Well, for the most part, the controversy between the City of Fayetteville and PWC is over, and it looks like the 100-year plus utility charter has been deemed valid, defining PWC as an independent public authority. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour. The lawsuit is finally over, and most everyone I’ve talked with seems to think the City will not appeal the ruling. This is a good thing. Matter of fact, it is a very good thing.

 It is unfortunate that this entire two-year ordeal started when the City Council voted to renege on their commitment to pay for half of the sewer line construction from the “big bang” annexation in western Cumberland County. They wanted PWC to pay the entire cost. This idea was mostly championed and pursued by then City Manager Ted Voorhees and several unnamed sources who many feel exerted undue influence and pressure on the newly-elected, inexperienced and naive council members. I would have said unknown sources, however, as the ordeal matured and played out, it became pretty conspicuous who had Voorhees’ ear. So, they were not unknown, just unnamed. In the end, this proved to be the catalyst of Voorhees’ undoing, forcing him to resign his position in April after less than four years on the job.

What is really unfortunate is that when all of this ordeal is finally over, what will the price tag to the taxpaying residents of the City of Fayetteville? Some are estimating $300,000 while others say it will be much closer to $400,000. Really? What reckless irresponsible management. And to think we almost voted to extend the current city council terms to four years. Think about this: How many potholes could have been mended on city streets? How much could we have subsidized and facilitated new sewer line hook ups for city residents? How much of this money could have been spent addressing Fayetteville’s clean drinking water needs or initiating storm water improvements throughout the city? Perhaps this money could have been used for infrastructure or sewer services to facilitate bringing Shaw Heights within the city limits. You see my point - and most probably have felt the frustration.

Well, it’s over now. I applaud the PWC Commission and staff for their tenacity and dedication to their jobs, as well as the mayor and the level-headed members of our city council who really studied the issues and chose to do what was necessary to move this community forward. Hopefully, the excessive price tag of this venture has provided us with valuable lessons that will accelerate our growth and prosperity in the future. We can only hope. Time will tell.

 Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

The National Defense Authorization Act for 2017 includes a plan to overhaul and improve TRICARE for active duty service members, reservists, retirees and their family members. It incorporates several provisions proposed by Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC). Tillis originally offered the proposals to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) in February. He says the establishment of a high performance military-civilian integrated health delivery system is integral to the amendment. “Our service members make enormous sacrifices in defense of our freedom, and they deserve access to the timely and quality healthcare choices that work best for them and their families,” said Tillis. The TRICARE system will increase collaboration between the military and private sector, ultimately improving health outcomes for TRICARE beneficiaries,” he added. The Tillis proposals would improve healthcare and enhance the treatment of beneficiaries as local military treatment facilities create working relationships with private sector healthcare systems. A news release from Tillis’ office said formal relationships would foster innovation in military treatment facilities, enhance operational medical force readiness, improve access to specialized medical care and strengthen care coordination through integration of all activities of these new health delivery systems. 

 

Summer Means Storms               

As reported elsewhere in this edition, hurricane season is almost here. Cumberland County Emergency Services cautions that residents should be prepared by updating their emergency plans and supply kits. County Commissioners joined the governor in approving a proclamation declaring Hurricane Preparedness Week. The season officially begins June 1 and runs through November. Traditionally August through mid-October is the most active time for hurricanes in North Carolina. “It’s important to act now before storms strike,” said Emergency Services Director Randy Beeman. 

A disaster-preparedness kit should contain enough non-perishable food and a gallon of water per person, per day for at least three days, preferably up to a week. Other essentials include: a manual can opener, copies of insurance papers and ID in a sealed, watertight plastic bag; a basic first-aid kit; portable weather radio and extra batteries; prescription medicines; personal hygiene items and some cash in case electricity stays out for a while. If you have pets, don’t forget their needs. Stay informed during a storm by having a battery-powered radio for weather and evacuation information. Know evacuation routes and the location of public shelters. To sign up for the county’s severe weather CodeRED notification service, visit co.cumberland.nc.us or call 678-7641.

 

Citizen Commission Rules Changes     

A standing committee of Fayetteville City Council is unanimously recommending that Council modify the process by which citizens are named to local boards and commissions. Longtime Councilman Bobby Hurst has chaired the five-member appointments committee for more than eight years. He, plus Mayor Nat Robertson and Council members Bill Crisp and Chalmers McDougald voted unanimously to provide that applications for membership received after the administrative deadline not be considered. However, the proposed City Code revisions would allow nominations to be received from the floor when council considers nominations for vacancies on citizen advisory boards. Councilwoman Kathy Jensen did not attend. She told Hurst she forgot about the meeting. Other proposed changes in the City Code are that the mayor and four members of council will make up the committee. They would be appointed by the mayor. The recommendations will be considered by the full council at its work session June 6.

 

Playground Pooper Busted                        

Cumberland County school authorities decided they’d had enough after repeatedly finding human feces on the Rockfish Elementary School playground. Staff had to clean playground equipment frequently. After a few weeks, the Hope Mills school officials decided they had enough of the serial pooper. Cumberland County security coordinator Bruce Morrison had cameras installed around the playground. They caught the culprit on video and notified the sheriff’s office. Eighteen-year-old Robert Christopher Elliott and his younger brother were nabbed and arrested for defecating on public property, according to Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Sean Swain. Both were charged with second-degree trespassing. The older brother also faces misdemeanor charges of injury to real property and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Hurricane season is upon us. Hurricane Fran was one of the most destructive storms to hit our state. It struck North Carolina 20 years ago this year, on a path similar to that of Hurricane Hazel 40 years earlier. Both occurred toward the end of the hurricane season and had remarkable similarities. Both storms glanced Fayetteville causing millions of dollars in damage. On October 14, 1954, the National Weather Bureau issued a warning for the Carolinas, with the caveat that the worst of Hurricane Hazel was expected to stay offshore. Instead, the storm took a northwest turn and headed toward land. It killed at least 400 people in Haiti before striking the North and South Carolina border as a Category 4 hurricane. On October 15, Hazel moved inland on a northerly trek through Eastern North Carolina into Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. It brought gusts of 100 mph and caused $281 million (1954 USD) in damage. Ninety-five fatalities were attributed to Hazel in the U.S. She struck Canada as an extratropical storm, raising the death toll by 81 people, mostly in Toronto. Hazel is still regarded as the North Carolina storm by which all others are judged. Its name was retired from use for North Atlantic hurricanes. 

Hurricane Fran came ashore south of Wilmington on Thursday night, September 5, 1996. It developed as a tropical wave two weeks earlier. Fran peaked as a 120 mph Category 3 hurricane but weakened slightly as she made landfall near Cape Fear overnight. Then Fran moved into interior eastern North Carolina. The storm’s center took a path across the towns of Delco, White Lake, Roseboro, Dunn and Buies Creek. Although weakening, Fran still brought hurricane-force wind gusts and tremendous damage to trees and power lines across a broad swath of eastern North Carolina. Wind gusts were measured at 100 mph in Greenville, 81 mph in Goldsboro and 80 mph in both Fayetteville and Raleigh. 

The storm continued to weaken inland and was only a tropical depression the next day. Memories remain fresh for public safety crews and PWC linemen who went to work immediately after Fran had passed. Fayetteville firefighters had been told by their chief to remain in their stations if and when winds hit 60 mph. The New York Timeswrote on Sept. 6 that “As the storm moved inland, it maintained its strength as a hurricane, with its highest winds about 80 M.P.H. as it passed just east of Fayetteville, N.C., about 1 a.m. today. It continued to cause widespread damage and spin off tornadoes while moving north.” Five shelters were opened in Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Spring Lake. High winds took down trees and toppled them across power lines all over Fayetteville. Electrical power and cable TV was out for several days.

According to the Associated Press, of the 37 deaths caused by Fran, 21 occurred in North Carolina. Most of them were caused by accidents from fallen trees, including trees falling on houses and automobile crashes into fallen trees.  Total insured losses were estimated to be about $1.275 billion. Eventually, Hurricane Fran curved east-northeastward and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone as it continued up the Atlantic seaboard, again hitting Ontario, Canada, early on the morning of Sept. 9. 

Drive through any neighborhood in Fayetteville and you’ll be able to pick out the rentals because many of them stand out like sore thumbs. The grass this time of year is a foot high. Weeds have become small trees, and the shrubbery, if there is any, is overgrown. State and local governments have little authority to make rental occupants clean up their yards. The property owners can be held responsible, but it’s a daunting task for city code enforcement officers. Six officers are tasked with the chore of keeping up with Fayetteville’s estimated 90,000, according to Code Enforcement Director Scott Shuford. Rental housing, Shuford says, consumes 90 percent of their time. Three others look after commercial properties. 

According to the 2010 census of Fayetteville’s occupied housing units, almost half were rentals, which is far higher than the approximately one-third of units across the state. A census update indicated renter-occupied homes increased over the following two years by another 2 percent. That equates to nearly 47,000 homes in the city that are occupied by renters. Many of them are managed by professional property-management firms. There are dozens of companies specializing in rentals. Dozens more real-estate firms have rental management divisions. And there are private citizens who look after their rental houses.

