The past decade has been a difficult one for daily and weekly newspapers and print news media in general. Financial stability has been a challenge as the industry gradually leaves the world of printed news on paper and transitions to the new, less dependable and everchanging world of the internet and social media. I’m not worried, though. There is still a valuable and relevant market and community interest for locally printed newspapers – especially for weekly community newspapers like Up & Coming Weekly.

However, today, there is a new breed of newspaper publishers, and, I use the term “publisher” loosely since many of the legitimate, honorable and traditional newspaper publishers are being replaced with corporate bean-counters and caretakers. They have little knowledge of the communities they serve, nor is there any interest in getting involved with the local missions and mandates that factor into having clear communication and a good quality of life within a community. With this being said, you can bet they have little knowledge of the newspaper industry let alone a clear understanding of what the Fourth Estate – the press, which is not officially recognized as part of the political system but wields a significant influence – contributes to society. No wonder there is such apparent public apathy toward any plight the newspaper industry may have. And it does have a plight.

Currently, national leaders in Washington, D.C., have been entertaining a proposal they feel is critically important to protect and shore up the operations of one West Coast domestic paper-producing company rather than being guardians of the national free press, the stalwart foundation of the Fourth Estate.

Daily and weekly newspapers across North Carolina (and the nation) are speaking out in an organized and collective voice, demanding that legislative delegations in Washington reject the idea of imposing tariffs on imported Canadian newsprint (uncoated groundwood). This is the type paper that many U.S. publishing companies use daily.

The movement is being spearheaded by large conglomerate newspaper chains and by state and national newspaper associations that say these proposed tariffs on Canadian paper could vary from 6 to 10 percent. This would increase U.S. newspaper companies’ costs of doing business and decay bottom-line profits. According to newspaper industry leaders, such an action by the Department of Commerce would create overall higher domestic newsprint pricing that would end up being passed on to the consumer while creating a financial burden on all newspaper companies across the state and country.

I agree that on the surface, protecting a national industry may look like the correct thing to do. But as The Fayetteville Observer pointed out in its Friday, Jan. 12, editorial “A newsprint tariff’s unintended consequences,” this kind of protectionism could have devastating consequences to the already-struggling newspaper industry – including Up & Coming Weekly.

Well, as the title of this editorial reflects: Cry me a river!

Honestly, who cares what happens to the daily newspaper industry? After all, we have the internet. What’s laughable is how the newspaper industry is claiming the viability and importance of daily and weekly newspapers as a local community medium while declaring such a tariff would hurt American businesses by increasing operating costs and reducing profitability, which would eventually lead to the loss of thousands of jobs in the newspaper industry.

Well, during the last 18 months here in Fayetteville, we lost plenty of newspaper jobs, and it had nothing to do with the price of newsprint. Even more laughable is the arrogant self-perception that the news industry cares about the communities it serves. Here is a quote from The Fayetteville Observer’s editorial:

“We are at an important juncture right now, and our role of getting real news to you on a daily or weekly basis matters more than ever. A credible news source that has a vested interest in communitybased news and information is one of our bedrock principles as a free nation.” They are talking about themselves. They go on, claiming that “Readers rely on newspapers to provide credible information about what matters most to them – news about local people, local government, local happenings, local businesses and important public notices that can impact a community.” Again, really? Are they talking about our daily newspaper?

I find it ironic that newspapers and newspaper-related associations have found it so convenient to, blatantly and without shame, violate the spirit of the Fourth Estate by publishing products with persistent politically leaning bias. And they do it with a mean-spirited penchant for sensationalizing fake news and half-truths while fostering ongoing and unfounded negative and disrespectful attacks on the office of the president of the United States. This injustice is as blatant as the disrespect many newspapers have for Americans who don’t agree with their opinions and ideology.

How ironic is it that now the mighty, arrogant liberal press is seeing its oncerespected bully pulpit reduced to an insignificant stub? Even as liberal abuses continue to mock freedom of speech and other constitutional freedoms, the newspaper industry is asking North Carolinians and people from across the nation to step up, exert our influence and invest our political capital to save it from an impending tax increase. Now that’s arrogant.

They want those of us who they have continuously attacked and offended to speak out on their behalf by contacting the U.S. Department of Commerce, the offices of Sens. Burr and Tillis and anyone else who will listen to oppose this proposed Canadian newsprint tariff. Honestly, why would we do that? So the newspaper industry can continue to assault our senses, make a mockery of the U.S. Constitution and spew the same disrespectful and biased reporting? I don’t think so. I’m not going to second-guess our congressional leaders; don’t be surprised if this falls on deaf ears. After all, this request is like asking the hangman for a new rope. Good luck.

I do agree with The Fayetteville Observer on this point, though: “A free press is more important than ever, and newspapers have always been at the forefront of serving our communities. We remain steadfast in our commitment to continue doing so.” Yep. This is what we do.

I’ll accept the price increase and make it work. After all, that’s been a 22-year tradition. Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

When Christina Snead first heard she was about to make North Carolina High School Athletic Association history as the first female to officiate a football state championship game, she wasn’t able to celebrate the news the way she wanted.

“I actually wanted to a do a cartwheel,’’ the 41-year-old graduate of Cape Fear High School said. “I couldn’t. I was at school.’’

The school she’s referring to is Fayetteville State University, where she teaches health and wellness, first aid, CPR and swimming. She’s also doing work there on a degree in accounting.

This is her third year working as a high school football official, but her love for the game goes back much further.

“I always enjoyed it growing up,’’ she said. “I volunteered around Fayetteville State, traveled with the team and started doing rec ball and moved up gradually. I wanted to be around it all the time.’’

She played for six years with Cape Fear Thunder, a semi-pro women’s team, seeing action at running back and quarterback.

Friends who recognized her love for the sport urged her to become a high school official, but she quickly realized her perspective toward football had to change.

“When you become an official, you have to see what’s right,’’ she said. “There’s a lot more perspective you have to look at when officiating versus playing the game.’’

Before calling this year’s state 2AA championship game at Kenan Stadium between East Dublin and Hibriten in December, Snead called games in the state playoffs. Tony Haire was the head of the officiating crew during Snead’s run to the finals and the title game.

“I don’t know of any situations where there was a problem with a coach or issues with players that created a problem,’’ Haire said of his game experience with Snead. “Everything was pretty smooth on her side of the field.’’

Snead’s position as an official was what’s now known as down judge. She oversaw operations of the chain crew and was responsible for calls on the line of scrimmage as well as plays run to her side of the field.

With a national shortage of officials a growing problem, Haire said it’s important to get qualified women like Snead involved in the officiating program. “Over 99 percent of officials are men,’’ he said. “If we can get more women involved in officiating as a whole, and definitely in football, it would ease the shortage we’re in.’’

Neil Buie, regional supervisor of football officials for the Cape Fear region, agrees. He added that Snead’s selection to call the state title game wasn’t some gimmick to spotlight female officials. She was picked because she was deserving of the honor.

“She did an excellent job in the state championship and throughout the playoffs,’’ Buie said.

He added that the barrier of women serving as officials for traditionally male sports is no longer there. “It comes down to a mindset of I enjoy sports and being around young people,’’ he said. “I enjoy giving back and want to be part of it.’’

Snead feels the same way. “I want any female to know nothing is impossible,’’ she said. “If there’s something they want to do in their lifetime, go for it.

Photo: Snead

Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins said she intended to make some organizational changes in the police department. She has done just that. Hawkins is undoing a major organizational change implemented three years ago by former Chief Harold Medlock. She is reorganizing the department into two patrol districts. That’s the way it was before Medlock created a third district. The two district police substations are on Raeford Road and Sycamore Dairy Road. The FPD’s Executive Command Staff is headquartered at the main police station on Hay Street.

Hawkins has reshaped the FPD’s command staff structure as well. Assistant Chief Christopher Davis is retiring next month, and Hawkins has decided not to replace him. When asked why he was taking early retirement, Davis said, “The Medlock years took a lot out of me.” He’s looking for another job and is also teaching at Fayetteville Technical Community College.

The FPD will be left with two assistant chiefs, Anthony Kelly and Michael Petti. The department’s organization flow chart will have an additional layer of executives. Chief Hawkins is creating four new positions with the rank of major.

