First they brought us Scott McCreery for a night of country music. Their second show saw the touring phenom Sister Acttake the stage. Now for a third show, Community Concerts is bringing in another superstar performer — Trace Adkins.

Adkins is a country music superstar in the purest sense of the word. Since his debut single, “There’s a Girl in Texas,” reached the top of the charts 18 years ago, Adkins has become one of the most successful country music artists of this era. He has released more than 10 albums and sold more than 7 million records. He has won CMT Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards and been nominated for four different Grammy Awards.

Adkins has even found success onscreen appearing in several movies such as the 2011 hit The Lincoln Lawyer. His most recent onscreen success came in 2013 when Adkins won the 6th Celebrity Apprentice competition on television raising more than $1.5 million for the American Red Cross in the process.

On Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. at the Crown Theater, Adkins will debut his latest artistic endeavor to local audiences when his Christmas tour comes to town for the night. The Christmas Show tour kicked off on Nov. 12, and will run through nearly 20 cities before wrapping up on Dec. 21. The show in Fayetteville is the one and only show Adkins will perform in North Carolina during this tour.

As the name of the tour implies, the show will feature a night of Christmas music performed with the trademark baritone voice that has made Adkins famous. The music performed is a mix of classic Christmas songs and music from Adkin’s 2013 Christmas album: The King’s Gift.

The album that the upcoming show is based on is a departure from the style of music that has made Adkins famous. The music is deeply rooted in the old Celtic style of music. Adkins describes the music as, “the most beautiful thing that I have ever been a part of.” He elaborated on his motivations for taking on this ambitious musical endeavor

.“I love this type of music and I always have. I don’t know what it is about that music, but it touches me in a primal place,” he said. “This was the first opportunity I ever had to actually perform that type of music. I get an incredible amount of gratification from it.”

Considering the level of success that Adkins has been able to garner over his career, it was a bit curious that he chose to have The Christmas Show performed before such intimate audiences when he could easily fill substantially larger venues. Adkins explained his reasoning.

“This is a theatre show. It is kind of like a one-man play, which is one of the reasons why I am a nervous wreck every night before I go out there,” he said. “It is not what I normally do, I usually just go out there and put my foot in the floor and do a 75 or 90 minute concert. This is different, it has narration — an actual script. This is such a different animal. It really lends itself to theatres.”

As Adkins describes the show itself, his passion for the music becomes evident,.

“Musically, this is the most beautiful project that I have ever been a part of. There is a 12-piece ensemble behind me, everything that you need for the Celtic feel. We wanted it to have that very traditional feel. If you had heard these old Christmas carols performed a hundred years ago, they probably would have sounded like this, as far as the instrumentation goes,” he explained. “That is really what we were shooting for.”

He goes on to say, “I really enjoy doing this show. It makes me nervous and anxious about it every night, but I do enjoy doing it. Standing in front of that 12-piece ensemble every night to do this music is a thrill to me.”

Adkins even hinted that this tour could become an annual occurrence in saying, “As long as I can sing these songs to level that I am happy with, I can see myself doing this tour for as long as I can do it.”

Considering the population of Fayetteville and it’s military and blue collar roots, Adkins is very optimistic about how crowds will react to the show.

“They will love it! This is just old-school Christmas songs. The people of Fayetteville are the types of people that will have no problem calling it a Christmas show. It is not a holiday show, it’s a Christmas show.”

Adkins is just as clear about what he would like for audiences to take away from the show itself.

“The King’s Gift, the title of the album, comes from the song ‘The Little Drummer Boy.’ He goes to see the newborn king and he has no expensive gifts to give but he does have his talent; which is to play the drum. That is what he gives, and that is my message to people. The best gifts we have to give to each other don’t have price tags on them. They are the gifts of time, talents and love... If this show doesn’t light the fire of your holiday spirit, then your wood is wet,” he said.

After The Christmas Show, Community Concerts will be back at it after the turn of the year when they bring Dancing Pros Live to Fayetteville on Feb. 11, The Australian Bee Gees on March 25 and motown legend Smokey Robinson to close out the season on April 16. Tickets for the Adkins show, and the remainder of the Community Concerts season, are available now through Community Concerts’ website, Ticketmaster, and the Crown Complex Box Office.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas … that means shorter days, cold nights and Christmas decorations in every store. It is time again for the family-oriented Hope Mills Christmas Celebration on Saturday, Dec. 6.

Hope Mills welcomes Christmas in a big way and the celebration runs throughout the day. A Day of Christmas In Hope Mills kicks-off at 8:30 a.m., with the annual Breakfast with Santa at the Hope Mills Recreation Center. Children, with their excitement barely contained, line up to eat breakfast with their favorite elf. Tickets are $6.

Residents can then spend the rest of the morning shopping in the downtown area shops or grabbing a bite to eat before staking out a spot for the big event of the year, the Hope Mills Christmas Parade.

The parade, which draws huge crowds, begins at 3 p.m. at the Hope Mills Municipal Park.

“We usually get a big turnout with a lot of beauty queens, local car clubs, military units, local middle and high school marching bands, local businesses and a good variety of others,” said Ryan Gordon, program supervisor of the Hope Mills Parade. “We will have Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus in the parade — the kids really enjoy that.”

Gordon added that this is a traditional community event and a lot of people are involved in making it a success.

As the last sounds of Christmas carols fade away, town residents make their way over to the gazebo by the now-empty Hope Mills Lake for the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at 5:30 p.m.

“We light our yule log and Santa comes to visit with the kids,” said Gordon. “There will be performances by a ballet group and singing groups at the tree lighting ceremony,” said Gordon.

He added that cookies, hot chocolate and candy canes are on hand for the children at the ceremony and Santa Claus will pass out 30,000 pieces of candy to the children this year.

All participants in the parade should reflect a holiday theme and are encouraged to be creative with costumes and decorations.

“We encourage everyone to come out and see the parade,” said Gordon. “Hope Mills loves Christmas and we look forward to this fun-filled event.”

The parade lineup is at 1 p.m. and judging will begin at 2:15 p.m. For more information call 424-4500.

Photo: The Town of Hope Mills welcomes Christmas on Dec. 6, starting the day with Breakfast with Santa, followed by the parade and the tree-lighting ceremony.

Ballet is an art form in which people spend years training their bodies to perform defined and graceful movements. Ballet is a very formal dance. The movements are specific and often trace their origins back to its inception in the Italian Renaissance. But despite the formality of the movements, each step the dancer takes is fluid and light. In The Nutcracker these graceful movements are used to tell a holiday story that has captivated millions for years.

This year The Nutcrackerwill once again grace Cumberland County as a joint production of Leslie’s Dance Company, Cumberland County Dance Academy, Center Stage School of Performing Arts and The Dance Theatre of Fayetteville. The Nutcrackeris on stage at Methodist University, which is located at 5400 Ramsey St., on Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec 7 at 3 p.m.

The Nutcracker follows the Christmas adventures of a young girl named Clara. After being sent to bed on Christmas Eve, Clara sneaks out to check on her favorite gift, a nutcracker, from her godfather Drosselmeyer. Suddenly, the room fills with mice and the nutcracker grows to full size. The nutcracker leads an army of gingerbread men against the mice. Clara helps the nutcracker win the battle by distracting the Mouse King. Afterwards, her beloved and wounded nutcracker, turns into a prince. He leads her into his magical kingdom, visiting the Land of Sweets where Clara’s heroism is celebrated. Then Clara and the prince are crowned rulers.

The four local schools are coming together with their best students to create this year’s performance of the classic holiday story. Leslie’s Dance Company has been operating for 30 years and offers numerous different styles of dance classes from ballet to clogging. Leslie has experience dancing professionally with Robert Joffery and The Shreveport Dance Company and is also the artistic director for The Dance Theatre of Fayetteville. The academy utilized the Countryside Gymnastics training facility located at 330 McArthur Road. Tickets for The Nutcracker can be purchased at the front desk. For more information, visit www.countrysidegym.com/#!leslies-dance-academy/c1lo1.

The Cumberland County Dance Academy is located at 3504 Masonboro Court. in Hope Mills. The Academy offers classes for children as young as three and four, and six separate options for older dancers. From ballet, to lyrical, to hip-hop the Cumberland County Dance Academy has it all. For more information, visit www.cumberlanddanceacademy.com.

Center Stage School of Performing Arts offers education in both dance and music. Center Stage, which has been operating for almost 30 years, focuses on a well-rounded dance education. Classes are not about learning a routine for a specific show. There are two locations: 411 Coldwater Dr. in Garner, N.C., and 509 Broad St. in Fuquay-Varina, N.C.. For more information visit http://centerstagegarnerfuquay.com/CSpages/aboutus.html.

The Dance Theatre of Fayetteville is a non-profit organization. Thanks to generous individuals and businesses every year, they have been able to annually produce The Nutcracker. Not only does this provide an amazing show for the community, it also helps to promote dance in the community. The Dance Theatre of Fayetteville is a ballet company specifically for young dancers to challenge themselves and to learn. It is an experience that they will carry with them for the rest of their dance careers.

Tickets are $10 for the public and $5 for students K5 through high school. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the front desk inside Countryside Gymnastics, and can also be purchased at the door. For more information visitwww.dancetheatreoffayetteville.com/About.html.

Photo: The Nutcracker is on stage at Methodist University Dec. 5-7.

The members of the Cumberland Oratorio Singers are passionate about chorale music. They are passionate about the community, too. Each year the organization performs several concerts, many of them in partnership with other organizations. While Director of Choral Activities and Music Education at Methodist University Dr. Michael Martin does an outstanding job of bringing a variety of chorale productions to the community, the one that does not change from year to year is the December performance of the “Hallelujah Chorus.” This year, the performance is set for Dec. 13 at St. Ann Catholic Church.

“We are performing the first section of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ for the concert. Specifically, it is called ‘Part the First,’ which deals primarily with the birth of Christ,” said Martin. “This is why this first part is so popular during the holiday season, although some places do the entire ‘Messiah’ work. The chorus of ‘Hallelujah’ is actually borrowed from ‘Part the Second,’ yet we include it as it is a traditional part of the Christmas holiday season.”

Not only is this annual performance of “Messiah” a gift to the community, it is one of the many ways that the members of The Cumberland Oratorio Singers reach out to fellow singers and musicians, and people in the area who appreciate music.

“What I most enjoy about this performance is the community aspect of it all,” said Martin. “We hire a professional orchestra and we hire professional soloists. However, our chorus is made up of ‘volunteer’ professionals, if you will, that come from every corner of our community. This event also invites people who would otherwise not have the opportunity to sing this piece, and maybe haven’t since college, to perform it with us. These types of presentations of ‘Messiah’ are quite popular during the holidays, so it is not unique to Fayetteville. The best part of this event is about building our sense of community; it always will be.”

