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  • Details
        Remember the opening monologue on the old television show The Six Million Dollar Man, where, as scientists turn the severely injured Steve Austin (Lee Majors) into a bionic man, Richard Anderson recites, “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability.” ?
        {mosimage}Fayetteville has an opportunity to rebuild its transportation system, to make it “better, faster, stronger.” However, such improvement has nothing to do with bionics or Farrah Fawcett-Majors’ ex-husband; the city’s powers-that-be could dramatically change how people travel from point A to point B by installing a light rail transportation system that some say could boost Fayetteville’s economy and reduce traffic gridlock.
        Light rail is a type of urban rail transportation that generally has a lower occupancy rate and lower speed than typical heavy rail trains and subway systems found in larger cities. It is also usually powered by electricity, sometimes utilizing overhead power lines in the same manner as a trolley car.
        There are many question marks surrounding the implementation of a light rail system in Fayetteville, such as: Do we have the technology? Do we have the infrastructure? Do we have the need? What are  the benefits? Do we have the money?
        The answer to the first two questions is an unqualified yes.
        Many cities across the nation have turned to some form of light rail system, including Charlotte, which operates light rail under the umbrella of its citywide transportation service, Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS).
        Charlotte’s light rail began operation of its 9.6 -mile route in November 2007. It uses the abandoned Norfolk Southern Railroad right of way, part of which runs alongside NS tracks that remain in freight service.
         1999 study undertaken by the city of Fayetteville and the consulting firm Kimley-Horn and Associates investigated the feasibility of a light rail system. Under the aegis of the Fayetteville Metropolitan Planning Organization, it was determined that the best place for a light rail system would be an approximately 10 plus-mile route along the Cape Fear Railway and Aberdeen & Rockfish railroads that travels, for the most part, parallel to Bragg Boulevard and Skibo Road. Light and heavy rail systems use the same gauge track.
        However, the study alsofound that such a route was not yet economically feasible for Fayetteville, though it did recommend the city preserve the right-of-way on that route for future consideration.
        Don Stewart, chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee on the project, said he wasn’t surprised that the study found Fayetteville wasn’t ready for light rail; however, he does agree with the study’s recommendation that the city take steps to be prepared for a rail system down the road.
        “What you do is undertake a study to tell us how to prepare for light rail,” said Stewart. “You need to make sure you have the right of way that might get sold to a private entity; you have to purchase and preserve that right of way to prepare for the future. When you get the density of population where you can do this, then that’s why it’s so expensive because you’re having to buy up expensive real estate and you can’t put it where you want it.”
        As an alternative to that light rail system, the study also recommended a trolley system for downtown Fayetteville — comparable to systems found in Portland, Ore., and Seattle, Wash. — that would be “strategically planned and tied to the economic revitalization of the central business district.” A trolley would be much smaller and much less expensive than a light rail system.
        The study does conclude that either system could eventually provide an economic shot in the arm through real estate investment along the light rail corridor, as well as increased tourism in downtown Fayetteville.
        Of course, this increased investment and tourism comes at a cost. Stewart says that typically, light rail costs about $10 million per mile — a figure which includes everything: passenger cars, new track, signals, utilities, maintenance, etc. That number is considerably less than a previous figure given to town officials which left them with a severe case of sticker shock.
        “When consultants said it would cost $23 million per mile a couple of guys from Fayetteville just about jumped out the window,” said Stewart. “But that figure was based on the system in St. Louis that is much, much more grandiose than what we were considering at at that time.
        “Would it cost $10 million a mile? I don’t know,” said Stewart. “But when you go and look at what a highway costs compared to light rail, it’s almost dimes to the dollars.”
        Stewart estimates a downtown trolley system would cost about  $20 million, though such an investment would be greatly offset by various real estate investments.
        “I’d be willing to bet that if you put a trolley line like we proposed that it would drive a business investment of $200 million worth of private investment,” said Stewart.
        Stewart says you also need to consider the other benefits of light rail and/or a trolley system, such as decreased air pollution, decreased traffic, the revitalization of downtown and cheaper gas bills for both the city and individuals.
        Also, a light rail system would not mean that the city buses would or could be retired. Stewart says the bus system will still be needed to distribute the passengers when they get off the trolley or rail, and he realizes that a rail or trolley would not serve the transportation needs of all.
        That was good news for a group of Fayetteville bus patrons waiting at a bus stop on Ramsey Street.
        “I’ve been riding a bus to work for a couple of years,” said Anastasia McLean of Fayetteville. “I don’t want to have to learn a new route.”
        Linda Hunt, also of Fayetteville, said she thinks a street trolley would be a nice thing for the downtown, but she’s not as optimistic about a light rail system.
        “I’ve been to San Francisco and I loved the trolleys,” said Hunt. “But I don’t think we can afford a new train system when we can barely afford to keep our buses running.”
        Hunt isn’t alone in questioning the viability of light rail. A study commissioned by Reasonmagazine makes numerous points against light rail:
        Air Quality: Light rail would not take enough cars off the road to make any real contribution to air quality improvement. For example, the Charlotte system expects to reduce regional auto travel by only 1/10 of 1 percent;
        Economic Development: North Carolina’s population density and high rates of auto use make rail’s ability to generate economic gains all the more unlikely. Those who would provide revitalization — homeowners and business leaders — favor more straightforward approaches to greater economic development. For example, improving schools and keeping business taxes at a reasonable level;
        Cost-effectiveness: Hefty cost overruns have plagued urban rail for decades. Both the Charlotte and Triangle proposals have exceeded initial cost projections. In Charlotte, a proposal that once cost just over $200 million ended up costing more than $400 million, while in the Triangle, a proposal that was long thought to cost $250 million now stands at well over $800 million;
        Mobility improvement: Even though the Triangle rail proposal would cost nine times more than the next most expensive alternative, it would decrease congestion by less than 1 percent. Moreover, the annual cost per new rail passenger would be very high: $6,747 for Charlotte and $10,358 for the Triangle.
        Despite such objections, Stewart remains positive about the future of light rail in Fayetteville.
    “People don’t understand what light rail could do for Fayetteville,” said Stewart. “Some folks think the only people riding the rail would be from a lower economic demographic. If you catered to just that demographic you’d never make any money with a light rail system.
        “And what’s not understood is that a lot of those people will be riding to work, which puts more money into the pockets of the fat cats,” said Stewart. “If we want to grow as a city, we’ve got to think about the future and have a vision — a vision that includes, I believe, some sort of light rail.”

  • Details
        Among the enduring memories of my childhood is finally being allowed to ride my bike to Haymount Elementary School from our neighborhood, maybe a mile away.
        I was in the fourth grade and extremely proud of my new bike, which I had received for Christmas that year. Every other child in our neighborhood had also received a bike. All the girls’ models were identical, as were the boys’. We all thought that Santa had directed the elves to make them all the same as a special treat just for us. I later learned that the coincidence stemmed from the fact that one of the fathers in the neighborhood had an importing business and bought them all at the same time and that all the daddies had stayed up together on Christmas Eve putting all those bikes together.
        We rode to school as a group, but I still remember the exhilaration of that freedom of being on my own, or at least thinking I was. I remember the wind blowing against my face and the sense that I could ride anywhere in the whole world, if my parents would only let me.
        {mosimage}I still love to ride a bike and have actually taken a couple of cycling vacations, which is probably why the high price of gasoline tempts me to use a bike more and more often. The problem is biking in an urban, even in a suburban, setting can be dangerous. Our community, like thousands of others throughout our nation, is not biking-friendly, not intentionally, but because we have never planned for it. We have precious few biking trails, nor do we have wide outside lanes to accommodate bikes. Our major arteries are crowded, especially during rush hours, and our paved surfaces can be a bit bumpy for bicycles.
       All of this adds up to some scary rides for bikers brave enough to try to pedal to work or to go about their daily routines. 
        Some cities, however, are really trying to welcome cyclists. Portland, Ore., comes to mind as a haven for bikes with a 260-mile network of biking trails. In Boulder, Colo., 95 percent of the streets have special bike lanes or bike trails, and in Davis, Calif., about 17 percent of the workforce pedals to the job.
        We are a long way from any of that, of course, but as we plan for future area transportation I hope we will keep cycling in mind as one option. This is a long term issue, but so is our energy problem and the high prices which come with it. Cycling is not for everyone, but for those who enjoy it, it is quiet, healthy, low cost and efficient.
    And, oh my word! That wonderful sense of freedom and possibilities that carry us back to childhood.
           
        More on Matrimony
        The Dicksons have been to another wedding. 
        The latest was a decidedly casual affair on one of North Carolina’s lovely ocean beaches. Unlike more formal occasions, these guests were comfortable in shorts and sun dresses. The bride wore a wedding gown over bare and sandy feet, and the groom was in his shirt sleeves. After the ceremony, we all retired to a beach club for refreshments, dancing and good cheer, and to wish the young couple well before he departed for the additional military training that may very well land him on foreign soil in coming months, while she remains at home for a few more weeks.
        As we have attended the various weddings this spring and summer — large ones and small ones, formal ones and barefoot on the beach ones, ones with chardonnay and shrimp and ones with barbecue and coleslaw — I have been struck by the common thread in all of them. Each of these young couples is committed to building a life together and excited about the prospect of doing so. Each of them has eyes only for the other, and I hope each of them stays side by side until death do them part, although I know that for some that will not be the case. But for now, each of them is just as married as all the rest of us old married folks.
        The Dicksons next wedding is in September, and the invitation looks like there might be some shrimp on the menu.