“They will be promoted from within,” she said. The selections have not yet been made. One of the majors will be Hawkins’ chief of staff. Another will be in charge of the Specialized Support Bureau. Two majors will be assigned to the Field Support Bureau.

Hawkins said the new executive positions will be funded by reallocating the assistant chief’s payroll and that of a captain’s position following his recent retirement. The reorganization goes into effect Feb. 5. That’s when the dominos will begin to fall with the promotion of four police captains to major, which will reshape the command staff. Four lieutenants will ostensibly be promoted to captain, and four sergeants will be elevated to lieutenant, leaving the opportunity for four patrolmen to become sergeants.

Another captain recently resigned, and that vacancy is being filled with the promotion of Lt. Todd Joyce, Hawkins said. “Filling that position was extremely competitive,” the chief said, “but Joyce earned it.” Joyce has served as the department’s public information officer for several years. Lt. Gary Womble will take that position when Joyce moves up.

Photo: Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins

This season, Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra fans have been able to celebrate the Carolinas through music under the direction of new music director Stefan Sanders. From East Coast pirates to Fayetteville’s French connection, every concert has embraced a different facet of the Carolinas. Thursday, Jan. 25, the trend continues with “Music of the New World” at St. John’s Episcopal Church.

The second chamber concert of the season, this performance includes a mix of brass quintet and woodwind quintet music. A brass quintet is a small ensemble that consists of two trumpets, one French horn, one trombone and one tuba player. A woodwind quintet is another small ensemble that consists of one flute, one oboe, one clarinet, one bassoon and one French horn player. For this performance, all 20 performers are principal musicians, meaning they hold the first or second chair seats in their instrument section in the orchestra.

“The one thing I wish everyone knew about the FSO chamber orchestra concerts is that the programs themselves are created through a conversation between me, our staff and the musicians,” said Sanders. “Once we agree on the repertoire, the musicians coordinate their schedules and rehearse completely on their own. Making music and putting together programs in this manner is what we call chamber music, and it is vital toward building healthy and effective communication between our musicians as well as giving them opportunities to hone their artistry and leadership abilities. … These intimate performances at beautiful St. John’s Episcopal provide music lovers with a closeness to the music and our musicians that only chamber music creates.

“The music will predominantly be American themed – either composed by American born composers, or music that depicts the American nationality,” said FSO Director of Operations and Marketing Julia Atkins. “This music was chosen due to our ‘Gone to Carolina’ season. We typically do small chamber concerts halfway through our season at St. John’s Episcopal Church, and we figured an American themed chamber concert would fit our Carolina season.”

At larger performances, the orchestra’s Music Nerd, Joshua Busman, typically speaks and then hosts a question and answer session prior to the concert. While Busman will not speak at this concert, Atkins said that “because this is a smaller venue with fewer musicians, the musicians themselves (will) speak with the audience during the concert to help give background on the music they will hear that evening.”

She added that this is a great concert for firsttimers or people who want to learn more about the symphony or orchestral music. “Because it is a smaller venue, many concert-goers will get to learn a lot about classical music and hear some music they wouldn’t otherwise hear in a large concert hall,” she said. “It’s certainly a more intimate setting.”

Stellar performances are one piece of the organization’s mission. “Our mission is ‘To Educate. To Entertain. To Inspire,’” said Atkins. “Outreach is essential in order to fulfill that mission – as well as to give back to the Fayetteville community. As a symphony, we do provide entertainment, but we also provide education and inspiration, and we want to be able to provide that to the Fayetteville community every day.”

To this end, the Fayetteville Symphony Youth Orchestra involves youth 13-21 years old and has more than 70 participants this year. The FSO also hosts a one-week summer music camp for advanced instrumental students. The orchestra also hosts an After School Strings Program to educate young children about basic music concepts.

The Fayetteville Sports Club has increased membership in its Hall of Fame by five with the announcement of the inductees in the class of 2018.

The five inductees will be honored at a banquet to be scheduled some time later this year.

Listed alphabetically below, here is a brief summary of the accomplishments of the members of the new class.

Chip Bishop 

Bishop was a standout athlete at Terry Sanford High School who once returned a pass interception 102 yards for a touchdown. He went on to a successful career as a coach and athletic administrator at Terry Sanford and Fayetteville Academy.

He’s spent 36 years with the Academy, the last 22 as athletic director. As a coach, he won two North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association boys’ basketball titles with the school. He recently received the Chuck Carter Athletic Director of the Year Award from the NCISAA.

Jim Farthing

Farthing was a veteran coach in the Cumberland County Schools system, spending many years working at Pine Forest High School. He coached a variety of sports and was recognized in 2017 with the naming of the gymnasium at Pine Forest Middle School in his honor. He won 245 games while coaching in the same gym before Pine Forest High School moved to its current campus on Andrews Road.

Buck Melton

A graduate of old Massey Hill High School, Melton went on to become one of the best athletic officials in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

One of the best tributes was paid to Melton by former Cumberland County Schools central office staff member Glenn Riddle, who was a fellow official during Melton’s years.

In a column by Bill Kirby Jr. that appeared in The Fayetteville Observer, Riddle made the following comment about Melton.

“Buck was an outstanding official, a great guy and a true friend to many, many people. If there was a crucial game to be played, Buck Melton was almost always selected to be one of the officials. He was a mentor to so many beginning officials. I never officiated football or basketball, at the high school level or college level, with a better official. I will truly miss Buck Melton.’’ 

Lisa Monaco Wheless and Margit Monaco Hicks

This duo from Terry Sanford High School dominated the open classification of North Carolina High School Athletic Association doubles tennis like no other duo in state history.

They remain the only players in the history of NCHSAA tennis, boys or girls, to win four consecutive state championships in doubles from 1977-80 when the sport was unclassified and they competed against every tennis-playing school in the state.

Their final two years at Terry Sanford, under veteran coach Christine Cherry, they helped lead the Bulldogs to the team state title.

READER ALERT!

This column deals with gerrymandering, a topic that has been described as everything you hated about high school civics. Admittedly, it is not as titillating as reading about porn stars and Donald Trump. Gerrymandering refers to the drawing of elective districts for offices from Congress down to county and municipal positions to benefit individual candidates, political parties or both. It has been with us since the earliest days of our nation and has been practiced by both Democrats and Republicans and the parties that preceded them.

Feeling sleepy?

I understand, but make no mistake. Gerrymandering affects all of us, rendering some of our votes meaningless and leading to the election of legislators and members of Congress of one party when members of the opposite party cast more votes. It cheapens the sacred “one person, one vote” premise Americans hold dear. Redistricting, which has meant gerrymandering in recent cycles, occurs after every U.S. census to distribute changing populations relatively equally for the coming decade. Lawsuits almost always follow.

The latest round of lawsuits began in 2011 and is still going strong. In the interest of full disclosure, I am the lead plaintiff in one of the several suits, which has been to the U.S. Supreme Court twice and to the North Carolina Supreme Court not once, not twice but three times – so far! The latest court ruling on gerrymandering in our state came last week from a three-judge federal panel and is by all accounts – and to use the vernacular – a really big deal not only for North Carolina but for our nation.

Since 2011, rulings in the phalanx of redistricting lawsuits in both state and federal courts have addressed gerrymandering based on race, and both state and federal courts have uniformly and repeatedly said racial gerrymandering is unconstitutional. Ruling last week, the federal judges said gerrymandering of congressional districts based on partisan politics is also unconstitutional. “No, no,” said the judges. The party in charge of redistricting – in North Carolina’s case last time around, the Republicans – may not gerrymander for gross partisan advantage.

Rep. David Lewis of Harnett County had justified the partisan gerrymandering to House colleagues by saying, “I propose we draw the maps to give a partisan advantage to 10 Republicans and three Democrats because I do not believe it is possible to draw maps with 11 Republicans and two Democrats.”

The judges did not buy that position, however, marking the first time partisan gerrymandering has been struck down in North Carolina. In fact, while racial gerrymandering has long been deemed unconstitutional – though legislators still try it from time to time – courts have rarely dealt with partisan gerrymandering. That legal void has left room for the practice and allowed legislators like Rep. Lewis to feel comfortable announcing such plans out loud and in public.

As Bob Dylan famously sang, “The times they are a’ changing.”

