President Trump and I do not agree on much, but he was spot-on in his address to Congress last week, asserting openly that we are a nation divided. We are now red and blue, with only a tad of purple. Increasingly, we draw our lines in the sand and few of us step over “our” line. We all wave the flag, then take it home and lock our doors and our minds.

The president is hardly alone in his assessment. Both talking heads and everyday Americans recognize that we have less and less in common with each other. We watch programs and read publications that reflect our worldviews right back to us. We gravitate toward and spend time with people who think the way we do and avoid those who do not.

Everyone else becomes “the other.”

Many factors contribute to our great divide. The roughly 325 million of us who call the United States home are more diverse than ever before, representing all races, ethnicities, religions and life experiences. Those of us in cities live differently than those of us in rural areas. Some of us are highly educated. Some of us are not. More distinct than any other factors, though, may be that we have so many choices that they isolate us. As we opt for choices that appeal to us, we are making it less likely that we will share common experiences with our fellow Americans.

We are losing our “glue.”

Public education has been a common denominator for Americans for almost two centuries. Most of us, wherever we live and whatever our family background, have attended public school. Our national mythology is replete with tales of the public school teacher who changed our lives, the terrors of middle school and high school and the pride of graduation. 

Our public school glue, however, is drying up and crumbling. Increasingly, families are choosing other options  — independent schools, faith-based schools, charters, homeschooling. All of these are needed options in some cases, though they have issues just as public schools do. In addition, legislatures across the nation, including the North Carolina General Assembly, have slashed public school funding to the point that schools are recruiting international teachers because American students are choosing careers that provide them a professional income.

Our religious glue is evaporating as well. While many Americans practice our faiths regularly and devoutly and think of our nation as faith-based, the reality is that the United States, like most of Western Europe, is increasingly secular. The Pew Research Center reported in 2015 that almost a quarter of Americans identify with no religion at all. The decline is in part because of millennials, what the survey calls “the least religious generation in American history,” but the decline includes Baby Boomers as well.

For most of the 20th century, the United States maintained the military draft system, which was abolished after the widely unpopular and painful Vietnam conflict. That said, mandatory military service had its issues, but it also provided a common bond for Americans of all backgrounds. My father was a World War II veteran, who remained in contact with his fellow 30th Division comrades all his life. Most of them he would never have known without their common Army service. While we do not necessary feel this in our unique military community, the number of active duty military personnel today is 1.4 million men and women. They make up only 0.04 percent of all Americans. Many Americans do not know a single person who has served in our nation’s military. I have long believed and have written in support of national service for all young Americans. Military service is not appropriate for everyone, but all able young Americans could and should give a year of their lives to our nation in some form of service.

Only a Pollyanna would argue that these national institutions are without troubles. It is also true that for most of our existence as the United States, they have provided common experiences that bind us as a nation. They, among other institutions, have been our glue. America would not have become great without them.

In this era of division — of Americans spinning in  myriad not always intersecting directions, I believe that public education at all levels, religious faith whatever form it takes, and national service continue to have roles in binding us as a country. Surely, there are other, newer “glues” as well.

Now, in this time of red-hot division, we must seek our common bonds, our glue. If we cannot — or do not, I fear that poet W. E. Yeats will be right…“the centre cannot hold.”

No doubt about it! The inaugural Dr. Seuss Parade and Family Fun Day, which celebrated Read Across America and was held Saturday in Spring Lake, was a huge success. Tad Davis, Spring Lake’s town manager, was glowing with pride at the way the Spring Lake community turned out to support this significant reading and educational awareness celebration. Davis agreed that the organizing of the “first anything” is always a challenge, but, once the commitment was made and the foundation was laid, everyone was on board for making it a success and growing it year after year.  

My personal “cat in the hat” is off to Kristy Sykes, owner of Kameo Events, who took the initiative to create and coordinate the Dr. Seuss Parade and Family Fun Day and the Dr. Seuss Dinner and a Book Birthday party that was held Thursday before the parade. She worked closely with Davis and Spring Lake Parks & Rec Manager Sam Jones with an end result that shows much future potential. One of Saturday’s highlights for me was meeting North Carolina’s first lady, Kristin Cooper, who served as the parade’s grand marshal. An avid supporter of teachers, literacy and education, her warm, enthusiastic and congenial personality fit perfectly into the excitement of the Dr. Seuss celebration. I was impressed. 

For her to give up her Saturday to come to a Cumberland County municipality to bring attention to this worthy cause speaks volumes of her and Gov. Roy Cooper’s commitment to teachers, children and North Carolina education.  Even though she was welcomed graciously by Town Manager Tad Davis, Spring Lake Mayor Chris Rey, State Representative Marvin Lucas and Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Dr. Frank Till Jr. However, I was surprised and disappointed that more Fayetteville city and county elected officials and community business leaders were not on hand to meet Ms. Cooper and welcome her to Cumberland County. Especially those involved with the Cumberland County Democratic Party. Another glaring absence was that of the Cumberland County Association of Educators. It was rumored they were hosting another reading-related event in Fayetteville but attempts to find out the where and when were unsuccessful. In any case, they missed a perfect opportunity to showcase their organization and the community. So did the Spring Lake Chamber of Commerce, whose absence was conspicuous during both the parade and the Family Fun Day. 

Local community events of this nature are, in most cases, sponsored and supported by the local Chamber of Commerce and affiliated businesses and organizations.  Well, thankfully, many Spring Lake businesses did step up to participate. The newly reopened Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union led the way as the events title sponsor. Bill Drewry, Bragg Mutual’s marketing and development manager, was very pleased with the first-year outcome and turnout of over 3,000 attendees. “This is a very special event for us,”  he said. “And we are very excited about the first-year participation. This event was perfect for us because our credit union serves both Spring Lake businesses and families. The Town of Spring Lake has done a superb job supporting us here at the Credit Union and in making sure the Dr. Seuss Parade and Family Fun Day was a fun, exciting and successful family event. We’ll be back next year!”  

But how do you measure the success of a first-time event like this? Do you consider the number of people attending? The number of marching bands or parade floats? How many cartoon character mascots are running around doing silly things? Or maybe the number of food trucks willing to set up in the parking lot? My point is that no doubt some people may have shown up Saturday morning with expectations and in anticipation of seeing something spectacular like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. And, I’m also sure some folks showed up not even aware of the Read Across America initiative or knowing what the Dr. Seuss connection to reading and education is all about. And I’m sure they were disappointed. To this, I say, “Too bad, so sad!” 

Here is the reality of it: You measure the success of an event like this by the faces, smiles and laughter of the children themselves. This event was not conceived or designed to appease, please or impress adults. It is a program for children. Organizers wanted to showcase the community. They wanted children to have fun, read more, study more, be more loving and sensitive toward others, do good deeds and practice good character traits. Those who have the unappreciative audacity to be critical of the parade size or the number of participating costumed characters or parade floats just “don’t get it!” Period. 

Again, Congratulations, Spring Lake. You did it!  Kristy Sykes, you da girl! Nice work on the event and a very, very special thank you for bringing North Carolina’s first lady, Kristin Cooper to our community. What an honor. So, like Bill Drewry said, “We’ll be back next year.”

Thank you for reading our community newspaper.

