Would a poo sandwich by any other name smell as sweet? How about if you wrapped a poo sandwich in a prospectus and called it a collateralized debt obligation? Would that make it smell better?

The kindly, loveable and warmhearted Wall Street investment bank of Goldman Sachs thought so. The Federal Securities and Exchange Commission begs to disagree. The elephants from Wall Street and Washington, D.C., are fighting each other in the legal tall grass and the pygmies of Main Street will get trampled as usual. The SEC has sued Goldman Sachs for civil fraud in the sale of a colorful fi nancial product called a subprime mortgage bond.

Have your eyes glazed over yet? If you are still awake, let us consider the strange case of the red-headed poster child of the fi nancial collapse, the bouncing baby subprime mortgage bond market. Where do subprime mortgage bonds come from? Why, from the fi nancial Easter Bunny. Making a mortgage bond is easy. Mortgage brokers, banks and other lenders lend money to borrowers who mortgage their house and sign a note promising to pay the money back or lose their house.

If the home owners are less likely to be able to pay back the money they borrowed, these are called subprime loans. These lenders don’t care if the borrowers can pay the money back. The reason the lenders don’t care about repayment is that they are not trying to collect any money from the broke borrowers. The lenders sell these lousy loans to Wall Street fi rms and collect a fee. The Wall Street fi rms slap a bunch of these subprime loans together in a big pile called a subprime mortgage bond.

Think of a subprime mortgage bond as a poo sandwich. The poo sandwich is piled high with zillions of bad loans. Wall Street then sells these poo sandwiches to investors like insurance companies, pension funds and local and state government agencies who theoretically ought to know better than to buy a poo sandwich but do not.

Wall Street doesn’t have to collect the money from the borrowers either. Wall Street gets paid for making the poo sandwich. It gets paid for selling the poo sandwich.Wall Street sold poo sandwiches to investors who hoped to collect mortgage payments from borrowers who couldn’t afford to repay their loans. Hope is not a plan.

Surprisingly Wall Street got greedy. It wasn’t enough to sell regular poo sandwiches. It began to sell poo sandwiches that were so rancid that Wall Street invented a type of insurance that would pay off if the subprime mortgage bond in the poo sandwich defaulted due to nonpayment by the homeowners. This insurance is called a “credit default swap.”

Wall Street made lots of money selling credit default swap insurance to the ultimate buyers of the poo sandwiches in addition to selling the subprime mortgage bond. Selling credit default swap insurance was like selling fries with a poo sandwich. As long as the housing market kept going up, homeowners could repeatedly refi nance their mortgages into new subprime loans. The poo sandwiches kept selling. Wall Street didn’t have to pay off the credit default swap insurance and got to keep the insurance premiums.

Wall Street had a curious rating system for the credit worthiness of poo sandwiches. If your sandwich smelled too bad, for a fee a pliable bond rating service could rate your poo sandwich as tastier than it actually was.

Then a funny thing happened. Housing prices collapsed and homeowners stopped paying their mortgages. The wizards at Wall Street who had been writing credit default swap insurance on poo sandwiches morphed overnight into fi nancial dummies who suddenly had to pay huge sums of money to the even smarter guys who had bought the credit default swap insurance on poo sandwiches. Some of the Wall Street fi rms didn’t have enough money to pay off their credit default swaps and woke up dead like Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns. AIG Insurance happily sold credit default swaps on poo sandwiches and would have collapsed if not for the government bail out of Wall Street.

The emperor had no clothes. We knew that Wall Street had no morals but plenty of poo sandwiches. It turned out Wall Street had no brains either.

It’s no secret that for a number of years Fayetteville struggled with an image problem. Over time, that has changed. Visitors to our city no longer drive as quickly through it as possible; instead, they sit a spell. They take time to grab a bite in one of our numerous restaurants. They wander the downtown streets and check out the eclectic and interesting shops that line our city center.

That was seen so clearly on Friday night as the Dogwood Festival kicked-off a weekend of fun for our city. The event also coincided with 4th Friday, which is also a major draw to our city center. The two combined for a one, two knock-out punch to visitors and residents alike.

I spent the majority of Friday evening downtown. I was thrilled to see the number of people who were strolling down Hay Street checking out the various art venues. More exciting was the musical entertainment that was scattered throughout the city center. I was really thrilled to see a drum group set up in the Market House. At that moment, it was easy to see the vision we have for our community. It was easy to believe we are close to accomplishing it.

But, of course, when things are going great, something or someone rains on your parade. In this case, it was the guests that our city really doesn’t need or want to come to any party we plan. You know who they are. They are loud. They don’t really pay attention to what’s going on around them, and, they litter.

I’m not talking about accidental littering. I’m talking about over-the-top, I don’t care if there are 50 trash cans around me, I’m going to drop my trash right on the ground, and keep going to see what’s in it for me.

And believe me, we had plenty of those guests in town for the festival. And the sad part is, most of these people probably call Fayetteville home.

I saw them Friday night. Finished with your funnel cake? Don’t worry about the trash can three steps to your right, drop the plate right on the ground.

That beer tasted good, right? That cup didn’t look so good on the ground where you and your buddies dropped it, which by the way, was right in front of the trash cans.

Don’t even get me started on Saturday. As is our custom, the staff at Up & Coming Weekly and Kidsville News! was manning a booth near the Midway. People were busy visiting booths to see what kind of take-aways they could get, and if they didn’t like the gifts, they dropped them on the ground. The same can be said for their corn dogs, lemonade cups, and yes, you Mr. Man, who fi nished your coffee and then dropped the cup (and its remnants) on the ground for everyone to step over or in.

The Dogwood Festival is an event designed to focus on the beauty of our community. It’s designed to welcome Spring, a time of renewal. It’s not a time to lay waste to our beloved city with trash.

If that’s your idea of fun, consider yourself uninvited

Snyder Memorial Baptist Church provides a lot to our community. Not only is it a place to worship and serve, it also provides musical training, after school care and a venue for top notch performances like the upcoming performance of Elijahon May 2 at 6:30 p.m.

Elijah is considered the greatest work of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809- 1847), a German composer of the Romantic era, born in Hamburg, Germany. Elijahis a dramatic story of the prophet Elijah as he summons the people to righteousness, performs miracles and struggles against idolworshipping. He confronts the wicked queen Jezebel. It ends as Elijah rises to heaven in a fiery chariot. The oratorio, written in two parts, was fi rst performed in August of 1846.

The Snyder performance is a joint project with the Campbell University Choir and the University Choral Society. Choral Society personnel include students, faculty and a core of community singers. The University Choir is comprised of students, most of who are majoring or minoring in music. The Campbell musicians will be joined by the Snyder Memorial Sanctuary Choir and Orchestra. This performance features a 140-voice choir and a 30-piece orchesta.

Dr. Phil Morrow, director of choral activities at Campbell University and Dr. Larry Dickens, minister of music at Snyder Memorial are coordinating and conducting the oratorio.

Some of the local talent includes Sara Barefoot and Faith Dickens. Elijah will be sung by Dr. John Blizzard, professor of voice and artist in residence at Wingate University.

It was quite an undertaking for the church due to the sheer numbers required to fill the choral and musical slots, but the church staff working in concert with the Campbell staff has put together a performance that they believe is not to be missed. According to Dickens, Elijah is one of the most famous and dramatic prophets of ancient Israel. He lived in 875-848 BC. The oratorio focuses on the prophet’s bold stand against the rampant idolatry that had gripped his nation under the corrupt leadership of king Ahab and his wife Jezebel.

“I would say that other than Messiah it is the best known major oratorio — and if you have seen Handel’s Messiahbut maybe never been to a performance, this is a great way to do it,” said Dickens. “If you have ever wondered what an oratorio is like, the music here is highly dramatic and engaging. Even if you are not a classical music enthusiast you will be pulled into the experience because of the dramatic nature of the music.”

The work is so powerful in fact, that Dickens has had the pleasure of watching it impact the performers as they have worked putting the piece together. In fact, one of the things he has enjoyed the most has been exposing some people who have never done a major work like this to the joys of classical music and introducing people to classical music that have never really studied it before.

“Sacred classical music, well, much of our classical literature evolved from the church. This experience helped them understand church music history, said Dickens. “Although it is a whole lot of work, seeing the joy of those who get it, who actually get it fi gured out has been great. There is also the deep spiritual element of the life of Elijah he is the best known of all the prophets and seeing the spiritual impact of studying the life of this great prophet I think this has had a spiritual impact for a lot of folks as well.”

For more information visit www.snydermbc.com.

With spring in the air and the warm days of summer fast approaching, Ft. Bragg is opening its gates once again so that the public can come out and enjoy the Ft. Bragg Fair. The fun begins at 5 p.m., April 29 with all the fun rides and entertainment that make this such a popular annual event.

Look for the fabulous snacks and food that make the fair such a special place, but according to Rhett Stroupe, special events coordinator at Ft. Bragg Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR), there is one ride that has thrilled area youngsters over and over again for the past 25 years.

“The most popular thing that the fair go-ers can get — that they can only get at the Ft. Bragg Fair — is the kiddie jump tower,” said Stroupe. It is a 20 ft jump tower with a zip line. Folks go up the tower, are fitted with a harness, at-tached to a trolley. “We have 30 carnival rides on the grounds, and of course all of the midway games and food. And guess which is the most popular attraction? The kiddie jump tower, by virtue of the fact that this is the only place that they can do that and experience that is here at Ft. Bragg.”

