Election 2014: You Decide

“The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.” — John F. Kennedy

President John F. Kennedy’s brief words on voting really define why Up & Coming Weekly creates its election guide. There is no greater responsibility or privilege of being an American citizen than that of voting. It is the basis for this great experiment we call a democracy.

But with great privilege and responsibility there comes a price and that price is knowledge. You cannot go the polls unless you are armed with knowledge; knowledge to make informed decisions and not vote based on the party line or on personality. You must know what people stand for. You must know their background and you must know their record. Without this basic information, you are going to the polls unarmed and uniformed. An uninformed voter is like an unattended loaded gun — dangerous!

So, for the past 19 years, we have worked to give our community a snapshot of the candidates who are running for office. We do it by letting the candidate’s speak for themselves. Our process is simple.

We send out a request to every candidate on the ballot asking them to either respond to a series of questions, or in the case of this year, we gave every candidate 500 words to let you, the voter, know why you should vote for them.

This year we emailed the request to every candidate and followed it up with a phone call. The candidates whose answers are found inside the guide are the ones who took the time to respond. If a candidate is not in the guide, it is not because they were not afforded the opportunity to speak directly to you, but rather they chose not to take it. That speaks volumes.

If you are like me, your mailboxes have been inundated with mailers that tell you little about the candidate but a lot of bad things about their opponent. That is not the kind of information any of us need to go to the polls. Instead we need to go to the polls armed with the facts, armed with the truth. And you can’t find that on negative mailers or through political action committee-sponsored 60 second commercials on your television.

The truth about candidates can be found in what they have to say about themselves and in what their past actions, whether in office or in the community, say about them. And you can only know that by questioning and by studying the candidates.

Some of you may have already gone to the polls. If you have, I hope you took the time to educate and inform yourselves. If you have not voted yet, then use this guide as a stepping off point. Read about the candidates and then research them. Look at their voting records. Look at where they spend their money and who spends money on them. Look at their experience and see if they have the experience that will allow them to make good decisions for you. It’s your future. It’s your children’s future.

Voting may be one of the most important things you will do in the coming weeks. Don’t take it lightly. Don’t do it as a matter of habit, and definitely don’t do it based on party lines. Do it because the candidate in question deserves your vote, because they have earned it. Do it because you want this great experiment in freedom to succeed. It’s your privilege, but it’s also your responsibility. Do not take it lightly.

Thanks you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Unique, energetic, heart-pounding, amazing, these are all words that have been used to describe a show that is coming to Fayetteville on Nov. 6, as the Crown Theatre welcomes the world famous Blue Man Group.

The Blue Man Group is currently on a 50-city tour that began at the end of September and runs through April. The show is part of Fayetteville Live, a three-show series at the Crown that also includes Stomp on Jan. 11, 2015 and Celtic Woman on April 8.

The Blue Man Group was originally formed back in 1987 by three men, Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The show they created was a blend of powerful percussion and unique visuals and featured a set of characters that are special, to say the least. The three men donned black jumpsuits, blue face paint and blue bald caps to become the enigmatic Blue Men.

Since those original three men started the phenomena that has spanned the globe, more than 150 more men have donned the blue paint to call themselves a Blue Man. Currently, there are between 80 and 100 men working in teams of three performing worldwide. The group has permanent shows in Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York City, Orlando and Berlin to go along with the touring team that is coming to Fayetteville.

One of the Blue Men who will be appearing in Fayetteville is Mike Brown, who first saw the group back in 1997, when he said he, “fell in love with them and dreamed of working with them.” A few months later, his dream came true when he was hired to work on the backstage crew. Brown was classically trained in theater and also played the drums in a series of bands with friends. So, with the urging of friends and family, he answered an open casting call for new Blue Men. He won a spot and has spent the past 11 years touring from city to city as a part of the group.

Brown is excited to play before the local fans. He said that in preparing for the show, he learned of the city’s connection to Fort Bragg. Brown said that the prospect of playing before a large military audience is exciting. It is something he has done before and wants to do again.

“We performed at West Point last year and that was amazing. When we got there, we looked out over a sea of cadets all in their uniforms. That was kind of a change because everyone was wearing the exact same thing and our show likes to magnify people’s individuality. We had fun using our imaginations with that … it is always exciting for us to be able to give back to those who are serving.”

Brown added that The Blue Man Group show is centered on percussive music that is, “very tribal, you are going to feel it inside your body, inside your heart. Hopefully, inside your soul and who you are as a person. Drums are perfect for that because it drives right into a part of your body and your being that you can feel and understand. This energy can build up inside of you. It really is beautifully scored music that will give you goose bumps. You can really expect the music to move through you and, hopefully, elicit a change.”

One of the trademarks of a Blue Man Group show is the feeling of spontaneity that the show carries. Brown described the group’s preparation and attitude towards their shows, “We want everything about being a Blue Man to represent the ‘in the moment’ feeling of our show. You want it to feel like a show is happening for the first time and the first time only. In terms of character preparation, when you become a Blue Man you learn the regular things like the blocking and how to play the music and doing certain artistic things.

“But there is another element that you can’t really plan for, that is just being in the moment and responding with your instincts and your impulses to play from the audience. That is something that you can’t really prepare for, but it is very conducive to Blue Men.” He continued, “It’s all happening for the first time so it is a trial by fire type of thing.”

He went on to say that part of being a Blue Man is, “being comfortable with yourself and what is going on around you to just have fun. To let your inner child come out and say, this might be crazy and dangerous but that is the fun of it!”

According to Brown, audiences that attend a Blue Man show are at a loss for words when leaving a show, “Often afterwards, you are not really able to describe it. That’s because it causes feelings inside of you that are tangible. It makes you speechless. As we grow up we start to shy away from the types of things that might cause us to get embarrassed, maybe because we don’t want to get in trouble. The Blue Men urge you and welcome you to move past that and get to that place where you are like, ‘this is natural home-grown fun’. Not only do the Blue Men share that with the audience, but the audience shares that with each other. I have seen people that, by the end of the show, who were strangers, dancing with each other and high-fiving having a great time together. That is the spirit of the show, connecting people in that way. ”

Brown encourages everyone to come out and enjoy the show, “Everybody has a Blue Man in them. It doesn’t matter if you are short or tall, male or female. We like to use the show to help people find that. Really, there are 6 billion Blue Men in the world … If you want to have the time of your life, come see Blue Man Group!”

Tickets for the show are still available through Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and in person at the Crown Complex Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets. To purchase a package of tickets that covers all three shows offered by Fayetteville Live call 888.512.BWAY (2929) and online at www.fayettevilleliveshows.com.

Photo:  The Blue Man Group has been entertaining audiences since the late ‘80s. Fayetteville will get a chance to enjoy their unique sound on Nov. 6.

There’s nothing like wanting food from your favorite restaurant on a Friday evening after a long day of work knowing you don’t want to go and pick it up. Guess what? There is a new franchise in town, OrderUp, that will deliver your favorite restaurant food to your doorstep with a click of your mouse.

“OrderUp is a marketplace where you can go to view restaurants’ full menus and have delivery options,” said Joshua Hepburn, owner of OrderUp. “Most people only know of one or two pizza places and maybe one or two Chinese places that deliver and that’s pretty much it.”

But there is so much more just waiting to be delivered to your door.

OrderUp is a national franchise that Hepburn decided to open after he got out of the military. He came across it in a magazine and decided to do research on it. Hepburn chose Fayetteville because his wife is a native of the city and it is a great opportunity to serve the military population and the local community.

“I instantly fell in love with the business and brought it to Fayetteville,” said Hepburn. “Every single week we are doing better than the last.”

The website started with 12 restaurants, now there are more than 20. Some of the restaurants include Hot Diggity Dog, II Brothers, Cupcake Gallery, New China King, Quizno’s and many others.

“More restaurants are getting on board and it is moving along,” said Hepburn. “The restaurants that I am currently working with love the service and it is really convenient for them.”

Now what sets OrderUp apart from the other competition?

“It is the marketing engine that we provide and the convenience of ordering at a one-stop shop,” said Hepburn. “The convenience for the restaurant is that we provide a huge marketing engine that restaurants would have to pay thousands of dollars for if they were trying to do it themselves.”

The restaurants are willing to work special promos exclusive only through OrderUp. For example, Hepburn is working with Twisters Pizza & Subs to offer a medium pepperoni pizza for just 99 cents.

How do you place an order? The process is an easy one:

• Go to www.orderup.com and put in your address.

• Then click the “find restaurants” button. The restaurants that will deliver to your address will appear.

• Place your order and it will arrive in 45 minutes.

“The benefit of our website is that people can go to it and browse as many as 20 restaurants and order delivery in the comfort of their home,” said Hepburn. “To work with the mom and pop restaurants that are over by the hospital, down Ramsey Street or Raeford Road that people don’t know about is a huge opportunity for the customer and the restaurants.”

Hepburn’s future plans include having more 40 participating restaurants by next year.

“We will continue to grow and bring new content and new opportunities for the user,” he said.

For more information about Orderup, visit www.orderup.com.

Photo: Joshua Hepburn, an Army veteran, wants to bring dinner to your front door.

The inaugural Pinwheel Masquerade Ball, the fall fundraiser benefiting the Child Advocacy Center, will take place at the Metropolitan Room on Nov. 1, at 7 p.m.