A casual scan of prominent property management websites is revealing. Peachtree Properties, that “conducts routine inspections to ensure the tenants are keeping the home and lawn in an excellent state of repair.” Most others don’t even mention lawn care. Fayetteville businessman Ed Melvin owns and personally manages 52 rentals. “It’s the property owners’ responsibility to make sure their tenants know what is expected of them,” said Melvin. He says he wouldn’t be opposed to stricter city ordinance regulations requiring property owners to maintain higher appearance standards. “I introduce myself to the residents on both sides of my rental properties and give them my business card. I ask them to let me know if anything happens that I need to know about,” Melvin added.

Fayetteville Mayor Pro Tem Mitch Colvin would like to see the city’s Unified Development Ordinance beefed up, and he himself is a landlord. “I have six houses, one of them is a duplex,” Colvin told Up & Coming Weekly. As a City Council member he’s keenly aware of his responsibilities to keep his properties clean inside and out. The county health department can also enforce laws governing environmental and health issues that result from unkempt yards. Colvin is on a one-man crusade of sorts to get Fayetteville cleaned up. His business is on Murchison Road about midway between Bullock and Jasper Streets. He tells how he has approached vagrants who regularly seek handouts in the area. He’s gotten to know them, and has put them to work cleaning up roadside trash. “I’ve offered to pay them five dollars a week to simply pick stuff up,” he said. And, it’s working. He sees them patrolling along that section of Murchison Road gathering up what inconsiderate drivers toss out of their cars. The men go so far as to tell others to leave the stuff alone … that they’ll take care of it. Maybe Colvin’s hit on something!

Melvin has 53 rental house and apartments. He personally takes care of tenant needs if they’re unable to do for themselves. The vacancy rate grew as well, to 13.6 percent of the Fayetteville’s estimated 89,642 homes and 14.7 percent statewide.

As a real estate investor, Cyndi McKinney limits the amount of properties she manages, because she personally performs your move-in, move-outand routine inspections — an important factor when considering someone to manage what is likely to be one of your largest investments.

She selects tenants based on credit checks performed by Equifax, verification of income from pay vouchers and employment and previous landlord verifications

McKinney actively markets your home for rent in the Fayetteville Observer, the Fayetteville NC MLS Multiple Listing Service, Fort Bragg and Pope AFB housing offices and her company website. She also arranges repairs and estimates promptly- — with owners’ approval

With the past month’s dreary weather giving way to sunshine in the coming weeks, and the building excitement inside classrooms all across the county, it’s a sure sign that summer is almost here and that SwampDogs baseball is just around corner! In fact, the opening day is on Wednesday, June 1.

The 2016 season coincides with the Fayetteville SwampDogs 16th season playing in the Coastal Plain League. The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 20th season in 2016, the CPL features 16 teams playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL has had nearly 1,300 alumni drafted and 81 of those – including 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander – make their Major League debut; while another notable alum – Russell Wilson – won Super Bowl XLVIII.The SwampDogs are one of the most successful franchises in the league’s history, making the Petitt Cup Playoffs eight times in the past 11 seasons, reaching the championship round three times. The SwampDogs boast 90 alumni taken in the draft and have produced six players who have gone on to play in Major League Baseball including slugger Mark Reynolds and David Aardsma. 

The SwampDogs have managed to make a name for themselves and have earned the right to host the 2016 Coast Plain League All-Star Game this season. This is the fourth time Fayetteville has hosted, and the first since 2011.The Coastal Plain League All-Star Game is a two-day extravaganza, starting with the Home Run Derby and Fan Fest, to be held on Sunday, July 10. The All-Star Game is on Monday, July 11, and will be followed by a Fireworks Extravaganza.

“We are extremely excited to be bringing the All-Star Game back to Fayetteville,” said SwampDogs General Manager Jeremy Aagard. “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to showcase all the great things Fayetteville has to offer to a huge audience.”

Players from each of the CPL’s 16 teams will compete in the All-Star Game, and representatives from each of the teams will be on hand for the experience. The two-day extravaganza will also bring fans, family members of players and hundreds of other visitors to Fayetteville including scouts from all 30 Major League teams.

“It is with great pleasure that we announce the Fayetteville SwampDogs as host to our 2016 Coastal Plain League All-Star Game,” said CPL COO/Commissioner Justin Sellers. “From Lew Handelsman to Jeremy Aagard and their entire staff, the SwampDogs are a staple not only in the All-American City of Fayetteville, but in the CPL. They have proven time and again to make a night at the ballpark a memorable experience for their fans and we look forward to seeing what ‘fun’ they have in store with our All-Star event! This will be a great couple of days to highlight the best players in the league and to showcase the SwampDogs, their loyal fans, and the City of Fayetteville!”  

This game features the cream of the crop of collegiate baseball players all coming together for one star-studded game.

“We want to put on a show like nobody has ever seen before,” said Aagard. “And because of the support of the community, we’re going to be able to make this All-Star Game an event nobody will ever forget.”

The Coastal Plain League All-Star Game will be broadcast regionally on Time Warner Cable Sports. Tickets are available for both nights of the extravaganza now, and can be reserved by contacting the SwampDogs at 426-5900.

The All-Star Game is only one of the many special events that are planned for this season. Highlighted by five firework extravaganzas the 2016 season at The Swamp will be one you don’t want to miss with memorable promotions each night throughout the entire summer.

The home opener kicks off the festivities on Wednesday, June 1 with the Magnet Schedule Giveaway presented by Freeman & Barrett, CPAs. 

The first firework night of the year is presented by Mountaire Farms on Saturday June 4. Healy Wholesale will also be giving away a gift that night to the first 500 fans over the age of 21. 

Military Appreciation Night presented by Lee Hyundai will be celebrated with fireworks on June 16. 

Hendrick Chrysler Jeep Fiat and Disaster One bring back the annual Honoring America Firework Show which is accessible to the entire public following the game on July 3, and is punctuated with the biggest firework spectacular in all of Fayetteville Independence Weekend. 

And the final fireworks spectacle of the season is on Fan Appreciation Night with fireworks on Aug. 5.

The fourth pyrotechnic display will coincide with The 2016 Coastal Plain League All-Star Game, Home-Run Derby and Fan Fest. The festivities conclude with a firework celebration after the game.

Some new and unique nights in 2016 include Star Wars Night, Leave it to Bieber Nigh, and a Super Sweet 16 Party celebrating the SwampDogs’ 16th season in Fayetteville.

The 10th Annual Striking Out Cancer night will return July 16 with one-of-a-kind pink game jerseys being auctioned off to benefit Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation’s Friends of the Cancer Center.

The SwampDogs are also partnering with A Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Aug. 4 for Bringing Memories Home Safe. A special purple jersey, worn by the SwampDogs, is set for auction after the game to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.

Weekly promotional nights are also planned at The Swamp:

Mondays: Kids Eat Free- Kids 12 and under get a voucher for a hot dog, chips, and a drink with purchase of a ticket every Monday home game, all-season long.

Tuesdays: Tuesday Mania Presented by Dogwood Reality- Hang out in the ballpark Tuesday nights with backyard games, prizes, and learn more about the potential home of your dreams.

Wednesdays: Winning Wednesdays- Win big on Wednesdays when prizes could be won wherever you look. Under your seat? You have a chance. On your hot dog wrapper? Could be! You never know how you’re going to win on Wednesdays at The Swamp!

Other returning fan favorites include Summertime St. Paddy’s Night and the 12th Annual Family Fun Night with the Fun-Go Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Bob 96.5 FM. The complete promotional schedule can be viewed at GoSwampDogs.com.

There are a lot of fun things planned for the season, but what is truly going to make it great is a summer of great baseball. To that end, the SwampDogs have signed some of the best baseball players in the country, including top hitters, fielders and pitchers. The SwampDogs 2016 season is going to be one for the books, so head down to the Swamp to cheer the team on.

For more information on the Fayetteville SwampDogs, visit their team website at www.goswampdogs.com and follow them on Twitter @GoSwampDogs and like them on Facebook at Fayetteville SwampDogs Baseball. Where baseball is fun!

For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com and follow them via Twitter @CPLBaseball.

Cumberland County’s Headquarters Library is turning 30. A celebration is set for Sunday, June 12, in the Pate Room of the library from 3-5 p.m. 

The downtown library was opened at 300 Maiden lane in 1986 and replaced the main library on Anderson Street, which opened in 1931. The County set a referendum in 1968 to build a new library but, it failed. In 1982, a second bond referendum also failed but the need was greater than ever. County government agreed that if a citizen committee could raise some money, the county would match it with the rest of what would be needed to build the library. In 1983, the citizen’s group raised $700,000 and County Commissioners authorized a bid for construction of the library of $4.667 million. Construction was started in September 1984, and the building opened on June 1, 1986. 

“A modern library has more open spaces. We depend more on technology and less on books than we used to,” said Branch Manager Jane Casto. But she added, “the World Book Encyclopedia is quite useful for many patrons.”  

The public is still checking out books and DVDs, and librarians help patrons in many other ways, including using data bases. Librarians can even be booked for one-on-one consultations for up to 45 minutes by appointment. In the information services department, there are five fulltime librarians and another five in the local and state history division. Several full-time paraprofessionals assist them. 

