The Boss Baby (97 minutes) is marketed as a family film. Like most films aimed at children, there are dark messages lined up just below the surface, waiting to be decoded. 

I wasn’t dying to see it. But, since the only other alternative was the eighth film in the box office gold franchise about those guys who like to drive at unreasonably high rates of speed while also in a state of extreme anger, and I managed to avoid the previous seven films, it was a point of pride that I find something else to review.

The film starts off with the voice of Tim (Miles Bakshi) narrating over some vintage-inspired animation. He tells us that, according to his parents (voiced by Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow), he has an overactive imagination. The animation helpfully blends together his perceptions of what is happening with what is actually happening … so if he is pretending to fight underwater monsters, he is actually holding his breath in the bath. This establishes that Tim is an unreliable narrator, and the story that follows is most likely a product of his rich fantasy life. Might I suggest that, with only minor rewrites, this could work as a child’s tale of terror? Because there are some really horrifying elements at play.

Before the arrival of Boss Baby (Alex Baldwin), Tim gets three stories, five hugs and a special song (“Blackbird”) before bed every night — in spite of the fact that both his parents work at high-level jobs at a pet company. You see, the clues that this is a fantasy are there right from the beginning. And, before I continue, why would parents sing “Blackbird” to their child every night? It’s one of the saddest songs in the entire catalog of songs by The Beatles. And I held that opinion before the YouTube video made everyone cry. You know what song I sing to my baby daughter at bedtime? “The Shankill Butchers.” Much less likely to make someone cry.

Anyway, one day the Boss Baby arrives in a taxi, wearing a suit and tie. He asks his parents about this and they respond that it is cute and he looks like a little executive. Soon after, Tim, attempting to get his parents’ attention, waits forlornly in bed for a single story or a hug — only to find his parents are both singing “his” special song to his new brother. I have two kids, and that is messed up.

Either Tim’s fantasy life includes writing dialogue for his parents (in which case, why does he have them prefer his baby brother to him?) OR his parents really think it’s a good idea to completely ignore Tim and let him think they love his baby brother more than him. At one point, they are arguing about who is taking the business trip to Las Vegas and who is staying home with the new baby, while Tim sits sadly at the table, realizing that parental love is tenuous and easily lost. 

It is heartrending — and, for the record, if my husband and I had to make a similar choice, we would be figuring out which friend was free to babysit. Because when you are stuck at home with two small, screaming, hyper little squirrels whose idea of fun is waiting until you blink, then figuring out the quickest way to get on top of the roof and play Superman, the walls start closing in just a tad. Kids, if you ever read this, Mommy loves you!

The themes only get darker from here. It turns out babies are at war with puppies, because there is only so much love to distribute in a family, and puppies are starting to get more. 

Boss Baby was sent to Earth to stop the worldwide launch of the cutest puppy ever — because otherwise, the puppies will win. When this mission is accomplished, he will get a promotion and disappear — and his parents will forget he ever existed. I could probably write a thesis deconstructing the 20 kinds of messed up contained within the past paragraph, but instead, I will suggest that when picking movies to enjoy as a family, maybe don’t pick one that emphasizes how kids get ignored when new babies arrive.

Now showing at Patriot 14 + IMAX.

The year was 1966. The Righteous Brothers, The Four Tops, The Monkees and The Mamas and The Papas were all in the Billboard Top 10. The No. 1 spot for five weeks, though, was held by a special forces soldier who had taken a punji stick to the knee in Vietnam. It was Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler’s “The Ballad of the Green Berets.” 

The song sold 9 million records. Sadler earned more than $500,000 in royalties in 1966 from the song. Later, Sadler would say the song was the worst thing that ever happened to him. 

Historian, journalist and author Marc Leepson captures Sadler’s triumphs and misadventures in his recently-published book Ballad of the Green Beret: The Life and Wars of Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler, from the Vietnam War and Pop Stardom to Murder and an Unsolved, Violent Death. On Sunday, May 7, City Center Gallery and Books will host a book signing and author presentation for Leepson.

When Leepson decided to write about Sadler, he had some general knowledge of the green beret. “I knew about the song, and I knew about Sadler and that he was involved in some mercenary stuff. I discovered a lot of what people don’t know,” said Leepson. “I interviewed 71 people, most all of them knew him and many of them trained or served with him. I found people he grew up with, a guy he was in the Air Force and Army with and in Vietnam. They told me a lot of stuff.”

There was stuff about the guy Sadler killed in Nashville in 1978 and how Sadler got away with it. “There are three chapters in the book about it,” said Leepson. “The detective from the case was very cooperative. Barry’s mug shot is in the book.”

After serving in the Army, Sadler’s dream was to become a recording artist, screenwriter and actor. While he did score some bit parts in a few western series on TV, his dreams of fame and fortune as a performer and musician never came to fruition. He was broke and in debt by 1973. Sadler did write 29 pulp fiction novels, though. All but seven of them were part of the Casca: The Eternal Mercenary series. While the books sold well, Sadler never recovered financially. That didn’t keep Sadler down; he moved to Guatemala where he claimed to train Contras. While there, he was shot in the head, kidnapped and more. Leepson covers it all.

“This is the first biography of Barry Sadler and he has a local connection. He lived in Fayetteville. He trained at Fort Bragg and was assigned there. The song is the unofficial theme song of the special forces,” said Leepson. “It is still played today. I don’t think anyone knows how it came to be. I tell that story in detail. It involved a public affairs lieutenant, a general and Barry. He went viral before anyone knew the word internet.” 

While this is Leepson’s ninth book, he is no stranger to Fayetteville. He spoke about his book Lafayette: Idealist General during a Lafayette Birthday Celebration weekend in recent years. Leepson has also written about Francis Scott Key, the Civil War, the history of the American flag and Monticello. On May 7, guests who attend the book signing will have a chance to ask Leepson questions and hear him speak. His presentation begins at 2:30 p.m. Books will be available for purchase. Find out more about City Center Gallery and books at www.citycentergallery.com. Find out more about Marc Leepson at www.marcleepson.com.

For years, the Cumberland Oratorio Singers have been bringing incredible music and cultural opportunities to our region. Originally, the group was an “ensemble,” but more recently the group has expanded and partnered with various other community organizations. COS now includes three choirs: The Cross Creek Chorale, Campbellton Youth Chorus and the Cumberland Oratorio Singers make up the core of the group. 

This growth is due in part to the work of Dr. Michael Martin, who will soon be leaving the COS. “I think we have done much to increase the positive reputation of the group and advance a support for choral music. This mission began with my arrival in 2007: to create a local symphonic choral organization that could partner with my choral program and create high-level music opportunities for the community and ourselves,” he said. “With the foundation provided by Alan Porter’s prior leadership, we have partnered with local colleges and professional music organizations. We have also delivered large orchestral and choral works with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra.” 

The music produced by the Cumberland Oratorio Singers is phenomenal. It may surprise some audience members to know the members of the group all have day jobs. For Martin, this is one of the best aspects of the group, as it allows for community members to engage deeply with the arts. According to Martin, “It is the community approach to performance that makes these people special. Most members are not driven by anything but the success of the group. We come from all over the community: doctors, lawyers, from different churches, teachers, custodians, etc., all for the purpose to make music!”  

Martin acknowledges building a community in Fayetteville has some particular challenges. “People come and go, and in Fayetteville this challenge is even harder given the nature of our military community with frequent moving,” he said. “The one thing we can never forget is why people should do this to begin with: to come together as a community to sing!” 

Inarguably, Martin has made a huge impact not only on the Cumberland Oratorio Singers, but also on the local community as whole. Luckily his new focus won’t take him too far away. 

“While COS is very respectful of my space with my family, it has become too much to balance with my growing responsibilities at Methodist University. For now, I am focused on being there for my job and family, as well as expanding my role in choral music in North Carolina,” he explained. “I intend to be involved with the COS in the future, hopefully as a member of the board. After a year away, I would like to be involved with them and offer my support to the new director in whatever way he or she would like. I believe in this group and will advocate and support them in any way possible!” 

His years of experience have also inspired him to leave a little friendly advice for the incoming director. “If there is one thing that I have learned from my years of conducting community choirs it’s that most people sing simply because they want to do it. It is not a requirement for them, and that needs to be respected and supported. They are not paid, but we tend to expect them to be professional in every way. I have always considered our membership as ‘volunteer professionals’ with families and jobs. Therefore, people will learn and perform with what little time is available.” he said. 

There is still time to catch a performance of the Cumberland Oratorio Singers this season. The next concert is May 19. Find out more at www.singwithcos.org. 

The next Fayetteville Ladies Power Lunch is May 11 at the Ramada Inn Bordeaux. These lunches happen four times a year and are an opportunity for the women of Fayetteville to network and build rewarding relationships with other women in the community.  

In addition to refreshments, shopping and networking opportunities, there is also a keynote speaker. “Every lunch we invite an amazing woman with an inspiring story. They share their story in an effort to inspire and encourage the women at the lunch. We want to use these experiences to empower and educate the women in the community,” said Keri Kittinger, director of the Fayetteville Ladies Power Lunch. 