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a partisan redistricting case from Wisconsin last fall and has agreed to take up another case from Maryland. Legal observers speculate that last week’s North Carolina ruling will also make its way to Washington. In other words, the highest court in the land is signaling that partisan gerrymandering is an issue of national significance. Advances in computer software now allow slicing and dicing of voting districts in ways not imaginable even a decade ago, much less in pre-computer days. These advances make gerrymandering, including partisan gerrymandering, a mere click away, and the high court is clearly concerned.

You and I can do little to combat gerrymandering of any sort except vote for candidates for the North Carolina General Assembly who support a bipartisan redistricting system. North Carolina, like most states, tasks the legislature with Congressional and legislative redistricting, a practice that allows those who benefit from the system to control the system. Think the fox guarding the henhouse.

North Carolina has held three election cycles – 2012, 2014 and 2016 – with Congressional and legislative districts that have been found unconstitutional, but legal appeals continue even as the next U.S. census and subsequent redistricting loom. This makes no sense to voters, repelling us instead of attracting us to our voting places. Gerrymandering in all its forms damages our democracy, and the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts are turning their attention to its highly partisan incarnation.

Stay tuned.

The Boneyard Bash at Jack Britt High School, always one of Cumberland County’s biggest regular-season wrestling events, is scheduled for this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 13-14, in the Britt gymnasium.

This is the 18th annual version of the tournament started by former Buccaneer wrestling coach John DeWeese, who, though retired, is still helping out behind the scenes with setting up this year’s event.

There will be a slight change in the starting time of the tournament to help schools taking part in testing this week.

Although gates are scheduled to open at 4:30 p.m., weigh-ins may begin as late as 5:30 p.m., and some opening matches might not start until 6:30 p.m. or later.

Three rounds will be wrestled Friday. Gates will open at 7:30 a.m. Saturday with wrestling beginning at 8 a.m.

The finals are tentatively scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Tickets are $8 for Friday and $10 for Saturday. A two-day pass can be purchased for $15.

The tournament will feature some familiar faces from Cumberland County, including host Jack Britt, Gray’s Creek, Pine Forest, Terry Sanford and Seventy-First. Traditional state power Cary is entered along with a traditionally strong program from the western part of the state, Lake Norman.

“It’s great having teams from outside our region coming in,’’ said first-year Jack Britt wrestling head coach Byron Sigmon. “Different parts of the state have different styles and coaching strategies. It’s great to see those kids now rather than wait until the state tournament.’’

Among the top wrestlers competing from county schools are the following. Records are through Jan. 1 as posted on NCPrepSports.net:

106 - Kevin Wanovich, Jack Britt, 11-1.

113 - Pierre Young, Terry Sanford, 11-1;

Kyle Cunningham, Gray’s Creek, 20-3.

120 - Tre Sousa, Gray’s Creek, 20-4.

138 - Andrew Esterly, Gray’s Creek,

22-2; Christian Govan, Pine Forest, 20-8.

145 - Andrew Grierson, Gray’s Creek, 12-1.

152 - Daniel Peede, Pine Forest, 24-0.

160 - Keith Jalen, Gray’s Creek, 16-7.

170 - Ferris Allen, Terry Sanford, 10-1;

Darius Govan, Pine Forest, 21-4.

182 - Daniel Ogunwo, Jack Britt, 9-0;

Finley Allen, Terry Sanford, 11-0; Luke Roberson, Jack Britt, 11-2.

220 - Tony Tyndal, Gray’s Creek, 17-4.

Photos L to R: Byron Sigmon, Jack Britt wrestling head coach; Daniel Peed, a top Cumberland County wrestler

Fayetteville Technical Community College, which serves over 4,200 military and veteran students and their dependents, was ranked No. 3 nationally by Military Times’ Best Colleges 2018 report. Staff at the All American Veterans Center (located inside the General Classroom Building at the Fayetteville campus) are committed to helping active-duty service members, veterans and their dependents achieve their educational goals.

Most service members exiting the military face some anxiety as they prepare for the next chapter in life. Change, the loss of one’s support network and the unknown future can lead to feelings of frustration. Where and how to begin the educational journey are questions often faced by veterans. What kind of career will allow utilization of military training and experience? Where are military-friendly school environments with staff who understand the needs of veterans? Who can answer questions and offer help?

The staff at FTCC’s AAVC will do everything possible to help veterans find the answers to these questions and more. Veterans may even discover they are closer to a degree than they thought. For some veterans, an associate degree may require less than two years to complete. Staff members evaluate prior learning and experience for applying possible academic credit toward a degree.

Many students enter the AAVC with apprehension but leave with a sense of relief in receiving assistance with the first step of the Veterans Affairs educational benefits process. Members of the AAVC work-study staff, who are student veterans, assist new students with the enrollment process. They explain VA educational benefits options and eligibility, assist students in completing the VA application and much more. School certifying officials are ready to certify enrollment to VA for payment.

VA educational benefits assist with the cost of education. A veteran may be eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) education benefits if active duty service occurred for at least 90 days after September 10, 2001. Individuals eligible for full benefits will receive in-state rate of tuition and fees and a book stipend of $1,000 per academic year. A percentage of the maximum monthly housing allowance of $1,289 is paid based on a student’s enrollment status, such as full-time versus part-time enrollment. FTCC also participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program to assist veterans financially with the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition.

The AAVC offers a relaxed atmosphere where veterans can engage in conversation with fellow veteran students. The center has computers, refreshments and locations where veterans can complete homework or hold study groups with fellow veterans. While the primary focus of the AAVC is to provide veteran students the tools needed to be successful in accomplishing educational goals, the staff makes every effort to obtain information on any community resource the veteran may need. Volunteers from the Patriot Outreach Center work at the AAVC to offer additional information and support.

If you are at the crossroads of your military service and civilian life, visit FTCC’s All American Veterans Center. You earned your veteran educational benefits, and you deserve them. Now let us serve you at FTCC.

The new year is well underway. If you’re like most people, you made a few resolutions. And if you’re like most people, you may have already broken a few of those.

One reason we often fail at resolutions and forming new habits is because our lives are maxed out – spouse, children, college, work, home repair, yard work, dinner, sports, dance class, Scouts, grocery shopping, family, vacation (who has time for that?), church, the list goes on and on. So how can we balance life and ministry? Here are three principles.

1. Determine to spend time with God daily.

In Mark 1:35, we find Jesus arising early, while it is still dark, to go pray. The night before was filled with activity and ministry. Why didn’t he just sleep in – bypass the early morning prayer time? Because spending time with God is a necessity. For Christians, this activity is vital. Yet, because it is something left unscheduled, we often skip it. Take a moment to set a time, set a location, and set a task – read the Bible, pray, meditate, etc.

2. Decide to do what is necessary daily.

My calendar is overflowing with things that “need” to be done. However, I often spend my time doing things that are unnecessary. Things like watching TV, scrolling through Facebook, playing Candy Crush and much more. Only a few things are necessary: food, sleep, exercise, work, family and devotional time with God.

In Mark 1:36-38, the disciples find Jesus praying, and they try to get him to go back to the village. The people were anxious to see more miracles, healings and exorcisms. But Jesus said, “No!” He knew what was necessary and what was not. In verse 38, he says, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby so that I can preach there also; for that is what I came for.” In short, Jesus determined what was necessary and chose not to do the rest.

You have 24 hours in your day – the same as me. What you accomplish in those 24 hours depends on the choices you make. If you choose to do the unnecessary tasks, then you will not accomplish the more important, necessary tasks. Need to spend more time with the family? Watch less TV. Want to pick up a new hobby? Stop wasting time on Twitter. Do you really want to read the Bible through this year? Then choose to spend time doing it.

3. Do what is necessary.

The Nike adage is still true today: Just do it! There’s a big difference in knowing what’s necessary and doing what’s necessary. After Jesus identifies the thing he came to do as preaching, the next verse shows him going into the synagogues preaching (Mark 1:39). It’s a matter of action. It’s a matter of just doing it.

So, whatever you’re seeking to accomplish in 2018, you can make a significant step toward achieving it with these three simple principles. If one of those goals is to learn to read and study your Bible better, then consider our tuition-free class, “How to Study the Bible.” We’d love to help you be a new you in this new year.