“We have a very well established online presence for folks working from home,” Casto said. 

For those who actually go to the library, there are 40 computer work stations in the adult lab, with another six computers in the children’s lab. Half a dozen laptops can be checked out for use in the building, according to Casto. WiFi is available for those with their own laptops and smart phones, and all services are free.  

Casto and Library Director Judy Risacher like to say “We welcome everyone on library property.” Street people have accepted the open invitation for several years now. 

“We encourage them to come in,” said Casto. “We have rules, but we want to maintain a welcoming environment,” she added. 

One reason the downtown library is popular among vagrants is the convenient access to wash rooms. They’re located in the vestibule outside the interior of the building. Two security guards are on duty at all times when the library is open. They enforce the rules, one of which is that groups of four people or more who are being loud or blocking the entrance are asked to disperse. 

The 30th Anniversary celebration is in the Pate Room of the Headquarters Library. Refreshments will be served and a video of an historic time line will be shown, according to Casto. 

On May 29, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra and the Army Ground Forces Band will join together in the annual Symphonic Salute to the U.S. Armed Forces. This is the fourth annual concert collaboration between the two professional groups. They come together once a year to honor the past and present members of the armed forces and their sacrifices for Memorial Day. They do this by performing classic patriotic music. 

“The concert will showcase musicians from both groups performing together on stage,” Julia Atkins, the director of artistic operations and marketing for the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, explained. “Some of the music you will hear that evening will be John Williams’ “Summon the Heroes” featuring the Herald Trumpets, “God Bless America,” “America the Beautiful” and other well-known, patriotic tunes. There will also be the performance of the Armed Forces Medley — a piece that combines all military service songs. People who are past or present military are asked to stand to be recognized when their service song is played.”

In addition to honoring the military members in our community, this free concert is also a great opportunity to come together to enjoy incredible music and beautiful weather. For the past four years, the event has been met with incredible support. “The community has really enjoyed this concert over the past few years. We feel that the audience has grown each year we hosted this concert -— last year we had close to 3,000 people in the park for this concert. It’s a great time of year to just be outside with family and friends enjoying a concert. It’s great for all ages,” Atkins said. The music is beautiful and inspiring, as is the location. There is no age too young to celebrate a love of one’s nation and for the brave community members who sacrifice to protect it. This personal bond to members of the armed forces is particularly true for the Fayetteville community. 

Both the Army Ground Forces Band and the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra are comprised of exceptional musicians. Their skill and professionalism create season after season of amazing concerts. It may seem difficult to merge two different and distinct groups, but these great musicians prove otherwise. “Our rehearsals run rather smoothly, our musicians enjoy playing with the Army musicians and vice versa,” Atkins says. “We usually start planning this concert in the early fall, and we love planning this concert together because we know that it’s a concert that really helps bring the community of Fayetteville together.” 

The only foreseeable challenge could be the weather. The free event is an outdoor event at Festival Park. Audience members are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on during the concert. “Though, if for some reason the weather isn’t great, the concert will not be cancelled. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved indoors to Huff Concert Hall at Methodist University,” Atkins explained. The concert is  on May 29 at 7:30 p.m. 

Known for its commitment to excellence, diversity, inclusion and willingness to take artistic risk, the Cape Fear Regional Theatre is bringing the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit Hedwig And The Angry Inch to Fayetteville May 26 –June 5.

But is Fayetteville ready for Hedwig? CFRT Artistic Director Tom Quaintance and Hedwig Director Edward Carignan think so and have assembled a talented group of performers ready to deliver.

“The play has a big heart,” Quaintance said.  “It is a fantastic story with a great character and a beautiful message.”

The story is accessible and may appeal to a much broader audience than expected, Quaintance said. It may even surprise some people who think the Fayetteville community is not ready for the tale of a woman leading a rock band called The Angry Inch.  Well, to be honest, there is a bit more to the story.  But isn’t there always?

Hedwig is a transsexual punk-rock girl from East Berlin touring the U.S. with her band as she follows a former lover who stole her songs. During the musical, we learn of Hedwig’s love for an Army soldier stationed in Germany (before the wall came down) that brings her to America, and another former lover who breaks her heart and goes on to become an international rock star.  

It is also a story about Hedwig (played by J.J. Parkey) and her current partner Yitzhak (played by Ruthie Stephens) and how that relationship helps Hedwig come to terms with her experiences. That part of the story is one the director finds interesting to share with the audience.  

“It’s a healing process between them… this cycle of abuse, mistreatment of lovers,” Carignan said.  

Carignan has done this musical five times with the same two lead actors, and seeing them grow as performers is something he finds rewarding.

The production is far from stale, Carignan said, as each performance is tailored to the location where it is being performed.

“It [the performance] is based on the time you’re in and the place you’re in,” Carignan said. “I think that’s what hooks people, the show isn’t set, changes keep it exciting.”

“We break the fourth wall,” Stephens said of the actors’ interaction with audience members as Hedwig tells her tale through song, inserting local phrases, jokes and subject matter.  

Part of localizing the production includes keeping abreast of local politics Parkey said. “I’ve done research and I’m staying up to date with HB2,” Parkey said.  “It would be silly for us to ignore that.”

Stephens believes the musical offers a shared experience that can help break down stereotypes. She said that some have a problem with transgender people because they’re afraid, they don’t know anyone who is transgender.   

“It’s important that they get to meet someone from the trans community,” she said.  After seeing Hedwig, audience members can “come away feeling like they met someone who’s a human being.”

Hedwig, as a character, has to be knowledgeable of the environment, Parkey said.  It is one of the things he likes most about the show.

Adding a few local ties draws the audience in to this story that is “funny, heartwarming, at times silly” according to Quaintance. “It’s an incredibly entertaining night out.  The audience will walk away with a deeper understanding of the human experience.”

At the forefront of that experience is Hedwig with glitter, glam, makeup and heels. 

“It’s a vulgar character but as she tells her story, you end up on her side,” Carignan said.  “By the end of the show, people are won over.”  

Parkey was won over the first time he performed as Hedwig in college.

“It is the most challenging thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “I enjoy putting myself in tough situations and figuring it out.”  

In school, Parkey, who says he was meek and an introvert, was encouraged to play the boy next door, and nerdy characters. “But I felt that was not me.”

“Hedwig has redefined who I am as an artist,” he said. “By being able to take on her voice it has taught me how to have my own. I think I’ve learned how to be confident and daring as a person and as a performer.”

Written by John Cameron Mitchell with music and lyrics by Stephen Trask, Hedwig has a celebrated soundtrack.

“This is, I think, the greatest rock score in the history of musicals,” said Quaintance.

The musical has gained a “Rocky Horror” type following, and CFRT invites the audience to wear costumes to a Hedwig costume party for the May 27 performance. Party events are scheduled before and after the performance.

Hedwig And The Angry Inch contains sexual content and mature language. It is recommended for theatre-goers at least 17-years-old.  For more information, call 910.323.4233 or visit www.cfrt.org

Childhood taunt updated: “Vlad and The Donald sitting in a tree/K-I-S-S-I-N-G/First, comes love/ Then, comes marriage/Then, comes The Donald with a baby carriage.” The original childhood ditty morphed into the unsettling thought expressed in the version set out above. The new limerick was triggered by a disturbing mural. Across the sea in Vilnius, Lithuania, a mural is causing a disturbance in the Force. An artist named Mindaugas Bonanu painted a mural on a restaurant showing The Donald and Vladmir Putin kissing each other.

Bonanu’s inspiration for the Donald’s lip lock with Putin was a semi famous photograph from 1979 of the world’s ugliest dictator, Leonid Brezhnev kissing East Germany’s dictator, Erich Honecker. At the time this was described as a “socialist fraternal kiss” to commemorate the 30th anniversary of East Germany. This photograph went the 1979 equivalent of viral. It showed up as posters plastered to the western side of the Berlin Wall with the caption “My God, help me survive this deadly kiss.” 

As we all know, The Donald and The Vladster are involved in a political bromance. Each one has issued admiring statements about the other half of their bromance. Ponder for a moment the gooey things they said about each other. Putin on The Donald: “Mr. Trump is a very bright and talented man. The absolute leader of the presidential race.... He wants to move to a different level of relations, to more solid, deeper relations with Russia.” The Donald on Putin: “He’s got a tremendous popularity in Russia. They love what he is doing, they love what he represents... It is always a great honor to be so nicely complimented by a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond.” 

Being unable to rise above elementary school logic, I recall the old schoolyard taunt, “It takes one to know one.” Putin and The Donald are kindred spirits. If you like Putin’s dictatorial reign in Russia and Ukraine, you might love The Donald’s Presidency. There is a weird right wing affinity for Putin that shows up on Facebook frequently in the form of manly pictures of a shirtless Putin riding a horse bareback and President Obama riding a bicycle wearing a bike helmet. In the eyes of the far right, Putin is a macho man; Obama, a sissy man from Kenya. It appears the far right is looking for a king to make America great again by returning to the 1950s when men were men, women knew their place and black people had their own separate-but-almost-equal water fountains. You have to be careful what you wish for because sometimes you might get it. 