“This lunch we have Bo Thorpe, the founding artistic director of the Cape Fear Regional Theatre. She built that theater from nothing, just a building on the corner of Hay Street, to the amazing theater it is today. She’s going to talk about the things she faced in making this happen." 

The keynote speakers are always successful women in the community. Speakers have come from all sects of the community with a wide range of experiences. Diversity is one of the strongest characteristics of the Fayetteville Ladies Power Lunch. “It is amazing being in a room filled with women who are all there to support each other. We women don’t always support each other, and to be part of this is encouraging. Our community in Fayetteville is incredibly diverse, and this diversity is well-represented at our lunches. Seeing all these different women come together to support each other is a powerful thing to be part of,” said Kittinger.  

The event begins at 10 a.m. with a Shopportunity Expo and wine tasting that will last until noon, when the luncheon and keynote speech begin. At 2 p.m., the Shopportunity Expo and wine tasting resume for another hour.  The Shopportunity is a great time for networking and features local business owners showcasing all their businesses have to offer. This year there will be more vendors than ever.  “We have been growing this thing for a while. At first we only had 22 vendors and we totally sold out. Last year we decided to increase that number to 44 vendors and we still had to turn people away,” said Kittinger. “For this lunch, we have 60 vendors spots and we are hoping to fill them up. Our goal is 60 vendors and 200 attendees.” 

Another change this year is the location. “This year our location is the Ramada Inn at Bordeaux, which is a little more central. We are hoping to reach out to the women who maybe can’t come out for the whole day,” Kittinger explained. 

She added that the Fayetteville Ladies Power Lunches, which provide so much opportunity for local women, are only possible because of the contributions of community members and the hard work of the women on the advisory board. Bill Bowman is one such community member, who recently received the Athena Award from the Chamber of Commerce due to his work with these lunches and Women’s View Magazine. The sponsors of the Fayetteville Ladies Power Lunch are also vital to the success of these events. Without their support, tickets would approach $70. Their support makes the events affordable for the women of the community. Additionally, a portion of the luncheon profits will be given to the Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation.  

To register as a vendor or attendee, visit www.fayettevilleladiespowerlunch.com.

Cumberland County Manager Amy Cannon said County government faces a potential $27 million funding gap in Fiscal Year 2018. But is it really a deficit? 

$18 million of that is new money not now in the County budget. Some of it represents budget increases requested by departmental managers. 

A big chunk of the gap, $9.7 million, is in revenue losses resulting from the unprecedented reduction in ad valorem property values. The information provided county commissioners “was a snapshot of strategies under consideration … the budget division and management are still developing options for balancing the budget,” Cannon said. The current tax rate is 74 cents per $100 of property valuation. To achieve revenue neutrality, Cannon told county commissioners they would have to raise the property tax rate to 78.4 cents. Any increase would hurt homeowners whose property increased in value, but would offset losses in reduced home values while not increasing the actual tax burden. “We have to balance this budget and it is going to be challenging. This is not a short-term fix,” Cannon said.

There will have to be some cuts in County operations, and as many as 66 employees could lose their jobs. Attrition would likely reduce the payroll some. Cannon has instructed budget staff and department heads to focus on reducing non-mandated services. A pay raise for employees is likely out of the question and Cannon proposes to scratch the county’s 401K contribution for employees. Mandated services are those functions of all county governments in North Carolina established by the state constitution like schools, mental health services, social welfare, public health, court facilities and jail, along with funding for the sheriff’s office and other county agencies. 

Many other activities the County supports are considered quality of life expenses; the niceties that separate some communities from others, like animal control, public libraries, domestic violence protection and support of non-profit community groups like the Child Advocacy Center and Contact of Fayetteville.  Contact is a 24-hour crisis intervention telephone hotline which has been in existence for nearly fifty years. It receives a little less than $7,000 annually from the County, but that represents 14-percent of its modest budget. These so-called outside agencies would see reductions in their budgets. Some would lose all funding from the County. “The majority of services the County provides are human services. (They) are essential and mandated, and have to be provided,” said County Commission Chairman Glenn Adams. He didn’t speak to quality of life issues. 

Cannon made her presentation to commissionersfor information only. She’ll make her formal budget proposal later this month. It could include closing one of the County’s public libraries and reducing hours of operation at three others. “I am sorry that libraries are not considered a mandated service, and wish that we all had a different understanding of the value of libraries in the community,” said Library Director Jody Risacher. Talk of closing a library concerns her. “I can’t tell you which branch, and don’t wish to speculate. My sense is that everything is on the table,” she added. Cannon insists her outline is just a suggestion, but it isn’t the first time the administration has proposed closing the Domestic Violence Care Center and Shelter. Twice before, as far back as 1999, the shelter for abused women came close to being eliminated. Up & Coming Weekly asked Social Services Director Brenda Jackson if she would fight to keep the agency open. “In order to realize any County savings, DSS must explore non-mandated services due to the lack of state, federal and grant funding sufficient to provide this program,” she responded.   

Cannon also suggested closing two public health clinics and consolidating a pair of group homes. She said she has already cut increased departmental requests by $3 million and has instructed department heads to submit three levels of additional incremental reductions. They are to include operational and staff cuts. Cannon will present her recommended budget at 7 p.m. on May 25. 

Retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Ray Mackey is walking again. “First time in probably over a year I was able to stand for any given amount of time,” Mackey said. It’s exactly what he was doing the first time CBS News met him seven years ago. He was learning to walk after losing both legs to a land mine in Afghanistan. CBS News correspondent David Martin reported “then as now, (Mackey) was being fitted for prosthetics at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.” 

The sockets that fit his legs to the prostheses are what sent Mackey back to Walter Reed after the VA in Fayetteville kept him waiting. Martin said if that wait is too long, his body changes and the sockets no longer fit. 

Mackey said he received six or seven sockets that did not fit because of the delays. Up & Coming Weeklywas unable to reach Mackey. “It is unacceptable that he felt he had to go outside VA to get the services he needed,” said Fayetteville VA spokesman Jeffery Melvin. “We can and will do better.”

Confined to a wheelchair, Mackey said at Walter Reed he got new sockets in less than a week. “This is probably the most work I’ve done on my legs in a while,” Mackey said during physical therapy. He has gained a lot of weight and his hips have lost their flexibility. Walking will always be hard for him. 

But “It was the inability of the VA to keep him in properly fitting prosthetics that was keeping a good man down,” Martin reported. “I am just another number that got pulled out of a number machine,” Mackey said. He’s now back home in North Carolina. He recently got a call from the local VA saying they want to come up with a plan for making the system better and meeting his needs. 

Fayetteville VA Medical Center Director Elizabeth Goolsby was out of town when Up & Coming Weeklyasked for a response to Mackey’s complaints. 

VA spokesman Melvin was apologetic. “We regret that Sgt. Maj. Mackey felt he had to go to Walter Reed to get the services he needed.  Our Chief of Prosthetics reached out to him, apologized and asked him to return to Fayetteville VA and let us serve him again, and this time we vow to get it right.” Melvin continued. 

“Several factors contributed to Sgt. Maj. Mackey’s previous difficulty getting his prostheses properly fitted.  Because of a staff vacancy, we could not fit him in house when he first began seeing us, so we referred him to a private vendor.  We have the staff to fit him here now. However, this does not absolve us of our responsibility for not knowing he was experiencing difficulty.”

Seven years ago, a local public safety task force issued a report that the group had spent two years working on. It was described as a comprehensive review of fire departments, EMS and
emergency communications. 

The report outlined recommendations for service improvements. The task force went so far as to recommend creation of a special sales tax to adequately fund increased public demands for service. Details as to how proceeds from a sales tax would be shared have not been worked out. But such a tax is still the top priority of the revitalized public safety task force.

Members didn’t meet again until this month. Only a couple of the recommendations from 2010 have been enacted. One of them is close to completion: the creation of a joint City/County 911 emergency
call center. A separate task force working on that project has until the end of this month to agree on a governing board and how to share responsibility. 

Assistant County Manager Tracey Jackson is attempting to reduce a budding turf battle so as to qualify the City and County for state grants. As for the other task force, funding remains the agency’s top priority. And a dedicated sales tax is now called an “immediate need.” The 2010 report was made to county commissioners and the elected boards of municipal governments in Cumberland County. It concluded that “without fundamental funding changes, required system changes cannot be accomplished.” 

Freddie Johnson, president of the Cumberland County Fire Chiefs Association, told members of the task force that declines in residential property values disclosed this year have cost
12 of the County’s rural fire departments more than $265,000 in lost revenue. Pearces Mill, Stoney Point and Vander fire departments took the biggest hits with individual losses of more than $44,000. Only three volunteer departments benefited from increases in property values. Cotton Fire Department in suburban Hope Mills gained nearly $112,000 in new tax revenue. Rural fire departments are primarily funded by a 10-cent fire district tax. A few low-wealth fire districts receive small supplements from the County. Municipal fire departments in Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Spring Lake are supported by regular property taxes. 

