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       Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Rated R) - 3 stars

        {mosimage}If you are willing to approach The Clone Wars (98 minutes) as a movie primarily for kids, you will have a lot more fun with it. Politely ignore all the plot holes, visual mistakes and narrative inconsistencies because the entire movie is a set-up for the television series debuting in October. This film, the first animated theatrical release in the Star Wars series, is set between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, so Anakin isn’t Darth Vader yet, the Jedi are still friendly with the Boba-clones and Count Dooku is still leading the Droid army against the Republic. While George Lucas did produce the movie, he neither wrote nor directed. Directing credit goes to Dave Filoni, who along with first credited screenwriter Henry Gilroy will work on the series.
        In a move clearly designed to be kid-friendly, the usual opening text crawl is replaced by a voiceover explaining the events so far. The Separatists (led by the evil Count Dooku, voiced by Christopher Lee) have cut communication and blocked travel, stranding Republican forces in the Outer Rim. Rotta, the son of Jabba the Hut (Kevin Michael Richardson) has been kidnapped by the Separatists in a slightly confusing plot to manipulate the Hutts (powerful gangsters) into rejecting the Republic and working with Count Dooku. 
        Meanwhile, Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor) and Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) battle a droid army and wait for reinforcements, which arrive in the form of young Padawan, Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein). Master Yoda (Tom Kane) has decided that Anakin needs a disciple, but she is so determined to prove herself that she sometimes acts before she thinks. Though at first Anakin is reluctant to take on the responsibility, eventually he decides to accept the inevitable and is sent with his new Padawan to rescue Jabba’s son from Count Dooku and his assassin, Asajj Ventress (Nika Futterman).
        In the “B” plot, Senator Padme Amidala (Catherine Taber) is determined to assist the Jedi in their negotiations with the Hutts. Though she is captured soon after she discovers the details of a plot against Jabba, she manages to signal C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) for assistance.
        The animation is heavily influenced by video game graphics, which work on the sweeping space shots. Unfortunately, the facial features and close-up details shots suffer from lack of attention, and seem rushed. George Lucas is not renowned for his stellar dialogue, but he is worlds above Henry Gilroy whose screenwriting in this instance is utterly clichéd and stale. The light sabers look fantastic, which is good because there are about hundred extended battles between Jedi and droids. The pacing seems off, with the film lasting about 20 minutes more than it needed to. Of course, in a film designed to introduce audiences to a new television series, a film that reads like a really long TV episode should not be a surprise. 

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       The Mentalist Badgers a Bad Man

        In The Mentalist (Tuesday, 9 p.m., CBS), Simon Baker stars as Patrick, a psychic who helps the police solve crimes. Patrick isn’t a real psychic, but a showbiz type who’s good at faking it. The key to his act — and his crime-solving ability — is his keen sense of observation. He picks up on cues to figure out when someone is lying. Then he makes a smug accusation and sends the perp into a paroxysm of defensive lying. “I didn’t kill my daughter!” a man screams at Patrick during one such confrontation. “NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!”
        {mosimage}I love The Mentalist. It’s the best new series of the fall season. NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!

    TOP DESIGN
    Sunday, 8 p.m. (ABC)
        This new sitcom may as well have been called Horny Hotel. It’s set at an inn where the employees have only one thing on their minds, and it’s not complimentary shampoo. That’s not necessarily a bad premise, but Do Not Disturb does nothing with it. The writers seem to think that using crude sexual slang is enough to get a laugh.
        If the series is a hit, we’ll know they’re right. And then all of us can be the life of any party simply by repeating the words “laid” and “nailed.”

    GOD VS. SATAN
    Sunday, 8 p.m. (History Channel)
        The History Channel previews Armageddon: the battle between good and evil as described by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. One can only assume that World Wrestling Entertainment is working to secure the television rights to this ultimate smackdown.

    VALENTINE
    Sunday, 8 p.m. (CW)
        The Valentines are a family of Greek gods living in contemporary Los Angeles. Poseidon is a movie mogul and Dionysus a barkeep, with Aphrodite and Eros helping foolish mortals fall in love.
    Speaking of foolish mortals, how low will the CW stoop for a series concept? Later in the season, Valentine won’t be canceled so much as turned into a laurel tree.

    DANCING WITH THE STARS
    Monday, 8 p.m. (ABC)
        Dancing with the B-List Stars returns with 82-year-old actress Cloris Leachman, boy-band has-been Lance Bass and reality-show exhibitionist Kim Kardashian. Olympic beach volleyball champ Misty May-Treanor participates as well, but she infuriates her partner by slapping his palm after every dip and twirl.

    OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
    Tuesday, 8 p.m. (ABC)
        Warning: A game show has broken out of a Burbank studio to roam the countryside, looking for unsuspecting victims. Opportunity Knocks brings its production right to American neighborhoods and sets up shop on a family’s lawn. The host knocks on the door, informs the residents that they are contestants, and drags them outside to play a family-trivia game with all their neighbors watching.
        Now that TV shows are attacking us in our very homes, no one is safe. Note to self: Buy a deadbolt lock.

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       CD Review: The Kings of Leon / Only By The Night

        Don’t bring Don McLean’s “American Pie” with its ode to Buddy Holly ‘round here.
        Every son and daughter of the South knows that Oct. 20, 1977, was the true day the music died. That’s when the plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed and burned on the hard, red clay of a Mississippi glade, effectively ending the greatest Southern boogie band of its generation. (My apologies to the current, reformed version of Skynyrd, but it’s really nothing more than a ghost of the group, a tribute band performing “Free Bird” five nights a week to middle-aged guys in faded Confederate flag T-shirts and graying ladies in too-tight tube tops.){mosimage}
        Yes, the kings of the South are dead and gone. Long live the new kings... the Kings of Leon.
    On its fourth studio album, Only by the Night, the quartet from Tennessee shows why they’re the heir apparent to the Southern rock crown.
        The Kings — made up of the three Followill brothers: Caleb (guitar), Nathan (drums), and Jared (bass), as well as first cousin Matthew Followill (guitar) — pound out their rhythms with an abandon and a Southern-fried swagger that conjures a Dixiefied version of the Sex Pistols... except these guys can actually play their instruments.
        The Kings had a lot to live up to coming off the beautifully ragged 2007 release Because of the Times, which marked these sons of a Pentecostal preacher as the true evangelists of Southern rock ‘n’ roll. And while Only by the Nightdoesn’t quite match the raw beauty of Because of the Times, it still paints an aural portrait of all the Kings’ usual props: lust and love and sin, soaked with a tumbler of Southern Comfort and a smidgen of axle grease from  a jacked-up ‘69 Camaro.
        Fans of the Kings may be put off by the album’s opening track, “Closer,” which sounds a little like U2 on the skids (the band did tour with U2 in 2005, hence the Celtic rockers’ influence), but the music quickly gets back to its Reconstruction roots on “Crawl,” with its fuzzed-out guitar and “hell yeah” lyrics that I interpreted as a sly swipe at Islamic terrorists and other bad actors who have burned the flag and killed our countrymen — fanatics who “never went to Sunday mass,” who vilify the “crucified USA.” Your interpretation may vary, perhaps wildly.
        The train keeps a rollin’ on the album’s obvious first single, “Sex on Fire,” which smolders slowly, like that first great summer kiss in the parking lot of the Winn-Dixie — young lust that explodes with the inevitable “Hot as a fever / Rattling bones / I could just taste it, taste it.”
        Things get plaintive on “Be Somebody,” a song about loneliness — a shy guy or girl aching to win the homecoming king or queen’s favor for at least one moment: “Given a chance, I’m gonna be somebody / If for one dance, I’m gonna be somebody / Open the door, it’s gonna make you love me / Facing the floor, I’m gonna be somebody.”
        If you’ve never listened to the Kings of Leon and want a condensed, Cliff’s Notes version of what the band is all about, check out the album’s fifth track, “Manhattan,” which rings with the Kings’ trademark greasily glorious guitar work and the Southern singsong drawl of vocalist Caleb Followill, who has perhaps the most unique set of pipes since Rod Stewart. It’s a song about a hedonistic hillbilly gone to the big city, a fish out of water, but still living it up in the big pond — a transplanted King of New York in full rebel yell, proclaiming “These avenues and these reservoirs / We gonna show this town / How to kiss these stars.”
        The whole album percolates with a brew of the obvious old school influences — Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers, the Faces — as well as some fresh takes on the genre that make the Kings of Leon a sort of Southern version of the Strokes — only more sensual, more  introspective, just... more.
        If you are the type who needs to know what theme runs through an album, I’d say that when you get down to the bones, Only by the Night is about seizing the moment, grabbing lust and love by the throat and holding tight like a drunk grasping his last glass of scotch... because you never know if you’ll ever have a grip on it again.
        Long live the Kings.

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    Dear EarthTalk: What’s the story with animal cloning? Is the meat industry really cloning animals now to “beef up” production?                                  — Frank DeFazio, Sudbury, Mass.

        Cloning has been controversial ever since Scottish scientists announced in 1996 that they had cloned their first mammal, a sheep they named Dolly. While Dolly lived a painful, arthritic life and died prematurely, possibly due to the imperfections of cloning, industry nonetheless began seeking out ways to capitalize on the new technology. Meanwhile, critics bemoan cloning as immoral and a potential health and safety risk, given the as-yet-unknown consequences of eating foods generated in this way.{mosimage}
        In January 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the sale of cloned animals and their offspring for food, despite fierce opposition from animal welfare and consumer advocacy groups, environmental organizations, some members of Congress and many consumers.
        “Our evaluation is that the food from cloned animals is as safe as the food we eat every day,” said Stephen Sundlof, the FDA’s chief of veterinary medicine. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has asked that producers withhold cloned animals, but not their offspring, from the food supply while farmers, processors, grocery stores and restaurants decide how they will respond to the FDA’s landmark decision.
        Unsurprisingly, industry groups also argue that beef and milk from cloned animals are safe to consume. They cite a 2005 University of Connecticut study, which concluded that beef and milk from cloned cows did not pose any health or safety threats to people consuming it. But critics say that the oft-cited single study was far too limited to yield any meaningful conclusions: Milk and beef was taken from just six cloned animals, and the study did not take into account whether clones were more susceptible to infection or other microbial problems, as many scientists suspect. Other researchers have noted severe deformities in many cloned animals, as well as a higher incidence of reproductive, immune and other health problems.
        The Washington, D.C.-based Center for Food Safety, in a petition it filed in late 2006, declared: “The available science shows that cloning presents serious food safety risks, animal welfare concerns and unresolved ethical issues that require strict oversight.” The group announced on September 2, 2008 that 20 leading U.S. food producers—including Kraft Foods, General Mills, Gerber/Nestle, Campbell’s Soup and Ben and Jerry’s—will not use cloned animals in their products. “The move by these companies represents a growing industry trend of responding to consumer demand for better food safety, environmental and animal welfare standards,” the group said in making the announcement.
        Given the FDA’s green light, consumers’ only hope of avoiding cloned animal products may be to appeal to businesses directly not to peddle such items. The Pennsylvania-based American Anti-Vivisection Society, which opposes all forms of animal research and testing, has mounted a campaign to urge McDonald’s to forego cloned animals in its 30,000 restaurants worldwide.

        CONTACTS: U.S. Food & Drug Administration, www.fda.gov; Center for Food Safety, www.centerforfoodsafety.org; American Anti-Vivisection Society, www.aavs.org.

        GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/

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        Last week at the dedication of a new school building, Davidson Mayor John Woods was doing one of those things that small town mayors everywhere are expected to do: He was making a short speech to congratulate the officials of Woodlawn School on their success.
        There is more to the connection between Mayor Woods and the school — a poignant story that I will tell you at the end of this column.
        Woods’ father was a much-loved family doctor in Davidson. Although he has worked hard to earn his own spurs, he would tell you that his family connections have been a big plus.
        R. D. McMillan represented the University of North Carolina before the state legislature for many years after a successful career in elective politics.
        {mosimage}McMillan was also the son of a beloved small town doctor. Like Woods, he acknowledged that his father’s reputation was a big help when he ran for mayor of Red Springs and won.   
        After celebrating his victory on election night he went back home, tired, happy and ready for a good night’s sleep and a few days to rest up after the campaign.
        His good night’s sleep was interrupted about 2 a.m. by a phone call.
        “There is a dead cow in the road in front of my house,” the caller said.
        “I am so sorry,” the ever polite and gracious McMillan replied. “But why did you call me about it at this hour?”
        “Well,” said the caller, “you’re the mayor, ain’t you? You said you’d take care of us. So when are you going to get the cow out of the road?”
        McMillan had not even been sworn in, but some people already expected him to take care of everything immediately.
        Small town mayors work on people problems from beginning to end of their times of service — solving problems, adjusting differences of opinion and working out ways to improve town life within the confines of a limited budget. Often, they are amazing political creatures.
        The past few days, American voters have begun to ask, does being a small town mayor prepare someone to be a president of our country?
        Probably not, I would say. But, neither does being a U.S. Senator, an effective community organizer, a brave member of the armed forces or the governor of a state. All these are good experiences, but they are not, by themselves, sufficient to prepare a person to be our president.
        On the other hand, I bet there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of small town mayors who would make good presidents. They would make good presidents for the same reasons they are good mayors: hard working, sensitive to the conflicting aspirations of their constituents, and patient and persistent in working to meet their goals; they have good judgment, a sense of humor, a keen and practical intellect, good character and a feet-on-the-ground stability.
        There are governors, senators, representatives, governors, former members of the armed services and many other able bodied Americans who have these qualities, too. Most of them would make pretty good presidents. 
        Of course, experience on the firing line in government or other places where these qualities are tested can provide some good training for a potential president. More important, how the candidates handled these challenges can give voters an idea about which of these important qualities the potential presidents have.
    So during the next few weeks before the election, we should be looking not so much at the candidates’ resumes as what those experiences show about their presidential qualities, or the lack of them.
        Back to Davidson Mayor John Woods. The building being dedicated at Woodlawn School is named for Woods’ brother (and my childhood friend) Jimmy. Officially, Jimmy was Major James B. Woods. His career as an army officer was tragically cut short when he was killed in Vietnam.
        Mayor Woods, by the way, would make a great president someday, as would Maj. Woods, had he lived. 

