The graduation of the first cohort of students from our new Nursing Program and the Master of Education program.

    - Progress on our first doctoral program in Physical Therapy and the receipt of a naming gift from the Thomas R. and Elizabeth E. McLean Foundation for our new Health Sciences Building.

    - New majors in Entrepreneurship and Applied Forensic Science and further development of our Cyber Security and Digital Forensics program, thus responding to increased interest in these areas by prospective students and employers. This demonstrates Methodist’s continued commitment to creating and expanding academic programs to meet demands from current and potential stakeholders.

    - The opening of the newly renovated library and expanded Trustees Building.05-21-14-methoist.gif

    - A spectacular Igneous Expressions glass exhibit and Picasso ceramics show in the David McCune International Art Gallery.

    - Held the third annual Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium, featuring students’ research projects, and the addition this year of a graduate and faculty component to the program.

    - Winning the USA South Athletic Conference Overall and Men’s President’s Cups after winning conference championships in football, men’s soccer, and women’s tennis along with strong seasons in our other sports. Women’s tennis and women’s and men’s golf also qualified for the NCAA national championship competition

    .- Kicking off our $35 million Building Excellence Campaign with over $25 million raised. This would not have been possible without the generosity of so many individuals and organizations who believe in the mission of our University.

    - Hosting Dr. Sanjay Gupta as the inaugural speaker in the Presidential Speaker Series.

    There have been so many memorable moments this year at Methodist, but none surpass the expressions I saw on the faces of the graduates and their sponsors as they crossed the stage at Commencement to be hooded and receive their diplomas. The true measure of excellence at a University should be the success of its students, beginning with their undergraduate experience, followed by earning their degrees and embarking on their chosen careers or graduate school. The expressions that day conveyed a mixture of pride, accomplishment, sadness in leaving MU, and excitement about what lies ahead. These are the ones who will go on to “redefine excellence” in the next leg of their journey, fully equipped to do so, thanks to their MU Journey.

    Indeed, I have the best job in America, as our University meets America’s needs while raising the bar on excellence. Record enrollment, record graduates, and record financial support confirm we are getting it right where it matters the most—providing transformational experiences and preparing tomorrow’s leaders.

    Photo: This year has been a year of excellence in many ways at Methodist University.

  • Lately, a lot of people are concerned about their social networking presence. Below are some tips on how to put your best public face forward on social networking sites.05-28-14-hot-to-put.gif

    Be selective in what you post. First, and probably most important, do not post anything on any social networking site that you would not want your current employer, coworkers, potential employers, parents or children to see. Unless you are an expert at changing the (sometimes) esoteric security settings on most social media sites, it is best to be selective in what you post. One very important reason to adhere to this standard is that most employers perform a general search for your name when you apply for a job.

    Do not post defamatory remarks about others, especially your employer or coworkers. Online posts containing profanity or threats, whether they are your words or not, can lead to legal issues at your place of employment. Recently, a case in New Jersey involved a college professor posting a picture of his daughter wearing a shirt printed with the words “I will take what is mine in fire and blood,” ( a quote from the television show Game of Thrones). The professor was ultimately dismissed from his position, as his college perceived this as a direct threat.

    If you cannot do without social networking sites, please try to follow these rules: Never disclose your physical location. This includes not posting items about when and where you are going on vacation, which can serve as an invitation to would-be thieves. Some social networking sites have a GPS feature that enables the sites to track your every move. This setting can be turned off. Normally, the setting can be found under location settings. The social-media sites do this for marketing purposes, which is why the sites are free to the public.

    Configure the highest possible security settings when using Facebook or Twitter. Generally, this can be accomplished by choosing settings, then security settings. Be aware, however, that there are also some general settings that are security-related that are not listed under the security settings. For maximum security, turn on the setting that requires a secure log-on to access your account. This will require the use of HTTPS to log in.

    Disable the auto-log-in feature. This will prevent others from using your credentials (and possibly submitting fraudulent posts).

    Change the setting that allows others to search for you on social-media sites, if possible. This may help to keep your information from being seen by the general public.

    To test your online privacy, start your own search — Google yourself. If you have a common name, you may need to narrow the search results by using specific terms, such as your location or current employer, as part of your Google search. For example, if your name is Betty Jones and you work at ABC Company, in the Google search field, type “Betty Jones ABC Company Fayetteville NC” to see more specific results that actually pertain to you. If you have a less common name (like mine), a simple Google search should reveal adequate results.TENETTE PREVATTE, Department Chair, Informa-tion Systems Security at FTCC, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200.

  • “When you think of a catfi sh tournament you think of a couple of guys and some stinky bait — you know what I am saying? But we have taken this tournament stuff to a different level.” 050510-st-jude-logo.gif

    These are the words of the 6th Annual Catfi sh Tournament Director Robert Kitchen.

    In the past five years the event has raised more than $20,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This year they are hoping to add significantly to that figure.

    “We started with 19 boats paying $250 to win,” said Kitchen. “Now we are at more than 100 boats which makes us the biggest catfish tournament in North Carolina. We are paying $3,000 to win, and there is a chance to win a pick-up truck.”

    There is a captain’s meeting on Saturday, May 8 at the Hope Mills Shriner’s Club from 6-11 p.m. Dinner and entertainment will be provided.

    This year the tournament will be held on May 15 and 16. Registration will open at 6 a.m. and run until 9 a.m. at J.P. Riddle Stadium. The boats will blast off from the stadium at 8 a.m., but if you miss it there is still another hour of registration time.

    “After blast off they can go anywhere on the Cape Fear river they want to... from Buckhorn to Wilmington...they can fish the whole span of the Cape Fear River,” said Kitchen. Weigh-in starts at 9 a.m. on Sunday. All boats have to be in by 10 a.m. There will be a polygraph examiner at weigh-in. The top three winning team captains must take a polygraph before any winnings will be declared.

    While the fishermen are certainly expected to have a good time, the tournament is fish friendly.

    “We do catch and release. We put all the fish back in the river because we are tournament fishermen and that might be the one we need for next time that will win,” said Kitchen.

    “Plus we don’t want to deplete the river population of fish due to the fact that this is such a great river to fish in, and the more you take out the less there is gonna be. Last year we put back 1,866 pounds of fish — all alive”

    Before the fish are put back in the river they are put into revive tanks and soaked in rejuvinade so that they are not put back into the river in a weak state. In order to maintain the health of the fish, the tournament has also changed the number of fi sh that can be weighed-in to three. It used to be fi ve fish.

    While tournament participants enjoy a good time on the Cape Fear River catching catfi sh and competing for one of the many prizes that will be handed out, Kitchen and the event organizers are very focused on running a successful tournament because they support the cause... the children and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

    “In our organization everybody is gung ho about it — we all know that we are blessed that our children don’t have cancer,” said Kitchen. “These kids didn’t ask for it, but they won’t get to run and play and stuff like that. So if we can give them a chance to that is all that matters in the world to us. There is just something so precious and special about children... one of our philosophies is that the person’s life that you save could be the person that saves your life someday.”

    For more information, check out myspace.com/FishingtoFightCancer or call 237-1343.

  • 05-19-10-ironman.gifFIVE STARS

    Iron Man wasn’t bad. Iron Man 2 (124 minutes) was fantas-tic. Unfortunately Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is still irritat-ingly ineffectual and completely annoying. On the plus side she doesn’t suck up nearly as much screen time.

    Director Jon Favreau generally doesn’t appeal to me. Despite his occasional hit (directing and acting) he is just as likely to miss the boat. He does not know what to do with women on screen. He comes off as more than a little mean spirited no matter what kind of character he plays, and he doesn’t leave much to the imagination.

    Luckily he had the good sense to hire writer Justin Theroux (Tropic Thunder). Theroux fixes almost every-thing that Fergus and Ostby did wrong in the first film. He does such a good job with the material that not even a hack like Favreau can do too much to mess it up. Pepper Potts gets less screen time, a strong female character is introduced to take down some cronies and a better vil-lain shows up. While it is a very busy script it does not drag or seem bloated.

    Soon after Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) reveals that he is Iron Man and alleges that he has privatized world peace he is called before a Senate commit-tee. Senator Stern (Garry Shandling) demands that Stark release his suit to the military and Stark reacts much as you would expect.

    After some early plot revelations Stark’s decision making becomes increasingly suspect. His assistants/handlers/friends/servants attempt to come to terms with his life choices against a background of new characters. Paltrow’s atrocious acting ruins every other scene she appears in. The scenes not ruined by her atrocious acting are the scenes featuring hot new female assistant, Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson).

    Natalie is actually a key character in the Marvel pan-theon, but she is a much better character when her flaming red curls are cut close. The gorgeous flowing locks almost pass muster considering her role in the film, so let’s not quibble over small details.

    Once all the major players are established, includ-ing Colonel James “Rhodie” Rhodes (now played by Don Cheadle), out come the villains.

    Ivan Vanko (the greasy haired, fake tanned wreck that used to be matinee idol Mickey Rourke) has a histo-ry with Stark and even merits his own Mr. Bigglesworth … a “burd” who he is unnaturally attached to. Completing the evil-doer sequel quota is Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell).

    The expanded presence of Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson) fits into the plot even if the addition of S.H.I.E.L.D to the main story does seem like adding chocolate sauce to the whip cream on top of morning coffee. If nothing else, it helps build support for the juggernaut that is The Avengers. Speaking of which, those willing to sit through the seemingly endless credits will catch an after credits sequence set in New Mexico featuring S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) … and Mjolnir.

    Overall, this movie builds a ton of momentum for Iron Man 3. We can only hope that Theroux hangs around to script the final film.

  • 05-30-12-artcontest.jpgThe hands that fix engines, care for children, type reports and solve the world’s everyday problems are also hands that create beauty, transform raw materials and inspire others through artwork.

    For those in the military community who are artists at heart, submissions for the 2012 Army Arts and Crafts contest are being accepted now through June 30. Army Family Morale Welfare Recreation sponsors the contest, which is open to all active or retired soldiers, spouses and children of active or retired soldiers and Department of Defense employees.

    The artwork categories are: ceramics, drawings, fi bers and textiles, glass, metals and jewelry, paintings, mixed media, wood and digital art. In each category, there is a novice and an accomplished group. All home hobbyists who have not had formal art training or education are encouraged to enter their work.

    “It’s a way for the military community to be given a creative outlet and a chance to display their work and show what people can do,” said Sara Matherly, manager of Frame & Design Arts on Fort Bragg.

    “This event also gives us the opportunity to bring awareness about the classes being offered by the Frame & Design Arts Shop for our military community,” Matherly said. On post the shop offers classes on woodworking, clay and metal sculpting, jewelry making and more. Classes will be forming soon to teach knitting and crocheting.

    Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Torello won first place for his “Chain Table” in the mixed-media 3D category, last year. Torello welded chains, a forklift wheel and other scrap parts to create the table that is both functional and beautiful.

    “I like taking raw materials and taking it to the extreme,” Torello said. “It’s about trying to make things that can be a center of attention or conversation piece while maintaining functionality.”

    To submit artwork in the contest, an online profi le form must be filled out and photos of the artwork submitted. Submissions are gathered online and judged by a minimum of three experts. Awards will be given for first, second, third and honorable mentions. The contest begins on the garrison level. Winning pieces from each category will go to the regional level and then Army level. Cash prizes are awarded at the Army level.

    In July, all of the entries from Fort Bragg will be displayed at the Throckmorton Library.

    Last year more than 25 artists submitted work. Each artist is allowed to submit three items per category.

    “There is just so much talent out there in the community, this is a way to highlight it,” Matherly said. “The entries have been breathtaking in the past and we are looking forward to seeing the artwork this year.”

    For more information about the 2012 Army Arts and Crafts contest contact the Frame & Design Arts or visit www.armymwr.com for guidelines and registration. All participants must have an AKO email account to access the web-based program and verify eligibility to participate.

    Photo: Chain Table won first place last year in Fort Bragg’s Army Arts and Crafts Contest. 

  •     {mosimage}The times are hard, and they just seem to be getting harder... especially for car owners.
    With gasoline pushing inexorably toward $4 a gallon — and beyond — many drivers are traveling less so they don’t have to pay more.
        Worse, the high cost of fuel is driving up all prices — food, clothing, hardware — in a domino effect as it’s getting more and more expensive to transport the goods people depend on and the extraneous stuff they just want.
        “I don’t know how long I can keep doing this,” said Randy Walters of Hope Mills, an independent trucker. “It’s not bad enough that insurance rates keep going up, but now you’ve got the sky-high cost of diesel.
        “I’ve been a trucker for over 20 years and I wouldn’t want to do anything else, but I’ve got to make a living,” said Walters. “And there are a whole bunch of truckers like me saying the same thing. If truckers stop delivering because of the cost of diesel, everything is going to go up, especially food. And that so-called stimulus check the government’s handing out won’t feed the bulldog, especially when it costs almost $900 to fill up my rig.”
        This was not the scenario foreseen by President Bush’s administration when it approved the economic stimulus package that is putting tax “rebate” checks in the hands of every taxpaying American — checks of $600 for most taxpayers who earn less than $75,000, and $1,200 for married taxpayers whose joint returns were less than $150,000, plus a $300 credit for each child in the family. The checks will total $120 million — money that the government reasoned would be spent to purchase material goods, helping out a sluggish economy teetering on the brink of recession.
        Instead, across the nation and here in Fayetteville, many of those checks are going straight into the savings accounts of wary consumers rather than being used to kick start the economy... or straight into the gas tank.
        “I’ll probably spend all mine on gas,” said Kiman Canady of Fayetteville as he checked the oil level on his SUV. “I will finally have enough money to actually fill up the tank.”
        This was the same response given by a number of folks when asked what they plan to do with their checks.
    “Right into the gas tank,” said Randolph Pierce, also of Fayetteville. “It’s money in and money out.”
    If you want more proof that the cost of gasoline is burning up many an economic stimulus check, just go to your local pawnshop, where business has never been better. These establishments are stuffed with the material goods pawned by individuals who need the cash just to pay for the fuel that allows them to earn a living.
        Rose Turlington, of Cumberland Pawn and Loan Co., says pawns are “way up” at all five stores in the chain.
        “It’s because of the gas prices,” said Turlington. “People pawn just about everything to pay for gas — jewelry, CD players, DVD players, everything you see in this store.”
        Turlington’s partner at Cumberland Pawn and Loan Co., Eric Johnson, backs up Turlington’s account of the desperation of cash-strapped drivers.
        “I have people tell me all the time, ‘I’ve got to get gas to go to work,’” said Johnson.
        Employees at gas stations also see the desperation, and sometimes receive the brunt of the commuters’ anger, even though these men and women have nothing to do with the gas prices.
        “People sometimes yell at me,” said Rico Anakeeb, who works behind the counter at Circle B on Bragg Boulevard. “I see more people riding bikes and more people sharing cars — lots of people just crammed into one vehicle, all to save gas.”
        Donna Frischett, who mans the counter at Liberty Convenience Store on Rowan Street, says most customers she deals with are understanding when they pay for gas.
        “They don’t like what they’re having to pay,” said Frischett, “but they know it’s not us that sets the gas prices.”
        Meanwhile, even those who don’t drive much are feeling the trickle down effect of higher gas.
    John and Ruby Lassiter of Hope Mills are a retired couple living on a fixed income. Both take various prescription medicines and say they are feeling the pinch at both the drug store and the grocery store.
    “We’re both on Medicare but we still have to pay some and drug prices certainly aren’t going down,” said John Lassiter. “And food prices keep going up, up, up.”
        “We have a car,” added Ruby Lassiter, “but we only drive it very short distances. We canceled a trip to Virginia to see our son because of the cost of gas. We did get a stimulus check, but that needs to go into our savings, not gas. It’s very hard when you live on a fixed income.”
        According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, the Lassiters’ plight is certainly not unique. Forty-one percent of respondents to the poll said they would pay off debt with the economic stimulus checks, while 32 percent said the money is going into their savings account.
        Only 21 percent said they would spend the money.
        One of those 21 percenters looking to spend the check rather than pay down debt or deposit it into the bank is Renee Cuthbert of Fayetteville.
        Cuthbert, a physical therapist, says she’s going to “spoil” herself with the money she received from the government.
        “I’m going to buy clothes and shoes and maybe an MP3 player,” said Cuthbert as she cruised Cross Creek Mall like a hunter in search of prey. “Life’s too short not to treat yourself every now and then.”
        That’s exactly the attitude Uncle Sam is hoping for — more people in the malls stimulating the economy, dropping their newfound cash on the latest in footwear or iPod technology.
        Now, it’s just a matter of figuring out how to pay for the gas to get to the mall.
  •     There was an explosion of discontent Monday, May 19, in the meeting room of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, with a group of Eastover residents lighting the fuse.
        The commissioners approved a plan to make zoning ordinances more consistent throughout the city, creating a zone called a Municipal Influence Area around the the eastern part of Fayetteville that sets the standards for curbing, sidewalks and water and sewer extension.
        The plan, an agreement between the county and the City of Fayetteville, angered a group of Eastover residents who believe the formation of the MIA is the first step toward annexation of the township by Fayetteville.
        {mosimage}While the county commissioners and county planner assured the audience that any changes to the MIA that might adversely affect Eastover must be approved by the commissioners, this didn’t dampen the fuse on an already volatile crowd of Eastover residents.
        “There is only one reason for an MIA and that is to prepare an area for annexation with the town or city in that area that has the MIA,” said Morgan Johnson, spokesman for a group of concerned Eastover residents.
        Tom Lloyd, the county’s director of planning and inspections, restated that the ultimate power of the MIA rests in the hands of the commissioners.
        “If Fayetteville makes any changes to its development standards that would greatly affect the spirit of this agreement, then we will go back and negotiate before we would automatically approve,” said Lloyd.
    Johnson countered, “And what’s going to happen five to 10 years from now when we have new commissioners? You say it won’t change, but you know things always change.”
        Lloyd said the greatest changes for rural citizens according to this MIA would be  the ordinance governing curbing, gutters and sidewalks — 99 percent of these regulations are designed to affect developers building subdivisions, not private citizens.
        “If there are any changes it would have to come back before you as a public hearing,” said Lloyd. “So anything different from what you see in front of you, you would have to approve.”
        Commissioner Billy King got right to the heart of the matter when he said, “One of the concerns I’ve heard is if I live in the county I don’t want the City of Fayetteville dictating to me how I’ve got to live. So, ultimately, any changes that apply will come back to this board, correct?”
        Lloyd answered in the affirmative and was backed up by County Attorney Grainger Barrett.
    “What this does is specifically provide authorization for MIAs,” said Barrett. “It does not by itself become self-executing and grant MIAs. These are the agreed upon standards that the board of commissioners has control over if they’re ever changed.”
        This answer did not placate Johnson, who continued to rail against what he sees as a plan that paves the way for the eventual annexation of Eastover.
        “We do expect development in the Eastover Community,” said Johnson. “We feel Eastover is a desirable community. It’s like a breath of fresh air. But you have to stop and ask yourselves what is your motive for an MIA?
        “If you are considerate and like Eastover, you’ll vote against the MIA,” added Johnson. “Our intent is to remain rural and not look like Fayetteville.”
        Commissioner Kenneth Edge tried to cut to the need for an MIA, saying that in the past, portions of the county had complained that the county doesn’t have certain developmental standards in place; the MIA would unify the county’s development ordinances.
        “I won’t be here in 50 years,” said Edge. “I want us to plan properly for the county and know that we have done all we can as a body of commissioners.”
        Johnson did not accept Edge’s explanation, saying Edge told him personally on May 3 at the Heritage Day celebration in Eastover that he would not vote for the MIA.
    Edge flatly denied this charge.
        “That is an absolute untruth,” said Edge. “It’s a bald-faced lie. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever talked to Mr. Johnson about the MIA.”
        Unfazed, Johnson reinforced his belief that the MIA is simply a land grab for Fayetteville as the Base Realignment and Closure brings more people and more development to the county.
        Fayetteville Mayor Tony Chavonne, who was not at Monday’s meeting, was surprised at the community reaction.
        “The City of  Fayetteville supports Eastover,” said Chavonne. “We helped them to become incorporated; without us, they wouldn’t have become incorporated. I think the MIA is a great thing for Fayetteville and the county. It allows us to police growth.”
        Commissioner Dr. John T. Henley also denied that the MIA is simply a “land grab,” saying the MIA does not set the stage for annexation.
        “The city can’t go in there and annex Eastover unless it meets the letter of the law,” said Henley. “There are no annexation petitions in Eastover Township — this area is still controlled by your commissioners.
    “The MIA allows us, that as development does come, it brings infrastructure with it,” added Henley. “It brings water to people who need it.”
        However, not all commissioners were on board with the MIA.
        Commissioner Diane Wheatley expressed “anxiety” over the MIA and said she was not going to support the ordinance because she felt there was inadequate communication between the commissioners and the citizens of Eastover.
        Also, Commissioner Ed Melvin declined to support the change, saying “I don’t feel like it’s where it should be.”
        Chairman Breeden Blackwell — absent from the meeting but speaking through a conference call —  said all the commissioners, as well as representatives from Eastover, had been “on board” with the MIA after meeting with the legislative delegation.
        “Everybody agreed on it and was on board,” said Blackwell. “The legislative delegation was very clear. Three commissioners met with the legislative delegation and representatives from Eastover.
    “It was a gentleman’s agreement,” said Blackwell. “It was an understanding among my colleagues that if we got the planning board on board — which we did — then we would agree to this. We agreed to play by these rules.”
        Despite Blackwell’s call for unity, Melvin and Wheatley voted against the MIA, which still passed 5-2.
    After the votes, citizens of Eastover milled around the courthouse parking lot, uttering unkind words about the decision and the commissioners.
        There were even rumblings among the crowd about a possible lawsuit to block the MIA.
        “This was a done deal even before they met,” said Johnson. “You heard Breeden Blackwell say over the telephone they agreed ahead of time who was going to vote how.
        “We do not need sidewalks, curbs and gutters out in the rural area of Eastover. The environmental people with the state are saying now that the open ditches like we have in Eastover are more environmentally friendly than underground drainages are.
        “It doesn’t make sense to make Eastover look like downtown Fayetteville,” he concluded
  •     The Cumberland Oratorio Singers hope to make beautiful music with their new conductor, Michael Martin.
    Adding a new front man is a very big change for the COS, which has been led by the same conductor — founder Alan Porter — for its entire 17-year existence. Porter recently retired as conductor, though he plans to stay on the COS’s board of directors.
        Martin, a native of Maine, will start in the fall. He is the assistant professor of music and director of choral activities and music education at Methodist University; he brings a wealth of experience in various fields of the performing arts to the COS.
        “I’ve been a choral director of several community groups,” Martin said. “Different kinds. I conducted a rather large choral group of 120 and I built that up from 35 while in New England. I also directed a semiprofessional group set up by audition.
        “And, I conducted men’s barbershop chorus, sang for 18 years in professional barbershop quartets,” said Martin, “and had the chance to travel all over the U.S. and Europe singing with them.”
        Martin is excited about the opportunity to make the COS even bigger and better, though he came within a whisker of not getting the job.
        “They didn’t contact me,” said Martin. “I saw that they were having auditions for a director, so I poked around for a bit and I found that they had already done a search and they had settled on two people they were going to audition.
        “So I talked to Fouad Fakhouri (conductor for the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra) and mentioned to him my background and he said I need to be part of that, that my experience was the direction they wanted to go.”
        And that experience certainly interested the FSO’s board of directors.
        “He (Martin) just stood out with his experience and knowledge,” said Porter.
        Porter said he is stepping down for various reasons, even though his love and passion for the COS has never wavered.
        “It’s my baby,” said Porter, who retired from Methodist University six years ago and now lives in Kure Beach. “But it’s quite a drive from Kure Beach and I was making it every day. And with the cost of gas, it gets very expensive.”
        Plus, added Porter, “I was ready for some new blood with new ideas and more energy.”
        Porter says Martin will take the COS in new directions and, hopefully, build up its membership and audience. Porter says over the course of its existence, the COS has averaged between 55 and 60 members a year. And he says the reaction to the COS has been positive in Fayetteville, even though he says it’s tough for such a specialized group to make it in a military town.
        “It’s always had a loyal group of followers,” said Porter,“and there’s quite a talent pool here in Fayetteville — we simply want to increase the numbers of the members and the audience.”
        Martin’s plan to increase the size of the COS and its fans includes advertising and playing various venues. He also says that more people in Cumberland County need to be exposed to the choral group.
        “My plan is to do shows in as varied a setting as possible,” said Martin. “We need to travel; this is a large area, so I would like to do maybe an established concert once a year here (Methodist University). But the rest of the concerts are fair game. I want to find venues around the county. This is the Cumberland Oratorio Singers, so people from Cumberland County should be in the group.
        “And I think them staying in one place doesn’t work,” added Martin, “So my thinking is maybe taking one month and have a Monday rehearsal in Hope Mills, a Monday rehearsal in Spring Lake, another Monday here (Methodist University) and have them advertised so people can come.”
        Martin also wants to expand the repertoire of the group, adding new music while still keeping the old standbys such as the always popular community Messiah sing.
        “I just want more people to be exposed to this wonderful music and to make it the best,” said Martin.

        Contact Tim Wilkins: tim@upandcomingweekly.com

  • Every song must come to an end.
    For 17 years, Alan Porter has led the Cumberland Oratorio Singers. In fact, Porter created the COS, over which he has presided as conductor for its entire history.
    But on May 18, Porter will exit stage left as he performs his last concert with the choral group.
    “It’s time to go,” said Porter, who now lives in Kure Beach. “I’ve commuted for six years from here to Fayetteville to conduct the COS. It’s time for some new blood.”
    That “new blood” is Michael Martin, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities and music education at Methodist University. Martin will begin conducting the COS in the fall.
    \But before he passes the baton to his successor, Porter has a sensational sendoff scheduled for his last hurrah with the COS. Among the pieces to be performed at the concert — which will be a retrospective of the group’s past work — will be Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s Holocaust Cantata.
    The COS has about 55 members — a number that has fluctuated and seen many different faces fill the chairs.
    Former member Gina Harvey, who is traveling from South Carolina to accompany the choir on violin, is particularly excited about performing Handle’s Messiah, a longtime crowd favorite, and Brahm’s Requiem.
    But she also finds the performance bittersweet because it is Porter’s last time on the conductor’s stand.
    “He is one of the most passionate and talented musicians I have ever known,” said Harvey, who joined the COS 14 years ago and has been driving all the way from the Palmetto State just to prepare for this show. “Even though they’re getting an excellent replacement, things will never be the same with the COS — Alan built this choir, it’s his baby.”
    Another musician hand-picked by Porter for the performance is Fayetteville cellist Zack May, who, like Harvey, conjured the term “bittersweet” in describing the performance.
    “It is kind of sad because he (Porter) has been with us so long,” said May, who has played cello at COS performances for four years. “But I am very excited about this show, especially the playing of the Holocaust Cantata.”
    May has a five-minute cello solo in the Holocaust Cantata.
    A current member of the COS, Su Vick — the section leader for the altos — said she too is saddened to see Porter go, but feels the COS is being left in good hands.
    “Allan has been a friend of mine for a long time,” said Vick. “He’s been a wonderful conductor. And we’re fortunate to have an excellent replacement in Michael Martin.
    “I will say that the good part is that even though we’re losing a conductor, we’re gaining a place to stay at the beach,” Vick said wryly, in reference to Porter’s Kure Beach home.
    Porter himself says he plans to enjoy his beachside retirement, though the COS will never be far from his thoughts.
    “It’s been a great run,” said Porter, who will stay on the COS’s board of directors. “This is my baby — I created it. But now I must step away.
    “But at least I know I leave it in the capable hands of Michael Martin,” said Porter.
    {mosimage} Martin has conducted large choral groups of 120, directed a semiprofessional group set up by audition, and conducted men’s barbershop chorus — singing for 18 years in professional barbershop quartets.
    Martin has said he plans to increase the size of the COS and its fans through advertising and by playing more venues in addition to the COS’s home, Methodist University’s Reeves Auditorium.
    Porter’s final performance will be May 18, 4 p.m., at Reeves Auditorium.

    Contact Tim Wilkins: tim@upandcomingweekly.com

  • Who doesn’t want to live in a safe community? In an effort to make the Fayetteville/Cumberland County area a safer place to work and live, Operation Ceasefire is reaching out to the public to05-18-11-operation-ceasefire.jpgeducate and create relationships that will lead to that end.

    Movie nights are one way they are reaching out. In partnership with Cumberland/Fayetteville Parks and Recreation, Operation Ceasefire presents an Outdoor Movie Series. The Outdoor Movie Series is designed to give youth and their families a fun and safe environment to enjoy their evening. The movies are shown each month at various recreation centers in the community through October. Show time is 7:30 p.m. and admission is free. Originally designed to be an outdoor event (so bring a blanket or chair), the movies will be shown inside in the case of inclement weather.

    Popcorn and soft drinks are complimentary, and several local businesses have pitched in to provide free give aways, too.

    Last year, the movie night event touched more than 6,200 people who attended the movies and through the course of the season more than 500 children signed “The Pledge,” in which they promised to do their part in reducing gun violence in schools. Operation Ceasefire coordinators are hopeful that attendance will grow this year and reach even more citizens in the community.

    “Operation Ceasefire is an initiative at the local level that seeks to reduce gun and gang violence. We do that through a comprehensive strategy that includes prevention, intervention, suppression and outreach,” said Operation Ceasefi re spokesperson Charla Suggs. “Our movie nights are part of our outreach. We also incorporate some prevention strategies there as well. The heart of our movie night is to reach out to Fayetteville and Cumberland County residents and give them an opportunity to come out for some safe family fun with the men and women of law enforcement and have a positive interaction with the men and women who serve them every single day.”

    Suggs also noted that part of building a strong community, fostering a sense of community is a benefi t of Operation Ceasefi re movie nights.

    “Unfortunately, that is one of the things that Cumberland County also lacks a real sense of community and connectedness to the people that you live and work alongside every day,” said Suggs. “So we are trying to provide an opportunity to do that within a safe context and positive interactions. We want the men and women of law to be the heroes of our young people, and rightfully so. Unfortunately, that is not the case sometimes, because people see them in negative, stressful or emotional situations.”

    Movies are scheduled for:

    • Friday, May 27: Festival Park in Fayetteville as a kick-off to Glory Days

    • Friday, June 17: The Church of The Apostles, 1419 H. Bullard Rd., Hope Mills

    • Friday, August 12: Kingdom Impact Global Ministries, 2503 Murchison Rd.

    • Friday, September 9: Hope Mills Parks & Recreation Ball Field #1 as part of the Back to School Celebration

    • Friday, October 28: JP Riddle Stadium as part of Trunk or Treat & Movie (candy only).

    Call 484-1989 to find out more.

  •     The Fayetteville Museum of Art will “never” be the same.
        The art house was rocking with the music of up and coming indie band The Never on Friday, May 16, providing the background music for the museum’s Premier Party.
        Yvette Dede and Herb Parker were the featured artists at the event — artists not only intertwined by their love for their craft, but also their love for each other; the married couple are both also art teachers at the College of Charleston.
        While sculptor Parker couldn’t attend the exhibit, Dede was at the museum, showing off some of her latest work.{mosimage}
        Dede is from New Orleans, La., and moved to Charleston in 1991. She has exhibited throughout the United States, as well as in the Czech Republic. Her art has earned her a slew of awards, including the Installation/Collaboration Project Grant from the North Carolina Cultural Council and the Alternate Visions Grant from Alternate Roots of Atlanta. She is currently a full-time adjunct drawing professor at the College of Charleston, but admits she has a soft spot for Fayetteville.
        “I love the Fayetteville Art Museum,” said Dede. “I had an exhibit here once before and it’s always been a great experience.”
        A sculptor and painter, Dede had an eclectic set of art on display at the museum. Formally trained at Louisiana State University. She sites postimpressionist Paul Cezanne and neoimpressionist Georges-Pierre Serate as two of her major influences, though she doesn’t consider her art to be from the impressionist school.
        “I don’t think you can categorize my art,” said Dede. “I like to think of it as completely original.”
    Though her husband was not at the museum, his art, mostly whimsical sculptures laden with religious themes, as well as some that resembled ancient fertitility statues, was well received.
        Parker’s art, as well as Parker himself, are well known to Tom Grubb, executive director of the FMA. “We actually went to graduate school together,” said Grubb as he surveyed the packed gallery. “They are both wonderful artists.”
        Grubb was excited by both the good art and the good crowd of art lovers.
        {mosimage}“We do six to eight of these during the year and it is always free to the public,” said Grubb. “People get to meet the artists and talk to them. Our mission is to bring in interesting art — art that will challenge as well as excite and please people.”
        The crowd was certainly excited by the work of both Dede and Parker, especially Sandi Bailey of Fayetteville.
        “This is the first premier party I’ve been to and I definitely plan on coming back,” said Bailey. “If these two artists are a representation of the kind of work displayed at these exhibits... it’s a real gift to Fayetteville.”
  • Thor  (Rated PG-13)  • Three Stars

    05-25-11-thor.jpgDirector Kenneth Branagh reportedly conceptu-alized Thor (114 minutes) as a comic book twist on Shakespeare’s Henry V, which makes sense, because if it’s not Shakespearean in some way, Branagh can’t be bothered. Much like most of Shakespeare (and most comic books), the women in Thor take a secondary role and/or stand around ineffectually while dudes take care of business. Wait a min-ute … there are tons of proactive women in Shakespeare and in comic books, too! I guess Kenneth Branagh is a sex-ist. Too bad.

    The film opens at what turns out to be narrative halfway point by introducing some of the main players before laying out the backstory. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who is a nurse in the original comic, ends up as an astrophysicist here. While it is nice to showcase a talented female astrophysicist, it does tend to take away from your positive message when said talented female astrophysicist isn’t doing much science. It’s like casting Mila Kunis as the tough leather babe in Max Payne … you can say she’s tough, but that doesn’t make me believe she is tough. Her assistant Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) isn’t much help. She is a great chick sidekick, she handles a Taser, and she gets most of the funny lines, but she doesn’t do much to advance women in the sciences.

    Luckily for the ladies, Jane’s mentor Dr. Erik Selvig (conveniently familiar with both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Norse mythology) is there to tell the womenfolk what to do when their stereotypically bad driving, aggravated by their womanly bickering, causes them to run over the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth). After this introduction to the mortal characters, the movie reverses back to tell the story of how Thor ended up in the middle of the New Mexico desert.

    Odin the Allfather, King of Asgard (Anthony Hopkins) is fighting the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, led by Laufey (Colm Feore). Odin wins the war and claims the source of their magically delicious frost powers, the Casket of Ancient Winters. Sometime between then and now, Odin had a couple of anklebiters with Frigga (Rene Russo). Just like Cain and Abel, Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) don’t always get along. Their relationship only gets more complex as Odin decides to decree Thor as his heir. Just as he is about to make that official, a couple of the extras from Avatar...whoops, a couple of Frost Giants break into Asgard and try to steal back the Casket of Ancient Winters.

    Since the fatal character flaw of Thor is arrogance, he grabs his buddies and arrogantly runs to Jotunheim and lays down some wrath all over the Frost Giants. For those of you keeping track, his bud-dies are the Warriors Three plus One Lady include Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), Fandral (Joshua Dallas), and Hogun (Tadanobu Asano) plus Lady Sif (Jaime Alexander). Or, as a couple of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents prefer, Robin Hood, Jackie Chan, and Xena on their way to the Renaissance Faire.

    Odin steps in just in time to save his son from the evildoers only to get supergrumpy and ground him (literally). He evidently isn’t as mad as he appears, since he throws Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor, down to Earth with him. In response, the local folk, apparently grungy drunks who wear tank tops and baseball caps that look very much like Stan Lee, throw a simultaneous barbecue and tractor pull.

    The rest of the movie is a mix of S.H.I.E.L.D., fighting, and completely unbelievable romance, followed by an interest-ing after-credits scene fea-turing … wait for it … Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson)!!

  •     Dichotomy best describes the work of Herb Parker and Yvette Dede, two artists exhibiting at the Fayetteville Museum of Art in the exhibit titled Fused and Divided: Life and Art. Both artists are from Charleston, S.C., and bring qualities of contradiction and circumstance to their work.
        Herb Parker is best known for his large scale installations of habitat-like-dwellings covered with natural materials to evoke a renewed look at the environment, space and place. In this exhibit, the majority of his sculptures are relatively small compared to his site-specific installations. {mosimage}
        The largest sculpture in the exhibit is titled Fatherhood. In this work, two heads float atop tri-wheeled, bicycle-like, open forms. In contrast to the open form of the wheels, the heads are massive, yet hollow, their eyes are empty holes. Haunting, as in all of his work, visitors to the museum will enjoy the experience of trying to unravel meaning.
        As you go through the exhibit, visitors will see how Parker has repeatedly used chains, surface rust and wheels as a theme to situate the human figure. The situations according to Parker are “works that reflect the insecurities, fears and exhilarations of life; fueled by social, political ideas, as well as interpersonal and familial relationships.” Unlike his serene installations, the exhibit at the Fayetteville Museum of Art errs to the side of corrosion and antagonism, yet is still relatively playful.
        Perhaps it is the sense of play in Parker’s work that is the most insidious. We don’t respond to actual horror or anxiety, but always the possibility that is present. That is the attractiveness of Parkers’ work, he doesn’t describe anxiety, he evokes it.
        For this exhibit, Parker’s work ranges from the oversized in scale to doll-size. He uses found objects, mixed media, carved or found wood and cast metal to conjure meaning — a mix of spirituality and humanism, humor and horror, each piece alluding to the dichotomy of a situation.
        Examples of the human condition are in the sculptures titled Son of the South #1 and Son of the South #2. In both works, rust is used as a color and element of time. In Son of the South #1, an undraped, rusted figure stands doll-like, wrapped in an enlarged rusted chain; the head of the figure is a rusted revolver. At the end of the chain is a rusty wheel.
        Similarly, Son of the South #2 is rust in color; the rust covers a child’s toy pickup truck. A serpentine brown rod snakes upward from the back of the pickup truck, covered in shell remnants, the rod then bends over, towards the viewer, to reveal an obscure human hand.
        In the sculpture titled Dialogue, two heads, a male and a female, mouths open, glass eyes with a distant gaze are connected by a chain from the tongue of each head. As in many of the other works, the two heads are mounted on wheels. Complex and situational, we are uneasy about the probability (past and present) that exists in each of Parker’s works.
        Parkers’ work was consistent in content, material and his investigation of the human condition. Opposite to Parker, the work of Yvette Dede is somewhat confusing in content.
        When visitors enter the museum, they will see a series of True Value brown bags on the wall. Dede has taken the time to draw an image on each bag in graphite pencil; then she placed a symbolic object that appears out of the top of the bag.
        In the work titled Beach, a graphic image of the beach is drawn to look as if someone is standing, approaching a pair of stairs that lead towards the shore, where we can look out into the ocean. The red letters of True Value lie just beneath the graphic drawing. Three white-pointed shapes are in a line above the edge of the bag, emerging from the bag.
        The True Value bag series is visually and conceptually pleasing. Dede explains it clearly: “The logo provides a conceptual base that helps direct the choice of image and form. Generally, the bag is a container for purchased goods. Yet, I wanted to suggest that most things — whether it is natural material or concept — might be transformed into a fictitious product . . . it is an observation of how commodities reflect what our society values.”
        Other than the bag series, Dede’s work in the exhibit is convoluted with a variety of meanings. On one wall, visitors to the museum will see large descriptive drawings of objects — a bell, glove and fishing lure — on plain and underdeveloped backgrounds. Compared to the other drawings in the exhibit, I didn’t’ get it.
    In Egg Meditation, an entirely different series hangs among the highly rendered drawings of objects and drawings on brown bags. Egg Meditation is a series of nine small drawing framed within weathered wooden shadow boxes. Each delicate drawing is an interpretation of “egg-ness.” Like a Mandala, each drawing is the essence of what the form means to the artist — radiating and mystical.
        {mosimage}In exact opposite of Parker, Dede’s body of work is inconsistent in meaning. Upon some reflection, and although she did not state this, I only felt as if Dede was trying to convey a series of drawings about memories. What does resonate in all of Dede’s drawing is the essence of what drawing can be. The essence of drawing is associated with intimacy and investigation. No matter what the style or subject, we use drawing to denote ourselves.
        This is an exhibit that most visitors to the museum will enjoy. Fused and Divided: Life and Artwill remain at the Fayetteville Museum of Art until July 13. For hours of operation, call the museum at 485-5121.
  • Bridesmaids (Rated PG-13)  4 Stars06-01-11-bridesmaids.jpg

    So, Director Paul Feig sure has done a whole lot of television … and pretty good television, at that (The Office, Weeds, Arrested Development, and even Freaks and Geeks). Clearly he’s got that awkward yet touching in-teraction thing down. You know, that thing where otherwise likeable charac-ters say or do stupid things that result in long silences and tragicomic disasters … like when Michael Scott wore a woman’s suit to Dunder-Mifflin, or when Nancy Botwin tries to make decisions more complicated then what flavor syrup to put in her latte.

    It does seem a little bit odd that star/co-writer Kristin Wiig would go with a male director when there are so many talented female romantic com-edy directors. Whoops … time for an aside. Once I eliminated the direc-tors who specialize in the various film niches (Independent, Drama, etc.), and once I discount Catherine Hardwicke because Twilightwas only unintentionally hilarious, there are only about three or four female directors who do successful mainstream romantic comedies. Penny Marshall and Amy Heckerling haven’t done anything awesome in about 10 years, and Nora Ephron is super irritating for a variety of reasons. So, there’s probably a feminist message there about female directors avoiding romantic comedies because it is exactly the genre that our society would expect female directors to focus on, or how Hollywood is sexist, but this is a movie review and not a critical film essay, so moving on now.

    Bridesmaids(125 minutes) made me laugh, but was also vaguely depress-ing. I tend to be one of those “don’t call me a ‘chick’” chicks, and seeing a cel-ebration of everything I reject about chickness is a bit hard to enjoy. There’s fe-male competition and lavish spending on useless dresses that only serve to make most women feel fat and unattractive. Not to mention the materialism inherent in most weddings, this particular movie first emphasizes the poverty of Annie (Kristin Wiig) and then does not deal in any way with how she manages to af-ford the expenses associated with the dresses, engagement party, bachelorette party, etc. I make a decent income and I would skip a wedding before buying an $800 bridesmaid gown! Insanity!

    Plus, I can’t quite figure why Annie’s best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) has developed the relationship that drives most of the central conflict. Lillian intro-duces Annie to her new close friend, Helen Harris (Rose Byrne) at the engage-ment party, but throughout the movie Helen is selfish, manipulative, snobbish and hated by small children. This relationship is uncomfortably close to exploit-ative, since Lillian apparently allows Helen to provide her with outrageous gifts and pay for most of the pre-wedding parties and entertaining. And this is all done while Lillian’s father (Franklyn Ajaye) laments the high cost of the wedding itself that, even in this day and age, he is apparently footing most of the bill for. But maybe that’s just me, and I am happy to claim complete and total ignorance of this part of chicktown.

    The rest of the cast is filled out with some funny B-listers, even if at least two of them seem beside the point, (Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy) and one Very Cute Cop (Chris O’Dowd with a Euro-whoosit accent that IMDB.com says is Irish). Now, he is meant to serve as the ro-mantic part of the romantic comedy, but as cute as he is, he comes off as alarmingly controlling.

    Overall, I suppose this is an above average romantic com-edy that is just funny enough to make up for the backwards sexual politics that underlie the script.

  • 05-04-11-golf-classic.jpgThe joy of motherhood is cherished. Mothers and fathers are delighted to discover that in nine months a new addition will be added to their family. They quickly begin purchasing tiny baby onesies, and bibs with cute sayings. The joy of planning the baby shower is never-ending. They are eager to invite their friends and family in to share their new bundle of joy. Nine months finally pass, and par-ents anxiously wait to see the perfect child God has blessed them. However, some parents deliver babies with medical condition they never dreamed their child would have. Ten percent of the 5,000 babies delivered in Cumberland County are born with a medical condition. These babies need the best care — fast.

    For 16 years, Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation’s umbrella organization Friends of Children, has held its annual Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation’s Friends of Children Golf Classic. The tournament is supported by local businesses and community spon-sorships. The tournament has raised more than $1 million for children’s services at Cape Fear Valley. This year’s golf tournament will take place on May 12 at Cypress Lakes Golf Course.

    Co-Chairmen, Tom Costello and Duane DeGaetano, stated that as “fathers we understand how stressful and emotionally draining it can be to care for a sick child.” They feel that they “are fortunate to be able to have the time and resourc-es to care for our families when they are sick.” Caring for families with sick chil-dren is truly their creed. Tournament proceeds have provided a state-of-the-art Giraffe Platform Bed for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. This bed has a warm-ing incubator, rotating mattress and built-in scale in one bed, helping eliminate stress of premature babies. Laurin Cooper, father of twin boys who have used the bed said “their access to the Giraffe beds surely saved their lives and increased their chance at normal lives.” Friends of Children have also provided surgi-cal instruments designed for Pediatric Orthopedics; a Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention program; and a SimBaby teaching manikin, which is used to teach emergency medical staff life-saving techniques.

    The goal for this year’s tournament is to raise $100,000. These proceeds will be used “in the most crucial areas of children’s services.” By supporting the tournament, you will assist in the completion of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) renova-tions. Once the renovations are complete, the center will have eight private PICU rooms, a central moni-toring system, and a comfortable family waiting and play room.

    Friends of Children started in 1991, and since its inception, the organization has helped at least 10 percent of the 5,000 babies born locally each year. The golf tournament was spear-headed by a man with a passion to serve: the late L.B.Floyd.

    Funds raised come from sponsorships. Presenting sponsors for this year’s tournament are Rick Hendrick Toyota and CSI Construction Systems, Inc. However, sponsorships for community residents are available. Presenting, Platinum, Gold, and Patron sponsorships are available. To learn more about how to become a sponsor, contact Sabrina Brooks at (910) 615-1449.

    Support the 16th Annual Friends of Children Golf Classic on May 12 at Cypress Lakes Golf Course.

  • 05-11-11-angie-abrams.jpgI wish I had paid more attention in history class. This is one of the fi rst thoughts I had when I started my position at the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau in November 2008. Growing up not too far from Fayetteville, I never realized that there was so much history right here in my very own back yard.

    Like most people, I learn by doing and the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau has a great tool available to residents and visitors alike. The Cultural Heritage Driving Trails are a set of 14 thematic driving trails that tell the story of Fayetteville and Cumberland County based on the 14 themes. Some of the trail themes include African-American Heritage, Civil War, Gaelic Beginnings, Religious Freedom, Patriots, Past and Present and Paths, Plank Roads and Planes. Each site on these trails is linked together by the overall theme of the trail. We provide you with the phone number, address and hours of operation for each location. On most of the trails we provide turn-by-turn directions to help you get from point A to point B.

    There are a few that we like to call a la carte options — no directions provided just options you can select depending on your preferences. The All-American Adventure trail provides a sample list of recreational opportunities available around Cumberland County. The Patri-Arts and Gardens Trailprovides an array of locations where you can experience art and culture in different mediums.

    Since Fayetteville is a melting pot of cultures, we also offer an International Cuisine Trail that showcases the many different cuisines available in Fayetteville/Cumberland County. Everything from Indian to Greek to Caribbean to European to Colombian to Southern fare is available somewhere in Cumberland County. All restaurants included in this trail are locally-owned, non-chain restaurants. We also checked the health scores of each restaurant to make sure they were all above par establishments. We’ve also included two farmers markets for those who love fresh and local!

    One of our newest, most unique trails is Trail Trek. Ever heard of geo-caching? In simplest terms, it’s a modern day scavenger hunt.

    Here’s what you need: A hand-held GPS unit that allows you to enter in coordinates, a vehicle, a copy of Trail Trek and some small trinkets for the caches (pronounced cashes, we will get to what it is in a bit). You can get a copy of Trail Trek off our website; there is a printable version available to download. We provide you with a set of coordinates, you enter them into your hand-held GPS unit and drive to where the coordinates take you. You will have to get out of your car and walk with the unit in hand to get to all of our locations.

    Once you get to where the coordinates take you, we have given you a clue that will help you fi nd the cache, a fancy way of saying the treasure box! Once you fi nd the cache, there is a log book as well as a small trinket. Basic geo-caching etiquette is if you take something out, you put something in. These trinkets are small items, figurines, matchbox cars, usually items from the dollar store work just fine. No food or money though. Then place the box where you found it so the next trail trekker can have as much fun as you did when looking for the cache!

    Trail Trek has 10 sites that you can visit. You do not have to do them in order, nor do you have to do them all in one day. But we are sure that you will be pleasantly surprised at the locations that you do end up visiting and you will want to take some time to look around after finding each cache.Trail Trek is even on Facebook; find us and like us and you will get updates about new sites coming on board real soon!

    We also have a feature on our website in which you design your own itinerary based on when you want to get out and explore or when you have friends and family visiting the Greater Fayetteville Area. CustomizeIt! is a web-based feature that takes you through three easy steps and results in a trail that has everything that you want to do, when you want to do it!

    Step One asks basic questions: Where are you coming from? How many people are in your party? when will you be here? and What are you interested in seeing or doing while you are in Fayetteville?

    Based on your answers in step one, step two allows you to select all of the options that you want to visit. You can even select the day you want to visit. Don’t worry, we provide you with hours of operation for each site!

    Once you have selected all the places you want to visit, step three puts everything together, gives you a map and highlights where all the attractions are that you’ve selected. We even give you some restaurant and accommodation options based on the cuisine type and accommodation requirements that you selected in step one.

    Step Three also gives you a look at the events calendar to see what local events are happening during your visit. You have the option to download audio files for the attractions that you have selected, either to a CD or MP3 player. You can save your itinerary if you need to come back and tweak it before your journey here, and you can email it to others that may be traveling with you.

    Fayetteville and Cumberland County has a lot to see and you can learn a lot about our history by going out on one of our trails, or one that you create on your own through CustomizeIt!

    You can find all the trails and CustomizeIt! on our website www.VisitFayettevilleNC.com. Our website features categories on every aspect of Fayetteville/Cumberland County and can help you learn more about the Greater Fayetteville area. Friends and family can also use it to plan a visit when they travel to our area. Check us out and find out why Fayetteville is a community of History, Heroes and a Hometown Feeling!

    Photo: The Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum is one of many historic buildings on The Cultural Heritage Driving Trails.

  • It’s that time again. The weather is warm, the Dogwood Festival was a smash hit and the 4th Friday will be here in no time.

    If you haven’t had a chance to check out the Public Works exhibit at the Arts Council Fayetteville/Cumberland County, the exhibit will hang through June 18. Fayetteville PWC sponsors the event every year, giving the public a chance to showcase their talents in the community.

    There are more than 100 pieces of work on display this year, providing a wide variety of work and skill levels. As is custom, the public voted for their favorite pieces and named “Zion Narrows Canyon” by Wick Smith as the first place winner. Stop by and see who else the community favored.

    This 4th Friday, enjoy Summer Swing with Gregg Gelb’s jazz band from 7-9 p.m. The band was such big hit last year, that they’ve been invited back to entertain the crowds again.

    “He does all the big band music and they have a really great sound. We’ll put a dance floor down in the grand hall and we have the Cape Fear Ballroom Dancers and the Swing Dance Heritage Club coming out, too,” said Kelvin Culbreath, Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County director of special events and facility management. “Both of those groups come out and cut the rug, so to speak. In fact, they sometimes are more of the show than the band. They do a really good job of pulling people out of the crowd and getting them out on the floor.

    ”Outside on Maxwell Street, artists sell and demonstrate their work from 6 to 10 p.m. at Arts Alive. This monthly event celebrates its one-year anniversary in May. In the past, artists have included musicians, basket weavers, painters, potters and glass blowers. It’s always an adventure and a nice surprise to see who will show up on Maxwell Street to educate and entertain the crowds.

    In partnership with Miller-Motte College, the Downtown Alliance presents Restaurant and Military Appreciation Night this 4th Friday. There will be military discounts offered at several of the restaurants, shops and boutiques downtown. What a great way to say “thank-you” as the community winds up a month of festivities geared at showing the military community how much they mean to the Cumberland County community.

    Don’t miss Shadows of the Fire on the 300 block of Hay Street. The group will perform a variety of American belly dance styles, which draw inspiration from the dance traditions of many different cultures and countries.

    On the 100 block of Hay Street, Musha Dojo will demonstrate Jujitsu, Aikido, Arnis, Kung Fu,and Hapkido. According to the Downtown Alliance website, “They are a unique martial arts center. The North Carolina home of Atemi Ryu Jujitsu has brought together the best martial artists in Fayetteville and built a school where sharing knowledge is the most important thing. We welcome students and teachers from all martial disciplines and have opened our mats to teachers of several m05-18-11-4th-friday.jpgartial disciplines. Represented arts are from Japan, China, Korea and the Philippines.”

    City Center Gallery and Books offers a new artist or writer at the store each 4th Friday. This month, the book store will feature the photography of professional photographer, Aimee. The works on display will be primarily black and white. Music will be provided by Nic Holliday.

    These are just a few of the great events that will be taking place downtown on 4th Friday. Arts Alive is from 6-9 p.m. on Maxwell Street and the rest of downtown begins the celebration at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.theartscouncil.com or www.fayettevillealliance.com. 

    Photo: Enjoy Summer Swing at 4th Friday with Gregg Gelg's jazz band.

  • I was recently allowed to get a sneak peek at the Gilbert Theater’s production of “Fairview,” the 2019 Pulitizer Prize-winning play by Jackie Sibbles Drury.

    Subsequently, I can say it was some of the most powerful, uncomfortable, and truly bizarre theater I have ever seen, though “experienced,” is a much better word.
    The play opens into the living room of what could easily be any American’s home. Tasteful furniture, a nice rug, and a dining room table all speak to the banal existence of your average middle-class family.

    “Fairview’s” take on this ubiquitous image is the Frasiers, an African American family who in their exaggerated wholesomeness, bring to mind the groundbreaking sitcom perfection of “The Cosby Show.”

    There’s comically hysterical Beverly (Jacquelyne Johnson-Hill), who needs everything to be just so for her mother’s birthday dinner. Her long-suffering husband, Dayton (Shaun McMillan), works almost too hard to keep his exasperated wife happy. The arrival of Beverly’s passive-aggressive, meddling sister Jasmine (J. Ra’Chel Fowler) brings some laugh-out-loud dialogue, and the youngest Frasier, teenage Keisha (Jalani Rapu), completes a family that looks just like any other.

    In her quest to “make everything absolutely perfect,” Beverly burns the birthday cake (of course), faints dramatically in poor Dayton’s arms, and the stage goes black.

    At this point in the play, things go significantly off the rails.

    Act II opens with the arrival of new voices, but the stage is dressed the same. A white man (Justin Gore-Pike) and a white woman (Amanda Briggs) begin a contentious conversation about race as a construct and what race they might choose if such a thing were possible.

    The incredibly cringe-worthy dialogue here is uncomfortable but is one of the more interesting takes on benign racism that I’ve seen. It’s racism born of stereotype-driven ignorance that doesn’t seek to hate but is equally destructive as it seeks to paint minorities with a broad, incapable brush.
    In the background of this racially charged conversation, the Frasiers repeat Act I without speaking any of their lines as another white man (Gabe Terry) and woman (Molly Hamelin) join the conversation happening in the foreground. The cast is now complete: four unnamed white spectators to comment and observe the lives of four black people, much like they’re enjoying a television show.

    It’s a lot.

    An increasingly angry conversation about what black people are or aren’t continues as the Frasiers go past the point of the previous action in the background. The silent blacks and the chatty whites make for chaotically fascinating theater as the audience confronts the larger conversation threading its way through the scene.
    Act II ends in an unhinged monologue delivered to the audience by the play’s loud, swaggering, white, cis-male antagonist. The message, which I won’t write about here, will definitely ruffle the feathers of those listening closely.

    Act III, the last in the play, is by far the most confusing. Culminating in a bizarre twist, the play arrives at its message with a shaken, disoriented audience in tow. Frankly, I was happy to see it end — I could finally release the breath I’d been holding.

    Chosen for its contentious subject matter by the Gilbert’s artistic director, Lawrence Carlisle III, the play’s director, Deannah Robinson, meets the challenges of the material with a deft hand.
    Creating some truly funny moments in a play that seems oppressively heavy at times, Robinson clearly understood the assignment and creates a space that’s hard to stay in but impossible to leave.
    Hill, Fowler, McMillan, and Rapu do an excellent job of silently replicating their performances in Act II, while Hamelin, Terry, Briggs, and Gore-Pike commit to performances that are as grotesque as they are brilliant.

    The chemistry evident between the play’s actors is a high point of the production. While the play’s commentary almost certainly made for some awkward initial read-throughs, we’re left with the feeling these actors became a little closer throughout rehearsals. It makes the tougher bits easier to swallow.

    Technical director Vicki Lloyd’s tidy set and expert lighting design plunge the audience into a bizarre world of meta-theater where we, the audience, become the watchers of the watchers of a show not meant for either of us. Her skillful direction moves the play through transitions that seem simultaneously seamless and jarring. The haunting spotlight on newcomer Rapu in her closing monologue is an image that is sure to stick with audiences long after the play ends.

    “Fairview” is a play of outrageous demands and unflinching permissions. It allows itself to be the crude, vulgar uncle at a family barbecue and demands you don’t dare leave the table.
    I recommend that you grab a seat and settle in for a necessary conversation.

    “Fairview”runs through June 12.
    The Gilbert Theater is located at 116 Green St. above the Fascinate U Children’s Museum.

    Tickets can be purchased at www.gilberttheater.com/ or 910-678-7186.

  • 05-25-11-2036-time.jpgOn more than one occasion, I have been asked what one item I would put in a time capsule if I ever were given the chance. My response to this question has always been the same: I would put the program of my high school graduation. Why? This ceremony helped propel me into adulthood (or at least young adult-hood).

    Of course, I never dreamed that I may actually get a real chance at putting something in a time capsule that will be stored until the year 2036. But, this is just the case. Fayetteville and the surrounding Sandhills area residents have the opportunity to have one thing dear to their heart, that represents the City of Fayetteville, stored in a real-life time capsule!

    In honor of the 25th Anniversary of Headquarters Library, the public is invited to submit objects, photographs, written or illustrated works or other items to be included in a time capsule that will be opened on the date of the library’s 50th Anniversary in 2036. Submissions will be judged.

    Each submission needs to refl ect what life is like today for Fayetteville, Cumberland County and the public library. All submissions become property of Headquarters Library and will be judged by library staff. To be considered, submissions must be delivered to any library location by 5 p.m. on June 30.

    The library is thrilled to celebrate such an important anniversary and encourages the public to participate. However, there are guidelines for all submissions. Submissions are to be nonperishable items, no food items of any kind; no weapons; all photographs or other written or illustrated submissions must include the date of creation and must include identifi cation of all people, objects, area landmarks or buildings depicted; all submitted items must be no larger than 12 inches long by 12 inches wide by 6 inches deep; and only one submission is allowed per person.

    Headquarters Library Services Manager Jane Casto explained that “all submissions will be judged based on how well they refl ect an aspect of the common experience of the citizens of Cumberland County in 2011.”

    Some great items to submit are “memorabilia of festivals, concert programs from the Community Concert Series, memorabilia from BRAC activities, activities on Fort Bragg, and of course, all events that tell a story about Cumberland County.”

    The time capsule will be stored in the Archive Room at Headquarters Library and will be marked with the 25th Anniversary date. In August, the library will highlight a few submissions before sealing the time capsule. This will give residents an opportunity to see some of the submissions selected to go inside. The community is urged to participate. This is a great opportunity to get children involved in history; and most importantly, involved in the history they are playing a part in shaping.

    Unfortunately, I don’t think my high school graduation program will make it into the time capsule. But I’m sure residents have other items that will. Submit them! Imagine the year 2036 fi nally arriving and seeing that same item revealed at the library’s 50th Anniversary.

    Not only is the library creating a time capsule by which to remember Fayetteville, they are also seeking to improve its services to residents. Some of their five year goals are: Explore and Know Our Community, Make Career Choices, Visit a Comfortable Place, Make Informed Decisions, Stimulate and Express Imagination. All of these programs and growing efforts make Fayetteville and Cumberland County more valuable.

    For more information contact Casto at 483-1580.

    Photo: Headquarters Library is collecting items to put into a time capsule which will be opened in 2036.

  • 19 Free live music, food trucks and southern summer nights come together every second Friday evening of the month for a concert series starting on June 10.
    From 6 to 10 p.m., Fayetteville After Five, held at Festival Park in downtown, will open its gates to couples looking for a fun night out or families looking to beat the summer doldrums.
    While outside food and drink, canopies and coolers are not permitted on-site — camping chairs, blankets and service animals are more than welcome as attendees experience an evening of good vibes, good food and good music.

    A summer staple for the last decade, Fayetteville After Five has the successful summer bash down to a science. Park gates will open at 5 p.m., followed by an opening act at 6.
    For those coming to rock, the live music offering will not disappoint. Fayetteville After Five will feature a range of tribute and cover bands. From the Eagles to Led Zeppelin, there’s a little something for everyone.

    Opening acts taking the stage this summer include Southern Haze, Throwback Collaboration Band and 10 O’Clock High.

    A rotation of five to seven food trucks will be on-site with plenty of options, including dessert and several types of beer.
    At 8 p.m., the night’s headlining act will grace the stage, and the lineup this year features crowd favorites such as On the Border, Rivermist and Zoso.

    As an extension of the Dogwood Festival, Fayetteville After Five offers those still crowd-shy after the precautions of the past two years an opportunity to get out and have a good time. Sarahgrace Snipes, executive director of the Dogwood Festival, sees it as a great way for people to reengage without battling the overwhelming crowds often present at other events.

    “It’s a bit more relaxing,” she told Up & Coming Weekly. “This is a great event to not be right on top of people. We’ll have lawn games; kids can run around, people can interact with each other and enjoy live music without a huge crowd.”

    While Fayetteville After Five will have a lot to offer those looking for something free, fun and local to add to their summer plans, Snipes is most excited to share good live music with the public.

    “I am most excited about On the Border,” Snipes admitted. “It is the ultimate Eagles tribute band, and people love them. They usually bring in the largest audience, and it’s very fulfilling to see the park full, people having fun and seeing the happiness our events bring to the community.”

    The concert series will take place over three dates throughout the summer: June 10, July 15 and August 12.

    “I hope to hear that everyone had a wonderful time,” Snipes said. “And I hope to hear that they’re coming out to the next event, and they’re excited for the Dogwood Festival in October.”
    Festival Park is located at 335 Ray Ave. in Fayetteville.

    For more information regarding vendor and music lineup, visit the event website at www.thedogwoodfestival.com/fayetteville-after-five.

     

  • The Airborne and Special Operations Museum (ASOM) plays a vital role in the Fayetteville and Cumberland County area. Not only does it allow residents to learn about the history of airborne and special-operations soldiers, it also supports the community through fundraisers.

    The ASOM is spearheading another fundraising event — Run for the Legend. Run for the Legend is a 5K/10K race that supports educational programs at the ASOM. This year, on June 4, the ASOM will celebrate the run’s fourth anniversary. The name Run for the Legend is a “statement that reflects how each runner is directly influencing and supporting the legends that are behind each solider.,” according to ASOM.

    During the initial run, the race did not raise much money. In year one, the ASOM raised $4,000, in year two $7,000 and in year three $10,000. The goal for this year’s race lies in it’s growth. Each year more runners have participated; growing from 200 runners to the expected 500 runners for this year’s race. The ASOM is also hoping the increase in runners will increase the amount of money raised. MJ Soffe, the Fayetteville New Car and Truck Dealer Association, Fayetteville Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, Booz Allen Hamilton and JSO (Joint Special Operations) have all become sponsors of the race.

    Events like Run for the Legend enable the ASOM to offer more to the public as well as to maintain current programming. Money received by the foundation is “used in direct support of the museum. The money helps in the cost of mailings of education information to more than 600 schools in the surrounding areas; the money is also used to fund events, exhibits, the volunteer program budget and the many other facets of the museum operations.”

    Programs like these support the community by educating residents on the history of the airborne and special-operations community, and it brings more visitors to the museum and the City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

    Run for the Legend is a sure way to support Fayetteville and the ASOM. The race will start at the ASOM at 8 a.m. The ASOMF Run for the Legend is sanctioned by USA Track & Field (USATF). The USATF certified course begins and ends on the Hay Street side of the museum. Atlantic Coast Timing Systems will time the participants using the ChampionChip system. The top three men and women in each race receive trophies.

    06-01-11-run-for-legends.jpgThe top three men and women in their age group will receive medals.

    Online registration is available through www.active.com, which will also accept donations. Registration is also available at the museum. Participants may turn in their forms and entry fee in the museum gift shop, or mail them to the museum. Registration is $25, with a discounted rate for groups of five runners or more. Strollers, wagons and well behaved, leashed dogs are permitted, but will be asked to start in the back.

    Anyone interested in registering for the race or volunteering is encouraged to contact Lauren Campbell at grants@asomf.org or (910) 643-2778.

    Photo: Run for the Legend is a 5K/10K race that supports educational programs at the ASOM.

  •     The annual exhibit of Public Works, at the Fayetteville Arts Council, opened 4th Friday in April and can still be viewed by visitors to the Art Center on Hay Street. Sponsored by the Public Works Commission, 144 works of art fill the gallery walls or are on pedestals. Works on the walls are stacked on top of each other due to the successful outpouring of artists in the area.
        The annual exhibit is a way for anyone to participate in a 4th Friday gallery exhibit and show art enthusiasts what they can do. The exhibit demonstrates the vast subject matter and styles that artists in the area choose to work in and the variety of media they use.
        One of the more unusual mediums was by Adriana Zsilinska. The work titled Terra Nostra is on silk and is a remarkable use of a batik technique, in which the artist draws on the fabric with colored pens to create interesting linear elements.
        Knowing it is an open exhibit — anyone who has their work framed with a proper hanging system can participate — makes the exhibit a mix of work from professional and amateurs (even some very young, creative children are exhibiting). Doesn’t matter to me what the age, I just look for work that is strong in design or composition, evokes meaning and is skillfully constructed.
        The age of the artist or the style, it doesn’t matter; a truly successful work stands out on the wall. A good example of this is the work titled Sissy and Sara by a very, very young artist named Sara Tringo. How did the child know to pick the color of lavender to paint the figure on top of the dense colors in the background? At such a young age, did Sara know she was creating depth and pictorial space? (I feel confident in saying she did not know her childlike-style of image making has influenced great works of art by artists like Jean Dubuffet and others.)
        What are some of the conditions for a strong work? First and foremost, there has to be a figure-ground relationship of some kind taking place. In other words, the background shouldn’t just be a backdrop that doesn’t relate to what is painted in foreground.
        Michelle Wilson and Lucille Benoit both have small paintings in the exhibit and have painted the traditional still life as a subject. Both artists have a keen sense of how important the space behind the objects is in creating spatial structure through the use of color and half tones.
        Wilson’s painting is a still life of an artist’s brush placed horizontally across a table and somewhat inside an open box. Benoit’s painting is a small still life titled Nancy’s, and is a painting of a grouping of objects — garlic and onions. Both artists seem to have an understanding of how to create form with color and how to set up a successful composition.
        Knowing when a work is complete can be difficult. Not knowing when the piece is finished can result in it being overworked. Does the artist overwork a painting or drawing because they, perhaps, do not have an understanding of the underlying form they are trying to construct? More doesn’t always mean better. Craftsmanship is always an issue; a well-crafted work shows a certain amount of competence in using the medium — avoiding too many unnecessary details?{mosimage}
        Kids at Play by Leroy Robinson is a good example of how a painting can be left minimal in detail and is still a strong work. His acrylic painting of two silhouetted figures in the foreground is in contrast to an arrangement of colorful pattern, an abstract cityscape in the background. His color choices create a rhythm in the work that directs our eye across the surface of the painting.
        Rose Ann San Martino’ painting, Driveway, is an excellent example of using a lot of detail in a painting, but it works. Her purple and black painting consists of the bottom of a car in the top right corner of the painting, leaving two-thirds of the painting in a purplish color with text covering every square inch — horror vacui at its best (artists fill the entire surface of an artwork with ornamental details, figures, shapes, lines and anything else the artist might envision).
        Then there is always the pitfall of over-framing. If the work is behind glass, then it needs a matt to protect the work from the glass or Plexiglas; the borders of the cut matt shouldn’t be too skimpy to create a sense of the work being squashed in the frame. You should never see the frame first, always the work first. So, a provincial frame on a contemporary work just doesn’t work.
        The Wee Pumpkin Patch King by Abigail Wilson is a fanciful, tiny sculpture in black and white clay of a whimsical figure. Small in scale, about 5”x 6”. Wilson framed her capricious figure in a black shadow box on a black matt. The framing is a visual support for the work and remains subordinate to the very tiny man and the essence of what the odd figure exudes.
        Content — what is the work about? Content is not the same as subject. The subject of the work can be described in terms of something representational; is it a cat, a dog, a person, etc. Content evokes something about the subject — is it expressive, political, transcendental and many other essences.
        {mosimage}In Joy Tringo’s painting, Trapped Within the Mind: Tribute to Jonah’s Autism, is an excellent example of how you don’t need descriptive painting to evoke a feeling or to give the viewer insight into an experience. Colorful and joyous, the swirls and circular space balls fill the background, the pattern of puzzle pieces decorate the egg shape of the body. Two references to time are in the painting, an otherwise joyous work is unsettling as the animated figure wears a necklace with the word “help” on the necklace charm.
        Other important elements which are the underpinning of good work is a successful composition and using color effectively and structurally. Is the color local or expressive, does it create form and/or space? Is color (with all its complexity) actually used to create structure in the work?
        Stanley Croteau uses color to evoke an emotion in his oil painting, Don’t Lose Your Balloons. Medium in size, Croteau uses color to entice us to look at his work. The brilliant color used to describe form emphasizes the uncertain meaning behind the portrait of an individual turning into an angry clown face. Very emotional and well painted; Croteau uses the psychological as his artistic mace.
        Size is not an issue. Sara Tringo’s little painting is very small, about 7”x 9”. Pamolu Oldham has two small collages that are very political and well designed. In her collage, What Child Is This?, Oldham shares her views about the state of politics by placing a cutout head of President Bush on the shoulders of a child. The child is a well known icon and is interpreted as the Madonna and Child; the letters A.K.A. can be read across the space above Madonna’s head.
        I can’t write about the exhibit and not mention some of the sculptures in the gallery. The works are in two categories: the serious stone carving by Kyle Sonnenberg and the fun fabricated junk sculpture made from the recycled material.
        Sonnenberg’s carvings are well crafted. He selects his stone to reflect meaning in each sculpture, like the brick red and white color of alabaster in his carving, The Shop Girl’s Broken Heart.
    Dan Brady will make you chuckle with his lighthearted fabrication of Mr. Coffee and Java. The figure is made of tubing, cans, plastic, small athletic shoes and two coffee cups as eyes. Java looked sort a like an animal to me — fabricated all in the spirit of having fun.
        Daniel Mattox created a similar pleasurable experience with found objects; his sculpture titled Reindeer is made out of metal parts, solid and open forms to express a joyful interpretation of a favorite seasonal animal. The interpretation by Mattox and Brady will certainly delight any visitor to the exhibit, of any age.
        Lots to look at and there is still time to see Public Works; the exhibit will remain in the Art Center until the third week of May. For information call 323-1776.
  • 17 Sweet Tea Shakespeare will take audiences all the way back to "the rom-com that started it all" with their production of "Much Ado About Nothing" by William Shakespeare. This comedy, directed by Sweet Tea Shakespeare's Artistic Director Jeremy Fiebig, will open Friday, June 3, and run through June 26. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday, with a live music preshow at 6:45 p.m.

    Written around 1598, "Much Ado About Nothing" focuses on the romantic exploits of two couples in the idyllic Italian countryside. Beatrice and Benedick are cynical individuals more interested in exchanging witty repartee than vows of love. A second romance in the story follows the maiden, Hero, and brave soldier, Claudio. A colorful cast of characters both aid and usurp the four would-be lovers, and hilarity ensues.

    "I think this play is just wildly entertaining," said Jen Pommerenke, managing director for Sweet Tea Shakespeare. "It lends itself to any age group, and it's an accessible Shakespeare comedy. It's funny, witty and just a great storyline."

    The play will receive a few updates — moving to the "Bridgerton" esque Empire period with some infusions of modern music. The source material has been cut down to fit a run time of around two hours. However, it's still "all Shakespeare," Fiebig assured Up & Coming Weekly.

    Sweet Tea Shakespeare brings The Bard and the magic of his stories to old fans and newcomers alike. Over 500 years after changing the way humans engage with story craft, Sweet Tea Shakespeare believes Shakespeare is still extremely relevant today.

    "I think Shakespeare gets humans," explained Pommerenke. "He understands our tenacious spirit and our desire for love. You can take Shakespeare and drop the story just about anywhere. We've seen Shakespeare take place in Georgia, seen it in army fatigues, and I'm sure there's one with robots," she joked. "There's a Shakespeare for everyone."

    "We are all Shakespeare in a sense," said Fiebig, adding to the sentiment. "So much of [his] writing has become, over time, how we see and experience the world — how we laugh, how we fall in love, even how we think. Shakespeare has a really robust way of sticking with us — I think because there's such a depth to the ideas in the plays."
    While some may be intimidated by the idea of Shakespeare and the language of the play, Fiebig feels confident no one in the audience will be left behind.

    "At Sweet Tea Shakespeare, we work to make the Shakespeare as accessible as possible, and audiences will be able to follow along. We provide them some extra help on-site, too."
    Pommerenke suggested the pay-off is worth it. "I think it's really good for people to be challenged by stories. You do have to pay attention to a Shakespeare play; you have to engage the head and heart; you can't go in and zone out — and it just sounds so lovely on the ears."
    Sweet Tea Shakespeare strives to create a holistic experience for its audience that speaks to the mind and the celebratory spirit of theater.

    "The main difference at Sweet Tea Shakespeare is that the play is part of a larger event," said Fiebig. "We have a preshow with music and other fun entertainment, beer, wine and a specialty cocktail just for the show. Our productions fold in modern music. We like to think of our work as a party where a play breaks out."
    The company travels with its own playhouse set-up, and the play will be performed outdoors when weather permits. Attendees are encouraged to bring camping chairs, quilts or blankets to spread on the ground. Light fare will be for sale from local vendors.

    General admission tickets are $22 in advance, and day-of tickets will cost $30. Tickets can be purchased on the website, https://sweetteashakespeare.com/tickets/, by calling 910-420-4383 or email tickets@sweetteashakespeare.com.

    Information regarding performance locations can be found at https://sweetteashakespeare.com/much-ado-sweet-tea-shakespeare-rom-com/.

  •     It’s that time again folks. Fourth Friday is upon us and downtown Fayetteville is going to be filled with exhibits, entertainment and shopping — and don’t forget the great atmosphere and food that’s such a big part of every good party.  Mark your calendar for Friday, May 23 and come check out all the fun downtown.
         A great place to start the evening’s adventure is 301 Hay St. The Arts Council is hosting an exhibit by the students of Cumberland County’s high schools. Not only is this an opportunity to support the artistic youth in the community, but it’s a chance to get a peek into the minds of these talented young folks. The exhibit includes drawings, paintings, sculpture and mixed-media art. The entries are all judged by an art professional and recognition will be given to the artist who are juried as the first, second, third place and honorable mentions.
         Hay Street is always filled with great stuff, but don’t forget the side streets. There are plenty of gems there, too. Cape Fear Studios on Maxwell Street is hosting guest artists Margie Graves and Joanne Gillworth. Graves and Gillworth both made their way to Southern Pines from the north and are active in the local arts community. “Joanne and Margie have had shows in the past individually (at Cape Fear Studios) and Joanne has taught workshops before,” said Kate Harding, Cape Fear Studios administrator. “So we invited them back. We like to invite people who don’t necessarily live in Fayetteville so we can bring new art to the area to feature artists in the front main gallery.”
         It turns out that the two are more than artistic peers. “I actually didn’t know that they knew each other and are friends,” noted Harding. “Margie suggested could they maybe do a show together, which is interesting because they have very different styles of work.”
         {mosimage}Gillworth’s niche is still lifes and landscapes while Graves does a lot of abstract work. Harding doesn’t see that as a problem though. She actually considers it a strength. “Their colors complement each other very well. I think their work is going to look absolutely beautiful together,” she said.
         Gillworth recalls how the two met. “We actually met through somebody offering me a commission. I don’t do abstract work and knew she did and sent it her way. We got together from that and started working together and have been art buddies ever since.”
         Gillworth uses photographs, most of which she has taken herself, and renders her creations from those images. However, the two are known to collaborate occasionally. “My work is very realistic and hers is abstract. It is an interesting combination,” said Gillworth. “This year we have been trying to meet to explore a new medium as well as each other’s style. I am getting more abstract and she is getting more realistic.”
          The exhibit comes in on 4th Friday and will be featured in the gallery until June 25.
    While you are there check out the works of the Cape Fear Studios member artists. The studio is an artist’s co op that provides not only gallery and retail space to its members but also boasts seven studios. According to Harding, Cape Fear Studios is one of the only places in Fayetteville where you can actually see artists at work. “Some of our members rent studios and they not only display works there but they also usually have works in progress on display so you can see a piece actually being created. A lot of times you can find an artist here actually working which I think is a really unique opportunity,” she said. {mosimage}
         The building has two exhibit spaces. Graves and Gillworth will be in the main gallery, and the co-op artists have displays in the hall. With 47 members, there is something for everyone. “A lot of people come in on Fourth Friday and don’t know that we are more than just a gallery,” said Harding. “We sell all the pieces that we have, but we don’t just sell giant pieces of art work. We also have tons of pieces of pottery and jewelry. We have things from $5 up to several hundred.”
         The party starts at 7 p.m. Hope to see you there!
  • 15The Gallup Poll first measured LGBTQ data within communities in 2012. At the time, the population who identified as LGBTQ was around 3%. In the latest poll, Gallup reports the number of people who identify as LGTBQ has risen to 7.1%, with higher percentages among those born from 1981 to 2003.

    “If you take in the population of Fayetteville, that means there’s about 15,000 people in Fayetteville who identify as LGBTQ,” said Katrinna Marsden, president, Fayetteville PRIDE. “In Cumberland County, that’s like 24,000. If you look at the surrounding areas, that’s around 60,000 people who identify as LGBTQ, and that’s just the general percentage.”
    Fayetteville PRIDE began in March 2017 with a PrideFest interest meeting at the Cliffdale Library. Previously, a Facebook group had been what connected LGBTQ individuals in the area, but during the meeting, it became clear to attendees a nonprofit group could really help the community.

    By April 2017, a board was set up; Marsden, a founding member, wrote the bylaws, and they were signed into action. The organization achieved nonprofit status in October 2017.
    According to its website, Fayetteville PRIDE’s mission is “to instill pride, celebrate unity and embrace diversity and inclusiveness in our LGBTQ community and allies, and provide a support network and educational advocacy group dedicated to increasing awareness and acceptance.”

    “We sat down as a board and decided that yes, having a PrideFest was a goal, but we didn’t want that to be our only emphasis. We knew pretty quickly that we wanted to have community service projects, we wanted to have events for the community, we wanted to be involved in more ways than just putting on a party,” Marsden said.
    Community projects for the organization have helped groups such as Seth’s Wish, a homeless center in Fayetteville. They organized a uniform drive for school uniforms. This year, the focus of Fayetteville PRIDE’s community project will be to help feed the hungry.

    Fayetteville PRIDE also has a youth engagement group. Meetings are on the third Saturday of every month and are open for kids aged 12 to 19. The meetings are run by a board member who is also a social worker.

    “The group focuses on learning about empowerment and living authentically,” Marsden said. “They explore that through artistic expression, and they work with a local artist.”

    A long-term goal of Fayetteville PRIDE is to open a community center. Marsden expressed the desire to have a library with LGBTQ reading materials for all ages, spaces to have meetings more often than once a month and space more available for walk-in hours.

    “It can be hard for people to find resources,” she said. “We are increasing awareness and acceptance for the community. It has been our goal since the beginning to have a community center. We’d use that as an umbrella for other LGBTQ organizations to use that space and for people to have meetings.”

    Fayetteville PRIDE helps out the local civilian community and the soldiers of Fort Bragg. One of the very first events for the organization happened on the military installation. The group was invited to a panel discussion of transgender rights in the military during Fort Bragg’s LGBTQ observance day in 2017.

    The organization has put on PrideFest every year since 2018, with the exception being 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, PrideFest will be held at Festival Park on June 25. PrideFest is the largest fundraiser in the Fayetteville PRIDE calendar, but Marsden wants the community to know Fayetteville PRIDE is more than PrideFest.

    “We aren’t just a festival, we are an organization that is year-round, and our mission is about embracing diversity. It’s about being a support network and being an educational advocacy group,” she said.

    “I think that most people who are LBGTQ have spent some part in their lives, and that time varies for everybody, where they’ve wondered how they fit into the definition of what normal is. I think that when you are kind of figuring yourself out, finding out that there is a group of people who have a similar experience to that makes you feel like you have a place in the world,” she said.

    For more information, or to donate to Fayetteville PRIDE, visit www.fayettevillepride.org/. For more information about PrideFest, pick up the next edition of Up & Coming Weekly on stands June 8.

  • 17 I love smoothies in the summer, and I often make them with what I have picked from the garden or what I have in the refrigerator.
    Smoothies are popular because they are versatile, nutritious, portable and delicious. They often become a morning meal, afternoon snack and a great way to make a healthy meal.

    Fitness centers are carving out specialty smoothie areas and availability in grocery stores, cafes and restaurants are on the rise.
    Smoothies are thick and creamy beverages blended with fruit, fruit juice, coconut water, almond milk, vegetables, yogurt, seeds, nuts or dairy products. They are often blended with frozen fruit or ice, giving the consistency of a milkshake.

    Homemade smoothies can be a combo of fruit such as berries, bananas, peaches, mango, pineapple, strawberries and blueberries.

    Vegetables may include spinach, avocado, cucumbers and carrots. Nuts and seeds are popular additions and may include peanut butter, almond butter, chia seeds, pecans and almonds.

    Many extras can consist of herbs, spices, protein powder and powdered vitamins — the addition of nontraditional sweeteners may be maple syrup, raw sugar, sorbet and honey.

    Proteins are another requested addition and are often paired with yogurt and vegetables. Smoothies can be a great way to increase your fiber intake, including nuts, vegetables, and whole grains.

    A smoothie can be beneficial for health reasons, but it can also have a downside with ingredients packed with sugar. Just because you are drinking a smoothie does not always mean healthy!

    Commercial ingredients tend to be higher in added sugar. Reading the label of a ready-made product will help you identify ingredients to look for: granulated sugar, ice cream and sherbet.

    It can be a misconception that they are low in calories because some can pack more than 1,000 calories depending on the size and ingredients.

    Establishments that sell smoothies may have a summary of ingredients and calorie counts. Smoothies can be used as an apparent weight loss tool if the intake does not increase your daily caloric needs.
    They can be as filling as solid food, and drinking your calories rather than eating them can be just as satisfying but not for all your meals.

    Begin experimenting with what you like, and the best way is to select your base, which will be juice, water or dairy. The most nutritious combine fruit, veggies, yogurt and healthy fats.

    The superfoods rich in antioxidants are berries, and veggies will give you an extra power boost.
    Making your smoothie is the first step in a combo that you will look forward to having each day with a recommended one serving.

    If you are interested in making it a meal, include at least 25 grams of protein and 10 grams of protein for a snack. The pairing of ingredients is just as crucial as a well-planned meal.
    Research what is beneficial for your dietary needs and ingredients, and be mindful of calories.

    You can find many recipes online, and when you begin making them, you will quickly find your favorites.

    There are a variety of blenders in all price ranges. Select one with a blade in the bottom with a container, good processing speed, and a cap for refrigeration in two container sizes.
    Live, love life and have a smoothie.

  • 14 Tri-State Underground and the DaVille Skate Shop are hosting a concert May 28 at 8 p.m. in the skate shop at Rowan Skate Park. The concert will showcase three bands, two local and one from New York, who will play until midnight.

    “I think it’s going to be a really good time,” said Timothy Day, co-founder of Tri-State Underground. “I book bands I want to see live, and as a result, I’m hyped about every show we put together. Hopefully, everyone else enjoys it.”

    Machinegun Earl, out of Raleigh, Second Class Citizen from New Bern, and Like Minded Criminals from Long Island, New York, will all be playing throughout the night.

    “I had a large list of local bands I was able to choose from. I haven’t seen the two local bands in person yet, but the recorded stuff they have sent me in their submissions is pretty fantastic. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing them live at a Tri-State show,” Day said.

    “(Like Minded Criminals) have done a ton of shows for me over the years. Anyone who comes out to the show will very much enjoy these guys. They have to be one of the best on-site bands I’ve ever worked with.”

    Tri-State Underground began in the Wilmington, Delaware, area about five years ago. The purpose of the group was to bring together lesser-known bands with more well-established bands, but as Tri-State Underground evolved, they began to find another purpose: to help out communities through their shows. Currently, several of the group members live in North Carolina and have been working to bring shows to the area.

    They ask concertgoers to bring non-perishable food items, which are donated to local food banks. Proceeds from the sales of their T-shirts and sweatshirts are donated to local charities and food shelters. Rainbow Records contributed used vinyl albums to Tri-State Underground, which they raffle off at every show. The proceeds of the raffle are also donated.

    Admission to the concert is $15, paid at the door. Part of the proceeds are paid to the bands, but the rest will be given to Friends of the Skateparks Foundation.

    “When I was a kid, I loved skateboarding. It’s cool to go back and live that era again in a sense by putting together a show at a skate park. Since I started Tri-State, there have been a few things that I have wanted to do and have been interested in doing that haven’t come to fruition yet. One of those things was putting together a show at a skate park,” Day said.

    Day says he hopes to continue to work with Terry Grimble, president and founder of the DaVille Skate Shop.

    “We are hoping that eventually, either in conjunction with Tri-State or just with Terry and other people he works with, we might be able to do full-on festivals outside at the skate park,” said Day. “The goal for him, and I hope I get to be a part of this, would be to utilize the outdoor pavilion and host music events outside as well. It’s a great spot; the scenery, the halfpipe, the bowl is there, the little creek with the walk-over bridge, the scenery at the park is just spectacular.”

    The Half Pipe Dream concert will be held on May 28 at the DaVille Skate Shop and Rowan Skate Center. For more information about the show, visit https://stayhappening.com/e/half-pipe-dream-E2ISUARIOBI. For more information about the Rowan Skate Park, including summer camps and taking lessons, visit www.rowanskatepark.com/.

  • 13 Mostley Crue, the tribute band for 80s hard rockers of (mostly) the same name, is set to play the Gates Four Summer Concert Series on June 3.

    The band has been together for 15 years and has played hundreds of shows as Motley Crue. The current lineup and their alter egos are Gabriel Pettit as lead vocalist Vince Neil, Darius Rose as drummer Tommy Lee, Keith Baumbaugh as guitarist Mick Mars and Miller Barefoot as bassist Nikki Sixx.

    Pettit is the only original member of the band. He was in another band creating his own music when he was asked to join Mostly Crue as Vince Neil, but he had his doubts.

    “I was thinking to myself that I’m not sure I could pull off an hour or two of Motley Crue. It’s got that really upper-end screamy range. And, you know, it’s a lot of hard work, but I decided to. Why not? (It) sounds like fun,” he said. “I got the part, and years later, here we are.”

    Pettit is known for his uncanny ability to sound like Neil by duplicating his range and tone. He credits this to spending years as a karaoke DJ, where he would imitate other musicians. The Motley Crue singer happened to be one of them. And, like most people, he liked to sing on road trips.

    “I used to sing in the car all the time, and I would adapt my voice to whatever the singer happened to be on my playlist at the time,” he said. “I just listened to an absolute ton of Motley Crue for a fairly extended period of time, over a few months.”

    A Mostly Crue concert might not have the theatrics of an original performance, like elaborate pyrotechnics or Tommy Lee’s rollercoaster drum set. Still, they like to get the audience involved in the show.

    “I firmly believe in getting audience interaction back and forth. I like to include them, especially (when) we do a song called ‘Ten Seconds to Love,’ which is a classic Motley Crue song,” Pettit said. “It’s one that Crue has done in the past to do some audience participation. So, we kind of adopted that song and a similar style of how they included people.”

    He also likes to play pranks on unsuspecting audience members when he can.

    “I like to go out in the audience, though and pick out somebody to get them and their friends to specifically help. And sometimes it’ll be somebody who’s not paying any attention at all, which is all the more fun because you get somebody who’s sitting there texting somebody on their phone,” he said. “(I) come up behind them, and there’s a thousand people around, and they’re all staring, and they’re oblivious until they turn around and realize (and have) this deer in the headlight look.”

    Pettit and the band members knew the music of Motley Crue from growing up in the 1980s. Most rock bands of that era were known for living a lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock and roll and indulging in the excess of that decade, but Pettit thinks the music should not be overlooked.

    “The music was about the fun,” he said. “In the ‘big hair’ era, you had players who could really play; they didn’t have Auto-Tune. They could really sing.”

    “I like unique vocal styles, you know, you had Klaus (Meine) from the Scorpions, Tom Keifer from Cinderella, and all of them could perform live. They sounded just as good live as they did on the album.”
    Attendees can expect all the Motley Crue hits, but the band does play earlier songs and B-sides or songs that may not have made it onto an album. But they should not expect the band to come out rocking the glam look popular in the 80s.

    “Our look is more of a hybrid (of) their later look, post-glam,” he said. “Obviously, none of us look good in spandex anymore.”
    Fans can expect to hear the hit ballad “Home Sweet Home,” which is a song they dedicate to active and retired military.

    “It’s something we’ve done for 15 years. We’ll continue to do it as long as we continue to play, for as long as I’m the singer,” he said. “It’s something I firmly believe in because I believe that those people sacrifice so much for our rights and for our way of life that I think they deserve our appreciation.”
    Pettit and the band enjoy meeting fans after the show and encourage them to come to talk to them after their set.

    “We are humbled by everyone’s appreciation of us, and we love to hear and speak to those people who come to see us. We’ll take pictures with fans,” he said. “This is about enjoying the music and enjoying the process of playing it. Don’t be scared to come up and talk to us. We’re here to have fun, too.”
    The band was playing up to 40 shows a year in previous years, but have scaled back a maximum of two shows a month because they have day jobs and families.

    “In our twenties, the idea of being on the road and playing all the time for a living was an ideal thing because you’re not rooted down, you don’t have your families, you don’t have a mortgage necessarily,” Pettit said.

    “(Now), we get there, we get to pretend we’re rock stars for a few hours and then walk away back to our normal lives, and it’s a great escape for us.”
    The Gates Four Summer Concert Series is held at Gates Four Golf and Country Club Pavilion. The series kicked off April 1 and will run through September with six local bands. Attendees are welcome to bring chairs and blankets. The event is free. VIP tickets are available at www.fayettevilledinnertheatrre.com/tickets.

  • 11 Multi-platinum selling country rock group Alabama is performing at Crown Coliseum Saturday, June 2, with special guest Exile.

    Alabama’s roots run deep in their home state, but the band got its official start in nearby South Carolina, not in the Heart of Dixie.
    Cousins Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry and Randy Owen, spent the summer of 1973 playing covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Merle Haggard at the legendary Myrtle Beach bar, The Bowery. The bar considered Alabama their house band until 1980.

    One of their first original songs, aptly named “My Home’s in Alabama,” got the attention of listeners and music producers. They were invited to record a single, “Tennessee River,” which shot to number one on the Billboard country charts.

    Fast forward to 2022, and the former bar band has had more than 40 number one hits on the country charts. They have released 26 studio albums from 1976 to 2015.

    Alabama is considered one of the most recognized names in country music and is billed as one of the biggest multi-platinum selling groups. They were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005.

    With hits like “Song of the South” and “If You’re Gonna Play in Texas,” the band embodies the southern culture rooted in classic country music, but critics have noted they were one of the first country bands to bring a rock ‘n roll edge to the genre. They took cues from country, rock and pop, which was largely unheard of when they got their start.

    They were a big influence on the bands that came after them, opening the door to mixing genres and bringing a new sound to standards of country music.

    In 2002, Alabama played a farewell tour, citing exhaustion from years of being on the road. In 2011, after a series of tornados hit their home state, they played a benefit concert to raise money for the victims. The fundraiser rekindled their desire to tour again.

    In 2013, they celebrated their 40th anniversary with a tour named “Back to the Bowery,” a reference to the bar in South Carolina where they first got their start.

    They have continued to tour over the last few years and released their last studio album in 2015. With a 50-year career, they will have no shortage of songs to play on the year’s tour, and they will probably run out of stage time before they can get through all 40 of their number one hits.

    Another popular genre-bending band, Exile, is opening for Alabama. Known for their pop hit “Kiss You All Over,” the band started focusing on country music in the early 1980s, but their music still spans all genres. They have toured with legendary rock bands like Aerosmith and Fleetwood Mac and stayed closer to their country origins on tours with George Jones and Merle Haggard.

    The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale at www.crowncomplexnc.com

  • 05-16-12-4thfriday.jpgThis month 4th Friday falls on May 25. Don’t miss out on the chance to enjoy the weather, check out the new exhibits and performances downtown and frequent the many shops and eateries that stay open late and offer discounts during the event.

    The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is taking advantage of 4th Friday to open its latest exhibit. “This month’s 4th Fridaywill be the opening of The Healing Arts, sponsored by Cape Fear Valley Health Systems,” said Mary Kinney, marketing director of the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. “The exhibition includes work collected and created by local physicians.”

    There are a number of local artists as well as art collectors in the Cape Fear Valley medical community and much of the work shown comes from private collections.

    The Army Ground Forces Band will bring a fi ve-member woodwinds section to perform inside the Arts Council Building Grand Hall from 7-9 p.m. during the exhibit opening.

    The Downtown Alliance has adopted a fun theme each month. May is The Big Eat, according to Kim Powers, Downtown Alliance 4th Friday coordinator. “This month is called The Big Eat, but the savings are not just in food,” said Powers. “It is food oriented, everything will be about food and diet.”

    So make sure to stop at all your favorite downtown eateries to see what specials are on tap.

    The Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center Headquarters Library hosts Second Time Around, a 15-piece band specializing in the big-band era. Enjoy the sounds of Glenn Miller, Les Brown, Benny Goodman and more. Refreshements are provided.

    Fascinate-U is geared up and ready to entertain children from 7-9 p.m. The craft of the day is colorful macaroni jewelry. Admission is free during 4th Friday.

    Cape Fear Studios opens its newest exhibit called The Dance of Art in India — a production created in partnership with the India Foundation. The visual-arts exhibit at Cape Fear Studios emphasizes the interconnection of all classical art forms in India. Because Indian classical dance embodies this concept of interconnectedness, revealing through dance technique, form and style the relationships between the art of music and painting, literature and drama, sculpture and architecture, this exhibit includes a special dance presentation by trained Indian classical art dancers. Asha Bala, dance director and program manager of the India Foundation, will direct the dance performance.

    The India Foundation’s vision is that all individuals are provided with creative outlets to soar high and lead fulfilled, dignified lives — engaging with community-based activities that will advance their health, self-esteem and spirit. Bala works with Ellen Olson Brooks, the executive director of Cape Fear Studios, in the spirit of Cape Fear Studios’ mission to partner with other artistic organizations and create unusual, compelling and educational arts exhibits and productions.

    “The art in the visual-arts portion of this show will come from private collections here in the Fayetteville area,” said Brooks. “The art will also reveal how the classical Indian dance form and classical Indian arts are unified and interwoven into a beautiful “picture” of the two spectrums of artistic expression: frozen, as in the visual arts, and motion, as in dance.”T

    he dance performance will take place at 7 p.m. on 4th Friday at the Arts Council. The visual arts exhibit will be at Cape Fear Studios. This is a show not to be missed.

    Visit www.theartscouncil.com to find out more about 4th Friday.

  • 10 GloCity Event will be hosting a day of family fun and delicious local food on June 4 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

    The first annual Taste the Fayettenam event will take place on King’s Field in Fayetteville. It will serve as an opportunity for local food vendors to speak to the people of the community through their food.

    “We created this event because we want to help local food vendors and food trucks around here become more well-known,” said Genevieve Hyman, owner of GloCity Event.

    “The nickname Fayettenam has so much flavor, and there are so many opportunities for good food right here. Instead of people chasing down trucks all over the city, we wanted to bring them together in one place. We want these vendors to let their food be their voice.”

    GloCity Event was established around two years ago. Since then, their chief objective has been to “provide events and activities for the community to do outside of the home.”

    Tired of hearing complaints about the lack of activities in Fayetteville, Hyman wanted to create a business that filled an entertainment void for the people of her community.

    “We started with sip and paint events and it kind of exploded from there,” Hyman explained. “At the end of our events, we have a suggestion box to get ideas from the community on the types of events they’d like to have here. “

    From those suggestions sprang the idea for Taste the Fayettenam.

    The family-friendly event will feature between 10 to 15 food trucks and games, live music, bounce houses and face painting. Hyman hopes the event serves as an opportunity for local and small businesses to get their deserved exposure.

    “We’re all trying to uplift our small businesses and feed our families,” Hyman told Up & Coming Weekly. “Events like this keep revenue circling in our community.”

    Through Taste the Fayettenam, Hyman hopes to show people just how much the city has to offer.

    “We want to end the idea that there’s nothing to do here. Fayetteville is growing every single day; we don’t have to go outside the city to have fun,” she said.

    Hyman loves creating memorable events for the people of Fayetteville and their families; she admits the message is bigger than simply having a good time, and a lot goes on behind the scenes to make events like Taste of Fayettenam possible while also keeping them free.

    “We are also raising money through donations to continue giving back to the community,” Hyman said.

    “In partnership with the Love Laugh Leyai Foundation, we give out free Thanksgiving turkeys and offer free lunches and meals at the local recreation centers. We come to the table and think of ways to keep funding within our community. Especially amid this inflation, we find ways to help families who need it.”

    Ultimately, Hyman hopes people come out and enjoy the day and the delicious food on offer.

    “We’ll be out there supporting food trucks, trying to give them a day to be celebrated and rewarded for all their hard work.”
    King Field is located at 127 S. King St. in Fayetteville.

    The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/glocityevent.

  • 05-23-12-lyn-pryer.jpgIt’s been 18 years, 18 seasons and 100 shows since Lynn Pryer moved to Fayetteville and founded Gilbert Theater. He’s decided it is time to move on, but like it or not, he won’t be going quietly.

    Well-wishers, friends and Gilbert Theater supporters and patrons are invited to the Century Celebration on June 1 at 6 p.m. at Gilbert Theater to celebrate Pryer’s many accomplishments and to wish him success in his future endeavors.

    The $50 ticket to the black-tie event includes heavy hors d’ouevres and admission to the performance of Musical of Musicals (the Musical).

    “There will be entertainment, music, some door prizes and a presentation,” said incoming Artistic Director Robyne Parrish. “The presentation is at 7 p.m. and then more merriment at 8 p.m. followed by dessert and coffee supplied by the Hilltop House. I think it is going to be great fun. The tickets are selling really well.”

    The legacy Pryer built is one of endorsing creative freedom and producing thought-provoking, entertaining and sometimes edgy shows. During his tenure, Gilbert Theater was home to a wide range of shows including The Rocky Horror Show, The Vagina Monologues and the much-loved A Christmas Carol, which has become a longstanding tradition the week after Thanksgiving.

    “We are very excited about what is happening at the Gilbert Theater,” said Bill Bowman, publisher Up & Coming Weekly and sponsor of the Century Celebration. “Lynn Pryer created a successful arts venue for our community. It is thriving. Now he has taken it to another level with introduction of the new Artistic Director, Robyne Parrish. It is only fitting that we help excentuate and illuminate this type of event, and honor Lynn for his contributions to the arts community.”

    From the basement of his Haymount home, to the Arts Council to Bow Street, Pryer nurtured the Gilbert into a fl ourishing theater. He credits the community for its success.

    “I have always wanted to live a meaningful life,” said Pryer. “I require beauty, creativity, spirituality and love, and all four of these elements are present here. I am so grateful. I had those four things I needed and I was able to use that as a base to reach out to the theater community. I am extremely grateful to this town … it welcomed us with such care and affection and love.”

    As he enters a new season, or act three of his life as he calls it, Pryer has ditched his plans to head back to his childhood home in California. From the moment he took the house off the market, it felt right. Like so many who come to Fayetteville from all corners of the globe, Pryer has succumbed to the trademark charm and warmth of the local community.

    His plans to retire from Gilbert Theater remain in tact though.

    “On June 17, after the final performance of Musical of Musicals (the Musical) I will hand over the gong to the new Artistic Director, Robyne Parrish,” said Pryer. “She has sterling credentials and I’m sure she will do great things here. If I am ever needed for a shoulder to cry on or a bit of wisdom I will be available, but I am going to be 78 next month and Bob and I just want to be able to travel and do things with out worrying about scheduling confl icts.”

    Although he is stepping away from the Gilbert Theater, Pryer is not going far.

    “I am going to spend my time organizing a theater alliance,” said Pryer. “It will work to make theaters aware of each other and have work shops and share calendars and who knows what other things will grow from it. I think it will be an important thing to have happen. There are more groups out there than most people know about.”

    It’s been a good run at the Gilbert, but Fayetteville has not seen the last of Pryer.

    Photo: Incoming Artistic Director of Gilbert Theater, Robyne Parrish with Lynn Pryer.

  • 26 Local firefighters will be making the rounds in Hope Mills neighborhoods on Saturday, May 21, but not to fight fires. They want to teach residents about fire safety and the importance of having a working smoke alarm in their homes.

    The American Red Cross Sandhills Chapter partnered with the Hope Mills Fire Department, Town of Hope Mills, United Way of Cumberland County and Cape Fear CERT for Sound the Alarm, a national initiative to install 50,000 free smoke alarms with partners in more than 50 at-risk areas during the month of May.

    Hope Mills was chosen because they have had an increase in home fires. Volunteers placed door hangers on homes earlier in the month to let residents know about the event.

    Since launching in 2014, the program has helped save 34 lives in eastern North Carolina by installing more than 31,600 free smoke alarms making more than 13,000 homes safer.
    According to the Red Cross, every day in the United States seven people die in home fires, and many occur in homes without smoke alarms.
    Children, the elderly and people in low-income communities are the most vulnerable during house fires and they are the most likely to live in homes without smoke alarms.

    “Smoke alarms save lives,” said Phil Harris, executive director of the American Red Cross Sandhills Chapter. “The chance of survival is greater when you have a working smoke alarm.”

    In fact, the Red Cross says a working smoke alarm can double a person’s chance of survival of a residential fire.
    Firefighters and volunteers will be visiting homes in Hope Mills from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. the day of the event. The visit lasts about 20 minutes and includes installation of a smoke alarm (or changing the batteries in an existing one) and tips for fire prevention and preparedness.

    “We sit down with homeowners or tenants and children to make sure they have two ways out of the house, (and ask) ‘do you know to crawl under the smoke?’” he said. “There are a lot of tips and things that we share during the visit, in addition to either checking working smoke alarms, changing batteries or providing new alarms.”

    Smoke alarms have a life span of 10 years, so residents who receive one during this event will be added to a list to receive a replacement when the unit expires.

    The American Red Cross Sandhills Chapter and Hope Mills Fire Department work together year-round to help victims of fires and other emergencies. They are eager to meet the community to teach prevention and preparedness so residents can stay safe and will not need their services in the future.
    Community volunteers can sign up to help install smoke alarms or be on hand to share fire safety information. No experience is required. The Red Cross will provide training the morning of the event.

    Residents can learn more at SoundTheAlarm.com/enc, sign up to volunteer or schedule an appointment for a free installation the day of the event.

  • What’s the enjoyment of warm weather without an outdoor concert? If you have yet to enjoy the magical mixture of sunlight and music, then the concert series at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden should be your next destination. Working in conjunction with PNC Bank the garden is bringing a variety of musical stylings to its grounds.

    05-30-12-enjoy-the-sounds.jpgCape Fear Valley Neuroscience Center and Healy Wholesale Company, Inc., also sponsors of the event, invite you get a jumpstart on your weekend with a Friday evening concert. Enjoy the ambience of an intimate outdoor natural setting as music fills the evening sky, with the band performing from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

    More than 250 people attended the first concert. “It was a wonderful event. It was great to see families on blankets together having a good time, enjoying the music in the gardens,” said Iris Goode, development and marketing director at Cape Fear Botanical Garden.

    On June 8, Old Habits, will sooth the soul with a unique blend of bluegrass, rock and country. Old Habits, a Raleigh-based band, was founded in 2003. Considered to be a cross blend of Bill Monroe and John Prine, this four-person band as been praised all across eastern N.C.

    “In an area overflowing with top-shelf bluegrass bands, Raleigh’s four-piece Old Habits seems to be doing just fine making a name for itself. The fellas have the requisite harmonies, picking skills and influences...” wrote Rick Cornell, of the Independent Weekly.

    The last concert of the spring series will be held on June 22 with music from The Casablanca Orchestra. This eight-piece ensemble brings Big Band back in a big way.

    This powerful Raleigh-based orchestra has more than 300 songs in its repertoire ranging from Latin to Blues from the last six decades. The variety of songs is sure to please guests of all ages. Debbie Bennett is the vocalist who rounds out this amazing group. Compared to the great vocals of Ella Fitzgerald and Whitney Houston, this band is a guaranteed party pleaser.

    Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs, or you can rent chairs at the event. Food, drinks and adult beverages will be available for purchase. Along with food that tantalizes refi ned taste buds, there will be kid-friendly food such as popcorn. Please, no pets or outside food and drinks. Come early to stroll the gardens before the concert and enjoy the variety of blooms of the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens.

    Regular admission to the gardens is $8, military receives a dollar off with I.D. For children ages 6-12, admission is $2.50 and children 5 and under are free.

    Admission to the concert is free for garden members. For the $30 you can purchase an individual membership or $60 for a household, people can become members of the garden and gain free admission to the spring and upcoming fall concerts.

    For more information about the summer concert series or garden membership, visit www.capefearbg.org.

  • 25a Friends of Cape Fear Botanical Garden will host a night of "true elegance" on Wednesday, May 18. A Garden Gathering begins at 5:30 p.m. and promises to be a beautiful evening of drinks, conversation and culinary intrigue beneath the stars and amongst the flowers.

    The Cape Fear Botanical Garden comes alive this time of year. Springtime blooms of every color dot the garden and paths, making it just right for a night of enchantment.

    "We have the perfect setting for an outdoor farm-to-table fundraising event to bring awareness to our mission to connect people with nature. It also fits seamlessly with our initiative to grow and donate produce to the Fayetteville Urban Ministry," said Sheila Hanrick, director of Events and Marketing for Cape Fear Botanical Garden.

    A night of Fayetteville's finest entertainment has been crafted for guests' enjoyment with no detail overlooked.

    From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., guests can look forward to a floating cocktail hour as they make their way through the Eleanor and Raymond Manning Children's Garden.

    The dulcet sounds of Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra's Jazz Trio will play sweetly in the background as those in attendance are served an exquisite three-course meal of locally sourced ingredients prepared by Chef Mark Elliot of Elliot's on Linden.

    While the event is "formal," Hanrick wished to clarify expectations regarding attire. "The event is not a 'formal' attire event," she explained, "but more of a garden party. We advise guests to wear shoes that allow them to walk the garden grounds and grassy areas."

    A Garden Gathering is an event open to the public, though it does require a pre-purchased ticket.

    Tickets will be sold individually for $125 or as part of several VIP package options.
    A VIP table of four is $625 and includes a household membership to Cape Fear Botanical Garden. A table for eight costs $1250 and includes a patron membership to Cape Fear Botanical Garden. Both VIP options include valet parking courtesy of Valley Auto World.

    A premier destination for weddings and social gatherings, the Cape Fear Botanical Garden is more than just a pretty face. The institution is fiercely committed to its mission "to transform people's relationship with plants and the natural world."

    Since its establishment in 1989, the Cape Fear Botanical Garden has maintained the link between nature and the Fayetteville community through its many educational and cultural programs.
    Symposiums like Gardenmania, nature camps for children of all ages and programs like yoga in the park create resources that ensure citizens of the region can enjoy being in nature while learning about everything it offers.

    Fundraising events like A Garden Gathering work to support the efforts of Cape Fear Botanical Garden as it continues its valuable service to the community.
    Cape Fear Botanical Garden is located at 536 N Eastern Blvd. in Fayetteville.

    To purchase tickets, visit https://friends-of-the-garden.square.site/?source=qr-code&fbclid=IwAR3lHgZ4kNgZ3xoI6nBS4QuQnxnZZLBM5pMqYcdxHaz3Ncy8aRDAeTPTnVU.
    To learn more about the Fayetteville Urban Ministry, visit their site at www.fayurbmin.org/about-us.

     

  • 23b Cool Spring Downtown is throwing a party every fourth Friday of the month, and everyone in Fayetteville is invited.

    “Fourth Friday is when we line the streets of downtown Fayetteville with food carts, artisans, makers and vendors,” said Lauren Falls, director of Marketing and Events for Cool Spring Downtown District. “It’s a time when we invite families to come downtown and shop locally from 6 to 9 p.m."Beginning in March of each year, Fourth Friday concludes with the downtown Zombie Walk in October, giving the people of Fayetteville around eight Fridays a year to see the city really let her hair down.

    Fourth Friday has been a popular addition to the downtown scene for over a decade. The block-party-type event is an opportunity for citizens to come together in love and pride for their city.
    Like so many other social events worldwide, Fourth Friday moved to a virtual platform during the height of the pandemic. Falls is excited for people to have the full Fourth Friday experience as the city opens back up to larger events.

    “Fourth Friday serves the families of this area because it’s such an engaging experience for people of all ages. There are so many things to do,” Falls told Up & Coming Weekly. “You can come with your kids, grab something to eat from the food trucks, see local artists, listen to local music and visit some downtown shops.”

    Visitors to Fourth Friday can look forward to extended business hours, live performances and art of all types on display as they weave their way through a bustling marketplace with a little bit of everything to offer.
    Like many programs and events throughout the city, Fourth Friday is part of a movement committed to bringing culture, arts and entertainment to the area while supporting local artisans and businesses.

    “I love so many things about Fourth Friday,” Falls said. “I love seeing kids get excited when they see local art and watching the faces of people enjoying themselves as they go into different shops and experience something new.”

    “Come expecting something unique,” she said, offering advice to those visiting for the first time. “Be open to trying new things. Come out, enjoy new food and shopping experiences, and try out a new business or local merchants.”
    Parking decks are located on the 400 block of Hay Street and the corner of Franklin and Donaldson. Both are open and available for public use during Fourth Friday.

    “I would love people to leave Fourth Friday excited about trying a new brewery or restaurant and loving where they live,” Falls said. “I would also be excited for them to come back to see the plethora of events Cool Spring Downtown District organizes throughout the year. I would love each and every person to get plugged into the downtown scene here.”

    Fourth Friday is a free event and open to the public. The next Fourth Friday event will be Friday, May 27, starting at 6 p.m.
    For more information, visit https://visitdowntownfayetteville.com/events/7046/.

  • 23a Channing Perdue wants people to experience the taste of locally grown produce and farm fresh meat, so she hosts Farm to Table dinners twice a year at her family homestead.

    The spring event, on Saturday, May 21, will include a cocktail hour with charcuterie and wine followed by a three-course dinner prepared by a local chef. People will also have a chance to tour her property, Farms Helping Families, and meet their animals.

    Locals will not have to go far to reach the 10-acre farm.

    “We're basically in the center of Fayetteville. So, we're easily accessible from I-95,” she said. “Our property's a little hidden gem because our house is right on the road on Cedar Creek Road, but then our property goes back behind it, and it's peaceful back there.”

    She and her husband purchased the home and land just over four years ago. They decided to stay in the area after he left active military service and joined the Reserves. The home was built in the 1940s and renovated before they moved in, but the land needed their help.

    “(It) was completely overgrown, so we kind of rejuvenated it. It used to be a farm that raised mules and turkey. We've redone a lot of the pastures,” she said.
    The idea for having a farm came before Perdue even found the property. She started with a desire to teach her children how to grow vegetables in a garden, then she decided to purchase chickens so they could have fresh eggs.

    From there, her ideas grew to include having livestock and growing produce on her own farm. She also wanted to teach other children and adults the joys of farming and sustainable practices and provide farm fresh products to the community. The family now owns chickens, hogs and dairy goats and plan to add turkeys and cattle in the future.

    “I really wanted to have a farm to help families to learn about food, learn about where food came from and help our community,” she said.

    Perdue is a self-taught farmer who learned from classes through the Cumberland County Cooperative Extension and the Soldiers to Agriculture program through North Carolina State’s Agricultural Institute. The program introduces veterans and their families to careers in agriculture.

    After learning to develop her own land, Perdue began helping others interested in sustainable farming for their families. She shares her own experiences and helps them plot a piece of raw land with the appropriate areas for livestock and crops.

    “The thought process came to (me) because a lot of the farmers now are single commodity commercial farmers,” she said “My brain goes back like hundreds of years before things got commercialized to ‘How did we sustain life back then? What did we grow? How did our communities eat?’”

    Farms Helping Families has camps for kids teaching them how to start their own gardens. Each child is given a selection of vegetable seeds that they can use in a recipe for vegetable dip or salsa when they harvest the produce. She believes it is important for kids to understand where their food comes from.

    “We started with chickens because (my kids) didn't understand that eggs didn't just come from Walmart or the grocery store. They actually came from a chicken.”

    The Spring Farm to Table dinner is Perdue’s chance to share their family’s story and their hope to rebuild the culture of small sustainable farming. She wants to use the land to continue teaching people to build farms so they can provide for their own families.

    “It’s taking a piece of land and figuring out how you can feed your family, but also feed the community.”
    Tickets and more information about the event can be found at https://farmshelpingfamilies.com/events.

  • SYMPHONYOn May 29, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra and the Army Ground Forces Band will join together in the annual Symphonic Salute to the U.S. Armed Forces. This is the fourth annual concert collaboration between the two professional groups. They come together once a year to honor the past and present members of the armed forces and their sacrifices for Memorial Day. They do this by performing classic patriotic music. 

    “The concert will showcase musicians from both groups performing together on stage,” Julia Atkins, the director of artistic operations and marketing for the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, explained. “Some of the music you will hear that evening will be John Williams’ “Summon the Heroes” featuring the Herald Trumpets, “God Bless America,” “America the Beautiful” and other well-known, patriotic tunes. There will also be the performance of the Armed Forces Medley — a piece that combines all military service songs. People who are past or present military are asked to stand to be recognized when their service song is played.”

    In addition to honoring the military members in our community, this free concert is also a great opportunity to come together to enjoy incredible music and beautiful weather. For the past four years, the event has been met with incredible support. “The community has really enjoyed this concert over the past few years. We feel that the audience has grown each year we hosted this concert -— last year we had close to 3,000 people in the park for this concert. It’s a great time of year to just be outside with family and friends enjoying a concert. It’s great for all ages,” Atkins said. The music is beautiful and inspiring, as is the location. There is no age too young to celebrate a love of one’s nation and for the brave community members who sacrifice to protect it. This personal bond to members of the armed forces is particularly true for the Fayetteville community. 

    Both the Army Ground Forces Band and the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra are comprised of exceptional musicians. Their skill and professionalism create season after season of amazing concerts. It may seem difficult to merge two different and distinct groups, but these great musicians prove otherwise. “Our rehearsals run rather smoothly, our musicians enjoy playing with the Army musicians and vice versa,” Atkins says. “We usually start planning this concert in the early fall, and we love planning this concert together because we know that it’s a concert that really helps bring the community of Fayetteville together.” 

    The only foreseeable challenge could be the weather. The free event is an outdoor event at Festival Park. Audience members are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on during the concert. “Though, if for some reason the weather isn’t great, the concert will not be cancelled. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved indoors to Huff Concert Hall at Methodist University,” Atkins explained. The concert is  on May 29 at 7:30 p.m. 

  • 21 “We live here, so we want to help here,” explains Steve Brack, vice president, Cape Beard.

    And for 10 years, that is just what the Cape Beard organization has done in Cumberland County.
    Cape Beard is a nonprofit group of bearded and mustachioed individuals, many of whom are veterans. The group was organized in February 2011 and is currently composed of 25 members who meet monthly.

    “We are around 25 strong and growing, of course, like our beards,” laughed Brack.

    The group has raised a total of $190,000 locally from their events since the first Pig Pickin’ in May 2012.

    The group began as a club of facial-haired friends and grew into something more with their charity events.

    “It just grew into something that nobody saw as a future goal,” Brack said.
    Cape Beard Treasurer Johnny Schantz echoed this sentiment.

    “We are like Kudzu. We just take over,” he said.

    The Pig Pickin’ event itself has raised over $85,000 over the years.

    The proceeds from the event are given to the Autism Society of Cumberland County.

    The society was founded in the 1980s by a small group of parents. These parents were looking for support and wanted to learn more about autism and improve the quality of life for their children. The group’s mission is to provide support and promote opportunities that enhance the lives of individuals within the autism spectrum and their families. For more information on the cause, visit www.autismcc.org.

    Marking a decade of helping locally, the tenth annual Cape Beard Pig Pickin’ will kick off at 10 a.m. and run until 5 p.m. on May 21.

    On top of supporting the cause, attendees can expect to find much to enjoy at the event. Cape Beard will be prepping 750 pounds of Boston butt. Hungry visitors can grab a $5 plate of pulled pork, slaw and baked beans, hang and eat in a tented dining space, or grab their food and go. Sodas and water will be available for purchase, and Bright Light Brewing Company will be on hand with their local beers.

    If patrons find they need to finish off their BBQ with something sweet, Freddie’s Frozen Custard will be selling frozen custard with proceeds going to the cause.

    Not hungry? There will be vendors on site selling everything from wood crafts to soaps, jewelry and more.

    There is a strong contingent of downtown businesses supporting the event and vending. The Downtown Market of Fayetteville, Garnet Skull, Rude Awakening and White Trash will have booths set up at the event.
    Kids can wear themselves out in any of the four free bounce houses, including an inflatable obstacle course, and all can enjoy music.

    The All Veteran Parachute Group is slated to make an appearance on the day; for up-to-date times on their jump, double check the event’s Facebook page.
    Organizers expect it to be busy.

    “People come, get a plate of pork or pork to-go and then boogie, so you have this constant flow all day,” Brack said.
    The event will be held at the Harley-Davidson of Fort Bragg, located at 3950 Sycamore Dairy Road.

    “We truly take over their dealership,” said Brack.

    “Oh yeah, every inch. Grass, parking lot, all of it,” Shantz said.

    For Brack, it is a satisfying endeavor. For him it is all about “seeing the event grow; seeing the payback to the community; seeing the community appreciate what we are doing.”

  • 19 Locals who want to learn how to cast a line only have to venture down to the Pechmann Fishing Education Center on Raeford Road. The center offers programs to people of all ages who want to learn the ins and outs of fishing. It is the only education center of its kind in the state, and all classes and programs are free to the public.

    The land the center currently sits on has been a hatchery for nearly a century, according to Fishing and Aquatic Education Manager Thomas Carpenter from the Wildlife Education Division, NC Wildlife Resources Commission. Private hatcheries were the norm before the wildlife commission came into existence in 1947. These private hatcheries helped to stock the local ponds and lakes with fish.

    The commission took over that job, and the hatchery on Raeford Road began focusing on striped bass production, which it did from 1964 until the late 1980s. At that point, the hatchery was turned into a depot.
    In 1994, Cumberland County Ducks Unlimited held a Greenwing event for kids at a local lake. They had over 100 children show up to the event but only managed to catch one fish. The head of the Greenwing program at the time, Lee Warren, reached out to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and asked if they could hold their next event at the hatchery in Fayetteville. John Pechmann, a Fayetteville lawyer on the commission and a friend of Warren’s, helped bring the Greenwing event to the hatchery.

    It was a wild success, and the commission began to think of how they could use the hatchery as an education center. Plans and programs began to form, and in 2004, plans for the actual education center came into fruition. The center was named for John Pechmann in 2005 and was officially opened to the public in 2008.

    Currently, the center hatcheries house catfish, bass and bluegill fish. In the winter, when the water is colder, and they can support the population, trout are brought in from the Bobby N. Setzer State Hatchery in Pisgah National Forest. Trout is a popular fish for fly fishing, and the center holds classes concentrated on the sport.

    “I love all types of fishing, but I’ve really migrated toward our fly fishing programs,” said Carpenter. “It’s growing pretty rapidly, and it really appeals to younger kids, younger people."
    "We have a young woman on staff who has created a group called Reel Women Fishing Adventures. We are trying to get more women to do these things, and fly fishing seems to be one of those things that they want to try.”

    Carpenter has been working with the center since 2009 when he started as a temporary educator. In 2015, he became the director.

    “We are completely focused on getting people into fishing, and we are following some principles that are being developed by a national movement called R3,” Carpenter said.
    R3 stands for recruitment, retention and reactivation. The purpose of the conservation campaign is to help people rediscover hunting and fishing.

    “(We are ) trying to increase the number of licensed anglers because those anglers are what provide us the economic backbone for our conservation activities,” said Carpenter.
    An excise tax is exacted on fishing tackle and equipment, a tax that is then paid into the fish and wildlife service. This money is allocated to each state based on population density and the number of licenses within the population.

    “We are able to use the money for habitat restoration, management activities like stockings and species research and management, and boating and fishing accesses,” said Carpenter. “Another portion of it is available for education. It’s kind of a big circle which equates to better fishing and facilities for people.”

    The Pechmann Fishing Education Center holds numerous classes throughout the month. On May 19 and 20, the staff will be holding an Introductory Fishing for Adults class.

    “We missed generations of people who may want to try fishing, and now they are a bit older and thinking about it, so we are breaking down the basics of everything to hopefully get them more into fishing,” said Carpenter.

    On May 21, a fishing and cooking class will be held, teaching attendees how to catch fish and how to clean and store them for the best flavor. The day will conclude with a cooking class, showing students how to cook fish in various ways.

    Camps will be held throughout the summer, starting May 26, for kids ages 12 to 15; the camps will focus on catching bass with natural baits.

    In June, the center will hold a virtual class entitled “Hook, Line and Picture.” The purpose of the course is to teach people how to take great fishing photos.

    “We are trying to help people create some really great memories,” said Carpenter.

    Classes are free to attend, and those interested in going to classes at the center should register at www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/The-John-E-Pechmann-Fishing-Education-Center/EventRegistration. Interested individuals can also see a calendar of events on the website.

    Fishing licenses are not needed to attend the center’s events; however, would-be-anglers can get a fishing license at https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/marine-fisheries/licenses-permits-and-leases/recreational-fishing-licenses.

     

  • 15 Show off your ride and raise money for cancer patients at the Fight 4 Cure charity car show on Saturday, May 21 at Jordan Soccer Complex.
    The car show was added to Fight 4 Cure’s roster of fundraising events in 2019 when organization founder Dr. Lisa Wright wanted to explore other ideas to raise money for the non-profit.

    “When we did our first car show, we had so much participation from it [we thought] maybe this could be an annual event for everyone to participate,” she said. “Because who doesn't like showing off their car, their prized possession?”

    The entry fee for a car or truck is $20 and a motorcycle is $15. Registration is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the day of the event. Judging will take place from 1:30 to 3 p.m. with dozens of awards up for grabs, including Best of Show for each vehicle type.

    Volunteers will be firing up grills for a barbeque and selling lunch plates. Wright wants to raise additional money to offer free mammograms to women in the community during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month.

    When Wright’s mother and sister were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, she saw how difficult it was to find assistance beyond treatment. She created Fight 4 Cure with a mission to foster hope for cancer patients and increase awareness on resources available for overlooked communities.

    “The problem that we came across was, there was no information or assistance for individuals that were underrepresented, underserved, regardless of color or ethnic background,” she said. “They were left alone.”

    Fight 4 Cure offers both financial and emotional support. They provide patient care grants to people in treatment to help offset the costs of food, housing and utilities.

    They also send care packages with items to help chemotherapy patients, like water bottles, chap stick, blankets and journals. Since July 2021, they have mailed 69 care packages to patients in 22 states.
    Fight 4 Cure gives back 95 % of the money they raise through events like the car show. Wright and her husband often pay out of pocket for prizes and trophies.

    “I want the money that’s received from charity events to go to the cancer patient,” she said. “Everything else, it comes from in-kind donations or out of our pockets.”
    Wright recently found out she has breast cancer, but her diagnosis has not stopped her passion for helping others. Just a few hours after having a bilateral mastectomy, she was on the phone helping another patient in treatment. She plans to be at the car show even though her chemotherapy is scheduled to start the week prior.

    “I can’t complain. If I did, it wouldn’t do any good,” she said. “I am committed to helping others. That has not changed.”

    Learn more about Fight 4 Cure and the car show at https://www.fight4cure.org.

  • 22 Summer is beckoning us to enjoy the warm days and beautiful sunshine.

    Although the sun can cause long-term damage to our skin, cause premature aging and the potential for skin cancer, the sun also benefit our health.

    If you take sun safety precautions, you can enjoy the benefits. The upside to the glorious sunshine is a boost in our serotonin, a feel-good chemical in the brain. It helps to promote Vitamin D, which is a crucial component for strong and healthy bones and is also considered a part of a healthy immune system.

    Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States It is so prevalent that it is estimated that one-in-five Americans will develop some form of skin cancer in their lifetime.

    The most common types are basal cell and squamous cell with melanoma a less frequent diagnosis.

    Sunburns in the early years of youth and adolescence may not appear in the form of skin cancer for 20 to 30 years later. Skin cancer can affect anyone regardless of skin color, but it is more prevalent in caucasian individuals, especially those with fair complexions.

    The sun isn’t the only reason people can develop skin cancer. Excessive use of tanning beds also increases the risk of skin cancer.

    Adults must be proactive in the prevention of sunburn for themselves as well as their children with a good sunscreen. People tan because the sun causes the skin to produce more melanin and darken. The peak hours for strong sun rays are between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

    It can be a daunting task to select the right sunscreen with many available products. Wearing a good sunscreen is essential to protect your skin from ultraviolet rays, also known as UV rays.

    You may notice in your weather forecast a rating for the UV level. UV Rays are electromagnetic rays present in sunlight. A high-level UV can result in sunburn in 15 to 25 minutes. A UV index registering eight to ten can put your skin at harm from unprotected exposure.

    There are two categories of UV light when selecting a sunscreen. UVB causes sunburn, and UVA has long-term effects on the skin. Choose a sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection and look for an SPF factor of 30 or higher and one that carries a label for protection from UVA and UVB rays.

    One application of sunscreen does not last the entire day. Many factors are to be considered, such as time of day and activities, including time in and out of water.

    As a rule, it is better to apply frequent applications and wear a hat or protective clothing if you are prone to burn and avoid sun exposure at high peaks of the day.

    Being conscious of any areas of your body can also aid in the early detection of skin cancers. Do not assume that a red bump is always a bug bite. Being aware of any changes in your skin is valuable for early detection and treatment. Look at your skin often and use a handheld mirror for places that may be hard to see, such as areas on your back.

    A dermatologist can assess your skin for any areas that appear to be questionable.
    Take the time to protect your skin. Live, love life and enjoy the sun!

  • 050416cover.jpg

    Artist Daniel Reeves is inspired by and appreciates the “nature and the patterns of organic beauty.” His high skill level in painting is evident. The paintings in his exhibit at Gallery 208, Vantage Point: the Paintings of Daniel Reeves, speak more to what the artist excludes in his artist statement — an experience of entertaining possibilities! 

    The artist is modest. He stated, “I was born and raised in the foothills of rural North Carolina. I believe beauty and inspiration can be found in any scene. I appreciate the patterns and organic beauty found in the natural settings I explored as a kid and feel the same connection with manmade objects such as buildings or an old rusting piece of metal. I also noticed this interest as a child when watching my dad take an engine apart … the precision and shapes of the engine’s interior where inspiring.” 

    What Reeves does not say about his work is what the theorist John Dewey clearly refers to in his writing about aesthetics and can be said of Reeves’ painting. “Art is an aesthetic quality that rounds out an experience into completeness and unity as emotional … emotions that do not necessarily reference joy or hope or fear … emotions are qualities, when significant, of a complex experience that moves and changes.” 

    Reeves’ work moves us with his wonderful sense of humor. In the painting titled “A Loving Family,” a young child happily rides a Texas Longhorn bull in a barren landscape of yellow ochre and cadmium yellow next to a joyful elephant — her little dog follows along! Joyfulness exudes from his well-crafted control of pigment, skill level and what the painting symbolizes. 

    Whether investigating a more abstract image or the distinctly representational, paintings by Reeves unify the relationship of making with an aesthetic experience that we can enjoy. “A Loving Family,” like other works, is an expression of a feeling, a symptom of the artist’s state of mind. 

    In all of his paintings Reeves has a system of symbols to convey the concept of play — always taking the time needed to develop his imagery and paint details. In the large painting titled Beautiful Demention the artist is depicting a night scene deep in a forest. Fanciful, curious creatures and loving animals surround the child by firelight to evoke a special place of safety and discovery. 

    In several of the paintings in the exhibit, Reeves is less narrative and becomes even more symbolic through abstraction. In the painting titled “Needle in a Haystack,” the artist has painted a close-up of a seashell on the shore surrounded by the texture of broken shells. Visitors to the gallery will readily see how the title of the work reflects the artist’s sense of humor. 

    Inspired by the realistic forms of Caravaggio, Gustave Courbet and Edward Hopper, Reeves stated he has also been inspired by “the color and fantastic imagination of 20th century science fiction art.” 

    His knowledge of art history, love of the arts and skill level are shared every day with his students at Bell Hefner Element School in Fayetteville, North Carolina. 

    In his customary positive manner Reeves shared the following: “Teaching art has been rewarding. My students’ ideas surprise and impress me. They remind me there is an infinite number of possibilities when creating an artwork.” (It is not surprising he was awarded Teacher of the Year at Bill Hefner Elementary for the 2014-2015 school year.)

    Reeves earned an Associate Degree in Art from Wilkes Community College, a Bachelor of Fine Art from East Carolina University, and a Master’s Degree in Art Education from UNC Pembroke. 

    Not only an art teacher, but also an exhibiting artist, Reeves was recently awarded 3rd place at the Arts Council of Fayetteville recent competition titled Once Upon A Time: Fairy Tales, Fables and Myths. He participated in the Cumberland County Art Teachers 3rd Annual Juried Competition at the Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 2016. 

    His exhibitions include, but are not limited to the KD Morris Art Gallery group invitational in Holden Beach, North Carolina and The Paul Hartley Legacy Exhibition in Lee Hansley Gallery in Raleigh, North Carolina.

    Gallery 208 invites the public to attend the reception for Vantage Point: the Paintings of Daniel Reeveson Tuesday, May 10, 2016 between 5:30 - 7 p.m. The artist will talk about his work at 6 p.m. The exhibition and artist receptions at Gallery 208 are free to the public. 

    Vantage Point: the Paintings of Daniel Reeves will remain up at Gallery 208 until late June 2016. Located at Up and Coming Weekly, 208 Rowan Street, the gallery hours are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For information call 484-6200.


  • 21 Hundreds of students will mark their graduation from Fayetteville Technical Community College this year at the College’s 60th Annual Commencement Exercises on May 13 at the Crown Coliseum.
    Due to the large number of graduates, FTCC will hold ceremonies at 10 a.m. and at 2 p.m.

    The morning commencement will recognize graduates from FTCC’s public service, engineering and applied technology, allied health technologies, nursing and continuing education programs. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m., with doors opening to the public at 9 a.m.

    The afternoon commencement will recognize graduates from FTCC’s arts and humanities, business, math and sciences and computer information technology programs. The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m., with doors opening to the public at 1 p.m.

    Each ceremony will have its own commencement speaker. Cape Fear Valley Health System CEO Michael Nagowski will give the commencement address at the morning ceremony and Dr. Y. Sammy Choi, director of the Department of Research at Womack Army Medical Center, will give the commencement address in the afternoon.
    Pastor Sharon Thompson-Journigan, president of the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Ministerial Council and pastor of Integrity Ministries Global Church in Eastover, will provide the invocation and benediction at both ceremonies.

    The graduates will include Jennifer and Jenna Warnock, a mother and daughter who are both graduating from FTCC. Mom Jennifer Warnock is graduating with an Associate degree in Physical Therapy Assistant. Daughter Jenna Warnock is graduating with an Associate degree in Arts. Both Warnocks have earned highest honors and Jenna Warnock was voted the recipient of FTCC’s President’s Award.

    The two women said they’re proud of each other and pleased with their educational experience at FTCC. Jennifer Warnock said she learned about FTCC’s physical therapy assistant program more than a decade ago. Even after moving away, the family had always planned to return to Fayetteville so she could enroll in the program. A few years ago, the Warnocks did just that, moving back to Fayetteville from northern Virginia.
    Jennifer Warnock said the PTA program was as good as she had expected.

    Meanwhile, after COVID forced Jenna Warnock to close out her sophomore year at Jack Britt High School with online classes, she decided to quit school — with her parents’ blessing. That summer, she took the GED test at FTCC and passed, then enrolled three weeks later in FTCC as a college student.

    Jenna Warnock, now 18, said her experience at FTCC provided a challenging education along with caring instructors and robust resources. She said the affordable tuition saved the family thousands of dollars and she was able to live at home even while getting involved in a variety of student activities.
    Jenna Warnock’s next step will be transferring to Appalachian State University where she plans to study to become a registered dietitian. Jennifer Warnock, who teaches yoga, plans to work part time as a physical therapy assistant.

    They won’t lose touch with FTCC — in part because another family member (Jennifer Warnock’s son and Jenna Warnock’s brother) — is pursuing his degree in fire protection technology. He will graduate next year.

    “We love FTCC!” Jenna Warnock said.

  • Fine Arts Week at Fayetteville State University is right around the corner. This Fine Arts Series features music, visual art and drama and runs from Sunday, April 3 to Sunday, April 10. It is a week of activities that features Eleone Dance Theater, art work by former Black Panther Emory Douglass, percussionist Ndugu Chancler and a theatrical performance of A Raisin in the Sun. There are several opportunities throughout the week to see top-notch entertainment for little or no cost.

    The celebration kicks off Sunday, April 3 with the FSU Jazz Express featuring Leon “Ndugu” Chancler. The group will perform music by Duke Ellington, Gerald Wilson, Don Radar and Juan Tizol. Chancler is a studio jazz and rock percussionist who has performed and recorded with Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Carlos Santana and Herbie Hancock. The performance is in the FSU Jones Student Center at 4 p.m. Admission is free. 

    FSU’s Concert Choir will perform Monday, April 4 at 7 p.m. at Seabrook Auditorium. The department’s vocal ensembles-Mane Attraction, Men of Distinction and FSU Opera Workshop will also perform. Admission is free. 

    On Tuesday, April 5 at 7 p.m., FSU’s Percussion Ensemble featuring Chancler will perform at Seabrook Auditorium. Admission is free. 

    The evening of Wednesday, April 6 is in honor of Charles Chesnutt, one of the founding fathers of FSU. Student musicians will perform solo literature in recital in the Rosenthal Recital Hall. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. Admission is free. 

    The FSU Theater Company will open the award winning play, A Raisin in the Sun, on Thursday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Butler Theater. It is Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 drama about the American dream and the first play written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway. The play won the Tony Award and the New York Drama Critics’ Award.  Call 672-1724 for ticket information. 

    Friday, April 8, at 7 p.m., the Eleone Dance Theater will provide a dance experience that inspires and motivates audiences of all ages. The professional dance company has a diverse repertoire of works that are contemporary modern, spiritual, rhythm and blues, African and hip-hop in theme. The performance is in Seabrook Auditorium and the cost is $10. This is a one-time performance. Call 672-1724 for information. 

    On Saturday, April 9 The Rosenthal Gallery will close its exhibition of Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglass with a reception and panel discussion from 1-3 p.m. Douglass created iconic images that represented Black America’s struggles during the 1960s and 1970s. The exhibition opened March 19. Admission is free. For more information, call 672-1795. A Raisin in the Sun will opens at 7:30 p.m. at Butler Theater. On Sunday, April 10, the performance is at 2 p.m. at Butler Theater. 

    The campus of FSU also has exhibition space for public art from April 3 through May 30. The Fine Arts Season is sponsored by a grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, the FSU Office of Title III and the FSU Friends of the Arts. 

    For more information, visit www.fsuarts.com or call 672-1571. 

     
  • 20 For the first time, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation is hosting the Legacy Ball on May 21. The Airborne and Special Operations Museum, established in 2000, “captures, preserves, exhibits, and presents the material culture and heritage of the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Forces from 1940 and into the future. The Museum celebrates over 80 years of Army Airborne and Special Operations history and honors our nation’s soldiers — past, present, and future,” according to the museum website.

    The event has been designed to celebrate the history of Airborne and Special Operations soldiers. The guest list will include distinguished guests of honor, Medal of Honor Recipient, Master Sgt. (Ret.) Leroy Petry, and Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue, Commanding General 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg.

    “Our guests will hear stories of bravery and courage from two very impactful distinguished guests of honor. It is my hope that they are inspired to support our endeavor to improve our visitor experience and educate future generations through our Honoring America’s Heroes capital campaign,” said Renee Lane, ASOMF executive director.

    Donahue is recognized as the last American soldier to leave the country during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. Petry, who received the Medal of Honor in 2011, was the second living recipient of the medal and was recognized for his actions in Afghanistan in 2008.

    The event dress code is black tie or military equivalent, and the evening has been organized to match the glam attire. Catered by Elliotts on Linden, a Pinehurst restaurant that boasts “refined, imaginative dishes made with local ingredients, and global wines.”

    The evening’s menu includes an appetizer, salad, steak and scallop entrée and dessert; there is a vegetarian option. Attendees will also enjoy a cocktail hour and flag presentation by Vann Morris, a combat veteran, orator and motivational speaker.

    The 82nd Airborne Division All American Chorus will perform, and a bourbon bar, cigar station and fire pit will also be offered. The event will conclude with dancing.

    In addition to fine dining and drink, there will be a silent auction supporting the ASOMF.
    Event check-in begins at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are limited and are only available in advance. Tickets are $250 or $400 for two tickets; member tickets are $150; active-duty military tickets, which include a plus one, are $200; tables of eight are available for $2500 or $2000 for museum friends; tables for four outdoors are $1500.

    To purchase a ticket or table, visit www.asomf.org or call 910-643-2778.

  • 051116_books.jpg

    City Center Gallery and Books isn’t like the large chain book stores. Located in downtown Fayetteville at 112 Hay Street, it is a beautiful place to spend an afternoon and get in touch with the local artistic community. Diane Parfitt is the owner of the City Center Gallery and Books, and for her, this bookstore is a dream come true. 

    “I always wanted to open a bookstore. I was always in a book club or reading. I just loved the atmosphere. I was a nurse and I worked as a nurse for years. So it was never really something I thought would actually happen. I just thought to
    myself, wouldn’t it be great,” Parfitt says.

    Parfitt’s journey to fulfilling her long-time dream of owning a bookstore, wasn’t direct. 

    “When my husband and I travel, we always find the local bookstores and galleries. We are art lovers, especially original pieces. We collected a lot of local art from Fayetteville artists. In 2000, when we bought this space we thought, why not make this official? So we rented out a space in downtown and had a gallery for a few years. We were renovating our space, and as we got closer we thought that having the gallery by itself might not be the best option,” she explained. “I always wanted a bookstore, so why not? A bookstore and a gallery are a perfect combo!”

    City Center Gallery and Books is primarily a used bookstore. Much of the selection consists of classics, but there is a small section of new books that explore local history or are written by local writers. The art displayed in the gallery is also from local artists. The exhibit currently on display is Stephanie Bostock’s work, which will be displayed until May 22. Parfitt and her husband choose the artists to display in their gallery with tremendous care both by exploring local art shows and reviewing portfolios that artists submit themselves. 

    Bostock’s work is a great example of this process. 

    “Stephanie Bostock called us one day and introduced herself. She was getting back into art and had never been in a gallery and she wanted us to consider her art. So we arranged to meet and we went to her studio, which is in the back of her home. We walked in and in less than a minute I could see how wonderful her work was! It was an instantaneous connection. It really spoke to me. It is such a refreshing and up beat style. She has a couple of styles like watercolor and some more abstract work. It really spoke to me,” Parfitt explained. 

    The next exhibit will be a compilation of several artists that embrace a summer and beach theme. All pieces displayed in the gallery are available for purchase. “Stephanie’s work is very affordable and most local artists are. You can decorate your home with pieces of and about Fayetteville or by Fayetteville artists that you have never seen before. They also make really wonderful gifts, especially for people who lived in Fayetteville and are moving,” Parfitt said. 

    Find out more about City Center Gallery and Books at www.facebook.com/citycenter.galleryandbooks. Find out more about Stephanie Bostock’s art at www.stephaniebostockart.com.


  • 18 Fort Bragg’s Smith Lake Beach's opening weekend is scheduled Friday, May 27, until Monday, May 30.

    The fun-filled weekend will feature themed days, giveaways, games and plenty of activities for the whole family.

    On FREEdom Friday, the first 500 guests can enjoy free entry and a meal. SUPER Saturday will feature water slides, bouncers and games.

    Those visiting on Sunday Fun Day can check out local food trucks and participate in family-fun games.
    Giveaways and more fun activities will conclude the weekend on Memorial Day.

    New to the lake this year is an inflatable aqua park with over 40 elements and a 1/4 mile long Ski Rixen, which pulls wakeboarders, water skiers and knee boarders.

    While family fun is undoubtedly high up on the list for an epic Memorial Day weekend, safety takes the top spot.

    “The beach is, well — a beach,” said James Day, chief of outdoor recreation, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.

    “It has very little shade, so be sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen, and you just might want to bring a sun hat.”

    Though Smith Lake Beach does have lifeguards on duty, parents are responsible for their children.

    Any ID card holder under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult guardian 18 years of age or older. Patrons 7 and under must be within arm’s reach of an adult guardian 18 years of age or older at all times. Children are allowed to wear Coast Guard-approved life vests in the water.
    After destruction from Hurricane Matthew, Smith Lake was closed from 2016 until 2020. The park is now open seven days a week to the public. Although Smith Lake is on Fort Bragg, only certain areas are restricted to DoD ID cardholders.

    “Because of its location, tucked away in the pine trees of Fort Bragg, you can enjoy the outdoors without having to travel too far,” said Sharilyn Wells, Fort Bragg spokesperson. “Smith Lake Recreation Area really has everything.”

    Smith Lake Recreation Area is a popular location for military and civilian families alike. The 200-acre park features picnic areas, grills, playgrounds, camping, fishing and trails for hiking or biking.

    “As the garrison, it is our job to provide our community with holistic ways to improve and maintain mental and physical health,” said Col. Scott Pence, Fort Bragg garrison commander. “Smith Lake is just one of the many facilities that offer service members and their families options for an overall better quality of life.”

    The fun kicks off at 11 a.m. and those coordinating the event are excited to get the party started.

    “When visitors leave, I hope they say, ‘What a great day! I cannot wait to come back again,’” Day told Up & Coming Weekly. “We hope the time they spend at Smith Lake is enjoyable, and we’d also like them to spread the word. Smith Lake will be a great place to cool off from the summer heat and enjoy time together.”

    Smith Lake Beach is open only to DoD Id cardholders and their guests.

    Current access fees for swimming are $5 for guests aged 12 and older and $3 for those 11 and younger.

    For more information, visit https://bragg.armymwr.com/programs/smith-lake-recreation-area.

  • 17 The Von Karman Line, or "the edge of space," is only sixty-two miles above sea level. For those living in the Sandhills, the great frontier will get even closer with the Grand-Reopening of Fayetteville State University's Planetarium on May 15.

    Closed since 2017, when major renovations to the Charles A. Lyons Science Building began, the planetarium has received some major upgrades during the hiatus.

    "Our university prioritized making sure the planetarium was a part of the renovation process," said Dr. Jonathan Breitzer, assistant professor of Chemistry and Planetarium director.
    In addition to new seating, the planetarium boasts ten new projectors, a high-resolution computerized system that captures the deep black of space and a 6500-watt sound system for an experience that's truly out of this world.

    Planetarium Manager and Instructor of Astronomy Joseph Kabbes was brought on board just as the planetarium closed its doors and was hugely instrumental in its extreme makeover.

    "With the old system, we could only show the stars from earth due to the mechanical limits of the projector," explained Breitzer. The projector ran on gears; you'd have to calibrate it to make sure Mercury was in the right spot. Everything is calculated with the new computerized system, and we're not just confined to the earth. We can go to different planets; we can even go outside the galaxy."

    Breitzer, who ran the planetarium alone for six years before Kabbes was hired, feels the planetarium is essential in maintaining the connection between the community and FSU and called it a "great public service."

    "Historically, the planetarium has been a way to connect people with our university and get them interested in science," said Breitzer. "It's been here since the 1980s, but not many people knew about it. We reached out to schools and homeschool groups and it's grown from there."

    "When I was five years old, in Chicago, I couldn't wait to go to the planetarium as soon as I was old enough to get in. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and it made me want to be a scientist. I want to be able to give that back," Breitzer explained.

    To further capitalize on the planetarium's wow factor, the date for its grand re-opening corresponds with a major astronomical event: May 15 is the night of a lunar eclipse.

    The partial eclipse will begin at 10:27 p.m., with totality occurring at 11:29 p.m. The planetarium will have telescopes available to view the event, and even those without show tickets are more than welcome to join.
    Breitzer shared a few tips for guests to observe before arriving at the planetarium: "Like any theater experience, try to remain quiet during the presentation, put away cell phones."
    Ultimately, Bretitzer hopes people arrive ready to be amazed and leave with more knowledge about our place in the cosmos.

    "I know I've failed as a teacher if there aren't lots of hands in the air after a presentation," Breitzer joked. "Bring your questions, your curiosity and your sense of wonder. It's a place where everyone is valued, and where everyone is treated as a scientist.

    Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children and can be purchased on the planetarium's website, www.uncfsu.edu/community/planetarium.
    The planetarium is located at W.T Brown Drive in the Charles A. Lyons Science Building on FSU's campus.

  • 14 Soldiers regularly arrive at Camp Mackall to undertake what has been deemed one of the most stringent selection processes in the U.S. Army. They show up, set aside rank and unit, are organized alphabetically by last name, and embrace 21-days of “suck.” The Special Forces Assessment and Selection process is a grueling one. But it is only the beginning. Those selected then enter the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, and attend the Special Forces Qualification Course, where they are met with challenges and learning opportunities that will, if they persevere, deliver them to the ranks of some of America's most elite soldiers.

    Many of these soldiers do not arrive to the Q-Course alone; they arrive with their spouses and families in tow.

    Several of those spouses signed up for a unique opportunity to walk in their partner's footsteps, even if only for an afternoon on Wednesday, May 4.

    This is the second year the Spouse Q-Course, organized by JFKSWCS and Orient, Navigate, Employ, Train, Educate, Advise and Mentor (O.N.E. T.E.A.M.), has been offered.
    DeeAnn Rader, the JFKSWCS family resiliency coordinator, explained that the event took on a life of its own, with spaces filling up very quickly.

    “There was huge interest,” Rader explained.

    One participant signed up to gain insight into what her husband was experiencing and to meet new people.

    “I signed up mainly to get the experience he went through, and the second thing was to meet other wives, other spouses,” said Ashton, whose husband is in the Special Forces Delta (Medic) Q-Course.

    The day began with a briefing on the events planned for the day.
    After being separated into groups, the spouses rotated through different modules, each representing some form of the training their partners have experienced or will be experiencing on their journey to becoming Green Berets.

    Arriving in a caravan of white buses, participants disembarked at the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE) training facility at Camp Mackall.

    At the SERE facility and under the instruction of the school's cadre, the spouses were introduced to forms of makeshift weaponry such as atlatls, an ancient style of spear, and wooden bows. Each took a turn with the weapons while learning skills and details similar to what their spouses are taught when they attend the SERE school.

    After demonstrating the construction and use of the weapons, the instructor explained that the weapons help the soldiers feed themselves in austere conditions.

    “Now we have something we can kill with, with a lot more accuracy,” a cadre member said.
    After learning how to create an active means to feed themselves through weaponry, the spouses took a stroll through a winding path of preset snares and traps.

    “In Vietnam, one of their [Prisoners of War] main sources of protein was trapping,” an instructor explained. “When they [soldiers] are out evading and need to feed the machine, these are some of the techniques we teach them.”

    Beginning with Figure Four, a baited trap, the SERE instructor explained how each trap could help a soldier survive.

    “This is a baited trap, and as we tell y'all's husbands you need to catch the nose first,” he said.
    As explained to the participants, each trap on display has a particular mechanism designed to target specific types of prey and each trap or snare works best when placed in the right environment.

    “It's got to be in the right area,” he explained.

    After learning about trapping and snares, it was time to learn about the other wildlife that can make or break a soldier's survival chances.
    Entering the Little Muddy Training Area, a classroom with stadium seating and a wall of primarily venomous snakes, another SERE instructor welcomed the participants.

    “This is the survival training area,” explained a member of the SERE cadre. “This is the first-place students come before they continue on in the SERE pipeline. We set the ground rules for everything we need to be able to survive behind enemy lines.”

    After a joke or two about escaped snakes, civilian instructor John Breach, originally from the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), taught the visiting spouse-students about the different types of snakes on display. While most were dangerous, one of the menagerie was a harmless corn snake that was passed around to the participants. Some squealed, some faced fears, and some handled the serpent like old pros.

    As the participants filed out of the facility, they were greeted by the “Roadkill Café.” Two types of meat were presented on a grill over a smoking firepit. Each pile of meat was accompanied by the corresponding creature's leg to help identify which was deer and which was goat. Cadre offered the teams of spouses small portions of both to sample.

    One of the spouses asked about food preparation techniques.

    “If there is one thing we stress, there is no medium rare with wild game,” explained the Roadkill Café chef as spouses collected their samplings. “You thoroughly cook it and then boil it until it's nice and tender and then I cut it up, put it over the fire and let the smoke take care of it.”

    After grabbing a piece of each Roadkill Café offering, the students assembled on bleachers to learn all about fire.

    Christopher Kibler, a civilian instructor, asked the attendees, “What is our goal here?”

    In unison, they responded, “Survival.”

    Kibler rattled off a long list of pros and cons of fire and showed his audience what wood to burn and how to create fire with a mix of unexpected tools, including household batteries. Kibler explained that while fire is essential, they teach soldiers it has a time and a place.

    “It provides that psychological boost. You know, you're staring at the old Ranger television, and it makes you feel good,” Kibler said. “The problem is you're staring at this [fire], and you don't see who is staring back at you. So, fire gives you that psychological boost, but it also gives you a false sense of security.”

    After the group fire course, the spouses broke for a lunch of Meals, Ready-to-Eat.

    Next up, the spouses encountered an obstacle course of legendary proportions. The Nasty Nick obstacle course is a rite of passage for would-be Green Berets. The course is named for Col. James “Nick” Rowe, who was held captive during the Vietnam War and was one of only 34 American POWs to escape his captors. He spent five years in captivity. Rowe is credited with developing the SERE program from the knowledge he gained as a POW.

    The course comprises more than 20 obstacles and stretches for a mile through the Camp Mackall woodlands.
    As the participants navigated the course, they called out words of support and coached one another over difficult hurdles.
    Michelle, who is an Army veteran herself, said she did not train before the event.

    “I had no idea what I was getting myself into,” she said.

    At the third obstacle, she was feeling the difficulty of the task.

    “I am winded, and I am nervous to see what's next.”

    However, the experience has been a positive one.

    “My biggest takeaway is how fortunate we, and I am, to be able to come out and do something like this. And to just be around an awesome group of people, not just the spouses but the cadre and the service members themselves. That they're taking their time to do this for us and teach us these things, give us this boost of confidence,” Michelle said.

    Rader explains that the teams have built a strong connection by the end of the event.

    “You can see the interaction build, and you see how throughout the day they encourage one another, and they build on one another's strength,” she said.
    Rader said that she feels this event exemplifies how the Special Operations community works hard to support soldiers and their families.

    “SOF World is an awesome enterprise that focuses on the health and wellness of the whole family; this is just one of these examples that we take pride in of taking care of our soldiers and the families. Families are very important, and I think that is a great experience for all of the spouses to be able to have,” Rader said.

    Ashton was excited about going home to share her experience with her husband.

    “It was a blast,” she said. “We are going to sit down and talk about every single obstacle, and I am going to try to remember every instructor's name and say, ‘do you know this guy’ and ‘do you know this guy?’”

    She said that her feedback for the organizers is simple, “Keep doing it … Keep doing and providing things like this.”

  • 13 It's springtime in the Sandhills. The local flora is alive with color, and it's a perfect time to grow something beautiful. For those born without a green thumb — not to worry; the Cape Fear Botanical Garden is here to help.
    The second annual Gardenmania event returns to the Cape Fear Botanical Garden on Saturday, May 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    Canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns, Gardenmania made its debut in the spring of 2021 with great success. This year promises to be "bigger and better," said Meghan Woolbright, marketing director at Cape Fear Botanical Garden.

    Fayetteville is a city that shows a lot of love for its local musicians, artisans and makers of all kinds. Gardenmania brings the same exciting energy to a skill set that's perhaps not celebrated enough.

    “Our Director of Events and Marketing, Sheila Hanrick, wanted to create a signature event that would give a festival-type atmosphere celebrating all things gardening; thus, Gardenmania was born. Anyone interested in learning more about gardening, art, birds and sustainable living will have a blast!” Woolbright told Up & Coming Weekly.

    Designed as a garden symposium, participants can look forward to a slew of activities that both enrich and educate throughout the day. From those who feel right at home in their flower beds to those who aren’t sure how to get started, Gardenmania has a wealth of knowledge to sow.

    Gardenmania will have several presentations and workshops to entice advanced and novice gardeners alike. Participants can sign up for camellia pruning demonstrations, berry gardening, make/take herb garden, DIY bird feeder and create/take sculpted daylily canvas, to name a few.

    Woolbright is especially excited for this year's keynote speaker, Bryce Lane. Lane is a professor of horticulture at North Carolina State University and the former host of the Emmy Award-winning show “In the Garden with Bryce Lane.” Professor Lane will be leading a special workshop on container gardening for those who sign up. One lucky garden visitor will win his creation in a raffle.

    In addition, Amber Williams, park ranger supervisor at Lake Rim Park, will be leading a table talk about bird watching.

    Guests wishing to attend workshops like “Build Your Own Bird Feeder,” “Make and Take Your Own Herb Garden” or “Daylily Canvas Painting” will need to select “add-on” when pre-purchasing tickets on Eventbrite.

    For those simply wanting to enjoy a lovely day outside, Gardenmania is ripe with things to do. New this year, the Cape Fear Botanical Garden will have a plant sale, and Sustainable Sandhill's Farmer's Market will be in attendance with locally made crafts and produce.

    Gardenmania is a family-friendly event, and there will be plenty of activities to keep the kiddos entertained. Pond dipping, a scavenger hunt, a seed table and farm animals provided by Sweet Valley Ranch ensure a variety of fun for all ages in attendance.

    No day of education, entertainment and fellowship would be complete without good food. Gardenmania will have local fares such as The Walking Crab Food Truck, Hollywood Java, Lady and the Frank and Tropical Sno on-site to assist in that aim. Several vendors will also have food and drinks to sell.
    While fun and camaraderie are a priority on May 14, Woolbright expressed her passion for the value of this event to the community and its long-term benefits to those in attendance.

    “Gardenmania is about educational opportunities, social interaction and an awareness of gardening and sustainability. Gardening teaches a person reliability, self-confidence, curiosity, teamwork, patience and so much more. These are all important traits that all people must have to be successful. Being able to experience growing from seed to harvest is a memory that will last a lifetime.”
    Founded in 1989, Cape Fear Botanical Garden has been an “urban oasis” within the hustle and bustle of downtown Fayetteville. Popular among tourists and locals alike, the Cape Fear Botanical Garden strives to evoke a sense of wonder and a deep appreciation for the beauty of nature.

    “Whether it's the chosen venue for your engagement, wedding, maternity photoshoot, baby shower or your child's first birthday party, Cape Fear Botanical Garden is where memories are created,” said Woolbright.
    Gardenmania, and events like it, speak to Cape Fear Botanical Garden's desire to not only educate their guests but inspire them as well.

    “At the end of the day, I hope people feel encouraged and excited to learn more about gardening through the activities and workshops we offered,” said Woolbright. “I hope visitors find gardening to be a new hobby that relieves their mind, body and soul. I also want there to be an anticipation for the next Gardenmania!”

    “There's always something blooming here at Cape Fear Botanical Garden, twelve months out of the year. Whether it be our camellias in winter, the tulips in spring, sunflowers in summer, or the ginger lilies in the fall.”

    The Cape Fear Botanical Garden's homepage boldly proclaims, “Nature is the Poetry of Earth.” With events like Gardenmania and their continued role as an educational resource, Cape Fear Botanical Garden ensures earth's poetry is heard.

    Gardenmania is free for members. $10 for non-members. Non-member children's tickets for ages 6-12 are $5. All children under five are free. When pre-purchasing tickets, workshops require an “add-on” before checkout.

    Tickets can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-gardenmania-tickets-328357113967?aff=ebdssbdestsearch.

    Cape Fear Botanical Garden is located at 536 N Eastern Blvd.

  • 12 The second annual KidsPeace Art Gallery of Hope will be held Sunday, May 15, at the Church at Paddy’s Irish Public House in Fayetteville. The black tie evening event will showcase art from local Fayetteville artists, and will include an auction of the artwork.

    KidsPeace is a private charity organization that helps children in foster care. It was started in 1882, and has grown across the U.S. as an organization. The mission of KidsPeace is, “to give hope, help and healing to children, adults and those who love them.”

    Locally, KidsPeace holds fundraisers throughout the year to help the kids of Cumberland County and the surrounding areas, but in 2020, COVID-19 restrictions put their usual fundraising events on hold. The Art Gallery of Hope is a recent addition to the KidsPeace fundraiser calendar.

    “The Art Gallery of Hope came into play last year. We used to have a lot of dress up fancy galas for KidsPeace but then Covid hit. We were looking for a reason to get dressed up again,” said Dominique Womack, art chair and founder of the KidsPeace Art Gallery of Hope. “We came up with this theme of doing an art gallery and giving people a chance to be snooty while still raising money for the kids and picking up some of the slack due to Covid.”

    Last year’s event was a huge success, with $10,000 raised for the local charity. All proceeds of the event went to North Carolina kids in foster care. Womack decided to hold this year’s event in May, during Foster Care Awareness Month.

    Canvases, prints and photography will be on display from local artists. Kids from the KidsPeace organization as well as students of Capital Encore Academy have donated artwork for the event. Adrian Warwick, a tattoo artist with New Addiction, has donated a print of one of his original works: a black and white portrait of a child standing in front of a tank with the Ukraine flag in color, in the background.
    Carlos Tolentino will also be donating a piece of original artwork. Tolentino creates black and white images with bleach. His piece was the highest selling at last year’s auction.

    “These two guys have been heavy hitters when it comes to art here in the city,” said Womack. “They are going to donate their work and their time to help us raise awareness for foster care.”
    General admission for the event is $23 and tickets can be found at www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-kidspeace-art-gallery-of-hope-tickets-291739459577. The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m.

    “Cumberland County has the most kids awaiting foster care,” said Womack. “I’m excited to get that final number and know those kids are getting after school programs, clothing, their foster parents are getting help.”

    “We are giving them a home to lay their head in instead of having them bounce from house to house with their stuff in trashbags. That’s what hurts me the most, they carry their stuff around in trash bags. I just want to raise as much money as I can to help out these kids in our program,” she added.

    The Church at Paddy's is located at 2606 Raeford Road. To donate to KidsPeace, visit www.kidspeace.org.

  • 25 Capt. Daniel Gordon, Alpha Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade, smiles as he talks about his love for obstacle races. In the plainly decorated gym at his apartment, he pulls 45-pound weights off the rack and places them onto the bar. He is focused on the events awaiting him at the end of June.

    He gets a little distracted as he talks about his upcoming race — the Spartan Death Race in Pittsfield, Vermont. He is both excited and nervous. He begins to discuss some of the mental challenges he'll face.
    Gordon is strong, and he spends a lot of time inside a gym or doing sporting activities. He has an infectious energy about him and moves and talks rapidly. His girlfriend, Melody Chong, is standing beside him and watching him with a smile. She picks up the weights and places them on the bar.

    For 72 hours, Gordon will complete a series of tasks, both mental and physical, without any sleep. These tasks will include a 14-hour ruck march, a 26.2-mile sandbag carry and 26.2 miles of burpees. Gordon is not exactly sure what to expect at the Spartan Death Race. The race itself has about a 5 to 10% completion rate.

    Tonight's workout is the second of the day for Gordon. This morning he ran 10 miles on Fort Bragg at 5 a.m. He tries to include running in his daily routine.

    “I'm still not the quickest runner. I don't love running,” he says, laughing.

    Spartan is very specific about the race's qualifications. Gordon went through an application process and was required to upload training videos each month after acceptance as a participant. He will compete in a series of mental challenges during the race, then complete the physical challenges.

    “I think the more you get wrong, the more you do,” Gordon said of the physical exercises.

    He admits that he is not entirely sure of all the activities and obstacles he will have to tackle to complete this three-day course. This part seems to energize Gordon. He has always been up for challenges. This is good considering this race also includes a barbed-wire-crawl marathon along with the other events.

    “I've been doing a lot of mental preparation. I have been listening to podcasts. Your mind can handle ‘I'm going to carry this rock for an hour,' but it can't handle 'I have to carry this rock for 72 hours,’” Gordon smiles widely, then continues, “I want to be able to mentally function when I'm dead tired.”

    Gordon attended West Point and said he was very active in sports growing up. His father, also in the military, pushed him not to give up and always complete things. He also taught Gordon and his sister to work hard at their activities. Gordon remembers spending hours hitting balls outside for practice. The discipline he has developed he credits first to his dad.

    “He always pushed us to do our best,” Gordon explains.

    Obstacle racing has become part of his life in the last couple of years. These races, according to Gordon, are also good practice for his military career. They help prepare for situations that a soldier may find themselves in. It helps him answer some questions he says are essential to his job duties.

    “Can you operate as a team when you are tired and hungry and you haven't slept? Can you mentally stay in the game when you want to quit?”

    Gordon leans back to do a bench press. He does a few sets and then sits back up.

    “You know,” he says, “I can handle you are going to crawl under barbed wire for 10 miles … it's that hour 65 or 70 when you are wondering when is this going to end; that's the scary part of it.”

    Gordon leans back down and lifts more weights. He admits that the thirtieth of June isn't too far away, and 72 hours is a lot of time for things to “go wrong.” The right attitude, Gordon says, is key. “I think you only know if you are ready once you get there. And once you get there, you kind of gotta say, ‘alright, now I'm here. I got to accept that I am here.’”

    “I'm not going to be one to tap out and do the walk of shame,” He explains. “… I think I'm going to make it. Once I'm there, I'm going to be there. That's been my mindset.”

    Regardless of the outcome, Gordon says he will run it again. Pushing his limits is a thrill that he can't seem to get enough of.

  • 23 Mother's Day Carriage Rides in Downtown Fayetteville
    Mother's Day is just around the corner. Gift the experience of taking a carriage ride through downtown Fayetteville with the Mother's Day Carriage Rides. The Queen Victoria Carriage will take you on a 15 to 17 minute scenic ride through downtown Fayetteville on Saturday, May 7 from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
    The carriage will arrive and depart from the Cool Spring Downtown District's office located at 222 Hay St. (across the street from Pierro’s Italian Bistro).
    Tickets are $75 and include carriage seats for two to six people. Carriages can accommodate approximately four adults and two children. Upon purchasing your ticket you will receive an email asking how many people to expect for your carriage ride. This is a rain/shine event and tickets are nonrefundable.
    Cool Spring Downtown District strongly encourages those interested to take the opportunity to purchase tickets in advance online at https://bit.ly/MothersDayCarriageRides2022.
    Contact the Cool Spring Downtown District’s office at 910-223-1089, for additional information.

    Huske Hardware’s Simply Southern Mother’s Day Brunch
    Join Huske Hardware Restaurant & Brewery for our Simply Southern Mother's Day Brunch in beautiful downtown Fayetteville. Brunch favorites to include our Signature Salmon and Huske Benedicts, steak and eggs, biscuits and house sausage gravy, country fried steak and eggs, chicken and waffles and other dining favorites.
    Huske will be highlighting our Stella Rosa Mimosas that include flavors such as peach, berry, blueberry, pineapple, as well as a traditional Moscato Mimosa.
    The full bar will be open and serving will be from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
    Reservations are highly recommended and can be made through Eventbrite at https://huskebrunch.eventbrite.com. Reservations are held for 15 minutes before table is released. All parties must be present to be seated.

    Mother's Day Brunch Iron Mike Conference Center
    Iron Mike Conference Center on Fort Bragg is hosting a Mother’s Day Brunch, May 8. The brunch will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and reservations are required.
    The menu will include a variety of breakfast items, a carving station, a salad bar, a selection of vegetables and a dessert spread.
    This event is open to the public. Call 910-907-2582 for additional information or to make reservations.

     

    Fort Bragg Fair Mother’s attend free
    “The Fort Bragg Fair brings together soldiers and families with our supportive community members,” said Col. Scott Pence, Fort Bragg Garrison Commander. “As we emerge from pandemic restrictions, we are happy to return to the normalcy of fair rides, local concerts and nostalgic fried food concoctions.”
    The public is invited to enjoy carnival rides, games, entertainment, food and more.
    The fair will be open through May 8, Monday through Friday from 5 - 7 p.m. Bring your mom out for a day of fun on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8. All mothers will be admitted free with a paying child 36 inches or taller up to the age of 17.
    Parking is free and accessible off Bragg Boulevard to non-ID cardholders, just outside the fairground. ID card-holders may park on the installation at Watson Street.
    For entertainment and admission prices, please visit https://bragg.armymwr.com.

  • 22 Fayetteville’s summer concert series, Rock’n on the River, is back for the third year. The events will be held once a month on Fridays from May to October and feature a variety of performers, from local acts to tribute bands.

    The series is billed as a place where families can relax and listen to great music. The community is invited to bring chairs and blankets and settle in for a night of family-friendly entertainment along the Cape Fear River.

    “I want people to come out and bring the family and enjoy themselves, and have some food and have some drinks,” said event organizer Greg Adair.
    The series started in 2019 when Adair realized there weren’t many activities for families after the Dogwood Festival in the spring.

    “I just wanted another concert series where people can go have a drink, take the family and enjoy themselves,” he said.

    “And that’s what we created, and it just took off.”

    The first year the series had three shows, and the next year, they doubled to six. The pandemic forced cancelations in 2020, but they were able to bring it back in 2021.

    Attendance has grown over the years, proving that the community wanted an event like this. One of the most popular nights in previous years brought in more than 1000 people.
    Adair knows the importance of supporting local businesses after the shutdowns of the last two years, so all the event partners are from the area.

    “When we went through 2020 [we] saw all these [businesses] really struggle to stay open,” he said. “It’s something we owe our community— to shop local. They have struggled for a year, almost two years now, and just barely getting back on their feet.”

    He acknowledges that local businesses do not have to support events during downtimes, but they have stepped up to provide free entertainment for the community.

    “They are still supporting these shows so people can have a free place to go,” he said. “There is a lot to be said about that.”

    The season will kick off May 13 with opener Dark Horse (country) and headliner ABACAB (Genesis/Phil Collins tribute). Parking will open at 5 p.m., and the first band starts at 6 p.m. The second band will perform at 8 p.m. and end at 10:15 p.m.

    Additional Rock’n on the River concerts are planned for June 17, Stone Whiskey (southern rock) and The Fifth (80s hard rock); July 22, Autumn Tyde (beach/R&B) and REV ON (Foreigner tribute); August 19, Regional Band Blowout with 80s Unleashed, Guy Unger Band and Rivermist (Adair’s band); September 16, Reflections II (party music) and KISS ARMY (KISS tribute); October 21, Joyner Young & Marie (pop) and Night Train (Guns N’ Roses tribute).

    There is no admission charge for the event, but parking is $15 per car. Food and drinks are available for purchase on-site, so concertgoers should only plan to bring chairs or a blanket. The series is held at 1122 Person

    St. behind Deep Creek Grill.
    Follow the event Facebook page for updates at www.facebook.com/Rockn-On-The-River-271048666818630.

  • 21 Sustainable Sandhills and Sweet Valley Ranch are teaming up to bring an exciting new farmer's market to the people of the Sandhills.

    Sandhills M.A.D.E. Market at Sweet Valley Ranch will launch on May 7 and continue every first and third Saturday through Oct. 15.
    M.A.D.E., an acronym for makers, agriculturalists, designers and entrepreneurs, is a project of Sustainable Sandhills, and this will be its first year in operation.

    Up & Coming Weekly spoke with Jonelle Kimbrough, who has been executive director of Sustainable Sandhills for the past three years.

    "The market provides a place for farmers, artisans and crafters to come together and have an outlet to sell their products to the local community while also connecting them with a consumer base in the absence of a brick and mortar store."

    The market is especially eager to connect those who sell fresh produce with those who may have difficulty finding it.
    Sweet Valley Ranch, located off I-95, is considered to be part of a low-access tract area, meaning a significant portion of the population lives more than one mile away from a grocery store or supermarket, making it a challenge to purchase fresh, affordable produce.

    Kimbrough hopes the market not only creates access to these goods but brings exposure to those providing such a valuable service.

    "Local food is healthier, better for the environment and better for the economy," she said.
    According to their website, Sustainable Sandhills is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening communities by creating resilient environmental, economic and social resources for current and future generations.

    The organization aims high with this new endeavor and hopes it will be bigger than the average farmer's market.

    "Small businesses are the cornerstone of the local community, and they keep money in our community. When you shop locally, you're giving money to a family, possibly a neighbor, not another big box store," she continued.

    "We take pride in recruiting vendors of all backgrounds. We support small businesses owned by women, veterans and members of the BIPOC community. While other markets in the area have a long waitlist to participate, this market is a great opportunity for newer vendors who want to get their names and products out. We want to be a network for small business owners, helping them market and sell to their local community."

    North Carolina is home to around 217 farmer's markets. It is ranked tenth in the number of farmer's markets in the United States.

    "I would say this market is different because we have a unique set of vendors who possess a wide variety of skills," Kimbrough told Up & Coming Weekly. "We have vendors that produce their meat right here in the Sandhills, apothecaries, just so many types of artists and crafters who create a great cross-section of makers and farmers."

    Only goods grown, raised or made in North Carolina are accepted at the market. The hands that sell the products are the same ones that made the product which Kimbrough feels is an essential aspect of this program.
    Another unique feature of the M.A.D.E. market is its location.

    Sweet Valley Ranch, an agro-attraction here in Fayetteville, will have activities for just about everyone on market days. Dinosaur World, inflatables, Go-Karts and fun seasonal activities will make this market fun for the whole family. Parents can shop and enjoy the food trucks while kids can get out and run around.

    "We're looking forward to getting it open and underway," said Kimbrough optimistically. "We're excited for everyone to come out and have a good time."
    The Sweet Valley Ranch is located at 2990 Sunnyside School Road.
    For more information about the market or to be a vendor, visit https://sustainablesandhills.org/sweetvalleyranchmarket/.

  • 18 Each year, with the exception of 2020, the CARE Clinic hosts Toast of the Town at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden. May 5 will mark the twenty-second Toast of the Town. This fundraiser is vital to The CARE Clinic, which offers health care to support local individuals who have no insurance and are in a low-income bracket. The clinic does not receive any government funding and is run solely through donations, grants and fundraising. Monthly costs to keep the organization running are approximately $55,000. The CARE Clinic has seen a marked increase in the need for the type of services they provides since the start of the pandemic.

    The CARE Clinic is hoping the community will show up in numbers to support their vital mission.

    “We are expecting between 300 to 400 attendees,” explained Tara Martin, CARE Clinic development and marketing director.

    Martin is new to the organization and is particularly excited about the chance to interface with the local community.

    “I am looking forward to the opportunity to meet and talk with our supporters and sponsors face-to-face. Since I just started working with the clinic in November, this is my first major in-person event as development director. I will get to finally put faces to the names I have been learning over the past six months,” Martin said.

    Held at the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens, Toast of the Town will begin at 6 p.m. and run until 10 p.m. Attendees will enjoy a night out in the gardens with hors d’ oeuvres and desserts from Two Brothers Catering to snack on. Wines, beers, ales, spirits and hand-rolled cigars from Anstead’s will also be available.

    The event is being supported by and features a selection of local small businesses.

    “Wine will be provided by Johnson Brothers Mutual Distributing and served by Leclair’s General Store. Our breweries will include Bright Light Brewing Company, Mash House Brewing and Dirtbag Ales. The Spirits will be provided by Cape Fear Distillery. Lastly, the cigars will be provided by Anstead’s Tobacco Company,” Martin told Up & Coming Weekly.

    The CARE Clinic will run a virtual Silent Auction featuring priceless baskets donated by businesses from all around North Carolina and there will be travel experiences to the castles of Ireland, the Greek Islands, Costa Rica and more. In addition to the silent auction, event organizers will be running a 50/50 raffle.

    “The winner of the drawing will walk away with half of the money raised from raffle ticket sales. We have already begun selling tickets as a lead-up to the event. The pot is currently up to $1600 — that means whoever wins that night is guaranteed to receive at least $800,” Martin said on April 29.

    Tickets are available for $100 until Wednesday, May 4 at 5 p.m. After that time, tickets will be $125. For more information, visit www.toastofthetownfay.com or call the clinic at 910-485-0555.

    Drinking and tobacco are not all that is offered; there is something for everyone.

    “This event will be so much fun. If someone is on the fence about coming, I invite you to still come on out for a night of socializing. Even for those who do not drink, there is still a lot for this event to offer,” Martin said.

     

  • 17 Nothing says “summer is on the way,” quite like Cinco De Mayo.

    The festive holiday is an excellent opportunity to gather with friends, eat good food and play a few rounds of charity golf if the Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce has anything to say about it.
    On May 5, at Gates Four Golf and Country Club, the Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce will host
    its Annual Cinco De Mayo GolfTournament.

    A long-standing event within the community, the golf tournament is a popular fundraising opportunity for the people of Hope Mills and surrounding areas.

    “The objective of this event is multi-purpose,” says Lisa Bastic-Penardo, treasurer, Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce.

    “The tournament raises funds for the Chamber of Commerce and a local non-profit. This year we’ve partnered with United Way, so a portion of the proceeds will support that organization and its various projects.”

    The Golf Tournament Committee made up of Connie Rushing, Nolan Clark, Brenda Seay and Bastic-Penardo, has been busy planning the event since last September, working hard to get everything just right.

    “We wanted to continue the tradition of the golf tournament,” Bastic-Penardo said. “Our Chamber is blessed to have such like-minded people working together to make everything a success. It’s a lot of work, but it’s always worth it in the end.”

    “The tournament has been going on around twenty years — It’s been around here a lot longer than me,” she said.

    As the town of Hope Mills prepares to celebrate its 130th anniversary and the chamber its 30th, the tournament is one of the community’s oldest and most memorable events.

    Just right for Cinco De Mayo, this year’s theme is Tacos & Margaritas and evokes the sense of fun Bastic-Penardo hopes everyone will take away from the event.

    Participants can sign up as a team of four or as individuals with a cost of $100 per player.

    Registration for the tournament begins at noon with a shotgun starting at 1 p.m. Awards and dinner will be served at 6 p.m.
    Those participating will enjoy 18 holes of golf, a four-person captain’s choice format and unlimited range balls before the tournament begins.
    Additionally, the admission cost covers a cart, green fee, boxed lunch and a taco & margarita dinner buffet.

    The tournament will also feature several contests to heighten the sense of fun. Awards for first and worst, closest to the pin and longest drive are all up for grabs for those daring to show off their golf skills.

    For those lacking in the aforementioned golf skills, there’s no need to worry — all skill levels are welcome.

    “Everybody is invited to come,” says Bastic-Penardo. “It will be a great day for anyone who wants to have a good time, relax with other like-minded people, and enjoy a little family-friendly competition.”
    Gates Four Golf and Country Club is located at 6775 Irongate Drive in Fayetteville.
    For more information about the tournament, visit the event website at www.visitfayettevillenc.com/event/cinco-de-mayo-charity-golf-tournament/17588/.

  • 15 The Crown Theatre will present its 84th season of Community Concerts featuring the Oak Ridge Boys Friday, May 13, at 7:30 p.m.

    In a musical career that has spanned over three decades, the quartet has broken the mold for classic country music. The band members are William Lee Golden, baritone; Richard Sterban, bass; Joe Bonsall, tenor; and Duane Allen, lead vocals.

    Their music is universal, and they are currently in overdrive touring for their 150-day-long “Front Porch Singin’ Tour.”

    “At the concert, there are some things that are very obvious, and you are going to hear me sing ‘Giddy up omm poppa mow mow’ because that song is the law,” said Richard Sterban.

    “It is quite an interesting story how the song “Elvira” came about,” he said.

    Last year was the 40th anniversary of their signature song, “Elvira,” and the band is celebrating it. A gentleman named Dallas Frazier wrote the song. Several years ago, Frazier was driving home from a recording session in East Nashville, and he saw a street sign that said Elvira Street.

    He pulled up to the street sign and wrote on a piece of paper, “Elvira, Elvira, my heart is on fire for Elvira.”

    Then he wrote the “Giddy up omm poppa mow mow” part because that imitated the bumps on the road, the potholes on Elvira Street. When he got home, he finished the song and wrote the verses about a woman so that the music would make more sense, but the song’s original inspiration came from a street sign in East Nashville.

    “I’ve talked to a lot of songwriters, and they have told me that you never know where the inspiration to write a song is going to come from,” Sterban said. “So that is the story about the song that most people do not know.”

    Some of their chart-topping hits are “Elvira,” “Thank God for Kids,” “Just A Little Talk With Jesus,” “Come On In,” “Bobbie Sue” and these hits propelled them to sell over 41 million albums, have over 30 top ten hits and more than a dozen national number one singles.

    “We will perform a lot of our hits, and our most requested song is “Thank God for Kids,” Sterban said. “William Lee Golden, the guy with the long beard in our group, does a good job of interpreting those lyrics and communicating it to the audience.”

    The group can glide across musical genres as they have recorded both country and gospel hits.

    “We make our living singing country music, but we all grew up singing gospel music, and we love it,” Sterban said. “We are also excited about our latest album, ‘The Oak Ridge Boys Front Porch Singin’ and it is very inspirational music, and a lot of it is gospel, but there are some new country songs on it.”

    He added, “All of the songs are very meaningful, and it really is the kind of music that we need to hear right now with all of the things that are going on in the world today.”
    Oak Ridge Boys recorded their latest album in a very informal manner. The group walked into the recording studio in Nashville, and their producer, Dave Cobb, asked the question, “Fellas, if you guys were on the bus and you were getting ready for a show, what would you sing?”

    The lead singer, Allen, immediately began singing an old spiritual called “Swing Down Chariot.”
    The other members joined in and started harmonizing with him. This is a song they have known for years and had never recorded.

    “Dave told us to get to the microphones immediately to record the song,” Sterban said. “We sang the song, and we were probably in the studio for less than an hour, and it was a done deal.”
    Sterban added, “I think this is a great example of how this album was recorded in an unstructured setting of four guys harmonizing together.”

    Their hardcore fans affectionately call them “The Oaks,” and over the years, they have become known for their Christmas music. “We have eight Christmas albums, and for over 30 years, we have done a great Christmas tour on the road, and it is the biggest part of our year,” Sterban said. “We do our Christmas Show every night from Thanksgiving up until Christmas Eve night except Tuesdays, and it is a great family show.”

    Their musical awards include the Country Music Hall of Fame, Gospel Music Hall of Fame, five Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, four Academy of Country Music Awards, four Country Music Association Awards, 11 Dove Awards, five Billboard Awards, eight Cashbox Awards, they are members of the Grand Ole Opry and many more.
    Sterban has been in the music industry for decades and has some valuable advice for young aspiring bands.

    “This is a very competitive business, and a lot of young acts try to make it, and only a handful really do make it,” he said. “My advice is to decide what you want to do, work on your craft, sing every chance that you get, strive to become the best performer that you can possibly become and never slough off because you never know who will be listening.”

    With so many accolades and accomplishments under their belt, the Oak Ridge Boys have no plans on retiring anytime soon.

    “For the next few years at least, we are going to keep doing what we love doing, and that’s recording, traveling and taking our music live to our fans,” Sterban said. “Come out and join us for a night of good music and family entertainment because we are so happy to be back on stage working again.”

    For ticket information, visit www.capefeartix.com.

  • 05-02-12-feels-thunder.jpgThe latest craze of adventure racing makes its impact on Fayetteville and Fort Bragg with the Thunder Challenge Carolina in Raeford May 5-6. The trend of running through mud and various obstacles has increased in popularity over the past few years, but the Thunder Challengeis uniquely suited for the Fort Bragg area. One of the found-ing members is Scott Rhodes, a former member of the 7th Special Forces Group who spent 26 years at Fort Bragg. Co-founder Rusty Shellman is also a veteran Army pilot. These races focus on the overall physical fitness of the participants, not just an ability to run, tied to the principles of cross-fit training. The Thunder Challenge incorporates the challenges of specialized military training and brings it to obstacle racing.

    The inaugural Thunder Challenge Carolina race is a 10K mud run at the Raeford Wide Open MX Park. It features more than 20 obstacles designed with the special training that Rhodes, Shellman, and former Navy SEAL Brett Morganti received in the military. The course is designed to challenge not only the combat-tested soldier-athletes and special operators of Fort Bragg, but also adventure enthu-siasts looking to push themselves to their physical and mental limits. Tough will only be the beginning. Racers can expect to crawl through mud pits, climb walls and even face cold-water endurance tests.

    “The biggest difference with us is that we are trying to really focus on the mil-itary,” said Rhodes. “We use military-style obstacles, bring in special-operations veterans on the course, and try to hire veteran-owned businesses to help build the courses.”

    The race will be run in waves, with both individuals and teams of any size, on Saturday and Sunday followed by food, beverages and music. An event like this obviously takes a tremendous amount of dedication and support. According to Rhodes, up to 50 volunteers are needed to help with the race. Many special-operations veterans will also be on the course to help add challenge and motivation to the event. The race will kick off when the Golden Knights jump in and will feature multiple ven-dors, prizes for the participants and even a mini-obstacle course for children.

    With their ties to the military it is no surprise that each race helps to contribute to a veteran’s charity — Project Sanctuary, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping veterans and their families. The project was started by a Fort Carson nurse, Heather Ehle, who wanted to help service members returning home reinte-grate with their families and help with issues such as PTSD, depression and possible suicide. The charity is small, and relatively new, which is a big reason Scott and Russell chose to sup-port it. It was founded in 2007.

    “There are a lot of great charities that help support our veterans, but this is a small upstart with a great focus,” said Rhodes. “They really take care of the whole family, and that means a lot to us.”

    Registration for the race will remain open until the day of the race. Tickets for racers are $95, with a $20 discount for all military members. Family and friends are welcome to come as spectators with no charge. The Thunder Challenge will make its way across the country this year, with eight more events scheduled from Pittsburgh to California. For more information on the Thunder Challenge, visit www.thundrpro.com.

    Photo: The inaugural Thunder Challenge Carolina race is a 10k mud run at the Raeford Wide Open MX Park.

  • Rated 3 stars: Rated 2 stars for fans of the book

     

    {mosimage}Prince Caspian (147 minutes), why weren’t you awesome? The first big budget adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ epic Christian allegory,The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, started the franchise off slow, making no substantial box office impact. Even so, in the first movie, director Adamson got more right than he got wrong╔little details different from the source material actually added to the impact of the first movie.  Sadly, in this sequel, the touches are not little.  Moreover, when director Adamson (who also co-wrote) veers from the novel, he makes several horrible missteps. He mixes up the chronology of events, he inserts romantic subplots and inexplicable pop music, in short, he defaced a fantast classic in the name of crass commercialism. Despite my lasting and eternal love forShrek, I now find him utterly, utterly useless. Bad Andrew Adamson. No Cookie for You!  

    The Pevensie children - Peter (William Mosely), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Susan (Anna Popplewell) are drawn from our world into Narnia while waiting to catch a train. Once there, they meet the captured dwarf Trumpkin (Peter Dinklage) and journey with him to the encampment of Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes). Once there, the children learn that Caspian’s Uncle Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) seeks to usurp the throne. They pledge to help him defeat Miraz and restore Narnia to non-human creatures that Miraz drove into hiding. Caspian’s supporters include Glenstorm the Centaur (Cornell John), Trufflehunter the Badger (Ken Stott), Reepicheep the Mouse (Eddie Izzard), and of course, Aslan (Liam Neeson). The Narnians make their final stand during a single combat between High King Peter and the usurper Miraz, and the Second Battle of Beruna commences.      

    So that doesn’t sound so bad╔and its not. For those unfamiliar with the source material, the second adaptation is a decent follow-up to the first, with lots of action; some wonderfully realized animated characters and an epic scope. Susan even gets an active role in battle, with a strong focus given to her unparalleled archery skills. In fact, this is the only alteration to the story truly justified, in the sense that it is important to show girls a young, skilled woman in a leadership role. Of course, any benefit derived from allowing Susan an active role in fighting for a righteous case is immediately lost through the forced romantic subplot that has her gazing in rapt adoration at Caspian while uttering such inanities as, “Keep it [a magic horn]. You might need to call me again.” 

    Admittedly, some of the alterations probably stemmed from the commercial need to begin the movie with some action, rather than lingering on the childhood and education of Prince Caspian. Unfortunately, most of what got left out included the bits that established the character of Prince Caspian. So, his character is drained of his youth and appeal before we get anywhere with the plot. In fact, in what passes for character development, Peter and Caspian spend most of the movie sniping at each other about military tactics, engaging in battles amidst soap-opera style revelations. And glaringly absent, some of the best writing in the book╔in this version, Aslan does not take Lucy and Susan on a ramble through the blighted Narnia, waking the wood spirits, restoring wildness to the land and rescuing the persecuted. This is one of my favorite books, and you overcooked it. Shame on you Andrew Adamson.

  • The Spring Lake Campus of Fayetteville Technical Community College is gearing up for the first summer STEM Academy. Students from Spring Lake Middle School, which includes many military families, will have the unique opportu-nity to participate in a five-week summer academy that focuses on science, technol-gy, engineering and math.

    For four weeks, students engage in exciting hands-on learning activities that are designed to excite and increase curiosity about how things work. Each week, students will have the opportunity to complete projects, such as building/constructing a Tetrahedron Kite, obtaining knowledge about the principles of flight and basic construction, and learning how to select the proper materials for the best results. Another project students will complete will be a Solar Oven. Students will learn the basics of energy and how scientists constantly discover new energy resources. They will use virtual blueprinting and raw materials to design and construct an oven that actually bakes cookies. The final project will involve the use of modern-day technology for navigation. With the use of a Global Positioning System, students will locate objects needed to con-struct a specific project. Students will also have the opportunity to engage in online learning.

    Volunteer instructors from R. Max Abbott and Spring Lake Middle School will provide instruction, and mentors from the FTCC’s Male Mentoring and Future Seekers will assist in the classrooms throughout the summer.

    During the week of July 30-Aug. 2, workshops will be offered for family members to increase their awareness of community resources and support the overall mental health of these families. Below are some of the workshop topics:

    • Career Exploration

    • Preparing for High School

    • How do I Afford to Send My Child to College?

    • Coping with Deployment

    • Internet Safety and Cyber Bullying

    • Gang Prevention•

    • Help with Homework

    And end-of-program awards ceremony will take place Aug. 3, from 8 a.m. to noon, with student projects on display and a luncheon for the families.

    Applications may be picked up at Spring Lake Middle School and at FTCC’s Spring Lake Campus (171 Lake Tree Blvd., Spring Lake). Applications must be sub-mitted by May 31. Studen05-09-12-ftcc.jpgts will be noti-fied of their selection by June 4. The STEM Academy begins on July 2, and runs through Aug. 3. The hours are from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The project is sponsored by Fayetteville Technical Community College, Town of Spring Lake and Wal-Mart Foundation through the Community Blueprint/Give-an-Hour grant.

    We look forward to a summer of fun, exploration and adventure.

    Photo: At the STEM Academy students engage in exciting hands-on learning activities that are designed to excite and increase curiosity about how things work.

  • uac051612001.jpg Fayetteville Technical Community College celebrated its 50th Anniversary this year. It’s been a great year. In fact, it’s been a great 50 years, and according to FTCC President Dr. Larry Keen, the next 50 years look even brighter.

    “In 1961, FTCC was established to provide workforce training to individuals in response to needs of local business and industry and worked diligently to establish the Fayetteville Area Industrial Education Center and Fayetteville Technical Institute, now known as Fayetteville Technical Community College,” said Keen.

    Keen explained that over the last half century, the leadership of the institution has done a great job of anticipating the needs of the workforce and community and has strategically designed the curriculum to meetthese needs.

    Keene explained that FTCC is a community college in every sense of the word. Students can spend two years working on core courses before moving on to four-year institutions, professionals receive certifications and training, businesses partner with the institution to find and train qualified professionals and citizens enjoy an opportunity to learn new skills and explore options through the continuing education department.

    Supporters of FTCC and the community college system think that’s something to celebrate, which they have done in grand style this year.

    The golden anniversary year kicked off with a special fall convocation. The speakers at the convocation talked about how the community college movement has grown over the years to meet the needs of the communities they serve.

    “It was an excellent way to start the year,” said Keen.

    The Forever Gold Campaign was started to secure community funding to support the growth of the college. Throughout the year, several other activites took place to celebrate the anniversary, including the commissioning of a piece of artwork for the campus to celebrate the anniversary and the publishing of a retrospective book that took a look at the institution’s first 50 years.

    The school reached out to the community and the Arts Council hosted a juried exhibit for FTCC.

    “A significant number of people came through to look at what we were doing, so many of the members of the community were able to see the exhibit,” said Keen. “We had some wonderful things take place.

    ”What started as an institution with a graduating class of 40, is now a collaborative institution that partners with colleges, government and businesses to touch more than 408,000 students internationally. This institution has grown from one site to 209 acres on four sites in Cumberland County.05-16-13-ftcc-logo.jpg

    “This year, just counting credentials, we have everything from people graduating with GEDs, associate degrees, diplomas and certifications. We have more than 2,000 of those. We’ve come a long way from 40.We are proud of the growth and development we’ve had,” said Keen. “To say we’ve come a long way in 50 years is an understatement. As we look to the next 50 years we expect to continue to serve the citizens of Cumberland County and those citizens all over North Carolina.”

    The celebration of the 50-year milestone comes to a close at FTCC’s 2012 commencement ceremony, which will be held at the Crown Coliseum Complex on May 17. Maj. Gen. Rodney Anderson, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, is scheduled to speak. Keen has heard Anderson speak in the past and is excited about the inspiring message he will deliver to students as they move on to the next phase of their lives.

    The future looks bright for FTCC as an institution of learning and as a partner in developing the community. Keeping up with trends and cycles and constantly assessing the needs of the many people it serves, is a priority with the FTCC administration, which is continually working to meet the needs of the changing workforce.

    “It is a never ending cycle if you want to really compete and perform in the economy we are in, and I don’t see an end to that,” said Keen. “We modify what we do to reflect new technologies and techniques. We continually look at these things to upgrade equipment and curriculum.”

    When the 2012/2013 school year starts in the fall, FTCC will unveil a sculpture. It is a piece that represents the journey that has led to this moment. For Keen it also represents the next 50 years and all the possibilities and responsibilities that come with meeting the needs of a diverse comm05-16-12-ftcc-pg.jpgunity.

    “The more people we can get graduated and into the workforce is a good thing. There is going to be a lot of emphasis on graduation and the accomplishment of our different credentials,” said Keen. “I think we will continue to be open to serving Fort Bragg and the Department of Defense. We are committed to economic development and the growth of our community including entrepreneurial and small-business growth and development.

    Looking forward 50 years, Keen hopes the legacy that FTCC is creating is the same legacy and strong foundation he inherited when he came to the institution.

    “The great thing about this college and those we serve is it was founded by a visionary people who stepped out on faith with the expectation of a return — and I think they got that many times over,” said Keen. “And someday in the future we want people to look back at us and say they gave us this foundation, which we can continue to build on. If we do that, I think we’ve done something right. It is an honor and a privilege — with a capital P — to be a part of a great movement like the community-college movement, but I don’t think there is a better place to be than here. It is all the faculty, staff and most importantly, the students and foundation trustees and the leadership they provide that make FTCC successful. All the rest of us support the students and the effort they’ve made.”

  • Always Wear a Helmet05-23-12-the-buzz.jpg

    This week in “The Buzz” we will learn: which Christian artist recently experienced a skate-boarding accident, what Jeremy Camp did for his Facebook friends, what the latest Christian music CD for younger kids is and what new songs you’ll be hearing on Christian radio real soon!

    Always wear your helmet!

    Chris August, the artist who brought us “Starry Night” and “7 X 70” has learned an important lesson the hard and painful way. A few weeks ago he went out for a little ride on his electric skateboard. Since he was only going a short ways he thought he wouldn’t need his helmet. Unfortunately he was wrong. It was nightime, he didn’t know there was road work going on and went full speed into a deep hole. He woke up in the hospital rather dazed and with a serious headache. Thankfully he was able to go home a few days later and is already back on tour with Mercy Me.

    It was a concert and everyone was invited!

    Jeremy Camp, like most artists these days, loves to stay connected through several social-media sites. Recently he decided he would put on a concert and invite anyone and everyone to come — via Facebook! It may not have been quite the same as being there in person, but it does show that being someone’s friend on Facebook can sometimes really pay off.

    Your little one’s will love this!

    If you love the music of Hillsong and ever wished there was something as meaningful for your preschooler, check out the first Hillsong Kids, Jr. release, Crazy Noise, now available on iTunes and at your local Christian Bookstore. These 12 brand new songs are all inspired by and tied to specific Bible verses that will provide a solid foundation for your little ones while being lots of fun at the same time! Kind of like having a time of wor-ship with The Wiggles or the gang on Yo Gabba Gabba!

    New music coming to your radio

    Some of the songs you’ll be hearing soon at a Christian radio station near you:

    “Losing” from Tenth Avenue North’s upcoming release The Struggle, it talks about how, when we don’t forgive, we’re the one’s who lose.

    “Redeemed” by Big Daddy Weave from their current release Love Come To Life, shows the joys we can have when we have been redeemed.

    “Keep Your Eyes Open” from NeedToBreathe’s cd The Reckoning, encourages us to always know that we can overcome the difficult times we face in life if we keep pressing on with our eyes looking forward.

    Photo: Chris August

  • 03 vote verticalIn 2006/7, I led the opposition to an effort to restructure the Fayetteville City Council. I was wrong. Vote Yes Fayetteville is a current attempt to change the Council make-up from nine single member districts to five single and four at-large seats. This is an opportunity for correcting a serious past failing, and I am taking it. I will do all that I can to help achieve this restructuring.

    In 2006, I attended a meeting where several speakers made the case that the proposed referendum to change the Council structure would dilute Black representation on the Council. In that meeting, I agreed to lead an effort opposing the referendum. I did so even though I had signed the petition calling for the referendum.

    My mind was changed because I accepted the argument that Black citizens face some challenges that are best understood by other Blacks. In addition, when looking at voting patterns in the city, it was clear that white citizens primarily voted for white candidates. This voting pattern brought in the likelihood that there was a racism component at work. There was also the consideration that running at-large is more expensive than competing in a single district and that would be a hindrance for Black candidates.

    In the end, on February 6, 2007, the referendum passed and the process of implementing the new structure started. However, the U.S. Justice Department had authority to reverse the decision of Fayetteville voters and did so. The Justice Department concluded that that the 6-3 plan could negatively affect minority voting. That is, make the election of minority candidates less likely.

    Opposing passage of the restructuring resolution gave our group members far better insight into the issues affecting all Fayetteville citizens, but especially Black residents. More clearly, we saw the societal and political blind spots: areas that needed to be addressed, but with different approaches and attitudes from what was the norm. For this reason, what had been the referendum opposition organization, “NO 2,” became the Fayetteville Area Coalition for Equality (FAYCE). I was elected chairman of the new organization.