I intercepted a memo dispatched by the National Association of Counties to all their members nationwide announcing a new and exciting contract they just negotiated with online services giant Amazon Business. The memo was received here in Cumberland County, and that is why the topic really hit home with me. Actually, it almost took my breath away. The tone of the memo was almost giddy in declaring that NACo members (including our Cumberland County officials) could now do business online and make purchases at great discounts through the Amazon Business network.

Yes. Now local county purchasing agents don’t have to worry about those pesky local businesses in their prospective counties. You know, the people who invested their life savings in “brick and mortar” businesses, the ones who contribute to local charities, cultural venues and political campaigns, who pay county taxes and employ local residents. Yes, those businesses. I may be a little hyper-sensitive about the issue since I am a small privately-owned business, and I have always emphatically endorsed and promoted locally-owed businesses. Shopping local is vitally important now more than ever. After all, here in Fayetteville we just approved a $35 million dollar Parks & Rec bond, and funded a $33 million dollar baseball stadium. and we have just launched one of the most significant movements in decades, Vision 2026. Vision 2026 specifically to encourage local participation and leadership to grow our economic base, attract business and industry and enhance our amenities, creating a better community and quality of life. All of this takes money. Where does the money come from? Taxes. So it is ludicrous and somewhat hypocritical for any government or local agency, including the Chamber of Commerce, to be doing business outside our community when similar and comparable goods and services are available here within our county borders.

Again, many “talk the talk” about wanting to support local businesses and building the economy in our community. But it is mostly talk. Sure, chain stores like Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe’s and Office Max have a local presence in the community and provide jobs and pay taxes. But are they members of the Chamber of Commerce? Do they use local banks, local attorneys or local accountants? Do they support little league baseball, belong to a Kiwanis Club or ever buy Fayetteville Symphony tickets? The answer is emphatically, no.

In the long run, I doubt if the savings in dollars is all that great. But, here is something I do know: the city, county and Chamber of Commerce should be aware of this sensitivity. We ask much of our citizens, and those who own businesses only ask that they be given fair consideration. Most of the angst and frustration does not come from them not getting the business from these agencies. It comes from not even being an option. Local businesses should always have an advantage over out of county agencies. If there are agencies or businesses in Fayetteville and Cumberland County providing goods and services that are needed locally then they should be acquired locally. We live in a very generous community. The value of saving nickels and dimes vanishes quickly when losing quarters and dollars. Not supporting local business has oh-so many unintended consequences, yet, so many advantages and proven benefits.
Online shopping is not going away. All a private business can ask is that before each click of the mouse you ask yourself this: What is this company doing for my family, my community and my quality of life?

Thanks for listening to my rant and for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Our Mission is to be an advocate for economic development and quality of life by engaging our business leaders in influencing local public policy issues. We will provide a respected business voice to which government, policy, and media leaders turn for reliable, non-partisan policy guidance.

And so it begins: A sizeable group of Fayetteville business, professional and civic leaders have come together to tackle a decades-old problem in our community. Some see the issue as lack of unified direction. Others see the problem as community divisiveness and resistance to change. John McCauley, president of Vision 2026, defines the issue as all the above. At a kick-off social gathering last week to officially launch the Vision 2026 initiative, McCauley challenged nearly 200 local community movers and shakers in attendance to join the movement. “We’ve been resistant to change and it’s costing us jobs. We’ve allowed too many forces to divide us,” he added. McCauley is a local businessman and president of Fayetteville’s Highland Paving Company.

Vision 2026 was founded by Developer Ralph Huff, owner with his wife Linda of H&H Homes of Fayetteville. He is also an owner/partner in Coldwell Banker Advantage, one of the largest real estate brokerage firms in the region. Huff, a native of Hoke County, is a 1972 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in business administration. He was recently inducted to the Fayetteville Public Works Commission board of directors. In 2010, Huff co-chaired the Linda Lee Allan Legacy Fund on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce and raised $2 million for economic development in our community. His commitment to the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community has been unwavering and his generous contributions have left an indelible legacy.

Mac Healy serves as Vice President of Vision 2026. He is the owner and Vice President of Healy Wholesale. Healy has been a driving force behind the North Carolina Civil War History Center proposed for Fayetteville. Fayetteville native Jason Poole is serving as treasurer of the organization. He is a CPA and partner in the Certified Public Accounting firm of Todd, Rivenbark and Puryear. These four noteworthy executives lead a founding board of directors that reads like a virtual Who’s Who of successful local organizations, businesses and institutions. Already, Vision 2026 has recruited over 150 members to this non-profit organization, and the momentum is growing. The timing is near perfect. The Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce is about to name a new president and CEO. They have recently increased their staff by hiring Patricia Gonzalez to head up membership development. In addition, Jack Rostetter, an executive with H&H Homes, has been named chairman of the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation and recently hired Robert Van Geons of Salisbury, North Carolina, to serve as the FCEDC’s executive director and industry hunter.

The overall objectives and mission of the Vision 2026 organizers and members is to rally the community as well as our city and county elected officials and move Fayetteville and Cumberland County forward into the 21st century. Huff, McCauley, Healy and Poole are devoting their time and energies toward economic development and making our community more attractive to business and industry with anticipation of providing the jobs, amenities and quality of life that will be attractive to young professionals. “We had become uncompetitive,” declared McCauley in his address to the crowd last week. Vision 2026 is unique. It is the first local economic development initiative to be launched exclusively by successful business and professional leaders. In addition to the 100 plus committee members, it was estimated that dozens of local and supportive community leaders along with several city, county and state elected public officials attended the launch party, said Huff. Not only is the mission of Vision 2026 to advocate for economic growth and improve the quality of life in Fayetteville, but also to engage business leaders in the process of influencing local public policy issues.

Early last year, Huff led a team that successfully promoted passage in the city of a $35 million dollar parks and recreation bond. This became the impetus for Vision 2026. Vision 2026 has identified five projects they believe will propel our community to the forefront of the state and position us to compete economically with other communities. Two of these projects are already well underway.

Baseball Stadium: The Vision 2026 executives predict as much as $100 million dollars in value added to downtown Fayetteville with construction of the $33 million baseball stadium and the renovation of the former Prince Charles Hotel. Residential, retail, eateries and professional offices are planned for the acreage around the baseball stadium in the general area bounded by the mainline railroad tracks, Hay Street and Ray Avenue. An apartment building and parking deck are included. The final plans are still under development between the city and the developing contractor, Prince Charles Holdings. The stadium itself is being modeled after a larger but very similar ballpark in Columbia, SC and will seat an estimated 4,500 fans.

The North Carolina Civil War History Center is proposed for the grounds of the Fayetteville Arsenal. Private pleges of $7 million have been committed and both the City and County governments have pledged $7.5 million dollars each, pending the state legislature provides $30 million. Once built, the history center would become a branch of the North Carolina Museum of History which would be responsible for its upkeep.

A multi-million dollar performing arts center is another proposed project. The PAC as envisioned by Huff would be located on Person Street near Eastern Boulevard although other potential sites are also under consideration. Vison 2026 will also advocate for County-wide water expansion. “Inferior water will not fuel economic expansion,” Huff said. The Fayetteville Public Works Commission, the local electric, water and sewer utility, recently lifted previous restrictions that limited extension of public water outside the Fayetteville city limits. PWC Executive Director David Trago and members of the board were on hand at the launch. Controlling storm water runoff is the fifth objective. However, Huff and many others agree that this may not be the time to promote what has become a political hot potato following Hurricane Matthew.

