In 1945 a small ad appeared in the New York Times. It read “Multiple Sclerosis. Will anyone recovered from it please communicate with patient.”

Sylvia Lawry placed the ad because her brother had been diagnosed with MS and the family was frustrated by the lack of treatment options available. While no one came forward with a treatment option, the number of people who also came forward because of their frustrations was so large that in 1946 the National Multiple Sclerosis Society was created.

The organization has invested more than $600 million into research, according to its Web site. This has led to the development of six approved disease modifying drugs, genetic research, experimental treatments and breakthroughs in potential therapies.

The National MS Society claims that there are almost 5,000 people living with MS in North Carolina, and approximately 400,000 suffering from this disease in the U.S.

This year Walk MS is seeking to raise $800,000 to fund cutting-edge research and life-changing programs and services. The Fayetteville area Walk MS event is trying to bring in $55,000. They haven’t lost sight of the fact that this is an opportunity to have a good time though.

“The best thing is that this is a great family event,” said Fayetteville MS Walk Coordinator Elizabeth Jones. “Bring kids. Dogs are welcome. We’ll have live entertainment. It is a big festival atmosphere — there is a big playground for kids to play, teams have the option to set up a team tent and bring their own food and drink and celebrate that way.”

The Fayetteville Walk for MS will be at Honeycutt Park on May 15 moving out to make a difference. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The walk starts at 10 a.m. Jersey Mike’s will provide lunch.

Unlike many races, there is no registration fee to enter, but volunteers are encouraged to go out and fund raise for the cause. Sixty percent of the funds raised will go toward programs, services and advocacy for North Carolinians with MS. The other 40 percent is used for research in the fight against MS

“Our mission statement for the walk is that it truly is the rallying point for the MS movement because so many people who do have MS participate in this event,” said Jones. “Our statistics show that about 94 - 95 percent of the people who participate either have MS or a close personal friend or family member with MS. It is truly mission driven and is meant to be a celebration and a rally.”

For more information on how you can help call (919) 792-1011.

On May 16, the Cumberland County Headquarters Library will come alive with the sound of music. Blues music.

Claudia Swartz, the organizer of the annual Blues Showcase, and Jane Casto, the manager of the Headquarters Branch, have once again partnered to bring the sound of blues to the community, both young and old.

“It’s a nice family event, for all ages. It’s for people who really love music, but may not want to go to a bar atmosphere. It’s more like a concert, so you can really pay attention to the music. This showcase is a really great opportunity,” said Casto. The event is free to the public and will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. in the Pate Room at the Headquarters Library.

Swartz also encourages people to bring their children, and said there will be young people performing the music as well.

A highlight of the afternoon will be performances by 13-year-old John Locklear and his sister Layla Locklear, who is 16. Other performers will include the Robbie Reid Band, Corky Jones, BluesEnigma, Lakota, the Raiford Street Band, Mister P. and Friends, Ray King on percussion and more.

“This event gives a chance for local blues musicians to come up and perform for 20- 30 minutes to give people a taste of what’s available locally,” explained Casto.

“The whole thing came about from just seeing that there were so many incredible musicians and so much talent, but not enough venues to showcase them,” said Swartz of the annual Blues Showcase which began in 2005.

“This event is geared towards young talent. There are more and more young talented musicians starting to play the blues.”

Refreshments are not available at the event, but guests are welcome to bring their own nonalcoholic beverages and food to the Pate Room.

For more information on the event, contact the library at (910) 483-7727.

According to www.about.com, almost 303,000 people live in Cumberland County. Adolph Thomas, City of Fayetteville community development specialist, knows that about 1,033 of them are homeless, and that there are not enough resources to go around to help these people.

That is why the City of Fayetteville is joining forces with other agencies to try and bring changes to the community with Project Homeless Connect on May 20 at First Baptist Church on Moore Street.

“Project Homeless Connect is an event sponsored by the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness steering committee,” said Thomas. “The purpose is to bring the community together — and when I say that, we are talking about the primary agencies that deal with housing, health issues, parenting — all these different agencies under one roof — to provide a one-day service to the homeless residents of our county. The idea is that any issues that these people have we are asking people to help us deal with it.”

For example, North Carolina identification cards are a big deal. Without one you can’t get get a job and you miss out on many services that are available. Project Homeless Connect has asked the N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles to provide a way to get ID cards to those who need them and would not otherwise know how to go about getting them. The $10 fee is waived for homeless individuals, for obvious reasons.

“That is a big stumbling block for a lot of these folks,” said Thomas. “A lot of them don’t walk around with $10 in their pocket.”

This is just one of the many areas that the event will focus on. It starts at 7:30 a.m. and runs through 1:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Free haircuts will be offered along with medical prescription assistance, medical and dental assistance, housing assistance, job placement, government assistance and more.

“We are trying to include local, private agencies as well,” said Thomas.

Everyone from local churches and non-profits who are looking for ways to be helpful in solving this problem while ensuring financial accountability is offered the chance to participate.

Local businesses will be on hand, as well.

“We are trying to include them as part of the solution, and to make them feel a responsibility for helping to solve the problem,” said Thomas, noting that the city is also reaching out to Fort Bragg in an effort to deal with the large number of homeless veterans.

Transportation is provided free of charge to the event for those wishing to attend. Thomas said homeless individuals need to procure and give the bus driver the Homeless Connect F.A.S.T pass.

“Most people think of homelessness as the guy on the street corner with a sign,” said Thomas. “What they don’t realize is that a lot of our homeless in Cumberland County are families sleeping in cars — single moms and children.”

For more information about this event, or to volunteer call 433-2161.

Over the last 15 years I have written many editorials and opinion pieces about the need for a local television station in our community. As I travel around the country I have the opportunity to tune in and watch local news programming. I envy how the local TV media is able to not only report relevant, up-to-date community news, and their capacity and dedication to keeping local residents educated and well informed on important issues affecting their families, neighborhoods, towns, cities and state.

This is even more important during election time when the relevance of covering local politicians and government issues reaches it’s peak. Without effective TV, newspaper and radio media coverage there is little hope for transparency in government.

This is especially true with TV. There is nothing more effective for exposing and defining the truth than a camera and reporter investigating or reporting on an issue. It is this lack of coverage and accountability that breeds apathy among voters and thus produces the disappointing turnout results at the polls on election day.

Here in Cumberland County the turnout was less than 12 percent. Twelve percent? And, this at a time when we have so many important and pressing issues facing our community — both locally and statewide. Our community has problems and our community has questions.

We need solutions. We need answers. In today’s political climate way too much emphasis and political posturing is focused on the race of the candidate and not his qualifications. Hmmmmmm?

How sad is that? Wouldn’t it be nice to know more about the qualifications of the candidates, why they are seeking office and what their ideas and plans are for moving our county, state and nation forward?

Sure, there are political forums but these are poorly attended, and again, because no one knows about them. Honestly, getting elected and serving effectively are two different things. First, getting elected (or appointed) to an office shouldn’t be the objective in itself. Anyone with the resources can spend a million dollars to be elected. Or, if you don’t have those kinds of financial resources you can resort to political maneuvering or “slight of hand” to get your ballot numbers.

Either way, the constituency is ill served because no relevant motives or information have been exchanged. Trying to be elected to an important political office “just because” is not a good enough reason.

Our county, state and nation are faced with some very serious and vital issues. Education, unemployment, transportation/roads, the environment and national security, just to name a few. People want — and have — a right to know how potential elected offi cials are going to effectively (and honestly) address these issues. Who cares what color the candidates skin is as long as the job gets done?

No, accountability will only come with transparency, and, transparency will only come when the media can report on our government and politicians in real time. And, that’s television. So, lights, camera, action! Until we get it … we won’t have it.

Former boxing world champion Ricardo Mayorga will compete in his first Mixed Martial Arts fight at the Crown Coliseum on May 15. The Shine Fights’ World’s Collide MMA fight will pit Mayorga against MMA star Din Thomas.

Ricardo Mayorga is a Nicaraguan born mixed martial artist and former professional boxer. He is the former WBA/WBC Welterweight champion and the former WBC Junior Middleweight champion. His record of 28-7 includes 22 knockouts. His debut into MMA fighting is sure to draw a crowd at the Crown as he goes up against MMA veteran Din Thomas.

