Since the early 1800s, trains have captivated the collective American imagination, conjuring up dreams of freedom and the ability to bring economic prosperity to the country. Celebrate the history and magic of the railroad at Cape Fear Botanical Garden’s “Garden Railway” exhibit that runs daily through Friday, Aug. 31. The track includes approximately 450 feet of curves, bridges and plants in addition to the trains. It is set up in the Friendship Garden.

Today, garden railways are a fun way for train enthusiasts to enjoy outdoor model trains year-round.

“Alex Schleyer, who is a garden railway enthusiast, came out to the garden and did a presentation,” said Sheila Hanrick, director of marketing and events for CFBG. “He wanted to set up a garden railway out of the kindness of his heart, so people can see how garden railways can be done in their own backyards and the way it has been made to look as if it has always been there.”

In a video on the garden website, Schleyer explains the installation process. “We used the actual process that real railroads do. The track is large enough that it requires drainage … (and) it requires ballast to hold track.”

Now that the exhibit is open, there are several opportunities to expand on it and to draw in the community to enjoy it.

Hanrick added that individuals would never know that it was just laid down for a temporary exhibit through August.

“We will continue to add things throughout the summer,” he said. “There will be a day in July where we will have pedal cars that individuals can ride through foot power along a dirt path. We hope to incorporate a program with the Transportation Museum to get them out here to talk about how railway transportation changed agriculture for the United States. At that point, crops then could be transported across country. We are planning a whole lot around this train exhibit to get folks into the garden, find out what is here and just enjoy this beautiful setting.”

While encouraging everyone in the community to come out, Hanrick said CFBG staff is especially excited to see children. “If children want to bring their little superhero or miniature toys, Alex, our conductor, will certainly let those toys go for a ride,” Hanrick said.

CFBG hours of operation are Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from noon-5 p.m. The last daily admission is 4:15 p.m. “Garden Railway” merchandise is available for purchase.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12, $9 for members of the military and senior citizens, and free for children ages five and under. It is also free for individuals with a garden membership.

For more information, call 910- 486-0221.

PHOTO CREDIT: www.capefearbg.org

As Fayetteville’s arts and local business-oriented culture has grown, so have 4th Fridays. 4th Fridays are a monthly, time-honored way to enjoy and keep up-to-date on the city’s artistic heartbeat while strolling downtown’s homey sidewalks. July’s 4th Friday falls on the 27th.

“This month’s (theme) is an old favorite: A Midsummer Night Downtown,” said Sam DuBose, general manager of Cool Spring Downtown District. The theme refers to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” one of Shakespeare’s most popular works, in which mischievous fairies run the show.

Elaine Kelly, owner of Turner Lane, is the chair for July’s 4th Friday. She said visitors should look out for a Fairy Door Scavenger Hunt, a Fairy Garden Market at the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum, a magic man show, craft experiences, themed magical food and drinks, outdoor musical performances, street players, face painting and other fairy/medieval-themed activities.

The bulk of the events will take place Friday evening from 5-9 p.m., and the Fairy Door Scavenger Hunt will continue Saturday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Fairy Door Scavenger Hunt presents magical quests spanning 34 downtown locations with over $500 in prizes for all ages. Fairy Journals with maps and instructions for the hunt can be found at participating downtown businesses, which include Turner Lane, Rude Awakening, Pressed – A Creative Space, City Center Gallery & Books, and many others.

See a full list of participating businesses by searching the event page “Midsummer Night Downtown” on Facebook.

There will be more to see and do the evening of the 27th than just themed activities, though.

The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County will debut its new exhibition, “10:10:10” from 7-9 p.m. Annah Lee, director of artistic programs at Artspace in Raleigh, acted as its juror. She selected 10 artists to receive 10 linear feet of exhibition space to curate at the Arts Council gallery.

“This exhibition is unique in that the artists not only select which works they would like to install, but they actually do the installations themselves along with the other artists. What will result is 10 self-curated exhibitions,” said Janet Gibson, Arts Council director of marketing and communications.

Selected artists include photographers, illustrators, 3D artists, interior designers and art educators. They range from being self-taught to holding Masters of Fine Arts. “10:10:10” runs through Aug. 18.

Headquarters Library will host a singalong to traditional American work songs from 6-9 p.m. in the Pate room. The singalong is part of “The Way We Worked,” an exhibition created by the National Archives and made possible in Fayetteville by the North Carolina Humanities Council. Light refreshments will be served.

Cape Fear Studios will host its “6 by Exhibit” from 6-8:30 p.m. Artists were invited to submit work of any medium, so long as one of the creation’s dimensions measures 6 inches.

From 6-9 p.m., the Market House will feature a temporary show titled “Vintage Postcards.” View original documents like receipts, bills and letters that help tell the story of business development in Fayetteville.

From 7-9 p.m., Fascinate-U Children’s Museum invites families to visit its craft table and create a free seashell critter with recycled plastic eggs.

Call CSDD at 910-223-1089 or visit www.theartscouncil.com to learn more about 4th Friday.

PHOTO CREDIT: Downtown Alliance

The city of Fayetteville has begun collecting data and seeking public opinions during a downtown parking study. Input is being collected through stakeholder committee meetings, public forum opportunities and an electronic survey. The survey is available online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/Parking_Fayetteville.

The parking study will evaluate current and future parking demands, especially those prompted by baseball games at the new Hay Street stadium. Regulations and performance comparisons to other cities in North Carolina will also be considered. The city received a revitalization and economic development grant to conduct the downtown parking study.

At this point, city officials believe there are enough existing and planned future parking spaces downtown to accommodate baseball fans. Officials believe 1,500 to 2,000 additional vehicles will go downtown for a typical ballgame. One question is whether the city is running a risk of expecting some people to walk three or four blocks to the stadium. City traffic engineer Lee Jernigan said that is not the case, and that parking studies should confirm that.

Park and ride opportunities are a possibility, said Jernigan. “FAST or a private company could provide mini-bus shuttle service,” he added. That’s another one of the things the parking study may determine as to need.

Currently, on-street parking restrictions vary from two to three hours, but they only apply during business hours, Jernigan noted. The city doesn’t use parking meters, but parking enforcement officers patrol the downtown area.

Finding a parking spot for a ballgame will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Downtown parking lots should fill up rapidly, at least those owned by the city. They include the Airborne & Special Operations Museum and Festival Park lots, among others.

Owners of private lots near the stadium have not yet been asked by the city to make them available after business hours, according to Jernigan. Limited spaces at the parking garage, which is now under construction next to the train station, will be for disabled and handicapped parking. Most of those spaces will be for tenants of the new hotel and Prince Charles apartments.

Chances are that city-operated parking lots and the Franklin Street parking deck will be paid parking for special events. Jernigan noted that during the recent Dogwood Festival, people did not object to paying fees. He said motorists will also be charged parking fees during the upcoming International Folk Festival in the fall. “This is a dynamic process for us, which will be tweaked as we go,” he said.

City officials hope the parking study will be ready for review by the end of the year. The new stadium is scheduled to open for ballgames by April 2019.

The No. 2 man with the state’s largest public-school system is now No. 1 with the fifth largest school system. Dr. Marvin Connelly Jr. was formally sworn in as superintendent of Cumberland County Schools last week.

Connelly was named to the position by the county school board back in April, succeeding former superintendent Dr. Frank Till, who resigned in June 2017. Associate Superintendent Tim Kinlaw was the system’s caretaker over the last year and plans to retire. Connelly’s salary is $220,000.

Connelly said he was attracted to Cumberland County because of the success and opportunities in the school system, which he said has a good reputation.

“I think the experience I have had is a good match for what Cumberland was looking for in a leader,” he said. Carrie Sutton, chairwoman of the board of education, said the board is honored, proud and grateful to begin a new journey with Connelly.