The entertainment schedule is packed with a variety of bands that cover the country, latin, rock-n-roll, gospel, reggae, Top 40 genres and more. The schedule is rigorous and fast-paced and includes two to three shows each day, usually in the evenings, except on Sundays which include an afternoon show.

“I can tell you that we have a repeat performance from last year by The Fifth. They are very popular and have a large local draw — a lot of folks follow them,” said Stroupe. “We have a military community here so we are a very diverse com-munity and we try to have diverse entertainment. On Friday, May 7, we have a new group coming called Oak Crest. They are a reggae rock group and are com-prised of soldiers here at Bragg — because they are soldiers we wanted to give them a shot.”

May 8 is Star Wars Day and will feature Star Wars characters in costumes. Last year was the first year that this was incorporated into the fair and it was quite popular according to Stroupe. There will be photo ops and hand shaking galore whether you are looking for a jedi knight or a storm trooper.

A new event has been added this year called Sea Lion Splash. Not only will there be performances and entertainment, but the audience will learn a few things too.

The fun will last through May 16. Gates open at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. There are plenty of good deals to be had on ticket prices with customer appreciation specials running Monday through Thursday which includes $5 ad-mission for those On Mother’s Day, which is May 9, moms get in for $7 when ac-companied by a pay-ing child between the ages of three and 17.

Otherwise, Monday through Thursday general admission is $12 after 7 p.m., military/DOD civilians and children 3-9 are $10 and senior citizen non-riders and handicapped non-riders are $7. Friday through Sunday general admission is $17, Military and DoD civilians and children 3-9 $15, handicapped non-riders and senior citizen non-riders cost $7. Parking is free.

Find out more about this safe, fun, family friendly event at fortbraggmwr.com or by calling 396-9126.

Make love, not war. That’s the old saying isn’t it? If you were a hippie child of the ‘70s, I’m sure you would have agreed whole heartedly with that statement. If you were an ancient Grecian woman in 411 B.C. though, you may have had a different take on things. Aristophanes’ comical play Lysistrata, which was first produced in Athens, Greece more than 2,000 years ago, follows one Greek woman on her quest to bring peace to the war-tortured Isles by ending the Peloponnesian War.

Her idea is simple; the women of Athens and Sparta are to refrain from making love to their husbands as a means of forcing them to negotiate peace. Her task is more complicated;can she convince the women to control their lustful desires long enough for the men’surges to overcome their purpose at war?

Lysistrata, played powerfully by Crystal Abbott, seizes the Acropolis in protest of the war, and tries to persuade the nymphomaniacal women of Greece to join her in an oath of abstinence. At  rst, they do not see how this strategy will work, and they declare they’d “rather have war than renounce sex.” With humorous determination though, Lysistrata prevails and the Grecian women, in their saffron gowns, reluctantly and hysterically, vow “not to raise their slippers toward the ceiling” and promise to renounce “The Lioness of the Cheese Grater” (you’ll have to watch the play to find out what this is). Their far-fetched plan ignites an amusing battle of the sexes not only between the soldiers and their wives, but also amongst the old men and women of the village, and the battle endures until the bitter end.

The Chorus of Old Women, led by Claudia Warga, steals the show with their witty banter toward the Chorus of Old Men, led by Jules Ford. The endless teasing and mocking between the two groups will make you laugh so hard your cheeks will hurt, as they constantly try to one-up each other. After being stripped down to their skivvies, the old men are fed up with the old women’s antics and Forde declares he’ll “give the ol’ bag a sock upon the jaw.” The old women aren’t scared of a fight, and even though half of them are hunched over, and the other half are shaking with possible Parkinson’s, they hold their ground to defend their younger comrades in the Acropolis.

The battle between husband and wife is showcased when Myrrhine, played by Jennifer Zielinsky Payne, is called upon by her husband Cinesias, played by Danny Woodruff. He shows up at the Acropolis crying out in pain, complaining of his ache for his wife. It’s very clear to the audience what is ailing Cinesias, as his “ache” is quite visible through his robes. Several other Greek soldiers show up in the same “hard” spot, and various phallic references carry the show on to the end.

I commend the cast for its bravery and the Gilbert Theater for having a phenomenal sense of humor. Is this play risqué? Yes. Does that make it awesome and completely worth seeing? By the beard of Zeus, I say it does.

Craig Morgan has a lot to be excited about. The Tennessee native kicked off a huge tour with one of country’s leading ladies, Carrie Underwood, in March of this year. Since the tour started, he’s been on a media whirlwind, making stops on numerous shows, and playingjust about every night.

His latest album is a fan favorite, and work is going nicely on his next album. But even with all of that, one of the things he is most excited about is the tour’s stop in Fayetteville.

“Of all the shows we’re doing this year, this is the one I’m the most excited about,” said Morgan during a recent telephone interview. “Fayetteville is my old stomping grounds, and I’ve got a bunch of old Army buddies that I can’t wait to visit, so that we can sit down and talk about old times.”

For those not in the know, before Morgan started topping the country charts, he was a soldier in the United States Army. His tenure in the Army brought him to Fort Bragg, where he served in the 82nd Airborne Division.

“I jumped out of planes, in fact, I was a jumpmaster,” he said. “We were in Fayetteville during Desert Storm, and it was a great time in our lives and in our marriage.

“In fact,” he continued. “One of my best memories came from Fayetteville.”Morgan’s oldest son was born at the old Womack Army Medical Center on Fort Bragg.

“That’s where we had our little paratrooper,” he said. “I have a lot of really great memories and a lot of great experiences that are tied to your community.”

Morgan hasn’t forgotten those experiences, and has made it a point to visit Bragg frequently to show his support for the troops. This visit will be a little different because he will be performing in one of the hottest tours this year.

“This tour has been a lot of fun so far,” he said. “We’re just a quarter of the way through it, but we are getting settled in and comfortable. Both bands are really getting into the groove.”

About Carrie Underwood, Morgan has nothing but great things to say.

“She’s just a real sweetheart,” he said. “She treats us like we are co-headliners. She makes sure that we get the same respect. It’s really hectic, but every now and then, I’ll join her on stage for a duet. It’s a lot of fun.”

And while Morgan talks about being comfortable on the tour, he’s defi nitely not laid back.

Morgan actually does most of his writing on the road. “When you’re on the road 280 days a year, the last thing you want to do when you’re at home is write. I want to spend time with my family,” he said.

“I’m actually working on a new album as we speak,” he continued. “I’ve had a couple of writers out with me on tour, and we’ve put together some great songs, and when I get the chance to come in off the road, I’m working on the vocals. This may be the greatest record I will ever make. I feel that strongly about the material.”

While fans have the new album to look forward to, they can enjoy a lot of Morgan’s hits and songs off his last album at the Crown Coliseum on Friday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit the Web site at www.atthecrown.com.

On May 1, J.P. Riddle Stadium will come alive with the sounds of jazz as the second annual Carolina Wine & Jazz Festival takes place. In addition to great jazz, the festival will feature terrifi c local wines and food.

“The whole idea behind it is that we wanted to focus on wines from North Carolina. We have wines from Duplin Winery, Cypress Bend and J. Wesley Vineyards,” explained Kimberly Durden, one of the event organizers. Vendors will be selling wine at their booths by the glass or by the bottle. Beer and soft drinks are also available.

No festival is complete without food. The Carolina Wine & Jazz Festival will feature something for everyone

.“We’ll have a great variety — everything from BBQ to fi sh, low country boil, hot dogs, hamburgers, funnel cakes. A little bit of everything really.There’ll be something for just about any taste,” said Durden.

And while the wine and food will be great, the entertainment lineup is amazing for a jazz lover. According to Dionne Maldonado, the festival will feature “the absolute best in contemporary jazz.” The headliner artist is Peter White, who for nearly 20 years, has made the acoustic guitar a dynamic and expressive voice in the overall soundscape of contemporary jazz. Bringing a little Latin fl avor to the jazz festival is an up and coming artist, Jesse J. With her sizzling mix of hot beats, Latin and samba rhythms, instantly captivating melodies and model looks, this Mexican-American saxophonist/singer proved quite the sensation with her debut CD Tequila Moon — earning her such accolades as Radio and Records “Debut Artist of The Year” and contemporary jazz song of the year by R&R and Billboard.

“We also have independent artists. Daniel Davis is a bright young acoustic violin player out of Charleston, S.C. Then there’s American Smooth Jazz Award nominee Cindy Bradley. Marcus Johnson, a jazz pianist from Washington, D.C., was nominated for a NCAA Image Award this spring. Brian Simpson has three releases, and he’s played with absolutely everybody. He’s also an experienced composer and director,” added Maldonado. “David Dyson is an independent jazz basist, as well as a performing member of Pieces of a Dream. And of course, there’s Marilyn Scott — a phenomenal jazz vocalist. This lady can sing. She is a wonderful, wonderful vocalist.”

Musician Warren Hill is also in the line up.

