The Crown Coliseum presents Boyz II Men in concert on Friday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. The trio holds the distinction of being the best-selling R & B group of all time with 60 million albums sold. The members consist of Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman. 

During the 1990s, Boyz II Men gained international success. Their success began with “End of the Road” in 1992, which reached the top of the charts worldwide. The song also set a new record for longevity staying at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for thirteen weeks breaking the record held by Elvis Presley. Throughout their musical career, they have won four Grammy awards, nine American Music Awards, nine Soul Train Music Awards, three Billboard Awards and a 2011 MOBO Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. I recently reached out to the group for an interview: 

Shanessa Fenner, Up & Coming Weekly: What should the audience expect on March 11 at the Crown Complex in Fayetteville, North Carolina?

Shawn Stockman: Fans can expect to hear all of our old hits that everyone knows and can sing along to. We love North Carolina — we’ve played there a lot over the years — so we’re really looking forward to this show. 

UCW: Have you been working on some new projects? What kinds of projects are you working on? 

SS: Recently we performed on FOX’s Grease Live, which was an incredible experience and we also got to sing a parody of “End of the Road” on the Late Late Show with James Corden. We have been able to do some really cool things lately as we gear up for our 25th anniversary. Also, we are working on a Doo-Wop project that will be coming out within the next year. 

UCW: Have the dynamics of the group changed being that there are only three members now?

SS: We had to adjust in terms of the parts we used to sing, but otherwise we continue to have a smooth group dynamic. 

UCW: Who are your musical influences/favorites?

SS: As a collective, we all admire Prince! He’s a legend and definitely one of our favorite musicians of all time. 

UCW: What do you do in your down time?

SS: Lately I haven’t really had down time with all the projects we’ve been doing, but any chance I get I love to spend time with my wife and kids. 

UCW: What are future plans for the group? 

SS: Recently our residency at The Mirage Hotel and Casino has been extended through 2018 so we will continue to perform for our fans and create timeless hits! 

Ticket prices are $75.50, $65.50, $55.50 and $45.50. For more information call 438-4100.

The business people of Fayetteville’s Haymont, or is it Haymount, community are making another effort to organize themselves much like downtown merchants have.  “We all call it Haymont,” says Elle Williams, general manager of the Runner’s Spot at 1221 Hay Street. The epicenter of the business section is at the top of Haymont Hill where Hay Street, Highland Avenue, Oakridge Avenue, Fort Bragg Road and Morganton Road converge. 

Bobby Wiggs and his parents are natives of the community. The elder Mr. Wiggs is 87 now, and Bobby Jr. is pretty much the unofficial mayor of Haymont. He owns Haymont Auto Repair at the corner of Morganton Road and Broadfoot Avenue. The community is a cluster of “unique little family owned businesses,” Wiggs said. He and about 30 other business owners are trying to put together a small business alliance similar to the merchants group downtown. “They’ve got some traction,” he noted.

Williams described the area as “a hidden gem.” She says a main objective of an organization is to cross promote and raise public awareness. Parking is an issue everyone has to deal with, she added. Williams told Up & Coming Weekly that her business agreeably shares a small parking lot with Latitude 35 Bar & Grill. 

Haymont is loosely defined as the region of the city bounded by Bragg Boulevard, Woodrow Street, Glenville Avenue, Pinecrest Drive, McGilvary Street and Turnpike Road. It’s one of the oldest areas of Fayetteville marked by nearly four dozen antebellum houses, upper-middle class homes, an historic civil war arsenal site and state-owned museum and the Cape Fear Regional Theatre. The Haymont Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. (Portions of the content of this article were adapted from a copy of the original nomination documents. Adaptation copyright © 2011, The Gombach Group.)

A recent brouhaha over the future of the Fair Oaks mansion at the Fort Bragg Road crossover brought out Haymont’s wealthy home owners who persuaded the Fayetteville Zoning Commission not to allow a prospective owner to turn the mansion into a private school. They prevailed in a 4-0 vote of the commission.

When it was developing in the early nineteenth century, Haymont bordered but was situated outside of the city limits. It was not until approximately 1910 that lower Haymont residences on Hale Street, Brandt’s Lane, Hillside Avenue, Athens Avenue and Hay Street up to Fountainhead Lane were incorporated into the city. Haymont is one of Fayetteville’s oldest and most cohesive neighborhoods. 

 

But there is another side of Haymont. From Broadfoot Avenue, on the other side of Arsenal Avenue, over to Turnpike Road, are small, low income houses. It’s a very poor area separated from well kempt homes along Valley Road by a large privacy fence. It was once drug-infested, especially along Branson Street. But twenty years ago, Highland Presbyterian Church built a community center at the end of Davis Street. Local residents got involved and police cracked down. Today, while that area of Haymont remains impoverished, it’s safer than before. 

 (State) Governor Pat McCrory has urged North Carolina voters to approve $2 billion for public service investments such as building projects at state universities and technical institutes, new facilities for the National Guard, and sewage renovations in small towns. 

McCrory spent much of last year convincing state lawmakers to put the referendum on the ballot. He was joined at a kick-off event by a handful of key legislators. Organizers said Senate Leader Phil Berger, often considered the state’s most influential elected official, did not attend because he had a scheduling conflict. “North Carolina is the ninth most populous state,” McCrory said. “We have a choice. Do we prepare for the future, or do we want the leaders of the future to have to react to what we didn’t do?”

Organizers, led by former state Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, solicited financial contributions for a multi-million-dollar advertising campaign to include social media, mailers and phone calls. The Connect NC bond referendum campaign went statewide and culminates in the vote on March 15.  It’s been 15 years since the last general obligation bond was approved by voters to upgrade the state’s infrastructure. McCrory points out that since then North Carolina has added 2 million people in population. 

The governor likes to say passage of $2 billion in bonds will connect North Carolina to the 21st century through statewide investments in education, parks, safety, recreation, and water and sewer infrastructure. The Connect NC bonds will allow the state to pay for 50-years’ worth of assets with 20-year financing. No tax increase is necessary because of the state’s strong revenue growth and ample debt service capacity. McCrory points out North Carolina is one of only 10 states that have earned coveted triple-A bond ratings from all three major ratings agencies.

The state university system would be the biggest beneficiary of passage with nearly half the amount designated for campus improvements. Fayetteville State University would receive only $10 million, for renovation of the Lyons Science Building. It’s the least amount designated for each of the 16 campuses in the UNC system. Community colleges would share $350 million. Fayetteville Technical Community College  is one of only two schools to receive 8-figure amounts, $10.66 million. FTCC is the 4th largest of the state’s 58 community colleges. 

(Local) A separate bond issue on the ballot is a $35 million proposal for City of Fayetteville park facilities and improvements to existing recreation centers. Passage of the referendum could result in an ad valorem tax rate increase of $.0135 per $100 dollars of property valuation. All facilities would be located within the Fayetteville city limits. The bond package includes two senior centers, a tennis center and sports field complex; also, two skateboard parks, a Cape Fear River Park, seven splash pads and improvements to seven existing parks. The tennis center would be built at Mazerick Park for players of all ages and ability levels. It would include four clay courts and thirteen hard courts, plus a tournament championship court with seats for 1,000 spectators. 

The sports complex for baseball, soccer and softball would be located on city-owned property off Field’s Road on the east side of town. One of the skateboard parks would be a large in-ground concrete facility to serve the entire Fayetteville-Cumberland County region. There would be two smaller parks. A river park is planned to provide recreational activities on the Cape Fear. 

Six more popular splash pads would be located at Cliffdale Recreation Center, E.E. Miller, Gilmore Therapeutic Center, Kiwanis, Massey Hill and Myers Park Recreation Centers as well as an additional location to be determined. Improvements would be made to seven existing parks to include the renovation of some existing buildings and various park grounds. The updates would be at Clark Park & Nature Center, the Dorothy Gilmore Therapeutic Park, Brentwood School Park, Massey Hill Recreation Center, Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Mazarick Park and Seabrook Park. 

The referendum will not allow voters to pick and choose selected projects. It’s an all or nothing proposition. The city says some of the facilities included in the bond proposal would be able to function with little or no additional operating funds. The city also says that membership costs and entrance fees would be required. Memberships would be offered at different levels (family, couple, senior, etc.) and daily passes would be available for those who go less often or could not afford yearly memberships.

Combatting Homelessness Dealt a Setback

Fayetteville City Council and Cumberland County Commissioners treated homelessness as a top priority last year. They met last spring to coordinate their efforts. The city earmarked $50,000 and the county set aside $100,000 for homeless initiatives. In the last two weeks, Fayetteville’s emphasis on ending homelessness has fallen from a top priority last year to number eight this year. Cumberland County is the lead agency under federal guidelines, and city council members have had a hard time adjusting to that. In November, commissioners approved a plan to fill two positions, a homeless coordinator and a data analyst, and to fund a federally mandated Homeless Management Information System for the county’s Continuum of Care on Homelessness. The remainder of the money would be used to fill gaps in services for rapid re-housing and preventing homelessness. City Council balked at the idea of funding a county employee, and tabled the issue until January. Then late last month, it discussed an approach offered by freshman Councilman Kirk deViere. Council discussed details of deViere’s plan out of sight of the public… during a dinner meeting held in a small room that cannot accommodate an audience. Council decided to spend its $50,000 on direct services for the homeless, as deViere suggested, rather than help fund the county employee. The city hopes to meet with the county to develop a plan that provides direct services to those in need.

 

 

Hiring Vets Remains a Priority for Governor

“One of my highest priorities is to connect veterans with jobs in North Carolina where they can put their military training and experience to use,” Governor McCrory said. “We must encourage North Carolina businesses to take advantage of our veterans’ skills and talents and realize the value they bring to the workplace.” This was a message Greensboro-area employers heard during a military employment summit aimed at promoting veterans. Senior industry, government and military leaders came together to share their knowledge and success stories in hiring ex-military candidates to drive bottom-line business results. McCrory has tried to make North Carolina the most military- and veteran-friendly state in the nation. The governor launched North Carolina for Military Employment in March 2015 to find jobs for the more than 20,000 service members transitioning into civilian life from North Carolina bases each year. Fort Bragg is the state’s largest military post.

