Featured Articles
Christmas in the Sandhills
Inventor Thomas Edison demonstrated the first incandescent light bulb in December 1879. A year later, he changed Christmas forever with a light display outside his laboratory. A few years later Edward Johnson, an inventor who worked for Edison, made a string of Christmas lights. By 1890, department stores were using stringed Christmas lights in displays. In 1895,…Read More
My struggle to understand the incomprehensible
Believe it or not, I try hard to understand the thinking of people with whom I disagree. My patience for, and commitment to, this effort are being stretched to a level that tempts me to give up. So much of what I see and hear is simply incomprehensible. For example, I cannot come close to…Read More
‘Decision time for Democrats:’ Readers respond
The Nov. 28, 2018, edition of Up & Coming Weekly featured an opinion piece by Karl Merritt titled “Decision time for Democrats.” Several readers responded. Two agreed to have their unedited comments published in our paper edition. Here is a link to the original article: www.upandcomingweekly.com/views/5597-decision-time-fordemocrats?fbclid=IwAR39ci_m2fusI7uKGoAzzYn5rsLEDbN9nha65Y5FfovMKL5ulLbtXczGFVg. Mr. Merritt, Read your article in the Up & Coming Weekly and respectfully disagree with…Read More
Mourning the loss of more local heroes
Two Fort Bragg soldiers were among four troops killed last month in Afghanistan when a roadside explosive device destroyed their vehicle. Capt. Andrew Patrick Ross, 29, of Lexington, Virginia, and Sgt. 1st Class Eric Michael Emond, 39, of Brush Prairie, Washington, were members of Fort Bragg’s 3rd Special Forces Group. The others were Air Force Staff…Read More
Fayetteville business capacity limited
A bill introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly 1 1/2 years ago could have given Fayetteville City Council more autonomy in awarding construction bids to local and minority businesses. The measure, sponsored by Democrat Sen. Ben Clark, amended the Fayetteville City Charter, establishing a Small Business Enterprise program “to promote the development of small businesses in the Fayetteville Metropolitan…Read More
Views
‘Decision time for Democrats:’ Readers respond
The Nov. 28, 2018, edition of Up & Coming Weekly featured an opinion piece by Karl Merritt titled “Decision time for Democrats.” Several readers responded. Two agreed to have their unedited comments published in our paper edition. Here is a link to the original article: www.upandcomingweekly.com/views/5597-decision-time-fordemocrats?fbclid=IwAR39ci_m2fusI7uKGoAzzYn5rsLEDbN9nha65Y5FfovMKL5ulLbtXczGFVg. Mr. Merritt, Read your article in the Up & Coming Weekly and respectfully disagree with…Read MoreMy struggle to understand the incomprehensible
Believe it or not, I try hard to understand the thinking of people with whom I disagree. My patience for, and commitment to, this effort are being stretched to a level that tempts me to give up. So much of what I see and hear is simply incomprehensible. For example, I cannot come close to…Read MoreA tale of two North Carolinas
News arrived last week that Cumberland County has slipped into Tier 1 status in North Carolina’s rankings of counties’ economic health. Cumberland joins 39 other counties as among our state’s most economically distressed, sometimes referred to as “low wealth” — the 20th most distressed to be exact. Joining us in the lowest economic designation are our neighbors Hoke, Robeson, Scotland, Sampson, Duplin and…Read MoreHear the whistles blow — again and again and again
I had to laugh at all the crazy comments flooding social media about wanting to silence the dozens of trains that pass through our community every day. Some people love it, some hate it, and some just don’t pay any attention to the trains anymore. They have gotten used to them. Ahhh! Urban living. I’m sure few of the people complaining one way or the…Read MoreReflections on the Horned Cow Initiative
Today we shall ponder a Swiss referendum on whether cows should keep their horns. This important issue was brought to my attention by an excellent series of articles by Brian Blackstone in The Wall Street Journal. I shall make every effort to avoid using any of Blackstone’s puns, which will not be easy. But then, nothing in…Read More
Arts
The power of Leo Twiggs at Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery
The exhibition “Leo Twiggs in Fayetteville” recently opened at the Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery on Gillespie Street. An educator and a painter, self-discovery and anonymity are integral parts of artmaking for Twiggs. Visitors to the exhibit will readily see the power of art to inspire, delight and enlighten. This is a tall order when visiting an exhibition, but if time is taken to…Read MoreNorman Brown brings joy to Fayetteville State University
Just in time for the holidays, Seabrook Performance Series presents Norman Brown’s “Joyous Holiday Concert” at Seabrook Auditorium on the campus of Fayetteville State University. It’sset for Thursday, Dec. 13, at 7:30 p.m. The concert also features Marion Meadows and Bobby Caldwell. “For the cost of this concert, people are getting a huge bargain, and what…Read MoreCelebrate the season with ‘Messiah Sing!’
Without Charles Jennens, a wealthy British music and literary patron of the 18th century, nobody would be singing the “Messiah” at all. Thankfully, Jennens existed — and on Saturday, Dec. 15, the Cumberland Oratorio Singers will perform “Messiah Sing” at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. In 1741, Jennens — who had collaborated with George Frideric Handel on a few prior pieces — sent Handel…Read More‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever’ reveals
Christmastime is near, and to help bring in the spirit, Cape Fear Regional Theatre presents the play “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” The play has been a tradition of CFRT, bringing cheer to many, for 28 years. The show opens Dec. 6 and runs through the 22nd. It involves three casts of local children and plenty of hijinks, too. According…Read More
Entertainment
Celebrate the season with Carriage Rides with Santa
There is an interesting backstory to both the carriage and the horses featured in the annual Cool Spring Downtown District’s Carriage Rides with Santa. This year, the festive rides started this past weekend and run through Dec. 22 in downtown Fayetteville. Jim Bob and Jolene are dappled Percheron draft horses. When they are not on loan to Santa for…Read MoreChristmas in the Sandhills
Inventor Thomas Edison demonstrated the first incandescent light bulb in December 1879. A year later, he changed Christmas forever with a light display outside his laboratory. A few years later Edward Johnson, an inventor who worked for Edison, made a string of Christmas lights. By 1890, department stores were using stringed Christmas lights in displays. In 1895,…Read MoreRyan’s Reindeer Run: Run because you can
For more than a decade, runners and revelers alike have turned out for Ryan’s Reindeer Run. It’s a family-friendly, high-spirited run filled with opportunities to make memories and enjoy and a morning in the outdoors. Saturday, Dec. 15, join hundreds of other runners and walkers at the Medical Arts Complex Field in downtown Fayetteville for this…Read MoreA little taste of Christmas
Now that we’ve put the fall decorations away, I’ve got a confession to make. Just a forewarning — I may get shunned or bullied for this confession. You may even stop reading this after I bare my soul in just a few sentences. This has been on my heart for a while, and I must get it off…Read More
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