        A Service I Hope You Never Need
    S    everal weeks ago in a column about domestic violence, I mentioned the Rape Crisis Volunteers of Cumberland County where I volunteered for many years. My old chum, Sharon Hux, who continues to be active with RCVCC, reminded me that there is a new office location at 109 Hay St. downtown. The phone number is (910) 485 7273. I hope neither you nor anyone you care for will ever need its services, but RCVCC has been a blessing for many people who have needed their counseling and care.

  • Details
        It seems to be a new day in Fayetteville. The people have spoken and community leaders are being responsive. Or at least it appears they are being responsive. That’s the feeling we get from the decision by the Fayetteville City Council and the Fayetteville Museum of Art to open dialogue about the placement of the museum in Festival Park.
      That word came after freshman Fayetteville City Councilman Ted Mohn put the subject on the table at a recent city meeting. Mohn, who was not on the council when the land was given to the museum, took to heart the questions and concerns of local residents. He did readership and asked for input. He looked for options and ways to compromise. That’s good government. Then he went a step further and made other city leaders listen. Mohn pushed the issue even though no one else really wanted to listen. He made an argument that couldn’t be ignored. That’s better government.
       The city may have gotten more than it reckoned for in this past election. The freshmen members of the council care more about doing the right thing and serving their constituents than making sure they have a seat on the council. And that’s good government.
        The new members of the council have chosen not to sit back and follow the lead of the older council members. Instead they’ve taken the lead in bringing up important issues for the city and for the council. They come to meetings prepared, having spent a lot of time researching the issues, listening to their constituents and consulting with city staff on issues they may not understand.
       {mosimage} It says a lot when more experienced members ask them what they should look out for in the upcoming meeting. In a recent conversation with Val Applewhite, she explained the process she undertakes to prepare for a meeting: First, she reads everything sent out in the agenda packet. Then she goes back and makes questions about the things she’s unsure of, which results in calls to city staff and the city manager. It takes hours, but she puts in the time, because it was what she was elected for.
        She isn’t alone. Many members of the city council invest more than just the hours in council — they spend time at community meetings, at events and replying to countless emails and phone calls.
    These members are breathing a new life into the city council. In fact, it’s a breath of fresh air.

  • Details
        What would you think if your boyfriend asked you about a particular woman at a barbecue after you both left? He claimed he was just curious — he’d seen her at my son’s barbecue, and wondered how she knew the family — but, of course, she’s young, beautiful and half my age (I’m 53). In our four years together, he’s gotten better about not visibly showing interest in other women, but I know he admires women, especially tall blondes. He’s a big, sweet, good-looking guy, but doesn’t have a house or much money, although he’s a hard worker. I doubt he has the confidence to pursue hot women, but I can’t help feeling worried.
                                       —Bothered     

        What would I think if my boyfriend asked me about a particular woman at a barbecue? I’d just know he wanted to have a torrid affair with her. I’d think back to when he excused himself to use the bathroom, and decide he really went to call and reserve a motel room. I’d wait till we hit my driveway, pitch a screaming fit, claw off all his clothes, throw them on the lawn, light them on fire, bolt the door, make him sleep naked in the bushes, and then stay up all night praying he’d be gnawed to death by a family of hungry wolverines. You?
        Of course, should I have an attack of sanity and rationality, I’d probably assume he noticed the girl because he’s male, heterosexual and not in a coma or dead. Chances are, your boyfriend is attracted to this chickie — as he is to dozens of hot young things and a few still-warm middle-aged things he sees throughout his day. There are ways to prevent this sort of unauthorized lust: 1. Chain him to your living room media center for the rest of his natural life. 2. Only date men who are legally blind.
        The truth is, beauty is eyeball-grabbing. I’m as straight as plate glass, and I ogle beautiful women. Straight guys sneak glances at Jude Law. Purty is purty. Meanwhile, on a Crimes Against The Relationship scale, your boyfriend merely asked you about this girl.”
        With every passing year, more and more women will be younger and hotter than you. If your boyfriend wants to run off with one of them, there’s nothing you can do. All you can do is keep up your “curb appeal,” be confident about what you have to offer, and make your relationship someplace you both want to be. He seems to be making an effort, at least to look like he isn’t looking. Let him have his secrets and you can have yours — like, that the catalog of Victoria’s doesn’t actually come in the mail looking like a classified document: blacked-out pictures with only sizes and descriptions, an errant manicured hand or toe, and the return policy.

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

  • Details
        Among President Sarkozy’s recent moves to trim the size of the French government was the layoff of half of the 165 physiotherapists at the taxpayer-funded National Baths of Aix-les-Bains. The pink-slipped masseurs warn that the country’s health will be at risk if people are unable to get the mud wraps, thermal baths and deep-tissue massages covered by national health insurance (along with subsidized transportation and lodging for the visits). In fact, 27 of the physiotherapists immediately went on sick leave for depression. Among Sarkozy’s other targets of government bloat, according to a July Wall Street Journal dispatch: figuring out why France employs 271 diplomats in India but more than 700 in Senegal.

    COMPELLING EXPLANATIONS
        Edward Defreitas, 36, was arrested in Toms River, N.J., in June and accused of causing a three-vehicle collision that injured two men in a car and sent two others (paramedics riding in an ambulance) to the hospital. Defreitas told police that he had been drinking and had decided to drive around until he sobered up: “He (said he) was afraid to go home and his mother finding alcohol on his breath.”

    COMPELLING EXPLANATIONS
        School custodian Anthony Gower-Smith, 73, was awarded the equivalent of about $75,000 in June in London’s High Court after suing Britain’s Hampshire County government when he hurt himself falling off a 6-foot stepladder. Gower-Smith claimed that he had not been properly “trained” on how to use it, despite his long-time experience with such ladders, and despite his signed acknowledgment that he had indeed received training, and despite his having blamed himself just after he fell. (He disavowed the self-blame by saying that, at the time, he was woozy and didn’t remember what he said.)
     
    COMPELLING EXPLANATIONS
        People would hardly expect a brawl at the Guilford (Maine) Historical Society, but in May, member Al Hunt, who was irate that rare photographs of the town had been loaned to a local restaurant, might have bumped against the society’s secretary, Zarvin Shaffer. According to witnesses, Shaffer then punched Hunt in the face, Hunt’s wife grabbed a chair, and Shaffer’s son yanked Mrs. Hunt away by her hair.
        In April, the Sycamore (Ill.) City Council voted to quadruple the fine for overstaying a parking meter (from 25 cents to $1). The city’s 360 meters themselves will remain at a penny for 12 minutes, a nickel for an hour and a dime for two hours.

  • Details
        It’s clearly no secret. Gas prices are increasing the sales of motorcycles and scooters across the nation. And while simply making the purchase and moving to a two-wheeled transportation vehicle will change the amount of change in your pocket after leaving the fuel pumps, you can get even more. {mosimage}
    Employing a few of these tips and tricks will enable you to extract even more fuel mileage from your already great fuel mileage machine. This is all with the goal of leaving more money for you and less money for the oil companies.
        •The way you ride . Yes, the way you ride will affect your fuel mileage perhaps more than anything else. The less gears you shift, the less jerking back and forth you do.
        • Try to keep your RPMs within the power band. In different makes and different models this will be slightly different — experiment a bit to find that sweet RPM spot where your bike operates optimally.
        •Cut down on the revving. Yeah, I know, it sounds great. It’s sweet to hear and makes your heart pump a bit faster. This is one of the best ways to save on gas consumption.
        •A clean air filter. It doesn’t take that much extra effort to keep your air filter clean. •Tire pressure. When was the last time you checked the air in your tires? Believe it or not, many people over look this — particularly those who do their own maintenance. Not only is a properly inflated tired a more safe tire, but it also boosts your MPG. So, get out the gauge  and check your tire pressure.
        •Make your bike lighter. How many unneeded accessories do you have on your bike at the moment? Take ‘em off. If they’re something you use on a regular basis, OK — keep ‘em on. But if they’re not essential to the use of your bike or where your going or what you’re doing, take ‘em off and only put them on when they’re needed. The lighter your bike, the less the engine needs to work to propel you and the less fuel you’ll burn.
        •Tighten up. Zip your jacket and if your helmet has a face mask pull it down. Clothes flapping in the wind, or anything for that matter, will increase your air friction and decrease your fuel mileage.
        •Plan your rides. Do your best to avoid traveling when the highways are going to be packed and filled with other traffic. The more obstructions on the road, the less you’ll be able to adhere to other fuel saving tips and the more fuel you’ll be burning.