If people would like to participate, they are welcome to attend the last Monday rehearsals with the orchestra on Dec. 1 at Highland Presbyterian Church and Dec. 8 at St. Ann Church. All rehearsals are from 7-9 p.m. Participants need to supply their own music. If making the practice is not an option, people are still welcome to perform. On the night of the concert, anyone wishing to perform needs to tell the greeters that they would like to sing along and they will be directed to areas where they can stand and sit without disrupting the experience of those who have come just to listen. There is no special dress for the concert.

One of the ways that The Cumberland Oratorio Singers keeps performances fresh is by featuring different soloists. This year, Jeffrey Jones, who is on the faculty of Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina, is the bass soloist. Anne Rogers, music director at St. Patrick’s Church, will sing the soprano solo. Brenda Vandervort (mezzo soprano) and Melvin Ezzel (tenor) have performed with the group before and continue to be an asset to the organization.

Unlike many other pieces, during “Messiah”, the audience stands for the chorus. “I think audiences always wonder why people stand for the chorus of ‘Hallelujah.’ Theories abound, the most common being that King George II, attending the London premiere of ‘Messiah’ in March of 1743, was so moved by the ‘Hallelujah’ that he stood up,” said Martin. “If the king stands, everybody stands. The only problem is that there is no evidence that he was even at the concert; newspapers and eyewitnesses do not report any royal presence. People are welcome to survey the myriad of research out there as to all the speculation. However, I think it is a great tradition and, if anything, draws the whole audience and participants in at the end of a long performance.”

The performance is set for 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.singwithcos.org.

Photo: One of the sounds of the season in Cumberland County is the annual presentation of Handel’s “Messiah” by the Cumberland Oratorio Singers. As in years past, community members are in-vited to join the group on Dec. 13 and sing along. 

Collateral Damage: Fayetteville Citizens and PWC Rate Payers

Fayetteville residents are assured that we will get through this unfortunate City of Fayetteville/PWC crisis. Sadly, we have allowed a stranger to our community (City Manager Ted Voorhees) to come in and intentionally deceive and misguide the city’s staff and elected officials into thinking that he actually knows more about what is good for Fayetteville and its residents than they do. Really? How can this be?

No doubt, our elected city officials are sincere in their desire to better serve the community. Do they have the talent? Yes. Do they have the desire? Yes! Do they have access to the facts and truth about our current city operations? I don’t think so, and I’m not alone in that thought!

Without accurate and crucial information, they are incapable of doing their jobs and taking the actions that are in the city’s best interest. It amazes me how they so easily acquiesced to Voorhees and allowed him to pass a snap judgment on our public utility, PWC, after it has successfully and efficiently operated and served this community faithfully for decades.

Numerous accolades and awards have been heaped on PWC for its management style, operations and fiscal accountability and responsibility. In 2014 alone, PWC earned the following honors:

• Five Public Power Awards of Excellence presented by ElectriCities of North Carolina. The awards honor outstanding efforts in five key areas: Service Excellence, Energy Efficiency, Financial Stability, Competitive Business Environment and Legislative Involvement on Public Power Issues.

• The Government Finance Officers Association recognized PWC with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting and gave special Capital Recognition for the Capital Improvement Budget. PWC was one of only six organizations in the Country to earn all three awards for FY2013. It’s the 19th consecutive year PWC has earned the Budget Award and the seventh straight year for the CAFR.

• The American Pubic Power Association honored PWC with the E.F. Scattergood System Achievement Award, which honors APPA member systems that have enhanced the prestige of public power utilities through sustained achievement and customer service. PWC was one of only two systems honored with this award out of more than 2,000 in the U.S.

Now, after contracting a study from an Aberdeen-based consultant, DavenportLawrence, PWC’s operations are no longer adequate or acceptable. Really? Consultants will say whatever you want them to say since you are paying the bill.

It’s no secret now that PWC has filed a legal complaint against the City of Fayetteville stemming from the DavenportLawrence report. Last week, the City of Fayetteville’s legal office, City attorney Karen McDonald, replied to the complaint. If you study her reply, you will be amazed. Unfortunately, we believe it is a preview of things to come if the members of the city council do not do their due diligence and weigh the facts of PWC’s history and successful past performance against the recommendations in the consultant’s report. The consultants do not know this community or the track record of PWC.

If PWC’s transgressions were so egregious, we think there would be more for the city’s legal counsel to argue than “irresponsible and wasteful” charitable spending. So, let’s break down the city’s charges against PWC and compare them to the overall mission and mandates of the utility and the City of Fayetteville, which are, to my knowledge, to serve the community, promote economic development and enhance our city’s image and quality of life as a place that nurtures “History, Heroes and a Hometown Feeling.” This being the case, why is it that the city manager and city council are finding fault with PWC for spending money to enhance its hometown? And, if the city takes over the finances of PWC it makes you wonder — what will happen to those donations and enhancements?

Here is what the city objects to:

Spending $46,000 a year on special events, music festivals, concerts, soirées*, theater and arts venues.

Truth and Reality: No enhancement of quality-of-life or municipal support for cultural venues.

*Soirees? Interesting. The only soiree I am familiar with is the one conducted by the Partnership for Children as a countywide fundraiser. If this complaint is about that, then perhaps City Attorney Karen McDonald can address the issue since she was the president of the board of this organization when The Soiree was launched and her request was made for sponsorship.

Spending $4,000 a year on golf tournaments.

Truth and Reality: No, these aren’t company outings. These are venues that support education, child advocacy and medical assistance to young children in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. Bad PWC! How dare a Hometown Utility invest some of its revenues that come from the community back into the community?

Spending $20,000 in “a single year on a local cemetery.” Yes, they are finding fault with PWC for helping the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake.

Truth and Reality: This request of PWC was made by the city. This statewide fundraising initiative to build an enclosed committal shelter for the comfort of families when honoring and burying their loved ones is also a bad thing? Really? Locally, Rev. Archie Barringer and community activist George Breece led the successful fundraising effort by raising more than $300,000 for the project.

Senator Wesley Meredith sponsored a bill that resulted in a $125,000 contribution. Let’s put the pieces together here. This cemetery honors veterans and Fayetteville is the “most military community in the United States.” Our leadership at that time, along with PWC, understood the importance of the project and the significance of this project and the importance of paying respect to our veterans and holding in high regard our military residents.

Spending $10,000 sponsoring basketball tournaments.

Truth and Reality: Fayetteville, as a youth sports event destination, has for many years been looked at as a fast-growing opportunity for economic development. We wouldn’t want to support that, would we?

Spending $5,000 with the Fayetteville Area Homebuilder’s Parade of Homes and Annual Home Show and spending $1,000 on the plumbing contractors association.

Truth and Reality: Local homebuilders want to build safe and energy efficient homes and PWC wants to help them do just that. This industry works in partnership with PWC. At the annual Home and Garden Show, PWC offers classes, seminars and free advice to professional builders, homeowners and general consumers on ways to better use, manage and conserve water and electricity. That is their mission. When it comes to plumbers, I don’t think anyone would dispute that if your business is “water” then it is important to have a supportive and professional relationship with plumbing contractors and their trade association.

I could go on and on, but I think you can begin to see the point. It is obvious here they do not understand the mission of PWC. More concerning, it doesn’t look like they care. If the only defense the city staff has when calling out PWC is to chastise them for supporting the community, then you better believe that they missed their mark and that they are not that good. In addition, it makes you wonder what other intentions they have for these funds. Rest assured, it will have nothing to do with lowering your utility rates, improving your services or preparing for a potential disaster.

Needless to say, we want this conflict between the city and PWC to be resolved quickly. It is taking up way too much precious time, which can be better spent improving our community and our businesses. It is also our hope that the current city council will do its due diligence and investigate every aspect of this situation not through the eyes of someone who will only be here for a brief time and who is probably looking for the next big paycheck, but rather through the eyes of our long-term, lifetime citizens – the 204,408 residents of Fayetteville who are “all in,” and who celebrate the one hundred year track record of PWC’s success, fiscal responsibility and well defined stewardship.

When all is said and done, it will come down to one question: Whom do you trust? Do you trust a consultant who spends a few weeks cherry-picking our community? Or do you trust the staff at PWC who live here, work here, raise their children here, who are your neighbors and your friends? Are you going to trust a consultant who chastises PWC for community involvement and community enhancement, while filling their pockets with the city’s money? Maybe you can see the irony in the current defense. The consultant pointed out our Hometown Utility’s investment in the community as a bad thing. Ironically, the same consultant’s previous job was to do the exact same thing with Progress Energy. Who are you going to trust?

I am banking on local!

According to the National Institutes of Health: Experts estimate that 1 out of 88 children age 8 will have an ASD(Autism Spectrum Disorder). Males are four times more likely to have an ASD than females. In 1997, at the request of Congress, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) formed its Autism Coordinating Committee (NIH/ACC) to enhance the quality, pace and coordination of efforts at the NIH to find a cure for autism (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-pervasive-developmental-disorders/nih-initiatives/nih-autism-coordinating-committee.shtml).

Known for supporting great causes, the FireAntz are stepping up to help the Autism Society of Cumberland County. On Dec. 13, the Fayetteville FireAntz will host Autism Awareness Night at the Crown. As part of this initiative, the team has adopted honorary team member Caleb Johnson. Ten-year-old Johnson hails from Cumberland County and is a big fan of the team. As the FireAntz take the ice against the Hunstville Havoc, the team will sport special jerseys that will be auctioned off at the end of the game. A portion of the proceeds will go to support the Autism Society of Cumberland County. For the Dec. 13 game only, the team will adjust the lighting and PA system to create an atmosphere that will accommodate those in attendance that have autism.

Johnson’s family has experienced the generosity of the FireAntz on a very personal level. “Caleb’s daddy is friends with Kevin (McNaught), the general manager for the FireAntz, so we always went to the games and my son really got into the hockey,” said Tammy Walters, Caleb’s Mom. “Caleb is not a person who likes to be in a crowd and he was slowly introduced to the arena and the game. One time we took him in and he met the players. Another time he went in and touched the ice. It was a very gradual process. This is the only place where Caleb he doesn’t have problems with crowds. This has also helped him in other ways. It has made it easier for him to be in a crowd when we go to other places like restaurants.”

Walters also noted how compassionate and patient the players were when they were introduced to Caleb. “Sometimes Caleb repeats things five or six times when he is talking. They all took their time and went out of their way to be nice to my child and answer any questions we had.”

“On behalf of the team, we’re extremely excited to support a cause so dear to our hearts ,” Fayetteville FireAntz General Manager Kevin McNaught said. “It’s important to us to give back and support the members of the community that have given us so much over the years. We look forward to the continued growth of this program for years to come.”

The mission of the Autism Society of Cumberland County is to provide support and promote opportunities that enhance the lives of individuals within the autism spectrum and their families. Through programs and activities, the organization seeks to inform and educate parents/caregivers and professionals by providing referral, resource information and opportunities for families. By collaborating with other organizations in the community the Autism Society of Cumberland County helps pair families with appropriate services. Support groups, support parents and parent education programs make things easier for family members because it gives them a chance to meet other families facing the same struggles as well as meet professionals in the community.

