Throughout his illustrious, history-making career, William Shakespeare is credited with having written around 37 plays. Beginning Feb. 17, the Gilbert Theater in downtown Fayetteville will attempt to perform them all.

With only three actors and 97 minutes, the Gilbert will take the audience on a hilarious speed-run through the Bard’s catalog with their performance of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).” The production will run from Feb. 17 through March 5.

According to actor Chris Walker, the play is a “distillation of the works of Shakespeare jammed together to create a farce — a comedy of immense ridiculousness.”
Walker, along with Dan Adams and Linda Flynn, round out the cast of three who will race through costume changes, character transitions and hilarious interpretations of the good, the bad and the obscure in Shakespeare’s canon.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Flynn confided. “But it’s a lot of work. The challenge is there are so many words and characters and just so many costumes — it goes pretty fast.”

The play is London’s longest-running comedy, written by Daniel Singer, Adam Long and Jess Winfield in the early 1980s. Its over-the-top energy, break-neck speed, and reliance on self-parody make it an ideal play for those who don’t know much about Shakespeare or feel alienated from his work due to the difficulty of the language.

“You don’t need to know anything about Shakespeare to enjoy this play — though who doesn’t know a little something about Shakespeare?” Walker mused. “It’s so universal; it’s something we all learn in one way or another.”

The play’s director, Lawrence Carlisle III, has been trying to bring the play to the Gilbert stage since the spring of 2020. The play was scheduled to debut in March of that year — then the world shut down due to the pandemic.

“When I took over as artistic director in 2020, this was the second show of my tenure,” he explained. “We postponed it a few times but eventually had to cancel the entire season.
I really enjoyed directing the show and knew I wanted to do it again someday.”

Now, three years later, Carlisle is excited to share his vision. Those attending should prepare themselves for some sword-fighting (both good and bad), jokes (both good and bad), and more than a little audience participation.

“That’s part of the comedy,” said Walker. “It’s supposed to be over the top.”

The play is rated PG-13 and best suited for audiences of middle-school age and up — perfect for a post-Valentine’s Day night date, secondary-school field trip, or a group of friends looking for something fun to do on a Friday night.

“The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged)” isn’t intended for hard-boiled literary purists or those looking to better understand Shakespeare’s work. Its purpose is a bit more straightforward, and its goal is very simple: it’s intended to make people laugh.

“I picked it because it’s funny, and I prefer comedy most of the time,” Carlisle said simply. “You shouldn’t take any of it too seriously.”

Tickets range from $13.25 to $21.25. For tickets and showtimes, visit the theater website at https://www.gilberttheater.com/. The Gilbert Theater is located at 116 Green St.

According to the latest-available set of comparable data, North Carolina ranks 33rd in the nation in “deaths of despair” — that is, in the combined rates of suicides, fatal drug overdoses, and alcohol-induced deaths. In 2020 our age-adjusted rate was 55.5 deaths of despair per 100,000 residents, slightly higher than the national average of 54.8.

There are steps policymakers can take to ameliorate the problem. Unfortunately, much of the commentary lately about deaths of despair is based on facile and politically charged analysis. Some mortality indicators exhibit strong correlations with age. To respond effectively to a phenomenon such as rising deaths of despair, we need to understand its causes. Looking only at raw data can lead to misunderstandings.

For example, the two Princeton University scholars who helped coin the phrase “deaths of despair,” Anne Case and Angus Deaton, argue that the trend is primarily a reflection of rising inequality, inadequate social programs and weak labor unions. Our free-enterprise system, they argue, once “lifted countless people out of poverty” but “is now destroying the lives of blue-collar America.”

A 2019 staff report from the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress threw cold water on their thesis. A careful examination of age-adjusted rates going back to the early 20th century reveals a “lack of correspondence” between economic indicators such as poverty or inequality and the death rates in question.

For one thing, age-adjusted rates of suicide and alcohol-induced deaths (such as cirrhosis of the liver) were about the same in 2017 as they were in 1975. They also declined from the mid-70s to around 2000, then went up again. These patterns don’t comport well with attempts to finger capitalism as the culprit. “It is very difficult,” the report notes, “to find such trends that improve over the 1970s and 1980s, then worsen after either 1990 or 2000.”

The trendline looks very different for drug-induced deaths. The rate rose consistently but rather gradually during the last four decades of the 20th century then shot up dramatically during the first two decades of the 21st century. What’s changed? Both the potency (and potential lethality) of illicit drugs and the widespread overuse of opioids.

In other words, if you’re looking for a public-policy lever to pull, you’re more likely to get results if you pull the one marked “discourage drug abuse” instead of the one marked “strengthen labor unions.”
More generally, North Carolina can do a better job of making it easier for residents to obtain high-quality treatment for mental illness and addictions. Government funding can and should play a role here, to be sure, though a recent John Locke Foundation study argues persuasively that loosening the state’s certificate-of-need laws would also enhance the number and geographical distribution of treatment options.

To the extent deaths of despair reflect a lack of social connection, however, I think private associations need to take the lead in remedying it. Consider a study published a couple of years ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s psychiatry edition. It found a strong association between death rates and church attendance. For women,
regular attendance was associated with 68% lower rate of deaths by despair. For men, the difference was about 33%.

Naturally, we can’t just assume a causal relationship from the correlation. There was no experiment here in which the researchers identified depressed or lonely people and then randomly compelled some to go to church and others to stay home. But based on other empirical evidence for religion as a social determinant of health, I think it’s fair to conclude that faith-based institutions are integral to any realistic strategy for reducing deaths of despair.

On Saturday, Feb. 18, voices will rise up in song at the Cumberland Hall Auditorium as members of the Cumberland Choral Arts hold a concert honoring Black History Month.

The concert, which will start at 7:30 p.m., will be a mix of classical pieces, spirituals, hymns and contemporary music. This will be the third year members of the choir have held
the event. Lift Every Voice and Sing began as an idea from Cumberland Choral Arts member Brenda Vandevort-Miller.

“When I did this in 2020, it was really done very selfishly,” Vandevort-Miller said. “Being part of this community and going to different Black History Month events, I found that there were a lot of similarities in the events that were being offered.”

“The focus was on things that most people would know about from general education. It’s a lot of Martin Luther King Jr., lot of Rosa Parks and Frederick Douglass. With this being a military town a lot of focus is on Buffalo Soldiers,” she said. “And all of those things are great and it is important for those stories to be told and to continue being told. But I wanted to offer something different. I wanted it to be focused more on music because there is a lot of Black history with music at large.”

Lift Every Voice and Sing will be broken down into three parts. The first part of the concert will focus on classical and 20th century pieces. Corey Leak will be performing “La Donna E Moble” by H. Leslie Adams. Monique Butler McLeod will be performing a Puccini piece, “Vissi Darte Vissi Damore.”

Vandevort-Miller will be peforming a piece titled “I Have a Dream.”

“It is Dr. King’s speech set to music, composed by Phyllis Luidens Reed. I did it on a live stream two years ago, but I have yet to do it in front of a live audience, I’m excited to see how it is received,” Vandevort-Miller said.

The second part of the concert will be gospels, spirituals and sacred music. Pieces such as “City Called Heaven,” performed by Dr. Denise Murchison Payton from Fayetteville State University will be sung. “I Walk With God” and “There Is a Balm in Gilead” will also be performed. Corey Leak and Chris Colon, members of Cumberland Choral arts, will be doing an arrangement of “Amazing Grace.” The final part of the concert will feature this year’s theme, Ladies Night.

“We are concentrating on music that is either written by or traditionally performed by Black women,” said Vandevort- Miller. “There will be a little Chaka Khan in there, Aretha and Whitney.”

Five soloists from Cumberland Choral Arts are the main performers of the concert, but they will be joined on stage by the Fayetteville Tech and Fayetteville State University Choirs.

The Cross Creek Chorale, the smaller auditioned ensemble within the Cumberland Choral Arts, will also be making an appearance. The show will include some spoken word and monologues from different shows that are Black centered.

“It bridges a lot of gaps that you won’t necessarily get from your school, or your church or events in the community,” said Vandevort-Miller. “The goal is always to offer a different perspective on Black history and enlighten the community about things they didn’t know previously.”

