A woman identified by Fayetteville Police as the mother of a juvenile who was killed about 10:30 a.m., Oct. 21, is in the Cumberland County jail charged with her son’s murder. Police “responded to a report of a domestic disturbance at the Fairfield Inn & Suites at 4249 Ramsey St.,” said Police Sgt. Shawn Strepay.

He said a hotel guest called 911 to report what was described as a physical disturbance in a thirdfloor room. Strepay said officers found Zamarie Chance, 9, badly injured and unresponsive. He died soon after arriving at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. His mother, Crystal M. Matthews, 35, of the 6000 block of Whitemoss Court, a community of quarter-million-dollar homes off Andrews Road, was charged with first-degree murder and felony child abuse. She was taken into custody at the scene and later jailed without bond.

Mall to close for Thanksgiving

Fayetteville’s Cross Creek mall will be closed Thanksgiving Day. All CBL & Associates shopping malls across the country will not be open on Thanksgiving Day. Cross Creek Mall is a CBL property. Owners say their decision is in response to “Black Friday creep,” which has resulted in retailers opening their doors on Thanksgiving to gain a competitive edge. It’s the company’s second year of closing on the holiday. There is a caveat to CBL’s decision: Anchor stores and others with separate entrances will be allowed to open if they like. That is unusual because management’s rules generally apply to all stores, big and small. Cross Creek Mall will open at 6 a.m. Friday.

Veterans Affairs proposes new choices

The Department of Veterans Affairs is suggesting that Congress overhaul how veterans receive health care in the private sector. The VA wants to do away with the widely criticized “30-day/40-mile” rule. The new plan is called the Veterans Coordinated Access & Rewarding Experiences Act, or CARE. It would give veterans and their VA physicians flexibility in choosing whether they receive care at a VA facility or from a privatesector provider.

“We want veterans to work with their VA physicians to make informed decisions that are best for their clinical needs, whether in the VA or in the community,” said VA Secretary David Shulkin.

He announced earlier this year that he intended to do away with the rule that allows veterans to go outside the VA for health care only if they had to wait more than 30 days for an appointment or if they live more than 40 miles from a VA clinic. The rule was implemented as part of the Veterans Choice Program in 2014. It has been criticized by some veterans as complicated, bureaucratic and restrictive. Some health care providers claim the VA has been slow to reimburse them for services provided under the program.

Air Force workhorse retired

The last C-130H Hercules cargo plane in the active-duty Air Force bade sayonara to Japan this month. The aircraft was the last of its kind assigned to the Yokota-based 36th Airlift Squadron, which has been trading out its 14 H-models for newer J-models in recent months.

“It’s sad to see it go,” said Lt. Col. John Kerr, shortly before he took the controls of the plane for the long flight to Montana. Some H-models are being reassigned to Air National Guard units. Others are being retired.

It wasn’t too long ago that Pope Field said goodbye to its C-130H models. The 440th Airlift Wing had 16 of them supporting worldwide airborne response and providing training missions for the XVIII Airborne Corps and 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. The 440th was an Air Force Reserve unit that was transferred to Pope as the result of the 2006 Base Realignment and Closure Act.

Despite opposition from North Carolina congressmen and senators, the 440th was inactivated as an Air Force cost savings measure. And Pope’s last C-130 departed in June 2016. The 440th was deactivated three months later. Pope is now an Army airfield hosted by Fort Bragg. As for Lt. Col. Kerr, his trip home was also his last flight. He’s retiring from the Air Force and is looking for work in commercial aviation, he said.

Womack Army Medical Center’s holiday schedule

Fort Bragg’s hospital has published its holiday schedule. All primary care and specialty care clinics will be closed on Veterans Day, Nov. 10. This includes Byars Medical Clinic, Clark Health Clinic, Joel Health and Dental Clinic, Robinson Health Clinic, Womack Family Medicine Residency Clinic, Fayetteville Medical Home, Hope Mills Medical Home and Linden Oaks Medical Home.

The hospital will take the usual two days off for Thanksgiving, Nov. 23 and 24. All primary care and specialty care clinics will be closed for Thanksgiving, including the clinics mentioned above. There will, however, be a consolidated care clinic Nov. 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and a flu vaccination clinic from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Womack Family Medicine Residency Clinic. The consolidated care clinic will operate by appointment only. The appointment line phone number is (910) 907-2778. The flu vaccination clinic will be on a walk-in basis.

This year’s Christmas Holiday will be observed from Friday, Dec. 22, through Monday the 25. All primary care and specialty care clinics will be closed Dec. 22 through 25 for Christmas. On New Year’s Day, Monday, Jan. 1, 2018, all primary care and specialty care clinics will be closed. To make an appointment at a clinic, log on to www.TRICAREOnline.com or call (910) 907-2778. The Emergency Department is always open for medical emergencies.                 

Chemours is cooperating with the state

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has directed Chemours to provide bottled water to nine more well owners near the company’s Fayetteville facility. This is because the most recent preliminary test results show GenX above the provisional state health goal in residential drinking wells. That makes 35 residential well owners living near Chemours’ Fayetteville Works facility on the Bladen County line who are receiving bottled water because of GenX detections in their well water.

DEQ is sending all well owners test results as well as health and other information. “Bottled water is a short-term fix, and we’re working with the counties and the company to find a long-term solution for families who rely on these wells,” said Michael Regan, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. DEQ is working on longer-term water solutions for residents with affected wells, most of whom live north of the facility. Among the possibilities are installing home water filter systems or connecting affected homes to uncontaminated wells or a nearby public water supply. “We all count on having access to a clean, reliable source of drinking water, and these well owners deserve no less,” Regan added.

Kathy Jensen has many titles and roles in our city. You might know her as Councilwoman, business owner, ECU alumni, huge Pine Forest High School fan, others fondly know her as friend, sister, wife, or mom.

I have so much respect for Kathy Jensen in her many roles and leadership in our city. Her passion spans beyond the North Side of Fayetteville where she has represented her
District so well.

Additionally, she has been the only woman to represent us for the past four years on the City Council. Through starting the Fayetteville Youth Council, she has empowered young students across our city to get involved making a difference and additionally they get exposure to the inner workings of Fayetteville through attending City Council meetings.

Kathy has practical experience collaborating, providing input and solutions for city ordinances, a voting record that speaks for itself on infrastructure and economic development. The decisions made on City Council require a higher level of thinking problem dedicated and invested in our community.

She has served our city well and her trajectory moving our city forward is evident as you continues forward in her role as a member of our City Council.

Thank you,
Kelly Twedell

PHOTO: Karen Jensen

This is a first for me.

I’ve never run for office. To be honest, I never even thought about running – until earlier this year, when some close friends and family members encouraged me to launch a campaign for city council.

I blew them off at first. I’m not a politician, and I’ve never had much regard for the folks who will say whatever it takes to get elected and then ignore their constituents once they get into office. But I also grew up here in Fayetteville, built my business here, and hope to be here for the rest of my life. I love this city. I love its potential. And I know we ultimately won’t reach that potential if we keep electing the same people and hoping for a better result.

I also know our local government could use a little more real-world experience. In business, you have to work with people to get things done. You have to find common ground. That doesn’t mean you compromise your core principles, but it does mean you have to listen and find creative ways to solve problems. I think we could use a little more of that experience at every level of government, but maybe especially the level closest to the people.

After countless hours praying and thinking about this, I would like to be your District 5 City Councilman. And here’s what I can promise you, if elected:

• Responsiveness. I’ll listen to you and your concerns, and I’ll do whatever I can to help resolve any problems you have with the city’s bureaucracy.

• Honesty. I’ll tell you the truth, even if it’s not what you want to hear.

• Common Sense. I’ll do everything I can to make decisions that make sense for our district. I hope I can earn your vote in the upcoming election. In the meantime, if I can ever answer any questions about me or my campaign, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

PHOTO: Henry Tyson

The president tweets, and America either cheers with delight or recoils in horror. There is no middle ground. As the Irish poet Willie Yeats wrote in “The Second Coming,” “Things fall apart: the center cannot hold/... The best lack all conviction, while the worst/are full of passionate intensity.”

We currently have more passionate intensity than you can shake the proverbial stick at. Our current civil divisions may not turn out as well for us as we hoped with all the momentum frothing up on the fringes of society.

On a similar but less lofty version of Yeats’ point, recall the immortal advice from Johnny Mercer: “You’ve got to accentuate the positive/eliminate the negative/ and latch on to the affirmative/don’t mess with Mr. In-Between.”

Taking a hint from Mercer, I tried to find something positive in President Trump’s recent comments about the press writing things he doesn’t like. The president branded the mainstream media as the “Enemy of the People.” He has tweeted, “With all the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their license? Network news has become so partisan, distorted and fake, that licenses must be challenged, and if appropriate, revoked. Not fair to the public!” He finished up by saying, on TV, “It’s frankly disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write. And people should look into it.” George Orwell has already looked into it.

