Retired State Trooper Randy Lee has always loved serving others. He retired from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol recently at the age of 56, but that is just one of the many ways he served the community. He has volunteered at local schools, serves as a Councilman with the Town of Eastover, is an active member of Eastover’s Community Watch Program and the Eastover Civic Club and he is a member of the State Employee Credit Union Advisory Board. Lee is a graduate of Mount Olive College, a lifetime member of the North Carolina Troopers Association and a member of Haymount United Methodist Church. He has Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, an incurable disease. His only hope for a healthy life is a double lung transplant. Lee’s fight for life includes more than physical needs. The cost of a transplant is staggering. On July 23, at the State Fairgrounds, there is an Artisan and Craftmans Expo to benefit Lee.

The expo includes original artwork, décor items, hand-woven baskets, hand-turned wood bowls, handmade bird houses, handmade jewelry, glass and crystal, plants and florals, restored furniture, handmade baby clothes, hand sewn pillows and blankets, antiques and collectibles, a farmer’s market gourmet food items, face painting and other children’s novelties and more. The event also includes 50/50 raffle as well as giveaways and food for purchase. 

Mary Langston is Lee’s sister-in-law. She is one of the organizers of the benefit expo. She got the idea for the expo when she was trying to figure out a way to help Lee and his family. “My daughter is an artist and she and I recover and refurbish furniture together. We always get good responses when people receive our work. This is what we know and love and it is what we are good at. We wanted to do something that we believe other people will enjoy, but mostly we wanted a way to help Randy. That is the most important part.”

The funds raised at the expo will go to help Lee and his family cover medical related expenses that insurance will not pay for, such as co-pays and deductibles, travel, temporary relocation for three months to be near the transplant center and the costly anti-rejection medications that he will need to take for the rest of his life. The transplant financial coordinators at UNC Chapel Hill estimate that Lee will have $150,000 to $200,000 in out-of-pocket expenses. 

When transplant candidates and their families work with hospitals, Langston noted, it is important for the families to show good faith and that they have the ability to raise the funds that patients will need for the transplant, but also for the lifesaving medications that come with that. Currently, Lee has one lung working at 60 percent capacity and the other at 40 percent said Langston. 

“We are about one-third of the way to our goal,” she said. “The doctors have said that Randy is not just a good candidate but an excellent candidate for this. He will get the transplant and be the one that thrives and mentors other patients who are going through this. That is just who he is. I was widowed five years ago when my husband was killed by a drunk driver. I cannot stand by and watch my sister slowly widowed when there is something we can do about it. Randy’s daughter is 11 years old, and she needs her daddy.”

Pulmonary fibrosis causes scarring in lung tissue, which is called fibrosis. The scarring prevents the lungs from moving oxygen to the blood stream, which means the brain and other organs don’t get the oxygen they need. Sometimes there is no known cause for this. That is the case with Lee. 

The expo is at the Governor Martin Building, Gate 9. For more information, call 527-5634

A mobile app called Fayfixit for smartphones makes it easy for Fayetteville residents to report non-emergency issues to City Hall. More than 2,000 residents have already downloaded the app according to city officials. Issues of concern can also be reported online at Fayfixit.com. This allows residents to bypass phone systems to make transactions faster and easier with no wait time. Those who prefer, however, may call 433-1FAY (1329). Either way, the process is easy for making complaints or reporting issues.

The customer service system is not fully implemented. Only three departments of city government are connected: Environmental Services, Storm Water Management and Traffic Services sign division. 

“Eighty percent of the complaints pertain to environmental services issues,” said Assistant City Manager Jay Reinstein. Nearly 3,800 reports of all kinds, ranging from missed collections to dead animals and illegal dumping to bulky items left at the curb were received over a 12-month period ending June 30. Other departments of city government, which will eventually be in the system, include Code Enforcement, Parks & Recreation, Street Maintenance and PWC street lights. For issues pertaining to these areas, for now, residents can phone 433-1FAY.

Here’s how the system works: “Service requests automatically go to FayFixIt, which generates service requests. All work orders that come in are given priorities,” says Project Manager Joe Viittorelli. “They go directly to the departments and should cut down on our response time,” according to Customer Service Supervisor Tiffany Brisson, who says the City gets about 100 complaints a week on average. Issues meant for departments not yet connected are sent manually to directors. The City call center received more than 60,000 calls during the last fiscal year. Four representatives field the calls, and thanks to the new smartphone app and the Internet, telephone wait times have been reduced significantly, said Brisson. 

There are 62,000 single-family households in Fayetteville, nearly 60 percent of which are rentals according to Reinstein. That makes keeping up with issues challenging since renters don’t know local procedures, and in some cases really don’t care, he adds. Reinstein notes that more than 8,700 issues have been reported to city hall since the FayFixIt system was launched 18 months ago. A request for service is just that: It’s a report to investigate, after which a departmental supervisor is dispatched to check out the problem. Reporting them is one thing. Getting them taken care of is another. 

Jimmy Womble is what Reinstein calls a “super user” of the system. Womble lives in the Scotty Hills community and walks through the neighborhood several times a week. He takes notes along the way and uses the FayFixIt app to report problems he comes across. 

“I made one report simply because I was so frustrated that some neighbors don’t seem to understand or care about their responsibilities,” said Womble. 

State law dictates how violations are handled by the City and it can sometimes be a cumbersome process. Reinstein acknowledged that from a customer perspective it can be very frustrating. “This tool is not an end and be all…we need to do a better job of educating our citizens,” Reinstein says. “Every department of city government has established benchmarks which are used as performance evaluations but residents have to do their part,” he concluded. 

Fayetteville City Council has until Aug. 19 to decide whether it wants a local minor league baseball team to affiliate with the Houston Astros. Consultant Daniel Barrett of Barrett Sports Group has repeatedly urged the Council to decide if it’s prepared to meet what he calls the “yes or no” date. But the four members of the Council’s stadium subcommittee say that may not be enough time to weigh all the considerations, including cost. The Astros want a formal memorandum of understanding from the city. BSG has proposed a $47 million ballpark on city-owned property behind the Prince Charles Hotel. Most Single-A stadiums on the east coast were built for far less than that. Council members who have spoken up, including Mayor Nat Robertson, want to keep the cost at no more than $30 million. Committee membe,r Jim Arp, seems to be the most reluctant to be hurried, saying the city must do its due diligence. Barrett told the committee he isn’t sure if there are other major league teams that might be interested in locating a minor league affiliate in Fayetteville. Committee members include Arp, Kirk deViere, Larry Wright and Mayor Pro Tem Mitch Colvin who serves as chairman.

Building Business Rally Planned       

The Fayetteville Public Works Commission, City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County are co-hosting a Building Business Rally that will present upcoming business opportunities for utility contractors.  Water, wastewater and stormwater utility contractors are invited to attend the free event as are other businesses that support utility construction.  PWC, the city’s stormwater division and Cumberland County Public Utilities will provide information about projects that are planned over the next five years. Breakout sessions will be held to review bidding requirements and opportunities for minorities, women and veterans who may want to register for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program. The Building Business Rally will be held Thursday, July 21, from 9 – 11 a.m. at PWC’s Administration Building, 955 Old Wilmington Rd.  To register, call 223-4337 or visit http://www.faypwc.com/purchasing .

President on Opioid Abuse       

President Barack Obama has made combatting prescription pain medication abuse and heroin addiction a top priority for his administration. Fayetteville has the unenviable distinction of having the 18th-highest rate of opioid abuse in the country. It has joined with the VA to form an Opioid Reduction Task Force, which is designed to allow different agencies to share ideas and resources to better attack the opioid epidemic. The White House has asked Congress for $1.1 billion in new funding to expand access to lifesaving treatment, particularly the drug buprenorphine. He also wants to strengthen prescription drug monitoring and accelerate research on pain and opioid misuse and overdose. Buprenorphine and the combination of buprenorphine and naloxone are used to treat addiction to opioid drugs, including heroin and narcotic painkillers. Buprenorphine alone and the combination of buprenorphine and naloxone work to prevent withdrawal symptoms when someone stops taking opioid drugs by producing similar effects to these drugs. “More people die of drug overdoses in the U.S. than in car crashes,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia M. Burwell. Government funds earmarked for treatment would be funneled directly to states.

Pine Forest H.S. Teachers Honored   

Pine Forest High School teachers Linwood Starling and Pierre Cobb have been selected to participate in the North Carolina Business Committee for Education’s Teachers@Work® program this summer. It’s a joint initiative of the NCBCE and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. “Teachers know the hard skills to teach their students, but they also need to see first-hand how those skills are being used in their local businesses,” said Sue Breckenridge, executive director of NCBCE. Starling and Cobb are science teachers and are paired with employees of Lenovo to learn the various aspects of the business. 

I repeatedly write about the troubled political, governmental, moral and social condition of America. The thinking and concerns raised in much of my writing has brought me to the conclusion America needs a contingency third political party. What follows are the why, when and what of such an effort. Readers are invited and encouraged to send me feedback regarding what I present here. 

