Entertainment

Seven Horsemen Billiards: more than just a pool hall

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Tuesday, 20 August 2024

Written by Amber Little

Fayetteville has something for everyone. There are restaurants, bars, gaming lounges, speakeasies, wine bars, and sports bars. And now there is Seven Horsemen Billiards, a pool hall and venue space that features 4 pool tables, an air hockey table, old school Pac-Man, two bars, a DJ booth, a VIP area, a stage, and a private room, featuring a private bar and bartender dedicated to customers and their guest. The main bar is called the Carolina Room and is pretty self-explanatory. It is painted in Carolina Blue and decked out with TVs and a huge bar. Located at the Downtown Corridor, at 715 W. Rowan Street, Seven Horsemen Billiards is the perfect place to grab a drink, play some pool, and catch a game on the television while you’re at it. Open 7 days a week, there is always something going on.
• Monday- Show off your vocal chops at Karaoke Night!
• Tuesday- Ante up for Poker Night!
• Wednesday- Dive into fun on Wet Wednesday!
• Thursday- College students, make it your night on College Night!
• Friday- Feel the rhythm with Latin Night!
• Saturday- Dress to impress for Grown and Sexy Night!
• Sunday- Jazz Night, 910 Music Bingo
Michael Hayes is the owner, or as he prefers to call himself, the President of Seven Horsemen Billiards. A veteran and seasoned business owner, Hayes has put his all into his new endeavor. The name, Seven Horsemen, has a special meaning to Hayes.
“I used to have a sports bar down the street at 4939 Bragg Blvd, Fanatic Sports Bar with Big Abe, Abraham, who passed away last August. I came up with Seven Horsemen… it’s seven members of my immediate family, the address begins with seven, my Masonic line number is 7, so [it became] Seven Horsemen,” Hayes said.
Hayes is taking over a vacant space, in an area that is seeing growth and revitalization.
“...It was a pool hall, so I left it a pool hall. My main objective is playing pool but at the same time, we do a variety of events. We are open 7 days a week. We do [everything] from karaoke to fun games of poker. And if you’re good enough you build up your points and you get a trip to Vegas to play for $100K. I have a variety of DJs, from DJ Choice to Mike Tech,” Hayes explained.
Seven Horsemen Billiards is creating partnerships with their HBCU neighbor, Fayetteville
State University.
“The 29th of this month will be the official FSU thirsty night, college night… Homecoming is already locked in… The first Saturday in October, we’ll do Lil Roo,” Hayes said of the newfound partnership.
Hayes lost his friend Terrance “Big Abe” Abraham just 2 weeks before his move back to help start what would have been Fanatics 2.0. Hayes knows the value of the people around him. That’s a big part of why he refers to himself as the President; although he’s “in charge,” nothing would be possible without his family and friends.
“First, I want to shout out to my kids and family for supporting me. I want to give a shout-out to Tennessee, he [does] all my cleaning and maintenance work. Jason, he’s like head of security. Besides that, he did all the lights. Sade, she keeps me out of trouble, she’s the brains, she [does] all my paperwork, all my filing. E, she keeps everybody in check. She manages the bar. She keeps me [informed] on who needs to exit; Shai, she just came back from deployment. My sister, she’s the fill-in when someone can’t come in or management needs time off. She’ll do it. And of course, The Mo You Know, she put me in the right place of making things happen. And friends, caring, riding around trying to find buildings. It’s just a bunch of people,” Hayes said.
For more information about the pool hall, call 910-689-6945.

Fayetteville, Lafayette Society celebrate Revolutionary War hero

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Tuesday, 20 August 2024

Written by Crissy Neville

If the summer’s all-things-France focus has you longing for another French connection, you’re in luck.
Au revoir, 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
Bonjour, Lafayette Birthday Celebration!
But since it is the Lafayette Society of Fayetteville’s 17th annual observance of the famous Frenchman’s September 6, 1757 birthday, another salutation makes more sense:
Ravi de vous revoir — Welcome Back!
To commemorate the 267th anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette’s birthday, various events will take place throughout the city from Sept. 6 to 7. Lectures, exhibits, a book talk, a trolley tour of the Lafayette Trail and a birthday party complete with cupcakes are all part of the festivities, which are free and open to the public.
Fayetteville is named for the Marquis de Lafayette, who was born Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier in Chavaniac, France. A major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution and a leading figure of the French Revolution and the July Revolution of 1830, Lafayette was nicknamed “The Hero of the Two Worlds.”
While there are over 80 places in eight states named for Lafayette, our namesake city was the first and is the only one the Marquis visited on his 1824-25 Grand Tour of the United States.
According to Lafayette Society president Gwenesta B. Melton, MD, this year’s birthday celebration is the perfect precursor to Lafayette’s Grand Tour bicentennial anniversary and the events the Society has in the hopper for that commemoration.
“The 2024 birthday celebration highlights our excitement and anticipation for the Society's anniversary events planned for March 4-5, 2025. The Marquis de Lafayette was an incredible human being with very amazing humanistic ideals and goals that still resonate today, even 200 years after his last visit to America. We want people here to be proud of our namesake and the
city of Fayetteville,” she said.
The biggest difference for 2024? The Saturday birthday events will be held indoors at the First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall. After the last three years of rain, which canceled and dampened many events, Fayetteville should be happy about the change.