Army Wellness Fair

Womack Army Medical Center will host a Health and Wellness Fair for active duty service members, retirees and their families on April 16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fair will feature a variety of health and fitness screenings; information booths on nutrition, diabetes, legal services and more. Yoga classes, blood donation, child safety seat checks, plus activities for children, will also be available. Admission is free. There will be booths and tables in the clinic mall area at the All American Expressway entrance to the hospital and Weaver Auditorium, as well as events outside in the parking lot near the All American Expressway entrance and in the traffic circle outside of the WAMC Orthopedic entrance.

Applications Available for Citizens Academy

Cumberland County government is accepting applications for its upcoming Citizens’ Academy weekly sessions to be held from Mar. 22 through Apr. 26. The academy is free and will be held on six consecutive Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m. at various locations. The Citizens’ Academy is designed to help residents learn more about county government and how it works. People interested in participating must be residents of Cumberland County. Class size is limited. Available slots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. The academy application is available online at www.co.cumberland.nc.us/publicinfo/citizensacademy.aspx. 

A year or so ago, a cousin announced she had read a book that changed her life.   

Her overstocked closet was suddenly rehabbed to the point of minimalism, and out went extraneous sheets, towels, even furniture.  She began giving away her books, of which she had hundreds. Family and friends received tomes with her name penned on the flyleaves along with notes saying something like, “I loved this book so much, I wanted you to have it.”  

 The litmus test for all of her clearing out was this:  “Does whatever it is bring me joy?” If not, it was outta here.

 By now you have probably figured out that my cousin read and was overwhelmed by Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which at this writing sits atop The New York Times’ bestseller list as it has for 68 weeks.  Kondo has more recently followed up with Spark Joy, an illustrated companion on the virtues of tidying up, also a bestseller.

Kondo’s “magic” requires some organizational work.

First, we must inventory our possessions.  

 For someone who lived for decades in a family of five, most of whom are now elsewhere but many of their possessions are still hanging around, the word “inventory” is daunting, perhaps even terrifying.  Kondo obviously understands this, because she suggests inventorying by category, not by room. I take this to mean starting with my clothes, which span all seasons and many sizes. If they were human beings, some have reached legal age to vote. The stern looking and joyless “go to work” suits will be no problem to let go.  As Kondo suggests, I will thank them for jobs well done all those years in long meetings, and off they will go to an organization that provides such clothes to women who need them. Ditto for the well-used towels I just took to the Fayetteville Animal Protection Society, our community’s no-kill shelter, for drying wet critters and bedding.  A family of five with years of summer camp and college generates a lot of towels.

 More problematic, I suspect, are the records of our lives — photographs, Mother’s Day cards, letters from camps and college — although emails can stay around forever, long-ago awards, sweet notes from Valentine’s Day bouquets, holey-but-much-loved yoga pants, and the like.  They carry no actual value but — oh, my! — do they bring joy!

 Unlike my more industrious cousin, I have not actually undertaken Kondo’s daunting process of tidying up, but I am thinking about it as downsizing becomes more appealing.  We Americans are so blessed in so many ways, but we do have too much stuff.  Way too much stuff.

 Kondo offers a tidying-up method in her chapter titles.

 “Why can’t I keep my house in order?” My excuses include the fact that the Precious Jewels — all grownup and long flown the coop, bless their hearts! — still have possessions at Mama’s and Lilly the Lab who is getting messier as she ages. I wonder whether that is true for human beings as well…

 “Finish discarding first.” Kondo recommends doing this “all at once, intensely and completely.” This is where the “sparking joy” standard comes in, and it has got to be harder than she makes it sound. 

In fact, I can hardly bear to think about it.

“Tidying by category works like magic.” This makes sense, but the sheer volume of stuff at chez Dickson makes this directive challenging. For example, Kondo says “place every item of clothing in the house on the floor.”  Since some of my clothes could vote, I am not sure there is enough open space to do this. She also counsels, “downgrading to ‘loungewear’ is taboo.”  In other words, yoga pants cannot be worn 24/7.

“Storing your things to make your life shine.” This seems to be the reward for getting rid of so many belongings. Her tips: “Make the top shelf of your bookcase your personal shrine” and “Decorate your closet with your secret delights.” We all know rewards work better than punishments, so Kondo is probably onto something here.

“The magic of tidying dramatically transforms your life.” After all the work of tidying and the trauma of letting go, Kondo assures us that “Being surrounded by things that spark joy makes you happy.”  She also asserts that “Your living space affects your body”— think detox and weight loss. She guards her clients’ privacy but writes that with post-magic tidying, her clients have been transformed. “Their figures are more streamlined, their skin is more radiant, and their eyes shine brighter.”

What’s not to love about that?

I think I am sold — at least on giving tidying up a try and hoping to find the magic.

I am a bit concerned, though, about keeping wine and chocolate in my closet.

“Oh, where have you been Billy Boy, Billy Boy? Oh, where have you been, charming Billy?” What happy childhood memories that little perky song conjures up for me. Actually, I have not given that song the first thought in over 60 years until I left humming it last week after an enjoyable afternoon lunch with District 44 State Representative Billy Richardson. A local Fayetteville attorney and longtime friend, Richardson was appointed to complete the term of Democrat Representative Rick Glazier,  who resigned in August 2015 to take the position as Executive Director of the N.C. Justice Center. 

Billy ran for the Senate 19 seat and lost to Wesley Meredith in an ugly, contentious and expensive race. Hmmmm. Ugly, contentious and expensive are words that pretty much describe the nature of 21st century politics these days at all levels of government. But, not on this day. Not at this luncheon. I really got the feeling that Richardson wants to do the best job he can for children, education and the citizens of District 44, as do his Republican rivals. Come November, Richardson will defend his seat from either District 9 Republican Fayetteville City Councilman Jim Arp or fellow Republican contender, retired engineer Richard Button. Button ran for the State House in 2014 and lost to Rick Glazier by a narrow four-point margin. Both are good men and all three, I believe, want to do their best for this community and our state. 

To me, this means keeping an open mind, eliminating barriers, cooperating with each other and working across the aisle for the betterment of all. Taxes, education, energy, economic development, health care, redistricting. Oh, so many important issues that can only be addressed successfully through empathy, honest leadership, hard work and cooperation. State Representative John Szoka of District 45 is of this ilk. Honest, hardworking, logical and extremely dedicated describes Szoka. He is definitely, not a “placeholder.” Szoka, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel whose campaign slogan is “Principles, not politics,” thrives on principle and logic while taking head on important, tough, complicated issues with the fortitude and tenacity of a combat-ready soldier. 

My point is this: maybe, just maybe, the tide is starting to turn in local and statewide politics where a person’s character is becoming more important than the political party they represent. Richardson himself told me that regardless of party affiliation, he would work with anyone if it meant the betterment of Fayetteville, Cumberland County and the state. I believe him and that is the way it should be. 

It’s sad that on the national scene, presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are wrongly criticizing Donald Trump for wanting to make deals. The art of the compromise is compromise. Stubbornness and blind dedication to party affiliations get us nowhere. So, unless we support and elect people with character and cooperative attributes, we will never be able to achieve the goals needed to build sound, secure communities and a great state.

Vote, and make your vote count this year. Vote for honesty and integrity. Vote for people who take on responsibility. Vote for people with character. Those people are out there. All we have to do is find and encourage them. Agree? Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Better Health has been taking care of Cumberland County citizens since 1958. The organization offers services like diabetes monitoring, education clinics and a menagerie of classes. In order to provide all of these vital services, the board hosts annual fundraisers like this year’s Evening at the Theater. “Better Health has hosted an Evening at the Theater event for 19 years and last year’s event was our most successful! Bringing the casino and live music back, we expect this year to be a huge success as well,” said Amy Navejas, the executive director of Better Health. So, save the date — March 5 — and come ready to have a great time.

A unique event that provides high-quality entertainment with a night of high-spirited fun, this year’s Evening at the Theater is set in a London casino. “Our theme is The Beatles LOVE Fay Vegas. Last year’s Viva Fay Vegas event was a huge success! Everyone raved about the casino and Vegas feel, so the committee decided to bring the casino back! Reminiscent of the Las Vegas Beatles LOVE show, we will have a live band, the British Invaders, here to provide musical entertainment. Much of the food will also follow along with the Beatles theme,” Navejas said. 

The British Invaders were formed in 2014 and have already made a name for themselves in the Triangle music scene. They specialize specifically in popular British music from the 1960s. 

In addition to the music, Britain is known for its hearty food. “Highland Country Club will be providing the food for the evening. The spread will include carving stations, fish and chips, Strawberry Fields salads, bangers and mash, Union Jack cake, Yellow Submarine martinis and more,” Navejas said. There will also be themed desserts and beverages.

This year the event organizers decided to add to the entertainment and include the infamous UNC/Duke game, which will be playing during the event, to the festivities. Not only will the game itself be interesting, the local rivalries always bring some excitement to the room. For Navejas there is no contest, “UNC hands down! I went to UNC for my undergraduate degree and support the Tar Heels all the way. You know where my chips will be! We will offer prize packages for the UNC/Duke game book half-time winners and final game winners. You don’t want to miss this!”

Along with the British theme, there is also a continuation of the successful casino theme. “The casino will include blackjack, roulette, craps, poker and a UNC/Duke wager board. All casino fun will use ‘fun money,’ which will be provided to each attendee at check-in. Additional casino fun money will be available for purchase from the casino show girls,” Navejas explained. Last year’s casino theme was fun for the guests and extremely successful. 

An Evening at the Theater is a much-anticipated event and one that Better Health loves to host each year. About 250 attendees are expected and Navejas advises people to purchase tickets early so as not to miss the exciting night.

As fun and exciting as this evening will be, the real joy is that the proceeds will benefit an organization that’s mission is to provide for the unmet healthcare needs of Cumberland County residents through assistance, referral and education. Sometimes that means offering classes for things like how to deal with diabetes or how to manage and prevent childhood obesity. Sometimes it means arranging for free eye exams and free glasses or loaning medical equipment to someone who can’t afford to purchase it. Maybe it is dental assistance or help purchasing medical supplies. It might mean financial assistance for people dealing with prolonged serious illnesses — or a host of other things. A healthy population translates in to a healthy and thriving community and that is what Better Health is about — providing the tools and education that the community needs to get and stay healthy.

“Proceeds from this fundraiser will go to Better Health’s programs, which include Diabetes Management, Emergency Direct Aid and Childhood Obesity Prevention,” Navejas says, “Because of generous operational support from the United Way, we are able to put fundraiser revenue back into our programs and to clients in need.”