Aesop told a fable about the frogs who wished for a king. The story might shed some light on the right’s fascination with Putin and its desire for a strongman to make America great. Once upon a time there were a family of frogs who lived in a pond. The frogs saw that humans had kings. The frogs figured that although their pond was good, that it would be even better if they had a king. They asked Zeus to send them a king. Zeus told them they really didn’t need a king but the frogs were insistent. Zeus liked the frogs and decided to indulge them by sending them a king. He dropped a log into the pond telling them the log was now their king. The log made a huge splash. The frogs were scared and hid in the bull rushes. After a while the frogs realized the log wasn’t moving. The bravest frog came out and touched the log and skittered back into the weeds. The log did nothing. The brave frog came back out and touched the log. Nothing happened. Finally the frog jumped on top of the log and the rest of the frogs soon followed. The log wasn’t much of a king.

The frogs complained to Zeus that they needed a real king. Zeus became irritated and sent a heron to the pond to be the king of the frogs. The frogs were happy at first with their new king Heron as he was a good looking bird with fine feathers. Then the Heron started eating the frogs. This hungry new king was not what the frogs expected. They pleaded with Zeus to take back the Heron. Zeus replied choices had consequences and they would have to live with the Heron as their king. 

There may be a moral somewhere in this story that applies to the 2016 Presidential election. Or maybe it’s just a story about frogs. 

Charlotte Blume 2015 Fayetteville Music Hall of Fame Award

I think my father started it years ago, but in our circle when a family member or friend does or says something so quintessentially “them,” someone is sure to say: “Thank you for being you!” 

It could be said lovingly, as when a protective mother never fails to say “be careful!” or even “don’t die” every time someone near and dear leaves home. It could be delivered with slight edge, as when an exceedingly thrifty friend habitually and alarmingly pushes expiration dates found in her fridge way over beyond the edge. It was used every time a much beloved and eccentric aunt dropped off birthday and holiday gifts at their recipients’ doors with no fanfare and no card. We always knew who left them, because they were unique. I received a single avocado on a recent birthday and knew precisely who left it at my garage door.

Thank you for being you, indeed.

Our politicians — love ‘em or loathe ‘em — can be counted on to be themselves in certain situations. President Obama, blessed with terrific  comedic timing, is generally a stitch at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. Presidential hopeful Donald Trump is dependable as an equal opportunity offender — insulting women, immigrants, Muslims and anyone who somehow offends him.  

We are thankful they are “them” — I guess.

Mary Karr, a memoirist and poet, wrote a recent essay for The New Yorker, in which she declared her love of very high stiletto heels that she ultimately donated to a Dress for Success program, although I have my doubts that such footwear will make any professional woman a success, with the world’s oldest profession being a possible exception.

Said Karr, “This spring I donated to Dress for Success a box of high heels that I — over decades — almost bankrupted myself for: Four-inch sandals with leafy vines that twine up your leg, five-inch leopard pumps that I could lurch about five feet in. The money I spent on them might have freed me to retire by now.”

Karr could obviously be trusted to teeter into most occasions, and however belatedly, to have the good sense to come back to terra firma. No doubt her friends and family are thanking her for being her.  

A recent Up and Coming Weekly, my most latest absolutely, positively final reference to the mysterious popularity of tattoos, especially the colorful, large scale ones, generated this response from a reader who refers to herself as the “Tattooed Librarian.”  She and I have corresponded on and off for five years, and she wrote to tell me about a recent acquisition.  

“I wanted to share with you what I am believing for now is ultimately my final tattoo done only days ago. This makes 12 in all (an even number is reason enough for making it my last.). My final tattoo, as I have been reading, in tribute to Prince, who was found dead on April 21st. I know I am not alone, due to reading of others also paying tribute to Prince by getting various tattoos associated with him and in honor.

“Well, I wanted to share with you my actual tattoo. Also, I wanted you to know why I chose to tattoo my arm with the symbol he used, instead of being known by his name years ago. Thus, also I am attaching a copy of the piece I have written with hopefully an explanation to give voice to how I feel about my honoring his memory in this way and what it means to me. Prince was someone I grew up as an icon, he is of my era, a Baby Boomer.

“I hope all is well with you. I thought of you because I continue to remember your interest in those who tattoo themselves. You really should consider someday getting a small one. We won’t tell.”  

The Tattooed Librarian did indeed include a selfie of her new Prince symbol tattoo — pictured here, as well as a fond tribute to the dearly departed entertainer whose life and work obviously touched her and millions of others.  

To my email friend, the Tattooed Librarian: I appreciate your writing to me over the last several years.  You have been a consistent and articulate voice, explaining why many people choose to ink their skin. I now understand that for many people, including you, tattoos are more than decoration. They commemorate or memorialize someone or an important life event. I certainly did not understand that the day I first became interested in tattoos, the day I was dumbstruck by large yellow Tweety Bird tattooed around a woman’s calf and peeping between the laces of her high heel sandals.  

And so, a hearty “thank you for being you,” to the Tattooed Librarian.

I would still love to know, though, exactly what Tweety Bird commemorates….

Fayetteville Observer reporter, Paul Wolverton, did an excellent job last week reporting on the developing trend of a dwindling population in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. (Saturday 5/21/2016). He did a yeoman’s job providing a shocking and alarming wake up call to all our civic and elected officials that Fayetteville and Cumberland County communities are not on the same progressive growth track as the rest of North Carolina.

Matter of fact, we are trending in the wrong direction. As Wolverton reported, according to the Census Bureau, Cumberland County lost about 2,500 residents since July 2013. Of these, nearly 2,200 residents were City of Fayetteville residents. He has provided every resident of the city and county with a candid and objective “report card” on just how well our elected officials and civic leaders are doing in leading, managingand developing our community. 

Well, folks, with North Carolina prospering and neighboring Cape Fear Region communities that surround Fayetteville and Cumberlandshowing consistent and substantial growth year after year, one must conclude that this report card sports a failing grade. At best, it serves as an objective and unbiased indicator that what we are doing — or not doing — as a community is serving as the catalyst for change. And, in this case, a change for the worse. 

So, thank you, Mr. Wolverton, you have done your job by providing insights into a situation that if not addressed aggressively and soon, will have a disastrous outcome for our city and county in the very near future. 

So, where do you start in finding solutions to reverse this exodus from Fayetteville and Cumberland County? What needs to be done? What actions need to be taken or what priorities need to be established? Do we need higher paying jobs or do we just need jobs? Do we have competent economic development leadership? Do we need to address our high crime rate or lower the local homicide rate? Do we need a cleaner and more beautiful community?

Do we need City and County elected officials coming together and collaborating with each other for the betterment of all residents? Should we consider addressing sewer line hook ups, storm water and clean water concerns as quality-of-life issues? Do we need stronger leadership or a more business friendly and supportive Chamber of Commerce? Do we need a more vibrant downtown? Do we need more recreational and quality-of-life facilities? Do we need to get dozens of panhandlers off our street corners? Do we need to define and address area homelessness? 

Should we expect and demand more positive and unbiased reporting services from our news media? Will a new Performing Arts Center curb the exodus from Cumberland County, or a baseball stadium housing a major league farm team? Are beautified gateways the answer? Are lower taxes needed? Higher taxes? How good are our public schools? Are we paying our teachers a fair and just salaries? Are our local educators setting the right examples for our children?

When will Fayetteville work on developing a “brand” it can be proud of? Do we have the right people in the right positions to reverse this community’s exodus of population?

Oh, so many questions. However, people who really love and understand this community know everything listed above is relevant and doable. The only thing stopping us is our inability to get out of our own way. We must eliminate the silos, insist on electing sincere and competent leadership and then allow them to lead. This means allowing them to succeed – or maybe even allowing them to fail. A good leader puts his ideas out there with a prudent plan for execution and success. Unfortunately, we have a reputation for killing a good idea before the person presenting it has a chance to make his case. The result? Lots of talk, lots of conjecture, lots of highly paid consultants that produce studies that are for the most part, totally ignored. Folks, these are not the characteristics of a progressive community trying to endear itself to the public, business or industry. 

Anyone reading this newspaper knows we love Fayetteville and Cumberland County and have made a successful 20-year business out of accentuating and promoting its history  and its cultural and community assets. No one is in a better position to evaluate, identify and analyze why we are losing our population and how to reverse this horrific trend. Well, here it is in an extremely simplistic explanation: We are losing our population to other regional communities because the perceived value, beauty and enjoyment of living in the Fayetteville and Cumberland County community is being overshadowed, outweighed and diminished by the number of actual and perceived negative factors of living here. The good news is: we have the leadership and resources to turn this trend around. We need to get them in the right place with the right priorities and support their initiatives. 

I heard Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson speak recently and he expounded on a nearly endless list of programs, opportunities and initiatives that would affect this community positively. All we need to do now is: Get it done!

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly. 

Horrible things happen that most teenage drivers don’t see first-hand. TV and movie depictions are either cleansed of reality or somehow send a convincing message that it just isn’t real. Too many young people decide they are safe because it wasn’t them or their friends or their parents. And then one night, a North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper shows up at their home, and they learn that a car wreck killed their brother or sister or best friend forever.