The Carolina Wine & Jazz Festival will be held at JP Riddle Stadium at 2823 Legion Rd. Gates open at 2 p.m. and festival entertainment starts at 3 p.m. The festival will conclude around 11 p.m. Advance tickets are on sale now for $45 and can be purchased on line at www.carolinawinejazzfest.com. Tickets are also available until Friday, April 30, on Fort Bragg at the Ticket and Tours offi ce for Department of Defense ID card holders at a discounted price. Tickets will also be available on the day of the event and the box offi ce opens at 12 p.m. Ticket prices are $55 on the day of the event. There will also be an after party at Ambiance Entertainment Venue at 2510 Legion Rd., immediately after the festival.

“We’re trying to let people know as much as possible that still photography is allowed, but no video recording is allowed. Also, no outside picnic baskets or coolers are allowed,” added Durden.

The Carolina Wine & Jazz Festival is sponsored in part by Up & Coming Weekly, Bank of America, and Cross Creek Lincoln Mercury. The host hotels are the Hampton Inn and Residence Inn by Marriott.

For more information about the festival, visit www.carolinawinejazzfest.com or call 867-8779.

Earlier this year the rest of the state found out what Cumberland County residents already know: the Dogwood Festival is one of the very best events around. In February, the Dogwood Festival was named the Event of the Year by the North Carolina Association of Festivals & Events. The festival’s director, Carrie King, also earned top billing as she was named the Director of the Year.

“This is a huge honor for our organization,” said King, the festival’s executive director. “It feels good to be recognized by your peers in the industry, community and state. Fayetteville has a lot of great events, and we are pleased to share this honor with our community. We are truly a community produced event — and without everyone’s continued support — we could not produce this award winning event.”

The kudos don’t stop there.

In addition to winning these state awards, the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival has also been named a Top 20 Event in the Southeast for April 2010. The best events across the Southeast compete to receive the prestigious “Top 20 Events” designation. Through a nomination process, Southeast Tourism Society chooses the Top 20 events in the Southeast for each month of the year and publishes this list of winners quarterly. The Top 20 Events publication is sent to over 1,600 newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations, AAA publications and others. Nominations were received from twelve different states, and the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, nominated by the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, was chosen as one of two winners for the State of North Carolina.

Bill McMillan, Board President says, “The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival strives to produce quality festivals for Fayetteville and its surrounding counties. Without the day-to-day leadership that Carrie King provides to the staff and Board of Directors, these awards, and ultimately our success, would not be possible. These awards are the result of hard work and dedication by the staff, Board of Directors, and our volunteers. The entire festival organization is excited for the opportunity to again put our best foot forward during the fourth weekend in April 2010.”

So you don’t have to worry about checking your calendar to fi nd out when that fourth weekend is, let us assure you, Fayetteville’s annual celebration of spring is this weekend — April 23-25.

Founded in 1982 by former Fayetteville Mayor Bill Hurley, businessman John Malzone and several other city leaders, the festival has continued to grow over the years, and King is proud to announce that it has grown again this year.

“We are going to go all the way down Hay Street to the Market House — last year we stopped in the 200 block of Hay Street — so our footprint is a little bigger,” said King. “It’s not by much, but it gave us the ability to add more vendors.”

Last year the festival returned to its roots, moving out of the confi nes of Festival Park, although a large portion of the event is still held in the park.

“Last year we took the street festival back out to the street, with vendors setting up on Ray Avenue and Hay Street,” she explained. “The community responded very well to having vendors back on Hay Street. The move gave it more of the original feel of the Dogwood Festival. With the addition of the shade on Hay Street, we received a lot of qualifi ed vendors.”

King noted that over the years, it has been a goal of festival organizers to improve the quality of vendors.

“We’re trying to get away from the commercial vendors and focus on higher end arts and crafts,” said King. “And we definitely got them this year. We received a lot of applications from very qualifed vendors. They are selling things you defi nitely can’t go to the mall or Walmart to purchase.”

While you can stroll the streets to shop from the vendors, you can stay within the footprint to take in the music, exciting displays and the midway, all of which kicks-off on Friday night at the Bloom and Boom party.

The Bloom and Boom event coincides with Fayetteville’s 4th Friday, but organizers believe having the events run together will bring
more visitors to both venues. In addition to those two events, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cumberland County is hosting its fi rst annual Garden Party in Cross Creek Park starting at noon on Friday, so go ahead, bite the bullet take the day off, or at least half the day so you can jump in feet fi rst to these incredible activities.

Before you head down to Festival Park for the party, you may want to stop off at the Harris Teeter parking lot to buy a plate, or two or three, of some of the best BBQ in the city at the Crime Stoppers annual BBQ plate sale. Plates are just $6, and all the money goes back into the community. If you decide to do that, make sure you eat the BBQ before you get to the festival because no outside food or coolers are allowed in Festival Park.

Once you get downtown, take some time to check out all of the fabulous art venues offered throughout the historic city center. In particular you’ll want to hit the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County and check out the annual exhibit of Public Works.

Then head on over to the midway to ride some of your favorite carnival rides, and as night falls, make sure you are in Festival Park to hear the country sounds of Joe Nichols. That’s one concert you’re not going to want to miss.

The same can be said of the concert that follows on Saturday: Soul Asylum and the Gin Blossoms.

After the last notes are heard on Friday night, make sure to keep your eyes on the skies, as the Boom part of the party gets underway with a fi reworks display. King said that this particular event is one of her favorites.

“It’s one of the few times I actually sit backand take a moment to take it all in,” she said.

On Saturday morning, if you’re an early bird you can enjoy the spectacle of hundreds of motorcycles and convertibles roaring down the city streets as the Hogs and Rags Spring Rally gets underway at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum.

At noon, you can start shopping. Vendors signed up to participate include pottery, paintings, jewelry, sculptures and much more. Once you’ve shopped ‘till you’ve dropped, be sure to follow your nose to the highlight of most festivals — the food court! You can expect to find some of your favorite foods on hand: gyros, funnel cakes, ice cream, ribbon fries and pineapple chicken willall be on the menu, as well as many of your other favorites.

In addition to all the arts and crafts that adults love, the Partnership’s Kidstuff, presented by the Partnership for Children of Cumberland County, will feature Pirates In the Sky, and the Toddler Zone, which is an infl atable maze of castles and tunnels that the toddlers will love, face painting and interactive games.

Sponsor booths will be located on the Festival Park promenade and will feature fun giveaways and much more. With all of that in mind, you may want to take a deep breath and just plunge into the spirit of the event, and the best place to do that is at Festival Park. The Dogwood Festival will kickoff with the Bloom & Boom Kickoff Party on Friday, April 23, at 6 p.m. On Saturday, April 25, the street festival starts at noon and runs through 10 p.m., and on Sunday it begins at 1 p.m. and runs through 6 p.m.

Anyone who has ever attended an event at the park knows that parking is at a premium, but don’t worry, a park and ride shuttle service will be available. Free parking is available in city lots on Person Street and Hay Street, as well as other various downtown locations.

Free off-site shuttle service will be available at the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Center on Lamon Street. The shuttle service will run approximately every 15 minutes to transport passengers to the festival area.

Disabled parking will be designated in the Bank of America parking lot at the corner of Ray Avenue and Mason Street and the Hay Street United Methodist Church parking lot. Availability is on a first come, fi rst served basis. Organizers remind people that animals and coolers are not allowed. Service animals are permitted.

Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) will host the Cumberland County American Cancer Society Relay for Life. FTCC’s President Dr. J. Larry Keen is the honorary chairperson for the Relay for Life that will be held at the Tony Rand Student Center, beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 30, and concluding at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 1. The purpose of the event is to increase awareness of cancer and raise money for cancer research.

The Relay for Life began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Wash., ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay for Life has grown from a single man’s passion to fight cancer into the world’s largest movement to end the disease. Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 19 other countries, gather to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer. Thanks to Relay for Life participants, the American Cancer Society is creating a world with more birthdays and a world where cancer can’t claim another year of anyone’s life.

FTCC nursing instructor Sharon Ellis is leading the college’s Relay for Life efforts. FTCC became involved with Cumberland County’s Relay for Life over 10 years ago when a faculty member and student from the Associate Degree Nursing program formed a Relay for Life team. They named the team “Vital Force” based on their belief that FTCC students are a vital force in supporting quality healthcare within the community. For additional information Sharon Ellis can be contacted at ellissh@faytechcc,edu.

The American Cancer Society Relay for Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At the Relay for Life, teams of people will camp out at FTCC and take turns walking, running or participating in overnight events for 24 hours.

The theme for this year’s event is “Stayin Alive in the ‘70s and Streakin’ Toward a Cure in the Future.” Be sure to Google “The Seventies” and learn about the movies, music and dress of the time, and decorate your campsite based upon the ‘70s. Awards will be given for best event-theme campsite.

The Relay for Life is a 24-hour overnight camp-out, fund-raiser, family oriented, smoke-free, alcohol-free and no pets time of celebration and rememberances. So, bring your tents, lounge chairs, sunscreen and tennis shoes, and participant all night.

In addition to the walking events, there will be a Celebrate the Survivor’s Lap, a Luminary Ceremony to celebrate the lives of survivors and remember those who lost their lives because of cancer and a Fight Back Ceremony, where participants make a personal commitment to save lives by taking up the fight against cancer.

The only requirement to participate in Relay for Life is the $10 registration/ commitment fee (per person) that is due upon registration. After that, any donations that are raised through individual, team, or online fundraising are graciously accepted. It is recommended that each participant set a personal goal to raise $100. Even if you do not raise $100, all are welcome to participate.

