Let me first thank you for being engaged and taking the time to read this. I ask that you read it through because there are many, very important issues facing our city.

As the current Chairman of Fayetteville’s Planning C ommission, I am extremely proud of the progress and growth we have made in the past few years. We have moved past the negative monikers of the past and are poised, at like no other time in our cities history, to benefit from outside investment to include state, federal and private sources. We are rising rapidly in both recognition and interest at not only a state but a national level.

However, we also face many challenges in managing that growth to see it be inclusive, continue in the right direction and not repeat the mistakes of the past. This will require experienced, sound and balanced leadership. Your next Fayetteville City Council will be vital part of that process. I want to offer my proven leadership and facilitative capabilities to ensure that our community continues to become a safer and more attractive home for our families.

There is much work to be done. We are losing too much development to the county and other areas due to the economic feasibility of building in Fayetteville. We need to do a better job at incentivizing economic growth by becoming more business friendly in order to attract much needed jobs. We need to continue the community based policing efforts so our streets are safe and we need to correct the lack of walkability and interconnectivity of our great city as well as the problems with our storm water infrastructure.

District 2 has realized some significant improvements over the past few years. We have over 100 million dollars pouring into our downtown entertainment district alone. Projects like Hope VI that revitalized the blighted and distressed Campbell Terrace area, providing safe and modern housing for many of its residents, are also evidence of this. I want to continue this positive momentum to areas like Grove View Terrace and Buckingham area. We need to look at creative incentive programs for city owned, blighted properties to encourage home ownership. This will not only get them off the cities books and increase revenue but will keep local communities together while building social capital in those neighborhoods.

I have garnered a wealth of experience working within the community as well as on municipal levels. I co-founded Happenin’ in Haymount with my wife Ashely, which is now over 4,000 strong. This not only created a more effective community watch of our local area but promotes social engagement, improving the overall quality of life for our neighbors. I wish to continue that movement to the rest of District 2 so that others can become more engaged and invested in their local neighborhoods. This is not campaign rhetoric. We need viable solutions to improve the overall quality of life for all our residents and I have proven that I am the man to do that on your next city council.

I am committed and willing to do the work that needs to be done and I give you my word that every decision or action I take, while in your employ as a City Council member, will be made in the best interest of the citizens of Fayetteville.

On a Tuesday evening in February 2015, I stood near the stage of the Crown Auditorium and watched a crowd gather. They were there to talk about a slice of Fayetteville’s economic future.

I was talking to a newspaper editor. As I looked over his shoulder at the seats behind him filling up, I said to my self: “Good grief, we’ve done it again!”

There were people in red shirts and green shirts filing into the auditorium. A few wore white shirts and the phrase “Jobs Stop Bullets” printed on the front.

It was the public hearing over a proposed chicken processing plant. The red shirts were against the plant coming to Cumberland County’s vacant industrial site.

The green shirts were hungry for the roughly 1,000 full-time jobs the $100 million facility would bring to the community.

The color of the shirts was roughly divided along racial lines. A majority of white people wore red, and a majority of African Americans wore green.

The irony was that Sanderson Farms, the NASDAQ traded chicken rendering plant from Mississippi, had already lost interest in Cumberland County.

They had gotten the cold-shoulder message at a previous County Commission meeting. There, a vocal group believed a chicken processing plant in an industrialpark was either beneath us or perceived environmental affects were too costly. A well-organized group, they made their point. And, besides, business goes where it’s welcomed and stays where it’s appreciated.

On stage that night were two governing bodies, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and the Fayetteville City Council. Both dutifully listened to those against and who favored the plant.

In the end, the commissioners voted down any thoughts against giving incentives to Sanderson Farms to locate here. The City Council shrugged and told everyone it was a county decision.

That’s true, but an epiphany for me that evening was that no one had another solution, a win-win situation, another stab at getting jobs here in Fayetteville.

The events of that evening got me talking to people. I’ve talked to many over the past months and asked what they believe stops Fayetteville from being better then it is.

I took my conversations to social media and sent surveys. Here’s what they said:

1. We don’t have professional-level jobs that pay enough for a family to live in Fayetteville. Part-time retail jobs won’t do.
2. We lack the kind of industry — other than retail — that can share the tax burden to pay for the amenities necessary to make our city better.
3. We have a violent crime problem that hurts victims and our chances of getting potential employers to locate here.
4. We have horrendous traffic congestion made worse by aggressive drivers.
5. Finally, we are trashy; both in roadside litter and how we keep
our property.

Whether real or not, that’s generally what many people think about our community.

By focusing on fixing those core issues, we can recruit the kind of jobs that keep people in Fayetteville. More jobs might help lower crime, and may even build enough pride in our community to make us care how it looks. It’s why I am running for Fayetteville City Council.

MISS - City council members and county commissioners don’t agree on much of anything: which local government should run a joint emergency call center; the formula for future sales tax revenue sharing; and whether county government will make good on its promise to help financially support the new minor league baseball stadium. Shameful!
HIT - Raeford’s NC Fall Festival has become a fall tradition. Founder Jean Hodges dubbed it the NC Turkey Festival back in the day, and the turkey still rules the roost. The highlights include the annual “Turkey Bowl” high school football game and the “Stuffin and Stompin” community dinner.

MISS - Street construction contractors should not be allowed to close more traffic lanes than necessary. Case in point: Recently, on busy Ramsey Street on at least two occasions, two of the three inbound lanes were closed off with orange barrels while work was being done on only one lane. It’s about time NCDOT cracked down on these contractors.
MISS - Fayetteville police close off entire roadways sometimes to investigate serious traffic accidents, with no apparent regard for the inconvenience of the motoring public. Road closures, which can last for hours, may be necessary in some instances, but there are situations where lanes of traffic could be left open.

HIT - Fayetteville’s annual International Folk Festival observed its 39th year last month. It was three days of fall fun in Festival Park and downtown Fayetteville. A parade, music, dancing, food and games made the event a big hit for tens of thousands —as it always does.

MISS - Fayetteville City Council needs a better understanding of who its customers are. Take trash collection for example. Half the homes in Fayetteville are occupied by renters. They come and go, and don’t know the rules — and shouldn’t be expected to. The city’s weekly garbage and yard debris collection regulations must be relaxed. After all, this is a basic service of municipal government. As former City Councilwoman Juanita Gonzalez famously once said, the city should “just pick it up.”

HIT - The annual Best of Fayetteville awards dinner was indeed the best yet. It publicly acknowledged winners of Up & Coming Weekly’s best of the best as determined by readers. You’ll find all of them in this year’s special edition of Fayetteville’s only locally-owned newspaper.

HIT - PWC, Fayetteville’s hometown utility, had line crews in Florida to help with recovery from recent hurricanes. It’s an obligation that dozens, if not hundreds, of utilities have as part of statewide and national mutual aid agreements to help each other when needed. Praise and gratitude to the PWC crews who responded.
MISS - Motorists in Fayetteville need to understand that center turn lanes on five-lane roads are not for merging into traffic. They are for making left turns only. Cops should enforce this law — and red-light running, and speeding, and reckless driving, and drunk driving and... If they did, they would find many violators don’t have driver licenses, proper registration or insurance. Fayetteville needs more traffic cops.

The start of fall is always a special time. The return of the crisp air and autumn foliage brings special memories for a lot of us. When I look back on my childhood,

I remember going back to school, getting excited for football to return and spending Friday nights at the county fair. That’s one reason why I was so excited to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Hoke County Fair. I had a great time speaking with constituents about their priorities and concerns, and I even got to meet and take a picture with a local celebrity, Baby Miss Fayetteville.

While I was in Hoke County, I was also able to visit Hoke County High School and learn about all the great programs they offer to help students prepare for a successful future. Like me, teachers here believe we must align our education programs with the needs of employers, so graduates are prepared not only for the jobs currently out there but also the careers of the future. I am happy to see Hoke County High School put a priority on classes in Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics for cutting-edge jobs as well as Career Technical Education classes for critically important jobs like firefighters and emergency medical technicians.

Of course, to help create those careers of the future, we need to make it easier for people to take a risk and start new businesses and for existing small businesses to create new jobs. That’s why I stopped by two small businesses in Troy and Concord that demonstrate how a simpler, fairer tax code could benefit our economy.