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        For the most part, the just-completed Democratic and Republican national conventions presented profound policy differences to American voters, on issues ranging from taxes and Iraq to education and abortion. I found it interesting, however, that several prominent speakers in both Denver and St. Paul harkened back to the welfare reform of the 1990s as a symbol of successful government reform.
        {mosimage}The story fits the bill in several ways. Welfare reform got its start in the states, not in Washington, with innovative governors such as Wisconsin’s Tommy Thompson. In the early 1990s, they experimented with time limits, employment requirements and other policies designed to transform a culture of dependency into a culture of (subsidized) work. The results didn’t take long to spot — dramatic declines in welfare caseloads, in part because the new rules made benefits less attractive to some potential applicants and in part because the work rules acted as a bridge to the job market for some recipients who had previously lacked significant work experience.
        Washington noticed. After the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994, GOP lawmakers immediately sought to enact federal laws endorsing and expanding the welfare reforms underway in some states. President Clinton opposed the original bill, but later signed a reform bill in 1996 (Dick Morris, his former political aide, credits this event for Clinton’s easy reelection).
        As a bipartisan compromise, the welfare-reform bill attracted criticism from both sides of the ideological spectrum. The Left screamed bloody murder, predicting massive increases in homelessness and destitution. The Right warned that reforming welfare was not the same thing as ending the welfare state, but would instead replace a cash dole with work-support programs such as day-care subsidies.
        The apocalyptic predictions from the Left were clearly wrong. According to a new Heartland Institute analysis of welfare-reform efforts across the U.S., the poverty rate declined from 1996 to 2006, though not in every state. North Carolina actually fares poorly on this measure, ranking 48th with a net increase in poverty. However, as with all such comparisons, it is critically important to remember that the two populations being compared — state residents in 1996 and state residents in 2006 — differ in ways unrelated to public policy, most critically the presence of tens of thousands of low-income immigrants from other lands (who almost certainly increased their standard of living by entering the U.S., but have the effect of pulling down average incomes and pushing up poverty rates).
        Overall, the Heartland study gives North Carolina a rank of 17th, combining measures of welfare-reform policies and results. The state ranked ninth in the rate of decline of cash-welfare recipients, 16th in the decline of teen births, and 30th in the rate of workforce participation.
        The Right was correct to point out that welfare reform would not necessarily reduce the size and cost of government. It was worth doing on its own terms, however, because the previous system was destructive of families, personal responsibility and the work ethic. Given that sweeping changes in the size of the federal welfare state were beyond their power to accomplish, surely it was reasonable for Washington conservatives to practice the art of the possible.
        As long as one recalls that its goals were modest, not revolutionary, the legislation should be seen as a success. Bill Clinton deserves credit for signing the bill. The Republican Congress deserves credit for writing the bill. Previous Republican and Democratic governors deserve credit for pioneering the idea.

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        For the past several weeks, the Cape Fear Regional Theatre has seemed more like clown school than a theatre.     The students, the cast and ensemble of Barnum, have been busy learning how to juggle, ride unicycles, tumble and spin in the Spanish webs. But what else can be expected when you’re staging a show about the greatest showman on earth?
        Barnum, based on the life of showman P.T. Barnum, covers his life from 1835 through 1880, while he was touring America with his performers. The production combines elements of traditional musical theater with the spectacle of the circus. The characters include jugglers, trapeze artists and clowns, as well as such real-life personalities as Jenny Lind, General Tom Thumb and Susan B. Anthony.
        In order to do justice to the man, the show had to be full of the spectacle that was P.T. Barnum. So the theater is pulling out all of the stops to stage this show — one the fearless Bo Thorp, the artistic director of the CFRT, admits to always being afraid to stage.
        {mosimage}Directing, choreographing and starring as the man himself, is Dirk Lumbard. Lumbard performed the role on Broadway, and he’s bringing his unique talents to Fayetteville for this show. You’ll remember him from his stellar performance in 12 Angry Menand his staging of Singin’ in the Rainduring last season. Of course, Fayetteville theatre goers have yet to see him on the tight rope, but they’ll get their chance during Barnum.
        Cary Burman, the actress cast as Jenny Lind in the show won’t be teetering on the tight rope, but she will be doing her share of tricks. Burman is not a stranger to Barnum. It was the first role she played after graduating from the conservatory. A follow-up role in Les Miserables kept her busy until she was offered the role of Lind at the CFRT.
        “It’s exciting to revisit this role,” she said. “I’m looking at her as a totally new character.”
    That fresh perspective may be influenced by the talented cast that is surrounding her — a cast she terms “wonderful.”
        “The people here are just so wonderful, there’s no other way to explain it,” she said. “They have been so welcoming and accommodating. This is the best cast I can ever imagine for this show; they are all so hard working and talented.”
        Burman’s praise is also high for the show’s director. “I am just honored to share the stage with Dirk,” she said. “I just love his directing style. He is so willing to be collaborative with artists. He’s open to new ideas in everything from the music, to the blocking, and he’s willing to look at things from another angle. It is very exciting for me, as a young artist, to be able to have this kind of input and to be able to share my opinion.”
        That’s about the only constant you’ll find in the performances of Barnum. The cast is always trying to find ways to surprise the audience. “It’s a circus. It’s a spectacle and it’s all about who can top whom,” she said. “All of the tricks are going to be pulled out — especially during the finale. It’s going to be amazing.”
        Burman stresses that this is a show for the whole family. “I would sit backstage and the clowns would be on stage doing their thing, and I could hear little kids say, ‘Wow mom, I want to do that.’ And you could just see the sparkle in their eyes. It’s a very fun show.”
        “I’ve always done theatre. The first show I was in was in a theatre a lot like this one when I was 12 years old, and I did it all through high school,” explained Ken Griggs, who will be playing Barnum’s partner, Bailey.
    Griggs is a well-known face on the CFRT show. He’s done about 20 shows; although the first time he tried out things didn’t work out. Medical school and his residency had put something of a dent in Griggs’ acting career, so the day he passed his boards, he went down and tried out for South Pacific. He didn’t make the cut.
        “Bo doesn’t make mistakes,” he laughingly said, adding, “For a long time, Bo introduced me as one of her singers. Over the past couple of years, she’s introduced me as one of her actors — that was a great transition.”
    Griggs explained that his character helps to lead the audience through the show. Instead of going to black, and scene changes, the ringmaster comes out and gives a little speech, while circus people do circus people stuff. The play inside the circus is about Barnum, the rest is just fun.
        While Griggs admits the train-up for the show left him taking a lot of Motrin and sleeping like a baby, he said it was a wonderful experience. “No tricks were assigned to any given role, so we all learned the tricks. We all learned the webs. We all learned to juggle and to tumble, and to build pyramids. It was worse than basic training.
    “It was a lot of work, but it was so incredibly fun,” he continued. “None of us had any experience with this stuff. Now we are all juggling balls, pins, knives, fire, baton twirling — it’s pretty incredible to see how everyone has grown.”
        The hardest of the tricks for Griggs to master was the unicycle. “I have to say one of my speeches on the unicycle. It only takes about 30 seconds, but I must have fallen about 500 times,” he said. “It took my three weeks to do it. My thighs are tore up, I almost bashed my head a couple of times, but a few nights ago, I was ready, so I leaned up, went across the stage, out the door and into the hallway before I fell. Now I’m a unicyclist. When it first started out, I was wondering whether I was going to get to do some cool stuff, now I’m  saying, ‘Please, I’m doing too much cool stuff.’”
        He describes the show as an “extravaganza.”
        “There’s going to be stuff on that stage that people have never seen there before. There are going to be people twirling over the audience. There’s going to be a lot going on to keep your attention.”
        When asked how he felt about the circus growing up, Griggs said, “Loved it. But I was scared of the clowns.”
    Weren’t we all?
        Barnum opens Sept. 19 and runs through Oct. 5. The Champagne Opening is on Saturday, Sept. 20. Friday and Saturday shows are at 8:15 p.m. Sunday matinee is at 2 p.m. and Wednesday and Thursday shows are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range in price from $14 to $20. For more information, visit the theatre’s Web site at www.cfrt.org or to order tickets call the box office at 323-4233.


     
     
     
     
     
     

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        The ShowArt at Stein Mart, an art show featuring local artists, is all about dignity — dignity you wear.
    Or rather, Dignity U Wear.
        The art show, scheduled to run from Sept. 21 through Oct. 4 with displays at the Stein Mart at 2800 Raeford Road, contributes 30 percent of the show’s proceeds to Fayetteville Urban Ministry — a nonprofit organization that provides clothing for the poor and homeless, along with other services. Fayetteville Urban Ministry buys much of its clothing at a greatly reduced rate from Dignity U Wear — a Florida-based national nonprofit that provides brand new clothing to men, women and children in need. The organization receives donations of new clothing from manufacturers and retailers and distributes it through a network of 300 recipient nonprofit agencies in 30 states. Nationally, the organization has provided more than 4.1 million pieces, valued at $71 million, to more than 354,000 people.
        {mosimage}Annette Smith, a marketing rep with the local Stein Mart, says the art show — in it’s third year — is a way for Stein Mart to give back to the community.
        “This helps provide the homeless with clothes, as well as help furnish school uniforms for kids,” said Smith. “There are at least 35 schools in the county that require the students to wear uniforms, and with gas and food and other expenses it’s hard to find the money for clothes.”
        Rusty Wong, executive director for Fayetteville Urban Ministry, says the organization is grateful for all the help it can get, as the number of homeless and families seeking clothing has increased as the economy has gotten worse.
    “Over the last 18 months we’ve seen a pretty significant increase in folks coming in needing clothing,” said Wong. “We’re the only place in town that provides school uniforms for children.”
        Open since 1974, Fayetteville Urban Ministry provides other services as well, such as an adult literacy program, a construction and repair service for the economically disadvantaged, an emergency food pantry, and a Find-A-Friend program for children.
        “Fayetteville Urban Ministry is a wonderful program and we are so excited to be able to help them,” said Smith.
    Smith said the art show not only provides funds for a great cause, but also shines a light on local artists. This year’s contributing artists include watercolorists Mary Nan Thompson and Gail Gilbert; potter Greg Hathaway; Kelly Wallace, whimsical wine glasses; and, Grace McGrath, fused glass jewelry.
        All art will be on display at the Stein Mart and the art show is open to the public. Prints as well as the original artwork will be available. There will be a drawing at 5:30 p.m. on the opening day of the show, with the artists giving away door prizes.
    “This is a great way to help provide clothing for those in need as well as help support the local arts,” said Smith. “And you will be able to purchase some great art.”

     
     
     
     
     
     


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        Victim. It is not something most people aspire to. In fact, most of us do what we can to avoid being victims. In general, we do what we can do to reduce risk and keep ourselves safe. 
        What about our kids? Who keeps them safe? That falls squarely on the shoulders of the grown-ups responsible for these youngsters. Let’s take a quick look at how well that is working.
        According to the 2006-2007 Child Advocacy Center’s annual report, nationally, one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before age 18; every six hours a child is killed by abuse or neglect; effects of abuse increase the likelihood of drug and alcohol dependency, eating disorders, teen pregnancy, delinquency and violent crimes for these children; 1,200 to 1,400 cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome are reported each year; and one in four will die and the other three will need medical care for the rest of their lives.
        Here are some numbers that hit closer to home: Cumberland County has: 8,450 children that were reported to the Department of Social Services as abused and/or neglected from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006; Cumberland County has the highest rate of children murdered by their parents or caretakers in N.C. from 1985-2000 — twice the rate of children who died as a result of abuse or neglect compared to the rate for all of N.C.; 55 children were killed by their parents or caretakers from 1985-2004.
        “A lot of times people try and link it to the military,” said Stacy Pendarvis, prevention coordinator at the Child Advocacy Center located in downtown Fayetteville. “Our military  families and nonmilitary families equally experience abuse.”
         “I think another thing that the community does not realize is that we do have a serious problem in this community,” said Jackie Davis, the case data financial manager. “It’s not just in this neighborhood or that neighborhood, or this school or that school — it’s everywhere.”
        The Child Advocacy Center does not only record heartbreaking statistics — they take action, not just to help the victims of child abuse and their families, but to train the professionals who work with the kids and their families and to educate the community on child abuse prevention. Tammy Laurence, the executive director, uses a three-pronged approach to stop child abuse in its tracks — prevention, intervention and reducing trauma to children.
     