For more information about the Cumberland County American Cancer Society Relay for Life, please visit www.relayforlife.org/cumberland.

Fayetteville Technical Community College was established in 1961 and serves over 34,000 students annually by providing150 affordable occupational, technical, general education, college transfer, and continuing education programs to meet students’ needs and desires as well as the community.

What do you get when you mix the Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s artistic director, Bo Thorp, with one of its most talented actors, Dirk Lumbard in one play?

In the case of Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, it looks to be a touching,yet humorous comedy that is sure to set your mind thinking and the town talking.

Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, directed by John Hardy, is a touching and human comedy about a formidable retired woman, Lily Harrison (Thorp), who hires an acerbic dance instructor, Michael Minetti (Lumbard), to give her private dance lessons —one per week for six weeks — in her gulf-front condo in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida.

The duo of Thorp and Lumbard are sure to make theatre magic on the stage. The two who have worked together in a number of productions, most recently Peter Pan, have a great chemistry between them, which Hardy believes stems from their friendship and professional respect for their craft.

“They know each other so well,” said Hardy. “It’s so much fun to watch them work and discover these characters. We’ve been working together for about a week, but in rehearsal time that’s about six months. Everyone I run into in town absolutely loves them and can’t wait to see the show.”

The play, while centered around dancing is really the story of two very different, lonely people, who, when thrown together develop a rich friendship. What begins as an antagonistic relationship blossoms into an intimate friendship as these two people from very different backgrounds reveal their secrets, fears, and joys while dancing the Swing, Tango, Waltz, Foxtrot, Cha-Cha, and Contemporary Dance.

Hardy said that for many, the dancing will be a draw, noting that Lumbard explains not only the history, but the mechanics to the dances throughout the play. But he cautions that this is not a musical.

“The dancing is what brings them together,” he said. “They are two people who seem to have nothing in common, but when thrown together, they find out that they have more in common than they initially thought.”

The character portrayed by Lumbard is gay, and Thorp’s character is the widow of a minister. That’s the starting point of their differences, but also where they come together and learn to overcome their outward differences and discover an unlikely but profound connection. By the final lesson, Lily shares with Michael her most closely guarded secret and he shares with her his greatest gifts, his loyalty and compassion.

The production is a comedy with music and dance, but it also addresses the serious issues of ageism and intolerance. There is adult content and language, so leave the children at home.

On Thursday, April 22 following the performance, there will be a special event – Champagne and Dancing Anyone? Bring your dance chose and join Lumbard and the cast for an after party with food, champagne and dancing on the stage. Reception Tickets are $7.

Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks runs April 16-May 2. The Box Office for the public opens April 12 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $12 Preview; $17– Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturday matinees, Sunday matinees & Sunday evenings; $17– Fridays; $23 – Saturday evenings. Show times are 8:15 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sunday evening. Saturday and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. CFRT’s traditional discounts of $1 are available for seniors 55 and older, students 18 and under and active duty military and their dependants on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturday matine

Adults and children are invited to come see the world famous Lipizzaner Stallions at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville on April 18. Now on their 41st anniversary tour, they will perform two shows at 2 and 6 pm.

The Lipizzaner Stallions are best known for their unique jumps and their dressage, harmony between the horse and the rider. Through their dressage, the stallions show their beauty while appearing joyous, magnificent, and proud. They also will perform a portion called the “Airs Above the Ground,” where the stallions will perform leaps and maneuvers that were used as a defense mechanism when riders were on the battlefield. The Grand Quadrille which shows six to eight Lipizzans, with their riders, doing an equine ballet where the stallions prance, march and move gracefully across the floor.

The tour features 12 to 14 stallions and their show at the Crown Coliseum will be very traditional. The leaps and jumps they do are educational for the entire family because they show the grace and harmony between the rider and horse.

“I love it when someone says to me, ‘I saw this when I was a child and I had to bring my children to see it,’” said Troy Tinker, narrator and Master of Ceremonies for the Lipizzaner Stallions.

The Lipizzaner Stallions are a breed of horses that date back to 1562, when Archduke Maximilian began breeding Spanish horses. The ancestor of the Lipizzan is believed to have been bred more than 2,000 years ago in the city of Carthage. In 1580, Archduke Karl established a royal stud farm in Lipizza, in the hills of Karst, near Trieste.

There will be a merchandise van where hats, T-shirts and other memorabilia will be sold along with the Walt-Disney movie, The Miracle of the White Stallions. This movie portrays General George S. Patton, who saved the stallions at the end of World War II from extinction, and displays the world-wide interest created in the Lipizzaner Stallion breed.

A lot of work goes into setting up the coliseum for the stallions. The team brings in special flooring that has more bounce to it than traditional floors, in order to protect the stallions’ joints. The stallions’ team also brings in their own lighting and sound system in order to give them an optimum performance.

“The horses must be washed before the shows in order for them to look handsome,” said Tinker.

The stallions have performed all around the world including the United Kingdom, Austrailia, New Zealand and all 50 of the United States.

For tickets to see the Lipizzaner Stallions at the Crown Coliseum call 910-438-4100. Tickets range in price from $22.50 for the upper floors, $29.50 for the ground floor, and $25.50 for the lower floors.

For more information on the stallions visit www.lipizzaner.com.

On any given Sunday in the spring, a motorcycle enthusiast can easily fi nd a ride to join. Pick your favorite biker bar or charity, and there’s likely to be a motorcycle event coming up. But not so for classic car owners. Gardner Altman wanted to be a part of the rides for charity that his biker friends participated in, but going on a poker run in a convertible just didn’t fi t.

“There’s not that many people that have rides for convertibles and muscle cars,” said Altman. As the lead organizer for Hogs & Rags Annual Spring Rally, Altman hoped that a ride with both cars and motorcycles could accomplish even more than either could alone. The combination seems to be successful.

“We had about 300 plus riders and drivers last year, and we gave $15,000 to our charities,” explained Altman. Now in it’s fi fth year, Hogs & Rags is a sanctioned event of the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival. The ride will take place on Saturday, April 24 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Proceeds from the annual event benefi t the Autism Society of North Carolina, the American Cancer Society and Our Kids Can Read Foundation. All makes and models of motorcyles, trikes, muscle cars and street rods are welcome to participate and enjoy the escorted ride from Fayetteville to North Myrtle Beach.

With more than 300 folks on motorcycles and in cars, safety is a top priority for event organizers. There is a police escort for the entire ride and safety briefi ngs are given before the ride begins. The Cape Fear HOG (Harley Owner’s Group) Chapter will provide a detailed group riders course and safety briefi ng, along with a briefi ng from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s department.

“We give them a safety briefi ng and it covers the route, hand and arm signals and how to ride safely as a group,” according to Steve Adams, with the Cape Fear HOG Chapter. “On big rides like this, you have people coming from all different backgrounds. Not only do you have Harley peole, you have non-Harley owners. You are going to have sport bikes and other bikes on this ride too, and they don’t typically ride in a formal group.”

“We want to emphasize safety,” said Altman. “It’s a safe ride for the bikes and the cars.”

The mission, in addition to providing a safe and enjoyable ride for motorcyclists and car drivers, is to raise money for charitable organizations that effect the lives of many in our community. Proceeds from the Hogs and Rags rally are distributed to three organizations.

The Autism Society of North Carolina assists those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which refers to a group of developmental disabilities. Classic autism, Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD) and Asperger’s Syndrome affect a person’s ability to understand what they see, hear and otherwise sense.

The American Cancer Society has as its goals prevention of cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer. The organization fi ghts cancer through balanced programs of research, education, patient service, advocacy and rehabilitation.

Our Kids Can Read was founded in 2006 as an independent private charity organized to improve literacy among America’s youth. OKCR strives to increase literacy in our nation’s youth by providing support to various early learning and literacybased initiatives across the country that instill strong reading skills and good character traits.

Registration fee is $50 per entry / $30 per additional rider. Entrance fee covers a collector’s T-shirt, hot breakfast at Rockin-ARanch, police-escorted rally to North Myrtle Beach and lunch at 2001 Niteclub.

Registration (and coffee) starts at 8 a.m. at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in downtown Fayetteville. Departure is at 8:30 a.m. heading to Altman’s farm, Rockin-A-Ranch in White Oak, where a full hot breakfast will be served. At 11:30 the group departs from the ranch, stopping for a pit stop in Tabor City, and then on to 2001 in North Myrtle Beach. The ride concludes with a buffet lunch by Bimini’s, entertainment and a silent auction. Riders can stay in Myrtle Beach on their own, or return to Fayetteville to enjoy the other festivities of the Dogwood Festival weekend.

Registration and contributions can be handled on the Web site at www.hogsandrags.com or call 910-222-8184 for more information

Now that the pollen is fi nally dissipating I have come to realize I have contracted one of the worse cases of spring fever ever.

Fayetteville is a great place to be especially in springtime. I love this town!

Last weekend, sunny skies and mild temperatures enhanced the uniqueness and beauty of this community. From entertainment to intrigue, you can always count on something exciting going on in Cumberland County.

From the recent murder conviction of Timothy Hennis to the annual April celebration of the Month of the Military Child, Fayetteville offers up a unique “quality of life” as diversifi ed as the population itself. Only the lazy and uninformed would say “there is nothing to do” in this community. Getting involved here is as easy as just showing up.

