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The truth in aging

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Tuesday, 16 December 2025

Written by Margaret Dickson

As 2026 barrels toward us, we Americans have some significant pondering to do on a problem that is uncomfortable for most everyone. By Americans, I mean Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and people who may not bother to vote but who are nonetheless affected by decision-makers running our government.
The problem is that many of our political leaders, both Democrats and Republicans, are simply too old to be effective in their jobs. Some of them have the potential to be flat-out dangerous.
Think Joe Biden, who froze during a debate broadcast around the world.
Think Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, who did the same thing multiple times in public, and we have no idea what happened in private.
Think California Senator Diane Feinstein, who repeated questions during Senate committee hearings and reportedly sometimes did not know where she was.
Think South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond, who fondled teenage pages and died at 100, just six months after leaving office.
And think Donald Trump, who, love him or loathe him, is not the same person he was during his first term as President and who now openly dozes in meetings, calls women journalists “piggy,” and rages online at night.
Each of these leaders is/was at least in his/her late 70s, and others are/were considerably older.
Age is a delicate topic because most people of a certain age function well or not as private citizens, not public officials. Our loved ones may worry about our health and our decision-making abilities, but whatever they may be, they do not affect thousands or millions of others.
When the United States was formed, our Founding Fathers (there were no official Founding Mothers) realized there should be age minimums and wrote them into our Constitution—25 for members of the US House of Representatives, 30 for members of the US Senate, and 35 for US President. North Carolina’s Constitution also has minimum ages—21 for the NC House, 25 for the NC Senate, and 30 for Governor.
And, oh my goodness! US Supreme Court justices and federal judges hold constitutionally mandated lifetime appointments. Many do resign for all sorts of reasons, but some who do not wind up in the same advanced age situations as elected politicians. They make decisions for others that are difficult, if not impossible, to change.
Most other advanced nations limit legislative and judicial service through term limits or mandatory retirement ages, but most of the US does not. The North Carolina General Assembly actually raised the retirement age for appellate judges from 72 to 76 to accommodate the birthday of a conservative Supreme Court Justice it wanted to keep in place—clearly a move in the wrong direction!
Little, if any, thought was given to age limits, probably because in the late 18th century, life was shorter than it is now and few lingered in old age, which is often prolonged today by modern pharmaceuticals. George Washington died at 69, and while Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin made it into their 80s, the average lifespan for a man in 1800 was around 40. With life being so short, there was apparently little, if any, thought given to decision-makers who overstay their capabilities.
That simply was not a problem in the early days of our nation.
It is now.
While many older Americans—you and I know plenty of them—remain vibrant and capable well into old age and to their last breaths, many do not. This becomes a serious issue when they are making life-changing decisions not only for themselves but for millions of Americans and others around the world.
Remedying the United States’ dilemma of aging decision makers will not be easy and will involve the participation of some of those same decision makers.
That said, we need to proceed for the sake of a nation that has evolved dramatically over its 250 years of existence.