The event features a wide variety of culinary sponsors that will be on-hand showcasing their fabulous foods. Culinary sponsors that will be in attendance include Sherefé, Sammios, Newk’s Eatery, Dorothy’s Catering 2, Evan’s Catering, Dairy Queen, R Burger and Sweet Surprise Candy Buffet. In addition, Latitude 35 will create a signature drink only available for purchase at the event.

Five Star Entertainment is set to play your favorite music and will also provide a photo booth to capture great memories from the evening. In addition, there is a mask contest and prizes for the best masked male, female, couple and group.

Event attire is semi-formal, with your mask.

Always a favorite at any event, both a live and silent auction will take place. There are many great items for attendees to bid on, including a week stay in a Myrtle Beach Condo, a week of overnight camp at Camp Rockfish, a birthday bash at The Little Gym, six entries to Wine, Paint and Canvas and a gift certificate for Blessed Oasis Pet Resort for dog boarding or training.

“We’re really excited about this event! It’s something new that no one else is doing. We’re hoping that people will make this their go-to Halloween event. There are lots of things for kids to do for Halloween; we wanted to help provide something for the adults, while helping to raise money for a great organization. The Metropolitan Room is a great venue for this type of event. The old bank vault really adds a great ambiance to our theme,” said event co-chair Krista Kessler. 

The Child Advocacy Center serves child victims of abuse in Cumberland County, including Fort Bragg. The center brings together representatives from the Cumberland County Department of Social Service’s Child Protective Services; Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office; Fayetteville Police Department; Hope Mills Police Department; Spring Lake Police Department; the medical community via Southern Regional Area Health Education Center, Cape Fear Valley Health Systems and Womack Army Medical Center; Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office; Guardian ad Litem; and Rape Crisis Volunteers of Cumberland County. Working with community partners the Child Advocacy Center provides a safe and child friendly place that supports the prevention, investigation and prosecution of child abuse. The center is a place where children and families receive comprehensive services to help them heal from abuse.

The Pinwheel Masquerade Ball will kickoff the 19 Days of Prevention, which the Child Advocacy Center celebrates annually. The 19 days are meant to serve as an awareness to prevent abuse and violence against children. The pinwheel, which is featured in the event’s logo and decorations, represents the bright future that every child deserves.

Tickets are on sale now through the center’s website, www.childadvocacycenter.com, or by calling 486-9700. The event is expected to be a sell-out, so organizers are advising you to purchase tickets early.

Auction items are still being collected, so if you’re interested in donating, please call the Child Advocacy Center.

Photo: The Innaugural Pinwheel Masquerade Ball is slated for Nov. 1. The ball benefits the Child Advocacy Center.

Dr. Michael Martin, director of choral activities and music education at Methodist University andartistic director and conductor of the Cumberland Oratorio Singers, takes his work seriously. That’s a win for the community and for local musicians as well. The Cumberland Oratorio Singers’ 2014-2015 season opens on Oct. 24, and it’s a performance that chamber music fans won’t want to miss.

The performance, titled There Is Sweet Music Here, features two local musicians along with the talented singers of the Cross Creek Chorale.

“We are featuring two guest artists — Deanne Renshaw on oboe and Brian Adamski on French horn,” said Martin. “Deanne is going to be featured in the title piece of the concert and it is quite beautiful. Adam will be featured in one of our other pieces.”

J. Michael Hayden, Morton Louridsen and Andre Thomas are just a few of the composers that are showcased in this first performance of the season.

The second concert of the season is the Hallelujah Chorus, a local holiday tradition. The community is invited to join the Cumberland Oratorio Singers in a performance of “The Messiah.” This performance is on Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Ann Catholic Church. Those who don’t care to join in are welcome to come and enjoy the performance as part of the audience.

On March 21, don’t miss Maurice Duruffle’s “Requiem” and “Quatre Motets.” Popular in the world of chorale music, Duruffle’s pieces represent comfort, hope and faith. The Methodist University Chorale is set to join the Cumberland Oratorio Singers for this concert. It is at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.

During the month of April, the Beth Israel Synagogue hosts The Cumberland Oratorio Singers for Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms.” In 1965, Rev. Walter Hussey of Chichester Cathedral in Sussex, England asked Bernstein to write a piece. It was to be used for the 1965 music festival that included Winchester and Salisbury Cathedrals. Bernstein delivered a piece that seemed to mix theatre music with Judaic liturgy.

The season closes with a performance of Francis Poulenc’s “Gloria” and Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Saturday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. The Terry Sanford High School Varsity Choir, under the direction of Sean Closz, will join in the performance.

Such a well thought-out season is not only a joy to the performers. Martin searched for pieces that would challenge the performers as well as delight the audiences.

“Last spring, I was thinking about chorale music and what people like about it,” said Martin. “We listen to it and sing it because we like the sound of it. For people who like chorale music, hearing a rich choir piece is ear candy. I was drawn to ‘Sweet Music’ because it has choir and oboe. I called Deanne right away and asked her to join us for this performance. I am driven to make sure this idea of a select choir drawn from Cumberland Oratorio Singers succeeds, so I picked some more difficult pieces for the chorale. There are pieces with eight and even 10-part harmony.”

While There Is Sweet Music Here is sure to entertain the audience and push the chorale to deliver a top-notch performance, Martin admits that there is something in it for him, too.

“This is all the kind of stuff we like to sing. I wanted to challenge the choir and expand their lexicon. The president of Methodist University always says ‘I have the best job in America.’ Well, when I conduct, I have the best seat in the house; I want music that will wash over me like a nice warm shower — and so I chose the kind of music that I think will do that.”

The performance is at Highland Presbyterian Church at 7:30 p.m. Find out more about the Cumberland Oratorio Singers at www.singwithcos.org.

Downtown Fayetteville is a destination for shopping and entertainment, and on Oct. 24, it willcontinue late into the evening with this month’s 4th Friday, a family-friendly event that celebrates the incredible and varied talents and venues that Fayetteville has to offer. It is impossible to come to 4th Friday and leave without discovering something new.

For children, Fascinate-U is an amazing experience. The museum has interactive exhibits that are intended for children to explore in order to learn about the world. The exhibits include the Gro-Right Grocery and Deli and a Weather Forecast Center. Admission is free on 4th Friday from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. Kids will enjoy the special event’s Spooky Music with the Blue Violin. Kia Walker, a singer and music teacher, and her students will play spooky music. As part of the event, the kids can also make a mask to take home for free. Fascinate-U is located at 116 Green St. For more information about Fascinate-U, call 829-9171 or visit www.fascinate-u.com.

Fayetteville Technical Community College is a valuable institution dedicated to education in the Fayetteville community. This dedication can be clearly seen in its continuous efforts to expand and improve. In The Capitol Room at 134 Person St., beginning at 7 p.m., Sigma Kappa Delta, the English Honor Society, will host a release party for Unbound, a literary arts journal, which is a testament to the dedication FTCC has to higher learning.

The Arts Council opens a new exhibit called Colorblind: Artwork in Black and White this 4th Friday. This is an invitational show that focuses on contrast in 2- and 3-dimensional art works crafted in black and white. The exhibit is free to the public and is open from 7 to 9 p.m. at 301 Hay St. For more information about the exhibit, call 323-1776 or visit www.theartscouncil.com. Live entertainment provided by the Armed Forces Band’s Loose Cannons is on tap in front of the Arts Council building, as well.

Another great art venue in downtown Fayetteville is Cape Fear Studios. Located at 148 Maxwell St., the studio is a space for local artists to display their creativity and skill. On Oct. 24, The Annual Nellie Allen Smith National Pottery Competition will open. Potters from all over the state submit their works into the juried competition. The gallery is open from 6 to 9 p.m. and is free to the public.

Embracing the Halloween spirit, the official Downtown Alliance theme for October is Zombie Walk. The zombie hoard will gather in front of the Headquarters Library, 300 Maiden Lane, for free zombie makeup application, a costume contest and photo booth before the walk through downtown Fayetteville. Providing free entertainment for the ghastly group from 6 to 8 p.m. is the Street Ratz Breakdance Crew, Shadows of Fire and Thriller Dance Troupe on the Outdoor Zombie Pre-Party Stage.

City Center Gallery and Books, located at 112 Hay St., will remain open from 6 to 8 p.m. so you can peruse the books and art and enjoy live local entertainment. Market Square Coffee House located at 106 Hay St. will also feature local musicians beginning at 7 p.m.

Don’t miss the Dogwood Fall Festival events in Festival Park. The Fall Festival runs Oct. 23-25 and includes Boo and Brew, the Lafayette Insane Asylum and Historic Hauntings. Find out more at http://www.faydogwoodfestival.com/events/dogeood-fall-festival.

For more information about 4th Friday visit www.theartscouncil.com or call 323-1776.

Voorhees Vigilantes: Lemmings in Pursuit of the Golden Goose

Last week, PWC filed a law suit in Superior Court against the City of Fayetteville and the Fayetteville City Council to clarify its authority and responsibility to operate as a city-owned utility. What?

After decades of nearly flawless operations, superb management, national achievements and recognition, Fayetteville city officials and staff, under the misdirection of City Manager Ted Voorhees, have embarked on a “money grab” that equates to the killing of the fabled goose that laid the golden egg.