    The focus of FAYCE was on the needs of Black residents while endeavoring to have local governments treat all residents fairly and equally. It is absolutely critical to understand that it was not our aim to have any group(s) of Fayetteville citizens given attention to the detriment of any other group(s). Even though our focus was on issues affecting Black citizens, the aim was fair and equal treatment for all.

    FAYCE had a clearly defined approach for pursuing our overall aim. Gathering facts and examining those facts, before taking a position on any issue, was central to that approach. There was also commitment to detailed planning for any project or action.

    Our commitment to these principles showed through in the structure of our meetings, in how we addressed difficult issues, in developing a candidates’ guide for the 2007 municipal election, and sponsoring candidates’ forums for that election. In line with our desire to get facts and thoughtful responses and to accurately and productively inform citizens, we provided forum questions to the candidates in advance. In line with our approach, these forums were not about tripping anybody up; they were about informing citizens and encouraging reasoning over emotion.

    Into 2008, FAYCE was proving very effective in pursuing the organization’s goals. Then came the 2008 North Carolina presidential primary. Barack Obama received 9 out of 10 Black votes. Don Worthington, a reporter with The Fayetteville Observer, called and asked me what I thought about Blacks voting so overwhelmingly for Obama. He quoted me correctly as saying, “If nine out of 10 Blacks voted for Obama, they may be guilty of the same racism they accused whites of in the past.” The main argument in 2006, against restructuring the Council, was that since whites overwhelmingly voted for whites, that voting pattern indicated the presence of racism. Continuing that reasoning, why would Blacks voting overwhelmingly for a Black candidate not also raise the possibility of racism?

    Although there were some individuals who publicly agreed with what I said, the outrage in opposition was deafening. WIDU, a local radio station with a sizeable Black audience, was inundated with calls from people who were totally disgusted with my comment.

    The level of disgust was eye-opening for me. Then there was this statement written by someone on Ron Harrison’s blog: “…FAYCE flounders — and honestly, it was beginning to look like an organization that could positively influence the community … which befuddles me why Merritt opened his mouth in such a manner.” The clear message from the outrage and comments, such as the one quoted here, was that I should have been quiet regarding a condition I believed could prove dangerous and debilitating for this city and even the nation. That was not and is not my approach to leading or living. I resigned as chairman of FAYCE.

    The experience that I have reviewed to this point caused a major revamping of the framework within which I do my thinking. For instance, there was a time when, if the government said something was true, I accepted it without question; I was inclined to, without detailed examination, accept claims of racism as true; I believed that the vast majority of politicians were committed to doing what was good for all Americans; did not give extensive attention to the political process, governmental policies, or fiscal considerations. Every one of these components, and more, of my framework for thinking has shifted 180 degrees.

    Against this backdrop, here is how I now assess Vote Yes Fayetteville. The 5/4 restructuring is required because the current structure of nine single member districts is doing exactly what, in 2006, those of us who opposed that restructuring claimed would happen if it were instituted; except, in 2021, the racial impact is reversed. In 2006, there were more white residents than Black. That is no longer the case. Eight of the 10 members of Council are Black and, during elections, indications are that Black citizens overwhelmingly vote for viable Black Democratic candidates. Applying the racism argument made in 2006/7 by those of us who opposed restructuring, and by the U.S. Justice Department in overruling the will of Fayetteville voters, the current Council structure requires some effort to even the playing field for white citizens.

    Another point of opposition being raised again is that it is more expensive to run at-large than in a district and this puts Black candidates at a disadvantage. One response to this claim is to point to Blacks who are currently serving in at-large positions, such as: sheriff, chairman of the County Commission, and Clerk of Court.
    In terms of fairness and equal treatment of all, the impact on white citizens of this at-large cost argument demands attention. It says to white citizens who have financial means, “You are able to provide substantial financial support to candidates or to your personal campaign; consequently, we must maintain a system that prevents you from participating in the political process in a manner equal to all other citizens.” This is totally unfair and certainly smells like discrimination.

    There also seems to be greater attention to issues championed by Black residents than to those affecting all citizens of the city. The first of these regards the Market House; despite its otherwise very positive historical significance, because slaves were sold there, Council is giving significant attention to what might be done to quell outrage from some Black citizens and an undetermined number of white citizens. Of equal high priority with Council is satisfying demands for a citizens police review board that would have access to records and information that are not now publically available.

    While there is tremendous focus on these two issues, the weightier responsibilities of local government are getting far less attention than is necessary or reasonably expected by the general public. Among these are understaffing of the police department, rising crime rates, failure to protect property during a season of protesting/rioting/looting, not proactively promoting economic development, questionable handling of infrastructure needs, and, in general, conducting city affairs in a fashion that divides rather than unifies citizens.

    The negative consequences of the picture painted here are many, but the loss of white residents is one deserving of serious consideration by those who might oppose Vote Yes Fayetteville. Since 2000, maybe before, the white population of Fayetteville has been in decline. If this restructuring and other fairness/equalizing actions are not taken, Fayetteville will experience the same terrifying quality of life decline as other cities that followed our current course. Consider Chicago, Baltimore, Los Angeles and so forth.

    At the bottom line, I contend that if this effort to restructure the Fayetteville City Council fails, it will show us to be a city where white citizens are treated unfairly, the primary indicator of racism in voting only applies to whites, and we are willing to protect these conditions at the cost of a dramatic decline in our quality of life.

    Support Vote Yes Fayetteville.

  • 02 churchIt’s that most wonderful time of year again, when the current temporary members of the Fayetteville City Council are tempted to sell the rights to the Public Works Commission for thirty years. In return, the Council will get a mess of pottage in a secret financial story of Biblical proportions.

    This time the would-be buyer is an investment outfit from Louisiana called Bernhard Capital Partners. Let’s call this firm Bernie to keep things simple. The Fayetteville City Council will play the role of Esau. Bernie will take the role of Jacob. PWC will inhabit the role of Birthright in this story.

    Ponder the story of Jacob and Esau from the Bible to see how this fits the City Council’s current flirtation with selling PWC to some out of towners for some fast cash.

    Jacob and Esau were the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Esau was born first which gave him the Birthright. This was a big deal in Hebrew times as the first born got the best parts of the family inheritance. Jacob grabbed Esau’s ankle in an effort to be born first. However, Esau emerged first securing his claim to the Birthright.

    Years later, Esau had been out in the fields. He came home hungry as a starving bear. Jacob, being a homebody, had cooked up a mess of red pottage which is what they used to call stew. Jacob, sensing an investment opportunity, refused to give Esau any of the pottage unless Esau swapped his Birthright for a bowl of pottage. Esau’s blood sugar was way down which caused him not to think clearly. Choosing immediate gratification over the delayed version, Jacob agreed to swap his Birthright for the mess of pottage.

    The deal was done. No birthright for Esau. It was a sweet deal for Jacob who was just out a bowl of stew.

    So how does this story fit our very own City Council and its interest in selling PWC as an indentured servant for 30 years to some strangers? Apparently, the City Council was working out a double secret deal like the Manhattan Project with Bernie to sell off PWC. The Raleigh News & Observer spilled the beans in a story on April 13 blowing the cover off the negotiations of the proposed 30 years of PWC wandering in the wilderness under the tender mercies of an out of state company.

    Turns out there is a non-disclosure agreement between the City Council, PWC and Bernie so the full details aren’t available to the roughly 140,000 electric, water and sewer customers of PWC.

    As the Church Lady used to say, “Well, isn’t that convenient?” At the time of the writing of this column, the NDA was still in place and the details were still double secret. The News & Observer report said Bernie had offered $750 million to the City for the PWC rights for the next 30 years.

    If the opening offer was $750 million, you know that the rights are worth far more than that amount.

    PWC has been around since 1905. It is owned by the city of Fayetteville which means the citizens of Fayetteville. It has received numerous awards for being well run and providing excellent service to our citizens.

    In the interest of full disclosure, my father E.H. Dickey was an electrical engineer for PWC for many years. He was one of those guys who got up in the middle of the night during storms to get the power back on. There are a lot of those guys at PWC who get up in the middle of the night to keep things running. They are local. Having local guys who live here take care of things here is a good thing. No one in Louisiana currently decides when to do maintenance in Fayetteville.

    Under Bernie, that could change. Deferring maintenance is way absentee owners make more money. Do you want to trust an absentee owner to decide whether to spend money to maintain PWC’s equipment? I don’t.

    All this comes under the heading of if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Bernie may be wonderful. I don’t know. I do know PWC ain’t broke. Why gamble?

    The makeup of the City Council is temporary. Council members come and go. Fayetteville’s citizens outlast councils. PWC has been run by local citizens since 1905 unless the Council decides to sell it into indentured servitude. The temptation for the current Council to sell PWC is going to be great. The Council would have a slush fund of $750 million to spend on all sorts of favorite ideas. How long do you think it would be until they spent that pile of money on pet projects? The current Council will be out of office, the pile of money will be gone, and Bernie down on the bayou will be setting our rates, deciding on maintenance, and putting us on voice mail before you can say “Oops!”

    It was not a good idea to kill the Golden Goose to get her golden eggs. Indenturing PWC for 30 years to get PWC’s Golden Eggs today will be a decision we will all regret later. PWC is Fayetteville’s Birthright.

    It’s your hometown utility. Tell the City Council not to trade 30 years of PWC for a mess of pottage. Tell your City Council to tell Bernie thanks, but no thanks.

  • 01 Crime Stoppers LogoWell, now that our Hometown Utility PWC has ceased negotiations with Bernhard Capital, Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin and his cabal may be back to the drawing board for an alternative plan to raid the coffers of one of the most caring, well-managed and efficient utility companies in the state.

    On two fronts, the entire ordeal of the prospect of allowing an equity firm with no utility experience to take over the management or our local utility was the near-perfect example of how the lack of transparency in local government can impact a community.

    One: lack of transparency allows unpopular and unsavory schemes to hatch.

    Two: When there is openness in government, it enables local media to report news and provide detailed information to the general public, keeping them informed on issues and situations that affect taxpayers' livelihoods and quality of life.

    Transparency encourages elected officials to justify their actions. Free speech and transparency in government are vitally important in maintaining a free democracy. Of course, it helps when local elected officials care more about their constituents than they do themselves. In our community, it's sadly becoming pretty apparent they do not.

    Those who care about the Fayetteville and Cumberland County community and its residents get involved with the community. Two recent Fayetteville events demonstrated this type of caring.

    The local Crime Stoppers organization cares about our law enforcement officers. Fayetteville Crime Stoppers recently launched a county-wide appreciation initiative where they began visiting law enforcement agencies in Fayetteville and Cumberland County to present officers a full dinner gift card from Chick-fil-A. It was made possible through the partnership and generosity of local businessman Tommy Arnold, owner of Chick-fil-A, and the dedication of the Crime Stoppers organization. The initiative was launched May 6 with a presentation to the Fayetteville City Police Department by Arnold, Fayetteville Crime Stoppers Chairman Dr. Eric See of Methodist University, and Duncan Hubbard of Holmes Electric. These Crime Stoppers supporters and volunteers are people, businesses and organizations that care, and the Fayetteville community is better and safer because of them.

    The Care Clinic on Robeson Street is another perfect example of a local organization dedicated to caring for the health and welfare of residents who cannot afford health insurance for medical and dental services. For over a quarter century, this invaluable and charitable non-profit organization has depended on a countless number of caring volunteers from all walks of life, funded only by generous donations and a few well-planned community events.

    One such event was also May 6, when they held their annual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction at the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens. It was heartwarming to see the outpouring of community support for an organization that provides medical and dental services to residents free of charge. The event was a virtual "who's who" of caring residents, including Mike Nagowski, CEO of Cape Fear Valley Health Systems, and State Representative John Szoka. Unfortunately, conspicuously absent were members of our city and county management team and our elected officials. This was highly disappointing.

    You would think this would have been the perfect time to come and support the Care Clinic and the people that do so much work for our residents. Our local elected officials missed this opportunity while sending a message of apathy to their constituents. No doubt, if asked, everyone will have a grand excuse for not attending, but the fact remains — “actions will always speak louder than words.”

    Another saying our leadership should become familiar with: "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care."

    As a media source, we work with hundreds of people and dozens of great invaluable organizations covering all aspects of quality of life in Fayetteville — people and organizations that care. These people and organizations make our life better and our community pleasantly unique.

    We need leadership that respects, encourages and endorses those values. There is no hiding from the truth. Again, "actions will always speak louder than words."

    In the coming months, all residents must pay close attention to the actions of those who seek leadership positions in our community. Their track record will speak volumes on how much they care about the Fayetteville and Cumberland County community.

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • tribute 2I never truly understood the role of a mother until I lost my mother, Cora Jones, the night before Thanksgiving in 2007. I also lost the person who informed me of her death. My little sister, Chakita Jones, was murdered four days before her 26th birthday. My sister and mother were not perfect, but they did their best to give their kids the best. As a mother of seven, my sister gave her life to save her son’s life. When my sister was killed, she was shielding my nephew from bullets. During her last six months of life, my mother was more worried about me, Kita, and Josh than the fact that she was dying. Her biggest concern was making sure that I finished high school and enrolled in college. But, when Kita called me, my entire world changed. I had never experienced the death of a family member. When I lost my mother, I felt numb for months. When I lost my mom, I lost unconditional love. I lost my direction in life, motivation, and my will to continue with life. Yes, I had suicidal thoughts. While many will not admit it, this is a reality for many of us who have lost our mother. You will never get over it. Every year, I, like others, am reminded of the importance of a mother.

    Mother’s Day is bittersweet for those who do not physically have a mother. We take the time to reflect on the beautiful memories she left us. However, we are constantly wishing that we can have one more conversation. Everyday, I wish that I can go back to 1360 Davis Street and sit on the steps under the tree with my mom while she has a cold beer after a long day of work at the cleaners.

     On Mother’s Day, me and Kita would visit her gravesite and reflect. Now, Kita is gone and I have to visit two gravesites. When my mom passed away, Kita was that last living piece of her that I had. Kita was four years younger than me, and no matter how much we would argue, I always knew she was going to be there. She provided that unconditional love that I needed at a trying time. We did not judge each other. When she had my niece, I watched her grow from a girl to a woman fast. Though she was young, she understood that she had to care for this life she was bringing forth. As we grew older, Kita had more kids and loved each one equally. At the time of her death, she was the mother of seven beautiful children. Realistically, I was in no position to take on the responsibility of seven more kids alone. So, I am forever thankful to my cousins Brittany, Courtney, and Iesha for being there. These women along with all the other females in my family stepped into a void that was created by a senseless act of violence. Before my mom passed, she met this woman that lived across the street from my aunt and they became friends. Over the years, Kia grew to be more like family and would become grandmother to all 10 of my mother’s grandchildren. She does her best to be present for every special occasion concerning the kids, just as my mother would.

     I will never forget the day I told Kita and Kia I was about to have my first child. They acted as if they were more excited than me. However, nothing will ever top the moment that my kid’s mother jokingly threw two positive pregnancy tests on me and said “congratulations, you a daddy now.” I jumped out of the bed and grabbed her instantly. She made me the happiest man on earth and gave me a reason to push forward. I was already confident in her mothering skills because she had a child prior to us meeting. I was the one who had to learn how to be a parent. She was the greatest teacher. When my son was born, I was constantly wondering if I was doing the right thing. I would always ask questions like “can I hold him,” “how am I supposed to do this,” or “are you sure I’m not hurting him.” She would always laugh while she helped me and reassured me that the baby is good. Like many mothers, G has made sacrifices to ensure that me and my boys can have peace... and clean clothes. As a father, I must commend the mother of my children. She is a mother and business owner that loves to give back. Last summer, in the late stages of her pregnancy, she participated in marches and helped to serve the homeless at the Market House. Her maternal gifts allow me the opportunity to focus on providing for our family. There is no amount of gratitude that can be shown to express how I feel about her.

     She recently donated her time and hands to mothers that lost their sons in combat. Her company, Royal Stitches, provided handmade red, white and blue roses named American Flowers to veteran nonprofit Southern CC, Inc. as a part of their “Tribute to Gold Star Mothers.” CEO Tony Brown and his organization honored Gold Star Mothers with a day of pampering. Mothers received a makeover courtesy of Fusion Hair Salon. After receiving makeovers, the group of women were escorted to Pierro’s for dinner and Hummingbird to make candles. During dinner, the mothers were serenaded by Tony and a group of men. Before departing, each mother was given a gift bag that included American Flowers among other gifts donated by small businesses throughout the community.

     A mother is the most important person you have in your life. As men, we will never know what it is like to carry a child. Witnessing childbirth changed my life. I can only imagine how it feels to birth a child. But, women do it every day. So, salute to every mother. Happy Mother’s Day. Salute to every activist getting active. Peace.  

     

    Pictured below: (left) Author Rakeem Jones and his sister Chakita.  (right) Cora Jones, the author's mother.

    Photos courtesy of the author.

    Keem and Kita

    Keem Mom Cora Jones

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • 11 N2105P21004CIn 1914, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson officially recognized Mother's Day as a national holiday. More than a hundred years later, the holiday has become a global celebration to honor the mothers who made sacrifices to raise generations of children and support them through adulthood.

    While flowers or chocolates are a perfectly suitable way to say thanks, it's the way you live your life, the special words you say to her, or even those you write in a card that mean the most.

    Before I even turned 18, I left home to join the Army, and never returned except to visit. And while I can still hope that my life in some way is a tribute to the mother who raised and launched me into the world, so much of what I know about mothers and their adult children I've learned from a front row seat to an amazing mother and grandmother — my wife.

    On a recent Saturday, she made plans for as many as wanted to join us to gather their Nerf® guns and follow us, or to see how many we could fit inside each vehicle for a drive-thru dinosaur hunt in a neighboring county. It was a day of silliness including a lunch-on-the-road and picking strawberries at a local farm.

    Later that same day, our son knocked on the door with his children who were excited to give us some small gifts they picked out for us while on a Spring Break vacation. As if that weren't enough, the following day, our daughter invited mom and me over for fresh strawberry pie and some fun conversation.

    This is some of what being a mom is about. Loving your children, giving them your time and attention, and watching them blossom into parents who do the same. It's not all dinosaur hunts, gifts and strawberry pie, but those things stem from a life well-lived, and children well-loved.

    The Bible has much to say about the joys, challenges and rewards of motherhood. In Proverbs 31:26 it says "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." That's what I see when I look at the woman — the mother — I've spent more time with than any other. Wisdom and kindness. A mother who loves her children and theirs. A mother who wants the very best for every single one of them, and stops to call, video chat, and pray for each of them on a regular basis.

    There's not enough I can't say enough about the importance of motherhood, so if you're a mom — thank you. If your mother is still living, I hope you'll take it from here. Call her. Write a letter. Fill a card with words that will honor her and place it in her hands.

    As you celebrate all that motherhood is and means, let me point you again to the Bible. If you only have time to read one small chapter, read Proverbs 31 where you'll find this in the 28th verse – "Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.

  • 01 PWC FHUNote from Publisher Bill Bowman: I am yielding my space this week to Fayetteville resident, PWC ratepayer, and former District 8 Fayetteville City Councilman Ted Mohn. He is known for his laid-back common-sense management style, keen insights into complex city issues, and his razor-sharp analysis of what constitutes fiscal responsibility and good municipal business practices. Below he raises 13 pertinent questions about the proposal made to our city by Bernhard Capital to manage our Hometown Utility. These questions need to be answered before any further consideration is given to this proposal.

    Fayetteville PWC is correct to request being released from the non-disclosure agreement with Bernhard Capital LLC. Citizens of Fayetteville and FAYPWC ratepayers deserve answers on this proposal. Fayetteville City Council should join our FAYPWC in being released from the NDA. Our Hometown Utility belongs to us and we deserve answers in a reasonably timely manner.

    In June 2019, I attended a meeting at City Hall along with Mayor Mitch Colvin, Councilmember Tisha Waddell, FAYPWC Commissioner Darsweil Rogers, select Fayetteville senior staff and members from Bernhard Capital. Bernhard provided us a handout with background company information and the basic concept of how such an agreement might work. No specific financials were ever discussed. Everyone agreed much due diligence was needed for any further discussion for an initial financial proposal of this magnitude. June 2019 was the last time I heard of Bernhard’s idea until I noticed a closed joint-meeting between City Council, our FAYPWC Commission, Bernhard members and select city and FAYPWC senior staff. That meeting occurred on December 1, 2020, at Fayetteville State University. I thought it was odd at first but then I realized the extra space was most likely needed because of COVID-19 and social distancing requirements.

    Fayetteville taxpayers and FAYPWC ratepayers outside city limits deserve details of the Bernhard proposal. Below are some of my simple questions:

    1. How much actual cash will the city be provided upfront from Bernhard?

    2. Is Bernhard going to pay-off all current city debt in addition to the upfront cash?

    3. Who will set the FAYPWC customer electric, water and sewer rates?

    4. Who will negotiate with Duke Energy for long-term bulk electric rate purchases in the future?

    5. Will Bernhard pay actual property taxes versus how FAYPWC now pays Fayetteville money from their electric fund as payments in leu of taxes (PIT) as specified in the City/FAYPWC charter?

    6. Will the potential new annual property tax payments from Bernhard be greater each year than the PIT money currently paid by FAYPWC to the city per the charter?

    7. Will Bernhard actually build a satellite headquarters in Fayetteville and bring 200+ jobs like they told Lafayette, Louisiana, they were considering back in 2018 and never did?

    8. Bernhard says they make their investment back by being more efficient in running business. During their due diligence what aspects of running FAYPWC will they make more efficient to save money which would go back to their investors?

    9. Fayetteville PWC is a not-for-profit utility. Will the NC General Assembly have to update the charter to allow FAYPWC profits to be turned over to Bernhard and their investors?

    10. Fayetteville PWC currently takes what could be considered profit and turns around and uses that money for infrastructure upgrades, extensions and improvements. Will Bernhard take that money to repay their investors or will they continue to invest in infrastructure upgrades and replacements?

    11. Will Bernhard want some type of revenue sharing agreement where they automatically get “x%” of the initial annual revenue from the electric, water and wastewater fund regardless of projected/planned infrastructure needed upgrades identified by the FAYPWC?

    12. Who will have regulatory oversight of Bernhard’s management of our FAYPWC’s electric, water and wastewater departments and funds?

    13. How many years does this proposal last and what happens at the end of this proposal to the city, FAYPWC ratepayers and Bernhard investors?
    Many questions still need to be answered and I’ve only scratched the surface. If Bernhard has done their due diligence to make this a win-win for the city of Fayetteville, FAYPWC ratepayers and their investors, I’d like to see their amortization tables on who is held harmless, who makes out and who gets the short end of the stick. I need to see these projections from Bernhard broken down by each utility fund to better understand what is being proposed and projected. I also want to see projections from our FAYPWC senior staff and whomever the city of Fayetteville might have hired to review all of this.

    Residents and FAYPWC ratepayers deserve transparency on this proposal and we need it before our City Council and FAYPWC Commissioners take public votes on the Bernhard proposal.

  • 18UniqueNashUnique Nash

    Seventy-First • Softball • Freshman

    Nash put together a 3.65 grade point average while playing for the Falcon softball team this season.

     

     

     

     

     

    19ZacheryBagleyZachery Bagley

    Gray’s Creek • Baseball • Senior

    Bagley had a 5.0 grade point average as a member of the Bears’ baseball team this spring.

  • 17PrepNotebook AlphonzaKeeFamiliar faces will be filling a couple of coaching positions at Cumberland County high schools next year.

    Cape Fear has named former Fayetteville State mens’ basketball coach Alphonza Kee as its boys’ basketball coach while South View has picked veteran assistant coach Phil Dean as its new softball coach.

    Kee replaces Robert Strong, who left Cape Fear to become head coach at Bethlehem Christian Academy in Georgia. At this writing, Kee’s hiring was still awaiting final approval of the Cumberland County Board of Education.

    “I’m excited I’ve got somebody coming with such high character and passion for teaching young men,’’ said Cape Fear principal Lee Spruill. “He’s not just a coach, he’s also an educator.’’

    Kee said he wants to lay a foundation of hard work, character and discipline. “We want... to try to get a feeder system started and start teaching from the ground up,’’ he said.

    Kee spent seven years at Fayetteville State and was 91-105 overall and 47-70 in the CIAA. His first head coaching job was at Max Abbott Middle School where he won a championship.

    Dean will be moving into his first head coaching job after a long career at South View that included coaching both football and softball.

    “I’m excited to have my first head coaching position at my alma mater,’’ the 1979 South View graduate said. “I look forward to building on the excellence that has been established before.’’

    He started with the softball team under the late Eddie Dees in 1999, then continued when Kellie Aldridge took over the program. He got out of softball coaching from 2009-14, then returned to help Aldridge coach the current class of seniors.

    Aldridge recently announced she is leaving South View for family reasons and will join the staff at Gray’s Creek High School where she will assist with coaching the softball team.

    • Because of space limitations, this week’s scheduled spring football preview of Pine Forest was held. It will appear in next week’s edition of Up &
    Coming Weekly
    .

    Photo: Cape Fear has named former Fayetteville State mens’ basketball coach Alphonza Kee as its boys’ basketball coach. 

  • 31 Day Salute is a month-long celebration of performances, ceremonies, exhibits and activities where05-01-13-museum-of-cape-fear.gif we invite the world to do what the Fayetteville community does every day — show our enthusiastic appreciation, respect and support for those who serve and have served in our armed forces. Put on by the entire community, 31 Day Salute is for anyone who wants to experience our military heritage and honor our brethren in the services — past and present. As part of this salute to our military, the Museum of the Cape Fear is hosting a military history lecture series.

    Beginning on May 2, at 6:30 p.m., Jim Greathouse, a member of North Carolina’s War of 1812 Bicentennial Committee, will provide a PowerPoint presentation on War of 1812 Gunboats. Three Jeffersonian gunboats were built in Smithville (now Southport), North Carolina. They were given the designation of gunboats 166, 167 and 168. The gunboats were small ships with a crew of about 40 offi cers, sailors and marines. Soon after the War of 1812 began, gunboat 166 was given a proper name and christened the U.S. Schooner Alligator. The Alligator saw action service along the North and South Carolina coastlines. In January of 1814 she defeated a much larger attacking British naval force. Months later the 64-foot schooner sank in Port Royal Sound, S.C., during a storm. She was raised and refi tted for further wartime service. Greathouse’s presentation also commemorates the War of 1812 Bicentennial, which will last until 2015. This presentation is a great opportunity to learn more about a forgotten war. (Some historians refer to the War of 1812 as America’s second war for independence.)

    The second in the series will take place on May 9, at 6:30 p.m. Red, White, Blue, & Black: A History of African Americans in the United States Military will be presented by Charles Anderson, Jr., adjunct professor with Methodist University. His talk examines the role played by African Americans in the history of the United States military, from before the American Revolution to present day. Anderson is a veteran of the United States Army. This amazing story delves into the contributions of many brave and determined young men who were denied rights and denied admittance into the army but were called upon to fi ght in all the early wars. When fi nally allowed into the military, it was on a segregated basis until President Truman integrated the army in 1948. Since the early days of our nation as much as 20 percent of the Navy has always been made up of African Americans.

    The third and final lecture will take place on May 16, at 6:30 p.m. Jason Wetzel, staff historian with the Office of Army Reserve History, Headquarters – United States Army Reserve, will talk about Pearl Harbor: The Imperial Japanese Navy’s “Flawed” Victory. Wetzel’s presentation will include the amazing blunders of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and he will provide a detailed look at “lessons learned” from the attack on our Pacific Fleet on Dec. 7, 1941. Real surprises are revealed. Wetzel states “It could have been a lot worse, why?” The attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the most signifi cant events in our nation’s history and was the fi nal straw that took us into World War II.

    All three lectures are free and open to the public. They take place the fi rst three Thursdays in May. Mark your calendar and plan to join in on this salute to the Armed Forces by learning more about our military’s history. For more information please call 910-486-1330 or visit the following websites: http://museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov or http://nccultureevents.com.

    31 Day Salute originated in 2008 and it is put on by the entire community. It is for anyone who wants to experience our military heritage and honor our brethren in the services — past and present. For more information browse the website at http://www.31daysalute.com/.

    Photo: Jim Greathouse, a member of North Carolina’s War of 1812 Bicentennial Committee, will provide a PowerPoint presentation on War of 1812 Gunboats. 

  • 16RichieKingTerry Sanford boys’ tennis coach Gene Autry is still getting over the sting of a 5-4 loss to Matthews Weddington High School in this year’s state 3-A dual team tennis finals.

    But one thing that’s making it easier is checking the Bulldog tennis roster as he plans for next season.

    “We have only one senior that starts,’’ he said. “That’s Richie King in the six hole.’’

    King worked with brothers Henry and Nathan Lieberman to provide Terry Sanford the four wins the Bulldogs scored in the championship match with Weddington. Even with his exit, Terry Sanford will return all the starters at the first five singles positions.

    “The Liebermans will only get better with their extensive schedule of summer tournaments,’’ Autry said. 

    Another dedicated player is Alex Kasari at third court. Autry said Kasari also is committed to off-season work. He’s also got confidence in the players at the remaining two spots, Andrew Zahran and Dev Sashidar.

    The only question left is who will play No. 6 next year. Right now a pair of players who will be seniors next season, Josh Blackman and Michael Hicks, are the leading candidates. Hicks is part of one of the richest bloodlines in Terry Sanford tennis history. 

    His mother, Margit Monaco Hicks, teamed with her sister Lisa Monaco Wheless to win the N.C. High School Athletic Association girls’ doubles championship four years in a row back in the 1970s.

    When Denzel Wallace took over as softball coach at Fayetteville Christian this season, he thought chances for a state title were solid even though the defending 2-A N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association champ Freedom Christian was in the same town.

    “I thought with some hard work, we’d be able to be there at the end,’’ he said. Wallace proved right as Fayetteville Christian met Freedom in the double elimination finals of this year’s state tournament and came away with the victory and a 16-3 record.

    Fayetteville was led by sophomore pitcher Morgan Hatchell, who was named the NCISAA 2-A softball player of the year.

    “Throughout the season she was steady,’’ Wallace said. “She pitched every game for us and always kept low numbers.’’

    Wallace said Hatchell averaged about two earned runs per game. “We knew what we were getting out of her and we knew she would compete to the very end.

    “Everybody believed in her ability the whole year to get us there.’’

    Looking ahead to the 2018 season, Wallace is optimistic about chances for a repeat.

    “Our whole group was young,’’ he said of this year’s team. “We had a couple of seventh graders and an eighth grader starting. I think having the same coach and same group of players, we’ll be able to get a head start on the things we need to.’’ 

    Joining Hatchell on the NCISAA 2-A All-State team from Fayetteville Christian were Destiny Smith and Olivia Nieto.

    Chosen from Freedom Christian were Makenzie Mason, Haley Nelson, Miranda McKoy, Kendal McCauley and Molly Montgomery. Also selected was Aubrey Griffin of Village Christian.

    Photo: Richie King, senior at Terry Sanford, tennis player

  • Once again, our military finds itself in the midst of a drawdown. Although this is not a new phenomenon for the military, the impacts of the drawdown are vast. Troop levels will be cut, getting promoted will be tougher, budgets will be more constrained and staying in the Army will be more diffi cult. As a result, tens of thousands of soldiers will transition from active duty to the civilian sector by 2017. The question looming is, how will these soldiers prepare themselves for the transition and to enter a competitive workforce?

    One of the ways in which soldiers can prepare for the future is through Continuing Education. Recognizing the challenges ahead, Fayetteville Technical Community College launched in January its Military Occupational Specialty degree program, a comprehensive program designed to convert military education and experience into college credit. Although converting military education to college credit is not a new concept, FTCC’s approach to this model is new. Without question, soldiers gain invaluable knowledge, training, and experience while serving in the Army. Following a quick consultation with our offi ce, a soldier immediately knows exactly how many credits he or she will receive for military learning experiences.

    FTCC assessed military course curriculums, reviewed American Council on Education and Service member Opportunity College (SOC) program documents, and consulted with FTCC academic department heads to develop the MOS Degree Maps. The maps are broken down by MOS and skill level and identify a range of college courses and credit hours soldiers would receive for their military education. Moreover, maps target three key populations: special operations, non-special operations and healthcare as well as joint forces. To date, FTCC has developed 114 MOS Degree Maps representing 43 different MOSs. Our goal is to create a map for every MOS.

    Although the associate degree in general education is the primary degree offered, soldiers can also apply their credit for prior military learning to other areas such as culinary arts, criminal justice, psychology and more than 150 different areas of study. The AGE is the number-one way to convert knowledge gained through military training into college credit. The AGE is transferable and a pathway to earning a higher-level degree later at a four-year institution. FTCC offers a range of course formats from face-to-face classes (day or evening) to online and hybrid classes, or a combination of these as well as unit classes.

    Career Management Fields include:

    • Adjutant General Corps05-08-13-ftcc.gif
    • Air Defense Artillery
    • Aviation
    • Civil Affairs
    • Engineer
    • Field Artillery
    • Infantry
    • Medical Service Corps
    • Military Police
    • Military Intelligence
    • Ordnance
    • Psychological Operations
    • Quartermaster Corps
    • Signal Corps
    • Special Forces
    • Transportation

    Whatever educational field soldiers are interested in, FTCC stands ready to help them achieve their goals

    .For more information or to register for classes, visit FTCC’s Fort Bragg Center located in F-Wing, Bragg Training and Education Center (BTEC) or call (910) 678-1050 or by email at fortbragg@faytechcc.edu.

    To see a complete list of MOS and Skill Level maps, visit www.faytechcc.edu/ft_bragg/transition/credit-for-learning.asp.

    Photo: Tens of thousands of soldiers will transition from Active Duty to the civilian sector by 2017. FTCC has programs in place to make it a smooth transition.

  • 15JadeJordanJade Jordan of Pine Forest High School recently wrapped up her outstanding track career for the Trojans in style.

    At this year’s N.C. High School Athletic Association 4-A championship meet at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, Jordan won her second consecutive state title in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 6.5 inches.

    Counting her previous indoor long jump championship, that’s three state titles. She was also a freshman national champion in the long jump. Add to that the fact Jordan was a dual performer in the spring for Pine Forest, running track while being a star player on the Trojan soccer team, and her feat becomes even more impressive.

    Terry Wickham, track coach at Pine Forest, said Jordan ranks among the top three track athletes he’s ever coached at the school.

    “Lincoln Carr won six state titles in the long jump and triple jump,’’ he said. “Ryan Davis won three titles in the shot put.’’

    Wickham said if Jordan had competed in track alone she possibly could have added state titles in events like the 300 hurdles and the triple jump, but her demanding athletic schedule wouldn’t allow her time to do the sport-specific training in those other events.

    “She works extremely hard and has the passion to compete,’’ Wickham said.

    Jordan wasn’t the only Fayetteville and Cumberland County athlete to fare well in this year’s track championships. In the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A/2-A meet, athletes from Fayetteville Christian and Fayetteville Academy had big performances.

    • Fayetteville Christian’s Nashya Pagan was a double winner for the Warriors. She took the 100 and 200-meter dashes with times of 12.47 and 25.93.

    • Fayetteville Christian also had a trio of winning relay teams. The girls triumphed in the 4x100 and 4x200 while the boys’ won the 4x400.

    • The 4x400 boys’ team of Eli Sutton, Brennan Gantt and twins Jaylen and Jamarii Green broke the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association state record with a time of 3:30.87.

    • Pagan, Chiara Waddy-Arce, Aeryon Davis and O’Mauri Robinson won both the 4x200 and the 4x100. Their times were 1:48.16 and 51.79,
    respectively.

    • Also participating in the 1-A/2-A meet was Fayetteville Academy’s Morgan Dorsey. Dorsey triumphed in the 800 meter run for the Eagles with a time of 2:20.72.

  • uac051513001.gif The public hears about the economy all the time. Numbers, which track the financial health of the country, are continually tallied, analyzed and reported. Industrial output drives many of the statistics that are used to measure so many of the nation’s vital signs. While the country depends on these industries for so much, the public seldom acknowledges the impact of industry on a day-to-day basis.

    Every day people purchase and consume products without a second thought as to how these items made it to the store shelves. Locally, people drive by buildings that dot the landscape and have no clue about the items produced and manufactured inside.

    “These businesses are hidden all over the county,” said Existing Industry Manager at The Economic Development Alliance Cathy Johnson. “There is a lot of industry here that people don’t know about, places that have been here for decades and it might be right next door to them and they just don’t know what these businesses do.”

    This is the perfect time to change that. May is Existing Industry Month. It is a chance to acknowledge the efforts and the impact of the businesses that produce the many gizmos and gadgets that make life easier. On Thursday, May 16, the Fayetteville Regional Chamber and the Economic Development Alliance celebrate Existing Industry Month with the 2013 Existing Industry Appreciation Awards Luncheon.

    “We really need to show existing industry that we value what they do for us and what they bring to Cumberland County,” said County Commissioner Charles Evans. “As a community we need to be sure that we support local industries as much as possible.”

    While many have no idea how many businesses are based in Cumberland County or what they produce, for the most part, that is usually not a bad thing and it is often the way plant managers prefer it.

    “Once they are in the community, a lot of people forget about them,” said Russ Rogerson, executive vice president at the Economic Development Alliance of Fayetteville & Cumberland County. “They (the businesses) like it that way, but your existing industries are the staple of your economy. These are the companies that hire and provide the kind of wages that allow employees to buy homes and cars. It is the engine of the economy. It all starts with a job and they are obviously providing these jobs, which support many other jobs in the second-tier level. These industries that provide jobs usually don’t want a lot of fanfare but it is important that we understand their impact. Existing Industries month is one of those times we get to say thank you.”

    Cumberland County is home to more than 300,000 people and includes Fayetteville as well as the towns of Eastover, Falcon, Godwin, Hope Mills, Linden, Spring Lake, Stedman and Wade as well as Fort Bragg. Industry in the area, according to the Cumberland County website includes companies that make air filters, automobile tires, carpets, clothing, farm chemicals, paints, pesticides, synthetic fibers and tools. In the third quarter of 2012, Thrive North Carolina indicated that 80,282 people were employed in private industry, that’s more than a quarter of the jobs in Cumberland County.

    The luncheon celebrates several anniversaries, including 15 years in business in Cumberland County for Aggreko and LeBleu Water; 45 years for Wesco Distribution and 80 years for Riverside Mattress. The recipient of the Al Prewitt Economic Visionary Award will be recognized at the luncheon as well. The award is giving to an individual or business for one or more of the following: creation of new jobs, corporate investment, expanded production of an existing facility or improving quality of life in the community.

    The Fayetteville Regional Chamber is a business advocate in the community and works to make Cumberland County a place that is not only appealing as a place to live, but as a place that is business-friendly. That means working to meet the needs of existing industry as well as looking for ways to attract new industries to the area.05-15-13-cover-story.gif

    “The chamber plays a variety of roles,” said President & CEO of the Fayetteville Regional Chamber Doug Peters. “We work closely with the educational system and career technical education system to make sure we have a capable world-class work force. Many companies want to be in a place with a well-trained available work force and we work to make sure our community can provide that.”

    This strategy includes everything from partnering with Fayetteville Technical Community College to customize training for potential and existing industries in the area to fostering relationships with the local government to creating networking systems and opportunities for plant managers and industry leaders.

    “We take a multifaceted approach to what we are trying to do,” said Peters. “I think the outlook is very bright for our area. One of the attributes of this community is the skilled and trained work force at Fort Bragg. An estimated 6,000 soldiers come out of the military from Fort Bragg every year. We partner with the U.S. Chamber to bring Hiring Our Heroes to the community. This gives service members a chance to transition their resumes to a civilian resume and apply for jobs. These are people used to getting up and going to work on time, they have soft skills and industry skills, which are a lot of the skills that are military learned. These are easily transferrable to the private sector. That puts us in a competitive position to attract companies to the community to fill jobs with capable and motivated people.”

    Find out more about the Fayetteville Regional Chamber and the Economic Development Alliance of Fayetteville & Cumberland County and how you can help celebrate Existing Industry Month at www.fayettevillencchamber.org.

    Photo: A strong supporter of existing industries in the area, PWC says thanks to the many companies that make this community great.

  • Judy Dawkins knows the power of positive thoughts and of positive contributions. Following her retirement from the federal government a050510-rsvp-1.gif number of years ago, she began a second career as the director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, or RSVP. Since that time, she has seen retirees, like herself, step out into the community and do everything from helping children learn to read to taking meals to shut ins.

    On Friday, April 23, Dawkins was joined by more than 475 volunteers at the RSVP annual volunteer appreciation luncheon at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church. The event is designed to thank the organization’s senior volunteers and to honor one of its own for their dedication and contributions to the community. Both were done in style.

    In 2009, the 515 volunteers registered with RSVP logged more than 104,187 hours of service to the community. Their time is equivalent to 50 full-time employees, which saved local organizations more than $2,031,646.50. Volunteers with the organization must be at least 55-years-old and elect to serve in one of the 76 agencies served by the organization.

    Joining Dawkins in thanking the volunteers were Kim Hasty, who served as the mistress of ceremonies; the Rev. John Cook, Sheriff Moose Butler, Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, of the XVII Airborne Corps, N.C. Rep. Rick Glazier, Mayors Ethel Clark, Eddie Dees and Tony Chavonne, Billy King, chairmen of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and Robert Hines of the United Way.

    Janice Burton, associate publisher of Up & Coming Weekly presented the Up & Coming Weekly Spirit Award, which honors the outstanding volunteer of the year, to Jim Stitt.

    Stitt, who has been volunteering with RSVP since 2002, delivers meals to the home bound, works with the United Way and a number of050510-rsvp-2.gif other agencies. Stitt, a retired Special Forces soldier, is an avid painter and is still actively involved in athletics. The award’s presentation was complete when Stitt arrived at the ceremony, having just won a gold medal at the Senior Games.

    Dawkins joked with Stitt, recalling his start with the organization. She explained that a number of gentlemen came to the senior center to play pool on a regular basis.

    “I heard them in there and they were having so much fun,” she recalled. “I went in and told them I need them and that energy to volunteer.”

    It seemed that no one was going to take her up on her offer until later when Stitt came to her privately.

    “He told me he would do what I needed him to do as long as I didn’t tell the other guys,” she said.

    Over time many of those gentlemen joined Stitt in his service to the community

  • Lake Rim Park is celebrating its 10th anniversary — and you are invited. The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is in on the05-19-10-steph\'s-article.gif fun, too. On Saturday, May 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. there will be food, entertainment, fun and art — plenty of art — at the Lake Rim Neighborhood Art Attack.

    According to Amber Williams, park ranger coordinator at Lake Rim Park, they’ve really come a lon g way over the years. The park was originally a part of the old fish hatchery that is now the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center that is adjacent to the park.

    “It just started off as a family park with playgrounds and sports fields and stuff like that and they only had a recreation staff out here,” said Williams. “When the city and the county merged a few years ago they started staffing the parks with rangers. Now, we host events and offer educational hikes and talks and things like that in addition to having space for people to play sports and play on the grounds and picnic.”

    In the name of keeping things fresh and exciting the park is always looking for new and exciting things to offer the community. They work with wounded war-riors providing exercise and archery programs, and are expanding the kayaking program. One of the big events is a white water rafting trip to the mountains in July.

    “We try to come up with new things all the time — new programs and events,” said Williams. “If anybody has anything they are interested in they should feel free to come to us and we will do our best to meet their needs.”

    That obviously worked out well for the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. When they began talking to Williams about hosting an Art Attack at Lake Rim Park, she knew right away that there was an opportunity to provide the community with at great event in a relaxed and nature-friendly setting.

    “The Arts Council’s Neighborhood Art Attacks are free mini arts festivals that feature musicians, dancers, artists and hands-on activities for the entire fam-ily in specific areas of our county,” said Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County Marketing Manager Mary Kinney. “Arts organizations from around the county partici-pate and actively engage residents in the diverse arts offer-ings in our community. The entertainment stage features a mix of professionals and local talent. The Art Attacks are an opportunity for everyone to express their creativity, have fun and learn about all the incredible arts and cultural offer-ings right here in Cumberland County.”

    With the help of Miller Motte College-Fayetteville Campus and the Kiwanis Club of Fayetteville, there will be several local organizations there with hands on activities. The Museum of the Cape Fear, Fascinate-U Children’s Museum and Cape Fear Basket makers are just a few of the organizations that will have activities for folks to try.Entertainment will include storyteller Gran’daddy June Bug, singer/songwriter Autumn Nicholas, Brian Morgan and Friends, magician John Tudor and Jef the Mime.

    Nature buffs will have plenty to do as well.

    “They are bringing the whole arts and entertainment aspect to it,” said Williams. “We are going to provide field games and bounce houses and some exhibitors. The environmental educational mobile unit will be out there and mobile aquarium. I am going to have wildlife rescue agencies bringing out some animals and some other educational and fun hands on activities, face painting and stuff like that — and we will have vendors selling food.”

    Lake Rim Park is located at 2214 Tar Kiln Dr. Admission is free. Call the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County at 323-1776, or Lake Rim Park at 424-6134 for more info.

  • 05-07-14-elderly-couple.gifA few days ago, we observed May Day, a celebration of spring. And, after a long and hard winter in many parts of the country, most of us are ready for sunshine, warmer temperatures and the hopefulness that spring always symbolizes. But as winter gives way to spring, we are also reminded that our lives have “seasons,” too — and it pays to be prepared for all of them. So, as you move into the “retirement season,” you’ll need to prepare for several possible challenges, including the following:

    Outliving your resources — The idea of outliving one’s financial resources is certainly not one we want to face. In fact, in a poll of people ages 44 to 75 sponsored by Allianz Life Insurance, 61 percent said they fear depleting their assets more than they fear dying. The best way you can overcome anxiety about running out of money is to invest and plan. Contribute as much as you can afford to your IRA and 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan — and when your salary goes up over time, increase your contributions. As for the “plan” part, try to envision the type of lifestyle you want during retirement, and then estimate how much this lifestyle will cost. Once you reach retirement, you will also need to do some planning — specifically, you will need to calculate how much money you can afford to withdraw from your investments each year.

    Becoming disabled — One-third of all people between the ages of 30 and 64 will become disabled at some point, according to the Health Insurance Association of America. If you became disabled, even temporarily, the loss of income could prove devastating to your financial security, and that of your family’s. To avoid this worrisome scenario, you may want to consider disability insurance. If your employer offers this coverage as an employee benefit, take it — but don’t assume it will be sufficient. Many times, an employer-sponsored disability policy will only cover a short-term disability and may have a long waiting period for benefits to kick in. Consequently you may need to purchase your own disability insurance policy to supplement your employer’s coverage.

    Requiring long-term care — Unfortunately, many people eventually require some type of long-term care, whether that involves a stay in a nursing home or the assistance of a home health care aid. This type of care is expensive, and Medicare only covers part of it. Just how costly is long-term care? The national average for home health aide services is nearly $45,000 per year, and a private room in a nursing home is nearly $84,000 per year, according to a recent survey by Genworth, a financial security company. To meet long-term care costs, you could self-insure, but that might be prohibitively expensive. But failing to do anything about meeting long-term care costs could result in the need for your grown children or other family members to get involved in some fashion — and that is something you no doubt wish to avoid. Fortunately, you can find solutions. To learn about appropriate protection vehicles, consult with your financial advisor.

    With some thoughtful planning, constant vigilance and timely action, you can meet all these challenges — and enjoy all the seasons of life in which you find yourself.

    Photo: Planning for retirement can make unexpected changes much more manageable

  • 05-14-14-ftcc.gifLocal high school students in the Fayetteville area have a unique opportunity at their fingertips for earning free college credit. Fayetteville Technical Community College is one of 58 community colleges in North Carolina that offers free dual-enrollment credit to high school juniors and seniors. This feat is achieved through state legislation known as Career & College Promise. Locally, this program is known as High School Connections, and over 650 high school students have enrolled in free college classes during the current spring 2014 semester.

    Many students can benefit from High School Connections (HSC). Some students are looking to get a jump-start on their two- or four-year degree options by taking general education courses. For 2014-2015, High School Connections will offer a wealth of options for these students, including English, mathematics, history, science, psychology, sociology, philosophy, political science, public speaking, and art and music courses. Students wishing to enroll in these courses must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and meet testing requirements based on their PSAT, PLAN, SAT, or ACT scores.

    Other students in the HSC program might be looking to accomplish early career training. To that end, FTCC offers 27 different Career & Technical Education (CTE) courses. Courses range from accounting to welding and everything in between. Students who successfully complete one of these CTE programs are invited to attend FTCC’s graduation ceremony held in May of each year. For this year’s graduation, over 150 students are qualified to “graduate” from FTCC before they even complete their high school education!.

    FTCC is a very affordable option for a college education, especially when compared to the cost of a four-year degree, whether public or private. HSC can help cut this cost even further; for each individual course taken in the high school years, a family is saving over two hundred dollars. High school students typically take two or three courses each semester at FTCC, which can really add up to savings over the course of their junior and senior years. To be financially savvy, students can start their college education through High School Connections and then enroll in FTCC full-time after they complete their high school education. Then, for completing a four-year degree, FTCC offers several transferrable associate’s degrees for students who wish to continue their education beyond FTCC.

    Students and parents who would like to learn more about what the High School Connections program can offer are invited to visit our website. At this site, students can get more information about the specific requirements and how to enroll, and they can also view all of the programs we offer to see what might pique their interest. In most cases, students can start the enrollment paperwork in their high school’s guidance office, but FTCC is always available and willing to help answer any questions. Check our Website for information about High School Connections as well as summer and fall 2014 registration.

    www.faytechcc.edu/highschool_connections/index.aspx.

    Photo: Local high school students have an opportu-nity to earn college credits at FTCC.

  • 05-21-14-honoring-militaryu.gifMemorial Day is a day to honor all of those who have died in America’s Wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, though it is still often called Decoration Day. Fayetteville is no stranger to the military and has lost many soldiers to war. The community routinely holds events to honor military members and their families and the month of May is the perfect time to reflect on the price that has been paid for our freedom.

    The Fayetteville Downtown Alliance hosts the Field of Honor, which is a living display of heroism that flies as a patriotic tribute to the strength and unity of Americans. Paul Swenson is the creator of the Healing Field and the Field of Honor. He wants to acknowledge the scale of the sacrifice with a positive image that would offer hope and comfort. Every flag honors someone who is currently serving, those who have served and the men and women who have made the supreme sacrifice for our nation’s security and freedom. Each flag comes with its own story and displays a tag identifying the person who sponsored the flag and the flag honoree. This is the fifth year of the Fayetteville Field of Honor. The 2014 Field of Honor will fly May 10 through June 28.

    On Monday, May 26, at noon there will be a Special Operations Forces K9 Memorial Ceremony at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. The Special Operations Community would like to recognize and remember the canine soldiers killed in action. The dogs have saved countless lives and have earned a hero’s memorial. There is a memorial statute in honor of the fallen K9 heroes that were killed located at the museum.

    The Army’s Army in partnership with the Fayetteville Area Convention will host an Eve of Remembrance, a two-day event, on May 20-21 leading up to Memorial Day honoring the 92,000 Americans taken as prisoners of war(POWs) since World War I. “The bravery and sacrifice of our country’s POWs deserves unmeasurable amounts of recognition and we are proud to be hosting an event in their honor,” said Janine West, Executive Director of the Army’s Army. The event kicks off with an invitation only VIP dinner on May 20 for surviving POWs as well as the premiere of the documentary, Never the Same: The Prisoner of War Experience, on May 21 at 7 p.m., followed by a live question and live panel discussion with the director and actors Loretta Swit and Ed Asner. The dinner will bring North Carolina POWs and out-of-town veterans that served during World War II and the Vietnam War to be recognized from their bravery and service. “We would like to thank those involved with the film, as well as our partners and sponsors for participating in this moving pre-Memorial Day tribute to POWs,” said West.

    General admission is $12. A limited number of complimentary tickets for POWs, active duty soldiers, veterans, and military spouses are available at the Crown Box Office. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, the Crown Box Office, or any Ticketmaster outlet. For more information call 483-5311.

    On Monday, May 26, don’t miss the Memorial Day Ceremony at Freedom Memorial Park. It starts at 10 a.m. Visit www.freedommemorialpark.com for information.

    Photo: There are events and celebrations honoring America’s fallen soldiers throughout the month of May in the Fayetteville area.

  • Lace up those sneakers, runners! The Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation’s (ASOMF) 7th Annual Run for the Legend 5k/10K takes place June 7.

    The 5K race begins at 8 a.m., while the 10K kicks off at 8:05 at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum on Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville.

    Registration is $20 through June 6, when it increases to $25. T-shirts are limited to the first 500 people.

    Competitive runners will start at the front of the start line, while those with strollers, wagons and well-behaved, leashed dogs will be asked to start in the back. Group rates are available by calling 910-643-2778.

    The ASOMF Run for the Legend is sanctioned by USA Track & Field (USATF) and timed by the Atlantic Coast Timing Systems. The top three male and female runners will each receive trophies. Medals are provided for the top three per gender/per age group.

    Paul Galloway, Executive Director for the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation said, “All donations and proceeds from the event go to the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation, whose mission is solely to support the U.S. Army’s Airborne & Special Operations Museum. The ASOM Foundation uses the funds to maintain and update exhibits and fund educational programs.”

    The main tag-line for the ASOM is “The Legend Continues,” which refers to the paratroopers and special operations soldiers from past, present and future. While the race was first held in 2007, beginning in 2008, that tagline became the official name of the run.05-28-14-run-for-the-legend.gif

    The museum is free and open to the public, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays and Federal Holidays but open Memorial Day, July 4 and Veteran’s Day. Various movies are played throughout the day at no charge, while a simulator ride is available for $5 per person.

    Something new for this year’s event is a pre-race pasta dinner at the ASOM from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 6. The cost is $5 for children 12 and under; $8 for registered runners; $10 for non-runners; $12 for day of runners. Reservations should be made by June 2, by calling 643-2778.

    The dinner is being provided to the ASOM Foundation by The Fireside Restaurant.

    Run for the Legend joins a host of other races in the area in the coming months, including The Color Run, The Glow Run, Firecracker 4miler and Color Me Rad. Race organizers are also looking for volunteers to help with the event. If you, or someone you know, are interested in volunteering, please contact Catherine Hodge at info@asomf.org.

    The Run is being sponsored by MJ Soffe, The Fayetteville New Car and Truck Dealers Association, BB&T, and Fireside Restaurant.

    To register for the race, please visit www.active.com and search “Run for the Legends.”

    For more information about the Airborne & Special Operations museum, please visit www.asomf.org, or download the free smart phone app by searching “airborne & special operations” in the app store.

    Photo: Run for the Legend supports the Airborne Special Operations Museum Foundation.

  • 06-01-11-headset.jpgEach season Gilbert Theater treats the community to plays that run the gamut in theme and content. So far, this year’s works have included The Rocky Horror Show, A Christmas Carol, Dateline Greensboro and Long Day’s Journey into the Night. Next in the line up is Headsets, written by William Missouri Downs and directed by Gilbert Theater’s own Elysa Lenczyk. The play opens June 2, and runs Thursday to Sunday through June 19.

    Once a stage manager at Gilbert Theater, Lenczyk brings some insight and perspective to the play that only a techie can offer and appreciate.

    “I was the stage manager for four years at Gilbert. I ran the lights, I did the sound … there is just so much in a small theater that needs to be done. Volunteers weren’t there to do it, so it kind of fell to me,” said Lenczyk. “So, when the play got offered to me, being that it takes place in a small light booth in a theater, it was comical. I think the fact that I know the whole perspective of that end of the theater is one of the things that also appealed to me about directing this play.”

    A farce about technical theatre, Headsets takes place in the light booth of the Chicago-Ensemble-Repertory-Group-Theatre-Project on the final night of the company’s doomed production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

    Ross and his stepfather Charlie are the main characters. Like Claudius and Hamlet, the two have a lot of issues between them. It is while they are running the light board for the production that they attempt to work on their relationship all the while dealing with problem after problem with the play — and hilarity ensues.

    Listen in and find out what really goes on behind the scenes as production and tech-crew headsets buzz with comical banter and snarky comments.

    UNC Pembroke student, Rakeem Lawrence plays Ross. Steve Bates, a favorite on the local thespian scene plays Charlie. Also included in the cast are Laura Kannengieszer as Shannon, Chris Brown as Garry Cooper with Schubert/Dick’s voice being played by Paul Wilson.

    “Everyone is doing a fabulous job,” said Lenczyk. “I am just thrilled with the cast and I think the community is really going to enjoy this production. Plus, this is the fi rst comedy that Gilbert has done in a while They did Lysistrata, I think, last season and it was an ancient Greek classic. This is a little more mainstream a little bit more relatable for the audience.”

    Anyone who has been to a Gilbert Theater production can tell you that they can pack a lot theatrics be it comedic, dramatic or you name it, into an intimate space and they do it with a sense of dedication to the community — to make it a better place.

    “With the Gilbert,we use local talent,” said Lenczyk. “I think that is a big part of what makes the productions so special. The community can come out and see their friends and neighbors doing something to bring enjoyment to the community.

    Visit www.gilberttheater.com for ticket prices and more information.

  •     The Cumberland County Business Council and the Fayetteville Area System of Transit dominated much of the discussion in the first of the Fayetteville City Council’s budget workshops on Thursday, May 15.
    Annually, once the proposed budget has been presented, the council meets in a series of workshops to tweak the budget. The council uses these workshops to ask questions concerning budgeted items and funding sites, as well as to put more things in the budget and take things out. City Manager Dale Iman explained to the council that they would put items in either a “wish” column denoting items the council wanted to restore or put into the budget and a “hit” list, which indicated what programs would lose money to fund the new request. {mosimage}
        The council also received answers to a list of preliminary questions they had concerning the budget. At each budget workshop, the city staff will have responses to questions brought up in the previous meetings. One of the most debated questions of the evening concerned the city’s contract with the CCBC. The CCBC was formed in 2003 to bring the county’s fragmented economic development efforts under one organization. The CCBC receives funding from the city and the county to conduct economic development for both entities.
        In the Fiscal Year 2008-2009 proposed budget, the city has allocated $415,000 to the CCBC for the provision of the following services: maintaining an inventory of properties to market to new businesses, including office and industrial space; recruiting new businesses, with an emphasis on companies dealing in the realm of defense, automotive, biotech and pharmaceutical ; supporting existing industries; allocating grants through the Women’s Center; and creating a career/workforce development plan.
        Members of the council felt that the CCBC had not been held accountable in the past. Mayor Tony Chavonne noted that in some of the areas the city contracts with the CCBC to perform it is hard to measure success, but felt that the council was looking for greater accountability.
        Councilman D.J. Haire questioned whether any of the money given to the CCBC by the city was going to salaries. Iman noted that the city contracts the services of the CCBC and as such, they do not have oversight on the CCBC budget. He added that the CCBC has been without leadership for the past several months and that the upcoming months would prove critical to its performance. Iman said the ultimate goal of the city’s participation with the CBCC was to grow the tax base.
        Councilman Charles Evans asked whether or not the city could require the organization to provide a list of projects they are working on and how it benefits the city. “They are supposed to create employment situations. I would like to know in the last three to five years what businesses have come to the city because of them,” he said. “We have no jobs — Fayetteville is not being sold too well out and abroad.”
    Iman concurred that the CCBC has not had a lot of success in attracting jobs to the county noting that the major stumbling block has been the work force and work force development needed to recruit the jobs the county would like to have.”
        Councilman Keith Bates noted that several industries that the county was vying for had recently gone to other areas – one to Asheville and one to Bladen County. He cited a recent study that indicated that Fayetteville did not have employees who were willing to work in those kinds of industries. As of March 2008, the Fayetteville Metropolitan Area had a work force of 146,687 according to the state’s Civilian Labor Force Estimates. Of that number, 137,718 people were gainfully employed, leaving the area with a 5.4 percent unemployment rate. The statewide rate is 5.2 percent.
        Chavonne added that Cumberland County does not receive as many state incentives to attract industry as do other areas with lower wealth. He said it makes it harder for the county to compete for industry.
    Councilman Bill Crisp called the CCBC a “failure.” “We don’t need to look back over the past three to five years,” he said. “What’s critical is this year and the next year. We need an overview of what they are doing because of BRAC. We’ve seen industry get out of here and we need to get industry in here,” said Crisp.
    Haire questioned whether the city could allocate funds to the CCBC on a benchmark basis meaning the funds would flow to the organization as they meet certain goals set by the city. Crisp countered that economic development was an “imperfect” thing, and that the council should give them the money, but then see what they do with it.
        Bates requested the city make it a stipulation that the organization give the council a quarterly report on its economic development activities.
        Councilman Bobby Hurst, who is the council’s liaison to the CCBC, said that the organization has already agreed to keep the council more firmly in the loop with quarterly reports.
        The FAST system also had its share of discussion at the meeting. At issue was a motion by Council Ted Mohn in an earlier meeting to add an additional $100,000 to the transit system’s budget. In developing the proposed budget, Iman and his staff added $100,000 to the proposed budget. Mohn maintains that his motion was meant to add an additional $100,000 to the current year’s expenditures. Chavonne noted that he had written the motion, which Mohn read in the council meeting and that it was to add the funds to the current year’s expenditures. The meeting’s minutes reflect the budget allocation. The difference in the motion has the council and city staff looking for an additional $122,000 for the system. That would up the city’s annual contribution to the system to more than $2 million dollars.
        The city staff budgeted $1.8 million from the general fund for the system; the additional $100,000 would bring the budgeted amount to $1.9. The current year’s expected operating expense from the general fund is in excess of $1.9 million.
        Council members put the extra $122,000 on the wish list, with the suggestions that a $100,000 allocation to GoodYear as part of an incentive program be used to fund the difference. GoodYear must meet several benchmarks before it receives the funding from both the city and the county. It appears that the company will be unable to meet the infrastructure improvements in the plant that would qualify it for the funding this year. Iman said that would allow the city to use the money this year for the bus system but they would not be covered in the coming budget years.
        Mohn suggested council members give up the proposed pay raise to raise another $10,000 for the transit system funding. No action was taken.
  •     For most people, balancing household accounts proves difficult enough. For the members of the Fayetteville City Council and the city staff, the budget process is a lot like an obstacle course. The process, which begins months before it’s ready for prime time requires the council to project an outcome and the staff to pull off quite a balancing act to present a balanced budget that meets not only the requirements of the council but the needs of the staff.
        On Wednesday, May 21, staff and council came together in one of the final budget meetings to hash out differences and come to terms on questions the staff had on the proposed budget. One of the questions that garnered a lot of discussion in the meeting was the request for an additional attorney in the city’s legal department. Karen McDonald, the city attorney, made the request during her annual review. At that time, there appeared to be a consensus among the council to approve the request. Several council members were surprised when the request was cut from the budget.
        Councilman Ted Mohn questioned the cut during budget discussions. Mohn sent a question concerning the cut to City Manager Dale Iman prior to the meeting. Iman explained that the request for the new attorney fell under the heading of “new initiative.” He explained that when the staff put the proposed budget together they came up with $140 million in request and only $134 million in revenues. That shortfall caused the staff to take a very hard look at all requests made by departments.
        In explaining the budgeting process, Iman explained that the council sets the directions with its strategic plan. He said once that is established, he and members of the city’s staff, hold hearings with each department head and their staff to hear their needs. Adding that each request in the budget is looked at closely, particularly those requests for new initiatives and positions. “When it came to new positions and programs, we looked at them very closely,” said Iman, “and unless they paid for themselves or were needed services, we were unable to fund them. That happens all too often in municipal budgets.”
        While Mohn said he understood the process, he felt that the council was behind the hiring of the new position. Val Applewhite joined Mohn in lobbying for the position. Applewhite asked McDonald whether she still needed the position and if it was in the best interest of the city.
        “From my perspective, I feel that we need the position, but it’s a matter of resources and getting in line with the need,” she said. {mosimage}
        Applewhite questioned whether or not the city could cut the amount of money the city has allocated for outside council — some $300,000 — to pay for the new attorney. McDonald said the outside council was used to retain outside council to help her office deal with lawsuits against the city that arise throughout the year. She said her office does a good job of keeping the city out of trouble, but that a number of lawsuits have arisen over the past year, including three last week. McDonald said that each of the attorneys in her office is assigned to number of departments. She said that that reflects some staffing issues when compared to other municipalities. McDonald said she understands the budgeting process and that her staff will work hard to meet the needs of the city.
        Mayor Tony Chavonne asked Iman and his staff to take a look at the budget, and the performance of the attorney’s office in six months to determine whether or not an additional attorney could be hired.
        One new initiative that was funded was the hiring of a downtown development manager. The new position was funded at more than $80,000, with $75,076 allocated for the employee’s salary and an additional $6,484 funded for supplies and equipment needed for the position.
        Applewhite noted that the hiring of a legal representative seemed more important than this position, noting that it had obviously been handled in the past.
        Iman explained that the individual hired in this position would handle all facets of downtown business and growth. He noted that with the number of people and businesses coming down, more and more issues are coming up. Downtown development previously fell under the auspices of the Cumberland County Business Council. Pulling this element from the CCBC allowed the council to add workforce development into their contract with the CCBC.
        Iman noted that in many instances city staff tries to do something positive in the downtown area, and the downtown merchants perceive it in a negative way. He feels that having this go to person will allow the city to build a stronger relationship and do more positive things in the downtown area.
        Applewhite countered. “We have gotten ourselves in some legal situations over the past years, and that makes the addition to the legal staff important. We seem to keep doing a lot for downtown — but there’s more to life in Fayetteville than downtown.”

  • In the Old West, announcing that a gang of outlaws was coming could strike fear into the hearts of the townspeople. These days, such an announcement brings the promise of great music and a good time, when the Gang of Outlaws Tour, featuring ZZ Top, 3 Doors Down, Gretchen Wilson and special guest The Ben Miller Band, comes to the Fort Bragg Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 2, sponsored by the Fort Bragg MWR. Tickets are $30 in advance and are available online at www. fortbraggmwr.com and at the Fort Bragg Leisure Services Office. Admission is $35 the day of the show, with tickets available at the gate beginning at 5 p.m. 05-23-12-gang-of-outlaws.jpg

    The Gang of Outlaws Tour features performers and music guaranteed to get you on your feet and moving, from bluesy rock and roll to country. For more than 40 years, event headliner ZZ Top, “that little ol’ band from Texas,” has entertained fans worldwide with its distinctive blues-influenced rock, including such hits as “La Grange,” “Cheap Sunglasses,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs.” Rock and Roll Hall of Famers and original band members Billy Gibbons (guitar/vocals), Dusty Hill (bass/vocals) and Frank Beard (drums/percussion) have just released their first single in nine years, “I Got To Get Paid!”

    Formed in 1996 in Escatawpa, Miss., rock band 3 Doors Down has enjoyed multi-platinum success, beginning with its debut album The Better Life, the 11th-best-selling album of the year in 2000. The band, composed of lead vocalist Brad Arnold, lead guitarist Matt Roberts, bass guitarist Todd Harrell, rhythm guitarist Chris Henderson and drummer and percussionist Greg Upchurch, released its fifth album, Time of My Life, in July of 2011.

    Rock-inspired country singer Gretchen Wilson has won a Grammy, as well as awards from the Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music and American Music Awards. “Redneck Woman,” her first single from her debut album Here for the Party, spent six weeks at number one. Other hits by the multi-platinum artist include “Here for the Party,” “Homewrecker,” “When I Think about Cheatin’” and “All Jacked Up.”

    Special guest The Ben Miller Band from Joplin, Mo., features band members Ben Miller, Scott Leeper and Doug Dicharry, who, according to the band’s website, combine “the frenetic energy of bluegrass, the soul of the delta blues and the haunted spirit of Appalachian mountain music.”

    Some might think this much fun should be against the law, but you won’t want to miss any of this gang’s acts. The Howell Street Gate opens at 3 p.m. Admission to the event, held rain or shine, includes free parking. Food and alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages will be available for sale. Guests may bring lawn chairs and blankets, as seating is unassigned. No pets, except for service animals, are allowed, and no cameras or video recordings are permitted. For more information, visit www.fortbraggmwr.com/gangof-outlaws.

  •  Dark Shadows   (Rated R) 2 Stars05-30-12-movie.jpg

    It is hard to pinpoint exactly where Dark Shadows (113 minutes) made its misstep. Genre blending itself is not usually enough to doom an otherwise good movie. A bit of Tim Burton flourish generally adds a touch of whimsy that will at least manage to entertain. The Johnny Depp/Helena Bonham-Carter thing usually works out, and the show upon which the movie was based is a cult classic. But something went horribly, horribly wrong, because this more or less sucked from start to finish.

    In an attempt to introduce a new audience to the original Dark Shadows mythos, the film opens in the 18th century. A couple of Collins’ sail from England to Maine, founded a town and built a Manor. Their only son, Barnabas (Depp) is kind of a jerk and takes advantage of the help, Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). Evidently we are supposed to ignore the class and gender politics inherent in this plot line and instead focus on how unjust it is that the wronged woman actually dares to challenge her patriarchal oppressor. It is really hard to know who to sympathize with because, yes, Angelique apparently does curse the Collins family, but also, they kind of sort of deserved it.

    So, once Barnabas is done heartlessly using the girl that loves him, he moves on to a more socially appropriate match, Josette du Pres (Bella Heathcoate). She ends up dead, and he ends up plunging off a cliff, realizing he is a vampire and getting buried in chains of silver.

    Fast-forward to 1972. Maggie Evans, randomly re-naming herself Victoria Winters, (also Bella Heathcoate) travels to decaying Collinswood Manor to take a job as governess to David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). She hitchhikes from the train station and is ushered in to the Manor by Willie Loomis (a completely miscast Jackie Earle Haley). Victoria insists that everyone call her Vicky, including matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (a scenery-chewing Michelle Pfeiffer).

    At dinner, Vicky meets the rest of the household, including Dr. Hoffman (Bonham-Carter), Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Grace Moretz) and David’s father Roger (Jonny Lee Miller). Now that all the cast is in play, maybe we can get some sort of plot going on? Yes. Finally something relevant to the rest of the movie occurs. Barnabas wakes up and slaughters a bunch of people, which totally expands the sympathy the audience built up for the character after watching him receive some just desserts for sexually exploiting Angelique earlier in the film.

    He hotfoots it over to the manor and tries to inject some comedy into the film by referring to modern technology as demonic and misunderstanding the McDonald’s sign. It really is a laugh-a-minute, except, the opposite of that. Finally, he introduces himself to the Collins family who immediately accept the mass murderer into their home without compunction. It totally works out great! From there, the plot becomes utterly nonsensical. At least Angelique comes back! Except she is still sort of obsessed with her first love, because, of course, women can’t find fulfillment or define themselves without a man.

    Overall, there are only two really enjoyable parts to the film. First, the soundtrack, while not without flaws, is pretty enjoyable. Second, the end of the movie. Nothing particularly good happens at the end of the movie, I just really enjoyed the fact that it was over.

    Now showing at Wynnsong 7, Carmike 12 and Carmike Market Fair 15.

  • get down downtown flyerCool Springs Downtown District will host Get Down, Downtown on May 28 from 7-9 p.m. in downtown Fayetteville.

    “The mission behind Get Down, Downtown Fayetteville is to showcase our local musicians, artists and performers, while encouraging visitors to shop and eat local in downtown Fayetteville,” said Lauren Falls, Cool Springs director of marketing and events.

    This event highlights the organizations Busker Program, which has been incorporated in their 4th Friday and holiday events over the last three years.

    Attendees can expect seeing live performers, artists, musicians along Hay Street and Person Street. The family-friendly event will also feature a balloon artist.

    “This is a free, family friendly event and we encourage you to come and enjoy the local talent here in downtown Fayetteville,” Falls said.

    Some of the artists and performers will include, Michael Daughtry and the Drift (Musician), Aloha Ka'naka O Hula Hulau Dancers, Matthew Mercer (VADEN presents Art by D-Zine), Costa, a balloon artist from Imagine Circus, Shadows of the Fire Dance Troupe, performers from Gilbert Theater, among others.

    The event won’t feature specific deals or promotions, but attendees are encouraged to support local businesses and attractions.

    “At Get Down Downtown Fayetteville, you can expect to see a diverse group of performers, artists and musicians from our Fayetteville community” she said.
    For more information, please visit our event page: https://bit.ly/GetDownDowntownFay

  • 11 rocknontheriverAfter being shut down last year due to the pandemic, local music event Rock’n On The River is back and ready to kick-start the season with a double header May 21.

    The concert series will feature a performance each month from May until October at 1122 Person St. (behind Deep Creek Grill) in Fayetteville. The May show will feature two tribute bands — Mostley Crue, playing Motley Cure hits, and Shoot To Thrill, who will pay homage to AC/DC.

    “The event will benefit two local non-profits - Karen Chandler Trust and Kidsville News,” said Greg Adair, organizer of Rock’n On The River. “Half of the proceeds from the event will go to these non-profits.”

    The Karen Chandler Trust is a local nonprofit helping those battling cancer. Kidsville News Foundation is an education and literacy nonprofit in Cumberland County.

    Mostley Crue will perform from 6-8 p.m. Shoot To Thrill will kick off at 8:15 p.m. to 10:15 p.m.

    “We are a pretty high energy band and bring a lot to the show,” said Scott Koempel, lead guitarist for Mostley Crue. “It will be a lot of fun and will be a great night if the weather is perfect.”

    Based out of Raleigh, Mostley Crue started about 13 years ago and currently has four members and a growing following.

    “They are there to laugh and have a great time,” he said. “The band we are playing with, we are great friends, they are a great band and, in the music community, a lot of the community is like family, we support each other.”
    Shoot To Thrill, another Raleigh native, consists of five members and is an all women rock band covering AC/DC that has been around for the last eight years. Shoot To Thrill is known for their fun stage show that incorporates the
    audience.

    “Even though we like to dress up, rock out and put on a show, we really like to play well,” said Wendy Brancaccio of Shoot To Thrill. “We are so excited … it was so fun when we played two years ago.”

    The Rock’n On The River events will feature food and drinks for purchase at the venue.

    “Deep Creek Grill is the partner that will offer different diner type foods like barbecue, hotdogs, the typical southern diner food,” Adair said. “This is also a Healy sponsored event, and they will be selling beer, four different types of beer and drinks. No outside food or drinks will be allowed.”

    Rock’n On The River began in 2018 when Adair felt the need for a local event for the people of Fayetteville.

    “I just found the place down there and wanted to bring the river back, it wasn't being utilized the way it should and it's a really pretty place,” he said.

    The music series will feature other bands like Reflections II, Trial by Fire, Heart Breaker, Joyner Young & Marie and more for the rest of the season.

    “It's a great set up that gives a chance for a lot of new people to discover bands that may not have seen or go to see usually,” Koempel said. “It's a win situation for the vendors, the event, the bands and people.”

    Parking for the show begins at 5 p.m. and costs $3 per person in any vehicle. Food and beverage sales also begin at 5 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring their chairs and blankets. No pets are allowed at the event.

    For more information, line-up updates on Rock’n On The River, visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/Rockn-On-The-River-271048666818630

    10 Crue and Thrill

     

     

     

     

     

     

    May 21
    6 p.m. Mostley Crue (Motley Crue Tribute)
    8:15 p.m Shoot To Thrill (AC/DC Tribute)
    June 18
    6 p.m. Reflections II (variety)
    8:15 p.m. Trial By Fire (Journey Tribute)
    July 16
    6p.m. Joyner, Young & Marie (Pop/Variety)
    8:15 p.m. Heart Breaker (Heart Tribute)
    Aug. 27
    6 p.m. Throwback Collaboration Band (R&B/Dance)
    8:15 p.m. North Tower (Beach/Boogie)
    Sept. 17
    6 p.m. Cool Heat (Variety/Beach/Dance)
    8:15 p.m. Bad Inc. (Bad Company Tribute)
    Oct. 22
    6 p.m. Rivermist (Classic Rock/Variety/ R&B)
    8:15 p.m. Tuesday's Gone (Skynyrd Tribute)

  • nerd marketIt’s time to put on your favorite superhero outfit because the Cool Spring Downtown District is hosting its first-ever Nerd Market on May 15 from noon until 4 p.m.

    “The Nerd Market will be a place where you can find DC and Marvel memorabilia, artists selling their work, and so much more,” said Lauren Falls, the director of marketing and events for Cool Spring Downtown District.

    Adults and kids of all ages are invited to take part in the opportunity to shop and support the local nerd/comic con community.

    “This is a family-friendly event and free to the public. We will have a food truck, DJ and a cosplay contest that you can enter to win a prize,” Falls sad.

    The Nerd Market will be held at 301 Hay Street in Fayetteville. Those interested in entering the cosplay costume contest can register online. For more information and sign up please visit https://bit.ly/NerdMarketDowntownFay.

  • 12 10North Carolina USA Boxing presents their 1st annual Carolina Gloves Boxing Tournament May 14 through Sunday, May 16 at Freedom Courts Sportsplex.

    Tournament sessions for Saturday are scheduled to begin at noon and 6:00 p.m. Championships will take place Sunday at noon.

    “We wanted an event that we could grow every year and it had to be branded with the Carolina Gloves name on it,” said Patrick Finklin, tournament director and president of NC Amateur Boxing.

    “We decided to have a boxing tournament in Fayetteville because it is the center of the hub of North Carolina.”

    Finklin added that after COVID-19 many boxers are hungry to start boxing again.

    Boxing is a positive intervention that has been proven to help at-risk and troubled youth stay on the right path.

    “It is an outlet and a lot of gyms in the United States use it to keep kids out of trouble,” said Finklin.

    “They see Floyd Mayweather as well as other well-known boxers and their goal is to become one of them because it is not just always about basketball and football.”

    Boxing can be a platform to not only give kids a positive outlet, but also encourage a long-term commitment to the sport.

    “I was too short for basketball and too small for football,” said Juan Verdejo, who started boxing in his teens. Now 34, Verdejo serves as the head boxing coach at Burgess Boxing & Fitness in Spring Lake. “I think boxing is a way of life.”

    The tournament is a way to bring boxers from area clubs together and promote the sport, Verdejo said.

    “This event will help bring awareness, be entertaining and help build up local youth,” Verdejo said.

    The tournament is open to the public and local audiences can also expect to see talent from across the country compete.

    “Right now we have people registered from California, Florida, New York and Ohio that are coming to participate in the tournament, said Finklin. “We are expecting about 300 boxers to show up in Fayetteville from 8 years old to 70 years old.”

    Being a great boxer requires a lot of training, skills and endurance. It takes 4 months to a year to train for a big fight.

    “The characteristics of a great boxer are being motivated, having great mental and physical discipline, perseverance and the determination to get better,” said Finklin.

    “Their training entails stretching, muscle memory, running, sparring, fighting and competing.”

    He added, “They start off as a novice which is 0-10 fights and once they get more than 10 fights they are in an open division. Every boxer’s main goal is to make the United States Olympic Team and afterwards to become pro.”

    “We have about 6 gyms in the Fayetteville and Spring Lake area and we have boxers from all over the country coming in,” said Finklin. “If you have students who are in the boxing gym come on out and support the event because those students will be at the tournament.”

    Prizes for the winners of the tournament include a Championship Belt and bragging rights for the 1st place winner and a medal for the 2nd place winner.

    “We want to bring some exposure of amateur boxing to North Carolina because there are a lot of people who don’t even know that it exists,” said Finklin. “We wanted to create an outlet for people to be able to be excited about and come out to watch.”

    All boxers and coaches must check-in Friday, May 14 from 12-6:00 p.m. General admission is $15 and $10 with a student ID. The event is open to the public. For more information call 910-309-6956 or visit www.ncusaboxing.net

    Pictured Above: Head boxing coach Juan Verdejo (center giving thumbs up) will be coaching boxers from Burgess Noxing and Fitness in the 1st Carolina Gloves Boxing Tournament. (photo courtesy Burgess Boxing & Fitness). 

  • 11 Fay area Trans MuseumThe Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum opened Literary Fayetteville: Pages of Our Past, a new exhibit that showcases books from the late 18th century to the mid-20th century.

    These books tell the story of Fayetteville’s past through pamphlets, stories, diaries, familiy bibles and more.

    “This exhibit has never been done before,” said Museum Director Bruce Daws. “We picked a timeline, and discussed what to showcase within that frame.”

    The exhibit features over 50 books and pamphlets, each with a unique story and connection to Fayetteville.

    Each book within the exhibit is numbered and there are binders provided that contain the information and background for each book displayed.

    The exhibit also examines Fayetteville's authors, book dealers and libraries. It breaks down the importance of books and how they related to social life in the early 1900s.

    Literary Fayetteville: Pages of Our Past is not just an interesting learning experience for the family, it also provides knowledge to both historians and book collectors. Book collectors can learn what makes a book valuable, and factors relating to the care and condition of a book. Historians can learn the backgrounds of previously unknown books.

    This exhibit provides information that is not only interesting to Fayetteville locals but also fills in the gaps for history buffs.

    One of the pieces that stand out is number 49, which is the diary of Elizabeth Poe as it was kept from 1903 to 1909. She was one of the last of the Poe’s to live in Fayetteville’s E. A. Poe House, now a museum on Arsenal Avenue. This diary allows viewers to step back in time and experience Fayetteville’s life and society through the words of a young woman living in that time.

    The free exhibit was opened to the public on April 23. Depending on the popularity of the exhibit, the Museum will determine if it will remain open for six months or a year.

    The exhibit is a family-friendly environment with something for all ages.

    The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum is located at 325 Franklin St. and offers tours of several different historical monuments, the museum and the museum’s annex. Museum hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    For more information about tours and schedules visit their website www.fcpr.us/facilities/museums/fayetteville-area-transportation-and-local-history-museum or call 910-433-1457.

     

  • {mosimage}In Plain Sight (Sunday, 10 p.m., USA) introduces us to a new kind of TV heroine. Mary Shannon (Mary McCormack) is a tough U.S. marshal who helps relocate people in the witness-protection program. Mary has to handle both the witnesses (often nasty criminals) and the folks who want them dead, and that puts her in a perpetual bad mood. All day long she throws out insults and punches, using sarcasm to keep her sanity.

    McCormack creates a memorable character, but the script could use fine-tuning. Mary’s incessant “pissiness” č to use one of her favorite words č can become grating. And her wisecracks are sometimes just old-fashioned bigotry masquerading as a gutsy challenge to political correctness. The premiere episode’s villain is a Native American, giving Mary a chance to tell him that “the great white father back in Washington will go all Little Big Horn on your a**.”

    The episode also elicits groans when it tries to show a heart beating under Mary’s hard shell. It goes all earnest on us, suggesting that she’s just an old softie looking for L.U.V.

    “We all live in hiding,” she says in a suddenly gentle voiceover. “In one way or another, each of us conceals pieces of ourselves from the rest of the world.”

    Pissiness, all is forgiven.


    Scripps National Spelling Bee

    Friday, 8 p.m. (ABC)

    Admittedly, the kids who make the finals are amazing. But one can’t help but ask a question: Why make these smart students waste their time memorizing nutty words that no one ever uses? Wouldn’t it be better to apply their brainpower to, say, solving the oil or healthcare crises?

    To me, the whole thing is simply mastrosniffapoolicious.


    MTV Movie Awards

    Sunday, 8 p.m. (MTV)

    Every year, the MTV Movie Awards shames the Oscars by honoring films that audiences actually liked. The 2008 Oscars were dominated by grim, pseudo-profound movies painstakingly engineered to win Academy Awards. By contrast, MTV’s show picks cheeky, earthy, shamelessly fun flicks, bristling with energy and eccentricity. The nominees includeSuperbad,Knocked Up,HairsprayandTransformers, all refreshingly free of pretension. Can you imagine how much better Atonement might have been if it included a car that transformed into a giant robot?


    Million Dollar Password

    Sunday, 8 p.m. (CBS)

    CBS revives the old game show, in which contestants help their partners guess a word revealed only to the audience. CBS promises a sleek, modern production, with higher stakes, new twists and a grand prize tied to 2008 inflationary levels. But to most of us,Passwordwouldn’t bePasswordwithout one very old-fashioned element: a deep-voiced announcer who addresses the audience in an absurd stage whisper. “The password IS╔.”

     

    Denise Richards: It’s Complicated

    Sunday, 10 p.m. (E!)

    Denise Richards never got any respect as an actress, probably because she didn’t deserve any. Now that she’s too old for bosomy sexpot roles, it’s time for the next phase of her career: a tawdry reality series. One wonders if Richards will seem wooden even in the role of herself.

    Here, she allows the cameras to record her life as a single mother in Hollywood. You know the drill: picking up the kids from school, shopping for groceries, stealing rocker Richie Sambora from best friend Heather Locklear.

  • 09 Gary Lowder picAs more pandemic restrictions are being lifted, many of us are ready for spring and summer activities to begin. Warmer weather and sunshine invite us to venture outdoors to enjoy friends, good food, a favorite beverage and great music. On May 14, Fayetteville Dinner Theatre, Up & Coming Weekly, and Gates Four Golf & Country Club will kick off the Gates Four Summer Concert Series with the Carolina Summer Beach Bash.

    Piedmont Natural Gas and Jay Dowdy of All American Homes are the title sponsors of this new summer-long outdoor music venue for Cumberland County residents. Working in conjunction with Healy Wholesale Distributors, these great sponsors support this musical series to assist in raising money for reading and educational resources for Cumberland County children through the Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation.

    All concerts will be presented outdoors at the Gates Four Pavilion and socially distanced. The Concert Series includes a variety of musical acts from Beach to the Beatles. The Concert Series will be held monthly through September, with tickets available online at www.fayettevilledinnertheatre.com or the Gates Four business office during business hours. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with food (included with ticket price) served 6-7:30 p.m. A complete line of beverages will be available at three convenient full-service cash bars serving Healy Wholesale beer and wine products and your favorite mixed drinks. Concierge table service will be provided for VIP tables inside the Pavilion. Fayetteville's own Mash House Brewery will also have a large selection of their custom craft beers available. Sweet Frog will be present for those with a sweet tooth.

    There will be something for everyone during this concert series which showcases a different band each month. Kicking off the Concert Series on May 14 is Gary Lowder & Smokin' Hot. Known as a party band based out of North Myrtle Beach, their music covers songs from several decades with many different genres of music represented, including soul, rhythm and blues, funk, reggae, jazz standards, country, 50s, 60s and Carolina Beach Music. In addition to covering today's top trending hits, the Gary Lowder & Smokin’ Hot also has successful hits on local radio and internet stations across North and South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia and Florida.

    Members of Smokin' Hot have been nominated collectively for several Carolina Beach Music Awards over the years. In 2013, the band won "CD of the Year" at the Carolina Beach Music Awards. In 2014, they won "Group of the Year." In 2015, they were nominated for 13 Carolina Beach Music Awards, with J.K. Loftin, group guitarist, winning "Engineer of the Year." In 2016, they were nominated for 6 CBMA Awards, including "Male Vocalist" (G. Lowder), "Group Album" ("Playin' With Fire 2"), "Entertainer" (G. Lowder), "Engineer" and "Producer" (J.K.Loftin), "Collaboration or Duo" (G. Lowder & Marsha Morgan, "Too Many Tears"). Gary Lowder & Smokin' Hot is an example of the quality entertainment Gates Four brings to Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

    The next concert on June 26 will be the British Invaders, who will present a Beatles Tribute to Beatlemania of the 1960s when English bands stormed the U.S. music charts and won over crowds of screaming fans. While dressing in period Nehru suits and playing vintage instruments, the British Invaders will entertain the audience with a mixture of British hits from the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, Dave Clark Five, The Animals, The Yardbirds, Rod Stewart and Elton John.

    On July 17, it's a classic retro rock party with the Jan Michael Fields Band performing hits of the 70s and 80s. Here is another decade of fabulous Rockin' in the 80s music. Jan Fields is a charismatic performer known as one of the top vocalists in the southeast. His stellar voice and ability to work the stage are just as relevant today as in the 80s when he was the frontman for the international touring act, Sidewinder. Jan is the consummate pro, and his dedication to his craft earned him a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 for outstanding contributions and support of the North Carolina music industry.

    August 28 picks up in the 90s with Stylin' Country with the Tim Hair (Tim McGraw) Tribute Band. For fans of McGraw's country and crossover hits, the show will follow his career from his 1994 breakout "Indian Outlaw" and feature his many number one songs through his chart-topper "Humble and Kind."

    The grand finale of the Summer Concert Series is on September 18, showcasing Fayetteville and Cumberland County's 4-time winner "Best Local Band" in Up & Coming Weekly's Best of Fayetteville survey. The versatile Rivermist Band will be performing their award-winning songs to include top forty, rock, pop, funk and R & B. This talented group of musicians has played together in Fayetteville and the southeast for more than 40 years. It is a great way to end the Summer Concert Series. Their shows are always professional, energetic and entertaining.

    Plan to be at the Pavilion at Gates Four on May 14 for the Carolina Summer Beach Bash. The Gates Four Summer Concert Series offers terrific music from the talented artists along with Gates Four hospitality, friends, great food, plenty of drinks and a great time. Tickets for all concert dates are available for purchase at Gates Four or online at www.fayettevilledinnertheatre.com. Tickets are $60 per person and include the concert, food, lawn seating (bring your chairs), gifts, door prizes and a few surprises.

    For VIP Tables, group rates or more information, call 910-391-3859. Tickets are limited in order to keep the concert attendees comfortable and socially distanced.

  • 08 sdc parachute 3The Salvation Army of the Sandhills region will be hosting a Summer Day Camp for children in grades K-8 from June 7 to
    Aug. 16.

    “The Salvation Army Red Shield Club Summer Day Camp is our annual camp that provides a safe environment for the children we serve to play and grow,” said Alison Henion, who serves as the community relations and development coordinator for Sandhill’s Salvation Army.

    The camp takes place annually and can usually hold 45 to 50 kids but will host only 22 this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. The camp costs $55 per week, with a one-time $15 registration fee, and will have a rolling registration all summer so participants can join anytime. Camp will be held during the day from 7:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.

    “This year is an Olympic theme so we will have many friendly and fun competitions mimicking the Summer Olympic Games,” Henion said. “We also have art and crafts, field trips, movie days and computer time. We incorporate education in a fun way as well by hosting a reading competition and academic games.”

    The camps will be led by their Community Center Director Donya Campbell along with two other program aides.

    “We also will have different businesses, churches and community groups come spend time with the kids,” she said. “They host activities provide lunch or just simply hang out and play.”

    The camp application to the camp can be found at www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/fayetteville/community-center/? and emailed to donya.campbell@uss.salvationarmy.org or delivered in person at the admin office located at 220 E Russell St.

    For those interested in donating to the local Salvation Army or volunteering, visit www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/fayetteville/? or call Alison at 910-483-8119.

  • 07 CFRT BEFORECape Fear Regional Theatre is undergoing renovations to improve the audience experience.

    The popular theatre that began performing in 1962 under the name “Fayetteville Little Theatre” became CFRT and now features a three-story complex serving about 49,000 audience members in a typical year.

    “This theatre is flying from coach to first-class,” Mary Kate Burke, artistic director for CFRT, said.

    CFRT will be getting a new HVAC system, more handicap accessible and stair-free seating, better lighting and a new sound system, among other changes.

    “The width of the seats will go from 19 to 21 inches and the depth of each row will gain at least 6 inches deeper than before from the knees to the back of the chair,” Burke said. “There was a lot of community engagement and consensus and we have decided to stick with the red seats.”

    In the past, CFRT received feedback about volume issues and uneven hearing throughout the theatre. The new sound system will address and fix these problems. The organization invited Rob Kaplowitz to help design the system.

    Kaplowitz is a 25-year veteran in the sound industry, having worked as a composer, sound designer and is a recipient of a Tony Award for “Fela!” and an OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence In Sound Design, among other celebrations of his work. He has worked in many theatre companies on and off Broadway.

    CFRT hosted a meet-and-greet with Kaplowitz for theatre sponsors, donors and patrons on April 16 to show the crowd prototypes of the new improvements and the new sound system.

    “The old sound system’s best speakers were the center ones, you can see there’s a wide variation from front to bank, so rest assured I have replaced all of them,” he said. “We are becoming inaudible going to the back. Before, the person who wanted the front and aisle seat was hearing the worst sounding show possible.”

    Kaplowitz said the equipment that CFRT had been using in the building is pre-2000s and basically obsolete, adding that sound technology has rapidly evolved in the last few years.

    “The new speakers sound 60 times better than the voice you heard so far,” he assured the crowd. “With the new speakers, you've got coverage all the way to the back, with very little variation. The difference between two seats will not be more than 8 decibels, which is very low.”

    CFRT has reached over 70% of their monetary goal to pay for renovations due to contributions from various patrons and donors. The theatre also received a $250,000 grant that jump-started the campaign from a foundation that prefers to remain anonymous.

    Theatre-goers can also sponsor a new seat with a plaque bearing a name or message. There are about 100 seats left to sponsor. Sponsor plaques from the original seats will be part of a new installation in the lobby. More information can be found by visiting www.cfrt.org/support/#capital-campaign. Those interested in learning how to become a sponsor can call Ella Wrenn at 910-323-4234 ext. 229.

  • uac050411001.jpg The Cape Fear River is known for many things like its wild beauty and the size of its catfi sh. But on Saturday, May 7 it will be known for its ducks as a flotilla of ducks float down the river in the highly anticipated Duck Derby.

    The ducks, of the yellow, plastic bathtub variety, each represent a donation to a local Fayetteville charity. Organizers of the Duck Derby have been out over the past several months selling these ducks to people in the community, with an eye on race day.

    Since February, more than 9,492ducks have been sold according to Katie Crenshaw, one of the organizers of the event.

    “My dream is 15,000,” said Crenshaw. “I know that sounds unbelievable, but they say the last two weeks are your biggest sales. So people still have time to adopt a duck and participate in the derby.”

    Ducks will be sold all the way up to race date, so if you haven’t bought your duck yet, it’s still not too late. You can adopt a duck for $5, with all proceeds going to Fayetteville’s own fl ock, which is comprised of local non-profits that will receive a portion of the proceeds. Each non-profit participating is listed on the Duck Derby website, as well as corporate teams that will raise money for their favorite non-profit.

    “Every non-profit will get $1 for each of their non-profit sales, plus the corporate teams pick a non-profi t, and they will get a $1 for every non-profit. The rest goes to Fayetteville Urban Ministries. We will also donate $500 to the highest team’s non-profit,” said Crenshaw.

    Saturday’s event is designed to bring the community together for a day full of fun and celebration aimed at “building a better community.”

    Events kick-off at Campbellton Landing at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The event has something to offer the entire family. For the young ones in your own flock, The Kid’s Zone is sure to keep children entertained. The zone features Magic by David, Bounce Houses, Rattler Jake, a train, arts and crafts and visits by many local mascots. There will also be wagon rides on the river.

    “We have great activities for the children,” said Crenshaw. “Our opening ceremony will feature all of the non-profi ts and they will cut the ribbon together.” 05-04-11-duckderby_colorlogo.jpg

    For those who love music, don’t worry you’re covered, too. Live music will be ongoing throughout the day, featuring performances by Suckerpunch, Refl ections II Band, Summerfi eld, Taylor Bridges, the Kidsville! Kids and the Falcon Children’s Home Choir.

    If you would like to take a closer look at the Cape Fear River, boat rides by Cape Fear River Boat Rides will also be available.

    Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a festival if there wasn’t food, so rest assured a number of food vendors will be on hand. And, if you get thirsty, a number of wineries and the Budweiser Girls will be around to offer you something to drink.

    The highlight of the event will be the release of the ducks into the Cape Fear River around mid-afternoon. “The first honorary duck in the water will be dressed like a soldier to honor all of their sacrifi ces,” said Crenshaw.

    Once released, the ducks will float to the finish line. The top five ducks will bring home prizes to their adopted family. The grand prize is a 2011 Toyota Camry provided by Rick Hendrick Toyota. Second prize is a Las Vegas Getaway; third prize is a Myrtle Beach escape; fourth prize is a Cape Fear River Cruise; and fi fth prize is a pair of Community Concerts season tickets.

    Admission to the event is free For more information about how you can participate in the Duck Derby, visit the website at www. fayettevilleduckderby.com

  • “I’m not sure what I want to be when I grow up.”05-11-11-ftcc.jpg

    This is a statement often presented to me not only from students in high school, but also individuals who have been working for a while, as well as students who are currently enrolled in college but are considering chang-ing career fields. There was a time when people would decide upon a ca-reer field and maintain that same career for 20-plus years until retirement. Today, however, people will change career fields five to six times during a lifetime.

    For many individuals, career awareness is a challenging and difficult activity to engage in. It can often feel overwhelming, time-consuming, and intimidating. Career awareness is an individual process, and individuals should recognize that each person starts at different places when exploring career interests. One should begin the process early to help focus energy towards making better career choices, and this effort will lead to realistic options for success.

    Time spent exploring one’s interest, values and abilities, as well as gain-ing more insight into what makes each person “unique” is considered to be a key component to career decision-making.

    One of the main functions of the Career Center at FTCC is to help aid individuals in solving some of the crucial problems likely to be faced as they turn their career plans into a reality. We can offer and administer a variety of career interest inventories, which help to link personality types and abili-ties with careers. These assessments provide valuable background informa-tion for career planning

    .Once the inventories are completed, the individual can sit and talk with a professionally trained counselor and work jointly in solving prob-lems associated with career choices, daily living, and educational planning. The goal is to pull all of the relevant information together and formulate a plan of action!

    The services within the FTCC Career Center are free and open to the public. You can contact us at www.faytechcc/counseling/CareerCenter.asp or 910-678-8205 or 910-678-8422 for more assistance and information.

    FTCC Career Center910-678-8205 or 910-678-8422

  • veterans Park As friends and family gather for the holiday to grill or enjoy the beach, Col. Scott Pence reminded people to stop and think about the families who will have an empty seat at the table on Memorial Day.

    Pence, 46, is Fort Bragg’s garrison commander. He was the keynote speaker Monday morning for a Memorial Day program at Freedom Memorial Park in downtown Fayetteville.

    Inside the park, “All Gave Some … Some Gave All” is posted on one of the monuments. On Monday, flags were set at half-staff for the ceremony, and floral arrangements and markers had been placed in front of a podium.

    “Ever since eight members of the Lexington militia lost their lives in the first battle of the American Revolution, nearly 1.2 million service members – soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen – have made the ultimate sacrifice,” Pence told those who were seated on the bleachers and in folding chairs. “We are reminded that the world remains a very dangerous place and that our soldiers are in harm’s way all across the globe.’’

    Approximately 300 people attended the service to remember those who sacrificed their lives in the call of duty. The program – organized by veteran Don Talbot, the commander of Purple Heart Chapter 2226 – incorporated patriotic music, a bagpipe version of “Amazing Grace,” wreath presentations representing World War I up to the Global War on Terror, and the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Company.

    Pence first spoke of the family of Dalia Munoz, a teenager attending high school in Fayetteville. She remembers hearing the doorbell ring, and the men delivering the news of her father’s death, Pence said. Her father was a former Golden Knight and member of the Special Forces.

    The year was 2005, just four years following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

    From that day on, Pence said, Dalia’s life forever changed.

    Among others who have fallen, Fayetteville High School graduate and Eagle Scout Henry T. MacGill barely spent two weeks in Korea before he was gunned down by North Korean forces in 1950, Pence said. Only a few years before his death, he had graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

    MacGill was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross – the Army’s second-highest decoration for valor. The citation reads that MacGill repeatedly put his life at risk to save his men.

    Pence evoked the names of others who died while serving their country, including Master Sgt. Ralph Joseph Reno, who went missing in Vietnam on July 3, 1966, when his helicopter crashed into the mountains of Quang Nam province.
    It would be 2011 before Army officials identified his remains and declared the 38-year-olf Reno killed in action.

    “Take a look around these sacred grounds of Freedom Park,” Pence said. “The memorials here are a gentle reminder of those brave men and women who raised their hand to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. These monuments represent the sacrifices of those men and women – and it represents the sacrifices of the families who are left behind.”

    Pence talked about a unique bond between the military and civilian communities.

    “When we lose one of our own,” he said, “our entire town mourns. We come together to support one another. … We are a community who takes great pride to be home to the thousands of men and women in uniform.”

    As a final example of that empty seat at the table on Memorial Day, Pence recalled Earl G. Dawkins, who served with the Army Air Force’s 444th Bomber Squadron, 320 Bomber Group. As he and his crew were on their way to Dijon, France, in November 1944, an unexpected storm caused his Martin B-26 Marauder to crash, taking the lives of Dawkins and his crew, Pence said.

    Dawkins’ name is listed on a plaque with others who died near the crash site in the village of Plottes, France. It reads: “They died far away from their country because they came to help liberate ours.”

    So, Pence concluded, “As we gather with friends and family, let us remember that Memorial Day is a time to honor our commitment to never forget those who served and sacrificed for America. And today, we do that once again.”

    Ann Provencher, who is with the Rolling Thunder North Carolina Chapter 1, spoke during the program on the Missing Man Table, a symbolic gesture that pays tribute to the nation's POWs, MIAs and all of those who did not return while in service.

    "Their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good makes them all true heroes," she said. "We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never wholly be paid."

    Ryan Jackson, 24, of Fayetteville, attended the ceremony with his grandfather, 60-year-old Army veteran Tim Katetianes.

    “It’s a day of memory. Reflection,” Jackson said from the bleachers. “A day of empathy.”

    Bruce Tyson, 72, of Fayetteville, called the Memorial Day program “extra special” as he left the park.

    “It’s good to see so many come out,” he said. “More people are involved in grilling and beach travel. It’s warm but tolerable. I’m here because someone went somewhere else and sacrificed.”

  • homeless Cumberland County’s homeless population rose by 178 from 2020 to 2022, according to an annual count of people who live on the streets and those living in homeless shelters.

    The 2021 count, which was restricted to people in emergency shelters because of the COVID-19 pandemic, was 54.

    The 2022 Community Development Point in Time Count records the number of people in temporary or transitional housing in Fayetteville and Cumberland County as well as those on the streets.

    Overall, 475 people were reported to be homeless.

    According to the January count, the area has:
    ● 392 unsheltered homeless people.
    ● 43 sheltered homeless.
    ● 40 people in transitional housing.

    That adds up to 475 individuals, based on the count.

    The 2020 count reported a total homeless population of 297 with 165 unsheltered, 38 in emergency shelters and 94 in transitional housing.

    The final report, which will be submitted to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, will be available on Cumberland County Community Development's website at a later date, a news release said.

    Neither Dee Taylor, director of Cumberland County Community Development, nor Craig Morrison, director of Fayetteville Area Operation Inasmuch, could be reached for comment on Monday.

    Operation Inasmuch provides food, temporary housing and other assistance to the homeless.

    The count is done each January to tally the homeless population during a 24-hour stretch, says a news release from Community Development. “It is designed to be a snapshot of both the sheltered and unsheltered homeless population in a particular area and should not be considered an exact count of homeless individuals,” the release said.

    The 2022 count was conducted by 68 volunteers from Community Development and partner agencies, the release said. The volunteers included 19 Cumberland County employees.

    At the time of the count, donated items such as gloves, knitted hats and hygiene kits were distributed to the homeless.

    Cumberland County Community Development is the lead agency responsible for counting the homeless. Partner agencies include the city of Fayetteville Economic and Community Development and Fayetteville-Cumberland County Continuum of Care on Homelessness.

    “The unsheltered homeless are those who are living in conditions that are uninhabitable for humans such as vehicles, under bridges, doorways, abandoned houses/buildings, parks and cemeteries,” the news release said. “The sheltered homeless are those who are in facilities such as emergency shelters; domestic violence shelters; motels and hotels paid by vouchers and charitable organizations; and those in transitional housing units.”

    Homeless persons may live in transitional housing as long as 24 months and receive support services.

    The count records demographics including race, gender, age and factors including mental illness, substance abuse and disability, the news release said.

    Pictured above: Cumbrland County's homeless population rose from 2020 to 2022. (Photo by Jimmy Jones)

  • Terry Wayne Raeford 57 of Fayetteville was arrested and charged The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office has charged a man with throwing Molotov cocktails at two churches Sunday morning.

    No injuries were reported, the Sheriff’s Office said in a release Sunday night.

    On Monday, arson investigators charged Terry Wayne Raeford, 57, of Fayetteville, with two counts of manufacturing and possession of a weapon of mass destruction and two counts of malicious damage to occupied property by use of an incendiary device.

    Raeford was held at the Cumberland County Detention Center on a $200,000 secured bond. His first appearance in court is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

    Raeford is cooperating with the investigation, the Sheriff's Office said.

    Deputies responded to the first incident just after 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Grays Creek Church at 4750 Grays Creek Church Road. Deputies responded to the second incident just after 11 a.m. Sunday at New Calvary Missionary Baptist at 3862 Gateway Drive, the Sheriff’s Office said.

    Arson investigators obtained video footage from both churches. Security cameras showed a four-door gray vehicle with tinted windows at both locations, the Sheriff’s Office said.

    Pictured above: Terry Wayne Raeford (Photo courtesy Cumberland County Sheriff's Office

  • 16 Youth from the Boys & Girls Club have a chance to play baseball thanks to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers’ recent donation of $10,000. The newly formed “Junior Woodpeckers” will be showcased at the team’s home game against the Fredericksburg Nationals on Saturday, June 18, at Segra Stadium.

    The initiative is part of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers Community Leaders Program, which generates donations through corporate partnerships with area businesses and through fundraising events throughout the year. Their goal is to provide support to youth sports and military service members and their families.

    The Junior Woodpeckers were formed to give children the opportunity to participate in youth sports without having to worry about the costs usually associated with extracurricular activities.

    “The Junior Woodpeckers initiative was something I wanted to put in place to be able to give children in Fayetteville the same opportunities and kind of level the playing field,” said Kristen Nett, Fayetteville Woodpeckers community relations manager. “I saw that it was harder for some families to be able to pay for their children to be involved in sports.”

    The donation to the Boys & Girls Club pays for uniforms, equipment, registration fees and other expenses related to playing in a baseball league. Junior players will receive a custom jersey with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers logo on the sleeve.

    The “Junior Woodpeckers” is a 12U team that can compete in the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation youth baseball league. This year’s team formed in April.

    “The goal is to have it be a yearly (opportunity),” said Nett. “My goal is to form a totally free baseball league in Fayetteville. So, this is just the start.”

    “The Woodpeckers are really excited. I feel it’s our responsibility to be able to come into this community and give back and do everything we can to help others.”
    The Woodpeckers minor league baseball team was established in Fayetteville in 2019 as a Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. The team was formerly known as the Buies Creek Astros and played on the campus of Campbell University.

    When the franchise moved to Fayetteville, they got a new name and a new home at Segra Stadium. Fans were invited to suggest a new name for the team, and the Woodpeckers was selected in honor of the red-cockaded bird that was once found throughout Fayetteville but is now an endangered species.

    For more information on the Fayetteville Woodpeckers or to buy tickets for the game, visit www.fayettevillewoodpeckers.com.

  • 12 The reality that Fayetteville and the state of North Carolina will soon have a world-class history education facility nestled atop the city’s historic Arsenal Avenue is becoming more concrete as the civic organization behind the effort will hold its third and final ground-breaking ceremony on June 2.

    A panel of Civil War & Reconstruction History Center Board members assembled on May 24 at Fayetteville Technical Community College’s Tony Rand Center to speak with members of the media about the Civil War & Reconstruction History Center, its purpose and curriculum and the upcoming ground-breaking.

    Mac Healy, chairman of the Civil War & Reconstruction History Center committee, was flanked by Vice-Chairwoman Mary Lynn Bryan, a noted Fayetteville philanthropist who since 2006 has advocated for the center; Board Member and former Fayetteville State University Chancellor James Anderson, and Board Member Demetrius Haddock, a life-long educator, retired math teacher and education advocate.

    The panel had much to say about the format and purpose of the center, which will serve not only the local community but the state. The center, while located in Fayetteville, will be a state-run facility. The representatives repeatedly spoke to the power of story and the importance of creating a dialogue centering around the difficult subjects of the civil war, enslavement and the post-civil war reconstruction.

    Haddock, who was initially skeptical of the center’s curriculum, has since become a member of the board and assists in planning for the center. He has been focused on supporting the educational components, specifically concerning students in the 4th, 8th, and 11th grades studying North Carolina history under the state’s school curriculum. He explained at a recent meeting focused on curriculum at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington that many teachers were unaware of and cautious about how to present much of the difficult content that the center will focus on.

    “Those concepts, especially enslavement and just the idea of people owning human beings and you know how do you have a conversation with students about that, and there are so many dimensions around that time period that people just kind of stay away from, especially the Reconstruction or afterwards," said Haddock.

    Despite the committee’s efforts raising private funds, securing state and local money for the project, and, more importantly, educating the public about the project, there has been concern the center will be a museum honoring the Confederacy.
    Anderson reiterated that the center would focus on the history before the Civil War and the Reconstruction era, which was often a difficult period for formerly enslaved people.
    Anderson explained that the board of advisors and the board of directors working to build the center and its curriculum are both “replete with scholars.”

    “The History Center is not a museum. I want to make that clear,” Anderson said. “It will use the power of storytelling and interactive technology to educate youth about that specific time in history,” he said. “Those who constantly demonize the proposed project are ignorant of the facts.”

    Bryan invited anyone concerned about the center’s purpose to engage with the committee.

    “Every time we have been challenged, if the people who challenge us will meet us, we are willing to sit down and talk about our plan and what we have in mind and why it is significant not just for our community but for our state,” Bryan said.

    “The story we have to tell about this very, very difficult period in our history is a true story. It’s a story based on fact developed by a group of scholars known worldwide. They want to present an accurate picture, and so do we,” she said.

    Bryan reiterated the museum’s purpose and asserted the center would not focus solely on the story of the Confederacy.

    “It’s very disconcerting when we hear, for example, that we are going to develop a Confederate museum, which we have no intention whatsoever of doing. The flags that will fly, if flags fly in our history center, will be the state flag and the U.S Flag. We will have no statues or monuments.”

    Bryan noted that an organization offered the committee money in the center’s early planning stages if it agreed to house all statewide Confederate statues at the center.

    “We said no. We will get the money a different way,” Bryan said.

    Healy explained the center would feature cutting-edge interactive storytelling, and Anderson elaborated on that concept focusing on the power of those stories.

    “This is a history center. We are not going to be a collecting museum. We will have several artifacts in there, but only if they continue further telling the story,” Healy said.

    “The history center will allow us not only to be interactive, as Mac [Healy] says but to tell a story; to use the power of stories that come from people who have a generational contact with all of this,” Anderson said. “The history center will allow us to make people feel emotionally connected.”

    Anderson went on to relay an anecdote about seeing a Ku Klux Klan robe at the Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro.

    “Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a story attached to this that people could really understand what the power of the Klan robe is?” Anderson said.

    The narratives in the center’s curriculum will represent and belong to everyone in the state.

    “The critical issue is this is going to tell the story of everybody located in the state of North Carolina during a certain designated period,” Bryan said.

    The center’s goal is to collect 100 stories from each of 100 counties; while they have not yet achieved this, they are still actively collecting and vetting stories from North Carolinians.
    According to Healy, the public does not want to go to a museum and read storyboards anymore. They want interactive museums.

    “This is going to be that,” he said.

    The “touch and feel” aspect of the center contributes to the overall costs of the project, explained Healy. In addition to the cutting-edge technology and content, nationwide increases in materials and supply chain issues have contributed to increasing costs.

    Initially, the cost to build the center was estimated at approximately $65 million, but since has been estimated at about $80 million. Last year, the North Carolina General Assembly appropriated $60 million for the project. Before that, the committee raised money from private contributors and secured a commitment from the City of Fayetteville City Council and the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners for $7.5 million each.
    According to Anderson, the center will help make Fayetteville a destination city.

    Ralph Huff, a local philanthropist and former owner of H&H builders, a residential construction company, attended the news conference and echoed Anderson’s remark. Huff said Fayetteville could become a weekend destination where visitors spend several days walking from one venue to another. Huff referred to visitors walking to the proposed downtown Arts & Entertainment Center, Segra Stadium, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, and, finally, atop Haymount Hill to the proposed History Center.

    The committee expects the center to be an economic boon for Cumberland County. A study predating the building of Segra Stadium projects that the center will have an $18 million annual economic impact and secure about 200 jobs. Healy explained that this positive impact might be even higher with added amenities such as Segra Stadium, increasing the draw for visitors to downtown Fayetteville.
    Healy described the center as a ”world-class one-of-its-kind history center located in Fayetteville for the state of North Carolina.”

    Among those scheduled to participate in the third ground-breaking ceremony is Spencer Crew, Ph. D., emeritus director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Crew is among a half dozen history scholars that Anderson noted are associated with the center. The scholars are writing and designing a curriculum covering the years 1835 through the early 1900s for the history center.

    Healy said the 11 a.m. ground-breaking ceremony marks the start of construction for the center’s main building. For additional information on the Civil War & Reconstruction History Center, its curriculum or the ground-breaking, visit www.nccivilwarcenter.org.

  • 9 Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins will tell you upfront that crime is inevitable. Yet, she will also point to recent data showing that Fayetteville’s overall crime has been down for the past six years.

    Hawkins earlier this week presented her department’s first-quarter crime report of 2022 to the Fayetteville City Council. The report primarily compared data from January through March 2021 to data from January through March 2022. However, for three major crime categories — crimes against persons, combined person and property crime and property crime — the comparison data covered six years.
    Hawkins showed that in a six-year period, combined persons and property crimes were down. In 2016, the department reported 19,345 crimes against persons and property. In 2021 that amount dipped to 14,699.
    However, when comparing the first quarter of 2021 to 2022, aggravated assaults rose 27.6% from 225 to 287. Burglary rose 8.5%, from 236 to 256; larceny 32%, from 441 to 582; motor vehicle theft 75.6%, from 86 to 151; and robbery 38%, from 50 to 69. Domestic violence rose 27.3%, from 33 to 42.

    On the plus side, homicides dropped by 8.3%. In the first quarter, Fayetteville saw one less homicide compared to last year’s 12. Suicides and overdoses also dropped significantly. Suicides dropped from nine to five, a 44.4% reduction, and overdoses declined from 19 to 16, a 15.8% drop.

    During a recent one-on-one interview with Up & Coming Weekly, Hawkins said crimes against individuals or persons are lower now than six years ago.

    In 2016, there were 4,769 reported incidents of crimes against persons. In 2021, there were 4,039 reported incidents. Only in 2019 was the number of reported incidents lower, at 3,889.

    Aggravated assault had one of the most significant increases compared to the 2021 first quarter. Hawkins said that category has a unique reporting system. One act of assault can result in more than one reported aggravated assault charge. For example, if someone shoots into a home yet no one is injured by the bullet, the law still counts the number of aggravated assaults based on the number of people occupying the house. The same rule applies to shooting into an occupied vehicle. Shoot into a car with four people, and you are charged with four counts of aggravated assault.

    “We’ll never be at zero in crime. That’s the first education the public has to have. We know that crime is going to happen. We know people are going to do things; people are going to commit crimes. Our objective is to determine how we can use as many tools and resources to minimize that happening in our community. And that is not the responsibility of one entity at all,” she said.

    Hawkins said the community bears some responsibility for deterring crime, especially for crimes involving illegal weapons, which are often stolen from homes and vehicles.

    “We know people break into cars. And people leave all kinds of things in their cars, and they also leave their weapons in the car, which is absolutely crazy,” she said. “In 2021, there were 267 weapons stolen out of vehicles. Why would you leave your weapons in vehicles,” she said.

    For example, in 2021, there were 1106 motor vehicle break-ins, of which 69% or 762 vehicles were left unlocked. That year, 218 handguns, 23 rifles, nine shotguns, and ammunition were taken from motor vehicles. Only 58 were stolen from homes and two from businesses.

    So far in the first three months of 2022, there have been 307 motor vehicle break-ins, of which 64% or 198 were from unsecured vehicles. The result is 67 illegally owned handguns, and three rifles are on the street, probably used in criminal activities.

    Hawkins said the department’s narcotics unit, during its investigations alone, seized 45 guns in 2021 and seven during the first three months of 2022. Department-wide, the police seized 212 guns in the first quarter of 2021 and 215 guns in the first quarter of this year.

    “We as a community have a responsibility and are capable of preventing weapons from getting into the hands of people doing illegal activities,” she said. “We as a community are going to have to say: What are we doing to prevent guns getting into the hands of people doing illegal activities?”

    “Criminals know people don’t lock their cars. They don’t break windows; they just pull the door handles,” she said.
    Crime-fighting has become more sophisticated than ever. From analyzing what makes someone a repeat victim to what makes someone a repeat offender, Hawkins credits her officers with using technology as a key resource in fighting crime.

    The department uses 118 city-owned surveillance cameras and another 289 contract cameras in a citywide network. The cameras are along major thoroughfares like Skibo Road, Owen Drive and the All-American Expressway, and in the Bonnie Doone and downtown area, among others. The contracted cameras are mounted on city buildings, she said.

    “We have a camera system that captures people (doing illegal activities) quickly. We have LPR (license plate reader) cameras,” she said. “We have 52 new ones deployed throughout the city now,” she said. The new

    LPR cameras come with an AI element (artificial intelligence) that can provide additional information about a vehicle, not just the license plate numbers.

    The goal is to see who comes into the city and who leaves the city after committing a crime.

    Another area that plays a significant role in deterring crime in Fayetteville is the need for a full complement of officers. Despite a significant number of retirements or simply resignations to follow other pursuits, the department later this summer expects to have about 50 recruits in two separate academies, one conducted in July and the other in August.

    Hawkins said the department has been actively recruiting for both lateral entries (experienced officers from other departments) and new cadets. The department recently sent recruiters to Puerto Rico. The U.S. island territory’s pension system for its police officers does not compare with the retirement and benefits provided by the Fayetteville Police Department.

    During the recruiting drive earlier this year in Puerto Rico, the department received 60 applications on-site, of which 25 passed the test given to everyone who wants to be a police officer, Hawkins said.

    Most are lateral entries. Hawkins called them “heavy hitters who are everything you want in an officer.”
    There was a recent criticism on social media for sending a delegation to Puerto Rico and spending $18,000. Hawkins said she is unaware of any opposition to the department’s recruiting efforts. She said even rounding up the alleged amount to $20,000 would still have been worth it.

    “What’s the cost of going without an officer?” she asked. “How much money is spent on overtime when we are short 50 officers?” “We are recruiting everywhere.”

  • pexels memorial day Several community Memorial Day events are scheduled through Monday. Here are a few:

    Friday
    Spring Lake: A Memorial Day ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Veterans Park on Ruth Street.

    Saturday
    Concert: The Southeastern Gospel Music Association will present a Memorial Day weekend concert at 6 p.m. at Mt. Gilead Baptist Church, 6248 Cliffdale Road. Admission is free. The concert will feature the Port City Quartet and G. Vern Adams Jr. The master of ceremonies will be Larry Chason. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

    Monday
    Fayetteville: The Fayetteville area will honor Cumberland County veterans who died in wartime during a ceremony at 10 a.m. at Freedom Memorial Park at Hay Street and Bragg Boulevard. There is limited bleacher seating. Attendees may bring a lawn chair. Parking is available at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum or at the Medical Arts Building. The keynote speaker is Col. Scott Pence, garrison commander at Fort Bragg.

    Hope Mills: The town’s ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, 5766 Rockfish Road. The guest speaker will be Charles Lee, deputy director for Veterans Affairs with the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Light refreshments will be served after the ceremony.

  • Cumberlan Co logo Cumberland County Manager Amy Cannon on Thursday, May 26, presented the county's fiscal 2023 recommended budget to the Board of Commissioners during a special called meeting.

    The county's tax rate remains unchanged at 79.9 cents per $100 of assessed property value. Each penny on the tax rate produces $2,427,268. The budget is balanced, as required by the North Carolina Local Government Commission, Cannon told commissioners.

    The budget takes into account the board's priorities established in fiscal 2021, which include the Crown Event Center to replace the Crown Theatre and Crown Arena, public water access for Gray's Creek and mitigating homelessness.

    The recommended budget calls for $552,930,111 in total expenditures across all county funds, and a General Fund of $362,177,033.

    In her budget message to the commissioners, Cannon outlined the issues facing the county government in the upcoming budget cycle. First among those is what she termed "the new normal," a COVID-19, pandemic-induced altered work environment. The pandemic resulted in new organizational structures where employees were forced to work from home and adapt to new technology.

    "The uncertainty remains. Remote work still remains," she said. The new normal also includes providing services electronically, erratic economic recovery, and the potential of a new COVID-19 variant that can affect the delivery of services.

    The budget also takes into account the prevailing economic uncertainty. Cannon said another important factor affecting county operations is inflation, currently at 8.5% and eroding the spending power of county residents and county government. Along with inflation, the county must adjust to ever-increasing fuel prices and supply chain issues.

    Cannon projected General Fund revenues from ad valorem taxes at $170,695,791, a $2 million increase over fiscal 2022. Motor vehicle tax revenues are budgeted at $23,242,940, a $1 million increase over 2022.

    She said the ad valorem taxes are the largest revenue source at 55% of the total budget revenue. These taxes are based on the combined values of real property, personal property, and motor vehicles of about $194 million. Real and personal property taxes are budgeted at $170.7 million, an increase of $2 million over last year.

    Some of the county's major spending highlights include:
    ● Unfunded mandates, including increased health insurance rates, increased employer contributions to the retirement system, increased property and cyber security insurance, and funding an N.C. Department of Public Safety plan to align the county share of youth detention facility costs with operating costs.
    ● Additional commission priorities identified in fiscal 2021 about mental health and public health.
    ● A pilot program that develops a proactive prevention program addressing the social detriments of health.
    ● Another pilot program for patient transportation for public health clinics using either Uber of Lift.
    ● A volunteer coordinator for the Animal Services Department.
    ● An assistant manager for the Emergency Services Department.
    ● Replacing 19 Sheriff's Office vehicles and two detention center vehicles.
    ● A public health educator and a public health office assistant
    ● A Social Services program manager and an in-home case management and care coordination pilot program with 16 employees, and two vehicles.
    ● A child support quality assurance program training specialist.

    The recommended budget also includes $84.3 million for Cumberland County Schools, an increase of $1.3 million from fiscal 2022. There is also an additional $3.9 million for the school system for school health nurses, school resource officers and crossing guards.

    Cannon ended her hour-long budget message talking about the great resignation, a national phenomenon whereby workers are leaving their jobs in droves. Cannon said employees are leaving for better pay because they are mentally exhausted, want a flexible work schedule and a better work-life balance. She said Cumberland County government is not immune from that.

    The commissioners will digest the recommended budget and begin their work session on June 1 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 564 in the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse. The public hearing on the budget is scheduled for June 6 at 7 p.m. Thereafter, the commissioners will have three more work sessions.

    The recommended budget is available on the county website at cumberlandcountync.gov.

  • fay city council logo The Fayetteville City Council on Thursday, May 26, held the first of three scheduled budget work sessions. The meeting focused on city salaries and an update on American Rescue Plan Act funding.

    The council must finalize the city budget by June 30. The fiscal 2022-23 budget year begins July 1.

    City Manager Doug Hewett has proposed a budget with no significant increases in taxes or fees. The total budget is $248.25 million, which represents a 3.3% increase, city officials said.

    The tax rate would remain at 49.95 cents per $100 property valuation.

    The city is struggling to hire new people in a highly competitive job market, said Mark Holcombe with Evergreen Solutions. The company was hired to conduct a salary survey for the city. The City Council talked about an allocation of $6 million to make salaries more competitive.

    “You are trailing the market but not by much,’’ Holcombe said.

    The council also talked about paying people $15 an hour, including seasonal and temporary employees. That includes eight positions with Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation.

    “A lot of what we are talking about tonight is investing in our employees,’’ said Jerry Clipp, the human resources development director for the city.

    Mayor Mitch Colvin said it is important that all city employees make at least $15 an hour.

    Councilman Chris Davis concurred.

    “The labor market is incredibly tough. It means a lot that we remain employee of choice,’’ Hewett said.

    The city plans to leverage its ARPA money to fill in the gap on capital projects as well as take care of some community needs.

    “We’re talking about workforce development, which is traditionally not a city function per se, but we are going to have to find partners to help us like the child care assistance grants,’’ Hewett said. “We don’t do the childcare, but under the ARPA rules, we believe we can go out and work with children’s centers that help them provide better programming by helping them with their staffing.’’

    Hewett said the city has six years to expense the money.

    Hewett said he hopes the early briefing on the budget pays dividends.

    “We look forward to guidance from council as we prepare the budget for public hearing on June 13,’’ he said.

    The next meeting will cover capital and transportation projects.

    “We put that together in January and February, and so we have those projects and will go back over them with council to show them how we use the federal funding (ARPA) to cover those projects,’’ Hewett said.

    The next budget work session is scheduled for 5 p.m. on June 2.

    Hewett said,“You have done the heavy lifting, you’ve done that. … We thought we captured exactly what you wanted. Now that we have it, we have to come up with details.’’

  • PWC logo Volatility in the energy market and the lingering economic pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic will mandate continued fiscal caution, leaders of Fayetteville’s public utility were told Wednesday, May 25.

    Rhonda Gaskins, the chief financial officer of the Fayetteville Public Works Commission, delivered a first-quarter financial recap to the board at its monthly meeting.

    Before presenting her report, Gaskins reminded the commissioners that a water and wastewater rate increase would take effect July 1.

    “So we’ll see increases in revenue on that end for the water and wastewater side,” Haskins told the commissioners. “We also had a bond issuance that closed in November – actually, $95 million.”

    And as the pandemic has eased, PWC has ended a temporary waiver of late fees for customers struggling through the economic downturn, she said.

    “Almost back to full operation there,” she said.

    Bad weather could also affect the utility’s economic picture, she noted.

    PWC spokeswoman Carolyn Justice-Hinson said after the meeting that the report was “kind of a snapshot in time.”

    “There are some positives there. The economy and the industry are getting volatile with fuel costs and other things. There are a lot of factors we’re watching very closely,” Justice-Hinson said.

    “The next report could look very different,” she added. “It’s presented every quarter for the commission to get a financial look and to see what the trends are.”

    Power-supply costs are down to $100.6 million in the first quarter of this year from $104.7 million in the first three months last year, Haskins said.

    According to the report, the cost of a megawatt hour of electricity is down 2% from a year ago, from $63.27 to $62.03.

    "Power cost is our overall biggest expense, so this is good," Justice-Hinson said. “But as I mentioned, the economy and changes coming from our wholesale provider, Duke Energy, indicate this can change very quickly.

    This is the importance of maintaining our reserves and rate stabilization funds that we can draw from them during these extreme fluctuations instead of having to raise rates to cover the cost."

    Fayetteville PWC has budgeted $64 million for electric and water capital projects in this budget year. But nine months into the budget, the utility has been able to complete only $30 million worth of those projects, Justice-Hinson said.

    The demand for contractors and the availability of materials are affecting the utility's ability to get the work done, she said.

    In other business, PWC CEO and General Manager Elaina Ball gave her second presentation on the 2022-23 operating budget and capital improvement plan in advance of a public hearing on Wednesday.

    No one spoke during the public hearing.

    As first presented on May 11, the budget calls for an overall outlay of about $397.5 million, which would be a 10.9% reduction from 2022 spending.

    The cost of electricity would not change next year, but water rates would increase, according to the recommended budget. In 2020, the commission voted to delay water rate increases because of the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those higher rates will take effect for 2023, Ball has said.

    Justice-Hinson has said the new water rates will vary because they depend on the customer’s location and water usage.

    The budget supports the financial health of PWC, keeps borrowing costs low and affords a bigger slice of revenue for the city of Fayetteville. The city would receive roughly $24 million from PWC in cash and services.

    Payments in lieu of taxes would increase to $12.4 million in cash – more than $1 million a month, she said.

    That rounds out to a 4.7% increase for the city.

  • pexels Crime tape A second person has been charged in connection with a fatal shooting May 7 on Gordon Way.

    Sierra Harper, 22, was shot multiple times and later died at the hospital, Fayetteville police said.

    Micaiah Henderson-Palmer, 23, was arrested Wednesday morning, May 25, outside her home on the 600 block of Volunteer Drive, the Fayetteville Police Department said. She is charged with accessory after the fact.

    Jaylin Sadiq McLaughlin Jr., 22, of the 3600 block of Pickerel Street, is charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the Police Department said.

    He was arrested May 10 by members of the U.S. Marshals Service.

    Henderson-Palmer was arrested without incident and remains in the Cumberland County Detention Center under a $25,000 secured bond, police said.

    She is accused of helping McLaughlin escape detection after the shooting, according to an arrest warrant. Henderson-Palmer knew McLaughlin had been involved in the shooting, picked him up after he left his vehicle and helped him escape detection, according to the warrant.

    Harper was found on the afternoon of May 7 when officers responded to reports of a shooting on the 2900 block of Gordon way.

    Police have said the homicide was not a random act. Harper and McLaughlin were known to each other, and there was a disturbance prior to the shooting, police said previously.

    The case remains under investigation.

    Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Detective M. Waters at 910-635-4978 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

     

  • FOrt Bragg sign Fort Bragg, home of the airborne, may soon become Fort Liberty if Congress approves the recommendations of the Naming Commission tasked with remaining military installations bearing names of Confederate generals.

    The Naming Commission on Tuesday, May 24, held a virtual news conference where it announced the recommended names it will forward to Congress. After Congress approves the names, they will be forwarded to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, who will have the ultimate authority to rename the installations.

    The Naming Commission also recommended new names for eight other Army posts. Fort Bragg is the only one that would not be renamed after a person. Instead, the recommendation is to rename Fort Bragg in honor of the American value of liberty, according to retired Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule, the commission’s vice chairman.

    Seidule said he served in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg and recalled the lyrics of the 82nd Airborne song: “We’re All-American and proud to be, for we’re the soldiers of liberty.”

    Fort Bragg is named for Braxton Bragg, a North Carolina native who served as a general in the Confederate Army.

    It is home to the airborne and special operations forces and has more than 53,000 troops.

    The other eight recommendations call for:
    • Fort Benning, Georgia, to become Fort Moore, named after Lt. Gen. Hal and Julia Moore. Hal Moore commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of Ia Drang Valley in 1965 in Vietnam. His wife, Julia, was behind the Army's revamping death notices to family members.
    • Fort Gordon, Georgia, to become Fort Eisenhower, named after Dwight Eisenhower, the Army general and president. The U.S. Army medical center at Fort Gordon already bears his name.
    • Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, to become Fort Walker, named after Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the first female Army surgeon and only woman awarded the Medal of Honor.
    • Fort Hood, Texas, to become Fort Cavazos, named after Gen. Richard Cavazos, the first Latino promoted in 1982 to four-star general.
    • Fort Lee, Virginia, to become Fort Gregg-Adams, named after Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams, the first African-American female officer in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.
    • Fort Picket, Virginia, to become Fort Barfoot, named after Tech. Sgt. Van T. Barfoot, a WWII Medal of Honor recipient.
    • Fort Polk, Louisiana, to become Fort Johnson, named after World War l hero Sgt. William Henry Johnson.
    • Fort Rucker, Alabama, to become Fort Novosel, named after Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael J. Novosel Sr. who received the Medal of Honor for his service as a helicopter rescue pilot during the Vietnam War.

    The Naming Commission is also looking at more than 750 Department of Defense assets, including street, school and building names. Other items include Navy vessels, monuments or military items that it deems to commemorate the Confederacy.

    Congress last year enacted legislation creating the Naming Commission and gave it the task to rename military installations by 2023.

    Austin, who previously commanded units of the 82nd Airborne Division, released a statement saying, "I am pleased to see the Naming Commission's progress as mandated by Congress in the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act."

    “Today’s announcement highlights the commission’s efforts to propose nine new installation names that reflect the courage, values, sacrifices and diversity of our military men and women,” the statement said. “I thank the members of the commission for their important, collaborative work with base commanders, local community leaders, soldiers and military families. And I look forward to seeing their complete report later this year.”

    Seidule, who led Tuesday’s virtual news conference, reiterated several times that the commission took into account "local sensitivities" when arriving at a proposed name.

    In a release, the commission said it visited the installations last year for listening sessions with military commanders and community leaders to get feedback on the process and to hear preferences for new names.

    Seidule said post commanders determined the stakeholders, post and community leaders, and others involved in the renaming process. He said the sessions were not open to the media because the commission wanted "unvarnished opinions" from the participants.

    The commission said it received more than 34,000 submissions related to naming activities, including 3,670 unique names of individuals, locations, values and more.

    The Naming Commission developed a short-list of potential names for the nine installations before reconnecting with the community groups through virtual listening sessions and gathering more input.

    The commission said it met earlier this month and came up with its recommendations.

    “This was an exhaustive process that entailed hundreds of hours of research, community engagement and internal deliberations,” retired Navy Adm. Michelle Howard, the chairwoman of the Naming Commission, said in a release. “This recommendation list includes American heroes whose stories deserve to be told and remembered; people who fought and sacrificed greatly on behalf of our nation.”

  • Chief Gina Hawkins FPD Assault, domestic violence and vehicle theft cases rose in the first quarter, but homicides and rapes decreased, according to Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins.

    Hawkins presented a report on crime to the City Council on Monday night, May 23, comparing figures for January through March with those from the same period last year.

    Hawkins noted that the city has seen a decrease in overall personal and property crimes reported over the past six years.

    “The department crime trend is going downward,” she told the City Council during its regular monthly meeting at City Hall. “This is a reminder of where we’re at over the last six years.”

    But in the first quarter of 2022, she said, crime is increasing in some areas compared with the first quarter of 2021.

    Reports of personal crime increased from 941 in the first quarter of 2021 to 971 in the same period of 2022. Property crime was up from 2,458 reports in 2021 to 2,864 in 2022, according to Hawkins’ presentation.

    Felony crimes also were up from 348 reports in 2021 to 357 in 2022.

    “We saw a larger increase, especially in January and February, in motor vehicle thefts,” Hawkins said. “We spent a lot of resources doing that.”

    Citywide arrests climbed slightly from 1,043 in 2021 to 1,099 in 2022. That’s an increase of 5.4%, according to her figures.

    From January through March, the number of homicides dropped from 12 to 11 over the same period a year ago. The number of rapes reported decreased also, from 27 to 19, Hawkins said.

    But aggravated assault reports rose 27.6%, from 225 to 287, she said.

    Overall, death investigations were up 38.6%, from 101 in 2021 to 140 this year, according to Hawkins.

    Domestic violence also saw a big increase, she noted. Though misdemeanors dropped from 23 to 22, felonies doubled from 10 to 20. Overall, domestic violence assaults were up by 27.3%, from a total of 33 to 42.

    Drug cases involving cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl rose. Police made 28 arrests on drug charges, an increase of 20.

    Hawkins said drug dealers are lacing a lot of drugs with fentanyl.

    In terms of staffing, the Police Department has 383 officer positions filled, Hawkins said. The department is budgeted for 431 officers.

    “We’re up this year in hiring,” Hawkins said. “Up 13 from the previous last year, but down in nonsworn (officers).”

    The council voted unanimously to accept the report from Hawkins.

    Pictured above: Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins.

  • 05-02-12-friends-of-children-golf.jpgIt’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s a golf game. Imagine this, a child is sick. You wait anticipating the moment when you will hear them play again. Every moment, your ears are listening for that one small request “Can I go play now?” The stress of a child’s illness affects both children and their parents, and ironically, this is where golf comes in.

    The 17th Annual Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation’s Friends of Children Golf Classic takes place Thursday, May 10. The tournament is open to the public and will be held at the Highland Country Club. It was started in 1991 by community leaders and medical professionals, who saw the need to enhance pediatric care for less fortunate children and their families. The tournament has raised more than $1.4 million to date. The golf classic is held in honor of the recently deceased L.B Floyd, who joined the cause with his beloved wife, Yvonne, in 1993.

    L.B. Floyd is a native of Salt Lake City, S.C. He retired from Ft. Bragg, where he managed Stryker Golf course. He is a former winner of the Carolinas PGA Section’s Palmer Maples and is known in the area as the Patriarch of Golf. Since 1993 until the time of his death L.B. Floyd was instrumental in helping to support the mission of the Friend’s of Children Golf Foundation. The focus of the foundation is to provide necessary medical care while also acting as an advocate for children and their families.

    Have you ever been sick, or cared for an ill loved one? If so, you are well aware of the emotional, physical and financial toll it can take on a family. Right now there are children and families who need you. Your participation can lift the burden that comes with illness. Co-Chairmen of the Friends of Children Golf Classic, Tom Costello and Duane DeGaetano, both fathers, know first hand, the stress of caring for a sick child.

    “By giving of our time and treasures, we have found a way to help children and families who may not be as lucky,” said Tom Costello, vice president/General Manager of Rick Hendrick Toyota. Duane DeGaetano is the president of Construction Systems Inc. Both companies along with Valley Auto World are presenting sponsors this year.

    The Friends of Children Golf Classic is the perfect opportunity for you to help. Spending a day on the greens will help provide needed medical care for a sick child and peace of mind to the family. Not a golfer? You can still contribute by attending the foundation’s dinner, which will take place immediately following the tournament. The dinner is open to the public and will feature your choice of steak, chicken or a vegetarian entrée. The cost for the dinner is $50. There will also be a beer and wine tasting prior to the dinner at about 5:30 p.m.

    The Friend’s of Children Golf Classic is the place to be to help those in need. Mark your calendar and save the date. Enjoy a great game of golf, fine wine and exquisite dinning, all while helping those who would love just to go out and play.

    To learn more about the tournament or to pledge to help those in need, contact the Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation’s Friends of Children at (910) 615-1449 or email FriendsofChildren@capefearvalley.com.

  • 9The 29-year-old Clayton man who was the suspect in a double murder in Fayetteville committed suicide Tuesday morning, May 17, according to authorities.

    Officer Jeremy Strickland, a spokesman for the Fayetteville Police Department, said Rhaim Mosies Santiago killed himself in Smithfield in Johnston County after a manhunt that lasted more than 24 hours.

    “He is deceased from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Strickland said early Tuesday afternoon.

    Santiago was wanted on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of a man and a woman on Monday, May 16; one count of second-degree kidnapping; and one count of attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon.

    Strickland said the charges are all in connection with the deaths of Marchellous Braddy, 33, of Rushmore Drive in Raeford, and Nakeea Brooks, 27, of Bartons Landing Place in Fayetteville.

    The murders were reported at 12:14 p.m. Monday, May 16 in the 5700 block of Aftonshire Drive in western Fayetteville.
    Officers with the Fayetteville Police Department were sent to investigate a report that a dead person was found inside the residence. The homeowner arrived home and discovered an unresponsive man lying in the home, a news release said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers then found a second victim in the yard, and she was pronounced dead as well.

    Santiago went missing Monday after being charged.

    Strickland referred questions about the manhunt and investigation in Johnston County to the Smithfield Police Department.
    Smithfield police Capt. Ryan Shepphard was in a meeting on Tuesday afternoon and was not immediately available for comment.

    Santiago and the two victims apparently knew each other, Strickland said.

    “We can’t go into detail on how they were known to each other, but we think prior to the incident they knew each other,” he said.
    He said investigators are still trying to determine how the crimes occurred. Police have not said what the motive was.

    “The forensic unit has been on the scene more than 12 hours,” said Strickland. “The homicide unit continues to investigate to see if anyone else was involved with the homicide itself. They continue to interview witnesses.

    “Just because he’s dead doesn’t mean the case is closed,” Strickland said.

  •  Surprising Health Benefits from Spring and Summer Foods

    As the days are getting warmer and longer inspiring people to engage in backyard barbecues and midday picnics, Anne-Marie Botek, a writer for agingcare. com, discovered some very interesting information.

    Even if your elderly loved one isn’t able to take part in traditions like cookouts, or holiday parties, you can introduce seasonal celebrations into their lives through food. Many popular warm-weather foods even offer the added bonus of helping a senior get the nutrients they need to remain healthy.

    Here are some popular spring and summer treats that may offer some unexpected health benefits for you and your elderly loved one. Ruth Frechman, M.A., a registered dietician and spokeswoman for the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, offers her perspective on how these foods can be both tasty and nutritious for seniors.

    Barbecue Basics

    • Watermelon: Synonymous with summer, this juicy fruit is not only low-fat, it also contains a staggering amount of nutrients seniors need. Pound for pound, watermelon has more lycopene than any other fresh fruit or veggie. Lycopene is an antioxidant that has been shown to combat certain forms of cancer and heart disease. Watermelon is also packed with potassium, which can be a boon for seniors suffering from potassium deficiency, or hypokalemia. According to the National Institutes for Health, hypokalemia in seniors can sometimes be brought on by certain heart failure and blood pressure meds, and can cause problems with heart and muscle function. Watermelon also contains significant amounts of vitamins A, C and B6.

    • Iceberg lettuce: Don’t forgo a spring salad just because it has romaine lettuce in it. Oft-maligned as the less-healthy relative of spinach and romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce actually has more of the antioxidant alpha-carotene than either of them. Alpha-carotene (and its companion, beta-carotene) can be transformed by the body into vitamin A, which can help maintain good eye health. Research has shown that alpha-carotene, on its own, may also play a role in lowering a person’s risk of dying from ailments such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Iceberg lettuce also has a good deal of vitamin K, which can help combat osteoporosis and regulate blood clotting. Frechman says that, because the amount of alphacarotene in iceberg lettuce is relatively low compared to other veggies, so you may want to add some carrots, tomatoes and spinach to a salad to boost its overall carotene content. 05-09-12-salad.jpg

    • Spices: Seasoned sauces and rubs are the cornerstones of a delicious warm weather cook-out. Spices can serve the dual purpose of making food more flavorful to seniors whose ability to taste has been diminished, as well as helping them fight off disease. From tumeric, whose primary compound, curcumin has been shown to be beneficial in fighting off diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer; to cinnamon, which can help people with Type 2 diabetes by lowering their blood sugar, total cholesterol and triglycerides, spices have numerous potential health benefits.

    Enjoying these items may require a bit of effort on the seniors part. If preparing these foods independently is not possible, you might call in a family member or professional care giver to provide assistance.

    Photo: Many popular warm-weather foods even offer the added bonus of helping a senior get the nutrients they need to remain healthy. 

  • 8The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on Monday, May 16 unanimously approved renaming part of Old Plank Road as Glenn Road after a brief public hearing.

    The name was changed because the N.C. Department of Transportation’s construction of Interstate 295 severed Old Plank Road into two sections. The county’s 911 emergency communications system cannot function properly when two roads have the same name, according to Assistant Fire Chief Freddy Johnson Jr. of Stoney Point Fire Department. The department is responsible for fire and emergency response in that area of the county.

    The Stoney Point department asked the county to continue the Glenn Road name from Robeson County over I-295 through Black Bridge Road. The change affects the 6400 through 6800 blocks of what is now Old Plank Road and the newly constructed portion that goes over I-295 to Black Bridge Road.

    The county sent 40 notices about the name change to area residents, and 15 responded. Of those, nine responses favored the name change and six opposed it. Only two people spoke at the public hearing. Johnson spoke in favor of the plan, and John Pavlikianidis spoke against it.

    Pavlikianidis, of 6456 Old Plank Road, said his family operates Carolina Stables on about 40 acres adjacent to the road. Changing the name would be an “undue hardship,” he said. It would require the family to change the address on legal documents associated with the property, said Pavlikianidis. Also, the Old Plank Road name has a historical context related to Fayetteville, he said.

    The board also voted to allow naming an unnamed private street off Chicken Foot Road. The owner, Craven Gaddy, said in his application that people have problems finding his home off Chicken Foot Road. The proposed name is Gaddy Lane. No one spoke on a public hearing on the request.

    After the vote, Commissioner Charles Evans asked if the county has a standard for road name changes. Members of the county staff said name changes are covered in county ordinances. Evans suggested the board review in detail the process of name changes, from roads to facilities.

    In other action Monday, the board voted to renew a lease with the Vision Resource Center for property known as the Alphin House at 2736 Cedar Creek Road. The three-year lease renewal is for $2,400 a year. Commissioner Jimmy Keefe objected to the lease because he said the property is not suitable for the Vision Resource Center. The property is adjacent to an industrial park and is in a remote part of the county that does not have public transportation, Keefe said.

    “It’s not the best use of the property. We’re losing money,” he said.

    Keefe said he is willing to find a more suitable location, but the other commissioners disagreed. The motion to renew the lease passed on a 5-2 vote, with Keefe and Michael Boose voting against the renewal.
    The agency serves the blind and visually impaired.

    Commissioner Toni Stewart said she spoke to the Vision Resource Center director and was assured she likes the location despite being in a remote area lacking public transit. “I have a problem with uprooting them,” Stewart said.

    Commissioner Evans suggested the board again look into the possibility of establishing countywide public transit.

  • 05-16-12-soil-to-spoon.jpgDirt gets a bad rap. The kids come in with it all over their hands and faces after playing outside. The dog drags it in and across the carpet. It somehow ends up on every white shirt you own. It can be very easy to blame the dirt. Kay Bullard of Cumberland Water and Soil Conservation District wants to change the public perception of dirt and she wants to start by teaching children about the wonders of soil.

    Bullard presents, From the Soil to Your Spoon at North Regional Branch Library on Wednesday, March 23 at 4 p.m. The program is for elementary school children.

    “Soil is the starting foundation for all of the food that we eat,” Bullard said. Her presenta-tion is about making the connection from the food on our dinner plates to the soil it was grown in and everything in between — including the processing of food and the trucks, trains and ships that deliver it to our stores.

    Bullard will discuss, “... the plants that pro-vide us with the veggies and the fruits. Then we’ll talk about the animals that the farmer’s raise that provide us with the meats we eat.”

    The children will conclude the program by making and taking home truffula trees, inspired by Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.

    Bullard is enthusiastic about bringing her message to a younger generation and “seeing the expression on the children’s faces when they begin to understand the concept of what we are teaching — how important soil is, how important natural resources are to us. We need them for life. That’s not just dirt. It’s important!”

    From the Soil to Your Spoon is part of the annual stewardship project developed by National Association of Soil and Conservation Districts. This is the 57th year the association has educated the public on the importance of soil and water conservation. In addition to library programs, Bullard also presents to elementary schools, participates in Earth Day and community events with Cumberland County Parks and Recreation.

    It’s not just about respecting the soil. It’s about respecting the people who work the soil too.

    “The next time you sit down to a meal, take a minute and think about where your food came from. Think about the farmers and the ranchers who helped to produce this food,” said Bullard.

    “Recognize that they work to produce the food for a growing population and our farmers and are dedicated to land management practices that are healthy for the land and the soil so we can sustain our food supply and land for future generations.”

    North Branch Regional Library is located on the corner of Rosehill Road at 855 McArthur Road. For more information or to register your child for the program, visit the Children’s Department or call 822-1998 ext. 223. You can also visit the Cumberland County Public Library at http://www.cumberland.lib.nc.us/.

  • voting pexels element digital 1550337 1 The North Carolina primary election is over. Here are the unofficial results of those races according to the State Board of Elections:

    CITY AND COUNTY SEATS
    FAYETTEVILLE MAYOR

    This July, Mitch Colvin, the incumbent candidate, will be facing Freddie Delacruz for the mayoral seat. Colvin left the primary election with 64.5% of the vote while Delacruz left with 13.9% of the vote.

    CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1
    In July, Kathy Jensen, the incumbent candidate, will be running against Jose Alex Rodriguez. Jensen left the primary election with 47.15% of the vote while Rodriquez left with 29.8% of the vote. Rodriguez surpassed third finisher William Milbourne by only 131 votes.

    CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 2
    Shakeyla Ingram, the incumbent candidate, will be running against former councilmember Tyrone Williams. The race was separated only by 1.8%, or 41 votes. Ingram lead with 26.29 %, while Williams was second with 24.48%.

    CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 3
    In July, Antonio Jones, the incumbent candidate recently appointed to the city council seat in December, will be running against Mario Benavente. Jones had 38.61% of the vote, while Benavente had 23%.

    CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4
    D.J. Haire, the incumbent candidate, will be running against Thomas C. Greene. Haire had 76% of the vote, while Greene left the primary with 16%.

    CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 6
    This open contested seat will be decided in July. The two candidates facing off will be Derrick Thompson, who won 46.5% of the vote, and Peter Pappas, who had 33.5%.

    CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 7
    Councilmember Larry Wright had a tight race in the primary and may have a tighter one in July against Brenda McNair. The race, the closest of the city council races, was separated only by 0.14%, or 3 votes. Wright came out on top with 44.37% with McNair right behind at 44.23%.

    CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 9
    Yvonne Kinston, the incumbent candidate, will be running against Deno Hondros. Kinston had 36.8% of the vote, while Hondros left the primary with 34.8%.

    COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AT-LARGE
    There are two at-large commissioner seats open for the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners.
    For the Democratic Ballot, there were six candidates running for the seats. The two that will face Republicans State Rep. John Szoka and Ron Ross will be Veronica B. Jones and former Commissioner Marshall Faircloth. The incumbent, Commissioner Larry Lancaster came in third in the primary election at 16.5%.

    COUNTY SHERIFF
    Ennis Wright, the incumbent sheriff, will be facing Republican candidate LaRue Windham in the general election in November. Wright won the primary with 77.7% of the vote.

    N.C. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
    DISTRICT 42

    Democratic incumbent Rep. Marvin Lucas will run against Republican candidate Gloria Carrasco in the general election in November. Lucas won the primary with 55.8%.

    DISTRICT 43
    Incumbent Rep. Diane Wheatley will be facing former State Rep. Elmer Floyd in November. Wheatley won the Republican nomination with 51.3% of the vote while Floyd won the Democratic nomination with 59% of the vote.

    DISTRICT 44
    Democrat Charles Smith won the seat for District 44 with no Republican filing for the seat this election cycle. Smith bested Terry Johnson in the primary election by 1,381 votes.

    DISTRICT 45
    Frances Jackson won the Democrat candidacy with 52.3%, beating Fayetteville City Councilmember Chris Davis. Jackson will be running against Republican candidate Susan Chapman in November.

    STATE SENATE
    DISTRICT 19

    On the Democratic ballot, former Fayetteville City Councilwoman Val Applewhite bested the incumbent, State Sen. Kirk deViere. DeViere conceded the race shortly before all precincts were reported Tuesday night.
    “The voters have spoken and I fully respect their decision but I am disappointed. I called Val early tonight and offered my congratulations. I intend to do my best in this upcoming short session to represent the people of my community, as I always have, and continue in my work as a Senator. Campaigns too often are about people viewed as winners and losers but when that happens, what gets lost are ideas and values. There is too much at stake in our community, state, and nation to let that happen here,” deViere said. “I plan to spend some much needed time with my family after this challenging primary race and the long session in Raleigh. Jenny and I are grateful for all the support during this race and will continue working to make this community and state better for everyone.”
    Applewhite will be facing Republican candidate, former State Sen. Wesley Meredith in November.

    U.S. CONGRESS
    CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 7

    Charles Graham has won the Democrat nomination and will be facing U.S. Rep. David Rouzer in November. Graham beat Cumberland County Commissioner Charles Evans by 758 votes. Rouzer won the Republican nomination by 79%.

    CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 9
    U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson has won the Republican nomination and will be facing Democrat candidate State Sen. Ben Clark in the general election in November. Hudson won the nomination with 81% of the vote.

    U.S. SENATE
    Cheri Beasley swept the Democratic primary field with 80.93% of votes. The closest competitor, Marcus Williams, carried only 3.89% of the vote. Beasley will face Republican Ted Budd in the general election. Budd pulled in 63.05% of votes. His closest competitor, former North Carolina governor Pat McCrory, received only 22.41%

  • 17 As a two-tour combat veteran, Kia Anthony says the one adage that reverberated throughout her seven-year military career was: “If not you, then who?”

    Anthony never wanted to be a mayor, much less a politician. Seeing what was happening in her adopted town and her desire to be a public servant pushed her to seek political office. She prayed about it and was given the go-ahead, she said. Also, as Anthony explains it, her mother – who often fed and clothed the less fortunate – instilled in her the DNA of public service.

    The Flint, Michigan native joined the Army in 1999, right out of high school. First, the Army sent her to Korea, then to Fort Bragg’s 44th Medical Brigade. Despite her multiple deployments and temporary assignments to other places, Fort Bragg and Spring Lake became her home.

    She knew little about the details of Spring Lake’s financial woes before running for town mayor in 2021.

    “I knew to the extent citizens were allowed to know,” she said. “And that was one of the reasons I felt I needed to run.”

    Although a newcomer to Spring Lake politics, she ran against two strong incumbents: former Alderwomen Fredericka Southerland and Jackie Jackson. Anthony said she didn’t have to do too much convincing because the voters were ready for a change.

    Anthony says she never directly ran against Southerland and Jackson; instead, she ran against the status quo, and her campaign message promised a “new standard” in town government. She placed campaign signs both in and outside Spring Lake town limits to ensure name recognition.
    Anthony officially became a Spring Lake resident in 2004.

    “I bought my house here.”

    She has seen the town’s decline, in part because citizens played a minimal role in the town’s governance.
    Anthony said she has multiple goals that could help revive Spring Lake’s economic vibrancy.

    “The main thing is to tackle our finances. We’ve made extreme headway in getting our finances in order. The budget is actually looking good,” Anthony said.

    Anthony chairs the Town’s Audit Committee, which is tasked with triaging the recommendations from the 2021 State Auditor’s investigation into the town’s finances. Other members of the committee include Alderwoman Sonja Cooper and Alderman Raul Palacios. Staff members on the committee include Interim Town Manager Joe Durham and a Town Finance Department employee. Anthony may add a citizen as an ad hoc member.

    The meetings are open to the public, she said.
    Anthony said other goals include relating to younger citizens. Spring Lake’s median age is 24.9, and Anthony believes it necessary to reach that demographic stratum through citizen engagement.

    She also listed business infusion, calling Spring Lake a “diamond in the rough” that is perfectly positioned.
    Another goal for Anthony is getting Spring Lake’s infrastructure up to acceptable standards.

    “We can’t bring in a movie theater, or a bowling alley, or even another housing development other than the two we have coming in right now. Our water and sewage can’t sustain that kind of capacity.”
    Recently, the state Local Government Commission, which currently oversees the town’s finances, approved the town’s application for a grant to rebuild its water/sewer infrastructure.

    “Once we do that, we can think about revitalizing our main street,” she said.
    Before thinking about becoming mayor, Anthony said she worked to re-establish the Town’s Chamber of Commerce. She calls that project “critical in injecting life into the business community.”
    The departure of Pope Air Force Base and the undertaking of a North Carolina Department of Transportation bridge construction to facilitate I-295 crippled downtown Spring Lake.

    “We lost almost 40 businesses during the creation of that bridge. This also divided Spring Lake traffic. It devastated us here in Spring Lake,” she said.
    The town also lacks affordable housing. Anthony explained that a current housing development on Odell Road consisting of 122 new 2023-model mobile homes is a start.

    As one of three military veterans on the board, Anthony believes Spring Lake lacks proper military engagement. “That is huge for us here in Spring Lake. We are very connected to the military. We have a high veteran population, and we want to make sure they are serviced, and not only veterans but also active duty military and their families,” she said. “We don’t connect with Fort Bragg as we should even though Spring Lake is the gateway to Fort Bragg. We should be proud of that, and we should capitalize on that,” she said.

    Finally, Spring Lake needs to work on its appearance, she said. The town has an active Appearance Committee chaired by Southerland.

    “We are all working diligently cleaning up Spring Lake. It’s a priority of all of the board members,” she said.

  • 16 The Town of Spring Lake is no stranger to ineptness or corruption when it comes to town governance.

    From losing control of its police department to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office because of corruption to the most recent state takeover of the town’s finances, the Town of Spring Lake has, over the years, tainted its reputation.

    In its most recent debacle, the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) deemed the town incapable of handling its finances and put its financial affairs under the Local Government Commission. Additionally, a state audit published in March determined that Spring Lake officials misused taxpayer dollars, including more than $430,000 for personal use by the town’s former accounting technician. The audit further alleges that the town did not adequately inventory vehicles, misused procurement cards and that minutes of public meetings were missing.

    The audit found that the town’s finance director failed to supervise and review the accounting technician’s actions, especially deposits into her account at the Fort Bragg Mutual Credit Union.

    The March audit was not the first time Spring Lake came under state fiscal scrutiny. A 2016 OSA audit found similar infractions. The OSA launched that investigation after receiving complaints of misappropriation of money via its hotline. The audit identified 63 Town employee positions and three aldermen who violated town policy using procurement cards. The audit did not name the individuals.

    It also determined that from July 2010 through March 2015, the town board and employees spent at least $122,434 on 1,448 purchases unrelated to town business. And the town under-billed a commercial real estate company by $90,930 because town employees misread water meters. After discovering the mistake, the then-unnamed town manager believed it unfair to bill the real estate company for the remaining water usage, according to the report.

    The reasons for Spring Lake’s continuing financial mishaps can be attributed to several reasons, according to a former long-time Alderwoman Fredricka Southerland. For years, Southerland was on the losing end of a 3-2 vote regarding town business she considered questionable.

    “I believed in honesty and transparency. The town needed to quit sweeping things under the rug,” she said. Retired from the banking and financial industry, Southerland often questioned the town’s fiscal decisions. She blames much of the town’s financial woes on unqualified leadership. Leadership unwilling or unable to learn about their fiscal responsibilities. In one set of town meeting minutes, Southerland is on record pleading with her fellow board members to educate themselves about issues.
    She also suggests the town’s citizens own part of the blame. Despite having one of the highest municipal tax rates and a $13 million budget, the town of some 12,000 often voted for personalities rather than qualified candidates.

    “I tried my best to educate them. Some didn’t realize how much (taxes) they were paying. I wanted them to come out to meetings and hold the board accountable,” she said.

    In this latest financial mishap, the town’s organizational makeup may have played a damaging role. For example, although the town operates under a council-manager form of government where the town manager is the chief administrative officer, well versed in the responsibilities of all aspects of the town’s daily activities, Spring Lake had its finance director and thus financial operations reporting to the board and not the town manager.

    The often-abrupt dismissal of key town personnel also played a role. In this instance, it led to the appointment of a non-qualified accounting technician to the finance director role. This individual is alleged to have embezzled town funds; an issue brought to light in the latest audit.

    The LGC has a legal obligation to ensure local governments’ finances are well managed. Spring Lake joins the towns of Kingstown, Robersonville, Pikeville, Eureka and East Laurinburg under the LGC’s financial control. Under state law, the LCG has far-reaching powers, and last year voted to revoke East Laurinburg’s municipal charter because it couldn’t get its finances in order. The town will no longer exist after June.
    Spring Lake’s ongoing financial woes are not new. The LGC communicated with Spring Lake numerous times during the past four years, raising concerns about the town’s failure to follow state law when administering public money.

    In its latest actions, the LGC on May 2 intervened to resolve issues surrounding a $1 million loan the town accepted from South River Electric Membership Corporation. The problem: Spring Lake did not have the authority to accept the loan since its finances and ability to repay any loan were under state jurisdiction. The town never sought LGC approval of the loan.

    So, the LGC directed its staff on May 3 to begin re-negotiating with South River EMC terms for the town to pay off the loan. South River EMC loaned the $1 million to Spring Lake to build a fire station, which the town started building before the money was in place. The original 10-year term was deferred for two years, followed by eight annual payments of $125,000.
    Since Spring Lake never asked the LGC to approve the loan, under state law, the loan and its agreements are not valid and thus not enforceable by the lender. However, the LGC wants to hold South River EMC harmless and opted for Spring Lake to repay the loan. The LGC’s counteroffer is a 20-year payback period with a two-year payment deferral. A 20-year payback period would be less stressful to the cash-strapped town.
    According to the LGC, once the terms are final, its staff will file an application for financing approval – required by law – and hold public hearings before staff brings the proposal back to the LGC for a vote.

    Spring Lake, for years, knew its financial operations were suspect. The latest warnings included:
    • January 3, 2020, Sharon G. Edmundson, LGC’s Fiscal Management director, sent a letter to Mayor Larry Dobbins warning him that for fiscal years 2018 and 2019, the town failed to submit its annual audits.
    • April 23, 2020, LGC staff sent a letter to Spring Lake’s Board of Aldermen and town administration stating that the town failed to comply with state law by not having fiscal year audits conducted soon after adopting a budget. Audits are due October 31 following June 30 budget adoptions.
    • June 2, 2020, the LGC issued a resolution warning Spring Lake regarding its failure to comply with state laws to submit fiscal year audits. According to the resolution, the town’s audits had been at least two months late for the past five years. The 2018 audit was 16 months late.
    • June 23, 2021, citing a budget deficit and lack of fiscal controls, the LGC again warns Spring Lake of a possible takeover of the town’s finances. The LGC held an emergency meeting on June 22 and voted unanimously to send a warning to Spring Lake due to concerns over long-standing fiscal irregularities and an investigation into missing money.
    • July 26, 2021, The LGC voted to take complete control of Spring Lake’s finances if the Board of Aldermen impedes the Office of State Auditor investigation into “questionable” financial activities if the board withholds information from the commission.
    • October 5, 2021, after being under investigation by OSA for several months, the LGC voted to finally take over Spring Lake’s finances. The LGC cited concerns the town may default on November debt service payments totaling $221,385. The action came two months after the July warning.
    • March 24, 2022, LGC appoints deputy finance officers in the wake of staff turnover.
    • April 6, 2022, The LGC issues a letter to Spring Lake Mayor Kia Anthony and the Board “expressing deep concern over possible lack of compliance with state laws and reluctance to work cooperatively with commission staff.”

    Last month, the town hired Joe Durham as interim town manager. For the past eight years, Durham has operated an executive coaching and recruitment service for local governments. Before that, Durham spent years in local government leadership roles, including deputy manager of Wake County.
    Spring Lake hired Durham to recruit a town manager after the termination of its last manager, Daniel Geralds. Durham said recruitment was looking bleak. “People were staying in place,” he said.
    So, Durham put recruitment on hold and agreed to step in as the interim town manager until October. His goal, said Durham, is to get the town back on its feet and help the town regain its credibility regarding administering its finances.

    “The town is in the process of updating many policies relating to financial management. This will represent a comprehensive rewrite and will be conducted over many months, with items going to the board on a regular basis. The existing policy on credit cards is no town employee has a credit card in his /her possession and must make a request to the town manager each time there is a documented need detailing cost and purpose.”

    He goes on to say, “The town has policies and procedures that will have to be developed in response to the audit.” Durham said the board created an Audit Committee that will go through each of the audit’s findings and recommendations and work to resolve them. The Audit Committee will make monthly reports to the board, the LGC, and the OSA on its progress.

    The Audit Committee currently consists of two board members and himself, and he suggests perhaps including a citizen or two to enhance transparency.
    There is no date or timetable for the LGC to turn over finances back to the town. “We discuss this on an ongoing basis,” he said. Once a strong finance director is in place, Durham believes the town can regain control of its finances by the end of the calendar year.

  • 13 Memorial Day weekend is often considered a magical time, a time for barbecues, judicious application of sunscreen and the long-awaited re-opening of the local water hole.

    But for many families across the nation, especially here on Fort Bragg, it is, first and foremost, a time to remember.
    Fort Bragg Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation, in partnership with Army Community Service, will host the Fort Bragg Run, Honor, Remember 5k on May 21, starting at 7:30 a.m.

    This commemorative, family-friendly run/walk will occur at Hedrick Stadium on Fort Bragg and is open to Department of Defense cardholders and their guests.

    A tradition started after 9/11 to recognize the ultimate sacrifice of those lost in combat zones during that time; the walk has only grown in popularity and significance since then.

    The walk has been on hiatus since 2019 because of the pandemic, making this year especially meaningful for those coordinating the run.

    "This is one of our favorite events," said Jennifer Fayson, special event coordinator, FMWR. I think it is so important to reflect upon how many servicemen and women have laid their lives down for us and remember the sacrifice of their families. It's especially important as we head into the memorial day weekend."

    Over 7500 pairs of boots will be placed on the field at Hedrick Stadium to honor those soldiers who never returned home. The boots will stay on display for the entire Memorial Day weekend. It's a sight Fayson strongly urges people to come and experience for themselves.

    "It's so moving to see them out there," Fayson told Up & Coming Weekly. "About 175 of them have been decorated by service members' families. I think that's my favorite part."
    Home to over 500,000 active-duty soldiers, many families in the area know what it means to see a father, mother, son or friend walk out the door to serve their country. Many families also know that their loved ones' safe return is not guaranteed.

    The Run, Honor, Remember 5k is a time when the community comes together to acknowledge that freedom has a cost and give thanks to those who pay it.

    "Fort Bragg is a strong community and very supportive of our military in general," Fayson explained. "I love seeing the community come together. It's always such a large turnout because people want to show their support. They want to honor and remember soldiers who have given their lives in the ultimate sacrifice."

    The event invites walkers, strollers, amblers and runners of all ages, fitness levels and abilities. There is no charge to participate, and no registration is required.

    "It's open to anyone who would like to come," said Fayson. Family members, community members, spouses, kids—we invite everyone; it's a great event."

    The pre-event ceremony for the Run, Honor, Remember 5k starts at 7:30 a.m., while the event itself is scheduled to end at 10 a.m.
    Hedrick Stadium is located at Sedgewick Street on Fort Bragg.

    For more information, call, 910-908-5977.

  • 12Fayetteville officials on Monday, May 9 unveiled the scoring criteria for applicants to a grant program that they hope will decrease crime in the community.
    As Carolina Public Press previously reported, the city’s Community Safety Microgrant program, for which the City Council approved $250,000 in funding last fall, elicits ideas from the community for addressing crime. The program launched last week.

    Earlier this year, the Fayetteville Police Department released crime data from 2021, showing that violent crime had increased in the city as part of a national trend.
    At a meeting last month regarding the program, Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins said that the microgrant program was inspired by a similar one in Charlotte.

    “We all understand crime is a big problem to deal with,” Hawkins said. “A lot of different issues.”
    While the program is open-ended, the police chief presented several examples to the City Council of what could come from the program.

    These examples included conflict resolution, opportunities for youths, family stability and ways to address implicit bias, among others.

    These are just examples, though, Hawkins emphasized. Applicants to the program can implement any idea through the program’s funding as long as they can show it will address crime and meet the program’s scoring standard.

    “This is a community initiative,” Hawkins said. “They have the idea. They have the game plan. They have a program, and they grow this.”

    Once an applicant submits an idea, a panel will evaluate the submission and render a score with a maximum of 100 points.
    Four elements will be considered in the scoring process — inclusivity, collaboration, resourcefulness and innovation.

    “Scoring is a pretty time-intensive process based on the number of applications we get,” said Chris Cauley, Fayetteville’s economic and community development director.
    The ZIP codes 28314, 28305, 28303 and 28301 will also receive priority, receiving bonus points.

    The panel that determines the score is made up of one representative each from the Fayetteville Redevelopment Commission, the Citizen Police Advisory Board, the Human Relations Commission, the city’s mental health sector and someone within the public school system.

    “We are giving direction to not choose one entity to decide who will get the awards,” said Council Member Shakeyla Ingram. “We are compiling a community-based board or advisory committee to be able to decide who will get (the funding).”

    Mayor Mitch Colvin said the program allows various community stakeholders to get involved in reducing crime.

    “There are a lot of partners that played a role in this process,” he said. “Everybody is needed at the table in order for this to be successful.”

    Any nonprofit organization with an operating budget of less than $100,000 can apply for the program. For-profit entities cannot participate.
    Individuals can apply as well. Cauley said the program is designed for anyone of any educational level to apply.

    He said anyone can call the city’s Economic Development Department at 910-433-1590 to get help with the application process.
    More information for applicants is available at fayettevillenc.gov/microgrant.

  • 11 Voters in Fayetteville will be asked in November’s election to approve a bond package that would address public safety, infrastructure and affordable housing in the city.
    The City Council unanimously voted May 9 at the regular Monday meeting to put the bonds on a referendum.

    The bonds would be valued at $97 million, according to city documents, but the city could decrease that number over the next few months as the council finalizes the details of the package.
    The amount, however, cannot go above that amount approved on Monday before the election in November.

    Any amount approved by the voters would require a property tax increase, city officials said at a special council meeting late last month dedicated to the discussion of the bonds.

    “The voters would be able to give us their say on it,” City Manager Doug Hewett said at April’s meeting. “If they say yes, then of course, we would have to raise the tax rate to honor the debt payments that the bond would generate.”

    Residents will be able to vote on each area — public safety, infrastructure and housing — separately, as each will have its own portion among the $97 million maximum.

    “(The referendum) gives the council full authority, and it also gives the voters and taxpayers in the city of Fayetteville the authority as well to tell us if that’s something they want us to do in these areas,” Hewett said.
    The funds from the bonds would not be associated with any federal funds that the city has received from recent federal legislation, such as the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA.
    Assistant City Manager Jay Toland said one-time funds from ARPA to be used for economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic have already been obligated to various city projects.

    “It’s not like we’re going to take these projects or this amount here and then supplant it with the ARPA money,” he said. “This is (for) additional needs outside of that.”
    The funds from the bonds would be used for more recurring expenses, according to city officials.

    “Despite all of the federal money that we have and the very careful financial planning that we do here as the city, we find that we have capital needs, which far exceed our ability to fund,” Hewett said.

    “To address the significant public safety, unfunded needs, and not to mention potentially any housing, affordable housing issues that the council wishes to take, we would need a different funding method.”

    Tax increase

    If the bonds are approved by voters, it would cause an increase in property taxes in Fayetteville.
    With each cent increase to the property tax, the city could fund $1.45 million in annual costs of repaying the bond, Toland said.
    If the maximum $97 million is eventually put on November’s ballot, it would require an annual increase in property tax of just under 4 cents, based on a presentation Toland gave to the City Council.

    Property taxes are calculated by dividing the value of the home or property by 100 and then multiplying by the cent increase.
    A $200,000 home, for instance, would see a one-time annual property tax increase of about $80 under the 4 cents scenario, or a monthly increase of just under $7. If the total bond amount is decreased, though, the taxpayer burden will go down as well.
    If the voters approve the bonds, the tax increase would not occur until fiscal year 2024 starts next summer, Toland said.
    Aside from the bonds issue, there will be no tax increases in the upcoming city budget for the next fiscal year, Hewett said.

    “There will not be a tax rate increase proposed in my budget that I’ll present to you in May,” he told the council at April’s bonds meeting. “There will not be an increase proposed in the budget for transit, solid waste or stormwater.”

    The city had previously considered an increase in solid waste fees, Carolina Public Press reported earlier this year.

    How each area will be funded

    The maximum amount that could be approved for public safety, infrastructure and housing is $60 million, $25 million and $12 million, respectively.
    The preliminary plans for the public safety portion is to construct and renovate various fire stations across the city and to build a police call center that would cost over $30 million.
    Hewett said that the call center “is a must.”

    Fayetteville Fire Chief Mike Hill said that the fire station locations are based on need, according to various data collected by the Fire Department.
    The $60 million, though, would not cover all the construction. Details of which projects the bonds will fund will be determined over the next few months before the referendum is filed to the Board of Elections later this summer.

    The $25 million infrastructure portion would cover new sidewalks, intersection improvements, new bike lanes and street repaving.

    The remaining $12 million would be used to provide and rehabilitate multifamily and single-family housing within the city. It would also fund “programs to provide loans and other financial assistance” for housing-related costs, according to city documents.

    The housing funds within the bonds would be used to benefit people of low and moderate income. Details for how that will be defined have yet to be determined.

    At April’s bonds meeting, when the City Council approved of an additional housing portion, Mayor Mitch Colvin cited a previous city study, when advocating for the housing funds, that showed Fayetteville is short 20,000 homes for workforce level housing.

  • The Cumberland County Board of Education on Tuesday night, May 10, unanimously approved the superintendent’s proposed budget for the 2022-23 school year.
    Based on Superintendent Marvin Connelly’s recommendation, the board is requesting $88.2 million in local funding from the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. That represents an increase of 6.2%, or $5.1 million, over the 2021-22 appropriation.

    In other business, the school board voted 5-4 to continue with its optional mask policy. The board is required to vote on the policy each month.
    Before the regular meeting got underway, a public hearing was held on the proposed closure of Lillian Black Elementary School and Ireland Drive Middle School. No one spoke on behalf of either school, and the board did not take any action on the proposed closures Tuesday night.

    Budget priorities for the next school term include a minimum wage beginning at $15 an hour for bus drivers and other staff.

    The money needed to meet the proposed salary goals might require a property tax increase by the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, the school board has said previously.

    The school district’s local funding request will now be submitted to the county board by May 15 for consideration.

    The total proposed budget for the school system is $699 million, which is a drop of 8% from 2021-22.

    The State Public School Fund accounts for the largest portion of the budget at $348.2 million, or 49.8% of the total budget. Federal programs, Enterprise Fund and grants account for an additional $232.6 million, or 33.6%.

    The federal budget makes up 26.6% of the district budget at $185.9 million. The capital outlay budget is approximately $13.6 million, or 2%, of the district budget.
    The capital outlay budget is the primary source of funding for buildings, land and improvements, furniture and equipment, and vehicles, according to a release from the school system. This budget is funded by designated sales tax revenues with annual allocations from Cumberland County government.

    The proposed salary schedule complies with a state-mandated minimum wage for all employees and eliminates the salary compression in the present schedule while increasing the local supplement of certified staff by an average of 2%, a release said.

    The board’s Budget and Finance Committee previously OK'd the proposed budget by unanimous vote before it was passed on to the entire school board Tuesday.

    “We remain committed to our students,” Connelly said during the board's regular monthly meeting. “Nearly three years ago, we made several commitments, and we determined to see them through. While a lot has changed since school in our strategic plan in 2019, our hope and aspirations for our young people have remained the same.

    “Despite a global pandemic that has ravaged our world,” he said, “we remain resolute in the commitments detailed in our strategic plan – 'Together, We Will Rise!' We are reimagining the Cumberland commitment and working innovatively to educate our young people.”

    Much of the budget invests in the system’s workforce, Connelly said.

    As such, a large chunk of the local funding request focuses on investing in the district’s 6,000-plus employees and implementing cost-of-living and supplemental increases. The board is seeking approval from the commissioners to launch a funding model to support the implementation of competitive salary and supplement schedules for the district’s employees.

    The superintendent said he was recommending that the full board seek approval from the county commissioners to implement the state-required $15 per hour minimum pay for all employees.
    High-quality educators and staff are choosing to retire and transition to different careers, he said. Some are leaving for higher-paying career jobs. As a result, he said, it’s important that Cumberland County Schools remain competitive with other school districts statewide by recruiting and retaining highly qualified employees.

    The key, Connelly told the board, is collaboration.

    “By investing in our premiere professionals,” he said, “we are invested in the success of our students. It is more important than ever that we invest in our future – the future of our students is at stake. It is imperative that we then move forward with the budget proposal for the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners that we can all stand behind."

  • County Public Health Director Jennifer Green on Monday, May 2, gave the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners an overview of the planning process needed to acquire the county’s portion of money from a state opioid lawsuit.

    Dr. Green gave county commissioners a number of options to consider when requesting the funds and will ask for the commission’s guidance during their upcoming May 12 agenda planning session.

    North Carolina is part of a $26 billion settlement that will provide money to help bring relief to communities affected by opioid addiction. The state, its 100 counties and 45 municipalities joined the agreement. The money agreement is a result of lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies deemed to have been responsible for creating and fueling the opioid epidemic.

    Green told commissioners that the state will keep 15% of the money, with the remainder going to North Carolina counties and municipalities who are part of the agreement. She said Cumberland County will get about $16.9 million, and Fayetteville will get about $2 million. The state will distribute the money over an 18-year span.

    A memorandum of agreement between the state and local government directs how the opioid settlement funds are distributed among the recipients. To access the money, local government must conduct annual meetings within each county; establish a special revenue fund, which cannot be co-mingled with other county funds; adopt a budget resolution that authorizes spending money, to include amount and time period, a spending strategy and forwarding information to the opioid settlement board. The requirements also include filing an annual financial report and annual impact reports.

    Additionally, the MOA requires local government to choose a plan of action, giving two options.

    Option A allows local governments to fund one or more strategies from a shorter list of “evidence-based, high impact strategies to address the epidemic.”

    Option B allows local government to fund one or more strategies from a longer list of strategies after engaging in a collaborative strategic planning process involving a “diverse array of stakeholders”.

    Green said the County could start with Option A and then switch to Option B, but it could not switch back and forth.

    The next steps to getting the funding underway is to get the Commission’s guidance at the May 12 Agenda session; complete stakeholder and community feedback sessions scheduled for May and June; analyze the data, align the proposed strategies, and feedback from various stakeholders; and present the total findings to the county commissioners.

    The funding flow starts immediately, with $652,543 becoming available this spring, $1,435,068 later this summer, and the remainder increments each following summer until 2038.
    Commissioner Charles Evans asked if the money could be used to treat people addicted to other substances, such as crack cocaine. Green responded that the money has to be used for addiction treatment for opioids.

    “That’s where the settlement comes from,” she said.

    The commissioners also heard from Sharon Moyer, community engagement administrator for the Partnership for Children of Cumberland County. Moyer updated the commissioners on the Family Connects Program.

    The program provides in-home or virtual nurse visitation to families with newborns in Cumberland, Hoke and Robeson counties. The visits occur about three weeks after the baby is born. There is no cost to the family.

    The visits reduce hospital visits and have decreased child abuse reports by 44%, Moyer said. The program addresses issues like postpartum depression, household safety and parent-child relationships, among others. Moyer said Cape Fear Valley Medical Center now allows trained nurses to contact new mothers and provide them with an informational card prior to leaving the hospital.

    In other action, the Commissioners unanimously agreed to extend another three-year lease to Coastal Horizons Center, Inc., a Wilmington-based non-profit providing substance abuse treatment. The organization is housed in the county-owned building at 412 Russell St. The county’s pretrial services and state parole and probation agencies also occupy the building. Coastal Horizons Inc. will pay the county $18,180 a year for 1,212 square feet of office space.

  • “In the Shadow Series I am attempting, like children, to combine the shadows of the eye and spirit, giving mental and spiritual experiences a form of tangibility — a virtually impossible task which will probably remain forever as visual speculation without hope of fi nding an acceptable solution,” said Stanley Greaves, in a statement about his work.

    050510-shadow-series.gif“Unlike literature and drama, in painting, exploring this realm of emotional, often irrational, states of the mind becomes a diffi cult enterprise well understood by the Surrealist School,” said Greaves.

    According to Greaves, the tool of exploration that must be used here tends to become visual allegories or other forms of symbolism that are used in a highly personalized manner. The paintings hold some form of narration, however, there is no defi nite ending. Shadows Move Among Them displays conjecture, or the formation for the expression of opinion or theory without evidence for proof, the drama to spaces and dimensions that reach outside the space within the picture.

    Both the first and second series of Shadows Move Among Them are dedicated to Edgar Mittelholzer, a Caribbean author, who wrote a novel entitled Shadows Move Among Them. Greaves’s first set of artwork in the series was shown on the island of Barbados.

    “At the end of this, the second series of the Shadow paintings, I am left to consider that coming to terms with the intangible is still elusive — the true history of mankind perhaps. My perception of the intangible becomes a vision lying on the edge of some strange horizon and my search will have to follow the lead of the spectrum shadows becoming shadows of the soul,” Greaves said.

    Greaves’ works will be on display at the Fayetteville Museum of Art from May 8 through July 11 and the museum has been working with Greaves on this exhibition for more than a year and a half. Greaves was originally a patron of the museum and through dialogue and submission of an application the studio reviewed his work and decided to display it. The artwork will essentially be exploring two dimensional shadows of the human condition and will consist of twenty-three pieces.

    On Saturday, May 8 at 7 p.m. the premier party for the exhibit will take place at the Fayetteville Museum of Art.

    “This is another example of bringing contemporary work of a living artist to our community and the diversity within our community,” said Michele Horn, assistant director and curator for the Fayetteville Museum of Art.

    Greaves is a native of the Republic of Guyana and he served as the fi rst head of the Division of Creative Arts at the University of Guyana.

    All artists can ask to have their artwork displayed by sending a copy of their portfolio to the museum and a request form. If chosen, the artwork will be on display generally for six to eight weeks.

  • 9c Fayetteville police are asking the public for help finding a man who investigators believe saw a woman intentionally strike a man with her vehicle. The man later died.
    Khaleeta George Gethers, 28, has been charged with murder in the death of 20-year-old Jarod Perry. Perry was seriously injured April 24 when he was struck by a vehicle on the 3500 block of Boone Trail, police said. He was taken to the hospital and later died.

    Detectives have information the witness was walking in front of Perry when he was struck, the Police Department said in a release.
    The witness ran to the front porch of a residence along the 3500 block of Boone Trail and left before police arrived, police said.

    “Detectives are requesting the public’s assistance locating this witness as it is imperative he be interviewed,’’ the department said in a release.
    The man was described as tall with a slim build and short black or brown hair. He was wearing brown work pants, the release said.

    Anyone who knows the man is asked to contact Detective T. Kiger at 910-705-6527 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

  • 05-19-10-huske-photo.gifJosh and Tonia Collins, the proprietors of Huske Hardware House Restaurant and Brewery, fell into the restaurant business quite by accident. While looking to add a property to their property management business, they made a bid on a building downtown. Upon closer inspection, they found the building housed a restaurant, and everything in the building came with the sale of the building.

    Josh, who has been in business since he was 6-years-old, was excited about the idea of trying his hand in the restaurant business. So he headed down to Barnes & Nobles. That’s probably not where most restaurateurs start out, but that’s where he started.

    “We bought five books on restaurant management and read them,” he said, during a recent interview. “Well, actually, I read three of them and fl ipped through the other two, because they all said the same thing: 1/3 of your money goes to overhead, 1/3 goes to employees and 1/2 goes to cost of goods.”

    Armed with what the authors felt were the keys to success in the restaurant industry, Josh and Tonia took on the operations of the Blue Moon Café in the city’s historic downtown. Josh, an Army offi cer at the time, had little time to devote to the business, so Tonia took on the reigns of overseeing the business.

    “Tonia works in the business and I work on the business,” said Josh, noting that operating the Blue Moon was a surgical operation. “We had no storage space, we had three shipments a week delivered and went to Sam’s for anything else we needed.”

    Through hard work and a learning curve, they got the recipe right on the business, and it quickly became a favorite dining destination downtown.

    When the couple, always on the lookout for a new investment, saw an opportunity to purchase the then defunct Huske Hardware House Restaurant and Brewery, they jumped on it.

    “The Blue Moon was a 70-seat restaurant; we thought if we could do that, we could do even more with a bigger restaurant space.”

    The learning curve was a little bigger in the new facility.

    “We learned a lot of lessons in this 350-seat restaurant,” he said.

    They sealed the deal for the restaurant at the end of January 2008, and in February, they jumped in with both feet.05-19-10-huske-2.gif

    “We were asked to be one of the title sponsors of the Dogwood Festival in April, and we hadn’t even opened yet,” he said. “The place was a mess. We had three months to renovate, create a menu, hire and train a staff, hire management and a brew master. We’ve worked on houses that have taken that long.”

    Since Josh was still in the Army, Tonia had oversight of the renovations. She picked the fabric for the booths, the design of the new bar and the historic photos and tools that line the walls. When Josh got off work, he would come downtown and work until 2 a.m., return home, sleep for three or four hours and then put on his uniform and go back to work on Fort Bragg. The hard work paid off and the restaurant opened a week before the Dogwood Festival.

    “At the time, I think because people were excited about the restaurant reopening, there was an unrealistic expectation of what we could do,” he said. “We made some mistakes, and it’s taken a while to get everything right, but over the past two and half years, we’ve come a long way and we’re moving forward.”

    Part of that forward movement is a partnership with Harris Wholesale to distribute Huske’s microbrews throughout the region. That wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the Huske brew master, Julie Baggett.

    “It took us three months to hire a brew master,” said Collins. “We interviewed people from all over the world, and we found Julie in Atlanta. I had three requirements: They had to brew a great beer, be able to talk their beer and compete with guest beers.”

    The final requirement was necessary because the brewing operation was in such disrepair when the restaurant opened that they were unable to serve their own beers. Baggett was the only brew master who felt that she could compete with those guest beers, and she wasn’t wrong. The Huske brews began getting immediate attention with both the Rusty Nail Pale Ale and the Level Headed Blonde quickly becoming customer favorites.

    Harris took notice when they saw that of the eight top sellers in the restaurant, six were Huske brewed.

    “They wanted to take a look at what we had and decided to carry our beers,” said Josh. “We are in eight to 10 counties from Raleigh to Pinehurst.”The beers started circulating the region in February and are now in more than 30 locations. “They key is that while we are adding new locations every week, we are also keeping the ones that gave us a try,” said Collins.

    Keeping customers is something that both Collins believe in. Over the past two and a half years they have altered their menu and revamped their evening entertainment until they found what works for the Fayetteville market. During the day and early evening Huske is a restaurant that serves great food, at night it becomes a nightlife destination. If you drive by on weekends, you’ll see the crowds waiting to get in. They’ve drawn loyal customers by giving them what they want: great food and great entertainment in a safe environment. Since opening, they have had no alcohol-related incidents because they put the safety of their patrons first.

    05-19-10-huske-3.gifIn the spring of 2011, those patrons will have another reason to cheer. The Collins, along with a group of investors that Josh refers to as “band of brothers,” will open Wet Willie’s in the building adjacent to Huske. For those not in the know, Wet Willie’s is a daiquiri bar and grill with locations in cities like Charleston, Savannah and Charlotte.

    “Chicks dig foo-foo drinks and guys dig chicks,” said Josh, who immediately got a look from Tonia. “Wet Willie’s and Huske are a perfect match. We are working on the building and expect to open in the spring, because you don’t open a daiquiri bar in the winter.”

    The plan is to open the restaurant in conjunction with the Dogwood Festival. “We want to hit it out of the park,” he said. “Wet Willie’s will be a full-service restaurant that provides entertainment such as live acts and karaoke at night to great lunch during the day.”

    The two restaurants will not be physically connected, but Josh said they will complement each other, adding another destination to downtown.

    That’s something Josh is passionate about. As a board member of the Downtown Alliance, the often outspoken business owner has made making downtown a destination his mantra. “I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve given the alliance my ‘I Have a Dream’ speech for downtown,” he said. “I see our downtown looking like Savannah or Charleston or Charlotte or Greensboro, it’s just going to take some hard work.”

    And, if you look at where the Collins have come from their fi rst visit to Barnes & Noble to today, Josh believes it pays off.

  • 9b The 82nd Airborne Division has announced that its All American Week is being postponed until late September due to the deployment of thousands of post-based troops to Europe to support the nation’s allies and to deter further Russian aggression.

    This year’s All American Week had been scheduled for May 23 to 26. It will now be held Sept. 26 to 29, according to a release.

    "All American Week is one of the proudest traditions of this division," Commanding General Maj. Gen. Chris LaNeve said in the release. “For this reason, we are postponing to ensure that everyone can be together for this exciting week of activities, camaraderie and reflection on the sacrifices of our paratroopers and contributions of this great division to the nation."

    The headquarters of the 82nd Airborne Division, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team and elements of the division’s combat aviation brigade, sustainment brigade and others deployed to Poland in February.

    Since February, when the invasion started, 4,700 service members of the 82nd Airborne Division and key enablers deployed to Germany. The 82nd Airborne Division deployed components of an infantry brigade combat team and key enablers to Poland. The 18th Airborne Corps moved a Joint Task Force-capable headquarters to Germany, according to Master Sgt. Brian Rodan, a spokesman for the 82nd Airborne Division.

    Overall, Fort Bragg has roughly 50,000 troops and another 14,000 civilians who work on the post.

    "Every year, thousands attend All American Week to include the nearly 19,000 paratroopers participating in the week's events," Rodan said Wednesday, May 4.
    All American Week, which is open to the public, celebrates veterans and honors active-duty service members. Activities include sports competitions, ceremonies and memorials recognizing those service members who lost their lives serving their country.

    "The run is the biggest and most popular event," Rodan said, "and it officially kicks off the All American Week events."

    In 2020, All American Week was canceled due to COVID-19. In 2021, All American Week was postponed due to COVID and then re-established as All American Days in November due to the 82nd Airborne Division answering the nation's call as the immediate response force in Europe.

    Asked whether the September date could change if Fort Bragg soldiers remain deployed at that time, Rodan said he could not speak of the ongoing operations. He said they are hoping All American Week can take place in September.

    “Since its inception, All American Week has brought our veterans and the Fort Bragg community together building the esprit-de-corps and celebrating almost 105 years of the 82nd Airborne Division's service to the nation,” the release said.

    The event provides an opportunity for the division's paratroopers, past and present and their families to come together for camaraderie and to celebrate serving in the All American Division, Rodan said. In the past, All American Week has consisted of a variety of events including the division run, boxing, baseball, softball, soccer, Army combatives and an airborne demonstration.

     

  • 05262010runnning.jpgLike rugged bike rides, running through the woods or swimming in lakes? Then the XTERRA Triathlon is for you!

    Sunday, May 30, beginning at 8:30 a.m., Fort Bragg will be hosting an XTERRA Triathlon at Smith Lake, which is located on the eastern side of Fort Bragg.

    XTERRA is a company that holds off-road triathlons and Fort Bragg is the only military installation to host an XTERRA event. The triathlon will consist of a 1000m swim, in Smith Lake, an 18 mile mountain bike ride and a four mile trail run. Smith Lake is shallow, with its maximum depth at eight to ten feet, the bike ride is across rough, dirt roads and the trail run will be in and out of the woods.

    This triathlon has been held annually at Fort Bragg for four years and all elements of the race will be the same as last year except the trail ride will be in the opposite direction along its original path. In the past, winning participants completed the race within two hours and ending competitors finished after four to four and a half hours.

    While the triathlon is not a training technique used by Fort Bragg there are usually many military competitors in the race. Thus far, 80 people have signed up to participate and they are hoping for 100 by May 27, the closing date for registration. Registration fees are $70 for individual participants and $120 for a relay team. The fees will be used to pay for costs associated with the triathlon such as race tee-shirts, swimming caps, food, water, etc.

    Competitors are asked to bring their own bikes.

    There are no age requirements or restrictions and currently a 14-year-old has registered to compete. Though only five or six women have registered, they are invited to compete in the race.

    “Just be trained, prepped and ready for an outdoor experience,” said Derek Weller, a Co-race Director for the Smith Lake Triathlon.

    Weller stresses to competitors that the bike route is pretty tough and the running trail goes both up and down hills.

    Prizes will be given away to participants based on placing, different qualities and at random. The first place winner will receive a trophy and other participants will receive prizes. In the past, Weller has given prizes to the youngest and oldest competitors and to the competitor with the dirtiest shoes.

    There will be eight stations set up along the biking and running courses where spectators will provide water and encouragement to competitors. Families are also allowed to come and stand along the course ways to cheer participants on.

    The race will be held as planned in the event of rain, but will be postponed or canceled if it thunderstorms.

    While there have been no serious injuries in the past competitors are required to sign a liability waver and through that are insured by USA Triathlon.

    Qualifying points can be made through XTERRA and points will be awarded to the top 15 competitors to finish. From here participants can go on to national or international levels to compete in triathlons.

    For more information please visit

    www.fortbraggmwr.com/xterra/index.html.

    Photo caption: Fort Bragg offers athletes a chance to push themselves
    to the limits at the 4th Annual XTERRA triathlon on
    May 30. 

  • 9a A Fayetteville man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole in the 2017 stabbing death of a retired teacher and Army veteran.
    Jameel Malik Davidson was convicted Friday of first-degree murder in the death of Gerald “Jerry’’ Gillespie, the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office said. He was sentenced by Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons.

    Gillespie, 86, was found dead in his apartment off Owen Drive on Jan. 18, 2017.
    Senior Assistant District Attorneys Rob Thompson and Robby Hicks prosecuted the case. Davidson is appealing the conviction.

    This was the second time the case had been tried. A trial last year ended in a hung jury, Hicks said.

    Hicks said Davidson lived in the apartment below Gillespie’s.
    He said testimony at the trial showed that while law enforcement officers were on the scene investigating, Davidson told someone the man in the apartment had been stabbed.

    “He knew that before it had been released publicly,’’ Hicks said.

    Investigators obtained a search warrant for Davidson’s apartment. During the search, Gillespie’s blood was found on shoes belonging to Davidson, Hicks said. Davidson was arrested a few days later in Florida.
    Davidson was represented by Bernard Condlin.

    Gillespie was an Army veteran who retired as a master sergeant. He served multiple tours in Vietnam and served with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), his daughter-in-law Pamela Gillespie said.
    After retiring from the Army, Gillespie became a math and science teacher. He taught at Dunn Middle School and at Overhills Middle School, she said.

    Gillespie was born in the Philippines. His mother was Filipino and his father was an American soldier.

    His father returned to the United States. During that time, Gillespie’s mother became ill. He lived in orphanages and on the street until a doctor took him in and helped get him to the United States, Pamela Gillespie said.
    His father died soon after Gerald Gillespie came to the United States, she said.

    “He came here with absolutely nothing,’’ Pamela Gillespie said.
    A family member found Gillespie in his apartment after he failed to show up at their business, Flow & Grow Hydroponic Garden.

    “He came to our business every day like clockwork,’’ Pamela Gillespie said. “That’s how we knew something was wrong.’’
    She said her father-in-law also frequented K&W Cafeteria, where he would eat with friends nearly every day.

    “He was phenomenal,’’ she said.

  • 8 The Fayetteville City Council on Monday, May 2, unanimously but cautiously accepted a staff proposal establishing an ordinance that would substantially curb homeless encampments throughout Fayetteville.
    The proposed ordinance would allow the city to remove “tent city” encampments occupied by homeless individuals if deemed a danger to the public or the homeless occupants. The encampments could be on public or private property.

    Assistant City Attorney Lisa Harper said the ordinance would allow camping on private property if the owner consented. It would regulate how long such encampments could remain on that property.
    Some council members expressed concern about the proposed ordinance when staff could not specifically identify places to house or shelter homeless people once they were removed from their encampments.
    Brook Redding, assistant to the city manager and one of the presenters, continuously emphasized that the city would not close down an encampment if beds or other shelters were not available to those being affected by the ordinance.

    Harper emphasized that shutting down an encampment would not be legal if there were no alternative means to shelter the homeless.

    “If no beds were available, it would be a Constitutional violation,” she said. Harper also suggested the council could limit the ordinance.

    Despite the assurances, councilmember Shakeyla Ingram continuously asked where the homeless would go after an encampment was shut down. She also said many of the homeless suffer from mental health issues, and she feared that removing them from their encampment would trigger them. She also asked why the military was not involved in the discussion since many of the homeless are veterans.
    Ingram's concern resonated throughout the council. Council members Larry Wright and D.J. Haire echoed Ingram’s concerns. “Where they go (after being evicted) will not be answered tonight,” Haire said.

    “Let’s not make this an issue of not caring,” Mayor Mitch Colvin said at one point. He contended that those sleeping in the rights-of-way are in danger from nearby traffic and the city needed to take action.

    Among the major findings by the task force is that the city needs a policy that regulates homeless campsites on public and private property, and in vehicles.

    Councilmember Johnny Dawkins, a Republican, took the opportunity to criticize Gov. Roy Cooper's administration for not allowing the city to remove homeless encampments on state-owned highway rights-of-way within the city.

    “I want the public to understand. I get complaints every single week. It’s becoming a real issue for businesses. The governor and the NCDoT will not let us do anything about it,” Dawkins said.

    City Manager Doug Hewett said the city has agreements with the state to cut vegetation and remove debris on some NCDoT rights-of-way. Keeping them maintained would help the appearance of those areas where the homeless tend to congregate.

    In summary, the Task Force recommends:
    •Adopt an ordinance that addresses: camping on public property, camping on private property and is enforceable and within legal limits.
    •Adopt a city policy that provides a standardized procedure that governs the cleanup of public property used for temporary shelters.
    •Establish an agreement with NC DoT providing shared jurisdiction of rights-of-way in the city.
    •Establish an “Impact Reduction Program” that provides a protocol when the city engages a homeless and “unsheltered” individual in
    the city.

    The report recommended that council either accept the report and direct staff to bring a draft ordinance forward for adoption at a future council meeting, or to accept the report and direct staff to bring back alternative ordinance recommendations.

    Councilmember Courtney Banks-McLaughlin motioned to accept the report and asked the staff to bring back options that address the question of where homeless individuals would go after vacating an encampment. Councilmember Dawkins seconded the motion.