If you’ve never been, don’t be afraid to roll the dice on this event. Better Health’s annual Evening at the Theater will be held on March 5 from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. The venue this year is the Highland Country Club located at 105 Fairway Drive. Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased at www.BetterHealthcc.org. For more information visit http://www.betterhealthcc.org or call 910.483.7534. 

One of the things that makes 4th Friday so special is the variety of things to see and do. Downtown offers a treasure trove of options on any given day, but the fourth Friday of the month is something special because this is when all the galleries and businesses roll out the red carpet for visitors. It is when new exhibits open, when performers pop up at venues throughout the downtown area and businesses and restaurants stay open late and routinely offer great deals and specials. This month 4th Friday falls on Feb. 26. 

If you haven’t been by the Arts Council lately, come check out the latest exhibit: Romare Bearden: Beat of a Different Drum. Bearden’s work includes collage, watercolor and ink pieces that are vibrant and colorful with a distinctive voice. Bearden’s children’s book, Li’l Dan the Drummer Boyis part of the display. The exhibit runs through March 5. Find out more at http://www.theartscouncil.com.

Cape Fear Studios, opens Chikyu No (of the Earth). This exhibit features the work of member ceramic artist Guy Jencks and oil paintings by member artist Annette Szczekutek. Works will include vibrant painting and garden lanterns, totems, various birdhouses and bird feeders. With Spring in mind, there will be plenty of art for sale just waiting to add a breath of fresh air to any home or garden. There is an opening reception at 6 p.m. http://www.capefearstudios.com.

Fascinate-U is a delightful place for youngsters on any day, but 4th Fridays are special. During this event, admission is free and children can enjoy free play from 7-9 p.m. Fascinate-U offers programs throughout the month  which include but are not limited to Super Science Saturdays, camps events and birthday party specials. Find out more about at Fascinate-u.com.

The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum rolls out several new exhibits this month and 4th Friday visitors will get to see them all because the museum is open from 6-9 p.m. for this event. In conjunction with the museum the second floor of the Market House is open and features the educational exhibit “Dr. E. E. Smith”  from 6 to 10 p.m.  This exhibit is in addition to the permanent exhibit, A View from the Square: A History of Downtown Fayetteville. Call the museum at 433-1457 for more information.

The Ellington-White Contemporary Art Gallery at 113 Gillespie St. opens the Cumberland County Schools Art Teacher Exhibition at 4th Friday. The reception runs from 5-9 p.m. Find out more about the gallery at http://www.ellington-white.com.

Jazz fans won’t want to miss the Jazz Series at Marquis Market. Enjoy the ambiance of Downtown Fayetteville while listening to live jazz. It starts at 8 p.m. Find out more at the Marquis Market Facebook page.

Headquarters Library is set to host The Piney Woods Boys. The band plays traditional string band  Bluegrass music. They will be at the library from 7-9 p.m. Headquarters Library is located at 300 Maiden Lane.

Find out more about 4th Friday at www.theartscouncil.com or by calling 323-1776.

Fayetteville Developer D. Ralph Huff III has added his voice to those in support of Fayetteville’s $35 million Parks & Recreation Bond Referendum March 15. He’s imploring more than 200 friends and fellow business people to support and vote for the issue. The Greater Fayetteville Chamber is also on board. “This makes business sense,” Chamber Chairman Brian Kent says. The Fayetteville Regional Association of Realtors also endorses the referendum in a resolution “encouraging citizens of Fayetteville to support these investments in our community.” Local sources also indicated that the Fayetteville Home Builders Association would more than likely support the bond referendum. 

“This is a call to action from me to the people that I know and respect and I’m asking you to join me by coming out publicly for the local parks bond,” Huff said in a mass mailing. Ralph and Linda Huff are recognized in North Carolina as respected business and community leaders and philanthropists. They’ve built more than 4,000 homes as well as commercial and multi-family developments. In his letter, Huff notes that Fayetteville has fallen behind Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Asheville and Wilmington in the development of community amenities. 

Mayor Nat Robertson says he is grateful for Huff’s support. “Mr. Huff’s commitment to Fayetteville is evident by his investments here. He understands that for our community to grow, and for us to be competitive, our amenities also have to be equivalent to what our peer cities offer,” Robertson said. Huff contends the lack of amenities resulted in many military families who relocated from Atlanta following the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act choosing not to live in Fayetteville. Huff knows the real estate market intimately and contends enlisted military families and officers “are choosing Whispering Pines, Aberdeen, Pinehurst, Carthage, and Seven Lakes,” to live rather than Fayetteville.

The letter also addresses objections some have raised. He cites an unnamed former city council member quoted as saying “Why build more parks and pools……?”  His response: “We need a better place to live for all of our citizens.”  He also notes that with the closure of Dark Branch Swim and Racquet Club there are 1,000 families which no longer have a convenient place to swim and play tennis.  

     Huff is not completely supportive of some of the projects in the bond issue. He favors a safer place in the old Fayetteville area for tennis courts and a pool. “I do not consider Mazerick Park to be that location.” He says he’s only heard objections from one respected business leader/friend who doesn’t agree with him because he thought it should be more specific. “I for one would have been more aggressive than the current council, but at least we have a good beginning,” Huff said. The N.C. Homeowners Alliance, the Fayetteville Regional Association of Realtors and the Home Builders Association of Fayetteville will conduct a forum on the referendum at a luncheon March 10 at the Kiwanis Recreation Center, 352 Devers St. 

    Fayetteville City Council voted unanimously in December to hold the referendum. Proposed projects include two senior centers, a tennis complex, a sports field complex, two skateboard parks, a Cape Fear River park, seven splash pads and several neighborhood park improvements. Passage of the referendum would result in a maximum ad valorem tax rate increase of $.135 per hundred dollars of property valuation.  Huff points out that’s $20 a year for the average home in Fayetteville. That’s the cost of attending a movie, or buying three packs of cigarettes. As for the cost of floating a bond, “Today’s interest rates are lower than they have been in my 40 years in the business,” he says.  Huff adds “My partners, my bankers and I own $145,000,000 worth of real estate in this country” and a tax increase affects few people more than me.

 If only Fort Bragg and Pope Army Airfield had the congressional influence that Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona has.  The latter is home to three squadrons of A-10 Thunderbolt jet fighters. The Air Force has been trying to replace the Warthogs, as they are affectionately known, with more modern aircraft. Budget documents from the fiscal 2017 request show the Air Force plans to begin moving out A-10 squadrons in increments between 2018 and 2022 to make room for F-35 squadrons. But Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a strong A-10 advocate. 

“When the Obama Administration submits its 2017 budget request in the coming weeks, I hope it will follow through on its plan to keep the A-10 flying so that it can continue to protect American troops, many still serving in harm’s way,” McCain said after it was announced the A-10 would survive its “premature” retirement. 

Meanwhile, it appears Pope Army Airfield’s C-130 Hercules troop carriers are doomed to relocation. North Carolina’s Congressional delegation has fought the Air Force over the planned deactivation of the 440th Airlift Wing for two years, unsuccessfully.  A letter, dated Feb. 4, outlines plans to dismantle the 440th, the Air Force Reserve unit at Pope.  Its 700 Reservists are being assigned to other duty stations. The Air Force says aircraft from other bases will be available for Fort Bragg airborne operations and training missions on request.

Army brass, local leaders and members of Congress contend the move will compromise troop readiness, but the news that trickled down this month was not good. Second District Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) said the decision is “beyond disappointing” and “irresponsible to our paratroopers and their readiness.” “The Air Force has unapologetically marched forward with this misguided proposal and shown disdain at the concerns voiced by the N.C. delegation and the Fayetteville community,” she added. 

At the same time Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said he found out about the move through third parties instead of the Air Force. “I am surprised and deeply disappointed with the Army’s decision to acquiesce to the Air Force’s strategy for how they will complete training at Fort Bragg,” Tillis said in a statement. In a sharp indictment of the Army’s decision, Tillis added “The burden is on Fort Bragg commanders to demonstrate to Congress and the Fayetteville community that they have not jeopardized the needs of the Global Response Force to placate the reckless desires of budget cutters in the Pentagon.”

     Tillis said in his discussions with the former commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps he was told the Air Force withdrawal “would negatively affect their flexibility, and will likely threaten their ability to provide the training needed to complete their mission.” There is no continuity of command at Fort Bragg because the three-star command turns over its leaders every two years. Tillis was clearly frustrated and angry. “For as long as I am a U.S. Senator, the Air Force can fully expect me to require that they demonstrate, on a monthly basis, how they are meeting their obligation to provide assets at Pope Airfield and fulfilling the training requirements of our brave men and women.”

     While Tillis and Ellmers have championed Pope Field’s cause by themselves, McCain has had the help of influential Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH). “If there were any lingering doubts about the continued value and effectiveness of the A-10, one only need to look to Syria where the A-10 is taking the fight to ISIS,” Sen. Ayotte said in October. 

     Pope Field’s fate was written in 2005 when the Congressional Base Realignment and Closure Act converted what was Pope Air Force Base to an Army airfield. At the time of the changeover, Col. John Stokes, 440th Airlift Wing Vice Commander said “Throughout all of the transition, the 440th Airlift Wing will continue to provide total force mission ready combat airlifters and equipment, anywhere and anytime.” “The transfer of Pope Field to Army control is certainly an emotional event for our Air Force brethren, but it would be hard to find a closer relationship between sister services than Fort Bragg has had with Pope Air Force Base,” said then Fort Bragg Garrison Commander Col. Stephen Sicinski. The changes that the Bragg-Pope community will notice will be minor, Sicinski insisted.

Local Government Terms Could Change

Fayetteville City Council has voted 8-2 to hold a referendum in November on whether its members should be elected to four-year terms of office. Councilmen Bobby Hurst and Kirk deViere voted against changing their two-year terms. Bill Crisp, Council’s longest serving member, is also opposed but he voted with the majority to put the matter to a vote of the people. 

Longer terms were Councilman Larry Wright’s idea. He also wanted term limits placed on members, but City Attorney Karen McDonald said that’s not allowed. State law permits cities, towns and villages to use either partisan elections or nonpartisan elections. Fayetteville and most other cities have nonpartisan elections, according to the N.C. Institute of Government. This form of local government emerged during the Progressive Era as a way of removing politics from city elections. 

A few cities including Albemarle, Charlotte, Kinston, Lincolnton, Winston-Salem and a handful of others have partisan elections. If four-year terms pass in the fall in Fayetteville, they would be staggered with some members elected in alternate two-year cycles. Council members also have the authority to change elections to partisan contests if they choose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are Domestic Murders Preventable? 