Connelly was a military intelligence officer in the 82nd Airborne Division and served in the first Gulf War with a unit stationed in Germany. After his service in the Army, Connelly became a  teacher’s assistant and then a teacher in special education classes. He then became an assistant principal and principal before becoming an assistant superintendent and chief of staff for Wake County Public Schools.

He holds a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees from North Carolina State University and a doctorate in educational leadership from East Carolina University.

Connelly is a North Carolina native. He has begun a whirlwind tour of all the county’s schools.

“We’ll be... out in the community, listening to the citizenry, meeting with schools, visiting all schools,” he said.

He’s also taking time to meet members of the staff of the school system. Connelly is talking to everyone about some strategic goals that he would like the school system to work toward over the next five years.

Cumberland County has 87 schools and enrolls about 50,000 students. It’s one-third the size of Wake County schools.

In his Ph.D. dissertation presented to the faculty of the Department of Educational Leadership at East Carolina University in July 2012, Connelly wrote about partnerships among schools and faithbased organizations. He said in part that “as school system leaders seek to expand partnerships with community and faith-based organizations, it is essential that student achievement be the focus of the partnerships.”

He asserted that such partnerships should focus on mentoring as compared to partnerships that focus on tutoring. He concluded that “to be successful, partnerships among schools and faith-based organizations should focus on student academic and behavioral outcomes.”

He echoed those thoughts in his acceptance speech last April, saying, “Together with the students, parents, teachers, system leaders, community partners and the board, we will establish a strategic plan to attain new levels of excellence for all of the students in the Cumberland County Schools.”

PHOTO: Dr. Marvin Connelly Jr.

Cumberland County Democratic Senate nominee Kirk deViere is taking on one of the Republicans who redrew the district lines in what has become known as political gerrymandering.

deViere said he will hold a series of community meetings to help residents better understand their district. Senate District 19 encompasses most of rural Cumberland County and parts of the city of Fayetteville.

“Our team decided we needed to go into the community and bring people together to share their concerns, solutions and have their voices heard,” deViere said. “I’m going to meet the people in their own neighborhoods and listen to their frustrations.”

He said his meetings will be held in Hope Mills, Gray’s Creek, Pearce’s Mill, Stoney Point, Eastover, Godwin, Wade, Stedman, Vander, Cedar Creek and some neighborhoods in Fayetteville.

deViere is a former Fayetteville city councilman. He is opposing four-term Republican Sen. Wesley Meredith, who is also a former member of Fayetteville City Council. Both men are Army veterans and own local businesses.

Cumberland County Schools safety enhanced

The Cumberland County Schools system has spent $2 million on security upgrades. The projects, which were scheduled over a three-year period, were stepped up after a gunman killed 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in February. Upgrades have been completed at all but half a dozen elementary schools, and that work should be finished before the start of the traditional school year.

CCS Associate Superintendent Tim Kinlaw told The Fayetteville Observer that securing some campuses was challenging because nearly all classroom doors opened to the outside rather than a hallway. Chain link fences had to be built around all the buildings at those schools.

“Every school is different,” he said. “Our newer schools are easier because they were built with security in mind.”

The school system, which is the fifth largest in the state, has 52 elementary schools, 18 middle schools and 17 high schools. Kinlaw said elementary schools will have buzzer systems with cameras so visitors can be seen by school officials before they are admitted to the building.

Kinlaw said he understands that fences and gates are not pleasing to the eye. The upgrades are meant to give staff members time to lock down campuses when need be to protect students and faculties.

Air drops resupply troops in Afghanistan

U.S. forces in Afghanistan are being supported by way of an unconventional supply line familiar to Fayetteville/Fort Bragg residents. Supplies have been increasingly delivered to remote areas of the country via cargo aircraft and parachuted into Afghanistan to sustain operations against the Taliban this summer.

More than 327,000 pounds of supplies were airdropped into Afghanistan by the end of May this year, with the bulk of those drops occurring in April and May, according to numbers provided by U.S. Central Command’s Combined Air Operations Center.

That number stands in stark contrast to 2017, when the Air Force air dropped only about 33,000 pounds of supplies.

Officially, the Air Force said the spike signals an increase in combat operations against insurgent forces. Capt. Mark Graff, an Air Forces Central Command spokesman, could not expound on where the airdrops were focused, but he did say supplies are not distributed evenly across the country.

Airdrops are often used to resupply or build up smaller and more remote outposts, which heavily dotted Afghanistan before the drawdown in 2014.

Bomb squad robots

Then North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has three new robots to join the battle against violent crime. With 64 calls since January, the members of the SBI Bomb Squad welcome the new robots that weigh about 70 pounds, can go up and down stairs, have six cameras, can lift about 15 pounds and can cut wires. They have the capability to remotely locate and neutralize improvised explosive devices in confined spaces, such as aircraft, buses and trains.

“These new robots will be small enough to enter tight spaces where bomb technicians had to go before,” said Tim Luper, commander of the SBI Bomb Squad.

The unit serves all 100 counties in North Carolina as needed, and assists local authorities in situations involving IEDs, weapons of mass destruction, suspicious packages, homemade fireworks and other explosive hazards.

“The whole reason the bomb squad exists is for public safety,” Luper said.

The three robots were purchased through a $153,000 grant from the Governor’s Crime Commission.

PHOTOS: N.C. District 19 Senate candidates Kirk deViere & Wesley Meredith

By now, you may be sick of the all the genetic testing ads promising to let you know your family history in return for paying them for the right to sell your genetic code to some third party. Like Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for a mess of pottage, go ahead and sell your genetic history to a corporation. Watching these ads got me to thinking about what a delight it would have been if the Minotaur had sent in his genes to be sorted out by a gene company.

Take a ride back to ancient Greece, where men were men and Minotaurs were something else. To refresh your Greek mythology, the Minotaur had the head of a bull, the body of a man, lived in a labyrinth and liked to eat people. His genetic background was fairly wild. Since you obviously have nothing better to do than to waste a bit of your time reading this column, let us look at how the Minotaur came to be.

Back in the golden days of yesteryear, on the island of Crete, there was a king named Minos. Minos and his brothers all wanted to be king of Crete. There was more than the usual sibling rivalry going on. Minos figured if he could get Poseidon, the god of the sea, to send him a snow-white bull, it would show his brothers that Minos ought to be the king. Minos told Poseidon that if Poseidon sent him the white bull, Minos would kill the bull in Poseidon’s honor. Not much of an honor for the bull, but this was before PETA had arrived on the scene.

Poseidon sent the white bull to Minos. Turned out Minos thought the bull was so pretty that he didn’t want to kill it; he sacrificed one of his regular bulls instead. This treachery did not sit well with Poseidon. In fact, Poseidon was cranky about it. You would not like Poseidon when he is angry.

Being a god, Poseidon can do about anything. He decided to get even with Minos by making Minos’ wife Pasiphae fall in love with the white bull. The story gets a little R-rated here. If you are sensitive, stop reading now. Pasiphae had her master builder, Daedalus, make a hollow wooden cow into which she climbed. She made sweet, sweet love to the white bull and became pregnant. Pasiphae then gave birth to the Minotaur.

The Minotaur was ugly, even by Greek standards, and only ate humans. His eating habits would soon wipe out the population of Crete, leaving no one for Minos to be king over. After consulting the Oracle, Minos had Daedalus build the labyrinth to keep the Minotaur from eating everyone. For reasons too complicated to go into today, Minos kept the Minotaur in his labyrinth by sending seven boys and seven girls into the labyrinth to be eaten by the Minotaur every seven years.

Along comes a hero, Theseus, who promises to kill the Minotaur to stop the eating of the boys and girls. This seems certain death for Theseus because even if he killed the Minotaur, he would be lost in the labyrinth forever. Naturally, Minos’ beautiful daughter Ariadne falls in love with Theseus. She comes up with a plan to help him get out of the maze by giving him a ball of string to unroll as he goes into the labyrinth. Pretty clever lady.

