A grand evening for Chip Beck, who was inducted May 1 into the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame at the Sheraton Greensboro at Four Seasons.
“I had 70 people that attended on my behalf, mostly family, nieces and nephews, along with all my siblings,” said Beck, 69, who learned the game at Highland Country Club under the late Tony Evans and competed on the PQA Tour from 1978 until the late 1990s, and winning four events. “This is what was so moving to me, that my family was so thrilled for my induction. Roy Williams (former University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill basketball coach and N.C. Sports Hall of Fame member) couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about me and my career and remembered my mom introducing us in Charleston while waiting for seating at a restaurant. Roy said, ‘I was his Ryder Cup hero,’ which meant the world to me and all my family.”
Beck played on U.S. Ryder Cup teams in 1989, 1991 and 1993. “I felt honored beyond imagination to have so many people enthused about my induction,” he said. Others from Fayetteville in attendance were John and Mary Holmes, Bill and Marian Boyette, Jim and Elaine Lewis, Greg Parks, and Amy Perko.
Menno Pennink was remembered Wednesday by son Michael Pennink as a man of “curiosity” about life, “an intense spirit,” and for his “endearing belief in the potential for good” during a memorial service at Cape Fear Botanical Garden for the late neurosurgeon and downtown entrepreneur.
“In Menno’s remembrance, may we choose to see the good in one another—leading with compassion and loyalty,” his family wanted all to know. “Remain steadfast in what you are passionate about, finding strength and persistence. May we embrace what makes us different, unafraid to move to the rhythm of our own lives. May we never stop striving, continuing to grow, to dream and to pursue our purpose at every stage of life.” More than 350 people from Fayetteville and beyond came to remember Pennink, who died at age 90 on March 14.
When it comes to giving back to a community, you often will find Carolyn, Sharlene, and Joe Riddle following in the footsteps of their late parents, J.P. and March Riddle, in their benevolent ways. It comes as no surprise that Carolyn Riddle Armstrong and her husband, George, were on hand May 1 for the unveiling of the Carolyn & George Armstrong Building Trades Center for the Fayetteville Technical Community College’s (FTCC) Building Trades Program.
“The scholarships are very important,” Carolyn Armstrong said in a news release. The couple’s $1 million donation will benefit students enrolled in the program to develop electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and carpentry skills. “And everything they do in this building is what we do in our homes.” The 22,000 square-foot building is located on Fort Bragg Road with financial support of $3.82 million in state funding, a $200,000 grant from the Cannon Foundation, and $75,000 from the Fund for the Carolinas’ Longleaf Fund.The Armstrongs’ donation will support the Building Trades programs, including scholarships in the construction trades programs.
Retired FTCC President J. Larry Keen received the Order of the Long Pine at an April 20 meeting of the school’s Board of Trustees and the Cumberland Board of County Commissioners. “This is a reflection on the quality of the people I’ve had the privilege to work with during my entire life,” Keen said in a news release. “I’m forever grateful to the people throughout the entire community college system, but really the faculty and staff at FTCC, the board of trustees and Dr. (Mark) Sorrells, who have all been phenomenal in so many different ways.”
Keen served as FTCC’s fourth president for nearly 15 years before retiring in 2022. The highest honor for civic service was presented to Keen by Kirk deViere, chair of the board of commissioners, on behalf of Gov. Josh Stein.
Ego-inflated politicians can pose and posture all they want, but those of us with observant eyes are hard to fool and can see right through an imposter.
Last time I looked, the price of regular gasoline at the pump was $4.19 where I fuel my vehicles. In the words of Popeye the Sailor Man, “That’s all I can stands. I can’t stands no more.”
“Beautiful article about a beautiful lady,” Brenda Edge wrote in an email about my May 3 column about Judy Dawkins. “So refreshing to read about the positive. As I sit here this bright sun-shiny morning reading your column and drinking my coffee, I am reminded of the wonderful kind people, as Judy, who I have been fortunate enough to have known, do know and will meet. Keep reminding us of the goodness of the world and how blessed we are.”
“It is with sadness that I share the passing of Mr. Julian McIntyre, a longtime friend and supporter of Soil & Water Conservation,” Lisa Childers, the Cumberland County extension director, wrote in an email. “Mr. McIntyre was inducted into the Cumberland County Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2013 and was an advocate for agriculture in our county. Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.” Julian Holmes McIntrye died at age 99 on May 1 in Garner.
The NAIA Men’s National Golf Championship is coming to Fayetteville, scheduled for piggyback years on May 18-21, 2027, and May 23-26, 2008,according to the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. The championships are anticipated to bring 156 golfers, representing 30 teams, along with coaches and supporters.
deViere was honored April 30 as an Airborne Ambassador on the recommendation of Lt. Gen. Gregory K. Anderson, who is commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps on Fort Bragg, for his support of the military. “Fort Bragg is more than a military installation,” deViere said in a news release. “It is an essential part of the fabric of Cumberland County. I am deeply honored to receive this recognition and remain committed to supporting soldiers, families, veterans and the civilian workforce who contribute so much to our community.” A U.S. Army veteran and infantry officer from 1991-2000, deViere is a former state senator who long has championed active-duty military and veterans, including advocacy for eliminating state income tax on military retirement pensions, securing funding for veterans’ organizations, supporting military family initiatives, and strengthening partnerships between Cumberland County and Fort Bragg.
Coming Sunday: Mothers are forever, even beyond heaven’s gates.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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