Rural fire departments hope to implement a system whereby the closest available unit would respond to a 911 call regardless of jurisdiction. The Fayetteville Fire Department has had that capability for some time. 911 dispatchers can identify the location of fire engines and squads on a real-time map and send the closest unit to the emergency. Chiefs of the various departments in attendance at the meeting also agreed it is desirable to establish clear public expectations of emergency responses for all County fire departments. As a practical matter, though, small departments which are totally dependent on volunteers cannot be expected to respond to emergency medical rescues at the same level of expectation as wealthier departments who maintain round-the-clock paid staffs.

The task force chiefs agreed to meet monthly in order to keep public safety priorities and needs alive.                                             

April Killings Unrelated

Three local men died violent deaths at the hands of others in April. Police said the homicides were unrelated but did not appear to be random. 

Mark Lewis, 54, of Concord Drive in College Lakes, was shot at his home Sunday afternoon, April 2. Officers found Lewis with a gunshot wound to the chest, said Police Sgt. Shawn Strepay. Police took the alleged shooter into custody at the scene. David Adam Wildhagen, 30, of the 5000 block of Cooper Road, is charged with first-degree murder and was jailed without bond. A pair of homicides occurred within two days of each other late in the month. The death of Jeffrey Brewington, of Goins Drive off Owen Drive, remains unsolved. Police found Brewington beaten inside his home late Friday night, April 22. He had been robbed and police apparently have no suspects. On Monday, April 24, officers responded to a shooting on Alamance Road off Raeford Road. A family member had discovered Dennis Burden, 21, dead. The alleged shooter is Shyheim White, 19, of Dublin.  He was charged with involuntary manslaughter growing out of what police called “negligent and reckless use of the firearm.”  

Serial Rapist #2

Up & Coming Weekly recently reported on a serial rapist who’s wanted for committing 11 rapes after breaking into apartments of local women. 

A second highly-publicized case continues to have the attention of the Fayetteville Police Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit. Sexual assaults committed by the “Ramsey Street Rapist” took place over two years between March 2006 and January 2008. The series of rapes occurred in the North Fayetteville area and remain unsolved.  These attacks were committed by a subject who was dubbed the “Ramsey Street Rapist.” 

DNA belonging to the unknown subject was recovered at three of the crime scenes and has been uploaded to the National Combined DNA Index System. The Ramsey Street Rapist was described as a white male, then about 40, about 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds. Time-progressed composites illustrate what he would probably look like today, with and without facial hair. Detectives have remained relentless in their search for the “Ramsey Street Rapist” for the last 10 years.  

Local Youth Council is a Winner Several Times Over

The Fayetteville–Cumberland County Youth Council is proof that our youngsters are among the best and brightest in North Carolina. Two were elected to the Executive Board of the State Youth Council during a conference last month. Rebecca Mitchell was elected chairperson and Konstance Woods was chosen as the state council’s secretary. The FCCYC was honored as the state’s most diverse youth council. 

Joshua Jensen was awarded North Carolina State Youth Council’s Most Outstanding Member and Jordan Clayborn was a keynote speaker. FCCYC has representation from high schools across Cumberland County. Its members range from sophomores to seniors. The Youth Council helped with Hurricane Matthew relief and hosted an event to help teenagers prepare for their future and develop leadership skills at conferences across the state and nation. The Fayetteville-Cumberland Youth Council’s mission is “to serve as a voice for youth in a youth-led organization.” 

Institutional accreditation reflects a voluntary decision made by the institution to conduct a self-evaluation of its academic operations from every vantage point to meet the standards of an accrediting agency. Because of the amount of rigor involved, many institutions either choose not to seek to meet these standards or they develop their own standards and the result may be labeled as “degree mills.” Graduates from those schools earn the paper, but not the product required by reputable employers.

Since accreditation is not required, graduates of institutions which have not met prescribed standards have a red flag that follows them as they seek their places in society. Some schools even follow agencies that are not accredited, hence the degree is still not what it proposes to be for lack of a core of standards. Without accreditation, the school has taken money without giving the student a standard-based education.

Accreditation approval demonstrates compliance with standards developed by an official agency. In the United States, there are six regional accreditation bodies (Regional Accreditation) and a host of nontraditional schools (such as beautician and barber schools, Bible colleges) with a specific focus (National Accreditation). Both accrediting bodies require the applying institutions to comply with standards approved by the U.S. Department of Education and therefore qualify for federal (Title IV) funds.

For institutions to receive these federal funds, the government recognizes the choice has been made to spend time, effort and finances to prove that the institutions have met the guidelines of an approved agency. Usually, they have affiliated themselves with a qualifying accrediting agency and become a candidate for accreditation and then have applied for and received the status of accreditation. They have completed these steps because they want to professionally prepare graduates of their institution to perform at a high level in their chosen field. 

Many hours will be spent by all facets of the institution studying its operations from every aspect, including budget and its appropriate use, faculty, resources, curriculum, library, mission and mission-appropriate goals as well as administration and long-range and strategic planning. Assessment tools that determine the success of the institution are also vital.

Initial accreditation is only the first step. A team of professionals reflecting the areas of competencies sought will receive written documents from the institution certifying compliance with basic standards of the accrediting agency, assessment results and long- and short-range planning of the institution. 

This is followed by a visit by these professionals to examine the actual operations of the institution. Reaccreditation follows at prescribed intervals to assure continued compliance with the standards of the accrediting agency.

Carolina College of Biblical Studies has chosen to meet the national standards of the Association for Biblical Higher Education for both its on-campus and online degree programs. CCBS completed a team visit for reaccreditation April 4-7. CCBS received six commendations, one for the online program, from the visiting team and some recommendations that it will address to complete the reaccreditation process.

The graduates of CCBS have been very successful and often continue to graduate schools such as Liberty University and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. They are also serving as pastors and planters of churches. Almost 90 percent of our graduates made CCBS their first choice to enroll in college. It is not unusual for our students to recruit others to attend the college.

The administration, faculty and staff of CCBS recognize, as do our students, that accreditation is the gold standard. The Association for Biblical Higher Education has set the standards as the accrediting agency, and CCBS has met those standards as we seek to disciple Christ-followers through biblical higher education, for a lifetime of effective servant leadership.

Should North Carolina “Raise the Age?” North Carolina is the last and only state to prosecute 16- and 17 year-old teenagers as adults. Only 3 percent of violent offenses are committed by our youth. This means the overwhelming majority of our teenagers receive adult consequences for minor offenses. A teenage mistake could prevent a child from entering the military, receiving college financial aid or obtaining employment. But, this could all change with House Bill 280, the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act, proposed bipartisan legislation which would raise the juvenile offender age to 17 except for violent felonies. 

Under the proposed legislation, teenagers who commit murder or rape would still be prosecuted as an adult. Why the push to increase the age limit?  According to an article titled “States Raising Age for Adult Prosecutions Back to 18” published by ABA Journalin February of this year, “adult penalties lead to more teen recidivism (repeatedly committing crimes), new science shows teenage brains really do mature later,” and it is a response to high incarceration rates.” Also, over the past 10 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has declared it unconstitutional to execute for crimes committed as juveniles, outlawed the automatic life without parole for nonhomicide crimes, extended the ban on automatic life without parole for teenagers who have committed homicide and retroactively extended the ban on life sentences. The difference is our juvenile justice system focuses on rehabilitation — helping the child make a change — versus the adult system which focuses
on punishment. 

According to North Carolina Policy Watch, House Bill 280 has the support of the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association, the Police Benevolent Association, the Association of Chiefs of Police and the North Carolina Chief Justice’s Courts Commission. Over the next few months, we must watch to see if North Carolina joins the rest of the nation and raises the age.

Over the past several decades American foreign policy toward China has been primarily economic in nature. In 1979, we granted Most Favored Nation trading status with China, and in 2001, China became a member of the World Trade Organization. For years, the theory has been that China will reform government dominance and communist tendencies with increased access to global markets. Our leaders have believed open market access would permeate the Chinese culture with greater personal freedoms and liberties.

Unfortunately, the outcome of continuous and unrestricted market access has not yielded the intended results. China remains a significant human rights abuser, censoring everything from news and journalism to religious freedom, women’s rights and political dissidence.

Furthermore, China has used the economic benefits of global market access to blatantly undermine international adversaries through cyberespionage, corporate IP theft, market manipulation, illegal naval expansion and the significant development of domestic military capabilities.

When I hosted Dr. Henry Kissinger for a speech in Charlotte in 1991, he contrasted Russia and China, with Russia being an outward expansionist regime and China being still relatively unengaged in the world. Today, however, through the favor of economic expansion granted in large part by the United States, China has aggressive visions to expand its global footprint across multiple continents. Through economic expansion, China has emerged from its reclusive traditions to become a major economic and military power.

China has built its economy from a $300 billion GDP in 1985 to over $11 trillion today. This is largely a result of the theory that open markets would transform culture.

As a member of the Congressional Executive Commission on China, I have heard scores of testimony from victims who detail the continued egregious violations of human rights, religious liberties and freedoms of conscience by the Chinese government — proving our original economic theories wrong.

Hope for a culture change in China has been diminished by the dominance of the Communist Party and their underlying vision to stay in power and suppress their citizens. With this in mind, the United States must shift its foreign policy toward China and use our various economic resources to compel the Chinese government and force change. We must impose a severe price on China to change their mindset.

