In less than one week it will be election day. Yes, in less than seven days all this political madness will be over. The horrendous barbaric TV and radio attack ads will end, the talking heads will cease their partisan screeching, the thousands of Constant Contact emails begging for money and clogging your inbox will stop – as will the tons of political junk mail now overflowing in your trash can. 

Yes, it will all be over soon. And for many, the end cannot come soon enough. 

Patriotic Americans are vastly disgusted and disappointed with our leadership in government. It makes no difference whether you are a registered Democrat, Republican or Independent. The political shenanigans, disgusting behavior and distasteful antics we are witnessing during this election are proof positive that “America, we’ve got a problem.” And that problem is not about immigration, Constitutional rights, gun control, black lives, white lives, Trump or Hillary. The problem is: Our government is broken. For the most part, it lacks honesty and integrity from those in power on both sides of the aisle. “What’s in it for me?” has become the battle cry of these bureaucrats at all levels. Greed and power drive this fanatic nastiness – with no end in sight. 

Oh, well. At least we still get to vote. Here is the sunny side of this pathetic situation: After the election, all the participants will be exposed for what they are and what they stand for. Then the average American can examine his or her own conscience and ask him or herself, “Did I sell myself out? Did I compromise my own values? Did I actually endorsed and enable such deplorable behavior?” 

Sorry, but at this point, it may be too little, too late. We have created and nurtured a government of self-indulgent politicians who care only about personal power and wealth and what they can game from the system. They are not looking out for their constituents. Sad. However, there is one thing that you can be sure of: We will end up with the government we deserve. 

So, vote! Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

October is Blindness Awareness Month. In Cumberland County there are more than 600 blind and visually impaired adults and children, so that is why the Vision Resource Center presents its fifth annual Out of Sight Dining event on Friday, November 11, from 6 – 10 p.m. at the Hellenic Center. 

“The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of what it is like to be visually impaired in our community and for people to get why the Vision Resource Center is here,” said Terri Thomas, executive director of the Vision Resource Center. “Unless you walk a mile in a visually impaired person’s shoes, you don’t get it until you actually experience it.” 

At the event participants will place a blindfold on their eyes as they eat dinner. This is a firsthand experience about how challenging it can be to eat a meal that you cannot see. “So many people do not want to come to the event because they don’t want to be blindfolded while they are eating,” said Thomas. “My own relatives will not come because they refuse to put the blindfold on.”

Thomas asks people to just think about the visually impaired who live this every day and can’t take the blindfold off. 

 The Vision Resource Center enhances the lives of adults and children from the ages of 6 to 86 by making sure they have the most fruitful life possible. “We want to make sure they are independent and socializing,” said Thomas. “Being visually impaired can easily happen to anyone via diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, a brain tumor and other medical conditions.” Thomas added that visually impaired adults often feel nonexistent and will isolate themselves from the world. 

 The proceeds will be used to reach the people who don’t necessarily come into the center by helping them with the accessories needed, which will help them cook more safely and move around the house easier. 

“They need help with getting to their doctor’s appointments and the grocery store along with other daily living skills,” said Thomas. “People want the skills based on their sight levels that are deteriorating and they need to know what to do now.” Thomas added they plan to purchase the apparatus, Amazon Echo, that reads to the visually impaired person, tells them the weather and time and plays music. Electric skillets will be purchased for them as well as offering an independent cooking class that teaches them how to use the skillet. 

 “We have been blessed with a vision rehab specialist,” said Thomas. “They go into the homes and show the visually impaired how to set up their home to make it more user friendly and do orientation mobility.” Thomas added that the specialist teaches them the number of steps to take and how to navigate around your home without help. 

 Live entertainment and a silent auction will take place at the event. Tickets are $75 per person and $125 per couple. The Hellenic Center is located at 614 Oakridge Avenue. For more information call 483-2719. 

From the decorations to the vendors to the hum of anticipation in the ticket line, it is obvious that the Junior League’s Holly Day Fair committee is passionate about the annual show. This year, the Holly Day Fair is Nov. 3-6. The fact that it is the 50th Holly Day Fair makes it that much more special — on several levels. 

Jami McLaughlin is the chairperson this year, but she’s served on the committee for several years. “It is so rare that a fundraiser lasts for 50 years. The fact that we are still doing this and it is still going strong is an honor for all of us,” she said. “We will definitely be rolling out the red carpet.”

This year’s presenting sponsor is Carolina Pottery, bringing so much inventory that the event organizers have set aside and entire space just for them. “Carolina Pottery will have a huge space outside our normal foot print. They really know how to do Christmas right and will be bringing all kinds of things that our shoppers will just love,” said McLaughlin. “We are excited about them coming and especially about their level and quality of items. They will help decorate the lobby, too.  I think our shoppers will be impressed.”

The main shopping gallery is already filled to overflowing with 165 vendors, including returning favorites as well as some new vendors. Quality and variety are key when it comes to selling here. And with an impressive track record for success, the Holly Day Fair is a show vendors want to attend. Unique clothes for adults and children, home accents, gift items, food related items, accessories, sports-related items are just a few of the treasures available at the Holly Day Fair. “We try diversify and make sure we have something for everyone. We love our vendors. Over the years so many of them have become like family. We look forward to seeing them every year and watching how much shoppers enjoy the products they bring to the show,” said McLaughlin. “And our vendors look out for us, too. Many of them are professionals and make a living at shows like this. So it is not unusual for a vendor to call and say ‘Hey, listen, I was just at a show and there was a vendor there selling X,Y,Z, and they had a line down the aisle. You may want to give them a call.’” 

Researching new vendors is responsibility the committee takes seriously. Before opening vendor applications online, the committee visits shows in places like Raleigh, Charlotte, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and even Richmond, Virginia. “Recruiting and selecting the best vendors is an important part of the show,” said McLaughlin.

By any standard, the Holly Day Fair is a successful show. The fact that the Holly Day Fair is celebrating 50 years is just one way to measure its success. The 50/50 raffle that lands the winner a five-figure prize is a sure sign of the size and scope of the Holly Day Fair. The more than 22,000 shoppers that come every year — that’s a successful show by anyone’s standards. The more than $250,000 this event raises each year and that the Junior League returns to the community — for a total of more than $5 million to date … also a huge success. But when a group like the Junior League of Fayetteville’s volunteers invest in something like this, it is about more than numbers. “One of the parts that is very heartwarming is when you see the Holly Day Fair actually happening. When you see the vendors that return year after year, when you experience the camaraderie with the other volunteers, when you see the shoppers get so excited when they come through the doors and when you see how happy they are with their purchases when they leave — things they won’t be able to find anywhere else … it is just a happy time,” said McLaughlin. “Because the Holly Day Fair has been around for 50 years, we have generations of shoppers that come and shop together. Grandmothers who started coming years ago — now they bring their daughters and granddaughters and it is part of their family holiday tradition. We have shoppers that come from as far away as Ohio and Virginia and South Carolina every year. There is one group that comes from South Carolina that makes T-shirts for their trip to the Holly Day Fair. It is their girl’s weekend. It is always so much fun to see them and watch them enjoying themselves.” 

For the volunteers, that’s success.

On Oct. 28, the streets of downtown Fayetteville will be flooded with zombies. This month the official theme of 4th Friday is the Zombie Walk. 

This event is an annual family-friendly event that allows for the people of Fayetteville to transform into a remarkably friendly hoard of zombies. Zombies, ghouls and the occasional zombie hunter should begin gathering at the Headquarters Library (300 Maiden Lane) at 6 p.m. for the pre-party and preparation. The walk to downtown will begin at 8 p.m.

Headquarters Library, the initial gathering spot for the hoard, will join in on the ghoulish fun. Free family-friendly games are planned on the front porch from 4 until 7 p.m. Even the youngest of zombies can join in. From 7 until 9 p.m., storytellers will present frightening local legends, scary fictional stories and classic ghost stories. This is also a free event, though it may not be entirely suitable for young children. 

In addition to roaming ghouls, 4th Friday also features incredible local art. The Arts Council, located at 301 Hay Street, will host the opening of Recycle: The Art of Transformation. This installation features local artists taking discarded materials and recycling and reusing them to create incredible and beautiful pieces of artwork. The exhibit is open and free to the public from 7 until 9 p.m. The exhibit is presented with The City of Fayetteville’s Environmental Services Department.

Fascinate-U Children’s Museum is designed specifically to engage children in fun and safe learning. Exhibits mimic real life situations like broadcasting studios and stores, and are intended to be touched and played with to stimulate exploration and learning. Fascinate-U will also offer a free creative craft. From 7 until 9 p.m., children are invited to make a cute cat and enjoy free admission in the museum, which is located at 116 Green Street.

Cape Fear Studios is hosting a gallery opening on Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.  The exhibit is the 20th Annual Nellie Allen Smith Pottery Competition. This competition has grown from a local to a national competition, but it has always maintained the core goal of giving clay artists the opportunity to compete with peers. This year the juror is potter Simon Leach, who comes from a family of potters. His work is influenced by his fathers and grandfathers work as well as by Japanese and Korean art. He will also  attend the opening reception and the exhibit will run until Nov. 23.  