Pondering the president’s statement about how disgusting it is that the press is able to write whatever they want to write got me thinking about how the president might get the press to write stuff that he likes. Fortunately, our old buddy George Orwell spelled out the solution in his laugh-a-minute book, “1984.” With the savings from gutting the subsidies to pay for health insurance, the EPA and the State Department, the president can create a new department: The Ministry of Truth as described by Mr. Orwell. The Ministry of Truth (Minitrue) is just what the president needs to combat Fake News, which is any news he doesn’t like.

Imagine what Trump’s Minitrue might look like using Orwell’s Newspeak from “1984.” Orwell was kind enough to include a Newspeak dictionary in “1984” which defines the Minitrue as “the department of government in charge of all record keeping, history re-writing and trashy entertainment and spurious news, which the Party handed out to the masses. This includes written literature, movies, music and other forms of propaganda handed out to the proles.” News or history that doesn’t meet the approval of the Minitrue goes down the old memory hole into the furnace in the basement.

The new U.S. Ministry of Truth will be in charge of granting prior approval for any news reported by TV, newspapers, social media or individuals. Let’s walk down Orwell Lane and review his Newspeak concepts.

Censorship by any other name would smell as sweet. The goal of the Minitrue is to prevent thoughtcrime, which consists of even considering any thought not in line with official standards. Thoughtcrime will be enforced by the Thought Police, who will monitor all statements, facecrime (facial expression reacting adversely to news supported by the State), and activities of citizens. The goal of controlling the news is to create bellyfeel, which is blind, enthusiastic acceptance of a concept.

The goal is to create citizens with blackwhite, which is “the ability to accept whatever truth the party puts out – no matter how absurd it may be. It means the ability to believe that black is white and forget that one has ever believed to the contrary.”

A double-plus good citizen must have the ability to doublethink, which is “the power to hold two completely contradictory belief’s in one’s mind simultaneously and accept both of them.”

Good citizens will participate in a daily Two Minute Hate Session where all televisions and smartphones will show pictures of enemies of the State like Anderson Cooper or Rachel Maddow for the viewers to boo, hiss at and curse. Orwell provided the blueprint for the Ministry of Truth. All that is needed to stop the disgusting news media from reporting double-plus ungood facts offensive to the president is a little old Constitutional Convention to abolish the First Amendment or indifferent citizens. The first Secretary of the Ministry of Truth ready to enforce rightthink is already on the national scene.

May I introduce the Secretary of Minitrue, the Honorable Steve Bannon. Behind his tiny hands, Big Brother is watching you.

Editor’s note: With the election right around the corner, former city council candidate Jason Brady has some salient thoughts on the future of the greater Fayetteville area. Publisher Bill Bowman yields this space to Brady this week due to the relevance and timeliness of the topic. 

Since I’m no longer a candidate for Fayetteville City Council, I can write about this topic without breaking an agreement I had with Bill Bowman. We agreed that I not bring my candidacy into my column.

So, today I want to write about my campaign issues that obviously didn’t resonate with voters, but which I think are still relevant.

I didn’t pull them out of the air. Instead, months before I filed for office, I started a conversation with people. It was an informal conversation at first. I simply asked people what they disliked about living in Fayetteville.

Let me emphasize again – it was an unscientific survey. I used social media, direct mail, hand-delivered surveys and just pure conversations with people who would listen and answer. Heck, I even jotted notes on paper napkins and paper place settings from the Greek Pancake Breakfast.

The most telling thoughts people had about Fayetteville came from my first two questions:

1.  What three things don’t you like about living in Fayetteville?

2.  What three things do you like about living in Fayetteville?

I included other questions to gauge opinions about local government. I asked if they believed Fayetteville and Cumberland County spent tax dollars wisely. I asked for their take on the bond referendum for parks and recreation amenities, and I asked what they thought about spending $33 million on a baseball stadium and if downtown was the best place to build it. I received interesting answers and more fodder for future columns.

But first, about the first two questions and answers – on which I based my campaign message.

While I asked for three reasons someone might dislike living in Fayetteville, the responses seemed to center mostly on four dislikes. They may have been worded differently, but the core thread about our city was obvious. They are listed below in no particular order:

•  Lack of professional-level jobs, the kind of full-time jobs that pay a salary that can entice a family to live in Fayetteville. We have plenty of low-paying, part-time jobs. We don’t have jobs that keep young people in Fayetteville. The only young people coming back are those whose families own businesses and can employ them.

•  A trashy appearance, especially along the gateways into the city. It’s not just trash, but the appearance of property. Despite efforts of people like Councilman Bobby Hurst, who spearheads the Fayetteville Beautiful efforts, we have more people who don’t care how we present our community to visitors who could be potential employers.

•  Violent crime. People hear about gunfights in crowded parking lots or dead bodies floating down the Cape Fear River. Violent crime has risen nationwide for two consecutive years, and Fayetteville is no exception.

•  Finally, people dislike the traffic. The responses about traffic varied. For some, it’s those “damned” center medians the highway department is putting on every street, making it nearly impossible to get where you’re going. For others, it’s the sheer volume of traffic coupled with crazy aggressive drivers who’ll change a lane and cut you off like it’s the right thing to do. The reasons people like living in Fayetteville, sadly, have nothing to do with our city. Rather, it’s because of Fayetteville’s position in relation to other amenities: family who live nearby, military-affiliated services and proximity to the beach and mountains.

Our soon-to-be elected council has a lot of work ahead to address these types of issues. I hope voters are smart enough to elect representatives who can work toward solutions and not for candidates based on superficial motives.

 This weekend, the newly-named Fayetteville Marksmen will drop their puck on home ice for the first time. Friday, Oct. 27, the Marksmen take on Huntsville Havoc at the Crown Coliseum from 7-10 p.m. Spectators should expect more than a new name from the team; the first home game of the season will demonstrate a new atmosphere and a shift in focus, too.

The Marksmen will measure success in terms of community engagement and the consistent creation of a quality experience for spectators, according to co-owners Chuck Norris and Jeff Longo.

“The results of the team that we put on the ice are very important, but they’re not nearly as important as the overall success of the organization in being a community asset,” Norris said. He added that as a re-branded organization, the Marksmen want to be very involved “in the local scene; be at different events, have our players in schools.”

“We’re more than a professional hockey team,” Longo said. “We know there’s a fairly finite number of hardcore hockey fans in Fayetteville, and we want to appeal to people who might not know as much about hockey but who are looking for a very fun yet affordable evening.”

Norris and Longo hit the ground running when they took over management of the previouslynamed FireAntz in mid-March. Norris, an Army veteran now located in Charlotte, who lived and did business in Fayetteville for 20 years, serves as CEO. Longo, who spent over 20 years in professional hockey in upper management positions, serves as president.

Their plan to position the team as a community asset rather than simply as a sports team involves working with over 70 local partners and sponsors, including the Cumberland County Commissioners, the Cumberland County Crown Commission, the Salvation Army, Special Olympics North Carolina, Fort Bragg MWR, United Service Organizations of Fort Bragg, Cape Fear Youth Hockey, Fayetteville Kiwanis Club and Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.

These partnerships and the overall goal of quality entertainment will be reflected at home games throughout the season, which runs through April 2018. “We got really lucky this year; our schedule features 24 Fridays and Saturdays,” Longo said. He explained that 14 of the team’s 20 home games this season will feature extras in terms of entertainment, with seven of those 14 having big themes and being the most elaborately planned.

Kicking off these “big seven” is the first home game of the season on Oct. 27. Appropriately themed Opening Night, the evening will feature food trucks in the parking lot prior to the game and a Marksmen flag giveaway for the first 2,000 spectators to enter the building. Those who purchase special ticket packages will receive a free flag as well. Fans will also receive a voucher from Bubba’s 33 for a buy-one, get-one-free pizza when they purchase tickets. The other biggest games of the season are:

Friday, Nov. 25: Teddy Bear Toss – After the first goal of the game is scored, fans rain teddy bears they brought from home down onto the ice. Players later give the bears to children at Cape Fear Hospital. There will also be a puck giveaway and $1 hotdogs.

Friday, Dec. 22: Star Wars Jerseys – After the game, at center ice, Star Wars jerseys that have been worn and autographed by players will be up for live auction. A portion of the proceeds will directly benefit the Salvation Army. Beer will be available for $2.

Saturday, Jan. 20: Pooch Party – Bring your dog to the game. Marksmen military-style cap giveaway and $1 hotdogs.

Saturday, Feb. 10: Pink in the Rink – The team will partner with Highland OB/GYN of Fayetteville to raise breast cancer awareness. Pink T-shirt giveaway and $1 hotdogs.

Saturday, March 10: Nickelodeon Night – Look out for your favorite Nickelodeon characters! Youth jersey giveaway and $1 popcorn.

Friday, March 30: Fan Appreciation night. Last game of the regular season.

Longo said he hopes many of these themed nights, including the Teddy Bear Toss and the Pooch Party, will become annual traditions. But games not falling within these dates will still have fun incentives and extras of their own.