Today, China pursues its economic and expansionist interests seemingly unchecked. For example, Chinese investment in the United States has skyrocketed, growing from approximately $4.6 billion in 2010 to $45.6 billion in 2016. Many of these investments come from state-sponsored firms and strategically target our critical and financial infrastructure, as well as American start-up companies who produce emerging foundational technologies with broad military applications.

One way we can counter strategic Chinese economic warfare is to strengthen our export control laws and rules associated with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Through denying market access to Chinese state-sponsored firms, we can more effectively leverage government action, particularly related to human rights and North Korea. The key to compelling change in North Korea is through imposing serious economic penalties on the Chinese government for providing material and political support of the oppressive North Korean regime. 

We must approach every action and every economic transaction with China as directly related to Chinese support for North Korea, Chinese abuse of human rights, Chinese cyberespionage and Chinese military development.

Over the past several years, through multiple Congressional letters co-signed by dozens of my colleagues, I have fought for heightened government scrutiny over various Chinese state-sponsored transactions, both domestic and abroad.

Our efforts led to an unprecedented economic penalty imposed on the ZTE Corporation for selling embargoed technologies to Iran in 2012. 

We have raised public concerns related to Chinese state-sponsored attempts to purchase American financial institutions, including the Chicago Stock Exchange and MoneyGram. Additionally, we have analyzed global Chinese efforts to invest in semiconductor technologies and have targeted certain transactions that will disrupt our Defense Department’s supply chain for critical military applications.

As our government moves forward with China, we must consider policies that impose a strategic disadvantage to the Chinese economy. 

Our policies must include efforts to sanction Chinese officials who engage in cyberespionage or human rights abuses and Chinese entities that provide critical or financial services to North Korea.

Further, we must consider punitive action against Chinese trade-based money laundering, as well as money laundering that emerges from Macau.

As China continues to modernize its military and emphasize capabilities intended to disrupt and challenge the United States, our government must respond by using our strong markets, economy and trade policies to compel immediate action by the Chinese government.

America has a choice. We can have prescriptive economic and trade policies with China — including tariffs, sanctions, improved export control laws and strong CFIUS review authorities — or we can continue to allow them to advance their human rights abuses, execute massive corporate theft and cyberespionage operations and deliver material support for North Korea.

This column first appeared on Fox News Opinion. 

How did we get here?

Jeff “Goldy” Goldberg hosts Good Morning Fayetteville on WFNC 640 AM. On a recent show, he was interviewing a police officer who works with the Crime Stoppers program in our area. They started the conversation by discussing a shooting at Lake Rim. Reportedly, two groups were arguing, guns were produced and a man was shot. In essence, Goldy wondered aloud and with genuine concern, “How did we get here?” He explained when he was young, at most, arguments were settled with fists … not guns. His tone was one of absolute amazement that what was being reported could happen. What follows are my thoughts in response to Goldy’s question that people America are asking: How did we get here?

In my estimation, our actions, for the most part, are the result of what we view as acceptable behavior. Regarding crime, Leonard A. Sipes Jr. clearly makes this point in an article titled “Top 10 Factors Contributing to Violent Crime-Updated,” in which he wrote: “Our criminological training is that governments do not control crime, communities or societies do; there is little the justice system can do if you decide to engage in violence, use drugs, participate in theft or buy stolen goods. We note that the criminological literature generally agrees that crime rises and falls over time at roughly the same rates in states and western countries, thus the explanations for crime seem to have a common, societal theme (i.e., drug use, universal agreements as to what is permissible).”

What I want to examine is what I consider to be the most relevant part of the quote above: “…universal agreements as to what is permissible.” This leads one to ask how agreement as to what is permissible is being determined and promoted in America. I contend the answer speaks to how we became a society riddled with crime and a multitude of other ills. That is, we have and are experiencing a dramatic shift in the forces that shape agreements as to what is permissible in society.

A major destructive shift is in the decline of church, especially Christian, influence on this process of defining what is permissible in society. I grew up in Camilla, Georgia, where the population was about 5,000. I remember walking over a mile to Union Baptist Church where my father was pastor. 

Cheryl McCoy, her sister Brenda, Bobby Rosemond, Joe Grissom and I would make that walk to attend various youth activities. That was a time of foundation-building for us. The positive influence of all the good that happened in that church experience was a major factor in shaping our thinking regarding what is permissible in life. I am confident in saying not one of us in that group of walkers would see the crime, lawlessness or deafening irresponsible conduct of far too many Americans as permissible behavior. The very positive impact our Christian church had on my walking group was not unique to us; it was a widespread happening in that little town and across America. 

The Christian Church has lost much of its capacity for, as was the case with my walking group, influencing what is viewed as permissible in America. Not only has that capacity declined, it is moving toward total collapse. Consider the following quotes from an article titled “The Decline of Christianity In America” that was posted June 30, 2009,
at www.signsofthelastdays.com:

According to a stunning new survey by America’s Research Group, 95 percent of 20 to 29 year old evangelicals attended church regularly during their elementary and middle school years. However, only 55 percent of them attended church regularly during high school, and only 11 percent of them were still regularly attending church when in college.

The reality is that young Americans are deserting the Church in America in droves … 46 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 to 34 indicated they had no religion.

Given what I have said so far, the question is: Why has the Christian Church, for the most part, lost the ability to influence what is viewed as permissible in American society? I hold the primary reason is that, in general, Christians have turned away from modeling and calling others to live in accordance with the teachings of scripture and the example of Jesus. This has happened, and is happening, for the same reason it occurred in the time of Jesus. John 12:42-43 (NIV) says:

Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God. 

In these verses, Jesus is within days of going to the cross. Some people in positions of leadership believed he was the promised deliverer of the Jews. Because this belief was not widely held, and accepting it would cause rejection of believers, many who believed kept quiet. In our time, being Christian attracts rejection, verbal attacks and denial of religious liberty. 

I am not aware of physical attacks on American Christians, but it is becoming more and more challenging to be Christian in America. Too often, the response of many Christians is to steer clear of the hard work of influencing for good what is seen as permissible. The result is those who are counter to the Christian faith fill the void and set the course. 

Interestingly, many Christians explain or justify their failure to take a stand by going to what Jesus said about judging. In Matthew 7:1, Jesus says, “Do not judge, or you will be judged.” Jesus goes further in the verses that follow. I contend He is not saying to never judge. Instead, Jesus explains how we should judge, how we should hold one another accountable. What He says should not be used as a reason for failing to, as Christians, be active in the process of determining what is permissible in society. 

My hope and prayer is that Christians in America and around the world will find the wherewithal to stand and be the Godly influence we should be in defining what is permissible in society. I realize doing what we ought to comes with a high price. Be reminded that Jesus gave notice to those of us who stand with him (Matthew 5:11-12):

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Most of us have them in our families. 

Sometimes we refer to them as “an eccentric” or a “real character,” like one of my favorite relatives who wanted more of the women in our family to be blonde. If you look at my photo on this page, you will see blonde is not my natural hair color. 

Sometimes, there is no denying the situation is beyond eccentricity, like a cousin who was so angry at the power company in his area that he set up a flat bed truck decorated with Christmas lights and railed about his grievances with a megaphone to passing motorists. That was when he was not dropping anti-power company leaflets out of his twin-engine plane all over the crop fields of his rural county.

Sometimes, it is clear we are dealing with a mental illness, like another cousin who is struggling with significant depression in her senior years. It is this kind and other serious conditions that we find so difficult to acknowledge and to discuss within our own families and without.

That is why it struck me when I read last month about Britain’s Prince Harry, the red-headed, fun-loving, hard-partying bachelor prince, and his public announcement of his battles to keep mental and emotional equilibrium after the sudden death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, when he was only 12 years old. Prince Harry confessed he more or less shut down his emotions for 20 years, with neither he nor his older brother, William, talking much about their mother and the loss of her. Prince Harry said bottling up his emotions hurt both his personal life and his work.

Part of his coming out about his mental health issues included a filmed interview with Harry, William and William’s wife, Kate Middleton, about the importance of being open about mental health.

Joining in the ongoing conversation is Lady Gaga, who has spoken openly about living with post-traumatic stress disorder. Like Prince Harry, Lady Gaga spoke publicly with Prince William about her mental health.

The British princes are not the first children to lose their mother suddenly and too early, nor is the flamboyant entertainer the first celebrity to have had a traumatic past. The difference is they are talking about their experiences. They are urging others to do so as well and to seek help for mental health issues when we need it.

Writing recently in The News & Observer, Duke University psychology professor Robin Gurwitch said children often experience death of a loved one or some other trauma that, left unaddressed whether through talking to others or through professional counseling, can lead to crippling depression. 

We cannot shield children from these experiences, but we can help them understand and cope. “In reality, talking is the most important step we can take to help our children heal from trauma and loss,” said Gurwitch.

Talking truthfully about our experiences chips away at the stigma of mental stress and illness, with well-known people bravely leading the way. The other critical piece of the equation is providing access to needed mental health services. 