The Fayetteville Transportation Museum offers the perfect place to explore local history on a crisp October evening in Downtown Fayetteville. Located at 325 Franklin Street, the museum is open and free from 6-8:30 p.m.  The current exhibit is called Cumberland County Goes to War. It focuses on the areas involvement in the Civil War both on the battlefield and at home. The Market House also focuses on area history. From 6 until 10 p.m., 4th Friday participants can visit the Market House and see Post Cards of Fayetteville and the permanent exhibit A View from the Square: A History of Downtown Fayetteville. 

To learn more about 4th Friday, call 323-1776.

On Oct. 28, the streets of downtown Fayetteville will be flooded with zombies. This month the official theme of 4th Friday is the Zombie Walk. 

This event is an annual family-friendly event that allows for the people of Fayetteville to transform into a remarkably friendly hoard of zombies. Zombies, ghouls and the occasional zombie hunter should begin gathering at the Headquarters Library (300 Maiden Lane) at 6 p.m. for the pre-party and preparation. The walk to downtown will begin at 8 p.m.

Headquarters Library, the initial gathering spot for the hoard, will join in on the ghoulish fun. Free family-friendly games are planned on the front porch from 4 until 7 p.m. Even the youngest of zombies can join in. From 7 until 9 p.m., storytellers will present frightening local legends, scary fictional stories and classic ghost stories. This is also a free event, though it may not be entirely suitable for young children. 

In addition to roaming ghouls, 4th Friday also features incredible local art. The Arts Council, located at 301 Hay Street, will host the opening of Recycle: The Art of Transformation. This installation features local artists taking discarded materials and recycling and reusing them to create incredible and beautiful pieces of artwork. The exhibit is open and free to the public from 7 until 9 p.m. The exhibit is presented with The City of Fayetteville’s Environmental Services Department.

Fascinate-U Children’s Museum is designed specifically to engage children in fun and safe learning. Exhibits mimic real life situations like broadcasting studios and stores, and are intended to be touched and played with to stimulate exploration and learning. Fascinate-U will also offer a free creative craft. From 7 until 9 p.m., children are invited to make a cute cat and enjoy free admission in the museum, which is located at 116 Green Street.

Cape Fear Studios is hosting a gallery opening on Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.  The exhibit is the 20th Annual Nellie Allen Smith Pottery Competition. This competition has grown from a local to a national competition, but it has always maintained the core goal of giving clay artists the opportunity to compete with peers. This year the juror is potter Simon Leach, who comes from a family of potters. His work is influenced by his fathers and grandfathers work as well as by Japanese and Korean art. He will also  attend the opening reception and the exhibit will run until Nov. 23.  

The Fayetteville Transportation Museum offers the perfect place to explore local history on a crisp October evening in Downtown Fayetteville. Located at 325 Franklin Street, the museum is open and free from 6-8:30 p.m.  The current exhibit is called Cumberland County Goes to War. It focuses on the areas involvement in the Civil War both on the battlefield and at home. The Market House also focuses on area history. From 6 until 10 p.m., 4th Friday participants can visit the Market House and see Post Cards of Fayetteville and the permanent exhibit A View from the Square: A History of Downtown Fayetteville. 

To learn more about 4th Friday, call 323-1776.

On Oct. 28, the streets of downtown Fayetteville will be flooded with zombies. This month the official theme of 4th Friday is the Zombie Walk. 

This event is an annual family-friendly event that allows for the people of Fayetteville to transform into a remarkably friendly hoard of zombies. Zombies, ghouls and the occasional zombie hunter should begin gathering at the Headquarters Library (300 Maiden Lane) at 6 p.m. for the pre-party and preparation. The walk to downtown will begin at 8 p.m.

Headquarters Library, the initial gathering spot for the hoard, will join in on the ghoulish fun. Free family-friendly games are planned on the front porch from 4 until 7 p.m. Even the youngest of zombies can join in. From 7 until 9 p.m., storytellers will present frightening local legends, scary fictional stories and classic ghost stories. This is also a free event, though it may not be entirely suitable for young children. 

In addition to roaming ghouls, 4th Friday also features incredible local art. The Arts Council, located at 301 Hay Street, will host the opening of Recycle: The Art of Transformation. This installation features local artists taking discarded materials and recycling and reusing them to create incredible and beautiful pieces of artwork. The exhibit is open and free to the public from 7 until 9 p.m. The exhibit is presented with The City of Fayetteville’s Environmental Services Department.

Fascinate-U Children’s Museum is designed specifically to engage children in fun and safe learning. Exhibits mimic real life situations like broadcasting studios and stores, and are intended to be touched and played with to stimulate exploration and learning. Fascinate-U will also offer a free creative craft. From 7 until 9 p.m., children are invited to make a cute cat and enjoy free admission in the museum, which is located at 116 Green Street.

Cape Fear Studios is hosting a gallery opening on Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.  The exhibit is the 20th Annual Nellie Allen Smith Pottery Competition. This competition has grown from a local to a national competition, but it has always maintained the core goal of giving clay artists the opportunity to compete with peers. This year the juror is potter Simon Leach, who comes from a family of potters. His work is influenced by his fathers and grandfathers work as well as by Japanese and Korean art. He will also  attend the opening reception and the exhibit will run until Nov. 23.  

The Fayetteville Transportation Museum offers the perfect place to explore local history on a crisp October evening in Downtown Fayetteville. Located at 325 Franklin Street, the museum is open and free from 6-8:30 p.m.  The current exhibit is called Cumberland County Goes to War. It focuses on the areas involvement in the Civil War both on the battlefield and at home. The Market House also focuses on area history. From 6 until 10 p.m., 4th Friday participants can visit the Market House and see Post Cards of Fayetteville and the permanent exhibit A View from the Square: A History of Downtown Fayetteville. 

To learn more about 4th Friday, call 323-1776.

On Oct. 28, the streets of downtown Fayetteville will be flooded with zombies. This month the official theme of 4th Friday is the Zombie Walk. 

This event is an annual family-friendly event that allows for the people of Fayetteville to transform into a remarkably friendly hoard of zombies. Zombies, ghouls and the occasional zombie hunter should begin gathering at the Headquarters Library (300 Maiden Lane) at 6 p.m. for the pre-party and preparation. The walk to downtown will begin at 8 p.m.

Headquarters Library, the initial gathering spot for the hoard, will join in on the ghoulish fun. Free family-friendly games are planned on the front porch from 4 until 7 p.m. Even the youngest of zombies can join in. From 7 until 9 p.m., storytellers will present frightening local legends, scary fictional stories and classic ghost stories. This is also a free event, though it may not be entirely suitable for young children. 

In addition to roaming ghouls, 4th Friday also features incredible local art. The Arts Council, located at 301 Hay Street, will host the opening of Recycle: The Art of Transformation. This installation features local artists taking discarded materials and recycling and reusing them to create incredible and beautiful pieces of artwork. The exhibit is open and free to the public from 7 until 9 p.m. The exhibit is presented with The City of Fayetteville’s Environmental Services Department.

Fascinate-U Children’s Museum is designed specifically to engage children in fun and safe learning. Exhibits mimic real life situations like broadcasting studios and stores, and are intended to be touched and played with to stimulate exploration and learning. Fascinate-U will also offer a free creative craft. From 7 until 9 p.m., children are invited to make a cute cat and enjoy free admission in the museum, which is located at 116 Green Street.

Cape Fear Studios is hosting a gallery opening on Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.  The exhibit is the 20th Annual Nellie Allen Smith Pottery Competition. This competition has grown from a local to a national competition, but it has always maintained the core goal of giving clay artists the opportunity to compete with peers. This year the juror is potter Simon Leach, who comes from a family of potters. His work is influenced by his fathers and grandfathers work as well as by Japanese and Korean art. He will also  attend the opening reception and the exhibit will run until Nov. 23.  

The Fayetteville Transportation Museum offers the perfect place to explore local history on a crisp October evening in Downtown Fayetteville. Located at 325 Franklin Street, the museum is open and free from 6-8:30 p.m.  The current exhibit is called Cumberland County Goes to War. It focuses on the areas involvement in the Civil War both on the battlefield and at home. The Market House also focuses on area history. From 6 until 10 p.m., 4th Friday participants can visit the Market House and see Post Cards of Fayetteville and the permanent exhibit A View from the Square: A History of Downtown Fayetteville. 

To learn more about 4th Friday, call 323-1776.

What do murder, a séance and Edgar Allen Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart have in common? Heritage Square. On Oct. 27, 29 and 30, the Woman’s Club of Fayetteville invites the public to Historic Hauntings for a peek into the macabre past of the Oval Ballroom on Dick Street followed by a basement performance of Edgar Allen Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart. Led by Dr. Gail Morfesis, Historic Hauntings is nothing like other local Halloween haunts and trails. 

In 1849, Ann Simpson and her husband, Alexander, lived in Fayetteville. They dined in what is now the Oval Ballroom at Heritage Square. By 1850, Alexander was dead and Ann stood accused of poisoning her husband.  She was the first Fayetteville woman accused of murder. It’s said she was encouraged, maybe even coached by her friend and soothsayer Polly Rising. Historic Haunting at Heritage Square delves into the case of Ann Simpson with Morfesis’ production of Arsenic and Old Fayetteville. The piece includes local thespians Staci Graybill, Claudia Warga, Gary Clayton and Stanley Seay.

“The property lends itself very well to that time period and to the time of this murder,” said Morfesis. “The murder took place in the ballroom, so we do a scene there. We go upstairs and have a story time and talk about the Harvard transcripts that document the case, then we have a séance.   Polly Rising was a fortuneteller in this story and many say she encouraged Ann to kill her husband, so we call her forth and hear more about the details of the murder.”