For the second game of the season – Saturday, Oct. 28 – a ticket package includes four tickets, four pucks and a $50 gift certificate to Carrabba’s for $49.

Boy scout nights are Oct. 27, Jan. 13 and March 10. Scouts will have the opportunity to camp out at the Crown following the game on Jan. 13. Nov. 4 is the first of many military nights, when service members will get the best seats in the house for only $10.

At the time of this article’s publication, Marksmen first-time head coach Nick Mazzolini and director of hockey operations Ryan Cruthers will have just finished finalizing the Marksmen’s 2017-18 roster. Mazzolini recently retired from a successful career in professional hockey. His first season as a professional player was with the Alaska Aces of the East Coast Hockey League; he served as captain for the 2013-14 season, during which time the Aces won the Kelly Cup. He’s also played for Italy’s top hockey league, Hockey Club Bolzano, and Germany’s second-tier professional hockey league, Del2.

Longo shared his excitement about Mazzolini: “As soon as Nick’s name became available, (Cruthers) said, ‘We’ve got our guy.’ … Nick was asking us so many questions about the community and wanting to get just as involved as we did.”

Since the Marksmen is a developmental league, the team experiences a high turnover rate – about 40 percent of players returned each season while they were the FireAntz, and that trend will probably continue, according to Longo.

That’s why the new name and team mascot were chosen so carefully, Norris and Longo said. They want fans to connect with a team name – the Marksmen – that honors Fort Bragg’s elite, and a mascot – the Carolina red fox – that “can be vicious and ferocious … and also the big cuddly mascot that children want to hug.”

The Marksmen are working from a good foundation. The FireAntz helped found the Southern Professional Hockey League in 2004 and hosted eight of the nine largest crowds in SPHL history.

“The support is there; the community wants the product,” Longo said. “We just needed a little punch in the arm and a new approach. Chuck’s got a great vision for what success looks like, and we’ve tripled the size of our staff so we can execute everything we’re talking about.”

Jim Grafstrom, general manager of the Crown Complex, couldn’t be more excited about the future of the team. “The new ownership tandem of Chuck Norris and Jeff Longo are a dynamic group that are looking to not simply re-brand the team, but re-brand the experience,” he said. “The Marksmen organization has made a concentrated effort to transform the standard hockey event into a memorable fan experience that the whole family will enjoy. … It’s not just about the game, it’s about the fan experience.”

Purchase tickets and learn more about the team at www.marksmenhockey.com.

Antiques and international cuisine. Who knew they could blend together so well to create such a calm, cozy and welcoming atmosphere in a historic boarding house? Mason Steele and Carla Welsh knew. Steele is an antique collector of over 30 years, and with a nudge from Welsh, the two decided to open The Boarding House Treasures & Tea Room located on Ellison Street at the corner of West Patterson Street in historic Hope Mills.

Welsh, owner and chef, traveled all over the world as an airline flight attendant with Pan American World Airways for 21 years and has brought back delicious cuisines from across the globe – Africa, the Mediterranean and India, just to name a few.

“I like to entertain, and I like to share the recipes that I’ve learned,” Welsh said, explaining why she took an interest in restaurant management and later in owning one.

Welsh said she likes to recreate the recipes from her memories of her travels around the world. She is passionate about what she does and loves to see others enjoy her food. She changes the menu the first and third week of the month.

Steele noted that Cumberland County is an international county due to the armed forces, and the restaurant will help cater to the many different cultures while allowing people to learn the various styles of cuisine that many may call different but some will call home-cooking.

Steele and Welsh are both ServSafe certified, which means they have taken training courses for food and alcohol safety.

Donations

Welsh said, “We receive a lot of donations; beautiful donations,” as she was pointing to different china tea pots and other dishes. Mayor Jackie Warner has donated, along with others within the community. 

Steele said, “It’s a pleasure when you see people like Pat Hall and other guests bring in a gift.” Both Steele and Welsh are involved with the local government and strive to help make the community better for themselves and others to enjoy. Steele is also a member of the Historic Preservation Commission.

Why is this location?

The Boarding House Treasures and Tea Room used to be a boarding house for the workers of Mill #4. It was built in 1907, and Steele and Welsh have remodeled the building while honoring its historic heritage.

Welsh explained that one reason they chose this spot is because “you can get out of the traffic and come here. You have an intimate ‘getaway’ for two people of your family.”

Steele retired in 2013 and walked by the building every day. He got excited when he saw a man placing a “For Sale by Owner” sign in the yard. Steele was looking for a place because he was a vendor in downtown Fayetteville at the Cotton Exchange and The Livery, but there was not enough room for his collections. He even went across the street to Lode Stone Art and Antiques and still did not have enough room.

“I called Carla and talked to her about joining me to make this into a tea room,” he explained.

Welsh said she knew this market would not support just a tea room. “You have to have a variety of foods, including the meat and potatoes,” she said. 

“I had a lot of things. Well, not a lot, but a fair amount of things,” Steele claimed while Welsh jokingly stared at him, indicating that he indeed had a lot of things. “I needed to downsize, and being part of this has helped. That was the main purpose.”

Steele also said that by opening the business in the century-old home, he and Welsh were saving the home from being demolished. The home is mentioned with the mill houses in the National Registry. The house belonged to Mill #4 until 1954 when it was bought by Fred and Elizabeth Taylor. Welsh said the physician for the Taylor family, who is now in his 90s, came to have low tea (tea served with desserts on fine china), and they were honored to have served him. Steele and Welsh excitedly spoke of a guest who came and told them of the time he was a
boarder and mill worker at the young age of 16. They told of various guests that frequent their tea room and how they enjoy getting to know each person that comes.

“We invite people to sit together in the European style … we do have the two large tables,” Welsh said. “And we don’t want someone waiting to come in and have a seat when there are some available,” she added.

“It allows for everyone to meet others from the community if they don’t already know each other,” she said.

Steele said he has been a collector for decades. “I became more of an accumulative picker in the ’70s, and I put a taper on it when I met this lovely lady,” Steele explained, referring to Welsh.

Steele used to sell his treasures at the North Carolina State fair grounds and would travel “all over” to discover more valuable items. His most interesting pieces are precious metals and gold nuggets. His experience from working in the mines in West Virginia helped him gain knowledge of precious metals and stones. He explained how he has been to depths of 200 feet vertically and has gone horizontally underground from one mountain to another. One of his favorite experiences was when he was underground and the gems glittered like stars in the darkness.

“It was like seeing all the color spectrums of the rainbow,” he said.

Honoring the Military

The Boarding House Treasures & Tea Room will host a Fallen Soldier Table in honor of MIA/POW military servicemen and women who have yet to make the journey home. They appreciate the sacrifices that members of the military have made and continue to make.

Time for Tea

The Boarding House Treasures & Tea Room is open Thursday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m . The tea room also hosts events such as baby showers and birthday parties.

“Mrs. Carla is so sweet, and the food is awesome,” Madison Vaught said in describing her 18th birthday party that was hosted by The Boarding House Treasures & Tea Room.

“Mr. Mason showed us the rooms of the house and his treasure collection. I really enjoyed talking with them,” she continued. “They made me feel right at home.”

For more information about The Boarding House Treasures & Tea Room, call  (910) 491-7777.

PHOTOS: (Top to Bottom) Owner and chef Carla Welsh; Owner and collector Mason Steele

Yomar Machin

Seventy-First • Soccer • Junior

Machin has a grade point average of 3.36 for Seventy-First. A member of the Falcon soccer team, he has also been a wrestler for the past  three seasons.

Jade Wilds

Gray’s Creek • Golf • Senior

Wilds has a 3.88 grade point average. A member of the golf team, she is active in Future Business Leaders, National Honor Society, Girls Expecting More Success, Academy of Information Scholars and Academically or Intellectually Gifted.

Longstanding tradition in American Legion baseball will finally change this summer.

After years of playing by American League rules, the ruling body of the American Legion will let teams decide if they play seven or nineinning games in regular season, but all postseason play will be seven innings.

In addition, the sport will adopt familiar high school baseball rules including use of courtesy runners for catchers and pitchers and allowing reentry of starters taken out of the game.

The changes are geared toward making the game more fan- and player-friendly and hopefully drawing more high school players back to the game.

But some purists aren’t excited about the changes.

Mark Kahlenberg is coach of the Hope Mills Boosters American Legion team, the last one left in Cumberland County.

Kahlenberg doesn’t see a point in playing nineinning games during the season if all postseason games will be seven innings. “You’re looking at wasting pitching and longer baseball games,’’ he said of nine innings. “If you’re going to change, stick with seven and make it a rule for everybody.’’

Kahlenberg liked nine innings because he felt it helped prepare high school players for the college game. But he understands national American Legion leaders trying to change the game to increase participation. “I hope it works,’’ he said.

Austin Warren starred for Hope Hills before moving on to play at Wake Tech and now UNCWilmington. He doesn’t think switching to seven innings from nine will discourage college players still eligible for American Legion play not to want to participate.

