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         As the country’s First Sanctuary Community For Soldiers, Fayetteville/Cumberland County is dedicating the entire month of May to honor soldiers, vets and their families who have put it all on the line to defend our country.
         {mosimage}During a reception to open the United We Stand Art Exhibition on April 24, Mayor Tony Chavonne officially unveiled 31 Days of Glory, a new series of events for anyone who wants to experience the area’s military heritage and honor our brethren in the services — past and present.
         The event officially kicked-off at the announcement during the opening of the United We Stand exhibit, and it will encompass a lot of annual events, as well as events planned specifically for this month-long celebration of our military.
         On May 1, the opening of the Fort Bragg fair will ignite the frenzy of activities planned, with the culminating events occurring during Glory Days, the annual Memorial Celebration hosted by the Fayetteville Downtown Alliance. In between, you’ll find a lot of other really cool events that you are not going to want to miss out on.
         Through the efforts of more than 10 community organizations, activities are planned for every single day of the month. Venues around the county will host events, ranging from Chester Biggs discussing his years in China as a POW to family-friendly hands-on activities like creating Blue Star Banners for wartime military families to re-enactments of different time periods and demonstrations using Civil War ammunition. A number of concerts, author readings, parades and art exhibits will also be staged throughout the area.
         “While everyone else celebrates Memorial Day, we devote an entire month to thank the military, vets and their families,” said Chavonne. “We invite the world to do what we do every day — show our enthusiastic appreciation, respect and support for those who have and are putting it all on the line for us.”
         Intended to be an annual event, 31 Days of Glory is the result of the collective vision of the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, USO North Carolina, Fascinate-U Children’s Museum, Museum of the Cape Fear, Fayetteville Downtown Alliance, Fayetteville Symphony, Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center, Fayetteville Museum of Art, Airborne & Special Operations Museum, Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial, The Arts Council, Fort Bragg MWR, Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum, Cape Fear Botanical Gardens and J.E.B. Stuart Chapter 483.

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          “April is the cruelest month,” wrote T.S. Eliot.
         T.S., as his drinking buddies called him, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948 so he knows his calendar. As April 2009 slips over the horizon into the dust bin of history, let us consider how right T.S. was about the drawbacks of April by considering the events of the past month. America and the known Universe went from the emotional high of watching the UNC Tar Heels whup the Jello Instant Pudding out of Michigan State in basketball directly into sports purgatory.
         The frenzy that was March Madness abruptly fell off a cliff into the ether of no college hoops until November. We were suddenly and without warning shoved into T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land.” It is obvious that T.S. was writing about the end of the college basketball season when he wrote “The Waste Land.” Sometimes those Nobel Laureates know what they are writing about.
         Let us consider some of the other sad events of April 2009. On a slightly less cosmic scale, one of America’s first break out porn stars crossed over the great divide into the land of the dead porn stars. Marilyn Chambers, star of “Behind the Green Door” and cover girl on the Ivory Snow box back in the early 1970s went on to meet the Great Director in the sky. They took Marilyn off the Ivory Snow detergent box as soon as her blue movie came out, but they can never take Marilyn out of the little room behind the curtain at the video stores in America.
         {mosimage}As Marilyn left us, Income Tax Day occurred to the horror of most Americans. Two days before Tax Day I had been out on the usual walk and gotten caught in a long cold rain on the trek to Barnes & Nobles. I arrived at the store looking and smelling like a wet dog. I went over and sat alone on the Group W bench in my cold wet clothes and nursed a cup of coffee as I began incubating a cold. Pollen, like Spring, was in the air. The combination of a cold and world class allergies created the perfect foundation for Tax Day.
         Until you have a crushing headache combined with a head full of pollen while you are completing your tax forms you cannot say that you have truly lived. Time stands still when you are doing your taxes with a cold. It is a truly Zen experience of being in each moment. To mangle the late great William Blake, doing taxes with a headache is “To see a world in a grain of sand/ to hold infinity in a palm calculator/ and eternity in an hour.”
         You will experience eternity in each second looking for a particular tax form which you will not find.
    I dropped off my tax information at the accountant’s office who had me leave her two blank checks. She inquired politely as to what was the maximum in my checking account that she could use to write the checks to the IRS and the N.C. Revenue Department. In other words, Mr. Late- Bringing-In-Your-Tax-Information, we are going to wipe you out when we send in your tax extension. Maybe next year you’ll get your information in on time.
         At the end of April I spent almost four hours in my dentist’s chair of horror enjoying the dental hijinx that accompany a double crown procedure. Having two crowns installed does not in fact double your pleasure or double your fun.
         The only good thing that happened in April was that Rick Perry, the wildman Governor of Texas, began openly flirting with Texas seceding from the Union. Way to go Rick! Dissolve the Union! If Rick chickens out on his secession threat I think that the USA should secede from Texas. Texans have been running the country the last eight years. Look at how that worked out. President W. left us with a crushed economy, two endless wars and an ugly international reputation for waterboarding. Former Texas Congressman Tom DeLay ran the U.S. House of Representatives and is currently waiting for his corruption trial. Former Texas Senator Phil Gramm masterminded financial deregulation and announced that Americans were a nation of whiners and we were only in a mental not a financial recession. If Texas won’t secede from the Union then America should secede from Texas.
         Please secede Texas. As T.S. wrote, “HURRY UP PLEASE IT’S TIME.”

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        Editor’s Note: Margaret is traveling this week, so she picked one of her favorite columns to share with those folks who may have missed it the first time around. This column was initially run in the July 26, 2006 issue of Up & Coming Weekly.
         I flatter myself sometimes to imagine that I am a citizen of the world.
         I do like to travel and do so whenever I can. I enjoy exploring our wonderfully diverse state whose people and places are rich and different. Murphy and Manteo are both in North Carolina but worlds apart in lifestyles, cultures, and economies.
         New York City is among my favorite places, and having a child in college in the city gave me plenty of reasons to visit and enjoy, not to mention ample opportunity to deal with the credit card afterwards. I even fantasize on occasion about living there at some point. I am looking forward to several upcoming weddings of friends and relations in various parts of the country, not only for the happy times they will bring but also for the chance to visit those locales.{mosimage}
         I also have three trips planned to other parts of the world and welcome those new experiences as well.
    But, in my heart, I know I am a southern girl through and through. There is a magnolia blossom in a vase in my kitchen as I write this.
         For no rational reason other than perhaps the heat, summer seems more southern to me than any other time of the year.
         Among my earliest memories is one of my grandfather who lived in Kinston. He is sitting in his leather wing chair by a bay window drinking iced coffee. He is wearing a seersucker suit and has loosened his tie. It may not have been that very day, but at some point, he taught me to drink iced coffee with lots of sugar and cream. It was better to me than a soda, probably because he loved it, too, and because we sipped it together. I still love iced coffee in the summertime, but I have cut out the sugar.
         Watermelon.                    
         I eat it for breakfast as often as I can in the summer. It is cool, and as a doctor once told a very pregnant cousin, it helps get rid of all that water and the bad things in one’s body. I happened to meet North Carolina’s reigning Watermelon Queen several weeks ago as she went about her appointed rounds promoting our bountiful harvest of this divinely southern melon.
         Tomato sandwiches.           
         Maybe people in Minnesota and Oregon eat tomato sandwiches, but I think of them as a summer staple here. I grew up eating them on white bread with only mayonnaise and salt and pepper, but I have begun experimenting with healthier breads in recent years. So ingrained are tomato sandwiches among some southerners that we argue over whether they are better with Duke’s or Hellmann’s mayonnaise. The rivalry between Duke and Carolina is rarely more heated.
         When I was a child, mothers sat on back porches and snapped green beans, shucked corn, and shelled peas. I know people still do that, but I find myself scouting farmer’s markets for the already snapped and shelled ones in plastic bags for suppers of summer vegetables. In all candor, these summer meals are usually prepared by a wonderful friend who knows how to cook them just so, and they are delightful.
    Another summer treat is the attic fan.
         My Kinston grandparents had one in their house, and my parents added one to both of the houses in which my sister and I grew up. So when I had a house of my own, I wanted one, too. It was no small effort to find an attic fan in the 1980s when air conditioning had long supplanted hot summer air, but find one I did. There is no better sleeping on earth than to the drone of an attic fan with its breeze floating above a summer blanket and night sounds wafting through open windows.
         The joys of a screened porch with a ceiling fan.
         During the hottest days of summer, we air conditioned-spoiled folks rarely sit outside unless we must. But in the cool of the early morning, I like nothing better than to take my coffee and newspapers and magazines onto our screened porch. I read and watch my neighbors as they walk or jog past, as they water their plants, as they get an early start on their day. It is a quiet and treasured beginning for me.
         I do love to travel and my thoughts these days are turning more and more to my upcoming trips. I do love the hustle and bustle and glamour of New York, and part of me is sorry my child has graduated from her city university and moved on with her life, taking my constant excuse to visit New York with her. I have begun to think what I might wear to the wedding in Dallas and the one on a fancy Florida beach.
         In my heart, though, I know where home is and will always be. It is reading and dozing on our screened porch and watching my world pass by on a small southern street with air perfumed by magnolias and gardenias.

