Eric Lindstrom, Dr. Hank Parfitt and John Malzone may have been recipients of the Downtown Visionaries awards held on June 13 at the AEVEX Veteran’s Club Lounge at Segra Stadium, but they graciously shared their respective honors with others. “I thank my partner Robbie Ferris,” Lindstrom said of his architectural business partner with SfL+a Architects. “He helped me dream a client’s dream. And I thank my husband Kennon Jackson. I’ve been surrounded by good people, and I encourage young people to get involved,” because the future, he said, is in the hands of the next generation. “My wife was essential,” Dr. Hank Parfitt said about of his wife of 57 years, Diane Parfitt. “We were going to make downtown better. There would be no Downtown Visionary award without her. But the real award is to see the face of a 5-year-old after a carriage ride … [who got] to pet the horse’s nose.” The couple owns Center City Gallery & Books on Hay Street. “I’ve had so many people help me over the years, and my wonderful wife of 56 years,” Malzone said. “I couldn’t have done anything without Shirley. She has been so understanding and supportive.” Lindstrom, Parfitt and Malzone were humble recipients of their awards. Humility matters. Few who achieve in life do it alone.
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Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis Wright says his decision to pull School Resource Officers and crossing guards from some of the county’s public schools in Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Spring Lake is a matter of manpower. “I will only sign agreements that I can fully honor,” Ennis says in a news release. “Sadly, due to an insufficient workforce, we are unable to provide school resource officers for all the schools in the city. Entering a contract would be irresponsible and reckless, knowing we cannot fulfill it. School Resource Officers play a crucial role in enhancing the safety and well-being of the schools and communities they serve. I emphasize the importance of providing a School Resource Officer in all schools and that the safety of our students is everyone’s responsibility. It takes a village, or, in this case, all the municipalities to work together.” But something is for sure. In today’s world, communities cannot put students at risk, no matter the cost.
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“The U.S. Open week for Pinehurst was as exciting as the tournament’s finish,” Pinehurst Mayor Patrick Pizzella tells CityView. “Close to 250,000 people visited our historic village and Pinehurst Resort’s most celebrated golf course … Pinehurst No. 2 is the cradle of American golf. We enjoyed all the visitors, and we hope all the visitors enjoyed the Village of Pinehurst.”
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“Thanks for your coverage of the returning golf hall of fame,” Charlie Hunger writes in an email about our Jan. 14 column regarding the World Golf Hall of Fame in Pinehurst. “Years ago, when it was initially in Pinehurst, we did visit it and are anxious to see the new view. Thanks again for your coverage of the hall of fame and your many stories in CityView.” The return of the United States Golf Association World Golf Hall of Fame, Mr. Hunger, to the Pinehurst Country Club is grand, and the recent induction of Sandra Palmer, Padraig Harrington and the late Tom Weiskopf was a lovely evening.
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Golf fans worldwide still are finding it hard to believe Rory McIlroy’s missed par putt of 3-feet, 9 inches at the 18th hole in the final round of Sunday’s 124th U.S. Open golf championship at Pinehurst No. 2. “I’ve played No. 2 some 400 times,” says Dean Dwiggins, a Pinehurst resident and club member. “And that putt breaks hard to the right.” McIlroy found out for himself, and it cost him a one-stroke defeat to Bryson DeChambeau for the national title.
Rory McIlroy says his collapse with bogeys on three of the last four holes in the final round of Sunday’s U.S. Open golf tournament is the most haunting loss of his 17-year professional career. He still earned $2.322 million for the runner-up finish, with winner Bryson DeChambeau taking home $4.3 million.
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Drop 30 pounds, and you’ll find yourself with a closet full of slacks you no longer can wear because of a thinner frame. Goodwill, here I come.
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An aging bed mattress will leave you with an aching back. Serta queen, here I come.
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There’s the high road and there’s the low road, and the high road always leads to the better destination.
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“I am very proud to lead the SRAHEC board this year and I am impressed with the service, leadership and compassionate care they provide to the region,” David Tolentino writes in an email about the Jun. 16 Kirby File about the 50th anniversary of the Southern Regional Area Education Center. Tolentino is associate dean for clinical affairs and associate professor of internal medicine for the School of Osteopathic Medicine at Campbell University in Buies Creek.
Next: Remembering Rich Craven
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961
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