The 16th Annual Lafayette Birthday Celebration is an observance of the birthday of American Revolutionary War hero Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette was a famous French man who traveled to America to help American patriot forces defeat the British and gain independence. The celebrations take place from September 7th to the 9th.

Lafayette was born on September 6, 1757 in France.

In 1783, Fayetteville was named in honor of the French war hero of the American Revolutionary War. Lafayette played a significant role in helping the American patriot forces during the war. Fayetteville has the distinct honor of being the first American city named in his honor. Lafayette visited what was formerly Cross Creek (which had merged with Campbellton) on March 4th and 5th, 1825, during his tour of the United States.

The first event to celebrate Lafayette's birthday is on Thursday, September 7, at 7 p.m. inside the Haymount United Methodist Church sanctuary at 1700 Fort Bragg Road in Fayetteville. The event will feature a French music concert by Gail Morfesis and Friends and selections from Bizet's opera Carmen and its Broadway and movie adaptation Carmen Jones. Tickets can be purchased at the door and online at http://www.lafayettesociety.org/events. Tickets can also be purchased in person or by phone from City Center Gallery & Books at 112 Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville. Their phone number is 910-678-8899. Prices are $15 for general admission and $10 for students.

There are two events on Friday, September 8.

The first event, a lecture, is at 1 p.m. at FTCC on Hull Road in the Multipurpose Room of the Tony Rand Student Center. FTCC and Dr. Daniel Stewart are hosting the lecture by Dr. Lloyd Kramer, History Professor and Director of Carolina Public Humanities at UNC Chapel Hill. The lecture is titled, “Why is our City called Fayetteville? Lafayette's Life, Ideas, and American Tour of 1824-25.” Admission is free.

The second event of the day will be held at Methodist University beginning at 6:30 p.m. Arleen Fields, Archives Librarian at Methodist University, will host the Lafayette Legacy Program at the Davis Memorial Library. At the reception, guests can view the extensive collection of arrowheads spanning 10,000 years of local Indigenous culture. These arrowheads had been collected on campus in the late 1960s by student Howard Arden.

At 7 p.m. Dr. Jamie Mize, Associate Professor of History and American Indian Studies at UNC Pembroke will hold a talk titled, “From Oneida to Creek: Lafayette's Relationships with Native Americans.” Admission is free. For more information, call 910-630-7412.

There are three events on Saturday, September 9.

The first event, held from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., is the guided Lafayette Trail Tour. The event begins at 8 a.m. with coffee and croissants at the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Museum on Burgess St. in downtown Fayetteville. On the tour, guests will see the actual carriage that Lafayette rode into town and the places he visited in 1825. The tour includes riding the Coldwell-Banker Trolley and some moderate walking. Reservations are required, space is limited to only 33 participants. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased online at https://www.lafayettesociety.org/lafayette-society-online-payment/, or in person or by phone from the City Center Gallery & Books.

From 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., Cross Creek Park on Green St. will hold a Lafayette birthday celebration and family-oriented activities. At 1 p.m., General Lafayette will join everyone as they sing Happy Birthday. Free cupcakes will be available while they last. Admission is free.

The final event will be held from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at SkyView on 121 Hay St. with the Lafayette Grand Birthday Ball & Soirée. According to the Lafayette Society website, "You are cordially invited to party like it's 1825! Dance the night away with waltzes and reels called by a Regency dance master, try your hand at the card tables, participate in some Regency games (dominoes, skittles, and more), get your portrait taken, your silhouette painted, your fortune read, and test your ballroom etiquette.”

Tickets begin at $95. For more information, visit www.TheLafayetteBall.com.

For more information about Lafayette, the Lafayette Society, and the upcoming events, visit https://www.lafayettesociety.org/.

As summer blazes on in Fayetteville, so does the Rock’n on the River Summer Concert Series. Greg Adair, the organizer of the outdoor music event, said the series could help add enjoyment to concert-goers' lives in a world wrought by the pandemic.

“It’s time that we live life,” Adair said. “We saw what 2020 brought — nobody wants that to happen and a lot of people were mad that it did happen— so it’s time to get out and live. You only live once, you only come through here once. You might as well have some fun.”

Adair helped start the event five years ago in 2018 due to the dearth of similar events in the area, he said.

“Free concert wise, there was not really a lot going on,” Adair said.

Since its inception, the event has only grown with time thanks to attendance and the accumulation of great sponsors, according to Adair. The concerts take place monthly throughout the summer behind Deep Creek Outfitters on Person Street. The picturesque location features foliage and a view of the Cape Fear River.

“I think that people love the location,” Adair said. “It's got some shade, it’s got some trees out there that are bordering the river itself. It’s a beautiful setting.”

Adair said the scenic outdoor venue, located next to the rolling river, provides a great area for attendees to enjoy music while taking in the beauty of the surrounding nature.

“It’s really relaxed,” he said. “It's a really chill place.”

The next concert, to be held on Sept. 15, will feature opening band Autumn Tyde and headliners Women N Children First, a Van Halen tribute group.

The final concert of the series on Oct. 20 will host Mötley Crüe tribute band Mostley Crüe and feature an opening act by Shoot to Thrill, a women’s ACDC tribute group. The concert features fresh food and soft drinks from Deep Creek Grill as well as water, beer and wine from main sponsor Healy Wholesale.

Admission begins at 5 p.m. with openers taking to the stage at 6 p.m. After a brief intermission at 7:30, the headlining bands will take to the stage at 8 p.m. and play until around 10 p.m., Adair said.

This year’s series has gone well so far, Adair said, though the heat and threat of rain has deterred attendance slightly.

The most attended show so far was July’s performance featuring bands Reflections II and Rivermist, a band for which Adair performs. The show garnered around 500 audience members.

Admission to the concert remains free, but event parking costs a flat rate of $10. Adair encourages concert-goers to bring chairs and to be prepared for bag searches for safety purposes. Outside containers and coolers are not permitted and only service animals are allowed to attend. Security will be present at the event to promote a safe environment, though Adair said they haven’t seen any problems yet.

Partners for the event include Healy Wholesale, Up & Coming Weekly, 96.5 Bob FM, Sandy’s Automotive, Darling Ingredients, Boose and Stewart Law Offices, Cumberland Insulation and Karen Chandler Trust.

Karen Chandler Trust offers funds to cancer patients to provide transportation to medical appointments, payment of utility bills and more, Adair said. Half of beer sales will benefit the trust.

“It’s good to have that kind of partner,” Adair said.

The concert series is held generally from May to October each year.

“Just come on out here and have fun,” Adair said.

Book Black Women is at it again, with another epic production for the culture.

Trap N Paint will go down on September 16th at Volta Space located at 116 Person Street. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The show starts at 7:30 pm. Audience members can expect a “90’s Def Comedy Jam” vibe, says organizational founder Ayana Washington.

Seven poets will battle it out on stage for the opportunity to win a $1,000 cash prize and bragging rights. The judge's panel doesn’t lack talent, boasting big names from Fayetteville and surrounding areas. Sunny Delite, Sunny Days Entertainment, Raleigh; Mary Kate Burke, Cape Fear Regional Theatre; Tiffany Haywood, http://TheMrsTee.com; the incomparable Marcus Doss, Marcus Doss Salon; and the always funny and always live, ShaDonna “Mo” McPhaul,The Mo You Know Radio Show, WIDU; will decide who takes home the cash and the ego.

The battle is only the beginning of this one-of-a-kind event.  Attendees can also expect the lyrical stylings of featured poets Poetic Zae, Suave The Poet, Nick Courmon and El'Ja, and performances by local vocalists, musicians and painters. DJ Yodo will be on the ones and twos keeping the crowd moving and the vibe “Afro-centric and bold.”

There are two VIP options available for those who want an elevated experience. Bistro seating VIP seats 2 to 4 people and includes a complimentary bottle of wine. Standard VIP includes a table for 4, a complimentary bottle of wine, and light hors d’oeuvres provided by event sponsor Pretty Stickie. Other sponsors include Harden House, Trash http://Out.Biz , Vetrepreneur Visions, Celfie 360 Photobooth and Rentals, The Black Canvas, Sweet Tea Shakespeare, YaYa's Nail Candy and No Longer BOund Entertainment.

Trap N Paint is the first of four events funded by the Cumberland County Project Support Grant through the Arts Council of Fayetteville.

“My goal for this event and all of my events is to showcase a marginalized group of people, black women,” said Washington. “I have also fallen in love with showing Fayetteville that you do not have to leave the city to have phenomenal experiences. So I guess I am looking forward to meeting both of those goals”

For those who would like to be a part of this event, there is still time and opportunity. There are currently 3 vendor spots available. For more information about vendor opportunities and upcoming events visit http://www.bookblackwomen.org . Those interested in donating to Book Black Women and the mission of this series of bringing “cultural diversity to downtown Fayetteville and offering safe spaces for a marginalized group to express and share their artistry with the Cumberland County community,” can do so at https://donorbox.org/book-black-women-inc-presents .