It is a shame that tens of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars will be wasted needlessly because Voorhees and his lemmings have an acute case of greed and “competency envy.”

This is unfortunate.

In America, greatness is best achieved by hard work, dedication, perseverance and mimicking the virtues, values and work ethic of other successful people, businesses and organizations. Today, as this sad situation demonstrates, it’s easier to connive, finagle, dumb down or ravish those operations, businesses and organizations that have achieved greatness in hopes that the greatness of the organization will become their reality. Well, I have news for the city manager and his lemmings; it doesn’t work that way and it never has.

Objectively, the management and leadership at PWC has proven itself efficient, competent and capable of being good stewards of taxpayer money through decades of successful operation. I repeat, decades. They have never embarrassed our city and, have actually brought us a great sense of Fayetteville pride as PWC employees and management maintain their status as the most visible, most active, most engaged and most responsive organization in all of Cumberland County. In this writer’s opinion, it must remain that way.

The framers of the original PWC Charter knew that for successful and profitable operation of the utility, and, to create a sustaining platform for future growth of the utility, it had to be free of outside influences and local political hijinks that comes with two-year elections of city councilmen, some of whom do not have the capacity to grasp the massive magnitude of responsibility and complexities of operating a public utility. Again, the existing PWC Charter addresses this by allowing the City Council to appoint a four-member board to oversee, direct and advise the operation of the city’s utility.

To date, the board has been extremely competent at this task. Responsible Fayetteville citizens like Terry Union, Wilson Lacy, Wick Smith, Lou Olivera, Lynne Green, Mike Lallier, Darsweil Rogers and the newest appointed member, Wade Fowler, are perfect examples. With this being the case, what does our Fayetteville City Manager and his lemmings know that these intelligent and responsible people do not?

The answer is, absolutely nothing.

It’s a money grab in the purist sense of the word. The pretense? Transparency. Yes! This means they want to know more about what’s going on at PWC, right? Well, the first thing they should want to learn more about is how PWC manages to run an efficient operation. Why? Because that is what makes PWC so successful.

In closing this column, I will leave you with a question.

Why wouldn’t the city council, city manager, city staff and management not want to mimic this type of operation?

The PWC Charter is a sound document and, I feel confident that the Superior Court will find that past history and performance is an indicator of positive future outcomes.

PWC touches hundreds of thousands of lives in this community. Voorhees and his lemmings would have a difficult time elaborating on this.Why?

Because they don’t know how. We’ve seen it time and again in decisions made by Voorhees’ administration. Sadder than that, they don’t care. Responsible citizens need to speak up and have their voices heard on this matter. PWC vs. the City of Fayetteville? There are no winners here, only losers and that’s you and me: the tax paying residents and businesses of Fayetteville.

You can count on this: When the legal bills come due, the PWC coffers are ravaged and depleted and we are faced with higher utility costs and increased local taxes, rest assured that our city manager and his lemmings will all be long gone.

Thank you for reading Up& Coming Weekly.

As the temperatures drop, things are heating up at the Crown Coliseum as Fayetteville FireAntz fans get ready for the opening puck of hockey season.

With seven strong returning players and what Director of Media-Communications Jason Fleming calls, “some very exciting new blood,” the team is poised to strike. The first home game of the season is set for Oct. 24 with a quick turn around and another game on Oct. 25.

Head Coach Emery Plauson is returning for a second year. A native of Canmore, Alberta, he joined the team midway through the 2013-2014 season. No stranger to the game, Plauson played nine professional hockey seasons. He played on the Fayetteville FireAntz team from 2008-10. According to his bio, in 508 professional games played, he tallied 199 goals, 242 assists and 441 points. He is a graduate of St. Thomas University.

Plauson is hard at work building a team that he hopes will bring home a trophy from the Southern Professional Hockey League championships later in the season.

Fleming is excited about the new lineup. Austin Daae comes to the team from the Saskatchewan Hockey League in Canada, where he was the leading scorer and MVP last year.

“Emery, our head coach, is familiar with that league and has seen Austin play. He is going to score a ton of points,” said Fleming.

It’s looking good for the team’s goalies, as well. At the time of this writing, the team faces a tough decision in choosing two out of three goal tenders interested in signing with the team.

“We have three really outstanding goal tenders coming into to camp,” said Fleming. “Sam Marotta — he is a rookie — who attended Mary Mac College and the Vancouver Cannucks camp when he was a junior in college. Kevin Murdock played with Lake Superior State, which is also a Division One school, for all four years of his college career. It is great to get Division One guys here. This is going to be spectacular. He put up tremendous numbers in college. Scott Lewan is another rookie. He’s from Wisconsin River Falls. These three outstanding goal tenders will compete for two spots on the team.”

The roster of returning players is looking good, too, and Fleming expects to see great things from the FireAntz team in the 2014-2015 season. “Forward John Clewlow was our leading scorer last year. He’s back and we are looking forward to having him back on the team,” said Fleming. “We have re-signed Ryan Hand, a forward defenseman who who put up a fight in every game. Overall, our top two lines are going to be exciting to watch and will put up a lot of points. Our third line is really tough and will be hard to play against. Our defensive unit, led by returner Cory Toy and Zach Carriveau, is set to be the best defensive unit in the entire league.” 

Playing a good game is important to the FireAntz but the team is also committed to its fans and to the community. Look for a variety of theme nights and fun events throughout the community this season. Opening weekend is Oct. 24-25 and is sponsored by Black’s Tire. The FireAntz will have a presence at all of the Black’s Tire locations in the community. Stop by and meet the team and get into the spirit of the game. The 82nd Airborne Chorus is set to sing at opening night. The chorus is a favorite in the community and adds a sense of patriotism to any event.

The FireAntz team has always been a strong supporter of the military. This season is no different. Saturday, Nov. 1 is Military Appreciation Night. This is always a fun time. Several of the FireAntz corporate sponsors have purchased blocks of tickets to give away.

“Something fun we are doing for this particular Military Appreciation Night is that the team is wearing military-themed jerseys that represent all of the different branches of the military,” saidFleming. The jerseys will be auctioned off to the fans after the game.

The team is eager to start the season and Fleming expects it to be one that the fans willenjoy.

“Our Head Coach does a heck of a job recruiting,” said Fleming. “I am more excited about this season than I was our championship year in 2006-2007.”

Find out more about the FireAntz at http://antzhockey.pointstreaksites.com/view/fireantz/home-page-861.

Photo: John Clewlow, last season’s leading scorer is back this year, bringing excitement and goals to the Crown.

Halloween isn’t normally the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of a marathon, but The Halloween Half Marathon plans to change that. The event is full of family fun and customs for all ages to enjoy their exercise in a fun and creative way.

The Halloween Half Marathon started in 2009 in Miami, Fla., and is now going to be annual event in Spring Lake. Proceeds from the event will help Spring Lake Parks and Recreation to help build a new track. After the goal is reached, the company will sponsor other local charities around the community.

Jason Miller, the race director, is a Fayetteville native who has been putting on races for 15 years.

“I eat and sleep running. I love bringing this event to different cities in which I see potential. I see Fayetteville growing as a running community and I wanted to bring more participation here”, said Miller.

Miller runs 100 miles a week and runs three to five marathons a year. He plans to participate in the All-American Marathon in March.

“I want to show how exciting a race can actually be. Running or participating in marathons for families is a fun way to bring people to together. This is the only event in which we allow children to race,” he said.

Miller and the staff of the Halloween Half Marathon also think of things runners would like.

“We try to incorporate everything we can think of. The tracks we choose to hold the races are flat and we provide a finishing medal,” he said. “I’m honored to be back in Fayetteville. It’s great to share what I’ve learned in the last couple years.”

The events will begin at 11 a.m., Nov. 1 in Spring Lake with a Family Health and Fitness Fair. During that time, games for all ages, health screenings, fitness speakers, costume awards, a pumpkin carving competition and sponsored giveaways will happen. The kids run (ages 5-13) will begin at 3 p.m. with an entry fee of $5. The Halloween Half Marathon will start at 4 p.m. It costs $65. The 5K starts at 4:15 p.m. and is $30. Each participant will get a T-shirt and a medal. The Halloween Half Marathon also brings awareness to the community about health and physical fitness.

Running of course is normal everyday cardio, but adding a fun spin with activities makes it more appealing. Live music and refreshments are also planned for the event. For The Halloween Half Marathon, organizers are expecting representation from 23 states, as well as a few runners from Morocco, France and Italy.

For more information, or to register for any of the events, visit www.active.com/spring-lake-nc/running/distance-running-races/north-carolina-halloween-half-marathon-2014.

Photos:  The Halloween Half Marathon allows adults and kids to enjoy dressing up and exercise.

They have only been here since Aug. 15, but Jenna Dawson and her sister, Shelly Dawson, are excited about Fayetteville’s newest premiere store, Halloween Express, and helping customers with their Halloween needs.

“We are a Halloween Superstore specializing in costumes, accessories, decorations, props and other items,” said Shelly Dawson, manager of Halloween Express.

The sisters are from Greenville, N. C., and heard that Fayetteville loved Halloween and would be the perfect location for a Halloween Express store.