    PREVENTION 
        Even children from stable, loving, well-adjusted families can become victims of abuse. That fact is not lost on the Child Advocacy Center. It is the cornerstone of one of its outreach programs called Darkness to Light, which focuses on teaching adults seven steps to preventing, recognizing and reacting responsibly to child sexual abuse. 
    The organization also provides information to new moms about preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome. Resources and literature are available to anyone in the community about topics ranging from Internet safety to learning how to recognize and report child abuse. Also, speakers are available for club and group presentations on a variety of topics.
     
    INTERVENTION
        “What I’ve always heard since I got here is ‘Child abuse is a community problem and it requires community solutions,’” said Pendarvis. “We can’t solve the problem alone. We’ve got to have a buy-in from our partner agencies; we’ve got to have support from the community.”
        With professionals from the Department of Social Service, mental health, forensic pediatricians, the district attorney’s office and more as their partners, the Child Advocacy Center works hard to keep these organizations trained and current on abuse issues.

    REDUCING TRAUMA
         “We also serve as the hub for several agencies who work with children who have been abused,” said Davis. “We also have a victim’s advocate that works with the families.”
        With brightly painted interview rooms and office space for officials from law enforcement, medical facilities and the judicial system, the Child Advocacy Center conducts interviews with children and families and then coordinates with other agencies to share the information. This helps the kids feel safe and keeps them from having to tell and relive their stories over and over. 
        All the work that the Child Advocacy Center does benefit more than just abused kids and their families.
        “We saved the community last year almost $960,000,” said Laurence.  
        To find out how you can help, give them a call at 486-9700.
     
     
     
     


  • Details
        {mosimage}The Blue Jean Ball, scheduled for Sept. 27 at the Highland Country Club, wasn’t always a kid friendly party. In fact, last year was the first time youth were included. And they were included in every aspect of it, with great success.
        “The Blue Jean Ball is kind of two parties in one. It’s multigenerational,” said Sandy Ammons, event coordinator. “What that means is we’ve got one party for the kids with a deejay and food and dancing and they have a great time.” 
        The kids portion of the program is scheduled to be held in the ballroom of the country club. The Blue Jean Ball is a fundraiser for the Child Advocacy Center.
        “In the lounge and the other area you’ve got the adult party,” said Ammons. “We have a reception and we have a silent auction. We’re all together but it is kind of two separate parties.”
        According to Ammons, the kids plan all aspects of their party — they pick the music, the food, and help stuff the invitations.
        “Last year my kids were in middle school and it is a very social time when they are going to parties,” said Ammons. “They are so smart and so creative and when we talked about this fundraiser we thought wouldn’t it be fun if this were an event we could take our children to. So we just started brainstorming.”  
        The adult planning committee had no idea how enthusiastic the youth would be. 
    “Last year at the planning committee we thought we would have to pull the ideas out of them, but no … they wouldn’t stop talking, it just grew and grew,” said Ammons. 
        The kids are also making a banner to present to the Child Advocacy Center, a pledge to do all they can to help prevent child abuse.
        The silent auction promises exciting items for people to bid on. Several chairs and stools of different styles ranging from children’s chairs to Adirondack chairs are being painted by local artists. Some local officials are participating in the cause, too.  
        “We have Mayor (Tony) Chavonne; we have some city council members and county commissioners, the registrar of deeds … A couple of our judges are participating,” said Ammons. “It’s really neat to see. We don’t give them any instructions. There is no theme that they need to stick with so it is really great to see what they come up with. That is the exciting part.” 
        The chairs will be posted on the Web site in mid-September so they can be viewed prior to the auction. There will also be other auction items like painted tubs and other creations from local artists. Ammons noted that they are expanding on last year’s auction which included travel packages, wine, food and tickets to sports activities.
      With two successful years behind them the planning committee hopes to see an increase in attendance as well as funds raised. “Last year we had around 300 (people), we are hoping to grow that,” said Ammons. “Last year we raised $43,000. This year we hope to maybe take it up to 50.”
        All proceeds go to the Child Advocacy Center Child Abuse Prevention Program, and partners and services for the children who do come to the center. 
        “The interesting thing about the CAC is we don’t charge for our services,” said Ammons. “Everything is supported through donations and grants, so we have to have fundraisers like this to support those programs.”
    Tickets are $25 per youth and $50 per adult. Heavy hors d’ oeuvres will be provided. The fun starts at 7 p.m.

  • Details
        When the Gilbert Theater opens its season next month, the cast will be doing more than putting on a performance. They will be celebrating the Gilbert’s 15th season of producing quality plays in the community. To celebrate that milestone, the theater has planned an outstanding season of performances, which begins with Assassinson Oct. 2.
        When the Gilbert first formed, the plays were produced in founding director Lynn Pryor’s house. The group performed at Pryor’s house for eight of its 15 years, producing 49 plays during that time. As the Gilbert’s popularity grew, and the numbers of people attending the plays grew, the company outgrew the space, so they began looking for a new home.
        Their temporary home was at the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, where they performed for three seasons. During that time they produced the groundbreaking Vagina Monologues. That was one of the only plays the company actually brought in an outside performer.
        “We had a famous Hollywood actress in that show,” said Pryor. “Everyone else is unpaid — everyone is local.”
        The theater found its latest home three years ago in the old city council chambers above Fascinate-U Children’s Museum on Green Street. Pryor recalled that once the theater made the move to the space, he had a conversation with Monroe Evans, a former Fayetteville mayor, and one-time volunteer with The Gilbert. “Monroe said he knew that room very well,” said Pryor. “He said the room had always been full or drama and we could continue it.”
        And for the past three years, that’s what the company has done. Last year, the theater wowed the community with the staging of Cabaret, and they look forward to having the same impact with the upcoming plays.
        On Oct. 2, Assassins will come to life on the Gilbert Stage. Assassins is not your usual, run-of-the-mill musical. Written by Stephen Sondheim, the musical, based on a book by John Weidman, tells the stories of the nine Americans who assassinated or tried to assassinate the president of the United States. The musical starts with John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, and ends with Lee Harvey Oswald’s killing of President John F. Kennedy and the death of Camelot in our nation. The show’s music style ranges from folk to ragtime to ‘70s rock.
        {mosimage}Marcela Casals, a veteran of The Gilbert, is directing the play. “It’s very funny, but it’s very dark,” said Casals. “Sonheim is very good at putting two things completely opposite each other together.”
        She said the play gives the audience the opportunity to see inside the heads of some very mad individuals. “In some instances these individuals were very depressed and confused, in others, they thought they were being very patriotic,” she said. “Through this musical, you get to see inside their heads and see how they got to that point. There is a lot of humor, even though there is a lot of darkness.”
        She noted that each of these individuals thought they were going to change the course of history. For some, like Wilkes Booth and Oswald, their names have become pieces of the American lexicon. For others, they simply had their five minutes of fame and then slipped away.
        She said that she had gathered a “fabulous” cast of men and women to fill the ensemble and the leads. “Their voices just blend beautifully,” she said. “They just sound fabulous.”
        She cautioned that the play does have some offensive language, but hopes that it does not put people off from coming to a performance. “It’s a part of our history,” she said. “And we hope that high school students and others who have a love for history will come and see the show.”
        The play runs through Oct. 19, with performances Thursday — Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 for musicals and $10 for non-musicals.
        On Nov. 28, The Gilbert will mount its annual production of A Christmas Carol, which will be directed by Elysa Lenczyk. The show, which runs in conjunction with the Arts Councils’ Dickens’ Christmas, is the classic retelling of Charles Dickens Christmas classic.
        All of your favorite characters, Marley, Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, will be on hand to remind viewers of the true meaning of Christmas. The play runs through Dec. 14.
        On Jan. 29, Cassals will be back at the helm directing References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot. Written by Jose Rivera, the play is “thoughtful and raw,” and tells the story of Gabriela, a young Latina woman searching for answers amidst a sometimes fantastical setting where the moon and wild animals come into play.
        The play may resonate with Fayetteville residents, as it tells the story of a husband/wife who are dealing with putting their lives back together following his return from the Gulf War. The play runs through Feb. 15.
        On the Verge, by Eric Overmyer, will be directed by Paul Wilson. The play has been called “a joyfully feminist play.” It tells the story of three Victorian lady explorers who set out on an adventure that takes them through different times as well as different locations. The play opens on March 19 and runs through April 5.
        The final show of the season will be directed by Pryor. Exits and Entrances is an autobiographical play about the life of the author, Athol Fugard. The play chronicles the friendship between a young, idealistic playwright and an older actor struggling to find meaning and dignity in his fading career. The play, according to Pryor is set in the dressing room of the theatre. “I love plays about theater, and when you can find them, I like to bring them to the stage,” said Pryor. “This play tells you what it is like to be a classical actor working with amateurs. It follows his career from the beginning to the end, and you see his life through that time frame.”
        Pryor added that while the theater will be celebrating its past this year, they will also be celebrating its future.
        “We at The Gilbert want to continue to be great storytellers,” he said.
        The play opens on May 28 and runs through June 14.
        As is the case with Assassins, all Gilbert plays run Thursday through Sunday with Thursday-Saturday shows at 8 p.m. and all matinees at 2 p.m.
        To purchase tickets, call The Gilbert at 678-7186. For more information, visit the Web site at www.gilberttheater.com.









  • Details
        {mosimage}Last year, more than 45,000 men, women and children walked through the turnstiles at the Cumberland County Fair at the Crown Coliseum Complex, indulging in funnel cake and candy apples, testing whether those contents would stay in their stomachs on dozens of carnival rides, showing off their gaming skills on the ring toss and attempting to pluck the elusive winning duck from a tepid tub of water in hopes of winning an overstuffed teddy bear or perhaps a Justin Timberlake poster.
        This year, Fair Manager Hubert Bullard expects even more people show up over the 10 days of the fair, and he says those folks are in for the biggest and best fair experience in the history of Cumberland County.
    “A lot of soldiers were deployed last year so I do expect an even bigger crowd this year,” said Bullard. “And while we don’t have the big name musical acts we’ve had in the past, I do believe we’ve got more family-friendly entertainment than we’ve ever had.”
        The fair, scheduled to kick off on Thursday, Sept. 18, and run through Sunday, Sept. 28, boasts more than 30 carnival rides, vendors offering everything from grilled sausage to barbecue to banana pudding, and the ever popular agricultural exhibits — after all, the stated mission of the fair is to “to showcase and preserve the history and legacy of the agricultural communities in Cumberland County.”
        This year’s fair also promises to be one of the most diverse ever, with a number of days dedicated to different groups and causes, including Motorsports Weekend, Kindergarten Day, Paraglide Military Appreciation Night, Cargill Hunger Relief Day and Hispanic Day.
        Speaking of Hispanic Day, internationally known Latin entertainer Marlon, who recently played to a crowd of more than 10,000 in South America, will bring his singing talents to the fairgrounds.
    “They’re calling him the new Marc Anthony,” said Bullard.
        Bullard says the fair will also feature contemporary Christian music superstars Building 429, a couple of kids who started out with humble beginnings while attending Campbell University and are now among the hottest Christian acts in America. Their song “Glory Defined” topped eight separate charts and was declared BMI’s Christian Song of the Year, while the group went on to capture the Dove Award for New Artist of the Year.
        In addition to great music, the fair offers a number of special events, including the always hilarious Toddler Training School; the Cumberland County Invitational Step Show, featuring middle school, junior high school and high school step and dance teams from three states; the Cape Fear Regional Cheerleading Championships; a demolition derby; Al the Artist, who will drive around the fairground drawing caricatures of fairgoers free of charge; the Great American Frontier Show, a  tribute to the frontier people and animals that built America, featuring demonstrations of natural animal behavior, wildlife and environmental conservation; the No Joe Clown Circus, a group of clowns who are deadly serious about donating their proceeds to  nonprofit, charitable organizations; and, Buffalo Barfield & Unheard of Entertainment, a troupe of entertainers that performs pop, bluegrass, rock ‘n’ roll, country, Motown and beach music, mixing in stage props and slapstick comedy.
        For all you thrill seekers, Bullard says there will be three new rides this year: the Himalaya, Fireball and a new swing ride.
        There will also be numerous tents housing vendors, exhibits and arts and crafts.
        Bullard says an army of about 500 will be working the fair, some of whom labor all year long to put on the event.
    “These folks work all year to provide a 10-day event that we hope to make as memorable as possible for the residents of Cumberland County,” said Bullard. “I think it will be the best fair ever.”
        Admission is $6, kids under 2 are free. For schedules and information, check out the Web site www.cumberlandcountyfair.org.
      