After the séance, the production moves to the basement for a performance of Edgar Allen Poe’s A Tell-Tale Heart. It’s a one-man show and Stanley Seay is the sole performer. 

“I’m a big fan of Edgar Allen Poe. My English teacher in eighth grade requested I do a dramatic reading of one of Poe’s works and that is where I got into it. He did some fantastic writing. I thought it would be a fun cool show to do,” he said.

While Seay doesn’t change the words in Poe’s work, he says this performance is “interesting and a little different.” The setting itself makes it the perfect place for a performance like this. 

“The house is phenomenal. Anybody that likes Edgar Allen Poe, Halloween, tales of the macabre, this is something they will enjoy. Even Steven King fans can easily relate to this as well as — Goosebumps fans.”

While Historic Hauntings at Heritage Square is family-friendly, Seay noted that younger children may find it overwhelming.

Proceeds from this event benefit Heritage Square. 

“Over the years, the Woman’s Club has worked very hard to raise funds to support these three buildings that make up Heritage Square,” said Morfesis. “The buildings are more than 200 years old. It takes a lot of money to maintain the properties and they do it mainly by fundraising. We did A Christmas Carol Revisited last year during the holiday season and will have it again on Nov. 18-20 this year.”

Historic Haunting at Heritage Square is on Oct. 27, 29 and 30 at Heritage Square. Admission is $10. Tickets are available at the door or at the Pilgrim in Westwood Shopping Center. For more information, call 483-6009.

On Nov. 5, Fayetteville State University will host Cotton Club II, which is a jazz-inspired performance by Fayetteville State University students who are part of the Department of Performing and Fine Arts. Associate Vice Chancellor for Communications Jeffrey Womble is looking forward to the performance. “Singers, dancers, artists and theater students will provide entertainment of the highest quality. A live jazz band consisting of FSU students and musicians from the Performing and Fine Arts Department is slated to perform. We had a similar event last year that featured actress Jasmine Guy and it was such a hit, we decided to do it again, but this time put the spotlight on the many talented students we have at Fayetteville State University.”

The name of the event is inspired by the famous Cotton Club in Harlem in the 1920s. The students, inspired by the incredible jazz music of the era, will capture the electric atmosphere of creativity that emerged in the Cotton Club. “Men attending the club wore zoot suits, wide-brimmed hats and wing-tipped shoes. Gold chains dangled from their pockets. The women donned flapper dresses made of fringe and sequins and bell-shaped hats. In its heyday, The Cotton Club was the spot to be and be seen. The venue featured singers and dancers, and it helped launch the career of many artists to include Duke Ellington, whose orchestra was the house band there for four years,” Womble explained. “Cab Calloway and Dorothy Dandridge were regulars. We are going to recreate that entire scene at The FSU Cotton Club II on Nov. 5 with singing, dancing, champagne and great food.”

Cotton Club II has been billed as a tribute to Duke Ellington and celebrates his classic songs and style, but the performances are truly a tribute to jazz and to the era. “Music featuring other jazz artists from the Harlem Renaissance era is also on tap. You just might hear some Ella Fitzgerald, some Dorothy Dandridge or Cab Calloway. There’s going to be something for the jazz lover in everyone,” Womble said.

The event is in part a fundraiser. 

“It is part of First Lady Nancy Anderson’s initiative to raise money for the Department of Performing and Fine Arts at Fayetteville State University,” Womble said. “Proceeds from the event will provide scholarships and other needed support for the department.” 

Nationally, arts programs have been struggling fiscally, but the arts are an important aspect of having a prosperous and healthy community. This event allows the region to support their local students and the artistic future of the area. 

“This is a community effort and it’s for the community. While we have many university employees involved in the planning and execution, much of the work is being coordinated by Nancy Anderson and a committee consisting of community leaders and friends who want to see the performing and fine arts at FSU flourish and provide quality programs for the citizens of this region,” Womble said. “Great food, incredible music and the champagne will flow. Attendees are encouraged to dress in attire reminiscent of the Harlem Renaissance era and come help us bring The Cotton Club II to life. This is an event that you don’t want to miss.”

For tickets and information, visit the website at www.uncfsu.edu/arts.

Three people died in Cumberland County during Hurricane Matthew which struck Fayetteville on Saturday, Oct.  8.  Throughout the day, 14 inches of rain fell, followed by another eight inches Sunday, Oct. 9. The previous weekend, an eight-inch rainfall had already inundated Greater Fayetteville. 

The damage it caused was catastrophic. Six hundred homes in King’s Grant on Fayetteville’s north side were cut off from the rest of Fayetteville when a utility culvert beneath Shawcroft Road blew out causing the roadway itself to collapse. It’s the only city street providing King’s Grant residents ingress and egress to the subdivision. Fayetteville Engineering and Infrastructure Director Rob Stone estimates it will take six months to make repairs. Meanwhile a temporary access road has been created by extending Cottage Way to Shawcroft. It crosses private property owned by Cedar Falls Baptist Church and the Kings Grant Home Owners Association. 

The Cedar Falls Church parking lot became a marshaling area for the Red Cross and North Carolina Baptist Men disaster relief organizations. The Red Cross at one time had 400 volunteers working in Fayetteville from across the state and as far away as New York. 

Rayconda is another community hard hit by Matthew. The earthen dam beneath Siple Avenue partially collapsed and more than 200 homes were cut off from Raeford Road. A contractor hired by the City of Fayetteville and city crews repaired the roadway and reopened it for emergencies only on Oct. 20. Full-size fire engines and ambulances now have access to Rayconda. Siple Avenue is expected to be opened to all traffic by Oct. 28, which is two weeks ahead of the original schedule. 

The Mirror Lake Drive dam in Van Story Hills washed out, again. The first time was when Hurricane Fran washed it out in 1996. In Aaran Lakes, the dam at Greenoch Drive was blown out as was a dam on Sykes Pond Road.

Across the county, 40 homes were destroyed. In all, 900 structures were damaged, said Cumberland County Manager Amy Cannon. Initial estimates include residential property losses totaled $30 million. Other areas of significant damage included Veterans State Park on Bragg Boulevard. Underground electric pumps were destroyed. Recreation and Parks Director Michael Gibson reported three feet of water in the building. The basement of the headquarters library downtown was flooded. One building on the Public Works campus off Wilmington Road had 12 inches of water in it at one point, according to PWC General Manager David Trego. Three city owned buildings on Alexander Street were damaged by high water. They housed traffic services and engineering departments. Forty thousand homes on the PWC system were without power during the height of the hurricane. Efforts to restore power were completed by late Tuesday, Oct 11. 

Associate School Superintendent Tim Kinlaw said 38 of the county’s 86 schools suffered temporary power outages, but none had significant damage. Eight county vehicles including sheriff’s patrol cars were damaged in the storm. Seventy-one city vehicles were damaged, 20 of them seriously. Twenty PWC vehicles were damaged.

The City of Fayetteville is experiencing an unprecedented increase in homicides this year, and is on track to set an all-time high record. The current total is 28 with two months to go in the year. The city’s worst murder count was in 1993 when the number hit 30, but it was an anomaly. In August of that year four people were killed and eight others wounded in a mass shooting at Luigi’s Italian Restaurant. Fort Bragg solider Kenneth French Jr., was tried and convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 

This year’s increase follows a significant decline in murders in 2015 with only 19 which makes the turnaround more baffling.  Police officials say it’s difficult to attribute reasons for the annual ups and downs of killings. 

“Law enforcement cannot predict when a son will murder his parents, why a husband kills his wife and then himself, why individuals recently released from long prison sentences become victims or suspects in homicides,” said Interim Police Chief Anthony Kelly. These are actual cases this year. 

The police department, adds Kelly, is committed to programs designed to reduce violent crimes, but they may not show results for years to come. They include the EKG program (Educating Kids on Gun Violence), the LEAD program (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) for low-level drug offenders, and the newly created Misdemeanor Diversion Program intended to keep 16- and 17-year-olds from being put in a system that could have the unintended consequence of life-long involvement in criminal activity. The Police Activity League and Operation Ceasefire are other programs designed to help combat crime. 

Kelly notes homicides have increased nationally this year, but police professionals don’t entirely understand why. Major cities across the U.S. have experienced a surge in homicides. Murders are up in roughly 30 big cities so far in 2016, according to data released by the Major Cities Chiefs Association. Kelly says the FPD evaluates each murder and reaches out to the families of victims and suspects in efforts to understand the whys and wherefores as well as to reduce additional violence. Fayetteville Police records show that all of this year’s murder cases have been cleared with arrests.

How can police and local leaders mobilize the citizenry to stop the killing in their communities? Police chiefs generally agree that homicide is a community problem with solutions present in the community. Washington, D.C.’s recently retired Chief of Police Cathy L. Lanier, pointed out after a rash of homicides that there is a limit to what law enforcement alone can do to prevent killings.* Chief Kelly, a 22-year veteran of law enforcement, agrees that fighting crime is a shared societal responsibility. 

“Social and economic issues related to the lack of educational opportunities, affordable housing, limited job opportunities, substance abuse and mental health issues contribute to crime,” he says. “Everyone plays a role in keeping the community safe, and we endeavor to do everything we can to continue our efforts to reduce violent crime.”  

* “Another Shooting Adds to District’s Deadly Weekend,” The Washington Post, Metro Section, Monday June 2, 2008.