Cumberland Choral Arts is the premier community choir within the Sandhills region. It began in 1991 as Cumberland Oratorio Singers by Alan Porter. He put together a group to sing Mozart’s "Requiem" during the bicentennial of Mozart’s death. It was supposed to be a one time event, but people enjoyed themselves so much that the choir was born. Five year ago, the group changed their name to Cumberland Choral Arts. Dr. Michael Martin is currently the choir’s director.

“The name changed to make it a little more accessible. I think the feeling was that we were only doing these mass pieces that were serious and stodgy and that’s not the case at all,” said Vandevort-Miller. “We do a little bit of everything like the Blue Grass Mass that will be closing out our season.”

The choir is available for people to join, all they have to do is fill out an interest form and set up a time to sing for Dr. Martin to familiarize himself with someone’s voice and decide where to place them within the choir. A prepared piece isn’t necessary, stressed Vandevort-Miller. Cumberland Choral Arts encompasses the smaller, auditioned ensemble of the Cross Creek Chorale. A youth choir is also now a part of the mix, the Campbellton Youth Chorus.

For more information on how to join, visit https://www.cumberlandchoralarts.org/join-cca/

Lift Every Voice and Sing will be held on Fayetteville Techinal Community College's campus at the Cumberland Hall Auditorium on Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and are $15. For tickets or more information visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lift-every-voice-and-sing-a-musical-journey-through-black-history-tickets-514993498417?aff=ebdsoporgprofile.

Welcome back to the wonderful land of Greek Mythology. We all know about man-eating tigers. It turns out tigers aren’t the only critter who chows down on people.

Today, Gentle Reader, you shall learn about man-eating horses. These horses are not convivial like “My Friend Flicka,” brilliant like Roy Roger’s Trigger, talkative like Mr. Ed, or airborne like Shadowfax in “Lord of the Rings.” These are carnivorous equines.

Let us compare and contrast man-eating tigers with man-eating horses. First, a recap of the sad Las Vegas tale of Siegfred & Roy. Oct. 3, 2003 was Roy’s 59th birthday.
The show began like any of the other 30,000 previous Siegfred & Roy shows. Like most things in life, everything was fine until it suddenly wasn’t.

Their nearly 400-pound tiger Mantacore, for reasons known only to the tiger, left his position on the stage and began to walk toward the audience. As there was no barrier between the audience and the tiger, Roy jumped in front of Mantacore to stop him from eating several tourists. Roy’s bravery of protecting the audience resulted in Mantacore grabbing Roy’s arm.

When Mantacore finally released Roy’s arm, Roy tripped over the tiger. Mantacore then grabbed Roy’s head in his mouth and tried to carry Roy off stage. Roy ultimately survived the attack with serious injuries. While he was still conscious, Roy said, “Don’t shoot the cat.” Roy was one of the good guys. Mantacore was just doing what tigers naturally do.

Now back to today’s theme of man-eating horses. Do you remember the story of the Mares of Diomedes? Of course, you don’t. Neither did I until I read up on them recently. Allow me to explain. Once upon a time, King Diomedes of Thrace owned a herd of man-eating horses. Why anyone would want to own a herd of man-eating horses is beyond the scope of this column. Crank up your willing suspension of disbelief. Just accept there was a herd of man-eating horses in Thrace. Pro tip: Alexander the Great’s very own horse Bucephalus was an offspring of this herd. No one but Al could ride the spirited Bucephalus. There is no record of Al’s horse eating any humans so it is safe to assume Bucephalus was a vegetarian. Which reminds me, do you know how to tell if someone is a vegetarian? Answer: They will tell you. Ba dum dum.

Enough digression. Back to mythology. As one of Hercules 12 labors, Herk (as his buddies called him) had to steal the Mares of Diomedes. It is unclear if there were Stallions of Diomedes, but since Bucephalus eventually appeared, it is likely there was at least one stallion. The horses were wild and crazy. Their untamed personalities were attributed to their habit of eating strangers who got too close to them. The horses were chained up to a manger all day while guarded by Diomedes’ soldiers. This lack of exercise in all likelihood contributed to their cranky nature. In addition to eating people, the horses breathed fire. Capturing them could be a little bit tricky for anyone.

There are several versions of how Herk handled this task. In Story A, Herk gets a posse together to fight Diomedes’ soldiers. Herk and the posse beat the soldiers and capture the horses. Unfortunately Herk doesn’t realize the horses are man-eaters. He leaves the horses to be watched by his faithful boy pal Abderus. Man-eating horses do what they do. Abderus becomes horse chow. After capturing Diomedes and returning to the barn, Herk learns that Abderus is no more. Irritated beyond belief, Herk feeds Diomedes to his own horses.

Story B reports Herk cut the horses’ chains himself. Herk chases the herd onto some high ground. He digs a ditch flooding the area thereby corralling the horses on the hill. Diomedes then tries to escape. Herk captures him, killing him with an axe, and feeding him to the horses.

Story C says Herk fed Diomedes to the horses before he released the horses. Diomedes’ soldiers find out their King is Purina Horse Chow. Highly disturbed, they attack Herk. Herk releases the herd to charge the soldiers. The soldiers turn tail, skedaddling out of there not wanting to become horse chow themselves.
Regardless of which version is true, it turns out that once the horses consume human flesh, they chill out and become docile. Sorta like the hippies in San Francisco dining on edibles. Herk was then able to duct tape the horses’ mouths shut to turn them over as part of his tasks for his Scavenger Hunt for King Eurystheus.

So, what have we learned today? Once again, not much. Keep one thought, if you see a fire-breathing horse, don’t try to pet it. You have been warned.

It’s February, folks — the love month! And Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, is the centerpiece of the 28 days of romance and affection. Despite this, for those without a significant other to wine, dine and share the love with, sometimes the signature date feels like just another day. Let me tell you that you are a special someone, and so are your gal-pals! So read on for some ideas on taking your cupid experience from drab to fab! Valentine’s Day might be for lovers, but Galentine’s Day, Feb. 13, is for
the girls!

Morning Mojo
What better way to start the day with your besties than at The Friend’s Table? Located at 225 Green St., Suite 100, the café features an espresso flight of four flavors sure to jump-start your day. The mimosa flight option is perfect for sharing if you aren't a coffee lover. With six juice flavors, you might as well order two, get all the juice options and share! If you are anything like my girlfriends and me, you'll order two of both and enjoy all of the flavor options. We are known to be a little gluttonous, but Galentine’s and Valentine’s Days only come once a year.

Foodie Favorites
With Valentine’s Day landing on Tuesday this year, some taco action is only appropriate! Blue Moon Café at 310 Hay St., in Downtown Fayetteville, dishes up some of my favorites.
It has the best nachos, too, if you are down with things “a little destruction.” If you are going out on Monday for Galentine’s Day, Blue Moon has a setting for a beautiful five-course meal that night and two more on Valentine’s Day. Tickets went on sale in January, so check availability before you go,
For my Northside ladies, the short drive to Ay Wey Mexican Kitchen + Tequila in Dunn is hands down the best! This restaurant has become my go-to for Taco Tuesday and beyond. Do yourself a favor and order the sweet corn as your side and the spicy margarita for your sip!

Create and Relate
To tap into my creative side, I recently went to SipLee Art in Eastover and had the best time! What I loved most was that each woman in our group could choose what to craft — no cookie-cutter approach here. Options included garland, door mats and door hangers, all items customers could paint, create and customize to their heart's desire. Some in my group made seasonal décor while others chose to go generic; I love the flexibility and the options. I have participated in group craft classes before where everyone worked on the same project; let me tell you, it is hard to get a group of women to agree on what to craft — or anything else, for that matter!
We brought snacks and drinks to add to the afternoon for more fun. Don’t worry about your painting skills; the sweet team here will touch up your Picasso, and you will be surprised by your finished project. SipLee’s Art address is 3465 Murphy Rd., Fayetteville. Book your spot on their Facebook page to attend a class.

DIY Dreams
Another fun way to get hands-on is at Hummingbird Candle Co., located at 240 Hay St., in Downtown Fayetteville. Sign up for a candle-making experience or inquire about an offsite private event to make your own 80-hour-burning candle. You can choose from various scents and pour your candle from start to finish. Fun! And remember the bubbly, as your favorite adult beverages are also welcome. Walk-ins are accepted but reserving your spot ahead of time is encouraged, especially if you are coming with a group.