    The proposal with alternative ordinance proposals will come before city council at a subsequent meeting where councilmembers can review the changes before officially adopting them.

  • 11 The Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity was recently awarded a $5 million grant from American author and philanthropist Mackenzie Scott. The grant is part of a $436 million donation to 83 U.S. Habitat affiliates, including eight in North Carolina.

    The FAHFH branch covers Cumberland, Bladen and Sampson counties. The grant will allow them to continue their work in those locations and expand into Robeson County.

    The organization has been around since 1988, but they have made significant progress in providing affordable housing more recently.

    “In the last 34 years, we’ve built a little over 200 homes, but 25% of those homes have been built in the last three years,” said CEO Ron Gunter. “As you’re well aware, we had Hurricanes Matthew and Florence that came through, and for about four years there, we didn’t build a single home. We did nothing but repairs for homes and mainly have had homeowners that [whose homes] were built in lower-lying areas of the city.”

    In 2019, FAHFH began construction on a community of 47 homes called Oak Ridge Estate. Nine homeowners are local veterans, and 15 of the families were impacted by hurricanes.

    “We’ll be finishing up Oak Ridge in June and begin moving to another part of town with more construction to build clusters of homes, anywhere from five to seven to eight homes at a time, hoping to facilitate change and strengthen and revitalize those parts of the community and the neighborhood,” he said. “Our goal is to build as many homes as we can in affordable housing.”

    FAHFH helps low-income families become homeowners, but they provide more than just a house. They also offer courses to help families with the challenges of homeownership.

    They have 35 online and in-person classes covering banking, insurance and home repair from experts who volunteer time.

    “We try to have a holistic approach to our homeowners,” he said. “We want to help them not only get into their homes but stay in their homes.”

    When someone qualifies for a home, they must commit 300 sweat equity hours. These volunteer hours combine classroom instruction, working on their future home or volunteering at ReStore, Habitat’s home improvement store.

    Gunter has seen firsthand the dedication and hard work the families put into securing their homes. He recalled the emotional move-in day for a single mom of three who went through chemotherapy while still contributing her sweat equity hours to construct her house.

    “To watch tears flow from her face and say, ‘I’m not going to move anymore,’” he said. “That’s why we do what we do. That’s the full payment for us. We get to stand and dedicate that home, commit that home, give them the key. And they’re now the homeowner that makes all the difference in the world.”

    The FAHFH has 14 employees covering everything from community relations to family services to finances. They also have five employees at the local ReStore. They consider themselves a small but mighty team that works well together for the greater good.

    “That’s one thing that’s very important: there are no ‘lone rangers’ in the Fayetteville area Habitat. We’re all part of the team, and it takes all of us working together (and it’s a lot of hard work), but it’s a great team,” Gunter said. “They all step up to do whatever’s needed to get the job done.”

    The team will commemorate the completion of Oak Ridge Estates with a fundraising event, Framing the Future, on June 26. They will also be honoring Gunter on his retirement and welcoming a new CEO, Brandon Price, their current compliance and advocacy officer.

    “We want to celebrate the amazing work that Ron has done in the past three years with Oak Ridge and his retirement,” said FAHFH Director of Marketing April De Leon. “And everybody that’s worked with us in the past three years, all of our vendors that have helped construct the homes [are] invited … we’re inviting the city out to celebrate all the good work that’s been done in Cumberland County.”

    Framing the Future will be held June 26 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Sweet Valley Ranch, 2990 Sunnyside School Road. Tickets are $100 for individuals, and sponsor tables for eight or more are still available.

    Visit www.fayettevillenchabitat.org to learn more about the organization and upcoming events.

  • 10 If there is one thing North Carolina’s Mother of Year award winner, Demetria Davis, is, it’s busy. Mama Dee, as those around her call her, finds the time to talk about herself late at night — after the dinner is made, kids are in bed and all the tasks that fall on a mother are done.

    “Sometimes, you have to carve it out and make time,” she said.

    Davis grew up in Fayetteville and ran track at Terry Sanford. After high school, Davis continued to run track in college in South Carolina. She secured an endorsement from Nike and traveled the world running for the U.S. She ended up taking home a medal at the world championships in 2003. Suddenly, her days as a track star came to an end.

    “I ended up getting injured. It went kind of downhill from there. I soon after met my husband. We got married, had kids. We started doing ministry together,” Davis said.

    Davis described this evolution as natural and spoke about it with a loving tone. In 2012, Davis and her husband moved back to Fayetteville and started their ministry in North Carolina. Being both a mom of five children and a minister kept her busy. Davis said she has many “kids” in the community. Everyone loves “Mama Dee,” as one kid coined Davis many years ago.

    She said she never intended to be nominated for Mother of the Year. An outing at a pageant led another attendee to nominate Davis for the Mother of the Year Award.

    “She said just from spending time with me, she really loved my spirit. It was definitely different. I cried. There’s so many wonderful mothers out there,” Davis said.

    For Davis, it is an honor to represent North Carolina and all the mothers in the state. But despite the title, Davis says she doesn’t have all the answers as a mom. Mother of the Year does not equal perfection. Like most moms, she was afraid of making mistakes with her children.

    “They see everything you do. One of the most challenging things is being who God wanted me to be for them. You learn every day how to be a mother. Sometimes you are walking your way blindly,” she said.
    Davis has found that mothering isn’t limited to the kids she “birthed.” Mothering, for her, extended to those kids in the community that look to her for advice and bonding. She became “attached” to many kids in the community. She’s taken kids in and even had some stay with her during Christmas time.

    “You end up being a mother to kids that don’t have that at home. That was unexpected. It’s amazing.”

    Her kids are also involved in sports and often bring friends home. It has become a hang-out of sorts for teenagers. Davis has two other boys right now that she says feel like her kids. She met both through her and her husband’s ministry efforts. She says her love for God and her family is her biggest passion, and it becomes easy to serve people through it.

    “We love serving people. I love my family. I love being able to make them happy.”

    For Mama Dee, serving her family and others includes great meals at home and catering on the weekends. Cooking is another passion for Davis. She believes that service to others can sometimes come from serving food and cooking.

    “Whatever it is, I’m cooking, I am putting my all into it,” she said.

    Mama Dee recently became a grandmother. Her daughter had a baby last year. She gives the same advice to her daughter about being a mother. She tells her that she will make mistakes and not to get upset at herself.

    For Davis, every day is a new opportunity to learn as parents. Davis does have some advice for other new moms as well.

    “Be your authentic you. You are exactly who God created you to be. Sometimes we lose track of that, but once we get back on track and be who he wanted us to be, it’s well worth it.”

  • The Cumberland County Department of Public Health is giving away free mosquito insecticide to Cumberland County residents while supplies last. The Mosquito Dunks product is a biological pest control agent that kills mosquito larvae. It is non-toxic to fish, birds, wildlife and pets.

    Residents can pick up a two-month supply in the Environmental Health section of the third floor of the Health Department, 1235 Ramsey St., Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    The product is placed in water, where it floats. It will be effective for 30 days in standing water and covers 100 square feet of surface. It can be used in areas where standing water creates a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

    The active ingredient is bacillus thuringiensis. Printed instructions are available.

    West Nile virus, La Crosse and Eastern equine encephalitis are the most reported mosquito-borne illnesses that can be acquired in North Carolina.
    In addition to mosquito dunks, citizens can use other mosquito control methods, including the “tip and toss” method. Tip over any containers that have standing water and replace water in bird baths weekly.

    Other ways to prevent mosquito bites are:
    •Keep children’s wading pools empty or stored on
    their side when not in use.
    •Use insect repellent containing DEET when out
    doors, which also repels ticks.
    •Wear long sleeves and pants at dusk and dawn
    when mosquitoes are most active or stay indoors
    during these hours.
    •Make sure your windows and doors have good
    screens to keep mosquitoes out.

  • 9a Spc. Luis Herrera, 23, of Marion, North Carolina, died April 28, from injuries sustained in a military vehicle accident while conducting routine military training on Fort Bragg.

    “Our thoughts and prayers, along with the Paratroopers of ‘Geronimo’ 2nd Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, are with Spc. Herrera’s wife and loved ones as we mourn the loss of Luis,” said Capt. Daigoroh Abreu, his company commander.

    “Big Lou’s’ presence was a gift to us all, and his radiant smile brought warmth to all who knew him.”
    Spc. Herrera was assigned to Raider Company, 2nd Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

    “Spc. Herrera was an exceptional paratrooper and an engaged friend to all those who knew him. Luis was a soldier’s soldier who always led by example and never missed a chance to leave a positive impact on those around him,” said Col. Theodore Kleisner, commander of 1st BCT.

    “Our brigade was made better by the selfless service of Spc. Herrera. The leaders and paratroopers of 1st Brigade Combat Team are committed to ensuring every resource is available to his family and peers to help them through this difficult time.”

    The 2-501st PIR will host a memorial for Spc. Herrera in the coming weeks.

    Spc. Herrera enlisted into the U.S. Army in 2017, as an Infantryman, and served two deployments to Kuwait.

    His military awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Parachutist Badge.

    Spc. Herrera is survived by his wife, parents, family and friends.

    Three additional soldiers were involved in the military vehicle accident.

    One soldier was treated at Womack Army Medical Center and released. The other two soldiers were admitted for treatment and observation.

    The circumstances surrounding the military vehicle accident are under investigation.

  • 05-08-13-go-red.gifIn literature, in art and in life the heart is the center of the body. Without it nothing is possible, so it only makes sense that we should protect it. Ironically, heart disease is the leading cause of death in women in the United States; often times it is one of the most preventable causes of death, yet it claims more lives of women than any kind of cancer. In order to stop this trend, the American Heart Association has created a movement geared towards helping and teaching women to take care of their hearts: Go Red for Women.

    The key to battling any disease is knowledge. By knowing the risk factors people can mitigate their risk factors. This can be especially important in an illness such as heart disease, that research shows lifestyle is often a large contributing factor. Diet, exercise, and family history can all add to the risks of having heart trouble, but knowing is half the battle and that is what the National Heart Association is promoting through the Go Red for Women events.

    Alisa Debnam, a community volunteer that is very involved with the Go Red for Womenevents says that when people come to a Go Red for Women event they should expect, “to learn and impact women. We will talk about the change in awareness and improvement in the education for women’s heart health. Most women don’t know about heart disease and we want to get the message out. People need to know the signs of a heart attack. They happen to people daily, and get ignored. People think it is the flu or exhaustion. People need to know the signs and get help to take care of their health.”

    “I remember in 2003 that I attended a Go Red for Women event in Raleigh and it was huge. As I was listening to the medical expert, I began to wonder why we didn’t have anything like this in Cumberland county,” Debnam recalled. As if rising to the call, many women in Fayetteville have decided to embrace the growing movement in heart health. In order to spread awareness and passion to the women of Fayetteville the organization will be hosting their second Go Red for Women Luncheon on May 14 at the Embassy Suites. Debnam explained that the luncheon will be both informative and entertaining. Susan Sparks, who is a former trial lawyer and is now a Baptist minister and stand-up comedian will provide entertainment for the night. There will also be a health and wellness segment that is sponsored by Morgan Stanley and a segment where a medical expert will present crucial information about heart disease that is sponsored by The First Health Regional Hospital.

    There are many ways that people can contribute to the fight against heart disease. Anyone can host an event at their house and invite friends and family to act as a fundraiser, or just as an event to spread awareness. There is also the Heart Walk in October, where anyone can make a team out of their friends and families and help to fund and raise awareness for the battle against heart disease.

    For more information, go to the website www.goredforwomen.org, the go red for women facebook page or the website ahagreenvillenc.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/20122013FayettevilleNCGoRedLuncheon/tabid/402556/Default.aspx.

  • 05-15-13-u-teck.gifU-TECK has been providing the building blocks of telecommunication for 29 years. The company manufactures and supplies specialized products and services for the telecommunication, utility, municipal and transportation industries. Simply put, it provides the building blocks for others; such as for phone companies: it doesn’t provide the actual phone, rather it provides the equipment to keep the phones running and manufactures the phones. Or, as Nan Jackson the manager of marketing at U-TECK puts it, “We don’t provide a ladder, but we supply the rungs.”

    Jackson has been with the company for the past 10 years and has had the opportunity to see it develop into the close-knit company it is today.

    “Ten years ago, the telecommunications industry went through a major reorganization and that affected U-TECK,” she said.

    The company took on that challenge by creating a solid presence in new markets. The last six years has been a time of change in the company. Jackson continued, “We’ve grown so much through a team leader, ownership approach to success that allows everyone a voice in shaping our company. We go into each year with specific goals, work the plan and have enjoyed continued growth through continued product development and new marketing efforts.”

    This growth is not the only thing that has helped U-TECK become so successful. Both Jackson and current president, Linda Hoppman, know the key to what makes them stand out. It’s the fact that customers can come to them and they can develop the criteria to create the product.

    “The collaboration with suppliers and new product development gives these solutions to the customers. It’s the key to being a solution company.” Jackson stated.

    There are unique solutions for cable management, ergonomics for technicians, safety applications and more. A signifi cant special solution product that has been recently created is the WeedEnder Vegetation Control System. This product was specified by the New York Department of Transportation and installed last spring to help control unwanted vegetation growth under 22 miles of cable barrier in the median on the Long Island Expressway. It was placed in New York before hurricane Sandy and after the storm blew through it never moved an inch! The product is available in other states including California, Washington and New Jersey.

    The unique process that makes WeedEnder so effective is that it deprives the weed’s root system of sunlight but does allow water and nutrients to fi lter through; this prevents erosion by keeping the root system alive. The minimization of erosion provides visibility along guardrails, cable barriers, beautifi cation sites, billboards, exit-ramp signs and speed-limit signs. WeedEnder is also environmentally friendly. It doesn’t use any herbicides or harmful chemicals but still gets the job done. If there is a road next to the lake, the water running through will not be harmed. It is made of 100 percent recyclable materials, is fire retardant and has a 15-year guarantee warranty. This is just one of the many innovative products U-TECK manufactures and designs.U-TECK enjoys being involved with the community. The company’s employees are encouraged to volunteer and participate in local charitable efforts. U-TECK supports the Fisher House on Fort Bragg, recently donating $5,000. Also, for the past four years, it has been a part of the Women’s Business Enterprise Council.

    For Jackson and Hoppman, choosing to be in Fayetteville wasn’t a hard decision and they couldn’t have it any better. “Fayetteville is our home, we didn’t choose it, it chose us,” Hoppman said. Jackson added, “This is our environment and our community and that is why we continue to stay here.”

    U-TECK is a unique company with products meeting specifi c needs for its customers. The employees dedicate their time and energy effectively, something no one would want to weed out! Find out more about U-TECK at www.uteck.com.

    Photo: WeedEnder is one of the many unique solutions U-Teck has designed for its customers. It is used along many roadways.

  • 07 khiarimhoons Quarantine may seem to be winding down, but the need for social distancing remains. In the past few months, the quarantine brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that personal connections are a vital part of daily living. Without them, the world seems a little bleak. In response to this need for connection with others, the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County joined forces with artists of all disciplines to host Hay Street Live Virtual Jam Session. It is a bright spot in a trying situation and something to look forward to each week.

    Using modern technology, the Arts Council is bridging the gap by hosting a series of virtual events every Friday, at 6 p.m., through live streaming on Facebook.

    While the concept of time may be altered due to the quarantines, the attempt to reach some kind of normalcy is vital to mental health and maintaining relationships. Whether it seems real or not, spring has sprung, and Memorial Day is in the rearview mirror. Summer has officially begun. Aren’t we all ready for some fun? May 29, performer Kiari Mhoon will be featured on Hay Street Live Virtual Jam Session to kick off summer with some smooth R&B and pop tunes.
     
    Although he’s young, 21-year-old Mhoon has performed for many years, starting his foray into entertainment right after he learned to walk and continuing to today. Originally from Arkansas, his family settled in Tennessee, where he attended high school and performed in school plays, the choir and madrigals, as well as small group ensembles and solo performances. During his time in the Army, Mhoon played the lead in the “ U.S. Army Soldier Show” and sang the national anthem at several events and ceremonies.

    After winning a contest held by Universal Records, Mhoon took his group “Versatile” on a nightclub tour. In 2017, he released his first album, “24 Hours,” under his independent label, Mhoon Records. This was followed by a second album, “All I Want,” in 2019.

    This week, Mhoon, who is influenced by artists such as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, John Legend and Beyonce, will perform for the Fayetteville community, so get ready to groove. According to Mhoon, listeners can expect to hear “songs from his albums, along with songs that have inspired me in some way.”

    “Kiari is an immensely talented vocalist, and he also performs in the 82nd Airborne Band,” stated Metoya Scott, public relations manager for the Arts Council. She continued, “While this may not be the same experience as seeing Kiari perform live, it will still be very entertaining” for those who attend.

    In closing, Scott acknowledged how the Hay Street Live program has grown since it started. “The Arts Council is grateful (for) the amount of participation we’ve received for Hay Street Live, and we are looking forward to more performances to come,” she said.

    To view Kiari Mhoon this Friday, and for performances going forward, visit www.theartscouncil.com, www.wearethearts.com, or check out Facebook @TheArtsCouncilFAY to view the upcoming virtual concerts.
     
  • 09 01 magicianThe Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County presents Hay Street Live: A Virtual Jam Session, every Friday, from 6-7 p.m., streaming live through Facebook.

    “Hay Street Live is a virtual jam session that is streamed live through our Facebook account, which is at Facebook.com/TheArtsCouncilFay,” said Metoya Scott, public relations manager of the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. “It gives our community a chance to connect with local artists from North Carolina and comment and party in the house.”

    It’s a fun and entertaining way to support and showcase local talent, but with a twist! For each show, the Arts Council invites a mixologist from a local restaurant to share their favorite mixed drinks with the audience and to share the secrets of how to make a perfect cocktail. Often, the drink recipes are original recipes or modern interpretations of classics. The audience gets a new recipe and insight on the science of beverage making, and businesses and mixologists get some exposure — it’s a win-win.

    The entertainment lineup varies from week to week. Last week, soulful singer Leme Nolan of Beaufort, North Carolina, entertained Fayetteville audiences by belting out covers of pieces by Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige and SWV, in addition to performing her original work, “Love with a Ring Attached.” 

    The week before that, it was the All-American rock group, The Guy Unger Band — the ultimate “light up your life” party band that really knows how
    to rock.

    Coming up on the Virtual Hay Street Live program this Friday, May 22, is another local top-notch Carolina rock band known from the mountains to the coast, Rivermist. Voted the 2018 and 2019 Best Band in Fayetteville by Up & Coming Weeklyreaders,  Rivermist has been performing up and down the East Coast since 2014, although the band members have performed together for decades. According to Greg Adair, founding member and manager of Rivermist, they love working locally, especially when supporting the Arts Council, historic downtown Fayetteville and the military. He’s proud of the band’s motto: "Ain't No Party Like A #rivermistparty cause a Rivermist Party Don't Stop!"

    The band did not feel right about accepting donations or tips during Hay Street Live for their personal use because of the circumstances of the virtual event, but there will be a link to the Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research should people decide to donate on behalf of the band.

    Rivermist hopes to replicate the feeling of a live performance. “We figured what we’d do is set up several cameras — we've got a system that we’re going to try to use," Adair explained. "We’re going to try to do a full stage, lights, everything show. I know it’s going to be more work and a lot more tech involved, but people have waited this long for it.”

     Adair hopes that people will interact with the band online while the event is streaming and even make requests.

    Hosted by Bill Bowman, publisher of the Up & Coming Weeklynewspaper, he will introduce the evening’s official guest mixologist, Joseph “BEAR” Dewberry, owner of On After Bar & Grub. BEAR will introduce viewers to two of his favorite signature summer drinks — "Bear’s Southern Peach" and the "Hot Head."

    In addition, Hay Street Live introduces Jeremy Ruis, a young Fayetteville-born magician who has been making magic an art since he was 7 years old. Watch closely. Jeremy brings fun, wonder and amazement everywhere he goes.

    Since the arrival of COVID-19, the Arts Council’s in-person events have been canceled, but that doesn’t mean the fun stops. “During this uncertain time, we want to give people a way to connect and still be entertained,” said Scott. “We recently had to cancel an exhibition, and the artist donated the money that they paid to have their art exhibited back to the Arts Council. That really warmed our hearts, so we wanted to do something to promote our artists — so we started doing Hay Street Live.”

    Scott added that because COVID-19 has impacted so many artists, the Arts Council wanted to give them a platform to continue to share their artistry while engaging people at home with high-quality entertainment. With a little creative thinking, it didn’t take long to come up with something different and entertaining to look forward to every Friday night.

    “Please join us by streaming — and interact by asking the band, bartender or host questions,” said Scott. “This event allows you to have a really
    good time.”

    There is a page on the Arts Council’s website for bands or artists to apply to perform. The performer for Hay Street Live on May 29 will be Kiari Moon. Viewers can send a virtual tip to the performer by visiting www.wearethearts.com. Visit www.theartscouncil.com for more information.

    09 02 RivermistVirtual 4th Friday

    The excitement doesn't stop when Hay Street Live ends. In a typical month, Fayetteville citizens could look forward to walking the streets of downtown Fayetteville, perusing local businesses, looking at art, hearing great music and participating in events for the Cool Spring Downtown District’s 4th Friday event. Although little has been typical recently, CSDD has been working  hard to provide the same level of entertainment and fun that locals look forward to every month but all available through handy technology. From 7-8 p.m., visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1131937423837143/ to see a livestreamed Virtual 4th Friday.

    "We want to help our downtown community during this time, and virtual 4th Friday is one of the few ways we can do that … 4th Friday is another thing people can experience from the comfort of their own homes but also be directed to a website with downtown businesses that are currently open," explained Lauren Falls, the marketing and events director for CSDD. "We want to do that because we not only want to support our downtown community but give back during this time. Virtual 4th Fridays are one of the few ways we can do that."

    If you loved Rivermist's music for Hay Street Live, they will be back for an encore performance for the 4th Friday live stream. In addition to the live music, Matthew Mercer will create some new art during the stream. Mercer has an impressive resume. In his 20-year career, he has illustrated three books, drawn a family portrait of NFL Hall-of-Famer Emmit Smith of the Dallas Cowboys and his family and even been invited to the White House, where he drew a family portrait for President Barack Obama. In addition to these impressive achievements, Mercer has drawn over 20,000 caricatures between working as an artist at Walt Disney World and his own business.

    "I think virtual events are important for the community not just to have something to do, but the way we try to do our 4th Friday event is to try to encourage people to shop, eat, and support local," Falls said.

  • 07 haystreetliveThe world has changed a lot in the last six months. We’ve changed the way we shop, worship and celebrate. We’ve changed the way we greet each other, and when we are lucky enough to meet in person, that’s changed, too — masks on and 6 feet apart, please. What hasn’t changed, though is our desire to have fun. To connect. To be entertained. To interact. Also unchanged is the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County’s passion to bring art and entertainment to the community. The organization has reimagined ways to support artists while engaging residents. Gallery tours are virtual now. And a new program called Hay Street Live provides an interactive and entertaining alternative to passively binge-watching yet another series. The next Hay Street Live is set for Friday, May 15.

    Remember going to a live performance and laughing and chatting with friends? Watching the mixologist show off their newest recipe? Connecting with the energy of a talented performer? Hay Street Live has remixed that experience. It’s part talk show, part convo, part mixology lesson and 100% entertainment. And in this case, the audience is up close and personal with the host and the talent. Tune in to the Arts Council’s Facebook page at 6 p.m. for the Facebook
    Live event.

    The flow of the evening takes the natural course of a night out — some chatting, then maybe some entertainment and a short conversation with the performer. Cutaway to the mixologist for some chit chat and a new recipe and demonstration, then back to the performer for another song, etc. Attendees participate throughout the event, commenting and using Facebook’s interface to let the other people involved know how they feel about what is going on.

     This week’s host is Kia Anthony, founder and president of Circa 1865.

    R&B singer Leme Nolan headlines the musical portion of the event with a combination of original and cover songs. Her original piece is “Love with a Ring Attached.”  She will also perform pieces by Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige and SWV.

    Nolan said one of her favorite things about performing is the connection she creates with the audience. “With music, it is all about connecting and being real. It represents who I am, and it comes naturally to me. I am really thankful for this opportunity. We are going to have a good time.”

    Nolan also plans to relaunch her dance challenge at Hay Street Live.

    Jaquetta “Lady J” Gooden is the mixologist for the week. She’s no stranger to the show, having been the host as well as the mixologist in the past.

    This week, she’ll be making her take on a blood orange margarita and another tequila-inspired cocktail.

    In addition to being fun, the program is important. “Hay Street Live is a virtual show that gives local artists a platform to showcase their talents,” said Gooden. “ … I believe what makes Hay Street Live stand apart from other streaming events (is that) it is providing a sense of going out without leaving your home. It’s like attending a concert from your home — and you get to learn how to make some fun cocktails along the way.”

    Hay Street Live lasts from 6-7 p.m. and is set for every Friday through June 12. To find out more about the Arts Council and Hay Street Live, visit www.theartscouncil.com. Find out more about Nolan at https://www.lemenolan.com/ or check out her music on Youtube.

  • 09 01 Stonecloud picA cool evening breeze drifting lazily up the banks of the Cape Fear River. Live music wafting through the air. Friends and family gathering to enjoy an evening in the fresh air. This is what longtime musician and Fayetteville native Greg Adair had in mind when he set out to bring Rock’n on the River to Fayetteville in 2017. And he had the perfect spot in mind, just across the river from Fayetteville proper near Campbellton Landing.

    09 02 Bad Inc“It is such a cool place — a quaint place with shade and a meadow off the river,” said Adair. “Using the Cape Fear River is always a plus. It has always appealed to me. … I love being riverside.”

    He first had his sight set on the Sol Rose Amphitheater, home of the Cape Fear Regional Theatre River Show for many years. In the end, he chose to partner with Craig Williams, owner of both the nearby eatery Deep Creek Grill and the sporting goods store Deep Creek Outfitters. “Craig built a stage behind  Deep Creek Grill with a permanent top on it,” said Adair. “It’s perfect for what we wanted to do. We figure we can 09 03 Throwback Collaboration Bandfit 1,100-1,200 attendees.” And they’ve already come pretty close to that.

    Rock’n on the River hosted its first concert in October of 2018. About 400 people showed up to hear Adair’s band, Rivermist, and  The Guy Unger Band.

    2019’s season had three successful concerts. The first brought in close to 400 people. The second had over 500 attendees and the third saw 915 eager listeners show up.

    09 04 North Tower picThe 2020 season will have a late start but will include six concerts. The first two concerts had to be rescheduled, but  even if it means doubling up, the season will be completed, Adair said.

    There are two bands at every show, Adair said, a regional or local band performs at 6 p.m., followed by the main headliner. “The headliners are all tribute bands this year,” he added.

    The Rock’n on the River concerts are set for the third Friday of the month. “We worked around other events, so it gives everyone somewhere to go without  putting anything on top of each other,” said Adair. “I feel like everyone was getting out before, but I think when things are back to normal, people will really show up.”

    09 05 Joyner Young MarieDeep Creek supplies food for purchase. The menu usually includes barbecue sandwiches, corn on the cob and grilled burgers. “They sell soft drinks, and Healy Wholesale Company, our presenting partner, provides beer for purchase,” said Adair. “The CARE Clinic distributes the beverages. Sandy’s Automotive has also contributed, and BOB FM has been nothing short of great.”

    Parking is $10 per vehicle and  $5 for a motorcycle,  but the concert free. The parking fee allows Adair and the event sponsors to pay for security. “We’ve never had a problem, and we don’t expect to, but we want to be smart and safe. It is always better to have it and not need it than vice versa,” Adair said.

    09 06 Heart Breaker Heart TributeAdair and the event sponsors have been thoughtful about providing a safe, unique and fun experience and have implemented all the practical amenities needed for a good time. Before each concert, Mosquito Squad comes out and sprays. “It knocks the mosquito count way down,” said Adair. “Then we have portable toilets brought out. They are always clean. We usually have two regular and one handicap-accessible.”

    Rock’n on the River  is about people having access to entertainment. It’s about coming together and having a good time. “It is about having a place to go and having a good place to go,” said Adair. “There are several places we could go to fit more people, but I would 09 07 Rivermist BW Wlogo for trailerrather keep it close to the river and have it in a more intimate atmosphere.”

    Schedule:

    June 19Stone Cloud opens at 6 p.m. followed by Bad Incorporated  at 8 p.m.

    Stonecloud was formed in the spring of 2016 in Lumberton. The band is multitalented as they can play multiple genres from classical blues to rock and country.

    09 08 Tuesdays Gone Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute copyBad Incorporated is a Bad Company/Paul Rodgers Tribute Band out of North Carolina, honoring the music of British super group Bad Company and its legendary front man Paul Rodgers.

    July 17Throwback Collaboration Band takes the stage at 6 p.m., and North Tower follows at 8 p.m.

    Throwback Collaboration Band shares old-school music as well as original music they are proud to call their own.

    09 09 Mostley Crue Motley Crue TributeNorth Tower is a Beach, Top 40 and Show Group. The band launched in October of 1978.

    Aug. 21, at 6 p.m., Joyner Young & Marie take the stage, and at 8 p.m., enjoy Heart Breaker.

    Joyner Young & Maries has played all over Fayetteville, Southern Pines and Pinehurst for over 30 years. They play a wide variety of music.

    Heartbreaker is the Ultimate American tribute to the band Heart. They perform with the goal of playing each song with love, respect, and 09 10 Shoot To Thrill Girls ACDC Tributea true passion for the original material; their goal is to bring a truly transcendent, and pitch-perfect concert experience, both musically and visually.

    Sept. 18 Rivermist, presented by Up & Coming Weekly, opens at 6 p.m. Tuesdays Gone takes the stage at 8 p.m.

    Rivermist was formed in July 2014 in Fayetteville. The band is collaboration of musicians that have been playing in and around the Fayetteville area for more than 40 years. Rivermist is primarily a Classic Rock/ R&B/ Variety party band. They have been voted Fayetteville/ Fort Bragg’s 2017 Best Local Band, 2018 Best Local Band, and even more recently,  2019 Best Local Band by Up & 09 11 Cool Heat picComing Weeklyreaders. 

    Tuesday’s Gone is the ultimate tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd and was formed in 2005 in Raleigh. They are dedicated to reproducing the original sound of one of the greatest and most legendary bands of all time. 

    Oct. 23’sperformance was originally scheduled for April and will feature Mostley Crue at 6 p.m. and Shoot to Thrill at 8 p.m.

    09 12 TBF picMöstley Crüe is the ultimate tribute to one of the 80’s most notorious and legendary hard rock acts, Mötley Crüe. Möstley Crüe was formed in Raleigh in 2007 and quickly rose in popularity with local and regional hard-rock fans still longing for a taste of the 80s.

    Shoot To Thrill is an all-female tribute to AC/DC. They decided on AC/DC in particular, because the band’s songs are a marriage of compelling music and creative storytelling.

    The Nov. 16 show, which was originally scheduled for May, features Cool Heat at 6 p.m. and Trial by Fire at 8 p.m.

    Cool Heat is a variety cover band from Southeastern North Carolina known for playing Motown, R&B, Soul, Funk, Beach and classics from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Cool Heat is made up of five accomplished musicians, three of which have played together since high school.

    Trial by Fire is a tribute to Journey. Trial by Fire was born out of the hearts of five seasoned Charlotte-based musicians. They embrace the sound and visuals of the Steve Perry era of Journey.

    Find out more about Rock’n on the River at the Rock’n On The River Facebook page.

     

     

     

  • In 1956 Fayetteville became a home to an art form that dates back not only years, but centuries. It was in 1956 that the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra was formed. Since then, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra has pursued the mission, “to entertain, educate, and inspire, by serving as a musical resource for all citizens of Fayetteville, N.C.”

    Exposure to, and education about, symphonic music as well as assisting developing musicians are central parts of the commitment to the community by the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. Julia Atkins, Orchestra Personnel and Marketing Manager for the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, says that “we like to educate… you are always going to learn something, we believe in always continuing the educational flow.”

    The orchestra furthers that effort with events like youth concerts for elementary aged students, Instrument Petting Zoos, and the Music Makers youth program. The orchestra also provides scholarships for music students through the Duenow Concerto Competition. The orchestra has also partnered with Cape Fear Regional Theatre and Cape Fear Botanical Garden on occasion as well.

    The orchestra is led by conductor Dr. Fouad Fakhouri who has held the baton since 2004. Prior to joining the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, Fakhouri conducted orchestras internationally for over 20 years. He has also served in academia with terms at Methodist University, Pennsylvania State, and the University of North Texas as conductor and/or professor. He holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Composition as well as Masters Degrees in Orchestral Conducting and Music for Composition/Theory.

    Each of the 70+ plus musicians that make up the four families of the orchestra; woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion, has dedicated portions of their lives to the instruments they have chosen. Most all have received formal education in their respective instruments, some to Doctoral levels. According to Atkins, “all of the musicians are true professionals.”05-07-14-symphony.gif

    On Thursday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m., the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra will perform the last concert of their Salon Series. St. John’s Episcopal Church, on Green Street, will play host to a night of Baroque music; a style of music that rose in popularity during the 1600s and 1700s and includes notable composers such as Bach, Vivaldi and Pachelbel. The show is billed as a “Brass Spectacular” and will feature two trumpets, strings, and harpsichord. Tickets are still available for the night of music that Atkins says will be “a very laid back atmosphere where anyone is welcome to come out and see what music was like back in the 1600s and 1700s.”

    Memorial Day weekend the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra will partner with the Army Ground Forces Band from Fort Bragg for a “Symphonic Salute to the U.S. Armed Forces” featuring a variety of patriotic pieces of music. The concert is a return of the event that began last year and will be held at Festival Park on Sunday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m. Atkins describes the event as “a little more of an upbeat concert… it is outdoors, it’s free… bring your lawn chairs and your blankets. Round up your families and come in your patriotic gear.”

    Find out more about the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra at www.fayettevillesymphony.org.

    Photo: The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra has several concerts in the coming weeks, including one at Festival Park on May 25.

  • As the plants and animals are waking up so is downtown. For this month’s 4th Friday, May 23, the theme of 4th Friday is Spring Fling.

    05-14-14-4th-friday.gifOne of the best places downtown to explore on 4th Friday is Fascinate-U Children’s Museum. This museum is intended to make learning a fun and interactive experience for kids. The exhibits are hands-on and include an entire miniature city. For 4th Friday the museum has free admission and extended hours. It is open from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. Children are invited to make a fun craft to take home with them. This month the craft focuses on celebrating spring by creating a little bird from paper rolls and feathers. Additionally, this month is Military Family Month. The entire month there is half price admission for the museum for all military families and free admission for families of deployed soldiers. Fascinate-U is located at 116 Green St.

    Another exciting place to visit is the multitude of art housed in various exhibits. Cape Fear Studios located a 148 Maxwell St. Admission is free and this 4th Friday coincides the opening of The Art of Those Who Serve. This exhibit features art created by active duty U.S. military personnel. Cape Fear Studios is open from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.

    The Fayetteville Arts Council has an exhibit opening on 4th Friday, too. This exhibit is entitled Public Works 2014. This is an annual exhibit that focuses on the artistic talents of artists in Cumberland and surrounding counties. More than 100 pieces will be on display. There is not specific subject or style requirement for the entries. All ages and abilities were invited to submit pieces and all gallery visitors are invited to vote on their favorite pieces. The Arts Council is open from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. and is located at 301 Hay St. As an added bonus the Arts Council will host the Army Ground Forces Band’s Loose Cannons. They will perform outside the building. This performance is free and open to the public as is the exhibit.

    Live music adds an exciting aspect of 4th Friday. This month, the Cumberland County Public Library hosts a band called Second Time Around. It is a 15-piece band that plays a wide variety of classics. They play everything from Aretha Franklin to Santana. The live music is free and is available from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. The library is located at 300 Maiden Ln.

    Downtown Fayetteville is also full of amazing history showcases in multiple exhibits. The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum has a model train room and artifacts dealing with the history of transportation. For 4th Fridaythere is also a City Market with crafts and local produce for sale. The rotating exhibit features North Carolina pottery and is entitled Utility to Unique. It is focused on the evolution of North Carolina pottery. The museum is located at 325 Franklin street and will be open from 8p.m. until 10 p.m.

    Find out more about 4th Friday at www.theartscouncil.com or www.faydta.org.

  • 05-28-14-local-thespians.gifThe Gilbert Theater founded by Lynn Pryer was a proving ground for local artists who continued to hone their collective skills through contributing their education and experience to promote Fayetteville’s community theater. The Gilbert’s current artistic director, Robyne Parrish’s formula has provided a training ground for aspiring young artists with the addition of guest directors and artists in lead roles with whom she has worked in the past. This season’s finale is the best of both worlds. The double-billed finale uses both experienced local favorites in lead roles with young aspiring actors in supporting roles. The plays are A Company of Wayward Saints (1963), George Herman’s best known play, and Sherlock Holmes: The Sleeping Detective(2013) by local playwright James Dean, which is making its Gilbert debut.

    A Company of Wayward Saints is about a traveling commedia dell’arte troupe searching for a way to finance its trip home. The cast includes two of Fayetteville’s seasoned actresses, Joyce Lipe and Rhonda Brocki. Lipe is one of the Gilbert’s founding actresses, creating the role of the narrator six consecutive seasons in the Gilbert’s centerpiece production A Christmas Carol. Brocki has worked on both sides of the footlights as an actress, choreographer and stage director. She directed and choreographed The Rocky Horror Show at the Gilbert for four seasons.

    Brocki stated, “I am excited to be back on the Gilbert stage since last performing in Long Days Journey Into Night, in 2011. This is my first time doing commedia dell’arte, which I find a very interesting type of theatre. It is fun and big with lots of physical movement. There are some very funny moments along with some moments that touch the heart. The group of actors has been very professional, hard working and kind. This is an ensemble piece and we are all working well together.”

    Sherlock Holmes: The Sleeping Detective is a new work by local actor and playwright James Dean, directed by guest director David Little. The show takes place in September of 1930.

    When asked about his play Dean replied, “Several years ago, I played the role of Sherlock Holmes at Harnett Regional Theater. I really enjoyed that experience but the play itself (Sherlock Holmes, the Final Adventure) merely stitched together two of the Sherlock Holmes stories. I thought I could do something more interesting with the characters, so I gave Sherlock Holmes a few personal problems: age (he’s 76 and retired), damaged legs and narcolepsy, a chronic sleep disorder. Because of the narcolepsy, there is a mixture of reality and dreams and often we are not sure what is real, what is dream or what is in the past. One thing we know for sure: Holmes is not the man he used to be and he has to constantly remind his good friend and caretaker, Dr. Watson, of that fact.”

    This is Dean’s second experience with David Little, who directed him as Scrooge two years ago at the Gilbert. “We got on famously during that production. I happened to mention that I wrote this play about Sherlock Holmes and he said he wanted to read it because he loved Sherlock Holmes.”

    The cast of Sherlock Holmes includes the playwright as Holmes and his colleague, friend and fellow actor, John Doerner as Dr. John Watson. Doerner is a drama teacher at Reid Ross High School and FTCC, a director and actor who has performed on stage in more than 100 productions. He is what many would call a consummate artist. When asked about the casting of the performance Dean added, “I always had John Doerner in mind for my Watson. We have worked together a number of times through the years but working with John is never enough. You always want more. Not only is he one of the best directors I have worked with but a fine actor and our on stage time together had always been in roles that did not allow us much extensive stage time together. The Sleeping Detective solves that problem, and now the action begins!”

    Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to see some of Fayetteville’s finest and most loved thespians. The performances take place May 29 through June 15, Thursday – Sunday, with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays; Thursday – Saturday nights at 8 p.m. The shows alternate so contact the Gilbert for proper show times and reservations. www.gilberttheater.com.DR. GAIL MORFESIS, Contributing Writer COMMENTS? Editor@upand-comingweekly.com.

  •     Mona Powell is a woman of determination. In 1996, she thought it would be a great idea for women who own small businesses to get together and form a network to help each other out. One of the network’s goals would be creating greater exposure in the community for their businesses. Just as tenaciously as she established her own business, Color Me Angel, Powell went about establishing an event by women business owners, for women business owners. In its ninth year, W.O.M.E.N. (Women Owned and Managed Enterprising Networks) expo is slated for May 9-10 at Cross Creek Mall. The event’s focus hasn’t changed much over the ensuing years — it’s still geared toward helping small business women gain exposure for their businesses, but it’s also a celebration of women, and its annual timing around Mother’s Day makes it even more special.
        “We are celebrating mothers,” said Powell. “It’s a tribute to mom — we’re celebrating women as mothers, who are also business owners.”
        There will be more than 67 women-owned businesses participating in the event. Powell said the vendors will be distributed throughout the mall. Women will be showcasing their businesses and will be supporting the day-long celebration by offering door prizes and sponsoring several fun events slated for the afternoon.
    “We have all sorts of fun events planned for Saturday,” explained Powell. “We have a mother/daughter lookalike contest, a dance team contest and a scavenger event.”
        These events have become signature events for the expo. Last year, so many people signed up to participate in the events, that there had to be two to three iterations just to let everyone participate.
        “The dance contest is great,” explained Powell. “It’s a mother/daughter team dancing to their favorite music. Last year, the youngest contestant was only 16-months-old, but she was shaking it.”
        The scavenger hunt is a great way for moms and their daughters to spend time together. It actually starts on Thursday afternoon, and participants have until 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon to collect everything on the list and bring it to the stage, which is located in the food court.
        This isn’t your average scavenger hunt. Last year, participants were required to find things like a cattail, a picture of the smallest house they could find, an eight-track tape and a 1942 Sears and Roebuck Catalog. Two people found that catalog.
        “It’s a lot of fun for the family,” said Powell. “The younger team members have to ask what some of the things are. We had one girl call last year and ask what an eight-track was.”
        Lists can be picked up at the mall’s customer service desk on Thursday afternoon or can be downloaded from www.colormeangel.com.
        The big event of the day is the crowning of one lucky mother as Queen for the Day. To enter your mom in the contest, you have to write a 100 word or less essay on why your mom should be treated like a queen. The winning mom will be notified in advance, and the coronation will take place at 2 p.m. The lucky mom will win a $500 gift pack including spa treatments and dinner.
        Powell said she has been getting calls all week from people who want to participate, and she only sees the event growing. She noted that the event kicks off with a social for the vendors on Thursday, and runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday.
        “We take Sunday off because we need time to celebrate,” she said.
        For more information, visit the Color Me Angel Web site at www.colormeangel.com.

        Contact Janice Burton at: editor@upandcomingweekly.com

  • “Many of my young patients think about getting plastic surgery the way they’d think about getting their hair done,” explained Dr. David Alessi of Beverly Hills, Calif., who is still amazed at a woman’s willingness to endure “extreme” cosmetic alterations. “Vaginal rejuvenation” (labiaplasty) might be the most sensational procedure, but surgeons also do “forehead implants” and ankle and shoulder liposuction, break and reset jaws to tweak smiles, and lengthen or shorten toes (for “toe cleavage” with certain shoes). Alessi told aGlamourmagazine writer for an April story that one 25-year-old recently asked him to “remove” her navel (whereas most umbilicoplasty patients merely request reshaping). Said a bemused colleague, “There’s some consensus about what makes for an attractive... face, but we have no definition of the ideal navel.” 


    Chutzpah! 

    Gulfport, Miss., resident Michael Petro pleaded to a documentary filmmaker (in a clip later uploaded with his permission to the Internet) for help in recovering from his shattering loss during Hurricane Katrina, when his 115-year-old house was destroyed. Since then, he said on the video (reported by WLOX-TV in April): “Church groups have not come through, the government has not come through, insurance has not come through like was promised,” and “(S)omebody has to fight to get these things back and going.” According to WLOX-TV, the house that stockbroker Petro lost was 2,500 square feet, and the replacement he’s pleading for help with is 6,000 square feet. Said Petro to the station, “I’m not too proud to ask....” 

    Jerome Kerviel told reporters in April that he is planning to sue Societe Generale bank in Paris for unfair dismissal, even though he is the “rogue” derivatives trader the bank says cost it the equivalent of about $7.5 billion by making risky, unauthorized deals that came to light in January and for which he is under indictment for fraud. Kerviel pointed to an independent investigator’s conclusion that SocGen management had ignored 75 warning signs about Kerviel’s trades and continued to support him, but SocGen said Kerviel doctored paperwork to disguise trades. 


    Ironies 

    Cumberland County (Pa.) Commissioner Bruce Barclay resigned in April after disclosure that he had built a hidden video system in his home and recorded as many as 500 sexual episodes with unknowing men. While the videos may have violated state law (investigation is under way), one of them has exonerated Barclay of a separate rape charge filed by a 20-year-old man, in that the video evidenced a consensual relationship. (The young man has been charged with making a false police report.) 

    Instant Karma: In March in Leesburg, Va., driver’s license test-taker Nita Sureka was told by the examiner to park beside the Department of Motor Vehicles building, but she accidentally crashed into it, tearing a hole in the wall and forcing the department to close for the day. 

    The Manitoba (Canada) Bar Association, which was hoping to file a brief in a controversial police investigation case in Winnipeg in March, announced it would have to forgo participation because it lacked sufficient funds to hire a lawyer.


    Compelling Explanations 

    Well, That Explains That!: Gene Morrill, 57, hoping for a shorter sentence after his conviction for soliciting sex from teenage boys over the Internet, told a court in Fredericksburg, Va., in March about his rough life as a child, beginning with the time he was sexually molested by Bigfoot. 


    COPYRIGHT 2008 CHUCK SHEPHERD   

  •     Marco Illanes’ medal of honor is engraved into his skin, tattooed there by an Iraqi improvised explosive device.
        The scar tissue winds down the right side of his body like a map to hell — a place the Army specialist is well-acquainted, having survived being blown up in an alien land often described by American soldiers as, truly, hell on Earth.
        Illanes still travels a slow, painful road through the perdition known as physical rehabilitation — a street of hardship that coils and uncoils back upon itself like a serpent, but which now slithers upward with a sense of hope and purpose rather than spiraling downhill.
        And it’s a path he travels not by foot or gurney or crutch, but by bicycle wheel.
        Illanes is one of around 20 injured soldiers rehabilitating through a program called Operation Spin Cycle, which was started by Leona O’Berry, vice president of a group of avid Fayetteville cyclists known as the Cross Creek Cycling Club. With the help of Hawley’s Bicycle World, Operation Spin Cycle allows rehabilitating soldiers such as Illanes to recuperate by “spinning” — riding stationary bikes under the watchful eye of an instructor — in a room provided by Hawleys.
        It’s a program that not only gives wounded soldiers back their health, but their hope.{mosimage}
        “I’ve been doing this for a month and it helps a lot because I can’t run anymore, so it helps me stay in shape,” said Illanes, who was injured by an IED about a year ago and spent four months in the hospital, enduring more than 20 surgeries. “Plus, it helps me more with my legs. It also helps my attitude because everyone, from the instructor to the regular class, is motivated. I will probably do this for the rest of my life.”
    Illanes’ attitude is typical of the room full of injured vets who spin for an hour in the back of Hawley’s Bicycle World. And while their collective attitude about the spinning class is 100 percent positive, the range of their injuries is diverse.
        “The soldiers have various wounds, ranging from blindness, amputations, and wounds that are not visible to the naked eye, such as traumatic brain injuries,” said O’Berry, who traveled through a minefield of her own — albeit this one made of red tape rather than cordite and shrapnel — to get approval for the spinning program from the Surgeon General and the military.
        Ironically, in order to get the powers that be to see the light and agree to this powerful program, O’Berry enlisted the aid of a blind man.
        Ivan Castro lost his sight in Iraq, but found redemption on the seat of a stationary bicycle. To get back in shape,  Castro began spinning as part of his rehabilitation program, thinking that was the only activity he could safely participate in.
        A member of the Cross Creek Cycling Club, who also happened to be Castro’s spinning instructor, regaled the club with tales of how hard the sightless soldier trained.
        “So, the idea was born that if he liked the spin bikes so much, maybe he’d like to come out and ride on the road with us,” said O’Berry. “We have a guy in our club, Bob Meyer, who has a tandem bike and we asked Ivan if he would like to come out and try it and he loved it. He had such a good time that it inspired me to say if he can benefit from this so much, I felt like other people could. When Ivan heard us tossing this idea around, he said he wanted to work with us on this project.”
        O’Berry and Castro came up with the name Operation Spin Cycle — spin for the spin room, and cycle because the ultimate plan is to get all these wounded vets on the road... and on the road to recovery.
    After writing all the letters required to cut through the  fortress of rules and regulations constructed by the federal government, O’Berry and Castro went to Womack Army Hospital to brief the rehabilitation folks there on the program and get permission to “cycle” their patients through Operation Spin Cycle. O’Berry also went to the Warrior Transition Battalion and briefed the commander, telling him his soldiers might find this an alternative to their PT program because some of them can’t run anymore.
        After jumping all the paperwork and official hurdles inherent in the military, Operation Spin Cycle was approved and the soldiers started showing up in December, now spinning every Wednesday and Friday.
    Five of the wounded soldiers became so confident in the spinning class and recovered so well from their wounds, that they began riding on the road with Cross Creek Cycling Club and other bicycle clubs. The bicycles have been donated from various sources, including bicycle manufacturer Giant.
        After overcoming their fear of the open road, the cadre of rehabilitating riders faces yet another challenge — joining in on a bicycle ride/fundraiser for wounded soldiers called The Road 2 Recovery. The R2R started on May 20 in Washington, D.C., and ends on May 25 in Charlotte at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Two of Operation Spin Cycles’ soldier will attempt the entire ride, while O’Berry and the other two riders in the group, along with cyclists from Fort Bragg and Fayetteville will join the ride in Asheboro for the last 60 miles to the speedway and a final victory lap around the track prior to the start of the Coca-Cola 600.
        {mosimage}Dave Ogelsang and Mark Molina have committed themselves to the D.C. to Charlotte journey — a six-day ride of 460 miles.
        For Molina, who tore ligaments in his knee in June 2007, the R2R has special meaning; not only is Molina proving he is not physically dependent on others, but he’s also motivated by the memory of a relative who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq.
        “This is my way of honoring my cousin, Specialist Jason Morales of the First Infantry, who was killed in battle,” said Molina. “I’m just grateful I get to do this R2R Ride for all the people that have been wounded over there, as well as my cousin.”
        Also along for the ride will be Ogelsang, who tore up his shoulder in a Humvee rollover in Kuwait and who has been spinning six days a week in preparation for the R2R.
        Ogelsang, a sergeant in the Army, says the spinning program is quite an improvement from the “bad old days” of rehabilitation.
        “I’m glad the program is here,” said Ogelsang. “I’ve spoken with other people, and considering the way soldiers were handled back in Vietnam and the first Gulf War, now it’s a totally changed program; command is very supportive of making sure the soldiers recover and have a normal life. Without that, I wouldn’t be here and they wouldn’t be here.”
        Of course, none of this would have been possible without the contributions made by Hawley’s Bicycle World, which provides the space, the stationary bikes, and has repaired and tuned up — free of charge — the bicycles donated to the wounded vets.
        “We’re just thrilled we can contribute to the soldiers in even this small way,” said Sandy Hawley, co-owner of the bicycle shop. “We’re not military people by any means, but this is our way of giving back to Fayetteville and the military here that have been so kind to us. It’s the least we can do.”
        If you would like to aid these injured soldiers across the nation, you can visit the R2R Web site, www.road2recovery.us.com, and make a donation.
        It’s the least we can do for the Americans who have given us their most.
  • {mosimage}Motorjunkie is well known on the Fayetteville music scene. The band, comprised of Chris Cox (vocals, rhythm guitar); Billy Varga (guitarist, back-up vocals); Marty Zellers (drummer); and Josh Hancock (manager) will be on stage at the Special Forces Association Festival on Saturday, May 31.

    The band has been together in one incarnation or another since 2000. The current lineup has been together the last two years. In April 2007, Motorjunkie releasedThe Plan, which has garnered some national attention, with two songs on the album holding spots in the Top 40 at Garageband.com for the last six months.

    Up & Coming Weekly took this opportunity to talk to the band. If their answers don’t convince you to come out to the SF Association Concert, we’re sure their music will.


    UCW: How long has the band been together and how did you come together?

    Cox: We were just all friends and we all knew each other played. None of us were in bands at the time a gig was offered to us to play just for fun. We got a show together, it went off well and the rest is history. 


    UCW: Give me some background on each member of the band.

    Cox: I’ve been a working musician for 16 years and have played in numerous bands in North Carolina and Virginia, including the Southern Outlaw Band, More Than Nothing, 4 Foot Bus, 421 Underground, Bad Monkey, The Chris Cox Band and Motorjunkie. I’ve geared my life towards becoming a professional musician or just a rock star. My favorite music is “blues with balls.”

    Varga: I am a master sergeant in Special Forces with 19 years of active duty. I have been playing guitar for 22 years. I love skydiving, motorcycles, and a good time. 

    Zellers: I am from Pennsylvania and moved here about three years ago and am currently going to school at Fayetteville Tech for carpentry. I’ve been in and around music since I was in fourth grade. My first instrument was the slide trombone and I have experimented with a variety of instruments until I figured out I like beating the drums best. 


    UCW: Motorjunkie is a pretty interesting name č what does it mean? (There were a couple of different takes on this question.)

    Cox: “Motor,” suggesting movement č “Junkie” the obvious addiction to music causing movement. I am a race fan. At the time the band first formed, three of the members rode motorcycles. All-around appreciation for going all out, and giving everything you’ve got. 

    Varga: Motorjunkie is a pretty interesting name č what does it mean? Our name was given to us by our close friend Gator who used to manage Smoking Guns Tattoo and was also a fellow member of the Wingmen MC. At the time, 3/4 of the band rode Harleys. One late night drinking session, he was joking around and said,”you guys are like a bunch of Motorjunkies.” The name stuck. 


    UCW: How would you describe your music? What are your influences?

    Cox: Groove metal č Tool, SRV, Gov’t Mule, Screeming Cheetah Wheelies, Pantera, Black Label Society, Clutch.

    Varga: Everyone in the band has a little different musical background. That is what makes it work so well. With hard rock/metal music, you see the same formula and sound from 90 percent of the bands out there. I think we distinguish ourselves from the norm. My influences include Metallica, Pantera, Van Halen, AIC, and Zakk Wylde. 

    Zellers: I have a very complex and diverse musical influence. My influences range from black metal/death metal to metal, there is a title for every genre of music these days but a few bands that I am influenced by are, Metallica, Pantera, Lamb of God, Slipknot, Korn, Dimmu Borgir, and Devil Driver. I’m starting to get into some extreme metal bands like Divine Heresy (former guitarist of Fear Factory, Dino Cesarez and drummer Tim Yeung) and Meshugga. Some of the things that are done with that type of music are very technical and almost inhuman. I will also play to rap, rock and anything else I can inject a lot of double bass drum stuff into. I would describe us as metal... period... end of story. Not nu-metal or hardcore metal or any other diluted version of metal, just straight up metal. 


    UCW: How has the band developed over the past few years?

    Cox: Battle of the Bands winner č went from playing local clubs, to playing out of town, then to out of state. Changed drummers and changed a whole bunch of bass players. Currently getting to play for venues such as the CQC fights at the Crown Arena, the Cape Fear Harley Davidson open house and opening for national recording artists. Getting support and having good people around us.

    Varga: We have seen the departure of a few members which is always difficult to deal with. The members we have now are getting tighter both musically and with regard to friendship and trust. 

    Zellers: Around 2000, the type  of music in this area was very blues heavy. We were one of the first bands that brought to the scene a much harder-edged type of sound that the rest of the world would call “rock.” However, as in all things, change was eminent. A couple of years went by and some changes were made to the lineup and that brings us to today. We are faster, tighter and much heavier than when we first started this project. We are experimenting with different tunings and the guitars and drums are matching in the way of syncopated rhythms. In this business there is constant change and you have to change with it all the while keeping true to yourself and your craft. The future looks very bright.

    UCW: How often do you play and how do you mix the music with other jobs?

    Cox: Music, work and life are a juggle at this point for everyone, we just pull off the best we can and still make the ends meet. I personally work as a carpenter Monday through Thursday, play music Thursday through Sunday. Varga: Due to recent re-structuring of the bassist, we have only been able to play a few shows a month but they have been big, important shows. We anticipate being able to pick up the pace very soon. In the past, my deployments would halt our performances and progress for extended periods. Fortunately, I have a little more relaxed job which allows me to focus more on the band. 

    Zellers: We practice about two nights a week and play shows on Friday and Saturday nights. When Huske Hardware was open we would go down there and play on Wednesday evenings. As far as working this around our day jobs, we are fortunate enough to only have to work during daylight hours and never on the weekends unless we absolutely have to. So that leaves a lot of room for practice and shows in the evenings. Personally, I practice just about every day, I do that because mediocrity can get you passed over by someone who can help you further your career, and that is what we are here to do. 


    UCW: What’s your take on the Fayetteville Music Scene?

    I’ve watched it grow over the years, and I am very pleased about the direction in which it’s heading. The fans are great; they are what make it happen. 

    Varga: This is a very hard town to be a musician in. It seems that the number of bands out there has just exploded in recent years. Regrettably, many don’t make it very long. I feel fortunate that we are still around and making new fans along the way. 

    Zellers: Ever changing, that could go either way. It seems there are too many bands around here that only want to copy their musical heroes and play exactly what they are playing and don’t want to branch off and make something different. Anything you can possibly imagine has been done by someone, so by saying “different” I mean taking all styles and aspects of music and combining them so that it doesn’t go over everyone’s heads. Or don’t write something so complicated that you can’t put on a show when you go out to play. Who wants to see someone just standing there playing guitar or sitting on their ass just playing drums? Music is an energy exchange, the more we give away, the more gets returned back to us. This town is ever changing also. The 200 fans that you had last weekend that came to your show may not be here the next weekend because of deployments. So it’s kind of difficult to get a real good fan base because of that. First and foremost, this is a business, just like anything else. 


    UCW: Where do you see the band five years from now? 

    Cox: Hopefully on the road with a big bus, lots of killer gigs, lots of roadies, and a whole lot of fans. 

    Varga: Hopefully, on the road touring. We have big dreams and will do what it takes to make it happen. 

    Zellers: Under contract with a label, or at least having serious talks with one. 


    UCW: Why did you choose to participate in the SF Festival?

    Cox: Members of our band have served, lost, and suffered; we understand the depths at which these times hit ours families, and want to show our support any way possible. 

    Varga: I work in the Special Forces community and am good friends with so many great guys out there. The proceeds will benefit SF Warriors and their families. This is a special show for me and I am looking forward to help make an impact in support of this event. 

    Zellers: It’s for a good cause; it helps the people who are giving us the freedom to be able to come out here and play music on our own terms. 

    The Special Forces Association Festival begins at 11 a.m. and runs until 10:30 p.m. Tickets, which gain you entrance to the day-long concert (seven bands are performing before the main event) are $20 at the gate or $17 online at www.ticketalternative.com.

  • 05-04-11-trans-museum.jpgFrom its earliest days, Fayetteville has played a part in the significant events that have shaped the state and even the country. From the Liberty Point Resolve of 1775 that pledged local support for the Revolutionary War to the wars in the middle east that are shaping our world today.

    As part of the 31 Day Salute honoring the military, the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum is hosting Cumberland County Goes to War. The exhibit celebrates the sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of the American Civil War.

    “This being a local history museum, we are focusing on what was going on in Fayetteville and Cumberland County during the Civil War,” said Fayetteville Historic Properties Manager Bruce Dawes. “It is kind of a compartmentalized exhibit. We’ve got a section on the arsenal, and then we talk about the home front war efforts. A lot of that has to do with the contributions of the ladies and children and the elderly people that were serving on the home front. It was certainly a war where sacrifices were felt at all levels, not just the soldiers in the field, but on the home front, too. They did a lot of sacrifice and volunteer work.”

    Visitors to the exhibit may not know that Fayetteville had three hospitals in operation during the Civil War. There was one on Hay Street, one at the arsenal and another close to the Cape Fear River that helped to take care of wounded soldiers coming from places like Fort Fisher.

    “We will have a section on Fayetteville as it relates to being an inland port on the Cape Fear River and our connection with Wilmington and the whole blockade running thing,” said Dawes. “We talk about goods coming in from Europe through the blockades and things coming up the Cape Fear River. We talk about the Cape Fear River and Fayetteville and what was going on with the river.”

    From there visitors follow the action to the battle of Monroe’s Crossroads which was fought on land that is now Fort Bragg, but was part of Cumberland County. This battle was as fought towards the end of the war March 10, 1865, and it only gets more exciting from there.

    “We profile Monroe’s Crossroad, and the day after that was the occupation of Fayetteville by General Sherman,” said Dawes. During Sherman’s stay in town, the Cape Fear River bridge was burned and Sherman’s army had to build pontoons to get across. The Confederate army proceeded north and the union army pursued and went north, too.

    On the Harnett/Cumberland line, the battle of Averasboro commenced on March 15 of 1865, and there were Fayetteville natives in the mix who will be represented in this part of the exhibit, too.

    “Then, just to bring the war to a complete close, because we have Fayettevillians who fought in the largest battle ever fought in North Carolina, and the last major engagement of the war in North Carolina that is the battle of Bentonville, which will also be featured,” said Dawes. “We also have a random sampling of personalities — people from Fayetteville/Cumberland County who served in the war. We have pictures of these local veterans and personalities. Of course most of them fought for the south but there were a few who fought for the Union.”

    One of these personalities includes an African-American who went to Maryland and helped to raise a couple of Union regiments. Every aspect of the exhibit is closely related to what was going on in Fayetteville Cumberland County at the time Dawes said. The exhibit runs through May 31 at the Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum, which is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    The exhibit is free and open to the public. Visit www.fcpr.us/transportation_museum.aspx or call 433-1458 to find out more.

    Photo: The Fayetteville Transportation Museum is hosting Cumberland County Goes to War through May 31.

  • 05-02-12-swamp-boys.jpgBreak out the tackle box and grab your pole. It’s time for the Swamp Boys Fishing to Fight Cancer Tournament. The event involves two key dates: The first is the May 12 captain’s meeting at the Shrine Club in Hope Mills.

    At the meeting, teams and sponsors mix and mingle, enjoy a dinner, register for the tournament and just have a great time. There is a live auction with items like children’s painted flowers pots and an autographed Tiger Woods poster.

    “We have celebrities who send us different kinds of things,” said event organizer Robert Kitchen. “A couple of Nascar drivers and country-music stars send autographed memorabilia. We also have people who donate things like deep freezers. Salons have donated gift baskets, too.”

    Last year was the first year for the auction, which brought in more than $2,000.

    Music and games are a big part of the captain’s meeting. There will be knot-tying games, plug chunking games, a BB-gun turkey shoot and an eel grab. The winner of the eel grab gets to keep all five eels to use as bait during the tournament. This event is for tournament participants and sponsors.

    “No RSVP is needed but it would be good if you did,” said Kitchen. “So we can make sure we have enough food and things like that.”

    Register at the captain’s meeting and pay just $40. Participants get their wristband for tournament day if they register at the meeting.

    If you can’t make the meeting, there is still time to register on the day of the tournament. “Registration is open all day at Gander Mountain on Saturday (May 19), but it costs $60 if you wait till then,” said Kitchen. “We urge everybody to come out and register on May 12. It is cheaper and less hectic than if you wait till the day of the tournament.”

    Participants can put their boats in the water at 6 a.m., but they can’t cast a line until 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 19. “As long as you put in at the Neuse River or the Cape Fear River you are fine,” said Kitchen. “You can go anywhere you want to once you are in the water, but when you back your trailer into the water it has to be Neuse River or Cape Fear River running over it.”

    There is no limit on team sizes, however Kitchen asks that all fi shermen obey the N.C. state laws on boat occupancy. “We don’t want anyone getting in trouble with the game warden,” said Kitchen “This event is supposed to be fun — and safe.”

    Weigh-in starts at 7 a.m. at Gander Mountain on May 20. All boats must be out of the water at 10 a.m. The weigh-in will finish up around noon and then the top three teams take a polygraph test.

    With more than 100 boats and 400 fi shermen/women expected, there are plenty of prizes to go around. The winning team takes home $3,000, with $1,000 going to the second place winner. The third place team gets $500. Fourth through 50th places get products like tackle boxes and plaques. Several sponsors and local businesses have donated products, services and gift cards as prizes.

    “If you know you aren’t going to win but you may know you are a contender for 20th, it is still worth coming to weigh in,” said Kitchen.

    True sportsmen, the Swamp Boys return all of the fi sh to their rivers of origin.

    “After they are caught, the fish are stressed out pretty bad,” said Kitchen. “We use a product called Rejuvenade which is fi lled with nutrients, so the fi sh are rejuvenated when we put them back in the water.”

    Proceeds from the event benefi t St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Last year the event raised $10,400 for St. Jude. The goal this year is to raise $15,000.

    Find out more about this event at the Swamp Boys’ Facebook page and at www.fi shingtofi ghtcancer.org.

    Photo: The Fishing to Fight Cancer Tournament benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

  • 05-09-12-author-with-local-roots.jpgOn the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Jane Davis was up early. She had a lot to do to prepare for an evening meeting with the family readiness group she headed up. Davis, the wife of then Womack Army Medical Center Commander, Gary Matteson, had been planning the big meeting for several weeks.

    As the news of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Flight 93, began to saturate the radio and television, Davis made her way to Womack. With tears in her eyes, she made the call to cancel the meeting. While many spent the next several days feeling helpless and afraid, Davis spent them planning on a way she could make a difference. In a matter of days, Davis, a nurse, had volunteered to go to Ground Zero to treat the countless volunteers who crawled in and out of the remains on a 24-hour basis.

    In her first book, First Aid for Heroes, Davis relates the event of 9/11, how they affected her and memories from time spent at Ground Zero. On Thursday, May 10, Davis will be at City Center Gallery and Books to promote her book, and to talk about the experience.

    “I was literally compelled to do more. It was something deep within me, a deep-seated feeling that I needed to help out on a much larger level,” said Davis, during an interview about her book published on www. pdpatient.wordpress.com. “To watch the devastating news on the television all day or to answer phones at the local Red Cross Station, was just not enough for me.

    “My family was incredibly supportive and very proud of me for choosing to do this. Gary, my husband, was incredibly busy at Fort Bragg (where we were living) as he was commanding the post hospital, Womack Army Medical Center. He understood my pull, as he had seen it many times before with my volunteering at every military post we had been stationed. It was a hard decision though, as I knew the assignment would be for at least three weeks. My life on the military post was a very busy one as I was involved with many organizations and they were counting on me. Everyone gave me their blessing. I ended up working/volunteering at Ground Zero for six and a half weeks.”

    Davis said her arrival on Ground Zero was like stepping into a black and white movie.

    “The noise of Midtown Manhattan was what I remember when I entered the subway, but it was a totally different city once I exited in Lower Manhattan. The hustle and bustle of the big city seemed to be hundreds of miles away, it could have been in another state, another country, and it was only a short subway ride away. The fi rst thing I noticed is that people were talking in hushed voices and quietly sobbing. There was a stillness in the air, a quietness, not like the cacophonous sound of Midtown Manhattan,” she recalled. “I had to force myself to observe the devastation of Ground Zero, I knew that I could not start my volunteer job until I made myself look. The vastness of the devastation was so powerful, it looked as if I was in the middle of a war zone. I realized that the television could not capture the enormity of it, as it was 360 degrees of tragedy. Then the overpowering stench assaulted my nostrils. It was a smell like no other, and one that is hard to describe. I can still smell it and did when I recently returned to Ground Zero to pay my respects after 9/11/11. I know it was only in my mind, but I am amazed that the smell has lingered inside me.”

    While at City Center Gallery and Books, Davis will recount the time she spent at Ground Zero and the lessons she has learned since then about embracing life to its fullest.

    The book signing will run from 6-8 p.m. at City Center in downtown Fayetteville. Davis will make comments at 7 p.m. For more information, visit the website at citycentergallery.com.

    Photo: Jane Davis was honored by President George Bush for her service at Ground Zero.

  • 05-16-12-children-of-mother-earth.jpgOn May 26, Reeves Auditorium will explode with Philippine culture, bringing to life traditions found through dance and music.

    Mga Anak ni lnang Daigdig (Children of Mother Earth) performing arts troupe will perform on the stage of Reeves Auditorium, Methodist University at 7 p.m.

    “This group of amazingly talented young people give a fantastic show while sharing stories and the different traditions from the many regions of the Philippines,” Allen Burton, event coordinator said.

    Traveling all over the world, they share their rich culture and raise awareness about environmental issues such as the untreated garbage dump they are from. This talented performing arts group of young people is from Smokey Mountain, Manila in the Philippines.

    Smokey Mountain is a garbage dump in Manila. Rising more than seven stories high, it is the second largest garbage dump in the world. Approximately 30,000 people inhabit the dump plundering for scraps of paper, metal and other recyclable materials to sell. The dump edges right against the Manila Bay, polluting the water as well as the air with the chemi-cals. It’s called Smokey Mountain because as the garbage decomposes, the heat of the sun causes the chemicals in materials to burn and release smoke or ignite small fires.

    “Think of the worse conditions you can imagine; all that and more is true about Smokey Mountain.” Dr. H. Monte Hill, president of the Filipino American National Historical Society – Carolinas Chapter. The Carolinas Chapter is sponsoring the group’s trip to the East Coast.

    Families build homes in the dump out of scrap material found while searching through the garbage. As many as three generations live in the small crowded shacks, making conditions unbearable. The children living in Smokey Mountain do not go to school because families rely on the entire family scav-enging to survive.

    “When you get close you see long lines of garbage trucks waiting to unload. On days the wind blows you can smell it miles away. The stench is so strong it can make you sick. There are mountains of garbage with people crawling all over the mountains. Children are as young as four years (old) searching the trash for scraps, no shoes, discarded rags for clothes and filthy, they search all day for the few pennies they will make off the things they find,” said Hill.

    The Catholic Church of the Philippines created the Children of Mother Earth Foundation to help the people of Smokey Mountain and raise awareness of the environment. Approximately 100 young people are selected from Smokey Mountain and spend years training with professionals to be ready to tour profes-sionally like the group performing in Fayetteville. At 17, members of the troupe age out and are given a scholarship for college.

    However, many more children are helped through the fundraising efforts of The Children of Mother Earth. The foundation provides clothing, teaches hygiene and provides basic necessities to as many chil-dren as they can in Smokey Mountain.

    The dance group debuted in 1994 and has given more than 350 perfor-mances all over the world. The mission of Children of Mother Earth is to raise environmental awareness and call for peace and justice.

    “All of the proceeds go back to the help the people of Smokey Mountain. It’s an amazing show and by coming you are helping provide a better future for so many,” Allen said.

    Tickets for the show are a $15 donation and sponsorships for those wanting to help are available starting at $100. Contact Allen Burton at 910.584.4841 for more information.

    Photo: The Catholic Church of the Philippines created the Children of Mother Earth Foundation to help the people of Smokey Mountain and raise awareness of the environment.

  • 12 N2005P21001HI say “no” a lot, especially to my toddler.

    “No, don’t do that!” “No, that’s not kind.” “No, don’t touch that!” “No, don’t put that in your mouth!” “No, no, no!” So many nos have to be said for a 2 year old to learn how to do life well. But do they all need to be said?

    I’ve caught myself over and over again saying no to things he wants that inconvenience me. He is full of curiosity and wonder, and I catch myself saying no to his adventures, even when there’s no good reason not to other than it makes more work for me.

    “No, you can’t jump in puddles today. You’ll get dirty.” “No, you can’t get that out. I just vacuumed.” “No, that’s too loud!” “No, you can’t help me. It’s faster if I do it myself.”

    “No, no, no!”

    Parents with young kids, do you find yourself doing that too? Why do we say no when, yeah, it might take some extra cleaning up, hosing off, or time out of the day, but we could say yes and have some of the best memories with our kids? Why do I say no? Because its not good for him or because it's not fun for me?

    I want to say yes, way more than I say no. I’m not saying give the child everything he wants at the drop of a hat, but take note of the things I’m saying “no” to just out of pure inconvenience for me. If I don’t, I’ll be robbing him of a childhood of exploration, contentment in the little things, imagination and discovery. I want him to know he’s capable, fun and smart. If he never gets to find out for himself, how will he ever know?

    Proverbs 22:6 holds this age-old truth: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” This definitely applies to training children in the ways of the Lord, but I think it applies here as well. What he learns now will serve him when he’s older. Hopefully, if I cultivate an adventurous heart in him, one that loves to learn, experience, imagine and discover, he’ll take that with him all the way through adulthood. Maybe he’ll teach it to his children one day. If I’m consistent, he’ll learn it, too. If I’m negative and self-centered, catering to my own convenience, he’ll learn it, too. But, if I seek out the needs of others, if I create experiences for him that he’ll never forget, if I let him show me what interests him, he’ll learn to do that for others, too.

    So, here’s to saying yes:

    “Yes, son! We’ve got nowhere to go today. Of course you can jump in puddles.”

    “Yes, bud! Hop up on this chair and stir for me! I’d love your help!”

    “Sure! I’ll play with you!”

    And maybe, just maybe, by saying yes, I’ll come up with more adventures on my own, too.

  • 04 motorcycleMotorcycle helmets save lives. Nothing is more precious than your life, and nothing is more important to keeping it than your head. Although it may be considered more fun to tour the roads of the Tar Heel State with nothing on your head and the wind in your hair, that is also a good way to fall victim to careless drivers, poor road conditions and other unseen hazards.

    Does North Carolina require motorcyclists to wear a helmet? Yes. The law in this state requires all active bikers to wear a helmet. This applies to riders of mopeds and any similar kind of open motorized vehicle.

    What kind of helmet meets the requirement in North Carolina? This is a standard set by the U.S. Department of Transportation called Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218. This sets the manufacturer’s minimum standards for how motorcycle safety helmets can be made and the protections they have to offer. It is best to have a helmet that meets or exceeds the standards. There are novelty helmets out there that may look cool, but they are not safe and do not provide the protection required by Standard 218. 

    Some of the details of Standard 218 include the exterior of compliant helmets must be made of material that can withstand the force of a sudden collision. To protect the head and brain, there must be a polystyrene foam liner at least an inch thick within it and sturdy chinstraps and solid rivets that will not break or become loose while riding. Helmets that meet the standard typically have some heft, weighing in at around 3 pounds. A full-face design is also a good indicator of a safe helmet. Helmets that meet Standard 218 are built so that nothing extends further than two-tenths of an inch from the surface of the helmet — so spikes on the helmet don’t cut it with DOT. 

    How can you tell if a helmet meets Standard 218 aside from looking for the above criteria? Manufacturers of helmets that meet Standard 218 have a sticker on the outside back of the helmet with the letters “DOT.” Standard 218 also requires manufacturers to place a label on or inside the helmet stating the manufacturer’s name, model, size, month and year of manufacture, construction materials and owner’s information. Beware of DOT stickers being sold separately for motorcyclists to place on noncomplying helmets. A separate sale of a DOT sticker is a sure sign that the helmet does not meet safety criteria.
    In the end, a safe helmet indicates a smart motorcycle rider who has a much better chance of survival if the unexpected happens. Here’s to safe riding.

  • 03 Andrew Cuomo 2017Column Gist: In any circumstance, only giving part of an account of some happening, that benefits the storyteller, can prove dangerous — even destructive. The possible consequence of danger or destruction is normally faced by others but can also negatively impact the narrator of the partial story. These partial narratives, and the accompanying danger or destruction, seem present in abundance in our current political climate. We had better address it.

    “Narrative” is defined in a Google search as: “… a spoken or written account of connected events; a story.” We live in a time when hardly anybody voluntarily tells the whole story regarding anything. We only tell what benefits our argument, our position. That might be expected where there is no negative consequence, as when two fellas are in discussion regarding which of them is the better fisherman. However, narratives or accounts that impact decision-making and affect matters resulting in serious consequences, must not be addressed with partial narratives. What follows is some examination of one instance illustrating how use of the partial narrative plays out in our current political climate.

    The situation started when Governor Larry Hogan, R-Md. and Governor Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., called on Congress to approve billions of dollars in unrestricted aid to states. Their argument is that states need this funding for state-funded functions not directly related to addressing COVID-19 but for suffering shortfalls because of the pandemic. Other elected officials voiced agreement, but President Donald Trump’s response started the partial narratives. These segments from an article by Sahil Kapur and Allan Smith titled, “Trump’s state ‘bailout’ swipe prompts pushback: Who’s really getting rescued.”

    It states, “President Donald Trump is expressing skepticism of federal relief for ‘Democrat-run’ states battling the coronavirus. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s office bashes the idea as ‘blue state bailouts,’ and has proposed to let cash-strapped states declare bankruptcy.

    “Three of the four biggest ‘taker’ states lean Republican: Kentucky, Mississippi and West Virginia, according to a 2019 study by the SUNY Rockefeller Institute of Government that looked at how much states get from the federal government per year and how much they send to Washington. New Mexico was the exception. All four receive twice as much money as they give.

    “The four biggest ‘giver’ states, according to the study, all lean Democratic: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.”

    Trump’s framing of his concern opened the door for a discussion on what dollar amount states contribute to the federal government and what they receive. The information above shows New York in a good light. Gov. Cuomo seized that point. Following are segments from an article by Morgan Phillips titled, “Cuomo: New York has been ‘bailing out’ other states for decades.”

    “While Cuomo said it was ‘not the time to be talking about dollars and cents,’ New York’s federal tax contribution has been ‘bailing out’ other states for years.

    “’If you want to look at who gives, we are the No. 1 giver — no one puts more money into the pot,’ Cuomo continued.

    “Cuomo said the state has paid $161 billion more than it received in federal spending since 2015, and for every $1 New York state gives to the federal government it receives 91 cents back.”

    With a partial narrative, Cuomo scored points. Left with his response and the earlier information regarding other states, New Yorkers likely feel entitled to a bailout. Other Americans who delve no further into the matter will probably agree. However, the question is not whether New York deserves a bailout solely because of its financial contributions to the federal government. The bigger question is should we bail out a state that is in financial trouble because of mismanagement and unwise decisions? If financial contributions are to be considered, then it is reasonable to factor in the totality of New York’s contribution to America and the totality of what the state receives from being a member of this union.

    Regarding financial mismanagement, consider New York’s spending on illegal immigrants. By any measure, the state has set conditions that make it a magnet for illegal immigration. One of those conditions is the focus on sanctuary status for cities. Following is from an article by ProCon.org titled, “Sanctuary Cities: Top 3 Pros and Cons”:

    “While there is no official legal definition of ‘sanctuary city,’ the term generally refers to towns, cities, or counties that decline to cooperate completely with federal detention requests related to undocumented immigrants, often with a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy.”

    A report by the Center for Immigration Studies, as of March 2020, shows the following cities or counties in New York as having sanctuary policies: Albany, Franklin County, Ithaca, Nassau County, New York City, Onondaga County, St. Lawrence County and Westchester County. That reference also lists New York as a sanctuary state. Sanctuary areas clearly behave in a fashion contrary to federal policies and priorities for keeping the nation safe and secure.

    An article by Seth Barron titled “Is there anything New York won’t do for immigrants?” presents another relevant piece of information. The writer reports: “Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced that it would expand the list of government benefits it considers when defining a person as a ‘public charge.’” Public charge provisions seek to ensure that persons who immigrate to America are able to financially support themselves and will not be a burden on society. To this end, they should thus secure local sponsors who could guarantee their expenses until they got settled. Barron states: “Progressive localities have responded furiously to Team Trump’s directive. New York City and state have joined a lawsuit to prevent the expansion of public-charge criteria, alleging that it reflects animus against nonwhite immigrants.”

    Even further, Barron reports that in 2012, under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, 580 persons who had sponsored single immigrant adults were notified that they were to reimburse the city for cash assistance that those immigrants received from the city. Two hundred fifty individuals paid $996,000 to the city to cover those costs.

    Then Barron says, “On taking office in 2014, however, de Blasio canceled the collection efforts, which he had opposed in his prior position as public advocate, when he had demanded that HRA ‘stop punishing sponsors when immigrants seek assistance from the city.’”

    Mayor de Blasio also refunded all the money paid by the 250 sponsors. Opposition to the Trump changes, coupled with de Blasio’s cancellation of collection efforts and refunding payments, was an unwise use of funds. It also points to making New York a magnet for illegals. The magnet creation goes on with New York now issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants and offering undocumented students access to state financial aid and scholarships for higher education.

    The kinds of actions addressed above result in unreasonable governmental expenses that adversely impact legal citizens. https://www.fairus.org/sites/default/files/2019-05/newyork2017.pdf provides information that supports this conclusion: An estimated 873,000 illegal aliens live in New York; illegal aliens add 251,000 students to local schools; in 2017, illegal immigration cost New York taxpayers $7.5 billion. That’s a huge amount of money that would be far better used to provide for the legal citizens of New York.

    The benefits to New York run much beyond the dollars returned to the state by the federal government. In the current COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government: sent military personnel in to set up temporary hospitals, converting the Javits Center to accommodate pandemic victims; provided ventilators, protective medical gear and other items; sent a hospital ship, USNS Comfort, to New York City. None of these actions would have been possible in support of the state if other states in this nation were not, even when less than New York, financially contributing to the federal government.

    Given that military personnel are so heavily involved in supporting New York during this pandemic and providing for ongoing national defense, which includes the state, New York’s level of support for the military is relevant. An article by Adam McCann titled “Most Patriotic States in America” gives an overview of a study done by WalletHub. Under “Military Engagement,” New York State is rated 49th among the 50 states. This category measures each state’s support of the military by way of military enlistees between 2012 and 2017, veterans living in the state, active duty military personnel and participation in the military reserves. All of the states that Gov. Cuomo points to as financially contributing less to the federal government than they receive outpaced New York, by a long shot, in this assessment.

    The lesson here is simple: invest the time and effort to get the whole story because partial narratives abound.

  • 02 N2005P72026CNumbers and statistics can be misleading. This week, our publisher, Bill Bowman, yields his space to Jimmy Jones for a more skeptical look at the statistics in the age of COVID-19.

    In the last few weeks, we have heard a lot about how our government officials are “following the data” and “following the science.” Here is the problem. I do not believe the majority of people trust their data or their science. I think we have a difficulty understanding what is factual and what is theoretical, and we are letting it confuse our decision-making processes.

    When the United States of America bombed Japan in World War II, it killed and wounded an estimated quarter of a million people, and the world entered the nuclear age and an atomic race. I grew up in the ‘60s. In the first grade, we watched films about what to do during a nuclear explosion. The film would tell us, “don’t look at the blast,” “hide under your desk” and “duck and cover.” I now realize that this was a theoretical test of the American population. Now I know that the shockwaves would bust my eardrums and lungs, and the thermal radiation would melt my skin. Somehow, the government knew this and convinced its citizens that this was factual. Educators across the country showed us this movie, and we practiced hiding under our wooden desk — and no one questioned it.

    Last year, hurricane Dorian came. We watched as officials, scientists, meteorologists and that guy from the Weather Channel tell us that Fayetteville was in the path of a Category IV storm. Factually, the storm did come. Theoretically, it could have hit land as a Category IV and come to Fayetteville. Factually, it hit near Jacksonville with tropical-storm-force winds. These predictions are not done blindly but with thousands of sensors, satellites and Air Force C-130 airplanes flying into the storm. There are so many factors that you cannot accurately predict the course of nature. Often, we take theoretical information and try to make factual predictions, usually to save lives.
    As we hear the “breaking news” on the coronavirus showing us the data, people are starting to discover that the data does not seem to make sense. If you have had the coronavirus or lost someone from this, I am not discounting your pain, grief or loss.

    Nature is running a course, and we cannot see it. There are only four factors that we all have to understand. We will get the virus, or we will not. If we do get it, we will live or die.

    Every day the news flashes with the numbers of COVID-19 cases, the number of new cases and the number of deaths. These numbers mean nothing because they cannot be collated because not everyone has been tested nor are there enough tests. To make it useful, the entire population would have to be tested at the exact same moment while separated six-feet apart. Then we would need to check everyone across the world for a two-week period. We might then get an accurate count. Many deaths of high-risk people — those who were already in jeopardy of dying from some other health issue — are often included in the COVID-19 statistics, but that is not reported. I don’t know if these numbers are continually being blasted to us because the government and media think we are stupid or because we are dumb enough not to understand.

    The chance of getting hit by lightning is one in a million. In 2017, the U.S. population was 327 million. That year, 2.7 million died. That is about 0.8% of the population. Thus far, there have been 90,694 deaths due to COVID-19 in the U.S. That is one in 3,605 people or 0.027% of the people that die each year in the U.S. In North Carolina, as of 2018, there were about 10.4 million people in the state. Last week, there were 695 deaths in North Carolina contributed to COVID-19. That is one in 14,694 people or 0.0066% of the population that have died in the state. Sadly, as we move forward, these numbers will get worse.

    The number of cases that the government report on COVID-19 does not report how many people are contagious at a time. That is a number we could use to make educated decisions. Symptomatically, this is hard to diagnose because the list of symptoms continues to grow. It is hard to tell if someone has COVID-19, the flu or allergies without a test. We use to look at someone who sneezed and say, “God bless you.” Now, we may say, “God bless you,” but we are thinking, “Run!” “Don’t get me sick,” and, “I hope you don’t die.”

    Social distancing is not going to work. This is the same as having to hide under your desk in a nuclear explosion because we are a community of people. We are social beings. From birth to death and in between, we long to be in touch and interact with people. In my opinion, I do not want the government to tell me what to do, where to go and who I can see in a free society. I prefer our leaders to recommend, “stay safer at home,” but the king of our state ordered us to “stay at home, close our businesses and wreck our economy while bureaucrats pick who can do what in the name of social distancing. No person or representative in a free society should ever have this kind of power over the people.They are elected to represent us, no matter the circumstances. These people either do not understand the Constitution, or maybe they just decided to run rampant over it to protect their kingdom.

    Looking at the blame game of where it started is just a waste of time for the common person. The United States government could not find who released anthrax in Washington, D.C., in the deadly attack in 2001. After that event, the government told us to use plastic and use duct tape to seal our doors and windows. They should have just told us to put plastic bags over our heads and say, “Good luck.”

    The government needs to work on its credibility. It is your responsibility, and the right thing to do, to protect yourself as you see fit. If you are sick, stay home. If you are high risk, don’t go out. If you go out, I recommend that you have your will updated and have a “do not resuscitate” order in place, if that is what you wish.

    Until there is an effective vaccine, there are risks, and nature will run its course. The numbers are in our favor to survive.

  • 05 N1508P50004CThe investment world is full of colorful terms, but perhaps none is better known than “bull” or “bear.” As an investor, you’re typically rooting for the bull market, when prices are rising. But you also want to protect yourself for periods when prices are falling. Now that we’ve entered a bear market — typically defined as a market in which stock prices have fallen 20 percent or more from their recent highs — how concerned should you be?

    First, consider where we’ve just been. For 11 years, from 2009 to early 2020, stock prices kept rising, with some interruptions, resulting in one of the longest bull markets on record. During this time, stock prices rose around 400% — which means we entered bear territory from an extremely high point. This doesn’t mean the recent losses are insignificant, but market pullbacks present more of a pothole, rather than a complete detour, on the road to your financial goals. If you’ve been investing over time — at least a decade — you still have likely made significant progress toward your goals.

    Here’s another point to keep in mind: Bear markets are a normal occurrence in the stock market. There have been eight previous bear markets since 1945, not including the current one, which have lasted an average of less than one year. The good news is bull markets have, on average, lasted five times longer. Of course, as you’ve no doubt heard, the past performance of the markets can’t guarantee how they will perform in the future.

    While we can’t predict how long this bear market will last, given the ongoing uncertainty of the coronavirus health crisis, it’s highly likely a rebound will eventually emerge, as has happened before.

    So, given all this, how should you respond to what’s happening? When market volatility rises and the value of your investments declines, you might feel tempted to abandon your long-term strategy in favor of one you perceive to be lower-risk. But instead, ask yourself some questions:

    • “Have my long-term financial goals changed?” You’ve probably had your long-term goals for quite some time. For example, perhaps you’ve always wanted to retire at a certain age and spend part of the year in a different location. Do you still have this goal today, despite all that’s happened in the markets? The answer is likely yes. If that’s the case, you probably don’t want to abandon the investment strategy you’ve been following, especially given the unique nature of the current market volatility.
    • “Am I comfortable with my risk tolerance?” Some investors know that markets will go through occasional shocks, and can live with this knowledge, but others worry to the point that it negatively affects their quality of life. If you are in this second group, you may need to re-evaluate your risk tolerance and, at some point, adjust your portfolio accordingly.

      These are challenging times for all of us, as we think about the health of our loved ones and our ability to achieve our financial goals. But it’s important to have confidence that the current health crisis will eventually pass, and that normalcy will return. And as an investor, remind yourself that investing for the long term requires patience and discipline. 

  • 04 person holding bmw steering wheel 2526128Watching Dr. Fauci testify before the Senate about what will happen if the country opens up too soon and the COVID-19 Cooties resurge got me pondering the Greek myth about Cassandra. Cassandra had the ability to predict the future — like Dr. Fauci. It got both of them into trouble. Let’s take a ride in Mr. Peabody’s Time Machine to see what we can learn from Cassandra about what lurks down the road for Dr. Fauci.

    Once upon a time, in an Aegean Sea far away there lived a beautiful maiden named Cassandra. Cassie, as her friends called her, was not just an ordinary gal. Oh my, no. She was a princess, the daughter of the King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. She was a very special lady. Pretty as a picture. But such a pity she as was considered to be a nut by the world. Her beauty put Snow White
    to shame. She was such a looker that
     she came to the attention of the god Apollo. You can probably see where this is going.

    Apollo was smitten by Cassie. He had to have her. In an effort to woo Cassie, he wrote her a beauteous love song that was later stolen by Andy Griffith. Apollo took a bath, got all gussied up, dry cleaned his best toga and went to see Cassie at the king’s castle. Apollo stood outside the tower where Cassie was sleeping. He started plunking out a song on his lyre. For those of you who slept through Greek mythology class, a lyre is not a Washington politician. A lyre is sort of harp that Greek gods would play when they went courting their lady loves. Most of his song has been lost in the mists of time and swamps of the Potomac. The fragment that remains gets Apollo’s point across pretty well. Apollo sang: “Sure as the vine twines round the stump, you are my darling, Sugar Lump.” No gal, not even a Princess of Troy, could resist a suitor armed with such an amorous song.

    Cassie came down from her ivory tower to see what Apollo was doing. He told her right then that he had to have her for his girlfriend. Cassie was intrigued but knew about Apollo’s reputation as a lady’s man like Freddie Mercury. She was concerned that any love affair with Apollo might not last. Being a smart gal who knew how to take care of herself like Sharon Stone’s character Ginger in the movie “Casino,” Cassie decided to ask for some insurance in the event things didn’t work out. Instead of getting a safety deposit box full of jewelry, like Ginger, Cassie asked Apollo to give her the gift of prophecy.

    Apollo was so hot and bothered by the prospect of getting down with Cassie that he resembled Meat Loaf in his immortal song, “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.” Meat Loaf is out parking and smooching with his girlfriend in his car. Things are about to get jiggy. Mr. Loaf sings “Though its cold and lonely in the deep dark night/ I can see paradise by the dashboard light/ Ain’t no doubt about it we were doubly blessed/ Cause we were barely  17 and we were barely dressed.” Mr. Loaf sings a few verses using a baseball analogy about getting to first, then second, then third base. (Remember baseball?) He is trying to steal home when suddenly his girlfriend throws up a red flag.

      She says: “Stop right there/ Before we go any further/ Do you love me? /Will you love me forever?/ Do you need me?/Will you never leave me?/ Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?/ Will you take me away and will you make me your wife?” She concludes with the haunting lines: “What’s it gonna be boy?” Mr. Loaf is so worked up he promises her anything: “I started swearing on my mother’s grave that I would love you till the end of time/ So now I’m praying for the end of time so I can end my time with you.”

    And how is Mr. Loaf’s song relevant to Cassie and Dr. Fauci, you might ask? Cassie promised Apollo some paradise by the dashboard light if he would give her the gift of prophecy. Apollo granted her wish. Then Cassie refused to live up to her end of the bargain to snuggle up with Apollo. Apollo was really cranky, but he couldn’t take back his grant of prophecy. So, he laid a curse on Cassie that even though she could accurately predict the future, no one would believe her. That’s why when someone is called a Cassandra it means that person is predicting doom and gloom.

    Fauci’s testimony about the COVID cooties that will result from reopening America too soon puts him in Cassandra’s category. He is predicting troubles. Dear Leader doesn’t want to hear any of that kind of negative talk, he isn’t going to believe Fauci’s prediction. Magical thinking is the order of the day in D.C. Fauci better update his resume. Fortunately, unemployment benefits have been extended.

  • uac0505001.gif It has long been a dream of Bo Thorp, the artistic director at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre, to bring a production of Hair to the CFRT stage. Over the years, she has mulled over the idea, trying to find a way to bring what has been billed as an anti-military production to a very pro-military community.

    “I love the music in Hair,” said Thorp. “It’s a generational thing. People know the music, they can sing along with it. But it is not our intention ever to offend anyone and we certainly don’t want to turn people off, so we had to find a way to bring this wonderful music to the stage without getting into the idea of war or nudity.”

    After looking for many years, Thorp found the answer.

    The show will be performed in concert, with limited dialogue, which will mostly be used to introduce characters and segue into the next musical number.

    At the helm of the production is William Day, a New York actor with close ties to not only the CFRT, but also the production.

    Day, who was raised in North Carolina and Viriginia, has spent some time on the CFRT stage. In his earlier years, he performed in Godspell and Footloose.

    “As a young actor trying to fi gure out what I wanted to do, I spent some great time at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre,” said Day during a recent telephone interview. “I learned a lot from the local talent, and I really admire the work they do there. Over the years, Bo and I have remained friends, so when she called me about Hair, I was ready to do it.”

    Day recently staged a production of Hair in Wilmington, and it was that production that gave Thorp the motivation to move forward with the production.

    Day explained that he has a passion for the production, and has made a careful study of it.

    “I recently saw the revival of Hair on Broadway,” he explained. “Having done the production a number of times over the past 10 years, I thought the Broadway show had a lot of problems. It was too polished. It had no authenticity. There was no rawness to it. The acting was fl awless — it’s Broadway — but it lacked heart and the great storytelling that this production needs.”

    So Day took the idea and reworked it into another production of the show.

    “It’s less about war and more about loving yourself and others,” he explained. “That’s really the central theme to Hair. There are certain things in the script you can do without, so it’s not so much in your face. This staged concert version is going to be very050510-hair.gifexciting. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

    And, according to Thorp and Day, it goes back to the original production’s roots. The first production of Hair was staged in the park. So the outdoor setting at Campbellton Landing will greatly enhance the production.

    “The show is so environmental,” said Thorp. “The cast is going to be out in the audience a lot, and the audience is going to be a lot more involved than they normally are.”

    Thorp said she expects this show to appeal more to a younger audience than what has typically attended the river show.

    “There’s going to be a lot of tie-dye and glow sticks,” she said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

    Part of the fun will come from the fact that people know the music.

    “A generation grew up on this music, and I expect they will be singing along,” she said. “Traditionally, at the end of theshow, people throughout the audience are on their feet dancing. We want to see that.”

    Day, who arrived in Fayetteville this week to begin rehearsals, will be arranging the staging and the dancing to get people in that mood.

    “It’s really fresh and exciting,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a great show, and I can’t wait to work with the cast to bring it to stage.”

    Thorp said there will be more than 30 actors involved, as well as the Volkswagon bus and Beetles. “There’s going to be a lot of hippy stuff,” she said.

    The show opens on Thursday, May 20 and runs through May 30. The shows being at 8 p.m. As in years past, attendees can elect to eat dinner at the show. This year’s dinner will be courtesy ofRiverside Steakhouse & Oyster Bar at Campbellton Landing. The menu will feature pork tenderloin, vegetables, bread pudding and homemade rolls. Thorp added that there will be a variety of beverages from tea to beer and wine available for sale throughout the evening.

    To make reservations or for more information, visit www.cfrt.org.

  • 03 maskwomanEver so cautiously, North Carolina has begun opening back up for business. Unlike other nations with stronger federal systems, in the United States, each state is making its own decisions about resuming commerce. North Carolina’s governor, Roy Cooper, is following Alexander Pope’s advice to “be not the first by whom the new are tried, nor yet the last to lay the old aside.” While other states have opened up more extensively, North Carolina will do so in stages, a strategy that does not please everyone. Heavily armed protesters have appeared on Raleigh streets, begging the question of whether they plan to shoot someone if they cannot get a haircut or go to the mall immediately.

    The numbers of people diagnosed with the novel virus all around the world, in our country and our state are astounding and growing, as is the death toll. But numbers, no matter how big they get, are just numbers until each of us puts a face on one of them. That moment came for me earlier this month. A dear friend of more than a decade did not respond to my happy birthday text in April, and I now know why. She was fighting COVID-19 with all her might.                                          

    Let’s call her Ellen. She is a 42-year-old woman, happily married with two children, one a freshman in college and the other a rising ninth-grader. In late February, I had enjoyed seeing photos of Ellen and her husband on Instagram, taking their first vacation ever without their children — a cruise. By then, we were all aware of COVID-19 and cruise ships in quarantine, and a shadow of alarm crossed my mind. The cruise was an obvious culprit for the virus, but Ellen came home and stayed home but did not come down with the virus within 14 days. Then came the call that her freshman’s university was shutting its doors because of COVID-19. Ellen and her husband drove five hours to scoop up their student and clear belongings out of the dorm, which was full of hundreds of other students and parents doing exactly the same thing.

    Ellen got COVID-19 and was isolated from her family, communicating only through walkie-talkies, and sleeping most of the time until it was clear that she had recovered.

    As Memorial Day approaches, Dr. Anthony Fauci, our nation’s top infectious disease expert — and other medical voices — continue to warn of ongoing viral spread, renewed outbreaks, a second wave of infection, and the “needless suffering and death” that will come if our nation opens up too quickly. No one wants to hear this, and we are all stir crazy. We all long for our former “normal,” whatever it was, and we are all anxious to establish something close to it in a post-COVID-19 era.

    Our immediate reality is, of course, that we are not in “a post-COVID-19 era.” We remain in the thick of the pandemic, though without its initial urgency. As of this writing, North Carolina is meeting most but not all of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention benchmarks for reopening, and all but one of our 100 counties report COVID-19 infections, and most have had deaths.

    Our long-term reality is that each of us will have to figure out our own safety based on our family circumstances, our age, our risk factors and our risk tolerance. Getting comfortable with reopening will likely be different for each of us. For me, at least, and for the time being, it will not include crowds or trips away from home without a face mask. Researchers say a COVID-19 vaccine is at least a year away from proven development, with mass manufacturing, distribution and inoculation more distant yet.

    As for Ellen, she is healthy now and just as stir crazy as the rest of us. No nights out with her hubby, but they are thinking about a weekend road trip with the family, masks handy.

  • The arts are alive and well in Fayetteville and Cumberland County, and starting in May they will be the focus of a new monthly program, Arts Alive at 4th Friday.05-10-10-arts-alive.gif

    In addition to the monthly featured exhibits that that typically mark thecelebration of the arts and downtown the fourth Friday of each month and includeentertainment and refreshments, artists will demonstrate and sell their creative work from 6 to 10 p.m. on May 28, along Maxwell Street by the Arts Council building on 301 Hay St.

    “We wanted to get back to the arts focus of 4th Friday,” said Chris Kastner, executive director of Cape Fear Studios, a nonprofi t arts organization located by the Transportation Museum in historic downtown. “We want people to be able to learn about and view art.”

    During Fire Arts Day last October, visitors were treated to live demonstrations of pottery and jewelry making by fi re. Arts Alive is an extension of that highly successful event, featuring artists on the street rather than in gallery exhibits alone.

    A collaborative effort between the Arts Council, merchants and art lovers along Maxwell and part of Franklin Streets, Arts Alive is a juried art event. Artists will complete a one-time application process in order to secure a booth and demonstration spot.

    Artists must provide a “…picture of their art and how they set it up,” Kastner said.

    “Artists and groups of instructors at local universities will judge their work to insure that it is handmade and of a certain quality to maintain a standard of art. The booths will be inspected, and we must see what was pictured,” said Kastner.

    The “best booth” and “best demonstration” will receive recognition.

    But Arts Alive is about more than art on the street. It’s about more than what you can see, rather it’s about what you can experience. With that in mind, the event will feature performing artists as well. Singer/songwriter Autumn Nicholas and poet Neal Ray will perform as they move through the audience during the event.

    “We want the whole thing to be interactive,” said Kastner. “Our mission statement is to educate the public on the arts, and this event will appeal to all ages.”

    And, as is always the case, the various venues and galleries throughout downtown will also be open, and invite you to stop by to peruse their collections and exhibits, meet their artists, listen to musicians and get to know your community and your neighbors.

    Other places to visit include:

    • Arts Council, 301 Hay St.

    • Cape Fear Studios, 148 Maxwell St.

    • Cumberland County Headquarters Library, 300 Maiden Lane.

    • Fascinate-U Children’s Museum, 116 Green St.

    • Market House: An ever-growing and evolving drum circle will gather. Drummers are welcome to join this group, which plans to meet every 4th Friday under the Market House.

    For more information on 4th Friday activities and Arts Alive, contact the Arts Council at (910) 323-1776 or visit www.theartscouncil.com/4th_Friday.html. Fourth Friday is free and fun for all ages.

  • I am yielding my space this week to Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C. It is refreshing when a North Carolina politician stands up and boldly speaks out in defense of our fundamental American freedoms. It makes no difference that Hudson is a Republican. He is asking the questions all North Carolinians and Fayettevillians need to be asking — regardless of their political affiliation. We need to know things like when will life get back to normal? When will the country open up again? How long will it take for us to recover?

     These questions transcend political affiliation, and it’s disappointing more people are not speaking out and objecting to the curtailment of their rights, lives and livelihoods.

     Where is the outrage?

     Personally, I’m proud of Hudson for standing up for what he believes in and not being afraid to make his positions known to the public. That’s bold and fearless leadership that deserves, if not support, at least our respect. There are far too few people in our community with such conviction willing to speak “truth to power.” Tisha Waddell, Matt Richardson, Troy Williams, Margaret Dickson, Karl Merritt and Pitt Dickey. Like I said, too few.

      In conclusion, I hope that more citizens, regardless of race, political affiliation or creed, will come forth and use their First Amendment rights to express how they feel about their freedoms and liberties before the harsh reality sets in that freedom isn’t really free.

    Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.


                     — Bill Bowman, publisher 

    When will life get back to normal? When will the country open up again? How long will it take for us to recover? These are the questions I hear every day from folks at home and, the truth is, nobody can say for certain. Just like you, I’m eager to get back to the way things were so we can restart our economy and go on with our lives.

    By now we are all familiar with terms like quarantine and social distancing. For the most part, it is encouraging to see that these strategies are having an impact. However, I believe that now is the time for us to begin to look to open the country through a safe and deliberate process, especially for communities or people that are not at high risk.

    Many business owners I have met with over the phone or video conference say they have gone to great lengths to make sure that their employees and customers they serve are in a safe environment. Because of these efforts, it has become clear that more businesses are able to safely open, and as I said during a town hall last week, I believe this is the path we need to be headed down while maintaining proper safety precautions.

    As part of this effort, last week I partnered with Lowe’s to secure 100,000 face masks for our communities. Together, we delivered 50,000 masks to Cabarrus Health Alliance in Kannapolis and 50,000 masks to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville. Since the coronavirus pandemic began, I have worked every day to get workers and health care providers the resources they need. I’m proud to work with Lowe’s to make 100,000 masks available for our region, which will help meet the needs of health care workers and patients on the frontlines. This is one small, but important step in advocating for more resources for our community so that we may reopen the country.

    With this in mind, I believe one group of people that should return to work immediately is the United States Congress. I have joined many of my colleagues in repeatedly calling for Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to bring us back into session so that we can negotiate a bipartisan response to the coronavirus crisis. However, instead of bringing us back to work together on behalf of our country, this week we were in session one day to vote on a partisan, 1,800-page Democratic wish list written in secret in Pelosi’s office.

    Not only did this $3 trillion bill — the largest spending bill in American history — fail to address real needs of the country, but it also included a laundry list of items not even related to coronavirus. These included direct payments to illegal immigrants, a blanket release of federal prisoners, a taxpayer-funded bailout of union pensions and an overhaul of our election laws. That is no way to serve the American people.

    It’s beyond time for the House of Representatives to come back to work. Folks are hurting and expect us to work together on the problems facing our country. Thankfully, this bill has zero chance of ever becoming law. But the time for politics is long over. I’ll continue to work every day to help our community and get our country back to work.

  • 05-15-13-hercules-steel.gifHercules Steel Company is a steel supplier and fabrications business in the City of Fayetteville that has served the community for the past 50 years.

    The company got its start in 1954 when the construction industry was booming. Military bases including Fort Bragg and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, N.C., were being developed and Hercules Steel had a chance to provide steel to build these installations. There were slow downs with construction in the ‘60s and pick-ups in the ‘70s only leading to another period of slow work. But the dry periods didn’t stop the company from doing what it did best and the company’s hard work paid off as it remained competitive and won bids for demanding projects.

    In addition to contracting for jobs on military installations, Hercules Steel Company has made it a priority to work hard to make the community a better place, too. Some of these projects include repairing multiple schools throughout Cumberland County including Terry Sanford and Pine Forest high schools by fixing their concession stands after tornado damage. The company played a part in building the new Embassy Suites behind Toys R Us and is also involved with the Sandy Grove Elementary School in Hoke County. Hercules Steel helped install the new solar roof panels at the school allowing solar energy to be collected from the rooftops. This solar energy is used to power the school and any excess energy generated can be sold back to the power grids.

    Hercules Steel is involved in more than just construction. The company also sponsors local high school basketball, football and baseball teams from Terry Sanford and Pine Forest high schools. Hercules is a company that Fayetteville can count on to be a part of moving the community forward. Claude Scott can attest to this and has seen all these projects and more unfold. Scott, the current vice president and general sales manager, has been affi liated with Hercules since 1979, though he always didn’t see himself in this position. After graduating from Douglas Byrd High School, Scott joined Hercules working with the walk-in trade and sales counter. This then led to what he wanted to see and accomplish.

    “I wanted and was able to grow with the company and management team through hard work and dedication,” Scott says.

    Growth is something that they also hope for the future; growth in the market share and stability in the current and upcoming economy.

    “Comforting” is the word Scott describes when he talks about his experience working with a business that has been around for so long. For Scott, it is comforting that people recognize the company’s name, comforting that this long history of giving back to the community and supporting local efforts has earned the company returning customers who came in the ‘70s and then in the ‘80s and are still returning today. He also fi nds comfort in the fact that from those past relationships, Hercules Steel can be depended on for jobs and having a positive role in the area.

    The fact that this company has served the area for 50 years proves they are an important part of our community’s economic success. Find out more about Hercules Steel and the projects the company supports in the community at www.herculessteelco.com.

    Photo: Located on one of Fayetteville’s main thoroughfares, people pass by Her-cules Steel every day and often have no idea the impact this business has on the community.

  • 05262010blues.jpgKick off your shoes and take in the blues as you sample the brews of more than 15 of the finest breweries from across the Mid-Atlantic region during the Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s 7th Annual Blues ‘n’ Brews Festival on Saturday, June 5, from 5-10 p.m. in downtown Fayetteville’s Festival Park.

    The yearly event is the main fundraiser for the Cape Fear Regional Theatre (CFRT), and proceeds help the theatre meet operational costs and bring in great artists.

    “This is our third year at Festival Park,” said Cassandra Vallery, event planner for CFRT. “It grows by leaps and bounds each year.”

    Prior to its Festival Park venue, Blues ‘n’ Brews took place at Campbellton Landing on the banks of the Cape Fear River.

    “It’s a type of event that happens in other places,” said Bo Thorp, artistic director of CFRT. “We had a contact with the Brewers Association, and they hooked us up with the brewers. People come for a good time and music, but they come primarily for the beer. They have an opportunity to try specialty and boutique beers.”

    Some of those brews include lagers and fruit-flavored beers, noted Vallery.

    “We also have food and vendors. People discover new beers and listen to great music. It’s a very upbeat event,” Vallery said.

    Some of the breweries that will offer samplings of their beers include Mother Earth, Duck Rabbit, Front Street, Sierra Nevada, Terrapin, Carolina Brewery and Fayetteville’s own Huske Hardware and The Mash House. Additionally, Fayetteville distributors Harris Wholesale and Healy Wholesale and Tyron Distributors and Empire Distributors out of Charlotte will represent other independent beers.

    Of course, good weather plays an important role in any outdoor festival, and Thorp is hoping for a repeat of last year’s sunny skies and mild temperatures.

    “Last year we had close to 3,000 people. We can tell by the number of glasses we sell. We ran out of glasses and had to go and get plastic cups! The weather was terrific.”

    As the crowd mingles and samples, three bands will perform in rotation on the stage.

    “The bands will play from 4 to 10 p.m.” Thorp said. “So far we’ve got the Donna Duncan Band, an award-winning blues band from Charlotte, and a local band, the Dirty Water Band, who play the blues and an assortment of music.”

    In addition to the blues and the brews, the event features games and contests with prizes, as well as young talent from the theatre.

    General admission for the festival is $25, which offers a souvenir beer glass and beer sampling from. For $35, brew afficionados receive premier parking, a VIP glass and access to a private tent area, as well as a private pour with the brewers beginning at 4 p.m., a picnic lunch and snacks. VIP tickets are limited in number. Nondrinkers or designated drivers may purchase a ticket for $15, and members of the military receive a $2 discount. No dogs, tents or outside food or drinks are allowed, and festival attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets.

    “It’s very laidback fun for the entire family,” said Vallery.

    For more information or to volunteer, call the theatre at (910) 323-4234.

  • 09 PeopleThe thrill of gathering with old friends and making new ones around the spectacle of a live concert with a favorite musical artist is hard to beat. Whether the music  is locally, nationally or internationally popular, there's something about those events that level the ground for us socially. The music doesn't care if you pulled up in a new sports car or spent your last dime on a ticket. It's just there to please.

    By the time you read this, we've missed more than a dozen opportunities to hang out together at local venues for an evening, afternoon or weekend of some ground-leveling. But, soon that will all end. And when it does, we need to remember how much we longed for time together during the isolation chamber known
    as COVID-19.

    I can hardly wait to walk the concourse in search of party food and artist memorabilia or stroll the aisles of artisan vendor booths at a local festival while greeting unmasked acquaintances. I genuinely miss freely gathering with people, and it only took a few weeks of semi-forced isolation to send me into a social tailspin.

    The truth is, we're made for relationship — built that way from the origin of humans. Way back near the front of the Bible, God says, “...it's not good for man to be alone.” And, it's not. We can see that more clearly now than perhaps ever before — unless you were a space station astronaut or something, in which case you already knew.

    So my question for you today is this: What will you take away from this COVID-19 thing? Will you be more thoughtful in accepting and following through when invited to local gatherings? Will you celebrate extended family birthdays and reunions with new vigor? Will you still choose church online on a busy Sunday, or will you carve out the time be with people you love being with?

    It's easy to stay in the same lazy habits of avoidance when gathering freely is possible, but I hope after a period of standing six feet apart in line at the grocery store and returning home because there's nowhere else to go will help us return to the truth that we are built for relationship.

  • 05 nathan dumlao rWJ2RthM gc unsplashI thought we needed a little humor. While working for the military, one of my commander’s favorite questions to almost any problem or decision started with “Does this make sense?” Then after weighing his options, he would answer with his orders followed by “Does that make sense?”

    That is the approach that we should demand from our leaders. Not political partisanship but common sense like that of Thomas Paine’s little pamphlet back in 1776. The one calling for some intellectual consideration for the common man.

    It seems most every day we see something that I like to call “Stupid Stuff of the Day.” I asked people to write about their “stupid” COVID stories and send them to me. Here is what I got:

    • When applying for North Carolina’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for contractors and self-employed workers out of work due to COVID-19, one of the questions asked was, “Are you willing to look for other employment?”

    There was not a place to respond with,     
         “No, I had a job, but Gov. Cooper will not let me do my job.”
         What they are saying is, “You can work, but only at places he deems essential.”
                 —  Frustrated Unemployed Hairdresser

    • I was at Wendy’s yesterday. I ordered a double cheeseburger. “Sir, we are no longer serving double burgers so that other customers may also get food.”
      So, I ask, “Can I get two cheeseburgers?”
      “Yes, sir.”
           “So, if I pay for two cheeseburgers, I can get them, and damn everyone else. Can’t you just put them together and throw out the extra bread.”
           “Um, um. No, Sir.
                                    — Al Reid
    • Individuals in a car by themselves wearing a mask.

                              — Paul Douglas Vandeventer

    • I had a repair guy come to my house to replace a window. I went to introduce myself and shake his hand when he showed up. He said he couldn’t shake my hand because of the coronavirus. He then proceeded to walk into my house. While measuring the window, he handed me one end of the measuring tape to help him. He handed me the quote for replacing the window. I agreed to his price. He did the payment on his phone and handed me his phone to sign for the payment. I handed his phone back to him and went
      to shake his hand. He once again reminded me he couldn’t shake hands because of the coronavirus.
      — Jay Plyman
    • I went to the grocery store to buy 6 pounds of ground chuck. They said I could only buy two packs of meat at 1 pound per package. I told them I was looking for 6 pounds. So that means I would have had to get six packages. I went to the meat counter and told them I needed 6 pounds of ground chuck. They went to the back and got me two 3.4-pound packs of grounds chuck. You do the math.
      — Anonymous
    • Last week, my wife and I went to get a COVID-19 test at a drive-up test facility. We both (had) flu-like symptoms back in March after a cruise.
      The lady drilled a stick up our noses and when she was finished, she said, “You two will have to quarantine yourselves for five days.”
      I asked her why, and she said “that’s the process since you wanted to be tested.”
           I don’t understand how these people can be smart enough to shove something up my nose but not smart enough to know that it has been over a month-and-half since we were sick, and I am not staying home. We just wanted to know if we had had the COVID.
                                    — Anonymous
    • I just heard one of the local drive-in theaters is reopening and plans to practice social distancing by spreading the cars out further from each other. … You’re in separate cars already. What about in normal traffic, at a red light, in a parking lot or a drive-thru? Are you freakin’ kidding me?
      — Jeff Campbell
    • Common sense is not common.
      — MM
    • A friend of mine and I traveled to West Virginia. We made reservations to stay the night at a large hotel chain in Charlottesville. As we pulled up, there were only three cars in the parking lot. The door was locked. We rang a bell, and the manager opened the door. There were tables set up in front of the check-in desk to keep people back.
      The hotel manager looks at us and says, “I have to ask that you two to stand at least 6 feet apart.”
      My friend looks at him and says, “We just drove seven hours in the same car.”
           The gentlemen replied, “Sir, we are taking the COVID-19 thing very seriously.”
           He then asked if we needed a room with two beds. My friend replied, “Yes.”
           The manager responded, “You are in room 427,” and handed us our keys.
       I looked at him and asked, “So we can share
      a room?”
           He replied, “Yes.”
           Then, I asked, “ We can share the same bathroom?”
           He replied, “Yes.”
           My friend asked, “We can ride up in the same elevator?”
           The manager responded, “Yes.”
           My friend and I looked at each other, and my friend said, “Makes sense to me,” and we just laughed and shook our heads as we realized that we were the only people on the fourth floor.                   
                                    —  Jimmy Jones

    As we all hear of these stories, most people understand that those working down in the trenches are just doing what the government is mandating. I think most people are not laughing as much at the people around us, but deep down inside, we are sadly laughing at the leadership (or lack thereof) of our elected officials.

    When all of this is said and done, the last laugh for the men and women in high places will be had at election time.

    And that, my friends, may not be a joke at all.

  • 04 N1506P37007CColumn Gist: In the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic, many people are asking if it was caused by God. This column addresses that question.

    As people ponder how God might be involved with the COVID-19 pandemic, the normal response is, “I don’t see how a loving God would cause an event such as this.” The implication is that God’s love does not allow him to, for any reason, bring hardship upon people of Earth … to punish. Even though I do not claim that COVID-19 is God’s punishment on America, my question would be: How can a loving God not punish America?

    I think Rev. Billy Graham went to the heart of the matter in a statement where he referred to an assessment made by his wife, Ruth. This from an article in 2012 by Rev. Graham titled, “Billy Graham: ‘My Heart Aches for America.’”

    “Some years ago, my wife, Ruth, was reading the draft of a book I was writing. When she finished a section describing the terrible downward spiral of our nation’s moral standards and the idolatry of worshiping false gods such as technology and sex, she startled me by exclaiming, ‘If God doesn’t punish America, he’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.’”

    The 19th chapter of Genesis records God’s punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah. Scholars differ on the nature of the sin that caused God’s destruction of these cities. Some say it was because of rampant homosexual activity. Others point to a lack of hospitality. Discussion of these differing schools of thought may be reviewed at www.britannica.com. No matter what the causal sin was, these people were horrendously sinful. That is the level of sinfulness that has taken up residence in America. Consequently, Ruth Graham has my full agreement — America is due for God’s overwhelming punishment.

    Whether COVID-19 is our punishment, I do not know. However, every American should seriously consider that possibility and respond accordingly. What follows offers some thoughts on how we might go about assessing the plausibility of this plague being God’s punishment of America. Granted, the whole world is adversely impacted by this frightful pandemic. However, this did not mandate that it come to America, especially with the tremendous devastation that we are experiencing.

    By way of assessing, start with a definition of love and how true love looks in action. This definition of love from “36 Definitions of Love, According to Urban Dictionary” by Marisa Donnelly.

    “The act of caring and giving to someone else … having someone’s best interest and well-being as a priority in your life.” This definition “hits the mark” because it requires taking actions that sometimes are necessary for the correction of those who are loved. In the “I can’t believe a loving God would do this” assessment of our difficult experiences, love is viewed as void of punishment or correction.

    The following segments, from an article by  Monsignor Charles Pope titled, “Pondering Punishment in the Light of God’s Love,” makes crystal clear the great fallacy in how God’s love is generally viewed:

    “We have become rather ‘soft’ in modern times (at least in the Western World). We have been taught in the ‘God is Love’ school, which is not wrong but has often understood that love in sentimental and simplistic ways. Modern notions of love are usually soft, permissive and nondirective. Love is often thought to be exclusively ‘supportive’ and ‘affirming.’ The understanding that love could or should include setting limits, correction, admonishments or
    punishments is usually downplayed if not explicitly rejected as pertaining to love.

    “God too has largely been relegated to being essentially an affirmer. He is the one who
    ‘understands.’”

    Beyond recognizing the correction, the punishment, component of God’s love, our assessment of God’s possible role in COVID-19, as it relates to America, requires understanding that God deals heavily in quid pro quos. A Google search yields this definition: “Quid pro quo refers to the giving of one valuable thing for another.” The examples from scripture are almost limitless. For instance, there is this often quoted verse from 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV): “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” God does not say that he will, without any action on the part of the people, heal their land. He lays out what they must do.

    God goes even further and details for Solomon, the king, what he will do if Solomon does not live by God’s statutes. This from the  Life Application Bible note on 2 Chronicles 7:17-22:

    “God plainly set forth certain conditions for Solomon to meet if he wanted the kingdom to continue. If Solomon followed God, he and his descendants would prosper. If Solomon did not, he and the nation would be destroyed. In Deuteronomy 27 and 28, these conditions were outlined before all the people.”

    Over time, Solomon turned from God, and God did what he promised. Solomon’s descendants, and all of Israel, suffered tremendously.

    God’s use of quid pro quos even shows up in the loving and, very likely, most quoted verse in scripture, John 3:16 (NIV): “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God offers eternal life, but receiving it requires that a person believes
     in Jesus.

    The experience of Solomon not only illustrates God’s use of the quid pro quo; it also makes clear that God punishes disobedience. An even more telling instance of God’s love resulting in punishment shows through in his sending of Israel into the wilderness for 40 years. The following, from an article by David Treybig titled, “Why Did God Choose Israel?” sets important context for them being sent into the wilderness:

    “God wanted Israel to be a model nation, a group of people through whom other peoples could learn vitally important lessons. God wanted Israel to be ‘a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’ (Exodus 19:6). Other nations would see that when the Israelites obeyed God, they were blessed (verse 5), and when they disobeyed God, they would be punished (Deuteronomy 28).”

    God loved Israel and had a high calling for the nation; however, when the people rebelled and chose not to follow God’s direction and enter the land he had promised, God sent them into the wilderness for 40 years. God punished people he loved dearly.

    In deciding what role, if any, God might be playing in COVID-19’s invasion of America, we must recognize that God must sometimes punish us because he loves us and must substantially employ the quid pro quo and treat us in the same way that he has treated individuals and nations across the ages.

    When we examine the behavior of American society, the picture is clear. As a nation, in the overall, we blatantly reject the statutes, the way, of God. We have declared abortion a woman’s right. We decided the homosexual lifestyle acceptable and protected by law — no matter what scripture says, a person gets to choose their gender regardless of gender at birth. Sex before marriage is routinely accepted. Christians are under attack because of our faith.

    Even further, government policies and programs support or encourage ungodly conduct. For instance, instead of taking actions that would discourage premarital sex, American governments provide free condoms to citizens. When that action fails and children result whose parent(s) cannot afford to financially support them, governments provide financial support, health care and other benefits. Then there is the push for expansion of public funding of abortions. All this at the expense of taxpayers, many of whom oppose these actions that advance
    ungodliness.

    I do not claim that COVID-19 is God’s punishment on America, but when the likelihood is examined as is done here, there is more than ample reason to seriously consider the possibility. If this is not God’s punishment on us, we would do well to treat it as a warning and change our ways. Ruth Graham spoke absolute truth.

              

                

                

  • 03 margaretNorth Carolina has begun a tentative process of opening up selected businesses, as have many other states — some more aggressively than others, even though confirmed cases of  COVID-19 continue to rise. As we do so, we are also still learning what we do not know about this novel virus. Here are some of the unanswered questions.

    Are people who have recovered from COVID-19 actually immune from an-other bout of it? Can they still pass along the infection to others even though they themselves are well?

    What about children? Does the virus infect them differently than adults? At the time of this writing, North Carolinians who have been infected range in age from 6 months to 85 years.

    Why do symptoms vary so much from person to person, with some people critically ill and others only mildly so? Does it depend on the concentration of viral particles in one’s body?

    Why does  COVID-19 kill more men than women?

    Does  COVID-19 cause lasting damage to the bodies of survivors?

    Researchers are digging for answers for these and other questions, of course, as well as working overtime to develop a vaccine or vaccines. We do know a great deal about the pandemic, though, and it is not a pretty picture.  COVID-19 has pulled back the curtain on our nation’s health care system, who it serves well and who it does not. It reveals longstanding social and economic disparities long swept under the rug.

    Common sense tells us that service workers face more exposure than people who can work remotely, and many service workers are considered essential during the pandemic. They are also often hourly workers, often minority workers, facing the stark choice of working in dangerous environments because they need the income or not being able to support their families. Service jobs are almost always low pay and with little or no employee control over working hours, a significant hurdle for working mothers.

    Consider what kinds of work have been deemed essential during the pan-demic. Health care workers, including nursing home and elder care aides; child-care workers; teachers; domestic workers; all occupations heavily populated by women and all of which put workers in direct contact with others. These jobs of-ten require intimate work for others, work that has historically been done by women and has been historically undervalued and underpaid.

    The cold hard reality is that millions of Americans depend on these service workers to take care of our children and our elderly parents, to prepare our food and to sell us goods and services, but we do not respect their work. We ask and expect them to do work we do not — and perhaps would not — do ourselves, and we are unwilling to pay them fairly. It brings up the ugly truth that underpaid and often dangerous care work is what allows other Americans, both women and men, to do their jobs at any time, and even more so during the pandemic.

    This is not new news.

    Speculation abounds as to how our society will be changed, even trans-formed, on the other side of  COVID-19. What will education look like? Will we go shopping in stores again? Will nonchain restaurants survive the pandemic?                        

    Whatever else the virus has done and perhaps will do, it has shown a laser light on care industries and their feminine and insecure faces. Care work is absolutely essential work, but it is undervalued because women do it. The  COVID-19 pandemic is a lesson in why that has to change.

  • 02 N2005P72024CAmid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is distressing to learn that members of the U.S. Congress and our Justice Department would lie, cheat and conspire against innocent Americans to discredit and try to unseat a duly elected  president. Partisan greed, power and unbridled animosity have become way too common in America’s political scene, and those factors are undermining American rights and freedoms, not to mention wasting time and energy while distracting Congress from doing the people’s business. 

    Regardless of whether you are a Republican, Democrat or Independent, we are all human beings and should not turn a blind eye to political injustice or conspiracies that ignore the rule of law. What is taking place politically in America today should scare the hell out of any decent, God-fearing human being. And, if it doesn’t, your principles and values may have already been compromised, and your levels of sensitivity and compassion toward humanity calloused. Again, it makes no difference what political affiliation you are. Human decency defines the boundaries of “right and wrong.” We live in a country where citizens are (or should be) equally entitled to freedom, fairness and justice. We do not live in a socialistic or communistic state where authoritarianism* dictates “what’s good for me, is not
    for thee.”

    This unsavory situation exists today and has escalated ever since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a public health emergency in January. Since then, based on faulty information, the world panicked, exposing the true talents, abilities and leadership skills of government officials worldwide. Here in the United States, under these dire circumstances, it is difficult for our national and local leaders to hide traits like political gamesmanship, greed, gross incompetence and the blatant abuse of power and authority for personal gain. 

    No doubt, we have many capable leaders whose intelligence and level-headed strategies and management style aided their constituents during this crisis. But as the pandemic expanded through March and April, it became more and more evident that power-drunk government officials were slowly, conveniently and methodically eradicating our liberty and personal freedoms. Freedoms guaranteed to us by the Bill of Rights are being methodically replaced by Soviet-like directives from authoritarian state governors’ offices or from local city halls. Making this situation even more frustrating is the fact that these directives are often baseless, senseless, contradictory and, in some cases, deadly. It’s bad enough for the government to decide which businesses are essential and which are not, but deciding who lives and who dies? 

    New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo could be the poster child for being the very best of the worst. His state has the highest rate of coronavirus cases anywhere on the planet with nearly 350,000 cases and over 27,000 deaths. With two-thirds of the cases and over 70% of the deaths in New York City, this governor sends 1,700 aging citizens to their deaths after mandating that nursing homes and senior care centers accept their residencies knowing full well that seniors and aging populations are the highest risk group most vulnerable to the disease. Instead of protecting them, this governor was digging mass graves to bury the victims by the hundreds.

    Where is the logic? The leadership? The compassion? The humanity? Hell, where is the outrage?

    And, just when you think it couldn’t get much worse, Cuomo’s leadership team releases 1,000 hardened criminals, rapists, murderers, dope pushers and child molesters from the Rikers Island jail. Not only did they unleash mayhem and an eventual crime wave upon innocent citizens of New York City, but over 1/3 of the criminals released were infected with the coronavirus. Cuomo’s logic? To protect the criminals and prevent the spread of the virus. No wonder they lead the world in COVID-19 infections.

    While this craziness is going on in New York, a judge in Dallas is sentencing Shelly Luther, a single mother and beauty salon owner, to jail for seven days for opening up her small business so she can feed her children. Unbelievable. In California, you can be arrested if you go to beach, but you can be paid if you snitch on your neighbor. In Michigan, residents are storming the statehouse in protest because they can buy liquor and go to Home Depot, but they cannot worship in their churches. In North Carolina, under Gov. Roy Cooper’s reign, protesting has been deemed an “illegal activity.” You can be arrested for stepping on a sidewalk. In North Carolina, residents are told that exercising their First Amendment rights to peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress, was among the activities Gov. Cooper deemed “nonessential.” The arrogance. He actually took it upon himself to nullify the Constitution. But, Cooper’s not the only person drunk on power. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy had 15 members of a Jewish congregation arrested for assembling at a funeral service. When he was questioned as to whether he was concerned about violating their Bill of Rights, he responded, “That’s above my pay grade … I wasn’t thinking of the Bill of Rights when I did this.” Really? The governor of New Jersey wasn’t thinking that freedom of worship and the right to peaceably assemble are both protected in the Bill of Rights? In Fayetteville, the mayor curbed the COVID-19 virus and protected citizens by enacting a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. Are you beginning to see the pattern?

    Like I said in the beginning, it doesn’t matter what political affiliation you are, what color you are or what religion you practice, the COVID-19 pandemic is serious;  however, it doesn't just threaten your health. It threatens your livelihood. We must be mindful and protective of our civil liberties, or we run the risk of some serious “unintended consequences.”

    In the case of some of these crazy and contradictory statewide restrictions, the cure could end up being worse than the disease. People want to be free. Democracy is in our DNA, and it is on the decline. We cannot allow this COVID-19 pandemic to be used as a vehicle to strip us of our rights or freedoms.  We need leadership that respects our Constitutional Rights. We don’t need surveillance of any type, and we have to make sure we maintain honest and well-managed elections. Where is the outrage?

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

     

    * According to Lexico, the definition of “authoritarianism” is, “the enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom.”

  • 10 element5 digital 2i7Dn2uMEQE unsplashAre you going to be able to vote in the upcoming November election?

    Or will the coronavirus claim another victim: your right and responsibility to choose the leaders to guide us through this public health, political, economic and moral disaster?

    The recent elections in Wisconsin should have taught North Carolinians that the process will probably be partisan and contentious. It will likely put a heavy burden on individual voters as well as the election day workers who will be trying to accommodate voters and protect them and themselves from the dangers of transmitting the coronavirus.

    Without careful planning, North Carolina could repeat Wisconsin’s April 7 voting day experience. Milwaukee had to reduce the number of poll sites from 500 to five. Voters were forced to wait in line for hours. At least six poll workers have already come down with symptoms of the virus.

    Sadly, but predictably, Democrats and Republicans in Wisconsin battled for partisan advantage in a crucial judicial election pitting a conservative Republican incumbent against a more liberal Democratic challenger. The Democratic governor tried to postpone the election to give more time for mail-in voting and a better chance for his party’s candidate to win. The Republicans objected and won a legal battle to require the election to be held on schedule.

    Partisan bickering about election procedures and rules is nothing new in North Carolina. In his new book “Wilmington’s Lie,” David Zucchino reminds us what happened after conservative Democrats won control of the legislature in the 1898 elections. They crafted “a constitutional amendment requiring voters in the state to pay a poll tax and pass a literacy test unless a father or a grandfather had voted before 1867. The amendment also required voters to present proof of their identity during registration, if challenged. There wasn’t much camouflage of the amendment’s motive. ‘The chief object of the amendment is to eliminate the ignorant and irresponsible Negro vote,’ the Democrats explained in a pamphlet.”

    Both North Carolina political parties have a sorry legacy of framing election laws and voting districts for political advantage, with the modern Republicans being the more recent abusers.

    Elections and election procedures are bare-boned political battles in Wisconsin, too. One of the arguments there is about mail-in voting.

    Many political scientists, including Barry Burden, professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, cite studies that show no partisan advantage to either side in expanding voting by mail. But the Democratic judicial candidate won, according to The New York Times, primarily by performing better in mail voting in every community than she did at the
    polling places.

    North Carolina does not have a true vote-by-mail system. Should Democrats fight to have one in place by this November? Bob Cordle, former chair of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, points out that North Carolina’s no-excuse absentee voting procedure already gives voters the opportunity to secure and send in a ballot by mail. However, he says, “the requirements to obtain and vote an absentee ballot by mail need to be simplified and made more accessible to our voters.”

    The current elections board chair Damon Circosta, a Democrat, and board member David Black, a Republican, recently recommended that the legislature make “it easier to securely request and cast votes
     by mail.”

    They continued, “We sincerely hope that North Carolina and the United States can be past this crisis before the fall elections, but it is imperative that we are prepared in the event that the crisis remains with us. There will be plenty of time when it is all over to reengage in our partisan battles about election policy. Right now, we all need to work together. The coronavirus has given us a chance to live up to our democratic values. Let’s take it.”

    Good advice for all of us.

  • 06 N1203P58005CMay is National Bike Month. Of course, millions of Americans enjoy biking, so there’s reason to celebrate. But even if you’re not much of a rider, you can apply some of the guidelines and lessons of bicycling to other areas of your life — such as investing.

    Consider taking some of these ideas for a spin:

    • Tune up your portfolio.When bicyclists tune up their bikes, they adjust their brakes, clean and lubricate the chain, tighten nuts and bolts and check the tire pressure, among other tasks. Such a tuneup keeps their bikes running smoothly and reduces the chances for breakdowns. And by “tuning up” your investment portfolio, you can help it stay in line with your goals and risk tolerance, while also preparing it for a “breakdown” in the financial markets, in the form of sharp downturns. To tune up your portfolio, look for ways to increase diversification, which can help reduce the effects of volatility, and watch for investments that may have chronically underperformed or are no longer suitable for your risk tolerance. You might be better off selling these and using the proceeds to invest in new opportunities.

    • Know when to shift gears.Bicyclists move into higher or lower gears in response to changing road conditions and elevations. As an investor, you, too, may need to shift gears, or adjust your investment strategy, when your personal financial environment changes. So, for example, in the years immediately preceding your retirement, you may want to move some – but certainly not all — of your investment dollars from growth-oriented vehicles to income-producing ones. That way, you can lock in some of the gains you may have achieved while lowering your portfolio’s overall risk level. This is important because once you reach retirement and you need to start withdrawing from your retirement accounts – which essentially means liquidating some of your investments — you don’t want to worry too much about having to sell when prices are down. However, keep in mind that, even during retirement, you’ll need some growth potential in your holdings to help yourself stay ahead of inflation.

    • Protect yourself.Smart bicyclists always wear their helmets — they know that an unexpected bump in the road could cause a dangerous spill. And on the journey toward financial security for yourself and your family, you can also expect that some hard knocks could come your way — which is why you need the proper protection. To safeguard your family in case anything should happen to you, you must have the appropriate amount of life insurance. And to help ensure your financial independence — and avoid becoming a potential burden to your grown children — you may want to consider some type of long-term care coverage, which can help cover many of the costs of a lengthy nursing home stay. You could choose a long-term care insurance policy or a “hybrid” policy, which combines long-term care protection with the death benefit of traditional life insurance. A financial adviser can recommend the option that’s most suitable for your needs.

    You may want to observe National Bike Month by taking a few rides yourself. But in any case, making these cycling-inspired moves can help you keep rolling along toward your financial goals.

  • 05-07-14-go-red-for-women.gifHeart disease is no laughing matter. It is the number one killer of women causing 1 in 3 deaths each year. That’s approximately one woman dying every minute. So, to support awareness of heart disease in women, The American Heart Association presents its Go Red for Women expo and luncheon on Tuesday, May 13, at the Highland Country Club from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. The Expo will take place from 9 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. and the luncheon will follow from 11:45 a.m.- 2 p.m. Support the cause and wear red attire for the event.

    The keynote speaker is Maribeth Kuzmeski, MBA, author of seven books on entrepreneurial business growth, including The Connectors and And the Clients Went Wild!She is the president of the consulting and training firm, Red Zone Marketing. The title of her presentation is “Uniquely You! Standing Up and Standing Out!” Cardiologist Dr. Debbie Thomasson will also speak and will present a segment sponsored by FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital-Hoke Campus.

    “Back in 2004, The American Heart Association noticed that heart disease claimed the lives of 500,000 American women every year and most of the research focused on the men,” said Debbie Thomasson, cardiologist and presenter at the event. “Women are caretakers and have a tendency to not take care of themselves and there is no one to take care of them.” Thomasson added that a campaign was launched and she has been involved with it since it launched.

    The typical risk factors of heart disease are age, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol, and inactivity. “We are noticing that our children and teenagers are becoming less fit and have less cardiovascular fitness,” said Thomasson. “There is more childhood obesity and we know that obesity changes the way the heart functions.” Thomasson added that the American diet consists mainly of fast food which is low on vegetables. There is a guideline: eat five fruits and vegetables daily, walk 10 minutes a day, and sleep eight hours.

    “I’m passionate about educating women locally because in our region, we have counties with some of the highest heart disease death rates in the state,” said Patty Collie, Vice-President and Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley, and 2014 Chair of Sandhills Go Red For Women Campaign.

    The Heart Health Expo will include vendor booths featuring health related products and services. Two breakout information sessions will be offered: “Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way — Adding Power to all Aspects of Your Life” hosted by Morgan Stanley and “Heart Healing through the Yogic Perspective” hosted by North State Bank Mortgage. A “Red PURSEonality” silent auction featuring original art pieces will add to the day’s fun and excitement.

    “I am hoping to broaden the spectrum to include some things geared toward the younger women and some more innovative things we have to offer,” said Thomasson. “I hope it will be fun for everyone to listen.”

    Local artist David McCune has made and donated 50 metal red dresses that will be on display around town to spark interest and the desire to learn more about heart health. Look for them around town. The dresses will be available for purchase at the luncheon.

    Ticket cost is $75 and can be purchased online at www.goredforwomen-fayettevillenc.org. Tables of eight are available. Highland Country Club is located at 2381 Raeford Road.

    Photo: The Go Red For Women Sandhills Region committee is excited about educating the public about heart health.

  • Have you noticed? Lots of things have been happening lately. Like Dick Halloran told Danny Torrance at the Overlook Hotel, “not all of them was good.” Kind of hard to avoid the Corona Cooties on the TV or in the produce section of the grocery store. But there have been some good things that have occurred that should give all of us hope for a brighter day tomorrow, or maybe Autumn 2021. So, let’s focus on the good stuff for the moment. Recall what Johnny Mercer once sang: “You’ve got to accentuate the positive/ Eliminate the negative/ And latch on to the affirmative/ Don’t mess with Mr. In-Between/.”

    What is the most positive thing you can clutch to your bosom in this plague time? Consider Dear Leader’s best buddy North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Lots of gossip about Kim and his status as to whether he is healthy, lying in a permanent vegetative state floating in Hollandaise sauce or taking the dirt nap. As of the writing of this column’s assault on the intelligence of both my readers, to quote Winston Churchill, Kim’s health “is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” The usual unreliable sources have it that Kim took America’s Dear Leader’s advice and tried the Clorox cure to get out of Corona’s grasp. The Clorox didn’t work out so well. Allegedly the insertion of an ultra-violet lamp into a southern orifice of the North Korean didn’t bring Kim around. Some sort of cardiac surgery was then attempted on the portly prince of communism, which also seems to have gone askew.

    So, what, you ask, is positive about Kim’s medical misfortune other than it may be a bit more difficult for him to launch ICBMs at America while he is enjoying a coma? The good news, and excellent news it is, is that you are not the cardiology surgeon who operated on Kim. Kim does not seem inclined to be forgiving of much of anything. A botched heart surgery is not something Kim would take lightly if he ultimately survives. Things are quite likely to be bad for the surgeon, the surgeon’s family, the surgeon’s village, the surgeon’s neighbors, the surgeon’s dog and the surgeon’s goldfish. You may rejoice in the fact that you are none of these entities. Whatever sort of day you are having, no matter how stressful, it’s gonna be better than the surgeon’s day and anyone or anything connected to the surgeon.

    There are other good things to be happy about. Consider following day brighteners as the late Ann Landers would counsel. While sheltering in place, the dogs playing poker are continuing their card games. The Bull Dog’s bluff has been called. He lost, and the other dogs at the table are convulsed with laughter at his pair of twos losing to a full house. Gotta love dogs playing poker.

    The governor of Georgia is taking medical advice from his new science advisor, Rasputin, who told the governor to open up the tattoo parlors,and  hair and nail salons. If you are in need of an emergency tattoo (and who isn’t?) you can hie yourself down I-95 to Georgia and get a battleship tattooed across your chest. Thank you, Gov. Brian Kemp, on behalf of “Your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be tattooed.”

    Our old college buddy Flounder did not throw up in front of Dean Wormer. He threw up on Dean Wormer. Every time I see that scene in “Animal House,” tears of joy well up in my eyes. If you can think of that event and not laugh, you, my friend, do not have a heart. However, I know a surgeon in North Korea I can refer you to who is looking for new patients.

    Unfortunately, the Clorox cure, the magical healing month of April, rectal internal lighting, and hydroxychloroquine turned out to be ineffective remedies for Corona. Dear Leader has instructed the CDC to cease trying to fix the boring and apparently insoluble problem of providing enough Corona tests. Instead, the CDC has been directed to look into the possibility of whether Slim Whitman yodeling songs could be used to destroy the Corona virus, which was so successfully done to destroy Martians in “Mars Attacks.” Many people are saying, “Sir, the Slim Whitman songs ‘Indian Love Call’ and ‘Paloma Blanca’ could be simultaneously played at full volume by all of the world’s radio stations and all Alexa and Google smart speakers, thereby causing the Coronavirus to explode.”

    Dr. Birx will head up the Slim Whitman task force. She was last heard yodeling, “Una Paloma Blanca/ I’m just a bird in the sky/ Una Paloma Blanca/ Over the mountain I shall fly.”

     Now, don’t you feel better already? Put on a happy face and smile brother, smile.

  • Fayetteville has a long and distinguished military history and its citizens have made contributions in all of our Nation’s conflicts. In conjunction with the 200th Anniversary (2012-2014) of the War of 1812, the Fayetteville Transportation & Local History Museum, offers an exhibit that examines the role of our local community and the Nation during what is often referred to as America’s “forgotten war.”05-28-14-1812-davis-jacket.gif

    At the outbreak of the War of 1812, Fayetteville drafted a resolution in which they declared their support and this resolution read in part;… “we will aid and support our government against the enemy and against all other powers, for effective defense and protection from abroad and ensuring tranquility and union at home.” After the declaration of war in 1812, the Robeson Republican Volunteers, a local militia unit, 70 men strong, marched out of Fayetteville. Brigadier General Thomas Davis (1764-1822) was Fayetteville’s ranking military officer emerging from the War of 1812, and commanded North Carolina’s First Brigade, which included local militia units. By June of 1813, a British fleet established a blockade of the Chesapeake Bay Region. Soldiers came ashore at various times and places to seize goods and harass residents. They grew bolder in their excursions, sacking various coastal towns. A British naval squadron was sent to the Ocracoke Inlet and briefly occupied Portsmouth, creating a panic throughout eastern North Carolina. Governor Hawkins called up local militia units in defense of North Carolina’s coastal ports and cities. The Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry was deployed to Wilmington in defense of the state’s principal port city. Preparatory to their departure, the men of the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry were assigned the duties of obtaining bread, bacon, spirits, wagons, pots, kettles and all other things necessary for the deployment. In addition, each member was levied five dollars to handle the expenses. The men of Fayetteville not only served in various militia units but also volunteered for service in the regular army and navy.

    Beyond the military experience, the exhibit at the Transportation & Local History Museum explores life on the home front. Various domestic artifacts featured in the exhibit give the museum visitor a feel for life during the Federal period. During this period the quintessential symbol was the American eagle and other popular motifs included Greek- and Roman-style portraits and busts of patriotic leaders like George Washington, urns and urn-shaped designs, stars and stripes. Federal style furniture was typically light, graceful and simple with clean edges and straight lines. The exhibit also explores other domestic topics to include period architecture, fashion and literature.

    At the North Carolina Veterans Park six large banners from the United States Navy History Museum profile the contributions of the Navy and Marine Corps during the War of 1812. These banners will supplement the educational panels on the War of 1812 already on display in the Veterans Park Visitor Center. The War of 1812 strengthened the young United States and firmly established its position in the world. It preserved American territorial and political integrity and helped to set the fledging new Republic on the road to greatness.

    To learn more about the War of 1812, visit the Transportation and Local History Museum located at 325 Franklin Street and the North Carolina Veterans Park located at 300 Bragg Blvd. Admission is free. For more information call 433-1457.

    After the declaration of war in 1812, the  Robeson Republican Volunteers, a local militia unit, 70 men strong, marched out of Fayetteville.

  • A mighty oak tree fell last week when longtime Cumberland County Senator Tony Rand met his maker.

    Rand was a political animal from the get-go and had the skills of a master. His mind worked like a lightning bolt, giving him the intellectual heft to see needs and to make change. His quick wit and Southern charm gave him the honey to make change palatable even to those who opposed it. He could skewer a colleague on the Senate floor with a smile, telling someone to go to you-know-where in such a way that the victim looked forward to the trip. One of my favorite Rand quips comes from a Senate debate involving a senator from Johnston County. Said Rand on the Senate floor, “Now it might be that all the judicial wisdom of western civilization resides in Johnston County, but I doubt it.”

    He understood and was a decadeslong player in big-dog politics in North Carolina, but he never lost sight of what would build up and enhance the lives of everyday people. He could play hardball, and he could and did fight hard for resources, programs and laws that would help North Carolina rise and prosper.

    His legacy in Cumberland County is all around us, including increased resources for Fayetteville State University and Fayetteville Technical Community College, Cape Fear Botanical Garden, Cape Fear Regional Theatre and the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. Our community still uses 910 as our area code in part because Tony Rand suggested to the Utilities Commission that soldiers in combat zones already knew 910 and could remember it when calling home. It was the Greensboro metropolitan area that changed to the 336 area code, not Fayetteville. Goodyear remains in our community because he championed incentive legislation that encouraged the company to stay.

    Rand’s fingerprints are visible in every community in North Carolina as well. He advocated for and secured funding for early childhood education, the UNC system and the UNC health care system during his legislative career. He created a formula for funding public education in low-wealth counties, including Cumberland, Hoke and Robeson, to help put their students more on par with students from wealthier school systems.

    His more than two decades in the General Assembly earned him friends from all ages and walks of life — from presidents to prison guards, from generals to gofers. He treated each of them with respect and good humor, and they loved him for it. He never forgot that he grew up in small-town North Carolina and was grateful.

    With his sense of perfect timing, Rand resigned his Senate seat in late 2009 and went to work using his legal skills as chair of the North Carolina Parole Commission. He then applied his knowledge of the community college system to workforce development at FTCC, and in what was a closing-of-the-circle moment, he served as Chair of the North Carolina Education Lottery Commission.

    Establishing a lottery in North Carolina had been a long-running and highly controversial issue for years. On the day it finally passed the General Assembly in 2005, I was barely into my second term in the North Carolina House, and for reasons I no longer remember, I decided to pop into the Senate chamber to watch the lottery debate. Sen. Rand was running the show, of course, and with an in-depth knowledge of legislative rules and procedures coupled with exquisite political timing, he engineered a tie vote. The tie was broken with a quick “aye” vote from then Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue, a Rand friend and ally, and — presto! — North Carolina had it’s own Education Lottery.

    A newbie senator turned to me and said, “Margaret, you and I are here playing checkers, but that guy is playing chess in 3-D with a blindfold.”

    Amen to that.

    Tony Rand’s was a life well and fully lived and much enjoyed.

  • 02 N1908P58009CLadies and gentlemen, step right up and place your bets. In Las Vegas, Nevada, every smart gambler knows it’s not a good idea to bet against the House (Casino). The House is always bigger, more intelligent and has a lot more resources and staying power than you do. Hence, it will ultimately win. Or, more appropriately, you will eventually lose. This could be where the phrase “you should know when to quit” originated.

    Many Americans are currently feeling that local, state and national governments are betting against the House as we wrestle our way out of the grip of this nasty COVID-19 pandemic. In this case, the House is America with its God-fearing inhabitants, who strongly believe in the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. It would be a sucker’s bet to wager on any person or group of people who, regardless of title or position, ignores and disregards the freedoms upon which this country was built. Yet they do.

    I hope that by the time you read this article that North Carolina’s governor, Roy Cooper, has figured out that it’s time to quit acquiescing to half-truths and partisan gamesmanship and open up North Carolina’s businesses so people can get back to work, and more importantly, get on with their lives. Cooper, along with dozens of other governors and mayors across the country, is betting against the American people (the House) when it comes to subjecting them to the Draconian rules and regulations that have accompanied the “sheltering in place” edicts. What are they thinking? Or, are they thinking at all? Thank God we have a competent U.S. Attorney General in William Barr, who believes his job is to enforce the U.S. Constitution and protect the rights of American citizens. What’s really scary about this situation is that he is protecting us against the governors and mayors and bureaucrats across the country who have taken the same oath of office he did.

    What are these people thinking? Are they so greedy, self-absorbed and drunk with power that they are oblivious to their obligations and responsibilities as elected officials? Are they so desperate that they are willing to lie, cheat and destroy our country just to gain power and authority over the American people? Well, it sure seems that way. We have witnessed far too many situations where government actions lack logic and lack common sense. Need examples? In New Jersey, where liquor and hardware stores are deemed “essential,” the governor, Phil Murphy, bans church gatherings. He even went as far as having 15 Jewish men arrested at a synagogue in April as part of coronavirus quarantine enforcement. When a reporter asked him if he was concerned about violating people’s constitutional rights or if he had heard of the Bill of Rights, he replied, “That’s above my pay grade... I wasn’t thinking of the Bill of Rights when we
    did this.”

    What? He wasn’t thinking of the Bill of Rights? Free speech? The right to assemble? Freedom of religion? And, this is a governor?

    North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper had a similar brain cramp when he gave the executive order to limit outdoor social gatherings and activities and classified protesting as “nonessential activity.” Again, being drunk on power must be the only explanation for declaring the First Amendment as “nonessential activity.”

    Hopefully, Cooper will follow the example of the more pragmatic government leaders and free North Carolina so people can go back to work. Then businesses can open back up and people can  start earning a living again and getting their lives back.

     The American people are smart; they are not willing to sit back and allow their constitutional rights to be trampled. You are betting against the House if you think Americans are going to accept or tolerate government drones flying overhead, digital surveillance or being told what to do, where to be and when to be there. The last 50 days could almost be a sneak preview into what it would be like living in a socialist or communist country. Bernie Sanders followers should feel proud.

    With nearly 30 million people collecting unemployment and Congress taking a pass on working, I think we may not be able to buy our way out of this. The only solution is to let Americans do what they do best — work. Otherwise, if we keep throwing money at this problem, the cure could end up being worse than the disease.

    Don’t bet against the House. Americans are tough and resilient. We are going through a rough period, fighting off two diseases. One, for which we are working on a cure, is on the surface. The second is from within our government. It is a disease caused by power, greed and selfishness of those we elected. The cure here is easy and much less complicated — we unelect those who have become diseased and replace them with people who genuinely want to make America great again.

    Don’t bet against the House.

    Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  •     In 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt used the theme song Happy Days Are Here Again to jump start his presidential campaign and lift the country’s spirits on the heels of the Great Depression.
        Each member of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners may very well be humming the same tune after voters approved a 1/4 cent sales tax increase last week that will generate about $8 million for the county to help pay for a new public library and health department, as well as cover other costs.
        The sales tax referendum was approved by 30,817 votes to 20,246 — 60.4 percent to 39.6 percent. This was a much higher turnout of Cumberland County voters than usual, and some commissioners say Democratic presidential nominees Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton had a huge say in the sales tax approval.
    “I expect the turnout was because of the presidential election,” said Commissioner Diane Wheatley. “I was a little concerned that some just came out to vote in the presidential election and didn’t know what the tax was about.” {mosimage}
        Dr. Jeannette Council, vice chairman of the board of commissioners, also gave a shout-out to Hillary and Barack for the passage of the sales tax increase.
        “I think one of the reasons we got this passed was because of the large turnout of voters,” said Council. “And I absolutely think the interest in Obama and Clinton was the reason for the turnout.
    “I am ecstatic about the passing of the sales tax,” added Council. “It means we can meet our budget for the year. We were facing a shortfall.”
        The county faced a $4 million budget shortfall if the tax had not been passed. While the new sales tax does initially add up to about $8 million a year in extra revenue for the county, the overall numbers come to $4.8 million a year, as the tax increase included an incentive to lower property taxes by 2 cents — which most of the commissioners, including Wheatley, believe was a key selling point for the approval of the tax increase.
    “This will give the property owners some relief,” said Wheatley. “It will also help fund the new health department, which we desperately need, and the new public library to be built on the same location as the new elementary school planned for the western part of the county.”
        The new health department will be on Ramsey Street adjacent to the Department of Social Services, and will be a three-story, 108,000-square-foot building.
        The planned public library will actually be a part of the campus of the planned elementary school, something that is fairly unique for North Carolina, said  Sarah Vanderclute, director of public information for Cumberland County.
        “It’s not completely unheard of to have a public library and a public school in the same complex, but it is rare,” said Vanderclute.  “Our spirits are very high and we are very pleased with the vote. It is a major plus for the county and it will help us build the kind of county we want.”
        According to Vanderclute, the health department will cost $28-$30 million, while the library will be $6-$7 million.
        Breeden Blackwell, chairman of the commissioners, cited three reasons for the approval of the tax increase: the voter turnout; the work of the Cumberland County Citizens for Fair Taxes, which raised about $40,000 for billboard ads and performed various other campaigns in support of the sales tax; and the decision by the commissioners to lower property taxes.
        However, Blackwell said he had initial concerns about the approval of the tax as the voting went late into the night.
        “I was there until the final returns came in,” said Blackwell,”and we worried when those first returns came in. But it turned out all right.”
        While the commissioners and folks involved in the county government were overjoyed, not everyone heralded the sales tax increase.
        James and Bonnie Craven, who live just off Hwy. 87 in the western part of the county, said it will cost them more in a time of economic uncertainty.
        “We don’t own property, we rent,” said Bonnie Craven. “So it’s just going to cost us more to buy the things we need when we go shopping. We just might have to go over the county line into Bladen County for some things we need.”
        The 1/4-cent tax increase would amount to about a penny on a $4 dollar purchase, or 25 cents on a $100 purchase. The tax would not be applied to food purchased at a grocery store.                                                          Election night was a double win for Commissioner Kenneth Edge, who not only saw the approval of the sales tax, but won the District 2 Democratic primary and will face three Republican challengers in November.
    “It’s just a great honor for me,” said Edge. “Obviously, the voters have confidence in what I’ve done for them and the county, and they have confidence I will continue to do a good job as commissioner.”

    Contact Tim Wilkins: tim@upandcomingweekly.com

  • 05-04-11-special_olympics_logo.jpgOn April 13, Methodist University hosted the Cumberland County Special Olympics. Not only was is a great day for the athletes, it was a heartwarming day for their families and the spectators too.

    “We had close to 200 athletes, maybe a little more. It was a lot of fun. We even had the E.E. Smith High School band come out and join us for the opening ceremony,” said Brad Melvin, assistant recreational center supervisor for Fayetteville/Cumberland County Parks and Rec. He added that the contestants had a lot of fun because they not only get a chance to come out and compete, but everybody goes away with something. They always get a medal or a ribbon.

    “My favorite thing as the volunteer coordinator is that I get a chance to work with the volunteers. The way the volunteers interact with the contestants is great,” said Melvin.

    “It gives the kids something to look forward to, and I think it means even more to the volunteers than it does the kids. The kids put a smile on everyone’s face, the way they work so hard and compete.”

    Events like this are important to the athletes and the community alike. Not only does it give the community a chance to cheer the olympians on and to watch them succeed, it rewards the hard work and training that the athletes have put into their event.

    On May 7, Gifts Galore and S.O. Much More Shopping Expo is set to take place at the Dorothy Gilmore Therapeutic Recreation Center. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and admission is free.

    Started 2009 to raise funds in support of Cumberland County’s Special Olympics, the mission of Gifts Galore is “to provide all citizens with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to become useful, productive citizens who are respected in our area.”

    The shopping spree is held twice a year, the first Saturday in May and the first Saturday in Dec. Home-based businesses and artisans show up and sell a variety of great products and the money received from the vendor booth rentals all goes right back into the Special Olympics. They’ve got everything from hand bags and home decor items to skin care and scrap-booking products.

    The money raised will be used to for the special olympics program to put on and attend different events throughout the county and to travel to the state level events.

    The state level games will be held on June 3-5 in the Raleigh/Cary area, and Cumberland County will be well represented. “We have, including our coaches and athletes, about 100 people or so,” said Melvin.

    With more than 300 athletes across Cumberland County the Special Olympics has a lot of work to do every year. The fact that the organization operates solely on donations, can make it tough to meet their goals sometimes, that is why events like this are so important to the programs. Donations are accepted year round. For more info or to make a donation call the Cumberland County Special Olympics at 433-1000.

  •     If you’re looking to support the Special Forces and be in good company while rocking out, then you’ll want to check out the legendary band Bad Company, which is headlining the 3rd Annual Special Forces Association (SFA) Benefit Festival on May 31 at Festival Park.
        In addition to Bad Company, featuring lead singer Brian Howe, there will be at least six other bands rocking the festival, including Ethan Hanson, Stronghold, Super Drive, Donnaha Station, Motorjunkie and Falling in Two.
        {mosimage}Formed in 1973, Bad Company was a “supergroup” comprised of former Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs, and singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke, both previous members of Free. Among the group’s biggest hits are Can’t Get Enough of Your Love and Feel Like Making Love.
        The group disbanded in 1982; in 1984, the two existing members of Bad Company — Kirke and guitarist Ralphs — picked Brian Howe to replace Rodgers as the lead singer.
        Since Howe joined the band, Bad Company has sold 19 million albums and produced such hit singles as Holy Water, If You Needed Somebody, No Smoke Without a Fireand How About That.
        All the other bands playing at the festival hail from North Carolina, including Fayetteville’s own Ethan Hanson.
    But the festival is more than just music, says organizer Jim Sawyer, president of Chapter C of the Special Forces Association.
        “We’ve called it a concert in the past few years, but it’s definitely a festival now,” said Sawyer. “We’ve got something for everyone.”
        In addition to the music, the festival features North Carolina’s own master of mystery, Captain Jim the Magician; the Geico No. 7 race car; the Cape Fear Harley Davidson drag motorcycle; food vendors running the gamut from seafood to ice cream to hamburgers; merchandise vendors; a juggler roaming the crowd;  a bike show — for bikes with motors — and for kids, bikes without motors; face painting and, two beer tents.
        There will also be a special display by Blackwater USA, which is providing a large, armored truck of the type used in Iraq.
        All this for $20 at the gate — $17 if you get your ticket at ticketalternative.com.
    And did we mention it’s for a good cause?
        “After we pay expenses, all the money goes to the Special Forces Association Scholarship, Tribute, and Benevolent Funds,” said Sawyer.
        The SFA Scholarship Fund awards money via an essay contest to the surviving children of  Special Forces soldiers killed in action to finance the child’s education; the SFA Tribute Fund provides immediate, one-time cash donations to widows of fallen Special Forces soldiers killed in action; the SFA Benevolent Fund provides case-by-case financial grants to wounded Special Forces soldiers to help them during their rehabilitation, prepare handicap home modifications, and assist with unforeseen emergency expenses.
        Sawyer says he’s hoping for a crowd of 8,000 to 10,000.
        “It’s our biggest show ever,” said Sawyer, “which means we have to raise a lot of money to pay for Bad Company and our other expenses.”
        To sweeten the pot for attendees, the festival is offering a raffle for a 2008 Chevy Colorado pick-up, a Fender Stratocaster with amplifier and a Smith and Wesson .45-caliber handgun. Plus, your ticket earns you a shot at various door prizes — last year, the SFA awarded more than $2,000 in door prizes.
        To honor our fighting men and women, SFA is donating 200 tickets to injured soldiers at Womack Army Medical Center — one ticket for a wounded soldier and one for a guest or caregiver.
        The festival kicks off at 11 a.m. on May 31 and will end after Bad Company leaves the stage, which Sawyer estimates will be around 10:30 p.m.For more information, check out http://www.festivalsandevents.com/featurefestival.php?lid=8633 or http://www.ticketalternative.com/Events/172.aspx
     

       Contact Tim Wilkins: tim@upandcomingweekly.com

  • {mosimage}For more than 68 years, bikers have been donning their leathers and heading down to Myrtle Beach for Bike Week. Drawing more than 300,000 visitors annually, Myrtle Beach Bike Week is one of the top motorcycle rallies on the East Coast, and some would argue the third largest rally in the United States.

    From May 9-18, bikers will take to the strip to enjoy the sun and fun on the South Carolina coast; however, due to the large number of participants, the event has moved away from a central location on the strip to encompass 60 miles of coast from Little River to Georgetown. The Bike Week has moved up the coast to Wilmington and further out into Horry County. The event features motorcycle racing, concerts, rides, parties and street festivals. 

    If you can’t find something fun to do at Bike Week, then your funny bone must be broken. Events start at 7 a.m. in the morning and run through midnight, each day of the week-long rally. Everything from motorcycle rallies to pudding wrestling is on tap at various locales along the strip. Both MTV and CMT are getting in on the action, with MTV’s Pimp My Ride’s Buck Wild and CMT’sTrick My Truck taking over the Grand Strand.

    Restaurants and hotels have a variety of special packages for bikers, with several restaurants offering specials directed to bikers. 

    Vendors will be set up at various locales at the beach, with motorcycle products on display at Broadway at the Beach, Barefoot Landing and area malls. You can see everything from custom bikes to leather wear and jewelry. Other vendors will be set up all around the strand. 

    And if music is your bag, Bike Week is sure not to disappoint. One of the big attractions throughout the week will be a performance by Kid Rock at the Hard Rock Park on Tuesday, May 13. Other big names include Travis Tritt, Charlie Daniels, Confederate Railroad, the Marshall Tucker Band, David Allan Coe and Skid Row.

    So, if you haven’t already decided to jump on your bike and head to the coast, what are you waiting for? Bike Week offers a little something for everyone. Just remember to ride safe, share the road and if you choose to participate in cool libations, do it after you park your bike.

  • Almost-anything-goes “ultimate fighting,” also known as “human cockfighting,” is a major “sport,” mostly in Southern and Western states, but only in Missouri are kids as young as 6 permitted on the mats, according to a March Associated Press dispatch from Carthage, Mo. Members of the Garage Boys Fight Crew, ages up to 14, including one girl, regularly square off with only a few concessions in rules and protective gear from their adult counterparts. Parents seem to regard the sport as casually as they regard Little League or soccer, and sportsmanship is in evidence, as kids are still best friends, pummeling each other inside the cage but then heading off afterward to play video games. 


    The Entrepreneurial Spirit! 

    A highlight of this year’s Easter promotion by the Jelly Belly company (as additions to its 50 standard flavors) was its surprise BeanBoozled boxes, with odd tastes and non-standard colors. Although garlic beans, buttered-toast beans and cheese pizza beans are no longer available, connoisseurs can sample jelly beans made to taste like pencil shavings, ear wax, moldy cheese and vomit. A Jelly Belly spokeswoman told Newhouse News Service in March, “There are 20 flavors in each little box... so you don’t know what flavor you are tasting... coconut or baby wipe 

    Los Angeles businessman Llewellyn Werner toldThe Times of London in April that he plans to spend $500 million to build a Disneyland-type theme park in the heart of Baghdad, with the first phase (a skateboard facility, with 200,000 free skateboards to hand out) to open in just three months. Eventually, the park will include rides and a concert theater adjacent to the Green Zone. 

    From Nickelodeon merchandising has come a Spongebob Squarepants Musical Rectal Thermometer (which plays the Spongebob theme that (the designer apparently imagines) makes the temperature-taking process less unpleasant). 


    Science on the Cutting Edge 

    Prairie Orchard Farms in Manitoba toldToronto’s Globe and Mail in March that it has been successfully infusing hogs with omega-3s, the oils that get the best press among fatty acids, since it is found plentifully in healthful salmon and other seafood. A laboratory analysis of a slab of Prairie Orchard’s “enriched” ham had the omega-3s of almost one-fourth of a large salmon filet, but the best news of all was that a 100-gram side of bacon equaled that of the salmon filet. 

    While many lab mice get selected, unfortunately, for work like cancer research, one group of male rodents at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston has been hard at work, with constant erections, helping researchers develop a biochemical treatment for priapism, which plagues men with certain blood disorders. (The condition is named for the Greek god Priapus, who, to be punished for sexual misbehavior, supposedly received an enormous, but useless, wooden penis.) 


    Charity on the Cutting Edge 

    “Obviously, this is not as important as helping starving kids in Africa, but it’s the same basis,” Karla Rae Morris told Canada’s Sun newspapers in February. “They want to help us out,” she said, referring to her benefactors who had donated money (from two men, over $1,000 (Cdn) each) so that she could afford breast implants, based on arrangements commenced by the Web site MyFreeImplants.com, which facilitates e-mail exchanges and chats for prospective contributors and collects the money until the goal is reached. “It’s like donating to any charity,” said Morris, of her donors. “You feel like you’re doing good.” 


    COPYRIGHT 2008 CHUCK SHEPHERD   

  •     Fayetteville has many rites of spring, and on Sunday, June 1, one of those rites — which has been a tradition for more than 40 years — will come to the Crown Theatre as Charlotte Blume presents the Spring Festival of Dance. The festival, which begins at 2:30 p.m., celebrates the art of dance through a variety of styles.
        “This has been an annual event for more than 40 years,” said Blume, who has instructed students in the art of dance throughout her life. “It is a recital for my students but we add several elements that are of interest to the general public.”
        Blume explained that the show features students from beginners to the most advanced dancers. The advanced students take the lead; however, the beginners also get their moment to shine. The festival will showcase more than 200 dancers in a variety of dance styles. It will feature classical ballet, jazz, tap and even hip-hop. Blume said that ballet takes the forefront as it is the basis of all dance.
        “All of our dance training is based on the basics of ballet,” she said.
        With that being the case, the festival will feature two ballets: Les Patineurs (the skaters) and Verdi’s The Seasons. Blume said Les Patineurs is not performed very often, although it is in the American Ballet Repertoire. {mosimage}
    “It has been staged quite a bit,” she said.
        Les Patineurs features 23 dancers on stage in a series of dance sketches that portray skaters on a frozen outdoor pond. Sarah Thornton, with Todd Overlie and Wilfredo Charon, dance the leads in the Pas de Trois. Jonelle Guthrie dances the role of The Novice. The selection is choreographed by Charlotte Blume.
        Soloists in The Seasons are Deja Lewis, Alexa Copenhaver, Virginia Williams and April Glasper. Glasper also dances as Puck in a scene from Midsummer Night’s Dream.
        “The excerpts from The Seasons are very popular,” said Blume. “We perform that ballet very frequently. People want to see it over and over again.”
        In addition to the ballet performances, the festival will also feature a number of tap numbers, including rhythmic tap. Blume explained that rhythmic tap is categorized as tap dance to jazz music. Choreographing the jazz numbers is Howard Blume, Charlotte’s son, who has a studio in California. Blume, a journalist, has dance as his hobby, but always makes the time to come home and perform in the spring festival. Along with Blume, two of the dancers from his studio are performing — Erin Aubrey Kaplan and Marty Barrera. The trio will perform Turn Down Day, a pop-jazz favorite that made the charts in the ‘60s and was written by the late David Blume, Howard’s father. They will also perform Pinocchio, a jazz waltz, which is also choreographed by David.
        “His choreography is featured throughout the show,” said Blume.
        Jazz dance performances include The Prayer, a lyric and upbeat piece by Charlotte Blume, and Chantel High’s Hip Hop “Funk Fuzion” Dance Company.
        “It’s a fun show for the entire family,” said Blume. “It’s a great way for a family to spend the afternoon watching the dances do what they do best.”
        Tickets for the event are $9 and are available at the Crown Center Box Office.
  • As I wrap up my fi rst full academic year at Methodist University, I would like to turn the spotlight on those students who have successfully completed their undergraduate or graduate degree programs. This Saturday, we will honor 180 candidates for graduation at the 49th Annual Spring Commencement Ceremony — graduates who have worked hard during their collegiate years and deserve recognition for their accomplishments. Congratulations, Monarchs! I send you my best wishes and hope that you will stay in touch with your classmates, friends and faculty members as you embark on a new adventure.

    It has been a momentous year for all of us, with so many highlights and reasons for celebration. We launched a bold vision for the future of the university that will ensure Methodist continues to thrive as an amazing place to learn, grow, work and live.

    It is an especially exciting time to be at Methodist as the Methodist University Journey is unfolding. The MU Journey is about embracing experiences outside of the classroom that prepare students for a productive career, graduate school and a life of meaning and purpose. The recent announcement of new centers for Global Education, Leadership, Community Engagement and Undergraduate Research and Creativity will ensure that every Methodist University student has an opportunity to participate in these experiences, while other initiatives like the Center for Student Success will enhance the overall Monarch education. In addition, the new School of Health Sciences promises to bring even more programs to the university that will not only meet an increasing interest on the part of students in healthcare professions, but will also meet the needs of our community. And a new Master of Education Program that will be launched in June will meet a need for a graduate program for teachers.

    The recently unveiled master plan for the university will mean physical improvements to complement the programs. The new state-of-the-art building for the Professional Nursing Studies Program will open this summer, and the new sophomore residence hall located on Sink Field will be ready for occupancy this fall. In total, the board of trustees has approved a 20-year plan for expansion to meet short- and long-term goals for Methodist, and dramatic improvements are scheduled to begin over the next five years, including renovations to the library, enhancements along Ramsey Street, Lowdermilk Drive and Stout View Drive, expansion of the Berns Student Center and an addition to Reeves Auditorium, to name a few.

    These new programs and campus-expansion projects would not be possible without the past and continued work of many signature people who have given and continue to give of themselves to improve our university. I was particularly pleased and honored when Harvey T. Wright II and Mary Fermanides Wright, both graduates of Methodist University, allowed me to announce at my inauguration their $5 million commitment for student scholarships. Their commitment for the Harvey and Mary Fermanides Wright Scholarship represents the largest single gift made in the history of Methodist and will fund the highest merit scholarship offered by the university, thus allowing us to recruit the very best students to Methodist. The occasion of announcing this transformational gift provided a truly inspirational moment in the life of this institution.

    We are so grateful to Harvey and Mary Wright for their generosity and support of the vision for Methodist University. These two “signature people” have inspired us to do all we can to make Methodist the very best university it can be. Harvey and Mary’s legacy will live on through the journeys05-02-12-every-monarch.jpg of the students who receive their scholarships, thus lighting their pathway through a Methodist education.

    It is true that every Monarch has a journey. I wish our graduates the very best as they begin the next phase of their journey, and know they will join us in the years to come as active alumni and community members who will continue the tradition of giving back to Methodist. Indeed, the best is yet to be.

    Ben E. Hancock Jr.

    President

    Methodist University

    Photo: Harvey T. Wright II, Chair of the Methodist University Board of Trustees, and his wife, Mary Fermanides Wright, donated $5 million to Methodist scholarships. Wright is pictured above with Dr. Hancock. 

  • uac050912001.jpgWhile many in the community are taking a deep breath and recovering from the hectic celebration of the Dogwood Festival, the staff of the Dogwood Festival is jumping feet fi rst into planning a different kind of party in the same location. Fayetteville After 5 is back, and it’s rocking harder than ever in Festival Park.

    Originally started as a fundraiser for the now defunct Fayetteville Museum of Art, Fayetteville After 5is a celebration of summer. Held on the third Thursday of the month from May to September, Fayetteville After 5 offers Fayetteville residents a chance to shake off the work week blues, kick back in the park and enjoy a good time with friends, family and great music.

    This season’s offerings kick-off on Thursday, May 17 with one of the city’s favorite ‘80s bands, Suicide Blonde. Based out of Raleigh, Suicide Blonde is comprised of “children of the ‘80s” who have united to bring back the spirit of this incredible decade. With its lineup of experienced musicians, this exciting band well remembers what it was like to wear a mullet, hop in the Trans-Am and drive to the blaring sounds of AC/DC, David Bowie or the Cure. With a wealth of experience in many genres of music, Suicide Blonde brings the required professionalism, musicianship and unmistakable love of the ‘80s to the stage and invites Fayetteville residents to come out and “work for the weekend.”

    The band will be joined on stage by the Fantasy Band, playing smoothed out rhythm and blues, Top 40 and beach music.

    On June 21, Craig Woolard will open the show, with the timeless sounds of beach music, the Carolina’s own sound. Woolard is popular among beach music fans, and invites you to kick off your shoes, and hit the floor for some smooth shagging.

    Bull City Syndicate, another Triangle-based band, started as a blues band in 1993, originally going by the name Soul Kitchen. Founded by Durham musicians Dave Wilkins and Stephen Michael Jack, they played their fi rst gig at the Down Under Pub on Main Street in downtown Durham. The band later morphed into a ‘70s retro band with the addition of Vondy Strickland and Clark Edgerton on horns. After adding a trumpet to the mix, the “Bull City Horns” were born. For many years, Soul Kitchen & The Bull City Horns was one of the most popular club acts in the Triangle, setting the standard for horn bands in the region. While changes have taken place over the course of 16 years, in both personnel and musical direction, the main course of the band remains as a “horn band,” not a “band with horns.”05-09-12-fay-after-5-logo.jpg

    Most of the current line-up has been together for years now, in which time the band recorded their first CD, You Make Me Feel, changed their name to Bull City Syndicate and grew from a top-drawing Triangle cover band, to one of the most in-demand special event and festival bands in the Mid- Atlantic region.

    On Aug. 16, the Johnny Orr Band and the Johnny Folsom 4 bring a little country to Festival Park.

    The Johnny Orr band is fronted by Johnny Orr, who made it to the finals at Nashville Star in 2007 making the top 30, he’s been on CMT’s Big Break with Sara Evans, he’s opened for Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, Gretchen Wilson, LeAnn Rimes, Little Big Town, Jason Michael Carroll, Phil Vassar, Josh Gracin, Josh Thompson, Jeff Bates and Josh Turner.

    From “A Boy Named Sue” to “Ring of Fire,” four of Raleigh’s favorite musical sons pay tribute to the Man in Black with the Johnny Folsom Four. True to the Johnny Cash’s poetic spirit, the JF4 promises an honest and entertaining performance for fans of all ages.

    Lead singer David Burney brings a lilting southern baritone to Cash’s classic songs which hits the mark well enough that you may wonder on occasion if Cash, himself, is in the building. David Gresham more than meets the challenge of filling in for Luther and Carl Perkins on those classic guitar licks. And Tom Mills (bass) and Randy Benefield (drums) provide the hallmark, train-like driving rhythm the whole world loves. And when the boys are living right, the remarkable Miss Eleanor Jones joins in on those classic Johnny and June duets; hotter than a pepper sprout!

    05-09-12-fay-after-5-pic.jpgWhen it comes to honoring Johnny Cash, JF4 walks the line.

    The season wraps up on Sept. 20 with The Tams, one of the Carolina’s favorite beach bands. Liquid Pleasure has an eclectic play with everything from Top 40 to Beach and rock.

    With such an amazing line-up this year’s Fayetteville after 5 looks to have something to please everyone. Held in Festival park, the gates open at 5 p.m., with opening acts beginning between 5:30 and 6 p.m. Headliners will begin between 7 and 7:30 p.m. and will play until around 10:30 p.m.

    You’re invited to bring your blankets an chairs and spread out on the lawn, but no outside food or beverages or pets are allowed within the park. The event serves as a fundraiser for the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival.

    For more information, visit www.faydogwoodfestival.com.

  • Memorial Day is a day of remembrance. It is a time to pay respect to those who will never be forgotten. How do you repay a solider for making the ultimate sacrifice? The answer can be summed up in one word, remembrance.

    As a military sanctuary city, it’s not hard to find evidence of the appreciation the Fayetteville community has for service members. From the Hero’s Homecoming celebration to the Field of Honor to the 31 Day Salute that occur throughout the city, the people in Fayetteville show up time and again to honor those who protect and defend this great nation. As the country celebrates this Memorial Day, don’t forget to take a moment to remember our fallen and the sacrifices they made.05-16-12-a-time-to-remember.jpg

    Don Talbot is the coordinator for the Freedom Memorial Park Memorial Day Ceremony. Each year he dedicates his time and talents to ensure that the sacrifice of our soldiers and their families is not forgotten. The Memorial Day ceremony is held at Freedom Memorial Park on the corner of Hay Street and Bragg Boulevard, across from the Airborne & Special Operation Museum. The ceremony will commence on Memorial Day, Monday May 28, promptly at 11 a.m. In the words of Talbot “You need to go!”

    Brigadier General Ferdinand Irizarry II of Fort Bragg’s John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School will be the guest speaker. He is the first active-duty Civil Affairs officer to be promoted to one-star general and is the deputy commander of the school. Other features at the ceremony include: the missing-man presentation, a 21-gun salute and bag pipes playing Amazing Grace.

    The ceremony is a formal memorial service, and has received overwhelming support. The ceremony which has seating room for 300 had an attendance of about 800 in 2011. Even if the event is standing-room only, it is a small price to pay to honor those who have laid down their lives for our freedom.

    Freedom Memorial Park will be a standing monument to veterans of the present, past and future even after Memorial Day is over. For those who have lost loved ones Memorial Day is every day, and the park is a way to honor their memories. You can contribute by making a donation to Freedom Memorial Park or by purchasing a paver or brick to be placed in the park, to carry on the memory of your beloved solider. For more information go to www. freedommemorialpark.com.

    Photo: The Memorial Day ceremony is held at Freedom Memorial Park on the corner of Hay
    Street and Bragg Boulevard. 

  • It is no secret that Fayetteville is home to Fort Bragg, which is home to some of our nation’s bravest heroes. Our military defends the values of freedom and democracy and is known for its bravery and sacrifice in the face of evil. However, when our soldiers are not busy stamping out in-justice or bringing down dictators in foreign lands, some of them are actually quite the art-ists. The 2013 Army Arts and Crafts Contest, open to servicemen and women, Department of Defense employees and family members, is a juried contest designed for seasoned and accomplished artists as well as novices begin-ning their creative journey.

    The artists begin by selecting from one of the following categories: ceramics, digital art, drawings, fibers and textiles, glass, metals/jewelry, mixed media, wood or two-dimen-sional arts. From there, the fun begins!05-15-13-opertion-paint-brush.gif

    The artist then creates the a piece (or sev-eral pieces) using his imagination and creativ-ity to bring to life an expression that will go on to be seen by many others. This is a digital competition, so works are submitted and judged using digital images. The submission dates are between May 1st and June 30th and will be judged at the regional level. The submissions that win will then move on to the Army-wide contest. There, they will be judged against other works from soldiers throughout the Army. The works are divided into two categories: Group I for beginners and novices and Group II for experienced artists. At least three qualified judges with the proper experience will be selected to judge in all levels. The jurors are expected to participate in the contest professionally as curators, critics, educators, practitioners and editors. The winners will receive prizes for their submitted works of art with $100 for third place, $200 for second and $300 for first.

    This event serves as a unique opportunity for those who serve to express themselves through their art work. Sara Matherly, manager of Frame and Design Arts at Pope Army Airfield believes that art often serves as therapy for the soldiers. “Art has as much a place in the soldiers’ lives as sports or fit-ness. As those help their bodies, art helps their minds,” she said.

    Given the nature of their duties, sometimes a soldier’s life can get pretty tense. This event allows for a release from their everyday du-ties and affords them the opportunity to see what others are doing. They also receive sup-port from the community. Cape Fear Studios has displayed art works by soldiers who are deployed, giving them a connection to home while they serve their country.

    To find out more about the rules and guidelines visit www.armymwr.com/recleisure/artsandcrafts/contest-guidelines.aspx or call 394-4192. To enter the contest, visit https://apps.imcom.army.mil/apptracmain.

  •     While many of the county’s movers and shakers showed up at the Crown Coliseum to officially celebrate the organization’s naming of Paul Beard as its president and chief executive officer, his attention was not focused on the county’s leaders. Instead, it was focused on the current and former employees of the Crown.
        Beard, a lifelong resident of Cumberland County, began working at the Crown in 1995  when the facility was under construction. He worked his way up through the Crown organization, serving in a number of roles. Along the way, his hard work and dedication to his fellow employees earned him a lot of supporters. And they were all on hand on Thursday, April 24, to celebrate with him.
        “I’m especially pleased to see a lot of my fellow co-workers here,” said Beard. “They had a great love for this place and they still have a love for it. It means a lot to me to have you here. You have mentored me, helped me along the way and coached me to help me get here.”
        Beard also acknowledged the work of the Crown Center Commission, the board that has oversight of the facility.{mosimage}
        “Their commitment is long-term and day-to-day,” said Beard. “They spend a lot of time with us; embracing us and what we want to do. They are key to helping us succeed.”
        Chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Breeden Blackwell noted that Beard was “the right man at the right time” for the Crown. He noted that Beard was more likely to brag about his staff than to tout his own success, but that his performance speaks for itself.
        And it is that success over the months Beard has served as interim CEO which made him the logical choice for the job. Since Beard took over the helm of the organization earlier this year, the coliseum has had five sold-out shows, and set a revenue record for the month of March.
        While the commission is quick to give accolades to Beard, he turns it back to his staff.
        “We could not succeed without the staff in this facility,” he said. “The staff here can overcome any obstacle — and they do it with a spirit of cooperation.”
        One of Beard’s first tasks after assuming responsibility for the coliseum was to write a new mission statement. He said he gathered the key leaders at the facility and they hammered out the mission statement. The statement centers around Beard’s idea of how the Crown’s customers and staff should expect to be treated. It also talks about raising the bar of the Crown’s fiscal performance and the way it is seen in the community.
        “We are building partnerships with the people in the community,” he said. “The Crown Center is an integral part of our community. The days when it was seen in an adversarial role are over.”
        {mosimage}While Beard is busy looking to the future — talking about expanding the facility and adding a hotel either on the campus of the facility or nearby — he hasn’t forgotten about its past. He in fact wants to embrace it. On May 19, the organization will rededicate the auditorium in honor of the men and women of the armed services. Later this year, the organization will rededicate the Charlie Rose Agri-Expo Center and its ties to our county’s farming community.

        Contact Janice Burton at: editor@upandcomingweekly.com

  • As the 2011/2012 school years winds down, Fayetteville Academy is set to welcome its new head of school, Ray Quesnel. In the education business for 23 years, Quesnel has been a teacher and coach as well as an administrator, and says he has loved every aspect of the many roles he’s assumed.

    He served at The Asheville School as a teacher, coach and administrator for 11 years before moving to Forsyth Country Day School in Winston Salem, N.C., in 2000. He is currently the athletic director at Forsyth Country Day School and is the president of the PACIS conference and a representative on the Board of Managers of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association.

    He wasn’t looking for something new, but when long-time friend Chip Bishop, who was on the Fayetteville Academy Search Committee, approached Quesnel about the head-of-school position, he was intrigued.

    “The more I came down to interview and the more I got to meet the people, the more interested I became,” said Quesnel. “We really like the school. In fact, I’ve known of the school for many years. It is an excellent school with a lot of potential to become even stronger and better.”

    Of course the academy won him over, but if there was any doubt about whether or not moving to Fayetteville was the thing to do it was the community that sealed the deal for the Quesnel family.

    “We really liked the sense of community,” said Quesnel. “We are looking forward to learning about the community and being involved and working with so many different people. Fayetteville is a unique city and community. With the military and international connections there is so much to see and do and learn.”

    With a long list of hobbies that include sports, music- and art-related activities, Quesnel anticipates an easy transition for his family and is looking forward to being involved in the community.

    As far as Fayetteville Academy goes, Quesnel plans to spend some time getting to know the faculty, staff, administration and parents at the school.05-09-12-fayetteville-academy.jpg

    “I can’t say enough how supportive the key administrators have been. I am trying to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can,” said Quesnel. “I also want to be careful because I think it is arrogant to come in and try to change too many things. I don’t want to come in and start making changes before learning the culture and reasons the systems are what they are. I am looking to make decisions in the best interest of the school as a team,” he added.

    Quesnel said that he is excited that there are experienced and excellent staff, teachers and administrators who have the best interest of the school and students in mind. He thinks it will make his transition that much easier as he takes the helm and leads the school into the future.

    Photo: Ray Quesnel

  • 05-16-12-local-author.jpgThe Journey From Oz is a heartwarming message of hope and encouragement for those facing hard challenges in life.

    “Whether you are facing the worst challenges or realize you aren’t where you want to be in life, this book offers support to help readers take control of life one helping step at a time.” author Sharon Yates said

    Sharon Yates has more than 30 years of experience in the mental-health profession. As the public relations director for the Cumberland County Mental Health Center, Yates coordinates events and disseminates information on mental health to educate and help those facing life’s most difficult struggles.

    Yates has combined her years of experience into her new book, The Journey From Oz: Seven Steps for Finding Your Way Back from Places You Never Intended To Be.

    The book uses Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz story to illustrate the fact that everyone at some point in life finds themselves somewhere they didn’t intend to be. Dorothy landed in Oz, a strange place with strange people and no idea how to get back home. People suffering mental illness or a rough patch in life can relate to Dorothy’s feeling of being lost and desperate. However, throughout Dorothy’s journey she takes the steps necessary to find her way home and be happy again. The Journey From Oz is written to help the readers take those steps one day at a time.

    Yates shares her personal stories as examples of making these daily steps. According to Yates, one story is about a friend who celebrated the fact that she could get out of bed and put on clean underwear in the mornings. This story is memorable not because of the humor but it is an example of the small victories that make a difference when times are tough.

    The book is written in short paragraph passages. Yates said she wanted to make it easy to absorb because she knows how hard it is to concentrate during times of crisis, such as in an ICU waiting room.

    “But at the same time, I would see how much a greeting card would mean to someone going through a tough time,” said Yates.

    “People that know me, will recognize the statements from the books because they are things I say or write to friends and family when they need encouragement. I hope readers feel like I’m a friend speaking with them as they read the book. Sometimes just seeing things in print can validate emotions and bring home the ‘a-ha moment,’” Yates said.

    The unique illustrations help to bring that “a-ha moment” as well. Rose-Ann San Martino has been involved in art and mental health for many years. As an artist she said she was grateful for the opportunity to collaborate on a project that inspired her.“

    I just hope these book gets into the hands of people that can benefit from it. I’m retiring at the end of the year and this is my way of sharing what I’ve learned and giving back,” said Yates.

    The Journey From Oz can be purchased at Amazon.com and for those with a membership with Kindle, the book can be downloaded and shared for free. Join Yates at the 2012 Local Author’s Showcase at the Headquarters Library on June 22 at 7 p.m. for a book signing.

  • 10AODA1Alpha & Omega Dance Academy is ending its 12th year with a new kind of Cinderella story. “The Glass Slipper” will incorporate all ages and 10 styles of dance into an end-of-year recital and production with one mantra: “Have courage and be kind.” AODA welcomes the community to the production, which takes place Saturday, June 8, at Huff Concert Hall (formerly known as Reeves Auditorium), Methodist University.

    Rachel Choi, who owns the studio and teaches many of the classes there, is also the artistic and productions director for “The Glass Slipper.” She said she wasn’t at first planning to produce a recital based on the Cinderella story. “I didn’t want to do ‘Cinderella’ … because in most versions of the story, they portray Cinderella as maybe a little wishy-washy,” Choi said. “They don’t show her strength. I don’t want to communicate to girls that you need to be this passive person, just waiting for your prince to come. We have a life of our own that we can live before we meet that perfect someone.”

    A few “Cinderella” renditions with more inspiring messages, along with instructor Maria Choi, who will portray a stepsister in the recital, swayed Rachel’s opinion. “The 2015 version with Lily James, to me, has a better storyline … which is ‘have courage and be kind,’” Choi said. “She chooses to be a servant and to be kind versus letting someone push her into it. That’s what made me change my mind.”

    The students and staff at AODA strive to show kindness, too. “Ever since I’ve gotten here, everybody’s just been so welcoming … and they really do focus on storytelling and having a community here,” said Justin Nolen, who will play the prince.

    AODA is one of the only local noncompetitive studios of its size. Instead of competing, the studio focuses on developing artistry in students and telling stories through dance. “I don’t feel any competition with any of my classmates,” said Collette LeFavor, who plays Cinderella in the production. “And I also love that it’s a Christian studio. The prayer before class really gets your mind right.”

    Maria commented on the family environment at AODA: “I feel like I know everyone; it’s relational. The students are excited to be here, and I think there’s just a friendly atmosphere that people enjoy being in.”

    “The Glass Slipper” begins at 3 p.m., June 8. AODA will have a shorter recital for children ages 3-6 at 10:30 a.m. Tickets can be purchased online for $10, or at the door for $12, and include access to both the morning children’s recital and the afternoon production. Huff Concert Hall is located at 5400 Ramsey St. Children under 6 years old and all AODA students enter free. Doors open 30 minutes before the show.

    For more information, call 910-860- 1405 or visit the studio’s website, www.alphaomegadanceacademy.com.

    Photo: L to R: Maria and Angel Choi as Stepsisters Olivine and Carnelia; Ashlyn Clark as Stepmother; Collette LeFavor as Cinderella; Ebony Norris as Fairy Godmother; Isabel Beck as Young Cinderella; and Allison Todd as Cinderella’s mother

  • 01coverUAC052919001Cape Fear Regional Theatre welcomes the community to its 17th annual Blues-N-Brews Festival, its largest fundraiser of the year. This year’s theme is Beach Party. The event takes place in downtown Fayetteville’s Festival Park on Saturday, June 8, from 5-10 p.m.

    The tropical theme was handpicked for a reason. “Because next season we are starting with ‘Mamma Mia!’ we wanted to get people in a sea frame of mind,” said Mary Kate Burke, artistic director at CFRT.

    To help create the vibe, The Catalinas — America’s premier beach band — are headlining the event. Members of both the Beach Music Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, The Catalinas have been playing together for 62 years and have released classics like “Summertime’s Calling Me,” “You Haven’t the Right” and “Dancin’-Romancin’,” among many others. Nattalyee Randall, Willie Bradley, and The Guy Unger Band will also be playing at the festival.

    Randall has performed as a backup vocalist with Sam Smith, with the choir in Broadway’s “Rocktopia” and on the national tour of VOCALOSITY. Besides adding a few classic country songs to the mix, Randall is most excited about showing the crowd a good time.

    “I just like to get the party started, and I love to see people jamming along and feeling good with me,” she said. “I don’t perform with bands too often, so to get to perform with one is always such a special and amazing opportunity to me, especially a band like this. I’m super excited for what we’re going to bring.”

    Besides playing in his own full performance, Bradley will join Randall on the stage. “I have a full rhythm section … for Nattalyee. She’s going to feature me on one song with her,” he said.

    The soulful Bradley is a charts-topping jazz artist from Orangeburg, South Carolina. He graduated from South Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in music education and performance. Bradley’s first performance at Festival Park will certainly be one to remember. “I’m out in the audience with a wireless microphone,” he said. “I’m all over the place, so it’s a high-energy show.”

    The artists at Blues-N-Brews aren’t just there for a performance; the goal is to make sure everyone in the audience has the time of their life. “When people drink, they like to sing songs they know,” Burke said. “Nattalyee — (who) was our Effie in ‘Dream Girls’ — she sings blues songs people know so that they can sing along, which I think has really made the event feel more participatory and engaging for the audience … and Guy did the same thing.”

    As an all-American rock band, The Guy Unger Band will put a different spin on the festival. “We kind of had the idea of taking some blues tunes and playing them like a beach-type thing,” said Unger, who played in CFRT’s premiere of “Music City.” Known by their fans as “The GUB,” this band prides itself on bringing the party to any and every venue. “All of it for me is fun; I love performing,” Unger said. “All of us do. We just love to bring it — that’s what we do.”

    Music is only half the fun, however. What would the beach be without an ice-cold beer? Event coordinator Derek Jordan promises just that and more. “We have asked our brewers to think of a summer beer or a light beer that they could bring to the festival,” he said. “We also are going to be having some kind of shag dancing at the event.”

    There will be more than 35 brewers at the event and 100 or more beers, including those sourced from craft and local breweries. “We’ll have some out of Raleigh,” Jordan said. “Hugger Mugger (Brewing Company) will be here. Dirtbag (Ales Brewery & Taproom) and (Lake) Gaston (Brewing Company) are two that are local. Bright Light (Brewing Company) will be there.” Big names like Guinness and Smirnoff can also be expected.

    “As far as food venders, we have everything from Caribbean cuisine... to hotdogs — some from out of Raleigh, some from Fayetteville — so (we’re) really trying to just bring more of a regional flavor to it,” Jordan said. “And then we’ve got some shop venders coming in as well.” Other refreshment options include pizza cones, lime slushies, R Burger and its new “R Brat”, fried chicken, ciders and sparkling seltzers, and more.

    There will even be a cigar section provided by Anstead’s Tobacco Company. There are three varieties of tickets for the festival. Nondrinking tickets are $15, general admission tickets are $40 if purchased online prior to the event and $55 if purchased at the gate, and VIP tickets are $80. There will also be a $5 activeduty discount at the gate for general admission tickets. Individual alcoholic beverages can still be purchased with the $15 ticket.

    According to Ashley Owen, marketing director at CFRT, the VIP ticket is worth it. “I think the most exciting thing is you get access to the field for an hour,” she said. “The festival is from 5-10 but VIP hour is from 4-5, so you have total access to the field. There (are) only 300 (VIP) tickets that we sell; every year, since I’ve been here at least, they sell out.”

    The Mash House Brewing Company and Texas Roadhouse will provide a catered VIP meal along with The Mash House’s exclusive “unicorn beer.” VIP tickets also include a souvenir pint glass with the Blues-N-Brews logo, along with the opportunity to vote in the festival’s “Best in Show” contest. This contest crowns one brewery as determined by VIP votes. Lake Gaston Brewing Company won last year.

    “(The VIP tent) is the only place in Festival Park where there are seats with shade, so that is worth the $80 ticket in itself,” Owen said. The Dunn-based business Table Toppers and Debbie Bender of Debbie Bender Design will decorate the VIP tent according to the beach party theme.

    “It originated as truly a tasting event, but it offers so much more now. I think it’s working its way toward being something... that’s fun for the whole family,” said Zach Pritchett, co-chair of Blues-NBrews. “In its 17th year, it’s nice to kind of have a new spin on it and see what sort of an audience it can draw. That’s something the theater constantly works toward expanding — the community that is part of the theater family. So this is hopefully reaching out to a new demographic for the event.” 

    CFRT’s Blues-N-Brews festival takes place June 8 from 5-10 p.m. at Festival Park, 335 Ray Ave. For tickets and more information, visit www.cfrt.org/ bnb or call 910-323-4233.

  • uac051910001.gif The Fayetteville SwampDogs take fun seriously. Just ask Darrell Handelsman director of operations He takes everything seriously — especially his commitment to the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community.

    The season opens May 27, and the SwampDogs are ready to show their guests a good time. They are so dedicated to the idea that their logo really says it all — Fayetteville SwampDogs Where Baseball Is Fun

    !“Every single night we look at it like we are hosting a party at our house,” said Handelsman. “Like any good host you want people to leave feeling like they had a good time, with a smile on their face and wanting to know when the next party is. That is kind of the goal of what we do. Everything is geared to fun, affordable, family entertainment. That is a staple of what we do.”

    And they do it quite well.

    For the past 10 years, the SwampDogs have worked hard to provide good, clean fun to the community and their efforts have been met with bigger and bigger game attendance every season. According to Handelsman, last year, they averaged 2,200 people at each home game. The game over the 4th of July holiday pulled in 5,300 spectators.

    Handelsman looks a for a variety of ways to draw people to the games and one of the big draws is the giveaway nights. The season hasn’t even started yet and there are already 22 giveaways scheduled. On a giveaway night, admission includes not only your ticket but whatever freebie the SwampDogs are throwing into the mix. It could be anything from a SwampDogs bauble head doll (they are on their sixth edition) to a beer stein, a reusable shopping bag, a magnet or who knows what else.

    “On Father’s Day we are doing a bib apron giveaway for all dads in attendance,” said Handelsman. “What is more all-American than going to see a baseball game with your dad?”

    Perhaps it is the theme nights that keep the fans coming back.

    Every Tuesday is Two for Tuesdays. General admission tickets are two for the price of one – so are the hot-dogs. Wednesday is Ladies05-19-10-swampdogs-ball.gif Night. The fi rst 200 ladies to come through the doors receive a free rose. The PA announcer will be female on Wednesdays, too. Thirsty Thursdays gets you $1 sodas, and Hawaiian Shirt Fridays (if you are brave enough to actually show up in a Hawaiian shirt) gets you a coupon for a free frozen treat.

    “Our biggest night of the year is our July 3rd fi reworks show,” said Handelsman. “That will be a big one. And we are doing the 3-D glasses for that as well. Basically anything that gets people excited we will try to do.”