  • Details

    The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Rated PG-13) 1 Star   

    {mosimage}Godfather 3. Alien 3. Batman Forever. Did Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (112 minutes) manage to equal these famously horrendous missteps? No, primarily because the former three franchises started out totally punk rock. Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is the lackluster final entry in a franchise that wasn’t all that interesting to begin with. What is especially painful about this particular series is all the wasted potential. The mummy is a great villain, and everyone loves a nice Indiana-style adventure. Sadly, director Rob Cohen and the writers manage to hack out even the marginal charm offered in the first two movies. This may be called The Mummy, but the protagonist is actually, (eyeroll) a terra cotta warrior.
        The film begins by ripping off a few Ang Lee movies — and it is very pretty to look at, especially when Zi Juan (Michelle Yeoh) appears. Zi Juan is a witch and the villainous Emperor Han (Jet Li) wants her to make him immortal. He instructs his loyal general, Ming (Russell Wong) that no one is to touch her. The two fall in love (duh) and the Emperor Han takes his revenge just before Zi Juan reveals that she has not made him immortal, she has cursed him and his army.
        Is it over yet? Sadly, no. The film skips ahead to 1947, where retired phallocentric explorer Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and his vapid eyed, poorly characterized wife Evelyn (Maria Bello) are bored with civilian life, while their son Alex (Luke Ford) is digging up tombs in China. Alex successfully unearths the tomb of the Dragon Emperor, and the British government calls his parents out of retirement to escort a valuable jewel from Britain back to China. After the elder O’Connell’s arrive at the Shanghai nightclub owned by Evelyn’s avaricious brother Jonathan (John Hannah), the family O’Connell head to the museum housing Alex’s finds. There, they discover a General Yang (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang) with his second command Choi (Jessey Meng) engaged in a plot to raise the evil Emperor Han.
        As the insipid, lifeless dreck called a movie enters the third act I am tempted to leave, but I stay despite the growing agony I experience as my brain tries to find sense amidst the jumble of different mythologies thrown together on the screen. And what is that smell? Oh, it’s the climax of the film! Despite the conveniently numerous powers displayed by the Emperor (shape-shifting, elemental control, flight, super strength, regeneration), he is unable to kill the O’Connells. If I had the power to control ice and water, it would take me about five seconds to freeze the blood in their bodies — which would have shaved a good hour off this padded beyond belief movie.
        This joyless (and pointless) exercise in mediocrity cannot even be enjoyed on an ironic so-bad-its-good level. The plot holes are big enough to drive a truck through, the dialogue is moronic, the acting is sophomoric and the plot is convoluted. Bottom line: waste of their time to make it, waste of my time to see it. Where’s the Scorpion King when we need him?

  • Details

    Myths and Legends Combines Oprah with The King
       

        On the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, TV Land’s Myths and Legends (Saturday, 8 p.m.) delves into the mysteries surrounding his life. But it doesn’t do so with what you’d call journalistic rigor. What of the idea that Elvis and Oprah Winfrey are distant cousins? After suggesting that Oprah’s people “may have been” owned by Elvis’ people pre-Civil War, a reputed authority observes that plantation owners “often” fathered children by their slaves. It’s not exactly an airtight case, but that doesn’t stop TV Land from hauling a former Elvis girlfriend in front of the camera to observe, “Elvis would have been thrilled and honored to be tied to Oprah in any way.” Never mind that he hadn’t heard of Oprah before he died in 1977.
        {mosimage}Then there’s the perennial question of Elvis’ death. Did it really happen? “I still don’t feel him gone,” says a former backup singer. That doesn’t really prove anything, but then author Gail Giorgio drops the bombshell: Elvis’ corpse was really a wax dummy. The famous National Enquirer coffin photograph appeared to show beads of sweat, and Giorgio notes that “wax will bead up in the hot sun.”

    SCARE TACTICS
    Wednesday, 10 p.m. (Sci Fi)
        Sci Fi’s sadistic candid-camera series used to be funny every once in a while. Folks would give the producers permission to scare their unwitting friends with horror-movie scenarios. An alien would appear at a car window, the friend would scream, and everybody would laugh, including the relieved friend.
        But this season, I haven’t been laughing. The setups have crossed the line from cruelly amusing to just plain cruel. A female college student cowers as a homicidal stalker breaks into an office and advances on her. Who thinks up sick stuff like that?
        Wait a minute — what’s that behind you, Scare Tactics? Oh my God, it’s the president of the Sci Fi network, and he’s going to cancel the series! Run! Run!

    OLYMPICS
    Through Aug. 24 (NBC)
        I’ll be waving a little American flag during this week’s basketball, gymnastics and boxing competitions. Let’s hope our steroids are stronger than their steroids.

    10 MOST SHOCKING MENTAL DISORDERS
    Friday, 9 p.m. (E!)
        E! takes a break from counting down the hottest bodies and the hottest billionaire’s daughters to get serious for a minute. “10 Most Shocking Mental Disorders” counts down the hottest celebrity breakdowns, from Mary-Kate Olsen’s eating disorder to Katharine McPhee’s bulimia to Kirsten Dunst’s depression.
        Did you know that the American Psychological Association now recognizes Being Driven Mad by E! Countdowns as an authentic mental disorder?

  • Details
        Transplanted Maine recording artist Sarah Hockridge, along with bassist Daniel Coffin, make up local acoustic rock act Ophir Drive.
        Actually, that’s not quite right. According to Hockridge — who works at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum — she performs “rockoustic,” a mixture of rock and acoustic with just a little bit of her own unique style. {mosimage}
        And while the 24-year-old native of Maine has music that’s much more than simply the sum of its acoustic rock parts, she is also much more than just a singer/songwriter who plays the local coffee house scene, performing original songs mixed with covers: She is a classically trained opera singer who excels on the piano and earned her chops in New York’s music clubs, including the legendary CBGBs, the birthing ground for such iconic bands as Blondie, the Talking Heads and the Ramones.
        However, she’s a long, long way from the Big Apple and its big, diverse music scene.
        “Fayetteville’s definitely different from New York,” said Hockridge. “But the people who have come to my shows have been very, very supportive. The tough thing is finding venues that are open to original music.”
    Indeed, Fayetteville’s clubs — long known as bastions of heavy rock and cover bands — can be a tough nut to crack for a female act playing original songs on an acoustic guitar. Hockridge has resorted to performing in intimate settings that suit her style, especially coffee houses such as The Java Bean and The Coffee Scene, though her influences include bands not known as standard bearers of sensitivity.
        “My favorite bands and musicians include Led Zeppelin, Ben Harper, Pink Floyd, Shakira and Sarah McLachlan,” said Hockridge. “I like a pretty eclectic mix of music, though it’s hard to hear those influences in my music.”
        And that’s not to say Hockridge’s music is the stare-at-the-floor-while-you-cry-into-your-beer type of stuff; she says as the word spreads about her shows she’s seeing more of our local hard-as-tacks soldiers at her shows tapping their feet and cheering her rhythmic brand of rockoustic.
        And she’s not strictly acoustic; the self-taught guitarist owns a Gibson ES-175 — an ax used by past and present jazz greats, as well as rockers such as Steve Howe of Yes.
        And like all things worthwhile, finding her dream guitar came at quite a cost.
        “I was in a vintage guitar shop in New York and walked up some stairs and there it was,” said Hockridge. “It was like angels were singing and halos were everywhere and I knew it was mine. It cost so much that I had to eat Ramen noodles for three months afterwards.”
        While Hockridge hasn’t yet shifted her gastric gears from noodles to caviar, she has found critical success with her work. Her song “Write Me Off” made it into Billboard Magazine’s year-end top 10 list, while her newest CD, Harmonic Half Life, is taking off and is available for purchase at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum gift shop.
        As for her long-term goals, Hockridge harbors bigger hopes for the future.
        “I would like to eventually perform for the USO,” said Hockridge. “One of my dreams is to surprise my husband by showing up at place he’s stationed and play. That would be awesome.
        “Of course, ultimately, it would be nice to not have to work and be able to write songs all day,” added Hockridge.
        If you want to catch Hockridge before she begins climbing the charts or boarding a jet for faraway locales such as Iraq and Afghanistan, she is playing a free show at The Coffee Scene on Saturday, Aug. 23, at 9 p.m.
        In addition to original music, she performs such covers as Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” Jeff Buckley’s version of “Hallelujah,” and 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up.”
        “I play about a 60/40 mix of originals to covers,: said Hockridge. “And if I make just one person at a live show feel something, then I’ve done my job.”

  • Details
        Dear EarthTalk: How does congestion toll pricing, used in some cities around the world, cut down on vehicle traffic and promote green-friendly public transit?       
                                    — Bill Higley, via e-mail {mosimage}

        Despite increasing green awareness and steadily rising gasoline prices, Americans and other denizens of the developed world — not to mention millions of new Chinese and Indian drivers hitting the road every week — are loath to give up the freedom and privacy of their personal automobiles. But snarled traffic, longer commute times and rising pollution levels have given city transportation planners new ammunition in their efforts to encourage the use of clean, energy-efficient public transit. One of the newest tools in their arsenal is so-called congestion pricing (also called variable toll pricing), whereby cars and trucks are hit with higher tolls if they access central urban areas at traditionally congested times.
        Singapore was the world’s first major city to employ congestion pricing in 1975 when it began charging drivers $3 to bring their vehicles into the city’s central business district. The system has since expanded citywide, with toll rates at several locations changing over the course of a day. Funds generated by the program have allowed Singapore to expand and improve public transit and keep traffic at an optimal flow. Some of the tangible benefits of the program, according to Environmental Defense, include a 45 percent traffic reduction, a 10 miles-per-hour increase in average driving speed, 25 percent fewer accidents, 176,000 fewer pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted, and a 20 percent increase in public transit usage.
        London implemented a similar plan in 2003 that was so successful it was extended to some outlying parts of the city in 2007. Today, drivers pay $13 to bring their vehicles into certain sections of London during peak traffic hours. According to the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, London’s plan has significantly reduced traffic, improved bus service and generated substantial revenues. Environmental Defense says the plan reduced congestion by 30 percent, increased traffic speed by 37 percent, removed 12 percent of pollutants from the air and cut fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 20 percent.
        A 2006 congestion pricing experiment in Stockholm produced similar results, shrinking commute times significantly, reducing pollution noticeably and increasing public transit use during a seven-month test. The day after the trial ended, traffic jams reappeared, so Stockholm voters passed a referendum to reinstate the plan. Today the city has one of the most extensive congestion pricing systems in the world.
        Perhaps the next major city to implement congestion pricing will be New York, if Mayor Michael Bloomberg gets his way. In July 2007, the state legislature rejected Bloomberg’s first such proposal — which would have used funds collected to pay for expansions and improvements to the regional public transit system — but ever-increasing congestion and pollution might force lawmakers’ hand in the future.
        “A congestion pricing plan is the most cost-effective way to jump-start transit improvements and reduce traffic congestion,” says Wiley Norvell of Transportation Alternatives, one of a handful of groups working with Bloomberg to craft a version of the plan that will fly with state lawmakers. With two-thirds of New Yorkers opposed, it looks like an uphill battle for now, but advocates say passing such rules is inevitable.