Perfect Pampering
What is a girls’ day without some pampering? Move over mani-and-pedi services; it's time for body treatments and blow outs! You will be glowing by the time Team Venetian is done with you. The Venetian European Spa and Salon, located at 6200 Ramsey St., #150, offers a few options for body treatments, ranging from a hydrating scrub to buff winter away or a body wrap for detoxification. The Venetian has you covered, literally in seaweed and green clay. The facility has a full shower in the treatment room where you can clean up nicely before heading out to continue your day.
Book a wash and blow out if you're looking for something with a little less mess. Imagine the dread of washing and drying your hair in someone else's hands while you sit back and enjoy a glass of wine — the stuff dreams are made of!

Fayetteville and the surrounding areas have more to offer than we sometimes realize. No need to drive to other cities and counties for a day or evening out with your gal pals, as fun and memorable experiences exist all around Cumberland County. Mario Quintana said it best, "Don't wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul." So, grab your girlfriends and gear up for excitement. Cheers to you and yours this Galentine's Day!

Editor’s note: Mary Baggett is a licensed North Carolina real estate broker. This article first appeared in the February issue of Women’s View Magazine.

Methodist University received a $514,093 grant that supports college students through recovery programs. As primary grantee, MU is one of nine colleges and universities in the state that recently received a total of

$3.2 million in collegiate recovery funding from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

MU will use the funding across two years to develop the collegiate recovery programs at both Methodist University and at Fayetteville Technical Community College, employing two full-time North Carolina Certified Peer Support Specialists and four student ambassadors starting in Spring 2023.

“With this grant, we are preparing to create diverse, positive and inclusive collegiate recovery programs by providing education on substance abuse, addiction and recovery while providing safe spaces and social activities that are alcohol- and drug-free for students, faculty and staff,” said Cynthia Lally, director of Campus Recreation and Wellness at MU, who will direct the program.

MU’s new collegiate recovery program will be called “Roaring4Recovery,” a familiar name for the Monarchs community. In 2020, Mitzi Averette, assistant professor of Nursing, collaborated with undergraduate students to create Cumberland County’s first collegiate recovery gathering called “Roaring4Recovery.” The all-volunteer group hosted many gatherings and special events on MU’s campus but remained open to the greater Fayetteville area — welcoming students from MU, FTCC and Fayetteville State University. In 2021, it became an official student organization at MU.

Averette will play a key role in the new “Roaring4Recovery” program. Under her guidance, Averette will ensure a smooth collaboration between MU, FTCC and important community partners.

“Being in long-term recovery myself while working in higher education for more than 20 years, bringing collegiate recovery to Cumberland County became my passion and mission. This grant accomplishes that goal,” Averette said.

The partnership between MU and FTCC continues a strong relationship between the two institutions, which already developed a transfer agreement in 2021. Methodist University will administer the grant while hiring, supervising and providing training for the collegiate recovery program’s new staff. However, both institutions will ensure the following outcomes under “Roaring4Recovery”:

• Deliver weekly alcohol/drug-free social activities on both campuses throughout the year
• Train for institutional leadership on the importance of and methods for supporting students in recovery
• Creating alcohol/drug-free places on campus for students to live, study and socialize
• Evaluate the impact of collegiate recovery support on students’ academic performance

The program is expected to be available to more than 20,000 MU and FTCC students across Fayetteville — representative of 6% of Cumberland County’s total residents, a population with higher-than-state-average rates of mental health distress, alcohol driving death and drug overdose deaths.

Methodist University’s new Director of Counseling Services, Mark Gronski, will help provide mental health and counseling support for the new program.

“This program supports MU’s mission of helping improve our students’ overall well-being by focusing on our support of students in their journey of recovery from substance use,” Gronski said.

Valentine’s Day is upon us, and Fayetteville and surrounding areas have some unique and fun options for everyone. Here is your list of family and date night ideas to celebrate love, for this weekend and on Valentine’s Day itself.

Valentine’s Carriage Rides
Surprise your special someone with an intimate carriage ride through the Cool Spring Downtown District. They will bring their
beautiful Queen Victoria Carriage to the district and provide private carriage rides on Feb. 11, from 1 to 9 p.m. at the Cool Spring Downtown District’s office (222 Hay Street, across from Pierro's Italian Bistro). Each private carriage ride will take you on a scenic 15-17 minute ride through the district in 20-minute intervals.
Private carriage ride tickets will be a flat fee of $75 per private carriage ride. Tickets can be bought online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/valentines-carriage-rides-tickets-525919608707?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb. If you have any questions before you purchase your tickets, please call the Cool Spring Downtown District’s office at 910-223-1089.

Hearts and Hops: A Family Valentine’s Celebration
Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom is hosting a family-friendly Heart Day celebration. Attendees can buy flowers and baked foods by Sugarfix, as well as paint several crafts with Paint & Create with Sarah.
The event will start at noon and end at 5 p.m. on Feb. 11. Dirtbag Ales is located at 5435 Corporation Drive. For additional information, call 910-426-2537.

Cookie Decorating Class
Join Pink Flower at Hugger Mugger Brewery for a special Valentine’s Day cookie decorating class. The class will be two hours long, and you will be decorating six sugar cookies.
The cost is $50 a person, or $90 for two people. A beverage of choice will be included for each ticket. All skill levels are welcome, however this class is geared towards beginners. This event will be on Feb. 12 from 3 to 5 p.m. For more information, go to forms.gle/yAjbn54FGx38yS5m8.

Valentine’s Day Grab Bag
If you have a service member or a spouse who would appreciate a Valentine’s Day treat, Fort Bragg USO is here to help celebrate that special person in your life! Cupid has dropped off bags filled with chocolates, date night cards and yummy treats for your favorite sweetheart!
Quantities are limited. Must be able to pick up on Feb.14. Limit one gift bag per household, it includes activities for couples. Pickup will be at the Fort Bragg USO office on Fort Bragg. If you have any questions, please email rtaylor@uso.org for more details.

Valentine’s Day Cookies and Crafts
Join the Chick-Fil-A crew at the Cross Creek Mall for a little Valentine’s Day fun. They will be decorating cookies and making heart-themed crafts. There may even be a special visit by their very own cow. The free event will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 14.

Cocktails & Charcuterie
Enjoy a curated hands-on experience at Dirty Whiskey as they present a mixology class, Cupids’ Edition! During this experience, you will learn how to construct two specialty craft cocktails. Class includes all the ingredients to make two pre-determined drinks, one-on-one instruction, and a charcuterie plate, as well as a Dessert Charcuterie.
The drinks that will be made are a Valentine's Mule and a Berry Lovely. There will be the traditional Charcuterie Platter, and for the first time, the Dessert Platter will include desserts such as cheesecake, macaroons, fresh fruit and more. Tickets are available only to guests ages 21 and over. Gratuity is not included in the ticket price. Tickets can be bought at www.simpletix.com/e/cocktails-and-charcuterie-cupids-edition-t-tickets-122505. The event will take place on Feb. 13 at 6 p.m.

Valentine Cocktail Party
Enjoy a special night out at Roland’s Dance Studio for this special date. The evening includes cocktails for two, dessert and light hors d’oeuvres, a five-minute private lesson, a group class and social dancing until 10:30 p.m.
The event is $75 a couple, and you must reserve a spot ahead of time. For more information, call 910-423-2623. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and social dancing will end at 10:30 p.m.

Art of Love
Join Black Canvas on Valentine’s Day evening for the Art of Love, a couple’s art event. When you attend the Art of Love event, they will provide everything you need to have a memorable experience at the Black Canvas with your Valentine.
No art experience is necessary. They will provide everything you need, including all supplies for painting with acrylics, a positive art studio environment, the best vibes in Fayetteville with DJ Wolf spinning R & B blends, and food. E & Z Forrest Sweets will be catering with light bites, and as always, Black Canvas serves complimentary adult beverages of wine, cocktails and mimosas. You must be 18 years of age or older for the event.
Tickets are $50 and can be bought at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-of-love-tickets-519151956477?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb. The event will take place on Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. and will be at 805 Elm Street.

Couples’ Valentine’s Dinner & Dancing
Abundant Life Ministries invites you to join them for an elegant night of romance, dinner, dancing and fun at the Iron Mike Conference Center on Fort Bragg. Dinner will be served beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 18.
Dinner will be a choice of New York strip steak grilled topped with French onion demi-glaze or oven roasted marinated half chicken. Each meal will be served with salad, roasted seasonal vegetable blend, herb roasted baby red potatoes and dessert. Enjoy entertainment during dinner and dance the night away with DJ Square Knot!
The dress code is semi-formal to formal. Dinner for two is $100, and tickets can be bought at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/couples-valentines-dinner-dancing-tickets-527895338167?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb.