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         I was one of the crowd at the Dogwood Festival. The thousands, at my last report more than 18,000 on Friday night, of people who thronged Festival Park got more than their money’s worth at the annual event.
    As my family and I strolled through the park on Friday night, we saw people from all walks of life, with varying tastes in music, fashion and varying ideas of what they considered fun. The same can be said of the people who took the time, and put up the cold, hard cash to peruse the Andy Warhol exhibit. Each time I walked into the museum’s temporary home in the Festival Plaza building, I saw an array of different people looking at the art.
    Some liked it, some didn’t.
         {mosimage}That’s okay. That’s what art is supposed to do. It’s supposed to challenge your perceptions, your ideas of what is and what can be. Warhol did that better than most during his career. My 8-year-old son had one word to describe the art: weird. We spent some time talking about it, and, in the end, although he didn’t truly understand the impact Warhol had on society as a whole, he was kind of digging it.
         The same conversations were being had about the location and the building which housed the art work. If you didn’t stop in, I’ll need to explain. The downstairs of the building has not been configured. It is pretty much a shell. No finished walls, no elaborate configurations. It’s just open space with a concrete floor. Like Warhol’s art, I think some people were having a hard time imagining the space, which looks more like a warehouse than anything else, as an art museum.
         But not Tom Grubb.
         Grubb, the director of the Fayetteville Museum of Art, was fairly walking on air throughout the weekend. If the doors were open, he and his staff were there. Having seen them in some pretty tense situations over the past year, it was a welcome change to see them almost giddy. In fact, I welcomed it.
         Grubb, who has been a friend to Up & Coming Weekly for a long time, was quick to ask me my thoughts on the space, on the exhibit, on the attendance. I had to give a thumbs up to all of his questions. Early on during the conversations surrounding the location of the museum, I asked Grubb why the museum didn’t move into that very facility. It was during a Fayetteville After Five, and Grubb noted that the building was too plain, and not in keeping with the unique look he and his board wanted for the museum.
         At the time, he was having a hard time seeing the possibilities. That doesn’t seem to be the case now.
    As Tom and I walked through the building and spoke about the exhibit, he pointed out some of the building’s possibilities. He talked about ways to give it the unique appeal that the museum was looking for in a new museum. I have to say, the ideas he brought up and the impact they could have on the facility, and even the park itself, were intriguing.
         I finally had to ask, “So, Tom are you guys going to try and get this building?”
    He smiled at me, with a gleam and his eye, and continued to talk about possibilities.

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         For the past 10 years Mona Powell has been reaching out to the women of Fayetteville, both as a mentor and as an example. She started her own business in 1996, and has been an advocate of professional women ever since. In that time, her premier educational and outreach effort, the W.O.M.E.N.’s Expo, has become not only a resource for, about and by women, but it has also become an event that is about the community. On Friday, May 8 from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Saturday, May 9 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Cross Creek Mall.
        {mosimage} It is an obvious boon for the vendors, because this expo does more than provide a space in which to sell merchandise.
         “The reason we have the expo is so that women in business can gain exposure. We come together every year to pool their marketing money,” said Powell. “Most shows they just set up their space, they pay their fee, they go out and they sell and they go away. We don’t do that. With us we guide them every step of the way. We show them how to vend, how to deal with their customers and how to sell.”
         A traditional Mother’s Day weekend endeavor, the expo has fun and exciting activities planned with moms and daughters in mind.
         “Because we do the grand tribute to mom we get a lot of moms coming out with their daughters in tow,” said Powell. “just to come out and spend a fun weekend with their daughters.”
         This year is no exception, in fact, there is a new twist this year for the folks that come out and participate.
    Powell is really excited about her special guest who is coming to join Fayetteville in its 10th year of celebrating girl power. HGTV’s design star Kim Myles is going to be on stage Saturday afternoon. She will spend an hour talking about design looks for less, followed by a question and answer session. Submit your design dilemma to the Color Me Angel web site www.colormeangel.com. Questions will be chosen ahead of time and presented to Myles at the seminar. While you are online, register to win a $1,000 home office makeover. Along with the cash, the winner will receive a consultation with Myles, so send in your pics, the deadline to register is May 1.
         The treasured favorites are still on the agenda. There will be a mother/daughter team scavenger hunt. The winner gets a prize package valued at $200. The list will be available online at www.colormeangel.com at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. Meet back at the finish line Saturday at 3 p.m. with the assigned items to see who the wins. Got talent? The mother/daughter talent show is Friday at 5 p.m. near the food court. Saturday has a fashion show at noon with the theme — Great Style on a Budget! The silent auction begins at 1 p.m. and the mother daughter look alike contest starts at 2 p.m. Go to the Web site to register. There is a $200 prize package for the winning team. There will be 71 vendors at Cross Creek Mall ready to wow you with their products and ideas.
         Don’t forget, 10 a.m. on Friday......see you there.

     

         UCW: In our community a big part of this expo is about women taking chances, following their dreams and striving to be successful. Do you have any words of wisdom for these ladies putting themselves out there and basically stepping out on faith?
         KM: Definitely, I have a couple of things to say about that. I think the most important thing is really believing in yourself. Sometimes that is hard to do. You are going to come up against road blocks, you are going to come up against haters, doubters, things that you don’t expect to come up that might be stumbling blocks for you. It is really important in all of those moments to find your center, focus and be your own best cheerleader. If the world is telling you ‘No you can’t’ you’ve got to be the one to say ‘Yes I can.” Perseverance is 90 percent of the battle. There is always talk about talent and drive and opportunity, and yes all of those things are important, but the most important thing is showing up over and over and over again. Never giving up is really one of the keys. If you do that then what you have to offer the world has a chance to shine because you are always stepping up to the plate to put it out there. That can be hard. It can be draining. Its got its ups and downs, but there is no feeling like even the smallest success, and you string a few of those moments together and pretty soon you look up and it’s like “Wow, look where I am!”
         UCW: On your path to success was there a woman in your life who really inspired you?
         KM: I have a few. I am a woman who loves women. I have a very strong relationship with my sister and my girlfriends, my grandmother. I enjoy the company of women and I think sisterhood is really, really important. I was lucky to have a few influences in my life. My grandmother and my mother both had the patience and willingness to nurture my artistic side. My grandmother is a seamstress, my mother is an artist. They handed down that DNA and really nurtured it. Also Oprah: huge inspiration. What I really connected to with her is that she always wore her heart on her sleeve and she continues to. I liked her brand of fearlessness because it didn’t feel aggressive it just felt very authentic — like her. And then I am always inspired by Coco Chanel. What I love about Coco’s story is that she is a self made woman. She was orphaned, she was left to her own devices and she really had to depend on her own inner compass and her own sense of self. She is a testament to what can happen when you never lose faith no matter what life throws at you. I am inspired by strong women, smart women, women who go for it, whatever that is.
         UCW: Things are pretty tight all over financially. I was curious what is your favorite low cost design tip? If someone says to you I’ve got $50 and a long weekend, what do you tell them?
         KM: I always fall back on two things. One and it’s a broken record; but there is a reason: paint. It always works. If you have a weekend and you have friends paint is an instant high impact thing that costs about $40. You can make a huge difference for your home, but also what I love about paint is color therapy. You can make a huge difference in how you feel in your home. Paint is always my number one tool, it is not the sexiest, but it is fool proof. The other thing I love is window treatments. I see it all the time on my show where people are totally missing an opportunity. Would you go to a black tie event where you’ve got the gown and you’ve got the shoes without a stitch of jewelry and no bag? It just completes the look. For so many, windows are an after thought. I feel like if you have a window the simplest thing to do — again for under $50 – is buy two new panels…..and I feel like no matter where the window is on the wall you never see me hanging lower than the ceiling. I always hang at the ceiling and the curtains always go to the floor. That is adding grandeur and luxury and it is acting as a beautiful frame it is not just an afterthought. It gives the room a finished look. It is a small price to pay for something that has huge impact.
         UCW: Is being a design star everything you thought it would be – is it as fun as it looks?
         KM: It is as fun as it looks girl! It is so much fun I can’t even tell you. It has been a year and a half since I won. The time has flown. It is everything I dreamed it would be and more. It has come with challenges of course. But I just feel so blessed I get to do what I love every day of my life. That is what I am hoping to say at this expo is that not a lot people get to do what they love and I want to say that we all have the option if we choose to pursue it. We all have that little voice and it is all about finding that and getting quiet enough to hear it and then just honoring it.
         UCW: What do you to do recharge and relax?
         KM: I am on hiatus right now which is really fun. It is how I am able to come to the expo. My schedule improved immensely this third season. The first two it was crazy and hectic — 80 hour weeks…really insane and very intense. I didn’t see my friends, I didn’t see my family. I barely saw my husband. That is not a complaint, that is just part of getting your dream. I feel like it was worth it. I had a lot to learn and it was really important to be dedicated to that. I feel like it was an investment. Now I am like ‘Okay, I know what the show is. I know how this life works.’ I have more time to hang out with my friends, have dinner with my husband and go to my exercise class. I have a life again which feels really good and important.
         UCW: On your show this season, what can we look forward to?
         KM: I feel so proud of this season. I feel like this season I am firing on all cylinders. I have a fabulous team that I am working with and talented people. I have all the right support. It just is a lot of fun — a lot of fun. I think what you are going to see is more documentary style so there is a lot more behind the scenes like real conversations with me or conversations with the homeowners. It is much more really and you still get the great make-overs and you still get the great projects except it is a lot more fun. You get to see the camera men in the background; you kind of get to be a fly on the wall which I think is really cool for the viewers. The makeovers are eye popping and beautiful. I just feel so proud. It is a lot of fun this season. We have a new day; we are on Friday nights at 8:30 p.m.
         UCW: What is something you wish people knew about you?
         KM: No one has ever asked me that let me think….Maybe they know it and maybe they don’t but I would love for people to know just how much joy I am taking in getting to have this job. I am getting to live the fantasy but I really feel like the heart of it for me is that I get invited into people’s homes. That is a big deal. They trust me enough to say “Hey Kim, come into my house. I am going to open my house to you and these 30 people. Take over the house”…It is huge. They are so gracious and so willing to trust me. I am always so overjoyed and honored that people feel like they can trust me enough to let me help them that way. That is not a skill that I have myself. It is such a gift that I am given each time I am invited in. I hope that is part of what makes it so fun to watch.
         UCW: Do you miss being a hair dresser?
         KM: I do! I do! I do! One of the reasons I think I feel really blessed in my life…I have had a couple of moments — light bulb moments — where I had an epiphany of what I want to be when I grow up and one of these moments was when I became a hairdresser. I had been doing my aunties hair and anyone who would sit still my whole life. I cut my dad’s hair starting when I was 12, but I didn’t get my license until I was almost in my 30s. I loved being a hair dresser; it is the same thing I love about my job now. I love having people trust me to listen to them and hear them and to guide them into their best selves. I used to donate two of my haircuts a week when I was working in New York to locks of love and you meet all kinds of people, people who would not have been able to afford me any other way. Yeah, I miss it, I do. It was a good job. It was something I loved and now this is one of my loves. That is why I think this expo is important. No matter how big or how small or trivial that dream may seem, if you go for it you will probably get it .It is always there for you if you choose to pursue it.
     