“I have been working for Halloween Express for about eight years now and love it,” said Shelly Dawson. “I got my sister the job and she became manager and decided to open up her own Halloween Express.”

How is Halloween Express different or better than other similar stores in the area?

“We definitely have a large product assortment,” said Jenna Dawson, co-owner of Halloween Express. “Some of our competitors cater more towards decorations and accessories, but we have a larger product assortment and if we don’t have that costume we have something to put together to make it.”

Halloween has always been a favorite of the sisters and they put a lot of effort in making it fun for others.

“The people are great and the spirits are so high at Halloween,” said Shelly Dawson. “I love it and it is like Christmas because people are really excited about their costumes so when you help them it is satisfying.”

The Dawsons are supporting charities and participating in community events. They have worked with Kidsville News!, attended the fair and their most recent event is a Halloween fashion show through Find-A-Friend with a group of 20 students.

“We have also donated our items to a man who does a haunted attraction in his yard and the people who come will donate money and toys with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Shriner’s Hospital,” said Jenna Dawson. “We also sponsor other haunted attractions as well.”

The sisters love helping people and their number one focus is customer service.

“I love working in retail and with people in general because they seem to be happy around Halloween even though it is a spooky holiday,” said Shelly Dawson. “It is great to make someone’s day when they come in not knowing what they want and then you help them out and piece together a costume that they make their own and is unique.”

“We have a great location and even though we have not been open a month yet, word of mouth is getting out and every week is better than the week before,” said Jenna Dawson. “We definitely want to start meeting people and get in with the schools and the community on how we can give back.”

Halloween Express is located at 4101 Raeford Road. Hours of operation are Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m. The two weeks prior to Halloween, the store will remain open until 10 p.m. For more information, call 483-4477.

Photo: Jenna and Shelly Dawson love helping Fayetteville residents gear up for Halloween.

October is an incredible season in our community, and the Dogwood Festival is kicking it up a notch with its Fall celebration at Festival Park.

“We’ve always had our Historic Hauntings Hayride, I think this is our 14th or 15th year with that; now we are just expanding,” said Carrie King, executive director of the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival. “We used to do a lot over six nights, three weekends and we are condensing it into one big weekend event. There is so much to do in the Fayetteville area in October, so we are just trying a new approach.”

The City of Fayetteville, which normally has a haunted house, has asked the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival to spearhead the project so that the city can focus more fully on Christmas in the Park. This year, the haunted house will take the form of an outdoor haunted maze called the LaFayette Insane Asylum. Tickets are $6, or $5 with a canned good donation for local food banks. All proceeds will benefit Fishing to Fight Cancer.

Another fantastic collaboration affiliated with the Dogwood Fall Festival is the Zombie Walk, which is sponsored by the Rock Shop and the Downtown Alliance. “This year we have worked with them to reroute their walk so that it ends in Festival Park. Before they would go on the walk and end with nowhere to go, now they can eat, drink beer and watch a show,” said King.

A much-loved tradition that will also make an appearance in the festival is the traditional Historic Hauntings Hayride. Leaving every 30 minutes from 6:30 until 9:30 p.m. each day of the festival, wagons will depart on an hour-long hayride and walking tour. Fayetteville’s surprisingly creepy past is revealed through skilled storytellers and actors along the route. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival website at www.faydogwoodfestival.com/events/2014/historic-hauntings---haunted-hayrides-.

Live entertainment is scheduled throughout the event. “The Saturday entertainment is a competition, which starts at 4 p.m. The judges will rate the performers and the winner will earn a spot on the stage in the spring Dogwood Festival,” said King.

“We are also having a Boo and Brew event sponsored by Bud Light. We will have 10 North Carolina craft beers as well as Bud Light available. Beers are available for purchase for $5 a pint or you can buy a reusable tasting glass for $25 and have as much as you want all day,” said King.

A new event is the Fayetteville Food Truck Festival, which is the first of its kind in Fayetteville, though the trend is spreading like wildfire across the country. “Lately the food trucks have been very popular, trending, if you will. We are anxious to build on that. In the last year, these food truck festivals have really picked up and we have gone to Raleigh and Durham and worked with their coordinators to bring some food trucks to Fayetteville,” King said.

Working on this new festival has revealed a great new aspect of the community.

“When we started planning, we discovered that Fayetteville has an abundance of food trucks, that I wasn’t aware of. So of course we are loyal to our local vendors and are extending invitations for them to participate in the festival. We have been very pleased with the response and expect that this festival will be very well received and that we can build into what we do,” King said. Just a few of the trucks participating are King Creole Truck, Ladybug’s Treats, Curbside Cravings, Captain Ponchos, R Burger and MasterBacon.

“The Dogwood Fall Festival takes place from Oct. 23 through Oct. 25. Thursday, the festival runs from 6 to 10 p.m., Friday from 6 to 11 p.m. and Saturday from 3 to 11 p.m. The Food Truck Festival is one day only, Oct. 25 from 3 to 10 p.m. The events are taking place in Festival Park is located at 335 Ray Ave. For more information, visit www.faydogwoodfestival.com or call 910-323-1934.

Every year Laurinburg becomes the center of tradition and art with the Storytelling Festival of Carolina. Hosted by The Storytelling & Arts Center of the Southeast, this festival brings nationally acclaimed storytellers to the area, to celebrate the age old art of storytelling. This is a weekend-long festival that begins Friday Oct. 17, at 131 S. Main St. in Laurinburg and ends Sunday Oct. 19.

For first time attendees to the event, Jan Schmidt the retired executive director of the Storytelling and Arts Center of the Southeast said, “People should expect the best storytellers in the country. They have told stories nationally and internationally. The stories are incredibly captivating, fun and, for this time of year, ghostly.

“We will also have some Edgar Allen Poe stories. We are a Big Read Community and this year our book is by Edgar Allen Poe, so some of the storytellers will do stories or poems from Poe,” she continued. “There is a huge mixture of stories. People will be amazed by how engaging the stories are. You are in a tent of hundreds of people and feel like they are telling the story just to you. We will also have food vendors and workshops for people who would like to learn from our storytellers. Our guild members, who are also talented, will tell stories during the 30-minute breaks when the main stage is not up.”

The festival begins on Friday at 7:30 p.m. with an olio. This is a sort of preview of the magic that the rest of the weekend holds. On Saturday the grounds will open at 8:30 a.m. with stories beginning at 9:30 a.m. On Saturday evening, there will also be a gala from 7 to 10 p.m. This also offers an opportunity to meet the tellers. The final day of the festival, Sunday, begins just like Saturday, except ending earlier at 3 p.m. 

This year there are also opportunities for amateur storytellers to try their hand at the art. The Sharing Place will be open during all of the breaks and anyone who signs up can tell a tale. At The Sharing Place there is a competition among amateurs called a Story Slam.

“People who want to tell stories will put their names in a hat and have three minutes to finish a story based on the beginning that we give them. It might be a sentence or a paraphrase, but they have to finish it with an impromptu story. There are prizes, too,” said Schmidt.

Perhaps the most important thing to note about the festival, however, is that it is intended for all audiences.

“Storytelling is a family activity. It is great for kids, but it also great for people from 9 to 90 and everyone in between. We all take the stories at a different level of sophistication and the storytellers aren’t talking up to the kids or down to the adults. This is for everybody,” Schmidt said.

This year there is also a Children’s Place where restless kids can play, but stories can still be heard.

For more information or to register to attend, please visit www.storytellingfestivalofcarolina.org or call 910-277-3599.

Photos: Internationally acclaimed story tellers will gather in Laurinburg for the Storytelling Festival of Carolina Oct. 17 and 18.

Venues Today Magazine says: Crown Coliseum,

You’re Doing Great!

I must have missed that piece of good news. Some people say good news travels fast. Unfortunately, here in Fayetteville, it sometimes doesn’t travel at all.  Last week I heard some great news after a wonderful and very enlightening conversation with the Crown Coliseum’s Director of Marketing, Katie Mikos.

The conversation was enlightening because she shared some very good news about the Crown Coliseum of which I was totally unaware. It was wonderful because it demonstrated that we continue to make notable progress in developing our $60 million entertainment facility into a valuable countywide quality-of-life asset. So let me share it with you.

Venues Today Magazine ranked the Crown Coliseum Complex the fourth best entertainment venue in the Carolinas. That’s huge! According to Mikos, this ranking was based upon capacity, gross sales of the facility, total attendance and number of shows booked between August 2013 and July 2014. Global Spectrum has managed the facility since November 2013. Venues Today Magazine is the leading authoritative source for reporting on live entertainment and its events industry. It serves industry management, owners and suppliers to music, sports and meetings’ venues internationally. It also provides high-profile entertainment industry leaders with the information they need to know about operating a successful business. As the industry authority, Venues Today Magazine provides the who, what, when, where and how information to industry management and executives.  

There is no doubt that Global Spectrum’s capable and talented management team, under the leadership and direction of General Manager Jim Grafstrom, is responsible for these ratings. The Crown Coliseum Complex is one of the newest additions to the Global Spectrum family and has never even made the Top 10 in the past. Grafstrom took the management reigns in November 2013 and has been working hard to improve the facility while, at the same time, embracing a very diversified community.