Four bridges on Interstate 295 in the Fayetteville area will undergo preservation work this year, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Crews will sandblast the concrete deck, then treat it with a silane sealant. The work will help keep the driving deck smooth, the release said.

The work will be performed on these bridges:

• I-295 North and South spanning the Norfolk Southern Railroad and Carvers Creek.
• I-295 South spanning Little Cross Creek.
• The I-295 flyover ramp carrying traffic onto N.C. 210 North.

The work will not require detours, but the contractor will need to close one of two lanes on each bridge between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday through Friday.

The N.C. Department of Transportation awarded a $340,000 contract to Truesdell Corp. of Tempe, Arizona, for the bridge work. Work will begin between April and July and last three months, the release said.

The Systel Building in downtown Fayetteville, with its looming aluminum-and-glass facade, has been undergoing extensive renovations since August 2018. Now, it has a new anchor tenant.

Raleigh-headquartered Dogwood State Bank has moved into the first floor of the downtown fixture, which ranks as the city center’s tallest. Listed at 168 feet high, the 11-story building dates to 1973 when it was completed at a cost of $3 million, online sources say.

A half century later, changes are underway, including a new name for the building at 225 Green St. in the Cool Spring Downtown District.
A sign with the name will be unveiled at a ribbon-cutting at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6.

“I don't think I can say,” said Jacqueline Smith, when asked about the new name. "But if you call me back Monday, I can tell you."

Smith, whose family owns the building, is the broker in charge for the Systel Building for Allison Capital Partners.
Smith did say that the name is of a new company looking to grow in Fayetteville.

Dogwood State Bank, which is in the process of growing statewide, has the naming rights. The bank's CEO is Steve Jones, a former Fayetteville resident.
Jones could not be reached for comment last week. Dogwood “was a great addition, and it helps us with our goals of making the building a mixed use, having the retail bank in there. And it allowed us to kind of complete our full renovation of the first floor,” Smith said.

She works with the property managers on site. The building has 37 tenants, including a couple on the rooftop, Smith said.

“We’re going to follow that with a complete lobby renovation here shortly,” she said. “We’re now 100% occupied on the first floor with a variation of retail, restaurant and office. We’ve kind of accomplished our goals there.”In a news release, Smith said her family had been looking for an anchor tenant to rebrand the building since Systel — a technology and business services company — relocated to an industrial park 10 years ago.

Formerly known as the Wachovia Building, the Systel property is owned by Fayetteville businessman Keith Allison and his three daughters: Smith, Cara Spencer and Janene Aul. The investment in the building will total about $3 million once all the work is complete, Smith said.

Many of the city's older residents will remember when the Skyline disco club was at the top of the building in the 1970s and 1980s.

“I think that downtown is sort of the hub of the city, and it’s usually the focal area for government and where people like to eat and dine and live,” said Smith.

“We have the largest square footage of leasable space and I think the largest tract of acreage. If needed, we could add a parking deck, or another high-rise building could exist next to us in the parking lot."

Extensive renovations

The family bought the property in 1998 and had been using the building in recent years to house its marketing department and mortgage company.

“We knew it would be a three- to five-year project,” Smith said of the revitalization. “In the process, three floors were gutted.”

A couple of months ago, a fitness center opened on the second floor, Smith said.

“So that was a big part of the revitalization. And we just signed off and have full engineer plans on our fifth-floor renovation that we have to start in the next few months,” she said.

Plans for that space include an “industrial, upscale office space,” she said. A similar renovation on the eighth floor is anticipated.
Smith said a lot has been accomplished on the building since construction began in 2018.

“We’ve completed our restaurant downstairs, and they celebrated their one-year anniversary three months ago,” she said. “We did a big campaign to recruit one, and we did some interviews with a couple of interested parties and did some taste testings and selected one.”

Friend’s Table, whose food is described as upscale Southern, opened in November 2021.

“They’re open for breakfast and lunch. They’ve got a pretty good following on social media,” she said. “They’re always doing something fun and unique in the space. They’re even open on the weekends, as well.”

Besides the bank and restaurant, the property management office and a conference room that can be used by tenants are on the first floor. A state tenant with a lab is also on the ground floor.

Smith said the owners tried to recruit tenants not just to Fayetteville but to downtown.

“We’ve got a couple of floors to go, but we’ve got a couple of things that we’re working on for some of the top floors that we hope come to fruition,” she said.

“But other than that, we’re kind of coming to the ending stages of our revitalization. And leasing out the naming rights was a kind of a surprise component of the revitalization that we weren’t expecting, but it makes sense.”

Renovations on the Systel Building could be completed this year depending on some plans still being worked on for the top floors.

“If that were to come to fruition, it could add to our timeline quite a bit,” Smith said. “We are now exploring options for a residential or hospitality component. We're looking into it.”

Fayetteville City Councilman Mario Benavente is pushing for action on two issues: the long-delayed appointment of a city representative on the Public Works Commission and the cost of gun violence locally.

The City Council will meet in a work session at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6 at City Hall.

One of Benavente’s agenda requests is that the council appoint its PWC representative during its regular meeting on Feb. 13.
In early December, council members interviewed four of five candidates for the post: Christopher Davis, William Gothard, Josef Hallastchek and Peter Stewart. Ted Mohn, a fifth candidate, was not able to attend that meeting.

The representative will replace Wade Fowler, the owner of Fowler’s Southern Gourmet restaurant, who is serving his second term on the commission.

According to city rules, no commissioner may serve more than two consecutive terms.
As each appointment on the board expires, according to the city’s website, council members choose a representative on the commission for a term of four years. In addition, the mayor annually designates a member of the council to serve on the PWC as a nonvoting member.

In September, Councilwoman Shakeyla Ingram asked for a delay on the appointment.
Ingram said she prefers to wait until a new CEO for the utility is named. Elana Ball resigned from that job, Mick Noland was named interim CEO.

On Sept. 12, the City Council voted 6-4 to delay its appointment.

In another agenda request from Benavente, the first-term councilman said he is eager to “quantify the economic and societal costs associated with gun violence in the city from 2012 to 2022 and inform policy options and strategies to advance violence prevention."
Councilwoman Courtney Banks-McLaughlin is a co-signer on that request, which asks that the city staff compile data on fatal and nonfatal injuries related to gun violence and gun possession..

“Improving issues of gun violence requires a multisectoral, systemwide response that includes partnerships with communities most affected in addition to legislative and criminal justice action,” Banks-McLaughlin and Benavente wrote in their agenda request.
Neither Benavente nor Banks-McLaughlin could be reached for comment on Sunday.

 Like other cities nationwide, Fayetteville has seen an uptick in gun violence and homicides recently. The Police Department has implemented initiatives in hopes of lowering crime.

Plans to update an historic chapel as a space for public functions will be discussed at the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners meeting Monday, Feb. 6.
The board will meet at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

On Jan. 23, the town’s Parks and Recreation Department presented commissioners with a report on options for public use of Thomas Campbell Oakman Memorial Chapel.

The chapel was donated to the town and is available for rent.
The church was built in 1889 and suffered a fire in 1931. It was rebuilt the same year, according to town records.

Town officials have said that the number of pews in the chapel limit what functions it can accommodate. They are recommending that all but six pews be removed so “the staff can have a broader range of rental possibilities,” according to a memo from Parks and Recreation Director Lamarco Morrison.

On Feb. 1, the commissioners met with members of the Historic Preservation Committee at the chapel to get input on whether pews should be removed and the best use of the facility.

According to Morrison’s memo, the staff recommends several options for the pews if they are removed, including repurposing them as picnic tables or benches for the future Heritage Park. They also could be donated sold, the memo says.

The staff also recommends removing all the railings around both altars and relocating the chapel’s original furniture.
Residents are invited to speak at Monday’s meeting. Each speaker must register with the town clerk before the meeting and limit their comments to three minutes.

Also Monday, the board will:

• Consider a proposal from CHA Consulting Inc. and authorize the town manager to negotiate an agreement for professional design services related to the Hope Mills Sports Complex.
• Consider a change to a rule that any member of the public who wishes to add a topic to the board's agenda must submit the request to the appropriate department. If the request is deemed by the department to be beneficial to the town, the department will forward it to the town clerk to be added to the agenda.
• Consider a request from Mauricio Melagar Andrade that 1.2 acres known as Park Garden Cour be annexed.