“I thought Legion ball was a pretty good transition for me going to play college ball,’’ Warren said.

He also thinks the reentry and courtesy runner rules will encourage more participation.

“I remember when I played: once kids were taken out they were putting on tennis shoes because they knew they wouldn’t re-enter,’’ he said. “Knowing they can re-enter, they’ll stay in the game, stay more motivated.’’

Veteran Methodist University baseball coach Tom Austin, who coached Legion baseball 15 to 20 years ago, sees the change to seven innings as a benefit for players.

His son, Jacob, and one of his Methodist players, Matthias Carter, played for the Hope Mills team this past season.

“I remember driving to Wilmington with Jacob,’’ Austin said. “We wouldn’t get back until after 1 a.m.’’

For players with summer jobs, Austin can see where nine-inning road games on weeknights could cause a problem getting to work the following day.

“I don’t have a problem with them going to seven innings,’’ Austin said.

He thinks the courtesy runner and re-entry rules could pose challenges for Legion coaches.

“The courtesy runner is an interesting animal,’’ he said. “Now you can specialize your subs and have a kid on the bench who flies. That can change the game.’’

Re-entry also gives the coach the chance to put a good hitter in the lineup at any point during the contest. “It’s a bookkeeping nightmare, but it certainly has its merits in keeping more kids involved,’’ he said.

PHOTOS: (Top to Bottom) Mark Kahlenberg, Austin Warren, Tom Austin

Pine Forest football coach Bill Sochovka has an unusual description for the kind of speed star Trojan running back Lavonte Carter displays.

He calls it “skinny fast.”

Here’s how Sochovka explained it: “Our holes don’t have to be massive where his complete body has to go through the hole. As long as he’s got a gap, he’s got the ability to get skinny in that hole.’’

It’s once he gets in the hole that Carter shows his most impressive skill. “As soon as he’s in the hole, he elevates his speed from gear one to gear three quick,’’ Sochovka said. “When he breaks through the hole, he’s already in the secondary before you think about it. He can also slow his pace, get skinny, and then explode into the next gear.’’

E.E. Smith got a taste of that recently on a late run by Carter that set Pine Forest up for a game-winning field goal.

That win pulled the Trojans into a three-way tie for first place in the Patriot Athletic Conference with three regular season games left.

Not a bad rebound after starting the season 0-3 and allowing 40 or more points in two of those losses.

“Our offense went from sputtering to... putting up big numbers,’’ Sochovka said. “I’m not a real smart guy, but when you have a back who has over 1,000 yards and over 100 per game, you don’t change that.’’

Through games of Oct. 13, Carter is Cumberland County’s only 1,000-yard rusher with 1,018 yards, 14 rushing touchdowns and 127.3 yards per game.

“I have a lot to prove,’’ Carter said. He felt the Trojans made a big point with their win over E.E. Smith.

“Everybody kept doubting us, saying we were going to lose,’’ he said. “We had to prove them wrong.’’

Solving the early losing streak was a matter of finding chemistry and playing as a team, he said.

As for the rest of the season, Carter hopes to continue to run like former USC star Reggie Bush did during his college days with the Trojans. “I like the way he cuts, the way he runs,’’ he said. “I compare myself with him.’’

Like Carter, the Trojans have something to prove in the Patriot Conference. Sochovka hopes they have turned the corner. “I was worried about winning games to keep us afloat,’’ Sochovka said. “The most important thing I was worried about was us coming together. We are getting better very week.’’

PHOTOS: (Top to Bottom) Football coach, Bill Sochovka; Running back, Lavonte Carter

Critters: they are everywhere. And they are crazy. Critters and motorcycles don’t get along. I tried to think of how many people I know who have hit an animal while on a bike and walked away. I came up with two – me and my friend Rick, who has hit two deer and survived.

I was in Colorado, and I hit a bird at 60 mph. It hit my arm. At first, I wasn’t sure what had happened because it happened so quickly. Then I had a sensation that my arm was missing. I checked and saw it was still with me. Then I saw the feathers. I was lucky it was not a direct hit to the face. Everyone else I’ve ever talked to who hit something wound up on the pavement. It is painful, expensive and sometimes life-threatening.

Critters come in all shapes and sizes. In the past few months, I’ve encountered several animals, including dogs, raccoons, turkeys, possums, cats, a turtle and deer. I’ve also been stung on my face by bees on three different occasions. It stinks (I’m putting that as nicely as I can for a family-friendly newspaper). One got inside of my full-face helmet and went to town on the side of my face. It died a quick and horrible death. When something like that happens, it is good to keep calm. Don’t panic. Slow down and get to the safe part of the road, all along bearing the pain shooting through your face. Once you and your bike are safe, have as much fun as you can getting away from or killing the bee as you wish.

Deer and dogs put me on high alert. When I see either, I go into the defense mode real quick.

Deer are beautiful creatures, but they are crazier than most of the animals we encounter on America’s roads. Deer season is in full swing in most areas of the state. The deer have all received their NC Hunting Regulation Digest and have studied the rules, locations and hunting times just to keep life interesting. They study these things so they will know where and when it is safe to roam and laugh at the humans trying to hunt them. This means that these beautiful animals are hanging out near the roads because they know that hunters can’t shoot them there. These animals see you coming and, for the fun of it, will jump right out in front of you just to watch you freak out. Sometimes, they will stay on the road and play chicken with you. Judging by the dead deer on the side of the road, I suppose some are just suicide deer.

The point of the story is that you should avoid animals at all cost. Even a small animal can ruin your day. Once, I spotted a beautiful deer in the brush ahead of me. I slowed to see what the doe was going to do because animals are slow to respond to lights, horns or motorcycles. I was almost at a complete stop when suddenly the crazy thing jumped up and over my front tire. It was so close I could smell it, and I’m telling you – they look nice, but they stink.

Whether the animal is small or large, if you hit one on a bike, chances are you are going to lose. Pay attention to deer crossing signs. They put signs where they collect numerous carcasses. When you see these signs, be on your guard. As evening approaches, be aware that animals are attracted to paved roadways because they provide warmth – particularly on cool nights.

When you see an animal, it is best to try to move the animal out of your way. Hollering, horns and loud pipes seem to work for most animals – except for the crazy motorcycle-chasing dog. The top speed for the crazed dog is about 30 mph. If you come upon one, just stay focused, roll the throttle up or down and get out of its way. If you get in a tight spot and find yourself side by side, you’d better have your wits about you. If you kick at it, you can easily lose your balance and swerve off your line and wreck. If you screw up and drop your bike, you may be laying there with a bike on you and a dog taking you for a snack. It is tempting to stick your foot out, but I like to keep my leg out of the path of the dog’s teeth. No matter what evasive action you take, remember to stay focused on your driving first and then get out of the danger zone as quickly as possible.

If you encounter an aggressive dog on your regular route, you may want to contact the local authorities. Depending on the owner, law enforcement official or ordinance, this tactic may not work. If it doesn’t, I would suggest stopping and talking to the owner. Be polite and tell him or her that their pet is a hazard. If the owner refuses to do anything about it, you might just ask the owner if you can get the name of their insurance agent and lawyer and let them know that if you wreck because of their dog, you will be forced to take legal action.

We share the road with lots of people, critters and unexpected hazards. So, be careful out there. It’s a jungle.

RIDE SAFE!

State Sen. Rick Horner can quip with the best of them. During a recent debate about school construction needs in North Carolina, the Wilson County lawmaker and former school board chairman argued that the state lottery ought to fulfill its original mandate by producing more money for local facilities.

“There’s nothing more important than running a casino honorably,” Horner deadpanned.

It was a funny line and got lots of laughs from his audience of educators, community leaders, journalists and parents assembled at the Booker T. Washington Theatre in Rocky Mount. Horner, a Republican, joined Sen. Erica Smith (D-Northampton), John Locke Foundation analyst Terry Stoops and North Carolina Justice Center analyst Matt Ellinwood on the panel for the debate, which was hosted by Loretta Boniti, a reporter and anchor for the statewide cable channel Spectrum News.

But Horner’s point was a serious one. For decades, advocates of a government-run lottery for North Carolina promised that its net revenues would boost education spending in the state.

Opponents, including me, predicted that whatever the original language of a lottery bill might be, future legislatures would find it convenient to redirect money to whatever budget hole lawmakers wanted to fill at the time – even if that meant supplanting current education funding, derived from generally applied taxes, with gambling proceeds.

I don’t think the government should prohibit gambling, mind you. I believe in individual freedom, including the freedom for individuals to make incredibly bone-headed decisions coupled with the responsibility of living with and learning from the results of those decisions.

What I and others objected to was putting state government in the gambling business with a monopoly that would manipulate its marks into bearing a disproportionate share of the cost of government services. The propensity to play the lottery isn’t equally distributed, and the resulting tax bite is a regressive one – poorer households spend a larger share of their incomes buying tickets than wealthier ones do.