Huff and the Vision 2026 committee believe the movement will succeed in bringing the community together by utilizing local leadership as the catalyst for bringing local residents, the elected officials of the city, county and school board, the cultural arts community and the hospitality industry and others to all work together for the public good. In a recent newspaper article Huff wrote: “This new era of cooperation will help lead Fayetteville and Cumberland County into the forefront of progressive communities in our state.”

We believe this, and Vision 2026 believes this. Many of those leading this bold initiative have already made their fortunes and left their philanthropic mark on this community. Now, it’s time for us to get to work on behalf of our future generations. I heard someone say very emphatically “It’s now or never!” I prefer to think “It’s Now, forever.”

If you would like to know more about Vision 2026 or become an official member by joining the movement of the Vision 2026, go to www.vision2016.com. Up & Coming Weekly will keep you informed on its progress and on all related Vision 2026 events.

Rayvin Griffin

E.E. Smith
Basketball
Senior
Griffin averaged 14.3 points and 4.2 rebounds for the Mid-South 4-A Conference regular-season champion Golden Bulls. She shared the county lead in 3-point goals and was Most Valuable Player of the Cumberland County Holiday Classic. She ranks in the top ten in her class and has a grade point average of 4.30.

Trent Agee
Gray’s Creek
Football
Senior
Agee, the starting quarterback for the Bears last fall, threw for 740 yards and eight touchdowns. He carries a 4.50 grade point average.

Pine Forest High School’s baseball team is coming off back-to-back trips to the third round of the state 4-A playoffs.

With the loss of nine seniors from last year’s team, head coach Tom Willoughby isn’t predicting his Trojans will fare as well this season, but he’s sticking with a formula that seems to breed success for his program.

Willoughby has had his share of exceptional players, like infielder-pitcher Cobie Vance, who is in his second season playing for the University of Alabama.
Players like that certainly help, but Willoughby thinks the guys who aren’t going to play baseball after high school are just as crucial. “They are going to put the most into that opportunity,’’ Willoughby said. “You raise the team up from the bottom. If you get those guys to play better, the whole team gets better.
“Role players are a big factor.’’

As with Vance a couple of years ago, Willoughby has another budding star to build this year’s team around, shortstop-pitcher Isaiah Bennett. A gifted athlete, Bennett has been a standout in both baseball and soccer for the Trojans.

In January, Bennett flew to Arizona to take part in Major League Baseball’s Dream Series showcase, a special event to expose African-American pitchers and catchers to pro scouts and team staff for evaluation and instruction.

Bennett, a sophomore, has also made an early commitment to play at the University of North Carolina, but Willoughby doesn’t think all that exposure will go to Bennett’s head. “He loves playing the game and he’s going to go about his business,’’ Willoughby said. “He won’t feel the pressure to live up to expectations.’’
Bennett said he’s set a high bar for himself this season and wants to focus on being a team leader, showing his teammates the right way to do things. “I think I can perform at any level I put my mindset to,’’ he said.

One of the biggest challenges for Bennett, and the rest of the Pine Forest pitching staff, will be adjusting to a new rule that limits the number of pitches a player can throw before having to take mandatory days off.

As a short reliever, Bennett doesn’t think the rules will affect him greatly, but he said it could be a problem for pitchers if hitters become patient and pitchers aren’t able to find the strike zone.

“You’ll have to focus on what you’re doing and go after them (the batters),’’ he said.

Willoughby said he supports the new pitching rule but added it will require coaches to think ahead a little more on who they’ll be using in a game and how much.
“I’m getting seven or eight guys ready to start the season,’’ he said. “We’ll have to use two or three guys early on because you don’t want them throwing 85 to 100 pitches right out of the gate.

“We’ll have to use guys as a bridge to get to a closer or just to break up games.’’

Willoughby said the Trojans have some three-game weeks early in the season, so he’s already looking at which pitchers he’ll be throwing in those games.
“It builds depth, and that’s what you want to do as team,’’ he said.

As for how that depth performs on the field, Willoughby will just have to wait.

“As a group we’ve been together about a week now,’’ he said. “These guys have put in a lot of work. It depends on how quickly they develop as to how good we do this year.’’

When Up & Coming Weekly publisher Bill Bowman and I first started discussing the things we wanted to do with this page, one of the first items I mentioned was honoring scholar-athletes from Cumberland County.

We see plenty of lists of athletes with all kinds of scoring and rushing and passing averages through the athletic year, but I fear we often forget that athletics is a sideshow to what young people are really in school for, to get an education.
I was reminded of that last week when I got a request from Tracy Esterly on Facebook to add her to my circle of friends. Esterly is the mother of Gray’s Creek High School wrestler Andrew Esterly, who competed for the Bears in the recent N.C. High School Athletic Association wrestling championships held at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Esterly wrestled in the 132-pound classification where he finished fifth in the state in his weight class.
But that’s not why I mention him in this week’s column. His mother posted a picture of him on Facebook, which you’ll see elsewhere on this page, sitting in the stands in the Greensboro Coliseum with textbook open, studying for his class in advanced placement human geography.
Making good grades is enough of a challenge by itself, but it’s even more challenging when you’re in a sport like wrestling. Of all the sports I’ve covered, wrestling makes the most personal demands on athletes, from maintaining precise weight to having to monitor their health carefully for signs of illness that can keep you out of competition.

I applaud Esterly and all athletes like him for their commitment to push themselves to athletic excellence while at the same time maintaining the highest possible standards in the classroom.

My longtime friend Rick Strunk, now retired as associate commissioner of the N.C. High School Athletic Association, recalled a conversation he had with a parent who called in a few years ago.

The father wanted to know if he, as a parent, could override the diagnosis of a doctor who said his son shouldn’t return to the football field. According to Strunk, the son had been diagnosed with a concussion, and the doctor wouldn’t release him to play.
Strunk tried to explain the logic of keeping the son on the bench, asking the father if he would want to reverse the doctor’s decision if his son was suffering from a knee injury.

There’s currently a bill pending in the North Carolina House of Representatives that would give parents the right to overrule the doctor if it passes.
Under the language of the bill, an athlete diagnosed with a concussion will be removed from the game or practice and not be allowed to return that day.
However, it then gives a parent or legal guardian the right to submit written clearance to the school so the athlete can resume competition.
I’m certainly in favor of parents being involved in making key decisions about their children and athletics, but the logic behind giving this much latitude
escapes me.

Parents don’t need to be given the freedom to decide if their children are healthy enough to return to the playing field, especially with concussions. That decision should be left in the hands of medical professionals.

Hopefully, this bill will not get serious consideration and die quickly in committee. Names have been determined for the conferences the Cumberland County Schools will be playing in next season. Both leagues will have new names.  Members of the former Mid-South 4-A and Cape Fear Valley 3-A are joining a combination 3-A/4-A league that will be called the Patriot Athletic Conference. The old Southeastern 4-A, which will be adding Jack Britt and Seventy-First next season, is changing its name to the Sandhills Athletic Conference, or SAC-8. Both new leagues begin play in the 2017-18 school year.

Take a trip back in time on March 5 at the Crown Theatre at Dinosaur Zoo Live. It is fun to learn about and imagine life on Earth when dinosaurs roamed, but this show takes the excitement of dinosaurs to a new level. Audience members are taken on a realistic tour through prehistoric Australia. Realistic dinosaurs of all sizes along with performers will teach audience members about the amazing creatures onstage. It makes for a show that is visually stunning, fun and educational for all ages. 