In Concord, I toured Ketchie, Inc., a manufacturer that has been operating locally for 70 years. And in Troy, I visited Uwharrie Mercantile, a coffee and gift shop that’s breathing new life into the historic Hotel Troy, which originally opened in 1909. I’m so impressed with these small business success stories. I believe they and businesses all across our community could be doing so much more if our tax system was reformed so they had more resources to hire people, expand and continue to invest in our community.

Along the same lines of getting more resources to our community, I presented a Staffing for Adequate Fire Emergency Response grant to the Aberdeen Fire

Department while I was traveling across the district. This grant will help the Aberdeen Fire Department hire more trained firefighters, and I was happy to help in their quest for this grant. We had a great cross-section of local leaders at this announcement, and we continued the discussion of other ways we can partner to help Aberdeen and all of Moore County.

And last, but certainly not least, I visited the Carolina Panthers to discuss my efforts to increase collaboration and advance the understanding of concussions, as well as the steps being taken by the Panthers and the National Football League to reduce injuries. This is an issue that I have followed closely and examined over the years because concussions affect people of all ages — from Bank of America Stadium to our local peewee football field.

Despite all the progress made, there’s still a lot we don’t know about head trauma. I serve as Chairman of the Pediatric Trauma Caucus because trauma is the No. 1 killer of our nation’s youth. The cutting-edge work being done by the Panthers to prevent, diagnose and treat player injuries goes hand in hand with this priority. I appreciate the emphasis the NFL is placing on player safety, and I’ll continue to work with them to shine a light on this issue and improve our understanding of concussions.

Overall, I had a very productive week traveling across our district and talking about issues that matter in our community. If you have ideas you’d like to share with me, especially on tax reform as I continue to work to simplify our tax code, please contact my office at Hudson.House.Gov or call (202) 225-3715. I look forward to continuing these important conversations.

Much of my writing emphasizes the need for, and repeated lack of, Americans thoughtfully examining and responding to the challenging issues of our time. The current DACA debate provides an opportunity to see thoughtful examination and response both happening and not happening.

The following overview at www.raicestexas.org/pages/faq provides a reasonable starting point for thinking through DACA:

In June of 2012, after pressure from community organizations, President Obama announced DACA. DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. We refer to this program as DACA 2012; the program essentially means that certain children, those who arrived to the United States prior to turning 16 years of age, would no longer be a priority for deportation. In addition to having arrived before the age of 16, in order to be eligible for DACA one must meet a few other criteria:

• Have lived in the United States for at least 5 years, beginning in June of 2007;
• Are currently in school , have graduated from high school or completed an accredited GED program (or are enrolled in a program);
• Does not have a felony, more than three misdemeanors or any significant misdemeanor.

While there are other requirements, these are the most basic in order to qualify for DACA as announced in 2012.

There are two key considerations from the quote above. They are “Deferred Action” and “no longer a priority for deportation.” Given these conditions, the reference later states, “It is important to know that the granting of deferred action does not, directly, lead to the grant of any form of permanent legal status; deferred action just means that you are no longer a priority for deportation.”

The “raicestexas” reference in paragraph two above also explains that on Nov. 20, 2014, President Obama announced an expansion of the 2012 DACA and a new program for parents. Per the reference, “This expanded version of DACA removes the previous age-cap as well as well as only requiring proof of continuous presence from Jan. 1, 2010. Expanded DACA would grant deferred action for a period of three-years, instead of the traditional two-year period.” The program for parents was Deferred Action for Parental Accountability. The program addressed parents of a United States citizen or legal permanent resident.

Coupled with the provisions of DACA, President Obama provided an avenue for program participants to get work permits. This means persons who entered the country illegally would be allowed to work and receive benefits, such as health care insurance.

President Obama took all the actions outlined above despite earlier making the following comment as reported in an article by Hans A. von Spakovsky titled “DACA Is Unconstitutional, as Obama Admitted:”

Responding in October 2010 to demands that he implement immigration reforms unilaterally, Obama declared, ‘I am not king. I can’t do these things just by myself.’ In March 2011, he said that with ‘respect to the notion that I can just suspend deportations through executive order, that’s just not the case.’ In May 2011, he acknowledged that he couldn’t ‘just bypass Congress and change the (immigration) law myself.... That’s not how a democracy works.’
A court challenge to DAPA brought by 26 states and led by Texas went to the Supreme Court. The result of that challenge gave some support to President Obama’s initial assessment reflected in the preceding quote regarding DACA.

The course of this lawsuit is recounted in an article by Adam Liptak and Michael D. Shear titled “Supreme Court Tie Blocks Obama Immigration Plan.” The plaintiffs contended that the president ignored “administrative procedures for changing rules and of abusing the power of his office by circumventing Congress.” Judge Andrew S. Hanen of the U.S. District Court in Brownsville, Texas, agreed with the plaintiffs, as did the appeals court. The appeals court did not stop at confirming Judge Hanen’s ruling: It added that the program exceeded President Obama’s statutory authority. The decision of the Supreme Court was a 4-4 tie; consequently, the rulings by lower courts stood. DAPA was not implemented, although it could be brought up again now that the court is fully staffed.

What happened in the legal proceedings regarding DAPA is important to thinking through DACA. I an article addressing DACA, “‘Dreamer’ Plan That Aided 800,000 Immigrants Is Threatened,” Miriam Jordan wrote: “But discussions about it inside the White House took on new urgency after a group of conservative state attorneys-general threatened to sue the Trump administration in federal court unless it begins to dismantle the program by Sept. 5.”

There are several more bits of information that might be considered in thinking through DACA. I contend that what has been presented to this point is sufficient.

President Obama signs an executive order that he had indicated was beyond his authority. Even if, as he later agued, his action was one of prosecutorial discretion, he went beyond that authority by providing for work permits being given to people who should not have received them. “Prosecutorial discretion” means he could, based on various factors, decide who to prosecute and who not to prosecute.

The fact of life is that deferring deportations does not solve the problem at hand. It simply passes the problem from one presidential administration to the next.

This approach is absolutely irresponsible and reflects a governing process that is approaching disarray.

The legal action that precluded implementation of DAPA likely foreshadows a similar fate for DACA if it were challenged in court. Given that a group of state attorneys-general clearly stated their intention to sue if dismantling of DACA were not started, a DACA-like decision is on the horizon.

Considering this landscape, President Trump was correct to call on Congress to, by legislation, settle the situation that was inadequately, and very likely illegally, addressed by DACA. Regarding the Trump decision, Sabrina Eaton wrote the following in an article titled “President Trump cancels DACA program for unauthorized immigrants after a six-month delay:”

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the DACA program will wind down after six months to give Congress time to address the fate of the program’s participants.

He said the Department of Justice evaluated the policy’s constitutionality and determined it conflicts with immigration laws.

The Trump approach reflects thinking through DACA. There is a multitude of examples demonstrating how it looks when thinking through does not happen.

Consider individuals and groups that are verbally attacking President Trump for his response to the DACA dilemma. People are protesting his decision and labeling him in all kinds of despicable terms. How is it thoughtful that a person attacks Trump instead of addressing Congress, which should have settled the matter years ago? It leads me to think this is about destroying Trump and not about solving the problem.

This lack of thought and questionable motives shows through time and again. In an article titled “Pelosi: Dreamers’ parents ‘did a great thing’ in sneaking them into U.S.” Stephen Dinan writes: “House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that illegal immigrant parents who brought their children to the U.S. in defiance of the law ‘did a great thing,’ giving the country an infusion of successful young people.” I cannot see how a statement such as this reflects serious thought regarding the issue at hand. It simply feeds the atmosphere that produces thoughtlessness.

My hope is that thoughtful people will call on Congress to fairly and expeditiously address the DACA issue. Granted, I will be pleasantly and totally surprised if Congress acts at all.

Let’s be totally honest about this.

American politics is and always has been a contact sport. The presidential campaign of 1800 between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson birthed negative campaigning, and blistering rhetoric has continued ever since. Modern technology exploded the ugliness.
That being said, the presidential election of 2016 ramped up the negativity to heretofore unimaginable levels, continuing into the Trump presidency. There are casualties not just among the candidates but among we the American people. I will never feel quite the same about a longtime acquaintance, who during the campaign greeted her lunch companions with, “Well, the number is up to 43.” When asked “Forty-three what?” she coolly replied, “Forty-three people that Hillary Clinton has killed.”