“No matter how you look at it, having a child with any level of Autism Spectrum Disorder is a gift,” said Walters. “They are an amazing gift from God. They are so special.”

Find out more about the FireAntz at www.fireantzhockey.com. Learn more about the Autism Society of Cumberland County at http://www.autismcc.org.

Photo:  The FireAntz are set to host Autism Awareness night, complete with commemorative jerseys.

Downtown Fayetteville is an exciting hub of activity and fun for the community. Every year, for one night only, the people who live in the lofts downtown decorate and open their homes to anyone in the community who would like to have glimpse into loft living. The event keeps getting bigger and better every year.

“We have eight lofts committed, and that may go up to 10,” said Ingrid Stelly the vice president of the Downtown Alliance.
Loft living isn’t very common in Fayetteville. It is a unique form of living in the heart of the city in the spaces above restaurants and storefronts. In many cases, the spaces are quite charming and bigger than one might expect. The loft tours offer a glimpse into the downtown lifestyle. For those who have never experienced the annual Candle Light Loft Tour, Stelly says, “People should expect a look into the urban living in downtown Fayetteville.

They will see the beautifully decorated lofts and the loft form. It is a great way to enjoy December and an adventure for Christmas. The lofts are decorated for Christmas and you can enjoy the sweet sounds of carolers as they stroll the streets. This is an exciting kick-off for the Christmas season.”

Travelling between the participating lofts is a great experience as well. Though downtown is beautiful in the brisk evening air, walking is not the only option. “BMW is bringing its electric car, which will take people to and from the different streets for free. We will also have carriage rides to take people to and from the lofts,” said Stelly.

Organizing the Candlelight Loft Tour is a big undertaking, but one that the event organizers enjoy. It is run and organized entirely by volunteers from  beginning to end. Stelly, in particular, is extremely excited for the annual tour. “I’m most excited for seeing the apartments. There was not a lot of urban living downtown before. Seeing the decorated lofts and interacting with the loft owners and getting to hear their experiences are great,” she said. And she is not the only one in the community who loves the tour.

“This has become an annual event and we get inquiries into the loft tours as early as October. Folks look forward to it,” she continued.
The Candle Light Loft Tour is an opportunity to experience a unique lifestyle in the beautiful and historic downtown. The homes are gorgeously and meticulously decorated for the holiday. It is simply an annual tradition that shouldn’t be missed. For those who do attend, Stelly suggests, “To get the most out of the experience, you should try to see the most lofts. And the way to do that is to show up on time because it is only three hours. So get your tickets early and come on time.”

Tickets are available at the Downtown Alliance office, The Pilgrim and So Chic Bebe. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 the night of the tour. Proceeds support the Downtown Alliance. Tickets are on sale now. The tour takes place on Dec. 14 and start at 6 p.m. For more information visit the following site www.faydta.org/candlelight-loft-tour or call
222-3382.   

On Monday, Nov. 10, Up & Coming Weekly filed an open records request with the City of Fayetteville. The request came following a decision by the city’s top administrator, City Manager Ted Voorhees, to cease all advertising, partnerships and sponsorships in connection with the community newspaper on Nov. 5 as a result of a less than favorable editorial written by Up & Coming Weekly Publisher Bill Bowman on Oct. 22.

In the open records request, Up & Coming Weekly asked the following: “Pursuant to the N.C. Public Records Act, I am requesting copies of all city communications whether electronic or hard copy, and all texts referencing Up & Coming Weekly from Sept. 1, 2014 to Nov. 10, 2014. This request includes all communications between not only city staff but also the city council.”

The North Carolina Public Records Act and Open Meetings Law is monitored and enforced by the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, which along with the North Carolina Press Association, works to ensure that government activities and operations are open. In a guide created in partnership between the attorney general’s office and the NCPA, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper wrote, “The spirit in which public officials work to comply with the law is as important as the law itself. Recognizing that the public’s business should be done in the open and honoring requests for help serves the people as well as those who seek to inform them.”

He further noted, “In other words, when in doubt about how to interpret the state’s open records and meetings laws — (the government should) always work to resolve the question in favor of openness.”

According to the N.C. Public Records Law, public records are documentary materials made or received by government agencies in North Carolina in carrying on public business. Public records include materials written or created by the government and its employees. Public records include paper and electronic documents, emails, papers, letters, maps, books, photographs, films, sound recordings, magnetic or other tapes, electronic data-processing records, artifacts or other documentary material, regardless of physical form
or characteristics.

If an agency fails to release or disclose public records, the requestor, in this case, Up & Coming Weekly, can bring a civil action in court against the government agency or official who denied access. North Carolina courts are charged to set public record complaints for immediate hearings and give these cases priority over other cases. If the court finds that an agency or individual was denied access without substantial justification, the agency must pay all court and attorney fees and release the documents.

In the case of the public records request by Up & Coming Weekly to the city, a review of documents released by city staff found that several key city officials failed to respond to the request and among those who did, several failed to disclose or release a full record of communications concerning Up & Coming Weekly.

Key officials who failed to disclose all pertinent records include:
• City Manager Ted Voorhees
• Deputy City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney
• Corporate Communications Director Tracie Davis
• City Attorney Karen McDonald
• Storm Water Manager Greg Caison

Bowman has long been a staunch supporter of the City of Fayetteville. He is “surprised and perplexed” by Voorhees’ actions, which he views as “retaliatory and inhibiting” his paper’s ability to cover the city as Voorhees ordered that the community newspaper was to be given “no more information” and is indignant at the city’s blatant disregard for the Open Records Law.
“As a North Carolina community newspaper publisher and ardent advocate of the 4th Estate and the 1st Amendment, I take the Open Records and Open Meetings laws very seriously,” said Bowman. “Transparency in government is critical to good governance. Having served on the board of the North Carolina Press Association and as past president of the NCPA Community Newspaper Association, I know how important the ‘Sunshine Laws’ are — not only in pursuit of good governance but also in pursuit of keeping the citizens informed and keeping government actions above board.
“Over the past 20 years of operating Up & Coming Weekly, I have never found myself in a position where a local government has demonstrated a total lack of regard for not only the Open Records Law, but also for the 1st Amendment and its prohibition of government infringement of the press, which ultimately translates into a lack of regard and respect for the citizens they govern.”
Bowman, who is known for his commentaries, said he was shocked at what he considers “rash, emotional and unprofessional” decision making by Voorhees in retaliation to the commentary concerning the ongoing court action between the Public Works Commission and the City of Fayetteville..

“No doubt it was a knee-jerk reaction on Voorhees’ part. The text he dashed off to city staff confirms that it was an emotional and not well thought out decision,” said Bowman.

The text Bowman references is the only communication Voorhees reported in response to the public records request. Voorhees sent the following email to Corporate Communications Director Tracie Davis, whose office is charged with answering public records requests.

“Tracie: I didn’t spend much time on the Up and Coming issue. I went through email and text messages and here is all I found. It is a text message from me to Kenneth Maynard on Friday, Oct 24 at 4:28 p.m.:

“No more info and ads for Up and Coming and Kidsville. We are done with them. I’ve shared with Tracie already.”
The text to Maynard was sent from Voorhees’ iPhone.

Voorhees’ statement that he had no other communications concerning Up & Coming Weekly were negated in an email forwarded to the Public Information Office from Rusty Thompson, the director of the city’s Engineering and Infrastructure Department. In disclosing his communications,

Thompson included a text from Voorhees: “Please stop providing any ads or information to Up and Coming and Kidsville News.”

Thompson, in turn, forwarded the text to Caison, who in his email to the Public Information Office said he had no communications concerning Up & Coming Weekly at all, even though he not only communicated back to Thompson with the following: “Really... Ok! We are already confirmed for the November issue of Kidsville and doubt we can pull out of that one? We stopped up-and-coming 2 or 3 years ago.”

Caison was further copied by members of his staff on several emails concerning Up & Coming Weekly, including communications from Up & Coming Weekly zeroing out the agency’s accounts. Voorhees, like Caison, was also copied on a number of emails, which he did not disclose.
“In my 20 years of working with and advocating for the City of Fayetteville, I have never experienced this kind of total disregard and disrespect of the law, which has put us in our first adversarial position with the city I love,” said Bowman. “I built my newspaper and publishing business on promoting Fayetteville and showcasing its quality of life. This is very disappointing and difficult for me. This is not a place I personally ever wanted to be and never thought I would find myself or my newspaper.”

In an interview with Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson, Up & Coming Weekly attempted to bring some openness to not only Voorhees’ retaliatory actions, but also address the failure of some members of the city staff to obey the law in regards to the open records request.
When asked whether the council had been read in to Voorhees’ intent to put prohibitions on information and advertising on Up & Coming Weekly prior to the staff being informed by Voorhees, Robertson said that neither he nor the council had been informed or read in to the actions.

When he questioned Voorhees about the action during the city council’s working meeting on Nov. 10, Voorhees indicated that he felt that Up & Coming Weekly had a negative slant and “wasn’t something that he felt the city should be involved with.” For his part, Robertson said that he does not see Up & Coming Weekly as negative to the city. Robertson acknowledged the partnership Up & Coming Weekly has had with the city over the past six years, providing the City of Fayetteville more than $300,000 in free editorial space to ensure residents know what is happening in the city. He noted that in a time of constrained resources, Voorhees’ decision was not wise.

Also during the city council work meeting, Voorhees noted that while the corporate communications staff had not done any research yet on effectiveness of communications through Up & Coming Weekly, they would. In response to a public records request by the Fayetteville Observer, Davis told staff writer Andrew Barksdale that there was an ongoing media review. When queried about said ongoing review of media, Mayor Robertson said that to his knowledge no media review was occurring or had been asked for by the council.

When queried about the open records law, Robertson said that failure by staff to openly and honestly respond to requests should result in termination.
Voorhees was contacted and asked the following questions:

1. Was the decision to pull all information from Up & Coming Weekly based on what you believe to be a negative editorial slant/vice a systemic review of all media sources?

2. Other than the commentary by Bill Bowman on Oct. 22, what other articles about the city have shown the negative editorial slant that you believe is pervasive in the newspaper?

3. What is your reaction to the following: In the first six months of 2014, there were 77 articles in Up & Coming Weekly talking about the City of Fayetteville. Only one article was negative, and that was about the city council and was in support of city staff. Would you consider that a negative editorial slant? And if you believe there is one, please give me a list of articles.

4. Did you consult with any local citizens or your department heads before texting a missive to them to cancel everything in Up & Coming because you are “done with them?” Do you think this was professional?

5. In your words, please define what you view as a government’s infringement on the press.

6. In a public meeting you told the city council that your staff didn’t see the value in Up & Coming Weekly. If that is the case, why were they upset about the cancellation notice?

7. If money and resources are tight, why would you give up more than $50,000 annually in free print and online space? Does this seem like good stewardship of the city’s resources?

8. Are you aware that it is against the law to fail to disclose all information requested in a public records request? And if so, why did you fail to do so?

In a written response, Voorhees failed to answer the questions and instead referred all queries to Davis.

