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        Fayetteville has many rites of spring, and on Sunday, June 1, one of those rites — which has been a tradition for more than 40 years — will come to the Crown Theatre as Charlotte Blume presents the Spring Festival of Dance. The festival, which begins at 2:30 p.m., celebrates the art of dance through a variety of styles.
        “This has been an annual event for more than 40 years,” said Blume, who has instructed students in the art of dance throughout her life. “It is a recital for my students but we add several elements that are of interest to the general public.”
        Blume explained that the show features students from beginners to the most advanced dancers. The advanced students take the lead; however, the beginners also get their moment to shine. The festival will showcase more than 200 dancers in a variety of dance styles. It will feature classical ballet, jazz, tap and even hip-hop. Blume said that ballet takes the forefront as it is the basis of all dance.
        “All of our dance training is based on the basics of ballet,” she said.
        With that being the case, the festival will feature two ballets: Les Patineurs (the skaters) and Verdi’s The Seasons. Blume said Les Patineurs is not performed very often, although it is in the American Ballet Repertoire. {mosimage}
    “It has been staged quite a bit,” she said.
        Les Patineurs features 23 dancers on stage in a series of dance sketches that portray skaters on a frozen outdoor pond. Sarah Thornton, with Todd Overlie and Wilfredo Charon, dance the leads in the Pas de Trois. Jonelle Guthrie dances the role of The Novice. The selection is choreographed by Charlotte Blume.
        Soloists in The Seasons are Deja Lewis, Alexa Copenhaver, Virginia Williams and April Glasper. Glasper also dances as Puck in a scene from Midsummer Night’s Dream.
        “The excerpts from The Seasons are very popular,” said Blume. “We perform that ballet very frequently. People want to see it over and over again.”
        In addition to the ballet performances, the festival will also feature a number of tap numbers, including rhythmic tap. Blume explained that rhythmic tap is categorized as tap dance to jazz music. Choreographing the jazz numbers is Howard Blume, Charlotte’s son, who has a studio in California. Blume, a journalist, has dance as his hobby, but always makes the time to come home and perform in the spring festival. Along with Blume, two of the dancers from his studio are performing — Erin Aubrey Kaplan and Marty Barrera. The trio will perform Turn Down Day, a pop-jazz favorite that made the charts in the ‘60s and was written by the late David Blume, Howard’s father. They will also perform Pinocchio, a jazz waltz, which is also choreographed by David.
        “His choreography is featured throughout the show,” said Blume.
        Jazz dance performances include The Prayer, a lyric and upbeat piece by Charlotte Blume, and Chantel High’s Hip Hop “Funk Fuzion” Dance Company.
        “It’s a fun show for the entire family,” said Blume. “It’s a great way for a family to spend the afternoon watching the dances do what they do best.”
        Tickets for the event are $9 and are available at the Crown Center Box Office.

  • Details
        Marcela Casals grew up steeped in the traditions of theater. As a young girl in Argentina, her mother was an actress, her father an art photographer who also directed theater.
        “My aunt, who lived with us, was an opera singer so I was always, always in the theater somehow,” said Casals. “I swore I would never do that. The only thing I liked doing on stage was dancing.”  {mosimage}
        Lucky for her audiences, that is not how things turned out. Casals’ family emigrated to the U.S. and eventually settled in Los Angeles where she ventured into premed and architecture before taking up the family trade in earnest. She made her way to Fayetteville via her soldier husband and has been a steady force in the local theaters since the early 1990s.    
        Casals’ latest adventure in theater is the award winning Broadway musical Cabaret, based on Joe Masteroff’s book. She is directing the production for the Gilbert Theater. As Casals tells of her love of theater, she sings the praises of the actors and promises an exciting time for the audience.
        “At the Gilbert we use all local talent. Really, we have so much talent here,” said Casals. “It is a fabulous cast. The voices are really wonderful.”
        Cabaret is a dark musical. “It is not all about lovely things,” said Casals. “It is pre-Hitler Germany. The scene is set in 1930s Berlin. Times were tough then; the post World War I circumstances had citizens literally bringing wheel barrels full of money to the bakery to buy a loaf of bread.
        “It really was a difficult time and in the cabarets the men and women were trying their best not to go hungry.” said Casals. “If they couldn’t find true happiness at least they could pretend that there was such a thing.”   
        Being a showgirl was much better than just being a plain old prostitute. And if you met somebody who showered you with baubles and clothes and a place to stay you weren’t hungry. But Hitler was trying to create his master race. He was closing cabarets left and right. “They were filled with the kind of people that they were persecuting, and anybody who even resembled a gypsy or a Jew or who was in their estimation, immoral. Actresses have always been considered immoral and club dancers have always been considered immoral, but back then a lot of women didn’t have a lot of options open to them,” explained Casals. “And that is just what Kit Kat Klub performer Sally finds out. Although she is taken in by an American writer, overpowering circumstances make it difficult for their love to last.”
        Performances are June 5-8, 13-15 and 20-22. Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. All other performances start at 8 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes before the show. Tickets are $12.
        “I guess basically what I want to say is for people who do come out to Cabaret — they will have a great time. Yes, there are some very serious things dealt with, but it is going to be great,” said Casals.
    For reservations call 678-7186 or email gilberttheater@aol.com.

  • Details
        {mosimage}Special Forces soldiers are thought by many to be some of the “baddest” warriors in the world. So it would stand to reason that when choosing a band to headline their annual fund-raising concert, the Special Forces Association would choose like company. So it is with great pride, they announce that Brian Howe, the former lead singer of Bad Company, one of the “baddest” bands in rock ‘n’ roll history, will headline the May 31 concert.
        The concert, at Festival Park, will feature live music all day long. Local Fayetteville bands have volunteered their time and talent to raise funds to help the SF Association fulfill one of its primary goals: taking care of the soldiers and their families.
        According to Jim Sawyer, president of Chapter C of the SF Association — the guys behind the concert — the SF Association puts its efforts into taking care of its own. The 501(C ) 3 nonprofit, raises funds for a variety of uses. One of the primary uses is to provide scholarships for the children of fallen soldiers. Related to that area, the organization will also award scholarships to the spouses of fallen soldiers. By gaining a degree, these spouses are better able to take care of their families in the absence of their spouses.
        The organization also provides money in emergency situations, which allows families of soldiers wounded in the war to travel to be with the injured soldier or to help meet their financial needs. In some instances the organization uses funds they raise to help retrofit the homes of soldiers who may have lost limbs while in the line of duty. Sawyer noted that money raised goes directly to support the SF soldier or, in the case of his death, his family.
        The organization has held similar concerts in years past, but on a much smaller scale. This year, they are pulling out all of the stops to offer Fayetteville one rocking weekend. Previous events have been held in area bars, but the move to Festival Park makes the event more family-oriented. In addition to the live music, which will begin at 11 and run throughout the day, there will also be a bike show  for bikes with motors and for kids who are encouraged to bring out their bikes without motors. Food vendors, as well as other vendors, will also be on hand to feed your hunger, while the musicians feed your need to rock.
        Local bands rallying to the cause of the organization include: Ethan Hanson, Donnaha Station, Superdrive, Fall in Two, Stronghold and Motorjunkie. Each of the bands brings its own style to the stage, with Donnaha Station reaching back to rocks roots, while Hanson brings a more mellow sound to the stage. Motorjunkie, Superdrive and Stronghold will rock the stage, all leading up to the big event at 9 p.m.
        Howe, the former lead singer of Bad Company, will take the stage and take the crowd back to the golden age of rock. Bad Company, an English blues rock supergroup came to international attention in the ‘70s under the directions of Peter Grant, the guiding hand behind Led Zeppelin. The band gained popularity throughout the ‘70s on into the ‘80s. In 1986, the band began to break apart from the inside and the members agreed to go their separate ways. As was the case with the mega rock bands of the era, the parting was not necessarily cordial, and involved a rather one-sided physical altercation between members of the band.
        Enter Howe. Howe came to national fame under the tutelage of rock’s wildman Ted Nugent. Nugent, the Motor City Madman, tapped Howe to sing lead vocals on his album Penetrator in 1983. A few years later, two of the original members of Bad Company — Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke — decided to reunite and tapped Howe to step in as the front man, replacing Paul Rodgers.
        Howe stayed with the band throughout the ‘80s and into the early 1990s. Howe’s lead brought more of a pop-rock sound to the band, and during his tenure with the band sold more than 19 million albums, featuring songs co-written by Howe and producer Terry Thomas. When the band broke up, Howe noted, “Leaving Bad Company was not a difficult decision. It had got to the point where nobody was contributing anything to songwriting and quite frankly, the band was getting very sloppy live.”
        While Howe has been working on his own music, much of the show will feature classic Bad Company songs.
    In addition to the music, a number of special events have been scheduled throughout the day, including kids events featuring Captain Jim the Magician, jugglers and face painters. There will also be several raffles including a 2008 Chevy Silverado, a Fender Stratocaster, a Smith & Wesson .45, a mountain bike and much more.
        The daylong event begins at 11 a.m., with advance tickets costing $17 at ticketalternative.com or $20 at the gate.
        For more information, call 309-0888 or visit www.upandcomingweekly.com.