This production features 19 dinosaurs onstage, including the amazing triceratops. The sometimes giant and always realistic dinosaurs are actually puppets. Trained puppeteers in the performance are able to make the life-sized puppets move in lifelike ways. It even allows audience members to interact with the dinosaurs. Because the show is both visually stunning and physically interactive, it makes paleontology come to life. By combining science and theater, it makes the knowledge accessible and entertaining. Prior knowledge and a passion for paleontology are not prerequisites for this show. Everyone is welcome to come and explore the ancient world of giant reptiles. The goal is for everyone in the audience to walk away with a little something more than they arrived with. That could be a little more knowledge about dinosaurs, a new passion or interest in paleontology or just a little more happiness from the joy of watching the show.

Erth Visual & Physical INC. is the company responsible for creating this show. The company was founded in 1990 and is based out of Sydney Australia. They are widely recognized for their visual work. They specialize in creating out-of-the-box and unexpected visual experiences that engage audiences in novel ways, especially when dinosaurs are involved. Their puppets are incredibly well-respected for their craftsmanship and realism. They have been commissioned for museums, zoos, theaters and festivals from all over the world. Their most widely recognized work is Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo. The show is constantly touring globally and has several highly trained teams of puppeteers and performers that tour simultaneously so that they can bring this show to a variety of venues across North America, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live has been recognized as one of the best children’s shows and has received positive reviews from multiple critics in the United States, not to mention the opinions of many happy families.

Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live will be at the Crown Theatre for just one night: March 5. It starts at 4:30 p.m. The Crown Theatre is located at 1960 Coliseum Dr. Ticket prices range from $20 t0 $50. Audience members under 2 years old do not need a ticket. The $50 VIP tickets include a post show meet & greet, a signed photo and a tour laminate. To purchase tickets or for more information visit the following website: http://www.crowncomplexnc.com/events/detail/erths-dinosaur-zoo-live.

“Campbell University is in the final stages of a major expansion to Jim Perry Stadium that will literally change all facets of the facility from just a few short years ago,” said Campbell University Athletics Director Bob Roller. The university’s 2017 baseball season is underway, and next month, the Buies Creek Astros will take to the field. The Astros are a new minor league team licensed to Fayetteville. But they will call Campbell home for the 2017 and 2018 baseball seasons while a new stadium is built in downtown Fayetteville.

The most recent contribution to Campbell’s stadium is new synthetic turf, which was donated by the Houston Astros organization. “We were already underway with a multimillion-dollar fundraising effort for the opening of the Jim and Daphne Perry Pavilion in March of this year,” said Roller. The Pavilion, which overlooks the third base line, “will have a state-of-the-art locker room, a training room, coaches’ offices and a recruiting lounge for Campbell baseball,” Roller added. “It will also add more than 300 spectator seats to increase our capacity to approximately 1,500.” The expansion also includes new dugouts, an outfield wall, a ticket window and restrooms, and the largest video scoreboard in the conference. It will be ready by April of this year. “The one area we were unable to finish was a new field turf at the stadium, and the negotiations with the Houston Astros allowed that goal to be reached with the Astros providing the majority of the funding as part of their lease agreement with Campbell,” Roller explained.

What is commonly known as AstroTurf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. The main reason for its use is maintenance. Artificial turf stands up to heavy use and requires no irrigation or trimming. Artificial turf first gained substantial attention in the 1960s when it was used in the newly-constructed Astrodome. The specific product used was developed by Monsanto and named AstroTurf. The term has since become generic for any artificial turf and while AstroTurf remains a registered trademark, it is no longer owned by Monsanto.

Jim Perry was born in Williamston, North Carolina, and attended Campbell University until being signed by the Cleveland Indians in 1956. He is the older brother of Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry and was a fine pitcher in his own right. Jim Perry was a three-time All-Star and won the 1970 AL Cy Young Award when he posted a record of 24-12. Jim and Gaylord Perry are the only brothers in Major League history to win Cy Young Awards. He also won 20 games in 1969 and won at least 17 games five times. His longest tenure in the majors was with the Minnesota Twins from 1963
to 1972.

Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson hosted a roundtable discussion last week on the opioid epidemic sweeping the nation. Robertson and Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Director Elizabeth Goolsby have co-chaired a local task force on efforts to reduce the scourge for about a year. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein and more than a dozen other local and state officials in law enforcement and healthcare were in attendance to hear and learn about their successes. 

“I’m excited to hold this roundtable with Attorney General Stein so that our community can assist the rest of the state in reducing opioid abuse,” said the mayor. Stein applauded the effort and achievements the Fayetteville community has made to reduce opioid addiction. “The opioid epidemic is tearing families apart all across our state,” said Stein. “Fayetteville is a leader in implementing innovative programs to combat this crisis, and I’m excited to learn from the community leaders. It has taken 15 to 20 years for the state to get into this crisis and we must take it on,” he added.

The Fayetteville Opioid Abuse & Awareness Task Force focuses on reducing the number of opioid overdoses and educating providers who prescribe opioids. They also want to bring awareness about opioid addiction to the public while promoting treatment and recovery resources. “The epidemic is unlike anything I’ve seen since I’ve been district attorney,” said Billy West. “It’s the biggest problem we have in the criminal justice system,” he added.

Opioids or opiates include strong prescription pain relievers, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl and tramadol. The illegal drug heroin is also an opioid. The attorney general can learn a lot from Fayetteville’s Task Force on Opiate Abuse and Awareness. Opportunities for assistance in substance abuse are continuing to develop in Fayetteville. Cohen Veterans Network provides quality, accessible, comprehensive mental health care for veterans and family members. And it’s free. In a task force report for August 2016, the company said it would “open a Fayetteville facility costing between $8-$12 million.” For now, it is leasing space in a Village Drive office building, said Mayor Robertson.

Cumberland County Communicare will soon be opening a recovery center that will “provide open access for screening, assessments and referrals for anyone looking for recovery services, including substance use treatment, opioid treatment, 12-step programs and other resources,” stated the report. It has opened a 24-hour crisis phone line as well. Numerous organizations, providers and faith-based groups will volunteer their time at the call center. Recently, the Cumberland County District Attorney’s office in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies initiated the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program. It is a comprehensive program geared toward helping those addicted, not the drug dealers. This is the only program of its kind in the Southeastern United States and only one of four in the country.

Fayetteville Police got involved in combatting opiate overdoses nearly two years ago. Former Police Chief Harold Medlock equipped his patrol officers with Naloxone heroin antidotes. This medication is used to block the effects of common opioids like heroin, specifically in overdose situations. This medication, along with the dedicated training of the Fayetteville City police, can be credited with saving 55 lives since the program began. No doubt the program works and the City of Fayetteville is the recognized agent of this positive change. Now all that is needed is more state and federal money to enhance and extend the program.

The search to replace retired Police Chief Harold Medlock hasn’t begun yet. But background information is being gathered by headhunters from Developmental Associates of Durham. Steve Straus, president of the firm, has been speaking with members of the police department’s command staff, community representatives and citizen groups. “We’ll recruit for 30 days, followed by two screenings,” he said. Straus says he expects at least 50 police executives to apply. His firm will narrow the field to 15 who will be thoroughly vetted and referred to City Manager Doug Hewett. He will likely narrow the field to two or three before holding community meetings for introductions. Straus says he hopes to refer his recommendations to Hewett by mid-May. Medlock retired the end of last year after spending three-and-a-half years as chief.