Cumberland County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe wants more “bang for the buck” when using county money to buy homes for the homeless, and he is asking fellow commissioners to endorse a plan to remedy the problem.

Keefe is asking the board to adopt a resolution that spells out specific ways to ensure the county can provide a greater number of affordable homes at more reasonable costs. He will submit his proposal at a commissioners meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

The 1 p.m. session will be in Room 564 of the Cumberland County Courthouse and is open to the public.

The three-page draft resolution will be presented by interim County Manager Renee Paschal.
If adopted, the resolution will be placed on the agenda for the Feb. 20 commissioners meeting, according to Paschal.

The resolution calls for the commissioners to work with affordable housing and workforce housing stakeholders and experts, including area builders who have expertise in the design and construction of low- and moderate-income developments. These experts would develop housing policies that address the availability and affordability of workforce housing in the county.

A key part of the resolution is a proposed board policy that all homeless project funding will not exceed the median cost of a similar dwelling in Cumberland County. Keefe wants to base that figure on the most recent tax evaluation or census data. Keefe says adoption of this policy would ensure the construction of more affordable housing, greater financial oversight, and would be in keeping with the board’s mission statement to provide quality services while being fiscally responsible.

Another component is the creation of a housing coordinator position with responsibilities associated with the homeless situation. That staff member would report to the county manager. Some of the coordinator’s responsibilities would include:

• Drafting and recommending homeless or affordable housing policies and action plans.
• Contacting designers, developers and construction companies about competitive and responsible partnerships on projects.
• Coordinating a process that ensures applicants get into affordable housing and making sure anyone who is not eligible vacate those properties.
• Research funding sources.
• Monitor housing inventory, including identifying compliance violations.
• Community outreach and education programs.
• Marketing affordable housing.
• Helping prepare plans for housing projects.

The county Community Development Department administers federal and local funding to provide affordable homes for county residents who cannot afford proper housing.

At a recent board meeting, Keefe balked at moving $2.7 million from a sewer project to fund another affordable housing project with what he considered unrealistic costs. According to Keefe, the county would pay close to $285 per square foot for construction when the average cost in Cumberland County is closer to $130 per square foot, especially for townhouse-type dwellings that share common walls.

Although the money comes to Cumberland County from the federal and state governments, there are complex rules about how and when the money must be used.

In November, the Board of Commissioners was asked to transfer $2.7 million from the Shaw Heights sewer project to the Robin’s Meadow supportive housing project, which would fund 12 additional apartments and a community resource center.

Each unit would have three bedrooms and 1½ bathrooms. They would range from 1,290 to 1,450 square feet, and two units would be disability-compliant.

The state allocated about $2.5 million in Community Block Grant disaster recovery funding to build affordable housing in the county. In June 2020, the county commissioners approved the design of the Robins Meadow project. In October 2020, the county asked for an additional $100,000 in grants for construction and support services. The total budget for the project rose to about $3 million.

The county sought construction bids, but there were no responses, county Community Development Director Dee Taylor told committee members at a previous meeting. She added that since the initial approval of funding, construction prices have increased.

“Everything increased drastically during the pandemic,” she told the commissioners. “The original budget is no longer sufficient to cover the cost to build this housing project. The current projected cost is $285 per square foot.”

Grant guidelines required that the project close the financing gap by Nov. 30, and the county must have a qualified contractor in place by March 20. If the county does not meet those deadlines, it could lose the state grants.

Another trigger for Keefe came via an internal email from interim County Manager Renee Paschal. It involves a proposed 40-unit high-rise to provide housing for the elderly at 108 Wiley St., off Ramsey Street. The project is a combination of 10 one-bedroom and 30 two-bedroom units. Ten of the two-bedroom units will accommodate inter-generational families, which include families with a child, a grandparent, or a relative raising a child. The estimated construction cost is $14 million.

The Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority is spearheading the project and has signaled to the county that it would eventually ask for partial funding.

The developer is Hillside-Fmha LLC, and most of the proposed funding would be from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Keefe said $14 million for 40 units would equal $350,000 for each.The average home in Cumberland County is valued at about $200,000, he said.
Keefe is suggesting taking a new approach to provide homes for the homeless.

“The old way of doing things is not working. We’re spending a lot of money but not getting much of an impact to help the homeless,” he said. “It doesn’t look like we’re making progress.”

Commissioners Veronica Jones and Michael Boose agreed. Both suggested buying existing housing or apartments and foregoing new and more expensive construction. Commissioners Vice Chairman Glenn Adams suggested creating an advisory committee that could help determine whether the county builds new homes or buys existing properties.

All fly tying starts at Pechmann Center with putting thread on the hook with a jam knot. This consists of making thread wraps over the main thread itself, where the tension holds it in place.

“We suggest starting simple,” Matthew Rieger, education specialist at the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center, says. “ … with patterns that do not require many materials or difficult techniques.”

The folks at the Pechmann Center host a variety of classes that aim to educate the community on fishing — whether that be tying flies, cleaning fish or even cooking classes. They hold two types of fly tying forums at the center, one is for beginners and the other for the more intermediate folks who have already done the beginning course or have the basics of fly tying down. The beginning courses take place about four times per year.

During the intermediate forum that takes place on the fourth Thursday of each month (with a virtual portion that takes place a Wednesday before typically), the tyers will tie two different patterns, two times each. The first of each pattern they’ll do as a class together and then the second the course members will do individually. At the Pechmann fly tying forum, they have tied close to two hundred patterns. And there’s quite a few more in the future.

“Oh man, there’s more than you can count,” Rieger says about the possibilities of different patterns. “People are constantly making new ones. Thousands if not tens of thousands.”

These flies are typically lighter and can mimic anything from worms to aquatic fish as lure.

“Most people think that fly fishing is pretty much in the mountains,” Rieger says, “but you can fish in saltwater.”

The courses, as all courses at the center, are free to the public. The center has quite a schedule with more than 300 programs available to the community.

“We are constantly creating new ones,” he says. “Anything fishing related in the state of North Carolina, we teach it.”

The next beginning course will be Feb. 7 to 9. The intermediate fly tying forums take place the fourth Thursday of each month but the center does offer a virtual course for it that usually takes place the third Wednesday of each month.

The John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center is located at 7489 Raeford Road in Fayetteville. For more information call 910-868-5003 or visit www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/John-E-Pechmann-Fishing-Education-Center.

Photos courtesy John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center

The Fayetteville-Cumberland Human Relations Department, in partnership with the Vision Resource Center hosted a Dining & Dialogue event at Cape Fear Botanical Garden on Jan. 25 to raise awareness about challenges encountered by people that are blind or visually impaired as they navigate the community.

With more the 110 people in attendance, the VRC emphasized the importance of the topic by having participants without visual impairment wear blindfolds or simulation glasses during lunch.
The VRC’s Executive Director Terri Thomas said, “As people are eating, they will get an idea of what it’s like to be blind or visually impaired.”

Thomas wants more events like this to raise awareness of the challenges and support needed for people experiencing life with limited to no sight to live more independently.

“Hopefully, people leave differently than the way they came, wanting to advocate for people with any disability not just visual impairment,” she said. “I want people to think, ‘what can I do to be more inclusive.’”

Dining & Dialogue is a lunch-and-learn style event where community members can learn from each other about different identities and cultures by having crucial conversations on difficult issues. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Director Yamile Nazar, who leads the Human Relations Department, said raising consciousness of the experience of others is integral to the mission of the department and Fayetteville-Cumberland Human Relations Commission.

Nazar said, “Our number one focus is heightening people’s awareness around experiences that are not like theirs. Unless we are having the experience, we just don’t know what we don’t know.”
She continued, “So, [with] heightening awareness comes sensitivity to someone else’s plight.”

At the tables, the dialogues were led by community members who are living with visual impairments. Waleed Nuridin and Latasha Smith receive VRC services. They told their stories which included overcoming depression and learning how to re-enter their career.

Other speakers talked about the lack of chirping sidewalk crossings and audible elevators, things that could help them lead more independent lives. Thomas presented the work of the VRC to the Human Relations Commission leading to the Dining & Dialogue on sight limitations.