  • Details
        If the Crown Theatre could speak, it surely would have let out a lusty “Hoo-aah!” on Monday, May 19, as the 41-year-old building was renamed and rededicated in honor of our nation’s fighting men and women.
        As local dignitaries, politicians, military officers and enlisted men looked on, a red-white-and-blue ribbon stretching across the front door of the Crown Theater was sliced as easily as a hot bayonet through butter, transforming the facility into the Cumberland County Memorial Auditorium: a true journey through the past as Cumberland County Memorial  Auditorium was the facility’s original name when it was opened way back in 1967 — it was re-christened the Crown Theatre in 2002 by then-CEO Rick Reno for marketing purposes.{mosimage}
        It was only fitting that the man wielding the scissors which gave the Cumberland County Memorial Auditorium back its glory was Sgt. First Class Michael Onstine, who was recently awarded the Silver Star medal for heroics in Iraq. Onstine, despite being wounded in the shoulder and both legs by shrapnel during a pitched battle, held back a band of 20 insurgents single-handedly with cover fire from his M-1 and grenades while his platoon, pinned down by enemy fire, was able to safely withdraw.
        Onstine’s grit and bravery, and that of all soldiers, past and present, who have walked the streets of Fayetteville, and Baghdad and Siagon, was recognized by Dr. Jeannette Council, vice chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners.
        “Many of the soldiers who served in Vietnam trained here in Fayetteville,” said Council. “And now we are at war again in the desert of Iraq. It is right and appropriate that this complex be renamed in honor of our military. This building is proof of what they have done and how we hold them in our hearts.”
        Lifelong Fayetteville resident Mayor Tony Chavonne invoked the rich past of the complex, citing the many great performers and shows that took place there back in the glory days. You could almost hear the whip snap and the tiger’s roar as Chavonne described the childhood wonder of watching the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus perform inside those brick walls; the mayor even invoked the King, Elvis Presley, who played here, taking with him the hearts of thousands of screaming, swooning women when he finally left the building.
        But the true kings on this day didn’t carry a bullwhip or come adorned in rhinestones: the royalty on this warm, windy morning wore military braid black, burgundy, tan and green berets, and combat boots.
    Eighth District Congressman Robin Hayes wore his own military regalia as he honored the soldiers, particularly those of the 82nd Airborne Division.
        “I am wearing an 82nd Airborne hat and pin today,” said Hayes. “General Bill Caldwell gave me this old, raggedy hat, which I recently wore when we opened a VA hospital in Hamlet.
        “It’s an All-American day as we pay tribute to the men and women who provide us the freedoms and the right to practice our religion,” said Hayes, who added an aside to the recent chapel controversy at Fayetteville’s VA Hospital, “We’re taking care of that little issue at the chapel and we will get it worked out.”
        After the rededication ceremony, entertainment was provided by the internationally renowned 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus, which performed such rousing, patriotic numbers as Your’re in the Army Now, Mr. Smith and America The Beautiful, finishing with an appropriate and heartfelt version of Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA.
        On this day, citizens and soldiers were especially proud to be Americans, basking in the glory of the Crown.

  • Details

        An unlikely group of soldiers were sworn into duty on Monday at Festival Park. The group, comprised of retired businessmen, housewives, artists and local politicians gladly stepped up to enlist in a new army — The Army’s Army.
    Led by Jim Konneker, a retired businessman, the army’s mission is pretty straightforward: to “Watch over those who watch over us.” The group, formerly known as the local BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) committee, has its sights set on its new mission: telling the nation about Cumberland County and its people.
        Konneker explained that the introduction of the Army’s Army is the first step in a comprehensive marketing campaign to sell Cumberland County to not only the soldiers and families who will be moving to the area as a result of BRAC, but also to business and industry.{mosimage}
        “We are very proud of our military friends,” said Konneker. “This community has been watching over them for a very long time, and now we want to let those folks who are going to be relocating here know that we will watch out for them.”
        Konneker said the group, a grassroots idea, will reach out to the soldiers and civilians affected by BRAC and help them relocate. “We will help them find that dentist, that school district, that church that they are looking for,” he said.
    The effort to form the Army’s Army began two years ago under the direction of Fayetteville Mayor Tony Chavonne and then Chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Billy King.
        “They wanted to know how we, as a community, were preparing for the influx of people from BRAC,” said Kirk deViere, a member of the group. “At that time we began gathering volunteers from every segment of the community — healthcare, public safety, housing, schools — and formed modules to take a look at these areas.”
        deViere said the groups met and discussed the issues and formulated a plan on the best way the community could position itself to ensure that the people moving to the area because of BRAC chose Cumberland County as the place to live. “What came out of that strategic planning initiative was the Army’s Army concept. We are the world’s only all-volunteer organization that has pledged its total support to the military, because at the end of the day, we are a military town.”
        The decision of the community to embrace its history as a military town, rather than ignoring it, is a change in the thought process for many in the community. “We are embracing the fact that we are a military town,” said deViere. “Some communities have golf or lakes or other things to draw people. We believe that it is our dedication, and our willingness to watch over and take care of military and their families that makes our community unique. And, by the way, if you want to golf or are interested in the arts or any of those things, we’ve got you covered.”
        The establishment of the Army’s Army on Monday is only a first step in the process. Over the coming months the group will be reaching out to others in the community to bring them on to the team. deViere said the best people to tell Cumberland County’s story to those considering moving here are the people who live here. To that end, the organization wants to build a virtual community, which will put individuals preparing to the community in touch with local residents who will answer their questions and put them on the right track.
        “The best way we can tell other people about our community is for our citizens to tell their story,” said Konneker.

  • Details
        There was an explosion of discontent Monday, May 19, in the meeting room of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, with a group of Eastover residents lighting the fuse.
        The commissioners approved a plan to make zoning ordinances more consistent throughout the city, creating a zone called a Municipal Influence Area around the the eastern part of Fayetteville that sets the standards for curbing, sidewalks and water and sewer extension.
        The plan, an agreement between the county and the City of Fayetteville, angered a group of Eastover residents who believe the formation of the MIA is the first step toward annexation of the township by Fayetteville.
        {mosimage}While the county commissioners and county planner assured the audience that any changes to the MIA that might adversely affect Eastover must be approved by the commissioners, this didn’t dampen the fuse on an already volatile crowd of Eastover residents.
        “There is only one reason for an MIA and that is to prepare an area for annexation with the town or city in that area that has the MIA,” said Morgan Johnson, spokesman for a group of concerned Eastover residents.
        Tom Lloyd, the county’s director of planning and inspections, restated that the ultimate power of the MIA rests in the hands of the commissioners.
        “If Fayetteville makes any changes to its development standards that would greatly affect the spirit of this agreement, then we will go back and negotiate before we would automatically approve,” said Lloyd.
    Johnson countered, “And what’s going to happen five to 10 years from now when we have new commissioners? You say it won’t change, but you know things always change.”
        Lloyd said the greatest changes for rural citizens according to this MIA would be  the ordinance governing curbing, gutters and sidewalks — 99 percent of these regulations are designed to affect developers building subdivisions, not private citizens.
        “If there are any changes it would have to come back before you as a public hearing,” said Lloyd. “So anything different from what you see in front of you, you would have to approve.”
        Commissioner Billy King got right to the heart of the matter when he said, “One of the concerns I’ve heard is if I live in the county I don’t want the City of Fayetteville dictating to me how I’ve got to live. So, ultimately, any changes that apply will come back to this board, correct?”
        Lloyd answered in the affirmative and was backed up by County Attorney Grainger Barrett.
    “What this does is specifically provide authorization for MIAs,” said Barrett. “It does not by itself become self-executing and grant MIAs. These are the agreed upon standards that the board of commissioners has control over if they’re ever changed.”
        This answer did not placate Johnson, who continued to rail against what he sees as a plan that paves the way for the eventual annexation of Eastover.
        “We do expect development in the Eastover Community,” said Johnson. “We feel Eastover is a desirable community. It’s like a breath of fresh air. But you have to stop and ask yourselves what is your motive for an MIA?
        “If you are considerate and like Eastover, you’ll vote against the MIA,” added Johnson. “Our intent is to remain rural and not look like Fayetteville.”
        Commissioner Kenneth Edge tried to cut to the need for an MIA, saying that in the past, portions of the county had complained that the county doesn’t have certain developmental standards in place; the MIA would unify the county’s development ordinances.
        “I won’t be here in 50 years,” said Edge. “I want us to plan properly for the county and know that we have done all we can as a body of commissioners.”
        Johnson did not accept Edge’s explanation, saying Edge told him personally on May 3 at the Heritage Day celebration in Eastover that he would not vote for the MIA.
    Edge flatly denied this charge.
        “That is an absolute untruth,” said Edge. “It’s a bald-faced lie. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever talked to Mr. Johnson about the MIA.”
        Unfazed, Johnson reinforced his belief that the MIA is simply a land grab for Fayetteville as the Base Realignment and Closure brings more people and more development to the county.
        Fayetteville Mayor Tony Chavonne, who was not at Monday’s meeting, was surprised at the community reaction.
        “The City of  Fayetteville supports Eastover,” said Chavonne. “We helped them to become incorporated; without us, they wouldn’t have become incorporated. I think the MIA is a great thing for Fayetteville and the county. It allows us to police growth.”
        Commissioner Dr. John T. Henley also denied that the MIA is simply a “land grab,” saying the MIA does not set the stage for annexation.
        “The city can’t go in there and annex Eastover unless it meets the letter of the law,” said Henley. “There are no annexation petitions in Eastover Township — this area is still controlled by your commissioners.
    “The MIA allows us, that as development does come, it brings infrastructure with it,” added Henley. “It brings water to people who need it.”
        However, not all commissioners were on board with the MIA.
        Commissioner Diane Wheatley expressed “anxiety” over the MIA and said she was not going to support the ordinance because she felt there was inadequate communication between the commissioners and the citizens of Eastover.
        Also, Commissioner Ed Melvin declined to support the change, saying “I don’t feel like it’s where it should be.”
        Chairman Breeden Blackwell — absent from the meeting but speaking through a conference call —  said all the commissioners, as well as representatives from Eastover, had been “on board” with the MIA after meeting with the legislative delegation.
        “Everybody agreed on it and was on board,” said Blackwell. “The legislative delegation was very clear. Three commissioners met with the legislative delegation and representatives from Eastover.
    “It was a gentleman’s agreement,” said Blackwell. “It was an understanding among my colleagues that if we got the planning board on board — which we did — then we would agree to this. We agreed to play by these rules.”
        Despite Blackwell’s call for unity, Melvin and Wheatley voted against the MIA, which still passed 5-2.
    After the votes, citizens of Eastover milled around the courthouse parking lot, uttering unkind words about the decision and the commissioners.
        There were even rumblings among the crowd about a possible lawsuit to block the MIA.
        “This was a done deal even before they met,” said Johnson. “You heard Breeden Blackwell say over the telephone they agreed ahead of time who was going to vote how.
        “We do not need sidewalks, curbs and gutters out in the rural area of Eastover. The environmental people with the state are saying now that the open ditches like we have in Eastover are more environmentally friendly than underground drainages are.
        “It doesn’t make sense to make Eastover look like downtown Fayetteville,” he concluded

