Fayetteville has a big heart and an even bigger spirit. This community’s outpouring of generosity, love and compassion was well demonstrated dur­ing Hurricane Florence. Though the storm is over, repairing the damage, destruction and heart­break will be a long-term endeavor. The news cov­erage and headlines that swirled around Florence will soon dissipate, but for hundreds of citizens, the suffering is far from over. Clothes, food, shelter, medical care and money will be needed over the long haul to bring these tattered lives back to a sense of nor­malcy. Sunday, Oct. 7, St. John’s Episcopal Church is set to host an event that will help move the city forward. 

Inspired to help with hurricane recovery, St. John’s Episcopal Church new director of music, Ryan Pagels, took action. Pagels and his commit­tee organized a concert to benefit the community that will include ensembles from the Fayetteville Symphony Orches­tra, the FSO Youth Orchestra and the Methodist University Chorale. There will also be performances by MU faculty and students as well as from Fayetteville Academy and a host of other local pro­fessional musicians. 

“It is truly a community effort for the community,” Pagels said. “We were very blessed that the church sustained mini­mal damage from the hurricane and the flooding that followed.” 

St. John’s has a long history of giving back to the area it calls home. It has been doing so since its founding in 1817. And according to Pagels, hosting this concert is yet another way to meet the needs within the area and help those who were significantly impacted by the storm. 

Up & Coming Weekly will be at the concert, and we look forward to a mag­nificent turnout and outreach by the community. We look forward to sup­porting many other local businesses and organizations as they each bring their unique strengths to the effort to rebuild and heal our city, too. 

Fayetteville is home to many institu­tions built on the honorable legacy of serving humanity. And you don’t have to look far to see the positive and long-last­ing effects they have each had with their active in­volvement in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. Along with St. John’s, the Salvation Army, Operation Inasmuch, Fayetteville Urban Ministry and Con­nections of Cumberland County are just a few organizations dedicated to making this community a better place. 

We salute Pagels and all those at St. John’s who helped organize this con­cert. Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper is all about promoting and showcasing the assets and good things that are hap­pening in our community, and it doesn’t get any bet­ter than this. 

The Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert is set for Sunday, Oct. 7, at 2 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church. The event is free, but dona­tions are welcome. All monies collected during the concert will go the Hurri­cane Disaster Relief Fund that is be­ing administered locally by the United Way of Cumberland County and the Cumberland Community Foundation. For more information, contact Pagels at 910-483-7405 ext. 119. 

St. John’s is located at 302 Green St. in historic downtown Fayetteville. We hope to see you there. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

When the University of Maryland turned to an outside consultant to investigate the circumstances involved in the death of football player Jordan McNair, it was no surprise the person they chose to lead the probe was former Terry Sanford High School student athletic trainer Rod Walters. 

Walters, a 1975 graduate of Terry Sanford, learned about athletic training under well-known Bulldog coaches like Len Maness, Mackie Hall, Fred McDaniel and Wayne Byrd. 

He went on to a brilliant Hall of Fame career as an athletic trainer at his alma mater, Appalachian State, as well as Lenoir-Rhyne and the University of South Carolina. He finally stepped down in 2007 to create his own consulting business that focuses on providing education and resources to fellow athletic trainers. 

“Education is probably the biggest part of what I do,’’ said Walters. “I review programs. I’ve been doing one or two of these a year.’’ 

That was what Maryland asked him to do when they reached out to him in early June following the tragic death in May of McNair during an offseason workout session. 

Walters’ 74-page report, which was issued in mid- September, concluded that cold-water immersion tanks used to rapidly reduce the core temperature of a player suffering from heat-related illness were not available at Maryland’s practice that day because the practice location had been changed at the last minute and the tanks were elsewhere. 

While Maryland had some good emergency poli­cies in place, Walters said they needed to be followed completely. “Deviation from that causes problems,’’ he said. 

He added that the Maryland athletic trainers on the scene didn’t take vital signs and didn’t identify escalating symptoms of heat stroke. 

Walters said the main lesson the death of McNair taught for both Maryland and any athletic program is emergency action plans must be specific when stating what’s going to happen and how the athletic trainers and coaches are going to deal with it. 

Things like “How do we identify signs and symp­toms?’’ Walters said. “How do we implement care? Are all the parties involved, coaches and athletic trainers, appropriately prepared to deal with that? Do we have appropriate monitoring of the weather, whether it be lightning or heat? Do we have the pro­cesses in place?’’ 

In the case of heat-related illness, Walters said the problem is complicated because there are so many pieces. They include accurately and rapidly identify­ing the nature of the heat illness followed by rapid treatment and aggressive cooling of the athlete to bring the temperature down. 

“There’s a study we quoted in the report, in the event of an exertional heat stroke, that if we iden­tify it within 30 minutes, the chance of mortality or major problems are reduced,’’ Walters said. “That’s why the rapid assessment is so important.’’ 

Walters said the biggest danger for any athletic program or team is lack of preparation in dealing with emergencies. 

“You’ve got to have a plan,’’ Walters said. But even that is not enough. Not only do you have to have a plan, you must practice it, and not just once at the start of a sports season. 

“We find that lots of schools, 90 percent of them, have an emergency plan and may practice it in July,’’ he said. “You’ve got to stay on top of that, revisit best practices to make sure we’re doing all the things we can do effectively to treat these people.’’ 

Walters said heat isn’t the only concern. There are numerous other dangers to be aware of, including cardiac issues, concussions and athletes with sickle cell trait. “All these other things we have to apply to make sure we have an effective plan,’’ he said. 

Walters admits it sounds self-serving, but he said it’s a good idea for all schools to have someone like himself come in and conduct an independent review of how they’re doing things. “They’ve got to review the emergency action plan and make sure it’s thorough,’’ he said. “Have somebody review that your best practices are best practices. 

“A lot of places aren’t doing that.’’ 

For more information about Walters and his con­sulting work, go to www.rodwalters.com.

Photo: Rod Walters

 For more than 60 years, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra has educated, entertained and inspired the Sandhills with great music, fun events and educational and outreach opportunities. As the organization heads into the 2018-19 season, it shows no sign of slowing down. The first concert of the season, “The Music of John Williams,” is set for Saturday, Oct. 6.

His name may not sound familiar, but chances are you know Williams’ work. With an extensive list of film scores and compositions stretching back to the 1950s, some of his well-known pieces are featured in “Gidget goes to Rome,” “The Rare Breed,” “Valley of the Dolls,” “Heidi,” “The Poseidon Adventure,” “Jaws,” the Star Wars movies – includ-ing “Star Wars: Episode IX” to be released in 2019 – “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Superman,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “E.T.,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” “Jurassic Park,” “Schindler’s List,” several of the Harry Potter movies and “The BFG.”

“He is one of the greatest living composers,” said Christine Kastner, FSO president and CEO. “He is so well-known you easily recognize his music. He’s had such a long career. We try to open the season with a family friendly concert. I am sure the Music Nerd (Joshua Busman, who speaks at the beginning of FSO concerts) will have lots to talk about; there is so much on this variety in the music.” 