The next event in the series, R&B in the the Park, a music festival at Festival Park, is set for sometime in October.

Bring your appetite, dancing shoes, laughter, and smiles to the Fayetteville Greek Festival at Sts Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church on September 16, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and September 17, from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

Religion and food have a complex interaction. Food can be a bridge between the ancestors and spiritual forces. Religion and ethnicity are social markers for tradition.

Greek Orthodoxy can be defined as religious traditions grounded in the preservation of Greek identity. The Fayetteville Greek Festival is a celebration of Greek identity. The festival consists of feasting, dancing, music and food. Sharing food creates a feeling of attachment. Unity is experienced within the dance. Music is the experience of joy of being alive.

Purvi Raniga expresses the wisdom of the Fayetteville Greek Festival, “Festivals are there to teach us that life is a celebration, each festival teaches us to bring positivity, joy and happiness in our thoughts which reflect our lives.”
Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, the host of the Fayetteville Greek Festival, has a noteworthy regard for Saints Constantine and Helen.

Constantine was born to Helen and Constantius Chlorus in 272 A.D. His father died in 306 A.D. Constantine became Emperor of Rome in 324 A.D. He dreamed Jesus would empower him in battle. Jesus’ message stated, “by this sign you will conquer.” The sign was the Cross. Constantine changed the legion banners to Jesus Christ and the Cross. Constantine was victorious over his enemies in battle, and Christianity became the religion of the Roman Empire.

Helen was humbly born. She married Constantius Chlorus, but he divorced Helen for political reasons. Constantine, as Emperor of the Roman Empire, granted Helen the imperial title of Augusta. She received the responsibility of finding the True Cross in Jerusalem.

She traveled to Jerusalem and aided in the establishment of churches on holy spaces. She provided financial assistance to impoverished persons. She has been revered for her efforts to find the True Cross. Her extended title is St. Helen, Mother of Emperor Constantine, Equal to the Apostles.

According to U.S. News & World Report, a team of twenty-five nationally recognized health professionals found the Mediterranean diet to be number one in the world. The foundation of the Greek diet represents fruits, feta cheese, vegetables, whole grains, fish, chicken and lean protein. The non-meat protein sources are beans and legumes. Olive oil is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. It has lower saturated fat than butter. This diet is supportive of reducing inflammation, chronic diseases, and to lower Body Mass Index.

Greek dishes have an antiquity aspect. Trakahana is one of the oldest foods in the Mediterranean. It was the mainstay diet for Greek and Roman foot soldiers during conquests. Olives and olive oil have been staples in the Greek diet for centuries. Olive trees are abundant on the Greek Islands.

The traditional ingredients in Greek cuisine are olives, olive oil, yogurt, honey, garlic, tomatoes, vegetables, Feta cheese, walnuts and spices. The spices are oregano, mint, fennel thyme, and lemon. The seafood options are small fish, octopus and shrimp.

Lean and red meats such as chicken, pork, veal, beef, lamb, rabbit and goat are used. Fruits are featured in salads with a range of apricots, figs, raisins, apples, dates, grapes, pomegranates, green olives and quince. Grains are a source of plant protein, barley, bulgur and wheat berries.

The food processes are varied as the ingredients, such as fried, breaded, sautéed, simmered, stewed, boiled, braised, baked, roasted grilled, pureed and preserved. The concise list of dishes prepared with these food processes are Moussaka, Tzatziko, Baklava, Stifado, Soutzoukalia, Pastitsio, Souvlakik, Tomatokeftedes, Koliokithokeftedes, Kleftiko and Fasolada.

The Fayetteville Greek Festival consists of feasting, food, music, and dancing. The dance is one of the ways to feel connection to the home country, ancestral roots, Greece. The common factor of music and dancing is the organization around rhythmic patterns. The Srytos and Kalamatiano, dances often seen at festivals and weddings, have identical steps. Srytos has 4/4 beats. Kalamatiano has 7/8 beats.

Srytos is an ancient chain dance with origins in Crete. It was described by Lucian 125-190 A.D. The rhythm is a slow three beat, quick two beat and quick two beat. The dancers are in a curving line, holding hands, and facing right. The lead dancer is on the right end of the line.

Kalamatiano has the variation of the lead dancer, and the second dancer holds either side of the handkerchief. The second dancer performs mesmerizing dance movements. The roots of this dance can be traced to Homer in the lliad.

There are depictions of three performances made around the spear of Achilles. Xenophon describes the dance when a woman leads a man to the dance with a handkerchief.

The musical accompaniment for Srytos and Kalamatiano are lycra, violin, outi, santouri, bouzouki, and bass guitars. The wind instruments are pipzia, cornermuse, clarinet, avlo, gaida, karmaoodza, zurn, and askamandoura. The percussion section instruments are daovli, bells, triangles, defi, krotata, kymbal.

Narendra Madi conveys the viewpoint, “our culture is our strength, be it music, dance, poetry, or anything, and these are very precious.”

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post number 670 sits behind the Fayetteville Regional Airport. Just down the thickly wooded twists of Doc Bennett road, on the backside of the airport’s runway, sits a medium-sized bricked building with a large American flag flowing out front. In the colors of the American flag is VFW with Post 670 printed just below it. Today, it is buzzing with energy — a meeting has just happened regarding the post’s 90th anniversary coming up in September. Small clusters of men are gathered here and there throughout the post, chatting, catching up and sharing smiles.

Outside the post is a line of black chairs with red buckets beside them, the word “butts” printed in large capital letters. Just inside the entry of the building are pool tables and a “canteen” — a non-profit bar lined up with stools and a few tables and chairs. From a cursory glance, this is no different than some bars and joints around Fayetteville. The crowd, however, is varied in both age and appearance and “brothers” hug each other as they say goodbye.  Some of the members would describe it as “diverse” but there is a tie of service that can only be found during years spent in the military.

On one of the far walls, in a quieter corner of the building, is a board full of shiny, silver dog tags. Each one is for an active member of the post. They hang on the wall, a striking tribute to service members who still give back to their community. This time it’s on their own land. As of this year, they have almost 500 members.

VFW Post 670 is not what it appears. The history is thicker. The ties are lifelong.

Out of the back room where both the stage and dance floor are located, walks Mike Baker, the post commander. Baker speaks fast and looks around as he talks. He is straight forward and calm. He introduces parts of the post, citing it as one of the oldest posts in North Carolina. At the state level, Baker says, they are trying to figure out if it may be the oldest. Baker is proud of his second home — a place where he and other veterans can get involved in the community and host a variety of events.

“You name it … if there is an event we can do, we do,” Baker said.

Coming up is VFW Post 670’s 90th anniversary. To celebrate and help raise funds, the members of the post are hosting a concert with local band, Rivermist, raffles for goods, a speech by Baker and saluting the colors.

“Last year we did $200,000 in community donations,” Baker said. “Veterans are first and foremost, then families and children.”

The post adopts a unit on Fort Liberty and often leans on them to find what they can do to support the soldiers and community. It's the veterans' way to still be involved in their country but in a very different way than they once were while in the service. Baker only has one rule he tries to go by.

“The quicker we turn around the donations, the better.”

Baker has seen some fluctuations in his membership at the post since COVID. One of his big missions is to help get membership up and veterans in the community active.

“I wouldn’t want to call it a struggle but it’s a constant back and forth,” he said.

The post sponsors the APA, American Poolplayers Association, as well as World Tavern Poker on Sundays and Wednesdays. They also give room for Fayetteville Sound to practice their music on Thursday nights and of course the hall is available for renting for weddings, parties and other events.

Baker is hoping for a large turnout on the post’s 90th anniversary on September 8th and 9th. Tickets for the event will be $25 for one day or $40 for both and open to the general public. Doors open at 5 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday. Rivermist will play at 5 p.m. on the 9th. Drinks will be available at the canteen and food will be for sale from a food truck.

Baker and the other members invite anyone to buy a ticket, participate in the raffle and enjoy some music. For more information about the event the post has both a facebook page or visit vfw670.org.

Have you ever watched a regency-era film or show and thought, I would love to go to a ball like that; be a part of group dances, flirtatious fanning, fortune telling, and insidious gossip about the local social and political scene? Guests can expect all of that and more at the upcoming Lafeyette’s Grand Birthday Ball and Soiree.

Rebecca Russell, owner of Beespoke Vintage, is a lover of history and historical fashion. The idea of hosting a ball started out as just hosting a few sewing workshops teaching people how to make their own Regency-era clothes. The recent t.v. show, Bridgerton, along with the everlasting love of Jane Austen, has kept people’s interest in fashion of the early 1800s.

Russell thought, “Why not host a ball where people can wear the clothes they just learned how to make?”

“The ball took on a life of its own and got bigger, well, much bigger, than the workshops. As I was researching ideas and putting the ball together, I discovered that Fayetteville had a Lafayette Society. And what do you know, there's a big bicentennial thing coming along, which I didn't even know about when I first started planning it.”