  • Details

        For most people, balancing household accounts proves difficult enough. For the members of the Fayetteville City Council and the city staff, the budget process is a lot like an obstacle course. The process, which begins months before it’s ready for prime time requires the council to project an outcome and the staff to pull off quite a balancing act to present a balanced budget that meets not only the requirements of the council but the needs of the staff.
        On Wednesday, May 21, staff and council came together in one of the final budget meetings to hash out differences and come to terms on questions the staff had on the proposed budget. One of the questions that garnered a lot of discussion in the meeting was the request for an additional attorney in the city’s legal department. Karen McDonald, the city attorney, made the request during her annual review. At that time, there appeared to be a consensus among the council to approve the request. Several council members were surprised when the request was cut from the budget.
        Councilman Ted Mohn questioned the cut during budget discussions. Mohn sent a question concerning the cut to City Manager Dale Iman prior to the meeting. Iman explained that the request for the new attorney fell under the heading of “new initiative.” He explained that when the staff put the proposed budget together they came up with $140 million in request and only $134 million in revenues. That shortfall caused the staff to take a very hard look at all requests made by departments.
        In explaining the budgeting process, Iman explained that the council sets the directions with its strategic plan. He said once that is established, he and members of the city’s staff, hold hearings with each department head and their staff to hear their needs. Adding that each request in the budget is looked at closely, particularly those requests for new initiatives and positions. “When it came to new positions and programs, we looked at them very closely,” said Iman, “and unless they paid for themselves or were needed services, we were unable to fund them. That happens all too often in municipal budgets.”
        While Mohn said he understood the process, he felt that the council was behind the hiring of the new position. Val Applewhite joined Mohn in lobbying for the position. Applewhite asked McDonald whether she still needed the position and if it was in the best interest of the city.
        “From my perspective, I feel that we need the position, but it’s a matter of resources and getting in line with the need,” she said. {mosimage}
        Applewhite questioned whether or not the city could cut the amount of money the city has allocated for outside council — some $300,000 — to pay for the new attorney. McDonald said the outside council was used to retain outside council to help her office deal with lawsuits against the city that arise throughout the year. She said her office does a good job of keeping the city out of trouble, but that a number of lawsuits have arisen over the past year, including three last week. McDonald said that each of the attorneys in her office is assigned to number of departments. She said that that reflects some staffing issues when compared to other municipalities. McDonald said she understands the budgeting process and that her staff will work hard to meet the needs of the city.
        Mayor Tony Chavonne asked Iman and his staff to take a look at the budget, and the performance of the attorney’s office in six months to determine whether or not an additional attorney could be hired.
        One new initiative that was funded was the hiring of a downtown development manager. The new position was funded at more than $80,000, with $75,076 allocated for the employee’s salary and an additional $6,484 funded for supplies and equipment needed for the position.
        Applewhite noted that the hiring of a legal representative seemed more important than this position, noting that it had obviously been handled in the past.
        Iman explained that the individual hired in this position would handle all facets of downtown business and growth. He noted that with the number of people and businesses coming down, more and more issues are coming up. Downtown development previously fell under the auspices of the Cumberland County Business Council. Pulling this element from the CCBC allowed the council to add workforce development into their contract with the CCBC.
        Iman noted that in many instances city staff tries to do something positive in the downtown area, and the downtown merchants perceive it in a negative way. He feels that having this go to person will allow the city to build a stronger relationship and do more positive things in the downtown area.
        Applewhite countered. “We have gotten ourselves in some legal situations over the past years, and that makes the addition to the legal staff important. We seem to keep doing a lot for downtown — but there’s more to life in Fayetteville than downtown.”

  • Details

        Once upon a time back in 1967, Hollywood spawned a reasonably funny movie called The Russians Are Coming! The Russians are Coming!In 1967, the Cold War was in full flower. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a very recent memory. We learned to hate the Russians. As Bob Dylan sang, “if another war comes, it’s them we must fight.” In the middle of the Cold War, The Russians Are Coming! The Russians are Coming!was almost unpatriotic because it showed the Russians as human beings. The premise of the movie was that a Russian submarine, the good ship Octopus, accidentally ran aground off a small New England town. Alan Arkin played a Russian officer who leads a small group of Russians into town to try to find a boat to pull the sub off the sandbar before the U.S. Navy blows it up and begins World War III. The fact that Jonathan Winters plays a local cop tells you almost all you need to know about this movie. A Russian sailor falls in love with an American girl and all ends happily.{mosimage}
        In keeping with the ecumenical spirit of the The Russians Are Coming! The Russians are Coming!, we must now get ready to learn to love Cybrids, because the Cybrids are coming. What, you may ask, is a Cybrid? It’s a dandy new invention of our favorite British mad scientists. You get a Cybrid when you plop a human nucleus into an empty animal egg so you can do some souped--up genetic research into some really nasty ailments like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.
        The British House of Commons recently passed a law that allows the creation of “human admixed embryos.” Sounds like the name of an English punk band doesn’t it? And now, playing their number one chart buster hit Twisted Chromosomes, give it up for the Human Admixed Embryos! The technical name for a Cybrid is a “cytoplasmic hybrid,” but who wants to say that? Cybrid sounds so much cooler. Cybrids, according to the London Times are “99.9 percent human.” It’s that tenth of a percent animal that allegedly lets you experiment on the almost human embryo without technically crossing over into Dr. Josef Mengele territory.
        The new British law also allows the creation of “True Hybrids,” which are 50 percent human and 50 percent animal. True Hybrids, while a bit grotesque, seem more intellectually honest than hiding behind the fig leaf of 1/10 percent animal. The original intention of the scientists is to help mankind by curing really awful diseases. What could possibly go wrong if science has good intentions? There’s really not much chance of big business buying up patented forms of semi-human life to make Exxon-style profits is there? Technology is always progress. Morals are for sissies.
        Think of the coal miners we’ll get by breeding star nosed moles with people. Mining companies wouldn’t have to pay the mole-people much, as moles are happy living under ground. Carnivals could breed human whack-a-moles to work at county fairs. Put a bicycle helmet on a human/mole and start slugging away at him with a ball-peen hammer. It’s OK, he’s not really human. Any number of dangerous jobs could be staffed with True Hybrids who, if killed or injured, could just be duplicated by a new herd of test tube replacement hybrids. Worker’s compensation laws wouldn’t apply to human/hybrids because they are not human. We won’t have to educate little human/hybrids either because they are not human. Child labor laws wouldn’t apply to little human/rhesus monkey hybrid children so industry could take full advantage of their tiny little fingers in manufacturing processes.
        Haliburton could breed camels with humans to get the world’s most heat resilient oil workers. What NFL franchise wouldn’t want a cheetah/human hybrid as a running back? What would Blackwater pay for an army of wolverine/human hybrid mercenaries? Think of what insurance companies and big pharmaceutical companies would pay for a bunch of skunk/Congressmen hybrids.
        The Cybrids are coming! The Cybrids are coming! They may not be as loveable or as funny as the Russians during the Cold War, but they will be a lot more useful in many economic and medical ways.
    Just remember to check your ethics at the door.

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    {mosimage}The history of the coffee house dates back almost 700 years to the country of Turkey. Coffee was so important during that time that a woman could legally divorce her husband if he could not supply her with enough coffee. Trade brought coffee to Europe. In Britain, the coffee house became a place where businessmen conducted business. In 17th century France, artists, intellectuals, poets and politicians joined the party and when the coffee house eventually came to the U.S., it kept some of the rich history that it picked up on its travels along the way.

    The Java Bean Gourmet Coffee House, located in the historic Prince Charles Hotel, is the newest edition to the Fayetteville coffee house landscape. The dÄcor is sleek and modern with clean lines, neutral colors and cool metal. The atmosphere is welcoming and laid back. With respect to tradition, the Java Bean is well connected to its history. On a given day, you will find models being photographed, artists considering their work, musicians playing their instruments, poets speaking about life, politicians politicking and businessmen dealing.

    The owners of the Java Bean are business partners č Regina Johnson, born and raised in Fayetteville and a graduate of Westover High School, and Vanessa Sanders, originally from Queens, N.Y. Both women reside in Charlotte, but spend a lot of time commuting between Charlotte and Fayetteville.  

    The idea for the Java Bean came about in 2001.

    “My business partner, Vanessa and I, have a true love for coffee and poetry,” said Johnson. “We collectively had been pondering the idea of opening a gourmet coffee house. We wanted to do something outside of what we do with our other business. The opportunity arrived in Fayetteville and we felt this was our Java moment.”

    The Java Bean opened the week of the Dogwood Festival and on that 4th Friday, the entertainment arrived in the form of Touch One Productions and “Concrete Generation,” the number one poetry group in the nation. Spoken word is universal and their chosen topics addressed issues that all people, regardless of age, skin color or economic status, can relate to. They were backed by a jazz, blues band and entertained a standing room only crowd. Java Bean is planning to have Touch One “Concrete Generation” return for May’s 4th Friday and hopes to offer some form of entertainment every 4th Friday.

    The need for caffeine and the social impact that coffee has is evident in the many coffee houses that we have to choose from in Fayetteville. 

    What is different about the Java Bean? 