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         Fayetteville’s annual celebration of spring is just around the corner. The dogwoods are getting ready to bloom and local residents, tired of cold winter days, are just itching to get outdoors and soak up some sun and enjoy one of the best weekends of the year — The Dogwood Festival.
         Celebrating its 27th year, the festival continues to grow and is on its way to becoming one of the largest events in the Southeast. More than 100 arts, crafts and food vendors will fill the streets around Festival Park while local and national headliners are set to grace the main stage throughout the weekend of April 24-26.
        {mosimage} The festival was founded in 1982 by former Fayetteville Mayor Bill Hurley, along with several other city leaders. Their goal was to improve the image of the city and to create a unified force for community events. Hurley dubbed the city the “City of Dogwoods,” and Fayetteville residents have been celebrating the bloom and the fun it brings since then.
        Over the years, the time and location of the festival have changed, but the intent hasn’t. It is designed to offer Fayetteville residents and visitors to the community a chance to celebrate Spring and their city.
         This year will be no exception, Carrie King, the director of the Dogwood Festival, thinks this year’s event is going to be the best ever. Those are some strong words, particularly if you attended last year’s event, but King has no worries.
    “The staff and board have worked hard all year long with the idea of making this the best festival ever,” she said. “We have grown the festival, we are offering more music, we have more vendors and we think people will agree with us.”
         Last year the festival was held for the most part in Festival Park and up and down Ray Avenue. This year, the street festival will move back on to Hay Street, as well. King said the sheer number of participants made keeping everything within the Festival Park footprint impossible. She also wanted to give the local merchants on Hay Street an opportunity to benefit from the traffic at the festival. She thinks the move will be a win/win situation for festival goers and local business owners.
         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. So, you may need to call in sick on Friday in order to rest up for the marathon of activities on Friday night, but make sure your boss isn’t coming to the event first!
         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. You might just see something you made in third grade that you’re mother couldn’t help but enter.
         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 rocking sounds of .38 Special. That’s one concert you’re not going to want to miss.
         The same can be said of the two concerts that follow on Saturday and Sunday. King said that the festival’s office phone has been ringing off the hook about the concert lineup for this year’s event. She said there are folks coming from as far away as Atlanta to take in the concerts. So be sure to get there in plenty of time to reserve your spot on the lawn. On Saturday, Collective Soul will take the stage. This is a group that King admits has her a little star struck.
         “I would love to be able to meet them,” she said. “I’ve been a big fan for a long time.”
         On Sunday, Ray J will take the stage for what King calls a “short set.”
         “Having three national music groups play this year has been a really big deal,” said King. “This is the only festival in the Southeast where these kinds of concerts are offered free to the public, and we’re excited that our community gets behind the festival and sponsors help us make that possible.”
         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 fireworks display. King said that this particular event is one of her favorites.
         “It’s one of the few times I actually sit back and 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. If you are looking for arts and crafts, look no further. Visitors can expect to find virtually every kind of arts and crafts vendor possible. 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 will all 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 a Two by Two Zoo, the Zoo with the Roo, and the Toddler Zone, which is an inflatable maze of castles and tunnels that the toddlers will love, face painting, 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 24, 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 again be available. Free parking is available in city lots on Person Street and Hay Street, as well as other various downtown locations. Parking is also available in the Systel Parking Lot on Green Street for a $5 fee.
         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 footprint.
         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, first served basis.   Organizers remind people that animals and coolers are not allowed. Service animals are permitted.
         There’s a whole host of events occurring in conjunction with the festival, and you don’t want to miss even one of them. For complete information and a schedule of events, read on.

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         Picture yourself in New York City circa 1970-1980. In that time, and in that place, art ruled. The glamorous people rushed to gallery openings. Artists gained as much notoriety as pop stars. In fact, pop stars flocked to the artists. One man set the tone for that time: Andy Warhol.
         Born the child of Ukrainian immigrants in a city known for steele (Pittsburgh), Warhol reinvented himself as an American painter, printmaker, filmmaker and leader of the pop art movement. His studio, known as The Factory, was one of the city’s hottest spots. Everyone from street people to intellectuals, to Hollywood celebrities to debutantes, sought entry into his circle. He not only welcomed them, he captured them on his prints, turning the celebrity into art.
         {mosimage} Fayetteville residents will get a chance to see the works that defined an era of glitz and glamor as the Fayetteville Museum of Art welcomes 38 Warhol works from the Cochran Collection for a two-week exhibit. The exhibit will be on display at the Festival Park Plaza Building beginning Thursday, April 23 and will remain on exhibit until Saturday, May 2. The event is expected to be one of the highlights of the Dogwood Festival.
         “We are very excited to bring this exhibit to the Dogwood Festival,” said Tom Grubb, the director of the Fayetteville Museum of Art. “We’ve known for some time that we’ve wanted to be a part of the Dogwood Festival. In the past, our exhibits have been sanctioned events of the festival, but being so far removed from the downtown area, we really didn’t feel a part.”
         Grubb said the museum staff had been looking at ways to become a more intimate part of the festival. Their original thought was to host a consignment sale in a downtown facility. The museum made overtures to the Lundy Group, the owners of the Festival Plaza Building, about using some of their unoccupied space for the sale. Once they got a look inside, their ideas began to change.
         The building’s ground floor has more than 3,500 square feet of floor space. The Lundy Group gave the museum permission to reconfigure the space, and with that idea in mind, they began looking for an exhibit rather than a sale.
    “We figured if we were going to be in the middle of the festival, we should make a statement and show the community how we, as a museum, can contribute to the downtown and events,” Grubb explained.
         He noted that when discussions about the proposed construction of a museum facility in Festival Park were underway, it was very  hard for the museum to show people in an abstract way how the museum could benefit downtown.
         “That was an idea that many people found hard to grasp,” said Grubb. “This facility and this opportunity have evolved into a way of showing on a larger stage how the museum fits into the area and what an important cultural asset it is downtown and for the entire community.”
         Grubb started making phone calls, and much to his surprise and delight, he found the touring exhibit of the Cochran Collection was available during the time period surrounding the Dogwood Festival. On Monday, April 13, Grubb and other museum staff packed up and drove to Georgia to accept the exhibit. The exhibit is comprised of 38 Warhol originals. Six of those works will be on display for free in the museum store in the Festival Plaza Building. The remaining 32 works will be on exhibition as a paid exhibit.
         He noted that while many of Warhol’s works deal with celebrity, many others deal with everyday objects and people, like the highly recognizable Campbell Soup print. “I think Andy Warhol would have been thrilled to walk up the plaza promenade and see all of the sights and sounds of the festival,” said Grubb.
         He said the flavor of the festival captures the excitement of Warhol’s works. “He took ordinary things and made them special,” he said. “He had the ability to make the common special, and that’s really what art does. It focuses us on what is unique.
         “We wanted an exhibition that speaks to everyone,” he continued. “and Warhol’s work does that. There are people who loved him, people who hated him, people who didn’t understand his work. His work created dialogue, and our education department is very excited about that because it lends itself to art-education projects.
         The department is planning on offering films, lectures and other educational venues for people to become acquainted with Warhol’s works. One important outreach program the museum is definitely planning is with the schools by making the exhibit free to the schools at various times during its run.
         The Cochran Collection is one of the finest collections of Warhol’s works around.  It contains some of Warhol’s most notable works, including a portrait of John Wayne; two prints entitled Moonwalk that chronicle Buzz Aldrin’s walk on the moon; a print of rock icon Mick Jagger; and a series of prints dealing with the Old West, which include prints of Geronimo, General Custer and Annie Oakley.
         In addition to these works, the museum staff will also complete an installation of sculptures made out of Campbell Soup cans. The soup was donated by the Campbell Soup factory in Maxton. Once the show is over, all of the soup will be donated to the local food bank.
         This is only the first of what Grubb hopes will be many such exhibits in the downtown area. “Our mission is to bring art to the community,” said Grubb. “And if we can do it in the Festival Plaza Building, then we will.”
         Grubb said that while the building had been suggested as a new home for the museum by the city-appointed Fayetteville Museum of Art Task Force, no decisions along those lines have been made.
         Just as the proposed museum was to house a gift shop and a cafe, the temporary museum space will do the same. The museum store will be the site of the free exhibit. The cafe, Uncorked, will offer light refreshments and wine throughout the course of the exhibition. He said they were not going to offer more than that because they did not want to compete with the festival vendors.
         “This is just one step forward,” said Grubb. “Andy Warhol said ‘Time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.’ By making this temporary move downtown, we are stepping forward to show the community what we can be, and it’s pretty exciting.”