Love her or loathe her, what rational person believes that Hillary Clinton has personally murdered 43 people? Suspending disbelief is one thing, but deluding oneself and others is quite another. I find myself avoiding conversations with people I know have different political views, simply because I do not want to beat the dead horse of last year’s election yet again.

I am not alone in feeling my personal relationships shift during and after campaign 2016.

A Reuters poll of more than 6,000 Americans taken early this year found that the number of people who have argued with family and friends over politics leapt six points above levels of disagreement in the final weeks of the campaign.

According to Reuters, “after the most divisive election in modern US politics, fractured families and upended relationships, a number of Americans say the emotional wounds are as raw as ever and show few signs of healing.... The rancor has not dissipated as it has in the aftermath of other recent contentious US elections.” The poll suggests “a widening gulf between Republicans and Democrats and a hardening of ideological positions that sociologists and political scientists say increases distrust in government and will make political compromise more difficult.”

The poll cites comments from several participants.

Gayle McCormick, 73, a retired prison guard, has separated from her husband of 22 years over his support of Donald Trump. “It really came down to the fact I needed to not be in a position where I had to argue my point of view 24/7,” she told pollsters.

On the other end of the spectrum, Trump supporter Rob Brunello, 25, said he has faced antagonism from both friends and family for his political views.
Writing for the Huffington Post, Anna Almendraia recounted the pain of Jennifer Conti who begged her father not to vote for Trump after he bragged about groping women in the same way Conti had been groped as a child. Her father supported Trump anyway.

Almendraia suggests asking ourselves several questions before we try to heal broken relationships or decide to move on without them.

1. How do you feel now that you know about a dear one’s views? Are you willing to work on your relationship or are you willing to walk away?
2. Did the 2016 election create a rift or uncover an existing one?
3. Is your dear one willing to work on the relationship with you? If so, can you cope if you cannot come to terms?
4. Finally, is it time to walk away from people with whom you profoundly disagree?

The Reuters poll revealed some positives to balance the negatives, at least partially. About 40 percent of those polled have not quarreled with dear ones over the 2016 campaign. What is more, 21 percent reported that they have made new friends because of the election.
An Illinois woman said she has a new circle because of shared support for Hillary Clinton. None were mentioned, but presumably some Trump supporters became chummy as well.

The bottom line for many Americans is that arguing over politics, and specifically over Donald Trump, is an utter and bitter reality, and some of us are not going to “get over it.” Arguments are both facilitated and amplified by technology and social media, leaving few places in either reality and or in cyberspace acrimony-free. Today’s reality leaves many Americans, including this one, suspicious of others’ beliefs in ways we have not been during my lifetime.
It is not a comfortable place to be.

Photo caption: A Reuters poll of more than 6,000 Americans found that the number of people who have argued with family and friends over politics leapt six points above levels of disagreement in the final weeks of the campaign.

Football fans take a knee to NFL games, tickets and merchandise: Go fans!

It makes no difference what your beef is: social injustice, political discourse, racial inequality, police brutality, Black Lives Matter — it doesn’t make any difference. When an NFL player takes a knee and disrespects the nation and flag, that cause, no matter how passionate, is instantly invalidated by such an ugly, un-American and unpatriotic gesture. Sort of like John Hinckley Jr. trying to justify shooting President Ronald Regan by saying he was in love and trying to impress Jodi Foster. Nobody bought that either.

I have never been a big football fan; however, I can’t help but be amazed at the way politics and self-serving righteousness has crept into the mighty world of NFL football. 

It was probably just a matter of time before our national Monday and Sunday night pastime became politicized. All that was needed was the right catalyst, and that was provided by now-free-agent Colin (“Oh, please help me, J. Cole”) Kaepernick when he decided to “take a knee” for whatever reason during the playing of our nation’s national anthem. That was when he was employed by the San Francisco 49ers. Now, he’s unemployed and reduced to being nothing more than J. Cole’s dependent. Lesson learned, Mr. Kaepernick. Disrespecting your country was not a smart move, regardless of your feelings and stance on the First Amendment. 

Nearly 75 percent of Americans interviewed felt Kaepernick’s actions were disrespectful, unpatriotic and asinine. Unfortunately, this situation could have been avoided if NFL management would have stepped in and taken control of its employees and the situation, but they chose not to. Of course, managing a team with players (employees) making salaries of 10,15 and $20 million a year could prove to be a little delicate and a mite difficult. No doubt it was, and the NFL opted out. As a result, disrespecting the flag and nation became the NFL players’ mantra, embraced for all the social/racial and political woes that ailed these mighty, mental midgets. 

So, now it looks like the NFL, as a business and corporation, may be forced to “take a knee” of its own. Football fans, consumers and corporate sponsors are not happy about the situation. These constituents feel passionate that America’s value and virtue far exceed NFL player paychecks and personal social-political agendas. Yes, President Trump weighed in on the controversy, and that did intensify the situation. But, remember, Trump is a president without filters, and he speaks his mind. 

Good or bad, like it or not, agree or disagree, once the words are out of his mouth, or once his tweet has left his Tweeter, it is what it is. The bell can’t be unrung. And, the fact that NFL TV ratings are down nearly 20 percent, tickets sales are off by double digits, ardent football fans are canceling their NFL cable packages and some are not only boycotting NFL purchases but are burning their NFL merchandise speaks volumes. Expect this decline to continue. 

In the end, although they will try, NFL management, players and the political left will not be able to pin the blame for this situation on the president. This time, it’s the NFL versus America and the Star-Spangled Banner. I mean, who cares what J. Cole thinks or whether Colin Kaepernick ever gets a job or plays another day in an NFL uniform? He’s collateral damage. And, J. Cole’s boycott of the NFL only magnifies the hypocrisy of the entire situation and exposes and accentuates the lack of respect NFL management has for the players, their fans and the American people in general. 

 In conclusion, let me offer up a little advice to the NFL: fans are customers. And to be successful, you must keep customers happy by providing them a good product and great customer service. In return, you will gain their loyalty, their respect and their business. Become arrogant, demanding and self-righteous, and your customer base will deteriorate. In other words, pay attention to your fans. Don’t disrespect them. Their message is loud and clear: Respect the flag, the nation and the national anthem. Honor our veterans and active military and stop pampering and patronizing those who don’t know how to express and direct their feelings properly. Do these things and football will have a bright, peaceful and profitable future. Until then, America, support the new NFL:

No 

Football 

Likely!

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Photo caption: Number 7 is unlucky for Colin Kaepernick. Now, J. Cole needs help finding him a job.

Carmen Tucker

Terry Sanford • Junior • Golf

Tucker has a 83.0 stroke average for the Terry Sanford golf team while maintaining a 4.406 grade point average.

She is active in the Science Olympiad, National Honor Society, Key Club, Amp Club and Health Occupations Students of America.

Isaiah Bennett

Pine Forest • Junior • Soccer

Bennett plays both soccer and baseball for the Trojans.

He has a 4.0 grade point average.

He’s a two-time player of the year and an all-conference selection in baseball.

He’s committed to play baseball for the University of North Carolina.

Going back to the days of legendary coaches like Jim Boyette, Bobby Poss and Bob Paroli, the football program at Seventy-First has had common ground with the University of Southern California. You could count on the Falcons to field a strong team, and you could expect them to have a rugged ground game.

That tradition still holds true this season, but the Falcons are building more of a reputation as a passing team thanks to junior quarterback Kyler Davis and senior wide receiver Reggie Bryant. Both have been on the varsity since they were freshman, and both are special talents according to head coach Duran McLaurin, a former Falcon quarterback himself.

McLaurin called Bryant a special player who has a knack for finding the ball in flight and attacking it at its highest point.

Davis was an athletic freshman who showed savvy and poise early in his career. “He developed as a passer through hard work in camps, working out in the spring and summer and developing a relationship with Reggie,’’ McLaurin said. “They have definitely turned into quite a pass-catching combo.’’

Through Sept. 25, Davis is fourth among Cumberland County Schools quarterbacks with 727 yards. He has five scoring passes, hitting 39 of 67 attempts. His 18.6 yards per completion is tops in the county.