    “Our atmosphere is centered on the love of Java and the arts,” said Johnson. “Every cup of Java is handcrafted. We provide gourmet beverages, entertainment and Free internet service to the general public. We welcome local artists to showcase their talents at the Java Bean. We aim to provide a comfortable place for our patrons to enjoy a cup of Java in a relaxing environment.”  

    Java Bean has traditional coffee house fare as well as some tempting latte chiller creations and smoothies. They also offer pastries and some savory items to anyone with an appetite. Hours of operation are Monday through Wednesday from 6:30 a.m. until 7 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 6:30 a.m. until 10 p.m., and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. It is located at 450 Hay St. Contact the Java Bean Coffee House at (910) 213-3111, if you have any questions.

     

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        Marco Illanes’ medal of honor is engraved into his skin, tattooed there by an Iraqi improvised explosive device.
        The scar tissue winds down the right side of his body like a map to hell — a place the Army specialist is well-acquainted, having survived being blown up in an alien land often described by American soldiers as, truly, hell on Earth.
        Illanes still travels a slow, painful road through the perdition known as physical rehabilitation — a street of hardship that coils and uncoils back upon itself like a serpent, but which now slithers upward with a sense of hope and purpose rather than spiraling downhill.
        And it’s a path he travels not by foot or gurney or crutch, but by bicycle wheel.
        Illanes is one of around 20 injured soldiers rehabilitating through a program called Operation Spin Cycle, which was started by Leona O’Berry, vice president of a group of avid Fayetteville cyclists known as the Cross Creek Cycling Club. With the help of Hawley’s Bicycle World, Operation Spin Cycle allows rehabilitating soldiers such as Illanes to recuperate by “spinning” — riding stationary bikes under the watchful eye of an instructor — in a room provided by Hawleys.
        It’s a program that not only gives wounded soldiers back their health, but their hope.{mosimage}
        “I’ve been doing this for a month and it helps a lot because I can’t run anymore, so it helps me stay in shape,” said Illanes, who was injured by an IED about a year ago and spent four months in the hospital, enduring more than 20 surgeries. “Plus, it helps me more with my legs. It also helps my attitude because everyone, from the instructor to the regular class, is motivated. I will probably do this for the rest of my life.”
    Illanes’ attitude is typical of the room full of injured vets who spin for an hour in the back of Hawley’s Bicycle World. And while their collective attitude about the spinning class is 100 percent positive, the range of their injuries is diverse.
        “The soldiers have various wounds, ranging from blindness, amputations, and wounds that are not visible to the naked eye, such as traumatic brain injuries,” said O’Berry, who traveled through a minefield of her own — albeit this one made of red tape rather than cordite and shrapnel — to get approval for the spinning program from the Surgeon General and the military.
        Ironically, in order to get the powers that be to see the light and agree to this powerful program, O’Berry enlisted the aid of a blind man.
        Ivan Castro lost his sight in Iraq, but found redemption on the seat of a stationary bicycle. To get back in shape,  Castro began spinning as part of his rehabilitation program, thinking that was the only activity he could safely participate in.
        A member of the Cross Creek Cycling Club, who also happened to be Castro’s spinning instructor, regaled the club with tales of how hard the sightless soldier trained.
        “So, the idea was born that if he liked the spin bikes so much, maybe he’d like to come out and ride on the road with us,” said O’Berry. “We have a guy in our club, Bob Meyer, who has a tandem bike and we asked Ivan if he would like to come out and try it and he loved it. He had such a good time that it inspired me to say if he can benefit from this so much, I felt like other people could. When Ivan heard us tossing this idea around, he said he wanted to work with us on this project.”
        O’Berry and Castro came up with the name Operation Spin Cycle — spin for the spin room, and cycle because the ultimate plan is to get all these wounded vets on the road... and on the road to recovery.
    After writing all the letters required to cut through the  fortress of rules and regulations constructed by the federal government, O’Berry and Castro went to Womack Army Hospital to brief the rehabilitation folks there on the program and get permission to “cycle” their patients through Operation Spin Cycle. O’Berry also went to the Warrior Transition Battalion and briefed the commander, telling him his soldiers might find this an alternative to their PT program because some of them can’t run anymore.
        After jumping all the paperwork and official hurdles inherent in the military, Operation Spin Cycle was approved and the soldiers started showing up in December, now spinning every Wednesday and Friday.
    Five of the wounded soldiers became so confident in the spinning class and recovered so well from their wounds, that they began riding on the road with Cross Creek Cycling Club and other bicycle clubs. The bicycles have been donated from various sources, including bicycle manufacturer Giant.
        After overcoming their fear of the open road, the cadre of rehabilitating riders faces yet another challenge — joining in on a bicycle ride/fundraiser for wounded soldiers called The Road 2 Recovery. The R2R started on May 20 in Washington, D.C., and ends on May 25 in Charlotte at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Two of Operation Spin Cycles’ soldier will attempt the entire ride, while O’Berry and the other two riders in the group, along with cyclists from Fort Bragg and Fayetteville will join the ride in Asheboro for the last 60 miles to the speedway and a final victory lap around the track prior to the start of the Coca-Cola 600.
        {mosimage}Dave Ogelsang and Mark Molina have committed themselves to the D.C. to Charlotte journey — a six-day ride of 460 miles.
        For Molina, who tore ligaments in his knee in June 2007, the R2R has special meaning; not only is Molina proving he is not physically dependent on others, but he’s also motivated by the memory of a relative who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq.
        “This is my way of honoring my cousin, Specialist Jason Morales of the First Infantry, who was killed in battle,” said Molina. “I’m just grateful I get to do this R2R Ride for all the people that have been wounded over there, as well as my cousin.”
        Also along for the ride will be Ogelsang, who tore up his shoulder in a Humvee rollover in Kuwait and who has been spinning six days a week in preparation for the R2R.
        Ogelsang, a sergeant in the Army, says the spinning program is quite an improvement from the “bad old days” of rehabilitation.
        “I’m glad the program is here,” said Ogelsang. “I’ve spoken with other people, and considering the way soldiers were handled back in Vietnam and the first Gulf War, now it’s a totally changed program; command is very supportive of making sure the soldiers recover and have a normal life. Without that, I wouldn’t be here and they wouldn’t be here.”
        Of course, none of this would have been possible without the contributions made by Hawley’s Bicycle World, which provides the space, the stationary bikes, and has repaired and tuned up — free of charge — the bicycles donated to the wounded vets.
        “We’re just thrilled we can contribute to the soldiers in even this small way,” said Sandy Hawley, co-owner of the bicycle shop. “We’re not military people by any means, but this is our way of giving back to Fayetteville and the military here that have been so kind to us. It’s the least we can do.”
        If you would like to aid these injured soldiers across the nation, you can visit the R2R Web site, www.road2recovery.us.com, and make a donation.
        It’s the least we can do for the Americans who have given us their most.

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    Almost-anything-goes “ultimate fighting,” also known as “human cockfighting,” is a major “sport,” mostly in Southern and Western states, but only in Missouri are kids as young as 6 permitted on the mats, according to a March Associated Press dispatch from Carthage, Mo. Members of the Garage Boys Fight Crew, ages up to 14, including one girl, regularly square off with only a few concessions in rules and protective gear from their adult counterparts. Parents seem to regard the sport as casually as they regard Little League or soccer, and sportsmanship is in evidence, as kids are still best friends, pummeling each other inside the cage but then heading off afterward to play video games. 


    The Entrepreneurial Spirit! 

    A highlight of this year’s Easter promotion by the Jelly Belly company (as additions to its 50 standard flavors) was its surprise BeanBoozled boxes, with odd tastes and non-standard colors. Although garlic beans, buttered-toast beans and cheese pizza beans are no longer available, connoisseurs can sample jelly beans made to taste like pencil shavings, ear wax, moldy cheese and vomit. A Jelly Belly spokeswoman told Newhouse News Service in March, “There are 20 flavors in each little box... so you don’t know what flavor you are tasting... coconut or baby wipe 

    Los Angeles businessman Llewellyn Werner toldThe Times of London in April that he plans to spend $500 million to build a Disneyland-type theme park in the heart of Baghdad, with the first phase (a skateboard facility, with 200,000 free skateboards to hand out) to open in just three months. Eventually, the park will include rides and a concert theater adjacent to the Green Zone. 

    From Nickelodeon merchandising has come a Spongebob Squarepants Musical Rectal Thermometer (which plays the Spongebob theme that (the designer apparently imagines) makes the temperature-taking process less unpleasant). 


    Science on the Cutting Edge 

    Prairie Orchard Farms in Manitoba toldToronto’s Globe and Mail in March that it has been successfully infusing hogs with omega-3s, the oils that get the best press among fatty acids, since it is found plentifully in healthful salmon and other seafood. A laboratory analysis of a slab of Prairie Orchard’s “enriched” ham had the omega-3s of almost one-fourth of a large salmon filet, but the best news of all was that a 100-gram side of bacon equaled that of the salmon filet. 

    While many lab mice get selected, unfortunately, for work like cancer research, one group of male rodents at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston has been hard at work, with constant erections, helping researchers develop a biochemical treatment for priapism, which plagues men with certain blood disorders. (The condition is named for the Greek god Priapus, who, to be punished for sexual misbehavior, supposedly received an enormous, but useless, wooden penis.) 


    Charity on the Cutting Edge 

    “Obviously, this is not as important as helping starving kids in Africa, but it’s the same basis,” Karla Rae Morris told Canada’s Sun newspapers in February. “They want to help us out,” she said, referring to her benefactors who had donated money (from two men, over $1,000 (Cdn) each) so that she could afford breast implants, based on arrangements commenced by the Web site MyFreeImplants.com, which facilitates e-mail exchanges and chats for prospective contributors and collects the money until the goal is reached. “It’s like donating to any charity,” said Morris, of her donors. “You feel like you’re doing good.” 