So pay attention and plan the next several weeks very carefully or you may find yourself missing out on some great local treasures and opportunities like the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, the Fayetteville Beautiful project, The Big Read, the Dogwood Festival, Cinco de Mayo, Carolina Wine & Jazz Festival, Swampdogs Baseball, Eastover’s Heritage Day, Wade’s Founders Day and of course, Spring Lake’s annual “Spring Fling.” Just to name a few.

Don’t even get me started on arts events in our community this spring. You can always count on 4th Friday, and this month both the Cape Fear Regional Theatre and the Gilbert Theater have great shows on stage. And, we can’t forget about our local colleges and the cultural arts they bring to the community, with plays on stage at both Fayetteville Technical Community College and Fayetteville State University.

Our galleries are also full with wonderful art from local, national and international artists. You don’t have to look too far to fi nd great art; it’s right here in your backyard.

In case you missed it, April is one of the busiest months in this community, so you might want to take a deep breath and jump in with both feet.

However, you need to do your homework to keep up with all of these options. Unlike other communities, we do not have the benefi t or advantage of a local television station. This is the one media outlet we desperately lack for consistent community communication to keep us updated on local news, views, issues and events that shape our communities personality and way of life.

Again, if you are new in the area, you are going to have to do your homework.

Read the daily newspaper, pick up your weekly issue of Up & Coming Weekly, contact the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the library or County Parks & Rec department. These are just few places to start your unique Fayetteville experience. The adventure can start as soon as today.

Enjoy! Thank you for reading.

The 6th Annual Indian Festival will take place on Saturday, April 17 at the Crown Arena from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. This fun filled day is for thelocal community to enjoy various activities while learning about the Indian culture.

“We want to feature our Indian culture and give the local community a glimpse of our Indian performing arts and cuisine,” said Sumedha Dalvi, chairperson of the India Festival. “Our focus is mostly on entertainment and food.”

Entertainment will be featured all day long on the stage.

“The big feature this year is our fashion show,” said Dalvi. “We are going to do three different kinds of fashion shows.”

Dalvi added that the three fashion shows will feature teenagers, children 12 and under and adults showcasing Indian fashions.

Three different vendors will showcase Indian food.

“The vendors will feature food from different regions of India,” said Dalvi. “It is very flavorful food that is spicy or mild.”

Dalvi added that there will be a drink booth and an authentic Indian ice cream booth.

“This is the first year we are bringing in an ice cream booth,” said Dalvi.

Other booths will feature Henna tattoos, arts and crafts creations, Indian clothing and jewelry. There will be a Kid’s Corner that will consist of games and snacks. Various artists, from Raleigh and Cary, will sing and play instruments.

“We will also have some classical Indian dances,” said Dalvi. “Later on in the day we will have open fl oor folk dancing.”

The Indian culture is rich, diverse and unique in its own way. The family component is about joy, love and sharing. Manners and ways of communicating with one another are important components of the Indian culture. The Indian culture treats guests as if they are a part of the family by serving and taking care of them. Respecting one another and helping one another are key components. The children are taught to help one another in need and through cooperation better living subsequently makes this world a better place. Respecting elders is a major component of the culture.

Proceeds from the event are donated to various local charities during the time of the Maharaja Banquet in the fall. The organization has donated more than $80,000 to various charities such as The Wounded Warriors, The Falcon Children’s Home, The Cumberland County Education Foundation and many more local organizations.

“This is our way of giving back to the local community that has embraced us and made us feel at home,” said Dalvi. “We call this home now.”

Ticket cost is $2 and the event is free for children age 4 and under. For more information call 824-0095.

It takes a special kind of person to leave the security of what they know and what they are comfortable with and set off for foreign lands. But that is just what Mary D. Kavanwal did.

On April 13, at 7 p.m., Kavanwal will be guest speaker at the Headquarters branch. As noted on the Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center Web site, after living and working in Saudi Arabia, Kavanwal came face-to-face with the hidden culture and the self-proclaimed righteousness that leads to impulsive and violent aggression toward others. She is convinced that even though the world may want to believe otherwise, a dangerous threat continues to be fostered within infl uential circles inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Her story provides a detailed look into a culture that many Americans don’t — or possibly don’t want to — understand. What she writes is engaging, frightening, frustrating and enlightening. As interesting as her experience was in Saudi Arabia, how she got there is a story in itself as well.

After working as an on call nurse for several years, Kavanwal tired of waiting for a permanent position to open up and she became a travel nurse. Then, answering an ad in a nursing magazine, she committed to a job in the Saudi Kingdom. Discounting scary stories and warnings from friends and family, she made her way to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to work in the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center for two years.

In a case of truth being stranger than fIction, Kavanwal found drama and adventure practically the moment that she stepped off the airplane. Not one to be scared off by the arrest and imprisonment of her roommate, or living in a culture that considers women lesser beings than their male counterparts, she stayed in country. As the twin towers fell on 9/11, Kavanwal experienced odd reactions from her host countrymen.

In her two books, Surreal in Saudi and the sequel Awry in Arabia, Kavanwal shares her insights and adventures in this land that is so different from the country and culture so many of us know and love.

“Her story is fascinating and probably unlike any we have heard of from a woman, who spent time working in Saudi Arabia,” said Kellie

Tomita, marketing and communications manager at the library. “I hope many people will attend this program because I think it will provide an insight into the Arab culture that we would otherwise not be able to have.”

The event is free and open to the public. For more information visit http://www.cumberland.lib.nc.us or call the Headquarters Library at 483-7727. For more information on the author and her writings visit her Web site at www.insidesaudi.com/author.html.

For several generations, Charlie Brown and his buddies have been a part of everyday life. They are in the funnies every day, Linus and the Great Pumpkin entertain us each October and A Charlie Brown Christmas is a must see every December. The rest of the year we follow Snoopy’s adventures as the Red Baron, Lucy’s crush on the musically talented but emotionally indifferent Schroeder, wait with baited breath for Lucy’s pearls of wisdom from her psychiatrists booth and collectively hold our breath as we wait to see if Lucy snatches the football away from Charlie Brown as he tries to kick it and will he ever get up the nerve to talk to the little redheaded girl that he loves so much?

While Charles Schulz passed away years ago, Charlie Brown and company can still be found in the daily and Sunday funnies with their timeless humor and always fresh take on life. The gang has been on stage and television in different capacities since 1967 and are still going strong.

April 15-17 guest Director Elysa Lenzcyk is bringing You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown to Fayetteville State University. No stranger to the production of great theater and big shows in small spaces, Lenzcyk is the stage manager at another local favorite theatrical venue, Fayetteville’s own Gilbert Theater.

The piece will be choreographed by Avis Hatcher-Puzzo, and musical direction will be provided by Howard Kim. The play tells the story of an average day in the life of Charlie Brown and his friends. It takes place when most of the characters are 5- or 6-years-old (although the cast is adults).

“The music is fun. The story is fun,” said Director of Theater and Associate Professor at Fayetteville State University Phoebe Hall. “It’s little people responding as little adults to strange situations.”

The cast is made up of several current and former Fayetteville State University students. Schroeder is played by FSU alum Bruce Cook, Clayton Ridley is Charlie Brown and Linus is played by Amos Smith. Whitney Manns portrays Sally, while Corey Livingstone rounds out the group as Lucy.

Hall encourages parents to include their children in this very special theatrical adventure.

“I’m sure they will enjoy it. There will be something for everybody.”T

he show starts at 7:30 p.m. each evening at Butler Theatre on the FSU campus. For more info visit www.uncfsu.edu/theatre/comingattractions.htm.

Last year, the Fayetteville Wine Society wowed the community with a unique event. This year, the signature garden party is back and better than ever, as the Fayetteville Wine Society hosts the 2nd Annual Gathering in the Garden on Saturday April 17 on the Estate of Fox Hollow.

According to organizers, this year more than 500 people are expected to attend the signature event. They’ll gather to taste the award winning wines and sample some of the fi nest food Fayetteville has to offer, all cooked up by local restaurant owners. A few folks may choose to smoke a smooth cigar while they stroll through the gardens of the French-inspried chateau, and many will dance the night away to the sounds of Mr. Coffee and the Creamers. But at the heart of the event is giving. This year, the Fayetteville Wine Society is donating all proceeds to the USO of North Carolina, Fort Bragg.

Last year, the organization raised more than $11,000 at the event to benefi t the Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund, and they expect to raise even more this year. The United Service Organizations (USO) of North Carolina is a non-profi t organization that relies on the generosity of individuals and corporate sponsors to provide vital services and programs to more than 220,000 active duty, National Guard and Reserve forces, military retirees and family members living in or traveling throughout North Carolina. Fayetteville played a signifi cant role in the history of the USO: The community was the site for the fi rst ever government built USO club which opened on November 28, 1941.While the benefi t will be about giving back, those in attendance will get a lot for the price of the ticket. In addition to the great wines available for tasting, which will begin with a champagne opening, there will also be the aforementioned great food and music. The society has pulled together a number of the area’s top restaurants to provide the food for the event. Participating restaurants include: Luigi’s, Chris’s Open Hearth Steak House, Morgan’s Chop House, Elliott’s on Linden and The Great Harvest Bread Company.