Semone Pemberton, chairwomen of the Human Relations Commission, is passionate about having conversations that raise awareness of community needs to city and county leaders. Additionally, they encourage community members to learn how to enhance interactions with one another.

“The commission’s role is to facilitate dialogue and bring people together to make impactful change,” said Pemberton.

The VRC’s mission is to enhance the lives of adults and children living in the Cape Fear Region who are blind or visually impaired. As a part of that mission, the Dining & Dialogue was an impactful and educational experience for those not experiencing life without or with limited sight.

“I hope the event urged people to think beyond themselves because that will help make our community and the world a better place,” said Thomas.

Editor’s note: There are a number of ways to help support the Vision Resource Center through donations of time or money. For more information visit www.visionresourcecentercc.org/ or call 910-483-2719.

The new exhibit at the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is showcasing Black Joy in all of its forms. In this partnership with Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery, artists of African descent showcase a celebration of cultural heritage while also looking toward the future of Black popular culture.

The exhibit is called “Soul & Spirit: Celebrating Black Joy.” The exhibit will be on display through March 4.

This unique national exhibition was curated by two nationally acclaimed artists and educators, Shirley Woodson and her son Senghor Reid. Woodson is an American visual artist, educator, mentor, and art collector most known for her spectacular figurative paintings depicting African American history.

Her work spans a career of 60 years and counting and can be found in the Detroit Institute of Arts collections, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and the Studio Museum in Harlem, among other institutions. Woodson was named the 2021 Kresge Eminent Artist.

Her son, Reid, develops figurative paintings and films that explore the connections between culture, art, the social sciences and the conservation of our natural environment. He attended the internationally recognized Marathon program at the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture.

One of the artists featured in the exhibit, David Lee Black, told Up & Coming Weekly that showing Black pride in his piece is very important to him.

“Art is supposed to be a mirror of the world, representation matters and Black pride builds communities. Our society needs to see more color and hopefully, in my own individual way, the vibrance and mystery in my photograph,” Black said.

His photograph, “Guardian,” showcases a man and a woman looking off to the side. Black said that the shoot originally featured just the female model, who was powerful, beautiful and compassionate. But, at some point during the shoot, the bartender from the hotel pub walked by and Black asked him to pose.

“The backstory is, shortly after this shoot, he was tragically lost from us but his spirit remains,” Black said.

“We humans are rather clever animals. We've managed to teach ourselves how to express ideas, as well as emotions through art. It really is amazing to think about. Perhaps the takeaway from this exhibit (and most good art), will be to embrace the emotion felt by the exhibiting artists that worked hard to encode through color, shadow and harmony to be decoded and experienced by the observers.”

Black History Month events

The Soul & Spirit exhibit is part of the Arts Council’s Black Culture Experience series in recognition of Black History Month. The Arts Council is committing to several events that recognize the achievements and talents of local and nationally renowned Black artists from the past, present and future.

The first event will take place on Feb. 4. They will show the almost hour-long film, “Talking Black in America: Roots.” This program showcases the enduring imprint of African heritage on Black American culture, language and identity. Before the film screening, there will be a Spoken Word performance from 3rd Rail from Black on Black Rhyme Carolina. Following the screening will be a discussion and a Question and Answer segment with the producers, Tracey Weldon, Neal Hutcheson and Walt Wolfram. The event starts at 2 p.m.

El'Ja Bowens, the event's moderator, says visitors should expect to see art and history displayed in one of its most natural forms — the art of storytelling.

“I hope that people take away a few things from this. One thing is that I hope they take away the rich history of the African culture and how that culture has been brought to America and still continues to be a part, not only of African history, but American history as well. I also hope that everyone appreciates the efforts that the producers have went through producing this series as this is only one of four films that covers this topic of importance,” Bowens said.

On Feb. 11, the Money Box Workshop aims to engage and teach children about money and the concepts of money. Crystal McLean and co-host Kishanna Heyward, two local best-selling financial literacy authors and advocates, have partnered to educate, empower, and enrich their community.

While the children are creating money masterpieces in their own workshops, parents and guardians can learn about financial concepts, such as credit establishment, budget creation, debt management, and more. This event, scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m., is geared toward children seven to 14 years of age and the parents/guardians of those children. Admission is free, and Black-owned Southern Experience Catering and Meal Prep will provide food.

McLean’s goal is to “transform African American Communities one child at a time.” By investing in programs to help children, particularly those of the African American community, those children can invest in their future with the appropriate tools to be successful.

On Feb. 18 there will be a Vibe & Create Beauty & Horticultural arts workshop from 5 to 8 p.m.

For more information about Black History Month events at the Arts Council, visit www.TheArtsCouncil.com/ or call 910-323-1776. The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is a nonprofit organization based in Fayetteville that supports individual creativity, cultural preservation, economic development, and lifelong learning through the ARTS. They are located at 301 Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville.

Keith Dippre, professor of music at Methodist University, would say Yolanda Rabun has high energy. She is a busy woman. From her photo, Rabun is dynamic and soulful, her tipped black hat is pulled over her face and she’s giving off a sort of Alicia Keys vibe. Rabun, who hails from Raleigh, is a jazz and gospel singer and is the next artist in the Friends of Music Guest Artist Series at Methodist University. During most days, however, Rabun is running her own law firm.

Rabun is just one of a few strong, female artists coming to perform at Methodist through the Friends of Music Guest Artist Series. Her concert will take place on Feb. 10 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. As always, this concert, as well as others through the Friends of Music Guest Artist Series, will be free.

“We want to serve the community that way and bring in quality guests,” Dippre says. “To have access in our community, we need to offer things that are free from time to time and educational. So that people, families and not just adults, but kids from every background can come and see music performed at a high level and see what it means to be at a high concert.”

This year, and in the future, Dippre and the members of the board are hoping to reinvent what the series was before COVID. Like a lot of programs and businesses, they are rebuilding.

“But strong and better,” he says. And this year, the focus has been on bringing female artists into the spotlight. According to Dippre, they have done quite a bit of that this year.

They will also host performer Liz Broscoe, a dummer from Lake Tahoe. Broscoe is known for leading drum circles and “connecting through rhythm.” Typically the board will bring in more local artists. Dippre did not give mention as to why Broscoe was selected to come but admitted that it was unusual to have someone come from so far away. The board does aim for a variety of performers.

“We are trying to find a cross section of different artists. We are trying to find artists of all different backgrounds. We don’t want just one style of music,” he said. “We want to reach many different sectors of the population.”

Part of the outreach for the Friends of Music Guest Artists Series is bringing the performers into the community and into schools before the event. Rabun, for example, will be visiting The Capitol Encore Academy before her concert.

“We escort them to a local school so they can talk to and do a demonstration in front of young people.”

Dippre and others are hoping that the unrestricted access to seeing concerts and performers will help stoke the love of music, and particularly live music, in the community.

“People are less inclined to see live music. Everything is at home. Everything is on your phone. We are getting more and more like that,” he says. “The experience of seeing a live concert is something a lot of people miss out on.”

The Friends of Music Guest Artist Series does this through using local grants and donations from the community.

Rabun will perform Feb. 10 from 7:30 to 9:30 and Liz Broscoe’s concert will be on March 24 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Matthews Chapel. Admission is free.
Visit www.methodist.edu/about-mu/arts/friends-of-music/ for more information.

Americans of all political stripes were glued to our television sets during last month’s epic fight by California Republican Kevin McCarthy to fulfill his long-held dream of becoming Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

It took the better part of a week and 15 rounds of voting with unknown concessions to right-wing representatives, but McCarthy finally dragged himself over the finish line.
It remains to be seen what his overriding desire has cost him and the American people.

That said, the whole process was riveting, because Americans have never seen anything like it unless we happen to be in the House gallery, where most of us have never been.

Since there was no Speaker, no Chamber rules had been adopted. C-Span, a nonprofit network that airs various government proceedings, including what happens in Congress, was unconstrained in showing us what was really going on, the process of legislative sausage making.

We saw Congressional parents babysitting their children on the House floor, liberal AOC of New York conversing with a House member from Arizona who once posted a cartoon of himself murdering her. We saw Democratic and Republican members conversing pleasantly, and we witnessed a fist fight on the verge of happening between a McCarthy supporter and a McCarthy opponent.
Our own North Carolina Congressman Richard Hudson, himself a Republican, grabbed his aggressive colleague by the chin and held him back, averting actual fisticuffs.