    That’s right folks. The SwampDogs are having 3-D fi reworks, and not just on the 4th of July, but on May 29 as well. “As if our fi reworks shows weren’t’ spectacular enough,” said Handelsman. “For the first two shows this year we are giving out 3-D glasses to go with our 3-D fi reworks show. We’ve never done that before.”

    The beer deck has been expanded by about 1,500 square feet and they are adding wine to the beverage list.

    For the kids, there will be pony-pulled carriage rides in the parking lot. A few changes have also been added to the kid’s area of the park

    .“We’ve added a new facade to our kid’s area entry way,” said Handelsman. “So that when the kids come in it makes them feel even a little more special. Little improvements are kind of our way of saluting our fans and saying ‘Thank you.’ To be here for 10 years is a great honor, and something we are very proud of.”

    Additionally, the SwampDogs offer a children’s baseball camp each year. This year’s Chevy Youth Baseball Clinic will be held June 19 and 20 from 8 a.m. to noon. There is no fee, but registration is required a week prior to the event. For more information, visit the team’s Web site.

    Those are just a few of the things going on inside the ball park this year, but it is only part of what the SwampDogs are about. They are a community team, and they go to great lengths to do their part to make their community better.

    “One thing we are really proud about is our charitable involvement, which really sets us apart,” said Handelsman. “For the last four years we have done a Striking Out Cancer Night. Our players wear pink jerseys and we auction them (the jerseys, not the players) off. Last year we raised almost $7,000 for Friends of Cancer with the Cape Fear Valley Hospital. That money all stays local — which is neat. We are partnering with the hospital again this year. That is really near and dear to us.”

    The Karen Chandler Trust is anot05-19-10-swampdogs-article.gifher local organization that benefi ts from the kind heartedness of the SwampDogs. People pledge money for every strike out that the SwampDogs get during a home game and the money is donated to the Karen Chandler Trust. Last year this raised close to $4,000 — and it all stayed in the community to help local citizens who are battling cancer.

    Spare change for the Special Olympicsalso receives support from the team. Plastic containers are placed at every concession stand and folks are asked to drop their spare change into the receptacle, with the cash going straight to the local Special Olympics. In the four or fi ve years that this has been in place Handelsman says that almost $12,000 has been raised to help local athletes compete in the Special Olympics.

    ERA Strother Real Estate is partnering with the SwampDogs this year to sponsor a bowling tournament called Strikes for MD.

    “We have some lofty goals to help raise money for MDA,” said Handelsman. “That is our new thing. Between those four charities we have a lot of good work to do. We’ve done some neat things that I think set us apart and we hope will put us in a different light in people’s minds. We feel like it is our responsibility to give back to the community and be good corporate citizens. It is not about winning and losing baseball games. It is about seeing kids with a smile on their face and giving back to our community. We really, truly feel passionate about it. That is the message we try to convey when we talk to people. We are trying to have a positive effect on the community.”

    First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. For more info check out www.goswampdogs.com


  • 07RicksPlaceThis June, Rick’s Place will host a volunteer “Work Day” 
    and start kids’ summer day camps to teach essential survival skills. Rick’s Place is a 50-acre reintegration park in Fayetteville for military families and contractors. Founded in 2014 by military families for soldiers and their families, the park provides fun, quality activities to help strengthen relationships around the deployment cycle. Rick’s Place’s Work Day will be held June 8 from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

    Work Day provides meaningful volunteer activities for teams and families to help build the park. Typical activities include carpentry, gardening, ditch-clearing and park beautification. A community meal is provided free of charge to all who register online by the deadline of June 3. The Rick’s Place staff asks that volunteers register for the event so that they prepare the right number of projects. To find the event online and register, search “June Work Day” on Eventbrite.com, with Fayetteville set as the location.

    Parents must supervise their kids. Rick’s Place encourages parents and kids to work side-by-side to help build a park that is, in turn, a place that families can go to have fun and to relax.

    Starting June 10, Rick’s Place hosts day camps for kids ages 8-14. This summer, a limited number of scholarships for military children are available courtesy of the Fayetteville Woodpecker’s Community Leaders Program. The day camp is called the Super Fun Quality Camp or SF Q-Camp, a play on the Special Forces Qualification Course, also known as The Q-Course. SFQC teaches kids skills that blend the best of living in nature with appreciation of key military survival skills such as land navigation, fire building, knot tying, and animal and plant threat identification. The camp also provides opportunities to let off steam with paintball battles, foam machine play and old-fashioned tale-telling.

    One 23-year Army veteran and father of five said, “Rick’s Place provides my family with an environment where we can work together, play together and just be together, in a beautiful outdoor setting, no strings attached. It’s a place to unwind and disconnect from the pressures of everyday life, while forging bonds with other military families — and the community that supports us — that can sustain life long after we’ve left the grounds.

    “I love the look on my kids’ faces when they pile out of the minivan and see the latest addition to the recreational scene at Rick’s Place: the trampoline in the trees, zip line, Nerf-gun battleground — there’s always a moment when they look back and me as if to say, ‘Dad, are you sure I’m allowed to do this?’ The answer, at Rick’s Place, is always yes.”

    Rick’s Place is operated by the Rick Herrema Foundation to support family bonding and reintegration between deployments. The park is located at 5572 Shenandoah Drive, Fayetteville.

    For more information about Work Day or day camps, visit rhfnow.org/events, email info@rhfnow.org, call the Rick’s Place team at 910-444-1743 or come for a visit. The park is open dawn to dusk every day to support war stress reduction for military families and contractors.

  • uac052610001.jpg

    There is just something charming and a little nostalgic about small towns— the laid back pace of life and the close-knit, community spirit that comesfrom generations of families working, struggling and succeeding side by side.Whether you choose to live in one ornot, these small hamlets that dot thelandscape of our fair state offer morethan an opportunity to pull off theinterstate for some gas and a drivethruburger — much more. And they knowit, too.

    Without stopping to look,experience and enjoy these places, howwill you ever know which village has thebest walking trails, the quaintest parkto picnic in, the drug store with a sodafountain that makes fresh squeezedlemonade by the glass or the restaurantthat makes the best bar-b-que around?

    Well, Wade N.C. is just one of thesesmall town gems that people drive by,through and around without stoppingto sit a spell, much less taking the timeto get to know the town-folk. On June5, they are pulling out all the stops to showcase all that the family-friendlytown has to offer with the 2nd Annual Wade Founder’s Day Celebration.

    The goal is not just to bring out the local population, but to draw in thesurrounding communities, show them a good time and give them a taste ofthe quiet, clean country living that makes it such a special place.

    “This is the 2nd Annual Wade Founder’s Day celebration,” said EventOrganizer, Joe Dixon. “The reason we are doing it is to give something backto the community. Wade is a little community that nobody knows about andwe want to let people know we are here. We have a lot of older people andwe wanted to give something back to them and to bring back some of theheritage and tradition.”05262010wadesign.jpg

    Some of the static displays that will bring a touch of nostalgia to the dayare the antique tractors and farm equipment.Reconnecting with past traditions andtechnology at the vintage car show willgive parents the chance to reminisce ofmore innocent times while youngsters get apeek at what vehicles were like before theycame with DVD players installed and airconditioning was standard.

    The parade starts at 10 a.m. at the WadeMunicipal Park. The Mayor will be there tostart the festivities.

    "The kids (from local schools andchurches) will get up there and do thePledge of Allegiance,” said Dixon. “And wewill have a color guard from one of the localschools — they will sing a song. We arehoping to have some of the beauty queensto do the Star Spangled Banner and maybesome patriotic songs and then we fall rightinto our entertainment for the day.”

    There will be two stages that will befilled through out the day witheverything from gospel singers to barber shop quartets, to country andwestern singing to clogging.

    “We are going to have the Fort Bragg Stars and Stripes — the ladiesgroup,” said Dixon. “They go from 25 years-old to, well, one of them is 91.They are a feisty bunch.”

    There will be pony rides and wagon rides for the kids. What celebrationwould be complete for a youngster without bouncy houses,inflatable slides,field games and face painting? Dixon promises that there will be plenty of allof that, not to mention the food vendors — lots of food vendors. Italian ice,popcorn, funnel cakes, cotton candyand every other delightful confectionthat brings a smile to most everyone’sface will be available.

    “We had a fella last year — a goodsized fella — he had three cups ofItalian ice in one hand, a popcorn inthe other,” said Dixon. “He’d eat a bitof each one and then eat some popcornand he’d say ‘Now this is the way tolive!’”

    Localfire and police departmentswill be performing demonstrationsand handing out information. Dixon isalso planning for a lifeflighthelicoptorto be on the grounds with somedemonstrations, along with ablackhawkhelicoptor.

    What down home country throw-down would be complete without thetalented contributions of local artisans? “There will be a lot of arts andcrafts people there” said Dixon. “Last year we had several jewelry makers,a lapidary guy polishing stones. He will be back this year. He was actuallydoing the work while people were watching.”

    Dixon said that it was only two days after last years Founder’s Daycelebration was over that planning for this year’s soiree began.

    They’ve been working hard to make a great event happen and to showthe community and surrounding area what Wade has to offer — and it is allfree to anyone who chooses to attend, except the food of course.

    “All the entertainment is free. I think it is going to be a really good time,”said Dixon. “It is a family type event. That is what we are hopingfor — to get the people to fellowship and enjoy each other.

    “It is safe. It is enjoyable. It is something that families can go to andenjoy themselves without spending a lot of money.”

    The town of Wade is located 14.5 miles outside ofFayetteville.Take I-95 to exit 61 andturn left. For more infovisithttp://wadenc.com.

  • 01UAC052219Everyone loves a good murder mystery at the theater. But what happens when you deep-fry the plot in Southern flavor, salt it heavily with comedy, invite audience members to interrogate the suspects and throw in a fancy dinner, y’all? Fayetteville-born and Charlotte-based playwright Elaine Alexander explores this question with “‘M’ is for Mullet!” It debuts, presented by Fayetteville Dinner Theatre, May 31-June 1 at Gates Four Golf and Country Club.

    Darleen Dewberry, beloved hair-cutter and mullet-master in the small Southern town of Grissetville, owned Curl Up and Dye Salon before her untimely expiration. She was found dead in her salon next to a spilled bottle of Cheerwine, a can of Aqua Net hairspray and a half-eaten fruitcake. But who killed her?

    Audience members will have opportunities to watch for clues and talk to suspects during the show and try to figure it out. “When you arrive at the venue, you will be arriving at Darleen’s memorial service,” FDT Producer Bill Bowman said. “It’s an immersive theater experience where the actors will be interacting (in character) with you.”

    In their own words, let’s meet the six official suspects in the murder of Dewberry.

    Editor’s note: The following “interviews” come from a feature on “‘M’ is for Mullet!” written by playwright Elaine Alexander that was first published in the May 2019 issue of Women’s View Magazine.

    Beau E. Johnson, “The Mullet Man”: “I’m a local legend as the inventor of ‘The Mullet’ hairdo. I may have cut hair too short, but I’ve never cut a life too short. If you’re investigating somebody who could have murdered Darleen, look at the other five suspects or the town’s new mayor. I heard she hated her new Mullet hairdo that Darlene gave her.”

    Mario Fellini: “My restaurant has a reputation for having the best Italian cuisine, and I’ve got a reputation for cheating on the ladies. But I’m not a killer. I’m a lover! Interrogate my waitress — she’s an excon. Or maybe the town’s new mayor. She showed up at my restaurant cursing Darleen’s name.”

    Kat Chatterton: “I’m the town’s biggest celebrity — the TV hostess of ‘Kat’s Chat,’ Grissetville’s local lifestyle show. Why would I risk my fame to kill Darleen — even if she was seeing my boyfriend, Mario? Y’all need to interrogate the town’s con artist psychic, Verita. Or the town’s other crook, Grissetville’s new mayor.”

    Rae Shawn Simmons: “I run the Bounce That Booty Gym. I give ‘killer’ workouts. But I’m not a killer, although Darleen did threaten to sue me. If you want the real killer, I’d check out Mario, who was two-timing her with Kat. Or the town’s new mayor. She was sweating last time I saw her. And I know it wasn’t from exercise.”

    Wanda June James: “I’m a former cheerleader stuck waiting tables at Mario’s Italian Restaurant. I’m also an ex-jailbird, and there’s no way I’d do something to get me caged up again. If you want to know the real killer, talk to Rae Shawn or that new mayor. I’ve heard them both at the restaurant complaining about Darleen.”

    Verita Delgado: “I may be a psychic, but I don’t know who murdered Darleen. I just know it wasn’t me — even though she ruined my fortune-telling business with her lies. My tarot cards say to look at two-timing Mario or that new mayor. I saw her give me the Evil Eye.”

    Of the the show, Alexander said, “It’s an unconventional night of entertainment. You’ll die of laughter; it’s not serious, and it’s fastpaced. Murder has never been so funny. All the characters have a motive.... If (the audience) is paying attention, they’ll figure it out.”

    Prior to the formal start of the show, a reception for Darleen’s memorial service will feature a wine-tasting and cash bar courtesy of Leclair’s General Store, and live music by KasCie Page.

    Once seated, audience members need not sleuth on an empty stomach. Dinner includes a double entree of seasoned beef tips and chicken picatta, Southern-style green beans, buttered parsley red potatoes, dinner rolls and strawberry cheesecake. Mystery door prize bags will also be distributed.

    The table that figures out who the killer is will receive a grand prize at the end of the evening.

    Bowman said what caught his eye about Alexander’s script was her unique sense of humor and the story’s clever twists. “The way she tied in these different characters and everything actually had me laughing out loud because they’re almost like cartoons,” he said. “It’s unique. It’s a different kind of comedy.”

    Alexander’s one-act comedies have been festival winners at theaters throughout the United States, most notably in New York City and Los Angeles, California, and as far away as Sydney, Australia, and Cuenca, Ecuador. She is a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Media and Journalism alumnus and a fourth-generation Fayetteville native.

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    “My great-grandfather rode in the first car in Fayetteville,” she said. “My family has lived on a farm that was owned by my great-grandfather since practically the 19th century, on Morganton Road.

    “I grew up in Fayetteville. I’m a Southern girl. The characters in the play are ones that I have known in my life.” Obviously, Alexander, added, they’re a bit exaggerated for comedic effect.

    Bringing “Mullet’s” characters to life are The Hot Mess Players, a Charlotte-based dinner theater group Alexander created to perform both private and public murder mystery productions throughout the Carolinas.

    Bowman thanks the show’s pemiere sponsors for their generosity: Healy Wholesale, Ramada Plaza, and Paul Mitchell the School Fayetteville.

    There are three opportunities to see “‘M’ is for Mullet!” at Gates Four Golf and Country Club, 6775 Irongate Dr. Friday, May 31, there is a matinee showing at noon; doors open at 11:30 a.m. It costs $55. That evening, there is a show at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 1, there is a show at 7 p.m, with doors opening at 6 p.m. The evening shows cost $75 per person or $65 for seniors, active-duty service members and Gates Four residents. Reserve your spot and purchase tickets at www.fayettevilledinnertheatre.com.

    Photo:  L to R: Peter Guarascio as Mario Fellini, Dominic Hilton as Rae Shawn Simmons, Keith Hopkins as Beau Elvis Johnson, Kellie Floyd Payne as Kat Chatterton, Eva Montes as Verita Delgado, Eileen Davis as Wanda June James and Lonnie Gregory as The Sheriff.

    Photo credit: Carlo Pieroni

  • 10MemphisCape Fear Regional Theatre finishes up its 2018-19 season with a crowd-pleasing production of the hit musical “Memphis,” once again bringing amazing music, dance and talent to a local stage. It runs through May 26.

    Written by David Bryan and Joe DiPietro, “Memphis” is loosely based on real-life Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips, who introduced blues and soul music to a white Southern audience in the 1950s. In the musical, DJ Huey Calhoun wants to share the music he enjoys with a wide audience. Huey is not an activist — he simply doesn’t see color lines — a trait that makes this character almost a superhero in 2019.

    When Huey, who is white, meets aspiring singer Felicia Farrell, who is black, he makes it his mission to get her song played on the (white) radio station. Huey also wants to get a kiss, which only makes Felicia’s overprotective sister, Delray, even more suspicious.

    As Huey’s popularity continues to rise, he begins to take risks with breaking color barriers, including in his relationship with Felicia, whose singing career is blooming. This leads to angry and violent responses that put both Huey and Felicia in danger.

    The story of “Memphis” reminds us that standing up for your beliefs is and always will be important and often requires courage. It is a story of equality, love, acceptance and striving to reach your potential. It is also a story about learning to deal with ignorance, bigotry and hatred. It is a story that, unfortunately, still needs to be told in 2019.

    Director Suzanne Agins brings together a cast and crew of local, regional and national talent to deliver a unique and entertaining performance. Some of the cast and crew also worked on Agins’ production of last season’s “Dreamgirls.”

    Alongside Broadway’s “Hamilton” alum Shonica Gooden (Felicia) and “Memphis” alums David Robbins (Bobby) and Dani Burke (Delray), Agins rounds out the cast with Matthew Mucha (Huey), Kathy Day (Gladys), Gerard M. Williams (Gator) and Bill Saunders (Mr. Simmons).

    Gooden and Burke wow the audience with their performances as Felicia and Delray. Gooden delivers vocals and emotion that bring home the story highlighting the effects of racism and inequality. Mucha is heartwarming as Huey. His zany performance is just the right mix of naivete and measured refusal to draw color lines. His indifference to color is really the message of the story of “Memphis.”

    Gooden, Burke, Robbins and Mucha deliver rousing performances with “Someday,” “Colored Woman,” “Underground” and “Big Love.”

    The audience also gets wonderful surprises when Huey’s mama, Gladys, deliver the character-awakening songs “Say a Prayer,” and “Change Don’t Come Easy.” Gator, a soft-spoken bartender, and Gladys demonstrate how love and tolerance can help us all learn and grow together, supporting each other despite our differences.

    Special mention needs to be made of the “Memphis” ensemble, which includes Ricardo Morgan, Tishmone’, Sha’Air Hawkins, Cheleen Sugar, Eliz Camacho, Demetrius Dante’ Jackson, Jarrett Bennett, JaRon Davis, Shawntez D’Nadre Bell, Amber Dawn French, Meagan Mackenzie Chieppor, Cherie Kaufman, Randy Cain, Sean Michael Jaenicke, and Ian Shain. You will likely recognize some of them from CFRT productions of “Dreamgirls,” “Crowns,” “Music City” and “Annie.”

    The talented ensemble helps make “Memphis” a spectacular show and reminds the audience that we have a treasure trove of local and regional talent. In this show, the ensemble literally brings Memphis radio to life. Their performance also highlights choreographer Ellenore Scott’s fun, creative and energetic dance routines.

    “Memphis” is a wonderful way to tide theater-goers over until CFRT’s 2019-20 season kicks off in September with “Mamma Mia,” which will also be directed by Agins.

    The musical is rated PG-13 due to some language and violence. Visit www.cfrt.org for tickets and more information.

    Photo: Matthew Mucha as Huey Calhoun (left) and Shonica Gooden as Felicia Farrell (right)

  • 09VeganMany people grew up with their elders reminding them to eat their vegetables. It turns out they were onto something. Prima Elements Holistic Wellness Center presents Fayetteville’s 2nd Annual Vegan Festival on Saturday, May 25, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. at the corner of Anderson and Old Streets in downtown Fayetteville.

    “The general purpose of this festival is to encourage our community … to live more of a compassionate lifestyle and to have more of an educational purpose to what the vegan lifestyle is,” said Audriaunna Kitterman, executive director for Fayetteville’s Vegan Festival.

    “We encourage everyone to become more aware of what plant-based nutrition will be able to provide for them in the long term of their family and those around them.”

    The vegan diet involves no meat or dairy. “You are alleviating the meat and dairy and substituting them with plant-based (alternatives),” said Kitterman. “In essence, it is going to help one sustain more of a prolific lifestyle, help overcome a lot of health concerns and ailments and help with living nutrients that are predominantly derived within these plant-based alternatives. And the living enzymes help one overcome diseases and cancer (by) breaking down (inflammation) and more.”

    There will be five panelists at the festival. “Dr. Sailesh Rao is the co-producer of two largely known documentaries, which are ‘Cowspiracy’ and ‘What the Health,’” said Kitterman. “He will educate the community on his philosophy and passion and (share) what he plans to continuously do for the community on a worldwide basis.”

    Kitterman said the additional panelists include Daniel Turbert, Adrian Burgos, Tita Nieves and Erin Fergus. They will share their journeys about transitioning to the vegan lifestyle, bring awareness about mass-produced farm animals, give insight on the importance of plant-based nutrition and talk about how the vegan lifestyle affects physical and emotional well-being.

    Festival vendors include vegan-friendly businesses and groups like food preparation demonstrators, musicians, wellness organizations, educational organizations and more.

    “Our first vegan festival was amazing, and it was outstanding to see such a remarkable response from the community,” said Kitterman. “We had about 2,500 people that flooded Anderson and Old Streets. The compassion, joy and love that everyone shared with one another was truly a beautiful feeling.”

    Vegan food vendors will be on-site. Donations are appreciated. Individuals who make a $20 donation or more will receive a T-shirt and peace bag with samples of vegan products and coupons. Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated to animal shelters and rescue groups around the United States to help and protect animals in need.

    The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.veganfestivalfaync.com or call 910-483-8406.

  • 01coverUAC051519001“Origami in the Garden2” opened at Cape Fear Botanical Garden May 5 and runs through Sept. 8. As the name implies, the metal sculptures in this exhibit are inspired by the Japanese art of folding paper. Husband and wife team Kevin and Jennifer Box created the exhibit, which includes original works by Kevin as well as his collaborative works with renowned origami artists Te Jui Fu, Beth Johnson, Michael G. LaFosse and Robert J. Lang.

    The exhibit includes an audio tour and an explanatory sign accompanying each piece. As patrons stroll the garden, they can make a call on their cell phone, enter the artwork number and hear a recording of Kevin explaining the story of the art. “A lot of times, art is beautiful, but we have done a lot of work to answer the ‘why’ and give people access to that,” Kevin said.

    There are 17 displays and 20 sculptures that make up the exhibit. The metal sculptures were made using a combination of the 6,000-year-old art of wax casting and the 2,000-year-old-art of paper making. “I pioneered a technique that combines the two processes,” Kevin said. “It makes paper more durable and bronze more light. It’s a 35-step, 12-week process.”

    Several years ago, as he was working at a foundry and trying to develop his voice as an artist, Kevin started playing with the art of wax casting. “When you are working in an old art form, there is a lot that has been done,” Kevin said. “I wanted to tell a different story that would remind us of the same stories that have been told for thousands of years and address the challenge of how we navigate life and what decisions we are going to make.”

    Kevin said what drew him to origami was different than the appeal for many people. “I found it to be a simple metaphor and reflection of an ancient philosophy called tabula rasa,” he said. “The philosopher Aristotle started it. The idea is that we begin with a blank slate. When I was studying that in history, I think of it as the blank page because it captures the creative challenge we all face — whether you are a writer, a painter, a mathematician. What do we do with blankness? How do we create something out of nothing?”

    He started working on projects that started with a square piece of paper — because his last name is Box. He used that as a way to try and capture what he envisioned the human soul to look like. His first signature pieces looked like snowflakes. Because he was already working at the foundry, he started working on a way to combine paper and metal.

    Kevin began to make bronze sculptures and patina the bronze white, transforming it into the look of paper. People reacted saying that it looked like origami. Kevin rejected that idea at first. But later, a friend gave him a book titled “One Thousand Paper Cranes.” Kevin decided to make an origami crane. After folding and then unfolding the crane, he had an epiphany. “In every origami design, the paper remembers all the creases that you’ve made,” he said. “It revealed this star pattern, and it looked like a snowflake, which was similar to what I was already pursuing. It is like origami on the inside — like the architecture of the soul.”

    Kevin works in his studio near Santa Fe, New Mexico. The 35-acre property sits among spring-fed wetlands and beautiful rock formations. The studio is designed around an Earth-friendly philosophy, embracing the reduce, reuse, recycle method not only for creating but for caring for the land and its resources.

    Kevin’s wife, Jennifer, has an education background, so finding ways to engage and inform audiences is a priority as well. “We are conservation- minded artists,” said Kevin. “And my wife has a master’s in education. She heard the stories I was telling and realized that if we organized the content and interpretation, there was a lot of educational programming there.

    “As we traveled with the show across the country, we discovered that botanical gardens have educational departments and resources. They are places people go to rest and to learn. And sometimes the best place to learn is when you are at rest. So, we have collaborated, and things come together where we work with gardens that can educate, enlighten, enhance and inspire a lot of (people in regard to) our subject matter. And we were inspired by how generous botanical gardens are to their communities.”

    Jennifer reached out to CFBG not long after Hurricane Florence hit in 2018. She was hoping to partner with the Garden. Although CFBG wanted to host the exhibit, damage from Florence made the cost of hosting it prohibitive. “Here was a garden that needed help; Jen had two choices,” Kevin said. “She could have said, ‘Oh, they can’t do this. I will stop calling.’ But her second choice was hearing that and thinking how can we work with them in a different way.” This innovative thinking led Kevin and Jennifer to start a scholarship program for gardens.

    “The exhibit is here because we applied for their scholarship program after we suffered so much damage from Hurricanes Florence and Mathew,” said CFBG Marketing Manager Taryn Renz. “While the exhibit is here, the Garden will have special programing that relates to the exhibit — like an Ikebana class on May 18, which is Japanese floral arranging.” 

    While there are still areas of the Garden that need work, Kevin said he hopes the exhibit will bring plenty of visitors to not only enjoy the garden but to learn how they can help it flourish.

    “We’re really excited to have the exhibit here,” said Renz. “Exhibits like these give visitors a reason to keep coming back. It’s the perfect time to become a Garden member — so you can keep coming back for events and programs all summer.”

    Find out more about the exhibit, CFBG and its programming at www.capefearbg.org. Learn more about Kevin and Jennifer Box and their work at https://outsidetheboxstudio.com. “Origami in the Garden2” runs through Sept. 8.

  • 15Group RidingAlthough group riding is fun and a great place to meet new friends, it can be a bit intimidating. The ride is more enjoyable if you are prepared and knowledgeable about the ride beforehand.

    When deciding to join a group ride, know what you are getting into. Distance, time, speeds and ability are all factors to be considered. Asking yourself if you have the right bike for the ride is important. Another question you should ask is what speeds you will be traveling. If you are unsure about practical details like this, contact the organizers. Finally, and very importantly, you must ask yourself, “Are these the right guys to ride with?”

    When riding with a group, get there with your bike ready and a full tank of gas. This is just being polite.

    Before the start, you should have you clothing adjusted so you will be comfortable during the ride. As the temperature and weather conditions change, you need to be prepared. You will want to have the appropriate clothing for the appropriate weather — and don’t forget about ensuring the same for your passenger, if you have one.

    Although most riders do not like riding in the rain, the truth is that if you ride long enough, you will get wet. So bring your rain gear just in case.

    Communicating during the ride is essential. Talk with the group or ride organizer about hand signals. The lead rider will set the pace and communicate by hand signals everyone will know. Many of these signals will tell riders to slow down, to turn or to notice a danger on the road. These are helpful for this time of year as pot holes from the winter weather are still prevalent throughout the state.

    Do not over ride your ability. If the group is fast, there is no shame is staying back. If you feel the person behind you is too close or you are riding beyond your ability, hang back and let the people behind you pass.

    The person in front of you should be responsible to look back and keep an eye on you. You would do the same for the rider behind you. If you lose sight of someone, pull over and, after a minute or so, turn back to check on them. In theory, this should keep the group together as a whole.

    My biggest concern when riding in a group is distance. Your No. 1 safety priority when motorcycling is space. Although it looks cool to ride side-by-side, this is extremely dangerous and jeopardizes yourself, the person beside you and the people behind you. To avoid disaster, you should instead stay staggered: stay one second behind the person in front of you who is in the opposite lane as you and two seconds behind the person directly in front of you in the same lane. This will give you room to brake and swerve in the event of a dog running out or that eventual pot hole that is ahead of you.

    Motorcyclists have a lot in common. They are all, by nature, risktakers. Knowing when to throw in the towel with a group is something you should be ready to do. So if you come to that point where you no longer feel comfortable about riding with someone, do not be ashamed to let the group know you are breaking off. Chances are that if you are not having fun, they are not either, and it is probably the best decision for all.

    If there is a topic you would like to discuss, please contact me at motorcycle4fun@aol.com.

    RIDE SAFE!

  • 11 Minutes

    A longstanding local tradition, Fayetteville After 5 brings free concerts to Festival Park all summer long. It happens every second Friday, May through August. Show up ready to enjoy a night of music — and dancing, if you feel like it — under the stars. Come hungry and get dinner from the food trucks on hand, too.

    The season kicks off May 10 with ’90s tribute band 120 Minutes. Based in the Triangle area, the band brings the best alternative and radio rock and pop hits from the ’90s. If artists like Nirvana, Gin Blossoms, Third Eye Blind, Weezer, Backstreet Boys, Green Day, The Cranberries, Shania Twain, Cracker, Tom Petty, Smash Mouth and Hootie and the Blowfish get your toes tapping, this is a concert you won’t want to miss.

    June 14, Eagles tribute band On the Border takes the stage. This group goes all-out to provide an authentic Eagles experience. Each band member plays their respective band member of the Eagles during the performance. Their delivery of spot-on music has not only garnered them a loyal following, they have been declared the greatest Eagles tribute band in the world by AXSTV and host Katie Daryl.

    Fayetteville’s own Rivermist headlines the July 12 concert. Rivermist formally came together in 2014, but the band members have been playing in and around Fayetteville for more than 20 years. A classic rock and variety party band, Rivermist is energetic on the stage and knows how to play to its audience. The band has won several awards locally, including Up & Coming Weekly’s Best of Fayetteville.

    Aug. 9, Kasey Tyndall closes the season. Tynda’s debut single, “Everything is Texas,” dropped in 2017. The video was in the top 10 on CMT’s 12 Pack Countdown.

    “For as long as people have been breaking hearts or getting their hearts broken, there’s a bar, that bar’s regulars, and its staff to help,” says Tyndall on her website. “We all have that bar in our life — no matter what we’re going through, we’re somehow family when we come together there.”

    The gates open at 5 p.m. for all the concerts. Music starts around 6:30 p.m. and ends around 10:30 p.m. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair. No canopies, please. No coolers or outside food is permitted. Service dogs are welcome. The concerts are free.

    Visit www.thedogwoodfestival.com/fayetteville-after-five to learn more.

  •     {mosimage} From blinking cocktail glasses to quick lube offers, Fayetteville’s roadways play host to a veritable cornucopia of signs, whose growth until 1997, were virtually unregulated. On May 5, The Fayetteville City Council got a first look at a proposed new sign ordinance designed to further regulate signs on the city’s roadways.
        Jimmy Teal, the chief officer for planning, presented the proposed ordinance to the council during its monthly work meeting. The sign ordinance is based on a similar ordinance in Cary. Cary, the seventh largest metropolitan city in the state, is known for its controlled growth and planning. In 1971, Cary adopted zoning and other ordinances on an ad-hoc basis to control growth and give the city structure. Passing a Planned Unit Development zoning ordinance to accommodate population growth related to the growth of Research Triangle Park, Cary’s local government placed a high value on creating an aesthetically pleasing town. A PUD allows a developer to plan an entire community before beginning development, thus allowing future residents to be aware of where churches, schools, commercial and industrial areas will be located well before such use begins.
        Fayetteville is putting a new emphasis on the aesthetics of the city and on planning in general. Teal said as the city moves forward with the Unified Development Ordinance, it is looking at all aspects of city development. The UDO does not address signs, Teal explained, so the council directed city staff to pull together information on sign ordinances and bring a proposal to the table. Teal said the staff took a look at sign ordinances from across the state. A recent study by the City of Winston-Salem rated municipalities on their ordinances — Cary was the most restrictive, while Fayetteville was one of the least restrictive. Teal said the city’s goal probably is to fall somewhere in the middle of the two, but used the Cary ordinance as a starting point.
        “The ultimate goal is to make Fayetteville a more attractive city,” said Teal.
        While the proposed ordinance deals with three types of signs — pole signs, wall signs and ground signs — the main concern is on pole signs. Pole signs are a fixture in the city, particularly along thoroughfares like Yadkin Road, Bragg Boulevard and Ramsey Street. Teal pointed out that in these heavy commercial areas, pole signs have been placed on relatively small lots and are located one after the other. Under the proposed ordinance, both the number and size of pole signs will be regulated. The Cary ordinance does not allow any pole signs. The current Fayetteville ordinance allows businesses to have three kinds of signs: a pole sign, no more than 25 feet high, with 150-square-feet of copy space; a ground sign, no more than 8 feet high, with 150 feet in copy space; and a wall sign.
        Under Fayetteville’s proposed ordinance, pole signs will only be allowed on major thoroughfares, which will be designated by the council. Only one pole sign will be allowed per site. The maximum copy size is down to 50 feet and the maximum height is down to 17 feet, with a 10-foot minimum. Roads not designated as thoroughfares would not be allowed to have any pole signs at all.
        For the city’s purpose, a thoroughfare is a road with more than four travel lanes and a turn lane. Teal said people looking for a business would be looking across four or five lanes of traffic and might have difficulty seeing a ground sign.
        The council discussed the amount of time businesses would have to bring their signs into compliance if the ordinance is adopted. The planning staff recommended a five-year amortization period for pole signs, three years for wall signs and two years for ground signs. If a business’ sign is not in compliance, they must take the sign down and pay a permit fee to construct a sign to replace it. Councilman Charles Evans suggested waiving the permit fee if businesses bring their signs into compliance during the first year of the amortization schedule.
        Another key point in the ordinance is defining what is and what a ground sign isn’t. When the first sign ordinance was passed in 1997, many portable signs were converted to ground signs by anchoring them into the ground. Under the new ordinance, these converted ground signs will not be allowed.
    City Manager Dale Iman said the ground signs were the “most egregious” offenders. “The portable signs that were allowed to be converted — signs that are propped up, signs with lights burned out — these are all problems that the ordinance will address and by addressing those it’s a major improvement in our city,” said Iman.
        Teal said between 75 and 80 percent of the businesses in the city will be affected by the ordinance if it is approved. Councilman Keith Bates urged the council to seriously consider adopting the ordinance noting that failure to adopt the ordinance would result in “playing 40 years of catch up again.” Bates said failure to act on the proposal would result in future councils looking back and saying the council should have done something about it.
        In other business, the council also took a look at billboards, with the staff bringing a proposed ordinance to ban the placement of any new billboards within the city limits. The transfer ordinance will remain in effect, under which sign companies can replace one sign as long as they take one sign down. There are currently 180 billboards in the city limits.

    Contact Janice Burton at: editor@upandcomingweekly.com 

  • 10The Derby Run LogoJustin Lopes was captain of the soccer team his senior year of high school. He was a member of Honor Society, Key Club and Lafayette Baptist Church. Justin loved to play baseball and soccer. He was family-oriented and loyal to those he loved. In 2014, he died unexpectedly, at the age of 21. He was a rising senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in finance. In honor of Justin, the Derby Run was established. This year’s Derby Run takes place Saturday, May 18, starting at Terry Sanford High School. The 10K run will begin at 8:15 a.m. and the 5K run/walk will begin at 8:30 a.m. They are both timed events.

    “David and Andrea Phillips started the Derby Run in 2016 and thought it would be a good way to remember and honor Justin’s life,” said Donna Lopes, Justin’s mom. “It has continued to grow each year. It started as a fun run the first year, and basically people got together and we walked.”

    They have added a 10K run this year in hopes the event will continue to grow. The goal is to have between 200-300 runners.

    “The proceeds from the event will go to local charities to benefit children,” said Lopes. “The charities are The Child Advocacy Center, the Justin Richard Lopes Memorial Scholarship of Cumberland Community Foundation, and Cy’s World Foundation.”

    Each runner will receive a T-shirt and a sports bag filled with coupons from local vendors. 

    The top three overall male and female winners will receive trophies and gift certificates from Fleet Feet.

    Awards will be given to the top three male and female winners in each age category, for best derby-themed costume, best derby-themed hat, best derby-themed stroller, first dog to finish, first stroller to finish and largest team.

    Bunker, the mascot for the Fayetteville Woodpeckers baseball team, will be on site, along with Kidsvile News! celebrity Truman the dragon and Sweet Frog’s mascot. There will be face-painting for the children.

    “In the three years that we have done this run, we have been able to donate over $25,000 to charities that benefit children in Justin’s memory, because of our generous sponsors and Derby participants,” said Donna. “The Derby Run is a way for us to help others in his memory.”

    The cost of the 5K for ages 12 and under is $20, and for ages 13 and over, it is $30. The cost of the 10K for all ages is $35. Teams with four or more participants for either race will receive a $5 discount for each runner. Pets are allowed but must be on a leash. Packets can be picked up Friday, May 17, at Orangetheory Fitness from 5-7 p.m.

    Registration is at 7 a.m. for participants who did not preregister. For more information or to register, visit its-go-time.com/the-derby-run.

  • 01coverUAC050819001“It’s not easy, day to day, to get an upclose and personal look at what lineworkers do,” said Carolyn Justice-Hinson, communications and community relations officer at Fayetteville Public Works Commission. “In their day to day, it is very dangerous and you don’t want people observing in harm’s way. But (this competition) is a safe environment to watch what they do and learn more about it.” Thursday, May 16, the public is invited to the Military Business Park off Santa Fe Drive to check out the 2019 Annual North Carolina Association of Municipal Electric Systems Lineman Rodeo. The event is free to attend.

    Fayetteville last hosted the NCAMES Lineman Rodeo in 2002. Before that, it hosted the very first rodeo in 1998. “Many years ago, (NCAMES) decided to do the rodeo to showcase what electric systems do here in North Carolina to keep the lights on,” Justice-Hinson said. Participants, in the division of either Journeyman or Apprentice, compete in events that display the specialized skills and knowledge they apply in their everyday work. They’re scored on safety procedures, work practices, equipment handling and timeliness.

    The rodeo kicks off at 8 a.m. with a brief opening ceremony featuring the Golden Knights, which is the U.S. Army parachute team; the 82nd Airborne Division “All-American” Chorus; and remarks by Mayor Mitch Colvin. The competitive events begin around 8:30 a.m. and last until approximately 2 p.m. 

    Events include the Hurtman Rescue, Transformer Load Switching, Three-Phase Fuse Replacement, 4KV Single Phase Pole Transfer, URB Elbow Replacement, and Alley Arm Center Phase Insulator Change. Most involve climbing, with equipment, 40-foot utility poles and remaining stable and in place while performing timesensitive, technical work — then quickly descending back to the ground. The longest events of the rodeo have “drop-dead,” or cut-off, times of 20 minutes. The shortest and most popular event, the Hurtman Rescue, has a drop-dead time of 6 minutes, with points being deducted after the 4-minute mark.

    “You won’t see this anywhere else; it’s a one-ofa- kind event that you really have to come and see to appreciate,” Justice-Hinson said. “I personally am amazed when I watch them climb the poles because it takes so much physical strength to climb and stay on the pole, let alone actually do the work once they’re up there. It’s very athletic. … It’s a fun event.”

    She added that people bring lawn chairs and blankets for comfy viewing, that there will be lots of interesting equipment on display, and that at least four local food trucks will be present, too.

    Carey Jacobs, PWC’s senior technical resources technician, said organizers are expecting more than 100 competitors from electric system cities across the state. “These are cities that have their own electric systems, like Fayetteville,” Justice-Hinson explained. “Other cities (that have their own electric systems) include Rocky Mount, New Bern, Greenville, Wilson and High Point, to name a few.”

    The first- and second-place Apprentice and Journeyman, the third-place Journeyman and the Journeyman alternate winners will be recognized at 6 p.m. at the nearby Embassy Suites Convention Center. The winners will go on to compete as a team representing NCAMES at the national level, at the 2020 American Public Power Association Lineworkers Rodeo in Kansas City, Kansas.

    “I would love to see a lot of people come out and support not only PWC lineworkers but the ones coming from across the state,” Justice-Hinson said. “A lot of these cities have come to help PWC during emergencies, and we’ve done the same thing for other cities.

    “These guys go out in some of the worst conditions — whether it be cold or rain or wind. They’re the ones out there getting services back on and keeping your services on.”

    Speaking of the most recent major weather emergency lineworkers had to deal with, Hurricane Florence, she said, “In that one, we had municipal electric workers from other states. Because so much of North Carolina was impacted, everyone was kind of dealing with their own system. We had lineworkers from Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia that came and helped in North Carolina.”

    Another plus to the event, Justice-Hinson said, is it provides an exploration opportunity for those considering a career in the field. “There is a shortage of lineworkers,” she said. “It’s kind of an aging workforce. Every company is going to be looking for lineworkers in the future.... (This event) is a way for people to come out and see what’s happening and talk to lineworkers.

    Fayetteville Technical Community College, which PWC collaborated with to create a lineworkers training program, will also be at the rodeo with information. “(PWC) has hired several people from this program, and this last FTCC class (to graduate from the program), every one of them was placed and got a job,” Justice-Hinson said. “I think there were 10 or 12 of them.

    “It’s a really inexpensive course, it’s provided here locally, and it’s a really good bet for getting a job.” The course lasts eight to 10 weeks. To learn more, visit www.faytechcc.edu/corporatecontinuing-education/corporate-industrytraining/ and scroll down to “Line Worker Basic Training Course.”

    The two days leading up to the rodeo, May 14 and 15, NCAMES will host its 58th Annual Engineering and Operations Conference, which draws 300-400 utility directors, engineers, linemen and all types of municipal employees involved in electric systems each year. The conference will be held near the rodeo grounds, at the Embassy Suites Convention Center, 4760 Lake Valley Dr. Attendees will receive industry updates on topics like issues and trends within public power, mutual aid response and new technology.

    The rodeo grounds in Military Business Park will be easy to spot, with rows of 40-foot utility poles in place. The park is located off Santa Fe Drive. FTCC’s CollisionU center, at 2821 Procurement Circle, is located within the park for people who would like an address to put into their GPS. For more information, visit www.ncames.com or call PWC at 910-483-1382.

  •     The Fayetteville Area System of Transit, or FAST, has been at the center of recent conversations by the Fayetteville City Council. On Monday, May 28, that conversation included many of the riders of the system, as local citizens packed the council room to oppose a proposed increase in rider fares. The council listened to their voices, voting against raising the fares, and instead committing to raising the per capita expenditure on the system to that of other systems in the state.
        The transit system has been under fire for quite some time due to its aging fleet, scheduling woes and customer service. Last fall the city received a report citing problems in the system, which included its lack of funding. Fayetteville’s system is funded at a little more than $9 per capita — half that of similar systems in the state.
        At the recent meeting, the council voted to raise the per capita spending over the next three years to bring it in line with the other systems in the state. The council additionally approved an additional $5 tax on all vehicles within the city limits, and voted to fund the system with an additional $100,000 in the upcoming budget year.
        Citizens on hand for the hearing on rate increases loudly applauded the move by the council as a step in the right direction. Prior to the action, the council heard a litany of complaints against the system. Speakers talked about the lateness of the buses, their poor upkeep and maintenance and the lack of improvements.
        The call for increased fares came as the new transit director, Ron Macaluso, sought to bring the system’s staff up {mosimage}to par. Macaluso presented a plan earlier this year to hire seven new positions, which he said would be key in getting the system on the right track. The positions included a training supervisor and dispatchers. Macaluso said that the current supervisory staff spends its time dispatching, so they cannot be out on the road checking on routes. The proposed hiring actions resulted in an increase of more than $400,000. To meet that increase, Macaluso recommended the rate hikes and the tax increase on personal vehicles.
        When questioned whether the hiring of the new positions would result in immediate improvements to the system, Macaluso noted that the changes would not be immediate. The council, nor the audience, was comfortable with that answer. Macaluso said the addition of five new buses this fall would, in itself, create an improvement in the system because they would be clean and would not have the maintenance problems of the older buses. He argued that the hiring of the new staff was the building block for improvements within the system.
        Councilmen Robert Massey, D.J. Haire and Charles Evans were firm in their belief that more improvements had to come quickly. To ensure those changes, Mayor Tony Chavonne pushed the council to make the commitment to up the per capita spending and to form a Blue Ribbon Commission to study the issues and make recommendations to improve the system.

  •     {mosimage}Fayetteville will see an explosion of red, white and blue on May10-27 as more than 1,500 American flags fly at Festival Park and the Airborne Museum (extending all the way to Freedom Memorial Park) in honor of our Veterans — retired, active duty and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
    This galaxy of stars and stripes is a result of Fayetteville being named the host city for the 2008 Field of Honor, which is going on in conjunction with the 8th Annual Glory Days Festival.
      Each flag measures three-feet-by-five-feet and will fly eight feet above the turf in perfect rows, with a yellow ribbon affixed to each flag pole. Set-up will begin May 9 and take just one day, but, according to Suzy Hrabovsky — one of the organizers of the event — it’s an idea that’s been a year in the making.
        Hrabovsky says individuals and corporations have paid to sponsor the flags; in fact the demand has been so high to sponsor a flag that Hrabowsly said an additional 300 flags were ordered when the original goal of 1,200 was surpassed. Individuals paid $25 to purchase a flag and the aforementioned yellow ribbon will bear the name of the flag’s sponsor as well as the flag’s honoree.
        And for each flag there is a story behind the stars and stripes  — often heartbreaking.
        “Flags have been bought by parents and spouses of victims, even children,” said Hrabovsky. “A father{mosimage}{mosimage} died in a helicopter crash.
        “One of the ladies I talked to bought a flag because she was excited that her son was coming home,” said Hrabovsky. “In a lot of instances, flags were purchased in honor of soldiers who are coming home.”
    Hrabosky says folks have called from all over the country to sponsor a flag — there was even one call from Russia.
        All proceeds from the flag sponsorships go to Fayetteville Cares — a local organization that provides assistance to military personnel and their spouses before, during and after deployments.
        “It’s a great organization,” said Hrabovskyy. “If a military spouse needs money for an emergency or a soldier is in trouble, Fayetteville Cares is there for them.”
        The flags will be set up on May 9 by an army of volunteers, including 100 Boy Scouts led by Mike Archer.
    On May 10 at 11 a.m., there will be a dedication ceremony at Freedom Memorial Park. The dedication will include music, a color guard, the Pledge of Allegiance, and speakers made up of state and local officials, as well as the military. The color guard band will finish things off by playing The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
    The dedication kicks off the Glory Days Festival; this year’s theme for the festival honors military vets of the Vietnam War. Events include: A classic car cruise-in at Festival Park; a bake sale; live music at Festival Park; the N.C. State Cyclists Criterion Championship; The Fayetteville Swampdogs baseball team; ‘Patriot’s Crit’ on Hay Street; a Sunday Movie in the Park featuring, showing Good Morning Vietnam (May 25); which will feature free admission and free popcorn; a vintage military equipment and gear exhibit; carriage rides; foods, arts and crafts, and concessions.
        “This is just our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the men and women in the military who protect us,” said Hrabovsky, “and the ones who never made it home.”

      Contact Tim Wilkins: tim@upandcomingweekly.com 

     

  • The cost to go on vacation seems to be doing nothing but rising these days. Set against a landscape of rising oil prices and the weakened state of the American dollar, travelers all too frequently have to reach for their already burdened wallets. 

    “While it’s true that many people are concerned about the economy, we find that this economic climate has a tremendous upside for today’s traveler, as there are phenomenal trips offered at great values,” said William Sutherland, Vice President, Travel, AAA Southern New England.  

    “We’re seeing more robust and interesting packages offered with many ‘extras’ thrown in that are not only appealing to consumers, but also enable them to get significant return on investment for their travel dollars. It’s important for today’s travelers to know what to look for, how to shop for and how to be prepared for booking a trip that suits their travel and budget needs,” he added. 

    Here are some ideas from AAA Travel on dollar-smart ways to travel in today’s challenging economy: 

    Look for travel extras. Today’s consumers are not necessarily seeking the least expensive trip, but are looking to get the most for their travel dollar. To accommodate those needs, some travel providers are even offering ‘extras’ with trips, such as gas cards, extra nights at a hotel, upgrades, etc. Consumers should be on the lookout č and ask for č those extras. 

    Be opportunistic. Many times, the best travel opportunities are discovered at the last minute. For consumers to take advantage of those offers, they need to be prepared for them. Passports can take up to six weeks to secure and with today’s new passport regulations, it’s a good idea to get yours ahead of time. That way, when a good offer comes along you will be able to take full advantage. 

    Maximize the value of the challenged U.S. dollar. Today’s traveler should look for trips that maximize the value of the U.S. dollar. For example, consider going to Europe by cruise ship. With a cruise, costs are paid in advance with U.S. dollars. All onboard meals are included, and the ship is your hotel so you can go from city to city without additional transportation costs. 

    Buy a package deal. While consumers can put together all of the pieces of a trip online, the best packages are typically developed by experienced travel counselors. These experts leverage their knowledge and connections in the business to compile deals that meet the individual’s unique needs. Many packages not only offer savings, but often include extras that heighten the travel experience. 

    Time your trip right. Peak travel time equates to top-tier prices while flexibility leads to savings. Consumers can take advantage of “shoulder seasons”  just before and just after peak travel times č to save money at many desired destinations. 

    Purchase third party trip insurance. Protect your investment. Know what your insurance includes. Be certain default insurance is part of the plan unfortunately, many consumers purchase travel insurance through the vacation provider and aren’t covered if that provider goes out of business. 

    Buy from reputable brands. Another form of “insurance” is to purchase your vacation from a reputable brand. Dependability, consistency and experience are the hallmarks of great brands. Wouldn’t you rather know your vacation provider stands behind you before, during and after your vacation? 

    Find trips that deliver on ‘connectedness.’ Recent studies show that time is “the new currency” and perhaps even more precious for some than money.  That said, today’s time-deprived traveler is often looking for trips that deliver on “quality time” and “connectedness” with friends and family. Travel providers offer many interesting trips ideal for family reunions, family vacations or time away with friends that really deliver on this. Explore the offers that offer something for everyone.

  • “I can’t remember if I cried
    When I read about his widowed bride,
    But something touched me deep inside
    The day the music died.” — Don McLean


        A couple of generations have sang along to the lyrics of American Pie, but few may realize that the lyrics are actually talking about Buddy Holly — an American rock icon.
        Holly, a Texas native, began his career playing bluegrass, but after seeing an Elivs Presley show in 1955, he turned his attention to rock ‘n roll. And he never looked back.
        In the time span of 18 months, Holly became one of the most influential musicians on the rock ’n roll landscape. His life was cut short when a plane he was traveling in crashed in 1959 — the day the music died.
    The Cape Fear Regional Theatre is celebrating the life of Buddy Holly in its river show — Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, playing at Campbellton Landing May 9-25.
        {mosimage}“Buddy died when he was just 22,” said Bo Thorp, the CFRT’s artistic director. “It is so interesting to look at a man who rose that much fame in just three years. He was a ‘my way’ kind of guy. Radio wanted him to play country, but he wanted to play rock ‘n roll – so that’s what he did.”
        Thorp said the production is a lot like a big rock concert. She said that the music, which is used to tell the story, is the music that many people grew up with. “There’s not a song that’s going to be performed that people are not going to know,” she said. “It’s the fabric of a lot of people’s lives.”
        For Baxter Clement, a professional actor and musician who resides in Southern Pines and has the starring role, Buddy Holly’s life is the ultimate rock ‘n roll story. “Elvis came before Buddy, but they were all part of the same thing,” said Clement, who knows a little about rock ‘n roll having been a guitarist in a few bands, and having toured extensively. “It’s remarkable that he had 20 number one hits in that short span of time,” he said. “He broke a lot of barriers down — including racial ones. I’ very glad to be a part of telling the story.”
        Performing in the river show is a first for Clement, who has spent much of his career on Broadway. He noted that he was told up front to bring his allergy medicines, but he’s looking forward to the experience. Clement said that any time you are on stage, you are compelled to give your best. “The excitement that comes from performing, whether it is for 4,000 people a night on Broadway or 400 people at the river show, generates the same energy,” he said.
        For 71st High School drama teacher Mike Jones the river show is also a first; however, he has performed several times at the CFRT. Jones will be play “The Big Bopper” Richardson, who toured with and was killed in the same plane crash as Holly. Jones said the show is “coming together and it’s going to be great.” He likened the relationship between Holly, Richardson and Ritchie Valens to that which has developed between the performers at the CFRT.             “The relationship between the character is very touching,” he said, explaining that he and the cast were forming close working relationships as well.
        He likens the play to a rock ‘n roll festival. “Their deaths were such a touching and traumatic thing,” he said. People loved them then, and they still love them today. They love their music.”
        If you want to take part in this musical extravaganza, you can purchase tickets to dinner, which begins at 7:30 p.m. or tickets for the show only which starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets Range in price from $14 to $27. The show opens on Friday, May 9 and runs Thursday — Sunday through May 25. For more information, call 323-4233.

        Contact Janice Burton at: editor@upandcomingweekly.com 

  • Rated: 3 Stars- Rated: 5 Stars for fans of the comic. 

     

    {mosimage}How doesIron Man (126 minutes) compare to other comic book-inspired movies?  Much better than the last X-Men sequel, better thanFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, better thanSpiderman 3, better than Bryan Singer’sSuperman, and better than Ang Lee’sThe Incredible Hulk.Iron Man told a decent, updated, single hero origin story, focusing on the technical development of the suit, throwing in lots of explosions and cool gadgets. This is a movie with good source material and a practiced lead (Robert Downey Jr.) that tons of people will see more than once in the theaters.  

    Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) inherited Stark Industries from his father, who started the company during World War II. Obadiah Stane (The Dude himself, Jeff Bridges) handles the business side of the company, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow, looking so pretty with freckles) takes care of Tony, and Air Force Lieutenant Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard) acts as Tony’s friend. While Tony drinks, gambles and enjoys the kind of lavish lifestyle that Bruce Wayne would envy, the company exploits his genius for engineering weaponry. Some creative storytelling is employed for the first half of the movie, and Tony ends up in Afghanistan to show a new weapon to the U.S. Air Force. There, a terrorist group led by the clichÄd Raza (Faran Tahir) captures him, and rather than make the weapon they want, Tony manufactures an armored suit in order to escape. After returning to America, Tony makes a surprise announcement and retreats to his laboratory to work in secret. Much of the remaining plot involves Tony learning which of the first billed cast he can trust.

    A ton of writers worked on the final version, which is usually a flashing red danger sign. However, there are surprisingly few plot holes, and some witty dialogue. Downey Jr., unlike many of the newcomers who suit up to play comic characters, can really act. Jon Favreau displays a light hand with material that could easily turn campy. He deftly updates an origin story, trimming away the soap opera fat that so frequently bogs down such classic Stan Lee material, without sacrificing main character development or comic book style fun.

    So why the three-star rating? Well, the villain, although well played, is not given enough to do. The character just doesn’t seem all that tough, and plays his hand a little too early in the film. Perhaps the writers or the director didn’t give the audience credit for intelligence enough to follow the plot and character development. Rather than letting the actor work the material, the character just lingers in corners laughing evilly. Go watch how Bryan Singer developed Magneto in the originalX-Men movie! And is it too much to ask that Rhodes, the single nonwhite character, get something to do other than set up Downey Jr. for his one-liners? We won’t even get into Paltrow’s version of Pepper Potts, true to the original character as she may be. Couldn’t the writers empower Pepper? She crushes on a guy who sleeps around with random women and can’t even remember her birthday, runs around in high heels and can’t seem to make decisions. The worst kind of female sidekick! All in all, I’ve seen worse.  A note to the mega-fans ╔ watch the credits. You won’t be sorry. 

  • {mosimage}Western North Carolina is as beautiful a landscape as any in the world. It is as if God himself instructed the Department of Transportation to build some of the finest motorcycling roads in the country there.

    I was recently invited to join a small group of guys from the Joint Communications Unit at Fort Bragg and spend a four-day weekend in western North Carolina. I love any reason to go to the mountains; plus camping and motorcycling... well that is just fun. My traveling buddies were Jay, Del, John and O.T. Our Destination? Bryson City. 

    To keep the cost down it was decided we’d camp out. The trip was planned out like a true military operation to include responsibilities, cost, times, locations, routes, riders’ positions and speeds. The forecast for the trip was 70 percent chance of rain for each day. This could have been a show stopper but we pressed ahead with the trip.

    After the first leg Friday, we arrived at the Deep Creek Campground and set up camp. The guys went to work and Jay and I went to the store to buy food. We made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner and pancakes and ham for breakfast. The weather was nice the first two nights. The stars were bright and shining. The warmth of the campfire and the sound of the creek beside us made it just peaceful.

    For the Saturday leg the focus was the Blue Ridge Parkway. We arrived at the highest peak of the Blue Ridge, Mount Mitchell, where the altitude is 6,053 feet. If you have never ridden that part of the country you have to be prepared for everything. The climate will change in moments. You have to be prepared for all weather conditions.

    We eventually ended in Asheville because the Blue Ridge was closed due to a rock slide and roadway failure around Mount Mitchell State Park. We returned to camp and O.T. and I decided to go over to the Cherokee Survivors Motorcycle Rally. Total miles that day were 235.

    That night we decided to go for pizza at Anthony’s Pizza! A great break from camp chow. Our next destination was Deal’s Gap to ride the Tail of the Dragon. If you are not familiar with the Dragon, it has 318 curves on 11 miles. When we got there we hit a big storm. We rode the Dragon but it was just a hateful ride because of the rain and lack of visibility. We went on into Tennessee and looped around Fontana Lake to the Cherohala Skyway and the rain began to lift. While heading back to camp, Jay suggested we go back to the Dragon for another try. This time the ride was a blast and we found dryer conditions. We concluded the day with 230 miles under our belts.

    We got rain the last night and it continued into the following morning.We arrived back in Fayetteville with a total of 1,130 miles under our belts in just four days. We spent a total of $244 for the weekend.

    The worst part of the trip was the day after we got home. My heart was longing for the road, my body was missing the adrenaline surge, my lungs were hungry for the fresh mountain air and my soul missed my new found riding buddies. 

    If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, please send your comments and suggestions to motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE!

  •     Marcela Casals grew up steeped in the traditions of theater. As a young girl in Argentina, her mother was an actress, her father an art photographer who also directed theater.
        “My aunt, who lived with us, was an opera singer so I was always, always in the theater somehow,” said Casals. “I swore I would never do that. The only thing I liked doing on stage was dancing.”  {mosimage}
        Lucky for her audiences, that is not how things turned out. Casals’ family emigrated to the U.S. and eventually settled in Los Angeles where she ventured into premed and architecture before taking up the family trade in earnest. She made her way to Fayetteville via her soldier husband and has been a steady force in the local theaters since the early 1990s.    
        Casals’ latest adventure in theater is the award winning Broadway musical Cabaret, based on Joe Masteroff’s book. She is directing the production for the Gilbert Theater. As Casals tells of her love of theater, she sings the praises of the actors and promises an exciting time for the audience.
        “At the Gilbert we use all local talent. Really, we have so much talent here,” said Casals. “It is a fabulous cast. The voices are really wonderful.”
        Cabaret is a dark musical. “It is not all about lovely things,” said Casals. “It is pre-Hitler Germany. The scene is set in 1930s Berlin. Times were tough then; the post World War I circumstances had citizens literally bringing wheel barrels full of money to the bakery to buy a loaf of bread.
        “It really was a difficult time and in the cabarets the men and women were trying their best not to go hungry.” said Casals. “If they couldn’t find true happiness at least they could pretend that there was such a thing.”   
        Being a showgirl was much better than just being a plain old prostitute. And if you met somebody who showered you with baubles and clothes and a place to stay you weren’t hungry. But Hitler was trying to create his master race. He was closing cabarets left and right. “They were filled with the kind of people that they were persecuting, and anybody who even resembled a gypsy or a Jew or who was in their estimation, immoral. Actresses have always been considered immoral and club dancers have always been considered immoral, but back then a lot of women didn’t have a lot of options open to them,” explained Casals. “And that is just what Kit Kat Klub performer Sally finds out. Although she is taken in by an American writer, overpowering circumstances make it difficult for their love to last.”
        Performances are June 5-8, 13-15 and 20-22. Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. All other performances start at 8 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes before the show. Tickets are $12.
        “I guess basically what I want to say is for people who do come out to Cabaret — they will have a great time. Yes, there are some very serious things dealt with, but it is going to be great,” said Casals.
    For reservations call 678-7186 or email gilberttheater@aol.com.

  • 05122010curry-iso-2.jpgAs the 209-2010 Cumberland County Concert Series comes to a close the North Carolina Symphony will perform at Reeves Auditorium on May 20 at 8 p.m. and Resident Conductor William Henry Curry is looking forward to the performance.

    “Fayetteville is a great place to play,” said Curry. “We have a long history of being down there and I think that the audiences have been very supportive of us.”

    This time around Curry has three lovely pieces planned for the concert goers, two of them are works that he has not conducted before. Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man opens the show and lasts about three minutes.

    “Copland is perhaps our country’s greatest composer of orchestral music,” said Curry. “I worked with him a couple of times in my career. It was a real honor. He was a very helpful, very influential person in my life. His Fanfare for the Common Man was written during World War II. The title is inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s phrase ‘God must have loved the common man because he made so many of them.’”

    Howard Hanson’s Symphony #2 follows. A contemporary of Copland, Hanson was part of the first generation of American symphonists —   men who were born at the turn of the 20th century and were teachers... administrators. They were some of the first American composers to be heard in Europe.

    “Europeans thought that American orchestral music was kind of an oxymoron until people like Copland, Hanson and Gershwin changed their minds,” said Curry. “This piece was immediately popular from the first performance. I had a good friend who conducted it all over Europe in the 1980’s and he was stunned by the response.”

    Musically conservative for the time in which it was written, Symphony #2, which Hanson subtitled “Romantic,” is described by Curry as melodic, lyrical, effusive and impassioned. This musical nod to American composers is inspired by the fact that Curry has spent the past six years focusing on Russian and German romantics.

    “I noticed that over the last 10 years some of the American romantic works have been neglected and I realized that I’ve been neglecting them, too,” said Curry. “It is part of my own artistic vision now, over the next few years, to go back and redo some of these pieces. Because they are not cutting edge they tend to be overlooked these days.”

    The concert ends with Tchaikovsky’s 3rd Symphony. This piece is also very melodic. One of the top five most often performed, most popular composers (think Nutcracker and 1812 Overture) Tchaikovsky created wonderful and exciting piece in this symphony.

    “Anyone that likes Russian romantic music and knows his other pieces will definitely enjoy this piece,” said Curry. This piece is nicknamed Polish for the fact that in the last movement the rhythm is based on a Polish dance called the Polacca.

    All in all Curry Expects to deliver and well rounded repertoire.“It is a very popular program of American music from the grandfathers and deans of American orchestral music of the 20th century,” said Curry. “As well as one of the more beloved composers of all time.”

    Visit www.ncsymphony.org for more information or to purchase tickets.

  •     The Braxton Bragg AUSA Chapter of the Association of the United States Army will host a “Welcome Home Heroes” celebration on May 10, 2008. The event is free to the public and is especially designed for soldiers/airman and their families. It will also honor and host several Fort Bragg Wounded Warriors.
        {mosimage}Gates to Festival Park will open at 1 p.m. Beginning at 2 p.m. there will be music, activities and food and beverage concessions for the crowd to enjoy. The Cape Fear Kiwanis will provide free ice cream for the children.
        The afternoon is filled with several fun and festive events to create a patriotic and celebratory family atmosphere for all.
        A highlight will be the opening ceremony at 4:30 p.m. with the Green Beret Parachute Team jumping in a giant American flag. The crowd will be asked to sing the National Anthem making it one of Fayetteville’s largest choirs of all time
        At 5 p.m., Morris Cardenas and the Borderland Band will open for multiple Grammy award winner, Lonestar.               Lonestar will take the stage around 7p.m.
        Below is a tentative schedule of the afternoon’s events:
        1 p.m. Festival Park opens to the public
        2 p.m. Vendors and Activities open.
        4 p.m. – 5 p.m.  Opening Ceremonies:
        Welcome by Braxton Bragg AUSA President Elect Scott Thein
        Junior ROTC Color Guard to Post Colors in front of the stage
        Green Beret Parachute Team will jump into Festival Park with an oversized American Flag.
        Singing of the National Anthem
        The Village Christian Student Choir will kick off the music with several patriotic songs.
        5 p.m.  6:30 p.m. Morris Cardenas and the Borderland Band
        6:30 p.m. AUSA along with Powers Swain Chevrolet and Reed-Lallier Chevrolet will present a $50,000 check in         support of the Fort Bragg Wounded Warrior program.
        7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Lonestar
        8:30 p.m. Closing Remarks by AUSA President-Elect, Scott Thein.


  • {mosimage}Mike Mushok, lead guitarist for Staind, doesn’t believe in standing still.

    Mushok promises an “evolution” on the group’s new, though as-yet-untitled CD, which the band is touring in support of. The band will visit the Crown Coliseum on May 16 for the front leg of its tour.

    “We should be finished with the CD by the time we get to Fayetteville,” said Mushok. “It’s definitely a step ahead for us. The songs really came together.

    “And even though it’s different, it still rocks,” added Mushok, “and I don’t think our hardcore fans will be disappointed.”

    Mushok cites the presence of producer Johnny K. for the slightly new direction of the CD; this was the first time Johnny K. produced Staind, though he has worked with a diverse group of musicians, including Disturbed, 3 Doors Down, the Plain White T’s and Finger 11.

    “He brought some innovations to the studio,” said Mushok.

    One should expect innovation from Mushok, who definitely breaks the preconceived idea of the guitar hero when you learn that he graduated from Western New England University with a degree in electrical engineering, which makes him perhaps the first or second most educated rock guitarist in the world č when you throw Queen’s Brian May and his degree in astrophysics into the mix.

    Mushok started Staind when he met current lead singer Aaron Lewis at a Christmas party in 1993.

    “It was fate because I’d been trying to find a lead singer for so long,” said Mushok. “Of course, it was like, ‘Here’s a another guy at a party who thinks he can sing,’ but obviously, the kid could, and can, sing his ass off.” 

    Mushok brought in drummer Jon Wysocki and Lewis knew a bass player (who has since been replaced) and Staind was off and running.

    Or rather, Stain was.

    “Yeah, our original name was Stain,” said Mushok, “but we found out there was another band with the same name, so we added the ‘d.’”

    Four years after that 1993 meeting between Mushok and Lewis, Staind began building its rep in the music world... thanks in large part to a would-be showdown between the band and Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit over the choice of cover art employed by Staind on their first, self-released CD,Tormented

    Staind was opening for Limp Bizkit in 1997 when Durst became irate at what he called the “satanic” cover art and threw the disc at the band and walked away.

    But after he heard them play a 45-minute set, Durst changed his tune and helped get them a record deal and a spot on the Vans Warped Tour. Their first album for Elektra,Dysfunctional, was well received when it was released in 1999, but the band’s real breakthrough came with the 2001 follow-up,Break the Cycle, which hit No. 1 on the charts and produced such hit singles asIt’s Been Awhile,Fade,EpiphanyandFor You.

    Since then, the group’s 2002 MTV DVDUnpluggedwent gold and two subsequent albums,4 Shades of Grey andChapter V, both topped the charts.

    Local fans of Staind are lucky in that they are catching the band at the very front of its tour, before the group gets worn down by the constant touring č touring which Mushok says can last between 18 and 20 months.

    “After awhile, all the towns we play become one big blur,” Mushok said. “And even though I know Fayetteville is in North Carolina, because I have a friend who lives there č his dad is in the military č and we’ve played there twice, I got a little confused when someone mistakenly told me we were playing in Fayetteville, Ala.

    “I’m looking forward to playing in the North Carolina version of Fayetteville,” said Mushok. “I think we’re going to give the fans a great show.”

    The concert is May 16 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35, $42 and $45; members of the military get a $5 discount with ID.

  •     {mosimage}There’s a phrase a lot of politicians love to use when talking about Fort Bragg.It goes something like this: “When the nation dials 9-1-1, the phone rings at Fort Bragg. That’s not too far from the truth. Since World War II, Fort Bragg has been the home to some of America’s finest — and the 82nd Airborne Division ranks right at up there at the top.
        On Thursday, May 22, 82nd Paratroopers past and present will gather for one of the most moving ceremonies in our town’s collective history — the All American Review — in celebration of All American Week on Fort Bragg. The annual event was canceled last year due to the deployment of the division. This year, with all but one brigade returned from war, the 82nd will celebrate and pay homage to its past and present in a week-full of events, with the review taking center stage.
        The review brings veterans of all ages to Pike Field for a moving ceremony. Proud young men, fresh from war, will walk in step with the men who fought before them. Grey-haired veterans, some with canes will stand a little straighter and march a little quicker in the company of heroes.
    This year’s event will draw national attention as the troops will pass in review not only to the eyes of the division commander, but also the Commander In Chief, as President George W. Bush makes a visit to Fort Bragg to thank the troops for their service to the nation. While on Bragg, the president will also meet with families who have lost loved ones in the war.
        The review begins at 10 a.m. at Pike Field. The review will bring together more than 14,000 troopers and veterans. Follwing the review, a memorial service will be held at 12:30 p.m. at the 82nd Airborne Division Museum on Ardennes Street.
  •     {mosimage}Special Forces soldiers are thought by many to be some of the “baddest” warriors in the world. So it would stand to reason that when choosing a band to headline their annual fund-raising concert, the Special Forces Association would choose like company. So it is with great pride, they announce that Brian Howe, the former lead singer of Bad Company, one of the “baddest” bands in rock ‘n’ roll history, will headline the May 31 concert.
        The concert, at Festival Park, will feature live music all day long. Local Fayetteville bands have volunteered their time and talent to raise funds to help the SF Association fulfill one of its primary goals: taking care of the soldiers and their families.
        According to Jim Sawyer, president of Chapter C of the SF Association — the guys behind the concert — the SF Association puts its efforts into taking care of its own. The 501(C ) 3 nonprofit, raises funds for a variety of uses. One of the primary uses is to provide scholarships for the children of fallen soldiers. Related to that area, the organization will also award scholarships to the spouses of fallen soldiers. By gaining a degree, these spouses are better able to take care of their families in the absence of their spouses.
        The organization also provides money in emergency situations, which allows families of soldiers wounded in the war to travel to be with the injured soldier or to help meet their financial needs. In some instances the organization uses funds they raise to help retrofit the homes of soldiers who may have lost limbs while in the line of duty. Sawyer noted that money raised goes directly to support the SF soldier or, in the case of his death, his family.
        The organization has held similar concerts in years past, but on a much smaller scale. This year, they are pulling out all of the stops to offer Fayetteville one rocking weekend. Previous events have been held in area bars, but the move to Festival Park makes the event more family-oriented. In addition to the live music, which will begin at 11 and run throughout the day, there will also be a bike show  for bikes with motors and for kids who are encouraged to bring out their bikes without motors. Food vendors, as well as other vendors, will also be on hand to feed your hunger, while the musicians feed your need to rock.
        Local bands rallying to the cause of the organization include: Ethan Hanson, Donnaha Station, Superdrive, Fall in Two, Stronghold and Motorjunkie. Each of the bands brings its own style to the stage, with Donnaha Station reaching back to rocks roots, while Hanson brings a more mellow sound to the stage. Motorjunkie, Superdrive and Stronghold will rock the stage, all leading up to the big event at 9 p.m.
        Howe, the former lead singer of Bad Company, will take the stage and take the crowd back to the golden age of rock. Bad Company, an English blues rock supergroup came to international attention in the ‘70s under the directions of Peter Grant, the guiding hand behind Led Zeppelin. The band gained popularity throughout the ‘70s on into the ‘80s. In 1986, the band began to break apart from the inside and the members agreed to go their separate ways. As was the case with the mega rock bands of the era, the parting was not necessarily cordial, and involved a rather one-sided physical altercation between members of the band.
        Enter Howe. Howe came to national fame under the tutelage of rock’s wildman Ted Nugent. Nugent, the Motor City Madman, tapped Howe to sing lead vocals on his album Penetrator in 1983. A few years later, two of the original members of Bad Company — Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke — decided to reunite and tapped Howe to step in as the front man, replacing Paul Rodgers.
        Howe stayed with the band throughout the ‘80s and into the early 1990s. Howe’s lead brought more of a pop-rock sound to the band, and during his tenure with the band sold more than 19 million albums, featuring songs co-written by Howe and producer Terry Thomas. When the band broke up, Howe noted, “Leaving Bad Company was not a difficult decision. It had got to the point where nobody was contributing anything to songwriting and quite frankly, the band was getting very sloppy live.”
        While Howe has been working on his own music, much of the show will feature classic Bad Company songs.
    In addition to the music, a number of special events have been scheduled throughout the day, including kids events featuring Captain Jim the Magician, jugglers and face painters. There will also be several raffles including a 2008 Chevy Silverado, a Fender Stratocaster, a Smith & Wesson .45, a mountain bike and much more.
        The daylong event begins at 11 a.m., with advance tickets costing $17 at ticketalternative.com or $20 at the gate.
        For more information, call 309-0888 or visit www.upandcomingweekly.com.
  • uac051210001.jpg Some people might consider the number 13 unlucky. But not the staff and sponsors of Fayetteville After 5. They all agree that 13 will be a lucky number, as they prepare to kick-off the 13th Annual Fayetteville After 5 Concert Series on May 20 at 5:30 p.m.

    “This is our 13th year of putting on the series, and our third year at Festival Park,” said Michelle Horne, of the Fayetteville Museum of Art. “We also hold it on the third Thursday of every month.”

    With a trifecta of threes and a successful equation for the event, Horne and company are looking for this year’s series to be even better than the past 12. And that’s saying a lot.

    “The event has always proven very successful, and we plan on following a similar model from the previous years,” she said. “We will still have local bands opening before our featured band. We will continue to have our Young at Art tent, which will allow children to experience art by doing hands-on projects.”

    Horne said that having the local musicians open allows the community the opportunity to hear the musicians who play here on a regular basis, but also gives the musicians a chance to expand their fan base. The art tent helps bring a family flavor to the event.

    As in years past, there will also be food vendors on hand to feed the body, once the music and the art have fed your soul. Horne said that the museum is still taking applications for vendors, and that she hopes to expand the offerings from last year.

    “Last year we added Chick-Fil-A, and we hope to add even more vendors this year,” said Horne. “We hope to have enough variety so that people can bring their families out, eat dinner and spend the evening in the park listening to the music.”

    The museum is also still accepting applications from community organizations that wish to participate in the event. She noted that the fi rst event will be held in conjunction with the 31 Days of Glory events going on throughout May, and that she hopes that organizations involved in those events will take the chance to come out and support the community’s military heroes. 051210-blackpink.gif

    While fun and community are what drives the success of Fayetteville After 5, it is also an important fund-raising event for the museum. On an annual basis, the event raises between $15,000 and $18,000 for the museum.

    “It is a considerable fund-raiser for us,” said Horne, “but it is a community event fi rst and foremost for us and the other sponsors.”

    She noted that the funds raised during the event help the museum to continue its programming in the community.

    The event would not be successful without a talented lineup of performers, and this year’s lineup isn’t too shabby. Kicking-off the series is the legendary beach band The Tams.

    The Tams were formed in Atlanta, Ga., in 1962. Its members were Joseph Pope and Charles Pope (founders), Horace Key, Floyd Ashton and Robert Lee Smith. In the beginning, they sang and danced as a way of having fun and to escape their circumstances, hoping to make at least a little money. The group began performing in local night spots for $1.25 each. These small wages only allowed for them to purchase matching Tam O’shanter hats to wear while on stage. From this trademark, the legendary Tams name was born.

    The Tams hard work, patience and perseverance eventually paid off when they were signed to Arlen Records and had their fi rst Billboard hit in 1962, the single “Untie Me,” which was number 12 on the R&B chart. In 1963, ABC Records signed them and their fi rst album produced a Top 10 hit, “What Kind of Fool.” They began playing throughout the country and a string of hits followed. These included “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy,” “I’ve Been Hurt” and “Hey Girl.” Since then, they have released more than 15 albums and been honored with one Platinum and two Gold records. They have toured and recorded with Jimmy Buffet and performed with such greats as Gladys Knight, Jackie Wilson and many more. They have received the title “Beach Band of the Decade” and have been inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame, the Atlanta Hall of Fame and the Beach Music Hall of Fame. The Tams are still recording today and have recently released their latest singles “My Main Squeeze” and “This Love Will Last” from their newest CD The Tams Comin’ At Cha’.

    The Coconut Groove Band, Suicide Blonde, the Craig Woolard Band and the Chairmen of the Board will round out the series in the coming months.

    Beach bands draw huge crowds to the event, and the sponsors hope the lineup will get people into the park and up on their feet dancing.

    Sponsors for this year’s series are Harris Wholesale, Up & Coming Weekly, Rock 103, Magic 106.9, Q98 and the Fayetteville Observer.

    For more information, visit the museum’s Web site at www. fayettevillemuseumart.org.

  •     Since last fall, the Homebuilders Association has taken the lead in welcoming the soldiers and airmen from Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base home. Operation Welcome Home is designed to bring the soldiers and their families together for one big fun event that gives the community the opportunity to show them exactly how much they care.
        The fourth iteration of Operation Welcome Home is slated for Saturday, May 10 at 7 p.m. at the Crown Coliseum. Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division will be honored at a Fayetteville Guard arena football game.{mosimage}
        Billy Hylton, the president of the Fayetteville Homebuilders Association, said the organization will once again be{mosimage} purchasing 5,000 tickets for the soldiers and their families. In the past, events have revolved around Fireantz hockey. This is the first Operation Welcome Home football game. The Fayetteville Guard, Fayetteville’s arena football team, will be taking on the Augusta Colts. To date, the Guard has a 1-4 record.     So come cheer on the soldiers and the home team.
        Throughout the evening, the soldiers and their families will be honored in a number of ways, including the presentation of a special coin to each soldier.
        Hylton said the homebuilders took on this event to recognize the importance of the military in our community and the respect the community has for their dedication and sacrifice. Each of the preceding events has had record attendance, but has yet to be a sellout. Hylton hopes this event will be the sellout.
        “We’ve been talking with the 82nd command for some time and they are excited about participating and being a part of this event,” he said. “We want all of the soldiers to come out to the football game and have a great time.”
    Commanders of the 82nd will be on had to welcome the soldiers home and to share in the evening with the community. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the game can be purchased at the Crown Box Office, and range in price from $8 for children up to $32 for adults.

        Contact Janice Burton at: editor@upandcomingweekly.com

  • {mosimage}Indie Band “The Never” is set to play at the Fayetteville Museum of Art for their premiere party “Fused & Divided, Life & Art.” The shindig is Friday, May 16th at 6 p.m. The event is free, includes swanky snacks, adult beverages, fantastic art č and the best yet č The Never. Daytrotter.com called them a “spry vigor band with much wisdom” with the interview as evidence below. Jonny, rhythm section and singer in the band, decided to delve deep into The Never’s history, their mission, and their passion for music & our homečEarth.

     If you only had two words to describe your band, what would they be; why?

    “Folk Art. It’s really hard to describe what we do. We add a lot of theatre ideas into our shows č whether it’s a light show or performing at an outdoor movie theatre with artwork from our last record projected behind us on the silver screen. Our new record will have a ‘lil bit of a folk feel with loud bombastic moments bursting thru the quieter parts.”

    Who came up with the name and why do you think it fits your band?

    “Finding a name for your artistic outlet is a really awkward thing to do.╩ Especially for us because we don’t really have a set idea for what our band is musically and there’s so many other things that we’d like to do under that name. But the definition of “The Never” is from a Stephen King novel and is reference to “the time before time began.” It’s kind of epic in a way. Seemed to fit what we do but also not limit us to your expectations upon first hearing it.”

    Give me a “The Never” history lesson, how did you guys get started?

    “We’ve got a long history... the short of it is... Joah my brother, and we were in a group called Vibrant Green with our oldest brother and we began doing shows with a friends who were also from Pittsboro. Our bands fell apart within the same month so we kind of formed like voltron and it worked! Vibrant green is still an active band on our label! We first signed to Morisen Records out of Charlotte and released one record with them and dropped them after that because they wanted rights to our publishing. We didn’t feel comfortable with that so we kind of mutually dropped one another. We then signed with Trekky Records in Chapel Hill and releasedAntarctica, our story book record, and have worked with Trekky Records ever since. We are completely content and have been touring for past two years.”

    Who does The Never look to for inspiration č who do you think did it better before you?╩

    “So many people deserve our respect... Arcade Fire is doing great things right now musically while also inspiring a whole new generation to better their living conditions č whether that be politically or just as simple as supporting your local farmers that you buy your food from. We also take heed of older artists like Harry Nilsson and Elvis Costello. A lot of my friends think it’s cheesy but I love U2 and what they stand for. They try to teach people through their art and challenge them to think. Seriously, Africa needs our help, but it seems we’d rather “liberate” countries who don’t even want to be liberated.”

    The Never has an obvious connection with art č the album Antarctica was released with an illustrated storybook. Can you detail more about this relationship and how it affects the band’s work?

    “Our guitarist is an amazing painter and Joah and I would love to see him do more work. Our records are a great way to include that talent and in the future we’d like to have more of what we can offer brought into our group’s work č all three of us have been involved in theatre at some point and would like to bring that aspect of teaching thru art to our performances.”

    Can you explain the Anarctica concept and theme, if there is one?

    “It’s a storybook album: a full length CD literally coupled with a fully illustrated storybook by guitarist Noah Smith. The story is centered on a young, naive boy named Paul and his journey to find the owner of a large bomb he finds near his home in the country. Antarctica is a plea for everyone young and old to remember the simple things of childhood. The book also serves as a reminder to appreciate our world and the beauty it has to offer.”

    Why should people get off their butts and check out the Never at the FMoA?

    “First off you’ll be supporting a great local arts venue like the FMoA. Secondly we like to chill with cool people! Thirdly, there’s alcohol... and that’s always fun. Music, good vibes, and art!”

    Sounds like reason enough to me. Be sure to check out The Never at the Fayetteville Museum of Art, May 16th, from 6-8pm. Get more information about the band at www.thenever.org and about the art at www.fayettevillemuseumart.org.

  •     The second annual XTERRA Smith Lake Triathlon Event will be held on Sunday, May 25 at 8 a.m. at Smith Lake. The event is free and open to the public.
        “We are projecting 200 participants,” said Marilyn Flynn, manager of Smith Lake Recreation Area. “The XTERRA is a national event that consists of a point system race.”
        {mosimage}Participants represent various parts of the world, including New Zealand and California, and travel to participate in the triathlon event. The XTERRA American tour consists of more than 50 races in the United States. Amateur competitors compete in up to three events to earn points toward an XTERRA Regional Championship title. The title earns an invitation to compete for a national title at the XTERRA USA Championship in Lake Tahoe, Nev. Top finishers in regional and national championships are invited to compete at the XTERRA World Championship in Maui, Hawaii. 
        The three components of the race are the 1,000-meter swim, 18-mile mountain bike ride and a 3.2-mile trail run. It is an offroad multisport event.
        The XTERRA Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to help at-risk elementary through high school students get a better start through mentoring programs and scholarships. The organization introduces students to sports and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Its mission is to make the world a better place by planting seeds of hope and opportunity.                                                                                                                        Sponsors for the event include XTERRAGear.com, Rodale and Gu Energy Gel.
    “We are accepting volunteers to help with the race,” said Flynn. “We invite the community to support this spectacular event.”
        Participants must register at www.active.com. The cost is $70 per person (USAP members) and $80 (non-members) and $120 for a two-person relay team. For more information call 396-5979 or visit www.fortbraggmwr.com.

  • 17 CharlieCharlie Daniels is a name most people in this part of the country instantly recognize. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to find a corner of this nation where people are not at least familiar with the titan of country music and his smash 1979 country rock single, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” June 1, The Charlie Daniels Band brings the Southern Uprising Tour to North Carolina for one night to play a show at Fayetteville’s CrownTheater.

    Daniels is 81 years old this year, but he shows no signs of slowing down. Since his self-titled, debut album was released in 1971, Daniels has been zig-zagging all over the United States. In all that time, he has fallen in love with America over and over. When asked what his favorite place is to visit while out on the road, Daniels said, “I love it all. I love this nation. I like to play anywhere I can get grits for breakfast.” He laughed and continued, “Give me a stage and a room full of people, and I’m ready to rock.”

    For Daniels, North Carolina is home. He was born in 1936 in Wilmington, North Carolina, and the state remains a source of inspiration for him. “That’s where my dream started,” he said. While he was a teenager in North Carolina, he learned his first three-chord song on guitar. “I learned to play on an old guitar. Once I could play the G/C/D chords, I could play a whole song, and that was the most exciting thing to happen to me. After I learned those three chords on a guitar, I wanted nothing more than to be a professional musician. All of that started back there in Carolina.”

    The Charlie Daniels Band is not alone on the Southern Uprising Tour. The Marshall Tucker Band, longtime friends of Daniels, is also on the bill.

    Daniels reminisced about the time he met The Marshall Tucker Band: “I met Marshall Tucker Band in about 1973 or ’74. We were playing a show together in Nashville.”

    Daniels said he walked into their dressing room and made a joke about their junior high school in Spartanburg, South Carolina. “Big ole smiles broke out on their faces,” he said. “We just hit it off. ”The two bands have been frequent tour companions ever since.

    Daniels promises the people of Fayetteville and the surrounding areas a great show. He has built his career on entertaining his audiences. When asked if he would like to say anything to the people of Fayetteville, he said, “Come let us entertain you. That’s what we’re about. From the time we hit the stage to the time we leave, that’s what we do. Playing music is a pure joy to us, but it wouldn’t be a joy if it weren’t for you.”

    The Southern Uprising Tour marks the end of the 82nd season of Community Concerts in Fayetteville. Community Concerts prides itself in bringing notable entertainment to the community. The organization also awards college music scholarship seach year to promising local high school graduates.

    Community Concerts also produces the Fayetteville Music Hall of Fame.This year’s inductees to the Hall of Fame are Buck Hodge, the minister of music at Northwood Temple Church, and Bill Ayerbe of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra.

    Tickets for The Charlie Daniels Band with The Marshall Tucker Band at the Crown Theater range in price from $35 to $100 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at www.CapeFearTix.com or by phone at 888-257-6208. Additionally, tickets can be purchased at the Crown Complex Box Office and the Leisure Travel Office located on Fort Bragg. The concert is scheduled for Friday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m.

  • 05122010walk-ms-2010-wallpaper_final-a.jpgIn 1945 a small ad appeared in the New York Times. It read “Multiple Sclerosis. Will anyone recovered from it please communicate with patient.”

    Sylvia Lawry placed the ad because her brother had been diagnosed with MS and the family was frustrated by the lack of treatment options available. While no one came forward with a treatment option, the number of people who also came forward because of their frustrations was so large that in 1946 the National Multiple Sclerosis Society was created.

    The organization has invested more than $600 million into research, according to its Web site. This has led to the development of six approved disease modifying drugs, genetic research, experimental treatments and breakthroughs in potential therapies.

    The National MS Society claims that there are almost 5,000 people living with MS in North Carolina, and approximately 400,000 suffering from this disease in the U.S.

    This year Walk MS is seeking to raise $800,000 to fund cutting-edge research and life-changing programs and services. The Fayetteville area Walk MS event is trying to bring in $55,000. They haven’t lost sight of the fact that this is an opportunity to have a good time though.

    “The best thing is that this is a great family event,” said Fayetteville MS Walk Coordinator Elizabeth Jones. “Bring kids. Dogs are welcome. We’ll have live entertainment. It is a big festival atmosphere — there is a big playground for kids to play, teams have the option to set up a team tent and bring their own food and drink and celebrate that way.”

    The Fayetteville Walk for MS will be at Honeycutt Park on May 15 moving out to make a difference. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The walk starts at 10 a.m. Jersey Mike’s will provide lunch.

    Unlike many races, there is no registration fee to enter, but volunteers are encouraged to go out and fund raise for the cause. Sixty percent of the funds raised will go toward programs, services and advocacy for North Carolinians with MS. The other 40 percent is used for research in the fight against MS

    “Our mission statement for the walk is that it truly is the rallying point for the MS movement because so many people who do have MS participate in this event,” said Jones. “Our statistics show that about 94 - 95 percent of the people who participate either have MS or a close personal friend or family member with MS. It is truly mission driven and is meant to be a celebration and a rally.”

    For more information on how you can help call (919) 792-1011.

  • 12 Kiwanis talent nightAs a community, Fayetteville offers a variety of artistic outlets for its youth – dance schools, theaters, musical organizations and more. Every year, the Kiwanis Club of Fayetteville hosts an event that lets these young performers share their talents with the community. The Kiwanis Club of Fayetteville presents its 67th Kiwanis Talent Night Saturday, June 9, at 7 p.m. at Cape Fear Regional Theatre.

    “The Fayetteville Kiwanis Club has used this particular event not only to give children a chance to perform, but also to raise money for the other children/community-related events they support throughout the year,” said Bill Bowman, chairman of the production committee. “The Fayetteville Kiwanis Club has 33 different committees, which is more committees than some clubs have members, and each one of them participates in helping this community and recognizes the potential of children.”

    The event will feature special guest appearances. The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival Queens will share insightful messages with the students. Jeremy Ruiz, magician, will perform magical acts.

    “The money that we are raising actually goes back to the children to help them pursue whatever their endeavor is,” said Bowman. “Right now, the entire show will have about 26 participants in all four categories, which are K-2, 3-5, middle and high school.”

    The overall showcase winner will receive a trophy and $200. The first-place winner in each division will receive a trophy and $100; the second place winner in each division will receive a trophy and $50; and the third-place winner in each division will receive a trophy and $25. Four $150 music scholarships will be awarded for voice, strings, piano and band instrument.

    “The music scholarships will allow the student to go to the camp of their choice,” said Bowman. “We leave the scholarships open so they can apply the scholarship to whatever camp they choose to attend during the summer.”

    Bowman added the music scholarships are sponsored by Rocket Fizz and Wendy’s restaurants. The businesses helped promote the program through all of their stores. The Kiwanis Club worked with Cumberland County Schools to contact art, music and dance teachers to get the word out about the talent showcase.

    “What makes this event exciting is that we have had children like Grady Bowman, Brooke McLaurin and Victoria Huggins start with the Kiwanis Talent Night and (go) on to do really great things,” said Bowman. “We look forward to this event and hope the public turns out to see these remarkable children.”

    Tickets cost $8 at the door. For more information, call 910-391-3859.

  • 01 coverOnce a year, Festival Park in downtown Fayetteville comes alive with the annual Blues n-Brews Festival, which features some of the best blues music and beer in the region. The Blues-n-Brews festival benefits the Cape Fear Regional Theatre. All the proceeds from the festival go toward helping CFRT realize its mission. According to Liz Thompson, development director of CFRT, many people who attend the festival each year do not even realize that the event helps CFRT continue to serve the community through its many productions and programs. Funds raised through the one day music festival go toward arts education, theater camps, production budgets as well as general operating costs for the theater. This year’s festival is slated for June 2 and promises to offer an interesting new spin on what has become one of the area’s premier events over the last 16 years.

    Thompson describes Blues-n-Brews as “a one day festival benefiting CFRT where around 3,000 people come together and taste the best beer in the region and jam to the hottest blues in the area.” General admission to Blues-n-Brews includes five hours of live blues music, a souvenir sampling glass and unlimited beer tastings from nearly 30 different breweries, including some local and regional favorites.

    There will also be a plethora of local food trucks and other vendors on hand. Thompson noted, “We are still making some tweaks, but the full brewery and vendor lineup is available online at bnb.cfrt.org”

    While the festival promises the same quality interms of its musical acts and beer selection, longtime patrons of Blues-n-Brews will notice something new about the event. According to Thompson, “This year, we decided to do something a little different and give the festival a theme.” That theme is “Music City,” and it ties in directly to CFRT’s 2018-19 season.

    Thompson explained the tie-in: “Next year, the theater’s season opens with a new musical entitled ‘Music City,’ which tells the story of three young songwriters trying to make it in Nashville. We thought this offered a unique opportunity to brand the festival as ‘Blues-n-Brews: Music City Edition.’” Thompson went on to explain, “Patrons can expect some great blues but with a little more of a country spin.”

    The festival boasts a strong lineup of musical acts that will provide the soundtrack to the afternoon. The general festival opens with a performance by Nattalyee Randall, a veteran of the stage who played both Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone inproductions at the North Carolina Theater. Patrons of the arts in Fayetteville will recognize her from CFRT’s production of “Dreamgirls.” “Nattalyee is a vocal powerhouse,” said Thompson. “She will be singing the blues standards that everyone knows and recognizes.” The Tom Euler Band, which plays progressive blues/rock, is also slated to perform. The band, out of Virginia, was a semi-finalist in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, earlier this year.

    The festival’s music lineup culminates in the evening’s headlining performance by Casey James. James is from Fort Worth, Texas, and is probably best known for his season nine “American Idol” run, when he finished third place behind Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze. James has shared the stage with notable performing artists like Taylor Swift, Alan Jackson and Sugarland. His new album, “Strip it Down,” was released in June 2017 and is available for download on iTunes and can be streamed on Spotify.

    There is a fourth band on the bill for the Blues-n-Brews festival, but the performance is only available to those who purchase VIP tickets. Fayetteville’s own Guy Unger Band with lead vocals by Michael Pennink will be playing the first hour of the festival from 4-5 p.m., an hour that is available only for VIPs.

    According to Thompson, there are plenty of other perks to purchasing the VIP ticket. Not only will VIP ticket-holders hear great music from The Guy Unger Band, they will also avoid the long lines of the general admission portion of the festival, which means they will get to sample more beer and talk to more brewers than the people who arrive at 5 p.m. Additionally, she said, “The VIP tent is sponsored by 96.5 BOB FM, and they are bringing in fantastic caterers like Carrabba’s and Mash House.” She added, “VIP ticket-holders have access to covered seating as well as complimentary snacks and swag bags. VIPs will also serve as the judges in the Best in Show Beer Tasting Competition.”

    The festival is staffed each year by volunteers, and according to Thompson, there are still volunteer positions available. “We need beer pourers more than anything else,” said Thompson. “Volunteer beer pourers make it possible for the brewers to talk to the people sampling their beer about how that beer is made and all of the other things that people who do beer tastings are interested in.”

    Volunteer shifts are available throughout the day, and there are major perks that come with volunteering at Blues-n-Brews. Anyone who volunteers for at least four hours at the festival will receive either complimentary general admission to the festival or two complimentary tickets to any CFRT opening-weekend show for the 2018-19 season.

    CFRT provides summer theater camps for children, special matinee performances for students in the area, and a brand-new military outreach program that offers free theater classes to military children and families on Fort Bragg. More information on the work of CFRT and the 2018-19 season, which includes performances of “Annie,” “Memphis” and “Trumbo,” is available at www.cfrt.org.

    Tickets for the 16th Annual Blues-n-Brews Festival in Festival Park are on sale now. General admission tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the gate. VIP tickets are $80 and are only available in advance. Tickets are also available for $10 for those who do not wish to participate in the beer tasting. Advanced tickets can be purchased online at bnb.cfrt.org.

    The Blues-n-Brews Festival is scheduled for Saturday,June 2, from 4-10 p.m.

  • 08Crowns3Hats off to Cape Fear Regional Theatre for wrapping up the season with a singing, shouting, footstomping good time with “Crowns, A Gospel Musical.” Cast and crew deliver a fantastic story of overcoming tragedy and finding one’s path.

    “Crowns” runs through June 3. Don’t wait to get your tickets; there are sure to be sold-out shows.

    The show, written by Regina Taylor, is adapted from the book “Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats” by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry.

    Seeing “Crowns” onstage is a little bit like going to church, and a little bit like hanging out with some of the coolest gals in town. There are a lot of laughs and a few tears as the characters recount stories of their lives associated with their hats, or crowns.

    I attended a pre-show chat with playwright Regina Taylor, where she shared not only her thoughts on “Crowns,” but also her experience of being a Golden Globe award-winning actress, as well as her perspective from growing up with a single mother who encouraged her writing and creativity.

    “Crowns is a celebration of African-American culture,” Taylor said. 

    “The character (Yolanda) loses her sense of self with the death of her brother in Brooklyn,” Taylor said. “Her mother sends her to South Carolina to live with her grandmother (Mother Shaw).”

    But as Taylor explains, and we see in the musical, her mother sends her South to reclaim her from her grief. Yolanda no longer knows quite where she fits into things without her brother, who was her other half.

    With Mother Shaw and her “Hat Queens,” Yolanda starts hearing stories – markers in these women’s lives that shape them and point them ahead on their paths.

    “These stories are stories we’ve all been touched by (baptisms, funerals, happy and sad moments)... about finding you have a community to lean on, to find your direction,” Taylor said.

    “We can put that on a stage and different people of all walks of life can see themselves, see their neighbors, who they think are so different…” and recognize commonalities, Taylor said.

    It is a story of finding yourself and your voice in this world through the collective memories of who we are and what we have experienced. Though the subject matter is serious, CFRT delivers a fun show with amazing music, dance and hats – oh, the hats! 

    “Crowns” is worth the price of admission just to see the hats, and these characters wearing them, and I do mean wearing them – with style, with sass, with confidence. It’s the kind of confidence that comes from truly knowing your value.

    “Crowns” is directed by Donna Baldwin Bradby (“The Wiz”). The cast includes Cassandra Lowe Williams as Mother Shaw, La’Tonya R. Wiley, Chasity McIntosh, Sha’Air Hawkins, Janeta Jackson and Walter Johnson with Ariel Neema Blake as Yolanda. 

    All deliver terrific performances and shuffle between multiple characters as they switch crowns. Each has a turn to demonstrate their vocal talents, as well.

    Everything about the show pays tribute to AfricanAmerican culture – from gospel hymns to dance moves. The songs are mostly traditional hymns sung in churches all over the South, with some blues and jazz. There’s even a bit of hip-hop. The songs carry the message that trouble doesn’t last, better times are ahead. 

    Choreographer Tina Yarborough Liggins included West African movements that are also reminiscent of shouting in churches. It was interesting to see these movements performed by the whole cast at times when shouting can be such an individual experience. It seemed to be symbolic of a collective joining to share in enthusiastic worship. It was fantastic and a testament to the talent CFRT gathered for this production.

    This is a show you don’t want to miss.

    Tickets for “Crowns” range from $17 to $32 with discounts and group sales available. For more information about the show or special events, contact the box office at 910-323-4233 or visit www.cfrt.org.

  • 09Eric Darius PicK & Q Productions and the Cumberland K & Q Productions and the Cumberland County Tourism Development Authority present The Alumni Weekend Music MegaFest Friday, May 25, from 5-10 p.m. and Saturday, May 26, from 4-10 p.m. in Festival Park.

    “The purpose of the event originated as a fundraising event for the E. E. Smith Alumni Association and its charity activities,” said James Simpson, executive producer of K & Q Productions. “I am an alumnus of E. E. Smith High School and part of their leadership team. Our goal is to try to raise awareness to get us into a better position as far as fundraising.”

    Simpson added the event is designed to attract a cross section of ages and ethnic groups based on the music genre.

    “Friday will be an old-school rhythm and blues music genre, and then, Saturday, there is a little bit of hip-hop intermingled with R & B,” said Simpson. “Then we have a jazz flavoring that will lead into a Sunday after-party.”

    Friday night’s lineup features The Temptations with special guests ConFunk Shun and The Gap Experience. Saturday’s lineup features BlackStreet with special guests the YingYang Twins, Pastor Troy and Mr. Cheeks.

    “We will also have a live DJ that will play music in between acts for people that want to dance, and he will facilitate the dance contests,” said Simpson.

    Bring your chair or blanket and enjoy good music, food and dancing at this outdoor concert during the Memorial Day weekend. Vendors will be on-site to sell their merchandise.

    Beer, wine and food will be available for purchase.

    The after-party is Sunday, May 27, at Bordeaux Convention Center at 7 p.m., featuring an “Evening of Jazz” with Eric Darius and special guest Black Seed. The after-party admission is $20 at the door with proof of voided Music MegaFest ticket and $25 without proof of ticket. For more information, call 910-779-2006.

    Gates open Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $65; there is also a VIP package available. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.alumnimusicfest.com or call the event hotline at 910-778-3632.

     

    PHOTO: Eric Darius

  • 13TakeOutIs the cold weather really over at last? And if the warmer season is here, what are some good books you should consider for your spring reading list?

    Here are four recent novels from three of North Carolina’s most popular writers and a promising debut author, all of them featured on recent or upcoming North Carolina Bookwatch broadcasts.

    When “Long Upon the Land” was published in 2015, North Carolina’s beloved mystery writer Margaret Maron told us it was her final in her 20-book series featuring District Court Judge Deborah Knott, the daughter of a boot legger and the wife of a deputy sheriff. Sadly, we said goodbye to Knott and to Maron’s storytelling talents.

    Last year, we got a happy surprise. Although the Judge Knott series was over, Maron had one more novel to share.

    “Take Out” is a murder mystery, the last in Maron’s nine-book Sigrid Harald series. She is a New York City police detective. Harald may not be as popular as Knott, but she has many fans.

    The novel opens with the discovery of two dead men on a park bench in downtown Manhattan. Both had apparently been poisoned. But why? And by whom? Maron takes us all over the city to solve the mystery. Along the way, at a book fair, we meet a North Carolina bookseller who shares a name with the former owner of Quail Ridge Books, the late and beloved Nancy Olson.

    UNC-Chapel Hill’s Daniel Wallace’s recent “Extraordinary Adventures” may be his best novel. That is saying something because his “BigFish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions” delighted thousands even before it became a great movie.

    In “Extraordinary Adventures,” he tells us the story of Edsel Bronfman, a 34-year-old socially awkward shipping clerk who wins a free vacation. There is only one condition, “you have to bring your spouse or partner or girl friend.” Edsel’s crusade to find that partner makes for another wild, happy and troubling Daniel Wallace adventure. Local governments on the coast are adopting resolutions opposing President Trump’s proposal to open the Atlantic waters to offshore oil drilling.

    Master storyteller and UNC-Wilmington writing professor Phillip Gerard’s recent novel, “The Dark of the Island,” weaves a storyline that brings together German submarines and spying along our coastline and recent efforts to find and exploit oil deposits off those same shores.

    Into this tapestry he blends other compelling themes such as complicated families, race, romance and the special history of the people of the Outer Banks.

    The main character, Nick Wolf, is a researcher and publicist for the fictional NorthAm Oil Company, which is searching for oil off the North Carolina coast.

    His grandfather was a German immigrant who died off the coast of Hatteras Island in 1942, reportedly while serving in the U.S. Merchant Marines, but possibly as a part of the German military.

    In her debut novel “Maranatha Road,” attorney, mother and author Heather Bell Adams takes her readers to the North Carolina mountains where two women battle over the memory of a man each loved. The man’s mother, Sadie Caswell, mourns the loss of her son, who died shortly before his scheduled wedding. The other woman,Tinley Greene, is a young stranger, recently orphaned and alone. She now claims she is pregnant with the man’s child.

    Adams sympathizes with both these characters. Like Tinley, Adams lost a parent while she was still in her teens. And she is now a mother like Sadie.

    “Now that I’m a mother, I’m often struck by the fierce desire to shield our son from harm and unhappiness, especially knowing how arbitrary life can be. The character of Sadie first appeared to me as an older woman who sees that her adult son is headed for disaster, but she is powerless to stop it.”

  • 10ChondaGetting Food for the Hungry presents Chonda Pierce: Getting Back to Funny Tour on Wednesday, May 9, at 7 p.m. at the Crown Coliseum. Up & Coming Weekly had a conversation with the comedian about her life and how she got to be so funny.

    Up & Coming Weekly: What should the audience expect to hear from you at the Crown?

    Chonda Pierce: I’m excited because I love my job. I get paid to go out there and laugh with my audience. I’ve been doing this for 25 years, and they probably are going to get the same old thing that they always get. We laugh a little bit, cry a little bit, pee in our pants and go home.

    UCW: Why are you often called “The Queen of Clean?”

    CP: I know that comedy is subjective. If you walk into a comedy club late at night, I’m pretty squeaky clean compared to that. Now my grandmother would probably argue with you because once in a while somebody walks out because I said “sex” or “butt crack.”

    UCW: When did you first find out you were hilarious enough to become a comedian?

    CP: Probably my first whipping. I was a preacher’s kid and a middle child, so that is the making of comedy right there. As a theater major in high school, my drama teacher was so good. She would give me a dramatic role and I would still make it funny and get fussed at. Every time I would audition for something in community theater or in college, I was always drawn to the funny. Most girls wanted the leading role so they could kiss the boy. I wanted the role that would make the crowd laugh and looked like it was going to be fun.

    UCW: What is something that people would be surprised to know about you?

    CP: I think I have been at this too long because people know too much. I wanted to be a policeman when I was growing up. People would be surprised to know that at home or in my small group of friends, I am not the funny one or the loud mouth that people would think. I get all that done at night on the stage. I live a very quiet life at home. I love fishing, cooking and scrapbooking in my free time. I have to fight against isolation and becoming more reclusive because a lot of it has to do with losing my husband. I am clinically depressed, so you have to really push back on things that will fuel your depression.

    Tickets cost between $27 and $49.50. The VIP experience includes the best seats in the house, a pre-show meet-and-greet with Chonda, a commemorative VIP pass, crowd-free shopping and $5 off $25 or more on Chonda merchandise. For more information, call 910-438-4100.

  • Update: Experimental “natural orifice” surgery might be healthcare’s next big thing following its U.S. introduction last year at Columbia University (as reported also in “News of the Weird”), where doctors removed a woman’s diseased gall bladder not by an abdominal incision but through her vagina. In March, doctors at UC-San Diego Medical Center removed a woman’s appendix through her vagina, and a man’s through his mouth. (A microscopic camera must be inserted through the abdomen, however, to guide the surgeons.) Pain and healing time are usually less than half that of ordinary surgery, but the risk of internal infection is greater. The next step, doctors say, will be removing kidneys through the anus 


    Government in Action! 

    A Maryland governmental fund created to assist “innocent” victims of violent crime has paid out nearly $1.8 million since 2003 to injured (or deceased) “drug dealers, violent offenders and other criminals,” according to an investigation by the Baltimore Sun published in March. Burial expenses were awarded for a carjacker, a victim of an inter-gang killing and a sex offender who was fatally beaten in prison. The Maryland courts have ruled that as long as the applicant was not engaged in a crime at the time he was injured, he must be considered for an award. 

    The Associated Press reported in March that “dozens” of locked-up sexual predators are receiving federal aid to take mail-order college courses through Pell grants, even though prison inmates normally are ineligible. Sex offenders who have completed their sentences, but are held for “treatment,” are not technically “prisoners,” and many have spent their stipends on “living expenses” such as DVD players, in that they have no “room and board” expenses. 


    Great Art! 

    Graduate art student Matthew Keeney’s latest piece of performance art, in February, called “The Waiting Project,” had him standing on streets in Syracuse, N.Y., waiting for someone to ask him what “The Waiting Project” is. In previous pieces, Keeney had held a “Super Bowl party for one” on a park bench, had earnestly watched ice sculptures melt, and had walked from the Capitol steps in Washington, D.C., to the Lincoln Memorial but stopping each time he heard a car horn and then starting again when he heard another. 

    Two aggressive art pieces sexualizing Jesus’ Last Supper were displayed earlier this year: Among the 74 plaster models shown in Gateshead, England, in January by British artist Terence Koh was one of Jesus and several disciples sporting generous erections. And in March, a retrospective of Austrian Alfred Hrdlicka went on display in the Cathedral Museum in Vienna, with the blessing of the archbishop of Vienna, even though it included a painting of the Last Supper as a “homosexual orgy,” in Hrdlicka’s description (because, he said, there were no women in the original Da Vinci painting that inspired it). (That piece was removed during the first week, after complaints.) 

    Last year, Montreal, Quebec, artist Michel de Broin created, as art, the hollowed-out shell of an old Buick powered only by a four-seater bicycle (with hand brakes, or, failing them, Fred Flintstone-type brakes). Nonetheless, when a group took the car out for a spin last October, an overzealous officer ticketed them for “driving” an unsafe “car,” but in April, after a daylong court hearing, the charges were dropped. 



    COPYRIGHT 2008 CHUCK SHEPHERD   

  • 09illusionistsv2Whether it is fictional characters like Harry Potter or real-life figures such as Harry Houdini or the unknown magician who came to your elementary school doing parlor tricks, we all need a little magic in our lives. It was Roald Dahl who once said, “Above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” Well, you can find it May 10 at the Crown Theatre. “The Illusionists– Live from Broadway” will perform for one night in Fayetteville as part of the Community Concerts season.

    The production features five renowned performers doing the variety of magic they each know best.

    Jonathan Goodwin is “The Daredevil.” Think Evel Knievel for the modern era. He performs death-defying acts such as being hanged, buried alive, attacked by sharks and even burned at the stake. The claim is that, unlike the other performers, Goodwin’s acts are not illusions but real stunts.

    Colin Cloud is “The Deductionist.” He is the Sherlock Holmes of entertainment, if Holmes had a flair for comedy. He will know what any given audience member had for breakfast that day, what kind of car they drive or even their pin code.

    An Ha Lim and Jeff Hobson have been part of The Illusionists in the past and are back again this year as “The Manipulator” and “The Trickster,” respectively.

    The last of the five members is Kevin James. No, not the “Mall Cop” actor, but “The Inventor” who does specialty magic.

    “I invent all of my magic,” said James. “I try very hard to find some kind of emotional hook to take the spectators on a journey with me. Sometimes it will be sweet and innocent; other times you can feel nostalgic and other times shocking.”

    According to The Illusionists tour webpage, James is one of the most-viewed magicians on YouTube. He’s traveled to over 80 countries and headlined countless prominent venues. Even more impressive is the fact that he’s done royal performances like in the days of old magicians – for the likes of the Prince of Monaco and the Sultan of Dubai and at the White House for former President Barack Obama.

    “This process from taking a scribble on a napkin to finally getting applause from an audience is very soul-fulfilling,” said James. “I plan to do this therest of my days.”

    James, of relation to the legendary showman P.T. Barnum, has had his tricks in the acts of other prominent magicians like Doug Henning and David Copperfield. One of the most famous is the “Floating Rose” trick, where a piece of paper transforms into a paper rose before, finally, into a real rose.

    “Scientists are the easiest people to fool and kids are the hardest,” revealed James. “The scientists are very convinced that they know how the world works, so you can play upon their assumptions. The kids don’t have hardcore assumptions yet. Their minds are more open. So they can find the method faster. The best-kept secret is that there are no real secrets. Magicians are guarding an empty safe.

    “My favorite bits for me are when I am interacting with the audience one-on-one. You never know what they will say or do. There is nothing like seeing magic live and in-person. You cannot shrug it off as a camera trick when it is happening right in front of your eyes, inches away.”

    “The Illusionist – Live from Broadway” performance will be at 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 10. For tickets or to learn more about Community Concerts, go to www.community-concerts.com

  • {mosimage}We began theAmerican Idol journey in January full of hope. The singing competition promised that this would be the year of deep talent č no silly Sanjayas in the final 12. At first blush, most of the contestants did look solid. But it soon became clear that they weren’t much more than that. None of them could make your hair stand on end, ł la Fantasia Barrino. So each week you’d vote for your favorites with an uneasy sense of their limitations.

    The parallels with this year’s presidential race are inescapable. As primary season grinds on, people seem to be having qualms about those contestants too, no matter how impressive they once seemed.

    I suppose I’ll rouse myself to vote for David Cook in this week’sAmerican Idol finale (Tuesday & Wednesday, 8 p.m., Fox). As for Hillary Clinton, Barrack Obama and John McCain, I’m waiting to see who can sing the best version ofI Will Always Love You.


    Big Medicine

    Saturday, 7 p.m. (TLC)

    This series features a father-and-son surgeon team who deal with obese people. In this week’s episode, a patient loses 600 pounds through diet and swimming. Unfortunately, he still weighs 400 pounds when his regimen is finished.

    Wouldn’t it be a drag to lose 600 pounds and have your doctors tell you it’s “a good start”?


    Academy of Country Music Awards

    Sunday, 8 p.m. (CBS)

    The recent CMT Awards felt about as southern as South Hollywood. You barely heard a pedal steel or fiddle all night, but rather slickly produced pop and rock that clashed with the cowboy hats and boots the performers presumably found in some costume shop. Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and New Jersey’s Jon Bon Jovi were unlikely award winners, and Snoop Dogg was an unlikely presenter. Gone were the picket-fence and hay-bale props of past years, replaced by slinky backup dancers and glittering sets. Most stunning of all, none of the winners evoked God or patriotism at the podium. Since the Lord works in mysterious ways, today’s country stars apparently need someone who’s more on-task č say, an agent or manager č to create showbiz miracles for them.

    Don’t expect anything different at this week’s Academy of Country Music Awards. If a homespun genius like Hank Williams Sr. tried to make his way on stage, I bet the security guards would draw their guns on him.

    Masterpiece

    Sunday, 9 p.m. (PBS)

    WatchingCranfordfeels like stepping into a real English hamlet from the 1840s. The miniseries, based on novels by Elizabeth Gaskell, paints a large cast of characters on this charmingly small canvas. It makesCranfordcome alive with provincial splendor: the fears, the hopes, the cruelty, the kindness. And, of course, the gossip, which never ceases.

    Cranford’s rhythms are slow, but the production pulls you in thanks to fabulous acting by Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, Michael Gambon, Francesca Annis, Imelda Staunton and others. By this week’s finale, you’ll be clucking over the latest tempest in a teapot, just like the town’s biddies in their bonnets and shawls.

  • 01 coverUAC0050218001Twenty-two years ago, Holly Whitley was only six months into operating her new Legends Pub on Bragg Boulevard when she hosted the first Spring Fling. She’d intended to host a casual fun run, but then, a friend was in a motorcycle accident that rendered him temporarily unable to work. She turned the Spring Fling into a benefit to help him and his wife cover their bills. Since then, the Spring Fling has stayed true to these roots and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support community members who are in immediate need. This year’s Spring Fling takes place May 4-6 at Legends Pub.

    “We like to stay in our community,” Whitley said. “We’re not knocking large organizations or anything like that, but we really believe in taking care of our own community.”

    The funds raised this year will benefit Lisa Horne, a member of The Steele Angels Riding Club. The Steele Angels are a local nonprofit group made up of women motorcyclists who support and conduct fundraising events to assist women and underprivileged children in need. Steele Angels founder and president Wendy Rogers said, “Lisa was in a terrible motorcycle accident on March 31, and as always, bikers come together and help each other. Bikers are, in my book, some of the most amazing people on this earth. They have hearts as big as the world.

    “Lisa Horne has a love for the steel horses (motorcycles); she has a love for the furry horses as well. She has loved horses since she was 11 years old and loves to ride them as well. She has been a member of The Steele Angels for over 8 years and is also a member of some horse-riding clubs. She has served and is still active in the military; I call her our ‘Military Girl.’ She served in South Korea, Afghanistan and on other tours. She has four children and five grandchildren.”

    The Steele Angels Riding Club has always had close ties with Whitley and Legends Pub, but this is the first time a Steele Angel has benefited from the Spring Fling.

    “It’s kind of a blessing when we don’t have an individual to do Spring Fling for,” Whitley said. “That means one of our friends has not been hurt. One of us has not been put in distress. We like to take care of our own, but we don’t want to have to.”

    Friday, May 4, kicks things off with a casual preparty at Legends. The doors open around 8 p.m. for pizza, drinks and the opportunity to participate in a pool tournament or raffle.

    Saturday, May 5, is the Scott Sather Memorial Run, an unchanging element of the Spring Fling since 2003. Sather was a regular at Legends and a member of the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, an elite Air Force operations unit assigned to the Joint Special Operations Command at Pope Army Air Field. He was killed in Iraq on April 8, 2003, and is honored by a memorial in Freedom Memorial Park downtown.

    The ride will leave from Legends around noon and stop at spots like Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson, The Rednecks Yacht Club and VFW 370 on Dock Bennett Road, returning by 4:30 p.m. That evening will feature food, live music from Motorjunkie starting at 6 p.m., raffles and a live auction. “People bring in donations for everything (to be auctioned),” Whitley said. “Helmets, motorcycle jackets, lots of baskets (coffee, tea, facials from a spa)... it never fails that we have done well. We raised close to $15,000 in one event, and for one little bar on Bragg Boulevard, that’s pretty impressive. … People will also just write us checks and hand us money. They believe in the cause, they believe in what we’re doing.”

    Sunday, May 6, ends the weekend with a bikeshow. Anyone is welcome to participate by lining their bike up in front of the bar. “A lady stands at each one of the bikes,” Whitley said. “It’s not about the bike; it’s about raising the money. You get a dollar a vote.” The bike that wins the most money takes best of show.

    At the core of Whitley’s massive crew of friends, family and volunteers who make the Spring Fling possible are the Gypsy Women. It’s an ever-evolving group of women that’s been around since the 1980s, several years before Whitley opened Legends. Gypsy Women move away and return. As their daughters grow up, the Gypsy Women induct them into the group as well. One thing stays the same: they stick together and tangibly support each other through all life brings their way – deployment, divorce, illness and death as well as weddings, babies, promotions and new beginnings.

    “We started out in our 30s and 40s and now we’re in our 50s and 60s, a lot of us,” Whitley said. “But we get a lot of respect as the younger people are coming up in their 20s and 30s. They’re just as involved with us, and it’s nice to see the different age groups of women work so well together. And being a Gypsy Woman is really just being able to give your heart out and help people – to support our causes that we choose together in conversation.

    “We see someone in a situation where we know they would be there for us if we were in that situation. My kids grew up with these benefits, and I’ve watched them take care of their friends. It’s a generation thing. My bar has lots of parents, or even grandparents, that come in and drink with them.”

    Over the last 22 years, the Spring Fling has enabled community members to pay for mammograms, cancer treatments, hospital bills and living expenses while going through difficult times. There have also been many years when there was not an individual who needed the Spring Fling’s funds. Those years, the event has benefited organizations like the Child Advocacy Center; Falcon Children’s Home; Hope Mills Sunshine Center Inc.; Fayetteville Hyperbarics, LLC; Fayetteville Animal ProtectionSociety; the NC Veterans Home; and the Kidsville News Literacy & Education Foundation, among many others.

    Legends Pub also extends a special thank you to Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins and veteran motorcycle police officer Derick Boyd for their assistance in making this year’s event possible.

    Legends Pub is located at 4624 Bragg Blvd # 1. Overflow parking will be available just past the bar on the right, in the parking lot of Ken’s Muffler and Auto Repair. Call Legends at 910-867-2364 for more information.

  • Rated 3 out of five stars 

     

    {mosimage}Baby Mama (99 minutes) a nice little comedy that does not take itself too seriously, offered a pleasant diversion in betweenIron Man last week andPrince Caspian next week. Despite its two weeks prior release date, and the mid-afternoon weekday show, the movie played to a well-attended theater. During the movie, most of the (predominately female) audience chuckled out loud, proving that even if writer/director Michael McCullers practiced on male-oriented material (Austin Powers: Goldmemberand Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me), he can speak to women. The film fits nicely into the light comedy niche it tried for, although the No. 5 standing at the box office for the week of May 9 probably reflects the lack of competition in the female-focused comedy genre. Expect this film to disappear quickly whenSex and the City is released.

    Kate Holbrook (Tina Fey) is living every woman’s dream in the fabulous city of Philadelphia, with access to some of our nation’s best art museums, real Philly Cheese steaks, Tasty-Cakes, still reasonable housing prices, and a new football stadium. Inexplicably, despite her fulfilling career, enviable apartment, large family, and supportive sister (Maura Tierney) she is depicted as lacking something. First, as all successful career women know, without a boyfriend success is meaningless. Second, mirroring an all too common problem in today’s society, Kate put off having children while she selfishly pursued the career that she loved. This resulted in her womb drying up so that not only is she unable to have children, chances are no man will want her at her advanced age of 37, since she can’t produce a male child for him. Luckily, Kate finds a man, Rob Ackerman (Greg Kinnear) to deceive, and a Baby Mamma, Angie Ostrowski (Amy Poehler) to carry a child for her.  

    At least, this is the plot one can read between the lines of this thinly veiled slap in the face to women who define success in ways that don’t involve a mess of squalling babies and lying for the sake of catching a man.  

    Keep an eye out for Sigourney Weaver as the freakishly fertile Chaffee Bicknell and Steve Martin playing the new age executive, Barry. Last, but not least, witness the one-note portrayal of the doorman Oscar, by the usually dependable Romany Malco. Of course, we can’t blame Malco for this one. He acts well within the limits of the script. It is the director who fails to properly use this normally nuanced actor, reducing his character development to a background afterthought. I will skip pointing out the racial politics of this choice.  

    This film revolves around playing Fey off of Poehler, a brilliant comedic team-up whose potential impact is sizably reduced due to the obvious reigning in of the female leads. Fey and Poehler know how to improvise, and one wonders at the possible improvement toBaby Mama were they allowed to do so more consistently. In any case, the trick to full enjoyment of this movie is to enter the theater with low expectations so you won’t be disappointed by what they actors and director got wrong. Instead, you can spend a couple of hours laughing at what they got right.

  • 12soldierOn June 1, Brothers For Brothers will honor Sgt. 1st Class Joshua “Zach” Beale, 32, who was killed Jan. 22, in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. Beale was assigned to Operational Detachment Alpha 3123, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

    The June 1 event is a poker ride that will start at Charlie Mike’s, 195 Star Point Dr. in Fayetteville. Stops along the way will included PK’s Grill & Pub, 155 Airport Dr., Raeford; The Dog House, 3049 Owen Dr., Fayetteville; Legends Pub, 4624 Bragg Blvd., Fayetteville; and a return to Charlie Mike’s.

    Registration begins at 11 a.m. The first bike will leave Charlie Mike’s at noon, and upon the riders’ return, food will be served at 4 p.m. The fun will continue at 4:30 p.m., to include the Best Poker Hand, Worst Poker Hand, a three-gun raffle and a 50/50 drawing. There will also be an auction.

    All proceeds will go to the Special Forces Charitable Trust. The SFCT is a 501(c)(3) charity that provides meaningful and sustainable support to the families of our Green Berets. The SFCT supports timely, innovative and comprehensive programs and services designed to enhance the wellbeing and health of both the Special Forces soldier and his or her family.

    The 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) is a home to heroes. The group has seen extensive action in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa. The men of the 3rd SFG have received two Medal of Honors, 56 Silver Stars, 183 Bronze Star with valor devices, and 239 Army Commendation medals with valor devices.

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

    Photo: Sgt. 1st Class Joshua “Zach” Beale

  • 11fieldofhonorI recently stood amid hundreds of American flags placed in memory of men and women who answered the call to serve this nation. I made my way over to a man in a Rolling Thunder vest and asked for his thoughts on the importance of the local display known as the Field of Honor. “They say everyone dies twice. Once when we die physically,” he said, “and again when people stop talking about you.”

    My dad didn’t talk about his military service very much. In the summer of 1941, he lied about his age to join the U.S. Navy without his parents’ permission before his 18th birthday. The Second World War was just getting started in the Pacific and, like many other American boys, he was anxious to do his part. Classified as a pharmacist’s mate, much of his 16 years of service were spent as a more necessary combat medic with the Marines.

    Much of what I learned, I gathered from a friend my dad served with, Henry Hornak. We had visited Hank and his wife, Dottie, in West Virginia when I was in my teens, and I had called him years later to hopefully fill in some blanks after my dad’s passing in 1981. “Your dad saw some awful things in the war,” he told me. “Most of his memories probably weren’t good ones. I’m glad to share some of those that were.”

    We just celebrated Memorial Day in the United States. The holiday is often regarded as the beginning of summer more than a time to remember those who stood in the gap for the oppressed across the globe. My thoughts wander to people like my father, to the courageous stand they took and the friends they left behind. He would go on to lose his first son to the war in Vietnam, a kid whose name I have photographed or rubbed off the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall on more than one occasion, but whose face I can’t recall at all.

    The Airborne & Special Operations Museum in downtown Fayetteville is a great place to remember. And it’s a fitting place for conversations with others who remember. The adjacent North Carolina Veterans Park and nearby memorials afford visitors many spots to pause and reflect, and whether or not you or your family is represented in any of the impressive displays, a visit will surely stir a sense of pride and awe for the collective good some of America’s most honorable men and women have accomplished on our behalf.

    The Field of Honor is a good place to start. The moving and colorful display will be in place until June 27. You can sponsor a flag in honor or memory of someone you know and love by visiting the ASOM gift shop or the website, www.asomf.org. Flags are folded and offered to their sponsors concluding the display and can serve as a fitting tribute in the home of America’s finest families.

  • 05parkI am glad that the city appears to be moving in the right direction in reducing parking fees during home baseballgames. It troubles me, however, to hear some elected officials say that these are really “user fees,” needed because parking has been “subsidized” by all taxpayers whether they come downtown or not. This is a gross over implication of the facts that doesn’t serve the truth well.

    First, downtown property owners and businesses are contributing to the cost of parking through the Municipal Service District tax that they — and no one outside the district — pay. The city is taking $50,000 annually from the MSD tax fund to help offset the cost of parking: $25,000 toward debt retirement on the new deck and $25,000 to McLaurin Parking.

    Second, the majority of building owners have title to the ground under their building but not one inch beyond. There are some exceptions, like the owners of Huske Hardware House or John Tyson, who owns much of the 100 block on the south side. Most building owners simply have no place for parking for themselves, their staff or customers unless it is provided by the municipality. This is unique to downtowns everywhere.

    Third, the amenities offered in the downtown’s art and entertainment district add quality of life to our whole community — city and county — and if promoted properly, can be a powerful recruiting tool and also increase revenue from out-of-town visitors. People have to have access to these amenities, and only the city can provide that access.

    Like other cities, ours provides services that are desirable even if not fully funded by a user tax. It is similar to public schools. I think most people would agree that public schools are essential in a community, especially for families who cannot afford a private school, and deserve public funding — even if they are not used by some taxpayers, like retirees or people without children.

  • 04White privDictionary.com gives the following definition of white privilege: “White privilege is a term used to describe unearned rights and benefits afforded white people in Western society because of the color of their skin.” I give very little thought or attention to discussions of white privilege. Therein is my recommendation to anybody who will listen. Years of living and struggling with life have taught me that focusing on considerations that do not move a critical effort forward is a sorrowful waste of time and effort.

    A friend recently shared a joke with me that illustrates how my comment in that opening paragraph looks in action. The joke has several iterations, but all of them make the same point. This from an internet post titled “The ‘Streetlight Effect’: a metaphor for knowledge and ignorance”:

    “A parable featuring the Seljuk Sufi mystic Nasrudin Hodja may be the earliest form of the story: ‘Someone saw Nasrudin searching for something on the ground. “What have you lost, Mulla?” he asked. “My key,” said the Mulla. So they both went down on their knees and looked for it. After a time the other man asked: “Where exactly did you drop it?” “In my own house.” “Then why are you looking here?” “There is more light here than inside my own house.”’

    It seems that at every turn, I hear or read about white privilege. The topic has even taken centerstage in the 2020 presidential campaign. For me, the pressing question is what productive outcome will, or might, result from the profuse back-and-forth regarding this matter? All I see is a lot of meaningless talking, increased tension between whites and nonwhites, and a feeding of the notion that nonwhites, especially black Americans, are victims in this country. The result is that we invest tremendous time and effort in a pursuit that does not better the condition of blacks or other nonwhites. This approach excites citizens, attracts attention to seekers of power and probably produces financial gain for some people and organizations.

    What is happening is like the joke. Attention is given where it is easy and satisfies the aims of those who contend that negative consequences result from white privilege. The efforts are not directed where they would be more difficult and far less rewarding by way of gaining power and would set people free of the chains of victimhood. No, this is about operating where there is light, not about making a real difference in the lives of people.

    Let me be clear. I do not doubt for a moment that advantages go to some white Americans because of their skin color. Note my use of “some.” It seems a stretch to hold that this is the case with every white person. Support for that comment simply requires honest examination of the difficult living conditions faced by many whites in our country.

    Given this white privilege condition, the challenge for nonwhites, and for those who claim they want to help this population, is how to best respond in this situation. I read a devotion recently that succinctly described how I respond to this hyper-emphasis on white privilege. The devotion is titled “His affirmation is our contentment” and appeared in the May 2019 Stand Firm magazine of devotions.

    The scriptural basis for the devotion was Matthew 25:14-30, the New King James version. This is where Jesus tells “The Parable of the Talents.” In it, a man travels far from his home. Before leaving, he gives varying amounts of money (talents) to his servants. Verse 15 says: “And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.” The man returns and wants to know how each servant used the money they were given. Each of them reports. Two made good use of the money while one buried his and produced no return.

    Most of the time when this parable is addressed in a sermon or discussion, the emphasis is on how we should make the fullest possible use of the capabilities or resources God provides to us. However, the devotion writer raised another point. That point has to do with what does not happen between the servants who received the talents. Even though they had different amounts, not one of them complained about those differences. There is no indication of jealousy. Each one decides how to use what they had been given. Two of the three make wise investments, while one does nothing productive. The success- feeding truth that is to be grabbed hold of is that they focused on what they each had and not on the possessions or advantages of others.

    A fact of life is that we only have so much time and energy. Wisdom dictates that we invest that time and energy where it is productive. That point shows through in the parable. It seems to me that all the attention given to white privilege discussions only diminishes the capacity of nonwhite Americans for giving attention to endeavors that would prove productive for us.

    As I review my life, I see wheel-spinning when I failed to follow the approach recommended in the opening of this column. On the other hand, when I have focused on doing my best to make full use of my capabilities, while not complaining about the natural advantages that others have, life has been pretty productive.

    Again, there are some who benefit from white privilege. However, we must not allow barren discussions of the topic to distract us from productive endeavors, from actions that might assist others to successful living and, in general, help make the world a better place. Doing so requires leaving the ease of light and turning from wasted motion while focusing on what is productive. 

  • 03InvestWe Americans pride ourselves on our diversity. Some of us come from Native American families with millennia-deep roots in this great land. Others descend from people who arrived in time to found this nation. Others hail from families who arrived from all over the world, and some of us arrived much more recently from everywhere. Somehow over more than two centuries, Americans both maintained our diverse backgrounds and melded ourselves into one people, growing into the strongest nation — economically, culturally and militarily — in the world today.

    As diverse as we are, for the better part of the 20th century and especially around World War II, Americans largely pulled together. Most of us considered ourselves religious. Our children went to public schools. We read newspapers and later watched network television, so we received the same news, even if we disagreed about it. In other words, we had common experiences. We had “glue.”

    Far, far different are we in 2019.

    We are as diverse as ever, really more so, but our glue has worn thin. We are more secular, with many Americans describing themselves as “spiritual” but not identifying with established denominations that meet as communities. Our children have many educational options, and charter schools are sharing — some would say draining — the resources of public schools. We now consume more news from sources we agree with and less from those striving for objectivity. Our choices are isolating us from other Americans.

    It is as if Americans are spinning off into our own orbits.

    Young people are increasingly moving to urban areas for educational and career opportunities, enriching cities at the expense of rural America in that demographic shift. Some see this as the rise of “brain” jobs and the decline of “brawn” jobs, a hard reality to fathom, and it is creating resentment in rural communities. No one can argue that our politics are not toxic. Both the right and the left view those who disagree as “the other,” so different and so incorrect that we cannot understand each other.

    Few of the 327 million people in the United States express ideas for bridging our divides with a goal of healing, but an old proposal — one I have long supported — is receiving renewed attention.

    National service for young Americans would provide a common experience at the beginning of adulthood, a formative time of life in all societies. It could take many different forms. It could be mandatory, a year or so of service required of all able American young people. This service could take many forms. It could be military. Such service could be educational, health care related, environmental, agricultural, social or cultural. It could be voluntary, as some young Americans are already doing with Teach for America, AmeriCorps and other national, regional and local organizations. Options are likely fluid and endless.

    The point is not what our young people do but that they do something both for themselves and for their country. The point is that young Americans pause for a year or so and think not so much about themselves as about their communities and our nation. The point is that we remix and spread our national glue, creating common experiences and bonds for future generations.

    National service is politically and economically fraught, and I do not pretend to have answers to how to pay for national service, voluntary or mandatory, or how it would affect existing jobs. Tuition support and student loan forgiveness could make national service attractive to young Americans, but how to structure such programs is challenging.

    What I do know is that our communities and our nation will be stronger if we nurture ways to bring ourselves together — if we mix some new glue.

  • 02PubPenOn April 27, the Hogs & Rags motorcycle rally held its 14th annual fundraising event as part of the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival celebration. Hundreds of cars and motorcycles lined up at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum ready for a day of music, food and a fun, casual ride to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

    The Hogs & Rags rally is the largest motorcycle and car rally in North Carolina and attracts all makes and models of motorcycles and cars for the purpose of raising money for three Fayetteville/ Cumberland County nonprofit organizations, rain or shine. This year, it was made possible by Fort Bragg Harley- Davidson, Rodney Sherrill State Farm Insurance, dozens more sponsoring businesses and organizations, and approximately 40 dedicated volunteers. Thanks to them and this community, Hogs & Rags proudly announced this year’s event raised a record-setting $18,000 for the Fayetteville community.

    Last week, a special Hogs & Rags sponsor/volunteer appreciation event was held at Mellow Mushroom on McPherson Church Road. Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson and Hogs & Rags cofounder Bobby Bleecker presented the American Cancer Society and the Special Forces Charitable Trust donations of $6,000 each. Fayetteville Dogwood Queens Kelcie Farmer, Rachel Addison McLeod, Amelia Caroline Cook and reigning Miss Fayetteville Dogwood Festival Queen Ashley Rooks were on hand to accept the checks on their behalf. Board member Julie Melvin accepted a $6,000 donation on behalf of the Cumberland County Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation. I am proud of this organization and the community that supported them.

    I hope everyone had a relaxing and fun Memorial Day and took the time to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Pete Hegseth said it best: “Memorial Day isn’t just about honoring veterans, it’s honoring those who lost their lives. Veterans had the fortune of coming home. For us, that’s a reminder (that) when we come home we still have a responsibility to serve. It’s a continuation of service that honors our country and those who fell defending it.”

    Again, thanks to everyone who made this year’s Hogs & Rags event such a huge success. I am extremely proud to be living in such a kind, caring and generous community. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • According to the Economic Development Partnership for North Carolina, in 10 years, the state has invested more than $1 billion dollars in research and development facilities, workforce training, incentives and infrastructure in the medical-related industry — medical, biomedical and biodefense. With more than 60,000 North Carolinians working within this industry, the area represents a core component of our state’s economy and has grown 31% since 2001. North Carolina is home to four of the world’s leading medical schools, 18 university-partnered life science laboratories and the BioNetwork of North Carolina Community Colleges. There is no better place in the country to operate a medical, biotechnology and life science company.

    Additionally, the Department of Defense has an annual impact of $66 billion and is the second-largest sector of North Carolina’s economy at 12% GDP. The state boasts six major military bases, 116 National Guard facilities, 40 Army Reserve facilities and the third-highest number of uniformed military personnel in the country.

    In 2004, the state of North Carolina created the North Carolina Military Business Center, headquartered at Fayetteville Technical Community College, with regional offices statewide. Opening its doors in 2005, the NCMBC was created to leverage opportunities with North Carolina’s military installations, DoD commands and federal agencies operating worldwide.

    NCMBC professionals focus on contract opportunities in crucial industry sectors, including medical/biotech, each with a growing federal and DoD demand and with significant business capacity in North Carolina.

    To help businesses traverse the federal and DoD procurement processes, several entities annually host the Medical, Biomedical & Biodefense: Support to the Warfighter Symposium. Hosting entities include the offices of Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C.; Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.; the NCMBC; the North Carolina Biotechnology Center; and the University of North Carolina System. This year’s event takes place June 12 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

    The Medical Support to the Warfighter portion of this symposium will connect businesses in North Carolina with military and other federal agencies that require or purchase medical supplies, equipment, devices, pharmaceuticals, medical information technology and medical services. Representatives, prime vendors and major contractors from DoD, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services — from national commands and from bases, commands and facilities in North Carolina — will highlight current technology or resource gaps and needs, future requirements and procurement processes to supply military and federal medical facilities and agencies.

    All medical-related businesses in North Carolina — large or small, prime contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, manufacturers and service providers — will benefit from briefings on military requirements, procurement processes and supplier qualifications. This information will come from informal networking with buyers and users and from demonstrations of the latest medical technologies designed to support America’s warfighters.

    The Biomedical and Biodefense Support to the Warfighter portion of the symposium will include sessions on the federal biodefense research and development landscape, mechanisms for engaging the defense and military biomedical research and development community, and new models for driving innovation through public-private partnerships.

    In the first session, agency representatives from the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services will discuss current interagency biodefense research and development priorities, perspectives and collaborations.

    The second session will provide valuable insights from selected federal funding agencies and industry enablers about traditional and emerging approaches to defense research and development funding and support.

    The third session will feature representatives from several partnership-based research and development consortia and accelerators for biomedical and biodefense technology advancement.

    Each session will include presentations and panel discussions to foster awareness and dialogue among government, academic and industry stakeholders in addressing the future biomedical and biodefense technology needs of the military and our nation.

    Visit www.ncmbc.us/2019mbb for more information.

  • 03belugaI have to admit it. Bob Mueller’s report missed the biggest Russian spy in the 2016 election. How can you miss a 3,500-pound, 18-foot-long Commie Olympicclass swimmer? This Russian spy is the size of the SUV that Tony Soprano used to drive before his unfortunate last meal as James Gandolfini in Rome.

    For once, I have to admit that Dear Leader President Trump’s followers are right. The fix from Hillary and Obama was in. Mueller ignored Hillary’s closest confidant, the James Bond of the Seven Seas, Hvaldimir the Beluga whale. Nothing in Mueller’s report mentions spying on Dear Leader’s campaign by Hvaldimir. The lid of the Democratic cover-up is blown all the way to the Arctic Circle. Hvaldimir now is the most famous Russian spy since Col. Rosa Kleb defected from SMERSH to join SPECTRE in the second James Bond Movie, “From Russia With Love.”

    Unless you were living under a rock, you will have seen the news about Hvaldimir the Beluga whale who worked in the Russian Secret Undersea Special Forces. For those of you who may have had some sedimentary rock overhead, here is a brief update on the fascinating story Hvaldimir.

    Last month, the Hvaldimir was the Beluga spy who came out of the cold. Hvald, as his friends call him, defected to the West in the icy waters of Norway near the island of Rolvosoya. Despite Russian brainwashing attempts, Hvald remained a friendly guy. He will come up to mere humans when called by Norwegians.

    Unlike most Beluga whales, Hvald was not skinny dipping. He was wearing a leather harness on which were written the fateful words “Equipment — Saint Petersburg.” It is pretty obvious Hvlad was not from St. Petersburg, Florida, as he squeaked in Russian and not in Spanish. This narrowed his origin down to Commie Land. Observers were quick to point out that his harness was well-suited for mounting a camera or a weapon. Putting two rubles and two rubles together, it quickly became obvious the Commies had rigged Hvald up to be a spy.

    The Russkies have an animal re-education facility at Murmansk where they have publicly bragged of teaching sea lions, Beluga whales and seals to do undercover, underwater spying and worse. Clearly, Hvlad was a graduate of the Murmansk Academy of Aquatic Mammals as he is well-trained and can do tricks on command.

    The cover story leaked by the Commies was that Hvald served as a pet and escaped from a therapeutic center for underprivileged Russian children. This explanation sounds suspiciously phony — like the cover story that the secret meeting in Trump Tower between Don Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, Jared Kushner and some Commies was actually about Russian adoptions and not to gather dirt on Hillary.

    In reality, the MAAM project is much more like the SPECTRE training camp where Grant, James Bond’s nemesis in “From Russia with Love,” is chosen by Col. Kleb to assassinate Bond. Nothing good happens in Russian training camps for either Beluga whales or would-be assassins.

    Not every aquatic animal can be a graduate of MAAM. Only the strong survive and graduate. Consider poor Charlie the Tuna who was a MAAM school dropout after first being rejected by StarKist tuna.

    You might remember Charlie in his TV commercials. Charlie desperately wanted to be a StarKist tuna. He was so anxious to be in a StarKist tuna can that he wore a beret and fake glasses to look like a beatnik so StarKist would think he had “good taste.” Charlie would get a rejection note saying “Sorry Charlie” from StarKist on a fishhook. The voiceover would attempt to ease Charlie’s rejection blues by telling him: “Sorry Charlie, StarKist is not looking for tuna  with good taste, but rather for tuna that tastes good.” Charlie was a good sport about the whole rejection thing and ended his commercials by telling people to go out and buy StarKist tuna and “Tell ’em Charlie sent you.”

    The news has been suspiciously quiet about what has happened to Hvald since his discovery as a former Russian spy. For your eyes only: Has he been arrested? Traded for Bill Clinton? Sent to the gulag of Sea World? Shredded into StarKist Beluga cans? Like the Kingston Trio’s famous song about Charlie on the Metropolitan Transit Authority, his fate is still unknown. He may swim forever neath the seas of Norway. He’s the Beluga who never returned.

    So, what, if anything, have we learned today? As usual, not much. Five minutes of your life wasted. But here is a podiatry self-defense tip. If you are ever in the same room with Col. Rosa Kleb and she tries to kick you with her poisoned switchblade shoe, pick up a chair like a lion tamer and keep her away from your shins. If you can avoid her kick, remember you only live twice.

  • 02pubpenEditor’s note: Once again, publisher Bill Bowman relinquishes his space to accommodate an article on a timely issue — The North Carolina Civil War & Reconstruction History Center. Sharing relevant information on important topics is what Up & Coming Weekly is all about.

    Projects, both public and private, begin as a little kernel of an idea in someone’s mind and chug along for days, weeks, months and years before taking on lives of their own, if they ever do. When that someone shares an idea with others, they will either get on the bandwagon or see enough flaws to shoot down that idea. Development is always a journey.

    What we now know is the North Carolina Civil War & Reconstruction History Center has been germinating since the late 2000s. It began with supporters of the Museum of the Cape Fear, who realized that the regional museum concept was not cohesive enough to create a booming and sustainable state museum and began looking for a bigger idea. A professional consultant was brought in and pointed out the obvious.

    The United States Arsenal, built on Haymount hill in Fayetteville in 1838 and handed over to Confederate rebels in 1861, brought Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman to our city to destroy the Arsenal in March 1865, and destroy it he did. Sherman’s 62,000 Union troops and 25,000 camp followers swept into what was then a hamlet of 4,000-5,000 souls and swept out three woeful days later, leaving little but rubble on the Arsenal site. Sherman continued north into Virginia, and the Civil War was over within six weeks.

    What happened in our community, and its aftermath, helped end the deadliest and arguably the most painful period and armed conflict in our nation’s history. Why not focus a comprehensive state institution on what happened to the people of North Carolina before, during and after the American Civil War?

    By 2010, that idea had become a twinkle in the eyes of residents and museum supporters, including nationally known historian Mary Lynn Bryan and then-State Sen. Tony Rand. They enlisted others, like former Fayetteville Observer publisher Charles Broadwell, local businessman and community activist Mac Healy, and this Up & Coming Weekly columnist, forming a nonprofit foundation to explore and develop this idea.

    Over this decade, support grew, and the foundation raised money to hire an architect to design an appropriate building, engaged a nationally known exhibit design firm to develop modern exhibits and collaborated with scholars and historians to develop a narrative of stories of North Carolinians — black and white, Union and Confederate.

    Also, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is working with the History Center to allow fourth-, eighthand 11th-grade students studying North Carolina history online access to History Center resources. The idea is to tell real stories, at least one from each of our 100 counties, rather than displaying weapons and battle flags.

    Along the way, the NCCWRHC garnered an advisory board, co-chaired by former governors Jim Hunt and Jim Martin, raised $7 million from private sources and an additional $5 million grant from the state of North Carolina. It has also received $15 million in financial pledges from the city of Fayetteville and Cumberland County, as well as funding from the North Carolina General Assembly. History buffs from across our state and beyond are looking forward to this one-of-a-kind resource as part of our state museum system.

    All of this has happened since that kernel sprouted in local minds and hearts. The NCCWRHC has been researched and thought through at every stage of development and has the best organization, design and scholarship available behind it. The History Center is now poised to become reality.

    Why should you care about this when our community and our state have so many divergent and pressing issues facing us?

    Fayetteville and Cumberland County should care for a practical reason. A facility of this magnitude is an economic development project, bringing both visitors and resources to our community for the foreseeable future. Once operational, the History Center will be operated by the state, not by local government.

    Less tangibly and perhaps more importantly, the History Center is an opportunity for North Carolinians and all Americans to understand the issues of our past, how those issues continue to plague us today, and how they may compromise our future if we cannot resolve them as a nation.

    Writer and philosopher George Santayana put it this way. “Those who cannot remember history are doomed to repeat it.”

  • 04AmericaOn a rather frequent basis, I get to spend time with and engage in conversation with a wonderful group of Christian men. Topics addressed in our discussions run the spectrum from matters of our faith to those of politics and society. Part of my attraction to, and appreciation for, this group is that the tenants of our faith run throughout and provide foundation for whatever the topic might be. That is the case even when we get into what might be considered trivia.

    In fact, during a recent gathering, we spent substantial time and energy exploring a question that was put on the table under the “trivia” heading. One gentleman asked how the date for Easter is determined. When none of us could give the precise answer, he reported having read that Easter is held on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox. That report led us to research “vernal equinox.” After this discussion had gone on for a while, somebody piped up and said, “When I want to know the date for Easter, I just look at the calendar.” We all laughed and went on to other topics.

    That “look at the calendar” statement stuck with me. It points to a great truth. That is, deciding how to address some matters does not require all the discussion, all of the back-and-forth, that we invest in deciding on a course of action. There is a rather straight line to the answer, to what should be done. I hold that this is the case with deciding whether there should be a citizenship question on the 2020 census.

    The situation referred to here came about when Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross approved a question on citizenship for the 2020 Census. The following segments from an article by Peter Ciurczak provide an overview regarding the contentious debate resulting from Ross’ action. The article is titled “Citizenship and the census, in context.”

    It reads, “In late 2017, the Department of Justice (DOJ) under Attorney General Jeff Sessions requested that the Census Bureau, which is overseen by the Commerce Department, incorporate into the 2020 census a question on citizenship status. The DOJ argued that the more granular data allowed by the census would be useful in enforcement of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination against any citizen’s voting rights on account of race, color, or membership in a language minority group.

    “A number of previous census directors have written to Ross opposing the addition of a citizenship question, while 14 states led by California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra are suing the Trump administration over the inclusion of the question. The Attorneys General charge that introducing a question of citizenship goes against the constitutional requirement to “count each person in our country – whether citizen or noncitizen – ‘once, only once, and in the right place.’”

    Seeing that the issue of a census citizenship question does not require all the back-and-forth it is receiving might start with an examination of the claim in the final sentence above. That is, the argument by a group of attorneys general that the Constitution requires counting of each person in our country. As best as I can determine, they take this position based on a part of Article I, sec. 2, clause 3, of the U.S. Constitution. It says:

    “Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.”

    Looking above, the crux of the argument from the attorneys general hinges on “…of all other Persons.” From Yahoo Questions, consider the following analysis of that argument in a post titled “What does ‘three fifth’s of all other persons’ mean in the Constitution?”

    “It was a compromise between states that supported slavery and those that didn’t when it came to how representatives would be assigned to states and to how taxes would be distributed to the states. Those states which didn’t support slavery only wanted to count the free inhabitants of each state — meaning those states without slavery would receive a greater proportion of representation. Those states which supported slavery wanted all the states inhabitants to count — free or not, which would have given those states more representation. The biggest part, however, was that since slaves could not vote, states with slaves (in particular the slaveholders themselves) would have greater representation in house of representatives and in the electoral college.”

    The first takeaway from this quote is that “all other Persons” refers to slaves. By no means does this phrase require counting every person in the country, including any who might have been here illegally. Interestingly, Native Americans were not to be counted. That was an exception. For me, this analysis destroys the prime argument being put forth by the attorneys general. There is an exception for one group and “all other Persons” refers to slaves, not everybody. This is a “look at the calendar” moment.

    The second point that demands attention is the motivation of the attorneys general — especially California’s because of its large illegal migrant population. That motivation is similar to those that were at play concerning slaves. This is about increasing the number of persons counted in the census so that states get a larger number of representatives in the House of Representatives. The census count also determines the number of electoral votes allocated to each state. Consequently, in the pursuit of power to influence governmental decisions, counting illegal migrants definitely helps.

    Beyond representatives and electoral votes, this push to count illegal migrants is about money going from the federal government to states. An article titled “Debunking the Myths about the Citizenship Question on the 2020 Census Form” includes this statement: “Census data also influence the allocation of more than $800 billion in federal government resources to states, localities, and families every year, such as for health care, education, housing, transportation, rural access to broadband, and other services.” This is further reason for states to push counting of illegal immigrants.

    Another argument opposing the citizenship question is that there will be an undercount because some individuals will be reluctant to answer the citizenship question. Given what has been addressed to this point, it seems obvious that we should not be counting those who will not answer because they are in the country illegally. That being the case, why be concerned? Again, this is a “look at the calendar” issue.

    It troubles and amazes me that, in this illegal immigration battle, the impact on American citizens seems to get little or no consideration. This is reflected in the tremendous emphasis on illegal migrants, while little or no attention is given to consequences such as what is reported by George J. Borjas. The following is from his article titled “Yes, Immigration Hurts American Workers”:

    “Both low- and high-skilled natives are affected by the influx of immigrants. But because a disproportionate percentage of immigrants have few skills, it is low-skilled American workers, including many blacks and Hispanics, who have suffered most from this wage dip. The monetary loss is sizable. The typical high school dropout earns about $25,000 annually. According to census data, immigrants admitted in the past two decades lacking a high school diploma have increased the size of the low-skilled workforce by roughly 25%. As a result, the earnings of this particularly vulnerable group dropped by between $800 and $1,500 each year.

    Given all that is presented here, and similarly compelling considerations not even addressed, I cannot make sense of the back-and-forth regarding having a citizenship question on the 2020 census. This is a “look at the calendar” matter.

  • 05122010bohemianartsandmusicfestival2009050.jpgOn May 16, the Cumberland County Headquarters Library will come alive with the sound of music. Blues music.

    Claudia Swartz, the organizer of the annual Blues Showcase, and Jane Casto, the manager of the Headquarters Branch, have once again partnered to bring the sound of blues to the community, both young and old.

    “It’s a nice family event, for all ages. It’s for people who really love music, but may not want to go to a bar atmosphere. It’s more like a concert, so you can really pay attention to the music. This showcase is a really great opportunity,” said Casto. The event is free to the public and will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. in the Pate Room at the Headquarters Library.

    Swartz also encourages people to bring their children, and said there will be young people performing the music as well.

    A highlight of the afternoon will be performances by 13-year-old John Locklear and his sister Layla Locklear, who is 16. Other performers will include the Robbie Reid Band, Corky Jones, BluesEnigma, Lakota, the Raiford Street Band, Mister P. and Friends, Ray King on percussion and more.

    “This event gives a chance for local blues musicians to come up and perform for 20- 30 minutes to give people a taste of what’s available locally,” explained Casto.

    “The whole thing came about from just seeing that there were so many incredible musicians and so much talent, but not enough venues to showcase them,” said Swartz of the annual Blues Showcase which began in 2005.

    “This event is geared towards young talent. There are more and more young talented musicians starting to play the blues.”

    Refreshments are not available at the event, but guests are welcome to bring their own nonalcoholic beverages and food to the Pate Room.

    For more information on the event, contact the library at (910) 483-7727.

  • 03Grad’Tis the season.

    Not the season of Santa Claus but of something far better for many of us — graduation from high school, college and beyond. These are occasions of pride in accomplishments, high expectations for the future and both individual and family celebrations. They bring moments of relief at what has passed, and hopes for the future, with nagging touches of anxiety thrown in as well. They are gifts to ourselves for the rest of our lives. In short, graduations are both rites of passage and life markers.

    More than ever, nontraditional students are walking in caps and gowns in graduation processions. They are generally older people who, for whatever reasons, did not complete their educations, and people returning to school for additional degrees and certifications. For the most part, though, graduates are young people just dipping their toes in the real world of careers and adult relationships. Their lives are ahead of them, and it is traditional that graduations come with advice from family, teachers and commencement speakers who have labored hard to come up with original thoughts.

    My graduations are long behind me, but I do remember some of the advice I received that has served me well over the decades — both in work and in personal life.

    Education is the key to self-sufficiency. If you are lucky, you will find a partner with whom to pool your earthly resources, but make sure you can support yourself. There is nothing in life like your own paycheck.

    Get to know yourself, trust yourself and enjoy your own company. Even with a large family and a wide circle of friends, the truth is that no one — not your parents, your siblings, your partner or your friends — will take every step of life with you. You will be happier and more successful if you appreciate yourself and your abilities.

    You may wind up not working in the fields you studied in school, but your education will enrich your life in other ways. It has almost certainly sparked your curiosity about the world and taught you how to find out what you want to know about it, which will be a blessing all your life.

    Outstanding commencement speakers are much in demand, of course, and chief justice of the United States Supreme Court is a rarified office indeed. Our nation has had 45 presidents, including the current White House occupant, who with one exception were eligible for one or two terms. Our chief justice, on the other hand, is appointed for life or until he or she resigns, and only 17 men have served in that capacity. John Roberts, our current chief, is 13 years into his tenure, and unlike our president, he is a deliberate man who chooses his words carefully and delivers them calmly.

    Roberts has surely made more than a few commencement addresses, and The Atlantic recently reported on one of them. Two years ago, Roberts addressed his son’s ninth-grade class of all boys at a private school in New Hampshire. The chief skipped the traditional “congratulations and good luck” route and gave the boys his thoughts about how to behave as an American, particularly an American of privilege and as a citizen of the world.

    Said Roberts, “I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice.” And, this. “I hope you’ll be ignored, so you know the importance of listening to others.” He continued. “Understand that your success is not completely deserved, and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either.”

    And, finally, Roberts acknowledged the privilege of the boys, including his own son, and told them they were good boys and left them with this. “You are also privileged young men. And if you weren’t privileged before you came here, you’re privileged now because you have been here. My advice is, don’t act like it.”

    Godspeed to all graduating this season, and I wish you a speaker as wise as our chief justice.

  • 02DowntownThis week our publisher, Bill Bowman, yields his space to Dr. Hank Parfitt to address the city’s new $10 parking fees that affect downtown during home baseball games at Segra Stadium.

    As a downtown resident, property owner, business owner and longtime activist for downtown revitalization, I am excited about the new baseball team and stadium and the Prince Charles development. I applaud our city council for having the vision and for working determinedly with each other to support these projects. I have enjoyed watching the Woodpeckers. It is a good brand of baseball, and it is a delight to see young families having a fun night at the ballpark.

    However, the new parking fees are driving away business. Most of us accept the fact that paid parking in some form will be a necessity downtown. A parking study conducted for the city by Walker Consultants in 2018 recognizes the complexity of the problem and suggests a comprehensive array of measures requiring money, time and coordination with downtown stakeholders. Unfortunately, the city jumped to a single solution and slapped a $10 fee on the city lots before the first pitch was thrown in Segra Stadium.

    Well, guess what? Baseball fans are not stupid, and they quickly figured out how to avoid the paid lots. Did anyone seriously think it would be otherwise?

    On a recent baseball night at game time, I drove around and did a car count. The fans had already taken every free parking space except for the county courthouse lot, which is not within reasonable walking distance of the stadium or most businesses. The majority of the paid lots were nearly empty. And baseball fans had it finely calculated as to which lots were worth paying for. All the parking in the huge Med Arts lot was $10, but the spaces on the Russell Street side farthest away from the stadium were empty, while the Hay Street side close to the stadium entrance was full.

    The downtown sidewalks, I might add, were basically deserted because our regular customers stayed away.

    The $10 fee is clearly not working for businesses — nor is it working for the city. Empty paid lots don’t make much money for city coffers, yet the city has to pay more to McLaurin Parking Company, which manages the paid city lots, for the added staff. And it isn’t working for the Woodpeckers. The key to sustained attendance is for fans to see a bustling downtown when they come to a game and for every member of the family — not just the diehard baseball fans — to have a complete, enjoyable evening that might include dinner and a little shopping as well as baseball. That was the whole idea of putting the stadium downtown in the first place.

    City staff doesn’t seem to realize there is a problem. In Tuesday’s Fayetteville Observercity traffic engineer Lee Jernigan said there is plenty of free parking downtown. Of course there is — all taken by the baseball fans. The city manager’s solution is to give employees a break and charge them only $5 to give them “some real options … in the interim until we can come back with a larger and more comprehensive parking management program late in 2019 or 2020.” OK, but why didn’t they just hold off on the $10 fee until they could “come back” with that plan?

    Staff is apparently tone-deaf to the consequences of the $10 fees, so I ask the elected representatives of our city to consider rescinding them for a year. That way, all types of paid parking can be considered as part of an overall strategy that is implemented over the next year with thoughtfulness and deliberation and input from all stakeholders. At the very least, open up all the underutilized paid lots now and set some aside for customers and some for employees.

  • 13Kerr ScottThe Scott family. Too much for one book. Too much for one column.

    Five years ago, in “The Political Career of W. Kerr Scott: The Squire from Haw River,” Julian Pleasants chronicled the exceptional life of the only governor of North Carolina who proudly called himself a liberal. Kerr Scott was North Carolina governor from 1949-1953 and U.S. senator from 1955 until his death in 1958. He broke the hold of a conservative Democratic Party establishment and opened the door for the progressive administrations of future governors Terry Sanford, Robert Scott and Jim Hunt.

    Missing from Pleasants’ excellent book was the story of the entire Scott family and its role in North Carolina political life. Former Raleigh News & Observer political reporter and columnist Rob Christensen takes up that task in “The Rise and Fall of the Branchhead Boys.” He follows the Alamance County farm family beginning with Kerr Scott’s grandfather, Henderson Scott, 1814-1870, a slave-holding farmer. After the Civil War, he became active in the Ku Klux Klan and was briefly jailed as a result.

    Henderson’s son, Robert, 1861-1929, continued the family farming tradition. He spent almost a year in New York state to study modern farming methods. Then, after transforming his own farming operations, he shared his expertise throughout the state, earning the nickname “Farmer Bob.” Active in politics, he served in the state house and senate and unsuccessfully ran for commissioner of agriculture.

    Robert had 13 children, including two important political figures: Kerr, 1896-1958, and future powerful state legislator Ralph, 1903-1989. 

    Christensen does a good job of reviewing and supplementing Kerr’s political career as covered in Pleasants’ more detailed account. He describes how Kerr defeated the favored gubernatorial candidate of the conservative wing of the party in 1948. When in office, he adopted a liberal program of road building, public school improvement and the expansion of government services. Hard-working and hardheaded, direct and plain-spoken, he appointed women and African Americans to government positions and disregarded criticism of his actions. Then, when elected to the U.S. Senate in 1954 as a liberal in a campaign managed by future Gov. Terry Sanford, he nevertheless joined with fellow Southerners to oppose civil rights legislation.

    Christensen’s greater contribution to the Scott family saga is his account of the political career of Kerr’s son, Bob Scott, 1929-2009. Young Bob grew up on Kerr’s dairy farm and, like his father, became active in farmers’ organizations, working in political campaigns, including Terry Sanford’s 1960 successful race for governor. By 1964, at age 35, Bob was ready to mount a statewide campaign for lieutenant governor. But two senior Democrats, state Sen. John Jordan and House Speaker Clifton Blue, were already running. Christensen writes, “In some ways Scott had broken into the line.”

    Nevertheless, with the help of powerful county political machines, Bob won a squeaker victory in a primary runoff over Blue. Bob used his new office to run for the next one, giving hundreds of speeches each year and eating meals of “razor thin roast beef, seventeen green beans, a wad of mashed potatoes and apple pie the density of lead.”

    Meanwhile, Christensen notes, “The growing white backlash against racial integration gave Scott reason for caution.” He won the 1968 Democratic nomination over conservative Democrat and later Republican Mel Broughton and African American dentist Reginald Hawkins.

    The results of the presidential contest in North Carolina marked what Christensen calls “the breakup of the Democratic Party.” Richard Nixon won; George Wallace was second, and Hubert Humphrey was third.

    Nevertheless, in the governor’s race, Bob faced and beat Republican Jim Gardner. 

    The mountains of bitter controversies in the areas of race, labor, student unrest and higher education administration he confronted are too much for this column to cover.

    We will continue in a later column.

    Photo: Kerr Scott

  • 05roadsAt a recent North Carolina Department of Transportation committee meeting, my John Locke Foundation colleague Joe Coletti offered this blunt assessment to state policymakers: our system of road financing isn’t sustainable.

    “There simply isn’t enough money to do it all,” Coletti told the committee. He observed that the amount of gas taxes collected per mile traveled is lower in inflation-adjusted terms than it was a generation ago. Our cars get more miles to the gallon, for one thing, so a per-gallon tax can’t keep up. And a growing, albeit still small, share of our cars are electric or hybrid vehicles for which the gas tax is obviously inadequate as a means of charging drivers to use government roads.

    There’s really no doubt that we will have to move eventually to a system that charges drivers according to mileage and vehicle weight. Such a system should also vary the price according to time and congestion, just as utilities charge more for electricity during peak hours.

    Getting from here to there will be tricky, however. Tolling new roads or lanes can be unpopular, at least at first, as policymakers in North Carolina and elsewhere have discovered. For the entire road-andstreet system as a whole, a GPS-based mileage charge could get the job done. But it would invite even more public scrutiny.

    Of course, no system for funding transportation is free from major challenges. Raising gas and car taxes angers the public, as well. Dipping into general revenues, from sources such as sales and property taxes, may be more salable politically but has the obvious defect of severing the relationship between the cost individuals impose on the road system and the price they pay to use it. It is inequitable and inefficient.

    Coletti’s point is not simply that we have a mismatch between tools and tasks. More broadly, we have a mismatch between means and ends. Because North Carolina and other states rely so much on transfers from the federal government, for example, and those federal dollars come with lots of strings, we end up using scarce dollars to build new roads rather than maintaining our existing ones, even though the latter ought to be the higher priority.

    And the truth is that while transportation investment can be productive, it isn’t infinitely valuable. No matter how we pay for new roads, some of the ones currently on North Carolina’s wish list are unlikely ever to be built — and we should be okay with that. The extent to which their long-term benefits, expressed as greater mobility or safety or economic development, will exceed their long-term cost is unclear.

    Just as most other valuable things do, roads have diminishing marginal utility. When North Carolina built its first true statewide road network in the early decades of the 20th century, the payoff was gigantic. During successive waves of road-building — during the interstate boom, for example, and the belt-andconnector program enacted during the administration of Gov. Jim Martin — the benefits also exceeded the costs, although not by as much.

    There are still valuable roads and lanes to build, to be sure, and I’m happy to report that state policymakers have done their part to move such projects forward. North Carolina is spending hundreds of millions more a year on road construction and maintenance than we used to because state legislators and governors of both parties cooperated to reduce dramatically the transfer of gas and car taxes to nonhighway purposes.

    But no reform of our financing system, no matter how carefully designed and skillfully marketed, can generate enough revenue to fund all desired roads at a cost that won’t provoke intense opposition from taxpayers. As Coletti put it, “because there is never enough money to do everything that everyone thinks should be done, the state needs to identify the core needs for transportation funding.”

    Thus, policymakers must set firm priorities and stick to them. In many cases, the right answer will consist not of “how to” but, simply, “no.”

  • When I was young, my friend Dwayne and I were riding bicycles together. We pulled up beside each other, we talked for a minute and then gave each other a very cool high-five. A moment later we were laying on the payment catching our breath and bleeding from the knees and elbows. What was supposed to be cool, hurt. We were fortunate enough to get back up and work on the bikes and pedaled off with our pride intact.

    Not long ago, I was driving outside of Winston-Salem and saw two motorcycles laid out across a 300-yard stretch of highway. It appeared that the two street bikes had collided at high speed. The speed limit was 65 mph in that area so I’m sure they were running at a good clip. This is one of those situations that should have been 100 percent preventable. Riding side-by-side is a dangerous formation. It looks very cool but unless you’re filming a TV show č like CHIPS č or are in a special situation, you should learn to stagger your formation.

    Let’s break it down with math. The average motorcycle is three to five feet wide, times two bikes on an average 12-foot-wide road. That leaves two to four feet for a margin of error. Anything can cause a bike to swerve. The wind, an oncoming vehicle, a passing vehicle, an animal or one of you not paying attention č it’s an accident waiting to happen.

    In North Carolina, motorcycles are allowed to ride two abreast, however, no more than two. It is illegal to share a lane with a car and motorcycle. There are situations where riding side-by-side is appropriate. These situations include parades, funerals, escorting or situations of low speed. 

    So let’s break group riding down. There are three formations. Side-by-side, single file and staggered. The first thing is to be safe. The second is to maximize your space. If you are the lead rider you will want to ride in the left third lane to provide visibility to oncoming traffic. This position puts you in the best place to see around right-hand turns and corners. The second rider will want to be one second behind but now on the right third of the road. The next person will stagger from the second rider and behind the first rider back in the left third of the lane. Continue this formation accordingly. This will give you two seconds behind each rider and maximize your space while allowing a tight formation.

    The formation will expand and contract with traffic or the situation. If you get into curvy roads or poor visibility you will want to fall into a single-file formation. When in this situation you will want to remember to spread out your space and maintain that two-second distance.

    If someone falls back or breaks off for some reason, the group can slow down, wait at an appropriate location, or wait at your predetermined locations. Remember, if you are with a group, know what the plan is and have your own map just in case you separate.

    Riding in a group takes a lot of concentration, focus and practice. Keep your space and enjoy your friends and your ride.

    If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, please send your comments and suggestions to motorcycle4fun@aol.com. 

    RIDE SAFE!

  • 04BoxWho would not want a box of awesome? I know I do. I discovered the world’s greatest company name one afternoon while on walkabout through the wilds of Haymount. There is a company advertising on the internet named Box of Awesome. The name says it all. Buy our product and you will get a box of awesome stuff. The advertising genius who came up with this company name should win Advertising Age’s Grand Prize for 2019. I salute you, sir or madam. You have my undying admiration.

    How did I discover this amazing company, you ask? To keep myself motivated while walking through the late afternoons of life, I listen to news channels, Howard Stern or the History of Byzantium podcast. The company Box of Awesome frequently advertises on the internet. The concept is brilliant in its effectiveness and simplicity. You sign up to pay $45 a month. You take a short, very simplified online version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory test, which determines what sort of awesome stuff suits your personality. Box of Awesome then sends you a box full of different awesome stuff each month.

    The Box of Awesome analytics formula does its magic by using your personal information you provided. Presto, the computer figures out what sort of stuff you would like to receive and then sends it to you.

    It takes the worry and thought out of deciding what you want in life. Let the machine’s siliconbased analytics decide for you. In our brave new world, you don’t need free will. Determinism can be outsourced to the cloud. The computer knows better than you do what you want.

    Box of Awesome digitizes impulse buying so you don’t have to think at all. The part of the brain that you used to use to make an impulse buy from the rows of candy in the checkout line at the grocery store can now safely wither away like the muscles you used to use to exercise. You do get a few days’ notice of the contents of the box. You can say no if you decide you don’t want what the computer says you want. But who is going to say no to the computer? It’s like the old Record of the Month club. You could notify RCA you didn’t want the next record, but no one ever got around to saying no before the new Burl Ives record hit your front door.

    The concept reminded me of “National Lampoon’s European Vacation,” a movie in which the Griswalds compete in the Pig in a Poke TV quiz show. What is more fun than getting a surprise prize? Two families compete with each other dressed up in pink pig costumes. The theme song of the show has the immortal lines: “Pig in a poke. It pays to be a glutton. Oink, Oink!/You could win all or nothing, Pig in a Poke.”

    The families don’t know what fabulous prize they are playing for. Could it be a year’s supply of Johnson Turtle Wax? A Kelvinator home freezer? No one knows until the end of the show. Fortunately, the Griswalds are not playing against “Jeopardy’s” newest phenomenon, James Holzhauer, who would have squashed them into the dust like an angry elephant tap dancing on a rhino poacher. For reasons too bizarre to go into today, the Griswalds win Pig in a Poke and get a free trip to Europe.

    The Box of Awesome concept also borrows from the late, great Monty Hall’s “Let’s Make a Deal” TV show. With Monty, you could trade what you had in the box for Door Number Three or vice versa. You didn’t know what was behind Door Number Three. It could be a brandnew 1968 Chevy Nova. Or it could be a set of lawn furniture.

    The lure of the unknown is a great motivator and inhibitor of common sense. With a Box of Awesome, you do get to see what is in the box before it arrives, but who in their right mind is going to say no to a box of awesome stuff?

    The same principle applies to the upcoming 2020 presidential election. We know what we have in Dear Glorious Very Stable Genius Leader. We don’t know what Dear Leader will do next. What kookie thing will he do to entertain us? Vote for him and find out. It’s fun to be entertained and not have to think. The Roman Emperors did pretty well for centuries keeping themselves in power by entertaining the masses with bread and circuses.

    From the Democrats’ side of the ledger, we have more than 20 candidates who each are promising a Box of Awesome to the voters. Free college? Check. Green bill of rights? Check. Fresh face? Check. Ability to lose close elections? Check. Oldest president to ever be sworn into office? Check. Abolish the Electoral College? Check. It’s Pig in a Poke once again, with both sides promising the voters a Box of Awesome.

    So, what have we learned today? Thinking for yourself is such an uncool, antiquated, 20th-century concept. Let the computer’s analytics decide what you want. Big Brother knows what is best for you. As our old buddy George Orwell pointed out in “1984,” when Winston says: “But it was all right. Everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.” You, too, can love Big Brother.

  • {mosimage}They’ll be puttin’ on the ritz at the Temple Theatre in Sanford, May 29 through June 22, as a production of Ain’t Misbehavin’ comes to town.
    The musical, first performed in 1978, features the songs of jazz great Fats Waller. The musical also has been a stepping stone for such major performers as Nell Carter, Irene Cara and Debbie Allen.
    Waller reached his fame in the ‘20s and ‘30s and is perhaps best known for two songs that are featured in the musical — title track Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Honeysuckle Rose.
    The musical has a cast of five actors and a seven-piece band. It has won many honors, including Tony awards for Best Musical, Best Choreography and Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Nell Carter).
    Peggy Taphorn, artistic director for the Temple Theatre, says the production has been in the works for months, featuring some nationally known talent behind the scenes.
    “It’s going to be a great show because we have great people working on it,” said Taphorn. “We have a great director in Ray Kennedy, a great cast and our musical director Jan Powell is awesome.”
    Powell, who has been the Temple Theatre’s musical director for a year, says Ain’t Misbehavin’ is one of the most technically difficult projects he has worked on in his 40-year career in the theater... mainly because of the musical proficiency of Waller.
    “It’s really, really hard,” said Powell. “Fats Waller was a great, great musician — a classically trained musician who sort of fell into jazz.
    “This is the first time I’ve worked on a production of this musical,” said Powell, “but from the first time I saw it I wanted to be a part of it.”
    Powell is playing the piano himself. Other instruments in the band include drums, bass and a horn section.
    He has praise for both the theater and the young cast.
    “I love the Temple,” said Powell. “I think it’s one of the great, undiscovered gems in North Carolina. Despite seating more than 300 people, it still has an intimate feel.
    “And this cast is so good,” added Powell. “They’re extremely young, but they all sing and dance very, very well.”
    The five members of the cast are Christopher Berry, who plays Ken; Terren Wooten, who plays Andre; Brittany Carrie as Armelia; Cindy Hespedales as Charlane; and the role of Nell is performed by Mitzi Greshawn Smith.
    Berry, who is a recent graduate of North Carolina A&T, has an impressive background in theater, having participated in productions of Smoky Joe’s Cafe, A Christmas Carol, Raisin in the Sun and Dreamgirls. However, he says he is as excited about performing in Ain’t Misbehavin’ as any other musical he’s been involved in.
    “I think it’s going to be great,” said Berry. “The director, Ray Kennedy, has an excellent reputation in the theater world, and the rest of the cast is awesome.”
    Berry, a native of Westbury, N.Y., has never performed at the Temple Theatre, but he’s looking forward to his run in Sanford.
    “I think the people are really in for a great show,” said Berry. “The music and choreography of Ain’t Misbehavin’ just fits together so well. It’s been a lot of fun working on it.”
    The performance schedule is 2 and 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 29; 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; and 2 p.m. on Sunday. The production runs through June 22 and tickets are $16 and $20. There will be a dress rehearsal on May 28 that is open to the public for $5 per person.
    “We’re hoping to get people who have never been to a musical interested in the theater with the dress rehearsal,” said Taphorn, “and get the folks who go to the dress rehearsal to come back for the real thing.”   

    Contact Tim Wilkins at: tim@upandcomingweekly.com    

  • 03KellyaneEven Hollywood screenwriters would be hard pressed to come up with this wild scenario — even though it does have the makings of a hit movie. 

    A top aide to the president of the United States and leader of the free world is married to a man who advocates for her boss’s impeachment on the op/ed pages of The Washington Post. The aide has the gift of gab and can spin anything for the president. Her husband practices law and wordsmiths the president’s demise on the side.

    Meet Kellyanne and George Conway.

    She is the aide who told ABC “the president is not going to jail. He’s is staying in the White House for five-and-a-half more years.” He is the spouse who takes a lesson from the president’s own playbook, referring to him as “Deranged Donald” and repeatedly calling for Trump’s impeachment.

    It is a fair guess that the Conways’ pillow talk is a lot different from what Hollywood screenwriters penned for Doris Day and Rock Hudson way back when. Even Trump has jumped into the Conway fray — on Kellyanne’s side, naturally enough — describing his loyal aide’s husband as a “stonecold loser and husband from hell.”

    The Conways, worth $39 million according to financial disclosures, reportedly live with their four children in a 15,000-square foot home in a tony Washington neighborhood, which is probably a good thing. It is certainly understandable if they each need a little space to themselves.

    In fairness, none of us knows what is going on in other people’s marriages, and certainly not in those of people we only read about and see on television. But is it fair and interesting to view the Conways as a metaphor for what is going on all over our nation — in marriages, in workplaces and among friends and neighbors.

    No one is neutral on Trump. Some of us adore his candor, if you describe his public utterances as “candid.” Some of us are so repulsed by our president that we can barely listen to him. And some of us are just praying for this to be over soon. We all have our own opinions about Trump, and Kellyanne and George Conway are doing a great job of laying out and articulating our great national divide.

    Our national landscape is now so deeply bifurcated that millions of us no longer feel the same way about friends, neighbors and even relatives who hold political views, and especially views about Trump, that differ from our own. We are now isolated in Camp Donald Trump and Camp Anybody but Donald Trump, and there appears to be little appetite for or interest in crossing the great divide from either camp.

    This cannot be good for our nation today or for our democracy in the long run.

    There is always the chance, of course, that the Conways are conning us. Maybe he is her insurance policy in case Trump does implode, and maybe she his lucky government charm in case we do face four more years. But I think not. The Conways seem deeply and seriously entrenched in their positions, very much lacking the humor and deftness of another politically divided long married couple. Republican Mary Matalin and Democrat James Carville have sparred with each other for years and do so with wit and affection. They do not name-call or aim for the jugular.

    So, in the tradition of the cliffhanger, are the still-married Conways a sign that ordinary Americans might survive our ongoing great divide? Are Kellyanne and George symbols of hope for the rest of us? Or do they bode a more permanent schism in our national unity? Will they, as Buck Owens so poignantly sang, “split the blanket down the middle,” or will they find a way to be cozy as a family in their Washington mega-mansion?

    Only time will tell.

    Photo: Presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway

    Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia

  • {mosimage}Recount (Sunday, 9 p.m., HBO) is an absurd political fantasy about a U.S. presidential election gone wrong. It all comes down to Florida, where the voting apparatus gets weirdly screwed up. Networks call the election one way, then reverse themselves; the Democratic candidate concedes, then retracts his concession. All hell breaks loose, with mass protests, death threats and dirty tricks. The conservative members of the Supreme Court finally hand the election to their fellow Republican in a decision worthy of a banana republic.

    Wait a minute č this isn’t an absurd political fantasy, it’s what really happened in 2000’s Bush vs. Gore. Recount dramatizes the tragicomedy, and if you didn’t know it was a true story you’d think the screenwriter was insane.

    The movie’s tone is perfect. It’s cynical about politics, savoring the humor in the Florida farce. But it can also break your heart by showing how our Constitution got fed into the paper shredder.

    The story’s anchor is Ron Klain (Kevin Spacey), a Gore staffer who leads the recount fight. He leaps off the screen, as do a rogue’s gallery of lawyers, thugs and politicians more concerned with winning than with who actually got more votes. Tom Wilkinson flashes a crocodile smile as James Baker III, who plays hardball for Bush. And Laura Dern has the time of her life impersonating vain Katherine Harris, Florida’s Republican secretary of state. Dern has you guffawing over this nitwit who’s suddenly thrust into a historic role, but the laughs catch in your throat as Harris cooks up slimy schemes to shut down the recount.

    I urge you to drop everything and watchRecount. That is, unless Katherine Harris succeeds in shutting it down before airdate.


    Shark Swarm

    Sunday, 8 p.m. (Hallmark Channel)

    This TV movie kicks off beach season with a tale of sharks mutated by toxic sludge. I can forgive the cheesy dialogue and the bad acting by Daryl Hannah, Armand Assante and John Schneider. But the fact that not a single character gets eaten in the first 20 minutes č that I can’t forgive.


    Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins

    Sunday, 8 p.m. (Animal Planet)

    America fell in love with Flower, the mother meerkat from the nature-documentary series Meerkat Manor. Flower died, but Animal Planet capitalizes on her popularity by producing a prequel about her early years. The nature footage is arranged into a narrative, with Whoopi Goldberg providing the charming voiceover.

    We meet Flower as a newborn meerkat in South Africa. The filmmakers shamelessly anthropomorphize her and her family, to the point where we might as well be watching a reality series about human beings č albeit ones with extraordinarily long noses. They shop for food (i.e., dig for grubs), squabble with the neighbors (a fellow meerkat tribe) and look for a new piece of real estate (a safer burrow). 

    Young Flower has real star power, and it’s easy to see why she became America’s sweetheart č though rumor has it she was kind of a demanding bitch off camera.

     

  • 02centerMany Fayetteville and Cumberland County community leaders, elected officials and residents are scratching their heads. They’re wondering what in the world Mayor Mitch Colvin’s motives are for his abrupt 180 on supporting the $46 million North Carolina Civil War & Reconstruction History Center that has been destined for a statewide home here in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

    I’m not a mind reader. However, my guess is it has something to do with some form of political maneuvering.

    What sense does it make for a mayor who has led an aggressive charge for Fayetteville’s growth and economic development to suddenly and without cause object to a sanctioned economic tour de force like the History Center? It’s especially puzzling since Colvin initially endorsed the project and played a significant role in advocating for and advancing it. Colvin’s reversed position jeopardizes the chances of locating this state-owned museum in our community.

    It defies logic when a smart man like Colvin goes on FakeBook (not a typo) and compares the combined $17 million budget requests of Greensboro and Asheville to a funding request for the construction of a $46 million state-owned museum. However, in the same post he did say something that was true if put in the proper context. He said, “Tell your state representatives we deserve more than this.”

    How right he is. Fayetteville does deserve more. About $46 million worth — plus more jobs, more visitors via tourism, more statewide and nationwide recognition and more tax revenues from increased economic activity.

    Colvin is a smart political operative, and his colleagues are all aware that this abrupt change of heart has an underlying motive. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make any difference what that motive is. Sudden, unexplained changes have never been good or beneficial to the taxpaying residents of Fayetteville. It is this kind of inside political baseball that has proven to be Fayetteville’s nemesis while reinforcing that haunting localized adage, “Fayetteville never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.”

    Besides abandoning his colleagues, Colvin may find it difficult to defend his position on several fronts. The most difficult will be his claim that Fayetteville residents have more pressing needs. Does he really want to go there? Especially when the city is confronting some pretty harsh criticism for spending $14 million of taxpayers’ money on a parking deck they cannot use? And, even more importantly, when the downtown development project — which includes the baseball stadium, the Prince Charles apartments and the classy hotel and office building housing those apartments — is completed, more money should be coming into the community. This economic stimulus plan publicly boasted it will generate $100 plus million of economic vitality to our city.

    If this is still the case, then we are in the winner’s circle by adding this proposed statewide History Center to our city. Current estimates are that it will bring another $20 million in revenue to our community. If this isn’t enough to question Colvin’s decision and judgement, consider this: Colvin believes in education and awareness. In the past, he has joined dozens of local scholars, educators and community, civic and governmental officials in realizing the need for factual historical awareness and education about the Civil War and the Reconstruction periods.

    Take a close look at downtown Fayetteville and you will see Colvin has provided us the leadership we desperately need to move the community forward. The question many are asking in response to his changed position is: Why stop now?

    Next up, a Fayetteville Performing Arts Center? We’ll see. Let’s all hope the mayor sides with the people. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • {mosimage}While the box office is getting some major play with a few movies, some movie fans are gearing up for one of the hottest summer movie seasons in years. Old favorites likeIndiana Jones,Batman and those city dwellers from New York are expected to heat up the screen and the box office.

    Here’s a sneak peak at what’s expected to be the hottest movies of the summer:

    One of the most anticipated movies of the summer season may have the saddest story behind it. The latest in theBatman series,The Dark Knight, is expected to cause quite a stir at the box office. It’s true some people may go and see the movie out of morbid curiosity č it was, after all, Heath Ledger’s last movie, and if you believe what you read what may have contributed to his death. 

    My family and I are anxiously awaiting the return of Indiana Jones inIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It’s been almost 19 years sinceThe Last Crusade hit the big screen, but Harrison Ford still has the moves, the wit and the style to carry off the character of Indiana. Having watched this series from the beginning (and I’ll admit even watching the TV series, which by the way had a young Grady Bowman starring as the little Indiana), I am anxious to see what hair-raising stunts and spins they can throw in this flick.

    There’s quite a buzz about the big screen debut ofSex and the City. In fact, pundits are already making book on whether or not a second flick is in the works č and the first one isn’t even out yet. I have to be honest, I don’t understand the buzz about this movie because I never (gasp!) watched the series. Info on this movie indicates that it is as sharp as the TV show. This offering has one of the friends engaged, another expecting a new baby, one in the midst of marriage trouble and the other leaving the big city for the coast. Maybe the second film will have the gang jetting out to sunny California for awild reunion.

    Robert Downey Jr. has definitely reached a turning point in his career. Instead of seeing him only in courtroom shots and leaving rehab, we have the chance to see him three times this summer. His most highly touted film this summer isIron Man, the story of billionaire inventor-turned-superhero. In June, he makes a surprise appearance inThe Incredible Hulk, playingIron Man. In August he shows up in a film about an Oscar winning actor čTropic Thunder. I for one am glad that Downey has his act together.

    Final pick for the summer čThe Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. We, like a whole lot of people across the country, lovedThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It’s going to take a lot to live up to the first movie, but trailers and previews of the Caspian movie sound like it definitely has a chance of living up to, if not being better than, the first. I just wonder if there are any attacking polar bears?

    Contact Janice Burton at: editor@upandcomingweekly.com

  •     The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is a little out of time. The organization, which focuses on the Middle Ages, will take Fayetteville residents back in time with them on Sunday, May 18, from 1-4 p.m., at Lake Rim Park when it presents a medieval reenactment.  
        “We try to re-create arts and things that were done in the Middle Ages,” said Noel Gifford, member of the Society for Creative Anachronism and Fayetteville’s Canton of Attilliun chapter. “We are presenting this for the local people so they know what we are doing and what we are about.” {mosimage}
        There will be demonstrations of heavy armored combat, rapier fighting, Middle Eastern dancing and multiple arts and crafts. Costumers use luminous silks to create ladies’ gowns while the men in armor brave the heat of the forge to hammer plate steel into the fashions of war.  
        “We also demonstrate marshal arts,” said Gavin Mac Roberts, local chapter president of The Society for Creative Anachronism. “Before being allowed to participate in combat, SCA combatants go through a rigorous training regimen and safety authorization process.” 
        Mac Roberts added that the equipment is inspected before the start of the event and the combatants must maintain their skills through regular attendance at combat practice. Participants use real blades and wear protective clothing and masks.
        The nonprofit organization’s purpose is to research and recreate the arts and skills of pre-16th century Europe. Each member researches a particular time period learning what the people ate, clothing that was worn and other facets of the people’s way of life. In short, they delve into the culture of the period. Some members create a “persona” for themselves as someone who could have lived in a specific time and place. It is that persona they bring to demonstrations like the upcoming one.  
        The SCA has 100,000 diverse participants who live in 19 “kingdoms” across the globe, including participants in Maryland, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and a small portion of Georgia. These re-enactors use their knowledge of history to enrich the lives of others. Various events take place throughout the country.
        “We dress up in our costumes and demonstrate our art to the public,” said Gifford. “Some people sell the clothing that they make.”
        Gifford added that the members donate their time visiting local libraries and schools to help bring history alive for students.
        “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Mac Roberts. “We hope that people will be interested in learning about what we do.”
        Admission is free and the event is open to the public. For more information about the SCA, including how to join, call 988-8207.  
  • {mosimage}“Superdrive is comprised of three hard working musicians who have seen their fair share of the road.” 

    An accurate description of local band, Superdrive, who is psyched and set to play the Special Forces Benefit Fundraiser Saturday, May 31, at Festival Park. The band just wants to kick it old school č they want you to rock, and they want you to have fun. 

    Superdrive is comprised of Bryan Shaw (bass and vocals), J.D. Shaw (drums and vocals), and Clay Singletary (guitar and vocals). All three knew at an early age what they wanted to be when they grew up. They wanted to rock. Fortunately, they are able to work as full-time musicians. JD still plays on a vintage 1963 Ludwig drum kit that his grandmother purchased for him at the sprightly age of 3. This same kit produces the thumping beats that drive their shows. Each member had their hand in music all before puberty. These are expert musicians whose musicianship should be appreciated. Shaw, lead singer of the band, was kind enough to answer a few of my questions, and explain a little bit more about why Superdrive is worth YOUR time.  

    If you only had two words to describe your band, what would they be, and why?

    “Loud fun. Superdrive shows are fun. We enjoy getting the crowd involved. It’s great when the crowd is singing all the songs with you, at that point, you know everyone in the room is having a great time. Oh yea, did I mention we were a rock band....it can be loud.”

    Name? Who came up with the name and why do you think it fits your band? 

    “J.D. named the band. Naming bands is our LEAST favorite thing to do. We love playing music, however, coming up with a name that best suits you or your music style....WAY too much brain work. We had to have a name. Seems you can ride through the desert on a horse with no name but clubs for some reason will NOT book a band with no name-go figure.”

    Influences, and why? Do you think you live up to their legacies? How do you think you can improve? 

    ”We are all about the same age, so we grew up listening to virtually the same music. Influences are all over the place. We really like a lot of different styles of music. We take requests a lot. I think our wide variety of musical influences helps us to pull them off. We seem to get odd requests and I mean we have taken some ODD ones, but it keeps it interesting.”

    The Beatles or Led Zeppelin? 

    “Two different emotions, we love and cover both bands, but I would say Zeppelin.”

    What fuels the intensity of the band’s songs?

     “We are full time musicians, so we actually love our jobs!!”

    Why should I listen to Superdrive?

    “I don’t think you can walk away from a Superdrive show without having fun.” 

    Fun sounds good to me. Doesn’t fun sound good to you? Find out when they are rocking and rolling near you next. Check out Superdrive on their myspacewww.myspace.com/superdrivenc. 

    The festival kicks off at 11 a.m. nd will end after Bad Company leaves the stage at about 10:30 p.m. All this for $20 at the gate or $17 if you get your ticket at ticketalternative.com.

     


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    Not too many places can beat Fayetteville when it comes to celebratingpatriotism. Unfortunately, we are right up there when it comes to sacrifi cein the name of duty, honor and country, too. Our community is fi lled withthe proud, selfl ess soldierswho serve and their families who serve just as proudly andselfl essly. The widows, orphansand families of those who havegiven their fi nal measure standfi rmly in our midst — manycontinuing to give as theyvolunteer, advocate, heal andembrace the military lifestylethat permeates the community.

    As Memorial Day drawsnear, the community ispreparing their grand fi naleof 31Days of Glory whichhas honored those who havedied while in military service.Memorial Day weekend ispacked with activities that willremind us of the price that hasbeen paid for our freedoms, but also with eventsthat are aimed at helping us enjoy those freedomsand a showing appreciation to the heroes andfamilies that walk among us, and mean so much tothis community everyday.

    The Field of Glory will fl y not just onMemorial Day, but through the end of June at theAirborne and Special Operations Museum. Eachof the hundreds of fl ags has been dedicated to asoldier.

    On May 28, the Pilot Club of Fayetteville ishonoring military heroes past and present withthe lighting of luminaries at the Airborne andSpecial Operations Museum from 8-10 p.m. Eachluminary will be lit in honor of a service member.A list of the honorees will be available on theevening of the event. To honor your soldier in thisceremony, contact the Pilot Club at 850-7433.

    Sunday evening, May 30, the DowntownAlliance is hosting a movie and a picnic in the park — Festival Park.

    “Last year it was bigger and better than the year before,” said ChrisVilla the marketing chairperson. “We expect it to be that way again thisyear.” With a crowd of about 200 or so last year, the park should be full offolks coming to watch the award winning feature — The Blind Side starringSandra Bullock.

    The park opens at about 6:30, but the movie wont be shown until itgets dark. Villa encourages folks to bring apicnic and a ball or frisbee to toss around.There will be food vendors there too if you’drather buy your dinner or snacks for themovie. She promises that the atmosphereis fun and family friendly, so go ahead andbring the kids.

    “We all hang out and chit chat andwander around and play and whatever,”said Villa. “They can bring frisbees, balls orwhatever and just hang out in the park. It isa fun time and I think we should be in forreally good weather this year.”

    Don’t stay out too late though, Mondayis packed with things to do and the fun startsearly! The pancake breakfast is back and itstarts at 7 a.m. It costs $5 a plate and willlast until 11 a.m.

    If you time it right,you can come downtownfor breakfast and headright on over to theMemorial Day festivities.“It is a full day and weare really excited aboutit,” said Villa. “I wasable to secure general AlAycock. He is going tobe out there to do ourkick off.”

    At 8 a.m. thePatriot’s Criterium,hosted by the CrossCreek Cycling Club, willtake place on Hay Street.

    “Patriot’s Crit is likeNASCAR on bicycles,”said Villa. “It is bikeraces. It is a lot of fun.It goes really quickly, too.”

    Check out www.CrossCreekCyclingClub.org if you are interested inparticipating.

    A new event this year called “A Walk in Their Boots” takes place at9 a.m. “You can come down and walk in your dad’s boots, your mom’sboots, your own boots, your boyfriend’s, your husband’s — whatever —and we are walking from the Festival Park Promenade at 9:15 a.m. over tothe 10 o’clock ceremony at Veterans Park.”

    The ceremony will pay tribute to veterans past and present. There willbe a guest speaker along with other events like the posting of the colors, atoast to the fl ag, wreath presentations and patriotic music.

    Back at Festival Park, the activities range from static displays ofmilitary equipment from different times in history complete with militaryre-enactors to bouncy houses and more.

    An old favorite, the Classic Car Cruise, will showcase cars (pre 1989)from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Ray Avenue and Maiden Lane. It’s free, too.

    The stage will be rockin’ through out the day with a variety of musicaltalent. In One Accord, Fayetteville Symphony Brass Quintet, KennyHuffman, The Robbie Reid Band and The Stephenson Brothers and Lindaare scheduled to perform.

    To find out more visitwww.glorydaysnc.com or31daysofglory.com.

    Photo caption:  Fields Of Glory shown at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. 

  • {mosimage}Survivortook a turn for the macabre at the end of April. The women banded together against the men in what they gleefully called “the Black Widow Brigade.” Suddenly, the series didn’t seem like a harmless game anymore. The women were treating it like a bloody sacrificial rite, with murder in their eyes.

    “We’re spinning the guys around until they don’t know which way is up,” said Parvati with a diabolical laugh. “Then we’re devouring them.”

    Natalie was even scarier. She expressed a desire to suck the guys’ blood and even pantomimed licking it off her fingers.

    “I’d love to blindside Jason,” she said, “flossing my teeth with his jugular.”

    This week’s finale (Sunday, 8 p.m., CBS) may be the first one in whichSurvivorfans have to shield their eyes. I predict that the “Black Widow Brigade” will make good on their promise to eat every male contestant in the tribal council area. The sight of host Jeff Probst running into the jungle screaming will be a rather sad way to end the season.


    American Experience

    Wednesday, 8 p.m. (PBS)

    Say you were a television network making a documentary about the recent Republican president George H.W. Bush. Would you (a), aim for a balanced perspective, giving equal time to supporters and detractors, or (b), turn the program over to adoring fans to add a rosy glow to Bush’s controversial career? If you chose (a), you clearly aren’t PBS, begging for federal funds with another Bush in the White House. Apparently scared of the “liberal bias” charge, the network has created one of the most craven documentaries I’ve ever seen on TV.

    As Bush’s friends and family members tell it, with inspiring music on the soundtrack, George H.W. is just a decent fellow who wanted to do the right thing for his fellow countrymen. So when he welcomed racists into the Texas Republican Party in the 1960s, he was just being practical to advance a worthy cause. When he sought public office by denouncing civil rights, he was going against his true feelings. When he covered for Watergate-era Richard Nixon as Republican Party chairman, he was showing admirable loyalty.

    Let’s look a little closer at this last episode to see how the documentary skews reality. We see a clip of Bush questioning the media’s patriotism for simply asking legitimate questions about criminal activity in the White House. 

    “The president has said that he’s not involved in Watergate╔. and I accept that. And I don’t think it helps the stability or the forward progress of this country to speculate hypothetically when a man has made that statement.”

    Is anyone allowed to call Bush for his ugly role in the Watergate affair? Nope č we just get wife Barbara letting him off the hook with a deeply hilarious alibi. “George couldn’t believe a man could look you in the face and say, ‘I had nothing to do with this. I have not lied.’”

    I’m already dreading PBS’s heroic documentary about George W. Bush in the next decade or so.


    An American Crime

    Saturday, 9 p.m. (Showtime)

    Your heart leaps at the prospect of Catherine Keener and Ellen Page in a movie together. But it sinks when you learn the subject,An American Crime, is the true story of 16-year-old Sylvia Likens (Page), left to live with a sadistic stranger named Gertrude Baniszewski (Keener) by her carny parents. Occasional whippings culminate in gruesome torture and imprisonment in the basement.

    Page and Keener put everything they have into humanizing both victim and victimizer. But it’s a shame to see them work so hard in a movie that will only make you say “ewww.”