North Carolina tried to set up community-based services in the early 2000s, but I do not know anyone who thinks this system is yet working the way it should. Many of the homeless people we see in our community are in need of mental health services that simply are not available to them. We can and must do better.

Many years ago, a person in her 50s and dear to me was successfully treated for long-term substance abuse, and when she returned, we did talk about her issues in a way we never had before treatment. I asked her what she had learned during her time away. She thought a moment and said, “I learned that everyone has problems. I had thought I was the only one.”

She had thought that for decades, probably because no one talked much about substance abuse or other mental health issues — or if they did, it was probably to criticize and not to offer help. My dear one is long gone now, but I still feel sad that she lived with substance abuse longer than she might have because no one was willing to talk about it honestly.

My guess is Prince Harry and Lady Gaga have access to all sorts of treatment, and their forthright conversations about mental health are going to help many people. The rest of us can do that as well by acknowledging mental illness for what it is — a collection of largely treatable conditions, just like most physical illnesses, which most of us love to discuss ad infinitum.

Oh my! Decisions, decisions, decisions. Hmmmmmm? Where should the City of Fayetteville put the new sports complex? Well, from where I sit, and from what I’m hearing on the street from citizens who are informed about this opportunity, it is pretty much is a “no-brainer.” 

However, what they seem to be more concerned about is the way the City Council is behaving. You would think on major proposals and important City business that coordination, cooperation and communication between Council members would be paramount. Well, not so much. Matter of fact, what seem to be “no-brainer” decisions are seemingly very divisive. This is causing some anxiety among citizens who are following the process. 

Recently, Council member Ted Mohn reached out to me and other members of the media to get our take on the sports complex situation. We appreciated this consideration. In his memo, and in Ted Mohn style, he included a comprehensive evaluation of the suggested Fields/Cedar Creek Road site. He certainly did his homework. It included a graphic of the Rocky Mount Sports Complex for comparison with a dated 4-year financial impact of the complex. He also included a graphic of the Fields/Cedar Creek Road location that included a possible additional 36-acre add on. He also showed nearby commercial development and a sample concept of how the location could house and develop into a viable sports complex. No doubt a lot of time and effort went into this study. However, in my opinion, the Fields/Cedar Creek Road location is not the right location for this project. What follows is basically what I shared with Councilman Mohn in response to his request.

I thanked him for including me in his quest for information and for all the time and research he invested in making sure the Council had all the facts and details and an understanding of the circumstances when considering where to locate the new $9 million sports complex. This is a major project, an important decision and a very big deal for our community. Accordingly, it needs to be thoroughly thought out and examined from all angles, especially from the perspective of the residents and taxpayers of the City of Fayetteville. This is not the time for infighting or petty ward politics.   

I also clarified Up & Coming Weekly’s position and obligation to local residents as a community newspaper. Even though we now have a “hard news” element in our publication provided by Senior Reporter Jeff Thompson, traditionally, Up & Coming Weekly’s format has been derived from local observations and analysis of situations affecting our community from a historic perspective and how these actions or events impact the quality of life here in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. We do this mostly using “first person” insights and opinions. Matter of fact, by the time I’m ready to pen an article, I find myself pretty much putting down in print what the majority of our readers are already thinking. They trust Up & Coming Weekly because we validate their thoughts.

After 21 years, the journalistic track record and reputation of Up & Coming Weekly is pretty stellar. And no one can accuse us of “fake news.” 

With a small community newspaper like Up & Coming Weekly, it’s not how many papers we print each week that is important — it’s who reads it! 

So, with all this being said, I told Mohn in response to his email that “historically speaking” the Cedar Creek/Fields Road area is a poor choice of locations. By historically, I mean Fayetteville and Cumberland County governments have chronic bad habits of justifying the means to accommodate the ends. And, unfortunately,  with very costly results. I could list at least a half-dozen examples, but I did not need to. Mohn knows what they are and so do the taxpayers. The sports complex should not and cannot become another one of these casualties. 

This complex needs to be an economic driver. So, whatever monies the City has to come up with to assure its success should be considered a solid and vetted economic development opportunity. And, as such, it should be a rock-solid investment. I implored Ted to use his time, talent and influence to get the Council to shed the politics and do the type of due diligence that will net us a sound and responsible decision.

I challenged him to query the Council members and the folks he sent memos to about how many times they have visited Exit 49 on Cedar Creek Road in the last year. To Dine? To Shop? To patronize the hotels? I bet zero! 

While he is at it, I suggested he ask how many have ever participated in a travel sports program, and then find and interview people who have been active in traveling sports teams and ask them what they look for in community amenities when considering participating in a tournament or road trip. 

I promise you, we can do more for building Fayetteville’s economy and quality of life while enhancing our community’s brand and image by placing it out by Bragg Boulevard near the All American Freeway and I-295, close to Cross Creek Mall. Really. I’m a big believer in creating a “WOW!” factor when it comes to promotion and marketing – two things Fayetteville doesn’t do very well close to home.  If, when all is said and done, we have to invest another $4 million to make this location happen, you can rest assured the “WOW!” factor will be there already included and thriving, and at no additional cost to
the City.

Everyone is hoping City Council makes the right decision. I personally hope they take the opportunity to finally prove me wrong when I say: “Fayetteville never misses an opportunity, to miss an opportunity.” 

Everyone wants this project to be successful, right?  This being the case, why even risk the chance of a failure by choosing an unproven location? Fayetteville’s leadership should hedge its bet by placing the sports complex near I-295 and Cross Creek Mall. This sound location would justify and protect the taxpayers’ and the City’s investments. After all, when it comes to the Reilly Road location or the location at Exit 49 on Cedar Creek Road, the idea of “Build it and they will come” just hasn’t happened. At least not in the last two decades. Again, why risk the taxpayers’ money? 

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

“The word ‘conductor,’ in my opinion, has more than one meaning. There’s ‘conductor’ like the person who waves the stick around, and then there’s ‘conductor’ as in the element that conducts the energy like a copper wire. You are conducting the energy of the music into these people that you’re standing in front of, and then that transmits to the audience.” 

The man who said this has been in love with music since he was 3 years old and the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra just revealed him to be its new music director and conductor. His name is Stefan Sanders. 

Sanders said he remembers going to a concert when he was a teen and sitting very close to the stage. He said seeing the energy emanate from the conductor to the musicians onstage was “absolutely mesmerizing to watch. I knew right then and there ‘This is what I want to do with my life’ … it just took my breath away.’”

Today, as a successful conductor and thriving artist, Sanders said his approach stems from that same idea about emanation he initially fell in love with. “There’s a term in music called ‘pulse.’ And that is usually referred to as the time, rhythm or beat of the music. But I think … the pulse of music is more like the pulse of a living thing, a heartbeat. There’s this inner pulse that all living things have... it’s a word used to describe the feeling (of something at its core).” 

He believes a conductor’s number one job is to take the time to understand the pulse, or living heartbeat, of a piece of music, and to emanate that understanding to the musicians. His job is done, he said, when an orchestra can feel the music’s pulse without him so that for the performance he can simply be the facilitator. 

And music isn’t the only thing that has a pulse. Cities do too, Sanders said – and he liked Fayetteville’s. Sanders spent a week in Fayetteville last November when he came as one of five auditioning guest conductors selected by an FSO search committee. “After a couple of days in Fayetteville, I knew that if they would offer me the position, I would heartily accept,” he said. “I was completely charmed by Fayetteville. One thing that surprised me was the amount of international representation … Every single person I met was an absolute delight.... I know I’m going to a community of like-minded people and people that respect and treat one another with dignity and kindness.” 

Sanders said he wants to build the identity of the orchestra within the community as an essential, vibrant point of human connection and help continue FSO’s upward trajectory of musical excellence. “When the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra was putting together (the contract), they were very wise in stipulating they wanted a 12-week commitment. This is more weeks than there are actual performances... They (wanted to ensure) they would have access and availability of their music director to make an impact on their community beyond just conducting concerts. That is one of the things I really relish for this for the coming season and our future,” he said. 

Sanders said he wants to combat the idea that orchestras are “high-brow” or only enjoyable to certain types of people. “Good music was … written by a human being that had the same experiences and feelings about life that every other person has about life. It just so happens they were living and working in a time where this was their medium for expression,” he said. He said he wants to provide a context where everyone feels welcome to come to an FSO concert and where people are willing to sacrifice some of their time and resources to do so because they can see the value it will add to
their lives. 

“(Art) is how we know for a fact … that we all share … this sense of community, whether it’s Fayetteville, North Carolina, the U.S., North America or the globe,” said Sanders. “We are not alone, and culture and art are how we express these feelings we all feel no matter where we’re from. This consumes my mind and my vision for what I do. I’m constantly thinking about how I can share this with as many people as I possibly can because that’s really what conducting is all about.”

The 2017-18 FSO season, led by Sanders, begins this October. Tickets will be available starting in May. Learn more about FSO’s values and mission at www.fayettevillesymphony.org. 

Jayla Speaks

Seventy-First • Softball • Junior

Speaks maintains a 3.625 grade point average while competing for the Falcon softball team. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meghan Leach

Jack Britt • Swimming/lacrosse • Junior

Leach has a 4.9 grade point average while representing Jack Britt in swimming during the winter and lacrosse in the spring.