The consideration that finally brought me to this conclusion regarding a third party is stated well by Gary Odom, political activist and former National Field Director for the Constitution Party, in “A Brief Look at the History of Third Parties in America,” posted on the organization’s website. My use of the quote here or any other reference to Odom is not an endorsement of the Constitution Party:

“One doesn’t have to subscribe to a ‘conspiracy theory of history’ to understand that this ‘pendulum-style political system’ serves the big-moneyed special interests and the entrenched parties, whom they control, quite well. The powerful special interests, sitting, figuratively, at the fulcrum of the pendulum, contribute to and exert tremendous influence and control over both, the Republican and Democrat parties. While the voters feverishly push the political pendulum back and forth from one side to the other, election after election, under the impression that they are making significant changes, there is actually almost never any significant change made at all when it comes to real policy. In fact, those who exert the real power and influence behind the scenes (or at the fulcrum for the purpose of this example) rarely, if ever, care which candidate or party is elected. While the names sometimes change, and the rhetoric may be passionate and seem significantly different between the parties, policy almost never changes because the big money power brokers who effectively control most of what happens in both major parties remain the same and so do their interests.”

I read Odom to say whether a Democrat or Republican is elected to an office, the primary American course will always be what serves the well-being of “big-moneyed special interests.” Regretfully, I have finally concluded he is right. Look at what has happened over the past 18 months with Republicans in control of Congress. I do not see that there has been any change in a single major policy resulting in adverse impact on powerful special interests. I shared this thought with a friend of many years. His response was, “Oh, I have seen changes.” He was thinking about changes brought by President Obama. In light of his response, I thought further about Odom’s conclusion and my acceptance of it. Winking at illegal immigration, pushing for same sex marriage, failing to seriously address extreme Islamic terrorism, support for the LGBT agenda and so many other similar changes…none of this adversely impacts big-moneyed special interests. So, I am back to agreeing with Odom.

This situation requires formation of a political party that will not and cannot be controlled by a few people driven by self-interests. There are political parties in this country other than Republican and Democrat. However, as best I can tell, they are or would be open to the same kind of control currently at work regarding the two dominant parties. It would be a “contingency” party in that the organization would only activate to the point of putting forth candidates in 2020 if the Democrat and Republican Parties continue to fail America. Knowing that in the wings there is a party with superb organization, substantial human and financial resources, solid strategy and tactics, a huge informed voter base and that it will not be controlled by moneyed self-interests; maybe one or both primary parties will do what is right for America. If that happens, this contingency party would support those major party candidates whose actions, not just words, fit with its mission and principles. That failing, the contingency party shifts to a full-fledged political party putting forth candidates for 2020.

A key to success in any effort is being clear about the mission. From my vantage point, the mission of the Democrat and Republican parties is to win elections. That mission engenders personal attacks, chasing financial donations, lack of substantive discussion of issues, and an overall process that is downright disgusting. The mission of this third party would be to give America an opportunity to do what is right for her citizens and in our interactions with the entire world. Winning elections would be desirable, but not controlling. “Doing what is right” controls.

As I wrote in a recent column, doing what is right requires a solid source of principles that define “right.” As for this third party, succeed or fail, Judeo-Christian principles would be the source for identifying what is right. Many people will deny it, but these are the principles on which this nation was founded and thrived. There would be no turning from, no wavering, regarding adherence to this course. President Ronald Reagan spoke truth when he said, “If we ever forget that we are ‘One nation under God,’ then we will be a nation gone under.”

Beyond mission and source of principles, a contingency third party could learn much from studying the 1992 independent Presidential campaign of Ross Perot. The billionaire received 18.9 percent of the popular vote. His opponents were George Bush the elder and Bill Clinton. Perot performed so well that he qualified to participate in the final debate of that election.

Perot recognized that many Americans vote based on emotion and not informed understanding of issues. The situation is no different in our time. Neil Cavuto on Fox Cable News interviewed a young lady who supports Bernie Sanders, 2016 Democrat Presidential candidate because of his promise of free college. Neil asked her how Sanders would pay for this benefit. Her face went blank and after several seconds of silence, she blurted out, “Tax the rich.” No thought given to details of the issue; simply driven by a feeling of deserving more. Perot recognized this sad situation in the 1990s. For this reason, he did infomercials that addressed issues that informed voters. A contingency party must be about informing voters. Please, go to this link and watch one of Perot’s infomercials. It will be time well invested: https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=ross+perot+infomercials&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001

Media sources have consolidated to the point that a few companies and individuals control what information is made available to the public. Without a doubt, most news, commentary and even entertainment align with liberal thinking and aim to disparage conservative candidates and views. Perot avoided such treatment because the controllers of media likely realized if they did not cover him and do so accurately, he had the money to purchase advertising and still get his message out. A contingency third party must have similar leverage regarding media.

Perot had the financial means to impact media as explained in the preceding paragraph. He had those resources because of personal wealth but also because of successful grassroots fundraising. This combination allowed Perot to operate independent of the moneyed self-interest class and media bias. This contingency third party must do the same. That is, raise substantial cash, but do so in small donations from the grassroots. This approach avoids coming under the control of big-money donors.

On July 16, 1992, Perot withdrew from the Presidential race stating that he could not win and staying in the race would only create problems for the electoral process. At another point, he said his withdrawal was due to receiving warning that digitally altered photos of his daughter would be released if he stayed in the race and her wedding might be disrupted. He returned to the race in October. His withdrawal and somewhat questionable reasons cost Perot momentum. The lesson for a contingency third party is “be transparent.” 

America’s troubled condition requires bold aggressive action to give our nation an opportunity to do what is right, not what is easy or pleasing to human desires. I believe a third political party very different from any party in existence today is required for that kind of action.  

To read more, visit my website, scroll down and read a few of my columns: www.karlmerritt.com/articles. 

That old-fashioned word, wallflower, conjures images of a shy young lady standing alone in a room full of dancing couples as callow young men chat without looking her way. An empty dance card dangles from a slim wrist, and eyes are downcast. She looks sad and lonesome.

North Carolina was a lonesome wallflower herself for many presidential cycles. Throughout most of the 20th century, North Carolina voted reliably for the Democratic presidential nominee in every election from 1876 through 1964, with the sole exception of 1928, when we went for Republican Herbert Hoover over Democrat Al Smith, a Roman Catholic in an era of religious discrimination. From 1968 on, we voted solidly Republican, except for Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Barack Obama in 2008.

Whatever our personal partisan leanings may be, voting reliably one way or another makes for dull elections. Because the outcomes were predictable, partisan primaries could be fierce, but North Carolina’s presidential races were snoozes. Ferrel Guillory, director of the University of North Carolina Program on Public Life and a longtime observer of Tar Heel politics, notes that as recently as 2004 neither Democrats nor Republicans purchased even one prime-time ad in our state.  Everyone knew how our presidential elections were likely to turn out, so why use precious campaign time and financial resources here?

As Bob Dylan sang, “The times, they are a changin’…”

In fact, they have changed.

After more than a century as a wallflower, North Carolina is now — depending on your terminology, a swing state, a battleground state or a purple state. This means we no longer give overwhelming support to either party or single Presidential candidate. It also means we are going to get — indeed, we are getting — intense attention from Presidential candidates themselves, their political parties and, since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling in early 2010, the so-called “dark money” now flowing into our political process. All this is coming our way because purple states, like North Carolina, are the best places for candidates to mine for electoral votes. It is difficult if not impossible to turn a Democratic state like California Republican or a Republican state like Kansas Democratic.

If you have any doubt about how important North Carolina and our 15 electoral votes are, just think back to earlier this month when President Obama gave Hillary Clinton a ride on Air Force One to campaign in Charlotte and spoke glowingly on her behalf. Within hours on the same day, Donald Trump was on stage in Raleigh sharing his campaign message. 

North Carolina has not had such attention from presidential hopefuls in living memory, and probably never.

Becoming a purple state reflects dramatic changes in our state over the last half century. No longer are we a largely rural state where people farm or work in furniture, cigarette and textile factories. Our population has nearly doubled since the early 1970s, largely from people coming here from other places. Guillory tells us our newcomers include well-educated, upper income whites from other states, Asians and Latinos who have come for better jobs and African Americans returning “home” after the great out-migration of the early 20th century.

All of this has changed our state from a biracial place to a multi-ethnic society. Our newcomers as well as native North Carolinians, our “Tar Heels bred,” now gravitate to our booming urban areas, particularly Charlotte and the Triangle, meaning that the political clout of rural areas continues to decline. Increasingly, we are a state of urban “haves” and rural “have nots.”

Such dramatic change brings greater diversity, including among political opinions — think everyone from a Down East farmer to a millennial in the tech sector in Charlotte. In addition, the fastest-growing political registration is now “Independent,” a reality unsettling for both Democrats and Republicans.

Political polls are nothing more than snapshots in time. They can change on a dime given a political bombshell. At this writing, Clinton and Trump are running neck and neck, as are Richard Burr and Deborah Ross in our U.S. Senate race. 