This is an extremely difficult task when we lack a local TV station and have limited effective local media coverage. Nonetheless, the Crown’s fourth place ranking is an awesome accomplishment when you consider that Global Spectrum has been in charge less than a year, managing more than 69,000 square feet of meeting and convention space with a 10,000+ seat coliseum, 4,000+ seat arena and 2,400 seat theatre. In addition, there are many new and exciting innovations on the horizon for enhancing the Crown entertainment experience.

Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson is a current Crown Coliseum board member and a vocal proponent of Global Spectrum’s management style. When asked recently about their progress and this recent breakthrough achievement he said:

“This is an exciting new chapter for Cumberland County and the Crown.  Being recognized for the first time ever amongst our peers in the top four venues is confirmation that the Crown Coliseum Board and the Cumberland County Commissioners made the right move a year ago in bringing in Global Spectrum to manage the complex.  The Global management team and the Crown staff have really stepped up their game, and that has been recognized by Venues Today Magazine, the region’s other venues and the residents of Cumberland County.  I’m still looking forward to more great things from the Crown.”

My sentiments exactly. Now, let’s tell the story! Let’s start banging the drum loudly and blowing our own horn and getting people to pay attention to what’s going on at the Crown. Sure, we have increased events, and fewer expenses, which have saved Cumberland County taxpayers more than $500,000 in their first year of operations. Yes, the Crown has a new logo, an updated user-friendly website, refinished concourse floors, upgraded and refurbished club seats, upgraded catering and food concessions, renovated luxury suites and, future plans to design a new and innovative full service bar and restaurant on the coliseum’s hospitality level.

All of this, and our Crown Coliseum is ranked the  # 4 best entertainment venue in the Carolinas. Now, that’s a story that needs to be told. That’s a headline! That’s news to this community and surely worth more than a couple puny sentences buried deep in the bowels of our four section daily newspaper.

If you have no local TV station, a daily newspaper that covets, controls and dictates its journalistic priorities, 14 radio stations with “no community reporters” and a unique and diverse county population that practically changes and reinvents itself every 30 days, what are your alternatives? Well, you do it yourself!!!  Get proactive. Get aggressive. Put a strong local advertising, marketing and promotion campaign together that includes an enthusiastic, aggressive and vibrant “ground game.”  

Take control of the media. Control the advertising. Control the promotion and ultimately you will control the brand. Do not depend on the generosity of others to define who or what you are or to what level of success you are entitled. In the end, the Crown and the entire community will move in the right direction. Guaranteed! Global Spectrum, welcome to Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Cumberland County. Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Cumberland County, go out to the Crown Coliseum and see what you’re missing. Crown Coliseum, extend the invitation.

Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Photo: Crown Complex

Every year, the city of Hope Mills hosts a huge festival dedicated to celebrating the history of the town as well as providing an incredible day of family fun for the community, and this year Ole Mills day will be bigger than ever. Mark your calendar, it is set for Oct. 18.

The festival will take place in the beautiful surroundings of the Hope Mills Municipal Park. As always, there will be a plethora of food and vendors for attendees to enjoy. Don’t miss the hot wing contest for those brave of heart and strong of stomach. Live entertainment is planned throughout the day, too. Children can enjoy the games, inflatables and rides of all kinds. There is also a tractor pull, a cheerleading exhibition and a mill workers reunion.

Don’t miss the corn hole tournament— it is a local favorite and always a lot of fun. To get into the Halloween spirit in the brisk fall weather, be sure to check out the costume contest and haunted house sponsored by the South View High School Key Club.

Another annual and highly anticipated event at the Ole Mills Day festival is the Chili Cook-Off. All local chefs are breaking out their incredible chili recipes and are prepping to compete in the annual competition. The very first chili cook off began with just three pots of chili. Since then, the competition has grown into one of the favorite events at the festival.

“We expect to have 25 entrants and that is a combination of hot and mild chili,” said Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Dee Callahan.

Each single bowl of chili costs $4. Or sample them all for just $5. All proceeds from the cook off go to the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce. This is its only annual fundraiser, and it is cosponsored by WKML 95.7.

There are two categories of chili: hot and mild. Each competitor is required to bring at least a two-quart pot of chili. At the end of judging at 3:30 p.m., four awards will be given out.

“The awards for the Chili Cook-Off are the silver spoon, plastic spoon, the wooden spoon and bragging rights. They are large plaques and they actually have the different spoons on them. It’s all in good fun,” Callahan says, “There’s also the People’s Choice Award. People can buy a bowl of chili or get a sample. Then they have the ability to vote on which chili is their favorite. The Peoples Choice Award also comes with a plaque and $100.”

Up and Coming Weekly, WKML 95.7 and The Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce will host the Cornhole Tourney. Registration is $20 for a team of two. Cash prizes include $100 for first place, $50 for 2nd place and $25 for 3rd place. The official rules are at www.playcornhole.org/rules.shtml. Registration must be submitted before Oct 18.

For more information on the Chili Cook-Off or to register for the corn hole tournament or chili cook off, please visit www.hopemillschamber.org or call 423-4314. For more information on Ole Mill Day visit http://nc-hopemills.civicplus.com or call 424-4500. The festival is Oct. 18 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Hope Mills Municipal Park at 5776 Rockfish Road in Hope Mills.

October 17 is the date the 79th season of Community Concerts kicks-off at the Crown Theatre. Since 1935, Community Concerts has worked to provide the area with high caliber entertainment.

Last season the organization brought in Joan Rivers for a night of comedy in what proved to be one of her last performances. Other notable acts that Community Concerts has brought to the area include: Gladys Knight, Kenny Loggins, Earth,Wind and Fire, Martina McBride, The Doobie Brothers, Styxx, Kool and the Gang, LeAnn Rimes, Darius Rucker and the list goes on.

The all-volunteer organization also does more than just promote shows. Since 2008, the group has produced The Fayetteville Music Hall of Fame that honors individuals who have contributed to the local musical community. Since 2004, more than 20 young people that have been awarded scholarships to institutions of higher learning to pursue their love of music. The organization also promotes area talent by including local up-and-comers in the show’s lineup whenever possible.

All of the other work that the organization performs comes directly from the support of the community for their yearly show series. The 79th season will feature six exciting and diverse shows for the residents of Fayetteville/Cumberland County to enjoy.

To kick-off the season with a local flair, 2011 American Idol winner and North Carolina native, Scotty McCreery will bring his See You Tonight Tour to Fayetteville for a night of country music on Oct. 17. The tour, which began in early 2014, was supposed to have concluded by now, but McCreery said he and his touring companions decided they wanted to keep going.

“It has been an awesome time. The whole summer was awesome; a lot of fun. Me, the band and crew had a blast. So we decided, might as well not end it and keep the momentum going. We extended the tour and the buzz and response has been pretty awesome with the fans coming out to the shows. It is going to be a fun fall. We are lucky enough to have Danielle Bradbury to join us for some of the dates. It’ll be a blast.”

This tour is the first tour in which McCreery received top billing. While McCreery is no stranger to performing in front of large audiences both as part of the American Idol Tour and other artists’ tours he was invited to participate in, he said that this tour was a big change.

“It is definitely different. The fans are coming to see you and not somebody else. That is kind of cool to know while you are on stage. To have that reassurance that the fans are really digging what you are doing. We are having a good time,” he explained.

McCreery also went on to describe how different the show preparation process is, “You have got to put a little more thought into your shows. It’s an hour and half instead of 20-30min like when you are opening for someone else. You have got to put a good show together to try to take the audience on a journey from beginning to end,” he said. “That’s what we are trying to do. All summer we have had a good time doing that. We are going to change up a few things going into the fall but, mostly, it will be the same show. It’ll be a fun hour and half packed show.”

The show on the 17th at the Crown Theatre will be the only stop in North Carolina that McCreery makes while on this tour, but that fact seemed to motivate him even more,

“It is always a little different for me when we get back to North Carolina and play a local show. Something always happens or changes whether I bring on a guest or change up a set or something. It’s always a little more special when you play the hometown shows.”

After winning the 2011 American Idol competition, McCreery quickly found himself on the receiving end of the adoration of fans both locally and nationally.

“It has been pretty wild to see. It is pretty much everywhere nowadays. I haven’t gone out into public without a hat on in, I don’t know how long. That might not bode well for my hair over the next 30 years.”

He spoke fondly of his experiences with fans recognizing him out in public, “Some folks get annoyed by it; me, not as much. I see it as a pretty cool thing. If they see you and know you, that means they know your music… It’s cool. I have got some of the best fans in the world. I am blessed to have them. I enjoy the fans and hope they dig the music, which is what it is all about.”

Despite all of the fame that came with experience on American Idol and the success that has come along with having two albums hit number one on the country charts McCreery has somehow managed to stay grounded.

“That’s the way I was wired by my parents growing up. But it also has a lot to do with the kind of people that you keep around you. My band and crew, on the road, they don’t treat me any different. They keep me level headed. My friends back home, too, I don’t get any special treatment anywhere in life. I get enough of the spotlight when I am on stage; when I get off the stage, I just want to be treated like Scotty.”

After McCreery’s performance, Community Concerts will have five more shows:

Sister Act Friday, Nov. 14

Trace Adkins Wednesday, Dec. 10

Dancing Pros Live Wednesday , Feb. 11

The Australian Bee Gees Wednesday, March 24

Smokey Robinson Thursday, April 16

More information about each of the shows, tickets and/or season tickets is available via the Community Concerts website at www.community-concerts.com.

