It’s that time of year again. Time to celebrate and remember the reason why Ole Mills Days are important to Hope Mills. 

A Little Piece of History

The Town of Hope Mills was founded upon the mill industry, beginning with the first saw mill on Little Rockfish Creek in the 1700s. Later, Bluff Mills was established in 1841 close to what is now the intersection of Camden Road and Hope Mills Road. These mills flourished, and the town and economy boomed.

But when the Civil War began, turmoil followed. Bluff Mill survived, but eight cotton mills along with the mill houses that provided room and board for the mill workers were ruthlessly burned to the ground during Gen. William T. Sherman’s infamous March to the Sea.

Though the mills were destroyed, Hope Mills would not be what it is today without the hard work of the lumber and mill workers and the ingenuity of the cotton, saw and grist mills. 

Let’s Have Fun

Thursday, Oct. 19, jump-starts the fun of Ole Mills Days with the Hope MEALS Food Truck Rodeo at 5770 Rockfish Rd. from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Bring your dancing shoes and enjoy the party Friday, Oct. 20, with the Ole Mills Days Street Dance on Trade Street from 6-9 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 21, is the annual celebration of Ole Mills Days in Municipal Parks 1 and 2 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Chili Cook-Off for the duration of the event. There will be cash prizes for both hot and mild categories as well as a People’s Choice award. It costs $5 to sample all the chili and vote for the People’s Choice winner. Call (910) 423-4313 for more information about the Chili Cook-Off.

The Mill Worker Reunion will be held from 2-4 p.m. Throughout the day there will also be tractor pulls, food, craft vendors and a kids’ corner. The celebration will end with a movie night.

Debbie Holland, interim town clerk, said the Town of Hope Mills looks forward to having residents of Cumberland County come and enjoy the family-friendly festivities.

“This is a great time for everyone from Hope Mills and the surrounding areas to learn about our history while having fun,” she said. “We will have many vendors and activities for everyone to enjoy.”

For more information about Ole Mills Days 2017, call (910) 429-4109 or visit  www.townofhopemills.com.

The distinguished Gaither Vocal Band will be perform at the Crown Complex Theatre Saturday, Oct. 14, at 6 p.m.

Singing quartet-based gospel music since the ’50s, Grammy Awardwinning Bill Gaither and his family have long been a powerful force in the music industry. Their successes have earned them the opportunity to hold yearly tours around the world and to perform at esteemed venues like Carnegie Hall. The band has also created hits that topped the Billboard charts. While performing at the Crown, the band will be on its “Better Together Tour.”

The group will release an all-new studio recording, “We Have This Moment,” Oct. 13. It will be released on the band’s website, www.gaither.com, as well as aired on numerous television stations.

The band includes the group’s founder Bill Gaither, Adam Crabb, Reggie Smith, Wes Hampton and Todd Suttles. The tour will feature guests including gospel singers Kevin Williams, Charlotte Ritchie and Gene McDonald.

Gaither is the group’s primary songwriter and producer, along with his wife, Gloria Gaither. He has written over 700 songs, including “Let’s Just Praise the Lord,” “Something Beautiful,” “It Is Finished” and “The King Is Coming.” Gaither and his wife have won eight Grammy Awards. Gaither believes gospel music is much more than music; it gives him the ability to spread the message of Jesus Christ to others around the world.

Band member Adam Crabb is no stranger to music. Whether in the studio or performing live, he has been learning and perfecting his craft for most of his life. He is a member of the Crabb Family, which is a Grammy-nominated and Dove-nominated southern gospel group. He is now a lead singer for the Gaither Vocal Band, which was one of his life-long dreams. He believes gospel music is his calling in life.

Reggie Smith is another singer and producer for the band. He has performed all over the world in places like Carnegie Hall and at the Super Bowl. He has also, along with his wife, recorded music for “The Lion King” soundtrack. He and his wife started their careers singing as backup singers in Tennessee but have been singing as a duet with the Gaithers for 18 years.

After completing college, Wes Hampton was asked by Gaither to be a part of the Vocal Band in 2005. He sings tenor in the group. Hampton was already experienced in the music world, and Gaither noticed that he brought his heart and passion to the group. These qualities Hampton brought to the table helped the Vocal Band win a Grammy with its song “Lovin’ Life.”

Todd Suttles sings baritone with the Gaither Vocal Band. Suttles left the group he was originally in, Settles Connection, and joined the Vocal Band in 2014. Not only is he skilled in vocals, but he has an educational background from Vanderbilt University.

For more information, visit www.gaither.com. For tickets, visit www.crowncomplexnc.com.

PHOTO: The Gaither Vocal Band is set to perform at the Crown Oct. 14.

The weather is cooler. The air is crisp, and mischief is afoot. Fall is here, and that means harvest festivals, haunted houses, hayrides and more. This year, there is an extra-special event downtown to celebrate the season. Bud Light presents the Fayetteville Dogwood Fall Festival Thursday, Oct. 19, from 7– 9 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 20 from 5–10 p.m.; and Saturday, Oct. 21 from 3– 11 p.m. at Festival Park.

“We are doing a new haunted house this year called Dogwood’s Dark Dream that will run Thursday, Friday and Saturday,” said Sarah Suggs, marketing and events coordinator for the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival Organization, Inc. “Some of our more classic elements that have been with us since the beginning of our fall festival are Historic Hauntings and hayrides.”

Suggs added that Historic Hauntings is a guided walking tour through the cemetery, and it is not intended to be super scary but is more of an interesting, informative tour.   

There are several other elements of the event, one of the popular ones being Bands ’N Brew. “Friday, we will have 20 Ride as our headlining act at 8:30 p.m., and that is a Zac Brown tribute band,” Suggs said. “And we have local country band Avner Clark before that. Then Saturday we have the local band Cool Heat at 3:30 p.m., Rivermist beginning at 6 p.m., and we end the night with our headlining act SkyDog at 8:30 p.m.” Rivermist won Best Local Musician/Band for this year’s Best of Fayetteville awards.  

Forty food trucks will be on-site along with the craft beer festival featuring 10 craft beers and favorite domestics starting Saturday at 3 p.m. Some of the food trucks will be local, and the others are from surrounding areas.

This year’s festival also features a new children’s area called KidZone. “Kids will have access to the entire area that will have two inflatables, a climbing wall, a barrel train and mini golf,” Suggs said. “The kids’ area will be in Linear Park across the street.”

The Fayetteville Dogwood Fall Festival is a community fundraiser in which the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival Organization partners with other nonprofit agencies. The agencies loan their volunteer force to the festival to create a fun-filled event for the community. The festival, in turn, gives back some of the proceeds to these nonprofit agencies.

The cost for the Dogwood’s Dark Dream haunted house is $10, hayrides are $5, Historic Hauntings is $10 and KidZone is $10. For more information, call (910) 323-1934.

As the Cumberland Oratorio Singers look to open the 2017-18 season, there is a new director at the helm. Jason Britt accepted the position after devoting his youth to music and spending 23 years teaching and performing choral music.

Growing up in Fayetteville, Britt played the cello at Eastover Elementary School. He was a member of the Cumberland County Youth Orchestra in seventh and eighth grades; he also played first chair cello. In high school, he continued singing and playing in school music programs. Britt graduated from Methodist College in 1993 with a degree in music and a concentration in music education. In 2013, he received his Masters of Music Education degree from East Carolina University. He’s taught in the Cumberland County Schools system and served as the director of music at First Baptist Church.

On Friday, Oct. 20, the Cumberland Oratorio Singers’ season opens with “We Sing to Relate” at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.

“One of the things candidates were asked to do as part of the interview process is to plan a season,” Britt said. “The current season is what I submitted as part of my interview.”

The first concert showcases the works of American composers. At this concert, Britt hopes to bring the community together in a spirit of unity. “We have just been through an election cycle, and we are pretty divided as a nation,” he said. “But we cannot deny that we are all Americans. We will perform works many people will recognize … pieces by Copeland, Whitaker and Randall Thompson.”