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, was a French aristocrat, freemason, and military officer who volunteered to join the Continental Army led by General George Washington in the American Revolutionary War. Fayetteville was the first city to be named in his honor in the United States, and the Marquis visited the town in March of 1825. The Lafayette Society promotes awareness of Lafayette’s significant contributions to mankind and freedom by conducting events, programs, and educational activities. They also host a weekend full of events in honor of Lafayette’s birthday.

The birthday ball will start at 7 p.m. at the Skyview on Hay Street. The First Dance Set will begin at 7:30 p.m. The second dance set will be at 8:20 p.m. Birthday toasts, followed up with cake cutting, will be at 9:15 p.m. The third dance set will be at 9:45 p.m. and the ball will start closing out around 10:30 p.m.

“We'll have a dance mistress who will call those dances out to explain how they work and then we'll have the dances run. It'll be a lot of fun. A lot of [the dances] were basically equivalent to maybe the Macarena today, or the electric slide or something like that,” Russell said. “Basically get everybody out on the dance floor and in a fun, social way.”

If dancing isn’t your thing, there will also be regency-era games.

“Whist was a very popular card game. It appears often in Jane Austen novels. There will be whist playing in the back. There will also be nine-pins, which was akin to bowling today, but just smaller little wooden pins, kind of like lawn bowling. We'll have that in the back as well for entertainment.”

For an extra fee, there is also a fortune teller available. Fortune telling was very popular at parties. However, this fortune teller won’t be Mr. Rochester dressing up trying to understand Jane Eyre’s psyche. This is an actual fortune teller who will be set up in the old bank vault inside Skyview.

There will also be an exhibit in one of the backrooms that will showcase historical clothes, educational banners and military uniforms.

For Russsell, this event will also host a personal moment for her.

“I'll be giving a toast to Lafayette. I will also be giving a toast to my son who turns 19 that same weekend,” she said. “Lafayette was 19 when he joined our forces during the Revolutionary War. It’ll be sort of a toast to the heroics and energy of youth in general. I'll be giving a toast to the military and veterans. I'm honoring Lafayette as a military veteran, but also, of course, Fayetteville.”

Tickets start at $95 (Gentry Level) and go up from there. Each level elevates your "social standing" and provides you with more included experiences.

The Gentry ticket includes a souvenir dance card for women and a souvenir event card for men, access to the selfie garden walk and a slice of the birthday cake during the toast to Lafayette.

The Baron/Baroness tickets, $145 each, includes seating at Peerage Tables, one free signature cocktail ticket, one free souvenir cockade or sandalwood fan, a tote bag, and such guests will be announced to the room upon arrival.

The Royalty tickets, $275 each, include exclusive seating at the Head Table (with the hostess, the Marquis, and other Royalty), assortment of tableside snacks, one free souvenir glass of choice, two free drink tickets and one free fortune telling session.

The Duke/Duchess tickets are sold out at the time of publication.

Extras that can be purchased at any level are professional photography, silhouette sketching, fortune telling and carriage rides.

The goal for Russell is to sell 150 tickets. At the time of the interview, 102 tickets have been sold.

It is recommended to attend in Regency era, or at least black-tie attire. While it may be too late to order a complete set of Regency ball gowns, inspiration can be taken from the silhouettes. Russell has created an entire guide on her website about how to put together a “regency-inspired” look. She also has guides on how to do hair for the time period, how to play card games, and what types of dances to expect. To be in-the-know before the event, her website, The Lafayette Ball (beespokevintage.com, has all of the information.

Russell hopes people can enjoy the event, not just as a historical moment, but to experience another way of having fun. She hopes to plan more historical reenactments like these in the future.

“I plan to put on some other events in the future and changing up the time frame each year so that there will be something a little different each time. Maybe we'll do a repeat of this one if people really like this, since Fayetteville is named after Lafayette and it's his birthday every year.”

After planning this event, Russell tells Up & Coming Weekly that she has learned so much about the Fayetteville community and has loved being able to learn about the Lafayette Society, the local art scene, and the many resources available here.

“I'm really excited about having people come here and experience this …people who already live here who haven't really gotten into all of the cool things we’re putting on,” Russell said.

“I want [people] to walk away and be like, ‘that was really cool. I would never have thought that would have been so fun.’”

The ball will take place on Sept. 9 at the Skyview on Hay Street. Tickets can be purchased at Lafayettes Grand Birthday Ball and Soiree Tickets, SkyView on Hay, Fayetteville, September 9, 2023. Lafayette's Grand Birthday Ball and Soiree https://allevents.in/fayetteville/

Over the past 6-7 years there has been a huge surge in this family fun, hour long adventure. If you’ve never been to an Escape room, it can seem like a slightly scary thing to do for fun, but with the vast variety of themes and levels of difficulty that they have to offer, people of all ages have been known to enjoy them.

Though every Escape room is different, they generally go something like this; you have 60 minutes to make it out of a locked room that’s usually fit to a particular theme, there are several puzzles and clues that you must figure out that will help you unlock the door and complete the challenge.

Most rooms require or suggest having anywhere from 2-10 players to work as a team to escape the room. This activity has been known to surprise many people once they’re done with the experience. Escape Rooms have been used as a team building exercise for businesses, fun bonding time with family and friends, and even friendly competitions to see who can escape a room in the fastest time.

In the early internet days, there were a ton of online games you could play through various websites. Around 2005-2006 there was a spark in simple point and click escape games that challenged you to escape things like jails, closets, and bathrooms. In 2008 a Japanese company called Real Escape Games decided to be the first company to bring the niche Escape Room world to life and that quickly spread to different countries including the U.S.

Speaking with the manager of Escapology Rochelle Gore, she speaks on her experience of working at an Escape Room. She says, “It's honestly really fun. You get to observe different types of personalities and how people communicate.

It's honestly allowed me to learn a lot about myself and how I communicate with my staff members. We play them as a staff for fun and every time we put out a new room, we have to play it to learn it.”

Fayetteville is home to three unique Escape Rooms that are almost perfectly scattered locally across the city. They all have a different and special selection of rooms to experience.  Themes for these escape rooms can range from a Scooby Doo Mystery adventure to catching a killer clown.

For any of those willing to test thinking skills at one of these great locations, here are the addresses and hours of these amazing Escape Rooms across Fayetteville.

Escapology is located at 2770 Freedom Parkway and is open from 10:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Sundays. For more information visit http://www.escapology.com or call 910-302-6981.

Xscape Factor is located in Downtown Fayetteville at 136-A Bow Street, open from 3:00 to 9:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. On Fridays they’re open from 12:00 to 10:00 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays they’re open from 12:00 to 9:00 pm. They’re closed on Tuesdays. For more info call 910-676-8926.

Escape Room Fayetteville is located at 3639 B. Sycamore Dairy Road and is open 3:30 pm to 9:00 pm on Thursdays, 3:30 pm to 10:30 pm on Fridays, 12:30 pm to 11:00 pm on Saturdays and 1:30 pm to 7:00 pm on Sundays. They’re closed Monday through Wednesday. For more info call 910-920-1781.

“No, Florence, no, not another one of your episodes,” Jonathan Judge-Russo says.

Judge-Russo, dressed in a vest over his street clothes and knee pads, stands at the edge of the rehearsal space at Cape Fear Regional Theatre. Amber French flutters over to him, mid-panic attack that her character Florence is supposed to be having. Judge-Russo digs into his pocket and reveals a small, silver tin for pills, the kind that men might have carried at the turn of the century and might still be found in old ladies’ purses. He pops it open and grabs an imaginary pill.

“Here, take one of your pills,” he says, two of his fingers pinched together. He picks up his hand and pretends to throw a pill into French’s mouth. She walks back to the middle of the room, falls to the floor and screams hysterically until she calms down.

“Well done, Florence. There, there.” Judge-Russo says.

Director Laura Josepher stands looking over the binder containing her script. She gives directions to Judge-Russo and French. She wants to see more of a reaction from French and a visual moment of her swallowing the tiny pill just chucked into her mouth.

“The reaction is good, but just to help me know, it got in there,” she says to French. French and others laugh a little. She mimics a mouth open and, suddenly, a very visible swallow. With a nod, she and the others begin the scene again with no less vigor than the first time.

In a short time, from September 7 to 24, The Play That Goes Wrong will take the stage at Cape Fear Regional Theatre, and each of the actors wants to make sure they get it going wrong in precisely the right way. Judge-Russo is playing Thomas Colleymoore and also Robert, an actor playing Thomas. French plays Sandra, an actor playing the character Florence Colleymore. This is a play within a play, Josepher explained.

In the rehearsal room, Josepher moves from the pill scene to another play segment. This time, Mitchell Stephens, playing both Chris the actor and his character Inspector Carter, enters the rehearsal space. Stephens has the unique job of being both the actor of this play within a play and the fight/movement coordinator for the show.