Photo: North Carolina Native Scotty McCreery, the 2011 American Idol, will kick-off the 79th Community Concert Series at the Crown Theatre on Oct. 17.

Kaleo Supports Inc. is a company dedicated to assisting people with intellectual or developmental disabilities through the often difficult process of receiving much-needed assistance and services. The idea behind this organization is simple — people matter. The results are incredible and life changing. One of the ways that they do this is through presentations on relevant challenges. On Oct. 14, Lisa Grafstein will present “Where Do You Work?”

“Where Do You Work?” is a presentation focused on the facts and myths of how working may or may not impact Social Security and Medicaid. Grafstein, the keynote speaker, is an attorney with the Disability Rights Center of North Carolina and has abundant experience with these sorts of issues. Understanding the legal requirements with federal benefits can get tricky. It is often complicated and full of red tape. This doesn’t mean that it is impossible however, and Grafstein will help to simplify the problems. This program will help to enable people to make well-informed decisions on how to handle and optimize their benefits options.

Kaleo Supports began in 2007 as a project between Nancy Szymkowiak and Karen Cambell. The two worked tirelessly to successfully to get Szymkowiak’s daughter into regular programs at school and church. Campbell, is no longer with the program, but the inspiration and passion that began with their teamwork is still very present within the company. The work that they do is life changing. They help to guide people to much-needed help and support that truly makes a difference in their quality of life.

It all began with an incredibly personal case, so they are intimately familiar with the stress and challenges that families face with these problems. This personal experience allows them to treat every single client with the respect and compassion that they deserve and face each case with a zeal that can be found nowhere else.

Kaleo Supports offers many different services, but each plan is tailored to the specific needs of the individual such as supported employment, personal care services and respite care. There are eligibility requirements and anyone interested in their services should make an appointment by calling 630-2255.

The company also has a profound appreciation for the power of information. Dealing with governmental organizations doesn’t need to be difficult or scary. Information places the power in the consumer’s hand and makes a big difference when searching for support. In addition to hosting informational events such as “Where Do You Work?”, the website also has a page full of links concerning common organizations used by people seeking help. This can be found at www.kaleosupports.com/index.php/links.

“Where Do You Work?” is at Southview Baptist Church, 4089 Elk Road, Hope Mills. Dinner is at 5:30 p.m., reservations are required. No reservations are required for the presentation, which begins at 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.kaleosupports.com or call 630-2255.

Learning to read is essential and begins long before a child enters school. In the United States an estimated 30 million people over the age of 16 read no better than the average elementary school child, which is why the Cumberland County School System places so much emphasis on literacy and will host its 11th Annual Reading Rocks! Walk-A-Thon on Saturday, Oct. 18 at Festival Park in downtown Fayetteville at 9 am rain or shine.

“This is our 11th year and our slogan this year is “Celebrating 11 years” and we are proud to say that we have had thousands of walkers every year join us in Festival Park for the Reading Rocks Walk-A-Thon,” said Jody Hawley, Reading Rocks coordinator and executive director of Information Technology and Media Services, Cumberland County Schools.

“Last year our schools raised more than $200,000 and the money is raised for books and learning tools for our students,” Hawley continued, adding that it brings awareness to literacy and the need for literacy in the Cumberland County School System.

The ceremony will feature community leaders such as Superintendent Dr. Frank Till, Mayor Nat Robertson, Fayetteville City Council members, Cumberland County Commissioners and school board members. This is significant because it shows that the leaders in the community understand the importance of reading. It gives them each a chance to connect with students and families and let them know that community leaders want students to be successful not just in school but in life, too. Reading is an important part of making that happen.

“We will present various awards that morning to the elementary, middle and high schools that have the highest donations and that will lead the walk,” said Hawley. “There will be students who will perform our “Literacy Rocks” song.”

The 1.3 mile walk winds through the scenic, historic downtown and ends on Ray Avenue near Festival Park. Community resource vendors will be at the finish line to offer information and services to students and parents.

“Our goal is to raise more than we did last year and to have more walkers,” said Hawley. “We are asking again for thousands in our schools and communities around Fayetteville to join us on Saturday, Oct. 18 in Festival Park.”

All donations are tax deductible and may be designated for a specific school. You may also purchase T-shirts with the Reading Rocks! logo for adults for $10 and for children for $5. The school that sells the most T-shirts will win an award. Gates open at 8 a.m. and the ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m..

No pets are allowed. For more information, call Hawley at 678-2613.

Bullying is in the national spotlight right now, although it is an age old problem. It is a problem that children of all ages and in all sorts of situations face. Glenn Sutton was bullied as a child, and has taken it upon himself to face the bullying problem head on. He does this through a performance called Lost Dreams, based on his experiences as a victim.

“Everyone has a story … and I am trying to change lives with my story,” Sutton said. Lost Dreams is set for Oct. 14 and 15 at Methodist University.

Sutton has a master’s degree in public administration and is the founder of Stop Bullies and Bystanders, an organization dedicated to educating people about the dangers of bullying and encouraging them to expose bullying in schools with the goal of permanently ending it. The organization has been working towards this goal for 16 years. Sutton reaches out to any and all areas where a child may be affected by bullying such as schools, churches and civic groups.

Sutton’s passion to prevent childhood bullying stems from his own personal experience as a bullying victim. It was during his middle school years that it proved to be the most difficult, as he was not at his grade’s reading level.

“When I was in middle school, I was bullied. I don’t want any other kid to live through that. I had a teacher that was able to rescue me from that whole situation, and I want to help kids reach their dreams because I almost lost mine. I don’t want to see kids dreams crushed. So during every show I give everything that I have,” Sutton said.

Live theatre is much more of an engaging medium than television or clips. To see real people demonstrating before your very eyes is striking and real. It forces the audience to confront the message directly.

“Our mission is to change a child’s life through drama. Once that dramatic music starts, even I go back to when I was bullied. I still hear all those names and feel all those hurts,” he said.

“Kids learn more through drama. They remember more, and because you are in the theatre, you can’t run away. When they leave, they leave with a better sense about what bullying is, they hold themselves accountable to make the right choices. They will say something about bullying. Your mouth is your greatest weapon.”

This realism and passion combined with theatrical devices creates a one-of-a-kind impact.

“A lot of schools play videos about bullying. That’s great, but what I do is different. Mine holds them accountable. I bring them into my world and show them how I feel. You need both,” he said.

A unique aspect to Sutton’s approach to solving the bullying problem is that he also holds bystanders accountable. During his show the audience is engaged in the plot line and both the bullies and the bystanders are faced with the responsibility that each had in the harming of another individual. He encourages people who see instances of bullying to stand up for others and speak out against any violence that they may see.

Lost Dreams is on stage at Methodist on Oct. 14 and 15 at 9:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. each day. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased by calling 910-551-4739 or 910-424-8713. Methodist University is located at 5400 Ramsey St. For more information on Stop Bullies and Bystanders, visit www.stopbullyingandbystanders.com.

Chief Medlock: You Are Not Alone In Your Frustrations

Last week headlines across the state, both in print and via the airwaves, proclaimed the frustration of Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock with the lack of cooperation his department is receiving in its investigation into the death of Joseph Braxton III, a 16-year-old, who was killed at a party last week.

Chief Medlock, you are not alone. In recent months headlines across the nation have focused on senseless killings. People have taken to the streets, screaming for justice. While in Fayetteville, those who know the truth behind this young man’s death are covering it up. What a travesty.

The police believe that numerous people in attendance at the party, where the young man was shot, not only saw the shooting but may have also videoed it on their cell phones. And no one is talking. No one. Why?

Are they afraid that the guilty party will turn a gun on them or their loved ones? Or are they just covering up for a friend or family member?

To me, it doesn’t matter. For those who know, for those who witnessed the senseless killing of this young man, their failure to speak is criminal and it should be treated that way.

Chief Medlock should serve warrants on the host of the party and every single person in attendance and charge them with every single possible thing he can. Maybe he can charge them with obstruction of justice for impeding a police investigation.

Maybe he should charge them with accessory to murder. Yes, charge every single person at the party, every single person on the street with accessory to murder. Put them in jail and let them rot until the truth comes out.

Because that is what it is going to take. If people will not man up and take responsibility for policing their own neighborhoods, for protecting the children in their care, then they need to pay the consequences. Too many times over the past few years, young people, who by all accounts have had promising futures, have been killed senselessly. And, it keeps on happening. Why?

Maybe because as parents, and yes, I’m speaking as a mother, we fail to take responsibility for our children. If my son were invited to a party where you had to have a bracelet to come in because of fear that trouble would happen, he wouldn’t be going. If you, as a host of a party, have to take so many precautions to have it, don’t.

Maybe as community members, we fail to take responsibility for our community. In my neighborhood, we all know each other. We know whose kid belongs to whom, and we think they all belong to all of us. If a kid is out of line, an adult gets on them and then lets their parents know. If someone is in our neighborhood who does not belong, we are all aware of it. We watch out for each other. We call each other if someone leaves their garage door open or if one of our kids is driving too fast down the street. We take ownership of our neighborhood because that’s what makes it a community.