Thomas is an American mixed martial arts fi ghter who was featured on the popular series The Ultimate Fighter 4. He runs two successful Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA academies in Port St. Lucie, Fla.Thomas made his UFC debut at UFC 32, in a fight against future UFC lightweight & welterweight champion B.J. Penn. His most recent UFC fi ght was a unanimous-decision loss to Josh Neer at UFC Fight Night 13. After that fight, he dropped to Featherweight class. Thomas has also recently began an acting career in independent fi lms.

Mayorga and Thomas brought fireworks to their recent press conference in New York. They were brought together to announce Worlds Collide, and sparks flew immediately as the two fi ghters began to taunt each other. Mayorga lit a cigarette and blew smoke in Thomas’ face, inciting a shove from Thomas. Shortly afterwards the two went toe-to-toe, yelling at each other, and neither showing any respect for his opponent. The press conference, culminated with Mayorga landing a backhanded left jab to Thomas’ chin.

Tickets for Mayorga vs. Thomas at the Crown Coliseum are on sale now. Reserved seat tickets are available at the Crown Center Coliseum Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Prices range from $25 to $150.

The event is being promoted by Shine Fight Promotions in conjunction with the Crown Center. For more information visit Shine Fight Promotions Web site:www.shinefi ghts.com or the Crown Center site at www.atthecrown.com, or call (910)438-4100.

“When you think of a catfi sh tournament you think of a couple of guys and some stinky bait — you know what I am saying? But we have taken this tournament stuff to a different level.”

These are the words of the 6th Annual Catfi sh Tournament Director Robert Kitchen.

In the past five years the event has raised more than $20,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This year they are hoping to add significantly to that figure.

“We started with 19 boats paying $250 to win,” said Kitchen. “Now we are at more than 100 boats which makes us the biggest catfish tournament in North Carolina. We are paying $3,000 to win, and there is a chance to win a pick-up truck.”

There is a captain’s meeting on Saturday, May 8 at the Hope Mills Shriner’s Club from 6-11 p.m. Dinner and entertainment will be provided.

This year the tournament will be held on May 15 and 16. Registration will open at 6 a.m. and run until 9 a.m. at J.P. Riddle Stadium. The boats will blast off from the stadium at 8 a.m., but if you miss it there is still another hour of registration time.

“After blast off they can go anywhere on the Cape Fear river they want to... from Buckhorn to Wilmington...they can fish the whole span of the Cape Fear River,” said Kitchen. Weigh-in starts at 9 a.m. on Sunday. All boats have to be in by 10 a.m. There will be a polygraph examiner at weigh-in. The top three winning team captains must take a polygraph before any winnings will be declared.

While the fishermen are certainly expected to have a good time, the tournament is fish friendly.

“We do catch and release. We put all the fish back in the river because we are tournament fishermen and that might be the one we need for next time that will win,” said Kitchen.

“Plus we don’t want to deplete the river population of fish due to the fact that this is such a great river to fish in, and the more you take out the less there is gonna be. Last year we put back 1,866 pounds of fish — all alive”

Before the fish are put back in the river they are put into revive tanks and soaked in rejuvinade so that they are not put back into the river in a weak state. In order to maintain the health of the fish, the tournament has also changed the number of fi sh that can be weighed-in to three. It used to be fi ve fish.

While tournament participants enjoy a good time on the Cape Fear River catching catfi sh and competing for one of the many prizes that will be handed out, Kitchen and the event organizers are very focused on running a successful tournament because they support the cause... the children and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“In our organization everybody is gung ho about it — we all know that we are blessed that our children don’t have cancer,” said Kitchen. “These kids didn’t ask for it, but they won’t get to run and play and stuff like that. So if we can give them a chance to that is all that matters in the world to us. There is just something so precious and special about children... one of our philosophies is that the person’s life that you save could be the person that saves your life someday.”

For more information, check out myspace.com/FishingtoFightCancer or call 237-1343.

Judy Dawkins knows the power of positive thoughts and of positive contributions. Following her retirement from the federal government a number of years ago, she began a second career as the director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, or RSVP. Since that time, she has seen retirees, like herself, step out into the community and do everything from helping children learn to read to taking meals to shut ins.

On Friday, April 23, Dawkins was joined by more than 475 volunteers at the RSVP annual volunteer appreciation luncheon at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church. The event is designed to thank the organization’s senior volunteers and to honor one of its own for their dedication and contributions to the community. Both were done in style.

In 2009, the 515 volunteers registered with RSVP logged more than 104,187 hours of service to the community. Their time is equivalent to 50 full-time employees, which saved local organizations more than $2,031,646.50. Volunteers with the organization must be at least 55-years-old and elect to serve in one of the 76 agencies served by the organization.

Joining Dawkins in thanking the volunteers were Kim Hasty, who served as the mistress of ceremonies; the Rev. John Cook, Sheriff Moose Butler, Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, of the XVII Airborne Corps, N.C. Rep. Rick Glazier, Mayors Ethel Clark, Eddie Dees and Tony Chavonne, Billy King, chairmen of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and Robert Hines of the United Way.

Janice Burton, associate publisher of Up & Coming Weekly presented the Up & Coming Weekly Spirit Award, which honors the outstanding volunteer of the year, to Jim Stitt.

Stitt, who has been volunteering with RSVP since 2002, delivers meals to the home bound, works with the United Way and a number of other agencies. Stitt, a retired Special Forces soldier, is an avid painter and is still actively involved in athletics. The award’s presentation was complete when Stitt arrived at the ceremony, having just won a gold medal at the Senior Games.

Dawkins joked with Stitt, recalling his start with the organization. She explained that a number of gentlemen came to the senior center to play pool on a regular basis.

“I heard them in there and they were having so much fun,” she recalled. “I went in and told them I need them and that energy to volunteer.”

It seemed that no one was going to take her up on her offer until later when Stitt came to her privately.

“He told me he would do what I needed him to do as long as I didn’t tell the other guys,” she said.

Over time many of those gentlemen joined Stitt in his service to the community

“In the Shadow Series I am attempting, like children, to combine the shadows of the eye and spirit, giving mental and spiritual experiences a form of tangibility — a virtually impossible task which will probably remain forever as visual speculation without hope of fi nding an acceptable solution,” said Stanley Greaves, in a statement about his work.

“Unlike literature and drama, in painting, exploring this realm of emotional, often irrational, states of the mind becomes a diffi cult enterprise well understood by the Surrealist School,” said Greaves.

According to Greaves, the tool of exploration that must be used here tends to become visual allegories or other forms of symbolism that are used in a highly personalized manner. The paintings hold some form of narration, however, there is no defi nite ending. Shadows Move Among Them displays conjecture, or the formation for the expression of opinion or theory without evidence for proof, the drama to spaces and dimensions that reach outside the space within the picture.

Both the first and second series of Shadows Move Among Them are dedicated to Edgar Mittelholzer, a Caribbean author, who wrote a novel entitled Shadows Move Among Them. Greaves’s first set of artwork in the series was shown on the island of Barbados.

“At the end of this, the second series of the Shadow paintings, I am left to consider that coming to terms with the intangible is still elusive — the true history of mankind perhaps. My perception of the intangible becomes a vision lying on the edge of some strange horizon and my search will have to follow the lead of the spectrum shadows becoming shadows of the soul,” Greaves said.

Greaves’ works will be on display at the Fayetteville Museum of Art from May 8 through July 11 and the museum has been working with Greaves on this exhibition for more than a year and a half. Greaves was originally a patron of the museum and through dialogue and submission of an application the studio reviewed his work and decided to display it. The artwork will essentially be exploring two dimensional shadows of the human condition and will consist of twenty-three pieces.

On Saturday, May 8 at 7 p.m. the premier party for the exhibit will take place at the Fayetteville Museum of Art.

“This is another example of bringing contemporary work of a living artist to our community and the diversity within our community,” said Michele Horn, assistant director and curator for the Fayetteville Museum of Art.

Greaves is a native of the Republic of Guyana and he served as the fi rst head of the Division of Creative Arts at the University of Guyana.

All artists can ask to have their artwork displayed by sending a copy of their portfolio to the museum and a request form. If chosen, the artwork will be on display generally for six to eight weeks.

It has long been a dream of Bo Thorp, the artistic director at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre, to bring a production of Hair to the CFRT stage. Over the years, she has mulled over the idea, trying to find a way to bring what has been billed as an anti-military production to a very pro-military community.

“I love the music in Hair,” said Thorp. “It’s a generational thing. People know the music, they can sing along with it. But it is not our intention ever to offend anyone and we certainly don’t want to turn people off, so we had to find a way to bring this wonderful music to the stage without getting into the idea of war or nudity.”