        CONTACTS: Environmental Defense, www.environmentaldefense.org; Transportation Alternatives, www.transalt.org.

        GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

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        In the game of North Carolina politics Democrats have some young star players who are, right now, just sitting on the bench.
        My son got me thinking about how strong that “bench” is when he sent me a link to the blog of Calvin Cunningham, a former state senator, who is now serving as an Army officer in Iraq. ( http://thefocalpoints.blogspot.com/” ).
        {mosimage}Cunningham, who will be 35 in a few days, was on a fast track to statewide and perhaps national office when he won election to the state senate shortly after he graduated from law school. But his career in the state senate ended when his district was “adjusted” to make it almost impossible for a Democrat to win.
    After his first round of elective politics, Cunningham focused on his law practice, his growing family, and service in the Army Reserve. That reserve duty has resulted in multiple tours of duty in Iraq.
        If the time comes again for him to run for public office, his political and military experience would make him a serious contender.
        There are others in my son’s and Cunningham’s generation whose initial forays in elective politics have not been successful. But in gaining the rare experience of running statewide campaigns, each of them showed strong character, attractive talents, and resilience.
        In 2000, a very young lawyer from Rockingham County ran against Beverly Perdue in the Democratic primary for Lt. Governor. Although, Perdue beat him soundly, Ed Wilson gained lots of friends and admirers. Today he is serving as a superior court judge and is also active in the Army Reserve. Perhaps, the judiciary will be his lifetime career. But should he feel the call to run for statewide office again, I would expect to see a very strong candidate.
        J.B. Buxton is another young unsuccessful statewide candidate who would make a strong candidate if he should try again. Buxton finished a strong third in the 2004 Democratic primary for Superintendent of Public Instruction, behind ultimate winner June Atkinson. Buxton remains active in state political and educational matters.
        More recently, Hampton Dellinger lost a hard-fought race to Walter Dalton in the 2008 Democratic primary for Lt. Governor. It might be too soon for him to think about another statewide race. But his campaign this year against a tough opponent proved that he has what it takes to be a winning candidate. Dellinger’s experience working in the offices of the attorney general and the governor give him assets that many aspiring candidate would covet.
        All these current “bench warmers” are about 40 years old.
        In the meantime, we should be thankful that such good people, these and many more, are “in reserve.”
    If they think that one political defeat puts an end to their political potential, they should remember the example of our current governor, Mike Easley. His first statewide run, a race against Harvey Gantt in the 2000 Democratic primary, ended in a loss. But he gained experience, supporters, and respect.
        Sometimes the lessons of defeat are better in the long run than those learned in winning. Dr. Charles Hamner, former president of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, told me that, when searching for business executives to lead start up biotech businesses, the best candidates were often those whose prior businesses had failed. Why? Because in dealing with the challenges of a struggling, ultimately failing, business, they had shown they could handle they worst situations without breaking or losing their spirits.

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        The proposed Employee Free Choice Act would deprive millions of American workers of their freedom of choice — proving, in case anyone ever doubted it, that there is no truth-in-labeling rule in politics.{mosimage}
        The federal legislation, pushed heavily by labor unions in Washington and the states, has been making waves in North Carolina politics, with state and federal lawmakers choosing up sides, mostly along predicable lines (Democrats in favor, Republicans opposed). The bill would among other things institute a system for union organizing that is innocuously referred to as “card check.” Rather than holding workplace elections by secret ballot, as is the current law, card check would require union organizers simply to collect enough signed cards to establish union representation in a given workplace.
        The unions want to change the rules of American labor law because they’re frustrated. Union membership in the private sector has been declining for decades. To union leaders, the trend proves that the rules must be rewritten.
    If you have young children or have spent much time around them at the playground, you’ve seen this behavior before. While they’re playing a given game, everything’s fine. But then a child loses, gets disappointed, and turns sullen. “That’s not fair!” he’ll scream out petulantly. You can explain that fair rules are meant to ensure that everyone gets a chance, not to ensure a particular result, but you’ll waste your time. Most kids just outgrow the phase.
    Unless, that is, they go to work for a labor union.
        Most Americans have no interest in joining a union, much less in being compelled to pay dues into a union whether they join or not. There’s no corporate conspiracy at work here — public-opinion surveys about unionization pretty much comport with the results of workplace elections, so the latter aren’t systemically flawed.
        Many of the politicians who advocate the card-check bill would be the first to complain if a state or foreign country got rid of secret ballots. They’d properly recognize the move as a precursor to ostracism, intimidation, or corruption. But when it comes to labor elections, they appear to believe that the end justifies the means. What they’ll really get is a voting system reminiscent of Zimbabwe or Turkmenistan.
        As it happens, I think the best policy for the federal government would be utter neutrality about the hows and wheres of labor organizing. Unions would be free to organize themselves in any way they wish, workers would be free to join or not to join them according to the unions’ rules, and employers would be free to recognize a union or disregard it altogether, without any governmental involvement. Workers would be free to withhold their labor if they wish, and employers would be free to terminate them and hire other workers if they wish.
        Unfortunately, that’s not the system we have, nor are we likely to get it anytime soon. Under decades-old labor law, unions can use the power of government to enforce their dictates and supervise their negotiations with employers. So it becomes necessary for policymakers to have a say in setting the rules for workplace elections.
        In North Carolina, Sen. Elizabeth Dole and other Republican lawmakers will speak out against the card-check legislation next month at an event in Hickory. The stakes are significant in our state, which has one of the lowest rates of unionization in the country. According to an analysis earlier this year by the Heritage Foundation, some 3.1 million North Carolina workers could lose their freedom of choice if the so-called Employee Free Choice Act were enacted into law.
        And all to satisfy the personal and political interest of a few.

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        African dance has a unique beauty in its rhythmic action and is a form of communication that demonstrates emotion, sentiments and beliefs through movements. It can vary from the slowest movement to a movement so rapid that the eye cannot register what is happening. During the days of slavery the African slaves entertained themselves and others with musical and dance forms that contained elements they brought with them from Africa.       
        “My theory is if we understand different cultures we will not have a tendency to fear or be biased,” said Shea-Ra Nichi, instructor of African dance. “It would benefit everyone to have better clarity of other cultures and who they are.”                  
        {mosimage}Nichi is passionate about African dance culture and is launching her own dance technique. She teaches the movements and traditional music found in Haiti, Brazil, Cuba and the Congo, Africa, with live drumming. “It started in 2002 when I went away to Europe, France, Spain and Germany with a Haitian dance company,” said Nichi. “During this tour I learned more about Haitian dance.”
        Nichi added that when she returned people were interested in her teaching a class about different forms of African dance. This led to the development of her company.                       
    Niche’s dance classes will be held on Aug. 16 and Aug. 30 from 1:30-3 p.m. at the   Cumberland Dance Academy. “We will be doing ongoing classes in September,” said Nichi. “The maximum number of students I can have in one class is 32.”                    
        Nichi is an accomplished dancer, director and choreographer who has been performing professionally since age 8. She studied professional theater in New York City and has traveled to Haiti, Europe and Brazil researching and learning all forms of African cultural dance. Nichi has mastered these dance techniques for more than 15 years. Bennett Estaphane, dance partner, plays the drums and is the rhythm to Nichi’s dance technique. “He’s been with me since the very beginning,” said Nichi. 
        Future plans for Nichi include teaching classes at Elite Marshall Arts School located in downtown Fayetteville. She will teach a Brazilian Marshall Arts class and a Pilate’s class.      
        “I have a very strong influence in my natural movement,” said Nichi. “I have been doing it for a while and it is a very natural way for me to move now.”        
        The cost is $15 per class.  People of all ages and levels are invited. Cumberland Dance Academy is located in Hope Mills at 5470 Trade St. For more information call 862-5378 or 474-1134.