Creating a brand and building an image for a new minor league baseball team is not something that concerns the Fayetteville City Council. At least that’s the belief of Council’s baseball committee chaired by Mayor Pro Tem Mitch Colvin. In Colvin’s eyes, that’s up to the owners of the franchise. 

By the end of this month the City expects to finalize a binding contract with the Houston Astros to host a Carolina League Single A minor league ball club. The City has chosen the site behind the former Prince Charles Hotel downtown for a $33 million stadium to be patterned after a Triple A stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. The city owns the property, which represents a significant saving.

If the project remains on schedule, the City hopes to begin construction of the ball park in July. Mayor Pro Tem Colvin points out that their obligation is to provide the ball park. The Astros will manage the team and operate the stadium under a $250,000 annual lease with Fayetteville. 

“The city is not involved in the operation of the team and their decisions,” he said. 

A question under consideration is where will the Fayetteville team play while the stadium is under construction? That decision is the province of the parent organization. But it appears that team won’t be playing in Fayetteville. 

“I am certain we will begin to see more activity in the days to come by the Astros,” Colvin added.

J.P. Riddle Stadium on Legion Road has been considered as a temporary home for the team. It hosted previous minor league teams — the Fayetteville Generals and Cape Fear Crocs. County government, which owns the stadium, was asked by Minor League Baseball to upgrade the facility to help boost sagging attendance. The county declined. The Crocs were sold in 2000, and moved to New Jersey. For the last 15 years, the college summer league Swamp Dogs have called Riddle Stadium home. Colvin tells Up & Coming Weekly that an unnamed county commissioner said he “did not believe the Swamp Dogs were interested in subleasing their stadium to the Astros Minor League team.”

An option that the Astros organization may consider is playing at Jim Perry Stadium at Campbell University. According to Campbell’s website, the park’s refurbished grandstand seats 630 fans. It’s 35 miles from Fayetteville in Harnett County. Colvin doesn’t see that as an impediment to developing support for the new team.  “I am confident in the ability of this professional organization to engage and get the support of the local community,” he said.  

When asked whether his committee has given any thought to playing at Methodist University or Fayetteville State University? Colvin said “I do not have an answer on Methodist University’s field, and I am not aware of FSU having a viable baseball stadium that would accommodate the new team,” noting again that it was the City’s job to build the stadium and The Astros make decisions concerning the team’s operations.

“Fayetteville and Cumberland County have suffered enough,” said Interim Police Chief Anthony Kelly. 

He joined Mayor Nat Robertson and District Attorney Billy West in cautioning residents to beware of scammers in the wake of Hurricane Matthew. 

“We will not tolerate re-victimization of our citizens,” said West. 

Fraudulent solicitation of people in need of help carries jail terms and financial restitution, West added. Most commonly, predators approach elderly and poor residents offering to make home repairs. They often require some money up front to purchase supplies. That’s part of the scam. Legitimate contractors do not require down payments or deposits. Robertson was unable to cite local instances of scam artists at work in Greater Fayetteville. West hopes to keep it that way by alerting the public to illicit contractors saying North Carolina district attorneys have teams of financial prosecutors who are prepared to take rip-off artists to court. Officials say home owners should get two or three repair estimates before hiring a contractor.

PWC Water is Flowing

Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission doesn’t say how much water was saved in the wake of Hurricane Matthew when a pair of conservation measures were put in place after two water treatment plants failed during the storm. 

Emergency generators kicked in at both, but broken water mains prevented maintaining pressure in the system, PWC spokesperson Carolyn Justice-Hinson said. 

Mayor Nat Robertson declared a Stage IV water crisis the day after the hurricane struck. It was followed three days later by  Stage I voluntary conservation measures as conditions improved in the water system and at the water treatment plants. 

“The emergency declaration was in response to the need to rebuild acceptable water pressure levels in the PWC system,” said Justice-Hinson. She said at the time there was a temporary loss of water pressure because electrical power was lost at the plants and water mains in the distribution system had burst. 

“The plants were able to pump enough water to refill all the storage tanks while crews checked 2,400 miles of water lines for any problem areas which were not immediately identified after the storm,” Justice-Hinson added.  

New Rowan Street Bridge 

The State Department of Transportation says construction on the new multi-million dollar Rowan Street Bridge is expected to get underway as soon as Nov. 1.  Construction of the six-lane dual span bridge and realignment of Bragg Boulevard, Murchison Road and Rowan Street is expected to take three and a half years. A $24 million contact has been awarded to S.T. Wooten Corporation of Wilson.  The new structure will be built adjacent to the existing bridge which dates back to 1956. It will be demolished once the new overpasses are up and running. Motorists can expect periodic detours throughout construction. Project completion is slated for May of 2020. This was one of six road and bridge projects recently awarded by N.C. DOT. They came in at about $95.5 million, which was $5.8 million under the estimated budget.  Photo credit: N.C. DOT.

Military Job Fair

CivilianJobs.com, where America’s military connects with civilian careers, will conduct 35 job fairs across the country in November. One of them is at Fort Bragg. 

The company offers recruiting and staffing services. “Military job fairs not only connect companies with the sought-after talent they’re looking for, they put candidates face-to-face with companies excited about hiring military,” said Jake Hutchings, general manager, CivilianJobs.com. The local event is Tuesday and Wednesday Nov. 8-9, at Fort Bragg’s Conference and Catering Center at 2658 Reilly Road from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Major employers will offer both local and national job opportunities. 

The event is open to all active duty soldiers, veterans, retirees and reservists as well as spouses, dependents and civilians. Active duty and prior military can pre-register at www.civilianjobs.com.

Fort Bragg Medics Graduate

Fayetteville Technical Community College’s first class of Army paramedics graduated last week and are now eligible to take state and federal paramedic license exams. FTCC’s program was started with the encouragement and cooperation of Womack Army Medical Center. The class began in January with 28 active duty combat medics and two employees of Fort Bragg EMS. The course consisted of 600 hours of classroom instruction and 600 hours of internship. 

I am living for Nov. 9.

That is the day after Nov. 8, Election Day 2016.  On the ninth, we will know who our next president, our next governor, our next U.S. senator, and a host of other honorables will be for at least the next two years and some up to eight years.  I have been confused by much of what has occurred during this election season, words and behaviors of both candidates and their supporters, and it is clear that we are a nation deeply divided in many ways.

It is also clear that a dialogue has opened about American women, who we are, what we are doing with our lives and how society regards us.  Love her or loathe her, Hillary Clinton is the first woman in our nation’s 238-year history to head the ticket of a major political party, despite the fact that women make up about 51 percent of our population.  And, love her or loathe her, her candidacy is a major American historical benchmark.  If North Carolina elects a woman senator this year, she will become one of fewer than 40 women elected to the Senate over that same time period.  It is also clear that much of this year’s campaign rhetoric revolved less around the accomplishments of American women than about our physical appearances in the workplace and elsewhere.  And, it is crystal clear that a distressing conversation has begun about what is acceptable touching between men and women, but it is a conversation we need to have as a nation.

The Dicksons made it a priority to teach respect for all people to the Precious Jewels, and if they are so blessed, I hope they will do the same with their children.

To that end, I am sharing with them some advice from US. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, known fondly as the “Notorious RBG.”  The justice has written a new book, My Own Words, and she shared some thoughts with Bill Murphy writing in the New York Timesin advance of her book’s publication.  Ginsburg’s advice applies to everyone, but she is aiming her words at parents who want their daughters to become confident, competent, and high-achieving women.

Here is part of what she prescribes.

Nurture a love of reading.

Reading is the tool that opens the door to the entire world.   It allows us to explore any topic that grabs our interest, and it does not matter whether we are rich or poor or in what part of the world we live.  If we can read, we can go anywhere.  Reading enlarges our thinking and trains us to want more knowledge.  And knowledge, once we have it, is ours forever.

Teach them to be independent.

If nothing else, election year 2016 has shown us all how many directions we can be pulled in and how much diversity — both positive and negative — is competing for our attention.  If we learn to know ourselves, trust ourselves and enjoy our own company, we are less likely to be led astray.  Independence is the way we stay true to ourselves and our own values.

Encourage them to seek excellent teachers and mentors.

I can count on one hand the teachers who really made a difference in my life, beginning with my third grade teacher all the way through graduate school.  Ditto for people who guided me in my professional life.  It makes all the difference when a young person knows she has people to turn to for advice and counsel.

Help them learn to ignore from time to time.

Successful people know that sometimes it is better not to react to some slight, some offense, some unkindness whether they come in the workplace or in a relationship.  Put simply, not everything deserves a response — or in our era, a Tweet.  Ginsburg’s mother-in-law advised her new daughter-in-law that sometimes it is helpful “to be a little deaf.”  She was right.

Encourage them to focus on achievement, not on the barriers to it.

Barriers always exist and certainly did for women when Ginsburg, now 83, was establishing her career and had a young family.  She plowed through the days when it was legal to pay women less than men for the same work and when she could not get a credit card without her husband’s signature.  She persevered.

Akin to that advice is this.  Teach them that they can create their own luck.

Circumstances outside our control always affect us, but it is largely our reaction to those circumstances that determines our outcomes.  This may be perseverance as well.

And finally, keep your fingers crossed that they marry the right person.

Handsome, wealthy, and charming are wonderful attributes, but a supportive partner willing to go the distance with us is the goal.