After looking for many years, Thorp found the answer.

The show will be performed in concert, with limited dialogue, which will mostly be used to introduce characters and segue into the next musical number.

At the helm of the production is William Day, a New York actor with close ties to not only the CFRT, but also the production.

Day, who was raised in North Carolina and Viriginia, has spent some time on the CFRT stage. In his earlier years, he performed in Godspell and Footloose.

“As a young actor trying to fi gure out what I wanted to do, I spent some great time at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre,” said Day during a recent telephone interview. “I learned a lot from the local talent, and I really admire the work they do there. Over the years, Bo and I have remained friends, so when she called me about Hair, I was ready to do it.”

Day recently staged a production of Hair in Wilmington, and it was that production that gave Thorp the motivation to move forward with the production.

Day explained that he has a passion for the production, and has made a careful study of it.

“I recently saw the revival of Hair on Broadway,” he explained. “Having done the production a number of times over the past 10 years, I thought the Broadway show had a lot of problems. It was too polished. It had no authenticity. There was no rawness to it. The acting was fl awless — it’s Broadway — but it lacked heart and the great storytelling that this production needs.”

So Day took the idea and reworked it into another production of the show.

“It’s less about war and more about loving yourself and others,” he explained. “That’s really the central theme to Hair. There are certain things in the script you can do without, so it’s not so much in your face. This staged concert version is going to be veryexciting. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

And, according to Thorp and Day, it goes back to the original production’s roots. The first production of Hair was staged in the park. So the outdoor setting at Campbellton Landing will greatly enhance the production.

“The show is so environmental,” said Thorp. “The cast is going to be out in the audience a lot, and the audience is going to be a lot more involved than they normally are.”

Thorp said she expects this show to appeal more to a younger audience than what has typically attended the river show.

“There’s going to be a lot of tie-dye and glow sticks,” she said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Part of the fun will come from the fact that people know the music.

“A generation grew up on this music, and I expect they will be singing along,” she said. “Traditionally, at the end of theshow, people throughout the audience are on their feet dancing. We want to see that.”

Day, who arrived in Fayetteville this week to begin rehearsals, will be arranging the staging and the dancing to get people in that mood.

“It’s really fresh and exciting,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a great show, and I can’t wait to work with the cast to bring it to stage.”

Thorp said there will be more than 30 actors involved, as well as the Volkswagon bus and Beetles. “There’s going to be a lot of hippy stuff,” she said.

The show opens on Thursday, May 20 and runs through May 30. The shows being at 8 p.m. As in years past, attendees can elect to eat dinner at the show. This year’s dinner will be courtesy ofRiverside Steakhouse & Oyster Bar at Campbellton Landing. The menu will feature pork tenderloin, vegetables, bread pudding and homemade rolls. Thorp added that there will be a variety of beverages from tea to beer and wine available for sale throughout the evening.

To make reservations or for more information, visit www.cfrt.org.

Fayetteville artist Erica Stankwytch Bailey fi nds inspiration in the smallest of details within a larger body — a cell within a plant, a shell in the ocean. Bailey, a metalsmith, found herself within that very context when she journeyed to the Grand Canyon as an artist-in-residence earlier this year. For three weeks in January and February, she lived, worked, hiked and photographed in the Grand Canyon. Bailey will share her experiences on Thursday, May 6 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in a presentation at the Arts Council, 301 Hay Street, in Fayetteville. The presentation is free and open to the public.

“It’s a really great program,” said Bailey, a metalsmith, in a phone interview. “Several of the national parks throughout the country do artist-inresidence programs. The cool part is that both the artists and the National Parks have worked hand-inhand for a long time. In the early times of the National Park Service, there was no way to show people what the parks looked like without artists, and that’s how all the national parks shared the parks with the people so that people would support them.”

Bailey took her fi rst metalsmithing class at Fayetteville Technical Community College when she was 17.

“The funny part is I now teach at FTCC. I really love teaching. For me as an artist, I work so much in the studio that it’s really nice to get out and interact with people.”

Bailey draws her inspiration from nature, and many of her jewelry pieces, wrought in materials such as sterling silver, copper, brass, freshwater pearls, jade and recycled paper, evoke images of a piece of coral, an unfolding bloom or the magnifi ed surface of a grain of pollen or tiny ocean plankton.

“My studio is covered with trays of things,” Bailey said. “I’ll pull them out and look at them or photograph them. I keep a pretty involved sketchbook. It’s always nature, sometimes architecture, and I’ve been looking at a lot of nano and microscopic photography. The last year or so, my work has really started to be about how signifi cant the really small things are within a larger context. That is part of how I chose the Grand Canyon. It is the perfect place to experience the signifi cance of the small in the large. I chose the Grand Canyon because I knew it was a place that would be truly inspiring.

“When I fi rst got to the Grand Canyon, it was so big that it was hard for me to take it in. There was visually so much to see. I really started breaking it down into its different parts –– line, shape, texture, form. I’m working on pieces inspired by the trip. It’s a series of pieces based on elements of art. Most of them will be wearable, but I do have a piece that I’m working on that is more sculptural. At the presentation, I’ll talk about the entire experience and plan to have some of the completed works there.

Bailey’s presentation is part of an outreach program of the national parks’ artist-in-residence program.

“It was an amazing opportunity,” said Bailey. “I had the best view in the park. They ask very little but that you do outreach to spread the word on how amazing the National Parks are. I also have some great photographs to share and stories about how amazing and wonderful the experience was and how challenging it was. It was such a profound experience.”

The encouraging and inspiring story of a Tony and Grammy Award nominated musical, The Color Purple, is coming to the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville for the fi rst time On May 5 at 7:30 p.m.

The Color Purple is an inspiring family saga that tells the unforgettable story of a woman, who — through love — finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world. Set to a joyous score, The Color Purpleis a story of hop, a testament to the healing power of love and a celebration of life.

The musical tells the story of Celie, a woman who triumphs through adversity and fi nds her voice in the world. The musical is set in 1911 and spans approximately 40 years in Celie’s life, beginning when she is 14. The character of “Celie” will be played by Dayna Jarae Dantzler, who is from Michigan.

This musical is based on the novel, The Color Purple, by Alice Walker. The Color Purplewas Walker’s most famous novel winning the Pulitzer Prize, the American Book Award and a fi lm production, in 1985, by Steven Speilberg. The script to the musical was written by Marsha Norman and the songs were composed by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. The show was choreographed by Donald Byrd.

The Color Purplefirst came to Broadway on December 1, 2005 and was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The musical was also nominated for a Grammy Award based on its gospel, jazz, pop and blues music. The Color Purple played on Broadway for two successful years then began a national tour with cast members from all over the country. One of the cast members, Traci Allen, who plays “Nettie,” Celie’s sister, is a native of Winston-Salem, N.C.

Cast members for The Color Purple tour the country by plane or bus and props, sets, wigs, costumes, etc., are driven to the various locations of the play by truck. This particular tour began in March of this year and will be returning to North Carolina at the Durham Performing Arts Center, in Durham, on May 25-30.

There will be a 15 to 20 minute intermission during the play and snacks are available outside the main theatre area. Ticket prices range from $28 to $45.50 and both group rates of 15 or more and those with a military ID can get $3 off ticket prices.

For more information contact the Crown Coliseum at 910-438-4100 or visit the Web site at www.atthecrown.com.

May is a special month for Julio Ramirez. Since 2002, he has put on a road race in downtown Fayetteville every May to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Since that fi rst race, he had a dream for something bigger and better, but his service in the Army prevented him from bringing it to fruition.

With his military service behind him, Ramirez now has the time (and boundless energy) to bring the Cinco de Mayo Festival that he’s always dreamed of to Fayetteville and to share his Latino culture with the community.

“Cinco de Mayo, for a lot of people has always been about partying and drinking and that is not what I want to show,” said Ramirez. “There is more than that. It is not about the Mexican Independence day either like so many people think.”

According to Ramirez, the holiday of Cinco De Mayo, May 5, commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. It is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the Mexican state of Puebla, particularly in its capitol, Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico, and especially in U.S. cities with a signifi cant Mexican population. It is not, as many people think, Mexico’s Independence Day, which is actually Sept. 16.

As Fayetteville’s inaugural Cinco de Mayo celebration takes off, Ramirez planned a celebration that spanned an entire month. Through out the month of April there was a beauty pageant, held each Friday evening at the Speak Easy Night Club in Fayetteville. The fi nals of the competition will be on May 7. The top three contestants will each receive $1,000. Winners will be crowned during the festival on Sunday, May 9.