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        Year after year the Arts Council of Fayetteville and Cumberland County has looked for ways to help artists flourish and to build a community enhanced by the arts. {mosimage}
        If you’re not personally involved in the local arts community, you may think the council’s exhibit at the 4th Friday gallery crawl is the pinnacle of its interaction with local artists and the community. Not true. Advocacy for artists and an artistic culture in the community is an ongoing process. Creation: the Acquisition Exhibition is a remarkable example of how the Arts Council and a local corporation lead the way in partnerships.
        In short, Creation was a result of a call for art by the Cape Fear Valley Health System to purchase original works for its new patient tower. In partnership with the Arts Council, CFVHS decided to host a competition and an exhibit which resulted in 34 works of original art being purchased by the hospital. The purchase of that many works of art at one time by a corporation is unprecedented in the area and demonstrates the positive changes taking place in our community.
        The action by CFVHS to purchase such a large body of work by artists reflects its commitment to support the diverse and extensive talent we have in our area. They singlehandedly have lead the way as an example of a substantial partnership between business and the arts.
        Something this large in scale does not just happen. First and foremost, a group or an individual has to believe in the talent of local artists and want to support local artistic commerce. William Avenel, vice president and chief information officer for the Cape Fear Valley Health System, was the individual who had the vision to support local artistic commerce. He approached the Arts Council looking at ways to buy work from area artists for the new building.
        Several key elements factor into the equation. Avenel has a background in the arts (a bachelor’s degree in art from the University of New Orleans and a master’s of fine art from the University of Alabama) and understood the importance of purchasing original works. He and CFVHS were ready and committed to monetarily supporting the local artistic community.
        In addition, the Arts Council was poised and prepared to undertake the partnership. Margo Jarvis, director of marketing and development for the Arts Council, said, “They had a budget and architectural plans in hand almost two years ago. After brainstorming ways to create a pool of original works to select from, a call for art and an exhibition was planned.”
        Jarvis also commented on how much the Arts Council “applauds the leadership of CFVHS and hopes other businesses will consider partnering with the Arts Council.”
        She added, “Although it may not seem like it at the time, purchasing just one original work from local and area artists means you are investing in the economic development of your community.”
        Avenal, the CFVHS, and Arts Council now lead the way in a win-win situation. Local artists were supported and the hospital has purchased some excellent work. Not only can the hospital pride itself on its support of the community which supports it, but many of those works will appreciate in value.
        To get the process started, the Arts Council issued a call for art for inclusion in Creation. As a result, nearly 250 pieces of artwork were submitted by 76 artists from 29 cities in North Carolina, with 44 juried into the show. Thirty-four pieces of artwork were selected for purchase and placement in the Valley Pavilion.
    Although representationalism dominated the exhibit, I was still very pleased to see some variety in style. For example, two abstract mixed-media works by Dwight Smith and two abstract paintings by Fayetteville State University art student Michael Romagano were purchased. In addition, a beautiful fabric wall hanging by Martha Sisk was purchased.
        Upon visiting the exhibit, visitors and artists will recognize many of the local artists whose work was selected for purchase.
        Already it seems as if more businesses have finally realized it is good business to support the local arts.     While in the process of reviewing the exhibit, I noticed Calvin Mims (art services coordinator for the arts council) showing the remaining works which were still available for purchase to Dr. Eric Roman and Dr. Clifton Cameron, dentists who are opening a practice in Fayetteville.
        Stephanie Robinson, an arts council board member, had mentioned the CFVHS initiative to the doctors. Both felt purchasing local art was an opportunity to support local artists. They hope to open Dental Works across from the Cross Creek Mall in early August with original local art work on the walls.
        Cameron said he was from Fayetteville and that Roman and he were “open to selecting different styles and media for their new office.” He further commented, “What is important for us as a business is to continue to support the arts and forge a long lasting relationship with the Arts Council.”
        Awareness for local talent doesn’t end with this exhibit. Mims informed me of a newly formed program he is coordinating at the Arts Council called “Art in the Workplace.” Mims stated, “The Creation competition has become a template for the Arts Council. At this time I am creating a library of images and information of local artists for businesses and individuals to view. The image library will be a way for visual artists to show their work on the Art Council’s Web site and sell work, or someone interested in their work can contact the artist directly.”
        {mosimage}For artists in the area, I personally hope you will continue or start to take advantage of the opportunities being made available to you by visiting the Arts Councils Web site, www.theartscouncil.com. The only way for more diversity in the arts to become a reality is for diverse artists to do their part in exhibiting and participating in the opportunities as they present themselves.
        Creation: The Acquisition Exhibition opened during the Fourth Friday activities, July 25 at the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County; and will remain open to the public through Aug. 16. As always, the exhibit is free, for more information, visit or call (910) 323-1776.

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        There are many cities across the nation that are known for the blues. Memphis may be king, but Fayetteville musicians also know a lot about the blues, and on Saturday, Aug. 9, they’ll let the smokey notes and soulful blues tunes tell their story at the 4th Annual Local Artist Blues Showcase.
        Held at the Pate Room in the Headquarters Library downtown, the event will dedicate five hours to some of the hottest licks and soulful sounds around. Featuring more than 13 different artist, the show is definitely something you don’t want to miss.
        Organized by Claudia Swartz, the idea for the show first came up in 2005 over Swartz’s morning coffee. Swartz, a musician herself, came to Fayetteville from Germany as a military spouse. She quickly found her niche in the thriving blues community. What she found was the talent, but unfortunately not many venues to showcase it. “After noticing a total disregard for local musicians in the hiring process for the city’s large festivals I made hundreds of trips downtown and talked to everybody including the mayor,” she recalled. “Since no one gave me any viable solutions for this dilemma, I decided to organize the Blues Showcase.”
        {mosimage}The first event came together on Aug. 16, 2005. The library facility was almost overwhelmed as more than 400 people came together to celebrate the blues. “It was filled to overflowing with people from all walks of life, nationalities, age or race,” she said. “They were treated to the finest blues bands in Fayetteville and the showcase tradition was born.”
        This year’s event stays true to its roots spotlighting only local talent. The headliners will include some of Fayetteville’s music veterans Bob Steele, Robbie Reid and Corky Jones, but it will also shine the light on some up and coming acts such as In that Tone, Mighty Blue, Cape Fear River Blues, Dave Brown, John Lyman, Mandy Barnes, Ray King and Cool Hand.
        “Each of these artists will lend their unique talent to this show,” she said. “We love our music passionately and were it taken away it would probably devastate us more than any other tragedy could. Our music is an expression of soul and mind that slumbers within the human psyche. Creativity at its best is the motto.”
        The event begins at 1 p.m. and runs through 6 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

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        Ashley, 15, says she was angry all the time.
        She got into fights at school.
        She was a discipline problem.
        She battled her temper like an angel wrestling with the devil.
        The good news is that in the fight for her soul and future, you can chalk one up for the seraphims. With the help of CommuniCare — a nonprofit agency under the auspices of the United Way of Cumberland County that counsels and mentors at-risk youth —  and the dedicated men and women in its employ, Ashley (her last name withheld by request) is now positively angelic.
        {mosimage}“I’ve been here since February and I feel it’s really helped me handle my emotions in a better way rather than just getting angry,” said Ashley, who parked her halo at the CommuniCare office long enough to talk about the help she’s received at the agency, “like just writing it down or expressing it in a different way.
    “I’ve stayed out of a lot of trouble that I could have gotten into if I wasn’t in this program,” said Ashley. “It gives me something to do with my time.”
        CommuniCare is getting ready to celebrate its 10th anniversary of providing troubled children and their families with guidance and help navigating the stormy years of adolescence. Among it’s many programs, CommuniCare helps the youth of Cumberland County battle the demons of substance abuse, gang activity and behavioral problems.
        John Bain, who works with the agency’s substance abuse program, says his job is bringing the diamond out of the lump of troubled coal that society often unceremoniously dumps at CommuniCare’s doorstep. And he knows he’s dealing with more than just angels with dirty faces.
        “By the time a kid comes to us they weren’t out of Bible study,” said Bain. “They’ve been pretty much run through the wringer. But I believe that 95 percent of our kids are salvageable.
        “And I’m not going to hype it,” added Bain. “I’ll say we have anywhere from a 25 to 40 percent success rate. But the wins make it worthwhile. It can be very rewarding, but you have to have the right frame of mind. If I’ve got seven kids and one of them makes it, that’s a success story. If you look at it any other way than this you’re not going to make it.”
        Formed a decade ago with the help of various county agencies and local political figures and businesses, CommuniCare helps children who might otherwise fall through the cracks of the social-support network, taking up where Smart Start leaves off, said Dr. Robin Jenkins, the non-governmental agency’s executive director.
        “Smart Start cuts off at age 5 — we start at age 6, on up to age 18,” said Jenkins. “A number of kids in middle and junior high school didn’t have a lot of services and didn’t have ways to coordinate those services. I get a feeling that the community really values us. The staff doesn’t turn over much, they seem very happy here. I equate that with us showing measurable differences in the lives of those children.”
    One of those children is Darryl, 16, who says the CommuniCare staff plucked him from a life on the mean streets that had him heading for a dead end.
        “I’ve been here since April,” said Darryl. “I was sent here because of my past. Things I did got me in trouble. Mr. Antonio (Antonio Gardner, the organization’s intensive services network care manager) brought me into the program. It’s helped me with anger and dealing with my peers and certain other things in life, like if I’m in the wrong place I know I can call him.”
        The case managers and employees at the agency become surrogate parents for many of the kids who come through the doors of CommuniCare, providing family support for those most in dire need, said Sarah Hemingway, the community programs director for Communicare.
        “I think one thing Robin has done is create a family atmosphere here,” said Hemingway. “That’s the way we work. We accept that these are kids and they may not always be nice and polite when they first get here, but they’re not going to be if we don’t provide that family-friendly atmosphere.
        “We have some youths that come through here in various programs that they become dependent upon,” said Hemingway. “Some of the kids call him (Robin) daddy. He is that role model with them. He holds them accountable and is pretty firm on those kinds of things but he is also very comforting, and kids really like to talk to adults about what they feel is important.”
        Of course, that closeness to the kids comes at a price.
        “You become attached to them,” said Hemingway. “It’s hard not to. You lose your heart to a lot of them.”
    CommuniCare doesn’t just work with the child, it pulls in the family and prescribes a treatment program involving the entire family unit. Unfortunately, unless court-ordered to do so, family members don’t have to be involved in the treatment of their children — it is a voluntary program.
        According to Richard Allingood, the program manager for the juvenile assessment center, when a youngster comes to or is referred to Communicare, an initial assessment is performed and the parents are also assessed regarding the child’s behavior.
        CommuniCare gets waivers to work with the at-risk children in the schools and once assessments have been scored, someone on the staff is assigned to work with that child. There is a sit-down with the parent(s) and a plan is devised as to where to plug that child in for services. A parent who is worried about a child having a drug problem is automatically assigned as a substance abuse education case. Children with anger management or behavioral problems are assigned to a different part of the agency.
        Allingood says that discipline problems seem to be on the rise.
        “Some of the kids today just fly off the handle so easily,” said Allingood,” so you have to determine if there’s a need for anger management.”
        In its 10-year existence, CommuniCare’s budget has grown from $250,000 to about $1.5 million, receiving funding from Cumberland County Community Development, the United Way, the Governor’s Crime Commission, the Juvenile Crime Prevention Program, the General Assembly, fundraising and grant writing.
    Jenkins says CommuniCare  — which serves about 1,000 families a year — faces constant funding challenges with a budget that always seems stretched thin; however, he says society can pay now for a pre-emptive strike, or pay more later — much more, when untreated children wind up in the already overcrowded prison system.
        “It should not be so hard to do the right thing,” said Jenkins.”It’s hard fundraising. I’m very, very thankful for the money we get; we have extraordinarily good relationships with state government, juvenile justice, county government and the United Way — I’m very thankful for all that and am very appreciative.
        “Money’s tight and sometimes it’s so hard to convince people that if you put money on the front end of the system and you do it comprehensively, you save a whole, whole lot of money on the back end, plus you raise healthier children. What a lot of people see is these are bad kids... you need to give them accountability and if they’ve done something you need to put them in a training camp or a training school. As long as that thinking succeeds, then it’s an uphill battle.”
        CommuniCare will celebrate its 10th anniversary with an open house from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 17. For more information about the open house, call 829-9017.