The Notorious RBG looks nothing like a supermodel, but she makes a perfect role model for our young women.

Friday evening, several weeks ago, I attended a special event in downtown Fayetteville at the Cameo Art House Theater. Afterwards, around 9:30 p.m., I had only two blocks to walk to the reception held at SkyView on Hay. In these two short city blocks, I was approached three times by panhandler’s and vagrants. 

I was brought up to be compassionate, kind and generous and cannot remember when I have failed to offer assistance to someone truly in need... “By the grace of God go I.” However, if you live or work in Downtown Fayetteville your nerves, resources and patience are probably being tested by what seems to be this ever growing influx of vagrants and panhandlers. 

I’m not going to use the word “homeless” because our community has yet to define that term. However, the problem is real and getting worse as Downtown Fayetteville becomes their preferred sanctuary. A shameful circumstance that quickly turns sympathy, generosity and empathy into fear, apprehension and frustration. Fear, initially from the abrupt unknown approach. “What is going to happen next?” Apprehension from our crazy, unpredictable and erratic judicial system that puts in question what rights we actually have to defend ourselves should this panhandler or vagrant become overly aggressive or violent. These concerns are real. Will I be sued or go to jail for defending myself from this derelict? Or, maybe I’ll be accused of violating his human rights. 

The frustration comes from thinking about the impression we are making on first time visitors to Fayetteville or on someone who has just moved into one of the lovely apartments or condos downtown or recently set up business downtown. Frustration also comes from knowing it doesn’t have to be this way. All that is needed is a show of “law and order,” an increased police presence, enforcement of existing laws and an inclination to address the problem. It’s doable.

Without punity these vagrant and panhandling intruders use our bushes and landscapes as camp sites, our back doors, parking lots and alley ways as toilets and downtown pedestrians as a revenue source. Those worried about the new downtown Transportation Hub attracting and harboring these undesirables have a legitimate concern, which I believe is soon to become a reality. 

The city bureaucrats who claim we have no money to address this situation also have no idea what the real cost to the city will be if the problem is not addressed. New stadium, new baseball team, innovative arts and entertainment district. Now is the time to address this issue, not later. Continued denial is not an option. Agree? 

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

In 1991, music lovers around the world commemorated the 200th anniversary of Mozart’s death. In Fayetteville, Alan Porter gathered a group of community members to perform Mozart’s Requiem. 

“It remains as ‘the’ moment that began this organization,” said Cumberland Oratorio Singers Director Michael Martin. To celebrate the organization’s 25th anniversary, Alan Porter returns to conduct a portion of the season’s first concert, which is set for Oct. 29, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. The COS is also inviting past members for recognition at the event as well.

In a nod to the group’s history, this first concert features a performance of “Requiem”, along with another collaboration with the Methodist University Chorale. “Alan was the original director of the COS,” said Martin. “He was the face of choral music in Fayetteville from his hiring in the earliest days of Methodist (College) University in the early 1960s until ending his time in Fayetteville choral music in 2008. He has also been a big supporter of mine and a person I am grateful to call my friend. For well over 40 years, he forged many relationships with people all for the sake of music and singing. It is no wonder that he still lives in the hearts of many people here in Fayetteville and all the students that passed through Methodist’s doors.”

For Martin, it is only natural to recognize Porter’s efforts, even if it means breaking a few rules. “I am breaking concert protocol to make sure that Alan gets the opportunity to conduct the “Requiem”. Generally, large multi-movement pieces are conceived to have no applause between the movements, primarily because they are all part of the same work,” said Martin. “However, this time, I intend to stop the “Requiem” before we perform “Lacrimosa”, have Alan conduct this one part, and take his community bow at that point. For a man who has done so much for so many, this is something I am excited to assure for him.”

There are three other performances this season. December 17 at 7:30 p.m., St. Ann Catholic Church hosts the annual “Messiah Sing,” which is a free concert. This is what the COS calls its “gift to the community.” The concert includes Lord of the Rings soloist Kaitlyn Lusk and Joshua Conyers of Piedmont Opera. March 24, at 7:30 p.m., at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church is a concert called “The Student and the Teacher,” featuring the music of Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughn Williams. Britten was a student at the Royal College of Music while Vaughn Williams was a teacher there. The last concert of the year is called “The Trumpets Shall Sound,” and features choral music accompanied by brass, percussion and organ. This concert is on May 19 at 7:30 p.m., at Haymount United Methodist Church.

While COS is about music, it is also about community. In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, the board decided to donate $5 from every ticket sold to Second Harvest Food Bank to support their efforts with hurricane relief. The concert is at 7:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. For more information, visit: www.singwithcos.org.

The Department of Performing and Fine Arts at Fayetteville State University would like to invite the public to join more than 100 visitors arriving from six states to attend a distinctive gallery crawl on Nov. 4. 

The exhibits are the direct result of the indirect support of two national conferences taking place at FSU on Nov. 4-5, the 16th National Alliance of Artists from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the National Conference of Artists, an organization of African-American artists and educators that has been in existence since 1959. 

Although there is a small fee to attend the conference, it is an historic event on the campus of Fayetteville State University and for the community; the conferences have been committed to the works of African-American artists and their canon in the history of art. During the past five decades the NCA has counted among its membership some of the leading African-American artists and historians of the 20th century. Through its annual meetings and related exhibitions, it has been in a position to monitor the evolution of African-American artists throughout that period as well as assess the work of their African-American forebears. 

Six galleries are participating in the gallery crawl on Friday, Nov. 4, between 3 and 8 p.m. Students from many historically black college/universities and their professors/alumni will be exhibiting in local galleries; while other galleries are involved by hosting exhibitions that include significant contemporary or historical African-American artists. 

Rosenthal Gallery on the campus of Fayetteville State University is hosting the faculty and alumni from the NAAHBCU and organization of historically black colleges and universities. Many of the artists exhibiting are historically significant and have contributed to the history of the African American canon in art.

Ellington White Contemporary Gallery is hosting the Charles White Sketchbook exhibit. The exhibit features 17 sketchbook drawings and watercolors by one of America’s most historically important and recognized African-American and Social Realist artists. His work is included in the Smithsonian, Metropolitan Museum, the Whitney Museum and many more well respected institutions. 

The Arts Council of Fayetteville and Cumberland County has included several African-American artists who use recycled materials in their annual recycle exhibit titled Recycle: The Art of Transformation. The student exhibits are in three gallery spaces: Gallery 208, Gallery 116 and the Rudolf Jones Student Center at Fayetteville State University. 

Schedule of Gallery Crawl Openings on Friday, Nov. 4:

Rudolph Jones Student Center at FSU (Student Exhibit, FSU): 3:30-5:30 p.m. 

Rosenthal Gallery, FSU   (HBCU Faculty and Alumni Exhibit, FSU): 4:30 - 8 p.m. 

Gallery 208 (Student Exhibit, 208 Rowan Street): 5:30 - 8 p.m. 

Gallery 116 (Student Exhibit, 116 Anderson Street): 5:30 - 8 p.m. 

Arts Council of Fayetteville and Cumberland County (301 Hay Street, Recycle: the Art of Transformation includes several African-American artists who recycle): 5:30 – 8 p.m. 

Ellington White Contemporary Gallery (113 Gillespie Street, Charles White Sketchbook Exhibit): 5:30 - 8 p.m.  

The gallery openings are free to everyone, but there is a $50 fee to attend the 16th NAAHBCU and 54th NCA conferences. The theme for the conference and its presenters at Fayetteville State University is Into the New Millennium: New Media Abstractions and Identity Politics.

Conference events begin in the FSU Rudolph Jones Student Center on Friday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and continue on Saturday, Nov. 5, in Seabrook Auditorium and FSU Rosenthal Building (classrooms and the recital hall) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The featured conference speakers will include: 

Dr. Regenia A. Perry, a retired Virginia Commonwealth University Professor of African-American Art History, is the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in Art History. She is also the foremost expert in African-American folk art. 

Lisa Farrington, chair of the Art Department at John Jay College CUNY and is a curator, author and art historian specializing in Haitian, African-American and women’s art. She has published widely, including Common Goals, Common Struggles: Women of the Harlem Renaissance (University of Mississippi, forthcoming), Creating Their Own Image: the History of African-American Women Artists(Oxford University, 2005), and two monographs on artist Faith Ringgold. 

Dr. Jeffery C. Stewart, a Professor in the Black Studies Department at the University of California at Santa Barbara, has an extensive list of publications and essays. His most important research has been on the Harlem Renaissance, the black arts movement of the 1920s, and his specialty has been the work of black philosopher Alain Locke. 

Willis “Bing” Davis, is the Founder and Director of the EbonNia Gallery in Dayton, Ohio. He has served as past President of the National Conference of Artists and has had a distinguished career as a curator and an artist who exhibits in galleries and museums in America, as well as West Africa and Germany.

Dr. Leo Twiggs, is widely seen as the country’s main pioneer of batik as a modern art form. He is an important and noted South Carolinian artist since the 1960s. The subject of his art is about issues and people close to his Southern upbringing. 

Although all the exhibits will be up a month, the night of the official opening is a gallery crawl to visit each Fayetteville gallery participating in the exhibition as part of the conference between the hours of 3:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4, and the public is invited. For information on the conference events and times, contact the conference coordinator: Dwight Smith, Assistant Professor of Art, at 672-1795. 