  • Details
        Be young, be happy... go see the fabulous Tams  on Sept. 18 at Festival Park and witness a band that’s been bringing it for 46 years.
        The show is part of the Fayetteville After Five concert series — one of the chief fundraisers for the Fayetteville Museum of Art. As always, admission is free, though the experience is often priceless. For this particular show you’ll be treated to a band formed way back in 1962 that has ridden the crest of the beach music wave for these 40+ years.
        The Tams are famous for such golden oldie radio staples as “What Kind of Fool,” “Hey Girl,” and, of course, “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy.” However, despite striking gold later in their career and eventually being named “The Beach Band of the Decade” and earning an induction into the Georgia Hall of Fame and Atlanta Hall of Fame, times were tough in the beginning as the band played gigs for as little as $1.25 a night; the miniscule wages couldn’t cover the ornate stage costumes so many bands wore at the times, so they bought inexpensive Tam O’Shanter hats, from which the group earned its name.
        They’ve worn those trademark “tams” for all these years, and one band member — Charles Pope — has been there every step of the way. Pope, 72, is still going strong on the stage, though he has a successor branching off from his family tree. Band member L’il Redd, 39, — billed as having the “fastest feet in the South” — is Pope’s son, and he’s been singing and dancing with the Tams since he was 7.    “My Dad put me up on the stage when I was a little bitty thing and I’ve been doing it ever since,” said L’il Redd. “And I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It’s been the most fun you can imagine having.”
        {mosimage}And don’t be fooled by his father’s advancing years — L’il Redd says it’s harder and harder to get the elder Pope — the only original Tam in the group — off the stage.
        “You can’t tell how old he is when he’s performing,” said L’il Redd.
        L’il Redd says the Tams have performed in Fayetteville “countless times” over the years, including last year’s Dogwood Festival; he says the crowds have always been “great.”
        “There are a lot of beach music fans in Fayetteville and they really get into the music at our live shows,” said L’il Redd.
        But it’s not just beach music that folks will groove to at Fayetteville after Five. Though they have a lot of older fans, the Tams also attract a young following as well, so the group will mix in more contemporary songs such as “Love Train” by the O’Jays, Motown standard “Higher and Higher,” and the Isley Brothers’ “Shout.”
        “We have a high energy show with a lot of audience participation,” said L’il Redd. “So the folks that show up, I guarantee we’ll get ‘em dancing.”
        Fayetteville After Five features food vendors and purveyor’s of adult beverages, as well as other artists on site. The event runs from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Bring a chair or blanket to relax on the lawn as the Tams take you back 40 years to the days of shagging all night long on Ocean Drive.

  • Details
    Sarah Palin reminds me of Marge Simpson on steroids. Wholesome but cranky in a ‘roid range sort of way. I loved the Republican convention. The delegates looked like the membership committee at a country club. That was one pale bunch of dudes and dudettes. They must use a lot of SPF 2000 sun block to stay that white or maybe they are vampires. It won’t matter if the arctic ice cap melts, as we will always have a sea of Caucasian delegates at Republican conventions to remind us of what a blizzard of white looks like. Clint Eastwood would have been proud of all the Pale Riders in SUVs pulling up to convention center.
        Sarah gave a dandy speech. It was steak tartar for the huddled masses at the convention yearning to keep tax breaks for the very wealthy. With Sarah, what’s not to like if you like the way things are going? She made fun of the poor and middle class folks who have to rely on “community organizers” to try to get the system to respond to them. The effluent affluent have “community organizers” called lobbyists making the system respond to them. If the non-rich would hire their own K street lobbyists, Sarah wouldn’t have to make fun of them.
        Her experience as mayor of Wasilla will prove useful if she gets to be VP. As mayor, she tried to fire the city librarian who refused to censor library books if Sarah asked her to do so. Censorship by the government is always a great idea. The government should decide what we can read and think. Consider Saudi Arabia’s Committee for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. It keeps the chadors long and reading choices limited. With Sarah as President of Virtue and Vice of the United States, we won’t be troubled with differing opinions. Towing the party line will be fun. Bucking the party line, not so much fun. Lots more room on library shelves once Sarah gets rid of the books that don’t meet her personal standards.
        She’s doing everything right to fit into the Washington Bushworld culture. Relying on her experience canning the Alaskan Public Safety Administrator who refused to fire her highway patrolman ex-brother-in-law, she will be able to step right into the fine Bushian tradition of firing U.S. Attorneys who wouldn’t prosecute Democrat office holders for political reasons. If you can’t use political power to get even with your enemies, what’s the point in having it? She’ll be making a list of who’s naughty and nice and checking it twice. She’s all lawyered up to stonewall the Troopergate investigation by the Alaskan legislature until after the presidential election.
        She flip-flopped on the Bridge to Nowhere like John Kerry windsurfing off Massachusetts. Sarah was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it. She finally opposed the bridge when the late TV night comedians shamed Congress into canceling it. She didn’t get her bridge but she kept the bridge appropriation for $200+ million for Alaska. She’s not only the queen of moose burgers but she’s the queen of pork as mayor and governor. She’s grabbed umpty millions of lower 48 states’ tax dollars in earmuff marks for her constituents which she now opposes.
        The whole Sarah phenomenon has a certain Alice In Wonderland quality that is pretty cool. Her foreign policy experience consists of being governor of the closest state to Russia. We don’t know enough about Obama after two years of campaigning, but we know enough about her after a 40 minute speech to make her VP for the oldest president ever to take office. You have to admire the Through the Looking Glass gloss of McCain’s campaign.
    It was fun watching the various speakers at the convention fuss that McCain was going to bring change to D.C. They had severe cases of acute convenient amnesia that President Bush has been in charge for the last seven years and the Republicans controlled Congress for six of the last eight years. Bush wasn’t in charge when the housing market tanked, the stock market crunched, jobless rates reached a five year high and more Americans found themselves without health insurance. He was in Crawford, not his fault, not our fault. But as McCain chanted “Change is coming! Change is coming!”{mosimage}
        The conventional theory is when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. McCain’s theory is “Elect me and we’ll have new shovels for everyone.” Like the old saw about new wine in old bottles, the Republicans are pledging new shovels in old holes. Can you dig it?
        I can hardly wait for the next mukluk to drop.





  • Details
    In the weeks since the political comet we know as Alaska’s Governor Sarah Palin blazed into view at the Republican convention, our nation has been consumed by family issues trailing in her fiery wake. It is past time to have these national conversations, even though they make us testy with each other and sometimes with ourselves.
    More than two decades ago when Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman nominated for vice president on the Democratic ticket, and more recently when Hillary Clinton came close to getting the Democratic nod for president, mothering was not much of a political issue. Both women are mothers, of course, but by the time they ran, their children were out of the nest, making hands-on mothering less of a daily responsibility. In Palin’s case, however, her family of five children is young. Only one of her children is over 18, and the youngest is a special-needs infant. Her young family has ignited a debate over whether a mother in such circumstances can, or perhaps should, become vice president of the United States, only one breath away from the presidency.  It is an uncomfortable debate for many of us, including a legion of working mothers.
        {mosimage}Most American mothers are employed outside their homes today for many reasons, usually to support their families. It is a tough road, though, and many a working mother will confess to struggling to balance family needs and responsibilities with those of her job, no matter what that job may be. When I was a young working mother, I often felt at the end of a long day that I had not done either of my jobs — the one in the office and the one at home — as well as I could or should. Other mothers have told me they felt the same way.
        There is no “answer” to this issue, of course, and the issue itself is different for every mother and for every working and family situation. It is, however, a conversation we should be having as a nation about the nature of work and family in our new century. As the conversation unfolds, it has been interesting to me to note, most unscientifically, that younger mothers both in the media and in personal conversations seem to feel that, yes, mothers can, should and are effective both in the workplace and in their family circles. Older mothers who are nearing or have completed the intense phase of motherhood are not so sure.
        This may be merely a generational divide, but this working mother is glad we are talking about it.
    Another reality Palin’s young family has dropped on America’s doorstep is teenage pregnancy and all its associated issues and complications.
        Age-old conversations are being rekindled about a situation that occurs in many families, not always with positive outcomes. We all know that early motherhood is a strain on young parents, most often the mother. If she marries her child’s father, as Sarah Palin’s daughter says she plans to do, both mother and child are generally better off emotionally, physically and financially than if she does not, even though more young marriages end in divorce than marriages between older, more mature partners. What are the roles of the parents of the soon-to-be teenage parents in situations like this? Is the abstinence-only sex education curriculum mandated in most public schools, including those in North Carolina, adequate to prevent teenage pregnancy and all its many and varied complications, or should we provide our young people with factual information as well as moral directives?
        Early parenthood can be successful, and we all know instances when it has been. We all know, too, that many times it shortchanges and compromises the futures of both the young parents and their children by limiting educational options and lowering earning potential.
        I have to smile to myself about how my grandparents, born at the end of the 19th century and whose lives spanned the first 75 years of the 20th century, would marvel at all the “firsts” of this presidential cycle. The first bi-racial presidential candidate. The first woman who was almost a presidential candidate and the second woman who is a vice-presidential candidate. The first presidential candidate to acknowledge that he cheated on his first wife and married his second shortly thereafter, and now a publicly pregnant teenage child of a vice-presidential candidate. 
        I doubt my grandparents could have imagined all these sweeping social changes in less than a quarter century.
    None of us have magic solutions to balance work and family in the infinite situations dealing with it, and none of us can completely prevent unplanned pregnancies among young people who are really children themselves. None of us can predict with certainty who is going to be our next president and vice president either.
        Whatever the future holds for Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, her stunning arrival on the American political stage is generating long overdue conversations about issues we have ignored for a long time.
        That, in itself, has got to be positive.

  • Details
        Texas was the target of Hurricane Ike last week. And while the storm was a half a country away, it wreaked havoc on the lives of regular citizens of the Southeast, particularly in the Carolinas and Tennessee. And unless you haven’t left your house in the past week, you know that I’m talking about the unexplained, unnecessary sharp rise in gas prices the day before the hurricane hit.
        {mosimage}Here in Fayetteville, you could say we were in the middle of the storm. Driving into work, I thought to myself, “Self, you should get gas, because you know they are going to stick it to the man (or in this case, the woman.)” But I didn’t listen to self, I kept driving and passed numerous gas stations.
        Later in the day, I, like a lot of other people, was kicking myself in the pants. Gas had jumped at a minimum 30 cents. Some stations went to the extreme and jumped as much as 50 cents on the gallon. All of this amidst the governor’s call for people not to panic, and strong words about price gauging.
        Anybody notice the prices dropping?
        Most of the stations that upped the ante were still pumping gas that they had purchased at the lower price. They were hedging their bets — recouping money on profits that they may have lost over the coming days. Somehow, that seems not quite right.
        Now with Ike having passed, analysts are saying that the rise in gas prices should not last long. But no matter the length, there has been no rhyme or reason in this increase. It’s a man-made increase, not one caused by actual lack of supply.
    The federal government, over the past two days, has loaned large amounts of oil to the oil companies. That’s right — they’ve taken oil out of the strategic reserve and given it to the oil companies for their use — so they can stick it to we regular Joes, and reap a huge profit. I mean, when your profits are in the billions, you don’t want to lose one cent. Does anyone have a problem with that?
        So here we are paying $3.99 a gallon, while the folks in the middle of the actual storm were paying $3.79. The day before the storm, our prices jumped at a minimum 30 cents — theirs jumped 4.8 cents. In neighboring states, prices are around $3.70. North Carolina’s high gas taxes are part of the reason our prices remain high.
    Somewhere, somehow, something has got to give.

  • Details

     It's here folks... Our biggest issue of the year: The Best of Fayetteville, as voted on by you the readers. Enjoy 

    {mosimage}Best Place to Commune With Nature
    Cape Fear Botanical Garden
    536 N. Easter Blvd., Fayetteville
    910.486.0221
    www.capefearbg.org

        The Cape Fear Botanical Garden has been a quiet sea of serenity for our community for a number of years. This past year, the garden’s board elected to expand the garden and make better use of its assets, launching a capital campaign to build a visitor’s center and meeting area.
        While the new facilities will offer more room for events and activities, it won’t take away from the beauty of the garden. Its design is restful and seems to flow with the rest of the park. They say gardening is a great form of relaxing. It seems our readers think it’s also a great place to relax in the environs made by professional gardeners, as well.


    Best Local Festival
    Dogwood Festival
    Liberty Point Building
    145 Person Street, Fayetteville
    910.323.1934
    www.faydogwoodfestival.com

        There are many categories in this survey that should probably be retired — this being one of them. Since the inception of the Best of, the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival has topped this category.
        The festival, which was founded in 1982, is probably one of the biggest events during the year. The weekend event keeps downtown hopping with everything from barbecue, to antique cars to rock ‘n’ roll. This past year’s thousands of people poured into Festival Park to take in the events. From sun up to sunset, the park was hopping and a good time was had by all — well just about all.
        This year’s festival garnered a little bad press – the result of the festival’s board choosing to exclude churches from the vendor list. But, the board has always listened to the wants and needs of the community, and in the coming year the churches will be welcome members.

    Best Change to Fayetteville in 2007/Best Use of Local Tax Dollars
    Recycling
    www.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/recycle

        If you listened to all of the rhetoric leading up to the implementation of curbside recycling in Fayetteville, you would have thought the very idea was sacrilege. But Fayetteville residents let those who wanted to talk talk, and let their actions do their talking for them. That’s why in the opening weeks of recycling more than 90 percent of the city’s residents filled their blue cans and rolled them out to the curb.
        During the first four weeks of the curbside recycling program 655 tons of recyclables were collected. City officials felt that the overwhelming response was an indication from the local citizenry that recycling was not only good for the city; it was a good investment of tax dollars. Our readers concur.


    Best Local Landmark
    The Market House

        While Fayetteville has many symbols, The Market House, located downtown is one of its most enduring. The Market House was built in 1832 on the site of the old State House, which was destroyed by fire in 1831. It was within the walls of the State House that North Carolina had ratified the Constitution of the United States in 1789 and chartered the University of North Carolina.
        For those not in the know, The Market House is located in the center of the intersection of Green, Gillespie, Person and Hay Streets. For decades meat and produce were sold beneath its arches by local farmers, while the second floor was the town hall. In recent years the second floor has been used as a public library, chamber of commerce offices, and an art museum. Many distinguished visitors have spoken from its balconies — in fact last year in celebration of the Marquis de Lafayette’s 200th birthday a faux Marquis rode through the city streets and then addressed the crowd from the balcony.