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    I believe that water is the only drink for a wise man. 
                                   — Henry David Thoreau

        {mosimage}Slaking your thirst in Cumberland County can be an expensive proposition when you consider well drilling costs that run into the thousands of dollars, a Cumberland County well permit that sets you back $120, and a new state law that went into effect July 1 requiring an inspection for 20 contaminants and which is expected to bump up the cost by several hundred dollars
        Such costs, as well as recently publicized problems concerning contaminated water here in Cumberland, have led many residents to call for a countywide water system — something found in neighboring counties Robeson, Hoke, Bladen and Harnett. However, if these folks are worried about the rising costs of digging a well, they “ain’t seen nothing yet “— cost estimates for a countywide water/sewer system run in excess of $120 million. And that’s based on a 1990 update of a 1969 study.
        “Any solution to the need for clean water throughout the county is going to be expensive,” said Cumberland County Manager James Martin, “and will require the support of citizens.”
        In 1994, voters defeated a bond referendum designed to fund a plan to provide countywide water and sewer. Of course, a bond referendum means higher taxes — something that doesn’t sit well with Andy Sellers, who lives on Chicken Foot Road.
    “I’ve already got a well and a septic tank and my water tastes better than anything that would come out of a county system,” said Sellers as he pumped gas into his Chevy pick-up at a Kangaroo convenience store on the outskirts of Hope Mills. “My taxes are high enough without one for water I don’t need.”
    But then there are folks like Janice Stolt, who lives outside Stedman and is scared not of the monetary costs of well water, but the health costs.
        “You just don’t know what you’re drinking anymore,” said Stolt. “I’ve got grandchildren that drink well water and I worry about what kind of chemicals are going into their bodies.”
        Cumberland County has a long history of water and well contamination issues. For example, in September 2006, water fountains and sinks at J.W. Seabrook Elementary School were turned off after coliform bacteria was found in the school’s well water. The cafeteria was forced to hand out bag lunches and the whole problem ended up costing $350,000 when the Fayetteville Public Works Commission extended a public water line  to the school.
        The contamination conundrum was once again placed on the front burner following a February meeting of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners in which two county residents, Debra Stewart and James Creager, expressed concerns about well water contaminated with chemicals such as benzene, arsenic and nitrates.
        Contaminated wells have been verified in recent months on Rim Road and Chicken Foot Road.
        Dr. Jeannette Council, vice chairman of the board of commissioners, said she knew there was a problem with contaminated wells, but the Feb. 19 meeting really drove the point home.
        “We have a tremendous challenge in finding what we can do to ensure that our citizens have potable water,” said Council. “I don’t think we realized how many contaminated wells there are in the county.”
        There are more than 100,000 wells in Cumberland County, with approximately 400 new well permits issued each year.
    Martin said he has no idea how many contaiminated wells there are in the county; however, he emphasized there are procedures property owners need to follow to ensure they have potable water.
        “Property owners of new wells should get the required permits, construct the wells to current standards, and have the water sampled,” said Martin. “Existing well owners should be sure the wells are properly constructed to include grout and appropriate well-head protection and that proper setbacks from potential pollutants are maintained. Bacteriological sampling and inorganic chemical sampling are suggested. Water testing can be done by a private lab or by applying for and paying a user’s fee at the county health department’s location at the courthouse.”
        In addition to going through all the official channels to ensure well water is safe to drink, county officials formed a task force on Feb. 27 to identify sites in the county where groundwater has been contaminated, as well as to examine the feasibility of a countywide water/sewer service. The 10-member Safe Water Task Force is made up of public health officials, utilities employees and state officials. 
        The Safe Water Task Force will eventually make recommendations to the board of commissioners, though it will not suggest ways to pay for a water system.
        Surrounding counties, all much poorer than Cumberland County, have utilized state and federal grants to implement a countywide water system — something County Commissioner Diane Wheatley says the county must explore.
    “We need to get grants to help pay for this,” said Wheatley. “It’s a big issue, perhaps the biggest one facing the county.”
    The county has set aside approximately $3 million for the Safe Water Fund.
        County Commissioner Kenneth Edge affirmed that figure is not nearly enough and that the onus of funding a water/sewer system will probably fall into the laps of the county’s taxpayers, saying that Cumberland County’s population density makes it more difficult to get the grants surrounding counties have received.
        Still, he says a new water/sewer system is vital for the growth of the area.
        “This should have been done 20 years ago,” said Edge. “But you can’t look in the rear view... you’ve got to look through the front windshield.
        “A bond referendum would be the quickest way to get it done,” said Edge. “But that would require an increase in taxes.”

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        It’s time for the annual back-to-school essay. This summer we went to Italy to study the effects of the devaluation of the dollar against the Euro. I am distressed to report that the dollar is worth about as much in Italy as a Dennis Kucinich for president button. Paying $4 for a small cup of coffee will wake you up. Excellent table wine is cheaper than Cokes, which run about seven bucks. Italy is even more expensive than Starbucks.
        We began in Venice which is the Blanche DuBois of Italian cities, dependent upon the kindness of strangers to keep her afloat. Venice is floating in dollars supplied by kindly American tourists. Wall-to-wall tourists as far as the eye can see. {mosimage}
        Italy invented the cool hat. Venice used to be run by leaders called doges who wore a hat that looks like Beldar Conehead had mashed his head backwards when entering a low door. I would like to be a doge. It was a pretty sweet gig. In addition to the neat hat, you got a really fancy crib with high gold ceilings and paintings of saints everywhere. As doge, they paint your picture on the walls so that tourists can see you 700 years after you have departed this mortal coil.
        There are no SUVs or pick-up trucks in Venice. In fact, there are no cars in Venice. Everyone has to walk. As a result there appears to be no fat Italians in Venice. Italians are a good looking bunch of people as a result of diet, exercise and lack of constant exposure to Paris Hilton. Not that I would notice, but Italian women tended to wear low-cut tops with short belly shirts exposing flat stomachs. American tourists tended to have large overhanging bellies and carried ice cream cones in their hands.
        In one of life’s mysteries, there are no toilet seats in men’s or women’s public restrooms in Italy. As Elvis would say, “There’s a whole lot o’ hovering going on.” The lack of toilet seats raises a number of existential questions. Where have all the toilet seats gone? Were they at an Italian toilet seat convention in Vegas during the time we were there? Had they been grabbed as a result of extraordinary rendition and sent to Gitmo for further questioning? Experienced American tourists were easily recognizable because they were the ones wearing the Wal-Mart toilet seats around their necks.
        We took a boat out to Murano Island where they make very expensive glass to sell to tourists. Murano resembles what Key West would look like after an apocalypse on the U.S. mainland. The buildings are a bit tired, probably from being hundreds of years old and the tourists are gone. We managed to miss the last direct boat back to Venice and accordingly took the local vaporetto ferry.
        The winding return route took us by San Michele Island which is the cemetery where Venetians finished with their earthly duties go to be buried in above ground crypts like in New Orleans. Famous deceased dudes Igor Stravinsky and Ezra Pound are spending eternity in the Cimitero. Having an island of the dead floating just offshore from the lively teeming streets of Venice is a bit jarring and not necessarily reassuring. As an example of Italian dark humor, there is a sculpture of two large green figures in a gondola floating in the water near the Cimitero. The lead figure is standing up and pointing toward the Cimitero as if telling Venice and its visitors that is where they will all end up. I think the seated figure in the rear of the boat is telling the pointing guy to sit down and return to Venice for a final glass of wine. As Hemingway once said, “It must have been pretty to think so.”
        Next, on to Florence, and not Florence, S.C.