Symphonic music can seem intimidating to some. The FSO works hard on many levels to make its performances engaging and fun for everyone. From preconcert chats with the Music Nerd to interactive experiences and free concerts, every interaction is designed with the audience in mind. For example, at the Oct. 6 concert, the Star Wars reenactors of the 501st Legion Carolina Garrison are scheduled to attend. The 501st Legion is an all-volunteer fan-based Star Wars costuming organization. The Legion celebrates the saga through costumes and props, especially ones from the Galactic Empire. 

“We do have a commitment from them,” Kastner said. “Hopefully, Hurricane Florence will not change those plans.”

This season, the concerts are vast and varied. “We have something for everyone,” Kastner said. “One of the things we want people to realize is that we play a variety of music. Even if you don’t like certain things, there is something we do that you will enjoy. We go from John Williams to Brandenburg (Nov. 15).... When we did a couple (of those) concertos a few years ago, we sold out the church we were playing in. Then, we go to a holiday swing/big band concert performance (Dec. 1). We have a New York City jazz vocalist and songwriter coming for that. 

“I think it will be fun season.” 

“Magical Mozart” continues the season Jan. 17, 2019, followed by “Love is in the Air” Feb. 9. A trib-ute to the armed forces, “FSO, March!” takes place March 9, and the season concludes with “Ode to Joy” April 13.

Special events this year include Bachtoberfest on Oct. 18. It will feature tastings of 10 craft beers, games and tasty food, including German potato salad and bratwurst. Nov. 9, the FSO will host Friendsgiving Brewery Tour with Bright Light 

Brewing Co., Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom, Mash House Brewing Company, World of Beer and Paddy’s Irish Pub. 

“The Music of John Williams” takes place Oct. 6 at Fayetteville State University’s Seabrook Auditorium. The preconcert Music Nerd chat starts at 6:45 p.m., and the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Visit www.fayettevillesymphony.org for tickets and information.

 Hope Mills town officials borrowed a little advice from former President Ronald Reagan when dealing with the recent arrival of Hurricane Florence and the threat it posed to the newly constructed dam.

As Reagan warned in dealing with the former Soviet Union, “Trust, but verify.’’

That philosophy was applied to the dam, which appears to have held up well in the face of record-setting rainfall that drenched the state for days.

Mark Landis, the engineer of record and project manager for the dam for Schnabel Engineering, received regular updates from Hope Mills officials so he could monitor the amount of rainfall the town was getting and how the structure was holding up.

“I can’t say we weren’t worried, but part of me wasn’t worried as well,’’ Landis said, referring to concerns the dam would hold up during all the rain.

“We could probably have taken on a little bit more,’’ he said, in reference to the rain. “I’ll feel much better when I get to the site and see if there was erosion or scouring.’’

Scouring is when water erodes areas around the dam, especially the parts of it made of earth.

The biggest concern for the new dam was from what Landis called tail water. This is when the water flowing out of the dam and downstream is pre-vented from getting away from the dam and actually begins to back up and put pressure on the side of the dam away from Hope Mills Lake.

If that had happened this time, Landis said, the dam itself, the bridges over it and part of the town of Hope Mills would all have been underwater.

Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner made regular visits to the dam during the hurricane, posting video updates on Facebook to keep the community apprised of what was going on.

“I kept getting calls at night that it had a crack in it or that it was broken,’’ Warner said. Nearly every time she visited, Warner said, there was a crowd of specta-tors or media representatives or both on the scene.

The hurricane experience helped Warner to learn even more about some of the protective measures built into the dam, like the canals on the side opposite Hope Mills Lake that allow water to drain into them and serve to equalize the pressure com-ing from the rising lake waters on the other side.

“I can’t even imagine how much pressure has been put on that dam because the water was moving so fast and it was so continuous,’’ Warner said. “I’m confident it’s going to be fine.’’

Town manager Melissa Adams said the town had a good plan in place to watch the dam and keep readings on what was happening during the storm.

“I think this was a big test for (the dam) and it performed exactly as it should,’’ she said. “Throughout the whole thing, I had full confidence in it, and I believe Mr. Landis did too. Yes, we were con-cerned, but we weren’t concerned about the integ-rity of the structure.’’

Adams said the town leaders will have an after-action meeting to discuss how their emergency plan for the hurricane worked and suggest changes for the future.

“There is always room for improvement,’’ she said. “I think overall we were very well-prepared. The team operated seamlessly.’’

After having endured two major storms in barely two years, Warner thinks the town knows what has to happen moving forward.

“I think you just have to stay on your guard,’’ she said.

Xavea Crump

Seventy-First

• Cheerleading • Junior

Crump has a 4.0 grade point average. In addition to being a varsity cheerleader, she participates in Student Government 

Association, National Honor Society and Delta Gems.

Troy Miles

Seventy-First

• Cross country/basketball • Senior

Miles has a 3.2 grade point average while splitting his time between cross country in the fall and varsity basketball in the winter. 

 Those who have been to Sweet Tea Shakespeare’s quirky, musical shows are familiar with the usual setup on the grounds of the 1897 Poe House. But the company’s got another trick up its sleeve that pops out once per season – the venue-traversing LIT show. LIT plays off the word “literature” and the millennial term “lit,” which refers to having fun and/ or getting drunk. For 2018-19, it’s “OthelLIT,” a show that’s as irreverent as it is true to Shakespeare’s classic tragedy “Othello.” The show opens Oct. 4 and runs through the 30th. 

“We do the original ‘Othello’ text but cut it down,” said director Marie Lowe. “It’s really just the essential plotlines. To that, we then add drinking games, improv comedy, ’80s and ’90s novelty pop songs. We add fun.

“I particularly enjoy doing this with a tragedy. I think it’s funnier doing it with a tragedy.”

For LIT, STS chooses well-known works so that most audience mem-bers will walk in already having a basic knowledge of the story. Past LIT shows include “HamLIT” and “As You Like LIT.” 

“But what they don’t know, with the LIT series, is exactly how we’re going to turn it on its ear,” said “OthelLIT” actress Tohry Petty. “How are we going to light it up?” 

She said acting in a LIT show is “like going to the best game night ever at your friend’s house.”

Petty performs two primary roles in the show. As the host, she helps audience members follow the shenanigan-filled narrative. As an actress, she doubles as Emilia – maidservant to Othello’s wife and wife to Othello’s traitorous ensign, Iago – and the Duke of Venice. Taj Allen plays Othello, and Nathan Pearce plays Iago. A few other company members, with a little help from the audience, create the rest of the story’s characters. 

“Audience members are able to volunteer for minor roles,” Lowe said. “Night to night, it makes the show entirely different, depending on who the audience members are and what they bring to it. You could see a LIT show four or five or six times and really get a different experience every time.” 

Stage manager Hanna Lafko will guide everyone through their many opportunities to participate in the fun. 

“I think it’s always good for the audience to know that there is some-one who’s there specifically to help them know what to do,” Lowe said. “You have to volunteer, and then we take very good care of you. And if you don’t want to be on the stage, you won’t be. If you don’t want to drink, you don’t have to. It’s a lot of fun, and we want the experience to be great for everyone.”