Molly the Warrior Princess and the $400 cup of coffee

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Wednesday, 10 December 2025

Written by Pitt Dickey

You meet the nicest people in the waiting room of an Emergency Veterinary Clinic. They care about their animals despite the cost. I know this from personal experience after spending quality time there Thanksgiving weekend. We have two dogs, Jasper the Wonder Bionic Dog and Molly the Warrior Princess.
Once upon a time, about 8 years ago, Jasper was hanging out under a car at Lindy’s restaurant looking for lunch. Jasper was rescued by our neighbors, Javan and Cindy. Jasper is like Blanche DuBois; he depends upon the kindness of strangers. Despite being cat people, they saved him from his vagabond life. They took him to the vet for a check-up to have him neutered for adoption.
Due to Molly needing her own dog, we promised to adopt him after a trip.
Jasper is an escape artist. After a period of recuperation, he escaped. While on the roam, he managed to get his leg broken by an unpleasant encounter with a car. After the hit-and-run incident, another nice lady found him hiding under a car.
Coincidentally, she took him to the same vet who had treated him. The vet recognized Jasper. He contacted our neighbors, who rescued him for a second time. Jasper was not covered by Medicaid, so they picked up the cost of repairing his broken leg. When we got back from our trip, Jasper moved down the block to our house, where he has been ever since.
Life on the streets was tough on Jasper. He had several interesting health challenges in the last year. Like me, he suffered hair loss. Multiple trips to a local vet produced a diagnosis of a thyroid condition. The thyroid meds didn’t work. Troubles continued. A visit to the NC State Veterinary clinic resulted in a large out-of-pocket charge and a diagnosis of Cushing’s Disorder. New meds were prescribed, which are slowly restoring his fur. I am considering taking some of Jasper’s pills. But I digress.
Suddenly, last summer, Jasper’s health deteriorated. It turned out he had doggy diabetes. Who knew dogs could get diabetes?
Apparently, Cushing’s disorder can lead to diabetes. He began two daily insulin shots and fancy diabetic dog food, which stabilized his blood sugar. Then abruptly, he began to go blind, bumping into various things. It was a sad time. Ever vigilant, my wife Lani found an animal eye clinic in Cary for a consult. Jasper had cataracts. Dogs can have lens replacements for cataracts just like humans. Do not ask what dual cataract replacement surgery costs. He had the surgeries, which were a great success.
He sees perfectly while on a daily regimen of diabetic dog food, two insulin shots, a Cushing pill, and three types of eye drops.
All this leads to the $400 cup of coffee. I was giving Jasper one of his eye drops. The cap to the tube of eye juice fell off the table and disappeared. Molly was standing excitedly nearby in anticipation of the treat both dogs get when Jasper gets medicated. The cap was gone. Had Molly eaten it?
We looked everywhere. We moved furniture. No luck. Vanished. Dachshunds are notorious eaters. She must have snapped it up and swallowed it when it hit the floor. Rats. The cap was too large for it to pass through her. Time to visit the Emergency Vet for puke induction. I remonstrated vigorously with Molly about eating the cap, but she remained unrepentant.
At the Vet ER, the waiting room filled up. They took her out of turn to try to get the cap out of her before it advanced to a major plugging location. Two puke-inducing rounds of meds were given. No cap. Next was an X-ray. While waiting, a large, actively friendly Labradoodle named Kaboo, wearing the cone of shame collar, sat comfortably on my foot. Kaboo and I bonded. Dogs are no respecters of personal space. I contacted home to ask for yet another final search for the errant cap. Ten minutes later, I got the text. The cap had been in my son’s shoe, where it had been hiding in the toe. Some Olympic quality bounce had put it there. Huzzah!
I gingerly approached the front desk and asked to stop the presses. The cap had been found in a shoe. Relieved, but feeling like a moron, I waited for Saint Molly the Innocent to be brought back out.
I finally discovered there was a Keurig coffee maker for humans in the waiting room. I made a cup of coffee, even adding sugar and cream to ease my financial and sense of doggy hypochondria to get some return on my money, even if it was only a $400 cup of coffee. The Vet tech told me Molly said I could not be her friend anymore. She was kidding. Molly was happy as a proverbial clam to see me.
Discharge Diagnosis: Owner is Stupid. Moral: Always look in the toe of your shoes.

Letter to the Editor: Fayetteville’s dinner meetings and the erosion of open government

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Tuesday, 16 December 2025

Written by Darden Jenkins

Letter to the Editor: Closed City Council Dinner Meetings Violate NC Laws for Open Meetings

The recent CityView article exposing Fayetteville’s “dinner meetings” should trouble every citizen who values transparency and lawful governance. What is described is not simply an informal gathering over food—it is a parallel system of government operating in a locked, upstairs room where major public business is discussed, shaped, and in some cases effectively decided before the public ever enters the first-floor council chambers.
That is not how open government works in North Carolina.
When the entire City Council meets at 5:30 p.m., behind a badge-lock door, with a staff escort required for entry, in a cramped room that can barely seat eight citizens, they are not hosting a “casual dinner.” They are holding an official meeting under North Carolina General Statutes 143-318.9–318.18.
The law is unambiguous:
If a majority of members gather to deliberate public business, the public has the right to attend, observe, and understand the
decision-making process.
Yet these dinner sessions routinely involve:
• Deliberations on developer contracts and litigation decisions,
• Strategy discussions before televised council meetings,
• According to former and current members, informal voting.
This practice circumvents both the spirit and the letter of the Open Meetings Law. Accessibility is not satisfied by posting a notice while placing the meeting in a locked, inaccessible location. A council member even acknowledged that the structure is designed to “make it not as easy” for the public to attend—an admission that should alarm anyone familiar with the statutory prohibition on meetings held to evade public scrutiny.
Equally concerning is the absence of written agendas, the destruction of audio recordings after minimal minutes are approved, and the use of a meeting format that no comparable municipality in North Carolina employs. When the public must guess what happened upstairs while watching a scripted performance downstairs, trust in government is not just eroded—it is actively undermined.
This is not about politics. It is about governance, law, and the public’s right to know.
If Fayetteville wants to restore confidence in City Hall, the first step is straightforward:
Move the dinner meetings to the first-floor chamber, publish agendas, livestream the proceedings, and treat them as the official meetings they clearly are.
North Carolina provides numerous resources and training opportunities precisely so that local governments avoid these pitfalls. Fayetteville’s leadership should immediately engage with:
• The North Carolina Open Government Coalition (Elon University)
• The North Carolina Press Association’s Open Meetings resources
• The Attorney General’s Open Government Unit
These organizations exist to ensure public bodies operate transparently and in full compliance with state law. The fact that Fayetteville’s dinner meetings resemble none of the best practices recommended by any of them speaks volumes.
This city deserves better. Transparency is not a campaign slogan—it is a legal duty.
Respectfully,
—Darden Jenkins, Fayetteville