The second concert is Saturday, Dec. 16, at First Baptist Church. It is titled “We Sing to Remember.”

“We sing to remember and for nostalgia,” Britt said. “One of the things about Christmas is we think about times gone by. The performance is dedicated to that. This is also when we do Handel’s ‘Messiah Sing.’ That has been a mainstay for 25 years. Even I remember singing in COS production when I was fresh out of college.”

The third concerts takes place Friday, April 27, at Haymount United Methodist Church at 7:30 p.m. It is titled “We Sing to Experience.” Britt said, “This concert is dedicated to choir works every choral group should be doing — things like Mozart and Mendelssohn, things like that, which are very familiar.”

While he does hope to continue reaching out to the community, Britt said he plans to “continue the excellent work the COS did for the last 25 years. Last year they were inducted into Fayetteville Music Hall of Fame. This is an established group here in the community. It is my job to continue their efforts. That is the goal right now — to continue that standard of excellence.”

To find out more about the Cumberland Oratorio Singers, or to purchase tickets to a concert, visit www.singwithcos.org.

PHOTO: Jason Britt is the new director of the Cumberland Oratorio Singers.

On Oct. 14, the 2017 Authenticity Professional Women’s Retreat is set to take place at Ramada Plaze. Daphne B. Latimore, event hostess and founder of DB Latimore, chatted with Up & Coming Weekly about the event.

UCW: What takes place at Authenticity Professional Women’s Retreats?

DBL: The Authenticity Professional Women’s Retreat is a full day starting with a continental breakfast. We kick off the retreat with Jazzercise to help us to get energized and to discover techniques that allow us to incorporate exercise into our daily activities.

We will have seven sessions. Our moderator, Kim Gray, will lead us through the day where we will explore the dimensions of wellness. We will have four main sessions coupled with fun-filled breakout sessions all designed to enlighten, engage and energize. We will have a networking buffet luncheon with a keynote presentation. We conclude the day with a networking reception to allow participants to network with our presenters.

UCW: Why are events like this important?

DBL: As women, we embody a number of roles, personally, professionally and publicly. The Authenticity Retreat is designed as a space for women to explore leading an integrated lifestyle. As such, it is important for us to take time out to reconnect with ourselves, reintegrate the personal with the professional and enjoy the company of like-minded women. For this reason, we were inspired to create the Authenticity Professional Women’s retreat.

UCW: Are there special speakers/ presenters?

DBL: All our speakers are dynamic. We are excited to feature three local speakers from Fayetteville — Coach Billie Crutcher, Dr. Tracey Jackson and best-selling author Suzetta Perkins.

It is very important that we include local presenters in our retreats so that our attendees might continue the experience after the retreat with professionals that will assist them on their professional journey of Authenticity. We are excited that Christina Eanes, a mother of a soldier stationed at Fort Bragg and a renowned author and coach, takes us on the journey to achieve more in life.

UCW: What can attendees expect at this event?

DBL: Individuals can expect open and honest dialogue coupled with tools that can be immediately incorporated into our day-to-day lives.

UCW: What led you to found DB Latimore?

DBL: DB Latimore Professional Services Group was founded to allow individuals and organizations to maximize workforce productivity. We do this through individual, group and team coaching, management consulting and retreats such as the Authenticity Professional Women’s Retreat.

Our hummingbird logo represents the potential agility of any workforce. We support the belief that minor adjustments to the way work is defined and delivered will improve the productivity. The hummingbird possesses the innate ability to adjust quickly to any situation by shifting its wings in motion either forward, backward, by hovering and, when necessary, upside down. Our methodology allows you to embed this ability within your life and experience significant gains in productivity and performance.

UCW: What is something you wish every woman understood about herself and her life path?

DBL: That each of us is different. Our life plan is a journey, and how we manage that journey will enable us to live a fulfilling life. It is important that we as women know that our lives are integrated and that we must tend to each dimension: physical, spiritual, occupational, social, intellectual and environmental.

UCW: Who/what inspires you in your career and your life?

DBL: I am most inspired by my mother who raised seven children, worked full time, supported her marriage and maintained social relationships. My husband/co-owner has been very inspirational, supportive and encouraging of my life’s journey.

Find out more at www.dblatimore.com.

PHOTO: Daphne B. Latimore

The John Blue Cotton Festival is not new. In fact, the 34th festival is set for Oct. 14 and 15 in Laurinburg. Jim Blue has been the chairman of this festival for 31 years. He’s a descendant of John Blue, whose home is a big part of the event. After being rained out by Hurricane Matthew last year, Blue is excited for the festival’s return. “We have hayrides, clogging exhibitors (and) many different kinds of demonstrations, including a woodwright who builds amazing things without using modern tools,” Blue said. “We will also have a chainsaw carver there.”

It is a weekend of good old-fashioned fun that includes things like craft vendors, demonstrators, antique engines, a mule pull, a cotton gin, antique cars and more. Blue said, “We have contests and all kinds of homemade crafts and foods, too.” He added that families can look forward to pony rides and a mini train that runs on a half-mile track.

The activities provide plenty of reason to attend, but Blue said the John Blue house is the icing on the cake. The home will be open for tours and is furnished in period (circa 1890).

“If you stand and look at it from the right angle, you can see the house is designed after a steamboat,” Blue said. According to Jim, John Blue had family in Mississippi. “When he visited his family he fell in love with steamboats, and that inspired this home’s design. You can see where the water wheels would be, and you can see that it looks very similar to a steamboat.”

Over the years other buildings have been added to the festival, including a restored sawmill that dates back to 1920.

Reaching back to simpler times, children can look forward to games like marbles, walking on stilts and balance beams, playing hopscotch and checkers, blowing bubbles, face-painting and more.

All the standard fair food will be on hand, including funnel cake, fried apples, pulled-pork barbecue and Hawaiian ice. One of the vendors Blue is most excited about, though, is one that sells collard sandwiches. “It involves two pieces of flat cornbread topped with fatback and collards and dressed with your choice of vinegar, pepper relish or whatever you fancy,” Blue said. “If you’ve never had one, I think you should try them.”

The festival sits on about 10 acres, which allows plenty of room for attendees to explore the grounds and take in the stage, which hosts a variety of performers throughout the weekend. There will also be musicians roaming the grounds playing different instruments like banjos and guitars “and maybe stopping under a tree to sing a tune or coming to a crowd to take a request,” Blue said.

He added that Sunday morning, although the festivities don’t start until 10 a.m., those interested in attending can come to an outdoor church service. “It lasts about 30 or 40 minutes,” he said. “There are a choir and a sermon under the pecan trees, and it starts at 9 a.m. This is something we originally started for the volunteers and vendors. Then people from the community started joining us. Everyone is welcome.”

Pulling everything off usually involves about 220 volunteers, and on a good weekend, Blue noted, the festival draws 9,000 to 10,000 attendees. The gates open at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Find out more at www.johnbluefestival.com.

PHOTO: The John Blue House

Fayetteville’s Child Advocacy Center works with 19 community agencies, from the District Attorney’s office to Cumberland County Schools, to support victims of child abuse in an integrated, efficient and empathetic way. Every service the CAC provides comes at zero cost to the child’s family, as financial burden can be an impediment to getting child abuse victims the help they need. The CAC’s annual Pinwheel Masquerade Ball & Auction to Unmask Child Abuse is one of the ways it raises funds to keep its services free of charge. 2017 marks the fourth year of the Pinwheel Ball, which will be held Saturday, Oct. 14, at the Metropolitan Room in downtown Fayetteville.

The gala invites guests to get creative and have fun dressing up. As in past years, awards will be given out for best masks in the categories of male, female, couple, group, overall ensemble and most unique.

The evening also features a DJ, dance demonstrations, a photo booth and live and silent auctions with items donated from all over the county and state. Big items include a football ticket package to the UNC vs. vs. the Miami Hurricanes game, tickets to the 2018 NCAA final four basketball tournament, a trip to Bali, a one-week stay at a condo in Myrtle Beach, and tickets to a Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra concert.