Haymount Grill Boarded Up
It’s been 10 months since the Haymount Grill & Steak House was destroyed by fire. The cause of the blaze remains unknown and the Skentaris family, which owns the restaurant, has not indicated whether they will rebuild. Meanwhile, it has not gone unnoticed by the city that the owners have failed to board up the property according to code. “Code enforcement is aware of the violation,” said City of Fayetteville spokesman Nathan Walls. “When you board up a building, by Chapter 14, the boards are supposed to match the color of the building and fit in place,” he said “Some boards don’t match the color of the building, and some don’t fit in place,”

Bridge to Replace Hurricane Damage
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is replacing a local underground highway culvert destroyed during the recent hurricane with a bridge. The culvert was on Bingham Road near North Carolina 162. Sanford Contractors, Inc. was awarded what’s called a $1 million express design-build contract. The express design-build method allows for faster construction and earlier completion by combining the work into one contract. DOT says the project should be wrapped up by Aug. 8. This is one of eight road and bridge projects approved by the State Board of Transportation this month, totaling $73.2 million.

A New Fayetteville Business Co-op
Sustainable Sandhills is delighted to be one of the founding private office members of Revolutionary Coworking, a collaborative workspace that acts as an incubator for the business community. The organization has relocated to the sixth floor of the Self Help building at 100 Hay Street in Downtown Fayetteville. It’s designed to encompass small and startup businesses, independent professionals and students. Revolutionary Coworking fosters a green business environment that promotes education, innovation and collaboration. A ribbon-cutting presented by the Downtown Alliance was held Feb. 23 and was followed by a tour of the shared workspace. For more information about Revolutionary Coworking, visit www.revolutionarycoworking.com.

New V.A. Secretary
The Senate has confirmed Dr. David Shulkin as the new Veterans Affairs Secretary, making him the first non-veteran ever to serve in the post. Shulkin currently serves as the head of VA health programs. He was approved by a remarkable vote of 100-0. The 57-year-old physician was praised by lawmakers from both parties and veterans advocates as a leader with inside knowledge of ways to reform the agency. Shulkin is the only member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet to be held over from former President Obama’s administration. His parents both served in the Army. He has repeatedly promised not to “privatize” VA services and told lawmakers he would not have accepted Trump’s nomination if it came with such a requirement.

How do you turn a $15 million local government investment into a $65 million community asset?
Well, you get someone who realizes we are a low-wealth community with a scarcity of tax dollars. Then you give him the job of making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
That’s exactly what the Fayetteville City Council and Cumberland County Commissioners agreed to do. They unanimously pledged $7.5 million each toward the creation of the North Carolina Civil War History Center here in Fayetteville.
It’s not just a museum, says Mac Healy, president of the Civil War History Center’s board of directors. “It’s not just a battle story.” Instead, Healy said the center tells the story of how the Civil War and its immediate aftermath affected people’s lives. Healy made his remarks before the Cumberland County Citizens United February meeting.

Not a fan of taxes, Healy said he came to the project intrigued by the economic development opportunity. “Once built, we toss the keys to the state and we don’t pay another dime.”

The board of directors supporting this effort created a nonprofit organization. That allows them raise money to build the center. Healy acknowledged Cumberland County is a low-wealth community. Even so, before coming before local government for tax dollars, Healy and company made sure they had at least $5000 in private donations. The private fundraising effort continues.
Supporters expect the center to draw at least 120,000 visitors to Fayetteville every year. And, with the Airborne & Special Operations Museum and the Botanical Garden nearby, those visitors could stay longer; maybe even spend money on local fried chicken and lodging.
The county’s state legislative delegation also is on board, Healy said. “We started talking to the delegation four years ago.”
The Board hired a Raleigh lobbying firm to work on other state legislators. “We need to convince someone in Asheville to fork over money for a project in Fayetteville,” Healy said.

The state recently touted a $500 million in excess funds. Maybe with that kind of surplus, legislators wouldn’t mind putting the project into the state budget. That way, the state could allocate a little more than half of the total $65 million price tag over several years.
The cost breakdown for building the center on the grounds of the current Museum of the Cape Fear goes like this: Main Building (60,000 square feet) $24.8 million; Campus Development $10 million; Exhibits $11.8 million; Statewide Digital Outreach $2.8 million; Soft Costs $8.7 million; Four-year Operating Cost $1.9 million; Operating Endowment $5 million

The economic development part of this endeavor is great. How can you not like bringing 120,000 people with money in their pockets into Fayetteville every year? And how can you not support employing 200 people?

But also important is the Civil War History Center’s ability to enlighten us in great detail about the state and national impact brought on by a Civil War that claimed the lives of almost a million Americans. I have to mention that many from the North were recent immigrants.
The proposed North Carolina Civil War History Center will be like no other. It will serve as the state’s and the nation’s premiere Civil War era history resource. Digital technology will extend its reach throughout the state. The technology also will allow visitors to interact with the learning center.
Finally, this. The History Center plans to collect 100 stories about the Civil War from each of North Carolina’s 100 counties. In the end, the History Center hopes to have 10,000 stories about North Carolina people involved in the Civil War. These are stories handed down through the generations. They are stories sequestered in the archives of churches, or documented in the Bibles of families whose roots run deep in the Old North State.

If you have such a story about the Antebellum era, the Civil War or during the Reconstruction years following the war, contact www.nccivilwarcenter.org/share-a-story. If the story makes the grade, you get a free membership.

As Roy Rogers almost sang, “ Unhappy Trails to ObamaCare.” ObamaCare has been on life support since the election. Soon, The Donald will pull the plug and bury ObamaCare somewhere under the rainbow. The White House recently leaked a draft to repeal and replace ObamaCare with Trump’s own health insurance plan. The Donald, being the extremely modest person he is, resisted entreaties to name his plan TrumpCare. He has opted to name his new insurance program “MedievalCare.”

MedievalCare will replace Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. MedievalCare’s mission statement is “Make America Ache Again.” The government’s expenditures on medical care for Americans who are foolish or greedy enough to get sick will be almost wiped out under MedievalCare. There will be no payment for physicians or hospitals because MedievalCare will only provide medical treatment developed during Europe’s Dark Ages. Folk healers are coming back, baby. It’s going to be beautiful, believe me. Social Security retirement benefits will be abolished. No one will live long enough to reach retirement age after depending on Medieval medicine to cure what ails them. The death of potential Social Security recipients before they reach retirement age will save literally billions of dollars, thus, allowing more tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

The better to keep you from retirement age, the Department of Health and Human Services is bringing back the great diseases of the Middle Ages: Black Plague, Dropsy, Saint Vitus Dance and Quinsy. Current medical science is actually a very fake science pushed by the dishonest media on an unsuspecting American public. Science will be replaced by the tried-and-true medical beliefs of the Middle Ages. Medicine will be based on the use of the four humors: air, water, fire and earth represented by blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile to diagnose and treat all medical impairments. Medieval physicians believed that too much or too little of any of the four humors caused illness. Too much blood was really bad. Medieval doctors were huge on blood letting either by leeches or venesection. Venesection was a charming practice where the doctor would open a vein and let the patient’s illness bleed away until the patient was a quart low. Venesection ultimately did in George Washington. Oops.