The Play That Goes Wrong is about a play, The Murder of Havershsam Manor, going from “bad to utterly disastrous” and gives the comedic vibes of Gene Wilder with accident-prone actors and a corpse that has a hard time remembering to play dead. Stephens’ coordinator role is integral to the comedic timing.

“Every moment has to be pretty live,” Judge-Russo says. “… I think everybody has shown up from moment one … and brought their game real hard.”

All the other actors shake their heads in agreement. That game is one of farce and comedic timing. Stephens, very vocal and comedic in his own right, speaks about the genuine collaboration and power of the actors in the play.

“We then all celebrate every laugh that happens,” Stephens says. “Instead of it being each one of us jockeying for who gets the biggest laugh or the best one, it now becomes a laugh as something to celebrate... getting super not precious with our bits and our gags.”

Stephens says each actor will strip out jokes to serve the collective laughs in the play better. Each one creates what they call a true ensemble to bring comedy to the Cumberland County community.

“Farce is hard,” Josepher says. “It is such specific timing. There’s so many moments in the show … the world is a tough place that [it’s nice to have] an evening of just laughing.”

Tickets for the play are available at CFRT.org and include special pricing for the military on September 13 and Teachers on September 15. The folks at the theatre will also host a Welcome Back Bash on September 7 and Murder Mystery Trivia on September 8. Visit www.CFRT.org for more details.

The Greater Fayetteville Chamber and presenting award sponsors Highland Construction & Restoration and Manna Church announce the upcoming 2023 Annual Public Safety Valor Awards, taking place on September 12th from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. This event held at Manna Church serves as a heartfelt tribute, expressing the deepest gratitude and admiration for the unwavering dedication of first responders in the city, county and at Fort Liberty.

These extraordinary men and women put their lives on the line every day to ensure safety and well-being. It is only fitting to come together as a community to recognize their selflessness, bravery and commitment to serving others.

The awardees of this prestigious event are nominated by their Chiefs or agency heads from various law enforcement agencies, fire/rescue departments, and emergency management agencies that serve Cumberland County. These exceptional individuals have gone above and beyond the call of duty, demonstrating valor in the face of adversity.

This year's awards will honor those who have shown remarkable courage and resilience during incidents that occurred within Cumberland County over the past year. Their stories serve as a testament to their unwavering dedication to protecting our community. The award categories are:

The Valor Award. Reserved for those who have displayed extraordinary valor and heroism. It is given to public safety officials who knowingly put their lives at risk or faceD extreme bodily harm while performing official duties.

The Lifesaving Award. Recognizes public safety officials who have undertaken official acts in life-threatening situations, resulting in saving a life or preventing serious harm. Their quick thinking, bravery, and decisive actions deserve admiration.

The Award of Merit. Designed to honor those who have demonstrated exceptional initiative, ingenuity and diligence in the performance of their duties. Whether it's creating a groundbreaking program or process, solving a long-standing cold case or dedicating years of detective work to a major initiative, this award recognizes individuals who have truly made a difference in public safety.

The People's Choice Award. This is a special recognition chosen by our community. It honors an individual who has truly touched the lives of people around them through their exceptional service. This awardee has gone the extra mile and made a lasting impact on the community they serve.

The Greater Fayetteville Chambers and its sponsors request that you join them in honoring and celebrating these remarkable individuals who work tirelessly to ensure our safety and well-being. The awards ceremony is open to the public and will be held at Manna Church, 5117 Cliffdale Rd. Fayetteville. Admission is $25. To purchase tickets visit www.chamber.faybiz.com/events.com. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For information, contact Jami McLaughlin at 910-483-8133 ext. 6774 or email events@faybiz.com.

September is an important month for so many different reasons, but especially for the United States: We honor and recognize the American Labor Movement on September 4th with Labor Day, and we honor and remember lost U.S. Citizens and Service members on 9/11 Patriot Day.

For anyone who doesn’t know, The United States’ National POW/MIA Recognition Day is celebrated and honored across the country on the third Friday of September each year. In 1979 under the presidency of Jimmy Carter, the First Proclamation was signed, and ever since, every president has issued an annual proclamation commemorating this Recognition Day. This is a day where we remember those who were prisoners of war (POW) and those who have been missing in action (MIA), across our different branches of the military.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, also known as DPAA, is the organization responsible for providing the fullest possible accounting for the missing soldiers and personnel to their families and our country. They have the largest forensic skeletal identification laboratory in the world, as well as teams of people working all around the world to discover and recover missing remains of fallen soldiers.

According to dpaa.mil, as of May 22, 2023, there are more than 81,000 Americans that remain missing from WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and the Gulf Wars/other conflicts. Out of the total, approximately 75% of the losses are located in the Indo-Pacific region, and over 41,000 of the missing are presumed lost at sea (such as ship losses and known aircraft water losses). DPAA has been searching for the remains of U.S. Military members in 45 nations, being able to strengthen diplomatic ties within nations while bringing closure to loved ones of fallen soldiers.

Fayetteville is home to countless military families thanks to Fort Liberty, formerly known as Fort Bragg. Living in Fayetteville, you more than likely either got here because of the military or know someone who is active duty or retired. With so many of us having military ties, there are even greater chances of you knowing or even being related to a soldier who was a POW/MIA.

For me, my father William Henry Jones Jr. brought our family to Fort Bragg in 2002 after his 2nd Tour in the Korean Conflict/Cold War, a war that technically has never stopped. He served in 9 different divisions, and even served in the 4th Royal Tank Battalion in Great Britain for the Late Queen of England, all in his 27 years as active duty in the U.S. Army. He then retired as a Command Sergeant Major from Fort Bragg on June 1st 2006. Though my father had a successful military career, he would have never thought he would come across a POW/MIA member in the lines of our family tree, who would turn out to be his great Uncle Calvin Solomon Jones.

Calvin Solomn Jones is my great great uncle, who I recently found out is a POW/MIA who served in the Korean War. He was reported as Missing in Action (MIA) and was listed as a prisoner of war (POW) on November 26th 1950, with a reported date of death of February 28th 1951, as per other POW witness statements.

Calvin was 21 when he enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 29th 1949. He trained at Camp Stoneman in California and served at Fort Dix in New Jersey before being assigned to “King Company”, 3rd Battalion of 9th Infantry, 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea, where he and his troops traveled north through the 38th Parallel and up to the Yalu river, which is the northern most point in North Korea.

The 38th Parallel is a peace border between North and South Korea that acts as a cease fire zone. My father William, who did two tours in South Korea himself was also stationed near the 38th Parallel on two different occasions, and was honored to know that his great Uncle served in the same area. He says, “I kind of felt close to him in a way, because I was stationed there. I remember how close we were stationed to what they call the thirty-eighth parallel, which is the demilitarization zone; we have an enemy just on the other side of that line. And we're looking at each other every day. I remember us digging out tank fighting positions, in case they decided to attack.”

On September 27th 1950 , my uncle Calvin suffered a bayonet puncture that would wound him and send him to the 64th Field Hospital for treatment. After his treatment, he had the option to return home from the war due to his injuries, but instead he decided to return back to the frontlines with his Battalion and finish the fight with his fellow soldiers. He reconnected with his unit fighting on the front lines on October 13th 1950.

When my Uncle Calvin returned to the war, his Battalion had crossed enemy territory. In the late month of November in 1950, over 180,000 “volunteers” from the Communist Chinese Forces (CCF) were sneaking south, hiding in the North Korean hills, and staged a massive surprise ambush attack.

The 9th Infantry Calvin was a part of was hit hard during these attacks. He and his group of POWs were held in a cluster of holding villages, around a former mining camp, in the valley between the North Korean towns of Pukchin and Tarigol. This camp was also called “Hofong Camp,” “T-1, and “T-8,” also known as one of the worst camps because of the conditions and the men who perished there. My uncle Calvin was marched north and was in one of the first groups of POWs to reach the newly created POW Camp 5 in the village of Pyoktong, North Korea.

Camp 5 was as far as anyone could go and still be in North Korea, on the south shore of the Yalu River. Reports indicate that by the time my uncle Calvin arrived at Camp 5, he was gravely ill from exposure, malnutrition, and pneumonia. It is believed that he expired there at the Camp 5 location and due to not being allowed to completely search the area of Camp 5, the exact whereabouts of his body and other members of Camp 5 are still undetermined.

DPAA does not currently conduct operations in North Korea but through past operations has been able to recover over 200 remains.

There are approximately 7,500 service members still unaccounted-for from the Korean War. Of that total, it is estimated that approximately 5,300 are located in North Korea. The majority of the missions in North Korea were in Unsan and Kujang counties.

To commemorate my great-great uncle, and other North Carolina POW/MIA families, do attend the Statewide Remembrance Luncheon, Saturday September 9 at the Crown. Check out https://www.ncpowmia.com or call 910-286-6068 for tickets.