Theseus goes into the maze and kills the Minotaur despite not having a Minotaur hunting license. He finds his way back out by following the string Ariadne gave him. Theseus shows his gratitude to Ariadne by taking her away on a cruise on the Love Boat where everything is exciting and new. For a while, anyway, as the great Meatloaf once sang: “Though it’s cold and lonely in the deep dark night/ I can see paradise by the dashboard light.”

Ariadne tells Theseus, “Stop right there!/ I gotta know right now/ Before we go any further/ Will you love me forever?/ Will you never leave me?/ Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?/ Will you take me away and will you make me your wife?”

Theseus, being worked up, promises to love Ariadne until the end of time. Then in the afterglow of the moment, Theseus starts praying for the end of time. When the end of time doesn’t appear, Theseus dumps Ariadne on the island of Naxos and goes his merry way back home without her. Men are no damn good.

So, what have we learned today? If you promise a sea god something, keep your promise or your spouse may take up animal husbandry and not in a good way. Promises made in the heat of passion sometimes cool off in the first cold blue light of morning. Beware of Greeks bearing string. Minotaurs should always floss after every meal. Stay out of labyrinths unless you have a ball of string.

PHOTO: Theseus and the Minotaur. Detail from an Orientalizing polychrome stamnos made in Mégara Hyblæa, 660–650 BC. From Selinunte, Sicily.

Like you, I am proud to be an American – extremely proud. As my family and I celebrated Independence Day, we reflected on the many blessings of living in the United States of America, and we thanked God for guiding our nation. We prayed for our service members, our veterans and their families – the very people who continue to make our Fourth of July celebrations possible. I saw so much patriotism and love for this great country. It was incredible.

There are infinite reasons we should all be extremely proud to be an American, and number one is our service members. One of the greatest honors of my life is representing Fort Bragg, the epicenter of the universe and home of the Airborne and of the Army Special Operations Command.

As part of my job being Fort Bragg’s congressman and providing oversight to the Department of Defense to ensure our soldiers have what they need, I spent time this past week in Germany visiting the U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Special Operations Command Africa, and Special Operations Command Forward-North and West Africa, which is led by the fearless Green Berets of 3rd Special Forces Group who also call Fort Bragg home. I was able to gain a greater knowledge of our military operations in Africa and the trials and opportunities our troops are facing. I also engaged with senior commanders to take a deep dive into our role in the region and U.S. interests.

Additionally, I was able to talk to soldiers from the command level all the way down to the individual operational detachment alphas and gain insight into the issues our soldiers are facing throughout the chain of command. This information will allow me to make sure our Special Forces have all the support and resources they need. I especially enjoyed my time getting to know many of these brave men and women and showing them my gratitude.

Words simply don’t do it justice. These patriots are away from their families, and they represent the best of us. We are so thankful for their service and sacrifice and that of their families back home. I ask for your continued prayer over them as they serve to protect our nation.

As a member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, I attended an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly in Berlin, Germany, along with parliamentarians from Europe, Russia and Central Asia, plus the United States and Canada. While there, I offered an amendment urging the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson of North Carolina, who has been held in custody in Turkey for nearly 650 days. I will continue to use my position as a commissioner to ensure Pastor Brunson comes home and to advocate for human rights, free speech, democracy and freedom of religion. These are the very values that we uphold, that make America so great and that make me extremely proud to be an American.

Outdoor adventurer and writer Jon Krakauer’s account of the 1996 rogue storm disaster that was Mount Everest mountainclimbing that year literally kept me up at night. Eight people, including the leader of Krakauer’s own expedition team, died on the world’s highest mountain, where bodies remain frozen to this day. I have never forgotten his description of a man, thought lost, stumbling into camp with one arm frozen perpendicular to his body.

I had the same reaction to what could have been the tragedy of the Wild Boar soccer team in a cave in northern Thailand, until it wasn’t. Once the rescues began, I woke up several times a night to check online for the latest update. I suspect I am among millions – maybe billions – who were doing the same thing.

Hearts around the world leapt when the first four boys got out, sang with the extraction of the next four a day later and soared when the remaining four boys and the coach reached daylight and fresh air one day later.

The Wild Boar story had heartwrenching dramatic elements. Missing children and frantic parents. Found children in profound danger in one of the most challenging caves in the world. Brave rescuers working against the clock and steep odds – children who could not swim; cold, murky and rising waters with rushing currents strong enough to rip off divers’ face masks; tight spaces;  diseases caused by cold, damp conditions, rodents and bats; decreasing oxygen levels in the cave where the Wild Boars were trapped; and perhaps most daunting of all, the pressing reality that such a rescue had never been attempted before and was more likely to fail than to succeed.

In truth, the rescue was a miracle, given what we now know.

In a world racked with division and distrust, the mission worked in part because of cooperation of people from many nations, including the United States, and many agencies, organizations and individuals doing all sorts of jobs. According to TheWall Street Journal, 10,000 people were involved in the rescue effort, including volunteer cooks serving 5,000 meals a day. Seven hundred oxygen tanks were rounded up, with 500 of them being placed inside the cave every 25 meters. The tanks had to be retrieved, refilled with compressed air and replaced time and time again. Medical personnel rallied, including a doctor who stayed inside the cave monitoring the boys’ conditions until they were taken to safety.

With monsoon rains underway and more coming, rescuers began pumping water from the cave and ultimately pumped 1 billion – yes, with a “b” – liters of water out of the cave.

Because the boys are young, the adult, full-face masks to be used in the evacuation were tested on local volunteer children in a swimming pool. By pulling the five straps as tight as possible, rescuers decided to give the masks a go.

As the drama unfolded, speculation abounded about which boys would be rescued first and who would remain in the cave until rescue divers could rest, eat and return with replenished air supplies. Would the weakest go first or the strongest? In the end, the Wild Boars decided themselves. The Wall Street Journalreported the boys in the cave gave the Thai SEAL divers a list of their names in the order to be evacuated.

Most chilling of all is this. The pumps that extracted a billion liters of water from the flooded cave failed hours after the last boys and their coach were pulled to safety, sending torrents of water back into the cave.

The New York Times put it this way. “Many of the divers and residents of the nearby northern Thai town of Mae Sai saw the last-minute flood as a sign that divine protection had ceased only after all were safe.”

“I still can’t believe it worked.” Thai General Chalongchai Chaiyakham’s reaction resonated in ears around the world.

Now that it is all over, readers are paging Jon Krakauer with this message: “Please, please write this book!”

PHOTO CREDIT: Air Force photo by Capt. Jessica Tait

For more than two decades, Up & Coming Weekly has told this community’s stories. We champion successes, support causes and initiatives and celebrate everything good about Fayetteville and Cumberland County. Once a year, though, we reach out to our readers through our Best of Fayetteville readership survey to ask what you love most about this area.

Do you have a favorite car wash/stylist/restaurant? Do you just love a particular nonprofit organization/entertainment venue/veterinarian? Now is your chance to tell us about it.

Voting lasts through the month of July. Visit our website, www.upandcomingweekly.com, and fill out a ballot online. Or, find a paper edition of Up &Coming Weekly and fill out the ballot and mail it in.

Once all the votes are counted, we throw a big party congratulating the winners, and we publish an entire issue celebrating them that resides on our website and in businesses all year long.

The Fayetteville Observer is currently running an entirely different program called the Reader’s Choice awards. This is NOT the same as Best of Fayetteville.

We launched the Best of Fayetteville readership survey during the month of July to avoid conflicting with The FayettevilleObserver’s Reader’s Choice Awards, which is its advertising/sales promotion. This annual sales program has been in existence for 24 years, and until last year, the Observer ran it during September and announced its winners in October.