Davis was also sent a series of questions, which included the following:

1. On Monday, Nov. 10, in the public meeting, Mr. Voorhees said that you and your staff did not feel like the sections in Up & Coming Weekly were meeting your needs and that you were doing a review of media partnerships. What led you to believe that the sections were not informing the public? Do you have specific examples or complaints from citizens or staff about the sections? And what sort of review did you conduct to determine that they were not a good fit? And what in your previous experience qualifies you to make that judgment?

2. Andrew Barksdale, of the Fayetteville Observer, asked you about the situation with Up & Coming Weekly in a public records request. Your written response to him noted: “The city has a limited advertising budget and is in the middle of revamping our marketing strategy. This also limits promotional items and other advertising that we purchase. We are researching multiple options with our budget to best maximize the city’s branding and leverage potential reach to our citizens across multiple mediums for the balance of the current and upcoming fiscal year.”
* If this is the case, what other media outlets were involved in your review?
* What were you looking for and at?
* What was your standard for judging effectiveness?
* What other media relationships/contracts did you cancel?
* Further, if your office was in fact conducting a review, why would two of your staffers exchange a text asking. “What was going on with Bill Bowman and Up & Coming?” with the response being, “He, (Bill Bowman) trash talked Ted and the city and not giving fair and balanced reporting on the PWC issue.” Response from another member of your staff: “Figured it was something like that?”
* On the record, did you in fact conduct an official review (and if so, please provide the data and other media involved) and if not, were decisions based on a perception of a “negative editorial slant?”

3. If the city’s advertising budget is tight and you are looking to talk to citizens across a multiple of mediums, why would you give up two pages of free editorial space in a printed publication and an online presence?

4. Mr. Voorhees also indicated in the public meeting that department heads were not satisfied with Up & Coming Weekly. If that was the case, why did city employee Jami McLaughlin say she was “shell shocked” and continue to ask to keep her column? To which you replied, “I understand...” (McLaughlin’s request was approved following undisclosed communications between Voorhees, Toney-Small and Davis). And specifically, in regards to Storm Water, Mr. Caison showed utter surprise at being told to cancel his program. Were department heads unhappy?

5. On Oct. 30, following your letter to Stephanie Crider (Up & Coming Weekly’s editor), I (Janice Burton, associate publisher, Up & Coming Weekly) sent you an email basically asking you many of the same questions above. You did not respond.
* Why did you fail to respond to a media query?
* Why didn’t you include my email to you in the response to the public information request?

6. Are you and the city staff aware that failure to fully disclose information asked for in a public records request is against the law? And are you aware that there are many correspondences between city employees regarding Up & Coming Weekly that I have record of that were not disclosed by your office?
In a written response that was to cover all questions asked to Voorhees and herself, Davis responded:

“In regards to your questions to Mr. Voorhees and myself concerning abridging the freedom of the press, in no way has staff with the City of Fayetteville limited the press’ ability to report on the city. In addition, staff has gone above and beyond the requirements of law to meet your public records request and we will continue to do so. Up and Coming Weekly has the same access as other members of the public and the media to attend meetings, receive press releases via email, access information via the website and make public records requests. Furthermore, Up and Coming Weekly is welcome to have their publication out for distribution at City Hall.

“We continue to partner with Up and Coming Weekly in producing the Downtown Developments section. In regards to our decision to no longer devote staff time to producing FOCUS On Fayetteville, it is our choice how we delegate our resources to best meet the needs of the city, citizens and city departments.

“I am happy to meet with you to discuss how we can (move) forward. We can also discuss future advertising opportunities with Up and Coming Weekly.”

“If you look at all of these responses and lack of responses, there appears to be an element of untruth that runs through them,” said Crider. “That’s one of the reasons that the Open Records Law is so important — so that there is transparency in government and that the ‘sunshine’ of open records keeps government and its administrators honest and above board. I am, quite frankly, disappointed in what has happened and what we have seen as dishonesty in our city administration.”

Bowman and his staff are in the process of filing a civil complaint with the courts concerning the obvious disregard of the Open Records Law by the city, a position that Bowman regrets, but feels necessary in the best interest of the Fayetteville community.

“I have always had the utmost respect for our city and its leaders. To be in this situation at a time when Fayetteville is collectively working hard to enhance its image and reputation and solidify its brand is extremely unfortunate,” he continued. “The lack of leadership is sad and frustrating. I firmly believe there is much talent, integrity and goodness in the city administration. Unfortunately, at this point, we feel Up & Coming Weekly must take a stand for open, responsible, professional and honest governance. We must also take a stand for the residents of Fayetteville and Cumberland County that we have faithfully served for nearly 20 years. “

You all have been so good to me over the years! I want to be the first to share what I think is really wonderful news. You have helped me understand that my befuddlement over tattoo mania is just a generational difference, that driving only station wagons is a perfectly reasonable vehicular choice and that there are plenty of other dog lovers out there. I appreciate when you have straightened me out on a number of weightier issues as well.
So, here is some good news for you.

If you are mid-life and feeling a bit low about things, you are very likely heading into the happiest years of your life.
Say what?

Happiness is the thrust of the cover story in the current issue of The Atlantic magazine, chronicling recent research indicating that we get happier, more contented and wiser as we age. Researchers use a U-shaped curve to graph this transition in human life. It is a visual representation of the burst of energy, optimism and creativity that accompanies young adulthood, followed by the slump, sometimes referred to as a midlife crisis, that overtakes many people in their 40s and 50s. The right side of the U is the uptick life often takes for people beginning in their mid 50s, bringing with it a sense of peace, well-being sometimes despite chronic health issues, acceptance and gratitude.

The science of the U-curve is in its infancy for all sorts of reasons. Happiness is like pornography. We all know it when we see — or in this case — feel it, but it is impossible to define. In addition, the whole concept of a midlife crisis is relatively new, first appearing in a 1965 scholarly article. The Atlantic depicts a midlife crisis with photos of a sad looking middle-aged fellow decked out in a moto leather jacket and shades as he hangs morosely over the door of a red Corvette. Until recent human history, though, no one worried about midlife crises, because most people did not live long enough to have one. Today, however, being middle-aged almost doubles your chances of taking antidepressants.

Each human being is unique, of course, and it appears that some of us simply do not experience the swoop of the U-curve, but many of us do. What is more, scientists are finding indications that the U-curve exists across genders, nationalities, cultures, survey questions, population studied and methods of analysis. In other words, people who experience the U-curve felt their lowest at the average age of 50 when the pressures of life buffet us relentlessly. Satisfaction with their lives climbs steadily after that nadir. In addition, studies also show that social reasoning and long-term decision making — maybe this is what we think of as wisdom — improve as we age. We also become increasingly spiritual, especially if we are women. There is evidence, too, that older people cope more readily with life’s complexities and ambiguities. They go with the flow.

While some scientists blanch a bit at this, other researchers have found evidence that some of our closest genetic cousins, chimpanzees and orangutans, also experience the U-curve. And how do we know since we cannot ask them directly and they cannot fill out a survey? Zookeepers and other animal caretakers observed them and filled out the surveys in their stead. Suspicious science? Maybe, but I can tell when Lovely Lilly the Lab is feeling a little blue.

A young person recently told me I am so lucky to be at my stage of life. “Why do you say that?” I asked. “Because,” she said, “your major life decisions, the really hard ones like career, choosing a life partner, whether to have children and how many are behind you. You do not have to worry about making big mistakes in those critical areas of life.”

I have thought a great deal about this conversation and realize my young friend is right. Those major decisions have been made, and I do have a sense of well-being that I did not have not so very long ago along with a sense that the rest of my life will revolve around the people, both family and friends, who mean the most to me. I look forward to most days, even the uneventful ones, to traveling more, to watching the Precious Jewels grow in their adult lives.

The Atlantic quotes the late author Donald Ritchie on the progress of life, what we are now coming to think of as the U-curve. Said Ritchie, “Midlife crisis begins sometime in your 40s, when you look at life and think, ‘Is this all?’ And it ends about 10 years later, when you look at your life again and think, ‘Actually, this is pretty good.’”

In this season of thankfulness, the U-curve seems like one more reason to be filled with gratitude.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from the Dicksons.

Blessings,
Margaret

City managers are a unique group. They are all Type A personalities. They all have a need to control what’s going on around them, and, if they are smart, they should all learn how to play nice. That’s probably where most of them fail.I must disclose that at my first newspaper job, I worked in a town where the mayor was known for taking young town managers, fresh out of school, and developing them into some of the best city managers in the state.

Just out of school myself and covering the city beat, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that most of those young managers were close friends of mine. After leaving my hometown, they went around the state to places like Woodfin,Wrightsville Beach,Mount Airy, Apex, Mooresville, Fletcher and Laurinburg. These guys are still my friends today. Together, we learned our craft even though it was sometimes painful because my job often required me to hold them accountable. So, I have a basis for what I am about to share, because I saw all of these young managers learn these lessons, sometimes the hard way.

With apologies to Robert Fulghum, here are the things that city managers should have learned in kindergarten:

1. Sticks and stones can break your bones but commentaries can never hurt you. That is unless you take it personally and react in a less than professional manner. You are in the public eye. Like a journalist, at any given time, a third of the people are going to like you, a third are going to hate you and a third just won’t care. You can’t let words goad you into acting in an irresponsible manner. When you do, you lose.

2. Unlike your sandbox, in the real world, you can’t take your ball and go home. If someone does something that upsets you, you can’t, as a public administrator, decide that the person or agency just can’t play. You don’t have that option. That would be like a city administrator cutting off water to a town because they didn’t like what the city leaders did or said. You have to play nice, even when others aren’t so nice.

3. Bullies will eventually meet their match. When you are the big kid on the playground and you think you hold all the cards, you have to remember that somewhere a little kid, who has had to fight long and hard just to be on the playground, is goingo get tired of being bullied. That kid is going to be smarter,tougher and a lot meaner than you are. And when you meet that kid, your best bet is to leave them alone.

4. Honesty is always the best policy. In this electronic age everything you say, type, text and email can and will be held against you. Think no one can find your emails? Lois Lerner just learned differently. So don’t say or do anything that you need to hide and if you do something dumb, own up to it. People are more forgiving when you admit to an honest mistake than when you prevaricate.

And finally, this is the first lesson that the mayor taught his young city managers.

5. Never get into a fight with someone who buys their paper by the train load and their ink by the barrelful. You are going to lose because they are always, always going to have the last word!

The holiday season is a truly special time of year — even more so in the greater Fayetteville area because there are so many wonderful events and traditions to celebrate the season. This year marks the 15th anniversary of one of the most well-loved and well-known local traditions: the Dickens Holiday.

Every year, on the day after Thanksgiving, the streets of downtown Fayetteville are transformed into a bustling Victorian village complete with wandering carolers, horse-drawn carriages, Father Christmas, gingerbread, spiced cider, vendors and characters straight out of the Dickens masterpiece A Christmas Carol. The event runs from 1-9 p.m. and is packed with interesting characters, activities and locations. One of the highlights of the day is the candlelight procession from the Arts Council to the Market House. This year the event has a few additional treats to enjoy.