I'm Johnny Dawkins, and I am running for re-election to the city council seat for District 5. I am serving in my fourth term on the city council, and I have been a part of many success stories in our city. I was born at Highsmith Hospital (that fact probably dates me!), and I reside on Millan Drive, off of N. Virginia Avenue. I'm happy to show anyone my NC Driver's License, and I'll show you my checkbook with my Millan Drive address, if you want to see that! My platform goals are to continue to provide Leadership, Experience and Vision as the District 5 councilmember on the Fayetteville City Council.

It took my Leadership to make the council motion for PWC to forgive the millions of dollars of debt on the ASOM, so that the US Army would take over the ASOM, in perpetuity. I gathered the votes, and I got it passed. The ASOM represents our "ocean" in our city, it is a beautiful jewel for our citizens and our visitors. Whether it was working our Baseball Stadium through all of the hurdles to get it built, I was there, and I helped get it done. Whether it was our Homeless Day Center or the forthcoming Homeless Shelter, I provided leadership, and I'm getting those projects done.

Whether it is dealing with the NC Dept of Transportation, and getting roads widened or intersections made safer, or getting License Plate Reader cameras approved, I was there, and I am helping get all of that done. If it is supporting our Police and Fire First Responders, I am there, and there is no stronger supporter on council for Public Safety.

If it is using my 42 years of business Experience, owning and operating two successful businesses, started from scratch, I have done it. Experience matters, and I provide experience every day I serve. If it involves helping manage our Stormwater system, and fighting for improvements, I led the Council Stormwater Committee for five years as Chairman, and the fruits of that labor are now happening: Mirror Lake Dam restoration, and the Drainage Assistance Program for our citizens are just two examples. I continue to serve on the Council Stormwater Committee, and FEMA just awarded the city $14 Million for stormwater improvements, which will begin next year, in our city.

During my time on council, thousands of new jobs have been created for our citizens; Amazon "Last Mile" Facility, Amazon Distribution Facility, hundreds of new home construction projects approved, hundreds of new apartments approved near Ft. Bragg/Liberty, and existing business and industry expansion has occurred. It takes Vision, and I provide that vision for our citizens.

I also work hard to protect our neighborhoods, and when citizens call or email or text me with a problem, I get the right city staff involved to provide direct help.

Going forward, it is very important we support our neighbor, Ft. Bragg/Liberty in their mission to protect our nation. I have done that, and I promise to continue to do that. It is very important we protect the safety of our citizens, and I promise to always support our Police and Fire Departments. It is also important we continue to grow our economy to be able to provide good jobs for our citizens. I promise to use my business experience to help grow our economy. I ask for your vote for Johnny Dawkins for City Council District 5. Primary election date is October 10, and General election date is November 7. My campaign email is Dawkinsforcouncil@gmail.com. My city email is johnnydawkins@fayettevillenc.gov .

Thank you for your consideration.

—Johnny Dawkins,
Councilman, District 5
City of Fayetteville, NC

The heart-wrenching loss of a child to gun violence is an unimaginable tragedy that no parent should ever endure. As a mother who has suffered the devastating loss of a son to a senseless attempted robbery, I have chosen to channel my grief and anguish into action by running for Fayetteville City Council, District 2. I am now a member of a club that I wish no other parent would ever have to be a member of.

Our government's chief job is to keep us safe. They have failed me, my son, and many other mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters in our city.

My mission is clear: to be a voice to spearhead a combination of solutions that address the multifaceted issue of crime and gun violence that will make our community safe for all.

To combat crime and gun violence effectively, a multifaceted approach is essential to recognize that the issue is complex and deeply intertwined with socio-economic factors, mental health concerns, and public awareness. One critical component is investing in community outreach and support programs. By bolstering educational and mentorship initiatives, we can offer at-risk youth a way out of the cycle of violence. By creating diversion programs, we can teach young adults viable skills that will not only deter them from engaging in criminal activities but also foster a sense of belonging and self-worth.

Our entire Fayetteville City police force has taken de-escalation classes; if we implement a younger community watch, these classes given to each community watch meeting would not only enhance safety but emphasize conflict resolution over resorting to violence. Fostering trust between police and the city residents is integral for the officer to better understand the unique challenges each neighborhood faces.

I also want to prevent families from experiencing the loss and displacement of becoming homeless. While the county bears the primary responsibility for this matter, it is a shared effort that requires everyone's involvement. We are a community, and our shared responsibility is to work towards becoming better together. A pivotal aspect of my strategy to reduce homelessness involves investing in an affordable housing initiative. By continued collaboration with developers, non-profit organizations, and county agencies, we can increase the availability of affordable housing units, giving individuals and families a stable foundation to rebuild their lives.

One of the core tenets of effective governance is the ability to listen and respond to the voices of its citizens. I recognize Fayetteville's progress hinges on its residents' diverse perspectives and experiences. When elected to the Fayetteville City Council to represent District 2, I pledge to establish open lines of communication, ensuring everyone has a platform to express their opinions, share their ideas, and voice their concerns. I plan to do this by holding a town hall twice a month to empower citizens to actively connect with me to foster a more informed and engaged community.

My journey, which includes facing adversity and overcoming challenges, has instilled a deep sense of empathy in me. I understand the policies and decisions made at the city level have real-life implications for individuals and families. By taking time to listen to the stories and experiences of our citizens, I can make informed and compassionate choices that address their needs and reflect the realities, and have a more profound positive impact.

My aspiration to become a Fayetteville City Council member is driven by a genuine desire to create positive change and represent our citizen voices authentically. I am confident in my ability to work collaboratively with the community to forge a path toward progress. I look forward to serving the citizens of Fayetteville and, more specifically, the citizens in District 2.

—Laura Rodrigues-Mussler
Candidate for Fayetteville
City Council District 2

 If current surveys are taken as predictive, the Democratic Party will nominate President Joe Biden for reelection next year, the Republican Party will nominate former President Donald Trump, and whoever wins will begin his term in 2025 as one of the most disliked politicians in American history.

How can this be? As I’ve previously argued, our system of presidential primaries is broken. It needs a major overhaul. But even if we were able to shuffle the primary deck — allowing states other than Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina to go first, for starters — I’m not sure we’d get a different outcome.

Some partisans of The Big Guy™ or The Perfect Caller™ claim the public isn’t really so sour on the frontrunner they champion, that it’s all a mirage, and that the political polls suggesting otherwise must be biased or misinterpreted.

Their claims are without merit. In a just-released Civitas Poll, my John Locke Foundation colleagues clarified the matter by posing a straightforward question to 600 likely voters in North Carolina: who would they like to see take the oath of office for president in 2025? Respondents were presented with five alternatives: Biden, Trump, another (unnamed) Democrat, another (unnamed) Republican, or someone from another party (also unnamed).

The “winner,” in a sense, was Trump. A plurality of 29% said they wanted to see him returned to the White House. Only 18% favored reelecting Joe Biden. As for the rest, 18% wanted a different Republican, 20% a different Democrat, and 8% the standard-bearer of another party. The remaining respondents were unsure.

So, just 47% of likely voters say they want either Trump or Biden to be our next president. If these two men are the major-party nominees on next year’s ballot, most North Carolinians will be unhappy — a finding that makes me prouder than ever to be a native of the Tar Heel State.

Neither man possesses the honesty, temperament, and judgment to run the executive branch of the federal government. There is no need to hazard guesses about this matter. Both men have already demonstrated their inadequacies in the office.

Still, given that Trump currently retains enough support among likely primary voters to get the GOP nomination, and that Biden faces only token Democratic competition, the matchup most voters disdain appears to be the matchup they may well get.

For months now, the No Labels movement has been preparing for this eventuality. Led by a gaggle of former Republican and Democratic officeholders and activists — including those with North Carolina ties such as former Gov. Pat McCrory and former NAACP leader Ben Chavis — the organization states that if Trump and Biden are the major-party nominees, it is likely to place an alternative ticket on next year’s general-election ballot.

If so, North Carolina will be one of the states offering such an option. After some awkward foot-shuffling, the State Board of Elections voted earlier this month to approve No Labels as an official political party. Voters were already likely to see Libertarian and Green alternatives next to the Democratic and Republican nominees for president. Will they also be able to vote for, say, current U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia or former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman as the No Labels pick?

No one really knows — though many Democrats are certain that if No Labels exercises its “insurance policy” and supplies a presidential slate, that will guarantee a Donald Trump victory by pulling voters disproportionately from Joe Biden.

I’m not certain of this, though I have my own reservations about No Labels. I don’t fault the intentions of its leaders, some of whom I know and respect. But when I examine its stated principles and goals, I don’t see a coherent policy agenda for a potential administration.

The United States of America remains the greatest and most powerful country on the planet. It deserves a better president than Biden or Trump. Alas, how that can practically be accomplished remains unclear to me.

I don’t know about you, but this summer has been the hottest, most humid in my memory.