Katy Beasley

Terry Sanford • Sophomore •

Tennis

Beasley has a 4.0 grade point average. She was the No. 4 singles player on the Terry Sanford team. She is active in a number of organizations, including Tri Chi, Key Club, Friends Club, Go Club and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She’s in the Hay Street United Methodist Church youth group and volunteers at the Fayetteville Animal Protection Society.

Connor Sykes

Pine Forest • Junior •

Soccer Sykes has a 4.0 grade point average. In addition to playing soccer at Pine Forest, he’s active in the Student Government Association and Academy of Emergency Medical Science.

You’d be amazed at what high school sports writers do with their free time over the holidays.

During the down week after the Cumberland County Holiday Classic, I got into a discussion on Twitter with several of my peers and a few coaches about a burning issue in high school basketball, the question of whether a shot clock is needed.

There are some who feel strongly the time has come to pull the high school game into the same arena with colleges and the NBA and add a shot clock to competition.

The arguments are pretty familiar. They think it will improve the pace of play, plus it will be a boon for those athletes who will be leaving the high school ranks to compete at the higher levels where the clock has been in use for years

But let’s just hold on for a second. I’m not sure if I’m in a minority or a majority on this because I haven’t conducted any polls, but I strongly disagree that the time for the shot clock has come in the high school game.

For one thing, I can count on zero fingers the number of times I’ve seen a team engage in a full-fledged stall to try and win a high school game. The reason for that is the majority of teams don’t have a player skilled enough to command possession of the ball and keep flipping it around the court to various teammates to force the clock to wind down.

So my biggest case is we’re trying to fix something that’s not broken, at least it’s not broken in the basketball I’ve seen.

The biggest argument against the change to a shot clock is the cost. Somebody’s got to buy a working clock, and you’ve got to set up satellite clocks at either end of the court that both teams can see.

I just did a quick Google search, and the first one I saw with the operating station and the two clocks came in at $1,375.

Another problem is you’ve got to train and pay someone to operate the clock. That’s an ongoing hit to already skimpy athletic budgets.

Finally, my biggest objection to a shot clock in high school is you’re going to make the game worse, not better, because only a fraction of the athletes at the high school level have the athletic ability and drive to advance to college and NBA basketball.

Far too many youngsters who play the high school game are out there simply for the love of it and don’t have either the aspiration or the chance to be on a team once high school is over.

To force players of limited skill to try and get off a shot every 30 or 45 or however many seconds we set a high school shot clock for would be painful and turn sloppy games into absolute train wrecks.

Let’s don’t rush to judgment on this and do something that will benefit a fraction of the players and a handful of teams who would dominate the opposition because of superior talent alone.

Let’s leave something to coaching and respect the talent level of every player in the game, from the stars to the kids that get in off the bench.

More than a few Americans and people elsewhere in the world expected 2017 to be the Year of the Woman, or more specifically, the Year of One Particular Woman – Hillary Clinton. That did not happen, as we all know, proving that America is not quite ready for a woman president. We are apparently ready, though, for women leaders in other high places. Writing for The Washington Post, Petula Dvorak pointed to three new women U.S. senators, the first woman to head a major Unified Combatant Command, the first woman NFL coach, and the first woman depicted on U.S. currency, all of which came to fruition in 2017.

So there is progress.

What is more, 2018 is shaping up not as the Year of the Woman, but the Year of Women. The Women’s March a year ago in Washington, D.C., and other cities across the nation brought millions of women together to mourn a loss and to celebrate what will surely come in future years. It was a historical moment filled with hope and energy. It was also a moment that cannot be duplicated, though women’s marches around the country are also planned for later this month.

That was then, though, and this is now, and the difference is a year in which women of all partisan stripes declared they were running for public offices from the U.S. Senate and governorships down to local school boards. Some of those women were elected in 2017, and some will be on ballots in 2018.

What we are seeing is women demanding seats at decision-making tables and voters deciding women candidates are often more trustworthy than men who have jealously guarded the status quo for not just decades but centuries. Women make up 51 percent of the American population, and millions of those women have decided we do not like the way we have been treated in oh-so-many ways.

Women are tired of being shut out, yes, but feminine activism is also fueled by the election of a president who bragged openly about groping women, which in turn led to the #MeToo movement. Famous and powerful women, and others who lead more private lives, have stepped forward to report sexual harassment and abuse, some of it criminal, toppling men from high places in politics, media, business, and even restaurant kitchens. At times, it has felt like a tsunami of men tumbling head over heels, a phenomenon political commentator and humorist Celia Rivenbark describes as “raining men.”

It is true that the women energized to run for elective office and even the millions of women marching last year are but a small fraction of the 154 million plus women in the United States. Most women have done neither of those things, but make no mistake. Women are watching the actions and achievements of their sisters, and they are nursing their own stories of gender inequities and worse. They are watching and cheering, sometimes silently, advances they see that will benefit themselves, their daughters and others in general.

It shocks me every time I think about it to realize that my own mother was born into a country, the United States, that did not yet allow women to vote. That baby girl grew into a woman who voted at every opportunity, as do her two daughters. Hillary Clinton did not become president for many reasons – not only her gender – but almost a century after American women got the vote, Clinton did run on a major party ticket and came close to becoming the leader of the free world.

The bottom line here is that some women are more capable than men in almost every field or endeavor, and some are not. What the Year of Women is about is leveling the field so that the most capable person rises to the top and so that power in public and in private is not used selectively based on gender.

If nothing else, 2018 is going to be an interesting, energizing and profoundly hopeful time to be an American woman.

L to R: Ilhan Omar, America’s first Somali-American Muslim woman legislator; Kathy Tran, the first Asian-American woman elected to the Virginia House of Delegates; Vi Lyles, the first African-American woman mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. These women are just a few of many who are changing hundreds of years of the male-dominated status quo in America.

Before we start a new year, I always take time to reflect on the year that has passed. 2017 has been a year for the history books. As your congressman, I made a promise that I would work hard to advance policies that strengthen our economy and bring more jobs to the 8th District. I also promised I would be as accessible as possible and strive to represent you and our community’s priorities. On both of those counts, I think we had a successful year.

Right here in North Carolina, we saw close to 100,000 new jobs in 2017. Nationwide, the economy has added millions of jobs, the stock market is at the highest it has ever been, and our unemployment rate is at a historic low of 4.1 percent. That’s the lowest rate in nearly 17 years, due in large part because we have rolled back 22 regulations for every one that has been added.

While this is incredible news for our economy, we are just getting started. We closed out 2017 by passing the most comprehensive tax reform in over 30 years. We will see the full impact of this law manifest in more jobs, higher wages and more money in your pocket in the coming year.

Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, we have strengthened our national security and restored confidence in America. We have taken steps to rebuild our military, ISIS has lost nearly all of its territory and its stronghold in Iraq and Syria, and we have bolstered our border security

In the House of Representatives, we passed 477 bills – including four of mine (of which one made it into law), with a total of 97 signed into law. Unfortunately, 378 of those bills got log-jammed in the Senate. While I am disappointed in the slow work of the Senate, we concentrated on issues important to the 8th District and the American people. We passed bills to address Veterans Affairs inefficiency, combat human trafficking and to continue to address the opioids crisis.

By far, one of the most important parts of my job as your representative is taking care of your needs. As our district changed this year to include Moore, Hoke and Cumberland Counties, I opened offices in downtown Fayetteville and at Sandhills Community College to increase my accessibility. This year, we’ve helped hundreds of folks with problems with federal agencies like Social Security and the VA. We’ve helped veterans get service medals that were long overdue and fire stations get grants for more firefighters and equipment. I also introduced legislation to name the Spring Lake post office after Howard B. Pate, a World War II veteran and the town’s longtime post master.

Last but not least, we passed what was described by AWR Hawkins as the “biggest guns rights boost since the ratification of the Second Amendment” this year with the passage of my concealed carry reciprocity legislation in the House. This legislation will ensure that law-abiding citizens can protect their families across state lines.