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         {mosimage}The term “brotherhood” is not used lightly in certain circles. It is a bond that is forged not from birth, but from a shared experience; through blood, sweat, and yes, tears. In Cumberland County, that word is particularly sacred to the members of the Special Forces Regiment, and in this case to a band of brothers who take their passion on the road.
         The Special Forces Brotherhood is a motorcycle club that is open only to men who have donned the Green Beret and worn the tab. They ride American motorcycles and throughout the year conduct a number of rides.
         On Saturday, April 11, the brotherhood will sponsor its annual Spring Poker Run. This year, the funds raised will be used to construct a 3rd Special Forces Group Memorial Walk.
         The event kicks-off at noon at M & M Leather on Bragg Boulevard. The first bike out is at 1 p.m.    Throughout the afternoon, the riders will stop at many of the area’s favorite watering holes to receive another card for their hand. Stops along the way include Aviator’s Grill & Pub, Charlie Mikes and Louies Sports Pub. The ride will end at Poindexter’s Saloon, where participants will be treated to free food and live music featuring Abandon Solatude and The New Machine.
         Registration is $10 per bike, with a $5 fee for additional riders. There will also be a 50/0 drawing, raffle and door prizes.
         For more information, visit the group’s Web sit at www.specialforcesbrotherhood.com

     

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         You will get exactly what you expect from this much hyped family friendly 3-D hit. Monsters Vs. Aliens(94 minutes) is enjoyable on many levels, so while the kids laugh at the sight gags, their escorts can count the references to other classic movies. Besides the more obvious references to Mothra, The Fly and E.T. the Extraterrestrial; savvy viewers can have fun spotting the more subtle allusions to An Inconvenient Truth, Beverly Hills Cop, The Godfather, Spaceballs and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. 
         Letterman and Vernon do an okay job directing, but they somehow fail to stamp anything distinctive into the mix. It is a nice touch that the film was filmed in 3D rather than adding the effect later, but it seems like there could have been a little more razzle dazzle in the final version.  {mosimage}
         Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) is ready to marry weatherman Derek Dietl (Paul Rudd) when she is hit in the face by a radioactive meteor. As so often happens when people get smacked in the head with irradiated space detritus, Susan gets a growth spurt and a different hair color. The military arrives to capture Susan. They rename her Ginormica, since Susan doesn’t have the “Wow” factor the military aim for when referring to their top secret projects. They knock her out and take her to the hidden location where all their monsters are stored. 
         Her new friends include Benzoate Ostylezene Bicarbonate, or B.O.B. (Seth Rogen), Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. (the barely recognizable voice of Hugh Laurie), The Missing Link (Will Arnett), and Insectosaurus. Though her new friends are living comfortably in their gilded cage, Susan only wants to return to normal and reunite with Derek. 
         Meanwhile, an alien named Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson from The Office) is obsessed with obtaining the radioactive material absorbed by Susan. He sends a probe to Earth, and the President (Stephen Colbert) makes an unsuccessful attempt at first contact, which naturally ends in lots of explosions. In the face of total destruction, General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland) convinces the President to call in the monsters for help.
         Upon arrival in the battle zone amidst some very nice 3D effects, Susan and company do their best to win a decisive victory. As the third act comes to a close, Gallaxhar has arrived on Earth with serious consequences for our heroes. 
         Nicely complementing the main characters is a cast of well-known cameos. Chief among them are Jeffrey Tambor from Arrested Development playing Susan’s father, Amy Poehler from a million awesome things playing Galaxhar’s computer, Ed Helms as a reporter and John Krasinski from The Office as Cuthbert.  Incidentally, I thought America agreed that Krasinski wasn’t allowed to make any more theatrical movies after the dismal License to Wed.
         As a ‘50s B-movie revival, this light animated comedy is enjoyable without really making an impression.  The effects are nice, but the story is predictable and never really lives up to its potential. With one exception the voice actors never quite find their emotional range. Rogen as B.O.B. gets most of the giggles because he, at least, is playing to his strengths. 

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         Fresh off their headlining North American tour in support of their platinum album Indestructible, Grammy-nominated hard-rock band Disturbed will launch the Music As A Weapon IV Tour — a music, tattoo and lifestyle festival .
         {mosimage}Although the Chicago quartet conceived Music As A Weapon in 2001 and have headlined the previous three tours, this is the first time that it has been expanded into a complete lifestyle festival. In addition to presenting the best in rock music, Music As A Weapon IV also features a collection of the greatest tattoo artists from around the country offering their talents to attendees in each city, including the world-famous Oliver Peck (seen on Miami Ink and Bam’s Unholy Union on MTV), Las Vegas’ Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company (founded by freestyle motocross legend Carey Hart).  Attendees will also be able to check out an extreme sports complex where freestyle motocross, BMX and Skate teams will perform, a Technology and Gaming Zone, and a Vendor Village, all for a fan-friendly ticket price. 
         “We really wanted to make sure fans attending Music As a Weapon this year got the most bang for their buck,” says Disturbed frontman David Draiman, “so we decided to bring in the tattoo artists, the extreme sports complex, the gaming, and the vendor village to go beyond the usual live music experience and give the concerts the feel of a true event. If they are going to part with their hard-earned money, we need to honor that and give them our all in return.” 
         Disturbed will be joined by Killswitch Engage on the main-stage, as well as Lacuna Coil, Chimaira and other acts to be announced on the second stage.
         The Music As A Weapon tour will make a stop in Fayetteville on Thursday, April 24 at the Crown Coliseum. Tickets are $39.50. Military tickets are $34.50, and are available at the Crown Box Office and at Ticketmaster.com.

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         Harper’s Island is darn scary

         Scary series don’t usually work on broadcast TV, given the frequent interruptions by Burger King commercials. But Harper’s Island (Thursday, 10 p.m., CBS) got under my skin. It’s about a wedding party that boats into Harper’s Island, the scene of shocking murders seven years ago. The bride (Katie Cassidy) is a millionaire’s daughter from the island, the groom (Christopher Gorham) a poor boy who grew up washing her dad’s boat. The groom’s best friend (Elaine Cassidy) is jumpy about returning to her childhood home, since her mother was one of the murder victims. But the killer is dead, right? Right?
         {mosimage}Harper’s Island works because it doesn’t just try to scare us. The pilot takes its time with exposition, creating an absorbing soap opera that features lots of characters and subplots. We meet a group of randy bachelors and bachelorettes, the groom’s psycho brother and a creepy little girl who’s way too obsessed with true crime. Director Jon Turteltaub expertly manages the tonal shifts from sunny to spooky — so expertly that the horror scenes really are horrible.
          The pilot’s shocking conclusion had me diving for the safety of a Burger King commercial.

    The Unusuals
    Wednesday, 10 p.m. (ABC)
         Meet a wacky bunch of New York City cops who chase cat killers and criminals in hot dog costumes. They can also be serious, as when a fellow cop’s bullet-ridden body turns up in a park.
         The Unusuals is filled with allusions to the Robert Altman movie M*A*S*H, as if it were the TV reincarnation of that eccentric masterpiece. Sadly, it’s more like M*U*S*H. If you want to combine the silly and the serious, throwing in sex and social commentary for good measure, you’d better have the genius of an Altman. But this production just throws in something for everybody in a strenuous attempt to attract an audience. A gorgeous detective (Amber Tamblyn) dresses up as a hooker for viewers interested in T&A.     Her partner provides the rugged leading-man looks. A suicidal cop (Adam Goldberg) and his overly cautious partner (Harold Perrineau) handle the farcical elements.
         The Unusuals? The Desperates is more like it.

    Thrilla in Manila
    Saturday, 8 p.m. (HBO)
         This is a candidate for the most infuriating documentary ever made. Thrilla in Manila is purportedly about the 1975 heavyweight title fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, but a more accurate title would have been Ali Hurt Frazier’s Feelings! In the film’s perverse perspective, Ali deserves censure — still, 34 years later — for the things he said about Frazier before the match. He called his opponent dumb, ugly, even an Uncle Tom.
         Yes, those are fighting words, but the filmmakers forget an important point: This was a fight. For Ali, a boxing match began months beforehand as he attempted to get under a foe’s skin. The humorless Frazier was an easy target — and hey, if you were set to fight an indomitable killing machine who’d beaten you in the past, wouldn’t you press for every advantage?
         Told from Frazier’s point of view, Thrilla in Manila takes a somber, prosecutorial tone, as if it were investigating war crimes. But its thesis is undermined every time it shows pre-fight footage of Ali — those marvelous press conferences that are still funny after all these years. With a sly grin, Ali boxes a gorilla doll, recites poetry about whupping Frazier and mugs in a display of mock vanity. Every move signaled that this was an elaborate joke: a way of boosting the rivalry and promoting the fight.
         Minutes after he won, Ali apologized to Frazier for any comments that might have crossed the line, and he’s been gracious to him ever since. You can’t say the same for Frazier, who, in a horrifying contemporary interview, delights in Ali’s current disabled state and his own part in causing it.
         That’s shocking, because everybody knows Ali meant no harm in the run-up to the Thrilla in Manila. Everybody except Joe Frazier. And these filmmakers.