But we are now a true purple state, and candidates are going to be here both in person and on television scrapping for every available vote while other reliably red or blue states will cruise through election season with few TV spots, positive or negative, and will not lay eyes on Hillary or the Donald. 

Here in North Carolina, our dance card is full to overflowing, and a famous face could knock on our door at any moment.

The only think to do is brace ourselves, gets lots of sleep and consider carefully — very carefully.

With several projects up for discussion (a $60 million N.C. Civil War History Center, a $40 million baseball  stadium and a $58 million Performing Arts Center), Fayetteville has some decisions to make. The problem with our community has never been that we don’t know what the right path or solution is (enter the consultants), it’s our enviable ability to always make the wrong decisions and do the wrong things. 

Here we have a trifecta of opportunity that can transform this community for a mere $158 million. Considering the waste and inefficiency of our governments, the positive economic impact of the venues themselves, the resulting growth and development in the city and a myriad of financial plans that can be spread over 15-20 years, this is DOABLE. We may never have a better opportunity to catapult Fayetteville and Cumberland County into the 21st century, allowing us to take our rightful place among other culturally enriched North Carolina cities. In sports parlance, “this is ours to lose.”

Celebrate the National Day of the Cowboy at a rodeo on July 22 and 23 at 7 Branch Farm in Lumber Bridge. This is the 3rd Annual National Day of the Cowboy at 7 Branch and looks to be the be a winner for participants and audiences alike. The National Day of the Cowboy celebrates the spirit of the west, the ruggedness and independence that made cowboys the icons we know and love. It celebrates the code that governed the wild west. 

At 7 Branch Arena, every day is a day to celebrate the cowboy culture. Family owned and operated, 7 Branch started as an eight-acre plot of farmland that the children of Ron Payne purchased eight years ago for the sole purpose of converting into a horse farm. Today, the farm boasts 37 acres and is home to several events each year. 

“I was involved in professional Team Roping and qualified for the National Finals of Team Roping three times,” said Buddy Blackman, one of the owners. Blackman’s own experience at rodeos helped shape the way the horse farm grew. “We decided to put in an arena at our farm. This idea grew into a full-size competition arena with bleachers and an 1,800 square foot arena and building including a lit parking area and water stations for competitors. We held our first official competition in 2012 and our first Rodeo in 2014. We were the first venue in North Carolina to hold a National Day of the Cowboy Rodeo.”  

Steeped in the rodeo and equine culture, Blackman grew up around horses. His family owned horses and he rode them as a child. By the time he was 18, he was riding bucking bulls and horses in professional rodeos. He loved the variety it added to his life. 

“Participating in rodeos is adventurous; it allowed me to travel from state to state,” said Blackman.

It turns out that hosting rodeos is also fun for Blackman. “Hosting and producing a rodeo is a lot of hard work that includes planning and coordinating with others to produce a wonderful event. The best part is when we finally get to the opening ceremony and the rodeo is underway,” he said, but there are other things he loves about putting on a rodeo, too. “There are many favorites: the big crowd, watching the bull riders and the cowboy mounted shooting where an individual shoots a .45 caliber pistols at balloon targets on a pre-designed pattern. … and the wild bull riding is always the main attraction — a 2,000+ pound bull versus a 150-pound rider.”

Whether this is old hat or a new experience, the events are lively and fast-paced are sure to keep the crowds entertained. The lineup includes rodeo standards like barrel racing, team roping, cowboy mounted shooting, bull riding and trick riding. Blackman expects a crowd of 1,500 to 2,000 people and suggests coming early. “Gates open at 5 p.m.,” he said. “We will have several vendors of food, information and plenty of activities to see and do. The show starts at 8 p.m. Based on previous events, there is always a long line at the ticket window at 8 p.m.”

This is Leslie Reed’s second year trick riding at 7 Branch’s National Day of the Cowboy Rodeo. She and her trick riding partner, Lori Chaney, have been riding together since 2011. “We ride together about once a month at different events and it is a lot of fun,” said Reed. “I like the adrenaline rush. Our horses go fast and there is a lot of trust involved. You have to really know and trust your horse. The crowds like our show because it is fast paced and high energy.”

7 Branch hosts several events throughout the year, but the National Day of the Cowboy Rodeo is a special one for Blackman because this event is not only a great time, it is also a fundraiser for three charities: the Lumber Bridge Fire Department, Parkton EMS and Operation First Response. 

“With three charities, we hope to raise enough money to make a difference, so that each organization gets a substantial amount,” said Blackman.

Tickets are available at https://dayofthecowboy.wordpress.com. Find out more about 7 Branch at https://www.facebook.com/7-Branch-Farm-248209858571054.

There was no law in the wild west, so cowboys had to make up their own code of conduct. It wasn’t legally binding but more of a code of honor.

The National Day of the Cowboy

Code of Conduct for 

Cowboys & Cowgirls©

1.  Live each day with honesty and courage.

2.  Take pride in your work. Always do your best.

3.  Stay curious. Study hard and learn all you can.

4.  Do what has to be done and finish what you start.

5.  Be tough, but fair.

6.  When you make a promise, keep it.

7.  Be clean in thought, word, deed, and dress.

8.  Practice tolerance and understanding of others.

9.  Be willing to stand up for what’s right.

10. Be an excellent steward of the land and its animals.

On July 9 and 10,  Jurassic Quest comes to the Crown Complex. Both days, the exhibit opens at 9 a.m. and is open all day. This is not a performance in the traditional sense. It is really an experience. The Crown Complex will be filled with exhibits featuring realistic animatronic dinosaurs. These dinosaurs are ultra-realistic and life sized. This family-friendly event is perfect for any dinosaur enthusiast. But kids certainly don’t have to love dinosaurs to love this exhibit. It is the closest anyone can come to really walking with dinosaurs. They leap off the pages of history books and move right before audiences. Visitors can even interact with the exhibits where entire realistic scenes are depicted in vivid detail. Jurassic Quest brings fun, history, learning and science together in one incredible day. 

Cool exhibits are not the only dinosaur fun available at Jurassic Quest. According to Jurassic Quest, general admission includes, “Dinosaur exhibit, exhibit Tour, Dino Theater, Science Station, Dino Crafts, Dino Coloring Station, Baby Dino Interaction, Walking Dino Interaction, Touching real fossils and Games.” There is enough fun to delight any kid and inspire a new love for the long-gone beasts. This is an interactive and fun peek back in time, which encourages learning and creativity in a more engaging way than the average museum. Reading about paleontologists just doesn’t last as long as digging up a few bones yourself. Jurassic Quest brings history to life and creates life long memories of fun and ancient beasts come to life.

There are also VIP tickets for children, which are $27. As this event is intended for children, there are no VIP tickets for adults. This ticket option includes, “Everything in general admission plus:  unlimited dinosaur rides, fossil digs, dino scooters, inflatables and a bungee pull,” Jurassic Quest staff explained. However this does not include, face painting, which costs $5 for one side of the face and $10 to paint both sides of the face. Green Screen photos that place your family in a photo with a professional dinosaur background costs $10 for a 4x6 photo and $20 for a 6x8 photo. 

All of the events are held inside the Crown Complex and customers are permitted to leave and return on the same day with a wristband or a hand stamp. One ticket can provide an entire day of entertainment and learning. 

“It generally takes about three hours to experience the show.  There are no show times. It is an interactive experience and customers move through the show at their own pace. Strollers are not a problem. Lines are generally shorter during the last three hours of the day. Customers with time constraints should come toward the end of the day,” Jurassic Quest staff advised. 

Adult tickets are $23 and general admission for kids is $18. No outside food or drink is permitted, but concessions will be sold.  For more information of to purchase tickets visit www.crowncomplexnc.com/events/detail/jurassic-quest. They can also be purchased on site the day of the event.

At this writing, a stroke of Governor McCrory’s pen is all that remains to complete a long hoped for collaboration between Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and Campbell University. Legislative approval of $7.7 million in recurring funds makes it possible for Cape Fear Valley to be reclassified as a “rural” hospital, allowing it to greatly expand its residency program. Becoming a rural hospital will allow the medical center to receive an additional $30 million in federal funding for its residency program for training and salaries for the residents, said Cape Fear Valley Health System Chief Executive Officer Mike Nagowski. They’ll earn about $50,000 a year with full benefits while in training. The fledgling physicians will be instructed by full- and part-time physician professors who will earn up to $400,000, depending on specialty. 

“These are all new jobs, and most will reside in Cumberland County,” County Commission Chairman Marshall Faircloth told Up & Coming Weekly. Campbell University trustees pledged their support to expand the residency program at Cape Fear Valley during a board meeting in May. Faircloth noted that, with the reclassification, Cape Fear Valley will lose $10.7 million in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. Campbell pledged $3 million and the general assembly’s appropriation of $7.7 million makes up the deficit. “What a major win this is, and what an effort by a lot of great folks,” said Faircloth. “This will be a combination of economic development and future expansion of community medical resources that we have not seen before. Cape Fear Valley’s relationship with Campbell and its excellent work with Harnett Health is paying dividends.”