Friday, Sept. 6
First up on the birthday schedule is a literary event at Fayetteville Technical Community College. Mark Trapp, author of A Destiny of Undying Greatness: Kiffin Rockwell and the Boys Who Remembered Lafayette, will present a lecture entitled “Kiffin Rockwell and the Lafayette Escadrille.” Trapp’s talk focuses on the World War I French Air Force unit of volunteer American flyers, the Lafayette Escadrille, an early World War I squadron that embodied the Marquis’ spirit and was named in his honor.
Hear Trapp’s lecture Friday, Sept. 6, at 1 p.m. in the multi-purpose room of FTCC’s Tony Rand Student Center, 2220 Hull Rd. The lecture, part of FTCC’s Community History Lecture Series, will be presented in partnership with the Lafayette Society.
For individuals who cannot physically attend this history lecture, the event can be viewed via live-stream at https://www.faytechcc.edu/history-department-community-history-lecture-series-live-stream/.
Next, Methodist University Professor Dr. Patrick O’Neil will discuss “Lafayette and the Dream of a United People Two Hundred Years Ago.” Exploring how Americans in 1824 hoped that a visiting Revolutionary hero would help the country out of one of its worst political crises, O’Neil’s lecture will help listeners consider possible solutions to today's problems.
The free lecture starts at 7 p.m. on Sept. 6, with an opening reception with refreshments at 6:30 p.m. in the Davis Memorial Library at Methodist University, 5400 Ramsey St.
The lecture is part of The Lafayette Society’s Lafayette Legacy Series, spearheaded by Methodist University Assistant Director of Library Services, Archives Librarian and Associate Professor of Information Science, Arleen Fields. The Lafayette Society president in 2023-24, Fields also curates MU’s Archives and Special Collections. The collection features the Lafayette Room, which houses the Lafayette Collection of over 70 artifacts like letters, monographs, books, commemorative items, maps and other items dating from Lafayette’s lifetime and beyond. A display of artifacts will be featured on Friday night.

Saturday, Sept. 7
Join the fun Saturday by hopping on a trolley tour of the Lafayette Trail with Fayetteville’s favorite historian, Major Bruce Daws of the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry. Daws is the retired former director of the Fayetteville History Museum and historic property manager.
From 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Daws will guide Lafayette's birthday well-wishers to many places the French hero visited during his last visit to the town 200 years ago. Enjoy coffee and croissants while you learn Fayetteville's history.
The event is $20; tickets can be purchased online at https://www.lafayettesociety.org/lafayette-society-online-payment/ or City Center Gallery & Books, 112 Hay St.
The culmination of the two days of activities, the annual birthday party, is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of First Presbyterian Church, 102 Ann St. The free event features Colonial and French-themed activities for the young and young at heart, with free cupcakes at 1:30 while they last.
Cutouts of Lafayette and Marie Antoinette add selfie photo fun. Melton gave Up & Coming Weekly a sneak peek into what party-goers can expect:
“We will have exhibitors, including Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution, Rebecca Russell with Beespoke Vintage, the Bicentennial committee that is preparing for the March grand visit, the Lafayette Society, Camp Flintlock, the Boy Scouts and an activity area for children. With cupcakes in hand, we plan to sing Happy Birthday to the Marquis himself at the Lafayette Plaza as we cross the bridge and commemorate his birthday. We wish him the very best birthday, and we will be even more thrilled to ‘see’ him in March.”
The Lafayette Society, which promotes awareness of the many contributions to America’s freedom by the Marquis de Lafayette, is open for membership.
Per its website, The Lafayette Society was founded by Mrs. Martha Duell (1924-2015) in 1981 to honor the Marquis through the statue erected in Cross Creek Park, funding scholarships for high school and college students, helping establish the Lafayette Room in the Methodist University library and sponsoring lectures by Lafayette scholars.
The Society also commissions bronze and granite historical markers for the Lafayette Trail and brings awareness of his significant contributions to mankind and freedom by conducting similar events, programs and educational activities.
Learn more at https://www.lafayettesociety.org/.