Meteorologists confirm that is correct. In fact, July was the hottest month since people have kept records of such things, bringing with it fires, floods, homes and businesses destroyed. And, yes, this summer’s weather has brought death to people the world over from infants to centenarians in ways few of us want to imagine. So far, 2023 is poised to be the 3rd hottest year ever, and there is still time for it to claim number 1 status. The word “apocalypse” is heard in media and in private conversation.

“Apocalypse” is also being used in terms of what is happening to public education in North Carolina. Frustrated and heartbroken educators have used it, as have parents watching their children’s educations being hijacked and systematically dismantled by right-wing legislators in Raleigh. Then, there are state taxpayers whose hard-earned dollars are being siphoned to private schools all over North Carolina, many of them with religious bents and little accountability for the public funding they are receiving.

Two cold, hard facts are worth remembering. Despite the advent of charter schools (loosely regulated public schools) and taxpayer-funded vouchers to private institutions, most North Carolina K-12 students are and will continue to be educated in traditional public schools. And, North Carolina is sitting atop a budget surplus in the neighborhood of $3B, with little indication that legislators will allocate a significant amount of that to public schools. In fact, they seem to be hoarding it for future use at the same time they are keeping public schools on a starvation diet.

I have to ask. What is more important to North Carolina’s future than the education of the majority of our young people? Why are the legislators in absolute control of our state targeting traditional public education?

Legislators, like other elected officials, are responding to and actively participating in, our nation’s virulent culture wars. They are pandering to extreme elements in our society—those who want all manner of services, educational and otherwise, but do not want to fund them, and to those who want to ban books and other materials that, at best, do not suit their world view, and, at worst offend their sensibilities. Some of this is done under the banner of “parental rights,” but whose parental rights? Certainly not those of parents who believe that learning, even learning unpleasant or frightening realities, is an important part of maturing and becoming competent adults. As a friend once told me when I was trying to shield my children from toys I found offensive, “Margaret, you cannot protect your children from their culture.”

Legislators are also pandering to the wealthy, both individuals and businesses, who dislike paying their fair share of taxes and would like the enormous surplus to protect them. One has to wonder why those same people and entities who have enjoyed a productive workforce for more than half a century are going to feel when our poverty-stricken schools turn out less-than-prepared workers. Legislators may be sacrificing not only the futures of millions of young people but the long-term health of North Carolina’s economy.

Apocalypse is not a word to be tossed around lightly, but it is impossible not to see how it applies to climate change and to North Carolina legislators’ retreat from public education.
The silver lining in both cases, if there is one, is that we can slow both disasters down and perhaps reverse them, if we muster the political will.

Stay tuned.

CEO/President Nat Robertson of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce hosted last week's annual State of the Community luncheon at the Crown Coliseum Complex. This was the first major event hosted by the Chamber since he took the leadership helm several months ago.

With several hundred local business owners and elected officials in attendance from the city, county, and State, this event sold out twice, making it one of the biggest and most significant Chamber-sponsored events in its 124-year history. The audience included Fayetteville city, Cumberland County, state officials, business leaders, and public school administrators.

MC'd by the quick-witted Chairman of the Chamber board, Gary Rogers introduced the lineup of distinguished speakers that brought the audience up to date on the status and health of the community: the local Real Estate industry presented by Melissa McKinney, president of Longleaf Pine Realtors' board of directors, City of Fayetteville by Mayor Mitch Colvin, Cumberland County by Commissioner Toni Stewart, Cumberland County Education by Dr. Marvin Connelly, on local healthcare Daniel Weatherly, CEO of Cape Fear Valley Health, updated everyone on the progress and expansion and future of health care in Cumberland County.

However, to the Chamber's credit, they saved the best for last. Guest speaker Josh Dobson, the North Carolina Department of Labor Commissioner, concluded the program by talking stern "truth to power". It was unexpected, refreshing, and the first time I had ever seen or heard an elected official use a public speaking platform to admit that government, public service, and politics are all trending in a wrong and dangerous direction. I have written about this several times over the years, comparing our current political climate, policies, and procedures with that reminiscent of Dell comic's Bizarro World, where everything is the opposite of its intended nature. i.e. Good is bad, Bad is good, etc.. Dodson sees nothing productive coming from partisan and divisive politics. He references the term "normal" to describe what the political processes were traditionally when he first engaged in politics and what they ought to be, then stated, "….what used to be normal is not normal anymore." After his first term as Labor Commissioner, he will be out of politics because of this divisiveness and growing political abnormality. But really, will he be out of politics altogether? Personally, I doubt it. He walks and talks like a man with courage, conviction, and intestinal fortitude. We'll see what the future holds. His message resonated and surprised many of the audience members, ending the program on an extremely high note.

Our Fayetteville Chamber is apolitical. However, first and foremost, they are an "Advocacy for Businesses". Dobson is correct; reversing political divisiveness, locally, state, and nationwide, is imperative to having and maintaining a prosperous economy and a healthy and happy "State of the Community."

Again, I congratulate Nat Robertson, the Chamber Staff, and their Ambassador volunteers for executing such a worthwhile and value-added event. We are proud to represent them in our community newspaper, for which we thank you for reading!

Well, let's all hope so. There is no doubt about it: In recent years, the cancel culture has gained prominence as a social phenomenon characterized by public shaming and ostracization of individuals (like me) or entities (like U&CW the media) deemed to have engaged in offensive or objectionable behavior. However, there are signs that this trend may be experiencing a decline in Fayetteville and on a nationwide scale. This is a good thing!

One contributing factor to the decline of cancel culture is the growing awareness of its negative consequences. While the misguided intention behind cancel culture may have initially been to hold individuals, businesses, or organizations accountable for their actions, it has more often been weaponized and criticized for its lack of fair due process and its potential to stifle free speech, healthy discourse, and the protections afforded us by the First Amendment of the Constitution.

In my ongoing dealings with residents, business owners, and local elected officials, I am beginning to see a more logical and balanced approach to addressing stressful situations and problematic behavior. Procedures that involve more constructive dialogue rather than immediate condemnation that often escalates into damaging name-calling and intimidation. We can only hope this trend continues. We need more societal empathy, compassion, and understanding when dealing with and addressing sensitive and controversial issues. We must move away from knee-jerk reactions and more towards meaningful conversations promoting goodwill toward humanity.

While cancel culture and the "blame game" may still exist in some segments of our community, the trend is declining mainly because residents are beginning to realize an increased awareness of its harmful potential and devastating consequences. This is why many Fayetteville citizens hope for big changes come the November municipal elections. As our local leaders, residents, and communities continue to engage in meaningful discussions and advocate for more balanced approaches to addressing issues in our community, I hope that the cancel culture encompassing Fayetteville and Cumberland County will wane even further, paving the way for a more constructive and inclusive form of communication within the community. All in the name of diminishing social discourse and enhancing our community and quality of life. We can only hope.

Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

The Fayetteville Technical Community College Board of Trustees elected new officers on Monday, Aug. 21, and welcomed a new trustee.

William L. Hedgepeth II was elected board chair. The retired banker, who joined the board in 2017, had previously been its vice chair. Ronald C. Crosby Jr., an attorney who has been on the board since 2009, was elected vice chair and Caroline C. Gregory, a new appointee to the board, was elected secretary.

Gregory, an attorney, was appointed to the board by Gov. Roy Cooper to replace businessman William S. “Billy” Wellons, whose term was expiring. Gregory was officially sworn in as a board member earlier this summer but a ceremonial swearing-in was held at the beginning of Monday’s board meeting with Cumberland County District Court Judge Caitlin Evans administering the oath.
Gregory is a native of Fayetteville and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and Campbell Law School.

Wellons, who attended part of Monday’s meeting, said he has been stepping away from serving on boards in recent years. He said the FTCC board, where he served for 20 years, including two years as board chair, was his last.

“It has been a real pleasure to be on this board,” Wellons said. As a businessman, he said, he liked bringing a business perspective to board issues and he gained deep appreciation for FTCC’s mission of educating students of all ages and at all stages in life.

“This is a great place,” he said. “It’s all about the students.”

Wellons said he is proud of his service on the board and leaves feeling FTCC is in good hands and on a good path. “We’ve done a lot at this school to progress… and we have planned well for the future,” he said.
FTCC President Dr. Mark Sorrells presented Wellons with a thank you gift for his service and also presented gifts to outgoing board chair David Williford and to two previous board chairs, Crosby and Charles E. Koonce. Like Crosby, Williford and Koonce remain on the board.

For more information and photos, please visit https://www.faytechcc.edu/news/ftcc-board-of-trustees-elects-new-officers-and-welcomes-new-board-member/

Spooky things can come in pretty packages. The first part of this column is dry with medical research, but bear with it, as it will get weird shortly. Remember our old friend Alex in the movie “A Clockwork Orange”?

He will show up shortly to entertain you. A recent report in Neuroscience News about fun times with brain waves seems on its face to be nothing but good news. The University of California at Berkeley has achieved mind reading by recording brain waves. They did experiments where they implanted electrodes in the brains of patients who were having seizures. The implants were to control seizures with a side order of studying the auditory parts of the brain.