Cape Fear Valley Medical Center has had a fledgling medical residency program for three years. But, the new collaboration will make it possible for the hospital to train up to 300 resident medical school graduates. The first year there will be 157 slots in several specialties. Nagowski said they’ll train in specialties such as general surgery, emergency medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine and obstetrics and gynecology. Studies have indicated that, when they complete their residencies, many of the new docs will choose to live within 50 miles of where they received their training “Thus giving a huge boost to rural health care access for our community in the future,” Faircloth observed. Osteopathic medicine provides all the benefits of modern medicine including surgery, prescription drugs and technology. In addition, it offers the added benefits of hands-on diagnosis and treatment using manipulative medicine. Osteopathic medicine emphasizes helping each person achieve a high level of wellness.

Faircloth noted that there are significant residuals for the community as well. The residency program will give county government the financial flexibility to entertain some level of participation in projects that the Fayetteville/Cumberland community is considering like a ballpark, Civil War History Center, an arts and entertainment district, performing arts center and other quality-of-life enhancements many believe are crucial to the county’s future. 

It’s the first time the chairman has indicated an interest in county commissioners joining with Fayetteville City Council on the construction of a minor league baseball stadium. Fayetteville Mayor Pro Tem Mitch Colvin has suggested adding a couple of county commissioners to the city’s stadium subcommittee. Faircloth observed that not everyone is happy that these projects are concentrated in or near downtown Fayetteville. But, he said, “If you look around at cities which have made a successful transition in their livability, that’s where the investment has been made.”

The Army’s Kiowa helicopters, which departed Fort Bragg after a patriotic sendoff, are on station in the Republic of Korea. The First Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment of the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade arrived in Korea to complete the Kiowa’s final deployment. When Task Force Sabre returns to Fort Bragg next Spring its OH-58Ds helicopters will be retired and replaced by AH-64D Apaches. Soldiers of the 17th Cavalry Regiment are the last squadron in the Army to make the conversion to Apaches. The addition of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, is a force multiplier. “Teaming Apaches and unmanned aerial vehicles essentially changes the face of the battlefield,” said Captain Adan Cazarez, spokesman for the 82nd CAB. The Apache will play a supporting role for the RQ-7 Shadow UAV.
An Apache crewman operating a UAV can survey enemy movements and relay information back to ground forces. 

More on Opioid Abuse                         

Governments at every level have joined the war on prescription opioid and heroin abuse in America. “I think the public doesn’t fully appreciate yet the scope of the problem,” President Barack Obama told people attending the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, earlier this year. New initiatives include making funding available to states to purchase and distribute the overdose reversal drug, naloxone, and to train first responders and others in its use.

Fayetteville Police have been saving lives administering emergency naloxone for nearly a year now. Opioids such as Percocet, Vicodin, Lortab and heroin are highly addictive drugs. Deaths linked to opiates soared to more than 29,000 in 2014, the highest number on record, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued its first-ever recommendations to clinicians on prescribing opioids. The CDC developed materials to assist clinicians with implementing the recommendations, including a decision checklist. The Food and Drug Administration recently announced safety labeling changes for all immediate-release opioid pain medications, including requiring a new box warning about the serious risks of misuse, abuse, addiction, overdose and death associated with these drugs.

SFC Earl Plumlee’s Mixed Emotions                                                

“It seems kind of odd” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Earl D. Plumlee as to why he was denied the Medal of Honor for his heroics in Afghanistan three years ago. Plumlee’s comment came in a Stars and Stripesinterview. He said he does not “lie awake every night burning up with anger” about it. His concern is the subjective nature of the honors decision-making process. In August, 2013, Plumlee’s Special Forces unit was attacked by Taliban fighters. The battle that followed resulted in the death of one Green Beret and the wounding of several others. Plumlee was recommended for the Medal of Honor, but he received the Silver Star Medal, two levels below the nation’s highest award for valor in combat. “I kind of have mixed emotions about it,” Plumlee told Stars and Stripes. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. asked for a Defense Department inspector general investigation to determine what happened. After all, Plumlee is credited with leading his men in a fierce battle that fought off the insurgents. Several service members were decorated for valor with one receiving the Silver Star Medal posthumously. Senior commanders in Afghanistan at the time, including Marine Gen. Joseph  , now the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Mark Milley, now the Army Chief of Staff, had recommended that Plumlee receive the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty.  But Plumlee’s nomination was denied once it reached the Pentagon. Army Secretary John McHugh instead signed off on a Silver Star Medal after a panel known as the Senior Decorations Board recommended that the higher award not be approved. 

Fayetteville Chamber Revitalizes Membership     

The Greater Fayetteville Chamber hopes to grow its membership by revitalizing its popular Ambassadors program. Beasley Media Sales Representative Gary Rogers chairs the program in the fiscal year ahead. He’s currently serving as the Ambassador of the Year. “He acts as the chamber’s liaison for support and services to members,” said Kelly Moore, Chamber Membership Engagement Specialist. She calls it a goodwill outreach to get business owners more involved in the organization in order to improve branding and grow the membership. The Chamber currently has 708 members according
to Moore.

Judge  Lou Olivera Elected 2016-2017 Vice President of the N.C. Bar Association

At the June, 2016, membership meeting and annual conference, the members of the North Carolina Bar Association, endorsed and confirmed by the NCBA Board of Governors, voted Judge Lou Olivera as vice president for the Association. The organization consists of more than 15,000 active members.

 Other Fayetteville residents who have served as Vice President of the NCBA from its inception in 1899 are Judge Maurice Braswell, Justice Cheri Beasley, Judge Elizabeth Keever and Judge Lynn Johnson.

 Judge Olivera is a graduate of the Campbell University School of Law and is a Veteran of the United States Army.  He is a District Court Judge in Cumberland County, North Carolina. 

The North Carolina Bar Association is a voluntary organization of lawyers, paralegals and law students dedicated to serving the public and the legal profession. 

“Everything lined up” to bring Shane Wilson to Fayetteville from Georgia a few years ago, he said — a relationship, a job and a future full of possibilities.

Although the relationship with his then-girlfriend did not work out, Wilson said “life here is good.” He enjoys his job teaching English at Fayetteville Technical Community College, he has a network of friends and colleagues to offer support and encouragement, and he is building a following of fans for his writing.

Already recognized for his published poetry, Wilson recently self-published his first novel, “A Year Since the Rain.” The story follows a confused but likeable narrator named Alan, whose personal heartbreak coincides with a draught in his town. Wilson’s journey of self-discovery is guided by a series of women who try to help him see that home is more than the ground beneath your feet.  

Hank and Diane Parfitt, the owners of City Center Gallery & Books on Hay Street enjoyed the book so much, they hosted an author meet-and-greet on June 23 to introduce the book to Fayetteville and give readers a chance to meet Wilson. 

“We support local artists including authors,” Hank Parfitt said. “I think this book deserves wider attention. It is as good as any well-known author writing fiction today.”

Wilson said he is not completely comfortable with being called author or novelist yet.  

“Am I an author?” He said there is a feeling of ‘imposter syndrome’ when he hears that.  

“I always thought I was a poet,” Wilson said. “I thought that is what I was for a long time— a poet.”  

He added that his book started out as “six pages of terrible poetry.” He put it on the shelf for a year before returning to it. What became A Year Since the Rain “started with a sentence, then it came tumbling out, like much art does.”

Wilson prefers another term these days. “Writer is easier to grasp than novelist,” he said. “It is the difference in being a runner and being a marathoner — that is what writing a novel feels like.” 

One label Wilson does not contest is that of teacher. His personable style of instruction and warm, cheerful personality builds interest and respect in his FTCC classroom, current and former students say. Many of them attended the event at City Center Gallery & Books.

Don Grasmick, a former soldier now working toward a welding certification, initially took Wilson’s class only because it was required. He said Wilson made the subject matter easy to comprehend and enjoy. He added that being a published author lends credibility in the classroom because “he’s got proof of being a writer.”

FTCC graduate Brandon Perez is now attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying political science. He said he enjoyed Wilson’s way of dissecting a story and breaking it down for the class, but his support and encouragement has meant even more.  

“His work has profoundly affected me inside the classroom,” Perez said.  “But he has also always been a mentor and friend outside the classroom.”

Wilson recently finished writing the first draft of his second book. The story features two musicians and asks where does creativity come from and how do we define it.

“The most daunting part is what do I do next,” Wilson said. “I’ll still be writing and teaching.” 

Wilson’s next stop will be as special guest during the Gallery 208 Opening Reception for Light and Time: Paintings by Rose Kennedy on July 12 from 5:30 – 7 p.m.  The event is free and open the the public. Gallery 208 is located at 208 Rowan St.