(Top Photo: Party goers experience the Marie Antoinette and Marquis de Lafayette cutouts at the 2023 Lafayette Birthday celebration. Middle Photo: Attendees to the Lafayette birthday celebration in 2023 look at a display of some of the Lafayette souvenirs from 200 years ago, at Davis Memorial Library at Methodist University. Bottom Photo: Participants take the Lafayette Trail Tour. Photos courtesy of Hank Parfitt)

Hope Mills Police invite community to Coffee with a Cop

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Tuesday, 20 August 2024

Written by Lisa Stevens

Coffee with a Cop is a powerful initiative that aims to break down the barriers between police officers and the communities they serve. By creating opportunities for open dialogue and personal interaction, these events foster a sense of trust and understanding that is crucial for effective community policing. Cops surprise customers using the drive-thru by handing them their orders.
The purpose of Coffee with a Cop is to remove agendas and allow the public to ask questions, voice concerns, and get to know the officers in their local area. This approach has proven to be a resounding success, as it enables citizens to see the human side of the badge and officers to understand more of the needs and perspectives of the people they protect.
The origins of Coffee with a Cop can be traced back to 2011 when officers from the Hawthorne Police Department in California sought to find new ways to engage with the community they served. This national campaign has since spread to communities across the country, with police departments recognizing the value of building relationships and fostering open communication.
As evidenced by the experiences shared by Officer Kelton Glorfield, these events provide an invaluable opportunity for officers to connect with the people in communities, particularly the younger generation. The excitement and respect shown by children towards the men and women in blue is a testament to the positive impact of initiatives like Coffee with a Cop.
I had the pleasure of speaking to Officer Kelton Glorfield at the event on July 9, and he shared that the idea of building relationships within the communities he serves daily is crucial to bridging the gap between the officer and the citizen.
Officer Glorfield moved to the Cumberland County area due to serving in the military and decided to make this home. He’s worked with the Hope Mills Police Department for eight years and enjoys participating in community events so he gets to know the people he serves.
I shared my story of being a child who honored and respected cops. I fondly remember every time I saw a cop, I’d smile and wave. I wondered if children still had the utmost respect for cops and if cops still got that same experience from kids. Officer Glorfield confirmed that he gets to enjoy the excitement children feel when they attend some of the many events the department holds, such as bike rodeos, Walk with a Cop, and when kids come to the parking lot of the precinct to receive snacks and drinks and shake a cop’s hand.
By continuing to host these events and prioritize community engagement, police departments can work to bridge the gap between officers and citizens, ultimately strengthening the bonds that hold communities together.
Officer Glorfield mentioned that they accept donations to continue purchasing small gifts for kids and provide free events to the public. To see all events held by the Hope Mills Police Department or how you can donate, visit their website at https://townofhopemills.com/179/Police-Department or Facebook page under “Hope Mills Police.”

(Photo: An officer with the Hope Mills Police Department serves coffee during a monthly Cofee with a Cop event. Photo courtesy of the Hope Mills Police Department)

Chamber hosts State of the Community annual luncheon

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Tuesday, 20 August 2024

Written by Lisa Stevens

The Greater Fayetteville Chamber will hold its annual State of the Community on Aug. 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Crown Complex Expo Center, 1960 Coliseum Dr. This premier gathering offers a unique opportunity to engage with community leaders, network with peers and gain valuable knowledge to drive your initiatives forward.
Last year's luncheon saw a record-breaking crowd of 600 attendees, and this year's event promises to be even more impactful. The impressive lineup of keynote speakers includes Mayor Mitch Colvin, City of Fayetteville; Mike Nagowski, CEO of Cape Fear Valley Health; Dr. Marvin Connelly, Superintendent of Cumberland County Schools; Megan Gerber, President of Longleaf Pines Realtors; Robert Van Geons, President and CEO of Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, and Christopher Chung, CEO of The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.
With the Greater Fayetteville Chamber's annual State of the Community event just around the corner, it's clear that our community is poised for continued growth and prosperity.
Fayetteville, the largest city in Cumberland County, is a thriving hub with a vibrant downtown, rich arts and culture, and strong ties to our service members. Recent investments, like the $40 million baseball stadium, are sparking additional growth and expansion opportunities.
The latest reports show that Cumberland County ranks eighth in North Carolina with 16.46% business growth, $6,584 gross domestic product growth, 5.40 new building permits per 1,000 homes, and a 1.61 gross domestic
product growth index.
President and CEO Nat Robertson of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber encourages residents to attend and contribute to conversations that will shape the future of communities.
Secure your spot today, as last year's event sold out. This will be the perfect setting to network and connect with the movers and shakers of our region. For more information or to register, visit the event page at www.faybiz.com or call 910-483-8133.