Getting a show LIT also involves shaking up the venue. “OthelLIT” will play locally at Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom, Paddy’s Irish Pub, and the Arts Council of Fayetteville/ Cumberland County. The boisterous troupe will also travel to Hugger Mugger Brewing Company in Sanford and Fainting Goat Brewing Company in Fuquay-Varina.

Tickets cost $17.50 in advance, with military, senior and student discounts available, or $25 at the door. For a list of dates and locations, and to purchase tickets, visit www.sweetteashakespeare.com.

 The winds and rain from Hurricane Florence hadn’t even arrived before some students and athletes from Cumberland County Schools began mobilizing to reach out to displaced victims of the horrific storm.

At Cape Fear High School, students in the classes of assistant football coach Joe Grates came up with the idea of doing something to help hurricane victims quickly after the storm passed.

“We first started talking about it late last Monday (Sept. 10) when real information about the strength of the hurricane was com-ing to us,’’ said Ben Elliott, a senior on the Cape Fear soccer team. “We decided to make relief kits we could get to people who had been displaced, then we made a list of items that could be donated.’’

With donations they were able to gather, a group of about 20 student volunteers from Cape Fear quickly assembled almost 40 boxes of food and personal hygiene items they could share with those who needed them most.

Austin Hunt, a member of the Cape Fear football team, said the students distributed the boxes to the shelter at Mac Williams Middle School, as well as to the shelter at Pine Forest High School.

They met a second day to make more boxes and were going to deliver them to the shelter at South View High School.

“This shows the school system is willing to help,’’ Hunt said. “After a hurricane, everybody is going to need each other.’’

Rev. Mark Knight, pastor at Fayetteville’s Epicenter Church, had the same feeling some years ago after parts of the community were devastated by Hurricane Matthew. Knight came up with the idea for a ministry called Ways2LoveFayetteville. The goal, Knight said, was to get people across the community to vol-unteer hours to perform random acts of kindness and work with other agencies and ministries to find ways to serve the community, find needs and fill them.

Following Hurricane Florence, members of the Terry Sanford football team decided to partner with the Epicenter ministry to help in cleanup from the storm locally.

Terry Sanford football coach Bruce McClelland felt it was important for his players to have firsthand experience of the damage the storm did locally and not just experience it by watching on television.

“Being a part of helping has always made me feel good,’’ McClelland said. “To have that feel-ing to help somebody else when they support you, I think it’s a very important part of life and growing up.’’

McClelland said the Bulldog football players had already been to neighborhoods in the area, cutting down trees and cleaning up yards. They also donated meals to the emergency shelter at South View High School.

“We’re just trying to plug holes,’’ McClelland said. “We owe it to go back into the community to give back to these people.’’

Hurricane Florence remains a nightmare for millions of North Carolinians, thousands of us in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. Florence was deadly to some, including a young child swept from his mother’s arms by floodwaters. Florence’s name and memory now rank with those of Hurricanes Hazel and Fran.

Imagine being a homeless woman with children to provide for facing Florence without shelter.

The sad and reprehensible fact is that there are fewer shelter beds in our nation and our community for women than for men, and fewer still for women with children. Many factors contribute to this sad reality, including high rates of assault and sexual abuse of women in shelters. A local group of caring and committed women decided to do something about homelessness of women and children in our own community.

An outgrowth of the Women’s Giving Circle of Cumberland County, Connections of Cumberland County was born in 2014 to provide not only food and shelter connections but solid footing for a productive future. It operates on the philosophy that feeding, clothing and sheltering people in need is well and good, but providing the skills for them to do so themselves is the gift that keeps on giving.

In addition to meeting urgent needs for food and shelter, Connections offers a one-stop day resource center. Clients can access technology necessary for job applications, collaborate with other service agencies to meet needs such as school placements, work to stabilize lives that have become chaotic, and plan for their futures, all while their children are safe and protected. Several program areas, including case management, internships and an online store, help clients build personal accountability. 

One Connections veteran has completed a master’s degree and is now employed full-time with a local nonprofit, giving back what was given to her, often crediting Connections.

Another Connections client I will call Stephanie, a single mother of four, described her experience with Connections far better than I can.“I came into Connections last year (2017) needing financial assistance with my rent. … Considering the ability to remain financially stable is predicated on the ability to practice good money management skills, I was given in-depth advisement on how to manage my money. I was given a personal advocate/adviser named Peggy that calls me every Saturday and sometimes during the week to check on me."

“The most helpful resource that I have utilized from Connections is their funding, (which) allowed me to continue to seek therapy through ‘Thrive’ counseling. … I take full advantage of the resources Connections provides."

“With counseling, … meetings and my personal adviser, I have been able to successfully remain financially, emotionally and mentally stable. Currently, I am a senior at Fayetteville State University studying social work. I graduate with my Bachelor of Social Work in May 2019. I have been working on my credit for nine months. I am pleased to announce that my credit score has improved, and I am now in the market to purchase my own home.”

Stephanie is a young woman and committed mother who is righting her own ship with the support and guidance of Connections, a group of local women – and several men – who have committed themselves to her and other women in similar circumstances. 

Connections is locally funded and welcomes com-munity support, not only our treasure, but our time and talent as volunteer adviser/coaches like Stephanie’s friend, Peggy. If you are moved to help, you can reach Connections at 910-630-0106 or through its website at www.connectionsofcc.org.

Connections is a confidential organization, so we do not know of women who sought its help during Hurricane Florence. Whether they come during a driving rain or in the bright sunshine, Connections is a light at the end of a dark tunnel for many who desperately need that beacon.

 With “Music City,” Cape Fear Regional Theatre proves once again that audiences don’t have to travel far to get top-notch entertainment in Fayetteville. The season opener delivers a fun show full of song and dance, with a talented cast and crew. 

Written by Peter Zinn with music and lyrics by J.T. Harding, the show is directed by CFRT Artistic Director Mary Kate Burke.

Featuring five No. 1 Country Billboard hits penned by Harding, “Music City” is the “Mamma Mia” of country music. 

Set in 2000, “Music City” is the story of brothers TJ and Drew (Dez Duron and Jonathan Judge-Russo), who perform every Friday night at the Wicked Tickle bar, working hard to become the next Nashville sensa-tion. Eager to make enough money for a demo recording for a record producer, they make some bad choices and become indebted to a local drug dealer.

When the brothers meet a young singer named 23 (Kaylyn Marie Scardefield) at open mic night, TJ falls head over heels, and the trio form a group they call Dickerson Pike. TJ joins the National Guard to earn money to repay the drug dealer. Then, just as Dickerson Pike is on the edge of reaching their dreams, the attacks of 9-11 happen and TJ is deployed overseas.

“Music City” is a love story, but it also navigates the challenges faced when trying to protect, and eventu-ally forgive, loved ones battling their own demons. From beginning to end, “Music City” is a good time, even when your heart is breaking for the characters. 

Burke rounded up some incredi-ble talent for this production. These folks could be singing the recipe for gravy and biscuits and it would sound fantastic. There is twang, to be sure, but it is fun, unique and utterly amazing.