Even though our two programs are completely different in nature and purpose, to avoid reader confusion, we voluntarily agreed in 1997 to launch our Best of Fayetteville readership survey during the month of July and announce the winners in September. We haven’t changed.

The ballots are out now, and in September, we hope to see you at our complimentary Best of Fayetteville party as we congratulate the people, organizations and businesses that YOU name the “Best of the Best.”

Up & Coming Weekly does not pre-sell advertising to promote or nominate specific businesses and organizations for Best of Fayetteville. However, we do encourage them to promote themselves and encourage their friends, family and customers to vote in Best of Fayetteville. Up & ComingWeekly does not sell or require businesses or organizations to participate with advertising purchases in pre-contest special sections to get their business officially printed on the ballot.

Up & Coming Weekly does no preballot advertising sales. After the survey is complete and the ballots are tallied, there is only ONE winner in each category. The winners are given the opportunity to purchase advertising/marketing programs to thank their customers and supporters and to market and brand their companies, capitalizing on and taking advantage of their Best of Fayetteville achievement. These Best of Fayetteville advertising programs are unique and significantly discounted so winners can take full marketing advantage of the honor. Winners have only one opportunity to participate in these advertising programs – and it’s after they’ve won.

In addition to the beautiful wall plaque awarded to each Best of Fayetteville winner, they can use the official Best of Fayetteville logo in all print advertising, radio, billboard, TV or social media advertising.

Best of Fayetteville is an exclusive designation. The way we manage it is what makes this program credible. Is it perfect? No. However, it has developed into one of this community’s most respectable and prestigious awards. It is the only readership survey that is partnered with the Greater Fayetteville Chamber and the Better Business Bureau.

If you have any questions about whether you’re participating in the Best of Fayetteville readership survey or someone else’s advertising program, take a good, long look at the ballot. If the ballot has names already printed on it, it is NOT the Best of Fayetteville.

So, what are you waiting for? Cast your vote and let your voice be heard!

Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Just outside of Hope Mills, at 7 Branch Farm in Lumber Bridge, North Carolina, horses, cattle and people thrive on 37 acres of farmland. It’s a place steeped in the cowboy spirit: love for the land, adventure, gritty hard work and integrity. And, in 2014, it became the first venue in North Carolina to celebrate National Day of the Cowboy.

The late Wyoming U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas first sponsored National Day of the Cowboy in 2005 as a way to celebrate cowboys’ and cowgirls’ contribution to America’s culture and heritage. Since then, celebratory rodeos have taken place across the nation every fourth Saturday in July.

Enjoy 7 Branch’s fifth National Day of the Cowboy rodeo Friday or Saturday evening, July 27 or 28, or Sunday afternoon, July 29.

Buddy Blackman, general manager of 7 Branch, said he expects a crowd of 1,500 to 2,000 people at each show, with Saturday likely being a standing-room only event.

“It’s to remember our heritage,” he said. “You don’t see a whole lot of cowboys walking around nowadays. This is keeping the spirit of the Old West alive.”

Blackman is the son of Ron Payne, who started the farm nine years ago with only eight acres of land and a dream to build a horse farm. Today, with the help of his children, it’s grown to 37 acres and hosts several training and rodeo events each year.

The National Day of the Cowboy rodeo includes traditional favorites like barrel racing, team roping, cowboy mounted shooting, and, of course, bull riding. Throughout each rodeo, Blackman said, there will be a total of about 50 cowboys and cowgirls competing for special belt buckles — a mark of honor — and prize money. This includes 20 bull riders.

There will also be fun, modern parts of the show. Cowpaty the Rodeo Clown will perform, a professional who’s been at work since age 11, along with the Carolina Stars Trick Riders. Carolina Stars is a duo comprised of former Dixie Stampede performers Leslie Reed and Lori Graham. They’ll perform death-defying stunts on Leslie’s new Palomino Quarter horse and Lori’s Appaloosa mare.

The audience will be engaged throughout the show, but Blackman is bringing back one activity that invites direct audience participation (and squeals): Bull Bowling. He first introduced the popular rodeo activity last year, and it was a hit.

Audience members are invited to enter the arena and stand in white circles drawn in the dirt in a bowling pin formation as a Brahman bull is released into the space. Last man standing is the winner.

“Some people have a theory that by standing completely still, the bull won’t charge at them,” Blackman said. “Sometimes it’s true; last year, the bull ran by several people to go after the people who took off running.” Blackman said it’s an event that gets the adrenaline pumping while remaining relatively safe. “We have professional bull fighters out there to control things,” he said. “We’re not going to let a bull get someone down.”

Overall, Blackman said, the three-hour rodeo event is fast-paced and action-packed.

Friday and Saturday night, gates open at 5 p.m. and the rodeo starts at 8 p.m. Blackman recommends arriving early, as the lines will be long around 7 p.m. There will be food vendors, information and plenty to see and do as visitors wait for the rodeo to start once they’ve entered, Blackman said. Sunday’s rodeo kicks off at 2 p.m.

Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased at www.Dayofthecowboync.com. Cape Fear Valley’s Friends of the Cancer Center will benefit in part from ticket sales. You can get free tickets a couple of different ways, though. Camping World of Fayetteville, the event’s title sponsor, is giving free tickets to visitors who come do a walkthrough. Camping World is located at 5117 US Hwy 301 S in Hope Mills. WKML 95.7 is also offering listeners a chance to call in and claim free tickets in the weeks leading up to the event.

Visit www.7brancharena.com to learn more about the farm, and click “Calendar” for a list of smaller, more training-focused events throughout the year.

The annual East-West All-Star games and North Carolina Coaches Association Clinic returns to Greensboro the week of July 16-19.

The clinic annually draws thousands of high school coaches in various sports to Greensboro for clinic sessions with a variety of speakers covering sports specifics and changes in the rules.

In conjunction with the clinic, the East-West All-Star games are held in boys and girls basketball and boys and girls soccer and football.

Schedule for the All-Star games

Group ticket rates are available in advance of the All-Star games. Call 336-379-9095 for details.

• Basketball: Monday at Greensboro Coliseum. Tickets: $10 adults, $5 students. Parking: $5, Coliseum main lot. Game times: Girls at 6:30 p.m.; boys approximately 30 minutes after the girls game.

• Soccer: Tuesday at Macpherson Stadium, Bryan Park Soccer Complex. Tickets: $10 adults, $5 students. Parking: Macpherson Stadium lot. Game times: Girls at 6:30 p.m.; boys at 8:30 p.m.

• Football: Wednesday at Greensboro Grimsley’s Jamieson Stadium. Halftime fireworks display. Tickets: $10 adults, $5 students. Parking: Free in main parking lot. Representatives of the Oasis Shrine will be taking donations for the Shriner’s Crippled Children’s Hospitals. Game time: 8 p.m.

Cumberland County All-Stars Profiles

At press time, only two athletes were scheduled to take part in the games, Talia Parrous of Terry Sanford for East girls soccer and Greg Walker of Seventy-First for East football. There are no Cumberland County coaches on the staff of any of this year’s all-star teams.

• Talia Parrous, Terry Sanford East girls soccer 5-foot-6, forward.

Coach: Karl Molnar

Highlights: All-State as a senior. Scored 31 goals and had 23 assists. As a junior, Parrous was All-State, All-Region, All-Conference and the Cape Fear Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year and Fayetteville Observer Player of the Year. She scored 25 goals and had 14 assists. As a  sophomore, she had 24 goals and six assists. She also played basketball. She was a member of the National Honor Society, the Twelfth Man Club, Friends Club, French Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She signed an athletic grant-in-aid with UNC-Wilmington to play soccer. She will most likely major in sports management or nutrition. Her mother is her role model.

• Greg Walker, Seventy-First East football 6-foot-2, 260, offensive line.