Mr. Coffee and The Creamers is North Carolina’s premier Motown Soul and R&B ensemble. Featuring an incredibly diverse array of musicians whose backgrounds include everything from punk to funk, hip-hop to jazz, the Creamers bring a unique energy to these classic songs while remaining true to the spirit and soul of the music. Because they play such timeless, well-known music, it is initially easy to write them off as foolish or just plain crazy, but one listen and you’ll agree that it’s undeniably fun. Simply put, it’s hard not to move your feet when the Creamers are on stage.

The Fayetteville Wine Society is a nonprofi t, members-only group that is dedicated to promoting the appreciation of wine through education.

Tickets for the event are available at Luigi’s Restaurant, Grapes & Hops and Valley Auto World, BMW. Tickets are $75 per person. For more information, visit the organization’s Web site at www.fayettevillewinesociety.com/charity_wine_tasting.

Fayetteville City Councilman and Chairman of Fayetteville Beautiful Bobby Hurst talks a lot of trash.

He can tell you to the number the tons of trash that local residents have cleaned up along our city’s streets over the past three years. That would be 62. He can tell you the number of miles — 257 — the volunteers (that would be 5,116) have walked in their endeavour to make our city more beautiful.

Hurst knows these numbers because making Fayetteville a cleaner and more attractive community is something of a passion of his. And on Saturday, April 17, he’s asking local residents to share that passion and join him for the 6th Annual Citywide Cleanup.

The event kicks-off with a rally at 9 a.m. at the entrance to the Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway on Ramsey Street.

“It’s going to be a great day,” said Hurst. “We hope to draw even more volunteers in and clean even more of our city up.”

On average, more than 1,000 citizens participate in the annual cleanup. For Hurst, that speaks volumes about the community’s stance on litter. “If volunteers do the cleanup, then they take ownership of our community and they have more of a desire to keep it clean. Studies have shown when that happens in a community, as it has and is happening in Fayetteville, then suddenly there is a lot less litter. If we can get more citizens to care about the environment, then they will take care of it.”

Hurst’s message has gotten through in a big way to the community and local leaders. On April 12, the city will be designated an affi liate of Keep America Beautiful. The national organization has 1,200 affi liates nationwide. The Fayetteville Beautiful Committee’s association with Keep America Beautiful will open doors for grants and other educational opportunities concerning litter abatement for the community.

“They have a wonderful education program that will work great with our community’s children,” said Hurst. “They have also created a measurement tool that is essential to identify and understand the extent of the litter problems in Fayetteville. The Litter Index will be our way to focus causes and solutions to areas throughout the city.”

Unlike the majority of affi liates, the Fayetteville program will be manned entirely by volunteers. Hurst noted that statistically for every volunteer hour put into a community, tax payers save $20.25 per hour. If you consider that 1,000 volunteers will be on the job for more than three hours on April 17, the community is getting quite a deal.

“This year, for the fi rst time, the parks and recreation department is mapping out where our volunteers will work,” said Hurst. “So in thisway, we are getting some support from the local governments.”

Hurst said that volunteers are still needed, and can register to participate by calling Lynne Huges at 433-1587. He said volunteers come from all walks of life and may come in a large group, like a church group, or in family units.He is excited that this year participation in the cleanup is endorsed by the Cumberland County Schools. “Dr. Frank Till is very supportive of the project and is encouraging schools to participate,” said Hurst. “So I think we will dopretty well with our volunteers.

For more information, visit the Web site at www.fayettevillebeautiful.com.

Rock Shop owner Shawn Adkins has always been about the music scene. In fact, before he opened the Rock Shop he was throwing hugeparties in his yard — complete with an outdoor stage — and showcasing local bands from there. One day, a friend put an idea into his head.

“Dave Johnson of Huske Hardware at the time said ‘Hey, if you owned a bar you would do re-ally well.’ So I said ‘When do you want to go in 50/50 on it? Let’s do it!” and the next day we were look-ing at the old John Jays building.”

About six months later Adkins bought him out and has been the sole proprietor ever since. That was in December 2006.

Since then, the Rock Shop has flourished and become an integral part of the Fayetteville music scene, hosting local talent and winning several people’s choice awards, including Up & Coming Weekly’s Best of Fayetteville awards in 11 categories including Best Live Music Venue and Best Live Music Club.

In just a little more than three years the Rock Shop has out-grown its Eastern Boulevard. location and is looking to relocate and upgrade to its new home. On April 2, just across the street from its current home, The Rock Shop will open the doors at 128 S. King St., in the former Kings Billiards building.

With two bars, a full kitchen and two stages, Adkins in anticipating a lot of activity and good times for both customers and performers.

“We’ll be open everyday,” said Adkins. “We’ve got six pool tables... all the art that was in The Rock Shop will be here and we have new artists com-ing in to do murals. We’re gonna do all kinds of stuff from country to rock to plays to wrestling — it is going to be sort of like an event center.”

Adkins is anticipating more national bands on the playlist in addition to the local talent that he currently books. A strong supporter of home-grown talent, he is seeking to fill a gap in the Fayetteville music scene, and believes that now is the time to do it.

“All my friends had to go out of town to see their favorite bands. Now I get a chance to bring it in,” said Adkins, noting that supporting area musi-cians is still a priority as well. “I’ll never not have local bands. The local bands are very important to me. I’ve always been about the music scene. I don’t plan on selling out. I think they deserve a place they can have a lot more fun, buf-fer crowds, play with the nationals they want.”

Opening night will feature The Fifth,Nephilym, Rookie of the Year, Dark Water Rising, Sir Ben Marx, Paddy & Bill and Playing With Guns. Adkins is ready to show his customers a good time and is anticipating a big crowd.

“These are really good local bands,” Adkins said. “There are a lot of people who are ready for this.”

You can find more info at http://www.facebook.com/therock-shoplive or http://www.myspace.com/therockshoplive.

With The Big Read now in full swing, we hope you have already attended one of Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center’s special events associated with this year’s novel The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers.

One reason The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter was chosen is because McCullers fi nished writing it while living here at Cool Springs Tavern on North Cool Springs Street. But, what happened after she departed from Fayetteville to New York City?

As the keynote speaker for The Big Read on April 6 at 7 p.m. in the Pate Room of Headquarters Library, author of February House, Sherill Tippins will tell us about that fascinating time.

Tippins first learned about that part of McCullers’s life while volunteering for a program that delivered meals to the elderly and homebound in her Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood.

According to the publisher of February House, Tippins was intrigued when one of those neighbors began telling her about the “extraordinary experiment in communal living — involving a British poet, a southern novelist, one of the world’s great opera composers, and a celebrated stripper — that had taken place 60 years earlier just a few blocks from her home.”

From those stories, Tippins began collecting facts and anecdotes about that shared life of W.H. Auden, McCullers, Jan and Paul Bowles and Gypsy Rose Lee.

With her work complete, February House was published in 2005 and chosen as a Best Book of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle.

For more information about Tippins’s visit and other The Big Read programs, go to www.Cumberland.lib.nc.us where you can download a Schedule of Events or stop by your nearest library location.

The Big Read Programming Notes

Programming takes place throughout April and includes a recycled art show and contest, movies, Depression Era kitchen gardens, activities for children and more! Admission to all programs is free.

Our community partners include: Cumberland County Schools, Charles W. Chesnutt Library, Fayetteville State University; Davis Memorial Library, Methodist University, Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fort Bragg John L. Throckmorton Library and the Museum of the Cape Fear.

Cumberland County’s The Big Read is sponsored by The Friends of the Library, The Fayetteville Observer, Up & Coming Weekly, The Drive 96.5 FM and KISS 107.7 FM.

The Big Readis an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest.

Take out your old, broken or mismatched jewelry, those buttons, patches or paint you no longer use and create something for theCumberland County Public Library’s Recycled Art Contest.

“The sky is the limit, pretty much!” said Jennifer Carrico, who is in charge of the contest.

This is the fi rst time the Cumberland County Public Library has held a Recycled Art Contest and participants are encouraged to use items from around their own homes that may have otherwise been thrown away. One participant is making a quilt from recycled materials.

Participants are encouraged to keep the size of their artwork within an 18 by 24 inch perimeter, but if you want to make something larger, Carrico can work something out. If your artwork is supposed to hang or needs to be propped up by an easel Carrico will also assist you with that. Her phone number at the library is 910-864-3800, extension 235.

Contestants’ artwork will be on display from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, with judging and awards at 3 p.m. There will be staff members on duty during the display and signs will be up to ensure the artwork is not damaged.

The contest is split into five age groups and each will receive prizes for first place and honorable mention. The groups are divided into 8 years-old and younger, 9-12 years-old, 13-18 years-old, and 18-years-old and up. There will also be a “group” category where two or more members can enter the contest together. Entry forms along with artwork must be submitted to the Headquarters Library, at 300 Maiden Lane, during the hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, April 16. Artwork should be taken into the Pate Room of the library, which is immediately to the left of the front door. For an entry form visit the Web site at www.cumberland.lib.nc.us/PDF/RecycledArtShow.pdf .

Artists may include written pieces about their artwork, but it must be 150 words or less. Artwork will not be sold during the show and artists will be responsible for picking up their work by Monday, April 19. Any unclaimed work will be thrown away.