The rebound at South View continued last season during Rodney Brewington’s second season as the Tigers’ head football coach. South View topped the .500 mark with a 7-5 record and earned the Mid-South 4-A Conference’s third qualifying berth in the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs.

But the 2017 Tigers, as well as all of the Cumberland County schools, face new challenges. Realignment puts South View in the new Patriot 4-A/3-A Conference that mixes members of the old Mid-South and the defunct Cape Fear Valley 3-A.

Overhills, Pine Forest and South View will be the lone 4-A schools in a league that will include Cape Fear, Douglas Byrd, E.E. Smith, Gray’s Creek, Terry Sanford and Westover. Cape Fear and Smith will be newcomers to the 3-A ranks next season.

“We’ve been stressing to our kids we’ve got to work as hard as any team in the conference,’’ Brewington said. “The standard is high and we want to find our place in it.’’

Coaches had two choices this year on how to handle the spring workout session. 

Brewington opted for the one that let him meet with up to 21 players per day and hold practice in April.

“Doing the 21 players allows us to get new kids that we feel can impact our program hands-on training,’’ he said. “Really it’s just understanding the plays and the formations.’’

At the end of the workouts, Brewington wants his players to know all their offensive formations, base plays and check-offs. On defense, he wants them to know the base defense and how to react to the different formations they’ll see this season.

Jaquan Span, who will be a senior linebacker and running back this fall, said the team is focusing on unity this spring, along with staying on top of work in the classroom.

“I don’t feel there’s a team we can’t beat unless we don’t feel like playing,’’ Span said as he looked to the season ahead. “I want to be able to earn my team’s respect and trust.

“We’ve got to trust ourselves first. If we trust ourselves, it will be able to work.’’

After one sub-.500 season in his first year back at his alma mater, Duran McLaurin has been the picture of consistency leading the Seventy-First football program.

Over the last three seasons, his Falcons haven’t finished lower than second place in the Mid-South 4-A Conference and have made it to the second round of the state playoffs two of the last three years.

But things are about to get real for the Falcons, as they say, as they join Cumberland County rival Jack Britt in moving to the revamped Sandhills Conference with traditional football powers Scotland and Richmond Senior and dramatically improved Pinecrest.

McLaurin respects the rich tradition of some of the members of the new league, but he is mindful of the fact that Seventy-First has won more football state titles than any other Cumberland County school, three, plus an Eastern 3-A title in the 1970s when no state championship was played for in that classification.

“Seventy-First has some tradition as well,’’ McLaurin said. “Pinecrest, Scotland and Richmond are all going to be big games for us just like everybody else. I hope our kids do what they do and stay focused.’’

McLaurin was glad to have the option this spring of working with 21 players per practice, starting in April. “We’re breaking in new receivers and getting a mesh in with some new things on offense,’’ he said. “I couldn’t wait until May. I wanted to get out here and see what it looks like.’’

McLaurin said he’s missing a few players who are playing spring sports, but the big thing this year is all of his assistant coaches are available for spring practice and not tied up coaching a spring sport. “We’re doing okay with the numbers,’’ he said.

Despite the tough competition expected in the Sandhills Conference, McLaurin said he still expects to finish in the top echelon of the league. “We can’t worry about what everyone else is doing,’’ he said.

Reggie Bryant, a wide receiver who will be a senior this fall, agrees with his coach.

“The guys are a little scared and nervous, but I think we should do good,’’ he said. “I like the competition.’’

Bryant feels confident because of the return of Falcon quarterback Kyler Davis, who threw for 1,716 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.

“He led the team well,’’ Bryant said. “If somebody messed up, he picked them up.’’

Bryant is hopeful that attitude will spread. “We’ve got to be confident in ourselves,’’ he said. “If we can be confident, I think we should do it.’’

I cannot decide which element of Ghost in the Shell(107 minutes) was the most problematic. Was it casting Scarlett Johansson as an Asian character? The wooden acting? The insipid dialogue? The retread plot? The ridiculous plot twists? The confusing character motivations? The fact that the script was written by at least six people, all with conflicting ideas about what was supposed to happen? Or that it was probably edited by a Bonobo chimpanzee that had been given a bottle of tequila, hit on the head and locked in a small room with editing software? Somebody call the ASPCA, because I am ready to beat this tired old dog of a movie to death.

I get the cyberpunk thing. Oppressive governments, big corporations, technological domination — I can’t say I was ever a huge fan of the genre, but I’ve read William Gibson’s Neuromancer and Animatrix was watchable. Heck, I might go put on Johnny Mnemonic after I finish writing this review. The main problem I have with most cyberpunk anime is that it tends to focus on the toys instead of the characters, and Ghost in the Shellwas no exception. I found the whole thing confusing. Maybe because I never saw the anime upon which it was based?

The movie is stupid, and I doubt the Venn diagram of which groups are into the movie is much more than a huge circle around the phrases “People who like anime” and “People who like Scarlett Johansson,” but, Spoiler Alert: I am about to give away plot points. If you are the automatic outlier who reads my reviews, plans to go see Ghost in the Shell, but has no idea about the plot, you should probably stop reading.

The plot revolves around the idea that a big corporation with vague ties to a governmental anti-terrorist group called Section 9 would find it cost-effective to kidnap runaways and experiment on them instead of signing up mercenaries, soldiers, police officers, or, holy hot garbage, any of the desperate people without access to quality tech who would gladly sign away their current crappy lives for the chance at becoming an actual, immortal superhero. Are the writers seriously trying to sell the audience on the idea that a corporation would foolishly risk exposure and PR nightmares and lawsuits by kidnapping someone they know nothing about, implanting false memories in their brains, inserting them into an all-powerful cybernetic shell, training them in all kinds of crazy spy skills, giving them a flipping invisibility suit and lending them out to a government security group? Did they not think to check hospitals for terminal patients? Did no one suggest recruiting from those wounded in the line of battle?

I know, I know. You’re thinking, the movie has no conflict if the corporation was completely chill about getting volunteers. I can write around that problem in about five minutes. Remember an awesome little flick called Source Code? The guy in the box was the only guy who could be in the box because only he could bend space, time and narrative logic — because he had a special brain. Insert a bit of throwaway dialogue into this script about how a specific kind of mind was required to contribute the “ghost” that would animate the “shell,” and my level of disgust is no longer sitting at 11. Otherwise? It’s me, throwing popcorn at the screen, screaming “Be less STUPID, you STUPIDHEAD.”

Well, at least I got some catharsis through writing this scathing review. I will give credit where credit is due and note that some of the visuals were not completely crappy. Those that are not hardcore ScarJo/anime fans should probably spend their time elsewhere. 

Now playing at Patriot 14 + IMAX.

Spring is here, and the days are getting longer, which means new rides, new adventures and new dangers. 

Occasionally, I like to find a class to refresh my mind and shake off any bad habits I may have developed. In the past few years, I have had a couple of incidents that made me think I was a little too close to wiping out. 

A few weeks ago, I attended MotoMark’s Stayin’ Safe course in Burlington. Mark Brown has been teaching motorcyclist classes for years and is well-known throughout the motorcycle community. He offers many classes, one of which is titled “Stayin’ Safe.” Today, Stayin’ Safe is owned and operated by Eric Trow. Trow is a highly-respected instructor in the motorcycle community. He is an author for Rider magazine and the recipient of the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) Outstanding Road Rider Award for his work in motorcycle safety. 

I was not sure what to expect when I arrived at class. One by one, bikes came pulling up. We were introduced to Mark and Eric. Then in came NASCAR’s Kyle Petty and his wife, Morgan. 

After some introductions and paperwork, eight of us students headed to our bikes. Each rider (and passenger), was given a radio to hear the instructors. We lined up one by one, and we started doing a series of maneuvers. After a few minutes, we hit the road. 

We were split into two groups; Mark took one group and Eric the other. In my group was Kyle on a Harley, a rider on a BMW and a rider on a trike. As soon as we twisted the throttle, Mark started mentoring us on safety, stability and sight. He pointed out things like road intersections, cars moving in and out of view and how to read the road. 

We pulled into a parking lot for a discussion. Mark and Eric used chalk, toy cars and motorcycles to show which part of the lane is best to position yourself in for protection on the road. He also taught us about late entry in a curve and vanishing points. 

As the day progressed, so did our speed and the curves we took. We switched instructors and took turns leading the group. After a 100 miles or so, we pulled back to MotoMark’s headquarters.  

At the end of class, Mark asked us what we thought about the day. It was interesting that Kyle Petty, who leads the Kyle Petty Charity Ride across the country, said the class was good for him and he learned a lot. He also mentioned it was good for him to learn that a trike has different dynamics than a two-wheeled motorcycle. 

The Kyle Petty Charity Ride raises money for the Victory Junction camp here in North Carolina. At Victory Junction, staff members help children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses be able to just be children. 

As I pulled away, I was happy about two things. I could say that I had Kyle Petty in my rearview mirror, and I was happy about what I had learned. Mark and his staff are truly dedicated professionals who care about the riders and the sport. Since the class, I have felt both smoother and steadier in my riding abilities, which means I feel safer.  If you want to find out more about MotoMark’s classes, check out www.motomark1.com.