What occurs in my neighborhood should be happening all over our county. It’s what happened when our parents were growing up and for many of us when we grew up. Now, our communities have become nameless, souless places. They are void of caring.

How else can you explain that a number of people saw a young man gunned down and nobody’s talking? It is from a lack of responsibility and caring. It is from a lack of humanity.

This month is anti-bullying month. In Grays Creek, where I live, there are signs everywhere calling attention to the fact that bullying won’t be permitted. Do we need signs all over our city reminding people of the value of human life? Do we need signs all over our city reminding parents not to let their kids go where it isn’t safe? Do we need signs reminding people to care? It seems so.

I am mad. All of the residents of Cumberland County should be mad. They should be furious. And the people in the community where the shooting happened should be beyond mad. They should be on the streets in front of the house where the shooting occurred. They should be in the churches praying for their community. They should have their children on lock down until the truth comes out.

And Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock, who says he is beyond frustrated, who says he’s angry, should use every law in the book to hold those who are silent responsible.

It’s no secret that being a soldier or a law enforcement officer is dangerous. But the work is vital to the safety of our nation. Volunteers selflessly step up to handle the business of the American people every day. Tragically, it sometimes means that families are left without their soldier or police officer who have fallen in the line of duty and they carry on.

Gary Clarke is one of the Founders of North Carolina Tactical Response and Community Care, a nonprofit designed to help bridge the gap for survivors of heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice. On Saturday, Oct. 4, NCTRACC is partnering with The Range Complex for Cigars and Guns, a fundraiser to benefit NCTRACC.

Clarke and some of his friends came up with the idea for the event.

“It just seemed like a natural fit,” he said. “When I was a team leader for the Cumberland County SWAT team, we enjoyed our jobs and many of us liked fine hand-rolled cigars. We wanted to bring people together and also benefit a nonprofit and this seemed like a good way to do that.”

The main attraction is the 3-gun competition.

“The team at The Range Complex has designed a pretty nice realistic scenario-based course with different shooting positions and different platforms and things like that to provide some interesting challenges to the competitors,” said Clarke. “The main thing to is to give people a chance to watch these professionals from military and law enforcement do what they train for every day. There are some guys that are really good with weaponry and they will compete. It will be entertaining to watch what they do for a living and see them for compete for time and accuracy.”

There is still time for competitors to enter the event.

“This is only open to military and law enforcement personnel to compete,” said Clarke. “We are very serious about safety and making sure that no one gets hurt. Law enforcement and military members have a good understanding of range protocol and safety along with the kind of training that will make this a fun event for them. This is going to be a lot of fun to watch, too, because so many of these guys are experts at what they do.”

While Clarke sees this as a fun event for weapon enthusiasts, it is also a good way for families to come and see their soldier or law enforcement officer in action.

“A lot of these wives and kids don’t really have a good idea of what goes on at work for their loved one, so this is a chance to meet other family members, too,” he said.

There will be an air-soft shoot house, face painting, vendors, food and more. And, of course, fine hand-rolled cigars provided by Anstead’s Tobacco Company.

“Since it is so close to Halloween, we decided to dress up the shoot house for the kids and turn it into a zombie house,” said Clarke. “There will be plenty to see and do here, and the proceeds definitely benefit a good cause.”

Tickets cost $7, children under 10 get in free. The event starts at 8 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. Find out more at http://proshop.therangecomplex.com/cigars-and-guns-3-gun-competition.aspx or by calling 910-670-4790.

A photographic portrait by Sarah Grusenmeyer isn’t like going to a “glam” studio or any other type of commercial enterprise. Commission Grusenmeyer to do a portrait and it involves you showing up at her Oakridge Avenue garage studio and the next thing you know you’re sticking your tongue out, scrunching up your face with an exaggerated wink or having your face painted in yellow — then she clicks her camera. The end result, after Photoshop editing, is Grusenmeyer making the ordinary extraordinary.

Many of her portraits have a mysterious or Goth overtone; however, the commissions I’m referring to have an upbeat, kitch quality. Highly-polished skin surfaces add to the overall exaggerated antic-mediating a cultural experience somewhere between Vargas, Sas Christian and Norman Rockwell. (Add Andy Warhol to the reading list and you have the stack of reference books on Grusenmeyer book shelf!)

An untrained artist, Grusenmeyer exudes raw talent and a desire to put her own spin on the conventions of portraiture. As a painter, she started taking photographs so she would not have to use images by other people for her subject. The practice has grown into a personal oeuvre.

A skillful painter, one has to wonder how this young artist became the accomplished photographer that she is, a photographer that bridges the tradition of portraiture with 21st century youth culture. For Grusenmeyer it was simple: “As an oil painter, I picked up a camera to have my own references for my paintings. The further I got into the editing process of a photograph for a painting, the more I became interested in perfecting the photograph. I found I could transform a digital image that could rival anything I could paint with a brush on a canvas. I still continue to paint on a large scale canvas, but photography is my preferred outlet of artistic expression.”

Inspired by the style of Sans Christian, anime-like figures with large eyes and pouty mouths, Grusenmeyer prefers her photographs to appear “glassy and plastic.” She cites other artists as inspirational, “artists like Alvarado, Gottfried Helnwein and Loretta Lux.”

Grusenmeyer captures the personality of a subject, but not within the traditional timelessness of an ethereal mood. Instead, the result of her work has a sense of immediacy. In her humorous portraits, her strength as an artist is within the comedic moment captured in the photo shoot — within that moment a truth is captured. To be able to click her camera on the right moment, she orchestrates the setting and individuality of her subject.

Grusenmeyer shared, “I’m at a point where I really want the person’s personality tocome through in the portrait instead of the person just sitting there trying to look posed and in control.” 

The staged portraits by Grusenmeyer appear candid while at the same time theatrical. Emotionally insightful, Grusenmeyer can make us feel as if we know the person in the photograph, or maybe we know someone like that, or maybe she captures how each of us has felt in a silly moment. Whatever the magic that takes place, it’s easy to feel good or light hearted after viewing many of the portraits.

Grusenmeyer’s skill is more than her ability to capture the subject in a way that we feel like we have connected to a stranger; it’s more than appearance, we feel we know something about the subject’s temperament when she captures a moment of surprise. Each time I revisit a portrait, the surprise continues and I somehow connect to a larger pop-culture reality.

Although many of her portraits are comical, visitors to the gallery will also see another approach to the portrait by the same artist. Included in the exhibit are photographs from a different body of work: the subjects are somewhat listless, yet still caught in a monumental photographic moment, a time element is present.

In the photograph titled “Affliction,” Grusenmeyer presents us with the close up of a young female face. The eyes are large and watery, the white pancake makeup is wearing off her skin, and painted stripes of a rouge color are cakey and streaked. The individual looks directly at us. We are transfixed between focusing on the eyes and the pattern of the rouge streaks; both demand our attention first.

In “Boy with Cig,” a beautiful male youth looks off to the side of the picture frame, long wavy light brown hair, a cigarette behind his ear, his expression somewhat of a sneer. Wearing a dated green airborne military uniform, we know he is too young to be in the military; yet we are left to question the portraits meaning. Has Grusenmeyer portrayed him to personify innocence in harm’s way? Whatever the meaning, the artist leaves us with our own interpretation of beauty and a state of being.

“Obscure” is probably the most commercial image in the exhibit in that the portrait is a cropped close up of another female face; the features are heightened to point of being similar to an anime image. Oversized brown watery eyes peer out from behind a black, lacy mask. The crescent shape of her nose ring brings our eyes back up to her eyes, the visual weight of the small black heart shaped painted on the lips direct us back to the bottom of the image.

As a photographer, Grusenmeyer has been receiving lots of local attention. Besides her many commissions for portraits, she was featured on the cover of Fayetteville Friction, a local independent newspaper, with a two page interview in the August 2014 edition. Grusenmeyer was invited to participate in the present exhibit at the Fayetteville Arts Council, Mediating Relevance: the Politics of Gender.

To understand what I am trying to describe, visitors will have to see the work for themselves. Making the Ordinary Extraordinary, an exhibit by Sarah Grusenmeyer, opens at Gallery 208 on Oct. 9, between 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. — the public is invited. Making the Ordinary Extraordinary will remain up at Gallery 208, at 208 Rowan Street, until the first week in December.

Photos:  “Boy With Cig” above and “Affliction” to the left are on display at Gallery 208.

The WIDU anniversary is a week of fun-filled events open to anyone interested in the Christian experience. Event organizers hope to deliver a dose of positivity and uplifting of spirituality to the greater Fayetteville area.

WIDU 1600 AM, also known as the “Wake Up” or “What’s Going On,” radio station is owned by Wes and Sandy Cookman and is located in Fayetteville. The station has been around since 1958 and is continuing on with its 56th annual celebration. The week of events runs from on Oct. 4 through Oct. 11.

“We continue to be humbled that the lord continues to entrust us with the responsibility of presenting this inspiring community event,” said the Cookmans.