Guest judges will be brought in from the community, but no fi nal decisions on them have been made at this point.

Carrico cautions contestants to work with what they know how to use, read warning labels, and if unsure contestants can stop by the library for assistance.

“I love it and I’m very excited about it!” said Carrico.

This contest is centered around the Big Read, which features The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was written in 1940, and is set in a small Georgia mill town during the Great Depression. The idea of recycling items for the art contest came from this book

.For more information go to the library Web site at www.cumberland.lib.nc.us .

Reduce, reuse, recycle. It’s a phrase that has been around for awhile and a concept that promotes good stewardship and wise use of resources. Whether or not one follows this advice and to what degree is pretty much up to the individual. For folks who are looking to live healthier, more earth-friendly lives though, there is quite a bit going on in the community that supports this greener way of life.

In 2008 Fayetteville began its curbside pick up recycling program to much fanfare. It was a long time coming and the community embraced it.

“It started off with a bang,” said Gerry Dietzen, City of Fayetteville environmental services engineer. “People accepted it very well. I believe we have a very high participation rate in Fayetteville compared with other cities — somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 percent.”

This program brought in about 9,000 tons of recyclable materials in the fi rst year. There are no numbers for the current year, but support for the program remains strong.

Since then, the city has taken on servicing the many recycle drop-off centers through out the city. This used to be the responsibility of contractors, but once the city took over, Dietzen maintains that stations are not left to the point of overfi lling like they were before.

All of the city’s buildings recycle now as well, to include the many recreation centers and athletic fi elds, police and fi re stations, and the administrative buildings.

Once the waste is picked up for recycling, it is processed locally which is a boon for the community in the form of local jobs.

“The MRF (Material Recovery Facility) in town came on line in November of ‘08,” said Dietzen. “It is doing very well. I think that our curbside recycling program may have infl uenced Hope Mills and some other smaller communities around, and I think a lot of them now bring their materials here (to the MRF) for processing and that is good for our economy.”

The community also benefi ts because there is less waste being put into the local landfi lls. When matter is added to the piles of garbage, it gets buried and is in an anaerobic state. That produces methane gas, which is just one more pollutant added to the air.

“I think the biggest benefi t that comes from this is that we are reducing the amount of waste in the landfi lls,” said Dietzen. “This material is no longer decomposing and creating methane gas, and we are certainly benefi tting from that in more way than one — cleaner, healthier air to breath and that kind of thing.”

According to Buildings.com, on a national scale, total building-related construction and demolition (C&D) waste is estimated to be 135.5 million tons — a fi gure that represents, at 30 percent, the largest single source in the waste stream. The average new construction project yields 3.9 pounds of waste per square foot of building area. Example: A 50,000-square-foot building = 97.5 tons of waste. The average building demolition yields 155 pounds of waste per square foot. Example: A 50,000-square-foot building = 3,875 tons of waste. With all the growth and construction going on locally, we’ve got our share of opportunities for construction waste.

Enter the Restore Warehouse. Located at 205 Forsyth St., this business prides itself on helping neighborhoods, the environment, homeowners and builders alike. Their mission is to promote affordable housing in the Fayetteville area by providing inexpensive building materials to local businesses and homeowners while supporting conservation of the environment and by funding the programs of Fayetteville Urban Ministry and Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity.

They take in donations of new and sellable, used building materials and sell them for 50 - 75 percent off the retail price. You never know what you may fi nd, cabinets, fl oors, and possibly even the kitchen sink. They also accept monetary donations, and volunteers are welcome too.

The Restore Warehouse is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information give them a call at 321-0780 or visit http://www.restorefaync.org.

Somewhere, in a daydream-fi lled science class way back when, we learned that carnivores eat meat, herbivores dine primarily on plants and omnivores munch on both.

But a relatively new critter has linked up with the food chain: the locavore.

The WHAT? The locavore. The term, according to Wikipedia, was coined in 2005 by Jessica Prentice, professional chef, author and founding member of Three Stone Hearth, a community-supported kitchen in Berkeley, Calif., and selected by the New Oxford American Dictionary as its word of the year in 2007. A locavore is “a person who seeks out locally produced food,” and their numbers are growing every day as people choose to consume seasonal foods that they either raise themselves or that are produced within a radius of 50 to 150 miles of their abode.

But why? Sounds like a lot of extra effort when we have supermarkets fi lled with a seemingly unending variety of food available year round. Shoot, we can get blueberries, peaches, watermelon, apples — almost anything — in the dead of winter. Why wait until they’re “in season”?

Locavores offer many reasons for their food-source preference. Local food travels less and has a smaller carbon footprint. Buying local means money stays in the local economy. Locally produced food is fresher and riper –– farmers don’t have to pick it early, so it won’t be damaged in transit, and the nutritional value is greater. And choosing local food allows you to meet some of the folks that grow your food and share their stories. Still others are concerned about food safety. But tops among reasons for joining the locavore movement are that local food tastes better –– can the taste of a peach allowed to ripen on display even touch the juicy sweetness of one picked at its peak just a few hours before one bites into it? And supporting local farmers and ranchers helps them to stay open and preserve undeveloped land, all vanishing resources in a world of increasing big-corporation farming.

Residents of Cumberland County are fortunate to enjoy several opportunities to join the ranks of local “foodies.” For those willing to get a little dirty, backyard gardens may bless them with more tomatoes than they and their neighbors can eat. And those without access to a yard can grow their own food while building community at the Fayetteville Community Garden, located in the Old Wilmington Road community at the corner of Vanstory and Mann Streets in downtown Fayetteville. A project of the Sandhills Area Land Trust (SALT) and a member of the American Community Garden Association, the garden celebrated its grand opening last spring.

“It took us five years to get a tomato plant in the ground,” said Candace Williams, executive director of SALT. “This was one of the SALT projects to save urban agricultural lands, and we’re the only land trust to accomplish this goal. We’re on the cutting edge, and we’ve been recognized nationally –– one of our garden interns was featured on the cover of the National Land Trust Alliance publication, Saving Land, last fall.”

Once a vacant lot with beautiful old pecan trees, the garden’s fi ve acres, historically used by African-American farmers, are owned by the city and are the centerpiece of an area slated for redevelopment under a Hope VI grant.

“The Fayetteville Community Garden was the brainchild of Candace,” said Nancy Talton, SALT contracts and grants administrator. “She had experience establishing some of the fi rst community gardens in Boston. SALT partnered with the city, public works and other various community organizations to come up with a vision of what they wanted the garden to be. That’s the key to our success. We haven’t spent a dime on the gardens. Everything has been donated. PWC put in the water. The community leaders all came together.” Landscape architect Jeffrey Blake donated the design, which will ultimately include a community pavilion, gardener’s sheds, playgrounds, rain garden, fl ower and woodland garden, fruit trees and orchards, raised cultivated planters, arbors and trellises.

“There will be 100 available garden plots. We rent them on an annual basis for $25. It’s open year round during the daylight hours. Everything is organic. They’ve got a compost pile going. The fi rst potting shed is complete, and it’s really cute. The plots are all raised beds, about 20 x 20 feet. Water is available to each plot, and the gardeners share the cost of the water. It’s just been wonderful.”

Presently 70 plots are complete, and work has started on the gazebo. For more information, contact Candace Williams at (910) 483-9028 or visit http://acga.localharvest.org/garden/M2116 on the Web.

Those who don’t wish to play in the dirt and grow their own food may still reap the benefi ts of locally produced food at the Fayetteville Farmers Market. Starting with four or fi ve vendors three years ago on Wednesdays only, the open-air market in historic downtown Fayetteville has grown to 14 or 15, “the most we’ve ever had,” said Melissa Rodriguez of the Farmers Market. In addition to Wednesdays from 3 to 7 p.m. in the overfl ow back parking lot behind the AIT and old Prince Charles Hotel on Maiden Lane, the market is now open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Cumberland County Parking Lot off Gillespie Street in front of the courthouse.

“We’ve seen quite an increase in people coming and vendors applying,” Rodriguez said. “We take applications once a year. Our requirement is that vendors have to grow their product within a 50-mile radius of Fayetteville. Vend0rs may now bring 25 percent of their products from other farms, but it still has to be local and labeled. We are about 50/50 organic, and most farmers practice minimum spraying.”

The market runs all summer and will open on Saturday, April 10.

“This year, we’re coordinating our kickoff with the Sustainable Sandhills’ Urban Farm Tour,” said Rodriguez. “We’ll have special guests, including the Cumberland County Beekeepers and George Quigley, a master gardener who will give talks on gardening and address questions. We’re planning other events throughout the season, such as contests for basket giveaways and a tomato-tasting day, to help us get the word out.” For more information, visit www.thefayettevillefarmersmarket.com, email info@thefayettevillefarmersmarket.com or call (910) 964-8559.

Joseph and Vicky Allen own Carolina Grown, Inc., “a food cooperative connecting average consumers with farmers throughout North Carolina.” After enrolling, co-op members select a flexible subscription level based on a point/box size system instead of a flat fee per box, and weekly, monthly or yearly billing. Sunday through Tuesday, members may choose the products they want from a menu that features grass-fed beef; pasture-raised pork, duck, rabbit and chicken; organic produce; local sustainable produce; cage-free chicken and duck eggs; fresh herbs; goat cheese products and dairy products. They may use all or some of their points, and any remaining points are rolled over for use the next week. On Saturday, Carolina Grown delivers a box of products grown or made in North Carolina right to the member’s door!