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

Fayetteville Technical Community College has formed a new Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. A partnership with Bunker Labs RDU and EntreDot, the CIE will share space with the FTCC Small Business Center. It will function as an instructional and co-working hub for entrepreneurs participating in CIE and SBC programs. 

The CIE will provide business startup and growth strategy services to active duty military members in transition, veterans, spouses, students and the general public using EntreDot’s proven Six Steps to Success process. The focus will be on early stage Main Street businesses, bringing business startup process strategies and trade education together. The FTCC CIE classes will combine class meetings, internet instruction and one-on-one mentoring.

Over 450 entrepreneurs have gone through this program in the Triangle. Clients range from ages 25 to 65, and about 70 percent are women. One entrepreneur remarked that “we could not find a structured program with a strong mentoring component that focused on my kind of business — a Main Street business. If you want to start an accounting firm or a physical therapy practice or a restaurant or make a new consumer product, there is no one who specializes in this space except EntreDot. EntreDot cares if you are starting a dry cleaner or a trucking company. Most other incubators don’t want to waste their time on these kinds of companies even though they create 65 percent of the new jobs in the country each year.”

Entrepreneurs always have ideas in their heads. Step one, Ideation, creates the opportunity to analyze which idea should be worked on first and which should be placed on the shelf for now. Six Steps to Success is a lean innovation process, designed to save time and money by asking the right questions at the right time and providing connections to the right resources to fill in the gaps. This process cuts the time needed to get to commercialization in half.

For some clients, they may have been in business for two to five years, but the business is more of a hobby than a serious enterprise. This situation is often a result of the client having a good day job or family obligations and not having time to work on the business full-time. Changes may occur, causing the client to find themselves in a position to want the business to be the primary activity and source of income. 

When this occurs, clients need a “reboot,” and Six Steps to Success is the perfect process to do that. For many clients, the program helped them focus on the right market segments, evaluate earnings potential and build a business with an exit value. Even clients with a mature business should begin with Step One Ideation to review what has been learned and evaluate what needs to be adjusted to be successful.

The FTCC CIE ribbon-cutting was held April 6 at the General Classroom Building at FTCC’s Fayetteville campus. The first 10-week Six Steps to Success class began April 10. Registration is through Corporate & Continuing Education at www.faytechcc.edu. For more information, call (919) 522-0722, or email innovationcenter@faytechcc.edu.

Active Artist Area 

 On April 29 and 30 there will be an area on Person Street totally dedicated to live demonstrations by local artists. It is called the Active Artist Area and will be manned from noon until 6 p.m. Artists will demonstrate skills like throwing pottery, raku, blowing glass and acrobatics. Raku is a traditional Japanese method of glazing pottery. It usually involves coating pottery in lead-based glazes and then baking the product in a kiln. However, many modern potters have
altered the process. 

 One featured artist who will be demonstrating is Greg Hathaway. Hathaway is a well-known local artist and owns a business downtown called Gregs! The shop, located at 122 Maxwell St., is a fun place to purchase fine art, pottery and gifts. Much of the work sold in the shop is Hathaway’s work. He is a talented artist and is particularly well-known for his watercolors and pottery. He will be demonstrating his incredible skills for anyone and everyone interested in learning. 

 Another featured group of artists is Air Born Aerial Arts. The group is a circus-style performance troupe based in Fayetteville. The troupe trains in a variety of genres, but each one requires an amazing amount of strength, skill and balance from all of the artists. They train with aerial silks, which are long strands of fabric that hang from the ceiling that artists manipulate. They also train with hammocks that are continuous loops of fabric. The static trapeze is a bar suspended from the ceiling by two ropes, and the Lyra is a hoop suspended from the ceiling. Each of these genres requires a unique set of skills and facilitates different styles of performing. The artists will show their hard-earned skills with unique and daring demonstrations. 

Every artist at the Dogwood Festival has put countless hours into developing his or her skills. The result of most art is visually striking, but the process can be just as beautiful. The Active Artist Area on Person Street gives the community the opportunity to take a peek into the artists’ workshops. Watching and learning about all the time and work that goes into creating a beautiful bowl or perfecting a flip makes the final product all the more valuable. The Dogwood Festival is about appreciating what the community has to offer and Fayetteville has incredible artists. 

Anchored Attraction Area 

The Anchored Attraction Area is an exciting addition to the Dogwood Festival. It is a new performance area on Gillespie Street near the Market House. It will feature three different family-friendly shows. These three shows are interactive. This area will only be open on April 29 from 12 p.m. until 7 p.m. Each show is an hour long and will be performed twice on April 29. 

The first show is Juggling and Bubbling Fun, with the first showing from 1-2 p.m. and the second showing 4-5 p.m. This show features Steve Langly, who is affectionately known as the “Bubble Guy.” He is a professional entertainer, juggler and bubbleologist. He has been on the Tonight Show and Comedy Central and is the proud holder of many Guinness World Records. Langly uses his incredible juggling and bubble-making skills to engage families with comedy and fun. His shows are full of mind-blowing tricks that
are not only fun, but also educational. 

Shadow Players Combat Pirate Show takes the stage first from 3-4 p.m. and then 6-7 p.m. This stage combat group brings pirates back to life. The light-hearted show takes audience members into the past and a world of swordplay, whip work, comedy and pirate song. Since the pirates are trained in stage combat, their brave and daring antics are actually quite safe. They use their talents to make the audience members’ experience on the high seas a family-friendly and hilarious adventure. It’s a great opportunity to learn about The Golden Age of Pirates.

The Rock ‘N’ Rope Warrior will take place from 3-4 p.m. and 6-7 p.m. The performance features David Fisher, who has made appearances on The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America and America’s Got Talent. 

On these shows Fisher demonstrates his intense and interactive jump rope show. He has been performing this show all over the world for 23 years. Jump rope may not sound that exciting at first, but Fisher holds three world records for it. He is even recognized by Ripley’s Believe It or Not as The World’s Best Rope Jumper. 

LaFayette Ford Lincoln Car Show 

April 30 at 4 p.m. the roads of Downtown Fayetteville will be overrun with unique vintage vehicles for the Lafayette Ford Lincoln Car Show. Anyone with antique cars and trucks, custom vehicles, sports cars, imported cars and hot rods is encouraged to come and share their beautiful vehicles with the community. The only requirement is that all entries must be registered and titled 1996 or earlier. The first 75 entries will receive commemorative dash plaques.

 Beginning at 12 p.m., experts will judge each car to decide on the winners for 38 awards. Trophies will go to best in show, sponsor’s choice; mayor’s choice; chairman’s choice; judge’s best import; judge’s best truck; judge’s best convertible; judge’s most unusual; people’s choice top ten; and judge’s top 20. It’s a fantastic opportunity for vehicle owners to compete for some trophies, show off their fun cars and share their passion with others
in the community. 

You don’t have to own a vehicle to enjoy the car show. This is also an opportunity to chat with the people who own them instead of trying to point them out to friends at a stop light. Everyone is invited to come and see all of the incredible cars and to help the judges decide on the people’s choice top 10 award. This is a family-friendly event and a unique way to appreciate American and international history. 

The car show takes place from 12-6 p.m., with registration at 10 a.m. All proceeds benefit the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival. The entrance for participants is at the intersection of Gillespie Street and Russell Street. There is expected to be a line of cars from the Market House to Franklin Street. Overflow will be from Otis F. Jones Parkway to the parking lot entrance. For more information, visit www.faydogwoodfestival.com or call 323-1934. 

Fayetteville Duck Derby 

The Fayetteville Duck Derby takes place in Festival Park on April 30 from 3-4 p.m. Community members are invited to adopt a rubber duck for $10. Each duck will be tagged with a registration number after adoption. Then, over 5,000 ducks will be released into the Cross Creek. 

As the ducks are put into the creek, the race begins. The first seven ducks and the last duck to cross the finish line will receive prizes. First place wins a deluxe edition camper from Camping World. Second place wins a yearlong shopping spree at Food Lion; third place gets the same at Super Compare Foods. Fourth place brings $500 home in cold, hard cash. Fifth place wins a set of tires from Ed’s Tire & Auto Service, a $500 value. Sixth place gets a large flat-screen TV from Wal-Mart. And the owner of the seventh duck to cross the finish line gets a one-year gym membership at Renaissance Day Spa. The owner of the last duck to make it to the finish line will get a jar of molasses and a camping tent. 

Ducks can be adopted online, in the mail, at a Fayetteville Duck Derby booth or at a sponsoring business. To adopt a duck online, visit http://www.duckrace.com/fayettevilleduckderby. Participants must be 18 years old to adopt a duck. While it is delightful to watch the cute little rubber ducks float down a creek, participants do not need to be present to win. Tag numbers are randomly assigned by a computer, but participants can adopt
multiple ducks. 