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         I am looking at possibly buying a house that is very close to a gasoline station. Is it safe to live so close to a gas station? What concerns should I have? I have toddler and infant babies.               
    — Ranjeeta, Houston, Texas

         Despite all the modern health and safety guidelines they must follow, gas stations can still pose significant hazards to neighbors, especially children. Some of the perils include ground-level ozone caused in part by gasoline fumes, groundwater hazards from petroleum products leaking into the ground, and exposure hazards from other chemicals that might be used at the station if it’s also a repair shop.
         Ozone pollution is caused by a mixture of volatile organic compounds, some of which are found in gasoline vapors, and others, like carbon monoxide, that come from car exhaust. Most gas pumps today must have government-regulated vapor-recovery boots on their nozzles, which limit the release of gas vapors while you’re refueling your car. A similar system is used by the station when a tanker arrives to refill the underground tanks. But if those boots aren’t working properly, the nearly odorless hydrocarbon fumes, which contain harmful chemicals like benzene, can be released into the air. {mosimage}
         Higher ozone levels can lead to respiratory problems and asthma, while benzene is a known cancer-causing chemical, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The quest to reduce ozone levels has led the state of California to implement a more stringent vapor-recovery law, effective April 1, 2009, which requires that all gasoline pumps have a new, more effective vapor-recovery nozzle.
         Underground gasoline storage tanks can also be a problem. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that there are some 660,000 of them from coast-to-coast. Many a lawsuit has been filed against oil firms in communities across the country by people whose soil and groundwater were fouled by a gas station’s leaking underground storage tank. In the past, most tanks were made of uncoated steel, which will rust over time. Also, pipes leading to the tanks can be accidentally ruptured.
         When thousands of gallons of gasoline enter the soil, chemicals travel to groundwater, which the EPA says is the source of drinking water for nearly half the U.S. If buying a home, consider its potential loss in value if a nearby underground storage tank were to leak. Gasoline additives such as methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), which has been outlawed in some states, make the water undrinkable — and that is only one of 150 chemicals in gasoline. Repeated high exposure to gasoline, whether in liquid or vapor form, can cause lung, brain and kidney damage, according to the NIH’s National Library of Medicine.
         Spilled or vaporized gasoline is not the only chemical hazard if the station is also a repair shop. Mechanics use solvents, antifreeze and lead products, and may work on vehicles that have asbestos in brakes or clutches. Auto refinishers and paint shops use even more potentially harmful chemicals.
         In today’s car-centric world, we can’t escape exposure completely, because these chemicals are in our air just about everywhere. But by choosing where we live, keeping an eye out for spills, and pressuring the oil companies to do the right thing for the communities they occupy, we can minimize our exposures.
    CONTACTS: U.S. EPA, www.epa.gov; National Institutes of Health, www.nih.gov.
         GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. archives.php.

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         April is a time of spring festivals including Easter this year! Easter has a variety of customs and legends in addition to the traditional religious activities of the day. If you are looking to celebrate this joyous occasion, join Fort Bragg’s FMWR for plenty of celebrations to remember.
         {mosimage}The celebrations of Easter are as diverse as the holiday itself. The Easter Bunny has been a symbol of the famed holiday for centuries. The most famous bunny, Peter Cottontail, is renowned by children everywhere with the century old children’s song.
         Eggs are synonymous with Easter. The Romans celebrated the Easter season by running races around an oval track with eggs given as prizes to the winners. To this day, eggs play an important part in Easter for children of all ages. Two traditional Easter egg games are the Easter Egg Hunt and the Easter Egg Roll.
         A weekend full of celebrations will take place on Fort Bragg this year. My family is certain to enjoy the various activities. Our first stop will be the Annual Easter Carnival at Tolson Youth Activity Center. Face painting, activities and an Easter Egg Hunt for all age groups will keep my busy little boy engaged for hours.
         On Easter Sunday, we will head over to the Officers’ Club for an all-you-can-eat buffet. The Officers’ Club has been running an Easter brunch buffet from since it opened its doors in 1939. This year the menu includes sausage, grits, eggs, baked ham, carved roast beef, leg of lamb, fried chicken, seafood, wild rice, biscuits and a full dessert station with pies, cakes and cookies and much more.  
         We will round the day out at Dragon Lanes where our son can bowl all day for just $1 a game. Dragon has kid-size bowling balls, children’s shoes and bumpers for the less experienced bowlers. Dragon Lanes will be open all day on Easter.
         If you are planning to stay in the Fort Bragg area for Easter, spend this great holiday weekend with FMWR as we continue striving to be your “First Choice.”

     


    Fort Bragg Easter Activities

    • Annual Easter Carnival - Tolson Youth Activities Center on Saturday, April 11. The facility will open at 2 p.m. with the egg hunt starting at 3:15p.m. Open to the public. For more information, please call 396-KIDS.
    • Teen Flashlight Egg Hunt - Tolson Youth Activities Center on Saturday, April 11. The event begins at 8 p.m. for 7th-12th graders. Teens wishing to participate in the Flashlight Hunt must provide flashlights.  For more information, please call 396-5437.
    • Easter Brunch - The Fort Bragg Officers’ Club is proud to serve brunch on Sunday, April 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The brunch is open to everyone.  Members pay $14.25 for adults and $7.25 for children. Non-members pay $17.45 for adults and $8.25 for children. Children 5 and under eat free. For more information, please call 907-2582.
    • Easter Bowl at Dragon Lanes - kids play for just $1 a game. Open 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, please call 907-2695. 

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         Gallery 208, located in the corporate offices of Up & Coming Weekly at 208 Rowan Street, has welcomed artists from all walks of life since opening its doors. The gallery, which is a partnership with the Fayetteville Museum of Art, has hosted international artists, but there’s something special in hosting the works of one of Fayetteville’s own.{mosimage}
         On Thursday, April 16, the gallery will again throw open its doors for a grand party to celebrate the works of Silvana Foti, an artist and educator who calls Fayetteville home.
         Foti, originally from the midwest, graduated from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in 1978. She received her master’s in 1980, also from Notre Dame, with printmaking being her major area of study.
         These days, Foti can be found teaching at Methodist University, but you can also find her works in locations throughout the state.
         Traditionally, her works are collaged prints, enhanced with brass composition, hand printed through an intricate process of etching, intaglio and relief.
         In her artist’s statement, she notes, “Like Mondrian, I want to express in my work ‘What every artist seeks to express: harmony through equivalence of relationships of lines, colours and planes, but only in the clearest and strongest way.’ The images that emerge are meant to suggest my interpretation of a particular experience, emotion or idea.”
         She noted that “the imagery involves my fascination with the unique archietectural structures of Venice, Italy. My artistic goals traditionally and in “experimental” works is to create balance and harmony through th euse of basic design elements.”
         The party begins at 5:30 p.m. and will continue to 7 p.m. As is always the case with Up & Coming Weekly parties, there will be wonderful food and your favorite beverages.
         Spend some time becoming acquainted with the artist’s works and then hear her discuss them.
         The exhibit opening is free and open to the public. The works will remain on exhibit throughout the month of May. For more information, call 484-6200.

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         Left, two, three, four and spin, two, three, four. Get your score cards ready Fayetteville. On Saturday, April 18, local celebrities will be competing at the Crown in the area’s First Annual Dancing With the Fayetteville Stars.
         {mosimage}Come cheer for your favorite contestants and cast your votes as Mayor Tony Chavonne, Congressman Mike McIntyre, Fayetteville Councilman D.J. Haire, Bo Thorpe, Dr. David Schitzer and even the Swamp Dogs mascot, among others, dance the night away to raise money for the Women’s Center of Fayetteville’s Lease to Home program.
         The Lease to Home Program focuses on getting homeless people off the streets and into their own homes. Since its inception, the program has helped 33 families become homeowners. These properties are usually 3 bedroom, 2 bath single-family homes in family-friendly neighborhoods. The program gives priority to veterans and domestic-abuse victims, but they take every call that comes in. The Women’s Center already has a waiting list and fields five to 10 calls a day from people asking for help, said Stephanie Kennedy.
         The Women’s Center started planning for the event last summer and wanted to try something new and different, and this is something that hasn’t been done in Fayetteville before.
         “We were shocked at how quickly people jumped in to support it,” said Kennedy. Although there were some concerns from the contestants that they didn’t know how to dance, Kennedy reminded them that this is not about dancing, really.
         “This isn’t dancing with the stars on TV. This is dancing with the stars (because) you care about your community; you care about this program and what can you do to help raise money for it — and to go and have fun.”
         Dress is semiformal, and with good reason. “Fusion Salon...they’re literally rolling out the red carpet, and people are getting their pictures taken,” said Kennedy. “It is almost like they are walking into a real Dancing With the Stars. Q98 is going to do a live remote.”
         So glam it up ladies, this is your chance to shine. Dinner is a buffet, which is included in the ticket price, and will be served from 5:30 - 7p.m. Then the real fun starts. The competitors will dance for the audience and the judges (Judge Cheri Beasley, Kim Tucker, Rep. Margaret Dickson, Meredith Stiehl and Sandy Ammons) to a vast array of music.
         “It is a good mix of music. We have some disco, some hip hop, and swing. We have all of it going on,” said Kennedy.
         She also hinted at some comedy and tomfoolery from the judges since none of them have a background in dance. “They have no knowledge of dancing or what not so that is going to be the funny part of it. That is going to be hysterical to see them give their comments afterwards.”
         Once the top four couples have been voted on, they will dance again and compete against each other to determine the winner.
         The audience is encouraged to vote, too (it costs $10 per vote). In fact, Kennedy joked “This is the only competition on the planet that you can buy your victory. Right now you can go on our Web site (www.wcof.org ) to buy a ticket, ($150 per person, $200 per couple). You can buy a table ($1,000 for a table of 8) or you can also vote for the dancers,” said Kennedy.
         People can vote from all over the country,not just Fayetteville. If there are enough people across the country that a contestant can get to visit the Web site and vote for them, they can actually walk up into this competition having already won.
         There are plenty of tables to be had, but they are going fast. The Women’s Center is planning for 500-600 people in the audience. “I think the way that the people have really come out to support people less fortunate than them, I really think it could happen,” said Kennedy. “We have been selling a lot of tickets and a lot of tables  — it is for a good cause.”
         Call 323-3377 or visit www.wcof.org for more information or for purchase tickets.