Once the patients’ brains were drilled with electrodes, the Neuros played Pink Floyd’s song “Another Brick in the Wall” for the patients’ listening pleasure. They recorded what parts of the patients’ brains lit up while hearing the song. The Docs wanted to see if they could recreate what the patients were hearing while listening to “Another Brick”. Voila! Eureka! And “Hey, watch this!” It worked! The Docs replayed the brain recordings and not only could they hear a mushy version of the song but also the words of the song: To wit: “All in all, it was just a brick in the wall”.

Why is this brain/machine interface a good thing, you might ask? Good question. If the electrodes can make out words in a patient’s brain, then patients who had a stroke, ALS, or were paralyzed who could not speak might be able to communicate through brain waves turned into actual normal sounding speech by the use of electrodes hooked up to their brains. The part of the brain that recognizes the “musical elements of speech” uses a talent called “Prosody” which produces “rhythm, stress, accent, and intonation” in speech. The current speech translator used by patients like Stephen Hawkings sounds like a robot speaking.

With the new Acme brain/machine interface, speech would sound much more normal. For example, texting has no verbal clues, while the voice on a telephone call might indicate someone was joking instead of insulting using the same words. “You stink” in a text could come across as hostile. While “You stink” in a phone call could come across as gentle kidding. Inflection counts.

Under the current abilities of science, the brain must be impaled with electrodes to think speech into words. However, Neuros are optimistic that given time, they will be able to just attach electrodes to a patient’s head without drilling into their brain to produce speech. Instead of being in a surgical theater, the patient could just put on Tom Terrific’s Acme Brain/Machine Thinking Cap to speak normally. Pro Tip: If you can remember who Tom Terrific was, please do not drive at night.

The potential for doing great good for nonverbal patients is quite bright. However, this column does not dwell only on the sunny side. Following Lou Reed’s advice: Take a walk on the wild side to see what could go wrong. Not every government function is benign. Imagine what law enforcement could do by putting an Acme Thinking Cap on a suspect to read his thoughts. The old Fifth Amendment goes into the dust bin of history. How efficient it would be to be able to read a suspected criminal’s thoughts and memories. But what if Big Brother wanted to see if you thought that his rounding up of political opponents was a bad thing.

The new improved Acme Thinking Cap would reveal if you were a thought crime threat to Big Brother. Big Brother might spank. You must learn to love Big Brother to be pure in your thoughts and deeds.

As promised, here comes our buddy Little Alex from “Clockwork Orange”. After getting caught subsequent to some Ultra Violence, Alex is subjected to mind control techniques where the government messes with his head to cure him from bad behavior. Alex is given a nausea inducing drug and forced to watch scenes of violence in a form of aversion therapy. As Suboxone takes the thrill out of heroin, Alex’s exposure to violence while under the nausea drug appears to cure him. Alex only pretends to be cured. But with Big Brother’s mind reading Acme Thinking Cap, Alex can’t fake his way to freedom. Chiffon Margarine used to say

“It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.” With the Thinking Cap it will be impossible to fool Big Brother.

Once again, one should be careful what you wish for. The brain/machine interface is not going back into the toothpaste tube. All in all, we’re just another brick in the wall.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classes are now integral components of students' education. Increasingly students are drawn to STEM education, including pursuing STEM pathways in high school, because of the doors such an education can open in the future. According to the United States Department of Labor, there were nearly 10 million workers in STEM occupations in 2021, and this total is projected to grow by almost 11 percent by 2031 roughly two times faster than the total for all occupations.

STEM subjects may not come so easily for some students, who at times may feel disengaged from the coursework. That doesn't mean students should give up. Even if STEM classes do not come easily, one still could have what it takes to be involved in science or engineering, and eventually land STEM jobs. Here are ways to mold great STEM students.

Recognize that STEM is more exacting

Unlike other classes in liberal arts education that are highly subjective, STEM involves answers that are exact. There is no wiggle room for subjectivity, so students must get in the habit of checking their work and ensuring their answers are correct. Students may need some assistance from tutors or parents to recognize common mistakes and learn how to proof their work. This fosters a greater attention to detail.

Show the work

Teachers often require students to show the computation involved in reaching a mathematical conclusion, or the reasoning behind how an answer is derived. While the answer may be correct, points may be deducted for not showing the work. Students should make it a habit to be transparent with their calculations so educators can point out where they were right and where they went wrong.

Recognize your own scientific tendencies

Those who are science-minded tend to make good observations, base claims on evidence, express curiosity, and make connections between complex ideas. Some students may not think they are intellectual enough to be involved with STEM, but after recognizing these traits in themselves, they may find they have more in common with great scientists than they first imagined.

Maintain good notes

Get the most out of courses by taking excellent notes, as the best instruction often comes from lectures and class time. Review notes regularly and practice work frequently.

Have a study buddy

Studying with someone else can be helpful with STEM coursework A study buddy can be a fellow classmate, a parent, a friend, or anyone else to bounce ideas off of. Others view problems differently and may see something a student is missing, or be able to explain it more readily.

See failure as a motivating force

Only by failing can STEM students dissect missteps and improve work to get to more concrete conclusions. While it initially may not seem enjoyable to fail, it does present opportunity to do things differently the next time. Failure usually lights a fire to get students to work harder and fulfill their potential.

STEM classes can be quite challenging and not every student takes to them immediately. But with a little work and support, students can improve their performance in STEM subjects.

September is an important month for Prisoner of War (POW), Missing in Action (MIA) families as National POW/MIA Recognition Day takes place on the third Friday in September. On September 9, the POW/MIA luncheon committee will come together to shed light on a solemn issue that has touched the lives of countless families and individuals throughout our nation's history - the plight of our Prisoners of War (POW) and Missing in Action (MIA) heroes. It's time to pay tribute, remember their sacrifices, and extend our unwavering support to their families who continue to wait for their return.

This event will be the first of its kind statewide in North Carolina and will include a memorial service to honor our special guests, as well as distinctive recognition for those who remain Missing in Action. A catered lunch is provided to all attending, including veterans and their families. Each POW and/or their family and each MIA family will receive a thoughtful gift as a way to acknowledge their sacrifice and know they are not forgotten.

Join us for an extraordinary event that will stand tall, solely dedicated to honoring our POWs and MIAs like never before. This is a rare opportunity to focus solely on their stories, their bravery, and the resilience of their loved ones. What can you expect at this luncheon?

1. Unforgettable Remembrance: Immerse yourself in a powerful atmosphere of remembrance as we share stories of heroism and sacrifice. Let us unite in preserving the memory of those who stood tall in the face of adversity.

2. Stand Together: This event provides an exclusive platform for us to collectively recognize the tremendous sacrifices made by our brave servicemen and women. Together, we can amplify their voices and ensure they are never forgotten.

3. Empowerment & Support: By attending this event, you are directly contributing to supporting POW/MIA families through various initiatives and organizations. Let's show them that we stand by them every step of the way.

Mark Your Calendar for Saturday, September 9,  at 12 p.m. The location for the luncheon will be The Crown Expo, 1960 Coliseum Drive, Fayetteville. The attire will be more semi-formal or business dress, while others will wear military uniforms, or their “Sunday Best."  Above all, we want you to be comfortable.

Be part of this historic occasion as we rally around our POWs and MIAs. Remember, while they may be included in other events from time to time, it is rare to witness an event dedicated solely to honoring these heroes. Please don't miss out on this opportunity!

Together, we make a difference - one heartfelt tribute at a time!

Tickets for general admission are $25.00 and can be purchased through Eventbrite. Free $25 tickets have been set aside for active-duty soldiers. Anyone interested can email POWMIAEventTickets@gmail.com.
Sponsorships are still available: the levels include Red $100, White $250, Blue $500, Home of the Free $1,000 and Because of the Brave $2,500+ Visit https://ncpowmia.com/become-a-sponsor/ for sponsorship benefits. For additional sponsorship questions you can reach Durwood Lassiter at dl@josephcwoodard.com.

This event is organized by The Purple Heart Foundation of North Carolina, a 501-C-3 charitable organization composed of volunteers from throughout the state along with a local committee vice-chaired by Army veteran Andrea Tebbe and Sgt Major Ruby Murray. The program will include the posting of colors by the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry, the POW Walk of Honor under crossed sabres, patriotic music, and the presentation of gifts.

For more info, visit https://www.ncpowmia.com or call 910-286-6068.

You’ll find some big differences between traditional and speculative investments — and knowing these differences can matter a great deal when you’re trying to reach your financial goals.

To begin with, let’s look at the basic types of traditional and speculative investments. Traditional investments are those with which you’re probably already familiar: stocks, bonds, mutual funds, government securities, certificates of deposit (CDs) and so on. Speculative investments include cryptocurrencies, foreign currencies and precious metals such as gold, silver and copper.