Coach: Duran McLaurin

Highlights: As a senior, Walker was All-Conference, All-Region and All-910 All-Star. He won the Prestigious Helmet Award and had 18 pancake blocks. As a junior he was named Most Valuable Offensive Lineman. He signed an athletic grantin- aid with Johnson C. Smith where he will major in business. Coach Kellikai Aipia is his role model.

Ernest King, a 1992 graduate of Westover High School, is returning to his alma mater as head football coach, and he’s facing a pretty difficult challenge.

King, who was the former coach at E.E. Smith and has been at St. Pauls the last couple of seasons, replaces Craig Raye, who served one year as coach of the Wolverines.

King takes over a Wolverine team that went 4-8 last year and lost to powerful Southern Nash in the first round of the state 3-A football playoffs.

The timing of King’s return to Westover is complicated by how limited he’ll be in assessing his team before the first official day of fall practice on July 30.

There are two mandatory dead periods in July. One already took place the week of July Fourth. The second is the week of the North Carolina Coaches Association clinic and East-West All-Star games starting July 16.

That gives King barely two weeks to see what he has returning. Further complicating matters, he’s got to hire almost a full staff of assistant coaches. The only coach back from last season is head wrestling coach Bennie Tillman, who assisted with football last season.

King also needs to establish some continuity quickly as he’s the third head coach of the Westover football program in three seasons.

“The biggest thing is discipline,’’ he said. He plans to stick with the basics, teaching the fundamentals of offense, defense and special teams. By the second week of July, he hopes he can take his team to a seven-on-seven pass skeleton with another team to get a better evaluation of his available talent.

Another concern for King is getting his players into the weight room. “I want to try and get the kids stronger as much as possible,’’ he said. “We’ll lift during the season.’’

King said he’ll have to use the non-conference portion of Westover’s schedule to get the team ready for league play.

“We’ll take it week by week,’’ he said. “We will evaluate our kids every day in practice, see what types of schemes we need to run.’’

He expects to move players to different positions as needed, do what’s best for the team and try to keep things simple. “Some kids may not buy in,’’ he said. “The ones that do, we’ll continue to coach them up and try and get them better each week.’’

King said one of his biggest intangibles is getting the Wolverine football players to believe in Westover pride. “Hopefully me being a product of that environment and knowing what the demographics are, I can turn it around and get those kids out,’’ he said. “I may have to go out in the neighborhood and meet the kids in the hallways to get more kids out that normally don’t play football.’’

For the Cape Fear football program, this is the year 1 A.J., as in after Justice Galloway-Velazquez.

The talented Cape Fear athlete is now a Campbell University freshman, after leading the Colts on the best four-year run of football in school history, a record of 43-13 that included a conference title, a 4-A state runnerup and Eastern 4-A runnerup finish.

“It’s definitely going to be an adjustment for us and some of our guys,’’ said Colt head coach Jake Thomas. “They’re handling it pretty well.’’

A player who will be fully in the spotlight for the Colts this fall is Cayden McKethan, who stepped in at quarterback for Galloway-Velazquez last year when he was battling injuries.

A sophomore this fall, McKethan completed 38 of 64 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns.

“He’s got a good grasp but it’s a work in progress,’’ Thomas said. “He’s not as big as Justice (McKethan is 6-feet-0, 195 pounds). He’s got good size, (he’s) a good athlete and (has) decent arm strength. He’s a smart football player.’’

Aside from replacing Galloway-Velazquez, Thomas has concern about the wide receivers and the secondary, where the Colts will be replacing a lot of losses. “We don’t have a lot of experience returning at those positions,’’ Thomas said. “We’re working on basic alignments, communication and knowing your assignments.’’

There are some bright spots for the Colts going into the fall, Thomas said. Those areas include the defensive and offensive lines, linebackers and running backs. “For the most part, all those  guys are back, so we feel good about them,’’ Thomas said.

Coming out of the spring, Thomas hopes his players will be able to grasp the team’s top three running and passing plays, as well as being able to line up in the right defense in response to the opposing offensive formation, along with reacting to any offensive motion.

Thomas welcomes back a number of players who are expected to play key roles this fall.

One of the biggest is Jaylen Hudson, who will be moving from linebacker to free safety. Hudson has already been getting college football offers.

Mark Burke will move from linebacker to strong safety, and T.J. Hale will move to a starting cornerback spot.

Rounding out the top returnees are Sincere Hale and Caleb Krings in the line, along with linebacker Austin Hunt.

Hunt is returning from an ACL injury that sidelined him last year. He and the other five players Thomas mentioned will serve as the Colt captains.

“Austin is doing good in the weight room and looks good out there,’’ Thomas said.

Hunt hasn’t been cleared for full contact and expects to be held out throughout the fall practices, possibly until the start of regular season, just to make sure he’s fully healed.

“It’s great to be with the guys once again,’’ Hunt said. “My lateral movement and speed is back and I’m still physical like usual. The hardest part is the pain and soreness and my knee getting tired. I’ve got to build my endurance back up.’’

Watching from the sidelines last season, Hunt saw room for improvement in Cape Fear’s pass rush. “I wasn’t too pleased with the sacks last year,’’ he said. “Run-wise, we’re pretty decent.’’

Hunt said the formula for winning again this fall is simple. “We’ve got to play as a team,’’ he said. “Everybody has to hold the rope. Everybody has to make big time plays for us. “We can’t lag behind. We’ve got to take two steps forward every day.’’

PHOTOS: (T-B) Jake Thomas & Austin Hunt

With the loss of a talented senior class led by record-setting twins Christian and Andrew Jayne, Terry Sanford head football coach Bruce McClelland worked with a lot of new faces during this year’s spring football practice.

But McClelland is hopeful he’s got enough talented players returning to make another run at the Patriot Athletic Conference football title.

The Bulldogs were 11-2 last season, losing only to Cape Fear in league play en route to the championship and falling 42-41 to Jacksonville in the second round of the 3-A playoffs.

With Christian Jayne throwing often to Andrew Jayne last season, the Bulldogs were best known as a passing team, although they certainly were able to run the football.

Coming into the fall, McClelland said he has an open mind as to what kind of team the Bulldogs will be this year.

“I feel my duty is to work with the personnel I have,’’ McClelland said. “We’re going to run a similar offense. If we have the backs, we’ll run the ball. If we have guys that step up at wideout, we’ll throw it. But we’re going to lay all the cards on the table.’’

One of the big questions McClelland has to sort out is who will be the Bulldog quarterback this season.

Davidjohn Herz, a star pitcher for the Bulldogs’ Eastern 3-A finalist baseball team last season, came off the bench in some critical situations to spell Christian Jayne last year.

While he may be the front runner for the job, McClelland said there will be an open competition for the starting job this summer and fall between Herz, who is a senior, and junior Jacob Knight. “Those two will have all summer to battle, and the scrimmage games,’’ McClelland said. “We’ll go from there. Whoever gives us the best chance to win will play.’’

McClelland will also be looking for a new core of leaders on this team, but he’s got some solid candidates back from last year, players like running back Leonard Mosley, offensive and defensive lineman Tanner Morris and the versatile Dante Bowlding.

“The good sign of the spring is the definite transition of leadership,’’ McClelland said. “It seems seamless with Dante and Tanner and the senior class stepping up. These guys are ready to work. That’s not a coaching thing. That’s a leadership thing.

“We can appoint whoever we want to be the leaders, but the kids are going to follow who they are going to follow.’’

McClelland called Bowlding one of the best football players he’s ever coached, and an even better young man. “You’ll see him all over the field,’’ McClelland said. “He returns punts and kicks. His primary position is safety, but he’ll play some slot and wideout. He’s going to give us the versatility to run multiple sets, offensively and defensively.’’

Bowlding said as a junior he had to play a leadership role for the Bulldogs and doesn’t expect it to be different this season. “We’re mainly focused on trying to teach the new guys,’’ he said. “We’re obviously not as big as we were last year, but as long as you play with a lot of heart, it shouldn’t matter.’’