Bryant is the county’s top receiver with 27 catches for 610 yards and all five of Davis’ scoring throws. Among county players with 10 or more catches he’s got the best per-catch average at 22.6 yards.

“If you throw it up, he goes and gets it,’’ Davis said of Bryant. “He makes it much easier.’’

Bryant gives equal credit to Davis. “We’ve got little signals and stuff,’’ Bryant said. “If he sees something I don’t, he tells me.’’

McLaurin also feels that as an ex-quarterback he adds something to the process. “I’m occupied with my quarterbacks through the entire practice,’’ McLaurin said. “I’m able to give them little tidbits and help them get better at their craft.’’

Seventy-First opened its Sandhills Athletic Conference schedule with a big win against Pinecrest.

“We had to do business,’’ Davis said. “Being 1-0 in the conference was really important.’’

McLaurin seemed almost offended that in some preseason polls conducted by media and coaches, Seventy-First was picked to finish third in the new league.

“We haven’t finished that low in the Mid-South and we definitely don’t plan on going to a new conference and starting a trend of finishing lower than first or second place,’’ McLaurin said. That will be a tall order for the Falcons as they play traditional powers Richmond Senior and Scotland on the road this year.

The Falcons will be without a couple of key players for multiple games as lineman Tristan Hill and fullback Elijah Parter suffered ankle injuries in the Pinecrest game and faced surgery.

McLaurin said the staff will re-shuffle the offensive line and try to find a replacement for Hill. Parter’s place with be taken by Devante Wedlock, the latest in a solid line of players at that position from the same family, including his dad David Wedlock and his uncle Jonathan Wedlock.

Bryant said the Falcons are ready to continue pushing forward. “We’ve just got to listen to coach and stay focused,’’ he said. “Don’t get off track. It’s not that hard. Do what we do.’’

Photo captions: L-R: Senior wide receiver Reggie Bryant, Coach Duran McLaurin, junior quarterback Kyler Davis

At least part of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Eastern Regional basketball tournament will return to Fayetteville next year, but unless a second site can be found, some of the games may move elsewhere.

Que Tucker, commissioner of the N.C. High School Athletic Association, was in Fayetteville last week along with members of her staff for the annual Region 4 meeting of the NCHSAA at the Educational Resource Center.

Tucker said that Fayetteville State has again offered to host the tournament in Capel Arena, where the boys’ games were held last season.

But it appears unlikely that the girls’ games will return to Methodist University.

“Methodist was a wonderful host, but we knew going in (that) in terms of size it would present some challenges,’’ Tucker said.

The seating capacity of Methodist’s Riddle Center is 1,300 according to the school website. That became a problem when fans from eventual girls’ state champion Clinton packed the stands and wound up sitting on the floor.

Tucker said the NCHSAA reached out to UNC-Pembroke as a possible second site but the recent success of the Braves’ basketball team could make scheduling the regional a problem. Talks are in progress with Greenville, which was the host of the regional for years before it moved to Fayetteville.

A return to the Crown Coliseum Complex in Fayetteville is unlikely, Tucker indicated, because of the cost.

“We felt we couldn’t do everything we needed to do when you look at some of the expenses involved,’’ Tucker said. “We have to do things we feel (are) best for our membership.’’

Tucker and her staff completed a tour of the western regions of the state before kicking off the east half last week in Fayetteville. She said there were no burning issues expressed at the meetings so far this year.

A topic likely to come up for a vote at this December’s NCHSAA Board of Directors meeting in Chapel Hill is a request by the football coaches to treat their off-season conditioning program the same as everyone else and allow them to work with a full squad.

Tucker said the unique problem with football is the large number of athletes involved and the possible impact it could have on other sports that are in season. Having a large number of athletes practicing in a contact sport like football would also force the NCHSAA to have athletic trainers on site. That is a cost issue, Tucker added.

“Trainers aren’t going to want to be out there without getting paid,’’ Tucker said. “That’s a concern we’ll have to address.’’

Photo caption: Que Tucker, commissioner, N.C. High School Athletic Association

Coaches and players aren’t the only ones who have to adjust to new rules in high school football every season.

One big change this year was the blind-side blocking rule, which makes it illegal for a player to flatten someone on the opposing team who doesn’t see him coming.

Neil Buie, who serves as the football regional supervisor of officials for the Southeastern Athletic Officials Association, said so far there’s been no major problem with enforcing the rule in this area.

“I think the blindside block is more of a learning curve for the officials than the targeting rule, which was put into play a couple of years ago,’’ Buie said. “Targeting was a little easier to figure out.’’

In targeting, a player is guilty of making a deliberate attempt to strike an opponent by making contact with the helmet.

Buie said the blindside block call involves more judgement because officials not only have to see the block coming but also judge if the force used to make contact is excessive.

“Every week I look at video and see some where blindside blocks that weren’t called because they weren’t seen or the official didn’t think the force was there,’’ Buie said. “It’s going to be a time thing to get it right 100 percent.’’

Another thing that will take time is for coaches and players to change longstanding tradition regarding the blindside block. “For so long the blindside block was something you lived for as a football player,’’ Buie said. “You saw that guy that wasn’t paying attention and you said here’s my chance to blow this guy up.

“Having to unteach that is an issue. We’re seeing some evidence of it with open-handed blocks. It’s a learning curve for the players and coaches as well.’’

Aside from the blindside blocking rule, Buie said it’s been a good year for officials so far. “The coaches and student-athletes for the most part have been very well-behaved,’’ he said. “We’ve had very few ejections. As far as disrespectfully addressing the officials and profanity, I don’t recall any ejections for that so far this year.

“I think the sportsmanship aspect of it is being taught by the coaches.’’

Photo caption: Neil Buie, football regional supervisor of officials, Southeastern Athletic Officials Association

What is your time worth? Let’s face it. No one likes to spend one minute waiting to get anything worked on, especially our motorcycles. A few years back, some friends and I rode to the Arctic Cycle. Before the last leg of the trip, we needed new tires and an oil change. A friend who lives there gave us the name of a guy who works out of his garage in Fairbanks. I ordered tires and had them shipped to his house.

On the day of my appointment, it was first come, first served. I waited in his garage for 3 hours while he finished the bikes before he got to mine. Although I did not like the wait, it was easier than dealing with the dealership in Fairbanks, and my day was a little more on my timeline.

A few months ago, Jon Ross opened Mr. Beemer’s BMW Concierge Service. Jon has a great reputation throughout the Carolinas as a top- notch BMW mechanic and super friendly guy. When Jon told me about his business, he said he wanted to add something a little different in regards to the service aspect of the business. He would come pick up your bike and drop it back off. At first, I was not sure if it made sense to me, but he is getting great feedback.

A few weeks ago, I needed new tires and an oil change before a long trip. Because I did not have a lot of time on my hands, I called Jon. He told me to order the tires online and have them shipped to his house. I did, and we set a date for him to come and pick up my bike. He showed up at my house on a Monday night after work. It just happened that he had to drop off another bike the next day, so he worked on my bike that night. The next day when I got home, Jon was parked in front of my house and my bike was in the driveway.

I was very happy with this arrangement. Although there was a charge for pick-up service, I saved myself at least a day of my time spending it at a dealership, and it was cheaper because I was able to save money by buying my tires online. All in all, it was good deal for what I needed.

I hope this idea takes off. The number one complaint I hear from every motorcyclist, no matter what kind of bike they have, is getting their bike to the shop and the wait time. As much as I enjoy going to the dealership, the day of my appointment is not always convenient for me. I try to get my bike in on a Saturday (so does everyone else), and I end up burning up a day at the shop. Due to the distance from the dealership to where I live, if it is a weekday appointment, I have to drop it off on a Saturday and pick it up the next Saturday.

If you’d like to reach Mr. Beemer, you can call him at (919) 749-3987 or email him at MrBeemernc@gmail.com.

If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, you can contact me at motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE!

• Oct. 5 Hope Meals Food Truck Rodeo Community Event from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at 5770 Rockfish Rd., featuring BaBann’s Southern Fried Chicken, Straight Drop Seafood, Big T’s and the Blind Pig. Music will be live streamed from an internet radio station. Visit www.townofhopemills.com to learn more.