Last year, the North Carolina Highway Patrol investigated vehicle collisions that killed 71 teens, ages 16 to 19. That’s 71 classmates, 71 friends — not in the same school, but part of their generation, gone. Drinking, texting and speeding does that.

Highway Patrol Trooper Derric Reed brought a sobering message to seniors at Cape Fear High School eagerly looking forward to prom night and graduation ceremonies. The Keys to Life Program, used by law enforcement across the state, is one of the best ways to demonstrate to kids how disobeying the law creates consequences beyond what they ever imagined. 

Students filed into the Colts’ gymnasium, giggling and joking as teens do, but they quickly became silent watching in horror a gruesome video of teens hurtling around in slow motion inside a car as it collided with another. Groans were heard when photos of severed limbs appeared on the screen. Then, there was tough talk.

A judge repeatedly told the kids he would take their driver’s license if they blew anything above a zero on a Breathalyzer test or got caught holding a buddy’s beer. He wouldn’t hesitate to impound their car, even if it belonged to the parents. 

An Emergency Medical Service worker said that looking down and typing LOL (laughing out loud) on a cell phone was an impairment equivalent to drinking four beers. Trooper Reed pleaded to students to put the phones down and not to drink.

The teens saw two “collided” vehicles and a teen drunk driver portrayed by a theater student, wandering in a daze around the crumpled metal and lifeless bodies of her friends. 

Paramedics were first to arrive at this mock accident scene.  They quickly checked the pulse of the two teens who were thrown from the car.  The paramedics covered them with white sheets. 

Members of the fire department arrived, sirens blazing.  They cut off the roof of one car to release injured occupants. Emergency Medical Technicians bandaged them, moved them onto stretchers and hoisted them into ambulances.

Uncomfortable with the strong message that this dreadful thing could happen to them or to someone they love, a few teens nervously snickered as they watched from the bleachers. 

A state trooper used a Breathalyzer to test the driver. Inebriated, she was handcuffed and placed in a State Highway Patrol car to be taken to jail.

The trooper talked to her like it was a real event, and she nearly cried. Even though Alisha Bradshaw was acting, it felt like the accident was all her fault.  She saw the deadly consequence of drinking and driving, and she was glad to bring this message to her fellow students. 

The Keys to Life Program has become a major tool in getting the attention of high school students in Cumberland County and across the state.  Studies show that teens often make risky decisions because the brain isn’t fully developed until the age of 25. As has been said, one picture is worth a thousand words, and this visual depiction of a deadly accident scene makes a bigger impact on teens than words alone. Gov. Pat McCrory supports programs like Keys to Life that help keep school students safe.

Many thanks go to the members of Cumberland County’s Emergency Medical Services, the sheriff’s office and 911 communications center along with the Vander Fire Department and the University of North Carolina Hospital’s life flight.  These emergency workers know firsthand the importance of teens driving safely and responsibly. Kudos go to these emergency workers who took valuable time from their jobs to make the biggest impression possible on the 2016 graduating class of Cape Fear High School.     

Garland Denny was a patriotic, selfless and persistent local veteran.

Denny dedicated his retirement years to promoting several outside-the-box, creative ideas to increase funding for veterans’ services without increasing the tax burden, wisely recognizing that Washington bureaucrats don’t have all the answers.

One of his ideas was to create a “Stamp Out PTSD” semi-postal stamp. The semi-postal stamp would sell for more than the cost of first-class postage, with the difference being donated to PTSD treatment and research.

There are currently two similar semi-postal stamps in circulation, one for breast cancer research and one for endangered species. 

You might think having a new stamp created for such a great cause would be a simple enough task for Washington to handle, but you would be wrong. Even though Congress gave the United States Postal Service full authority to create new semi-postal stamps in 2005, the USPS had always declined to use that authority.  

Last summer, in support of Denny, I gathered 55 colleagues from the U.S. House and Senate and together, and we wrote the Postmaster General asking her to update USPS rules regarding semi-postal stamps with the hopes of accelerating Denny’s Stamp Out PTSD project. 

Acting upon my request, the USPS has just announced revised rules allowing for consideration of new semi-postal stamps to raise money for charitable causes, such as  Denny’s Stamp Out PTSD stamp.

Unfortunately, Denny passed away last October. However, his legacy lives on through his son, Chuck Denny, who has taken up his father’s mission and is working to submit an updated proposal based on the new USPS rules. My office is helping gather the necessary support from various government offices.  

Garland Denny was tenacious in his mission to support veterans. If he were still with us, I’m confident he’d already be on the phone building support for this new opportunity, and the Postal Service would be flooded with calls and letters urging the creation of the Stamp Out PTSD semi-postal stamp. 

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, up to 20 percent of veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom experience PTSD. Among those who served in Desert Storm, roughly 12 percent experience PTSD, and the number increases drastically for our Vietnam veterans. Garland Denny made it his mission to make sure these brave Americans receive the proper treatment.

Garland Denny is a reminder that one committed American can make a big difference. Selfless patriots like  Garland and his son are what make this country great, and while their mission is not yet complete, we will continue to push forward until we Stamp Out PTSD.

 

Michelle Ingram loves jazz and she loves to laugh. She left Fayetteville 28 years ago and cultivated her love of jazz in places far and wide. “I have a lot of musician friends from Colorado, California, Florida and it was fun to go see them perform,” she said. 

Ingram recently returned Fayetteville and was pleasantly surprised at everything there is to do here. “It was like Fayetteville just exploded. Places that I remember as fields and dirt roads have shopping centers and housing developments on them now,” she said. While Fayetteville is definitely not the place she left almost three decades ago, Ingram is eager to be a part of the positive growth that has redefined the city — by bringing some of that jazz she loves so much to the community. “I moved here and my friends would call and they asked if there is a jazz club here,” said Ingram. “And they were surprised when I told them there is not. Actually, I was surprised, too, because there is some amazing talent here. I think a lot of people are unaware just how much local talent there is here or how good the local jazz artists are. Or maybe because a musician is local they don’t think of the performer as a big name. But if you look at where they have been and who they played with, they are big — and they are that good.” 

With a passion for jazz and comedy, connections in the music world, a deep pool of local talent, a growing city with a thriving music and arts culture, and experience promoting music events and venues in the past, it was clear to Ingram what she needed to do. She started Michelle’s Jazz and Comedy Entertainment and started putting together the inaugural season of Fayetteville’s Jazz and Comedy Showcase.

Instead of opening a jazz club, Ingram intends to host shows at different venues around Fayetteville. “I am thinking there will be a concert or comedy show every two months or so,” said Ingram. It will be enough that people can look forward to quality entertainment, but not so much that they become uninterested.” Her goal is to host a jazz festival in Festival Park in the summer of 2017 in addition to concerts and comedy shows throughout the year.

The first performance is scheduled for June 18 at the Metropolitan Room. The entertainment roster features an opening performance by Pete Everett and the Total Package Band, which is a touring international band playing original, jazz-infused rhythm and blues, funk, jazz and gospel music.

Poet Kwabena Dinizulu is set to perform also.

Vocalist Theo Valentin and bassist and musical director Mike Ely will perform as well as special guests Sam Rucker and Willie Bradley. Valentin sang her first solo for an audience in her church when she was just 5-years-old and her passion has never waned. She performed in high school and attended Norfolk University in Norfolk, Virginia, majoring in voice and minoring in piano. She’s been performing ever since.

Saxophonist Sam Rucker is known for connecting to the audience with his music. With two albums under his belt, Rucker’s original songs are not only encouraging, they are entertaining as well.

A son of Fayetteville, trumpeter Willie Bradley has a degree in music education and performance. He’s played with  pros including  Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Frank Foster, Max Roach, Betty Carter and Nat Adderley.

Grammy-award winner Norman Connors and the Starship Orchestra will headline the show. A native of Philadelphia, Connors showed an interest in jazz at a young age. He met music legend and his personal idol, Miles Davis, when he was just 13. By his early 20s he’d signed a record deal with Buddah Records and scored several hit songs including “You Are My Starship” and “Valentine Love.” His later songs include “Take It to the Limit,” “Black Cow” and “Passion.”

Set in a jazz night club setting, Ingram chose the Metropolitan room for its cozy feel. “There will be appetizers, which are included in the price of the ticket, and the tables will be for four instead of eight to make this an intimate experience.” 

There are two show times of 7 and 10 p.m. 

Next in the series is the 100 percent Outrageous Clean Comedy Show on July 30.  “Comedy shows are really enjoyable — laughing is important,” said Ingram. “Sometimes big shows come to town, but at the end of the day, if you can go to a small venue and have a good laugh, that’s just as good.  So I try to bring more clean comedy to the area. I guess as you get older maybe you don’t want to hear the profanity as much.” 

This event is at the Embassy Suites Hotel Ballroom. Entertainers include Dave Martin, Elaine Postman, Michelle Miller, Chris Petty and Ray Thomas. 

Ingram says she is in this for the long haul and is pouring her heart and soul into the project with the intention of having a lasting positive impact on the community. 

“I’m no one-hit wonder. I know other promoters have come and gone and maybe have left a bad taste in people’s mouths, but I am here to stay.” 

Other shows scheduled this year include:The Hit Ladies of Comedy Show at the Embassy Suites Hotel Ballroom on Oct. 1; The Latin Jazz Explosion at The Metropolitan Room on Nov. 5; and The Heart of Christmas at The Crown Theatre on Dec. 3.

