Food is the fuel for our bodies. All living creatures must have it in some form on a regular basis, or we will simply wither away. That, of course, is the most basic element of life, not taking into account what our necessary food is or how it tastes. Sustenance need not be pleasurable— it just has to…

 If you are looking for a warm, fuzzy Christmas story, kindly stop reading immediately and turn on the Hallmark Channel. Today, we shall rehabilitate the image of the first recorded victim of social media bullying, our old friend Medusa. Medusa has gotten a bad rap through the ages as a result of Greek mythology’s vilifying her…

 Fayetteville, particularly in downtown, is sadly no stranger to the danger of rail line crossing points. The last fatality occurred in the downtown district in 2017 when a truck sought to go around a single crossing arm, became disabled and was struck by a CSX train, killing one passenger and injuring another. These rail line…

 If you are looking for a warm, fuzzy Christmas story, kindly stop reading immediately and turn on the Hallmark Channel. Today, we shall rehabilitate the image of the first recorded victim of social media bullying, our old friend Medusa. Medusa has gotten a bad rap through the ages as a result of Greek mythology’s vilifying her…

 Food is the fuel for our bodies. All living creatures must have it in some form on a regular basis, or we will simply wither away. That, of course, is the most basic element of life, not taking into account what our necessary food is or how it tastes. Sustenance need not be pleasurable— it just has to…

 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…

 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…

 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…

  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…

 Who was Fayetteville native Edgar Allan Poe? Was he a poet? A brickmaker? A potter? The Edgar Allen Poe in question was not a poet, although he shares his name with one. He did, however, own a local brickmaking facility. In fact, his bricks were used in buildings and roads not just in Fayetteville proper,…

 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…

 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,…