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         In anticipation of the Cumberland County School System’s Spring Break, the Museum of the Cape Fear and the Poe House have put together an interactive exhibit for school-age children and their families, as well as anyone else looking for fun and interesting ways to pass the time.
         The best part is, it doesn’t cost a thing.
         “It is the first time we have ever done something specifically for kids in the (Poe) House,” said Heidi Bleazey, Poe House educator. “I guess that there is still a perception out there that history museums are boring, dull, quiet places full of things you can’t touch and things that are old and valuable that would cost a lot of money to replace and I don’t think that is how we want people to think about museums anymore.” {mosimage}
         What better way to bring the past to life than to engage young minds with a challenging and engaging game? The title of the exhibit is Thoroughly Modern Mischief, and the staff has been pulling pranks indeed, looking for ways to outwit museum visitors and possibly even garner a double-take here and there.
         This is how it works: show up at the Poe House for a regularly scheduled tour, and be prepared for some head games along the way. Each visitor will receive a form to record his findings. Look for things that are out of place or don’t belong. Is that a video game in the parlor? An electric can opener in the kitchen? Did they even have electric can openers in 1897 (when the Poe House was built)...or electricity for that matter? Learn about yester years’ counterparts and alternatives to modern conveniences that are so routinely taken for granted. Visitors will be amazed at the differences between now and then.
         There will be more than 30 misplaced items. While some will be obvious, others will not, so pay close attention if you want to find them all.
         “It is those kinds of things that they are looking for if there is something modern out of place,” said Bleazey. “As they discover it, that is when the docent or guide will talk about it. These are strategic items that allow for a now and then type of tour.” {mosimage}
          Rest assured the guides are kid friendly and plan to make the event entertaining as well as educational. So while the kids are out of school and looking for something fun to do and parents want something that is close to home, affordable yet educational and doesn’t require a lot of time or planning keep the Poe House in mind. Come enjoy the thrill of the hunt, April 14-19.  
         Tours are offered on the hour Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. The Museum of the Cape Fear Poe House is located at 801 Arsenal Ave. Call Heidi Bleazey at 486-1330 for more info www.museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov.

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         Spring is here and the Cape Fear Botanical Garden is gearing up for a fun-filled April with events for the whole family.
         “We are preparing for our fourth annual plant fundraiser sale,” said Angela Dennis, marketing and development officer for Cape Fear Botanical Garden. “We partner with several local garden centers and nurseries that bring items out on Saturday, April 25 from 10 am – 2 pm.”
         {mosimage}Dennis added that the garden also sells unusual plants that are cultivated on the grounds at very reasonable prices. Master gardeners are on the grounds this day, along with the garden’s staff, to give out advice and help customers make their plant selections.
         “The entire month of April is admission free,” said Dennis. “Fayetteville PWC sponsors this month for the community to come out to the garden.”
         Dennis added that the staff has planned activities every weekend in April such as the Urban Farm Tour, Nature Writing Workshop, Hostas and Companion Plants and a Beekeeping Demonstration Workshop. The 79-acre garden, founded in 1989, boasts more than 2,000 varieties of ornamental plants and specialty gardens of Camellia, Daylilies and Hostas. The mission is to preserve agricultural heritage and to solicit engagement and involvement of the community.    
         “We currently have a campaign for natural growth going on at this time,” said Dennis. “We are raising money to build a new visitor’s pavilion complex and make it a centerpiece for the community.”
         Dennis added that the campaign has been going on for more than a year and the goal is to raise $10 million. The pavilion will be rented out for weddings, conferences and events.
         “We want to bring more business into Fayetteville that would normally go to Raleigh,” said Dennis. “We are one of the gateways to the city and it will be a very nice thing for visitors to see when they are coming off of I-95 into Fayetteville.”        
         Some of the garden’s attractions include an authentic 1886 farmhouse featuring period tools, gardens, outbuildings and heritage workshops. The pavilion can shelter a family picnic or host a kindergarten class during story time. The garden staff offers educational programs such as the River Walk, Children’s Garden and the PWC Water Wise Garden for all ages from pre-k to seniors. Nature trails can ring with the laughter of children or the gentle mumur of the quiet talk of adults. The gift shop offers a variety of handmade products by local artists, vendors, garden products, bird ornaments and honey. {mosimage}
         A gazebo and the great lawn hosts visitors, wedding parties and group festivities. Ponds, pools and waterways provide habitat for plants and add a peaceful tranquility to the environment.    
         Cape Fear Botanical Garden has fun year-round opportunities for volunteers. Volunteers include retirees, full-time working adults, high school and college students and Boy and Girl Scouts. These individuals work outdoors with the grounds staff, assist in the office, assist at special events or festivals, shuttle visitors in the golf cart and work with children and adults during educational programs.
         “We look forward to this community favorite event,” said Dennis, of the plant sale. “This is a really big event for the garden.”
         For more information call 486-0221.

  • Details
         The Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation Friends of Children was started in 1991, and is based on the premise that both children and their families are in crisis when a child is ill. Over the years the organization has contributed in a mighty way to help sick kids in our community.
         “We’ve done things such as...we started a pediatric asthma program which is still in place which serves all of Cumberland County and the surrounding area,” said Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation Friends of Children Coordinator Marian Morgan. {mosimage}
         Pediatric asthma is the number one admission to the emergency department.
         “Another thing that we have done is the regional Diabetes and Endocrine Center - we donated about $50,000 to them and they are using that for things that they need with pediatric endocrinology. We’ve also helped out the rehabilitation department with an outdoor playground so that kids could receive their therapy outside like other kids. It looks like a regular playground but it is designed to help the kids with their therapy.
         When an organization is making contributions of that scale on behalf of children, 18 holes of golf may be the last thing that you would think that they would be doing. Au contraire, golf is a big part of how they raise the money to pull it all off, in fact, they’ve raised more than 1 million dollars in the past 13 years.
         On Friday, April 3, Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation is hosting the 14th Annual L.B. Floyd Friends of Children’s Classic at Cypress Lakes Golf Course. This year’s proceeds are earmarked for the purchase of a bed for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). It is a very specialized bed so that the smallest patients in the NICU will not have to be moved. When the babies are moved they expend energy and get stressed out and burn calories. One of the number one things in the NICU is for babies to gain weight. “This bed is designed so that the babies don’t have to get moved,” said Morgan. It has a radial warmer so that when the top is lifted the heat still circulates, so they stay warm. It has a built in scale so that the babies don’t have to be moved to be measured or weighed. The mattress that the baby is on rotates so the doctors can do procedures without having to move the babies from the bed.
         “We did it 2 years ago and now we see that the need is great, so will want to buy another bed for the neonatal intensive care unit,” Morgan added.
         While the Pediatric Emergency Department sees tens of thousands of kids every year, the Friends of Children consider it their duty to make as many of those experiences as they can good ones. “One of the things we feel is very important is that a child’s perspective is never lost. It is nothing for an adult to go into the hospital and have a procedure because we’ve done it or we have seen it on TV. It is something we are familiar with or we can ask the right questions and get some answers, but for a child the terminology and the machines are scary and a lot of times you have people coming in with masks on,” said Morgan. “Just the little things you take for granted but for a child it is a big deal.
         That fact is not lost on the event organizers. “All these people work really, really hard. They are working together for kids that they’ll never meet,” said Morgan. “Everyone coming together to help kids in our community is what is most rewarding to me and like I said, the kids don’t know we are doing it but that is our responsibility as a community to look after the kids.”
         The adult tournament has various levels of sponsorship but it is $500 per person to play. That includes a shirt, golf shoes, a hat, lunch and dinner, which is provided by Texas Roadhouse. Two tickets to the awards banquet are also included in the registration fee. Trophies area warded for the top performers and there is also a raffle with great prizes like a 42’ flat screen TV donated by Best Buy, a 13 month Healthplex membership, a round of golf for four at Pinehurst #7, 2 tickets to the Coca Cola 600, jewelry items from Carlyle & Co. and Jim’s Pawn Shop, and some Nike items.