    COPYRIGHT 2008 CHUCK SHEPHERD   

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    It’s hard being as conscious as I am, which is why I come to you. I’m a 23-year-old man with high standards and a belief in being honest and frank, which some mistake for cruelty. My knowledge of self and understanding of others makes it hard for me to find a girlfriend. I’ve never initiated dates except for nerdy “going for coffee but she doesn’t know it’s a date” dates. I just can’t shake the feeling that women I’m attracted to have men coming on to them constantly. I don’t want to add to their burden, so I find myself waiting for women to come on to me. This seldom happens, so I end up settling for women who pursue me, which is where my honesty perceived as cruelty comes in. Recently, I became attracted to a coworker. I told her of my attraction, and asked her to lunch. She agreed to go, but said, “I want you to know it’s just as friends. I have to cover my bases.” This was unsettling, but I still took her. She’s seemed on guard ever since - proving to me that I was a burden. 

    -- Insightfully Alone


    If you have a drinking problem, you go to an A.A. meeting and say, “Hi, my name is Bob, and I’m an alcoholic,” not “Hi, my name is Socrates. I’m here to share my vast knowledge of self and others, right after I toss back a coupla’ shots.” 

    Sorry, but your problem isn’t that you’re too perceptive, too in-touch, and too sensitive to the needs of others, but that there’s no personal shortcoming you can’t spin into a humanitarian gesture or a sign of what a genius of human nature you are. Take your “belief in being honest and frank” - at least, with any girl you settle for: “Here, darling, my 32-page illustrated report on all the ways you’re beneath me.” Somehow, I’m guessing you manage to restrain yourself from marching over to the husky trucker in the Kwik-E-Mart and announcing,”Hey, tubby, you might wanna rethink those Ho Hos.”

    As for what’s actually keeping you from getting a girlfriend - could it be that you rarely ask women out on anything remotely perceivable as a date? There was that one woman, that coworker. Technically, you did ask her out - for lunch at high noon, the least date-like time of the day. And, perhaps that was the point: it would technically be a date, but without any pressure on you to do anything terribly date-like. I mean, when’s the last time you saw two people sharing a lingering first kiss while pressed up against the sneeze guard of a busy salad bar? 

    Of course, you mucked things up from the start by spitting up your feelings all over her shoes (“I told her of my attraction...”). When you don’t know how somebody feels about you, you don’t go all full-frontal with your feelings for them. Consider the difference between “Wanna have sex with me?” and “Would you like to come up and see my etchings?” which Harvard psych professor Steven Pinker addresses inThe Stuff Of Thought. With the latter, the girl is reasonably sure you aren’t looking to guide her around a late-night art exhibition, but “indirect speech” allows both of you to maintain what Pinker calls “a comfortable fiction.” The same goes for asking a coworker out for afterwork cocktails. Unlike lunch, the evening can morph into a date. If it doesn’t, you can spin it as friendly drinks, or your new program, “No Coworker Goes Home Thirsty” - which you should find much easier on the ego than your old program, “An Audience With Genius: An Unwanted Declaration Of Attraction, Followed By A Long, Awkward Free Lunch.”


    Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

     

    (c)2008, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved.

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    {mosimage}Western North Carolina is as beautiful a landscape as any in the world. It is as if God himself instructed the Department of Transportation to build some of the finest motorcycling roads in the country there.

    I was recently invited to join a small group of guys from the Joint Communications Unit at Fort Bragg and spend a four-day weekend in western North Carolina. I love any reason to go to the mountains; plus camping and motorcycling... well that is just fun. My traveling buddies were Jay, Del, John and O.T. Our Destination? Bryson City. 

    To keep the cost down it was decided we’d camp out. The trip was planned out like a true military operation to include responsibilities, cost, times, locations, routes, riders’ positions and speeds. The forecast for the trip was 70 percent chance of rain for each day. This could have been a show stopper but we pressed ahead with the trip.

    After the first leg Friday, we arrived at the Deep Creek Campground and set up camp. The guys went to work and Jay and I went to the store to buy food. We made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner and pancakes and ham for breakfast. The weather was nice the first two nights. The stars were bright and shining. The warmth of the campfire and the sound of the creek beside us made it just peaceful.

    For the Saturday leg the focus was the Blue Ridge Parkway. We arrived at the highest peak of the Blue Ridge, Mount Mitchell, where the altitude is 6,053 feet. If you have never ridden that part of the country you have to be prepared for everything. The climate will change in moments. You have to be prepared for all weather conditions.

    We eventually ended in Asheville because the Blue Ridge was closed due to a rock slide and roadway failure around Mount Mitchell State Park. We returned to camp and O.T. and I decided to go over to the Cherokee Survivors Motorcycle Rally. Total miles that day were 235.

    That night we decided to go for pizza at Anthony’s Pizza! A great break from camp chow. Our next destination was Deal’s Gap to ride the Tail of the Dragon. If you are not familiar with the Dragon, it has 318 curves on 11 miles. When we got there we hit a big storm. We rode the Dragon but it was just a hateful ride because of the rain and lack of visibility. We went on into Tennessee and looped around Fontana Lake to the Cherohala Skyway and the rain began to lift. While heading back to camp, Jay suggested we go back to the Dragon for another try. This time the ride was a blast and we found dryer conditions. We concluded the day with 230 miles under our belts.

    We got rain the last night and it continued into the following morning.We arrived back in Fayetteville with a total of 1,130 miles under our belts in just four days. We spent a total of $244 for the weekend.

    The worst part of the trip was the day after we got home. My heart was longing for the road, my body was missing the adrenaline surge, my lungs were hungry for the fresh mountain air and my soul missed my new found riding buddies. 

    If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, please send your comments and suggestions to motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE!

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        {mosimage}There’s a phrase a lot of politicians love to use when talking about Fort Bragg.It goes something like this: “When the nation dials 9-1-1, the phone rings at Fort Bragg. That’s not too far from the truth. Since World War II, Fort Bragg has been the home to some of America’s finest — and the 82nd Airborne Division ranks right at up there at the top.
        On Thursday, May 22, 82nd Paratroopers past and present will gather for one of the most moving ceremonies in our town’s collective history — the All American Review — in celebration of All American Week on Fort Bragg. The annual event was canceled last year due to the deployment of the division. This year, with all but one brigade returned from war, the 82nd will celebrate and pay homage to its past and present in a week-full of events, with the review taking center stage.
        The review brings veterans of all ages to Pike Field for a moving ceremony. Proud young men, fresh from war, will walk in step with the men who fought before them. Grey-haired veterans, some with canes will stand a little straighter and march a little quicker in the company of heroes.
    This year’s event will draw national attention as the troops will pass in review not only to the eyes of the division commander, but also the Commander In Chief, as President George W. Bush makes a visit to Fort Bragg to thank the troops for their service to the nation. While on Bragg, the president will also meet with families who have lost loved ones in the war.
        The review begins at 10 a.m. at Pike Field. The review will bring together more than 14,000 troopers and veterans. Follwing the review, a memorial service will be held at 12:30 p.m. at the 82nd Airborne Division Museum on Ardennes Street.

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        The second annual XTERRA Smith Lake Triathlon Event will be held on Sunday, May 25 at 8 a.m. at Smith Lake. The event is free and open to the public.
        “We are projecting 200 participants,” said Marilyn Flynn, manager of Smith Lake Recreation Area. “The XTERRA is a national event that consists of a point system race.”
        {mosimage}Participants represent various parts of the world, including New Zealand and California, and travel to participate in the triathlon event. The XTERRA American tour consists of more than 50 races in the United States. Amateur competitors compete in up to three events to earn points toward an XTERRA Regional Championship title. The title earns an invitation to compete for a national title at the XTERRA USA Championship in Lake Tahoe, Nev. Top finishers in regional and national championships are invited to compete at the XTERRA World Championship in Maui, Hawaii. 
        The three components of the race are the 1,000-meter swim, 18-mile mountain bike ride and a 3.2-mile trail run. It is an offroad multisport event.
        The XTERRA Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to help at-risk elementary through high school students get a better start through mentoring programs and scholarships. The organization introduces students to sports and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Its mission is to make the world a better place by planting seeds of hope and opportunity.                                                                                                                        Sponsors for the event include XTERRAGear.com, Rodale and Gu Energy Gel.
    “We are accepting volunteers to help with the race,” said Flynn. “We invite the community to support this spectacular event.”
        Participants must register at www.active.com. The cost is $70 per person (USAP members) and $80 (non-members) and $120 for a two-person relay team. For more information call 396-5979 or visit www.fortbraggmwr.com.

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    Rated 3 out of five stars 

     

    {mosimage}Baby Mama (99 minutes) a nice little comedy that does not take itself too seriously, offered a pleasant diversion in betweenIron Man last week andPrince Caspian next week. Despite its two weeks prior release date, and the mid-afternoon weekday show, the movie played to a well-attended theater. During the movie, most of the (predominately female) audience chuckled out loud, proving that even if writer/director Michael McCullers practiced on male-oriented material (Austin Powers: Goldmemberand Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me), he can speak to women. The film fits nicely into the light comedy niche it tried for, although the No. 5 standing at the box office for the week of May 9 probably reflects the lack of competition in the female-focused comedy genre. Expect this film to disappear quickly whenSex and the City is released.

    Kate Holbrook (Tina Fey) is living every woman’s dream in the fabulous city of Philadelphia, with access to some of our nation’s best art museums, real Philly Cheese steaks, Tasty-Cakes, still reasonable housing prices, and a new football stadium. Inexplicably, despite her fulfilling career, enviable apartment, large family, and supportive sister (Maura Tierney) she is depicted as lacking something. First, as all successful career women know, without a boyfriend success is meaningless. Second, mirroring an all too common problem in today’s society, Kate put off having children while she selfishly pursued the career that she loved. This resulted in her womb drying up so that not only is she unable to have children, chances are no man will want her at her advanced age of 37, since she can’t produce a male child for him. Luckily, Kate finds a man, Rob Ackerman (Greg Kinnear) to deceive, and a Baby Mamma, Angie Ostrowski (Amy Poehler) to carry a child for her.  