Smaller items include themed gift baskets and locally made items like jewelry and hand-painted mugs. Vanessa Deering, co-chair of the event with Ann Shaw, said the live auction is her favorite part of the night every year. “We have so much fun watching the reaction of the bidders, especially when there is a bidding war,” she said.

Trish Neely, culinary chair of the event for the second year in a row, said guests can expect delicious food from Chris’s Steakhouse, R Burger, Dorothy’s Catering 2, Evans Catering, Elite Catering, Sherefe, Sweet Palette, Sweet Surprise Candy Buffet and Agape Bakery. Specific menu items include crab dip, chopped sirloin, jalapeno sliders, spanakopita and special pinwheel cookies. Beverages will be provided courtesy of Healy Wholesale, The Wine Café and The Coffee Cup.

Roberta Humphries has served as executive director of the Child Advocacy Center since 2009. She explained that the Pinwheel Ball is named for the initiative that Prevent Child Abuse America started in 2008, Pinwheels for Prevention. “The blue ribbon used to be a symbol for child abuse prevention, and (nine) years ago … they switched and came out with the symbol of the blue pinwheel,” Humphries said. “Basically, they wanted to change the way our nation thinks about child abuse prevention.” As stated on the Prevent Child Abuse America site: “What our research showed, and what our experiences since then have borne out, is that people respond to the pinwheel....the pinwheel connotes whimsy and childlike notions. In essence, it has come to serve as the physical embodiment, or reminder, of the great childhoods we want for all children.”

Securing the future that all children have the right but not the access to takes organizations like the CAC and the community’s support of them. Deering said a committee of 15 volunteers helped put the Pinwheel Masquerade Ball together while more volunteers help set up and tear down. “I love how the participants are genuine in giving and supporting such a wonderful organization,” she said. “It’s not truly about getting a deal on (an auction package), it’s about raising money to help this organization. It truly shows the love our community has for children and their well-being.” The CAC is hoping to raise $45,000 this year, all of which will go toward providing support and a voice to children in this community. The organization saves the community about $700,000 a year with its integrated approach.

Tickets to the Pinwheel Masquerade Ball on Oct. 14 cost $100 per individual, $175 per couple and $1,200 for a table of eight. They can be purchased in person at the CAC at 222 Rowan St. or online at  www.CACFayNC.org.

Imagine being in a Wal-Mart parking lot, piling your bags of groceries or Christmas decorations in the back seat of your car. Then you hear it: POP, POP, POP.

Your ears are ringing, and before you know it, someone you hardly noticed a few seconds earlier in a car a couple of spaces from yours has been shot. They look scared and bleary-eyed, and they wonder if there’s anyone who can help them or if they’ll live to see another day.

And then it hits you. After the initial shock, you realize that you were there, and you or a loved one could easily have been hurt — or worse — by a stray bullet. Then you get mad that something like this can happen right next to you... in your community.

Well, it happened in Fayetteville on Sept. 27, during daylight hours, in a crowded parking lot. The police say it was a drug deal gone wrong. But the potential for innocent bystanders getting hurt was real.

September was a banner month for crime in Fayetteville.

Sept. 1, a robber at a Cedar Creek motel shot his resisting victim in the upper leg, leaving him seriously wounded.

Sept. 3, two men robbed a woman as she was leaving a Raeford Road grocery store. They put a pistol to her head and pulled her handbag out of her shopping cart.

Sept. 5, Fayetteville police discovered two murdered men. Someone shot them while they sat in a car parked next to a popular Cross Creek Mall area restaurant.

Sept. 21, a lone gunman robbed a Raeford Road bank.

Sept. 22, a predator raped a woman along Old Wilmington Road.

Sept. 24, a man walked into a CVS pharmacy, pulled out a pistol and demanded Oxycodone pills.

And a day later, Sept. 25, a heartless subhuman shot two men just off Raeford Road. He left a 19-year-old dead and an 18-year-old seriously wounded.

We’ve become numb to violent crime in Fayetteville. They are statistics, headlines on a page. Besides, we’ll be fine in our homes.

Maybe not.

There was a time when your home was your castle.It was a haven from the freezing rain or searing sun. It was a place where you gathered with your family for dinner or an evening around a television. It was your sanctuary from all the bad things in the world.

But times have changed.

A couple of years ago, a 57-year-old woman living just off Rim Road started her summer day grocery shopping. I won’t mention her name. Instead, you can substitute the name of your mother, your wife or your daughter. That’s because this story can happen to anyone.

After coming home and bringing in her groceries, the doorbell rang. Like most people our age, she was a trusting person. She had no idea what was about to happen.

Before she could react, two thugs forced their way into her home. They held her hostage at gunpoint. They ransacked her home, stealing her jewelry, her money and more importantly, her belief that nothing bad would ever happen to her in her castle.

It wasn’t the first home invasion. Two weeks earlier, the same thieves robbed a 63-year-old man in another residential neighborhood, stealing money and a gun. He also answered his doorbell.

In fact, that summer, breaking into the homes of elderly became a popular crime.

Violent crime used to be a thug-on-thug event... a drug deal gone wrong. Home invasions are different. Criminals target innocent, mostly older adults... people who work hard for their money... people who should be safe in their homes.

We need to stop criminals who shoot people in crowded parking lots in the middle of the day or outside busy restaurants where families gather to eat.

You pay your taxes. That makes you the boss. Let’s demand that people getting your tax dollars do something about crime in our city... especially violent crime that has been happening way too often in Fayetteville.

I propose we establish a communitywide task force that figures out how to deal with Fayetteville’s violent crime disease.

Crime not only hurts people, it hurts our reputation. Employers who could put people to work don’t want to set up shop in a place where shooting people is an everyday event.

We have a good Police Department, be we need EVERYONE on board. That means the Sheriff’s Office must work with the Police Department; the County Commissioners must work with the City Council.

Finally, the court system — magistrates, judges and prosecutors — must work with everyone on the team.

And that team has to include people, citizens who have been victims, who are concerned about crime and what it’s doing to our reputation.

Is your love life a bit bumpy? Do other people seem to be on a happier romantic level than you? Here’s a love story that will make you feel better about your situation because it’s about people who had a bad time in love. Go waltzing with Matilda down Greek Mythology Lane. Let’s visit our old friends Hades and Persephone, who had a rough trip on the rocky road of love. Your love life compared to that of Hades and Persephone won’t seem half bad after reading today’s contribution to world literature.

Once upon a time, Hades was the god of the Underworld. Persephone was the daughter of Demeter, who was the Goddess of Nature. Hades was a bachelor looking for a bride. It was hard for Hades to meet nice women because he lived in the Underworld with the dead folks. He didn’t get out much because being in charge of dead people was a full-time job.

As luck would have it, one day while Hades was up above ground, he happened to spot the beauteous Persephone. Lovestruck, Hades had to have her for his bride. He foreshadowed Andy Griffith’s ode to love: “Sure as the vine twines round the stump / You are my darling, Sugar Lump.”

Hades wasn’t much to look at, so he cyphered that he would have to trick her into marrying him. Fortunately for Hades, his brother was Zeus. Zeus, as king of the gods, was a smart dude and cooked up a plan to twine the sugar lump Persephone’s heart around Hades.

On Take Your Daughter to Work Day, Demeter brought her daughter Persephone to Earth so Demeter could check out Nature. Demeter left Persephone to play with some sea and freshwater nymphs while she oversaw the forests. Persephone was supposed to stay with the nymphs, but she saw a real pretty flower called a narcissus in a distant field. Persephone left her nymph friends to pick the narcissus. This was a mistake. Zeus had gotten Gaia, the earth goddess, to plant the narcissus to draw Persephone away from her friends.

Persephone started yanking on the narcissus. The narcissus put up a real fight but finally came loose, leaving a small hole in the ground. The hole didn’t stay small. The hole became as big as the U.S. deficit. It was gigantic. Hades popped up out of the hole and grabbed poor Persephone, dragging her down to live in the underworld with him. This is not a good start for a long-lasting marriage.