He thinks a lot of teams may look down on the Bulldogs because of the loss of the Jayne brothers, but he warns that’s not a good idea.

“No team should really look down on you,’’ he said.

PHOTOS: (T-B) Bruce McClelland & Dante Bowlding

Bathers were allowed to resume swimming in Hope Mills Lake just before the town started a series of celebrations in honor of the lake’s return earlier this year.

While the whole community is enjoying the restoration of the town’s iconic centerpiece, town manager Melissa Adams said town officials are working behind the scenes to make sure the lake water is safe and to instruct people on how to have the best possible experience when going in the water.

The final test of the water that determined it was safe for swimming was conducted June 25 by Micobac Laboratories of Fayetteville.

Adams said the tests have been looking for fecal coliform bacteria, which is found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, especially the geese that have come to call Hope Mills Lake home.

Adams said the June test showed levels of the bacteria well under the state minimum for a body of fresh water like the lake.

The state of North Carolina doesn’t require the town to test the water of the lake, but Adams said the town has elected to do it to ensure the safety of the public.

The next step, Adams said, will be developing a policy for regular testing of the lake water to make sure the bacteria remains within safe limits. They will also come up with a plan for what to do should the test results show a higher concentration of bacteria.

Adams said the new plan may have been presented to the board prior to the writing of this article at a Board of Commissioners meeting scheduled for July 9.

“It may just be an initial draft, if we haven’t gotten approval by the town attorney or the state hasn’t given their blessing,’’ Adams said. “We may put it back on the agenda for another day for approval.’’

Adams expects the policy will include things like when the testing will take place, what will be tested for and what the town will do if the test results exceed state limits for bacteria.

As for the ongoing problem of the geese, which appear to be at the root of the problem of the previous high readings for bacteria, Adams said the town has already decided not to use the services of a firm in Moore County that provides border collies to chase off the geese.

A possible temporary fix to the problem was provided by the recent lake celebration activities, Adams said. “With so much activity at the lake that’s going to keep them a little bit at bay,’’ she said.

Adams said the town continues to have a problem with people feeding the geese at the lake. She implored them to stop because it keeps the geese coming to the lake for food, food that is actually bad for them.

“It is imperative that the public stop feeding the geese,’’ she said. “It’s very bad for them. It causes them to have diarrhea.’’

Adams said the owner of the border collies they considered using to chase off the geese warned them that if the feeding continues, geese will continue migrating to the lake because it’s a source of food for them.

Something else that could deter the geese from coming to the lake is a bulkhead the town commissioners have debated having built along the grassy lakefront. The bulkhead would serve as a barrier to prevent the geese from having easy access from the grassy front shore of the lake into the water.

“That would help deter the geese,’’ Adams said. “They don’t like barriers.’’

Even if the bacteria levels in the lake are low, people still need to take precautions when swimming there.

The state of North Carolina has published safety guidelines for swimming in bodies of fresh water, and Adams said the town plans to use those to help educate the public.

“People can take simple precautions to protect themselves,’’ Adams said.

Meetings

For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Town Clerk Jane Starling at 910-426-4113. Most meetings take place at Town Hall or the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation center.

• Lake Advisory Committee Tuesday, July 17, 6 p.m.

• Parks and Recreation Advisory Monday, July 23, 6:30 p.m.

• Board of Commissioners Monday, July 23, 7 p.m. at Town Hall in the Bill Luther Meeting Room.

• Appearance Committee Tuesday, July 24, 7 p.m.

• Veterans Affairs Commission Thursday, July 26, 7 p.m.

Activities

• Hope Mills Area Kiwanis Club at Sammio’s, second Tuesdays at noon and fourth Tuesdays at 6 p.m. For details, call 910-237-1240.

• Fall sports registration through July 28. $30 per child; $15 late fee after registration deadline. Season begins Sept. 8. Call 910-426-4109 for details.

• Wine-Tasting, Cheese and Appetizers Saturday, July 28, 5-8 p.m. Held at the Boarding House Tea Room, 3903 Ellison St., at the corner of W. Patterson Street across from Hope Mills YMCA. Open to the public once there is a 10-person commitment. Mix and mingle in cozy and quaint surroundings. Tasty hors d’oeuvres and vintage treasures available. Call Carla at 910-527-7455 to make reservations.

Promote yourself: Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

When asked how she planned to celebrate her Jack Britt softball team winning the state 4-A fastpitch championship last month, Buccaneer softball coach Sebrina Wilson said she was going to spend the summer doing something that sounded anything but celebratory.

She’ll be teaching driver’s education.

Not exactly a trip to Walt Disney World for a ride on Space Mountain, but Wilson said it’s something a lot of coaches in Cumberland County Schools choose to do with what would normally be their summer vacation.

Wilson also teaches driver’s education in the fall. In the spring, while softball season is in full swing, Wilson drives before the school day starts so she’ll be free after school to coach the softball team.

Her summer schedule, which started June 18 and will continue until school resumes in August, consists of classroom instruction in driver’s education from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. and actual  driving time with student trainees from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

“I like having a three-day weekend because it’s been a long school year with softball going into June,’’ she said.

For classwork, Wilson and her fellow driver’s education teachers use the Drive Right curriculum, which takes students through the controls of the car and the rules of the road, including all manner of situations that might come up on the highway. Students have to pass a 100-question test as well as a sign test similar to the one given at driver’s examination offices operated by the state of North Carolina.

Her classes vary in size from 25 to 40 students. Most of them are just under 15 and haven’t actually attended high school before, arriving from middle school. There are often older students in the class, some who have waited until later to take the course and others who have transferred in from another state where they only have a state permit to drive and need to take the North Carolina course.

After the mandatory 30 hours of classroom instruction, the final, crucial part of passing driver’s education is the required six hours of driving time. How quickly that progresses is a decision made by both instructor and pupil, Wilson said. “If they are not comfortable leaving the parking lot, you don’t put them on the open highway,’’ Wilson said.

That isn’t done until both pupil and instructor feel the student is ready for the experience of being on a real highway.

“A lot of the kids have some sort of driving experience because we have so many four-wheelers, go-karts and golf carts,’’ she said. “They have a little bit of knowledge on how to do some of the things. They’ve just never been in a vehicle to apply them.’’

Wilson usually spends the first day of driving in the parking lots at Jack Britt. If things progress smoothly, the second day can take the young driver into the neighborhood by the school, followed by open highway driving on the third day.

In the final days of driving, they’ll experience the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway and get a taste of exit and entry ramps. Wilson also takes her students to downtown Fayetteville for a drive around the Market House to experience city traffic.

The only control Wilson or any other instructor has over the car is a brake. There’s only one steering wheel, and that’s for the student.

There is a lot of pressure on the instructor because if there’s an at-fault accident, the penalty falls on the instructor as the only licensed driver in the vehicle.

“It makes you stay alert,’’ Wilson said. “We can’t be distracted. It’s made me a better driver. I focus on a lot more things on the highway and it forces me to teach the kids how to focus more.’’

For Wilson, that means all cellphones are put out of reach before driving begins. “We don’t want you texting or being distracted,’’ she said.

Wilson said she sees similarities between her job in driver’s education and her role as a softball coach.

“In softball, you try to teach them and coach them to make the right decisions,’’ she said. “You have to be more tactical because you want to make sure the kid has the best experience. That’s what we really try to do.’’

PHOTO: Sebrina Wilson

Was there a connection between the 1950s Nigerian movement for independence and the civil rights movement in Winston-Salem?

Elaine Neil Orr’s new novel, “Swimming Between Worlds,” is based on this premise. The North Carolina State University professor grew up as a child of American missionaries in Nigeria. Her experiences gave a beautiful and true spirit to her first novel, “A Different Sun,” about pre-Civil War Southern missionaries going to Black Africa to save souls.