To swap broader taxes on sales, income or property with a narrower revenue source was, of course, one of the main attractions of the state lottery for some proponents, who didn’t plan to play themselves but welcomed the idea of someone else paying government’s bill. This, however, was and is bad public policy.

One way to lean against it – and one that Horner, Smith, Stoops and Ellinwood all endorsed in some form – would be to restore the share of net lottery proceeds dedicated to school construction to the original 40 percent contained in the 2005 law that created the lottery. In recent years, that percentage has dropped into the teens, although state leaders already seem to be headed in the direction of pushing it back up.

As the lawmakers and policy experts emphasized during the Rocky Mount forum – the first in a series of “Hometown Debates” on education hosted by the North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership and its local partners – school construction has traditionally been the primary responsibility of local government, not the state. Thus, dedicating more lottery funds to it poses less of a risk of supplanting other state funding streams, at the very least.

During the debate, which was broadcast on television by Spectrum News and on radio by the North Carolina News Network, the panelists disagreed about other funding approaches for school facilities. Smith and Ellinwood said the legislature ought to place a $2 billion school construction bond on the statewide ballot in 2018.

Stoops said the 2016 Connect NC bond package should have included K-12 capital needs, while Horner questioned the wisdom of statewide borrowing for local school construction, arguing that local communities are in the best position to determine and address their own needs and that putting out lots of capital projects for bid at the same time across the state would bid up the price tag, given the limited number of contractors available.

I don’t think a radical rewrite of the division of labor between the state and localities is warranted. But a more honorable government casino would be welcome.

• Oct. 2-Nov. 18 Registration for Youth Basketball at Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Center, 5766 Rockfish Rd. The center is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There is instructional basketball for ages 5-6 and regular basketball for ages 7-17. The cost is $30 per child. Address and birth certificate must be presented when registering. Call (910) 426-4105 for details.

• Oct. 28  Medicine Drop-off from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at The Hope Mills Fire Department, conducted by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

• Oct. 31 Trunk ’R Treat at Hope Mills Municipal fields 1 and 2, 6-8 p.m. Ages 1-12. Call (910) 426-4109 for details.

• Nov. 4-12 Heroes Homecoming V at the Hope Mills Public Library, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 4 is the first day of a nine-day ceremonious event to honor veterans. The focus will be on Vietnam Veterans. Visit www.heroeshomecoming.com for more information. The event is free and open to the public.

• Nov. 4 - 12 Cumberland County’s display of Missing Man Tables.

The public is invited to tour these tables, thank the businesses participating and – most importantly – honor our MIA/POW soldiers. Visit www.heroeshomecoming.com for details.

• Nov. 5 Vietnam Veterans Memorial Ceremony and Flag Display hosted by The Hope Mills Veterans Advisory Commission at the Hope Mills Veterans Memorial from 3-4:30 p.m. Special guest speaker will be retired Lt. Col. Walt Brinker. Free and open to the public.

• Nov. 6 Bench Dedication at Hope Mills Lake by the Hope Mills VFW Post 10630. The dedication starts at 5 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Visit www.heroeshomecoming.com  for details.

• Nov. 8 Veteran Movie Extravaganza 

Millstone 14 on Camden Road in Hope Mills will honor veterans by presenting an evening of military-themed movies. The event is free for veterans and their families. The event begins at 4 p.m., and space is limited. Call (910) 354-2124 or visit www.heroeshomecoming.com.

• Nov. 10 Building Dedication Ceremony by VFW Post 10630 honoring  retired CW4 Edwin S. Deaver, former Hope Mills mayor and commissioner.

 The Kiwanis Club of Hope Mills has been active and productive in the last few weeks. Sept. 26, Kiwanis hosted its annual banquet with District 11 Lt. Gov. Susan Chriscoe as the special guest of honor. Dwayne Jacobs was awarded Kiwanian of the Year and recognized for his dedication and hard work.

During the Kiwanis meeting held Oct. 10, the Fayetteville Marksmen assistant general manager/director of ticket sales, Nathan Driscoll, was a special guest. He spoke of the Fayetteville hockey team’s mission and goals and how they apply to the community. He noted that civic organizations such as the local Kiwanis Club are key entities in bringing the community together along with the local team to better benefit the youth. Driscoll, husband and father of five, said he looks forward to working with local civic groups to formulate programs that will provide ways for families to interact with the Fayetteville Marksmen. 

The Kiwanis Club held a successful barbecue fundraiser Friday, Oct. 13, and sold over 800 plates. This raised money to help with community efforts such as buying school supplies for local children, helping provide for the local K-Kids and high school Key Clubs and helping low-income families.

Jan Spell, Kiwanis treasurer, agreed that the sales from the barbecue fundraiser were a blessing. “God is great,” she said. 

Members from the Kiwanis Club of Hope Mills will travel to Lake Waccamaw Oct. 28 to participate in Kiwanis One Day. This is a day in which Kiwanis clubs from all over the world take part in a variety of community service projects. Kiwanis of Hope Mills will be helping the Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina with different services from yard work to mentoring the children of the Boys and Girls Home. 

“It’s surreal,” Jan Spell said.  “This is the one day where every Kiwanis club in the world works together on the same day to make it better. It’s this day when you learn what being a Kiwanis (member) really means.”

The next meeting will be held Oct. 24 at Mi Casita’s in Hope Mills at 5:30 pm. New members are always welcome, and there is never a shortage of community activities in which to partake. For more information on becoming a member, or if you have any questions, call the Kiwanis of Hope Mills at  (910) 426-7256.

This was supposed to be something of a rebuilding year for the Fayetteville Academy boys’ soccer, with a team filled with young players lacking experience.

So much for lowered expectations. When the seeds for this year’s N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 2-A state playoffs were announced, Fayetteville Academy was put at the No. 1 spot with a 15-1-1 record. That mark included a penalty shootout loss to public school power Lee County and a tie with North Raleigh Christian.

This story was written before the Eagles began postseason competition. By the time it’s published, they’ll hopefully be preparing to advance to the semifinal round of the state tournament.

Regardless of what happens in the postseason, it’s been another banner year for the Eagles, the result of a familiar formula put together by veteran coach Andrew McCarthy.

“We always play a tough schedule,’’ he said. “We always want to challenge the boys. They’ve been a very committed group every day at practice.

“We’ve stressed getting better every game and every practice. We’ve had a few bumps along the way, a few performances that haven’t been as good, but overall they’ve been doing what we’ve asked of them.’’

An area where the Eagles have been solid is defense. In 14 of their 17 regular-season matches, Fayetteville Academy has allowed one goal or less.

“It’s not just the back line and the keeper,’’ McCarthy said. “You defend from the front. It’s a team effort by the defenders, and the keeper has been fantastic.’’

The keeper is Carter Boliek, a senior who took up the position three years ago. “The only thing holding him back was game experience,’’ McCarthy said. “He had all the talent. He’s come up with big saves in big games. If you have a good goalkeeper, you’ve got a good chance.’’

Boliek said the focus of the Eagle defense has been working hard as a unit and making it harder for the opposition to score.

“I think everyone on our team has improved exponentially,’’ he said. “We’ve come together and gelled well. That’s led to a lot of team success.’’

Center back Julian Barbaro credits the good coaching the Eagles get from McCarthy and assistant coach Jimmy Maher. “We’ve all been pretty positive and stayed together,’’ he said. “We’ve spent countless hours on and off the field, talking, staying tougher and helping each other out.’’

It’s been four years since Fayetteville Academy brought a state soccer title home. McCarthy said the formula for doing it again remains the same.

“Hopefully we’re well-prepared,’’ he said. “We know the game plan going in, and we do what we need to do.’’

PHOTO: L-R: Julian Barbaro, Andrew McCarthy, Carter Boliek

• Oct. 19 Hope Meals Food Truck Rodeo at 5770 Rockfish Rd. from 5:30-8:30 p.m. See flyer, right.

• Oct. 19-21 Ole Mills Days Festival 

Celebrate the Mills Way! Details: (910) 429-4109. Oct. 21 is the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce’s and WKML 95.7’s annual Chili Cook-Off and corn hole tournament. Chili entries are due no later than Oct. 18. Go to www.hopemillschamber.org and click on the events tab to enter. Contact Lela Schimmel at (910) 423-4314 with any questions.

• Oct. 31 Trunk ’R Treat at Hope Mills Municipal fields 1 and 2, 6-8 p.m. Ages 1-12. Call (910) 4264109 for details.

• Nov. 4-12 Heroes Homecoming V at the Hope Mills Public Library, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 4 is the first day of a nine-day ceremonious event to honor veterans. On this day, the focus will be on Vietnam Veterans. Visit www.heroeshomecoming.com for details.. The event is free and open to the public.

• Nov. 5 Vietnam Veterans Memorial Ceremony and Flag Display hosted by The Hope Mills Veterans Advisory Commission at the Hope Mills Veterans Memorial from 3-4:30 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 9, the Town of Hope Mills held its monthly town meeting. Mayor Jackie Warner called the meeting to order and Reverend Mike Wells of Hope Mills Church of God led the invocation.