2017 has been a great year for North Carolina’s 8th District, and I’m looking forward to what this new year has in store. I will continue to work for good-paying jobs, a strengthened economy and commonsense government. My wife Renee and I wish you and your loved ones a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

Business-wise, 2017 was a great year, but I’m especially excited about 2018. Fayetteville and Cumberland County are flush with opportunities to stimulate our economy, advance our reputation, solidify our brand and enhance our quality of life. The big question looming out there is whether we have the leadership in place to take advantage of these opportunities. After attending the first planning session of the new Fayetteville City Council, I must admit I was slightly disappointed at the reluctance of several council members to step up and take leadership positions on two major local initiatives.

Both initiatives – Pathways to Prosperity and city support for the proposed NC Civil War & Reconstruction History Center – were obviously relevant and potentially beneficial to the residents of Fayetteville. Instead of evaluating these projects on their merits and how they could positively impact the community, council members seemed to be reluctant and overly concerned about how their constituents would perceive and react to their decisions. This concern, rather than a will to provide the leadership and direction for which they were elected, was the focus.

This preoccupation is concerning. They are all intelligent and capable people with good intentions and judgment. Why the reluctance? Doing the right thing for the right reasons never warrants an apology. That’s real leadership, and real leadership inspires vision and aggressive action. The city of Fayetteville is desperately in need of both if it is to succeed in growing the community. This is reality, not negativity.

I was trying to think of a relevant New Year’s resolution I could bestow on our new Fayetteville City Council in the hope it may provide council members inspiration and confidence to be aggressive in their thinking and decision-making. As I was driving through the frozen, snow-covered mountains of West Virginia this weekend, a popular country song by Rodney Atkins came on the radio and provided me the idea for my resolution.

The song is “If You’re Going through Hell.” How appropriate. Atkins sings out an upbeat message of perseverance that could serve to shore up anyone’s confidence and resolve. It goes like this:

If you’re going through hell Keep on going, don’t slow down If you’re scared, don’t show it You might get out Before the devil even knows you’re there Yeah, if you’re going through hell Keep on moving, face that fire Walk right through it You might get out Before the devil even knows you’re there

It’s a fun and catchy tune with a great message. Check it out: www.YouTube/Rodney Atkins. You’ll be humming it all week.

So, there you have it. My musical New Year’s gift and message to the new city council. Lyrics to live and survive by. Work hard, keep on going, don’t slow down, and, if you’re scared – don’t show it! All while continuing to serve and do the right things for the Fayetteville community. You can never go wrong doing the right things for the right reasons.

Here’s wishing everyone a happy and prosperous new year. Thank you for reading and supporting Up & Coming Weekly and allowing us to serve you. Expect only the best from our publications as we expect only the best for this community.

Another 11 ex-offenders will be getting jobs when Kinlaw’s Supermarket finishes its $500,000 store expansion. Owner Tommy Kinlaw said his store in East Fayetteville needs additional meat processing space plus more cold storage and expanded distribution capacity. “We are very pleased that this expansion will create local jobs for people who have had difficulty finding employment due to their past,” Kinlaw said.

The company regularly demonstrates its commitment to the community by actively participating in the local re-entry program, which finds jobs for former convicts.

“Our city is committed to supporting existing businesses and attracting new jobs and investment,” said Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin.

The 11 full-time jobs will provide the new employees an average annual wage of $31,158, including comprehensive benefits.

“When people have served their time, we want them to become productive members of society for their own success and for the safety and success of our communities,” Governor Roy Cooper said.

Kinlaw noted that he has hired dozens of former offenders over the years. In addition to the Sapona Road store expansion, the company has purchased a second supermarket on Gillespie Street. “More jobs will be created for this store in the coming months, and hiring is expected to start immediately,” he said.

Campbell Soup cooks up a local deal

Campbell Soup Supply Company, in partnership with DHL Supply Chain, has selected the Cedar Creek Business Center in Fayetteville for a new, state-of-the-art distribution center. The deal became public several weeks ago under a code name. The companies plan to invest more than $40 million in the project, which will result in the creation of 140 full-time and 55 part-time jobs.

In October, incentives for the project, which had not been publicly disclosed, were unanimously approved by the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and Fayetteville City Council. The company will receive grants of not more than 75 percent of new real property taxes for seven years. The county also agreed to sell the company approximately 98 acres in the industrial park for about $1.23 million, which is more than $500,000 less than the fair market value.

DHL is partnering with Campbell to develop a network of four distribution centers across the country. Campbell Soup has a manufacturing plant in nearby Maxton. It employs more than 800 workers in the production of several popular lines of soups. Construction of the local 627,000-square foot plant is scheduled to begin early this year.

“DHL Supply Chain and Campbell chose Cumberland County for its skilled workforce, proximity to major transportation hubs and favorable business climate,” said Governor Roy Cooper.

A supply chain is a system of integrated logistics that functions in harmony. Procurement, production, planning and transportation play vital roles in a supply chain. These processes also drive a company’s support functions such as marketing, finance, human resources, information technology and product development.

Murders down from 2016

Last year was unofficially the second-deadliest year on record for Fayetteville homicides. The alltime- record of 31 violent deaths was set in 2016. The unofficial total for 2017 was 26. September was the most violent month of the year with five murders investigated by Fayetteville police. Twenty-five of the deaths were classified by police as murders. The perpetrator of one of the homicides was charged with manslaughter. There was one double-homicide. And in one instance, a man murdered his wife and then took his own life. Suicide is not by legal definition homicide.

By contrast, the city of Durham counted only 20 homicides last year. At last count, there were 78 [sic] homicides in Raleigh.

Update on paratrooper’s death

An Army investigation into a Fort Bragg paratrooper’s death two years ago concluded that the soldier’s improper exit from the plane caused his death. Spc. Nicholas Roberts, 27, was killed instantly when the static line cut his neck, according to the report. The accident occurred April 28, 2016, during a night jump onto Sicily Drop Zone at Fort Bragg. It was Roberts’ seventh jump, but his first at night with a loaded rucksack and modular airborne weapons case.

His inexperience was cited as a contributing factor to the accident. But, the report also cited poor performance by jumpmasters, who failed to attend a pre-jump training session. The jumpmasters were formally reprimanded.

Roberts was a member of 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. Video and witnesses indicated that his MAWC was rigged too loosely. As he handed off his static line just before jumping from the aircraft, “his MAWC was positioned at an improper angle and appears nearly horizontal, as he turned in to the paratroop door,” according to the report. The MAWC, in which the soldier’s rifle and other gear were enclosed, struck the door of the C-17 as Roberts exited the aircraft, causing him to spin.

Teen pregnancy down in Cumberland County

Teen pregnancy rates locally have dropped more than 13 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics. In Cumberland County, there were 398 pregnancies among 15- to 19-year-old girls, which equates to a rate of 37 pregnancies per 1,000 girls of that age range. That ranks Cumberland County 23rd out of 100 counties in the state.

Statewide, North Carolina’s teen pregnancy rate fell 7 percent. Additional highlights from the data indicate that North Carolina’s teen pregnancy rate has fallen 73 percent since it peaked in 1990.

Pregnancies of white, black and Hispanic teens dropped 9, 8 and 4 percent, respectively. Pregnancy rates among African-American and Hispanic teens remain twice as high as those among whites.

Nationwide, researchers attribute pregnancy declines to increased use of birth control and birth control methods. The Health Department’s Teen Wellness Clinic assists patients who are 12-19 years old. Teens receive confidential, high-quality, friendly health care. The clinic provides numerous birth control methods including condoms, natural family planning, birth control pills, the patch, the NuvaRing and Depo Provera.

The greater Fayetteville Cumberland County Ministerial Council presents the “25th Year Honoring MLK’s Legacy” Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast Monday, Jan. 15, at 8 a.m. at the Crown Expo Center. The theme this year is “One Nation, One People: One Community, Fayetteville.”

“The theme echoes Dr. King himself as it relates to love of the community, being a nation of diversity, difference of opinion, different approaches to addressing matters of concern and for the sake of the love of community, we don’t allow differences to cause an imbalance,” said Dr. Maxie Dobson, vice president of the Fayetteville Cumberland County Ministerial Council. “This year we will have singing, as usual, from choirs and groups and the collective singing of the ‘Black American National Anthem.’” Dobson added that the event will follow the same format as past MLK breakfasts.

The keynote speaker is Bishop Charles H. Ellis III, senior pastor of Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, Michigan.