  • Details
        {mosimage}Have you noticed on the Web sites of the big-box retailers there is a link entitled “What’s In The Box?” One click and you get a list of all the items you will get in the box when delivered or purchased at the store. The question is “What’s Not In The Box?” The answer is simple — service.
        After you have selected your item and proceeded to the “checkout,” you then get the service option, at a cost in addition to the purchase price of the item and “What’s In The Box?” A recent check on the Web sites of four different electronics retailers (all in Fayetteville) had service plans for the same item but a different cost on each site. The range was from $22 a year to $50 a year. Some have in-store service departments and others in which you have to call a toll-free number and then it’s “Pay attention as our menu options have changed recently….”
        I recently went to one of these retailers to purchase an item that was in a box about 3’ x 3’ in size, and weighed about 25 lb.. At the checkout counter the clerk asked if I wanted the service plan. As I deliberated, she mentioned “If you don’t buy it, then you will have to return the item to the manufacturer for service.”
    Notice the “you will have to return” part. Better save the box, just in case.
        On another occasion, a TV that I purchased came with a relatively inexpensive service plan (less than those above). When it stopped working properly, I called the toll-free number on the service plan agreement (I actually found it!) and I was told it would be repaired locally at a company I did not know. After two weeks I called to check on the status only to find out, after several attempts, that the repair company had lost their contract with the retailer because of, you guessed, it, poor service.
        Before the advent of the big-box folks, you bought your electronics and appliances from a local merchant who in most cases had grown up in the area, knew you, and if it broke, you took it to them or a repair facility with the same type of ownership and local connections. They either came to your house or made it right in the store, and didn’t extract from you a multi-year service plan for that SERVICE. They knew how to keep customers. When you called, they answered the phone, you were not put on hold, and they called you by name. Some of these folks are still in business and still give that same service because THEY come in the box. When your product doesn’t work, you give them a call and usually within 24 hours someone you know is at your door.
        Granted that the smaller retailers now have a service charge to come to your house, but you don’t pay it until you need it. With the big-box folks, you pay it regardless, and whether it’s on the phone or at the counter, how may times does the first person you talk to know how to resolve your problem? It’s always “You will need to speak to my supervisor.... He/she will be back in a few minutes.”
        The key is what comes in the box — toll-free numbers and long lines or someone you know.

  • Details
        Since the spring of this year, the Dicksons have been attending weddings.                                                                        We have been to one almost every weekend since June, some in Fayetteville and some out of town, some in churches and some in lovely outdoor settings. I even have an outfit I have come to think of as my “wedding dress.” All the brides and bridesmaids are beautiful and all the grooms and groomsmen handsome. Sitting in various pews and folding chairs, I have been pondering this nuptial surge and have realized, yet again, the cyclical nature of life.
        {mosimage}Three decades or so ago, we were doing exactly the same thing.
        Then the brides and grooms were our friends and contemporaries. Now they are the friends and contemporaries of our children, young people we have watched grow up and, in some instances, loved as our own. A lot has occurred in between.
        Shortly after we attended our first round of weddings three decades or so ago, we began receiving fewer of those invitations and more to a different sort of social event — the baby shower. It has been a while, but I remember these occasions as fairly staid and fairly scripted, with the mother-to-be opening presents and exclaiming over various baby items. These tiny things were usually pale yellow or pale green since knowing one’s baby’s gender before she announced herself was unusual. Most of the time, the dads were not present, but if they were, they were generally in another room watching a sporting event. Small green and yellow items were not of much interest.        
        Next came the ubiquitous birthday parties.
        These, of course, were far more energetic affairs, and I remember many of them vividly. We marked such happy occasions at bowling alleys, miniature golf courses, skating rinks and in backyards all over Fayetteville. There were cakes, candles and party-favor bags of candy, pencils and other goodies appealing to young children. The first mobile phone I ever saw arrived at one of these parties. The chatting mother had come to pick up her child, and, much to my amazement, she talked into what seems now like an enormous phone the entire time as she located her son and walked him out the door with a friendly wave but nary a word to me as they departed. Sometimes the birthday boy or girl was simply overwhelmed by the long-awaited occasion and was unable to contain his or her emotions or behavior. My most vivid memory of this occurred in our own yard when our just-turned-5-year-old was overcome by the excitement of having a Fayetteville Police Department K-9 unit visit that he lost it altogether and had to be excused to his room. I can still see a little nose pressed to the window as he watched his guests watching the dog as they ate ice cream cones.
        Think the Berenstain Bears book Too Much Birthday.
        The dreaded sleepover birthday deserves a column by itself.
        Then came graduations of all sorts.
        The first graduation I remember was from a Fayetteville Parks and Recreation summer program in Mazarick Park, and the young grads wore paper plate mortar boards held on by colored yarn on their heads. There were other graduations from pre-school and special programs of all sorts, but the big ones were high school and then college, with one of our precious jewels still working on that one. These are occasions guaranteed to bring tears to a mother’s eyes, along with many laments about how our little ones who once wore little yellow and green things and paper plates on their noggins became so grown up.
    The real question, of course, is how they grew from our arms into independent human beings when nothing happened to us.
        And now we have come full circle.
        The brides and grooms I see now will always, in some ways, be children to me. I changed some of their diapers. I dried some of their tears. I put bandages on some of their scrapes. I drove them in carpools and cooked pancakes for them on Saturday mornings. I knew when they made A’s on their report cards, and I knew when they were in trouble at school or at home. I miss their regular presence in our house, dirty socks on the floor and all.
        Mostly, though, I am shocked and awed at the people they have become.
        These brides and grooms have prepared for and are now executing their life plans. They have had bumps in the road with schools which did not accept them and jobs they did not get, but they are moving on, just as we did. The trappings of their world, mostly in the form of technology and communication, are faster and easier than ours, but the core values of family and community are solidly in place.
        I check my mailbox every day and look forward to an invitation to a baby shower.

  • Details

    County’s Safe Water Task Force Makes Progress

    (Editor’s Note: James Martin is the county manager for Cumberland County.)
        The Fayetteville Observer, in recent editorial columns, has charged Cumberland County staff with being both “secretive” and “barely adequate” in their response to the challenge of providing potable water throughout the county, especially those areas with contaminated wells. These charges are inaccurate and perhaps even mean-spirited. The Observer fails to acknowledge the ongoing and unrelenting work being devoted to solving this problem. Public servants are often fairly and unfairly maligned, but the newspaper should not demean the very good beginning that has been made.  {mosimage}
        The Safe Water Task Force was formed immediately after the problem of well-water contamination became known at a public hearing on a zoning matter on Feb. 19. The task force brought together professionals with expertise and responsibility about water issues, and set to work right away on defining the challenge, determining the tasks needing to be accomplished to move forward, and in building a record of the task force’s findings. (The Fayetteville Observer has been provided minutes of the task force meetings, a public record, when they have requested them.) To date, the task force has met four times and made an initial and a subsequent interim report at public, televised meetings of the board of commissioners. To say the task force is “secretive” is unfair — these were legal meetings of state and county staff members. The task force meetings are no more “secretive” than the Observer’s internal consideration of how to deal with the letter from a possible murder suspect in the tragic Touma case.
        The board of commissioners has appropriated $2.25 million this fiscal year to address critical water contamination issues and begin preparing engineering design requirements to extend water in the county. Also, the county has signed a contract with an engineer to design a water line to the Southpoint neighborhood.
        The county has met with the Town of Hope Mills and PWC staff to begin a project to bring a water line to the Brooklyn Circle neighborhood.
        Preliminary engineering design work is under way to bring sewer to the Overhills Park community for which federal grant funding has been authorized, though not yet appropriated.
        In a parallel effort, the Eastover Sanitary District is undertaking a project to extend its water lines east to the Sampson County line.
        County staff has begun creating a countywide integrated digital database for water lines and water contamination problems. 
        County staff has held productive discussions with water providers in the region including PWC, Eastover Sanitary District, Harnett County, Robeson County and Bladen County, about potential cooperative efforts to extend water lines.
    Communication between state and local agencies is being addressed and has improved.
        The board of commissioners adopted a policy requiring testing of wells in new subdivisions that are within 1,000 feet of contaminated ground water sites.
        In short, there is a lot going on. A fair-minded view of all this activity shows that the board of commissioners and county staff are giving water issues their top priority and utmost efforts.
        But the Observer has chosen to focus not on progress but on maligning the county for not inviting a reporter to a task force meeting of staff members. It is both legal and the customary practice of local governments in North Carolina to exclude the media from internal staff meetings. The newspaper even goes so far as to suggest that there should have been a reporter present at my recent meeting with the public health director about communication between the health department and state agencies, even though I had released to a reporter prior to this meeting both my memorandum to the public health director on this topic and the public health director’s response.
        {mosimage}The challenge of providing clean water will take time and money — and citizen support — as every commissioner has publicly recognized. It will be an expensive challenge, one that voters must support in a future bond vote in order to pay for clean water. We all remember that voters rejected a water and sewer bond referendum in 1994. The Observer has recently reported that there are still homeowners in Cumberland County who do not want to pay for having clean water piped into their neighborhoods.
        The county’s staff is wrestling with ways to address this priority for the county’s citizens. Private meetings are not necessarily “secret” meetings, and works in progress are not necessarily “bungled efforts.” Our progress will not be accelerated by mean-spirited criticism from our local newspaper. The first, necessary steps toward solutions are well underway.