Scott Garner of Garner & Brown Architects PA from Charlotte, North Carolina, presented to the Board of Commissioners the plans for the Public Safety Facility Project. According to Garner, the facility will be complete in two-and-a-half years or more. The Public Safety Facility, which would house the Hope Mills Fire Department and the Hope Mills Police Department, will be built in the location where the departments are now. The BOC authorized Town Manager Melissa Adams to retain Garner & Brown Architects PA for its services and approved them to move forward on designing and building the facility.

Mayor Warner presented a certificate of recognition to Cindy L. Murray for employment with the Town of Hope Mills for 37 years. 

Mayor Warner and the BOC approved to establish Oct. 9 as PANDAS/PANS Awareness Day. PANDAS is pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associate with streptococcal infections and is a subset of PANS, or pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome. The mayor read an explanation of PANDAS/PANS: “The diagnosis means the child has a sudden, dramatic change in personality, displays obsessive-compulsive disorder together with accompanying symptoms of streptococcal, viral or bacterial infection.”

She then presented a Certificate of  Proclamation to Jennifer Woods.

Royal Presentations

Amaya Rae received a certificate of recognition for her accomplishment of receiving the 2017-18 title of Little Miss Fayetteville State University.

The Miss Hope Mills Cotton Pageant queens were also recognized and will represent Hope Mills at various events in the upcoming year, such as Ole Mills Days, the Christmas parade and the 4th of July parade.

The first to be recognized was 3-year-old Harper Sullivan, daughter of Rachel Arnold. She was crowned 2017 Hope Mills Wee Miss Cotton and Miss Photogenic.

McKala Sallie, daughter of Carlton and Michele Sallie, was recognized for being crowned 2017 Hope Mills Junior Miss Cotton.

Jada Thomas, daughter of David and Dorothy Thomas, was recognized as 2017 Hope Mills Young Miss Cotton.

Amanda Hall, daughter of Ron and Nola Hall, was recognized as 2017 Hope Mills Teen Miss Cotton.

Bailey Haggins, daughter of Jamie and Jennifer Haggins, was recognized as 2017 Hope Mills Miss Cotton. Each received a certificate.

Change in Direction

Drivers in Hope Mills can expect a change in the traffic pattern for Johnson Street and Hill Street. Public Works Director Hector Cruz explained the safety issues with changing the pattern from a two-way on Johnson to a one-way direction. The traffic pattern would be reversed on Hill Street. It would still be a one-way, but traffic would flow towards Rockfish Road rather than away from Rockfish Road.

Cruz anticipates traffic flow to be smoother and with less chance of accidents.  These changes will also allow for a sidewalk. The start date is to be determined. 

A Very Special Thank You

Elaine Saleeby and her late husband were recognized by the mayor for their contributions to the town. Saleeby has given a generous donation of her land off of Fountain Lane to the Town of Hope Mills. The land, which includes a mill house with the true Mill Stamp, will be part of Hope Mills Lake Park and possibly Heritage Park.

PHOTO: Cindy L. Murray & Mayor Warner

As students of the Hope Mills Citizens Academy learned Thursday, Oct. 5, being a firefighter takes commitment. Deputy Fire Chief Steve Lopez told the class there is a high turnover rate in the department due to lack of commitment. 

“We will risk a lot to save a lot, but we won’t risk much to save a little,” Lopez said as he described the ratio of benefits to risk in his line of work.  “Like the military, the lessons learned typically are written in blood.” 

With firefighting comes injuries. Back injuries are very common. Unfortunately, so are heart attacks. Lopez said the reason for the high incidence of heart attacks among firefighters was not so much mental stress as it was physical stress caused from the heavy equipment, clothing and heat.

A firefighter must be willing to spend countless hours away from his or her family. Sometimes time away means a few days. Sometimes it means a week or more, especially during a devastating event such as a hurricane. 

Operations

Lopez  said the Hope Mills Fire Department is one of the two largest employed departments in the Town of Hope Mills. He went on to explain that his staff members work a three-day, 24-hour cycle with three shifts. They come in, work a 24-hour shift, go home for a day and repeat that cycle two more times. After that, they are off for four days.

There are no less than 15 people working on a daily basis.   Ten individuals work per shift. There is the captain, the lieutenant and the firefighters. The engineer drives the trucks. 

A-shift is the training shift. This shift administrates over the training division so all firefighter training is done either outside or inside the department and is recorded by them. The A-shift staff then fills out the required state forms that have to be reported on an annual basis.

B-shift is the supply and logistics shift. The B-shift staff is responsible for maintaining the “household” portion of the department. They make sure supplies such as soap, paper towels and other necessities are in stock and filled. 

C-shift is the maintenance shift. They handle light apparatus maintenance such as changing bulbs and filters and performing other duties that do not require certification.  “This shift has my plumbers, my heating and air guys, my electricians,” Lopez said. 

“Almost all of my people have a part-time job,” Lopez said. “The majority of those folks work at other fire departments. Some are plumbers. Some are HVAC. Some are welders.” Lopez, a veteran and a certified welder, sends his employees to Hercules Steel to become certified. 

The HMFD averages about 12-15 calls per day. Lopez said, “It’s difficult to sleep sometimes here because the radios and tones and all that are going off. The squads are going out the door. The ladder truck is going someplace. An active fire house is not a restful sleep kind of place.”

“However, our guys live here,” Lopez continued.

Every October, the HMFD tests its hose. They do this by pressure testing the hose against the rated pressure required by North Carolina. It’s to ensure enough pressure and water flow will occur when putting out fires. 

On a daily basis, firefighters clean the debris from trucks and run maintenance checks that ensure not only the people of Hope Mills’ safety but theirs as well. 

For the trucks, the HMFD has a great relationship with H and H Freightliner, which helps them maintain proper use. 

The HMFD is not just a fire department. It also has a team for rescue/recovery and for land search. HMFD staff have traveled all over the state and out of state to help other first responders in times of disaster. 

The Most Dangerous Fires

According to Lopez, we are coming into a time when there will be many more fires because of “the age of construction, the age of the wiring, the... lack of discipline.” He gave a few tips to prevent fires. Citizens should maintain fresh batteries in their alarms. They should clean the hoods over their stove and oven units whether at home or their place of work. They should keep their fire extinguisher up to date. Lopez said that if your fire extinguisher is expired, you can turn it in to the fire department and get a new one. As Lopez pointed out, “It’s much cheaper to spend $35 on a new extinguisher from Wal-Mart than it is to replace your house.”

Lopez taught the class that because heat causes metal to expand, a steel structure collapses quicker than one made from wood. Also, most homes and businesses have items that are sprayed with chemicals that, when burned, cause deadly fumes.

Lopez also said that one of the downfalls of modern structures, from a firefighter’s point of view, is when particle board began to be allowed in the walls and ceilings. Pressed board is also dangerous. Firefighters call it “gas wood,” and it is not dependable or durable. 

“It’s not just smoke we have to worry about now,” Lopez said. “It’s toxic gases from manufactured materials.”

History

HMFD was formed in 1945, and its district extended from Hope Mills where the Communications Workers of America building is located on Patterson Street all the way to downtown Fayetteville.

Its original truck came from the Navy during World War II and was part of the surplus. It was made of part of a garbage truck that the Town of Hope Mills acquired and part of a Chevrolet truck that Junior MacLean’s father had. 

At that time, the only two fire departments were in the Town of Hope Mills and the City of Fayetteville.

The HMFD was one of the first to utilize a First Responder EMS, which also allowed it to be one of the first to have a defibrillator.

Exploring the Trucks

After class, students were able to view and learn about the engines and the First Responder EMS. They were allowed to go up in the bucket on the ladder truck. Assistant Chief Wayne Dutterer controlled the ladder, which extends to 101 feet. Dutterer took the students up 94 feet. With his sense of humor, he had fun showing the class how sensitive the controls were. 

Deeper Respect

The students left with a deeper respect for their town’s fire fighters. They learned the dangers and sacrifices these men and women make on a daily basis to make the Town of Hope Mills safer. They saw the compassion from Deputy Fire Chief Lopez as he spoke about situations he and his crew have been through, whether it was fighting a fire, stopping an infant from having a heart attack, or helping other departments during devastating weather. And they learned some important safety tips to protect themselves and their families.

PHOTO:  Deputy Fire Chief Steve Lopez has been with the Hope Mills Fire Dept. since 1994.

The state of North Carolina has rejected environmental plans by Duke Energy and three other power companies to build the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline. It’s an interstate pipeline to carry natural gas from West Virginia into southern North Carolina.

The letter of disapproval from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality is the first decision on the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline from any state or federal government agency in its three states. Duke Energy is also expecting a decision this month from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on whether the $5 billion pipeline is necessary.