Did you know that the city of Fayetteville offers historic tours? The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum, which is an educational resource, offers year round customized tours of our city. Tours may include a visit to the Market House, the Fayetteville Light Infantry Museum and Armory, one of a number of historic churches, Liberty Point, Cool Springs Tavern and Cross Creek Cemetery.  This summer three specific tours each with its own historical focus are available. The Downtown Alliance offers horse-drawn carriage tours, too.

Historic Tours by Carriage

Tour historic downtown Fayetteville in a horse-drawn carriage on July 9. The narrated tours include historic sites from Fayetteville’s 250-year history, including many from the Revolutionary War era or earlier. 

“We started developing this back in March and as we were researching and putting this together, we decided to do a test run thinking the tour would only take 45 minutes,” said Downtown Alliance Events Committee member Hank Parfitt. “It ended up taking two and a half hours, so we ended up focusing on the Revolutionary War era because a lot of people don’t realize Fayetteville’s history goes back that far.” 

Parfitt also noted that if the tours do well, the Downtown Alliance would like to add tours that focus on other historical eras as well. “We use S&S Carriage Rides because their horses are so well-trained and their equipment is always clean, which makes the carriage rides that much more fun.” 

The carriage rides take place once a month and run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tours leave hourly from the Downtown Alliance office at 222 Hay Street every hour. Tickets are $25 per person ($20 with military ID, active and retired) and $15 for children between 3 and 12. Purchase tickets at 222 Hay Street or by calling 222-3382. Tickets are also available online at www.visitdowntownfayetteville.com. The rain date is Sunday, July 10. 

Downtown Architecture Walking 

Join staff from the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum at the Headquarters Library on Saturday, July 30 at 9 a.m. and bring your walking shoes. A presentation begins a fascinating look into the arches, gates and gables of some of the most noteworthy buildings in Fayetteville.  Then, travel with us on a guided walking tour in the core Downtown Historic District. Admission is free.

 Cape Fear River Presentation and Boat Tour 

Learn about the history of boats on the Cape Fear River and then hop on board one for an evening boat ride on Aug. 6, at 6 p.m. The presentation will be in the museum annex and then participants will travel to Campbellton Landing for a sunset river tour to the confluence of the river and Rockfish Creek. The boat ride has a fee of $25 per person and pre-registration is required. Contact the museum at  433-1457 for more information or to register.

Lafayette History Bus Tour 

Museum staff will lead you on a fascinating trip through time as you retrace General Lafayette’s footsteps when he was a guest of the city on March 4, 1825. The tour begins at the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum and takes participants to several historic sites via bus. There is a small fee which includes lunch. Pre-registration is required. Contact the museum at 433-1457 for more information or to register. This tour is part of the annual Lafayette Birthday Celebration and takes place on Saturday, Sept. 10. Learn more atwww.lafayettesociety.org.

 The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum is located at 325 Franklin St. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. The museum is operated by the Historic Properties Division of Fayetteville Cumberland Parks and Recreation, a department of the City of Fayetteville. For more information, visit www.fcpr.us or call (910) 433-1457, 1458 or 1944.

Most of us know where we were when we heard a song for the first time, whether it was in high school at prom or on the radio before there was XM and we were still pressing record to make mix tapes. 

Back in the 90s, it was all about “Push It,” “Ice Ice Baby” and “Bust a Move,” so anyone who wants to relive those days and dance all night, join the Love the ‘90s Tour on Friday, July 15 at the Crown Coliseum!

Bringing back the dance hits of the day are headliners Vanilla Ice and Salt-N-Pepa as well as All 4 One, Kid N Play, Coolio and Young MC. 

“I Swear,” first a country hit with John Michael Montgomery, brought All 4 One into the spotlight and earned their band accolades with Grammy and American Music Awards. I had the opportunity to talk with Jamie Jones, the lead singer of R&B/pop group All 4 One, about their upcoming tour participation for the following Q&A session.

UCW: How did this tour come about? 

JONES: It was as easy as getting a phone call from our agent asking if we were interested and we were! This is the first time we’ve performed with these great artists although we’ve seen them at awards shows and around. Salt-N-Pepa actually presented us with our award at the American Music Awards.

UCW: Have you stayed in touch over the years?  

JONES: We actually have been together for 23 years touring non-stop in the states and overseas, with all four original members. We’ve been told that is a rare feat and we are honored to have been able to perform all of these years.

UCW: What are you most excited about with the tour? 

JONES: I love the nostalgia and the good memories that music brings. It brings back specific memories, music will attach itself, you remember what you were wearing, where you were… and with all of the craziness that is going on in the world, this is an amazing escape to give to the audience. It creates an amazing energy through the building.

UCW: What should your fans expect? 

JONES: Our fans should expect a really good time, feeling those emotions from falling in love to letting loose. We’re here to stir up nostalgia and get those good vibes going again.

UCW: Tell me about your new song and the Bachelorette experience. 

JONES: This album 20+ is our latest and it is always cool to record. The new song, “Now that We’re Together,” was a personal song for me — my mom passed away in 2009 — and it’s about a couple affected by Alzheimer’s. Writing that song was a creative outlet for me, but more so I feel like it helps others connect through the music. And the Bachelorette experience was a lot of fun. We didn’t realize how many people would be impacted until we saw our Facebook page and the comments about how many people get together and have Bachelorette viewing parties. 

We debuted our new video and I think people will be excited about our new album. It has 14 completely new songs and six of our hits re-recorded including a duet with John Michael Montgomery. It’s a look at the journey from where we’ve been and as we get older, the way we look at life changes. Even looking at our music, for me personally, the things I was writing about then, like falling in love, was through life in a different lens. We all see things differently now, 20 plus years later.

UCW: Have any special words for your fans here? 

JONES: Yes, we hope you have a great time and we can’t wait to see
you, Fayetteville!

The Love the ‘90s tour tickets are on sale. Tickets range in price from $33 to $70, depending on seat and package at www.capefeartix.com. For more information, visit www.crowncomplexnc.com.

No one, friend or foe, has ever called me a crafts person.  

As a little girl, I did make potholders on a handloom by threading colorful cotton loops over and under and crocheting the edges. This was a regular pastime as I rode the Greyhound to visit my grandparents in Kinston. As a young woman, I took up knitting briefly but obsessively. In just a few days, I knitted an afghan the Dicksons still snuggle under, ignoring the fact that I ran out of yarn so that one end is festooned with a luxurious, deep fringe and the other end is naked as a jay bird. I also knitted my boyfriend, later husband, a sweater of a lovely blue, which matched his eyes but whose sleeves could have accommodated the arms of LeBron James. My sweetie duly wore the thing a time or two, looking like a slender fellow with Michelin Man arms.

That was the end of my crafting career. No scrapbooking. No stained glass making. No hand- thrown pots. No jewelry made out of beads and shells.

This summer I am breaking my long-running craft boycott.

As a gift to the Precious Jewels, I am sorting through and organizing  thousands of family photographs and documents so that they, their children and their children’s children will have some sense of where we all came from and why we are who we are. My maternal grandmother put together a notebook of that side of our family nearly 50 years ago, but my knowledge is sketchier about my father’s family and certainly about my husband’s kin. But I will pass along what I do know, and even though the Precious Jewels are not especially interested at this point in their lives, I am confident they will be later.

Overwhelming is the only word I can think of to describe this process, but I am also learning that I am far from alone in diving into this task. The internet is full of “how-tos” about dealing with mountains of family material, including “ethical wills,” documents that attempt to pass ethical values down to new generations and directions about writing family narratives. The thinking goes that it is much easier to understand the personal stories of immigrant ancestors, Jane and Joe Dickson perhaps, arriving at Ellis Island and becoming Americans than it is to memorize the history of Europeans coming to our shores.

Among the helpful hints I have found that resonate with me are some by Ann Brenoff in The Huffington Post. They make perfect sense, and we are likely to have most of these items. Among Brenoff’s recommendations is your first passport. This is a real conversation starter, as in, “Mom, I had no idea you went on a Mediterranean cruise when you were 15!”  

How about your military discharge papers. I do not have any of these myself, but I would love to have my father’s to share. He served as a medic in Europe during World War II, including during the D-Day invasion of France. So few of his generation remain, and these papers would feel like a voice from a different time.

I do have many pictures of my wedding to the Precious Jewels’ father, and they have seen some but not all of them. I plan to make sure they see others, so they will know their dad and I were once their age and—dare I say it? — fun!

Brenoff also suggests something that belonged to the oldest relative your children know. My aunt died earlier this year at 90, and they knew her well and loved her.  Memories of her and the tangible gifts she made over the years will keep her alive in their hearts.

How about a sentimental piece of jewelry? It does not have to be a 10-carat diamond. My mother’s childhood friendship bracelet has been turned into a pair of earrings, and those who wear them in the years to come will know who first wore those itty-bitty blue stones. Ditto for some monogrammed gold cuff links of my grandfather’s, who died before I was born.

I do not have one of these but wish I did — a receipt with a date on it showing that a gallon of milk really did cost $1.50 and a nice car could be had for less than $10,000. These fall into the “you’ve got to be kidding” category.