Instead of slaveholding Southerners preaching to Nigerian blacks, the new book contrasts the cultural segregation of 1950s Winston-Salem with that in Nigeria.

Although Nigerians were coming to a successful end of their struggle for independence from Great Britain, they were still mired in the vestiges of colonial oppression.

Set in these circumstances is a coming-of-age story and a love story. These themes are complicated, and enriched, by the overlay of the Nigerian struggle and the civil rights protests in Winston-Salem.

The main male character, Tacker Hart, had been a star high school football player who then earned an architectural degree at N.C. State. He was selected for a plum assignment to work in Nigeria on prototype designs for new schools.

Working in Nigeria, this typical Southern, white male became so captivated by Nigerian culture, religion and ambience that his white supervisors fired him and sent him home. Back in Winston-Salem, the discouraged and depressed Tacker takes a job in his father’s grocery.

The female lead character, Kate Monroe, is the daughter of a Wake Forest history professor. Her parents are dead. After graduating from Agnes Scott College, she left Atlanta and her longtime boyfriend, James, to return to Winston-Salem and live in the family home where she grew up.

How Tacker wins Kate from James is the love story that forms the spine of this book. But there are complications created by a young African-American college student who is taking time off to help with family in Winston-Salem.

Tacker and Kate first meet Gaines on the same day. After Gaines buys a bottle of milk at the Hart grocery store, white thugs attack him for being in the wrong place (a white neighborhood) at the wrong time. Later on the same day, Kate spots an African-American man holding a bottle of milk, walking by her home in an upper class white neighborhood. She thinks he probably stole the milk. She is terrified and immediately locks her doors and windows. She shakes with worry about the danger of this young black man walking through her neighborhood. The young man is, of course, Gaines.

It turns out that Gaines is the nephew of Tacker’s beloved family maid. Tacker and his father hire Gaines to work in the grocery store, and he becomes a model employee.

But Gaines has a secret agenda. He is working with the group of outsiders to organize protest movements at lunch counters in downtown retail stores.

Gaines sets out to entice Tacker to help with the protests – first, only to allow the store to be used at night for a meeting place. Then, over time, Tacker is led to participate in the sit-ins.

In Nigeria, Tacker had found his black colleagues and friends to be just as smart, interesting and as talented as he was. He found them to be his equals.

Back in Winston-Salem, he had at first slipped back into a comfort level with the segregated and oppressive culture in which he grew up. His protest activities with Gaines put his relationships with his family, with Kate, and his possible employment at an architectural firm at risk.

Tacker’s effort to accommodate his growing participation in the civil rights movement with his heritage of segregation leads to the book’s dramatic, tragic and totally surprising ending.

Fayetteville Technical Community College’s Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Small Business, along with Wells Fargo, presents the 2018 Youth Entrepreneurship Camp. It is set for Monday, July 30, through Friday, Aug. 3, from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on the campus of FTCC. Friday’s schedule is 8:30 a.m.-noon. The camp is open to rising seventh- through ninthgraders who are interested in future business and entrepreneurship goals.

“This will be the ninth or 10th year of having rising seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders for five days – and it is a fun camp – but they actually learn something in the process,” said Kent Hill,  FTCC director of the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Small Business. “We have a lot of simulations and games, and the students come up with a team business plan or an individual project in which they will compete.”

Successful entrepreneurs will speak to the students and share their insights about their journey with their businesses. “We have a lot of young guest entrepreneurs and they will speak to the students,” said Hill. “We have a young man from Athens, Georgia, who is building a really big business, and he is a freshman in high school.”

Hill added they have had young people take hobbies and monetize them into income streams to help pay for things they want or to save for college.

“We have had the most awesome support from Wells Fargo, and it is not just financial support, it is their involvement,” said Hill. “One of the things the kids do in their teams is to pitch their elevator speeches to get funding from Wells Fargo bankers.” Hill added there is a panel of Wells Fargo bankers who gently coach the students. He said it is a blast to watch the students in action.

“Some of the students who are goofing off get in front of the bankers and get really serious and are really focused,” said Hill. “They are pretty good salespeople when money is involved, and that is a pretty good motivator.”

“We also have some fun games and competitions, and they will compete for prizes,” said Hill. “We are doing something different this year in which the students will tie-dye their own camp T-shirt.”

Hill added the students will also tie-dye additional shirts that they can sell. They will have to buy them from FTCC and sell them for a profit.

“We try to feed them a dozen or more potential businesses that they can reasonably operate in school profitably as a student, legally,” said Hill. “We really want this to be meaningful and want these young people to go out and say they have some alternatives.”

Applications can be found online at www.facebook.com/FTCCSmallBusinessCenter or at http://tiny.cc/ftccsbc. The camp fee is $52 and is due by July 20. It includes a camp T-shirt and lunch Monday through Thursday.

For more information, contact Hill at 910-678-8462.

About every second Saturday between March and November, the community is given an uncommon opportunity to time travel.

Residents and out-of-town visitors receive the exclusive chance to hear and learn about Fayetteville’s nearly 300-year-old history while they ride in a horse-drawn canopied carriage. Led by volunteers who double as tour guides, passengers cruise through the Cool Spring Downtown District on a 45-minute historic tour that can take them as far back as the early 18th century in Fayetteville’s ever-evolving narrative.

Mark Regensburger, president and chief executive officer of CSDD, said these monthly expeditions distinguish the city’s downtown district from more urban-feeling zones found in cities like Charlotte, Raleigh and Winston-Salem, despite Fayetteville’s current ranking as North Carolina’s fourth-largest metropolitan area.

“It feels more homey,” Regensburger said. “Having that tie with the horse and carriage rides gives us a different ambience, a different feel, and you feel like you might’ve stepped back in time.”

Dr. Hank Parfitt, co-owner of City Center Gallery & Books and organizer of the tours, said sharing stories from the city’s dynamic past is fun for both the riders and their tour guides.

“Our tour guides – they’re not just railing off a bunch of facts,” Parfitt said. “We’re telling stories about people and events that took place in Fayetteville.”

July’s historic tour, which takes place the 14th, will be guided by Bruce Daws, the city’s historic properties manager. It’s a rare occasion to learn about and see the home of Ezekiel Ezra Smith – better known to locals as E.E. Smith.

A man of many hats, Smith was born in Duplin County, North Carolina, in May of 1852. Smith wasn’t formally educated during his childhood because of his skin color. Despite that obstacle, he went on to earn both his bachelor’s degree and doctorate from Shaw University and left a legacy as a diplomat, serviceman, principal and longtime president of Fayetteville State University.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1878, he took a position as principal of an elementary school in Goldsboro. He would eventually serve as principal of a high school in Asheville after obtaining his doctorate.

Soon after taking the position in Goldsboro, Smith was selected to serve as a major in North Carolina’s Home Guard in 1880. In 1898, he joined a North Carolina regiment of black troops that, though never called upon, was formed to go into battle during the Spanish-American War.

He was appointed head of the Howard School, now known as Fayetteville State University, in 1883. Five years later, he served as the consul to Liberia, notably improving U.S. relations with the foreign country.

He returned to Fayetteville in 1899 and served as the president of FSU for nearly 50 years. He held that position for the remainder of his life.

Smith’s 19th-century Fayetteville home was purchased by the city two years ago and is being restored, making this tour a unique occasion for people to see this historic landmark.

Parfitt said longtime residents of Fayetteville are always able to gain new knowledge when they participate in a historic tour. “They always come away shaking their heads saying, ‘Wow. I didn’t know that.’ That, to me, is a lot of fun to hear (coming from) someone like that who already knows a lot about Fayetteville,” he said.

Newer residents have the chance to gain a little more, Parfitt added. “For someone who has just moved to the community, it helps ground you in this community you’re now going to call home.”