• Oct 7. Peace, Love and Walk Meet at 3770 Rockfish Rd. Contact ALMS HOUSE at (910) 425-0902 for details.

• Oct 9. Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce Monthly Luncheon at 12:30 p.m. at Hope Mills Parks and Recreation, 5770 Rockfish Rd. $10 per guest.

• Oct 9. Board of Commissioners meeting at 7 p.m. at the Hope Mills Town Hall, 5770 Rockfish Rd.

• Oct 13. Kiwanis BBQ Fundraiser in the grassy area between the Hope Mills Main Street Wal-Mart and Food Lion across from gas station. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monies raised will go toward ALMS House, Shop-with-a-Cop, Bicycle Presentation for Terrific Kids, Boys and Girls Club of Cumberland County, Boys and Girls Homes of Lake Waccamaw, and many other community services. Call (910) 426-7256 for more information.

•Oct. 20-21 Ole Mill Days Festival Celebrate the Mills Way! Ole Mills street dance from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20. Saturday, Oct. 21, runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Municipal Parks 1 and 2. Family fun to include: tractor pull, kids’ corner, movie night, food, vendors, craft vendors, and a Mills workers reunion. Details: (910) 429-4109.

• Oct 21. Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce’s Chili Cook-off as part of Hope Mills Ole Mills Days from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. in the Municipal Ball Park.

• Nov. 4-12 Heroes Homecoming Vat 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 more information. The event is free and open to the public.

• Nov. 5 Vietnam Veterans Memorial Ceremony and Flag Displayhosted 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.

The Crown Complex hosts a variety of events and entertainers from across the globe throughout the year. Its repertoire includes things like conventions, plays, concerts and ice hockey games. There is something for everyone in the family to enjoy during any month. October is no exception this year. On Oct. 6, Thomas Rhett will perform as part of his 2017 Home Team Tour. This performance will be followed by REO Speedwagon on Oct. 7.

Rhett’s career in the music business started in 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee, when he was first hired to write songs. In 2013, he broke onto the scene with his first No. 1 hit “It Goes Like This.” Since then he has released eight chart-topping singles and has taken his unique sound and huge concert performances across the country and Europe. He is currently one of the most popular up-and-coming music stars in the business. The past few years, he has been adjusting to this new lifestyle. As he becomes more comfortable on the stage, the infectious energy of his performances grows.

Rhett’s music is known for an addictive mixture of country, pop hooks, rhythm and blues grooves, rock and soul. It is this sound that earned him numerous awards such as the title ACM Male Vocalist of the year and Grammy nominations. Because he is influenced by so many different sounds, his music is ever-evolving. A performance with Rhett is always innovative, engaging and exciting. Coming to a live performance is a way to experience the excitement and growth with him in a way that an album could never fully capture.

REO Speedwagon will take the stage at the Crown Coliseum Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. The group was first formed in the late 1960s in Champaign, Illinois, where audiences helped to build and define the Midwestern rock movement.

Like many bands, the group started playing small local gigs. Now, after decades of passion and hard work, they have cemented themselves as rock legends, having sold more than 40 million records with 13 Top 40 hits. Their most successful album, “High Infidelity” spent 15 weeks at No. 1 and is nearly 10-times platinum. In the 1990s, the group redefined touring by introducing the co-headline tour concept and touring with Fleetwood Mac and
Pat Benatar.

Kevin Cronin, the man behind the lyrics, will be joined onstage by Bruce Hall on bass, Neal Doughty on the keyboard, Dave Amato on lead guitar and Bryan Hitt on the drums.

The members of REO Speedwagon maintain their ability to fill large stadiums because their shows are incredible. The music is timeless, and they dominate the stage with energy and personality. Since the beginning, they have tirelessly demonstrated their talent, passion and creativity. This concert is an opportunity to have fun and see art 50 years in the making.

The Crown Coliseum is located at 1960 Coliseum Dr. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.crowncomplexnc.com/events. The Crown Complex has exciting events all year long.

Photo caption: Rhett’s career in the music business started in 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo credit: www.crowncomplexnc.com

On Monday, Sept. 25, the Town of Hope Mills held its Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting with several items on the agenda.

Public Hearings: Business Registration

The Board unanimously adopted the proposed Business Registration Ordinance that will require businesses to pay a $20 registration fee. No civilian opposed it.

Town Manager Melissa Adams explained that this ordinance would help keep track of businesses and help with initial fire inspections. New businesses will require a zoning sign-off. Town Attorney Dan Hartzog Jr. stated that this fee is not a replacement fee for a business license or taxes but that it is an annual fee set up from the date a business registers with the town.

Public Hearings: Pier/Dock Ordinance

Several citizens spoke to the Board about the proposed pier/dock ordinance. According to the findings of the Lake Advisory Committee, which was set up based on research, the ordinance presents problems that could make the town liable for accidents on personal property. Chair of the LAC, Jesse Bellflowers, brought to the Board’s attention that the ordinance, particularly Chapter 62, is a copy of Lake Waccamaw’s ordinance (which was drawn up for a recreational lake) and that the regulations could reduce value to property, cause liability to the town, and that some piers that are 20 years or older should be grandfathered in. LAC member Al Ferri also brought up the fact that the dam is a different style than that original one that was lost in 2003 because of poor maintenance. Owners paid lakefront property taxes for a dam that could be raised to lower the lake when needed. The new dam will not allow the lake to be lowered and will require heavy equipment.

This could cause potential for a lawsuit from the property owners.

Hope Mills resident Rex Johnson shared his concerns about the speediness and timing of the new ordinance. He stated that many citizens were not informed of the draft and reminded the BOC that Lake Waccamaw and Hope Mills Lake are considerably different in that the number of piers at Lake Waccamaw require more interaction because of the vast amount of piers compared to less than 20 piers on Hope Mills Lake. Therefore, he said, the new ordinance is insufficient.

The citizens agreed that the new ordinance is not in the best interest of the town of Hope Mills. It places the town in a “new position of insuring pier dock safety,” which has never been in effect for privately owned piers. Attorney Bruce Armstrong noted that since he moved to Hope Mills in 1984, “no major accidents or fatalities have occurred on the piers.”

Retired police officer Tonzie Collins concurred with Armstrong, stating that no accidents have occurred on the lake.

Mike Mitchell introduced the problem with logistics and said the new ordinance may cause problems with inspections. He also stated that it is not right for the BOC to have total discretion concerning piers when the covenant of lake owners allows piers to be built up to the tree line. He told the BOC that this could present a legal problem.

Rev. Grilley Mitchell advised the BOC that it “comes down to ‘What is the liability to the town?’”
Military wife and mother Erin Solomon told the BOC that she and her husband could not buy a home on the lake until they bought insurance for the pier. She told them that insurance covers for any accident and that this ordinance causes an undue burden on homeowners. She held up her hand and said, “The last time my husband was home, he was able to stay for five days. Three of those days were spent upgrading and repairing our pier.” Solomon told the BOC that it’s homeowners like her husband who are most concerned about the safety of the pier because of their children. “We want our kids to enjoy the lake and not worry about keeping up with taxes,” she said.

LAC member Rob MacLean asked the BOC to not rush the ordinance through and reminded them that the LAB worked for almost three months researching, investigating, and writing a document that, according to Town Attorney Hartzog, will stand in court.

Lisa Waring asked the BOC to let the ordinance be tabled, re-examined and looked at. “Please don’t pass it until the Lake Advisory Board revises it,” she requested.

Commissioner Jerry Legge praised the LAB for its integrity and requested that Town Attorney Hartzog meet with the LAC to “develop an ordinance to fit the Town of Hope Mills.”

Mayor Warner asked Town Manager Adams to appoint someone from the Inspections Department to also work with the LAC to devise an ordinance that will work.

The Pier/Docks Ordinance was NOT voted upon. The citizens who spoke were against it and the Board of Commissioners agreed to “table” it until further notice.

The Hope Mills Citizens Academy class held Sept. 21 offered an insider’s view on how the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Center keeps everything running smoothly and at the different types of programs it offers to children and seniors aged 55 and up.

Directing the Citizens

At the class, Kenny Bullock, Parks and Recreation director, informed students of the importance of community involvement and input concerning the master plan of the Hope Mills Golf Course and the park amenities needed for the “Park within a Park” at the Hope Mills Recreational Complex.