A picture of the first time you held your Precious Jewel. Got those, thank goodness, including some discreet delivery room hugs and kisses after all the action was over.

Brenoff has more suggestions. Childhood report cards, especially if teachers commented on them. Those are generally good for a laugh. Tags worn by childhood pets are guaranteed to bring back memories, maybe even a tear or two.

And, maybe best of all, your favorite music — think oldies! — recorded on a platform they can use. Think iTunes, not cassettes, or — heaven forbid! — 8-track tapes!

I know. I know.  

This is to be a huge effort.  

But what else is more worthwhile during the heat of July?

Wow! What a great weekend we had. Celebrating our country’s birthday always makes me recognize and appreciate  the great country we live in. Though I think we have a tendency to take our freedoms for granted, especially in times like these when we seem to be straining and stressing under the weight of our own governance. Well, I’m not really worried about it. Americans have always proven their resilience time and time again when it comes to defending our rights and the American way of life. I love Fayetteville. Life here is good. Could it be better? Absolutely. But, then again, we suffer from too much governance locally where old habits, unilateral motives and conflicting priorities hinder and stifle our progress and growth.

Recently, a former resident of Fayetteville returned for a visit after a 30-year absence. He was amazed and pleasantly surprised and even impressed with our city’s transformation - especially downtown. He hardly recognized it. Taking pride in his compliments and observations, I couldn’t refrain from making the comment, “Yeah, but we’re not where we should be or could be. If only we could get out of our own way.”

And, it’s true. Everyone I talk with loves Fayetteville/Cumberland County. The problem is, they love “their” community. A common theme runs through every conversation I have with Fayetteville and Cumberland County residents. That one single thing that everyone mentions and agrees with consistently is: we are a community that fails to communicate or cooperate with each other. It is amazing. Everyone agrees that we should communicate and cooperate, but, openly admits that we don’t. Go figure. This is sad and not necessarily the type of thinking that inspires, energizes and motivates a progressive community.

We seem to be in a perpetual circular firing squad. 

At least everyone recognizes the problem, and they say that’s 50 percent of the solution. I agree, we have made great progress over the past three decades. However, we still have plenty of work to do - and with several awesome opportunities on the horizon, let’s all hope that our collective community communication improves. After all, we could talk ourselves into a future baseball stadium, a performing arts center and a North Carolina Civil War Education Center. It could happen! What do you say? Can we talk about it?

Thank you for reading the Up & Coming Weekly.

Looking at modern and contemporary works of art can be complicated. With so many styles, so many approaches to form and themes, so many mediums and mixed media, there is not a singular way to look at works of art, but a myriad of ways. We can pause at the complexity of a modern painter like Georges Braque and gather the pictorial parts to create a whole. In post-modern art, we can decipher incongruent images to create new meaning, or we can visually speed across a contemporary minimal surface where immediacy and even branding is a popular approach to creating works of art.

Gallery 208 at the offices of Up & Coming Weeklydecided to host a one-woman exhibition by an artist who focuses on a particular type of immediacy in her paintings. The public is invited to meet the artist during the opening reception of Light and Time: Paintings by Rose Kennedy on July 12, 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. The artist, Rose Kennedy, is more connected to the modern impressionist style, popular since the late 1880s, but in a contemporary Southern landscape context. 

There is a complexity to the Kennedys’ work, but visitors to the exhibit will not be bogged down by the theoretical. Instead, form and content are intertwined into a visual experience of light, color and a sense of place.  Where many people feel alienated from contemporary art, people will feel immediately connected to Kennedy’s keen interpretation and observation of the Carolina landscape. 

As stated by Kennedy, her goal is “to draw the viewer into the moment, eliciting the emotional response of a particular point in time, whether it is the serenity from the warm glow of morning, or the sparkling playfulness of light and shadow as the day transitions into evening.” My response to Kennedy’s work is similar to how theorist Laurie Fendrich defends abstract art: “… not a vehicle for social or political change….it enables us to be quiet… it offers a counter to the glut of things…often is quite simply beautiful.” 

I have followed Kennedy’s art work for many years and knew her mostly by her pastel paintings. But of late, she has undertaken the plein air(French for in the “open air”) painting approach as she paints quickly and directly from observation. In her direct observation of a landscape, Kennedy is “on-site” and has to capture the light during that specific window of time. Qualities of light, direct sunlight or overcast, the artist has to understand the light through color and the painted mark. 

A task that is not easy, an artist has to be organized and practiced to paint on-site. A challenge, since the light and environment changes, the artist’s efforts result in capturing a spontaneity and freshness. To learn this skill Kennedy noted she “has attended numerous workshops with nationally-renowned artists. Then I took the techniques I learned from these experiences and developed my own personal and recognizable style of painting. My paintings are vibrant and intriguing, reflecting nature as I see it. “

Kennedy’s works are included in both private and corporate collections, and she is a featured artist in the publication Painting North Carolina, A Visual Journey. Memberships and affiliations include the Southeastern Pastel Society, Piedmont Pastel Society, Oil Painters of America and Women Painters of the Southeast. Kennedy works from her home studio, but she is also an exhibiting member at Cape Fear Studios in Fayetteville, N.C., maintaining a working studio space there. Before opening at Gallery 208, Kennedy opened a one-woman exhibit at the Wake Forest Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Visitors to Gallery 208 are going to enjoy the colorful and inspiring beauty in Light and Time: Paintings by Rose Kennedy. The paintings are evidence that the pursuits of early modernist Impressionistic art is still with us in the post-modern period. Be prepared to see works by a painter who is not afraid to use expressive color and demonstrates ways to use color and light to unify a painting instead of modeling a form with light and shade. 

Like the classical Impressionists, Kennedy does not necessarily depend on realistic depictions; instead she captures the immediacy of a moment, a place, and the optical effects of light as she has interprets it through loose brushwork. Her years of working with a heightened color palette has resulted in paintings that have the quality of luminance. In her luminance, we do not perceive the edges of objects or the landscape; instead, ambiguous forms shift to become recognizable in their unity. 

The public is invited to the opening reception of Light and Time: Paintings by Rose Kennedyon Tuesday, July 12, 2016 between 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Gallery 208 located at 208 Rowan Street, the home of Up & Coming Weekly. If you cannot attend the opening, the exhibit will remain at Gallery 208 until mid-September. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information call Up & Coming Weekly at 484-6200.

Local theater is a labor of love. It requires hard work and long hours, usually on top of commitments like holding down a job and taking care of family. It can be grueling, but passion is what drives many in the community to sacrifice their time and energy to create great art right in the heart of Fayetteville. In order to give these dedicated and talented people the recognition and appreciation they deserve, the Gilbert Theater hosts the Pryer awards.  The awards are inspired by Lynn Pryer, the founder of the Gilbert Theater and all of the work that he did in support of the local artistic community. 

This year will be the fifth annual Pryer award celebration. Robyne Parrish the artistic director and co-education director for Gilbert Theater said, “We wanted to honor the actors and designers that give of their time and talents for very little pay. It is a time that the entire Gilbert community and the arts community at large can come together to celebrate and inspire one another.”

This year the Pryer Awards celebration is on July 1 at 6 p.m. Tickets cast $40 per person. This fee will go to further supporting the Gilbert Theater. Parrish says the celebration will feature,”… door prizes, a full bar with beer, wine and alcohol plus soda and tea as well as an awesome silent auction and delicious food and desserts, entertainment and, of course, the awards ceremony. This year, we will be honoring Lynn Pryer with the lifetime achievement award.” Reservations or pre-purchasing a ticket is encouraged, there is expected to be 120 attendees. 

The Glee Club and the cast of Young Frankenstein, which was the season musical, will provide entertainment. The silent auction is another highlight of the night. Guests can compete to win a number of incredible prizes. Parrish noted that “Anything and everything!” is available. She mentioned that some of the items up for auction include, “Art and sculpture, food and drink, evenings out on the town, theater tickets and spa treatments.”

The Pryer Awards is a community-oriented event. This is truly an opportunity for the community to give feedback on the performances that they saw throughout the year. According to Parrish, “Throughout the year, the audience votes for their favorite artists from each production.  Nominees are chosen and in the end, votes are tallied and one artist gets the award.”

This year the Gilbert continues a relatively new addition to the awards given. Last year was the very first iteration of the Lifetime Achievement Award. “It is a wonderful way to honor someone who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to keep the arts alive in our community and beyond,” Parrish said. This award is particularly special with the growing amount of pressure on the arts community. It is often the first community to suffer budget cuts; though the value of the arts is priceless. Supporting these awards through attending, voting and participating in the silent auction supports not only the Gilbert Theater but the Fayetteville artistic community as a whole.

For more information or to purchase a ticket visit www.gilberttheater.com. 