Demeter looked all over for her daughter. Milk cartons had not yet been invented, so Demeter put Persephone’s picture on Greek urns to try to find her. Eventually, Helios the Sun god told her that Hades had shanghaied Persephone into the Underworld to hang out with the dead. Hades is Demeter’s brother, which makes him Persephone’s creepy uncle.

Demeter begged Hades to let Persephone come back to the land of the living, but Hades didn’t want to let her go. Finally, Hades had a sit-down with Zeus over whether to let Persephone come back to the land of the living. They agreed to let Persephone come above ground for six months out of the year, spending the rest of the year in the Underworld.

The story gets complicated when Persephone eats four seeds of a pomegranate before leaving the Underworld. Chowing down on the pomegranate seeds means she will always have to return to the Underworld, but only for four months instead of six.

Greek mythology is not always internally consistent as there are many different versions of most stories. However, I like the pomegranate seed version so I include it here.

Persephone’s leaving and returning to the Underworld is mythology’s explanation for the change of the seasons. When Persephone returns to the land of the living for six months, she brings spring. When she leaves for the Underworld six months later, she brings winter.

This explanation for the changing of the season makes as much sense as the Ground Hog’s Day’s version of climate change, although it lacks Bill Murray for comic relief. Perhaps if Punxsutawney Phil ate four pomegranate seeds before looking for his shadow, that would allow Persephone to leave the Underworld and return to the Land of the Living earlier, thereby cutting off winter by six weeks.

If you see a ground hog in late January 2018, kindly feed him four pomegranate seeds. The spring you save may be your own.

“Nothing Divides Voters Like Owning a Gun,” read a New York Times headline last week. The story was full of facts that surprise no one. Donald Trump voters are gun owners. Non-gun-owning households voted for Hillary Clinton. Ditto for white voters who went for Trump and nonwhites who voted for Clinton. Same goes for rural versus urban, marrieds and unmarrieds, religious and notso-religious and union and nonunion voters.

Even with these deep divisions in our political and cultural lives, the massacre in Las Vegas may mark a moment of change. Fifteen years ago, writer and keen social observer Malcolm Gladwell published “The Tipping Point,” described by Amazon as “that magic moment when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips and spreads like wildfire.” Whatever is tipped can be small and insignificant, like Pet Rocks in the ’70s and the more recent acceptance of tattoos as “body art,” or profoundly meaningful and life-changing, like the distrust of government in the wake of Watergate and the Vietnam conflict and the complete reversal of social acceptance of smoking.

At some point, something unknown becomes highly desirable, something that was unquestioned becomes suspicious or something once acceptable is no longer.

If we are lucky, or in religious terms, “blessed,” Las Vegas’ mass murders will become the tipping point that makes reasonable gun control measures as acceptable in the United States as they are in the rest of the developed world.

I know. I know. After each of our numerous mass shootings, we say this is it — this is the one that will make us focus on the link between lax gun regulation and shooting deaths.

Remember the murders of kindergarteners, firstgraders and their teachers at Sandy Hook? Who could have imagined that nothing would change after that atrocity committed by a person with both mental disorders and firearms?

Mass shootings, shocking as they are at the time, have settled into a macabre American routine. We learn of an “active shooter.” We expect a “self-inflicted gunshot” or “death by police.” When it is over, news organizations interview survivors and families of those who did not make it, lovingly profile victims, and try not to say much about the shooter lest he — and I cannot remember any shes — becomes a model and inspiration for other disturbed wannabes.

The Las Vegas shootings seem to have taken us to a new level.

A shooter with automatic weapons 32 stories above a concert venue mowed down 58 of his fellow human beings. So stunning was this new kind of attack that even the National Rifle Association says the availability of “bump stocks” — the gun accessories that turn semi-automatic weapons into automatics — should be re-evaluated. The NRA’s openness to at least discussing regulation of these devices marks a change in its usual opposition to any and every gun control measure. The NRA’s campaign contribution tentacles are deeply entwined in our Republican Congress and Republican legislatures throughout the nation, rendering gun control efforts dead on arrival even after the Sandy Hook murders. As U.S. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut told MSNBC bluntly last week, “The gun lobby is much stronger now than the anti-gun-violence movement.”

Cynics are already suggesting that the NRA’s new receptiveness regarding bump stocks is merely a ploy to stall and derail broader gun control measures. Bump stocks, after all, are hardly household items, even in a nation that has more guns than people. Also, polls find that some gun owners are open to a federal database of gun sales and additional restrictions on assault weapons. The NRA may be willing to give a little on bump stocks to head off attacks on issues it holds dearer.

Whatever the motivation, the NRA’s openness on even this small issue indicates that America and American politicians may be ready for our long overdue conversation about guns and gun violence in our nation. We do ourselves no favors by pretending gun violence is not an issue, and we certainly do not honor its victims by avoiding the conversation.

In “The Tipping Point,” Malcolm Gladwell gives numerous examples of how tiny social trickles become roaring waterfalls. The United States has endured increasing numbers of mass shootings as well as countless other incidents of gun violence. It will take courage to confront this volatile and painful scourge. 

Let’s hope that some good can come from the Las Vegas massacre by finally initiating our national discussion.

Mahatma Gandhi is credited with saying, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Eldridge Cleaver is known for a rougher version of the same idea: “There is no more neutrality in the world. You either have to be part of the solution, or you’re going to be part of the problem.”

There is no shortage of changes to make or problems to solve. Let’s look at the people and organizations being the change they want to see, the ones who are committed to being part of the solution — and there are many. Up & Coming Weekly readers recently recognized many of the people, business and organizations that foster positive change every single day in this community. Four hundred people came to the party to celebrate these change-makers with us.

The thing about change is that it sometimes happens slowly and is based on small acts like consistently amazing customer service, high-quality products and experiences and acts of kindness and generosity repeated day in and day out over a long period. This is often the story of our Best of Fayetteville winners.

Other times, change is swift and farreaching. Four years ago, Cross Creek Mall was 46,000 square feet smaller and sans Loft, White House/Black Market, Lane Bryant and Men’s Wearhouse — businesses we used to drive to Raleigh to frequent. Just three years ago, there was no Fresh Market, H&M, Jos. A. Bank, Vans, Lumber Liquidators, McAlister’s Deli, Mission BBQ, Freddy’s Frozen Custard or Steakburger in Fayetteville. Add local businesses like Rogue American, Pierro’s, Little Italy, Grapes & Hops, Scrub Oaks, Zorba’s, 316 Oyster Bar, Bit of Carolina, High Cotton Consignment, Carolina Pet Care and Ben Stout Construction, and the potential for employment- and economic growth-fueled change is impressive.

Projects like the baseball stadium and the Prince Charles Hotel renovation are bringing big changes, too: financial changes, quality-of-life changes, cultural changes.

The City of Fayetteville’s 2016 Parks & Rec Bond has projects in the works and coming to fruition that will bring change for many in the community: splash pads, skateboard parks, a tennis center, a senior center and more.

Cultural organizations like the newlynamed Cool Spring Downtown District, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, Cape Fear Studios, the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, Cape Fear Regional Theatre, Gilbert Theater, Community Concerts, the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, the Dogwood Festival, Cape Fear Botanical Garden and the Fayetteville Marksmen hockey team, among many others, positively impact the community as well, bringing a different kind of change. Organizations like these are vital to improving the community’s quality of life and fostering a sense of well-being.

Nonprofit organizations like the Care Clinic, the Rape Crisis Volunteers of Cumberland County, Better Health, Guardian ad Litem, KidsPeace, Friends of the Cancer Center – Cape Fear Valley Health, the Dream Center and more improve lives every day in countless ways.

This is just a small sampling of the change-makers among us. We are moving forward. Is it fast enough and far enough? Maybe not. Is there still work to do? Oh, yes. Plenty. Are there still problems to solve? In spades. Big ones.

But if the Chinese proverb is true and a journey of a thousand miles really does begin with one step, we are well on our way.

At the time of this writing, there is no shortage of local candidates vying to serve their fellow citizens. Oct. 19, one-stop voting begins for the Municipal Election. Voting ends Nov. 7.