    Best Little Known Attraction
    Paddy’s
    2606 B Raeford Rd, Fayetteville
    910-677-0055
    www.paddygibneypub.com

        “The Irish — be they kings, or poets or farmers, they’re a people of great worth, they keep company with the angels, and bring a bit of heaven here to earth.”
        That’s an old Irish quote, but it seems to fit in this case, as Paddy’s has been named the Best Little Known Attraction. In years past, the winners in this category have tended to be places of quiet reflection — places like the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens or the River Trail. Never in the 10 year history of this survey has it ever been a bar.
        Of course, Paddy’s isn’t your run of the mill bar. Paddy’s, located just off Raeford Road, is an Irish Public House, or to use the vernacular, it’s a pub. A great pub. You can find great music and great people at Paddy’s every time the door is open.
        For those who have been in the area for some time, Paddy Gibney is not a stranger. He’s been on the Fayetteville musical landscape as long as Up & Coming Weekly has been in existence. You can usually find him with his good friend Bill, and you can always find them on stage at the pub every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and some Saturdays. If Paddy’s not on the stage, then some other band is.

    Coolest Place Downtown
    The Keys Piano Bar & Restaurant
    102AB Person St., Fayetteville
    910.483-3854
    www.thekeyspianobar.com

        It’s been awhile since people have stood in lines to get into a downtown bar, but with the advent of The Keys Piano Bar downtown nightlife has experienced a rebirth.
        The restaurant/club offers live entertainment every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. For those who are unfamiliar with The Keys, the entertainment centers around two dueling pianos. Every week or so, the club flies in new piano players, which keeps the audience coming back for more.
        While the piano players set the mood, club owners want people to remember that the audience is what makes the show. Audience members are encouraged to “clap along, sing along, stomp along, drink along and have one hellava good time.”

    Best Thing to Show Out of Towners
    Airborne and Special Operations Museum
    100 Bragg Blvd., Fayetteville
    910-643-2766
    www.asomf.org

        Some might say, and we would be included in that some, that the construction of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum was truly the beginning of the revitalization of downtown.
        Some people, not us, didn’t really think the museum would have that big of an impact on the city, but they were wrong. One of the first things it did was bring people downtown. It made downtown a destination when family and friends come to visit. Its location downtown generated the construction of restaurants (after all, those visitors have to eat), and it beautified the area that had been nothing but a line of dark bars (anybody remember the 7 Dwarves?).
        If you’re a Fayetteville resident and you still haven’t made a visit to the museum, here’s what you’re missing. In the main exhibit area, you’ll find exhibits focused on the early airborne, World War II, Korea and the Cold war, Vietnam and contingency operations and training. In addition to these standing exhibits there is also a special exhibit gallery that hosts rotating special exhibits. In recent years exhibits have included Special Forces at 50, Soldiers: The Global War on Terrorism and Vietnam: A War Remembered. The current exhibit focuses on The OSS, which was a precursor to modern special operations during World War II
        And, if you think history is boring, you can make a stop in the museum’s movie theatre and simulator to get a more exciting look at history.


    Best Things to Hide from Out of Towners
    Bragg Boulevard

        It’s official. This category is retired. We’ve been doing the Best of Fayetteville for 10 years, and every year, Bragg Boulevard has won this category. Everyone wants to talk about the littler, the rundown buildings, the strip clubs that moved off Hay Street and on to the boulevard. The complaints have, over the years, appeared to fall on deaf ears, but in the near future, that may change.
        The City of Fayetteville is working vigorously to beautify all of its gateways. Projects are already underway to impact portions of Bragg Boulevard near downtown and Murchison Road. And that’s a good start. But the city can’t and shouldn’t do everything.
        Local business owners have got to step up to the plate and start taking some pride in their property. There’s nothing that says you can’t have a tasteful strip club or car repair service or even flea market. A little paint, a little landscaping and some garbage cans will go a long way to improve the look of the area.
        Another thing that will help is a new sign ordinance recently adopted by the city. That ordinance will do away with a lot of the over-sized signs, and those flashing moveable signs that dot the landscape. The sign code will make things uniform, so the boulevard won’t look like such a hodgepodge.
         So, the city’s doing its part — now it’s our turn.

    Best Live Theatre
    Cape Fear Regional Theatre
    1209 Hay St.. Fayetteville
    910.323.4233
    www.cfrt.org

        Since 1962, Cape Fear Regional Theatre has been not only a beacon of storytelling in Cumberland County, but also a center of culture and entertainment whose incandescence has shone throughout the state. Known as one of the finest theatres in North Carolina, CFRT had humble beginnings, founded by a small group of local actors which performed its very first production, The Night of January 16, in the Fayetteville Courthouse.
        Under the leadership of the grand dame of local theatre, Bo Thorp, and with the community’s support, the CFRT renovated the old courthouse and incorporated two additional buildings to form a three-story complex with a 327-seat main stage.

    Best Local Actress
    Bo Thorp

        Bo Thorp seems to have this award locked up. And why not? One of the founders of Cape Fear Little Theater, Thorp has been instrumental not only as a star and supporting player in countless CFRT productions over the years, but is also the CFRT’s artistic director. Whether playing the lead in Driving Miss Daisy or contributing her skills to an ensemble cast in Lunch at the Piccadilly, you can always count on Thorp to “break a leg” with style and grace.
        Those who know Thorp know that drama is in her blood. Her rich laugh, sense of humor and perfect delivery of every line make her the grande dame of the community theatre, but they also makes her one of the city’s cultural icons. To say that we have something of an affection for Thorp is to put it mildly. We’re glad that the community has the same excellent taste that we do. Thorp is the heart and soul of theatre in this community.

    Best Local Actor
    Greg King

        Greg King knows drama. If you ever had any question about that, then y ou should not have missed Company at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre last season. King, an area businessman, electrified the stage with his tender, yet humorous performance in the musical. But that’s just one of the many shows he’s done over the years. But it was enough to win him this coveted title.

    Best Play This Season
    Cabaret at The Gilbert
    910.678.7186
    www.gilbertheater.com

        The wonderful adaptation of the musical Cabaret debuted at the Gilbert Theater on June 5. The performances were exhilarating and grand, especially the characters of Master of Ceremonies (Timothy Lee Lloyd) and Sally Bowles (Alexis Chieffet). Despite the surface gaiety of the musical, the production was laced with an undercurrent of tension and darkness, because as the boys and girls danced gaily and drink and loved passionately at the Kit Kat Club, a storm of epic death and destruction is tap-dancing on the horizon.
        This is a first for The Gilbert, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the opening of its upcoming season. The Gilbert, based in the old city hall off Green Street, performs its plays in a black-box theater. All of the actors and directors are local and no one is paid. It is community theater in its most basic form, but in the case of The Gilbert, it pushes the envelope producing not the run-of-the-mill plays.

    Best Local Poet
    Sam Silva

        Though internationally known, poet and author Sam Silva makes Fayetteville his home. A prolific writer, Silva often composes three, four or more pieces every day.
        His well-received collection of verse and prose, Eating and Drinking, is available at booksellers everywhere. He has published more than 150 poems in print magazines including, but not limited to Samisdat, The ECU Rebel, Sow’s Ear, The American Muse, St. Andrews Review, Dog River Review, Third Lung Review, Main St. Rag, Charlotte Poetry Review, and Parnasus.

    Best Gallery/Art Venue
    Fayetteville Museum of Art
    839 Stamper Rd., Fayetteville
    910.485.5121
    www.fayettevillemuseumart.org

        Despite the recent controversy over the proposed relocation to Festival Park, one cannot look past the fact that the Fayetteville Museum of Art is our capital of culture. Founded in 1971, its present site was the first building in the state designed and built as an art museum. In addition to the modern facility that includes two galleries, classrooms, studio space, an art reference and slide lending library, and a museum store, the museum’s 5.8 acre grounds and pond offer Fayetteville a little slice or tranquility amid the bustling city life.
        At Up & Coming Weekly, we are proud to be the museum’s downtown annex, hosting Gallery 208, The Leonard McLeod Gallery and a sculpture garden in our corporate offices on  Rowan Street, across from Festival Park. This partnership puts the works of national and local artists on display year-round for free viewing (and we also throw an awesome opening party, which is free and open to the public.)

    Best Movie Theater
    Cameo Art House Theatre
    225 Hay St., Fayetteville
    910.486-.633
    www.cameoarthouse.com

        An homage to the elegant bijous of the past, the Cameo Art House Theatre is a place to enjoy independent “art” films, as well as mainstream fare, relaxing in one of its 125 crushed velvet seats while enjoying its Dolby digital sound and projection system, four film screening formats and a lobby lounge where patrons can enjoy a glass of wine, imported beer, cup of coffee or cappuccino.
        The building was home to one of Fayetteville’s first motion picture theatres: the New Dixie. Veteran moving picture man S.A. Lambert first bought out the original Dixie in 1908. He moved across the street to the Southside of Hay Street in 1914 and called it the New Dixie. The present Cameo Theatre Building then hosted many local businesses, most notably Dixie Billiards and Eddie’s Music. Chris & Nasim Kuenzel and Eric Lindstrom acquired the building in 1998, opening as the Cameo in October of 2000.
        The Cameo has screened more than 200 art, independent, foreign and classic films.

    Best Video Rental
    Blockbuster

        Sometimes, bigger is better. Blockbuster is the undisputed king of the video rental market, both in Fayetteville and abroad. The largest chain of DVD and video game rental stores in the world.

    Best Place for Family Entertainment
    Fun Fun Fun
    3729 Sycamore Dairy Road, Fayetteville
    4670 Cumberland Road, Hope Mills
    910.487.8585 or 910.864.1307
    www.gofunfunfun.com

        What’s in a name? Everything if your business is called Fun Fun Fun.
        Since opening on July 4, 1990, Fun Fun Fun has dominated the “fun” factor in Fayetteville, offering 125 games, rides and laser tag to the legions. There is also a full snack bar offering everything from nachos, ice cream and pizza, to Asian-style fare like, Kim Chee, egg rolls, fried rice, chicken and bulgogi.
        With locations in Fayetteville and Hope Mills, Fun Fun Fun offers the perfect place for a birthday party, or is just right for entertaining the kids on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

    Best Local Band
    Paddy and Bill

        Advertising their music as “Shamrock and Roll,” acoustic duo Paddy and Bill (Paddy  Gibney and Bill Ayerbe) got together in 1998, performing their Celtic brand of music to packed houses across the Carolinas. The duo can most often be found performing at Paddy’s self-named pub right here in Fayetteville.

    Best Place for Live Music
    Jesters Pub
    6577 Fisher Rd., Fayetteville
    910.423.6100
    www.jesterspub.com

        With the motto “It Ain’t No Joke,” you just know Jesters takes itself and its music seriously. Fayetteville’s premier spot for live music, as voted by the county’s music fans, has hosted many nationally-known acts in the past and just keeps the famous names rolling with scheduled future performances by such rock heavyweights as Clutch and Sevendust, and, coming in October, country’s wildest outlaw, David Allan Coe.

    Best Jukebox Tunes
    Fubar
    3319 Raeford Rd., Fayetteville
    910.677.9900
    www.fubarfayetteville.com

        Sporting perhaps the best acronym in perhaps the history of bardom, Fubar also, according to our readers has the best selection of discs in its jukebox. Owned and operated by Roy and Kelly Parker, the bar is also known for its large bar and energetic live acts, remember to bring a fistful of quarters next time you visit this jukebox haven.

    Best Bar and Best Bartender
    Thee Backdoor/T.J.
    3446 Raeford Rd., Fayetteville
    910.864.3974

        Where everyone knows your name. Thee Backdoor bills itself as “a regular bar that’s very chill, where all types of people come and hang out. There are darts, pool tables, a juke box, awesome bartenders who won’t make you wait,  a great atmosphere, and lotsa good drinks and fun people.” People like T.J. For the second year in a row, T.J., a West Virginia native, uses her “country road” personality to make patrons fill at ease as she eases their worries and concerns with the best in liquid libations.

    Best Biker Bar
    The Doghouse
    3049 Owen Drive
    910.826.9761
    www.thedoghousegroup.com

        If you feel naked without your leathers and would rather ride a Harley than a Hyundai, then the Doghouse is for you. With good food, live music and an outdoor patio (the better to keep an eye on your chrome horse), this is the hot spot for all you easyriders and Peter Fonda wannabes. So, vroom on over.

    Best Beer Selection
    Mash House
    4150 Sycamore Dairy Rd.,  Fayetteville
    910.867.9223
    www.themashhouse.com

        Forget that pale imitation of pale ale you can buy at the local supermarket — if you want to truly experience beer the way it’s supposed to be, find a designated driver and motor over to the Mash House where they make their own lager. Some of their superbrews include the award-winning India Pale Ale, fruit beers (raspberry, peach, strawberry, blueberry and cherry), and stout. And because some misguided people think man can’t live by beer alone, the Mash House also offers a fine selection food.