On Saturday, May 8, the John E. Norman road race, which has become a much anticipated event in the Fayetteville racing scene, will kick-off the festival. Named for Ramirez’s friend, a portion of the proceeds will go to the John E. Norman College Fund.

“John was my friend, and he passed away in 2005,” said Ramirez. “He never asked questions. I asked him for help and he just gave it to me and I thought he deserves to have this named for him.”

Prior to 2005, the race was known as the Cinco de Mayo Run. The race includes not only a 10K which starts at 8:30 a.m., but also a 5K and a 2 mile fun walk that start at 7:55 am. There will be prizes for the race winners and Ramirez is also planning on providing steak fajitas along with fruit and drinks after the race.

“One of the good things about this event is that is draws a lot of people,” said Ramirez. “I hope that local people will show up this year. Believe it or not, this race is the one that draws a lot of people from out of town. Every year we get people from Alabama, Florida, Virginia and Georgia. I’ve had people from Utah and California come, too. We have a great race and a great area to run in downtown.”

To register for the race or get more information, visit the Web site at www. cincodemayo10k.org or call 578-9680.

On May 9, the party transitions to Festival Park where there will be music and dancing from 12-6 p.m. With fantastic support from local sponsors, Ramirez says that the Cinco de Mayo Festival will include three Mexican folk dance groups: Los Concheros Aztecas de Octavio Flores, Magestic 4H Club from Sanford and Espíritu Latino from La Grange N.C. The “Charros de México” de Manuel Cerna Mariachi Band will be performing. These groups will perform a variety of dances, starting with Los Concheros Aztecas. The dance troupe’s performance is related to the magnifi cent Mexica culture, known as the Aztecs.

From Central America, “Conjunto Típico Raíces Istmeñas” will perform with their beautiful polleras (decorative skirts) and unique tocados (hair accessories). Their style is very unique and is from the country of Panama.

From the Middle East, Qarisma Dance Arts will perform in order to raise awareness of authentic Middle Eastern Oriental dance which is many times confused with Belly Dancing.

The Fire Antz Cheerleaders “The Heat” will delight the crowd with their moves. Also, the Speak Easy Latino Dance Club will perform outside of its establishment showcasing the riches of unique dancing Salsa and Bachata styles.

“My goal is to bring all these different groups of people in Fayetteville together,” said Ramirez. “I don’t want to just bring in a bunch of Americans and play Mexican music for them. That is not how it is going to work. You gotta suit your environment. To do that I gotta bring in different bands and entertainment.”

Ramirez is hoping to have the 82nd Airborne Free Fall Team at the event as well. Mayor Tony Chavonne is scheduled to offi ciate the opening ceremonies with a ribbon cutting event. Look for a dominoes competition, a raffle for a fl at screen TV and loads of fun to round out the day.

All of this fun and excitement will benefi t the community in more ways than one. Ramirez is donating a portion of the proceeds to the Hispanic Latino Center. Located downtown near the Women’s Center, Ramirez is choosing to support this organization for all of the good services they provide to the local Latino population.

“They have a lot of computers and they teach them (Latinos) how to speak English, work with computers and stuff like that,” said Ramirez. “They connect them with the right people when they are looking for jobs and they put them in touch with lawyers when they need to get their visas squared away. The center guides them the right way to see the right people. One of the things about the center is that they concentrate on prepping Latinos for success in the U.S.”

To find out more about this extensive and festive Cinco de Mayo celebration visit www. cincodemayo10k.org

Would a poo sandwich by any other name smell as sweet? How about if you wrapped a poo sandwich in a prospectus and called it a collateralized debt obligation? Would that make it smell better?

The kindly, loveable and warmhearted Wall Street investment bank of Goldman Sachs thought so. The Federal Securities and Exchange Commission begs to disagree. The elephants from Wall Street and Washington, D.C., are fighting each other in the legal tall grass and the pygmies of Main Street will get trampled as usual. The SEC has sued Goldman Sachs for civil fraud in the sale of a colorful fi nancial product called a subprime mortgage bond.

Have your eyes glazed over yet? If you are still awake, let us consider the strange case of the red-headed poster child of the fi nancial collapse, the bouncing baby subprime mortgage bond market. Where do subprime mortgage bonds come from? Why, from the fi nancial Easter Bunny. Making a mortgage bond is easy. Mortgage brokers, banks and other lenders lend money to borrowers who mortgage their house and sign a note promising to pay the money back or lose their house.

If the home owners are less likely to be able to pay back the money they borrowed, these are called subprime loans. These lenders don’t care if the borrowers can pay the money back. The reason the lenders don’t care about repayment is that they are not trying to collect any money from the broke borrowers. The lenders sell these lousy loans to Wall Street fi rms and collect a fee. The Wall Street fi rms slap a bunch of these subprime loans together in a big pile called a subprime mortgage bond.

Think of a subprime mortgage bond as a poo sandwich. The poo sandwich is piled high with zillions of bad loans. Wall Street then sells these poo sandwiches to investors like insurance companies, pension funds and local and state government agencies who theoretically ought to know better than to buy a poo sandwich but do not.

Wall Street doesn’t have to collect the money from the borrowers either. Wall Street gets paid for making the poo sandwich. It gets paid for selling the poo sandwich.Wall Street sold poo sandwiches to investors who hoped to collect mortgage payments from borrowers who couldn’t afford to repay their loans. Hope is not a plan.

Surprisingly Wall Street got greedy. It wasn’t enough to sell regular poo sandwiches. It began to sell poo sandwiches that were so rancid that Wall Street invented a type of insurance that would pay off if the subprime mortgage bond in the poo sandwich defaulted due to nonpayment by the homeowners. This insurance is called a “credit default swap.”

Wall Street made lots of money selling credit default swap insurance to the ultimate buyers of the poo sandwiches in addition to selling the subprime mortgage bond. Selling credit default swap insurance was like selling fries with a poo sandwich. As long as the housing market kept going up, homeowners could repeatedly refi nance their mortgages into new subprime loans. The poo sandwiches kept selling. Wall Street didn’t have to pay off the credit default swap insurance and got to keep the insurance premiums.

Wall Street had a curious rating system for the credit worthiness of poo sandwiches. If your sandwich smelled too bad, for a fee a pliable bond rating service could rate your poo sandwich as tastier than it actually was.

Then a funny thing happened. Housing prices collapsed and homeowners stopped paying their mortgages. The wizards at Wall Street who had been writing credit default swap insurance on poo sandwiches morphed overnight into fi nancial dummies who suddenly had to pay huge sums of money to the even smarter guys who had bought the credit default swap insurance on poo sandwiches. Some of the Wall Street fi rms didn’t have enough money to pay off their credit default swaps and woke up dead like Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns. AIG Insurance happily sold credit default swaps on poo sandwiches and would have collapsed if not for the government bail out of Wall Street.

The emperor had no clothes. We knew that Wall Street had no morals but plenty of poo sandwiches. It turned out Wall Street had no brains either.

It’s no secret that for a number of years Fayetteville struggled with an image problem. Over time, that has changed. Visitors to our city no longer drive as quickly through it as possible; instead, they sit a spell. They take time to grab a bite in one of our numerous restaurants. They wander the downtown streets and check out the eclectic and interesting shops that line our city center.

That was seen so clearly on Friday night as the Dogwood Festival kicked-off a weekend of fun for our city. The event also coincided with 4th Friday, which is also a major draw to our city center. The two combined for a one, two knock-out punch to visitors and residents alike.

I spent the majority of Friday evening downtown. I was thrilled to see the number of people who were strolling down Hay Street checking out the various art venues. More exciting was the musical entertainment that was scattered throughout the city center. I was really thrilled to see a drum group set up in the Market House. At that moment, it was easy to see the vision we have for our community. It was easy to believe we are close to accomplishing it.

But, of course, when things are going great, something or someone rains on your parade. In this case, it was the guests that our city really doesn’t need or want to come to any party we plan. You know who they are. They are loud. They don’t really pay attention to what’s going on around them, and, they litter.

I’m not talking about accidental littering. I’m talking about over-the-top, I don’t care if there are 50 trash cans around me, I’m going to drop my trash right on the ground, and keep going to see what’s in it for me.

And believe me, we had plenty of those guests in town for the festival. And the sad part is, most of these people probably call Fayetteville home.

I saw them Friday night. Finished with your funnel cake? Don’t worry about the trash can three steps to your right, drop the plate right on the ground.