For more information, visit www.michellesjazzcomedyent.com/home.html.

I must make one caveat before I begin this review. I love the music of Johnny Cash. I learned a lot of it as a small child riding in the truck with my Dad — who also loved the music of Johnny Cash. That being the case, I will admit that I have been looking forward to this show since the Cape Fear Regional Theatre announced it’s season. This could be a very good thing for the CFRT or a very bad thing. 

I’m happy to say, it was a very, very good thing. 

Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash is just what the title says. It is a musical walk through and celebration of the Man in Black; his struggles, his victory and most importantly, his music. And it is the music and the musicians who were cast in the show who truly make it a must see. 

At the helm of the production is the Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s Founding Artistic Director Bo Thorp. Baxter Clement, who also portrayed Johnny, is the musical director. The two, who have collaborated in the past, pulled together an outstanding cast and brought a stellar show to the stage.

As mentioned in our preview, the show you will see when you buy your tickets (and you really want to buy tickets for this show) is not the show you would have seen if you visited Broadway. There are no jazz hands, instead, you have a raw, honest look at Johnny Cash — warts and all. Thorp and the talented cast changed up the show. They became intimate with Cash’s life and told the story in a simple, honest manner.

They also knocked it out of the park.

Clement, a Southern Pines guitar store owner by way of Broadway and stages and concert halls all over the world, is very believable in the role of Cash. Having seen him as Buddy Holly at a previous River Show, I kind of wondered if I could buy him as Johnny Cash — a much different musician than Holly. He pulled it off masterfully. The audience loved him.

Clement set the bar high for the rest of the cast, and they didn’t disappoint. Malerie Goodman, a Fayetteville resident, was born and raised in Bakersville, California, the “honky tonk capital of the west,” played June Carter Cash, who was more than Johnny’s wife, she was his soul mate. Clement brought the playfulness that Carter Cash was known for to life, and  gave a spirited performance.

Carolanne Marano, also of Southern Pines, is a professional dancer/actor. She not only choreographed the show, but also played the role of Johnny’s mother. She high-stepped and sang her way into the audience’s hearts. Of particular note was the breathtaking song she sang following the death of Johnny’s brother. She rang every drop of sorrow from every note, and left me in tears. It was a magical moment on the stage.

Also creating a magical moment on the stage was the Cape Fear Regional’s own Ken Griggs. Griggs is master of the stage, and in this show got a chance to show off his musical chops, playing a number of instruments and singing. His magic moment came near the end of the show when he performed Cash’s patriotic “Old Ragged Flag.” The song is really a spoken work, which Griggs brought passion and patriotic fervor to. Griggs, who retired from the military a little more than a year ago, has a passion for Soldiers and is a patriot. When he turned and saluted the flag... well, what else can I say... magic.

James Villone and Kendra Jo Brook amazed me by their diversity when it came to playing. Each changed instruments two to three times and mastered all of them. Villone, also of Southern Pines, plays multiple instruments and in fact teaches at Casino Guitars, Clement’s store in Southern Pines. But he has earned his musical chops on stages all across the southeast performing solo or as a member of a country band. This was his first outing into musical theatre, but I hope it is not his last. Brook, a native of Montana, who came to the CFRT by way of New York City, fiddled her way into the hearts of CFRT patrons.

You have one more weekend to see this great show. It’s one you don’t want to miss!!

Five years after his release from prison, James Butler, 49, of Fayetteville, is looking for a job. 

Butler spent eight months behind bars for assault. Previously, he worked as a machine operator after getting out of jail, but he got in trouble again, when he was charged with DWI. He is now on probation. Thanks to a new program in Cumberland County, Butler’s prospect of finding another job is better than you might think. 

On May 13, he attended a Cumberland County community resource meeting for ex-offenders, wearing a white shirt and tie and polished shoes. Butler wanted to learn more about the program for individuals who have been convicted of felonies. 

“Most ex-felons say that their greatest desire upon release is to be given a fair chance to succeed in America,” Dr. Tracey Andrus writes in Corrections.com. “When businesses close their doors to ex-felons, and private and public entities refuse to allow them a chance to work, what other recourse do they have?” 

He is Director of Criminal Justice at a private historically black college in East Texas. He looked closely at this topic because African Americans make up approximately 47 percent of the inmate population in the United States.  

The local meeting, sponsored by Project Fresh Start, focused on helping individuals who have been convicted of felonies to find employment and affordable housing. Ex-offenders who are released from prison and acquire gainful employment and have the support of their loved ones are much more likely to stay out of prison longer and in many cases never return, research shows. 

County Commissioner Charles Evans, himself a convicted felon, organized Project Fresh Start. He was convicted of drug possession and embezzlement and was on probation for eight months until he paid $3,000 in restitution. Evans has been elected to public office four times since then. 

“Sometimes we make mistakes, but those mistakes shouldn’t follow us the rest of our lives,” said Evans. 

In 2011, he persuaded his fellow county commissioners to “ban the box” on job applications. That means persons seeking work with the county can apply without revealing if they have a criminal record. They even go through their initial interview without being asked if they’ve been convicted of a felony, according to county Human Resources Consultant Laura Blackley. Once a background check has been completed, applicants are asked about the crimes they were convicted of and how long it had been since they were released. They’re asked what they’ve done with their lives since then, according to Blackley. If everything checks out, the applicants’ backgrounds are matched with the job they’re seeking. The City of Fayetteville has also banned the box.

A couple of dozen former felons attended the meeting and were told “Cumberland County believes in you,” by County Commission Chairman Marshall Faircloth. 

Other local and state government agencies participated in the meeting, encouraging offenders to apply. They included the county re-entry program, the North Carolina Works Career Center, Cumberland County Public Library, the Department of Social Services, Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority and Fayetteville Area System of Transit.

Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission is quietly improving the city’s night scene by lighting it up. Bright LED street lights are replacing older fixtures. It’s taking time and a lot of money. “In the coming fiscal year alone PWC will spend $7.3 million in thoroughfare, street and area lighting,” said PWC General Manager David Trego. The LED lights being installed were chosen following consultation with Fayetteville Police after a downtown pilot test project. Trego says the return on investment will break even in five years once the installation is complete because of the more efficient and longer lasting LED lights. PWC began installing the new lights in 2014. Trego says the project should be completed by 2021 at a total cost of $41 million. 

Unfortunately, not all areas of the city will benefit from the upgrade. Another unintended consequence of the ‘big bang’ annexation several years ago was that areas formerly in the county are not being upgraded because the city-owned utility does not serve those areas. The N.C. Utilities Commission protects the investments of the power companies that provided electricity there prior to annexation. City Councilman Chalmers McDougald asked Trego about that. McDougald represents some of the areas served by Duke Energy Progress as well as Lumbee River EMC and South River EMC. Thousands of residents are on those electrical power systems that are now inside the city limits. “The street lights out there are 40 years old,” McDougald said. 

That is no exaggeration. Duke Energy says about 25 percent of its outdoor lights use obsolete mercury vapor fixtures, identifiable by their cool, bluish light. Most of those fixtures were installed decades ago and have long since come to the end of their useful life. PWC replaced mercury vapor lights years ago with brighter sodium vapor lights which have also become obsolete. PWC’s Trego said he will invite representatives of the electricity providers which serve annexed areas of Fayetteville to come to a community meeting. McDougald’s hope is the three companies will adopt a mutually agreeable program to upgrade their street lights. They’ll also be asked to add additional utility poles which currently are much farther apart than those on the PWC system. 

“LED lights last for 17 years at one half the cost of sodium vapor fixtures,” said Trego. In 2014, Duke Energy Progress said it had launched initiatives to modernize outdoor lighting across its service area. It received approval from the Utilities Commission to replace more than 100,000 mercury vapor street and area lights with LED fixtures. The project is part of the utility’s Lighting Modernization Program in its North Carolina service area which apparently hasn’t reached suburban Fayetteville. The utility has also proposed a replacement plan for its customers in South Carolina.

Fayetteville City Council surprisingly said “no” to a vote of the people in November on whether terms of office should be changed. Councilman Larry Wright floated the idea of changing members’ terms from two to four years. A majority of Council was against the idea, but publically supported putting it to a referendum. That all changed last week when council voted 5-5 against any change. A tie vote kills the plan. The proposal would have divided candidates for City Council into two groups to serve staggered four year terms. Staggered terms wouldn’t have allowed an entire council to be held accountable. The codes of ordinances for most, large municipalities in North Carolina provide for two-year terms of office. 

Chamber Hires New CEO – Again               

Fayetteville Business Consultant Darsweil Rogers has taken the reins as Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber. He succeeds Rodney Anderson who unexpectedly submitted his resignation last week. Anderson retired from the Army in 2012 as a two-star general, and was hired by the Chamber six months ago. Rogers will serve as president “for an unspecified time and will focus on continuing the action plan presented in the Task Force 2025 report at the end of last year,” according to Chamber Chairman Brian Kent. Anderson has decided to pursue other business interests according to Kent. Chamber insiders are disappointed that membership continues to decline from what it was 20 years ago when it peaked at 1,500. Kent says the roster today is 750 members, despite a concerted effort to recruit new business people. Rogers also serves as Chairman of Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission. He brings more than 30 years of experience in business and finance. He spent many years on Wall Street and specializes in executive business coaching and management training.                                