  • Details

      Click the Image for UCW's Online Edition!     

         Gardner Altman likes cars, old cars. He always has. All of his buddies though, they ride Harley’s. Altman tried it, but just never felt comfortable on a bike. He tried to get his friends in to cars, but that didn’t really work out either. Altman wanted to be a part of all of the rides for causes that his biker friends participated in, but showing up for a poker run in a convertible just didn’t seem right. Eventually, they met in the middle.
         The result? Hogs & Rags - a charity event that combines convertibles and motorcycles, good food, good causes and a good time. All makes and models of bikes and trikes are welcome, and street rods and muscle cars are, too.
         {mosimage} “Last year we had all types of motorcycles, convertibles and the street rods,” said Altman. “But really, if anyone came and said they wanted to drive a pick-up truck we wouldn’t exclude them- we’d say ‘Come on!’” 
         The first year, they were off to a really shaky start. It poured rain, and maybe only 75 or so folks showed up. Out of that group Altman says he thinks only about two people actually rode their bikes all the way to Myrtle Beach. No matter, here it is three years later and Altman and his friends have energized the entire community to the point that they are expecting between 450 and 500 people to come out on April 25 to enjoy the day and raise money for charity.
         “The past couple of years with the wars and the economy it seems as if people are saying ‘Let’s just get together for a day and be happy and just enjoy our cars and enjoy our motorcycles together and have a good breakfast and have a good lunch,’” said Altman. “Last year, I was impressed with the fact that it seemed to be a little bit of a relief day for everyone.’”
         Knowing that the ride will benefit others just makes the day that much sweeter. Proceeds will benefit the Autism Society of North Carolina, the American Cancer Society and Our Kids Can Read Foundation.
         Even though there is a police escort for the entire ride from Fayetteville to Myrtle Beach, S.C., the Hogs & Rags organizers know that keeping hundreds of riders safe is a huge undertaking and they have partnered with the Cape Fear HOG (Harley Owner’s Group) Chapter 3743 to ensure that everyone has a fun and safe ride.
         Assistant Director Steve Adam explains, “Being former military, every time you jump out of an airplane you follow a set of procedures and you do what is called a pre-jump. We do the same thing on a ride it is called a group riders course so they know how our HOG chapter rides. Then before each ride we give them a safety briefing and it covers the route, hand and arm signals and things to do in a ride and how to ride safely as a group; and that is what we are doing (for the Hogs & Rags event). I thought I would pass that on because on big rides like this you have people coming from all different backgrounds. Not only do you have Harley people, you have non-Harley owners. You are going to have sport bikes and other bikes on this ride too, and they don’t ride typically in a formal group.”
         And as Adam pointed out safety is always a priority because, “It is always better to have the cops in front of you rather than behind you.”
         While everyone loves a good time, raising money for charity is a big part of the Hogs & Rags mission. For anyone who rides or chooses to donate, this is where your money will go:
         Autism Society of North Carolina. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of developmental disabilities — including classic autism, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger’s Syndrome — that affect a person’s ability to understand what they see, hear and otherwise sense.
         American Cancer Society. The goal of the American Cancer Society (ACS) is to prevent cancer, save lives and diminish suffering from cancer. They are committed to fighting cancer through balanced programs of research, education, patient service, advocacy and rehabilitation.
         Our Kids Can Read. Despite ongoing efforts to provide reading and educational resources to our nation’s youth, illiteracy is still a problem in the United States. Our Kids Can Read (OKCR) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, 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 literacy-based initiatives across the country. OKCR approves distribution of its resources to qualified projects and institutions that endeavor to instill strong reading skills and good, solid character traits in America’s youth.
         Registration starts at 8 a.m. at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, where there will be coffee and donuts. Then the Cumberland County Sheriff will escort the riders to Altman’s farm, the Rockin’ “A” Ranch, in White Oak, where everyone will be served a full breakfast. The next stop is the Food Lion in Tabor City for a water and bathroom break, with the ride ending at 2001 in Myrtle Beach with a Low Country coastal buffet catered by Bimini’s. There will be a 50/50 raffle, with the entire event ending by 3 p.m., leaving plenty of time to make it back to Fayetteville to enjoy an evening of Dogwood Festival activities.
         Registration is $50 per bike or car and $30 for each additional passenger. Register early or make a donation at www.hogsandrags.com, or call 484-0041 for more info.

  • Details
         A revenue-neutral tax rate is a priority for Cumberland County Commissioners, along with safe water and public safety for our citizens.
         At our retreat on March 2nd, the Commissioners were unanimous in their request to the County Manager to provide for us a revenue-neutral tax rate. The tax rate and the revenue it will generate must be weighed against the responsibilities of county government to provide for schools, libraries, law enforcement and other imperatives. Please keep in mind that a revenue-neutral tax rate will allow for the taxes of the County residents to be reduced from the present 86 cent rate.  Be assured that the Commissioners will deliberate carefully before establishing the tax rate for the coming fiscal year.
         Jeannette Council
         Chair, Cumberland County Board of Commissioners 

         {mosimage}First of all let me be clear-it is premature to talk about taxes atthis point. We do not even know our revenue stream. Once we get a clear picture of where we are then this question can be addressed. NO COMMISSIONER wants to raise taxes,but to tell people that we know where we are heading would not be truthful. The picture is too murky for us to say.
         Breeden Blackwell

         I favor a revenue-neutral tax rate.  County Commissioners have made this one of their three priorities.
     
         I will encourage the Fayetteville City Council to do the same.
          Marshall Faircloth

         The County Commissioners have instructed the County Manager to bring us a budget that represents a revenue-neutral tax rate. Personally I plan to support a revenue-neutral tax rate just as I did during the last re-evaluation when the commissioners reduced the tax rate 4 1/2 cents.
         The County Manager has sent a memo to all agencies requesting funding from Cumberland County. He has asked all county departments to reduce spending by  eleminating non-essential travel, training and other discretionary expenses in the current fiscal year. For FY 2010, basic operating expenditures for County Departments are being reduced. The 2010 budget will call for no salary increases (COLAs), no new positions or new capital expenditures. Personally, my hope is that we can keep all current employees working and keep their benefits. Our employees do a tremendous job and work very hard, but we have to make difficult decisions in difficult times. Since our budget is based on more than property taxes, I can,t be more specific since the budget has not beenpresented.
         Thanks!
         Kenneth Edge

  • Details
         A visitor from Chapel Hill recently asked me driving directions to the Martin Luther King Junior Expressway. From his location, getting there would be quick and easy, with only two turns. When I tried to explain the route — one I have taken hundreds of times, he asked what highway numbers the road signs would give him.
         I was clueless.                
         I have lived in our community almost all of my life and get around easily, I am almost always comfortable about where I am and where I am going. I have little use for road signs in a community so familiar to me and was at a loss about what to tell my friend.    
         A recent tour of one of our family bookcases was a similar experience.   
        {mosimage} Most of the books are familiar to me, some paperback mysteries and sweeping sagas leftover from long-ago beach vacations, tomes on history of which several Dicksons are quite fond, several how-tos on various topics, a number of Bibles and Books of Common Prayer and some favorite English literature textbooks. There are a few books I simply do not know how they arrived on our shelf.                      
         Like the road signs, our bookshelf is so familiar to me, I hardly look at it anymore. It has become wallpaper.       
         I was struck by that thought so I pulled a few books out to see whether I could determine why one of us, probably me,  had decided to keep it.
         I was surprised at how consistently the books reflect our family interests, even though there has been no conscious effort to do that.
         Here is a sampling of what I found.
         We own many books about North Carolina things. These include Humor of a Country Lawyer by the late Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr., a book, which like its author, is full of wonderful stories and solid wisdom. Among my favorites are tales Ervin tells about ordinary North Carolinians, including a Superior Court Judge Jule Rousseau in the North Carolina mountains during the first part of the 20th century. Out campaigning for votes one day, the judge stopped at a sawmill.   The foreman told him that his workers occasionally had run-ins with the law over backwoods stills and would vote for a judge “who’s not too bright and can’t catch on to everything.”
         The judge took this in and then responded, “Then I’m your man.” The foreman zinged back. “That’s what we decided. You can count on our support.”              
         Ervin also quotes this same Judge Rousseau as telling a reporter who inquired about a case he had handled that “I am not going to talk about that case or the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has reversed me so often I’ve lost all confidence in its judgment.”
         Also on the shelves is famed professor Albert Coates’ jewel-like history of his beloved institution, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: A Magic Gulf Stream in the Life of North Carolina, and the more recent Communists on Campus: Race Politics, and the Public University in Sixties North Carolina by William J. Billingsley, in which a Dickson relative takes on the North Carolina General Assembly and then TV commentator Jesse Helms.
         And since history does not change, I am particularly glad to have a copy of a small paperback entitled A Guide to Historic Fayetteville and Cumberland County, published by the 1976 Provisional Class of the Junior Service League of Fayetteville, Inc. It still has a faded sticker with its original prices, $1.50.   
         Always in the market for pithy quotations, I found a number of books with famous and not so famous ones, including a small paperback entitled Great Quotes from Great Women, compiled by Peggy Anderson. It includes this nugget from the late American rock singer Janis Joplin. “Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.”
         Also on the shelf is an autographed copy of unknown origin of Churchill on Courage: Timeless Wisdom for Persevering, compiled by Frederick Talbott. It includes this quote from Churchill’s final speech, which was given at the White House in 1963 as he was awarded honorary United States citizenship, that resonates in these troubled times. “Our past is key to our future, which I firmly trust and believe will be no less fertile and glorious. Let no man underrate our energies, our potentialities and our abiding power for good.”    
         Then there is the incomparable Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, organized both by topic and by author. Ours is the 3rd edition, and everyone’s shelves would be enriched by a copy.
         I cannot say that every book on our shelves is held dear, but many of them are, and I am glad I took a fresh look at books I live with daily but had come not to see. There are treasures in them.
         So what became of my friend trying to find the MLK? After several frustrating minutes of trying to explain the directions, I finally got in my car and led him to it.    
         I was not surprised to see signage for Highway 87 which I had never really noticed.