In addition to Scrooge, Marley and the other characters from A Christmas Carol, actors portraying people who actually knew Queen Victoria will join the festivities. The queen has been quite popular at the event in past years and this will let the crowd peek into her world.

“Our favorite characters like Scrooge will still be there but we are adding a whole new layer of characters to enrich this experience — all of whom have a connection to Queen Victoria and her court.” said Mary Kinney, marketing director for the Arts Council Fayetteville/Cumberland County. “We are looking to add some depth to the Dickens experience and to be more diverse and educational. We really want to offer a deeper educational experience. Everything we do is an opportunity for lifelong learning. It isn’t about the performance. It is about what you learn from it. I hope people take something beyond the performance and it is perfect timing — our 15th year. What better year to celebrate than by adding the next layer to programming?”

Meet Sara Forbes Bonetta. Played by local actress Kaity Parson, Bonetta is known as Queen Victoria’s goddaughter. Bonetta was originally from what is now west Nigeria and was brought to England as a child.

“Kaity is doing a lot of research into Sara’s life and will give a monologue at the Dickens Holiday,” said Kinney. “If you are not familiar with Sara Forbes Bonetta’s story, it is worth researching.”

Local actor Sonny Kelly portrays Ira Aldridge, an African-American Shakespearean actor from New York City who made his way to London. He performed not just for Queen Victoria but all over Europe, including Russia and Austria. He was known by many as “African Roscius.” Don’t miss Kelly’s monologue where he will share some of Aldridge’s adventures.

Visit Annie’s Ale House, another new addition to the popular event.

“Annie’s Ale House is a food court and performance area behind the Arts Council,” said Kinney. “We’ll have beer and wine. Annie’s Ale House is open from 1-9 p.m., but programming in that area really picks up after the fireworks during Dickens After Dark. In Annie’s Ale House we will have the Belfast Boys. It is rich music that is very upbeat. It includes instruments like mandolins and has a very toe-tapping kind of beat. That will be an exciting spot to be after the fireworks.” 

This year Habitat for Humanity and H&H Homes join the festivities as sponsors of the gingerbread village.

“People from our own community will create buildings that make the village. It can be police stations, hospitals, houses — pretty much anything that you would find in a community. People are signing up now to participate. There are forms at the Habitat for Humanity Restore. The opportunity during Dickens is to come and see the finished community of hope. There is no charge to enter,” explained Kinney.

Most events run continuously throughout the day, and there is much to experience. Ride through the streets of downtown in a horse-drawn carriage. Have a photo taken with Father Christmas. Sample hot cider, gingerbread and more. Shop the many vendors and businesses. Visit Annie’s Ale House for a bite to eat. Chat with historical figures and literary characters. Don’t miss one of the highlights of the day, Fayetteville’s biggest candlelight procession from the Arts Council to the Market House.

“While most things happen throughout the day, enjoy the one thing that happens at a certain time — the procession,” said Kinney. “Everyone gathers in front of the Arts Council at 5:30 p.m., where you can get a free candle — while supplies last. Then we all proceed to the Market House together. It is the city’s largest procession and the fireworks are beautiful.”

The event doesn’t end once the fireworks are over. “There is so much going on that people will want to stay,” said Kinney.

A Dickens Holiday is a collaborative effort between the Arts Council Fayetteville/Cumberland County and the Downtown Alliance. It runs from 1-9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28 and encompasses the heart of downtown. Find out more at www.theartscouncil.com or by calling 323-1776.

Photo:  Join the festivities as downtown turns Victorian at A Dickens Holiday on Friday, Nov. 28.

Ballet traces its roots to the Italian Renaissance as a combination of the lavish dance, décor, costumes, song, music and poetry that the royalty of Italy and France treasured. Since its inception, the popularity of this dance form has grown and solidified the style as an art form all its own. One of the most magical stories told by ballet is The Nutcracker. This Christmas Classic is on stage at the Crown Coliseum featuring the North Carolina State Ballet on Dec 7, 13 and 14.

The North Carolina State Ballet was created in 1977, and is focused on not only preserving classical ballet choreography but also bringing it to the public. Attending a performance by the ballet is also an amazing opportunity for education. Professional instructors are available to teach students professional grade classic ballet. The commitment to education and preservation is evident in the incredible performances of each dancer and the company as a whole. It has presented many ballets over the years, but a seasonal tradition is their performance of The Nutcracker.

One of the people integral to the success of the North Carolina State Ballet performance of The Nutcracker is Charlotte Blume. Blume, who owns her own school of dance located at 1312 Morganton Rd., instructs students in classical ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary and children’s dance. The school has been instructing students 3 years and older for more than 40 years in classes and after school programs in Cumberland County Schools. However, classical ballet is the main focus of the school.

The Nutcracker originally debuted in Moscow for the 1892 Christmas and made its way to the western world in the 1930s. It had a rocky start at its inception, but now it is a Christmas tradition for many families. Adapted from a fairytale written by E.T.A. Hoffman, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, the ballet tells the story of a young German girl named Clara. On Christmas Eve, the children in Clara’s family are given amazing lifelike dolls. Clara awakens in the middle of the night and is attacked by giant mice. She is defended by the Nutcracker, who transforms into a prince and takes her to the Kingdom of Sweets.

They journey through the magical land and at the end of the amazing night Clara drifts to sleep and awakens in her bed. This magical adventure is entertaining for adults and children alike. The incredible dancing, festive costumes and magical lands deliver an incredible show every single performance. It has been entrancing Christmas audiences for years.

The Nutcracker is on stage Dec. 7, 13 and 14 at 3 p.m. in the Crown Theatre. The theatre is located at 1960 Coliseum Dr. General admission is $19; $15 for military with I.D.; and children’s tickets are $6. Tickets are available at the Crown Box Office, which can be reached at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or at the Fort Bragg Travel and Leisure Center.

Photos: Top right, The North Carolina Ballet brings a holiday classic to life at the Crown Theatre with
The Nutcracker.  Bottom left: Annually, students from Charlotte Blume’s Dance Company join the N.C. Ballet for this amazing performance. 

Don’t you just love the sights and sounds of Christmas: lights, Christmas trees, presents, mistletoe and The Temptations singing “Silent Night” on the radio? Adding to the magic of the season, The Woman’s Club of Fayetteville presents its Christmas Tour of Homes on Sunday, Dec. 7 from 1-6 p.m.

“This is our largest fundraiser of the year for the Woman’s Club, and the funds are used to preserve the three historic homes of Heritage Square,” said Betty Muncy, organizer of the Christmas Tour of Homes. “Martha Duell and I started this Christmas home tour in 2002, and it continues to be a huge success with the support of these homeowners.”

The historic homes of Heritage Square are the Sandford House, the Oval Ballroom and the Baker-Haigh-Nimocks House. They are owned by the Woman’s Club of Fayetteville.

“Contributions from the Colonial Dames and friends have helped maintain the buildings of Heritage Square,” said Muncy. “We are fortunate to have the support of the community as we try to preserve these historic homes of Heritage Square for the future generation.”

Members of the community generously contribute year after year, opening their homes to the community and sharing a bit of holiday cheer with those who take the tour. It is a chance to appreciate the generosity and decorating skills of the hosts and help a worthy cause. While the addresses may vary from year to year, one thing that remains constant is the sense of hospitality of the hosts. Take a peek inside some of Fayetteville’s most festive homes and spend a Sunday afternoon settling in to the Christmas spirit.

The tour will showcase six homes at the following addresses:

• Dr. Daniel & Ashley Culliton, 517 Oak Ridge Avenue

• Jack & Judy Dawar, 714 Murry Hill Road

• Patsy Politowicz, 1825 Myrtle Hill Lane

• Alvin Smith & Dennis Williams, 306 McAllister Street

• Brian & Rhonda Kent, 300 Forest Creek Drive, (across the street from MacPherson Presbyterian Church on Cliffdale Road)

• Fayetteville Regional Chamber, 1019 Hay Street.

“The Woman’s Club is grateful for the families that showcase their homes each year for us,” said Muncy. “Our club works as a team and this is a great way for us to get to know each other better.”

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at The Pilgrim in Westwood Shopping Center, from Woman’s Club members and at the homes on the day of the tour. Donations are needed and accepted throughout the year to maintain the historic homes in Heritage Square. For more information, call 485-1555 or 483-6009.

Photo: Fayetteville residents will open their doors for The Christmas Tour of Homes sponsored by The Woman’s Club of Fayetteville. The annual event helps maintain three historic homes in Heritage Square, including The Sandford House pictured above.

Since it was originally published in 1843, A Christmas Carol has remained a beloved holiday classic. In Fayetteville, the classic story of a man learning the true spirit of Christmas is told best by the talented actors at The Gilbert Theater. From Nov. 28 – Dec. 21, the theater will give its gift to the community with the staging of the show.

The adaptation used by The Gilbert is a classic telling of the story, though there are a few exciting and creative changes.

“This is a traditional telling of A Christmas Carol. The original Charles Dickens story was then adapted by Christopher Schario. It is written for a small number of actors so each actor plays multiple characters,” said Robyne Parrish, the artistic director of the theater. “You can do this production with eight people, but we do it with 13. It’s a challenge for the actors and I think it challenges the audience to use their imagination. We differentiate them with a hat, or a cape or a moustache. We also have a live violin player and a Foley artist — a person who makes the sound effects live. So the sounds will be created right in front of the audience.”

This year makes the 10th season that The Gilbert has produced A Christmas Carol, though only their second year with this new adaptation. This new rendition of the traditional story is ideal for the intimate space of the theater as it has a smaller set design. The major set piece, which is present throughout the story, is a child’s bed.

Parrish explains, “There’s this framing device to help tell the story. A young kid has to read A Christmas Carol for homework and all the people in his life become characters in the story. This all takes place in his room with his imagination, so his bed is there the whole time, and the story happens around it.”

The small cast is another unique aspect to this adaptation of A Christmas Carol. This falls in line with the framing device of the boy’s family members becoming characters in the story, but it also presents a challenge for the actors because they each play multiple roles. Parrish noted that this is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the play from a director’s perspective.

“I also enjoy the challenging nature of the script. Helping the actors differentiate their characters with their movements and voice, the hard characterization is the most fun for me — to discover and create these very different characters. For example, Nathan Pierce plays Bob Cratchit and the ghost of Marley. He goes from a 35-year-old guy to a 7- year-old ghost in a matter of minutes.”

While these new aspects to the story bring a certain element of excitement and intrigue, at its core this is a beautiful and traditional telling of the much-loved Dickens tale, which makes for a better celebration of the holidays by remembering the true spirit of the season.

The Gilbert Theatre is located at 116 Green St. For tickets, go to www.gilberttheater.com/box-office. The box office is also open one hour prior to the show. A Christmas Carol opens Nov. 28 and runs through Dec 21. Fridays and Saturdays there are shows at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For more information, visit www.gilberttheatre.com or call 687-7186.