If you are not a big country music fan, not to worry. The lyrics and music so superbly support the story, it doesn’t matter which genre they come from. Although Harding’s hits have been recorded by the likes of Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and Blake Shelton, the performances in “Music City” rival even those coun-try music icons. 

There were crowd pleasers that got feet tapping and hands clapping like “Y’allsome,” “Friday Night,” and “We Are Young.” Also included were “Somewhere with You,” “Sangria” and “Different for Girls.”

Duron and Scardefield brought down the house with “Smile.” The heartbreaking “For This Town” sung by Catherine Porter, playing 23’s mother Tammy, was perhaps the most emotionally powerful tune in the show.

Director Burke brought in Emmy-winner Tyce Diorio of “So You Think You Can Dance” fame as choreog-rapher. Diorio’s work is fresh, ener-getic, artistic and full of emotion. The choreography is a character all its own in “Music City.” The beauti-ful and at times sentimental shadow ballet of “Somewhere in my Car” was a highlight of the show for me. 

Also commendable is the ensemble cast lead by local stage veterans Greg King and Nicki Hart. They add personality and flair to the group of talented performers, which includes Demetrius Jackson, Tishmone,’ Sydney Moss, Tuck Sweeney, Sean Patrick Grady and Stephanie Feeback.

“Music City” runs through Oct. 7. There are a few scenes with strong language and drug use. For more information, visit www.cfrt.org or call 910-323-4233.

 Homestead

In September 1945, the Homestead Hurricane caused widespread damage in coastal North Carlina. What then became a tropical storm system produced heavy rainfall over the state, peaking at 14.8 inches in Rockingham in the period Sept. 13-18. The storm led to drenching rainfall, which saturated grounds. The Cape Fear River came out of its banks after cresting in Fayetteville to a record height of 68 feet, causing massive urban flooding along Person Street to Market Square. Fort Bragg soldiers used Army boats to make rescues. 

Hazel

On Oct. 15, 1954, Hurricane Hazel made landfall near the North Carolina/South Carolina border with a 40-mile eye. Landfall intensity was estimated at 140 mph, or a Category 4, on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The eye of Hazel was tracked across sev-eral communities in North Carolina, including Fayetteville, as the system continued northward. The storm proceeded through Virginia and Maryland to Pennsylvania and the southern tier of New York. Ha-zel is the benchmark by which hurricanes have been measured in eastern North Carolina, until now.

Unnamed storm

On Sept. 15, 1989, a localized, violent cluster of severe thunderstorms stalled over the city of Fayetteville. Intense rainfall – as much as 7.2 inches in six hours according to the National Weather Service – fell in parts of the city. The resulting runoff severed gates at the Clark Pond dam and breached dams at Country Club Lake, Evans Lake and Lock-wood Pond, resulting in flash floods that struck much of the city without warning. A dozen earthen dams were also breached. Two small children drowned when they and five others tried to abandon their stalled minivan on Morganton Road. 

By the time the water receded, 925 acres in the city along Cross and Blounts Creeks and their tributaries had been inundated. It was the most extensive flood in Fayetteville since 1945, with much of the damage resulting from flooding of the Cape Fear River. The event occurred one week before Hurricane Hugo struck the Carolinas.

Fran

Hurricane Fran occurred in September 1996. Fran peaked as a 120 mph, Category 3 hurricane Sept. 5. She weakened slightly before making landfall near Cape Fear, North Carolina. The eye of the storm passed over Clinton, 30 miles east of Fayetteville. Local winds were recorded at 80 mph. Rain of up to 16 inches deluged interior North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Overall, 27 fatalities and $5 bil-lion in damage was attributed to Fran. In North Carolina, 1.3 million people were left without power, including thousands in the greater Fayetteville area. 

Matthew

On Oct. 3, 2016, the governors of Florida and North Carolina declared a state of emergency as Hurricane Matthew approached. The next day, South Carolina’s governor ordered an evacuation of residents living within 100 miles of the coast. Twenty-five people died in storm-related incidents across North Carolina. More than 680,000 North Carolinians were without power at one point. Sec-tions of Interstate 95 in the tar heel state had to be shut down for several days as a result of hurricane flooding. Just as happened in the fall of 1989, one week before Hurricane Matthew, 10 inches of rain had drenched Cumberland and adjoining counties. Matthew dumped another 14 inches. The Lumber River reached a record 24 feet in Lumberton. 

Florence

Were it not for the Jordan Dam opened 35 years ago on the Cape Fear River in Chatham County, this month’s flooding of the river in Fayetteville would likely have equaled or exceeded that of 1945. The river rose to within a foot of the Person Street bridge in downtown Fayetteville. Cross Creek and Blount’s creeks came out of their banks, flooding nearby ar-eas. Most reports indicated that Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission restored electricity to its service area faster than other power providers that serve some areas of Cumberland County. 

The city and FEMA this week began collecting storm-related debris. Residents are asked to be patient with storm debris pickup; it may take weeks to be completed. The Jordan Dam and Lake can be traced to the Homestead Hurricane, which became a tropical storm that struck the Cape Fear River Basin 73 years ago. Construction began in 1967, and con-gress named the project in 1973 in honor of B. Everett Jordan the former Senator from North Carolina.

Everybody talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it. Someone out on The Internets said that the prolonged waiting for Hurricane Florence to hit was like being stalked by a turtle. I would give them credit for the phrase, but I can’t remember where I saw it, so I will steal it instead. 

As you may have noticed, we have had a bit of weather lately. We are now having 100-year storms every two years. Like Bob Dylan wrote, “Something is happening here/ And you don’t know what it is/ Do you, Mr. Jones?” 

These repeated weather events are getting old. Back in the good old days, when Willard Scott was in charge of the weather while wishing happy birthday to 100-year-old ladies, we never had hurricanes like Florence and Matthew. Willard needs to be recalled to active duty to take control of the weather again. 

The day before Flo hit, I made my daily walk through the FTCC campus. The usual flock of 50+ geese that hang out there was gone with the wind. Magically, the geese knew it was time to get out of town before Flo arrived. Geese are not bird brains. They don’t need a weather forecaster to know which way the wind blows. 

Watching the Flo news in the days before she darkened our doors was borderline depressing. The TV talking heads on the national networks were beside themselves with glee, warning us we were all going to die, and they were going to get great ratings. The local TV anchors were visibly upset as they were talking to viewers who were their neighbors. The network talkers were here for the drive-by gawking to poke at our misery and then leave town. 

The night before Flo hit, I turned off the news and watched the greatest Andy Griffith episode ever made – “Aunt Bea’s Pickles.” Watching Andy and Barney stuffing down Aunt Bea’s kerosene cucum-bers in order not to stomp on Clara’s dream of winning the best-in-show pickles for the 12th time at the County Fair was greatly calming. 

The boys replace Bea’s bad pickles with store-bought pickles so they won’t have to eat Bea’s abominations. After hearing Andy rave about her pickles, Bea decides to enter the pickle contest, not realizing that her zombie pickles have been replaced. Andy and Barney think this is funny at first until Andy hears from Clara how much winning the pickle contest means to her. 