The 600-mile underground pipeline, which would plow through eight North Carolina counties including Cumberland, does not meet the state’s standards for erosion and sediment control. The project also needs an air-quality permit for a compressor, a machine that pushes the gas through the pipeline. And it needs a water-quality permit allowing developers to drill through streams and wetlands.

Duke Energy has been buying up land along the proposed pipeline route but has been stymied by some property owners in the Wade and Cedar Creek communities of Cumberland County.

“At the very least, (this) represents a significant hurdle the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will have to overcome,” said Doug Jackson, spokesman for the Sierra Club. The pipeline would carry natural gas from a giant depository spanning Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and New York. The gas would be extracted from shale through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

Fort Bragg, North Carolina

The United States has some of the largest and most advanced military bases in the world. Fort Bragg is considered one of the eight most advanced military installations operated by the U.S., according to TheVeteransSite.com. Fort Bragg’s size alone makes it one of the most renowned military bases not only in the country but around the world. It houses 238,646 people over its 163,000 acres, making Fort Bragg the world’s largest military base regarding population as of this year. Other than the massive number of military personnel, students, families, civilian employees and other people who call Fort Bragg home, the army post is known for serving as a place that fostered the development of military tactics during World War II.

The base is home to several elite Army units including the four-star Forces Command, the 82nd Airborne Division and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. More general officers are stationed at Fort Bragg than any other installation, making it second only to the Pentagon. The post is often referred to as the Pentagon South.

AUSA National Convention

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis pulled no punches last week during the annual convention of the Association of the U.S. Army. He said in no uncertain terms that they should “be ready” with military options should diplomacy fail with North Korea. When asked what the U.S. military could do to make war with North Korea less likely, Mattis said, “You have got to be ready to ensure that we have military options that our president can employ, if needed.”

The former Marine general said the U.S. is currently pursuing a “diplomatically led effort” that has seen the U.N. Security Council twice vote unanimously to sanction North Korea. “The international community has spoken, but that means the U.S. Army must stand ready.” In the event of war, the 82nd Airborne Division would be among the first elements to get the call. The division’s ability to rapidly deploy forces around the world is a critical component of the Global Response Force. Marines on Okinawa would also immediately join the fight. U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley put the threat of war in perspective during a news conference at the Army convention, saying there are “no risk-free options” in dealing with North Korea.

“It would be horrible, there’s no question about it,” Milley said of a war with North Korea.

A New Fayetteville Neighborhood

Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off the first phase of the construction of Oakridge Estates in West Fayetteville. The Oakridge Estates project is a collaborative effort between Habitat, the City of Fayetteville and the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development to build 49 single-family homes on 14.2 acres in what was once a rundown mobile home park.

“This community needs affordable housing now more than ever,” said Mayor Nat Robertson. It marks a historic partnership between the organizations in providing affordable housing in underserved and disinvested communities.

Veterans Day Vietnam Moving Wall

To celebrate Fayetteville’s Heroes Homecoming, the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation will again host The Moving Wall on the museum’s parade field Thursday, Nov. 9, through Sunday, Nov. 12. The half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., will allow visitors to experience seeing the more than 58,000 names of those servicemen and women who lost their lives during the Vietnam War.

Rolling Thunder and other volunteers will assist with locating names for visitors. The Moving Wall will be open to the public 24 hours each day. A torchlight ceremony will be held Nov. 9 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Gold Star family members will walk the length of The Moving Wall to the Iron Mike statue where the torch will be passed to each member as they say the name of their loved one. Rolling Thunder will also have a Missing Man table during the ceremony.

The ASOM Foundation is selling 30-inch flags for $5 each to be displayed on the museum’s grounds.

“Having a veterans’ flags in a place of honor directly in front of The Moving Wall (will) help give these veterans the added recognition they deserve,” said Mike Lynch, executive director of the museum’s foundation.

The Invisible Empire

The Klan is still alive in North Carolina. The Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan headquartered in Pelham recently distributed position papers at a Friday night Gray’s Creek High School football game.

School officials said they had no advance knowledge of the distribution. Gray’s Creek principal Lisa Stewart told reporters that the distribution of the fliers violated school system policy and that the matter was being investigated. A spokesman for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said it is not investigating the incident.

“Whites in America need to unite and start coming together,” an unidentified Klan official told a Charlotte television station. The man apparently told the WBTV reporter he didn’t want to be identified by name. “White people have always had the KKK, and we’re not going anywhere,” he concluded. Pelham has long been a haven for the Klan. The unincorporated village is on the Virginia state line just below Danville in Caswell County. It was named for Confederate Army Col. John Pelham.

 Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Jesus commands all followers to be worldwide witnesses. Yet, while all are commanded to be worldwide witnesses, some are called as vocational missionaries to minister interculturally. For those called to be a missionary, the journey often appears to be extensive, expensive and seemingly insurmountable. Here are a few things to consider when asking how to become a vocational missionary.

The importance of a local church

Matthew 16:18 “… I will build My church …”

Jesus promised to build His Church. Thus, a person called to vocational missions must see that charge confirmed and fulfilled through a local church. The church in Antioch functioned as a sending church: “Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away” (Acts 13:3). This is also the working of the Holy Spirit through a local church, as Acts 13:4 says: “So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit.”

The importance of training

Once set apart by the Holy Spirit and confirmed by a local church, a missionary must also be equipped.

Many local churches require a vocational missionary to prepare by means of rigorous training in obtaining a bachelor’s degree and often delegate such training to a Bible college. Carolina College of Biblical Studies is called to come alongside the local church to be of help.

Courses that serve the missionary well include:

1. History and Philosophy of Missions  This course is designed to develop insight regarding the strengths and weaknesses of missions throughout history with an analysis of missions movement from apostolic times to the present.

2. Contemporary Issues in Missions  This course is a study of the major issues, trends and problems related to modern missions. It will include an analysis of mission agencies and the local church, moral integrity, short term missions, church planting, teamwork and the role of prayer in missionary outreach.

3. Cross-Cultural Adaptation  This course introduces the challenges of living and working in a culturally foreign environment. It exposes the processes of culture shock, cultural adaptation and re-entry stress.

4. Missionary Life  This course is a practical study of missionary life and ministry. It surveys the procedures involved in becoming a missionary candidate and the various stages all the way through reaching the selected field of service.

5. Missions Practicum  A mission’s practicum covers practical concerns with missions service under the direction of supervisors and the program adviser. Ministries in and through the local church and/or mission agency will provide entry-level experience for the missions trainee.

We’re here to help

Carolina College of Biblical Studies offers training for missionaries by means of a minor in intercultural studies. The minor is designed to provide practical experience for those expecting to participate in some aspect of world evangelization in cross-cultural situations as a missionary.

By the end of the minor, students will be able to:

• Create a personal philosophy of missions to guide leadership capabilities.

• Explain the purpose of missions and demonstrate an understanding of the history of the modern missionary movement.

• Identify elements of the support structure for missions, including the roles of churches, individuals, mission agencies and other para-church organizations.

• Evaluate and create various types of written and oral communication for both intercultural and cross-cultural settings.

My roots run deep here in the eighth district and in North Carolina’s agriculture community. I can trace my family back seven generations, from humble beginnings as tobacco, hog and row crop farmers down east. It’s one reason why I was so thrilled to spend some time last week with farmers and agriculture leaders at the Moore County Farm Bureau’s annual meeting.

Like I told them, Washington could learn a lot from North Carolina’s farmers. They know what it’s like to wake up early, roll up your sleeves and get to work. Work from sun-up to sun-down that lets you fall asleep at night knowing you did your part to provide for your family, honor our God, and make our community a better place. Our farmers work tirelessly to provide for their families and to provide food and fiber – not just for our nation but for the world. For that, we are grateful.

As your congressman, I will continue to work to make sure they have the tools – and freedom – they need to keep their farms thriving and to improve our communities. One way I’m working to do that is through comprehensive, pro-growth tax reform.

Last week, we made good progress. I was proud to support H. Con. Res. 71, a budget resolution that sets spending limits for our government and puts us back on the path to fiscal responsibility. In the budget, we are taking a close look at the programs that matter most and funding them in a responsible manner.

This budget calls for preserving Social Security and Medicare for current and future generations, will reduce deficit spending by $6.5 trillion, and will balance in ten years. It also includes the largest mandatory spending reform in 20 years and paves the way for a smaller, more limited government.  This budget is a critical first step, not only in addressing our nation’s dire fiscal situation but also in creating an avenue for us to pass tax reform. Now, the Senate must pass a budget so we can unlock a powerful tool known as reconciliation that will allow us to pass tax reform with a simple majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

At the Farm Bureau meeting, we discussed the impact that tax reform would have. One key provision included in our framework is my bill to eliminate the Death Tax. I have been a longtime advocate for eliminating the Death Tax, which can take up to 40 percent of a family business’s assets if the owner passes away. As a champion of this cause, I believe we must end the double taxation that threatens the existence of family farms, small businesses and jobs.