  •     {mosimage}A sure sign that summer is on its way in Fayetteville is the arrival of Fayetteville After Five. This third Thursday event brings the community together in a celebration of art, music and fun. What could be more fun?
    Sponsored by the Fayetteville Museum of Art and some of its community friends (Cumulus Broadcasting, Distributors of Bud Light, The City of Fayetteville, The Fayetteville Observer, Up and Coming Weekly and Time Warner Cable), the event is fun for the whole family.
        As in years past, the event will feature food vendors and adult beverages. The Young at Art Tent, which allows children of all ages to engage in hands-on activities and art projects FREE of charge. The Visual Artist Tent will feature artists creating on-site as well as displaying and offering for sale unique, hand-crafted items. So it’s more than just music and dancing — it’s educational, it’s cultural — heck, let’s cut to the chase, it’s just fun.
        The kick-off event, slated for Thursday, May 15 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. at Festival Park will feature the beach sounds of the Craig Woolard Band. Those new to the area might be asking themselves what is this “beach music” and even a bigger question — what’s the shag? We’ve got some answers for you.
        Certain regions in the country are linked with certain kinds of music. You think New Orleans and jazz pops into your mind. You think Seattle — grunge. You think Memphis — Elvis-style rock ‘n’ roll. Nashville — country. You get where I’m going with this? You think North and South Carolina and beach music should (after you spend some time in the two states) and will pop into your head.
        Beach music is a regional genre which developed from various musical styles of the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s.The styles ranged from big band swing instrumentals to the more raucous sounds of blues/jump blues, jazz, doo-wop, boogie, rhythm and blues, reggae, rockabilly and old-time rock ‘n’ roll. It’s music that reaches deep down inside you and gets you on your feet, which, by the way can’t stand still. Your feet literally start itching to move — and that’s where shagging comes into play. The shag is the state dance of North and South Carolina. It’s a close cousin to swing dancing — but there isn’t as much throwing in the air and the steps are a little more low key. The shag is more of a shuffle than a bop. It’s something best done in the sand — but Festival Park will do just fine.
        So, now that you know what beach music is, and you know how to dance to it, you need to know that when it comes to beach music, the Craig Woolard Band is beach music royalty. For 27 years, Woolard was the front man for the Embers, perhaps the premier beach band in the land. When the band broke up in 2006, Woolard found himself in an odd place. He still had a love and passion for music — but no one to play it with. Thanks to a group of great friends and fans, Woolard found his way and formed a new band. The band has been entertaining countless thousands for the past couple of years and has quickly earned its place in the Beach Music Hall of Fame.
        The band’s latest release, Come and Get This, is heating up the airwaves. The CD has produced several hits and has people hitting the floor any time it’s played. Woolard and company are favorites on and off the beach. They can frequently be found playing events like Fayetteville After Five, or more recently, fraternity and sorority parties across the state. Woolard plays the kind of music that makes you long to dig your toes into the sand and grab your favorite guy or gal and hit the dance floor.
        Woolard is a Fayetteville favorite. He has been performing since he was 14 years old, and has become quite the showman. He explained that he isn’t content until the audience is having as much fun as he is. And, well, since he loves what he does, Fayetteville After Five is looking to be one jumping place.
    Woolard and his band are committed to giving his audience more than their money’s worth. When you attend a function with the band they don’t just want you to watch, they want you to be caught up in the fun!
        And while beach music may have been born in the Carolinas years ago, its appeal, and so the band’s appeal, really doesn’t have any boundaries. Children and adults love the band and its music — so introduce your kids or your grandkids to some classic beach sounds at Fayetteville After Five.
        Don’t forget — it’s free, it’s at Festival Park and it’s going to be fun!

    So You Want to Shag                                                                                                                                        by STAFF REPORTS

        So, you’re new to the area and you keep hearing about this thing called the “shag.” No it’s not a hairstyle and it’s not British slang. The shag is a form of swing dancing that evolved from the jitterbug and jump blues of the big band jazz era and originated along the strands between Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Wilmington, during the 1940s. It is most often associated with beach music, a genre of rhythm and blues-based songs that lends itself to this dance form. According to Bo Bryan, a noted shag historian and resident of Beaufort County, the term was coined at Carolina Beach. Today, the shag is a recognized dance in national and international dance competitions held across the United States.
        In the dance, the upper body and hips hardly move as the legs do convoluted kicks and fancy footwork. The man is the center of attention and the woman’s steps either mirror steps of the man’s or a sort of marking time while he does spins and other gyrations.
        The shag is the state dance of North Carolina and South Carolina, and is still popular among residents of both states. Thousands of people are members of shag clubs throughout the region. Fayetteville has its own Shag Club. The clubs meet on a regular basis and throw some of the best parties around. Dancing reigns at the parties — where people are only too happy to show off their fancy footwork.
        Most shaggers make a the spring and fall pilgrimage to Ocean Drive at North Myrtle Beach to participate in the annual SOS, a veritable shaggers paradise. For one weekend, OD is filled to overflow of dancers going from club to club — places like Duck’s and Fat Harold’s (no, we’re not making these names up) and the holy of holies — the OD Pavilion — for a weekend of dancing that is the staff history is made of.
        So, grab your weejuns, get a partner and head down to Festival Park. If you don’t know how to shag, someone will be glad to teach you — and if that fails, simply grab a partner, swing them around and shuffle your feet — you’ll get the hang of it.

     Contact Janice Burton at: editor@upandcomingweekly.com

  • 04 210506 A OP908 0793sOn a normal day at Camp Mackall, hundreds of soldiers seeking to join the elite ranks of Army Special Operations, are running, rucking, climbing and utilizing logic and intelligence to solve problems. On May 6, things looked a little different as the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School’s Family Programs hosted a Spouse Q-Course, which brought the spouses of Special Operations soldiers, cadre and students to the training ground to walk a mile or two in their soldiers’ boots.

    Dee Ann Rader, the Family Resiliency Coordinator for Family Programs, greeted the spouses with a big smile. “This is going to be a great day,” said Rader. “Nothing but good vibes today. I know the spouses are going to have a great day, and that the SWCS cadre will do a great job.”

    Rader’s enthusiasm was matched by the spouses who came in groups and began to mingle immediately. The spouses were excited and their energy filled the room. “This is really a great day to have this event,” continued Rader. “Tomorrow (Friday, May 7) is Military Souse Appreciation Day — so we couldn’t have chosen a better day.”

    The event is one of many family events that is funded by One Team. One Team is an Army funded inclusive program intended to fill in gaps in readiness of SWCS student spouses and families, with the goal of providing resources, training, connections and mentorship to build a firm foundation of knowledge, strength and resiliency as they move forward in the Special Operations community.

    The group was welcomed to Camp Mackall by Maj. Jacob Wachob, acting commander of 1st Bn., 1st Special Warfare Training Group. 1st Battalion is in charge of ARSOF Selection and Assessments, as well as the qualification courses for Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations and Special Forces.

    “We hope this will be a fun and educational day for you,” he said. “You are going to face some challenges, try some good food and have the opportunity to see and do things that you have not done before. Bite off what you can chew — figuratively and literally — and we hope you have a great day.”

    “Nasty Nick” is the world-famous obstacle course that stretches across Camp Mackall. Prior to beginning their day, the spouses watched a video that describes the course. Looking across the room, the spouses looked on in trepidation, but also in excitement.

    “You are going to get to do things today that most people won’t ever get to do. The obstacle course assess your strength, agility and forces you to conquer your fears,” a member of the cadre explained.

    Prior to tackling the obstacle course, the spouses spent time at the SERE Compound. SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) is a training program that prepares U.S. military personnel, Department of Defense civilians and contractors to survive and "return with honor” should they ever be captured by enemy forces.

    At the SERE compound, the spouses were divided into teams — much like the small teams Army Special Operations Soldiers operate in while deployed — to move through various areas of the training, including weapons, trapping and survival techniques. They also had a chance to check out the “Road Kill Café.”

    At the trapping location, spouses learned how soldiers were trained to find water and food if they were ever caught behind enemy lines. A member of the cadre explained that students are taught to focus on protein, noting that students are taught about animals that they can find in various areas of the world, and were shown number of ways of trapping an animal using things you find around you like a rock or string. He explained that a soldier may set 12 traps, but percentage wise would only get one hit, noting that they are looking for smaller animals such as squirrels, rabbits and even rats.

    Jessica, whose husband is in the Civil Affairs Qualification Course, signed up for the event because she “wanted to see first-hand what her husband was going through” so she could “relate to the stories “ her husband shared with her about his training. “This gives me perspective on what he is doing, and I can understand what he is talking about.”

    At the weapons station, they learned that weapons can be made from just about anything, including rocks and sticks. They were given the opportunity to use a couple of the weapons, the first, called a “rabbit stick,” is quite literally a heavy stick that is thrown in a lateral movement at a small animal. The next weapon was a man-made spear that was launched with an atlatl, which is a tool that uses leverage to achieve great velocity.

    Elle, a vivacious brunette, was the first to jump at the chance to throw the rabbit stick. Her throw was not on the mark — or even near it — but she laughed at how bad her throw was. “My husband is in the Special Forces Qualification Course, and when I heard about this, I jumped because I wanted to understand more about what my husband was doing. By doing this, I can connect on a different level having seen for myself what he talks about. I really never thought I would have the opportunity to do this.”

    Jamie’s husband has been in the Army 8 years, and is now in the SFQC. “This is the first time I’ve gotten to see Camp Mackall and having the opportunity to experience new thing and meet new people sounded great to me. It is also pretty neat to learn how make a weapon from thing you pick up off the ground.”

    While most of the attendees were not successful with the atlatl, Jewels, a former soldier, and athlete, hit the target dead center multiple times. “I’m really interested in what he has been doing, and while I am prior military it’s cool to see the SOF side of the house. This is a good group of women, and we are having a lot of fun together.”

    The bonding of spouses is one of the goals of Family Programs. Carolyn Roberson, the Senior Advisor to Family Programs, is the spouse of Maj. Gen. Patrick Roberson, the SWCS Commander. Having lived the Army life, Carolyn explained that the bonds between military spouses are important, particularly when soldiers are deployed or away at training. She noted that having a support system of people who know what you are going through is key to navigating Army life. Having helped plan the event, she was excited to see the bonds that were formed by the spouses and their willingness to try new things and tackle obstacles.

    Prior to leaving the SERE area, the attendees had a chance to taste the offerings of the “Road Kill Café.” The day’s menu was comprised of beaver, otter, goat, deer and raccoon that was cooked by the cadre. The majority of the spouses at least took a bite or two of the offerings, with one woman noting that it “wasn’t that bad.”

    Elia is a native of Colombia, but her husband is a Special Forces Medic, who previously served in 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), but is now an instructor at the Special Warfare Medical Group, which trains ARSOF medics.

    “When we were in Colombia, I didn’t get to see or know much about what he did and didn’t have the opportunity to see it,” she said. “So I wanted to come out and see and learn.”

    The excitement grew as the six teams approached Nasty Nick. While some of the attendees were hesitant as they approached the obstacle course, Aisha grew more excited. “Specifically, I wanted to see these obstacles.”

    She not only saw them, she also got a chance to climb them, cross them and vault across them (the vault wasn’t very successful); however, the teams came together to lift, push and pull one another across – which is symbolic of the way spouses support one another while their soldiers are deployed: They come together as “one team.”

    (All photos by K. Kassens, U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.)

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  • warfighter health symposiumThe Task Force Dagger Special Operations Foundations and the Hunterseven Foundation are coming together to host the Warfighter Health Symposium on May 18. The interactive event is designed to educate service members and veterans on the importance of understanding military exposures as they relate to wellness.

    The educational discussion is free, however, those wanting to attend should register ahead of time as there are only 200 spots available.

    The information presented in this symposium includes military situational awareness, understanding your operational environment, top toxic exposures, and health concerns in military veterans. As well as published academic research conducted by the HunterSeven medical team, other topics presented include identifying gaps in healthcare provider knowledge as it relates to veteran health care, preventative measures, and being proactive in your healthcare while in and out of service.

    This event is for ages 18 and up. The content presented in this symposium is for those who are active military, veterans, their families, medical providers and congressional legislators. There will be Q & A time, a networking session and food and drinks available.

    There will be a variety of presenters including Army Master Sgt. Geoff Dardia, a Green Beret; former Army Sgt. Chelsey Poisson, a registered nurse; June Heston, wife of Brigadier General Michael Heston; and video testimonies of veterans dealing with health issues. A video from North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis will also be shown during the event.

    The Warfighter Health Symposium will take place from 6-9 p.m. on May 18 at Studio 15 located at 215 Williams St. in Fayetteville. For more information and to register for the event visit the website https://bit.ly/WarfighterHealthNC.

  • 06 staff poseWhile many small businesses in the area faced challenges during the pandemic year, some entrepreneurs saw opportunities to adapt, survive and even thrive. Such is the case for Angie Toman, owner of Living Balance Studios, a local wellness and fitness boutique.

    Living Balance opened its store front as a private-instruction only studio in Fayetteville in 2013, but Toman had been offering lessons since 2001. When the pandemic hit, Toman was able to host online classes.

    Due to her ingenuity and dedication to serving her clients, Toman not only adapted her business to survive COVID-19 restrictions, but is now able to expand her business.
    On May 15, Living Balance Studios will host a grand re-opening of sorts, with additional space to meet customer needs. The public is invited to the free event scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 201 S McPherson Church Road, to enjoy a sampling of classes offered at the studio. There will be raffle prizes, nutrition and wellness consultations, and more.

    Hobby to Career

    Toman is a former trial lawyer turned health and wellness teacher who began her journey in yoga and Pilates back in the early 90’s to help with her migraines, a result of her stressful work life.

    “At the time, no one in town was teaching yoga in my part of Florida, so I basically started watching videos and training myself, and it wasn’t too hard given that I had a dance background,” Toman said. “It was fun, a hobby on the side.”

    After moving to Fayetteville in August of 2000, she became a stay-at-home mom.

    “I wasn’t good at just staying home and I started getting very antsy,” she recalls. “I was looking for something to do and a local gym started offering yoga classes, so a friend of mine recommended me to teach yoga and Pilates.”

    After teaching for a while, her students requested private lessons, which led her to offering lessons out of her home or client’s homes.

    “I started doing that and from then it was kind of word of mouth,” Toman said.

    “A student told a friend, and a friend told a friend and in a year or two I was basically this travelling yoga show.”

    Toman moved to D.C. and continued her business there before returning to Fayetteville in 2010. After divorce, she had to figure out if she was going to make this hobby her career. Her family and friends thought she was crazy not to go back to practicing law where she could make a lot more money, she said.

    “I liked being a lawyer, being a trial attorney, I liked the energy of that, I enjoyed the adrenaline rush, but I knew it wasn't the type of job for me if I wanted to be present with my kids and create my own schedule,” Toman said.

    “So, I decided I was going to give it a shot. I told my family I was going to give it five years, and if I can’t support my family then I’ll go back to being a lawyer.”

    Thriving during a pandemic

    Living Balance began in 2013 with five to seven instructors who taught private lessons. Class space increased from one studio to two within two years after opening, but it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that Toman really considered expanding the business.

    During the pandemic, most of their clients continued lessons online when the studio was closed, so the business survived the financial pinch many small businesses in the area felt.

    “About 75 percent of our clientele stayed with us,” Toman said. “Some bought two to three packages ahead of time to help us keep the cash flow, so I was able to pay rent, pay my instructors.”

    Hosting online classes during the last year also allowed her to continue classes with clients who were out of town or on vacation,
    she said.

    Toman decided to open a bigger space and offer group classes. With some local yoga studios permanently closing their doors during the pandemic year, she had the opportunity to ask those owners for their top yoga instructors.

    “Because there were so many instructors who were suddenly out of work, I was able to really pick the best ones for my team,” she said.

    Toman looked for instructors with more in-depth training than basic yoga certification, those working therapeutically with clients who had injuries, health concerns and those who didn’t feel comfortable for any reason mentally or physically.

    “I was specific about who I hired, how they were trained, and spent time observing private classes to understand the attention to detail that comes with a private class,” Toman said.

    With expansion, Toman was worried that she wouldn’t have time to teach and would become more of an administrator, which led her to making her two lead instructors managers.

    Jessica Laird runs social media and marketing, while Vicky Greene runs all the administrative day-to-day things that come up, allowing Toman time to lead some classes.

    “I know what my passion is, it’s teaching and watching people grow in their practice, and watching it change their life, whether it's physically, mental or spiritually,” Toman said.

    Health Benefits

    “Pilates is all about core strength, your abdominal strength, your back strength,” Toman said. “So many people have back issues - as opposed to taking a pill for the pain, Pilates is a great place to strengthen all those muscles, it gives you support,” she said.

    Most clients who do Pilates find that it’s a strong workout, it’s a hard workout, but they feel good afterwards and it’s low impact, she mentioned.

    A yogi of 27 years, Toman likes to run, life weights and do aerobics as well, but yoga is the main thing that keeps her body moving and
    in shape.

    “It’s so good for your joints, your muscles, it allows you to keep moving,” she said.

    Toman emphasized the benefits of yoga and centering yourself in the stressful environment of the pandemic.

    “I find myself in the morning just doing five or 10 minutes of yoga, it gets me mentally ready for the day, it’s such a stress reliever,”
    she said.

    Dream Come True

    “A year ago in March, this was not even on my radar,” she said. “It's been a whirlwind of a year, it's been wonderful, people ask me if I am stressed but I am not stressed, I am busy.”

    The pandemic and lockdown worked in favor of the studio, giving them the chance to focus and get construction done and conduct a soft open on March 22.

    “Everything has fallen into place, like I am doing what I was supposed to be doing,” she said.

    “My kids say ‘you’re so lucky to love what you’re doing every day,’ but I say the idea behind this started in 2001 and we are in 2021 — it’s been a 20-year process, it didn’t happen overnight,” Toman said.

    The mission behind the launch of Living Balance Studios was to have the place become a sanctuary for everyone that entered, she said. “I want this place to be where people can let go of their world and be taken care of,” she said.

    Grand Opening and Beyond

    Living Balance Studios will be expanding in the same building but will now see larger studio spaces, going from 1500 to 4,300 square feet in the building, which was formerly Morgan’s Chop House. They will now have 26 coaches on their team.

    The Grand Opening will offer free classes in four studios. Classes are expected to fill up quickly, so get there early to sign up for slots. For a detailed schedule of classes, visit www.livingbalancestudiosnc.com/grand-opening 

    “We will be offering lectures and discussions on health, wellness and all our services, where people can be educated about them,” Toman said. Hayat from Hayat Yoga Shala (one of the yoga businesses that closed last year) will be a keynote instructor.

    Raffle tickets will be available for purchase to bid on different items like a 25-class-pass, an Apple Crate Basket, massage therapy gift certificates, wellness coaching gift certificates and more. Classes will be free, but donations will be accepted to benefit The Better Health Organization of Cumberland County and The Children’s Advocacy Center.

    The Grand Opening will highlight a sampling of what Living Balance Studios will offer: yoga, Pilates, life and wellness, nutrition, counselling, yoga assist massage, reiki and more.

    “The nutrition coach will help guide your grocery shopping, go through your pantry, the life and wellness training focuses on lifestyle and living healthier, yoga assist massage, a form of Thai massage, where the client lies on the floor and I passively put them in different yoga poses. While they are in that pose, I am doing pressure points and massage on their body. We have got reiki services which are energy healing,” Toman said.

    The studio will be offering workshops this summer on meditation workshops, chakra, hula hoop. Information will be listed on their website.

    Living Balance also offers free Karma Yoga workshops every Thursday for the community at 6 p.m.

    “One thing we are known for is being very detail oriented, we have a great reputation, trying to take care of the clients,” Toman said. “Even though we have a lot more people now I want it to be that experience.”

    Pictured Above: Living Balance Studios was able to expand their space in the last year and hire additional instructors (above). Their grand opening on May 15 will hilight available classes to include restorative yoga & riki, hot yoga, pilates, as well as forums such as healthy eating and Chakras 101. 

  • 05 mil vet kittenCumberland County Animal Services is collaborating with Fort Bragg veterinarians to perform vital surgical procedures on shelter animals. Working alongside Animal Services employees military veterinarians are volunteering their time to spay and neuter shelter dogs and cats to get them ready for adoption. Veterinarians also perform the same service for some of the feral cats that are part of the department’s Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release program. The program is the most effective and humane option for reducing community cat populations around the county.

    “Not having our own clinic and getting access to surgery and just hands-on practice for our technicians and doctors can be challenging,” said Maj. Renee Krebs, DVM, Clinical Specialist with the 248th Medical Detachment Veterinary Service Support. “It’s so beneficial for us and we really enjoy helping out the shelter.” Once the animals are taken in for surgery, they are placed under anesthesia by trained staff, who also monitor the animals during their surgery and throughout their recovery.

    “We appreciate all the help we get from the Fort Bragg Veterinary Services,” said Animal Services Director Elaine Smith. “They greatly expand our capacity to provide quality care for these animals. They also help us get animals ready for adoption much more quickly, so they don’t have to spend extra days here at the shelter. It’s also great to see the extra experience these veterinarians get so they can keep their surgical skills at the highest level.”

    To learn more about the services Animal Services provides, visit their website at co.cumberland.nc.us/animal-services, call 910-321-6852 or visit www.facebook.com/CumberlandCountyAnimalShelter.

    Pictured Above: Maj. Eileen Jenkins, a veterinarian with the 248th Medical Detachment Veterinary Service Support comforts a kitten in this ile photo. (U.S. Army Photo by Dustin D. Biven)

  • 04 new chmaber pres copyThe Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce announced that Sharon Fiveash was selected as the new President and CEO. The Chamber’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve Fiveash for the position following a nationwide search. “We had many strong candidates from throughout the country. Sharon Fiveash was the ideal choice,” said Brian Pearce, Chair of the Chamber’s Board. Fiveash has served numerous chambers including those in Lexington, Kentucky., Branson and Chillicothe, Missouri, and South Windsor, Connecticut. Pearce said Fiveash brings more than 30 years of diverse business experience combined with experience in marketing, sales, fundraising, economic development and lobbying to Fayetteville.

    Pictured Above: Sharon Fiveash 

  • 12 Max Greene faces Greensboros Emery AlexanderFencers from the All-American Fencing Academy took gold medals in all events in an April 24 tournament with Greensboro Fencing Academy. It was the first multi-club tournament since last April when the pandemic forced closures and restrictions.

    After nearly a year with a mixture of virtual classes and in-house tournaments, the All-American Fencing Academy’s fencers got their first challenge and an opportunity to gauge their progress against a tough fencing club. Three events were contested during the weekend tournament: youth mixed foil, men’s foil and women’s foil.

    In the youth foil, Fayetteville fencer Atticus Conlin went undefeated in the pool rounds while teammate Max Greene placed 2nd after the pools. Emery Alexander from Greensboro was close behind seeding 3rd after the pools.

    Greene was able to defeat Alexander in the semi-final round which pitted him against Conlin in the gold medal round. During their last tournament, Conlin was undefeated in the pools and elimination rounds, eventually defeating Greene. However, during this tournament, Greene jumped to an early lead in the finals and was able to maintain it and defeat Conlin 10-6 earning Greene his first gold medal.

    In the women’s foil, All-American Fencing Academy fielded 4 fencers against Greensboro’s 5 fencers. Fayetteville fencer Isabelle Guevarra went undefeated against 8 other fencers, only giving up 12 touches in the pool round. Mackie Hinds from Greensboro took second coming out of the pool round.
    Fayetteville fencer Gianna Megill competed in her first tournament since she began fencing three months ago. She had an astounding performance in the pool, winning 3 out of 8 bouts.

    In the elimination rounds, 1st and 2nd seeds Guevarra and Hinds continued their march to the gold medal round where Guevarra defeated Hinds 15-6. All-American Fencing Academy team member Elinor Morkos tied for 3rd during the tournament.

    “Elinor has been very consistent, and you see her utilizing many of the tactics and drills we work on in class and it has been successful for her,” said All-American Fencing Academy head coach Gerhard Guevarra. “She has been working hard and persistent on training well.”

    “This is Isabelle’s first year in the senior events having graduated from the youth USA Fencing category,” Coach Guevarra said. “She was looking forward to earning her first national rating before the pandemic halted all national events at the beginning of the fall 2020 competitive season.”

    In the men’s foil event, All-American Fencing Academy fielded 6 fencers, once again overshadowed by Greensboro’s 9 fencers. The men’s foil competition was divided into 3 pools of five fencers where All-American Fencing Academy teammates Gabriel Guevarra and Bruce McRae placed 1st and undefeated in their respective pools while Greensboro’s Arlo Leake took 1st in the 3rd pool.

    New All-American Fencing Academy fencer Weston Black earned 2 wins in his pool in his first tournament after starting fencing only two
    months ago.

    In the elimination rounds, 5th seed Leo Hinds from Greensboro upset Fayetteville fencer Daniel Johnson, who was 4th seed. There was another upset in the first round where Greensboro teammates Matthew Clark in 14th seed defeated 3rd seed Arlo Clark, giving 6th seed All-American Fencer Colton Culliton a window of opportunity to continue to the semi-final round. Culliton defeated Clark 15-11 to face teammate Gabriel Guevarra in the final four.

    1st and 2nd seed McRae and Gabriel Guevarra went unimpeded in the elimination rounds and faced each other in the gold medal round where Guevarra took the win 15-9.

    Seniors headed to college

    All-American Fencing Academy seniors Sabrina Krupenko, Bruce McRae and Holden McNeil have all been accepted to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the fall and will all be trying out for the Division 1 NCAA Varsity Fencing Team. Seniors Gabriel Guevarra and Kaitlyn Gerow have been accepted to East Carolina University and intend to continue fencing at the university club.

    Beginner Fencing Camp

    The All-American Fencing Academy will be hosting its annual Beginner Summer Fencing Camp for students between the ages of 7-12 and teens. The Camp will be from June 18-20 at the Academy in downtown Fayetteville. For more information about the Camp visit www.allamericanfencing.com.

    A growing sport and a growing club

    The sport of fencing is growing world-wide. In an historically European dominated sport, U.S. teams have consistently been present on the world stage. In the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, fencing will have a full medal count for the first time with 6 individual medals and 6 team medals.

    For those interested in trying their hand at the sport, the All-American Fencing Academy hosts a walk-in class for beginners during Fourth Friday events downtown. The Academy is located at 207 B Donaldson St. The Academy instructs and trains recreational and competitive fencers starting at age 7, teens, adults and veterans ages 40+. Its fencers compete regionally and nationally. Coaches include former World Cup and NCAA fencers.

    For more information about the All-American Fencing Academy and its classes, please call 910-644-0137, e-mail info@allamericanfencing.com or visit www.allamericanfencing.com.

    Pictured Above: Fayettevile fencer Max Greene (left) faces Greensboro's Emery Alexander in the youth foil competition. Greene advanced to the finals and won his first golden metal. (Photo courtesy All-American Fencing Academy). 

  • 10 N2103P23006CFayetteville Technical Community College offers the Mobile Application Developer associate degree as a concentration under the Information Technology major. This curriculum prepares learners to design and develop mobile applications for the web, Android and iOS mobile devices.

    Graduates will be proficient in HTML, JavaScript, Java, Swift and UI/UX. Upon completion of the program, students will be well equipped to enter the growing field of application software development.

    The Computer Programming and Development Department started offering the Mobile Application Developer degree in the Fall Semester of 2020. This program introduces students to Java, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Swift and HTML5 App development. New to the program is Swift language training — the primary mobile application development language for Apple mobile devices. Students will learn the necessary skills to create basic applications for the iPhone and the iPad. Students will also be introduced to app development using HTML5 which can be used on many different devices.

    To further benefit students, the department has added a Mac lab furnished with iMacs, MacBook Pros and iPads for students to test their design and programming skills.

    FTCC offers a broad range of programs of study leading to the award of associate degrees, certificates and diplomas. Many educational choices are available in the field of computer and information technology, where graduates can seek employment as designers, developers, testers, support technicians, system administrators, and programmers. Specialty areas include business intelligence, database services, healthcare informatics, security
    and more.

    Specific program areas to explore include Mobile Application Development, Computer Programming & Development, Database Management, Digital Media Technology, Game & Interactive Programming, Intelligence Studies, Network Management, Network Administration, PC Support & Services, Systems Security & Analysis, Simulation & Game Development, Cloud Management, and User Interface and Experience Design, along with Advertising and Graphic Design. Within each of these program areas are additional specialty programs of study, which allow students broad choices for expansion in becoming well equipped for a career in the computer technology field. The Computer Information Technology area offers 30+ certificates to go along with the degrees listed.

    For students interested in pursuing an exciting career in a high-demand field, FTCC is a wise choice for education in Computer Information Technology. Summer classes begin May 24 and Fall classes begin August 16. Visit www.faytechcc.edu to apply now and begin the enrollment process. To reach out with questions about pursuing the Mobile Applications Developer program at FTCC, call 910-678-8571 or email camerona@faytechcc.edu.

    With affordable tuition, a broad range of classes and programs to choose from offered in person, online and virtual, FTCC is your smart choice for education. Admissions counselors are standing by to help yo find your way forward at FTCC.

  • 06 Police Chief engagementEditor's Note: This article has been updated to correctly annotate that NC General Statutes do specifically address the use of deadly force.

    New York banned chokeholds. Seattle required de-escalation training. Los Angeles restricted shooting at moving vehicles. But those reforms did not stop police from killing Eric Garner, Charleena Lyles or Ryan Twyman, who died when officers used the very tactics that the changes were supposed to prevent.

    Activists say these realizations have created unprecedented momentum for law enforcement reform and some radical ideas like defunding and abolishing police.

    The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, a conservative non-profit think tank that focuses on domestic policy and urban affairs, notes there are good reasons to be skeptical of many of the most popular reforms being advanced. MI suggests that policy makers should consider police reforms aligned with recruiting, training, reliable data and the promotion of body worn cameras.

    Up & Coming Weekly asked Fayetteville Chief of Police Gina V. Hawkins if department policy specifies that the use of deadly force is the last resort.

    “The level of force used must be such that it is objectively reasonable and necessary,” she responded, noting that the use of force is detailed in North Carolina General Statute §15A-401. According to the Statute, use of deadly force is justified for a police officer to "defend himself or a third person from what he reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of deadly phsyical force..." An officer may also use deadly force to "prevent the escape from custody of a person he reasonably believes is attempting to escape by means of a deadly weapon..."

    Hawkins said that “an officer has a duty to intervene to prevent or stop the use of excessive force by another officer when it is safe and reasonable to do so.”

    In her written responses, Hawkins referred repeatedly to best practices without elaborating.

    “I am heavily involved with the recruitment and hiring process, and in seeking the newest and most updated training that follows these best practices,” she said.

    “Oversight, and following the best practices, ensures that we are developing an officer that is well rounded, professional, and constantly learning,” she added.

    Mayor Mitch Colvin addressed the issue of police brutality in an Up & Coming Weekly opinion piece last week. “While our city has certainly had its problems with racial and social bias, to include aggressive policing in predominately Black communities, we have come a long way over the last 8 years,” Colvin wrote. The city began revamping its policing policies when former police chief Harold Medlock invited the U.S. Justice Department to evaluate the FPD in 2012/2013. “Many of the changes made were proactive and allowed us to get a head start on the necessary changes,” Colvin added.

    He pointed out that the city established a Citizens Advisory Board to assist in building better relationships with law enforcement and the communities they serve. The mayor supports the FPD’s requirement that officers wear body cameras. The theory of using body cameras is that police officers will be less likely to commit misconduct if they understand their actions are being recorded. North Carolina state law requires that camera footage be made public only when ordered by a judge.

    “By the time it goes through that judicial process, the trust is broken with the community,” Colvin said.

    “Until governments invest in supporting communities rather than criminalizing and controlling them, the violence will not stop,” said John Raphling, senior U.S. criminal legal system researcher at Human Rights Watch.

    Pictured Above: Poliece Chief Gina Hawkins interacts with children during a community engagement event. (Photo Courtesey Fayetteville Police Department). 

  • 05 Saragrace SnipesSarahgrace Snipes is the new executive director of the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival. She succeeds Malia Allen who resigned last summer. Snipes was previously associated with the North Carolina Azalea Festival in Wilmington. "It is an honor to be able to play a part in the Fayetteville community as the next Executive Director of the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival,” Snipes said in a statement. “After a long and difficult year of the pandemic, I am looking forward to bringing joy to Fayetteville's citizens and businesses through our events.” The Dogwood Festival has been a Fayetteville tradition for 39 years. It is usually a three-day festival celebrated during the 4th weekend of April. It went on hiatus last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A mini event scheduled last month was also cancelled.

  • 04 Cumberland county courthouse2City and county government buildings have reopened to the public in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Face coverings are still required in all facilities, and social distancing is in effect. In-person services had been limited since March 2020 to protect the health of residents and employees. “I am proud of our employees for their dedication to the County’s mission of providing services and how they adapted to the new work challenges during the prolonged pandemic,” said County Manager Amy Cannon. City Hall, the county courthouse and the eight Cumberland County Public Library locations have resumed service. The libraries are open for 45-minute sessions Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. At 15 minutes before the top of each hour, customers are asked to leave the buildings so staff can clean and wipe down high-touch areas. The libraries continue to offer curbside pick-up service at all branches. Meeting rooms, in-person programming, Book-a-Librarian sessions and the Mobile Outreach Service are not available. The Department of Social Services on Ramsey Street is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Citizens may continue to apply for public assistance programs (Food and Nutrition, Medicaid, Child Care and Work First) remotely without visiting the building. Information on the various ways to apply for assistance is available at ccdssnc.com.

  • 03 USCapitolBuildingHC1611 sourceNorth Carolina has grown large enough over the last decade to earn a 14th congressional seat, the U.S. Census Bureau announced April 27 in a news release. That seat will be contested during next year’s 2022 congressional elections.

    The announcement came as the U.S. Census Bureau completed data processing for the first 2020 Census results. Its state population counts are used to apportion the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the 50 states. As population increases or decreases in each state, the number of seats to represent it changes. North Carolina was one of five states to pick up a seat, while Texas picked up two. Seven states lost a congressional seat, including New York and California.

    Complete data is expected to be released Aug. 16, paving the way for the General Assembly to begin creating new maps for the 14 congressional districts, all 120 N.C. House seats, and all 50 N.C. Senate seats.

    The 14 seats are the most the state has had. North Carolina had 13 seats in the House from 1813 to 1843 and again since 2003. In total, North Carolina now shows an overall population of 10.45 million people. The 2010 figure was 9.5 million. North Carolina remains the ninth-most-populous state and grew by 918,465 people, or 9.6%, between 2010 an 2020. N.C.’s growth outpaced the U.S. as a whole, which had a 7.4% population growth rate.

    The General Assembly has sole authority over redistricting. The governor can neither sign nor veto redistricting maps.

    “Redistricting can be a tough process under any circumstances, but it gets even more complicated when you add in a new congressional seat,” said Mitch Kokai, John Locke Foundation senior political analyst. “Rather than tweaking existing district lines, lawmakers have to decide how and where to create a whole new district. The ripple effects could be felt in congressional districts across the state.”

    As of now the 2022 primaries are set to take place on March 8. As reported by The Associated Press, North Carolina election dates for 2022 likely won’t be altered despite anticipated delays in receiving data needed to perform the once-a-decade redistricting, the General Assembly’s top Republicans said recently. Candidate filing is planned for December.

    With these numbers, North Carolina will also have 16 presidential electors, up from 15, beginning in 2024. The Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the U.S. Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president. Each state appoints electors, equal in number to its congressional delegation.

    North Carolina has eight Republican members of the U.S. House and five Democrats, after courts ordered new maps drawn for the 2020 election. Beginning with elections in 2014 and again 2016, and 2018, North Carolina elected 10 Republican members of the U.S. House and three members who were Democrats.

    In examining the early data it appears to Carolina Journal, and this is speculation, that the best-case scenario for Democrats would be a 9-5 GOP map that leaves all Democrat incumbents with blue-leaning districts, and the GOP protecting all eight of its member districts, while drawing a GOP-friendly 14th seat. The worst case would be a new map in which voters would be likely to select 10 GOP members and four Democrats to represent the state.

    According to Cook Political, when it comes to control of the U.S. House:

    “Republicans’ biggest redistricting weapons are Texas, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina — and they could conceivably pick up all five seats they need for the majority from those four alone.”

    Cook Political predicts the GOP would pick up 1.5 House seats from NC, which would reflect either a 9-5 or 10-4 map. UVA Center for Center for Politics predicts nationally the GOP will gain a minimum of one seat out of North Carolina.

    In a 10-4 scenario, it is possible the districts of Rep. Alma Adams in the Charlotte area, Reps. David Price and Deborah Ross in the Triangle area, and Rep. G.K. Butterfield’s eastern North Carolina district would be largely retained for Democrats, with Republicans targeting the Greensboro-area district of first-term Democrat Rep. Kathy Manning.

    The new 14th District could possibly be carved out of the Charlotte suburbs, including parts of Mecklenburg, Cleveland and Gaston Counties, but those decisions can’t begin to take shape until county-by-county numbers are released in late summer. House Speaker Tim Moore, among many others, is rumored to be thinking of running for Congress. He is from Cleveland County. First elected to the General Assembly in 2002, Moore is serving his fourth term as the presiding officer of the House and is the longest-serving Republican House speaker in North Carolina history.

    With heavy population growth on North Carolina’s southern coast, another possibility is that the 7th District could be more of a coastal district, with a new district taking in some of Wake County and perhaps anchored in Johnston. This is speculation that could change once county-by-county population numbers are release late in the summer.

    Nationally, Republicans are expected to make small gains through congressional redistricting. If the 2020 election were to be held again under the new apportionment, Joe Biden would have won with 303 Electoral College votes, rather than 306.

    Apportionment has made Texas the big winner of two new congressional seats. Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Montana and Oregon all picked up one new member of Congress.

    Losing a congressional seat after a population drop were New York, California, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This is the first time California has ever lost a seat in the U.S. House due to a population decrease.

    Editor’s note: This story has been updated from its original online posting to reflect that the information provided is based on data research and the writer’s analysis.

  • 02 USCapitolFlagsHC1507 source 1Hip! Hip! Hooray! Yippee! Yippee!

    Something both positive and bipartisan is floating around in Congress, and it deserves robust discussion and serious consideration.

    I fell in love with civics in the 9th grade, and it has shaped my life. Civics is the study of how government works and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

    In an authoritarian system, civics is not so important, because the government is going to do what it wants no matter what the citizens think since they have few rights or responsibilities.

    In a democratic system like ours, however, it is critical that citizens understand what government is supposed to do and what it is actually doing. It is critical as well that we understand our own rights and responsibilities and what it means to be a citizen of the United States, including our obligation to vote.

    Civics has long since fallen on hard times, though. As of 2018, only 9 states require a year of civics education and 10 states have no civics requirements at all. Blessedly, North Carolina falls into the former category.

    A survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that only 26% of Americans can identify our 3 branches of government. I should not have been, of course, but I was stunned late last year — yes, stunned! — when a newly elected U.S. Senator, Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., identified the 3 branches as, “You know, the House, the Senate, and the executive.” Maybe, he just played too much football.

    I have no idea if Sen. Tuberville’s civics ignorance was the tipping point, but two of his colleagues are sponsoring legislation to invest $1 billion annually in civics and history education in K-12 schools throughout our country. Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, say the Educating for Democracy Act would help future generations of Americans gain a deeper understanding of the workings of government and what their obligations are as citizens of the United States. It would provide grants to states, non-profits, educational institutions and strengthen scholarship programs. A companion bill, also bipartisan, has been filed in the U.S. House.

    The legislation would clearly fill a huge void in our nation, but it is not without controversy. Some of civics is clear and factual, particularly the structure of government, federal, state and local, and its mechanics, executive, legislative and judicial. Those are just the facts, ma’am.
    How we use government becomes more interpretive. Think of the debate now raging over the use of the filibuster in the U.S. Senate. The filibuster exists, but how it is employed is highly controversial.

    The same is true of history. As for the history component of the legislation, we all know the American Civil War occurred between 1861-1865, and that its effects haunt us to this day. How we perceive that conflict, its background and aftermath, though, is individual and personal and often at odds with the perception of others. Ditto for the American experience in Vietnam and the January 6th insurrection in Washington. These events occurred, but many of us interpret them differently.

    All of that said, members of Congress are addressing a void in our national knowledge that has swallowed up Americans’ sense of our country and our place in it.

    What we do not know — and do not attempt to learn — threatens the future of our democracy. Much has been written over the last decade about this threat.

    The only way to combat it is to educate Americans about where we came from and how we participate as citizens.

  •  

    {mosimage}I recently sat down with Doran Palmer, drummer for Fayetteville rock outfit Falling In Two. Doran shed some light on the band’s beginnings and their hopes for the future, while offering constructive criticism for Fayetteville’s music scene.

    Falling In Two isn’t really falling anywhere but in place.

    What do you think your band has that no one else has?

    The members who make up Falling In Two. No other band has these guys. We are unique to ourselves and our goals, our lives and who we are. No other band in the world has these four men. We create what we can, based on what we are able — we perform with an attitude and play with confidence. We are unique because we strive for it.

    If you only had two words to describe your band, what would they be, and why?

    Overly Critical. We spend a lot of time critiquing, not only the music, but our performances, sound quality, levels, appearances. We spend some rehearsals just going over the video from the last performance.

     Who came up with the name and why do you think it fits your band?

    The name Falling In Two as it is written was from the Dream Theater Album Falling Into Infinity. I actually brought up the name and the band changed “Into” to “In Two.” Although spelled different, the meaning is the same, or Falling In Two success. After many years for all the members of trying to build bands, with little success or recording with little success, or conflicts of writing styles, this group just fell together and we work perfectly together with the same desire, direction, likes and dislikes and we genuinely like each other.

    Influences, and why? Do you think you live up to their legacies? How do you think you can improve?

    As a band we are not influenced by anyone. We don’t write to sound like anyone else; in fact we make every effort not to. We are constantly writing in sort of tangents, not the opposite but the side opposite the norm. Creating new music is very difficult and time consuming, many of our newer songs took months to finalize. By ever creating and exploring new directions and ideas, we are not only improving our own personal abilities but taking the music to a different level and possibly direction.

    Noticed that you are from Seattle — how does having roots in such a rich music scene affect your outlook or experiences in Fayetteville’s little old music scene?

    For as small as Fayetteville is, I’ve been impressed. I don’t think there is enough diversity in the scene, but the venues here really aren’t set up for that. What is frustrating is that only a few bands are really working together. Falling In Two is constantly reaching out to other bands to share gigs with and that’s pretty much anywhere in the state or outside of the state for that matter. Very few venues are open to original bands, they want cover bands.

    Seattle is very different — if a record label executive, A&R or whoever, was coming to check out a band, every musician in the city knew about it and we were all there to support them and help them make it. It’s in all of our best interest to work together, that’s why so many bands come out of Seattle and the West C  oast in general. Here, we have conflict almost constantly, between the metal scene, rock, country, punk, emo, acoustic, R&B, hip hop — it’s like every group has their own agenda and won’t support anyone else.

    Where can Falling in Two fans catch you boys next?

    We will be at Jester’s Pub on May 9. We will have two more shows after that in the Fayetteville area, and then we will take off for a while and embark on regional tours. We only expect to move up from here. 

    If you think your attitudes towards music are in tune with Falling In Two, be sure to check them out at Jester’s on May 9. You can also enjoy some of their progressive rock anthems at none other than The Rock Shop, May 17; but if you really want to see Fayetteville’s music scene in all of its diversity, you have to check out the Special Forces Association’s Festival on Saturday, May 31. The day-long festival begins at 11 a.m. and will spotlight six of the areas top bands. The evening will end with a performance by Bad Company. For more information about the festival, see the story in this issue of Up & Coming Weekly. 

  • {mosimage}Finally, finally, finally.
        R.E.M. has made an album that not only returns the group to the sound and vibe of its early days, but it also rocks.
        Accelerate is the type of thinking rock fan's CD that not only has insightful, urgent and timely lyrics, but it's heavily drenched in guitarist Peter Buck's saturated, slightly distorted, roaringly angelic Rickenbacker.
        It's an album that I can see fans nodding along introspectively to the words of lead singer Michael Stipe one minute, while flicking their Bics and screaming "more cowbell!" the next.
    It's the album the R.E.M. army has been clamoring for since 1992's masterful Automatic for the People.
        Like most people, I became hooked on R.E.M. in the early days when they were just another slightly known band out of Athens, Ga., that had a sound reminiscent of The Byrds mixed with The Beatles, thrown in a blender with some Rolling Stones, a couple of Bob Dylan's lyrics and a jigger of moonshine.
        Unlike most people, R.E.M. changed my musical life.
        When I started out my freshman year of higher education, I was the typical mullet-headed, beer-drinking Southern boy from rural Nowhere, N.C.; which means, my musical tastes ranged from Loverboy to .38 Special to Toto.
        And then my roommate, who I considered completey bizarre and possibly from another planet when I first met him, turned me on to R.E.M.'s first realease, Chronic Town (for you kiddies born after 1980, EPs were a smaller version of LPs This was 1982 and CDs were just a whisper to audiophiles -- vinyl still ruled, though it was in its death throes, like the dinosaurs just before they smote by the hand of God or a fatal comet or some form form of reptilian Bubonic Plague) which featured an inscrutable ditty called Gardening at Night which was either about harvesting psychedelic mushrooms in the late evening or raiding a pot farmer's illicit patch. It was the kind of music I imagined they played on Martian radio stations.
        And I loved it.
        Since that time, I've devoured every R.E.M. realease, until they lost me with the baroque-yet-mainstream Out of Time, featuring the ubiquitous hit single Losing My Religion that almost made me lose my faith in the band. Then they reeled me back in with Automatic for the People, yet lost me again with all their subsequent releases, which seemed to be R.E.M. either pretending to be The Smashing Pumpkins (Monster) or Britney Speares on acid (Around the Sun).
        Accelerate has me back for good; or at least until The Rapture, which, by the way is a central theme of this CD — armageddon, alienation and angst over this era of war in Iraq, ever-soaring gas prices, rumors of global warming, and Paris Hilton making movies.
        The standout track on Accelerate is Supernatural Superstition, which addresses the aforementioned angst, only this flavor of  anxiety is personal, not global, addressing the struggle of the teenage years. It's and anthem for the misfits and oddballs of high school who wore black turtleneck, didn't have perfect skin, and couldn't throw a football the length of the Titanic.
    Consider these lyrics: "Humiliation of your teenage station/No one cares and nobody remembers." However, it ends with a hopeful note akin to how the nerds will inherit the Earth as we all make ourselves into something better as we age, except of course for the quarterback and homecoming queen who hit their peak at 18: "Realized your fantasies/And dressed up your travesties/Enjoy yourself with no regret."
        The themes of the end times and a time of confusion and despair return in the text of title track Accelerate("Sinking fast, the weight chained to my feet/No time to argue with belief/I'm not alone, a thousand others dropping faster than me"), and Until The Day Is Done, which combines bitter testimony about the war in the Middle East ("The battle's been lost/The war is not won") and the Roman Empire-like road the U.S. is traveling down by trying to placate the public's fear with bread and circuses — i.e., the promised tax refund checks ("An addled republic, a bitter refund/The business first flat earthers licking their wounds/The verdict is dire, the country's in ruins.")
    That's not to say R.E.M doesn't want you to dance to the music while we teeter on the eve of destruction. To paraphrase The Doors' poet/prophet Jim Morrison, "I'm going to get my kicks before the whole outhouse goes up in flames."
        R.E.M. dances on fire on the CD's final track, I'm Gonna DJ, which is a kissing cousin to the centerpiece of 1987's It's The End Of The World As We Know It, when lead singer Michael Stipe croons::  "I'm gonna DJ/Death is pretty final, I'm collecting vinyl/I'm gonna' dj at the end of the world/'cause if heaven does exist with a kickin' playlist/I don't wanna' miss it at the end of the world."
        Yeah, the world just might be in it's death throes, but R.E.M. is going to kick out the jams until God pulls the plug on the planet's respirator.

     
        Contact Tim Wilkins: tim@upandcomingweekly.com
     

  •   If a survey was taken, people in Fayetteville would not be surprised to find that Fayetteville probably has more runners per capita than any city in the United States. You can’t drive down the street without passing runners č in the winter, in the rain, in the hot summer afternoons. A lot of that can be attributed to our connection to Fort Bragg, but whatever the case, in addition to being an All American city, Fayetteville is also a running city.

    And on Saturday, May 10, runners will get another chance to hit the streets to participate in the 7th Annual John E. Norman Cinco de Mayo 10K and 5K road race. The annual event has traditionally been held downtown, but this year will be held on Fort Bragg, with an eye to returning downtown in 2009. The run, organized by Julio Ramirez, is designed to promote the Hispanic culture. Cinco de Mayo is commonly celebrated as Mexican Independence Day, but actually it is a celebration of the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The battle saw the country engaged in a fight with France. France had loaned money to the Mexican government in its early years, and when Mexico quit making payments, France invaded. The French Army, who had not been defeated in 50 years, invaded Mexico with the finest modern equipment and with a newly reconstituted Foreign Legion (French Foreign Legion).

    France used the debt issue to establish its own leadership in Mexico by installing Napoleon’s relative, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, as ruler of Mexico. France invaded the Gulf Coast of Mexico and began to march toward Mexico City.╩

    Marching on toward Mexico City from the coast, the French army encountered strong resistance at the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe. Led by Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, a small, poorly armed militia of about 4,500 were able to stop and defeat a well outfitted French army of 6,500 soldiers, which halted the invasion of the country. The victory was a glorious moment for Mexican patriots and is the cause for the historical date’s celebration.╩

    Unfortunately, the victory was short-lived. Upon hearing the bad news, Napoleon had found an excuse to send more troops overseas to try and invade Mexico again, against the wishes of the French populace. Thirty thousand more troops and a full year later, the French were eventually able to depose the Mexican army, take over Mexico City and install Maximilian as the ruler of Mexico.╩

    Maximilian’s rule of Mexico was also short-lived, from 1864 to 1867, ending as the U.S. began to provide more political and military assistance to Mexico to expel the French. Despite the eventual French invasion of Mexico City, Cinco de Mayo honors the bravery and victory of General Zaragoza’s small, outnumbered militia at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. 


    While this Cinco de Mayo 10K is not a battle, it does challenge its participants to give their best. This year’s run will follow the same route as the annual Jingle Bell Jog. Runners come from across the state and at least three or four other states to participate in this event.

    The race, which will start on Ardennes Street beside the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum will begin at 8:30 a.m. Runners in both the 10K and 5K will start at the same time, with the 10K runners taking the lead. The event will be timed and prizes will be awarded to the top finishers. Entry fees are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the race. Ball caps will be given to all runners. Registration for the race starts at 7 a.m. Runners will be issued a timing chip. Failure to return the chip results in a $30 fee.

    A Mexican-style cookout will be held following the race. All runners will receive a steak fajita plate. Non-runners will be charged a $5 per plate fee.

    The Green Beret Parachute team will jump into the cookout following the race. If you do not have a sticker to access Fort Bragg, allow an extra 30 minutes to get on post. 

    For more information, visit www.cincodemayo10k.org.

    Contact Janice Burton at: editor@upandcomingweekly.com

  • 12PoeHouseThis summer Sweet Tea Shakespeare brings drama to the 1897 Poe House. June begins with a rendition of “Othello.”  It runs June 1-4, 11 and 15-18. 

    “This production sticks strongly to Shakespeare’s original text, but I would not call it a ‘classical’ production,” said Director Dennis Henry. “The approach to the play is one that is accessible and entertaining. The costumes are Victorian and the actors are modern, so the play feels new. There will be moments of audience interaction and Sweet Tea always creates a fun atmosphere around the play,” he added. 

    “Othello” is one of Shakespeare’s most popular works. It is a tragedy about Othello, a Moorish Venetian general, and his wife Desdemona. 

    Though written in 1603, the story deals with themes and issues that persist today. “One of the first things I noticed when reading ‘Othello’ with these actors is how modern this play feels,” Henry said. 

    “Many tragedies deal with kings and queens and issues of the government, but ‘Othello’ is personal. The action starts right away in this play and the issues being dealt with are jealousy, thirst for power, racism, illicit affairs and revenge. These are very personal issues that we deal with today and the characters are just like us,” Henry said. 

    The beautiful 1897 Poe House and garden have a unique and inviting atmosphere perfect for storytelling. This venue allows for the company’s minimalistic style, but it can also add a layer of difficulty for the cast. 

    “Outdoor venues are always a challenge since they are factors you can’t control,” Henry said. “How bad is the traffic noise? What will the wind be like each day? This is a good challenge, though, because the audience experience is so much fun in an outdoor setting, especially one as beautiful as the Poe House garden. Actors who are well-prepared will be able to deal with whatever may come up.” 

    Another aspect unique to Sweet Tea Shakespeare performances is how they carefully design every aspect of the performance experience. Audience members are engaged and entertained from the moment that they step foot into the venue. 

    “Sweet Tea has a very exciting approach where they seek to make the entire experience of attending the play exciting,” Henry said. “There is so much music and the actors chat with the audience. It is much more fun than just sitting in an auditorium reading the ads in the program. As a director, that makes it even more important to make sure the play is well-done, because I don’t want the play to get lost in all the other activity. With this cast, I am confident that won’t be the case!” 

    Sweet Tea’s second show of the summer, “The Dark Lady of the Sonnets,” runs June 8-10. This show is a break from what Sweet Tea Shakespeare usually brings to the stage, as The Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company will be a collaborator. This is a professional touring Shakespeare Company from Michigan that partners with Sweet Tea for this performance. This group is known for their audience interaction, which builds an intimate relationship between audience members and performers.  

    “The Dark Lady of the Sonnets” is written by George Bernard Shaw. The story revolves around Shakespeare’s relationships with the inspiration for his plays and poetry: Queen Elizabeth I and the Dark Lady. The Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company interweaves some of Shakespeare’s sonnets and live music into the performance for a unique exploration of Shakespeare and his work.  

    For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.sweetteashakespeare.com.  

     

  • 10AnneFrank“The Diary of Anne Frank” runs at the Gilbert Theater from May 26 to June 4. Many people are familiar with the story. The diary records the experiences of the 13-year-old Anne Frank and her family who hid from Nazis in the Netherlands. 

    The book captures the daily experiences the family lived during the two years they spent trapped in an attic. At times it is difficult to read and the ending is jarring, but this story offers an invaluable glimpse into the human experience of some of the darkest times in human history from the eyes of a hopeful young girl. 

    Despite the heavy premise of this work, it is not all about death and destruction and it most certainly is not a relic of the past. World War II is over, but many of the problems the Frank family grappled with are still very relevant today. The story is tightly focused on a single family in a small period of time, but they deal with universally relevant human themes. “Everyone should see this play.... It is still relevant to today’s climate, politically and socially. It’s about love and hope,” Director Brian Adam Kline explained. 

    Taking a book and adapting it to the stage can be very difficult, but live productions can make stories much more personal and real. Seeing a person act out emotions and situations adds a layer of immediacy that printed words can fail to capture. 

    Transforming “The Diary of Anne Frank” into a live production is particularly difficult, in part because of the delicate historical nature of the show. “As a director, I have tried to approach this play with great attention to detail.  It was so important to me to do this right. This play is not just an adaption of the diary but also a historical memorial to Anne, her family, her housemates and the victims of the Holocaust. This production has always been for them,” Kline said. 

    The amount of time and effort that everyone at the Gilbert Theater has put into creating a respectful and accurate production of The Diary of Anne Frank is astounding. “I spent a year of research on the diary, the history, the people and the environment,” said Kline. “I contacted the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and they were so vital in my exploration of this world. I had to get it as close as I could. We used photographs to match the colors of the house, costuming and hair. With the long task of preproduction, finding the best actors and crew, production challenges seemed to be smoother,” Kline added.

    The biggest challenge the production has faced is in spacing. The Gilbert Theater is smaller than the Anne Frank House, but creative use of space has allowed the cast and crew to maintain the integrity of the story and the history. 

    Perhaps the smaller space will enhance the audience’s feelings of personal involvement and help the production’s themes hit home. Tickets can be purchased at www.gilberttheater.com. 

  • 01COVERLegends Pub is a special place. If you’ve ever been there, you know that walking through the door is like coming to the very best kind of family reunion. The laughter, the camaraderie, the feeling of acceptance … these are the elements that keep people coming back. 

    Within the walls of Legends is an even more tight-knit group: The Gypsy Women. Through deployments, divorce, tragedy, illness as well as graduations, weddings, babies  and everything else life has thrown at them, the Gypsy Women have stood together, looking out for each other and for those around them. 

    They’ve shared life’s joys and tragedies — together. It was in this spirit of sisterhood that the first Spring Fling was born 21 years ago. Every year since then, Legends Pub Owner Holly Whitley and the Gypsy Women have hosted the Spring Fling. It’s a time for fun, food, games, motorcycles and more. 

    But it is also a time for helping others. In the event’s history, it has raised tens of thousands of dollars and helped individuals and organizations alike. This year, the event falls on June 9-11. Proceeds benefit the North Carolina State Veterans Home.

    Kick off the weekend on Friday, June 9, with pool, music and fun at Legends Pub. 

    Saturday, June 10, is the Scott Sather Memorial Run. The first bike goes out at noon. Sather was a regular at Legends. He was assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, an elite Air Force operations unit assigned to the Joint Special Operations Command at Pope Army Air Field. Sather was killed in Iraq on April 8, 2003. 

    “He was one of our dearest friends and a loyal customer,” said Whitley. “Scott supported everything we did and was always there when we needed help with something. Losing him was a real blow for us. He touched so many lives.” The Scott Sather Memorial Run is a part of the Spring Fling every year.

     “He was the first airman killed in Iraq,” Whitley added. “It took over 11 years to get his memorial into Freedom Memorial Park. The monument well describes who Scott was.”

    Sunday, June 11 is the bike show and rodeo. Whiltley said this is a fun way to end the weekend, relaxing with friends.

    In addition to donating proceeds to the NC Veterans Home, one of the ways Whitley aims to help the NC Veterans Home is by providing toiletries and other necessities. Like everything Whitley does, it’s going to be fun. “We are filling brown paper bags with things like toothpaste, shampoo and body wash. 

    “We are going to ‘sell’ the bags at the Spring Fling so people can ‘adopt’ a veteran when they purchase the bags. They can write a personal note on the bags and really make a veteran feel special and let them know they care,” Whitley explained. Legends will donate them to the NC Veterans Home. She added that Legends will also accept donations for the home to include things like packages of new socks, sweaters and sweat pants.

    Legends Pub is filled with both active duty service members and veterans on any given night, and the choice to support those who served seemed natural, Whitley said. 

    So many of the Legends family, several of them service members and veterans, have ended up on “the wall” at the back of the bar. This wall is adorned with photographs and memoriabilia honoring those lost to war, to illness, to accidents or to unfortunate circumstances. And in true Legends style, the wall is a place in the bar where memories are recounted and adventures and hijinx relived.

    Located on Cochran Avenue, the N.C. State Veterans home is certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and works in conjunction with the Department of Veterans Services to provide comprehensive 24-hour care to aged and infirm veterans. 

    The NC Veterans Home provides services that include dietetic programming; hospice; I.V. therapy; laundry; medication management; memory support unit; occupational therapy; oxygen therapy; pain management; pharmacy; physical therapy; recreational activities; religious services; short-term rehabilitation; speech therapy; tracheotomy; volunteer services; and wound care management.

    Come out to the Legends Pub Annual Spring Fling to honor and to celebrate those with us and those passed with a crowd that’s sure to make you feel at home. Call Legends at (910) 867-2364 for more information. 

  • 10FSOThe Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra presents its fifth annual Symphonic Salute to the U. S. Armed Forces on Sunday, May 28, 7:30 p.m. in Festival Park located in downtown Fayetteville.  

    “This is our fifth year doing this and it is a concert to honor all of our armed forces that have fought for this country. We want to remember them,” said Julia Atkins, FSO director of artistic operations and marketing. 

    “The idea originated from a conversation between the Army Ground Forces Band of Fort Bragg and the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, and we thought it would be great to do a collaborative project during the Memorial Day weekend.” Atkins added that this is the first year the symphony is doing this on their own because the band is no longer in existence.

    The concert will be conducted by Dr. Timothy Altman. He is UNC Pembroke’s music department chair, a professor of trumpet and Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra’s principal trumpet. 

    “The music will be a mix of classical and pop and obviously patriotic music as well,” said Atkins. “We are going to do several marches and we will open the concert with ‘The Star Spangled Banner.’”  

    Atkins added that the orchestra will play a few John Williams tunes, patriotic songs and an older tune titled “A Salute to the Big Band” for some of the older veterans. “The Armed Forces Salute” will be played, a song tied to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and the Coast Guard. Typically when this song is played everyone who is a part of the armed forces or has a family member in the armed forces will be asked to stand when they hear their service song being played.      

    Food trucks will be on site from R. Burgers, Charlie’s Ice and Babann’s Southern Fried Chicken.  “The event continues to be a huge success and it draws in 3,000–4,000 people each year,” said Atkins. “Please arrive early because parking is a challenge.”   

    The concert is free and open to the public. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs to sit on. Chairs will not be provided. In the case of inclement weather the concert will be moved indoors to Huff Concert Hall at Methodist University. 

    For more information call (910) 433-4690 or visit www.fayettevillesymphony.org.   

  • 09KiwanisThe Fayetteville Kiwanis Club presents their 66th annual Talent Night Showcase on Saturday, June 10, 7 p.m. at Cape Fear Regional Theatre. 

    “This has always been one of the premiere fundraisers of the Fayetteville Kiwanis Club and it probably has one of the longest traditions,” said Bill Bowman, publisher of Up & Coming Weekly. “To be able to sustain a children’s cultural program for that long is absolutely amazing and something that we cherish.” 

    Bowman added that Kiwanis Club opens the event up to all children in Cumberland County in kindergarten through 12th grade. He also said the club feels it is important that children have a venue to showcase their talents because these kids work hard, go to music lessons and train, but they have very few opportunities to really showcase their talents. 

    About 20 years ago the Cape Fear Regional Theatre became a partner in the event. Since then, students not only get a chance to perform — they get to do it onstage at the Cape Fear Regional Theater. 

    The categories are preschool–2nd grade, 3rd–5th grade, 6th–8th grade and 9th–12th grade.  

    Two new classical divisions have been added this year. There will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place  winners and $2,000 in cash, trophies and scholarships will be awarded. 

    The overall winner will receive a trophy and $200. The first place winner in each division will receive a trophy and $100. The second place winner in each division will receive a trophy and $50. The third place winner in each division will receive a trophy and $25. 

    Four music scholarships of $150 each will be awarded for voice, strings, piano and band instrument.

    The proceeds from ticket sales will be used to support local Kiwanis projects for children. “All the money we raise goes back into this community to help children’s initiatives,” said Bowman.  Some of those initiatives are Terrific Kids, Reading is Fundamental, Every Kid a Swimmer and many more.

    “What has been amazing is there have been dozens upon dozens of kids from Fayetteville that perform on the stage in the Kiwanis Talent Night show that have gone on to do great things,” said Bowman. “Those children have been Miss North Carolina, performed in Carnegie Hall, obtained jobs with the Boston Philharmonic, performed on Broadway and other accomplishments.”

    To register for the event, visit www.fayettevillekiwanis.org/talent/ or pick up an application at the Up & Coming Weeklybuilding at 208 Rowan St., Wendy’s restaurants or from your music, art or dance instructor. 

    Auditions will be on Saturday, June 3 at the Honeycutt Recreation Center. The audition cannot exceed 3 1/2 minutes. You will be contacted about your audition time. The deadline for submitting applications for auditions is June 1. 

    Tickets cost $7 and will be available at the door. For more information, contact Bill Bowman at (910) 391-3859.  

  • 01COVERCape Fear Regional Theatre invites the public to its 15th annual Blues-N-Brews festival on June 3 for a fun-filled Saturday evening at Festival Park. “(This) is going to be hands-down the best way to kick off your summer,” said CFRT Development Director Liz Thompson. “It checks all the boxes for a great time — cold beer, hot blues music, great food, awesome people and it’s all for a good cause!” Blues-N-Brews is CFRT’s big fundraising event each year. 

    Three talented groups provide the “Blues” for the event. Mark McKinney & Co. play from 5-6:30 p.m., Tullie Brae from 6:45-8:15p.m., and Elliot and the Untouchables from 8:30-10p.m. 

    Mark McKinney & Co. is an acoustic trio of three local musicians based out of Pembroke. Tullie Brae is a multi-instrumentalist  with roots in gospel music. She was a huge hit when she played at Brews-N-Brews two years ago and returns as a part of her current tour. Elliot and the Untouchables specialize in jump and jump-influenced blues, a style of music that combines elements of swing and blues. The band is hugely popular in the southeastern U.S. and last played at this event in 2008.

    The “Brews” come from over 40 brewers, including every local brewer our area offers. One $35 ticket gets you a 3-ounce taste-testing glass, which you can use to taste as many of the more than 100 beers available as you want. These include craft beers, ciders and everything in between. 

    For the first time, a small selection of the most popular beers will be available for purchase in full-sized quantities, for those who find what they like and want to stick to that. For non-beer lovers, Lu Mil Vineyard will have wine and wine slushies available for purchase. 

    There will also be an abundance of dining options to browse through. Thompson said she’s particularly excited for this element. “I love a good food truck, and we’ve got some of the best coming,” she said. “There will be something for everyone — burgers, ribs, BBQ, shrimp, nachos, chicken and waffles, sweets and more.” 

    Blues-N-Brews has grown since its inception 15 years ago and plans to maintain its momentum. Thompson said Festival Park has a maximum capacity of 10,000 people, and this year they’re at 3,000 registered to attend. Eventually, she said, CFRT would love to see the whole park filled. But the growth for this event has not only been in numbers. Quality is also increasing each year, as CFRT continues to prove itself to be a treasure our city needs. 

    This year, CFRT won the Fayetteville’s Tourism & Development Authority grant. This enabled staff to expand marketing efforts to include the entire region, not just Cumberland County. CFRT also built a new partnership with Beasley radio station, and partnered with the popular new downtown store Pressed – A Creative Space to design this year’s T-shirts. 

    This pattern of reaching out and making local connections to the benefit of everyone demonstrates the spirit CFRT carries. “We have 22 people who are part of making this event happen,” said Thompson. “Many of them are just community members who wanted to get involved. SarahMarie (Stewart) was a volunteer last year and was the food vendor chair. This year she’s the co-chair for the whole event!” For those interested in volunteering day-of for two to four-hour shifts, email bnbvolunteers@cfrt.org. 

    Gates open at 4 p.m. for those who purchase a $75 VIP ticket. Tullie Brae will treat VIP guests to an extra concert in the VIP tent from 4-5 p.m., where guests can also enjoy local beer and food donated by Mash House Brewing Company. Regular tickets cost $35 each, include the unlimited taste-testing glass and free music, and grant admission at 5 p.m. Tickets for $15 are available for those who want to come in and enjoy the night without drinking. To learn more and purchase tickets, visit www.cfrt.org/BluesNBrews.

  • David Phillips and Ricky Lopes have been friends for years. So, when Ricky’s 21-year-old son, Justin, died unexpectedly the in the summer of 2104, Phillips wanted to do something to honor Justin. The youngest of three, Justin loved cooking with his mom and was enrolled at the University of South Carolina. He planned to pursue a career in accounting. Andrea Phillips, David’s wife described his family as close-knit. “Justin’s death came out of nowhere and was unexpected,” said Andrea. “He was very involved in the community. He played soccer and baseball. He was in the key club and the National Honor Society. His family attends Lafayette Baptist Church, and he was very involved there as well.”

    001Cover
    As a fellow athlete, David, a runner, spent some time talking with his wife, Andrea, about what they could do to make a difference. The result was the Derby Run 5k. This year marks the second annual Derby Run. It takes place May 20 at Terry Sanford High School, Justin’s alma mater.

    “Our family has always been very close. We loved Justin so much and continue to miss him everyday. We are incredibly grateful that friends and family are coming together to raise money to benefit children within the community in his memory. Justin loved sports and loved to compete, so the Derby Run is an event we feel certain he would enjoy, ” said the Lopes Family (Donna and Ricky Lopes, Rebecca Lopes Aul and Emily Lopes Townsend).

    The course runs through scenic Haymount, including the Fayetteville Technical Community College campus, and finishes at Terry Sanford High School. “It’s easy, fun and flat!” said Andrea. “The entire event is a lot of fun. It is a party feeling. Last year we had a lot of friends of the family participate. There was a lot of reminiscing and hugging. We had about 200 runners. We would be thrilled if we had 300 this year.”

    She added that there will be a local radio station at Terry Sanford, and attendees are invited to wear their best Derby hat and/or costume. There will be prizes for various categories. Each runner will receive a commemorative T-shirt and a bag. T-shirts are also available for purchase. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash.
    In celebrating Justin’s life, it made sense to turn the run into something that would help others. Last year, the Derby Run benefited St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. This year, the family decided to keep it local and is giving the proceeds from the race to the Child Advocacy Center in Fayetteville, Cy’s World Foundation, and the Justin Richard Lopes Memorial Scholarship of Cumberland Community Foundation. Andrea added that they are also accepting gently worn athletic shoes for Water Step, a charitable organization for healthy drinking water in needed areas of the world.

    The child Advocacy Center works with partners in the community, including law enforcement and medical practitioners to offer children a safe place that supports the prevention, investigation and prosecution of child abuse. CAC not only offers a safe place to interview children, it also offers prevention education for parents, professionals and agencies in our community. During FY 2016, our center served 773 children and their families and, by our coordinating efforts, saved the community more than $500,000.

    Founded in 201 in honor of Edgar Clyde Garber IV, who died at the age of 17, Cy’s World Foundation seeks to promote a love of the outdoors. The goal of the organization is to offer grants that focus on teaching, introducing, and compelling youth to enjoy outdoors safely, with conservation of natural resources and sustainable practices to insure these activities are here for others to enjoy for many generations. Cy’s World has partnered with YMCA’s Camp thunderbird, Cumberland County’s Ducks Unlimited, Hunter’s Helping Kids and First Tee of the Triad, Winston-Salem on various events aimed at getting kids up and moving.

    The Justin Richard Lopes Memorial Scholarship of Cumberland Community Foundation supports Cumberland County high school students who will attend the University of South Carolina.
    Water Step is a nonprofit organization that provides safe water to communities in developing countries. Based on simple tools and effective training, organization trains people how to use safe water solutions: water purification, health education and well repair, empowering communities to take care of their own water needs for years.

    To register for the Derby Run, go to active.com and type Derby Run into the search bar. Registration is $25. Late registration opens at 7 a.m. at Terry Sanford on May 20. The race starts at 8 a.m. Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1651810641752739.

  • 13Lea JordanSouth View High School was recently honored by the N.C. High School Athletic Association with the Commissioner’s Cup at the organization’s annual meeting in Chapel Hill. But South View principal Brian Edkins got an even bigger prize when he went to the Tiger prom later the same week.
    Attending the prom was South View student Lea Jordan, who graduated early in January but learned less than a month later she was suffering from leukemia. She’s been in and out of the hospital at Duke since then getting treatments.
    Before she left, Jordan vowed to attend her prom in May. Edkins said if they had to, they’d carry her across the stage. They didn’t. Jordan made it under her own steam.
    What made her appearance special was Jordan was one of the recipients this year of a donation made possible by South View’s Kicking for Cancer soccer fundraiser. It was an idea started nearly 20 years ago by Edkins when he was the school’s soccer coach as a tribute to his dad, who was a victim of cancer.
    The charity event, conducted in the soccer preseason each year, has raised close to $100,000 in its history. It is why South View was one of eight schools in the state to receive this year’s Commissioner’s Cup, which is presented to member schools of the NCHSAA for charitable
    or other outreach programs to their
    local communities.
    Initially, all money from Kicking for Cancer was given to the American Cancer Society.
    In recent years, donations have also been given to individuals battling the disease.
    This year, Jordan became the first South View student to receive a gift of $500 to help with her struggle with cancer.
    Edkins said the goal of Kicking for Cancer becomes clearer when you start to put actual faces on the people the money goes to. “When I saw her there she was absolutely glowing,’’ he said. “It made me so happy. You get to see where your hard work is going to.’’
    Jordan said the week of prom she didn’t have to undergo a chemotherapy treatment, so her energy level was good. She found a dress in Durham the Tuesday before prom and got out of the hospital the next day.
    “It meant a lot,’’ Jordan said. “My last day of classes (at South View) was Jan. 27. I was thrown into a world of being in and out of the hospital and don’t get to see people my age and my friends
    that much.
    “To be able to see them and spend time with them made me feel like a normal teenager.’’
    The chemotherapy has caused Jordan to lose her hair, but she said she never considered wearing a wig to the prom. “It’s me and who I am now,’’ she said. “It’s something I had to deal with. It’s not something I’m ashamed of.’’

  • 13Lea JordanSouth View High School was recently honored by the N.C. High School Athletic Association with the Commissioner’s Cup at the organization’s annual meeting in Chapel Hill. But South View principal Brian Edkins got an even bigger prize when he went to the Tiger prom later the same week.
    Attending the prom was South View student Lea Jordan, who graduated early in January but learned less than a month later she was suffering from leukemia. She’s been in and out of the hospital at Duke since then getting treatments.
    Before she left, Jordan vowed to attend her prom in May. Edkins said if they had to, they’d carry her across the stage. They didn’t. Jordan made it under her own steam.
    What made her appearance special was Jordan was one of the recipients this year of a donation made possible by South View’s Kicking for Cancer soccer fundraiser. It was an idea started nearly 20 years ago by Edkins when he was the school’s soccer coach as a tribute to his dad, who was a victim of cancer.
    The charity event, conducted in the soccer preseason each year, has raised close to $100,000 in its history. It is why South View was one of eight schools in the state to receive this year’s Commissioner’s Cup, which is presented to member schools of the NCHSAA for charitable
    or other outreach programs to their
    local communities.
    Initially, all money from Kicking for Cancer was given to the American Cancer Society.
    In recent years, donations have also been given to individuals battling the disease.
    This year, Jordan became the first South View student to receive a gift of $500 to help with her struggle with cancer.
    Edkins said the goal of Kicking for Cancer becomes clearer when you start to put actual faces on the people the money goes to. “When I saw her there she was absolutely glowing,’’ he said. “It made me so happy. You get to see where your hard work is going to.’’
    Jordan said the week of prom she didn’t have to undergo a chemotherapy treatment, so her energy level was good. She found a dress in Durham the Tuesday before prom and got out of the hospital the next day.
    “It meant a lot,’’ Jordan said. “My last day of classes (at South View) was Jan. 27. I was thrown into a world of being in and out of the hospital and don’t get to see people my age and my friends
    that much.
    “To be able to see them and spend time with them made me feel like a normal teenager.’’
    The chemotherapy has caused Jordan to lose her hair, but she said she never considered wearing a wig to the prom. “It’s me and who I am now,’’ she said. “It’s something I had to deal with. It’s not something I’m ashamed of.’’

  • 16Aaron Beavers

    Aaron Beavers
    Gray’s Creek • Tennis • Junior
    As a member of the Bears’ tennis team, Beavers compiled a grade point average
    of 4.33

     

    17Anna Suggs

    Anna Suggs
    Terry Sanford • Softball • Sophomore
    Suggs, who is part of the Global Studies program at Terry Sanford, has a grade point average of 4.33. She is active in numerous clubs at Terry Sanford, as well as youth activities at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church.

  • 15PrepNotebookDees ShirtBefore he retired, longtime N.C. High School Athletic Association Executive Director Charlie Adams dreamed of an exhibit hall adjacent to the association’s offices where displays of memorabilia from great high school teams, coaches and athletes could be housed for the public to come view.

    That was one dream Adams wasn’t able to accomplish, but it doesn’t mean the various sports items he collected aren’t on display today.

    When the NCHSAA remodeled its offices a few years ago, plans were included for display cases and shelves around the building to show off some of the wide assortment of items that have been donated over the years. Now visitors to the offices can see a shirt worn by longtime South View softball coach Eddie Dees, or a cap that adorned the head of Cape Fear softball coaching legend Doris Howard.

    Que Tucker, the current commissioner of the NCHSAA, said when the building remodel took place, they wanted a way to try and keep at least part of Adams’ 

    dream alive. “We added shelving in the building and more wall space where we could hang jerseys,’’ she said.

    The main problem is that Adams and the NCHSAA staff did such a great job getting things donated, there is no room to display all of it at one time.

    That’s where Pepper Hines of the current NCHSAA staff and retired associate commissioner Carolyn Shannonhouse come in.

    The memorabilia currently not on display is kept in storage. Hines and Shannonhouse are responsible for rotating items on a regular basis, so different things are on display at different times.

    In addition to the collection of helmets, jerseys and various kinds of balls, there are also a host of pictures of great coaches and athletes from throughout the NCHSAA’s history.

    With the continuing advance of technology, Tucker hopes for a day when the NCHSAA can display all of its memorabilia like some museums do, with touch screens that would allow visitors to punch in the name of a great coach or athlete, then see that person’s picture with a biography of his or her accomplishments.

     

  • 17Free Fire 2016I thought Hollywood had promised all roles related to being criminal in Boston to Ben Affleck, in perpetuity. It just doesn’t seem right to watch all the wacky shenanigans taking place in “Free Fire” (90 minutes) without his Southie accent classing up the joint. The only real information I had about the plot was that it involved an incredible amount of bullets. And, since it was directed by Ben Wheatley (one weird dude) and written by Amy Jump (a super awesome lady), I knew the odds were on it being incredibly bizarre somehow.

    The odds were right. Most of the film takes place in an abandoned umbrella factory, and everybody gets shot hilariously, writhes around the floor, swears a lot, does some illegal drugs and (with the lone exception of Brie Larson) has the most fabulously manly facial hair this side of a ZZ Top music video. In fact, up until this film, I always thought Armie Hammer looked like a big cartoon baby. Now, after seeing his Grizzly Man beard, I understand that he is very attractive. Never shave again, Armie Hammer!

    The plot is fairly straightforward. Vernon (Sharlto Copley) is meeting two Irish Republican Army guys, Chris (Cillian Murphey) and Frank (Michael Smiley), to sell them many powerful guns. Apparently, this also involves various representatives and intermediaries such as Ord (Hammer), Justine (Larson), Harry (Jack Reynor), Martin (Babou Ceesay), Stevo (Sam Riley) and Bernie (Enzo Cilenti). I am not an expert in arms dealing, but that seems like a pretty long list of dramatis personae for a secret, illegal weapons deal with a terrorist group. I hope the cast gets cut down to a more manageable shortlist before I get confused about which guys are fighting which other guys, or which is supposed to be Justine’s love interest.

    Vernon brings the wrong guns, but Chris and Frank maintain their calm and do the deal anyway. Chris does that jerk power play where he asks Vernon a question, then begins firing his new toy loudly and repeatedly to drown out Vernon’s response. This happens at least three times. Since Vernon is clearly odious, I find that less troublesome than I otherwise would. A briefcase of cash changes hands and everyone lives happily ever after.

    Except. When the IRA guys load the guns into the nondescript van, Harry realizes that Stevo was the guy who messed with his cousin the night before, and things go south. It starts out pretty hilarious, with Harry demanding satisfaction for his cousin, and Frank trying to figure out how extensive a beating will fit the bill. It escalates pretty quickly until everyone has been shot at least twice. Hilariously, there are still so many people screaming and writhing on the floor at this point. I did lose track of what guys were allies and which guys were shooting at each other. Wheatley and Jump do not make it easy to figure out, either. At random intervals, it seems like Vernon and Ord are either still buddies or planning to put a bullet in each other. Ditto with Vernon and Justine, and several other pairs that keep kissing and making up, right before shooting each other again. It is a masterpiece.    

    Overall, I got a serious Tarantino vibe from the whole thing. The wildly incongruous, yet perfectly on-the-nose soundtrack probably contributed, as did the snappy dialogue and the fact that most of the movie is one long shootout. I think it is fair to say I quite enjoyed it. In fact, if you have a day off and some cool friends, I encourage you to check out the rest of the Amy Jump/Ben Wheatley catalog. Except “A Field in England;” that one was too arty even
    for me. 

  • 16FoodPoliticsFood, fantasy, fiction and politics are my favorite topics. If you read my column regularly, you know these preferences and will not be surprised that the books I recommend for reading in May deal with these themes.

    First of all, “The Carolina Table: North Carolina Writers on Food” edited by Randall Kenan, collects some of the best writing by North Carolina authors about their favorite foods and eating experiences. Lee Smith, Daniel Wallace, Marianne Gingher, Jill McCorkle, Jaki Shelton Green, Wayne Caldwell, Marcie Cohen Ferris, Michael McFee and Zelda Lockhart are some of the contributors. My favorite is Kenan himself. He opens his essay with a memory of food Duplin County neighbors brought to his family’s house when his great uncle died.

    “People showing up heavy-laden with food to the homes of the recently deceased. Hams, fried chicken, oven-baked barbecue chicken, pork chops smothered in gravy, dirty rice, Spanish rice, potato salad galore, slaw, sweet potato casseroles, candied yams, hushpuppies, cornbread, soup, chopped pork barbecue, collard greens, pound cake, chocolate cake, coconut cake, pineapple cake, red velvet cake, sweet potato pie and lemon meringue pie.”

    Jaki Shelton Green writes about a meal she fixed for a man she was “kicking to the curb. It seemed best to leave a taste of me on his lips. Fillet of beef in puff pastry and Madeira cream sauce. Caramelized shallots, carrots, and mushrooms. Roasted lemon garlic artichokes. Grand Marnier cheesecake.”

    My fiction theme is represented by “The Education of Dixie Dupree,” the debut novel of Benson’s Donna Everhart. The main character, 11-year-old Dixie, is an accomplished liar. Her mother’s abuse of Dixie, her father’s abuse of her mother, and her uncle’s sexual abuse of Dixie, explain why she tells lies. Dixie’s determined struggle to overcome these challenges anchors her coming of age story.

    As the book opens, Dixie’s father has suddenly gone away and her mother is about to fall over the edge. Food and money are running out. Dixie and her teenage brother are in despair. Then, out of the blue, their mother’s brother, Uncle Ray, appears just in time to rescue them. But with his help comes trouble, worse than anything the family has known. What Uncle Ray brings is a dark and disturbing but completely compelling story of sexual abuse and the devastation it can bring to the lives of families and young people.

    Hillsborough’s John Claude Bemis, a musician and former elementary school teacher, writes for young readers. He engages them with imaginative magical fantasy. His latest, “Out of Abaton: The Wooden Prince,” takes the classic puppet-turning-into-real-boy story of Pinocchio into a wild adventure. 

    Master Geppetto is a brilliant inventor on the run, being hunted down as a traitor to the emperor. Pinocchio is more than a marionette. He is an “automa,” a wooden mechanical servant that obeys, without question, the commands of its owner. Like the classic Pinocchio, this automa may be turning into a human. This book is wonderfully complicated and so very stimulating, even for this adult reader.

    Now for the politics. Some North Carolinians still talk about the 1972 election when Jesse Helms won the U.S. Senate seat he was to keep for 30 years and thereby transform North Carolina politics. 

    Others remember how that election interrupted the upward trajectory of one of North Carolina’s most promising and most interesting political figures, Nick Galifianakis. Thanks to his neighbor and retired UNC-Chapel Hill history professor John Semonche, we have a full life story of this son of Greek immigrants who made his hard-to-spell last name a North Carolina classic. Semonche’s book, “Pick Nick: The Political Odyssey of Nick Galifianakis from Immigrant Son to Congressman,” introduces modern North Carolinians to one of our state’s most interesting political figures.

  • 14MothersDayStylistics1The Crown Coliseum presents a Mother’s Day Soul Jam featuring the Stylistics on Saturday, May 13 at 7 p.m. Stylistics member Airrion Love and I had a conversation about the Soul Jam, their greatest hits and new projects.

    What should the audience expect to see at this Mother’s Day Soul Jam performance? 

    We don’t feature other people’s material and our portion of the show is going to be all of our hits that people have come to love over the years.     

    What is your favorite Stylistics song?

    You know it’s funny because each year it is a different one. My favorite is “Payback Is A Dog.” It was not as big of a hit like “Betcha By Golly Wow” and “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” but it is a popular song. 

    What messages do you convey in your songs?

    All of our songs are about being in and out of love. The message may change depending on the song we sing. “People Make The World Go Round” is a song that was about what was going on at that particular time. Everybody that knows our music would say it relates to love. 

    When were you first inspired to do music?

    Coming up I wanted to be a singer, and I was singing at the age of six. I was part of a few groups. When I got older, I was interested in computer programming, and that is what I was gearing things for. I was working at a bank in Philadelphia in the computer department and I took a leave of absence from my job to take a chance and make music with the group, and it turned out to be a great decision. 

    Some bands and groups break up over a period of time. What is the key to keeping a musical group together and continuing to make beautiful music for decades?

    If I knew that answer, I would bottle it and sell it. One of the things that has helped us maintain our position is that we were given great material. Those songs were so good. In the 70s we were a part of what was going on along with the other 70s group. But now we have maintained it and people have loved our group through the years. 

    Are there any future projects for
    the group?  

    We have a couple of things in the fire, but it is too soon to comment on. We have a meeting next week in regards to doing some background for some people. We have a finished product that we are trying to work out a record deal for. 

    Treat mom to a pre-show dinner buffet at the Crown Theatre from 5–7 p.m. Dinner includes tossed garden salad, smothered chicken in gravy, grilled Tilapia with yellow curry sauce, red beans and rice, seasonal mixed vegetables, biscuits and cornbread, seasonal fruit cobbler, freshly brewed coffee, iced tea, water and one glass of red or white wine. The dinner is $25. 

    Ticket prices for the concert are $45, $60, $75 and $90.  For more information, visit www.capefeartix.com. 

     

  • 13JamTams7Fayetteville After 5 is a longstanding tradition: a time to shake off the cares of the week and enjoy a night of music in the great outdoors. This month, start Mother’s Day weekend with a free concert in Festival Park. Bring your friends, your family, your mom and spend an evening relaxing and making memories together. Come dance on the promenade and relax. Make memories, enjoy the music and enjoy an evening with the ones you love.

    The Tams kick off the Fayetteville After 5 season, which also features 120 Minutes June 9; On the Border: The Ultimate Eagles Tribute Band July 14; and country music artist Kasey Tyndall August 11.

    The Tams have been entertaining crowds since the 1960s. Their 1968 hit “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy” is a fan favorite. Other hits include “You Lied to Your Daddy,” “Hey Girl,” “I’ve Been Hurt” and “It’s Better to Have Loved a Little.” The group has been named Beach Band of the Decade at the Beach Music Awards and Outstanding Black Musical Group by the Atlanta Black History Awards. The Tams were inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1992.

    The season’s second concert is set for June 9. Local musicians open the show, but around 6:30 or 7 p.m., fans can look forward to music by 120 Minutes, a 90’s alternative/pop/rock tribute band. This Triangle-area band hits all the high points of the 90’s, playing music by some of the decade’s biggest acts, including Nirvana, Gin Blossoms, Third Eye Blind, Britney Spears, The Spice Girls, Veruca Salt, Pearl Jam, Weezer, TLC, Duncan Sheik, Backstreet Boys, Aqua, Faith Hill, Santana feat. Rob Thomas Spacehog, The Cranberries, Better Than Ezra and Smashing Pumpkins.

    On June 14, a local favorite,  On The Border — The Ultimate Eagles Tribute Band, takes the stage bringing all the best of the Eagles to the Sandhills. Known for their authentic Eagles sound, come take it easy with “Hotel California,” “One of These Nights,” “Seven Bridges Road,” “Witchy Woman” and “Best of My Love.” These are just a few of the tunes attendees can look forward to.

     On August 11, Kasey Tindall brings a taste of country to Fayetteville. An Eastern Carolina native, Tindall’s  songs include “Everything is Texas” and”Who I Ain’t,” which both speak to her Southern roots.

    The gates open at 5 p.m. and the music will start at either 6:30 or 7 p.m. Coming early is the best way to get a great seat and to relax a little in the park before the fun begins. Concerts last until 10:30 or 11 p.m. No outside food or beverage is allowed, but there will be food and beverages for sale. The event is presented in partnership with R.A. Jefferies. Audience members are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets to relax on the grass. 

  • 16NC Woman BulgariaWhy would North Carolinian Elizabeth Kostova, who is a New York TimesNo.1 bestselling author, set her action-packed novel in Bulgaria?

    I will give you an answer in a minute. But first, a little bit about her new book, The Shadow Land.

    The book’s main character is a young North Carolina mountain woman, Alexandra Boyd. On her first day in the country she meets a small Bulgarian family group. They tell her they are on the way to a beautiful monastery and suggest she consider visiting it later. After they part ways, Alexandra finds she has a satchel that belongs to the Bulgarian group.

    A young taxi driver called Bobby befriends her as she seeks to find the satchel’s owners. In the satchelis a wooden urn, containing
    ashes and inscribed with the name Stoyan Lazarov.

    She and Bobby report the incident to the local police. The police give them an address for Lazarov.

    First, Alexandra and Bobby rush to the monastery and search for the Bulgarian group, but find no one. As they prepare to leave, they realize they have been locked in a room. Alexandra thinks “nothing in her previous experience had prepared her for the feeling of being suddenly locked in a monastic room with a stranger five thousand miles from the Blue Ridge Mountains, holding an urn containing the ashes of another stranger. In addition to being tired and afraid, she was suddenly a thief, a vagrant and a prisoner.”

    Although they escape from the monastery, they cannot escape a growing awareness that they are being followed and possessing this urn has put them in danger.

    Nevertheless, the next day they go to the address provided by the police. The house is empty of people, but photos and papers there confirm the urn’s owners had lived there. A neighbor gives them another address elsewhere in Bulgaria.

    Before leaving town, Alexandra and Bobby adopt a stray dog, which becomes an important character with a major role in one of the concluding scenes. Kostova introduces other people, including an older, wealthy businessman-turned-politician named Kurilkov and known as “The Bear.” He is seeking to win the next election on the promise of “non-corruption.”

    There are growing and inexplicable dangers: vandalized cars, threats, murder and kidnapping. Only if the urn contains some valuable secret can there be an explanation for the unsettling situation.

    An explanation of the urn’s secret and its dangerous value becomes the spine on which Kostova builds the book’s surprising and violent resolution.  

    On that same spine she attaches another story, that of Stoyan Lazarov, a talented violinist, lover of Vivaldi, loving husband and father, who ran afoul of Bulgaria’s post-World War II brutal communist dictatorship. He was confined for many years in a torturous labor camp where work conditions and weather almost killed him and destroyed his health and his prospects for a fulfilling musical career.

     At the work camp, he met two men, one a friend and fellow inmate and the other a guard who becomes a heated enemy. Both characters play a major part in the book’s dramatic conclusion.

    Why, then, did Kostova set this book in Bulgaria? Explaining her fascination for that nation, she writes about her first visit when she first came to “this mysterious country, hidden for so long behind the Iron Curtain,” and she felt, “I had somehow come home.”

    Kostova’s novel takes her readers on a tour of Bulgaria: its mountains, its cities and villages, its forests and seashores. Her poetic descriptions of Bulgaria’s landscapes and people made this reader want to see for myself the country she loves so much.

  • 15boss abyThe Boss Baby (97 minutes) is marketed as a family film. Like most films aimed at children, there are dark messages lined up just below the surface, waiting to be decoded. 

    I wasn’t dying to see it. But, since the only other alternative was the eighth film in the box office gold franchise about those guys who like to drive at unreasonably high rates of speed while also in a state of extreme anger, and I managed to avoid the previous seven films, it was a point of pride that I find something else to review.

    The film starts off with the voice of Tim (Miles Bakshi) narrating over some vintage-inspired animation. He tells us that, according to his parents (voiced by Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow), he has an overactive imagination. The animation helpfully blends together his perceptions of what is happening with what is actually happening … so if he is pretending to fight underwater monsters, he is actually holding his breath in the bath. This establishes that Tim is an unreliable narrator, and the story that follows is most likely a product of his rich fantasy life. Might I suggest that, with only minor rewrites, this could work as a child’s tale of terror? Because there are some really horrifying elements at play.

    Before the arrival of Boss Baby (Alex Baldwin), Tim gets three stories, five hugs and a special song (“Blackbird”) before bed every night — in spite of the fact that both his parents work at high-level jobs at a pet company. You see, the clues that this is a fantasy are there right from the beginning. And, before I continue, why would parents sing “Blackbird” to their child every night? It’s one of the saddest songs in the entire catalog of songs by The Beatles. And I held that opinion before the YouTube video made everyone cry. You know what song I sing to my baby daughter at bedtime? “The Shankill Butchers.” Much less likely to make someone cry.

    Anyway, one day the Boss Baby arrives in a taxi, wearing a suit and tie. He asks his parents about this and they respond that it is cute and he looks like a little executive. Soon after, Tim, attempting to get his parents’ attention, waits forlornly in bed for a single story or a hug — only to find his parents are both singing “his” special song to his new brother. I have two kids, and that is messed up.

    Either Tim’s fantasy life includes writing dialogue for his parents (in which case, why does he have them prefer his baby brother to him?) OR his parents really think it’s a good idea to completely ignore Tim and let him think they love his baby brother more than him. At one point, they are arguing about who is taking the business trip to Las Vegas and who is staying home with the new baby, while Tim sits sadly at the table, realizing that parental love is tenuous and easily lost. 

    It is heartrending — and, for the record, if my husband and I had to make a similar choice, we would be figuring out which friend was free to babysit. Because when you are stuck at home with two small, screaming, hyper little squirrels whose idea of fun is waiting until you blink, then figuring out the quickest way to get on top of the roof and play Superman, the walls start closing in just a tad. Kids, if you ever read this, Mommy loves you!

    The themes only get darker from here. It turns out babies are at war with puppies, because there is only so much love to distribute in a family, and puppies are starting to get more. 

    Boss Baby was sent to Earth to stop the worldwide launch of the cutest puppy ever — because otherwise, the puppies will win. When this mission is accomplished, he will get a promotion and disappear — and his parents will forget he ever existed. I could probably write a thesis deconstructing the 20 kinds of messed up contained within the past paragraph, but instead, I will suggest that when picking movies to enjoy as a family, maybe don’t pick one that emphasizes how kids get ignored when new babies arrive.

    Now showing at Patriot 14 + IMAX.

  • 06 exceptionalismAs the father of two young boys, one already in kindergarten, I can’t help but feel helpless seeing American school kids murdered in their classrooms on a monthly basis. “Thoughts and prayers” are running thin.

    Columbine happened when I was in high school. I remember discussing it with my English class. Most of us wrote it off by arguing that the kids responsible were “just crazy.” Colorado was too far away, and it never really registered. We went on being high school kids.

    Flash forward 20 years: I’m a dad now, and I’m at a PTA event in the auditorium of my old elementary school where I was a turtle in the Christmas play. The speaker interrupts bingo night to solicit donations to construct a solid wooden fence around the playground to “protect the perimeter” of the school.

    What happened? No, seriously, what happened?

    It used to be that there was a mass shooting and it was in the news for a few days, but it was soon forgotten and we all went about our lives. It could happen here, but it wasn’t a real threat, just a random freak event like a plane crash. We didn’t worry about “protecting our perimeter” like we were in a war movie.

    Times have changed. We’re averaging one school shooting per week in 2018. A danger that once seemed random is now making an appearance at bingo night where it follows you home and sets up shop in the back of your mind where you store your catalog of fatherly fears. When you blog about it two months later, you’re still wondering if it could be your kid.

    It’s not going anywhere. After all, we’re America.We’re different. We’re exceptional.

    It’s a self-evident truth that more guns equal more gun deaths. Take basic math, logic, the nature of human conflict, add a dash of gunpowder, and you get the following:

    Assault weapons kill people with amazing speed and efficiency, so it would make sense to try to keep these weapons out of the hands of minors, criminals, crazy people, etc. But we’re North Carolina, and we’re exceptionally exceptional, so there is absolutely nothing our right-wing legislators are going to do to curb access to assault weapons. Nothing. These men bash their peers in primaries if they get a B+ rating from the National Rifle Association.

    But have no fear. Our leaders are on an innovative mission this spring to create new ways to save our kids without infringing on your (or their) right to bear assault weapons. Here’s a list from Longleaf Politics of school safety bills pending in the legislature:

    • House Bill 933 lets North Carolina give school psychologist licenses to people who hold a national professional credential valid in 32 other states.

    • House Bill 932 requires school districts to set up an anonymous tip line to help identify threats.

    • House Bill 934 directs school districts to set up threat assessment teams and figure out how they’re going to respond to students who could cause harm to their school.

    • House Bill 937 sets training standards for school resource officers.

    • House Bill 938 gets charter schools to set up risk management plans, including making sure law enforcement knows the layout of school buildings.

    • House Bill 939 will set up a framework for school districts to evaluate how safe their facilities are.

    • House Bill 940 directs school districts to report out by Sept. 15 how many school resource officers they have and at what levels.

    • House bill 941 allots $1.8 million to place school resource officers in more elementary and middle schools.

    Do you feel better now? I don’t, and I’m not trying to be negative or sarcastic. It’s as if we’re conceding that these shootings are a new way of life, and we’re just trying to find a way to beat the shooters to the punch. If only we had more psychologists, more heroes to step in front of the bullets, or more wooden fences, we could stop them.

    While all these bills are noble, they ignore the shiny black elephant in the room. The ignorance is intentional, just ask the Speaker of the House. Lawmakers are reviewing ways to increase school safety. But those efforts are expected to stop short of gun restrictions.

    “Folks want to try to drag the gun debate into it, ”Republican House Speaker Tim Moore told a TV interviewer last week. “Look, that’s a discussion for another time.”

    I guess he’s talking about me.

  • 05 karlDo an internet search for “Christian support of Trump” and you will see a multitude of articles that roundly condemn Christians who supported him during the election and those who currently support this president. I did not find a single article that addressed the subject without a tone reflecting denunciation of these supporters. These articles appear driven by the fact that 81 percent of white evangelical voters voted for Donald Trump.

    My reading of these articles and hearing comments of agreement from various individuals leads me to a troubling conclusion. That is, these people apparently think that being Christian, being in a faith relationship with God through Jesus Christ, requires one to take on a condition of total stupidity. The English Oxford Living Dictionaries define stupidity as “behavior that shows a lack of good sense or judgement.” Given that being Christian does not require believers to be stupid, allow me to share some thoughts regarding why I think many Christians support President Trump.

    The argument put forth is that because of Trump’s alleged and actual “moral transgressions,” Christians who support him are guilty of hypocrisy. Elizabeth Bruenig writes the following in an opinion piece titled “Evangelicals’ support for Trump will cost them – spiritually” She says, “On the one hand, church going white evangelicals are among Trump’s most loyal supporters. On the other, there’s simply no way to square the way the president lives with the cultural vision these Christians seem to share.”

    The statement above by Bruenig, which reflects the argument made by many, calls for what I see as an unrealistic approach to Christians helping make the world what God would have it be. They would have us not work with, not support, people whose alleged, or even actual, past moral conduct does not align with the standards of Scripture. They want that rule followed even when doing so dramatically adversely impacts the nation and moving the country toward what God would have it become.

    This is like saying to a dying person, “This doctor has a treatment that will save your life, but, because of his alleged, or actual, moral failings, you should not allow him to treat you.” This is the situation faced by Christians in America.

    In 2016, we were clearly a nation on a self-destructive course. We were presented with choosing between Hillary Clinton and Trump for president. In my estimation, on the one hand was a candidate who was not without her own questionable conduct and would keep America on this self-destructive course, maybe hastening that destruction. On the other hand was a candidate who came with allegations of, and some actual, moral failings but put forth an agenda that could correct our course and, in great part, do so by allowing Christians to again fully and freely, in America, practice our faith.

    Without doubt, Christians came to the 2016 presidential election knowing that our faith, our very existence, is under attack in our own country. Consider the following paragraphs from the article “Regular Christians Are No Longer Welcome in American Culture” by Mary Eberstadt. “Traditional American Christians have long been on the losing end of culture-war contests – on school prayer, same-sex marriage and other issues. But recent events, including the Supreme Court decision overruling Texas’ restrictions on abortion clinics and the mandate that employers provide access to contraception, have added to the sense that religious expression is under attack.“

    This new vigorous secularism has catapulted mockery of Christianity and other forms of religious traditionalism into the mainstream and set a new low for what counts as civil criticism of people’s most-cherished beliefs. In some precincts, the ‘faith of our fathers’ is controversial as never before.“

    Some of the faithful have paid unexpected prices for their beliefs lately: the teacher in New Jersey suspended for giving a student a Bible; the football coach in Washington placed on leave for saying a prayer on the field at the end of a game; the fire chief in Atlanta fired for self-publishing a book defending Christian moral teaching; the Marine court-martialed for pasting a Bible verse above her desk; and other examples of the new intolerance. Anti-Christian activists hurl smears like ‘bigot’ and ‘hater’ at Americans who hold traditional beliefs about marriage and accuse anti-abortion Christians of waging a supposed ‘war on women.’”

    Not being lured into a state of stupidity by others’ claims regarding the requirements of our faith, many Christians considered the destructive course being followed by our nation and the growing suppression of Christian views in America. Presented with a candidate whose alleged, and even actual, moral failings were and are emphasized by media and his very vocal opponents, many Christians considered the totality of Trump in light of the state of America overall and the growing suppression of Christianity in our country. In the end, he won substantial support from this group.

    I expect the attacks on Christians who support this president will increase and grow even viler if his exemplary record of accomplishments over the first 16 months of his administration continues into the future.

    Despite Democratic obstruction at every possible opportunity, media coverage overwhelmingly focused on real and imagined negative occurrences involving him or those in his administration, and the extremely questionable appointment of a special counsel who seems to be searching for a crime instead of investigating one that has been identified, Trump is delivering on his promises.

    Among his campaign promises was that he would protect the rights of people of faith. That promise was clearly stated when Trump spoke at the 2017 Liberty University Commencement. In an article titled “Trump promises to protect Christians at Liberty commencement speech, ”Lauren Markoe quoted the president. “‘America is better when people put their faith into action,’ Trump continued. ‘As long as I am your president no one is ever going to stop you from practicing your faith or from preaching what’s in your heart. We will always stand up for the right of all Americans to pray to God and to follow his teachings.’”

    The Markoe article also reported comments made during that ceremony by Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty. “‘Since his election I’ve noticed a new hope and a new optimism sweeping this country,’ Falwell said. He said he appreciated Trump’s support for the state of Israel, appointment of ‘a pro-life justice’ to the Supreme Court, and bombing of militants in the Middle East.”

    As I do the kind of assessment detailed above, if the situation were not so dire, I would see these attacks on Christians for supporting Trump as laughable. The glaring hypocrisy is that these critics call on us to, based on their claims regarding the requirements of our faith, condemn and separate from the president; however, when we, based on that same faith, oppose same-sex marriage, abortion and other agenda items dear to that group, we are verbally attacked and our voices suppressed.

    In the midst of this overwhelming pressure, rejection and condemnation, we (Christians) must remember that our faith does not require that we be stupid.

    That statement is not intended to say that Christians or others who do not support Donald Trump are stupid. My message is that many Christians refused to be, and none of us should allow ourselves to be bullied into political behavior that “shows a lack of good sense or judgement.”

  • 04 margaretThe baby boom generation, those Americans born between 1946 and 1964 to parents in recovery from World War II and anxious to start their “real lives,” changed everything.

    The largest generation in American history required new schools at every turn, from elementary through college. When we got to college and out into the workplace, we changed American culture. We wore our hair long and our skirts short. We protested for equal rights for minorities and women. We were having none of the traditional mores about sex and marriage, and – for better or for worse – succeeding generations have followed suit.

    For the most part, we presided over strong economies as our nation solidified what we have come to think of as our rightful place in the world.

    We boomers did all this, inpart, because there were so many of us, the largest generation in American history – until we weren’t.

    Statistics vary, of course, but millennials – sometimes called the Echo Generation as children of the boomers – will outnumber boomers by next year, if not before. So what, you may ask. Isn’t that the way the world works?

    Yes, but there is a problem.

    Millennials are not yet reproducing themselves in sufficient numbers to keep the American economy humming steadily along, and it appears they never will.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics reported earlier this month that the number of babies born in the United States is at a 30-year low after falling for three years in a row. The birth rate is lowest for women aged 30 and under, historically the ages at which women most frequently become mothers. Women 30 and up are having babies, but starting later often means a woman will have fewer children. Last year, the U.S. birth rate was just over 60 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44. Needless to say, boomer women are long out of the baby business.

    Industrialized nations in Europe and Asia have long grappled with declining birth rates, resulting in aging populations and slowing economies. Fewer young people mean fewer workers contributing to the economy, with the last boomers reaching 65 in 2029.

    Remaining boomers will not be contributing to economy at levels anywhere near what they reached during their primes – if they contribute at all. In addition, they buy fewer homes, cars, clothing and everything else than younger people do.

    Compounding the decline in birth rates is a decline in immigration. For many reasons, including political policy decisions, numbers of immigrants coming to the United States is also declining and impacting our economy and our birth rate. While the U.S.economy has grown an average of three percent annually since WWII, it has not met that level since 2005. The Federal Reserve predicts 2.7 percent growth this year and 2.4 percent for 2019.

    “The Handmaid’s Tale” aside, we cannot make women have babies. It is one of life’s most private decisions, and its timing depends on parents’ unique circumstances. Economists suspect the Great Recession has delayed parenthood for some and is also keeping families smaller.

    In short, it is a complicated issue with diverse causes and ramifications spanning generations. It is fair to say, though, that public policy at all levels and in many different areas is critically important to families, including access to health care and child care. Like millions of American families, both Dickson parents worked full time when the Precious Jewels were growing up, and we simply could not have done that without safe and reliable child care.

    Demographics are trends, not events, and the United States’ birth rate is clearly on a downhill slope. Our policy makers must think strategically, not reactively, to keep our economy humming despite fewer workers in the pipeline.

    Heaven forbid that we become a nation where Depends outsell Pampers. Japan has already reached that benchmark with an aging population and a slowing economy.

  • 03 letters to editorLast week’s edition of Up & Coming Weekly featured former city councilman Tyrone Williams. Some of our readers responded passionately to our position – especially on social media. We are publishing some of their comments, with their permission. Many of the comments related to this issue have not been published because the writer either refused to give us permission or did not respond to our request to publish their comments. If we missed you or if you want your voice to be heard, email editor@upandcomingweekly.com.

    Via email

    Hi, I just want to say that your magazine cover with Tyrone Williams is of bad taste. He may have done wrong, but what’s the point of kicking a man when he’s already down??? Let he w/o son cast the 1st stone!

    – Marie Thomas

    Via Up & Coming Weekly’s Facebook page

    So much positive stuff going on in town and yallchose this as the cover? smh

    – David P Wedlock Jr.

    When you are caught on tape soliciting a bribe it is hard to go quietly into the night. Ask any mobster caught on tape in a RICO case. Mr. Lallier’s alleged actions (despecable as they may be) have yet to be litigated and he is not an elected public figure. Mr. Williams got busted. Straight up. 40 years ago I would have jumped to defend Mr. Williams based on our shared race. No more. I am long past defending the bad behavior of people based on their race. With elected public office comes public scrunity, good and bad. This is an example of something that he did being held up for inspection. Remember, the FBI does not just wake up and decide to tape someone. That permission comes from a U.S. District Attorney. We, the public must be able to look into the actions of our elected officials, no matter what color they are. Even if disclosing those actions is painful (and believe me as a Black southerner this is painful to me). I think Mr. Williams knew exactly what he was doing when he walked into that office shortly after being elected. He just got busted.

    Long ago, before many of my adversaries were a stain on a mattress someone said you should be judged by the content of your character not the color of your skin. The guy has been judged by his character... he has been proved to be lacking.

    The cover is on the money.

    – Tony Long

    This cover is an epic fail, Bill Bowman!

    – Teri Gibson Schultz

    Awful. No justification for this kind of behavior from a local media company. I’ve been watching how the Mike Lallier case has received next ”to barely there coverage,” or the level of sacrifice “outrage” similar to this case. The behavior by both men are wrong. Up and Coming - the cover stinks of racism.

    – Carroll Arnold

  • 02 pub penFor 23 years we have used our community newspaper to uplift market and promote the quality of life unique only to Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

    I understand many of our readers, especially those in the black community, were disappointed and even angered with the choice of our cover for the last edition. I admit, it was over the top, but I wanted to get everyone’s attention.

    Anyone who knows me knows I am passionate about this community. I built my media company marketing, promoting, touting and defending the Fayetteville community. The cover design was intended to make a bold and profound statement not about this community but to this community. It certainly was not meant to offend the sensitivities of our residents.

    I am truly sorry and hope this heartfelt apology will be accepted by those I hurt and offended. Those who know me or my newspaper know that meanness and hatred are just not my style. I love this community and have spent my entire career working to solve problems, build relationships and celebrate the goodness that makes this such a special place.

    Below is my official statement and explanation as to the purpose and intent of last week’s Up & Coming Weekly feature involving Tyrone Williams. There are no other explanations, motives, truths or conspiracies.

    Over the past 23 years, our community has grown and finally come of age in the arts, culture, education, economic development and quality of life in comparison to other North Carolina cities. It was a long and hard-fought process, but we did it. I was distraught at the thought of us losing ground by allowing others to exploit and disrespect our community.

    The purpose of the cover and the Tyrone Williams story was to get the community’s attention and to make sure everyone knows and understands that this kind of outrageous and unscrupulous behavior by anyone, of any race, color or political affiliation will not and cannot be accepted, condoned, ignored or encouraged with impunity.

    Fayetteville elected Williams. He was a known entity in this community, and Fayetteville elected him to represent District 2 anyway. Then he got caught.

    Getting Williams to resign from the city council does not eradicate the offense, and it surely is not an exoneration. The message I wanted to convey, and which I have already admitted was in poor taste, is that our city is on the right track both culturally and economically, and we have made too much progress to allow people, agencies or organizations to abuse and plunder our good will, resources and achievements.

    Up & Coming Weekly takes full responsibility for our content and opinions. Our writers’ photos and credentials are included with every article, and we have never hid behind aliases or unidentified or anonymous sources. In addition, we have always openly made our newspaper accessible to the city, county and Fort Bragg, as well as individuals, businesses, institutions and community organizations, to promote initiatives and tell their stories. We provide them a strong and relevant voice. That’s what community newspapers do. That is what the Fourth Estate is all about.

    In the future, and without minimizing any of the enthusiasm or commitment we have for promoting Fayetteville and our city’s leaders, I promise to be more sensitive and aware about how we convey the ideas, achievements and concerns that affect our city.

    We are the only media company that has succeeded solely by aggressively and positively reporting, promoting and writing about one thing: the greater Fayetteville community.

    I’ve never hid the fact that I love this community and seek to be a positive influence to bring about growth and change that will benefit it – even during tough times. In this situation, my form was bad, but my intentions were good.

    I hope we can put this behind us and move forward. We have so much more to say about the Fayetteville community, its leadership and its citizens.

    Respectfully,

    Bill Bowman

    Founder/Publisher

    Up & Coming Weekly

  • 01coverUAC0052318001It began innocently enough in November of last year. Political newcomer Tyrone Williams was elected to an open District 2 Fayetteville City Council seat. He placed first in a crowded field of 10 candidates to replace councilman Kirk deViere, who decided to run for state senate rather than seek re-election. 

    A few weeks after his election, Williams and his campaign manager, T.J. Jenkins, met with downtown Fayetteville commercial developer Jordan Jones. Jenkins had arranged the meeting with Jones, indicating there was an apparent problem with the legal title to the former Prince Charles Hotel, which Jenkins indicated Williams could clear up.

    The firm, in which Jones is an investor, had purchased the building in bankruptcy for $200,000. Jones became suspicious, and that may be when the FBI’s Public Corruption unit was called in by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina. It isn’t known if any indictments will come out of the federal investigation. 

    “I know that my meeting with Mr. Jordan Jones of Prince Charles Holdings, LLC, in December 2017, has caused turmoil for the city,” Williams said in a lengthy statement issued when he resigned. 

    “It’s unfortunate that things worked out the way they did; the people of District 2 just didn’t know him,” former Cumberland County Commissioner Billy R. King said of Williams. According to published reports, Williams has a checkered past when it comes to business dealings. And he lied when he said publicly that he had a financial interest in PCH Holdings, the firm restoring the Prince Charles.

    Jones’ firm had conducted a title search and found the iconic eight-story Hay Street building is clear of any issues. A title search is performed primarily to answer three questions regarding a property on the market: Does the seller have a saleable and marketable interest in the property? What kind of restrictions or allowances pertain to the use of the land? These include real covenants, easements and other equitable servitudes. Do any liens exist on the property that need to be paid off at closing? 

    A title search is also performed when an owner wishes to mortgage property and the bank requires the owner to insure the transaction. Jones’ firm acquired two bank loans totaling $13 million to pay for the renovation of the building. He told Up & Coming Weekly that interior restoration of the 90-year-old structure is on schedule. It will be followed by about five months of work to restore the historical facade. Jones hopes to have 61 apartments available by the end of this year. 

    Some plans for the former eight-story ballroom have changed. A posh, high-end apartment was planned originally, but Jones said it didn’t appear the market would support a $3,000 monthly rental fee. So, it will be converted into an office. At least two restaurants, a coffee shop and a couple small retail stores will occupy the first floor. Jones’ greatgrandfather built the hotel in 1924. 

    After resisting demands from his city council colleagues to resign, as well as a legal procedure to remove him from office, Williams finally caved and stepped down early this month. 

    What about Jenkins? Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin asked him to resign his position on a city council advisory committee. Entrepreneur Wilson Lacy said Jenkins was removed from his recently acquired post as president of the Fayetteville Business and Professional League. 

    Williams’ resignation brought relief for city council and was accepted. “If you’re an elected official, you ought to understand the importance of avoiding ethical lapses and the perceptions most likely to accompany secret meetings asking for money if you expect to be successful in the political arena,” said civic leader Troy Williams. 

    Fayetteville Observer columnist Myron Pitts said of Williams, “He lied to his council colleagues about having a financial interest in the current Prince Charles project, forcing the council to retake some key votes on the stadium and the other projects. He also lied about informing the mayor and city attorney about his alleged conflict of interest in February.”

    Five people interested in being appointed to fill the District 2 position recently attended a meeting at Second Missionary Baptist Church on Old Wilmington Road. Patricia Bradley, Len Brown, Sharon Moyer, Paul Taylor and Dan Culliton asked the more than 100 people in attendance to support them. Several others spoke, some of them in support of the interested candidates. Others who filed to seek the District 2 seat were Vernell Cruz, Mary “Bunny” English, William Gothard, George Mitchell and George Turner.

    Two-term Cumberland County Commissioner Charles Evans organized the public meeting and was joined by Mayor Colvin, who served as master of ceremonies. Evans once served as District 2 councilman and has since become one of the community’s influential political figures. In addition to Evans, immediate past District 2 council member deViere and former council member Mabel Smith were in attendance. Williams was not mentioned at all during the hourlong meeting. 

    District 2 is the largest and most racially diverse of the city’s nine districts. It encompasses the downtown area, much of the impoverished inner-city residential areas and a portion of Haymount Hill.

    The application process to succeed Williams has ended, and now it’s up to city council. Each applicant will address city council at a meeting on May 29. Council will hold a hearing to take citizen input June 5. They’ll make their decision June 11 and will install the new member June 25. 

    The city of Fayetteville’s next fiscal year will begin July 1 with a new governing body and fresh hopes for a better community.

  • 04Lone Ranger and Tonto 1956We are almost halfway through 2018. Just 50 short years ago, we were half way through 1968, which was one difficult year. The 71st High School class of 1968 and I graduated the day Bobby Kennedy was assassinated. Climb on board Mr. Peabody’s Way Back machine to waste three minutes of your time reading this column. Most Dook graduates, being slow readers, will lose five minutes of their life reading this stain on world literature.

    To give you some perspective of how long ago 1968 was, consider that in 1968 the TV series “The Lone Ranger” had been in reruns since 1957. High school graduates in 1968 grew up watching the Lone Ranger, who was a bit of a time traveler himself. Who among us of a certain delicate age can forget the opening lines of the Lone Ranger bidding us to travel back into the past?

    “A fiery horse with the speed of light and a cloud of dust, and a hearty Hi-Yo Silver away! With his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early West. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear.” 

    with the Lone Ranger, chasing bad guys. Some of you who came in late and are not yet calendar-impaired may not get the cultural importance of the Lone Ranger. Please stop reading this column and return to watching cat videos on your cellphone. 

    The Lone Ranger, played by the excellent Clayton Moore, was the sole survivor of a troop of Texas Rangers who had been bushwhacked by bad guys. The Lone Ranger wore a mask, roaming the West, bringing justice and capturing the lonely hearts of pioneer women who endured unrequited love for him. 

    He always rode away at the end of each episode, leaving a lovely lady pining for the handsome stranger behind the mask. It was an early version of “Fifty Shades of Grey.” At the end of each episode, after the Lone Ranger had solved the crime with the bad guys in the calaboose, someone would ask: “Who was that masked man?” A more knowledgeable someone would say, “It was the Lone Ranger.” The Lone Ranger would yell, “Hi-Yo Silver and away!” and ride off into the sunset. Fade to commercial. 

    Some unkind critics said the Lone Ranger loved his horse, Silver, more than he loved the ladies. Not so, he was just too busy fighting bad guys to settle down on a ranch with a good woman. Fighting for law and order in the early West was a full-time job. His faithful Indian companion, Tonto, was played by Jay Silverheels, who was a Canadian Indian. Tonto’s job was to be the Lone Ranger’s sidekick, chasing bad guys or hanging out by a ranch or in a box canyon, waiting for the bad guys to show up. Mostly, Tonto would get captured and beaten up. Then the Lone Ranger would save him. Less frequently, Tonto would rescue the Lone Ranger from the guys in black hats. It was clearly a politically incorrect TV show. 

    It culturally misappropriated Native American culture by making Tonto the Lone Ranger’s flunky. Tonto always called the Lone Ranger “Kemosabe,” which some amateur linguists said meant “Dumbo” or an even worse insult that is not printable in a family newspaper.

    The Lone Ranger had a vaguely defined financial interest in a silver mine. As a result, he named his horse Silver and would only shoot silver bullets into bad guys. It is unclear whether being shot by a silver bullet was less painful than being shot by a lead bullet. It does seem classier to have silver bullets pierce vital internal organs. Even in 2018, thanks to the Lone Ranger, the term “silver bullet” remains in use when discussing some remedy for an intractable problem. 

    In addition to plugging bad guys, silver bullets are very useful in killing werewolves. While the TV series never showed the Lone Ranger fighting a werewolf, the possibility remains that the Lone Ranger might have been born in central Europe, where werewolves were quite common.

    One can never be too careful about werewolves. Gentle Reader, even you might become a werewolf, under the right conditions. Remember the ancient chant: “Even a man who is pure in heart/And says his prayers by night/May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms/And the autumn moon is bright.”

    If your significant other has recently purchased a magazine of silver bullets, buy a Kevlar vest and do not go outside during the next full moon. The life you save may be your own.

    Hi-Yo Silver and away!

  • 03Marg eatOver the last 12 months, I have been a traveling fool. 

    Perhaps I am making up for all the years I could not travel because of family and work obligations. Perhaps I feel the increasingly heavy press of time. Probably it is both, coupled with a real curiosity about the rest of the world and how others live.

    My most recent travels have taken me to Africa on safari in Tanzania last summer and last month to Peru and Bolivia. I never imagined hiking in the Andes, but I did at 13,000 feet or so and lived to report it. Such trips add immeasurably to my understanding of the world in all sorts of ways, including what people eat in other places. 

    My practice is to try most anything once – not quite CNN’s Anthony Bourdain, but I have tasted and enjoyed lots of new dishes. I drew the line only once in Peru, which has a signature delicacy called cuy. What exactly is cuy? Cuy is what you and I know as guinea pig, and a Dickson Precious Jewel had an albino guinea pig named Ace (Ventura) as a pet when he was in the second grade. That did it for me, and our guide consoled me with this thought. If you name it, don’t eat it – and I did not. We did discover a small village devoted to cuy restaurants. Note my facial reaction in the attached photo. Full disclosure. I never really loved Ace myself, but that does not mean I could eat him or any of his distant relatives.

    Interestingly, though, I lost a little weight on both trips even though I ate almost anything that crossed my plate, including breads and dessert most days. 

    The reason, I now believe, is that countries like Tanzania, Peru and Bolivia do not have the processed and preserved foods that are staples for us. Most families grow and raise most of what they eat and shop daily for the rest in small local shops. The fare is not especially gourmet, but it is absolutely fresh and prepared and eaten within a short period of time. What you and I think of as a full-service supermarket is almost nonexistent in these countries. The few that may be spotted in major cities still differ from ours in that they offer fresh local meats and produce, not products that have been preserved and transported thousands of miles to get to their tables.

    All of this has reminded me yet again that food shopping in our mega groceries, offering everything from actual food to tooth brushes and insect repellant, must be strategic. Wandering around is rarely a healthy option. Planning ahead can keep you and your family healthier.

    Here are a few tips I have gleaned over the years and try to practice, some days with more success than on others.

    If what you pick up has ingredients that sound more like a chemistry lab than coming from plants or animals, you might consider putting it back on the shelf. Ditto if the words “processed” or “preservative” are on the package, especially if they appear more than once.

    Shop the perimeter of your supermarket for produce, meats and dairy items. Skip the interior aisles filled with processed cookies, crackers, chips loaded with calories and low in nutrition

    Keep an eye on people you know who are healthy and of normal weight. They are doing something right, so consider following their examples.

    Acknowledge that restaurant portions are way too generous. Think about putting part of your order in a “to go” box at the outset. That way you will not over eat, and you will have another meal for later. Remember, too, that luscious as they may be, buffets are not your friends for healthy eating.

    Try not to let yourself get too hungry between meals so that the next meal or snack turns into a total rout of everything edible within sight.

    So, travel when you can to learn how others live, whether it is to the next state or the next continent. It will enrich your life, and – as a prescription drug TV spot says – “it may even help you lose a little weight.

  • 02PubelectedCome on, folks! Four years terms for our elected officials? Are you kidding? Is this community so sadistic and hellbent on fulfilling that predetermined and haunting conclusion that Fayetteville and Cumberland County will always find a way to rip defeat from the jaws of victory?

    No doubt Fayetteville is experiencing a growth spurt stimulated by the new $38 million baseball stadium and the Houston Astros’ 30-year commitment to play ball in the city. Currently, we have about $100 million of new economic development in downtown Fayetteville. This is a good thing, but the prevailing question in the minds of many residents is “does this community have the dedicated, intelligent and business-savvy leadership capable of managing growth of this magnitude?” Many think not. 

    And this comes on the heels of the unfortunate situation Fayetteville just endured with ex-District 2 Councilman Tyrone Williams. Williams resigned his position several weeks ago in disgrace after the city council voted to start the process to officially remove him from office for perceived ethics violations that took place within weeks of his tenure. 

    Many city and county residents feel this situation demonstrates the prevalence and permeation of the problem of having unqualified and incompetent people in leadership at municipal and county government levels. Political correctness and apathy are major disincentives for nurturing good, honest and well-educated people to seek offices of leadership. 

    If our community is to move forward and achieve social, cultural and economic stability on par with our North Carolina counterparts, we must find a way to encourage strong and capable citizens to step forward to serve this community while discouraging those opportunists who only intend to park themselves in those positions for convenience and prestige and to enjoy a source of supplemental income. 

    These posers are easy to identify. They contribute little or nothing by way of innovative thought or vision while mastering only the art of getting elected. Anyone who attends Fayetteville City Council or Cumberland County Commissioners meetings on a regular basis or watches them on TV can easily identify these governmental freeloaders. Here are the three of the most common and conspicuous signs:

    1. They lack intellectual capacity, which makes them appear confused on the simplest matters, rendering them helpless to reasonably evaluate the magnitude of situations affecting the city and county.

    2. They have an impulsive and constant need to grandstand for the gallery or TV cameras. This manifests itself in the asking of dumb and irrelevant questions while elaborating on Mr. Obvious-style observations. This kind of conspicuous behavior wastes time and serves as a motivated diversion to cover up the fact that:

    3. They have shown up unaware of priorities and unprepared for the meeting. This is obvious to the informed public and even more obvious, distressing and annoying to those commissioners and councilmen trying to rightfully serve their constituents. The most frequent and recurring complaint we hear is “…they just don’t read their packets.” Packets refer to the information provided to them in advance of the meeting about the topics and details of what is going to be covered in that meeting. They receive these packets so they can be informed of the issues and business of government.

    Four-year terms should not be the remedy or reward for those whose talents lie only in knowing how to get elected in a mostly protected district. Nor should this kind of behavior go unchallenged or be accepted by constituents. Two-year terms are plenty long enough to learn proper policies and procedures of our local government. 

    I’ll close with these related thoughts and warnings of sorts: Political correctness inhibits free speech and restricts our right to free expression. This is what gave us Tyrone Williams. There was no vetting. Way too many people, including prominent, well-positioned citizens, knew of Williams’ character (or lack thereof), his reputation and dubious business dealings. Yet, no one came forward. 

    Additionally, our entire community should always be skeptical of people who show up on the political scene seeking office without any previous community involvement, voice, presence or involvement in the process of government. At some point, we need to ask why and not be afraid of the answer or consequence. 

    The answer needs to be much more substantial than “it’s a white district” or “it’s a black district” or whether it’s a Democrat or Republican seat, or “wow, I could use the money.”

    Fayetteville and Cumberland County need people who care. We need leaders who have integrity, competence and intelligence. We need leaders who are visionaries.

    If our elected officials don’t have these qualities or can’t prove their worth in two years, they will not be able to do it in four years. Let’s be realistic and practical in this decision. 

    Let the people decide. In the meantime, think about this: What cost- or tax-saving measures have been introduced or initiated during the last two years?

    Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly

  • 14HoodThere is a familiar kind of political argument that goes something like this: “I know we are politically divided. I think that partisanship has its place – butsurely there is no need to make (fill in the blank) apartisan issue.”

    Politicos routinely claim that education shouldn’t be a partisan issue or health care shouldn’t be a partisan issue or whatever because of course we all care about good schools, good medical care and other good things. What comes next, all too often, is a passionate argument for a particular policy, one disproportionately favored by either Democrats or Republicans.

    I don’t think such rhetoric is dishonest, for the most part. Human nature takes over. We all tend to see our own views as reasonable applications of broadly accepted principles while describing alternative views as informed by narrow special interests or partisan gamesmanship.

    Most of these partisan divides aren’t artificial. They accurately reflect deep, persistent differences in values, assumptions and even definitions of terms. Few policy issues are immune from the effects.

    Take the very pragmatic, seemingly non-ideological question of how to structure and deliver public services to local communities. Progressive Democrats and conservative Republicans tend to disagree about issues such as housing regulation, mass transit, street design, and growth controls not because of external pressure by special-interest groups but because their preferences are fundamentally different.

    A recent poll question from the Pew Research Centerties this up well. Asked whether they would rather live in communities where “the houses are larger and farther apart, but schools, stores and restaurants are several miles away” or in communities where “the houses are smaller and closer to each other, but schools, stores, and restaurants are within walking distance,” voters as a whole were evenly divided – 49 percent favoring the former, 48 percent favoring the latter.

    But ideology was a strong predictor of who preferred which option. Among the respondents who were most consistently left-wing on other issues (from fiscal policy to foreign affairs), 77 percent said they’d prefer the option often described as “smart growth,” the more-walkable communities with higher densities. Correspondingly, among the most conservative respondents on other issues, 75 percent said they’d prefer the less-compact suburban option, a model my John Locke Foundation colleagues have long described as “flex growth.”

    The present task is not to explore all the growth policy arguments and counter arguments that lie beneath this philosophical disagreement. My sympathies lie with my fellow flex-growthers, to be sure, but that’s a topic for another day.

    Rather, I will point out that in North Carolina, as in most other states, voters are acting on their personal preferences and policy priorities not just with their votes but also with their feet. People who like both urban living and progressive politics are moving into or near the downtowns of Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Asheville, Wilmington and other cities. They’re living in denser, mixed-use neighborhoods. They’re disproportionately voting for Democrats, up and down the ballot.

    People who mix a preference for suburban or exurban lifestyles with conservative politics prefer to live in other parts of urban counties – places such as Wake’s Cary, Apex and Holly Springs, or Mecklenburg’s Huntersville, Mint Hill, Matthews and Pineville – or in next-door counties such as Union, Cabarrus, Johnston, Franklin and Alamance.

    The effects on local politics are clearly evident. Big cities that used to have at least some spirited partisan contests are increasingly Democratic, so that most races are settled by primaries or with “left vs. further left” races that are officially nonpartisan. And some populous, fast-growing counties that were once Democratic, and then went through a period of robust partisan competition, are now reliably Republican.

    If this troubles you, I understand. But waving your hands at millions of your fellow North Carolinians and insisting that they “take a nonpartisan approach” won’t change anything. Each will say the other side’s policies on growth are costly and counter productive. Each will define those terms differently.

  • 03starbucksI contend that political correctness is running rampant in America, and when joined with fear, the result is proving destructive. Let’s start with a couple of definitions from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

    Political correctness: conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated.

    Fear: an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.

    The recent arrest of two blackmen in a Philadelphia Starbucks and the responses that followed highlight the destructive combination of political correctness and fear.

    On an April day, two blackmen walked into a Philadelphia Starbucks to wait for another man with whom they were to have a meeting. Various reports indicate that the men asked to use the restroom and were told that they could not because they had not made a purchase. The men were later asked to leave. When they refused, a lady, subsequently identified as the manager, called the police. Police arrived and, after several minutes of conversation, the men were arrested for suspected trespassing. This summary of events is based on an article by Matt Stevens titled, “Starbucks C.E.O. Apologizes After Arrests of 2 Black Men.”

    Several persons made videos of a portion of the interaction between the two men and the police officers who arrived at the scene. The longest video I was able to find is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qdB3xnKdT8. The sound quality in this video is poor, but it does show the interaction between the two men and the police officers. My assessment of the video is that during some 10 minutes of interaction, the police officers attempted to negotiate the men’s departure from the establishment. The men clearly refused to leave and were eventually arrested.

    As this and other videos were distributed by social media and in news reports, protests started. The protests, as best as I can tell, were not directed solely at the person who made the call to police, but at all of Starbucks.

    Shortly after the incident, Richard Ross, Philadelphia police commissioner, who is black, released a video in which he said the officers “did nothing wrong.” That video is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRHkAXiqfVQ. He reviews, step-by-step, what happened and emphasizes that the officers, three times, asked the men to leave the establishment. They repeatedly refused. After arresting the men and taking them to a police station, officers were advised that Starbucks was not pressing charges. They were released.

    A Philadelphia Inquirer story titled “Firing Starbucks manager won’t address Philly police’s overboard response to her 911 call” includes the following:

    “What Ross leaves out is that officers do have some discretion in carrying out their duties. Consider when the Eagles won the Super Bowl and only four arrests were made after drunken, celebrating fans flipped a car, dismantled light poles, smashed a Macy’s window, and crumpled an awning at the Ritz-Carlton.”

    Later, after further investigation; Commissioner Ross held a news conference during which he explained that his statement was not good messaging and caused unintended harm. He indicated he should have said the officers “followed the law.” Ross also referred to a conversation with the Starbucks’ CEO during which he learned that it is company policy to allow persons to sit in a store without making a purchase. Ross pointed out that this is not a policy commonly encountered by officers. Normally, just the opposite is the case. He was not aware of this “no purchase necessary” policy when he made his earlier statement. Given that businesses ordinarily require individuals to make a purchase in a situation of this nature, the officers had no reason to think that the Starbucks’ policy was any different. This news conference is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iHswQmC6sY.

    In response to all of what has been addressed to this point, Starbucks, at the corporate level, announced that the manager who called police no longer works with the company. Further, Starbucks will close more than 8,000 stores in the United States May 29 to conduct anti-bias training. Some 175,000 employees will be affected. CEO Kevin Johnson has apologized to the men involved and declared that the incident at this location is inconsistent with their business practices.

    Interestingly, an article titled “VERIFY: What’s Starbucks bathroom policy” by Eliana Block includes the following:

    “Today Starbucks’ CEO apologized to the men but said different stores have different rules.

    “‘In certain circumstances, local practices are implemented,’ Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said. ‘In this particular case, the local practice of asking someone who is not a customer to leave the store...followed by a call to the police.’

    “Despite store policy, Johnson says this never should have happened, calling it ‘reprehensible.’”

    The manager who called police no longer works for Starbucks as of a few days after this event.

    Gregg Re writes this in an op-ed titled, “DEFAMATION: The Starbucks Manager Accused of Racism Is Probably About to Be A MILLIONAIRE.”

    “The former Starbucks manager who called the police on two non paying black customers earlier this month may have a good case for bringing a defamation suit against the coffee company.

    “In numerous public statements, Starbucks and its CEO Kevin Johnson have gone out of their way to imply that the female manager, identified in media reports as Holly Hylton, was acting on subconscious racial motivations when she told the loitering customers to either buy a beverage or get out of her store. Crucially, Starbucks has also strongly implied that, as a factual matter, the manager violated company policy.”

    Now, this from an article by Kelly Weill titled “4Chan Hoax About Free Starbucks Coffee for Black Customers Reaches Laura Ingraham’s Show.” The article addresses the action of Bryan “Hotep Jesus” Sharpe, a black comedian (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FvwMsb9CRg):

    “Sharpe uploaded a YouTube video of himself demanding a free coffee in Starbucks.

    “I heard you guys don’t like black people, so I wanted to get my Starbucks reparations voucher,” Sharpe told the barista. The young woman responded that she’d seen the voucher on Twitter, and gave Sharpe a free coffee. She told him she was a student and that it was her last day at the store until fall.”

    Various reports indicate the two men, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, who were arrested, settled with the city of Philadelphia for $1 each. In addition, the city will create a $200,000 fund that will, with the assistance of a nonprofit organization, assist young entrepreneurs in Philadelphia.

    Without a doubt, that is a lot of background. Here is how I think all of this comes together to show that political correctness and fear make a destructive combination. Two black men repeatedly refuse what I see as reasonable direction from several police officers. They were able to do so without negative repercussions and receive an apology from the CEO of Starbucks, along with a financial settlement with the city of Philadelphia.

    I hold that this kind of response is the product of out-of-control political correctness across American society. The impact of this condition is made worse by the fear that political correctness generates in people. Standing for what is sensible and fair becomes a rare occurrence. In this case, Starbucks allows a manager to be routinely forced from employment in spite of following her store’s local procedures; a police commissioner reverses course and profusely apologizes for initial statements that made all the sense in the world to me; Starbucks closes stores for training that will likely do absolutely nothing to prevent recurrence of the kind of incident that provoked the one addressed here.

    The destructive consequences of this interaction between political correctness and fear are many. The consequence that shows through most clearly is a breakdown in the rule of law. That is, people are encouraged and even permitted to break or disregard the law, and disrespect authority without being held accountable. If you doubt the truth of that statement, go back and read the quote regarding the so-called “discretion” demonstrated by Philadelphia police after the Eagles won the Super Bowl.

    Finally, consider the young lady who gave free coffee to Bryan Sharpe in response to his reparations claim. She impresses me as a kind person who did not come close to thinking through what Sharpe requested. This failure to think is another destructive consequence of political correctness and fear. America better see this destructive combination for what it is and forth rightly address the issue.

  • 02HM pub penHope Mills Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell is concerned about questionable social media practices that are starting to manifest and possibly have a detrimental effect on the town. These concerns have appeared because of the proliferation of a private Facebook group, the Hope Mills Chatter, which only accepts privileged members who are scrutinized, vetted and pre-approved by the group manager, Lisa Carter-Waring. Normally, this would not be an issue – except some residents have complained that the site is discriminatory and is being used as a political lobbying vessel to bully, intimidate and unduly influence town commissioners. Residents have complained they have been blocked from accessing the Hope Mills Chatter. Some who have been approved for participation have been abruptly terminated and kicked out of the group when disagreeing with Carter-Waring’s dogma or objecting to the mission or mandate du jour.

    This private social media group includes three prominent Hope Mills commissioners: Meg Larson, Jesse Bellflowers and Jerry Legge.

    Some residents suspect the site is being used as a three-to-two conspiracy to control the business and policies of the town. Three out of five town commissioners meeting together equals a quorum. Mayor Jackie Warner is also a member of this group but has no vote. If the three town commissioners constitute a quorum, their participation in the Hope Mills Chatter may be a violation of the North Carolina Open Meetings Law. This is why Commissioner Mitchell is looking into the matter. In the end, their participation may not be illegal, but appearances matter, and the appearance of impropriety is definitely an issue here.

    Mitchell launched an informal poll on Facebook recently to see how the residents of Hope Mills feel about it; 76 percent of the respondents said they had concerns with elected town commissioners participating in a private and restricted Facebook group.

    Mitchell said, “I personally believe that public appearance is very important, and when the three commissioners that participate in Hope Mills Chatter (a closed Facebook group with less than 300 members) vote three to two to take actions, citizens might wonder how much of the decision was previously discussed in the closed group.” His point is well-made.

    Up & Coming Weekly has requested a formal opinion from Amanda Martin, attorney for the North Carolina Press Association, concerning the possible violation of the Open Meetings Law. We explained to Martin that the Hope Mills Chatter was only accessible to a select group of people vetted and approved by the page moderator, Carter-Waring, and that it includes three sitting commissioners. We also pointed out that Carter-Waring is a paid correspondent for the weekly Hope Mills newspaper, The Sandspur, which is owned and produced by The Fayetteville Observer.

    I suspect Carter-Waring and Larson are using the Hope Mills Chatter and Carter-Waring’s position with The Sandspur to gain and maintain political influence, dictate the commissioners’ agenda and control the overall narrative of the town of Hope Mills.

    Another indicator of this conspiracy was Carter-Waring’s and Lawson’s organized attempt to discredit Up & Coming Weekly’s partnership with the town. Carter-Waring blocked our access to the Hope Mills Chatter while allowing other local news media access, including four reporters from The Fayetteville Observer, Greg Barnes (WTVD), Goldy (WFNC) and Gilbert Baez (WRAL). While the content and comments in the chat area are private, the membership list is public, and I have confirmed the information about who has access to the group.

    We applaud Mitchell’s initiative. This is not and never has been what Hope Mills is about. Adversity and challenges over the last decade have proven the trust, ability, judgement and mettle of leaders like Warner, Mitchell, Pat Edwards, Melissa Adams, Drew Holland, Bob Gorman, who died this November, and dozens of other dedicated employees who know and understand the future challenges that Hope Mills faces.

    We are proud to serve Hope Mills. The town has publicly endorsed and recognized Up & Coming Weekly as its official community publication. Why? Because of our 23-year history of quality, fair and accurate community news coverage across Cumberland County.

    Hope Mills wanted a valuable, long-term marketing strategy for the enhancement of quality of life and the growth of local businesses and solid long-term economic development. That’s why they partnered withus. That decision was overturned by the Chatter crew, Lawson, and Carter-Waring.

    In a blatant move to discredit us and stymie our style of positive local news coverage in Hope Mills, Carter-Waring uninvited us from the chat room and ultimately blocked us from the page. She has refused to respond to our inquiries or provide an explanation as to why our newspaper is excluded while she allows other all other media to participate.

    Many advocates for Up & Coming Weekly have since been involuntarily extricated from the group. However, this is not the main concern. The main concern is if the presence and participation of three Hope Mills Commissioners in this private chat group constitute a violation of the Open Meetings Law. Or, at the very least, is this practice ethically questionable and something that should be discouraged and addressed by the commissioners? We’ll see how this plays out.

    Our newspaper has gained the trust of dozens of nonprofit organizations and hundreds of businesses, civic organizations and government entities. The Hope Mills Chatter, Carter-Waring and Lawson undid a solid, well-thought-out media program for their personal gain and undermined the work of Warner, Edwards, Gorman and Adams.

    I don’t know where this social media controversy will end, but, I do know it is not good for the future of Hope Mills. Again, kudos to Mitchell for broaching the subject. In the meantime, we will continue to promote and develop the Hope Mills Initiative by spreading the good news about Hope Mills throughout all of Cumberland County and Fort Bragg – just as the previous leadership intended.

    Respectfully, Carter-Waring and her few chattering Sandspur followers pale in comparison to the bold and aggressive positive message that we and the Hope Mills leadership intend for its residents and visitors. Hope Mills is becoming prominent and respected throughout the county. The town of Hope Mills needs to protect itself from non-visionaries and small thinkers.

    Whether Up & Coming Weekly continues to be the official media voice of Hope Mills or not will be determined by the town’s people. Carter-Waring and Larson do not want the town to have another media voice. They do not share the vision for growth and economic prosperity of Hope Mills. They want things to stay the same. No vision, no progress, no growth, no competition, and certainly no Up & Coming Weekly!

    Mike Mitchell, stay the course. Transparency is vital to free and open government. Demand public input. Demand to hear all residents of Hope Mills – not just a select few.

    Readers, we would love to hear from you. Send your thoughts and comments to hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

    Thank you for reading Hope Mills’ community newspaper.

  • 14JudgeWant to know why conservatives are more skeptical than progressives of the idea of government confiscating more of our money to throw at social programs? I’ve already given you the answer in my choice of words.

    Our disagreements begin, but do not end, with definitions. Look at the way I worded my question. I could have instead asked “why conservatives are more hostile than progressives to the idea of all of us investing more of our money together to solve social problems”? Hostility sounds more unreasonable than skepticism. “All of us investing” sounds cooperative, while “government confiscating” sounds invasive. And obviously there’s a big difference between “throwing money” at programs and “solving problems.”

    My purpose isn’t to endorse the more positively stated proposition. As a conservative, I’d reject it as misleading and biased.

    For example, I think using the term “all of us” to describe an inherently coercive institution, government, is erroneous. Taxes are surrendered, not voluntarily contributed. People get a say in electing politicians every two to four years, if they want it, but that’s not the same thing as saying “we” collectively constitute the government, which is a discrete social institution (there are others) with clearly identifiable rules, structures, employees and vendors.

    Just to be clear: the vast majority of right-leaning folks are not anarchists. We grant that government plays a legitimate and necessary role. We also think it should be tightly circumscribed, so as to minimize how much we get bossed around by government officials who may not share our values, goals or priorities.

    Take education. With the exception of a few “separation of school and state” hard-liners, most conservatives and libertarians favor a government role in education, at least at the state and local levels. That means we favor taxing North Carolinians to ensure that all children are offered the opportunity to receive a sound, basic education.

    But how high should those taxes be? Remember that every dollar government takes from us to spend represents a dollar we cannot spend for ourselves on food, clothing, shelter, rearing children, receiving medical care, supporting religious and community organizations, enjoying recreation and leisure or building valuable capital to generate future income.

    You can’t answer the question satisfactorily with platitudes. Education is highly valuable and critically important. We all agree about that. But other things are valuable, too.

    One productive way to approach the question is to try to gauge the value added for each additional dollar spent. If the value added by public schools, for example, rose consistently with public expenditure –such that the highest-spending schools, districts and states delivered the most value – that might constitute a persuasive argument for North Carolina, which ranks below the national average in per-pupil spending, to raise its public expenditure on schools quickly and significantly, even if that meant higher taxes.

    In reality, however, there is no consistent relationship between expenditure and the value added by public schools, at least not in modern times. Even states with relatively low expenditures spend far more today than any did in the early days of public education.

    That’s what most empirical studiesshow. That’s also consistent with thedistribution of just-released national testscores. The Urban Institute has a handy tool for adjusting state averages by student characteristics such as poverty and native languages other than English. After such adjustments, only four states rank in the top 10 for all four tests – for reading and math, in 4th and 8th grades.

    Two of them, Massachusetts and New Jersey, are high-spending blue states. The other two, Florida and Indiana, are low-spending red states. If we broaden the analysis to include high-scoring states on at least three of the four tests, three more states join the ranks of highest-value-added: Georgia (35th in spending), Virginia (26th) and our own NorthCarolina (38th).

    Conservatives look at these and other facts and conclude that North Carolina can continue to improve our education system – and that we don’t need tax hikes to get the job done.

  • 04Michael CohenWithout doubt, when danger lurks and a person, or group, fails to recognize and properly respond to it, it is costly. Recently, I was driving on a heavily traveled road in Fayetteville. A little sports car was trailing me and got very close to my rear bumper. I immediately realized this was a dangerous situation. I moved ahead enough for him to pass me. He flew past. If I had not seen that car in my rearview mirror and taken preventative action, very likely, a collision would have been the result. This experience highlights the need to recognize and act in the face of danger.

    The costly nature of failing to recognize and act in response to danger extends to every aspect of life. It seems there is an epidemic underway regarding failure to recognize danger. At least three causes for this condition in America should be considered. The first is that people are so busy struggling to support themselves and family that little or no attention is given to sensing danger. Another is that there can be so much anger, so much emotional baggage, that there is a blinding of one’s capacity to identify danger. Then, in a world of unbelievable selfishness, people look at conditions that might be dangerous but decide these conditions do not affect them and, consequently, give no attention to an otherwise dangerous situation.

    The examples of how this failure to recognize danger happens and can prove costly are almost without limit. As I write this column, there is a developing situation that demonstrates all of what was addressed in the preceding paragraph. Reports on April 9 indicate that the FBI raided the office and hotel room of Michael Cohen. He is the personal lawyer of President Donald Trump. Various materials were taken for reasons that have not been publicly reported. The search resulted from a referralby Robert Mueller, special council to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. This suggests Mueller discovered some possible breach of law that was not under his purview, but should be addressed. The raid was conducted under a search warrant obtained by the Manhattan federal prosecutors.

    The first concern is that this was a search of an attorney’s office, which gave the FBI access to client information that clients had every reason to think was protected by attorney-client privilege. For this reason, the U.S. Attorneys’ Manual is clear in requiring defined steps and extreme care when dealing with a situation of this nature. Below are some segments from the section that addresses searches of attorneys’ records. To fully appreciate the importance of this issue, please read the full section at https://www.justice.gov/usam/usam-9-13000-obtaining-evidence#9-13.420:

    “Because of the potential effects of this type of search on legitimate attorney-client relationships and because of the possibility that, during such a search, the government may encounter material protected by a legitimate claim of privilege, it is important that close control be exercised over this type of search.

    “In order to avoid impinging on valid attorney client relationships, prosecutors are expected to take the least intrusive approach consistent with vigorous and effective law enforcement when evidence is sought from an attorney actively engaged in the practice of law. Consideration should be given to obtaining information from other sources or through the use of a subpoena, unless such efforts could compromise the criminal investigation or prosecution, or could result in the obstruction or destruction of evidence, or would otherwise be ineffective.

    “Procedures should be designed to ensure that privileged materials are not improperly viewed, seized or retained during the course of the search. While the procedures to be followed should be tailored to the facts of each case and the requirements and judicial preferences and precedents of each district, in all cases a prosecutor must employ adequate precautions to ensure that the materials are reviewed for privilege claims and that any privileged documents are returned to the attorney from whom they were seized.”

    Clearly, these segments reflect recognition of the possible detrimental consequences of searching anattorney’s records. With that in mind, consider how the search of Cohen’s records has proceeded. The searches took place. With his attorney, Cohen went to court and requested permission to have an independent third party, called a “special master,” review the materials that were removed. The aim would be to identify materials believed to be covered by attorney-client privilege. This review would take place before any review by the FBI.

    Although government attorneys have not been specific regarding reasons for the searches, there is substantial reporting as to the reason. Olivia Messer and Kate Briquelet write the following in an article titled, “Judge Hands Defeat to Trump and Cohen Over FBI Raid: ‘You’ve Miscited the Law.’”

    The article states, “Prosecutors reportedly sough tinformation about Cohen’s role in facilitating hushmoney payments to Trump’s alleged mistress, porn star Stormy Daniels, and his potential role infacilitating a payout to ex-Playmate Karen McDougalin the run-up to the 2016 election. Both women claim they had affairs with Trump and have sued to be released from their NDAs. The raids were ‘the result of a months-long investigation into Cohen’ and his ‘own business dealings,’ prosecutors said in a Friday filing.”

    Beyond the searches, the court process resulted in the names of two Cohen clients being revealed. Every indication is that these clients had absolutely no involvement with the suspected offenses by Cohen that are being investigated. Those clients are Elliott Broidy, a Republican fundraiser, and Sean Hannity, a Fox Cable News show host. Hannity had requested that his name not be disclosed. Judge Kimba M. Wood, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, ordered Cohen’s attorney, Stephen Ryan, to disclose an unnamed client, who turned out to be Hannity.

    As of April 20, reports are that Judge Wood announced she would, in late May, make a decision regarding a special master. That means materials taken in the Cohen searches will not be examined until June.

    I hold that the picture painted here is one where: attorney-client privilege is jeopardized; an attorney’spractice is prematurely destroyed; the public is given reason to distrust claims of privacy protection when communicating with an attorney; people who had absolutely no involvement with the suspected wrong doing can have their identities exposed and face serious undesired consequences; the process for settling a matter of this nature seems to go on without end; and on goes the list of negatives. Without doubt, what is described here is dangerous for every American.

    The scary, and quite sad, fact is that far too many Americans will disregard this danger for one or more of the reasons given in the second paragraph above. That is – they are so occupied with simply surviving, consumed by negative emotions, or focused on self to the point that this danger is disregarded because it is viewed as not applicableto them. In that category of negative emotions, the raging hatred that so many people have for PresidentTrump is a prime example. That hatred will blind those haters to the danger in what has been described regarding the treatment of Cohen, Trump, Broidy and Hannity.

    Not only in addressing this Cohen situation, but in every moment of our living, we would do well to learn from the words of Martin Niemöller. This background and his words are reported at https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007392:

    “Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) was a prominent Protestant pastor who emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps.

    “He said, ‘First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out– because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.’”

     

    PHOTO: Michael Cohen

  • 03MargYour mailbox may be filling up with political brochures in these final days before next week’s partisan political primaries, but make no mistake. This year’s elections will bear little resemblance to the frenzy that was Election 2016 when the entire world watched Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump duke it out. This year marks a different political phenomenon.

    2018, is what is called a “blue moon” – as in, “once in a” – election year, the first in North Carolina since Republicans, fueled by what was then called the Tea Party, swept Congress and state legislatures in 2010. A blue moon election is defined by which offices are not on the ballot – no presidential races, no U.S. Senate races, no guber natorial races – meaning that the highest offices on 2018 ballots in North Carolina are Congressional and legislative seats. Traditionally, voters of all stripes to say “ho-hum” in blue moon years, parking ourselves on our sofas in record numbers.

    And that is a problem because it means that elected officials who make critical decisions for all of us may be chosen by the relatively few voters who bestir ourselves to get to the polls. What is more, voters who do make the effort are more likely to be the zealots from both the right and the left, meaning that candidates who get elected are also more likely to come from the far right or the far left than from the moderate middle.

    This begs the obvious question of why voters should care at all in this age of jaded views of government and the pervasive sense that it does not really matter who is elected since Washington and, to a lesser degree, Raleigh, are shut down by partisan gridlock. The reason voters should care is the same it has always been. If we choose not to participate in this or any other election cycle, we cede our decision-making, and in many ways our futures, to other people whose values and political positions we may or may not share. Think taxes, public education, health care access, the environment and our general quality of life in North Carolina.

    So what should we expect in this election year?

    Talking heads have much to say on this topic, and if you want a taste of their views, all you have to do is tune your television to various news channels. Generally speaking, most talking heads give a slight edge to Democratic candidates, mainly because history gives an edge to the party out of power in midterm elections. Couple that fact with the president’s unpopularity and Democratic wins in several recent special elections around the nation, and Democratic strategists are feeling more optimistic.

    But it is a long road from hope to political victories, much less changing the balance of power in Congress and state legislatures given the ironclad lockdown of gerrymandered districts since 2010. Republicans stacked Congressional and legislative seats so thoroughly in their favor following the 2010 elections that some observers believe a Democratic power wave is simply impossible in this decade and maybe beyond.

    Whatever one’s political persuasions – left, right or from the great moderate middle, none of this means anything unless voters of all stripes get off our duffs and vote. Some nations fine voters for failing to exercise their rights at the ballot box, but America’s heritage of personal freedom has not taken us down that path, nor should it. With the upcoming partisan primaries and the fall general election looming, it is fair to say that if we do not participate in choosing our leaders for the next two years during this blue moon cycle, we will surely get what we deserve.

  • 02JL DawkinsLast week the CARE Clinic held its 17th Annual Toast of the Town Wine and Beer Tasting and Auction fundraiser at Cape Fear Botanical Garden. It was an enjoyable and successful event. However, it lacked one significant thing: the support, presence and participation of our local elected officials. I was disappointed that our city, county and state leaders all took a pass on this special occasion. It was, however, great to see District Court Judge Toni King and Fayetteville Astros general manager David Lane and his wife Lindsey at the event.They get it!

    In November, the CARE Clinic will celebrate its 25th anniversary of unselfishly serving the medical and dental needs of residents of Fayetteville and Cumberland County. I remember when the Catholic Social Ministries of the Diocese in Raleigh provided the $10,000 grant to establish this free health clinic. The capital campaign that followed was led by Sister Jean Rhodes. She rallied the community and raised the money to renovate the building that is the clinic’s present home at 239 Robeson St.

    She garnered the love and support of the entire community. From its inception,anything the CARE Clinic was involved in seemed to become the most important and prestigious “who’s who” event in Fayetteville. This is why I was so disappointed at last week’s beer and wine tasting. Out of the hundreds of generous CARE Clinic supporters in attendance, it was conspicuously void of our local elected officials.

    This is troublesome for a couple of reasons. First, it should concern everyone that our elected officials are so disconnected from our community that they cannot recognize the people and organizations who unselfishly work and sacrifice to enhance the quality of life of our citizens.

    Secondly, it should concern everyone that our elected officials do not seem to want to meet and mingle with their constituents. Do they see so little value in making their presence known in a community that put them in office?

    Thirdly, it makes one skeptical of their real intentions for wanting to hold public office in the first place. After all, why wouldn’t they want to mingle with and meet community residents? What makes them so bashful and elusive? Are they afraid people are going to hold them responsible and accountable? Are they skittish of people asking them questions like the following?

    Do you live in the district you represent? Have you paid your taxes? How do you feel about the $10 downtown event parking fee? What are you going to do about the panhandling issue in our community? When are we going to get a new performing arts center? Why did you support (or not support) that zoning recommendation? Why do we need a baseball stadium? Why haven’t my leaves and yard debris been picked up? Why shouldn’t the state government continue to appoint District Court judges? When will we adopt a campaign to curb litter and beautify our community? Or, one of my favorites, how did that $5,000 West Coast conference you attended benefit Cumberland County?

    Now, I am being a little facetious. This type and style of elusive political posturing and behavior have developed over the last decade. It wasn’t always like this. In fact, it was just the opposite. Major prestigious community events were the venues our dedicated leaders wanted to attend and be seen at. The CARE Clinic fundraisers were one of many. Others included the Holly Day Fair, the International Folk Festival, Community Concerts events, the Greek Festival, Cape Fear Regional Theatre performances, the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, the Fort Bragg Fair and anything sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. During the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, these events drew community movers and shakers from throughout the greater Fayetteville area. Now, not so much.

    Let this serve as a polite warning to everyone in an elected capacity – especially those who have mastered the art of getting elected without serving the people or the community. Your nonparticipation and lack of contribution are noticeable and conspicuous. Fayetteville and Cumberland County are coming of age. Bold leadership abilities, vision, razor sharp minds and integrity top the list of attributes needed to manage and fuel our future growth and development successfully. I suggest our leaders ask themselves a few questions before deciding to run for reelection – questions like: What have I contributed to this community? Can I point to any accomplishments for which I am responsible? Am I leading by example or just taking up space?

    Local or state elected officials who don’t see the value of being out in public and showing up at major events held in high esteem by the community or who can’t find time to attend important events like an economic development seminar, a Chamber of Commerce social or a Military Command Breakfast may have something bothering them – or something to hide. What other explanation could there be? Maybe it’s a false loyalty to the community they swore an oath to serve. Perhaps it’s merely a character flaw that’s causing them personal discomfort and insecurity. Or, maybe it’s guilt caused by clandestine improprieties and abuse of resources. Whatever the reason, actions speak louder than words.

    If they are not seen out in public at an event, they have made a conscious decision to be elsewhere. The beach, the mountains or at home, it really doesn’t matter. They are not in the public’s eye, and this diminishes the person and the office. Where would this community be without the vision and leadership of people like the late County Commissioner Thomas Bacote, Fayetteville’s Mayor for Life J.L. Dawkins and former Fayetteville Mayor Bill Hurley? They were out there. These leaders were true public figures. To be a public figure, you need to be out in public.

    My final words are directed to this group of individuals: Leaders, you need to show up! Your absence is conspicuous,and your elusive behavior is as shallow as your contributions to our community. Step up or move out. Make room for people who want to make a difference in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. Serving in a public office is an honor and not meant to be a convenient landing spot so one can collect supplemental pay while getting their picture taken for the local news. The best way to get into the newspaper is to do something significant.The first step is to show up!

    Thank you for reading Up & ComingWeekly.

     

    PHOTO: The late and great J.L. Dawkins, Fayetteville's Mayor for Life

  • Charlotte Blume 2015 Fayetteville Music Hall of Fame Award

  • coverOn Saturday, June 4, the hottest ticket in town returns to Festival  Park – wailing blues and ice cold libations as the Blues-N-Brews Festival kicks off summer.

    The Blues-N-Brews Festival, now in its 13th year, is the major annual fundraiser for the Cape Fear Regional Theatre. The  CFRT’s dedicated volunteers and staff know how to put on a show, and this year’s Blues-N-Brews promises to be one for the books.

    Co-chaired by Jenny deViere and Kelly Meyers, the event has grown again, adding some new things, but remaining true to what has made it such a success:  A commitment to bringing the best craft beers and hottest blues to the community.

    More than 100 beers are on tap, with some old favorites and a few new ones mixed in.

    “We are really excited about adding Fainting Goat Brewery out of Holly Springs,” said deViere. “They are brining a new beer called Bucked Up, which we think people are really going to like.”

    She noted that there is a very good mix of beers on tap, with brewers coming from across the state, as well as traditional beers like Guinness and Yuengling.

    “We are finding that a lot of craft beers are distributed by big name beer distributors, so we are able to bring a really good mix of beers to the party,” she explained. 

    Brewers participating in the event include:  Abita Brewing Company, Anheuser Busch, Aviator Brewing Company, Blind Squirrel Brewery, Blue Moon Brewery, Blue Point Brewing Company, Bold Rock Hard Cider, Boulevard Brewing Company, Broken Barrel Brewery, Bull City Cider Works, Carolina Brewing Company, Constellation Brands, Crazy Mountain Brewing Company, Dirt Bag Ales, Empire Distributors of NC, Inc., Foothills Brewing Company, Goose Island Beer Company, Great Lakes Brewing, Green Man Brewery, Grupo Modelo Brewery, Hi Wire Brewing Company, Huske Hardware House, Left Coast Brewing & Lucky Buddha Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, MillerCoors Brewing Company, Natty Greene’s Brewing Company, , New Belgium Brewing Company, Oskar Blues Brewing Company, Railhouse Brewery, Resignation Brewery, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Sweetwater Brewery, Tenth and Blake Beer Company, The Mash House Brewing Company, Triangle Brewing Company, White Rabbit Brewing Company, White Street Brewing Company and Yuengling Brewing Company.

    As always, you can expect some great food vendors to be on hand to satisfy your hunger throughout the event. This year’s vendors include:  Kinlaw’s Fried Chicken, Hot Diggidy Dog, The Honey Baked Ham Café and Papa John’s Pizza. Remember to bring cash with you, because while you can buy merchandise and your tickets with your plastic, you can only buy food with cash.

    Speaking of merchandise, CFRT is offering a great variety of merchandise from event T-shirts and trucker hats. 

    “The T-shirts are really nice and a lot of fun and the trucker hats are going to go fast,” said deViere.

    Of course, the other big draw is the music. Main stage acts are Randy McAllister and the Scrappiest Band in the Mother Land and the Blues Doctors. 

    Randy McAllister is one of the premier singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalists to emerge from Texas. Heartbreak, humor, high hair and tall Texas tales all play a part in his songwriting. His music has been hailed as original and innovative. While comparisons are not easy, it has been said that his music is a cross between Doug Sahm, John Hiatt and Delbert McClinton, with a blues man’s background and sensibilities thrown into the mix.

    Adam Gussow and Alan Gross, better known as The Blues Doctors, are a Mississippi-based blues combo that plays a mix of down-home Delta standards and urban grooves from the Texas-to-Chicago axis with some New Orleans funk thrown in. They’re a two-man band with a full-on sound:  Gussow on harmonica and drumset, Gross on guitar, with both men sharing vocal duties. Roosters Happy Hour, their debut album, spent many weeks in the #1 position on Amazon’s “Hot New Releases in Acoustic Blues” chart and hit #10 on the Living Blues national radio airplay chart.

    Gussow was dubbed “one of the world’s finest blues harmonica players” according to Philadelphia blues DJ Jonny Meister and is best known for his 25-year partnership with Mississippi-born guitarist and one-man-band Sterling “Mr. Satan” Magee as the duo Satan and Adam. Gross’s credits include a decade’s work with Mississippi bluesman Terry “Harmonica” Bean and stints with hill country performers R.L. Boyce, Kenny Kimbrough, Lightning Malcolm and Eric Deaton.

    Gusso and Gross were recommended for the gig by a patron of last year’s Blues-N-Brews. According to deViere, one of the former attendees, who is a big blues fan, sent the organizers of the event a message on Facebook letting them know about Gussow and his great sound.

    “We gave him a call and listened to his music and were blown away,” said deViere. 

    The Blues Doctors are the opening act and will take the stage at 5 and play until 7 p.m., with McAllister and company playing until 9 p.m. when the event ends.

    Attendees will also get a taste of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the show currently playing at the theatre. When the festival ends at 9 p.m., attendees are invited to travel up the hill to watch the late-night showing of Hedwig at the CFRT.

    “This is the only late night show, and we think it will be a lot of fun,” said deViere.

    In addition to the music and the brews, there are also a number of games that will entertain throughout the afternoon. The games section was added to the event two years ago and has continued to grow. Expect the traditional corn hole, beer pong and relay races, but this year, you can also look forward to bucket ball and life-size Jenga. Who wouldn’t want to play that? Participants can win cool prize packs (including tickets to Hedwig) for winning at the games.

    Anstead’s  Tobacco Company is returning as the premier sponsor of the event. In addition to a cigar bar, the company is bringing in cigar experts who can help people match their cigars to their brews and can provide education on cigars.

    Those who want some extra perks can purchase VIP tickets, which include a private tasting, free eats provided by The Mash House, early entry at 4 p.m., judge the beer tasting contest, access  to a private game area, private lawn and covered seating, complimentary Blues-N-Brews merchandise and unlimited open-beer tasting.  VIP tickets are $75.

    All attendees must purchase tickets. General admission is $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Non-drinking tickets are $15. While children are welcome, this is not a children’s event and there are no children’s activities. Those under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent at all times. Tickets can be purchased at the gate, but attendees are encouraged to purchase tickets early as they sell fast. Tickets are available for purchase at the CFRT Box Office Tuesday – Friday from 1-6 p.m.  For more information, call 910.323.4233 or go by the CFRT at  1209 Hay Street.

  • COVER
     

    Michelle Ingram loves jazz and she loves to laugh. She left Fayetteville 28 years ago and cultivated her love of jazz in places far and wide. “I have a lot of musician friends from Colorado, California, Florida and it was fun to go see them perform,” she said. 

    Ingram recently returned Fayetteville and was pleasantly surprised at everything there is to do here. “It was like Fayetteville just exploded. Places that I remember as fields and dirt roads have shopping centers and housing developments on them now,” she said. While Fayetteville is definitely not the place she left almost three decades ago, Ingram is eager to be a part of the positive growth that has redefined the city — by bringing some of that jazz she loves so much to the community. “I moved here and my friends would call and they asked if there is a jazz club here,” said Ingram. “And they were surprised when I told them there is not. Actually, I was surprised, too, because there is some amazing talent here. I think a lot of people are unaware just how much local talent there is here or how good the local jazz artists are. Or maybe because a musician is local they don’t think of the performer as a big name. But if you look at where they have been and who they played with, they are big — and they are that good.” 

    With a passion for jazz and comedy, connections in the music world, a deep pool of local talent, a growing city with a thriving music and arts culture, and experience promoting music events and venues in the past, it was clear to Ingram what she needed to do. She started Michelle’s Jazz and Comedy Entertainment and started putting together the inaugural season of Fayetteville’s Jazz and Comedy Showcase.

    Instead of opening a jazz club, Ingram intends to host shows at different venues around Fayetteville. “I am thinking there will be a concert or comedy show every two months or so,” said Ingram. It will be enough that people can look forward to quality entertainment, but not so much that they become uninterested.” Her goal is to host a jazz festival in Festival Park in the summer of 2017 in addition to concerts and comedy shows throughout the year.

    The first performance is scheduled for June 18 at the Metropolitan Room. The entertainment roster features an opening performance by Pete Everett and the Total Package Band, which is a touring international band playing original, jazz-infused rhythm and blues, funk, jazz and gospel music.

    Poet Kwabena Dinizulu is set to perform also.

    Vocalist Theo Valentin and bassist and musical director Mike Ely will perform as well as special guests Sam Rucker and Willie Bradley. Valentin sang her first solo for an audience in her church when she was just 5-years-old and her passion has never waned. She performed in high school and attended Norfolk University in Norfolk, Virginia, majoring in voice and minoring in piano. She’s been performing ever since.

    Saxophonist Sam Rucker is known for connecting to the audience with his music. With two albums under his belt, Rucker’s original songs are not only encouraging, they are entertaining as well.

    A son of Fayetteville, trumpeter Willie Bradley has a degree in music education and performance. He’s played with  pros including  Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Frank Foster, Max Roach, Betty Carter and Nat Adderley.

    Grammy-award winner Norman Connors and the Starship Orchestra will headline the show. A native of Philadelphia, Connors showed an interest in jazz at a young age. He met music legend and his personal idol, Miles Davis, when he was just 13. By his early 20s he’d signed a record deal with Buddah Records and scored several hit songs including “You Are My Starship” and “Valentine Love.” His later songs include “Take It to the Limit,” “Black Cow” and “Passion.”

    Set in a jazz night club setting, Ingram chose the Metropolitan room for its cozy feel. “There will be appetizers, which are included in the price of the ticket, and the tables will be for four instead of eight to make this an intimate experience.” 

    There are two show times of 7 and 10 p.m. 

    Next in the series is the 100 percent Outrageous Clean Comedy Show on July 30.  “Comedy shows are really enjoyable — laughing is important,” said Ingram. “Sometimes big shows come to town, but at the end of the day, if you can go to a small venue and have a good laugh, that’s just as good.  So I try to bring more clean comedy to the area. I guess as you get older maybe you don’t want to hear the profanity as much.” 

    This event is at the Embassy Suites Hotel Ballroom. Entertainers include Dave Martin, Elaine Postman, Michelle Miller, Chris Petty and Ray Thomas. 

    Ingram says she is in this for the long haul and is pouring her heart and soul into the project with the intention of having a lasting positive impact on the community. 

    “I’m no one-hit wonder. I know other promoters have come and gone and maybe have left a bad taste in people’s mouths, but I am here to stay.” 

    Other shows scheduled this year include:The Hit Ladies of Comedy Show at the Embassy Suites Hotel Ballroom on Oct. 1; The Latin Jazz Explosion at The Metropolitan Room on Nov. 5; and The Heart of Christmas at The Crown Theatre on Dec. 3.

    For more information, visit www.michellesjazzcomedyent.com/home.html.

  • COVERWith the past month’s dreary weather giving way to sunshine in the coming weeks, and the building excitement inside classrooms all across the county, it’s a sure sign that summer is almost here and that SwampDogs baseball is just around corner! In fact, the opening day is on Wednesday, June 1.

    The 2016 season coincides with the Fayetteville SwampDogs 16th season playing in the Coastal Plain League. The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 20th season in 2016, the CPL features 16 teams playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL has had nearly 1,300 alumni drafted and 81 of those – including 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander – make their Major League debut; while another notable alum – Russell Wilson – won Super Bowl XLVIII.The SwampDogs are one of the most successful franchises in the league’s history, making the Petitt Cup Playoffs eight times in the past 11 seasons, reaching the championship round three times. The SwampDogs boast 90 alumni taken in the draft and have produced six players who have gone on to play in Major League Baseball including slugger Mark Reynolds and David Aardsma. 

    The SwampDogs have managed to make a name for themselves and have earned the right to host the 2016 Coast Plain League All-Star Game this season. This is the fourth time Fayetteville has hosted, and the first since 2011.The Coastal Plain League All-Star Game is a two-day extravaganza, starting with the Home Run Derby and Fan Fest, to be held on Sunday, July 10. The All-Star Game is on Monday, July 11, and will be followed by a Fireworks Extravaganza.

    “We are extremely excited to be bringing the All-Star Game back to Fayetteville,” said SwampDogs General Manager Jeremy Aagard. “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to showcase all the great things Fayetteville has to offer to a huge audience.”

    Players from each of the CPL’s 16 teams will compete in the All-Star Game, and representatives from each of the teams will be on hand for the experience. The two-day extravaganza will also bring fans, family members of players and hundreds of other visitors to Fayetteville including scouts from all 30 Major League teams.

    “It is with great pleasure that we announce the Fayetteville SwampDogs as host to our 2016 Coastal Plain League All-Star Game,” said CPL COO/Commissioner Justin Sellers. “From Lew Handelsman to Jeremy Aagard and their entire staff, the SwampDogs are a staple not only in the All-American City of Fayetteville, but in the CPL. They have proven time and again to make a night at the ballpark a memorable experience for their fans and we look forward to seeing what ‘fun’ they have in store with our All-Star event! This will be a great couple of days to highlight the best players in the league and to showcase the SwampDogs, their loyal fans, and the City of Fayetteville!”  

    This game features the cream of the crop of collegiate baseball players all coming together for one star-studded game.

    “We want to put on a show like nobody has ever seen before,” said Aagard. “And because of the support of the community, we’re going to be able to make this All-Star Game an event nobody will ever forget.”

    The Coastal Plain League All-Star Game will be broadcast regionally on Time Warner Cable Sports. Tickets are available for both nights of the extravaganza now, and can be reserved by contacting the SwampDogs at 426-5900.

    The All-Star Game is only one of the many special events that are planned for this season. Highlighted by five firework extravaganzas the 2016 season at The Swamp will be one you don’t want to miss with memorable promotions each night throughout the entire summer.

    The home opener kicks off the festivities on Wednesday, June 1 with the Magnet Schedule Giveaway presented by Freeman & Barrett, CPAs. 

    The first firework night of the year is presented by Mountaire Farms on Saturday June 4. Healy Wholesale will also be giving away a gift that night to the first 500 fans over the age of 21. 

    Military Appreciation Night presented by Lee Hyundai will be celebrated with fireworks on June 16. 

    Hendrick Chrysler Jeep Fiat and Disaster One bring back the annual Honoring America Firework Show which is accessible to the entire public following the game on July 3, and is punctuated with the biggest firework spectacular in all of Fayetteville Independence Weekend. 

    And the final fireworks spectacle of the season is on Fan Appreciation Night with fireworks on Aug. 5.

    The fourth pyrotechnic display will coincide with The 2016 Coastal Plain League All-Star Game, Home-Run Derby and Fan Fest. The festivities conclude with a firework celebration after the game.

    Some new and unique nights in 2016 include Star Wars Night, Leave it to Bieber Nigh, and a Super Sweet 16 Party celebrating the SwampDogs’ 16th season in Fayetteville.

    The 10th Annual Striking Out Cancer night will return July 16 with one-of-a-kind pink game jerseys being auctioned off to benefit Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation’s Friends of the Cancer Center.

    The SwampDogs are also partnering with A Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Aug. 4 for Bringing Memories Home Safe. A special purple jersey, worn by the SwampDogs, is set for auction after the game to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.

    Weekly promotional nights are also planned at The Swamp:

    Mondays: Kids Eat Free- Kids 12 and under get a voucher for a hot dog, chips, and a drink with purchase of a ticket every Monday home game, all-season long.

    Tuesdays: Tuesday Mania Presented by Dogwood Reality- Hang out in the ballpark Tuesday nights with backyard games, prizes, and learn more about the potential home of your dreams.

    Wednesdays: Winning Wednesdays- Win big on Wednesdays when prizes could be won wherever you look. Under your seat? You have a chance. On your hot dog wrapper? Could be! You never know how you’re going to win on Wednesdays at The Swamp!

    Other returning fan favorites include Summertime St. Paddy’s Night and the 12th Annual Family Fun Night with the Fun-Go Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Bob 96.5 FM. The complete promotional schedule can be viewed at GoSwampDogs.com.

    There are a lot of fun things planned for the season, but what is truly going to make it great is a summer of great baseball. To that end, the SwampDogs have signed some of the best baseball players in the country, including top hitters, fielders and pitchers. The SwampDogs 2016 season is going to be one for the books, so head down to the Swamp to cheer the team on.

    For more information on the Fayetteville SwampDogs, visit their team website at www.goswampdogs.com and follow them on Twitter @GoSwampDogs and like them on Facebook at Fayetteville SwampDogs Baseball. Where baseball is fun!

    For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com and follow them via Twitter @CPLBaseball.

  • vagina monologuesThe Vagina Monologuespremiered in 1996. It is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler. As the name suggests, this play focuses on women and their experiences.  

    “Each monologue deals with an aspect of the feminine experience — so I relate to ALL of the monologues in some way or another as a woman,” Robyne Parrish the artistic director and co-education director of the Gilbert Theater said. “Frankly, because I have a vagina, I can empathize with all of the characters no matter what the subject matter or theme of the monologue. And of course, all of the themes are as important today as when the play was written in the ‘90s. One recurring theme in the play is that the vagina is a tool of empowerment for the female; the ultimate embodiment of individuality. I think we (women) can all agree that this will never change.” 

    The play is set to open at Gilbert Theater on June 3.

    Despite being written in the late ‘90s, these monologues have maintained relevance. The Gilbert Theater took a bold step and added an extra layer to the modern and local political relevance of the play. This production takes a stand for for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual Ally Community. 

    “For one thing, we are featuring a transgender character in our Vagina Monologues. This is very important to us at the Gilbert Theater — clearly a major issue in our society today and particularly in North Carolina what with the HB2 bill screaming through our lives,” Parrish said. “Most transgender people face discrimination every day — before HB2 and once it is demolished. We embrace the trans community and will represent them in a way that is thoughtful and meaningful. Our trans character was born in the body of a man and identifies as a woman. She has fully transitioned as the play begins.”

    The Vagina Monologues is not just for women, however. These stories are relevant for the entire community. And beyond being a powerful political statement, this is also an entertaining work of art. Parrish specifically says that men “Should absolutely see the play. They will laugh a lot and learn a lot. It is an important work to see if you never have. The cast is strong and powerful — some of our best local ladies. Bring your wife or girlfriend for a fun and powerful evening at the theater and listen.”

    Ensler’s work is empowering, real and important but also entertaining and relatable.  When she first wrote The Vagina Monologuesshe was directly addressing a taboo subject, but it is through art that pushes the envelope and challenges the status quo that society and the community can progress. “Some of the ladies of my mothers generation and beyond don’t even like to SAY the word vagina,” Parrish explained. “It is considered a very private word and very private place. But of course, breaking out of this prison of silence is exactly Eve Ensler’s wish… I would say to the women of our community — be brave! Come out and support your local artists and just experience the words. You will identify. You will see yourself in the mix. Don’t be afraid of the vagina!”

    The Vagina Monologues are at the Gilbert Theater from June 3-12. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.gilberttheater.com or call 678.7186. 

  • kiwanisThe Fayetteville Kiwanis Club’s Annual Talent Night is on June 11 at the Caper Fear Regional Theatre. While it is indeed a night of top-notch talent and entertainment, it is also a good time for the entertainers who work so hard to make the cut. This annual event is much anticipated throughout the year and offers something for the participants as well as the community. 

    The Kiwanis Club of Fayetteville is a civic organization chartered in 1921, and has been working diligently to better the community ever since. The annual Talent Night is a local tradition that dates back over 60 years. 

    “Talent at the Talent Showcase is absolutely amazing,” said Bill Bowman, chair of Talent Showcase and publisher of Up & Coming Weekly. “Talented students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade perform in several categories for the opportunity to win more than $2,000 in scholarship and prizes.” The first place winner in each division will receive a trophy and $100 cash; second place winner in each division will receive a trophy and $50 cash; third place winner in each division will receive a trophy and $25 cash. Four music scholarships will be awarded for voice, strings, piano and band instrument — a $150 value. The 2016 overall winner will receive a trophy and $200 cash. 

    Even though Talent Night is a night full of fun and family entertainment, it also serves a greater purpose, which is the sponsorship of the Kiwanis Youth Service Projects. Proceeds from Talent Night are used to support local youth in Cumberland County. One such program is Terrific Kids, which is the largest in the country. In this program, members of the committee present more than 31,000 Terrific Kids awards each year. This program promotes self-esteem by encouraging and then rewarding good behavior with bumper stickers, pencils and bicycles. Kiwanians work closely with teachers, who select Terrific Kids twice a month. 

    The Reading is Fun Program, which is geared towards 4- and 5-year-old preschoolers provides more than 4,000 books to students across the county. Books are distributed to children enrolled in Head Start and Chapter One programs. Kiwanis members read to the children as well as donate books to them. Also The Kiwanis Club of Fayetteville, in conjunction with the Fayetteville Department of Parks and Recreation, sponsors Youth League Baseball at Honeycutt Park and Recreation Center. Kiwanians coach many of the teams, are game announcers and sell, purchase and erect outfield advertising signs. 

    Auditions for this year’s Talent Night are on Saturday, June 4 beginning at 9 a.m. at the Honeycutt Recreation Center. 

    “Good things last,” said Bowman. “This is a great launching point and I’m glad to be able to help foster this type of enrichment. Some of the past winners have gone on to do some exceptional things and have performed on some the world’s biggest stages, like Broadway, St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra, Boston Pops and American Ballad.”

    For more information about this event and others, check out The Fayetteville Kiwanis website at www.fayettevillekiwanis.org.

  • 051816RingofFireI must make one caveat before I begin this review. I love the music of Johnny Cash. I learned a lot of it as a small child riding in the truck with my Dad — who also loved the music of Johnny Cash. That being the case, I will admit that I have been looking forward to this show since the Cape Fear Regional Theatre announced it’s season. This could be a very good thing for the CFRT or a very bad thing. 

    I’m happy to say, it was a very, very good thing. 

    Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash is just what the title says. It is a musical walk through and celebration of the Man in Black; his struggles, his victory and most importantly, his music. And it is the music and the musicians who were cast in the show who truly make it a must see. 

    At the helm of the production is the Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s Founding Artistic Director Bo Thorp. Baxter Clement, who also portrayed Johnny, is the musical director. The two, who have collaborated in the past, pulled together an outstanding cast and brought a stellar show to the stage.

    As mentioned in our preview, the show you will see when you buy your tickets (and you really want to buy tickets for this show) is not the show you would have seen if you visited Broadway. There are no jazz hands, instead, you have a raw, honest look at Johnny Cash — warts and all. Thorp and the talented cast changed up the show. They became intimate with Cash’s life and told the story in a simple, honest manner.

    They also knocked it out of the park.

    Clement, a Southern Pines guitar store owner by way of Broadway and stages and concert halls all over the world, is very believable in the role of Cash. Having seen him as Buddy Holly at a previous River Show, I kind of wondered if I could buy him as Johnny Cash — a much different musician than Holly. He pulled it off masterfully. The audience loved him.

    Clement set the bar high for the rest of the cast, and they didn’t disappoint. Malerie Goodman, a Fayetteville resident, was born and raised in Bakersville, California, the “honky tonk capital of the west,” played June Carter Cash, who was more than Johnny’s wife, she was his soul mate. Clement brought the playfulness that Carter Cash was known for to life, and  gave a spirited performance.

    Carolanne Marano, also of Southern Pines, is a professional dancer/actor. She not only choreographed the show, but also played the role of Johnny’s mother. She high-stepped and sang her way into the audience’s hearts. Of particular note was the breathtaking song she sang following the death of Johnny’s brother. She rang every drop of sorrow from every note, and left me in tears. It was a magical moment on the stage.

    Also creating a magical moment on the stage was the Cape Fear Regional’s own Ken Griggs. Griggs is master of the stage, and in this show got a chance to show off his musical chops, playing a number of instruments and singing. His magic moment came near the end of the show when he performed Cash’s patriotic “Old Ragged Flag.” The song is really a spoken work, which Griggs brought passion and patriotic fervor to. Griggs, who retired from the military a little more than a year ago, has a passion for Soldiers and is a patriot. When he turned and saluted the flag... well, what else can I say... magic.

    James Villone and Kendra Jo Brook amazed me by their diversity when it came to playing. Each changed instruments two to three times and mastered all of them. Villone, also of Southern Pines, plays multiple instruments and in fact teaches at Casino Guitars, Clement’s store in Southern Pines. But he has earned his musical chops on stages all across the southeast performing solo or as a member of a country band. This was his first outing into musical theatre, but I hope it is not his last. Brook, a native of Montana, who came to the CFRT by way of New York City, fiddled her way into the hearts of CFRT patrons.

    You have one more weekend to see this great show. It’s one you don’t want to miss!!

  • 051116_cover.jpg

    It’s May – that time between the blistering heat of summer and the unpredictability of spring. This is the time of the year when people head outdoors. They start working on their yards. They start planning day trips, and, in the evening, they venture out to find a cool outdoor activity. For many people, that used to mean heading down to the Cape Fear River to take in the Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s River Show. 

    With the river slowly reclaiming the stage at Campbellton Landing, the CFRT has been unable to produce a River Show the past couple of years, but the lack of an outdoor venue has definitely not prevented them from bringing great music and great musicians to the stage. This year is no exception. From May 12 through May 22, the Cape Fear Regional Theatre invites you to sit back and share an hour or so with the Man In Black, as Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cashcomes to the stage.

    The River Show has always been a special project for Bo Thorp. In fact, she and her son penned a couple of the shows. For Thorp, bringing great music to the River Stage was exciting. Even though she can’t take this show to the river, she is still excited.

    “The River Show always focused on great music,” said Thorp. “And that’s what people are going to get in this show.”

    People who know Thorp know that she is not afraid to change a script around – or even start from scratch. With Ring of Fire, Thorp and the cast have been doing a lot of that. Thorp explained that the show was written for Broadway, which actually means that there was a lot of sparkle but not a lot of the grit that made Cash a legend. In order to bring the legend to life, Thorp is departing from the original script and the actors are doing a lot of impromptu things – all of which was part and parcel of a Johnny Cash live show.

    “I’ve been doing a lot of research on Johnny Cash. I read his autobiography and it is all marked up,” she said. “I know more about Johnny Cash than I ever thought I would.”

    What she has learned has not only intrigued her, but also inspired her and the cast.

    “He was a very spiritual person,” she explained, noting that it was his Christian beliefs and principles that had him reaching out to the men in prison, which ultimately produced prison concerts. Cash had strayed far from the straight and narrow during his early years, but when he got himself straight, he had a compassion for those who were walking his old path.

    All of this: his rowdy years, his troubled years and his just years combined to create some of the greatest music and made Cash an icon. 

    Bringing Cash to life is Baxter Clement, a talented Southern Pines musician also owns Casino Guitars. Clement is no stranger to the CFRT stage or to the idea of the River Show. Several years ago he played Buddy Holly during the River Show, and he was one of the first people Thorp thought of when she started planning for Ring of Fire. Clement is classically trained, having attending the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University, the North Carolina School of the Arts and the Mozartium in Salsburg, Austria. 

    He is joined on stage by James Villone, also of Southern Pines, who works at Casino Guitars. Villone is playing the role of James, a musician in Cash’s band. Like the other musicians in the show, he has challenged himself by learning other instruments and will play numerous instruments during the show.

    That is part of the magic of this production. All of the musicians who are performing can play by ear and almost all have learned a new instrument. Clement said that there will be a lot of impromptu musical switches in the show, and he is looking forward to audience involvement, noting that the audience makes this kind of show.

    Join the cast for a “foot-stompin salute to an American legend.” The show runs May 12-22 with tickets ranging in price from $15 to $28. To purchase tickets, call 323-4233 or online at www.cfrt.org.

     

  • 050416fso.jpg

    Next season the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra begins searching for a new conductor.  This in itself is exciting, but even more so is the level of community involvement the orchestra is including in the search. Out of 273 applicants five finalists have been chosen. They are invited to plan and conduct one concert each, which has inspired the season’s name, “The Final Five.” After each concert, audiences are invited to submit surveys that will contribute to the decision of which conductor will be hired.  “We really want to give the community a chance to weigh in, Christine Kastner the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra president and CEO said. 

    In addition to the actual concert, each guest conductor will come to Fayetteville a week early. In this time they will meet the Fayetteville Symphony Board, tour local universities, meet donors and supporters and participate in an open town hall meeting. These are all also opportunities for the community to provide feedback on this decision. “We are very excited,” Kastner said. “We have five excellent candidates and we want everyone to come out and meet them this next season. We will have opportunities like free town hall meetings and free pre concert talks. There will also be opportunities to complete surveys for the transition committee as they try to pick the new conductor.”

    The first finalist is Al Sturgis. His 20 years of conducting experience includes the Tar River Orchestra, Carolina Ballet and North Carolina Master Choral. He starts off the season in October with the concert titled Fall Spooktacular.  This will feature a mixture of classical and popular works - all with a fun Halloween theme. 

    The next finalist is Stefan Sanders with the concert titled Czech it Out. This references the Symphony No. 8 composed by Antonin Dvorak, the final piece of the show. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9 will also be featured. Sander’s also has a long list of qualifications. He is the Associate Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Music Director of the Round Rock Symphony located in Texas.  

    The award-winning Associate Conductor of the Kansas City Symphony Aram Demirjian will make his appearance in December with the concert titled Waltzing in a Winter Wonderland. This concert will feature not only the beloved holiday sing-a-long but also popular songs such as “White Christmas” and “Polar Express.” 

    The search for the new conductor will resume in February with Joseph Young and a Wild, Wild West theme. He is the Assistant Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony and Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. He also has received prestigious awards for his conducting skills. The concert will feature classical and popular pieces by Copland and John Williams.

    The final concert, Heroes Among Us, is planned for March. The guest conductor is Dina Gilbert. She is the Assistant Conductor for the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal as well as an ensemble she founded called Ensemble Arkea. Her focus of heroism will be interpreted though classical and popular works. 

    All of these guest conductors have years of experiences laced with prestigious accolades. This is an opportunity for the community to help shape the future of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra and the musical landscape in Fayetteville. This season is not only unique, it is important. Be a part of these decisions. Find out more about the symphony at http://www.fayettevillesymphony.org/


  • uac050714001.gif The first Upsilon Kappa Omega of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority An Evening of Jazz took place in 1999 at the Prince Charles Hotel. The event has grown over the years and sold out last year, raising more than $12,000 for the sorority’s many causes. This year, An Evening of Jazz is set for May 17 at the Crown Expo enter.

    An Evening of Jazz offers a chance to have an elegant night out. It includes appetizers, a cash bar, door prizes and raffles. The Raleigh-based jazz band Something for the People will provide entertainment. A DJ will be there to keep things lively between sets. Guests can expect the red carpet treatment –literally. Entering the Crown on a red carpet sets the tone for the glamour and upscale entertainment that will follow.

    “Last year we had a great time and a really good turn out,” said Tracy Allen, event coordinator and Upsilon Kappa Omega of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority member. “We are hoping for the same number or even more people. It is going to be a great night. The event is not just for us, it is for the community and we want to include everyone.”

    An Evening of Jazz has a solid history of showing guests a good time and Allen hopes this will be one of the best years for the event so far, not only because she wants everyone to have a great time but also because the proceeds go right back in to making the community a better place. The Upsilon Kappa Omega of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is serious about making a difference.

    With 91 members in the Upsilon Kappa Omega of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, this group is a huge asset to the community. Last year the sorority co05-07-14-jazz-story.gifllectively donated more than 22,000 volunteer hours to the community. “We have a very active membership,” said Allen. “We support many causes in the community and are always looking for new ways to give back and to make a difference.”

    Some of the initiatives that the sorority supports include he Back pack Buddies program, asthma awareness programs, human trafficking awareness and prevention, financial literacy and counseling, lupus awareness, the Heart Walk, breast cancer awareness programs and events, mentoring programs for young girls, the bicycle man initiative and Habitat for Humanity. The sorority also holds yard sales to raise funds for the needy and adopts families during the holidays.

    Allen loves that a portion of the proceeds is also used to give scholarships to local kids. For many years the chapter has proudly awarded thousands of dollars to students in an effort to prepare our next generation of leaders with higher education. Several corporate sponsors help fund the scholarships, too. “The scholarships give high school students in Cumberland County, Harnett, Hok05-07-14-jazz-story2.gife and/or Sampson County and on Fort Bragg a chance to pursue that degree, to pursue that dream that will lead them to success and put them in a position to help someone else later down the road,” said Allen. “A lot of times it is something small that we give that can make a big, big difference to someone else and that is a lot of what we do. We try tolead by example and help influence the next generation. People need to know that you don’t have to let your past determine your destiny.”

    Tickets cost $35 per person. The event starts at 8 p.m. Call 988-7880 to purchase tickets. Visit www.ukoaka1908.com to learn more about the sorority and how you can support its work in the community.

    Photo: middle left; With 91 members in the Upsilon Kappa Omega of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, this group is a huge asset to the community. Last year the sorority collectively donated more than 22,000 volunteer hours to the community.  Bottom right;  psilon Kappa Omega of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority members can be found all over town most any time there is work to be done or people to help. From food pantries to mentoring, UKO plays a big part in helping local youth.

  • uac052114001.gif Blindness and visual impairment are conditions that can take away the independence of an individual that has otherwise led a life of self-reliance. The National Federation of the Blind has stated that there are more than 1 million people in the United States that are blind or visually impaired. The statistics break down to show that around 50 percent of the blind or visually impaired are over the age of 65 with around 10 percent being school-aged children.

    On Friday, June 6, Cape Fear Eye Associates will host the 3rd Annual Out of Sight Dining Event at the Metropolitan Room in downtown Fayetteville to benefit the programs offered by The Vision Resource Center. “We have hosted the event every year … It is one of the things we do to give back to the center” according to Cory Worrell, who is also the Marketing Director for Cape Fear Eye in addition to her Volunteer Youth Director role.

    The Vision Resource Center is an organization working to address the needs of those who have lost their sight. They trace their origins back to 1936 when the organization was founded as the Cumberland County Association of the Blind. The organization also holds the distinction of being one of the first four organizations in the United Way of Cumberland County.

    Terri Thomas is the Executive Director of the center. When asked to describe the work they do, she said, “We work with adults and kids from age 4 to our oldest member, who is 86, who are visually impaired or blind. We provide programming to help them socially, to live independently, and with individual wellness.”

    Thomas also described services they provide that can also benefit caregivers and the family as a whole, “For children, siblings of those that are blind or visually impaired are encouraged to come in and volunteer to gain experience with those that are visually impaired. They can see what it is like for others and gain perspective. We also have a support group that we don’t really refer to as a support group. Anything Is Possibleis a rap session about what it is like to be visually impaired; they talk and just let us know what their needs are and how we can help. “

    According to Thomas, the center currently serves 150 people but is fully capable of helping many more, “The biggest thing is letting people know we are here. We need to get the awareness out about what the Vision Resource Center is, why we are here, and that it is a safe place to come to. We receive referrals from other agencies or by word of mouth … but we have a problem with getting them in. If we can get the funding, we can get them in. We have the programming to meet the needs.”

    A challenge for the visually impaired that Thomas feels is the most limiting is in transportation. It is also an area she feels the center can grow into, “We would like to be able to do shopping trips and medical trips. A lot of them can’t get to Duke or Chapel Hill where most of the specialists are.”

    Another challenge that Thomas has found lies in the individuals in need themselves, “People who are visually impaired become comfortable in their own surroundings and don’t want to get out of their homes. Once we get them in and they try, they like it. We can open a window to activities that they thought they would never be able to do again. You will be surprised at what you can accomplish when you set aside fear and try it anyway. “

    Worrell was inspired to take on the role of Youth Program Director for the center after her interaction with a young boy named Michael Macias, “When I met him, he was so soft spoken.” She said that after his participation in the programs offered by the center “he gained confidence in himself and inspired me to get involved.”

    When speaking with Worrell about the youth programs, it is clear that they are her pride and joy. “We started by taking kids out of their comfort zone, we take them surfing, deep sea fishing, rock climbing, horseback riding, flying... they just excelled. It’s crazy to see the confidence they have gotten… half the time I forget they are visually impaired; they are just normal kids.” When asked how the responses to the programs by the youth compare to the responses of their adult counterparts Worrell said, “The kids adapt so well, they learn instantaneously. They have each other for their support group. I have never had a kid say they wouldn’t try something.”

    Despite the confidence that the young people gain from the programs, Worrell still has concerns about their long-term needs, “I would like for them to have jobs available, college and other resources available.” One more immediate area of need that she identified resides in the public school system, “I would love to see them have the resources they need in their schools, so they don’t have to be labeled as special needs or anything like that.”

    The Out of Sight Dining Event is a night of dining, dancing and entertainment. While dinner is served, the guests will all wear blindfolds as a simulation of blindness. Thomas said that, “We would like for you to wear the blindfold for as long as you can whether it is for one second, two minutes or whatever.” She described the true purpose of the event as, “not only a way to raise money but to drive awareness of what it is like for this population. “

    The musical entertainment for the night will be provided by the blind young man that originally inspired Worrell, Michael Macias. At 15 years old, Macias is already an accomplished pianist and composer having composed 22 original works. He returns once again to the Out of Sight Dining Event to provide the crowd with a sample of his amazing talent. Additional musical entertainment is provided by the band, 80s Unplugged.

    05-21-14-cover-story-1.gifDan Nelson, who is billed as “The Largest Plein Aire Painter in the World” will be in attendance performing his skill in live art entertainment. He plans to paint a portrait of the event as it occurs. Nelson said, “My parents did a good job of exposing me to people with various disabilities … I learned at a very young age to accept and relate to the visually impaired as normal people.” Nelson has been known to take the visually impaired on tours of his artwork by guiding them through the piece by touch and description, “I have done that type of thing more than once to try to bring them into the world of visual arts; it is always appreciated.”

    Thomas asks that the community, “come out and be a vision for someone with visual impairment.05-21-14-cover-story2.gif Anytime you do something to help someone with a visual impairment you are helping them visualize a world they cannot see. If you help by volunteering or by donating money you are helping to build that vision. We want to raise $25,000 from this event, that will put us in a very good position to do some of the things we have never been able to do, but the main thing is to get the awareness out.”

    Tickets for the event are $75 for individuals and $125 for couples. More information is available at www.visionresourcecentercc.org.

    Photos: The Visions Resource Center’s Out of Sight Dining Event offers an evening of dining, dancing and entertainment, including a performance by 15-year-old Michael Macias (pictured at right).

  •  Much attention has been devoted recently to placing the spotlight on nurses and the critical frontline position they fulfill, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic — and rightfully so. We are grateful for their courage and the sacrifices they make, and who among us hasn’t been impacted in some way by nurses during our lifetimes?

    Fayetteville Technical Community College offers an associate degree program in nursing that has full North Carolina Board approval and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

    The ADN program is designed to be completed in four semesters. All ADN courses are offered face-to-face, up to 10 hours per week. All didactic components of the nursing (NUR) courses are eight weeks in length. The only course offered online is pharmacology. Clinicals are accomplished through one 12-hour shift per week for all courses except NUR 111 (Introduction to Health Concepts). NUR 111 clinicals consist of two 6-hour shifts twice a week. Pharmacology does not have a clinical component. The Complex Health Concepts course consists of didactic content during the first eight weeks, then students transition to the clinical component where they will complete 240 hours of clinical shifts with their assigned preceptor. Clinical sites are located in the Fayetteville, Pinehurst and Lumberton areas as well as other surrounding counties.

    There are two application cycles for students interested in applying for the associate degree nursing program at FTCC: the fall cycle from Nov. 1-Jan. 30 and the summer cycle from June 1-July 31. The TEAS test is one of the required prerequisite components, and the minimum exam score is 64%. The associate degree nursing program currently consists of eight NUR courses. The courses are NUR 111 (Introduction to Health Concepts), NUR 112 (Health-Illness Concepts), NUR 113 (Family Health Concepts), NUR 114 (Holistic Health Concepts), NUR 117 (Pharmacology), NUR 211 (Health Care Concepts), NUR 212 (Health System Concepts) and NUR 213 (Complex Health Concepts). Course work includes clinical rotations to health care facilities and labs in designated courses.

    Nursing is a challenging professional occupation that leads to many personally gratifying experiences. Nurses evaluate various conditions and administer treatment options for their patients. Nurses who successfully complete the associate degree program at Fayetteville Tech receive training to practice in dynamic situations to meet the individual needs which impact health, quality of life and achievement of potential. Course work includes and builds upon the domains of healthcare, nursing practice and the holistic individual. Content emphasizes the nurse as a member of the interdisciplinary team providing safe, individualized care while employing evidence-based practice, quality improvement and informatics. If you would like to learn more about the associate degree nursing program and competitive admissions application process, call me at 910-678-9872 or email me at sporberh@faytechcc.edu.