Photo:  Ebenezer Scrooge gets a wake-up call as The Gilbert Theater brings its Christmas classic, A Christmas Carol, to the stage.

Since their original domestication, horses have been revered for their power and grace. In the hands of a riding master such as Rene Gasser, their beauty and elegance is unrivaled.

Gasser has been training and performing with horses since childhood and comes from a family with generations of experience.

“I was born into it. My family has been training and performing with horses for seven generations. It’s a bit in my blood,” he said. “You don’t always stick with it, but I just love it.”

He hasn’t been content to just ride for enjoyment. Instead, he has channeled these generations of experience and passion into a magnificent show called the Gala of the Royal Horses, which is coming to the Crown Coliseum on Nov. 28.

This is no ordinary horse show; it is a combination of Spanish flamenco and Spanish horses.

“There are so many highlights, we change between nice and easy and then another highlight. I think one of the most exciting moments is when one of our Spanish horses dances with a flamenco dancer,” he said. “The audience gets to see this powerful animal making dance-like movements and hear it on the board like tap dance. And there is so much more, we want that wow factor, that’s everything to us. Then we can walk away with a smile on our faces.”

It takes more than an ordinary horse to perform with such elegance and precision; it also takes a lifetime with an experienced trainer.

“We really never stop training. They are like dancers or athletes. We have to always keep them fit and mentally well. They do things that a normal horse can’t do, so once they are 3 ½-years-old, they are never done training,” he explained. “I think that’s the secret to the longevity of our horses, the gymnastic exercises. Our horses can keep performing into their late 20s and early 30s.”

In addition to the years of training, there is also a large amount of preparation that goes into just a single performance, for the horses and their trainers.

“We work hard to keep the horses in performance condition and to get ready. Some of the horses — their manes and tails are so big that it takes two people an hour to wash them, and they get conditioned, too. But when the audience reacts its all worth it,” he said.

Gasser has traveled and performed all over the world, but this year the show is entirely redone for the North American audiences.

“We are using musicians and dancers with the performances, so it’s more like a production,” explained Gasser. “It’s not just for horse lovers, its for anyone who loves a great show. And for horse lovers, we have all these magnificent horses that they can only normally see on television or documentaries, and they are right in front of you. The variety is incredible.”

The Gala of Royal Horses is at the Crown Coliseum on Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $28 to $78 for ringside seats. The Crown Coliseum is located at 1960 Coliseum Dr. To purchase tickets visit www.ticektmaster.com or call 438-4100. For more information, www.crowncomplexnc.com or www.galaofthehorses.com.

Photo:  Magnificent horses flamenco their way into audiences’ hearts during the Gala of the Horses, which is coming to Fayetteville on Nov. 28 at the Crown Coliseum.

The Shot Heard Round City Hall

In the Oct. 22 issue of Up & Coming Weekly, Publisher Bill Bowman wrote an editorial that ricocheted throughout Fayetteville City Hall. The editorial, titled “Voorhees Vigilantes: Lemmings in Pursuit of the Golden Goose,” discussed the law suit pending between the City of Fayetteville and PWC. More specifically, it discussed the money grab for PWC funds by City Manager Ted Voorhees.

Bowman has never been shy about expressing his opinions, which often cause a great deal of debate within the community. People either love them or hate them, which usually results in spirited discussion between the local citizenry and their elected leaders. That kind of discussion makes for an involved and informed community. In this case, Manager Voorhees was not amused and acted quickly to try and silence Bowman and Up & Coming Weekly in a move that flies in face of the 1st Amendment and its establishment of a free press that is not controlled or stifled by the government.

Voorhees’ retaliation for Bowman’s editorial was swift, and came in the form of a letter from the city’s Corporate Communications Director Tracie Davis. The letter was short and to the point:

“This letter is to inform you that as of October 29, 2014, the City of Fayetteville will be suspending its participation in Up & Coming Weekly for the foreseeable future. We will also cease publication of our bi-weekly FOCUS On Fayetteville section. Please remove any ads or sponsorships dealing with the City of Fayetteville from future editions of Up & Coming Weekly, beginning with the Nov. 5 issue.”

No discussion. No warning. In the matter of a week, Up & Coming Weekly went from a valued city partner to persona non grata. And all of this was done by one man with no input or consent by the Fayetteville City Council. They, in fact, were blind sided by the move, and were unaware of it until Monday, Nov. 10, when I filed a public information request with the City of Fayetteville for all communications concerning Up & Coming Weekly. (A request that to date has not been fulfilled.)

When Voorhees was questioned about this action by Mayor Nat Robertson during the city’s working meeting that night, Voorhees stumbled over his words. Trying to explain his actions by first saying the city was reviewing all media partnerships, but eventually getting to the point, noting “Recently, it’s come to our attention again whether this is a vehicle (UCW) that is providing value. It’s clearly got an editorial bias that doesn’t seem to be supportive of the city — I don’t know if we need to be participating in that.”

Did you catch that? If the newspaper doesn’t agree with the city, then the city should not “participate” in the newspaper. Mr. Voorhees, do you realize what you said? We do. The community does. You basically said, “If we can’t control the paper, we will lock it out.”

That, Mr. Voorhees, is the definition of the government trying to control the press. I am not alone in that belief. The North Carolina Press Association believes that, as does their legal staff. All freedom-loving citizens of Fayetteville will see your play for what it is: an attempt to silence the media and violate the First Amendment.

Voorhees is now changing his talking point, questioning whether Up & Coming Weekly is a legitimate means of communicating with the community. He noted in the same meeting that while his staff hasn’t done any research on it, that they will. They just feel it isn’t a good partner.

We can save the city staff time and money. The research has already been done by legitimate media review sources like the Circulation Verification Council, which is an independent, third-party reporting audit company that audits thousands of newspapers nationwide to give an accurate picture of a publication’s reach and market penetration. Up & Coming Weekly has top numbers throughout our community for its reach. It has been done by the Convention and Visitors Bureau awhile back, when its community survey found that Up & Coming Weekly was one of the most read publications in the community and source for news — beating out the daily newspaper. The research has been done by the myriad of community partners we have maintained throughout our 20 -year history.

Mr. Voorhees, if you want to come at us, come at us with more than “feelings” and with something more than questioning our legitimacy. We are a legitimate newspaper. We have been proud members of the North Carolina Press Association for many years, with Publisher Bill Bowman sitting on its board, alongside Charles Broadwell, the publisher of The Fayetteville Observer.

We have the numbers. We have the facts, and we’ve got your number, too. If you want to come at us, don’t do it by treading on the 1st Amendment. While you might not appreciate it, you are living in a community that is built on the backs of men and women who have fought, bled and died to defend our Constitution — and the freedom of the press.

We are quickly approaching the most magical time of the year: Christmas!

While the majority of us wait until Thanksgiving to start decking the halls and trimming our trees, many are already moving full speed ahead. Fayetteville musician Laura Stevens is one of them.

Stevens, the mastermind behind The Heart of Christmas Show, prepares for Christmas all year long. It’s her mission. Stevens, along with her talented ensemble, kicks-off the Christmas season in Fayetteville. It’s not just entertainment, it’s their passion.
In its 17th year, The Heart of Christmas Show brings a Broadway-style musical to the community each Christmas replete with great costumes, big dance numbers and even bigger singing numbers. The show, which is on stage for the public just one weekend, impacts the community all year long in big and small ways that most people will never realize.

The cast of the show is comprised of 36 talented young people between the ages of 5 and 18. And while their talent brings humor and spirit to the season, their passion for the community brings something much more important. The show was born from a need in the community to give talented young people an outlet to grow their talent. The Heart of Christmas Show provides a whistles and bells, full production, professional environment for child performers to develop and gives them a memorable experience. It also give the audience memorable experiences as well. The audience is enthralled by the show’s level of professionalism, talent and entertainment value.
Stevens, the founder and director of the show, noted that the best compliment she gets from audience members is that they forget they are watching young people perform until a “5-year-old comes out, steals your heart and gets a standing ovation because he was so good.”  

That doesn’t happen without a lot of hard work. The cast starts rehearsals about three to four months out. But Stevens’ work starts immediately after the curtain closes on the last performance. It is a tremendous effort with a lot of moving pieces. She first has to assess what worked and didn’t work in the production. Then she has to look for ways to make it fresh and to up the entertainment value. For an artist like Stevens, that is the fun part. But she also has to tackle the business end of the show.

When the show was first conceived, it was meant to be a one-time experience. But its success within the community was overwhelming, causing Stevens to explore the idea of making it an annual event, which has morphed into a Fayetteville tradition that is one of the biggest annual events at the Crown and in the community. To make the show work, Stevens needs talent, but she also needs commitment from the community, which comes from ticket sales, but more importantly from the support of local businesses. Without the sponsorship of the show by local businesses, many of whom have been with Stevens since the first show, The Heart of Christmas Show would not be possible.  

“Thesponsor support has been a lifeline to continue the show and to improve the show,” she said. “We pay for all the expenses of the show with the sponsor support so that we can give all the ticket money back to the community through the charities we pick each year.”

And that’s what is truly at the heart of The Heart Of Christmas Show. The first show was designed specifically to help children in need in Cumberland County. Each year, The Heart of Christmas Show has kept its promise to give away 100 percent of the ticket sales from the weekend shows to local children’s agencies that work to help sick and abused children.

Additionally, the show is performed for school children throughout the community, with proceeds going back into the schools. Throughout its run, The Heart of Christmas Show has raised more than $170,000 for local schools. With the weekend shows and the school shows, it has raised more than $575,000 to help children in our community.

With that kind of giving power, Stevens and her cast of talented performers have lived up to their motto, “Children helping children.”

“We have and will continue to help the children of this community because we believe it is a privilege to help others,” explained Stevens. “It teaches our performers to look outward instead of inward. ”

Stevens said the philosophy she instills in her cast is simple. “Want to know the secret to happiness in life? Helping others. We were created to do that. Ephesians 2:10 says, ‘For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to do.’”

“We can make a difference. One life at a time; one community at a time,” she concluded. And the cast has shown that for 16 years, making the community better one show at a time.

The Heart of Christmas Show is on stage at the Crown Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 1 and 7 p.m. and on Sunday, Nov. 30 at 3 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit the website at www.heartofchristmasshow.com

 

“Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.”
                    - Bob Pierce’s

The most famous quote by Bob Pierce has opened eyes of many around the world.

Samaritan’s Purse is an international relief organization driven to help those who cannot help themselves. Bob Pierce founded the organization in 1970 after visiting suffering children in Korea. In 1973, he met the man who would eventually become his successor, Franklin Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham. Following Pierce’s death, Graham took the reins of Samaritan’s Purse and grew it into an international charity that helps people all over the globe who are in need.

Operation Christmas Child is one of the many programs the organization undertakes each year and one that has come to mean Christmas to many all around the world. Operation Christmas Child sends thousands of shoe boxes to children in need. The boxes contain items that are big or small enough to fit in an average size shoebox.