My personal favorite part was newly elected and newly disgraced New York Congressman George Santos not responding to the House clerk calling out his name for a vote — if Santos is indeed his real name since he did not seem to recognize it at all.

The whole thing was quite a show, and Americans loved seeing the real action, not the sanitized version.
Under normal House rules made by both Democrats and Republicans and in effect now that there is a Speaker, C-Span is limited to showing the rostrum, member orating on the floor, and panoramic views of the House with people walking around.

Getting to see what really goes on has, historically, been an electrifying treat available only to those actually present. But now that we have seen it, we want more. Think “how ya gonna keep ‘em down on the farm once they’ve seen Paree?”

To that end, Representative Mark Pocan (D-Wisconsin) plans legislation to allow just that, saying “one of the features of the new Congress that made this debate so compelling was the fact that cameras recording the U.S. House of Representatives were free to broadcast the full Chamber during votes and debates.”

Good for him! Americans should be able to see their elected officials at work, even when they are making sausage. And while Democrats had a difficult time keeping the smiles off their lips during the days-long Republican Speaker voting, rest assured that the glare of public sunshine could and will cut both ways, and both parties will eventually embarrass themselves if C-Span’s cameras are allowed to let the sunshine in.

Meanwhile, back in North Carolina, our own House of Representatives is apparently trying to pull a fast one. Republicans have adopted House rules that do not require advance notice of veto override votes. This means that should someone, likely a Democrat who supports the Governor’s veto on a piece of legislation, step out of the House chamber even for a necessary bathroom break, the Speaker could call for a veto override vote immediately, and that would be that — fair or not.

Yet another argument for transparency in government, including allowing Americans to see the sausage getting made — blood, gore and all.

ABBA is a household name, and for a good reason. With over 400 million records sold, and with the help of the musical “Mamma Mia,” ABBA was and still is one of the greatest pop groups of all time.

And while the band itself is not touring anytime soon, a tribute band from Sweden will be making their first stop in the United States here in Fayetteville. Direct from Sweden, The Music of ABBA takes nine of the best-performing ABBA tribute musicians and puts them together to have an all-star tribute cast.

Todd Bartleson, the Senior Vice President for MPI Talent Agency, told Up & Coming Weekly that the show is 100 percent live and will be different from other tribute shows and productions since they want to continue producing these shows with familiar faces year after year.

“It’s a fairly new show, but I was booking another show for 14 years and I'm just creating a different show with a different cast. That other show got too watered down with different cast members and stuff they put in. So I'll try to get more consistency with the show,” Bartleson said.

The previous show, “ARRIVAL from Sweden,” sold out many venues since 2007. Members of the group have worked with the original band members of ABBA and have been cited as the closest live band to ABBA.

This new tribute band will be made up of a majority of Swedes, with a few American performers as well. There will be solos, musical numbers and a complete live band with backup singers, all of which Bartleson says ensures an extra dimension unheard of in most similar productions.

The show will feature the biggest hits of ABBA that trended the charts here in the U.S., such as ‘Waterloo,’ ‘Mamma Mia,’ ‘Super Trouper,’ and many more. The group will not be performing any of the new ABBA songs from 2021’s album, “Voyager.”

Bartleson says that tribute bands are one of the best ways to experience the music of ABBA since it is fully live and ABBA doesn’t tour anymore.

“For the most part, tribute bands have taken off in the last ten years. Before that, people didn't really want to go see tributes. They wanted to go see the real deal,” Bartleson said.

The band has been touring Europe for the last few months and will be stopping in Fayetteville as part of their debut in the United States. Their next stop will be in Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL. The show is not tailored to just ABBA fans but to music lovers of all ages.

“It’s a family show [so] they can bring the kids. It’s for all ages from, you know, younger kids all the way to teenagers. It's very family-oriented,” Bartleson said.

“Everyone knows the songs. So every song is a hit. So it just builds and builds and builds and builds to the very end. When they do ‘The Dancing Queen,’ the people just go nuts. It's a really good, well-paced all-ages show for sure.”

Tickets, which range from $38 to $78, are available at www.crowncomplexnc.com/events/detail/direct-from-sweden-the-music-of-abba. However, Bartleson says that tickets are starting to sell out, so he recommends buying them sooner rather than later.

The show will be on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Crown Theatre. The show will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and will be roughly 90 minutes. It is part of Community Concerts, a local non-profit whose goal is to bring the finest in top-notch entertainment to Fayetteville.

Direct from Sweden-The Music of ABBA, will be the second to last concert of the 87th Season of Community Concerts. For more information about Community Concerts, go to www.community-concerts.com/.

Situps work the front muscle in the torso called the rectus abdominis and the classic situp has been proven to be ineffective in the reduction of abdominal fat. We are unable to do any spot reduction exercise to make a difference. Situps provide strength in the abdominals but they do not provide overall core stability. Multiplanar exercises along with diet are beneficial for the overall core.

What is the core? Your core is the central part of your body that includes the lower back, hips, stomach, pelvis, glutes and diaphragm, the muscle groups that are all interconnected.
A conjunction of exercises in multiplanar movements are contributing factors to an overall fitness improvement with diet being a major factor to the elimination of abdominal fat.

You can do hundreds of situps, but the fact is unless you integrate overall fitness regimen into your work out you will not get the deserved benefits.
From a training perspective we do not perform situps the old fashioned way which is hands behind the head, elbows moving the torso into a forward flexion. The biggest mistake that I see on the gym floor is the situp with the head moving forward which puts strain on the neck and spine.

When we do situps, they are with a ball to support the spine, the movement is minimal and the arms are in various positions. The Pilates situp is with the legs straight or in tabletop and a fluid motion of the entire torso with the back flat and flowing with the movement.

Fat does not magically disappear with diet and your targeted areas may be the last to let go. There is no quick fix for a flatter stomach and you may have to put your exercise plan second on your list.
Focus on your diet and begin to cut out foods that bloat or add fat that are high in sugar, salt or unsaturated fat. Begin drinking plenty of water to flush your system while eating foods higher in fiber such as fruit and vegetables.

Diet in conjunction with cardio and core building will begin to strengthen and sculpt your body. The time that it takes to lose body fat varies from person to person and factors that play a role in reduction may contribute to age, sex, height, weight, diet and physical activity. Generally, a person needs to burn 3,500 calories to lose one pound of fat and this can be accomplished by starting to eliminate about five hundred calories per day from your diet or eliminating 250 calories and adding in cardio that burns about 250.

This measure can aid in the reduction of body weight by approximately one pound per week or four pounds per month which is a healthy and sustainable approach to sustained weight.
What are the best ways to engage the core for a flatter stomach with exercise?

Planks burn more calories because they engage the arms, legs and back. Side planks engage the obliques, side core muscles, arms and glutes.

Toe reaches engage the abdominal muscles.

Up right bicycles in a seated position engage the abdominal muscles with a Bender Ball behind the back to decrease pressure on the spine.

In order to see a difference in body composition consistency is the key with diet, strength training, flexibility, cardio and water intake. Patience is the key to success because our bodies did not get the way they are overnight. Sustainability is worth the effort.

Live, love life with movement and fitness.

Mayor Jackie Warner read an apology for blocking people and deleting comments on social media pages she controls during a meeting of the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners on Jan. 23.
The formal apology was part of a settlement agreement in a lawsuit filed against her. The town board met in City Hall. Several people who had been deleted from her social pages attended the meeting.

“Those of you who have been deleted from my mayor’s social page, I thank you for coming out this evening,” Warner said.

She then explained that she controlled three separate Facebook pages, “a mayor’s page, a Carleen’s of Hope Mills (gift shop) page, and a personal page.” Warner said she was under the impression that her Carleen’s and personal pages did not affect her mayor’s page.

“However, we have determined that it does affect you,” Warner said.

Warner explained that she learned that if she blocked a person on her personal page, that person also would not have access to her mayor’s page. The action was determined to be illegal because of Warner’s role as an elected town official.

Duke University filed a lawsuit against the town and Warner. A settlement is now in progress. Part of the settlement requires that Warner was given a statement to read in a public setting, said Warner, who added that the statement was provided by her attorney.

“Over the past several years, I have hidden and deleted posts and comments and blocked people from Facebook pages that I use as a forum to interact with citizens on issues related to the town of Hope Mills in my role as mayor,” Warner read from the statement.

“As a result of my actions, a lawsuit has been filed against me.”