What we need now is good leadership to continue to push our community forward; to tackle the difficult and ugly obstacles we still face; to see projects and development opportunities through; to lead us in solving the tough problems within our community.

If ever there was a time to be heard and to be a part of the change this community needs, it is now. Participate. Show up. Vote.

Be the change you want to see right here, right where you live. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Lauren Henderson

Terry Sanford • Senior • Volleyball

Henderson has a grade point average of 4.8.
She is active in 12th Man, Tri Chi and the
Friends Club.

Jonathan Piland

Cape Fear • Sophomore • Cross country

Piland has a 4.0 grade point average. In addition to cross country, he takes part in indoor and and outdoor track and field. He is the concertmaster of the Cumberland County Youth Orchestra. He’s a member of the Lebanon Baptist Church youth group and a violinist for the praise team at the church. He’s also in the Beta Club and the school orchestra at Cape Fear.

The players who stand in the shadow of the net and soar to make dramatic spikes draw most of the attention in volleyball.

But Cape Fear coach Jeff Bruner said you shouldn’t overlook the players in the back row, the ones who dive to the floor and make spectacular saves to spark a rally.

“We’ve sustained big rallies, and we’ve never done that without some miraculous dig that’s taken place from Marlie Horne or Taylor Melvin,’’ he said. “It takes one spectacular play from them, and lo and behold, we score seven points in a row.’’

The defense sparked by Horne and Melvin has been a key factor in Cape Fear’s run to the Patriot Athletic Conference regular-season championship in volleyball. The title came after Bruner made some major changes in both his offensive and defensive alignments this season.

“I don’t mind each year taking the pieces we have and going a different direction if we have to,’’ Bruner said. “It was a total redrawing of the playbook. Toward the middle of the season they started to become comfortable with it.’’

Horne felt the team adapted fairly quickly. “We have a smart group of girls that can adjust easily,’’ she said. “We all play travel ball.’’

Melvin agreed with Bruner that the role of the defense is critical to making offense work. “If you get a good pass, the setter has more options,’’ she said. “A good pass means a hitter will probably get a good set. A good pass equals a good hit.’’

Melvin said now that the playoffs are approaching, the Colts can’t give up and need to keep pushing. “We’ve got to adjust to the things the other team does if we want to win,’’ she said. “We’ve got to keep our heads up, work on individual stuff and cover the floor. Work hard on and off the court.’’

One challenge for the Colts in this year’s state playoffs is they’ve moved from the 4-A to the 3-A classification, which means they’ll likely be facing some teams they’re not familiar with.

“I don’t think we have a very good handle on estimating who we are going to play in the first couple of rounds,’’ Bruner said. “Once we see who it might be, we’re going to have a plan B ready so we can change to that team. We’ll have different strategies based on what team we are playing.’’

The N.C. High School Athletic Association volleyball playoffs begin Oct. 21.

• Jack Britt boys’ basketball coach Ike Walker Jr. has been named the assistant coach for next March’s Carolinas All-Star Basketball Classic.

The game, which will pit some of the top boys’ senior basketball players from North and South Carolina against each other, is scheduled to be played in Wilmington on March 24.

Walker will be assisting Lee Reavis of Northwest Guilford. This is Walker’s second all-star coaching experience. He previously coached the East squad in the annual N.C. Coaches Association All-Star game in Greensboro. 

“Any time Phil Weaver calls and says, ‘the board has selected you,’ it’s an honor,’’ said Walker. Weaver is the executive director of the NCCA. 

“I have a lot of respect for the NCCA and its mission, so when a distinguished group of your professional peers recognizes you and asks you to serve, it’s impossible to say no,’’ Walker said. “I look forward to representing my family, our state, my city and Jack Britt High School.’’

This will make the second straight year Britt has had an all-star coach. Last summer, Britt girls’ coach Nattlie McArthur coached the East girls in the annual East-West game in Greensboro.

Walker has a career record of 269-201 with three regular-season conference titles and four conference tournament titles. He’s been to the Eastern Regional four times and to the 4-A East Regional finals three times.

• E.E. Smith will recognize longtime coach Bishop Harris at a ceremony at Walker Spivey Elementary School on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 6 p.m.

Harris began his coaching career there when it was J.S. Spivey Junior High School. He has coached at every level, from junior high to college and professional football.

Tickets to the event are $25 and include food, a beverage and gifts for Harris. For tickets, call Charles Brown at (910) 224-1155 or Jimmy Harvey at (910) 322-2240. You may also email requests to debrabrown777@msn.com.

• A number of schools are having fundraisers in the coming weeks.

The Cape Fear marching band holds its fall seafood festival on Saturday, Oct. 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Shrimp plates, fish plates and combination plates will be sold for $15 each.

The Pine Forest baseball team is holding its second annual fundraiser. Tickets are $10 to enter a drawing for three cash prizes of $300, $200 and $100. The drawing will be held Saturday, Oct. 28th, at 2 p.m. at the annual baseball team Halloween Hit-A-Thon.

The Pine Forest boys’ basketball team will also be holding a fundraiser with a barbecue dinner at Peaden’s Seafood on Thursday, Nov. 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The cost is $15 per person. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP early by calling either (910) 488-1972 or (910) 309-9066.

Jack Britt High School’s baseball team will hold its fifth annual golf tournament fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 29, at Gates Four Golf and Country Club at 1 p.m.

The format is four-person captain’s choice and the entry fee is $65 per player. There will be prizes for closest to the pin, longest drive and hole-in-one along with food and beverages. 

Lunch will be provided after the round. Hole sponsorships are also available for $100.

For more information, call Britt baseball coach Dr. Christopher Dague at (910) 429-2800 or (330) 388-5865. You can also reach him at christopher.dague@gmail.com.

With the top three players from last year graduated, 2017 qualified as the nearest thing Terry Sanford girls’ tennis has had to a rebuilding year.

That’s not how things wound up.

Bulldogs coach Mandy McMillan’s charges rolled to the regular season title in the new Patriot Athletic Conference and now prepare for what they hope will be another successful run in the state 3-A playoffs.

The biggest surprise for McMillan is how the young players in the lineup have stepped up, as Melissa Lu at No. 1 singles is the only senior in her top six.

“The young ones on the team have played their hearts out,’’ McMillan said. “They have blown it out of the water. They are going to be really fierce the next couple of years, and people need to look out for them.’’

One thing the squad misses being in the new conference is the annual battles with Union Pines in the old Cape Fear Valley 3-A.

More than one player on this year’s team feels the Union Pines duels helped prepare Terry Sanford for tough competition in the postseason.

“I liked playing them to get the competition,’’ said Leah McDonough, who plays No. 3 singles. 

No. 2 singles player Ritika Shamdasani agreed. “It was great practice to play with those girls,’’ she said. “That was probably one of our biggest matches of the season. Always very competitive.’’

But Shamdasani feels this Bulldog team has come together with a lot of support. “It was a combination of our girls’ spirit, and our coach has always been amazing,’’ she said. “The school itself is really supportive. All that combined to create a really good tennis year.’’

But it’s not over, and as No. 1 singles player Lu said, there’s a lot of tennis season left after the regular season is over.

“With tennis, you like to think of the long run,’’ Lu said. “We’ve kept the same attitude.’’

Lu is still weighing the decision if she’ll play singles or doubles in the postseason. “Nothing is set in stone,’’ she said. “We’re still figuring that out as a team.’’

McMillan said one of her main concerns for the postseason is making sure her team has the stamina to deal with tough matches. “One of the things I saw last year when we went to tiebreakers was they were getting tired easy,’’ she said. “I tried to incorporate conditioning to prepare them for these long matches.

“As long as we can keep the mental game strong and keep them straight mentally, we’re going to do really well.’’

N.C. High School Athletic Association regional competition in girls’ tennis begins Oct. 20-21.