That beer tasted good, right? That cup didn’t look so good on the ground where you and your buddies dropped it, which by the way, was right in front of the trash cans.

Don’t even get me started on Saturday. As is our custom, the staff at Up & Coming Weekly and Kidsville News! was manning a booth near the Midway. People were busy visiting booths to see what kind of take-aways they could get, and if they didn’t like the gifts, they dropped them on the ground. The same can be said for their corn dogs, lemonade cups, and yes, you Mr. Man, who fi nished your coffee and then dropped the cup (and its remnants) on the ground for everyone to step over or in.

The Dogwood Festival is an event designed to focus on the beauty of our community. It’s designed to welcome Spring, a time of renewal. It’s not a time to lay waste to our beloved city with trash.

If that’s your idea of fun, consider yourself uninvited

Snyder Memorial Baptist Church provides a lot to our community. Not only is it a place to worship and serve, it also provides musical training, after school care and a venue for top notch performances like the upcoming performance of Elijahon May 2 at 6:30 p.m.

Elijah is considered the greatest work of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809- 1847), a German composer of the Romantic era, born in Hamburg, Germany. Elijahis a dramatic story of the prophet Elijah as he summons the people to righteousness, performs miracles and struggles against idolworshipping. He confronts the wicked queen Jezebel. It ends as Elijah rises to heaven in a fiery chariot. The oratorio, written in two parts, was fi rst performed in August of 1846.

The Snyder performance is a joint project with the Campbell University Choir and the University Choral Society. Choral Society personnel include students, faculty and a core of community singers. The University Choir is comprised of students, most of who are majoring or minoring in music. The Campbell musicians will be joined by the Snyder Memorial Sanctuary Choir and Orchestra. This performance features a 140-voice choir and a 30-piece orchesta.

Dr. Phil Morrow, director of choral activities at Campbell University and Dr. Larry Dickens, minister of music at Snyder Memorial are coordinating and conducting the oratorio.

Some of the local talent includes Sara Barefoot and Faith Dickens. Elijah will be sung by Dr. John Blizzard, professor of voice and artist in residence at Wingate University.

It was quite an undertaking for the church due to the sheer numbers required to fill the choral and musical slots, but the church staff working in concert with the Campbell staff has put together a performance that they believe is not to be missed. According to Dickens, Elijah is one of the most famous and dramatic prophets of ancient Israel. He lived in 875-848 BC. The oratorio focuses on the prophet’s bold stand against the rampant idolatry that had gripped his nation under the corrupt leadership of king Ahab and his wife Jezebel.

“I would say that other than Messiah it is the best known major oratorio — and if you have seen Handel’s Messiahbut maybe never been to a performance, this is a great way to do it,” said Dickens. “If you have ever wondered what an oratorio is like, the music here is highly dramatic and engaging. Even if you are not a classical music enthusiast you will be pulled into the experience because of the dramatic nature of the music.”

The work is so powerful in fact, that Dickens has had the pleasure of watching it impact the performers as they have worked putting the piece together. In fact, one of the things he has enjoyed the most has been exposing some people who have never done a major work like this to the joys of classical music and introducing people to classical music that have never really studied it before.

“Sacred classical music, well, much of our classical literature evolved from the church. This experience helped them understand church music history, said Dickens. “Although it is a whole lot of work, seeing the joy of those who get it, who actually get it fi gured out has been great. There is also the deep spiritual element of the life of Elijah he is the best known of all the prophets and seeing the spiritual impact of studying the life of this great prophet I think this has had a spiritual impact for a lot of folks as well.”

For more information visit www.snydermbc.com.

With spring in the air and the warm days of summer fast approaching, Ft. Bragg is opening its gates once again so that the public can come out and enjoy the Ft. Bragg Fair. The fun begins at 5 p.m., April 29 with all the fun rides and entertainment that make this such a popular annual event.

Look for the fabulous snacks and food that make the fair such a special place, but according to Rhett Stroupe, special events coordinator at Ft. Bragg Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR), there is one ride that has thrilled area youngsters over and over again for the past 25 years.

“The most popular thing that the fair go-ers can get — that they can only get at the Ft. Bragg Fair — is the kiddie jump tower,” said Stroupe. It is a 20 ft jump tower with a zip line. Folks go up the tower, are fitted with a harness, at-tached to a trolley. “We have 30 carnival rides on the grounds, and of course all of the midway games and food. And guess which is the most popular attraction? The kiddie jump tower, by virtue of the fact that this is the only place that they can do that and experience that is here at Ft. Bragg.”

The entertainment schedule is packed with a variety of bands that cover the country, latin, rock-n-roll, gospel, reggae, Top 40 genres and more. The schedule is rigorous and fast-paced and includes two to three shows each day, usually in the evenings, except on Sundays which include an afternoon show.

“I can tell you that we have a repeat performance from last year by The Fifth. They are very popular and have a large local draw — a lot of folks follow them,” said Stroupe. “We have a military community here so we are a very diverse com-munity and we try to have diverse entertainment. On Friday, May 7, we have a new group coming called Oak Crest. They are a reggae rock group and are com-prised of soldiers here at Bragg — because they are soldiers we wanted to give them a shot.”

May 8 is Star Wars Day and will feature Star Wars characters in costumes. Last year was the first year that this was incorporated into the fair and it was quite popular according to Stroupe. There will be photo ops and hand shaking galore whether you are looking for a jedi knight or a storm trooper.

A new event has been added this year called Sea Lion Splash. Not only will there be performances and entertainment, but the audience will learn a few things too.

The fun will last through May 16. Gates open at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. There are plenty of good deals to be had on ticket prices with customer appreciation specials running Monday through Thursday which includes $5 ad-mission for those On Mother’s Day, which is May 9, moms get in for $7 when ac-companied by a pay-ing child between the ages of three and 17.

Otherwise, Monday through Thursday general admission is $12 after 7 p.m., military/DOD civilians and children 3-9 are $10 and senior citizen non-riders and handicapped non-riders are $7. Friday through Sunday general admission is $17, Military and DoD civilians and children 3-9 $15, handicapped non-riders and senior citizen non-riders cost $7. Parking is free.

Find out more about this safe, fun, family friendly event at fortbraggmwr.com or by calling 396-9126.

Make love, not war. That’s the old saying isn’t it? If you were a hippie child of the ‘70s, I’m sure you would have agreed whole heartedly with that statement. If you were an ancient Grecian woman in 411 B.C. though, you may have had a different take on things. Aristophanes’ comical play Lysistrata, which was first produced in Athens, Greece more than 2,000 years ago, follows one Greek woman on her quest to bring peace to the war-tortured Isles by ending the Peloponnesian War.

Her idea is simple; the women of Athens and Sparta are to refrain from making love to their husbands as a means of forcing them to negotiate peace. Her task is more complicated;can she convince the women to control their lustful desires long enough for the men’surges to overcome their purpose at war?

Lysistrata, played powerfully by Crystal Abbott, seizes the Acropolis in protest of the war, and tries to persuade the nymphomaniacal women of Greece to join her in an oath of abstinence. At  rst, they do not see how this strategy will work, and they declare they’d “rather have war than renounce sex.” With humorous determination though, Lysistrata prevails and the Grecian women, in their saffron gowns, reluctantly and hysterically, vow “not to raise their slippers toward the ceiling” and promise to renounce “The Lioness of the Cheese Grater” (you’ll have to watch the play to find out what this is). Their far-fetched plan ignites an amusing battle of the sexes not only between the soldiers and their wives, but also amongst the old men and women of the village, and the battle endures until the bitter end.

The Chorus of Old Women, led by Claudia Warga, steals the show with their witty banter toward the Chorus of Old Men, led by Jules Ford. The endless teasing and mocking between the two groups will make you laugh so hard your cheeks will hurt, as they constantly try to one-up each other. After being stripped down to their skivvies, the old men are fed up with the old women’s antics and Forde declares he’ll “give the ol’ bag a sock upon the jaw.” The old women aren’t scared of a fight, and even though half of them are hunched over, and the other half are shaking with possible Parkinson’s, they hold their ground to defend their younger comrades in the Acropolis.

The battle between husband and wife is showcased when Myrrhine, played by Jennifer Zielinsky Payne, is called upon by her husband Cinesias, played by Danny Woodruff. He shows up at the Acropolis crying out in pain, complaining of his ache for his wife. It’s very clear to the audience what is ailing Cinesias, as his “ache” is quite visible through his robes. Several other Greek soldiers show up in the same “hard” spot, and various phallic references carry the show on to the end.