Spots for the July 14 historic tours, which run from 9 a.m. to noon, can be reserved at City Center Gallery & Books at 112 Hay St. or by phone at 910-678-8899.

Enjoy a night under the stars, complete with entertainment and refreshments, at Screen on the Green & Food Truck Rodeo, a funfilled night for the whole family. The event takes place the second Friday of the month through August. Screen on the Green is hosted by Mendoza Park in the town of Spring Lake from 6-10 p.m., and it’s free to attend. July’s event occurs this Friday, the 13th.

Fans of dinner-and-a-movie will love having tasty options at the ready from food trucks selling fare on-site during the event. There will be a variety of foods available, including tacos.

This month’s film is “Jumanji.” The show starts as soon as the sun goes down.

The following month, Screen on the Green will feature “Coco,” Aug. 10, at the same time.

Come early and make some memories by enjoying the amenities Mendoza Park has to offer, including three baseball/softball fields, picnic areas, a large playground with swings, slides and deck systems, a large open space, a walking area and park benches.

Then, grab a blanket, a lawn chair, or whatever makes you comfortable, and enjoy “Jumanji” on the big screen.

For more information about Screen on the Green, call 910-436-0011 or visit www.spring-lake.org. Additional details are available on the town of Spring Lake social media pages on Facebook and Twitter.

When Highland House Rehabilitation & Healthcare, Inc. opened its doors in 1968, it had the same goals it does today – caring for friends and neighbors. The facility originally had 52 beds. It has expanded twice since then, once in 1971 and again in 1991. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Highland House is hosting an open house Friday, July 27. There will be barbecue, door prizes and special guests and speakers.

Samantha Inczauskis is the director of transitional services at Highland House Rehabilitation & Healthcare. One of the many things she loves about working there is the fact that it is a locally owned facility.

“It is not owned by a conglomerate – that is one of the most outstanding things,” she said. “This house that started 50 years ago is still serving the community. It allows the facility to make decisions based on the needs of our patients versus what someone in another city or state thinks is the right thing to do.

“One of the things that impressed me most is the family-oriented nature of the people who work here. We are a very clean facility, and the care that our nurses, CNAs and med techs provide is something that really stands out to me. It is why I took this job.”

In addition to spacious rooms, planned diets and dining options, Highland House offers a quiet environment with amenities guests and residents can enjoy. These include:

• Four patio gardens
• Barber and beauty shop
• Complete pharmacy services
• Private phone hook-up available
• Televisions in every room with cable TV included
• Planned activities and community outings
• Resident and family councils
• Religious, inspirational and educational programs
• Daily housekeeping and laundry services
• Financial services and social services from pre-admission to discharge
• Nutrition and dietary consultation and planning
• Private spaces for resident/family gatherings
• Pet visits

Motivated by compassion and committed to providing the best care possible, the staff at Highland House work hard to meet the needs of their patients and residents. And with the variety of services offered there, that is not always an easy task.

“We have 53 beds for assisted living. We have 16 beds dedicated to short-term transitional rehab, and the rest of the 159 beds are for longterm care and patients requiring skilled nursing,” Inczauskis said.

Knowing that quality of life is also an important part of healing and happiness, the facility works with volunteers to offer activities for residents. The facility also partners with local groups, including the Tokay Rockers, and participates in the community, including partnering in a lot of the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation department senior sponsored activities.

“We do blood pressure checks every month at the senior center right before bingo the first Thursday of the month,” Inczauskis said. “We are always looking for volunteers, too. There are many ways to engage with Highland House.

“We are trying to be more active in the chamber, and we support senior-focused nonprofits like Better Health. Our medical director is part of the Cape Fear Valley Senior Health Service. Just like any other facility, we participate in the referral system.”

The July 27 open house celebration starts at 5 p.m. “We hope people come and see what we are about,” Inczauskis said.

To learn more about Highland House, visit www.highlandhousenc.com or call 910-488-2295. Highland House is located at 1700 Pamalee Dr.

Friday, July 13, Bud Light presents On the Border as part of its Fayetteville After 5 Concert Series. The concert takes place at 6 p.m. in Festival Park.

“The purpose of the Fayetteville After 5 Concert Series is to help us raise money for our Fall Festival and our signature Spring Dogwood Festival,” said Sarah Suggs, marketing and events coordinator for the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival. “All of the funds we make at each event is a fundraiser for the following event, so the more revenue we can generate at these Fayetteville After 5 events, the bigger and better we can make our fall festival and spring festival.”

July’s headlining act is On the Border – the Ultimate Eagles Tribute Band, and the opening act is Rivermist. “We have had On the Border in previous years, and they are really popular and definitely a Fayetteville favorite,” said Suggs.

On the Border hails from Charlotte. Their shows feature timeless hits from the iconic rock band The Eagles. During performances, each member of the band plays his respective character of the original Eagles band.

Rivermist is a classic rock band from Fayetteville. The band represents the collaboration of musicians who have been playing in and around Fayetteville for more than 20 years. Rivermist’s classic rock sound dovetails perfectly with the evening’s headliner.

Another way that the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival makes a difference in the community is by supporting other nonprofits and organizations. This season, there is something new.

“Every month this season, we have done a thank you to different groups of employees,” said Suggs. “For June we did teacher appreciation night, and (in) July we will be doing city and county employee appreciation night.”

Suggs added that city and county employees can go to the radio station tent near the stage to enter for different giveaways such as a gift card and a Bud Light prize pack.

Come hungry. “We have 12 food trucks for the event,” said Suggs. Beer and wine will also be available. The concert is free and open to the public. Gates open at 5 pm. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair to enjoy the concert. Outside coolers, food and beverages are not allowed. For more information, call 910- 323-1934.

Commissary officials are lowering prices on popular items and attacking the problem of poorly stocked shelves as part of a nationwide effort to bring military customers back into their stores. Discounted shopping is the big benefit for qualified shoppers. The Defense Commissary Agency wants to regain its customers’ trust as it deals with a 20 percent decline in sales over the last five years.

Interim Agency Director Robert Bianchi gave an example of customers seeing individual items such as bananas priced higher in a commissary than a civilian store. That leaves the customer with an impression that the rest of the commissary prices are just as high, even though shopping there should, on average, save them 23.7 percent.

“Hopefully... we’ll tamp down some of that perception (commissary customers) may have about some of our pricing,” Bianchi said.

One change customers will notice right away is bright orange “YES!” labels and signs that highlight reduced prices on about 100 types of items frequently bought by commissary shoppers.  “YES” is short for Your Everyday Savings. With different brands and sizes covered, that means deals on about 500 items such as baby food, pet food, bottled water, toilet tissue, nutritional shakes, potato chips and other snacks, plus flavored iced teas, pasta, cheese, yogurt, cereal, coffee and more.

Plans call for an expanded selection of natural and organic items, and officials are considering offering more meal kits and prepared-food options for shopper convenience.

There’s also another 100 private-label commissary-brand products on the way. The 500 items available now under the year-old “YES” program have accounted for $40 million in sales, Bianchi said.

Over the last year, commissary officials have been implementing a new pricing program that allows them to mark items up or down rather than sell them at cost (plus a 5 percent surcharge for overhead), as they did for decades. Some defense officials have sought for years to reduce the amount of taxpayer dollars that go to commissary operations, about $1.3 billion a year. By law, variable pricing can help defray those dollars so long as the system maintains an overall level of savings of 23.7 percent when compared with civilian grocers.

Coming soon: Beer and wine. “The availability of beer and wine  at military commissary stores will increase customer satisfaction and convenience, and align with common commercial grocery store practices,” said Robert Wilkie, DoD’s undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, in a recent memo quoted by Military Times. Commissary alcohol prices will be comparable to those at military exchanges, he said. Wilkie, a Fayetteville native, was recently named by the president to become Secretary of Veterans Affairs.