 

Troops Return Home                             

 

Soldiers of the 18th Field Artillery Brigade headquarters are back home at Fort Bragg following a nine-month deployment to the Middle East. About 100 soldiers and their families were reunited at Pope Field. The brigade colors were uncased, symbolizing the unit’s return. The unit headquarters commanded all U.S. Field Artillery elements the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. They provided targeting, coordination and synchronization of long-range-precision firing. Central Command is responsible for the U.S. military presence in 20 nations including the Middle East.

The 18th Field Artillery Brigade is America’s contingency Field Artillery Brigade supporting its parent XVIII Airborne Corps as well as Special Operations Forces. 

 

 

 

 

Fort Bragg Extended Day Care … Someday  

Additional available child care is making a difference for some military working parents, especially those in the Navy. The program hasn’t yet been implemented in the Army. The added flexibility is relieving stress that can happen when workstretches beyond 6 p.m. - closing time. Too often, parents find themselves racing to pick up their children at military child development centers. “If I don’t get to day care on time, I feel like I’m a horrible mom,” Navy Lt. Rita Johnson told the Military Times. She and her husband are among hundreds of military parents who have benefited from Navy and Marine Corps child development centers extending their operating hours. They open at 5 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. The Army expects to complete its analysis by the end of May and will likely start increasing day care hours at some locations in October, according to Army spokesman Dave Foster. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has extended those extra hours of operation to all the service branches. 

City Recognizes Excellence

Fayetteville residents are asked to nominate city employees for its Core Values Award. It’s a program that recognizes City employees for their exemplary performance. The program is designed to recognize and increase employee engagement in providing excellence in job performance on behalf of the City’s customers … it’s citizens. All City employees are eligible for recognition and can be nominated by fellow employees and the community at large. The deadline for the upcoming July Core Values Award program is May 31. For more information, including the form, visit the City’s website at www.FayettevilleNC.gov/CoreValuesAward.  

FSU Professor honored                                  

Fayetteville State University’s 2016 Excellence in Teaching award winner is Dr. Heather M. Griffiths. She’s an associate professor of sociology and has taught at Fayetteville State University for nine years. Her movie reviews appear in Up & Coming Weekly each week.. Griffiths uses teaching methods that encourage active learning such as debating contemporary issues. She challenges her students to understand the interplay of race, gender and class by guiding them through discussions that focus on the complexity of various perspectives. In 2010, she developed a lower-level sociology course called The Global Society. The course introduces students to pressing worldwide issues, equips them to live and work in a globally interdependent world and encourages them to become responsible citizens. In one letter of support, a student wrote that, “her class discussions were thought-provoking and forced students to think outside of the box on various social issues and problems.” Griffiths holds a bachelor’s in sociology and a bachelor’s in anthropology from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. She earned her master’s from the University of Delaware in 2003, and her PhD from the University of Delaware in 2007.

 

 

E.E. Smith Principal Melody Chalmers Named Wells Fargo North Carolina     Principal of the Year

There’s something about being the headmaster of Fayetteville’s E.E. Smith High School. Principal Melody Chalmers is the 2016 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year. She is the third Smith principal among four in Cumberland County to be selected for this honor in the 33-year history of the Principal of the Year competition. 

“Melody is known as an innovative problem solver who is committed to the academic and personal growth of each of her students and teachers,” said State Superintendent June Atkinson. 

The 18-year veteran of public education received a bachelor’s degree in English education from North Carolina A&T State University and a master’s in school administration from Fayetteville State University. She has served her entire administrative career in Cumberland County Schools. 

As Wells Fargo Principal of the Year, Chalmers receives $3,000 for personal use and $3,000 for her school and a custom-made signet ring and pendant. She will serve as a member of the State Superintendent’s Principals’ Advisory Committee, and as an adviser to the State Board of Education and the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Public School Forum.

 

 

 

 

 

More Charges against Accused Pedophile   

Former part-time coach Rodney Scott’s bond is now $17.3 million. He’s being held in the Cumberland County Detention Center. “Fayetteville Police detectives have served 55 additional warrants on Scott,” said Lt. David McLaurin. He said yet another victim, who was 13 at the time he was molested, has come forward. Scott was previously accused by at least five men who claimed they had been sexually assaulted as children. The most recent victim told police his episodes with Scott occurred during most of 2014 while in foster care at Scott’s home.  A dedicated phone line established to report criminal misconduct involving Scott has been discontinued without explanation. McLaurin says anyone who believes they have been a victim of Scott’s should contact police at 433-1529.

 

There is a point to be made in this column. Please, bear with me as I do some setting up before getting to that point.

A couple of weeks ago I was working in the Fayetteville Community Garden and across the way, a young man called out, “Hello, Mr. Merritt.” As he came closer, I remembered having met him a few years ago. He is less than 18-years-old. We started talking and I asked how he was doing. His response saddened me almost to tears. After some summary statements about all that was going wrong with him, he broke eye contact with me and said, “Mr. Merritt, life is all messed up.” 

This young man is not unique in his circumstance. There are far too many like him in Fayetteville and across this nation. Among the pressing, baffling questions of our time is how do we revive lives like that of this hurting, struggling boy? How do we prevent others from coming to the despair that I saw on that boy’s face and heard in his voice?

There is an amazing amount of research (completed and ongoing) that aims to answer those questions. Tim White, editorial page editor of the Fayetteville Observer, refers to one such study in a column titled, “Our leaders ignore our biggest problem.” White makes the case that until Fayetteville leaders seriously address the issue of poverty, none of our other major issues will be resolved. 

In Tim White’s words: “Here’s the bottom line, and it’s not pretty: Unless we solve our chronic poverty problem and bring hope to Fayetteville’s young people, we’ll never lick our crime problem, never have the money to fix infrastructure, always have ugly gateways and continue our long tradition of intergovernmental bickering.”

It is in his calling for solutions that White reports the John H. Belk Endowment reviewed available data which showed the enormous negative impact of poverty across North Carolina. He says in response the endowment “…hired MDC, a Durham nonprofit, to research the reasons, put more flesh on the bare bones and try to come up with some solutions, or at least some strategies to start finding the way out.” The MDC report is titled “North Carolina’s Economic Imperative: Building an Infrastructure of Opportunity” and is available at mdcinc.org. 

The MDC report includes seven pages of discussion resulting from the team’s visit to Fayetteville. The following quote from the report clearly reflects the severity of Fayetteville’s situation:

“Recent research from the Equality of Opportunity project shows that the city has a “place penalty” of almost negative 18 percent — the lowest figure in a study of the 100 largest commuting zones in the country. That means, no matter where he or she ends up as an adult, a child born in Fayetteville will earn significantly less than she would have otherwise, had she been born somewhere else.

Through research regarding our city and interviews of various individuals in Fayetteville, the MDC team’s report presents conditions and deficiencies that might contribute to our difficulties regarding opportunities for citizens. For instance, reference is made to our community lacking the “sophisticated marketing” effort to translate a person’s military skills to a civilian job description. The lack of “stitching together” among various systems is raised as a limiting factor. Jim Lott of the Cumberland County Office of Workforce Development is quoted as saying, “The challenge is linking all the systems. We have most of the pieces in place here. I don’t know that they’re stitched together well enough.” There is a discussion of our educational assets such as universities and community colleges along with Fort Bragg as an asset. Then, referring to our schools, there is the statement, “...black students are three times as likely to be in high-poverty schools (27 percent) as white students (9 percent).” This is a very limited sampling of what the report presents. 

As is the case with most reports such as this, there is valuable information that can produce positive results if used. However, I always see the same missing piece as I read reports that aim to answer the question of how do we save people from coming to lives filled with constant struggle and repeated failure, from achieving so much less than is possible in America. My father, Rev. M.W. Merritt Sr., reinforced in me an understanding of that missing piece. When I was installed as pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Stafford, Virginia, Daddy preached the installation sermon. He talked about how “attitude determines altitude.” That is, a person’s feeling or way of thinking affects his or her behavior and, thereby, determines the extent to which they achieve positive results in life.  

A powerful demonstration as to the critical role attitude plays in a person’s living comes through in an article by Greg Barnes, a Fayetteville Observer reporter. The title is “It Takes a Village: Chris Wallace, who grew up in poverty, helps children like him.” Barnes writes, “Chris Wallace Jr. was 6-months-old when his mother dropped him off at his grandmother’s house and never returned.” 

The reporter traces the life of Wallace from that point. His mother left this 6-month-old black boy to be reared by his father, a heavy user of drugs and alcohol, in Fayetteville’s poorest neighborhoods. (The father has since gotten his life together.) The article details the tremendous challenges faced and overcome by Wallace. Those challenges included, but were not limited to, bouncing between living with his father and with his grandmother; confronting the temptation to sell drugs; surviving in the midst of a neighborhood enduring a crack cocaine epidemic; going to school without washing because water had been cut off; being ridiculed and bullied by other children as “the boy with the do-it-yourself haircut, shabby clothes and holes in his shoes.” 