“We ask for monies on a need-only basis. If we don’t need it, we don’t ask,” Bullock said. He added that even though it would be great to have several new trucks and new equipment that it is not truly needed and the HMPR is not one for wasting money.

There are suggested ideas for new playgrounds, picnic shelters, walking/running trails, open space/unprogrammed play/ an amphitheater/outdoor events, environmental education, outdoor fitness, disc golf, a community center, ballfields, multi-use fields/courts, and even a fishing pier, splash park, water sports and a swimming pool. Bullock emphasized the impact that citizens’ opinions have on the changes within and around the recreation center.

Maintenance Department

Jamie Bahma, Parks and Recreation supervisor, and her staff, work diligently to keep the Hope Mills baseball, football and soccer fields in tip-top shape. Cutting the grass, painting and chalking boundary lines, measuring the proper distances and keeping the dirt at the correct level and texture are just a few of the tasks Bahma and her staff carry out.

Some of the Citizens Academy students chalked the foul line from third base to home plate — Commissioner Pat Edwards was one. Other students painted the grass line. Bahma and her staff used John Deere Gators and three-wheelers to even out the dirt around the bases. Exact measurements are needed for the batters box. This is done using a metal template.

One of the most well-known events held at HMPR is the fireworks for the 4th of July/Independence Day celebration. As with any of the events held by HMPR, they prepare early. Placing the flags, games, banners and canopies, preparing for the parade, testing all outlets, trimming branches, checking equipment, checking stage power and marking vendor spots are just a few of the details the maintenance crew handle for each event.

Sports

From baseball to football to cheerleading, there are several activities for the youth of Hope Mills to participate at the HMPR. Athletic director Maxey Dove and Athletics and Programs assistant Don Wilson gave a few examples of how they train the teams and what they expect from members and their parents.

“It’s ok to have fun, but we don’t laugh at each other,” Wilson said. “If I hear you laugh at or make fun of another teammate, then I will send you back to your parents. We believe in sportsmanship and we will show it.”

It is football season. Therefore, the students participated in a couple of football drills. The first drill was sprinting. They had to run 20 yards as fast as they could. The second drill was the “angle step drill.” The students had to run a few steps, plant their right foot, turn and catch the ball.

More Youth Programs

For ages 1-5, the toddler programs help kids learn about utensil safety and cooking healthy meals in the Young Chefs program. Toddlers need to burn off a lot of energy and they can do that with the Little People, Big Fun program in which they can run, play and bounce in the open gym.  

Senior Citizens 55 and Up

HMPR offers a variety of programs for senior adults aged 55 and up. Senior Programs Director Kasey Ivey and Assistant Senior Programs Director Anne Evanco ensure healthy activity for the seniors of Hope Mills. Arts and crafts, Zumba, line dancing and Bingo and Brunch are a few of the programs that seniors may choose to participate in.

Senior citizens also may join programs to help those in need such as the Plastic Sleeping Mat program. This program aids the homeless within Cumberland County. Each mat is hand-woven with plastic grocery bags and are so well-made that they resemble a cloth mat. They are thick, weatherproof and easy to carry. These special mats are given out at the VA Medical Center, Alms House, NC Works (which works with homeless veterans), Connections of Cumberland County and Fayetteville Urban Ministry. The seniors enjoy making these mats and have already surpassed their quota for the year.

The Senior Program has had a 180 percent increase in overall participation, causing it to outgrow the Sunshine Senior Center and become part of the HMPRC. Between Nov. 1, 2016, and Sept. 21, 2017, there have been 206 new participants.

Between youth sports, senior programs and special events, there is always something to do at the HMPRC, located at 5770 Rockfish Rd. Learn more about the facility and the programs by visiting www.townofhopemills.com or by calling (910) 424-4500.

Photo caption: On Sept. 21 Citizens Academy students learned about the work that goes into maintaining Hope Mills’ sports fields and about hand-woven mats that senior citizens make to give to the homeless within Cumberland County.

The latest effort in Washington to repeal and not actually replace the Affordable Care Act has a different name, the Cassidy-Graham plan, but it should look familiar.

It is essentially a proposal like the ones that came before it this year to make massive cuts in Medicaid, end subsidies that make it possible for low-income families to afford coverage and give insurance companies the ability to both charge people with pre-existing conditions more and offer sketchy policies that don’t cover essential benefits.

Some of the mechanisms are different in this plan, most notably the cuts are camouflaged in Medicaid block grants to the states that are reduced, capped and then ended, leaving North Carolina $8.7 billion short in 2027. That’s right, the bill not only repeals the Affordable Care, it ends Medicaid as we now know it.

No one knows exactly how many people in all will lose their health care under the latest attempt to undo the progress that the Affordable Care Act has made. And Senators won’t know either when they vote, as the Congressional Budget Office says there is not time to fully evaluate the new plan.

But it appears Congress is voting anyway, without committee hearings, without real debate, even without information about exactly what their disastrous new legislation will do.

A few things are certain. Millions of people will lose their coverage and again be one illness away from bankruptcy as they use the emergency rooms for primary care. Other will forego preventive care altogether because they cannot afford it. And the folks at the lower ends of the economic ladder will feel the effects most acutely. That last one, folks in North Carolina are used to.

The troubling news from Washington comes on the heels of the release of the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau that shows that while poverty declined slightly in 2016 in North Carolina, there are still roughly 1.5 million people in the state living below the poverty line and 21 percent of the state’s children.

The slight progress in 2016 was more the result of the strength of the national economy and programs like the Affordable Care Act that allowed hundreds of thousands of people to access health care than any initiatives by the folks who have run the General Assembly for the last six years.

The record of how legislative leaders treat low-income people is clear. They gutted the state’s unemployment insurance system to the point that it is now harder for laid off workers in North Carolina to get benefits than virtually everywhere else in the country.

A few years ago, the General Assembly abolished the state Earned Income Tax Credit, giving North Carolina the dubious distinction of being the only state ever to create a state EITC to help low-wage workers and then take it away from them.

Just this past session, House and Senate budget writers ended the state funding mechanism for legal services for low-income people and made it almost impossible for judges to waive court fees in minor cases where the defendants have no ability to pay.

Of course, they also refused to expand Medicaid like 30 other states have done which would have provided coverage for 300,000 low-income people. This session, despite having a budget surplus and putting hundreds of millions of dollars in the state savings account, they forced the Department of Public Instruction to cut funding that provides extra support for struggling schools, most of them with a majority of low-income students.

Even this year’s progress reducing the waiting list of at-risk kids for NC PreK was an odd choice. It was funded with federal block grant money currently at risk in President Trump’s budget when the state could easily pay for it and make sure every eligible child could enroll.

There is plenty more but you get the idea. State lawmakers have waged war since 2011 on programs that help low-income people in North Carolina.

And it is not because they needed the money to balance the budget. The General Assembly has cut taxes by $3.5 billion since 2013 with the bulk of it going to corporations and the wealthy. The top one percent of taxpayers, with average annual incomes of a million dollars, have received an annual break of $22,000 a year.

Now legislative leaders may have the chance to strike an even more devastating blow by rationing federal Medicaid dollars as they see fit without federal oversight until the money disappears completely in ten years. Given their record recently, that is a scary prospect indeed. You can almost hear them licking their chops.

That is what is at risk in this latest pernicious health care plan bubbling up in Washington, a proposal that would make some insurance companies happy but take health care away from the folks who need it the most, the folks in North Carolina already reeling from six years of a combination of neglect and outright attacks. No thanks.

Why did the powerful Hurricane Irma get me thinking about the football stadium at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?

Think Kenan Memorial Stadium where the Tar Heels play football and Kenan-Flagler, the name of UNC’s business school.What did these names have to do with the hurricane that attacked the Florida Keys on Sept. 10?

Folks in Florida are surrounded by the Flagler name. It’s on streets, statues, colleges, museums, counties — it seems to be everywhere. All these Flagler connections honor the legendary Henry Flagler. At the turn of the last century, he transformed Florida’s East Coast from inaccessible swampland to the home of resorts, including those he built at St. Augustine, Palm Beach and Miami by extending the Florida East Coast Railroad from Jacksonville to Miami.