In an All-American city like Fayetteville, there is no shortage of events to celebrate America’s birthday. Fayetteville and the surrounding communities have several family-friendly options for a fun-filled weekend. It’s time for music, fireworks, food and fun. Here are some of the ways you can join in the celebration of America’s 240th birthday:

Fort Bragg- US Army MWR

Every year, Fort Bragg opens its gates to the community for a 4th of July celebration like none other in the area. The afternoon kicks off with music followed by a free-fall parachute demonstration. Next up, the flag ceremony honors each state in the nation. During the flag ceremony, the crowd cheers for the colors for each state as the flags pass by. 

Throughout the day and evening, vendors offer food and beverages for purchase. 

The 4th of July Celebration is presented by AAFMAA and runs from 3 – 10 p.m. at the Main Post Parade Field. Come early and bring a tent or other covering to enjoy the day. All tents belong in the designated tent area. Call 396-9126 to make reservations. Space is limited. 

Bring the kids because there is an entire section of the parade field dedicated to them. Kiddieland includes bounce houses, slides and rock climbing walls. Admission for Kiddieland is $10 per child with unlimited use. Kiddieland is open from 3 - 8 p.m.. 

Pets, glass bottles and BBQ grills are not allowed. The event is free and open to the public. Arrive early. There will be a lot of traffic. The parade field opens at 1 p.m..  

For more information call 396-9126. 

N.C. Symphony Independence Day Concert

Get a jump on the 4th of July celebrations at the N.C. Symphony Independence Day concert in Festival Park. This concert salutes all things American with well-loved favorites and classics that will have the audience singing along. It takes place on Friday, July 1 at 8 p.m. in Festival Park. Don’t miss the fireworks right after the show.

The program begins with “The Star Spangled Banner” and features a salute to all branches of the military featuring various selections.  It is conducted by N.C. Symphony Associate Conductor David Glover. Scott MacLeod will join the orchestra to sing selections.   

Lawn chairs are welcome.  Concert goers may bring food and beverages. Vendors will be on site as well.

Pets are not permitted. Gates  open at 5 p.m. 

This performance is part of the Symphony’s summer “Concerts in Your Community” free concerts presented throughout the state. 

For more information visit www.ncsymphony.org. 

Fayetteville Swamp Dogs

Ahh, the Swamp. There is no place like it when it comes time to have fun. All season long, the SwampDogs entertain and amuse with great baseball as well as events the entire family can enjoy. But for America’s birthday, the team pulls out all the stops with a big game followed by an even bigger fireworks display. Come out on Sunday, July 3, and catch the game against the Wilson Tobs at 7:05 p.m. at   J. P. Riddle Stadium. Make a night of it, enjoy the fireworks and celebrate America’s 240th birthday at the swamp.

Box seats are $9, general admission cost is $7 and military and kids for $6.  Food and beverages can be purchased at the stadium. 

Gates open at 5 p.m. Purchase tickets ahead of time and arrive early for the game. 

For more information call 426-5900.  

Hope Mills

For all the fun that comes with the 4th of July without the big-city hassle, come to Hope Mills. The Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department hosts its annual 4th of July Parade at 10 a.m. The starting lineup is at Hope Mills Middle School. 

Later, at the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation department, the party kicks off at Municipal Park. Children’s games begin at 4 p.m. Come ready to eat. Vendors will be on site with food and drinks available for purchase. 

Come to watch, or better yet, compete in one of the many tournaments. Choose from the frozen T-shirt contest, corn hole, horseshoes and washers. 

The opening ceremonies and welcome take place at 6 p.m. followed by “The National Anthem” sung by Madison Bryant, who is Miss Fayetteville Dogwood Festival.  

David Arthur and the Southern Tradition Band provide the evening’s entertainment followed by fireworks at 9:15 p.m.  

Admission is free. For more information call 424-4555. 

Spring Lake

Spring Lake’ s Main Street party runs from noon to 9 p.m. This may be a small town festival but there is plenty to do — including a car, truck and bike show, a dunking booth and Kidz Zone. Come hungry. There will be food vendors. The program also includes live musical entertainment on stage. Call 497-8821 for more information.

Firecracker 4-Miler

Before heading to the barbeques, concerts and parties, start July 4th off with a four-mile road race. The Fayetteville Running Club’s Firecracker 4 Miler is designed to promote running as a part of a healthy lifestyle in the community. Enjoy the winding trail’s historic parks and beautiful downtown scenery. It starts at 7 a.m. Find out more or register at https://its-go-time.com/firecracker-4-miler-2016

Grilled Ginger is an authentic Vietnamese restaurant nestled in a strip mall off Yadkin Road. 

Owners Thanh Vo and his wife, Han Nguyen, were both born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States. They first moved to California, where Vo was an engineering and computer science student before deciding to become a chef. Later, they moved to Fayetteville, where their two children, now ages five and two, were born. They opened Grilled Ginger a little over five years ago, and recently celebrated their five-year anniversary in May.

Lunch is usually more crowded than dinner, compliments of Fort Bragg, however, dinner consists usually more of families. Grilled Ginger is closed on Wednesdays for their day of rest. They prefer to have a day off in the middle of the week so they can take their children to appointments, and also because they usually get a large after church crowd on Sunday afternoons and evenings.

The restaurant’s name comes from the main ingredient in their food  — grilled ginger. The ginger is grilled very slowly before it is cooked and then added to the food. 

According to Vo, who is the chef for Grilled Ginger, the most popular item on the menu is their soup, which they call ‘pho.’ Pho is a popular Vietnamese noodle soup, which can either contain seafood, chicken or beef, or a combination of those. Another popular item on the menu is the eggroll or spring roll. As per Nguyen, the reason their eggrolls and spring rolls are so popular is because everything is made completely fresh.

In addition to authentic Vietnamese cuisine, Grilled Ginger offers a selection of beer, and both red and white wines. They also serve smoothies and bubble tea. 

Inside, the décor of Grilled Ginger exhibits the owner’s ties to Vietnam. Upon first walking in, there is an authentic Vietnamese red dress and hat on display. Adorning the walls are beautiful paintings, which were hand painted by Nguyen’s friend in Vietnam, and then shipped by boat to the United States. Two of the paintings are portraits painted of Nguyen and of her aunt. 

The open concept of the restaurant, complimented by the warm colors of the walls and the friendly nature of the workers, creates a casual and relaxed dining atmosphere.

A neat aspect of Grilled Ginger is that it truly is a family affair. Nguyen’s aunt, Lien Sherman, owns the strip mall off Yadkin Road where Grilled Ginger is located. Sherman immigrated to the United States before Nguyen and Vo, where she met her military husband. She then was able to sponsor Nguyen when she immigrated. They expressed the deep desire to bring as many family members from Vietnam to the United States as possible. 

Grilled Ginger is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Sunday from 12 to 8 p.m. and closed on Wednesdays. 

Are airborne troops still needed in modern warfare? The question arises in military circles from time to time.  Some consider airborne impractical in modern warfare - and expensive. Combat jumps have been few and far between since World War II. Army paratroopers are most visible in the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg community. Rotating brigades of the 82nd Airborne Division comprise our nation’s Global Reaction Force (GRF). The GRF is designed to rapidly deploy in an emergency with wheels up in 18 hours.

Military scholar Marc DeVore’s 2015 study “When Failure Thrives” shocked the airborne community. DeVore argues that the airborne still exists because of “institutionalization and military culture.”  He suggests that U.S. airborne forces are more a product of the airborne community’s lobbying efforts rather than logical calculations. He concludes that technology advances have all but removed airborne soldiers from the modern battlefield. “We’ve gone 38 years with it being tough to say any given airborne operation was necessary to accomplish the overall objective of a given operation,” DeVore said in an Army Times interview. 

Pentagon leaders don’t buy the assertion. They acknowledge that a major airborne air assault is a low-probability option, but that it remains a vital capability and deterrent. “It’s not an Army requirement. It’s a national security requirement,” says Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of XVIII Airborne Corps. Most of the Army’s top leaders have airborne backgrounds:  Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Vice Chief Gen. Daniel Allyn, U.S. Special Operations Commander Gen. Joseph Votel and acting Army Secretary Patrick Murphy all served at Fort Bragg. Nine of the Army’s 13 four-star generals have led or served in the 82nd or XVIII Airborne Corps.

Airborne also offers training, morale, retention and recruiting perks and a pay bonus. Soldiers who are required to jump out of airplanes as part of their military duties are entitled to “Jump Pay” or “Parachute Duty Pay.” There are two rates of Jump Pay, regular and HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening). Regular jump pay is $150 per month. HALO parachutists receive $225 per month. And there’s prestige. Members of the 82nd Airborne consider themselves the Army’s elite. They wear distinctive headgear setting them apart from regular forces. 

No one suggests parachuting is obsolete; Special Forces and the 75th Ranger Regiment frequently jump into enemy territory. But does the Army need five-plus brigades -- three of them at Fort Bragg -- with ever-tightening budget restraints? Former XVII Airborne Corp Commander Lt. Gen. Joe Anderson said airborne brigades cost about 10 percent more in maintenance than standard light infantry, but roughly a third as much as an armored unit. 