    Best Local Politician
    Tonzi Collins

        It’s a bit unusual for a Hope Mills politician to take top billing in this category. Last year, Fayetteville Mayor Tony Chavonne won this category. Following in his footsteps, Collins, a former police officer, got the nod.
        Like Chavonne, Collins has had his share of press the past year — not all of it good. Most recently, Collins is involved in a lawsuit against the city to win his job back at the Hope Mills Police Department. While some folks find that a difficult place for a city councilman to be, a vast majority of Hope Mills residents supports him in his efforts. And, naming him the top politician, goes a long way to show their support.

    Best Local Scandal/Biggest Waste of Local Tax Dollars
    Ticketgate

        Finally, the Big Boom Annexation has fallen out of favor in this category. Unfortunately, for the City of Fayetteville, their leadership was still at the center of the storm surrounding Ticketgate.
        Ticketgate for those not in the know, revolved around a wreck on Gillis Hill Road. Wait a minute that area was in the Big Boom Annexation, so maybe it really didn’t fall out of the running.
        If the area hadn’t been annexed, Fayetteville Police would not have been patrolling the area. The mayor would not have had any authority to call on the city manager, who called on the police chief to get officers to take a second look at who really deserved the ticket. So maybe the Big Boom Annexation is still at the top of the list, or at least, at the root of it.
        Ticketgate saw much media coverage. It created a task force through the district attorney’s office to reinvestigate the investigation, and ultimately led to the creation of an ethics committee that has recently decided to investigate Ticketgate.
    Hence, it became the Best Local Scandal and the Biggest Waste of Local Tax Dollars. We know, its complex, and we’re really glad it’s over.

    Best Local Community Program/Civic Club
    Kiwanis Club of Fayetteville

        For 88 years, the Kiwanis Club of Fayetteville has been a driving force in the community. The club, founded on Nov. 10, 1920, has a membership that includes many of the movers and shakers in the community. Over the years, a number of the community politicos have gotten their start in the ranks of the Kiwanis and local business people thrive in the club.
        Over the course of a year, the organization sponsors a number of programs – all designed to impact the lives of children in our community. Reading is fun puts 4,000 books in the hands of children enrolled in the Head Start and Chapter One programs, while sponsorship of the Dixie Youth Baseball league puts bats in the hands of youth, while teaching them about teamwork and sportsmanship. Of course, you can’t talk about the club, unless you mention the Kiwanis Talent Night. The annual spring event lets talented youth compete to perform in the BIG SHOW.
        And, of course, we have to talk about the money. Each year, the club gives $100,000 back to the community through its projects. In recent years grants have been given to the Boys & Girls Home of North Carolina, the Cape Fear Regional Theatre and The Child Advocacy Center just to name a few.

    Best Local Nonprofit
    Blood Donor Organizations

    One of the greatest gifts you can give someone is the gift of life. Here’s the Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Give Blood
    5. It doesn’t cost you anything.
    4. You get great treats like cookies or donuts after you’re done.
    3. You have an excuse not to exercise for 24 hours.
    2. People are nice to you.
    1. You can save a life.

    Best Local Station, Best Local Traffic Reports, Best Local DJ
    WKML 95.7
    508 Person St., Fayetteville
    910.486.4114
    www.wkml.com

        Having lost its place in the Best of standings last year, WKML brought its A-game this year to earn all three of the radio-related awards.
        WKML, a member of the Beasley Broadcasting Group, is the voice of country in our community. The station has some of the best games and contests around, and its deejays are not just a disembodied voice on air — their family.
        Don’t believe us? Why do you think Uncle Don (that’s Don Chase) is such a hit. Chase, named the best local DJ for probably the gazillionth time, is the man a lot of Fayetteville women wake up to. Now don’t worry, he’s on the air — they are at their houses, but he is the guy who gets their day started right. From sharing close family stories to even talking about his weight, Chase let’s his listeners into his life, and they let him into theirs.

    Best Local Columnist/Writer
    Shanessa Fenner
    Up & Coming Weekly
    208 Rowan St., Fayetteville
    910.484.6200
    www.upandcomingweekly.com

        It’s always somewhat shaming to have a writer for a competing publication win this category. And, until the past couple of years, that was the case. We, being the classy establishment we are, would do the walk of shame to hand out awards to our competitors.
        But that stopped last year when our own Shanessa Fenner took top billing. Shanessa, a middle school principal, radio host and writer, has again won this category. We couldn’t be prouder.
        Shanessa keeps a schedule that would drive most people insane, but she stays on top of everything, and in fact, spends some time reminding us when she hasn’t gotten her assignment.(She particularly likes to remind us around 6 a.m.) Entertainment and education are some of the topics she likes to cover, but she’s covered a little bit of everything from business to liposuction.
        Wait, we could be prouder. When the votes were in, the Up & Coming Weekly writing crew took the top three slots. In slot number two was our own Bill Bowman, who’s known for his call-it-like-it-is editorial pieces. Bill isn’t afraid to tell it like it is — in fact; it’s one of the things he does the best.
        Coming in third was Stephanie Crider. Stephanie has been a contributing writer for the past three years, and has really grown in her talent and ability to tell a good story. She is becoming well-known in community circles for not only her writing, but her glasswork as well. A military spouse, Stephanie throws everything she has into the community and it shows in her articles and in her beautiful family.
        (Side note: As the editor of Up & Coming Weekly, I’d like to take a little credit for their success, but I won’t they work hard and they deserve all of the kudos. Great job team!!! Oh, and you other guys who didn’t make the cut this year, just keep looking up because you won’t see this award any time soon.)


    Best Picnic Area, Best Tennis Courts, Best Place a Bike Ride, Best Place to Walk the Dog, Best Local Fishing Hole
    Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation
    121 Lamon St., Fayetteville
    910.433.1547
    www.fcpr.us

        The people of Cumberland County are proud of their parks and recreation program. And they should be. Someone would argue that Fayetteville has more parks than you can shake a stick at, but the serenity of the parks — not to mention the sound of children playing or competing in team sports that resound the parks sometimes make it seems like there aren’t nearly enough. Because our parks and our green spaces are part of what makes this community so unique. They add to the quality-of-life of its residents, and to its beauty.
        The community has three regional parks; four community parks; nine neighborhood parks; three linear parks; six special use parks; three sports complexes; and 17 recreation centers. With such a large networks of parks, it only makes sense that the Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation would rule the outdoors and recreation category.
        The Cape Fear River Trail, which is one of the jewels of the parks system, brought home honors as the Best Place to Ride a Bike and Walk a Dog. We wouldn’t recommend trying to do both at the same time.
        Lake Rim Park is the destination for picnicking and fishing. You can do both of those things together, but make sure you keep your eye on your line. You wouldn’t want to miss a nibble while you are taking a bite.
        And if you’re not too tired from riding your bike and walking your dog and not too stuffed from your picnic, you can always head over to Mazarick Park where you can hit the tennis courts for a quick game, then maybe have a dinner picnic and check out a softball game or try your hand on at disc golf.

    Best Golf Course
    Cypress Lakes
    2116 Cypress Lakes Rd., Hope Mills
    910.483.0359
    www.cypresslakesnc.com

        Located a little less than 3 miles off I-95, Cypress Lakes challenges and delights the most avid golfers. At Cypress Lakes, fast, championship style greens await your full concentration. You’ll find the best conditioned course in these parts, tough enough to keep you on your toes and fairly designed for any level player.
        Cypress Lakes makes the leap from good to a great because the staff has spent the last 10 years transforming the greens into a championship style course. Eighteen holes, Par 72 and 7,240 yards of Hybrid 419 Bermuda grass, stand ready to test your skills.
        The course’s Penncross A-4 bent grass greens lay down like smooth carpet. Precision growth and management techniques ensure the best possible chance of making par. And for a golfer, anything less than par is just really not acceptable.
    An extremely fair course to play, you can take it on as aggressively as you desire. And because it has no blind spots to the greens, you won’t be forced into extremely challenging shots unless you want them. Whether you play it assertively or safely, Cypress Lakes uniquely tests every caliber player at their own level.

    Best Basketball Court
    Fayetteville YMCA
    2717 Fort Bragg Rd., Fayetteville
    910.323.0800
    www.fayettevilleymca.org

        With the large number of basketball courts in our community (schools, colleges, rec centers), it’s quite a prize for the YMCA to take these honors. The YMCA’s court is home to adult and children’s leagues. Of course, for our money, there’s nothing better than watching 4-year-olds, run, slide and tackle each other all in the name of basketball. We can’t help but think their slides help keep the floor in such good shape. Of course, they are also much easier on nets. We’ve yet to see any 4-year-old hang from the hoop.

    Best Bowling Alley
    Lafayette Lanes
    3313 Raeford Rd., Fayetteville
    910.484.0113

        Lafayette Lanes is a perennial favorite in Fayetteville. The bowling alley is always filled. Whether playing in leagues or among friends, bowlers go to Lafayette Lanes to knock down the pins. Of course, while they are there, they just might knock back a few adult beverages, burgers, fries and nachos. But that’s not what it’s really about. It’s really about Zen. That’s right, Lafayette Lanes is a place where you can become one with the ball, and once you’ve achieved that Zen state, you let it fly. That strike earned you another adult beverage. And, it earned Lafayette Lanes another Best Of Fayetteville award.

    Best Pool Room
    Fat Daddy’s Market & Grill
    1918 Skibo Rd., Fayetteville
    910.864.1300

    Fat Daddy’s Market & Grill has owned this category for so long, that we really just don’t know what to say anymore. So here goes. Fat Daddy’s: good pool, good food, good people.

    Best Sporting Goods Store
    Dick’s Sporting Goods Store
    2051 Skibo Rd., Fayetteville
    910.867.8566

        The year was 1948. Eighteen-year-old Dick Stack was an energetic salesman at a small Army and Navy store in Binghamton, New York. One day, the store owner asked Dick, an avid fisherman, if it would be a good idea to sell fishing gear in his shop. Dick offered to develop a plan.
        After working tirelessly on a business plan over a succession of sleepless nights, Dick nervously approached the owner with his vision. The response was stinging. Dumbfounded, Dick was told that he didn’t know what he was doing and “would never make a good merchant.”
        That evening, frustrated and dejected, Dick retreated to his grandmother’s home. She listened quietly as he recounted his story. When he had finished, she rose silently and went to the kitchen. Removing the lid from her cookie jar, she extracted $300 of her hard-earned savings and pressed the bills into Dick’s hand.“ Dick, always follow your dreams,” she advised.
    Today, Dick’s Sporting Goods helps Fayetteville residents follow their dreams - whether its learning how to make a fly for fly fishing, getting the perfect pair of shoes for soccer or the perfect piece of workout equipment to help you get your body in perfect shape. If you dream it, Dick’s can help you make it happen. All you have to do is open the door and your wallet and you’re halfway there.

    Best Live Music Club, Club DJ,  Place to Dance, Club Overall, Pick-Up Bar, Sports Bar
    IT’Z Entertainment City
    4118 Legend Ave., Fayetteville
    910.826.4635
    www.itzentertainmentcity.com


        IT’Z Entertainment is “it”  for all your extracurricular activities.
        The Fayetteville nightspot won six first place awards in Up & Coming Weekly’s  2007 Best of Fayetteville contest, gaining the gold for the following categories: bBest Club for Live Music; Best Club DJ; Best Dance Club; Best Club Overall; Best Pick-up Bar; Best Sports Bar.
        Harold Ingles, IT’Z self-described “party engineer,” says the club’s versatility is what sets it apart from the meat-market crowd.
        “We’ve got so many choices,” said Ingles. “If you get tired of the dance club you can go relax in our cigar bar, or if you’re sports-minded, you go to our sports bar and sit out on the patio and watch the game. Football is starting up and we have a loyal group who patronize our sports bar.”
        A virtual entertainment conglomerate, in addition to a sports bar, cigar bar and dance club, IT’Z offers a full menu at its bar and grill, a comedy club and catering service.
        Ingles says another aspect of IT’Z that sets it apart from other clubs is the atmosphere. “Each room has a different ambiance,” said Ingles. “Our clientele is very diverse. And we really maintain the club well, keeping it clean and exciting to keep those people coming.”
        A big winner in the past — IT’Z earned five first-place designations in Up & Coming’s 2007 Best of Fayetteville Contest —     IT’Z refuses to rest on its laurels. Ingles says the club is planning to add a VIP section to its already successful formula.
        IT’Z opened its doors seven years ago and is owned by Joey Monsour.
        “He’s the man,” said Ingles. “This is all his vision of what a night club should be.”
        The club is open 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week, 364 days a year — the staff does take Christmas day off.
        Ingles gives much of the credit for the club’s success to the staff, which includes a huge bartending crew of around 20.
    “They are very professional,” said Ingles. “We’re all about providing as good an atmosphere as possible for our patrons. They’re the ones truly responsible for our success. We are very gracious and appreciative that so many folks voted for us as the best.”