According to Lee Standiford’s 2002 book, “Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad That Crossed an Ocean,” Flagler paid for this progress from the wealth he earned as John D. Rockefeller’s partner in Standard Oil Trust.

He might have been satisfied with his achievements at Standard Oil. But he wasn’t. He might have been satisfied with the Jacksonville-Miami connection of his railroad. But he wasn’t. He dreamed of connecting Key West to the mainland more than 100 miles across the narrow islands of the Florida Keys and the open ocean that surrounded them. Flagler believed that the Panama Canal, when completed, would make a mainland-connected Key West into a perfect port location to serve the shipping needs of the entire Caribbean.

In 1905, the Florida legislature granted him approval to construct a railroad to Key West. However, Flagler’s dream was an engineer’s nightmare — an impossibility, according to almost everybody but Flagler.

When Flagler told his friend George Ward, a Presbyterian minister and president of Rollins College, of his plan, Ward said simply, “Flagler, you need a guardian.”

Other skeptics referred to the Key West project as “Flagler’s Folly.”

But construction began in 1905, overcoming obstacles in the swampland south of Miami and then along the narrow keys and over deep ocean waters. Battling hurricanes, mosquitoes, illnesses and labor problems, in addition to the “impossible” engineering challenges, the project came to completion in January 1912, forging an approximately 350-mile route from Jacksonville all the way to Key West.

When the first train arrived in Key West, the 82-year-old Flagler was aboard. Newspaper headlines proclaimed the completed project “the eighth wonder of the world.”

Flagler died the next year, but his Key West connection dream had been fulfilled.

At his death he left more than $100 million to North Carolinian Mary Lily Kenan, his third wife, whom he married in 1901. At her death, she left much of that fortune to her siblings, including brother William R. Kenan Jr. and several sisters. The siblings have been generous to the University of North Carolina. William Kenan provided the initial funds for Kenan Memorial Stadium. He, the trust he established and other Kenan relatives have funded professorships, buildings and other projects at UNC and other universities as well as other worthwhile projects in North Carolina and throughout the country.

On Labor Day in 1935, a devastating hurricane even stronger than Irma passed over the Florida Keys and demolished Flagler’s Key West dream. It caused great destruction and permanently severed the rail line, thereby destroying Flagler’s eighth wonder of the world.

Whenever a mighty hurricane passes near Key West, this North Carolinian remembers Flagler and his close and continuing connection to good projects in North Carolina. This writer joins others in mourning nature’s destruction of Flagler’s greatest triumph.

Photo caption: When the first train arrived in Key West, the 82-year-old Flagler was aboard. Photo credit: flaglermuseum.us

When North Carolina is competing with other states and nations for investment, business startups and expansions and high-value professionals, we start out with some important advantages. Our tax code, for example, is now one of the most growth-friendly systems in the country.

In another area, land-use regulation, North Carolina also ranks above average — but not by much. We ought to strengthen property-rights protections in our state, not only because North Carolinians deserve more freedom but also because such protections appear to boost growth, job creation and income gains.

A new study posted at the National Bureau of Economic Research by Kyle Herkenhoff of the University of Minnesota, Lee Ohanian of UCLA and Nobel Laureate Edward Prescott of the University of Arizona found that heavy regulations on land use increase the price of housing, thus chasing away investors, entrepreneurs and workers from the states and localities that impose them.

The effects of rent control, rigid zoning laws, density and parking limits, eminent-domain abuse and other land-use policies aren’t just negative for the jurisdictions that impose them. Herkenhoff, Ohanian and Prescott found that the American economy as a whole suffers from the distortions created by differential regulations and housing costs. If just California and New York alone had kept their regulatory burdens the same since 1980 rather than increasingly them dramatically, the nation’s productivity would be substantially higher than it is.

I wouldn’t count on California and New York getting the message. Their politicians seem, if anything, to be intent on regulating more. But even as North Carolina continues to welcome highly productive economic refugees from these higher-cost places, our leaders still need to do more to strengthen property-rights protections in our state.

According to the Cato Institute’s “Freedom in the 50 States” index, North Carolina ranks 21st in the nation for land-use freedom. While clearly superior to the regulatory policies prevalent in the northeast and Pacific coast, only Virginia (#26) among the states of the southeast has a worse ranking than we do on this measure. Tennessee (#7) and Florida (#11) are particularly strong protectors of property rights.

The right to own, control, develop and sell land and other real property is not some limited civil right, granted under certain conditions by governments only to fulfill public needs. It is a natural right, derived from the rights of human beings to own their own labor and the fruits of that labor, including the land people live on and develop for their needs.

Governments do have a legitimate power to regulate what people do on or with their land — but only to the extent that such private actions directly impinge on the rights of others by imposing nuisances or polluting either their own private property or the air and water “commons” that all share. You don’t have the right to use government to force other people to conform to your aesthetic preferences, to prop up the market value of your property by restricting development or competition or to keep “those people” out of your neighborhood.

North Carolina has authorized local governments to impose certain kinds of land-use regulations. Some are justified. Others are abusive, and state lawmakers ought to rescind such power to violate individual rights. This may well be an opportunity for some Left-Right alliances, by the way, because some lot-size and zoning regulations prevent the construction of the very affordable housing and high-density projects that many progressives advocate.

We should also amend the state constitution to protect landowners against eminent-domain abuse. Governments should be allowed to condemn and acquire private property only for public use — to construct a public asset — and not for the purpose of transferring property from one private owner to another on the grounds that the politically preferred owner would be best for “the community.”

If we want healthy, vibrant and growing communities, the best thing to do is to respect the rights of the people who live in them. Freedom, it turns out, is actually good for the economy. Who knew?

If there is an emerging technology that easily fascinates both young and old, that technology is the 3D printer. A seeming magic act that makes something from nothing, the 3D printer has the ability to revolutionize industry in that it could enable the return of the cottage industry and the redistribution of the production of goods from the mega-factories of the present to the mom-and-pop shops of yesteryear. In addition, the potential applications of 3D printing extend far beyond the commercial. They reach into realms as fundamental as healthcare and as speculative as extraterrestrial colonization.

As this technology is perfected and the number of printable materials grows, its application will grow geometrically and impact not only industry but also society itself.

Another technology that has impacted society in the last score of years is the technology of the video game in an entertainment and cultural shift as powerful as the one driven by the moving picture. Today, 3D game worlds rival the real world in grandeur and scope. These worlds generate their own economies based on real money exchanged for for virtual goods, and they generate tangible excitement and contentment from imaginary people, places and things.

So what’s the connection between these two when video games dwell in the virtual word of a cyber plasm and 3D printers craft the real from molten plastic? The connection is 3D. Every 3D printed object begins its life in the cyber world as a computer-generated ghost of itself — a virtual blueprint on whose precision lies the fate of every form that springs from printer’s nozzle.

Game developers craft 3D objects in virtual environments — those objects and more can be printed by 3D printers. Thus, two outcomes emanate from the same skill. The higher the demand for 3D prints, the higher the demand for 3D modelers to visualize them.

Now, almost anyone can buy a 3D printer, and just like that, become a 3D factory. However, most people rely on pre-packaged prints. A child can print a Millennium Falcon toy, but a child did not make the model for the print. A dentist may 3D print a crown, but a dentist is not going to model one. These objects would be garbage without the precision geometry that is the handiwork of an experienced 3D modeler.

Sure, there are 3D scanners and other such devices that create models from real-world objects. But these models still need a human hand to smooth out the rough imperfections that such devices generate.

At Fayetteville Technical Community College, we have created a 3D printing lab in our Simulation and Game Development department because we already teach the 3D modeling skills that make 3D printing possible. FTCC seeks to broaden the career potential of our students and to provide a workforce that can carry Cumberland County and its environs through the 21st century.

The skills we are giving students will spur new ideas for the use of 3D printers and will help keep the Simulation and Game Development program at FTCC vital and relevant.

Still, we strive to expand beyond our core students with our 3D printing lab. It is our goal to open the lab and courses to all students at FTCC, and it is our desire for 3D printing students to participate in collaborative projects involving engineering, healthcare, art and criminal justice curricula students, among others. To this end, we are offering a certificate and a diploma as credentials in the specific area of 3D modeling and printing going forward.