Proceeds from the Duck Derby benefit 20 local nonprofit organizations and the schools in Cumberland County. There are also fundraising teams created by organizations like the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, the Child Advocacy Center, Falcon Children’s Home, Fayetteville Running Club, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Fayetteville Urban Ministry, to name a few. Participants have the opportunity to adopt ducks specifically for these fundraising organizations, and have control over where their donations go. Organizers are also accepting more teams with fundraising goals. Community members are also invited to participate by volunteering. It can take a lot of work to make sure that every duck is ready for the big race. 

In addition to watching the ducks race down the creek, this family-friendly event will feature live entertainment, a kid’s zone, food and vendors selling merchandise in Festival Park.
While the race itself is relatively short and dramatic, the festivities are intended to create a relaxing and fun event for the community in the gorgeous surroundings of Festival Park. 

KidStuff

The Partnership for Children presents the eternally popular KidStuff. It’s located in the Festival Park footprint and is filled with free child-friendly games and activities. “We host KidStuff every year because we believe children learn best through play, especially when this time is shared with significant adults in their lives. We welcome the opportunity to educate parents on available community resources while discovering what they view as their top-priority family needs. We are deeply appreciative to our sponsors and community partners whose generosity allows us to provide fun, age appropriate activities for our smallest attendees.” said Mary Sonnenberg, PFC President. 

KidStuff includes several zones designed to make it a fun experience for children and parents alike. The infant/toddler zone is a space for little ones to break out of the confines of their strollers and backpacks and enjoy moving around.

The pre-K zone features learning centers to engage preschoolers with hands-on experiences.

The PNC Grow Up Great Mobile Learning Adventure is an exhibit that transforms preschoolers into pint-sized ballerinas, astronauts and veterinarians and their parents into early childhood educators.

 From bounce houses to bubbles, blocks, riding toys, face-painting and more, children and their grown-ups will find something fun to do at KidStuff. The entire space is built around the fact that children develop critical skills through play. When children are given quality early childhood experiences, they will be ready to learn upon entering school, require less remediation, are more likely to graduate from high school, and will grow into productive citizens and valuable employees.

Fayetteville-Cumberland Crimestoppers Barbecue

A sanctioned Dogwood Festival Event, the Fayetteville-Cumberland Crimestoppers Barbecue takes place on Raeford Road at Highland Centre. Crimestoppers sells delicious plates of barbecue for $7 per plate and uses the money to offer rewards to anyone wishing to report anonymous information regarding any crime. 

Since its inception, the Crimestoppers program has played a part in more than 4,000 arrests and 5,300 felony charges. It has helped recover more than $4,875,000 in property and $1,893,000 in narcotics. Crimestoppers has issued more than $316,000 in rewards and helped solve 2,477 cases, 67 of which were homicides. Call (910) 483-8477 to report any information regarding a crime and remain anonymous!

The barbecue runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.,
Friday, April 28.

Shriner Fish Fry

A sanctioned Dogwood Festival events, the Hope Mills Shriner Fish Fry is set to run from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, April 28. It takes place at the Hope Mills Shrine Club at 4461 Cameron Road. Plates cost $8 each. Guests are invited to eat-in or take plates home with them. Proceeds from this event benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children. 

Shriners Hospitals for Children provides specialized care to children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate regardless of the families’ ability to pay. All care and services are provided in a family-centered environment. Call (910) 224-5264 for more information.

A Garden Party

Ladies: It’s time to dust off your “southern belle” hats! Gentlemen: Pull out your seersucker suits. Dress in your best summer chic attire and join the Boys & Girls Club of Cumberland County for A Garden Party.

On May 5, A Garden Party, a Fayetteville Dogwood sanctioned event, takes place from 4-7:30 p.m. at Festival Park. This grand Southern tradition features dancing, entertainment, good food and friends. 

Proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Cumberland County, Inc. 

Boys & Girls Club of America started in 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut. The founders believed boys who roamed the streets needed a positive alternative. The program grew from that premise and to date has helped thousands of children. Local Boys & Girls Club programs include academic enrichment, daily after school care, grant
programs and more.

Tickets to A Garden Party are $50 per person and are available online in two locations: You can visit www.ccbgc.org or go to Eventbrite and search “The Boys & Girls Clubs of Cumberland County 8th Annual Garden Party.”

Save Our Stage Fundraiser

On May 5, from noon to 6 p.m., join the fun at the Save Our Stage Fundraiser at Campbellton Landing. Activities include live music, bounce houses, local vendors and a petting zoo. This event is a fundraiser to save the Sol Rose Amphitheater. The Sol Rose Amphitheater at Campbellton Landing provides an outdoor venue along the Cape Fear River for any manner of musical, theatrical and sporting events.

This stage has been at the center of many community events over the years. It has had bands, orchestras, actors and sportsmen across the planks. 

Hurricane Matthew submerged the stage, and the floodwaters pushed and pulled at the timbers that make up the tiers in the theater. Many of these timbers need to be replaced. The stage itself needs some work, and there are still fallen trees and tons of mud to dispose of. The purpose of this event is to raise funds to cover the reconditioning of the amphitheater and stage so scheduled community events can take place here this season as planned.

Learn more about the Dogwood Festival and its many activities at www.faydogwoodfestival.com.

The Heritage Square Historical Society invites the public to enjoy the third annual Wine, Brews & Silent Auction Thursday, May 4, from 6-9 p.m. 

HSHS President Elaine Kennebeck said this year’s silent auction is bursting with steals, in part because it was originally scheduled for last October but was delayed due to Hurricane Matthew. With the extra months, extra items have continued to accumulate, totaling over 250 pieces, according to Kennebeck. 

And the items are not yard sale fare. A 50-inch Smart TV will be up for nabbing. There will also be a huge assortment of gift certificates from Fayetteville’s finest restaurants and entertainment venues, from Bonefish Grill to Roland’s Dance Studio, along with specialty wine and pet-themed gift baskets. Rounding out the huge collection are all kinds of original artwork, vintage and new jewelry, antiques and furniture, chinaware, lamps, quilts and pillows. 

The HSHS usually starts bidding at about 40 percent of the value of an item. So, for a $400 item, the bidding would start at around $150 —and Kennebeck said she’s never seen anything at their auctions sell for more than the actual value. More likely, she said, is that a buyer could get the item for the starting price or very close to it, due to there being so many items in this sale. 

Kennebeck said one of the most perennially enjoyable aspects of the evening is the food and drinks. Large tents are set up and attendees enjoy unlimited food and drink as they participate in the auction. 

The $40 ticket required for admittance covers unlimited top-shelf wine, assorted brews and ales, and food catered from Fayetteville’s finest dining establishments. Gourmet desserts will be provided by The Sweet Palette, New Deli and more, including an array of homemade desserts. 

Live music provided first by a Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra quartet and later by Paul Saunders Jazz Group will add to the festive atmosphere.

All proceeds from this event will be used to help maintain and preserve Historical Heritage Square, which is Fayetteville’s largest historical property. Two of the three buildings on this property, the Sandford House (dating back to 1797) and the Oval Ballroom (1808), are open to the public for their enjoyment and education. 

Kennebeck said one of the Society’s current goals is to put an education center in the Sandford House. “There are so few historical properties left in this city … it’s important for our school children,” she said. “Our goal is to take things out of the archives and have them framed so school children can come and have a tour of the grounds and see how people lived back then.” 

Bidding stops around 8:15 p.m., and the event technically ends at 9 p.m., “but really there’s no deadline … typically it’s way after 9 p.m. that anyone leaves,” said Kennebeck. “People just stay, and it’s great. Come and have a good time!” 

The Wine, Brews & Silent Auction will be held at Heritage Square, 225 Dick St, May 4 from 6-9 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, call
(910) 483-6009. 

Spring has arrived with cool evenings and warm afternoons. People all over Cumberland County are taking to the outdoors to enjoy the fresh air and warm weather. For many area residents, enjoying an afternoon outside poses little threat to their health —but for others, an afternoon in poor air quality can cause respiratory distress. 

The Environmental Protection Agency provides a useful website for daily air quality conditions. In addition to a website there is a mobile phone application. The app sends notifications directly to your phone letting you know what the quality of the air will be for the day. The Airnow app and Airnow.gov use a color-coded system. Green means the air quality is good for everyone. Yellow means moderate or that specific sensitive groups may be affected. Orange means those with respiratory illnesses like lung diseases or asthma should stay inside. Red means the air is unhealthy and everyone is at risk of health problems from poor air quality. Finally, purple means the air is very unhealthy. 

Recently, some Cumberland County Schools have adopted the Air Quality Flag Program.
The Air Quality Flag Program is designed to communicate air quality conditions and appropriate activities to students and teachers. The program uses the same color-coded system as Airnow.gov. Students and staff at schools check Airnow.gov each day and a corresponding color pennant is raised on the school flag pole. 

This program is not limited to just schools. The program can be adopted by businesses, local governments, libraries, fire departments and others. The EPA is hosting the annual Air Quality Flag Challenge, where schools, government offices, fire departments, libraries and other entities can sign up. Qualifying organizations may also receive a free set of flags. Organizations interested in the program are encouraged to contact Denise Bruce, Cumberland County Air Quality Coordinator, by emailing
greenaction@sustainablesandhills.org before May 31.