“We are particularly excited about our special keynote speaker, Bishop Ellis,” said Dobson. “He is a very personable and approachable person who is very busy. He is indirectly connected to the Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks because his church hosted her homegoing services, and that was a grand affair.” Parks lived in Detroit for many years after she moved from Alabama, and she passed away in 2005.

“We are looking for it to be our best one because this is the milestone 25th year that the Ministerial Council has sponsored this event, and that makes it more special and particularly satisfying,” said Dobson. “We are very grateful for the community at large because this is an event that is almost a common staple and a gathering that has no second thought, and the majority are reoccurring attendees.”

Dobson said the event is the best-attended gathering of its kind in the state of North Carolina and that it says something about the community that we would commit ourselves together and revisit the opportunities before us in the spirit of the legacy of Dr. King.

Ticket cost is $20 in advance or $23 at the door. For more information, visit www.fayettevillemincouncil.org.

Human trafficking is a worldwide problem. A September 2017 International Labor Organization and Walk Free Foundation report stated, “An estimated 24.9 million victims are trapped in modernday slavery. Of these, 16 million – 64 percent – were exploited for labor; 4.8 million – 19 percent – were sexually exploited; and 4.1 million – 17 percent – were exploited in state-imposed forced labor.”

Human trafficking is a statewide problem. Last year, statistics from the National Human Trafficking Hotline ranked North Carolina among the top 10 states for human trafficking with 181 cases reported in 2016.

Human trafficking is a local problem. In 2017, multiple human trafficking arrests were made in Cumberland County in February, July, September and October.

Human trafficking is a problem we can work together to combat. Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m., learn more about human trafficking and how to be a part of the solution at the Human Trafficking Awareness Forum hosted by The Child Advocacy Center along with Fayetteville Alumnae Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

The forum will include presentations as well as opportunities to ask the panelists questions.

Covering a variety of perspectives on the topic, the forum panelists include Fayetteville Police Department detective Ronnie Hutchins; Senior Sergeant Adam Farnham, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office; Pete Twedell, executive director, 5 Sparrows/ Fayetteville Dream Center; Dr. Dean Duncan, research professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Social Work; Pam Strickland, founder and executive director, Eastern North Carolina Stop Human Trafficking Now and committee member, NC Coalition Against Human Trafficking; and a survivor of human trafficking.

Cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and other agencies is vital when it comes to fighting trafficking. Hutchins and Farnham represent Fayetteville and Cumberland County law enforcement organizations. The Fayetteville Police Department and Cumberland County Sherriff’s Office partner with the Child Advocacy Center, which provides a safe, child-friendly place where partner agencies interview, investigate crimes against and provide support for abused children. Dedication and teamwork have led to multiple arrests locally.

“Human trafficking impacts families and communities left behind,” Hutchins said. “It also affects the health of women and children trafficked for sexual exploitation. They are at risk of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections and of spreading the diseases among Cumberland County and across the state of North Carolina. Human trafficking brings an increase in gun violence and drug use across our community. It also brings an additional cost to law enforcement to fight this crime and increases medical costs to the community and state to treat victims.”

Hutchins added that while finding and helping victims is a challenge, the fight doesn’t end there. “The biggest challenge I have seen in my career is to keep track of the victims after the arrest of the trafficker,” he said. “The victim will normally move from one area to another and constantly change their phone number. A (human trafficking) case can take two years or more to go to trial. During that time, it is very hard to keep track of or locate the victim. The victim may go back to prostitution or very hard drug use.”

Additionally, Twedell noted, “Human trafficking deteriorates the enormous value of every human life entrapped in the dark injustice by treating people as an object/commodity. (Human trafficking) exists primarily because of two things:... (First), an enormous demand for sexual services and/or cheap labor and other services and... (second), a desire to create profit at the expense of people’s freedom. At the North Carolina statelevel, trafficking fuels an underground and illicit economy that provides no positive benefits for our state or economy – and exists in stark contrast to our nation’s principals, which emphasize freedom for every citizen.”

Twedell’s organization, 5 Sparrows, partners with law enforcement and victim service/support organizations to work against human trafficking in the community. As the only local human trafficking-dedicated service organization, 5 Sparrows serves victims of human trafficking, providing full-spectrum support to survivors to enable them to walk a new path.

5 Sparrows also assists law enforcement in the pursuit of trafficking perpetrators, continually promotes human trafficking prevention and awareness and works to change the status quo in the community so that trafficking is no longer acceptable. There is an extensive reading list about the topic at www.5sparrowsfdc.com/reading-list.

Duncan is the principal investigator for Project No Rest. PNR collaborates with the UNC School of Social Work to raise awareness about human trafficking with prevention being the end goal.

One of the most effective ways to do this is to educate the public about how trafficking affects youth in North Carolina. PNR works with state and local government organizations and agencies to not only reduce the number of youth who are trafficked but to help those whose lives have been affected by it. Practical things the organization does include raising awareness and prevention initiatives; fostering cooperation between agencies; developing policies and practices to prevent young people from becoming trafficking victims; improving methods used to identify trafficking victims; and finding safe places for victims to live and heal. Learn more about PNR at www.projectnorest.org.

Strickland founded the Eastern North Carolina Stop Human Trafficking Now, a group of citizens committed to addressing human trafficking within the community by engaging the local citizens. By educating the populace, the organization seeks to reduce the demand for slave labor and sexual servitude, prosecute the perpetrators, and protect victims and potential victims.

Often, trafficking happens in plain sight. Knowing the signs can help save lives. In many cases, trafficking victims are obviously fearful and nervous; they become anxious near law enforcement; they avoid eye contact and may be overly attached to one person or have a person who is overly attached to them. They may appear malnourished and show signs of physical abuse. Trafficking victims often have few personal items, wearing the same clothes day in and day out; they have no control over their money or identification. There may always be a third party present, preventing the victims from speaking for themselves.

“Human trafficking frequently looks like prostitution, but it is not,” said Twedell. “Human trafficking is a sophisticated crime against people who are victims. Recovery for victims of human trafficking requires a complex approach for lasting restoration.”

From a preventative standpoint, Hutchins noted that there are things parents can do. “Parents need to monitor their children’s social media accounts, friends and any changes in their behavior or health,” he said.

To report trafficking, call the national human trafficking hotline at 888-373-7888 or text HELP to 233733.

The Human Trafficking Awareness Forum on Jan. 23 will be held at the Kiwanis Rec. Center, 352 Devers St., at 6:30 p.m. The event is open to the public and is appropriate for any adults who want to learn more about this topic. There is no charge to attend, but registration is requested at Eventbrite.com. Information presented will include how human trafficking is impacting our community, signs for recognizing it and what can be done to help.

For more information, call the Child Advocacy Center at 910-486-9700.

I have come to a point of empathizing with wealthy Americans. In my estimation, they are being financially victimized. Much of what brought me to this conclusion appears in the thoughts that follow.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines the word victimize as such: “to treat someone in an intentionally unfair way.” The case I make now is that wealthy Americans are financially victimized. The victimization happens in how their tax rates are determined.

Consider some observations as to what drives their tax rate determination. Because it is politically beneficial, there is an effort to condition non-wealthy citizens to believe the wealthy should pay a substantial amount of their wealth in taxes. Since the wealthy are very much in the minority by way of numbers, conditioning the non-wealthy to expect, and even demand, redistribution of wealth brings votes to those politicians who pursue wealth redistribution.

This conditioning process has several moving parts. One is that politicians, almost always Democratic, and their supporters claim great concern for people. They look for opportunities to demonstrate that concern. The demonstration of concern is hardly ever productive for citizens, but simply mischaracterizes what might be a productive action by an individual or group seen as the opposition.

A case in point as to how this supposed concern for people plays out was evident in Democratic opposition to the recently passed tax legislation (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act). While offering nothing by way of legislation when the American economy needs to be stimulated with jobs brought back to and created in this country, Democrats latched onto what they saw as a vulnerable point. The proposed Republican legislation limited the duration of the individual tax cuts but made the corporate reductions permanent. Democrat after Democrat was before a microphone talking about how this was unfair to individuals, especially the middle class, and how it favored big business.