Green Springs Baptist Church in Fayetteville has been packing boxes for many years. On Dec. 11, church members will make their annual trek to the distribution center in Charlotte, N.C., to volunteer with countless others from across the state to prepare the boxes for their final shipment overseas. Each year, the members of the church rise to the challenge to pack one box per person in each household.

“My family has packed boxes for 20 years,” said Pastor Jeff Broadwell. “We make it a family thing by going shopping and picking out different toys. We get things that require no upkeep and no batteries.

“We throw away a lot of things in America and we also take a lot of things for granted. This is an opportunity to share what we have been blessed with, but most importantly the gospel,” he continued.

National collection week is Nov. 17 to 24. Operation Christmas Child will collect boxes from more than 4,000 drop-off sites in all 50 states, including Puerto Rico. The gifts, packed carefully in the colorful red and green shoe boxes will be delivered to children in more than 100 countries, touching six continents.

“Operation Christmas Child has brought our church home closer together spiritually. This has enabled us to operate as one body and share the things we have been given from God”, said Broadwell. “The letters we receive from the families thanking us for what we have sent in the boxes has made packing all the more enjoyable”, he said.

Green Springs Baptist Church has taken the first of many steps to promote and encourage this program. The surrounding communities of Fayetteville can do their part by donating on the Operation Christmas Child website or having a packing party. Donations on the website are just as important for this program because each box costs $7 to ship.

Packing parties can be a way for families to come together and experience the gift of giving during the holidays.

To pack a shoe box there are a few simple steps:
• Decide if you are packing your box for a boy or girl from ages 2 to 14.
• Fill the box with gifts, which can include toys (nothing to do with war or guns), candy (nothing that will melt), hygiene items like toothbrushes or combs or small items of clothing like socks and gloves. Be sure to include $7 to cover the shipping.
• Say a prayer for the child who will receive your box and write them a letter if you choose.
• Drop the box off to one of the designated donation locations.
There are numerous drop-off locations in Cumberland County, to find the one closest to you, visit the Samaritan’s Purse website at www.samaritanspurse.org. You will also find gift suggestions for the box online as well.

By and large, any time I walk out of the doors of the Cape Fear Regional Theatre after seeing a play, I know how I feel about it. That was not the case with The Bluest Eye, the currently staged production.

I can say, with no problem, that the show was masterfully staged and the acting was superb. It was the content that left me — well, to be honest —disturbed. That was the intent.

The Bluest Eye explores the idea of beauty. And while, in this instance, the story is told from the perspective of an African-American girl, the theme is universal. What is beauty? Who defines it? And, how do we define it
for ourselves?

I went to the play knowing those were the questions that would be tackled but there was so much more in the subtext — and that is probably what left me the most disturbed.

I am southern by birth, but I grew up in a military family, which means we moved a lot and we were exposed to a lot of different people, different ideas and different cultures. I see myself blessed for having those opportunities that broadened my perspective. But maybe that perspective is naïve.
That is the uncomfortable truth that I took away from The Bluest Eye.

As I mentioned, the play’s core discusses the idea of beauty in America. But its subtext also deals with the simmering anger that lies just beneath the surface in all relations — not just racial relations. The fact that that aspect was told through the eyes and the voice of a child makes it so much more impactful. When the idea of hating Shirley Temple for her curls and whiteness was expressed, it quite literally took my breath away. When one of the daughters talked about mutilating her blonde baby doll, it was a revelation. It reminded me all too clearly that until you live in someone else’s skin, you can’t truly see life from their perspective.

CFRT Artistic Director Tom Quaintance noted during his pre-performance welcome that the great thing about this production was the community conversations it is generating. I think an even greater impact is the personal reflection it will generate.

I could spend a lot of space and type telling you how great the actors were — and they were. I could tell you about the brilliant staging or lighting, but that isn’t what matters. The Bluest Eye may well be one of the most important plays staged this year because of its content— not it’s window dressing.

I’m still processing my feelings about the play. I’m still working my way through it. But there is one thing I know without a doubt. This is a play that can’t be missed.

Whether people realize it or not, the founding fathers of this great nation (and yes, with all of its faults and failures, it is still a great nation) were inspired by a spark of genius in setting up this great republic. Founded by the principles of democracy (see how I put the root words for Republican and Democrat in this sentence?), they realized that for this great experiment in freedom to work, certain things had to be protected and certain things had to have checks and balances. For the most part, I think they got it right.

Following last Tuesday’s election, a lot of people were talking. Some were happy, some were sad, a lot of people were mad. (And some, like the commentators on MSNBC, were just stupid.) Some friends of mine on social media were lamenting the fact that even though the power in Congress had shifted, the president was probably going to force his policies down the throats of the country by using executive power. I pointed out to them that with the shift in Congress, the legislative branch has the power to override any veto the president may sign and to counteract any executive legislation that the people (ie, registered voters) are opposed to. They didn’t get it.

But our founding fathers did. They realized that power in its rawest form really needs to have some form of checks and balances (Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely). They knew that no matter who is in power, it could become too seductive or too easy to do what that individual wants rather than what the people want. So they built in those checks and balances and then they clarified their intent through the Bill of Rights. Over the years, the ensuing amendments protected more rights that are sacrosanct.

That is the genius that I celebrate, that I defend, that I, as a journalist, will fight for.

My sophomore year in college, seeing a wrong that infringed on freedom of speech is what prompted me to join the newspaper staff at my school. It was what prompted me to pursue a career in journalism. When someone — anyone — infringes on those rights that we as Americans hold so dear, it gets my blood boiling and my computer hot.

Over the next few weeks, you are going to hear me, and a lot of other people, talking about freedom of the press. Besides freedom of religion, that is one of our most sacred of rights, in my opinion. So, just to make sure we are all on the same page, here is what the first amendment says:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

If Congress cannot make a law “abridging the freedom of the press,” then surely a local government or a paid administrator in local government can’t either. The 4th Estate, which is the ultimate check and balance, has been sorely abused over the past couple of years through partisan politics; however, the defense of a free press makes for strange bed fellows, wherein the enemy of my enemy becomes my friend.

At Up & Coming Weekly, we have fought the giants in city politics in defense of the first amendment since our inception; we haven’t lost a fight yet. Those who would seek to abuse the rights we, as Americans hold dear, need to remember that.

We North Carolinians have had our share of political bad boys.

Think former House Speaker Jim Black who went to federal prison for taking special interest campaign cash in a restaurant men’s room. Think former state Representative Michael Decker who sold his vote for Speaker for $50,000. Think former Senator John Edwards whose notorious behavior will not be recounted on the pages of a family-friendly community newspaper. Think former state Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps — OK, she is a girl but you see where this is heading — who took campaign cash from would-be State Fair concessioners. And, just last week disgraced former Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon, a convicted felon, voted in the General Election.

But our political bad boys pale in comparison to bad boys from other states whose behavior has dropped jaws across the country and beyond. Here are a few of the most recent bad boys seeking political redemption, most of whom actually got it.

Remember former South Carolina Congressman and Governor Mark Sanford? He is the fellow who told his wife and his staff that he was hiking the Appalachian Trail and would be out of touch for a few days. He then hopped aboard a commercial airliner with his American passport and jetted off to visit his Argentinian mistress. He clearly thought he was invisible despite having spent millions to make his name and face known to South Carolina’s voters. And where is Sanford now? He was elected to his onetime Congressional seat in a special election last year and was re-elected last week, running unopposed.

CNN reported on two Congressional bad boys who also cruised to re-election despite widely publicized and unbelievable conduct. Tennessee Congressman Scott Desjarlais, a physician who is publicly pro-life, found himself in the embarrassing position of having a pregnant wife and a pregnant girlfriend at the same time. To make matters worse, the girlfriend was his patient, one of multiple patients with whom he has slept. Piling on his bad boy tendencies, pro-life Desjarlais demanded that both women terminate their pregnancies.

Stunningly, the doc was re-elected by nearly 60 percent of the voters.

Then there is New York Congressman Michael Grimm who could benefit from an anger management class. Grimm, a former Marine turned FBI agent, was overheard on a live microphone threatening to toss a reporter over a balcony in the rotunda of the United State Capitol. Said Grimm to the unfortunate journalist, “I will break you in half, like a boy.” He is also facing a 20-count federal indictment on charges of tax fraud related to his management of a Manhattan health food restaurant.

Grimm was re-elected last week by more than 55 percent of his voters.

One notable exception to bad boy redemption is former Louisiana Congressman Vance McAllister who was caught on a security camera — how should I describe this? — “smooching” with his Congressional scheduler. Incredibly, his recent campaign featured a TV spot with his wife at his side, saying something about being blessed to have a husband to owns up to his mistakes. I wonder whether she has some new jewelry.
McAllister’s constituents were not buying that one, however. He came in fourth in his race.

How do we explain the reality that despite behavior that is obviously disgusting and in some instances criminal, we continue to elect these bad boys?

Do we think these people are merely characters on a reality show instead of elected officials making decisions affecting all of us? Do we think they are good looking? Do we have thirty-second memories? Are we demented?

My take is that we have become so polarized by party in our nation that we will overlook even the most egregious behavior, character flaws, immorality and simple boorishness to vote for someone of our particular political persuasion. Television talking heads are using sports metaphors to describe this unfortunate phenomenon, saying we will vote for anyone who wears our uniform. And, this is not just a Congressional practice.

Cumberland County residents on both sides of the aisle are grumbling about this very thing in last week’s local elections as well.
“Yellow dog Democrat” is a term dating from the 19th century referring to a person who would vote for a yellow dog before he voted for a Republican, but it seems a bit out of date today. Apparently we are now voting for red and blue dogs when what we really need are purple ones.

Such strident and rigid partisanship says a lot more about us voters than it does about bad boy candidates. It says something unflattering, damaging both to our elective process and to good government.
  

North Carolina is steeped in tradition from blue grass music to BBQ and craft beer. That being the case, visitors can sample a great many of the state’s finer traditions at When Pigs Fly on Nov. 15 at Festival Park.

Anyone with a bone to pick in the battle between tomato-based and vinegar-based sauces won’t want to miss this event because the festival showcases the very best when it comes to the finer points of North Carolina BBQ.

Cindy Kowal, event organizer and director of Communities in Schools is excited about a distinction to the festival earned this year. When Pigs Fly is now sanctioned by the North Carolina BBQ Association. That is significant for several reasons. One of the primary reasons is that it guarantees attendees can sample fare that is prepared in accordance with age-old North Carolina traditions.

Traditional N.C. BBQ is slow cooked with only wood or charcoal fueling the fire versus cooking with gas, which lets the meat cook slower and absorb the flavor of the wood or gives it the smoky taste derived from cooking over charcoal. While the rules for cooking are strict, there is plenty of room for discussion in the tomato versus vinegar sauce debate, which festival-goers can weigh in on while sampling plenty of both.