For conference details and events, go to the FSU Department of Performing and Fine Arts, click on Fine Arts Series website: http://fsuarts.com/event/national-alliance-of-artists-from-hbcus-exhibition/

Sustainable Sandhills presents the viewing of the 1973 film Soylent Green on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 11 a.m. at the Cameo Art House Theatre in downtown Fayetteville.  

The purpose of this event is to start a dialogue on climate resiliency in Fayetteville. The film is a part of the Sustainable Saturdays film series and the plot entails the year 2022. Food rations are short, global warming has taken effect and the earth is overheating. Investigator Robert Thorn, from the New York Police Department, investigates the death of an executive at the company that makes the food ration Soylent Green. 

“The film was produced in the early ‘70s and people are rioting and the government is trying to control the riots,” said Denise Bruce, environmental outreach manager for Sustainable Sandhills. 

“We chose this film because it is actually one of the first films that Hollywood produced that references climate change,” said Bruce, adding that although they use the term global warming, Hollywood in the ‘70s took a look at what could happen if the population on Earth continued to grow and they wanted to take a look at what would happen if global warming continued. 

“At the end of the film we are going to have a discussion about climate change, where science is now on climate change and the UN’s climate talks,” said Bruce. “We are also going to talk about the Fayetteville-Cumberland County climate change action plan.” Sustainable Sandhills and many partners throughout the county created a climate change resiliency plan for whenever we have major climate events such as a major hurricane, heatwave or flooding. How do we not lose people at the hands of a climate event in our area?

Sustainable Saturdays feature documentaries that have generated lively discussions among the group. 

“We try to put forth a topic that creates a dialogue,” said Bruce. “We understand that some of the issues that we work on can be very political and polarizing.” 

Bruce added that rather than hammering away on that side of it, we look at what the real solutions can be.  

Donations are strongly encouraged. Doors open at 10:45 a.m. For more information, email Bruce at greenaction@sustainablesandhills.org. 

Bud Light presents Fayetteville’s Dogwood Fall Festival from Thursday, Oct. 27 – Saturday, Oct. 29. 

 “There are many elements that make up this event and lots of things that fold into it that make it what it is,” said Carrie King, executive director of the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival Incorporated. “Saturday is our big day with the food truck and craft beer festival end of it.” 

King added that this event started many, many years ago with Historic Hauntings, which was a fundraiser for the Dogwood Festival. Patrons were put on a wagon for a hayride and they would be taken to downtown Fayetteville and get off of the wagon to see skits and vignettes that told the history of Fayetteville.  Visitors to this year’s festival can enjoy a variety of activities.  

Historic Hauntings (Thursday – Saturday) 

 There will be a guided walking tour in the dark through Cross Creek Cemetery Section II.  It features ghostly reenactors and storytellers that share the creepy side of Fayetteville’s history. 

“This year, you must go online to purchase the tickets and set up a time,” said King. “Then you go to Festival Park and ride the shuttle to the location where you will be taken on a guided tour through the cemetery in the dark.” Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online. 

Haunted House (Thursday- Saturday)

 The LaFayette Insane Asylum, better known as the haunted house, is guaranteed to deliver the hair-raising chill that thrill seekers desire. It will be located in the back near the Ray Avenue entrance to Festival Park.  Tickets are $10 or $9 with a canned good donation to benefit our local food banks. Seventy-five percent of the proceeds will benefit Fishing to Fight Cancer.  

Hayrides (Thursday-Saturday)  

 There will be 20 – 30 minute narrated hayrides through historic downtown. Hayrides will be offered Thursday from 7 – 9 p.m.; Friday from 6:30 – 10 p.m. and Saturday from 3 – 10 p.m. Wagons depart at the corner of Mason & Ray Avenue every 30 minutes. Ticket cost is $5 at the gate.  

Bands and Brews 

 “We have a national headliner coming and it is country artist Brett Young,” said King. “Chase Bryant will also perform.” Beer and wine will be available for purchase. There will be over 20 craft and domestic beer selections. This is a free concert on Saturday presented by WKML 95.7.  If you would like to sit in the front two rows at the concert the cost is $25 per person.  A wristband will be mailed to the address provided during the purchase. Brett Young will take the stage at 7 p.m. and Chase Bryant will perform at 9 p.m.  There will be entertainment on the stage all day Saturday starting at 3 p.m. featuring local artists.  

Fayetteville’s Food Truck Festival 

 This event takes place on Saturday, October 29 from 3 – 10 p.m. It hosts 28 food trucks from North Carolina featuring gourmet foods and culinary favorites. Purchase a Dine & Dash pass for $5 and get in 30 minutes before the crowd at 2:30 p.m.  Tickets will be on sale in October. 

 “Every event that we do we give a portion of the proceeds to a nonprofit organization that assists us,” said King. “So, 50 percent of the ticket sales for Historic Hauntings go back to unbudgeted funding items for Bruce, who is our city historian and items for display.” King added that over the past nine years, the Dogwood Festival has contributed over $110,000 to other nonprofit agencies that assist them.  

 “We look forward to seeing everyone at the festival,” said King.  For more information call 323-1934. 

Recovery from Hurricane Matthew in Cumberland County will take months, even years for some. The record rainfall of 24 inches over two days was unprecedented and totally unexpected even by the National Weather Service. It resulted in urban flooding directly attributed to the storm as well as utility issues caused by downed power lines and uprooted trees. Hundreds of homes were heavily damaged, some beyond repair. PWC crews worked well into last week restoring electricity across Fayetteville. Even the water treatment plant lost power. The state had to test the water once the plant was up and running. And, as is the case in almost every facet of state operations, it took days for test results to come up negative as to contamination. 

The statistics are record setting: 15 inches of rain in one day. More than 700 people saved during 255 high water rescues by late Sunday of last week. No serious injuries or fatalities were directly attributed to the storm. Property losses are staggering. Some estimates place the total monetary loss of homes and businesses across Cumberland County in 10 figures. And it wasn’t just in Fayetteville. Hope Mills and Spring Lake were also hit hard. Just about everyone agrees, the record-setting storms, which began on Oct. 4 and continued Oct. 8 and 9, were unprecedented in modern memory.

At least three local deaths have been attributed to Hurricane Matthew. 

Isabelle Ralls, 81, of Falcon was found dead in her car Oct. 10. The state Medical Examiner’s office ruled the death accidental by drowning.The body of Tarry Faircloth, 53, was found the afternoon of Oct. 13 on Clinton Road near an I-95 exit ramp. Faircloth had been  missing since the night of Oct. 8. A third storm-related death was  reported by the governor’s office. An unidentified 63-year-old man died,  but state officials provided no details. His death is the 26th in North  Carolina related to Hurricane Matthew. There have been at least 43 nationally.

Aftermath of the Storm

An unheralded response to the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew was that of regular people, neighbors and concerned citizens. Local organizations and individuals reached out to help communities from Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Spring Lake to Lumberton and Pembroke. The recovery effort involved prominent faith organizations from Baptist Men to Manna Church and Covenant Love Church/Operation Blessing’s Disaster Relief. Manna Church on Cliffdale Road helped coordinate volunteer efforts related to trash and debris removal. One-on-one assistance included providing water and food, and help filing claims with insurance companies. Covenant Love Church and Operation Blessing Disaster Relief on Dunn Road served hot evening meals daily. Volunteers also helped with debris removal as well as packing and salvaging personal belongings. Green Springs Baptist Church, on the Cumberland-Robeson County line served as a drop-off point for people to bring clothes, blankets and hygiene items for distribution to the numerous shelters in Robeson County serving the victims of the flooding in Lumberton.

A Van Story Hills resident collected items including water, diapers, paper cups and plates, blankets and more, and drove them to Lumberton, which was hard hit by flooding. And the Sandhills Chapter of the Red Cross coordinated the arrival of volunteers from out of state who came to North Carolina to help. The Red Cross mobilized more than 400 workers and 80 response vehicles.

Holiday Wreaths

Holy Trinity Church’s Preschool is taking orders for Christmas wreaths and accessories through Nov. 1. They’re fresh from Alleghany County, North Carolina. The 20 - 22 inch Fraser Fir wreaths are $21. Wreath bows are $4 and 20 feet of white pine garlands are $15. Advance orders and payments can be made at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 1601 Raeford Road. The items will be available for pickup on Nov. 19 at the church parking lot. 

Public Assistance

Cumberland County residents who receive food and nutrition benefits and have experienced flood damage or power outages may apply for replacements by doing so in person at the Department of Social Services on Ramsey Street. Also, because Cumberland County is included in a presidential disaster declaration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is making its assistance available locally to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts. Federal funding is available to effected individuals to include grants for temporary housing and home repairs as well as low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses. Federal funding is also available to local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations to help defray the costs associated with emergency work. Fayetteville City Council dipped into its reserves to provide $1.5 million dollars for emergency relief. 

Museum Enhancements

The 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum on Fort Bragg will undergo a major exhibition gallery upgrade starting next month. The $2.5 million upgrade is expected to continue through August of next year. The new gallery will be open in time to honor the Division’s centennial according to an 82nd Airborne Division spokesman. 

The U.S. Army Center of Military History funded the improvements to better tell the story of the 82nd Airborne Division’s combat service from 2003 to 2015. During the construction, museum exhibits will remain displayed in the Hall of Heroes on the museum grounds on Ardennes Road, Fort Bragg. The museum gift shop will remain open.