Fayetteville’s third homicide of the new year was the outgrowth of a domestic dispute, according to police. Thomas McNair, 67, of 1018 Ellis Street, was found dead at his home last week. He was stabbed to death, said Police Lt. David McLaurin. Monaca Holt, 40, also of Fayetteville, was charged with second degree murder and jailed without bond. They were “involved in a verbal altercation which ended with Monaca Holt stabbing Thomas McNair,” according to McLaurin. 

Homicide is far and away the leading cause of death for black men, more than car accidents, suicide and diseases combined, according to Dr. Charles H. Hennekens, a professor at Florida Atlantic University. “Death is inevitable, but premature death is not. This is a devastating epidemic,” said Hennekens.  Minnesota Police Sgt. Randy McAlister wondered: Is it possible to proactively identify those most at risk of being killed by an intimate partner? He had just wrapped up a domestic homicide investigation. He studied the concept, and four years later his department introduced a domestic violence intervention program.

They call it the Lethality Assessment Program, which involves a structured 11-question interview of domestic violence complainants at the scenes of assaults. The questions are designed to elicit crucial information about the abusive partner, including previous incidents of violence. 

Supporters believe these assessments are critical preventive tools in addressing intimate partner violence, which results in nearly one out of every seven murders nationally, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Based on the interviews, if police identify a victim at apparent increased risk for murder, an officer makes an immediate phone call to a trained counselor who is able to discuss safety concerns with the victim. 

 

 

 

 

Real-Time Bus Arrivals

The Fayetteville Area System of Transit launched a new high tech customer service this month. It’s called Transloc, and is available on home computers and smart phones (fast.transloc.com). Bus riders can actually watch buses move along a map in real time. They’ll see bus locations, bus stops and accurate arrival times. “The state-of-the-art app allows patrons to not waste time waiting for the bus,” says Assistant FAST Director Kelly Blazey. Users can easily set favorite routes and stops and receive personalized alerts. Of course service outages, traffic and weather conditions can sometimes make times unpredictable. But being able to watch the progress of the buses live at home or on smart phones reduces wait times. “Riders can actually text inquiries to receive predicted arrival times for all routes serving the bus stops they’re interested in,” Blazey added. Patrons can also tailor their phones and computers with digital bus stops they use regularly. Multiple connection points are available for added customer convenience. 

Nextdoor Goes to the Country

Cumberland County Sheriff Earl “Moose” Butler has announced that the Sheriff’s Office is introducing the Nextdoor citizen crime prevention website for county residents. City Police initiated the Nextdoor concept locally several months ago. Now, the sheriff’s office is using the social medium so neighbors can communicate confidentially among themselves. Local Emergency notifications are also made available on Nextdoor. Because it’s a closed membership site, neither law enforcement nor non-members can eavesdrop on posts. For developments in your neighborhood or your community watch, the sheriff’s office can connect residents with one another to “build stronger, safer neighborhoods throughout Cumberland County,” said Butler. 

The Fayetteville City Council has agreed to place a parks and recreation bond referendum on the March 15 ballot. The $35 million made available by the bond would fund the following: two senior centers, tennis center, sports field complex, two skateboard parks, Cape Fear River park-downtown riverfront, improvements to seven existing parks, seven splash pads. Information is available that, I believe, explains why passage of this bond referendum is essential to the economic development and general progress of Fayetteville and the surrounding area. My fear is that, in spite of an abundance of information, this referendum will go the way of similar past efforts… it will fail. 

By way of history, consider what Andrew Barksdale, The Fayetteville Observerstaff writer, wrote in an article titled “Fayetteville City Council revises bond package; senior centers approved, aquarium, multipurpose center axed:”

City voters since the 1980s have twice rejected parks and recreation bond issues. In 1986, they voted down an $8 million package by a margin of 51 percent to 49 percent. In 1990, city voters defeated three proposed bond issues totaling $11.55 million in parks and recreation improvements; each referendum was rejected by a more than 4 to 1 margin.

Barksdale gives more history in an article titled “Several former Fayetteville City Council members oppose parks bond.” Addressing a 5-5 Council vote in 2012 that ended efforts to put a $45 million parks referendum before citizens, Barksdale writes:

At the time, there was political infighting, questions about the scope and cost of the package, and worries the city didn’t have adequate policies to encourage local and minority-owned contractors to bid for the work. 

The critical question is “Why do parks and recreation bond initiatives not get to the ballot, or fail when they do?” I hold that a quote attributed to former Fayetteville Mayor Bill Hurley in Barksdale’s article regarding the council’s revised plan gives the primary answer to that question. Hurley said, “I really don’t think the majority of the voters really know what’s going on.” 

I totally agree with Bill Hurley. Consider the conversation going on in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. I constantly hear and read the outrage expressed by citizens who contend there should be more jobs in Fayetteville and the surrounding area. I saw it just a couple of weeks ago in a meeting of citizens to discuss removing the Market House from the Fayetteville City Seal. In a scolding tone, an attendee expressed his outrage to County Commissioner Charles Evans that jobs are not coming to our area. He asked, “Why is it all we can get is a chicken processing plant?” I was tempted to remind him we did not even get the chicken processing plant. I could not help but wonder what meaningful information has been provided to that gentleman regarding what attracts job-producing enterprises to an area.

As I have written before, we have become a society that, for the most part, only gives attention to sound-bites. That approach does not allow for gaining detailed information and processing it in a thoughtful manner. This condition is compounded by media, politicians and others who bow at the altar of sound-bites; thereby, reinforcing development of public opinion and decision-making in a low-information atmosphere. The result is a public that often makes progress-hindering, and even destructive, decisions.

The approach being used by the Fayetteville City Council to provide information to the public regarding the parks bond referendum is an example of what is described in the preceding paragraph. Consequently, many citizens do not understand the need for approving this bond package. In the “Former officials” article, Barksdale writes: “The city is spending $50,000 in tax money educating voters about the vote. The money includes $13,000 on radio spots; $4,000 on TV commercials; $9,000 on billboards; and $13,000 in various printed publications.” By my (Merritt’s) calculation, that total is $39 thousand. I do not know how the other $11 thousand will be spent. However, what I see here is attempting to pass information by sound-bites. Doing so does not prompt serious examination of the issue nor does it move a citizen toward thoughtful conclusions. The approach is used because this is what most citizens have been conditioned to employ in decision-making.

Interestingly, there is more detailed and persuasive information available. I stumbled onto some while working on an unrelated gardening project. That bond information appears on the city’s website. The link is http://fayettevillenc.gov/government/city-departments/parks-and-recreation/2016-parks-recreation-bond-referendum-copy. What is presented here covers: What, Why, Why Now, Cost, Funding Repayment, Referendum Process, Sustaining the Facilities, Property Tax Impact, and so on. Another helpful link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeXbIrIiQAo. This link accesses a very informative video that gives even more detail than the link above. 

Further, there is informative public discussion of this bond referendum. For instance, Russ Rogerson, executive director of the newly formed Fayetteville-Cumberland Development Corporation, was recently interviewed by Jeff “Goldy” Goldberg on WFNC Radio. Corporation Board Chair Jack Rostetter and Vice Chair Andrew Pennick also participated. The discussion focused on what conditions make a city or area attractive to job-producing companies. The amenities that answer the question “what is there to do?” were very high on the listing of necessary conditions. There was full agreement that approval of the bond referendum would definitely make Fayetteville and our area far more competitive by way of amenities.

On the competitive front, every citizen of Fayetteville should look at the amenities offered by Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Go to www.cityofws.org and click on “Residents” then “Recreation.” Look at the offerings and compare them with Fayetteville. More importantly, on the homepage are three rotating banners. One says, “Track Progress of the 2014 Bonds.” Click on that banner and read about what is being done. Here is the opening paragraph:

 In November 2014 city voters approved $139.2 million in general obligation bonds to finance unmet capital needs in the areas of public safety, recreation and parks, streets and sidewalks, economic development and housing.

In 2014, Fayetteville had an estimated population of 200,582 while Winston-Salem was at 229,634. Fayetteville has $8.6 million in outstanding general obligation debt while Winston-Salem, in 2014, took on $139.2 million. Many Fayetteville citizens are opposing $35 million in spending while Winston-Salem is well on the way to completing $139.2 million in job-attracting actions. This is the competition and we better “wake-up” to what is required for economic development. Forming economic development entities and then tying their hands gets zero return or very near it.

The primary reason Fayetteville, Cumberland County, and the eight other municipalities in the county keep failing to attract quality jobs is obvious even to my untrained eye. There is a climate in which decisions are made solely on whether tax rates will increase. Limited focus is extremely dangerous in any decision-making process. On the bond matter, all the rest of what is discussed above is thrown to the wind. To see this point, one only has to read letters to the editor in The Fayetteville Observer. Couple this with the opposition raised by eight former Fayetteville City Council members as reported in Barksdale’s “Former Officials” article. As follows, he reports comments by Curtis Worthy who is chairman of the Vote No Bond Tax referendum committee:

Worthy said he and other committee members don’t oppose new parks and recreational amenities. Rather, he said, they oppose the estimated city tax increase of 1.35 cents per $100 for each $100 in tax value that would be needed to retire the general-obligation bond debt. “I think we can pay as we can,” Worthy said. “It creates a better method of accomplishing the same thing instead of borrowing a bunch of money.”

The fact of life is sound-bites and limited focus do not inform. They only stir emotions and almost always lead to wrong and costly decisions. I beg the leaders of this city and area to move beyond sound-bites and limited focus regarding this bond referendum and other important issues of our time. On the other hand, citizens must invest the time and effort required to get informed. Please, decide this matter based on thorough and thoughtful examination of the facts. 

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and this is one of them.

It has been floating around the Internet for a while, and I fall in love all over again every time I see it.  It reminds me of my first ballet recital when the 4-year-old class dressed as rosebuds in pink tutus with green overlays to represent the leaves.  We had worked hard for the big event, but as we raised our little arms and twirled on tippy toe, I apparently twirled in the wrong direction.  Another rosebud loudly and publicly pointed my error out onstage, which stopped our performance in its tracks.  I chose to deal with my embarrassment by decking the other little rosebud, and our very annoyed instructor promptly escorted our 4-year-old selves off stage mid-performance.

My ballet career ended shortly thereafter.