“Everything is from North Carolina,” said Allen. “We actually became accepted as part of the Goodness Grows in North Carolina program two weeks ago.”

Allen explained that the point system allows members to customize their purchases.

“We label the products so people know from whom it comes. Eventually each farmer will have his or her own page on the Web site. People know exactly what they are getting. They pick favorites based on personal taste.”

The fastest-growing coop in North Carolina, Carolina Grown has more than 200 members. Orders are double checked as they are put together, and Allen will refund points before selling bad products. “We have excellent quality control.” Allen said. “We let the farmers set their own prices. We deliver 52 weeks a year, and we’re looking for new farmers.”

When asked where he got the idea for Carolina Grown, Allen replied that he had seen the movie, Food, Inc. “Afterwards, I didn’t want to buy at the grocery store.” Part of Carolina Grown’s mission, in addition to providing healthy food from North Carolina, is to “help sustain local farms and the local economy.”

“I grew up on a farm. I don’t want to see them all auctioned off and turned into subdivisions.”

For more information or to enroll, visit www.carolinagrown.org, email sales@carolinagrown.org or call (919) 720-9484.

The Cumberland County Center of the N.C. Cooperative Extension offers instructions on how to preserve backyard or market bounty so you can enjoy it all year long. Depending on the food, one can dehydrate, freeze or can items for longterm storage. Candy Underwood, extension agent for Family and Consumer Sciences, sees a real increase in the number of people who want to “put up” their own food.

“People are getting back to growing their own food for safety reasons in the food supply and because it just tastes better,” said Underwood. “We’re offering a canning class for the pressure canner on June 17 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. We will process green beans. People can bring in two pounds of green beans, and they will leave with a quart jar of canned beans.”

The class is limited to 10 people and costs $5. The canning jar and lid are provided, as are handouts on canning.

The Cumberland County Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, visit http://cumberland.ces.ncsu.edu/ or call (910) 321-6860.

Whatever the reason –– a healthful diet, concern for the environment, supporting local and sustainable small farms, avoiding food-borne diseases, saving money in a challenging economy or because food acquired locally simply tastes better –– the locavore movement is gaining momentum, providing nourishment not only for the body, but also for our communities.

Sustainability is the capacity to endure. In ecology the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. For humans it is the potential for longterm maintenance of well-being, which in turn depends on the well-being of the natural world and the responsible use of natural resources. — Wikipedia

For many, mixing ecology and the corporate world is a foreign idea. Production numbers and sales figures don’t always flow seamlessly into resource conservation and air quality at first glance — but maybe it should. At least that is the thinking behind the first annual Green Business Conference hosted by the Fayetteville State University Center for Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Sandhills and the Fayetteville- Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce on March 31.

The day is going to be packed with interesting lectures and discussions covering topics like green consumer products, green jobs and green economy, what federal, state and local governments are doing with available funds, community sustainability, green construction and public/private partnership in making green economy.

There will be subject-matter experts from the local, state and national level.

“It is really a broad scope from the national and multinational corporate perspective like Wal Mart all the way down to a local electric membership co-op,” said Sustainable Sandhills Executive Director Jon Parsons. “What I’ll be talking about is some of the efforts of local government — specifically Fayetteville and the Cumberland County schools. They have got some great green programs underway. We are trying to give it broad brush strokes so there is a little something for everybody in the conference.”

With the economy like it is, Parsons is aware that many businesses are just looking to make it through the recession and going green may not be the first thing on their to do list. It is certainly not always obvious that going green can save money if you just look at the short term adding of costs, but Parsons contends that in the long run it is important for long term profitability and competitiveness.

“Greening your business really is important and I think the fact that we’ve got multinational corporations like Wal mart and Herman Miller — these are companies that are certainly profitable — speaks volumes. Let’s just be honest Wal mart is a very controversial company to have at a sustainable conference,” said Parsons. “They do have a story to tell — as do the other companies — for local businesses that might not have that perspective. I think that is what is important about the conference.”

On a smaller scale, there is also a lot going on at the state-level through the stimulus funding. Larry Shirley who is the Director of the Green Economy in the North Carolina Department of Commerce has a lot to do with how the stimulus funding comes down into the local community to grow the green economy. It is a natural tie to this green business theme.

“Larry is working closely with Sustainable Sandhills in a couple of sessions at the conference,” said Parsons. “The sessions the I am in involved in are on more of a community scale. Larry will be talking in our sessions about state funding and how that comes down and we have a speaker from Bladen County because agriculture is the biggest business sector in the state. Agricultural sustainability is a big topic. We also have a speaker from Lumbee River Co- Op because there is a lot of focus in the funding about green energy. He will be presenting a pilot project that they are working on — a smart grid project.”

The event starts at 8 a.m. and lasts until 4 p.m. Contact the Chamber of Commerce at 484-4242 ext 233 for more information or to register.

For the fourth consecutive year the Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center is rallying the folks ofCumberland County for a month long celebration of reading, history and community with The Big Read. There will be book clubs, readings, exhibits, performances and more — and all centered around The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers.

“The big read was created about fi ve years ago by the National Endowment for the Arts to encourage literary activity and to get Americans reading classics again,” said Marketing & Communications Division Manager Kellie Tomita, and also noted that the library system has written a grant for the previous four years that has funded part of The Big Read throughout the community. “This year we selected The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers because of her local ties to Fayetteville and because she is a southern writer,” she added.

McCullers fi nished writing the novel while she lived in Cool Springs Tavern in downtown Fayetteville. She was born in Columbus, Ga., and wanted to be a classical musician growing up. Because she was sickly, McCullers gave that up to become a writer. She married a man who was leaving the military at Ft. Benning and they moved to Fayetteville where he worked in the credit industry. They were here a short time while she fi nished writing the novel and then they moved to New York.

The program kicks off at 4th Friday on March 26 with a special event at Headquarters Library. Violinist Laurel Wachtler and Cellist Zack May will perform from 7-9 p.m.

“We’ll kick it off with the classical music that was either mentioned by one of the characters in the book or was one of Carson McCullers favorite compositions,” said Tomita. “That should be really interesting. We will also be giving away some novels, too.”

This family-friendly, free and month -ong event has more than 60 activities planned that reach every age group. “One of the really positive things about the big read is that it brings the community together,” said Tomita. “The whole aim of The Big Read is even if you are not one to sit down and read an entire book, you can still be exposed to the literature and part of American history through other parts of this program.”

Book club kits are available for check out at any of the Cumberland County Libraries. Each kit includes a bag, 10 copies of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, bookmarks, a readers guide and a schedule of events for The Big Read. The kits are designed to make it easy to put together a book club of your own, whether it is at work, church or in your neighborhood.

Because the book is set in a small town in Georgia in the 1930s, there is plenty of opportunity to explore the depression era in the south, and several of The Big Read events do just that.

“One thing I would really recommend is going to the Museum of the Cape Fear to see the exhibit that they are going to put together. It is called Connecting to Carson McCullers,” said Tomita. “They went to Columbus, Ga., and got artifcts and personal effects of hers. It will also look at the history of the south during the depression era — that will be one of the highlights.” The exhibit will also include a presentation called Segregation: Life Experiences on March 27. The focus will be growing up in “Jim Crow North Carolina.”

A master gardener will explain how to start your own vegatable garden in a presentation called “Depression-era Kitchen Gardens” that will take place several times through out the month and at various library locations. Tomita pointed out that this is a particularly timely topic with people trying to save money and eat more fresh, healthy foods these days.

Other events include a walking tour of downtown Fayetteville with local historian Bruce Dawes on April 18. It is about 3-miles long and will include businesses and buildings of the 1930s that McCullers may have visited while living here in 1938 and 1939.

On April 19, there will be a tour of Cool Springs Tavern where part of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter was penned, with a librarian-led book discussion to follow.

Ft. Bragg is involved in The Big Read as well. Throckmorton Library is hosting a month long display called Fort Bragg: The Depression Years. It opens on March 26. On Wed. March 31, the Cliffdale Regional Branch is hosting a presentation on Fort Bragg and the Army, circa 1930s. It starts at 7 p.m. Throckmorton Library on Ft. Bragg is hosting a presentation on Evans Metropolitan Church on April 14 where the audience will learn about this sanctuary of hope on Cool Springs St. Teens and kids events include a trash fashion show, a 1930s soiree, depression era game and afternoon tea.

The Cape Fear Regional Theatre has staged another Carson McCullers’ classic The Member of the Wedding, which will give the audience a view of the lifestyle and the environment that permeated small southern towns during that time period.

“It is exciting to see the community come together — we have all walks of life involved in this. Everyone from gardeners to our county commissioner, they are all on board for this,” said Tomita. “It is something the community can rally around and focus on — one book, one topic. You may not be interested so much in reading specifi cally, but you might be interested in history so we have programs about the history of Fayetteville and Hope Mills. There are so many different aspects to literature that we hope to get everyone involved.”

Visit www.cumberlandlib.nc.us for a complete list of activities and opportunities. The Web site will be updated throughout the month so if you have any questions about The Big Read or events associated with it, McKnight recommends that you check there fi rst or call any of the local library branches.