    Best Overall Restaurant, Wait Staff, Restaurant for a First Date, Outdoor Seating
    Pierro’s
    217 Hay St., Fayetteville
    910.679.8885

        “Pasta, wine and romance,” those are words the owners of Pierro’s used to describe their restaurant in November 2007. It seems they were on the money with the romance, as one of the four awards taken by the restaurant includes Best Restaurant for a First Date.
        And it’s easy to see where the romance comes into play. One has to only walk into the restaurant, with its hard wood floors, and warm brick walls, muted lighting to know that romance is in the air — well, along with the pasta, garlic, tomato and all sorts of comforting smells that make you feel like you’ve just come home.
        For the past four years, Pierro’s has been a downtown destination. It was one of the first full-service restaurants to successfully integrate sidewalk dining into the downtown landscape, which would be why it also qualified for Best Outdoor Dining. If you want to sit outside, it’s best to come early and to be prepared for the passers-by who gaze longingly at your food.
        Of course, when you couple the romance and the great pasta with a wait staff that is very attentive to your needs, you have a winning combination. There’s nothing worse than sitting down to what appears to be a wonderful meal, only to have your waiter disappear on you, leaving you parched throughout the remainder of your meal. You don’t have to worry about that at Pierro’s because if your waiter pulls a Houdini, someone else is more than willing to step in. The wait staff at Pierro’s is also quick to fill your glass, grind pepper or grate cheese to make your dish even more appetizing.
        With all of these things going for the restaurant, it’s easy to see why our readers have voted Pierro’s the Best Overall Restaurant.

    Best Place to Buy Used Books and CDs
    Edward McKay
    3720 Bragg Blvd., Fayetteville
    910.868.1001
    www.edmckay.com

         For 34 years, Fayetteville residents have been buying, selling and trading used books at Edward McKay Used Books.
    And while the store’s merchandise has changed over those three-plus decades — the Bragg Boulevard retailer now offers CDs, DVDs, video games and mp3 players — one thing hasn’t: the store’s commitment to providing the best product at the best prices.
    “We try to keep on top of what our customers want as far as what we keep in stock,” said Assistant Manager Kristi Jones. “We also have a special section for children with books, DVDs and CDs — all for kids.”
        That attention to customer care recently paid dividends as the store won two first place awards in the Up & Coming Weekly’s 2008 Best of Fayetteville contest, garnering first for best place to buy used CDs and best place to buy used books.
        Founded in 1974 by Phil Jacobsen, Edward McKay was originally located just off Yadkin Road, but relocated to a bigger store on Bragg Boulevard about a year ago. Since its inception, Edward McKay has branched out, opening stores in Raleigh,  Greensboro and Winston-Salem — each of which boast more than 10,000-square feet of merchandise.
        Jones says that while the business was started mainly to sell used books, DVDs have really pushed to the forefront of sales.
        In addition to selling books, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, games, audio books, mp3 players and various other electronic gadgets, Edward McKay will also buy your used items or offer you a trade amount to open in the store.
    Bring your items in boxes or bags — no trash bags. No appointment is necessary.  The store utilizes a  first-come, first-served basis, so expect some waiting time if there are others ahead of you. You’ll usually get more in trade credit than in cash. Trade credit never expires and can be used at any of the stores.
        If you’re selling items for cash, you must have a picture ID with you — preferably a driver’s license or state-issued ID. You must be 18 to sell items for cash.
        Edward McKay pays cash for the following items: DVDs, unscratched CDs, video games and hardware, current textbooks, some vinyl records, some nonfiction, some classic fiction, audio books on CD, iPods. In-store credit is given for most fiction, children’s books, VHS tapes, scratched CDs, audio books on cassettes.
    Jones adds that the store has recently started granting store credit for DVDs.
        Edward McKay stands behind its products, offering a seven-day return policy.

    Best Day Spa, Tanning Salon, Nail Salon, Hair Salon, Leg and Bikini Waxing, Best Health Club
    The Renaissance Day Spa
    860 Elm St. or 1534 Purdue Dr., Fayetteville
    910.484.9922 or 484.2111
    www.renaissancedayspa.com

        If pampering is your game, then the name to call on is Renaissance European Day Spa.
        The wellness, health and beauty Mecca of Cumberland County won an impressive six first place awards in Up & Coming’s 2008 Best of Fayetteville competition, including: best health club/gym, best hair salon, best leg and bikini waxing, best nail salon, best tanning salon, and best day spa.
        “We are committed to providing an overall wellness program for our clients,” said Kathy Henson, the facility manager for the Eutaw Village location — Renaissance Spa also has a location on Purdue Drive.
        The parent company of the Renaissance European Day Spa, the Spa Fitness and Wellness Center, opened its doors in Fayetteville back in 1975. The company has grown exponentially over the years, opening the Purdue Drive location in 2006 and increasing it’s original staff of 18 to more than 200.
        The Renaissance European Day Spa offers the most complete list of health and wellness services in Cumberland County: a fully outfitted gym, swimming pool, nail and hair salon, body waxing, juice bar, aerobics and aqua aerobics, massage, kick boxing, tai chi, tanning, yoga, line dancing and non-surgical facial rejuvenation. A salsa dancing program will be offered in October. During that same month, the spa will initiate a program aimed at teaching teenage girls how to apply makeup and fix their hair, as well as teach them about the changes occurring to their bodies.
        “We are a one-stop shop for health and wellness,” said Henson.
        And while a membership is required for many of these services, the general public can take full advantage of the spa, which includes various packages, including the popular  European Sampler: a deep cleansing facial, a Swedish massage, a spa lunch in the garden lounge followed with a spa manicure and pedicure.
        If you want the full monty, the spa offers the Ultimate Renaissance Retreat — a  day-long retreat that combines aromatherapy massage and an aromatherapy salt glow; a water healing body treatment; a spa lunch; a Renaissance deep-cleansing facial; a make-up application, haircut and style.
        The gym is equipped with the latest Cybex equipment and a Johnny G spin program; more than 90 fitness classes are offered.
        “We have coed workout areas as well as a ladies only gym,” said Natalie Spencer, the spa’s general manager. “And we have a day-care for clients who use our services. You can’t get that kind of service anywhere else in Fayetteville.”
        Apparently, our readers agree.













     



     

     

     

  • Details
        The guy I’m dating is a high school graduate with a manual labor job. I have a master’s and a corporate career, and I’ll eventually make several times his salary. He’s a great guy, and does stuff like spontaneously buying me flowers at the farmers market and calling just to say goodnight. We talk sports, which I love, and he shares his work gossip, but I can’t talk to him the way I talk to my egghead friends. I use $5 words (my natural speech after years of schooling), and I can tell he sometimes has no idea what I just said. My friends seem put off by him and question whether we’ve got enough in common. I’m more concerned with how he feels around them (going silent, fumbling words, getting grumpy).     Is it reasonable to give up this sweet, attentive man for somebody married to his work, but who can match wits with anyone, anytime?
     —Opposites                                  


        Opposites might attract, but then they start talking. You say tomayto, he says tomahto, and you throw in a side order of antidisestablishmentarianism. (Man is from Mars, Woman is from Encyclopedia Britannica.)
        It’s amazing how you can be in a man’s arms and over his head at the very same time. In a way, this is a case of terrible timing. If you’d both been around during the Oklahoma Land Rush, he would’ve been a much wiser choice of boyfriend than some pointyhead who’d just read the collected works of Charles Darwin. But here you are in 2008, probably all cozy in some starter condo, feeling the constant grate of his intellectual incompatibility, especially at those smart people clambakes you’re always attending.
        While people will tell you money can’t buy happiness, if you make lots more than he does, you might end up feeling pretty miserable. There was this theory that women only wanted rich, powerful men because they couldn’t get money or power themselves. Studies by evolutionary psychologist David Buss and others actually show that rich, successful women tend to go for even richer, more successful men.
        As a woman who uses $5 words, can you be satisfied with a man who only has $2.75 or so to play around with? Most importantly, do you admire him? And will you — when he stretches his hand skyward and promises you the stars...without the faintest idea that he’s actually offering you a passing satellite?

  • Details
    What was once a gentleman’s hobby among a few dozen enthusiasts at the turn of the 20th century,” wrote The New York Times in July, “has evolved into a multimillion-dollar industry,” namely, collecting strands of hair of famous people. Mastro Auctions of Chicago sells $100,000 worth of hair a year, and in October, a tuft of Che Guevara’s went for $119,500 (and John Lennon’s recently for $48,000). Westport, Conn., Americana dealer John Reznikoff (who owns strands of Lincoln, Washington, Napoleon and Beethoven) appraised Britney Spears’ locks (after her 2007 head-shaving) at “only” $3,500. Reznikoff told the Times that, while he advertises his trade in books and autographs, the hair is low-key: “I’m concerned clients might not take me seriously if they see me selling a lock of Charles Dickens’ hair.”

    THE CONTINUING CRISIS
    As Denton, Texas, Pizza Patron employee Stephanie Martinez complied with a disguised robber’s demand for money at closing in July, a co-worker jumped the man, knocked him down, and began beating on him. As the robber’s sunglasses and wig fell off, Martinez recognized him: “Don’t hit him again! That’s my dad!” Police later charged Stephanie’s father, mother and husband with the attempted robbery, concluding that Stephanie had been kept completely in the dark about the heist.

    MADE FOR ‘LAW AND ORDER’
    David Steffen was convicted in Cincinnati in 1983 of murdering a 19-year-old woman and sentenced to death because the jury found that he also raped her, a violation that was an added devastation to her parents. Steffen confessed to the killing but vehemently protested for almost a quarter century that he did not rape her, and, finally, a 2007 DNA test of semen backed him up, disturbing the family even more (and calling Steffen’s death sentence into question). In July 2008, the prosecutor learned that the DNA belonged to 55-year-old Kenneth Douglas, who is not a suspect in the murder but who was a morgue assistant in 1982 when the woman’s body arrived and, said the prosecutor, had sex with it. Though the statute of limitations likely prevents prosecuting Douglas, the woman’s parents seemed somewhat comforted that, after all, their daughter was a virgin. 

  • Details
        I first learned about motorcycles when I was a youngster. My next door neighbor had bought an Indian motorcycle. I would look at it with amazement. My father quickly instructed me that I was to “never get on one of those things.” Soon, my neighbor had purchased his wife and son a bike. Raymond was my age and had a Honda 80cc bike. They took off on weekends and did family rides. At that time in Tennessee people didn’t seem to care much about age and the vehicle laws when it came to motorcycles. Timmy Ward was riding a motorcycle to school in the 6th grade. Timmy is the guy who taught me how to ride. I still remember the bike — a purple Yamaha DT 100. Oh happy days!                                                                                            Today, riding is still a family affair. One of the guys at work told me that he and his son have 15 motorcycles in the shed and spend the weeks competing at the track. John Glebus is 14 and has been riding for 6 years. He started off with a Honda 80cc motorcycle and has now progressed to a Yamaha YZ250. His sister Johanna rides as well. I enjoy watching them pack up their bikes on the weekend as the family heads over to Wide Open motor cross track in Raeford. {mosimage}
        Like John, most young riders learned how to ride off-road from a family member or friend. For riding on the road, things are not that easy. In North Carolina you must be at least 16 to operate a bike on the road. You must have a full provisional driver’s license, a regular or commercial license issued by the DMV. If you are younger than 18, you must have your parents or legal guardian sign for you. Not only do you need a motor vehicle license but you must also pass four additional tests: vision, traffic signs, motorcycle knowledge and road test.
        Somewhere along the way you need one additional thing. A motorcycle! This is one of those subjects I get a lot questions about: What would be a good first bike for my kid. I tell the questioner there is no right answer because everyone has a different vision of what they need or want their child to operate. Some will want something that will get them around town or to school. Some want something that is street legal but will also go off-road. It just depends on what bike best meets your child’s needs, so take some time to analyze your situation.
        Size matters. I personally don’t think a Yamaha R1 is a good idea for a new rider regardless of his/her age. One slight twist on the throttle and you’re airborne or off the road. There is simply too much power for a new rider.
        New or used? Used is good because it is his or her first bike. Chances are it’s going to hit the ground. There are additional costs to remember, including maintenance, taxes and insurance.
    If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, please send your comments and suggestions to motorcycle4fun@aol.com.
        RIDE SAFE!

  • Details

         Gossip GirlWrestles With The Big Problems

            The new season of Gossip Girl(Monday, 8 p.m., CW) heats up as the beautiful young Manhattanites make messes of their privileged lives. This week’s episode hinges on an explosive plot point: Should Vanessa call Nate? Or, conversely, should she, like, not call him? Jenny, the blonde would-be designer, comes up with a brilliant solution based in syllogistic logic: “You like him, he likes you, so just call him!” But Vanessa remains torn, uncharacteristically so. “I am so not the whiny should-I-call-him girl!” she whines.
        {mosimage}The philosophical questions become only more perplexing. Should Serena and Dan get back together? Should Blair have a quickie with Chuck? I can’t decide if Gossip Girlis the most enjoyable show on TV, or the silliest, or both. And that’s weird, because I am so not the whiny should-I-pan-this-series TV critic!

    TOP DESIGN
    Wednesday, 10 p.m. (Bravo)
        Project Runway makes fashion design compelling, and the same goes for Top Chef with cooking. But Top Design can’t pull off the trick with interior design. There are no vivid personalities in the new season, either among the judges or the contestants. Despite the stress of competition, most of the designers get along pretty well. “We know what we have to get done,” one of them says happily during a challenge, “and we’re going to work as a team to pull it off.”
        Well, that’s just great, but it means we have to sit there watching people paint and saw with very little underlying drama. For many of us, matching the drapes with the bedspread is not a scintillating payoff for an hour of TV viewing.