All MedievalCare cures we can look forward to receiving are going to be very, very, beautiful. Ague? Swallow a spider wrapped in a raisin. Skin rash? Cover it with the skin of a wolf soaked in urine. Black Plague ? Drink a cup of crushed emeralds, lance the plague boils, make a poultice of butter, dried toad, tobacco, arsenic and bathe in urine. Fainting spells? Breathe the smoke from burning feathers. Sinus congestion? Stuff garlic and onions up your nose. Gout? Put a plaster of goat droppings mixed with Rosemary and Thyme on the aching foot. Internal bleeding? Wear a dried toad in an amulet around your neck. Toothache? Burn a candle close to the painful tooth. The worms gnawing in the tooth will overheat and drop out into a cup of water held by your mouth. Joint pain? Pluck an owl, clean it. Put the owl in a pot with a stone on top. Place the pot in an oven until the owl is burnt. Pound the burned owl with bear grease and put the poultice over the joint.

Can’t sleep? Eat a bowl of nettles mixed with egg whites. Got Quinsy? Flay a fat cat, clean it, pull out its guts, take grease from a hedgehog and bear fat mixed with sage, honeysuckle and venison fat and stuff the cat. Roast the cat collecting the grease that drips out. Anoint the patient with the grease. Sore throat will be gone. Need a neurosurgeon? Got you covered. MedievalCare will bring back trepanning by barbers which involves drilling a series of small holes in the patient’s skull to expose the Dura Mater which is the outer membrane of the brain. This cures migraines and mental disorders, plus you get a hair cut.
Folk Healers will be taught to pick herbs and medicinal flowers at sunrise while facing south. The softly spoken magic healing spells will be retaught to an army of Folk Healers by specially trained Republican Congresspersons. Patients will be supplied amulets made of tanis root, senna and mint to avoid evil spells and sickness. Your kid is sick? Cut woodbine on a waxing moon. Make it into a hoop. Have the ill child jump through the hoop three times. Bingo! Healthy kid again.
MedievalCare will save millions by closing unneeded medical schools. Send doctors to re-education camps in the basements of empty Walmarts to retrain as grave diggers in case some of MedievalCare’s cures don’t work out so well. Naturally, members of Congress and White House staff will keep their own medical insurance. For the rest of us, implementation of MedievalCare makes financial sense in a bigly way for the one percenters.

Our men and women in uniform have sacrificed dearly to pay freedom’s price and ensure our way of life. The soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who serve our country are emblematic of bravery, courage and the American spirit.

Suzanne and I join with millions of hardworking Americans in expressing our sincere thanks to active-duty military, veterans and their families. North Carolina is home to almost 800,000 veterans, many of whom live here in our community.

One of my greatest privileges in serving as a United States Congressman is serving our veterans and working to ensure access to the benefits they were promised and deserve. As part of that commitment, one of my very first moves when elected to Congress was to hire the most experienced veterans specialist available, who on average is assisting 500 local veterans navigate red tape at the VA.

Unfortunately, brave veterans and my team too often have to fight through a bureaucratic maze involving dozens of forms, requests, waivers and frustration. To simplify the process, this week I helped pass the bipartisan WINGMAN Act (H.R. 512), which I’ve supported since it was originally introduced in 2016.
This legislation would allow a veteran who files a claim for benefits to permit a certified Congressional staff member to have read-only access to the veteran’s files at the VA. Certified Congressional staff members already have permission to possess these files, but this bill eliminates the bureaucratic step of using the VA as a middle-man and makes it easier for my staff to assist veterans with their requests.

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two additional bills to encourage job creation for veterans. The HIRE Vets Medallion Program Act (H.R. 244), which I helped pass with overwhelming bipartisan support, will establish a HIRE Vets Medallion Program to properly recognize those who recruit, employ and train veterans, as well as provide community and charitable services supporting the veteran community.

The Boosting Rates of American Veteran Employment Act (BRAVE Act - H.R. 974), which also passed with bipartisan support, will allow the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to give preference to organizations which employ veterans on a full-time basis when awarding government contracts. Any organization caught misrepresenting the number of veterans they employ would be forbidden from contracting with the VA for at least five years.

These three bills won’t solve all of the problems at the VA, which for too long has suffered from a lack of accountability. Nor will they solve every issue veterans face when reentering the workforce. However, these bills do represent progress. There is much more work to do, and as your Member of Congress, I am committed to continue fighting for better outcomes for our veterans. If you are a local veteran who needs assistance with red tape or other problems at the VA, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at 704-362-1060. We would be honored to serve you.

Do You Want Your Voice heard?
As your Representative in Washington, I work hard to hear from as many constituents as possible. You are always welcome to e-mail me at nc09constituents@mail.house.gov. My team and I receive, read, and respond to hundreds of e-mails and letters each week, so you can be sure your voice will be heard.

Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09) is Chairman of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit Finance, and serves on the House Financial Services Committee, with a special focus on supporting small businesses, community banks, and credit unions.

For years, I have heard how bad our schools are. Like each of you, I have heard that our hard-earned taxes go to an educational system that is set up to fail. Yet certain facts nag at me, so I continue to ask … Why are we 44th in teacher pay? Why are we 50th in principal pay? Why are we last in-per pupil funding? And, why are we third in our teachers having to work two jobs?

Those glaring stats demand honesty. When do we ask, “Are our schools failing us, or are we failing our schools?” The answer is obvious, but I wanted to confirm it for myself. So I went to all the schools in my district. First, I found them to be very clean and very safe. I was impressed with the principals and their staffs. These principals were doing everything possible to advocate for their teachers and for technology needs so they could prepare our children for their futures. I found teachers who desperately needed raises but, only asked for assistance in purchasing books and computers for their (our) children.
It is time we ask ourselves these questions:

(1) How do we expect our schools to be in the top 10 when we are last in investing in them?
(2) If we have the money to fully invest in our schools why then do we not do so?
(3) What are other North Carolina counties that are excelling in education and paying their teachers? And how much money are they investing in their schools?

Does not a lot of a little add up to still be a lot? Why do we ask so little of ourselves and expect so much from our schools? We need to “wake-up and smell the coffee.” In North Carolina, the coffee is burning. Should we not reinvest and fill the educational coffee pot back up?

Like millions of Americans and bumfuzzled people around the world, I have been focused on our new president and the build-out of his administration. Never in my lifetime have we experienced anything quite like it, and it is difficult not to be riveted to the news, no matter what one’s partisan political leanings may be. Every day is new and different and sometimes alarming.
That being said, the world is still turning, and news is happening outside Washington, D.C. and Palm Beach, Florida.
Some of that news is truly weird.

The world learned last month of the murder of a man identified as North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-un’s half-brother at a Malaysian airport. News reports were murky at best but implied that a man — maybe the half brother and maybe not — was showered with some sort of poison, perhaps poison darts. Then the story veered from strange to bizarre when The Guardian reported that one of two women suspected in the attack thought she was participating in a comedy “prank” show. The 25-year-old Indonesian woman was paid to convince men to close their eyes, and then she and the other suspect sprayed them with a water gun. It is not clear how a lethal substance got into the water gun, but the woman and a man are under arrest in connection with the murder by poison, or whatever.
Meanwhile, the other woman is nowhere to be found, after moving hotels and borrowing scissors from a front desk clerk, apparently to cut her hair, which was found by hotel housekeeping. The Guardian also reports that North Korea is demanding the return of the man’s body, citing his supposed nationality, but Malaysian authorities are holding on to it until they determine the man’s actual identity and cause of death.
How weird is that?