Andy realizes that he can’t let Aunt Bea’s store-bought pickles beat Clara. Andy explains a great truth: “What is small potatoes to some folks can be mighty important to others.” The boys eat the store-bought pickles. Aunt Bea makes a new batch of her homemade pickles, which lose to Clara. All is right with the world as a result. There is no better way to go into a hurricane than after watching Andy Griffith. 

After our power went out, the internet was ablaze with people who had power but were complaining because their cable was out. I was not sympathetic to the fortunate but cable-deprived upper crust. Our street had power at both ends while we remained an island of darkness in a sea of lighted homes. Without power, we were plunged back into the 13th century. Living in a world lit only by fire, our matches were all soaked. And yet, we had a house and were alive. All over North Carolina, tragedies were unfold-ing as people lost their lives, homes and livelihoods. Grousing about a lack of electricity paled in comparison to the flood of real sorrow in North Carolina. 

The first morning after Flo hit was caffeine-free at our house due to no power. Fortunately, Waffle House was open. The federal government uses Waffle House reopening as a measure of how bad a disaster is. Waffle Houses are designed to function off the grid. There was a large and very wet but polite crowd waiting for Waffle House delica-cies. Armed with two large cups of coffee, I was prepared to meet the day. 

We whiled away the daylight hours sitting on the front porch watching cars go by, hoping to see an out-of-state license plate. Our basement collected knee-deep slimy water, which I waded into to set up a sump pump. I fully expected to see the Loch Ness monster charge out of a dark corner of the basement. 

You find out who your friends are in a hurricane. We got invited to eat and to use showers at the homes of Kiwanis members who had electricity. My political leanings are well to the left of the people who invited us in, and yet we were welcomed. A hot shower may be small potatoes most of the time. But like Androcles and the Lion, I will always remember who pulled the thorn out of my wet paw during Flo. 

It’s going to be a long recovery. Do what you can to help out. As Andy Griffith said, “What is small potatoes to some folks can be mighty important to others.”

 Natural disasters like Hurricane Florence often bring out the best in people despite the misery of thousands. Hundreds of Fayetteville-area residents were forced into shelters during the height of the storm last week. Many still have no other place to stay as they recover from the floods that inundated Cumberland County and rural eastern North Carolina. Local residents, businesses and organizations took the lead helping victims of the storms, especially those displaced from their homes.

Cape Fear Flooring and Restoration is one of those businesses. Owners Thomas Foldesi and Amie Crouter began receiving calls even before Florence struck. Both are veterans and responded immediately with disaster-related services, answering hurricane questions and assisting with damage restoration. Business Relations Director Casey Schaffer said, “We have the tools, equipment and know-how to help, and (we) want to make sure our community is safe and taken care of. A lot of what we do is getting people dry to prevent further damage.” The company donated some services to local residents during the hurricane.

In downtown Fayetteville, the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau teamed up with Papa Murphy’s of Cumberland and Wake counties to feed those in need. Thursday, Sept. 20, Papa Murphy’s was on location at the Person Street Visitor’s Center handing out free pizza and bottled water donated by the Wake County Community. 

“We have seen firsthand the hit that the Cumberland County com-munity has taken during Hurricane Florence, and … we have partnered with Papa Murphy’s Cumberland County locations to give citizens a warm meal and clean water,” said Angie Brady, director of tourism/cli-ent relations at FACVB. 

The Highlands Chapter of the Red Cross in Fayetteville depended on local caterers to help families who were temporarily homeless and living in half a dozen shelters throughout the county. One of the participating companies was Two Brothers Catering, which prepared a thousand meals the first day the shelters were opened. Red Cross vol-unteers picked up the meals at Two Brothers’ kitchen, and with the help of dozens of volunteers, distributed them among the shelters. 

Brad McLawhorn and his brother Kelley own Two Brothers. As of this writing, they have prepared more than 8,000 meals made up of hot dogs, pasta, and chicken nuggets with mashed potatoes and green beans. 

The Red Cross subsidizes the cost, which doesn’t begin to cover the total expenses for food and prepa-ration. However, it doesn’t matter to the McLawhorns. “It’s a Godly obligation to assist those in need,” Brad said. 

The McLawhorns began their catering business 12 years ago. They opened a 6,000-square-foot catering, event and banquet facility on Katie Street about a year ago. It’s called The Vine and now serves as their base of operations. Besides hurricane relief, they intend to host local special events such as weddings, reunions, parties and holiday festivities. 

Stories of outreach, rescue and kindness in the aftermath of Florence could fill this entire publication. We live in a community that cares about its residents and takes care of them, and where PWC, city and county first responders work diligently to-gether in a coordinated effort to keep people safe.

Photo: Brad (far left) and Kelley (far right) McLawhorn of Two Brothers catering were two of many business owners who stepped up to help fellow citizens during Hurricane Florence. They were aided in their efforts by Sen. Wesley Meredith (center).

Some people simply love going to the movies. Others dream of making films themselves. Many in both camps want to explore stories and genres they can’t find at mainstream theaters. Fayetteville has its own film festival that creators Pat Wright and Jan Johnson debuted in 2016 for just these reasons. Indigo Moon Film Festival returns to downtown Fayetteville Oct. 12-14, offering a chance to meet many of the filmmakers responsible for the more than 70 films that will be shown. The films represent local, regional, national and international talent. 

The festival kicks off Friday, Oct. 12, with the opening night film and reception. Watch Susan Kucera’s docu-mentary “Living in the Future’s Past” at Cameo Art House Theatre from 7-9 p.m. Narrated and produced by Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges, “Living in the Future’s Past” explores concepts about humankind and Earth’s inhabitants in relation to the past, present and future. Then, stroll over to SkyView on Hay to mingle with filmmakers and enthusi-asts while enjoying drinks, light fare and live music. 

Saturday is the longest and fullest day of the festival. Over the course of about 13 hours, 70-plus films will be shown at various locations in downtown Fayetteville. The films range from 2 minutes to 2 hours long and include a wide range of genres. Categories are narrative feature or narrative short, documentary feature or documentary short, student and animation. 

“It was very difficult this year because we had so many great submissions,” Wright said. “We got (submissions) from around the world: the Russian Federation, (former) Yugoslavia, India, Greece, Romania.”

Films at the festival from North Carolina-based creatives include “27 West,” “Almost Cured,” “Birds of the Sky,” “Calcutta Mercy,” “Facing Navassa,” “Ground Zero Goldsboro,” “Introduction,” “Learning Man,” “Robeson Rises,” “The Maestro,” “This Time It’s Shopping” and “Lens Flare.” Many of these films involve state-specific stories, themes, social issues and locations. 

Directors of many of the films will be present for 30-minute Q&A sessions following the screenings. “That’s one of the cool things about a film festival; you’ve got the filmmakers on-site talking about why they made the decisions or how they got that shot or what their motivation was,” Wright said. “You can ask any question you want.” Nearly all the North Carolina-based filmmakers are planning to be present for the Q&A sessions, along with others who will travel from out of state and out of country. 

“Last year,” Johnson said, “We had 44 filmmakers come and had only built in 15 minutes for Q&A. People were wanting to stay and ask more and more questions. And we felt like this was the really special thing about film festivals, so we wanted to add more time.” 