Fast-forward to where Barnes talks about Chris Wallace the adult. He records that Wallace earned a degree in journalism and mass communication from A&T State University in 2003. Three years later, he added a communications studies degree from UNC Greensboro, followed by a nonprofit management certificate from Duke University. Wallace is head of the University of North Carolina’s Communiversity Youth Programs, which picks up kids from area elementary schools, takes them to a local church and provides them educational enrichment. He was recently awarded the Robert E. Bryan public service award from UNC. 

So, how is it Chris Wallace Jr. rose from the ash heap of his dismal beginning, which was compounded by years of negative experiences, to a successful life? First and foremost, it was because he took on an attitude conducive to successful living. That attitude was clearly one of seeking opportunity, thinking for himself, having goals and remaining focused on them, not allowing others to destroy his self-confidence; the listing of similar attitudinal elements goes on. 

This success-oriented attitude did not just happen. There were people in that Old Wilmington Road neighborhood that helped plant and nourish that attitude. Among them were James “Pete” McEachern and his wife, Mizella. Barnes powerfully describes how on their way home from school Chris and other children walked past drug dealers and into the home of Mizella and Pete McEachern. Those children sat at the kitchen table and did their homework while eating fresh cornbread Mizella always baked. I know Mizella and Pete McEachern well. The good that went on in that kitchen was about far more than homework and cornbread. Barnes quotes Mizella as saying, “The only thing I did was encourage them to stay in school and always say ‘yes, ma’am and no, sir’ to older people, not because it was something you had to do but because it showed a type of respect,” Those children were given an opportunity to develop the attitude necessary for successful living. 

Chris Wallace got it. His having gotten the success generating attitude shows through not only in his living but in a single statement Barnes attributes to Wallace, “Service is not a part of life. It is life.”

If we are going to make broken lives whole again or help people navigate around the choices that result in brokenness, society must first nurture in them attitudes conducive to successful living. Make a multitude of educational opportunities available, “stitch” systems together, offer skill retraining and on and on with promising actions. That boy in the garden will not be revived until his attitude moves to a much more positive place than “Life is messed up.” Doing so requires hearing from people like Pete McEachern, Mizella McEachern, and Chris Wallace who understand “attitude determines altitude.” 

My friend and former legislative colleague, Rick Glazier, an education advocate extraordinaire, fought for students and schools on both the Cumberland County Board of Education and in the North Carolina General Assembly. When others bemoaned student achievement and behavior, Rick often said this: “Parents send schools the best children they have.”

This simple, yet profound, observation resonates with me on several levels. All parents, whatever their circumstances, want the best for their children, and all children want to please their parents, even though it is sometimes difficult to discern both desires. Life and its attendant busyness get in the way, as do the maturity and life skills of both parents and children.

Like every mother on earth, I have wondered since my first Precious Jewel drew breath whether I am guiding them on correct paths to help them become productive adults with work and social skills and nurturing relationships. I suspect most parents meet our maker still wondering if we really did the best we could. Advice to parents abounds — some better than others, of course, but a recent find makes great sense to me.

Business Insider, which bills itself as the world’s largest business news website, ran a recent article asserting that “Science says parents of successful kids have these 13 things in common,” featuring a lovely photograph of British billionaire Richard Branson with his smiling mother. Based on research from leading universities from Duke to Stanford, BI’s tips are common sense but not necessarily easy to accomplish, at least they were not in the Dickson household. The words in quotation marks are BI’s, and the comments are largely mine.  I have omitted two for length.

Successful parents “make their kids do chores.” I know, I know! Chores often generate whining and procrastination, and it is often easier and more efficient to do it yourself.  But if your Jewels are not doing chores, that means someone else — probably mom or dad — is. Not realistic training for life, because mom and dad will not always be around when the Jewel is an adult.

“They teach their kids social skills.” It is a no brainer that children with social skills are more likely to succeed in the real world, because they cooperate, are kind and understand the feelings of others. They are more likely to earn a college degree and hold a full-time job, and less likely to get arrested, use unfortunate substances and live in public housing.

“They have high expectations.” Parents, no matter their own circumstances, who expect big things from their children, including college, are more likely to have children who fulfill those expectations.

“They have healthy relationships with each other.” We all know this. Children do better in stable, non-confrontational environments than those in conflict-ridden homes, whether that home is in tact or not. Acrimony and divorce follow children into adulthood.

“They have attained higher-educational levels.” Monkey see, monkey do. College-educated parents are more likely to raise college-educated children.

“They teach their kids math early on.” A study from Northwestern University finds that “mastery of early math skills predicts not only future math achievement, it also predicts future reading achievement.” ‘Nuff said.

“They develop a relationship with their kids.” Parents who respond sensitively and promptly to children’s needs nurture children who feel secure to explore the world around them, a positive attribute as they grow and develop.

“They’re less stressed.” Children are little barometers. They know when parents are anxious or troubled, and science has found an “emotional contagion.” In other words, we “catch” feelings from each other, and no parent wants to spread stress and anxiety.

“They value effort over avoiding failure.” This is your mother’s old bromide — you will never know until you try. The worst that can happen is that you will fail, but you will also learn something. Mom is right on this one.

“The moms work.” Oooh!  This is an angst inducer, one taht women have been arguing for generations. Having worked throughout the Precious Jewels’ childhoods and often feeling guilty about it, I told them they were THE most important thing in my life but not the only important thing. And a bonus here, Harvard professor Kathleen McGinn says, “There are very few things … that have such a clear effect on gender inequality as being raised by a working mother.”

“They teach grit.” This is what your mother called “stick-to-itiveness.” It is imagining the goal you want and committing to making it happen, like going to college and working in your dream profession.

Rick Glazier is right. Parents do send schools the best children they have, and — for better or worse — it has fallen to schools to help fill in some of the gaps. It is important that the rest of us understand that while learning is a lifelong process, the formative learning occurs early.

Our Precious Jewels are, in fact, largely what we make them.

Cumberland County Schools have been in the headlines quite a bit over the past two weeks. Some of it was good, some of it was not so good. In the interest of fair play, let’s start with the good news. The really bad news story will follow. 

Late last week, Melody Chalmers, the principal at E.E. Smith High School was named the North Carolina Principal of the Year. Wow! Now that’s a pretty big deal and says great things not only about Chalmers, but also about her school and Cumberland County education as a whole. Chalmers is a hands-on principal. She spends as much time on administrative duties as she does working with teachers and her students, all of whom turned out to surprise her last week at a pep rally to congratulate her on the award, which was presented on Thursday in Cary by State School Superintendent June Atkinson. 

Chalmers works hard to inspire success in her teachers, but even more importantly, in her students. She has created a culture of high expectations and high performance at her school. Her goal is to not only see her students graduate, but also seek higher education and gain success.

She knows the struggles they will face. She knows the long road that many of her students have already traveled, and she keeps pushing them to succeed. Chalmers, and the passion, care and dedication she brings to her job and to her students, are what is good about Cumberland County Schools. 

She is not alone in caring for her students and in seeking their success. Those same traits exist in educators throughout Cumberland County. As a mother of a teenager in the system, I see this every day. I have seen teachers go the extra mile to ensure my child’s success not only academically, but socially as well. Teachers and coaches, too many to mention by ame, have poured themselves into him. They have taught him, encouraged him, disciplined him when it was necessary and worked with me every step of the way. They are, also, part of what is good about Cumberland County Schools.

My son attends Gray’s Creek High School. It is a big school. But even at that, kids are not numbers, they are individuals. The teachers, coaches and administrators see them that way. They treat them that way. Among those administrators is Vernon Aldridge, the principal at Gray’s Creek High School.

Mr. Aldridge has been in the headlines recently — not necessarily in the way he would have wanted to be. Aldridge is a consummate professional. He, like Chalmers, takes care of his teachers and students. He encourages them and sets a good example for them. He expects them to do their very best. He knows his students by name. And, there’s a lot of them. I walked up one day to speak with him and began to introduce myself. He stopped me. He knew who I was. He knew my son and he knew that he played baseball and football. But he knows that about all of them. Aldridge doesn’t stay in his office. He is in the halls. He talks to his students. You could say, he mentors them — all of them. Not just the high performers. Not just the girls or boys or the white ones or African-American ones — all of them.

That’s why the recent news concerning his appointment to Activities Director for Cumberland County Schools was so upsetting to many people — myself included. This is where I get to the bad news.

It is a shame and a disgrace that in 2016, a good man, a great educator, a caring man like Vernon Aldridge was judged and found lacking not because of his talent or character, but because of the color of his skin. Cumberland County School Board members Carrie Sutton and Judy Musgrave should be ashamed. Yes, I know he got the job, but the fact that an educator who has poured himself into the lives of thousands of children in our school system was subjected to the kind of misguided racist treatment by our elected school board officials is a crying shame. 

In the week that has passed, we have heard many lame excuses from people at all levels trying to justify those inappropriate statements and walk them back. No need. It doesn’t matter now. The two board members that voted against Aldridge and the one that abstained because it was politically correct should all be censored. That is not the attitude or style of leadership that motivates, educates, encourages or develops our young people. Their character is surely being judged now. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.