Nine years ago, Fayetteville City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance regulating panhandling. The ordinance makes it illegal to panhandle anywhere in the city after dark. It prohibits panhandling in the downtown area, along busy roadways and within 50 feet of ATMs and outdoor dining areas. The law is rarely enforced and hardly ever prosecuted in the courts. Unlike Raleigh, Fayetteville doesn’t require that panhandlers be registered with the police. Police permits are designed to help identify panhandlers while also listing guidelines. Raleigh permits say there will be no aggressive begging and no blocking of traffic. 

Fayetteville City Council believes it’s time it tightened regulations governing begging in public. “I’m troubled with panhandling; they’ve become more aggressive,” said Mayor pro tem Mitch Colvin. He would like to see the police given additional enforcement tools. The Center for Problem-Oriented Policing notes that “Most researchers and practitioners seem to agree that the enforcement of laws prohibiting panhandling plays only a part in controlling the problem. Public education to discourage people from giving money to panhandlers, adequate social services (especially alcohol and drug treatment) for panhandlers are the other essential components of an effective and comprehensive response.” 

Fayetteville’s Downtown Alliance tried a different approach to deal with panhandlers in 2015. The organization put up drop boxes on lamp posts downtown where people could make donations to agencies that assist the homeless. It was not a resounding success in that many panhandlers are not among the homeless individuals who are seeking assistance. Jason is an Army veteran who lives in a small apartment provided by the VA. He’s turned down minimum wage jobs because, in his words, “I can make more money panhandling.” Jason knows and respects the law and has picked a spot on Ramsey Street at the I-295 off-ramp to do his begging. “I can make $130 on a good day,” he said. 

City Councilwoman Kathy Jensen knows of Jason. She told her colleagues that he stands in an area that is just outside the city limits. “He’s usually there during morning drive and in the late afternoon,” she said. He catches a bus to return to his apartment after a couple of hours begging.

“Panhandlers are having a chilling effect on commerce,” said Councilman Jim Arp. “We need more aggressive enforcement.” He notes that panhandling is prohibited in the downtown area, and a police officer who walks a foot post attempts to shoo them off. 

“It’s getting worse,” said Councilman Larry Wright. Retiring Councilman Bobby Hurst asked what other cities are doing to combat the problem. City Manager Doug Hewett said the administration would research the matter and report back to council with some ideas. It was Hewett who, as an assistant city manager several years ago, hosted the city’s now-defunct TV program called “Kaleidoscope.” It aired on FayTV-7. Hewett did a program in 2009 on panhandling rules that council now believes need updating.

What’s the biggest difference between policing in metro Atlanta and Fayetteville? It’s the people, said Fayetteville’s new Chief of Police Gina Hawkins. She came from Clayton County, Georgia, where she was deputy chief. Before that, she was a police officer in Atlanta. 

Hawkins was sworn in as Fayetteville’s eighth police chief seven weeks ago. “I’ve found people in our city are engaged; they’re involved in the community,” she said. “And that makes my job easier.” Hawkins inherited a law enforcement agency already highly respected for its professionalism, much of that the result of retired chief Harold Medlock’s three-and-a-half-year tenure. 

Hawkins’ assessment of the department: “We still have a long way to go.” Medlock was a highly visible figure in the community. He responded to every homicide that occurred during his term of office. He required that the three assistant chiefs also do so. Hawkins does not. Medlock held frequent news conferences and photo opportunities. Hawkins, while readily accessible to the media, has not held a news conference. “I don’t want to upstage my commanders,” she said. “I encourage the leaders to make decisions for themselves.” 

She agreed with Medlock that the Fayetteville Police Department command staff is highly motivated and professional. But, she added, assistant chiefs and captains can be more creative in their day-to-day duties, and that’s part of her ongoing assessment of the department. 

Fayetteville doesn’t have enough police officers in her opinion. She pointed to its population of 210,000 and its sprawling land area. Fayetteville is the second largest city in North Carolina, covering 148 square miles. 

Hawkins is examining how some of her 433 officers might be redeployed to specialized duties. For example, she believes there’s a need for additional traffic enforcement officers. The chief said she hopes she never hears about a hot police pursuit taking the lives of innocent people, which happened recently in Greensboro. She expects patrol supervisors to call off a high-speed chase before it jeopardizes lives. 

Hawkins recently accepted an invitation that included repelling off an office building in Raleigh. It was a fundraiser for the North Carolina Special Olympics. Hawkins learned later that she’d be repelling from the top of the 30-story Wells Fargo skyscraper, but it was too late to back out of the commitment. She and four other members of the department raised $5,000 in the daring act for the Special Olympics. 

A couple of weeks ago, Hawkins joined three other minority, female police chiefs in New York City for a nationally-televised TV appearance. They were on Megyn Kelly’s show “Today” to talk about how they broke racial and gender lines in their advancement up police ranks. 

“Chief Hawkins is representing the city and the law enforcement profession in an exemplary fashion,” said City Manager Doug Hewett. “I have full confidence in Chief Hawkins and the entire staff of the Fayetteville Police Department.”

Police Cameras Not Working

The Fayetteville Police citywide network of surveillance cameras has been out of service for a year now. “The FPD has 133 cameras that are currently offline as we are working with a new vendor to get the system fully functional,” said police spokesman Lt. Todd Joyce. 

The cameras were purchased with drug forfeiture funds returned to the city by the federal government. Joyce said they went down during Hurricane Matthew in October of last year. A heavy rainfall within days of the hurricane made matters worse. “We have been working with a new vendor... and work has been progressing to upgrade the system’s infrastructure,” Joyce said. There is no projected completion date.

Work on the Prince Charles Underway

Renovation of the former Prince Charles Hotel and demolition of the pavement and grounds where the adjacent minor league baseball stadium will be built are underway in downtown Fayetteville. 

PCH Holdings project manager Jordan Jones said renovations to the interior of the eight-story building come first. “Barnhill Contracting of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, has a completion date of October 2018,” he said. The PCH Durham development firm is spending up to $15 million to bring the eight-story building back to life. It will have 62 apartments and a posh penthouse where the eighth-floor ballroom used to be. 

No Parking

The always-full Amtrak train station parking lot is no longer available to the public. That’s where a four-story hotel topped with a four-story parking deck will be built. 

Many city hall and police headquarters employees who have used that lot for years are now finding themselves having to park three blocks away. There are a privileged few who have reserved parking spots in the rear city hall lots. City Manager Doug Hewett told other city employees they can use free parking in a lot at the corner of Russell and Donaldson Streets. Or, for a reduced fee of $20 a month, they can lease spaces in the Franklin Street parking garage. 

“Staff is actively pursuing additional parking opportunities,” Hewett said. “But those resources are not expected to be available within the next six months.” 

Breast Cancer Awareness

During this month you’ll see Fayetteville Police officers wearing pink patches in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Over the past few months, the Fayetteville Police Department and the Fayetteville Police Foundation raised money from the sale of the pink patches and donated $2,300 to the Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation. 

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. The National Breast Cancer Foundation’s mission is to help those affected by breast cancer through early detection, education and support services. 

Crime Stoppers Update

Fayetteville/Cumberland County Crime Stoppers has launched a new website and alert system. Both are designed to keep the community informed and to encourage anonymous tips from community members. The Crime Stoppers website, www.fay-nccrimestoppers.org, has been completely redesigned and will allow the organization to keep the community informed of crime alerts, wanted subjects and other concerns in the community. Anonymous tips can be submitted electronically via the redesigned website which is also mobile-friendly. The Crime Stoppers hotline is (910) 483-TIPS. 

Since its inception in 1984, Fayetteville/Cumberland County Crime Stoppers has provided information to law enforcement agencies, resulting in the arrest of more than 3,000 and the recovery of more than $6.7 million in stolen property and narcotics. Local Crime Stoppers has awarded callers with more than $300,000 in cash rewards.

Small-Business Seminar

The Fayetteville Area System of Transit’s multimillion-dollar downtown transit center won’t open until November, said Transit Director Randy Hume. That’s 18 months behind schedule. Inspectors are wrapping up their work, and Hume said FAST will need at least four weeks to prepare for operations. 