She and Wright won’t be sure of how many directors will attend this year until about 2 weeks before the festival, but she added that films’ editors, cinematographers and actors sometimes attend as well.

In addition to the Q&A sessions, festival-goers and casual passersby alike are invited to attend free “Out Takes” on Saturday, half-hour sessions where film industry professionals share insight on various topics. At Revolutionary Coworking (the Sustainable Sandhills office) is “How to Change the World Through Film” from 12:15-12:45 p.m. and “Coal Ash” from 5:45-6:15 p.m. 

At SkyView on Hay is “Doing Distribution” from 12:15-12:45 p.m. and “Why Every Director Needs a Producer” from 5:45-6:15 p.m.

All festival venues are within easy walking distance of each other, inviting attendees to make a day of it and browse downtown’s shops and eateries in between viewings. Wright and Johnson said they’re proud of the event’s walkability. “We’ve become a certified Green Festival,” Johnson said, referring to a designation given by the NC GreenTravel Initiative. “It’s really critical in this day and age that we all do everything we possibly can to reduce our carbon footprint.” She added that the opening night film “is all about what we all can do to save our beautiful planet.” 

The festival, which partnered with PWC and Sustain-able Sandhills in going green, will rely on recycling and composting for waste disposal. There will also be a Green Demonstration Area adjacent to Revolutionary Coworking, the film’s “Green Venue” that will specifically host films relating to environmental concerns. Visit the Green Demonstration Area to get information and freebies from environmental groups across the region. 

Sunday, come back to celebrate and reflect at the Awards BBQ Banquet. At 11:30 a.m., at SkyView on Hay, enjoy a barbecue meal with vegan-friendly options, then watch the presentation of audience awards and jury awards for each film category. Audience awards come with a $200 cash prize. Juried award winners receive a beautifully designed trophy along with the coveted laurel leaves. Laurel leaves are visual markers on trailers and posters for award-winning indie films. Throughout the rest of the day, three encore screenings at the Cameo will include the juried winning entries along with the opening night film. 

It’s not too early to start planning to submit for next year’s festival. This year’s submission period ran from March-May 2018 and into July for late and extended deadlines. Notification of acceptance went out at the end of August. 

“More support by local filmmakers makes a better festival,” Johnson said. Her and Wright’s efforts represent just one example of local visionaries helping to build a community that brings creatives in rather than forcing them to seek opportunities and growth elsewhere.

IMFF film screening venues are the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County at 301 Hay St.; Cameo Art House Theatre and The Loge at 225 Hay St.; Hay Street United Methodist Church at 320 Hay St.; and the Sustainable Sandhills office at Revolutionary Coworking at 100 Hay St. Parking is free in the Franklin Street Parking Deck or in the Maiden Lane lot across from Cumberland County Public Library Headquarters Branch. Street parking is also free after 5 p.m. Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday. 

The Rainbow Room at 223 Hay St. serves as box office, logo merchandise sales and volunteer check-in. For $100 ($90 for military, student or senior), the VIP All-Access Pass grants entry to all the festival’s films and events. Tickets to the opening night film and party are $25. Individual tickets to any film or shorts block except the opening night film cost $10 ($9 for military, student or senior). Tickets to the Awards BBQ Banquet are $15. 

Purchase tickets online at https://squareup.com/ store/indigomoonff. Click “Shop” and “Tickets & Festival Events.” Pick up online purchases during box office hours of Oct. 11, noon-6 p.m.; Oct. 12, noon-7 p.m.; Oct. 13, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Oct. 14, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Passes and tickets are non-refundable. 

Visit www.indigomoonfilmfestival.com for a full list of films and showtimes and for more information.

Editor’s note: This edition of the Hope Mills calendar may be affected by the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Please check to see if events are still scheduled before attending.

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.

• Veterans Committee, Thursday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m. Luther Meeting Room at City Hall

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. 

• Acrylic painting for seniors Thursday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. until noon or 1-3 p.m. Supplies are $5, and only 10 spots are available. Sign up at the reception desk at the recreation center. Painting will take place in the small activity room. 

• Ole Mills Day 2018 Saturday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. For more details and vendor in-formation, contact Parks and Recreation Director Kenny Bullock: 910-426-4107 or kwbullock@townofhopemills.com.

• Pumpkin decorating for seniors Tuesday, Oct. 30, 10 a.m.-noon in the small activity room of Parks and Rec. No fee, but advanced sign-up is required. Only 20 pumpkins available. Prizes will be awarded for the best three pumpkins.

• Ghostly Gala for seniors Wednesday, Oct. 31, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Parks and Rec community room. Advanced sign-up at the reception desk required. Costumes are preferred but not required. There will be a costume contest and pumpkin decorating contest. Potluck social. Bring main dish, side dish or dessert.

Promote yourself: Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

Sometimes I wonder if I have too much time on my hands to think. Perhaps I have not matured enough to understand the nature of things – or maybe I’m just too stubborn to accept them. At what point does a person stop being curious and stop asking questions? Why are things the way they are? I find it difficult to truly understand the whys of the world. 

For example, nationally, why has 

our two-party system of govern-ment become so combative and downright nasty? Unfortunately, this self-serving and contentious divisiveness has taken priority over serving the American people. It’s also difficult to understand why high-ranking politicians and feder-

al employees found guilty of committing crimes and abusing and misusing their government office escape prosecution and never go to jail. 

Why do government officials give credence or credibility to anyone, man or woman, who makes criminal accu-sations against another human being without proof, witnesses, credible col-laboration or the slightest evidence of a pattern of behavior? The case of Dr. Christine Ford versus Brett Kavanaugh comes to mind – especially since her allegations are coming 37 years after the claimed incident. If this were attempted locally, the person or persons making such an accusation would be either sued for defamation of character, laughed out of the police station or charged with filing a false police report. Or, if the case got to court, the judge would rule that the case was frivolous and throw it out. Why would they even allow themselves to go down that rabbit hole? Try it your-self. Pick any date 37 years ago and try to remember where you were and who you were with. 

Has our nation become so politically polarized, insensitive and irresponsible 

that we have abandoned our pride, honor, integrity and common sense? 

Here in North Carolina, with all the computer technology, GPS and mapping devices at our disposal, why can the state lawmakers not create congressional dis-tricts that are fair and equitable? We see blatant, unapologetic partisan politics hindering the state’s ability to effectively address and solve problems. And it is all at the expense of our citizens – especially when it comes to poverty, education, attracting economic development and protecting and preserving our environ-ment and natural resources. 

Why is it that the elimination of pov-erty here and throughout North Carolina is basically considered a Democrat-in-clined initiative? What? Really? Repub-licans don’t care about the poor and underserved? I doubt that. I was invited to a reception next month sponsored by the NC Justice Center, honoring one of Fayetteville’s most respected and re-sponsive citizens – Dr. James Anderson, chancellor of Fayetteville State Univer-sity. Anderson is a great leader and is de-serving of recognition. I appreciate the invitation, and I intend to be there. How-ever, reading the invitation and seeing 

who the event organizers and spon-sors were made me wonder: Where are the Republicans? Are they not in favor of creating an economy that works for everyone? Are they not for economic and social advancement that endorses inclusive policies that advance equity and opportunity? Of course they are. So why are so many prominent Republicans not part of this recognition? It will be interest-ing to see who attends. 