Not one time did I hear a Democrat explain why Republicans took this action. It was because the Senate has what is called the Byrd Rule. This rule originated with Senator Robert Byrd, a Democrat from West Virginia. The time limit on individual tax cuts was included in the bill so it complies with Senate rules – the Byrd Rule – that legislation can be passed with a simple majority only if it doesn’t drive up the deficit 10 years after passage. Not a single Democrat was going to vote for this legislation. Consequently, Republicans made the change so that they could pass it with a simple majority, which they had. Democrats only told the part of the story that would lead the non-wealthy to think Democrats were concerned about them.

Democratic actions described above also reflect another step in the conditioning process. This step is to paint Republicans as members of a party that does what is good for the wealthy while showing no concern for the non-wealthy. Beyond pressing Democratic concern for the non-wealthy, telling only the advantageous part of the Byrd Rule situation was intended to advance the “Republicans love wealthy people and don’t care about the nonwealthy” narrative

Even further, conditioning the non-wealthy includes instilling dislike, if not pure hate, for the wealthy. In part, this is done by repeatedly saying the wealthy are not paying their fair share in taxes. An example is what President Barack Obama said, as reported by Joel Gehrke in an article titled “President Obama on the ‘fiscal cliff’ agreement:”

“‘Obviously, there is still more to do when it comes to reducing our debt,’” Obama said in the video. ‘And I’m willing to do more, as long as we do it in a balanced way that doesn’t put all the burden on seniors or students or middle-class families, but also asks the wealthiest Americans to contribute and pay their fair share.’”

At the bottom line, this statement says make the wealthy pay and pay. The call for the wealthy to pay more is repeated frequently, but never with specificity. Sean Hannity, host of “Hannity” on Fox Cable News, has asked numerous proponents of the wealthy paying their fair share to name that fair share rate. I have never seen him get a straight answer.

The effectiveness of this conditioning process is reflected in several outcomes. One is that polls show this approach to be effective. In an article titled “High-income Americans pay most income taxes, but enough to be ‘fair’?” Drew Desilver, based on a Pew Research Center survey, reports: “Some six-in-ten Americans said they were bothered a lot by the feeling that ‘some wealthy people’ and ‘some corporations’ don’t pay their fair share.”

Nobody is able to make a fact-based argument as to what constitutes fair share, but continuously repeating the call produces the feelings reflected in that Pew survey.

The Drew Desilver article makes this statement, based on a Monmouth University poll, regarding the then-developing 2017 tax legislation: “The poll, released Monday, found that 50 percent of the public believes the federal taxes they pay will go up under the Grand Old Party’s proposal; 25 percent think their taxes will stay the same, and just 14 percent say their taxes will go down.”

I am comfortable concluding these poll results were not driven by respondents examining their tax situation in light of the proposed legislation. There might be some exceptions, but most respondents had to be going on “gut instinct” conditioned by the process I have described to this point.

The end result is that this conditioning process brings far too many non-wealthy individuals to the point that they faithfully vote for those politicians who work this conditioning process with amazing acumen. My observation is that Democrats are masters of this conditioning process. Since the wealthy are vastly outnumbered by voting non-wealthy citizens, many of whom have succumbed to Democratic conditioning, tax policy results in this country are predictable. Here is the picture based on Pew Center research reported in the Desilver article:

“In 2014, people with adjusted gross income, or AGI, above $250,000 paid just over half (51.6 percent) of all individual income taxes, though they accounted for only 2.7 percent of all returns filed, according to our analysis of preliminary IRS data. Their average tax rate (total taxes paid divided by cumulative AGI) was 25.7 percent. By contrast, people with incomes of less than $50,000 accounted for 62.3 percent of all individual returns filed, but they paid just 5.7 percent of total taxes. Their average tax rate was 4.3 percent.”

It appears to me a sizable number of citizens who pay little or nothing in taxes get to elect politicians who, in turn, take huge sums from the wealthy and pass benefits to those non-wealthy citizens who are conditioned to support this process.

There are at least two sources of sadness from what I have described here. One is that this looks and smells like financial victimization of the wealthy. The second is that the benefits provided to the non-wealthy normally do little or nothing by way of nurturing productive attitudes, promoting individual responsibility, allowing for and encouraging upward mobility or unifying a nation. We must find a better way.

The Civil War History Center proposed for Fayetteville has struggled with image for the 10 years the idea has been developed. “Mention of the Civil War brings with it the issue of slavery,” said City Councilman Larry Wright. He and some other African-American members of council say nearly half of Fayetteville’s population is sensitive to and struggles with the topic of slavery. Councilwoman Tisha Waddell said that’s precisely why a history center is important to the community.

The facility’s board of directors recently changed the name to the NC Civil War & Reconstruction History Center. Officials believe the new name more accurately describes the center’s purpose, which is to educate.

“This will not be a memorial to or celebration of the Confederacy,” said President Mac Healy. “Our center is searching for stories of how families dealt with the hardships that came as a result of the Civil War.”

Healy said it will not be a museum filled with Confederate weapons and uniforms. Instead, the focus will be on much of the 19th century, including the antebellum run up to the war, the war itself and the reconstruction period between 1865 and 1877.

“We will be the first history center... in the country that will approach the Civil War and its aftermath from the perspective of what it was like to be living as a citizen of North Carolina at the time,” said Senior Consultant David Winslow. The facility will include a place for permanent exhibits that interpret the antebellum history and the Civil War in North Carolina as well as a 3D theater that portrays U.S. General William Sherman’s final march and Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston’s surrender at Bennett’s Place.

The History Center Foundation said it is taking an evenhanded approach to North Carolina’s experiences. The Fayetteville Arsenal will be the jumping off point of experiences involving the entire state. Anecdotal stories from all 100 counties will make the center a historic educational destination for Fayetteville. As envisioned, oral histories of people, places and events told and retold through generations will tell the story of what North Carolina was like before, during and after the War between the States. Those personal recollections are still being sought from Tar Heel farmers and businessmen, Native Americans, African-Americans, immigrants, the freed and enslaved.

Research reviewed by the University of North Carolina will be used to write a public-school curriculum to be used by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction statewide. The 60,000-square-foot history center will replace the existing Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex. Since the center was announced in 2014, $27 million has been raised. The city of Fayetteville, county of Cumberland and state of North Carolina have made significant financial commitments. $7 million has been raised privately. Once complete, the center will be owned and operated by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Cape Fear High School wrestling coach Heath Wilson wanted to give his team a test over the Christmas holiday break, but even he was shocked at the grade the Colt squad recorded.

The Colts traveled to Raleigh and Charlotte to take part in two major tournaments, the annual WRAL-TV tournament in Raleigh and the Holy Angels Invitational at Bojangles Arena in Charlotte.

Cape Fear faced formidable opposition in both tournaments and came away with the team championship in both events.

“We want to follow where the talent goes,’’ Wilson said.

The WRAL tournament was more than just a matter of seeking good opposition. During the 1980s when Wilson was a state champion wrestler at Cape Fear, the Colts never won the Raleigh tournament as a team.

“That’s a bucket list item,’’ Wilson said. “If I didn’t win it as a wrestler, I wanted to win it as a coach. It was icing on the cake.’’

The Holy Angels tournament doesn’t have the history WRAL does, but it’s grown into one of the state’s biggest holiday events over the last several years, Wilson said.

“When they got from 32 to 50 teams it started peaking my interest,’’ Wilson said. “We had four of the top-ranked teams in the state from 4-A to 1-A.’’

In both tournaments, Cape Fear got solid efforts from a quintet of wrestlers, Jared Barbour at 152 pounds, Dallas Wilson at 132, Josh Jones at 285, Triston Chapman at 126 and defending state champion Michael Vernagallo at 170.

Heath said Dallas and Vernagallo have been pushing each other in practice as partners.

Although he’s got four losses, Barbour is still ranked among the top five wrestlers in the state in his weight class.

Through Jan. 1, according to records posted at NCPrepSports.net, Vernagallo is 20-0, Chapman 21-3, Wilson 17-1, Jones 11-0 and Barbour 17-4.

The next big tournament challenge for Cape Fear comes this weekend when it travels to Eden Morehead High School for the annual Sarah Wilkes Invitational.

“That is the trifecta,’’ Heath Wilson said of the Eden tournament. “(Hillsborough) Orange will be in it, the defending 3-A state champion.’’