“We are really excited to be a sanctioned event. That adds a lot of credibility to the competition and will draw more big competitors, which can only be good for the people who come out on that day,” said Kowal. “Last year some of our competitors mentioned that it would be nice if we were a sanctioned competition. We decided to look into it. A lot of them were affiliated with Kansas City BBQ. But North Carolina BBQ is not like Memphis BBQ or Kansas City BBQ or Texas BBQ and we wanted to stick to standards that make sense for who we are and embrace our traditions. So we decided to go with a relatively young sanctioning organization: The North Carolina BBQ Association.”

Competitors from all across the state have signed up to compete for cash, prizes and bragging rights. The categories are whole hog, pork shoulder or chicken. Contestants can compete in one category or all three.

“Last year we had teams from all over the state,” said Kowal. “We are giving $7,500 in cash prizes to the BBQ teams overall winners — the grand champ is the team that receives the highest score. They will win $3,500, Reserve champ is $2,500 and the first through third place in each category receive prizes, too. In addition there is a really big trophy and a cutting board.”

Wash down all that BBQ with one of the dozen craft beers that are on tap. From IPAs to porters, there is something for everyone.

“I’m really excited about this new craft beer Great Lakes. I doubt many folks have seen this one yet and I am also excited about having our new local brewery — Dirtbag — on hand. For non-BBQ lovers, R Burger will offer a BBQ alternative,” said Kowal.

In addition to great food and drink, four bands are set to play throughout the day. Big Daddy Love is from Charleston, South Carolina.

“Our State Magazine put together a scenic mountain play list and Big Daddy Love is on that list,” said Kowal.

Supatight Funk started in Durham and moved to the Asheville area.

“They can do anything — funk, groove, country, rock. They have a lot of great original music, too,,” said Kowal.

Doc Aquatic started in Fayetteville before moving on to Asheville. “When we mentioned the bands to the under 35 crowd, the response was great. It is going to be a lot of fun,” Kowal added. “The final band is the Oak Grove String Band, a traditional blue grass band. We had some incredible blue grass bands last year and people asked for more variety. You will see that this year.”

If you are worried about calories, burn a few at the 5K that is run in conjunction with When Pigs Fly. The course is somewhat challenging and is sure to build an appetite. It hits Haymount Hill pretty early in the race and then the hills in Haymount keep things interesting. It’s definitely not a flat course.

“This year we have great prizes for the overall male and female winner; each will win a Dell tablet, donated by Dell Military. Because our pig noses were so popular last year — we’re also giving a prize for the best 5K costume. So, although it’s a challenge, it’ll be a fun race, too. And, the smell of BBQ is a pretty good motivator,” said Kowal.

VIP tickets are available and include a private concert on Friday night. The gates open at 7:30 p.m. Teams will be in Festival Park throughout the night grilling goodness, with Saturday’s events beginning at 11 a.m. and going to 6 p.m.

Proceeds support Communities in Schools, which advocates for students in Cumberland County Schools. Communities in Schools leverages resources, which allows teachers to teach and kids to learn.

“We touched more than 20,000 kids last year,” said Kowal. “And there are still many that need our help.”

Find out more about When Pigs Fly at www.cisofcumberland.org/when-pigs-fly.

Photo: Communities in Schools is bringing some great North Carolina traditions to Festival Park: BBQ, craft beers and Blue Grass. Join the fun on Nov. 15 and help bring much needed resources to Cumberland County Schools and students.

Diabetes, often referred to as “sugar” in the South, is a serious condition that affects nearly 26million children and adults in the United States. In Cumberland County, one agency that takes diabetes seriously is Better Health of Cumberland County. In an effort to raise awareness of the potentially deadly disease, Better Health is sponsoring the 2nd Annual Red Apple Run for Diabetes on Nov. 22.

The run, which begins at the Medical Arts Building, commemorates American Diabetes Month, which takes place throughout the month of November. The 10K run starts at 8:15 a.m.; the 5K run/walk starts at 8:30 a.m.; and the 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk starts at 9:15 a.m.

“We want to welcome people and remind them that they can walk and do not have to run,” said Judge Laura Devan, board president of Better Health and co-chair of the run. “We hope to have a big turnout to bring attention to our mission at Better Health.”

The event includes a 5K run/walk, a 1-mile fun run/walk, and a 10K run for elite runners. The categories for the prizes are first place with a stroller, first place running with a dog, an award for the largest team that participates together, super hero for fitness and more. Trophies for the top three male and female finishers are awarded for the 5K and 10K. Medals are given to the top three finishers in each age group for the 5K and 10K. Teams are encouraged to walk or run in honor or memory of a loved one with diabetes.

“This is a family fun event and many runners love to run with their children, strollers and dogs,” said Devan.

Better Health of Cumberland County is a nonprofit, charitable organization that relies upon local foundations, community members and business donors for funding. The organization provides diabetes awareness, education and self-management programs, childhood obesity prevention and education, loans of medical equipment and financial assistance for emergency medical needs.

There will be a fitness fair with health conscious vendors such as Breathing Space Yoga, fitness instructors and more at the starting line for runners to peruse as they are waiting for the race to begin.

“Our certified race routes are new this year. This is the second year for the 5K and the first year for the 10K,” said Judy Klinck, executive director of Better Health. “We welcome sponsors and in order for their names to appear on the T-shirts and various literature we will need the donation by Nov. 7.”

Fees for the 5K and 10K are $15 for ages 10 and under and $25 for ages 11 and over if you are registered by Nov. 12. After November 12 the fee is $30 for all ages. The fun run registration fee is $10. Registration is available online at www.Active.com and www.FSSeries.com or you can download the form at www.BetterHealthcc.org.

Individuals registered by Nov. 12 are guaranteed a T-shirt. The Medical Arts Building is located at 101 Robeson Street.

For more information about the race or Better Health programs, call 483-7534.

Photo;  The Red Apple Run on Saturday, Nov. 22, sponsored by Better Health, commemorates Diabetes Month and invites the community to get active in the fight against the disease.

This November the Givens Performing Arts Center brings the ninth longest running show in Broadway history to the community. It was also the most successful movie musical of all time and the international tour has visited more than 35 countries. For one night only, Mamma Mia!, the musical phenomenon that has been sweeping the world, is on stage.

The music for this performance features the songs of ABBA. The infectious and lively nature of the songs are clearly reflected by the exciting musical performance. It is impossible to sit in the audience and not sing along.

“The music is what captivates audiences along with the story,” said Chad Locklear, GPAC’s director of marketing. “Fans of ABBA are going to enjoy it for sure because it features all of their greatest hits. Even those who aren’t ABBA fans will still recognize some of the songs.”

Inspired by the ABBA songs, the story of Mamma Mia!is that of a single day of chaos, love and hope on a lovely Greek island. Sophia, raised by her single and independent mother, is about to get married and all she wants is for her absent father to walk her down the aisle. She invites three men from her mother’s past in an effort to discover the truth about her father and in the process discovers much about love and herself. Sophia’s mother, surprised by the arrival of these men, struggles with understanding but also finds new love. Though Sophia and her mother face some large challenges in their adventure, the overall tone is cheery and energetic making for a consistently high-energy performance.

“It makes for a really fun and entertaining evening at the theatre. Lots of singing, dancing and a fun story. There’s a reason why it’s been on Broadway now for more than 10 years. It’s a great show that people love. It’s a feel good musical, “ said Locklear.

Though Mamma Mia! is only showing for one night, the GPAC season is full of many different incredible shows. There is a show for everyone in this star-studded and varied season. GPAC is where the community can come to enjoy Broadway-quality shows without the price tag that typically accompanies them.

“GPAC brings a variety of quality cultural arts events to the community at a very affordable price. The center recently received national attention as one of the 25 best university performing arts centers in the country,” Locklear said.

Another great addition to GPAC is its Act 1 Diner Club. Prior to every performance, the club is open for dinner in the Chancellor’s Dining Room. Dinner includes a wine and cheese reception at 6 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person and reservations are required. For Mamma Mia! the menu includes a chopped fall vegetable salad, beef tenderloin Bolognese, wild rice, fresh cut green beans and tiramisu.

Tickets range from $21 to $46 and are available online at www.uncp.edu/gpactickets or by calling 910-521-6361. Act 1 Diner tickets can also be purchased online. Mamma Mia! is on stage Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. GPAC is located at 1 University Dr. in Pembroke. For more information visit www.uncp.edu/student-life/involvement-opportunities/givens-performing-arts-center.

Photo: Mamma Mia! is on stage at the GPAC for one night only, Nov. 13.

Methodist University’s Center for Entrepreneurship is hosting the 41st Annual Economic Outlook and Stock Market Symposium on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m., at the Embassy Suites in Fayetteville.

“This is a continuation of a program that has been in existence for many years where we give out four prestigious awards,” said Marty Cayton, director for the Center for Entrepreneurship at Methodist University. “Dr. Robert Genetski is speaking that evening about our local economy, national economy and the stock market.”

Cayton added that the purpose of the event is to educate the community with well-informed speakers on the subject of our economy and to raise awareness of the Center for Entrepreneurship’s programs.

Genetski, the keynote speaker, is an economist who is a longtime advocate of classical economic principles. His experience in the world of economics involves a unique combination of business and academic expertise. He has headed asset management, investment and economic research departments for several financial institutions. He taught economics at NYU and the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business. His latest book, Classical Economic Principles & the Wealth of Nations, is used in colleges and high schools across the country.

For four consecutive years he has been recognized as one of the top-five speakers in the fields of economics and finance and has made numerous appearances on Fox News and CNN. After receiving his Ph.D. in economics from New York University, Genetski worked in the financial industry and subsequently founded his own economic and financial consulting service. He has served on the board of directors for a number of public companies and provides insights on his website: classicalprinciples.com.

The four awards that will be presented include the 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Business Person of the Year Award, Greater Good Award and Alumni Business Person of the Year.

The mission of the Center for Entrepreneurship is to create wealth producers and job creators by training students of all ages to start new businesses and be prepared for business ownership. The center encourages students to take advantage of Methodist University’s newly created major in entrepreneurship that is also offered as a minor. Each year the Economic Outlook and Stock Market Symposium is held in the fall and the Entrepreneurial Leadership Summit is held in the spring.

All of the net proceeds from the event help raise money for the Center for Entrepreneurship’s endowed scholarships for all of the student majors in entrepreneurship. The scholarship, only one-year-old, was first endowed by the late Robert Dunn, a Charlotte, N.C., businessman.

The scholarship honors the Methodist Center for Entrepreneurship founder Dr. Sid Gautam whose business acumen and more than 40 years of engaged service enabled local entrepreneurs and small businesses to flourish. Two entrepreneurial students were awarded the scholarship this school year.

“We look forward to a good turnout that evening and we have a good number of sponsors,” said Cayton.

Tickets for the dinner are $75 per person or $700 for a 10-seat table and can be purchased at www.methodist.edu/cfe. For more information about the event, call 630-7616.

Photo: Dr. Robert Genetski is the keynote speaker at the 41st Annual Economic Outlook and Stock Maket Symposium.