Why is it that only in a time of extreme heartbreak and tragedy like the devastation of the Twin Towers on 9/11 or Hurricanes Matthew and Florence do we demonstrate our natural instincts for charity, toler-ance, love and compassion for our fellow man? Why is it that American 

compassion, cooperation and resilience only emerge in times of desperation when help, patience, love and generosity are in the greatest demand? In situations like these, it does not matter what race, color or sexual orientation you are or what political affiliation you champion. Yet, without such tragedy or disaster looming over us, we seem to care little about the virtues of humanity and think mostly about our self-serving and politi-cally charged selves. 

So many whys and so few answers. Maybe we have some answers but no real solutions – at least none that would be politically prudent. One thing is for certain. In the end, we will all come to understand the importance of the contributions (or lack of them) we have made to humanity. Our children will live with the consequences, good or bad. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Photo: Brett Kavanaugh with family

Since coming to South View High School as the school’s ROTC advisor, retired Sgt. Maj. Ruby Murray became aware of a problem. 

“I noticed there were a lot of kids that weren’t getting nutrition, not getting any food whatsoever,’’ she said. 

She was referring to students who did not qualify for either a free or reduced lunch, but still had problems finding enough to eat. 

Murray shared a vision originally pushed by South View’s principal, Dr. Tonjai Robertson, of finding a way to help out those undernourished students who fell through the cracks. 

Over the summer, Murray said she had the idea of coming up with a food pantry created from public donations. 

Now she’s on the way to achieving that goal. 

“Basically, donations will be non­perishable food, stuff for breakfast and lunch,’’ Murray said. The plan is to store the food in a pan­try at South View, then Murray and par­ent volunteers will prepare pre-packed breakfasts and lunches and give them to students who qualify. 

Murray is hoping to get donations from the general public and is also lining up donations from commercial vendors. 

Anyone interested in making a dona­tion to the program can drop off food at South View during regular school hours, or call the school and make arrangements for Murray to come and pick it up. 

For those who would prefer to give monetary donations so Murray can go and purchase the food directly, those will be accepted as well. 

It’s hoped that the program will be up and running by the end of the month. Murray said they are still working out the kinks that will determine which stu­dents at the school will be eligible for the free meals. 

For further infromation on the program, contact Murray at South View at 910-425-8181.

Photo: Retired Sgt. Maj. Ruby Murray

Kayden Antonson 

E.E. Smith • Volleyball • Senior 

Atonson has a 4.26 grade point average and is currently ranked No. 1 in her graduating class. She’s a two-year captain and a four-year starter on the E.E. Smith volley­ball team. She’s also vice president and historian of the National Honor Society. She’s a member of the E.E. Smith Math and Science Academy, Academy of Scholars, Science Olympiad and was part of the Fire Science and Technology Academy at E.E. Smith.

David Platt 

E.E. Smith • Soccer/ wrestling • Sophomore 

Platt has a 3.75 grade point average. He is a two-year starter for the Golden Bull soccer team. He is a member of the E.E. Smith Gaming Club. 

Fayetteville’s mayor said he will establish a city council committee to develop a proposal for county commissioners on the future of sales tax distribution. Both local governments had agreed to settle the issue by next year. Council members hope to renew the current sales tax distribution agreement based on population.

Mayor Mitch Colvin’s idea is to cap the percentage of revenue distribution through 2026. County government by law decides how to distribute the millions of dollars in state sales tax receipts returned to the community by the state. 

The current inter-local distribution agreement will remain in effect until June 30, 2019. The towns of Spring Lake, Hope Mills, Stedman, Wade, Falcon, Godwin and Eastover are also parties to the arrangement. They’ve agreed to the current allocation made on a population basis, as well as a 50 percent rebate of city sales taxes to the county in areas annexed by Fayetteville in recent years. 

The rebate is the heart of the issue. City council wants to phase it out and retain all sales tax proceeds received via the population method. 

“I hope that as we approach this, we don’t even let ad valorem enter the vocabulary,” county commission chairman Larry Lancaster said recently. It’s the other method the county could use to allocate funds.

World War II hero dies

Former Staff Sgt. Russell Brown was one of the legendary paratrooperswho made every combat jump during World War II, forever cementing his place in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division. Brown passed away Aug. 31, at the age of 96 in Georgetown, Kentucky, according to his obituary. 

A spokesman for the 82nd Airborne confirmed the Purple Heart recipient was one of the soldiers who parachuted into Salerno and Sicily, Italy, as well as Normandy, France, and Nijmegen, Holland.  

Brown’s story was featured in “Four Stars of Valor: The Combat History of the 505th Parachute Infantry” and “All American, All the Way: The Combat History of the 82nd Airborne Division,” nonfiction accounts by Phil Nordyke, who told the story of his time as a mortar squad leader with Brown. After the Army, Brown went to work as an explosives technician at DuPont and Co. He is survived by two daughters, 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, according to his obituary.

New police cars

The city police department will soon be replacing about 16 percent of its fleet of cruisers. Unlike many law enforcement agencies, the FPD has avoided switching to SUVs. Chief Gina Hawkins said the department can purchase additional patrol cars with the savings. City council just authorized the purchase of 46 Dodge Chargers at a cost of $1.375 million from Performance Automotive Group of Clinton. It was the low bidder of three dealerships that submitted bids. For several years, the Fayetteville Police Department has been phasing out Fords in favor of Dodge Charger Pursuit models with 5.7-liter Hemi-V8 engines.

Editors Note: Due to Hurricane FLorence this event has been cancelled. 

A touch of Germany is coming to Hope Mills later this month as the Boarding House Treasures & Tea Room on Ellison Street holds its first ever Oktoberfest Beer and Brat Bash. 

Owner Carla Welsh got the idea for the event after frequent visits to the town of Helen, Georgia, which she said is built around German culture and even includes German architecture, shops and food. 

“It’s about as close as you can get to the real Oktoberfest,’’ Welsh said. “They start Oktoberfest in Munich on Sept. 15 and it goes a month and a half. We’re doing this in the last weekend of September.’’ 

Welsh has scheduled her event for Saturday, Sept. 29, from 6-9 p.m. 

Because of limited seating, only 25 people inside the tea room at a time, call ahead and make a res­ervation. The cutoff is Sept. 24 at 5 p.m. After then, you can try to take part, but it will be first come, first served after the folks with reservations are taken care of. 

If the weather’s nice, Welsh said there is limited outdoor seating available. 

Obviously, beer will be a featured attraction at the event. Welsh will offer an assortment of domestic and foreign beers. The list of domestics includes Bud and Bud Lite and Coors and Coors Lite along with Yuengling. The foreign selection includes Corona and Corona Lite, Blue Moon, Guinness Stout and a Dirtbag Mocha Porter. 

Prices for the beers are $3, $4 or $5, Welsh said. 