  • Details
         The Fisher House is a home-away-from-home for the families of injured soldiers in military hospitals all over the world.
         At Fort Bragg, the Fisher House is located at the corner of Normandy Drive and Reilly Street. The house, which is overseen by Paula Gallero, provides a comfortable, welcoming environment for families who travel to Fort Bragg to help take care of or visit their loved ones who are in the hospital.
         {mosimage}On Saturday, April 4, The Vietnam Vets Motorcycle Club will host Patriot Run VII to benefit The Fisher House. With a theme of “Never Forget,” the run will begin promptly at 10 a.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #9103 located at 14258 Hwy. 210 S.
         The route will take riders through the countryside to the N.C. Capitol building in Raleigh for the POW/MIA ceremony at noon. On the first Saturday of each month a ceremony is held on the state capital grounds in Raleigh to memorialize those missing from the Tar Heel State.
         Following the ceremony, riders will head out again and wind their way back to the American Legion Post 382 in Sanford, where they will fellowship and enjoy entertainment.
         There is a $15 donation per person to participate in the ride. The fee includes the meal, door prizes, a T-shirt and entertainment. All checks should be made payable to The Fisher House.
         The Vietnam Vets Motorcycle Club USA is an international organization with members in Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States. The club has members in all 50 states including Alaska and Hawaii. It is made up of two highly compatible groups of former U.S. military men: Those who served in the country of Vietnam and earned the Vietnam service ribbon and those who served honorably in the military during the Vietnam war and earned the National Defense ribbon.
         The club devotes its time, energy and resources to help build a better future for all vets and their families. Their main focus is on bringing home POW/MIAs and getting a full accounting of each and every one of the missing men.
         For more information, visit the Web site at www.vnvmc.nc.org. For information about the Fort Bragg Fisher House, visit www.fisherhouse.org/theHouses/northCarolina.shtml.

  • Details

    In the Motherhood tweaks modern attitudes    

        {mosimage} In the Motherhood (Thursday, 8 p.m., ABC) is the rare sitcom that “gets” the way we live now. Gets it — and skewers it mercilessly. The subject is modern mothers and modern attitudes. Jane (Cheryl Hines) is recently divorced, trying to balance career, dating and child-rearing with the help of an earnest male nanny (Horatio Sanz). She fails spectacularly in contrast to her sister (Jessica St. Clair), who strives to live by the perfect politically correct rules with her own family. Then there’s Rosemary (Megan Mullally), who lives by no rules. She’s a wickedly self-centered wiseass with no use for the values we currently hold dear.                                                                                                                                                If you lack a sense of humor about “enlightened” parenting, environmental awareness, organic food and enforced sexual-harassment training on the job, stay far away from In the Motherhood. The rest of us are in for a treat.

    Reno 911
    Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. (Comedy Central)
         The hilarious COPS parody begins a new season, and watching it is the surest way to cheer yourself up during a recession. The hapless officers in the Reno Sheriff’s Department plan undercover stings with names like Operation Cobra Fist, realizing only later that “cobras don’t have hands.” They cultivate informers who speak in impenetrable street code: “There’s a big diarrhea embargo goin’ down at midnight.” They have morning briefings that set a dubious tone for the day. “Let’s not all go running out of the building when we hear the ice cream truck,” says Lt. Dangle (Thomas Lennon). “It doesn’t look right.”
         Reno 911 is the quintessence of deadpan humor — that is, until it goes wildly over the top, as when a crackhead flees officers while wearing a cow suit. In my opinion, the show is…
    …wait a minute, I think I hear the ice cream truck. Gotta run.

    Party Down
    Friday, 10:30 p.m. (Starz)
         Another premium network tries to match HBO’s half-hour comedies of humiliation, like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage and Extras. All the ingredients are there — the low-key ensemble, the casual profanity, the awkward scenarios — but the soufflé fails to rise.
         Ron (Ken Marino) is the team leader of a catering crew, one of those fools who don’t perceive how foolish they are. He makes jokes that aren’t funny, but he thinks they are; and we’re supposed to think that’s funny. Would you be surprised to learn that this strategy doesn’t result in high comedy?
         Ron works with a group of losers, including an untalented writer working on a screenplay about wormholes. Sad to say, but the wormhole project might be more entertaining than Party Down.

  • Details
         What an interesting evening show. Soon after I sat down, I noticed something peculiar. I was the only chick in the theater. I began counting. Groups of men came in until finally there were about seventy people in the theater. An informal count showed that of those seventy people, there were only 10 women (including me). 
         Clearly, I Love You Man (104 minutes) is generating a lot of interest among the testosterone-fueled set.  That’s not entirely surprising when even the supporting female actors built their careers on man-friendly comedy. And this is certainly a man-friendly comedy! When you stop to think about it, there are very few movies that deal with the emotional connections men share — with the obvious exception of anything that Judd Apatow had had anything to do with, ever.    Director John Hamburg (who also co-wrote) does not share an obvious Apatow connection, despite borrowing some of his favorite players…but  a quick review of his Internet Movie Database credits reveal that he did three episodes of Apatow’s canceled-too-soon cult classic Undeclared. Mystery, solved.
        {mosimage} Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) gets engaged to Zooey (Rashida Jones from The Office). Interestingly enough, Zooey never gets a last name, and we never hear anything about her family…sign number one that this is a movie by, for, and about men. Even though Peter seems to have a very busy life and a supportive family, he does not seem to have any close male friends. This doesn’t seem to bother him until he overhears Zooey and her five million friends smacktalking his freakish, friendless status.
         Once he realizes he doesn’t know anyone well enough to request their services as a best man, he embarks on a series of ill-advised man-dates with Lonnie (Joe Lo Truglio), Doug (the hysterical Thomas Lennon), and Mel (Murray Gershenz). Enter Sydney Fife (Jason Segal AKA Marshall from How I Met Your Mother). Sydney impresses Peter with his vast knowledge of grilled Italian sandwiches, male farting signifiers and progressive Canadian rockers Rush. Their relationship quickly evolves until the two are jamming in Sydney’s man-cave, eating lunch together every day, and tuxedo-shopping. 
         In the middle of all this male bonding, Peter attempts to sell Lou Ferrigno’s house, without much success. Subplot A focuses on the evil Tevin Downey (Rob Huebel) and his efforts to force Peter off the listing.
         Subplot B focuses on the comedically abusive marriage of Zooey’s friend Denise (Jaime Pressley) to Barry (Jon Favreau). There’s nothing healthier (or funnier!) than watching two married people emotionally abuse each other while planning to have children together.
         Subplot C focuses on the unhappiness of Hailey (Sarah Burns). See, without a boyfriend of her own, her life is just so meaningless and empty.
         Playing small roles as Mrs. and Mr. Klaven are the dried out remains of what used to be Jane Curtain (Jane! Botox is not your friend!) and the fabulous J.K. Simmons. 
         Overall, this is a pretty funny movie.  There is a little bit of gross-out humor (vomit and dog poo, though not altogether in one scene), but it is used to good effect. And yes, there is an after-credits sequence that is worth sticking around for.   

  • Details
         {mosimage}There are very few acts that sell-out the Crown Coliseum, and those that do usually have a number of acts that draw people in. That wasn’t the case last year when veteran comedian Steve Harvey opened at the facility. Harvey packed the house on the strength of his comedy alone, and that’s saying a lot.
         Harvey, a West Virginia native, is best known as the star of the WB comedy that bears his name, The Steve Harvey Show, but he came to fame as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film The Original Kings of Comedy. These days, you can catch Harvey on re-runs or live on The Steve Harvey Morning Show, a nationally syndicated radio program.
         He began his comedy career doing stand-up in the ‘80s, which eventually led to a stint hosting It’s Showtime at the Apollo. His show The Steve Harvey Show was very popular in the African-American community, but never gain the critical acclaim he thought it would outside the community. The show featured his friend, Cedric the Entertainer, who he also toured with on the Kings of Comedy Tour.
         Beyond his comedy, Harvey has released a hip hop and R&B CD, authored a book and launched a clothing line. On the big screen, he gave voice to one of the flies on Racing Stripes, and had a role in The Fighting Temptations, alongside Cuba Gooding and Beyonce.
         When not performing, Harvey invests his time with the Disney Dreamers Academy. The first iteration was in 2008. The Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey is a teen-focused personal and professional enrichment event at the Walt Disney World Resort. One hundred teens were involved in the event.
         He also works with the Steve Harvey Foundation, whose main goal is to improve public schools in urban areas by upgrading facilities; purchasing books; technology; and other essential resources that will allow middle and high school students to envision and realize their dreams.
         Harvey will headline the show at the Crown on Saturday, April 4 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $41 and $34; with military ID, tickets are $40 and $33. Tickets may be purchased at the Crown Box Office or online at ticketmaster.com

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