In the meantime, FAST and the U.S. Department of Transportation are partnering to co-host a free small-business seminar on Thursday, Oct. 26, from 3-5 p.m. The workshop is entitled “Small Business & Human Resources Basics” and will be held at FAST Headquarters at 455 Grove St. 

It’s an interactive workshop and will feature business planning strategies, an explanation of hiring employees versus taking on independent contractors, an overview of the basics of workers’ compensation insurance and small business assistance resources. To register, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/small-business-big-growth-tickets-38496247312. 

U.S. DOT’s Small Business Transportation Resource Center is assisting FAST with the workshop. 

4-H Camp Fund Raiser

A fundraiser in support of the Millstone 4-H Camp will be held Oct. 21. Pickin’ in the Pines will be staged at the Millstone Camp at 1296 Mallard Rd., Ellerbe, North Carolina, from 6-11 p.m. Admission is $50 per person. Proceeds will go toward scholarships for children to attend the Millstone 4-H Camp. 

For 78 years, Millstone has provided life-changing learning and recreational opportunities for children. It strives to provide rich camping opportunities to as many children as possible, regardless of their parents’ ability to pay. Pickin’ in the Pines will include bluegrass music, a live auction and a pig-pickin.’ 

For additional information, visit: go.ncsu.edu/millstone4hpickininthepines or see the Facebook page: PickininthePinesatMillstone. 

Every kid has a singular moment of blinding inspiration. They begin to realize that the world is bigger than their backyard. They realize people are capable of creativity, kindness, strength, gumption … but also have a Dark Side. For more than a century, no area has been able to accomplish this quite like science fiction. Its many forms — comic books, animation, games, television and movies — have bred legions of dedicated fans. These fans will have the chance to celebrate some of their favorite characters and stories at the Fayetteville Comic Con Oct. 21-22 at the Crown Coliseum.

According to Michael Chadhuri, the chief organizer, FCC is expecting at least 10,000 people to attend its third year.

“I’m just a long-time comic book geek,” Chadhuri said. “We said, ‘Why are there no conventions in Fayetteville?’ It was baffling to us, so we said let’s just try one to see what happens, and it blew up with the first year. Just incredible. It’s very participatory. We like to have something for people to do, not just see this, see this. You can play a game. You can dance on the stage.”

One of the most recognizable features of a comic con is the cosplaying, which just means anyone dressing up as one of their favorite characters. Note: someone needs to dethrone the greatest cosplay ever done that went viral this year — an 85-year-old woman dressed as Olenna Tyrell from “Game of Thrones.” Fayetteville, you have been challenged.

There will be two cosplay competitions at FCC. On that Saturday at 1 p.m., the junior competition (15 and under) will take place, with gift certificate and trophy awards. The adult competition (16 and up) will be on Sunday at 1:30 p.m., also with various prizes such as gift certificates, cash and an X-Box bundle grand prize.

For all the single nerds out there, FCC will also have Sci-Fi speed dating. Who knows, you start chatting with another like-minded person about “Star Wars” or “Full Metal Alchemist,” and you could end up with a lifelong partner or friend. 

Gaming will also play a huge part in FCC. An entire wall of the convention center is reserved for the “Gaming Alley.” Do a demo, join a tournament or even hop on an old-school arcade cabinet.

The heart of any comic con, though, lies in the panels and Q&As that fans can attend. 

Chadhuri said, “There’s something for everybody. Every year we try to bring a whole new slew of guests to the convention and to Fayetteville.”

One of the most anticipated guests this year is Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk in the original 1978 television series. Though he has been to conventions across the country, he has never been to Fayetteville’s own before.

Ferrigno said, “It always puts a smile on my face to chat with them and get a photo with them because I have three different generations now (of fans) because the Hulk was 40 years ago. It should be very exciting.”

Ferrigno relates to why fans still idolize the Hulk all these years later.

“As a kid, I had to overcome adversity because I had to deal with speech and hearing issues, so I use to read comics, and I was obsessed with the power (of the characters),” Ferrigno said.

A modern-day phenomena featured at FCC is anime, which has grown exponentially in America thanks in large part to original Japanese anime shows being dubbed in English. Several anime voice actors will be guests at FCC, one of whom is Vic Mignogna.

“I played Vega in ‘Street Fighter 2,’” Mignogna said. “I just thought that was a fun little weird, one-time, random thing to do. But it just took off from there. I was very blessed to be on the ground floor of this expanding anime world, and so now, 18, 19 years later, I’ve voiced over 300 different animated series.”

Some of Mignogna’s characters include Broly in “Dragon Ball Z” and Edward Elric in “Full Metal Alchemist.” Like many others, Mignogna became intrigued by pop culture phenomena as a fan at a young age.

“When I was 9, 10, 11, I discovered the original series of ‘Star Trek’ and it changed my life,” Mignogna said. “It inspired me in so many ways to try new things, like building props and making uniforms and costumes and shooting little home movies and building sets.”

His love of “Star Trek” eventually evolved into its own passion project. About five years ago, Mignogna started his own web series called “Star Trek Continues.” He executive produces and stars in it as Captain Kirk. “Star Trek Continues” has millions of views online and has won several awards, including a Webby Award for People’s Voice Drama. After Mignogna’s Q&A, he will be screening its latest episode for attendees.

“It will blow your mind,” he said. “You’ll feel like you’re watching episodes of the classic series that were somehow locked in a vault for 50 years. One of the main reasons I go to these events is to meet fans. I really love getting out and meeting people that have enjoyed my work over the years.”

Mignogna will be joined by fellow voice actors Chris Sabat, Linda Young, Eric Vale and Mark Dodson.

Of course, you can’t say comic con without comics. And FCC will have creators, writers and artists of comics in spades. Professional artist Steve Butler will even be bringing kids onstage for drawing demonstrations.

Editor-in-chief Mort Todd and members of his Charlton Neo team will also be leading a panel. Charlton Neo revives the Charlton Comics that ran from 1945 to 1986. Todd is perhaps best known as signing Don Martin onto Cracked magazine after working at Mad for decades. His Charlton Neo Comics team have made a special FCC edition and will be signing 250 copies for attendees.

Though Todd works more in his editor capacity nowadays, he has some advice for the aspiring artists out there.

“When I was 13, I brought my art portfolio to DC Comics,” Todd said. “The art director told me I would never work in comics, and I was crushed. Then 10 years later, he’s looking for work from me. So my bottom line is for anyone, any age, no matter how far they are in comics, is just keep doing it. Keep writing. Keep drawing because the more you do, the more you know and learn to make it better.”

These are just a select few of FCC’s guests. Actors from “Power Rangers,” zombies from the “The Walking Dead” and many others are expected to be in attendance.

We’re living in an age where letting your nerd flag fly is pretty cool. As Felicia Day once said, “The world opened up for me once I decided to embrace who I am — unapologetically.” These words embody the life blood of a comic con.

FCC will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Visit www.fayettevillecomiccon.com to learn more.

Losing a loved one who transitions to our Lord is difficult. As my pastor told me during the death of my mother, grieving requires hard but necessary work. A process and part of grieving is going with family and friends to the gravesite to inter and say goodbye to the earthly body.

That process certainly does not need to be interrupted by a rude and reckless driver, either ignoring the laws of this state or not paying attention. So, what does North Carolina law require when a motorist either comes upon a funeral procession from behind or from the opposite direction?

Our law is contained in N.C.G.S § 20-157.1. The law requires each car in the procession to have both its headlights on and hazards flashing. The cars shall drive on the right side of the roadway and may proceed through stop signs and stop lights as long as the car is in the procession line.

The cars not in the procession shall not join the procession for purposes of securing the right of way. All operators shall use reasonable care and all must yield to emergency vehicles and law enforcement.

Surprisingly, operators of the vehicles driving in the opposite direction do not have to pull over, although they may. Operators driving in the same direction may pass when there are two or more lanes. They may not drive between vehicles in a procession unless directed by law enforcement and they may not enter an intersection knowing a funeral procession is proceeding, but again, they are permitted to pass the procession in a second lane.