Now, consider these three components of investing and how they differ between traditional and speculative investments:

The first issue to consider is risk. When you own stocks or stock-based mutual funds, the value of your investments will fluctuate. And bond prices will also move up and down, largely in response to changing interest rates. However, owning an array of stocks — small-company, large-company, international, etc. — can help reduce the impact of volatility on your stock portfolio. And owning a mix of short- and long-term bonds can help you defend yourself somewhat against interest-rate movements. When interest rates fall, you’ll still have your longer-term bonds, which generally — but not always – pay higher rates than short-term ones. And when interest rates rise, you can redeem your maturing short-term bonds at potentially higher rates.

With speculative investments, though, price movements can be extreme as well as rapid. During their short history, cryptocurrencies in particular have shown astonishingly fast moves up and down, resulting in huge gains followed by equally huge, or bigger, losses. The risk factor for crypto is exacerbated by its being largely unregulated, unlike with stocks and bonds, whose transactions are overseen by well-established regulatory agencies. There just isn’t much that investors can do to modulate the risk presented by crypto and some other speculative investments.

A second key difference between traditional and speculative investments is the time horizon involved. When you invest in stocks and other traditional investments, you ideally should be in it for the long term — it’s not a “get rich quick” strategy. But those who purchase speculative investments want, and expect, quick and sizable returns, despite the considerable risk involved.

A third difference between the two types of investments is the activity required by investors. When you’re a long-term investor in traditional investments, you may not have to do all that much, once you’ve built a portfolio that’s appropriate for your risk tolerance, goals and time horizon. After that point, it’s mostly just a matter of monitoring your portfolio and making occasional moves — you’re not constantly buying and selling, or at least you shouldn’t be. But when you speculate in crypto or other instruments, you are constantly watching prices move — and then making your own moves in response. It’s an activity that requires considerable attention and effort.

One final thought: Not all speculative instruments are necessarily bad investments. Precious metals, for instance, are found in some traditional mutual funds, sometimes in the form of shares of mining companies. And even crypto may become more of a stable vehicle once additional regulation comes into play. But if you’re investing for long-term goals, such as a comfortable retirement — rather than speculating for thrills and quick gains, which may disappear just as quickly — you may want to give careful thought to the types of investments you pursue.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

RALEIGH — If the federal government had to operate under the same fiscal rule North Carolina has to follow — and it should — then its operating revenues would have to equal its operating expenses.
Notice that I didn’t say Washington couldn’t issue any debt under this scenario. Balanced-budget requirements don’t work that way. State and local governments routinely borrow money. Unlike their federal counterparts, however, states and localities can’t generally run deficits in their operating budgets. They’re only allowed to borrow money to finance capital investment.

Here’s a simple way to illustrate the distinction. North Carolina governments can and do borrow money to build schools, roads and water systems. But they can’t use debt to pay schoolteachers, state troopers, or maintenance technicians. The latter expenses show up in the operating budget, appropriately paid for with taxes and other operating revenues.

Because I write often about the fiscal recklessness of Washington politicians and the need for a balanced-budget amendment to the federal constitution, I get lots of complaints from readers who say it’s impractical to eliminate federal debt instruments entirely — and foolish even to try. I agree! That’s not what a reasonable balanced-budget amendment would do.

If federal budgeting worked like state budgeting, Congress could in fact authorize debt-funded expenditures on federal office buildings and military bases, infrastructure and capital improvements on federal lands, and the purchase of durable federal assets such as aircraft carriers.

It would be wise to do so, at least some of the time. Everything else being equal, interest costs make borrowing more expensive than paying cash. But everything else isn’t always equal! If construction costs are increasing rapidly, for example, it can make sense to borrow and purchase needed assets immediately rather than waiting to save up enough money. More importantly, because the benefits of long-lasting assets accrue to future as well as current taxpayers, it can make sense to require those future taxpayers to help shoulder the cost through the use of long-term debt.

What might such a fiscal strategy look like in practice? We have no need to guess. In its latest budget plan, the Biden administration devoted an entire section to federal investment. Its proposed 2023-24 budget contained $436 billion in expenditures on physical capital, including both direct federal spending as well as grants to states and localities for roads and other infrastructure.

In the same budget, the Biden administration proposed $6.88 trillion in outlays and $5.04 trillion in receipts. That deficit of $1.84 trillion represents roughly 27% of total expenditures, or nearly 7% of the nation’s gross domestic product.

Now, imagine the federal government were run like North Carolina. If it maximized its debt capacity and borrowed $436 billion — because it could only use debt to finance public assets — the deficit would represent about 6% of the budget and less than 2% of GDP. Big difference!

A fiscally responsible Congress and White House wouldn’t max out its debt capacity, though, just as North Carolina uses a mixture of bonds and cash to fund annual investment rather than relying on debt alone.

And given the hole politicians of both parties have dug for us, they really ought to run some surpluses to help repair Washington’s balance sheet. Still, if deficits stayed below 2% of GDP and the economy kept growing, that would help immensely.

Yes, I know this isn’t the whole story. To bring borrowing down below 2% of GDP would require real budget savings — eliminating some programs and means-testing others.

Also, some might argue that federal expenditures for such purposes as education and training are themselves a form of capital investment. True, but there’s a crucial difference. Government roads, buildings, and other infrastructure are public assets. Human capital — the knowledge, skills, and relationships that education helps to cultivate — isn’t a public asset. It’s private. The government doesn’t own us. We own ourselves.

Making the federal budget more like a state budget is no panacea. But it makes perfect sense. Does that make it politically unthinkable?

I was very grateful to read the article written by Lois Kirby two weeks ago discussing the District 5 Special Use Permit. In an age of dwindling readership and lack of non-biased news resources, thank you for your service to our city. Our citizens must know what is happening in our city; Otherwise our government at all levels will run unmonitored and unaccountable.

As stated previously, it absolutely was an insult to our neighbors when City Council refused to follow protocol by voting twice on the issue and then tableing the matter when they did not get the vote they wanted.

What is even worse, after the two votes on May 22, we were instructed by the Mayor Mitch Colvin to get together with Mrs. Creecy, owner of Shinelight LLC, and come to an agreeance on how she could build her property that would be in harmony with the neighborhood. He also suggested Johnny Dawkins, as our District 5 Councilman, get involved to help us come to a compromise. There is more to the story and it needs to be told as well…

Two weeks after the May 26 City Council meeting, the neighbors and Mrs. Creecy met together at Lois Kirby’s home. We were invited for coffee, tea, and to have a civilized discussion on how we could come together as a neighborhood. I was excited to meet my new neighbor Mrs. Creecy, welcome her, make sure she knows we have no ill-will towards her, that she can operate her business however she sees fit, that many of the neighbors currently have autistic family members and love her services. We simply want the building she plans on building not to be a duplex because it doesn’t coincide with the current city planning and the current Haymount District which is a large majority single family homes.

It is obvious to anyone who meets her that Mrs. Creecy is a wonderful woman doing a great service to disadvantaged individuals. The night at the Kirby’s was fantastic. After much discussion, we all came to an agreement that would benefit the neighborhood. The agreement that Mrs. Creecy signed spoke of privacy hedges, a fence/wall, and most importantly two condominiums or townhomes instead of the duplex. The townhomes that were agreed upon maintain the harmony of the neighborhood and encourages property ownership in the area. After our meeting, our agreement was submitted to the city, and the Kirby’s informed Johnny Dawkins of the results by phone some time later.

I was so excited to see the matter reappear in front of City Council at the next session on June 26. Thinking they would commend us for working together (since this is what we all teach our children to do in situations like this), maybe they would be proud of the work they gave us to do…but we were hoodwinked! They straight up bamboozled us like a used car salesman selling a lemon. They refused to look at the new submitted agreement, turned a blind eye on commendable community unity, and voted a third time in order to get their passing vote they so diligently sought.

When the second meeting started and began to unfold, I realized I was about to witness a betrayal. Johnny Dawkins, our own District 5 representative, started out by saying he had a talk behind closed doors with the City Attorney and he now wanted to ask for recusal from the vote on approving the city permit. This was strange? He was told by the mayor the month before, to intercede between everyone in his community, he was supposed to be the figurehead, the man who gets credit for getting everyone together for a win-win. But he was not, we were betrayed. Every Councilman who even spoke to the public about the issue was advised by the City Attorney behind closed doors to ask for recusal, but… only our Councilman actually bowed out. The only councilman, our supposed advocate, played us like a fiddle.

I have been watching our government from afar for the last few years, especially the Cain Rd. incident, and this was the straw that broke the camels back. I cannot sit by idly any longer, I am now running for City Council District 5 and I want my neighbors and community to know Fayetteville is not for Sale!

—Justin Herbe,
Fayetteville resident District 5

Editor's note: The referenced article by Lois Kirby ran in the Aug. 24 issue. It can be found at https://www.upandcomingweekly.com/views/9947-district-5-special-use-permit-is-an-insult-to-all-fayetteville-residents