    Fayetteville Tech offers over 280 academic programs of study leading to the award of associate degree, certificate, or diploma. Programs fall under the categories of arts and humanities, business, computer technology, engineering/applied technology, health, math and sciences, and public service. Some programs at FTCC are available 100% online. To learn more about the programs of study at FTCC, visit www.faytechcc.edu or contact an admissions representative at admissions@faytechcc.edu. ;
     
  • Near the end of March, many local business owners were confident about 2020. Sales were up, and customer engagement was strong. Then, like a punch to the throat during a seedy roadhouse brawl, COVID-19 swept in, and everything changed. With their backs to the wall, everything to lose and no sign of a rescuer, entrepreneurs did what they do best. They took a deep breath and stepped up to face the challenge with creativity and optimism, pouring every bit of themselves into their businesses and the community. They found new opportunities and innovative ways to serve their customers. Here is how a few local businesses are handling the COVID-19 crisis.

    08 01 20181120 143753Rocket Fizz

    Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop opened four-and-a-half years ago, bringing whimsy and nostalgia to Fayetteville’s very first novelty candy store. Although it is a franchise, owners Kyle and Ann Sims and Ineke Morris created an old-timey candy store atmosphere with friendly, neighborly customer service, making every visit to their store a personal and memorable experience. Carrying candies from around the world and bygone eras, as well as more than 500 flavors of soda pop ranging from traditional to off-the-wall flavors like bacon, Rocket Fizz also stocks gifts, toys, movie posters and much more. They sell cool things, yummy things, things you can’t find anywhere else.
    When the stay-at-home orders were imposed, the trio knew their operation had to change to keep the business viable. Rocket Fizz is classified as a grocery store, so its doors have stayed open. Their first survival tactic was to apply for the government’s PPP stimulus grant. The second was to contact the Rocket Fizz franchisor and the shopping center landlord to negotiate the fees and rent for the duration of the crisis. Both were successful.

    The stimulus money from the government helped, but their location in the Marketfair Mall on Skibo Road remains a challenge. “The bulk of our business came from the movie theater next door.” Kyle said.

    And, even though the second phase of the “recovery” is underway, there is no telling when the movie theater will reopen, if ever. So, to create additional revenue streams, they implemented free delivery service and promoted online ordering. They added Shopify to their website to make online purchasing easier. They even supplemented sales by using their portable concession trailer. “We bought the concession trailer hoping to create another revenue stream,” said Ann. “It was meant for events like the Dogwood Festival and the like.”

    The Easter holiday was a Godsend for Rocket Fizz. Specialty themed Easter baskets and gift packages were a popular item and online favorite with customers. “We have made so many Easter baskets this year,” said Morris. “We had lots of orders over the phone, and we personalized every basket. People were so happy they found a place where they could get a basket for their kids. The fact that it was a rewarding sales week made us so happy.”

    While keeping their small business afloat, they continue to reach out to the community and help others where they can. “We have donated products to local first responders, health care workers at Cape Fear Valley Health System and the VA Hospital, and most recently, to both the Fayetteville City Police Dept. and County Sheriff’s Dept. in recognition of National Police Appreciation Week,” said Morris, adding that, “Ann and I love this place. We will do anything to keep this business going. It’s heartbreaking, but we aren’t going to give up.”

    Reach out to Rocket Fizz at 910-867-6032.

    08 02 IMG 04812The UPS Store

    When you see a line of people three-and-a-half city blocks long waiting patiently, you might think they are in line to purchase Jimmy Buffet concert tickets. They are not. They are patiently waiting to pack, ship, print or mail something through the UPS Store in Westwood Shopping Center, owned and managed by Steve Milburn and his wife Debbie.

    The Governor’s stay-at-home mandate has stimulated online consumer purchasing, which has increased the store’s foot traffic tremendously. Online purchases are shipped to the UPS Store where customers who have mailboxes can retrieve them. Very lenient and generously return policies also accompany online purchases. Together, they create a constant flow of traffic through the store.

    “We processed 15,000 dropoffs (returns) for Amazon last month, generating between 12,000-15,000 people through our doors,” said Steve. 

    Debbie Milburn serves as a welcoming and conscientious “safety officer” and traffic manager for the company. To her credit, she has sidewalk disks marking off 6-foot sections from their front door to the Dairy Queen. She screens the customers and allows them to do the paperwork while waiting in line. She only allows four people in the store at one time — and at the appropriate distance. Social distancing, face masks, hand sanitizer, gloves and Plexiglas shields are all a part of keeping UPS Store customers safe.

    Steve and Debbie opened the Westwood UPS Store in a 1,500-square-foot storefront in 1996. Now, they occupy a 4,800-square-foot mega-store with an additional store at Fort Bragg.

    As an essential business, the Milburns have been able to keep all their employees working. They have even hired some new staff to help keep up with the extra workflow. The Milburn staff produces the area’s much-needed social distancing signs, floor stickers, floor coverings and protective vinyl guards used on counters and at cash registers throughout the community. They do all of this in addition to their regular services of providing mailboxes, shipping and mailing services, document shredding, notary services, computer access, engraving, laminating and printing services from business cards to menus to large, corporate commercial signs, all while looking out for their customers.
    Steve noted, “We make sure our prices are the best. I know people are hurting. We offer many programs and discounts. We are all in this terrible crisis together; if there is a need, we’ll figure out a way to fill it.”

    The Milburns also donate generously to many local community civic and health organizations, schools and arts and cultural programs.
    Contact the UPS store at 910-860-1220.

    08 04 IMG 4075A Bit of Carolina

    Robin Matthews’ unique shop, A Bit of Carolina, located in downtown Fayetteville, has become a favorite destination for many in Cumberland County. It is truly a celebration of North Carolina, Southern history, traditions and hospitality.

    A Bit of Carolina is a unique specialty shop carrying native North Carolina foods and gifts as well as North Carolina and Fayetteville-specific apparel, accessories, home décor and much more. Additionally, Matthews supports other local businesses by using 80 local vendors to help stock her shelves. Robin Matthews boasts that most of the items sold in her store come from within 30 miles of Fayetteville.

    A Bit of Carolina is an “essential business” since it stocks honey and other food items like elderberry syrup — a natural cold and flu remedy.

    Additionally, three different vendors at the shop have produced a combined 2,000 masks to sell to the public. “They are affordable, and we have several varieties for people to choose from. We have such talented people here,” said Matthews.

    She was open for business, but had to rethink how she did business. “We had to change,” she said. “There were not as many people coming in, so we amped up our social media. It started with Easter baskets … now we do delivery in the city, and we offer shipping.”

    Social media and networking seemed to revitalize her business. “People call and say, ‘I need a gift for x,y,z. This is how much I want to spend.’  We give them ideas for themes and help them come up with creative gifts.” Matthews said.

    Curbside pickup has also become popular in downtown Fayetteville. “A lot of Facebook groups have members that specifically ask which stores do curbside service and have asked us to keep doing it. A lot of people with young kids can still get out and get what they need. It will also help with parking downtown.”

    Reach out to A Bit of Carolina at 910-551-6537.

    These are only three businesses of the many thousands that are surviving and prospering under these difficult economic conditions. We hope that Fayetteville, North Carolina, America and the world come out of this healthier and stronger, as we all fight to stay alive and open for business.

  •  Fayetteville and Cumberland County Community Development Departments are responding to the economic impacts being experienced by small businesses because of the coronavirus pandemic. Funding has been made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Community Development Block Grant Program. Separate projects are being administered by Fayetteville and Cumberland County Community Development Departments. Financial assistance is available from county government to small for-profit businesses with up to 10 employees at the time of application. Up to $10,000 in grant funding can be provided to for-profit businesses operating outside the city of Fayetteville in Cumberland County. Fayetteville City Council approved funding for bridge loans to help small business operations while they await approval of federal loans. The program is funded for $260,000, providing individual businesses up to $5,000. The goals of the bridge loans are to provide immediate relief so small businesses in the city of Fayetteville can stay open and limit job losses until they qualify for longer-term disaster funding from the SBA or other funding sources.

    Keep the water running

    Stay-at-home orders have changed the way our community’s people shop, eat, do business and go to school. When buildings are vacant or operate at significantly reduced capacity for an extended time, the water is left sitting in the pipes. Disease-causing microorganisms can grow, and corrosion control can be impacted. To remove stale and potentially unhealthy water in buildings, the Fayetteville Public Works Commission suggests preparations be taken to reopen properties when the time comes. The key is to flush water systems and devices. For larger buildings, a single flush isn’t enough to re-establish good water quality. Flushing should be a part of the cleaning and routine maintenance that will have to be completed before reopening.

    PWC recommends performing a final flush 24 to 48 hours before a building officially reopens. Consider the following steps when flushing your facilities: Flush all faucets (remove faucet aerators if possible) for 10 to 30 minutes, open all outlets at once to flush the service line, and then open them again, individually, beginning near where the water enters the building. Flush cold water first, then flush hot water until it reaches its maximum temperature. Follow manufacturer recommendations to flush water fountains, hot-water tanks, hot-water recirculating loops, ice makers, dishwashers, humidifiers and cooling towers.

    Veterans Affairs and hydroxychloroquine

    Facing growing criticism, the Department of Veterans Affairs said it will not stop use of an unproven malaria drug on veterans with COVID-19, but that fewer of its patients are now taking it. In responses provided to Congress and obtained by The Associated Press, the VA said it never “encouraged or discouraged” its government-run hospitals to use hydroxychloroquine on patients. Still, it acknowledged that VA Secretary Robert Wilkie had wrongly asserted publicly without evidence that the drug had been shown to benefit younger veterans. The VA also agreed more study was needed on the drug and suggested its use was now limited to extenuating circumstances. The Veterans Affairs Department declined to say how many patients had been treated with hydroxychloroquine for the coronavirus since January. Still, a recent analysis of VA hospital data showed that hundreds of veterans had taken it by early April. “Any drug used to treat patients with COVID-19, especially veterans living with debilitating preexisting conditions, must be proven safe and effective before it’s administered,” Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mt., said. “Given recent studies from both VA and other hospitals, hydroxychloroquine seems to fall short of those requirements.”

    COVID-19 treatment medication available locally

    Cape Fear Valley Medical Center will receive an allocation of remdesivir from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to aid in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The first patients received remdesivir doses last week. It’s an investigational antiviral medication that has been evaluated in clinical trials. Based on preliminary results, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization to permit the use of remdesivir for the treatment of hospitalized adults and children with severe infection. Gilead Sciences, Inc. is donating 607,000 vials of remdesivir over the next few months for use across the country. Cape Fear Valley’s allocation is based on the medical center’s percentage of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Hospitals receiving remdesivir must assess and document that patients meet specific criteria. “There are many requirements on the hospital in order to receive this therapy and our pharmacy team, providers and nurses are all excited to meet this challenge so that we can offer another life-saving treatment for COVID patients from Cumberland County and the region,” said Christopher Tart, vice president of professional services at Cape Fear Valley Health.

    Cumberland County School Superintendent honored

    The North Carolina School Superintendents’ Association and the North Carolina Alliance for School Leadership Development have announced the selection of Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr. as the recipient of the Dr. Samuel Houston Leadership Award. This award is presented to a graduate of the NCSSA Next Generation Superintendent Development Program. The program covers the essential leadership competencies of a school superintendent: visioning and goal setting, superintendent/board relationships, leading for improved teaching and learning, human resource leadership and systems leadership.

    The award is named in honor of Dr. Samuel Houston, Jr., who is president and chief executive officer of the North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center. “Dr. Connelly exemplifies the traits that have guided Dr. Sam Houston’s career in educational leadership,” said NCSSA Executive Director Jack Hoke.
    “I am humbled and honored to receive the Dr. Sam Houston Leadership Award,” said Dr. Connelly.
     
  • 06 SSGT Ronald ShurerMedal of Honor recipient and retired Special Forces medic Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer died earlier this month. The U.S. Secret Service, for whom Shurer worked since retiring from the Army in 2009, announced his death. “Today, we lost an American Hero: Husband, father, son and Medal of Honor recipient, Special Agent Ronald J. Shurer II,” the Secret Service said.

    Shurer, 41, was undergoing treatment for lung cancer at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C.

    The day before he died, he said that he would soon be taken off a ventilator, an often difficult and sometimes dangerous medical procedure. “Very upset to write this... been unconscious for a week. They are going to try and take it out in a couple of hours, they can’t tell me if it will work,” Shurer wrote in an Instagram post from his hospital bed, pictured with his wife, Miranda.

    Shurer was awarded the Medal of Honor in October 2018 for his actions as a Green Beret medic with Fort Bragg’s 3rd Special Forces Group during the Battle of Shok Valley in northeastern Afghanistan a decade earlier.

    “Ron was the embodiment of the Special Forces soldier, a dedicated husband and a loving father,” said 3rd Group commander Col. Nathan Prussian. “His heroic actions were an inspiration throughout 3rd Special Forces Group, Special Forces Regiment and the U.S. Army.”

    On April 6, 2008, a 12-man Green Beret team from Operational Detachment-Alpha 3336 were on a mission to kill a leader of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin insurgent group. The Green Berets and about 100 Afghan commandos were dropped from hovering helicopters because the icy mountainside was too steep to land on.

    The assault force faced scaling a 100-foot cliff to reach the enemy compound. But within minutes, heavy machine-gun fire and rockets rained down from enemy positions above. Shurer, then a senior medical sergeant, began to help wounded Afghan commandos. Capt. Kyle Walton, the operation’s ground commander, radioed Shurer to advance up the slope as casualties mounted. Shurer scaled the mountainside under fire. “We were pinned down with nearly nowhere to go,” Walton said.

    While treating the wounded, Shurer was hit twice — once in the arm and once by a stunning round to his helmet. Dillon Behr, one of the Green Beret soldiers who was critically wounded, credited Shurer for his survival. “Without Ron Shurer at my side, I would have died that day.”

    Shurer, a long time Fayetteville resident, last lived in suburban Washington, D.C. He regularly attended events there and in Fayetteville to help raise funds for the Special Forces Charitable Trust, a charity that supports families of Green Berets.

    Shurer’s Medal of Honor was an upgrade from an earlier Silver Star Medal he received for his actions during the gunbattle in Afghanistan. A Pentagon review determined his actions warranted the nation’s highest award for valor. The Green Berets honored for their heroism represented the largest set of citations for a single battle since the Vietnam War. After the citations were read, the then-commander of Fort Bragg’s Special Operations Command, Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland, Jr., stated, “There is no finer fighting man on the face of the earth than the American soldier. And there is no finer American soldier than our Green Berets. If you saw what you heard today in a movie, you would shake your head and say, that didn’t happen, but it does, every day.”

  • 08 luann hunt rtVCdQBrsUw unsplashThe Fayetteville Public Works Commission’s  2019 Water Quality Report provides customers with the results of annual testing the utility is required to perform. The PWC report   says, “we don’t test our water just because we have to — it’s part of our unparalleled commitment to provide... the highest quality drinking water that meets and surpasses standard requirements.”

    PWC is a charter member of the National Partnership for Safe Water and was the first utility in North Carolina to earn the Environmental Protection Agency Director’s Award for its efforts to provide clean, safe drinking water. PWC’s two water treatment plants use advanced technology to process the water. 

    In 2018, Public Works treated 9.1 billion gallons of water. One hundred eighteen elements and contaminants regulated by the EPA are tested. PWC meets or surpasses the standard requirements annually. PWC understands that news reports about 1,4-Dioxane have caused concerns about the safety of the drinking water. 1,4-Dioxane has been detected in the Cape Fear River, which is the community’s primary source of water. The Environmental Protection Agency has no standards for 1,4-Dioxane and has not issued regulated safe limits.

    Unregulated synthetic or naturally occurring chemicals that are not commonly monitored by water utilities are termed contaminants of emerging concern.

    Some of these contaminants can be detected at extremely low levels in the environment by continuous laboratory and analytical methods. The health significance of these trace contaminants is ordinarily under review and the subject of further study and research.  An example of an unregulated contaminant of emerging concern is GenX or perfluorinated chemicals. Testing detected these chemicals in Fayetteville’s water supply. However, PWC’s water is below the health advisory levels for PFOS that have been established by the EPA.

    The fact that a substance has been detected doesn’t necessarily mean it’s harmful to humans. For immediate concerns, the EPA would issue a health advisory based on the best available studies about the health effects of the unregulated chemical. Health advisories provide information on contaminants that can cause human health effects and are known or anticipated to occur in drinking water. EPA’s health advisories provide technical information to states, agencies and public health officials.

    Fayetteville PWC is working to stay ahead of the science. With modern laboratory methods, these substances can be measured at parts per trillion concentrations.  For comparison, one part per trillion is approximately the equivalent of one drop of water in 10 million gallons. PWC reports the results of regulatory testing and unregulated contaminant monitoring in its annual water quality report, which provides a summary of water system operations and water quality management throughout the water system. Visit www.faypwc.com/water-quality-report to view the 2019 PWC report.

  • 07 01 N2004P70028CLocal businesses looking for ways to bridge the gap while wait for approval on federal loans have a friend in the city. On May 11, Fayetteville City Council approved $260,000 in funding and began accepting applications on May 12.

    “We know businesses are facing some extreme challenges right now and understand the hardships they are facing,” said Kathy Jensen, mayor pro tem, chairwomen of the Council’s Business Taskforce and a local business owner. “These loans are designed to help businesses quickly and easily, providing a short term financial fix until applicable federal dollars kick in.”

     Applications are accepted online through CEED’s website at www.ncceed.org. Applicants can call them as well at 910-323-3377. CEED, acting as a clearinghouse for the city, will work with small businesses in the community that need help during this time. CEED will process the applications and underwrite and fund the loans using standardized guidelines in a consistent and expeditious fashion to get the money to qualified businesses as quickly
    as possible.

    Once a business submits all the required information and CEED reviews the packet for completeness, the packet will be reviewed by a committee of local small businesses and city staff to determine loan approval or denial. It is expected that once the loan is approved, it will take up to three days to disburse funds.

    The city of Fayetteville also offers grant programs for businesses funded through Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which is a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program. Contact the Economic & Community Development department for details at 910-433-1590 or CommEconDev@ci.fay.nc.us.

     

    07 02 stormHurricane preparedness week

    It’s time to prepare for the 2020 hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. During this time, families are urged to develop emergency plans, update emergency supplies and review homeowner and renters’ insurance policies. This year, it’s important to consider how COVID-19 might alter typical plans during hurricane season. The North Carolina Department of Transportation reminds drivers that after a hurricane or severe storm, they should always pay attention to lane and road closures and never go around a barricade. Go to the department’s website for information on storm preparation, potential evacuation details and live, up-to-date traffic information. The state continues to update its website for people seeking the latest information about the pandemic. You can find information about protecting your health, applying for unemployment and many other topics related to COVID-19.  For more information, contact the NCDOT Communications Office at 919-707-2660.

    07 03 Hair stylingHair stylists at FTCC depend on videos

    Students in an advanced hair-styling class at Fayetteville Technical Community College haven’t been able to meet in person since late March but completed their final exam with a group video in which they demonstrated the skills they had learned. In challenge videos, people film quick snippets of themselves. It is a perfect vehicle for the students in Juanita Williams’ Contemporary Hair Design course. In the past, Williams said, her final exam required students to do a “Total Look” photo shoot with a live model. The students had to demonstrate their hair and makeup skills and compose the model’s outfit. An FTCC photographer would help them pull off the complete experience.

    This year, though, Covid-19 forced the class to move online in mid-March. Eight students took before and after videos of themselves in their homes, showing off the techniques they had learned.

    Val Cruchon, one of the students, took each submission and compiled them into a single video. All eight students in the video received As. Two other students, who weren’t able to participate, will be given other projects so they can complete the course. “Having a good time creating and getting an A for doing it doesn’t get any better for a college student in the midst of a pandemic,” she said in an email.

    Williams had a good time, too. “I love what I do,” she said.

    07 04 HydoxychloroquineThe VA and hydroxychloroquine 

    Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie is defending the use of an unproven drug on veterans for the coronavirus, insisting they were never used as “test subjects” but given the treatment only when medically appropriate. In a letter and call with major veterans’ organizations, Wilkie said the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was being administered in government-run Veterans Affairs hospitals to virus-stricken patients only in conjunction with a physician’s advice. Wilkie declined to say how widely the drug was being used for COVID-19 and whether the department had issued broad guidance on the use of the drug, which has been heavily touted by President Trump, without scientific evidence.

    Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, said the VA needs to provide Congress more information about a recent bulk order for $208,000 worth of hydroxychloroquine. The Food and Drug Administration has warned doctors against prescribing the drug for COVID-19 outside hospitals because of the risks of serious side effects and death.

    07 05 purple starLOGOcenteredMilitary-friendly schools

    The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction recently released the names of its 2020 Purple Star Award winners. North Carolina awards the Purple Star designation to schools that demonstrate military-friendly practices and a commitment to military students and families. “This designation informs military families that these schools are military friendly, taking additional measures to ensure their child’s transition and time spent in Cumberland County Schools takes their special circumstances like PCS moves, deployments, separation from extended family, etc., into consideration,” said CCS Military Family & Youth Liaison Joseph Peek.

    The following Cumberland County schools were award recipients: Seventy-First High School, Jack Britt High School, J.W. Coon Elementary School, Cape Fear High School, Cumberland International Early College High School, Cumberland Polytechnic High School, Douglas Byrd High School,  Douglas Byrd Middle School, Eastover-Central Elementary School, E.E. Smith High School, Gray’s Creek Middle School, Mac Williams Middle School, Pine Forest High School, South View High School, South View Middle School, Spring Lake Middle School, Terry Sanford High School, Westarea Elementary School, Westover High School and Westover Middle School.

  • 06 N1203P38009CCape Fear Valley Health System’s Emergency Departments at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Hoke Hospital and Bladen County Hospital are now allowing one care companion to accompany patients once they are placed in private treatment rooms. In each instance, the patient should bring a care companion who is knowledgeable regarding the patient’s personal health information. He or she must also be willing to stay with the patient during the entire Emergency Department visit.

    To ensure social distancing measures are followed, only patients are allowed in the waiting room. Care companions are asked to wait in their cars until the patients are settled into treatment rooms. To protect staff and patients from the risk of COVID-19, patients and care companions will be required to wear face masks during their stay in the E.R.

    Patients going to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center for surgery may also have one care companion. He or she must wear a mask and will remain in the surgery waiting room for the patient. If he or she must leave for any reason, he or she will need to give waiting room personnel a phone number to be called when the patient is ready for discharge. Patients having short-stay surgeries may also have care companions who may join the patients in Phase II Recovery. Care companions are screened for fever and asked whether they have recently traveled to known hot spots.

    General visitor restrictions remain in place at all Cape Fear Valley Health System locations, including hospitals and outpatient clinics, with the following exceptions:

    • Laboring mothers may have one support person/coach for the duration of their stay. If the support person leaves the premises for any reason, he or she will not be allowed back into the building.
    • Legal minors may have one parent or guardian with them.
    • Patients who need health care decision makers or require communication assistance may have one assistant with them.
    • End-of-life patients will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine the appropriate number of visitors.

    Cape Fear Valley is a 950-bed health system serving a region of more than 800,000 people in Southeastern North Carolina. The not-for-profit system is the state’s eighth-largest health care system and is made up of 7,000 team members and 850 physicians, eight hospitals and more than 60 primary care and specialty clinics. Cape Fear Valley Health offers residencies in emergency medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, psychiatry, general surgery, and transitional internships in affiliation with the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine at Campbell University. Visit www.CapeFearValley.com for more information.

  • 10 N2006P15014CAs the diagnosis of childhood communication disorders increases, the demand for speech-language pathology assistants is on the rise. A speech language pathology assistant is a person who assists a licensed speech language pathologist in a variety of areas including conducting screenings, implementing therapy in the areas of receptive and expressive language, articulation, fluency, augmentative and alternative communication, and oral motor skills. Other responsibilities include preparing materials for therapy, scheduling patients for therapy and maintaining files and equipment, to name a few. Fayetteville Technical Community College is helping to fill the gap in the community by continuing its two-year associate degree program in speech-language pathology assisting.

    The SLPA program is an allied health profession that offers a great balance between healthcare professional and educator. Students who complete the two-year competitive health program graduate with an associate degree in applied science in speech-language pathology assisting and are equipped with the tools necessary to engage in evidence-based practices necessary to meet the needs of people with communication disorders and other exceptionalities. Graduates must take and pass the N.C. Registration Exam for speech-language pathology assistants to practice in the state of North Carolina. FTCC is proud to have maintained such a robust program since its inception in 1997.

    Effective late 2020, for the first time in history, graduates will have the opportunity to gain national recognition through the American Speech-Language and Hearing Certification Program. National recognition will offer a special distinction that will set graduates apart and inform employers that they are highly qualified and committed to professional excellence.

    It is the aspiration of professionals in the field of speech-language pathology to positively influence the most powerful tool offered to mankind — communication. If you are ready to take this journey, we invite you to join us.Fayetteville Technical Community College offers over 280 academic programs of study leading to the award of associate degree, certificate or diploma. These programs fall under the major subject areas of arts and humanities, business, computer technology, engineering/applied technology, health, math and sciences, and public service. For information about health programs of study, contact an admissions professional specializing in health programs at healthproadmissions@faytechcc.edu. For information about other program areas, contact admissions@faytechcc.edu, visit our website at www.faytechcc.edu, or call us at 910-678-8400. Registration is under way for summer I, summer II and fall classes. If you’ve been thinking of pursuing the career you’ve dreamed about, now is the time to take that first step. Fayetteville Technical Community College — the smart choice for education — can help you get there.

     For more information on Fayetteville Technical Community College’s speech-language pathology assistant program, please contact me, Charisse Gainey, department chairperson, at
    910-678-8492 or gaineyc@faytechcc.edu.

  • 08 02 falconwithsignA federal legislation passed in 2018 that impacts child welfare funding and programs is gradually being rolled out across the United States and is due to be implemented in North Carolina by the fall of 2021. Local organizations are working with state legislature to figure out what that will mean for Cumberland County’s group homes. 

    The Family First Prevention Services Act seeks to prevent children from having to leave their homes. To accomplish this goal, the legislation will allocate more money toward counseling agencies, Department of Social Services programs and other various avenues that try to keep families together. In so doing, the money that is needed to fund these causes will be taken from group homes.

    “(The federal government) gave states the latitude to implement (the bill)  a year or two years later,” explained Joseph Leggett, CEO of Falcon Children’s Home and Family Services. “North Carolina has decided they will implement it by the fall of 2021.”

    While the intention of keeping children with their families is well-meaning, it isn’t an ideal solution for every child. Part of the reason that group homes are so important in N.C. is because they are where children go when they don’t have anywhere else to be placed.

     “A child doesn’t come to a children’s home first unless there’s nowhere else for them to go,” Leggett said.

     “When they take a child from home, they try to find relatives first. If they can’t find relatives, they even try to find friends they can approve. If they can’t find friends, they’ll try to put them in a foster home. It’s only after they’ve gone through that that (the kids will be put in) group homes … There are more kids in foster homes than there are in group homes, so we aren’t talking about a large amount of money there.”

    Leggett said the legislation has good components to it, but he wants to make sure that Falcon does its part to do what’s best for the children in the community.

    “We aren’t against children staying at home. It would be our wish that every child could stay at home and no child would ever need Falcon Children’s Home, but that’s just not reality,” Leggett explained.

    Thankfully, the state is supportive of residential care. The hope is that, although federal funding for group homes will be cut substantially, the state will pick up those additional costs. Although Leggett doubts that group homes will get dollar-for-dollar what they were receiving before, he believes they could survive off of less if they have to, even if that means having to cut down some programs.

    “We aren’t doing this to keep our share of funds or to keep our children here,” Leggett said. “We’re doing this because after 100-something years, we know that for whatever reason, some children can not stay at home. And, we are a viable and productive part of helping children get past that and become important citizens in the community and the surrounding area … This is us saying, ‘We support anything that helps the child. … We want to be part of the solution.’”

    The  home is working with a lobbying group called Benchmarks, which is “a nonprofit association of provider agencies advocating for quality and accountability among human service providers so that North Carolina’s children, adults and families can realize their full potential, contribute to their communities and live healthy lives,” according to its website. In addition to having quarterly meetings with the organization, Falcon is working with child advocacy groups and the Cumberland County Department of Social Services to gather information about the implementation of the legislation.

    Advocating for group homes as the Family First Prevention Services Act goes into effect and learning about the good that they do can be done in a multitude of ways. Here are just a few:

    Talk to local legislators. Call them or email them and explain how group homes are vital to the well-being of children across the county and state. Leggett said many elected officials are not as educated as they should be about the potential impact of the Family First Prevention Services Act. Additionally, group homes across N.C. are accredited in addition to being licensed by the state.They bring in billions of dollars in chartitable giving  every year to the state budget. If group homes close down, the state will lose billions of dollars and the state will have to pick up those child welfare costs.

    Ask for a tour of Falcon or another group home you’d like to support and learn about what they do.

    Donate, donate, donate. Monthly financial contributions, fundraisers for Falcon, gifts of land that they can utilize or sell for money, or donations of commodities are more helpful than ever before.

    Ask about volunteer opportunities.

    Visit https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/253/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22family%20first%20prevention%20services%20act%22%5D%7D&r=1 to read the Family First Prevention Services Act. Visit https://www.falconchildrenshome.com/ to learn more about Falcon Children’s Home and Family Services.

  • Legendary World War II paratrooper Lt. Col. James “Maggie” Megellas, one of the 82nd Airborne Division’s original “Devils in Baggy Pants,” died April 2 at his home in Colleyville, Texas. Megellas died three weeks after celebrating his 103rd birthday. His death was announced by the 82nd Airborne Division in a Facebook post on April 3 that said, in part, “This loss will be felt by us all. Remember, Paratroopers never die, they just slip away.”

    Widely written about and portrayed in movies, Megellas’ wartime heroics occurred when he was a platoon leader in Company H, 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment during World War II. In several combat engagements, he earned the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts, making him the most decorated officer in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division.

    He was first wounded in action in Italy in the mountains above Naples. He also jumped into the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden, made the crossing of the Waal River near Nijmegen and served in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. He often told the story of his unit and its crossing of the Waal River in rowboats, a scene that is portrayed in the 1977 classic film “A Bridge Too Far.” Discharged from the Army as a captain, Megellas continued serving in the Army Reserve and retired as a lieutenant colonel, according to his biography.

    Fayetteville Technical Community College remembers Sen. Rand

    FTCC was likely the community’s biggest benefactor of the late Tony Rand’s many legislative accomplishments. The former North Carolina Senate Majority Leader was a tremendous friend to the college and all aspects of public education, said FTCC President Larry Keen. 

    The college student center is named for Rand, who died late last month at the age of 80.

    “A giant in our community has been lost,” said Keen. “No one had more compassion for our diverse population than Tony Rand.”

    He represented Cumberland County for more than two decades in the Senate. Rand served on the FTCC Foundation’s board of directors for 16 years, from 1992 to 2008, and in 2003 was the first person to be named an honorary trustee of the college. In 2004, because of his leadership and financial support, FTCC was able to build and renovate its campus facilities, including the student center, the Center for Business and Industry, the Continuing Education Center, the Health Technologies Center, the Advanced Technology Center and the Early Childhood Education Center. Keen also noted that the senator’s leadership was key in the passage of a 2000 bond referendum for higher education, which provided FTCC with more than $38 million. That money was used to open an FTCC location in Spring Lake and build the Virtual College Center and the Horticulture Technology Center.

    Rand was influential in the establishment of the North Carolina Military Business Center and making sure it was part of the community college system, with headquarters at FTCC, said Scott Dorney, the center’s executive director.

    Face coverings have become necessary
    for some

    Cape Fear Valley Health System patients and Cumberland County Courthouse visitors must bring their own face masks when receiving care at the hospital or responding to courthouse needs to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Cape Fear Valley recently made it mandatory for staff to wear face coverings in hallways, meeting rooms and shared workplaces. The updates were implemented as a result of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised infection prevention recommendations. Approximately 50% of people who are spreading the coronavirus have no symptoms, and half of them never develop symptoms.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all patients, health care personnel and visitors wear cloth face coverings over their mouths and noses to contain their respiratory droplets. This decreases the likelihood of anyone with unrecognized COVID-19 infection exposing others. Local churches and businesses have donated cloth masks, personal protective equipment and supplies to Cape Fear Valley Health in recent weeks.

    Masks should be worn when visiting any Cape Fear Valley hospital, clinic or outpatient facility.

     Airborne & Special Operations Museum support encouraged

    The Airborne & Special Operations Museum’s doors are closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but researching and documenting artifacts, providing social media content and preparing to reopen the museum by early summer has kept the staff and supporters busy. Since 2000, ASOM has chronicled important battles and heroic achievements from times past, building a solid foundation of airborne and green beret combat. “This place gave me goose bumps,” said one visitor.

    “That’s why planning now for the future has never been more important to our entire team,” said
    Renee Lane, executive director of the museum’s foundation.

    Lane said donations help staff and volunteers to continue engaging and inspiring visitors and educating 12,000 students every year. “Every dollar benefits those who walk through our doors and experiences history,” Lane said.

    The downtown Fayetteville world-class institution is one of the few military museums built and operated off reservation grounds.

    Meals for local school children continue to be available

    All Cumberland County Public School meal sites, including bus routes, have been modified to a three-day weekly operation. Meals are now being distributed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, children will receive two days of meals that include frozen entrees with heating instructions. Altogether, five days of breakfast and lunch meals will continue to be provided. The Douglas Byrd Middle School has resumed serving meals. Cumberland County Schools closed that site for two weeks after a worker tested positive for COVID-19. Visit http://bit.ly/mealpickup for more information about meal service distribution.

  • 08 FFD E 15 2A recent house fire nearly claimed the life of the resident at his home on Brockwood Street in Cliffdale West. The man, whose name is being withheld, told authorities he was overcome by smoke. Fortunately, a neighbor heard a smoke alarm and saw smoke billowing from the eaves of the roof and called 9-1-1. Fayetteville Fire Department units responded to the alarm.

    Engine 15 was the first to arrive. Captain Shane Flack confirmed with communications that there was a working fire. Engine 11 and Rescue 2 were on the way, but additional units were dispatched. Battalion Chief Jason Davis said the house was locked with no indication that anyone was home.

    As Engine 11 and Rescue 2 arrived, Lt. Beau Culbreth and firefighter Joey Regenhardt forced entry into the house and found the resident unresponsive in the foyer. They pulled the victim out of the house as Firefighters David Cosme-Reyes and Jeremiah Williams advanced a hose line inside to extinguish the fire while also searching for other victims. Captain L.B. Herndon, Lt. Culbreth and firefighter Stacy Ritchie began first aid treatment in the front yard.

    The crews inside quickly got the fire under control and completed a search of the entire house. No other victims were found inside. The resident “told us that he had put a pan on the stove to heat up. He left it unattended … and lost track of time,” Battalion Chief Davis said. “When he realized there was smoke in the house, he found the fire too far advanced to put out.”

    He was overcome by the smoke on his way to the front door.

    Additional fire department crews that arrived rotated in to relieve their colleagues and ensure that the fire was out. Meanwhile, the home occupant regained consciousness and was able to explain what happened leading up to the incident. “A lead medic from Cape Fear Valley EMS arrived and took over primary patient care, assisted by our personnel,” Davis added.

    Davis said the fire crews that responded to the fire performed exactly as they have been trained. “Thankfully, we were called early enough to make a difference.”

    Unfortunately, this was another fire started by unattended cooking. “Nearly half the house fires we respond to are the result of unattended cooking, and we average a little over one building fire a day,” Davis said.

    Seven thousand people are injured in kitchen fires each year in the U.S., and that doesn’t include those who are killed, according to the Fire Safety Advice Center. The kitchen is the single most dangerous place in the home. Time and again, the same problem causes many fires — unattended cooking.

    The most important point about cooking is to avoid being distracted. If called away by the phone or by someone at the door, take pans off the heat. It’s easy to forget about them. Turn saucepan handles so they don’t stick out where they can accidentally be knocked over and make sure they aren’t over another stove element. Oven gloves and towels should not be left on the stove after they’ve been used.

    By exercising caution, the risk of a kitchen fire can be eliminated. But if a fire does flare up, occupants need to be prepared. Officials say not to fight the fire but leave the scene, call 9-1-1 for help, and let the fire department control the fire.

  • 07 01 Iraq US EmbassyParatroopers who rapidly deployed to the Middle East at the beginning of the year in response to growing tensions with Iran have gotten the green light to come back home.

    “I’m excited to tell you that their redeploy-ment has been approved, and they will begin their journey home in the next several weeks,” said Maj. Gen. James Mingus, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, in a message posted on Twitter.

    “The paratroopers and our families have had a historic deployment,” Col. Andrew Saslav, the brigade commander, said in a Facebook video. Seven hundred fifty soldiers with the Immediate Response Force started deploying New Year’s Eve in response to an attack on the American embassy in Baghdad. All tolled, 3,500 paratroopers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team deployed at the beginning of the year. Near the end of February, 800 of them had returned to Fort Bragg, but because of continued tensions in the region, the rest of the brigade had been unable to. Mingus’ message said that soldiers would need to quarantine for 14 days upon returning home. No paratroopers have tested positive for COVID-19. He added that soldiers would be able to quarantine at home.

    07 02 I 295 FutureLocal highway construction delayed

    The North Carolina Department of Transpor-tation is pumping the brakes on major pro-jects in the year ahead. A news release from DOT states that as people across North Carolina take measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, traffic volumes and car sales have plummeted, causing a $300 million budget shortfall this fiscal year, which ends June 30. Because NCDOT revenue is fully funded through the Motor Fuels Tax, Highway Use Tax and DMV fees, all but about 50 major projects scheduled to start in the next 12 months are being delayed, the release said. A segment of the future I-295 in Cumberland County from Raeford Road to Camden Road, which is not yet under contract, has been delayed until August 2022. An I-95 eight-lane widening project in Harnett and Johnston counties has been delayed until July of next year. DOT spokesman Andrew Barksdale said the proposed interstate widening project through Fayetteville will not be delayed.

    “That particular contract will not change, no work is suspended. We’ll continue to fund it,” he said.

    The Raeford Road median project and road-way upgrade has been delayed until February 2022.

    07 03 Microfiber Untitled design The Army solves the face protection issue

    Four-ply microfiber cloth is the best material to use for homemade face coverings to protect against COVID-19. Army researchers at the service’s Chemical Biological Center said in a news release that microfiber cloth filters out 75% of problem-causing particles. The material can be found in the cleaning sections of most big stores. The N-95 mask is able to filter out 90% of particles, the Army said.

    “The challenge is to pick a material that effectively blocks the virus particles from going through the material while not being too hard to breathe through,” said David Caretti, chief of the Chemical Biological Center’s protection and decontamination division. 

    Researchers determined microfiber does well after testing more than 50 materials. Salt particles used to test the filter were about the same size as coronavirus microns.

    07 04 telemedicine devicesHospital system wins $50K grant

    Cape Fear Valley Health System’s Medical Foundation has received a $50,386 grant from Truist Financial Corporation to buy telemedicine equipment needed to help treat COVID-19 patients. The grant is part of the financial service company’s Truist Cares initiative. The firm announced a $25 million philanthropic pledge in March to support basic needs, medical supplies and financial hardship relief due to COVID-19. The new telemedicine equipment will allow the Cape Fear Valley Health System’s hospitals and outpatient clinics to provide remote patient health assessments and care.

    “Telemedicine has become essential in reaching all of our patients at a time when we have to adjust the way we care for people,” Cape Fear Valley CEO Mike Nagowski said.

    “Hospitals and health systems are having to rethink their approach to patient care during this challenging time,” said Phil Marion, Eastern North Carolina regional president for Truist. “Cape Fear Valley is delivering critical services to more members of our community through telemedicine, and we are proud to support them in this effort.”

    07 05 s l400Twenty-year-old cold case solved

    The Fayetteville Police Department’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit have arrested two men in connection with a rape which occurred in February 1990. Jack Blackwell, Sr., 59, of Fayetteville and Bruce Wayne Miller, 56, of Spring Lake have been charged with first-degree rape and common law robbery.

    The victim told police she was staying at a local motel in the 2300 block of Gillespie St. and was sexually assaulted and robbed of her belongings. Blackwell has been jailed under $50,000 secured bond. Miller is incarcerated in at the Federal Correctional Institution in Sumterville, Florida, on charges stemming from the robbery of a convenience store. The initial 1990 investigation went unsolved, but the rape kit from this case was recently tested.

    A Federal Bureau of Justice Assistance grant has funded updates of older investigations, and Blackwell was identified as a suspect. City police encourage anyone with information concerning a sexual assault case to contact the Fayetteville Police Department’s Special Victim’s Unit at 910-433-1851 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).  

  • 14JimJonesOn June 29, 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, making medians part of the American highway landscape. The bill created a 41,000-mile “National System of Interstate and Defense Highways” that would, according to Eisenhower, eliminate unsafe roads, inefficient routes, traffic jams and all the other things that got in the way of “speedy, safe transcontinental travel.” 

    Today, you only have to drive a few miles to know that Fayetteville is taking road medians to a new level. These medians are still under construction, which means these areas are dangerous to everyone — particularly motorcyclists.  

    Road construction demands orange cones, barrels, debris and drivers making sudden stops. I was on Bragg Boulevard the other day and within seconds, a cone was out into the lane. A police car was there attending an accident, because someone rear-ended the car in front of them while making a left-hand turn. Combine all of this with large machines kicking up asphalt, and you’ve got a recipe for a motorcycle danger zone.   

    As good motorcyclists, we have to pay attention to our surroundings. We know we have a limited time to react when an event happens. As riders, we have one goal in order to stay safe: maintain the space around us. 

    In order get that space, we must be ready to be able to stop and stop suddenly. It is important to note that many modern motorcycles have Anti-lock Brake System. Based on information from wheel speed sensors, the ABS unit adjusts the pressure of the brake fluid in order to keep traction and avoid fall downs (e.g. maintain deceleration). On bikes without ABS, riders must use their skills to provide balance between the front and back brakes. 

    How long does it take to stop? Reaction times depend on two major factors: the bike and the rider. 

    It takes an alert, experienced rider a little less than a second to process the situation. To be a little more precise, it takes about 0.7 seconds with good brakes, good tires, a smooth surface and a dry road to maximize your braking distance. This is assuming that the motorcyclist has their hands over the front brake and the foot in the ready position to press down on the rear brake. For a less experienced motorcyclist, it can take from 1.0 to 1.5 seconds to react — if they react at all. 

    Let’s say it takes 1.25 seconds before you react to danger. Going 40 mph, it can take 74 feet just to react. At 40 mph, under good conditions, it can take another 2.15 seconds to go from 40 mph to a stop. That is a traveling distance of 62 feet to stop. This is a total of 136 feet for a total of 3.75 seconds to come to a stop. 

    In normal traffic, we are taught to stay at least two seconds behind the vehicle in front of you. This means you have a 1.75 second gap, and you will hit whatever it is that you are trying to avoid. 

    If you can’t avoid crashing, what do you do? Some suggest standing up and leaping in hopes hope you can fly over the obstacle. Others say to lay the bike down and slide towards the obstacle. Either way, you still have to contend with speed, force and the impact of the ground, and then possibly the obstacle. 

    Somewhere, your body will have to absorb the impact. The best thing to do is to avoid this situation all together, but if you are going to crash, you still have time lay on the brakes and let technology continue to slow you down. It is better to hit at something 5 mph than 25 mph. 

    If you have been reading my articles for any time, you know I am a big believer in riding with the proper riding gear: DOT full face helmet, eye protection, motorcycle jacket, motorcycle pants, boots and gloves. If you do hit, you will thank me for the reminder. 

    Stay safe and keep the rubber down. If there is a topic that you would like to discuss you can contact me at motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE!

  • 13WCLN1Envy isn't always a bad thing. My father died when I was just 22 years old. Our first child was just a

    year old, and though we have a picture or two of them together, he can't say he ever knew him. The man my son and our two other children grew up calling Grandpa was Bill Harris.

    Bill was a welder. He worked at a company in Wichita, Kansas, that built rides for carnivals and amusement parks. We could be at a village festival in Germany, a theme park in California or a carnival in North Carolina, and Bill could point out a ride and tell you more about it than the operators. 

    He would readily admit that he was just one part of the process, but that never put a damper on his pride in the work the team collectively accomplished. That's what I envied about him: his ability to give credit where it was due; his knack for letting others be admired.

    Before he passed away, I flew out to Wichita to spend a week with him learning the art of wood turning. He was an amazing craftsman, and our family has plenty of items in and around our homes to attest to his penchant for quality.

    I think about Bill a lot. As time passes, my memories are filled with his pride in workmanship, and I wonder how many of us take the opportunity to appreciate seeing others enjoy what we do for a living, or as a hobby, for that matter. It's easy to clock in, do the work and go home at the end of the day, never seeing yourself as an important part of the bigger picture, but we all are. Regardless of your position in your job — whether as the CEO of a large firm, the person who cleans the floors in a school building, or the one who makes lunches as a stay-at-home mom or dad — you are part of a bigger picture. And every part matters.

    I’m reminded of where it says in the Bible, “...for the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?”

    So whatever it is you do, do it well. You can flourish and be full of joy in knowing you are part of something bigger. With Bill, there have been hundreds of thousands of people who entered and safely exited amusement rides and never knew whom to thank for how much they enjoyed themselves. 

    And just like Bill, there are people counting on you to do a great job today, and whether it's today or twenty years from now, many of them will never know your name, but they'll be thankful nonetheless.

    Photo: Dan DeBruler, Dorothy DeBruler, Jolene Harris and Bill Harris

  • 04GraduationGraduation exercises occurred all over the country in May and early June. Several million high school students completed high school. For them it was the culmination of 12 years of schooling. Hundreds of thousands of others graduated from colleges and universities. Their degrees represent years of hard work, sacrifice on their part and often sacrifice on the part of others.

    Regardless if it was a high school diploma or a degree from a university, graduation marks the completion of a prescribed program of study. It also means the graduates are transitioning to the next phase of their lives. Carolina College of Biblical Studies recently celebrated its 40th commencement with 30 men and women earning degrees. 

    The degrees earned were varied. They included Associates and Bachelors of Arts degrees in Biblical Studies as well as Associates and Bachelors of Arts degrees in Leadership and Ministry. 

    Additionally, several students received one of the six minors CCBS offers, which are in Pastoral Ministries, Biblical Languages, Apologetics, Christian Education, Biblical Counseling and Intercultural Studies.

    Rightly, we celebrate our graduates’ accomplishments. They persevered through a rigorous course of study and most have many other responsibilities such as family, work and ministry in their local church. Now that they have graduated, we cheer them on to lead and/or launch healthy ministries worldwide. A few of this year’s CCBS class of 2017 include:

    A military wife stationed, along with her husband and children, in a country in Europe. Through CCBS’s online degree programs, she began and completed her degree without ever having been to our Fayetteville campus. God will continue to use her as she ministers to her family and to other military personnel and people in her community far from North Carolina.

    A young pastor from the Sanford area. He leads a healthy growing Hispanic congregation in Lee County. His congregation often partners with other churches in that area to ensure that others who have not heard the good news of Jesus’s offer of life have an opportunity to hear the life changing message.

    A seasoned pastor who, before enrolling at CCBS, had no formal theological training. Sensing a need to fill this void, he enrolled at CCBS while simultaneously launching a new church as well as volunteering to be a chaplain for a local high school football team. He persevered and is now one of our
    newest graduates.

    These are only three of our recent graduates. There are 27 others in this year’s graduating class. Each one has a unique story and set of circumstances. 

    Yet in some ways, they all share at least two things in common. A few years ago, they all sensed the need for a biblical education and their personal need to know God better and God’s word, the Bible, more thoroughly.

    The other thing they all have in common? They all, despite challenges, refused to quit. They tenaciously did the work and now have finished their course
    of study. 

    Perhaps it’s time for you to begin the enrollment process too? All 30 of these men and women did and now are graduates.  

  • 03JakeDeaneditOn Monday, America will pause to honor and remember the patriotic men and women who sacrificed their lives in support of our liberty.  Here in North Carolina, more than 11,000 men and women gave their lives in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.  

    As we remember the fallen and thank the veterans in our community, I am also humbled and grateful to meet the next generation of American heroes who are volunteering to defend America.  

    So far this academic year, 17 students from North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District have received prestigious appointments to West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

    • Jake Dean of Waxhaw received a rare double-appointment to both West Point and the U.S. Air Force Academy.  He has always dreamed of serving his country, and now he’ll face a tough choice between two outstanding opportunities.

    •  Luke Johnson of Charlotte received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.  He ranks near the top of his class, displays tremendous leadership and excels in calculus.

    • Caroline Horne of Weddington launched two charities, served in student government and was captain of the soccer team. This fall, she’ll be a West Point cadet.

    • Erin McCullagh of Charlotte attended a U.S. Naval Academy swim camp in elementary school and never forgot their culture of respect.  She’ll join them in Annapolis this fall.

    • Nick Derrico of Charlotte received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, which he’s dreamed of attending since he was nine.

    • Will Kern of Waxhaw spent the past four years watching his brother face the many challenges of cadet life at the U.S. Air Force Academy and was never deterred. He now has his own appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

    • Sumi Vijayakuma, a high school student from Matthews who also serves as a Physics Teaching Assistant at the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics, received a prestigious appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.

    • Coby Kurtz of Waxhaw, who founded a high school designated driver group to combat drunk driving, received an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

    • Sam McGee of Charlotte always felt “safe and secure thanks to the United States military” and wants to give back. He received an appointment to West Point.

    • Manny Riolo of Charlotte will follow his Marine Corps grandfather, Navy grandfather and Air Force father with his appointment to the U.S. Air
    Force Academy.

    • Stephen Harold of Waxhaw will follow his father, brother, grandparents, uncles and aunts into a life of military service. He received an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

    • Coleman Johnson of Waxhaw has a life goal of doing everything within his power to preserve America for the next generation.  He received an appointment to West Point.

    • Elizabeth White of Charlotte received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.  She has demonstrated a passion for helping those around her improve and succeed.

    • Quinn Schneider is an Eagle Scout from Cornelius, a member of the Civil Air Patrol, and a Black Diamond-level snow skier.  He received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.

    • Eyan Bowers of Mooresville received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.  His ambition is “to serve this country I know and love.”

    • Luke Miller, a varsity wide receiver from Mooresville, has learned the importance of teamwork and hopes to apply those lessons as a military officer. He received an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

    • Lelyand Cathey of Matthews has persevered.  When he didn’t receive a nomination in 2016, he worked hard to further prepare himself, culminating in this year’s appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

    One of the best parts of my job is helping outstanding local students achieve their dream of attending a U.S. Service Academy. These are dreams that involve immense sacrifice, as students are committing at least nine years of their lives in defense of our freedom and way of life.  

    In April, more than 300 local students, parents and teachers participated in “Service Academy Days” I hosted in Charlotte and Fayetteville. If you missed the events and would like to learn more about the rigorous nomination process, please call my Charlotte office at 704-362-1060.

    To the families of those who died in service to our nation, we extend our deepest sympathy and gratitude. To the veterans who served, we extend sincere appreciation and an offer to assist you with issues involving the VA. To the students entering U.S. Service Academies or enlisting, we say thank you and congratulations.

    Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09) is Chairman of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit Finance, and serves on the House Financial Services Committee, with a special focus on supporting small businesses, community banks, and credit unions.

    Photo: Jake Dean of Waxhaw received a rare double-appointment to both West Point and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

  • 02MargaretI was amused last fall when a friend shared plans for her family’s Thanksgiving dinner.

    Hers is an eastern North Carolina clan, with growing ranks of young adults who are recent college graduates and who see the world in terms of diversity, openness and helping others reach their potential. Couple that with a platoon of older relatives — aka grumpy old white guys — who voted to “Make America Great Again,” and you can see where this is headed. Remember that Thanksgiving was barely two weeks after the dreadful 2016 election, and wounds on both sides were fresh and tender.

    My friend decided to weather Thanksgiving by placing a sign on her kitchen island announcing a “Politics-Free Zone” and threatening to eject offenders from the family gathering.  

    I chuckled and congratulated my friend on her ingenuity and assured her that this, too, shall pass.

    Wrongo!  

    The division and rancor in American life has not improved.  It may be worse than ever.

    North Carolinian and humorist Celia Rivenbark devoted a recent syndicated column to our inability to talk about our divides that come from political affiliation, class, race, education, age and all sorts of other things.  

    Rivenbark reported that political talk was banned — or at least attempts were made — at several gatherings she recently attended.  This included one where the hostess allowed political conversation until a certain guest arrived, at which time guests were instructed to put a sock in it.

    Rivenbark, whose columns are celebrated for both their humor and Southern flavor, reacted this way: “This conversation ban is harder for some of us to adhere to than others. While I’m happy to spend way too much time dissecting the crumbling relationship between real New York housewives Ramona and Bethany, it’s weird to be told what you can and can’t talk about.”  

    She was just warming up.  Here is more:

    “One day soon, restaurants and bars will be segregated. The hostess will greet you with, ‘Politics?’ or ‘No politics?’ so your conversation won’t offend like stale cigarette smoke did back in the day.”

    All of this is silly, of course, but the reality of our national political and social acrimony is anything but. Both sides are convinced of their absolute correctness.  Both sides have arms crossed protectively over their chests and are staring down the other side.  

    Congress gets nothing accomplished because members are loath to talk across the partisan aisle and those of us in the hinterlands are in much the same shape.

    I cannot speak for Celia Rivenbark, but it occurs to me that we could all benefit from some professional counseling. Across our nation, bazillions of counselors make their livings by helping people, often family members but also others, learn how to talk to each other about difficult issues.  

    Imagine an arena full of partisans from both sides listening to on-stage, big-screen counselors intoning, “Repeat after me. ‘I respect you even if I violently disagree with your politics.’” With luck, there could be a tearful group hug at the end of the counseling session.

    A ridiculous thought, I know, but I also know our nation is struggling with what kind of country we want to be, and we are not going to resolve this if we cannot communicate with those who disagree with us. 

    It would help if our political leaders could be our role models for reaching out to the other side, but that seems unlikely if you watch the chattering classes on television. Name-calling in public and in private is more popular than actual conversation.  My fantasy would be a grass roots movement not unlike Moral Mondays or the Tea Party where we all begin talking to each other honestly and without anger.

    In the meantime, Rivenbark, the mother of a young adult daughter, seems to have her own strategy for handling “Politics Free Zone” friends who clearly make her want to do exactly the opposite.

    “A well-intentioned host wagging his finger and saying ‘No political talk tonight’ makes me want to do crazy stuff like say ‘Pass the parsley potatoes and tell me what’s the worst thing a mother could hear. It’s ‘Mom, I have a second date with Bill O’Reilly tonight.’”

  • 01BenMajorA growing outcry contends that there are far too few black firefighters in the Fayetteville Fire Department. The argument is that when the Fayetteville population is 41 percent black and 45 percent white, it is unacceptable that only 2.7 percent of the department’s employees are black. I agree with those who say the percentage of black employees does not have to equal the black percentage of the population, but aiming for higher representation is a reasonable goal.

    What troubles me is the approach being employed by some who are spearheading efforts to rectify this condition. Among these is The Fayetteville Observer newspaper. I contend the newspaper is pursuing an approach that represents unfairness to some individuals, demonstrates a failure to present the whole story and contributes nearly nothing of worth to improving black representation in the fire department.

    I recently read a Fayetteville Observereditorial titled “Our View: FD needs to solve its hiring problem.” To me, the point was that the Fayetteville Fire Department alone has responsibility for solving the problem outlined above. My thought was: Here is more of the thinking that government is responsible for solving every problem citizens encounter.

     That seems to especially be the thinking with regard to Black Americans. Consequently, the pressure is now on City Manager Doug Hewett and Fire Chief Ben Major to get the number of black employees dramatically increased. My life experiences say there are conditions to be considered over which these men have no control. 

    Among these are the level to which parents are involved in encouraging young people to seek opportunities for advancement; the extent to which prospective employees have seen a positive work ethic modeled; and the value candidates assign to educational endeavors. Telling government to, in and of itself, “solve its hiring problem” is, in my estimation, unfair because neither these men nor anybody else in government can fix these external conditions. Further, they would probably put their jobs in jeopardy if they violated the rules of political correctness and raised these considerations as I am doing here.

    Further, the Observer editorial makes the following statement after a paragraph ending with “…overwhelming whiteness of the department sends a message that will be interpreted by many in this community and beyond as discrimination.”

    Fire Chief Ben Major says it’s not so, and the fact that he’s the city’s first African-American fire chief gives him some credence. But only some. He’s been chief since 2011 and six years should be enough time to see the numbers, analyze the reasons and make some changes.

    First, the lead-in to the quote regarding Chief Major is the usual default racism narrative. That is, for anything that seems unfair to Black Americans, immediately blame it on racism. No need to think it through, gather and thoroughly examine facts and ask the hard questions that might point to any amount of responsibility in the black community. 

    Second, because the chief is black, there is apparently the expectation that he has the power to just make this right and, given that he has not fixed in six years what is a problem across the nation, lay the blame at his feet. 

    In an effort to get the full story, I talked face-to-face with Chief Major. I wanted to know what has been done and is being done to increase the number of blacks employed by the department. Here is some of what I gained from that conversation:

    • The Cumberland County Schools Fire Academy is an ongoing program at E.E. Smith High School. It offers a challenging program of study for students interested in a career in the Fire Service: college- level classes leading to an Associate degree or Baccalaureate degree through Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) and Fayetteville State University (FSU). 

    It features a unique partnership between FTCC, FSU, Western Carolina University, The City of Fayetteville Fire Department, Cumberland County Fire Department, Fort Bragg and E.E. Smith High School. It also offers training at the Fayetteville Fire Station on the campus of FSU.

    Recognizing the need for attention to soft skills, such as interviewing and dressing for an interview, instruction in these areas is now being provided.Students who complete all phases of the academy are certified in all but two required areas. Since graduates of this academy routinely did not meet the 19-year-old minimum age requirement for joining the Fire Department, the minimum age was lowered to 18. The Academy Director is Patricia Strahan, who has spent 30 years in firefighting.

    • The Langdon Street fire station was built across from FSU as part of a plan to have students study fire science at the university and intern at the fire station. This arrangement did not fully materialize because the fire science curriculum is only taught online.

    • Applicants for employment take an agility and written test. The order in which these tests are given may change from one recruitment process to another. Those who pass the first test then take the other. During the most recent recruitment process, the written test was administered first. 

    All applicants who passed the written test advanced to the physical agility test (PAT). The top 80 scores from the written test that also passed the PAT were interviewed. The remaining applicants are kept on an eligibility list. They would be scheduled for interviews if the listing of 80 from the first round of interviews is exhausted. 

    • Four workshops were held for applicants in the most recent hiring process. Two provided an introduction to the application process and the other two went over sample test questions from the written test. A booklet of sample test questions was also given to attendees and a PAT course was set up for them to practice. Attendance at these workshops was less than hoped for. Similar workshops will be held leading up to the next application period. 

    • A sample test booklet is also made available online for purchase by applicants who do not attend a workshop.

    • There is an established Diversity Recruitment Committee that is diverse by way of race, gender and ethnicity. This committee reviews results of the hiring process in an effort to fine-tune, and where necessary, to ethically gain greater diversity in the department. 

    • Over several years, the department has used four different companies as a source for written tests. A primary reason for changing companies was to, as far as possible, ensure fairness in the test used. The current test supplier is Firefighter and Police Selection, Inc. The link www.fpsi.com/about-fpsi/ gives information on the company.

    These points from my conversation with Chief Major present a man who is, within the bounds of what he controls, working on this issue in a thoughtful and impressive fashion. 

    My conclusion is that what is needed from others is thoughtful, honest and non-political addressing of relevant conditions beyond the scope and responsibility of government.

    Too often, and to the detriment of Americans, issues that cry out for thoughtful attention and resolution are met with actions that produce tension, societal inertia and no productive resolution. 

    I hold that the manner in which less than acceptable diversity in the Fayetteville Fire Department is being addressed by The Fayetteville Observer and some individuals of influence is a prime example of this process at work — that is, tension, societal inertia and no productive resolution. 

    Only as citizens recognize the destructive nature of this process and challenge it will we produce needed change in the multitude of issues and conditions demanding attention.

    Photo: Fayetteville Fire Chief Ben Major.

  • 05HitsMissesHit:Congratulations to Fayetteville’s 35th annual Dogwood Festival, possibly the best ever, recognized as among the top outdoor family events in the south.

    Miss: Why are three city streets that connect Grove Street with Person Street inaccessible because bridges are out? The Ann Street bridge has gone without repairs for so long that it’s overgrown with a thicket of trees.

    Hit:Thank you to the City of Fayetteville’s Budget staff for its comprehensive evaluation and understanding of the $200 million FY18 operating budget. Staff answered virtually every question council members brought up regarding the proposed FY18 budget, all of which helped councilmen and woman to keep the budget in perspective.

    Miss:Cumberland County is not taking action on declining local residential property values when the problem was first recognized eight years ago. Now, Fayetteville and Cumberland County comprise the only metropolitan area in North Carolina where property values have gone down.

    Hit: Kudos to business developers for building out most of the remaining commercial property along the south side of Skibo Road. Every new business adds to the tax base and takes some heat off
    home owners.

    Miss:Too many rules and restrictions confuse residents when they dispose of yard debris. Many people have no idea what they’re supposed to do. Pine straw and leaves are being raked to the curb and left there, sometimes for weeks, for the city to pick up. 

    Hit:Fayetteville’s Airborne & Special Operations Museum was named one of the top military museums in the country. It’s truly a world-class museum.

    Miss:City officials continue to allow a dozen ugly and smelly garbage cans to illegally block downtown Fayetteville’s Old Street and mar the beauty of the historic area.

    Miss:Dear drivers in Fayetteville who think an amber traffic light means speed up to get through the intersection before the light turns red: You’re wrong! Green to amber means caution … slow down and prepare to stop.

    Hit: Thank you, City of Fayetteville, for repaving streets in the Montclair neighborhood that were literally worn out when they were used as a detour during the years that Glensford Drive was being widened between Raeford and Morganton Roads. 

  • 04RevenueLast week I posted on social media that our city and county elected servants ought to review their proposed budgets together … in one room, sitting across the table from each other. I’m thinking if they sit down and compare what each is proposing, they can get a better understanding of what their proposed budgets will do to people they represent.

    I got a lot of likes from the people — the voters, but nothing from our elected servants. I can understand that. They are a bit skittish about this year’s budget. To be fair, they are in a world of hurt. Reports are that most taxable property values in our county went down about 7 percent. So, each penny of property tax on $100 worth of property yields fewer tax dollars for both our city and county. And while you and I reduce our spending when money gets tight, the government doesn’t operate that way.

    So, the county and city plan to raise their respective property tax rate to what government budgetcrats call “revenue neutral.” That means the rate will go up just enough to get the county and city the same amount it would have gotten before property values plummeted: from 74 cents to 78.4 cents for the county, and from 49.95 cents to 52.66 cents for the city. But then the county will add another 3.9 cents to pay for increases in this year’s budget, bringing the total county rate to 82.3 cents for every $100 worth of taxable property.

    And don’t forget, the city manager also proposes to raise fees for collecting your garbage, recyclables and yard trash from $44 to $48, and stormwater fees from $45 to $51. Stormwater fees are supposed to be used by the city to alleviate flooding during heavy rains. That’s another subject all together.

    But here is the kicker. Not everyone’s residential property value decreased. The revenue neutral hike will increase rates for those who didn’t see a drop in their property values for whatever reason. County commissioners and City Council members need to consider this hiccup in their budget decisions.

    For example, let’s take a $150,000 house whose value did not change. The property tax increase that is supposed to be “revenue neutral” will increase the combined city and county property tax by $171.50.

    My property value increased 1.3 percent. I thought it a fluke … an anomaly. I called five friends to check their revaluations. Three of the five had an increase larger than mine. One who had a decrease in his residential property value saw a 28 percent increase in his business property value.

    Get this. His commercial property consists of three parcels. Two saw a significant increase in value that resulted in the 28 percent spike. The third parcel, which the state plans to take for a road widening project, decreased in value. That means the state will buy that parcel for a much lower price. I’m sure that was purely coincidental.

    We can’t figure out why three of the five people in my social circle had their property values increase when all I’m hearing is about how property values decreased. I’m sure the more people I call, the more will probably say their property values decreased.

    But I was curious, and so I headed to the Cumberland County Tax Record website to compare 2016 to 2017 property values in my neighborhood. Here is where it gets weird.

    One neighbor’s property value decreased by $1,000. Two other neighbors’ property values increased by 3.1 and 1.4 percent. All the houses are within a stone’s throw of each other, and all were built around the same time.

    Here’s the weirdest part: One house that has been in structural and aesthetic decline for several years increased in value by $4,000. The owner abandoned the house earlier this year. It’s an eyesore that guards the entrance into our small community. We reported it to the city, and they slapped a sign on the garage door asking the owner to clean the property. Did I say the owner abandoned the property? Go figure.

  • 11FTCCMost adults will make many changes during their working lives. At FTCC, there is a valuable resource students can use to help them decide where to go for career guidance. 

    Many students enter college feeling overwhelmed about where to start or what to focus on first. The JOBS Center at FTCC specializes in administering career assessments to help students uncover the education, training and specialized tasks needed for individualized careers. 

    The career assessments match skills and interests and motivate students to think about how well-suited they might be for a particular career. Assessments also provide a blueprint for identifying strengths, options and possibilities and can help safeguard students from pursuing a career that may not be the best match for them. And the nice thing about taking a career assessment is that there is no need to be worried about right or wrong answers, as there are no wrong answers!   

    Career Coach is another resource used to help students make better career decisions as well as match students’ interests with programs offered at FTCC. FTCC offers over 230 programs leading to the award of an associate degree, certificate or diploma. For students who wish to continue studying at four-year colleges and universities, FTCC offers college transfer degree programs that aid in completing the requirements for a bachelor’s degree and beyond.

    Coming into the JOBS Center can help alleviate one of the greatest drawbacks to career assessments: belief that the result is the “solution” to all career woes. Without professional guidance and the right preparation beforehand, a person may risk wasting a great deal of time and effort on pursuing a career path that doesn’t suit them. 

    At the FTCC JOBS Center, we know choosing a career path can be challenging and many questions can flood a student’s mind before making the right choice. Students may ask themselves questions: “How much education is needed for a particular career? How much money will it take to earn the education? How long will it take? How much money will I earn in a particular career? What is the job outlook for my career?” 

    For students or potential students who are asking these questions, get started on the right track and visit the JOBS Center at the Tony Rand Student Center located at the Fayetteville campus of FTCC in Room 128. Study for an exciting career in health care, business, computer technology, engineering and applied technology, public service or general education. Registration for summer and fall classes is currently underway.  

    You can make the smart choice for your education at Fayetteville Technical Community College and quickly be on the path to a new beginning in life, regarding your career. The FTCC JOBS Center staff will be happy to assist you in your search for the perfect career.

  • 03SinkorSwimI fought the sink, and the sink won. I don’t know what you did on Mother’s Day, but I re-enacted Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” at our kitchen sink. For those of you who came in late, in 1954 Walt Disney made a movie version of“20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” It’s a great movie, starring James Mason as Captain Nemo, the Nautilus as the world’s first steampunk submarine, and the Kraken as the Giant Squid. 

    The plot is intense. Rumors of a sea monster attacking ships cause the U.S. government to send out a ship to discover what is going on. Turns out the sea monster is actually the Nautilus submarine commanded by the semi-crazed Captain Nemo. A bunch of exciting stuff happens in the movie: cannibals, hurricanes, deserted islands, and best of all, an attack by a giant squid. 

    Mother’s Day is when the prodigal children come home to assure their Moms that all the excitement they provided during their childhood was worth it. Our house was no different. Both sons came home to see their mother. Moms are not supposed to cook on Mother’s Day, so I was in charge of lunch. After a brief time at the sink doing culinary things, I noticed the sink had decided not to drain. Where there should have been a vortex sucking liquid into who knows where, there was only a calm sea filling up the sink each time the water was turned on. This could not be good.

    The logical thing was to turn on the garbage disposal to drain away trouble into the bowels of PWC. Didn’t work. Instead, the water in the sink on the garbage disposal side bubbled up on the smaller side sink. It wasn’t just water. It was water with chunks of loathsome black stuff. Some of the dark flotsam was fine grained. There was something in the pipes. I suspected either a submarine or a giant squid.

    Being a husband of many decades, I had to make a quick decision. Who to blame? Ah ha! My wife had made a batch of her excellent deviled eggs recently. The egg shells had fallen into the sink. While she had removed most of the shells, undoubtably some shells had fallen into the drain and clogged it up. Blame wrongly assigned, I could self-righteously begin the process of turning the garbage disposal on and off in the vain hope of eventually breaking up the clog or the sea serpent that was creating the sink tsunamis.This did not work.

    I vowed not to be defeated by a mere sink harboring the Clog from the Black Lagoon. Doing the manly thing, I went to Lowes. I bought something called a mini sink plunger that looks like a plastic accordion. For less than four bucks, my problem appeared to be solved. Unfortunately, this tool did not work. I decided to hold a stopper down in the small sink while I turned on the garbage disposal.This seemed to work briefly. The water in the garbage disposal side began to drain. As Borat would say, “Great success.”

    Modestly, I felt a kinship to the heroism of Big Bad John as immortalized in Jimmy Dean’s greatest song. I began humming a modified version: “Then came that day at the bottom of the sink/ When the Clog emerged and black goo started flyin’/ Mother’s Day dinner was expected and hearts beat fast/ And everybody thought they had eaten their last/ Except Dad/ Big Bad Dad/ Through the fetid water and wet chunks of this man-made hell walked a giant of a Dad that the family knew well/ Grabbed a metal stopper, gave out with a groan/ And like a giant dumb bell just stood there alone/ Big Dad/ With all of his strength, he gave a mighty shove/ And a son yelled out, ‘There’s a drain being unplugged’/ And three family members scrambled from a watery grave/ Now there’s only one left down there to save, Big Dad/ Then came that rumble way down in the ground/ And water and chunks belched out of that drain/ And everybody knew that Dad’s plumbing efforts were in vain.

    It turns out water is not compressible. America’s favorite geyser, Old Faithful, erupted from the small sink, spraying a magnificent stream of filthy chunky water onto me and into the air. Water, water everywhere. And yet the boards do shrink. Tonight, let us praise professional plumbers. 

  • 02Margaret Grow UpU.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) just published a book. Not a diatribe about our paralyzed Congress, our dreadful 2016 election, or Democrats and Republicans duking it out all over our nation, Sasse’s “The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance” suggests something else entirely. 

    Sasse writes that perhaps loving but overprotective parents have raised a generation of young adults who are not assuming responsibilities shouldered without question by their parents, grandparents and older forebearers. Perhaps our young folks need to step up to the plate. 

    Hello, millennials! Not everyone sees “The Vanishing American Adult” in this context. Some see Sasse’s literary effort as the requisite book written by a politician with higher aspirations. Sniffed Alyssa Rosenberg in a review in The Washington Post titled “To Make America Great Again, Give Your Kid Chores,” Sasse’s book “comes across as an effort to set Sasse up for a larger role on the national stage.” 

    Writing for The New York Times, Jennifer Szalai hints at the same motivation, describing the Senator as “a 45-year-old conservative whose political ascent has been remarkably swift.”

    Senator Sasse may well be positioning himself for the one office larger than the U.S. Senate, so stay tuned to what the former college-president-now-politician is up to and what he says. 

    Meanwhile, Sasse’s newly-published book strives hard to make salient and painful points that have been made before by other authors and thinkers and which gives many American parents considerable pause. Think helicopter parents.

    When one of the Precious Jewels, then a pipsqueak, headed into the third grade, I stopped by the school to meet his teacher, new to that elementary school. She confided that she had come from a school in a disadvantaged neighborhood where she never met a parent of any of her students. She had transferred into a school with high achieving parents who expected the same from their children. So many mothers had dropped by to tell the new teacher about their very special “Susie” and “Stevie” that the new teacher felt smothered and doubted her decision to change schools.

    More than a little has been written about millennials, who have also been called Echoes of the baby boom, Generation 9/11, Generation Me, Trophy Kids and other terms generally applied to young people in western, developed nations. They have been described, as Sasse suggests, as self-absorbed, sheltered, pressured, confident, entitled and very special. 

    They are also seen as seeking a comfortable balance between work and personal life, having a strong social consciousness, collaborative work habits and enviable technology skills.

    As a proud and full-throated baby boomer born to parents of Tom Brokaw’s Greatest Generation, it is clear to me that collective life experiences define every generation. My parents’ generation lived through the Great Depression, World War II and the postwar economic boom. They were thrifty,
    deliberate and conservative in their work and
    personal lives. 

    My fellow boomers and I grew up as part of the biggest demographic bump in American history to that point, requiring new schools and services at every stage in our lives, including all sorts of care services as we begin to fade into the sunset. 

    We ignited and survived the great social upheaval in our nation during the 1960s and 70s and were also labeled self-absorbed and all about “me.” In our waning years, we also helped elect Donald Trump president of the United States.

    So, it is no surprise that millennials have been and continue to be shaped by the world they encounter. They were children and college
    students when the trauma of 9/11 forever
    changed our nation. 

    They are the most diverse and highly educated generation in American history, yet they still face the fallout of the Great Recession. As they establish careers and families, they no doubt have read speculation that they will never achieve the financial stability their parents have enjoyed.

    They do not remember a time without computers and increasingly powerful technology that allows access to the entire world Instantaneous communication is their way of life. Their world is unlike those of their parents and grandparents, so it is hardly surprising that they are different
    as well.

    I suspect the criticism Sasse levels at millennials — and by extension, at their parents — carries both kernels of truth and a shallow understanding of one generation from another. I also suspect Senator Sasse has his eyes on our nation’s biggest political prize.

  • 01PubPenWhen my oldest walked across the stage at UNC Chapel Hill this past Mother’s Day to receive her diploma, I could not have been prouder. Big days like this don’t just happen. For more than two decades, countless people have invested in her and the entire class of 2017. 

    My daughter is a product of the Cumberland County Schools system. I am thankful for everyone in it who contributed to her success: the teachers who pushed her to do her best; the ones who called her out when she was trying to get away with doing less; the ones who saw her struggle and offered encouragement; the ones who taught her how to be an independent thinker; the ones who taught her to love reading. 

    I am thankful to the teachers who sponsored clubs that instilled in her a love of theater, debate, foreign languages, adventure and a sense of civility and love for her fellow man. I am thankful for the administrators who showed compassion when her dad was deployed and our family was struggling. I am thankful for administrators who were always kinds and professional.

    My hat is off to the volunteers who spent time in her classrooms, held fundraisers to benefit local students and who helped in other ways I’ll never know. I’m thankful to all of them — and so many more. 

    Having good-hearted, solid leaders who care for children at the helm of our education system makes all these things an everyday occurrence in this community. Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Dr. Frank Till Jr. is an excellent example of leadership, and he is serious about helping local students prosper. 

    His efforts have not gone unnoticed. Dr. Till recently received the North Carolina PTA Superintendent of the Year Award and the North Carolina Association of School Administrators 2017 Raymond Sarbaugh Leadership Award. They are well-deserved. 

    I know mine is not the only heart that is full this time of year. At commencement ceremonies across the country, proud families reflect and students celebrate, some showing their gratitude with messages like “Thanks, mom and dad!” on their mortarboards. That’s not been the experience everywhere, though.

    It has been disheartening to watch the news coverage of graduations at some other establishments, including the booing of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s commencement speech at Bethune-Cookman University. Eventually, the noise became so disruptive that the school’s president, Edison O. Jackson, interrupted DeVos to tell the students, “If this behavior continues, your degrees will be mailed to you. Choose which way you want to go.” In addition to booing, several of the students had risen to their feet and turned their backs on DeVos.

    Similarly, as Vice President Mike Pence took the stage to give a commencement speech this past Sunday at his alma mater, Notre Dame, a crowd of about 150 got up and walked out. While Pence did not acknowledge the walkout, he did note, “This university (Notre Dame) is a vanguard of the freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas at a time, sadly, when free speech and civility are waning on campuses across America.”

    Pride and hard work and all the warm fuzzies of the season aside, as a mom and as an American, it breaks my heart that this is the platform some choose in voicing their views. I am a firm believer in the First Amendment and expect people to stand up for their beliefs. There is also something to be said for having a little class and a sense of occasion. There is a time and place for booing, for protesting, for dissenting. A commencement ceremony is not one of them. 

    Are we really turning out a generation of easily-offended, emotionally vulnerable snowflakes? For all our good intentions, has the helicopter parenting, coddling and overpraising backfired? Have we produced a graduating class across this country that is so self-centered and self-absorbed that sitting respectfully through one commencement address is just too much? I hope not. I choose to believe not. 

    Although there were clearly some who chose to ruin a day that was decades in the making at Bethune-Cookman University and Notre Dame, I choose to believe that the class of 2017 is going to make the world a much better place. I believe they are up to the task! 

  • 02SalesTaxAs a citizen of Fayetteville, it is a frustrating and disappointing experience watching the negotiation process that intends to determine how future sales tax receipts will be divided among Cumberland County, Fayetteville and other municipalities in the county. I suggest residents of Fayetteville get informed and thoughtfully watch this process. Closely investigating what is happening guarantees an eye-opening moment that will, hopefully, result in Fayetteville citizens speaking up and demanding fairness.

    Given that annexations reduce the amount of sales tax distributed to the county and municipalities, a 2003 agreement was reached that called for Fayetteville and towns to reimburse the county, or one another, half the sales tax distribution gained because of annexations. The initial agreement was for 10 years but was extended in 2013 for three more years. It was extended again in 2016 for three additional years with the understanding that in January 2017, the county and municipalities would commence negotiations regarding division of sales tax receipts. Those negotiations started on April 12 in a meeting where the county and municipalities were represented.

    The distribution can be done one of two ways. One is as it is currently done, by per capita distribution, where the total of the county-wide population (in incorporated and unincorporated areas) and the populations of each municipality are used to calculate a proportional per capita distribution. The other is ad valorem distribution, where the sum of ad valorem (property) taxes levied by the county and each municipality, in the immediately preceding fiscal year, are used to calculate a proportional share of sales tax proceeds.

    The crux of the matter is that the county and municipalities, except for Fayetteville, are in agreement to extend the current arrangement until 2023. Mayor Nat Robertson has been quoted in several reports as saying the city was giving up $2.1 million when the agreement was first reached. The city is now losing $6.7 million. Among other places, this statement was reported in an article titled, “Cumberland County, Fayetteville and town leaders debate sale tax funds” by Steve DeVane. In the end, Fayetteville is facing payouts that have no limit. The question for all involved, especially for residents of Fayetteville, is whether this is fair to those who live in and financially support the city.

    I live in Fayetteville, and my answer is that the sales tax distribution arrangement in place, and being pushed for extension by the county and other municipalities, is horrendously unfair to residents of Fayetteville. What follows are some considerations that lead me to this conclusion.

    As mentioned above, the annual amount paid is steadily increasing. Without doubt, these increasing payment amounts result from improved sales tax collections. Therein is a major point of unfairness. The bulk of sales tax receipts is generated in Fayetteville. Following is what I wrote during February 2016 in a column titled, “Cumberland County’s Sales Tax Distribution Squabble: An Example of What’s Wrong in America:”

    Fayetteville’s Mayor, Nat Robertson, and City Manager, Ted Voorhees, led an information meeting on 13 January 2016 that was open to the public. One slide in the prepared presentation read: “Taxable sales within Fayetteville accounted for 82.6 percent of the county-wide total sales for FY2009 (the last year for which data is available). Under the state distribution methods, for FY2015 Fayetteville could only receive approximately 25 percent to 36 percent of the sales tax distributions.” It would appear reasonable that this be a point for consideration in determining fair distribution.

    Given that the normal state distribution method yields a relatively low sales tax return for Fayetteville while a substantial portion of those taxes are generated in the city, it seems unfair that we suffer further under the modified distribution procedure. This unfair condition is compounded by allowing the amount transferred to the county and other municipalities to increase without limit.

    The primary reason for increased sales tax revenue that is being distributed to the county and municipalities other than Fayetteville requires attention. I contend it is, by and far, due to actions undertaken by the City of Fayetteville. In 2004, Fayetteville annexed areas of Cumberland County that added some 43,000 residents to the City. The “Big Bang” annexation was a tense time in our city and county, but it took us above the 200,000 population level that major businesses desire before considering locating in a city. After attaining that population level, national companies that I never expected to choose Fayetteville started arriving.
    Further, the city has taken, and is taking, other actions that feed the economic growth of this area. Fayetteville took the lead in winning a Hope VI grant that allowed for demolition of public housing in the Old Wilmington Road area that did not provide the appearance that contributes to attracting businesses. More importantly, citizens were living in less than adequate housing. The result was beautiful units that provide better than adequate housing and enhances that portion of the city.

    There is a promising effort underway to build a North Carolina Civil War History Center in Fayetteville. The city stepped up to financially support that project. It will be another asset that produces economic growth. The new transportation center located downtown is beautiful, functional and rivals similar facilities anywhere.

    The recently passed $35 million Parks and Recreation bond issue will bring much-needed recreation facilities to the city. On the heels of this step came the decision to build a baseball stadium downtown. It will be home to Fayetteville’s minor league team.

    On Sunday, April 30, after church my wife and I sat in the shade on Hay Street and enjoyed jazz by three different groups. This was part of the annual Dogwood Festival attended this year by some 275,000 over the weekend. It could happen in a superbly accommodating space because the city built Festival Park, and, over time, transformed the downtown from a “party central” to a beautiful area that is inviting and simply a very pleasant place to spend time. As I sat there on Hay Street enjoying the afternoon, three thoughts hit me: I am starting to feel good, again, about Fayetteville; in the future, the Dogwood Festival will likely expand to the baseball stadium; all those festival vendors collect and deposit sales tax.

    What has been presented - and more - shows Fayetteville to be, among the county and other municipalities, the economic engine of this area. To see this as fact, one only has to compare Fayetteville economic expansion actions with those of Cumberland County. What has the county done to spur economic growth? On Hope VI, county commissioners had to be pushed for a minimal investment; given the county’s track record, City Council made Fayetteville’s financial support of the North Carolina Civil War History Center contingent on the county matching that contribution. The bottom line question is: what of consequence is the County doing, or done, to attract jobs, have people spend money in the area and simply make this a great place to live? I think not much.

    County leaders argue that they have mandated services that must be provided and sales tax revenue is needed to help meet those requirements. I drive by the county’s Health Department several times a week. What I see is a huge sign flashing all kinds of free stuff…” free mammograms, free condoms, free smoking cessation classes.” I suggest the county do a thorough review of what is mandated and challenge some mandates. They might also take actions that lessen or negate the need for those mandated services.

    Fayetteville is transferring sales tax revenue, in increasing amounts, to other entities with no limit in place or insight; generating the bulk of sales tax revenue and is the economic engine of the county. I encourage citizens of

    Fayetteville to follow this sales tax distribution issue very closely and insist on fairness. This is not a matter that should be left for elected officials to resolve without thoughtful stand-taking by those of us out here feeding these government tills with hard-earned dollars. I hold that extending the current agreement is absolutely unfair to the citizens of Fayetteville.

  • 07TaxesOkay folks, open your wallets. Local government is about to get a little more expensive this year.

    County Manager Amy Canon last week gave her elected board dire news: The County is $27 million in the hole. And, finding money to shave that deficit doesn’t look promising. Here’s why.

    First, the property revaluation didn’t produce the money County bureaucrats hoped for. In fact, property values took a nose dive since the last revaluation in 2009. I say most because I’m one of the few whose property actually went up a couple of grand.

    Lower property values means less property tax for county coffers. The County will have to up the tax rate by about four and a half cents to break even. They call that revenue neutral. That means the current county tax rate of 74 cents per $100 valuation could jump to 78.4 cents per $100 valuation. It’s been at 74 cents for the past five years.

    There’s also talk of another 3.9 cents on top of the 4.4-cent increase to get the County past the break-even point. The extra 3.9 cents would pay for a pay raise and health care insurance increases, repair county-owned buildings and keep jailed inmates healthy.

    Let’s do the math. Your property tax on a $100,000 home will jump from $740 to $823, an $83 hike.
    If you have anything above a starter home, the chances of having a $100,000 house now-a-days is slim. So, if you have a $200,000 house, your bill comes to $1,646. Then there are the cars, motorcycles, boats and the trailers to haul the toys. Each with its own tax-assessed price tag. 

    The Fayetteville City Council at this writing hasn’t reviewed its budget proposal. But remember, with property values down and a lot on their fiscal plate, the City Council also needs money to get out of the hole.  

    The County is in a bind. The North Carolina General Assembly created Cumberland County. And it’s that body of lawmakers who through the years compiled a list of what counties have to do to be counties. Among those duties is to pay for programs the state deems necessary. Counties struggling to pay for those programs call them unfunded mandates.

    The list includes: sheriff’s departments and jails, medical examiners, courts, building code enforcement, public schools, social services, mental health, public health, board of elections, tax offices, child support and money for keeping FTCC buildings and facilities maintained.

    Canon’s proposed options are to cut back on services the County is not required to provide. As usual, closing a popular service like the library is among them. So is not filling unfilled jobs and eliminating real people from the payroll. Also, in this country we treat animals as disposable items, so cutting services at the animal shelter makes sense.

    And while Fayetteville — the sixth largest city in the state —  is the shopping mecca of southeast North Carolina, the resulting sales tax yield is meager compared to the other cities.

    Finally, the City of Fayetteville wants to renegotiate its agreement with the County on how they share sales tax proceeds. Currently, the city returns a part of the sales tax the County lost when Fayetteville annexed 42,000 people into the city back in 2005.

    According to Mayor Nat Robertson, the payback deal last year cost the city about $7 million.  The mayor wants to keep more of it. He wants a reset of the agreed-upon formula.

    Folks, the money pie is getting smaller. Our city and county-elected leaders will be competing for more of what they believe is their fair share. They may even want to make the pie bigger by having you pay for it.

    More than ever, we need city and county-elected officials get out of their silos. We need them to cooperate for the benefit of all citizens.

  • 06hog1Publisher’s Note: After reading Ms. Valentine’s editorial submission recently published in the Fayetteville Observer (Sunday, May 7), we invited her to again opine on this very important and relevant issue. – Bill Bowman

    Hurricane Matthew’s flooding exposed a sordid fact that we’ve denied for years. Hog lagoons are still intimately entwined with the Cape Fear River, and our once-pristine river (once cleanest in the state) is now on the endangered list. Ironically, the answer may be a case of “back to the future.”

    We’ve been looking for a solution to hog lagoons for nearly 17 years. It is obvious that lawsuits, hog farm buyouts and further state regulations are not the solution. So, what is?

    In North Carolina, hog production is big business — to the tune of $1 billion. That’s a lot of influence, and it should not be underestimated. It is rumored that nearly 80 percent of the General Assembly receives political contributions from the pork industry. To be fair, the industry is doing its share to resolve the issue, having invested in research. It is also working to resolve the environmental issues company-owned and contract producers’ open air lagoons create.

    In 2000, then-Attorney General Easley made a deal with Smithfield Foods. The result was a $65 million grant from the company that would be used to develop new technologies to deal with hog waste. 

    N. C. State received $15 million with the understanding that the university would develop technologies that were less expensive than the current lagoon system and that Smithfield’s company-owned farms would begin using the technologies once they were fully developed.

    One such innovation was a belt system that would separate solids and handle waste more easily. It also reduced odors. Another included an earthen digester to produce biogas. The projects came close to the cost criteria but were still pricier than the lagoon systems, so the projects did not go forward. 

    In the meantime, a 10-year moratorium on building new hog farms gave Smithfield the opportunity to sell off company-owned farms. Now the company didn’t have to honor its commitment or endure the added expenses of installing any new technologies.

    That left $50 million in grant money. The funds were supposed to be administered by the Attorney General’s office over a 25-year period. The monies were meant to be used as grants for projects that leveraged environmental improvements. The grants were to be competitive and would be for $1-2 million annually. The Attorney General would award them at his discretion.

    Projects awarded under this program in 2016 for grant year 2017 by then-Attorney General Cooper included: $150,000 to the Nature Conservancy to buy 300 acres along the Black River; $425,000 to the N.C. Land Trust to buy 3,000 acres on the Waccamaw River; $37,000 to N.C. State to develop a fact sheet for farmers to reduce pollution along Millstone Creek and the Cape Fear River; and $250,000 to Ducks Unlimited to replace water control structures, remove debris and install pumps on the Pasquotauk and Tar-Pamlico River Basins.

    These projects are worthy environmentally, but they don’t help family-owned hog farms in their efforts to find cost-efficient lagoon alternatives. They also don’t reduce odors coming from the barns, spray fields and lagoons.

    Let’s stop pointing fingers. Let’s work together and support funding for collaborative partnerships that zero in on the core issue — solving the lagoon problem. The good news is that there are several people and organizations working on this problem, including entrepreneurial farmers, small agricultural businesses, universities (including Fayetteville State University) and nonprofits like Cape Fear River Assembly and River Watchers. Smithfield is working on the issue, too.The bad news is that none of them are working together. They are operating independently of one another.

    Several of the technologies N.C. State worked on for well over a decade came close to meeting the environmental criteria. They could potentially meet the cost standards, too. Unfortunately, many of these technologies have been shelved or are being worked on in isolation, negating their potential.

    We are running out of time. As the hog industry, much of which is Chinese-owned, relocates to drier climates out west, North Carolina family farmers are left wondering what the future holds for an industry that relies on hog lagoons located in flood plains.

    Meanwhile, nonfarmers continue to dread the heavy rains that fill our sewers with sludge and bring flies and odors that send residents indoors.

  • 05CapeFearRiverBasinThe Cape Fear River is the natural central feature of this area. It is a major source of recreation and part of a huge number of identifying  names of businesses and organizations. It is an essential source of water for a major part of North Carolina called the Cape Fear River basin (including Fayetteville), and it should be essential in the development of the economy of the area as it was in the past. The Cape Fear River has recently been put on the list of endangered rivers!

    There are numerous Cape Fear River associations and organizations, including the Cape Fear River Assembly, on whose board I serve, that are focused on the river or parts (upper, middle lower) of it. Other examples of organizations include the Cape Fear River partnership, the N.C. Wildlife Association and the River Keepers Alliance, to name only a few.

    The CFRA is the largest and most comprehensive association and at one time had about $6 million in research funds and a membership of over 200 communities along the Cape Fear in addition to being the protector of all of the Cape Fear River sub basins. 

    Lack of leadership and political banter led to waning interest in the river and the water itself. The CFRA’s intent is to serve all three of the Cape Fear regions, and it is in the process of being reinvigorated. 

    Changes in water quality should get everyone’s attention because we face global concerns about water quantity and quality. The Cape Fear is not immune. We saw a net “interbasin transfer” (aka, loss) of water from the Cape Fear basin to the Neuse basin several years ago to support the growth of Wake County, and there is another (hopefully failed) attempt underway to take more. 

    Growth and development in the Cape Fear basin are resulting in more water being extracted for that use, with less than all of it returned after treatment. But because of increased total use, more nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potentially toxic materials are also added back to the river. Discharge is currently regulated by nutrient concentration, not total quantity, as it should be, but this is gradually being changed. Until those changes are implemented, downstream the concentration of nutrients in the water will increase, and water quality will decrease.

    It is common to finger-point at specific “residents” of the river basin such as agriculture, or other industries, as culprits. But the fact is, everyone is part of the problem and therefore must be part of the solution. 

    Agriculture is the most common target as a source of water pollution. The agricultural industries have added many regulations and practice changes to help reduce impacts. Reports following Hurricane Matthew are the most recent cases, citing a small number of animal waste lagoons that overflowed. However, numerous waste treatment facilities in municipalities discharged far more sewage.

    The Cape Fear River basin has an impressive number of water quality monitoring stations, and the data from them are readily available. The question is: How do we maintain quality in a river that is not going to get “bigger” (but will probably get smaller) and with more demand for water to support growth and development? Greater treatment costs mean higher water bills, and unfortunately, not all of the contaminants that can end up in water are easily or even possibly removed. So solutions include elimination of contaminants at their source.

    It is important that we all take the value and privilege of both quantity and quality of water seriously in every aspect of our lives. It should never drop off the radar. Without adequate and safe water, we cannot survive.

    In some parts of the world, access to adequate safe water is a cause for war. Let’s not make that the case in North Carolina.

  • 04Kim Jong UnJust when you think things can’t get any more fun around the White House, The Donald invites Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to visit the Oval Office to chew the fat and the curtains.  

    President Rod is famous for killing his own citizens in his war on drugs. Rod promised to pardon himself and his police officers for murdering anyone accused or suspected of using or selling drugs. Nice guy, Rod.  

    Continuing his charm offensive with the world’s dictators, The Donald just called North Korea’s Kook for Life, Kim Jong-un, a smart cookie and allowed that he would be honored to meet Kim. Kim is famous for his creative ways of killing people, particularly relatives who might pose a threat to his reign. 

    Kim has terminated his uncle and a passel of high ranking North Korean military officials with an anti-aircraft gun. Like Munchkins and the Wicked Witch of the East, Kim wants his enemies undeniably and reliably dead, not only merely dead, but really, most sincerely dead. Better put plastic on all the White House furniture when Kim comes for dinner.  Blood stains are really hard to get out of
    antique furniture.

     The Donald has been delivering more than his usual number of odd statements recently. He is causing concern that the elevator in the White House no longer goes all the way to the top floor.  Some people are sayin’ instead of draining the DC swamp, The Donald is working on a financial  plan prepared by his Wall Street buddies to make the United States a wholly owned joint venture subsidiary of Goldman Sachs and Rosneft, the Russian state-owned oil company. Rumors that the new name of the United States will be Putonia
    remain unfounded.

    The bloom seems to be going off the rose with The Donald’s bromance with Vlad Putin. It’s sad to see a good love die. Putin may want his election support back. The Donald has turned his back on his American supporters, so it should not come as any great surprise he would turn his back on his Russian sugar daddy. 

    In the latest edition of As the White House Turns,  The Donald seems to believe he is channeling former President Andrew Jackson.  According to Henry Kissinger,  Richard Nixon in his last days in the White House wandered the halls talking to the pictures of former Presidents. 

    No word yet on whether The Donald is talking to the portrait of Andrew Jackson in the Oval Office.  One can only hope that Old Hickory will give The Donald some good advice when that conversation starts.

    The Donald recently stated that our first psychic president, Andrew Jackson, was angry about the Civil War even though Andy was pushing up daisies 16 years before the war started. Quote The Donald: “He was really angry that — he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War. He said, ‘There is no reason for this.’” The Donald went on to ask, “Why was there a Civil War? Why could that one not have been worked out?”

    Excellent question, sir. The job of the President is to inspire the country to ask questions that should be asked even if the questions display a touch of early onset age-related confusion. In a failed attempt to find humor in this particular jugular vein, I am inspired to ask more questions that The Donald may pose along the road to the Apocalypse.

    Perhaps a special Presidential Commission on Unasked Questions can be appointed to consider these issues:  Why isn’t down up?  Why isn’t Red Dye Number 2 a vegetable? Why aren’t worms space stations? 

    Why aren’t tornados goldfish? Why isn’t diabetes a European country? Who put the bop in the bop she bop she bop? Why aren’t trees clocks? Why isn’t wet dry? Why aren’t rocks made of sponge cake? Why isn’t the truth lies? Why aren’t alternative facts an Olympic sport? Why isn’t left right? Why do fools fall in love?  What happened to my missing sock? Why are cats psychotic? Why did Hillary think she could get away with a private email server? Why would anyone put anchovies on a perfectly good pizza? 

    Who would think running with the bulls in Pamplona is a good idea? Why are starfish in the ocean instead of the sky? Why aren’t dogs cats? Who let the dogs out? Why don’t we do it in the road? Why don’t we order up a bowl of chili? Who killed the Mocking Bird? What made Gatsby so great? Why did Atlas shrug? Would Welbutrin have helped Les Miserables? 

    As our last question for the Presidential Commission: For whom is the bell tolling?  

  • 03LetterToYoungerDear Margaret, the Younger,

    For the last year or so, I have been working on a family project to preserve photographs and documents for our Precious Jewels, and I have found a number of photos of you, triggering memories both wonderful and sad. I have also realized how much I know today that my younger self would take decades to absorb.

    So, in no particular order, here is some of what I wish I had known when I was your age.

    Worry less about what others think about you and any other subject. What really counts is what you think about you and the world around you.  

    Learn to trust yourself and your instincts. You will make mistakes, but you will also learn from them and not repeat them.

    Many young women spend their youths looking for Prince Charming, who may or may not show up and who is almost certainly different people at different stages of your life.  No need to expect him to pop up around every corner.  You will likely find each other when the time is right.

    In the meantime, enjoy your life.  Meet new people, not all of whom will like you — or you, them — but as my mother told me, you can learn something from everyone you meet who knows something you do not. 

    Prepare yourself for the rest of your life through a solid education and experiences that challenge you, but understand that no matter how much you prepare, life probably will not turn out the way you expect.

    Travel. Go as many places as you can because once career and family take over, travel pretty much flies out the window for decades. International travel changes your worldview, but travelling to other cities and states broadens your outlook and is fun. Heck, a day trip to the North Carolina Zoo is a terrific change of scenery.

    Understand that as life unfolds, you will experience great joys and losses that bring you to your knees.  Everyone goes through this, though some have harder and longer travails than others. You will be wiser and stronger from all your experiences.

    Dream big. You can be the first woman U.S. president, but chances are you will not, and
    that is okay. 

    Don’t worry overly about your appearance. Clean and healthy go a long way, more than makeup and the latest trendy outfit. Paraphrasing Jill Conner Browne, author of the “Sweet Potato Queen” books, pretty and handsome do not last. Stupid does. Fortunately, so does smart.

    Let go of anger and resentment as soon as you can. We all have these emotions, some deeply held, but they hurt only us, not those who we believe have done us wrong.  Allowing these emotions to rule us means that someone else, not us, is in charge. Kiss negative emotions goodbye and get on with your life.

    Likewise, don’t sweat the small stuff. Surly store clerks. Traffic jams. People who let you down. Telephone solicitations. The list is endless and not worth your time and attention.

    Beware of people who say they are often bored. Chances are that is because they are boring themselves.

    Cherish your family — parents and siblings and those beyond the immediate family circle.  These are the people who know you best and love you most and are most invested in your happiness and success. They can make you more joyful and angry than almost anyone else, but they will not always be here. Some will go much earlier than you think. Whatever your differences, your hurts, your sadnesses, you will ultimately be thankful if you nurture your
    family relationships.

    On that note, though, the only person who will walk every step of life with you is you. Learn to love yourself and enjoy your own company. Treat each moment and each day as if it were precious, because it is. None of us ever know when, where or how our end will come. Fret not, but treasure each day as if it were your last. 

    So go forth bravely and with a smile to meet whatever comes your way.  It is the only way to go.

    Much love and with fingers crossed,

    Margaret, the Elder

  • 02PubPenNo doubt many people think fresh, clean water comes from turning on a faucet or that electricity comes from flipping a wall switch. Ah, ignorance is bliss.

    Well, last week I had the privilege of joining over 30 local business and community leaders for an up-close and personal view of the internal operations of Fayetteville’s Hometown Utility, PWC. It was impressive. Pride, efficiency, proficiency and dependability were characteristics that permeated throughout the entire organization of 600 plus employees. Everyone, without exception, left the PWC campus that day with a newfound appreciation for a well-lit room and a clean, refreshing and uncontaminated glass of water.

    This edition of Up & Coming Weekly is dedicated to starting a conversation about clean water and the need to protect and preserve our natural resources — the Cape Fear River in particular — and the environmental issues connected and related to preserving and protecting it. 

    Read and heed the articles that make up this week’s cover. They are written by three knowledgeable and passionate members of our community: Dr. Leonard Bull, Sharon Valentine and State Representative Billy Richardson. All share their concerns, insights and visions on what could very well be the next generation’s most critical challenge in North Carolina: the availability of clean and healthy water. Protecting and preserving our rivers, streams and other natural resources needs to be given the highest priority.

    Our local utility, PWC, is doing its part with award-winning processes and talent and leadership that have been recognized locally, statewide and nationally. Providing clean water and making it affordable is a priority for PWC. Being good and conscientious stewards of ratepayers’ money is also a
    high priority. 

    Matter of fact, we enjoy local residential water rates lower than Orange, Hoke and Harnett counties. We even have lower rates than Raleigh and Cary, the two cities currently trying to take our water via interbasin transfers. This begs the question: Who manages their resources more effectively? The same thing holds true with electricity. Even with PWC purchasing electrical power from Duke Power, our local residential PWC rates are lower than those of South River and Lumbee River.

    Here’s the take away this week: Natural resources are just that, “natural resources.” We can’t make more of them, and we can’t replace them, making it all the more crucial that we care for and manage them well. As such, they must be respected, appreciated and preserved. 

    It cannot be all about money, politics and power. Ask the thousands of poisoned residents of Flint, Michigan, who went months without access to clean water. Or, commercial fishermen on our eastern shores. This issue is not going away. However, we will be the ones that determine its degree of severity. We should all drink to that!

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • 17ChangeGoodNo matter how successful we become or how important the world says we are, there’s one thing we all could use a little more of: encouragement. Few things cost less or prove more deeply beneficial than a thoughtful arm around the shoulder and a kind word or two.

    As a longtime husband, I can almost feel the strength surge into my body when my wife sends me out the door with words like, “I’ll be loving you!” or welcomes me home with, “I missed you so much today!” I feel important. I feel needed. And I’m encouraged to share that same thing with others. That’s how encouragement works. It’s highly contagious, and practically leaps from one person to the next. 

    Life is so much more incredibly short than we give it credit for being. At 13, the time until high school graduation seems like an eternity away. But just a few years later, and you’re beginning to measure time in terms of “years remaining.” I don’t mean that in a morbid sense, it’s just that more and more I find myself desiring to become the person I needed when I was younger. As you read these few words today, I hope you’ll grab hold of the power you have to make someone else’s day. 

    As a Christian believer and follower, I find plenty of hope and encouragement in reading the Bible and allowing the words on those pages to spring to life inside me. It’s a joy getting to know God better through reading about his personality and characteristics, and I highly recommend it. As I read the things Jesus taught his early followers, his ability to be perfectly honest and explain life to them amazes me! He took time to encourage countless people directly — many of them were social outsiders, and there were also a good many who were part of the “in” crowd socially, politically, or both.

    The thing was, he offered encouragement. And his ministry grew. I can’t fathom a legacy larger than that of Jesus, and none more positive. And I can’t help but honor that legacy by extending a hand or a kind word to the people I come in contact with. 

    Whether it’s a simple note or letter to a family member, a text to a friend or a calming word to an overworked waitress at a busy restaurant — you have the power to change the day. For good. And I hope you will.

  • 06ccbsInstitutional accreditation reflects a voluntary decision made by the institution to conduct a self-evaluation of its academic operations from every vantage point to meet the standards of an accrediting agency. Because of the amount of rigor involved, many institutions either choose not to seek to meet these standards or they develop their own standards and the result may be labeled as “degree mills.” Graduates from those schools earn the paper, but not the product required by reputable employers.

    Since accreditation is not required, graduates of institutions which have not met prescribed standards have a red flag that follows them as they seek their places in society. Some schools even follow agencies that are not accredited, hence the degree is still not what it proposes to be for lack of a core of standards. Without accreditation, the school has taken money without giving the student a standard-based education.

    Accreditation approval demonstrates compliance with standards developed by an official agency. In the United States, there are six regional accreditation bodies (Regional Accreditation) and a host of nontraditional schools (such as beautician and barber schools, Bible colleges) with a specific focus (National Accreditation). Both accrediting bodies require the applying institutions to comply with standards approved by the U.S. Department of Education and therefore qualify for federal (Title IV) funds.

    For institutions to receive these federal funds, the government recognizes the choice has been made to spend time, effort and finances to prove that the institutions have met the guidelines of an approved agency. Usually, they have affiliated themselves with a qualifying accrediting agency and become a candidate for accreditation and then have applied for and received the status of accreditation. They have completed these steps because they want to professionally prepare graduates of their institution to perform at a high level in their chosen field. 

    Many hours will be spent by all facets of the institution studying its operations from every aspect, including budget and its appropriate use, faculty, resources, curriculum, library, mission and mission-appropriate goals as well as administration and long-range and strategic planning. Assessment tools that determine the success of the institution are also vital.

    Initial accreditation is only the first step. A team of professionals reflecting the areas of competencies sought will receive written documents from the institution certifying compliance with basic standards of the accrediting agency, assessment results and long- and short-range planning of the institution. 

    This is followed by a visit by these professionals to examine the actual operations of the institution. Reaccreditation follows at prescribed intervals to assure continued compliance with the standards of the accrediting agency.

    Carolina College of Biblical Studies has chosen to meet the national standards of the Association for Biblical Higher Education for both its on-campus and online degree programs. CCBS completed a team visit for reaccreditation April 4-7. CCBS received six commendations, one for the online program, from the visiting team and some recommendations that it will address to complete the reaccreditation process.

    The graduates of CCBS have been very successful and often continue to graduate schools such as Liberty University and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. They are also serving as pastors and planters of churches. Almost 90 percent of our graduates made CCBS their first choice to enroll in college. It is not unusual for our students to recruit others to attend the college.

    The administration, faculty and staff of CCBS recognize, as do our students, that accreditation is the gold standard. The Association for Biblical Higher Education has set the standards as the accrediting agency, and CCBS has met those standards as we seek to disciple Christ-followers through biblical higher education, for a lifetime of effective servant leadership.

  • 04ChinaOver the past several decades American foreign policy toward China has been primarily economic in nature. In 1979, we granted Most Favored Nation trading status with China, and in 2001, China became a member of the World Trade Organization. For years, the theory has been that China will reform government dominance and communist tendencies with increased access to global markets. Our leaders have believed open market access would permeate the Chinese culture with greater personal freedoms and liberties.

    Unfortunately, the outcome of continuous and unrestricted market access has not yielded the intended results. China remains a significant human rights abuser, censoring everything from news and journalism to religious freedom, women’s rights and political dissidence.

    Furthermore, China has used the economic benefits of global market access to blatantly undermine international adversaries through cyberespionage, corporate IP theft, market manipulation, illegal naval expansion and the significant development of domestic military capabilities.

    When I hosted Dr. Henry Kissinger for a speech in Charlotte in 1991, he contrasted Russia and China, with Russia being an outward expansionist regime and China being still relatively unengaged in the world. Today, however, through the favor of economic expansion granted in large part by the United States, China has aggressive visions to expand its global footprint across multiple continents. Through economic expansion, China has emerged from its reclusive traditions to become a major economic and military power.

    China has built its economy from a $300 billion GDP in 1985 to over $11 trillion today. This is largely a result of the theory that open markets would transform culture.

    As a member of the Congressional Executive Commission on China, I have heard scores of testimony from victims who detail the continued egregious violations of human rights, religious liberties and freedoms of conscience by the Chinese government — proving our original economic theories wrong.

    Hope for a culture change in China has been diminished by the dominance of the Communist Party and their underlying vision to stay in power and suppress their citizens. With this in mind, the United States must shift its foreign policy toward China and use our various economic resources to compel the Chinese government and force change. We must impose a severe price on China to change their mindset.

    Today, China pursues its economic and expansionist interests seemingly unchecked. For example, Chinese investment in the United States has skyrocketed, growing from approximately $4.6 billion in 2010 to $45.6 billion in 2016. Many of these investments come from state-sponsored firms and strategically target our critical and financial infrastructure, as well as American start-up companies who produce emerging foundational technologies with broad military applications.

    One way we can counter strategic Chinese economic warfare is to strengthen our export control laws and rules associated with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Through denying market access to Chinese state-sponsored firms, we can more effectively leverage government action, particularly related to human rights and North Korea. The key to compelling change in North Korea is through imposing serious economic penalties on the Chinese government for providing material and political support of the oppressive North Korean regime. 

    We must approach every action and every economic transaction with China as directly related to Chinese support for North Korea, Chinese abuse of human rights, Chinese cyberespionage and Chinese military development.

    Over the past several years, through multiple Congressional letters co-signed by dozens of my colleagues, I have fought for heightened government scrutiny over various Chinese state-sponsored transactions, both domestic and abroad.

    Our efforts led to an unprecedented economic penalty imposed on the ZTE Corporation for selling embargoed technologies to Iran in 2012. 

    We have raised public concerns related to Chinese state-sponsored attempts to purchase American financial institutions, including the Chicago Stock Exchange and MoneyGram. Additionally, we have analyzed global Chinese efforts to invest in semiconductor technologies and have targeted certain transactions that will disrupt our Defense Department’s supply chain for critical military applications.

    As our government moves forward with China, we must consider policies that impose a strategic disadvantage to the Chinese economy. 

    Our policies must include efforts to sanction Chinese officials who engage in cyberespionage or human rights abuses and Chinese entities that provide critical or financial services to North Korea.

    Further, we must consider punitive action against Chinese trade-based money laundering, as well as money laundering that emerges from Macau.

    As China continues to modernize its military and emphasize capabilities intended to disrupt and challenge the United States, our government must respond by using our strong markets, economy and trade policies to compel immediate action by the Chinese government.

    America has a choice. We can have prescriptive economic and trade policies with China — including tariffs, sanctions, improved export control laws and strong CFIUS review authorities — or we can continue to allow them to advance their human rights abuses, execute massive corporate theft and cyberespionage operations and deliver material support for North Korea.

    This column first appeared on Fox News Opinion

  • 03HowDidWelake rimHow did we get here?

    Jeff “Goldy” Goldberg hosts Good Morning Fayetteville on WFNC 640 AM. On a recent show, he was interviewing a police officer who works with the Crime Stoppers program in our area. They started the conversation by discussing a shooting at Lake Rim. Reportedly, two groups were arguing, guns were produced and a man was shot. In essence, Goldy wondered aloud and with genuine concern, “How did we get here?” He explained when he was young, at most, arguments were settled with fists … not guns. His tone was one of absolute amazement that what was being reported could happen. What follows are my thoughts in response to Goldy’s question that people America are asking: How did we get here?

    In my estimation, our actions, for the most part, are the result of what we view as acceptable behavior. Regarding crime, Leonard A. Sipes Jr. clearly makes this point in an article titled “Top 10 Factors Contributing to Violent Crime-Updated,” in which he wrote: “Our criminological training is that governments do not control crime, communities or societies do; there is little the justice system can do if you decide to engage in violence, use drugs, participate in theft or buy stolen goods. We note that the criminological literature generally agrees that crime rises and falls over time at roughly the same rates in states and western countries, thus the explanations for crime seem to have a common, societal theme (i.e., drug use, universal agreements as to what is permissible).”

    What I want to examine is what I consider to be the most relevant part of the quote above: “…universal agreements as to what is permissible.” This leads one to ask how agreement as to what is permissible is being determined and promoted in America. I contend the answer speaks to how we became a society riddled with crime and a multitude of other ills. That is, we have and are experiencing a dramatic shift in the forces that shape agreements as to what is permissible in society.

    A major destructive shift is in the decline of church, especially Christian, influence on this process of defining what is permissible in society. I grew up in Camilla, Georgia, where the population was about 5,000. I remember walking over a mile to Union Baptist Church where my father was pastor. 

    Cheryl McCoy, her sister Brenda, Bobby Rosemond, Joe Grissom and I would make that walk to attend various youth activities. That was a time of foundation-building for us. The positive influence of all the good that happened in that church experience was a major factor in shaping our thinking regarding what is permissible in life. I am confident in saying not one of us in that group of walkers would see the crime, lawlessness or deafening irresponsible conduct of far too many Americans as permissible behavior. The very positive impact our Christian church had on my walking group was not unique to us; it was a widespread happening in that little town and across America. 

    The Christian Church has lost much of its capacity for, as was the case with my walking group, influencing what is viewed as permissible in America. Not only has that capacity declined, it is moving toward total collapse. Consider the following quotes from an article titled “The Decline of Christianity In America” that was posted June 30, 2009,
    at www.signsofthelastdays.com:

    According to a stunning new survey by America’s Research Group, 95 percent of 20 to 29 year old evangelicals attended church regularly during their elementary and middle school years. However, only 55 percent of them attended church regularly during high school, and only 11 percent of them were still regularly attending church when in college.

    The reality is that young Americans are deserting the Church in America in droves … 46 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 to 34 indicated they had no religion.

    Given what I have said so far, the question is: Why has the Christian Church, for the most part, lost the ability to influence what is viewed as permissible in American society? I hold the primary reason is that, in general, Christians have turned away from modeling and calling others to live in accordance with the teachings of scripture and the example of Jesus. This has happened, and is happening, for the same reason it occurred in the time of Jesus. John 12:42-43 (NIV) says:

    Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God. 

    In these verses, Jesus is within days of going to the cross. Some people in positions of leadership believed he was the promised deliverer of the Jews. Because this belief was not widely held, and accepting it would cause rejection of believers, many who believed kept quiet. In our time, being Christian attracts rejection, verbal attacks and denial of religious liberty. 

    I am not aware of physical attacks on American Christians, but it is becoming more and more challenging to be Christian in America. Too often, the response of many Christians is to steer clear of the hard work of influencing for good what is seen as permissible. The result is those who are counter to the Christian faith fill the void and set the course. 

    Interestingly, many Christians explain or justify their failure to take a stand by going to what Jesus said about judging. In Matthew 7:1, Jesus says, “Do not judge, or you will be judged.” Jesus goes further in the verses that follow. I contend He is not saying to never judge. Instead, Jesus explains how we should judge, how we should hold one another accountable. What He says should not be used as a reason for failing to, as Christians, be active in the process of determining what is permissible in society. 

    My hope and prayer is that Christians in America and around the world will find the wherewithal to stand and be the Godly influence we should be in defining what is permissible in society. I realize doing what we ought to comes with a high price. Be reminded that Jesus gave notice to those of us who stand with him (Matthew 5:11-12):

    Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

  • 02BlackoutMost of us have them in our families. 

    Sometimes we refer to them as “an eccentric” or a “real character,” like one of my favorite relatives who wanted more of the women in our family to be blonde. If you look at my photo on this page, you will see blonde is not my natural hair color. 

    Sometimes, there is no denying the situation is beyond eccentricity, like a cousin who was so angry at the power company in his area that he set up a flat bed truck decorated with Christmas lights and railed about his grievances with a megaphone to passing motorists. That was when he was not dropping anti-power company leaflets out of his twin-engine plane all over the crop fields of his rural county.

    Sometimes, it is clear we are dealing with a mental illness, like another cousin who is struggling with significant depression in her senior years. It is this kind and other serious conditions that we find so difficult to acknowledge and to discuss within our own families and without.

    That is why it struck me when I read last month about Britain’s Prince Harry, the red-headed, fun-loving, hard-partying bachelor prince, and his public announcement of his battles to keep mental and emotional equilibrium after the sudden death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, when he was only 12 years old. Prince Harry confessed he more or less shut down his emotions for 20 years, with neither he nor his older brother, William, talking much about their mother and the loss of her. Prince Harry said bottling up his emotions hurt both his personal life and his work.

    Part of his coming out about his mental health issues included a filmed interview with Harry, William and William’s wife, Kate Middleton, about the importance of being open about mental health.

    Joining in the ongoing conversation is Lady Gaga, who has spoken openly about living with post-traumatic stress disorder. Like Prince Harry, Lady Gaga spoke publicly with Prince William about her mental health.

    The British princes are not the first children to lose their mother suddenly and too early, nor is the flamboyant entertainer the first celebrity to have had a traumatic past. The difference is they are talking about their experiences. They are urging others to do so as well and to seek help for mental health issues when we need it.

    Writing recently in The News & Observer, Duke University psychology professor Robin Gurwitch said children often experience death of a loved one or some other trauma that, left unaddressed whether through talking to others or through professional counseling, can lead to crippling depression. 

    We cannot shield children from these experiences, but we can help them understand and cope. “In reality, talking is the most important step we can take to help our children heal from trauma and loss,” said Gurwitch.

    Talking truthfully about our experiences chips away at the stigma of mental stress and illness, with well-known people bravely leading the way. The other critical piece of the equation is providing access to needed mental health services. 

    North Carolina tried to set up community-based services in the early 2000s, but I do not know anyone who thinks this system is yet working the way it should. Many of the homeless people we see in our community are in need of mental health services that simply are not available to them. We can and must do better.

    Many years ago, a person in her 50s and dear to me was successfully treated for long-term substance abuse, and when she returned, we did talk about her issues in a way we never had before treatment. I asked her what she had learned during her time away. She thought a moment and said, “I learned that everyone has problems. I had thought I was the only one.”

    She had thought that for decades, probably because no one talked much about substance abuse or other mental health issues — or if they did, it was probably to criticize and not to offer help. My dear one is long gone now, but I still feel sad that she lived with substance abuse longer than she might have because no one was willing to talk about it honestly.

    My guess is Prince Harry and Lady Gaga have access to all sorts of treatment, and their forthright conversations about mental health are going to help many people. The rest of us can do that as well by acknowledging mental illness for what it is — a collection of largely treatable conditions, just like most physical illnesses, which most of us love to discuss ad infinitum.

  • 01PubPenSPORTSOh my! Decisions, decisions, decisions. Hmmmmmm? Where should the City of Fayetteville put the new sports complex? Well, from where I sit, and from what I’m hearing on the street from citizens who are informed about this opportunity, it is pretty much is a “no-brainer.” 

    However, what they seem to be more concerned about is the way the City Council is behaving. You would think on major proposals and important City business that coordination, cooperation and communication between Council members would be paramount. Well, not so much. Matter of fact, what seem to be “no-brainer” decisions are seemingly very divisive. This is causing some anxiety among citizens who are following the process. 

    Recently, Council member Ted Mohn reached out to me and other members of the media to get our take on the sports complex situation. We appreciated this consideration. In his memo, and in Ted Mohn style, he included a comprehensive evaluation of the suggested Fields/Cedar Creek Road site. He certainly did his homework. It included a graphic of the Rocky Mount Sports Complex for comparison with a dated 4-year financial impact of the complex. He also included a graphic of the Fields/Cedar Creek Road location that included a possible additional 36-acre add on. He also showed nearby commercial development and a sample concept of how the location could house and develop into a viable sports complex. No doubt a lot of time and effort went into this study. However, in my opinion, the Fields/Cedar Creek Road location is not the right location for this project. What follows is basically what I shared with Councilman Mohn in response to his request.

    I thanked him for including me in his quest for information and for all the time and research he invested in making sure the Council had all the facts and details and an understanding of the circumstances when considering where to locate the new $9 million sports complex. This is a major project, an important decision and a very big deal for our community. Accordingly, it needs to be thoroughly thought out and examined from all angles, especially from the perspective of the residents and taxpayers of the City of Fayetteville. This is not the time for infighting or petty ward politics.   

    I also clarified Up & Coming Weekly’s position and obligation to local residents as a community newspaper. Even though we now have a “hard news” element in our publication provided by Senior Reporter Jeff Thompson, traditionally, Up & Coming Weekly’s format has been derived from local observations and analysis of situations affecting our community from a historic perspective and how these actions or events impact the quality of life here in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. We do this mostly using “first person” insights and opinions. Matter of fact, by the time I’m ready to pen an article, I find myself pretty much putting down in print what the majority of our readers are already thinking. They trust Up & Coming Weekly because we validate their thoughts.

    After 21 years, the journalistic track record and reputation of Up & Coming Weekly is pretty stellar. And no one can accuse us of “fake news.” 

    With a small community newspaper like Up & Coming Weekly, it’s not how many papers we print each week that is important — it’s who reads it! 

    So, with all this being said, I told Mohn in response to his email that “historically speaking” the Cedar Creek/Fields Road area is a poor choice of locations. By historically, I mean Fayetteville and Cumberland County governments have chronic bad habits of justifying the means to accommodate the ends. And, unfortunately,  with very costly results. I could list at least a half-dozen examples, but I did not need to. Mohn knows what they are and so do the taxpayers. The sports complex should not and cannot become another one of these casualties. 

    This complex needs to be an economic driver. So, whatever monies the City has to come up with to assure its success should be considered a solid and vetted economic development opportunity. And, as such, it should be a rock-solid investment. I implored Ted to use his time, talent and influence to get the Council to shed the politics and do the type of due diligence that will net us a sound and responsible decision.

    I challenged him to query the Council members and the folks he sent memos to about how many times they have visited Exit 49 on Cedar Creek Road in the last year. To Dine? To Shop? To patronize the hotels? I bet zero! 

    While he is at it, I suggested he ask how many have ever participated in a travel sports program, and then find and interview people who have been active in traveling sports teams and ask them what they look for in community amenities when considering participating in a tournament or road trip. 

    I promise you, we can do more for building Fayetteville’s economy and quality of life while enhancing our community’s brand and image by placing it out by Bragg Boulevard near the All American Freeway and I-295, close to Cross Creek Mall. Really. I’m a big believer in creating a “WOW!” factor when it comes to promotion and marketing – two things Fayetteville doesn’t do very well close to home.  If, when all is said and done, we have to invest another $4 million to make this location happen, you can rest assured the “WOW!” factor will be there already included and thriving, and at no additional cost to
    the City.

    Everyone is hoping City Council makes the right decision. I personally hope they take the opportunity to finally prove me wrong when I say: “Fayetteville never misses an opportunity, to miss an opportunity.” 

    Everyone wants this project to be successful, right?  This being the case, why even risk the chance of a failure by choosing an unproven location? Fayetteville’s leadership should hedge its bet by placing the sports complex near I-295 and Cross Creek Mall. This sound location would justify and protect the taxpayers’ and the City’s investments. After all, when it comes to the Reilly Road location or the location at Exit 49 on Cedar Creek Road, the idea of “Build it and they will come” just hasn’t happened. At least not in the last two decades. Again, why risk the taxpayers’ money? 

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • 08relicArmy and Air Force spouses can apply for reimbursement of up to $500 for professional relicensing costs when they relocate with their service members. The new policy is retroactive to Dec. 12, 2017. It’s designed to ease the financial burden of spouses having to renew licenses each time they move to new duty stations. In many cases, spouses can’t get jobs in their fields unless they meet the requirements of their new states for licenses to practice in their professions. The policies apply to spouses of active-duty Army and Air Force, Guard, and Reserve on Title 10 orders.

    The Navy is still working on its policy to allow the reimbursement and expects to release it soon, according to a Navy administrative message. Information was not immediately available from the Marine Corps.

    The Army and Air Force policies apply to fees paid during each permanent change of station move. But reimbursements in connection with each move cannot exceed $500. Local and state-level licenses or certifications are required for a long list of professions, thousands in our area involving Army spouses. They range from dental hygienists and accountants to nurses and doctors, hair stylists, teachers and attorneys. The requirements vary widely from state to state, and from one profession to another.

    Here’s how the Army program works: Instructions on how to apply for reimbursement can be found in the All Army Activities message, or ALARACT 036/2019. Instructions will also eventually be available on the Military One- Source website. Department of Defense officials have been working for years to bring attention to state lawmakers that transferring occupational licenses from previous states is an important issue for military spouses who want to be able to continue to work in their professions.

    In North Carolina, state law provides in part that “licensure for military spouses... an occupational licensing board, as defined in G.S. 93B-1, shall issue a license, certification, or registration... to allow the applicant to lawfully practice the applicant’s occupation in this state.” Certain ordinary provisions must be met.

    Relicensing costs can include exam and registration fees where the new duty station is located — fees that are required in order to engage in the profession the spouse was in while with the service member at the last duty station. The reimbursement is a pilot program authorized through Dec. 31, 2022, by the current defense law, the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act.

    Family advocates have been frustrated by the delay in implementing the program. “We’re really encouraged to see that it’s retroactive back to Dec. 12, 2017,” said Jen Davis, government relations deputy director for the National Military Family Association.

    The association will be watching to see how reimbursement programs get rolled out for the Navy and Marine Corps. Because the individual military services are responsible for both the permanent change of station moves and related reimbursements, they have the discretionary authority to provide the payments.

  • 07Segra Stadium 3Downtown Fayetteville business owners have high hopes for the impact of professional baseball on local commerce. Those Up & Coming Weekly have spoken with seem to agree Segra Stadium is a good thing for business. That, of course, was the hope of Fayetteville City Council when it decided to put together a $40 million business plan to build the ballpark and entertainment venue.

    “In many ways, the stadium is delivering the audience, but it’s up to the business owners to entice attendees to come in the door,” said former Fayetteville Mayor Tony Chavonne. He knows the downtown market as well as anyone. Chavonne lives on Person Street in a house that would be thought of anywhere else as a twostoryrow house.

    “Early business reports are somewhat mixed as we all try to figure it out,” Chavonne added. “There’s a lot of continued excitement right now with the new stadium. We expect that to die down some as people get into more of a routine.”

    Merchants tend to be optimistic because of the new ballpark and the thousands of downtown visitors it has drawn. “We love the stadium and hope with time that more ballpark fans become downtown customers,” said merchant Molly Arnold. She and her husband have owned two downtown businesses for many years, including Rude Awakening Coffee House at 227 Hay St.

    However, dozens of merchants showed up at City Hall earlier this month to complain that city government had made hasty decisions, which city manager Doug Hewett acknowledged need work. “We hope to come back with a larger and more comprehensive parking management program late in 2019 early in 2020,” he said at that meeting.

    That’s months away, and Arnold suspects delays will be a problem. “We are hoping that City Council recognizes the need to also stop charging in (parking) lots, at the least,” she said.

    Chavonne agreed, saying, “Many are avoiding the city paid parking lots and find abundant free parking in other parts of the city.”

    Without saying so directly, Arnold suggested that merchants may have the answers. She said newcomers who come downtown for ballgames wonder about the police presence. “We hear that the regular blocking of Hay Street and the flashing blue lights is off-putting to people,” she said.

    The city blocks off Hay Street between Ray Avenue and Pittman Street for pedestrians and stations police cars at each end. “I am still amazed with folks’ concerns on security,” Chavonne noted, recalling his eight years as mayor.

    “We are encouraged” about the future, said Laura Laycock, store manager of Center City Gallery & Books at 112 Hay St. She said she has seen an increase in pedestrian traffic in recent weeks. The store closes at 6 p.m. on weekdays, but weekend afternoon games seem to generate traffic. Asked if owners Diane and Hank Parfitt have considered staying open later, Laycock said, “We’ve talked about it.”

  • 06duane holderFormer Cumberland County Public health director Buck Wilson resigned nearly two years ago. At about the same time, county commissioners considered whether to consolidate human services agencies. While that process was ongoing, the county decided to suspend the recruitment of a health director. Assistant County Manager Duane Holder was named acting director to provide departmental leadership. Several months later, during the May 21 meeting, the board of commissioners voted 5-2 to retain the existing governance structure. The Board of Health then formed a search committee to resume recruitment of a health director and retained a consultant to find a permanent director. That was one year ago.

    “Following an initial search, the committee decided to repost the position with a targeted marketing effort to reach potential candidates from communities across the country with similar demographics and health priorities,” Holder said. The search continues.

    Hospital gets an “A”

    Cape Fear Valley Medical Center was awarded an “A” from The Leapfrog Group’s spring 2019 Hospital Safety Grade. The designation recognizes Cape Fear Valley’s efforts to protect its patients from harm. The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers. It grades hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care.

    “To be recognized nationally as an ‘A’ hospital is an accomplishment the whole community should take pride in,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group.

    Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measurements of publicly available safety data to evaluate more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice a year. Cape Fear Valley Medical Center was awarded an “A” grade following a period a few years ago when safety data was not as flattering. For information and patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org.

    The Baby Store is open again

    The Cumberland County Health Department’s Baby Store has reopened for public health clients. The Baby Store is a prenatal health promotion program that aims to create healthy moms and healthy babies. Health Department clients can earn baby bucks by attending prenatal care appointments and participating in health education programs such as smoking cessation, childbirth, parenting and breastfeeding classes. Clients with children who visit the Women, Infants and Children program; Women’s Health Clinic; Family Planning Clinic; Child Health Clinic; Immunization Clinic; and many other programs for moms with newborns can also earn bucks.

    These baby bucks can be used to purchase items such as diapers, baby wipes, clothing and more. Store hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

    “The Baby Store program helps expectant moms and families by aiding in the healthy development of their babies,” said interim health director Duane Holder. “This is one way we can help decrease the infant mortality rate and low birth weight percentages in Cumberland County.”

    The Baby Store is made possible through a grant awarded by the North Carolina Office of Rural Health. The Baby Store has been open, when funding has been available, off and on since 2010. 

    Local volunteer honored

    Cumberland Disaster Recovery Coalition Secretary Diane Chandler has received the Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service in recognition of her contributions to the coalition’s recovery efforts following Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

    Al Foote, administrative officer for Medicaid Transportation and Disaster Coordination at the Cumberland County Department of Social Services, surprised Chandler with the award during CDRC’s May 14 meeting.

    The Governor’s Volunteer Service Award honors the spirit of volunteerism by recognizing individuals, groups and businesses that make significant contributions to their communities through volunteer service.

    “In the wake of Hurricane Matthew... Diane’s detailed minutes have allowed the CDRC to maintain records of our rise from a small group to a nonprofit long-term recovery group and now to one of the most productive and successful LTRGs in the state,” Foote said.

    Chandler joined the CDRC in 2011 shortly after tornadoes struck Cumberland County. The coalition was established as a result of the 2011 tornado disaster. For more information, or to find out how to become a volunteer, go to cdrcnc.org.

    Local business changes hands

    FASTSIGNS of Fayetteville, a locally owned and operated sign and graphics company, has a new owner. Vic Cannon, a resident of North Carolina since 1987 and of Fayetteville since last year, bought the business from the original owner. Cannon said he hopes to expand and further improve the high level of quality and customer service that the Fayetteville community has experienced in the past with the same team.

    As a member of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club, Cannon looks forward to continued involvement in his community as a new business owner.

    “I have run many businesses for others, but I wanted a business of my own,” Cannon said. FASTSIGNS of Fayetteville is located at 2807 Raeford Rd.

    Photo: Duane Holder

  • 06PrinceCharlesWhen built in 1925, the Hotel Prince Charles was downtown Fayetteville’s tallest building. It was a grand landmark like no other. But over the last 40 years, the structure deteriorated to the point that the fire department closed it down several years ago. In 2014, PCH Holdings LLC bought the hotel at auction for $200,000. The surrounding property was purchased for $2 million. Fayetteville native Jordan Jones is one of the owners and is serving as project manager of the company’s reconstruction of the interior of the building. It’s a family affair for Jones. His great, greatgrandfather, James A. Jones, built the hotel 94 years ago.

    When North Carolina’s largest banks showed no interest in downtown Fayetteville investment opportunities, a local community bank said yes when asked to join in a long-term investment. Carter Bank and Trust Company is the major investor in the $18.3 million reconstruction project. “It was a pretty huge win for downtown,” Jones said. He added that over the last year the big banks have seen the commitments that the city of Fayetteville and PCH Holdings have made, and now consider the city “investable.”

    Jones said the Prince Charles project was much more than a renovation. None of the existing interior walls still stand. One-bedroom units have about 650 square-feet. Apartment rentals from the second to the seventh floors range in price from an average of $1,200 for one-bedroom units to $1,700 for larger two-bedroom units. 

    Two-bedroom apartments have two full baths. All apartments have washers and dryers in addition to kitchen appliances. There are 11 separate floor plans. A dozen or so of the 59 apartments overlook Segra Stadium. Not all the apartments are ready for occupancy, but Jones said it won’t be long. The former ballroom on the eighth floor has been leased to a firm with 3,300 square-feet of open office space. The original hardwood floors remain.

    The 300-plus windows in the building represent a significant, unintended expense for the developers. The Historic Resources Commission is responsible for reviewing and approving all exterior changes in designated districts and to landmark properties. It required that the windows be repaired, not replaced. “We sent them to Florida to be fixed,” Jones said. Austin Historical Restorations of Orlando was paid $850,000 to preserve the window frames. Jones added that much of the original glass was used.

    The apartment building’s first floor at ground level will feature two full-service restaurants. A high-end steakhouse is planned for the former lobby of the hotel. A pizzeria with 2,600 feet of open-air space is planned for the rear of the building near the baseball stadium entrance. And, the Coffee Scene with shops on Morganton Road and Fort Bragg will also have a location in the Prince Charles, just off Hay Street.

    Tenants will have reserved parking spaces in the adjacent five-story parking garage. The city owns the building at a taxpayer cost so far of $16 million. PCH Holdings has put $2 million into the parking deck and has asked the city for another $1.5 million. It’s estimated that of the 482 spaces in the parking tower, 200 of them will be available to the public depending on time of day.

  • 05FreedomMemorialFayetteville’s annual Memorial Day Ceremony at Freedom Memorial Park is set for Monday, May 27, at 11 a.m. Bleacher seating for 300 will be available, but the seats typically fill quickly. Attendees can also bring lawn chairs for seating. Parking is available at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, 100 Bragg Blvd.; and the Medical Arts building, 101 Robeson St. A gateway to downtown, the park includes graceful monuments honoring military veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the global war on terrorism. The ceremony ensures the sacrifices of those who fought for our freedom are never forgotten.

    The Cool Spring Downtown District is partnering with the ASOM Foundation in support of the 12th Annual Field of Honor. Since its inception in 2008, The North Carolina Field of Honor has been an annual tradition in downtown Fayetteville.

    Through June 27, hundreds of flags fly on the parade ground between the ASOM at 100 Bragg Blvd. and the North Carolina Veterans Park. Each flag comes with its own story and displays a tag identifying both the person who sponsored the flag and the honoree. This display of heroism flies as a patriotic tribute to the strength and unity of Americans. It honors all who are currently serving, those who have served, and the men and women who have made the supreme sacrifice for our nation’s freedom.

    Flags may be purchased to honor the memory of veterans or current service members. To sponsor a $35 Field of Honor Flag, visit the ASOM Gift Store.

    May 25 is 4th Friday. Starting at 6 p.m. downtown, there will be big-band music at the Headquarters Library and the opening of the “Dance of Art in India” exhibit at Cape Fear Studios. Saturday, May 26, Spring Lake’s Memorial Day Tribute begins with a parade at 10 a.m. at Veterans Park at Ruth and Main streets. Soldiers from Fort Bragg will participate in the ceremony.

    Monday, May 27, the U.S. Special Forces Command Memorial Day service is at 10 a.m., at Memorial Wall, United States Army Special Operations Command. 

    Also on May 27, join the Fort Bragg Chapter of Wear Blue: Run to Remember at the Memorial Day event to be held at the Jordon Soccer Complex on Treetop Drive in Fayetteville. This event begins with a Circle of Remembrance ceremony, when the names of fallen service members are spoken aloud. Afterward, the group unites as a living memorial for the fallen service members with a self-paced run or walk.

    Hope Mills has long paid tribute to fallen members of the military on Memorial Day. The tribute will take place May 27, at the war memorial located adjacent to the Hope Mills Recreation Center on Rockfish Road at 4 p.m. Several groups and organizations will take part in the ceremony, and the general public is invited to attend.

  • 04DanBishopMecklenburg County State Sen. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., won the makeover 9th Congressional District Republican primary election. The May 14 special primary came three months after state election officials threw out the November 2018 election, which was marred by fraud allegations in Bladen and Robeson counties.

    Half of Cumberland County is in the 9th District. Bishop will face Democrat Dan McCready and two third-party candidates Sept. 10 in what’s expected to be the nation’s most closely watched special election. The district has been without a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since the first of the year. A Republican has held the seat, which has changed over time, since the 1960s. Bishop defeated nine other Republican Party candidates.

    “Dan McCready went through two elections without telling anyone where he stood on anything — that ends now,” Bishop told supporters.

    In a statement, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fired back, noting Bishop was the architect of House Bill 2, the so-called “bathroom bill,” and heir to what it called Republican election fraud.

    Bragg Boulevard intersection change

    Construction of the new Rowan Street railroad bridges is resulting in a new traffic pattern west of the overpasses. Bragg Boulevard is being rerouted to intersect with Murchison Road and Rowan Street.

    The change was made this month while construction of the roadway continues. Another new section of the roadway will redirect Murchison Road to make for a smoother transformation. The change cuts off a historic service station now being used as a used car lot. It was the only building in the vicinity preserved because of its historic significance.

    City Manager Doug Hewett said the city hopes to acquire and restore the property. The old section of the boulevard between Rowan Street and the North Carolina Veterans Park will be converted into a cul-de-sac, Hewett said.

    The $36 million project is an initiative of the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, which replaces the structurally obsolete bridge along NC 24-210 that passed over Hillsboro Street, the CSX Railroad and the Norfolk Southern Railroad in downtown Fayetteville. Construction is scheduled for completion in November.

    New PWC electricity rates now in effect

    Fayetteville Public Works Commission has implemented time-of-use rates for residential and small commercial electric customers. PWC says on its website that the new rates are in keeping with the way the utility purchases power from Duke Energy — at higher rates during peak hours, when consumers typically use more power. 

    Rates for electricity used during off-peak hours will be 30% lower than during peak times. Peak hours vary depending on the time of year.

    From April-October, they are from 3-7 p.m., weekdays. Winter peak hours between November and March are from 6-10 a.m., Monday through Friday.

    PWC said its average residential customer uses 1,017 kilowatt hours of electricity each month; 21% during peak hours and 79% during off-peak hours. Customers can save money by adjusting their daily weekday routine and shifting more of their electrical use to the off-peak times of day.

    PWC suggests customers use toaster ovens, crockpots and microwaves when cooking. They use less energy than the stove or oven. Always take care when cooking. It is the No. 1 cause of house fires in the United States.

    Official I.D. cards are now available to everyone

    North Carolina citizens whose driver’s licenses or permits are suspended or revoked can now receive state-issued identification cards from the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. 

    D.M.V. began the process this month of issuing identification cards to residents with revoked, suspended, canceled or disqualified driver’s licenses. The General Assembly passed the law during the 2018 session.

    State-issued identification cards can be used as a form of photo identification. They do not authorize holders to drive. DMV will mail identification cards to individuals after the it receives the seized or surrendered licenses. There is no charge. The ID card issuance is not retroactive and applies to driver’s licenses that were surrendered starting May 1.

    Fox bites mom and son

    A rabid fix bit a local woman and her son last week. The State Public Health Lab in Raleigh confirmed the fox that bit two people May 13 has rabies. The incident occurred at a home on Christina Street off Cliffdale Road in Fayetteville. The victims were not identified by authorities.

    Animal Control responded to the scene to investigate. Officers said a growling fox approached three adults sitting on the front porch of their home and bit a mother and son before another son removed the fox from the porch without being bitten.

    Animal Control officers who responded were able to locate and secure the fox. Officials said the animal died while being transported to the Animal Control facility. The two victims sought treatment at the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center’s emergency room and are receiving post-rabies exposure treatment. This is the first case of rabies in Cumberland County in 2019.

    Photo: Dan Bishop

  • 07parkingDowntown parking during Fayetteville Woodpeckers baseball games is not the issue that a lot of people thought it would be — except for some employees of center-city restaurants. Many wait staffers have complained that paying to park in city lots is causing them a financial hardship.

    “It’s a problem that we didn’t have before (the existence of) this much (parking) demand downtown,” Mayor Mitch Colvin said.

    During home games, the city has been charging $10 for people to park in city lots. Private property owners charge as much as $20 for special event parking. City Council cannot regulate private lots but has agreed to reduce the fee restaurant workers pay to $5 if they’ll use the Donaldson Street parking lot, which has 167 spaces.

    City officials are now having to deal with these unintended consequences. Some restauranteurs have also complained that the $10 parking fee is causing people who are not going to ballgames to think twice about dining downtown. “We hope that what we are proposing... would give the business owners and the employees who work at the restaurants some real options for parking in the interim until we come back with a larger and more comprehensive parking management program late in 2019 (or) early in 2020,” City Manager Doug Hewett said.

    Consultants hired by the city have made numerous recommendations for modernizing downtown parking. Jon Martens of Walker Consultants said the city should hire a parking manager to keep tabs on issues that might arise.

    The $10 special event parking fee at city-managed lots takes effect two hours before the games begin, which on weekdays is 7 p.m. Even the Franklin Street parking deck everyday fee of 50 cents an hour with a maximum of $4 a day goes up to $10 during baseball games. On-street parking is free, but those spaces are the first to be taken.

    “We don’t want people not to come downtown for any reason,” Colvin said.

    Reducing the fee to $5 for downtown workers was the suggestion of Fayetteville Traffic Engineer Lee Jernigan. “My recommendation is that downtown employment be validated by the Cool Spring Downtown District after which the city would work... to issue parking permits that reduce the event parking fee to $5,” Jernigan’s memo stated.

    City Councilman Jim Arp said the city needs to do a better job accommodating the disabled. Handicapped parking is currently provided at city lots behind City Hall. That’s almost two blocks from the entrance to Segra Stadium. “For many of our citizens, that’s a long walk,” Arp said. He initially opposed the use of shuttles but now says a shuttle from Franklin Street to the stadium is an idea worth considering so the elderly and disabled don’t have to walk.

    Detailed parking information is available at www.Fayettevillenc.gov and on the city’s smart phone app.

  • 06CallUnknowns are driving local government officials to meet a deadline that could yield a state grant to help fund a joint 911 call center. Subcommittees of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and Fayetteville City Council agree that co-locating a new emergency communications center is a good idea. But it’s an expensive undertaking that could cost tens of millions of dollars.

    County government is the lead agency in the grant acquisition, and Deputy County Manager Tracy Jackson told committee members he can’t say how much a grant from the state 911 Board might be. He made clear that initial cost estimates to acquire, renovate and equip the facility for $30 million are obsolete.

    Cumberland County Manager Amy Cannon said the county will move forward to develop the call center with or without the city’s participation or a grant from Raleigh. The county acquired a building at 500 Executive Place for the communications center for $5 million. City council members Kathy Jensen, Ted Mohn and Larry Wright met with County Commissioners Glenn Adams, Marshall Faircloth and Jimmy Keefe May 6 to hash out details of a proposed interlocal contract to co-locate their separate operations.

    “The spirit is to forge an agreement,” Faircloth said. Subcommittee members agree that working together would reduce renovation and operation costs for the city and county. They said the hope is to one day consolidate the 911 call centers. 

    City council and county commissioners need to approve the agreement this month before a grant application is submitted. Council member Kathy Jensen said that dealing with unknowns will be difficult for the other seven members of city council.

    It’s unclear what chances a grant application to the state would have even if it’s agreed to locally. Mayor Pro Tem Mohn suggested operations should move forward without seeking an unknown grant.

    The agreement discussed by city and county officials said the two governments would co-locate their 911 operations “with the mutual intent to fully consolidate in the future.”

    “Even though it’s going to be expensive,” Faircloth said, “it won’t be as expensive as two separate facilities.”

    The pending agreement does not specify whether the city or county will be responsible for management. It says only that “each party’s respective 911 director and employees will be subject to its own personnel policies and procedures.”

    “Good faith and good will and a fair shake is what we’re agreeing to,” Councilman Larry Wright said.

    County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe noted that a consolidated 911 center has been discussed for 30 years. “We have an opportunity,” he said. “This is as close as we’ve ever come.”

    Cumberland County’s emergency communications center is in cramped quarters in the basement of the law enforcement center on Dick Street. It has been considered obsolete for many years. The city of Fayetteville’s 911 center is on the second floor of City Hall. Since the terror attacks of 2001, new emergency communications facilities are expected to be secure facilities away from downtown centers of government.

  • 05JohnnyFayetteville Police special victims’ detectives have jailed a Robeson County man they describe as a serial rapist. Johnnie B. Green Jr., 45, of Parkton, faces nearly 50 charges. He is accused of committing a dozen rapes and is being held in the Cumberland County Detention Center under a $13.5 million bond. The rapes — nine in Fayetteville, two in rural Cumberland County and one in Hope Mills — occurred between June 2009 and November 2010.

    Investigators dubbed the attacker the do-rag rapist because the victims described their assailant as wearing a scarf on his head. He was in jail for an unrelated case when charged with the crimes. Authorities have filed 14 counts of second-degree rape, 21 counts of second-degree sex offense and multiple charges of kidnapping, first-degree burglary, felony breaking and entering, and common law robbery against Green.

    Police spokesman Lt. Gary Womble said the attacks took place throughout the city, from Ireland Drive to Bragg Boulevard, McPherson Church Road to Rosehill Road and from Pamalee Drive to Cliffdale Road.

    Womble said Green became a person of interest through a genetic genealogy analysis of his DNA. Genetic genealogy is a relatively new science developed by Parabon NanoLabs of Reston, Virginia. The firm has worked with Fayetteville Police for about two years. When a genetic genealogy search yields useful related matches to an unknown DNA sample, it can narrow a suspect list to a region, a family or even an individual. It is paired with snapshot DNA phenotyping to reduce the list of possible matches further. It is the same service used to identify other suspects in unsolved rape investigations that resulted in arrests in Fayetteville.

    New city senior management team member

    Fayetteville City Manager Doug Hewett has selected Angel Wright-Lanier as a new assistant manager. She was assistant city manager in Goldsboro, North Carolina, from 2013 to 2015 and deputy town manager in Mooresville, North Carolina, from 2015 to now.

    Wright-Lanier succeeds Jay Reinstein, who is retiring after being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. “Angel Wright-Lanier has the experience, knowledge and people skills to be the next assistant city manager for Fayetteville,” Hewett said. “Her extensive background in managing a large variety of departments and interacting well with the public make her a good fit for the position.”

    Wright-Lanier earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a Master of Science in Management Information Systems from Strayer University.

    North Carolina transportation leaders meet in Fayetteville

    The North Carolina Board of Transportation gathered in Fayetteville last month. The board took its monthly meeting on the road to see firsthand the unique assets and transportation challenges in Highway Division 6, which is headquartered in Fayetteville. Board members designated all 39 miles of the future I-295 as the “Airborne & Special Operations Highway.” Fayetteville City Council and Fort Bragg’s garrison commander requested the designation.

    Board members also named the section of I-295 between I-95 and Ramsey Street after Lyndo Tippett. The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners requested the special designation. Tippett was the state’s longest-serving transportation secretary under Gov. James B. Hunt, serving from 2001 until 2009. Tippett had previously served on the board of transportation.

    Airborne Hall of Fame Inductees named

    The 82nd Airborne Division has announced the inductees for the 2019 All American Hall of Fame Class. The ceremony honoring the inductees will be held at 10 a.m., May 22, at Fort Bragg’s Hall of Heroes.

    A board of senior leaders selected 15 legendary figures from the Division’s 102-year history for enshrinement this year. They were chosen based on their service with the division, their lifelong commitment to the division’s values, valorous combat action and contributions to their chosen field.

    Inductees include Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph R. Allen, Gen. Lloyd J. Austin, Maj. T. Moffatt Burris, Lt. Col. Robert E. Chisolm, Lt. Gen. George A. Crocker, Lt. Col. Gordon “Duke” Dewey, Pfc. Robert W. Dodson, Command Sgt. Maj. Steven R. England, Capt. Kimberly N. Hampton, Lt. Gen. James H. Johnson Jr., Brig. Gen. Dennis D. Kerr, Gen. Carl W. Stiner, Maj. Gen. Reuben H. Tucker, Lt. Gen. John R. Vines and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Johnathan A. Ward.

    Animal control foster program

    The Cumberland County Animal Control Shelter is seeking foster families to provide temporary care for animals until they are ready for adoption. There is a great need for kitten fosters currently, said Director Elaine Smith. “Fosters are a huge help in increasing the number of kittens that we can care for at the shelter,” she said.

    Foster orientation sessions are held the third Saturday of each month at 2 p.m. at the Animal Shelter, 4704 Corporation Dr. The age and condition of the animals determine how long they stay in foster care. Some animals also need special care, such as bottle feeding or medication administration. 

    The only requirement to foster is that parents be 18 years old, sign liability waivers and attend orientation sessions. All supplies are provided.  For more information about fostering, or to sign up for an orientation session, call 910-321-6828 or 910-321-6965.

    Photo: Johnnie B. Green Jr. 

  • 14GradDr. Larry Keen and the board of trustees of Fayetteville Technical Community College are excited to announce the 57th Annual Commencement Exercises May 17, at the Crown Coliseum. Due to high number of graduates, FTCC decided last year to split the graduation into two ceremonies and host them both during the day. The ceremonies were successful, and the plan for 2019 is to continue with two daytime graduation ceremonies.

    The morning commencement will begin at 10 a.m., and the doors will unlock for the public at 9 a.m. Graduates from computer information technology programs, business programs, engineering and applied technology programs and health programs will be recognized.

    The afternoon commencement will begin at 2 p.m., and the doors will unlock for the public at 1 p.m. FTCC will recognize graduates from the arts and humanities programs, math and science programs, public service programs and continuing education programs.

    The commencement speaker will be former North Carolina Sen. Dr. Eric L. Mansfield. Rev. Jacob Warren from Veritas Church in Fayetteville will provide the invocation and benediction during both ceremonies.

    Photo Specialties, which is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, will provide photo services for graduates. Class rings for the 2019 class are available for student purchase through the Balfour Ring Company. Representatives from FTCC’s Jobs Center are available to assist graduates with creating resumes and finding employment.

    Representatives from FTCC’s University Outreach Transfer Center are also helpful in discussing various options for students interested in continuing their academic journeys beyond the two-year program of study.

    Anyone who plans to attend the morning or afternoon graduation ceremonies should anticipate heavy traffic around the Crown Coliseum. Students only will arrive through the Expo Doors located off East Mountain Drive. All friends and family should enter the Crown Coliseum through the North, West and East entrances.

    The Crown Coliseum will stream the commencement exercises live at www.crowncomplexnc.com/events/event-streaming. For more information about the FTCC 2019 commencement ceremony and an additional direct link to the graduation streaming, visit the FTCC Graduation Page at www.faytechcc.edu/campus-life/academic-resources/graduation.

    FTCC has been serving the Fayetteville/ Cumberland County area since 1961. The college offers more than 250 programs of study leading to the award of associate degree, certificate or diploma. Program areas include arts and humanities, math and sciences, business, computer technology, engineering/applied technology, health, and public service.

    Fayetteville Tech’s corporate and continuing education programs also provide a wide array of courses with convenient options for affordable career training, personal interest courses and high school diploma education. FTCC’s website, www.faytechcc.edu, shares a great deal of information, and admissions counselors are available at the Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Spring Lake campus locations. Browse the website, or visit one of the campus locations for assistance in enrolling for summer and fall classes at your community college.

  • 08Veteran Suicide 2America is facing a national public health crisis. Each day, 22 veterans, service members, reservists and members of the National Guard die by suicide, totaling more than 7,300 deaths per year. Three veterans shot and killed themselves at Veterans Affairs facilities within five days late last month. While Veterans Affairs has been the public face of the issue, veterans are in many ways an amplification of the same factors that drive suicide in the broader American population: a shortage of mental health resources, a lack of funding for suicide research, and easy access to guns, according to the VA National Suicide Data Report.

    The 2015 Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for Americans Act requires officials to provide annual reviews of mental health care and suicide prevention programs. It found that veterans receive good mental health care at many Department of Veterans Affairs centers, but that has not decreased suicide rates. Some programs to address veteran suicide are showing promise. A relatively new program, known as the Mayor’s Challenge, helps city and state governments reach more veterans through public health programs via Veterans Affairs partnerships. Separately, former Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson collaborated with retired Fayetteville VA Medical Center Director Elizabeth Goolsby to launch a local outreach challenge on veterans’ needs.

    A study of nine VA emergency rooms found 45 percent fewer suicidal behaviors among patients who received follow-up outreach after suicide attempts. As a result of this study, all VA medical centers have put in place a safety planning intervention program. Yet about 70 percent of veterans do not regularly use VA access to federal facilities that may be viewed as central to suicide prevention.

    Exposure to combat is considered a leading cause of post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans. PTSD is a psychiatric condition in people who experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. “We need to expand our understanding of mental health among veterans,” said Rep. Mark Takano, DCalif., chairman of the House Veteran Affairs Committee. “We need to commit to providing the resources needed to implement a comprehensive plan.”

    A 2014 Veterans Health Administration audit unearthed rampant problems, including allegations that scheduling delays led to 40 Arizona veterans dying from lack of timely medical care by the VA.

    “Providing same-day 24/7 access to mental health crisis intervention and support for veterans, service members and their families is our top clinical priority,” said VA secretary Robert Wilkie in an April 16 press release. “It’s important that all Veterans, their family and friends know that help is easily available.”

    Yet myriad political, structural and cultural impediments exist far beyond Washington, D.C. Many suicide experts believe that a lack of proper training in suicide prevention in the broader mental health field, hobbled by a lack of research, is central to the issue.

    The VA’s Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention is a national leader in making high-quality mental health care and suicide prevention resources available to veterans through a full spectrum of outpatient, inpatient and mental health services. Veterans in crisis — or those concerned about one — should call the Veterans Crisis Line at 800-273-8255 and press 1, send a text message to 838255, or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net.

  • 07TUBERCULOSIS 2The Cumberland County Department of Public Health has been notified by the state that a local individual thought to have been infected with tuberculosis did not in fact have TB. Parents, faculty and staff at Village Christian Academy were so advised in late April. The Cumberland County Health Department received updated information and a recommendation from the Public Health Division of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services about a TB contact investigation conducted in February. Some individuals at the school were believed to have been exposed to a case of infectious tuberculosis. An investigation conducted by the state revealed that the individual was not infected.

    The determination was made just as a scheduled second round of testing was to begin. Initial positive lab tests needed to be confirmed by growing the TB germ in culture, which can take six weeks from the time a specimen has been collected. None of the specimens collected, including the specimen that had the initial positive test, have grown the TB germ.

    “We are notifying everyone that a second round of testing is not needed, based on results received from the state lab,” said Cumberland County Interim Health Director Duane Holder. “The contact investigation and first round of skin testing was the best course of action to protect potentially exposed students, faculty and staff,” he said.

    “The Health Department acted according to state protocol … we had to wait six weeks for the culture results from the state lab.”

    Consumption, or the White Plague, as TB was once known, has been around since the dawn of man. In 2014, a DNA study of a tuberculosis genome reconstructed from remains in southern Peru suggested that human tuberculosis is less than 6,000 years old. But there is evidence that the first tuberculosis infection happened about 9,000 years ago.

    By the 1960s, industrialized nations were seeing the health benefits of economic improvement, better sanitation, more widespread education and particularly the establishment of public health practices for tuberculosis control. The rate of deaths from tuberculosis in England and Wales dropped from 190 per 100,000 population in 1900 to seven per 100,000 in the early 1960s. In the United States during the same period, it dropped from 194 per 100,000 to approximately six per 100,000. In the popular mind, tuberculosis was then a disease of the past.

    However, in the mid-1980s, the number of deaths caused by TB began to rise again in developed countries. The disease’s resurgence was attributed in part to increased immigration of people from regions where tuberculosis was prevalent, and the spread of HIV. In the early 2000s, as a result of the rapid implementation of global efforts to combat the disease, the incidence rates stabilized. Globally today, the mortality rate from tuberculosis remains between 1.6 million and two million deaths per year. Anyone with questions about TB testing should contact the Cumberland County Health Department at 910-433-3638 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • 06votersA new election in the 9th Congressional District, which includes part of Cumberland County, will be held Tuesday, May 14. Only registered Republican and unaffiliated voters can vote in the primary election. One-stop early voting began April 24 and runs through May 10, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Board of Elections Office, 227 Fountainhead Lane.

    A second primary will be held Sept. 10, if necessary, followed by the general election Nov. 5. If a second primary is not necessary, the general election for the 9th Congressional District will be Sept. 10.

    The 9th Congressional District covers most of eastern and southern Cumberland County. The State Board of Elections ordered the new election in the 9th Congressional District after determining that irregularities occurred to such an extent that they tainted the results of the general election last November and cast doubt on its fairness.

    The Cumberland County Board of Elections office is located in the E. Newton Smith Center on Fountainhead Lane, Fayetteville. The office is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 910-678-7733 or go to co.cumberland.nc.us/election-board for more information. 

    Fort Bragg food spoilage compensation

    A week after a cyberattack exercise shut down electricity on Fort Bragg, leadership is offering soldiers and their families a chance to recoup their losses. Post residents can file claims with the judge advocate general’s office, according to a May 2 Facebook post.

    “Following the exercise, we’ve received a number of inquiries about claims for food that spoiled as a result of the power outage,” the statement said.

    The simulated cyberattack, meant to coincide with an 82nd Airborne Division deployment exercise, was meant to test the community’s ability to rebound from an attack. The outage began the night of April 24 and lasted for about 12 hours, affecting everything from food to refrigerated medications, both those stored in homes but also at pharmacies on post.

    Post officials issued an apology later that afternoon. JAG’s claims division is accepting reports for reimbursements. Peter Straub, the chief of the division, can be reached at 910-396-7505 or peter.j.straub.civ@mail.mil.

    Army border support

    The Pentagon may send another 300 troops to the U.S. southern border in support roles that could put them in contact with migrants and thus mark a break from current practice, officials said. Charles Summers, a spokesman for Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, said the proposal was developed as a response to a call from the Department of Homeland Security for additional military assistance. The new troops would be in support roles such as driving buses with detained migrants and providing meals to them.

    There currently are about 2,900 active-duty soldiers at the border, plus about 2,000 National Guard troops. The policy includes a prohibition on direct contact with migrants, which is meant to emphasize that the military is not in a law enforcement role.

    Summers said the proposal being considered by Shanahan would include an “amendment” to the current policy on avoiding contact with migrants.

    Fayetteville Beautiful annual cleanup

    The annual Fayetteville Beautiful citywidevcleanup is scheduled for Saturday, May 11.vDedicated to reducing litter, encouraging wastevreduction and promoting beautification projectsvthrough community engagement, FayettevillevBeautiful asks residents to pick up litter by signingvup at Fayettevillebeautiful.com, which is highlightedvon the Fayetteville Beautiful homepagevwith the words “Citywide Cleanup Map” in red.

    Volunteers should meet at the entrance to CrossvCreek Park on Green Street from 8-9:30 a.m. Orangevbags, gloves and bottled water will be provided.

    During last year’s event, 478 volunteers pickedvup 9,722 pounds of litter. Over the years, duringv14 citywide cleanups, more than 147 tons of littervhave been collected along 216 miles of roads.vFayetteville Beautiful, in partnership with KeepvAmerica Beautiful and Keep NC Beautiful, encouragesvcitizens to create and maintain a cleanervand more beautiful Fayetteville.

    City citizen service

    The city of Fayetteville has some vacancies to fill on a couple of citizen commissions. The Millennial Advisory Commission is new and has 13 openings. The Redevelopment Commission has one opening. Applications will be accepted until midnight May 16. Qualified applicants will be presented to City Council’s appointments committee in May. The Council will approve board and commission members at a regular meeting in June. The city accepts applications via the city website at www.fayettevillenc.gov.

    Motorcycle security

    The Fayetteville Police Department’s Property Unit reminds motorcycle owners to secure their bikes properly to avoid theft as warmer weather sets in. Most motorcycle larcenies reported to police occur in apartment complexes, where motorcycles have been left unsecured in the open. Owners are encouraged to lock their bikes to protect their investments. They are advised to park in well-lit areas.

    Thefts of vans and trucks are often associated with the theft of motorcycles. Thieves sometimes use trucks to facilitate motorcycle thefts during this time of the year.

    If you observe anything that appears to be suspicious, especially if you see vehicles driving slowly through an apartment complex during the hours of darkness or someone loading a motorcycle into a van, call 911.

  • Do you have a favorite car wash/stylist/restaurant? Do you just love a particular nonprofit orgBOF2019VOTENONOMS resizeanization/entertainment venue/veterinarian? Now is your chance to tell us about it. Once a year, we reach out to our readers through our Best of Fayetteville readership survey to ask what you love most about this area.

    We don’t pre-sell advertising to promote or nominate specific businesses and organizations for Best of Fayetteville. But we do encourage them to promote themselves and encourage their friends, family and customers to vote in Best of Fayetteville.

    We do not sell or require businesses or organizations to participate with advertising purchases in pre-contest special sections to get their business officially printed on the ballot.

    We do not have pre-ballot advertising sales.

    After the survey is complete and the ballots are tallied, there is only ONE winner in each category. The winners are given the opportunity to purchase advertising/marketing programs to thank their customers and supporters and to market and brand their companies, capitalizing on and taking advantage of their Best of Fayetteville achievement.

    Voting lasts through May 24. Visit http://uandc.brainboxdev.com/ and fill out a ballot online. Or, find a paper edition of Up & Coming Weekly and fill out the ballot and mail it in.

    Once all the votes are counted, we throw a big party congratulating the winners, and we publish an entire issue celebrating them that resides on our website and in businesses all year long.

  • 050416karl.jpg

    The experiences of my life indicate that there are times when bullies must be slapped. I am convinced that North Carolina is at such a point with regard to those who are bullying us. 

    That bullying is underway in opposition to North Carolina’s recently passed House Bill 2. Along with other issues, the legislation addresses the use of bathrooms by transgender persons. Key wording from HB2 regarding this topic follows. Biological sex is that which appears on a person’s birth certificate. The full bill can be viewed at http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2015E2/Bills/House/PDF/H2v4.pdf:

    Single-Sex Multiple Occupancy Bathroom and Changing Facilities. Public agencies shall require every multiple occupancy bathroom or changing facility to be designated for and only used by persons based on their biological sex. Accommodations Permitted.–Nothing in this section shall prohibit public agencies from providing accommodations such as single occupancy bathroom or changing facilities upon a person’s request due to special circumstances, but in no event shall that accommodation result in the public agency allowing a person to use a multiple occupancy bathroom or changing facility designated under subsection (b) of this section for a sex other than the person’s biological sex.

    Passage of this legislation has prompted protest gatherings and actions intended to do economic harm to North Carolina and thereby force repeal of HB2. This looks, feels and smells like bullying to me. Oxford Dictionaries defines bullying as: “Superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants: a local man was bullied into helping them.” Keep that definition in mind as we look at what is being done in and to North Carolina.

    The framework in which my thinking on this matter is shaped comes from my personal experience of being bullied. I am the son of a Baptist pastor. It also seems that for as long as I can remember my head has been as large as it is now. When I was about sixteen, my personal bully appeared. He would, more than some other fellas, call me “hammerhead” and thump my head, while teasing me. I thought maybe his dislike of me was because of my father’s prominence in the community. He never explained why he treated me with such disrespect and mental/emotional cruelty. I remember being fearful of the guy because he was much bigger and more athletic than me. Apparently, his aim was to belittle me in the view of others and by that control increase his standing among students in our class. 

    Then the day came when I realized his actions were unfair and was having a serious negative impact on me mentally and emotionally. I decided he had to be stopped. Shortly thereafter, he sat behind me in a math class and hit me on the head with a pencil. I spun around in my desk while making a smooth and fast transition to a standing position. While making that turn, I slapped him across the face with all the strength I could muster. He sat there looking shocked. Later, in the bathroom, he grabbed me around the neck and held me against a wall. He looked directly into my eyes and made some threat, but then stopped and walked away. That bully never bothered me again.

    That experience was over fifty years ago, but I remember it well. I see the same kind of attitude and conduct in entertainers who are canceling performances in North Carolina because they oppose HB2 and are trying to force repeal of it. Among the entertainers in this category are: Pearl Jam that cancelled a show at PNC Arena just two days prior to the show date; Boston (rock band); Bruce Springsteen; Ringo Starr.

    The same is the case with powerful corporations. Some had committed to job-producing investments in North Carolina, but postponed or cancelled them in protest over HB2. Among these companies are PayPal and Deutsches Bank. PayPal had committed to a new global operations center in Charlotte that would have employed more than 400 people. The company cancelled those plans. Deutsches Bank froze plans to create 250 jobs at its Cary campus.

    The question now is how should those of us who recognize the common sense of HB2 respond to these corporate and entertainer bullies? I contend reasoning with them is not possible … they must be slapped. Be clear, I am not calling for violence. No, just legal actions that show we will not succumb to bullying.

    For instance, why must we depend on big-name stars? There are gifted individuals in this state, nation and around the world who will perform in North Carolina. Have them do so. The challenge is for us to support those who respect us and will perform.

    Further, how is it an entertainer or group can cancel an appearance in protest of circumstances totally unrelated to the performance and not face legal repercussions? Without doubt, these entertainers and groups must be under contract. My reading at nevadalaw.com indicates having a valid contract where one party performs and the other does not while the performing party incurs damages due to the failure of the second party, there is basis for a breach of contract suit. To the fullest extent possible, anybody in a position to sue these entertainers who fail to perform should do so.

    There is power in saying “no” to bullies. I had a PayPal account so that visitors to my website could use a credit card to purchase my father’s autobiography. That option is no longer available because I cancelled the PayPal account. In the process, I discovered there is a bunch of other companies providing similar service. The following link is to “The Top 12 Online Payment Alternatives to PayPal” which gives information on some of those other companies: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/top-12-alternatives-paypal/ 

    Weeks before the city of Charlotte took actions that brought about HB2, I had a conversation with Wade Fowler, candidate for Cumberland County Commissioner, regarding economic development. He mentioned the Longmont (Colorado) Economic Gardening Initiative. Given what Fowler said coupled with my research, I believe North Carolina should investigate this approach. This is especially true in light of the corporate bullying we are facing. Two paragraphs from this link inspire hope:  http://www.nlc.org/find-city-solutions/city-solutions-and-applied-research/economic-development/small-business-and-entrepreneurship/longmont-economic-gardening-initiative 

    Economic gardening is a specific type of economic development that seeks to grow the local economy from within. Its premise is that local entrepreneurs create the companies that bring new wealth and economic growth to a region in the form of jobs, increased revenues and a vibrant local business sector. Economic gardening seeks to focus on growing and nurturing local businesses, particularly those with an external market footprint, rather than hunting for “big game” outside the area.

    Any business in Longmont, whether an existing business or a startup, is eligible to participate in LEGI, and can receive a combination of peer counseling, research data, data analysis, market analysis and competitive and industry intelligence. The initial interview, counseling, research data, and data analysis are free (nominal charges may apply for extended use or optional resources)

    The actions detailed above are simply a partial listing of how we might slap those who bully us and not only have them stop bullying but possibly respect us in North Carolina. However, taking these and similar actions requires a step rarely taken in our time. After all these years, I know why my personal bully released me and walked out of that bathroom. It was because when he looked into my eyes, he realized that I was prepared to die if need be. That meant my fear of him was gone. Without that fear, his bullying had no effect on me. Citizens of North Carolina who believe in HB2 should slap our bullies. Doing so requires that we first be willing to risk all, even life itself. 


  • MargaretI knew I had had my fill of House Bill 2 and who is going to use which bathroom during a recent trip to New York.  

    A friend and I spent an afternoon at the incomparable Frick Museum on 5th Avenue.  It is a mansion whose turn-of-the-20th -century industrial baron owner left it in trust so that the public could enjoy his fabulous art collection, and millions do.  On top of the Frick’s own  collection, there was also a special portrait exhibit, and my travelling buddy and I were enjoying ourselves immensely.  Even though we had informative headsets, we decided to take a docent-led tour—two, in fact--and headed through Frick rooms with a lovely New York lady, who heard us chatting.  

    “Where are you from?” she asked.

    “North Carolina,” we said.

    “How embarrassing!” she blurted.

    It was my most personal experience with how far North Carolina’s new reputation for intolerance and discrimination has traveled, and I was indeed embarrassed in front of the docent.  I am also embarrassed in the state where I have lived all my life, and I am far from alone.

    We have all heard the TV comics making our state the butt of their clever jokes, the news stories about businesses not locating in North Carolina, conventions and family reunions choosing other states for their gatherings and superstar entertainers from Bruce “The Boss” Springstein to Itzhak Perlman staying home in protest of HB2.  A quick Google reveals spoofs on North Carolina’s new slogan, changing “NC-Nothing Compares” to “NC-Nobody Cares.”  Folks in Mississippi now are quoted as saying, “Thank goodness for North Carolina.”

    What many of us do not know, though, is that HB2, now law, is not really about which bathrooms we use, even though that is the provision that has drawn the eyes of the world to North Carolina, and not favorably.

    HB2 is actually about what most political issues are about—raw power and who is in going to wield it.  Bathroom privacy, something every human being holds dear, is a smokescreen for the heart of the legislation—OOPS!—the new law.  HB2 takes away the right of employees who feel wronged by their employers to sue in state courts. 

    We may, of course, file our grievances in the federal system, a more expensive and more distant option.  It also limits the authority of local governments to enact ordinances that apply in their communities, regarding minimum wage, sick leave, plastic bag bans and other issues individual communities face.

    It is a clear message to the people of North Carolina and to our elected local government officials about who is really in charge, and it ain’t us.

    The majority in the North Carolina General Assembly wants you to know that it is firmly in charge.

    Did the majority conceive of and draft HB2?

    Probably not.

    In the murky political background is a think tank devoted to crafting bills for legislatures throughout the nation. The American Legislative Exchange Council, which the New York Times dubs, a “stealth business lobbyist,” dreams up all sorts of legislative templates in hopes that some state will enact them, and many do. 

    The North Carolina General Assembly has been an eager customer for what ALEC is selling.

    In case you have any doubts about the legal heft of the bathroom bill and who goes where, remember this.

    Even if we had enough bathroom monitors or law enforcement officers to make sure everyone uses the potty facility related to his or her birth certificate, which we decidedly do not, HB2 provides no direction.  If a bathroom monitor believes that there is a biological man in the ladies room or a biological woman in the men’s room, all the monitor can do is suggest the person go somewhere else.  

    There is no crime and hence no penalty.

    HB2 provides no guidance about what to do and no penalties for being in a bathroom for people of a different birth gender.  The best the monitor or officer can say, is “Could you move over to the bathroom next door, pretty please?”

    Yes, the Frick Museum docent embarrassed me, and I am deeply saddened by the cumulative beating—however well deserved—North Carolina is taking in the national and international arena.  I hope we recover our formerly sterling reputation in my lifetime, but I am not holding my breath.

    In the meantime, I pass along one of many bathroom designations floating around on the Internet.  Some have stick figures wearing both trousers and a dress.  One of those designs features a hand aiming a gun at his/her foot.

    You probably have your own favorite of these visuals.

    Mine is on this page.  

    It has everything to do with the personal liberties of those of us fortunate enough to be Americans.

  • Pub PenWell, for the most part, the controversy between the City of Fayetteville and PWC is over, and it looks like the 100-year plus utility charter has been deemed valid, defining PWC as an independent public authority. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour. The lawsuit is finally over, and most everyone I’ve talked with seems to think the City will not appeal the ruling. This is a good thing. Matter of fact, it is a very good thing.

     It is unfortunate that this entire two-year ordeal started when the City Council voted to renege on their commitment to pay for half of the sewer line construction from the “big bang” annexation in western Cumberland County. They wanted PWC to pay the entire cost. This idea was mostly championed and pursued by then City Manager Ted Voorhees and several unnamed sources who many feel exerted undue influence and pressure on the newly-elected, inexperienced and naive council members. I would have said unknown sources, however, as the ordeal matured and played out, it became pretty conspicuous who had Voorhees’ ear. So, they were not unknown, just unnamed. In the end, this proved to be the catalyst of Voorhees’ undoing, forcing him to resign his position in April after less than four years on the job.

    What is really unfortunate is that when all of this ordeal is finally over, what will the price tag to the taxpaying residents of the City of Fayetteville? Some are estimating $300,000 while others say it will be much closer to $400,000. Really? What reckless irresponsible management. And to think we almost voted to extend the current city council terms to four years. Think about this: How many potholes could have been mended on city streets? How much could we have subsidized and facilitated new sewer line hook ups for city residents? How much of this money could have been spent addressing Fayetteville’s clean drinking water needs or initiating storm water improvements throughout the city? Perhaps this money could have been used for infrastructure or sewer services to facilitate bringing Shaw Heights within the city limits. You see my point - and most probably have felt the frustration.

    Well, it’s over now. I applaud the PWC Commission and staff for their tenacity and dedication to their jobs, as well as the mayor and the level-headed members of our city council who really studied the issues and chose to do what was necessary to move this community forward. Hopefully, the excessive price tag of this venture has provided us with valuable lessons that will accelerate our growth and prosperity in the future. We can only hope. Time will tell.

     Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • PITTChildhood taunt updated: “Vlad and The Donald sitting in a tree/K-I-S-S-I-N-G/First, comes love/ Then, comes marriage/Then, comes The Donald with a baby carriage.” The original childhood ditty morphed into the unsettling thought expressed in the version set out above. The new limerick was triggered by a disturbing mural. Across the sea in Vilnius, Lithuania, a mural is causing a disturbance in the Force. An artist named Mindaugas Bonanu painted a mural on a restaurant showing The Donald and Vladmir Putin kissing each other.

    Bonanu’s inspiration for the Donald’s lip lock with Putin was a semi famous photograph from 1979 of the world’s ugliest dictator, Leonid Brezhnev kissing East Germany’s dictator, Erich Honecker. At the time this was described as a “socialist fraternal kiss” to commemorate the 30th anniversary of East Germany. This photograph went the 1979 equivalent of viral. It showed up as posters plastered to the western side of the Berlin Wall with the caption “My God, help me survive this deadly kiss.” 

    As we all know, The Donald and The Vladster are involved in a political bromance. Each one has issued admiring statements about the other half of their bromance. Ponder for a moment the gooey things they said about each other. Putin on The Donald: “Mr. Trump is a very bright and talented man. The absolute leader of the presidential race.... He wants to move to a different level of relations, to more solid, deeper relations with Russia.” The Donald on Putin: “He’s got a tremendous popularity in Russia. They love what he is doing, they love what he represents... It is always a great honor to be so nicely complimented by a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond.” 

    Being unable to rise above elementary school logic, I recall the old schoolyard taunt, “It takes one to know one.” Putin and The Donald are kindred spirits. If you like Putin’s dictatorial reign in Russia and Ukraine, you might love The Donald’s Presidency. There is a weird right wing affinity for Putin that shows up on Facebook frequently in the form of manly pictures of a shirtless Putin riding a horse bareback and President Obama riding a bicycle wearing a bike helmet. In the eyes of the far right, Putin is a macho man; Obama, a sissy man from Kenya. It appears the far right is looking for a king to make America great again by returning to the 1950s when men were men, women knew their place and black people had their own separate-but-almost-equal water fountains. You have to be careful what you wish for because sometimes you might get it. 

    Aesop told a fable about the frogs who wished for a king. The story might shed some light on the right’s fascination with Putin and its desire for a strongman to make America great. Once upon a time there were a family of frogs who lived in a pond. The frogs saw that humans had kings. The frogs figured that although their pond was good, that it would be even better if they had a king. They asked Zeus to send them a king. Zeus told them they really didn’t need a king but the frogs were insistent. Zeus liked the frogs and decided to indulge them by sending them a king. He dropped a log into the pond telling them the log was now their king. The log made a huge splash. The frogs were scared and hid in the bull rushes. After a while the frogs realized the log wasn’t moving. The bravest frog came out and touched the log and skittered back into the weeds. The log did nothing. The brave frog came back out and touched the log. Nothing happened. Finally the frog jumped on top of the log and the rest of the frogs soon followed. The log wasn’t much of a king.

    The frogs complained to Zeus that they needed a real king. Zeus became irritated and sent a heron to the pond to be the king of the frogs. The frogs were happy at first with their new king Heron as he was a good looking bird with fine feathers. Then the Heron started eating the frogs. This hungry new king was not what the frogs expected. They pleaded with Zeus to take back the Heron. Zeus replied choices had consequences and they would have to live with the Heron as their king. 

    There may be a moral somewhere in this story that applies to the 2016 Presidential election. Or maybe it’s just a story about frogs. 

  • HEDWIGKnown for its commitment to excellence, diversity, inclusion and willingness to take artistic risk, the Cape Fear Regional Theatre is bringing the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit Hedwig And The Angry Inch to Fayetteville May 26 –June 5.

    But is Fayetteville ready for Hedwig? CFRT Artistic Director Tom Quaintance and Hedwig Director Edward Carignan think so and have assembled a talented group of performers ready to deliver.

    “The play has a big heart,” Quaintance said.  “It is a fantastic story with a great character and a beautiful message.”

    The story is accessible and may appeal to a much broader audience than expected, Quaintance said. It may even surprise some people who think the Fayetteville community is not ready for the tale of a woman leading a rock band called The Angry Inch.  Well, to be honest, there is a bit more to the story.  But isn’t there always?

    Hedwig is a transsexual punk-rock girl from East Berlin touring the U.S. with her band as she follows a former lover who stole her songs. During the musical, we learn of Hedwig’s love for an Army soldier stationed in Germany (before the wall came down) that brings her to America, and another former lover who breaks her heart and goes on to become an international rock star.  

    It is also a story about Hedwig (played by J.J. Parkey) and her current partner Yitzhak (played by Ruthie Stephens) and how that relationship helps Hedwig come to terms with her experiences. That part of the story is one the director finds interesting to share with the audience.  

    “It’s a healing process between them… this cycle of abuse, mistreatment of lovers,” Carignan said.  

    Carignan has done this musical five times with the same two lead actors, and seeing them grow as performers is something he finds rewarding.

    The production is far from stale, Carignan said, as each performance is tailored to the location where it is being performed.

    “It [the performance] is based on the time you’re in and the place you’re in,” Carignan said. “I think that’s what hooks people, the show isn’t set, changes keep it exciting.”

    “We break the fourth wall,” Stephens said of the actors’ interaction with audience members as Hedwig tells her tale through song, inserting local phrases, jokes and subject matter.  

    Part of localizing the production includes keeping abreast of local politics Parkey said. “I’ve done research and I’m staying up to date with HB2,” Parkey said.  “It would be silly for us to ignore that.”

    Stephens believes the musical offers a shared experience that can help break down stereotypes. She said that some have a problem with transgender people because they’re afraid, they don’t know anyone who is transgender.   

    “It’s important that they get to meet someone from the trans community,” she said.  After seeing Hedwig, audience members can “come away feeling like they met someone who’s a human being.”

    Hedwig, as a character, has to be knowledgeable of the environment, Parkey said.  It is one of the things he likes most about the show.

    Adding a few local ties draws the audience in to this story that is “funny, heartwarming, at times silly” according to Quaintance. “It’s an incredibly entertaining night out.  The audience will walk away with a deeper understanding of the human experience.”

    At the forefront of that experience is Hedwig with glitter, glam, makeup and heels. 

    “It’s a vulgar character but as she tells her story, you end up on her side,” Carignan said.  “By the end of the show, people are won over.”  

    Parkey was won over the first time he performed as Hedwig in college.

    “It is the most challenging thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “I enjoy putting myself in tough situations and figuring it out.”  

    In school, Parkey, who says he was meek and an introvert, was encouraged to play the boy next door, and nerdy characters. “But I felt that was not me.”

    “Hedwig has redefined who I am as an artist,” he said. “By being able to take on her voice it has taught me how to have my own. I think I’ve learned how to be confident and daring as a person and as a performer.”

    Written by John Cameron Mitchell with music and lyrics by Stephen Trask, Hedwig has a celebrated soundtrack.

    “This is, I think, the greatest rock score in the history of musicals,” said Quaintance.

    The musical has gained a “Rocky Horror” type following, and CFRT invites the audience to wear costumes to a Hedwig costume party for the May 27 performance. Party events are scheduled before and after the performance.

    Hedwig And The Angry Inch contains sexual content and mature language. It is recommended for theatre-goers at least 17-years-old.  For more information, call 910.323.4233 or visit www.cfrt.org

  • MARGARETI think my father started it years ago, but in our circle when a family member or friend does or says something so quintessentially “them,” someone is sure to say: “Thank you for being you!” 

    It could be said lovingly, as when a protective mother never fails to say “be careful!” or even “don’t die” every time someone near and dear leaves home. It could be delivered with slight edge, as when an exceedingly thrifty friend habitually and alarmingly pushes expiration dates found in her fridge way over beyond the edge. It was used every time a much beloved and eccentric aunt dropped off birthday and holiday gifts at their recipients’ doors with no fanfare and no card. We always knew who left them, because they were unique. I received a single avocado on a recent birthday and knew precisely who left it at my garage door.

    Thank you for being you, indeed.

    Our politicians — love ‘em or loathe ‘em — can be counted on to be themselves in certain situations. President Obama, blessed with terrific  comedic timing, is generally a stitch at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. Presidential hopeful Donald Trump is dependable as an equal opportunity offender — insulting women, immigrants, Muslims and anyone who somehow offends him.  

    We are thankful they are “them” — I guess.

    Mary Karr, a memoirist and poet, wrote a recent essay for The New Yorker, in which she declared her love of very high stiletto heels that she ultimately donated to a Dress for Success program, although I have my doubts that such footwear will make any professional woman a success, with the world’s oldest profession being a possible exception.

    Said Karr, “This spring I donated to Dress for Success a box of high heels that I — over decades — almost bankrupted myself for: Four-inch sandals with leafy vines that twine up your leg, five-inch leopard pumps that I could lurch about five feet in. The money I spent on them might have freed me to retire by now.”

    Karr could obviously be trusted to teeter into most occasions, and however belatedly, to have the good sense to come back to terra firma. No doubt her friends and family are thanking her for being her.  

    A recent Up and Coming Weekly, my most latest absolutely, positively final reference to the mysterious popularity of tattoos, especially the colorful, large scale ones, generated this response from a reader who refers to herself as the “Tattooed Librarian.”  She and I have corresponded on and off for five years, and she wrote to tell me about a recent acquisition.  

    “I wanted to share with you what I am believing for now is ultimately my final tattoo done only days ago. This makes 12 in all (an even number is reason enough for making it my last.). My final tattoo, as I have been reading, in tribute to Prince, who was found dead on April 21st. I know I am not alone, due to reading of others also paying tribute to Prince by getting various tattoos associated with him and in honor.

    “Well, I wanted to share with you my actual tattoo. Also, I wanted you to know why I chose to tattoo my arm with the symbol he used, instead of being known by his name years ago. Thus, also I am attaching a copy of the piece I have written with hopefully an explanation to give voice to how I feel about my honoring his memory in this way and what it means to me. Prince was someone I grew up as an icon, he is of my era, a Baby Boomer.

    “I hope all is well with you. I thought of you because I continue to remember your interest in those who tattoo themselves. You really should consider someday getting a small one. We won’t tell.”  

    The Tattooed Librarian did indeed include a selfie of her new Prince symbol tattoo — pictured here, as well as a fond tribute to the dearly departed entertainer whose life and work obviously touched her and millions of others.  

    To my email friend, the Tattooed Librarian: I appreciate your writing to me over the last several years.  You have been a consistent and articulate voice, explaining why many people choose to ink their skin. I now understand that for many people, including you, tattoos are more than decoration. They commemorate or memorialize someone or an important life event. I certainly did not understand that the day I first became interested in tattoos, the day I was dumbstruck by large yellow Tweety Bird tattooed around a woman’s calf and peeping between the laces of her high heel sandals.  

    And so, a hearty “thank you for being you,” to the Tattooed Librarian.

    I would still love to know, though, exactly what Tweety Bird commemorates….

  • Fayetteville Observer reporter, Paul Wolverton, did an excellent job last week reporting on the developing trend of a dwindling population in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. (Saturday 5/21/2016). He did a yeoman’s job providing a shocking and alarming wake up call to all our civic and elected officials that Fayetteville and Cumberland County communities are not on the same progressive growth track as the rest of North Carolina.

    Matter of fact, we are trending in the wrong direction. As Wolverton reported, according to the Census Bureau, Cumberland County lost about 2,500 residents since July 2013. Of these, nearly 2,200 residents were City of Fayetteville residents. He has provided every resident of the city and county with a candid and objective “report card” on just how well our elected officials and civic leaders are doing in leading, managingPUBPENand developing our community. 

    Well, folks, with North Carolina prospering and neighboring Cape Fear Region communities that surround Fayetteville and Cumberlandshowing consistent and substantial growth year after year, one must conclude that this report card sports a failing grade. At best, it serves as an objective and unbiased indicator that what we are doing — or not doing — as a community is serving as the catalyst for change. And, in this case, a change for the worse. 

    So, thank you, Mr. Wolverton, you have done your job by providing insights into a situation that if not addressed aggressively and soon, will have a disastrous outcome for our city and county in the very near future. 

    So, where do you start in finding solutions to reverse this exodus from Fayetteville and Cumberland County? What needs to be done? What actions need to be taken or what priorities need to be established? Do we need higher paying jobs or do we just need jobs? Do we have competent economic development leadership? Do we need to address our high crime rate or lower the local homicide rate? Do we need a cleaner and more beautiful community?

    Do we need City and County elected officials coming together and collaborating with each other for the betterment of all residents? Should we consider addressing sewer line hook ups, storm water and clean water concerns as quality-of-life issues? Do we need stronger leadership or a more business friendly and supportive Chamber of Commerce? Do we need a more vibrant downtown? Do we need more recreational and quality-of-life facilities? Do we need to get dozens of panhandlers off our street corners? Do we need to define and address area homelessness? 

    Should we expect and demand more positive and unbiased reporting services from our news media? Will a new Performing Arts Center curb the exodus from Cumberland County, or a baseball stadium housing a major league farm team? Are beautified gateways the answer? Are lower taxes needed? Higher taxes? How good are our public schools? Are we paying our teachers a fair and just salaries? Are our local educators setting the right examples for our children?

    When will Fayetteville work on developing a “brand” it can be proud of? Do we have the right people in the right positions to reverse this community’s exodus of population?

    Oh, so many questions. However, people who really love and understand this community know everything listed above is relevant and doable. The only thing stopping us is our inability to get out of our own way. We must eliminate the silos, insist on electing sincere and competent leadership and then allow them to lead. This means allowing them to succeed – or maybe even allowing them to fail. A good leader puts his ideas out there with a prudent plan for execution and success. Unfortunately, we have a reputation for killing a good idea before the person presenting it has a chance to make his case. The result? Lots of talk, lots of conjecture, lots of highly paid consultants that produce studies that are for the most part, totally ignored. Folks, these are not the characteristics of a progressive community trying to endear itself to the public, business or industry. 

    Anyone reading this newspaper knows we love Fayetteville and Cumberland County and have made a successful 20-year business out of accentuating and promoting its history  and its cultural and community assets. No one is in a better position to evaluate, identify and analyze why we are losing our population and how to reverse this horrific trend. Well, here it is in an extremely simplistic explanation: We are losing our population to other regional communities because the perceived value, beauty and enjoyment of living in the Fayetteville and Cumberland County community is being overshadowed, outweighed and diminished by the number of actual and perceived negative factors of living here. The good news is: we have the leadership and resources to turn this trend around. We need to get them in the right place with the right priorities and support their initiatives. 

    I heard Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson speak recently and he expounded on a nearly endless list of programs, opportunities and initiatives that would affect this community positively. All we need to do now is: Get it done!

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly. 

  • 051816 KARLThere is a point to be made in this column. Please, bear with me as I do some setting up before getting to that point.

    A couple of weeks ago I was working in the Fayetteville Community Garden and across the way, a young man called out, “Hello, Mr. Merritt.” As he came closer, I remembered having met him a few years ago. He is less than 18-years-old. We started talking and I asked how he was doing. His response saddened me almost to tears. After some summary statements about all that was going wrong with him, he broke eye contact with me and said, “Mr. Merritt, life is all messed up.” 

    This young man is not unique in his circumstance. There are far too many like him in Fayetteville and across this nation. Among the pressing, baffling questions of our time is how do we revive lives like that of this hurting, struggling boy? How do we prevent others from coming to the despair that I saw on that boy’s face and heard in his voice?

    There is an amazing amount of research (completed and ongoing) that aims to answer those questions. Tim White, editorial page editor of the Fayetteville Observer, refers to one such study in a column titled, “Our leaders ignore our biggest problem.” White makes the case that until Fayetteville leaders seriously address the issue of poverty, none of our other major issues will be resolved. 

    In Tim White’s words: “Here’s the bottom line, and it’s not pretty: Unless we solve our chronic poverty problem and bring hope to Fayetteville’s young people, we’ll never lick our crime problem, never have the money to fix infrastructure, always have ugly gateways and continue our long tradition of intergovernmental bickering.”

    It is in his calling for solutions that White reports the John H. Belk Endowment reviewed available data which showed the enormous negative impact of poverty across North Carolina. He says in response the endowment “…hired MDC, a Durham nonprofit, to research the reasons, put more flesh on the bare bones and try to come up with some solutions, or at least some strategies to start finding the way out.” The MDC report is titled “North Carolina’s Economic Imperative: Building an Infrastructure of Opportunity” and is available at mdcinc.org. 

    The MDC report includes seven pages of discussion resulting from the team’s visit to Fayetteville. The following quote from the report clearly reflects the severity of Fayetteville’s situation:

    “Recent research from the Equality of Opportunity project shows that the city has a “place penalty” of almost negative 18 percent — the lowest figure in a study of the 100 largest commuting zones in the country. That means, no matter where he or she ends up as an adult, a child born in Fayetteville will earn significantly less than she would have otherwise, had she been born somewhere else.

    Through research regarding our city and interviews of various individuals in Fayetteville, the MDC team’s report presents conditions and deficiencies that might contribute to our difficulties regarding opportunities for citizens. For instance, reference is made to our community lacking the “sophisticated marketing” effort to translate a person’s military skills to a civilian job description. The lack of “stitching together” among various systems is raised as a limiting factor. Jim Lott of the Cumberland County Office of Workforce Development is quoted as saying, “The challenge is linking all the systems. We have most of the pieces in place here. I don’t know that they’re stitched together well enough.” There is a discussion of our educational assets such as universities and community colleges along with Fort Bragg as an asset. Then, referring to our schools, there is the statement, “...black students are three times as likely to be in high-poverty schools (27 percent) as white students (9 percent).” This is a very limited sampling of what the report presents. 

    As is the case with most reports such as this, there is valuable information that can produce positive results if used. However, I always see the same missing piece as I read reports that aim to answer the question of how do we save people from coming to lives filled with constant struggle and repeated failure, from achieving so much less than is possible in America. My father, Rev. M.W. Merritt Sr., reinforced in me an understanding of that missing piece. When I was installed as pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Stafford, Virginia, Daddy preached the installation sermon. He talked about how “attitude determines altitude.” That is, a person’s feeling or way of thinking affects his or her behavior and, thereby, determines the extent to which they achieve positive results in life.  

    A powerful demonstration as to the critical role attitude plays in a person’s living comes through in an article by Greg Barnes, a Fayetteville Observer reporter. The title is “It Takes a Village: Chris Wallace, who grew up in poverty, helps children like him.” Barnes writes, “Chris Wallace Jr. was 6-months-old when his mother dropped him off at his grandmother’s house and never returned.” 

    The reporter traces the life of Wallace from that point. His mother left this 6-month-old black boy to be reared by his father, a heavy user of drugs and alcohol, in Fayetteville’s poorest neighborhoods. (The father has since gotten his life together.) The article details the tremendous challenges faced and overcome by Wallace. Those challenges included, but were not limited to, bouncing between living with his father and with his grandmother; confronting the temptation to sell drugs; surviving in the midst of a neighborhood enduring a crack cocaine epidemic; going to school without washing because water had been cut off; being ridiculed and bullied by other children as “the boy with the do-it-yourself haircut, shabby clothes and holes in his shoes.” 

    Fast-forward to where Barnes talks about Chris Wallace the adult. He records that Wallace earned a degree in journalism and mass communication from A&T State University in 2003. Three years later, he added a communications studies degree from UNC Greensboro, followed by a nonprofit management certificate from Duke University. Wallace is head of the University of North Carolina’s Communiversity Youth Programs, which picks up kids from area elementary schools, takes them to a local church and provides them educational enrichment. He was recently awarded the Robert E. Bryan public service award from UNC. 

    So, how is it Chris Wallace Jr. rose from the ash heap of his dismal beginning, which was compounded by years of negative experiences, to a successful life? First and foremost, it was because he took on an attitude conducive to successful living. That attitude was clearly one of seeking opportunity, thinking for himself, having goals and remaining focused on them, not allowing others to destroy his self-confidence; the listing of similar attitudinal elements goes on. 

    This success-oriented attitude did not just happen. There were people in that Old Wilmington Road neighborhood that helped plant and nourish that attitude. Among them were James “Pete” McEachern and his wife, Mizella. Barnes powerfully describes how on their way home from school Chris and other children walked past drug dealers and into the home of Mizella and Pete McEachern. Those children sat at the kitchen table and did their homework while eating fresh cornbread Mizella always baked. I know Mizella and Pete McEachern well. The good that went on in that kitchen was about far more than homework and cornbread. Barnes quotes Mizella as saying, “The only thing I did was encourage them to stay in school and always say ‘yes, ma’am and no, sir’ to older people, not because it was something you had to do but because it showed a type of respect,” Those children were given an opportunity to develop the attitude necessary for successful living. 

    Chris Wallace got it. His having gotten the success generating attitude shows through not only in his living but in a single statement Barnes attributes to Wallace, “Service is not a part of life. It is life.”

    If we are going to make broken lives whole again or help people navigate around the choices that result in brokenness, society must first nurture in them attitudes conducive to successful living. Make a multitude of educational opportunities available, “stitch” systems together, offer skill retraining and on and on with promising actions. That boy in the garden will not be revived until his attitude moves to a much more positive place than “Life is messed up.” Doing so requires hearing from people like Pete McEachern, Mizella McEachern, and Chris Wallace who understand “attitude determines altitude.” 

  • 051816 CongressmanGarland Denny was a patriotic, selfless and persistent local veteran.

    Denny dedicated his retirement years to promoting several outside-the-box, creative ideas to increase funding for veterans’ services without increasing the tax burden, wisely recognizing that Washington bureaucrats don’t have all the answers.

    One of his ideas was to create a “Stamp Out PTSD” semi-postal stamp. The semi-postal stamp would sell for more than the cost of first-class postage, with the difference being donated to PTSD treatment and research.

    There are currently two similar semi-postal stamps in circulation, one for breast cancer research and one for endangered species. 

    You might think having a new stamp created for such a great cause would be a simple enough task for Washington to handle, but you would be wrong. Even though Congress gave the United States Postal Service full authority to create new semi-postal stamps in 2005, the USPS had always declined to use that authority.  

    Last summer, in support of Denny, I gathered 55 colleagues from the U.S. House and Senate and together, and we wrote the Postmaster General asking her to update USPS rules regarding semi-postal stamps with the hopes of accelerating Denny’s Stamp Out PTSD project. 

    Acting upon my request, the USPS has just announced revised rules allowing for consideration of new semi-postal stamps to raise money for charitable causes, such as  Denny’s Stamp Out PTSD stamp.

    Unfortunately, Denny passed away last October. However, his legacy lives on through his son, Chuck Denny, who has taken up his father’s mission and is working to submit an updated proposal based on the new USPS rules. My office is helping gather the necessary support from various government offices.  

    Garland Denny was tenacious in his mission to support veterans. If he were still with us, I’m confident he’d already be on the phone building support for this new opportunity, and the Postal Service would be flooded with calls and letters urging the creation of the Stamp Out PTSD semi-postal stamp. 

    According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, up to 20 percent of veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom experience PTSD. Among those who served in Desert Storm, roughly 12 percent experience PTSD, and the number increases drastically for our Vietnam veterans. Garland Denny made it his mission to make sure these brave Americans receive the proper treatment.

    Garland Denny is a reminder that one committed American can make a big difference. Selfless patriots like  Garland and his son are what make this country great, and while their mission is not yet complete, we will continue to push forward until we Stamp Out PTSD.

  • 051816Margaret

    My friend and former legislative colleague, Rick Glazier, an education advocate extraordinaire, fought for students and schools on both the Cumberland County Board of Education and in the North Carolina General Assembly. When others bemoaned student achievement and behavior, Rick often said this: “Parents send schools the best children they have.”

    This simple, yet profound, observation resonates with me on several levels. All parents, whatever their circumstances, want the best for their children, and all children want to please their parents, even though it is sometimes difficult to discern both desires. Life and its attendant busyness get in the way, as do the maturity and life skills of both parents and children.

    Like every mother on earth, I have wondered since my first Precious Jewel drew breath whether I am guiding them on correct paths to help them become productive adults with work and social skills and nurturing relationships. I suspect most parents meet our maker still wondering if we really did the best we could. Advice to parents abounds — some better than others, of course, but a recent find makes great sense to me.

    Business Insider, which bills itself as the world’s largest business news website, ran a recent article asserting that “Science says parents of successful kids have these 13 things in common,” featuring a lovely photograph of British billionaire Richard Branson with his smiling mother. Based on research from leading universities from Duke to Stanford, BI’s tips are common sense but not necessarily easy to accomplish, at least they were not in the Dickson household. The words in quotation marks are BI’s, and the comments are largely mine.  I have omitted two for length.