    COCO CHANEL
    Saturday, 8 p.m. (Lifetime)
        Shirley MacLaine affects thick red lipstick and an even thicker French accent as legendary designer Coco Chanel. This TV movie flashes back to Chanel’s upbringing in an orphanage, followed by her success with jersey dresses and perfume. Despite the abundance of Chanel No. 5, the movie stinks, indulging in every inspirational biopic cliché. The only real drama is whether MacLaine will tip forward or backward from the weight of her enormous hat and horn-rim glasses.

    ENTOURAGE
    Sunday, 10 p.m. (Fox)
        HBO’s masterpiece shows no signs of decline in season five, setting the standard for inside-Hollywood satire. At this point in the story, budding star Vince (Adrian Grenier) and his horndog entourage hit the bad side of the town’s boom-and-bust cycle. Vince’s last movie flopped, and nothing feels right with sex or society life. “You’re in movie jail until the stench from Medellin clears,” declares his subhuman superagent, Ari (Jeremy Piven).
        As always, Piven steals the show with his portrait of a man who would sell his soul to the devil for a deal — if he had a soul, and if the devil had access to a major studio. Ari is our ticket to the sick side of Hollywood, repulsive even when he’s trying to be reassuring.
        “You can come back stronger than ever,” he tells Vince. “Like Lance Armstrong, but with two balls!”

  • Details

       Babylon A.D. (Rated PG-13) One Star

        When Babylon A.D.(90 minutes) was first advertised, it looked good. It looked liked a thinking person’s movie, a dystopian take on a near future with a Russian aesthetic and some pretty, pretty lead actors. Then, rumors of conflict between director Mathieu Kassovitz and Fox Studios developed, and everyone started busting on the film before it was even released. Additionally, a substantial amount of footage is missing from the U.S. cut against the director’s wishes. The Internet Movie Database reports a loss of more than 70 minutes, but I couldn’t verify that amount. What I can verify is at least 15 minutes missing from the U.S. studio release, enough to completely change the character of a film. Think that 15 minutes can’t change a movie? Let me direct your attention to the theatrical versus the director’s cut of The Descent.   
        {mosimage}Kassovitz’s wrote, directed, and starred in 1995’s controversial La Haine(The Hate), and starred as Amelie’s love interest in the French Amelie (2001). His stateside work includes the notoriously stinky Gothika and a brief appearance in The Fifth Element. This movie might have been his big break into quality science fiction. Instead, the film American audiences are seeing is chopped up beyond all hope of quality, and a more sophisticated film is lost on the cutting room floor, sacrificed to the PG rating gods.
        The film centers on a U.S. military veteran turned mercenary, Toorop (Vin Diesel). He is recruited by a wealthy man named Gorsky (played primarily by Gerard Depardieu’s nose) to escort a sweet young thing from a monastery in Kazakhstan to New York. While escorting Aurora (Melanie Thierry) and her guardian (Michelle Yeoh, who used to make good movies), he discovers that Aurora is capable of some pretty odd intuitive leaps, among other unusual traits. They make their way across a heavily guarded border despite the menace and confusion surrounding them. Eventually, Aurora’s fate is balanced between science and religion, with only Toorop privy to the secret that can rescue her. About here is where I usually start to worry about giving away the ending, but this version really doesn’t have an ending. Things start blowing up, and we see about five minutes of confusingly edited scenes, which quickly lead into the credits. But sincerely, I have only the vaguest conception of the finale. It was abrupt and left many questions unanswered.
        I have nothing personally against Vin Diesel, The Pacifier notwithstanding. I enjoyed him in Pitch Black, and I am even eager to see his take on the famous Carthaginian general Hannibal. Here however, he seems to sleepwalk though his lines. All the major players are poorly used and move through the film with apology in their eyes. The cinematography is atrocious, the fight choreography childish and uninspired.     There are far too many holes in the plot. For example, at one point the merry crew tries to evade motion sensing robots. Our hero offers to draw them off, but his companions continue to move…why would the robots chase the hero but not the other moving targets? That’s just bad storytelling.
        Honestly, there is nothing like a good sci-fi action movie. Unfortunately, this truly is nothing like a good action movie…instead it is just awful and dumb.  

  • Details
        On the release of The Game’s third full length album, LAX, a myriad of questions await the man named Jayceon Taylor on his self-proclaimed “last album.” What’s The Game talking about on this album? Who is he working with? Is this his last album? Even with these burning questions from onlookers, The Game pushes all of his old controversy and recent speculation to the side and delivers his project to the world.
        Even though some naysayers might say that he might not have much to talk about on this album or the South is on top right now and doesn’t have room for The Game’s West Coast sound, with LAXhe’s out to prove them wrong. {mosimage}
        See, The Game is used to being an underdog and what he does have going for him is a menacing delivery and incredible flow; respect from his peers in the industry; and a keen ability to write songs and make hits. It’s also interesting to note that while The Game is a West Coast artist, his sound accompanies more of an East Coast flavor which gives him a wider audience (along both coasts) than many other artists could accommodate.
        The album begins with a spirited sermon by none other then Earl Simmons (yes, DMX), and follows with the opener, “LAX Files.” This is not a spectacular opening song, but not a bad one either. “State of Emergency,” featuring Ice Cube, is a riot-inciting track with that signature West Coast sound and Cube’s barking on the hook, welcoming back a rejuvenated vigor reminiscent to his days of classic albums Death Certificate and Lethal Injection.
        The Game also brings out another rap vet, Wu-Tang’s Raekwon for “Bulletproof Diaries,” and rides with neo-soul singer Bilal on “Cali Sunshine.” The anthemic “Big Dreams” produced by Cool and Dre with its epic horns and booming drums should be one of the radio singles off the album and “House of Pain” is also a trunk banger.
        With all of theses highlights to offer, The Game flies even higher with the feel good anthem of “Angel” featuring Common and a melodic driven beat by Kanye West. The closing musical track is the moving “Letter to the King” featuring Nas. On the latter, Game laments on Dr. Martin Luther King and his respect for the “first Braveheart.”
        “If Dr. King march today would Bill Gates march?/I know Obama would Hillary take part?/great minds think great thoughts the pictures I paint make the Mona Lisa look like fake art/da pain I feel is like Nelson Mandela ‘cause when it rains it pours I need Rihanna’s umbrella……”
        Introspective indeed. As strong as this quote is, one of The Game’s greatest strengths is also one of his greatest weaknesses. Many have accused his style of being “namedropitis” where he fills his verses with too many bars of celebrity’s names and aliases like “my competition is stiffer than Ronald Reagan” or “I keep a Cannon (Nick) like Mariah.” Sometimes his style is refreshing and entertaining while other times it can be annoying and redundant. As brilliant as a song like “Angel” is, he sounds generic and boring on “Touchdown.”
        Fortunately for The Game, these mistakes are minor, and with LAX, he has arguably produced one of the best hip-hop albums of 2008. While Nas’ Untitledis on another level lyrically and Lil’ Wayne’s The Carter 3 sold the most albums this year, commercially and artistically, LAX might be the sleeper hit of 2008 for rap fans. The Game shows his versatility by being introspective and personal with songs like “My Life,” keeping it gangsta on “Let Us Live,” and showing his sensitive side to the ladies on “Gentleman’s Affair,” all without sounding forced and being 100 percent The Game. The production is A+ with everyone from Scott Storch to J.R. Rotem to DJ Hi-Tek delivering some of their best work, and The Game shows a balanced chemistry shining (but not overshadowing) alongside every guest. If this is his last album as he says it is, we are truly witnessing one of this generation’s greats retire while still in his prime — at a time when he is truly at the top of his “game.”

  • Details
        Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard that increasing eco-awareness around the world has now extended itself to the afterlife, whereby burials can even be “green.” Is that true?
       — Mary Lewis, Duxbury, Mass.

        Modern western-world burial practices are arguably absurd, all things considered: We pack our dearly departed with synthetic preservatives and encase them in impenetrable coffins meant to defy the natural forces of decomposition that have been turning ashes to ashes and dust to dust for eons. And in the process we give over thousands of acres of land every year to new cemetery grounds from coast to coast.
    According to National Geographic, American funerals are responsible each year for the felling of 30 million board feet of casket wood (some of which comes from tropical hardwoods), 90,000 tons of steel, 1.6 million tons of concrete for burial vaults, and 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid. Even cremation is an environmental horror story, with the incineration process emitting many a noxious substance, including dioxin, hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide, and climate-changing carbon dioxide.
        But increasing demand for more natural burial practices has spawned changes in the industry, and dozens of funeral homes and cemeteries across the country have started to adopt greener ways of operating. Many of these providers are members of the nonprofit Green Burial Council, which works “to make burial sustainable for the planet, meaningful for the families, and economically viable for the provider.”
    The organization partners with land trusts, park service agencies and the funeral profession to help consumers get the greenest burial experience possible. Its network of approved providers is committed to reducing the industry’s toxins, waste and carbon emissions. Many of the group’s member cemeteries — you can find a directory on the Green Burial Council’s Web site — offer clients the option of burying loved ones in more natural landscapes uncluttered by headstones and mausoleums. In place of a traditional headstone, for example, a tree might be planted over the grave.{mosimage}
        And instead of conventional wood and steel coffins, clients can bury loved ones in more biodegradable wicker or cardboard, or in a casket made of wood certified as sustainably harvested by the nonprofit Forest Stewardship Council. Advocates of such greener burials say that people take comfort in knowing their bodies will decompose and become part of the cycle of nature.
        Likewise, dry ice is becoming a popular, non-toxic alternative to embalming. According to Greensprings Natural Cemetery in Newfield, N.Y., “No state in the U.S. requires embalming, though some may require it if burial doesn’t take place within a set amount of time — usually 24 or 48 hours.”
        Even the practice of scattering ashes at sea has a new wrinkle. Florida-based Great Burial Reef will place urns with cremated remains within 100 percent natural, PH-balanced concrete artificial reefs placed at the bottom of the ocean. And Georgia-based Eternal Reefs will mix your ashes with the cement they use to create “reef balls” — hollow spheres that resemble giant Wiffle balls that are sunk offshore. Loved ones equipped with the GPS coordinates can boat or even dive to visit the site of the remains.

        CONTACTS: Green Burial Council, www.greenburialcouncil.org; Forest Stewardship Council, www.fscus.org; Greensprings Natural Cemetery, www.naturalburial.org; Great Burial Reef, www.greatburialreef.com; Eternal Reefs, www.eternalreefs.com.

        GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com.

  • Details
        {mosimage}Joe Biden? What does he know about North Carolina?
        Some North Carolinians are asking this question this week as they assess Biden’s vice presidential nomination.
    I have a partial answer, coming from some personal memories. You see, I am responsible, at least in part, for one of Biden’s early political visits to our state.
        Back in 1986, I was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Congress in a district that had been represented by Republicans for many years. The race was close. Lots of senators and members of Congress came to campaign with me. I loved hobnobbing with famous political personages like Jim Wright, Claude Pepper and Charles Rangel-and future presidential candidates Bill Bradley, Dick Gephardt and Gary Hart. But these visits often drove our campaign volunteers crazy trying to figure out how to readjust our campaign schedule, develop an “appropriate” program for them and gather respectable crowds to greet them.
        One of these visitors was Joe Biden. His staff gave our campaign scheduler Marcia Webster only a day or two to prepare. She called some of the loyal supporters who never said “no” even to the most challenging requests.
    One of these, Brenda Barger remembers that she and her husband Hugh hosted a small group at their farm near Davidson. Davidson Mayor Russell Knox and College Union Director Shaw Smith came to meet Biden and hear him tell about a run for president someday.
        Amy Steele, whose ability to organize campaign operations was unexcelled, took on the task of gathering a group of supporters to meet Biden in Statesville. She got a young couple, David and Sally Parker, to host an event.
    But, as Sally Parker remembers now, they had planned a trip with their children that day to Carowinds in Charlotte, leaving Amy and her crew to prepare. Sally says, “Amy had a magic wand.” When the Parkers returned and Biden arrived, their home and garden were full of fresh flowers and a big crowd.
        Biden was charmed. So were the Parkers.
        Later, Sally quizzed Biden about his views on capital punishment. She remembers his thoughtful listening and response to her concerns. Biden was a hit with the Parkers. A few months later, soon after the publication of a photo of Donna Rice on Gary Hart’s knee ended Hart’s presidential campaign, the Parkers ran into Biden again. “What happened to that photo?” Biden asked them, smiling but maybe just a little worried that it could be misunderstood. “Don’t worry,” the Parkers told him, “the photo did not turn out.”
        The Parkers remain Biden fans to this day. David Parker is a convention “super-delegate.”  He says “if it had not been for John Edwards’ candidacy, I would have supported Biden’s presidential campaign this year. And I am glad I can vote for him this week in Denver.”  
        Our campaign manager Henry Doss remembers Biden’s visit to campaign headquarters where Doss’s 5-year-old daughter was visiting and drawing a picture of a red dog. She told Biden a story about that dog. “For that moment,” Doss says, “he was really interested in what Elizabeth was telling him and giving her his full attention. I think one of Biden’s greatest strengths is his ability to engage from moment to moment. This builds on his authenticity. He is what he is, and that’s what makes him powerful.  I’ve always been in awe of his grasp of world affairs, and his comfort level around power. But his encounter with Elizabeth illustrates his rare ability and desire to connect with people. Maybe he even learned something about the red dog.”
        Great memories for me. And for Biden, some North Carolinians who remember him well.


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