At the end of the day, tax reform will have a meaningful impact all across our district – not just for our farmers. Because our tax code isn’t working for anyone. For working families, the system is far too complicated, requiring legal experts to help us navigate it. And taxes are too high and take too much of our hard-earned money. For businesses, rates are so high that the small businesses we love and that make our communities so special can barely afford to operate.

The bottom line is tax reform means higher wages, more jobs and more money in your pocket. I’ll continue to work because I care about you and your family.

As I was driving home from church Sunday, Sept. 24, a report of NFL players kneeling during the national anthem rumbled from my truck radio. The Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars were playing in London. The number of players participating in this protest had dramatically increased from previous games. The explanation was that the kneeling players were responding to comments made by President Trump in which he said players who do not stand during the anthem should be fired. My response was one of outrage, disgust, confusion and a multitude of other similar reactions. When I got home, I shared the account with my wife, who is a committed NFL fan. My final statement to her was, “I won’t be watching any NFL games.” That is my position while this protest continues; however, it might be that I never watch another NFL game, even when the protest ends.

As I have researched and thought through this “refusal to stand” protest, my opposition to it has simply grown more concrete. Colin Kaepernick, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, was the first athlete who refused to stand during the national anthem. This was during the 2016-17 season. His was a protest against police treatment of minorities. The current refusal to stand during the national anthem is said to be in protest of the oppression of black Americans.

My research and thinking through started with the claim of oppression. Cambridge English Dictionary defines oppression as “a situation in which people are governed in an unfair and cruel way and prevented from having opportunities and freedom.” As I look at all that is available to blacks in this country, I cannot come anywhere close to seeing oppression. Americans are, by no means, perfect in how we treat one another, but to label treatment of blacks in America as “oppression” defies reason. There are examples in the lives of millions of us (black Americans) that defy this claim of oppression.

Put the millions of examples aside and simply consider the average annual salaries of some of the black NFL players who are participating in this protest. Here are four players from a list of nine in an article by Brent Scher titled “Here Are the Highest Paid NFL Players Who Protested the national anthem on Sunday.” Denver Broncos’ Von Miller – $19 million; Buffalo Bills’ LeSean McCoy – $8m; New England Patriots’ Devin McCourty – $9.5m; Los Angeles Chargers’ Melvin Ingram – $16m.

These are black men who are paid millions per year to play a game that is substantially supported by whites in America. These players certainly do not appear oppressed. This is a nation that affords black citizens free public education through high school; programs that enhance the likelihood of college admission; protections from discrimination in employment; equal access to various government entitlement programs; access to military service; protections for equal access to housing. The list goes on. Again, I say, America has racial challenges, but defining the condition as oppression is inaccurate, unfair and hinders successfully addressing issues of race in this country.

I cannot understand how anybody thinks that not standing during the national anthem will rally Americans to seriously seek to resolve issues of race. The Free Dictionary includes two statements that explain my inability to understand this mode of protest: “A national anthem is a song formally adopted as the anthem for a nation. An anthem is a song of devotion or loyalty (as to a nation or school).” Given this explanation, Americans who refuse to participate in the prescribed manner during the national anthem open themselves to charges of being disrespectful of and unpatriotic to our nation.

No matter what is intended, given the role of the national anthem, refusing to stand is viewed by many Americans as totally unacceptable. In great part, objection to people not standing is driven by appreciation for the human cost paid and being paid to ensure our freedom. Those few minutes when the anthem is shared calls us to reflection. That is, remembering those who serve and have served in the military of this nation … those who gave their very life in defense of America. Beyond that, there is reflection on all that is good about our country. This is a solemn time that holds tremendous meaning for those who love and appreciate America. Consequently, protesting during the anthem is doomed to failure.

When challenged regarding their protest, participating players and others rush to The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. They argue that players, even at work, have free speech rights under that amendment. The amendment says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” The focus here is on government not being allowed to compress freedom of speech.

The amendment does not apply to actions by employers. The truth of this statement shows through in NFL rules that affect players’ freedom of expression. The examples abound: even though recently relaxed, there are very detailed rules on end zone celebrations and what players may and may not wear during a game. The Dallas Cowboys were not allowed to, during preseason or regular season games, wear a decal showing support for Dallas police and family members of five officers killed by a sniper July 7, 2016. Add to this list the following from an article by Hank Berrien titled “NFL’s Free Speech: Kneeling For the Anthem Is Fine, But Fighting Breast Cancer And Domestic Violence? Shut Up:”

In 2013, Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall was fined $5,250 for wearing green shoes in honor of Mental Health Awareness week, which was especially poignant because Marshall himself suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder, as FOX Sports noted.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams was fined $5,787 in 2015 for wearing “Find the Cure” eye black with the message “We will find a cure” printed along with a pink ribbon, according to Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network. His mother died of breast cancer in 2010.

The preceding discussion shows the NFL, or individual team owners, are not bound by First Amendment provisions. Consequently, allowing the anthem protest is not required. That leads me to wonder why the league and owners are allowing these protests to continue. I think former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke partially answers the question as reported in an article by Todd Beamon titled “David Clarke: NFL Protests Part of Left’s ‘Culture War.’” Here are two Clarke quotes from that article:

“‘Really what it’s designed to do... is to shake the foundations of this country, this great country.’”

“To create as much chaos as they can,” he added. “To pit brother against brother, family against family – and ultimately bring down the Constitution of the United States and this great republic.”

David Clarke is correct. Across this nation, groups and interests are being pitted against one another for political gain and dangerous societal change. In the process, the Constitution of this great nation is being shredded, and chaos is engulfing us. This anthem protest clearly advances this strategy of division, chaos and eventual control of the minds of people.

At the bottom line, we have a protest that is based on a false narrative (oppression); disrespects a solemn practice intended to express love for our nation and appreciation for those who preserve our freedom; is wrongly seen as protected by the First Amendment; and is helping advance the destructive strategy of division, chaos and mind control.

The sad truth is, in the end, most Americans lose – especially black Americans. In this anthem protest, we are being further divided and absolutely nothing is being accomplished by way of positively addressing issues of race in this country.

Dear Mr. Thompson,

I am a long-time fan of the Fayetteville Up & Coming Weekly and your articles! This letter is in response to your most recent opinion piece, entitled “Hits and Misses” in Volume 22 Issue 40 of the magazine. 

While I often agree with many viewpoints in your articles, I was cautioned by your response to the recent traffic congestion caused by road construction and traffic accident investigations in our community.  I don’t view this as a contractor or a law enforcement problem. According to the US Department of Transportation’s Work Zone Management Program, there has been an increase of 7.8%  in work zone crashes, with more than 96,000 accidents occurring each year. There are at least 70 work zone-related incidents every day in the U.S. that also include an injury (https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/facts_stats/safety.htm). This is primarily caused by less mindful drivers who are either in too much of a hurry or not cognizant of the hazards that they approach on the roadway. For this reason, contractors and police have expanded their boundary markers, in the need to exercise much greater caution in order to protect themselves, as well as,  sidelined vehicles.

The bigger issue that is avoided in this discussion is the overall increase in the number of road construction projects that are occurring simultaneously across the entire county. Every major thoroughfare, from Ramsey Street, to Owen Drive, to Hope Mills Road has some type of long-term road construction going on at this time. This began in the late half of last fiscal year. What is apparent to me is that the big push for new projects fell in line with end-of-year expenditure of funds and was poorly planned.  I have an 11-mile commute to work from home and it now takes me just shy of an hour of one-way travel each day to make this trip due to commuter congestion and rerouting caused by the work zones that are peppered about our region.

I think we both agree that the road construction zones are a big “miss” for our community. But our leaders and decision makers for these projects need to design more responsible plans in the future to ensure that our citizens can efficiently, and safely, reach their destinations. The contractors and law enforcement are just doing their job. It’s not their fault and they aren’t to blame for this problem.

Thank you, Rebecca – Hope Mills, NC Citizen/ Workday Commuter to North Fayetteville

Dear Editor:

I am writing this letter in response to the Publisher’s Pen, dated Oct. 3. After reading this particular article for the fifth time, it is disturbing how anyone can demoralize the reason why Colin Kaepernick started to take a knee. To state that it is disrespectful to the veterans, military service members, and the United States, it just absurd given the fact that there are several service members of different nationalities that continue to be disrespected by racial slurs, injustice, and inequality. All this article did was just ignore the fact that it continues to happen, and deflect the real issues that are going on in America. The NFL is not an issue in my book. As an African American female veteran, I have experience this social injustice in the military and after I got out.

Since we are on the subject of Donald Trump, NFL, the American Flag, and the National Anthem, there is no one that is discussing why the American Flag was laying on the ground at one of the NFL games (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DLOi2E7W0AI4Am0.jpg). From the opinion of someone that has served, this is the upmost disrespect that the service members and veterans that have served or continue to serve to protect this great nation. When politics started to play a part in regards to the NFL, they created the upmost distraction, and an abundance of people are falling for it. At the end of the day, this article is just an opinion and it doesn’t represent the reason why I served in the military.

Chanda Walker