It is not, however, the only weird news so far in 2017. The Huffington Post chronicles such stories, some of them falling into the “don’t try this at home” category. Here are a few samples.A hair-freezing contest in Canada’s Yukon province, where the outdoor temperature rarely reaches 25 degrees Fahrenheit, offers a $700 cash prize for the best-frozen hair photo. And how exactly do contestants freeze their hair for a winning pic? That area of the Yukon is blessed with many hot springs, so contestants jump into pools fed by the warm water, wet their hair, pop up until their hair begins to freeze, and then coax it into the desired style. 

Other stories include a 39-year-old Mexican attorney who was born without arms setting a new Guinness World Record. The woman lit 11 candles in 60 seconds with her feet, breaking the previous record of 7 candles. She also writes, cooks, talks on the phone and does her hair and makeup with her feet.
Someone — it is hard to imagine who — has purchased Adolf Hitler’s personal travel telephone for $243,000. A photograph of the phone shows a battered red device, old style, of course, engraved with the Fuhrer’s name and a swastika. In addition, someone else purchased for a mere $24,300 a porcelain dog, said to have been made by slave labor at Dachau concentration camp. A Maryland auction house sold the items. Sales of such items are banned in many European countries, including France, Germany, Austria and Hungary, and prominent auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s do not sell Nazi artifacts.
From the stupid criminal department comes this doozey. A Michigan woman faces jail time after she bragged about beating a random Breathalyzer test on Facebook of all places. Apparently, it had not occurred to the 22-year-old woman, already on probation for a DWI conviction that her friends are not the only people on Facebook. Law enforcement officers scroll it, too.

Then there is a former sculptor for Disney who is trying to crowd fund production of a 4-inch, anatomically correct troll doll of Donald J. Trump, complete with flowing yellow tresses and a cellphone in his hand. We will go no further on that one.
Finally, much closer to home, residents of Calabash, that fried seafood heaven on North Carolina’s southern coast, are intrigued by sightings of “Donny,” an orange alligator. Apparently, Donny is not the only one. Another orange gator has been spotted in Hanahan, South Carolina. Wildlife officers in our neighboring state say not to worry. The odd color may come from where the crawling critters spent the winter — perhaps in a rusty pipe. Since alligators eventually shed their skin, these two guys will likely be green again at some point.
You really cannot make up this stuff.

“Oh, the places you’ll go!” Dr. Seuss

Literacy is vital. We want our future youth to be excited about reading and develop a routine to read every day, and that is why Kameo Events NC presents Dr. Seuss’ Inaugural Birthday Parade and Family Fun Day Saturday, March 4, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Main Street in Spring Lake. North Carolina’s first lady, Kristin Cooper is the Grand Marshall of the parade.

“We first started talking about the idea of a parade in 2015. In 2016, right before Thanksgiving, the Town of Spring Lake gave their blessing to host the parade. We have been full speed ahead since,” said Kristy Sykes, owner of Kameo Events. “A few years back I worked with Cumberland County Association of Educators on a Read Across America event that was held at the former Holiday Inn Bordeaux, and that was a great event.” Sykes added that she kept thinking about what could be done to keep encouraging local youth in learning the fundamentals of reading and continue to make it fun for them. 

The National Education Association’s “Read Across America” is a nationwide annual reading awareness program that aims for every child to celebrate reading on March 2. Various events will be held across the country and students everywhere will participate in activities that promote and encourage reading.

The parade step off will be at 9 a.m. at the Bragg Boulevard Bridge. The route will continue to Spring Lake down Main Street and end on Ruth Street. “This will be the first parade of its kind in the area and the first parade in Spring Lake,” said Sykes. “It will conclude with a family fun day of activities at the Spring Lake Recreation Center.” Sykes added that parade participants are asked to have a Dr. Seuss theme, but they have the option of not doing so.

The day will feature food, fun and vendors. Activities include bounce houses by Mega Play, mascot appearances, author Dr. Elondra Napper, Crafty Parties, the Cumberland County Public Library, Fascinate-U Children’s Museum, Book Your Next Adventure, Steps to the Future, Jungle Gym Playground and more. Various vendors such as Pink Zebra, It Works, Park Lane, LuLaRoe, Usborne Books, The Produce Box, The Renaissance Day Spa and more will be there with information and items to sell. The food entails pizza by Fazoli’s, Green Eyez Street Foods, Dusty Donuts and more.

“I would like to thank our sponsors for their support of this inaugural event,” said Sykes. “We look forward to seeing everyone on March 4.”

Parade entries will be accepted until February 24. For more information about parade entries, sponsors or vendors email kameoeventsnc@gmail.com or call 797-9568.

Ron White knew he was funny; he just wasn’t expecting to make a living at it. It was 1986, and a comedy club had just opened down the street from where he worked. “My friend went to open mic night and came back and said, ‘You are funnier than these guys. You’ve got to get onstage,’” said White. And he did. It just so happened Jeff Foxworthy was headlining that week. “He saw me perform and he came up to me and said, ‘You are funny, but you need to put the punchline at the end of the joke.’ That is just how generous he is. He didn’t know me, but he still gave me good advice” said White, who took Foxworthy’s words to heart and got serious about what it takes toto deliver a joke. Later, White toured with Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable guy on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. According to White it was an act of kindness on Foxworthy’s part. Now, White is an actor, an author and owner of a tequila company, but his favorite job by far is still making people laugh. He’ll be onstage at the Crown March 4. For an entire evening of fun. Anstead’s Tobacco will make a night of it with a pre-show party, the live Ron White performance and an after-party. The Pre-Show Party runs from 5-6:30 p.m. and includes drink specials, door prizes and more. The after-party starts at 9 p.m. and runs until midnight.

Even though he’s been at it for three decades, White says it’s not too hard to find things to laugh about. “Sometimes, it just falls in your lap. Other times you have to go out and find it … then you have to get onstage,” he said. “Get in front of as many crowds as you can and start developing it.” And that’s not too hard for him to do, either — at least when he isn’t touring. When he is home in L.A., it’s not unusual for White to perform three shows a night several nights a week. It keeps him sharp, and it’s what he loves. “Well, if you are going to be a painter, you’d better paint. I am a better comedian when I am a comedian every day,” he said. “Besides, my wife will tell you I am way less grouchy when I am doing stand up.”

As a comic, connecting with an audience can be the deciding factor in whether a night is a success. North to South and from Europe to Canada, White finds that people have more in common than you might expect. “Most people think you would have to fine tune your act, but I talk about the human condition,” said White. “And that doesn’t vary. We aren’t all that different. We all have to get up and do things we don’t want to do. We all have to feed ourselves and often other people, too. We face the same issues every day no matter where we live. We just aren’t that different.”

At 60 years old, White jokes that his brain is a combination of a lazy Susan and a colander — always spinning and leaky, but he has no intention of stopping any time soon.

“I am a comedian. As long as people stay interested in what I have to say, I will keep doing this. It has been a wonderful run. I love my fans, and I will work hard for them if they keep showing up.”