Publisher's Pen: Senator Tom McInnis on Fuquay-Varina’s interbasin Transfer Request

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Wednesday, 10 December 2025

Written by Bill Bowman

Make no mistake about where Senator Tom McInnis stands on Fuquay-Varina’s attempt to transfer millions of gallons of water from the Cape Fear River Basin into the Neuse River Basin. His letter to Environmental Management Commission Chairman John Solomon made his position clear, as did the dozens of elected officials and citizens from Fayetteville and Cumberland County who attended the DEQ public hearing on this issue at FTCC on Dec. 4. For those of us residing downstream from Sanford to Wilmington, this proposal is a non-starter. Logic should prevail.
However, I remain skeptical about the outcome because the next two public hearings are scheduled in Wake County, and we have no clear understanding of where the Environmental Management Commission’s 15-member board resides. It is doubtful that any of them were appointed from the areas that will be mostly and directly affected. It is my understanding that the EMC board is composed of highly qualified, reasonable citizens with expertise in medicine, agriculture, engineering, conservation, groundwater, air and water pollution control, and municipal government. With that level of intellectual expertise, one must question how this interbasin transfer request advanced to this stage. It is my hope—and that of tens of thousands of citizens across southeastern North Carolina—that the final decision will be based only on science, economics, and environmentally sound principles, rather than backroom partisan politics. I was among the dozens of speakers who voiced opposition to the IBT at FTCC. I have included my comments along with those of Senator McInnis. I urge all citizens to make their voices heard on this issue. Say NO to the IBT. Fayetteville and Cumberland County’s future depends on it.
Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.
— Bill Bowman, Publisher

Sen. Tom Mcinnis's letter to John Solomon, Environmental Management Commission Chairman 

Chairman Solomon,
I am writing this letter in my official capacity as the elected NC Senator for District 21, representing all of Moore County and most of Cumberland County, excluding the City of Fayetteville. It has come to my attention that the City of Fuquay-Varina is requesting a transfer of over 6 million gallons of water per day from the Cape Fear River and, after using said water, to return it to the Neuse River, which is a totally different basin.
I am totally against such a transfer due to the fact that said water would be taken from one basin and returned to a totally different basin. This will have a negative impact on the citizens and taxpayers who rely on the water flow of the Cape Fear River downstream from the taking location.
In the event that the removal, use, and return could be accompanied in the same river, I would certainly entertain a softening of my position.
As the current request is made, I remain fully opposed to such a transfer proposal. Regards,
Senator Tom Mclnnis
District 21: Cumberland and Moore Counties

Bill Bowman's remarks during the Dec. 4 hearing at FTCC
For over 30 years, Up & Coming Weekly has watched Fayetteville and Cumberland County transition into a vibrant, culturally rich community. We have celebrated milestones, honored traditions, and seen our citizens and leaders work tirelessly to improve the quality of life for families across this county.
Reality Check
But let’s be honest: despite our progress, Cumberland County still lags behind our neighboring counties in population growth, economic development, and overall quality of life. That is not a criticism of our leadership — in fact, we have strong, visionary County Commissioners and civic leaders in place today who are determined to close that gap. It is simply a reality we must acknowledge if we are serious about building a brighter future.
That is why the proposed interbasin transfer — moving million gallons of water per day from the Cape Fear River Basin to the Neuse River Basin — is so alarming.
Water is not just a resource; it is the lifeblood of growth, prosperity, and community well-being. Removing this volume of water from our basin threatens to undermine everything we have worked for.
This diversion could reduce clean drinking water for residents and businesses in the Cape Fear Basin, and weaken our ability to attract growth and compete with our neighbors. It will have a detrimental impact on the environment by disrupting water quality, river flows, and wildlife habitats from Sanford to Wilmington.
Besides, State rules require exploring options within the receiving basin first — to my knowledge, this hasn’t been done.
This is not just about water. It is about our future. It is about whether Cumberland County will have the tools it needs to finally catch up — and surpass — our neighbors in quality of life, economic opportunity, and community growth.
We cannot allow decisions made outside our county to jeopardize the progress we have fought so hard to achieve.
“This water transfer threatens our supply, our economy, our environment, and our future — Cumberland County cannot afford to give away its lifeblood.
So tonight, I want you to know that we stand united in the realization that if we lose control of our water, we lose control of our future. And Cumberland County’s future is far too important to give away. Thank you.

(Photo: Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Chair, Kirk deViere, was among those who spoke at a Dec. 4 hearing regarding an interbasin transfer request from Fuquay-Varina. All but one attendee at the hearing were vehemently opposed to the request. Photo courtesy of PWC's Facebook Page)