I started this column on Sept. 22, while watching reports and commentary on rioting the previous night in Charlotte, North Carolina. Businesses in the downtown area were looted, police officers were attacked and one person was shot. This situation came about in the aftermath of a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer shooting resulting in the death of a black man named Keith Lamont Scott. As with Ferguson and Baltimore, I sat there wondering why this kind of chaos happens. That is: the rioting, looting and absolute destruction of property owned by people who had nothing to do with the shooting of Scott.

I think a part of the answer shows in an event at a pw

“A history teacher in Cumberland County was placed on paid administrative leave Tuesday after coming under fire for stepping on the U.S. flag as part of a lesson on the First Amendment.”

“He was teaching a junior-level American History class with 26 students when the incident happened Monday. He had been teaching about Texas v. Johnson, a case that upheld that flag desecration was protected by the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights.”

The teacher referred to is Lee Francis. The McCleary/Banks article referenced above reports that Francis is surprised and disappointed by the tremendous public opposition to his treatment of the American flag and his teaching technique. His approach to teaching is quoted as follows:

“But this is exactly what I teach: You don’t teach kids how to think or what to think; you teach them to go their own path,” he said. “If they feel so convicted that this is their cause they’re going to stand for, I don’t blame them. It’s an upper-level school for those who aspire to go to college and in that regard, we have rigor and expectations, so I treat them as such.”

What this teacher says is a major part of the answer to my question in regards to why people choose to act as they did in Charlotte on Sept. 21, in Ferguson, Baltimore and so on. I agree we should not tell people what to think, but there must be instruction on how to think. One’s thinking is done within the framework of what is believed to be right, to be acceptable behavior.

The apostle Paul understood and spoke to this critical factor of framework for thinking and its impact on behavior. In Romans 12:2, Paul writes: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.” The apostle is calling on us to adopt a framework for thinking that is controlled by what God wills for us and not by what is acceptable to society, in general, apart from God’s desires for us. Dr. David Jeremiah invites us as we consider taking a particular action, ask if we would be comfortable taking that action in the presence of Jesus.

Although Francis obviously does not realize it, by his flag-stomping action and saying “... you teach them to go their own path,” he is teaching students how to think. His message is, “Say whatever you want and you are protected by the First Amendment.” Without doubt, promoting this position likely contributes to a mindset, a framework for thinking, which leads one to conclude that what happened in Charlotte, Baltimore, Ferguson and elsewhere, is acceptable behavior. 

I remember well when commitment to the common good was taught and encouraged as an essential element in a person’s framework for thinking. An article at www.scu.edu titled “The Common Good” speaks to this matter by saying, in part:

“Commenting on the many economic and social problems that American society confronts, Newsweekcolumnist Robert J. Samuelson once wrote: ‘We face a choice between a society where people accept modest sacrifices for a common good or a more contentious society where groups selfishly protect their own benefits.’ Newsweekis not the only voice calling for a recognition of and commitment to the ’common good.’’’

“What exactly is “the common good,” and why has it come to have such a critical place in current discussions of problems in our society? The common good is a notion that originated over 2,000 years ago in the writings of Plato, Aristotle and Cicero. More recently the contemporary ethicist, John Rawls, defined the common good as ‘certain general conditions that are... equally to everyone’s advantage’.”

These quotes precisely describe America’s present reality and we appear locked-in on the course that is totally contrary to what made us the greatest nation in the world. Commitment to “the common good” is now becoming a relic on the dusty shelf of “what used to be.” In great part, this is the case because thought frameworks of individuals are being dangerously shaped by actions and influences such as the flag-stomping done by Lee Francis. Again, in his words, “…you teach them to go their own path.” The result is that far too many people live life selfishly, while likely identifying with and promoting the interests of some group to the detriment of other individuals or groups. 

In America, the examples of how this plays out in real life seems endless. Consider Charlotte. A man is killed, and even before minimal facts are collected and examined, people are rioting, looting and even shooting in downtown Charlotte. Be reminded, the owners of those businesses or people working in that area to earn a living had absolutely nothing to do with the officer-involved shooting. On a news broadcast, I saw one black speaker calling for a boycott of Charlotte. All of this is a clear picture of disregard for “the common good.” Simply put, this is the willingness of one small group to penalize innocent people in the name of protest. 

I see, in the same light, actions by many who oppose HB2, which is often referred to as North Carolina’s Bathroom Law. Key wording from the law follows:

“Single-Sex Multiple Occupancy Bathroom and Changing Facilities. Public agencies shall require every multiple occupancy bathroom or changing facility to be designated for and only used by persons based on their biological sex. Accommodations Permitted. – Nothing in this section shall prohibit public agencies from providing accommodations such as single occupancy bathroom or changing facilities upon a person’s request due to special circumstances, but in no event shall that accommodation result in the public agency allowing a person to use a multiple occupancy bathroom or changing facility designated under subsection (b) of this section for a sex other than the person’s biological sex.”

Individuals, groups, businesses and organizations opposed to this legislation have brought tremendous financial harm to North Carolina citizens in an attempt to force repeal of HB2. The NBA moved the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte; the ACC moved 10 neutral-site championships out of North Carolina for the 2016-2017 academic year; NCAA moved seven championships scheduled for this academic year; PayPal cancelled plans to bring 400 jobs to North Carolina. This is only a sampling of what is being done which does not consider common good. An op-ed in The News & Observer by Chris Armstrong titled “Potentially $5 billion in losses from HB2 and still no repeal” says of HB2, “In total, a report from UCLA estimates the law may cost the state up to $5 billion a year.”

All of this is being done so that a small group of men may go into restrooms and changing areas with women and vice-versa. Note that the law only applies to public agencies. Businesses and other non-public entities may do what they want. Further, single occupancy bathroom or changing facilities are allowed and should satisfy the concerns of transgender persons. In spite of this accommodation and the horrendous financial, mental, and emotional strain being placed on millions of innocent hard-working North Carolinians, many opponents of HB2 totally disregard “the common good.” 

The Charlotte events described above and opposition actions regarding HB2 are just two examples that show consideration of “the common good” is becoming an American relic. Indications are that this consideration hardly ever appears as a component in the thought framework of many citizens, or our leaders. This dangerous progression toward relic status is fueled in great part by words and actions like those of Lee Francis before that class of young minds developing a framework for thinking. Does the Constitution allow him to say and do what he did? Yes. Did he consider the common good? No. Does that failure by him and others likely affect the thought frameworks that produce what we saw in Charlotte and in the devastating responses of many opponents of HB2? Yes. We better give attention to helping individuals develop thought frameworks that produce right actions. 

Last week about this time, some of us were still without power and water. We were in that window of hope where our world would soon be made right. And for most of us, it was, but for many, their world was just starting to unravel.

Our kids lost a week of school. Some of us had to find creative ways to get to work. And once there, we had to find creative ways to get our work done. But for others in our state, the pain had just started. As the Cape Fear River began to slowly move back into its banks, rivers across the state began to crest and our neighbors to the south in Robeson County and to the East, in areas like Kinston and Goldsboro, began to flood.

It would have been easy for our community to say we have enough to take care of and leave our neighbors to fend for themselves. But we didn’t. Instead, we rolled up our sleeves and began to look for ways to help not only our neighbors here in Cumberland County but also those we do not know.

On Fort Bragg, commands reached out to the soldiers and civilians who work there to see what kind of damage had occurred, and then they put hands and feet to work helping to salvage what could be salvaged and to find ways to get assistance to those in need.

The civilian community worked the same way. Neighbors offered shelter to those who had lost everything. Clothes drives were launched, volunteers started cooking for those in need and collecting the basics to share.

This reminded me of the question asked in the Bible: Who is my neighbor? Is it the person who lives beside me? Is it the person who looks like me, believes like me and has the same economic condition that I do? I’m proud to say that our community knew the answer to that question. That became readily apparent as groups all across the county scrambled to help our neighbors in Robeson County.

At the church I attend, Green Springs Baptist, an immediate call to action was given and people answered wholeheartedly. Clothes, blankets, pillows, soap, deodorant, tooth brushes and tooth paste … whatever the need, began appearing, and each evening volunteers made a run to the shelters in Robeson County to distribute all the donations. Each day, the donation room was full again. At my office at Fort Bragg, I mentioned the work the church was doing, and I loaded my SUV three days in a row with things brought to me by my coworkers and friends. That’s just my experience. Many of you have similar experiences.

People can say what they want about our community, and I will stand and tell them they are wrong. Fayetteville/Cumberland County is a community of heart. It is a community that cares. I am proud to call Fayetteville home.

Okay, we get it! Everyone is excited and ready to “play ball” in the new $33 million baseball stadium proposed for downtown Fayetteville. Hey, I’m excited and ready! 

Well, now that the Memorandum of Understanding has been completed and sent to the Astros by our city leadership, they must now come up with a way to finance it and, hopefully, without the debt burden falling on local taxpayers. Doable? Sure it is. 

More importantly, I think the bigger challenge will be in keeping the residents of Fayetteville informed, involved and excited about the prospect of having our own stadium and Class A Advanced Minor League team here in Fayetteville.

This will be a challenge, one that can only be accomplished by effective and open communications with the community and keeping it involved in every step of the process. More importantly, an exerted effort must be made to make sure residents understand the city’s vision and the long-term positive economic development impact this successful venture will have on them as well as the quality of life of the community. 