The main course food items will be bratwurst braised with onions and beer or hot dogs for those who aren’t fond of bratwurst. 

There will be an assortment of sides, including German potato salad, red cabbage with apples, beer cheese and hard pretzels. 

You can put together a meal with bratwurst and one of the main sides for $12, or for $10 you can get a hot dog or bratwurst with the beer cheese or pretzels. 

At press time, Welsh was working to get a live band to play German music during the event, but said that failing that, German music would be pro­vided in some format. 

In addition to the Oktoberfest, Welsh’s husband, Mason, will also be having a sale of the various antiques, collectibles and gifts that are located on the premises. There will be a 20 percent discount on all items available for sale. 

Welsh added that reservations for the Oktoberfest are $10 per person in advance and are not refundable. 

For further information on the event, visit the Facebook page, Boarding House Tea Room. 

To make a reservation, call 910-527-7455.

Editor’s Note: This story was written prior to the arrival of Hurricane Florence in the Fayetteville area the weekend of Sept. 14. 

High school football coaches are used to analyzing film and formulating game plans for each opponent throughout the annual football schedule. 

But Cumberland County coaches were dealing with a host of unknowns recently as they awaited the approach of Hurricane Florence to see how it would impact both their teams and the remainder of the 2018 high school football season. 

Up & Coming Weekly reached out to the coaches of a handful of teams who are near the top of their standings headed into what some were concerned might be a lengthy delay in the season. 

The biggest concern for all of them was the safety and well-being of their fellow coaches and athletes as they braced for a storm some experts suggested could be the worst one ever to strike the region. 

Duran McLaurin of Seventy-First voiced the main concern of all the coaches, worrying for his players who might be displaced by the storm and how the wind and water could do damage to their homes. 

“I’ll be happy to have them back, make sure they are all fine; then we can get back to football,” he said. 

The potential delay is especially frustrating to McLaurin as the Falcons are coming off their first loss of the season, 36-32 at Southern Durham. Prior to that game, Seventy-First had risen to a No. 10 ranking in the first Associated Press state 4-A high school poll of the season. “Having to sit around and wait only makes me ponder on the mistakes we made in the last game,’’ he said. 

But headed into the break, McLaurin’s focus was on safety. “We’re... focusing on things that are important, just looking out for one another,’’ he said. 

South View coach Rodney Brewington, who has the only unbeaten team left among Cumberland County Schools at 4-0, said his players have pledged to run on their own to try and stay in shape if they are away for an extended time following the storm. 

“Football is really secondary and we are hoping nobody loses their homes and everybody can be made whole again,’’ he said. 

His worry when the team does return is what he calls football jet lag. “Tt doesn’t take you long to get out of football shape,’’ he said. “It’s like a kid coming off an injury. He’s a step slow. 

“When you’ve got your whole team away from it, you’re limited as far as what you think you can do.’’ 

Terry Sanford coach Bruce McClelland said routine is critical to success in a high school football team and being out of school unexpectedly is a major disruption. McClelland said Terry Sanford is dealing with multiple injuries of key players and had hoped to spend most of the week of the storm taking advantage of a bye week and giving some younger players work in practice. 

“Not having them on the field to focus is a big concern,’’ McClelland said. But the safety of all the players is the biggest concern, he added, saying several players lost their homes in Hurricane Matthew. 

With big wins in its last two outings, Cape Fear had built some momentum, but Colt coach Jake Thomas and his team are now forced to wait and watch. 

“We tell the kids you can’t worry about things out of your control,’’ he said. “That’s our mindset going ahead. We won’t know anything until this has passed through.’’ 

Thomas hopes his players will go home, watch videos of previous games on the HUDL video service, and possibly, if it’s safe, get outside and practice on their own. But he said the first thing he told them was to go home and ask their parents what they needed to do to secure their homes. 

After player safety, Pine Forest coach Bill Sochovka is concerned how much time all of the teams will have to practice when they return before having to play a game. 

“It was one thing when we were supposed to play on Wednesday,’’ Sochovka said, referring to a plan that had the schools playing the games of Sept. 14 two days earlier before they were postponed indefinitely. “We had two days to practice and we had been practicing all summer,’’ he said. “Now these kids could be sitting, hopefully not a week. Trying to get them back into a groove is somewhat difficult.’’ 

Sochovka was also concerned some of his players weren’t grasping how bad the storm could be. 

“They are waiting to see what happens, to see if it’s for real, and that’s what worries me,’’ he said. 

Photos Top to Bottom: Duran McLaurin; Jake Thomas; Bill Sochovka; Rodney Brewington; Bruce McClelland

In the late 1970s, John Malzone was asked to plan a parade for a local festival that would celebrate the many ethnic and cultural groups that make up Fayetteville’s community. He did so, and he also emceed the festival hosting the parade. That event was Fayetteville’s very first International Folk Festival; it was 1978. In a few weeks, Sept. 28-30, the IFF will cel­ebrate its 40th anniversary in downtown Fayetteville – and Malzone will return as emcee. He’s never missed a year since doing it for the inaugural event. 

This year’s 3-day celebration kicks off with the Arts Council’s Bon Temps Ball on Friday from 7-9 p.m. Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience, a Grammy-winning musical group, will bring the spirit of New Orleans-style Mardi Gras onstage at the intersection of Hay Street and Ray Avenue. Simien’s band will also perform Saturday at 1:15 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. 

The parade Malzone created all those years ago, which is today known as the Parade of Nations, takes place Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. on Hay Street. Local people will proudly represent more than 30 countries or cultures, wearing traditional clothing and costumes and sometimes playing instruments. 

One local who will play an instrument – bagpipes, to be specific – is Jackie Morgan. “When I first came to America, I didn’t think I’d ever see a Scottish flag again,” said Morgan, who immigrated to the U.S. as a young adult. “Then I came to Fayetteville, and I was walking downtown (during the IFF) and I saw (a Scottish flag), and I was like woah! I got excited. And so I’ve been a part of (the IFF) ever since.” 

Saturday at 2:30 and 5 p.m., Canadian band Mélisande [électrotrad] will bring centuries-old Quebecois songs to the Festival Park stage. There’s a twist hinted at in the group’s name, though. Mélisande uses electronic instruments, pulsing drums, fiddle, flute, jaw harp, banjo and bass to create a new sound for the traditional tunes. 

At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, the 11-piece Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra will serenade the Festival Park stage crowd with swelling, sultry covers of Indie rock tunes, from Arcade Fire to M83 to the Black Keys. 

Immediately following their performance, the IFF will see its first fireworks, sponsored by Hale Artificier. 

Mélisande [électrotrad] will play again to finish the IFF at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. 

Throughout the weekend, visitors can also enjoy the International Cafe, storytellers, more than 50 arts and crafts vendors, a mime, a jug­gler and more. 

Malzone summed up what the IFF is all about. “When I look out on the crowd, I see all the different people … I see their faces, I see all the different shades of skin, I see all the different styles of hair, all the different styles of clothing – and you realize that that is America,” he said. “That is really America.” 

To learn more, visit www.theartscouncil.com/ things-to-do/international-folk-festival or call 910-323-1776.