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Kindah Temple No. 62 hosts annual Spring Ceremonial

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With the spring season comes many things. From spring cleaning to camping, there are yearly things we all do throughout our daily lives. This year, like many before it, the local Masonic Temple Kindah Temple No. 62 is hosting its annual Spring Ceremonial.
Happening April 13th, a fezzing ceremony and night of celebration for the individuals being honored will be taking place. Up & Coming Weekly was able to sit down with Assistant Rabban Adrian Davis and Oriental Guide Shakoor Mitchner to learn more about the local temple, the masonic lodge, fezzing, and other exciting things about the pseudo-secretive nature of the Freemasons and Shriners.
The Kinda Temple No. 62’s Spring Ceremonial is a great opportunity to support the local Masonic Temple and meet the people involved in many community projects. The temple is itself deeply involved in community outreach projects and events on a regular basis.
Charity, fundraising, and youth engagement are some of the core tenets found in the basis of membership at the local temple and in most Freemason temples and Shriner lodges. One such event is the PTSD Awareness Motorcycle event the group has coming up on June 8th, with the proceeds going back to the Wounded Warrior Project.
“We also sponsor Ferguson-Easley Elementary School and work with the kids year-round with mentorship programs, easter egg hunts, Halloween trick or treats, and scholarships at the end of the year. We also sponsor young gentlemen and ladies on how to begin their journey through adolescence and present themselves in a way that garners respect and makes them feel confident.”
The Freemasons and Shriners pride themselves on being an organization focused on the continual improvement of the community. Through determined and focused efforts, the groups curate their members and offer developmental opportunities to one another in the pursuit of accumulating the skills, knowledge, and resources to fund and execute plans both large-scale and local to implement positive change within their communities. But how can someone get involved with their local temple?
“There are qualifications any individual must meet to join. There are important things to learn. Like any organization they need to understand the foundation of that group that they’re choosing to be a part of, what we do, the different groups within our local temple, and to let them get a feel for who they’ll be around and understand why these individuals set their feet in the community and strive to better things.”
Those being honored can have their fezzes donned by their friends, family, wives, or other loved ones. You may have noticed that we have yet to mention who exactly is being fezzed.
This is intentional, as the identities of those being fezzed at the Spring Ceremonial will remain hidden until the night of celebration to all but those directly involved in their leadership and individual training; a way to entice the local community to find out for themselves who they’ve deemed to have done the necessary community and self-work to earn the honor of donning their fez.
However, Davis and Mitchner were able to tell U&CW that ten individuals will be receiving their fezzes at the ceremony and they believe they were confident in presenting the best they have to offer to the community regarding the individuals being fezzed.
“When it comes to this Spring Ceremonial, to me it’s like a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. It’s like graduating high school; you only get one time to do so. There are certain elements in life where achievements are met and goals are set for someone, and those moments are a great thing. But within all of it, you can have all the different organizations, but with us, it is about what ‘you’ can bring with you. We aren’t just a ‘goody boys club.’ Everyone pays their dues in giving back. Quality over quantity is a frequent motto,” said Mitchner.
The pair invite the community out to this year’s Spring Ceremonial and fezzing at Kindah Temple No. 62 with the great pleasure of presenting their newest Shriners. Tickets start at $20 and are available through Assistant Rabban Adrian Davis or Oriental Guide Shakoor Mitchner.
To attend please call them at 910-587-3434 or 910-760-1136. The dress code is business casual, and the festivities will run from 8 p.m. to midnight. Clifford Duell Masonic Lodge #756, where the event is taking place, is located at 2860 Village Drive.
For more on how to get involved, reach out to Assistant Rabban Adrian Davis or Oriental Guide Shakoor Mitchner for more information.