The photograph also reminds me of some of my dearest friends, the Dames You Thought You Knew.  Two years ago, Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s Founding Artistic Director Bo Thorp put together the stories of five local women of a certain age who then presented them on stage, for better or worse.  If we look at the little girls in this photograph and imagine those performing women as little girls from long ago, from left to right they might be former CEO of a national company Terri Union, former Fayetteville City Council member and Cumberland County Commissioner Rollin Shaw, and former rosebud Margaret Dickson.  I leave you to decide which of the other two little girls is former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson and which is real estate magnate Suzanne Pennink.

One of the Precious Jewels asked why this photograph draws me in so thoroughly, and I think it is because the girl on the right looks so happy.  She is clearly doing her own thing, marching to the beat of her private drummer, living life on her own terms, or whatever cliché we might use for people who make their own fun. The girl on the right exudes joie de vivre and is self-possessed and totally comfortable in her own skin.  Not all women want to hang upside down from a ballet barre, of course, but most of us do want to be ourselves even if we are a bit different from other folks.  

So how do we raise our daughters to be the girl on the right? 

In no particular order are some of my own thoughts and some from other sources.  

Erin Dullea is a coach, a writer and the mother of three little ones.  Her thoughts…

“It is important to be kind, but nice is not always necessary.”   Nice can mean pretending something we are not.

“Beauty is an inside job.”  My mother expressed this sentiment as “pretty is as pretty does.”   As Jill Conner Browne, mother of the Sweet Potato Queens, put it, “Pretty will last a short time… but stupid can last forever.  Fortunately, so can smart.”

“You are what you say to yourself.”  This is harder than it sounds, but if you don’t like you and value your accomplishments, why should others?

Nancy Lundgreen of familyshare.com offers these thoughts among others.

“Teach her to find genuine people… ”  Find people who have more purpose than drama in their lives.

“Teach her to make learning a lifetime gift to herself.”  This can and should be formal education, but it always means having a mind open to new information and ideas.

“Teach her to never settle for “ just any” partner.  I married for the first and only time five days shy of my 30th birthday.  My mother always told me that anyone could get married.  The trick is finding the right person.

“Teach her that the girlfriends she accumulates…will always play a big part in her life, and will sometimes be even more valued than family…  so advise her to make very good friends.”  Amen.

 Forbes magazine weighs in on what not to do.

Do not buy gender specific toys.  Many girl toys address appearance while boy toys address invention, exploration, competition and problem solving.  ‘Nuff said in our cutthroat economy.

Compliment her on her accomplishments more than her looks, even though she is the loveliest person you have ever seen.

She is not a princess.  We do not have princesses in America, so do not fool her into thinking she is one.  She will pay a high price for this later.

Author Brene Brown weighs in with this:  “We have to be the women we want our daughters to be.”

Finally, from me.  Teach her to love herself and to enjoy her own company.  Parents, siblings, friends and spouses, even children aside, the only person who will take every step of life with you is you.  We come into life alone and leave the same way, and we are happier if we are our own best friend.

The upside down girl on the right may already know all of this.

 In the aftermath of the South Carolina and Nevada primary elections, it looks like what our nation prefers is exactly what Fayetteville and Cumberland County need: bold, unadulterated, unfiltered leadership! We need community and political leaders who are not afraid to jump in, take charge, tell it like it is and get the job done for the betterment of the community, the state and the nation. That’s Donald Trump’s style of leadership. Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. This undeniable public sentiment has overwhelmingly indicated that people are fed up with the slick maneuverings of career politicians and the politics as usual attitudes coming out of Washington D.C. Hence, the derogatory term “Washington establishment.” The same goes for unscrupulous business as usual.

This style of leadership is killing America from the inside out, and it is trickling down from Washington D.C. to our capital in Raleigh and to the local confines of Fayetteville and Cumberland County. We are a nation, state, city and county all choking and suffocating growth, prosperity and progress because of their inability to resist the partisan pressures of status quo party-line politics. Current doctrine dictates that politicians say anything and do anything, but always put party politics first, win the election and, by all means, be a good “placeholder.” This means, specifically, after elected, you don’t do anything, say anything or recommend anything that you could be held accountable for or cannot responsibly deny.  Also, you must stay out of the community and public limelight (constituents ask too many questions). Always try to stay “off the record.” Avoid the media. Attend as few committee meetings as possible, and, by all means, go on every elaborate retreat and conference the taxpayers are willing to pay for.

Yes, what we need locally is a little Trump Trickle Down. Taxpayers at all levels  are tired of being treated like mushrooms, tired of being ignored and tired of being the ones who have to ultimately pay for this kind of political “party first” non- leadership. The outspoken and non-beholden Donald Trump, for better or worse, serves as a fresh and welcomed alternative.

Like it or not, regardless of nationality, political affiliation (Democrat, Republican, Independent) or socioeconomic status, when you look at the facts, the hard facts, we are far worse off now as a nation in every measurable category than we were eight years ago. Worldwide prestige, health care, immigration, violent crime, economic growth and national debt, just to name a few. Yet, the reality of this deplorable state is ignored in lieu of loyalties to established political hierarchies. Say what???? Yes, it is my prediction that Donald Trump will be our next President. After all we have been through as a nation since 2008... how bad could “The Donald” be? At least you will always know where he stands. 

The question locally is: Who will be our Donald Trump? Who in Fayetteville and Cumberland County will be dynamic? Who will step up and speak out? Who will take a positive and aggressive leadership position? Who will stop being a placeholder and start being a policy maker? Stay tuned. We are about to find out. Our future depends on it. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

 

Every spring the Fayetteville Urban Ministry hosts the Duck Derby. In years past, crowds gathered at the banks of the Cape Fear River and watched as thousands of rubber ducks float to the finish line. It’s always a lot of fun because the day included fun activities, music and prizes. Now a Dogwood Festival sanctioned event, the derby takes place in Festival Park, where there is still plenty of food, music and fun. In the spirit of helping the community, Fayetteville Urban Ministry decided to kick off this year’s duck season with another fun-filled event. The inaugural Duck Walk Waddle Run. It’s a healthy way to kick off the Duck Derby festivities that conclude with the duck race on April 24. On Feb. 20, Fayetteville Urban Ministry and Camping World open the duck adoption process with the 5k foot race, which takes place at Camping World in Hope Mills. If attending the race is out of the question, don’t fret. Ducks will be available online for adoption as well.

“We used to throw a Very Important Duck party. It was very exclusive and it was a fun night, but we weren’t getting the word out like we could. So this year, we decided to take a healthier approach,” said Fayetteville Urban Ministry Community Outreach Coordinator Austin Dukes. “There is a huge running community here. So, we decided to give this a shot. We already have more than 100 people registered. We are hoping to get 150 runners, but 200 would be amazing. Our main sponsor is Camping World in Hope Mills and we wanted to let people see the camper which it the first place price for the Duck Derby, too. That is why we are holding it there.”

The Duck Walk Waddle Run includes the L’il Quack 5k for kids 6-17 (registration $20), the Big Quack 5k for those 18 and up ($30 registration) and the Very Important Duck 5k, which includes an autographed picture with Ducky Derby Mascot Quacky, a souvenir duck and a shirt ($50 registration). Register at active.com. Packet pickup is Friday, Feb. 19, at Candlewood Suites, 4108 Legend Ave., from 4-7 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 20 from 7-8:30 a.m. at the race site. 

The awards ceremony will be held at Camping World of Fayetteville, as well. The top three overall runners are granted the title of “Top Duck” and receive an autographed picture with Quacky, a free Fayetteville Duck Derby Duck and a trophy. Medals and one T-shirt will be given to the top three men and women in the following age groups: 14 and under, 15-17, 18-23, 24-29, 30-35, 36-41, 42-47, 48-53, 54-59, 60 and over. Fruit, coffee and water will be available after the race as well. 

Then duck adoption opens and plans for the derby begin in earnest. One of the things that makes the Duck Derby so unique is that it’s a fundraiser that helps many nonprofits and organizations and offers prizes to the race winners. From the primary sponsor, Fayetteville Urban Ministry, to art-related organizations, medical organizations and even the Cumberland County Schools System, the Fayetteville Duck Derby has touched people from every corner of the community. While the Duck Walk Waddle Run 5k, where you can adopt a few ducks and get in a nice run, officially kicks off duck season the actual Duck Derby brings several months of effort to fruition at the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival.

Organizations that are looking to raise funds can start a team to compete in the race. Just go to https://www.duckrace.com/fayettevilleduckderby/teams and register. Then let your friends, clients, customers and office mates know so that they can go to the website, adopt a duck and make a difference in your name. A portion of the adoption fee goes back to Fayetteville Urban Ministry to cover the cost of the event. 

Individuals looking to have an impact on the community can adopt a duck and choose from any of the registered organizations. Go all in on one nonprofit or spread the love around. There are plenty of teams to choose from. It costs $10 per duck or $50 for six ducks. 

On the day of the event there will be at least 5,000 ducks in the derby. Once the ducks are launched, there is no interference in the race unless deemed necessary by the race committee. Prior to the race, a number is attached on the bottom of each duck relating to the number on the adoption papers. The person’s name appearing on the adoption papers corresponding to the first ducks in order of finish, as gathered in the duck trap or collected by the race officials, will be awarded prizes. Positive identification will be required to claim any prize(s). The winner will be notified by mail, and must pick up their prize from Fayetteville Urban Ministry within five business days.

This year’s prizes include a 25-foot 2016 Deluxe Coleman Camper for first place plus $300 cash to the winner if they are present the day of the race. The second place prize is a 60-inch TV from Wal-Mart Distribution Center. The third place winner can look forward to a set of tires (up to a $500 value) from Ed’s Tires. A $250 Food Lion gift card is the fourth place prize. The fifth place winner will receive a full year membership at Spa and Fitness Wellness Center. The last place winner also gets recognized in this race with a NTK Panda 4 Nautika tent and a jar of molasses.

The Duck Derby takes place on April 24 at 3 p.m. at Festival Park. “When we got the opportunity to partner with the Dogwood Festival, we couldn’t pass it up. Hopefully the weather will be good this year, too,” said Duke. “It is great to see so much good will in the community. With the proceeds we plan to fulfill our mission and build our community together. We know how to stretch a dollar - 91 cents of every dollar we get is put into these programs.”

Find out more at https://www.duckrace.com/fayettevilleduckderby.