    Successful parents “make their kids do chores.” I know, I know! Chores often generate whining and procrastination, and it is often easier and more efficient to do it yourself.  But if your Jewels are not doing chores, that means someone else — probably mom or dad — is. Not realistic training for life, because mom and dad will not always be around when the Jewel is an adult.

    “They teach their kids social skills.” It is a no brainer that children with social skills are more likely to succeed in the real world, because they cooperate, are kind and understand the feelings of others. They are more likely to earn a college degree and hold a full-time job, and less likely to get arrested, use unfortunate substances and live in public housing.

    “They have high expectations.” Parents, no matter their own circumstances, who expect big things from their children, including college, are more likely to have children who fulfill those expectations.

    “They have healthy relationships with each other.” We all know this. Children do better in stable, non-confrontational environments than those in conflict-ridden homes, whether that home is in tact or not. Acrimony and divorce follow children into adulthood.

    “They have attained higher-educational levels.” Monkey see, monkey do. College-educated parents are more likely to raise college-educated children.

    “They teach their kids math early on.” A study from Northwestern University finds that “mastery of early math skills predicts not only future math achievement, it also predicts future reading achievement.” ‘Nuff said.

    “They develop a relationship with their kids.” Parents who respond sensitively and promptly to children’s needs nurture children who feel secure to explore the world around them, a positive attribute as they grow and develop.

    “They’re less stressed.” Children are little barometers. They know when parents are anxious or troubled, and science has found an “emotional contagion.” In other words, we “catch” feelings from each other, and no parent wants to spread stress and anxiety.

    “They value effort over avoiding failure.” This is your mother’s old bromide — you will never know until you try. The worst that can happen is that you will fail, but you will also learn something. Mom is right on this one.

    “The moms work.” Oooh!  This is an angst inducer, one taht women have been arguing for generations. Having worked throughout the Precious Jewels’ childhoods and often feeling guilty about it, I told them they were THE most important thing in my life but not the only important thing. And a bonus here, Harvard professor Kathleen McGinn says, “There are very few things … that have such a clear effect on gender inequality as being raised by a working mother.”

    “They teach grit.” This is what your mother called “stick-to-itiveness.” It is imagining the goal you want and committing to making it happen, like going to college and working in your dream profession.

    Rick Glazier is right. Parents do send schools the best children they have, and — for better or worse — it has fallen to schools to help fill in some of the gaps. It is important that the rest of us understand that while learning is a lifelong process, the formative learning occurs early.

    Our Precious Jewels are, in fact, largely what we make them.

  • Accident Scene 3Horrible things happen that most teenage drivers don’t see first-hand. TV and movie depictions are either cleansed of reality or somehow send a convincing message that it just isn’t real. Too many young people decide they are safe because it wasn’t them or their friends or their parents. And then one night, a North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper shows up at their home, and they learn that a car wreck killed their brother or sister or best friend forever.

    Last year, the North Carolina Highway Patrol investigated vehicle collisions that killed 71 teens, ages 16 to 19. That’s 71 classmates, 71 friends — not in the same school, but part of their generation, gone. Drinking, texting and speeding does that.

    Highway Patrol Trooper Derric Reed brought a sobering message to seniors at Cape Fear High School eagerly looking forward to prom night and graduation ceremonies. The Keys to Life Program, used by law enforcement across the state, is one of the best ways to demonstrate to kids how disobeying the law creates consequences beyond what they ever imagined. 

    Students filed into the Colts’ gymnasium, giggling and joking as teens do, but they quickly became silent watching in horror a gruesome video of teens hurtling around in slow motion inside a car as it collided with another. Groans were heard when photos of severed limbs appeared on the screen. Then, there was tough talk.

    A judge repeatedly told the kids he would take their driver’s license if they blew anything above a zero on a Breathalyzer test or got caught holding a buddy’s beer. He wouldn’t hesitate to impound their car, even if it belonged to the parents. 

    An Emergency Medical Service worker said that looking down and typing LOL (laughing out loud) on a cell phone was an impairment equivalent to drinking four beers. Trooper Reed pleaded to students to put the phones down and not to drink.

    The teens saw two “collided” vehicles and a teen drunk driver portrayed by a theater student, wandering in a daze around the crumpled metal and lifeless bodies of her friends. 

    Paramedics were first to arrive at this mock accident scene.  They quickly checked the pulse of the two teens who were thrown from the car.  The paramedics covered them with white sheets. 

    Members of the fire department arrived, sirens blazing.  They cut off the roof of one car to release injured occupants. Emergency Medical Technicians bandaged them, moved them onto stretchers and hoisted them into ambulances.

    Uncomfortable with the strong message that this dreadful thing could happen to them or to someone they love, a few teens nervously snickered as they watched from the bleachers. 

    A state trooper used a Breathalyzer to test the driver. Inebriated, she was handcuffed and placed in a State Highway Patrol car to be taken to jail.

    The trooper talked to her like it was a real event, and she nearly cried. Even though Alisha Bradshaw was acting, it felt like the accident was all her fault.  She saw the deadly consequence of drinking and driving, and she was glad to bring this message to her fellow students. 

    The Keys to Life Program has become a major tool in getting the attention of high school students in Cumberland County and across the state.  Studies show that teens often make risky decisions because the brain isn’t fully developed until the age of 25. As has been said, one picture is worth a thousand words, and this visual depiction of a deadly accident scene makes a bigger impact on teens than words alone. Gov. Pat McCrory supports programs like Keys to Life that help keep school students safe.

    Many thanks go to the members of Cumberland County’s Emergency Medical Services, the sheriff’s office and 911 communications center along with the Vander Fire Department and the University of North Carolina Hospital’s life flight.  These emergency workers know firsthand the importance of teens driving safely and responsibly. Kudos go to these emergency workers who took valuable time from their jobs to make the biggest impression possible on the 2016 graduating class of Cape Fear High School.     

  • PUBPEN051816Cumberland County Schools have been in the headlines quite a bit over the past two weeks. Some of it was good, some of it was not so good. In the interest of fair play, let’s start with the good news. The really bad news story will follow. 

    Late last week, Melody Chalmers, the principal at E.E. Smith High School was named the North Carolina Principal of the Year. Wow! Now that’s a pretty big deal and says great things not only about Chalmers, but also about her school and Cumberland County education as a whole. Chalmers is a hands-on principal. She spends as much time on administrative duties as she does working with teachers and her students, all of whom turned out to surprise her last week at a pep rally to congratulate her on the award, which was presented on Thursday in Cary by State School Superintendent June Atkinson. 

    Chalmers works hard to inspire success in her teachers, but even more importantly, in her students. She has created a culture of high expectations and high performance at her school. Her goal is to not only see her students graduate, but also seek higher education and gain success.

    She knows the struggles they will face. She knows the long road that many of her students have already traveled, and she keeps pushing them to succeed. Chalmers, and the passion, care and dedication she brings to her job and to her students, are what is good about Cumberland County Schools. 

    She is not alone in caring for her students and in seeking their success. Those same traits exist in educators throughout Cumberland County. As a mother of a teenager in the system, I see this every day. I have seen teachers go the extra mile to ensure my child’s success not only academically, but socially as well. Teachers and coaches, too many to mention by ame, have poured themselves into him. They have taught him, encouraged him, disciplined him when it was necessary and worked with me every step of the way. They are, also, part of what is good about Cumberland County Schools.

    My son attends Gray’s Creek High School. It is a big school. But even at that, kids are not numbers, they are individuals. The teachers, coaches and administrators see them that way. They treat them that way. Among those administrators is Vernon Aldridge, the principal at Gray’s Creek High School.

    Mr. Aldridge has been in the headlines recently — not necessarily in the way he would have wanted to be. Aldridge is a consummate professional. He, like Chalmers, takes care of his teachers and students. He encourages them and sets a good example for them. He expects them to do their very best. He knows his students by name. And, there’s a lot of them. I walked up one day to speak with him and began to introduce myself. He stopped me. He knew who I was. He knew my son and he knew that he played baseball and football. But he knows that about all of them. Aldridge doesn’t stay in his office. He is in the halls. He talks to his students. You could say, he mentors them — all of them. Not just the high performers. Not just the girls or boys or the white ones or African-American ones — all of them.

    That’s why the recent news concerning his appointment to Activities Director for Cumberland County Schools was so upsetting to many people — myself included. This is where I get to the bad news.

    It is a shame and a disgrace that in 2016, a good man, a great educator, a caring man like Vernon Aldridge was judged and found lacking not because of his talent or character, but because of the color of his skin. Cumberland County School Board members Carrie Sutton and Judy Musgrave should be ashamed. Yes, I know he got the job, but the fact that an educator who has poured himself into the lives of thousands of children in our school system was subjected to the kind of misguided racist treatment by our elected school board officials is a crying shame. 

    In the week that has passed, we have heard many lame excuses from people at all levels trying to justify those inappropriate statements and walk them back. No need. It doesn’t matter now. The two board members that voted against Aldridge and the one that abstained because it was politically correct should all be censored. That is not the attitude or style of leadership that motivates, educates, encourages or develops our young people. Their character is surely being judged now. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • 051816COVERMichelle Ingram loves jazz and she loves to laugh. She left Fayetteville 28 years ago and cultivated her love of jazz in places far and wide. “I have a lot of musician friends from Colorado, California, Florida and it was fun to go see them perform,” she said. 

    Ingram recently returned Fayetteville and was pleasantly surprised at everything there is to do here. “It was like Fayetteville just exploded. Places that I remember as fields and dirt roads have shopping centers and housing developments on them now,” she said. While Fayetteville is definitely not the place she left almost three decades ago, Ingram is eager to be a part of the positive growth that has redefined the city — by bringing some of that jazz she loves so much to the community. “I moved here and my friends would call and they asked if there is a jazz club here,” said Ingram. “And they were surprised when I told them there is not. Actually, I was surprised, too, because there is some amazing talent here. I think a lot of people are unaware just how much local talent there is here or how good the local jazz artists are. Or maybe because a musician is local they don’t think of the performer as a big name. But if you look at where they have been and who they played with, they are big — and they are that good.” 

    With a passion for jazz and comedy, connections in the music world, a deep pool of local talent, a growing city with a thriving music and arts culture, and experience promoting music events and venues in the past, it was clear to Ingram what she needed to do. She started Michelle’s Jazz and Comedy Entertainment and started putting together the inaugural season of Fayetteville’s Jazz and Comedy Showcase.

    Instead of opening a jazz club, Ingram intends to host shows at different venues around Fayetteville. “I am thinking there will be a concert or comedy show every two months or so,” said Ingram. It will be enough that people can look forward to quality entertainment, but not so much that they become uninterested.” Her goal is to host a jazz festival in Festival Park in the summer of 2017 in addition to concerts and comedy shows throughout the year.

    The first performance is scheduled for June 18 at the Metropolitan Room. The entertainment roster features an opening performance by Pete Everett and the Total Package Band, which is a touring international band playing original, jazz-infused rhythm and blues, funk, jazz and gospel music.

    Poet Kwabena Dinizulu is set to perform also.

    Vocalist Theo Valentin and bassist and musical director Mike Ely will perform as well as special guests Sam Rucker and Willie Bradley. Valentin sang her first solo for an audience in her church when she was just 5-years-old and her passion has never waned. She performed in high school and attended Norfolk University in Norfolk, Virginia, majoring in voice and minoring in piano. She’s been performing ever since.

    Saxophonist Sam Rucker is known for connecting to the audience with his music. With two albums under his belt, Rucker’s original songs are not only encouraging, they are entertaining as well.

    A son of Fayetteville, trumpeter Willie Bradley has a degree in music education and performance. He’s played with  pros including  Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Frank Foster, Max Roach, Betty Carter and Nat Adderley.

    Grammy-award winner Norman Connors and the Starship Orchestra will headline the show. A native of Philadelphia, Connors showed an interest in jazz at a young age. He met music legend and his personal idol, Miles Davis, when he was just 13. By his early 20s he’d signed a record deal with Buddah Records and scored several hit songs including “You Are My Starship” and “Valentine Love.” His later songs include “Take It to the Limit,” “Black Cow” and “Passion.”

    Set in a jazz night club setting, Ingram chose the Metropolitan room for its cozy feel. “There will be appetizers, which are included in the price of the ticket, and the tables will be for four instead of eight to make this an intimate experience.” 

    There are two show times of 7 and 10 p.m. 

    Next in the series is the 100 percent Outrageous Clean Comedy Show on July 30.  “Comedy shows are really enjoyable — laughing is important,” said Ingram. “Sometimes big shows come to town, but at the end of the day, if you can go to a small venue and have a good laugh, that’s just as good.  So I try to bring more clean comedy to the area. I guess as you get older maybe you don’t want to hear the profanity as much.” 

    This event is at the Embassy Suites Hotel Ballroom. Entertainers include Dave Martin, Elaine Postman, Michelle Miller, Chris Petty and Ray Thomas. 

    Ingram says she is in this for the long haul and is pouring her heart and soul into the project with the intention of having a lasting positive impact on the community. 

    “I’m no one-hit wonder. I know other promoters have come and gone and maybe have left a bad taste in people’s mouths, but I am here to stay.” 

    Other shows scheduled this year include:The Hit Ladies of Comedy Show at the Embassy Suites Hotel Ballroom on Oct. 1; The Latin Jazz Explosion at The Metropolitan Room on Nov. 5; and The Heart of Christmas at The Crown Theatre on Dec. 3.

    For more information, visit www.michellesjazzcomedyent.com/home.html.

  • 051116_pitt.jpg

    This is going to be the greatest election year in history. Each presidential election the candidates tell us this is the most important election in the history of the Republic. It never is, but politicians like saying that. They think we forgot that the last election was supposed to be the most important one in the history of time. 2016’s election may not be the most important one, but it is certainly going to be more fun than all of the previous campaigns put together.

    What is so rare as the 2016 presidential election? Let us count the ways. The contest between The Donald and Lyin’ Ted Cruz is more fun than a barrel of snakes, particularly for Democrats. Little warms the cockles of democratic hearts more than watching a Republican circular firing squad plunking away at each other. You can’t make up what is happening to Republicans. Former House Speaker John Boehner calls Ted Cruz “Lucifer in the Flesh.” “Lucifer in the Flesh” sounds like the name of a porn flick. For the moment, ponder Cruz in a porn flick. That’s long enough. Now try to get the thought of Cruz in a porn flick out of your mind. It can’t be unthought. Your psyche is scarred for life.

    Ted is our very special little guy. His warm and fuzzy personality brings out the poetic in his coworkers. Senator Lindsey Graham said, “If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you.” I first became aware that Ted might be the Zodiac Killer while watching Larry Wilmore tell jokes at the White House Correspondents Dinner. I was puzzled when Larry kept repeating that Ted was the Zodiac Killer. I missed the joke. After extensive research on Google, I learned many people believe that Ted is the Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac Killer story has gotten so much play that Ted’s wife, Heidi, recently had to deny that Ted was the Zodiac Killer. When asked if her husband was in fact the famous serial killer, Heidi issued a carefully worded non-denial denial: “Well, I’ve been married to him for 15 years, and I know pretty well who he is, so it doesn’t bother me at all. There’s a lot of garbage out there. Well, anyway a lot of people are swayed by it.” 

    This leaves the door open. Maybe it doesn’t bother her that Ted is the Zodiac Killer. 

    Sure enough, Ted does look like the police artist’s sketch of the Zodiac Killer. He fits the profile for a serial killer. He is a loner. The people who know him the best, his fellow senators dislike him intensely. Unfortunately, Ted was born in Canada in 1970. The Zodiac Killer killed his first victim in 1968. Unless Ted did some invitro murdering before he was even a gleam in his dad’s eye he is not the Zodiac Killer. Yet the rumor grows and grows. Republicans must answer the musical question: “Do we really want the Zodiac Killer to be President?” 

    Ted displayed a sociopath’s disregard for the rules of polite society by picking his Veep Carly Fiorina before winning the nomination. Carly is now on board the Cruz ship Titanic helping Ted rearrange the deck chairs before crashing into the iceberg that is The Donald’s hair. 

    Meanwhile back in North Carolina, it has been a delight to watch Governor McCrory twisting slowly in the wind in which the General Assembly left him to dangle while trying to explain our notorious House Bill 2. Watching McCrory’s interview with Megan Kelly defending HB 2 reminded me of something Mark Twain wrote. “A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.” McCrory is doomed to carry the HB 2 cat by the tail all the way to November’s election. McCrory told Megan, “I can’t believe we are still talking about this.” He is having a learning experience that is going to keep on teaching. The most recent Civitas poll has McCrory 10 points behind Democrat Roy Cooper, his opponent for governor. 

    Civitas is a conservative outfit which makes McCrory’s bad numbers remarkable. 

    As we all know, under HB 2, transgender people must use the bathroom on their birth certificate. The potty enforcement mechanism remains to be spelled out for us. Maybe the Republicans will hire former House Speaker Dennis Hastert or former Subway spokesman Jarad Fogle to inspect the naughty bits of people using public bathrooms. 

    This is going to be the greatest election ever. 

    Ain’t democracy grand? 

  • 050416margaret.jpg

    Humorist Celia Rivenbark published a column recently recounting her experience judging a fundraising dog show, complete with doggy costumes.  It turns out, though, that Celia prefers cats.  She found herself wondering how much “designer cat food it would take for a cat, any cat, to put up with this sort of thing.”

    Not me!

    Despite several hardcore, cat-promoting relatives, whose “gifts” from their kitties totally freak me out, I remain a dog lady through and through and a dog lady delighted to judge the Fayetteville Animal Protection Society’s dog show for the second year in a row.  FAPS—the very acronym conjures up flappy ears and wagging tails—is our community’s no-kill shelter for homeless animals, promoting adoption and responsible pet ownership.  FAPS is completely funded with private dollars.

    So, on a lovely Sunday afternoon last month dog lovers and the objects of their affections gathered on the lush green grass of Heritage Square in downtown Fayetteville for “Puttin’ On the Dog.”  Contestants were mostly rescue dogs, many adopted from FAPS.   Categories included “Gorgeous Girls,” “Handsome Guys,” “Owner Look-Alike,” and “Best in Show.”  Judging was excruciating, but somehow we five judges managed.  Food trucks and baked goods helped ease our distress.

    What came through clearly at “Puttin’ On the Dog” is that the folks who made the effort to get downtown during the Dogwood Festival, who paid $5 to enter their dogs in the contest, and who in many cases dressed up their beloved pets and themselves for the occasion adore their dogs and vice versa.  Nary a dogfight occurred, but plenty of hugging, kissing, and licking did—a treat for all to see.  

    Sadly, not everyone is so loving, and FAPS, which has been around for more than three decades, can tell stories that will break your heart about abandoned and mistreated animals.  FAPS accommodates 60 dogs and 25 cats at a time at its shelter off Bragg Boulevard, and thousands of them have found lifetime homes over the years.  But FAPS can do only so much, and about 8000 animals are euthanized in Cumberland County every year.  As one devoted FAPS volunteer puts it, “We try to rescue all we can from them, but that’s a BIG number!”

    My own “Gorgeous Girl,” Lilly the Lab, and I have been a team for 11 years now, and she and all her predecessors from the time I was a preschooler have enriched my life beyond measure.  They have also eaten my shoes and done unspeakable things to my rugs, smiling and wagging all along.  Even when the desire is there, not all of us are in positions to adopt a lifetime pet, but that does not mean we cannot help.  FAPS could not do the work it does without volunteers who donate time, talent, and treasure.  FAPS’s needs for food, toys, collars, leashes, and other pet supplies are ongoing, as are folks to get dogs out for a little exercise.  Lilly and I recently took a pile of old towels to FAPS, ones we no longer used at home but which would be just fine for drying wet critters.  Cash donations are always appropriate, of course, as is that ultimate gift that, a loving and permanent home for an animal who needs and deserves one.

    I promise you will get more from a FAPS adoptee than you will ever provide, and here are some pictures from “Puttin’ On the Dog” to prove it.  

    Enjoy!  Somehow, I think even Celia would, too.



  • 050416pubpen2.jpg

    At the last meeting of the Fayetteville City Council, a discussion about Community Development Block Grants got a little heated. Having covered a lot of town council meetings during my younger years, it was rare that CDBG projects got people up in arms. Usually, they make people happy.

    The CDBG brings federal dollars to cities and towns all across America. According to the Housing and Urban Development website, “The program works to ensure decent affordable housing, to provide services to the most vulnerable in a community and to create jobs through the expansion and retention of businesses. CDBG is an important tool for helping local governments tackle serious challenges facing their communities. The CDBG program has made a difference in the lives of millions of people and their communities across the Nation.”

    The money used for grants is an annual appropriation that is allotted to “states and local jurisdictions called “non-entitlement” and “entitlement” communities respectively. Entitlement communities are comprised of central cities of Metropolitan Statistical Areas; metropolitan cities with populations of at least 50,000; and qualified urban counties with a population of 200,000 or more (excluding the populations of entitlement cities). States distribute CDBG funds to non-entitlement localities not qualified as entitlement communities.

     “The annual CDBG appropriation that is allocated between HUD determines the amount of each grant by using a formula comprised of several measures of community need, including the extent of poverty, population, housing overcrowding, age of housing and population growth lag in relationship to other metropolitan areas.”

    In most cities, as is the case with Fayetteville, there is a point person on the city staff who handles the CDBG program. In Fayetteville, that person is Victor Sharpe, who is the Community Development Director. Sharpe has been with the city for a long time, and he knows what he is doing. Prior members of the city council were comfortable with letting Sharpe make decisions, with few if any questions. 

    That’s both good and bad. Good because Sharpe is competent and takes care of business. Bad because they did not necessarily always know what was going on. That can be a problem when the city council leans too heavily on the staff and takes everything at face value.

    So, while the meeting was contentious, it said something. It said that the council wants to be involved. It says that they are doing more than letting the city staff make the decisions. It means that they are engaged and informed. The sleeping giant has woken up. If they show the same kind of interest in all of the decisions they have to make, Fayetteville may be on the right road.

  • 05262010grubb.jpg

    May 31st will be a really sad day for the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community.

    That’s when the Fayetteville Museum of Art will close itsdoors because of a lack of fi nancial support. How sad.

    To me and many others, this is just anotherexample of howmutually beneficialorganizations in ourcommunity again havefailed to effectivelycommunicate witheach other.

    Only in Fayettevillewould related entitiesrefuse to arbitratesuch a sensitive issue.Especially one thisimportant that affectsour community imageand quality of life. It’ssad to know that withall the progress andwonderful things takingplace in our community,we still lack the civilityand sophisticationto seek out and fi nd“common ground” toresolve our differences.

    This is disturbing.

    We need theFayetteville Museum ofArt. Visual arts defi ne acommunity. The sights,sounds and activitiesof a stable cultural arts presence refl ect positively on ourcommunity, our residents and our leadership. The cultural artsen instill confi dence, attract commerce, industry and economicdevelopment. The presence of art defi nes who we are andrefl ects a sense of sophistication and gives our community ahumanitarian balance.

    Without art, well, you are just “without.”I have no idea of what the outcome of all this will be,however, I do know this: Our cultural, civic and governmentalleaders, at all levels, have let thiscommunity down by allowing thisto happen.

    Unfortunately, we have againmanaged to embarrass ourselvesat a time when many individuals,families and businesses arescrutinizing and evaluating ustrying to determine if they want tocome to live, work and invest in theFayetteville/Cumberland Countycommunity (BRAC).

    Should they?

    Clearly, as a community, wehave not yet defi ned who or whatwe want to be. The reality of it isthat if we don’t fi nd the answersoon, and initiate a serious actionplan to get there, I’m afraid tragicsituations like this will continue todefi ne it for us.

    May 31 will be a really sadday for Fayetteville. We still havetime to remedy this situation. Thequestion is, will we? Ego’s aside,let’s hope the ART of commonsense prevails. Mona Lisa is notsmiling anymore.

    Thank you forreading.

    Photo caption:  In the past two years, the Fayetteville Museum of Art has brought international exhibits, to our city like the Andy Warhol exhibit featured in the picture above. Sadly, unless the community comes together, that era has come to an end. Shown above, FMA Director Tom Grubb and museum patrons. 

     

  • More Really Is More05-09-12-margaret.jpg

    Like many young people just starting out, I lived in a miniscule apartment with a rent, including water, so low by today’s standards that I am embarrassed to tell you.

    It was furnished with family castoffs, book shelves made of cinder blocks and two-by-fours and many house plants to fill in the blank spaces. I even made floor lamps by sticking a light bulb on the floor and putting terra cotta sewer piping on top to create a sort of spotlight.

    I was inordinately proud when I was able to buy a tweedy sofa and a Parsons table for the kitchen.

    Then came the terrible and miserable year when my mother and grandmother died less than two months apart. Among all the sadness of that time, I barely noticed that I had gone from owning next to nothing to having lots of home furnishings, most of which are still in our home to this day, including everything from sofas and chests to linens with their monograms.

    In retrospect, this must have been the beginning.

    Anna Quindlin has long been among my favorites writers. She is my generation, a Baby Boomer, and I have followed her career from afar as she moved from staff editorial writer at the New York Times to its youngest columnist and, as children entered her life, on to essayist and novelist. She continues to strike me as a person of both great good sense and an open and welcoming heart. That is no doubt the reason that when I saw Quindlin’s latest book, Lots of Candles Plenty of Cake, excerpted in Parademagazine, I sat right down and read it.

    Anna and I have a lot in common.

    She, too, has way too much stuff.

    It is impossible to say when it first began, but I do remember thinking to myself when the Precious Jewels were young that they certainly had a lot of toys that had a lot of parts. There is nothing quite like stepping on a Lego barefooted in the middle of the night to remind one of that. There were bikes, balls, books, sports gear, homework, beloved items, all of which seemed to be “lost” when someone was looking for them. There were zillions of T-shirts with different logos and sports teams emblazoned on them. There were drawers of clothes that were handed down, most of which hung around even when no one could fit into them anymore.

    The Precious Jewels were hardly the only culprits.

    While they were growing up, I must have been acquiring 24/7. My kitchen is full of pots and pans, utensils, appliances and gadgets of all sorts that I must have thought necessary at some point. In a little used cabinet, I recently found a crock pot and an ice cream maker, which have not seen the light of day in years. There is the “good” china which, as opposed to the “everyday,” is practically virginal but still here. And, clothes, oh my word!

    My closet is filled with items I have not worn in years but still find “too good to throw away.” Some have been in style, gone out of style, and are back again. Some, if they were human beings, could register to vote. I still wear the same items over and over again, though, mostly black and white with a dash of color somewhere. In her book, Anna confesses to owning 18 pairs of black pants. I have not counted and probably would not tell if I did. Last year, I forgot I had an electric leaf blower for the front deck so I bought another one.

    Sometimes I feel like every possession has had at least three children itself!

    Some of this stuff is dear and precious to me, and I have thought about what I would save fi rst if I had to leave to escape disaster. The family photo albums, all 25 of them. The Precious Jewels’ baby teeth even though I have no idea which ones belonged to whom. The folder of household important documents, if I were thinking straight enough to remember it.

    Beyond those, though, possessions do not matter as much as I must have thought they did. Many have been useful and many bring back fond memories, but those memories are in my head whether the material objects exist or not.

    Several years ago, a beloved aunt now closing in on her 96th birthday asked me about old friends she missed. I told her that the husband was well but that the wife had died. She made no comment, and I realized that she still had a relationship with her friends in her mind no matter what, which is pretty much how I feel about most of the things I have accumulated over an active and busy lifetime.

    I am grateful for what I have had but I have learned that everything is temporal except what is in our heads — the joys, the sorrows and everything in between.

    Thanks, Anna, for the reminder.

    Photo: Things clutter up our lives, but they keep memories alive.

  • G.I. Joe Retaliation (Rated PG-13)05-08-13-gi-joe.gif

    The cartoons were fun, violent and nonsensical. Unfortunately, G.I. Joe: Retaliation (110 minutes) doesn’t manage to capture any of that magic. It does resemble a cartoon in several ways, though. The char-acters are flat stereotypes, the bad guys are completely one-note, and after about 30 minutes it’s time to change the channel. If only I had the option to change the channel!

    There is an in-troduction that has very little to do with the rest of the movie. The GIs are violating the Korean demilitarized zone to rescue a defec-tor. But then they find something has changed. Like there is a flag, but it’s not the North Korean flag or something? I was watching very closely, and I still don’t under-stand why the flag was significant. It wasn’t a Cobra flag, but it makes Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson) end the scene with some inappropriate language. Then, there are opening credits done in a trading card style. The vital stats of various Cobras and Joes are flashed across the screen with helpful pics and exposition re-garding what they have been doing since the 2009 G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Even though it is now 2013 and I can’t remember anything about the first movie, this introduc-tion isn’t the slightest bit helpful, since it is just a series of names and descriptions overlapping each other. Also, it is mumbled.

    After the rogue’s gallery, we zoom in on Zartan (Arnold Vosloo) pre-tending to be the President of the United States (Jonathan Pryce). Apparently Fake President has been more or less behaving himself while also blowing stuff up and keeping the Real POTUS in some kind of abandoned fallout shelter to taunt and torture at will. This is all part of a grand plan that includes getting the Real POTUS to tell Zartan where Destro and the Cobra Commander (Luke Bracey) are being held. The timeline here is sort of screwy. The dialogue implies that Destro and the Cobra Commander have been in this secret prison for at least a few weeks, so what took Zartan so long to ask the Real POTUS where they were?

    Once Zartan has the information, he sends Firefly (Ray Stevenson) to wipe out the GIs. He manages to get most of them, but Roadblock, Flint (DJ Cotrona) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) survive. They set off through the desert and find an isolated landing field and make plans to sneak aboard a plane and get back to the USA. If you were expecting an excit-ing scene where they infiltrate the airbase and steal a plane while shooting up a bunch of bad guys, prepare for disap-pointment, since the scene shifts from the three surviving Joes making plans to them walking down the middle of an American street. Boring.

    Meanwhile, Snake Eyes (Ray Park) was apparently captured by the military and taken to the secret prison. However, he did not get a trial and was not searched to the ex-tent that anyone took off his mask. And then, when he gets to the secret prison it turns out that the warden (Walton Goggins) is more concerned about speechifying than securing the weapons of his prisoner. And when he finds out the prisoner is not Snake Eyes, but Storm Shadow (Byung-Hun Lee), he figures one prisoner is as good as the next and preps him for a high tech form of solitary confinement.

    Overall, the only fun thing about this bloated and overwrought at-tempt at a popcorn movie is watch-ing the actors try to maintain a straight face as they utter such win-ning lines as “Get me the G.I. Joes!” The actors were simply not up to the challenge of saying that without sounding like 10-year-old boys. Also Bruce Willis is there, credited as The Original G.I. Joe, but actually play-ing his character from RED.

    Now showing at Wynnsong 7, Carmike 12 and Carmike Market Fair 15.

  • 05122010tv.jpgOver the last 15 years I have written many editorials and opinion pieces about the need for a local television station in our community. As I travel around the country I have the opportunity to tune in and watch local news programming. I envy how the local TV media is able to not only report relevant, up-to-date community news, and their capacity and dedication to keeping local residents educated and well informed on important issues affecting their families, neighborhoods, towns, cities and state.

    This is even more important during election time when the relevance of covering local politicians and government issues reaches it’s peak. Without effective TV, newspaper and radio media coverage there is little hope for transparency in government.

    This is especially true with TV. There is nothing more effective for exposing and defining the truth than a camera and reporter investigating or reporting on an issue. It is this lack of coverage and accountability that breeds apathy among voters and thus produces the disappointing turnout results at the polls on election day.

    Here in Cumberland County the turnout was less than 12 percent. Twelve percent? And, this at a time when we have so many important and pressing issues facing our community — both locally and statewide. Our community has problems and our community has questions.

    We need solutions. We need answers. In today’s political climate way too much emphasis and political posturing is focused on the race of the candidate and not his qualifications. Hmmmmmm?

    How sad is that? Wouldn’t it be nice to know more about the qualifications of the candidates, why they are seeking office and what their ideas and plans are for moving our county, state and nation forward?

    Sure, there are political forums but these are poorly attended, and again, because no one knows about them. Honestly, getting elected and serving effectively are two different things. First, getting elected (or appointed) to an office shouldn’t be the objective in itself. Anyone with the resources can spend a million dollars to be elected. Or, if you don’t have those kinds of financial resources you can resort to political maneuvering or “slight of hand” to get your ballot numbers.

    Either way, the constituency is ill served because no relevant motives or information have been exchanged. Trying to be elected to an important political office “just because” is not a good enough reason.

    Our county, state and nation are faced with some very serious and vital issues. Education, unemployment, transportation/roads, the environment and national security, just to name a few. People want — and have — a right to know how potential elected offi cials are going to effectively (and honestly) address these issues. Who cares what color the candidates skin is as long as the job gets done?

    No, accountability will only come with transparency, and, transparency will only come when the media can report on our government and politicians in real time. And, that’s television. So, lights, camera, action! Until we get it … we won’t have it.

  • 13 FTCC MeredithFayetteville Technical Community College’s 56th commencement exercises on May 18 at the Crown Coliseum represented the first year in the history of the college where students in the graduating class divided into two groups to participate in separate ceremonies, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Each ceremony recognized specific program areas. The change was made primarily for the convenience of FTCC students and their family members. Fayetteville Tech celebrated with a record number of graduates during the combined ceremonies: 2,498 curriculum/credit graduating students; 5,797 associate degrees/certificates/diplomas; 315 High School Connections students; and 210 adult high school students.

    The staff at FTCC are grateful to the honorable Sen. Wesley Meredith, who served as commencement speaker and delivered a unique message to the graduating class – a message of hope, perseverance and success. It’s a message shared by many FTCC students who turn to the school in search of higher education, leading ultimately to a path for success.

    Meredith shared his personal story about how he earned an associate’s degree from Fayetteville Tech in horticulture technology and was better equipped to handle the challenges of owning, sustaining and growing his lawn care business. He reminded students that the road of life following graduation would not always be smooth and easy, and dedication and perseverance would always be required – not only for graduates seeking to become entrepreneurs but also those who plan to work for an employer or continue their education.

    Meredith represents an excellent role model for our college graduates in that he not only succeeded in developing and growing his business as a community college graduate, he also demonstrated his appreciation for the community he loves by serving the citizens of Cumberland County in his role as District 19 representative and majority Whip in the North Carolina Senate.

    At the same time FTCC celebrated with 2018 graduates during the ceremony, we were also informed about the critical condition of another good friend of the school’s – Harry F. Shaw. We later learned that Shaw died the next day following the graduation ceremony.

    13 FTCC ShawShaw once commented that he very much looked forward to shaking the hands of each FTCC graduate and was stirred emotionally when he saw the individuals who had turned to FTCC to complete their high school education. I would like to thank the FTCC students, faculty, staff, board members, family members of our students and other honored guests who took a few moments during the graduation ceremony to pause with me to honor the life and contributions of Harry F. Shaw.

    Shaw served on the FTCC Board of Trustees from 1969 to 2007, served on the FTCC Foundation Board of Directors and worked diligently on several committees through his service to the North Carolina Community College System. In honor of his devoted service to FTCC, Fayetteville Tech named the Harry F. Shaw Virtual College Center (opened in 2005) at the Fayetteville campus in honor of him.

    I invite you, also, as members of the Fayetteville community, to take some quiet time to reflect on the positive impact of Shaw’s many contributions not only to FTCC and North Carolina’s community colleges but also to the Fayetteville and Cumberland County area.

    It is never easy to say farewell to a friend as good as Shaw was for so many in our community, but we can find some comfort in knowing that his touch will be embedded forever in our community and the place he loved so very much.

     

    PHOTOS: (Top to Bottom) Sen. Wesley Meredith & Harry F. Shaw

  • 09 news armyIt was just a few months ago that then Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend brought Fort Bragg’s 18th Airborne Corps headquarters element home from Iraq. Soon there after, Townsend got his fourth star and was reassigned. In another five months or so, the nation’s lead airborne headquarters will head back to the Middle East, the Pentagon announced. Fort Bragg’s new commanding general, Lt. Gen. Paul LaCamera, will go to Iraq with several hundred soldiers of his headquarters unit.

    The 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, which is part of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) out of Fort Campbell in Kentucky, will be deploying to Afghanistan during the summer. The 101st is an elite, specialized light infantry division. Trained for helicopter operations, it is the most potent and tactically mobile of the U.S. Army’s divisions.

    The 101st CAB will replace the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division based at Fort Stewart in Georgia as part of a regular rotation of forces to support Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, according to the Army release. Operation Freedom’s Sentinel includes two core components: working with allies and partners and continuing “counter terrorism operations against the remnants of Al-Qaeda to ensure that Afghanistan is never again used to stage attacks against our homeland.”

    Most of the brigade’s soldiers will deploy and are expected to return in the spring of 2019, said Capt. Kris Sibbaluca, a brigade spokesman. He said the brigade will provide aviation support to troops on the ground using Black Hawk, Chinook and Apache helicopters. “The deployment will be a challenge. However, we do not doubt that our soldiers are ready,” said Col. Craig Alia, the 101st CAB commander.

    The 18th Airborne Corps will replace Third Corps Headquarters of Fort Hood, Texas, as part of a regular rotation of forces to support Operation Inherent Resolve. It is the operational name for U.S. military intervention against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Since August of 2016, the 18th Airborne Corps has been responsible for the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve. It will oversee this combined joint task force fighting the Islamic State and set conditions for follow-on operations to increase regional stability, according to the operation’s website.

    Since Inherent Resolve began in late 2014, headquarters units of 18th and 3rd Corps have alternated deployments by their headquarters units. In the past, these rotations have lasted about one year.

  • 08 new MikeMitchellThe minister who offered the invocation atthe most recent Hope Mills Board of Commissioners meeting must have had an idea about an entry on the agenda. He included Jesus’ admonition in the book of Matthew that “Every… household divided against itself will not stand.” Moments later, commissioner Jessie Bellflowers had a proposed resolution added to the agenda; that Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell be censured for cause.

    Later, Mitchell, reading from a prepared statement, spoke of his concerns that some commissioners had been taking part in private discussions of town business on a private Facebook group known as the Hope Mills Chatter. Mitchell felt such closed discussions represented “social segregation of elected officials” that could be a violation of North Carolina’s Open Meetings law.

    He did not mention them by name, but it’s widely known that Bellflowers and town board members Meg Larson and Jerry Legge were involved.

    Knowing it would likely be defeated, Mitchell made a motion that commissioners not participate in group emails or closed online discussions because they represent a quorum of the governing body.

    That’s when town attorney Dan Hertzog Jr. intervened. He cautioned that he agreed with some others that the virtual Facebook discussions did not necessarily violate the law.

    Mitchell with drew his motion after Hertzog agreed to research the matter further.

    Bellflowers introduced his motion that Mitchell be censured for behavior. He insisted that online, closed-group discussions are not considered official meetings. He said they did not engage in coordinated, simultaneous discourse. Bellflowers said none of the issues were likely to come before the board of commissioners for official action. “My first amendment rights have been challenged, and I take it personally,” said Bellflowers.

    Commissioner Pat Edwards said this had become a “sore spot” for her and was the most recent of several conflicts among board members.

    Commissioners Larson and Legge agreed with Bellflowers that Mitchell had raised an issue that had been be labored for months.

    Mitchell said he was proud of his position, adding,“If you want to move on with this censure, that’s OK.”

    The board did so, and the censure resolution passed on a 3-2 vote with Mitchell and Edwards dissenting.

    In what is often the case, attorneys – even those who concentrate on communications law – disagree among themselves in nuances of the state’s open meetings and public records statutes. There is no misunderstanding of the preamble to the law, which states, “Where as the public bodies that administer the legislative, policy-making, quasi-judicial, administrative, and advisory functions of North Carolina and its political subdivisions exist solely to conduct the people’s business, it is the public policy of North Carolina that the hearings, deliberations, and actions of these bodies be conducted openly.”

     

    PHOTO: Hope Mills Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell

  • 07 news digestCivil Leader Dies

    The legacy of a remarkable Fayettevillecivic leader will likely be anchored by his devotion to nature conservation in his hometown. Harry E. Shaw died on May 19 at the age of 91. He served in numerous capacities, including as president and chairman of the City of Fayetteville Linear Park Corporation.

    At Mayor Mitch Colvin’s suggestion, the city’s Cross Creek Linear Park will be named for Shaw. He founded the nonprofit organization and personally directed development of the park and trail that runs along Cross Creek from Festival Park to Eastern Boulevard.

    Shaw was a loan officer for Home Federal Savings & Loan for more than 30 years. He was elected to Fayetteville City Council in 1965 and won re-election four times, serving as mayor pro tem much of that time. In 1975, he was appointed by the governor to the board of Fayetteville Technical Community College, where he served for 29 years as its chairman. Shaw was a charter member of the Lafayette Society and a board member of Cape Fear Botanical garden.

    New gateway to downtown Fayetteville opens

    The new $24.3 million Rowan Street bridge in downtown Fayetteville is set to open June 5. Construction on the project is running six months ahead of schedule, according to North Carolina Department of Transportation.

    Once the adjacent, old bridge is torn down, workers will finish construction on the final two lanes. “Favorable weather last year helped get the new bridge open half a year early, as did an internally compressed construction schedule by the contractor, S.T. Wooten Corporation of Wilson,” said DOT spokesman Andrew Barksdale.

    The existing four-lane bridge was built in 1956 and had become functionally obsolete. The new bridge is made up of two spans. One crosses the CSX railroad, and the other goes over the Norfolk Southern railroad. The project also includes realigning Rowan Street, Murchison Road and Bragg Boulevard into an intersection that will create a new gateway into downtown and a more prominent route to the Fayetteville State University campus.

    Cape Fear Valley launches clinical trials program

    A new partnership in Cumberland County will enable Cape Fear Valley Health to have access to clinical trials. Carolina Institute for Clinical Research is the newly formed partnership between Cape Fear Valley Health and Wake Research/M3-Wake Research Associates, Inc., based in Raleigh.

    “A robust clinical research program is an important part of an academic health system,” said Michael Nagowski, chief executive officer of Cape Fear Valley Health. “Our physician residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, emergency medicine, family practice, psychiatry and general surgery will benefit greatly from this partnership. Our patients and community will also benefit from having access to a wide variety of clinical trials.” 

    Access to clinical trials will be available for nearly all major therapeutic areas including internal medicine, dermatology, women’s health, metabolic diseases, gastroenterology, men’s health, neuroscience, pulmonology, rheumatology, vaccines and women’s health trials.

    City fire station repositioned

    Fayetteville’s new Fire Station 12 at 911 Hope Mills Rd. is adjacent to J.W. Coon Elementary School. It’s three blocks east of the 65-year-old station it replaces, which was owned by the Lafayette Village Rural Fire Department until the city annexed the area in 2004. The land for the new station was donated to the city of Fayetteville by Cumberland County Schools.

    “The new facility includes updated features needed for today’s fire service operations and resources, including our fire personnel,” said Fire Chief Ben Major.

    The 10,000-square-foot building has two apparatus bays, a community/training room, a decontamination room, a kitchen and fitness room. The city paid more than $3.5 million for the station. Chief Major indicated response times will be shorter for the neighborhoods station 12 serves, which include Gallup Acres, Lafayette Village, Oakdale, South Hills, Ashton Forest, Quail Ridge, Queensdale and Evergreen Estates.

    Health Department offers free mosquito insecticide

    Mosquito season is in full swing in Cumberland County. The Cumberland County Department of Public Health is providing some relief by way of free mosquito insecticide to Cumberland County residents.

    There are at least 60 types of mosquitoes in North Carolina. One of the most common and recognizable is the Asian tiger, with its distinct white and black striped legs and body. This pest feeds during dawn to dusk hours. Most of the mosquitoes native to North Carolina will reproduce in ditches, swamps, marshes and other natural bodies of water. But the Asian tiger mosquito tends to breed in pockets of standing water, sometimes in as little as 1 ounce.

    To aid in reducing the mosquito population, Cumberland County Department of Public Health is providing Mosquito Dunks all summer long. The Mosquito Dunks product, provided at no cost to Cumberland County residents, is a biological pest control agent that kills mosquito larvae. It is nontoxic to fish, birds, wildlife and pets. Another effective means to reduce the mosquito population is the “tip and toss” method. Tip over any containers that have standing water including tires, flower pots, buckets, jars and barrels.

    County residents can pick up a two-month supply of the Mosquito Dunk insecticide, with instructions on use, in the Environmental Health section on the third floor of the Health Department, 1235 Ramsey St., Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

    Board of Health discusses priorities

    The Board of Health held its regular meeting on May 15. During that meeting, the agency discussed priorities previously established at the planning retreat in April. Issues discussed included the governing structure of the Health Department. On May 4, a letter from the Board of Health was sent to the Board of County Commissioners indicating they would like to see the Health Department remain an independent department from the Department of Social Services and that the Board of Health would like to remain a governing board.

    Also discussed was a need for more school health nurses. An additional seven nurses have been requested to be added to the fiscal year 2018-19 budget. The Health Board also talked about an increase in transparency between the Health Department staff and the Board of Health and between the Board of Health and the Board of Commissioners and the community. The board also discussed issues including lowering the sexually transmitted infection rate in the county, providing better messaging around opioid misuse and becoming a leader in the effort to combat the opioid crisis in our community.

    The 2017 Annual Report for the Department of Public Health is available online at http://co.cumberland.nc.us/health/community-resources/reports. The Board of Health meets monthly on the third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the 3rd floor board room of the Public Health Center, 1235 RamseySt. For more information, call 910-433-3705.

     

    PHOTO: Harry E. Shaw

  • 07Alliance logo for headerSome individuals in Cumberland County with traumatic brain injury, also known as TBI, could be getting some assistance. A TBI is classified as an injury to the brain that has been caused by an external force. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, “Effects of TBI can include impaired thinking or memory, movement, sensation (e.g., vision or hearing), or emotional functioning (e.g., personality changes, depression).”

    The CDC estimates the prevalence rate of TBI to be 2 percent of the population, which is approximately 200,000 North Carolinians. 

    Last November, the Joint Legislative Committee on Health and Human Services introduced an Adult and Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Pilot Program (S.L. 2017-57, Section 11F.9; Senate Bill 582). According to a document prepared by Dave Richard and Mark Benton of the Department of Health and Human Services, “The purpose is to increase compliance with internationally approved evidence-based treatment guidelines. The goals include reduction in patient mortality, improve patient level of recovery and reduce longterm care costs.”

    The General Assembly, last fall, approved $450,000 in funding to allow between three and five hospitals to participate in a TBI pilot program. Senate Bill 582 indicates that $150,000 was committed for the program in the 2017-18 state budget with $300,000 committed to the 2018-19 state budget. The funding was appropriated to the North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse.

    Alliance Behavioral Healthcare was selected by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to administer the pilot waiver for TBI in its four-county service region. Cumberland County is one of the four counties. The other counties Alliance serves are Durham, Johnston and Wake. Medicare and Medicaid Services recently approved the waiver for implementation in late summer 2018. 

    “This waiver is an important milestone in North Carolina’s commitment to improving the life and well-being of individuals who experience a traumatic brain injury,” said DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D. “The waiver includes rehabilitation services such as supported employment, life skills training, cognitive rehabilitation and day supports.”

    The TBI waiver program is designed to provide community-based rehabilitative services and support to help TBI patients with recovery. TBI patients will need to meet certain eligibility criteria to participate. The TBI will have to have happened on or after their 22nd birthday. They need to have cognitive, behavioral and physical support needs. 

    The TBI patients will also need to meet certain financial eligibility requirements. A news release from NCDHHS states, “To qualify, the adults must require the level of care for a nursing facility or specialty rehabilitation hospital.” This pilot will last three years. In the first year, the waiver will include 49 individuals participating, increasing each year to 107 participants by year three. The TBI pilot program will launch in late summer 2018.

    If you have questions about eligibility, call Alliance’s 24-hour Access and Information line at 800-510-9132. Alliance is asking that callers please specifically ask for information on the TBI waiver when they call. Callers should expect to experience a brief crisis screening initially.

  • 06Substandard houseLife is getting back to near normal at Fayetteville’s Mobile Manor mobile home park in Bonnie Doone. Electrical power will likely have been fully restored to all occupied trailers by week’s end. Many of the homes were hooked up late last week, and the only garbage dumpster serving the park was emptied. It was overflowing when code enforcement officers responded to an anonymous tip about dangerous electricity problems at a dozen trailers late last month. 

    They found what officials described as “an imminent threat to life and property.” Duke Energy disconnected power at the single electricity meter that serves as the point of delivery at the park. City officials said inspectors found about a dozen instances of life-threatening hazards at occupied trailers after getting an anonymous tip April 24. 

    Assistant City Manager Jay Reinstein said 37 families occupy the 45 trailers in the park. City police hand-delivered letters to residents the night before the power was turned off. “The information process should have started much earlier,” said Fayetteville City Councilwoman Tisha Waddell. She added that residents could have been alerted at the same time trailer park managers were told in April that they had to fix the problem or their power would be turned off.

    “We’ve been dealing with concerns out there for a long time,” said District 4 Councilman D. J. Haire. City manager Doug Hewett noted that code enforcement violations, which he called “deplorable,” had been levied against property manager Sheila Monsour previously. He said emergency vehicles would be unable to negotiate a bumpy, virtually impassable dirt road that winds through the property. 

    Hewett said Monsour was warned three times earlier this month about electrical hazards throughout the park. Issues ranged from exposed electrical conductors on individual meters to exposed energized terminals, according to Michael Martin, the city’s assistant development director

    The main meter is located on the lot of Army veteran Dewey McLamb. He showed a receipt book where he had paid his $150 monthly lot rent two months in advance. McLamb has lived at Mobile Manor mobile home park for nine years and subsists on a VA disability benefit and Social Security. 

    “Our code enforcement staff has limited knowledge of the electrical code, so we sent an electrical inspector out with our code enforcement staff to follow up on the complaint,” Martin said. He added that electrical hookups are not checked routinely when the city conducts sweeps of the city’s 17 mobile home parks.

    Absentee owner Portia Covington of Glen Allen, Virginia, said she and her sister, Valerea Russ of Fayetteville, took ownership of the property last year. Since then, Covington said, she has tried repeatedly to get Monsour to make property improvements. Monsour has the management lease on the trailer park and has for years. 

    City records indicate that Mobile Manor has been cited 219 times for code violations since 2010. Four fines of $200 each were levied since March of this year.

  • 05Gallberry Farm Elementary copyOn Tuesday, May 15, at 8:16 a.m., Gallberry Farm Elementary School in Hope Mills went under lock down. A man who was seen wandering the school had not checked in with the school’s office. Cumberland County Schools Chief Communication Officer Renarta Moyd said, “An unidentified man walked into the school cafeteria looking for his child and was acting strangely. As a precaution, the school went into code red lockdown. Cumberland County Sheriff’s deputies responded and took him into custody.”

    Lt. Sean Swain, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s spokesman, explained, “The School Resource Officer from Grey’s Creek responded and had the unidentified man in custody at 8:26 a.m. When our K-9 officer arrived, the suspect was already in handcuffs.” 

    The man, identified as 33-year-old Pierre Kevon Miller of Fayetteville, was charged with trespassing, damage to property, resisting arrest and assaulting an officer. He did not have a weapon. No one was harmed, and there was no further incident. Sheriff deputies investigated why the man was in the school. Lt. Swain added, “The school’s prep plan took place like it was supposed to.”

    Will term limits increase?

    Some members of Fayetteville City Council are contemplating a change to council members’ term limits from two to four years. The idea was discussed during a council work session on May 7. Councilman Larry Wright said he thinks it makes sense to give the elected official time to do policy. 

    Councilman Jim Arp is against the idea. He said, “After what we’ve just gone through,” referring to the recent controversy with former Councilman Tyrone Williams, that it’s not fair to the citizens to not give them new options at the two-year point. 

    Councilwoman Kathy Jensen expressed that voter turnout would be boosted in the years that the mayor would run. And she noted that the district where the mayor lives would see higher turnout

    Mayor Pro Tem Ted Mohn mentioned the council previously considered four-year terms but the vote was deadlocked at 5-5.

    May 28, City Council will hold a public hearing on its desire to extend members terms of office from two years to four years. If the city code is changed, the members’ four-year terms would likely be staggered, although that provision is not included in the resolution. The proposed changes would take place following the next municipal election in November 2019.

    Opioid Use Disorder 

    The use and abuse of opioids is now considered a chronic issue. The North Carolina League of Women Voters says nearly half the people with Opioid Use Disorder have no health insurance coverage. They cannot be accepted into rehab programs, pay for medications or receive longterm care. 

    NC House Bill 662, dubbed Carolina Cares, proposes an affordable insurance-like program for working North Carolinians who are not eligible for Medicaid. Unintentional opioid overdose deaths have risen dramatically over the last 16 years, according to the NCLWV. Heroin, fentanyl and other synthetic drugs are outpacing prescription medications as the principal cause of overdoses.

    The LWV urges the state legislature to conduct a hearing on the Carolina Cares proposal during the legislative session now underway.

    Animal shelter pet adoption hours change

    The Cumberland County Animal Control Shelter, located at 4704 Corporation Dr., has temporarily adjusted its weekday hours for adoption services. The shelter now opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and is open Saturday from 1-5 p.m. Drop-off and owner claim hours remain unchanged. 

    The change in adoption hours results from staffing changes at the shelter. The new schedule ensures adequate staff is available in the afternoons, which is the shelter’s busiest time. 

    “The change in hours should have minimal-tono-impact on adoptions,” said Shelter Manager Jennifer Hutchinson-Tracy. “We would never do anything that would make it more difficult for an animal to be adopted or reclaimed.”

    Shelter attendants will be better able to focus on caring for the animals and cleaning and preparing the animal housing areas. 

    Learn & Burn Longleaf Pine Workshop

    Private landowners are invited to an Evening Learn & Burn Longleaf Pine Workshop. The workshop will be held Thursday, May 31, from 5:30-8:30 p.m., at 535 Speight Rd., West End, North Carolina. Dinner will be included.

    Grant funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (http://nfwf.org) makes this a no-cost event for attendees. There will be discussions and demonstrations (weather permitting) about the opportunities for prescribed burning during the growing season. Attendees will learn best management practices for pinestraw raking as well as converting from loblolly to longleaf. Beetle prevention will also be discussed. RSVP to Jesse Wimberley, Sandhills Area Land Trust, by calling 910-603-1052 or emailing jesse@sandhillslandtrust.org.

  • 13Human voiceMay is Better Hearing and Speech Month.Speech-Language professionals around the globe work hard to influence in a positive way the most powerful tool offered to mankind, the human voice. Communication disorders are among the most common treatable childhood conditions. Program faculty encourage parents to take time this month to assess their children’s communication skills and take action. In the words of James Earl Jones, “One of the hardest things in life is having words and being unable to utter them.”

    Fayetteville Technical Community College is proud to be one of two schools in North Carolina that continues to offer a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant program. Courses provide instruction on the roles and responsibilities of SLPAs as outlined by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.Students who complete the program graduate with an associate degree in applied science in speech-language pathology.

    FTCC SLPA students continue to make historic strides. This year, Jasmine McKoy, former FTCC SLPA student, presented at the American Speech-Language and Hearing Annual Convention, while Latoya Comer presented at the North Carolina Speech-Language and Hearing Annual Convention. McKoy presented on “The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Communication.” Comer presented “Kids are Just Kids, Toys Aren’t Just Toys.” Comer was supported by six of her classmates, who also attended this year’s state convention: Shana Cameron, Latonya Chester, Ambria Martin, Portia Mac Kelsky and Dakota Ripley.

    As FTCC’s SLPA program continues to thrive, SLPAs remain in high demand with career opportunities in school systems and private agencies. The SLPA curriculum prepares graduates to work under the supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist, who evaluates, diagnoses and treats individuals with various communication disorders. Courses provide instruction in methods of screening for speech, language and hearing disorders and in following written protocols designed to remediate individual communication disorders. Supervised field experience includes working with patients of various ages and various disorders.

    FTCC’s SLPA program uses a competitive admissions process for acceptance into the program. For more information on the program, call 910-678-8492 or email gaineyc@faytechcc.edu. For general information about FTCC, visit www.faytechcc.edu or plan a visit to the Fayetteville or Spring Lake campus locations. FTCC also has a presence at the Fort Bragg Training and Education Center.

  • 07ArtcontestSince the 1980s, the Congressional Institute has been helping members of Congress better serve their constituents and helping citizens understand the operations of the national legislature. From conferences to research projects, the nonprofit closes the gap between legislators and the people they govern. Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. The Artistic Discovery competition began in 1982. Since its inception, more than 650,000 highschool students have participated.

    “Students submit entries to the irrepresentative’s office, and panels of district artists select the winning entries. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol,” said the U.S. House of Representatives website, www.house.gov.

    Deanna Glus, a junior at Massey Hill Classical High School, is winner of the 2018 Congressional Art Competition. Her watercolor, titled “A Hometown Feeling,” was judged best entry in a selection process that included a professional artist, community input and Congressman Robert Pittenger’s staff.

    Marcy Gregg, a highly-sought professional artist from Charlotte, commented that “A Hometown Feeling” features “wonderful line work.” Community input included a suggestion that the artwork be used as a billboard and that it had “great use of perspective and color balance.”

    Glus’ artwork will be displayed in a busy corridor of the U.S. Capitol for one year. She’ll also receive a scholarship offer from a prestigious Southern arts university and two complimentary airline tickets to fly to Washington, D.C., to attend a reception in her honor.

    “This impressive watercolor captures the beauty and spirit of Fayetteville,” said Pittenger. “We will proudly hang this in one of the busiest corridors of the U.S. Capitol, where members of Congress and thousands of visitors will be able to see it each day. Congratulations to Ms. Glus, and thank you to every student who entered. Over 40,000 people viewed your artwork, and we are proud of each one of you.”

    An album displaying Glus’ entries among others is available on Pittenger’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/CongressmanPittenger). The 2018 Congressional Art Competition is carried out at no expense to the federal government. All expenses are provided locally in the community.

  • 06Athletic ComplexIt’s official. Fayetteville’s sports complex to be funded as part of last year’s $35 million recreation bond referendum will be built at the Military Business Park off SantaFe Drive. It was the overwhelming preference of city council members. A city-owned property off Fields Road in East Fayetteville was also considered.

    The athletic complex, proposed as part of the referendum, is planned to include 15 ball fields for softball, baseball, soccer and football. A clubhouse for concessions and banquet/meeting rooms is also planned. The projected cost of $5.5 million does not include purchase of the property adjacent to the military business park. That could add $4 million to the price.

    The council committee that studied locations was chaired by Kathy Jensen, who recommended the SantaFe Drive site.

    Councilman Jim Arp stressed that location is significantly important because “sports tourism is a $7billion industry nationwide.” The proposed site is near I-295 and 2.7 miles from the mall retail area. Arp noted the locale is already equipped with water and sewer utilities and is likely to attract significant commercial development.

    At its monthly work session, citycouncil also tried to allay the concerns of residents along and near the two-lane section of Cliffdale Road between Morganton and McPherson Church Roads. State DOT Division Engineer Greg Burns said widening of the roadway was added to the state’s highway improvement program last year. He said engineering and surveying work is underway, but construction isn’t scheduled to begin until 2024. Burns said numerous efforts will be taken to encourage public input on design planning beginning in the fall.

    The marathon meeting included discussion of multiple projects. It appears city council is backing away from trying to justify repairing half a dozen earthen dams that were heavily damaged or destroyed during hurricane Matthew a year and-a half ago. The cost of repairing two of the dams is already in the millions of dollars; and the NC Dam Safety agency is holding nearby residents responsible. City officials say they can’t get involved because the dams and lakes serve no public interest.

    Council members, including Kathy Jensen, said repairing the dams is unaffordable for residents and the city. “It just doesn’t make sense,” she said.

    Councilman Bill Crisp, whose district includes two of the dams, told his colleagues the projects are not doable because of the high cost. Council agreed to cancel further studies of the other four dams where residents indicated an interest in restoring them.

    Planning and engineering of the proposed West Senior Center at Lake Rim Park continues. Council learned that the cost of the proposed $5 million project, which is also part of the bond package, is now just short of $7 million. A pair of 19,000-square-foot buildings is planned overlooking Lake Rim off Old Raeford Road. Some council members would like to eliminate a heated therapeutic swimming pool to reduce the cost. Staff will continue evaluating possible project cuts.

  • 05primaryPrimary night in Cumberland County was a short election night. The unofficial vote count was in before 10 p.m. With 77 of 77 precincts reporting, under 11 percent of registered voters cast a vote May 8. In Cumberland County there are 212,458 registered voters out of a total population of 332,546. Only 23,135 people made it a priority to have a say in who will run in the midterm elections Tuesday, Nov. 6.

    Midterm elections are the elections held near the midpoint of the president’s four-year term. Every two years, voters elect Congress members, the 435 members of the House of Representatives. Across the country, votes will also be cast for 35 Senate seats and 39 governorships, but North Carolina is not affected. Senators get elected to six-year staggered terms. Governors get elected to four-year terms.

    Cumberland County is partitioned into two congressional districts, Districts 8 and 9, of North Carolina’s 13 districts. District 8 includes all of Cabarrus, Montgomery, Moore, Hoke and Stanly counties, as well as portions of Rowan and Cumberland counties. District 9 consists of Union, Anson, Richmond, Scotland and Robeson counties. It also includes a southeast portion of Mecklenburg county, and most of Bladen and Cumberland counties. Where you live in Cumberland County will determine which congressman in the House of Representatives represents you. Generally speaking, District 8 is the northern part and District 9 takes a larger portion in the southern part of the County.

    The District 8 Democratic primary winner is Frank Mcneill. Mcneill won with 15,965 (56.11percent) votes across the district. In Cumberland County, Mcneill carried the vote with 6,411 (52.86percent) votes cast here. His opponents were Scott Huffman and Marc Tiegel. Huffman tallied 6,545 (23 percent) votes district wide and county wide 2,175 (19.76 percent). Tiegel fared better than Huffman county wide with 2,420 (21.99 percent) and district wide finished below Mcneill and Huffman with 5,941 (20.88 percent) votes. Mcneill will challenge incumbent Rep. Richard Hudson, who ran unopposed in the primary.

    District 9 will see new leadership. Incumbent Rep. Robert Pittenger had two challengers, Rev. Mark Harris and Clarence Goins Jr. In Cumberland County, Pittenger brought in 44.19 percent over Harris’s 31.92 percent and Goins’ 23.89 percent. Pittenger won the county by 12.27 percent over Harris. But it was not enough for him to get reelected to the House. It was a tight race across the district. Harris won the seat with 17,224 (48.52 percent) of total votes cast. Pittenger won 16,411 (46.23 percent) votes, losing his seat by 813 votes, or 2.29 percent. Speaking on Harris’ win, Frank Raczof the Cumberland County Tea Party Group, which endorsed Harris, said, “It is refreshing to see Pastor Harris move the House of Representatives and the Republican Party to the right.”

    Harris will run up against the winner of the Democrat primary, Dan McCready. McCready had an easy victory over his opponent Christian Cano. In Cumberland County, McCready secured 2,829 (76.46 percent) of the votes cast. Across the district, he won 37,824 (82.83 percent) of the total votes cast. Cano picked up 7,838 (17.17 percent) across the district and in the county 871 (24.54 percent) votes.

    This November, the Democrats have a chance to pick up two seats in Cumberland County.

    There were two North Carolina State Senate race primaries, both for the Democrat Party. Former Town Councilman Kirk deViere won just under 2/3 of the votes for North Carolina State Senate District 19. Primary voters cast 5,248 (62.62 percent) votes for deViere over Clarence Donaldson’s total of 3,132 (37.37 percent) votes. Winner deViere will challenge incumbent State Sen. Wesley Meredith, who did not have a challenger.

    In the North Carolina State Senate District 21 primary, Naveed Aziz beat incumbent State Sen. Ben Clark by 275 votes. She collected 3,814 (51.87percent) votes over 3,539 (48.13 percent) votes for Clark. Republican newcomer Timothy Leever, who was uncontested, will challenge Aziz for the District 21 seat in November’s general election.

    Democrats had a primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 43. Incumbent Rep. Elmer Floyd remains the party choice. Floyd won his district overwhelmingly with 3,880 (79.18percent) votes. His challengers, Theresa Gale and Prince Christian, garnered 889 (18.14 percent) and 131 (2.67 percent) respectively. Republican John Czajkowski, who was unopposed, will challenge Floyd for the seat.

    Voters made their choice firmly known in the North Carolina House of Representatives District 44 Republican primary. Voters chose former Republican Cumberland County Party Chair Linda Devore with 1,528 (67.02 percent) votes over challenger Patrick Petsche, who picked up 752 (32.98percent) of the votes. Devore said upon her victory, “I’m very happy with today’s primary. It’s a little disappointing to not have larger numbers of voters turn out who are interested. But those who are interested have been heard, and that’s great. I look forward to representing our party on the November ballot. I’m looking forward to the race. The campaign starts tomorrow.” Devore will challenge incumbent State Rep. Billy Richardson, who did not have any challengers.

    In the Cumberland County Clerk of Superior Court race, incumbent Lisa Scales won her Democrat Party primary with a solid countywide victory. Scales pulled in 12,921 (82.78 percent) votes over Eschonda Hooper, who managed 2,687(17.22 percent) votes. Cindy Blackwell, who had no opponents for the Republican primary, will challenge Scales.

    November’s Cumberland County Sheriff’s race looks to be a competitive one. The Democrat primary was decidedly won by incumbent Sheriff Ennis Wright, who secured his position with 13,003 (82.70 percent) votes. Opponents Jeff Marks pulled 1,890 (12.02 percent) votes, and Denny Davis gathered 831 (5.28 percent) votes. The Republican primary was also determined by a wide margin. Charlie Baxley locked in the Republican nomination with 3,669 (53.98 percent) votes. The other three candidates accumulated 46 percent collectively. Carlton Sallie garnered 1,164 (17.13 percent) votes, Victor Starling collected 1,020 (15.01 percent) votes, and LaRue Williams picked up 944 (13.89percent) votes.

    The midterm General Election will be held Tuesday,Nov. 6. Campaign signs may be pulled up until around Labor Day when you will see them sprout again, but the campaigns are just starting.

  • 04NC Health and Human Services copyForging the future of local human services agencies

    Cumberland County Commissioners have set May 21 as the date they will decide on the future structure of the departments of social services and public health.

    The board has been thinking about changing the way the agencies are governed. A revision in state law encourages counties to do that. According to Assistant County Manager Duane Holder, 33 of North Carolina’s 100 counties have made changes.

    At present, Cumberland County’s social services and health departments are governed by individual boards appointed by commissioners. Changes in the law allow the county to consolidate the agencies. Or commissioners can take on governance of both departments themselves. Or they can leave things as they are.

    “The health care environment is changing globally and could influence the way we go,” said Commissioner Marshall Faircloth.

    Cumberland County has a poor health care reputation in national surveys, noted Commissioner Jimmy Keefe. “We cannot lock ourselves in a box,” he said. “We need an all-encompassing approach,” he added.

    The Cape Fear River and clean water

    Cape Fear River Assembly’s 45th annual educational conference is set for Wednesday, May 23, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The conference will be held at the UNCW Center for Marine Science in Wilmington.

    This year’s theme, “Working Together to Protect the Cape Fear River,” is timely given the growing concerns about the risks of unregulated compounds such as GenX and others.

    There will be speakers and panelists from various sectors, including government, business, academia and citizen groups. The panel of experts will discuss the effects of current and emerging unregulated contaminants.

    Since 1973, the CFRA has uniquely represented and strived to maintain and improve the quality of life in the Cape Fear River Basin. Many groups and individuals, often with divergent view points, are brought together to find solutions to water quality and quantity problems impacting the entire river basin. The CRFA has been a voice for the Cape Fear River and encourages smart management of theriver, its tributaries and adjacent land. The entireCape Fear River basin is the largest and most developedregion of North Carolina.

    Registration is $30 per person. Each registration includes a one-year individual membership in CFRA as well as lunch and refreshments. For more information and to register, go to: http://cfra-nc.org/annual-meeting/2018-2

    Employment opportunities in downtown Fayetteville

    A significant economic residual growing out of the baseball stadium project on Hay Street is the extent to which the general contractor is recruiting minority workers. Barton Malow Co. held a workforce development information session this month at the headquarters library. One objective is strengthening diversified workplace employment of minority and military veteran-owned businesses.

    “Barton Malow is committed to investing in the community in which we build, so that the impact of our projects goes beyond the brick and mortar,” said senior project manager Roslyn Henderson.

    Barton Malow construction crews are on the job to ensure successful completion of the $38 million minor league stadium by next spring’s opening day.

    “We are committed to increasing the presence, skill level and inclusion of small local businesses in this project,” Henderson added. Consultants have connected with over 130 companies and helped to walk them through the pre-qualification process. Small contractors can do the work, but the paperwork often discourages them from applying. As construction continues, additional opportunities become available for businesses to get involved.

    School bus strobes lights

    Yellow and black school buses are some of the most noticeable vehicles on the road. Officials say that in certain conditions such as inclement weather and low light, added conspicuousness helps other motorists see the buses in time to avoid collisions.

    The roof-mounted strobe lights are positioned on the longitudinal centerline of the roof, usually close to the rear. Their lenses are typically clear or white. Regulations on roof-mounted strobes vary by state. The Cumberland County School System is the fifth largest in North Carolina and has about 450 buses on the road every weekday during the traditional school year.

    Toys R Us gets bonus life

    Toys R Us announced March 15 that it will liquidate operations. There is no publicly confirmed date for when the store will close permanently.

    According to a company press release, on April 11, Toys R Us announced it “received $80 million in incremental debtor-in-possession financing to augment liquidity as well as support the working capital needs of the company’s operations in Asia and Central Europe” in the form of a commitment from its Taj Noteholders.

    Dave Brandon, chairman and chief executive officer, said, “This additional financing further positions our Asian and Central European operations for continued success. We appreciate the ongoing financial support and look forward to continued positive relationships with our vendors.”

    In Canada, Toys R Us has been saved by Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd, a Toronto investment firm led by billionaire Prem Watsa. They were able to secure the 82-store Canadian operation for $237 million. Another billionaire and toy mogul, Isaac Larian, is seeking to buy the 735-store U.S. operation. His initial bid was declined, and his GoFundMe campaign to raise $1 billion was unsuccessful. But other media outlets report that Larian has said, “We have the financing we need. It’s now a matter of determining how much more we’re able to bid.”

  • 01coverUAC0051618001For the past nine months, board members from Cumberland and Hoke counties’ largest agencies have been meeting and talking. They’ve been discussing how to do more local business, using the millions of dollars they spend every year on things like supplies for schools, services for towns and raw materials for building projects. Born from these meetings, the Building Better Business Rally is coming to the Fayetteville Technical Community College campus Tuesday, May 22, from 3-7 p.m. Functioning as a sort of reverse vendor fair – the purchasing powers will court local businesses instead of the otherway around – it will be the largest rally of its kind to take place in this area.

    Purchasing and procurement representativesfrom participating entities will be set up at tables,ready to explain to local businesses what they need in terms of customer service, goods, and services and how to work with their organizations. The agencies that will be present are Cumberland County, Hoke County, Cumberland County Schools, the city of Fayetteville, the town of Hope Mills, the town of Spring Lake, Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville Public Works Commission, Cape Fear Valley Health System, Fayetteville Area System of Transit, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Kaufman-Lynn and PCH Holdings will also be present, two companies heavily involved with the new downtown baseball stadium and its related downtown renovation projects.

    These are the people who make decisions for where millions of dollars will be spent. Cumberland County Schools estimates spending $10 million a year on instructional and custodial supplies, information technology and construction, according toWilson Lacy, CCS executive director of operations. The town of Hope Mills projects that over the next five years, it will spend over $34 million on facilities, public works, transportation, public safety, storm water and cultural and recreation projects, said Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner. Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin said the city is currently creating its budget. He cited the $38 million investment into the baseball stadium and the $250,000 investment into the Civil War History Center as two recent examples of how and where the city is spending its money.

    Colvin said this rally is one strong example within a growing pattern of the community “relying on great partnerships and collaboration to drive economic development.

    “The city of Fayetteville, and by extension Cumberland County, has put a lot of effort into economic development, as exemplified by the...baseball stadium that will soon be home to a Class A Advanced Astros-sponsored team, and more than $60 million in private investment from Prince Charles Holdings. That project shows great collaboration between the public and private sectors. We’ve also seen the results of the city-county-PWC partnership that brought us the Franklin Street Parking Deck, a project that is moving towards being self-sustaining with the large number of (downtown events). We’ve also been strengthening our relationships with the Fayetteville-Cumberland Economic Development Corporation and Greater Fayetteville Chamber to help drive more development and jobs to the area.”

    The name of the Building Better Business Rally is borrowed from the similar but much smaller scale version of this event PWC has spear headed for the last four years. Carolyn Justice-Hinson, PWC’s communications/community relations officer, said, “Our board hears things like, ‘I don’t know how to do business with you,’ or ‘I didn’t know about these opportunities.’ We want to make sure we’ve done everything possible to present (that information). It’s up to the businesses to take advantage of (the opportunities). Instead of having to visit every one of these (organizations), they’ll have all the opportunities available to them in one place.”

    Justice-Hinson stressed that this event is not only an invaluable opportunity for local suppliers, professional service providers and prime and subcontractors of all sizes, but also for anyone with entrepreneurial leanings. “Even people who maybe don’t own a business but they’re thinking about it – if they walkin and start talking to these organizations... We can tell them the types of jobs that we don’t get a lot of bidders on,” she said. “Or, (we can tell them) we really need a local business that can do this. This can give them the ideas, and then, we’ll also have organizations there that can help them learn how to start that business. … A lot of it is the networking, too.”

    Organizations to be present that support businesses through financial and qualification assistance include the Small Business Administration, NC Procurement Technical Assistance Center, Small Business Technology Center, Veteran’s Business Outreach Center, Women’s Business Center, FTCC Small Business Center, North Carolina Military Business Center, Center for Economic Empowerment and Development Capital Loan Program and the Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce.

    Representatives from Fayetteville-Cumberland Economic Development Corporation and the towns of Eastover, Stedman and Wade will also be in attendance, though not set up at tables.

    Business breakout sessions will occur at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the Horace Sisk Building, adjacent to the gym where the rally will take place. At 4 p.m., attendees have two options: “How to Fund Your Opportunity,” with an introduction to bonding, presented by the CEED Capital Loan Program and The Institute; or a certification readiness class presented by the NC Department of Administration’s Historically Underutilized Businesses Office. At 6 p.m., attendees can choose between “How to be a Sub-Contractor” presented byThe Institute or “Learning about Capability Statements” presented by the Small Business Tech Center and NC Procurement Technical Assistance Center.

    The free Building Better Business Rally will take place in FTCC’s Horace Sisk Gym, 2201 Hull Rd., from 3-7 p.m., Tuesday, May 22. Pre-registration is encouraged, though not required. Register at faybids.com.The website has a “Local Buyer Links” column with information on many of the participating organizations so attendees can come prepared to take maximum advantage of the day. When a business owner registers, they’ll also be given the opportunity to have their basic contact information shared with all the participating agencies.

  • 06school shooting 2School shootings studied

    The Governor’s Crime Commission has established a special committee to strengthen school safety. “School shootings have tragically become too common an occurrence in our country,” said North Carolina Public Safety Secretary Eric Hooks. “We must use every resource available to us to examine and address this dangerous threat posed to our children and educational professionals.”

    Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin has been named to the 16-member organization. Hooks said the group will identify resources and conduct a series of forums to gather and share information, listen to concerns and identify possible strategies to prevent school gun violence.

    Real estate property tax appeals deadline June 29

    Taxpayers who own or control taxable real property seeking request for appeals for the 2018 tax year may submit requests to the Cumberland County Tax Administration. Those seeking a request for a hearing must make the request in writing or by personal appearance before the Board of Equalization and Review adjourns June 29. The Board of Equalization and Review will hold hearings at 3:30 p.m. in Room 564, on the fifth floor of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse, located at 117 Dick St., May 7, May 9, May 23, June 13, June 20, June 27 and June 29.

    Taxpayers may submit their request for appeals in person Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the office of Tax Administration, Room 530, in the Courthouse at 117 Dick St. The appeal forms are available online at http://co.cumberland.nc.us/tax.aspx. The mailing address is Cumberland County Tax Administrator, P.O. Box 449, Fayetteville, NC, 28302-0449.

    Crime Stoppers honored

    Fayetteville/Cumberland County Crime Stoppers is the recipient of the 2017 Productivity Award for communities with populations of 300,000–400,000. The award was presented to the organization by the Southeastern Crime Stoppers Association during their annual conference in Atlanta. The productivity award is presented to an organization based on the total number of tips received, arrests made, charges laid and cash rewards paid out. The southeastern region consists of Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C.

    Since its inception in 1984, Fayetteville/Cumberland County Crime Stoppers has provided information resulting in the arrest of more than 3,108 felons, recovered more than $6.7 million in stolen property and narcotics, and paid out more than $312,000 in cash rewards.

    Cape Fear Valley Health Chooses Epic for comprehensive health record system

    Epic, the most widely-used comprehensive health record software in the U.S., is coming to Cape Fear Valley Health. Currently, Cape Fear Valley Health uses two Cerner software systems for record keeping. Epic has been selected to unite its hospitals and clinics under a single information sharing platform. Many of the nation’s leading health systems already use Epic to exchange data,share best practices and promote innovation.

    “The benefits of Epic will be felt in our clinics and hospitals throughout southeastern North Carolina as we move to this fully-integrated system,” said Michael Nagowski, Cape Fear Valley CEO. “This new system will allow patients and providers to easily access data when and where they need it.”

    “Epic will allow Cape Fear Valley Health caregivers to securely share critical patient data across our facilities, our region and throughout the United States, with both civilian and military health care providers,” said Samuel Fleishman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer. “This will allow our physicians, nurses, technicians and staff to work more efficiently and collaboratively to meet the needs of our patients and their families.”

    Patients will benefit by receiving a complete digital record spanning their entire continuum of care.The patient access and engagement through Epic’s MyChart patient portal will also improve. Services such as scheduling, clinical applications, billing and population health initiatives will be streamlined once the switch to Epic is made.

    The switch to Epic is expected to be complete by summer 2019.

    Cape Fear Valley Health has hospitals and clinics serving patients across a seven-county region of southeastern North Carolina, includingFayetteville, Hope Mills, Raeford, Lumberton, Elizabethtown, Clinton, Lillington, Dunn and Laurinburg.

    County receives Excellence in Communications recognition

    The North Carolina City and County Communicators’ Excellence in Communications Awards were presented April 19 at the annual Spring Conference in New Bern. Out of 178 entries, 23 North Carolina government offices earned recognition.The Cumberland County Public Information Office earned much recognition by winning four awards.

    “We are proud of our public information team for what they have accomplished and how hard they work to connect with our citizens and share our story,” said County Manager Amy Cannon.

    Cumberland County placed second for: TV or Video-Instructional Video for “Love Me? Vaccinate Me;” Printed Publications-Poster, Flyer, Club Card for “Love Me? Vaccinate Me;” Communication Technology-Digital Signage Programming; and Multi-Platform Campaign for Cumberland ALERTS.

    The purpose of North Carolina City & County Communicators is to encourage professional development and networking among local governmental communications professionals. The organization was formed in March 2007 and is made up of government professional communicators from around the state.

    For more information about NC3C, visit the website: http://www.nc3c.com.

  • The Avengers (Rated R) 5 Stars05-23-12-movie.jpg

    Now that Joss Whedon has made a success of The Avengers(142 minutes), can we do another Firefly movie? No? Can we do a feature length Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog? Maybe give him some money to do that Buffy spin-off, Ripper? With all the records this film is breaking maybe he’ll get to do all three, and then everyone goes home happy.

    We start slow, and those of you who haven’t seen Thor might want to take a minute before entering the theater to look up the summary on IMDB. It isn’t entirely necessary to have seen all the films leading into The Avengers, but if you haven’t seen that one it might take a few minutes to figure out what is going on.

    Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is conferring with a shady alien race, the Chitauri (AKA Skrulls for those of you keeping track). Meanwhile, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is doing some S.H.I.E.L.D. stuff back on Earth assisted by agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders). It turns out that Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) is playing with Thor’s main plot point in a secret underground lab, and it is all about to go horribly wrong. After Loki trashes the place and takes off with a couple of important characters in tow, Fury activates the Avengers Initiative. The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson, who apparently wasn’t good enough to rate her own origin movie) is sent after Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), agent Phil Colson (Clark Gregg) attempts to recruit Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Fury sweet-talks Captain America (Chris Evans).

    The only supporting chick from the origin movies to make it into the theatrical cut is Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), although Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster is referenced and a scene between Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) and Steve Rogers is destined to appear on the DVD release as a deleted scene.

    After a few team-building exercises in the second act, the nearly complete team heads out to capture Loki, who has control of both Dr. Selvig and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Of course, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) shows up to join the party before Loki is finally locked away. With so many supposed geniuses on the team, you would think someone would figure out that capturing the demi-god was a bit easier than it should have been way earlier, or at least, when someone finally points this out, they would be more interested in following the thought to its logical conclusion. Sadly, they are all too busy making fun of each other, which is okay because that’s part of the on-screen chemistry that makes the film work so well.

    The film is full of adolescent comic-book logic of the sort that serves the plot more than common sense. For example, Thor comes flying out of the sky on a pretty regular basis. At one point he gets dropped from the S.H.E.I.L.D. Helicarrier … is anyone really that concerned he’ll end up with even a scratch? And since Loki has mind control powers, does it not occur to him to sneak up on the Avengers and mind control a few more of them, having demonstrated in the first 15 minutes of the film that he can easily do so?

    If you want my opinion (and you’re reading the review so I assume you do), The Hulk might nail most of the physical comedy, but Iron Man gets most of the best lines. Overall, the film is as satisfying as a Snicker’s bar, even if it does run a bit long. Speaking as a comics fan, the focus on the team’s 1960s dynamic really worked. With any luck, by the time they get around to the sequel they will have sorted out the licensing issues that kept some of best characters out of the first entry in this franchise. And yes, there are not one but two after-credits scenes. One of which features *spoiler!* THANOS!

    Now showing at Wynnsong 7, Carmike 12 and Carmike Market Fair 15.

  • The Not So Great Generation

    Tom Brokaw coined the phrase “The Greatest Generation” to describe the people in the United States who grew up in the poverty of the Great Depression and then went on to fight in World War II or worked in the fields or factories in support of the war effort.My grandparents were members of The Greatest Generation, and they wore that title well.

    My grandparents didn’t complain or whine, and they instilled in their children — all 15 of them — a fierce sense of independence, as did the majority of their generation. Today, the call of selfl ess service, independence and responsibility rings pretty hollow, compared to those days.

    I often wonder what my grandfather would think if he had the opportunity to meet some of his great-grandchildren and their friends. Long gone in many is the innate sense of wrong and ri05-30-12-pub-notes.jpgght that we all are born with. Society has watered it down. Today there only seems to be shades of gray, which means that people can’t make good decisions because they have no absolutes.

    What we as a society have become very good at is prevarication. We have become a nation of whiners with a sense of entitlement and an almost utter lack of personal responsibility.

    We see it every day in almost every situation and scenario possible:

    Your child doesn’t get a good grade — blame the teacher. The teacher had to fail, because it obviously isn’t the fault of your precious child.

    Someone else gets a promotion — blame it on the fact that you are a woman. Why else would someone who works harder and longer get promoted?

    And in Fayetteville, if you get a traffic ticket — call the police offi cer a racist. Why should it matter that you were breaking the law?

    Oh, wait, you didn’t see that coming, did you?

    But why not? Our city has become so shell-shocked from a series of racial allegations that everyone immediately rushes to judgment and throws the blame on those who are upholding the law rather than those who are breaking it.

    Remember a few months ago when one of our own county commissioners was stopped for an expired registration? What happened? He accused the police offi cer who stopped him of racial profiling. Don’t worry about the man behind the curtain. We’ll dance and sing and blow some smoke so that the fact that a law was broken gets pushed to the side. Not his fault he didn’t pay his car taxes. It had to be the policeman’s fault.

    And again this week, a gentlemen was minding his own business, driving down the road when he was stopped by a policeman. The gentleman, who had failed to register his vehicle in North Carolina and also failed torestrain his 5-year-old child couldn’t possibly be at fault. Instead, a little smoke and mirrors and a routine traffic stop becomes a racial incident.

    How has it become acceptable for people to lie and it become front page news? Why is it acceptable for people to shift the blame for their own mistakes?

    My grandfather, and those like him, would not be impressed by our society today. The members of The Greatest Generation would not recognize or condone what we have become.

    Photo: How has it become acceptable for people to lie and it become front page news? 

  • I05-08-13-homeless-connect.gifn Cumberland County there are more than 600 chronic homeless people and several agencies have planned to do something about it. The Cumberland County Continuum of Care, Cumberland County and City of Fayetteville will host Project Homeless Connect 2013 on May 16 at the Smith Recreation Center from 7:30 am until 1:30 p.m.

    “Project Homeless Connect 2013 came from the initiative of the 10-year plan to end homelessness back in 2009,” said Adolph Thomas, community relations specialist of The City of Fayetteville’s Community Development Department. “The 10-year planning committee made it an obligation to conduct a Project Homeless Connect each year and they passed the plan on to The Cumberland County Continuum of Care.”

    One way to help is to donate items that will be given to the attendees. The following items are needed: socks, chapstick, sunblock, paper cups, underwear, bug repellent, sleeping bags, wet wipes, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, ponchos, backpacks, tote bags, foot powder and gallon Ziploc bags. “We put out a letter to schools, churches and human-service agencies to see if they can make this their project and donate these items,” said Thomas.

    “Our goal is to see 300 of the 600 individuals walk through the door,” said Thomas. “The agencies on hand are tasked to provide immediate services for these individuals or families for that day.” Thomas added that if housing is an issue for a particular family or individual the agency will take the family and help them to find housing on that same day.

    Various agencies will be on site for the event, including the Metropolitan Housing Authority, Urban Ministry, medical professionals, homeless-shelter providers, Salvation Army, Better Health, Cumberland Interfaith Hospitality Network, Cape Fear Regional Bureau for Community Action, Inc. and others. Breakfast will be provided by the Epicenter Church, lunch by the Kingdom Impact Global Ministries and desserts and refreshments by the Salvation Army. The city stage will be set up for entertainment from the 71st High School, Reid Ross, and E.E. Smith’s bands and other groups.

    FAST transit will provide free transportation to the event for any homeless person

    “Cumberland County has never had its own homeless foundation,” said Thomas. “This is the first year that we have a homeless foundation at the Cumberland Community Foundation, where the average person can donate money from their computer to the Cumberland County homeless.” Thomas added that this is going to be a major campaign for the foundation and the monies will be used to help the shelters and organizations provide quick care for the homeless.

    Donations may be delivered to the Cumberland County Community Development Department at 707 Executive Place by May 3. Checks can be made out to Cumberland Community Foundation Inc. Project Homeless Connect, and mailed to 308 Green Street, PO Box 2345, Fayetteville, NC 28302. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The website for monetary donations is www.cumberlandcf.org.

    For more information and to donate call 323-6112.

    Photo: There are more than 600 chronic homeless people in Cumberland County. Project Homeless Connect, on May 16, brings together several agencies to help them connect with resources and services aimed at ending homelessness.

  •  Somebody’s Got Some Explaining to Do

    Last week, a Fayetteville apartment complex added two more to its body count, as police responded to a call at Barrington Place (Cambridge Arms) apartment complex — the site of a couple of other murders. This time police found the bodies of Jacoy Mahorn and his 18-year-old girlfriend, Shaniqua Shane Simmons, both of whom had been shot.

    05-07-14-pub-notes.gifAt first glance, this looked like yet another senseless murder in our city, but as the investigation into their deaths began, we learned that this was not a random act of violence. There was a lot more to this story than what met the eye.

    Yes, it is another sad, sad event in our community, but what precipitated this double homicide will probably play out for months in the national media — because these deaths could possibly have been avoided.

    As the Fayetteville City Council is making crime reduction its number one priority, and as candidates for Cumberland County Sheriff campaign on the same priority, it is inconceivable that the turn of events that led to the murder of Mahorn and Simmons took place. Mahorn, no stranger to law enforcement, has a pretty extensive rap sheet ranging from drugs to, yes, murder. This is not the case with Simmons. But it is Mahorn’s activities and their repercussions that are generating news and will probably continue to do so.

    On the morning police found Mahorn and Simmons, Mahorn was scheduled to be in court to offer testimony in the November shooting outside of Mickey’s Bar & Grill that left two dead. Mahorn was charged with murdere in that shootout, although authorities say he never fired a weapon. Under most circumstances, Mahorn would have been sitting in jail awaiting trial, but he agreed to provide evidence against the shooter and he was released on a $2 million bond.

    This is where things get dicey. Mahorn, who was under house arrest, was ordered to wear monitoring bracelets, which were monitored by Pretrial Services. During this time, he requested to move across town to the crime-ridden apartment complex. The request was approved by Pretrial Services.

    Are you starting to see where some explanations are in order?

    Why would Fayetteville investigators and prosecutors from the district attorney’s office release a man like Mahorn? Why not hold him in county lock-up until he had testified and then cut a deal with him? Didn’t anyone in the police department, DA’s office or Pretrial Services think that releasing Mahorn was the same as putting a target on his head? And, even if they didn’t think that, didn’t the idea of moving him into Cambridge Arms seem a little crazy? The apartment Mahorn was living in wasn’t in his name? Who was paying the rent and whose name is on the lease?

    And if everything in this case was above board, why didn’t Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock not know that his investigators made a deal with Mahorn?

    There seems to have been a lot of bad decisions made over the past six months, and added together, those decisions resulted in the death of Mahorn, a career criminal, but worst of all in Simmons, who appears to be an innocent victim. Somebody has some explaining to do and it’s not going to be pretty.

    Photo: Jacoy Mahorn

  • 4.2-Cent Tax Increase - Really?

    I’m not proud of the fact that we have not had a tax increase in Fayetteville for more than 13 years and, right-minded Fayetteville residents shouldn’t be, either. No wonder we lag behind other major municipalities of our size in infrastructure and quality-of-life amenities.

    For decades this community has been grossly deprived by elected leadership whose priorities were obviously elsewhere. Perhaps at the beach? In 2014, we have gotten to a point where we are forced to deal with the consequences of this neglect. Now we hear that the only solution seems to be the inevitable 4.2-cent tax increase recommendation coming from City Hall and career bureaucrats well-versed and aptly conditioned at spending and allocating other people’s money.

    To say it’s “government gone wild” would be an understatement. And, for you lemmings and advocates of the tax increase, for heaven’s sake, plea05-21-14-pub-notes.gifse stop telling us this is for our own good and it is only $63 a year (on a $150,000 home) or a cup of coffee a week for a year — unless you frequent Starbucks — then you only have to give up one latte a month for a year.

    In any case, tax advocates claim these are meager amounts that everyone should be able to afford and gladly pay “for better police protection.” Really?

    Well, since crime is our number one priority, how about we fund police protection first. Wow, now there’s a novel idea. Here’s the point, many Fayetteville residents (I for one) do not feel the city is being prudent in identifying efficiencies in our local government departments and operations. Little has been done to discover and identify economies of scale to eliminate or reduce redundancy.

    Since the recession began in 2008, local businesses, organizations and institutions have been forced to adopt prudent spending plans and identify efficiencies just to survive the difficult and stagnant economy. Local businesses reduced staff, salaries and hours and sought other ways to enhance their intake or to cut their budgets merely to survive.

    Reducing crime is our mandated highest priority. Let’s deal with it using the resources we currently have. Subsequent priorities, as mandated by the citizens, can then be dealt with using the city’s remaining funds. If there is no money left, and a tax increase is needed, then our elected officials can assess and evaluate our options. I’m sure if the needs are imminent, a legitimate tax increase would be recommended without regard to political consequences. As it stands right now, it is difficult to support such a recommendation when we are subjected to shallow reasoning void of facts and deprived of alternatives.

    Before such a decision is made, Fayetteville residents need to know how this newly created 4.2-cent hike in revenue is going to be allocated and spent. Remember, many Fayetteville residents (think Big Bang annexing) are getting very little for the taxes they are paying. For the most part, many Fayetteville residents believe asking for a spending plan before taking the money is a pretty simple request.

    I hope the city staff and our elected city officials don’t think it is the taxpaying Fayetteville residents who are simple.

    We’ll see how this plays out.

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

    Photo: Since crime is our number one priority, how about we fund police protection first.

  • VA Scandal: The Fox Is In the Hen House

    As I write this editorial, many people are just waking up. Some of you may have planned to venture downtown and honor our fallen military at Memorial Day events. Even as we remember and honor their sacrifices, our government continues to dishonor them through cuts to benefits and most heinous their treatment at VA hospitals.05-28-14-pub-notes.gif

    The VA scandal is rocking the nation and folks are lining up to either throw rocks at the VA, make excuses or demand answers. Sadly, it is the people who continue to cut the budgets for veterans care that are shouting the loudest and demanding the most answers. Except, of course, the talking heads from the White House, who once again noted that the President was shocked to hear about the problems at the VA, and in fact, didn’t know anything about it until he heard about it on television.

    Is anyone really buying that line anymore? And, if you are, doesn’t it frighten you that our Commander In Chief finds out about the biggest problems facing our nation not from briefings from his staff, but from television journalists? But, I digress.

    The VA has long been understaffed, under funded and kept in a state of disrepair. Veterans utilizing their services can expect long wait times — not just for primary care appointments, but also in the emergency room. All of which, is also true of many public hospitals today, but the VA’s shortcomings are complicated by staffing issues and administrators looking for shortcuts to meet goals that are quite frankly not achievable. (This is also true of military healthcare. I have often said that the care I receive at military facilities is top notch, the problem is the process you have to go through to get there.)

    There are many who work in the VA (and in military healthcare) who are passionate about their jobs. And then there are those that just show up to get a paycheck. Thankfully, some of those employees worked at the Arizona VA and brought this national shame to light.

    In a time line recently published in USA Today, the scandal is traced back to 2012 when a VA doctor went public with the problems. Early 2012, Dr. Katherine Mitchell, warned Sharon Helman, incoming director of the Phoenix VA Health Care System, that the Phoenix ER is overwhelmed and dangerous. Mitchell alleges she was told within days by senior administrators that she had deficient communication skills and was transferred out of the ER.

    Later that year, the VA implemented the electronic wait-time tracking and promised to make improved patient access a top priority. In December, the Government Accountability Office tells the Veterans Health Administration that its reporting of outpatient medical-appointment wait times is “unreliable.” This is where the “secret” wait list came into effect.

    In September 2013, Mitchell filed a confidential complaint intended for the VA Office of Inspector General, channeled through Arizona Sen. John McCain’s office. Her list of concerns instead goes to the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs and eventually back to the VA. For her efforts, Mitchell was placed on administrative leave.

    Several other VA employees go to bat for their patients, and each one who filed complaints was administratively punished. And that brings us to where we are today. The President says those responsible for the lack of care will be held accountable, yet the head of the VA keeps his post. And the White House keeps pushing for cuts to veterans benefits.

    It’s kind of hard to protect our veterans, when the fox is in the hen house.

  • 05-01-13-pub-notes.gifAnother Chance for the

    Prince Charles

    The Hotel Prince Charles was given a reprieve by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court last week. The last minute deal to keep the hotel from falling into bankruptcy limbo was brokered between the current owner John Chen and David Levinson, the developer of the Anderson Creek Club.

    In a strategic move, Chen signed over the title to Anderson’s holding company, King David LLC. The move, approved by the courts, gives Anderson the opportunity to conduct a six-month feasibility study to determine whether or not it is possible to renovate the hotel in a manner that will make it a cost-effective project.

    Levinson hopes to turn the hotel into a mix-use project, with two-room condominiums (of about 450 square feet and with a price tag of less than $100,000) and offi ce space. Additionally, he wants to open a gym, a restaurant and a bar in the historic building. He estimates the price tag at about $6 million.

    Additionally, the city will waive its judgment against Chen to get the project moving forward.

    For many in the city this plan is good news. The 88-year-old building lends a lot of character to downtown. In its early days, it was the crown jewel to the city center. Over the years, the building has changed hands a number of times, and each time that has happened, city residents have applauded efforts to keep the grand building in use.

    Over the past several months, seeing the building slowly crumble has been heartbreaking for many, while many others have taken up the chant of tear it down. Those who would prefer to see the hotel torn down argue that the real estate value of the land and the possibilities that it offers are far greater than any historic value the building brings to the city.

    I can see both sides of the picture. In my hometown in Troy, the Hotel Troy was a classic edifice. The brick work is beautiful and historic. During its hey day, the interior was spectacular. But year after year, the building sat empty, and tiny pieces of its grandeur fell victim to looters and later to the elements.

    At one point, the only option seemed to be to tear it down. But the people in that small town came together and found another answer. Today, that hotel houses a restaurant, an art gallery and a couple of shops. There is a lot more to do, but the money simply isn’t there.

    The Prince Charles is in much better shape than the Hotel Troy was. The elements have not had their way with it, so that’s one thing in its favor. If Mr. Levinson can pull it off, the $6 million investment will breathe more life into the city center by bringing young residents downtown. It will breathe life into the downtown economy by bringing offices and entertainment to the city center.

    It is our hope, that Levinson can indeed put his money where his heart seems to be and save this historic building. If not, this may be the last song for the Prince Charles.

    Photo: The Prince Charles hotel gets another chance as investors ponder possible ways to reinvent the space.

  • Executive Editor Upholds Ideals of the Fourth Estate

    05-14-14-pub-notes.gifI read with great interest and remorse the Fayetteville Observer’s Executive Editor Michael Adams’ “admission of omission” (Fayetteville Observer, Sunday, May 11) as it pertained to his brother’s unfortunate situation in Durham County. I admire his forthrightness but, then again, we are three weeks out on this story. Even though the Associated Press might not have picked it up, the WRAL TV offices are located in the Observer’s offices on Whitfield Street. Nonetheless, as painful as it must have been for Adams to share his story, he did it with sincerity and with style.

    I also found it very interesting and relevant that he made reference in his article to the way newspapers are doing, or, in many cases, not doing their jobs. His observations are absolutely correct. Having dependable access to news and information is the bedrock of democracy. And, from where I sit, that is a much bigger and looming issue undermining the effectiveness, trust and integrity of our beloved Fourth Estate.

    For those of you who are not familiar with the term Fourth Estate it refers basically to the media creating “checks and balances” on government. Thus, being the “fourth branch” of government. Sir Edmund Burke, while addressing the English Parliament, originally coined the term in 1787. At the time, Burke is reported to have said that, “There are Three Estates in Parliament, but in the Reporters’ Gallery yonder, there sits a Fourth Estate more important far than they all.”

    Yes, it is the media that are supposedly safeguarding our democracy; making sure ill intended politicians don’t abuse or game the system. We the media, the Fourth Estate, are supposed to be the watchdogs, reporting the news, stating the facts and uncovering wrongdoing. Instead, we are now tending to mold the news, report selectively, omit the facts or just blatantly refuse to tell the story. Sometimes people forget that news reporting is supposed to be objective. Well, here’s some news, no one expects the Fayetteville Observer to be perfect. Yes, we all make mistakes and no reporter to my knowledge has ever lost their job over making an “honest” mistake. But, more and more we see reporting becoming politically or racially biased omitting obvious facts and generating slanted stories.

    It’s almost at a point where the politicians have manipulated the media to a point where they have become their pawns with the determination to render the Fourth Estate impotent. Adams reminds us all that it’s hard to reflect fairness and build a public trust in the absence of integrity and transparency. I admire him for coming forward about the Durham story. It gives us hope and confidence knowing that our daily newspaper, which is the oldest in North Carolina, still has a conscience as well as journalistic integrity and strives to reflect the values, traditions and ideals of the Fourth Estate.

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

    Photo: The term Fourth Estate refers to the media creating “checks and balances” on government. Thus, being the “fourth branch” of government.

  • “Nobody goes there anymore; it’s too crowded.”05-18-11-dg-martin.jpg

    Yogi Berra’s seemingly contradictory wisdom could be a subtitle for a new book about airports and the surrounding landscapes that grow up around them.

    Aerotropolis: The Way We’ll Live Next by John D. Kasarda and Greg Lindsay, catalogs the world’s major international airports, ex-plaining which ones work well, which ones do not, and why. Kasarda is director of the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at UNC-Chapel Hill and an early proponent of North Carolina’s Global TransPark.

    The authors examine the rising cost and looming shortage of pe-troleum and the unquestioned detrimental environmental consequences of carbon emissions and pollution. Then they argue persuasively that, not withstanding these factors, the world’s mega airports are here to stay.

    Not only here to stay, but also they assert, these large airports and the urban areas that surround them are destined to be the world’s most important centers of population, employment, commerce, industry, enterprise, and creativity for the fore-seeable future.

    Older airports like Los Angeles, Chicago, and London’s Heathrow demonstrate how such operations can be amazing economic generators and how they are being choked by their very success.

    For example, say the authors, “LAX [Los Angeles International] is a case study for how airports are incubators for trade and the cities that spring up to seize it. And then there are the side effects.”

    Not only Apple but also “Intel, Hewlett Packard, Sun, and Cisco — long ago began outsourcing work … across the Pacific,” they continue. “Now they wait for airborne freighters to land in Los Angeles with the first samples of their latest holi-day smash in the hold.”

    Although LAX is booming, “The sprawl encircling it has calcified, and traffic on its interstate arteries…is the most sclerotic in the region.”

    Still, the authors say, “LAX will get busier. Its many missteps will be mitigated but never rectified, and the crush on its crumbling infrastructure will worsen until — from a competitive perspective — it finally implodes.”

    Newer airports, like those at Dallas, Denver, and Washington’s Dulles avoided some of these problems. More efficient systems inside the airport, better-planned connections to nearby businesses and surface transporta-tion, and room to expand give them the ability to steal economic develop-ment potential from their older competitors

    .Closer by, and maybe easier to understand, are the economic booms that the airports at Memphis and Louisville created. With Federal Express and UPS making these airports their principal trans-fer hubs, these cities became ideal locations for distribution centers of “overnight” sellers like Amazon and the warehouses of “just-in-time” manufacturers. As a result, these two cities are “in bloom” again, maybe explaining why the record crowd at the Kentucky Derby last weekend looked so prosperous.

    The efficient airport operations and the attraction of related busi-nesses at Memphis and Louisville give clues about the concept of the strange word in the book’s title: “Aerotropolis.” But there is more to it than just an airport and its city. According to Kasarda and Lindsay, an aerotropolis must be “a superconductor, a piece of infrastructure promising zero resistance to anyone setting up shop there.”

    This “frictionlessness” is “the product of a whole host of attributes, many of which are invisible: tariff-free zones, faster customs clearance, fewer and faster per-mits, and a right-to-work workforce that knows what it is doing.”

    These things and a surrounding efficient infrastructure “combine to cut costs and red tape for corporations, often at the expense of their employees and the tax-payers, in exchange (theoretically) for greater gains for all down the road.”

    Where can these things be brought together? In places like China or Dubai, where decisions can be made overnight by fiat. In the U.S. and other democracies, the pathway to the ideal aerotropolis may be too steep.

    And if the aerotropolis is to be the key to future competitive-ness and prosperity, we may find that our beloved democ-racy is an expensive treasure.

  • 07Protocol Kim Robertson “(It’s) sad, but if someone wants to shoot their way in and start firing off shots they could. This could happen anywhere and unfortunately has,” said Kim Robertson, principal of Elizabeth Cashwell Elementary School on Legion Road. 

    She was responding to a question about how her school would react to an active shooter on campus.  Robertson said all aspects of her building layout and student/staff contact information is cataloged in a computer. 

    Principals and the police can access that information at any time. Thirteen real-time cameras are installed at Elizabeth Cashwell School and are monitored at the safety office. 

    “We have to have a plan for such an occasion, and we share it with the safety office and staff,” Robertson said. Her school has a crisis response team equipped with walkie talkies. “Almost daily I have an issue that requires a response, but nothing like a serious threat of danger,” she said. 

    “In the event of an active shooter, principals follow our crisis management procedures, which include our lockdown procedures,” added Associate Superintendent Tim Kinlaw. Policy requiring sheltering in place should such an instance occur is set by the Cumberland County Board of Education. 

    State law doesn’t address active shooter scenarios. There is a statute that deals with the importance of fire drills: “It shall be the duty of the principal to conduct a fire drill during the first week after the opening of school and thereafter at least one fire drill each school month, in each building in his charge, where children are assembled. 

    “Fire drills shall include all pupils and school employees, and the use of various ways of egress to simulate evacuation of said buildings under various conditions, and such other regulations as shall be prescribed for fire safety by the Commissioner of Insurance, the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education. A copy of such regulations shall be kept posted on the bulletin board in each building.” 

    “Monthly fire drills are required with a report sent to the Safety Office each month,” Robertson confirmed. “Our principals follow Board policy regarding fire drills. We have not received any reports from the County or City Fire Marshals stating that fire drills have not been conducted according to state fire code requirements,” added Kinlaw.

    “Tornado drills are also required when notification comes that we are to do one,” said Robertson. During a tornado outbreak across the south in April 2011, Benjamin Martin Elementary School at 430 N. Reilly Road, in Fayetteville, was so badly damaged that classes couldn’t be held there for the rest of the school year. Fortunately, the tornado touched down on a Saturday. 

    Robertson said local principals are reminded near the end of a school month if drills haven’t been performed and documented. “The fire marshal conducts random checks to see school reports annually,” she added.                      

    Photo: Kim Robertson, principal of Elizabeth Cashwell Elementary School 

               

  • 06Amy Cannon“We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes nonwork.” 

    —Milton Friedman

    Cumberland County Manager Amy Cannon is recommending an 8.2 cents increase in the county’s ad valorem property tax rate for the fiscal year beginning July 1. 

    When rural fire district and recreation taxes are added, the total tax rate for residents living in unincorporated areas of the county would come to 98.45 cents. That doesn’t include stormwater, solid waste, refuse, recycling fees or auto privilege taxes, some of which may also go up. 

    Cannon is proposing an eight-dollar increase in the solid waste fee paid annually by homeowners. Property owners in cities and towns do not pay fire district taxes. Some towns ask their residents to pay recreation taxes; some do not. All the municipalities add their ad valorem property tax rates ranging from 15 cents per hundred in Falcon to just shy of 50 cents in Fayetteville. 

    Cannon determined the revenue-neutral tax rate to offset tax revenue losses in the county is 78.2 cents. The losses amounted to $4.8 million.  

    Cannon applies the term “revenue neutrality” to the county’s total tax base. But depending on individual residential or commercial values, actual taxes paid will be anything but neutral. Among North Carolina’s eight largest metropolitan areas, Cumberland County stands alone in a decline of property values. “Locally, we continue to struggle with weak economic conditions,” Cannon stated in her budget message. 

    She noted that sales tax collections were down significantly from 2008 to 2011. But they’ve been trending at pre-recession levels since then.  Looking back, the manager cited “limited natural growth in property tax values over the last ten years.” Nowhere in her budget document does Cannon mention that the Cumberland County Tax Administration Office spotted an apparent downturn in property values immediately following the previous revaluation in 2009, which became a trend. 

    Cannon told county commissioners earlier this year she didn’t begin taking that into account until about 2014. “Our local economy is very sensitive to troop deployments,” Cannon noted. She did not mention that redeployments from battlefields to Fort Bragg routinely result in positive economic surges. She said there has been an estimated loss of 5,000 personnel since 2012. 

    Cannon is proposing nearly $6 million in expenditure reductions. Forty-one full-time positions and 49 part- time jobs would be eliminated. Thirty-seven of the positions are vacant. Significant budget cuts are proposed in human services, except those mandated by state law. There will be cuts in the hours of operation of county libraries but none will be closed. Funding of so-called non-governmental outside agencies will be cut in half, and no new agencies will be accepted for funding. 

    County Commission Chairman Glenn Adams adjourned the meeting immediately following Cannon’s presentation. Commissioners began a series of budget workshops May 30. They’re prepared to meet through June 14 if needed but must adopt the FY18 budget by July 1.

    Photo: Cumberland County Manager Amy Cannon

  • 05NewsDigestWar in Korea

    It’s been six decades since hostilities ended on the Korean peninsula. The threat of a resurgence has never been greater than now, and some Fort Bragg soldiers would be among the first thrust into combat. 

    The military has taken a back seat to the State Department as U.S. officials push diplomatic and economic measures hoping that, with the help of China, the North Korean regime of Kim Jong Un can be persuaded to stop its provocations. 

    If diplomatic efforts fail and a conventional war ensued, experts agree the scenario would involve massive amounts of U.S. and South Korean forces in a war that could drag on for many months or longer. At a recent press conference, when asked by reporters about the current tensions with North Korea, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said, “If this goes to a military solution, it’s going to be tragic on an unbelievable scale.”  

    Military Times has constructed a detailed overview of what war on the Korean Peninsula would be like, based on interviews with current and former military officials as well as intelligence assessments of North Korea’s military capabilities. 

    In the opening hours, U.S. officials would alert Marines on Okinawa to begin heading toward the fight. Back in the United States the call would go out to the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to launch its brigade combat team of paratroopers. 

    A battalion of America’s Global Response Force is poised to deploy within 18 hours. The balance of the assigned 82nd brigade combat team would be “wheels up” within 96 hours. Experts predict heavy initial casualties among U.S. and South Korean forces. 

    “Anybody that assumes this could be knocked out in 30 days would be dead wrong,” said retired Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling. “There would be literally thousands, tens of thousands, some say more than 100,000 civilian casualties.” 

    Rural Fire Department Revenue Deficits

    This year’s downturn in Cumberland County property values has had a significant impact on rural fire departments. Municipal fire departments are supported through ad valorem property taxes, which can be adjusted as needed. 

    Volunteer departments are sustained by local fire district taxes also based on property values. Property owners in the county pay a fire tax of 10 cents per hundred dollars of valuation over and above regular property taxes. In the fiscal year ahead, the fire tax levy will not yield as much revenue as in the past. Twelve of the county’s rural fire departments will come up $265,000 short in lost revenue. The loss will severely impact rural-most departments which operate on small budgets. 

    Larger ones, like Pearces Mill Fire Department south of Fayetteville, would lose as much as $44,000 in fiscal year 2018, according to Fire Chief’s Association President Freddie Johnson. “We can tighten our belt and get by,” said longtime Pearces Mill Fire Chief Ronnie Marley. “But the long-term solution is not as hopeful.” 

    County Manager Amy Cannon is proposing to dip into the association’s surplus to provide each rural department at least one-half of their revenue shortfalls. “In the long term, there needs to be a very thorough review of fire department funding,” said Cannon.

    Downtown Fayetteville Field of Honor

    Fayetteville’s Airborne & Special Operations Museum is again honoring service members, veterans and their families with Field of Honor American flags on the parade ground between the museum and the North Carolina Veterans Park downtown. The annual tribute, sponsored by the Fayetteville Downtown Alliance, features hundreds of American flags, which can be purchased and dedicated to honor special people in the lives of those making the purchases. Arrangements can be made at the museum’s gift shop. “The flags will be flown through the end of this month,” said Paul Galloway, President of the Museum Foundation. 

    Downtown Parking May Change

    It may not be long before parking meters return to Hay Street downtown. City Council wants to encourage people to park in the four-story parking garage on Franklin Street. That’s one idea the city is considering to make up for the loss of dozens of spaces in the center of the city when the minor league baseball stadium is built. 

    Another idea is a second, but smaller, parking deck — this one behind City Hall. City Manager Doug Hewett revealed that suggestion in his proposed FY18 city budget. Some members of City Council note the underutilized parking garage on Franklin Street is two blocks from City Hall and could easily be utilized by city employees. “There is a serious parking problem that is going to get worse,” Councilman Bill Crisp said. Many of the parking spots being lost to progress are near the Amtrak railroad station where City Hall employees normally park. 

    Fayetteville Physician named to Public Health Commission                                             

    Dr. J. Wayne Riggins of Fayetteville has been appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to the North Carolina Commission for Public Health. The commission consists of 13 members, four of whom are elected by the North Carolina Medical Society and nine who are appointed
    by the Governor. 

    Dr. Riggins is a practicing ophthalmologist. He graduated from F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in 1993. He completed his residency at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and currently practices at Cape Fear Eye Associates. Riggins is affiliated with Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital.     

  • 05NewsDigest May17 23The City of Fayetteville can’t say when the Tokay Senior Fitness Center operated by the Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation Department will re-open. The specialty center sustained extensive smoke damage during an electrical fire. It’s been closed since March 27. City spokesman Nathan Walls told Up & Coming Weekly that “there are too many variables to predict a reopening date.” The popular older adult fitness center has work out equipment including treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical machines and Nautilus equipment. Seniors use the facility for physical rehabilitation and regular fitness regimens often as prescribed by physicians. Group exercise classes are also offered. Those classes are temporarily being held at the Smith Recreation Center, 1520 Slater Avenue. The exercise equipment room at the Smith Center is open for senior citizen patrons at 7 a.m. Monday-Friday.

    Talk About a Major Motoring Inconvenience…
    Local motorists accustomed to travelling Bragg Boulevard in an approach to downtown Fayetteville are trying to get used to a long detour. Drivers traveling toward downtown on Bragg Boulevard (N.C. 24) should be aware that a roadway closure between West Rowan Street and the Rowan Street bridge is in effect through June 15. DOT is detouring traffic to allow for the installation of a sewer line. The detour is marked, suggesting that inbound motorists turn left onto the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway, to Ramsey Street. Then take a right to downtown. There are alternate routes as well. Inbound downtown drivers may want to use Fort Bragg Road, or they can turn right onto the MLK Jr. Freeway over to Hay Street and on into downtown.


    Blackwell Seeks Superior Court Clerk’s Office
    Cindy Blackwell, a former Chief Assistant Clerk of Cumberland County Superior Court, announces she will seek the Democratic nomination for the Clerk’s position. “The Clerk of Court serves an important role for our citizens and our court system,” she said in making her announcement. “Every day thousands of citizens access our courts, whether it’s to pay a seat-belt ticket, make a child-support payment or to execute a departed loved-one’s estate,” she added. Blackwell left the office in early 2014 when Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons passed over Blackwell and appointed District Court Judge Kim Tucker to succeed retired Clerk Linda Priest. Blackwell then accepted a position with the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts in Raleigh. “I have the background, the experience and understanding to serve you,” Blackwell said in news release announcing her candidacy.

    Gander Mountain in Fayetteville Likely to Stay Open
    Gander Mountain, a chain of hunting and outdoor stores, is not shutting down after being bought in a bankruptcy sale, according to the new owner, Marcus Lemonis of Camping World. He said reports that all the stores are closing are untrue and that at least 70 Gander Mountain locations will remain open. In North Carolina, Gander Mountain stores in Fayetteville and Winston-Salem will stay open. The others, including Raleigh, are still up in the air. Camping World has until Oct. 6 to determine which Gander Mountain locations it would like to keep. Lemonis is best known as host of CNBC’s reality series “The Profit.”

    Lawyers for the Man Convicted of Killing Shaniya Davis Want a New Trial
    Mario McNeill’s claim that he is entitled to a new trial for raping and murdering 5-year-old Shaniya Davis in 2009 “is bogus.” That’s the opinion of North Carolina Assistant Attorney General Anne M. Middleton. In oral arguments for a new trial before the North Carolina Supreme Court, Middleton recounted that McNeill told his attorneys, Allen Rogers and Coy Brewer, that he wanted to provide police information helpful to them. In so doing, she said, McNeill waived his attorney-client privilege. Brewer and Rogers then told authorities where they could find Shaniya Davis’s body, hoping the death penalty would be taken off the table. District Attorney Billy West offered McNeill a chance to plead guilty to avoid the death sentence, Middleton said, but he chose not to accept it. He went to trial in 2013 and was subsequently convicted and sentenced to death. Shaniya’s mother had sold her to McNeill in repayment of a $200 drug debt. Appellate lawyer Andrew DeSimone told the court that Rogers and Brewer were obliged to keep the information McNeill provided them by their client secret. The justices will review the oral arguments and written briefs, and decide whether McNeill should get a new trial.

    Crisis Intervention Resources
    Residents wishing to apply for Crisis Intervention Fund assistance should go to the Salvation Army Community Center at 220 E. Russell Street. The Salvation Army Center at 1047 Southern Ave. is temporarily closed because of recent flooding. The program is administered by the Cumberland County Department of Social Services for individuals and families experiencing a heating or cooling-related crisis. The CIP program is in effect until all funds are exhausted, or June 30. Money is paid directly to utility providers on behalf of approved applicants. Applications are accepted Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Detailed information is available from the Salvation Army at 910-483-8119.

  • 14PrepNotebookTerry Sanford ended its final season in the Cape Fear Valley 3-A Conference in style by winning the league’s Wells Fargo Cup for overall athletic excellence.

    The Bulldogs had to fend off a strong challenge in the spring from perennial cup rival Union Pines in order to take the award as the final margin of victory was only 110.5-109.0

    Terry Sanford was the overall winner in the fall and winter sports seasons and led Union Pines 82-66 heading into spring. Union Pines took three team championships in spring: girls’ and boys’ track and boys’ golf.

    Terry Sanford matched Union Pines in total spring titles with championships in baseball, girls’ soccer and boys’ tennis.

    Other team titles Terry Sanford won this year were a share of girls’ tennis with Union Pines, girls’ golf and girls’ swimming.

    Other final scores were Lee County 87, Gray’s Creek 82.5, Southern Lee 81.5, Westover 46 and Douglas Byrd 35.5.

    This fall, the battle for the Wells Fargo Cup should get interesting as Terry Sanford joins the bulk of the Cumberland County Schools in the new 4-A/3-A Patriot Conference which will include Overhills and all the county schools except Seventy-First and Jack Britt. Britt and Seventy-First are moving to the Sandhills Conference.

    • You’ll read elsewhere in this issue of Up & Coming Weeklyabout the start of the season for the Hope Mills Boosters American Legion baseball team. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for American Legion baseball, getting my first taste of it when I went to high school at West Rowan and was exposed to the perennially strong Legion program in Rowan County.

    I followed the Hope Mills Legion team often in my early years as a sports writer at the Fayetteville Observer, and have fond memories of a storybook season in the 1980s when a scrappy Hope Mills team made it to the championship series with that same Rowan County bunch I grew up with.

    I mention Legion baseball because in recent years it’s been on the wane in our area, and only through the commitment of State Legion Hall of Fame coach
    Doug Watts has the sport survived locally.

    There is much more competition for the Legion team these days with minor league baseball returning to the area and the college summer league team that plays here.

    I’d suggest if you have the time, drop by South View High School some night this summer and catch a Legion game. These are local kids, some of whom just might be playing college or pro baseball themselves one day. It’s worth your time to give them some support.

  • 15DPrattDevon Pratt

    Terry Sanford • Cross country/track/soccer • Senior 

    A versatile athlete, Pratt has a grade point average of 4.0. He was named Athlete of the Year in the Cape Fear Valley 3-A Conference. In the fall he ran cross country and played soccer in the same season. He plans to attend Wingate.

     

     

     

    16Allie LambertAllie Lambert

    Gray’s Creek • Softball • Junior

    Lambert, a member of the Bears’ state-playoff qualifying softball team, has a grade point average of 4.5.

  • 13AmericanLegionWhen it comes to summer baseball traditions, there’s none older or with stronger local ties in Fayetteville and Cumberland County than American Legion baseball.

    State American Legion Hall of Fame coach Doug Watts has been a part of the tradition stretching back over 50 years. He’s stepped aside from active coaching, but is still involved and was on the sidelines working hard last week when the Hope Mills Boosters team convened for its first practice session of the season at South View High School.

    Watts is officially listed as the athletic officer for the Boosters, but he’s turned head coaching duties over to Mark Kahlenberg, who has a staff that includes Randy Nalls, Cecil Combs and former Boosters player Logan Haines.

    They will have played their season opener at Wallace on May 22 by the time this story runs, but they start the year with a five-game road swing and don’t play their first home contest at South View until June 7.

    As always, there are some changes for the Boosters this season, the biggest being they have dropped Terry Sanford as one of the schools they draw players from and added Pine Forest. 

    Returning to the fold are players from Jack Britt, South View and Purnell Swett.

    Britt and Swett both had great years, Britt sharing the Mid-South 4-A regular-season title with Cape Fear and Swett winning the Southeastern 4-A regular-season championship.

    A handful of players is back from 2016, including D.J. Bishop of Jack Britt along with Landon Harris and Andrew Sabalboro of South View.

    Kahlenberg was excited about a turnout of over 20 players at the first practice. “We have 13 pitchers who are also listed as position players,’’ Kahlenberg said. “Having 13 pitchers is very important. We’ve never had 13 to start the season.’’

    One of those pitchers is Jacob Austin from Pine Forest, son of Methodist University baseball coach Tom Austin. Austin’s not sure if he’ll be just a pitcher or a daily position player, but he’s excited about the opportunity.

    “Every team we play will have college-level pitching,’’ Austin said of the Legion schedule. “There are no patsies.’’

    He hopes to work on command of his curveball during the summer. “It’s been in and out the whole year,’’ he said.

    Two players from Jack Britt Kahlenberg is counting on are Zachary Knapp and Gavin Wheeler. Knapp, like Austin, is also a pitcher.

    “It gives me the opportunity to work on my skills and play with a bunch of guys I know are the best of the best,’’ Knapp said. “I just want to keep getting better in every aspect of the game.’’

    Here is this year’s Hope Mills Boosters schedule. Home games are at South View High School. All games begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted:

    May 22 – at Wallace; 26 – at Wilmington Post 545; 29 – at Wilmington Post 10.

    June 2 – at Whiteville (West Columbus High School); 4 – at Jacksonville (doubleheader, 3 p.m.); 7 – at Wallace; 14 – at Wilmington Post 10; 17 – Wilmington Post 545 (doubleheader, 3 p.m.); 21– Jacksonville; 23 – at Wallace; 25 – Morehead City (doubleheader, 2 p.m.); 30 – at Wilmington Post 10

    July 1 – Whiteville (doubleheader, 3 p.m.); 2 – at Morehead City (2 p.m.); 5 – State playoffs open. 26 – State final 8, at Pitt Community College, Greenville.

  • 12CapeFearThere’s an air of anticipation, but more than a little concern as Cape Fear High School holds spring football conditioning workouts after the best season in
    school history.

    Coming off a 15-1 record that included the school’s first-ever conference football title and trip to the state 4-A championship game, there are plenty of reasons to be excited.

    But the reason for concern is quickly made evident when you arrive at the practice field and see star quarterback Justice Galloway-Velazquez wearing a walking boot on his left leg.

    The boot is the result of recent surgery to repair an assortment of injuries to his left ankle. The worst was a torn ligament he suffered in the Eastern 4-A finals against Scotland. There were also pieces of cartilage left in his ankle from a previous injury, plus tissue and bone damage from his freshman year.

    “They cleaned all that up and said I’ll come back 100 percent,’’ Galloway-Velazquez said. There’s an outside chance once the boot comes off in about a month and he finishes rehab he could take part in the closing stage of summer workouts. “The healing process is coming along faster than I thought,’’ he said.

    Still, don’t be surprised if the Cape Fear staff plays things cautiously and holds him out until the official start of summer practice on July 31.

    Meanwhile, though he can’t work out, Galloway-Velazquez is showing up at practice during the spring conditioning period. “I’m a leader on and off the field,’’ he said. “Me being out here while I’m injured shows a lot to them and means a lot to me.

    “I can contribute not only by wearing a helmet but by just being a standby, helping out with
    the coaches.’’

    Cape Fear suffered some key graduation losses, especially among Galloway-Velazquez’s corps of receivers, but he doesn’t think that means Cape Fear won’t field another good team.

    “We’re going to be different, but people should be prepared for a good game,’’ he said. “We play to win, and we play Cape Fear football. We’re always going to have a hard-nosed, hitting team and good scoring offense.’’

    Cape Fear coach Jake Thomas said the approach to the season is the same with Galloway-Velazquez on the sidelines for now. “We’re still putting in the same plays,’’ he said. “We’ll have to make adjustments until he
    gets back.’’

    The biggest gaps the Colts need to fill are at receiver, on the offensive line and the secondary, Thomas said. “We feel like we have the best group of leaders in our program that we’ve had,’’ Thomas said. “It’s always good when you have to build around those senior leaders.’’

    One thing Thomas knows will be different this season is Cape Fear will be a marked opponent after beating every school it faced from the Eastern half of the state.

    The Colts will also be dropping to 3-A and joining the new 4-A/3-A Patriot Conference. It includes former Mid-South Conference rivals Overhills, South View and Pine Forest, still 4-A schools, new fellow 3-A school E.E. Smith, plus former members of the Cape Fear Valley 3-A Conference Terry Sanford, Douglas Byrd, Gray’s Creek and Westover.

    “I’ve stressed to these guys they’re going to have a target on their back after the season we had,’’ Thomas said. “It’s going to be tougher to make it along that same type of road.’’

  • 07SundayBusOf North Carolina’s six largest cities, only Fayetteville does not offer public transportation service on Sundays.  

    Even the smaller cities of Asheville and Wilmington provide bus service on the Sabbath. The Fayetteville Advisory Committee on Transit has recommended that City Council begin limited Sunday service, but City Manager Doug Hewett did not include it in his proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Overall, bus ridership has declined over the past year, reversing a growth trend. Charlotte and Greensboro have also seen declines. “We believe our ridership has been impacted by low gasoline prices,” said Transit Director Randy Hume.

    In their continuing support of transit service, several City Council members told Hewett they would like to see Sunday service worked into the new budget. Transit Director Hume suggested that initial service on the Sabbath include 10 bus routes. He said the advisory committee considered bus ridership on Saturdays to project likely Sunday use. A study found that 1,241 patrons would likely ride buses on Sunday compared to 3,244 Saturday riders. Average ridership weekdays is 5,816, said Hume.

    Sunday service, even in an abbreviated format, would require four-and-a-half months of preparation if approved by City Council. Additional operators, supervisor time and maintenance staff would be required, said Assistant Transit Director Kelly Blazey.  

    “We will need time to get through the hiring process, provide training, update our printed materials, hold any necessary public meetings regarding the changes and advertise the changes,” she added. FAST estimates it would cover 34 weeks of service in FY18. On an annualized basis, officials estimate total costs for limited bus service on Sundays would be nearly $336,000 with $152,000 funded by passenger fares and grants. The remaining $183,00 would have to come from the general fund. And, $30,000 could be shifted from operating grants to provide additional support for Sunday service. If approved by City Council, buses would run on the following routes:

    Route 3        Cedar Creek Rd.

    Route 5        Ramsey St.

    Route 6        University Estates / Bragg Blvd. / Cross Creek Mall

    Route 7        Savoy Heights / Robeson St. / Raeford Rd.

    Route 8        Southern Ave. / Owen Dr. /CFV Med Ctr.

    Route 12      Murchison Rd. / University Estates

    Route 14      Downtown / Eutaw / Cross Creek Mall

    Route 17      West Fayetteville / Cliffdale Rd.

    Route 18      Skibo Rd. / Hollywood Heights

    Route 15      Cross Creek Mall / Glensford Dr. / CFV Med Ctr.

    Times will vary by half an hour or so from route to route, but would be available from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. And FASTtrac transit service would be available on all of the above routes. 

  • 06NewsDigestNew Fayetteville Military Healthcare Facility

    The Fayetteville Rehabilitation Clinic is a new joint venture between Womack Army Medical Center and the Fayetteville VA Medical Center. The clinic provides expanded access to physical therapy, speech-language pathology and occupational therapy services for VA and Department of Defense enrollees in the greater Fayetteville area. 

    “This clinic is an excellent example of how patients can benefit when we as the VA and DoD consolidate our efforts in support of service members, former service members and their families,” said Col. Lance Raney, commander of Womack Army Medical Center. 

    The joint initiative allows the Army and VA to work together to promote efficient and cost-effective resource-sharing ideas, officials said. “One of the constant challenges we face is increasing access to care for a steadily growing patient population,” said VA Medical Center Director Elizabeth Goolsby. The 10,000 square-foot facility offers rehabilitative care and services. Staff includes eight physical therapists, three occupational therapists, one speech-language pathologist and 13 therapy assistants. The Fayetteville Rehabilitation Clinic is located at 4101 Raeford Rd.

    The Last Change of Command

    The 1st Sustainment Command (1st TSC) hosted a change of command ceremony for its new commander, Maj. Gen. Flem B. Walker Jr., and outgoing commander, Maj. Gen. Paul C. Hurley Jr., at the Fort Bragg Ritz-Epps Physical Fitness Center. 

    The ceremony marked the last change of command for the unit. It is being reassigned to Fort Knox, Kentucky, as part of Army restructuring. The 1st TSC provides a critical sustainment support mission to the Army and multinational forces in the U.S. Central Command. Formerly known as COSCOM, the 1st TSC was originally designated to support Fort Bragg’s XVIII Airborne Corps.

    Bridge Replacement Near Hope Mills

    A 54-year-old bridge north of Hope Mills will be replaced. The Department of Transportation awarded a $729,221 contract to S&C Construction of Wilmington. The bridge is on Crystal Springs Road over Buckhead Creek, and was built to design standards that are now considered obsolete. It also has weight restrictions, which limit the types of vehicles that can use it. The new bridge will not have those restraints. Work on the project will begin next month and is expected to be completed by Dec. 1.

    Citizen Survey Underway

    Greater Fayetteville United is conducting a county-wide survey this month to measure trust, communication, interest and engagement in politics and national affairs. Group involvement, giving and volunteering, faith-based engagement and quality-of-life indicators are also part of the survey. It’s administered by a nationally-recognized consultant funded by grants from the Cumberland Community Foundation and the City of Fayetteville. 

    The consultant is contacting approximately 4,000 randomly selected Cumberland County residents. “This project will provide the data we need to establish a benchmark and empower residents and local agencies as we work to build a stronger community and strengthen bonds,” said Dr. Darl Champion, president of Greater Fayetteville United. The results of the survey will be used to tackle local issues such as poverty, racism, trust, crime, homelessness and lack of civic engagement. GFU will reveal results of the survey at a community forum in the fall. 

    No VA Hotline, Yet

    Four months into his presidency, The Military Times reported Donald Trump’s White House has not set up a promised hotline for veterans’ complaints that he vowed would speed up reforms at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The idea was part of a 10-point plan unveiled last July. 

    The hotline, Trump promised at a July 26 rally, would ensure that “no complaints would fall through the cracks …this could keep me very busy at night, folks.” The 10-point VA plan was recently removed from Trump’s campaign website along with a host of other pledges from last summer and fall. The president also pledged to create a commission “to investigate all the fraud, cover-ups, and wrongdoing that has taken place in the VA.” No such commission has been announced. 

    Run for the Legend

    The Airborne & Special Operations Museum will hold its 10th annual 5K/10K Run for the Legend on Saturday, June 3, at 8 a.m. All donations and proceeds from the event support the museum’s operational and educational programs and activities. USA Track & Field sanction the Run for the Legend. The certified course begins and ends on the Hay Street side of the museum. The top three men and women in each race receive trophies. 

    Registration is available online at www.active.com and at the museum; it costs $20 in advance and $25 the day of the race. Strollers, wagons, and well-behaved, leashed dogs are permitted, but will be asked to start in the rear of the race.

  • 06AnthonyKellyThe Fayetteville Police Department is back up to full strength. Ten cadets just graduated from the Basic Law Enforcement Training class, pinned on their badges and were issued side arms. Until the graduation, the official count for the department was 427 sworn officers out of 433 authorized positions. Many officials focus on the racial composition of Fayetteville’s public safety services. Interim Police Chief Anthony Kelly is not one of them. Nor is City Manager Doug Hewett. Of those 427 sworn officers, only 80 of them are African-American.

    “We’re looking at it in the wrong way,” declared Kelly. “We’ve been trying to recruit a community into a profession that has not been introduced to it as a viable career opportunity,” he said. Kelly added that he never interacted with the police as a youngster. “We almost will have to advance to another generation to start changing the mindset of young people.” Kelly was a recruiter for three years with the police department.

    There’s a lot of work to be done among those who believe the FPD should better represent the community it serves. Fayetteville has one of the largest populations of African-Americans in North Carolina, yet the police department’s black composition is 19 percent of the whole. Of approximately 270 uniformed, patrol officers there are only five black sergeants in supervisory positions. Kelly isn’t alarmed about the numbers. “White supervisors could have an advantage in the black community. When I responded in the black community, I caught more flak from the people than elsewhere.” Kelly said in his experience white sergeants get more respect. When asked what that says about policing, he responded, “what does that say about black people … the community I live in must change the way it looks at things.”

    Officials note that many African-American officers with career promotional opportunities in mind receive terrific training and experience in Fayetteville and then move on to other departments. Typically, municipal fire departments have even worse records of hiring and retaining blacks. Kelly was quick to recall that “being a fireman never crossed my mind when I was young.” He says most young black men and women never interact with firefighters. It’s a foreign career field to them.

    City Councilman Chalmers McDougald doesn’t see it that way. He said it’s a matter of the city aggressively recruiting African Americans. He puts the responsibility on the city administration, especially the Office of Human Resources. HR is a core function of business and government. An HR department of an organization oversees various aspects of employment, such as compliance with labor law and employment standards, employee benefits as well as recruitment and dismissal. “HR is supposed to know the law,” said McDougald. “You have to have balance in the employee applicant pool,” he added We emailed City Manager Hewett with some questions about the hiring disparities and then spoke with him in person. “I’ve not reviewed this information and as such, can’t comment at this time,” he said. “That’s a big part of the problem,” Councilman McDougald declared. “I think they’ve tried to hide what they’re not doing, but anything that’s hidden can be dug up.” He concluded. Bi-racial employment issues in the fire department will be discussed by city council in June.

  • 20ScholarAthlete1Payton Short

    Seventy-First • Softball • Sophomore

    Short has compiled a 4.17 grade point average for the Falcons.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    20ScholarAthlete2Sidney Gronowski

    Cape Fear • Softball •Junior

    Through May 2, Gronowski was batting .418 for the state playoff-bound Cape Fear softball team. She has a grade point average of 3.95 and is a member of the Student Government Association at Cape Fear.

  • CHAPEL HILL – As expected, the N.C. High School Athletic Association pared down its state playoff field in response to a major change in the classification of its schools. The action was taken at last week’s spring meeting of the NCHSAA Board of Directors.

    Beginning this fall, 20 percent of the association’s schools will be in the 4-A class and another 20 percent in 1-A. Both 3-A and 2-A will have 30 percent each.

    Since there are fewer teams in the top and bottom classes, it made sense to reduce the number of teams in the playoffs. There will now be 48 each in 4-A and 1-A, with 64 each in 3-A and 2-A.

    In football, the NCHSAA will still split classes and offer eight state titles. The new playoff numbers are for baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball
    and volleyball.

    One controversial point was that MaxPreps state rankings will be used to seed the teams on a one-year experiment. Some members of the NCHSAA Board of Directors, including Patty Evers of East Bladen, oppose that idea.

    “I’m not for a ranking system in high school,’’ Evers said. “How do you know who’s good and who’s not? You just don’t know and who’s going to do all
    that research?”

    Que Tucker, commissioner of the NCHSAA, said the board got a lot of input from athletic directors at their recent conference in Wilmington, along with recommendations from an ad hoc committee on the playoffs. “I think what the board did was good and we’ll see how it works,’’ she said.

    One important issue the board took no action on was the future of home school athletes playing for NCHSAA member schools. It has been a hot topic in other states and Evers said the NCHSAA knows the subject is coming to North Carolina. “We are ready to move forward with it,’’ she said. “There are still some things going on with the legislature we don’t
    know about.’’

    Tucker said the NCHSAA doesn’t want to have a knee jerk reaction to the issue and just blindly put a policy in place. “We’ll continue to monitor it and what our strategies will be as we move forward,’’ she said.

    Other news from the meeting:

    • Dual team wrestling, the last sport to still hold its state championship in a high school gym, will be moved to a neutral championship site.

    • The NCHSAA will look into developing a separate championship for
    girls’ wrestling.

    • Accepting money or an illegal award will cause an NCHSAA athlete to lose eligibility for the semester it was accepted and the semester to follow.

    • Cheerleading coaches and tennis coaches, girls and boys, must attend the annual rules clinic for their sport.

    • Cumberland County will get
    its own officials’ association
    for lacrosse.

    • The NCHSAA can require host schools for the playoffs to get a venue suitable to the expected crowd that is of sufficient quality.

    • In-season dead periods were cut from six to three weeks. The May dead period was eliminated for girls’ sports and for boys at schools without football. A 10-day dead period was added at the end of the school year.

    • Guidelines were set to have mandatory breaks during a game when wet bulb thermometer readings are at 90 or above.

  • 19BrittJack Britt baseball coach Dr. Christopher Dague teaches history at the school, so it was only appropriate that his Buccaneer team make a little of it this season.

    For the first time since Britt opened its doors in 2000, Jack Britt owns a piece of a conference baseball title. The Bucs split regular-season honors with perennial Mid-South 4-A Conference power Cape Fear and are ready to begin competition in this week’s state 4-A baseball playoffs.

    Dague said he began talking with his players before the season started about the need to exceed expectations this season. “This is the hardest-working team I’ve had,’’ he said. “It’s been incredible to watch them work.’’

    He said the squad was so committed they were unhappy when he gave them time off, like the Saturday after their big conference win over Cape Fear.

    “They get along well with each other,’’ Dague said, “but winning cures a lot of that too.’’

    So does senior leadership, and Dague said he was blessed with that this season. 

    Two of those seniors are Zachary Knapp and Gavin Wheeler. Knapp has 67 strikeouts in 37.1 innings through April 29 and a .350 batting average with 20 RBIs.

    Wheeler is hitting .375 with eight RBIs.

    Knapp said making history means a lot to this year’s Britt team. “You’ve earned something special,’’ he said. “I feel we have no egos on the team. Everyone gets along pretty well. The main goal of all the players is to win.’’

    Knapp has successfully battled back from knee surgery twice but is still waiting for colleges to show interest in him. “If I go out and give my all, the scouts will come,’’ he said.

    Wheeler agreed with Knapp that egos are not a problem on this Britt team and that the focus hasn’t been on personal glory. “You hear some guys on other teams worried about numbers and how they are doing,’’ Wheeler said. “To win the conference championship is more important.

    “That’s what we’ve been after, W’s, not our numbers.’’

    Britt hit a bump in the road at the end of the regular season, losing a pitching duel against Cape Fear star Gavin Williams, then getting battered by Cape Fear Valley 3-A Conference regular-season champion Terry Sanford.

    Dague said the team’s mantra all season is that at 3:45 p.m., the start of practice, whatever happened the previous day is history.

    He’s optimistic about this year’s playoff chances. “Last year we beat Southern Alamance, who was a No. 8 seed,’’ he said. “We had a 14-12 record. We’re 15-7 now (before the Mid-South tournament).

    “If we execute what we know how to do, we’ll be fine,” Dague added.

  • 18QuestionsAnsweredThere were questions at the start of the season for both the Cape Fear baseball and softball teams.

    For baseball, they came from an early season knee injury to star pitcher Gavin Williams. For softball, it was the graduation of star pitcher Aubrey Reep and no experience waiting in the wings to replace her.

    To say both questions have been answered is an understatement. Williams returned to the mound on his surgically repaired knee in April and has been mowing down the competition. Cape Fear’s softball team rallied around young pitcher MacKenzie Peters by mounting the best offense the Colts have seen during their recent run of state 4-A playoff success.

    The result is baseball shared the Mid-South 4-A title with Jack Britt, and softball took a 20-0 record into the Mid-South tournament. Both teams are optimistic and poised to begin pursuit of N.C. High School Athletic Association titles as state playoffs in both sports open this week.

    After a scrimmage with Midway in February, Cape Fear baseball coach Wendell Smith was shocked to find Williams collapsed on the ground near the team bus.

    “He had said something to me about his knee locking up in P.E., but I didn’t think much about it,’’ Smith said. The diagnosis was a torn meniscus in his Williams’ left knee. He underwent surgery on March 1st, but the prognosis was good, and after 30 days of rehabbing he returned to play.

    “I thought it would affect my pitching, but it hasn’t done any of that,’’ Williams said. That could be because he’s been getting up as early as 5:30 a.m. to do strength work focusing on his legs and back.

    “What the doctor told him to do after the operation he did to strengthen it,’’ Smith said. “That’s self-discipline.’’

    Williams began drawing attention with his improved velocity last summer. This spring he’s been tracked by more radar guns at his games than a speeding car on Interstate 95.

    Entering last week’s Mid-South tournament, Smith was 3-0 with 48 strikeouts in 23.2 innings. He had yet to allow an earned run this season.

    “I changed my mechanics from last year,’’ he said, “where I stood on the mound, release point, balance point, stuff like that.’’

    Smith said the Colts don’t have to rely solely on Williams in the playoffs. “Our philosophy is if we’ve got good enough pitching and throw strikes, we’ve got a chance to win,’’ he said. “We can find a way to score runs.’’

    Runs have been a big feature of this year’s Cape Fear softball team, and Bri Bryant is one of the reasons. Through May 1st she leads Cumberland County both in batting and RBIs with a .667 average and 47 runs driven in.

    “This year she’s been totally a power hitter,’’ said Cape Fear co-coach Jeff McPhail. “She stepped up her game, bat-wise.’’

    Bryant said that was her goal in the offseason. “My past three years I felt I tried too hard,’’ she said. “I tried to see it and hit it wherever the pitch is pitched.’’

    She praised Peters for stepping in at pitcher as a 13-year-old with no varsity experience. “We’ve tried to have her back, pitching and defense-wise,’’ Bryant said. “A lot of people didn’t see us being in the position we’re in. We’ve tried to blow everybody’s mind.’’McPhail hopes the team got some good experience for the playoffs when Cape Fear added games late this year with strong opponents Marlboro Academy and Whiteville.

    “When you get to the playoffs you’ve got to have luck on your side,’’ he said. “We’re hitting the ball better than we have in the last two or three years, and that’s going to be our key.’’

  • 15FTCCIt is the aspiration of professionals and paraprofessionals in the field of Speech-Language Pathology to positively influence the most powerful tool offered to mankind, communication. In the words of the late Maya Angelou, “Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.” 

    Fayetteville Technical Community College embraced this concept and established its Speech-Language Pathology Assistant program in 1997. FTCC is proud to be one of two schools in North Carolina that continues to offer this type of program. 

    A speech-language pathology assistant is a person who assists a licensed speech-language pathologist in a variety of areas, including conducting screenings, implementing therapy in the areas of receptive and expressive language, articulation, fluency, augmentative and alternative communication and oral motor skills. They also prepare materials for therapy, schedule patients for therapy and maintain files and equipment, to say the least. Students who complete the two-year competitive health program graduate with an Associate in Applied Science in Speech-Language Pathology Assisting.

    When asked what sets this program apart from other health programs, a few students shared the following comments: 

    “Our program is one that is designed to impact a person’s way of life — which is communication.”

    “We as humans rely on communication as our driving tool for conveying detailed descriptions of our innermost thoughts and emotions.” 

    “The SLPA Program works to help give those who are hampered by speech and language difficulties the chance to improve if not overcome those obstacles. It allows them the chance to gain self-confidence and stand tall when they have something to say.” 

    “The SLPA Program is well put together, and the professors genuinely care about the future of their students.” 

    “This program has made me feel very confident in my ability to emerge in the workforce upon graduation, and it has inspired me to further my educational journey, as well…” 

    “The adviser goes above and beyond to make sure you’re educationally, professionally and clinically prepared for the program and what’s to come afterward.”

    Speech-language pathology assistants are currently in high demand with career opportunities in school systems and private agencies. If you’re ready for the challenge and ready to embark on a great journey in the field of health care, we invite you to join us at FTCC. Registration is currently underway for summer classes and fall classes. FTCC not only offers a high-quality education at an affordable price, it offers opportunities to grow through leadership and community involvement with many clubs and organizations available for students. FTCC also recently completed its first year of opening up new athletics opportunities for students in the areas of basketball and golf. Your opportunities for personal growth through a great education and positive relationships are plentiful at FTCC. 

    For more information on Fayetteville Technical Community College’s Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Program, call (910) 678-8492 or email gaineyc@faytechcc.edu.

  • 11FYBudgetIt may be a first for City of Fayetteville budget writers: Of nearly $200 million in next fiscal year’s operating budget plan, there’s only a $3,000 difference between this fiscal year’s budget and the proposed FY18 plan. The property tax rate will have to be adjusted to compensate for a loss of revenue brought about by a decline in property values. City Manager Doug Hewett told Fayetteville City Council members the tax rate must be increased to 52.66 cents per hundred dollars of property valuation from 49.95 cents to achieve revenue neutrality. That means the tax for those whose property values went down because of revaluation will not go up.

    Hewett briefed Council members in small groups encouraging them to ask questions while preparing them for virtually no growth in spending in the coming fiscal year, except for a small pay raise for the city’s 1,500 employees. Hewett said police and fire pay plans would include scheduled increases. The manager is proposing small increases in environmental service and stormwater fees but no tax increase. 

    Hewett describes his plan as a hold-the-line budget brought about by the countywide decline in residential property values. Some members were disappointed that the Fayetteville Area System of Transit’s proposal to launch limited Sunday bus service is being put on hold. 

    The manager plans to realign some departments of the government. In response to questions from some Council members on tight operations, Hewett said making progress is a matter of capacity and resources. Environmental services (trash collection) plus street maintenance and stormwater management would become a division of the Engineering and Infrastructure Department. The Permitting and Inspections Department would be consolidated into the Planning and Code Enforcement Department. “The objective is to achieve improved efficiency,” said Hewett. 

    And an aging workforce is taking its toll. Senior managers and experienced professionals are approaching retirement, Hewett noted. Deputy City Manager Kristoff Bauer said some older workers can’t always perform some of their duties as they once could. He hopes to encourage high school graduates to study the trades at Fayetteville Technical Community College. 

    Bauer has been talking with FTCC officials about attracting young people into vocational fields such as plumbing and mechanical engineering. “These trades provide a good wage,” Bauer said. He added that permitting inspectors are needed in these areas to improve the city’s ability to meet the needs of the business community promptly.

    Hewett said he hopes to find other ways of stabilizing the city’s workforce. Turnover in the police department has been significantly reduced thanks in part to an improved pay plan. But Hewett noted that recruiting and employee retention in other departments such as environmental services, transit and information technology continue to be a challenge. Hewett could not say what the current turnover rates are. City Council and the administration will spend the next few weeks refining the FY18 budget plan, which must be adopted by July 1. 

  • 10Stadium Design ProgressFayetteville City Council is drawing ever closer to turning dirt on a Downtown minor league baseball stadium. “Aug. 19 is the tentative date for actual construction to begin,” said Baseball Stadium Committee Chairman Mitch Colvin. The committee gets another update on exhaustive design and budget work in June. Last week, the committee heard from architect Mike Sabatini of Populous, a global architecture firm hired by the city to design the $33 million stadium, which at this point is way over budget. 

    Sabatini told the committee the ballpark will be a downsized version of Spirit Communications Park in Columbia, South Carolina, which opened in 2016. Like the Columbia park, the Fayetteville stadium will serve as a 365-day-per-year multi-use sports and entertainment venue. It will be the home of Fayetteville’s Advanced Single-A minor league affiliate ofthe Houston Astros. But it’s being designed also for concerts, soccer, football and a host of other activities. It will seat up to 5,000 spectators for sporting events and thousands more for open-air concerts. The stadium itself will feature a 360-degree concourse, an exclusive 100-seat elevated grand stand, club seating in right field, unique left-center field rocking chair seating and an open-air party deck. It will also feature a grassy berm for blanket viewing in center field. 

    “We’re a bit behind and need to get back on schedule,” Deputy City Manager Kristoff Bauer told the committee. Barton Malow Company of Southfield, Michigan, is the general contractor. It’s a respected firm that provides construction services throughout North America. “We need to move to the next level of design,” said Barton Malow’s Roslyn Henderson. 

    She said that will include reducing an early construction estimate of $39 million. “A close scrutiny of options pulled $5 million out, leaving $34.7 million,” she told the committee.
    “We feel confident as a team that we’ll get to the $33 million budget.” 

    When asked by Mayor Nat Robertson why the local stadium will cost more than the larger Columbia ballpark, Henderson said, “It’s only 20 percent smaller and we’re at the tail end of a down economy heading into a booming economy.”

    It’s been a year now since the city began what then had been a three-year research project headed initially by former Deputy City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney. With Small-Toney’s departure last fall, Bauer has taken the reins. He called last week’s update a “feedback stage in the process.” 

    Council learned the final design and budget data should take eight to 10 weeks. Because members of Council and city administrators will be on vacation in July, the stadium committee agreed to meet again on June 19 for another update. 

    Committee member Kirk deViere suggested the group had gotten to the point that the full Council should be engaged from now on. Colvin and Robertson said the smaller working group has made rapid progress possible, and that other Council members are welcome to attend the meetings.

  • 09NewsDigestPlans for New Fayetteville Harris Teeter Store Suspended

    Up & Coming Weekly has learned Harris Teeter will not be opening a third Cumberland County grocery store, at least not now. The planned 78,000-square-foot super-sized grocery was to have been built on an undeveloped tract on Ramsey Street between Shawcroft Road and Kings Creek Drive. 

    “Harris Teeter quarterly reports were down and they decided not to go through with the project,” said City Councilwoman Kathy Jensen, who represents North Fayetteville. Just last week, the grocery chain opened a new store in suburban Baltimore, MD. 

    Harris Teeter of Matthews, NC, has over 230 stores in seven states and the District of Columbia. It operates a store on Raeford Road and another in Hope Mills. “I am disappointed but not surprised that between city and state building codes the Harris Teeter project wouldn’t work,” said Mayor Nat Robertson. Company officials did not respond to Up & Coming Weekly’s inquiry.

    Bridge or Culvert for Shawcroft Road?

    In a week or so, the City of Fayetteville will decide whether to permanently repair Shawcroft Road in Kings Grant with a new culvert or a bridge. It will depend on the findings of a new study by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. The roadway gave way during Hurricane Matthew six months ago and crushed a culvert that carried a stream beneath the roadway. A temporary fix has re-opened the road and the City hopes to make permanent repairs starting next month. 

    “The problem is twofold,” said City Infrastructure Director Rob Stone. A dam that created the lake is considered high hazard by DEQ. And, owners of Kings Grant Golf Course claim a new culvert would create a “pinch point” in the stream that would restrict water flow to the lake, which is its source of course irrigation. Thus, they favor a bridge over the Shawcroft Road stream.

    Fayetteville Ranks High for Business Startups

    Fayetteville is among the top cities in North Carolina to start a business, reports WalletHub.com. Fayetteville was the only Tar Heel city to lead in a statistical category, sharing the top spot for longest average workweek. The big North Carolina winner is Charlotte, which ranks No. 3 in the nation. Durham and Raleigh were also among the best big cities for business. They ranked 14 and 16 respectively. WalletHub’s report was issued this month. Winston-Salem ranked 17, Fayetteville 36 and Greensboro 56. “WalletHub’s analysts compared startup opportunities that exist in the 150 most populated U.S. cities,” the authors explained. Ranking highest in the country is Oklahoma City followed by Salt Lake City. Cities were evaluated on a variety of economic statistics, government data and weighting by WalletHub’s own evaluation team. 

    Sports Emphasized in Fayetteville

    The city needs at least 50 acres for its planned multipurpose athletic complex approved by voters as part of last year’s successful recreation bond referendum. City Council has authorized the administration to negotiate a possible $4 million purchase price for 65 acres in the military business park off Sante Fe Drive and Bragg Boulevard. 

    No money for land acquisition was included in the bond issue. Fifteen sports fields are planned for the complex with construction slated to begin in 2020. The business park is the preferred choice of the Council’s Parks Bond Committee. “The sports travel industry is a $9 billion business,” said Councilman Jim Arp. “This site is a crown jewel,” he added. City Council is not impressed with parcels off Fields Road in East Fayetteville or the Shaw Heights area near Fort Bragg. 

    Fort Bragg Officer Killed in Iraq

    An infantry platoon leader with Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne Division is one of the latest casualties in the global war on terrorism. First Lt. Weston Lee, 25, was killed by an improvised explosive device outside  Mosul, Iraq, military officials said. Lee, of Bluffton, Georgia, was assigned to 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. 

    He joined the Army two years ago and deployed to Iraq in December 2016, officials said. In a Facebook post, Col. Pat Work, commander of the 2nd Brigade, praised Lee as “exactly the type of leader that our paratroopers deserve.” He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and Meritorious Service Medal, the Army said. Lee’s death marks the sixth combat fatality in Iraq since the United States launched military operations against ISIS in August 2014. There are more U.S. forces in Iraq now than at any time since the 2011 U.S. withdrawal, as Iraqi forces and the U.S.-led coalition work to push ISIS out of Mosul.

    Drunk Driving Continues to Decline Locally

    Once again, a local “Driving While Impaired” checkpoint resulted in arrests of far fewer drunk drivers than might have been expected. Of 49 citations issued at the checkpoint along Hoke Loop Road in western Fayetteville, only five motorists were cited for driving while intoxicated. 

    The results of a DWI roadblock several months ago yielded similar results. A police news release stated that “the goal of the checkpoint is to … reduce the number of impaired drivers on the roadway.” 

    The campaign entitled “Be Smarter Than That” promotes easy access to safe transportation options for people who plan to drink alcoholic beverages. It proposes using designated drivers, downloading ride apps like Uber and using public transportation options like taxis. A Fayetteville Police report of roadblock outcomes cited 19 drivers with revoked or no driver’s licenses, nine registration violations, five DWI arrests and two each of misdemeanor drug violations, seat belt violations and inspection violations. Police said nine other varied citations were given out.

  • 01COVER“The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value.” – Teddy Roosevelt

    The Problem

    North Carolina has the fourth largest estuarine system in the world. Consider the possibilities that such a system offers a nation, much less a state; it boggles the mind. North Carolina has a system perfect for economic growth made simple: it should host clean jobs and economic overlay districts that act as economic and recreational paradises. 

    But something is amiss. The inshore fishing is off. Sportsmen who should be in North Carolina are flocking to Louisiana, Florida and Virginia — not North Carolina.

    There are other downward trends exacerbating this problem. Wake County is witnessing unparalleled growth. Apparently, the pressure is so great in Wake County to find water that the main solution to their crisis is with interbasin transfers. They take our water, use it and place it back into the Neuse River, never even putting it back where they got it. With lax policies on water, we now claim two of the top seven most-polluted rivers in America.

    North Carolina has become a state that is first in things we should be last in, and last in things we should be first in. Nowhere is this more evident than in the status of our estuarine system. Here are a few significant examples to consider:

    • North Carolina has two rivers in its Coastal Plain region that rank in the top seven worst polluted rivers of our country: The Cape Fear and
    the Neuse.

    • From Maine to Texas, we are the only state that allows unrestricted gill netting and shrimp trawling in our rivers and sounds; this devastates weed beds and oyster beds. For every pound of shrimp caught, these practices kill five pounds of juvenile fish.

    • Wake County adds 73 residents daily, which places enormous pressure on the state’s water capacity. Interbasin transfers are taking our water from The Cape Fear River and putting it into the Neuse River.

    • We have lost 90 percent of our oysters in
    Pamlico Sound.

    • The Marine Fisheries Commission is so inept that when it does attempt to protect weed beds and oyster restorations, the commercial industry simply waits until dark, goes into the area, removes the buoys and then trawls into the area until there is nothing left but sand.

    • We have 15 saltwater fish species that are so reduced, we cannot count them adequately.

    • In three rivers — the Neuse, Tar and Cape Fear, we have less than 5 percent wild, native-DNA striped
    bass left.

    • We refused to support and promote a $2 billion industry at the expense of a $400 million industry that takes more resources than it adds.

    •  In a 40-mile radius, we produce and place the second largest hog and third largest poultry wet animal waste deposits into shallow lagoons and the state’s shallow water table. This procedure
    concentrates pathogens, waste bacteria and antibiotics — all of which promote algae blooms in our rivers.

    The 2,000 Pound Elephant in the Room Is Fort Bragg’s Future

    Here’s a sobering thought: The sixth largest employer in our state could very well leave North Carolina, not because of space or lack of friendly effort from our city, county and business community. Rather, it could leave because of ignorance on our part that we have assumed our water is unlimited. It is not.

    Our General Assembly chooses not to use scientific data when measuring the health of our water, but the U.S. Army will. Campbell University’s School of Medicine, when working at the Cape Fear Valley Regional Medical Center as a residency program, will. Businesses coming in for clinical trials will. Simply put, we could easily bankrupt our future.

    Imagine in 10-15 years a Fayetteville without Fort Bragg. Imagine Fayetteville without Goodyear or the Campbell University residency program. Imagine Lee, Harnett, Cumberland, Bladen, Columbus, Pender and New Hanover counties without sufficient water sources to fish in, much less drink from. It is, in fact, a possibility. The facts are the facts; equally so is the truth. The truth is that we can turn these problems around. Our problems are mostly man-made and therefore can be solved by man.

    Solutions

    We must cap interbasin transfers by negotiating if possible. If it persists, we should head downstream on the Neuse River, place large pumps just below where our water is released and pump it back in the Cape Fear River basin.

    Secondly, we need to clean and replace the water we use and do so properly and promptly.
    Thirdly, we must engage proactively and adopt long-range plans for our use of water for growth, quality of life, recreational purposes and the future. 

    Finally, we can at last have full use of our river by adopting a complete overlay plan for common-sense development so our citizens can both enjoy and economically benefit from our beautiful river and estuary system. We have the overlay, but we get in our own way by allowing personal relationships to interfere with the overall good of our community development. Hence, we are still without our river overlay, causing development to sit idle, all for
    a junkyard.

    If we intend to pollute, then let’s do so honestly. But let’s honestly plan and use our water to its fullest. Eastern North Carolina has, over the last 25 years, endured water policies centered on the refusal to change and fix our state’s water.

    The Marine Fisheries Commissions is the laughing stock of the nation’s enforcement arm for saltwater fisheries. Two simple concepts should govern policy. We are presently operating at over 60 percent use of our water. Unintelligent use and pollution only hasten full capacity. Because of this, we must revisit all water pollution.

    Finally, we must align ourselves with friends of water. Ducks Unlimited, Sierra Club, commercial and sports fishermen, N.C. Riverkeepers, Waterkeepers Carolina and other cities and counties downstream must unite. Those groups have bipartisan support and represent large numbers of people connected to our estuarine system.

    Our job is to insist Raleigh put the water it takes from our basin back into the Cape Fear basin after they have fully treated it. A fact staring our water in the face is that in five years, Raleigh-Charlotte will be larger in population than the rest of the state combined. Can you imagine the pressure that Raleigh’s growth will put on our water in such numbers? Simultaneously, we must cure pollution, develop long-range planning, encourage conservation easements and restore our depleted shellfish, fish and weed beds.

    Conclusion

    Dohn Broadwell, a former developer, outdoor enthusiast and friend, lived a life that exemplifies our solution. He spoke out, in his own way. He was an example of responsible growth. He used the water but cared for it. He enjoyed our estuary system to its fullest, hunting, fishing, canoeing and watching the sun rise over Pamlico Sound — just in awe of nature and just enjoying the outdoors. He left our estuary system better than he found it. 

    He was active in Ducks Unlimited, left extensive conservation easements and advocated for the environment’s health. He invested not just in water; he invested in the future of our youngsters.

    It is said that wise men plant trees under whose shade they will never sit. I think now wise men and women must preserve water — water they will never drink or play in. But one day, a fellow North Carolinian will. Because of our effort, that North Carolinian will be a much better person and live a much healthier, happier life.

  • 21Scholar1TaylorTaylor Clark

    Seventy-First • Softball • Freshman

    While playing for the Falcon softball team, Clark has maintained a grade point average of 4.125.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    21Scholar2TabithaTabitha Herring

    Gray’s Creek • Cross country • Senior

    Herring, who ran cross country for the Bears last fall, maintained a grade point average of 4.7.

  • Beginning with this issue, we are expanding our weekly High School Highlights coverage. We are dropping the weekly high school schedules, which were subject to unpredictable changes beyond control of the schools. In their place, we are adding either a third story or a Prep Notebook weekly by sports editor Earl Vaughan Jr. We hope you enjoy the change. 

    20Bill SochovkaBill Sochovka, the dean of high school football coaches in Cumberland County, has been chosen to receive the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s Homer Thompson Memorial Eight Who Make A Difference Award.

    The award is presented annually to one person in each of the NCHSAA’s eight regions and will be presented to Sochovka at this year’s NCHSAA annual meeting at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill on Thursday. Sochovka is the winner for Region 4.

    The award is presented in memory of longtime Winston-Salem Parkland Athletic Director Homer Thompson, who was known for his years of service as well as being a class administrator who promoted good sportsmanship.

    Sochovka believes the award reflects not only his work at Pine Forest, but the attitude of his assistant coaches and other head coaches at the school.

    “We all try to do what’s best for kids, not just in athletics,’’ he said. “You can go to school if you have good grades and do the right thing, and you can use athletics to get you there.’’

    Sochovka also praised his wife, Sheila, for her role in working with the football players at Pine Forest. “She has been the team mom,’’ he said.

    •  I was glad to hear the recent announcement by the NCHSAA that Duke University will return to the rotation of schools hosting the state football championships this fall. Duke dropped out of hosting over a decade ago because the community in Durham didn’t support it well and fans and teams often complained about the ancient facilities at Wallace Wade Stadium.

    But things have changed at Duke under football coach David Cutcliffe. The stadium underwent a major renovation and a new group, the Triangle Sports Commission, has stepped in and offered to help with sponsorship and making the championships work there.

    This will relieve a major burden for the NCHSAA of dividing eight title games through only three sites. With a fourth site available, they can schedule two games at each venue. This will allow for later starting times at all four locations and also more time between games so schools and their fans won’t have to be rushed out to allow a new group to come in.

    Here’s to hoping the new Duke experience will work and make the championships be what the NCHSAA has long advertised, a memory forever.

  • 19Nick GalbanDr. Christopher Dague, baseball coach and advanced placement history teacher at Jack Britt High School, remembers Nick Galban as a hard-working student-athlete with a big heart.

    “I always felt like no matter what Nick was doing he was going to exceed expectations in terms of work, effort and attitude,’’ Dague said. 

    But Dague had no idea one of Galban’s first altruistic efforts would be to offer a hand to his former teacher and baseball coach. Galban, who studied engineering at N.C. State and is about to begin an internship at a firm in Wilmington, has created a GoFundMe page to help Dague and others.

    Called the Dana and Dague Fund, it’s designed to raise money for 23 people in Fayetteville and Cumberland County that Galban hopes to help with educational expenses. His goal is to raise $10,200 by the start of school this fall and then distribute it to the people on his list.

    The fund is named for Galban’s mother and Dague. He chose to honor his mom because of her role as a single parent raising Galban and his siblings. 

    Galban said he picked Dague because he was the kind of teacher who stayed on top of his students. “He was always making sure you were doing the right thing, even when no one was looking,’’ Galban said. “He stressed that was the time you needed to be doing it right. He never gave up on me.’’

    Dague said Galban was among a handful of players at Britt who played for him when he was both junior varsity and varsity baseball coach at the school. “He was a great kid who worked hard,’’ Dague said.

    Galban’s decision to give back to education came as no surprise to Dague. “He sees the value of education,’’ Dague said. “It’s a cool thing to see a student who is reflective on his own life at that young an age.’’

    Dague said any donation is appreciated by teachers these days. “Teachers are always being creative in trying to find new ways to engage students,’’ he said. “That takes money.’’

    In addition to the money, Galban said he’s working with the Middle Creek High School girls’ soccer team to add an additional donation to the package. The soccer team has taken on Galban’s cause and will be collecting various school supplies and packing them in gift bags to give to a group of 13 students he’s identified to benefit from his charity.

    “It’s selfless of them to contribute because they won’t reap the benefits,’’ he said.

    If you’d like to donate to Galban’s GoFundMe project, the web address is www.gofundme.com/the-dana-dague-fund.

  • 18Brian RandolphThere’s something old in Brian Randolph’s world these days, but everything else is definitely something new.

    The old part is Randolph is back at Jack Britt High School as a teacher and coach, but not like he used to be. Instead of a football assistant, he’s head of the program for the Buccaneers.

    He also finds himself in the unenviable role of trying to rebound from the school’s worst record ever and only the second losing record since Britt opened its doors in 2000, a mark of 3-8 that included failing to qualify for the state 4-AA playoffs.

    Add to that the challenge of joining Cumberland County rival Seventy-First and moving into the newly-named Sandhills Athletic Conference with traditional powers Scotland, Richmond Senior and Pinecrest, and you can see Randolph has a full plate.

    But he’s borrowing from the lessons learned from his high school coach, Douglas Byrd’s multiple hall of famer Bob Paroli. 

    “One of the big things he preached was focusing on the details and being tough,’’ Randolph said. “The game is won in the trenches. If you make practice harder than the games, the games will be easy.’’ 

    Outgoing Jack Britt coach Brian Rimpf had to declare in December whether Britt would choose to hold spring practice in late May with the full squad or be limited to 21 players per day and hold workouts in April. He chose the latter.

    Randolph isn’t a big fan of the plan because football players taking part in spring sports can’t practice football, but he’s making it work. “We want to get morale back and implement our base offense and defense,’’ he said. “Once summer starts we can do finer detail things.’’

    C.J. Davis, a wide receiver who’ll be a senior in the fall, said things have already changed under Randolph.

    “We are more disciplined,’’ he said. “We’re trying to forget last year and move on. We’re expecting bigger and better things. We don’t plan on going 3-8 again.’’

    Davis said the primary goal in the spring workouts is to learn the new offense. “If we learn the playbook, get the plays down, get them running smoothly, we’ll do just fine and practice will be easier,’’ he said.

    He said the team is excited about the move into the new conference. “It’s going to be a real good test we’ve been put into,’’ he said. He expects the Buccaneers will be competitive if they can keep their composure and
    remain disciplined.

    Randolph is also looking forward and not letting the 3-8 record hang like an albatross from the neck of his new team. “A 3-8 season does not destroy a program,’’ Randolph said. “As my old coach used to say, ‘Let the chips fall where they may.’ ‘’

  • 11BoThorpThe next Fayetteville Ladies Power Lunch is May 11 at the Ramada Inn Bordeaux. These lunches happen four times a year and are an opportunity for the women of Fayetteville to network and build rewarding relationships with other women in the community.  

    In addition to refreshments, shopping and networking opportunities, there is also a keynote speaker. “Every lunch we invite an amazing woman with an inspiring story. They share their story in an effort to inspire and encourage the women at the lunch. We want to use these experiences to empower and educate the women in the community,” said Keri Kittinger, director of the Fayetteville Ladies Power Lunch. 

    “This lunch we have Bo Thorpe, the founding artistic director of the Cape Fear Regional Theatre. She built that theater from nothing, just a building on the corner of Hay Street, to the amazing theater it is today. She’s going to talk about the things she faced in making this happen." 

    The keynote speakers are always successful women in the community. Speakers have come from all sects of the community with a wide range of experiences. Diversity is one of the strongest characteristics of the Fayetteville Ladies Power Lunch. “It is amazing being in a room filled with women who are all there to support each other. We women don’t always support each other, and to be part of this is encouraging. Our community in Fayetteville is incredibly diverse, and this diversity is well-represented at our lunches. Seeing all these different women come together to support each other is a powerful thing to be part of,” said Kittinger.  

    The event begins at 10 a.m. with a Shopportunity Expo and wine tasting that will last until noon, when the luncheon and keynote speech begin. At 2 p.m., the Shopportunity Expo and wine tasting resume for another hour.  The Shopportunity is a great time for networking and features local business owners showcasing all their businesses have to offer. This year there will be more vendors than ever.  “We have been growing this thing for a while. At first we only had 22 vendors and we totally sold out. Last year we decided to increase that number to 44 vendors and we still had to turn people away,” said Kittinger. “For this lunch, we have 60 vendors spots and we are hoping to fill them up. Our goal is 60 vendors and 200 attendees.” 

    Another change this year is the location. “This year our location is the Ramada Inn at Bordeaux, which is a little more central. We are hoping to reach out to the women who maybe can’t come out for the whole day,” Kittinger explained. 

    She added that the Fayetteville Ladies Power Lunches, which provide so much opportunity for local women, are only possible because of the contributions of community members and the hard work of the women on the advisory board. Bill Bowman is one such community member, who recently received the Athena Award from the Chamber of Commerce due to his work with these lunches and Women’s View Magazine. The sponsors of the Fayetteville Ladies Power Lunch are also vital to the success of these events. Without their support, tickets would approach $70. Their support makes the events affordable for the women of the community. Additionally, a portion of the luncheon profits will be given to the Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation.  

    To register as a vendor or attendee, visit www.fayettevilleladiespowerlunch.com.

  • 10budget prepCumberland County Manager Amy Cannon said County government faces a potential $27 million funding gap in Fiscal Year 2018. But is it really a deficit? 

    $18 million of that is new money not now in the County budget. Some of it represents budget increases requested by departmental managers. 

    A big chunk of the gap, $9.7 million, is in revenue losses resulting from the unprecedented reduction in ad valorem property values. The information provided county commissioners “was a snapshot of strategies under consideration … the budget division and management are still developing options for balancing the budget,” Cannon said. The current tax rate is 74 cents per $100 of property valuation. To achieve revenue neutrality, Cannon told county commissioners they would have to raise the property tax rate to 78.4 cents. Any increase would hurt homeowners whose property increased in value, but would offset losses in reduced home values while not increasing the actual tax burden. “We have to balance this budget and it is going to be challenging. This is not a short-term fix,” Cannon said.

    There will have to be some cuts in County operations, and as many as 66 employees could lose their jobs. Attrition would likely reduce the payroll some. Cannon has instructed budget staff and department heads to focus on reducing non-mandated services. A pay raise for employees is likely out of the question and Cannon proposes to scratch the county’s 401K contribution for employees. Mandated services are those functions of all county governments in North Carolina established by the state constitution like schools, mental health services, social welfare, public health, court facilities and jail, along with funding for the sheriff’s office and other county agencies. 

    Many other activities the County supports are considered quality of life expenses; the niceties that separate some communities from others, like animal control, public libraries, domestic violence protection and support of non-profit community groups like the Child Advocacy Center and Contact of Fayetteville.  Contact is a 24-hour crisis intervention telephone hotline which has been in existence for nearly fifty years. It receives a little less than $7,000 annually from the County, but that represents 14-percent of its modest budget. These so-called outside agencies would see reductions in their budgets. Some would lose all funding from the County. “The majority of services the County provides are human services. (They) are essential and mandated, and have to be provided,” said County Commission Chairman Glenn Adams. He didn’t speak to quality of life issues. 

    Cannon made her presentation to commissionersfor information only. She’ll make her formal budget proposal later this month. It could include closing one of the County’s public libraries and reducing hours of operation at three others. “I am sorry that libraries are not considered a mandated service, and wish that we all had a different understanding of the value of libraries in the community,” said Library Director Jody Risacher. Talk of closing a library concerns her. “I can’t tell you which branch, and don’t wish to speculate. My sense is that everything is on the table,” she added. Cannon insists her outline is just a suggestion, but it isn’t the first time the administration has proposed closing the Domestic Violence Care Center and Shelter. Twice before, as far back as 1999, the shelter for abused women came close to being eliminated. Up & Coming Weekly asked Social Services Director Brenda Jackson if she would fight to keep the agency open. “In order to realize any County savings, DSS must explore non-mandated services due to the lack of state, federal and grant funding sufficient to provide this program,” she responded.   

    Cannon also suggested closing two public health clinics and consolidating a pair of group homes. She said she has already cut increased departmental requests by $3 million and has instructed department heads to submit three levels of additional incremental reductions. They are to include operational and staff cuts. Cannon will present her recommended budget at 7 p.m. on May 25. 

  • 09VARay MackeyRetired Marine Sgt. Maj. Ray Mackey is walking again. “First time in probably over a year I was able to stand for any given amount of time,” Mackey said. It’s exactly what he was doing the first time CBS News met him seven years ago. He was learning to walk after losing both legs to a land mine in Afghanistan. CBS News correspondent David Martin reported “then as now, (Mackey) was being fitted for prosthetics at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.” 

    The sockets that fit his legs to the prostheses are what sent Mackey back to Walter Reed after the VA in Fayetteville kept him waiting. Martin said if that wait is too long, his body changes and the sockets no longer fit. 

    Mackey said he received six or seven sockets that did not fit because of the delays. Up & Coming Weeklywas unable to reach Mackey. “It is unacceptable that he felt he had to go outside VA to get the services he needed,” said Fayetteville VA spokesman Jeffery Melvin. “We can and will do better.”

    Confined to a wheelchair, Mackey said at Walter Reed he got new sockets in less than a week. “This is probably the most work I’ve done on my legs in a while,” Mackey said during physical therapy. He has gained a lot of weight and his hips have lost their flexibility. Walking will always be hard for him. 

    But “It was the inability of the VA to keep him in properly fitting prosthetics that was keeping a good man down,” Martin reported. “I am just another number that got pulled out of a number machine,” Mackey said. He’s now back home in North Carolina. He recently got a call from the local VA saying they want to come up with a plan for making the system better and meeting his needs. 

    Fayetteville VA Medical Center Director Elizabeth Goolsby was out of town when Up & Coming Weeklyasked for a response to Mackey’s complaints. 

    VA spokesman Melvin was apologetic. “We regret that Sgt. Maj. Mackey felt he had to go to Walter Reed to get the services he needed.  Our Chief of Prosthetics reached out to him, apologized and asked him to return to Fayetteville VA and let us serve him again, and this time we vow to get it right.” Melvin continued. 

    “Several factors contributed to Sgt. Maj. Mackey’s previous difficulty getting his prostheses properly fitted.  Because of a staff vacancy, we could not fit him in house when he first began seeing us, so we referred him to a private vendor.  We have the staff to fit him here now. However, this does not absolve us of our responsibility for not knowing he was experiencing difficulty.”

  • 08CCTaskForceSeven years ago, a local public safety task force issued a report that the group had spent two years working on. It was described as a comprehensive review of fire departments, EMS and
    emergency communications. 

    The report outlined recommendations for service improvements. The task force went so far as to recommend creation of a special sales tax to adequately fund increased public demands for service. Details as to how proceeds from a sales tax would be shared have not been worked out. But such a tax is still the top priority of the revitalized public safety task force.

    Members didn’t meet again until this month. Only a couple of the recommendations from 2010 have been enacted. One of them is close to completion: the creation of a joint City/County 911 emergency
    call center. A separate task force working on that project has until the end of this month to agree on a governing board and how to share responsibility. 

    Assistant County Manager Tracey Jackson is attempting to reduce a budding turf battle so as to qualify the City and County for state grants. As for the other task force, funding remains the agency’s top priority. And a dedicated sales tax is now called an “immediate need.” The 2010 report was made to county commissioners and the elected boards of municipal governments in Cumberland County. It concluded that “without fundamental funding changes, required system changes cannot be accomplished.” 

    Freddie Johnson, president of the Cumberland County Fire Chiefs Association, told members of the task force that declines in residential property values disclosed this year have cost
    12 of the County’s rural fire departments more than $265,000 in lost revenue. Pearces Mill, Stoney Point and Vander fire departments took the biggest hits with individual losses of more than $44,000. Only three volunteer departments benefited from increases in property values. Cotton Fire Department in suburban Hope Mills gained nearly $112,000 in new tax revenue. Rural fire departments are primarily funded by a 10-cent fire district tax. A few low-wealth fire districts receive small supplements from the County. Municipal fire departments in Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Spring Lake are supported by regular property taxes. 

    Rural fire departments hope to implement a system whereby the closest available unit would respond to a 911 call regardless of jurisdiction. The Fayetteville Fire Department has had that capability for some time. 911 dispatchers can identify the location of fire engines and squads on a real-time map and send the closest unit to the emergency. Chiefs of the various departments in attendance at the meeting also agreed it is desirable to establish clear public expectations of emergency responses for all County fire departments. As a practical matter, though, small departments which are totally dependent on volunteers cannot be expected to respond to emergency medical rescues at the same level of expectation as wealthier departments who maintain round-the-clock paid staffs.

    The task force chiefs agreed to meet monthly in order to keep public safety priorities and needs alive.                                             

  • 05YoungCriminalsShould North Carolina “Raise the Age?” North Carolina is the last and only state to prosecute 16- and 17 year-old teenagers as adults. Only 3 percent of violent offenses are committed by our youth. This means the overwhelming majority of our teenagers receive adult consequences for minor offenses. A teenage mistake could prevent a child from entering the military, receiving college financial aid or obtaining employment. But, this could all change with House Bill 280, the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act, proposed bipartisan legislation which would raise the juvenile offender age to 17 except for violent felonies. 

    Under the proposed legislation, teenagers who commit murder or rape would still be prosecuted as an adult. Why the push to increase the age limit?  According to an article titled “States Raising Age for Adult Prosecutions Back to 18” published by ABA Journalin February of this year, “adult penalties lead to more teen recidivism (repeatedly committing crimes), new science shows teenage brains really do mature later,” and it is a response to high incarceration rates.” Also, over the past 10 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has declared it unconstitutional to execute for crimes committed as juveniles, outlawed the automatic life without parole for nonhomicide crimes, extended the ban on automatic life without parole for teenagers who have committed homicide and retroactively extended the ban on life sentences. The difference is our juvenile justice system focuses on rehabilitation — helping the child make a change — versus the adult system which focuses
    on punishment. 

    According to North Carolina Policy Watch, House Bill 280 has the support of the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association, the Police Benevolent Association, the Association of Chiefs of Police and the North Carolina Chief Justice’s Courts Commission. Over the next few months, we must watch to see if North Carolina joins the rest of the nation and raises the age.

  • 07NewsDigestApril Killings Unrelated

    Three local men died violent deaths at the hands of others in April. Police said the homicides were unrelated but did not appear to be random. 

    Mark Lewis, 54, of Concord Drive in College Lakes, was shot at his home Sunday afternoon, April 2. Officers found Lewis with a gunshot wound to the chest, said Police Sgt. Shawn Strepay. Police took the alleged shooter into custody at the scene. David Adam Wildhagen, 30, of the 5000 block of Cooper Road, is charged with first-degree murder and was jailed without bond. A pair of homicides occurred within two days of each other late in the month. The death of Jeffrey Brewington, of Goins Drive off Owen Drive, remains unsolved. Police found Brewington beaten inside his home late Friday night, April 22. He had been robbed and police apparently have no suspects. On Monday, April 24, officers responded to a shooting on Alamance Road off Raeford Road. A family member had discovered Dennis Burden, 21, dead. The alleged shooter is Shyheim White, 19, of Dublin.  He was charged with involuntary manslaughter growing out of what police called “negligent and reckless use of the firearm.”  

    Serial Rapist #2

    Up & Coming Weekly recently reported on a serial rapist who’s wanted for committing 11 rapes after breaking into apartments of local women. 

    A second highly-publicized case continues to have the attention of the Fayetteville Police Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit. Sexual assaults committed by the “Ramsey Street Rapist” took place over two years between March 2006 and January 2008. The series of rapes occurred in the North Fayetteville area and remain unsolved.  These attacks were committed by a subject who was dubbed the “Ramsey Street Rapist.” 

    DNA belonging to the unknown subject was recovered at three of the crime scenes and has been uploaded to the National Combined DNA Index System. The Ramsey Street Rapist was described as a white male, then about 40, about 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds. Time-progressed composites illustrate what he would probably look like today, with and without facial hair. Detectives have remained relentless in their search for the “Ramsey Street Rapist” for the last 10 years.  

    Local Youth Council is a Winner Several Times Over

    The Fayetteville–Cumberland County Youth Council is proof that our youngsters are among the best and brightest in North Carolina. Two were elected to the Executive Board of the State Youth Council during a conference last month. Rebecca Mitchell was elected chairperson and Konstance Woods was chosen as the state council’s secretary. The FCCYC was honored as the state’s most diverse youth council. 

    Joshua Jensen was awarded North Carolina State Youth Council’s Most Outstanding Member and Jordan Clayborn was a keynote speaker. FCCYC has representation from high schools across Cumberland County. Its members range from sophomores to seniors. The Youth Council helped with Hurricane Matthew relief and hosted an event to help teenagers prepare for their future and develop leadership skills at conferences across the state and nation. The Fayetteville-Cumberland Youth Council’s mission is “to serve as a voice for youth in a youth-led organization.” 

  • The World Upside Down05-04-11-margaret.jpg

    Several years ago, a friend of mine confided that she was the breadwinner in her family, that while her husband has a professional career as well, she is the one who really brings home the bacon.

    This was a revelation to me, because at that time, I simply had no idea what was unfolding not only among people I know but throughout our community and our nation.

    Women, it seems, are indeed earning more money than the men in their lives, making their jobs the most important ones in the family and rearranging the family landscape regarding who does the chores and who minds the children. So I was not entirely surprised by last month’s news on this score in demographics released by the U.S. Census Bureau. For the fi rst time in American history, more women are earning advanced college degrees than our male counterparts. This appears to be an extension of the trend which began in the 1980s with more women enrolled in college than men and then more women earning diplomas than men.

    News reports of these Census numbers use words like “redefining,” and it is clear to me that “redefi nition” has been underway for some time and is likely accelerating. If change is evolutionary, then stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and think how much has changed in our gender roles in a relatively short period of time.

    There are women alive in our nation today, those born before 1920, who arrived into a world that did not allow them to vote. It was apparently assumed at that time that women were not capable of making our own political choices and therefore should not be allowed to have a ballot. Now remember that in the last Presidential-election cycle, an American woman, Hillary Clinton, was considered a viable Presidential candidate and now holds one of the most important jobs in the world.

    That, my friends, is true redefi nition.

    I was disconcerted, but hardly shocked by a recent Newsweek cover story entitled the “Beached White Male,” complete with a photograph of a man in a business suit and brief case with a big black X covering his body. The article points out that the Great Recession has hit middle-aged white men in the workforce especially hard and speculates whether or not that demographic group will survive the ongoing downturn in our economy. It also notes that while these men are understandably dispirited by their situations, they are reluctant to embrace technological advances now common in the workplace or evolving gender roles within their own households. The word “denial” is used in that story. Census fi gures indicate younger men may be a bit more adaptable.

    As women’s educational levels advance and gender discrimination in the workplace falls away, a more diverse range of jobs are opening up and women are tackling them. In some instances, the men in these women’s lives are deciding to stay home for all sorts of reasons. The Census Bureau tells us that there are nearly 2 million stay-at-home dads in our country today, almost 1 in 15 fathers who are the primary caregivers for their children. These numbers include only non-employed fathers who have chosen this role, not those who work from home or who continue to look for work, meaning that there are likely many more. Some researchers say that if there is a stay-at-home parent in the family, 1 out of 5 will be the dad.

    Here again, these are just numbers, and we are free to interpret them as we choose. Researchers, though, do see some trends in them.

    Many contend that women’s higher educational attainments are getting us out of the house and into the workplace in higher numbers while men’s lower educational levels and concentration in male-dominated industries like construction and manufacturing hard hit by the Great Recession, or as some are now calling it the “man-cession,” are indeed translating into fewer stay-at-home moms and more stay-at-home dads. Today’s stay-at-home mom is more likely to be a younger, foreign-born Hispanic without a college degree than a professional woman who has made a conscious choice to stay home with her children.

    I have no idea what all this change means for our country over time, but I do know it is true because I see it all around me.

    I do wonder, though, what my grandmother who had one year of college and to my knowledge never once worked outside her home would think of the way her grandchildren and great grandchildren live now. I am certain that my grandfather, a dignifi ed Southern breadwinner and a thoroughly traditional fellow, would be absolutely astounded.

  • Feet of Clay05-11-11-margaret.jpg

    I was just getting into the CDs of Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace….One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and his collaborator, journalist David O. Relin, when Mortenson tumbled unceremoniously off his lofty pedestal in the world of doing good.

    In case you have not read — or in my case, listened to — this book, it is Mortenson’s account of how in 1993, after failing to climb the world’s second highest mountain, K2, on the border between China and Pakistan, he was nursed back to health and strength by the residents of a remote Pakistani village.

    So bowled over was Mortenson by the villagers’ kindness, he says, that he built them a school and has devoted the years since to building other schools in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. All of this has brought him the praise and respect of the world, with talking heads everywhere commenting that this, not armed combat, is the better way to build nations and to make friends in places not our natural allies. Also coming to Mortenson has been lots and lots of money as generous hearts from every corner of the globe donated to his foundation, the Central Asia Institute or CAI, to build schools for people who would never set foot in one otherwise.

    Mortenson’s sudden fall from near sainthood came last month after CBS’s long-running investigative news program 60 Minutes checked out Mortenson’s claims and alleged, sadly, that they just are not true.

    No kindly villagers nursing this American back to health. No abduction by the wicked Taliban. Not as many operational schools as the CAI has said, and perhaps, most damaging of all, some slick and questionable accounting of CAI’s contributed resources.

    I think most of us have an immediate gut reaction to stories like this of “Please, say it ain’t so!”

    We want to believe that people who seem to be going good, people who hold themselves out as our leaders, people who seem special in some way, really are good and solid through and through, that they, unlike ourselves and other mere mortals, really are what they hold themselves out to be.

    We want them to be true heroes, and we feel sad and betrayed when they turn out to be just like everyone else, imperfect human beings.

    This desire is what makes us so cynical about people in public life, especially political life. Think the messy private lives of Thomas Jefferson, John Kennedy and Newt Gingrich; the ethical issues surrounding Tom DeLay; and the countless other elected offi cials who have not lived up to the trust others put into them.

    How, we ask ourselves, can they publicly inspire us with lofty rhetoric about doing the right thing and then do the wrong thing in private?

    And it is not just political figures.

    The world of philanthropy is littered with people like Mortenson who often start out with the best of intentions but who somehow succumb to the temptation of all that money, either living high on the hog from it or sometimes just plain helping themselves to some. Government officials fall into the expense account trap as well, as we have seen recently in our own community.

    Yet when all is said and done, every positive thing that occurs in our world, every good deed accomplished, every wise decision is done by flawed human beings, because there simply is no other kind. We cannot all be Johnny Appleseed or Mother Teresa but we can share with them our common and imperfect natures.

    That being said, I did return the audio rendition of Three Cups of Tea to the library without listening to all of it. I am happy that some schools were built and that some children learned when they would not have otherwise. I just did not want to listen to all the hypocrisy and self-promotion that accompanied the good works.• • •

    A final word on Osama bin Laden

    I have been writing for Up & Coming Weekly since 2001, since before Osama committed the worst domestic assault in our nation’s history. Shortly before July 4th of 2002, my column was an open letter to Osama, which concluded with this, “And rest assured, Osama, that whatever you may be doing on this American holiday, we have you in our thoughts and in our sights.”

    Almost 10 years after that column, we did indeed get him, and some people are now asking for photographic confi rmation of his death even though we have proof that cannot be faked, a DNA match.

    My take on that is this: We all know certain things exist in this world, the John Edwards sex tape for example, but that does not mean that our government should show them to us

  • I understand why so much attention has been paid to fiscal-policy differences between Gov. Beverly Perdue and the Republican legislature. I’ve given them lots of attention myself.

    But it’s worth taking a moment to underline a key agree-ment between the two sides: that North Carolina’s corporate-income tax is burdensome, complex, and harmful to the state’s economic growth.

    In the budget plan she released in February, Gov. Perdue proposed reducing the tax on corporate income to 4.9 percent, down from the current 6.9 percent. The budget plan just passed by the North Carolina House assumes a similar reduction in the corporate-tax rate, although the phase-in period may end up being different when the house05-18-11-john-hood.jpg finance package makes its debut.

    Both parties argue that reducing N.C.’s corporate tax rate will make the state more competitive and encourage job creation. Both offer empirical findings to buttress their claim, which is a modest one by the way — no one is suggesting that cutting cor-porate taxes will immediately create tens of thousands of jobs or anything like that.

    So why include a $200 million to $300 million cut in cor-porate taxes in a plan to balance N.C.’s budget? Because the corporate tax violates basic principles of simplicity, neutrality, and liberty.

    Keep in mind that corporations are not people. They are best thought of as a bundle of contracts among various and changing groups of people, including share-holders, employees, vendors, and consumers. To tax “corporate” income is to re-duce the incomes of these individuals, to a greater or lesser degree depending on how responsive they are to changes in the tax burden.

    The corporate tax violates the principle of simplicity precisely because this issue of tax incidence is so complicated. Although some apparently believe that “corporate income” taxes are borne solely by rich executives and shareholders, re-cent research suggests that workers pay the largest share of the tax in the form of lower wages — because among the parties to the corporate contract they are the least able mobile.

    Do workers realize they bear most of the cost of the corpo-rate tax? No. That’s one reason the tax lacks transparency and should, eventually, go away.

    The corporate tax violates the principle of neutrality because it favors debt over equity in business decisions. Because share-holders pay tax twice on returns from their investment — first at the corporate level and then again at the individual level — the tax code creates an artificial incentive for managers to borrow rather than raise money through stock offerings. This isn’t the only reason our economy exhibits excessive leverage, making it particularly vulnerable to the kind of financial shock we experi-enced in 2007-08. But it is among the most important.

    Finally, the corporate tax violates the principle of liberty because it serves to increase the overall tax burden — and thus reduce the ability of North Carolinians to keep and spend what they earn. Previous JLF research has shown that states with more ways to tax tend to have higher overall tax burdens than states with fewer ways to tax. To reduce the size, scope and cost of government, we should be shrinking the tax code and confining taxes to a smaller number of highly transparent levies. The more voters know about how much income they surrender to the gov-ernment, the less amenable they are to future tax hikes.

    I should hasten to add that not everyone in Raleigh thinks the corporate-income tax should decline. Some Democrats in the General Assembly want to keep the marginal rate at 6.9 percent and even raise the effective rate — how much the average corporate sends in (after credits and exclusions) divided by its taxable income.

    These liberals find themselves outside the consensus formed by the Democratic Perdue ad-ministration and the Republican General Assembly. Not an en-joyable place to be.

    Photo: In the budget plan she released in February, Gov. Perdue proposed reducing the tax on corporate income to 4.9 percent, down from the current 6.9 percent.

  • All America Three-peat 06-01-11-pub-notes.jpg

    I was not involved with Fayetteville’s All-America City designation in the ‘90s however; I was part of the Fayetteville delegation in Atlanta in 2001 when we won this prestigious recognition and award.

    It was an awesome experience and I remember vividly the excitement, enthusiasm and overwhelming sense of pride, promise and accomplishment we all had.

    Everyone was proud to hail from Fayetteville, N.C. It was a “wow!” experience. However, something very strange happened immediately following the win. Something no one expected, could explain or justify. In the short time it took us to travel home from Atlanta, the enthusiasm for what we had accomplished had all but dissipated. Vanished.

    There were no bold headlines or breaking news stories about Fayetteville’s second All-America City designation. There were no parades or celebrations. There were no bumper stickers, signs or bridges or water towers painted with the distinguishable red, white and blue AAC logo. Matter of fact, one of my most cherished items is a gift from the city of a beautifully designed lapel pin commemorating the accomplishment.

    Hmmmmm? What happened? Why the silence? What happened to the enthusiasm and excitement and why did Fayetteville fail to capitalize on this great opportunity? We may never know but, it was extremely bizarre and no secret that very little marketing was done to tout our AAC accomplishment and great, great city.

    Fast forward to 2011 and here we are again poised for greatness as one of the nation’s 20 fi nalist coming down the home stretch in a race for national recognition as an All-America City. Well, biased as I am, I feel we will win and I applaud those individuals who took the initiative to assemble the information and submit the application. I also like the fact that the price tag of this endeavor includes an $80,000 contingency to advertise, market and promote the honor. Yeah!

    Unfortunately, there is a veil of negativity and grumblings and concerns about how this entire process has been handled coming from some city offi cials, residents and businesses. The roots of all being that it was done in secrecy and exclusion and unfortunately this always breeds contempt and mistrust.

    It is our hope that now that this sentiment is known, those in charge of the event make a positive move to correct the perception or misconception. After all, Fayetteville belongs to “all” its citizens. And since they were the ones ultimately responsible for the accomplishments listed on the application they should be at the table involved and ready to support the effort. Excluding them would be like honoring a restaurant for its fi ne cuisine and never mentioning the chef.

    In conclusion, let’s go for it! Full steam ahead. But let’s do it together. We are the best city in the nation and we deserve this award. However, like 2001 in Atlanta, a victory in Kansas City will only stay in Kansas City unless we bring it home in our hearts.

    Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • My boyfriend of 10 years proposed on Christmas Eve. Excited, I said yes! The truth is, financially and emotionally, he’s not at my level. He lives with his mother and hasn’t had a job the ENTIRE 10 years we’ve been together. He looks at least 10 years older than he is, and I suspect him of having a drug problem, and cheating on me, too. To cut to the point, I simply do not want him. I make $50K a year, own my home, am attractive, in shape, etc. I’m in my late 30s and smart enough to know that the problem isn’t him, it’s me. So, what allowed me to stay so long and waste so much time trying to change him? Why did I work so hard to persuade others he was a great guy when, in my heart of hearts, I knew he was garbage? 

    --Frankenstein’s Fiancee


    This guy’s the slacker version of the Energizer Bunny, napping and napping and napping č except when he jolts awake to get high, cheat on you or yell, “Hey, Ma! Another beer!” 

    As total failures go, the guy’s been a stunning success. Most men can only dream of living like Hugh Hefner, who has three girlfriends, but had to build a vast publishing empire, buy a mansion and put in a zoo and waterfalls to keep them around. Granted, your boyfriend only has two women in his life; apparently, his reward for keeping his pot plants out of his mother’s begonias, opening his bedroom door when she brings up his neatly folded laundry and picking up the phone when you call to say, “Hello, this is your girlfriend, how can I provide you with excellent enabling today?”

    Now, let’s say some matchmaker-type asked you, “Hey, how about a cheating, drug-abusing, prematurely aged boyfriend who hasn’t worked for 10 years and lives with his mother?” I’m guessing your response wouldn’t have been, “Wowee, stack up the bridal magazines!” But, maybe, when you met the guy, you weren’t really ready for a relationship, so the wrong guy was kinda right. And then you felt compelled to defend having spent so much time with him, which only led to you spending more and more time with him - until his Christmas Eve proposal made a certain someone the happiest woman in the world. Not you, silly. Think of the joy his mother must’ve felt at the news that sonny boy might finally leave home. 

    As for your excitement, it was probably part generic wedding lust and part bragging rights: “A man asked me to marry him!” (Yeah, but which man?) More than anything else, getting engaged gave you the perfect justification for why you stuck around doing all that justifying for 10 long years. Yeah, you were dumb. But, you had help. It seems our brains are wired for self-justification. In “Mistakes Were Made (but not by me),” social psychologists Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson explain that most people, when confronted with evidence that their beliefs or actions are harmful, immoral or stupid, “do not change their point of view or course of action but justify it even more tenaciously.” Recognizing that you have this tendency is the best way to avoid succumbing to it - along with forcing yourself to be ruthlessly honest about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Admitting your mistakes should keep you from marrying them, tempting as it must be when a man gets down on one knee, holds out a twist-tie with a chunk of rock candy glued to it, and says, “Hey, Babe, how’dja like to take over my weekly allowance payment from Mom?” 


    Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA╩ 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

    (c)2008, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved.

  • It’s hard being as conscious as I am, which is why I come to you. I’m a 23-year-old man with high standards and a belief in being honest and frank, which some mistake for cruelty. My knowledge of self and understanding of others makes it hard for me to find a girlfriend. I’ve never initiated dates except for nerdy “going for coffee but she doesn’t know it’s a date” dates. I just can’t shake the feeling that women I’m attracted to have men coming on to them constantly. I don’t want to add to their burden, so I find myself waiting for women to come on to me. This seldom happens, so I end up settling for women who pursue me, which is where my honesty perceived as cruelty comes in. Recently, I became attracted to a coworker. I told her of my attraction, and asked her to lunch. She agreed to go, but said, “I want you to know it’s just as friends. I have to cover my bases.” This was unsettling, but I still took her. She’s seemed on guard ever since - proving to me that I was a burden. 