Tickets to Anstead’s Ron White Night cost $69 and include the preshow party at Ansteads, the Ron White show at the Crown and the after-party at Anstead’s. Call (910) 391-3859 for more information about this event. To purchase ticket to just the Ron White show at the Crown, visit http://www.crowncomplexnc.com/events/detail/ron-white.

His Bread of Life Food Bank presents Fayetteville’s Inaugural American Warrior 5K Walk & Run Saturday, March 4, at 9:30 a.m. at Festival Park.

“The purpose of this walk and run is to raise awareness and funds for His Bread of Life Food Bank which is a division of His Outreach Worldwide,” said Lynne O’Quinn, president of His Outreach Worldwide. “We feed many in the community every week, so we are just trying to let people know we are there and try to bring in funds to continue feeding many people every week.” O’Quinn added that the reason the race is named the American Warrior is that the organization is trying to fight hunger.

The 5K walk and run is a certified and competitive race. “We have a new route because the older route that we originally were going to use got washed out by

Hurricane Matthew,” said O’Quinn. “This will be a route that no one has done before.” Awards will be presented to the first, second and third place runner in these divisions: ages 12 & under, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70+. Overall awards will be given for first, second and third place. 

The mother ministry, His Outreach Worldwide, is a worldwide ministry in 122 countries.

His Bread of Life is one of their seven umbrella divisions. It is a non-profit Christian-based food bank serving children and families in Fayetteville who need food assistance. They give out food on a weekly basis and serve 30-40 households each week. The gospel message is provided to each family or individual who receives food from the food bank in hopes of spreading the message of Jesus Christ.

“It has its own building at 204 S. Reilly Road, and that is where everyone comes to get their food,” said O’Quinn. “We are different and unique in the way that we let the families come in and do their own shopping.” O’Quinn added that individuals can get a certain number of canned goods, meats, soups, cereal and other food items. They get to choose their items because the food bank does not want any food wasted. Anyone can come to the food bank. The organization will never turn anyone away.

Checks can be made out to His Bread of Life. Monetary and canned good donations are appreciated.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. Pre-registration is $25, the day of registration is $30 and $20 for the military.

Come dressed in red, white and blue. T-shirts are guaranteed and included in registration fees placed before February 17. For more information call 864-3991.

In 1901, Mr. and Mrs. Jessie Coogan purchased a mansion in the very exclusive section of Newport, Rhode Island. They paid $200,000 (equal to about $2,000,000 today) for the gorgeous mansion called Whitehall. The wife, Harriet Gardener Lynch before her marriage, was from a prominent and wealthy New York Family. She married James Coogan, a Bowery merchant and local politician. As a result of these unimpressive credentials, the family was considered a brash upstart when they moved into the elegant neighborhood.

After 10 years, the Coogans felt they had “paid their dues” and should be considered a respectable member of the community. So, on June 16, 1910, they gave a lavish coming-out party for their daughter Jessie.

Newport’s finest shops fitted them fabulously for the occasion. The orchestra tuned their strings and waiters were stationed everywhere to serve the movers and shakers who had all been invited.

The doors were opened at 7 p.m. By 8 p.m., no one had arrived. Nine, 10 and 11. They waited till midnight — until it became apparent that no one was going to show. The enraged mother was so angry that the entire family moved from Whitehall and determined to “get even.” For 35 years, all that happened to Whitehall was that the taxes were paid.

The once-elegant estate became a crumbling, devastated house. Finally, it was the town eyesore — the sweet revenge for the humiliation and rejection she had experienced. Eventually, in 1945, her son, moved by the pleas of the Newport residents, prevailed upon his mother to have the house razed.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Coogan retreated from the world after her husband’s death in 1915. Few of her 15 grandchildren ever saw her. She lived in the Biltmore Hotel until her death in 1947 at the age of 86.

The one dominating emotion that controlled her life was bitterness. Can you imagine how many thousands of times she replayed the coming-out party in her mind to recreate the rejection and to stoke the fires of bitterness? Then when her anger was white-hot, she would deny the pleas of Newport’s citizens to raze the mansion. Since the house was torn down only two years before her death, it almost appears her only motive for living was to exact revenge — and when she gave up her instrument of revenge, she died.

Think of the price she paid to get even. All the years of enjoyable family relationships. All the friends she could have made. All the people she could have helped.

The traveling she could have done. The life she could have experienced.

Bitterness controls, destroys, consumes, and impoverishes—not the object but the subject himself. When we are bitter we are the loser.

He left you for a younger lady with less weight and wrinkles — and how many times have you replayed the “tape” in which you get even? Or your business partner cheated you out of your part of the business. Or your sibling got your part of the inheritance. “Because of my race, I didn’t get the job.” “The doctor made a mistake and I’m paralyzed for life from the waist down.” The list is endless.

It is for this reason the scripture wisely admonishes us, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you with all malice.” (Ephesians 4:31 NASB)

Now think hard about this. Forgiveness frees me while anger and bitterness bind me and control me. My enemy imprisons me as long as I hate and revile him.

The instant I forgive, the door opens and I am free from my prison! Free to love. At last, free to live! When I am unshackled from the bitterness that binds me and controls me, I am overwhelmed with the freedom to enjoy all that life once again offers. Is not the man or woman wise who holds no grudges, and nurses no petty grievances, harbors no “get even” agenda?

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free.” (Galations 5:1 NASB)

When I was in law school in Buies Creek, I lived in an apartment complex on Marshbanks Street, just off Highway 421. Next to the complex on Marshbanks was a small, concrete and stone bridge that covered a creek running toward the Cape Fear. Wood-ducks would roost in the creek at dusk, and copperheads and a pet turtle emerged on occasion. I snuck down there out of boredom one afternoon, needing an escape from my laptop and case books. While crossing the bridge, I noticed a concrete plaque on its face. Looking like a tombstone, it reads:

NEILLS CREEK BRIDGE
HARNETT COUNTY
STATE PROJECT NO. 437
BUILT BY NORTH CAROLINA
STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION
1923

I remember being impressed by it. The thought occurred to me that the men who built this bridge were proud of it despite its size, and they marked their work. I later learned that the State Highway Commission was the pre-cursor to the N.C. Department of Transportation and that this bridge was likely funded under the Highway Act of 1921, which was spearheaded by Governor Cameron Morrison, a champion of roads and infrastructure and the namesake of my wife’s dorm at UNC-Chapel Hill.

I intended to write this article about the legal issues surrounding the roads, bridges and dams that were washed out in Hurricane Matthew, but I quickly became bogged down. There is not much that citizens of this area can do to force the city council, our legislators or F.E.M.A. to fix these problems. There is no legal mechanism to compel the government to repair its own damaged property, and we can’t make our leaders save money in rainy day funds for the next storm that is sure to come.

We are a government of the people, and as such, we are ultimately responsible for our leaders’ failures and shortcomings in this regard. Their policies and decisions reflect the values of their constituents. They pinch pennies and cut corners in the name of lower taxes and limited government, which we all seem to favor until our neighborhood needs something. When the old bridge washes away, we’re forced to deal with this reality.

I try not to present a problem without suggesting a solution, and it is this: elect leaders who believe that sound, quality investments in public infrastructure are worth their weight in gold. Leaders in our past understood this. Their wisdom is on display on the side of a country road in Buies Creek. The bridge is still standing.