Fayetteville Urban Ministry is focused on … “transforming lives through faith, hope, love and security. The Find-A-Friend youth program strives to spark faith in youth for a brighter tomorrow. The Adult Literacy Program establishes hope for a better future through the gift of reading, education and job preparation. The Emergency Assistance program seeks to love our neighbors by meeting their basic needs for food, clothing and crisis support.  Finally, The Nehemiah Project builds security in our community by providing free home repairs to low-income homeowners.” Find out more about Fayetteville Urban Ministry at http://www.fayurbmin.org.

  Observers say a plan to turn a Fayetteville antebellum mansion into a school was an exercise in futility. The operator of a private academy wants to convert a Morganton Road home known as Fair Oaks into a small, private middle school. Christy Pettit took on dozens of Haymount’s wealthy residents at a public hearing last week and lost. Her request for a special use permit was turned down by the Fayetteville Zoning Commission in a unanimous vote. Pettit will take her case before Fayetteville City Council on March 29.

According to the Fayetteville Convention and Visitors Bureau, E.J. Lilly began construction of Fair Oaks in 1858. It stayed in the family for 100 years and was most recently owned by Dr. and Mrs. Albert Stewart Jr. The five-bedroom, four-bath, 4,700 sq. ft. mansion is located on a one-and-a-half-acre lot with several out buildings at the fork of the Fort Bragg Road crossover, which is in the heart of one of Fayetteville’s oldest neighborhoods. The house incorporates a Georgian plan with Greek Revival and Italianate elements. 

During General Sherman’s occupation of Fayetteville in 1865, some of the Union troops camped on the grounds. It’s said that Sherman and his officers occupied the house itself. A silver tray bearing bullet holes of Sherman’s soldiers, who used the tray for target practice, still remains in the Lilly family. 

Pettit has an option to buy the house for $599,000. The two-story white house has been on the market for three years. Pettit said she would preserve the structure and renovate the bathrooms and kitchen. “This house is slowly deteriorating,” Pettit testified at the Zoning Commission meeting. Her interest in the house is two-fold: Pettit told the Zoning Commission she has an interest in preserving history while providing quality education. She would like to add to her private school known as First Impressions Academy across town with a second campus. 

The Zoning Commission agreed with city staff that Dobbin Avenue, which provides access to the property, is too narrow to accommodate the traffic that would be generated by a school. Staff recommended denial of the special use permit because of what planner Greg Harmon said would be traffic issues. Dobbin Avenue is off Morganton Road. It leads to Lilly Avenue, a short lane at the rear of the property. Dobbin Avenue and the parallel Magnolia Avenue are almost unique in Fayetteville. They were built in the 1920s in the “horse and buggy days” and would not meet city street standards today. 

Fayetteville Police say a recent court decision restricting the use of Tasers has not affected policy governing their use. “The ruling didn’t cause a significant change in our policy. We were mostly in line with the ruling already. We only had to make a minor tweak,” said Lt. David McLaurin.  The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Taser use may be unconstitutionally excessive force in some circumstances. The decision immediately affects five southern states including North Carolina. Fayetteville Police policy says the weapon, which is considered non-lethal, may be used “when attempts to subdue a subject by conventional tactics have been or are likely to be ineffective.”

The appellate court said police officers in Pinehurst were entitled to qualified immunity from a lawsuit by the family of Ronald H. Armstrong, but that they nonetheless used unconstitutionally excessive force in an incident that killed him. Armstrong was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia and went off his medication shortly before the 2011 incident. When he learned that commitment papers were taken out by his family, Armstrong wrapped himself around a signpost and refused to leave. Instead of trying to talk him into leaving, the 4th Circuit said, three police officers stunned him five times over about two minutes. 

The Taser was in “drive stun mode,” a setting designed to cause pain and, therefore, create compliance with police orders. That’s a method prohibited by Fayetteville police in similar circumstances. Officers and hospital security guards physically removed Armstrong from the signpost, laid him face down on the ground and handcuffed both his arms and his legs. During the struggle, Armstrong complained that he was being choked; he became unresponsive and was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital.

The 4th Circuit Court held that Taser use can — and, in this case, did — violate the subject’s Fourth Amendment right that protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures. Armstrong had not committed a crime, the court said and was declared a danger only to himself. Though Armstrong was resisting police, the court said the force used was greater than required. It noted that other circuits have held that Tasers can be a disproportionate force when used against nonviolent resistance and that its own precedent on other police weapons supports the same conclusion about Tasers. 

 

“Law enforcement officers should now be on notice that using a Taser against someone like Armstrong violates the Fourth Amendment,” the court concluded. Fayetteville police policy prescribes that “Officers should always attempt de-escalation techniques and other options prior to deploying” a Taser, according to McLaurin. It goes on to say “abuse or misuse of the weapon can be a violation of state and federal law.”

Ice Storm Aftermath

The City of Fayetteville has begun the second phase of storm debris collection resulting from the ice storm Jan. 22 that brought down trees and tree limbs across the city. During round one, which began Jan. 25, city crews collected 3,980 tons of debris, according to City Corporate Communications Director Kevin Arata. “That’s 10 times the amount of limbs normally collected during a similar timeframe,” Arata said. The Environmental Services Department is not able to predict how long round two will take. Residents do not need to call in to schedule a pickup or report storm debris. They’re asked to leave tree limbs at the curb, not in the street. All available equipment and staff have been assigned to expedite the cleanup. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Landlocked Demolition Dilemma 

It’s been almost a year since a house at 4705 Belford Road in Montclair was destroyed by fire. The city of Fayetteville opened a file on the property within a week giving the absentee owner an opportunity to receive an insurance settlement. Up & Coming Weekly reported about what followed several weeks ago. The owner never responded and failed to attend hearings. Code Enforcement Director Scott Shuford said that a demolition order was issued on Nov. 30, 2015. This followed months of “20 major steps that were taken” to get the house torn down, said Code Enforcement Manager Bart Swanson. It is, after all, a process. Step 21 has stymied the process. The contractor can’t get his heavy equipment up the hill to the house. When the State Department of Transportation completed construction of Glensford Drive and the roundabout at Belford Road where the property is located, they forgot something. Engineers built the roadway complete with concrete curbing around the property with no access to the burned out house on the hill. There’s no driveway… nothing, according to Shuford.  The dilemma hasn’t been resolved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Military Suicides Are Up

The Department of Defense has released its 2014 Suicide Event Report, which disclosed the number of suicide attempts and deaths among U.S. service members. The report does not include a breakdown of suicides at individual installations. There were 269 deaths by suicide among active duty service members in 2014, compared with 259 deaths the year before. Data was collected by the services and supplemented by information from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System. Fort Bragg authorities do not disclose suicide deaths as such. When asked about such deaths, Fort Bragg says they remain under what seem to be never-ending investigations. The Criminal Investigations Division rarely, if ever, discloses cause of death in suicides. When suicides occur in the civilian domain, however, investigations are normally concluded in a day or two. Service members and their families in crisis should seek help immediately by contacting the Military and Veteran Crisis Line at 800-273-8255.  The Military and Veteran Crisis Line provides 24/7 confidential support to all service members and their families.

 

 

 

 

 

Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation Hosts Walk-a-thon to Help Children

Anyone wanting to walk for a good cause and help a Boy Scout with his Eagle Scout Project is welcome to participate in a fun 3k / 5k Walk-A-Thon at 10 a.m. on Feb. 20 at Jordan Soccer Complex. Proceeds provide toys and other needed items to support the therapeutic treatment for children admitted to Cape Fear Valley Hospital.

There is no entry fee, however, a donated item must be provided. Please, no broken or over-loved toys. Used electronics are acceptable if they are in working condition. Suggested items include: socks, onesies, baby blankets, scarves, hair ties or ribbons, stuffed animals, Beanie Babies, coloring books and crayons, individually packaged hygiene items, DVDs (current movies), video games – PS3, XBOX 360 and Wii games, plastic toys – Legos, toy cars, action figures, gift cards for teens – ITunes, GameStop, electronics for older kids – IPods, game systems.

   For any questions about the event please contact Laura Cole at 494-2154 or liftupmyhands2jc@aol.com.

February is a celestial month. All manner of Starship Trooper events happened in February. Our old pal Galileo was born in February 1564. Galileo gets credit for inventing the telescope and astronomy. This hobby resulted in him becoming one of the most famous subjects of the Inquisition. After pondering the night sky with his telescope, the G-Man came up with the heretical theory of Heliocentrism. The G-man ciphered that the Earth rotated around the Sun instead of the Earth being the center of the universe. This theory contradicted sixteenth century theology dropping Galileo into hot water with the Inquisition. Galileo was convicted of heresy for contending the Earth wasn’t the center of the universe. He spent the rest of his life under house arrest and his books were banned. At his trial, to avoid worse punishment, Galileo publicly denounced his theory that the Earth moved around the sun. Legend has it that he softly muttered “And yet it moves” at the end of his confession to the Inquisition. 

Clyde Tombaugh, the discoverer of America’s favorite planet Pluto, was born in February 1906. Following in Galileo’s footsteps, Clyde as an Illinois farm boy used a homemade telescope to study the night skies. Clyde got a gig working at the Lowell Observatory where he discovered Pluto on Feb. 18, 1930. Like Ernest Hemingway’s short story title character, Francis Macomber, Pluto had a short happy life as a planet. Macomber was killed after being shot by his wife on safari. Pluto was killed as a planet in 2006 by Professor Mike Brown of Cal Tech who convinced the Astronomical Union that Pluto was too small to be a plan

Pluto was demoted to the ranks of dwarf planet. Fans of Pluto were upset about America’s planet being kicked downstairs to dwarf planet status. The Politically Correct Astronomical police pointed out that calling Pluto a dwarf planet was offensive to small planets. They prefer Pluto to be referred to as a Midget planet or better yet, a Little People Planet. The Astronomical Union is still working on the correct title to assign to Pluto in light of these objections.

Pluto is not going down without a fight. Despite its demotion, Pluto is more popular than ever. Like Bill Clinton in the 1992 New Hampshire presidential primary, Pluto is the Come Back Kid. NASA’s space probe New Horizon visited Pluto recently and sent back Pluto selfies that boggle the mind. Pluto has giant floating mountains on its surface. Pluto’s skin is a layer of frozen nitrogen featuring ice volcanoes spewing out frozen water. Frozen water being lighter than frozen nitrogen results in giant icebergs even bigger than the one that sank the Titanic and killed Jack. NASA says the pictures show floating mountains that are bigger than the Rocky Mountains being 25 miles long and 3 miles high. Imagine floating mountains half the size of Mount Everest stretching from Fayetteville to Raeford. That is Pluto’s Sputnik Planum ice field. As Larry David would say, “That’s pretty, pretty cool.” 