Flawless Touch Detailing celebrates new location

11This April 13, local automotive detailing shop Flawless Touch Detailing will be celebrating the move to its new location at 250 West Russell Street, Suite 102.
Owner Stanley Jacobs started his business to be a mobile car detailing service that would drive out to their customers on appointment. However, after he started his business, he focused on stabilizing his company by developing its headquarters location at the main shop. With the continual growth and success of his brand, Jacobs expressed his want to bring back and re-implement this mobile detailing service for the Fayetteville and Cumberland County area.
“People really like being in the comfort of their own home. You can call your barber to come cut your hair. Think of how great it would be to just relax at home while somebody comes and cleans your car. That’d be awesome, I’d love that,” Jacobs said. “People still come in, but a lot of people miss the mobile. I want to get back to that.”
Dealership corrections and repairs can be costly, but auto detailing services offer a cheaper and more specialized service for automotive care and maintenance.
Jacobs credits his current expertise with auto detailing to his time spent working at a car dealership when he first moved to Fayetteville from Lumberton. While Flawless Touch offers ceramic coating, paint protection and window detailing as well, Jacobs says the foundation of car cleaning is paramount to properly developing the fundamentals for professional and expert automotive detailing.
“We do a lot of interior details. That’s definitely what I started with. A lot of these up-and-coming people, they want to go straight into paint correction and ceramic coating, because ‘Oh that’s the big one.’ But if you don’t know how to clean a car, you don’t have any business touching the paint. That is when mistakes start to happen. There are a lot of bad things that can go wrong with a paint correction. When I started off, that’s all I did: clean dirty cars,” expressed Jacobs.
The main thing Jacobs believes sets him and his business apart is their commitment to customer service. Having a vast resume with multiple vocations, Jacobs says his belief in the importance of customer service is directly linked to his personal experience over the years.
“The way I try to stand out is customer service,” Jacobs said. “I do believe that the customer is always right. A lot of people don’t believe in that anymore; they’ve gotten away from that. Most jobs I’ve worked all dealt with customer service in some way. I’ve worked for Orkin, Walmart, and been a cable man, so I know how to deal with customers. Sometimes you can’t please everybody, but still, that doesn’t give me the right to lash out at a customer. They’re a paying customer, and I’ll always try to work with them to get them exactly what they paid for.”
Jacobs warned readers to steer clear of the do-it-yourself videos and clips found on social media on the internet. He stressed the importance of always vetting who you’re getting your information from, and ensure it’s a legitimate professional in the automotive industry.
The grand reopening event will be taking place at the shop’s new location on West Russell St. While normally open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the celebration will start at 1 p.m. and go on into the night, finally ending at 8 p.m. Jacobs said there will be music, cool cars to look at, vendors, free t-shirts, cornhole and food trucks. For more information about the grand reopening, vendor spots, or car display, please visit the Flawless Touch Detailing website at https://flawlesstouchdetailingnc.com/ or call 910-987-8093.