I commend the cast for its bravery and the Gilbert Theater for having a phenomenal sense of humor. Is this play risqué? Yes. Does that make it awesome and completely worth seeing? By the beard of Zeus, I say it does.

Craig Morgan has a lot to be excited about. The Tennessee native kicked off a huge tour with one of country’s leading ladies, Carrie Underwood, in March of this year. Since the tour started, he’s been on a media whirlwind, making stops on numerous shows, and playingjust about every night.

His latest album is a fan favorite, and work is going nicely on his next album. But even with all of that, one of the things he is most excited about is the tour’s stop in Fayetteville.

“Of all the shows we’re doing this year, this is the one I’m the most excited about,” said Morgan during a recent telephone interview. “Fayetteville is my old stomping grounds, and I’ve got a bunch of old Army buddies that I can’t wait to visit, so that we can sit down and talk about old times.”

For those not in the know, before Morgan started topping the country charts, he was a soldier in the United States Army. His tenure in the Army brought him to Fort Bragg, where he served in the 82nd Airborne Division.

“I jumped out of planes, in fact, I was a jumpmaster,” he said. “We were in Fayetteville during Desert Storm, and it was a great time in our lives and in our marriage.

“In fact,” he continued. “One of my best memories came from Fayetteville.”Morgan’s oldest son was born at the old Womack Army Medical Center on Fort Bragg.

“That’s where we had our little paratrooper,” he said. “I have a lot of really great memories and a lot of great experiences that are tied to your community.”

Morgan hasn’t forgotten those experiences, and has made it a point to visit Bragg frequently to show his support for the troops. This visit will be a little different because he will be performing in one of the hottest tours this year.

“This tour has been a lot of fun so far,” he said. “We’re just a quarter of the way through it, but we are getting settled in and comfortable. Both bands are really getting into the groove.”

About Carrie Underwood, Morgan has nothing but great things to say.

“She’s just a real sweetheart,” he said. “She treats us like we are co-headliners. She makes sure that we get the same respect. It’s really hectic, but every now and then, I’ll join her on stage for a duet. It’s a lot of fun.”

And while Morgan talks about being comfortable on the tour, he’s defi nitely not laid back.

Morgan actually does most of his writing on the road. “When you’re on the road 280 days a year, the last thing you want to do when you’re at home is write. I want to spend time with my family,” he said.

“I’m actually working on a new album as we speak,” he continued. “I’ve had a couple of writers out with me on tour, and we’ve put together some great songs, and when I get the chance to come in off the road, I’m working on the vocals. This may be the greatest record I will ever make. I feel that strongly about the material.”

While fans have the new album to look forward to, they can enjoy a lot of Morgan’s hits and songs off his last album at the Crown Coliseum on Friday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit the Web site at www.atthecrown.com.

On May 1, J.P. Riddle Stadium will come alive with the sounds of jazz as the second annual Carolina Wine & Jazz Festival takes place. In addition to great jazz, the festival will feature terrifi c local wines and food.

“The whole idea behind it is that we wanted to focus on wines from North Carolina. We have wines from Duplin Winery, Cypress Bend and J. Wesley Vineyards,” explained Kimberly Durden, one of the event organizers. Vendors will be selling wine at their booths by the glass or by the bottle. Beer and soft drinks are also available.

No festival is complete without food. The Carolina Wine & Jazz Festival will feature something for everyone

.“We’ll have a great variety — everything from BBQ to fi sh, low country boil, hot dogs, hamburgers, funnel cakes. A little bit of everything really.There’ll be something for just about any taste,” said Durden.

And while the wine and food will be great, the entertainment lineup is amazing for a jazz lover. According to Dionne Maldonado, the festival will feature “the absolute best in contemporary jazz.” The headliner artist is Peter White, who for nearly 20 years, has made the acoustic guitar a dynamic and expressive voice in the overall soundscape of contemporary jazz. Bringing a little Latin fl avor to the jazz festival is an up and coming artist, Jesse J. With her sizzling mix of hot beats, Latin and samba rhythms, instantly captivating melodies and model looks, this Mexican-American saxophonist/singer proved quite the sensation with her debut CD Tequila Moon — earning her such accolades as Radio and Records “Debut Artist of The Year” and contemporary jazz song of the year by R&R and Billboard.

“We also have independent artists. Daniel Davis is a bright young acoustic violin player out of Charleston, S.C. Then there’s American Smooth Jazz Award nominee Cindy Bradley. Marcus Johnson, a jazz pianist from Washington, D.C., was nominated for a NCAA Image Award this spring. Brian Simpson has three releases, and he’s played with absolutely everybody. He’s also an experienced composer and director,” added Maldonado. “David Dyson is an independent jazz basist, as well as a performing member of Pieces of a Dream. And of course, there’s Marilyn Scott — a phenomenal jazz vocalist. This lady can sing. She is a wonderful, wonderful vocalist.”

Musician Warren Hill is also in the line up.

The Carolina Wine & Jazz Festival will be held at JP Riddle Stadium at 2823 Legion Rd. Gates open at 2 p.m. and festival entertainment starts at 3 p.m. The festival will conclude around 11 p.m. Advance tickets are on sale now for $45 and can be purchased on line at www.carolinawinejazzfest.com. Tickets are also available until Friday, April 30, on Fort Bragg at the Ticket and Tours offi ce for Department of Defense ID card holders at a discounted price. Tickets will also be available on the day of the event and the box offi ce opens at 12 p.m. Ticket prices are $55 on the day of the event. There will also be an after party at Ambiance Entertainment Venue at 2510 Legion Rd., immediately after the festival.

“We’re trying to let people know as much as possible that still photography is allowed, but no video recording is allowed. Also, no outside picnic baskets or coolers are allowed,” added Durden.

The Carolina Wine & Jazz Festival is sponsored in part by Up & Coming Weekly, Bank of America, and Cross Creek Lincoln Mercury. The host hotels are the Hampton Inn and Residence Inn by Marriott.

For more information about the festival, visit www.carolinawinejazzfest.com or call 867-8779.

Earlier this year the rest of the state found out what Cumberland County residents already know: the Dogwood Festival is one of the very best events around. In February, the Dogwood Festival was named the Event of the Year by the North Carolina Association of Festivals & Events. The festival’s director, Carrie King, also earned top billing as she was named the Director of the Year.

“This is a huge honor for our organization,” said King, the festival’s executive director. “It feels good to be recognized by your peers in the industry, community and state. Fayetteville has a lot of great events, and we are pleased to share this honor with our community. We are truly a community produced event — and without everyone’s continued support — we could not produce this award winning event.”

The kudos don’t stop there.

In addition to winning these state awards, the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival has also been named a Top 20 Event in the Southeast for April 2010. The best events across the Southeast compete to receive the prestigious “Top 20 Events” designation. Through a nomination process, Southeast Tourism Society chooses the Top 20 events in the Southeast for each month of the year and publishes this list of winners quarterly. The Top 20 Events publication is sent to over 1,600 newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations, AAA publications and others. Nominations were received from twelve different states, and the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, nominated by the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, was chosen as one of two winners for the State of North Carolina.

Bill McMillan, Board President says, “The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival strives to produce quality festivals for Fayetteville and its surrounding counties. Without the day-to-day leadership that Carrie King provides to the staff and Board of Directors, these awards, and ultimately our success, would not be possible. These awards are the result of hard work and dedication by the staff, Board of Directors, and our volunteers. The entire festival organization is excited for the opportunity to again put our best foot forward during the fourth weekend in April 2010.”

So you don’t have to worry about checking your calendar to fi nd out when that fourth weekend is, let us assure you, Fayetteville’s annual celebration of spring is this weekend — April 23-25.

Founded in 1982 by former Fayetteville Mayor Bill Hurley, businessman John Malzone and several other city leaders, the festival has continued to grow over the years, and King is proud to announce that it has grown again this year.

“We are going to go all the way down Hay Street to the Market House — last year we stopped in the 200 block of Hay Street — so our footprint is a little bigger,” said King. “It’s not by much, but it gave us the ability to add more vendors.”

Last year the festival returned to its roots, moving out of the confi nes of Festival Park, although a large portion of the event is still held in the park.

“Last year we took the street festival back out to the street, with vendors setting up on Ray Avenue and Hay Street,” she explained. “The community responded very well to having vendors back on Hay Street. The move gave it more of the original feel of the Dogwood Festival. With the addition of the shade on Hay Street, we received a lot of qualifi ed vendors.”