Finally, it is not negligence per se when causing a wreck while violating this law. This means an injured party must prove the negligence beyond violating this law to recover.

Now the safe practice and certainly the most courteous practice is to pull over and not pass. Most drivers do this, but as my father once told me, there is no law against being stupid and rude.

I can remember when my father’s best friend and a close mentor to me, Colonel Karl Wombrod, died. The Colonel played football for Tennessee and was badly wounded at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. He was also on the team that surveyed the 38th parallel in Korea. He was/is an incredible man. After delivering his eulogy during his funeral in Southern Pines, I was with the family as we drove to the Veterans Cemetery in Fayetteville.

It was spring of that year, and farmers were busy plowing and preparing to plant. Despite them being on large machines and very busy, I was overwhelmed and touched with emotion to see each farmer take the time to come down from their equipment and stop what they were doing to remove their hats and pay their respects. Not only do they feed us, they teach us.

It costs us nothing but a few minutes of our day to be courteous and respectful. Unfortunately, no law can make us do so. Like so much in life, it’s our choice.

Wick Smith, like all artists, is confronted with questions: Why is he practicing this particular art form, why has he continued to practice being an artist over the years, and why did he choose this particular medium and subject matter? The answer to these questions can readily be summed up by those who visit Smith’s exhibit or attend the opening of “Chasing the Light” at Gallery 208 Oct. 10, when the word “beautiful” will be repeated over and over by visitors.

For this editorial, it was important to share some of the details of his lengthy journey to get to the “beautiful,” but more important to share insight about the work in ways that might influence visitors to see more than they would with a glance — to go beyond the idea of beauty. In attempting to articulate what I was seeing in this body of work, I interviewed Smith, researched his influences and even asked my photographer colleague, Shane Booth, to talk about what it means to be a landscape photographer.

My question to Booth was direct and overly simplified: “Why would a photographer want to take photographs of the landscape?” Booth’s acute response was a perfect description of the essence of Wick Smith’s landscapes: “They look at the landscape as an art form, and they can see it in a way that tells a story. Composition and capturing a moment is everything — you have to be at the right place at the right time. That moment tells a story of wherever they are.

Location is everything, and the artist shares a sense of place we would have missed if not captured.”

And that is how it began for Smith about 12 years ago. He simply wanted to take pictures of the landscape he enjoyed while he and his wife, Jane, were camping. “One day I had one of the digital photos blown up to a 16-by-20-inch print,” he said. “And it was stunning — the detail, composition and quality of the print. From that day, I began a serious approach to understanding photography; I continued to take photos, but I also began researching the manuals and attended workshops with nationally-known photographers.”

A photograph may capture the likeness of a place, but Smith’s images take us beyond the physicality of a place by evoking something intangible. We may call it beauty, but his intangible can reveal a deeper understanding of many things — timelessness, the spiritual or perfection, something that soothes us and heals us, or maybe it’s just something ineffable.

Smith gives credit to Richard Bernabe, who hosted Smith’s first workshop with an internationally known landscape photographer, for showing him where to “start looking to see composition in the field. I really didn’t have an idea of what I was looking at, and he patiently taught me how to understand composition,” Smith said. “As a result, I was able, over time, to develop the sensibility to see — all the photographers in the various workshops have taught me how to see — in a different way.”

For me, seeing Smith’s works over the years, I assumed he was a paid professional photographer, only to find out he is a businessman and the president of Biz Tools, a firm that develops websites for businesses. An avid and dedicated photographer, we cannot look at his work without sensing the art of photography is his personal passion. That dedication is how he lives up to Bernabe’s philosophy: “I can teach the mechanics of the camera, exposure and compositions … I can share my insights … but there are things I cannot teach. Curiosity is one of those things … Those who ultimately will be successful and keep moving on their own have passion and curiosity.”

Light is 75 percent of what Smith is interested in capturing, but he shared his process: “I have to be on-site before dawn and as the sun sets, using a tripod for long exposures to steady the camera.The post process of developing the print in the same light I witnessed it is very important. Even though I have to know what to do when I arrive, I have to take many, many pictures to get it right.”

It seems simple, but as Bill Fortney, one of his instructors, told Smith, “I have been at a site 25 times before the light was right.”
Photographs titled “Magical Reeds,” “Badlands at Dawn” and “The Old and the New” are examples of Smith moving away from the landscape as a vista to the landscape as an abstraction. Linear and atmospheric perspective are sacrificed for a flattened space, an open composition of surface, pattern, rhythm and color.

In these photographs Smith has shown us a new way of looking at something we may take for granted. The ordinary becomes extraordinary.

In “Chasing the Light,” visitors to Gallery 208 will also see some of Smith’s cityscapes. Influenced by photographer Ian Plant, in his cityscapes Smith focuses on shapes and lines to lead us through the composition. Familiar places around Fayetteville being viewed as shape, color and line are a pleasing contrast to the textured surfaces of the American landscape.

“Chasing the Light” opens at Up & Coming Weekly’s Gallery 208 at 208 Rowan St. on Oct. 10 from 5:30-7 p.m. A short gallery talk by the artist will begin at 6 p.m.

The public is invited to the opening, and for those who are not able to attend the opening, the gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday until Dec. 10.
Call (910) 484-6200 for information, or visit www.upandcomingweekly.com.

Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra’s 2017-18 season, “Gone to Carolina,” kicks off Saturday, Oct. 14, with a Cape Fear-themed concert. Anticipation has been building for this day since FSO announced the appointment of its new music director Stefan Sanders this April. Sanders and FSO president and CEO Christine Kastner planned a six-concert season from October to April that celebrates the Carolinas’ unique history and geography.

The family-friendly season opener, aptly titled “Cape Fear,” features a mixture of classical and pop music performed by the full symphony. The program celebrates the world of mythical and historical pirates and shipwrecks associated with the Carolina coastline. Classical pieces include Wagner’s “Overture to The Flying Dutchman” and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Sheherazade,” which invokes a fairy-tale feeling and is associated with the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor. Contemporary pieces include music from the popular films “Hook,” “Jaws” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

“I think there’s a little something for everyone,” Kastner said. She added that even if the audience isn’t familiar with some of the classical pieces, Sanders will briefly describe each one before the orchestra plays so that listeners have context.

Children of all ages (right on up to their 90s) are encouraged to attend the concert dressed in pirate- and sea-themed costumes. Sanders and some of the musicians will be dressed up, too. “The idea is that this is our first concert of the year, and it’s fall, so close to Halloween, and people are already in the (spirit),” Sanders said. “All these characters of the sea and what they have inspired in music — that’s what this concert is all about.”

FSO also partnered with the Ellington-White Community Development Corporation to display pirate-themed art the night of the concert. Ellington-White CDC held its 10th annual Discovering the Arts Summer Program in June. The program serves Cumberland County youth ages 10-18 who have been labeled “at risk” by EWCDC partner CommuniCare, Inc., as well as youth from the community’s low-wealth population. Project director Dwight Smith described the program as “a four-week curriculum of visual art, dance, and drama and creative writing,” and said it can have a life-changing and positive effect.

“We have a donor who is paying for those kids to attend the concert with their families,” Kastner said. “It was a neat partnership that really worked with this concert. … They did a little pirate art, and now they have the opportunity to come to a symphony concert and hear some music and see their art displayed.”
FSO put out calls for local art for many of its other concerts this season and will display that art and use it for promotional purposes. “We’re trying to foster some cooperation and support for the other arts in the community,” Kastner said.

Sanders said it occurred to him recently that it’s been almost a year since his audition to become FSO’s music director. “I’ve been to Fayetteville many times now for events and fundraising and advocacy and everything, but we haven’t actually had any concerts,” he said. “So I can’t wait to actually make music. … I’m very, very excited, and I think the musicians are really excited, too, to have the search completed and to really begin the next era of the orchestra’s history.”

“Cape Fear” takes place Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Huff Concert Hall at Methodist University. FSO “Music Nerd” Joshua Busman will give a pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m. To purchase tickets, and to view the full list of concerts for the 2017-18 FSO season, visit www.fayettevillesymphony.org.