The community must understand that this project is really not just about a baseball stadium. It is about economic development, creating jobs, attracting new businesses and industry and providing for our citizens those amenities now enjoyed by residents of other North Carolina municipalities. We need to build and enhance a vibrant Downtown Fayetteville that not only can we be proud of, but what every major city needs to be successful. Our city, county and community leaders must be diligent in this effort. So far, local residents seem to be open-minded about the stadium project, but they are naturally skeptical about the execution of the deal and rightfully so.

After all, the City of Fayetteville’s track record when it comes to getting directly involved with real estate and economic development hasn’t done much over the years to enhance  the taxpayer’s  confidence. (Festival Park/PWC buildings (both for sale), Prince Charles Hotel (shambles), Doc’s at the Capitol Building (fiasco) and the jury is out on the location of the new transportation hub still under construction on the corner of Robeson and Russell Streets. Skeptics think it is ill placed and being built backwards (like the Festival Park building) on a lot that is too small. Only time will tell. 

Couple these ill-fated projects with Cumberland County’s leadership decisions of putting the J.P. Riddle Baseball Stadium in the boondocks off Legion Road, a brand new county jail downtown where the baseball stadium should have gone, a $247 million dollar (bogus) ethanol plant next to a north side residential community and a more than $55 million Coliseum Complex in a field that no one wants to be associated with. Hmm? 

Altogether, I would say there is a pretty good case for healthy skepticism. This being said, both city and county taxpayers ultimately want what is good, fair and practical for the community in general. Hopefully, both city and county leadership have learned much from these failed and tainted ventures, thus assuring us that they are much better equipped and prepared to move the community forward.

Everyone, surely hopes so. A word of caution about our enthusiasm for the accomplishments of other cities. Example: Sure, Winston-Salem’s Forsyth County and Cumberland County have about the same overall population. However, the city of Winston-Salem has a population of more than 236,000, and unlike Fayetteville, when you drive around Winston-Salem you see the pulsating skyline of a busy and thriving city. There is Downtown commerce, industry, skyscrapers, stadiums, restaurants, parks and factories. You see the homes of 24 major corporate employers, half of which are headquartered in the city of Winston-Salem. BB&T, Pepsi, Hanes, Lowes Foods, R.J. Reynolds, K&W Cafeteria and Krispy Kreme donuts are just a few. Sure, we have Fort Bragg, but, it is not the same when it comes to being a strong economic development driver. 

My point is, we are not Winston-Salem, Durham or Columbia, South Carolina. We are Fayetteville, North Carolina. We need to move forward with this project, but at our own pace and with extreme caution. It needs to be supported, accepted and embraced by the residents of the community so they will feel good about it. And, the only way they will feel good about it is if they feel they are a part of it.  Transparency and good communication will be key. We do not want to build a baseball stadium under a cloud of skepticism or negativism. 

History has shown us that the Crown Coliseum has never really recovered from the hard, hurtful and negative feelings that surrounded that project. Over the years this has taken its toll in support, participation and economic development. No one wants to be associated or affiliated with anything that negative in nature. 

The baseball stadium and the Astros project must happen, and it must be done in a way that it becomes not only a positive catalyst for downtown economic development, but a catalyst for other important and worthy projects like the Performing Arts Center and Civil War History Center. Done right, this is a win-win for the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community. A win that will contribute greatly to the infrastructure of our local economy, our art and cultural awareness and our quality of life, now and for generations to come.

Let’s get it done! Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly. 

LAFAYETTE’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Fayetteville’s history is as vast and varied as the people who live here. From her earliest days, Fayetteville has embraced and celebrated the strength diversity brings to a community. On the weekend of Sept. 9-11 two of Fayetteville’s most-loved events offer a bevy of activities that are sure to keep attendees entertained, enlightened and well-fed: Lafayette’s Birthday Celebration and the 26th Annual Greek Fest.

Fayetteville, North Carolina, was the first city to take Lafayette’s name and the only one he ever visited in person. The significance of this is not lost on history buffs. Those unfamiliar with the Marquis’ adventure and his role in the founding of our country can get a feel for the contributions our city’s namesake made to a fledgling republic centuries ago. “If you live in Fayetteville you need to understand how far back our history goes,” said Lafayette Society spokesperson Hank Parfitt. “We have a unique connection to a real hero of the Revolutionary War.” And that is just what this celebration is about – connecting the community to its history, while having fun.

The Lafayette Birthday Celebration starts on Friday, Sept. 9 at Methodist University with Arias and Artifacts. View artifacts and new additions to Methodist University’s Lafayette Collection. It starts at 5:30 p.m. and includes a short program. “There are ceramic pictures, snuff boxes, scarves and other items that manufacturers made to celebrate Lafayete’s visit,” said Parfitt. “Much like you would by a T-shirt at a rock concert, it is an early example of merchandising.” The program is followed by a live performance of French music by Gail Morfesis and Friends. The concert is at 7 p.m. at Hensdale Chapel. 

On Saturday, Sept. 10, trace Lafayette’s steps through Fayetteville on the Lafayette Trail Tour.  Commander Bruce Daws of the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry leads the tour and shares relevant facts and information about Lafayette and what it was like for him to serve under George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The tour begins at the Transportation and Local History Museum and includes coffee and croissants. Tickets cost $30. Call 678.8899 for information.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Museum of the Cape Fear presents Festival of Yesteryear, which features reenactors, music, toys, games and more from the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods. Lafayette, portrayed by reenactor Mark Schneider will be in attendance as well. Youngsters will enjoy Apprentice Alley where they can make crafts and participate in hands-on activities. Find out more at www.ncdcr.gov/ncmcf.

Downtown shops host the Lafayette Birthday Sidewalk Sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

From noon to 2 p.m., enjoy birthday cake and ice cream at Cross Creek Park. The 82nd Airborne Band Jazz ensemble will be in attendance and Lafayette is scheduled to make an appearance at 1 p.m. “He is the official Lafayette at Colonial Williamsburg and probably the country’s premier Lafayette reenactor. It is truly a performance to remember.

While you are downtown, visit the Market House exhibit Lafayette in Fayetteville -1825. Lafayette spoke from the Market House balcony on his visit to Fayetteville in 1825. Take a peek inside and learn more on the second floor where the exhibit is housed. 

Mysteries of the 1825 Lafayette Map of Fayetteville is a new event in this celebration. “The Lafayette map was printed in 1825. It is a very detailed map of what was Fayetteville, and compared to modern day survey technology, it is very accurate,” said Parfitt. “At one time it was thought were only 15 copies in the world, including one in the Library of Congress. Then a cache of these maps were found in the home of local descendants of John McRae.” McRae was an early publisher of The Fayetteville Observer. Bruce Daws will speak about the map at City Center Gallery and Books at 6 and 7 p.m., where a copy of the map will also be on display.

From 6-8:30 p.m., the Wine Café, located at 108 Hay Street, will host a French wine tasting. A guest speaker is set to explain the characteristics of wine from different French region. This event is free. No reservations are required, but it does fill up fast. 

For more information about the Lafayette Birthday Celebration, go to http://www.lafayettesociety.org.

GREEK FEST

For more than a quarter century, Fayetteville’s Greek residents have opened their churches and their hearts to the community at the annual Greek Fest. It is an entire weekend of music, culture, food and fun. This is 26th annual Greek Fest. It is a great way to get a taste of the Greek culture without even leaving town. The celebration starts on Friday and runs through Sunday. “We really want to make this a community event, not just a Greek event. We have several organizations from the community that will be there including the Sheriff’s Department, the state patrol, the fire department and even artillery displays from Fort Bragg. The mayor is coming to speak, too.” said Dr. John Poulos event co-chair. “We continue to use proceeds from the festival to support autism research, the Cape Fear Valley Foundation, the American Red Cross and other charities in the community.”

This longstanding tradition has many favorites. The food is always a big hit with vendors offering traditional Greek fare like gyros, souvlaki and more. Follow up your meal with a delightful homemade Greek pastry. Baklava, is a favorite, but just one of the many delicious confectionary options. Wash down the pastries with authentic Greek coffee or a refreshing glass of Greek beer or wine. 

Music is an integral part of the Greek culture. It is lively and upbeat and brings home the flavor of the festival. Throughout the weekend, members of the congregation wear traditional costumes and demonstrate the dances of their homeland. “We will have a lot of dancing throughout the weekend,” said Poulos. “If anyone wants to join in or learn the dances, we will teach them how to do it. We want to share our culture and our religion with the community. There will also be guided church tours throughout the weekend.”

Each year, the festival sells raffle tickets for a trip to Athens, Greece. Tickets are $5 or 5 tickets for $20.

There are some new things to look for this year as well. “We are adding at Zorbathon,” said Kelly Papagikos. “Since exercise is a big part of people’s lives, we wanted to include it in our festivities as well. So we are having a zumbathon on Saturday morning to benefit Victory Junction.”

Poulos noted there is even more to look forward to, “We have simulators that people can get inside and also there will be military equipment on display for people to enjoy. We will also have more vendors.”

The festival takes place at the Hellenic Center at 614 Oakridge Avenue. Find out more about the Greek Festival at  www.stsch.nc.goarch.org.

While it makes for a full weekend, both the Lafayette Society and the congregation of Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church have much to offer in the way of entertainment, activities and education. “We are happy to partner with the Lafayette Society to bring two great events to Fayetteville for one great weekend.”