New Horizon found four of Pluto’s moons which are even weirder than Pluto itself. The names for Pluto’s newly discovered moons are Stix, Nix, Keberos and Hydra. Those names sound like something Sarah Palin would name her kids. I think that Huey, Dewey, Louie and Moe would have been better names but no one asked me. 

Bill Clinton came back from the Gennifer Flowers’ scandal to become President. Pluto has come back from being demoted to dwarf status to become the solar system’s most popular planet. 

President Pluto will make America great again by ridding us off our current presidential candidates. Pluto is three billion miles from Earth. That’s a long, lonesome road. Light takes 4.6 hours to go from Pluto to Earth. It takes from 9 to 16 months to send a picture back from Pluto. The New Horizon space craft took over 9 years to get from Earth to Pluto. If all the Presidential candidates were sent to Pluto for a debate they would never come back. Say good bye to Hillary, Bernie, The Donald, Marco, Ted, Chris, Jeb!, Carly and Kasich. 

Pluto for President. Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished. Pluto wasn’t born in America, but neither was Ted Cruz. If Pluto was good enough to be Mickey’s Mouse’s dog, it’s good enough to be President. Pluto may not be a planet and yet it moves. 

A recent (The Fayetteville Observer) newspaper editorial stated there are eight former council members opposed to the Parks and Rec Bond. How soon we forget. Citizens should remember that Robert Massey, Curtis Worthy, Paul Williams, Juanita Gonzalez and Lois Kirby were members of the city council that “inflicted” the Big Bang upon us. It is easy to talk and criticize, but the present council is trying to allow citizens to objectively make informed decisions about the future of Fayetteville. What did they do to enhance significant growth and development for the city? These are the same people who did nothing about broken-down buses and buses catching on fire and a host of other shortcomings while they were in office. Mrs. Applewhite was twice rejected by citizens as mayor because of her views. Jerry Reinoehl was rejected by the citizens of District #1 for city council. Former Councilman Don Talbot was angry because he wasn’t appointed to the NC State Veterans Park Commission. He then sent an email to council stating no one on council knew anything about the military, when in fact there were four retirees on council, each with more than twenty years of military service: Applewhite, Bates, Mohn and Crisp. The naysayers are going on radio and are visiting community watch meetings trying to convince citizens to vote against the bond package. Here is my point: The present council has vision to improve this city, but the ultimate decision is for the citizens to decide on the bond. As I visit groups I answer their questions factually in order to allow citizens to make their own informed decisions on March 15. FAYETTEVILLE FORWARD, FAYETTEVILLE STRONG.

I have finally figured out something Barack Obama and George W. Bush have in common besides living in the White House for eight years each. I suspect both of them are horrified — as in hair standing straight up on their heads horrified — by the directions voters of all stripes are taking as Presidential politics 2016 unfold. It is almost as if Democrats, Republicans and Independents held a secret convention and agreed to do their own thing this year and to do it loudly.

As I heard a TV talking head express this stunning phenomenon, it is as if American voters are in full political revolt.

When Democrat-turned-Republican Donald Trump, with all his insulting ways, and 74-year-old self-described Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders began resonating with voters, the Establishment of both parties pooh poohed them. Surely, party elders said, voters will come to their senses any minute now. Surely, they will acknowledge the wisdom from above and fall back into line, supporting the candidates we have put forward and bankrolled for them.

Wrong-o! 

The troops have quit taking orders.

American voters have apparently taken a lesson from the 1976 film Network in which a main character holds up his fist and declares, “I am mad as h*#l, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” “This” varies from voter to voter, of course, but it generally involves the sense that the political Establishment is, at the very least, not listening to real Americans and at the very worst is lying and thoroughly corrupt. Nevermind that Establishment candidates like Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush have long records of public service and zillions of dollars behind them. This season’s voters are sending messages that both parties’ elders are loathe to receive.

We are far from done, of course. Early voting has been in small states with, from North Carolina’s perspective, amazingly homogenous voters and overwhelmingly white populations. So, what to expect as the rest of the nation continues to express its frustration and anger at the polls? 

My guess and my hope are that much of this emotional political tsunami stems from the reality that politics-as-usual has brought us inequities of all sorts — economic, environmental, voters’ rights, educational, access to health care, our personal and national safety and more. These are not easy or comfortable topics for many on this year’s political stage, but they loom large in the minds of voters. The Donald’s support base of largely white, lower income men without college degrees illustrates the frustration. They are people for whom today’s technology and economy are not working well. They may have lost jobs to other nations or to technological advancements and they are angry. Who would not be?

On the other end of the spectrum, Bernie Sanders appeals to women and younger voters, a real concern for Hillary Clinton. What is that appeal? Sanders talks about both free and debt-free higher education, notions much on the minds of younger people and others hoping to move up the educational ladder. 

In the midst of all this swirling frustration, candidates and voters seem farther away from each other than ever. Voters simply do not believe much of what they hear from candidates, often with good reason. An entire industry of debate fact checkers has popped up during the 2016 cycle, another of countless examples of our federal government having become so polarized by partisanship that it is virtually paralyzed. The immediate partisan reaction to last weekend’s sudden death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is but the latest manifestation of our polarization.

All of this feels a bit like a high profile sports competition with both sides cheering and booing. 

Call me Pollyanna, but I have faith in the common sense of American voters. With only a few exceptions, we have elected reasonable people to our presidency, and I have my fingers crossed that we will do that this year as well. I also sense that voters will do our best to force candidates and our eventual party nominees into talking honestly not about what divides us but what shapes our daily lives — our jobs, our schools, the environment around us, our health, our safety. 

If those honest conversations can and do occur, America is likely to elect a reasonable and realistic president, be he or she a Democrat or a Republican. If they do not, the frustration and anger so many of us feel now can only grow and carry over into future election cycles and push us ever farther apart.

We did it! Actually, Fayetteville did it. The community showed up in supportive numbers to debut the area’s newest theatrical venue – the Fayetteville Dinner Theatre. Both performances sold out last Friday and Saturday nights as the Holiday Inn I-95, Up & Coming Weekly and Allegra Printing presented their first dinner theatre production: A Southern Girl’s got to Have It.  Written and directed by former Fayetteville resident Elaine Alexander, this hilarious southern comedy was the perfect centerpiece for an evening of music, food and fun – a cultural experience that complements and defines what Fayetteville is really about despite its frustrating attempts to overcome self-inflicted, dog-eared downtrodden perceptions of itself. 

But, not last weekend. Both evenings were about excitement and making sure our guests, who each invested $75 a ticket, had an experience that defined the hospitality, cultural excellence and sophistication that so many naysayers accuse Fayetteville of lacking. Well, no more driving to Raleigh, Chapel Hill or Durham for that ultimate theatrical experience.

So, a very special thank you to the perfect combination of people, organizations and local businesses that contributed to its success. The mission: give them the best we have locally. It was all about staying local and putting our best foot forward.  Our host, the Holiday Inn I-95, served up a great dinner with an extremely conscientious and uncommonly pleasant staff. Local businesses Draughon Brothers and Carolina Convention Services actually built the stage a nd provided the lights and sound under the supervision, talent and expertise of long-time Fayetteville resident and theatre technician, Martha Claybrook. Music was provided by Kia Walker, Bob Lawrence and Denny Dey of the Blue Violin while Lu Mil Vineyards served samples of their best wines. Bottom line: Fayetteville has revived the Fayetteville Dinner Theater.  Applause, applause.

P.S. A special thank you to our special guest 2016’s Miss Fayetteville Victoria Baskett. We wish her the best of luck in running for Miss North Carolina.

Last word: Residents of Fayetteville and Cumberland County no doubt recognize, appreciate and support quality venues and events. All we have to do is know how to provide them. Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

This column addresses a matter specific to Cumberland County, North Carolina, which includes the City of Fayetteville. Even though the situation is specific to the city and county where I live, examination of what is happening shines a bright light on the dysfunctional and ineffective political conditions that are present across America. 

For some period, the Cumberland County and the nine municipalities located in the County were seeking agreement on how to equitably distribute locally collected sales-tax. Fayetteville is by far the largest of the municipalities and was the only one disagreeing with the distribution formula proposed by the County. By North Carolina law, county commissioners decide how these funds are to be distributed. The distribution can be done one of two ways. As is currently done, by per-capita distribution where the total of the countywide population (in incorporated and unincorporated areas) and the populations of each municipality are used to calculate a proportional per-capita distribution. The other is ad valorem distribution where the sum of ad valorem (property) taxes levied by the county and each municipality in the immediately preceding fiscal year are used to calculate a proportional share of sales tax proceeds. 

In 2004, Fayetteville annexed areas of Cumberland County that added some 43,000 residents to the city. Given that annexations reduce the amount of sales tax distributed to the county, a 2003 agreement was reached that called for the city and towns to reimburse the county or one another half the sales tax distribution gained because of annexations. The initial agreement was for 10 years but was extended in 2013 for three years. Former Fayetteville Mayor Tony Chavonne was in office during the period leading up to and when the extension was signed. Without equivocation, he says the extension came about because the city and county could not agree on a distribution arrangement beyond the 10 year agreement. He adds that the reason for the extension was to allow time to settle the matter. 

Fast-forward to Jan. 27. No agreement has been reached regarding future sales-tax distribution and the three-year extension is about to expire. The county wants to extend the current agreement for 10 years. Eight of the nine municipalities are willing to accept this extension of the agreement because it will not cause any reduction in their receipts. Fayetteville City Council members refuse to sign because they argue the 10 year agreement was intended to allow the county to prepare for future reductions in the county’s sales-tax income. Further, the current agreement has caused Fayetteville to reimburse the county and other municipalities nearly $60 million total for fiscal years 2004 thru 2015. The county commissioners are refusing to negotiate. Per comments by County Commission Chairman Marshall Faircloth, the county’s position is that the proposed 10-year agreement extension is a compromise; consequently, there is nothing to negotiate. As was the case in 2013, the county is saying if Fayetteville does not agree to extend the current agreement, the commissioners will change the distribution method to ad valorem. That change would financially benefit the county while reducing income to Fayetteville and the other municipalities. The negative impact of a change on the other municipalities puts pressure on Fayetteville.