The events scheduled throughout the week include: Oct. 4 at 5 p.m., Jesus Rocks Youth Empowerment Event and Concert; Oct. 6 at 7 p.m., A Woman’s Gotta do What A Woman’s Gotta Do play; Oct. 7 at 7 p.m., Carolina’s Best Competition; Oct. 10 at 6 p.m., Quartet Night; Oct. 10 at 9 a.m., Prayer Breakfast and the Anniversary Celebration Concert is on Oct. 11 at 4 p.m.

The Anniversary Celebration Concert will be held in the Crown Coliseum. The performers will include the famous Mary Mary and Tye Tribbett with guest speakers Pastor Tim Rogers, The Fellas and Pastor Brian Thompson. General admission is $20 and on the day of the event tickets will be $30.

The Carolinas Best competition is a big part of the celebration because it gives musicians a chance to battle for a place in the anniversary events. The contest is at Kingdom Impact Global Ministries. There are 18 contestants competing in four categories youth, solo, choir and quartet. Each winner from the four categories will win $250 and will perform in selected events. The guest judges are Peggy Tatum, Ted Winn, Tim Rogers and Kim Burrell.

The Jesus Rocks Youth Empowerment Event and Concert encourages youth to express themselves and their relationship with God. Both youth and local youth leaders are encouraged to join in on the worship session.

WIDU programming includes news, talk radio, church services and of course gospel music.

The WIDU staff works diligently to give local people a voice. The radio station provides different guest speakers who care about the community and want to see a change in the community. Topics of discussion are public education, crime and punishment, religion, government and social justice. They speakers give options and advice on how these things can be improved.

Recently the station has turned its focus on the upcoming elections and the candidates who are running for public office. Find out more about the WIDU Anniversary celebration at www.widuradio.com.

Photo:  Mary Mary headlines the WIDU Anniversary Celebration Concert on Oct. 11.

Have you ever wondered what Halloween was like in Fayetteville a hundred or so years ago? Come and find out. The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex will give you a peek with Halloween Revels: Night Tours of the 1897 Poe House on October 17, 18, 24 and 25 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at The Poe House.

The 1897 Poe House is one of Fayetteville’s great educational resources. It is a part of the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex and is the former home of Fayetteville businessman, Edgar Allen Poe (no relation to the author of the same name.) The home was built in 1897. Visitors to the Poe House can learn about life in Fayetteville during the early 1900s.

“We have partnered with the Gilbert Theater so we have actors from the Gilbert who portray members of the Poe Family,” said Megan Maxwell, 1897 Poe House education coordinator. “Those members are the father, mother, eight children and a few of the servants.”

Maxwell added that the actors portray a typical All Hallows’ Eve Night back in the early 1900s in the Poe House.

The fun event showcases the Poe House and takes visitors on a little trip back in time.

“It is something different than your typical scary, gory, haunted house,” said Maxwell. “This one is totally family-friendly that takes about 20 minutes to go through the house and see each of the vignettes that the actors perform.”

Maxwell added that the vignettes are ad lib and the actors were given a scenario and had to create their own scenes. There is a different scene in every room and the actors move throughout the house.

The Poe House was built in 1897 and it was the home of the Poe family. Poe owned a brick company in town and was very active in the community.

He and his wife, Josephine, had eight children. They had a cook named Nancy and a nurse named Jenny. They were a typical upper middle class family in Fayetteville during this time period. The house includes East Lake Victorian architecture and has been preserved throughout the years. It is a good depiction of life during the time period 1897-1917.

“It really feels like the house has been brought back to life as you move through it,” said Maxwell.

“We look forward to everyone coming to this event.”

The cost is $3 for ages 7 and up and is free for ages 6 and under. The tours will run every 20 minutes beginning at 6 p.m. with the last tour ending at 9 p.m.. For more information, call 486-1330.

The event promises to be a lot of fun — and interesting, too.

Chicken Plant: Not Dead Yet

The proposed Sanderson Farms plant in Cumberland County was pronounced dead before arrival last week, but, thanks to the City of Fayetteville, it’s not quite dead yet.

We’ll see. The whole Sanderson Farms issue has dragged on so long and the arguments, both pro and con, have become so tiresome, illogical and redundant, it sounds like a police officer shooing away rubberneckers at a crime scene.

“Ok. Keep moving. Move on. Nothing to see here.”

Well, it would be interesting to find out just what Sanderson Farms thinks about all this local hubbub. Me? I haven’t changed my opinion on the entire circumstance since last week.

If you missed my comments in last week’s edition several segments of that article are reprinted below. Like I said, nothing much has changed.

“Well, it is the observation and opinion of many well-versed, educated and respected members of the community that these aspects of a fine-tuned and expertly executed offensive campaign in favor of Sanderson Farms has been nonexistent. Hey, don’t shoot the messenger.

“These are the comments and questions that are coming up far too frequently from local residents who are not in the N.I.M.B.Y. (Not In My Backyard) category.

However, they cannot be easily dismissed. They are residents who want to see our community seize the opportunity to grow inclusively and economically with the potential of lifting thousands of Cumberland County residents out of poverty and into a more enjoyable quality of life.

“What’s not to like about that? This is why the question continues to come up: How a few hundred people affect the lives, future and well-being of several thousand county residents? This is extremely confusing, disappointing and puzzling. Unless, that is, you understand the dual concepts of the “haves and have-not’s” and “money talks and bull walks!”

“So, where is the leadership? Is it true that the majority of our locally elected public officials and the wannabes are more focused and concerned in securing their future campaign support and donations rather than prioritizing the growth and development of our community along with the well being of their 327,000 constituents?”

Now that you have caught up on last week’s notes, let me say that if I were a betting man, I would surmise that the “destiny” of this project will lie with those remaining Cumberland County Commissioners who have not already stated their positions.

Dr. Jeannette Council and Jimmy Keefe are IN. Ed Melvin is OUT. Four to go. So, this being the case, who will be willing to “man up” and take a firm stand without worrying about the loss of future political support, influence or further intimidation that may come with the threat of losing a small, loyal and dedicated voting block of county residents and the campaign contributions associated with such a block?

On the other hand, county commissioners like Billy R. King and Charles Evans may face an additional challenge. Both have a large following of black constituents. Many of which would welcome and benefit from this economic development employment opportunity. Evans, who has done a stellar job building his political career and reputation on being a crusader for the working class and the lone voice of the downtrodden, may find it a little more difficult and uncomfortable trying to convince his local constituents that their best interest has been served by turning their backs on 1,000 jobs at $11.71 an hour with health benefits. Oh, my!

What a moral dilemma for Evans.

Oh, well, one thing for sure, it will not make any difference whether Sanderson Farms comes to Cumberland County or not. Once the county commissioners vote on this one single issue, the result will serve as an affirmation to the level of empathy our leadership has to the other 324,049 residents of Cumberland County.

Remember, “Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.” Do you know how to keep a Weeble from wobbling? Don’t elect them! Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Though the weather may be cooling off, the fun-filled events at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden are showing no sign of slowing down. This fall, the garden is hosting a concert series that melds the magic of music with the gorgeous environment of the gardens. Sept. 26, brings a traditional jazz combo with the “Dave Brubeck Tribute.” Oct. 3, a brass quintet will perform show tunes in the concert “Pops in the Garden.” The final concert of the series is “Swing for the Stars” a jazz, swing, and big band music combination on Oct. 10.

The Cape Fear Botanical Garden is a non-profit organization driven by a vision for excellence in both their gardens and their programs. They strive to provide a beautiful and engaging place for the community to come learn, enjoy, and grow. The Fall Concert Series is just one way that they achieve this. “By hosting the concert series we are opening doors to our community members, as the Garden and music both have the power to transform lives, as well as to inspire and entertain,” Meg Suraci, the Garden’s Director of Marketing said.

This concert series is also unique in that it combines two cultural institutions from the community: The Cape Fear Botanical Gardens and the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. “The Fall Concert Series in the Garden featuring select musicians of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra encores for a 3rd annual season, offering four nights of outdoor ‘mini’ concerts. The natural beauty of Cape Fear Botanical Garden boasts unrivaled ambience and the Symphony is praised for its artistic excellence. Blending these two experiences is a collaborative effort and both organizations are committed to the cooperative success of this series,” Suraci said.

In addition to the great atmosphere and music, there will also be delicious refreshments available at each concert, heightening the overall excellence of the event. “Pierro’s Catering will be on-site with tempting food and beverage selections available for purchase and guests will have the opportunity to dine outdoors surrounded by beautiful views. A cash bar will be open for wine and beer,” Suraci says.

The intimacy with nature provided by the Cape Fear Botanical gardens for these concerts is unique and creates for an engaging and magical experience for a myriad of senses. That being said, seating will not be provided. Suraci explained that, “Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or a blanket – or both depending on the forecast, as we head into fall with shorter evening hours and cool temperatures. The Garden will have chairs available for rent, also.”

The concerts are a rain or shine event. In case of inclement weather, they will be moved to the beautiful 6,685 square foot Orangery. No outside food, beverages, coolers, smoking, or pets are allowed in the garden. Admission is free for members. For non-members tickets are $10, $9 with military I.D., $5 for children from 6-12, and children under 5 are free. For more information call 486-0221 or visit www.capefearbg.org. The garden is located at 536 N Eastern Blvd. For all of the concerts the gates open at 6p.m. and performances begin at 7 p.m.

Photo: CFBG pays tribute to Dave Brubek on Sept. 26.