    At least, this is the plot one can read between the lines of this thinly veiled slap in the face to women who define success in ways that don’t involve a mess of squalling babies and lying for the sake of catching a man.  

    Keep an eye out for Sigourney Weaver as the freakishly fertile Chaffee Bicknell and Steve Martin playing the new age executive, Barry. Last, but not least, witness the one-note portrayal of the doorman Oscar, by the usually dependable Romany Malco. Of course, we can’t blame Malco for this one. He acts well within the limits of the script. It is the director who fails to properly use this normally nuanced actor, reducing his character development to a background afterthought. I will skip pointing out the racial politics of this choice.  

    This film revolves around playing Fey off of Poehler, a brilliant comedic team-up whose potential impact is sizably reduced due to the obvious reigning in of the female leads. Fey and Poehler know how to improvise, and one wonders at the possible improvement toBaby Mama were they allowed to do so more consistently. In any case, the trick to full enjoyment of this movie is to enter the theater with low expectations so you won’t be disappointed by what they actors and director got wrong. Instead, you can spend a couple of hours laughing at what they got right.

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    {mosimage}Recount (Sunday, 9 p.m., HBO) is an absurd political fantasy about a U.S. presidential election gone wrong. It all comes down to Florida, where the voting apparatus gets weirdly screwed up. Networks call the election one way, then reverse themselves; the Democratic candidate concedes, then retracts his concession. All hell breaks loose, with mass protests, death threats and dirty tricks. The conservative members of the Supreme Court finally hand the election to their fellow Republican in a decision worthy of a banana republic.

    Wait a minute č this isn’t an absurd political fantasy, it’s what really happened in 2000’s Bush vs. Gore. Recount dramatizes the tragicomedy, and if you didn’t know it was a true story you’d think the screenwriter was insane.

    The movie’s tone is perfect. It’s cynical about politics, savoring the humor in the Florida farce. But it can also break your heart by showing how our Constitution got fed into the paper shredder.

    The story’s anchor is Ron Klain (Kevin Spacey), a Gore staffer who leads the recount fight. He leaps off the screen, as do a rogue’s gallery of lawyers, thugs and politicians more concerned with winning than with who actually got more votes. Tom Wilkinson flashes a crocodile smile as James Baker III, who plays hardball for Bush. And Laura Dern has the time of her life impersonating vain Katherine Harris, Florida’s Republican secretary of state. Dern has you guffawing over this nitwit who’s suddenly thrust into a historic role, but the laughs catch in your throat as Harris cooks up slimy schemes to shut down the recount.

    I urge you to drop everything and watchRecount. That is, unless Katherine Harris succeeds in shutting it down before airdate.


    Shark Swarm

    Sunday, 8 p.m. (Hallmark Channel)

    This TV movie kicks off beach season with a tale of sharks mutated by toxic sludge. I can forgive the cheesy dialogue and the bad acting by Daryl Hannah, Armand Assante and John Schneider. But the fact that not a single character gets eaten in the first 20 minutes č that I can’t forgive.


    Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins

    Sunday, 8 p.m. (Animal Planet)

    America fell in love with Flower, the mother meerkat from the nature-documentary series Meerkat Manor. Flower died, but Animal Planet capitalizes on her popularity by producing a prequel about her early years. The nature footage is arranged into a narrative, with Whoopi Goldberg providing the charming voiceover.

    We meet Flower as a newborn meerkat in South Africa. The filmmakers shamelessly anthropomorphize her and her family, to the point where we might as well be watching a reality series about human beings č albeit ones with extraordinarily long noses. They shop for food (i.e., dig for grubs), squabble with the neighbors (a fellow meerkat tribe) and look for a new piece of real estate (a safer burrow). 

    Young Flower has real star power, and it’s easy to see why she became America’s sweetheart č though rumor has it she was kind of a demanding bitch off camera.

     

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        The Fayetteville Museum of Art will “never” be the same.
        The art house was rocking with the music of up and coming indie band The Never on Friday, May 16, providing the background music for the museum’s Premier Party.
        Yvette Dede and Herb Parker were the featured artists at the event — artists not only intertwined by their love for their craft, but also their love for each other; the married couple are both also art teachers at the College of Charleston.
        While sculptor Parker couldn’t attend the exhibit, Dede was at the museum, showing off some of her latest work.{mosimage}
        Dede is from New Orleans, La., and moved to Charleston in 1991. She has exhibited throughout the United States, as well as in the Czech Republic. Her art has earned her a slew of awards, including the Installation/Collaboration Project Grant from the North Carolina Cultural Council and the Alternate Visions Grant from Alternate Roots of Atlanta. She is currently a full-time adjunct drawing professor at the College of Charleston, but admits she has a soft spot for Fayetteville.
        “I love the Fayetteville Art Museum,” said Dede. “I had an exhibit here once before and it’s always been a great experience.”
        A sculptor and painter, Dede had an eclectic set of art on display at the museum. Formally trained at Louisiana State University. She sites postimpressionist Paul Cezanne and neoimpressionist Georges-Pierre Serate as two of her major influences, though she doesn’t consider her art to be from the impressionist school.
        “I don’t think you can categorize my art,” said Dede. “I like to think of it as completely original.”
    Though her husband was not at the museum, his art, mostly whimsical sculptures laden with religious themes, as well as some that resembled ancient fertitility statues, was well received.
        Parker’s art, as well as Parker himself, are well known to Tom Grubb, executive director of the FMA. “We actually went to graduate school together,” said Grubb as he surveyed the packed gallery. “They are both wonderful artists.”
        Grubb was excited by both the good art and the good crowd of art lovers.
        {mosimage}“We do six to eight of these during the year and it is always free to the public,” said Grubb. “People get to meet the artists and talk to them. Our mission is to bring in interesting art — art that will challenge as well as excite and please people.”
        The crowd was certainly excited by the work of both Dede and Parker, especially Sandi Bailey of Fayetteville.
        “This is the first premier party I’ve been to and I definitely plan on coming back,” said Bailey. “If these two artists are a representation of the kind of work displayed at these exhibits... it’s a real gift to Fayetteville.”

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    {mosimage}“Superdrive is comprised of three hard working musicians who have seen their fair share of the road.” 

    An accurate description of local band, Superdrive, who is psyched and set to play the Special Forces Benefit Fundraiser Saturday, May 31, at Festival Park. The band just wants to kick it old school č they want you to rock, and they want you to have fun. 

    Superdrive is comprised of Bryan Shaw (bass and vocals), J.D. Shaw (drums and vocals), and Clay Singletary (guitar and vocals). All three knew at an early age what they wanted to be when they grew up. They wanted to rock. Fortunately, they are able to work as full-time musicians. JD still plays on a vintage 1963 Ludwig drum kit that his grandmother purchased for him at the sprightly age of 3. This same kit produces the thumping beats that drive their shows. Each member had their hand in music all before puberty. These are expert musicians whose musicianship should be appreciated. Shaw, lead singer of the band, was kind enough to answer a few of my questions, and explain a little bit more about why Superdrive is worth YOUR time.  

    If you only had two words to describe your band, what would they be, and why?

    “Loud fun. Superdrive shows are fun. We enjoy getting the crowd involved. It’s great when the crowd is singing all the songs with you, at that point, you know everyone in the room is having a great time. Oh yea, did I mention we were a rock band....it can be loud.”

    Name? Who came up with the name and why do you think it fits your band? 

    “J.D. named the band. Naming bands is our LEAST favorite thing to do. We love playing music, however, coming up with a name that best suits you or your music style....WAY too much brain work. We had to have a name. Seems you can ride through the desert on a horse with no name but clubs for some reason will NOT book a band with no name-go figure.”

    Influences, and why? Do you think you live up to their legacies? How do you think you can improve? 

    ”We are all about the same age, so we grew up listening to virtually the same music. Influences are all over the place. We really like a lot of different styles of music. We take requests a lot. I think our wide variety of musical influences helps us to pull them off. We seem to get odd requests and I mean we have taken some ODD ones, but it keeps it interesting.”

    The Beatles or Led Zeppelin? 

    “Two different emotions, we love and cover both bands, but I would say Zeppelin.”

    What fuels the intensity of the band’s songs?

     “We are full time musicians, so we actually love our jobs!!”

    Why should I listen to Superdrive?

    “I don’t think you can walk away from a Superdrive show without having fun.” 

    Fun sounds good to me. Doesn’t fun sound good to you? Find out when they are rocking and rolling near you next. Check out Superdrive on their myspacewww.myspace.com/superdrivenc. 

    The festival kicks off at 11 a.m. nd will end after Bad Company leaves the stage at about 10:30 p.m. All this for $20 at the gate or $17 if you get your ticket at ticketalternative.com.