Warner then apologized for her actions and gave her assurance that in the future, her personal Facebook pages would be properly distinguished from her mayor’s page, which will be used as an open forum for residents to freely interact on issues related to the town.

“My statement has always been we’re moving forward in Hope Mills. This is behind us. We are moving forward. There’s a lot of things happening in Hope Mills,” said Warner.

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, love is in the air, and it’s being spread all over town by Fayetteville Sound.

The Fayetteville Sound is a talented barbershop chorus, singing barbershop music all over Cumberland County. This Valentine’s day they’re doing “Singing Valentines,” where a quartet from the group comes to sing or record a video personalized for your sweetheart.

Fayetteville Sound is the newest chapter of the Carolinas Barbershop Harmony District, which is 1 of 17 districts that make up the Barbershop Harmony Society.
The group is full of diverse talent, with people from all walks of life. Music teachers, veterans, and everything in between travel to meet once a week on Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. to sing polecats and different barbershop songs. They go all over the city singing at charity events, holiday celebrations, competitions and other events.

The group was created back in 2015, and they were formerly known as the Cross Creek Chordsmen. It’s been gradually building ever since, and with the BHS allowing women and mixed harmony quartets since 2019, they’ve been able to expand the chapter with more diversity.

They’re continuously looking for new talent to come join them and spread the love of singing. When talking to the president of the Fayetteville Sound, he defines a barber shopper as “anyone who likes to sing and use their God-given voices.”

Barbershop music is unique in many ways. It’s a completely a capella, close harmony style of singing; meaning they don’t use instruments, besides an occasional pitch whistle. Most people are used to hearing three-part harmonies from church — Alto, Soprano and Tenor. A barbershop quartet is four parts, and every part has its position.

There’s a lead, tenor, bass and baritone. When combined as four individuals or the four singing groups together as a choir, the results will blow you away just about every time. Another great thing about barbershop music is that they are usually singing polecat songs, which are top songs that most quartets learn and memorize all over the country. So, if you live in another state then relocate, you can find a chapter and fit right in because you know the same songs they do. They also use these songs to compete at competitions all over the world.

History of Barbershop Singing

The Barbershop Harmony Society was founded in 1939 by Owen Cash in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cash wasn’t fond of the control that the government had over the country at the time and felt that his main source of liberation was ultimately barbershop quartet singing.

He decided to put together a luncheon for 14 other gentlemen and their guests. Almost twice the number of guests showed up, they sang and harmonized together for several hours. They started having meetings consistently and the society was born.

If you’ve never heard of barbershop music before now, we’re sure your grandparents probably have. The quartet singing style of music grew its roots in the black community between the 1880s and 1910s. African Americans would harmonize popular songs as well as spirituals and folk songs. They would sing in the streets, barbershops, near stores, in churches, among other places.

Barbershop music is also related to early Jazz and is said to be a huge influence on the music, especially in New Orleans and down south. The sound became extremely popular, and started being performed by white minstrel performers, who used blackface, dialect from Black people, and musical inspirations to portray a caricature of a Black person and the Black culture. While the blackface form of theatrical makeup was used to entertain, it was typically demeaning to Black people.

From there the sound grew, and many white male quartet groups, some still using minstrel performers, began flooding the recording studio scene. Black quartet groups didn’t have a lot of access to studios to be recorded. When they did get recorded, it was not often distributed to the public, which created a stereotype of its origins. The Black origins of barbershop music didn’t get full credit until 1992, when a professor named Lynn Abbott published an article titled "Play That Barber Shop Chord: A Case for the African-American Origin of Barbershop Harmony”.

Women get their own society

Women were not originally involved with barbershop music. Shortly after the BHS started, women formed their own society called Sweet Adeline’s International. Though the barbershop music community was progressing slowly, the country was still at a racial and equality divide, which is safe to say affected barbershop music as well.

African Americans were not allowed into some societies until the late 1950s and early 1960s as the Civil Rights movement grew.

In fact, some members of the SAI protested the women-only society because of their policy against women of color. A few members left the SAI and formed Harmony, Inc., which remained a women-only quartet society until 2013, when men were allowed to join.

Heading in the right direction

Today, barbershop music continues to head in the right direction. With BHS, and other societies allowing women in, creating the opportunity for mixed quartets, it gives the music a chance to thrive in ways that were not possible before.

When interviewing a couple of women from the Fayetteville Sound, Up & Coming Weekly asked how they feel women contribute to barbershop music. Jessica Sheri says, “Vocally, there’s a different color and tone quality. I feel like women add a richness to it. It also forces guys to hear themselves differently and teach each other differently, when singing with women.”

Watching and listening to a quartet sing in unison is truly amazing and seeing the growth over the years of barbershop music serves as a reminder that we are better as people when we are in unison with each other.

Fayetteville Sound opens its doors to anyone who is eager to sing and be a part of this passionate group of people. On Valentine’s Day, Fayetteville Sound will be doing Singing Valentine’s from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
It’s the perfect opportunity to give your significant other a unique surprise they’ll never forget. If you’re anywhere within 30 minutes of Fayetteville, you can choose a location, and a quartet will come to you. Your sweetheart will receive a rose, candy and a picture of the occasion. The price of this package is $50.

There is also the option for a virtual singing valentine for just $25. Your loved one will receive a personal message and get it emailed directly to them, so they can keep the memory forever.
For more information call 910-676–1766. You can also follow them on Facebook at Fayetteville Sound Barbershop or email them at Fayettevillesound@gmail.com.

Why aren’t more North Carolina books made into movies? We ask ourselves even though the film, “Where the Crawdads Sing,” based on the popular book set in North Carolina was a great success last summer.

Thanks in part to the movie, the book’s sales continue to make the best-seller list. According to a July 14, 2022, article by Carrie Wittmer and Elizabeth Logan on the glamour.com web site, “as of January 2022, the book sold 12 million copies, making it one of the best-selling books of all time.”

But we miss the days when every Nicholas Sparks book and every John Grisham book was made into a blockbuster film. Sparks lives in New Bern and Grisham has close family connections to Raleigh and Chapel Hill.

Both authors rank high on the list of “The Living Authors with the Most Film Adaptations” compiled by Lit Hub (https://lithub.com/the-living-authors-with-the-most-film-adaptations/). Sparks with 11 was topped only by Stephen King with 34. Grisham had nine and was topped only by John le Carre (10), Ian McEwan (10), and tied with J.K. Rowling (9).

Why are not more North Carolina books turned into movies? One of the reasons is explained by Jen Doll in an article republished on the Atlantic web site.

“But any way you look at it, the movie version of a widely successful book is bound to go wrong. Has any book lover ever truly been fully satisfied with the big-screen adaptation? The relationship we have with the book is personal and special; the relationship we have with the movie is more distanced from that, more passive, and certainly less demanding of us. We sit back and watch it play out, and we do so with a changed eye, having read the books. We're not going in as innocents but as experts; we know how the story goes, and we know what we expect. If we were more naive, new to the plot and characters, things might be different, but since we've read the books, and read them emphatically, possibly more than once, we can't know that for sure. We can only compare to what we do know, and already love.”

Acknowledging these difficulties, I would still like to see more North Carolina books made into movies. At the top of my list would be Wiley Cash’s recent novel, “When Ghosts Come Home,” set near Wilmington in 1985. The action begins at 3:11 a.m. when Sheriff Winston Barnes and his wife hear an airplane crash at the nearby airport. He rushes there, finding only a deserted airport, a crashed airplane, and the body of a young Black man shot in the chest. No fingerprints or other clues can be found, but almost certainly drugs were involved.

Race, small town politics, and international drug trafficking plus the common problems of ordinary people drive a mystery that captivates and leads to a completely surprising ending that would have movie goers holding on to their seats.

A book by respected North Carolina author Nancy Peacock, “The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson,” had me holding on to my seat just the way a great movie would. The story begins, “I have been to hangings before, but never my own…”

Beloved North Carolina author Lee Smith explains the power of the book, “From this riveting beginning to the last perfect word, Nancy Peacock grabs her reader by the throat and makes him hang on for dear life as the action moves from a Louisiana sugar plantation to life among the western Comanches, bringing to blazing life her themes of race and true love caught in the throes of history. ‘The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson’ is as deeply moving and exciting an American saga as has ever been penned.”

What a wonderful movie this story would make.

There are many more action-packed North Carolina books. Think of your favorites and how you would adjust them to make great movies.