Tuesday, Sept. 19, we celebrated the best of the best people, businesses and organizations in Fayetteville at our Best of Fayetteville Awards Party at the Ramada Plaza. Congratulations to all the winners!

• Oct. 1 Cruise – Into – Paradise at Paradise Acres, 1965 John McMillan Rd. Come out and bring your shiniest car, motorcycle, truck or even tractor to display while enjoying BBQ, fried chicken and the fixins. Kids will love the train ride, jumping castle and playground. Free admission, food prices ranging from $2-8. Details: www.paradiseacres.biz or  (910) 424-2779.

• Oct. 5  Hope Meals Food Truck Rodeo Community Event from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at 5770 Rockfish Rd., featuring BaBann’s Southern Fried Chicken, Straight Drop Seafood, Big T’s and the Blind Pig. Music will be live streamed from an internet radio station.

• Oct 7. Peace, Love and Walk 

Meet at 3770 Rockfish Rd. Contact ALMS HOUSE at (910) 425-0902 for details.

• Oct 9. Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce Monthly Luncheon at 12:30 p.m. at Hope Mills Parks and Recreation, 5770 Rockfish Rd. $10 per guest.

• Oct 13. Kiwanis BBQ Fundraiser in the grassy area between the Hope Mills Main Street Wal-Mart and Food Lion across from gas station.  10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monies raised will go toward ALMS House, Shop-with-a-Cop, Bicycle Presentation for Terrific Kids, Boys and Girls Club of Cumberland County, Boys and Girls Homes of Lake Waccamaw, and many other community services.  Call (910) 426-7256 for  more information.

• Oct. 20-21 Ole Mill Days Festival 

Celebrate the Mills Way! Ole Mills street dance from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20. Saturday, Oct. 21 runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Municipal Parks 1 and 2. Family fun to include: tractor pull, kids’ corner, movie night, food, vendors, craft vendors, and a Mills workers reunion.  Details: (910) 429-4109.

• Oct 21. Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce’s Chili Cook-off as part of Hope Mills Ole Mills Days from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. in the Municipal Ball Park.

• 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 more information. 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. Special guest speaker will be retired Lt. COL Walt Brinker.  Free and open to the public.

Luis Cordova and his family took a leap of faith in 2014 and opened a small printing business in Hope Mills off Highway 301. It’s not your ordinary print shop. When one walks in, he or she automatically notices the relaxed, down-to-earth atmosphere. The Cordovas believe in building relationships and helping the customer feel at ease throughout the process. With pictures of Paris and Venice lining the walls of a small sitting area, T-Shirt Printing Express allows for relaxation while you wait.

“I mainly grew up in Bladen County,” Cordova said. “(I) went to West Bladen. My brother began working in a print shop in Elizabethtown, and he was really good at it.”

His older brother, Otto, is the second of three brothers who own the business. He, along with Luis and their older brother Jose, meticulously manage every detail to make sure customers receive exactly what they ordered. Otto runs the press and designs the graphics while Luis and Jose answer the phone calls and emails for orders. However, each brother is trained to do all the tasks. Jose is stationed in Kentucky with his wife who is in the Army. He works every day, answering calls and emails from customers, new or existing. Each brother is dedicated to helping one another and the business to grow.

Worldwide

“I see us growing to the point to where we have to get a bigger building,” Luis said. “But I know that will take time. Our biggest client is the military. But we do a lot for businesses around Cumberland County.”

The brothers also service places in Japan and the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq. “Our name is being seen across the globe,” Luis said.

Process to Perfection

“We don’t just print T-shirts; we do promotional and business items as well,” Luis said. The shop prints pens, koozies, banners, tents and more.

It all begins with a request from a client. The process can take anywhere from two to five hours from beginning to end. The turn-around time is a week or less, depending on product and quantity.

Family Ties

Felix Cordova is the kind and humble patriarch of the family. An immigrant from Guatemala, he moved to Connecticut along with Otto in the early 2000s while his wife, Carmen, stayed behind and took care of Luis and Jose.

Because of living expenses in the north, Felix decided to relocate to Bladen County. Once settled, he moved his wife and other two boys to North Carolina. Because of the long drive from Bladen County and back every day after the shop opened, the family decided to move to Cumberland County.

“It was too much money for gas and too much time wasted in cars,” Luis explained.

Felix is retired now and helps by folding shirts and doing other light activities around the shop.

“My dad worked hard all his life. He raised us, and he deserves to relax and enjoy his retirement,” Luis said. “We even hung a hammock back there for him.”

“Mama Carmen,” the loving matriarch of the family, cooks every day for her husband and boys.

“We never have to eat out,” Luis said. “She makes sure we are fed. She cooks it and brings it to us every day.”  

In return, the sons look after Mrs. Cordova by helping with house repairs and other things requested.

The family is close and takes care of one another. This carries through in their business with the quality of service, warmth and professionalism.

PHOTO: Luis, Felix and Otto Cordova

So, it’s been a while since I’ve been to school. It’s a good thing I’m a quick learner. On Thursday, Sept.14, I participated in my first class of the Hope Mills Citizens Academy. I must admit, I was a little nervous. And rightly so, considering I was beginning a week late. However, Deborah Holland, the town clerk, welcomed me with a warm greeting.

After grabbing my tasty lasagna from Zorba’s (oh yeah, the class was catered), I sat down between a senior from one of the local high schools and a young veteran. I noticed the variety in age and background of the participants, and I realized that everyone could learn from these sessions.

Chancer F. McLaughlin took the first hour to teach us about his many duties as the development and planning administrator for the Town of Hope Mills. We learned about zoning, variances, the importance of community engagement and many other planning details that help the town grow while maintaining order amongst its residents and new businesses.

The best part was a mock hearing based on rezoning land from residential to commercial. Some of us were the developers. Some were chosen to be opposed while others were assigned to be supportive of the rezoning effort. Some of us were the commissioners. And of course, we had a mayor.

What intrigued me were the many different viewpoints on both sides. It was interactive, and I have a deeper appreciation for the roles of the commissioners. They literally must make decisions that can forever alter the history of this community.

McLaughlin was quite thorough and helped everyone understand what goes on behind the scenes at Community Development. So, the next time you ride down a street in Hope Mills and you see a house being built or a new business that will be coming, remember and appreciate that it took a detailed process for that resident or that business owner/developer to get permission to build in Hope Mills.

For the last hour, the class learned about what it takes to be an inspector for the Town of Hope Mills. Ray Reeves (chief building inspector), Kenny Tatum (building inspector), Clara Hines (permitting specialist) and Emily Weidner (code enforcement officer) each explained the importance of their jobs. They are each trained and licensed to inspect the homes and buildings in which we live and work, give permits for building extensions or even for serving alcohol and enforce the laws and ordinances governed by the town of Hope Mills. Each building is inspected for mechanical soundness, electric, plumbing and of course, building safety issues to make sure it is within the guidelines set forth by the government. Without the town’s inspectors, buildings could fall on us, easily catch on fire or flood.

You want to have a pool in your yard or build a deck? Make sure you call the Hope Mills Inspection Department. Emily Weidner is the only code enforcement officer in Hope Mills. Her job is to make sure buildings and yards are safe and not cluttered. Part of her job is to condemn buildings if she finds them inhabitable. However, she does depend on local citizens to help report any areas that could use a once-over from her.

Inspectors Reeves (level 3) and Tatum (level 2) are constantly making sure homes and businesses, as well as new construction, are within guidelines. They believe in going by the book and will not give a permit if they deem the building not up to par. Please note, these permits are based on safety guidelines, not on aesthetics.

Hines knows what she is talking about when it comes to what is needed for a permit to be given. From installing pools to adding extensions on homes to changing plumbing or electrical wires, Hines is the one who oversees the permits. If you have doubts about a contractor, she will look up their credentials and let you know if the contractor is credible or even licensed.

Everyone from the inspections department emphasized safety. They do what they do to help keep the citizens of Hope Mills safe.

All-in-all, it was a great learning experience. I have a newfound perspective on the Town of Hope Mills and what it takes to operate this municipality. All speakers eagerly answered questions with detail.

Learn more about the inspections department at http://nc-hopemills.civicplus.com/176/ Inspections.