     

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        It’s that time of the year for Fayetteville to revel in the “glory” of the Eighth Annual Glory Days Celebration, which began on May 10 with the setup of 1,800 flags for the Field of Honor at the Airborne Museum and Festival Park, and peaks on Memorial Day after a weekend of fun and celebration. {mosimage}
        The theme of this year’s event is the Vietnam War and there will be many reminders of what our military men and women endured in Southeast Asia during those turbulent times.
        Perhaps the most tangible memorial to the vets will be the vintage military and gear exhibit at the gate leading into Festival Park.
        Ron Wolfe, who has organized past displays of military memorabilia for Glory Days, says this one will be “bigger than ever.”
        Wolfe, a Vietnam veteran himself, says displays of gear from the Vietnam conflict will include an M151 Jeep that is a part of his personal collection.
        “It’s just like the one I drove around in when I was in Vietnam,” said Wolfe.
    Among other Vietnam-era displays will be a GP Small Tent of the type used in ‘Nam, and equipment and field gear from the war, including those “beloved” C-rations that kept the troops alive despite the notoriously nasty taste.
        Since Glory Days was founded to honor all troops, not just Vietnam vets, there will also be equipment from past wars, including a 1942 WLA Harley Davidson — which was a military police vehicle; a World War II CCKW 2 1/2-ton truck; a World War II Jeep with a Pack howitzer; and, a World War II-era German truck called a Kubel, which was built by Volkswagen.
        If you and your family are interested in less martial displays, there will be a pancake breakfast; an American bake sale; a Classic Car Cruise-in at Festival Park; live music on stage at Festival Park; the N.C. State Cyclists Criterium Championship; members of the Swampdogs baseball team at the Kids Corner; Up & Coming Weekly’s Shout Out Contest on May 25; a Sunday Movie in the Park, featuring Good Morning Vietnam — also on May 25, featuring free admission, free popcorn and other free stuff; carriage rides and food, arts and crafts concessions... and more.
        Good Morning Vietnam is a Robin Williams vehicle in which he plays true-to-life Vietnam DJ Adrian Cronauer, assigned to take over the AFR’s Saigon radio broadcasts. In contrast to the dull, by-rote announcers that have preceded him, Cronauer is a bundle of dynamite, heralding each broadcast with a loud “Goooooood morning, Vietnaaaaam.”
        Cronauer’s popularity is such that he enjoys the full protection of the higher-ups. But when Cronauer insists upon telling his listeners the truth about the horrors of war instead of the official government line, he is replaced and must struggle to get back on the air.
        It’s a movie perfect for the Vietnam-themed Glory Days, an event which is meant to be both lighthearted and solemn in its remembrance of lives lost and changed by war.
        “I’m really excited about this edition of Glory Days,” said Larry Clubine, the event chairman. “We’ll have the best lineup we’ve ever had on the stage and some great homemade baked goods, which we haven’t had before.”
        Stage performers will be Irie Muse, Paddy Gibney with Big Daddy Drive, the Henry Huffman Band, Fayetteville’s own Ethan Hanson, and the well-known Heritage Restoration Chorale — a group dedicated to keeping alive the negro spiritual.
        And of course, all this will be backlit by the 1,800 flags waving in the Field of Honor.
    Fayetteville City Councilman Keith Bates, who was instrumental in bringing the Field of Honor to Fayetteville, hopes the display of flags will be an annual event.
        “I’ll do my best to make sure it’s back,” said Bates. “Glory Days is just fantastic. It’s special to me because I served in the military, my father served and one of my sons serves while another is in boot camp.”

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    {mosimage}Dear EarthTalk: I really want to eat healthy and organic but am constantly traveling and on the go. How can I eat fast food without having to always end up at McDonald’s and Burger King?

    - Dylan Baker, Seattle, Wash.


    The latest trend in fast food is healthy and organic, and luckily for conscious consumers, several chains offering just such fare are taking root in different parts of the U.S. One of the leaders of this small but scrappy pack of fast food upstarts is O’Naturals. The small chain currently runs two stores of its own in Maine (Falmouth and Portland) and one in Acton, Mass., and franchises out additional locations in Kansas and Florida. O’Naturals’ menu contains lots of vegetarian-friendly items, including “build-your-own” flatbread sandwiches, salads, noodle stir-frys and soups. The meat the restaurant does serve is grass-fed and hormone-free, while the chickens are free-range and the Alaskan salmon is wild. 

    Another healthy option is EVOS, which currently runs five “quick-casual” restaurants in Florida and is planning a major expansion into the western U.S. Vegetarians can rejoice in the chain’s wide selection of vegetarian and vegan items. While its hormone- and antibiotic-free burgers are still only about as healthy as red meat gets, their soy burger satisfies without the guilt or the cholesterol. Also, EVOS uses organic field greens in its wraps and salads, organic milk in its milkshakes, and fresh fruit in its smoothies. Additionally, the restaurant air-bakes its fries and other typically deep-fried items to keep the fat content as much as 70 percent lower than the same kinds of foods found elsewhere.

    Meanwhile, Seattle-based Organics-To-Go, with five locations in Washington and California, lays out a wide array of “grab-and-go” organic and natural foods so customers can make up their own meals out of a cornucopia of healthy choices. Other fast food alternatives offering lots of healthy (as well as vegetarian and vegan) options include Au Bon Pain, Bruegger’s Bagels, Noah’s Bagels and World Wraps, while Subway and Quizno’s alike can be good options for those willing to study the menu carefully. 

    Even though many alternatives exist, it is hard to beat the reach of the major fast food chains, several of which are making small steps toward healthier menus and will undoubtedly continue to do so if consumers bite. McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King and Wendy’s have reduced or eliminated trans-fats. Burger King now offers a veggie burger, and McDonald’s is testing one in California. Taco Bell offers many non-meat options, including a bean and cheese burrito, a veggie fajita wrap, and a seven-layer burrito, which can be had without the cheese and sour cream. Carl’s Jr. also has many tasty and healthy vegetarian options despite an otherwise standard fast-food menu. Vegetarians and vegans looking for more ideas about what to eat when time is of the essence should consult any number of Web sites with pages devoted to the topic, including Vegetarian-Restaurants.net, VegCooking, FitWise and Vegetarian Resource Group. 

    And remember, nothing beats seeking out local restaurants when you’re on the road, to soak up some of the local culture. And with trends as they are it shouldn’t be too difficult to find many that do serve healthy menus č just not quite as fast as “fast food” but probably fast enough.


    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. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. 

     

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    {mosimage}“What if I hadn’t shown up today?”

    I asked this question to the graduates at Wingate University last Saturday as I began the commencement address that Wingate President Jerry McGee had invited me to deliver.

    Many in the audience smiled, thinking that if I were not there to give my speech, things would move quickly to the part of the program when they crossed the stage, received their diplomas, and in one special moment were transformed into Wingate University graduates.

    But President McGee knew that even if I cancelled, there would be a graduation address. You see, at each Wingate graduation, President McGee has a prepared speech in his pocket ready for him to deliver just in case something happens to the scheduled speaker.

    What President McGee did not know was that his speech was going to be the central theme of my speech.

    When I learned that he constantly revises his speech and keeps it up-to-date, even though he will probably never have to give it, I was intrigued.

     For a little while I wondered if all his time and attention to constantly revising a speech that nobody will ever hear is a worthwhile activity for a busy university president.

    Well, of course it is. The constant revision of that speech becomes the vehicle for him to focus on what is most important to him, on what his life is about, and on what he has learned over his lifetime that he would share with Wingate graduates if the expected graduation speaker cancelled.

    When something happens that might be important enough to pass on, he makes a note and considers whether it might have a place in his speech. Thus, a part of his life is the regular, disciplined evaluation of what is really central to him. By writing these things down, scripting how he can explain their significance to others, and then honing it all into the speech, he seals their meaning as a part of himself.

    All this happens even though he never gives the speech.

    But this speech that is never given helps prepare him for the words he speaks and the actions he takes every day. 

    Whenever he is called on to tell others what he believes, what a life of service is all about, or how best to deal with life’s challenges, he doesn’t have to make it up. He has already written it down and rehearsed it.

    President McGee reminded me of Randy Pausch, a young professor at Carnegie Mellor University, whoseThe Last Lecture has gained national attention and admiration. Pausch described the “last lecture” custom of some college campuses where very senior professors “are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can’t help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?”

    Pausch gave his own “last lecture” a few months ago, shortly after he learned that he had terminal cancer. His impending death gave his speech a special urgency and poignancy for his listeners č and for him, as he presented the lessons of his shortened lifetime. 

    You will be reading and hearing more aboutThe Last Lecture in the coming weeks. There will be a book and lots of news reports. Word about his speech spread though news reports, and millions of people have already found his lecture on the Internet. 

    As I came to realize the benefits that President McGee gained by writing and rewriting his speech, I urged the Wingate graduates to begin to write their own “graduation speeches” or “last lectures.” 

    Beginning today, I told them, as if you might have to give your speech tomorrow. Start revising tomorrow, and continue revising throughout life, just like President McGee.

    Why am I sharing these thoughts with you, the readers of my column? It’s simple. If writing a speech is good for President McGee and the Wingate graduates, it is good for you, too.

    Start writing, as if you were going to give your “last lecture” tomorrow.

     