Over the last 15 years, members of the 82nd have seen more than their fair share of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan — but they were not involved in combat jumps. Army leaders note an air drop is the only way to get a substantial force into a conflict quickly when there’s no airstrip handy. “Today the application of a large-scale airborne assault is low probability, but it’s high consequence if we’re not absolutely prepared to do it,” said Brig. Gen. Brian Winski, deputy commander of the 82nd Airborne Division. 

Naloxone is a medication used to counter the effects of opioid overdose. Morphine, Percocet and heroin are in that class of drugs.   Naloxone is used to counteract life-threatening situations by allowing an overdose victim to breathe normally. It’s a non-addictive medication now available without prescription in North Carolina. Governor McCrory recently signed legislation making naloxone more accessible. “It has already saved the lives of 3,300 North Carolinians,” he said.  North Carolina is the third state in the country to issue a standing prescription order statewide for naloxone. 

Naloxone is traditionally administered by emergency response personnel. Fayetteville police were first equipped with it just over a year ago, according to police Captain Lars Paul. All patrol officers and narcotics detectives carry it. Paul says a company that makes the drug provided the department with several hundred does of Naloxone. EVZIO is a hand-held, single-use naloxone auto-injector developed by Kaleo Pharma of Richmond, Virginia. EVZIO should be given right away and does not take the place of emergency medical care. “EVZIO kits of two injectors and audio instructions are expensive, costing nearly a thousand dollars,” Paul said. Now however, an inexpensive Naloxone nasal spray is on the market and available over the counter for about $12. Improperly used prescription pain medications like Percocet and oxycodone are still the number one cause of opiate overdoses. But, stricter federal regulations governing them are making them harder to get and more expensive. Paul says “people start off using legitimate prescription pain killers and then turn to heroin as a cheaper option.”

Dr. Steven Stack, the 170th president of the American Medical Association, recently issued an open letter to America’s physicians on the opioid epidemic. It read in part “The medical profession must play a lead role in reversing the opioid epidemic that, far too often, has started from a prescription pad. For the past 20 years, public policies — well-intended but now known to be flawed — compelled doctors to treat pain more aggressively for the comfort of our patients. But today’s crisis plainly tells us we must be much more cautious with how we prescribe opioid. Tens of thousands of Americans are dying every year and more still will die because of a tragic resurgence in the use of heroin.”

Alternative forms of pain management may reduce the use of addictive drugs. Experts agree that medication is a necessary and sometimes lifesaving part of the pain-management equation. The latest trend, said Steven Stanos, D.O., medical director of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Center for Pain Management, is to take a more comprehensive approach to treating chronic pain, a “bio-psycho-social approach.” The “bio,” or biological, part means treating the physical or underlying root causes. The “psycho,” or psychological, part addresses the depression, fear and anxiety that can accompany chronic pain. The “social” part pertains to a patient’s ability to function in society. Very few doctors have specialized training in pain management. In fact, only three percent of U.S. medical schools offer courses in it. In Fayetteville, there are 15 doctors who specialize in chronic pain management ranging from acupuncture to therapeutic         laser treatment.

There appears to be growing interest in bringing minor league baseball back to Fayetteville. An informal study of stadiums conducted by Up & Coming Weekly reveals that a ballpark proposed for downtown Fayetteville, if approved, would be the Taj Mahal of Single-A stadiums on the east coast. Barrett Sports Group (BSG) has proposed a nearly $47 million facility to Fayetteville City Council. That would make a ballpark adjacent to the Prince Charles Hotel the most expensive stadium in Single A baseball by far. 

The existing stadium that comes the closest in cost is Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas. It was built in 2012 at a cost of $36 million, or $37.8 million in 2016 dollars, according to the U.S. Inflation Calculator. The Sugar Land team plays in an unaffiliated league on the caliber of Triple-A baseball. The stadium seats 7,500. It was the result of many years of effort by the city of Sugar Land, its citizens and a public/private partnership. No general fund dollars were spent to build the stadium. It was funded with a portion of sales tax revenues made available only for economic development purposes. Expenditures by visitors to the stadium generate sales, as do hotel occupancy taxes that benefit the city and Sugar Land residents. Similar revenue sources would not be immediately available to the City of Fayetteville and would require the cooperation of the state legislature and County of Cumberland to accomplish over time. County Commission Chairman Marshall Faircloth has said the county has no interest in helping to fund the ballpark.

Up & Coming Weekly reviewed construction costs of typical Single-A minor league ballparks built on the east coast of the United States.  Pensacola, Fla., Bayfront Stadium opened in 2012 with a seating capacity of 5,000. Construction cost was $18 million or $19.2 million in 2016 dollars. The stadium in Bowling Green, Ky., was built in 2008 at a cost of $28 million or $31.2 million in today’s dollars. Whitaker Bank Ball Park in Lexington, Ky., opened in 2001 and seats 7,000. It’s a Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, the same team interested in Fayetteville. It cost $13.5 million in 2000 or $18 million today. The State Mutual Stadium in Rome, Ga., was built at a cost of $15 million in 2001 to seat 5,100. That cost today would be $18 million. 

While BSG Consultants have recommended a $47 million stadium for Fayetteville, Mayor Nat Robertson tells Up & Coming Weekly he believes the city can build a park for about $30 million in what he calls “non-traditional, out-of-the-box financing” without a bond referendum or tax increase. He is recommending to city council’s newly-appointed stadium subcommittee that it designate the $6 million economic development pledge from PWC for the stadium. He believes the city-owned Festival Park Plaza Building and Robert Williams Business Center, both of which the city owns, could be liquidated for $9 million. He would like the city to request $10 million dollars from the general assembly for economic development. Finally, Robertson suggests that the city set aside $1 million a year for five years in general fund revenues for the stadium. The Houston Astros ownership has asked the city for a commitment by mid-August. 

A Hope Mills man was jailed on incest charges growing out of an investigation of a runaway juvenile. Oliver Bragg’s daughter ran away from her Round Grove Place home in Hope Mills. Now Bragg, 42, is charged with first degree statutory sexual offense and taking indecent liberties with his own child. Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Sean Swain says a routine runaway child report filed with the sheriff’s office in early April became something much more. Three days later, the Cumberland County Department of Social Services notified the sheriff that an uncle of the child, Timothy Brock, had reported that her father had been engaging in sexual intercourse with her since she was in the 7th grade. Brunswick County social worker Carrie Nelson disclosed details of the allegations, which began when she was 12 years old.  During a medical exam of the child on April 28, she again stated that Bragg made her preform sex acts. Bragg is being held in the Cumberland County Jail on $100,000 secured bond.

Sunday Bus Service Planned for Fayetteville     

Sunday bus service is provided in Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro and Wilmington. It’s not available in Fayetteville, but may be in the not too distant future. Fayetteville Area System of Transit Director Randy Hume told his citizen advisory committee he hopes to recommend initial Sabbath service in Fiscal Year 2018. His plan is to initially make it available on the eight busiest bus routes. The anticipated annual cost is $360,000. “Typically ridership on Sunday is about 20% of weekday usage,” said Hume. In Durham, he says, it’s higher at 26%. Sunday transit service has been a part of FAST’s Transit Development Plan for several years. As planned a year from now, and if approved by city council, Sunday buses would run on Routes 5, 6, 8, 12, 14, 15, 18 and 19. Door to door FASTtrac service for the disabled would parallel fixed route service.

If You See Something Say Something                     

Fayetteville Police are again reminding residents to report suspicious activity to 911 in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security’s “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign. The request comes in the wake of the June 11 massacre at the Orlando night club. “We have not received notification of any local threats here in Fayetteville and we do not believe there is any immediate threat to our community,” said Police spokesman, Lt. David McLaurin. But “we need our citizens to be vigilant,” he added.  “If You See Something, Say Something” engages the public in protecting the homeland through greater awareness. To report suspicious activity, police ask that residents contact local law enforcement and describe specifically what was observed. That would include who or what was seen, when and where it was seen and why it was suspicious. If it’s an emergency, call 911 immediately. Suspicious activity could be unusual items or situations. For example, a vehicle parked in an odd location or a package left unattended. A person questioning individuals at a level beyond curiosity would be considered suspicious as would someone paying unusual attention to facilities or buildings beyond a casual interest. 

New Fort Bragg Green Beret Commander      

(photo of Col Moses was not available)

Col. Bradley D. Moses has assumed command of 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg. He takes over for Col. Robert Wilson whose next assignment is at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Moses previously served as commander of the group’s 3rd Battalion. The 3rd Group is one of five active duty Special Forces Groups in the Army. It’s now responsible for special operations assignments in Africa. For the last 13 years, Special Forces soldiers from 3rd Group have deployed almost always to Afghanistan and, to a lesser extent, Iraq. “The group’s transition is the result of an overarching look at how special operations forces were being allocated,” Wilson said. From ISIS to Boko Haram and al-Qaida, the 3rd Special Forces Group has been called on for numerous deployments in recent years. Those deployments have been costly. Forty-nine stone pavers on the 3rd Special Forces Group Memorial Walk honor the soldiers who died in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001.