Wilson added that the Colts haven’t had their full regular lineup on the mat yet this season. The key to success moving forward, he said, will be the ability for his wrestlers to be flexible and compete at different weights.

“That’s going to be a good factor if I can get that versatility,’’ Wilson said.

Activities

• Every Monday and Friday, the Alms House serves meals from noon to 12:30 p.m. and 5-5:30 p.m. Saturday meals are at noon, and Sunday meals are at 5 p.m. Free. Contact, Grilley Mitchell at 910-476-3719 or visit www.almshousehopemills.com for details.

• Hope Mills Youth baseball, softball and indoor soccer registration is open through Feb. 28, 4:30 p.m. Baseball ages 5-14, Softball ages 7-5, instructional soccer ages 5-6, indoor soccer ages 7-12. Eligibility cut-off date for baseball and indoor soccer is May 1. Softball cut-off date is Jan. 1. Proof of address and birth certificate are required to register. Call 910-426-4105 for more information.

• Hope Mills Youth wrestling registration is open until Feb. 2 for ages 6-12. Practices are held at Brower Park. Matches are held at Myers Recreation Center. $30 per child. Proof of address and birth certificate are required to register. Call 910-426-4105 for more information.

Meetings

• Alcoholics Anonymous meetings Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays at 8 p.m. at Hope Mills United Methodist Church, 4955 Legion Rd. • Hope Mills Board of Commissioners Meeting first and third Monday of each month at the Town Hall Building at 7 p.m.

• Hope Mills Area Kiwanis Club second Tuesdays at noon at Buckhead Steakhouse (Sammio’s starting in Feb.) and fourth Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at Mi Casita in Hope Mills. For details, call 910-237-1240.

Volunteer

• Volunteer coaches needed for Hope Mills Youth sports. Pick up coach applications and background check forms at the front counter of the Hope Mills Recreation Center. Call 910-426-4105 for more information.

• Adopt-A-Street Help keep the streets of Hope Mills clean by adopting one near your home or business. Contact the Street Department at https://townofhopemills.com/200/Maintenance for details.

• Adopt-A-Drain Join volunteers from all over town who help keep storm drains clean and free of debris. Help prevent flooding, protect wildlife, and keep the town’s water clean and safe. Visit the Adopt-A-Drain Program page to get started: www.townofhopemills.com/203/Adopt-ADrain- Program.

• Citizen’s Police Academy The Training Department at the Hope Mills Police Department offers a training course for citizens to become more prepared and involved in the safety of their community. Download the application to get started: www.townofhopemills.com/DocumentCenter/Home/View/62.

• Firefighters The Hope Mills Fire Department employs both career staff and volunteers. Find out the criteria and training requirements for volunteer firefighters and join the team today: www.townofhopemills.com/155/Volunteer-Firefighters.

Stay in the know

• Go Green! Recycling helps keep your refuse fees lower. Call the Public Works Department’s Waste Management division to start your service at 910-480-4010. Acceptable recyclables can be commingled together in the recycling container. Acceptable recyclable items include: magazines, office paper, junk mail, brown paper bags, newspaper, paperboard (cereal, cracker, drink and snack boxes), phone books, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles (#1 - 7), paper cardboard (dairy and juice containers), aluminum cans, foil and pie tins, steel or tin cans. Collection is on Wednesdays.

• Hope Mills is accepting bids for “ROCKFISH ROAD SIDEWALK FOR TOWN OF HOPE MILLS.” Sealed bids for the project entitled “ROCKFISH ROAD SIDEWALK FOR TOWN OF HOPE MILLS” will be received by the town of Hope Mills until 2 p.m., Feb. 6, in the town of Hope Mills Town Hall, 5770 Rockfish Rd., Board Room. At said place and time, all bids that have been duly received will be publicly opened and read aloud.

A pre-bid conference will be held at 2 p.m., Jan. 16 at the town of Hope Mills Town Hall, 5770 Rockfish Rd., Board Room. Interested parties are invited to attend this meeting to review the plans, ask for additional information or clarification and to visit the project site. Visit www.townofhopemills.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=546 for more information.

• Fire Inspections: Anyone who would like to schedule a fire inspection, report a possible fire code violation or ask questions about the fire code are encouraged to contact the fire marshal at 910-424-0948 ext. 3397.

The town of Hope Mills charges for fire inspections and permits. Fees for fire inspections are based on the square footage of the occupancy. All permits are obtained through the town’s inspection department. Fines will be issued for fire code violations and are assessed on a per violation and per occurrence basis. The fire marshal is responsible for conducting state mandated fire inspections and fire code enforcement in all new and existing buildings, except for one- and two-family dwellings.

On July 1, 1991, North Carolina adopted the statewide fire code, and state legislation enacted a mandatory inspection schedule. This schedule governs the frequency of inspections based on occupancy classifications. Commonly observed fire code violations include: failure to have fire extinguishers serviced annually; failure to have automatic fire protection systems (sprinkler systems and fire alarm systems) serviced annually; hood suppression systems not serviced (must be serviced every six months); improper use of extension cords; inoperative exit signs and emergency lighting; improper locking devices on required exits; blocked or locked fire exits; and poor housekeeping and storage practices.

• The NC Community Development Initiative Small Business Disaster Recovery Program offers loans to small businesses affected by Hurricane Matthew. The funds are available for refinancing, predevelopment, new construction, rehabilitation, working capital, equipment and inventory. The Affordable housing program offers loans for the development of projects that expand access to disaster recovery affordable housing. The rental housing repair program offers funds for owners of rental housing whose properties were damaged in Hurricane Matthew. Learn more at www.ncinitiative.org/initiative-capital.

• The Hope Mills Senior Program is seeking qualified instructors in the areas of fitness, creative arts, crafting and dance to teach classes and/or workshops to older adults ages 55 and up. Format and scheduling are flexible. Contact Kasey Ivey or Anne Evanco for more information: 910-426-4109.

Promote yourself

To have your business, organization or event included in this section, email us: hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

The Fayetteville Fire Department has designated a veteran fire captain as its official recruiter. The position was established in November without city support. “We had to take a firefighter off the line since the position hasn’t been funded,” said Fire Chief Ben Major. Officials said they will include payroll for a recruiter in next fiscal year’s budget. In the meantime, the department is one man short at the fire station where the recruiter was previously assigned.

Major said the recruiter position had not been approved by city council in previous budgets, but he’s confident it will be in the FY2019 budget process. The department’s recruiting effort is aimed at improving the employment of minority firefighters.

“We don’t have a recruiting problem; we have a diversity recruiting problem,” Major told city council. He said that out of the FFD’s 331 employees, nine are African American. Major himself is one of the nine.

In a memo to city council, the chief said the fire department “continues to face challenges in improving diversity within the organization.” He outlined measures designed to assist the department in increasing racial integration of the workforce. These include hosting a symposium on recruiting for diversity that will feature speakers discussing best practices and what has worked well for other municipal fire departments. The symposium will be held Jan. 30 at the student center of Fayetteville State University.

The city has retained the Pittman McLenagan Group, L.C. of Bethesda, Maryland, to consult with the fire department on project management experience, project understanding, personnel qualifications and general qualifications. Pittman McLenagan describes itself online as a small, woman-owned firm providing a broad spectrum of employment consulting services for organizations seeking to improve their procedures. Other strategies include sponsoring enhanced preparatory workshops for potential candidates and partnering with agencies that share an interest in workforce development.

“What’s the choke point for candidates?” asked Councilman Jim Arp. He wanted to know why many minorities failed to make the hiring cut. Major said it was the written test that all applicants take. The results count 40 percent in the application evaluation process. Personal interviews with a city Human Resource Committee count 60 percent, Major said.

City Attorney Karen MacDonald told council the city’s diversity committee is reviewing the application process to determine if the process itself is part of the problem.

Nearly 700 applicants applied to fill 30 fire department vacancies in the most recent academy. Major did not know how many of the candidates were black.

“You need to open the tool box,” Arp told Major. He suggested allowing certified firefighters from other communities to be hired, as the police department does. Lateral hiring, as it’s known, could help improve integration, Arp added.

“You’re the professionals, so figure it out,” Mayor Mitch Colvin told Major.