King noted that over the years, it has been a goal of festival organizers to improve the quality of vendors.

“We’re trying to get away from the commercial vendors and focus on higher end arts and crafts,” said King. “And we definitely got them this year. We received a lot of applications from very qualifed vendors. They are selling things you defi nitely can’t go to the mall or Walmart to purchase.”

While you can stroll the streets to shop from the vendors, you can stay within the footprint to take in the music, exciting displays and the midway, all of which kicks-off on Friday night at the Bloom and Boom party.

The Bloom and Boom event coincides with Fayetteville’s 4th Friday, but organizers believe having the events run together will bring
more visitors to both venues. In addition to those two events, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cumberland County is hosting its fi rst annual Garden Party in Cross Creek Park starting at noon on Friday, so go ahead, bite the bullet take the day off, or at least half the day so you can jump in feet fi rst to these incredible activities.

Before you head down to Festival Park for the party, you may want to stop off at the Harris Teeter parking lot to buy a plate, or two or three, of some of the best BBQ in the city at the Crime Stoppers annual BBQ plate sale. Plates are just $6, and all the money goes back into the community. If you decide to do that, make sure you eat the BBQ before you get to the festival because no outside food or coolers are allowed in Festival Park.

Once you get downtown, take some time to check out all of the fabulous art venues offered throughout the historic city center. In particular you’ll want to hit the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County and check out the annual exhibit of Public Works.

Then head on over to the midway to ride some of your favorite carnival rides, and as night falls, make sure you are in Festival Park to hear the country sounds of Joe Nichols. That’s one concert you’re not going to want to miss.

The same can be said of the concert that follows on Saturday: Soul Asylum and the Gin Blossoms.

After the last notes are heard on Friday night, make sure to keep your eyes on the skies, as the Boom part of the party gets underway with a fi reworks display. King said that this particular event is one of her favorites.

“It’s one of the few times I actually sit backand take a moment to take it all in,” she said.

On Saturday morning, if you’re an early bird you can enjoy the spectacle of hundreds of motorcycles and convertibles roaring down the city streets as the Hogs and Rags Spring Rally gets underway at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum.

At noon, you can start shopping. Vendors signed up to participate include pottery, paintings, jewelry, sculptures and much more. Once you’ve shopped ‘till you’ve dropped, be sure to follow your nose to the highlight of most festivals — the food court! You can expect to find some of your favorite foods on hand: gyros, funnel cakes, ice cream, ribbon fries and pineapple chicken willall be on the menu, as well as many of your other favorites.

In addition to all the arts and crafts that adults love, the Partnership’s Kidstuff, presented by the Partnership for Children of Cumberland County, will feature Pirates In the Sky, and the Toddler Zone, which is an infl atable maze of castles and tunnels that the toddlers will love, face painting and interactive games.

Sponsor booths will be located on the Festival Park promenade and will feature fun giveaways and much more. With all of that in mind, you may want to take a deep breath and just plunge into the spirit of the event, and the best place to do that is at Festival Park. The Dogwood Festival will kickoff with the Bloom & Boom Kickoff Party on Friday, April 23, at 6 p.m. On Saturday, April 25, the street festival starts at noon and runs through 10 p.m., and on Sunday it begins at 1 p.m. and runs through 6 p.m.

Anyone who has ever attended an event at the park knows that parking is at a premium, but don’t worry, a park and ride shuttle service will be available. Free parking is available in city lots on Person Street and Hay Street, as well as other various downtown locations.

Free off-site shuttle service will be available at the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Center on Lamon Street. The shuttle service will run approximately every 15 minutes to transport passengers to the festival area.

Disabled parking will be designated in the Bank of America parking lot at the corner of Ray Avenue and Mason Street and the Hay Street United Methodist Church parking lot. Availability is on a first come, fi rst served basis. Organizers remind people that animals and coolers are not allowed. Service animals are permitted.

Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) will host the Cumberland County American Cancer Society Relay for Life. FTCC’s President Dr. J. Larry Keen is the honorary chairperson for the Relay for Life that will be held at the Tony Rand Student Center, beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 30, and concluding at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 1. The purpose of the event is to increase awareness of cancer and raise money for cancer research.

The Relay for Life began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Wash., ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay for Life has grown from a single man’s passion to fight cancer into the world’s largest movement to end the disease. Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 19 other countries, gather to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer. Thanks to Relay for Life participants, the American Cancer Society is creating a world with more birthdays and a world where cancer can’t claim another year of anyone’s life.

FTCC nursing instructor Sharon Ellis is leading the college’s Relay for Life efforts. FTCC became involved with Cumberland County’s Relay for Life over 10 years ago when a faculty member and student from the Associate Degree Nursing program formed a Relay for Life team. They named the team “Vital Force” based on their belief that FTCC students are a vital force in supporting quality healthcare within the community. For additional information Sharon Ellis can be contacted at ellissh@faytechcc,edu.

The American Cancer Society Relay for Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At the Relay for Life, teams of people will camp out at FTCC and take turns walking, running or participating in overnight events for 24 hours.

The theme for this year’s event is “Stayin Alive in the ‘70s and Streakin’ Toward a Cure in the Future.” Be sure to Google “The Seventies” and learn about the movies, music and dress of the time, and decorate your campsite based upon the ‘70s. Awards will be given for best event-theme campsite.

The Relay for Life is a 24-hour overnight camp-out, fund-raiser, family oriented, smoke-free, alcohol-free and no pets time of celebration and rememberances. So, bring your tents, lounge chairs, sunscreen and tennis shoes, and participant all night.

In addition to the walking events, there will be a Celebrate the Survivor’s Lap, a Luminary Ceremony to celebrate the lives of survivors and remember those who lost their lives because of cancer and a Fight Back Ceremony, where participants make a personal commitment to save lives by taking up the fight against cancer.

The only requirement to participate in Relay for Life is the $10 registration/ commitment fee (per person) that is due upon registration. After that, any donations that are raised through individual, team, or online fundraising are graciously accepted. It is recommended that each participant set a personal goal to raise $100. Even if you do not raise $100, all are welcome to participate.

For more information about the Cumberland County American Cancer Society Relay for Life, please visit www.relayforlife.org/cumberland.

Fayetteville Technical Community College was established in 1961 and serves over 34,000 students annually by providing150 affordable occupational, technical, general education, college transfer, and continuing education programs to meet students’ needs and desires as well as the community.

What do you get when you mix the Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s artistic director, Bo Thorp, with one of its most talented actors, Dirk Lumbard in one play?

In the case of Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, it looks to be a touching,yet humorous comedy that is sure to set your mind thinking and the town talking.

Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, directed by John Hardy, is a touching and human comedy about a formidable retired woman, Lily Harrison (Thorp), who hires an acerbic dance instructor, Michael Minetti (Lumbard), to give her private dance lessons —one per week for six weeks — in her gulf-front condo in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida.

The duo of Thorp and Lumbard are sure to make theatre magic on the stage. The two who have worked together in a number of productions, most recently Peter Pan, have a great chemistry between them, which Hardy believes stems from their friendship and professional respect for their craft.

“They know each other so well,” said Hardy. “It’s so much fun to watch them work and discover these characters. We’ve been working together for about a week, but in rehearsal time that’s about six months. Everyone I run into in town absolutely loves them and can’t wait to see the show.”

The play, while centered around dancing is really the story of two very different, lonely people, who, when thrown together develop a rich friendship. What begins as an antagonistic relationship blossoms into an intimate friendship as these two people from very different backgrounds reveal their secrets, fears, and joys while dancing the Swing, Tango, Waltz, Foxtrot, Cha-Cha, and Contemporary Dance.

Hardy said that for many, the dancing will be a draw, noting that Lumbard explains not only the history, but the mechanics to the dances throughout the play. But he cautions that this is not a musical.

“The dancing is what brings them together,” he said. “They are two people who seem to have nothing in common, but when thrown together, they find out that they have more in common than they initially thought.”

The character portrayed by Lumbard is gay, and Thorp’s character is the widow of a minister. That’s the starting point of their differences, but also where they come together and learn to overcome their outward differences and discover an unlikely but profound connection. By the final lesson, Lily shares with Michael her most closely guarded secret and he shares with her his greatest gifts, his loyalty and compassion.

The production is a comedy with music and dance, but it also addresses the serious issues of ageism and intolerance. There is adult content and language, so leave the children at home.