So, Fayetteville and the county are at an impasse. The pressing question is how should this matter be settled? I agree with newly installed Fayetteville City Councilman Kirk deViere. In a meeting of Cumberland County Citizens United, after Chairman Faircloth had presented the county’s case, deViere said what’s needed is “collaboration.” That is, the county and municipalities working together to come to an arrangement that serves all the people fairly and well. My thinking is achieving this goal would require elected officials and staffs to put on the table every piece of information that should be considered. Because the aim of those who represent the county and municipalities is to protect their turf, collaboration is probably a pipe dream. The accepted practice is every entity for itself. 

I have made a long listing of what I see as needing to be on the table. Here are just a few of those items:

1. Primary Tax Generating Area. Fayetteville’s Mayor, Nat Robertson, and City Manager, Ted Voorhees, led an information meeting on Jan. 13 that was open to the public. One slide in the prepared presentation read: “Taxable sales within Fayetteville accounted for 82.6 percent of the countywide total sales for FY2009 (the last year for which data is available). Under the state distribution methods, for FY2015 Fayetteville could only receive approximately 25 to 36 percent of the sales tax distributions.” It would appear reasonable that this be a point for consideration in determining fair distribution.

2. Full Disclosure Regarding Bragg Annexation. Sometime after the annexation of some 43,000 and the initial distribution agreement were in place, Fort Bragg was voluntarily annexed to Fayetteville. In spite of the existing agreement, somehow the county claimed 100 percent of the sales tax portion from that annexation. Faircloth justifies that action by saying Fayetteville does not provide any services to Bragg. Former Mayor Chavonne points out those services such as public safety in the city are impacted by the presence of personnel from Fort Bragg. He also explained that as part of the annexation, Fayetteville made a substantial financial investment to run a water line to Fort Bragg. Faircloth also mentioned that Fayetteville receives benefits from franchise and Powell Bill revenues based on the Fort Bragg annexation. There should be open discussion as to what this is, how much is received and what is mandated to be expended by the city against that income. 

3. Clear Assessment of Financial Resources. In print and in person, Faircloth talks about Fort Bragg residents attending county schools, but says nothing about the Impact Funding received from the Federal Government to help offset the associated costs. There is also no mention of the new funding stream to schools from red light camera fines.

4. Total Picture of Ad Valorem Method. I suppose in an attempt to promote ad valorem tax distribution, the Faircloth also states that 7 of 10 large cities in North Carolina use that arrangement. On this point, Chavonne emphasizes that Fayetteville has very few industrial properties. The seven cities pointed to by Faircloth most likely have substantial industrial properties; therefore, the ad-valorem tax does not disadvantage them as it would Fayetteville.

5. Legitimacy of Budgeting/Spending Levels. Fayetteville is now responsible for providing police and fire services to some 43,000 citizens no longer served by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department. In the Jan. 16 meeting of Cumberland County Citizens United where Faircloth spoke, Fayetteville Councilman Ted Mohn presented information on increases in the Sheriff’s budget along with other county and Fayetteville financials relevant to this discussion. In spite of the dramatic reduction in the number of citizens served, the Sheriff’s budget increased from $33,285,663 in Budget Year 2006-2007 (first full year after 43,000 annexation) to $48,419,606 in Budget Year 2015-2016. That’s a 45 percent increase. Over the same time period, ad-valorem tax receipts in Fayetteville did not cover police and fire department costs in any one year. The annual shortfalls start at $4,278,160 and stand at $8,447,215 for the current budget year. Mohn advises that the figures used here for the City and County were accurate at the time budgets were adopted. Budget amendments are often done throughout the year so the final numbers once the budget year ends may be a little different.

The listing goes on. Just the information above cries out for thoughtful negotiations resulting in a sales-tax distribution method that serves the County, Fayetteville and the eight other municipalities as a whole in a fair and productive fashion. Instead, I contend Cumberland County Commissioners and eight municipalities pressured the Fayetteville City Council to agree to extend the current agreement for three years. Mayor Nat Robertson and Councilman Bobby Hurst were the only “no” votes. Councilwoman Kathy Jensen was not present. Hurst got it right when he said the can has been “kicked down the road.” By my count this is the third kicking. 

Those who are politically entrenched wonder why many Americans are disgusted with government and why Donald Trump is doing well in his presidential quest. It is because of the kind of “do nothing, fix nothing, walk on some citizens” activity described here. This stuff is happening at every level of American government and many of us are fed up. I hope this sales-tax distribution “can-kicking” will bring more citizens of Cumberland County, including those in municipalities, to get informed and involved in making government work for the good of all, not just for individual groups, separate municipalities or those residents of unincorporated areas of the county.

Wedding season is just around the corner, and a friend recently received a wedding invitation from a young out-of-town cousin. My friend was unable to attend the festivities, but she wanted to remember the couple with a present, so she called to ask in which stores the couple had registered their fondest desires. “Well, none,” replied the bride-to-be, explaining that she and her intended had lived together for almost a decade so they did not need household items, but they would love some help with their mortgage payments.

Indeed! 

I remember when an older neighbor, whom I revered like a movie star, displayed her wedding presents on tables laid with white cloths in her family’s rumpus room. Discrete cards disclosed the names of the givers of china plates, crystal water goblets and monogrammed towels. 

Has anyone seen that lately?

Wedding customs and celebration styles evolve over time, of course, and just think how boring it would be if we all married the same way our parents and grandparents did. At the same time, a quick Google search brings home that evolution in short order. Here is a sampling.

Glamour magazine, aimed at women 18-49, which presumably includes plenty of would-be brides, opines that 2016 bridal gowns will include “boho” looks with crocheted fabrics, off the shoulder necklines worn with flowers in the bride’s hair. On the other end of the all important gown spectrum, we can expect backless gowns with a sexier more glamorous vibe. I worry about brides with gigantic butterflies tattooed between their shoulder blades, a disconcerting look I once saw on a bridesmaid. 

Speaking of bridesmaids, Glamour forecasts no more “uniforms.” Instead we can expect mismatched dresses, a welcome trend to bridesmaids themselves who come in all shapes, sizes and colors and who welcome the opportunity to choose a dress that suits them individually. This sounds like a terrific idea to me as long as everyone agrees to stick with one color family, sky blue perhaps, and no one turns up in lime green.

Glamour also sees a trend toward brunch weddings. This is a cost-saving measure as the average cost of a wedding in the United States is now bumping up on $30,000. Yikes!

Brit + Co sees more casual weddings ahead this year, with barefoot brides and grooms, even more pets decked out in wedding regalia as attendants at the altar and comfort food served at receptions. This prediction is accompanied by a photograph of spicy tomato soup shooters topped by wedges of grilled pimento cheese sandwiches. Yum! And what a refreshing break from over-the-top reception food with ingredients we might not want to think about, like squid ink. A cousin once declared that no one is ever really married until she has consumed ten crustless chicken salad mini-sandwiches at their reception, but we do not see those often anymore either.

The Huffington Post has lots to say about wedding trends, including a piece entitled “Wedding Dresses That Aren’t Strapless.” Lest you are thinking Kate Middleton’s lacey long sleeves, HuffPo’s non-strapless looks include crop tops — not a great option for brides anywhere close to the upper end of Glamour’s demographics, split- level dresses — short in the front and long in the back, jumpsuits and palazzo pants and dresses topped by swinging capes. The article includes a photograph of a bridal model heading down a runway wearing what appears – inexplicably – to be a set of sequin-adorned headphones. I am at a loss to think what a bride might want to listen to as she goes down the aisle to her groom.

Perhaps as a balance, HuffPo also features “50+ Wedding Dresses Fit for a Princess,” which includes more traditional designs but not all would likely have passed muster with Buckingham Palace. 

Also trending are non-traditional wedding parties in which not all attendants are contemporaries of the bride and groom. Think grandma in a bridesmaid’s dress. I have actually seen this trend in action, although grandma wore a nice suit in a color that blended with the other maids’ barer attire.

Speaking of non-traditional, Offbeat Bride offers suggestions on donating wedding leftovers to shelters or animal rescue groups and flowers to hospitals, shelters and the elderly, lovely ideas to me. It also shares homage toward “naked” wedding cakes, a treat for those who dislike icing.

The point of all this, of course, is for two people to set off on their lives together, and we all do it our way whether we elope to Dillon, marry in the back yard or spring for the extravaganza of the century. So, to all of those planning nuptials in 2016, we wish you a great time at your wedding and a long and happy marriage – whatever you decide to wear.

I love this community. All of it, from Linden to Hope Mills to Spring Lake. Yes, it is all Cumberland County more commonly known as the Fayetteville Community. And, as the “Fayetteville Community,” 300,000 plus residents must live with the history, consequences, sins and deficiencies from decades of poor and neglected leadership. Leadership that has robbed us of our pride, dignity and sense of worth; saddling us with a dubious reputation and relegating us to a less than attractive destination for business or industry and a poor quality place to raise a family.

We are, and, have been for generations, our own worst enemy. To be fair, not all of our past city and county leadership has been self-serving, incompetent and unresponsive to the needs of the community. However, conscientious leaders have been scarce and, in their defense, most tried their best to move the community forward in spite of an underlying “What’s in it for me?” political culture. 

We have had so many opportunities to do great things for our community, but instead we always seem to find a way to skirt success and broadcast to the nation that Fayetteville is a third-rate city that doesn’t know what is good for it. Frustrating? We want industry to locate in our county, yet, we turn away Sanderson Farms. We want to attract and develop new business, yet poor, unresponsive municipal and county customer service and tedious and repetitious codes and ordinances have frustrated corporate decision makers who vow never to return. 

We fight among ourselves (city vs. county on sales tax distribution). We sue ourselves (PWC vs. City of Fayetteville). We deprive our residents of basic quality-of-life amenities for decades then form opposition groups to fight righting the wrong (Parks & Rec Bond) without compromise. We protest raising taxes and fees yet tolerate waste and questionable expenditures on surveys, consultants and lavish meals. Go figure. When will this madness end? Surely, we are better than this. Come on, Fayetteville. It’s time we matured and stopped airing our dirty laundry for the world to see. We must get along, communicate and start to build a better community. We must demand that our leaders lead and stop being political “placeholders.” All the Rodin exhibits, Dogwood Festivals, Community Concerts Series and “arts and entertainment” districts will not secure our reputation or assure our children the home and future they deserve unless we do it and do it now! We are running out of time. 

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.