Local pub’s annual poker run celebrates two firsts

9The annual Brothers for Brothers event hosted by the pub Charlie Mike’s will have many firsts this year for their poker run scheduled for April 20 at noon.
Tracy Guthrie, media rep and owner of Charlie Mike’s, said this poker run is open to anyone. Participants can register the morning of, with any vehicle they wish.
The event honors fallen brothers of the United States Army Special Forces, also known as The Green Berets.
But this year, for the first time in the run, two honorees will be recognized. The first is SFC Lance S. Cornett United States Army Special Operations Command. The second is SFC Roberto C. Skelt, 3rd Special Forces Group.
Because the establishment has a wall of fallen Green Berets, usually customers suggest from that wall who should be honored. And Guthrie said fallen sisters are not forgotten either. Proceeds will go to the Special Forces Charitable Trust. SFCT provides meaningful and sustainable support to families of Green Berets through its 501(c)(3) charitable status. Programs and services designed to enhance the well-being and health of both Special Forces soldiers and their families are supported by the SFCT.
The second first this year, is that proceeds will also be divvied up between SFCT and a military-based organization called Memorial 3 Gun. Memorial 3 Gun Foundation’s mission is to remember, honor, and memorialize fallen Special Operations soldiers through the world of competitive shooting.
Their desire is that families of fallen heroes know they are not alone during and after tragedy.
The annual event will continue to raffle off guns (participants must have a gun permit to receive these), knives and other various items. Guthrie said Mission BBQ will cater the food. It’s a community event too. She said many Fayetteville businesses are involved with this poker run.
Veterinarians, pet stores, and grooming stores are involved to raffle off animal baskets with gift certificates for pet lovers. Other giveaways are pool table lights, a golf bag filled with gift certificates to various golf courses, a Yeti cooler filled with adult beverages and handmade canes.
“It is an all-around good time with a solid history behind it,” Guthrie said.
In the beginning
The Brothers for Brothers event first started in 2009 by the original owner of Charlie Mike’s, Michelle Curtis. The first run was for Mitchell Young, a 7th group communications sergeant. Guthrie said it is her understanding that his wife Robin had the idea.
Michelle continued the poker run as a way to donate all the proceeds to various organizations that support the community.
In 2016, Iris Hash owned the bar.
“All the money made was then donated to the SFCT,” said Guthrie. “It has continued that way.”
As a finale to the day, Charlie Mike’s will be welcoming back those who completed the 222 mile Let’s Ruck It Out trip from Fayetteville to Camp Lejeune and back.
For more information regarding the Brothers For Brothers Poker Run, visit https://bit.ly/3THFYME.

CFRT: The Play That Goes Wrong...Again

10The folks at Cape Fear Regional Theatre know a good hit when it happens. For The Play That Goes Wrong, however, it was in the people on social media asking them to extend the multiple sold-out shows and the general community’s question about more showtimes for the play that made them know they had a hit on their hands. So, naturally, they decided that the show had to return — The Play That Goes Wrong, again.
“It was our highest attended play in the history of the theatre,” Ashley Owen, the Marketing Director for Cape Fear Regional Theatre, said.
The members of Cape Fear Regional Theatre are gearing up for a large renovation and Owen said the fly system that The Play That Goes Wrong requires wouldn’t be possible for another two years. They knew, she said, it had to be brought back before the renovations, which explains the closeness of the return of the production to its original run.
“There is no way we can do this show not in our own setting,” she said.
The Play That Goes Wrong is about a play, The Murder of Haversham Manor, going from “bad to utterly disastrous” and gives the comedic vibes of Gene Wilder with accident-prone actors and a corpse that has a hard time remembering to play dead. The show will hinge on comedic timing.
As far as actors are concerned, most of the original cast was able to return for the second run of the play. Just two actors had conflicts and had to be recast. And although this is the second run, Director Laura Josepher said the show will include plenty of subtle changes the cast and crew have been fine-tuning.
“They are still finding new things,” she said. “It is different. It feels a little bit different.”
The theatre admins had to apply for the rights to do the production the first time around and had to place new applications in to get the rights for this second run. Thankfully, Owen said, they were approved. They hope the community will come back and experience new laughs and maybe some of the magic from the first run as well.
“I would encourage people who saw it before to come again and bring people,” Josepher said.
For Josepher, she feels like comedy shows like this one get influenced by people coming together and being able to laugh together.
“It’s really cathartic. I see it every day and it still makes me laugh,” she said. Josepher has previously admitted that farce is hard. “It’s such specific timing. The world is a tough place that [it’s nice to have] an evening of just laughing.”
Tickets are on sale at CFRT.org, or call the box office at 910-323-4234. The show will run until April 7th. It will include military and teacher appreciation nights.