    -- Insightfully Alone


    If you have a drinking problem, you go to an A.A. meeting and say, “Hi, my name is Bob, and I’m an alcoholic,” not “Hi, my name is Socrates. I’m here to share my vast knowledge of self and others, right after I toss back a coupla’ shots.” 

    Sorry, but your problem isn’t that you’re too perceptive, too in-touch, and too sensitive to the needs of others, but that there’s no personal shortcoming you can’t spin into a humanitarian gesture or a sign of what a genius of human nature you are. Take your “belief in being honest and frank” - at least, with any girl you settle for: “Here, darling, my 32-page illustrated report on all the ways you’re beneath me.” Somehow, I’m guessing you manage to restrain yourself from marching over to the husky trucker in the Kwik-E-Mart and announcing,”Hey, tubby, you might wanna rethink those Ho Hos.”

    As for what’s actually keeping you from getting a girlfriend - could it be that you rarely ask women out on anything remotely perceivable as a date? There was that one woman, that coworker. Technically, you did ask her out - for lunch at high noon, the least date-like time of the day. And, perhaps that was the point: it would technically be a date, but without any pressure on you to do anything terribly date-like. I mean, when’s the last time you saw two people sharing a lingering first kiss while pressed up against the sneeze guard of a busy salad bar? 

    Of course, you mucked things up from the start by spitting up your feelings all over her shoes (“I told her of my attraction...”). When you don’t know how somebody feels about you, you don’t go all full-frontal with your feelings for them. Consider the difference between “Wanna have sex with me?” and “Would you like to come up and see my etchings?” which Harvard psych professor Steven Pinker addresses inThe Stuff Of Thought. With the latter, the girl is reasonably sure you aren’t looking to guide her around a late-night art exhibition, but “indirect speech” allows both of you to maintain what Pinker calls “a comfortable fiction.” The same goes for asking a coworker out for afterwork cocktails. Unlike lunch, the evening can morph into a date. If it doesn’t, you can spin it as friendly drinks, or your new program, “No Coworker Goes Home Thirsty” - which you should find much easier on the ego than your old program, “An Audience With Genius: An Unwanted Declaration Of Attraction, Followed By A Long, Awkward Free Lunch.”


    Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

     

    (c)2008, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved.

  • I disagree with your advice to “The Hunted,” the woman who said a co-worker was stalking her at work. I agree she should be more direct, but what about “He’s been asking co-workers about me and finding me on breaks” says this guy’s harmless? Sometimes those “little things” turn ugly fast. A woman should heed that warning bell that something’s wrong. Yet, you mocked her, saying, “Come on, a guy at work gives you reason to believe he has a crush on you and the shower music from Psycho comes into your head?” Do you really think “Thanks, but no thanks” will deter him? She needs to say it ONCE in front of witnesses. Then it’s Human Resources time.

    -- Wary Woman 


    Yesterday, I asked a stock boy at the supermarket to help me get a jar off the top shelf. Before he could, another stock boy handed it to me. The first stock boy pouted, “I wish I coulda’ helped you.” Later, he circled back and complimented me on my skirt. So, I tased him.

    OK, I didn’t exactly tase him. I thanked him and kept shopping - probably a dumb move, since, as you point out, “Sometimes those ‘little things’ turn ugly fast.” Yeah, you never know when the stock boy’ll follow you to your car, clock you with a can of tomato paste, drive you to your place and make you watch as he gets your Wheaties down for you.

    I’m not saying women shouldn’t be careful. I’m saying they shouldn’t go hysterical the moment they get attention from a man. Take this woman, who claimed she was being “stalked.” The U.S. Department of Justice defines stalking as “repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, (or) contact...that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.” Whoops! There’s that warning bell you mention. Only, if this woman heard one, it was “Ding! Ding! Ding! He’s beneath me! He’s ugly and socially awkward, and he’s asking me out!”

    Sure, he asked co-workers about her - a quaint thing people with crushes used to do in the days before Googling. And sure, he’s tried to bump into her on her breaks. A few times, not 300. That’s probably why she wasn’t seeking advice on protecting herself, but snarky ways to tell a loser she’s out of his league. Do I really think “Thanks, but no thanks” will deter him? Well, probably better than “Shoot me an e-mail” - her response when he said he hadn’t stopped thinking about her. Most obediently, he complied, and invited her out for a meal. She still didn’t turn him down. Instead, she e-mailed me, telling me she’d reported the guy to her boss: “This man asked me to lunch! Or dinner, if that was better for me.”

    Now, I’m guessing the guy wears button-downs, not a jeweled turban, and uses Word for Windows, not Word for Crystal Ball. If so, the telepathic “no” won’t cut it - you actually have to tell him you aren’t interested: clearly, firmly, the sooner, the better. If, after you shut him down once or twice, he keeps after you, that’s when you call for reinforcements. But, stalking expert Gavin de Becker advises in The Gift of Fear, if more women would “explicitly reject” advances, “stalking cases would decline dramatically.” Meanwhile, more women should also recognize that the “gift of fear” is the gift of appropriate fear - being alert to danger, but understanding that, most of the time, “Have a nice day” means “Have a nice day,” not “Have a nice day bound and gagged in my trunk.”


    Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA╩ 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

    (c)2008, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved.

  • Recently, I thought about what it might be like to trade places with my son for a day. Austin is 16-years-old and has what is often referred to as High Functioning Autism. This means that, while he still has autism, he is intelligent, can function in a regular classroom (with some help), and can take care of himself for the most part. As a parent, however, it doesn’t matter how high functioning your child with autism is — there is still a great deal of heartache and concern involved. And the initial diagnosis is still traumatic. 05-04-11-autism.jpg

    My first thought was that it would be a great learning experience to trade places with my son for a day. I would understand him better and see the world through his eyes. I would be able to see and feel what autism really is, thinking his thoughts and experiencing his feelings. Since I already have the insight of what it is like to not have autism, trading places with Austin would help me see what’s different.

    From a purely mechanical standpoint, I thought it would be amazing to hold huge numbers of facts in my brain, something that is not normally my strength, and be able to regurgitate them whenever necessary. I might be able to remember and ponder the 435 animals that he has in his imaginary zoo. I would be able to remember what groceries I need, an impossible task for me without a list. Like Austin, I would be able to recall with relative ease things like all the court cases and amendments to the constitution or remember word-for-word summaries from the back of books.

    Living with autism for a day might help me understand Austin’s thought process in social situations. Perhaps it would help me understand why Austin’s greetings to other people seem so timid and strained? I would be able to understand better what it’s like to be in a room full of people and not really be interested in what is going on around me. I thought that it would help me be a better mom and help me help others to see the great young man that I know and love.

    Having autism myself might help me make environmental adjustments that would relieve the discomfort of noises that Austin perceives as loud enough to cover his ears. Maybe I could help decrease sibling rivalry if I could understand why he absolutely cannot ignore his younger sister’s taunts and joking. Even though I know that my son feels loved, experiencing autism might allow me to see more clearly the way in which Austin loves others and perceives other people’s expressions of love toward him.

    But, after more consideration, thinking about trading places with my son for a day made me feel sad. I thought, what if I find out that the world is a very critical and chaotic place when you have autism? What if just a regular day is full of distracting and annoying noises that I couldn’t screen out? What if looking someone in the eyes and smiling at them became a diffi cult task? What if I found myself correcting people because their inaccuracies made me just plain crazy? What if I discovered that the only place that I felt safe and secure was being in my bedroom by myself?

    What if I found out that I wouldn’t understand half of what people say since people rarely say what they mean and rarely mean what they say? What if I learned that solitary isolation was the consolation prize when communication with other people was too difficult and fraught with too many land mines? What if I found out that I was a square peg trying to fi t into a round hole, or that people were really not very compassionate?

    Change is difficult for people with autism. Recently, I have been talking with Austin more about the future and how to make your way in the world. It made me sad to think that maybe my foray into these new topics caused him great angst. It is overwhelming for a normal teenager to think about leaving home or going to college. What would it be like to entertain these thoughts, knowing that the world does not accommodate me very well? It makes me sad to think that if I had autism the world would always be trying to turn my “squareness” into “roundness.” I would always be “wrong,” wouldn’t I? I would always be different, wouldn’t I?

    I would not want to relive my own high school days, much less those of an autistic 16-year-old young man. Maybe trading places with my son would help; maybe it wouldn’t. Some people who have autism say that they like the way they are and wouldn’t want to be “normal.” Nevertheless, if it would be helpful, I would trade places with my son for a day in a heartbeat. In fact, like most parents, I would trade my life if I could.

    For more information on autism, contact:The Autism Society of Cumberland County at (910) 826-3004/3005, via email at autismcc@ccpfc.org or online at www. autismcc.org.

  • Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (Rated PG-13)One Star05-11-11-movie.jpg

    If Dylan Dog (107 min-utes) had been a SyFy origi-nal, maybe we could cut it some slack for being such an awful, awful movie. However this piece of celluloid gar-bage simply has no reason to exist. It is not resurrecting much-beloved pop stars and having them fight each other/get dismembered and eaten by Dinocroc, it is not funding awesomely complex shows like Battlestar Galactica, it is not even employing quality CGI animation companies.

    The movie is based on a popular Italian graphic novel written by the same dude that did Cemetery Man(Aside: In that film Rupert Everett is wearing the Dylan Dog uniform since Cemetery Man is the alter ego of Dylan Dog). Knowing the pedigree of the movie, at first glance I had fairly high expectations. Then Natasa began listing all the reasons why the movie would suck, and she pointed out that Brandon Routh was a truly terrible casting choice. And really, Brandon Routh, Natasa had a point. You pretty much suck hard core. You made it utterly pointless for me to even try watching Smallville, your middle name is Smirking Moron, your delivery is wooden and your hair looks like its covered in oil even when it is not.

    She then pointed out that it was a cheap compromise to change the sidekick character from a Groucho Marx look-alike (yes, we all agree that foreign comics are weird) into a postmodern zombie. I came to my own conclusions regarding the clumsily obvious attempt to cash in on the success of Trueblood by calling all the vampires truebloods, the offensiveness of changing the setting from London to New Orleans, and the stupidity of having the tagline read “No Pulse? No problem?,” when your lead character doesn’t deal exclusively with the undead. You know what movie that makes? It’s the little things. And cashing in on the Twilight werewolf connection completely invalidates your tagline.

    Too bad for the movie that neither the plot nor the dialogue makes up for any of these problems. It is hard to remember what happened at the beginning. Even though I saw this less than 24 hours ago, my mind is blanking in self-defense. I think the movie starts with a murder. Some blond chick (Anita Briem) chosen more for cuteness than her ability to act is dancing around and then dis-covers the body. Scene change. Dylan Dog (Brandon “Smirking Moron” Routh) is awoken by someone’s husband…he is a private investigator specializing in divorce cases, or at least he is now. Apparently there is an entire movie’s worth of backstory that the screenwriters have seen fit to fill us in via flashback since they were too freaking lazy to put together a decent origin story movie. He plays verbal footsy with his guest, which is supposed to serve as a character establish-ing guns-don’t-scare-you-once-you-you-have-lived-a-tragic-backstory scene but instead mostly serves to remind me why Routh should never be allowed to have speaking roles, and is then off to meet with a potential client.

    He arrives at cute blonde’s murder house with his sidekick (Sam Huntington) and then gets very upset when she explains she wants to hire him for his supernatural detecting, which he retired from. And we will need to listen to about 50 different characters talk about how they thought he was retired, and then hear him explain that he is retired, except for this one case, and then replay other, better, movies in our heads because those scenes are both painful and endless. Taye Diggs is here doing penance for the short-lived Daybreak, and the bloated remains of Peter Stormare also wander on and off the set.

    Overall, don’t bother. This is worse than a Marti Noxon scripted season seven episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The beginning is tedious and the ending fails to resolve anything. My eyes rolled so often during the course of this movie I actually gave myself eyestrain. It’s not funny, it’s not quirky, it’s not scary, it’s not interesting, and there are massive plot holes re-sulting from flat-out lazy writing.

  • It is a dangerous situation out there. Motorcycle season is here and the town is buzzing with bikes. People are driving, texting and watching DVDs going down the road. The kids are screaming and someone is on their cell phone while driv-ing. It is bumper to bumper traffic around the mall area. It seems that automobil-ist are doing everything but looking out for a motorcyclist.

    The other day I was out riding and decided to go to the mall. I was quickly reminded of how dangerous heavy traffic is. I had to make another stop at one of the stores and realized how significantly small and vulnerable I was as I watched cars darting back and forth with no mind to the rules.

    05-18-11-jimjones.jpgShopping areas and parking lots are always an “approach-with-caution” area for me and you really have to have your mind on your riding skills. In a forest of thick cars, motorist cannot see you cutting through the parking lot. You can’t see them either!

    Bikes are designed to be seen from the front and back with bright lights. But from the sides your signature is very deceiving. Motorcycles are low profile and therefore hard to see when mixed with other cars. There is a lot of stop and go traffic. This means people are pulling up fast and stopping short. Fifty-five percent of all motorcycle fatalities involve a collision between the motorcyclist and another vehicle.

    Intersections are the most likely place for motorcycle crashes with other vehi-cles. A motorcycle is more likely to be involved in a crash going straight while the driver of the other vehicle is making a left turn in the path of the on-coming mo-torcyclist. It is tempting to cut across a parking lot, zip down the side of a curve or slip between traffic but you really open yourself up to a dangerous situation.

    As I approached the traffic it was getting harder and harder to anticipate what the other drivers were going to do. This pleasant drive suddenly seemed a lot less pleasant.

    When traffic is heavy it seems that the traffic itself incorporates its own behavior. If one person becomes aggressive others do as well. If you ever find yourself in a situation where it appears that the ride is not worth the risk then just get out of there. No ride is worth getting hurt. Because in the end when it’s car vs motorcycle, the car is always going to win.

    If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, please send your comments and suggestions to motorcycle4fun@aol.com. Ride safe!

  • My weapon of choice — a garden hoe! One stands “ready” on the back porch of the farm cabin should a slithering visitor not be a friendly.Snakes in the country are a simple reality and are left alone to pursue rodents and other critters. The exception to the rule are copperheads and water moccasins that can take issue with you and then turn aggressive. I can remember killing a water moccasin with my bare hands (i.e. bare hands on the steering wheel as I repeatedly backed over the snake) that instead of crawling off insistently moved in to strike at the Jeep tires.

    Living on a farm equips you with some basic “field” rules:05-25-11-copperheads_5968.jpg

    1. Stomp if you are in the brush;

    2. That is not your cell phone you hear “buzzing;”

    3. If there is a piece of insulation or plywood lying in the field lift it carefully;

    4. Don’t poke your head in the pump house on hot summer days; and 5. Don’t leave doors open, and roll your car windows up — especially on rainy days.

    As city dwellers, we don’t often anticipate an “up-close and personal contact” experience with poisonous snakes in our backyards but that is exactly what happened to the 8-year-old son of Brian Watson, the Farm Center’s manager.

    Last weekend his two boys were outside playing in their Haymount neighborhood when Brian’s 10-year-old came running in to report a copperhead snake in the neighbor’s yard. The Watson family is outdoor “savvy” and the kids knew how to identify a poisonous snake. But by the time Brian got outside the 8-year-old had been struck.

    A tourniquet was applied and Brian rushed his son to Highsmith to discover anti-venom was not available at the facility. Staff directed him to Cape Fear Valley where the critical anti-venom was administered. (Take note: Not all medical facilities have snake anti-venom available).

    The bad news is Brian’s son reacted to the anti-venom and ended up in the ICU. The good news is that at last report he was snacking on gummy bears and is a hero to his classmates who are anxiously awaiting the tales of his adventures with his return to school.

    I shared the copperhead story with a technician at my dentist’s office who in turned told me a heartbreaking story about losing a beloved (and large) dog that had put itself between a snake and her 3-year-old daughter. She also lives in Haymount and advised there is an infestation of snakes near the little creeks that wind through the subdivisions.

    It is spring and the snakes are crawling. Heads up as you start to water your lawns or walk near the lakes. The tornadoes have created a lot of debris and I have noticed as I walk through the neighborhood, snakes slithering back into the shelter of logs and branches that are piled along the street for removal. Just because we live in the city limits doesn’t mean we don’t share landscape with traditionally country cousins.

    But also remember it is not true that the only good snake is a dead snake. Native Americans considered snakes the guardians of the Earth and in the chain of life they have a role in protecting us fragile humans.

    Just keep your eyes open, respect territory and if something with a triangular shaped head starts to become menacing have a good long handled hoe at “the ready.”

  • It was a dark time in the history of North Carolina education.Grossly underfunded public schools struggled just to keep the doors open. Tens of thousands of teachers lost their jobs, while tens of thousands of neglected students simply wandered out of their schools to form the core of a new socio-ed-ucational underclass. Ignorance bred unemployment, civil unrest, and widespread book-burnings — although perhaps North Carolinians were just trying to keep warm by burning discarded textbooks.

    Let’s shine a light on that dark time: 1998.

    In that year, a Democratic governor and legislature approved a budget that spent an average of about $8,700 per student (in today’s dollars) on North Carolina elementary and secondary education.

    What was the result? Did public education experience “generational damage,” as Gov. Beverly Perdue might have put it? Indeed, as a member of the state senate at the time, Perdue helped put the education budget together. Did she offer any ominous words of warning about the coming educational apocalypse?

    Of course not. To spend $8,700 per student in state, local, and federal dol-lars was to make a significant investment in public schools. It represented a 16 percent increase in education funding from just five years before, after adjusting for inflation and enrollment growth. And $8,700 was far more than the average per-pupil spending of North Carolina’s charter or private schools.As it happens, $8,700 per pupil is a low-ball estimate of how much money North Carolina would spend on its public schools if the House Republican budget were to become law. Reportedly the Senate budget will allocate a somewhat-higher amount.

    Yes, that would represent a real decline from a peak of about $9,500 in 2007-08. But $8,700 per pupil remains a sizable sum. Anyone who claims that it repre-sents the end of public education as we know must explain how North Carolina’s public schools survived 1998, when the real funding level was about the same.

    The problem with North Carolina’s education system is not a lack of funding. It is a lack of productivity. With nearly 20 percent more funding than public schools spent in the mid-1990s, do today’s public schools perform that much better? Not even close. While the state’s math scores have slightly exceeded the national average since the late 1990s, our reading scores and graduation rates remain substandard.

    Perdue and her allies argue that Republicans should renege on their 2010 campaign promise and extend the sales-tax hike now scheduled to expire in July. Democrats point to recent polls showing public support for the sales tax if it saves public schools from massive cuts.

    This is an old, old story. Most voters have no idea how much government al-ready spends on public schools. Because virtually everyone thinks that educating the next generation should be a high fiscal priority, poll respondents frequently re-spond to simplistic questions about taxes and education in ways that the education establishment welcomes.

    But when pollsters go beyond simplistic questions to probe what voters really think about the tradeoff between education budgets and taxes, the results are sig-nificantly different.

    For example, when Harvard University’s Program on Education Policy and Governance conducted its nationwide survey on education issues last year, it first asked voters if they favored an increase in “government funding for public schools in your district.” Nearly two-thirds of respondents said yes. Then respondents were told how much money their public schools currently spent per pupil, and asked again. Fewer than a third still said they favored more funding.

    Similarly, a new Civitas Institute poll shows that when North Carolina voters are told how much the extended sales-tax hike would cost, they express overwhelm-ing opposition.

    If North Carolina voters knew that their public schools spent about $9,000 per student, it is highly unlikely that most would pay hundreds of millions of dollars in sales taxes to keep the figure from falling to $8,700.

    That’s why the education establishment, furiously spinning reality in an attempt to pocket more of the taxpayers’ money, avoids any mention of budgetary specifics. Public ignorance is in their interest.

  • heart.jpg

    This month’s Fayetteville After 5 concert is a trip back in time. Celebrate two of the ‘80s most popular bands while surrounded by the beauty of downtown’s Festival Park. 

    Two classic bands are remembered and celebrated by artists who love them enough to dedicate their careers to keeping the decade of big hair and its signature sounds alive. 

    Heart Brigade, a tribute to Heart and Mostley Crue, a tribute to Motley Crue, perform on May 22. The one-of-a-kind electric experience of seeing these music masters in concert didn’t die with the decade. Thanks to the dedication and passion of these musicians the audience can still have this experience. Whether a new fan or a fanatic from the beginning, this is a free concert you don’t want to miss. 

    Heart Brigade is unique in its dedication. The band members don’t just get up onstage and play popular Heart songs. They take it a step further. Each band member has spent years crafting their performing style and look to mimic the band they love so much. This is what separates them from other tribute bands. Everything from the sound to the outfits to the stage display is authentic. When they step out onstage and start to play it is like being transported to a Heart concert in 1980. Heart Brigade specializes in Heart songs, but they can also perform Led Zepplin with true late ‘70s flare. They are a based in Raleigh, but they tour all over
    the nation. For more information on the band, visit www.heartbrigadeband.com.

    Mostley Crue is also a North Carolina-based tribute band. More than just capturing the sound, the key to being an amazing Motley Crue tribute band lies in the performance. They have an insanely energetic, engaging and aggressive style of performance. It is electrifying. The members of Mostley Crue pride themselves on their ability to replicate this uniquely intense concert experience. 

    “We are firm believers in doing shows just like the bad boys of rock would do it. Balls to the wall and no holds barred. For an in-your-face rock and roll experience …” their website says. Just like the original held the ‘80s captive, Mostley Crue is sure to hold Festival Park transfixed with their powerful rock-and-roll performance. For more information, visit www.mostleycrue.com. 

    The season continues on June 26 with The Stranger, a tribute to Billy Joel and Dealing Stan, a tribute to Steely Dan. The July 24 concerts showcases Eagles tribute band On the Border and the country and classic rock of Brittany Marie. The final concert of the season is on Aug 28, and features Natural Wonder, a Stevie Wonder tribute band and Trial by Fire, a Journey cover band.

    Fayetteville After 5 is a free concert series that is presented through a partnership between the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival and R.A. Jefferies, a local distributer of Budweiser products. Together these organizations provide the community with opportunities to enjoy incredible music in the great outdoors. Gates open at 5 p.m. and entertainment begins between 7 and 7:30 p.m. Concerts are expected to end between 10:30 and 11 p.m. No outside food or beverages are allowed in the park, but refreshments and food are available for purchase. Proceeds serve as a fundraiser for the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival. 

    Festival Park is located at 225 Ray Ave. Audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on during the concerts. For more information visit www.faydogwoodfestival.com/p/Events/211 or call 910-323-1934. 


  • {mosimage}So, you finally joined a gym, paid the membership fee, and even bought one of their “workout” shirts. Now what? After the initial feel-good thoughts of belonging to a health club fade, where do you start and more importantly at the starting-out stage, how do you fit in? Here are a few tips to help you get on your way.

    First off, go to the gym again and get a feel for it before you go for your first workout. Get to know the place so you can walk around like one of the “regulars.” Find out where everything is and how the facility is laid out. Where’s the water fountain? Restrooms? What services are offered to help you get started? Two of the biggest questions to answer are, “When is the gym crowded?” and “What are the hours of the day care?”

    Be sure that the clothes you have for the gym are appropriate. Always wear athletic shoes č not sandals or flip flops. While athletic shoes won’t protect your toe from a dropped weight, it will give you good support and some level of protection. Next, make sure that your clothes are clean, fit you and cover what needs covered. A lot of times, people will lay on a bench or the floor to do an exercise, and their shorts are so loose that they show everyone more than they need to see. For women, a good support top is essential too.

    Next, be honest and ask yourself if you know what you’re doing. One of the best things to do if you are unsure about the equipment or how to get started is to enlist the services of a professional trainer. Many clubs offer floor staff or staff trainers, these are not the same. A personal trainer should be truly interested in helping familiarize you to the club and getting you started on the best program for where you are at. If they try to “hard-sell” you a year of training and you’ve either never worked out before or had a trainer before... run! All they are going to do is take your money and leave you with a bad experience. Truly though, getting a trainer for a few sessions can save you months or years of wasted time and energy.

    OK, you’re on the right track to fitness and have been showing up regularly č congratulations! Now, as you start to get into the routine, do yourself a favor and, bring a towel. Yes, a towel; a lot of people do not wipe off the piece of equipment they were using and you don’t need to put your head on a big wet patch of sweat. Enough said.

    When you’re working out and someone is on the equipment you need, don’t simply walk away or feel intimidated. Simply wait until they’re finished with their set and ask if you can “work in” with them. It’s that simple. Most people will let someone work in with them between sets, and the ones who don’t, you don’t want to be around anyway.

    Lastly, and most embarrassingly, be keenly aware of personal hygiene. While it may sound funny or like common sense, that can be one of the most embarrassing moments for everyone involved. Always wear clean clothes and use deodorant when you get ready to work out č some gyms even have complimentary toiletries to use. Use them.

    There you are, some simple tips to make your gym experience a little more pleasurable and comfortable. While they won’t help you lose 10 pounds or build bigger biceps, it will give you a sense of confidence so that when you do go to the gym, you “look” like one of the regulars. 

    Now, the rest is up to you.


    E-mail your questions to John Velandra at: john@designsinfitness.net. Or call him at (910) 306-3142. John is a certified personal trainer and the owner of CrossFit Cape Fear and Designs In Fitness Personal Training Services in Fayetteville.

  • {mosimage}Dear EarthTalk: I really want to eat healthy and organic but am constantly traveling and on the go. How can I eat fast food without having to always end up at McDonald’s and Burger King?

    - Dylan Baker, Seattle, Wash.


    The latest trend in fast food is healthy and organic, and luckily for conscious consumers, several chains offering just such fare are taking root in different parts of the U.S. One of the leaders of this small but scrappy pack of fast food upstarts is O’Naturals. The small chain currently runs two stores of its own in Maine (Falmouth and Portland) and one in Acton, Mass., and franchises out additional locations in Kansas and Florida. O’Naturals’ menu contains lots of vegetarian-friendly items, including “build-your-own” flatbread sandwiches, salads, noodle stir-frys and soups. The meat the restaurant does serve is grass-fed and hormone-free, while the chickens are free-range and the Alaskan salmon is wild. 

    Another healthy option is EVOS, which currently runs five “quick-casual” restaurants in Florida and is planning a major expansion into the western U.S. Vegetarians can rejoice in the chain’s wide selection of vegetarian and vegan items. While its hormone- and antibiotic-free burgers are still only about as healthy as red meat gets, their soy burger satisfies without the guilt or the cholesterol. Also, EVOS uses organic field greens in its wraps and salads, organic milk in its milkshakes, and fresh fruit in its smoothies. Additionally, the restaurant air-bakes its fries and other typically deep-fried items to keep the fat content as much as 70 percent lower than the same kinds of foods found elsewhere.

    Meanwhile, Seattle-based Organics-To-Go, with five locations in Washington and California, lays out a wide array of “grab-and-go” organic and natural foods so customers can make up their own meals out of a cornucopia of healthy choices. Other fast food alternatives offering lots of healthy (as well as vegetarian and vegan) options include Au Bon Pain, Bruegger’s Bagels, Noah’s Bagels and World Wraps, while Subway and Quizno’s alike can be good options for those willing to study the menu carefully. 

    Even though many alternatives exist, it is hard to beat the reach of the major fast food chains, several of which are making small steps toward healthier menus and will undoubtedly continue to do so if consumers bite. McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King and Wendy’s have reduced or eliminated trans-fats. Burger King now offers a veggie burger, and McDonald’s is testing one in California. Taco Bell offers many non-meat options, including a bean and cheese burrito, a veggie fajita wrap, and a seven-layer burrito, which can be had without the cheese and sour cream. Carl’s Jr. also has many tasty and healthy vegetarian options despite an otherwise standard fast-food menu. Vegetarians and vegans looking for more ideas about what to eat when time is of the essence should consult any number of Web sites with pages devoted to the topic, including Vegetarian-Restaurants.net, VegCooking, FitWise and Vegetarian Resource Group. 

    And remember, nothing beats seeking out local restaurants when you’re on the road, to soak up some of the local culture. And with trends as they are it shouldn’t be too difficult to find many that do serve healthy menus č just not quite as fast as “fast food” but probably fast enough.


    GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. 

     

  • {mosimage}Dear EarthTalk: What initiatives are taking place on college campuses to reduce the footprints of these large users of energy and other resources?       -- Shawna Smith, Hamilton, NY


    Microcosms of the world at large, college campuses are great test beds for environmental change, and many students are working hard to get their administrations to take positive action. The initiatives that are emerging are models for the larger society, and the students pushing for them will be taking these lessons with them, too, as they enter the work force after graduation.

    Foremost on the minds of green-leaning students today is global warming, and many are joining hands to persuade their schools to update policies and streamline operations so that their campuses can become part of the solution. Largely a result of student efforts, for example, nearly 500 U.S. colleges and universities have signed the American College and University Presidents (ACUP) Climate Commitment.

    This agreement requires schools to put together a comprehensive plan to go “carbon neutral” in two years of signing. (Carbon neutral means contributing no net greenhouse gases to the atmosphere either by not generating them in the first place or by offsetting them somehow, such as through tree-planting or by buying “offsets” from companies that fund alternative energy projects.)

    ACUP also commits schools to implementing two or more tangible (and easily implemented) policies right away, such as improving waste minimization and recycling programs, reducing energy usage, providing or encouraging public transportation to and from campus (and switching campus buses over to biodiesel fuel), constructing bicycle lanes, and implementing green building guidelines for any new construction.

    Signatory schools also pledge that they will integrate sustainability into their curricula, making it part of the educational experience.

    One place where students are forcing green changes on campus is the dining hall. According to the Sustainable Endowments Institute’s 2007 report card, which looks at environmental initiatives at the 200 colleges and universities with the largest endowment assets in the U.S. and Canada, 70 percent of such schools now “devote at least a portion of food budgets to buying from local farms and/or producers,” while 29 percent earned an “A” in the “food and recycling” category. Yale University even has organic gardens that are student-run and that supply an on-campus farmer’s market for use by campus food services, the local community and students alike.

    Another area where college campuses are leading the way is in water conservation. Colleges consume huge quantities of water in dormitories, cafeterias, at athletic facilities and in maintaining their rolling green grounds. According to Niles Barnes of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), most of the 3,800 institutions of higher education in the U.S. have engaged in some sort of watersaving program. Low-water-volume toilets and urinals, as well as low-flow sho


    GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. 

     

  • Two and half years ago, I found myself driving down I-95, having packed up everything I owned and moving to a community that I knew little about. Like many people I know, my career had brought me to Fayetteville. For the first few months, I focused on my job, got to know my co-workers, and was involved with a few community events here and there.

    After the excitement of a new town had worn off, I sat back and realized that I knew very little about the community where I lived and the people who lived here. The common themes ran through my head: “there is no one like me here,” “this is a small town, and unless you were born here, you are an outsider”, and of course, “there is nothing to do here.”

    After some coaxing from someone I had met at one of the “here-and-there” community events, I finally decided to look into the Fayetteville Young Professionals. I found a group of young men and women, who, just like me, were eager to meet new people, get involved in our community, and make a difference.

    “There was no one like me” because I chose not to meet them. The only reason I felt like an outsider was because I allowed myself to be one. And the only reason there was nothing to do was that I chose not to do anything.

    My advice to anyone that finds themselves in the same situation I did is to visit www.fayyp.org and come to the next event that interests you. Any Wednesday morning, join us for breakfast at Haymont Grill. We are there from 6.45-8.30. If you are not a morning person (I am not but still manage to make it every once in a while), check the calendar for the monthly Lunch and Learn series where we have a guest join us to discuss their field of expertise. In the upcoming months, our topics will include personal nutrition and the Fort Bragg expansion. And for all those people who have wanted to learn to play golf but are too embarrassed to hack away in front of your friends who have been playing for years, be on the lookout for Summer Golf Lessons sponsored by FYP. 05-04-11-fyplunch.jpg

    Finally, if you have ideas of your own for events or activities that are currently not on the calendar, join either the Professional Development Committee (email profdev@fayyp.org) or the Social Committee (email social@fayyp.org). We are always looking for new ideas and people who are willing to act on them.

    Do not let others control your happiness. If you are willing, you can make a difference and make Fayetteville a better place to live, work and play.

    To become a member of FYP, please visit: www.fayyp.org. For questions, please email chair@fayyp.org.

    PHOTO: FYP Lunch and Learn with Mayor Tony Chavonne, and City Council members Bobby Hurst and Valencia Applewhite.

  • Travel matters. It matters with job creation, productivity and regional economic expansion. Travel matters to our national economy, and it matters here in greater Fayetteville, N.C.

    Nationwide, travel and tourism is one of America’s largest industries, employing more workers than both the insurance and auto industries. In 2010, it generated $1.8 trillion in economic output, and it delivered $118 billion in tax revenues. In fact, without travel and tourism’s contribution to the tax base, each household would be taxed an additional $1,000 per year. 05-11-11-facvb-logo.jpg

    Domestic visitors to and within North Carolina travel and tourism spend $15.6 billion per year, generating more than $1.4 billion in state and local tax revenues. This economic activity sustains 362,052 jobs statewide.

    Of North Carolina’s 100 counties, Cumberland County generates the ninth highest economic impact from domestic tourism. In 2009, travel and tourism to Cumberland generated $379.59 million in expenditures and $30 million in state and local tax revenues. This represents a $93.27 tax savings to each Cumberland County resident.

    Additionally Cumberland County’s tourism industry employs 4,130 people with a payroll of $77.30 million.

    The Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (FACVB) works to maximize the economic impact from travel to Cumberland County. That fi gure is steadily rising. From 1999 to 2009, county tourism expenditures grew 57 percent — from $240.71 million in 1999 to the present figure of $379.59 million.

    The bureau’s mission to position Cumberland County as a destination for conventions, tournaments and individual travel means that we market the community as a place to visit, whether for business or leisure.

    The FACVB is funded solely through occupancy taxes, collected from overnight visitors at Cumberland County hotels and administered by the Tourism Development Authority (TDA). This means that no local taxpayer money is used for the promotion of travel and tourism. (The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County and The Crown Center receive a portion of occupancy tax collections.)

    Tourists also increase the tax base. The 160,000 overnight hotel visitors per month generate city and county sales tax from their hotel stay, restaurant visits, shopping and from any other activities in which they participate during their visit to Cumberland County.

    Marketing the community

    You might wonder how the FACVB markets the community to visitors. Each year we produce a detailed program of work that outlines the program for the coming year. A few of the projects/tactics on the plan typically include

    • Attending trade shows to secure potential meeting-planner business

    • E-blasts to past and potential visitors with specific interests

    • Web development with an emphasis on search engine optimization

    • Public Relations plan for securing positive publicity on Cumberland County as a travel destination

    • Development of a destination guide for all market segments

    • Attending trade shows to secure group tour business

    • Product development (packaging and selling the community’s products)

    • Targeted print and web advertisements

    All of our marketing decisions are research-based allowing us to pinpoint needs or wants of visitors. Research shows some successes. According to a conversion study completed last spring, for each $1 the FACVB spends on marketing, visitors spend $4.53 in Cumberland County. This represents a 400 percent return on investment. Other key findings:

    • The Fayetteville Area Destination Guide is a key decision-making tool. The Fayetteville Area Destination Guide is the most used source of information for trip planning.

    • Average spending per person per day is estimated at $150, making each visitor inquiry worth $1,404. • The majority of converted visitors are 35-54 in age; 43 percent had children under 18 in the group in an average party size of 2.6; and 34 percent have incomes of $75,000 or more.

    • The three most frequent primary purposes for visiting were relocation (26 percent), military (21 percent) and family vacations (21 percent).

    • Relaxing, dining out and visiting historic and military sites and museums are the primary activities of our visitors.

    • Half of visitors are staying in hotels and motels; and almost all visitors plan to return. The average length of stay is between 3.6 and 4.7 nights.

    • Ease of access by car and historic sites are top-rated aspects of the city by visitors

    The FACVB continues to maximize the impact of travel and tourism on our economy by providing programs and services for visitors to Cumberland County. We always keep an eye on the visitor — and work to fulfi ll their needs.

    BECAUSE THE VISITOR

    Because the visitor has a need, we have a job to do.

    Because the visitor has a choice, we must be the better choice.

    Because the visitor has sensibilities… we must be considerate.

    Because the visitor has an urgency, we must be quick.

    Because the visitor has high expectations, we must excel.

    Because the Visitor has infl uence, we have the hope of more Visitors.

    Because of the visitor, we exist.

             - Karl Yena, Yena & Associates

  • 05-18-11-pitt-dickey.jpgRemember Donald Trump? Where has he gone? I miss him. Way back before President Obi whacked Osama bin Fishfood, the Donald was everywhere on the news spouting Birther bromides. The media loved Donald. The goofi er the pronouncements he made, the more air time he got. We saw more of The Donald than of Flo the Insurance Gal with the ruby red lips. Then Osama had his night time visit from the Navy Seals. Osama went to join Don Corleone’s favorite hitman Luca Brasi sleeping with the fi shes. The fickle American media abruptly forgot about the Donald. It was all Dead Osama, all the time. The end of media focus on the Donald was a terrible loss for America. Clearly the American Presidency and The Donald’s fates are intertwined like hotdogs and nitrates.

    Donald Trump is the one who can bring us all together. As Rodney King once said, “Can’t we all just get along?” Yes, we can. The Donald is the one to bring about that consummation devoutly to be wished. You may have noticed, there is a bit of division in America between the left and the right. I have a highly Republican friend, whom I shall call Ben, who fl ies on the far right wing side of life. Ben was a Birther before being a Birther was cool. Ben and I have never agreed on anything involving politics. Not once. Not even slightly. I am a big fan of President Obi and suspect he is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Ben suspects President Obi is a Socialist Communist Fascist Kenyan Muslim Space Invader from Planet Nine from outer space. Our political discussions usually end up with us each convinced the other has fallen off the narrow bridge of reason into the yawning abyss of hallucinatory thinking.

    But due to the miracle of Donald Trump, now both Ben and I finally agree on something in politics. It is another Festivus Miracle! We both want Donald Trump to be the Republican nominee for President. Our reasoning as to why we want The Donald to be the nominee may vary but our goal is the same. We want The Donald to be the Republican standard bearer.

    I was very concerned when President Obi fi nally produced his long form Hawaiian birth certifi cate. Perhaps Trump’s embarrassment on learning that his Birther issue was fake would cause The Donald to fade into the presidential woodwork with Lyndon LaRouche. How wrong could I be? According to Ben, I’m pretty wrong, most of the time. A lesser man, or even a man capable of embarrassment would be chastened for appearing to be a moron when Obi fi nally got around to producing his birth certifi cate and erasing the Birther issue. Our man Donald was not deterred. He puffed up with a second wind and took full credit for proving President Obi was not born on the Planet Kenya.

    Trump’s next step was to take on the President’s grades in college. Yep, per the Trumpster, President Obi ended up being the President of the Harvard Law Review due to affi rmative action. According to Trump, we have an affirmative action American President. Despite the loss of the Birther card, Trump has already reframed his Obi assault to manufacture an exciting new issue. Trump is now leading the newly renamed Afterbirthers in their never ending effort to delegitimate President Obi, this time based on his college grades. The Afterbirthers’ work is never done, they just move seamlessly from one bogus issue to the next. Trump is now the High Commissioner of the Afterbirthers in their shiny new assault against President Obi.

    Trump, he’s dumber than Palin. He’s got more bizarre theories than Newt Gingrich. He’s got more hair than Tim Pawlenty. He’s tanned and rested. He’s ready to go. He’s just the right guy for the Republican nomination. If Trump doesn’t get the Republican nomination, he is poised to run for President as the Placenta Party nominee composed of Afterbirthers, Tea Party true believers and Moon Landing deniers.

    Bless you Donald Trump for the column material I am about to receive.

    Photo: Donald Trump

  • I’ve never thought of myself as the kind of guy that would name things. As I look around here I guess I do. I have names for a lot of my stuff. For example, my guitars have names. Named mostly after the people influlenc-ing me at the time I acquired them.

    Over the years, I’ve named my motorcycles. They are usually named based on the feel or pur-pose of the bike.

    My BMW R1200GS is named ‘Rocinante’. I used this name based on the classic novel The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes. Rocinante was Don Quixote’s horse. He was an old, unattractive horse that got him around. My GS is very unattractive, not old but not as fast as I would like and it gets me around. Don Quixote’s Rocinante took him on some real and some imaginary adventures. My GS takes me on my adventures. Some are the kind of trips that most people would not take a bike on. All bikes take us on adventures in one way or the other.

    Like Don Quixote I have an active imagination. When I’m not playing in the real world of riding I am dreaming about riding. I think about the back trails of the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains to the floral canopies of South America to the Alps and to the North Pole. Up and down and all around this place we call Earth.

    For years I have tried to come up with a decent name for my GPS. I feel like my GPS deserves its own name. It has its own character and I rely on it so much I feel lonely when I ride without it.

    My GPS is about 98 percent correct and the other percent is just wrong. When I hear “Recalculating, make a U-turn” or any other nonsense on a road to nowhere it drives me crazy. Like life, many of my adventures have started down the wrong road. In those moments of let down I start telling it what to do. I come up with clever phrases like “No, you turn here, I’ll wait” or “I think my GPS needs its own GPS.”

    I think my GPS has character. It has a voice. The voice is called Jill. The truth is all electronics have their own behavior and they are based on the behaviors their programmers. We live in such an automated and electronic world that we never think about that stuff. We take it for granted that all devices work perfectly and we never think past the screen of a device. If you are riding and your GPS sends you down the wrong road it is because the information is either calculated wrong or entered incorrectly. The map data and calculations are all based on mathematical formulas.

    For years I’ve been trying to come up with a name to condemn the 2 percent of errors. I could never find a name that properly fit this device until a few weeks ago. 

    While driving my friends Joel and Brandi to05-25-11-jim-jones.jpg lunch, I was a little unfa-miliar with the area and Brandi spoke up and said “turn left here.” I joked about how she was like my backseat GPS. She said it was the quickest way to where we were going. I had been that way a few times before and remem-bered my GPS had me taking a different route.

    As we traveled down the little country road, I realized that Brandi was correct about the route. At that point I realized I was looking for a name to make fun of the the incorrect data of my GPS and not the correct data. At that point I decided I would find a name for the 98 percent good of my GPS. Thus my GPS now has a name, ‘Brandi’!

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

    Photo: My BMW R1200GS is named ‘Rocinante’. I used this name based on the classic novel The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha. Rocinante was Don Quixote’s horse. 

  • 06-01-11-martin-article.jpgBut what about North Carolina airports?How do our major airports and associated metropolitan areas fit into the concepts for the future of the world’s mega airport cities discussed in the new book, Aerotropolis: The Way We’ll Live Next by UNC-Chapel Hill’s John D. Kasarda and Greg Lindsay? Does any one of our “airport cities” have the potential to be a real “aerotropolis”?

    In an earlier column about this book, I promised to try to respond to these questions.

    Aerotropolis is a word that Kasarda popularized. It describes an airport-city where the airport is hub of a surrounding urban area. The urban area provides nearly “frictionless” connectivity for the airport’s passengers and freight. The urban area’s business, manu-facturing, and brainpower élites thrive on the convenient and speedy global connectivity the airport provides.

    Several North Carolina airports have some of the attributes of an aerotropolis.

    Charlotte stands out in passenger boarding and ranks as one of the world’s major airports in this category. It is a major hub. Some people in Charlotte assert that this major hub status costs them money because tickets cost more than at non-hub airports.

    But, as Kasarda explains, the time saved is valuable in a just-in-time world, more valuable than the extra money spent on tickets. Businessmen can leave Charlotte in the morning, have face-to-face meetings with clients during the day, and get home in time to sleep in their own beds. Close to downtown, the airport is minutes from the major offices. The city’s transportation network makes it conve-nient for business travelers.

    If Charlotte had a stronger freight operation, one that was coordinated with close-by manufacturers and distributors, some people might begin to refer to the city and its airport as an aerotropolis.

    Piedmont Triad (Greensboro Winston-Salem High Point) is not even close to Charlotte in passenger boardings, but it already has a much stronger freight operation than Charlotte’s, and it is growing, as FedEx’s opera-tion expands. Kasarda points out that Piedmont Triad is located at a transportation “sweet spot” right in the middle of a network of interstate highways.

    The Global TransPark (GTP) in Kinston is, on paper, an ideal aerotropolis with planned room for nearby just-in-time manufac-turing and related business. But just because you build it does not mean that they will come. GTP has lacked the priceless and essential interstate access like that serving Piedmont Triad.

    The success of the Research Triangle Park inspired the GTP effort. Kasarda was the idea man. Governor Jim Martin provided the initial political muscle. Quoted in the new book he says, “North Carolina has had success with radical ideas when they were able to hold off the critics long enough to get on their feet…When I heard Kasarda’s idea, I thought it would be the next one.”

    Comparing the Global TransPark to the success of RTP, the new book ex-plains, “But if one venue in the area has the hallmarks of an aerotropolis, it is Research Triangle Park. What distinguished the two, Kasarda understood belat-edly, is that the latter was blessed with both highways and growing cities around it (not to mention flights across the country only ten minutes away). RTP may be an economic engine, but its cogs are able to sleep in their own beds at night.”

    The strong Raleigh-Durham (RDU) airport’s close relationship with RTP serves both entities in an aerotropolis-type relationship.

    No North Carolina airport city is, by itself, an aerotropolis. But if we could combine in one location the Global TransPark plans, the re-search and related operations that surround RDU, the business-es and talented people of Charlotte, and the sweet spot location of Piedmont Triad, we would have an aerotropolis that would compete with any in the world.

  • cover-05-20-15.jpg

    Challenges. Some people shy away from them. Others embrace them. Ivan Castro, founder of Special Operators Challenge, relishes beating the odds.  

    He beat the odds when he was wounded in combat and lost his sight in 2006. He never regained it. Since then he’s challenged himself by running more than 50 marathons, including the New York, Boston, London and Marine Corps marathons, as well as two ultra-marathons. In 2012, he cycled across America. More recently, he skied to the South Pole with England’s Prince Harry. Castro knows that he is not alone in his love for pushing the limits and crushing expectations. With that in mind, he created the Special Operators Challenge. Last year was the inaugural event. It was a huge success and was voted Endurance Magazine’sBest Obstacle Race in the Triad for 2014. The Second Annual Special Operators Challenge is set for May 30 at the Carolina Horse Park. 

    Don’t be intimidated by the name. This race is for everyone and includes kid-friendly events that make this an activity for families as well as competitive athletes and everyone in between. 

    “We really just want people to come out and challenge themselves and have a good time,” said Castro. “We don’t want to haze, belittle or harass you. We want you to have fun and to feel great about what you have accomplished when you are done.”

    The day’s events include the Little Muddy Mile and ½ Mile Races are for kids ages 5 and up.  A registered parent/guardian runs for free with child challengers. This is a mini race with horse park obstacles and a few added surprises. All child challengers will receive a moisture wicking race T-shirt, finisher’s medal and prize raffle ticket.

    The Boomerang is a 5K track and obstacle run with the added challenge of a few beers and a bratwurst. Fans of the Krispy Kreme Challenge may want to give this race a try. 

    “We give all the participants who are 21 and older a beer at the starting line,” said Castro. “They drink the beer and start running. When they finish the lap, they get a bratwurst and then run another lap. When they finish the second lap they get another beer to finish up that last lap. It’s called the boomerang for a reason — we don’t want to see any of those brats coming back up.” 

    Water and other beverages are provided for those who are underage or prefer not to drink alocohol.

    The Muddy Nick 10K resilience run is not for the faint of heart or weak of spirit. It’s 6.2 miles of mud, dirt, water and military-style challenges. 

    “This run is modeled after the Nasty Nick challenge course that Special Forces candidates go through,” said Castro. “The obstacle count is not finalized yet, but so far we have 16 challenges for the participants to go through. The Muddy Nick is brutal. It will be a tough one.”

    There are two waves for this race. The Competitor’s Wave starts at 10 a.m. and is a team event. Each team must consist of two participants. There are 15 spots for this team. Teams compete  for two Remington Rifles. 

    “Second place gets a Spartan blade knife,” said Castro. “Third place gets a pair of running shoes — so they can train a little bit harder.”

    The Challenger’s Wave starts at 10:30 a.m. and is open to all individuals, as well as teams. All challengers will receive a moisture wicking race T-shirt and a finisher medal uniquely designed for the event. Also, every challenger will receive a free raffle ticket and every challenger over the age of 21 will receive one free post-race celebration beverage: a beer.

    The winners get to go to the hyperbaric chamber and recover there.  

    There are plenty of giveaways and raffles. Some of the items include one-on-one at a martial arts studio, a sniper rifle with a scope, a one-year YMCA membership,  four memberships to First Health Gym and more. There is an after party at Rail House Brewery. The first beer is free if you have a bracelet from the race. 

    Spectators are in for a treat, too. Vendors, food, music and activities are planned for everyone. 

    “We are giving away Dell tablets, a bike from Hawleys Bicycle World, Little Gym has given passes as prizes,” said Castro.  “The Climbing Place will have its climbing wall there and they are donating passes to the cause as well. We have four matted and framed prints from law enforcement and firefighters. A  tandem parachute jump will be given away as will supplements from Maxx Muscle. We have a month of free yoga to give away. There is face painting for the kids. Many of our sponsors will be there, too. We have so much.”

    The participants can look forward to a day of strenuous challenges and personal accomplishments. Spectators will be entertained and inspired. Firefighters, the FBI and other organizations will educate people and interact with the crowd. Everyone gets a chance to connect with local businesses that, just like Castro and the team at Special Operators Challenge, believe in striving to be better than you ever thought you could. That’s why Castro has partnered with them. 

    “There are so many great small businesses in our area and the owners have such big hearts. We really want to give back to them and give them a chance to shine,” said Castro. “We have partnered with local business owners for every aspect of this race and they have all been so supportive and generous.” 

    While the day celebrates strength and endurance, it is also an opportunity for competitors and spectators alike to share their good fortune with others who are not so lucky right now. Bring two cans of nonexpired, nonperishable food items to donate to a local food bank as the cost of parking. Formula, diapers and clothes are also welcome. All donated items will be given to local charities to help families in this community. 

    “Another great way to help even more on day of the event is to buy a pass band for $5. It goes straight to local nonprofits,“  said Castro. “During the race you can use it to bypass one of the obstacles.”

    The Special Operators Challenge sponsors several nonprofits, which include the Fayetteville Running Club, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Special Forces Association Chapter 62, Special Forces Charitable Trust, Step Up for Soldiers and Team Red, White and Blue.

    Castro feels strongly about giving back to the community and sees the Special Operators Challenge as a way to bring the community together. 

    “There are lots of good events out there, and some of them, you pay the fee and have no idea where the money is going or you wonder who it is helping,” he said. “It is all about choices. I wanted to give a choice of nonprofits to support. It is so easy to say ‘I can’t do it,’ but just give it a try. You may be surprised. Life is an obstacle. I want to touch someone. I live every day trying to make a difference.”  

    Find out more about the Special Operators Challenge at http://specialoperatorschallenge.com. Register at active.com. There is  no 

    race day registration, and participation is capped at 800 registrants.

    Parking and spectator admission to the event are free.  


  • uac052715001.jpg

    The weather is heating up, which can only mean one thing — baseball is back at The Swamp! The team is working hard to offer an exciting year filled with good times and great baseball as the SwampDogs start their historic 15th season of fun. 

    A night at The Swamp is about great baseball, but there is so much more. There are theme nights that bring the community together to celebrate different causes and organizations as well as activities for the whole family. FunGo the team mascot is always in attendance, there are contests, giveaways and more throughout every game — and at a price that won’t make fans flinch.

    “Since the team’s inaugural 2001 season, SwampDogs games have been the place to go for family fun and entertainment without breaking the budget, and 2015 promises to be the best year yet,” said Assistant General Manager/Voice of the SwampDogs Joe Vasile.

    The year kicked off with a bang Tuesday, May 26, as the SwampDogs hosted opening night against the Morehead City Marlins. The first 500 fans received a magnet schedule courtesy of Freeman and Barrett, CPAs to know when to come out to The Swamp all season long.

    The first Saturday home game of the season on falls on May 30, and the team is pulling out all the stops to make sure fans have a good time. Don’t’ miss the evening Fireworks Extravaganza presented by H&H Homes and Coldwell Banker. 

    “The SwampDogs have the best fireworks extravaganzas in town, so you don’t want to miss out on your chance to experience one,” said Vasile.

    The team puts on several Fireworks Extravaganzas every year and these games have proven to be favorites with the fans. The second Fireworks Extravaganza takes place Saturday, June 13, when the SwampDogs celebrate Military Appreciation Night. At this game, the SwampDogs will celebrate the 240th birthday of the U.S. Army with style and help from  some their friends at Rick Hendrick Toyota and USAA.

    Take a trip back in time as the team celebrates the 15th season of SwampDogs baseball. 

    “We’ll be turning back the clock to the year 2000 on June 19 to celebrate,” said Vasile. “The first 500 fans in attendance at that game will receive a trucker hat courtesy of Healy Wholesale.”

    Saturday, June 27, is going to be a rocking good time at The Swamp. The ‘Dogs play host to musician Zach Brown — in person. Three-time GRAMMY winners and multi-platinum artists, the Zac Brown Band has sold more than 7 million albums and produced a historic series of 11 #1 hit singles. The first 500 fans through the gates 21 and over will get a pint glass courtesy of R.A. Jeffrey’s.

    The SwampDogs kick-off the second half of their schedule Wednesday, July 1. The theme for the night is Opening Night: Part 2: The Salute to Sequels. Follow the team’s social media accounts for special discounts and deals that night.

    The biggest event of the summer returns Friday, July 3, with the Honoring America Fireworks Tribute presented by Hendrick Chrysler Jeep Fiat and USAA. 

    “This is the best fireworks show Fayetteville has to offer during the summer, and is a memorable show for the whole family,” said Vasile.

    Thursday, July 9, marks the return of Family Fun Night and the FunGo Bobblehead giveaway. Make sure to grab this year’s bobblehead courtesy of Bob 96.5 FM to add to your collection

    Saturday, July 11, is the ninth annual StriKing Out Cancer Night. The SwampDogs will auction off one-of-a-kind game-worn pink jerseys to benefit the Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation’s Friends of the Cancer Center.

    Behind the country’s military heroes are strong, loving families. Come out July 16 and join the SwamDogs in honoring their sacrifice and strength with the SwampDogs’ Salute to Military Families presented by USAA.

    The season goes out with a bang Aug. 1. 

    “The regular season concludes Saturday, Aug.1, with Fan and Sponsor Appreciation Night,” said Vasile “It will be a night of giveaways and prizes capped off with the final fireworks extravaganza of the summer.”

    The SwampDogs represent Fayetteville in the Coastal Plain League, which is the nation’s hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Now in its 19th season, the CPL features 15 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL is all about giving college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players stay with local host families for the summer; an arrangement that works well for both players and hosts as they build friendships and make memories over the course of the season. According to the Vasile, the CPL has had more than 1,200 alumni drafted and 75 of those — including 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander — make their Major League debut; while another notable alum — Russell Wilson — won Super Bowl XLVIII. 

    The SwampDogs have certainly made their mark as a CPL team. Vasile credits them as one of the most successful franchises in the Coastal Plains League’s history. The team has made it to the Petitt Cup Playoffs eight times in the past 10 seasons, reaching the championship round three times. The SwampDogs also boast 84 alumni taken in the draft and have produced six players who have gone on to play in Major League Baseball. 

    To reserve your tickets for these games and all the other fun happening at The Swamp this season, call the SwampDogs front office at 426-5900. For more information on the SwampDogs you can head over to the newly redesigned online home of the team at www.goswampdogs.com, and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

  • Dear EarthTalk: What is the “cleantech” business sector and why have I been hearing that term so much lately?

    -Andrea Newell, Denver, CO


    {mosimage}Cleantech is a loosely defined category of businesses dedicated to creating cutting edge technologies that address the world’s environmental problems. These high flying companies, most of which began small with the hope of ascending to publicly traded status č are the new darlings of Wall Street, attracting billions in venture capital and public funding in what many financial analysts are calling the next big thing since the burst of the dot-com bubble.

    Venture capitalists poured more than $3 billion into the cleantech sector in 2007 alone. Whether this cleantech boom will lead the rest of the economy down the green path for the long term or go bust in a couple of years like its dot-com predecessor remains to be seen.

    In the thick of the movement is Cleantech Network LLC, a research firm and clearinghouse for cleantech companies and investors that also publishes the online information clearinghouse, Cleantech.com. The firm defines its budding industry as “new technology and related business models offering competitive returns for investors and customers while providing solutions to global challenges.”

    The firm interacts with a network of 8,000 investors, 6,000 companies and 3,500 professional organizations involved in alternative energy and energy efficient transportation, wastewater management technologies, air pollution control innovations, sustainable materials production and sourcing, environmentally responsible industrial and agricultural applications and waste recycling and management.

    Some examples of the thousands of companies that consider themselves part of the cleantech movement include: Finavera Renewables, a firm that is developing underwater turbines and buoys to generate power from the ocean’s tides and waves; 3TIER Group, which uses advanced computer modeling to help energy companies and utilities figure out where best to site wind, solar and hydro-electric projects; Avalence LLC, which is developing high-pressure hydrogen generation and storage equipment that will dispense hydrogen for use in transportation, home power and industrial applications; and, Infinia Corporation, which is developing a utility-scale system to harvest solar energy.

    Over and above the cleantech sector’s potential for addressing crucial environmental problems, analysts see it as a bright spot in the darkening picture of the recession-bound economy over the next few years. 

    Marketing research and consulting firm Fuji Keizai USA expects the global market for cleantech products and services to grow from the $284 billion is it is generating today to over $1.3 trillion within a decade. The value of the companies in the sector is also expected to grow from today’s $104 billion to some $467 billion in the same 10-year time frame.



    GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

  • {mosimage}“What if I hadn’t shown up today?”

    I asked this question to the graduates at Wingate University last Saturday as I began the commencement address that Wingate President Jerry McGee had invited me to deliver.

    Many in the audience smiled, thinking that if I were not there to give my speech, things would move quickly to the part of the program when they crossed the stage, received their diplomas, and in one special moment were transformed into Wingate University graduates.

    But President McGee knew that even if I cancelled, there would be a graduation address. You see, at each Wingate graduation, President McGee has a prepared speech in his pocket ready for him to deliver just in case something happens to the scheduled speaker.

    What President McGee did not know was that his speech was going to be the central theme of my speech.

    When I learned that he constantly revises his speech and keeps it up-to-date, even though he will probably never have to give it, I was intrigued.

     For a little while I wondered if all his time and attention to constantly revising a speech that nobody will ever hear is a worthwhile activity for a busy university president.

    Well, of course it is. The constant revision of that speech becomes the vehicle for him to focus on what is most important to him, on what his life is about, and on what he has learned over his lifetime that he would share with Wingate graduates if the expected graduation speaker cancelled.

    When something happens that might be important enough to pass on, he makes a note and considers whether it might have a place in his speech. Thus, a part of his life is the regular, disciplined evaluation of what is really central to him. By writing these things down, scripting how he can explain their significance to others, and then honing it all into the speech, he seals their meaning as a part of himself.

    All this happens even though he never gives the speech.

    But this speech that is never given helps prepare him for the words he speaks and the actions he takes every day. 

    Whenever he is called on to tell others what he believes, what a life of service is all about, or how best to deal with life’s challenges, he doesn’t have to make it up. He has already written it down and rehearsed it.

    President McGee reminded me of Randy Pausch, a young professor at Carnegie Mellor University, whoseThe Last Lecture has gained national attention and admiration. Pausch described the “last lecture” custom of some college campuses where very senior professors “are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can’t help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?”

    Pausch gave his own “last lecture” a few months ago, shortly after he learned that he had terminal cancer. His impending death gave his speech a special urgency and poignancy for his listeners č and for him, as he presented the lessons of his shortened lifetime. 

    You will be reading and hearing more aboutThe Last Lecture in the coming weeks. There will be a book and lots of news reports. Word about his speech spread though news reports, and millions of people have already found his lecture on the Internet. 

    As I came to realize the benefits that President McGee gained by writing and rewriting his speech, I urged the Wingate graduates to begin to write their own “graduation speeches” or “last lectures.” 

    Beginning today, I told them, as if you might have to give your speech tomorrow. Start revising tomorrow, and continue revising throughout life, just like President McGee.

    Why am I sharing these thoughts with you, the readers of my column? It’s simple. If writing a speech is good for President McGee and the Wingate graduates, it is good for you, too.

    Start writing, as if you were going to give your “last lecture” tomorrow.

     

  • Rated 3 stars 

     

    {mosimage}My first visit to Beef O’Brady’s came a few weeks ago when an artist friend from Raleigh and I had just finished hanging his art show. It was mid-afternoon and we were both starved and in need of caffeine. My mind was set on buffalo wings as part of some research to find the best wings in town.  

    After perusing the menu, the salad section caught my eye. Beef’s has a selection of eight salads to choose from. They all sound so tasty: Asian Mandarin, chicken salad with teriyaki chicken, crispy rice noodles and mandarin oranges, beefy taco salad with shaved beef seasoned with southwestern spices, with chili and warm queso, and buffalo chicken salad with fried chicken tossed with buffalo sauce on a tossed salad with cilantro ranch dressing are just a few of the choices.  

    Who would’ve thought that one of the best places in town to get a not so run of the mill salad would be at a family sports pub? A sports pub that sports at least 15 TVs and serves up ice cold beer at that. Beef O’Brady’s is just that place.

    That’s not to say that you wouldn’t want to go there for the baskets full of wings or chicken or burgers or wraps. But the salad selection is very tempting, especially this time of year when some of us may be dreaming of washboard abs or fitting into that new monokini that was purchased one size too small as incentive to lose 10 pounds before summer vacation.

    The Buffalo Chicken Salad was my first choice. It was just plain satisfying. The boneless chicken in the slightly spicy sauce paired with the cool crisp lettuce and cilantro ranch make a perfect combination. It is like having wings without having to suck the sauce off of your fingers in public. My friend had the Fish ‘n’ Chips basket with pineapple coleslaw. He loved the slaw and was impressed that the meal came with a complimentary side salad that was big enough to have been an entrÄe salad.  

    Our friendly waitress gladly made us a pot of fresh coffee upon request. We drank the whole pot. After having pleasant conversation, satisfying food and a recommended daily allowance of caffeine, my friend commented that Fayetteville has changed since the last time he has been here. He enjoyed the experience so much that he said that he will make Beef O’Brady’s a destination restaurant for himself  and his family whenever he’s in our neck of the woods.

    Upon first reflection, one might wonder why anyone would put another restaurant downtown. There are already how many in that half-mile radius č nine or 10, including coffee shops? One might also wonder why anyone would want to put yet another chain restaurant anywhere. Don’t we have enough already? However, after stumbling into a chance conversation with a well-traveled older woman a few weeks ago, a suitable answer was offered. The downtown area needs an anchor, a draw č a destination that many people may be familiar with. Beef O’ Brady’s is downtown Fayetteville’s restaurant anchor. (For anyone in the driver’s seat in the area of downtown development, please note that a clothing store anchor would be nice, as well, maybe something like a Steve & Barry’s.)  

    Lunch time during the week is a busy time at Beef O’Brady’s, with a mix of active duty military, business people, and families. One of the appealing things about the restaurant is that you pick your own seat. It’s nice to be able to get a window seat without having to slip the host or hostess a $20 bill. A note of warning about the window seat č be on the lookout for a man who looks like he is accustomed to slipping $20s to get the best seat in the house to come over and jokingly tell the waitress that that is his seat and he wants it.  

    The atmosphere is relaxed and the wait staff is friendly. Expect about a 15-minute wait for lunch. The seating is open and spacious. The prices are the same for lunch and dinner. Expect to pay about $20 for an entrÄe and drink for two people. Beef’s also has a light menu that offers smaller portions of some of the items on the regular menu. They have a typical kid’s menu with nothing priced over $3.99.

  • jeff3A panel of city and county elected officials wants to get a proposed consolidated emergency 911 service off dead center. The ill-defined plan has languished for many years mainly because of turf issues and cost. But now, it appears local governments want to get the plan off the shelf. “I’d like to get the ball rolling before I leave office,” said veteran County Commissioner Kenneth Edge. He is not seeking re-election and his term expires in December.

    The City-County Liaison Committee is unanimously recommending that a joint subcommittee be established to work out details of merging local emergency 911 operations. The county’s call center is located in the law enforcement building. The city’s emergency dispatch center is located in city hall. They work closely together, but EMS calls in the city must be transferred to the county. They use separate, mostly incompatible two-way radio systems which would be expensive to replace. County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe pointed out that rapidly changing technologies will have to be dealt with. 

    The three city representatives indicated there is a willingness among council members to move forward with consolidation. 

    “Anytime we can share services that benefit the citizens, I think there’s going to be interest,” Committee Chairman Mitch Colvin said. He, Mayor Nat Robertson and Councilman Jim Arp are the city’s representatives on the liaison committee. County Commission Chairman Marshall Faircloth and Commissioner Glen Adams are also members along with Edge.

    Other considerations for merging the systems include resolving wage differences for employees and city/county cost sharing, as well as site acquisition and construction of a building to house the equipment for an operations center of more than 100 employees. A hardened 40 thousand square-foot building that meets FEMA threat assessment standards would be needed to protect against natural and manmade forces, according to Schrader Group Architect Tom Forsberg. He is among the consultants hired by the county to research consolidation. The cost of such a building hasn’t been determined but three rural sites recommended for the facility could cost upwards of $30 million. State and federal grants are available through the Department of Homeland Security and other sources. But, local governments will likely have to share the cost which is something neither agency has discussed in detail.

    It’s recommended that joint 911 operations be managed by an executive steering committee appointed by county commissioners and city council. There is no timetable for the subcommittee to be named and get to work. Commissioner Edge noted the project has been kicked around for years and isn’t likely to get off the ground soon.

  • jeff2    The City of Fayetteville’s dispute with its Public Works Commission may soon be a thing of the past. PWC filed  suit against the city asking the court for a declaratory judgment defining once and for all the operating relationship between the bodies. Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour, Jr. ruled that under current law PWC has the protections of a public authority. That means the city-owned utility enjoys nearly total autonomy, and its governing board does not answer to City Council. The judge’s 16-page order confirms the legislature’s intent in establishing the Public Works Commission more than a century ago. And Baddour found that “the general assembly, in consolidating and re-codifying the PWC Charter in 1979, intended for the PWC to continue to have the same authority…” 

    The unusual dispute has lingered for two years, provoked initially by former City Manager Ted Voorhees. He and a 6-4 city council majority interpreted the city charter as giving council more day-to-day authority over PWC than had ever been exercised by the board. The utility commission decided to file the lawsuit to reconcile the disputed differences. Last year’s election changed the council majority and Voorhees was forced to resign following a closed council meeting. 

    City Council met in closed session again last week but took no action afterward. Mayor Nat Robertson tells Up & Coming Weekly, however, that in the last minute of the hour-long meeting, Council made a decision not to appeal the judgment. The city has 30 days to decide whether to do that. Robertson says City Attorney Karen McDonald should have advised the council, in keeping with the Open Meetings law, that its decision should have been made public when the regular meeting resumed. Robertson appears to have succeeded in winning a council consensus, having said earlier that “I look forward to a renewed relationship with the PWC Board and know that we will be able to continue to work together even better since the courts have defined our roles. Council has decided to come together with PWC to find common ground we can agree on.” He says a starting point would be a review of House Bil 392, which included concessions not in the judge’s order. The bill was referred to the Senate and rests in committee pending further action which was put on hold during the judge’s deliberations. The mayor said the council vote to review and revise the house bill was “nearly unanimous.” He would not identify members who prefer appealing the decision. 

    Public Works Commissioner Wade Fowler, a former City Council member, said “I believe the issue had to be settled by someone in authority. I was prepared to live with whatever the decision was,” Veteran Councilman Bill Crisp is among those who prefer appealing the judge’s decision to a higher court. The court order clarified that PWC is obligated to make annual transfers of funds to the city in keeping with an agreement that has been in effect since 2008.  Baddour declared that as a public authority, PWC is independent of city government even as it applies to budgeting. 

  • jeff1The North Carolina State Crime Laboratory operates full-service laboratories in Raleigh, Asheville and Greensboro. Typically, evidence from Cumberland County Law Enforcement Agencies was sent to Raleigh for analysis. Typically, the local agencies waited months to get the results of those analyses back. At one time, Cumberland County prosecutors were waiting for more than 1,300 drug samples to be analyzed. 

    Two years ago, at the urging of District Attorney Billy West, city and county governments agreed to fund a local crime lab primarily to test illegal drugs. 

    Two years before that, county officials broke ground on an expansion of the Cumberland County Detention Center because of severe overcrowding. The original jail was built to house 568 inmates; but regularly held more than 640 men and women. The $15 million expansion project added 316 beds to the jail, which had been overcrowded for many years. The new addition expands the jail to an inmate capacity of 884, making it one of the largest detention centers in the state with 187 sworn officers and a civilian staff of 79. On average, the daily inmate population is about 740, according to Sheriff Earl “Moose” Butler, well below capacity.

    What does the crime lab have to do with easing jail overcrowding? 

    “It’s one of three actions taken in recent years to manage the detention center population,” said West. 

    A prosecutor was assigned to oversee jail operations and the Sheriff assigned a liaison officer to assist the D.A. The new Fayetteville forensic laboratory has provided test results in drug cases to the Sheriff and the Fayetteville Police Department in one to two weeks, explained West, who added, “Those cases represent up to 20 percent of our case load, and moving them through the courts rapidly results in a reduction of the detention center population.” 

    Integrated Forensic Laboratories LLC, of Texas, was hired to operate the local lab in a downtown, county-owned building. The company says it has operated labs supporting law-enforcement work for more than 40 years. Local law enforcement is no longer dependent on the overwhelmed state laboratory for analysis of evidence in substance abuse cases. The Sheriff’s Office would like to see the local lab expanded to include DNA testing. 

    “It’s expensive but needed,” said Sheriff’s Office Legal Counsel Ronnie Mitchell. The sheriff’s office budget request for Fiscal Year 17 includes $30,000 to begin DNA testing. The science of DNA analysis, he says, has become extremely sophisticated and requires the latest technology and trained personnel.       

  • news1A new Chief Jailer is taking charge of the Cumberland County Detention Center July 1. Captain Tandra Adams will assume the post from Major Larry Trotter, who is retiring. She is being promoted to major. Adams is the first woman and first African-American to serve as the Cumberland County Jail Administrator. She is a native of Fayetteville and has been employed with the Sheriff’s Office for 15 years, most of the time in the detention division. 

    “She possesses substantial relevant experience, knowledge and skill and is highly qualified in the area of detention facility management and supervision,” said Sheriff Earl ‘Moose’ Butler. She became the first detention officer to operate in the capacity of data-section supervisor when she was promoted to sergeant. In 2014, she was selected to attend the Administrative Officer Management Program at North Carolina State University. Upon graduation, she was promoted to the rank of captain and became a certified general instructor and earned the position of School Director for the Detention Officer’s Certification Course through Fayetteville Technical Community College. 

     

    News2

     

    Soldiers Adopt Local School                  

    A Fort Bragg artillery unit is closing a gap at Fayetteville’s Walker-Spivey Elementary School. “According to our federal data card, we only have one military-connected family in our school,” said Principal Erica Fenner-McAdoo. In preparation for Armed Forces Day, the school reached out to its local partnership unit, the 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade (ADA). “The 108th ADA greatly values our relationship with the local community,” said the commander Col. Joseph McCallion Jr. 

    The unit’s goal is to educationally enrich students’ lives by showing them how their education is the groundwork for a bright future. The 108th ADA tailors a unique message to each school in the Terry Sanford High School district. The connection with mathematics, science and physics can be made to students, even at an elementary age. 

    “We have College Day every fourth Friday of the month and decided that our last observance should be focused on the Armed Forces,” said Fenner-McAdoo. Soldiers spoke with students about their own pathway to the military and their educational experiences. A highlight was videos and a brief demonstration on how air defense is conducted. The demonstration was student led which allowed them the opportunity to experience the application of mathematics and science used in the air defense artillery field. 

    “The partnership between our school and the 108th ADA is very valuable,” said Fenner-McAdoo.

     

    news3Museum Anniversary                     

    The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week. The Museum opened on May 26, 2006, in the restored 1890 Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railroad Depot located downtown between Franklin and Russell Streets. The museum has two floors of artifact-filled exhibits. 

    “The history of our area is told from pre-history through the early 20th century,” said Museum Director Bruce Daws. 

    Located next door to the museum, the Transportation Annex portrays Fayetteville’s story with vintage automobiles and airplanes plus a recreated 1920s gas station. 

    In the museum annex, a special presentation entitled “Fayetteville’s 10” highlights famous and not so famous people, places and facts about Fayetteville. 

    “These 10 years have been made successful by dedicated staff and volunteers and supportive agencies and organizations,” said Daws. 

    Over the years, dozens of exhibits, presentations and collaborations have made this local history museum an important educational and recreational resource for the area. Admission is free.

     

    news4Fort Bragg Medical Clinic Renamed   

    Womack Army Medical Center has renamed the troop and family medical clinic inside Womack Army Medical Center in honor of Pvt. Kelly W. Byars, a native of Salisbury, North Carolina. He was a World War II combat medic assigned to the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. Byars received the Silver Star Medal for his actions on Sept. 20, 1944, in Holland during Operation Market Garden. 

    “When naming our medical facilities, we try to honor someone with ties to the military medical community, North Carolina, or Fort Bragg. Kelly Byars has ties to all three,” said Col. Lance Raney, Womack Army Medical Center commander. 

    The newly named Byars Health Clinic serves soldiers, airmen and family members assigned to Forces Command, U.S. Army Reserve Command, the XVIII Airborne Corps and the Air Force, as well as TRICARE Prime retirees and their families. The 51,000 square foot facility has the latest amenities and technology. Byars joins Specialist Five Lawrence Joel, General Roscoe Robinson Jr., Colonel Mildred Clark and Private First Class Bryant Womack as honored Army heroes who are the namesakes for healthcare facilities at Fort Bragg.

     

    news5The Best of North Carolina

    Governor Pat McCrory and First Lady Ann McCrory hosted military families at the Executive Mansion in Raleigh to thank service members, veterans and their families for their service. The event is an annual tradition for Governor and First Lady McCrory. 

    “Honoring and supporting our veterans, active duty military members and military families are among our most important priorities,” said McCrory. “These families are the best of North Carolina and understand better than anyone the sacrifices that accompany military service.” 

    In attendance were military families from numerous branches and bases including Fort Bragg, the state’s largest installation; Seymour Johnson Air Force Base; Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point; Marine Corps Air Station New River; Camp Lejeune; Camp Johnson and the North Carolina National Guard. 

    “We want to do everything we can to support our military families and thank them for their service and sacrifice,” said the First Lady. “Hosting these families at the Executive Mansion each year is a small way we can show our appreciation and support.”

     

    news6An Environment of Very Limited Growth”  

    “Cumberland County has not recovered from the 2008 recession,” said County Manager Amy Cannon in opening remarks before County Commissioners as she introduced her proposed FY17 operating budget. The budget reflects virtually no growth in tax revenues and in some cases, losses over the past year. Sales tax revenues are down statewide. Cannon referred to what she called a “new reality” in explaining the $430 million budget that reflects a general fund revenue gain of only 2 percent. “Cumberland County remains in a period of weak growth,” she said. But Cannon added, “This is not a message of doom and gloom.” The local economy shows a post-recession recurring average annual loss of $1.9 million. Cannon is recommending a general fund increase of $7.3 million in Fiscal 17, which begins July 1. There will be no tax increase. But there is no pay raise for county employees either. They will receive one-time $800 stipends to offset the higher cost of health care. County Commissioners are holding budget workshops over the next two weeks.

  • JEFF2Drive through any neighborhood in Fayetteville and you’ll be able to pick out the rentals because many of them stand out like sore thumbs. The grass this time of year is a foot high. Weeds have become small trees, and the shrubbery, if there is any, is overgrown. State and local governments have little authority to make rental occupants clean up their yards. The property owners can be held responsible, but it’s a daunting task for city code enforcement officers. Six officers are tasked with the chore of keeping up with Fayetteville’s estimated 90,000, according to Code Enforcement Director Scott Shuford. Rental housing, Shuford says, consumes 90 percent of their time. Three others look after commercial properties. 

    According to the 2010 census of Fayetteville’s occupied housing units, almost half were rentals, which is far higher than the approximately one-third of units across the state. A census update indicated renter-occupied homes increased over the following two years by another 2 percent. That equates to nearly 47,000 homes in the city that are occupied by renters. Many of them are managed by professional property-management firms. There are dozens of companies specializing in rentals. Dozens more real-estate firms have rental management divisions. And there are private citizens who look after their rental houses.

    A casual scan of prominent property management websites is revealing. Peachtree Properties, that “conducts routine inspections to ensure the tenants are keeping the home and lawn in an excellent state of repair.” Most others don’t even mention lawn care. Fayetteville businessman Ed Melvin owns and personally manages 52 rentals. “It’s the property owners’ responsibility to make sure their tenants know what is expected of them,” said Melvin. He says he wouldn’t be opposed to stricter city ordinance regulations requiring property owners to maintain higher appearance standards. “I introduce myself to the residents on both sides of my rental properties and give them my business card. I ask them to let me know if anything happens that I need to know about,” Melvin added.

    Fayetteville Mayor Pro Tem Mitch Colvin would like to see the city’s Unified Development Ordinance beefed up, and he himself is a landlord. “I have six houses, one of them is a duplex,” Colvin told Up & Coming Weekly. As a City Council member he’s keenly aware of his responsibilities to keep his properties clean inside and out. The county health department can also enforce laws governing environmental and health issues that result from unkempt yards. Colvin is on a one-man crusade of sorts to get Fayetteville cleaned up. His business is on Murchison Road about midway between Bullock and Jasper Streets. He tells how he has approached vagrants who regularly seek handouts in the area. He’s gotten to know them, and has put them to work cleaning up roadside trash. “I’ve offered to pay them five dollars a week to simply pick stuff up,” he said. And, it’s working. He sees them patrolling along that section of Murchison Road gathering up what inconsiderate drivers toss out of their cars. The men go so far as to tell others to leave the stuff alone … that they’ll take care of it. Maybe Colvin’s hit on something!

    Melvin has 53 rental house and apartments. He personally takes care of tenant needs if they’re unable to do for themselves. The vacancy rate grew as well, to 13.6 percent of the Fayetteville’s estimated 89,642 homes and 14.7 percent statewide.

    As a real estate investor, Cyndi McKinney limits the amount of properties she manages, because she personally performs your move-in, move-outand routine inspections — an important factor when considering someone to manage what is likely to be one of your largest investments.

    She selects tenants based on credit checks performed by Equifax, verification of income from pay vouchers and employment and previous landlord verifications

    McKinney actively markets your home for rent in the Fayetteville Observer, the Fayetteville NC MLS Multiple Listing Service, Fort Bragg and Pope AFB housing offices and her company website. She also arranges repairs and estimates promptly- — with owners’ approval

  • JEFF3Cumberland County’s Headquarters Library is turning 30. A celebration is set for Sunday, June 12, in the Pate Room of the library from 3-5 p.m. 

    The downtown library was opened at 300 Maiden lane in 1986 and replaced the main library on Anderson Street, which opened in 1931. The County set a referendum in 1968 to build a new library but, it failed. In 1982, a second bond referendum also failed but the need was greater than ever. County government agreed that if a citizen committee could raise some money, the county would match it with the rest of what would be needed to build the library. In 1983, the citizen’s group raised $700,000 and County Commissioners authorized a bid for construction of the library of $4.667 million. Construction was started in September 1984, and the building opened on June 1, 1986. 

    “A modern library has more open spaces. We depend more on technology and less on books than we used to,” said Branch Manager Jane Casto. But she added, “the World Book Encyclopedia is quite useful for many patrons.”  

    The public is still checking out books and DVDs, and librarians help patrons in many other ways, including using data bases. Librarians can even be booked for one-on-one consultations for up to 45 minutes by appointment. In the information services department, there are five fulltime librarians and another five in the local and state history division. Several full-time paraprofessionals assist them. 

    “We have a very well established online presence for folks working from home,” Casto said. 

    For those who actually go to the library, there are 40 computer work stations in the adult lab, with another six computers in the children’s lab. Half a dozen laptops can be checked out for use in the building, according to Casto. WiFi is available for those with their own laptops and smart phones, and all services are free.  

    Casto and Library Director Judy Risacher like to say “We welcome everyone on library property.” Street people have accepted the open invitation for several years now. 

    “We encourage them to come in,” said Casto. “We have rules, but we want to maintain a welcoming environment,” she added. 

    One reason the downtown library is popular among vagrants is the convenient access to wash rooms. They’re located in the vestibule outside the interior of the building. Two security guards are on duty at all times when the library is open. They enforce the rules, one of which is that groups of four people or more who are being loud or blocking the entrance are asked to disperse. 

    The 30th Anniversary celebration is in the Pate Room of the Headquarters Library. Refreshments will be served and a video of an historic time line will be shown, according to Casto. 

  • JEFF1Hurricane season is upon us. Hurricane Fran was one of the most destructive storms to hit our state. It struck North Carolina 20 years ago this year, on a path similar to that of Hurricane Hazel 40 years earlier. Both occurred toward the end of the hurricane season and had remarkable similarities. Both storms glanced Fayetteville causing millions of dollars in damage. On October 14, 1954, the National Weather Bureau issued a warning for the Carolinas, with the caveat that the worst of Hurricane Hazel was expected to stay offshore. Instead, the storm took a northwest turn and headed toward land. It killed at least 400 people in Haiti before striking the North and South Carolina border as a Category 4 hurricane. On October 15, Hazel moved inland on a northerly trek through Eastern North Carolina into Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. It brought gusts of 100 mph and caused $281 million (1954 USD) in damage. Ninety-five fatalities were attributed to Hazel in the U.S. She struck Canada as an extratropical storm, raising the death toll by 81 people, mostly in Toronto. Hazel is still regarded as the North Carolina storm by which all others are judged. Its name was retired from use for North Atlantic hurricanes. 

    Hurricane Fran came ashore south of Wilmington on Thursday night, September 5, 1996. It developed as a tropical wave two weeks earlier. Fran peaked as a 120 mph Category 3 hurricane but weakened slightly as she made landfall near Cape Fear overnight. Then Fran moved into interior eastern North Carolina. The storm’s center took a path across the towns of Delco, White Lake, Roseboro, Dunn and Buies Creek. Although weakening, Fran still brought hurricane-force wind gusts and tremendous damage to trees and power lines across a broad swath of eastern North Carolina. Wind gusts were measured at 100 mph in Greenville, 81 mph in Goldsboro and 80 mph in both Fayetteville and Raleigh. 

    The storm continued to weaken inland and was only a tropical depression the next day. Memories remain fresh for public safety crews and PWC linemen who went to work immediately after Fran had passed. Fayetteville firefighters had been told by their chief to remain in their stations if and when winds hit 60 mph. The New York Timeswrote on Sept. 6 that “As the storm moved inland, it maintained its strength as a hurricane, with its highest winds about 80 M.P.H. as it passed just east of Fayetteville, N.C., about 1 a.m. today. It continued to cause widespread damage and spin off tornadoes while moving north.” Five shelters were opened in Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Spring Lake. High winds took down trees and toppled them across power lines all over Fayetteville. Electrical power and cable TV was out for several days.

    According to the Associated Press, of the 37 deaths caused by Fran, 21 occurred in North Carolina. Most of them were caused by accidents from fallen trees, including trees falling on houses and automobile crashes into fallen trees.  Total insured losses were estimated to be about $1.275 billion. Eventually, Hurricane Fran curved east-northeastward and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone as it continued up the Atlantic seaboard, again hitting Ontario, Canada, early on the morning of Sept. 9. 

  • STAFF-REPORT1The National Defense Authorization Act for 2017 includes a plan to overhaul and improve TRICARE for active duty service members, reservists, retirees and their family members. It incorporates several provisions proposed by Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC). Tillis originally offered the proposals to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) in February. He says the establishment of a high performance military-civilian integrated health delivery system is integral to the amendment. “Our service members make enormous sacrifices in defense of our freedom, and they deserve access to the timely and quality healthcare choices that work best for them and their families,” said Tillis. The TRICARE system will increase collaboration between the military and private sector, ultimately improving health outcomes for TRICARE beneficiaries,” he added. The Tillis proposals would improve healthcare and enhance the treatment of beneficiaries as local military treatment facilities create working relationships with private sector healthcare systems. A news release from Tillis’ office said formal relationships would foster innovation in military treatment facilities, enhance operational medical force readiness, improve access to specialized medical care and strengthen care coordination through integration of all activities of these new health delivery systems. 

     

    STAFFREPORT2Summer Means Storms               

    As reported elsewhere in this edition, hurricane season is almost here. Cumberland County Emergency Services cautions that residents should be prepared by updating their emergency plans and supply kits. County Commissioners joined the governor in approving a proclamation declaring Hurricane Preparedness Week. The season officially begins June 1 and runs through November. Traditionally August through mid-October is the most active time for hurricanes in North Carolina. “It’s important to act now before storms strike,” said Emergency Services Director Randy Beeman. 

    A disaster-preparedness kit should contain enough non-perishable food and a gallon of water per person, per day for at least three days, preferably up to a week. Other essentials include: a manual can opener, copies of insurance papers and ID in a sealed, watertight plastic bag; a basic first-aid kit; portable weather radio and extra batteries; prescription medicines; personal hygiene items and some cash in case electricity stays out for a while. If you have pets, don’t forget their needs. Stay informed during a storm by having a battery-powered radio for weather and evacuation information. Know evacuation routes and the location of public shelters. To sign up for the county’s severe weather CodeRED notification service, visit co.cumberland.nc.us or call 678-7641.

     

    STAFFREPORT3Citizen Commission Rules Changes     

    A standing committee of Fayetteville City Council is unanimously recommending that Council modify the process by which citizens are named to local boards and commissions. Longtime Councilman Bobby Hurst has chaired the five-member appointments committee for more than eight years. He, plus Mayor Nat Robertson and Council members Bill Crisp and Chalmers McDougald voted unanimously to provide that applications for membership received after the administrative deadline not be considered. However, the proposed City Code revisions would allow nominations to be received from the floor when council considers nominations for vacancies on citizen advisory boards. Councilwoman Kathy Jensen did not attend. She told Hurst she forgot about the meeting. Other proposed changes in the City Code are that the mayor and four members of council will make up the committee. They would be appointed by the mayor. The recommendations will be considered by the full council at its work session June 6.

     

    STAFFREPORT4Playground Pooper Busted                        

    Cumberland County school authorities decided they’d had enough after repeatedly finding human feces on the Rockfish Elementary School playground. Staff had to clean playground equipment frequently. After a few weeks, the Hope Mills school officials decided they had enough of the serial pooper. Cumberland County security coordinator Bruce Morrison had cameras installed around the playground. They caught the culprit on video and notified the sheriff’s office. Eighteen-year-old Robert Christopher Elliott and his younger brother were nabbed and arrested for defecating on public property, according to Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Sean Swain. Both were charged with second-degree trespassing. The older brother also faces misdemeanor charges of injury to real property and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

  • 051816JEFF11Five years after his release from prison, James Butler, 49, of Fayetteville, is looking for a job. 

    Butler spent eight months behind bars for assault. Previously, he worked as a machine operator after getting out of jail, but he got in trouble again, when he was charged with DWI. He is now on probation. Thanks to a new program in Cumberland County, Butler’s prospect of finding another job is better than you might think. 

    On May 13, he attended a Cumberland County community resource meeting for ex-offenders, wearing a white shirt and tie and polished shoes. Butler wanted to learn more about the program for individuals who have been convicted of felonies. 

    “Most ex-felons say that their greatest desire upon release is to be given a fair chance to succeed in America,” Dr. Tracey Andrus writes in Corrections.com. “When businesses close their doors to ex-felons, and private and public entities refuse to allow them a chance to work, what other recourse do they have?” 

    He is Director of Criminal Justice at a private historically black college in East Texas. He looked closely at this topic because African Americans make up approximately 47 percent of the inmate population in the United States.  

    The local meeting, sponsored by Project Fresh Start, focused on helping individuals who have been convicted of felonies to find employment and affordable housing. Ex-offenders who are released from prison and acquire gainful employment and have the support of their loved ones are much more likely to stay out of prison longer and in many cases never return, research shows. 

    County Commissioner Charles Evans, himself a convicted felon, organized Project Fresh Start. He was convicted of drug possession and embezzlement and was on probation for eight months until he paid $3,000 in restitution. Evans has been elected to public office four times since then. 

    “Sometimes we make mistakes, but those mistakes shouldn’t follow us the rest of our lives,” said Evans. 

    In 2011, he persuaded his fellow county commissioners to “ban the box” on job applications. That means persons seeking work with the county can apply without revealing if they have a criminal record. They even go through their initial interview without being asked if they’ve been convicted of a felony, according to county Human Resources Consultant Laura Blackley. Once a background check has been completed, applicants are asked about the crimes they were convicted of and how long it had been since they were released. They’re asked what they’ve done with their lives since then, according to Blackley. If everything checks out, the applicants’ backgrounds are matched with the job they’re seeking. The City of Fayetteville has also banned the box.

    A couple of dozen former felons attended the meeting and were told “Cumberland County believes in you,” by County Commission Chairman Marshall Faircloth. 

    Other local and state government agencies participated in the meeting, encouraging offenders to apply. They included the county re-entry program, the North Carolina Works Career Center, Cumberland County Public Library, the Department of Social Services, Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority and Fayetteville Area System of Transit.

  • 051816JEFF9Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission is quietly improving the city’s night scene by lighting it up. Bright LED street lights are replacing older fixtures. It’s taking time and a lot of money. “In the coming fiscal year alone PWC will spend $7.3 million in thoroughfare, street and area lighting,” said PWC General Manager David Trego. The LED lights being installed were chosen following consultation with Fayetteville Police after a downtown pilot test project. Trego says the return on investment will break even in five years once the installation is complete because of the more efficient and longer lasting LED lights. PWC began installing the new lights in 2014. Trego says the project should be completed by 2021 at a total cost of $41 million. 

    Unfortunately, not all areas of the city will benefit from the upgrade. Another unintended consequence of the ‘big bang’ annexation several years ago was that areas formerly in the county are not being upgraded because the city-owned utility does not serve those areas. The N.C. Utilities Commission protects the investments of the power companies that provided electricity there prior to annexation. City Councilman Chalmers McDougald asked Trego about that. McDougald represents some of the areas served by Duke Energy Progress as well as Lumbee River EMC and South River EMC. Thousands of residents are on those electrical power systems that are now inside the city limits. “The street lights out there are 40 years old,” McDougald said. 

    That is no exaggeration. Duke Energy says about 25 percent of its outdoor lights use obsolete mercury vapor fixtures, identifiable by their cool, bluish light. Most of those fixtures were installed decades ago and have long since come to the end of their useful life. PWC replaced mercury vapor lights years ago with brighter sodium vapor lights which have also become obsolete. PWC’s Trego said he will invite representatives of the electricity providers which serve annexed areas of Fayetteville to come to a community meeting. McDougald’s hope is the three companies will adopt a mutually agreeable program to upgrade their street lights. They’ll also be asked to add additional utility poles which currently are much farther apart than those on the PWC system. 

    “LED lights last for 17 years at one half the cost of sodium vapor fixtures,” said Trego. In 2014, Duke Energy Progress said it had launched initiatives to modernize outdoor lighting across its service area. It received approval from the Utilities Commission to replace more than 100,000 mercury vapor street and area lights with LED fixtures. The project is part of the utility’s Lighting Modernization Program in its North Carolina service area which apparently hasn’t reached suburban Fayetteville. The utility has also proposed a replacement plan for its customers in South Carolina.

  • 051816JEFF1Fayetteville City Council surprisingly said “no” to a vote of the people in November on whether terms of office should be changed. Councilman Larry Wright floated the idea of changing members’ terms from two to four years. A majority of Council was against the idea, but publically supported putting it to a referendum. That all changed last week when council voted 5-5 against any change. A tie vote kills the plan. The proposal would have divided candidates for City Council into two groups to serve staggered four year terms. Staggered terms wouldn’t have allowed an entire council to be held accountable. The codes of ordinances for most, large municipalities in North Carolina provide for two-year terms of office. 

    051816JEFF2Chamber Hires New CEO – Again               

    Fayetteville Business Consultant Darsweil Rogers has taken the reins as Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber. He succeeds Rodney Anderson who unexpectedly submitted his resignation last week. Anderson retired from the Army in 2012 as a two-star general, and was hired by the Chamber six months ago. Rogers will serve as president “for an unspecified time and will focus on continuing the action plan presented in the Task Force 2025 report at the end of last year,” according to Chamber Chairman Brian Kent. Anderson has decided to pursue other business interests according to Kent. Chamber insiders are disappointed that membership continues to decline from what it was 20 years ago when it peaked at 1,500. Kent says the roster today is 750 members, despite a concerted effort to recruit new business people. Rogers also serves as Chairman of Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission. He brings more than 30 years of experience in business and finance. He spent many years on Wall Street and specializes in executive business coaching and management training.                                

     

    Troops Return Home                             

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    Soldiers of the 18th Field Artillery Brigade headquarters are back home at Fort Bragg following a nine-month deployment to the Middle East. About 100 soldiers and their families were reunited at Pope Field. The brigade colors were uncased, symbolizing the unit’s return. The unit headquarters commanded all U.S. Field Artillery elements the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. They provided targeting, coordination and synchronization of long-range-precision firing. Central Command is responsible for the U.S. military presence in 20 nations including the Middle East.

    The 18th Field Artillery Brigade is America’s contingency Field Artillery Brigade supporting its parent XVIII Airborne Corps as well as Special Operations Forces. 

     

     

     

     

    051816JEFF4Fort Bragg Extended Day Care … Someday  

    Additional available child care is making a difference for some military working parents, especially those in the Navy. The program hasn’t yet been implemented in the Army. The added flexibility is relieving stress that can happen when workstretches beyond 6 p.m. - closing time. Too often, parents find themselves racing to pick up their children at military child development centers. “If I don’t get to day care on time, I feel like I’m a horrible mom,” Navy Lt. Rita Johnson told the Military Times. She and her husband are among hundreds of military parents who have benefited from Navy and Marine Corps child development centers extending their operating hours. They open at 5 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. The Army expects to complete its analysis by the end of May and will likely start increasing day care hours at some locations in October, according to Army spokesman Dave Foster. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has extended those extra hours of operation to all the service branches. 

    051816JEFF5City Recognizes Excellence

    Fayetteville residents are asked to nominate city employees for its Core Values Award. It’s a program that recognizes City employees for their exemplary performance. The program is designed to recognize and increase employee engagement in providing excellence in job performance on behalf of the City’s customers … it’s citizens. All City employees are eligible for recognition and can be nominated by fellow employees and the community at large. The deadline for the upcoming July Core Values Award program is May 31. For more information, including the form, visit the City’s website at www.FayettevilleNC.gov/CoreValuesAward.  

    051816JEFF6FSU Professor honored                                  

    Fayetteville State University’s 2016 Excellence in Teaching award winner is Dr. Heather M. Griffiths. She’s an associate professor of sociology and has taught at Fayetteville State University for nine years. Her movie reviews appear in Up & Coming Weekly each week.. Griffiths uses teaching methods that encourage active learning such as debating contemporary issues. She challenges her students to understand the interplay of race, gender and class by guiding them through discussions that focus on the complexity of various perspectives. In 2010, she developed a lower-level sociology course called The Global Society. The course introduces students to pressing worldwide issues, equips them to live and work in a globally interdependent world and encourages them to become responsible citizens. In one letter of support, a student wrote that, “her class discussions were thought-provoking and forced students to think outside of the box on various social issues and problems.” Griffiths holds a bachelor’s in sociology and a bachelor’s in anthropology from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. She earned her master’s from the University of Delaware in 2003, and her PhD from the University of Delaware in 2007.

     

     

    051816JEFF7E.E. Smith Principal Melody Chalmers Named Wells Fargo North Carolina     Principal of the Year

    There’s something about being the headmaster of Fayetteville’s E.E. Smith High School. Principal Melody Chalmers is the 2016 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year. She is the third Smith principal among four in Cumberland County to be selected for this honor in the 33-year history of the Principal of the Year competition. 

    “Melody is known as an innovative problem solver who is committed to the academic and personal growth of each of her students and teachers,” said State Superintendent June Atkinson. 

    The 18-year veteran of public education received a bachelor’s degree in English education from North Carolina A&T State University and a master’s in school administration from Fayetteville State University. She has served her entire administrative career in Cumberland County Schools. 

    As Wells Fargo Principal of the Year, Chalmers receives $3,000 for personal use and $3,000 for her school and a custom-made signet ring and pendant. She will serve as a member of the State Superintendent’s Principals’ Advisory Committee, and as an adviser to the State Board of Education and the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Public School Forum.

     

     

     

     

     

    051816JEFF8More Charges against Accused Pedophile   

    Former part-time coach Rodney Scott’s bond is now $17.3 million. He’s being held in the Cumberland County Detention Center. “Fayetteville Police detectives have served 55 additional warrants on Scott,” said Lt. David McLaurin. He said yet another victim, who was 13 at the time he was molested, has come forward. Scott was previously accused by at least five men who claimed they had been sexually assaulted as children. The most recent victim told police his episodes with Scott occurred during most of 2014 while in foster care at Scott’s home.  A dedicated phone line established to report criminal misconduct involving Scott has been discontinued without explanation. McLaurin says anyone who believes they have been a victim of Scott’s should contact police at 433-1529.

     

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    How does Fayetteville present itself to America? There are at least a dozen communities named Fayetteville around the country. Many of them are very small towns. Three of them are profiled herein. 

    Fayetteville, Texas, is the smallest. It’s a rural community about halfway between Austin and Houston. Its population was 274 in the 2010 census. According to the town’s web page, the settlement of Fayetteville was established by three families of Austin’s Old Three Hundred, and was originally a stagecoach stop for travelers. The town was named Fayetteville in 1844 and was later incorporated in 1882.

    The City of Fayetteville, Texas, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has more than 300 historic structures. There are many historic markers and plaques around the courthouse square. The town’s water tower is the community’s most prominent landmark and gives the city its identity. It was built in the early 1930s.

    Fayetteville is a bustling community with non-stop activities ranging from acoustic pickin’ in the park to chamber music concerts. It has an Arts for Rural Texas program and features regular book signings and lectures by prominent artists.

    Fayetteville, Arkansas, is a college town. It’s home to the University of Arkansas. It’s the mid-size Fayetteville with a population of 74,000, and is the third largest city in Arkansas. When classes are in session, students on campus dramatically change the city’s demographics. Thousands of loyal Arkansas Razorbacks alumni and fans travel to Fayetteville to attend football and basketball games. 

    The city’s logo contains its official seal. Although much of northwest Arkansas has grown with Walmart’s ascent to the #1 corporation listed by the Fortune 500, Fayetteville has made it clear that the city prefers to associate itself with the University of Arkansas rather than the worldwide retailer. Walmart is based in nearby Bentonville, and is one of six Fortune 500 corporations in the state (the others are Dillard’s, J.B. Hunt, Murphy Oil, Tyson Foods and Windstream). 

    The city derives its cultural identity from the University of Arkansas, exhibiting many trademarks of a college town such as a prominent arts and music scene, emphasis on local businesses, college-oriented bar/restaurant entertainment district and progressive residents. Fayetteville’s Historic Square has been the center of town since 1829. The square plays host to a variety of events, including First Thursday on the Square, the Block Street Block Party and the Lights of the Ozarks Festival. The square is constituted of both historic structures and new construction including boutiques, restaurants, music venues, museums, condos, the visitor center, and a convention center.

    Fayetteville, N.C., is an Army town and is the largest of all the cities named Fayetteville. It has an estimated population of 204,408 making it the sixth-largest municipality in North Carolina. It has received the All-America City Award from the National Civic League three times. Fayetteville is in the Sandhills on the Cape Fear River. Fort Bragg and Pope Army Airfield Field are just north of the city. Several U.S. Army airborne units are stationed at Fort Bragg, most prominently the XVIII Airborne Corps HQ, the 82nd Airborne Division, and the United States Army Special Operations Command. 

    The city no longer uses its official seal as its logo. The centerpiece of the logo was the familiar Market House, which African American City Council members found objectionable because slaves were occasionally sold there in Ante Bellum Fayetteville. 

     

    In late June 1775, residents drew up the “Liberty Point Resolves,” which preceded the Declaration of Independence by a little more than a year. Robert Rowan, who apparently organized the group, signed first. He was one of the area’s leading public figures of the 18th century. A merchant and entrepreneur, he settled in Cross Creek in the 1760s. He served as an officer in the French and Indian War, as sheriff, legislator, and as a leader of the Patriot cause in the Revolutionary War. Seventy-First Township in western Cumberland County (now a part of Fayetteville) is named for a British regiment during the American Revolution — the 71st Regiment of Foot. Fayetteville, NC, was named for Marquis de Lafayette, the French hero of the Revolutionary War. It was the first city in the United States named for him, and the only namesake he visited.


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    A recent sobriety checkpoint in Fayetteville confirmed a pattern; drunk driving is down. 

    “I’m thrilled to death that the checkpoints don’t result in more arrests than they do. That’s great news,” said Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock. Of 155 charges brought against violators during the latest checkpoint, only seven were for DWI. Police roadblocks are staged regularly in Fayetteville and across North Carolina to enforce the “Booze It & Lose It” anti-drunk driving campaign. “It’s becoming a stigma for people to drive drunk,” Medlock added.

    With every gain, there’s a loss: The checkpoints are resulting in dozens of drivers being cited for driving without a license or proper vehicle registration. Medlock says his officers use discretion in deciding whether to issue warning tickets or citations when motorists are caught without licenses. He calls it “compassionate law enforcement” for officers to take personal circumstances into account before ticketing them. In the recent checkpoint on Robeson Street at Weiss Avenue late on a Friday night, cops cited 47 drivers for not having licenses or current motor vehicle registrations. Some others received warning tickets but those numbers were not available.

    Another 49 drivers were arrested for driving while their licenses were revoked. What about them? “Personally I think all those folks ought to go to jail,” Medlock said. But again he has compassion for some. “I’m not a bleeding heart liberal, but you have to take into account a person working six days a week trying to feed a family, who misses his court date and now has an extra burden.” That’s a time when an officer takes circumstances into account before writing a ticket. 

    Some law enforcement officials believe it would be a deterrent if cars could be impounded for driving without a license and other major traffic violations. 

    “There are only a few specific laws that allow us to impound vehicles,” said Highway Patrol Sgt. Michael Baker, such as a driver who is apprehended after fleeing from police. That’s a felony — or, when a driver is found impaired within 30 days of a DWI license suspension.” Motorists whose cars have been impounded can appeal the decision before the Clerk of Court, who determines the disposition,
    he added.

    There apparently is no mood in Raleigh to strengthen impound laws. Changing the law to allow impounding “would be too strict a penalty,” said Sen. Wesley Meredith (R-Cumberland), Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. “If I make an arrest for driving with a revoked license I have the authority to have the car towed,” Chief Medlock clarified. But towing is not impounding. Medlock says it is nonetheless a severe penalty when towing and storage fees are taken into account.

    Among other charges filed during the Robeson Street checkpoint were 26 various other traffic violations, five for open alcohol containers, five inspection violations, seven misdemeanor drug violations, three felony drug arrests and a handful of other charges. Also, 13 people with active ‘wanted’ warrants were taken into custody. All in all, a successful operation. It involved 76 officers of local police departments and the State Highway Patrol.


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    Interim Fayetteville City Manager Doug Hewett introduced the public to his budget proposal for the fiscal year, which begins July 1. He went over the budget in somewhat greater detail with City Council members last week. He and his senior management team met with councilmen in small groups of two and three, something former manager Ted Voorhees started last year. The intimate sessions give Hewett an opportunity to feel out each council member without them being influenced by others. 

    Most city employees will get what’s called a mid-point two-percent merit pay raise. The city will share an increase in healthcare costs with employees. Public safety continues to be one of Council’s top priorities in FY17. A fire department step pay plan, which was initiated this fiscal year, will remain in effect. The police department has had a step plan in place for several years. Hewett is proposing education incentive bonuses for firefighters. The education incentive will benefit rank-and-file firefighters through the rank of lieutenant. “We must groom fire department leaders of tomorrow now,” Fire Chief Ben Major told Up & Coming Weekly. Hewett’s plan will reward firemen with associate degrees with an extra $1,500 annually. Those with baccalaureate degrees would receive an additional $3,000.  “My concern is what to do about those above the rank of lieutenant,” said Councilman Bill Crisp. “Currently they receive only what’s appropriated in the annual overall pay plan.” Crisp has said he intends to champion the cause of firefighters who until last year were left out of public safety pay increases. “We need a happy fire department,” added Crisp.

    With the new fiscal year, the city will begin building an escrow account to support payment of parks and recreation municipal bond sales. Those bonds will be sold over a seven-year period to build $35 million dollars in new and refurbished facilities. In March voters approved a tax increase of $.0135 per $100 of assessed property valuation. Those improvements won’t begin for at least another year yet. Council is just beginning the process of establishing a detailed financial plan to prioritize projects. Construction of half a dozen splash pads will likely be among the first projects. 

    In his budget message, Hewett proposes an operating budget of nearly $226 million across all funds except for the city-owned but independently operated Public Works Commission. The PWC budget will be presented to Council separately. The new ad valorem property tax rate will be $0.4995 which includes the parks bond referendum increase. “Our desire in achieving your goals is to keep our customers — our residents — in mind throughout the entire process, knowing that we serve them,” said Hewett.

     

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    Fayetteville police have put an accused serial pedophile behind bars. Rodney Scott, a former part-time basketball coach at two Cumberland County schools, was arrested May 2 for allegedly molesting a 14-year-old boy. The youth told detectives that Scott assaulted him in April 2015 at Scott’s home. He was initially charged with taking indecent liberties with a child. Since then, detectives with the FPD’s Youth Services Unit have received reports of additional allegations from at least five other young boys who say they too were molested by Scott between June and August 2006 and April and May 2007. Scott faces five additional counts of statutory sex offense with a child. One of the victims, who was 15-years-old at the time of the offense, reported that Scott assaulted him in the spring of 2003, also at Scott’s residence. The most recent victims came forward after police established a dedicated phone line for persons who want to report criminal misconduct involving Rodney Scott, said Lt. David McLaurin. The phone line, (910) 433-1163, is available Monday-Friday, 8: a.m. – 9 p.m. Callers may leave voicemail messages after hours or on weekends. Or if they choose, people may call Crime Stoppers at (910) 483-TIPS. Information can also be submitted via text-a-tip on smart phones to 274637 followed by your message. Confirmed allegations suggest other incidents may have occurred over a period of many years, according to McLaurin. 


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    Job Training for Veterans 

    A lot of emphasis is being put on hiring military veterans across America. The Veterans Affairs Department is one of the agencies championing the cause. Fayetteville VA Job Placement and Employment Coordinator Jim Warner says a local program is among the first of its kind helping to train veterans. He says hundreds are already in the program in Fayetteville. 

    The VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program provides veterans non-paid work experiences. Only government agencies are asked to provide intern-like job training at no cost to the agencies. The City of Fayetteville is partnering with the VA by pledging to provide eligible veterans with practical work experience. The veterans receive subsistence allowances from the VA during the six-month program. 


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    Health Survey 

    Local residents are invited to complete a community health opinion survey as part of the local 2016 health needs assessment. The Cumberland County Health Department and Cape Fear Valley Health System are collaborating to gather the information. The survey will provide information about the health and well-being of Cumberland County residents and help identify needs, concerns and health problems based upon the opinions of residents. An action plan will be developed based on the survey data and other information gleaned from state databases. Residents are asked to take a few minutes to complete the online survey no later than May 20. The survey is available on Health Department’s webpage at www.co.cumberland.nc.us/health.

     

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    City of Fayetteville Summer Internships 

    The City of Fayetteville is partnering with Fayetteville State University to provide two summer internships. Two FSU students, Sabrena Clayton and Robert Freeman, will work in the city’s Information Technology Department’s Business Intelligence and Innovation division. The internship begins on May 16 and last for 10 weeks. 

    “We are excited to have Sabrena and Robert intern with the City of Fayetteville this summer,” said Dwayne Campbell, Chief Information Officer. The expectation is that the students will learn about how the city uses technology to improve decision making, service delivery and citizen engagement. These internships will occur in IT and Planning & Code Enforcement and will be paid for by a grant through FSU to place students in summer jobs in local government. Since implementation of the new program in 2015, students from Methodist University and Fayetteville State have participated in the city’s internship program, departmental research projects and volunteer opportunities at city-sanctioned events. 


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    More Army Uniform Changes May Be Coming

    Additional uniform changes could be in the offing for the Army. A lighter, better-fitting Army Service Uniform shirt is among issues that have been raised by Sergeant Major of the Army Dan Dailey. Most recently, the ASU became the uniform worn by United States Army personnel where business dress is called for. The Army Combat Uniform is used in combat and casual dress situations. It’s commonly seen on soldiers in Fayetteville. The ASU was originally created as a secondary uniform to the former Army “class A greens.” It was issued to all soldiers in the fall of 2010, and eventually replaced the “Army Green” service uniform and the “Army White” uniform. It’s based on the current dress uniform known as “dress blues,” which has its roots in the uniform that dates back to the Revolutionary War. The Continental Army outfitted its soldiers in blue to distinguish them from the red uniform coats of the British Army. As for the future, an updated version of the Eisenhower jacket, made popular by Gen. Dwight Eisenhower during World War II is being considered. Also under consideration is improving the ASU’s white shirt. Soldiers have slammed the shirt for being too bulky, heavy and difficult to clean. An anonymous Army official said that it “will take several months” before any approved recommendations are presented.


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    FTCC achieves record numbers of Graduates

    Fayetteville Technical Community College announces it is holding its 54th annual commencement exercises on Friday, May 13, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum with this year’s commencement speaker being State Representative John Szoka. According to FTCC officials this is the largest recorded number of FTCC graduates to date earning degrees, diplomas and certificates.


  • 05-11-11-sharon-valentine.jpgIt’s not over yet! The tornadoes — those twisting serpents of destruction that have left those of us with personal experience our own version of post-traumatic stress syndrome. After a forest fire on the farm last month and a tornado through the neighborhood two weeks ago I was joking that if I got anywhere near water, start evacuating. But after calling a friend with a daughter at the University of Alabama on Wednesday night and watching the skies over the farm while the weather channel was squawking tornado warnings, I came back to Fayetteville last Thursday and had a total “meltdown”.

    Something suddenly snapped as stress chemicals poured into my bloodstream that, as the doctor later explained, mimicked a small stroke —speech impairment, disorientation, light headedness — a roller-coaster ride of fluctuating blood pressure and constricting veins. It was a physical experience that gave me some insight to “survivor wisdom.”

    The first major realization is that no matter how early the warning and how quickly we move to a “safe place” some of these storms are not survivable. Whether the cause for climate change is global warming, solar flares or the position of our solar system as it rotates through the universe it is all speculation.

    Will an extremely hot summer speed up the melting of the northern permafrost and cause a huge release of methane into the atmosphere? Will the warmer than usual waters result in a more benign hurricane season? Is it too late to mitigate any of the human impact on the vulnerable environment (i.e. oil spills, radiation leaks, etc.)? The hard truth is that no matter what the forecast trends, the human body is too fragile to withstand raging natural forces.

    But there is a second lesson from survivorship. For those of us that were literally trapped in our neighborhoods after the tornado — trees and debris making streets inaccessible, the subdivisions rendered incommunicado and no way to get to the outside world it, was the small basics that became tools of sustainability for a few days:

    • A landline phone on which we could call out even if we could not receive calls coming in.

    • Battery-operated radios

    • Car gas tanks filled earlier in the day that could provide charges for cell phones and radios.

    • Water bottles filled earlier in the day and frozen for ice and insulation.

    Rescue teams and emergency services were coming but Saturday night there was no way to talk with them. We had no idea there had been a press conference, where to go or even the track of the tornado until my insurance agent called my cell very late that night to give me reports off her laptop and an offer to try to get in, if needed, to get me out.

    On Sunday, families who elected not to evacuate scrambled for information. You all know the heartening stories of volunteers and long hours by emergency services as they set up staging areas and searched for the injured. A few that will always come to mind for me are:

    • Jim Cook of WFNC broadcasting Sunday afternoon to help with emergency information and then working after 10 p.m. to be ready to go on the air Monday at 6 a.m. with more updates.

    • Robert Jenkins of Home Depot sending generators to the emergency areas to charge cell phone and laptops — and garbage bags.

    • The mayor’s administrative assistant, Brenda, staying on the line to be sure we reached the right department offi cial to handle requests from inside the “zone.”

    • City inspections offi cer Doug Naylor, who immediately moved city permit stations to the “check points,” and sped up procedures for contractors rushing to answer calls for assistance.

    The Fayetteville Observer being delivered to aide stations with news and phone numbers.

    • Military personnel, church groups, Samaritan’s Purse armed with tarps and chainsaws to help elderly and young families remove the trees from the houses — and piling debris neatly at the curb.

    It was an “in your face” lesson on how we assume our modern technology “links” us and how flexible we must be when there is no TV news, no radio programs to broadcast local programming and no way to charge cell phones or get calls through in emergency situations.

    It was people walking down the streets carrying ice, gas cans and “what have you heard?” bulletins that brought in the news.

    As the curfews began to be lifted, the green permits left in the house and the damage diminish (at least visibly) — as life begins to resume some of its normal rhythm that I have one last survivor lesson — especially as I acknowledge my own vulnerability:

    In times of danger and insecurity, your greatest safety is with your neighbors — the family or people next door. Get to know them. Speak to them. Care for them. They are the source of strength that as you step outside into a new and devastated landscape come up to give you a hug of reassurance.

    Photo: Soldiers from the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School volunteered their time in a Fayetteville community to help clean up in the aftermath of the tornado. These soldiers were just a few of the many people in the community and around the state that reach out to help. U.S. Army Photo by SSG Russell Klika.

  • Destination Amnesia

    He said: “Where were you? I was worried.”

    She said: “I told you this morning I was going shopping after work.”05-25-11-talkingonphone.jpg

    He said: “You did not tell me.”

    She: “Yes I did!”

    He: “No you didn’t!

    ”The reality was that she had really told her daughter in the morning, not her husband.

    Did you ever have one of these conversations? Well, if you did you are certainly not unique. We prob-ably all heard the phrase “stop me if I’ve told you this before.” We all forget things now and then but telling the same story to someone more than once really can be a sign you are getting older.

    Destination memory is remembering who you have told things to. Dr. Nigel Gopie from Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute in Canada conducted a study comparing older and younger adults’ destina-tion memory. He said, “What we’ve found is that older adults tend to experience more destination amnesia than younger adults.” Destination amnesia is defined as incor-rectly believing that you gave or shared information with one person when, in fact, you really told another person. One reason for this condition is that people, especially as they get older, have a decreased ability to focus. They use up most of their attention resources in just providing the information. As a result, they don’t always concentrate as much on who the person is that they are sharing the information with. While generally this is not a big problem, there are times when it can be very disruptive to everyday living and can result in unnecessary stress and arguments. This can also be a problem leading to miscommunication in the doctor’s office which is a good reason that someone should accompany an older adult to a doc-tor’s appointment.

    Dr. Gopie also stated, “Older adults are additionally highly confident, compared to younger adults, that they have never told people particular things when they ac-tually had. This over-confidence presumably causes older adults to repeat information to people.” On the other hand, source memory is not vulnerable to age-related decline. Source memory is the ability to recall which person told you certain information.

    Dr. Gopie offers a couple of tips if you sus-pect you are forgetting who you share information with. First, refocus attention on the person that you’re talking to by inserting their name when you tell them things (“James, you wouldn’t believe the trouble I had with...”). Second, integrate them into the story (“Remember the problems you had at the dry cleaner, Sam? It happened to me...”).

    So, next time you have one of those “no you didn’t — yes I did, but you weren’t listening” discussions, just say: “I’m sorry honey, but I think you are having one of those “destination amnesia” moments. At least now you have a clinical term to use in your defense. Then again, if you are like me, maybe you really weren’t ef-fectively listening.

    Photo: Telling the same story to someone more than once really can be a sign you are getting older.

  • Although I am not a doctor, I was in the medical field at one point of my life. So I feel good about my diagnosis and prognosis for this article.

    My friend Rick and I met some friends at Natural Bridge, Va., for a rally hosted by Morton’s BMW. Nestled north of Roanoke between the Blue Ridge Parkway and I-81 this place was load-ed with riding adventure. As we were getting ready to leave for that day’s ride another rider asked to join us. I can’t remem-ber his name but for the sake of this article I will call him KLIM because he was wearing KLIM protective gear.

    KLIM was wired: high-tech clothes, safety equipment and high-tech ac-cessories. Between his GPS and his high-definition camera he was busy with the gadgets.

    As we rode, KLIM was in front of me. KLIM was constantly playing with his toys. As we approached a hard right corner his head was down and he didn’t see it coming. He was heading straight into the guardrail. KLIM looked up and grabbed brakes! I really think that his ABS saved him. He was already across the on-coming lane and into the gravel when he stopped inches from the rail.

    He shook it off and got back on the road. When we stopped for a break I asked him what had happened? He said that he was trying to turn his camera on and was looking at his GPS.

    At that point I diagnosed him with E.A.D.H.D.06-01-11-jim jones.jpg

    E.A.D.H.D. is Electronic Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This happens when you put your head down into an electronic device and you men-tally remove yourself from your surroundings.

    I suffer from E.A.D.H.D. myself. I am surrounded by electronics and infor-mation devices on my bike. I have my GPS with built-in MP3 player, a SPOT (satellite transponder), camera, roll chart and map case on my tank bag. I use to have my phone and GPS tethered via Bluetooth to my helmet. However, after much thought I’ve moved away from the Bluetooth helmet configuration because I just couldn’t get past the idea of plugging up my helmet every night.

    We have become a society that craves information. We text, email, leave messages, Face Book, we take pictures and share them and on and on and on.

    As we met up with our friends we went to eat dinner. It had been a year since we see each other. As we sat down to eat our phones came flying out. As I looked around we all had our faces down into our Smartphones.

    The next night I asked Rick if he was going out to eat and he said “No.” because we had brought camping food. I said “Let’s go, we don’t see these guys that often,” and he replied “Why? You guys just sit around and play with your phones.”

    After watching KLIM’s life flash before my eyes I thought about the safe-ty and the distractions and dangers that electronics can bring to riding.

    My friend John Ross told me once that the best way to wreck is to turn on a camera. I believe that is true. Like any ham in front of a camera a mo-torcycle rider will ride harder, faster, and do more foolish things to get our moment of glory.

    So is there a cure for E.A.D.H.D? Yes, there is. Don’t play with things you don’t have to when you are riding. Make your devices convenient and ergonomically to use, work and control. Know your surroundings. Pull over and stop your bike. If you must take your eyes off the road, slow down and think ahead.

    So next time you are communicating with anything other than the road then pull your head out of your rear-end and put your eyes back on the road.

    Ride Safe!

    Photo: So, next time you are communicating with anything other than the road then pull your head out of your rear-end and put your eyes back on the road.

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    Outer Loop Progress

    The next phase of Fayetteville’s Outer Loop is scheduled to open to traffic in four months. North Carolina Department of Transportation Division Engineer Greg Burns tells Up & Coming Weekly the section of what will eventually be I-295, from Ramsey Street to Bragg Boulevard, will open in August. Overhead signs and guard rails are being installed now. The section from Bragg Boulevard to the All American Freeway is set to open in the fall. “Bragg Boulevard will not be closed until the work on Murchison Road and Bragg Boulevard through Spring Lake is complete,” said Burns. “We anticipate that work to be finished by December 2016 to January 2017.” 

    The Army’s ability to close Bragg Boulevard (NC 87-24) to thru traffic motivated the North Carolina Board of Transportation to place the Fayetteville Outer Loop project on a fast track several years ago, bypassing a major highway project in Charlotte. But in 200, the project was temporarily stalled because of a shortage of highway funds. Military officials made a twofold request to DOT; first that it gain direct access to I-95 and second that an alternate high-speed route to Bragg Boulevard be provided so the Army could close off the boulevard in the vicinity of Stryker Golf Course thereby improving security on post. Murchison Road was upgraded with a loop to Bragg Boulevard.


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    Downtown Parking a Problem, Again

    Remember the days of parking meters on Hay Street, downtown?  The Fayetteville City Council is seriously giving some thought to bringing back the dime-eating devices. A 7-year-old ordinance allowing on-street paid parking under some circumstances could make a comeback. The local law isn’t being enforced currently, and the Downtown Alliance isn’t anxious for its comeback. About 40 members of the Alliance held a quarterly meeting last week to hear City Traffic Engineer Lee Jernigan bring them up to speed. “Free parking has been a luxury in this community,” said Mayor Pro Tem Mitch Colvin at a March 29 City Council meeting. The Downtown Alliance will conduct a study on how to improve downtown marketing and the Council seems willing to wait for the findings. Parking is a big part of enhancing the downtown area. Since the opening of the Airborne & Special Operations Museum more than 15 years ago, real revitalization has revived commerce and good living and reduced crime downtown. One of the challenges is figuring out how to encourage people to use the Franklin Street parking deck. One way would be the resurrection of those meters on Hay Street.

     

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    VA Health Center to Close?                   

    A blue-ribbon panel created to evaluate the Veterans Affairs healthcare system is floating a radical proposal to eliminate all VA medical centers and outpatient facilities over the next 20 years. Instead, the VA would transition 9 million veterans to the private sector. This, after a $120 million health center was opened in Fayetteville six months ago. Seven of the 15 outside advisers appointed to recommend ways to improve veterans’ health services proposed the startling move. David Blom, president and CEO of the Ohio Health System, authored the report with input from the six other members.  Blom wrote that the goal is to “meet the needs of every veteran,” something he claims is not being done now.

    “The commission finds the current VA healthcare system is seriously broken … and there is no efficient path to repair it,” Blom and other commission members wrote in their report. Shuttering the largest medical system in the country would leave the VA primarily a payer, like Medicare. To entice physicians and facilities to accept more veterans as patients, the document proposes that VA reimbursement rates be set 5 to 10 percent higher than Medicare pays.

    Backlash from veteran service organizations was swift. The American Legion noted many commissioners are medical-industry executives who stand to gain financially if VA care is privatized. Paralyzed Veterans of America said placing vets with special needs into private-sector care “is a death sentence.” Veterans Affairs Undersecretary of Health Dr. David Shulkin told commissioners March 23 that the VA is already undergoing a “bold transformation” to improve care at in-house health facilities. 


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    Nextdoor Polls Residents               

    Connecting neighbors with one another via social networking is what Nextdoor is all about. More than 9,000 Fayetteville households are already signed up. Now, using www.nextdoor.com, members can participate in a new polling feature. Subscribers are asked to respond to questionnaires about crime and crime fighting. “It’s a way for us to follow chronic crime issues,” said Police Chief Harold Medlock. It’s an outgrowth of the White House Open Data Policing Initiative, in which Medlock has participated. He’s in Washington this week. The police department has used Nextdoor for nearly two years. Polling can be done in individual neighborhoods or citywide. It’s administered by the PD’s Crime Prevention Division and is the first use of the social media by a police agency in North Carolina.


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    Fayetteville Murder Rate Up                 

    “This sort of thing creates fear in our city,” said Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock. “I’m angry,” he added. Medlock was referring to Fayetteville’s eighth homicide of the year. That’s twice the number of murders during the corresponding period last year (and there’s been a ninth murder since then). Joseph Alexander Cason Jr., 22, of Amanda Circle, was jailed on a first-degree murder charge and two counts of shooting into an occupied vehicle following a rolling gun battle. Police identified the shooting victim as Thomas Durane Evans, 28, of Dudley Drive. 

    The shooting stemmed from an incident the week before at a Graham Road convenience store in which Evans’ brother was shot. “This was a straight up retaliation shooting,” said Medlock. Cason and Evans faced off each other in the parking lot of the Rayconda Shopping Plaza off Raeford Road. They then got into their cars and began shooting at each other as they drove along Raeford Road. The vehicles turned onto Strickland Bridge Road, and at one point, Medlock said, the vehicles were side by side as the drivers exchanged gunfire. “Too many young black men are taking lives in this community and if they want to fire me for saying that, so be it. At some point folks have to take responsibility for their actions … I’ve had it. We can’t police stupid,” Medlock added. 


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    Camp Corral                 

    If you’ve eaten at Golden Corral ® on Skibo Road recently, you likely were asked to make a donation to Camp Corral. It’s the latest effort by the Raleigh-based restaurant chain to support summer camp for the children of wounded, disabled and fallen service members. Fayetteville was home to the first Golden Corral ® restaurant, which was opened on Bragg Boulevard in 1973. The fledgling company began as an affordable steakhouse. Forty-three years later, Golden Corral ® is well known as America’s #1 buffet and grill. According to its website, when you make a gift to Camp Corral, you’re not only giving military children a week of fun, but also providing them with life-changing experiences. “Both of my kids came home with tons of new knowledge, skills and confidence. We have moved 13 times in 19 years, and the kids never really seemed to fit in with non-military kids because their lives are so different from the friends from school,” said one grateful parent. The fundraiser, which began this month, coincides with the fifth anniversary of Camp Corral. More than 2,300 kids are on the waiting list to attend 21 camps including one in eastern North Carolina. The company says it has raised more than $5 million for Camp Corral.


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    Yes, I am for keeping the Market House as our logo and on our city seal. It distinguishes our city as unique and should be retained, not only for historic and tradition’s sake, but, from the point of view that replacing it isn’t fiscally responsible. It will literally cost Fayetteville residents tens of thousands of dollars to physically change the logo – money that could be better spent serving Fayetteville residents by improving our gateways, lowering taxes and fees and moving this community forward in dozens of positive ways. 

    I hope our elected officials will respect the taxpayers, allow cooler heads to prevail and objectively examine what the Market House really means to this community in terms of defining our brand. Branding in the business and marketing world means: who you are, what you are and what you stand for. Since 1993, the year the image was adopted, the Market House has developed into a valuable branding tool.  After 23 years, its worth is now hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yes, it has true value. Successful businesses, corporations and institutions know the value of such branded icons and they are vigilant to insure and protect them. Think Apple, Coca-Cola and Chevrolet.

    Like it or not, the Market House is the symbol that reflects our brand. It reflects 180 plus years of objective history, achievements and accomplishments and Fayetteville’s unique southern personality. It stands for the traditions that define our community. All of these aspects far outweigh the negative conjecture and agenda pushed to the forefr


    ont by a few local self-serving organizations and individuals (i.e. Attorney Allen Rogers, NAACP, ACLU) who want to selfishly capitalize and profit from instigating a needless controversy by cultivating conflicts through political correctness and selfish self-serving intentions. This should be noted for what it is and not be tolerated or allowed to blemish our name or abolish this stellar icon. Besides, this action is already too late to be meaningful. The Market House has already forged itself as the city’s icon and symbol of Fayetteville’s heritage. Ignoring this fact by trying to make it go away will only make us look silly.

    Instead, we should be proud! Be proud that we have such a distinguished heritage. Be proud that we have embraced our history and are thankful for the progress we have made. Be proud it was here in Fayetteville where North Carolina ratified the United States Constitution. Be proud that it was at the Market House where we chartered the University of North Carolina. Be proud that it was here North Carolina ceded its western territory to create the state of Tennessee. Be proud that it’s the only national landmark in Cumberland County. And, when it comes to local government, we should  be proud that our leadership has a history of African-American  inclusiveness: Mable Smith, Ida Ross, Joe Pillow, Aaron Johnson, Charles Evans, Mitch Colvin, Kady Ann Davy, Larry Wright, Bill Crisp and Chalmers McDougald just to name a few. 

    Finally, I hope the notion of substituting the Market House with any generic symbols like the American flag, plants, animals, trees (dogwoods) or statues of anything or anyone, goes away quickly. This includes our namesake, the Marquis de Lafayette. As much as I admire this Frenchmen as an American Revolutionary War general, the fact is, he only visited Fayetteville once and with the exception of our sister city St. Avold, we certainly have no ties or allegiance to France.

    So, it is my hope that the members of the Fayetteville City Council spend time intelligently thinking this issue through. Think about the expense. Think about the fiscal responsibility. Think about the fact that no individuals should be able to hijack our heritage through intimidation and political correctness for personal gain or just because they can. We are so much better than that. 

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

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    What’s your PWC story? On May 26, Fayetteville City Manager Ted Voorhees wants to host a public hearing on PWC and HB 392. Really? I hope the good citizens of Fayetteville take this opportunity to show up in mass to shout out support for of our Hometown Utility. After all, with more than a century of dedication, experience and expertise, our PWC has managed to set the standard in efficient operations, responsible management and community commitment. Not an easy task for a public utility. 

    So, what’s your PWC story? Low rates and dependable service are unquestioned. Come prepared to share your personal PWC  experience with Voorhees and the city council. Let’s put a face on this community asset and let them know what PWC means to this community by sharing your story. Did PWC staff unselfishly risk their lives during a storm to restore power to your home or business? Did they stop to assist you as a stranded motorist or reported something or someone suspicious looking in your neighborhood? Maybe they stopped to fix your grandmother’s flat tire or assisted you with that dead battery. Perhaps they built a wheelchair ramp for a disabled veteran, fed a homeless person or patched a leaky roof during United Way’s Days of Caring. Did our PWC educate you and your children on how to conserve energy, protect and preserve our environment and our natural resources? Maybe they enhanced your cultural awareness by underwriting programs that elevate Fayetteville’s quality of life. PWC does all these things and much, much more every day, while maintaining and managing a company that is the envy of the state. Sure, some city leaders will argue that those things are not the job of the utility. My response is simple, what do they know? 

    Community involvement is the successful business model used by for profit utilities and successful businesses. PWC’s proven track record shows it also works for public utilities. It seems pointless for the paid city staff to hold a public hearing on something that they cannot impact or have zero authority over, like the work of the legislature, a topic that they and the community have no say or authority over. It begs the question, why are they holding the public hearing? Is the real purpose to belittle the PWC commissioners or attack PWC management and besmirch the reputation of one of this city’s most successful ventures? Our community deserves better and so do the dedicated employees of PWC. 

    Since the battle lines between the city and PWC were drawn, a lot of words have been written and spoken, some true, so not so much. In order to ensure our residents know the truth, below is a primer of sorts on HB 392. While our city has a talented and competent communications staff, the information going out about PWC has been a little confusing leaving some elected city leaders and members of the community confused. Knowing the facts will confirm what you already know: Our PWC Commissioners, management, employees and legislative delegation have our best interest at heart. 

    Easy Facts:

    PWC is a publicly owned utility, and as such, does not pay taxes to the city.

    A utility is not authorized to transfer any money until all “appropriations in the fund equal or exceed the amount that will be required during the fiscal year, as shown by the budget ordinance, to meet operating expenses, capital outlay and debt service on outstanding utility or enterprise bonds or notes,” i.e. until the utility has what it needs to operate and maintain its systems, no money can be taken out of it.

    PWC, as a publicly owned utility, has the joint responsibility, first to the ratepayers to keep utility rates as low as possible. Second, to transfer funds to the owning organization to offset the impact of the utility not paying taxes. The intent is not to for the public utility to underwrite the city’s budget, but rather contribute as all businesses do. Any transfers that requires a utility rate increase should be reduced so there is no adverse impact on ratepayers.

    The average transfer for public utilities in the southeast region of the United States is approximately 7.8 percent. PWC’s current rate is 5.2 percent which does not take into account other funds paid in support of the city by PWC (see below), which puts PWC well above the national average.

    Need to know information about HB 392

    HB 392 ends the responsibility for the city to pay its $70 million portion of the Big Bang annexation costs. PWC is responsible for funding the whole expansion. With that in mind, PWC transfer to the city should go back to what it was before annexation, which was about $9 million per year. 

    In addition to its transfer rate, PWC will continue to pay 100 percent of the cost of city street lights, which is an additional $3.2 million bringing the utility’s contribution to city coffers well above the 7.8 percent average at $12 million. 

    PWC leadership has cautioned that an increase in transfer rate will mean higher rates for the ratepayers, which contradicts the public utility’s first responsibility of keeping rates as possible. PWC’s residential rate is 4.49 percent less than the North Carolina average and 12.29 percent less than the national average. For industrial users, PWC is 3.27 percent less than the state average and 6.9 percent less than the national average, according to Electric City.

    This is fairly straightforward. The numbers do not lie, the way people manipulate them do. It is disconcerting that our city staff cannot and will not grasp these elementary concepts, and continue to lead newbie council members down the rabbit hole. If our city manager and elected city officials cannot grasp these concepts, how can they be trusted to run the PWC better than highly successful staff and appointed commission that has made the utility so successful? They can’t. One does not covet what is not of value, and the city staff has coveted PWC for quite a while. 

    PWC is focused on the long-term success of our community, while others are focused on their own personal, short-term agendas. 

    It is questionable whether or not the public hearing will occur, as HB 392 may have very well passed through the legislature with the full support of legislative delegation. But if it does, come out and have your say. If you read and understood this editorial, then you will know more about the issue than some city leaders. 

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.


     

  •     An unlikely group of soldiers were sworn into duty on Monday at Festival Park. The group, comprised of retired businessmen, housewives, artists and local politicians gladly stepped up to enlist in a new army — The Army’s Army.
    Led by Jim Konneker, a retired businessman, the army’s mission is pretty straightforward: to “Watch over those who watch over us.” The group, formerly known as the local BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) committee, has its sights set on its new mission: telling the nation about Cumberland County and its people.
        Konneker explained that the introduction of the Army’s Army is the first step in a comprehensive marketing campaign to sell Cumberland County to not only the soldiers and families who will be moving to the area as a result of BRAC, but also to business and industry.{mosimage}
        “We are very proud of our military friends,” said Konneker. “This community has been watching over them for a very long time, and now we want to let those folks who are going to be relocating here know that we will watch out for them.”
        Konneker said the group, a grassroots idea, will reach out to the soldiers and civilians affected by BRAC and help them relocate. “We will help them find that dentist, that school district, that church that they are looking for,” he said.
    The effort to form the Army’s Army began two years ago under the direction of Fayetteville Mayor Tony Chavonne and then Chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Billy King.
        “They wanted to know how we, as a community, were preparing for the influx of people from BRAC,” said Kirk deViere, a member of the group. “At that time we began gathering volunteers from every segment of the community — healthcare, public safety, housing, schools — and formed modules to take a look at these areas.”
        deViere said the groups met and discussed the issues and formulated a plan on the best way the community could position itself to ensure that the people moving to the area because of BRAC chose Cumberland County as the place to live. “What came out of that strategic planning initiative was the Army’s Army concept. We are the world’s only all-volunteer organization that has pledged its total support to the military, because at the end of the day, we are a military town.”
        The decision of the community to embrace its history as a military town, rather than ignoring it, is a change in the thought process for many in the community. “We are embracing the fact that we are a military town,” said deViere. “Some communities have golf or lakes or other things to draw people. We believe that it is our dedication, and our willingness to watch over and take care of military and their families that makes our community unique. And, by the way, if you want to golf or are interested in the arts or any of those things, we’ve got you covered.”
        The establishment of the Army’s Army on Monday is only a first step in the process. Over the coming months the group will be reaching out to others in the community to bring them on to the team. deViere said the best people to tell Cumberland County’s story to those considering moving here are the people who live here. To that end, the organization wants to build a virtual community, which will put individuals preparing to the community in touch with local residents who will answer their questions and put them on the right track.
        “The best way we can tell other people about our community is for our citizens to tell their story,” said Konneker.

  •     Like many Americans, I am trying to raise my consciousness about my own impact on our earth and how to lessen it. I am trying to be thoughtful in my use of resources and in my disposal of what is left. In short, I am trying to get greener.But it is not that easy. I know that the car I drive is a heavy, gas guzzling disaster. Sometimes I try to justify this to myself by noting that it does get better mileage on the highway and that I feel safe in it, but it still uses way too much fuel, a reality which is also getting my pocketbook’s attention about once a week at the gas pump. I will be more practical with my next purchase of a vehicle, but the current one is not quite three years old, so it will probably guzzle away with me for several more years.The Dickson household does recycle, and we are proud of that, but it, too, takes some time and effort. We bag newspapers, magazines, and the endless slick catalogues which come in the mail. A large plastic bin in a utility closet holds empty glass and plastic containers until it is full to overflowing. Then it is off to the Ann Street landfill to deposit the recyclables, a chore that takes some time and effort and is not all that pleasant. The recycling situation should be a bit less burdensome once the city of Fayetteville’s program begins this summer, but it will never be as simple as the “ungreen” option of simply tossing everything in the trash.{mosimage}
          All the blessed rain of late has eased the drought conditions across North Carolina, including in our area, but I am trying not to return to my unthinking use of water. I now understand far better than I did before the drought that water
          I have come to view shopping as a conservation challenge as well. Like many women, I do most of the shopping for our household, grocery and otherwise, and I am increasingly dismayed by the extravagant, luxurious waste in packaging. I recently bought a package of small appliance batteries, which came on a cardboard backing with a hard plastic shell as are many other consumer products. Bottles of various liquids are packaged in boxes. The reasons for all of this packaging are varied, but they often include ease of packing and shipping and a desire to make the products more difficult to conceal and steal.  But what happens to all that fancy packing. Consumers, you and I, generally throw it away and it winds up in our landfills.
          Bagging our purchases is another issue. Do you prefer paper or plastic? Neither is environmentally sound, and both also wind up in our landfills. For my birthday last fall, my children gave me two large canvas tote bags, which I keep in the gas guzzler to carry my purchases from the store. They work just fine, and I feel good about doing what people in Europe and other parts of the world have done for decades.  I see more and more people doing the same thing, and I take great satisfaction in seeing that many stores now offer such bags for sale to their customers at relatively modest prices instead of providing only paper or plastic. My only problem has been remembering to take my own bags into stores, and more than once I have had to walk back into a parking lot to retrieve them.
          Someone much greener than I has some other environmentally friendly and easy suggestions. Unplug appliances that you are not using.  This is helpful to the pocketbook as well. Turn your thermostat down in colder weather and add a layer of clothing. In the summer, crank it up a bit and take off a layer. This, too, is helpful to your pocketbook. Compost fruits and vegetables from your kitchen.  This can be a tad messy, but it will help your plants. Read newspapers and magazines on line, thereby saving a few trees. This is not my natural inclination because I love the feel of what I am reading in my hands, but I find myself doing this more and more, especially for a quick peek at the morning news. It probably is the way of the future.
           With Mother’s Day creeping up on us, these are ways to love your mother č Mother Earth.



  • {mosimage}Here is my nomination for every college or university that sponsors a campus-wide book for students and faculty to read and discuss together:Gandhi & Churchill: The Epic Rivalry that Destroyed an Empire and Forged Our Age, a new book by Arthur Herman.

    The new book is perfect for campus-wide discussion, and sadly, few, if any, campuses will pick it.

    Gandhi & Churchill tells how the lives of these two very different inspirational figures intersected during the turbulent times that led to the breakup of the British Empire č and left us, their successors, with a host of challenges. 

    Some example discussion topics are: racism and racial pride; benevolent colonialism and the oppression that accompanied it; nonviolence and hard-nosed big power politics; the dangers of appeasement and the strategic advantages of accommodation to the reasonable aspirations and demands of opponents; the conflicting imperatives of global economic development against the spiritual advantages of local village life.

    All of these important topics, and the different opinions we have about each of them, are part of the history of the first half of the 20th Century as seen through the roles Gandhi and Churchill played. 

    There is more: the clash of cultures; the role of accidents and luck in the course of history; good and evil men č and the enormous influence of powerful leadership in shaping events.

    When Churchill was born in England’s Blenheim Castle in 1874 and Gandhi on the west coast of India in 1869, India was the jewel of the British colonial possessions. Of all of Queen Victoria’s subjects, two-thirds of them lived on the Indian subcontinent. British rule had brought stability and order to a people of more than 250 million inhabitants composed of an untold variety of languages, castes and religions. To a certain degree it had imposed its systems of laws, culture, economics and education.

    Churchill believed that India was an essential part of the British Empire. Without India, he thought, Great Britain could not be a great power. He also believed that without British oversight, India would fall victim to disorder and violence as its various groups competed for domination. He proudly believed in the superior qualities of the Anglo-Saxon peoples and the importance of stern and forceful rule.

    Gandhi trained as a British lawyer in London. He believed that the principles of English law required that Indian subjects of the British King be entitled to equality, self-government and their own superior culture. He thought that the most effective weapon to gain those objectives for India was through nonviolent resistance.

    Both men, in their very different ways, were amazing examples of courage and character.

    Ironically, each of them first proved these qualities, not in England or India, but in South Africa during the Boer War in the early 1900s. Gandhi had come there as a lawyer and became a leader of the Indian community’s demands to be treated equally. During the same time, Churchill, although theoretically a news reporter, was actually an active combatant whose heroism made him a celebrity. 

    Later, as the two men became leaders of their respective peoples, the conflict between Gandhi’s determination to achieve self-government and equality and Churchill’s belief that India must remain subject to British rule led to their bitter rivalry. Although I would be delighted if UNC-Chapel Hill chooses this book for its summer reading program next year, it is a long shot. The author’s politics tilt conservative. For instance, he is an articulate supporter of the war in Iraq. So his book, as genuinely “fair and balanced” as it is, would be a tough sell in Chapel Hill and in many university communities.

    I hope I am wrong. Churchill & Gandhi would be a great book for campus-wide discussion. 

  •       {mosimage}For months now, North Carolina candidates, consultants, activists, political analysts and journalists have seen -and to some extent helped to create - a kind of political blur. On Tuesday, North Carolina voters brought several facts into crystal clarity.

    First, the state’s Democratic electorate saw the candidates, watched the national news coverage, and heard the advertisements. In the end, it didn’t matter much. Demographic fundamentals among North Carolina Democrats generated a solid victory for Barack Obama, just as the basic demographics gave Hillary Clinton a win in Indiana, though a far less impressive one. Given the size of the African-American turnout, the math proved impossible for the Clinton campaign.

    Second, Richard Moore ran about as good a race as anyone could have, but this was not the year for Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue to be denied the Democratic nomination for governor. The Obama-Clinton race created a turnout disparity that, again, made it nigh on impossible mathematically for Moore to assemble a majority. While Moore overplayed his attack ads towards the end, he did make the race competitive for a time by challenging Perdue on various issues.

    As for Moore, I suspect that the 2010 race for the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Richard Burr will begin shortly.

    Third, being from Charlotte is not a liability in Republican politics. Let me repeat just once more, in case a few folks way out east or west haven’t gotten the news yet: Charlotte politicians start out with an advantage, not a disadvantage, when it comes to winning statewide GOP primaries. Being on television and radio for years means that you’re well-known not just in Mecklenburg but in Iredell, Cabarrus, Union, Rowan, Catawba, Gaston and other counties where lots of Republicans live. This helped state Sen. Robert Pittenger of Charlotte cruise to an easy nomination for lieutenant governor. And in the most suspenseful race of the state election cycle, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory turned back a last-minute Fred Smith surge to win the gubernatorial primary outright. He performed well outside of his base region, particularly in the Triad (he grew up in Guilford County), but he blew past the 40 percent mark and clinched the nomination because he was from Charlotte and won massive majorities in those aforementioned counties.

    Now comes the general election, where in recent times Republicans do best when they nominate gubernatorial candidates from Mecklenburg (I’m referring to the two Jim Martin victories and the next-best GOP showing, Richard Vinroot’s 2000 campaign). Have I made my point yet? Sorry, it’s a pet peeve.

    Fourth, I was right to doubt the likelihood of lots of runoffs. There won’t be many. Janet Cowell easily won the Democratic nomination for state treasurer. Walter Dalton escaped the need to beat would-be National Guard commander Hampton Dellinger in a second primary for lieutenant governor. There will be a vote in the Democratic primary for labor commissioner again in June. There will also be a few legislative and local runoffs. Everyone else can hit the beach (or mountains, if you share my preference).

    Finally, despite a massive turnout to nominate the most liberal senator in Washington as the next Democratic candidate for president, North Carolina voters didn’t suddenly lose their fiscal conservatism. Out of 24 county votes to authorize higher sales or real-estate taxes, the local-government lobby won only two votes: sales-tax hikes in Haywood and Cumberland, the latter by a fairly close margin. It wasn’t just small, rural counties saying no to higher taxes. Major counties such as Guilford, Nash, Gaston, Randolph, Orange, and Onslow rejected their tax proposals, usually by overwhelming margins. Here’s a prediction: county commissioners across the state are going to start seeing those local tax votes the way Charlie Brown should have seen Lucy’s football č as a tantalizing prize that will be yanked away at the end.

    Next time, the political class won’t make the mistake of asking North Carolina voters whether they think their local taxes are too low. The question is not yielding the intended answer, so it will be rewritten or dispensed with altogether.

  • {mosimage}The history of the coffee house dates back almost 700 years to the country of Turkey. Coffee was so important during that time that a woman could legally divorce her husband if he could not supply her with enough coffee. Trade brought coffee to Europe. In Britain, the coffee house became a place where businessmen conducted business. In 17th century France, artists, intellectuals, poets and politicians joined the party and when the coffee house eventually came to the U.S., it kept some of the rich history that it picked up on its travels along the way.

    The Java Bean Gourmet Coffee House, located in the historic Prince Charles Hotel, is the newest edition to the Fayetteville coffee house landscape. The dÄcor is sleek and modern with clean lines, neutral colors and cool metal. The atmosphere is welcoming and laid back. With respect to tradition, the Java Bean is well connected to its history. On a given day, you will find models being photographed, artists considering their work, musicians playing their instruments, poets speaking about life, politicians politicking and businessmen dealing.

    The owners of the Java Bean are business partners č Regina Johnson, born and raised in Fayetteville and a graduate of Westover High School, and Vanessa Sanders, originally from Queens, N.Y. Both women reside in Charlotte, but spend a lot of time commuting between Charlotte and Fayetteville.  

    The idea for the Java Bean came about in 2001.

    “My business partner, Vanessa and I, have a true love for coffee and poetry,” said Johnson. “We collectively had been pondering the idea of opening a gourmet coffee house. We wanted to do something outside of what we do with our other business. The opportunity arrived in Fayetteville and we felt this was our Java moment.”

    The Java Bean opened the week of the Dogwood Festival and on that 4th Friday, the entertainment arrived in the form of Touch One Productions and “Concrete Generation,” the number one poetry group in the nation. Spoken word is universal and their chosen topics addressed issues that all people, regardless of age, skin color or economic status, can relate to. They were backed by a jazz, blues band and entertained a standing room only crowd. Java Bean is planning to have Touch One “Concrete Generation” return for May’s 4th Friday and hopes to offer some form of entertainment every 4th Friday.

    The need for caffeine and the social impact that coffee has is evident in the many coffee houses that we have to choose from in Fayetteville. 

    What is different about the Java Bean? 

    “Our atmosphere is centered on the love of Java and the arts,” said Johnson. “Every cup of Java is handcrafted. We provide gourmet beverages, entertainment and Free internet service to the general public. We welcome local artists to showcase their talents at the Java Bean. We aim to provide a comfortable place for our patrons to enjoy a cup of Java in a relaxing environment.”  

    Java Bean has traditional coffee house fare as well as some tempting latte chiller creations and smoothies. They also offer pastries and some savory items to anyone with an appetite. Hours of operation are Monday through Wednesday from 6:30 a.m. until 7 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 6:30 a.m. until 10 p.m., and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. It is located at 450 Hay St. Contact the Java Bean Coffee House at (910) 213-3111, if you have any questions.

     

  • Summer has arrived! For those of you not from North Carolina, you may be wondering how we know that summer is here? Answer: the heat! Each year it amazes me how much shorter spring seems to be — you know, the mornings when you wake up and it’s a brisk 70 degrees, birds are chirping and the smell of fresh cut grass is in the air? I feel like spring used to last for a few months, say March through the end of May at least, but not anymore. Now we wake up in the morn-ings to a sweltering 92 degree heat, the sweetly singing birds have traded places with bothersome “no-see-‘em’s” and mosquitos (don’t worry, they’re coming any day now); and the grass, once misted with morn-ing dew, is now laced with the moistness of humidity. Ahhh … summer.06-01-11-fyp.jpg

    Some of you may think it sounds as if I don’t like summer. Nonsense. As a child in school I used to beg for the beginning of June! That last school bell would ring and there I’d go, beach towel in hand, headed for any pool I could catch sight of to practice my back flip from the diving board (which by the way I wouldn’t do now if someone paid me). Back then, summer meant no more classes, no more teachers, no more cafeteria food, no more structure. Instead, the almost 90 days before me meant sleeping in, popsicles and ice cream, riding in my dad’s convert-ible and pretty much just being quite lazy.

    The Fayetteville Young Professionals is taking this summer to really bring out the “young” in our title as well by enjoying a small summer break. We know that many of our members and potential members will be hitting the beaches or the golf courses on the weekends; taking family vacations and really embracing a less structured life-style we’d like to blame on summer. So … FYP too will take the attitude of becoming a little less structured throughout June and July. After all, everyone needs a small break sometimes. Instead of forcing our members to dress in their business attire while attending Professional Development Luncheons, and fancy social events, our monthly calendar is going to be “easy breezy.”

    Join us over the next couple of months for informal meet-ups every other week starting with Friday, June 3 at 7:30 p.m. on the It’z Entertainment City patio to enjoy an evening with Liquid Pleasure, and no, I’m not referring to cocktails. It’z will host this popular East Coast band. Join other FYP members as we do a little networking and a lot of “chillin’ out!”

    You’ll have a second chance to put on your favorite flip-flops and meet-up on Thursday, June 16 at Blue Moon Café and Fayetteville After 5 at Festival Park. FYP members will meet at Blue Moon around 5:30 p.m. for cocktails and then head down together to Festival Park for Fayetteville After 5 for some relaxation on the lawn and some great music by the Café Mars band.

    And not to worry, for those of you who still like to be a little productive during the summer months, FYP has been asked to provide volunteers for the Fayetteville Cares Boots & Booties Baby Shower (presents are provided to 1,000 military mom-mies-to-be) on June 25 at the Crown Expo Center. If you would like to help FYP give back to our community, please contact Michele Macumber at: volunteer@fayettevillecares.org and she’ll get you signed right up!

    We will start back in August with our full-time event schedule as well as kick-off the year with our famous Annual Membership Party (AMP)! We can’t tell you where or quite when it will be but we know it’s going to be fabulous and we will want all of you to attend! Be on the lookout later this summer for more details!

    Make sure to check back with our Up & Coming Weekly article next month, as well as our FYP website (www.fayyp.org) to get the latest happening with FYP.

    Photo: The Fayetteville Young Professionals is taking this summer to really bring out the “young” in our title as well by enjoying a small summer break.

  • swampdogs.jpg

    The Fayetteville SwampDogs kick off their 15th season on Tuesday, May 26, officially becoming the longest-tenured sports franchise in city history. One of the biggest reasons for their continued success is the SwampDogs’ commitment to giving back to the local community. In addition to entertaining baseball games that include fun-filled events and give aways, the SwampDogs look for opportunities to make a difference in the community by hosting events and supporting various causes. This season there are several events that the team looks forward to sponsoring. 

    Once again, the SwampDogs will raise money for the Special Olympics of Cumberland County through the “Spare Change for Special Olympics” program. The ‘Dogs will also sponsor a section of the Special Olympics torch run that passes through Fayetteville on June 2.

    For the third season, the SwampDogs are running a Special Olympics Internship program where Special Olympics Athletes are hired to work for the summer to develop social interaction and job skills.

    “The Special Olympics Internship has been successful beyond my wildest dreams,” said SwampDogs general manager Jeremy Aagard. “The response we’ve gotten from the athletes and their parents has been tremendous.”

    The SwampDogs will team up with the Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation this season for two special events. The first is the third annual Balls and Strikes Bowling Classic to be held at B&B Lanes on June 29 to benefit the Friends of Children, Friends of the Heart Center and Friends of the Cancer Center.

    The second will be the ninth annual StriKing Out Cancer Night, which is held on July 11. The SwampDogs will don pink jerseys and use pink bats throughout the game, with the jerseys being auctioned off at the conclusion of the game.

    The Breakfast with the SwampDogs to benefit the Re-Store Warehouse makes its return this year on June 27 at “The Swamp” with all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage for a great cause.

    All new this year on July 29 is Bringing Memories Home Safe Night presented by the Fayetteville Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The SwampDogs will be wearing special purple jerseys that night which will be auctioned off to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.

    To find out more information about these great causes and how you can get involved, contact the SwampDogs by calling 910-426-5900.


  • Dear Editor:
    Thanks Everyone!
        I’m taking this opportunity to say thank you for all that came out Monday (4/28) to speak in support not to raise our bus fares. Over the last few weeks my fellow councilmember’s and myself have received emails, phone calls and had street conversations from citizens concerning this subject.
        I think it’s a plus when citizens can come together and let their elected officials know just how they feel. I applaud some of the media (WIDU) for reporting their (bus riders) views. I was also impressed to hear and see several pastors from our community. They came; out some brought many of there(sic) members and they spoke loud and clear. (I would love to see this more often)
        After all of the speaking, our city council did the correct thing by not raising the bus fares and I was very thankful of that. I think this was the very best decision and I went home feeling good about our vote. Sometimes we the strong have to bare(sic) up the weak, so thanks Fayetteville City Council & citizens of Fayetteville we did the right thing. We have along ways to go on improving our transit system, but we are now moving aggressively forward.
    D. J. Haire,Fayetteville City Council
  • {mosimage}It’s hard not to play along when your children come up with cute untruths.

    For example, for a time one of my kids used to tell me confidently and matter-of-factly that if he didn’t go to bed, the moon would not rise. It was a reasonable conclusion based on his personal experience at the time (he was about two or three). Later, of course, his bedtime changed, he began to notice the moon in the sky even during some days, and concluded differently.

    Unfortunately, many politicians have yet to grow out of the toddler phase when it comes to spotting and discarding spurious correlations. They insist, confidently and matter-of-factly, that without their favorite spending program or regulation, some huge chunk of the economy would cease to be or that ever-improving health and safety trends would suddenly reverse themselves.

    The most naĢve and destructive examples of such thinking stem from misusing the concept of the multiplier effect. You’ve seen or read this many times, I’m sure. A politician will say that for every dollar spent on such-and-such a project, the public will receive multiple dollars back in economic activity and thousands or even millions of jobs. In virtually every case, the statement isn’t just invalid. It’s idiotic. And yet it just gets restated by the next earnest-sounding politician.

    Most of the time, such politicians are citing an economic-impact study that takes the amount spent and runs it through a model that estimates the local expenditure on labor and materials and the resulting employment implications. While such data can be useful ą particularly if you are thinking about going into the business of supplying the labor or materials in question ą they don’t speak at all to the net economic benefits.

    Getting to the net requires that you estimate the benefit of using those dollars on some alternative. Economists call this the opportunity cost. Basically, all costs are opportunity costs, whether they are denominated by dollars, time, or some other means. If you spend $8.50 eating lunch at Jersey Mike’s (highly recommended, by the way) you can’t spend the same $8.50 on some other meal, or on buying socks at the store after having skipped lunch. More broadly, the resources you consumed getting to and from the sub shop, including the minutes, can’t be devoted to something else. What you didn’t consume ą the alternative meal, the socks, the extra time at the office ą constitute the opportunity cost.

    In public finance, the opportunity cost comes at two stages. Certainly, the tax dollars you spend on, say, highway construction can’t be spent on public schools or law enforcement. But there is also an opportunity cost to converting private dollars, earned through voluntary means, into tax dollars. When people keep more of what they earn, that money doesn’t disappear just because it no longer shows up in the government’s balance sheet. It is devoted either to current private consumption or to net private investment, both of which have economic impacts, too. 

    The only real justification for a government program is that private individuals, spending a given amount of money through voluntary exchange, won’t get as high a return on that money as the government would by taxing the money from them and devoting it to a public purpose.

    The case isn’t that hard to make when it comes to basic governmental services such as law enforcement and the courts. Beyond that, you have to argue that policy makers are likely to know better than citizens how best to spend the citizens’ own money. There are such cases, I would submit. But these cases are rare.

    Those who assert the magic of multiplier effects to justify their pet programs may be dissembling. But it is my experience that most of the time, they don’t know enough about the matter to be lying. They are just repeating what they’ve heard, or spotting spurious connections on the basis of limited experience.

    It’s their business if they choose, Peter Pan-like, not to grow up. But they should keep their hands out of the wallets of the grownups.

  • Editor’s Note: Margaret has been busy at her child’s wedding this week and elected to run one of her favorite columns. She will return next week.
        In early 2001, Up and Coming Weekly publisher Bill Bowman asked me to write this column. Bless his sweet little heart. It has been and continues to be among my life’s great challenges and pleasures, and I treasure the interaction it has provided with people from all parts of our community.
        English majors are not generally noted for our math skills, but if my calculations are correct, I think I am approaching 300 Up and Coming Weekly columns, even allowing for a few vacations and the one week I simply forgot to write any column at all following the General Election of 2002. Each column seems like a child to me, but some clearly generate more reader interest than others.
        Readers had a great many thoughts on a number of columns over the years regarding my take on a little girl in foster care for nearly six years, teenaged mothers and tattoos. The column which elicited the most comment, though, and which people still talk to me about did not seem so provocative at the time I wrote it early this year. In fact, I thought I might hear from a teacher or two, or perhaps from no one at all.
        I learned quickly that there are a lot of English language lovers and grammarians out there. Sticklers even.
        Being one myself, I was greatly pleased by the response from folks who are tired of hearing and reading the butchering of our language and frustrated by a lack of concern from too many people, educators included.
        Well, sticklers, I have some good news for us. Teaching grammar, it seems, is coming back into fashion.
    The same day I heard a CNN reporter whose editor was clearly on a lunch break tell viewers that another person had been traveling with “my camera crew and I,” one of Fayetteville’s premier sticklers, Jane Buryk, sent me an article by Daniel de Vise in the Washington Post. De Vise chronicles the resurgence of grammar education in some high-performing high schools in the Washington area, and reports that students who study it are scoring better on high-stakes state tests and on the always-dreaded SAT.
        When I was in school way back in the dark ages of the 1960s, we did study grammar, and we executed long and complicated diagrams of sentence structure with nouns and verbs on horizontal lines and the words which modified or described them written on diagonal lines below. Even I will confess that the work could be a bit tedious, and by the freewheeling 1970s, grammar education was on the decline. De Vise reports that in 1985, the National Council of Teachers of English blessed this turn in education thinking by declaring grammar drills “a deterrent to the improvement of students’ speaking and writing.” Apparently, students were supposed to learn grammar and sentence structure simply by speaking and writing in English.
        So what has changed over the last 20 years or so?{mosimage}
        Students did not learn proper English by osmosis and continued to “lay” down instead of “lie” down and to give the dog “it’s” food instead of “its” food. They continued to ask, “where is the book at?” De Vise reports on one high school teacher who does teach grammar and who tested the comma skills of some up and coming Advanced Placement students. “…they’ll get it right about half the time,” notes the teacher. “But half is an F.”
        We might have gone on like this indefinitely with no one concerned but the sticklers except for a change on the world stage, the emerging global economy.
        Suddenly, the world was opening up and Americans found ourselves competing not just against each other for a leg up in the worldwide marketplace. Suddenly, we Americans and those coming along behind us are competing with people literally on the other side of the Earth, some of whom can speak and write our own language better than we can. It became obvious that we would have to hone our skills in all sorts of ways.
        And, then came the icing on the grammar education cake — the new writing portion of the SAT introduced last year which presents both a long-form essay composition and multiple choice questions addressing sentence structure. De Vise notes that the high school class of 2006, the first to take the new writing portion of the SAT, posted the lowest verbal scores in a decade.
        Human beings use many unspoken clues to assess other people. We take in their clothes, the vehicles they drive, their voices, and their public conduct to form opinions about them. Poor manners and poor hygiene clearly send negative messages, and I think poor English language skills communicate precisely the same unappealing impression.
          If I were an employer interviewing for a position of responsibility and upward potential and have several intelligent and qualified candidates, I will gravitate toward the one who has manners and who speaks and writes correctly. I suspect you would as well.

  •     Once upon a time back in 1967, Hollywood spawned a reasonably funny movie called The Russians Are Coming! The Russians are Coming!In 1967, the Cold War was in full flower. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a very recent memory. We learned to hate the Russians. As Bob Dylan sang, “if another war comes, it’s them we must fight.” In the middle of the Cold War, The Russians Are Coming! The Russians are Coming!was almost unpatriotic because it showed the Russians as human beings. The premise of the movie was that a Russian submarine, the good ship Octopus, accidentally ran aground off a small New England town. Alan Arkin played a Russian officer who leads a small group of Russians into town to try to find a boat to pull the sub off the sandbar before the U.S. Navy blows it up and begins World War III. The fact that Jonathan Winters plays a local cop tells you almost all you need to know about this movie. A Russian sailor falls in love with an American girl and all ends happily.{mosimage}
        In keeping with the ecumenical spirit of the The Russians Are Coming! The Russians are Coming!, we must now get ready to learn to love Cybrids, because the Cybrids are coming. What, you may ask, is a Cybrid? It’s a dandy new invention of our favorite British mad scientists. You get a Cybrid when you plop a human nucleus into an empty animal egg so you can do some souped--up genetic research into some really nasty ailments like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.
        The British House of Commons recently passed a law that allows the creation of “human admixed embryos.” Sounds like the name of an English punk band doesn’t it? And now, playing their number one chart buster hit Twisted Chromosomes, give it up for the Human Admixed Embryos! The technical name for a Cybrid is a “cytoplasmic hybrid,” but who wants to say that? Cybrid sounds so much cooler. Cybrids, according to the London Times are “99.9 percent human.” It’s that tenth of a percent animal that allegedly lets you experiment on the almost human embryo without technically crossing over into Dr. Josef Mengele territory.
        The new British law also allows the creation of “True Hybrids,” which are 50 percent human and 50 percent animal. True Hybrids, while a bit grotesque, seem more intellectually honest than hiding behind the fig leaf of 1/10 percent animal. The original intention of the scientists is to help mankind by curing really awful diseases. What could possibly go wrong if science has good intentions? There’s really not much chance of big business buying up patented forms of semi-human life to make Exxon-style profits is there? Technology is always progress. Morals are for sissies.
        Think of the coal miners we’ll get by breeding star nosed moles with people. Mining companies wouldn’t have to pay the mole-people much, as moles are happy living under ground. Carnivals could breed human whack-a-moles to work at county fairs. Put a bicycle helmet on a human/mole and start slugging away at him with a ball-peen hammer. It’s OK, he’s not really human. Any number of dangerous jobs could be staffed with True Hybrids who, if killed or injured, could just be duplicated by a new herd of test tube replacement hybrids. Worker’s compensation laws wouldn’t apply to human/hybrids because they are not human. We won’t have to educate little human/hybrids either because they are not human. Child labor laws wouldn’t apply to little human/rhesus monkey hybrid children so industry could take full advantage of their tiny little fingers in manufacturing processes.
        Haliburton could breed camels with humans to get the world’s most heat resilient oil workers. What NFL franchise wouldn’t want a cheetah/human hybrid as a running back? What would Blackwater pay for an army of wolverine/human hybrid mercenaries? Think of what insurance companies and big pharmaceutical companies would pay for a bunch of skunk/Congressmen hybrids.
        The Cybrids are coming! The Cybrids are coming! They may not be as loveable or as funny as the Russians during the Cold War, but they will be a lot more useful in many economic and medical ways.
    Just remember to check your ethics at the door.

  • Dear Editor:
        I am part of the Bark for a Park dog park committee in Fayetteville. We have been working with the City of Fayetteville for over a year to bring a dog park to Fayetteville. The city has a five-acre site on North Eastern Blvd. for our use but it needs enclosing. Our group has been tasked with raising funds for the fencing. The Parks and Recreation Department will maintain the park once it is operational. We have raised about one-third of the estimated $30,000 needed for fencing and have built community support for the project. People all over the county are straining at the leashes for this to become a reality!
         I live near Haymount and can certainly understand the desire to have a dog park near enough to walk to, such as the one Keith Phillips (April 23-29 edition) envisions at Rowan Park. However, the city’s chosen location across from the Cape Fear Botanical Garden would serve even those across the river.
         We would welcome the support of the dog lovers who want a dog park at Rowan Park. With your energy, we could bring a good-sized dog park to Fayetteville even sooner. We think that once we get one park open, there will be much demand for others in other parts of the county, perhaps even in existing city/county parks.           

    {mosimage} The Fayetteville Animal Protection Society is supporting us, enabling use of their 501C3 nonprofit status for tax-deductible donations. Please join our efforts by calling us at 484-6619 or by mailing a check to FAPS, P.O. Box 58195, Fayetteville, NC 28305. Write “dog park” on the memo line of your check.
    Judy Stoddard 

  •     When I was a little girl, I really did not know about what we now think of as “four letter words.” Words were just words, and we used them to communicate, and most of the ones I knew were fair game to be used in conversation. I was aware, though, that words are powerful and that there are some words polite people do not use, even though I was a tad foggy on exactly what those words might be. My mother had a unwritten list of words my sister and I should not say — a list, which for reasons never explained to me, included the word “nasty.”
        To this day, I still cringe a bit when I hear that word used.
        Another word not in favor was “lie.” In our family, “lie” was rarely used. Instead, we were admonished not to tell “fibs.” My maternal grandmother, from whom my own mother undoubtedly inherited some of her ideas about language, used an even more creative word than “fibs.” I no longer remember my infraction, but I will remember until my last breath the feel of my grandmother’s large hands holding my then small face with her eyes close to mine, saying, “Margaret Dawson, don’t you ever tell me another teewaddy!” {mosimage}
        I love that word, and my own children were cautioned on a regular basis about the dangers of teewaddies.
    Unlike my mother, though, I find “lie” to be a plain, strong, and useful English word. Everyone understands that to lie is to be deliberately untruthful. An error of fact is not a lie. It is a mistake. A lie is something the person telling it knows is not true and tells it anyway.
        The problem is no one wants to fess up to telling lies, so many of us, most obviously people in public life, try to cover such lapses by saying     we “misspoke.”
    The first time I ever heard anyone use that word at all was then-Presidential Press Secretary Ron Zieglar covered for his boss Richard Nixon by saying the president had “misspoken.” I remember thinking at the time, “Sounds like a teewaddy-fib-lie to me!”
        Writing in the New York Times magazine last week, columnist William Safire makes just this point after a reader e-mailed to ask, “Perhaps you can explain the difference between misspeaking and lying.”
    We all know the difference in our hearts. Misspeaking is when you call your friend the wrong name, when you mistakenly tell your colleagues the meeting is Tuesday when it is really Wednesday, when you reference Australia when you were thinking about Austria.
        Lying is when we say or write something to mislead or deceive someone else, knowing full well what we are doing. To paraphrase Gertrude Stein, “a lie is a lie is a lie,” and there is no getting around that fact whatever the reason it has been told.
        I find it fascinating how many people misspeak during political seasons. Several presidential contenders have acknowledged, almost always after being called out on the matter, having misspoken about something. This seems to be a way to say a vague and squishy “mea culpa” without having to say “I told a whopper.” Writing in The New Yorker magazine recently, Hendrik Hertzberg described misspeak as “a word that is apparently thought capable, in its contemporary political usage, of isolating a palpable, possibly toxic untruth, sealing it up in an airtight bag and disposing of it harmlessly.”
        My own experience is that people are smarter than that. We often know when someone, particularly a public figure, is telling us a tale under the banner of misspeaking. Late night comedians make their livings telling us jokes about just such linguistic clean-up attempts.
        My question is why do we let misspeakers get away with it?Why do we allow others to dress their untruths in language that tries to make them look less tainted than they really are? Why do we allow language to be used as wrapping paper for something decidedly unattractive and possibly dangerous?
        Whatever I told my grandmother all those years ago, whether I deliberately lied or whether I simply got mixed up about something, is lost in time. Either way, she was having none of it. We dealt with more than a few teewaddies and fibs as my children were growing up, but if one of them had ever told me he or she “misspoke,” I would have been beyond suspicion and on to conviction.
        All of us see and hear misspeakers in public life, be it government, business, professional or social. We encounter them in our individual lives when they cannot quite bring themselves to say they fibbed and use language to pretty up the situation. It is human nature, and it can be silly, annoying, deeply ingenuous, or thoroughly deceitful and dangerous, depending on who is doing it.
    I think of it as putting lipstick on the pig.
  • fayettevillechamber-logo.jpg

    Thank goodness! It’s finally over. I have no idea why it has taken this community nearly a decade to  realize it was are engaged in a failed relationship. Well, actually, I do. We suffer from a severe lack of leadership at all levels. And, just like in any failed marriage, the children are the ones who suffer. 

    In this case, the community suffered, businesses large and small suffered and our growth and economic development suffered. Now, it’s over. Fayetteville and Cumberland County along with the Chamber of Commerce and it’s economic development arm (Economic Development Alliance) will have another chance at a new and more rewarding existence.

    We hope. 

    I know very little about the complexities of economic development. I have always left that to the professionals. However, I built my entire professional career and two companies on the foundation of our local Chamber of Commerce. Matter of fact, even today, when potential
    clients approach me or any of my staff for professional advice on marketing, advertising or consulting on growing and developing a successful business, the very first
    question we ask them is: “Are you a member of the Chamber of Commerce?”

    The reasoning is simple: Their answer serves as a barometer for their future success. Chambers are local, business is local and success is local. If a new business or prospective client does not see the value and advantage of belonging to the central, local, bona fide business
    organization whose job it is to provide the programs, services, venues and support for the success of their business then what do they expect us to do? Our mantra is to “help those who help themselves.” 

    Of course, the Chamber of Commerce must provide these services unencumbered. For many reasons this is why our Fayetteville Chamber has failed the business community and why the business community welcomed the decision to create an objective  task force to assess the situation. They did, and it was a job well done. My hat is off  to Jack Rostetter, who lead the community task force for months evaluating the current situation. 

    The results? Hey, pretty much a verification and confirmation of what everyone has known, tolerated  and been subjected to for years:

    The Chamber is ineffective and losing members.

    The Chamber needs to be an advocate for local business.

    The Chamber should not be financially beholden to the city or county governments.

    The Chamber has little-to-no influence in the city and county.

    The Chamber Board of Directors is too large and virtually ineffective. 

    None of this is a bad thing and the fix is long overdue. Make no mistake about it, the transition will not be difficult. Local businesses and organizations will come back and the membership and revenues will grow once they see the Chamber again taking up the role as a true dedicated business advocate. It will be an easy sell and many will step up to help rebuild.

    Many of us long-time die-hard Chamber members remember the time when you didn’t sign up two weeks in advance for the Annual Chamber Golf Tournament, you wouldn’t get a spot. We also remember when the Chamber Coffee Clubs were relevant and “standing-room only”. We remember when Business After Hours was a prestigious monthly social and a virtual “who’s who” of local business, industry and government leaders. It can be again.

    For too long, our local governments have ignored the needs and requests of local businesses and organizations both large and small. Our voices have not been heard. The Chamber of Commerce is that voice. We will support the new Chamber efforts and we do not intend to be the mouse that roared, but, the lion that roared and rightfully so. He’s the king of the jungle!  

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

     

  •     This weekend, families across the nation will spend time honoring mothers. Countless cards, bouquets of flowers, breakfasts in bed and spa treatments will be purchased or made, and on Sunday morning mothers (no matter where they are) will smile appreciatively and say, “Thank you, that’s just what I wanted” — even if the eggs are burned, the flowers came out of the front yard and the card is colored in crayons and smells of paste.
    In our community, many mothers have great reason to be celebrated.
        They are the mothers who leave their children in someone else’s care, put on their boots and sling their weapon to stand a line in defense of our freedom. They watch their children grow via the Internet and photos. They can’t be there to hold their children when they are sick, because they are holding a wounded comrade. They see school plays and projects via camcorders. They are the mothers who sacrifice spending birthdays and Christmas with their children, so that others can do so.
        There’s another set of mothers who sacrifice as well. They are the mothers who carry the load of their families while their husbands are deployed in support of our nation. They are the mothers who spend countless hours ensuring that their children do not worry too much about their dads. They are the mothers who tell their children their dads will be just fine, and after they put them to bed either cry themselves to sleep or don’t sleep at all because they are too worried about their spouses.
        They are the mothers who volunteer to be T-ball and soccer coaches — even though they don’t know what they are doing — because it’s important to their children. They are the mothers who spend all day at work, only to go home to cook dinner, do homework, mow the yard, pay the bills and climb into a lonely bed. And then, they get up the next day and do it all over again.
        Military wives and soldiers (who are mothers) are some of the strongest women I’ve ever met. They put on a brave face and do what needs to be done — even though their hearts jump into their throats every time the phone rings or someone knocks on their door or they receive a deployment notice.
        They are never too busy to help a friend out — even though their hands are already filled to overflowing, and when it gets to be too much, they have a quick cry, which usually ends in laughter, and get back up on their feet.
    I’m proud to be in their number. Unlike some military wives, I had a head start. I was raised in a military family. I saw my mother carry the load. I watched her stretch a dime until it screamed, keep five children spit and  polish clean, keep an immaculate house and be the first one to go visit or take care of someone who was sick. I learned from her example.
        I look at my hands now, and I see hers. My mother’s hands were always busy (with five kids how could they not be?). No task was too unimportant to be seen to, and no event unworthy of notice. No lesson was too small for her to take the time to teach her children. Lessons on hard work, compassion, independence, faith and love were not only spoken, they were seen in her everyday life.
        She died shortly after I turned 18. I often think about all the times she was both mom and dad — and how easy she made it all seem. I wonder what she would think about me.
        I see my hands, which look so much like hers, but I’ve yet to see the grace hers carried in their every move. But if I’m lucky, when my son looks back, maybe he will remember them that way.

        Contact Janice Burton at: editor@upandcomingweekly.com

  •     Only rarely does Hollywood come up with a perfect movie title. Zombie Strippers is just such a title. Zombie Strippers is the most beautiful movie title ever unearthed by Hollywood. I am not a sensitive type, but the title is so profoundly elegant that I teared up when I heard it. The title perfectly captures the essence of its movie to the extent that you almost don’t have to go see it because the title tells you what is going to happen.
        Zombie Strippers dethrones Dude, Where’s My Car? as the former King of all Movie Titles that don’t require you to see the movie to enjoy it. I am humbled in the presence of the title Zombie Strippers like a member of the faithful seeing the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel for the first time. What a piece of work is man, how noble in reason to be able to come up with a title like Zombie Strippers. The title soars far above mortal man arching across the firmament of the heavens like a comet outshining the sun.
        {mosimage}The movie trailer is available for all to see online. I commend it for your viewing pleasure and personal edification. The trailer features the following immortal dialogue discussing the existential intersection of the undead and adult entertainment: “They are good girls.” “They are strippers.” “ They are zombies.” “No, they are zombie strippers.”
        The movie stars John Englund, who played the late great never-say-die Freddie Kruger in the Nightmare on Elm Streetmovies. John Englund is the Al Pacino of horror movies.
        Zombies often get a bad rap. It is refreshing to see dancing zombies portrayed as full-fledged members of the artistic community. Zombies are one of the last ethnic groups that the mainstream media disparages with impunity. There is no Zombie Liberation Front protecting the interests of our undead brothers and sisters. Zombies are typically stereotyped in a very negative light as inarticulate, mindless, brain-eating creatures. Big deal. Show me someone who is perfect. What gives the living the right to criticize zombie culture as inferior to our own? As Bill Shakespeare would say, “Hath not a zombie hands, organs, senses, passions, fed with the same food as a human is? If you prick a zombie does he not bleed?” Well, perhaps that is a poor example. Zombies eat the hands and organs of humans. If you cut a zombie, he doesn’t bleed because he has no circulatory system.
        Instead of disparaging zombies, we need to bring them into the mainstream of American life. A society that is inclusive of zombies and recognizes and celebrates their special talents is a society that honors diversity. We are exhausting our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. If we mainstream zombies, we can make them part of our nation’s armed forces. Send a battalion of zombies to Sadr City and take names. Our zombies could wipe out Muqtada al-Sadr’s dudes in a battle that would make You Tube stand on its head. The al-Qaeda types can’t kill zombies because they are already dead. The only part of a zombie that is vulnerable is the brain. Haliburton can make zombie-sized Kevlar helmets to cover the brains of the zombie battalion. Our zombies would clean up the Middle East quicker than you can say “Mission Accomplished.”
        Closeted Zombies already walk among us. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Scalia is clearly a judicial zombie. He just told 60 Minutes that people should get over the Bush versus Gore Supreme Court decision that appointed Bush as President in 2000. The Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s former pastor is clearly a clerical zombie, devouring the spotlight and Obama’s presidential campaign instead of human flesh. The oil companies are economic zombies, devouring the American economy with ever increasing gasoline prices. All these closeted zombies need to brought in from the cold. Zombies should be nurtured and loved so that their hostility toward the living is changed to empathy.
        One bright morning, zombies and humans will link arms and sing Kumbaya together. The undead will lie down with the living. America will once again become the shining city on the hill. Dead and undead will sing together in perfect harmony.
  • My boyfriend of a year has his own home, as do I. He needs a roommate to help pay bills, and only a woman has responded. She’ll have her own bedroom, but they’ll share a bathroom. He advertised in the campus housing office, so she must be young, or younger than I am (my boyfriend and I are both in our mid-30s). I have an issue with him having a female roommate. What if we have a fight and he doesn’t answer the phone? What if he drinks beer and watches movies with her? I trust him but believe in avoiding tempting situations. He insists he’ll be at my place all the time anyway (which I’ve told him isn’t fair to me), and says I’m just insecure. I said I’m willing to meet her and see how I feel, but he won’t wait to see if others respond (he did once before and ended up stuck).

    čThe Girlfriend

    Don’t be too quick to assume this prospective roommate is some young

     hottie. The joke’ll be on you when you discover she’s some 60-year-old former housewife who’s going back to school and borrowing his razor in the morning to mow her chin hairs.

    If his roommate ends up being considerably younger, hotter and less bearded, sure, something could go on between them. But, unless you’ve got the guy chained to a dripping pipe in the basement, he’s always just a barstool or bus seat away from temptation. So, even now, when you have a fight and he doesn’t answer the phone, it may be because he spent the night rearranging his sock drawer č or “rearranging his sock drawer” with some ex-stripper named Blaize. 

    As for his contention that he’ll be at your place “all the time anyway,” he probably isn’t saying so because he’ll pay less on his water bill if he flushes at your house. Chances are, he’s trying to allay your fears that his living arrangement will become one long half-time show, with his roommate dropping out of school to spend her days vacuuming his living room topless. At the same time, he’s probably trying to maintain some semblance of dignity as a guy in his mid-30s who has to take in a boarder to make ends meet. Yet, there you are, turning his solution to his financial crisis into the rental version of HOTorNOT.com. And exactly how ugly and disagreeable must a prospective roommate be before your boyfriend can get out of selling his blood to keep the lights on? 

    There are easier and less complicated ways to get extra-relationship sex than advertising for it to store its tampons under your bathroom sink. Now, either you have reason to trust your boyfriend or you don’t. You don’t get to tell another adult what to do, which is what you’re trying to do with “I’m willing to meet her and see how I feel.” Meanwhile, you’re not only telling him you have little faith in him, but suggesting he’s settled for too little in a girlfriend, since you seem convinced your replacement is just a one-bedroom/shared bath ad away. You’d actually have more control by relinquishing control. Instead of telling him what to do in other relationships, show him why he wouldn’t want to do anything that jeopardizes yours. It’s really the best way of seeing to it that there’s no woman he’d rather open a dented can of beans for: “Au poivre, darling? Or would you prefer tartare?”


    Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA╩ 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

    (c)2008, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved.

  •     This is being written before North Carolina’s Tuesday primary and will be published a week later. The outcome of our state’s presidential primary will, for the first time in a very long time, matter. It is indeed refreshing to live in a state where our votes can affect the process of determining who will be the leader of the free world. It would be further refreshing if we as an electorate could be regarded as an astute and highly analytical group whose support could only be won by cogent argument and carefully developed thesis. By Wednesday morning there will be great joy in someone’s camp. I hope it will be in Senator Obama’s. He has been honest in his statements and respectful of those whose attention he draws.
        Alas however, it is politics as it has always been in at least one camp. One of the most egregious examples of the “tell them anything and they will buy it” school of political stumping is Hillary Clinton’s spoonful of sugar federal gasoline-tax holiday scheme. The idea is founded most undoubtedly on the proposition that American taxpayers are hopelessly stupid, particularly those of us living in North Carolina and Indiana.{mosimage}
        Take a deep breath and consider the plan. The federal government temporarily removes the highway fund tax of 18.4 cents per gallon of gasoline. Whew. Now we are back to $3.39 per gallon. Pack up the SUV and off to Yellowstone. Driving is affordable again.  Bless you Mrs. Clinton and may your tribe always occupy the White House as it has already for eight years. Now for a reality check. The average family car (and we are dealing with averages here not exceptions) is driven about 12,000 miles per year and manages about 20 miles per gallon. That works out to be 50 gallons per month or a savings... ta da of $9.20 per family per month. Wow. So for three months the price of a fast food combo, maybe three packs of cigarettes, a movie ticket or a six pack of brewskis is going to make life worth living again for the American public.
        I guess the worrisome aspect of this plan to lure votes is that Mrs. Clinton and her managers believe that we, the voters, are just too dumb to see through it. This is a latter day version of Marie Antoinette’s “let them eat cake” suggestion. Of course, she paid for that ill-advised comment with a severed head. Mrs. Clinton goes on. The gasoline tax not collected would then be replaced by nicking the oil company’s profits to restore the estimated $9 billion lost from the highway trust fund. Not so bad, but doesn’t that require an act of Congress? Doesn’t she know that, what with her experience and everything? It gets worse. She also wants to spend the money not collected to research bio-fuels. This may be a shell game, I am not sure, but do count how many times Mrs. Clinton is shuffling this same bedraggled $9 billion.
        So we get the connection. Collect $9 less in taxes from each American family per month for three months, give it the old Washington money hide-and-seek and presto it is new money from taxes not collected for more research on a terrible idea. You read that correctly. That is what she has said and what she is saying, more money to study how to convert cropland to fuel land. Ethanol from corn and biodiesel from beans are ideas that are creating serious consequences on the world food supply. Mrs. Clinton wants to do more cropland conversion. With her vast experience and compassion she should be less enthusiastic about subsidies for ethanol producers and more for families paying 25 percent more for food in just one year because of the ethanol craze. 
  • {mosimage}During tough times, families try to make their dollars stretch as far as possible. But when the economy slows, con artists ramp up their efforts to try to get rich at your expense. They know that the lure of easy money or help getting out of debt can be tempting when money is tight. Don’t fall for their ploys.

    Here are some scams to watch out for during tough economic times:

    Credit Repair: Watch out for outfits that promise to fix your credit report for a fee. These scams cheat consumers out of hundreds of dollars and will do nothing to improve your credit. Under North Carolina law, it’s illegal to charge upfront fees for credit repair services.

    Debt Settlement: Avoid companies č including out-of-state lawyers č that offer to eliminate or cut your debts by negotiating with your creditors. These operations typically collect large upfront fees but reach very few settlements with creditors, leaving you deeper in debt. Under North Carolina law, it’s illegal to collect any upfront fee for debt settlement services. If you need help getting your debts under control, instead consider talking to a non-profit consumer credit counselor in your community about debt management services or budget counseling. 

    To find a reputable local counselor, contact the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at 1-800-388-2227 or www.nfcc.org. If your debt situation is especially difficult, you may want to consult a local bankruptcy attorney.

    Foreclosure Rescue: Steer clear of foreclosure assistance or rescue companies that want you to make your mortgage payment to them, or who tell you not to talk to your mortgage company or an attorney. Also, beware if they require payment before they will “help” you. It’s illegal to charge an upfront fee for foreclosure assistance services in North Carolina. For free help dealing with foreclosure, call the HOPE hotline at 888-995-HOPE.

    Sweepstakes: A sudden windfall sounds great but be skeptical of calls or mailings announcing that you’ve won a sweepstakes or lottery. Scammers use the promise of winnings to try to steal your money and your personal financial information. In some cases, they include a very legitimate looking check that is supposed to cover taxes and fees you’re told to pay before you can claim your prize. Once you cash the check and wire the money, the check turns out to be a fake č just like the promised prize.

    Business opportunity and work-at-home schemes:Promises that you can earn thousands of dollars a week working from home or get rich by investing in an exciting new business that’s guaranteed to make money sound tempting. But be skeptical about such offers. In most cases, the scheme will wind up costing you money rather than helping you make any. Never pay for information about a work-at-home offer, or for any kind of start-up kit, instructional booklet or list of clients. And never invest in a new business without checking it out thoroughly with our office and the Better Business Bureau. Take the time to think it over instead of getting pressured into a quick decision. 

    Free Grants:Don’t fall for ads you spot online or in your local newspaper that promise thousands of dollars in free government grants. The scammers say they can help you get a grant that you won’t have to repay and that doesn’t require a credit check. All you have to do is fill out an application and pay the company a fee. But once you pay the fee you’ll likely never see one dime of grant money.

  • Well, here it is.

    We’ve complained about not having a role in the selection of the presidential nominees. Now the campaign of the Democrats has come to our door. We are “in play” at last.

    So, what do we say about it? Do we celebrate our importance in the national decision-making contest? No. We shake our heads, frown and grumble that the ongoing, increasingly negative campaigning that characterizes the Obama-Clinton battle is annoying, counterproductive and demeaning.

    Many North Carolinians agree with the sentiment expressed by theNew York Times last week. “The Pennsylvania campaign was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean, vacuous, desperate, pander-filled contests that preceded it. Voters are getting tired of it; it is demeaning the political process; and it does not work.” It is getting to be time for the superdelegates to do what the Democrats had in mind when they created superdelegates: settle a bloody race that cannot be won at the ballot box.

    Maybe theTimes and the many others I have heard express the same view are correct. Maybe the primaries in North Carolina and the other remaining states are counterproductive for the Democrats and for the country.

    But I see it another way. I think the hard fought primary campaigns, negative advertising and all, may be the Democrats’ best possible preparation for the fall campaign. Conceding, of course, the downside in bitter feelings and lowered popularity of the ultimate candidate, I think the organizational process, the fundraising experience and the challenges the candidates have faced, are good preparation for the ultimate Democratic nominee. An easy win for either Clinton or Obama would not have conditioned either of them for the political war that the nominee will have to fight this fall. Political “coronations” may encourage happiness and good feelings within a party, but the so-called campaigns that lead up to them do not build the kind of experienced organizations that Obama and Clinton continue to grow. Ask Senator McCain!

    When the Democratic candidate goes to war this fall, his or her armies will have been battle tested. The candidates and their organizations will know the terrain of the entire country, and their troops will have the confidence of hardened veterans who have already fought together and learned the strengths and weaknesses of their fellow soldiers. They know who can help in every part of the country, and, more importantly, they know the people who actually can be counted on to do the job.

    The hard knocks Obama and Clinton have exchanged this year so far are nothing compared to what the nominee will experience in the general election.

    AsTime magazine columnist Joe Klein explained last week when discussing the necessary qualities of a presidential candidate, “It helps to be a warrior, for one thing. It helps to be able to take a punch and deliver one č even, sometimes, a sucker punch.” 

    With respect to Obama’s disdain for this kind of rough and tumble campaigning, Klein writes, “But the presidency will not be won if he doesn’t learn that the only way to reach the high-minded conversation he wants, and the country badly needs, is to figure out how to maneuver his way through the gutter.”

    If Obama is the nominee and then is victorious in the fall, the person to whom he should be most indebted would be Hillary Clinton. As the toughest sparring partner imaginable, she will have turned Obama’s great potential as a candidate into a seasoned and solid national competitor.

    The reverse is also true. If Clinton is nominated, she should thank Obama for making her stronger than she would have been otherwise.

    But if Clinton is not the nominee, will this campaign have been good for her? I think so. If she loses, does it graciously, and then supports Obama 100-percent in the fall, her powerful primary campaign will have earned her an increased national leadership role. 

    With her experience and solid group of supporters, she can be a serious contender again. And, if Obama is the nominee and loses in the fall, watch out for her in 2012.

     

  • {mosimage}I’m warning you right off the bat, the following is a trick question.

    If I gave you a list of 12 major industrialized countries and asked you where the highest share of medical bills was paid directly by patients rather than by third parties, would you say the United States? Or at least put the U.S. in the top tier?

    Most people who consider themselves well-informed about health policy would pick America as a system with relatively high out-of-pocket spending. They’d be wrong. According to a 2007 study, the U.S. ranks ninth out of 12 industrialized countries in the share of total health spending financed out of pocket, at about 13 percent. That’s slightly lower than in Canada, a dreamland for many government-monopoly advocates, where patients directly pay for nearly 15 percent of medical services. The share exceeds 20 percent in Italy, Portugal and Spain, and reaches about one-third in Switzerland. 

    As North Carolina and the rest of the nation move into the thick of the 2008 political season, health care promises to be a popular topic. One good rule of thumb is to doubt those who proclaim that health care issues have simple solutions or that there is some way for reformers to score a free lunch by spending a lot less, getting a lot more and hurting no one in the process. 

    Careful analysis and valid international assessments of national health systems confirm that tradeoffs are no less inevitable in health care than in other economic sectors. Governments that use taxes, regulations, and monopolies to restrain health spending end up limiting patient access to care and reducing the real incomes of medical providers č the average French physician earns the equivalent of $55,000 a year, for example, compared to $146,000 for the average U.S. general practitioner and $271,000 for the average U.S. specialist. If the goal is to slash doctors’ incomes, at least be honest about it.

    To start with, it’s important to shed any preconceived notions about the American health-care system as a free market and European or Japanese health care as a government monopoly. The story is far more complicated č and interesting č than that. Obviously, given that the U.S. does not have government-run health insurance for the able-bodied, non-poor adult population, the share of health care spending that flows through government in the U.S. is lower than in Britain, which has a system verging on true socialized medicine. But the U.S. proportion isn’t zero. Nearly half of all American health spending is by governments č Medicare, Medicaid and other programs. Canada’s share is 70 percent. Most big European nations have shares between 70 percent and 80 percent.

    ╩Taking the share of government health care in the U.S. up by 20 points, to Canada’s level, would be a big (and in my view unwelcome) change. But it wouldn’t be quite as radical a change as some liberals and conservatives seem to think.

    Moreover, the share of health care accounted for by government programs is hardly the only indicator of the extent of market control or decontrol. While America has less government insurance, we impose more significant licensing regulations on medical providers and institutions than do some of our competitors, where nurse practitioners and other lower-cost alternatives are more readily available to consumers. Furthermore, America’s generous tax deductions for health care distort markets for insurance and service provisions in ways that are not always present in Europe.

    ╩On the other side of the ledger, be wary of those who equate “universal coverage” with “universal care.” Plenty of people residing in European countries where they are guaranteed, by law, to have “free” health care are less able to secure a doctor’s appointment or receive a medical procedure than the average American is.

    Before North Carolina or national politicians go plunging into a new round of “reform,” they should study more carefully what other countries actually do, how their policies affect the quality and availability of medical services, and whether Americans would ever accept the constraints on liberty that European-style health insurance would necessarily bring.

     

  • {mosimage}Dear EarthTalk: How is wind power faring in the U.S. now? Is more of it coming on line and becoming a larger percent of the grid? And what about some of the highly publicized efforts to build wind farms, such as in Cape Cod, Mass. Has that been approved?

    č Paul Howe, San Francisco, Calif.


    Clean and green wind energy is the new darling of alternative energy developers, and the U.S. industry has been surging the past three years, especially as developers take advantage of government incentives č in the form of the so-called Production Tax Credit (PTC) č for erecting turbines and connecting them to the grid.

    The nonprofit American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) reports that, in 2007 alone, total U.S. wind power capacity grew by a new record of 45 percent, injecting some $9 billion into the economy. These new installations provide enough electricity to power 1.5 million typical American homes while strengthening the nation’s energy supply with clean, homegrown electricity.

    According to AWEA, utility-grade wind power installations are now in operation across 34 U.S. states, generating more than 16,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity cumulatively č enough to power upwards of 4.5 million homes and to generate 45,000 new domestic jobs. But even with this growth, wind energy still accounts for just one percent of U.S. electricity supply. Continued growth apace with that of recent years, though, should make it a major player in the American energy scene within a decade. President George W. Bush himself recently suggested that wind has the potential to supply up to 20 percent of the nation’s electricity.

    Of course, the volatility of oil prices has helped wind energy gain its foothold. Once a wind farm is built, the fuel cost is essentially zero (as long as the wind blows), whereas fluctuating fossil fuel prices have made traditional power sources more costly and risky. Upping our reliance on wind power has also allowed us to lower our overall carbon footprint. If coal or natural gas were to be substituted to generate the electricity we now get from wind, it would put 28 million additional tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. Wind power also saves water by not requiring the billions of gallons of water used to cool coal-fired power plants, an increasingly contentious issue in arid areas with limited access to fresh water.

    As for the contentious Cape Wind project proposed for Nantucket Sound in Massachusetts, the federal agency in charge, the U.S. Minerals Management Service, is sifting through tens of thousands of public comments and expects to make a final decision on the project by next winter. But even if they give it the green light, extensive permitting demands and legal challenges will likely hold up construction for years.  

    AWEA thinks that 2008 can be as much of a growth year as 2007 if Congress extends the PTC program. The Senate has already approved extending the PTC for at least one more year, but the House has yet to bring it up for a vote. Meanwhile, wind energy proponents are pacing the halls of Congress trying to persuade their representatives that what’s good for the wind industry is good for America.

     

  • pub-pen-05-06-15.jpg

    All indications are we are about to put this City of Fayetteville tug-of-war over control of the assets of PWC behind us. This is a good thing. I think we all have gotten a little weary over this controversy. Nonetheless, it has been very revealing as to the loyalties, talent and leadership capabilities of all involved. 

    No doubt, City Manager Ted Voorhees came to Fayetteville under the impression that he was here to save us from ourselves. Unfortunately, he overestimated his abilities and the accuracy of his “inside” information and grossly underestimating the intelligence and passion of local residents. It was a revealing lesson in leadership. It taught us that when it comes to leadership, there is much to be learned in our community.

    Good leadership, responsible leadership is always about choosing the hard right over the easy wrong. In this case, it would have been easier for everyone to go with the flow and follow a leader who really didn’t understand the situation, which ultimately means there was no leadership. Fortunately, the leadership of the PWC Board and some of the city council stopped this before it happened and put it into the hands of our local legislators. But that’s just one instance. Who is going to call foul the next time poor leadership is exercised?

    The question now is have those “newbie” councilmen that blindly followed Voorhees into the valley of darkness finally seen the light? Have they realized that while he is a paid administrator, they are the voice and the true leadership of our city? It isn’t their job to just take the recommendation of the paid help. It’s their job to take those recommendations apart and see how they will really affect our community. It’s their job to be informed, to study, to ask the hard questions and to force the hard right.

     Let’s hope this unfortunate period in our city has taught them this important lesson, because it is only one of many situations they will face during their years on council and they need to be prepared to roll up their sleeves, do their homework and be in the know–not because someone told them it was so, but because they examined it and found it to be true. It is obvious that what is good for Fayetteville, will not always be the text book theories or ideas taught in city management school. What happened in Durham or King is not necessarily going to work here. Our paid city staff has also got to roll up their sleeves and do their homework. Sometimes they are going to have to tell the city manager no. And that’s where true leadership comes into play. 

    Over the past couple of weeks it has become obvious that there are many on the city council who have fallen out of step with the city manager’s leadership and who have questioned his decisions. Maybe it is time for the council to take a hard look and determine whether his management style and ideas mesh with those of the city; and if not, change has to happen. If that is the case, the city council needs to make the change as soon as possible. Fayetteville is going to face some serious challenges in the months and years to come. Leadership, trust, coordination and cooperation all will be at premium. A city manager and staff that is not in sync with the city and that will not listen when those with more knowledge and experience speak will only be obstacles and will only further set back the growth and development of this great city. 

    Congratulations to Mayor Nat Robertson, State Representative John Szoka and our local legislative delegation, local businessman Mike Lallier and those members of city council and residents of our community who hung in there to make sure the right things were done for the right reasons. 

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly–your community newspaper. 


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