On Thursday, April 22 following the performance, there will be a special event – Champagne and Dancing Anyone? Bring your dance chose and join Lumbard and the cast for an after party with food, champagne and dancing on the stage. Reception Tickets are $7.

Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks runs April 16-May 2. The Box Office for the public opens April 12 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $12 Preview; $17– Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturday matinees, Sunday matinees & Sunday evenings; $17– Fridays; $23 – Saturday evenings. Show times are 8:15 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sunday evening. Saturday and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. CFRT’s traditional discounts of $1 are available for seniors 55 and older, students 18 and under and active duty military and their dependants on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturday matine

Adults and children are invited to come see the world famous Lipizzaner Stallions at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville on April 18. Now on their 41st anniversary tour, they will perform two shows at 2 and 6 pm.

The Lipizzaner Stallions are best known for their unique jumps and their dressage, harmony between the horse and the rider. Through their dressage, the stallions show their beauty while appearing joyous, magnificent, and proud. They also will perform a portion called the “Airs Above the Ground,” where the stallions will perform leaps and maneuvers that were used as a defense mechanism when riders were on the battlefield. The Grand Quadrille which shows six to eight Lipizzans, with their riders, doing an equine ballet where the stallions prance, march and move gracefully across the floor.

The tour features 12 to 14 stallions and their show at the Crown Coliseum will be very traditional. The leaps and jumps they do are educational for the entire family because they show the grace and harmony between the rider and horse.

“I love it when someone says to me, ‘I saw this when I was a child and I had to bring my children to see it,’” said Troy Tinker, narrator and Master of Ceremonies for the Lipizzaner Stallions.

The Lipizzaner Stallions are a breed of horses that date back to 1562, when Archduke Maximilian began breeding Spanish horses. The ancestor of the Lipizzan is believed to have been bred more than 2,000 years ago in the city of Carthage. In 1580, Archduke Karl established a royal stud farm in Lipizza, in the hills of Karst, near Trieste.

There will be a merchandise van where hats, T-shirts and other memorabilia will be sold along with the Walt-Disney movie, The Miracle of the White Stallions. This movie portrays General George S. Patton, who saved the stallions at the end of World War II from extinction, and displays the world-wide interest created in the Lipizzaner Stallion breed.

A lot of work goes into setting up the coliseum for the stallions. The team brings in special flooring that has more bounce to it than traditional floors, in order to protect the stallions’ joints. The stallions’ team also brings in their own lighting and sound system in order to give them an optimum performance.

“The horses must be washed before the shows in order for them to look handsome,” said Tinker.

The stallions have performed all around the world including the United Kingdom, Austrailia, New Zealand and all 50 of the United States.

For tickets to see the Lipizzaner Stallions at the Crown Coliseum call 910-438-4100. Tickets range in price from $22.50 for the upper floors, $29.50 for the ground floor, and $25.50 for the lower floors.

For more information on the stallions visit www.lipizzaner.com.

On any given Sunday in the spring, a motorcycle enthusiast can easily fi nd a ride to join. Pick your favorite biker bar or charity, and there’s likely to be a motorcycle event coming up. But not so for classic car owners. Gardner Altman wanted to be a part of the rides for charity that his biker friends participated in, but going on a poker run in a convertible just didn’t fi t.

“There’s not that many people that have rides for convertibles and muscle cars,” said Altman. As the lead organizer for Hogs & Rags Annual Spring Rally, Altman hoped that a ride with both cars and motorcycles could accomplish even more than either could alone. The combination seems to be successful.

“We had about 300 plus riders and drivers last year, and we gave $15,000 to our charities,” explained Altman. Now in it’s fi fth year, Hogs & Rags is a sanctioned event of the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival. The ride will take place on Saturday, April 24 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Proceeds from the annual event benefi t the Autism Society of North Carolina, the American Cancer Society and Our Kids Can Read Foundation. All makes and models of motorcyles, trikes, muscle cars and street rods are welcome to participate and enjoy the escorted ride from Fayetteville to North Myrtle Beach.

With more than 300 folks on motorcycles and in cars, safety is a top priority for event organizers. There is a police escort for the entire ride and safety briefi ngs are given before the ride begins. The Cape Fear HOG (Harley Owner’s Group) Chapter will provide a detailed group riders course and safety briefi ng, along with a briefi ng from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s department.

“We give them a safety briefi ng and it covers the route, hand and arm signals and how to ride safely as a group,” according to Steve Adams, with the Cape Fear HOG Chapter. “On big rides like this, you have people coming from all different backgrounds. Not only do you have Harley peole, you have non-Harley owners. You are going to have sport bikes and other bikes on this ride too, and they don’t typically ride in a formal group.”

“We want to emphasize safety,” said Altman. “It’s a safe ride for the bikes and the cars.”

The mission, in addition to providing a safe and enjoyable ride for motorcyclists and car drivers, is to raise money for charitable organizations that effect the lives of many in our community. Proceeds from the Hogs and Rags rally are distributed to three organizations.

The Autism Society of North Carolina assists those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which refers to a group of developmental disabilities. Classic autism, Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD) and Asperger’s Syndrome affect a person’s ability to understand what they see, hear and otherwise sense.

The American Cancer Society has as its goals prevention of cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer. The organization fi ghts cancer through balanced programs of research, education, patient service, advocacy and rehabilitation.

Our Kids Can Read was founded in 2006 as an independent private charity organized to improve literacy among America’s youth. OKCR strives to increase literacy in our nation’s youth by providing support to various early learning and literacybased initiatives across the country that instill strong reading skills and good character traits.

Registration fee is $50 per entry / $30 per additional rider. Entrance fee covers a collector’s T-shirt, hot breakfast at Rockin-ARanch, police-escorted rally to North Myrtle Beach and lunch at 2001 Niteclub.

Registration (and coffee) starts at 8 a.m. at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in downtown Fayetteville. Departure is at 8:30 a.m. heading to Altman’s farm, Rockin-A-Ranch in White Oak, where a full hot breakfast will be served. At 11:30 the group departs from the ranch, stopping for a pit stop in Tabor City, and then on to 2001 in North Myrtle Beach. The ride concludes with a buffet lunch by Bimini’s, entertainment and a silent auction. Riders can stay in Myrtle Beach on their own, or return to Fayetteville to enjoy the other festivities of the Dogwood Festival weekend.

Registration and contributions can be handled on the Web site at www.hogsandrags.com or call 910-222-8184 for more information

Now that the pollen is fi nally dissipating I have come to realize I have contracted one of the worse cases of spring fever ever.

Fayetteville is a great place to be especially in springtime. I love this town!

Last weekend, sunny skies and mild temperatures enhanced the uniqueness and beauty of this community. From entertainment to intrigue, you can always count on something exciting going on in Cumberland County.

From the recent murder conviction of Timothy Hennis to the annual April celebration of the Month of the Military Child, Fayetteville offers up a unique “quality of life” as diversifi ed as the population itself. Only the lazy and uninformed would say “there is nothing to do” in this community. Getting involved here is as easy as just showing up.

So pay attention and plan the next several weeks very carefully or you may find yourself missing out on some great local treasures and opportunities like the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, the Fayetteville Beautiful project, The Big Read, the Dogwood Festival, Cinco de Mayo, Carolina Wine & Jazz Festival, Swampdogs Baseball, Eastover’s Heritage Day, Wade’s Founders Day and of course, Spring Lake’s annual “Spring Fling.” Just to name a few.

Don’t even get me started on arts events in our community this spring. You can always count on 4th Friday, and this month both the Cape Fear Regional Theatre and the Gilbert Theater have great shows on stage. And, we can’t forget about our local colleges and the cultural arts they bring to the community, with plays on stage at both Fayetteville Technical Community College and Fayetteville State University.

Our galleries are also full with wonderful art from local, national and international artists. You don’t have to look too far to fi nd great art; it’s right here in your backyard.

In case you missed it, April is one of the busiest months in this community, so you might want to take a deep breath and jump in with both feet.

However, you need to do your homework to keep up with all of these options. Unlike other communities, we do not have the benefi t or advantage of a local television station. This is the one media outlet we desperately lack for consistent community communication to keep us updated on local news, views, issues and events that shape our communities personality and way of life.

Again, if you are new in the area, you are going to have to do your homework.

Read the daily newspaper, pick up your weekly issue of Up & Coming Weekly, contact the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the library or County Parks & Rec department. These are just few places to start your unique Fayetteville experience. The adventure can start as soon as today.

Enjoy! Thank you for reading.