NCCEED's HERWeek a success for community

100 1454“Be Bold. Be Fearless. Be the Heroine. “ -Acharya Shunya

Her Spirit addresses the spirituality for women business owners. One of the questions is, how can a woman create and convey self-love and self-acceptance? Camy Kennedy, Intuitive Life and Business Coach provides guidance, “The biggest thing when you are not spiritually connected, you are very conditioned to the outside world. When you reach the state of calm, grounded, and centered, you will make better decisions. Perfectionism, people-pleasing, and imposter syndrome are challenges for women. Perfectionism is trying to make everything look good and perfect before marketing or selling yourself. People pleasing is trying to make everyone like us. There will be some people for me and some people not for me. That is okay. Imposter syndrome is the feeling of not being good enough. Every human being has this wound. You are complete and whole. Imposter syndrome is a symptom of risk-taking. The biggest thing is being able to trust yourself. You can tap into your divine, feminine power separate from men. If you can have a baby, you can run a business,” shares Camy Kennedy.

The HerImpact Brunch was held on March 5, 2024, at the Greek Hellenic Center, Fayetteville. “As we come together to commemorate International Women’s Day, we are reminded of the remarkable progress women have made in the pursuit of equality. And yet we recognize the challenges that still are ahead. Today we affirm our collective dedication to breaking down barriers, challenging stereotypes, and creating a more inclusive and equitable world for all,” said Rebecca Jackson, HERWEEK, cofounder and emcee.
Women in Power is a partnering organization with NCCEED. This organization has donated $10,000 in 2023 and doubled the amount in 2024. The donations are based on proceeds from the Affair to Remember Annual Runway Extravaganza.

“We are giving away over $30,000 today for Women in Business: HERPITCH. Everyone in here today is helping HER WEEK along. We have over seventy women that have walked the stage,” shared Kathy Jensen, District 1, Fayetteville, Mayor Pro Tem, and Founder of Women in Power.

Amy Privette Perko, executive director, Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, inspired as the keynote speaker about the impact of Title IX on her career, “My own experience in sports would have never happened without Title IX in my life and the opportunities I have been given. When in 1983, I was offered a scholarship to play at Wake Forest, I never could have dreamed that I would have the career that I did. But thinking back, my success came from the help of another core lesson. It is one of my favorite quotes, that 'small things done consistently over time lead to big results.'”

Title IX in 1972 was a game-changing legislation for women in the sports and the sports industry.

One of Cumberland County’s trendsetters in Women in Sports is Michelle Skinner, General Manager, Fayetteville Woodpeckers. “One of the things I like about working in sports is that whether you are on the field or off the field, it is a team atmosphere. I have been in the baseball industry for over fifteen years. Two of the biggest struggles are representation and equal opportunity. There have been a lot of improvements. It is great to see young boys and men wearing female athletes’ jerseys. Bring your seat to the table. Build your network and make connections. Women in Baseball has a great networking group. There is room to grow.”

The Athena Award is one of the stellar moments of the HERImpact Brunch. The Athena Award recognizes “women who demonstrate excellence in professional leadership, community service and mentorship,” according to Athena International. Tammy Thurman, Piedmont Natural Gas, Senior Manager for community relations, and local government presented the award to Stacey Buckner for her organization, Off-Road Outreach. It is a mobile service that transports homeless veterans and provides laundry services, food, clothing, mobile showers, and assistance for applications concerning housing and VA benefits. Other nominees for the award were Tonette Sheree Johnson and Stephanie Brown Kegler.

“I cannot thank you all enough. The work in the community is not done without powerful women like you here. It is about improvement; it is about taking each and every one of our stories and making it a testimony and doing good in a great community because all of you beautiful trailblazing ladies out there,” said Buckner

Stacey Buckner’s response to receiving the Athena Award inspired remarks by Suzy Hrabovsky, NCCEED executive director, “The power of supporting each other is amazing. We do not do it enough. Stacey just showed that up here. She is absolutely amazing, when we come together and support each other, we grow. Instead of holding each other back.”

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  • Gallery 208: Beyond Surface: Abstractions by Kellie Perkins
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  • Flawless Touch Detailing celebrates new location
  • CFRT: The Play That Goes Wrong...Again
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