  • Details

        When you think about the world’s most important resource your mind obviously jumps to oil. Wrong answer. Scientists tell us the world’s most important resource is water — clean, potable drinking water.
        For those of us living in the United States, that seems like an absurd idea. Everybody has water — but does everybody have clean water? The answer in Cumberland County is a resounding “NO.”
        Contamination of ground water is an issue that our county is going to have to face sooner, rather than later. Already, contaminated wells are cropping up throughout the county. For those affected, there are no easy answers. And for those who live in the vicinity, I would think that sleep would not come easy either.
        Like cancer, contaminated ground water tends to seep. It doesn’t remain in just one place, it moves, and the contamination grows. So, while today there may only be a handful of wells that are affected, what will that count be in six weeks, six months or six years? {mosimage}
        Cumberland County leaders do not have time to sit and wait to find out that answer. In fact, the county as a whole has waited too long. The county first began kicking around the idea of a countywide water system in 1969. Almost 40 years later, we’re back at the drawing board — kicking around the idea.
        Cumberland County’s biggest failure over the past century has been its inability to plan for the future. Instead, we sit back and wait for it to happen, and when a problem rears its head, like the issue of clean water, we’re left standing with our pants down. It doesn’t have to be this way.
        The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners exercised responsible government when they formed the Safe Water Task Force in February. The task force will, at some point in the near future, report back to the board on what it is has found and make recommendations for the best way Cumberland County can ensure that all of its citizens have clean water.
        At that point, the board must show their political will to do the right thing for the citizens of the county, but to a grea extent it falls into the laps of the citizens of Cumberland County. The commissioners can pursue grants and they can put a bond referendum forward to help fund the estimated $120 million it will take to pay for a countywide water system. But that’s all they can do.
        Then it will be in the hands of the voters who will have to decide what is more important — is it money or their very health? Each individual is going to have to answer some hard questions. What is it worth to you to know that the water you’re drinking is clean? What is it worth to you to know that you are not unknowingly poisoning your children? What is your neighbor’s life worth?
    Think about it.

  • Details
        I last wrote you upon learning my wife had three previous husbands, not two. After enduring her lies and spending issues, plus having her deny me sex for seven years (starting with a sharp elbow in my chest when I tried to spoon), I’m out. I’m thrilled it’s over, but terrified to start a relationship and possibly repeat the horror.
           —Some Encouragement, Please

        On seven separate occasions, Bank of America’s tellers handed out a total of $12,000 of my money to thieves, including a woman with missing teeth and a fake driver’s license in my name with the wrong expiration date. Meanwhile, their spokeslady, Betty Riess, brags to the media that they have “multiple layers of security.” Uh, such as...asking a thief whether she’d like my money in $10s, $20s or $100s? You probably have a similar method for vetting women — pretty much just hoping they are who they claim to be.     The good news is, finding an honest woman isn’t a crap shoot. Just be vigilant. Listen, observe, analyze. Take your time. Most people can’t entirely hide who they are unless you help by closing your eyes and crossing your fingers — behavior that can lead to dangerous unprotected sex; in your case, spooning without a hockey goalie chest guard.

    The Course of True Love
        I work at a big supermarket. I’m 21, and have a hot co-worker who’s 42. (I love older women!) I want to tell her I’m looking for a little bit of a girlfriend and sex, and see if she’s into it. I know I should show confidence without being cocky, and be direct, but what else?
                                —Very Interested

        By all means, be direct: Perhaps mention that she’s getting on in years, but you’re kinda into the older meat. And then, just get to it: “I’m looking for a little bit of a girlfriend and sex.” Surely, she’ll take it in stride: “Oh, that’s in aisle four, next to the hot cereals.” Of course, there’s another direct approach -- ask her out for a beer. Even if she senses what you’re after, as long as it isn’t spoken, you can both pretend you’re just thirsty and wondering whether she is, too. Depending on how drinks go, either give her a friendly hug goodnight or try to kiss her in the parking lot. Whatever happens, make it your policy never to blurt out exactly what you want from a woman -- that is, unless you’re trying to see whether you can afford her services.

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

  • Details
        The European Union allows fruits and vegetables to be sold only in prescribed sizes and colors (such as its 35 pages of regulations governing 250 varieties of the apple, or rules that cucumbers must be straight and bananas curved). In June, British marketer Tim Down complained that he was forced to discard 5,000 kiwi fruit because they were 1 millimeter in diameter too small and one-fourth ounce too light. (It is illegal even to give them away, as that would undermine the market price.) “Improvements” in the EU system continue, according to a July Washington Post dispatch from Brussels: Despite 10 pages of standards on the onion and 19 amendments, the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture recently issued a report urging further refinements, using 29 pages and 43 photographs.

    GREAT ART!
        Artist Michael Fernandes’ exhibit in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in June caused a commotion because it was merely a banana on a gallery’s window sill, and Fernandes had it priced at $2,500 (Cdn) (down from his original thought, $15,000). Actually, Fernandes changed bananas every day (eating the old one), placing progressively greener ones out to demonstrate the banana’s transitoriness. “We (humans) are also temporal, but we live as if we are not,” he wrote. Despite the steep price, two collectors placed holds on the “work,” requiring the gallery’s co-owner, Victoria Page, to get assurance from callers. “It’s a banana; you understand that it’s a banana?”

    GOVERNMENT IN ACTION
        In May, the school board in Barrie, Ontario, notified Children’s Aid Society to intervene with mother Colleen Leduc and her daughter Victoria, 11, because of suspected sexual abuse, angering the conscientious Leduc, who until that point had taken extraordinary measures to protect the girl, who is autistic. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the suspicion came from a teaching assistant who said her psychic had told her that a girl with a “V” in her name was being abused by a man aged 23 to 26. Leduc now refuses to trust Victoria to public schools because “they might want to take out a Ouija board or hold a seance.”


    PRISONER POWER
        The June transfer of a prisoner from lockup to Britain’s Northampton Crown Court, just across the street, required summoning the closest prison van (57 miles away) to come give him a ride. The prisoner (accused thief Mark Bailey) could not simply be walked across the street because officials feared that public, custodial exposure (a “perp walk”) would embarrass him, in violation of his “human rights.”

  • Details
        Summer is going by quickly and fall will be coming soon. This is prime time to enjoy the state by riding and camping. To help you prepare for a camping trip I’ll give you some tips on your packing list.{mosimage}
    First, you need to make sure you have bags for your bike or some way to transport the camping equipment. It does not take long to fill up a bike. Space quickly becomes prime real estate. Next, create a packing list. Write it out and make additions and deletions as needed. Here is a list of items you will want to take:  air mattress, camp saw, candles, collapsible chair, compass, cord, ground cloth, hatchet, Swiss Army knife or Leatherman, lantern, matches/lighter, sacks and/or bags, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, stakes/rope, tent and toilet paper.
        For cooking: camp stove and fuel, can opener, coffee making stuff, condiments, cooking pots/pans, corkscrew, cup(s), dish soap and pad, dish towel, drinks, food, garbage/trash bags, knife/fork/spoons, water bottle(s), coffee, salt and pepper and sugar and creamer.
        Bike items: bike cover, saddlebags, boots and socks, scarf, bungee cords, spare bulbs, cargo net, spare fuses, chain oil/wax, spare key(s), earplugs, tank bag, gloves, tire patch kit, helmet, tool kit, jackets, totes, windshield cleaner, Leatherman tool, lock/security stuff, oil, rain gear and rain gloves.
    Personal stuff: medications, brush, shampoo, casual clothes, shaving kit, chapstick, soap, comb, sunglasses, contact lenses and cleaner, toothbrush and toothpaste, dental floss, towel, waterless hand cleaner, Wet Ones, deodorant, towel/washcloth, fanny pack, backpack, Kotex/tampons and reading glasses.
        Clothing items: sports bras, sweatshirt(s), cycling shorts, swimsuit, hat/sun visor, T-shirts, jeans, tennis shoes/sandals, polypro underwear, underwear, shirts, shorts, socks, sweater(s).
        Information items: binoculars, palmtop computer, book(s), paper & pencil/pen, camera & accessories, passport/ID, cell phone & charger, phone list, cellular modem, radar detector, diary, registrations papers, drivers, license, mp3 player, GPS, tickets/passes, Insurance, travel guide(s), Intercom, laptop computer, maps, membership cards. Remember to take hard copies of your itinerary in the event you can’t get computer connections or something happens to your electronic equipment.
        Miscellaneous items: ear plugs, travel pillow, bug repellent, sewing kit, cable ties, snake-bite kit, cash/travelers check/ATM card, credit card(s), quarters, space blanket, stamps for postcards, duct tape, sunscreen, extra batteries, Super Glue, first aid kit, flashlight, freezer bags (for packing/waterproofing), Ibuprofen/Tylenol, rubber bands and poncho to cover your equipment.
        If there is a topic that you would like to discuss please send your comments and suggestions to motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE!

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