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        It’s that time again folks. Fourth Friday is upon us and downtown Fayetteville is going to be filled with exhibits, entertainment and shopping — and don’t forget the great atmosphere and food that’s such a big part of every good party.  Mark your calendar for Friday, May 23 and come check out all the fun downtown.
         A great place to start the evening’s adventure is 301 Hay St. The Arts Council is hosting an exhibit by the students of Cumberland County’s high schools. Not only is this an opportunity to support the artistic youth in the community, but it’s a chance to get a peek into the minds of these talented young folks. The exhibit includes drawings, paintings, sculpture and mixed-media art. The entries are all judged by an art professional and recognition will be given to the artist who are juried as the first, second, third place and honorable mentions.
         Hay Street is always filled with great stuff, but don’t forget the side streets. There are plenty of gems there, too. Cape Fear Studios on Maxwell Street is hosting guest artists Margie Graves and Joanne Gillworth. Graves and Gillworth both made their way to Southern Pines from the north and are active in the local arts community. “Joanne and Margie have had shows in the past individually (at Cape Fear Studios) and Joanne has taught workshops before,” said Kate Harding, Cape Fear Studios administrator. “So we invited them back. We like to invite people who don’t necessarily live in Fayetteville so we can bring new art to the area to feature artists in the front main gallery.”
         It turns out that the two are more than artistic peers. “I actually didn’t know that they knew each other and are friends,” noted Harding. “Margie suggested could they maybe do a show together, which is interesting because they have very different styles of work.”
         {mosimage}Gillworth’s niche is still lifes and landscapes while Graves does a lot of abstract work. Harding doesn’t see that as a problem though. She actually considers it a strength. “Their colors complement each other very well. I think their work is going to look absolutely beautiful together,” she said.
         Gillworth recalls how the two met. “We actually met through somebody offering me a commission. I don’t do abstract work and knew she did and sent it her way. We got together from that and started working together and have been art buddies ever since.”
         Gillworth uses photographs, most of which she has taken herself, and renders her creations from those images. However, the two are known to collaborate occasionally. “My work is very realistic and hers is abstract. It is an interesting combination,” said Gillworth. “This year we have been trying to meet to explore a new medium as well as each other’s style. I am getting more abstract and she is getting more realistic.”
          The exhibit comes in on 4th Friday and will be featured in the gallery until June 25.
    While you are there check out the works of the Cape Fear Studios member artists. The studio is an artist’s co op that provides not only gallery and retail space to its members but also boasts seven studios. According to Harding, Cape Fear Studios is one of the only places in Fayetteville where you can actually see artists at work. “Some of our members rent studios and they not only display works there but they also usually have works in progress on display so you can see a piece actually being created. A lot of times you can find an artist here actually working which I think is a really unique opportunity,” she said. {mosimage}
         The building has two exhibit spaces. Graves and Gillworth will be in the main gallery, and the co-op artists have displays in the hall. With 47 members, there is something for everyone. “A lot of people come in on Fourth Friday and don’t know that we are more than just a gallery,” said Harding. “We sell all the pieces that we have, but we don’t just sell giant pieces of art work. We also have tons of pieces of pottery and jewelry. We have things from $5 up to several hundred.”
         The party starts at 7 p.m. Hope to see you there!

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          {mosimage}For months now, North Carolina candidates, consultants, activists, political analysts and journalists have seen -and to some extent helped to create - a kind of political blur. On Tuesday, North Carolina voters brought several facts into crystal clarity.

    First, the state’s Democratic electorate saw the candidates, watched the national news coverage, and heard the advertisements. In the end, it didn’t matter much. Demographic fundamentals among North Carolina Democrats generated a solid victory for Barack Obama, just as the basic demographics gave Hillary Clinton a win in Indiana, though a far less impressive one. Given the size of the African-American turnout, the math proved impossible for the Clinton campaign.

    Second, Richard Moore ran about as good a race as anyone could have, but this was not the year for Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue to be denied the Democratic nomination for governor. The Obama-Clinton race created a turnout disparity that, again, made it nigh on impossible mathematically for Moore to assemble a majority. While Moore overplayed his attack ads towards the end, he did make the race competitive for a time by challenging Perdue on various issues.

    As for Moore, I suspect that the 2010 race for the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Richard Burr will begin shortly.

    Third, being from Charlotte is not a liability in Republican politics. Let me repeat just once more, in case a few folks way out east or west haven’t gotten the news yet: Charlotte politicians start out with an advantage, not a disadvantage, when it comes to winning statewide GOP primaries. Being on television and radio for years means that you’re well-known not just in Mecklenburg but in Iredell, Cabarrus, Union, Rowan, Catawba, Gaston and other counties where lots of Republicans live. This helped state Sen. Robert Pittenger of Charlotte cruise to an easy nomination for lieutenant governor. And in the most suspenseful race of the state election cycle, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory turned back a last-minute Fred Smith surge to win the gubernatorial primary outright. He performed well outside of his base region, particularly in the Triad (he grew up in Guilford County), but he blew past the 40 percent mark and clinched the nomination because he was from Charlotte and won massive majorities in those aforementioned counties.

    Now comes the general election, where in recent times Republicans do best when they nominate gubernatorial candidates from Mecklenburg (I’m referring to the two Jim Martin victories and the next-best GOP showing, Richard Vinroot’s 2000 campaign). Have I made my point yet? Sorry, it’s a pet peeve.

    Fourth, I was right to doubt the likelihood of lots of runoffs. There won’t be many. Janet Cowell easily won the Democratic nomination for state treasurer. Walter Dalton escaped the need to beat would-be National Guard commander Hampton Dellinger in a second primary for lieutenant governor. There will be a vote in the Democratic primary for labor commissioner again in June. There will also be a few legislative and local runoffs. Everyone else can hit the beach (or mountains, if you share my preference).

    Finally, despite a massive turnout to nominate the most liberal senator in Washington as the next Democratic candidate for president, North Carolina voters didn’t suddenly lose their fiscal conservatism. Out of 24 county votes to authorize higher sales or real-estate taxes, the local-government lobby won only two votes: sales-tax hikes in Haywood and Cumberland, the latter by a fairly close margin. It wasn’t just small, rural counties saying no to higher taxes. Major counties such as Guilford, Nash, Gaston, Randolph, Orange, and Onslow rejected their tax proposals, usually by overwhelming margins. Here’s a prediction: county commissioners across the state are going to start seeing those local tax votes the way Charlie Brown should have seen Lucy’s football č as a tantalizing prize that will be yanked away at the end.

    Next time, the political class won’t make the mistake of asking North Carolina voters whether they think their local taxes are too low. The question is not yielding the intended answer, so it will be rewritten or dispensed with altogether.

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        {mosimage}The times are hard, and they just seem to be getting harder... especially for car owners.
    With gasoline pushing inexorably toward $4 a gallon — and beyond — many drivers are traveling less so they don’t have to pay more.
        Worse, the high cost of fuel is driving up all prices — food, clothing, hardware — in a domino effect as it’s getting more and more expensive to transport the goods people depend on and the extraneous stuff they just want.
        “I don’t know how long I can keep doing this,” said Randy Walters of Hope Mills, an independent trucker. “It’s not bad enough that insurance rates keep going up, but now you’ve got the sky-high cost of diesel.
        “I’ve been a trucker for over 20 years and I wouldn’t want to do anything else, but I’ve got to make a living,” said Walters. “And there are a whole bunch of truckers like me saying the same thing. If truckers stop delivering because of the cost of diesel, everything is going to go up, especially food. And that so-called stimulus check the government’s handing out won’t feed the bulldog, especially when it costs almost $900 to fill up my rig.”
        This was not the scenario foreseen by President Bush’s administration when it approved the economic stimulus package that is putting tax “rebate” checks in the hands of every taxpaying American — checks of $600 for most taxpayers who earn less than $75,000, and $1,200 for married taxpayers whose joint returns were less than $150,000, plus a $300 credit for each child in the family. The checks will total $120 million — money that the government reasoned would be spent to purchase material goods, helping out a sluggish economy teetering on the brink of recession.
        Instead, across the nation and here in Fayetteville, many of those checks are going straight into the savings accounts of wary consumers rather than being used to kick start the economy... or straight into the gas tank.
        “I’ll probably spend all mine on gas,” said Kiman Canady of Fayetteville as he checked the oil level on his SUV. “I will finally have enough money to actually fill up the tank.”
        This was the same response given by a number of folks when asked what they plan to do with their checks.
    “Right into the gas tank,” said Randolph Pierce, also of Fayetteville. “It’s money in and money out.”
    If you want more proof that the cost of gasoline is burning up many an economic stimulus check, just go to your local pawnshop, where business has never been better. These establishments are stuffed with the material goods pawned by individuals who need the cash just to pay for the fuel that allows them to earn a living.
        Rose Turlington, of Cumberland Pawn and Loan Co., says pawns are “way up” at all five stores in the chain.
        “It’s because of the gas prices,” said Turlington. “People pawn just about everything to pay for gas — jewelry, CD players, DVD players, everything you see in this store.”
        Turlington’s partner at Cumberland Pawn and Loan Co., Eric Johnson, backs up Turlington’s account of the desperation of cash-strapped drivers.
        “I have people tell me all the time, ‘I’ve got to get gas to go to work,’” said Johnson.
        Employees at gas stations also see the desperation, and sometimes receive the brunt of the commuters’ anger, even though these men and women have nothing to do with the gas prices.
        “People sometimes yell at me,” said Rico Anakeeb, who works behind the counter at Circle B on Bragg Boulevard. “I see more people riding bikes and more people sharing cars — lots of people just crammed into one vehicle, all to save gas.”
        Donna Frischett, who mans the counter at Liberty Convenience Store on Rowan Street, says most customers she deals with are understanding when they pay for gas.
        “They don’t like what they’re having to pay,” said Frischett, “but they know it’s not us that sets the gas prices.”
        Meanwhile, even those who don’t drive much are feeling the trickle down effect of higher gas.
    John and Ruby Lassiter of Hope Mills are a retired couple living on a fixed income. Both take various prescription medicines and say they are feeling the pinch at both the drug store and the grocery store.
    “We’re both on Medicare but we still have to pay some and drug prices certainly aren’t going down,” said John Lassiter. “And food prices keep going up, up, up.”
        “We have a car,” added Ruby Lassiter, “but we only drive it very short distances. We canceled a trip to Virginia to see our son because of the cost of gas. We did get a stimulus check, but that needs to go into our savings, not gas. It’s very hard when you live on a fixed income.”
        According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, the Lassiters’ plight is certainly not unique. Forty-one percent of respondents to the poll said they would pay off debt with the economic stimulus checks, while 32 percent said the money is going into their savings account.
        Only 21 percent said they would spend the money.
        One of those 21 percenters looking to spend the check rather than pay down debt or deposit it into the bank is Renee Cuthbert of Fayetteville.
        Cuthbert, a physical therapist, says she’s going to “spoil” herself with the money she received from the government.
        “I’m going to buy clothes and shoes and maybe an MP3 player,” said Cuthbert as she cruised Cross Creek Mall like a hunter in search of prey. “Life’s too short not to treat yourself every now and then.”
        That’s exactly the attitude Uncle Sam is hoping for — more people in the malls stimulating the economy, dropping their newfound cash on the latest in footwear or iPod technology.
        Now, it’s just a matter of figuring out how to pay for the gas to get to the mall.

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